Awaken Online: Armageddon, page 48
Jason motioned to Alexion who peered around his own cover. He was silently trying to convey his point, which translated into something like, “Go be a big dumb decoy again!”
Alexion glared back with an expression that said, “Fuck you. I’m not bait.”
“It’s that or we die,” Jason pantomimed back, slicing his own throat.
Alexion sighed, shaking his head… then he stepped out from behind the building, his wings snapping as he shot away down a nearby alley. Smokes and Blaze looked at each other and then took off after him, explosions erupting in the distance as Pewpew lay down suppressive fire, each boom accompanied by a blast of rock and debris.
Jason moved quickly, rising and facing the booth. “Okay, yeah, we need some transportation. Like now… immediately.”
“Fantastic,” that voice chimed back. “Do you have a frequent flyer discount card by chance, it helps save time and mana.”
“I don’t,” Jason ground out as another explosion erupted in the distance.
“Would you like to sign up? It’s a simple and fast process that also allows you to apply for additional points at other club facilities including, the Death-Laser Tag, Balls of Steel, and our world-renowned—”
“No, I’m good,” Jason growled as another explosion rocked the club, and he saw Alexion’s health plummet, only to replenish a moment later as he healed his injuries. “I just need to travel to that other working booth now!”
“I appreciate that you’re in a hurry, but first, you will need to sign our death, dismemberment, and gruesome, catastrophic injury form.” A screen rippled into existence, showing a lengthy contract, the terms scrolling, and scrolling and scrolling. “This helps protect the club in the event that you suffer any injuries during your travels, including, but not limited to decapitation, dismemberment, blood loss, cerebral hemorrhage, heart attack, incineration, stabbing…”
“What the fuck kind of ferry is this?” Jason muttered.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine with all of that,” he offered, interrupting the booth once more. He scrawled out a hasty signature with his finger at the bottom, and another chime rang out.
“Fantastic, now you—”
“I just need a damn ferry,” Jason interrupted, blasts echoing in the distance. They were getting closer. Much closer. No doubt, Alexion was circling back.
“I understand your urgency, sir. All our guests are anxious to sample our first-class amenities and games. Unfortunately, there are a few patrons waiting in line ahead of you. You’ll need to take a number,” the voice chimed back, a small token emerging from a slot in the booth.
Jason just stared at the token before looking at the barren courtyard around him. “What guests?” he demanded. “There’s no one here.”
“I understand your urgency—” the booth began to repeat once more.
Jason let out a frustrated growl before ripping the token free. Only to hesitate as he stared down at the chit. The material was more solid than simple paper, and a small glowing gem was affixed to the surface beneath a number – 1004. Jason looked up to see that another flickering screen had appeared. It was currently on number 935.
“Gods damn it,” Jason muttered. The explosions were definitely getting closer as Alexion circled back. He didn’t have much time.
Where were the other token holders? There was clearly no one here. He hesitated. But was the booth tracking the guests or the tokens? He looked around his feet and froze. Jason stooped, his skeletal hands swiping away a pile of debris. Another token was wedged under the edge of the booth. He scraped at it with ivory fingers, working it free.
Number 976.
Taking a chance, Jason promptly crushed the token between his fingers, the light flickering out. The booth dinged, and the voice rang out again. “Guest Number 976, it appears that your token has gone offline. Please see the booth for a replacement.”
Okay, so I can destroy them, Jason thought to himself. That should let him cut in line. But he was going to need something that could scour the area without destroying the booth—
His thoughts were interrupted as Alexion came dashing back into the courtyard with a snap of his wings. His armor was singed, his skin burnt and bleeding. And it looked like one of his wings was on fire, which might explain why he crash-landed on his back, tucking in his wings, and rolling forcefully across the ground before slamming up against the booth. But at least that move extinguished the flames, Alexion pulling himself back to his feet with a groan and a flash of white energy as he healed his wounds.
“They’re back,” Alexion grunted.
Indeed, Jason could see Blaze and Smokes enter the courtyard, their eyes meeting his. “Oh, damn,” Jason muttered.
“So, we meet again,” Smokes offered with a yawn as he lounged on a bed of smoke, tendrils of vapor billowing up behind him to form a massive wall that stretched dozens of feet into the air – a function of the many, many burning buildings that now lingered behind him. The stone might be fire resistant, but the Sweeping Wind had been disabled, leaving plenty of flammable trash. And with Pewpew busting open the surrounding buildings, that likely only offered up more fodder for Blaze.
Speaking of which, Blaze stepped forward, her body completely engulfed in flame and her hair ablaze. “These two are mine. I haven’t had a turn yet.”
Smokes just snorted as the gray mist expanded around them, effectively walling Jason and Alexion into that courtyard – leaving only an opening at their backs where that tornado swirled. Either Smokes couldn’t control the mist with that much wind, or he didn’t think the pair were crazy enough to jump. Or possibly both.
“Well then, be my guest. But you’re going to have trouble telling Pewpew that—”
Smokes was cut off as another blast detonated to the north. Alexion and Jason didn’t hesitate; they broke formation, darting in opposite directions. The lightning bolt struck with tremendous force, carving a chunk out of the top of the booth, and sending up another shower of dust as it impacted the courtyard on the other side. Jason spared a glance over his shoulder but luckily the lights were still on in the booth.
“We would appreciate it if you would wait your turn,” that voice spoke up. “Attacking the other guests waiting in line is a real party foul. Don’t be that person.”
However, as Jason saw Blaze step forward, her flames pushing away the dust, he saw the heat envelop a chit lying along the ground at her feet, burning swiftly through the material. He held his breath, his eyes skimming back to the booth as he waited for—
“Guest Number 984, it appears that your token has gone offline, please see the booth for a replacement,” that voice soon chimed.
An idea bloomed in Jason’s mind. His guess was that the rest of those chits were nearby, pushed up against the nearby buildings and buried under dirt, dust, and debris. Which meant he just needed to get Blaze mad. Mad enough to sweep the entire area with her Fire Nova.
Another blast detonated and Jason was moving again. The building at his back exploded in a shower of electricity and fragments of jagged rock. Blaze was too close to the blast and was forced to increase the heat of her aura, using the flames to melt down the stone fragments before they could cut at her skin.
Unfortunately, his plan wouldn’t work if Pewpew killed them all first or destroyed the booth. With the wall of smoke ringing the courtyard, she must be firing blind. Seriously, did she not care at all about hitting her own teammates…
Jason hesitated as a sudden realization occurred to him. Pewpew’s shots had been far too accurate given that she couldn’t see. Which only meant one thing. A smile pulled at his lips as another crazy idea flittered through his mind.
This was going to be fun… and painful.
“Any last words?” Blaze asked.
“Yeah, but first… I have a question. Exactly how old are you?” Jason quipped. “Should you even be playing this game? I’m actually worried your heart might give out.”
Blaze let out a growl. “What’re you trying to say, boy?”
“I’m saying, shouldn’t someone your age be in a home? You certainly shouldn’t be playing a videogame. Hell, if you give me a second, I might have some pudding in my bag…” he trailed off, making a show of checking his bag.
In the wake of the attack on Barrow, Jason had spent time scouring the videos of the siege on the guild hall – looking for any hints about their opponents or their abilities. He’d discovered one clip of Blaze when she destroyed the barrier around the guild hall. One part in particular had stood out clearly for him… something Blaze had screamed about pudding and bingo before charging into Evelyn’s guild hall in a blaze of fire.
His comment clearly touched a nerve. Blaze didn’t respond, but her fire aura increased in size, expanding outward forcefully, and the color changed to a blue-ish red as the heat ratcheted up a level. This also forced Smokes back, the man drifting off to the edge of the courtyard and patting at his tunic to put out a small flame before he leaned back into his cloud – clearly content to watch the fight unfold since Blaze had called dibs.
“What are you doing?” Alexion demanded from a few yards away, hiding behind the edge of a building to block Pewpew’s line of sight. “You’re just pissing her off!”
“Exactly,” Jason murmured.
He didn’t hide, he stood and walked slowly toward Blaze. He could feel the heat radiating off her in waves despite the fire resistance in his newfound limbs and Bone Armor. He sucked in a deep breath while he still could. He suspected the heat around Blaze would eat up all the remaining oxygen nearby. He could hear muted chimes as the booth beside him registered the destruction of more tokens, the number on the board rising slowly.
Yet it wasn’t enough – not by a longshot.
Blaze seemed even more pissed that her fires weren’t fazing him. “Oh, you want to fight, little boy? Then let’s fight!” Her flames cascaded out into the courtyard, forcing Alexion to summon a wall of light and Smokes to wrap himself in a bubble of smoke to ward off the heat.
Yet Jason just kept approaching Blaze through that swirling vortex of fire. It felt like he was being cooked inside his armor now, his skin welting. Notifications were flashing in the corner of his UI – glowing a bright red. Some glib bullshit about him spontaneously combusting. But he swept them aside. He could no longer see the tower in the distance through the flames, but he kept the yellow waypoint marker he’d set beforehand lined up behind Blaze.
“You. Are. Too. Old. To. Play. This. Game,” Jason grunted out each word, flames searing his lungs each time he opened his mouth. His mana was dropping swiftly now, the pain intense and the damage outpacing his own regeneration. Yet it was worth it. He saw the fires grow, the chimes from the booth now wholly obscured behind the roar of the fire.
Jason’s right hand moved, the fingers twitching through the gestures of Custom Skeleton as the world began to slow, the flames barely moving, Blaze’s eyes glaring.
Just wait for it…
All Jason saw was a flicker. A slight anomaly in the wall of smoke at Blaze’s back. Jason immediately cancelled his channel and activated the crystals in his feet at the same time. He was sent spinning off the right even as a massive blast of electricity struck home. Blaze’s body simply exploded in a shower of blood before the projectile burrowed itself in the rock where Jason had been standing, digging out a deep hole that sent rocky shards flying in every direction.
Apparently, he’d been right. Smokes and Blaze had set waypoint markers on Jason and Alexion – allowing Pewpew to track them behind cover… or smoke. Even if she had seen Blaze’s group icon standing in her way, her previous shots indicated she didn’t care about collateral damage. Not that Jason blamed Pewpew for that. Their team could simply respawn. They didn’t need to fear death. And from the sniper’s perspective, it must have looked like Blaze had him locked down, her flames reducing his own visibility.
It had all gone according to plan.
“Guest number 1004, your ferry is ready!”
Jason looked up, blinking away the stars in his eyes and sweeping aside more notifications that cascaded down in front of him. “Alexion, to me! Now!” he shouted as he raced toward that booth, stumbling and weaving from what must have been a concussion – or possibly lack of oxygen. Or maybe both?
The wall of smoke was billowing forward as Smokes recovered, his mist sweeping out after them, a rolling wall of darkness that stretched dozens of feet into the air. Booms echoed in the distance as Pewpew fired frantically, the ground exploding around Jason as he darted from side to side with flashes of air mana. He could only hope those gems didn’t run out of mana.
Alexion’s shield dropped and he answered Jason’s call, his wings sending him whipping forward in a blaze of light.
Jason reached the booth. “I’m here,” he gasped out, his throat still burning.
“Fantastic! Here is your ferry. Please be careful handling club property and remember to keep all limbs and personal belongings safely stow—”
Jason didn’t wait for the rest of the instructions, only clawed at the hatch that had opened in the booth, grabbed whatever was inside and moved toward the edge of the club, Alexion moving to intercept him. He was just in time as another blast took out the booth, the structure exploding apart in a cascade of rock and glimmering, fractured crystals, motes of fire and ice adding to the debris as those gems ruptured and added their own mana to the blast.
Jason hit the ground hard, only to feel someone lift him. He looked up to see Alexion there, smoke sweeping up behind him – an avalanche of misty death.
“What now?” Alexion shouted, lifting Jason from the ground.
“The… the ledge,” Jason answered. That was the only safe space left.
“We can’t—” Alexion began.
But Jason didn’t wait for him to finish. He could see a pinpoint of energy collecting in the distance, electricity arcing around the tower at the far end of the club. At the same time, the smoke reached for them, forming a pair of massive, misty hands, the fingers outstretched. He knew if it grabbed hold of them, they would be sliced to ribbons. And even if the smoke didn’t kill them, Pewpew would – the girl clearly intending to finish this.
So, Jason used the last move he had. He activated his feet once again and sent the pair of them blasting out over the edge of the Mile-High Club and racing into the vortex that spun through the middle of the club. Their bodies were soon obscured by the winds, tossed and bounced around as they were thrown into a swirling hell.
The wall of smoke slowed as it reached the edge of the club, retracting until it revealed Smokes lounging there on a sofa made of mist. The makeshift couch transformed, shifting him upright until his feet touched down on solid stone. He strode up to the ledge, peering into the tornado. But he couldn’t make out anything moving inside.
“Damn, those guys are crazy,” he muttered.
Then he pivoted back to the tower in the distance, his smoke transforming into a giant thumbs up. No one could survive that tornado – it was certain death. Which meant his mission was complete, and it was time for him to “fast travel” back to the rest of the group.
Another blast echoed across the club. But Smokes made no move to flee or dodge. Instead, he simply took a long drag on his cigarette and tossed it into the tornado.
Then his head blew apart in a blast of blood and lightning.
Chapter 44 - Carnivore
Eliza screamed in pain, dropping to her knees.
The substance she’d just injected herself with spread rapidly through her bloodstream, quite literally eating its way through her body. She knew what was happening – what had happened to every test subject. The concoction consumed organic matter, using it to feed and replicate the individual cells, spawning more…. eating more. A repeating cycle. A feedback loop that would end with her death if she didn’t manage to stabilize it.
She stared down at her hand, her glasses falling away with a tinkle of breaking glass. Yet Eliza ignored that – only let out another scream as she watched her fingers dissolve. Pale skin was soon replaced with a spongy multi-colored substance that broke apart and melded back together, undulating and rippling like a living thing.
Mold, she reminded herself. Her body’s cells were being replaced by mold.
The same mold that had almost consumed a small farm outside of the Sea’s Edge.
The same mold that had killed Brian and forced her to change him into something new.
But modified. Changed. Mutated. Evolved.
She’d taken her original Carnivore Mold and gone further using Accelerated Growth. Several hundred million generations if she had to hazard a guess. She’d been forced to form a special chamber in the Sea’s Edge, one that would automatically cleanse itself if there was an outbreak. She’d hidden her experiments away behind dozens of warded doors and shields. There was no way she was going to risk a repeat of that first time – when she’d come close to destroying this entire world by herself.
Yet there was nothing protecting her now. Pain wracked her chest, Eliza coughing but only puffs of spores escaping her lungs. Red notifications were flashing in her peripheral vision, reminding her that her blood toxicity was off the charts. Reminding her that she was dying. As though she needed the warning…
“I wasn’t expecting much from you, but this is embarrassing,” Queen spoke up, her haughty voice echoing through the generator room. Eliza managed to look up – even that movement costing her. Her plants hadn’t reacted to the intruder.
Then she could see that Queen was freezing the vegetation around her, the plants turning brittle and frost coating their leaves. She plucked at one vines. “Oh, these? Yeah, they aren’t as intimidating once you learn how to counter them. You need to know who is going to show up to make them resistant to a specific element, don’t you? We learned that after Barrow.”
