by Riker Kane
“He’s just a junkie. As long as drugs exist, there are always gonna be people like him around here. It might not seem like it but he’s worse off than most people. Breaking his arm and beating him up would just be picking on him. I’m not a bully.”
“Hmm… Learned that from your pops?”
“Only throw punches when you have to.”
“Speaking of which, I’m probably gonna stop coming around the gym. I figure I get a good enough workout from our little nightly adventures. Since I’ve got no chance of being a world champion, it’s probably for the best. And your prices are too high, anyway.”
All of the reasons Alisa gave me were more than enough. “I expected as much.”
A silence came between us but it wasn’t as awkward as it could’ve been. We both just stared at the kids continuing to play in the grass in front of us.
My communicator vibrated and I thought it was a message from Redgrave. But my stats appeared.
SYNERGY with ENZO DRAKE
Jade Conrad - Level 3: +5 to Control
Alisa Bosworth - Level 2: +3 to Speed
“I’m saving money,” Alisa said suddenly. “But I’m thinking you should take me out for sorbet more often.”
“If that’s the price I have to pay for you to keep my secret, so be it,” I sighed.
“I knew you’d see things my way.” She winked and ate another bite. “Hopefully, Redgrave will have more missions for us tonight.”
“You’re trying to make some money, huh?”
“Listen, Champ. I’m really sorry about your dad. I wanna do this for you. But…”
“Nah. I get it. Let’s make some progress and some cash in the process tonight.”
“Looking forward to it.”
27: Who’s This Guy?
The golden sandy beaches of the Crimson Coast covered every island on the chain we’d walked through, reflecting the light from the waning orange sun. The tide rolled in but never high enough to cover any of the small islands completely. Palm-sized red crabs waded in the sand, just looking for a chance to rest peacefully underneath the warm sky. As the sun set, the sky transitioned from a dark blue gradient above to a dull orange near the horizon.
The shallow waters we’d crossed kept rising and the sand became firmer. We walked so far that the starting point was no longer in view. The black mountain destination in the distance was a lot closer. The forest of palm trees surrounding it seemed to cover an even larger island that was big enough to get lost in.
I stepped back into Pandora from the checkpoint we’d made and stood at the foot of the forest. The lush tropical scenery was joined by the sound of some creatures skittering around in the brush. Some of them were probably harmless but I couldn’t take any chances. There were Shadows lurking. No doubt about that. Now it was all about getting them to come out.
Alisa twirled her hand cannon on her index finger then pointed it forward. “We really have to walk through that forest, huh?”
“There’s nowhere else to go,” I replied. “That’s where the map is pointing us. The next zone is somewhere inside of there.”
The cluster of palm trees was several meters tall, but not high enough to block out the sun completely. The walk was gonna be a little more cramped but at least we weren’t walking through the dark.
Jade took her place next to me, her staff resting on her shoulder. “We still have a significant distance to get to the end. Let’s cover as much ground as we can. If we’re in any trouble, we can at least set a checkpoint.”
“Any progress is good progress.” I stepped forward between the palm trees with both women just behind me. I immediately noticed the difference in the ground. The soft sands of the beaches were replaced with a wet, mushy soil. My shoes crunched on some leaves and probably some insects, too. The path ahead was blocked by twisted twigs and branches but nothing that would stop me completely.
The air was still salty from the sea but the smell of the bark was strong, too. Something tropical. Coconuts. Pineapples. Oil. When you spent most of your days in a sweaty gym, anything else was pleasant.
“Ooh ooh ooh…”
A grunt. A howl. Some kind of call came from the treetops.
“What was that?” Alisa said.
“Who knows?” I said. “Could be a Shadow. Maybe it’s a monkey or an owl. Looks like there’s some wildlife around here…”
“Just so you know, I’m shooting on the first thing that moves. I’ve been practicing and I’ve got an itchy trigger finger.”
“Just make sure you—”
“Gaaaah!” A green-scaled goblin leaped from the treetops with its spear in hand.
“Ahh!” Alisa raised her weapon up and fired. The flash of energy brightened up the forest, sending a streak that caught the goblin in its chest. Its momentum shifted in the other direction until it slammed into a tree trunk and exploded into Mana.
Alisa sheepishly scratched the side of her head and shrugged. “Sorry, I—”
“Gaaaaaaaah!” More goblins descended on us from above. Alisa and Jade put their backs to me and immediately started firing. Streams of flames shot from the tip of Jade’s staff and ignited the goblins completely. Alisa stayed as steady as she could, picking her shots to stop the goblins from getting close.
But they kept pouring out from wherever they were coming from. Up in the trees. Through the branches and brush. Some of them looked like they were climbing out of the ground. Dealing with goblins wasn’t a problem. But not seeing where they were coming from made it tricky.
“Stay calm… Focus…”
I exhaled a deep breath through my nose to steady myself. Sometimes in a fight, your instincts took over. You just fought. Swinging and using all of your energy to defend yourself. Anything to hurt your target.
The little green beasts were nothing I hadn’t seen before. The terrain wouldn’t change that.
“Ahhhh!” A goblin leaped toward me with its spear. I turned and the sharp wooden-tip grazed my skin, drawing blood. But I returned the favor with something harder. A giant right hand to its chest made it scream as it went tumbling through the branches.
The next goblin came from behind me but I was already spinning around to meet it. A backfist knocked it to the side and crashing into another goblin.
More goblins were climbing the treetops, waiting in line as the others jumped down.
“It’s like a playground for them,” Alisa said. “They’re all just waiting for their turn to have fun.”
I clenched my fists even tighter. “This isn’t gonna be any fun for them.” The goblins all leaped with their spears but they weren’t fast enough to avoid my counters. Their bodies folding and their bones crunching against the weight of my knuckles made it seem like I was punching through air. One goblin. Then another. Then another. They all met the same fate as they tried to land on top of me.
“Gaaaah!” The goblins decided to try something different. A volley of spears came flying at me from high above.
“Power Shield!” I raised both gauntlets and the blue barrier splintered all of the wooden spears threatening to pierce me and the others. The sounds of their weapons breaking continued to fill my ears. But as I held the shield up, I could feel my endurance draining. My heart burned and my breath grew heavier.
“Let’s go, ladies!”
Alisa and Jade turned toward the goblins in the trees and fired. Alisa knocked one goblin off from its branch and sent it plummeting several meters into the soil. Jade decided to activate her Zero Blast, freezing the trees they were standing on.
“You got an idea?” I said.
“I think so.” Jade gritted her teeth until the palm trees in front of us were completely frozen. Her green eyes focused as emerald flames gathered around her staff. Suddenly, a massive fireball shot out and collided with the trees. They shattered into a million pieces, sending all of the goblins sailing through the sky.
The path was cleared of trees but more importantly, I had easier targets. My shield d
own, I rushed forward and hammered the unsuspecting goblins as they tried to get back up. All it took was one punch against their jaws to level them. My endurance was running low but I saved enough stamina to finish them all off. About two dozen goblins were now just a pile of Mana to level up with.
“Tricky little bastards.” Alisa twirled her hand cannon around on her finger and shifted her eyes left and right.
“But they’re still harmless goblins,” I said. “Let’s keep going.”
Having to wade through brush and push away leafy branches made the walk a little harder but it was still peaceful. At least I didn’t have to scale any mountains.
Alisa whistled as she skipped along right behind me. “This is kinda nice. You don’t see too many places like this in Newmire.”
“I don’t think there’s a place like this anywhere in the world,” I said.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m talking about hiking through the trees. Green leaves. The smell of the soil. The warm air. The peaceful wildlife all around us. It’s kinda romantic out here.”
“Romantic… Never thought I’d hear that about Pandora.”
“Hey, Jade. You fought with other Omegas. Don’t tell me there wasn’t some hanky-panky going on.”
Jade laughed softly. “Fraternization was common among Omegas. Though I don’t think any of them treated trips through the Junction Gates as romantic excursions.”
“That’s because they haven’t thought about it. You get busy? Ever mess around with one of your fellow Omegas?”
I turned and raised an eyebrow at Jade. I was curious and I wasn’t afraid to show it.
On the other hand, Jade looked like I’d never seen her before. Her pale cheeks turned a shade of pink, visible even underneath the darkening night sky.
“I joined the Legion to become an Omega,” she said. “Doing my part was my first and only priority. It never changed.”
“You could’ve done a lot of other things to help you along,” Alisa said. “But I suppose we all have our ways. Speaking of which…”
She ran up ahead of me and pushed away the leaves. I could see the forest beginning to clear. As the moon came out, it lit up a new pathway.
I kept moving forward, expecting to see the forest clearing. But instead, there was something else. Something bigger. We’d made it to the other side of the forest and were back out on the coast. The red waters flowed as the waves crashed in the distance. And even farther, the foot of the mountain we had to scale stood.
The moon was out, shining down on the water in a way that made the sea sparkle a brighter shade of red.
“It kinda looks like fruit punch,” Alisa said.
“I wouldn’t recommend finding out if it tastes like fruit punch,” Jade said with a smirk.
“Fruit punch or not, it looks like this is our only way forward,” I said. “And it doesn’t look shallow like on the islands before. We won’t be able to walk across it.”
“If this is your way of getting me to strip off my clothes, you could’ve just asked me.” Alisa was dressed in a small white tank-top and some jean shorts that already showed most of her skin. But I didn’t doubt she could probably strip down even more.
“Looks like a quarter-mile,” Jade said. “A short swim.”
“Swimming isn’t the problem,” I said. “Neither is the distance.”
“So… What are we gonna do?” Alisa looked at both of us.
I looked down at the map on my display. “It looks like the next available checkpoint is after the water… All we have to do is make it to the other side… It’d take too long to go around… I’ll go first. If the waters are safe, you can go after me.”
“I don’t know about that… I’d feel a lot safer if we were together.”
“Being together won’t make a difference. It’s not like any of us can fight in the water.” I put my hands on her shoulders, the gauntlets big enough for me to hold her entire torso if I wanted to. “Everything will be all right. Trust me.”
Alisa sighed softly, letting some of the tension leave her body. Jade stayed silent and gave me a nod.
“Okay…” I moved out to the edge of the water. The tide came in and washed over my sneakers. “I should really talk to Redgrave about getting me some boots…”
I took a deep breath then dived into the water. I kicked my legs forward and moved my arms. The water was as salty as every beach I’d ever been to. I spit it from my mouth and closed my eyes, pushing myself forward as fast as I could. The waters below me were dark enough I couldn’t see what was there. That didn’t matter though. I had to keep going.
“Enzo!” Alisa’s voice pierced through the waves crashing all around me.
“Enzo!” Jade joined in.
They were cheering me on. It wasn’t the first time I’d been cheered but it might’ve been the first time it actually helped. A renewed motivation. A second wind. I was getting closer toward the middle of the waters.
“Enzo!” Alisa yelled. “Watch out!”
“Enzo, get out of the water! Come back!”
They weren’t cheering. No, definitely not.
Something brushed up against my leg. Something solid. Not a rock. Not scaly either. Fleshy with some give.
I kicked my legs forward then hit whatever it was underneath me. I kept trying to swim forward until it hit my entire body, lifting me over the surface of the water.
“What the—”
I looked down as I slowly moved up. It was like the ground was rising from the water underneath me. Something darker than the shade of the water kept moving me up. It was some kinda mountain.
Then I saw it. Just beneath me. Big. White. About the size of my entire body. An empty eyeball looking out into the distance. And it was connected to something even bigger.
“Oh, shit…” I muttered as I leaped out back into the water. My legs and feet paddled wildly as I rushed toward Jade and Alisa. The two of them ran out to meet me, dragging me from the water.
I gasped to catch my breath then turned around to see it for myself.
A giant squid floated on the surface of the water. A lone eyeball sat underneath its fleshy red skin. Its angular head pointed toward the sky like the top of a skyscraper. The thing was at least four stories tall and half as wide. But there was something else shaking the water.
Tentacles began to rise, gyrating out of rhythm like over-sized anacondas waiting for the right moment to strike.
“Sepia Fiend,” I said. “That has to be it.”
“Ungh…” Alisa sighed. “You know, when the old man said there’d be a big ol’ octopus waiting for us I didn’t think it would actually look that… disgusting.”
The soft, glistening flesh of the beast looked old and weathered. There was no telling how old it actually was or how long it had been lurking in the water.
“That thing is the reason the waters are red,” Jade said. “If we’re gonna make it to the end of the zone, we have to beat it. There’s no way around.”
“No way around…” I smiled at the thought. “It’s not every day you fight a squid the size of a building. But it’s not every day you get to Anarchy.”
Jade clenched her jaw and nodded before aiming her staff forward. “Zero Blast!”
A stream of white and blue energy shot out and slammed right into the creature’s eye. It moved back and flailed its limbs to make the water splash violently around it. One of its tentacles shot forward to try and knock Jade down but I rushed in front of her.
“Power Shield!” The barrier came up and knocked the limb back but the hard thump reverberated through the rest of my body.
“Try this on for size!” Alisa charged up a shot and sent it sailing. It hit the beast’s eyes, who sent another tentacle at Alisa in response. Again I activated my shield to stop the blond from getting hit.
“I think I can do it,” Jade called out, her focus pointed on the squid. “If I can hold my Zero Blast for long enough, I can freeze enough of it for you to break.”
<
br /> “How much longer?” I replied.
“I don’t know.”
“I guess we’re about to find out.”
Two tentacles came flying toward me. I instinctively threw an uppercut. The gauntlet crashed into one tentacle hard enough to move it back but the other caught my legs and sent me face first into the sand.
Alisa ran up to me and blasted the tentacle away before helping me back up to my feet.
“We just gotta buy Jade as much time as we can.” I spit the sand from my mouth and clenched my fists.
“It’s only got eight tentacles,” Alisa said. “Target practice.” The blond closed one eye then looked down her sights. She fired off a shot to knock one of the limbs back again.
“Like playing whack-a-mole… As long as this thing doesn’t attack with all eight limbs at once…” I shot Alisa a look.
Alisa gave me a wink then fired again. “Don’t give it any ideas.”
That was the only way we were gonna get this done. So I did it. I ran across the surface of the sand as fast as I could, punching away the limbs as they tried to knock Jade down. I rolled out of the way of the tentacles coming right at me while Alisa did her best to keep them at bay.
Slowly, Jade’s Zero Blast started to spread. The center of the creature’s eye began to freeze. The frosty white surface of its eyes was spreading. But it took its toll on Jade. The raven-haired woman was sweating from her brow. Her teeth gritted, she was breathing hard through her nose to maintain the beam.
“Jade… You’re almost there… Hold on!”
She clenched her jaw even harder and dug her heels into the sand.
“Eep!” Alisa rolled next to me to avoid two tentacles coming smashing down on her. “Sorry, Champ. I can’t keep this up for much longer.”
“That’s it. I think Jade did it. If I can get close to its eye, all I need is one good shot.”
“Great. Now how are you gonna get to its eye?”
I stared at the beast as it readied another attack. Then it hit me. “I just have to give it what it wants. Stand by, Alisa. When I give you the signal.”
