by Riker Kane
Ethan swung before he finished. His looping right hand was fast but not fast enough. I ducked to avoid it then slugged him right in the stomach, enough to make him keel over.
“Enzo!” Jade shouted out to no effect.
Fighting one guy who didn’t know how to fight was easy. But Brandon and Sergio tried to even the odds. They moved on me, trying to grab my arms. And they probably would’ve succeeded if I didn’t have some Red Mana in me to match theirs. I pulled my arms free and kicked Brandon in the gut, sending him stumbling back into a wooden chair and breaking it in half.
“What the hell are you doing?” Hank yelled out, showing more emotion than I’d ever seen from him.
The other patrons were all watching but none of them tried to stop it. A barfight was the most exciting thing that had happened in Lucky’s in years.
“Ahhh!” Sergio yelled out as he charged at me, his long hair flailing in every direction. He managed to wrap his arms around me and take me down to the floorboards. I struggled with him, trying to line myself up for a punch. Suddenly, Jade appeared above me and kicked him in the side of the head. The momentary daze was enough to push Sergio off.
“C’mon!” Jade grabbed me by the arm and helped me to my feet.
“Screw this! Let’s get outta here!” Ethan motioned for his friends and they all stumbled out of the bar in a daze.
The commotion was over in an instant. One broken wooden chair but all things considered, there wasn’t much more damage.
“Dammit…” Hank muttered as he picked up the remains of the chair.
I sighed and looked at Jade. “I think we’ve had enough for tonight.”
16: No Days Off
Alisa tapped her right hand against the pad over and over. The snap from the thud was a little harder each time. Considering how small her frame was, it was surprising just how much power she was able to generate.
“Keep your arm straight,” I said. “Bring your fist right to the target. No wasted motion.”
“Don’t I need to gather some energy before I land it?” She snapped her fist against my pad again.
I raised my hand in response, moving it right up to her chin. “Worry about landing it first. Someone beats you to the punch, it won’t matter how hard you throw it.”
She nodded and bounced up and down on her feet before resuming her workout.
Alisa worked up a sweat like everybody else in the gym. Her bronze skin was covered in a sheen and with how little she was wearing, there was no way to hide it. Her stamina matched her enthusiasm as she followed every command I gave her.
I kept the pads up, slapping her punches as they kept coming toward me. Before I realized it, we were going at it for half-an-hour.
I lowered my hands down and gave her a nod of approval. “All right. Take a break and get some water. Then hit the treadmill to finish.”
“You want me to run after I’ve been punching for this long? My arms are dead. My legs, too.”
“That’s right. Some scumbag hiding in an alleyway isn’t gonna care if you’re tired when he tries to take advantage of you.”
“Okay, okay. You’re the boss, Champ.”
“Boss Champ. That’s a new one.”
Alisa winked and skipped over to one of the treadmills. Next to her, Jade had just finished running herself. The Harbinger’s outfit wasn’t as skimpy as Alisa’s but her sports bra and leggings were tight enough a guy didn’t have to use too much of his imagination to see just how slender she was.
Jade tied her hair back over her head then wiped the sweat from her brow as she walked up to me. “How are you doing?”
“Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She glanced down at my hand. “You get into barfights often?”
I took off my training pads to look at my knuckles. “You know what the weirdest thing is? I don’t feel anything. There’s no scuffing or bruising. Usually when you punch someone with a bare fist, there’s something… Must be the durability from the levels I’ve gained. I think I can get used to having some Red Mana in me.”
“Don’t get too comfortable. The police aren’t above arresting an Omega and locking them away until the benefits of your levels fade with old age.”
“I think I’ll be all right. I know Hank. He saw those guys started it. And I don’t think they’ll be around to cause me any trouble.”
Jade gave me a look like something was up. I tossed my pads to the side and crossed my arms as she leaned forward to me.
“I know you’re still upset about your father,” she said. “What the Legion did to him is unfair. But you can’t take it out on every Omega you come across. You can’t let them get to you—”
“Those guys had it coming to ‘em. They started barking. I had to shut ‘em up.” Jade was still concerned, her eyebrows raised like she was trying to get me to see things her way. “Besides, you’re an Omega, Jade. I don’t have a problem with you.”
“It’s more than just that,” she sighed. “I just don’t want you using your anger on this… assignment. Stay focused. Stay positive.”
“Nothing’s changed. A brawl with some d-bags hasn’t made me forget what I’m trying to do.”
“Good. Save some of that energy for tonight. New zone, remember?” Jade moved over to the mirror to start stretching out, drawing some of the attention of the younger gym members. I had to remind myself these guys were still just kids, fresh out of high school with hormones raging.
I chuckled to myself and started walking over to check on Alisa. But then I noticed something. A man in a suit stood at the front counter of the gym. Men in suits never came to the Bloody Guts. When they did, they were usually sleazy fight promoters pretending to be more important than they actually were.
I walked closer to him and saw his plain black suit wasn’t as flashy as I expected it to be. His head was shaved clean. He stared at me as soon as I was a few meters away, his beady eyes locked on mine. His cheeks sagged like a bulldog’s, making his wrinkles and frown even more pronounced. I couldn’t tell if the guy was in a bad mood or he just looked that way. Probably both.
“You need some help?” I asked.
“I’m looking for someone,” he spoke bluntly, his voice deep. “Enzo.”
A man like him looking for me meant something was up. I thought about biting my tongue but he’d find out eventually. The gym was where I spent all of my time.
“I’m Enzo. Who are you?”
“My name is Carl Castleberry. I’m an agent.”
Just as I expected. Agents were always the old guys who looked like they’d spent too much time in the sun. This guy was tan and wrinkled enough to make him look a few years older than he already was.
“An agent? What fight promotion?”
“I’m not with any promotion. I’m with the Legion Omega Defense.”
I held back my surprise. All of the reasons why someone from the Legion would visit started running through my head.
“The Legion Omega Defense?” I asked.
“Is there another one?”
“…Are you recruiting? Most of the younger guys in here are fully aware of what the Legion offers. Can’t go anywhere without seeing a brochure. Being an Omega… It’s a good career path.”
“I’m not here to see anybody except you, Enzo.” Castleberry’s stare hadn’t changed. Fixated brown eyes on me like a painting’s, following me even if I moved.
“What can I help you with, Agent Castleberry?”
“It’s come to my attention there was an incident between you and several cadets. Three Omegas in particular.”
“Is that right?”
“That’s what I learned. Say what you will of the men involved but their testimonies are too exact and detailed to be fabricated.”
I put my hands on my hips, staring at the ground to figure out what the hell this guy was up to. “Just some friendly sparring,” I said with a shrug. “Nothing crazy. I imagine Omegas push themselves harder than that during training.”
I shook my head and shrugged again. “I guess it’s all the practice. I’ve been fighting for most of my life. Learned from the best. I don’t imagine Omegas do much boxing. Not very practical against… whatever it is you’re up against.”
I gave him a smile but he didn’t care for it. Castleberry finally shifted his eyes, looking me up and down. “Perhaps that’s it.” He gave me a tight-lipped smile like it was the hardest thing he ever had to do. “I apologize on behalf of the Legion. Their behavior was not befitting of an Omega. Antagonizing a civilian is a direct contradiction to the oath they pledged. I can assure you it won’t happen again.”
“No harm done.”
“Have a good day, Enzo…”
“…Drake.”
“Enzo Drake.” He stuck his hand out.
I shook it, noticing just how firmly he was squeezing me. But I was probably reading too much into it. He turned and looked at Alisa as she jogged on her treadmill before turning around and leaving.
I watched him walk down the sidewalks through the windows until he disappeared around the corner.
“What was that all about?” Jade suddenly appeared next to me, breathing hard like she’d just jumped off the treadmill before I realized it.
“Agent Castleberry. He said he was with the Legion.”
Jade’s eyes widened but I put my hands up to try and stop her from getting worried.
“Relax. He just heard about the incident with those Omegas. Wanted to clear things up and apologize.”
“I don’t think so. Agents from the Legion don’t just show up to say sorry. Those guys at the bar wouldn’t be the first Omegas to have an incident.”
“Are you telling me Castleberry is here for another reason?”
Jade crossed her arms and stared at me, letting me figure it out for myself.
“Wait a second.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Are you telling me this has something to do with Redgrave and what we’re doing? There’s no way they could’ve tracked Redgrave down that fast.”
“You’re right. It’s only a suggestion. With an agent in town, it’s possible. We should let Redgrave know about this, too.”
I sighed, knowing this was just another thing I had to deal with. “Fine. We’ll tell him tonight and see if he can set something up for Castleberry.”
17: The Fork In The Road
Redgrave picked at the scruffy, wrinkled skin on his chin. Even with a worried look on his face, he still didn’t seem very upset. “This is troubling indeed. Are you sure he said he was an agent for the Legion?”
“That’s what he told me,” I replied. “I guess I should’ve asked for some identification. But he knew about the incident with the Omegas. If he wanted to start some beef with me, I don’t see why he’d pretend to be with the LOD.”
“There’s no telling what his motives are. I’ve double-checked to make sure your trips to Pandora have remained undetected by blending it in with the data of legitimate District activity. I doubt this Castleberry knows what we’re doing.”
“We should still take every precaution,” Jade said. “We’re still not anywhere close to Anarchy. He could be following us.”
“He’d have a lot of trouble getting to us,” I said. “There are hundreds of storage warehouses on the dock. It’d take them months to search every one of them. We’ll get to Anarchy before then.”
Redgrave bowed his head and sighed a deep breath. “There’s no use fretting over it now. We have more important matters to discuss tonight. I’ve been going over the data. Jade placed a checkpoint at the end of the Viridian Vale before the next zone.”
The scientist moved over to the display where the map was. His finger moved to the blinking blue dot near the left side. “This is where you’re at now. The original plan was for you to follow the path to Anarchy.”
“Original plan?” I said. “Did the plan change?”
“You won’t deviate from your original course. What I’ve discovered is you have more options.” He tapped on the display and more lines lit up, flowing toward the blinking red dot at the other end of the display. “There’s more than one path to get to Anarchy. You can venture farther off the path than I anticipated.”
“Why would I wanna do that?”
“Anarchy may be your destination but you must also be prepared for whatever awaits. With every zone you enter, the Shadows will only get stronger. Traveling a longer path will give you the opportunity to collect more Red Mana and gain more levels. I know you’re eager to get to your father as soon as possible. But your haste could mean you don’t reach him at all.”
I took a step closer to the map. All of the lines flowing on the display seemed like there were so many different ways to go. It wasn’t easy to figure out a map of a place I’d never been to.
“Since you’ll be the one venturing through each zone, it only seems appropriate you make the decision on which path to take.”
“Thanks, Doc… What do you think, Jade?”
“You’re the Slayer. It’s your call.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say…”
“Perhaps it would be of some benefit to know what exactly you’re getting into. Right now, you have three options for the next zone. First, the Snowy Tundra. As the name suggests, it’s a colder environment. Expect some light snowfall.”
“Never was much fan of the cold.”
“The next zone would be the Arid Flats. A warm, barren landscape. Dry sands as far as the eye can see. The sun will be brighter than the Vale.”
“That doesn’t sound too promising. You couldn’t find somewhere nice and tropical, huh?”
“I’m afraid not. Your last option would be the Twisted Peaks. The weather would be fair compared to the others but the landscape would be considerable. Traversing it could be trickier than any Shadows waiting for you.”
I scratched the side of my chin and sighed. Somehow, I managed to find some humor in it. “Newmire’s a pretty dull place, especially in the fall. I’ll just consider this a vacation. A chance to experience a new climate.” I tapped the upper part of the map. “We’re going to the Flats.”
Jade nodded and headed to the Junction Gate to activate it. I walked over to the workstation where the Slayer Gauntlets were waiting for me. I slipped them on and immediately noticed a thin blue line along the edge of the gauntlet. It pulsed softly, more noticeable underneath the dull lights of the storage room.
“You see this?” I asked Redgrave. “I’m guessing you had something to do with this.”
Redgrave smiled proudly and nodded. “I was able to draw out the essence of the Core and use it to amplify the gauntlets. Just as intended. You can see your new ability for yourself.”
I looked at the display on my left forearm.
SP-002 SLAYER GAUNTLETS
*Amplified Melee Damage
*Amplified Strength
Added Core Abilities:
Revolver Drill
Swing both gauntlets in a circular motion, hitting targets on all sides
“Revolver Drill…”
“Getting to this point means you already know what to do in a fight. But it appears this ability in particular is to be used when you’re surrounded.”
“That’ll be useful.”
“Also consider that using abilities draws on the Mana inside of you. The damage you’re able to inflict will rely on your control as well as your strength. In addition, abilities take a considerable amount of endurance. Pace yourself or you’ll find you won’t have the stamina for even a simple attack.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I clenched my fists and slammed my steel knuckles together. “Any other advice?”
Redgrave straightened up as much as he could and shook his head. “The Flats are waiting for you. Good luck, Slayer.”
~ ~ ~
If you headed east from Newmire, you’d eventually hit the desert. Suddenly, all of the cities and people became sparse. You could make a living out there but most people never stopped to visit. Not when Las Vegas was on one side and Los Angeles was in the other direction. My dad never took me on a trip out there. Why would he when the beach was a few miles away or we could go camping in the mountains?
But no matter how unappealing as it might’ve been, I was pretty sure it wasn’t as miserable as my current surroundings. I didn’t know quite what to expect from the Arid Flats but I knew I was definitely in Pandora.
Brownish, orange earth went in every direction to the hills all around us. The breeze blew some of the dirt in the air. With how hot the sun was, you’d think some wind would be nice but all it did was blow the hot air into your face. The air was dry but I could already feel the tinge of sweat forming on my skin. The ground was so brittle it cracked just from me standing on it. I wasn’t wearing a shirt. That still didn’t feel like enough though.
I let out a frustrated sigh. That was all I could do really. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized this was probably for the best. “At least we’re not hiking through mountains or plowing through snow.”
Jade did her best to hide how uncomfortable she was. Her top did just enough to cover her chest and she still seemed like she wanted to take it off. “I should make a note. Don’t wear jeans next time we come through.”
The map on my communicator blinked. “At least we won’t have to travel as far as we did in the Vale. C’mon. The sooner we get to the end of the zone, the sooner we can go back to a place that has air-conditioning.”
“Never thought I’d be pining to head back to the old storage warehouse…”
