Alvin hit the gas, managing to get the Turtle moving forward and plowing over a few orcs. “That would be nice, but let’s find out for certain.”
The armored figure advanced on the orcs, the twin blue flames focused on the mobs and not the Humvee. The armored head did turn, and nodded at them. “Thank you for the assistance,” a surprisingly female voice with a German accent echoed over the screams of the orcs.
“She’s on our side,” Becky blinked as the M2 reloaded. “Hero, stop, I can help. We also need to loot the dead.”
Alvin brought them to a stop again, “If they even look at us wrong, kill them, too.”
“Got it,” Becky said as she turned the M2 on the fleeing orcs.
The barrier that Mousie had set up winked out when several orcs bounced hard off it, trying to flee. Alvin watched them go, lips pursed as he watched rounds from the M2 striking them in the backs, but saw no blood or other fluid leaving their bodies.
The armored figure chased the orcs up the side of the mountain for a hundred feet before the flames vanished. Turning around, the woman came striding down toward the vehicle slowly. “Who has come to my assistance?”
“Team Asshole,” Becky replied. “Who did we help?”
The skull-like helm melted away from her face, seeming to become liquid as it slipped into the neckline of the armor. The blonde woman inside stared at Becky for a long moment. “I’m one of the advanced team sent by Emperor Mithrilblood to recon this new world. You may call me Desiree.”
“Where did you get the armor?” Alvin asked, stepping out of the vehicle and looking over the hybrid cross of the Iron Man suit, Fallout armor, and Halo armor.
“It is… not known here?” Desiree asked slowly, staring hard at Alvin. “Are all of you so tall?”
Alvin looked confused for a moment. “I’m average for a man. Gothy is way beyond average in everything but height. You were the one running from the orcs, right?”
“Orcs? You mean the fungals?”
“The things you fried to death,” Alvin clarified.
“Fungals,” Desiree nodded. “Yes, they were chasing me until you came. They would have gotten me, too. I didn’t have time to equip my armor.”
“Where is your Gate?” Becky asked.
“Gate? Oh, the portal,” Desiree nodded. “Can I get your agreement that we will abide by neutrality while we talk?”
“Sure,” Alvin smiled.
Closing her eyes briefly, the armor shimmered and began to melt. All three of them watched in fascination as the metal coalesced into a necklace, anklets, bracelets, and a twisted metallic belt. Desiree shrank from six feet to five feet tall when the armor finished becoming jewelry. “There. That is better,” Desiree said.
“Dwarf,” Alvin chuckled. “Or should I say, ‘Twurgh?’”
Desiree blinked at him, “You know of us?”
“Most of it wrong, I’m sure,” Alvin said. “I have seen a Twurgh artifact before, though.”
“I would like to see that,” Desiree smiled at him.
“Is that outfit normal for your people?” Becky asked, her eyes tracing over the Dwarf. She was wearing a dark grey, skintight bodysuit that left very little to the imagination.
“It is the normal outfit we wear if we have armor,” Desiree replied with a quick glance up at Becky. “What is this thing you came to my rescue in? And those blue fields that held the fungals back?”
“That’s a long story,” Alvin chuckled. “Gothy, want to give her a hand?”
“Oh, yes, Hero,” Becky purred. “I would very much like to give her a hand, and more.”
Desiree blinked slowly, “You speak my tongue fluently, but some of your words feel like they mean something other than what they should mean.”
“Gothy is just twisted like that,” Alvin chuckled. “Would you like a ride?”
“Can you get me back to the portal?” Desiree asked.
“Possibly, but this is a big mountain range. It might be harder to get to your portal than you might think.”
“It was four days of hard travel in that direction,” Desiree said, pointing to the east. “The rest of my… of the squad was killed in action with the fungals and native beasts of this world.”
“Hero, are we going to do for her what you did for me?” Kuro asked, stepping out of the vehicle.
“A longear? You captured a longear?”
“An Elf,” Alvin corrected her. “You could call it capture.”
“She is our pet,” Becky said. “You know of her people?”
“Generations past, we had conflicts with the longears. Our histories say that the fungals came into being just after the portal to their world closed. That was over a thousand years ago, though, so we only have legends about it.”
“She is with us,” Alvin said. “She has put herself into danger time and again for us, and helped save you. Is it going to be a problem?”
“No,” Desiree sighed. “I was just shocked that some of our legends might be true after all. I must make it back to the portal. I’m sure you will be rewarded for your efforts to return me.”
“Did the fungals come through the same portal?” Becky asked.
“If you know not of them, then yes, they would have followed us into this world. I’m sorry that they have done so. Maybe you will find a way to deal with them that we haven’t discovered yet.”
“We’ll be stopping when the sun goes down in a few hours, but we can get moving as soon as we loot. I’ll get you a map tonight, so maybe you can give us a better idea of where the Gate might be,” Alvin said. “Mousie, get the bodies farther away. You move faster than we do.”
“As you wish, Hero,” Kuro replied, heading up the mountain.
Desiree watched Kuro go, her eyebrows rising. “Does she not have bones?”
“She’s just really flexible,” Alvin chuckled. “Let’s loot the close ones.”
“I’ll help,” Becky said, slipping out of the back of the Humvee.
It did not take them long to loot the bodies because they were all considered a group. The total brought Alvin to over a hundred dead and looted for his weekly quest. Kuro joined them again when they were finished with the bodies near the Humvee.
“What did you get?” Alvin asked them.
“Fungal seeds,” Becky shrugged, “and a few spore pods.”
“The pods are what they were throwing at me,” Desiree said. “They have a number of effects if you inhale the spores.”
“Which is why you had a gas mask. Where did that go?” Alvin asked.
“In the near storage area that has happened since the change.”
“You put it in your bags,” Kuro said. “Does it guarantee that you won’t be affected?”
“Against all but the strongest spore, or if the seal breaks. I notice your weapons don’t use fire as ours do,” Desiree said.
“Projectiles are the most common weapon here,” Alvin said as everyone got into the Humvee. “We’ve used fire in the past, as well as melee weapons.”
“Fire is the easiest way to kill the fungals?” Becky asked, climbing into the back beside Desiree.
“Before the change, the fungals would just regrow if not purified with flame. It took us years to understand that, leading to the loss of a number of our strongholds. All of the armored use flames, though we do have other weapons that can be called on.”
“You were a scouting party, right? What were you looking for?”
“Minerals, settlements, allies,” Desiree smiled. “The portals have appeared before, and they either give us allies or enemies. We were hoping this portal would lead us to allies.”
“You seem to want allies badly,” Becky commented.
“The fungals have been growing in power every year over the last decade,” Desiree frowned. “We need either another advance, like we’ve had in the past, or allies that can help push them back.”
“If you’d come before the change, you might have found exactly what you need,” Alvin shrugged.
“Now you’re likely to only find a few small groups that can help you, instead of a strong army. We might be able to help each other out, though. If fire is the weapon you need, we know of a few types that stick and keep burning.”
Desiree sat forward, her hand resting on Alvin’s shoulder, “Is this truth?”
“Yeah,” Alvin nodded.
“We should discuss what it would take for me to learn of this fire,” Desiree said, her voice becoming eager.
“Easy there, Desiree, he’s mine. Hero won’t roll over just because you look fucking amazing in that bodysuit. We’ll talk about what you want— and what it will cost— later tonight.”
Desiree took her hand from Alvin’s shoulder and eyed Becky for a long moment. “I see. You would be a formidable opponent. I shall agree to wait until later tonight.”
“Death of me,” Alvin muttered under his breath.
Kuro giggled and placed her hand on his arm. “Shall we introduce our new friend to music, Hero?”
“Might as well, Mousie. Radio, random playlist,” Alvin said as he got the Humvee moving.
Chapter Thirty-one
Desiree asked how Kuro had come to be with them, and Becky told the Dwarf how they had met and about their time inside the Svargax Gate. Alvin kept his eyes on the trail while the women talked. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the conversation continued; Desiree was expressing growing interest in what Alvin had done, and could do.
Following the trails between Groundhog Mountain and Black Mesa, Alvin grimaced when he noticed green humanoid shapes darting between trees along the trail they were currently on. “Ladies, I hate to stop story time, but I’m seeing more fungals keeping pace with us.”
“Can your suit produce fire again?” Becky asked Desiree.
“It requires more time to replenish the fuel unless you have the right mineral lying around,” Desiree replied.
“What mineral?” Alvin asked.
“Lumios stone,” Desiree replied.
“Don’t know that one,” Alvin sighed. “We can do it the hard way. Gas and styrofoam make up a quick and dirty napalm.”
“Do you want me to give her the extra key I have?” Becky asked as she got ready to man the gun.
“Yeah, we’ll make a stop in the base and make up a few napalm molotovs,” Alvin nodded, slowing the Humvee. “Desiree, don’t be too shocked by what’s about to happen.”
“What do I do with this key?” Desiree asked.
“Put it onto the keyring in your bag area,” Kuro said as Becky opened the hatch and stood up. “We’re going to our base.”
“Hero, I see at least a dozen of these things... they’re able to keep pace, but that’s only because we aren’t going fast.”
“Understood,” Alvin said. “Going home.”
The portal appeared right ahead of them and Desiree gasped when the Humvee drove into it. Alvin parked and got out, stretching. Kuro was out a moment later, with Becky following her after buttoning up the hatch. Desiree stepped out, her eyes wide as she looked at the room.
“How? Where is this?” Desiree asked.
“This is my base,” Alvin said. “Gothy, you want to give her the tour? I just need you to buy some gas and styrofoam for me first. You too, Mousie.”
“How are you going to mix them?” Becky asked.
“I’m going to ruin a mixer,” Alvin said, guiding Desiree toward the kiosk room.
“How much do you want to make?” Kuro asked.
“Twenty bottles to start with,” Alvin said. “These guys are going to be a problem until we reach the Twurgh Gate, at least. I really wish I could just buy flamethrowers still.”
“Or mount one to the Turtle,” Becky sighed. “We should have done that before they took the option away.”
“Time was a pressing factor just then,” Alvin frowned. “I still have regrets about that. Just stack it all here. I’m going to grab a mixer.”
“Going to appropriate one of my kitchen gadgets, sir?” Jarvis asked from the kitchen.
“Seemed like the easiest choice at the moment.”
“Use this one, then. I can replace it easily, and I would prefer not to have it back after you use it.”
“Thanks, Jarvis,” Alvin said, picking up the mixer and heading back toward the kiosk room. “We’ll be having a guest for the next day at least.”
“I’m aware, sir. Do try not to start a major forest fire while you are in the forest.”
“That would be suboptimal, but we’ll see what happens,” Alvin replied.
“Everything is on the bench, Hero,” Becky said, leading the others past him out of the room. “How long do you need?”
“No idea. Call it twenty minutes, then we’ll see.”
“Hmm, okay, so just a tour, then,” Becky nodded. “See you in a bit.”
Alvin set the mixer down on the bench, pouring a bit of gas into it and grabbing the stack of disposable containers. “First, we make them into small pieces.”
~*~*~
Setting the last filled bottle aside, Alvin cracked his neck. “Damn, how long did that take?”
“About two hours, sir,” Jarvis said. “It is closing in on evening. Did you wish to go back out tonight, or stay in and have dinner?”
“What have the ladies been up to?” Alvin asked, looking at the pop-up in front of him.
You have learned Alchemy (novice).
“They’ve been in the training room for the last hour, sir.”
“Looks like I learned how to do alchemy,” Alvin chuckled. “I’ll go tell them we’re staying in for the rest of tonight.”
“Dinner will be ready in an hour, sir.”
“Thanks, Jarvis,” Alvin said, heading for the training room door.
Coming to a dead stop, Alvin looked at the snow-covered mesa he stood on with interest. The few plants he could see were not anything he had seen on Earth. “Where is this?” Looking behind him, he saw a Gate looming over him.
“Hero, this is just on the other side of the Gate,” Becky said, stepping through the Gate. “Desiree got this to come up, so we’ve been checking both sides for the best points to crash it. The bad part is that we’re going to have to detour around most of the mountain to come up on the east side of it. The Gate is over on Engineer Mountain.”
Alvin snorted at the name, “Funny, guys.”
“What is humorous?” Desiree asked, walking through the Gate.
“You aren’t cold in that?” Alvin asked as he looked her bodysuit over.
“Of course not. It is designed for extreme temperatures, much like your clothing must be. Are you done with your plan? It has been much longer than you anticipated.”
“Yeah, I’m done, but according to Jarvis, it’s already evening. I’m not big on traveling the Rockies at night, especially with the new threat in the area.”
“We’re staying in tonight, then?” Becky grinned.
“Yeah, we’ll leave after breakfast. Sorry for being so late. I didn’t realize it was going to take that long. On the positive side, I picked up alchemy.”
“Really?” Becky blinked.
“I’m fairly certain it was a concession because of all my work on explosives over the last month.”
“Should we pick up an alchemy room?” Kuro asked.
“Hmm, if we can get it to automatically create things, it might be useful,” Alvin said. “Not something for right now, though. Let’s go drop off gear to be fixed, since we’ll be staying in tonight.”
“I did wish to talk with you about gaining some of your knowledge,” Desiree smiled at Alvin.
“We’ll see what kind of agreement we can come to,” Alvin said. “First, gear. Kill simulation.” When the room went back to normal, Alvin headed for the door.
Alvin was in his comfy clothes after dropping off his things to be repaired. Kuro and Becky both went with their more reserved set of base clothing, while Desiree stayed in her bodysuit, making her the most distracting one in the group.
“Here are drinks for you all,” Jarvis said, setting out mugs for them. “I wasn’t sure what you would want, miss Desiree. I hope you like the coffee.”
“I’ve never had coffee before. I take it this is native to your world?” Desiree asked, picking up the mug.
Downtime and Death (Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut Book 5) Page 27
