by Rick Scott
What the heck…?
And then it hits me. Rembrandt! His added weight affected the jump, but not necessarily in a bad way. No, we’re not going as high or fast, but it’s fast enough! Far below the two LMs race to get through the chicane, but I fly overhead at full speed, leaving them behind.
Congratulations! You are now in 1st Place!
My heart pounds with adrenaline as our goal comes within view, but there’s still a quarter mile and one heck of a hard landing left to go.
“Hang on, Rem!”
I cast Shadow Copy, not even knowing if it will help or not; only the off-road suspension will determine if we sail to victory or explode on impact. I blast the throttle as we near the ground and close my eyes.
Wha—BAM!!
I lose my shadow as the bike rebounds beneath me, nearly driving my elbows through my shoulders. I’m back in the air again, nearly twenty feet, but the suspension worked! I control the bike as it begins to rotate 90 degrees. Oh crap! I go with the turn, pegging the throttle, the inertia of the spinning rear wheel turning the bike a full 360.
Congratulations! You have earned a new Title: 360 King!
My tires touch the ground with a squeal of rubber and I accelerate under power again. I glance over my shoulder to see Zulia and Zenji firing away at me with their particle weapons. Rembrandt turns about to shoot back at them, trying to keep them at bay as the finish line zooms in ahead.
1000 yards!
…
800!
They both teleport in a flash and appear ahead of me, relegating me to third!
No!!!
But while the teleport covered the distance, they’re still accelerating to top speed, while I’m already there. I go flying past them again using Punch It, retaking the lead!
Heck yeah!
600 yards!
300!
The tarmac explodes in front of me with a death trap and I trigger Evasive Maneuvers to make it through in a cloud of nano-dust.
100 yards!
The crowd stands on their feet as they see me in the lead, their cheers audible even over the wail of the wind and the roar of my throttle-pegged engine. I cross the finish line and my heart nearly bursts through my chest.
Congratulations! You have finished in 1st place!
Congratulations! You have won the Thunder Ball Rally!
A horrid wail sounds from behind me and I look back just in time to see Zulia and Zenji evaporating into nano-dust. Their angry cries reverberate throughout the city like a banshee scream, chilling my blood as they finally vanish from existence.
You have defeated Zulia!
You have defeated Zenji!
Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Rank 3!
You gain +5 VP Point Max
You gain +1 Cross-Class Ability Slot Max
You gain +1 Non-Class Ability Slot Max
You are now Rank 3!
Congratulations! You have finished in 1st place and earned a trophy award.
You gain 200000 experience points!
You have gained the title: Thunder Rally Ruler
Congratulations! Your vehicle has been granted access to a secret track!
[Follow the route to the new course and enter within 10:00 to participate.]
[Warning: Only the winning vehicle has been granted entry.]
A new countdown clock appears.
[10:00]
[9:59]
[9:58]
I’m still pumped with adrenaline, my heart going a mile a minute as I fly past the cheering crowd, but the race isn’t over yet. A series of prompts appears on my HUD, along with a new route traced through several more city blocks. The marked destination is not that far away, but I’ll still need to hurry to get there. I check my HUD for Lexi and slow just slightly so she can catch up, but as soon as she does I get back on the throttle again.
“Reece! Where are you going?” Lexi says as I veer off the main track, following the new course.
“There’s a time limit to enter the labyrinth!” I say as I share the info to the party chat. “Ten minutes. We need to get to the entrance!”
“You go!” Gilly yells, standing up in the buggy, healing both Rembrandt and I with a spell. “We’ll follow after you!”
“Okay, but don’t try to enter with us,” I say, enjoying the warmth running through me as my HP returns to full. “Only we’ve been allowed access.”
“Got it!” Lexi gives us a thumbs up.
I push as fast as I can, leaving the crowds and barricades behind.
“Well done, Reece!” Rembrandt claps me on the shoulder from behind. “You’re one heck of a racer, but no offense…I never want to ride with you ever again.”
I laugh at that and he does as well, the tension of the race finally melting away. We did it. All the hard work and planning finally paid off, as did the preparations.
“Gilly’s the real hero, though,” I say.
“Is she?”
“Wouldn’t have survived that last jump without her mods.”
Rembrandt chuckles. “You’d better go shopping for a new gift for her after this, then.”
We both laugh at that.
The ride gets smoother as the track opens up onto wider surface streets and fresher pavement. Lexi pulls up next to me tooting her horn in celebration and together we perform a bit of a victory lap. She and Gilly smile and wave at us, giving me double thumbs up.
“You did great, babe,” Gilly says and blows me a kiss. “Now go in there and kick butt the same way you did just now.”
I smile at that. We travel for a good couple of minutes, traversing the southern district of mid-town. I make the last corner onto the block leading to the labyrinth entrance and am taken aback when I see the glowing blue portal at the far end of the street. It looks much the same as the one we entered after defeating the Shadow King, only this one is vehicle-sized, spanning the entire width of the road.
Gilly stands up in the back of the buggy pumping her fist in the sky. “Do it, guys! Bring us back the—”
Her words cut short as something slams into the back of the buggy at incredible speed.
Axel uses All or Nothing!
Effects increased by 300% for the next 30 seconds and decreased by 500% for the next 3 hours.
Axel uses Punch It!
Axel uses Zero to 100!
Axel uses Battering Ram!
Both vehicles explode in a flurry of sparks and fire as the bike literally tears through the buggy.
“Gilly!”
My heart leaps with fright as her healthbar crashes into the red zone, the buggy flipping and sending both Gilly and Lexi tumbling inside.
“Bloody hell, mate!” Rembrandt says.
I slam the brakes as the combined heaps of Lexi’s buggy and Axel’s motorcycle slides to a screeching halt behind me. I glance at the party list and am relieved to see both Gilly and Lexi still alive, albeit in the red at about 10% health. I manage to pull to a stop about a hundred feet away and turn the bike around just as Lexi and Gilly emerge from what’s left of the buggy.
My stomach seethes with anger as Axel emerges next, the burly biker down to only 45%. Piece of crap! I’m about to launch forward when four more bikers roar to a halt next to him.
Damn it!
“Hey!” I shout at him across the distance. “The race was over, man! What the heck are you doing?”
“It’s never over!” Axel shouts back at me, spitting out a wad of blood. “You may have won the race, punter, but I’ll show you what happens when you disrespect a King of the Bosozoku clan.” He drags one leg as he moves towards Lexi and Gilly. God no… “You either pay the price—or someone else will.”
He pulls a handgun and points it right at Gilly’s head.
BLAM!
My heart stops as the shot echoes across the distance and Gilly’s body falls to the ground.
Axel uses Point-Blank Shot!
Damage Quadrupled within 25% of max range.
Lexi
Rescues Gilly!
Lexi takes 1354 damage!
Axel defeats Lexi!
==True Kill Alert!==
==Lexi’s Body crashes into the dust! Slain by Axel!==
Chapter 46: True Loss
My body is numb, my mind unable to comprehend what I just witnessed. I stare at the system-wide message on my screen as my skin prickles with ice. I thought it had been Gilly who was shot, but Lexi pushed her to the ground a split-second before Axel pulled the trigger.
Now the goth-girl lies on the asphalt…unmoving.
Hysterical screams pierce the air as Gilly drops to her knees, shaking Lexi’s lifeless body in her arms. “Lexi! Oh my God! Lexi!!”
She raises her Spellbow to the sky, casting Raise, but even Lexi’s name is grayed-out on the party list. No timer at all.
Axel looks stunned for a moment, perhaps not expecting Lexi to jump in front of his gun, but then the bastard smirks and points the gun at Gilly again.
I pop the clutch without thinking, aiming my bike straight for him. “Stay away from her!”
Rembrandt opens fire even before we reach him, peppering Axel with bullets and forcing him to back off. “I’ve got the bike, Reece! Take him hand to hand!”
Fury rises in my heart as I hit Punch It before launching off the bike with a Charge Strike. I sail straight for Axel, but slam into one of his minions instead as Axel shoves him in front of me.
You hit Zippy for 1174(538) damage!
Zippy is Stunned!
I flip into the air with my momentum and materialize my pistol to finish him off with a triple shot from above.
Blam! Blam! Blam!
Reece defeats Zippy.
You gain 25000 experience points!
Gilly’s Gift screeches to a halt behind me as Rembrandt slams on the brakes, sliding the motorcycle sideways before laying down a blanket of suppressive fire with both guns. Bullets fly both ways, a few tearing into me from the three goons that are left.
You take 213(263) piercing damage!
You take 207(257) piercing damage!
You take 211(261) piercing damage!
I barely feel the pain as I focus solely on Axel. I’m already in combat so I can swap out my abilities now. But it doesn’t matter. I’m killing him with or without Bullet Weave. I fly into one of his lackeys with animation-canceled attacks, chopping him down so fast he dies on his feet.
Reece defeats Shot-Fooker.
You gain 21000 experience points!
Axel backs up as Rembrandt continues to spray him and his men. His health drops to 30% while the last two goons expire in a hail of bullets.
Rembrandt defeats Kyle!
Rembrandt defeats SuzieV!
I close the gap quickly on the gang leader, taking two more rounds to the chest and briefly notice my health dip into the red, but my blades finally reach my target.
You hit Axel for 243(343) damage!
You hit Axel for 266(366) damage!
You hit Axel for 251(351) damage!
“Die!”
I chop into him with every ounce of my anger and am surprised when he blocks a couple of my hits, but he’s no match for my speed or my vengeance. His countenance abruptly changes as he realizes he’s in over his head, my kunai slicing though his thick armor hit by hit. He throws punches and tries to shoot me with his pistol, but up close I weave through his slow attacks like he’s stuck in time.
“Wait! Stop!” he cries, raising his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean it! I wasn’t trying to true kill her, I swear! I aimed lower, but Lexi moved so fast—”
“Shut your damn mouth!!” Gilly cries out from behind me.
I look back to see Gilly as I’ve never seen her before. Tears stain her flushed cheeks as her face becomes a mask of pure hatred and pain. She aims her spellbow at Axel and unleashes with several shots of magically infused arrows.
Gilly uses Holy Fire Shot!
Axel takes 300 holy damage.
Gilly uses Piercing Shot!
Axel takes 110(278) piercing damage.
His eyes go wide as the last shot takes him below zero and he falls to the ground, clutching his chest with a gasp.
Gilly defeats Axel!
Gilly doesn’t stop shooting, screaming with rage as she continues to fill his body with shot after shot. Rembrandt finally reaches her and pulls her away, crushing her in his arms until she collapses into a sobbing mess.
My mind is in a fog. I’ve never seen Gilly like that before and for a moment I see myself in her—her unbridled anguish and rage consuming her and turning her into something else. Something she’s not. I look back to the side of the road to where Lexi now lies.
Lexi…
I stumble over to her and Gilly does the same.
Gilly casts Miracle!
The spell has no effect.
Gilly cast Raise!
The spell has no effect.
Gilly cast Raise II!
The spell has no effect.
“Noo…” Gilly croons with a wail as she falls to her knees. “Lexi!”
Gilly cradles her friend and my heart sinks into the earth as the finality of what I’m witnessing starts to take hold. She’s gone… Lexi… the spunky goth-girl who took us under her wing, who did so much for us… even to give her very life in the end to save her best friend.
My chest tightens in a heave. She didn’t deserve this. Didn’t deserve what we brought her into. What that bastard did to her.
“I’m so sorry, Gilly,” Rembrandt says.
Gilly cries openly as she holds a pendant about Lexi’s neck in her hand. It’s the keychain I’d give her last night, a picture of her and Gilly smiling and laughing together. My eyes well and I can’t hold back the tears anymore.
“Why,” Gilly says with a sob. “Why’d you have to go and do that, Lexi? Why!”
Lexi’s chrome eyes remained fixed in space, a single bullet hole between them.
I look back at Axel and my fury resumes. I hear an Auto-doc in the distance and scan above to find it. The wasp-like android lands on one of the goons and revives him with a spark of green light. The guy then sits up and looks at me with fear in his eyes. I glare back at him and he gets the message quick and books it, running off through the city. The process repeats itself a couple more times, Axel’s goons getting a second chance at life. I could change even that if I wanted, but they’re not the ones I’m after. I finally see an Auto-doc heading for Axel and am about to shoot it out of the sky, when I stop.
No, that would be too good for the likes of you.
A new sense of resolve takes me as the small drone flies in and lands on Axel’s chest. I materialize my pistol just as the Auto-doc pulses with a green light.
Auto-Doc uses Revive!
Axel is Revived!
I’m on him in a second, pinning him to the ground with my knee in his chest. I grab him by the collar and point my pistol at his face. He comes to with a gasp, sitting at 5% health and immediately shrinks back when he sees the weapon pointed at him. His eyes open wide with the realization of what’s about to take place.
“Do it, Reece!” Gilly says with pain in her voice. “Make him pay!”
Hearing her words tear at my soul even more than losing Lexi did. This sick bastard has taken two lives today. Gilly’s carefree and loving spirit will never be the same again. And it’s all because of him. I expect to feel anger or hatred, but oddly I don’t feel anything as I stare at Axel, now looking up at me with pleading eyes.
“Please, mate… let’s work something out. I… I’ll give you anything!”
No… not hate. Nor malice. Just emptiness.
And a stone-cold resolve.
I understand now why people like him and Braxus must die.
Not in a revenge or hate-fueled rage after the damage is already done, but as a matter of course and principle. To stop them from killing good people like Lexi and destroying precious souls like Gilly’s. This monster should have been stopped a long time ago. I glance a
t Rembrandt who’s standing next to me and understand him more than ever now. He took on such a burden perhaps when he was here last, and now I need to do the same.
Gilly shouldn’t want to kill anyone, but now her soul is consumed by hatred and loss. The same as I felt when I stabbed Braxus’ imposter before we entered the wild. I can’t let her become a hate-filled monster by killing someone like I did. That’s something for me to bear, and as a conscious decision for the greater good—not a mindless act of vengeance.
“I’m sending you to the same place you sent Lexi,” I say coolly. “A place you deserve to go far more than her.”
I point my gun between his widening eyes and pull the trigger.
==True Kill Alert!==
==Axel’s body crashes into the dust! Slain by Reece!==
* * *
Annunciations pop onto my HUD, congratulating me for making my first True Kill, but they bring me no satisfaction or relief. The emptiness remains as I slowly stand and make my way towards Gilly. She looks more distraught than ever, her eyes wide with shock as she looks at Axel and then at me. I can’t tell what she’s thinking, but as I look into those big green eyes I can see something different looking back at me. She’s looking at me like I’m a stranger. And then I see something else.
Fear and revulsion perhaps—the stark realization that I, the guy she loves, just killed a man in cold blood and despite her wishing for it just a few seconds earlier, it’s now something she finds abhorrent. Although it’s painful to bear, I thank God that I’m seeing it. It means she’s still the same inside—that without the pain and rage to blind her, she’s still the same Gilly who wouldn’t want to hurt anyone.
Not even her worst enemy.
If this is the price I have to pay to stop Gilly from becoming a monster, then I’ll gladly pay it—even if it means that she now thinks that I’m a monster instead. I glance at Rembrandt and he gives me a slow nod of understanding.