Darling of Fate 3: A LitRPG Apocalypse Adventure, page 40
“Lex?” she called out in surprise. She held a box with a red cross in her arms. “Where are the others?” Her tone was desperate, frightened. “I haven’t seen them since—”
“They’re fine, dear. Everyone’s fine.”
She sighed, looking up in relief before narrowing her eyes. “What’s up? Were you looking for me?”
“Actually, yes. We, uh, caught he who shall not be named.”
He glanced around, worried that one of the big wigs or their people would be nearby. Dirk had explicitly instructed him not to let anyone but Nikki know they had Craig.
“They’ll want to do a trial,” Dirk had said. “Hell, they might even let him off the hook if they think they can control him. They’re power brokers and he represents a lot of power. We can’t risk them knowing he survived.”
Nikki dropped the box she had been carrying, her eyes tight as she walked closer.
“Craig?” she asked. “Where’s that son of a bitch!”
Lex opened his beak to quiet her when a third voice chimed in.
“He’s alive?”
“HONK!” Lex flapped his wings in surprise, whirling around to see the president’s Climber, Bobby, just coming around the edge of the nearest hospital tent.
“Huh? What! No, of course not! Why would you even think that? What are you—I mean, no, definitely not…” He trailed off with a sigh.
Reading human emotional cues was still a weakness of his, but Bobby’s face couldn’t be clearer. He wasn’t buying it.
“Yes, he’s alive.”
Bobby pursed his lips in thought, looking between Nikki and Lex.
“You intend on killing him?”
Lex agonized over how to respond to that. On one hand, Bobby was the president’s ringer and might not be too pleased to hear they were going full Judge Dredd on Craig’s butt. On the other hand, Lex had personally witnessed Bobby fire a dozen bullets with that very intention. Saying the wrong thing here could bring a tempest down on Dirk’s head—
“Yes,” Nikki replied smoothly.
Bobby smiled. “Excellent. Can I watch?”
Nikki shrugged. “Sure.”
Huh, Lex thought, guess I was overthinking it.
“This way, guys,” he said, taking to the air, flying low and slow so they could follow.
We had pulled Craig into one of the nearby hotel lobbies. Partially to avoid any demon stragglers but also to avoid any human patrols.
No one was going to take this from us.
He was tied up to a chair with electrical cords we had ripped from the lobby lamps, eyeing us with unmasked terror.
All of us stood in a semi-circle before him, except Mama G and Athena, who we agreed didn’t need to be present. Lex had brought back Bobby with him, which I didn’t mind, and he respectfully hung back, reading the room and realizing that we each had a history with Craig that he wasn’t aware of.
“Okay,” Lacy said, breaking the silence. “Let’s not draw this out any longer. We all agree he deserves to die—no, needs to die, right?”
There were nods around the room and no one objected. Well, except Craig.
“I’ll give up the power! I’ll stay in my Personal Space for the rest of my life! Please, you don’t have to do this.”
“Gag him,” Lacy said with a wave toward Jerome.
The man grunted, ripping the upholstery from a nearby couch.
“No, please! Don’t do thi—mhghhhgmm.”
Lacy nodded. “Thanks, Jer’, that’s better. Now, what are we thinking here? Murder on the Orient Express style?” She looked around the group. “Each get a stab in?”
“Ghnmgmmh.”
“That’s one vote for yes from Craig.”
Amos turned on Lacy with a scowl. “Hey, spoilers, sweet-cheeks! I haven’t read that one yet.”
She snorted. “It’s been out for a hundred years, Amy-boy.”
He shrugged. “It’s hard to find Agatha Christie in the Apocalypse.”
“Uh.” Byron looked ill, his face turning ghastly white. “I don’t wanna stab anyone.”
“I do.”
I turned to see Nikki staring at Craig with fire in her eyes.
“We could stage it like a demon ate him?” I suggested. “That way we avoid any heat if the president gets a burr up his ass about us murdering him.”
“Fuck the president,” Lacy said coldly.
Amos nodded along while Jerome grunted in agreement.
“Okay, I get it,” I said, holding my hands up in surrender. “I just thought it would be fun to capture a Hellhound and let it loose on the prick.”
Behind us, Bobby grunted. “Y’all gonna play with your food all night or what?”
“Who asked ye, new guy?” Amos said with a look over his shoulder.
Bobby shrugged. “Just sayin’, there’s a lot needs doing out there, what with the world being invaded by millions of those demons and whatnot. But sure, take all the time you need.”
“He’s got a point,” Byron said.
I pulled out my diskslinger and held it to Craig’s face. The disks spun in place, that terrible buzzing sound making Craig flinch and shut his eyes.
“Let’s end this,” I said, feeling that cold steel run up my spine.
“Wait,” Lacy said, stepping forward. She put a hand on the handle of the diskslinger, wrapping her fingers around mine. “Okay.”
Before I could fire, Nikki came to my other side, putting a hand on the weapon. Then Jerome joined us, putting his hand on top of Lacy’s. Then Amos and Frank followed suit, with Lex flying to my shoulder so that we were all in this together.
All but one.
“Byron? You out?”
He chewed his lip with indecision, then looked over at Craig. His eyes narrowed, his face setting with determination.
“Fuck this guy.”
Then he walked over and put his hand on top of the pile of hands.
I nodded once, then pulled the trigger.
A single disk shot forward, the sound of a buzzsaw filling the room as it sliced effortlessly through Craig’s face, right below the nose. His panicked cries cut off as the top half of his head was sent flying across the room, the rest of him secured to the chair, which tipped back.
Blood spurted from his bisected face, soaking the hotel carpet in seconds. The seven of us stood there in breathless silence, each coping with the death of Craig in our own way.
Behind us, a slow clap began to sound.
We turned to see Bobby with an appraising look on his face, his clap intensifying before he cut it off.
“That was beautiful guys. Really poetic. Can you pencil me in for the next team-building exercise because that looked fun as hell?”
Lacy and I shared an amused look.
I shrugged. “Next time we execute a mind-controlling mass murderer, your name will be at the top of the list. Promise.”
Chapter 44
Making a Difference
Congratulations! Your Nascent Affinity: [Mass], is ready to be evolved. Select a specialization!
1. [Density (Mass)]
2. [Gravity (Mass)]
3. [Strength (Mass)]
Aheavy sigh of relief left my body, followed shortly by a grin.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Fuck. Yes.”
Meditating on my Mass powers had felt at times like an uphill battle, even aided by Kurian’s guidance. There was something about my Friction energy that had always come easy in comparison and at times, I had wondered if my connection to my Mass energy would ever catch up.
But finally, four days later—and just in time for the Second Floor—I’d reached that threshold. A part of me—okay, most of me—had worried that I wouldn’t clear that hurdle before the next Floor. Now, I could breathe easier.
When I opened my eyes, Kurian was watching me from across the room with an appraising look. A slight nod was the only acknowledgment I received of my accomplishment before he turned back to his damn tablet.
What was he always watching on that thing!
I was in too good a mood to let his casual regard ruin the feeling coursing through my body.
Fuck yeah! I was ready for Adept! All I needed to do was pick my core specializations and use the [Body Tempering Solution].
“I did it,” I said to the room.
Lacy pumped a fist in the air without looking away from her overwatch board. She was high up on her platform, engrossed in one of the new Scenarios Kurian had crafted. She was currently guiding Amos, Byron, Jerome, and Frank through that Scenario and they were supplemented by three Simulacrums to round out their squad. To my left, Athena was fighting three high-level Nascent combat Simulacrums at once, her body twirling through the air as she stabbed her sword through one of her targets. She glanced over with a grimace, her hair matted to her face and neck.
“Cool, want a cookie?” Then she turned back to deflect two simultaneous attacks, skewering the wrist of one, then turning her momentum to sweep the leg of the other. The downed sim used its fall to back roll onto its feet and the fight continued.
I chuckled at her comment, shaking my head as I looked around the room for someone to celebrate with. Up above, Lex was swooping through the air, the ceiling of the training room extended hundreds of feet by Kurian. Much to his dismay, the Class Guide had assigned Lex endurance and precision courses, and the air was filled with multi-colored rings of varying sizes that he had to pass through in a specific order. He let out a weary honk, passing through a blue ring that was so tight he had to fold his wings to his side.
“Nice one, Dirk!” he called down.
I gave him a thumbs up, not wanting to distract him from his course.
Walking over to the table set up near the Personal Space door, I plopped down into a foldout chair and put my hand on the oblong item that I had left there. Maybe it was cheesy, but it felt wrong to keep the item in my Inventory. Even if she couldn’t hear or see, it was nice to have her there.
“I did it, Red. I’m about to hit Adept.” The item was cold to the touch, like metal, but with a textured surface more akin to leather. It was an odd sensation under my palm but one that I had grown accustomed to over the past few days. The egg-shaped item had served as a sort of totem as I’d struggled with my physical and mental training.
“Wish you were here, Red,” I said softly.
I rested there for a minute, watching Athena slice her way through enemy after enemy while Lex danced through the air. The others weren’t visible inside their Scenario, but I could hear Lacy giving orders—and scolding them when they messed up.
“Byron, no! No touchy!”
“Left past that lin—Left, Amos! What do you mean who’s left? Your left, you dumbass—”
“Jerome, focus the mage on the left. Frank, lock down the group of skeletons…nice, good job guys.”
I felt at peace watching them train and listening to Lacy lead. Everything had come together in the end and though we were pushing ourselves to prepare for the next big challenge, in this moment, life was good.
A few minutes later, my Personal Space door opened and I glanced over to see Nikki approaching with a heavy duffel bag in her arms. She was combing through the bag, her face practically buried inside so that she didn’t notice me until she set it down on the table and looked up.
“Oh,” she said with wide eyes. “Hey, Dirk, didn’t see you there. Thought you’d be training.”
“Hey, Nik’. Just taking a break. What you got there?”
She unconsciously reached for the bag, biting her lip as if embarrassed. Then she chuckled and held it open for me to see.
Inside, there were rolls of gauze, packaged needles, a sewing kit, and an assortment of other items that I had trouble identifying.
“Kurian said that the System rewards you for what you do, not the class you picked. The fight with the demons and,”—She took a breath—“and Craig showed me that I can make a difference without fighting. I…I want to be a medic or healer or something.” She shrugged. “If I work at the mundane stuff long enough, Kurian said I’d be offered a healing class of some type when I hit the next Stage.”
“That’s awesome! That would be a great fit for you. But why am I getting the impression you’re embarrassed or something?”
She looked around and indicated Athena and Lacy across the room as if that answered my question.
“Look at them, Dirk. They’re training to fight. And I’m…too scared. I don’t think I could ever go out into the front lines, fighting a demon or a Jree with actual weapons…” She trailed off, clearly having trouble finding her words.
“And?” I prompted.
She scoffed as if it were obvious. When I didn’t react, she looked away.
“A ten-year-old has more courage than me,” she whispered. “Lacy’s been through so much and it’s only made her stronger.” She looked back at me, tears in her eyes. Her voice filled with fire and self-loathing. “And me? I’m pathetic! Every day I wake up, I lie in bed and hate myself for being so weak. Some days, I hardly have the energy to get up and face the embarrassment of my life, Dirk! He-he’s dead and I still see his face every time I close my eyes.” Her voice dropped to a whisper again. “I…I wish I were strong, like them.”
Pushing up from my seat, I grabbed her by the shoulders.
“We’re all weak, Nikki—”
She looked away. “Pssh, you’re not.”
I bent down until we were eye-to-eye.
“We’re all weak, especially me. I’m scared every second of every day.”
Her eyes trailed back over slowly. “You…you are?”
I scoffed, nodding. “All the damn time. But it’s not something I’m ashamed of. It’s my fuel, Nik’. It’s not the fear or the feelings of failure that keep me in bed. They’re exactly the reason I get out. Without that fear, without the memory of my failures burning a hole in my mind, I’d never get out of bed. I’d wait for someone else to solve the problem for me.” I nodded toward Athena and Lacy. “That’s why they train so hard. They’re scared, too.”
She looked over, her eyes widening as she realized what I was saying.
“You don’t have to wade into demons to make a difference, Nikki. All you have to do is get out of bed and do your best—whatever that looks like to you. If you want to heal people, you should do that with all your heart and never feel ashamed about the way you’re making a difference.”
Her eyes grew distant and I could tell she was working my words over in her mind. After a few moments, she chuckled lightly.
“You’re so different than the Dirk in my memories.” She turned back with a smile. “I’m sorry for all the things I thought about you.”
I shook my head. “No, you were probably right about those things at the time. That’s the thing, Nikki, we can always change—for the better or the worse. But nobody gets to pick which way we go but us. We may lose our power or the strength in our arms or suffer a terrible setback, but in the end, how we address those moments is up to us, and only us.” I paused, shaking my head as I thought back to all the decisions I’d made—dumb and smart. “Recognizing that is the most important step in our personal growth.”
She laughed and I realized it was the first time I’d seen her in a good mood since we’d pulled her out of the Tower.
“Whatever books you read in prison, I want the list,” she joked.
I shared her laugh, then spotted Lacy coming down from her tower to join the team as they debriefed. Nikki followed my eyes and a different sort of smile touched her lips.
“Wasn’t prison, was it?” she asked.
Shaking my head, I smiled back. “No.”
She nodded and put a hand on my arm. “I’m really happy for you, Dirk.” Then a twinkle lit in her eye, a slight smile touching her lips. “Don’t fuck it up.”
I chuckled at that and moved past her. “Oh, I probably will. Let’s just hope it’s not a Dirk-sized fuck up.”
She laughed and returned to her duffel bag as I met with Lacy and the team. As I neared, she was quietly giving them feedback as they listened patiently.
“Frank, that was a good call out on the second wave, but I need you to stay focused. No more mid-battle studying, okay?”
He had a chagrined look on his face and nodded quickly. “Sorry, Lacy.”
She nodded and turned to Jerome. “Jerome, you didn’t transfer your defense bot when I called it out. What’s up?”
He scowled, then looked away with an embarrassed grunt. “Thought Byron needed it more.”
She nodded. “I get that, but you didn’t see the third wave coming up from the sewer grate.”
“Got distracted,” he admitted.
“That’s fine, that’s not the problem.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t trust me when I called it out. Why?”
He squirmed under her stare and I hung back so as to not interrupt their flow.
“I-I guess I don’t like being told things,” he finally said. I could tell he was battling every instinct inside himself not to admit that. “When you said it, I…got mad.”
He looked embarrassed at the admission, but Lacy nodded solemnly.
“Thank you for telling me that,” she said sincerely. “I’ll work on my delivery next time, okay?”
He nodded, then spotted me over her shoulder and looked off like I’d caught him in a moment of vulnerability.
I purposefully didn’t make light of their conversation—this was obviously something Lacy was working hard on and I didn’t want to throw dynamite in the middle of a delicate situation.
With a wave, I turned and started over toward Kurian. He put away his tablet at my approach.
“Hey, Kurian. Wanted to get your advice on which core specializations to pick.”
“They are all excellent options,” he said. “But I would not sway you toward any selections. You must choose what feels right.”
He had said something similar before but I had hoped he’d have at least a little bit of guidance.
“No hints?” I tilted my head as if to say this was his chance to weigh in. “If I pick something totally stupid, I don’t wanna hear any I told ya sos.”
