Raid Slayer 2

by Riley Morrison

  “Great. Before you go, I have a warning for you. The man who calls himself the Janitor is down here causing trouble. Have your people be on the lookout for him. He has a group of agents working for him, players I think, who are killing his targets for him. Don’t hesitate to kill them, even if they are Type A’s who will die out in the real world.”

  “Blood for blood.”

  The woman was silent a moment. “Blood for blood.”

  “I will pass the message along,” the man said. “Are we any closer to working out who the Janitor is?”

  The woman sighed deeply. “Not yet. He is just as mysterious as Fawkes, and that says a lot.”

  Zack’s heart jumped at the mention of that name. Who were these people out there? What was the quarantine zone? Site D? Were they part of the resistance?

  It sounded like they were. The G Man had said that members of the resistance were using the Underworld to meet one another as the developers and the Oligarchy had little control over it, unlike the streets of the City.

  Then who was the woman? Could it be—

  “Leave me,” the woman said. “I will be logging out soon and overseeing our next operation. This one will be our toughest yet.”

  The man started toward the door. “Be careful out there. My gut tells me something big is coming.”

  “My guts have been saying that for years.” The woman chuckled. “See you next time.”

  A moment later, the door opened then closed, leaving the woman to herself.

  Zack took in some calming breaths. What if that was his mother out there? What would he say to her?

  He and Anita reequipped their armor. If it was his mother, they had so much to talk about.

  To his horror, Anita shoved open the door and stepped out into the room, her weapon raised before her. Oh, fuck. Anita would kill the woman before he could learn who she was. Anita had her own family on the line and wouldn’t give two shits if the woman was Zack’s mother.

  “Wait,” Zack cried, rushing out after her.

  Chapter Forty

  Murderous Reunion

  The woman stood and drew her sword. “Who are you? What were you doing in my room?”

  Zack grabbed Anita and tried to stop her from attacking but she shoved him away. “Leave me alone. I need to protect my mother and sister.”

  Zack tried to grab Anita again but she sidestepped him and continued forward. “Just give me one minute, please,” Zack pleaded, his heart pounding in his ears as he met the eyes of the woman behind the desk.

  It looked like a much younger, healthier version of his mother.

  “Anita, no!”

  Missy buffed them with Song of Fury, then started her healing over times in preparation for the fight.

  Anita threw the desk aside, then lunged forward, trying to skewer the woman on her sword. The woman parried and backed away. “Guards, get in here. There are Intruders. Kill them.”

  “Anita, stop!” Zack roared again. “This woman is my mother.”

  Thankfully, his voice brought sense to Anita. She glanced over at him, lowering her weapon.

  His mother lunged forward and drove her sword through Anita’s back, the blade exploding out the front of Anita’s plate armor.

  Companion had suffered 456 damage

  She tore the blade out of Anita as the orc woman crumpled to her knees, her eyes wide behind her faceguard. His mother lifted the blade over Anita’s head, ready to plunge down.

  “No!” Zack acted on instinct and charged forward, slamming into his mother and knocking her flying into the rear wall of the room.

  Slamming into the stone wall stunned her for a moment, long enough for Zack to punch her in the face.

  Inflicted 34 damage

  He went to grab her sword arm and try to get her to listen to reason but his mother spat blood in his face, then kicked him in the guts. He stumbled back a step and then had to leap aside as she slashed at him with her blade.

  “Wait, it’s me. Don’t you recognize me?” He dodged another attack.

  She charged him, using Impale, a Warrior ability, and took him deep in the side.

  -234 damage

  Zack’s field of view flashed, pain buffeting him. Real pain. His mother’s weapon was no ordinary one. It had to have been altered to inflict real pain on those she attacked.

  His mother was playing a max level Barbarian Warrior. They had to get her to see reason or someone was going to die a painful death. Zack backed away toward Missy, trying to stay beyond his mother’s reach, shoving the agonizing pain of the wound to the back of his mind.

  Already guards hammered on the door to the room, trying to break it down. Amy and Betsy were there, trying to hold it closed.

  Unless he could get his mother to stand down, they were all fucked.

  “I’m Zack. Your son. We lived at 42 Brighten Street when I was a kid.”

  His mother slowed, her eyes rapidly blinking.

  “My name is Zack John Smith, but that wasn’t my original name.”

  Now she stopped, the blood from her nose trickling down her face. “Zack?”

  He nodded.

  “Why are you working for the Janitor?” She frowned. “Why did you betray me?”

  “What? I didn’t betray you. I’m being forced to work for him. I had no idea who you were when I came here.”

  “How is he forcing you to work for him?” She bared her teeth at him. “I trusted you.”

  Zack’s guts felt like lead. “He will kill all the women in this room. I love them.” He pointed at Anita. “He will also have her mother and sister murdered. That is why she attacked you. She is trying to save her family.”

  His mother ran her eye over Missy, Betsy and Amy. “So what? They are NPCs. Look, you might think you love them but an NPC can never be anything more than a toy you play with inside a game. They aren’t real.”

  Her eyes fell on Anita. “I’m sorry, but what’s another few murdered people in a world full of them?” She turned back to him. “Come on, Zack. You need to think of the big picture. The future of humanity is at stake.”

  The coldness in his mother’s voice took Zack’s breath away. She was nothing like he remembered. A loving, caring, nurturing woman who had protected her son all her life up until she was too weak to get out of bed.

  This couldn’t be his mother.

  It might look like her, but then anyone could alter their appearance in game to an extent. If they had some power over the Underworld like the resistance had, perhaps they could even fully alter their looks.

  His mother narrowed her eyes. “Please, lower your weapon, Zack. I can come and go from this game, even if I die, but you can’t. You will stay here with me as my people work on getting your real world body to safety. Once you are safe, we can find a way to log you out and we can be together again.”

  Zack’s brain froze as he listened to the guards trying to break down the door, seeing Anita out of the corner of his eye. She was alive but in a bad way, her HP sitting just above half thanks to Missy’s healing magic. But the attack had been a big one and from behind and with the real feeling of pain… he could only begin to imagine the terrible agony Anita must be in.

  “If I stay here, what will you do with Anita and the other three?” he asked, trying to move around his mother to get to Anita’s side.

  His mother’s lip curled as she glanced over at Missy, Betsy and Amy. “You’re not sleeping with those things are you?”

  He stopped moving as a red haze descended over him. “I love them. They are real people, even if they exist only in this game.” His blood pounded in his ears. “What will you do with them if I stay? How will you stop the Janitor from killing them and killing Anita’s family out in the real world?”

  “Nothing.” His mother scowled. “NPCs mean nothing, and Anita and her family… well, as I said, what’s a few more—”

  Zack didn’t listen to the rest. This wasn’t his mother. And if it was, she could go fuck herself.

&nbs
p; He drove his sword into her throat.

  She let out a gargled scream, then fell to her knees, blood gushing from the wound and down her armor.

  Drawing back his blade, he growled deep in his throat, “I love every woman in this room with all my heart, including you. If you really are my mother, then hear this. I won’t turn my back on anyone. We are all important in our own way, human, player and NPC alike.”

  Her eyes followed the blood drenched point of his sword as he brought it back for a final attack.

  “If this is what you are and what the resistance is, then I will find my own way.” With that, he took off her head.

  Level 15 Player Marisa Ashby has been vanquished!

  +10000xp!

  QUEST COMPLETE

  Objective: You killed her. I hope you feel better. I know I do.

  Rewards

  You can plunder her dead corpse for any and all loot.

  +8000xp

  I will not terminate your NPC harem, have Anita’s family killed, have her killed or have you killed.

  CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 13!!!

  +10hp

  +1 Stat Point

  +1 Talent Point

  +1 Perk

  Unlocked: Level 2 Buffs

  Three members of your Harem have reached Level 13 and receive the above bonuses, except for the perk point

  Anita was the only one not to level. She had to wait.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Lies

  Zack stared down at the corpse, the blood spilling over his boots and spreading around him. He had just killed his mother or at least her in-game avatar and sent her screaming back into the real world.

  Everything he thought he knew about her was a lie.

  Someone put their hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around. Betsy. She said something but he didn’t hear her words, his mind numb with shock.

  She started shaking him, pointing at the broken door from where the guards were attacking it with axes. Except there were no guards breaking in to kill them.

  Amy stood there, Missy beside her, their eyes on him. He blinked, then finally got hold of himself.

  Feeling nauseous, he quickly moved out of his mother’s blood. “Where are the guards? What happened?”

  Betsy hugged him. “They disappeared as soon as the woman died.”

  He moved toward the door, half dragging Betsy with him and then looked through the broken hole the guards had hacked into it. Nothing. The hallway was empty.

  Maybe the guards had been tied to his mother and when she died, they despawned. Then he remembered Anita.

  Zack spun around and ran up to her. She looked up at him and groaned. “Fuck, that hurt. Not sure what she was packing but it wasn’t pleasant.”

  “Thank god, you’re alive.” He bent down and kissed her bloody lips.

  He helped Anita to her feet. She was shaky and leaned on him for support. “Takes more than a bitch like her to kill me.” She wiped the blood from her mouth. “Was she really your mother?”

  “Yes, or at least what used to be my mother.”

  “You killed her.”

  Zack refused to look at the corpse. “I had to. She would have let her guards murder you all.” He lowered his face. “She wasn’t how I remember. Something must have changed her.”

  “Shit happens and it fucks with people’s head,” Anita said.

  So true. Zack dismissed his mother. “Let’s get out of here.” He glanced at Missy. “Port us back to the palace.”

  “We’re not going to loot the camp?” She asked as she removed the Jade Stone from his Inventory.

  “No. I just want out of here.”

  As she began the cast, Zack quickly assigned stats and talents. He put his talent in the tank tree and for the women, put theirs in the primary skill focus. Stats, he put his in Strength, as it was the only stat not up against diminishing returns (yet), Missy got hers in Dexterity, Amy Intellect and Betsy, Stamina.

  He would leave his Perk point for later.

  That done, Zack glanced at their level 2 buffs.

  Bloodborn: Restores 4hp per 1 minute in or out of battle

  Betsy gave them,

  Battleborn: +6 damage to attacks

  Missy,

  Restorative Orchestra: +10% to heals

  And, lastly, Amy gave them,

  Hardened Ice: -10 damage taken

  Anita still gave them her level 2 buff.

  Then he looked at their new abilities.

  Amy got,

  Frost Barrier: Builds a wall of ice around the Mage to protect her from all damage.

  Lasts 30 seconds. 10 minute cooldown.

  He and Betsy both got,

  Inner Light: Restores 20% of the Blademaster’s health.

  10 minute cooldown.

  And lastly, Missy got,

  Rapid Healing: Allows the Bard’s heal overtimes to heal at twice the normal rate for thirty seconds.

  5 minute cooldown.

  Nice all round. Those abilities would really help in the days ahead.

  Before they could leave, another quest notification came up from the Janitor.

  QUEST

  Objective: A group of targets of opportunity have presented themselves. Obliterate them, boy. Obliterate them! And tell them I sent you. You have five days to comply.

  Be warned: This will be your toughest mission yet. Take no prisoners.

  Rewards

  You can plunder all their dead corpses for any and all loot.

  +10000xp

  I will not terminate your NPC harem, have Anita’s family killed, have her killed or have you killed.

  Janitor’s note: You know the drill. Go dispose of the trash.

  “Aw, fuck.” Anita spat. “Leave us alone.”

  Zack waved to Missy. “Just get us out of here.” His legs were shaking, his stomach churning. “Do, it Missy. Now.”

  She activated the stone and they ported home.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  The Plan

  The flash as they ported filled his vision, then Zack found himself in a black void. The same one where he met the G Man.

  He spun around and found the shining man behind him. “What do you want?” Zack had wanted to talk to the G Man again but not right then.

  The man worked with his mother and he’d only just killed her less than twenty minutes ago…

  “I know what you did, son.” The G Man flashed, blinding Zack. “That was not wise.”

  Covering his eyes, Zack snarled, “My mother is a liar and a psycho. She doesn’t care about anyone anymore. She was going to kill the women I love.”

  “I am not here to argue with you.” The G Man dimmed so Zack could look at him again. “Your mother does what needs to be done for the resistance. Sometimes… she can come across as uncaring, but deep down she does care. She wants us to live in a better world.”

  “Everything I do is done so that the women I love can live. The Janitor will kill us all if we stop killing his targets.”

  The G Man raised an arm to silence Zack. “He is why I have come. Him and Fawkes.” The glimmer man turned to stare off into the void. “Fawkes is a threat to not only us but everything we have worked for.”

  Zack noticed his regenerating arm was restored here in the void and that once again he was wearing next to nothing. He returned his attention to the other man. “Who is Fawkes?”

  “That is a complex question and time is pressing, so all I will say of Fawkes right now is that he is dangerous. If you see him, run as fast as you can. We thought him gone, as the Oligarchy killed him out in the real world. Yet he is still here and logged into the game. How can that be possible?”

  Zack shrugged. “I haven’t seen him, but if I do, I will run. Anyway, why am I here? I have shit to do and I am in no mood to talk to my mother’s minions.”

  “Your mother will be angry at you for killing her in-game avatar, enraged even, but she will forgive you—for you are important.”

  �
��How? All I want is to be left alone with the women I love.”

  “Who else will lead the resistance when she is gone? It is true, your mother is sick. Not all of it was a lie.” The G man sighed. “She has terminal cancer and it’s slowly eating her from the inside out.”

  Zack didn’t care anymore. “Then find someone else to do your dirty work. I already have one asshole breathing down my neck and forcing me to kill people.”

  “She has been leading us for so long, that without her, our resistance group will fall apart.” The G Man hadn’t listened to a word Zack said. “We are growing more powerful by the day, unifying the other resistance groups out there, researching new technologies. If she dies, we could lose everything. All our work, our sacrifices, will have been for nothing.”

  He pointed at Zack. “You are our hope for the future.”

  Zack burst out laughing. “You’re kidding me? Why don’t you lead the resistance?”

  The G Man flashed again. “I am not a leader. Just like your mother, you have what it takes to lead.”

  “Well, I guess that’s too bad.” Zack crossed his arms. “I’ve decided I will stay here in the Underworld. If I go out there I fall right into the Oligarchies’ hands. I stay in here and they can’t get me.”

  “Wrong. One of their agents already has you in his grasp.”

  “The Janitor?”

  “Yes, though his loyalties don’t belong to the oligarchy. Instead, he works for a powerful faction among them who work tirelessly to destroy the resistance so that they can elevate themselves over the other factions in the center of the City.”

  Zack made a fist. “How do I kill him? How do I stop him from taking control of the NPCs in my harem?”