Darling of Fate: A LitRPG Apocalypse Adventure, page 12
Confusion marred his eyes for the briefest moment, then acceptance.
“You were a worthy opponent,” he replied softly.
“You too, dude.”
I pulled out the whip and reared back, when time froze.
A heavy weight descended on my shoulders, forcing me to my knees, my face in the sand. Only, I wasn’t in the sand, but back in that in-between space, the void that greeted me when I died.
What the fuck? Had Kneer managed some sneak attack that I hadn’t seen? Did he have another trump card on top of everything?
I tried to call out, rage against the bluest of blue balls, but I had no voice in the void… as always.
But things weren’t exactly the same. There was a blue box burning in the center of my vision, but it was different. And that weight pressing down on me—that was new. It was like being back in the tutorial trial all over again.
When I read the text inside the blue box, though, my confusion turned to white-hot rage.
Chapter 16
[Fate’s Helper]
[Fate’s Helper] has been activated for Ground Zero
New Quest: Iron Sharpens Iron
Do not slay Kneer, Prime of Jree, in any redo. Use him, learn from him… and when the time comes, Fate will find him…
Killing Kneer, Prime of Jree, will invoke [Fate’s Ire]. Condition ends when the Tower opens.
Are you fucking kidding me? Are you Goddamned, fucking joking?
I wanted to rage against Fate—that slimy bitch! All of this work! All of this effort! And she had the gall to rip my fucking catharsis right out from under me?
I couldn’t believe it. If Fate had some higher purpose for Kneer, then she should have told me five Goddamned redos ago. There were plenty of other things I could learn from—it was a System Apocalypse, for fuck’s sake. How dare she try to bait-and-switch me for some bullshit reason.
Before I could cool my anger, the void faded as before, the blue box with it. And just like when this happened after a checkpoint, I found myself hurtling into my body, launching me forward and towards the kneeling Kneer. My limbs were still jelly from the trip into the void, my mind rushing to orient itself. He caught me as I lunged forward, a confused look crossing his eyes. But when he looked into mine and saw my disorientation, he didn’t hesitate.
His blade slashed across my throat before my limbs would obey me, and I crashed to the sand.
I raged inside. Oh, how I fucking raged. I was on my back now, the blood from my cut throat choking me as my eyes tracked over my party. The looks of elation from a moment before were replaced with horror.
No, no, no! I had that fucker! I had him!
Everything Lex had said about Fate was true—she was a slimy, conniving bitch—
Movement caught my eye as I lay dying in the sand. New faces walking up the arena lip.
Human faces.
My vision was fading, my life draining, but my eyes locked on one particular face… a familiar face.
No, it couldn’t be…what were the chances? Was this Fate’s doing?
I struggled to focus my eyes, but everything was closing in. My rage drained away as I wracked my brain. It couldn’t really be her. Could it? A familiar blue box filled my vision, but my mind was elsewhere. Why hadn’t I seen this other group of people in the previous redos?
Because you raced into death too fast to see what came next, you idiot!
Thoughts of Kneer and Fate drifted away into the cold vacuum of the void. In its place, a memory stirred. One I’d relieved a million times. One I’d thought I had finally moved on from. Broken hands. Teeth sticking out of my fist. Her screaming voice in the corner of the room—
No.
I shoved the horror of that night back down, dead and buried where it belonged. I rushed to select the same checkpoint I’d been using for these redos, eagerly anticipating the rush of my spirit slamming into my body. There was too much room to think in the void; not enough sensory input to distract my rattled thoughts.
My body bowled into Byron, who caught me with wide eyes. “Whoa, there, big guy. You okay?”
I waved away his concern, my eyes drawn to that overbearing door at the end of the hall.
“Yeah, fine,” I replied absentmindedly. “Let’s see what’s in there.”
I strode down the hall with purpose, but found myself frozen a moment later with my hand on the knob.
“Hall of Heroes,” Byron read over my shoulder. “Hell yeah! Let’s go in there!”
With a deep breath, I pushed the door open. The familiar sounds of metal clanging against metal echoed toward us and I felt Byron falter at my side.
“On second thought…”
I pushed past the threshold, immediately waving away the System message that appeared. As I stepped to the arena lip, I looked about for a moment, then came to my senses.
Of course she wasn’t here yet! She wouldn’t be for another fifteen minutes.
Jerome appeared at my side, followed by the others a moment later. The hostile glares of the Co’xatl and Jree observers settled on us for a moment, then returned to the battle below.
Though I watched the fight, I didn’t follow it. My mind felt crowded with the conflicting thoughts and emotions. Ten years since I saw her last, and she happens to stroll into view at the very last second before I die? Fate had betrayed me—I thought. But maybe that two-faced bitch had orchestrated that Quest and my death in order to reconnect the two of us?
The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. Why force me to spare Kneer, then? And why wait until the last possible Goddamn second? No, I was being played here.
The question was: to what end?
Kneer’s fight with Hundirop went by in a blur. Distantly, I noted the Co’xatl disappear as their Prime died. The Jree heaped their leader with praise while my party shifted uncomfortably at my side.
“Maybe we should go?” Byron suggested.
“Second that,” Amos agreed.
“No.”
They turned as one to look at me, various expressions of confusion and annoyance on display.
Jerome stepped up, his arms crossed. “Whatchu mean, no?”
Normally, I would have risen to the challenge and matched his energy. But my eyes were scanning the Hall, looking for possible entrances. “Just wait,” I replied.
They continued to pester me with questions, the mood turning sour as the minutes ticked by.
Then, Kneer finally deigned to acknowledge us. I hardly noticed as he loped over.
“That thing is coming over here,” Lacy whispered.
Byron tugged on my arm. “Bro, I really think we should get going.”
“Relax,” I said, shaking him off. “He can’t touch us in here.”
Any minute, now, she’d show up.
I purposefully kept my gaze off the Jree Prime. The lack of violent catharsis itched at me, though I knew I couldn’t engage. For one, Fate had warned me off. And for two, I had only had one more charge of Darling of Fate.
When it was clear I wouldn’t step up, Jerome took the lead. He tried to introduce himself and the rest of us, but Kneer cut him off.
“Why doesn’t your Prime speak?”
Jerome turned to me, his lips pressed tight.
I shrugged. “Got nothing to say.”
Kneer narrowed his eyes, but Mama G stepped forward. “Ignore the boy. He doesn’t speak for us.”
They chatted for a minute, but it was clear Kneer was not interested in the slightest. As they were wrapping up, a door materialized in the wall near our own hallway access.
There!
“So long as you don’t challenge the Jree for resources or authority, you shall be allowed to live.”
“That’s fine,” Jerome grumbled.
He left us a moment later as a second group of Jree appeared.
“What the fuck was that?” Jerome demanded, shoving me. The force field ate all the power and I felt none of it.
Before I could reply, the door I had been watching swung outward. A man walked through, tall, with unblemished, alabaster skin. Golden curls framed his face like a cherub and his blue-grey eyes were piercing, even from thirty feet away.
I hated him instantly.
Before I could examine my visceral reaction, she appeared. Dirty blonde hair, a familiar long-limbed build—thin, but powerful. She moved like a cross between a gazelle and a cheetah; deadly grace and fragile beauty.
Jerome was in my face now, blocking my vision. I leaned over to get a better view and our eyes locked.
“Dirk?” she called, her voice squeaking in surprise. Her eyes were wide, but there was no anger there, only confusion.
A part of me had expected hatred or fear. The last time I had seen her, she had been splashed in blood not her own, her expression haunted.
“Nikki?” I replied, forcing surprise into my tone. I brushed past Jerome who squinted in confusion. “Is that you?”
A smile touched her lips, just for a moment, then gone again. I closed the distance as casually as I could, not letting my quick step turn into a sprint. Arms raised, I went in for a hug. It was a risk, considering our last night together. But it was a risk I was willing to take.
As we neared, the golden-haired man stepped between us and stiff-armed my chest. “Back up, Dirk.” I was so taken-aback, I didn’t know how to react. “Yeah, I know who you are, and you’re not getting anywhere near Nicole.”
“Who the fuck—” I started to say, but cut off as his voice triggered a memory. I knew that voice…
If you come anywhere near Nicole, I’ll have you back in prison before you can say parole violation.
“Craig,” Nikki said, placing a hand on his arm.
It was him. The son of a bitch who had picked up the phone when I called Nikki after my release.
“You motherfucker!” I shoved him away, the blue forcefield lighting up to protect him—
He fell back, grabbing Nikki’s hand and pulling her onto him. Her own forcefield lit up partway through the fall, and she managed to keep her footing, but Craig lay on the ground, his eyes wide with surprise.
What the fuck…?
“Dirk! What the hell is your problem?” Nikki shouted at me, her lip curling back from her teeth.
I shook my head in confusion. “No, Nikki—the forcefield.” Turning to my party, I said, “Guys, you saw it. It should have stopped…” I trailed off as they stared back at me impassively. I would find no help there.
Turning back to Craig who was still on the floor, the realization hit me like a punch.
He had orchestrated this. It was a flop!
“Oh, you son of a bitch. Well played.”
“Wha-what the hell are you talking about?” She helped Craig to his feet, shaking her head. “I see you haven’t changed one bit.”
“Don’t you see? He’s acting. Remember the notification when you entered the H—”
“Enough, Dirk! Just…enough.”
I bit my lip, the metallic tang of blood on my tongue.
“Come on, Nicole,” Craig said. “There’s nothing for us here.”
Nikki turned to look at me one more time, her lips pursed in indecision. The other five of their party fawned over Craig as he walked back to their hallway.
“Nikki…” I said softly. She paused and a flicker of hope stirred.
“Nicole!” Craig called, his tone full of arrogance. “Now.”
Something flickered in Nikki’s eyes, almost imperceptible except that I was watching her so closely. Then, as if a switch had flipped, her indecision melted away and she looked me steadily in the eyes.
“Got to go, Dirk. Nice to meet you folks.” She turned on her heels and strode off.
When they were about to pass through the door, Craig looked back, met my eyes, and flashed me a wink.
My heart pounded in my throat, my fingernails cutting bloody divots in my palms. Darling of Fate itched in the back of my mind.
“Ahem, that could have gone better,” Byron said behind me.
I ignored him. Though a part of me raged that they had let me flounder like an asshole, another part of me had to admit, in my single-mindedness, I had been a bit of an asshole myself to them. But that was irrelevant.
No, what had my mind churning was that look I’d seen in Nikki’s eyes. It brought me back to that night, ten years ago. To the night I beat a man to death with my bare fists.
He was a vile man. A drunk. An abuser. A woman beater.
He was also Nikki’s Father.
We’d had the perfect thing, Nikki and I. Olympians. Wheaties box. Matching medals. Sponsors. Everything two trailer trash kids could have dreamed of. We were on top of the world.
Until I learned the truth about her old man.
It was in the past. She’d moved on.
Well, one thing I’m not good at is moving on. My little tête-à-tête with Kneer was evidence of that.
I thought I could let it go. Be cordial. Show some grace, for her.
It had only taken one dark look; one rough grip on her arm…
Ten years later and here was some other man doing…what? I couldn’t say, but there was something wrong and I owed it to her to get to the bottom of it.
With a heavy sigh, I activated my last charge of Darling of Fate.
Chapter 17
[Informercial Salesman]
The blue box of Fate burned in my vision, my eyes locking on a specific option instantly.
7. Pushed Craig in front of Nikki.
Mentally selecting option 7, I prepared myself for the hot entry into that past version of me only a minute gone. A top-down view of Nikki and Craig began to coalesce. I was still ten feet from them, about to hold out my arms to go for a hug.
But no matter how ready I was to be whip-shot into my own body, I still couldn’t stop myself from stumbling to the side.
“Whoa!” she exclaimed, coming forward to steady me. My vision was blurry and my stomach roiled. But her hand on my arm brought back my equilibrium. “Ugh… sorry about that,” I said, clutching my head.
My mind felt like scrambled eggs cooked two times over. Realizing everyone was looking at me and Craig was no doubt strategizing some other way to paint me the villain, I rushed to order my thoughts.
“I—uh, hit my head earlier… concussion, maybe.”
The look of concern in Nikki’s eyes cooled my still-boiling rage in an instant. I stepped back, only just now realizing that I had been clutching onto her. It was only after I retreated that I noticed Craig had been steadying me, too. His hand was perched on my shoulder, an overly dramatic expression of concern on his face. If I hadn’t seen his condescending wink in the last redo, I might have thought it was genuine.
I see through you, asshole.
“You good there?” Craig asked, his grip still firmly on my shoulder.
As casually as I could, I stepped back, letting his hand fall to the side.
“All good,” I replied through gritted teeth.
Now that his ploy had been ruined by Nikki’s sympathy, he seemed to take a different tactic. “Good! I’m Craig,” he said, offering his hand again.
Despite using my last redo for this exact purpose, I found it so damned difficult to be polite. Staring down at his perfectly manicured hand, I wanted to reach out and smack it away. No, I wanted to smack him. If the option had been on the table, I would have demanded Jerome’s pokers and left him bloody—
No, stop it!
Fantasizing about murdering her new boyfriend was not the healthy coping mechanism I needed right now. Plus, I didn’t even know if he was doing something shady to Nikki. All I had to go on was a wink and a suspicious look in Nikki’s eyes.
I needed to play it cool, maintain my focus.
With a steadying breath, I reached out and took his hand. A shiver traced up my back, but I forced my body still as I met his eyes.
“I’m Dirk,” I replied.
The corners of his eyes twitched—his only tell—as he said, “Nice to meet you, Dirk. How do you know Nicole?”
We dated for a few years. Were engaged for a short time. Oh, and I killed her father.
Hmmm, probably leave that part out…
We continued to shake as I glanced over at Nikki, not trusting myself to speak. Now that I had him in my grip, I didn’t want to let go. It anchored him to me, close… where I could get to him easier.
When Nikki realized that I wasn’t answering, she jumped in.
“Oh, Craig, I told you about Dirk, didn’t I? We met in Beijing, oh-eight.” She looked between us, sensing the tension.
Our hands were still entwined as he asked, “2008? Ohhh, you’re that Dirk!”
I turned back to him, my face expressionless. “Uh-huh.”
My animal instincts were firing, telling me to strike, even though I knew exactly how that would play out. I was entering dangerous territory, my anger rising unbidden, so I let his hand go and stepped back.
Craig looked at my party behind me. “Hey, nice to—”
“So, Nik’,” I said as if I didn’t hear him speaking. “How you been? I mean, you handling this Apocalypse thing okay?”
“Yeah—uh, it’s all been a little crazy,” Nikki agreed, looking back to Craig.
Was there that shift in her eyes again? I studied her, looking for… something.
Suddenly, someone snapped their fingers behind me.
“Beijing! That’s where I know you,” Byron said, slapping his own head. “Nikki Ford! Man, you were so hot—” Lacy slapped his arm as Craig, and I whipped our heads around to glare at him. He took a step back, holding his arms up in surrender. “Oh my God, no I didn’t mean—that’s not…” He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I just meant you were really fast…”
Nikki laughed it off, shaking her head.
“Thanks, either way, I guess.”
“Sure thing,” Byron said morosely, realizing he had firmly planted his foot into his own mouth.
“Nicole,” Craig said, putting his arm over her shoulder. “We should get going. There’s a lot to do before this Staging Area opens up.”
