Chapter 68:

Ghostly Explanations

The room exploded in screams. I couldn't be sure in my current predicament but I doubted a single one came from the User Killer side.

The ghost flew up, pulling me with it so now I was suspended in the air, burning, being choked to death, and possibly about to be pulled inside a ghost trapping skull mask. Oh, and don't forget all in a No Respawn Zone! Could it get any worse?

Then something unexpected happened. Netta appeared, ramming the ghost's head with her beam spear. It screamed in pain and in its moment of weakness Dowser leapt into action, grabbing the spector's hand and beginning to pry the thing off my throat.

The masked man laughed, "Why, you three are quite impressive!! But that's enough of this show—no need to prove your strength again."

He put his hand on the ghost's head, a red glow in his palm. The ghost's body went limp as it touched it, releasing me and stopping all screams. The man guided it back into my mask where it flashed blue once more, and then I was released from the fire and the pain.

I fell forward but Netta and Dowser caught me.

"Are you alright?" Netta whispered.

I nodded and, I'll admit, tears were in my eyes. They came to my rescue. I wanted to thank them both but had no words to express my gratitude.

Dowser, once he saw I was okay, rounded on the masked man. "What's the big idea? If we didn't need to prove ourselves again then what the hell was that about?"

"Was an important show. For them." He gestured to the crowd.

They were still shaking with fear, sobs and hyperventilating breathing came from all over the right side of the room.

"You see now, right? Undeniable proof: ghosts are real, and very dangerous. For you streamers I just want you to keep it locked in your mind: this is what we are up against. It will be up to you to keep this truth hidden."

"Why? Shouldn't people know about this?" To my horror, it was Stephen who spoke.

His voice was shaken, but more calm than most everyone else on his side of the room. His face hadn't gotten any more color to it.

"It would cause panic," Tiny Giant said. "The normies need to stay in the dark. But what do you need us for?"

The masked man laughed. "Trying to play it cool, huh? Don't bother, I can see the hunger in your eyes. In all of your eyes." He gestured to the User Killers. "You want in on this. And we need you. Twenty-five new members, cut down to three and MAYBE a fourth, after his injuries heal. Those numbers aren't good."

The masked man walked closer to the left side of the room, seemingly losing interest in me and the other survivors. We'd played our demonstration, he had no more use for us.

"I need you User Killers to help me hunt the ghosts. Your power should make things go smoother for everyone and then we won't have to go through people so fast. Instead, we can put the normal recruits on an easier but still very important second issue."

"And that is?" Tiny Giant asked, though he didn't seem too terribly interested in a less dangerous option.

"It's recently been discovered that there is a sort of second form of ghost. On Earth, there was a type of phenomena called a residual haunting. An emotional or traumatic event is so powerful it leaves an imprint on the world, replaying the moment over and over for all eternity. Well... something like that happens in the Interverse."

Tiny Giant laughed. "You're going to send out people on emotion clean up? Just hire a bunch of therapists."

"These aren't emotions," the masked man said. "Every time someone dies in the Interverse—not a real death, just by getting a game over and respawning—it creates a feedback loop of it, playing instantly, forever."

I told Netta I was okay and stood on my own, and said, "But if that's true... wouldn't we all be able to see those replays?"

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"With the mask, you'll be able to. That's what initially brought this all to our attention. It took a while, but once a mask has taken on enough ghosts, the death replays are visible, with more and more detail. At first, only those masks with many ghosts could see them but we had a breakthrough and now every mask has a mode that can sense them. Making this now a task that the lower ranking members can tackle."

"So then why kill off all those people tonight?" Netta asked and I thought I picked up a twinge of anger.

The masked man grinned. "It's still good to cull the herd every now and then."

Netta, her spear still out, swiveled it toward the man's direction. I caught it and slid my hand down the pole to the hilt, killing the energy.

"Stay calm," I whispered. "He could kill us in a second. Don't forget that."

Netta nodded but glared at the man. Who could care less about her making an attempt on his life. We were like insects to him, and he was making a circus full of us.

"So, you might be asking, what does it matter that these replays are out there?" the masked man continued. "They are clogging the Interverse. These things have gone unnoticed for so long that there are a century or more of meaningless data, looping endlessly, anywhere deaths occur."

"My real question," Tiny Giant said. "Is why do YOU care. This sounds like shit the Admins should be taking care of, not you."

Murmurs of agreement, from his side especially but I even heard a few hesitant murmurs from Stephen's group.

The masked man played with the teeth of his mask, tracing the outline of a tooth as he talked. "They don't know about it."

Tiny Giant guffawed. "Bullshit. They know everything."

"Not this. The masks were created by... an ex Admin, I'll admit. But he is as ex as you can get. I made sure of it. He started to research the possibilities of ghosts and he was ousted, almost killed off. But I saved him."

"I don't believe that story," one of the twin User Killers spoke up. The other one finished the thought, "The masks exist so the Admins must know the man lives."

The masked man shook his head. "The skulls are a misdirection, nothing like that was in his plans at his time with the Admins. Which is why we need a team of people to keep this all under wraps for us. Everyone—including the Admins—needs to think we are just some petty thieves and criminals."

"But why us?" Stephen asked. Everytime he spoke I got a pit of bile in my throat, worried he would bring down the masked man's wrath. "We are just normal people. Why are you telling us all this?"

The masked man kept playing with his mask's teeth. He smiled a little at Stephen's question. "In other words, how can I trust you? What's stopping you all from running to the Admins and telling them all this? Well, let's put it this way... try it. See what happens. Don't doubt our power for a second."

He could be bluffing... but I doubted anyone present would risk anything. But that still seemed flimsy to me. Would they really bet their whole operation on just being able to spook everyone into following directions? I didn't think so. Which meant, whatever insurance they had over anyone speaking up, it must be real.

"What does collecting these stray loops do for any of you? What's the point of cleaning them up?" Tiny Giant asked.

"Hmm... do I want to reveal that to you?" The masked man tapped on the side of the skull. "Let's just say the Admins are underestimating this issue. We are going to take advantage of it. But, those are my and the higher ups goals. For the peons? We will offer money for all loops that are found and devoured by the masks. Everyone wins." A pause, followed by a big toothy grin. "Except, eventually, the Admins."

He really seemed to have it out for the Admins. Most people made fun of them, but it wasn't out of the realm for there to be disdain and even hatred of them, sitting in their secret headquarters, watching and ruling over everything. But this dude was actively planning something to harm them. Did that make him a fringe weirdo? Oh hell yeah. But those kind of people are usually the weakest of society. This guy... was not a weakling, that much was clear.

"That's about all that I'm going to reveal to you all now. If you want more... work up the ranks, prove your someone I can depend on. But for most of you, just do as your told and we won't have any problems."

Tiny Giant's massive hands squeezed the back of the pew in front of him, the wood threatening to break at any second.

"You are just talking to the normies, right?" He asked, already boiling.

The masked man did not back down. "No, you guys, too."

The wood splintered as Tiny Giant lifted the pew—with all his allies still on it—and swung it down at the masked man.

There was a flash of red and the masks smile hung in the air after he'd already moved, sweeping under the pew and hoisting it up... with one finger. He kept it there, suspended on a digit as the lackies on it hung on for dear life.

"We will discuss this later, in private," the masked man said, pleasantly, not at all matching the energy of the wild attack and shows of strength on display.

Tiny Giant held his rage... and then it simmered out, his expression wiped clear. "I'll hear you out. Excuse my outburst, just a test, you see. And a warning: do not confuse us for mere cogs in your machine like those other weaklings."

The User Killers all upped their threatening auras, mostly managing it except for the ones still suspended in air. Not easy to be threatening when you're trying to keep your balance.

"Message received," the masked man said.

They stared at each other, pleasantly smiling, and then threw the pew back into place right at the same time. The lackeys on it looked relieved to be down again... and tried to join their fellows in the menacing act but the damage had been done.

"I apologize for that, and the upsetting subject matter of what I've brought you all here for. To make up for it... how about some pizza? The best you've ever had."

I didn't know what to feel. One hundred percent confirmation that Sam was here, but fear for the little guy having to be in this weird place for any amount of time.

The masked man snapped his fingers and the doors flew open, a whole army of shadow figures marched in, all carrying piles of pizza boxes.

But I looked beyond that, to the middle of the group, surrounded by pizza boxes was a tiny cage... with a familiar salmon face in it.