by David Petrie
Corvin flicked his eyes up the lift shaft. They must have passed back into the PVP ban’s area of effect.
Oh no.
He looked back to his enemy at a loss for words just as the lift slowed to a stop at whatever level Corvin had randomly selected. A hallway ten floors up from where they started came into view, along with a confused-looking Dartmouth standing there as if waiting for the lift. The three of them stared at each other in silence for a moment.
“Umm,” The Lord of Serpents’ eyes shifted from Corvin to the player he was currently impaling, then back again. “I’ll wait for the next one.”
Corvin firmed up his grip on his sword and caught ahold of his opponent’s shirt with his free hand to make sure he couldn’t get away. Then he gave Dartmouth a conspiratorial eyebrow pump.
“Think you could maybe send the lift back down?”
“What floor?” Dartmouth leaned into the elevator shaft to look at the buttons on the inside of the wall.
“Just ten levels down.” Corvin requested, hoping he had counted right.
Dartmouth tapped a button and leaned back out as the stone slab began moving again.
The impaled elf that Corvin held captive started struggling, clearly realizing what would happen if the lift brought them out of the PVP ban’s area of effect.
“Oh no you don’t.” Corvin tightened his grip on the man’s shirt as he fought to get free.
The elf punched him in the throat, loosening his grip. He couldn’t hold on forever, but he hoped he could last long enough to get out of the ban’s radius. The only question was, how many levels down would they have to go?
Suddenly, his captive stopped struggling to escape and grabbed a firm hold on Corvin’s vest. A headbutt came next, flooding his vision with stars. Corvin tried to hold on, but a well-placed foot against his chest forced them apart as the elf kicked with everything he had.
Corvin flew back expecting to hit the wall off the shaft. Instead, he fell straight out of the lift, landing on the floor of a hallway outside. Hitting the carpet with a thud, he coughed and pushed himself back up.
Oh no, he thought, remembering that he’d sent the lift back down to where Kegan was. Last he’d seen, his friend had been wrestling with another Leaf below, each of them trying to stab one another with a handful of loose arrows.
Corvin threw himself to the side of the lift shaft, staring down at the elf riding the stone plate down. The player smirked back up at him. It was obvious there was no way to make it down in time. Seven had to be out of mana, and Kegan wouldn’t last long unarmed. They needed help.
Corvin paused to think. Maybe there was a way down…
The lift came to a stop five floors below.
Five floors.
He checked his health.
Nope. Jumping would kill him. Then he asked himself an important question. WWMDD? What would Max Damage do? This led him to a new thought.
If I can stop myself halfway… then maybe.
Corvin glanced at his sword, then walked a dozen feet away from the opening of the shaft. He tightened his grip on the weapon’s handle, then he took a running leap.
I regret my choices!
He fell two levels before slamming into the wall of the lift shaft, his sword burying its tip into the wood paneling. The impact broke his fall for an instant, but he lost his grip and fell the rest of the way down.
I hope I did my math right.
Simulated pain shot up Corvin’s legs as he hit the stone slab, his sword still stuck in the wall of the shaft three levels up. The system did its work, dulling the pain down to an annoying tingle. He sprang up without bothering to check his health. He wasn’t dead, that was good enough.
The enemy Blade had just stepped out of the lift with his sword raised to strike down Kegan, who was panting on the floor. His partner must have finished off the player he’d been wrestling with, and from the look of him, it hadn’t been easy.
Before the Blade was able to put an end to his friend, Corvin grabbed the player by the collar and yanked him back. Unarmed, Corvin used every ounce of strength in his virtual body with the hope of throwing the elf into the lift again. The act knocked him off balance and he fell back down to the stone slab. He flailed his arms on the way down, accidentally slapping the floor buttons on the inside of the shaft.
The lift began to rise again, Corvin’s head dangling just off the edge of the stone platform. He rolled, ducking at the last second.
The elf recovered and pushed himself off the moving wall to raise his sword high above his head. Corvin lay defenseless on the lift plate. In desperation, he ripped off his eye patch and locked eyes with his opponent.
The elf froze, mid swing.
“You’re going to have to blink eventually.” The player fought against Corvin’s hold, only succeeding at grinning down at him from where he stood at the back of the lift. “How long do you think can hold me?”
“That’s not the question you should be asking.” Corvin relaxed, not bothering to get up.
“No, then what is?” the grinning elf spat, clearly thinking he’d won.
“Where’s my sword?” Corvin grinned right back at him just as the lift reached the floor where his weapon waited, still stuck in the wall of the lift.
The elevator rose toward the katana at full speed, the sword’s edge gleaming above the last remaining member of the Silver Tongues’ team. Steel cut down to the lift, snapping in half when the plate hit it. The broken sword clattered to stone beside Corvin as a confused look fell across the elf’s face. A crimson glow illuminated his forehead, tracing a line down the center of his body.
Corvin turned away as the player simply peeled apart, dispersing into a cloud of shimmering particles. He placed his eyepatch back on his head, he glanced at his health. Only 74 HP out of 2720 remained. He let out an awkward laugh.
“That’s cutting it close. Maybe jumping down a lift shaft wasn’t the best plan.”
He grabbed his broken weapon from the stone and shoved himself up, waiting for the elevator to reach the floor it was heading to. Corvin hit the button to bring him back to his friends and examined his katana’s severed edge on the way down. He’d never snapped a sword before. Lost one, sure, but then he could just wait a few minutes and it would just reappear back in his inventory to be retrieved. A broken weapon, though, he wasn’t sure. What was he supposed to do now?
Oh well, it was getting to be time for a new sword anyway.
A short wait later, the lift came to a stop.
That was when a hatchet flew at his head. He raised his broken sword on reflex, sending the weapon off at an angle.
“Sorry!” Seven pulled her hood down as soon as he staggered out of the lift alone.
“No harm done.” He picked up the hatchet and handed it to her so she didn’t have to beckon it back.
“You’ve looked better.” Kegan panted, clearly having had just as much trouble with his fight.
“You’re not looking much better.”
“That’s true.” Kegan glanced around the hall, noting the absence of enemies. “We might be getting too good at murdering.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that.” Corvin let out a sigh. “Let’s just hope Piper is having more luck than us.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Oi, what the fuck!” Aawil scrambled backward, falling back against the counter of the island that sat at the center of the kitchen. Talons slashed at her face as wings beat against her head.
Piper struggled to hold in a laugh as the fearsome Aawil flailed around the room with a large black and red raven clinging to her horns.
“I guess that explains where Ruby has been.”
The overgrown avian alternated between screeching directly in Aawil’s ear and pecking her in the eye.
“Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it.” The monstrous woman knocked over everything in sight trying to shake the bird free.
Piper shrugged, then pulled her pistol and unloaded it indiscrimina
tely in Ruby’s direction, peppering both the bird and Aawil with bullets. If it weren’t for the PVP ban, she might have even killed her. Sadly, she was not that lucky and had to settle for just the feathered hindrance.
Ruby squawked and fell to the floor as blue light exploded from Aawil’s head, her face becoming collateral damage. She stood there, breathing heavy as the glow faded from her skin.
“Not a fan of birds, huh?” Piper blew on the muzzle of her pistol.
“No! I am not. They’re loud and spread diseases. I got salmonella from them fourteen times.” Aawil stood there huffing for a second, clearly unaware that getting sick fourteen times from birds was an oddly large number. A moment of silence passed, then Ruby sprang back up from the floor and reattached himself to her horns.
“Interesting.” Piper stood watching as the Coin struggled. “At least we know the PVP ban applies to pets as well as players.”
“No one cares.” Aawil cried, an apparent fear of birds clearly overriding her commitment to playing her role as a strong silent killer. Eventually she let out a growl and tried to bite the bird back. Ruby screeched as the faunus got a mouthful of feathers. The Coin took advantage of the opening to tear the bird from her face and wrap her fingers around its head.
Piper winced as a loud snap came from the pet’s neck and Aawil threw the thing to the floor. The Coin made a break for the other side of the kitchen’s island where she took up a defensive position, mostly hiding behind Piper. A moment later, Ruby was back up, his head twisting back into place as he staggered back toward the pantry.
“He must be under orders to keep people away from the bomb.” Piper ducked down below the counter, kneeling in a pile of broken crackers and cheese. Glancing down at the mess, she got an idea.
“Want a cracker?” she shouted as she scooped up a handful and threw it at the bird. Buttery bits bounced off the large pet’s face and wings, causing him to squawk and flap. Other than that, he ignored the assault.
“Okay, maybe that wasn’t a good idea.” Piper wished Corvin was there to help. They made a good team, even if he was an ass. They would have had that bomb dealt with by now. Instead, she was stuck with Aawil, an enemy of her house who was more than likely a killer out there in the real world.
Well, you work with what you have.
Piper peaked around the side of the counter.
“Is it still there?” Aawil bumped into her back, knocking her forward.
Ruby hopped from side to side, spreading his impressive wingspan as if trying to block the pantry door. He looked straight at Piper and squawked.
“Yeah, it’s not going anywhere.”
“It’s going to have to go somewhere.” Aawil peered over the top over the counter into the pantry. “That timer only has ten minutes left on it and we can’t defuse a bomb with that thing clawing at our faces.”
“Maybe we can trap it in something.” Piper scanned the room from where she sat on the floor. There were a few large stewing pots on a shelf nearby. She gestured to them with her head.
Aawil nodded and grabbed the largest one, about the size of turkey fryer.
“That should work.” Piper grabbed the lid and held it like a shield. “Okay, you go around the other side of the island and try to sneak up on it. I’ll go at it from the front and try to herd it in?”
Aawil crawled off without another word and Piper got into position, standing up and stepping into the open.
“Hi there, Ruby.” She crept forward. “Easy now, I’m not going to make any sudden movements. So just stay right there.”
That was when Aawil let out a howl and charged the bird from behind.
“So much for no sudden moves.” Piper ran forward, her improvised shield held in front. Ruby squawked and launched into the air as Piper and Aawil crashed into each other. The difference in strength was clear as the Coin bowled her over. It was like being hit by a truck.
The pot crashed to the floor as Ruby fluttered back down to land on the faunus’ horns. The resulting scream from both of them was earsplitting. Piper wished she had a way to block out the noise.
Wait, that’s it!
She grabbed the stewing pot and hoisted it up. Then, she simply dropped it back down on Aawil’s head, stuffing Ruby inside.
At least that’s quieter. She nodded to herself as muffled complaints and screeching spilled from the opening of the pot that rested on Aawil’s shoulders.
“Hold him in there a sec!” Piper drew her pistol and placed its muzzle against the pot’s side at an angle. “And probably cover your ears.”
The gun barked as the pot rang like a bell, Aawil dropping to the floor with dazed expression. Piper slammed the pot to the ground before Ruby had a chance to escape and threw her body over the top. The pot rocked as the overgrown avian fought to get out.
“Damn, this thing is stronger than it looks.” Piper struggled to hold on.
Aawil shook off her confusion and leapt to help, having no problem keeping the pot down with her monstrous strength. Piper took the opportunity to break away and check on the bomb.
“Shit.” She raised her house ring and called for help. “Found the bomb, time is running out.” There was a moment of silence before her mother’s voice responded.
“Oh, thank god. You’re amazing, sweetie.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know, but we have eight minutes on the clock. How do I disarm this thing?”
“Hang on, let me get Larkin.” A moment went by before Ginger spoke again. “Okay, I have him right here, but this part is going to be hard. Is Corvin with you? You’re going to need another pair of hands.”
“Sorry,” Corvin’s voice came across the house line. He sounded out of breath. “We got separated. I see you on the map, but I’m not going to make it to you in time.”
“It’s fine, I’m not alone.” Piper glanced to her temporary frenemy sitting on the floor with her arms and legs wrapped around a pot. “I’m with Aawil.”
“What?” Max’s voice shouted over the line.
“Are you safe?” Ginger added.
“Yeah, I’m fine. We tried to kill each other for a bit but we’re in the ban, so really there’s no point to that. We’re kind of cooperating for now. Common goals and all.”
“That’s less than ideal.” Ginger paused as if talking to someone else. “Wait, really? Why would you make a bomb like that?” There was another pause before she continued. “Okay, Piper, it looks like Aawil is the perfect choice to help here.”
“Sure. Let me get her freed up then.” Piper ignored her mother’s suspicious wording. “We had a bit of a problem with a bird.”
“A what?” Ginger asked.
“Never mind, not important. Just give me a minute here.” Piper lowered her house ring and turned to Aawil.
“Looks like we need two sets on hands to disarm this thing.”
“Mine are right full right now.” Aawil leaned on the pot.
“We’re running out of time so we’re going to have to put that thing somewhere else.” Piper glanced around for a moment, then she smiled. “How about here?” She opened the door of the old-fashioned oven sitting against one wall and gestured to it.
Aawil nodded with a wide grin, then proceeded to push the pot across the floor to force the bird inside closer. Piper slid the lid underneath to hold Ruby inside while they reoriented the container to face the open stove. Then, as fast as she could, she pulled the lid away and banged it on the bottom of the pot.
The oversized bird flapped out of the frying pan and into the fire, Aawil slamming the door shut behind it. Piper wedged the pot’s lid into the oven’s handle to keep it closed. A steady stream of muffled squawking expressed Ruby’s opinion of the situation as feathers beat against the window on the front of the oven. Aawil reached forward and turned a knob on top to high. A flickering glow illuminated the window.
“Let’s see if the ban can stop that.” The faunus brushed a stray lock of hair behind her horns.
“Wa
s that really necessary?” Piper peeked through the window to see the poor bird glowing blue in the fire, in a state of continuous undeath.
“Quite so.” Aawil turned away toward the pantry. “Now let’s see about this bomb.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Okay, tell me what to do.” Piper swallowed as she looked down at the wooden cylinder protruding from the top of the large chest. A timer counted off the seconds. “We have six minutes.”
“That should be enough time,” her mother assured her over Lockheart’s house line. “From what Larkin says, the bomb is not complex but it is delicate, so you’re going to have to be careful. Start by removing the cover.”
“Okay.” Piper slipped behind the chest and examined the cylinder sticking out from the lid. The surface was polished to a flawless shine with several metal pins securing it to the top of the chest. Each one had a round head at its end.
“You’re going to need something to pry those pins out with.”
Piper looked around, then held her hand out to Aawil. “Let me borrow your dagger, I need something to work these out with.”
The Coin eyed her skeptically, but handed the weapon over without argument.
“Thanks.” Piper took the dagger, and wedged its edge under the first of the pins. “Okay, I’m prying them out now.”
“Wait!” Ginger shouted.
“What?” Piper’s hand slipped and the dagger nicked the wood.
“Before you touch anything, have Aawil hold the chest still so it can’t move. Apparently, the trigger mechanism is extremely sensitive to moment. If you jostle the cylinder, it could go off right there.”
“Wait, what?” A bead of sweat began to roll down Piper’s forehead. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. Honestly, we have been lucky so far. If the ship had listed to the side even slightly tonight, we could have been killed.”