Slayer

by Riker Kane

  The day had gone by quickly when I found myself back in the storage warehouse. Redgrave went over the calculations on his tablet, hunched over his workstation like whatever data he was looking at was the most fascinating thing in the world. His lab coat was surprisingly clean, considering how much time he spent in here.

  On the other hand, Jade decided to dress for the occasion. Her jeans and t-shirt were replaced by something more appropriate for a workout. Black shorts that were up high on her legs showed off every inch of skin. Even her socks and sneakers were low enough to display her ankles. Her top was a black sports bra, hugging her chest tight against her body.

  She polished her staff, the only tool she needed to be effective.

  “That outfit looks like it’ll be more comfortable for the Flats,” I said.

  “You won’t see me in jeans for a long time. You don’t mind, do you, Slayer?”

  “Whatever works for you.”

  She looked up and gave me a wink before looking back at her staff. I leaned against the workbench with my back to it, my arms crossed as I examined her weapon.

  “I wonder… Omegas in the District have armor. What happens when you’re in a place in Pandora that’s hot like the Arid Flats? You just have to put up with it?”

  Jade chuckled softly even though her smile wasn’t very big. “Is that so hard to believe? We’re fighting unworldly beasts. Like I said before, there’s no room to complain about the weather.”

  “But LOD technology is the most advanced tech in the world. You must have something special.”

  “Omega armor was designed for combat. It’s more comfortable than the metal plates it looks like, molding to the shape of our skin. It’s a suit unlike anything you can buy at a store. Striders in particular wear less armor to improve mobility. But generally speaking, what an Omega wears into battle is optimized for success against Shadows first, the environment second.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “What’s wrong, Enzo? You want some armor for yourself?”

  “Ha!” I scoffed at her. I laughed hard enough to shake the workbench next to me. “Wearing an Omega suit… That’ll be the day.”

  “Your father wore the gauntlets you’re using now. He wore an Omega suit, too.” Jade didn’t look at me when she said it. But she made enough of a point to get me to stop laughing.

  “The reason I have to head to Anarchy in the first place is because he wore the armor. The gauntlets are good enough to get to him. That’s all I need.”

  She exhaled through her nose and turned her head. “It doesn’t matter. Dr. Redgrave doesn’t have the equipment of a Crafting Bay to make something for you. That tank-top and shorts will have to do.”

  “All for the best. I can show off my muscles.” I flexed my arm, noticing how much firmer and larger my bicep was. “Red Mana… This stuff is like cheating.”

  “We’ll need every bit we can get. Speaking of which, I have to level up.” Jade walked over to the tablet to the side and began swiping her finger over it. I waited patiently for her and Redgrave to finish what they were doing.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  I closed my eyes to relax myself. I was hearing things. Like somebody was banging on the door to the warehouse.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  More knocking made me open my eyes. I still thought it was in my head. But when I looked at Redgrave and Jade, they were both staring at me like they heard it, too.

  “Were you expecting someone?” I said to Redgrave.

  He shook his head slowly. I turned to Jade and she gave me the same response.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  “Shit…”

  Jade and Redgrave immediately began moving around the warehouse, shutting everything off and placing the tarps back over all of it.

  I rushed over to the door to listen if they’d gone away.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  “Hey, Enzo! I know you’re in there!”

  That voice. I’d heard it before. Even through the iron door, I knew it.

  Jade and Redgrave finished covering everything.

  “Hold on,” I said quietly as I put my hand up to them. “I think I know—”

  “Enzo. Are you sure?” Jade had never looked as concerned as she did now.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  I should’ve just waited. Pretended I wasn’t there. But I couldn’t take the chance they would take more drastic measures to get inside. I had to stop this now.

  Against my better judgment, I pushed the door open and stepped outside. Just as I expected, Alisa stood there with her fists on her hips, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a zipped-up leather jacket.

  “How you doing, Champ?” Her grin grew even wider.

  There were so many questions running around in my head. I started with the most obvious one.

  “What are you doing here?”

  She glanced over my shoulder, her eyes slightly narrowed. “I might ask you the same thing. I figured you and Jade are spending time together. But you picked the oddest place to get your freak on. The docks aren’t exactly romantic—”

  I grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to the side.

  “This is serious, Alisa. Really. What are you doing here?”

  The storage facility was one of hundreds on the docks. The pathways were empty in both directions but Alisa still looked left and right to make sure nobody was there.

  “I was curious,” she said.

  “Curious? So you decided to follow me?”

  “You don’t really think I bought that story about you getting sweaty and tan from a workout, do you? I mean, it’s obvious something is up.”

  I let her go and took a step back. “It doesn’t matter,” I sighed. “It’s not any of your business. Go home.”

  I turned around to head back into the warehouse.

  “I know this has something to do with the LOD.”

  My hand rested on the door handle. I was frozen in place. I could either play it off or call her bluff. Every second that went by, my options started to run out.

  “It’s okay, Champ. I won’t tell anybody. You can trust me.”

  I already made the bad decision of stepping outside in the first place. Now there was a part of me saying I might as well go the whole way.

  I spun back around, watching as her grin grew. Her blue eyes widened like she was on the verge of getting what she wanted. I imagined this wasn’t the first time she ever convinced a guy to do something.

  I looked up and down the pathways to see if anybody was near then sighed. “Whatever you see in this warehouse stays with you. The fate of the entire world might be at stake.”

  The blond turned her head sideways and shrugged. “Uh… you’re exaggerating, right?”

  Yeah. This was definitely a bad decision.

  ~ ~ ~

  Redgrave stood with his arms behind his back. The old man’s face was tired and wrinkled but his lips were pursed into a smile.

  On the other hand, Jade kept her arms crossed and her eyes locked on the woman in front of her. I’d never seen her this focused, not even in Pandora.

  Alisa swung her legs gently back and forth as she sat on the end of the workbench. She looked at all of the equipment around us and nodded.

  “Yeah… This is Legion tech.”

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  “Because I’ve never seen anything like it… That story about your pops you just told me. Is it true? You’d think an Omega dying a permanent death was something people would know about.”

  “Everybody knows how it works,” Jade said. “Recall Boxes always make sure someone can be recomposed. You can’t travel to Pandora without one. And if he somehow died in an accident in a training lab or a Drill Room, then it’d be impossible to scrub from the records. Not to mention how many safeguards are in place to prevent anything like that happening in the first place.”

  “I guess that all adds up…” Alisa looked down at the ground. “You’re really going to Anarchy then?
You’re really just trying to save your dad?”

  “And maybe the rest of the world in the process,” I said.

  Alisa gave me a half-smile. But her eyes were sadder than I’d ever seen, which only made me confused. “I always knew you were special, Champ… I guess I’d better come clean.”

  My face scrunched in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  She exhaled a deep breath through her nose as she looked at each of us one by one. “A few days ago, I was hanging around the diner. You know, looking for work like I said. Next thing I know, this guy in a suit walks up to me. Bald guy. Really intense.”

  “Castleberry…”

  She nodded. “Told me he was with the LOD. Asked me how well I know you. Then he gave me an offer. Said I could make some cash if I would follow you and see what you were up to.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “He said there was an incident with some Omegas at a bar. How you beat them up. I had a feeling they’d start something after what happened in the gym.”

  “Just because I beat up some Omegas doesn’t mean anything.”

  “It does,” Jade said. “A civilian shouldn’t be able to stand his ground against an Omega, even if they’re only Bronzes. You did against three of them. And Castleberry knows you’re a civilian because your name would be in the Omega database otherwise.”

  “That’s right,” Alisa said. “It’s obvious you’ve got some of that LOD voodoo in you now. And the only way to level is either from the Legion or going into Pandora and getting it yourself.”

  “And now you know.” I took a step toward her. “So now you’re gonna turn me in? Talk to Castleberry and shut down this whole thing?”

  Alisa shifted her eyes to the side, desperate not to look at me. It made me sick to my stomach knowing this could be the end of it.

  “I’ll be honest with you,” she said. “I think it’s crazy for anybody that’s not an Omega to go to Pandora. I think it’s even crazier to try and get to some mythical place like Anarchy. I told myself I’d be doing you a favor if I told Castleberry and got you to stop.”

  “You can’t, Alisa. I’m the only one who can do this.”

  “I know.” She turned back to me, her lips twisted into a smile. “You’re doing this to save your pops. Tell me that’s the truth and I won’t tell Castleberry.”

  “It’s all true.”

  “Then I won’t tell him.”

  Jade breathed a sigh of relief through her nose. Even I felt some of the tension in my body loosen up.

  “On one condition,” Alisa said.

  I raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s that?”

  “Castleberry promised me some cash. I heard about how it works. I know the good doctor over here has access to the Legion databases. That means he can take missions, too.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Jade said. “You want us to pay you—”

  “Done.” I turned to Jade. “We’re not doing this for the money.”

  She stared at me for a moment. It didn’t take her long to realize this was our best option.

  Alisa’s grin grew even wider. “I’m glad we can come to an agreement. Now I’m coming with you.” Alisa hopped off the workstation and dusted her hands off. My communicator shook and the display lit-up right when she did.

  SYNERGY with ENZO DRAKE

  Jade Conrad - Level 2: +3 to Control

  Alisa Bosworth - Level 1

  “Hold on a second.” I put my hands up. Everything was happening so damn fast I couldn’t keep up with it. “You wanna come with us?”

  “I need to protect my investment. What better way to make sure you complete your missions than coming along with you?”

  Redgrave tapped on his tablet as he walked up to us. “I have a Recall Box for you. And it just so happens I have a spare hand cannon available. It’s standard issue for a Bronze Gunrunner. It shouldn’t give you any trouble.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  Redgrave turned to me and pointed at my communicator. “I’m sending you a mission right now.”

  Available Missions

  Defeat 5 Greater Shadows

  Reward: $500

  “Five greater Shadows… Are you sure I’ll run across them?” I said.

  “Judging from the data I’m reading, I’m certain of it,” Redgrave replied.

  I looked Alisa up and down. “You’re gonna need to take that jacket off.”

  “Oooh?” She bit the corner of her lip and grinned as she raised her eyebrows. “Things are gonna get hot, huh?”

  Jade laughed softly like she was trying to hold back. I didn’t bother hiding my own laugh.

  “Not in the way you’re thinking,” I said.

  20: Heat-Seeking Missile

  Alisa’s gun wasn’t like anything you’d find at some gun shop. The barrel was a long rectangle of shining steel. An electronic display on the side of it indicated how many rounds were available in the clip. The grip she squeezed her hand around looked like it was made of some kinda sticky black rubber. Never was much of an expert on guns but if it was LOD tech, it was probably powerful.

  So I was a little concerned when she started waving it nonchalantly at her face to deal with the heat.

  “Ungh, oh boy… You weren’t kidding.” The blond stuck her tongue out to display her disgust at the heat. Even with her jacket off, her tank-top looked like it was more than a burden from the dry air we walked through.

  “Try not to pull the trigger on that thing until you need to,” I said.

  “Relax. I know how to use it. All I gotta do is squeeze the trigger and we’re golden… right?”

  Jade moved next to her. “That’s a hand cannon for Gunrunners.”

  “Gunrunners. I’m guessing they’re the ones who shoot things.”

  “That’s right. But that’s not a typical gun. It uses Mana to form energy bullets. The projectiles are designed specifically for maximizing damage on Shadows. You can shoot either one of us but it wouldn’t hurt as much as an ordinary bullet would.”

  “I don’t know if I should be worried that had to be explained to her,” I said. “You planning on shooting us?”

  Alisa grinned as wide as she could. “Wouldn’t think of it. We’re all in this together, Champ.”

  “You can hold the trigger and charge a shot before releasing it,” Jade explained. “The maximum time for you would be about five seconds, since you’re only a level one and you don’t have any abilities. The second ability can be accessed by the panel on the side and switching it. The second type of shot doesn’t do any damage but it stuns Shadows, giving either of us the amount of time we need to attack.”

  “I see…” Alisa nodded in understanding. The look of admiration in her eyes as she examined her weapon made me smile, even though I wasn’t completely certain it was a good idea to bring her along.

  “Everything should be fine,” I said. “Just try to stay out of the way and let us do most of the work. We’ll finish the mission and you’ll get your cash.”

  “Sweet. This is gonna be perfect.”

  The sandy hills in every direction didn’t seem to be getting any closer. The golden-brown land all looked the same. The brittle earth beneath my feet cracked and crumbled like something out of the oven with every step I took, so dry from how hot the sun was blazing. Along with the sun, buzzards continued to circle above us, squawking every now and then to let us know they were waiting. Still, the only indication I had we were heading in the right direction was the map blinking on the display panel.

  I walked in front of Jade and Alisa as I led the way. Alisa skipped up ahead next to me and glanced down at my gauntlets.

  “Fancy weapons,” she said. “I bet you pack a mean punch. Eh? Eh? Get it?”

  “Get what?”

  “You pack a punch. You’re wearing giant steel gloves. You’re a boxer…”

  “Is that supposed to be a joke?”

  “Ungh,” Alisa sighed. “You know, it’d be a lot funnie
r if it wasn’t so hot.”

  “Don’t blame your bad jokes on the heat now. Just own it.”

  “Fine, fine. The point still stands. Those things look pretty sweet. You almost look like…”

  “Like what?”

  “Like a champ, Champ.”

  “I don’t care what I look like. I just wanna get this done.”

  Alisa moved in front of me, walking backward as she faced me. “Oh, c’mon. Don’t act like it isn’t cool to be wearing giant gauntlets, venturing through an unknown world, looking for the biggest Shadows to fight. I mean, this is better than anything you could do on Earth. And you must’ve felt something special when you were competing.”

  “I was only a fighter because I was good at it and it paid the bills. That’s it.”

  “Hmm… If you say so.”

  “Alisa, maybe you should stay focused on where we’re going. You never know when a Shadow might pop up out of nowhere.”

  “Shadows. Pfft! What kinda monster could exist out here that we need to be scared of it—”

  BOOM!

  An explosion rocked the ground, forcing all of us to stop in place and try to keep our balance. The ground kept shaking and cracks and sinkholes appeared in the sand.

  “Me and my big mouth,” Alisa muttered.

  “Get ready!” Jade shouted.

  Alisa moved back over to Jade’s side as they readied their weapons. I clenched my fists and kept moving forward as small yellow lizards began climbing up from the ground. Bursts of energy flashed in the sky and goblins leaped down to join the other Shadows.

  “Let ‘em have it!” I yelled.

  “This thing better work,” Alisa said under her breath.

  Alisa and Jade fired. White hand cannon blasts and green fireballs moved in a volley, pelting the sand and catching unsuspecting goblins in their path. Those that didn’t get hit rushed forward and screamed.

  “Ahhh!” The goblins raised their bone hatchets and jagged wooden clubs as the lizards ran alongside them.

  I shot toward them with both fists up and cracked the first goblin that came next to me with a right hand. Another lizard pounced and I slugged it with a left hook to the teeth. Dozens of Shadows converged on me, trying to swarm me. But I singled them out. One by one, I clobbered them before they could get near.