“My help?”
“I’m coming with you as well,” says the Thulean princess. The taller lizard man standing next to Princess Zaena starts to protest, but she gives him a look that could melt ice and freeze it again.
“All right, she’s in, but I’m no babysitter,” I say as she approaches.
“Neither am I,” she says huffily as she gets on behind Rockette.
“Anyone else? Ray?”
The God of Steam shakes his head.
“Figured as much. Anyway, Sophia, a question.”
“Yes?”
For once I have piqued the floating Mind Mage’s curiosity, evident in the way she isn’t scowling at me.
“Do you still have the embiggening spell?” I ask her, a sly look on my face.
“Why would I not?”
“I have a few things I need you to embiggen. The first being my remote-control AT-AT, item 160.” I equip the rather large piece, and it falls onto the deck before me.
“And who’s going to control it?” she asks, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
“Rocket, of course.”
Rocket: HELL YES!
I step off the snowmobile and move over to the side of the ship. I look over the edge, find a spot where there are clearly a good number of Reapers, and prepare to toss it off.
“Ready?”
“Fine.”
She mumbles a bunch of Hopelandic and a wisp of magic spirals down her arm. Once I toss the AT-AT, the magic bolts over to it, increasing its size as it falls.
“Whooo!” I say, looking over the edge as the vehicle crashes down. “You got it, Rocket?”
Rocket: Got it!
Sure enough, the AT-AT crash-lands, its knees buckle, and it gets to its feet, shaking off a few cobwebs, before firing at Marauders.
“Who is this Rocket?” Princess Zaena asks as I return to the snowmobile.
“He’s my future husband!” Rockette gushes.
“He is a ghost?”
“He wishes,” I say as I equip my Reality Splitter, item 591. “Last thing I need you to embiggen.”
It was a joke, really, making the Reality Splitter a small axe the size of a ruler.
I need something I can get my hands around, something that has a little weight to it. So I tell this to Sophia, who begrudgingly nods, mumbles her mumbo jumbo, and hits the Splitter with a blast of her embiggening magic.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” I say as it grows to adequate size, a little longer than a broadsword.
“Where are you going to hold that thing?” Rockette asks.
“Lift your legs.”
“Excuse me?”
Rocket: That’s my future wife you’re talking to!
Princess Zaena snarls. “You wish to touch me?”
“Dammit, people, there’s a gun rack on the side of the snowmobile, just under your leg. At least I think it’s for a gun. No idea what it’s for, but…” The ladies lift their legs and I press the axe into the space. Luckily for me, it fits into the clasps. “See, girls? Fits like a charm. Now, this snowmobile is missing one thing, and I’m not talking about my crazy ass.”
A half-smile forms on the Thulean princess’ face.
“Which part was funny?” I ask as I equip Amelia Earhart’s parachute, item 511, and strap it to the back of the snowmobile.
“‘Crazy ass’ has a funny translation in Thulean.”
“Spare me. I’ve had enough language lessons from that Mind Mage floating over there to never want to enroll in Thulean grammar school again.” I slap the back of the snowmobile, startling Princess Zaena and Rockette. “Hop off, ladies. We’ve got to push this thing to Steampunk’s plank if we want to get her airborne.”
~*~
I’ve done a lot of cool things in my days as an expert gamer, some cooler than others, and some not so cool in retrospect, but launching off a floating steamboat while riding a snowmobile with my buddy’s future wife and an ornery Thulean princess on back definitely tops the list.
I’m Tom Petty Free Fallin’ for a moment before the parachute opens. I still have time to finish one of my magazines, and rather than reload, I simply juice the AA, aim my gun at a Marauder flying by, and throw it at her head, which sends her straight to the ground as if she were made of lead.
Princess Zaena gets it, and while she doesn’t have a shooting iron, she does have what seems to be an endless supply of throwing knives. She perforates a good many Reapers and Marauders in our descent, and it’s too bad she hates my guts, as I’d love to offer her honorary membership in the Knights.
Then again, she’s royalty, and she’d probably decline my offer anyway.
Sophia, a wave of energy spraying from her feet, picks up her speed and moves past us, still managing to look over at me with disdain. But wait, do I see something behind that disdain? I do!
Me: You think I look cool, don’t you?
Sophia: Please.
Frances Euphoria: Doc and Aiden have moved to the Circuit. Shield to come down in less than five minutes.
Me: Five minutes to kick ass before really kicking ass? This is what I live for.
Sophia: I thought you lived for pancakes and beer?
Rocket: He lives for both!
Needing another machine gun to shoot, I equip and fire my Zorg ZF-1 assault rifle, item 62, metal unhappiness cutting a path through the air before us. I finish my mag and throw it over my shoulder, where it slams into a Reaper who’s been tailing us. “Zaena, prepare to cut the parachute!”
The Thulean nods, and I see her looking at me through the snowmobile’s rear-view mirror as she prepares to cut the cords. The ground approaches, snowfall slightly obscuring our place of landing.
I wait just a second longer, feeling the rush of gravity coming to me.
“Now!”
She cuts the chute and while our landing isn’t perfect – there’s a Reaper we have to mow down – we hit the ground smoothly.
“We’re goosing it, girls!” I cry out as I give the snowmobile gas.
We tear through the Reaper ranks, Yours Truly shooting anything with a skull mask, Rockette playing the game of guillotine with anyone I miss, Princess Zaena using her ghost limbs to Jack Ripper anyone Rockette misses.
While I’d love to just tear through Reapers por vida, I’ve got a party to get to, and that party is taking place behind the spherical shield made of energy to the north of the battle, a shield partially concealed by swirling snow.
A golden comet touches down to our right. I blink twice and see Luther Godsick and the Lost Boys step off an upside down clamshell flaked in gold and silver. Luther gets to slicing through Mauraders almost immediately, and behind him, I can see Croc and Cid beating the living hell out of some bleachies.
Not far from them, Jim is busy stabbing Marauders, and behind him, Dirty Dave is back in my Steam Enforcer tearing through ranks as an invisible force weaves between his feet – Burley, still using my Cloak of Invisibility.
“Aye!” Princess Zaena tosses a throwing knife into the chest of a Marauder seconds away from smashing into the snowmobile.
“Great shot, kid!” I shout to her.
“I am not a kid!”
Chrono lifts his big hammer in the air and a bolt of lightning cuts through an advancing Reaper on a sawtooth. The lightning crackles as it moves to other opponents, frying everyone it touches.
The ground rumbles, and I look left to see more Reaper mechs approaching. While my MOAB got a lot of them, these ones had apparently been camouflaged on the western front. No matter. The ground shakes again and I see…
“Saiduka giants!” Zaena cries out.
Me: How did we get King Coromon to get off his high throne and join the fight?
Rocket: Thank Ray Steampunk.
Not bad, Ray, I think as we near the shield, giants and steamzoids colliding behind us.
Rockette hops off, hits the ground, rolls and starts moving toward Rocket’s AT-AT. While he’s still cleaning up shop, there a
re several Marauders crawling up and down his legs like ants, ants that Rockette will gladly squish.
“Last stop is soon, sweetheart!” I yell over my shoulder.
“I will fight with you until the magic shield is down,” says the young Thulean princess. “And do not call me sweetheart!”
“You got it, toots!” I say as I ramp up my speed.
I expend another round of ammo, my bullets bringing with them the hiss of air from the Marauders, and the sudden shock of a headshot from the Reapers.
Our timing is perfect.
The shield starts to fizzle and eventually disappears completely, revealing Strata Godsick and a smattering of his buffest fanboys.
Behind him stands a rectangular contraption, a glowing yellow energy visible at the center of the device.
I bend forward, place my hand on the Reality Splitter, and give Princess Zaena a nod that she interprets to mean that the snowmobile has just become a projectile.
She jumps left, I jump right, and she immediately goes to town on the Reapers, just as she said she would. And she ain’t going for the noobs at the front, the young princess has headed straight for the bruisers protecting Strata, twisting in the air using her ghost limbs, cutting down anything that dares move.
No time for a superhero landing. I hit the ground running, and even though I have the Reality Splitter in one hand, I equip both my hacks, Hackie, item 554, going on the left and my Golden Goosinator, item 571, on the right.
“Hackie, can you merge with this axe? Is merge the right word? You know what I mean!”
As long as you feed me!
“You’ve really got issues, Hackie, but that’s why I like you,” I say. Hackie melts back and over my hand, up my arm, anchoring at my shoulder.
What kind of weapon is this?
“It’s called a Reality Splitter, and let me worry about the weapons. You worry about killing!”
I leap into action, pressing my foot off the first Reaper I reach and getting more air time. Up and away, I blast downward with Goosey, logging the bastard out.
Big mutated axe in one hand and a blaster in the other? I know me too well, and I clear through the ranks that protect Strata until I’ve made a nice little spot for the big dogs to fight.
“What have you done?” Strata screams, either referring to his circuit or the fact that I’ve cut and/or blasted through some of his best men in the time it takes for someone to pinch a quick loaf.
Princess Zaena is still helping out, the teen killer fast as a cat as she slides through people’s legs, comes up behind them, spin kicks, ghost limbs over while offering a knife to the throat, and so on.
Fun to watch.
A hack the likes of which I’ve never seen before materializes up Strata’s arm. It’s slick, smooth, minimal, like Ikea made it or some shit, and while I can’t see him grinning under his skull mask, the words he says next are definitely delivered with a cracked smile. “You’re going to like this weapon, Quantum. Once I strike you with it, you’ll be stuck in the OMIB forever.”
“Just like your daughter, huh?” I ask. “This is the fight I’ve been waiting for, and it’s the fight you’ve been waiting for. So let’s get this over with. I’ve got places to go, and Reapers to kill.”
Chapter Twelve
Strata Godsick charges me, and I ignore the incoming messages from Frances. I know she’s watching, and I know this fight will be watched by a lot of people in the future, so my focus is on form, winning, and overpowering my opponent.
And to do that, I need Strata at his most vulnerable.
Boy is he fast; even though I have the AA bar cranked to eleven, Strata moves around me, and nearly cuts me with his sleek hack. But I’m no pushover when it comes to hand-to-hand, and I’m able to Matrix-bend backward to miss his next strike, push my weight into my left leg, and come back with a kick that even I’m impressed landed.
“OMIB ain’t looking so bad this time of year,” I tell him as we get back into position. “Once I beat you, I’ll shove your own weapon in your mouth and give you a taste of your own medicine. How’s that sound?”
He blasts his hack at me and I return fire, both of us too fast for the other to land a hit.
Nope, it looks like we’re still going with the sword fight, which is fine by me. I add a little boost as I blaze forward, my eye on the Source Code Bomb as I move.
Rocket: Get me another shot of the bomb. I think I’ve figured it out!
Me: Just by looking at it?
Rocket: I’m not part of the Dream Team because of my good looks!
Sophia: I’m nearly there. Rocket and I will do any disarming necessary. Quantum, keep Strata distracted.
Frances Euphoria: Doc and Aiden are leaving Strata’s mansion now. Backup power will bring the shield up if you don’t take Strata down now!
Me: Give me another minute; I’ve fought the bastard before. We used to train together years ago, and I know how to wear him down. Shouldn’t be long now. Besides, I know his trigger points.
Sophia: Update! Empress Thun’s forces have arrived.
The tension in the air is palpable; some of the Reapers have already logged out. Many are being assaulted from both sides now, boxed in like nobody’s business.
“Must be hard seeing your kid, the kid you actually like, fighting on our side,” I tell Strata, nodding towards Luther’s golden form. The kid is to my right, taking on a team of Marauders with his buster sword, his assistant Humboldt at his side striking Reapers with a mallet. “It must be hard to know how terrible of a dad you’ve been, that your daughter is dead too, that you’re all alone, living in a mansion like a Smithers-less Mr. Burns.”
“Shut up!” Strata bolts over to me, and takes a swipe with his mutant hack that I just barely avoid. I fire a shot from my Golden Goosinator into the ground, blasting me back a bit, giving me a chance to block an incoming fist.
He tries to punch and stab, but even with his heightened speed, it’ll be a cold day in the Loop before I let the bastard get a punch in on Yours Truly.
Only thing is, my fists are all tied up at the moment, my Reality Splitter in one hand and my Goosinator in the other, and while I’d like love to throw down, I’ve got to stick to my mission.
And my mission is getting under his skin.
“Luther told me something that I thought you’d like to hear.” I duck another one of his swipes, pivot to my other foot, and come in with a twisting strike.
Strata lunges for me with his mutant hack; I backflip to avoid it. One of the Reapers on sawtooths tries to take a bite out of my ass, but Chrono backs me up yet again, smashing the sawtooth’s head with a flying hammer.
The Reaper leaps from his perch on the sawtooth. This one has chainsaws for arms, and he does a few moves that would have made him perfect for the color guard at my high school.
Rocket: He’s so magical with those chainsaws.
Me: I just want to kill him so bad.
Sophia: Quantum, focus! I’m almost there!
This time, Jim comes to my rescue, engaging the chainsawed Reaper with my Slice Bang. Jim’s good too, and it’s only a few seconds before he’s cut both of the guy’s arms off and sunk one right between the eyes.
“Where was I?” I ask Strata as I parry another one of his attacks. “That’s right, anyway, Luther and I were hanging out and he told me something that I always knew to be the truth. Looking up at me, Luther said something along the lines of, ‘Quantum, I’ve always liked you. You’re a great guy. I wish my dad were more like you. Less of an asshole.’”
“Shut your mouth!”
Strata comes in faster; this time, his punch goes wide, and I’m able to pop him on the back of the head with an elbow and push him away.
“It’s too bad, you know,” I tell him, staring into his red little eyes. “You always were a shitty fighter, shitty dad too. I think Luther knew this, probably why he left. Sure, your criminal enterprise had something to do with it, but let’s face it, no one wants to be rais
ed by someone they don’t respect.”
Rage boiling over, Strata comes in hard and fast, and just as I’d hoped, he leaves himself open just enough for me to sweep his legs out from beneath him and bring the axe down.
The Reality Splitter cuts his body in half at the waist.
I press the muzzle of the Goosinator into his chest, seconds away from logging that he’s here so the Dream Team has all the evidence it needs to truly take him down.
Much to my surprise, Strata starts laughing.
“You may have won this battle,” he says, blood trickling out of his mouth, staining his teeth, his severed legs twitching. “But I’ve won the war. I hope you said goodbye to Doc and Frances.”
I squeeze the trigger, blasting Strata in the chest.
“Rocket,” I shout to the sky, knowing full well that he can hear me. “I’m logging out. I’ve got to get to Frances and Doc!”
~*~
Come on, come on, I think as the NV Visor powers down. I’m already on tenterhooks, and as soon as I’m able, I fire off a message to Frances.
No response.
I shuffle to my feet, cursing the pain in my lower back, and for once, resolving to do something about it once I get to Frances and Doc. I also send a message to Doc. No response, and there’s no way to send a message to Aiden. Unless…
Me: Aiden, can you read my message?
FDA/PTSD Monitor 1351885: Quantum? Something has gone wrong. Arnie has lost all power. I’m on my way to HQ now. I’ll be there in thirty. You?
I remember that Frances wrote the address down on the stationary that she placed in the nightstand. I go for the address, and a quick GoogleFace Maps search shows I’m only ten minutes away.
Me: I’ll be there in ten. Something has happened to Doc and Frances.
FDA/PTSD Monitor 1351885: Figured. Have any weapons?
Me: A cane. I have a cane. A swordstick.
FDA/PTSD Monitor 1351885: Wait for me to get there.
Me: No can do, amigo. I’m out the door now.
As I’ve seen Frances do countless times before, I order a taxi and I’m told it’ll be there within two minutes. I hobble downstairs and get another message from Aiden as soon as the taxi pulls up.
Apotheosis Boom (The Feedback Loop Book 8) Page 16