I fall through the portal feet first and feel the strange shift in gravity after I pass though and find myself in mid-air, my back parallel to a rooftop instead of perpendicular to the ground a moment ago. I fall both forward and down and hit the rooftop on my butt as I skid away from the portal. I hear the tell-tale tinkling of Chela's portal closing. Instantly my HUD stops flicking and a sense of calm comes back over me as Gamer's Mind reasserts itself.
Fuck. "Notifications." I rapidly dismiss all the spam from Hatchet Face's nerfing aura while I stand up and look for Chela.
Your Null Resistance skill has increased by 1
Good. I fucking need more of those.
<"Si-mon!"> Chela says, trying not to yell too loud, her voice shaky.
Chela is some dozen feet away huddled behind a roof vent structure. Her arms are wrapped tight around herself, and she's shaking like a leaf. I rush over to her and just hold her.
<"I'm here, thank you, thank you. You saved me."> I whisper.
She doesn't respond, just sobs quietly. I keep an eye on my mini-map, they're all converging. What happened to one at a time? Fucking cheaters. I don't have much time. Chela feels cold, and is bleeding from several cuts. Shit, its night time in February, in the western parts of Virginia, rather close to the Appalachians. It's probably below freezing right now, and I can't even tell because of All-Weather Friend.
<"Wear these"> I pull a shirt, my hat and my scarf out of my inventory, and help her put them on. Keep her focused and occupied. We don't have much time. I quickly equip my last pair of shoes, one set of clothing in my inventory, and the last remnants of my costume which is down to the hockey helmet, goggles and a freaking cup.
"Observe"
Damn, that's more than I thought. I didn't even have time to read that before. What will the others I skipped say? I glance at my mini-map again, I still don't have time, they're getting closer.
<"Chela, we need a Portal again, it's the only way we can escape. As far away from here as you can get it."> She's still barely responsive. <"Chela, look at me. Survive. We have to survive. A portal, whatever you can manage, can you do it again?">
<"Tired, tiring… too many, so far, too dark, can't see, we have to hide.">
<"We can't hide Chela. They can find us, Crawler can smell us. We have to move, constantly."> I say as I move her toward the edge of the roof opposite where my mini-map shows the nine approaching from.
I gaze out into the darkness, well not dark for me, and spot another flat top roof in the distance away from where the nine are vectoring. There's very few multi-story building in this rural town, even fewer with flat roofs we can stand on. We'll have to move to the ground after this. I pull the flashlight out of my inventory again, and shine it toward the building. <"You said you have to see where you open them before, can you see that building over there with the flat roof?"> She shakes her head no. <"Calm yourself, dry your eyes, try again, hold the flashlight."> Her wounds need to be treated, but I can't even try until we gain more distance and a chance to catch our breath.
<"I think I see it now, yes.">
<"Can you make a portal to there?">
<"Not… not yet, further is harder, and I'm so tired.">
<"How much more time do you need?"> I say as the building shakes. Fuck, Crawler and Siberian are already here. Crawler moves a lot faster than I thought he would. Are they going to wreck the building again? <"If you can't make a portal out that far, do whatever is closest in the direction."> Shatterbird is in the air again, lagging behind. She yells something unintelligible.
<"I need a few more seconds, they're coming…"> Chela says softly
They're not wrecking the building, but some crunching sound is coming from the opposite wall. Crawlers next to the wall according to the map, Siberian is just standing off to the side, why?
"Alleyoop!" I hear Crawler yell in his rumbling bass, as some shape goes flying up into the air and crashes hard into the roof. Fuck, it's Hatchet Face.
<"I can't sense him!"> Chela screams.
<"Portal Now!">
Hatchet Face peels himself up from the massive dent he made in the roof and stands up while I back the fuck up, and bring up my inventory screen.
<"Done! Go now!"> Chela yells, I turn and follow her through the blue oval. My HUD flickers only once before the portal collapses.
<"Did you close the portal or did it close on its own?"> We were on the roof of that far building I had pointed out to her. Chela is still crying. <"Chela please answer, it's important.">
<"I tried to close it but couldn't until I moved further away.">
So she still closed it, but Hatchet Face's nerfing aura could stretch through the portal. It had to be that way if she couldn't close it and my HUD flickers after I was already through. I keep an eye on the building we just left.
<"You can sense them, but you can't sense Hatchet Face? How do you sense them?"> I watch as a shape jumps off the edge of the roof, hits the ground, then gets up and starts moving in our direction again. <"Actually, tell me later, make a portal to the ground in that direction."> We have to get more distance, and get out of the town, presuming we make it to Shatterbird's turn. Crawler also might have a harder time running through trees.
A shorter hop through another portal and we're on the street. We start running. I'm not getting tired; my stamina is apparently ridiculous now. Chela is rapidly getting exhausted. <"As soon as you can make another portal, do so."> I urge her on, despite protests. Another portal hop and we jump ahead 100 something yards further northward, away from the nine. The portals close and Chela collapses.
<"Are you okay?"> I ask, while I do what little first aid on her that I can. We don't have food or water. I don't have a first aid kit.
<"I can't keep going, just leave me."> Chela says between heavy breaths and sobs.
She is not crying anymore, but it's probably because there is nothing left to cry with. I do a quick Observe, her Stamina is zero. I check my quest; it's only been six minutes? Fuck. Still the nine are pretty far according to my map, but Crawler, Siberian, Burnscar, and Shatterbird are still vectoring towards us. We're exposed here. Not being able to see Hatchet Face means he can sneak up on us, but I have no reason to think he is faster than Crawler, Sibby, or Shatterbird.
<"I'm not going to leave you. Catch your breath and tell me how you can sense them."> I don't have any weapons, but I can use my smartphone repair tools and my multi-tool to prepare bandages and try to get this wrist cuff off her.
<"I don't know..."> Chela manages to say after several moments.
<"How many can you sense? Do you know their locations? Anything? Describe it in whatever way makes sense to you."> I ask her as I fiddle with her wrist shackle. It makes a satisfying click, pops open, and I inventory it.
<"There's eight. I know how far away they are and in what direction. They all have a certain kind of flavor, no frequency? Some are similar to each other.">
<"Eight? You're not counting Hatchet Face in that are you?"> She looks at me confused. <"Hatchet Face is the one you couldn't sense, that landed on the roof."> She shakes her head no. That makes nine with Hatchet Face, who the fuck is the ninth? <"Do you need to see them to sense them?"> She shakes her head no again. Good. Is this part of her Enhanced Awareness, Danger Sense, Shard Sense or something else? That's not the first time my power has used the word 'shard' to describe something. It used it in the 'Shard Connection Hack' weirdness I had with Julia. It used it in those weird notification messages I saw earlier, and it reminds me… of that fucking trippy dream or hallucination I had when Chela triggered. It's something important. <"How precisely do you know far away they are?">
<"The closest one is exactly 143.7 meters from us, 13.5 degrees east of due south. Now 140, 136…">
<"Okay, that's very precise. Tell me the moment anyone you can sense gets less than 100 meters from us."> I say as I start cutting up a formally fancy silk shirt from my inventory into bandages. My own ribs are aching from Hatchet Face's pimp slap. The adrenaline must be wearing off. <"According to my map the closest one is Crawler.">
<"What Map? What's a Crawler?">
<"I have my own sense that tells me the closest one is the Giant Monster."> Chela starts shaking again at the mention. <"All right, that's a good reason to move again isn't it? Can you do another Portal now?"> She reluctantly nods her head. <"Let's keep going north, the opposite from where they are coming from.">
Another portal hop and we're in the woods. Chela is shivering. Maybe this isn't the best idea, but what the hell else can I do? I can see, but Chela can't. The tree and ground cover is thick, it's dark and her power relies on sight. I bandage Chela's cuts up as best as I can, but I feel like it's a shit job. <"Can you tell the ones you sense apart? You said they were similar, in what way?">
<"I can only tell which is which when I can see them, except for the cat-lady. She's different from all the others. Her frequency isn't… in tune… with everything else. Also the flying lady that ki…"> Chela's breath hitches and I wait for her to compose herself again. <"She is different than all the others, but has the same frequency as the one I haven't seen yet.">
<"Shatterbird. The one you haven't seen?">
<"That one stays far away from the rest, sometimes I think it goes out of my range? Then later it comes back in. I can't sense it right now.">
Why is Shatterbird different and who's hanging back? Maybe another Parahuman that's hiding? But if they're hiding why bother to keep up? Maybe a hero tracking the nine? We could really use some help right now. I need to read the rest of those Observe reports.
But also need to kill these fucking bugs. I take this chance to examine the wound on her back where the parasite is hiding. How can I kill this thing? More use of Observe tells me it's under the small bump on her back next to the entry wound. I press my thumb down on it.
"
<"I'm sorry, sorry"> I say as I try to calm her down. Fuck Crawler definitely heard that. Shit, she lost a few HP too. She reaches to the spot on her back that I pushed, then screams and recoils her hand again. Well that method isn't going to work. <"They heard the scream Chela, we have to move again.">
<"I'm so tired, I hurt so much.">
<"Your father told you to survive. Do whatever you have to, to survive.">
More coaxing and we stumble through a portal again. Chela is getting banged and scratched up even more on the undergrowth. <"You were saying something about how you could sense me, how is mine different?"> I ask her as I guide her steps through the brush. I constantly check my map, to adjust our course away from the fuckers trying to box us in. We're not going north anymore.
<"Your frequency is similar to Shatterbird's and the far one, but not quite the same. Also, you have two frequencies. Your other frequency isn't like any of the others.">
<"Do you have a frequency? Can you sense yourself?">
Chela nods her head. <"Mine is like Crawler's, the robot man's, the blonde girl's, the burning girl, and Ja…"> She pauses again, choking back a sob. <"All the ones that aren't you, Shatterbird, Siberian or the one not in my range, oh wait, its back in range again.">
Bonesaw thought I had two gemma's, but said it's impossible. As fascinating as this is, it doesn't solve the problem of immediate survival. <"Portal, again, that way, as far as you can see."> I check my quest again. How has it only been 18 minutes? Damn it.
We step through and I catch Chela as she nearly falls over. I recheck her with Observe, we can't keep this up. We're heading west again, not the direction I was originally aiming for, but Burnscar keeps lobbing fireballs and teleporting to them to jump around, while Shatterbird tracks overheard. The bright orange and blue light from the portals is a dead giveaway in the surrounding darkness whenever we use them. What are they doing? They know where we are; at least I have to assume they do with both those trackers still in us. I need to check them again. I open my inventory and look at the parasite corpse. "Inventory Bonesaw's tracking parasite" I pass my window over the lump in my back.
Cannot Inventory a living creature
Fuck. That still won't work. I even double checked against the wording of the dead one. The wording had to have been correct or it would have said 'invalid target'.
<"I need to rest"> Chela says as I help her lean up against a tree.
<"I know, but just 15 seconds. Can you keep monitoring their distances?"> Something isn't right. Maybe they are still doing the trials one at a time, or we should have been zerg rushed already. Hatchet Face can't keep up with our portal hops, that's why Crawler threw him onto the roof. If he ever gets close enough to use his nerf aura to block Chela we're fucked, but I can't fucking see him.
<"I'm so cold"> Chela mumbles.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
<"We have to keep moving, come on,"> I say as I help her up again. The ground is wet and I hear water running from somewhere as we stumble into a clearing. I think it's actually gotten darker. I look up, the clouds look thicker. Shatterbird isn't overhead yet but she'll spot us again if we don't get back under the trees. They have to be communicating somehow to coordinate their movements. That's what I would do. I thought Burnscar's fire would have made a mess by now, but she must be holding back. Plus in my map the meat puppets keep visiting the spots she teleports away from.
Chela has passed out, she just fell down in the damp ground, I only diverted my attention for a few seconds. <"Chela wake up. You can't do that here"> I drag her back into the trees as she attempts to stand, her hands are icy. <"Back in town, you made the bonfire flare up didn't you? And you put the fires out afterward? Can you make a fire to warm yourself?"> I ask her as we continue to move.
<"No, I don't think so. I don't know what…">
If my Observe info isn't lying, she can do something, though it did say manipulation and not creation. <"Never mind. That might actually be a bad idea if Burnscar can jump to it like she's been doing with her own blazes."> What the fuck are the meat puppets doing? I need more information <"Chela, listen very carefully. Don't faint or fall asleep. Monitor their distance, if they get less than 120 meters from us, hit me on the arm hard. I'm going to do something and I don't know how well I'll hear you. Do you understand?"> Chela only stares vacantly ahead. <"Do you understand?"> I ask again, shaking her.
<"Yes, yes…"> she whispers hoarsely.
<"What are you going to do?"> I ask, to make sure.
<"Hit you if they are less than 120 meters away">
I switch to free camera mode and shoot straight up to my maximum range. I keep my map in view. I can see Shatterbird, holding something with her unslung arm. I use the camera zoom, is that a walkie-talkie? I check on the grouping of meat puppets. They're putting out Burnscar's fires? Crawler, Burnscar, Shatterbird and Mannequin, they're around us on three sides, south, north and east. The Siberian is lagging behind. Jack and Bonesaw are together on the fringes to the southeast. What's west? Forest covered mountains. I feel a sharp pain in my arm, and switch back to normal camera mode.
<"One is less than 120 meters, due east.">
<"Okay, can you get a portal again?"> I whisper, something feels off.
<"I'm still so tired, so hard to see, the trees are thick."> Chela whispers back.
We run and climb up slanted ground through a rough game trail westwards, I have to guide Chela over all the obstacles, and then she pulls me to the side suddenly off the trail. <"Wha—"> I hear the noise before I finish the question, as a deer comes bounding down the trail past where we were at, spooked and running off towards the way we came.
Wait, what made the deer run towards us? <"This way off the trail, north again.">
<"But Shatterbird and the teleporting one are that way">
<"They're herding us. They want us to go west."> Why? There is smoke in the air, making visibility even worse; we're closer to Burnscar's fires. We end up going northwest anyway to avoid them. It's been a while since we did a portal, I check the time, it’s been 21 minutes. They'll do something soon. <"Hit me again at 90 meters, 50 for Shatterbird, she's already too close.">
I dive into free camera mode again, zooming west through the trees along the ground watching, and listening. It's actually faster than walking through this rough terrain. I hear a loud snap, and turn the camera towards it.
Fuck me, there you are Hatchet Face, you machete wielding freak. There's no HUD flicker, his aura isn't affecting me even though my camera is close. What the hell is on your head? "Observe" Damn, I still get nothing but a headache and errors. Wait, don't target him. "Observe"
Damn it, when the fuck did he have time to put those on? I've seen enough, he's too close and they are herding us to him. I turn off my free camera, and help Chela up again. <"Hatchet Face is coming, we need to go now."> Her breathing is raspy, so is mine. The smoke has gotten worse.
<"I can do a portal but it won't go far it's too hard to see far.">
<"I think that's their idea."> I say as we run through the woods again, still unavoidably veering northwest. This isn't going to keep working.
I come to an abrupt stop, and grab Chela, halting her momentum as we come right up to a hidden embankment that drops off sharply down to a rushing river well below us. Even with my visual settings cheat I could barely see that. <"Damn, can you see across?"> I ask I lead her down the bank looking for a place not so dangerously steep.
<"No, not very well">
<"Make one anyway, anywhere, while you can. If he gets close you won't be able to.">
Chela squints, <"I can't see, too many trees, too much smoke, it's too dark. I can't even see the moon or stars.">
<"Then we go up, get a better vantage point"> I look up to the top of a tall tree we are partially under.
She nods and the blue and orange portals appear. A vague familiar déjà vu feeling washes over me as I take note of their shape and color, but I can't dwell on it. I have to try and do something to solve our situation. <"Close them"> I say after I watch Chela step though onto a large branch and cling to the trunk.
<"What?> She asks, but I move away.
<"Just survive">
<"What? What are you doing?"> Chela says as I walk away.
I hear the tinkling sound a moment later as I move west to find Hatchet Face. What was that Jack said about him? He wanted to pop my head like a melon, and that he's as dumb as an ox? I activate stealth, make my way back and start counting out my steps.
"Hey vomit face!" Hatchet Face turns around, too far to affect me yet. "Where's your fucking hockey mask to go with that machete? I bet your mama couldn't even love a mug like that, Jason. Go whack off to some teenage crystal lake cabin campers." I step out into view and flip him off.
He turns and looks at me. Wait, my stealth eye doesn't detect his observation either? What the fuck is up with him. My stealth breaks anyway and he charges at me. Fuck, I got agro, hard. I turn and run as fast as I ever have before. Steady count, backwards. 37, 36, 35, don't trip on those tree roots I passed, 28, 27, 26, between the two skinny trees. My HUD flickers, he's gaining on me
"I'm gonna slice yer face off!"
Ok fuck I've lost count. Oh GOD WHY DID I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA…. My HUD is back, calm returns, shit this way, this way, back on the right path. Fuck flickering again. Fuck I catch myself, nearly falling off. I turn around as my HUD flickers again. I shine my flashlight right at his face, hopefully blinding his fucking goggles.
"Why? You gonna wear it? Cause even dead meat will look better than yours!"
Just stand my ground, the embankment is behind me. El Toro is charging me down, jump down out of the way and grab the bush to not fall yourself... OH GOD, FUCK ME THIS WAS---"
A blast of cold air hits me as an oval portal opens up right in front of Hatchet Face, I hear him scream and suddenly my HUD and everything else is back. Gamer's mind reasserts itself.
I peer through the portal. I see nothing but dark sky and feel very cold air. That wasn't what I expected to happen. I walk around to the other side, and feel more cold air. I see a wide dark blue line between dark green spaces. Wavering orange dots flicker with light in the green space on one side of the wide blue line.
<"Don't go through, step away."> I hear Chela call out from in the tree above me.
I step back and notice that several notifications have fired off. I pull one of Bonesaw's neutered spider bots out of inventory and toss it through. I watch it 'fall' away from me.
<"Holy shit, where did you send him? I was going to try and make him fall into the river."> Rather than answer, she closes the portals.
I'm breathing hard, even with my ridiculous stamina, that run for my life took the breath out of me. Again I dismiss all of Hatchet Faces nerfing messages, and read the good stuff, while several new notifications get added to the list.
Your Null Resistance skill has increased by 1
Your Athletics skill has increased by 1
Error calculating level of Hatchet Face, defaulting to 500.
+1925 XP for assisting in defeat of Hatchet Face
You have gained an Achievement: Assisted Parahuman defeat: Hatchet Face
You have gained a level! You are now level 20.
+275 XP for destroying Bonesaw's Mechanical Spider
Wait, why the fuck was Hatchet Face so low if it defaulted to 500? Fuck not important right now.
A new portal appears horizontally on its side about five feet off the ground. I look up and see a matching one at the top of the tree. Chela jumps though, descending most of the height of the tall tree in less than a six foot jump. She lands and falls onto the ground. The portal closes a second later.
<"I sent him 647.5 meters into the air"> She says and I help her up again.
<"Well I guess that works too. Damn, he fell that far? He's still alive though">
<"What? How?">
<"He's a brute, that fall didn't kill him."> If it had, the notification would have said ‘killed’ not ‘defeated’. <"I don't think we'll see him again, though"> I watch as my quest timer ticks past the first 30 minute mark.
+660 XP, Quest Timed Missions Suck, 2 of 8 members evaded.
<"Let's get out of here before we find out who they're sending next. Can you get us over the river?">
<"I need more time,"> Chela responds. I guide her down the bank, and support her so she doesn't fall.
<"But you're getting faster aren't you?">
I can't tell if she nodded her head or not, but we reach the water's edge and she opens a portal connecting the banks, and step through, warping to the other side of the river.
I glance at my mini-map, and look over at the fireball that just landed on the far bank. <"Fuck Burnscar's on the far bank we just le—"> Chela tackles me into the sand, and we fall into the freezing water
-12 HP [Concussive Damage]
-42 HP [Fire Damage] (6 Resisted)
For testing the limits of your endurance and vitality, you have gained 1 CON
<"She's teleporting!"> Chela screams
A second later, I hear a ‘POIT’ as I stand up. Burnscar appears in the middle of the fireball remnants that she just launched at us on the river bank, a mere thirty feet away.
Simon's Character Sheet:
Name: Simon Clarence Anderson
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Class: Teenage Runaway / Rogue
Faction: None
Money: $5.16
Title: Gentleman Thief
Level: 20 (56.97%)
XP: 38322
Primary Attributes
STR: 11 (-1.00) 10.00 (60.66%)
AGI: 9 (-2.00) 7.00 (71.78%)
CON: 53 (-4.00) 49.00 (0.58%)
INT: 30 (-1.00) 29.00 (0.00%)
PER: 12 (-1.00) 11.00 (31.37%)
WIS: 22 (-1.00) 21.00 (33.07%)
CHA: 14 (+0.00) 14.00 (0.00%)
LUC: 15 (+0.00) 15.00 (71.23%)
Unspent Points: 11
Secondary Attributes
Health Pool: 921/2230
Stamina Pool: 955/1240
Mana Pool: 7194/7500
Stress Pool: 451/520
Attack: 11.00
Speed: 2.73
Dodge: 12.87
Armor: 0.40
Carry: 100.00
Allure: 3 (+0.50) 3.5
Status Effects
Teenage Acne: ALU -0.50
Alluring Charm*: ALU +1.00
Fractured Ribs: STR -1.00 AGI -1.50 CON -3.00
Bruised Organs x4: AGI -0.50 CON -1.00
Mild Concussion: INT -1.00 PER -1.00 WIS -1.00
Infection: Bonesaw's Tracking Parasite:
Skills
Max Slots: 60
Free Skill Slots: 19
Artistry: 10 (85.89%)
Athletics: 13 (6.23%)
Basic Academics: 9 (0.00%)
Computers: 10 (11.23%)
Crafting (Stone & Pottery): 10 (5.67%)
Create Mana Golem: 12 (18.03%)
Damage Resistance (Corrosive): 2 (36.64%)
Damage Resistance (Electrical): 3 (24.35%)
Damage Resistance (Fire & Heat): 3 (54.40%)
Damage Resistance (Physical): 6 (44.98%)
Disable Device: 12 (4.87%)
Disease Resistance: 7 (42.81%)
Disguise: 4 (25.98%)
Drug & Poison Resistance: 20 (18.42%)
Empathy: 13 (0.54%)
Firearms: 1 (0.00%)
Gamer's Body: MAX (0.00%)
Gamer's Interface: MAX (0.00%)
Gamer's Mind: MAX (0.00%)
Language-English: MAX (0.00%)
Language-Spanish: MAX (0.00%)
Mathematics: 4 (0.00%)
Medicine: 3 (0.00%)
Meditation: 12 (48.91%)
Melee Weapons: 4 (30.76%)
Null Resistance: 12 (29.76%)
Observe: 23 (19.50%)
Parahuman Lore: 10 (27.85%)
Power Strike: 10 (8.07%)
Programming: 10 (0.54%)
Psychology: 5 (12.61%)
Science (Biology): 1 (53.22%)
Science (Chemistry): 1 (0.00%)
Science (Earth): 1 (0.00%)
Speech: 11 (0.83%)
Stealth: 12 (85.76%)
Strategy: 5 (43.61%)
Thievery: 11 (12.42%)
Unarmed Combat: 5 (4.97%)
Vehicle Operations: 3 (0.00%)
Video Games: 26 (16.74%)
Unspent Skill Points: 6
Perks
Free Perk Slots: 1
Gaia's Blessing: Mana Pool and Mana Skill access
Gaia's Attunement: Elemental Affinity access
Light Sleeper: Need only 5 hours to get fully rested
Mana Reserve: Bonus MP per level increased by 25%
XP Whore: +10% Level XP
Fast Recovery: x4 HP and Stamina regeneration speed (Free at 50 CON)
Toughness: Bonus HP per level increased by 50%
Flaws
Selective Amnesia: We had to make room for stuff in your head
A Bit of a Troll: Sometimes you just can't help yourself
Unnatural Curiosity: Can't always resist the urge to find stuff out
Affinities
Earth: 6
Water: 1
Plant: 1
Lightning: 3