Carl frowned. "What?"
Vol's head swiveled as she looked out over the track. "I was talking shit to one of the mechanics. Magic's not allowed during the races."
"She's not using magic though," Carl said, waving as Mina passed by again in case she was looking, which she wasn't because she was concentrating so hard just like she should be.
"No, I know," she said, rubbing her forehead. "Fuck, I'm bad at explaining things. It's not a rule, Carl. It's built into the fucking track. She said her car's built with magic and uses it as fuel. It's… He said it's not active during practice hours, but during scheduled races it'll drain any magic in use. The longer she drives, the faster it sucks the magic out. Supposed to prevent cheating and guarantee fairness."
The words roused a memory, but it was too distant for Carl to recall immediately. Sensing it was crucial, however, he dug deep in order to recover it.
"Yes, I was able to have most of the chassis as well as the wheels inscribed with glyphs to increase their durability," Mina said with pride just after he'd accidentally stopped the car too abruptly. "As such, I was also able to significantly increase the stopping power of the brakes without risking the integrity of the steamcar's components. The engine would otherwise surely explode from the pressure as well."
Carl's eyes widened, and he felt his stomach lurch. His palms instantly began to sweat.
"What?" Vol said, the word coming as though it was being uttered in slow motion. "She'll just stop moving eventually, right?"
His breathing grew more shallow, coming faster. He watched Mina's car carefully, trying to identify some sign that anything was different. She shot along another straightaway, unimpeded by the other drivers she'd just broken free of again and seeming to be moving no slower. There was a moment of hesitation in which he struggled with himself: should he try to stop her now and avoid the risk, or should he wait until he saw a clear sign of something going wrong?
Carl's middle name was no longer "Low-Risk". No, it was now Maximus, and Carl Maximus Weathers would absolutely…
While he waffled, Mina caught up once more to the other drivers, having already lapped them thrice. The driver at the rear of the pack struck out with a heavy club.
It smashed against the mirror on the side of the car.
The mirror shattered and crumpled from the force.
Mina's car swerved.
Carl was already in motion before he realized it. The cars were moving towards him impossibly slowly in his Dad Vision, and he sprinted out onto the track with every ounce of speed he could muster.
He had to get there in time.
His pulse pounded in his ears, suppressing all other sounds.
A spear thrust out towards the driver's side of Mina's car.
She swerved again, braking at the same time.
The spear pierced into the edge of the window and then cut through the windshield support at the front of the car.
The windshield shattered outwards as the weapon passed through it.
Smoke began to pour out of the seams in the car's hood.
The metal swelled from the pressure.
He was so close.
Mina's eyes were wide with terror. Her mouth opened to scream. She raised her arms to protect her head.
The first tongue of flame emerged from the center console in a bright flash, stabbing into her forearm.
Carl felt the pain as though he was the one being burned.
He pushed his body, willing himself to move faster.
The car's hood burst away and flew upwards, revealing more fire.
The steering wheel began bulging towards her.
Time slowed further.
He had to make it.
He wasn't going to lose his little girl again.
His bare foot came down next to her car.
The car was in his way.
His left hand clawed into its roof where the door began, and he tore a giant chunk of the metal and glass away, flinging it behind himself.
His right hand ripped the seatbelt off its fixture.
There was a flash, and the steering wheel that had been about to slam into Mina's arms and head disappeared.
He reached in and wrapped his arms around the terrified girl.
"I got you, sweetie," he said as he pulled her out, cradling her against his chest.
Carl turned away from the car. He crouched down, shielding her with his own body.
She clutched at his shirt and buried her face in his shoulder.
He sighed with relief, and time resumed.
There was a burst of heat at his back. He felt a number of objects bounce off him and huddled down further in response.
Mina trembled and whimpered in his arms.
"You're okay," he whispered to her. "You're okay, Mina."
"No, no, no, no," she began to chant, her body stiffening. "I shouldn't have come," she moaned. "I should never have come. I must go. I should return."
"No, Mina, it's okay," Carl said soothingly. He rubbed her back. "You're safe now. I got you."
"No," she whimpered. "It's her. It's her! I know it is! She's done this to torment me!"
Carl frowned, relaxing his grip a little to give her some air. She threw her arms around his neck and clung to him anyway. "Who?"
"Emma, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mina continued whispering over and over.
"You there!"
"Fuck off, he's busy."
"Mina?" Carl rocked her a bit, but she continued to repeat her apologies and press her face against his shoulder. He adjusted his hold to put her across his arms and stood up, looking around for whoever this Emma was. He had a feeling that he'd heard the name recently, but he couldn't place it at that moment with everything else going on.
The first thing he noticed was Vol. Specifically, he noticed how she was arguing loudly with a growing number of people nearby who were emerging from their cars. One of them tried to walk past her, but she tripped the man with her foot and rolled him backwards into the crowd all in one motion.
The wreckage of Mina's car was still behind him, looking more like a bonfire than any semblance of a vehicle. Parts and scraps were strewn about, and there was a visibly darker section of track around him from the explosion.
The crowd was on its feet. More than that, it seemed they were rioting. They punched, kicked, and threw each other around, narrowly prevented from reaching the track by a ring of gladiator-guards who seemed like they were mostly capable of doing their jobs.
"Isemeine?" called a voice at the edge of the nearest spectator area.
Carl turned to look, and Mina shuddered and let out a quiet whimper.
A young woman with long, lustrous blonde hair stood just past the line of gladiator-guards. She wore a gold-colored dress with an incredibly low neckline, and glittering circles of diamonds hung from her ears. In her hand she held the leash for a small dog which yipped and yapped constantly as it strained to run forward. A brawny man looking to be in his early thirties or so stood next to her wearing a purple robe.
The resemblance between the blonde woman and Mina was uncanny, as though they'd been cast from the same mold in exactly the same way.
"It is you, isn't it," she said, clapping her hands briefly. She looked up at the man standing next to her. "You see, Marcus? I'd said it was her, and you refused to acknowledge my claim. Naturally I'd recognize my little sister."
The dog barked.
"Iz, sit." commanded the blonde woman.
The dog sat.
Mina whimpered again and did her best to curl up.
"She shares your beauty," the man said, "though you're much prettier, obviously."
Carl felt once more something he'd been feeling too often of late. "You're her sister?" he growled as his anger flared.
The woman gave him a winsome, sunny smile. "Emma Charus, at your service," she said, spreading her hands and tipping her head forward. Abruptly, she frowned. "And who might you be to place your hands upon my dear sister in such a manner? You've taken her prisoner, haven't you!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mina continued to whisper.
Carl didn't know what was going on, but he felt his blood begin to boil.
"Marcus, this man's abducted my sister!" Emma said with a worried expression as she tugged on the man's arm. "She'd never leave her home of her own volition, and certainly she'd never travel such a distance! We must rescue her!"
The other man, Marcus, scowled. "If I—"
"Carl, stop fucking about," Vol called as she jogged over. "You were supposed to run off while I kept—Oh hi, who're you?"
Mina shuddered again, and Carl seethed. The problem he faced now was that he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do. He needed to take care of Mina. That was something he was completely certain of. He also needed to kill this smiling woman who was terrifying his daughter, however. He didn't know why he needed to do it beyond the sense that it would make things better for Mina, but it seemed like that would be more than enough reason.
"I'm Isemeine's sister," Emma said to Vol, her face perfectly conveying deep concern and pleading for assistance. "She's clearly been taken prisoner by this brute of a man. Won't you assist us in—"
"Nah, not interested," Vol said, visibly grimacing as the Marcus guy hopped over the small stone wall and started towards them. "Belenus, you take one more step towards me and they'll be calling you Minimus. Or maybe just Cripple."
A pressure descended suddenly, pressing down on Carl in a very noticeable way. He hugged Mina tighter. "It's okay, Mina," he whispered, feeling her trembling subside for the moment.
Marcus stopped moving at the same time, seeming confused.
Emma staggered, a look of shock crossing her face as she leaned heavily against the wall in front of herself.
"Carl, you should head home," Vol said, not shifting her gaze from Emma or Marcus. "No idea what's happening, but I can tell when a girl needs her father. I'll follow soon. Still a lot of time left in the day."
"Who are you?" Marcus asked.
"Carl." Vol called over her shoulder.
"Help!" Emma cried. "This man's attempting to abduct my sister!"
"Don't do it," Vol said in a warning tone.
Marcus blurred slightly and then was laying on his back, unconscious.
"Fucking idiot," Vol said, not having moved. She turned around and grabbed Carl by his arm while he continued to waver between killing and nurturing. "Let's go. Stop standing around like a fucking statue."
Carl allowed himself to be turned around and pulled towards the gate they'd come in by. After a few steps, his mind finally snapped into the decision he should've been able to make instantly, that of wanting to protect and shelter Mina.
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Like a father should.
His steps quickened.
"He's escaping!" Emma shrieked from behind them. "Please, someone, anyone, help!"
"Keep moving, don't worry about it," Vol said next to him, seeming completely unbothered. "That was some nice movement back there, Carl. What kind of legs you hiding under what's left of those pants?"
Carl glanced down at her and saw what he recognized as a grin from her eyes.
"Okay, okay, we're really fucking serious now," Vol said, holding her hands up. "Just trying to get you to cheer up a little. Unless you think being the emperor of the scowling nation is gonna help her feel better?"
Carl sighed, finally relaxing a little when they entered the tunnel. "Good point." He looked down at the girl in his arms, but she was completely limp. He grimaced. "She fainted."
"Open up," Vol called to the gladiator-guards standing on the opposite side of the now-closed gate.
One of them stepped forward. "Th—"
"Yeah, yeah," Vol cut in. "Get the fuck out of my way, or you're gonna die when I kick this thing down."
The woman gave Vol a once-over. "You? I'd—"
Vol took a single step forward, and the gate flew up and into the distance, becoming a speck against the blue sky and then vanishing entirely before Carl could blink. "Have fun fixing it, idiot," she called as she led the way out of the tunnel. "Carl, I wanna apologize. I think my city's getting dumber, and I don't want you to think—"
The gladiator-guard who had challenged her previously fell over.
"—I'm a fucking idiot," Vol continued as she stepped over the fallen woman. "The two of you are—"
A pair of guards to the right who had moved slightly collapsed.
"—really interesting," Vol said, not bothering to look, "and I don't want you to think I'm just dead weight since we had a deal for the entire day."
Carl followed along, torn between his incredible curiosity at all the things Vol seemed to be doing and his need to focus entirely on his daughter. "Uh," he managed.
"I said I was gonna get Mina a gift for our first meeting," she said, "and I'm thinking helping you get out of here is a good one. Don't bother telling her when she wakes up. I don't really care if she knows."
"Thanks," Carl said, still grappling with all the things that had happened and were continuing to happen as they walked along the path towards the crowded Conquest Street. He felt an urge to look behind him, but at the same time he suspected this might be one of those cases when he shouldn't.
"Don't worry about it," Vol said, waving a hand over her shoulder. "I should be thanking you, really. This is the most interesting day I've had in a long time."
"You keep saying 'interesting'," Carl said. "Is that all things are to you?"
"Isn't that what life is?" She held her hands out and shrugged. "Things are either interesting or fucking boring."
"So you helped us because it was interesting?"
Vol turned around and gave him a look as she came to a stop. "This is way too slow, and my face is getting itchy." She snapped her fingers, and they were back in the workshop. "Fucking finally," she said, pulling the bandanna off her face.
"Welcome back, master," the doll said in a strange, echoing tone. It walked from the center of the workshop to the side, then sat down against the wall.
"What'd you do?" Carl asked, looking around at the change in his surroundings.
"Just a small trick," Vol said. She walked over to the doll unhurriedly. "Hey, we didn't get to finish earlier, sex doll. I'm Vol."
Carl was starting to get annoyed at the number of unknown things that were going on, but he couldn't really argue that it was all pretty helpful. He walked over to the recliner and laid Mina down gently, having to reach up to detach her arms from their tight grip around his neck.
He took a breath.
Man, that was crazy. I can't believe I ran that fast and managed to save her. He looked down at the burned skin on Mina's arms and chewed the corner of his lip. There was a small cut on her face as well which oozed blood. Bet that really hurts. I should—
"Carl, you wanna put some fucking pants on?" Vol asked. "I'm enjoying the view, and your legs are reasonably nice, but I already said I'm not interested in that way."
Carl looked down. What's wrong with my… Oh.
The back of his shirt and pants were burned away, and it seemed, in fact, that he'd been walking around half-naked for some time.
Fortunately, Carl Maximus Weathers had more than one set of clothes. "Inventory." He walked over to the bathroom and changed into a pair of denim pants and a soft, cotton shirt. Then he used the toilet since he was already there and the game was annoying like that.
"So who was that back there with Marcus Camelius Belenus?" Vol asked when he reemerged.
Carl scowled at the reminder. "Mina's sister, apparently."
"Mm." Vol tapped her chin. "And she thinks you abducted her?"
He frowned.
"It's obvious that you didn't, if that makes you feel better," she added.
"I'll let her talk about it if she wants," Carl said after a short while, "but her family's all monsters."
"Yeah, saw you glaring earlier," Vol said with a chuckle. "You gonna kill her?"
It was at that moment that Carl remembered something important.
Oh right, I'm in a game. He shook his head a little. Got really caught up in all that. "No, I guess I don't really see the point. Nothing I do is gonna have much meaning. Mina needs to deal with this herself. I'll support her, but she'll always be afraid like this if she can't stand up to them herself."
Vol nodded. She walked over to the chair and looked down at the unconscious girl. "She's not really your daughter."
Carl sighed. "No, I'm just trying to help her what little I can. She was in a bad way when I found her, but she's been doing better lately."
"But you do have kids."
"Yup, two of 'em." Carl smiled. Can't wait to see everyone again. Feels like I've been gone forever. His smile changed to a slight frown. Gotta stick around at least until Mina's better though. Guess I'll break out the other recliners now that there's no car in here. Need a break after all this. "Inventory." He took out and set down one recliner then the other before flopping into the one closest to Mina and hitting the lever. "Dismiss. Have a seat." Ugh, feeling pretty drained suddenly.
Vol kicked off her shoes, then copied his motion and flopped down into the other chair and reclined. "Fuck. Carl, I'll have your kids if you give me this chair. Ten, twenty, you name it. We can start now as long as I don't have to get up."
Carl started to laugh.
"I've never been more serious about anything in my life," Vol moaned. "Fuck, how is it so…" She trailed off into a deep groan and shut her eyes.
"Yeah, they're pretty great," Carl said, settling deeper into his.
Vol's hands moved to the waist of her pants, and she started twisting the button. "Alright, let's do it. Still not really interested, but if it's for this chair…"
Carl chuckled. "Alright, don't overdo it. That chair can be yours any time you're here, how about that."
"Carl, I think we just became friends," Vol said, placing her hands behind her head. "Congratulations."
A smile lingered on Carl's lips. "Friends, huh?" Having a friend like Vol is pretty fun. Today's been wild. Can't imagine how everything at the race track would've gone without her. Could've been bad.
He looked over at Mina. She must've been really shocked to see her sister so soon after her car blew up. Kinda weird that fainting's a thing in the game. Then again, I guess there's plenty of games that had it as a status ailment, and if they're really trying to make it realistic then it makes sense to include everything. Wonder how they'd handle getting unplugged in that state.
His thought shifted as he tried to consider something less depressing than the continually-troubled blonde girl laying nearby. Hm. "Wanna make it official?" He put his hand out to make an addition to his friend list.
"Nah, I'm not one for official," Vol said, not moving. "You know, I know, what more do we need?"
Carl shrugged. "Fair enough." Not like I really use the messaging thing much anyway, I guess. Though now that I think of it, I wonder if Ir'alith knows any healing magic. He glanced at his new friend. "Gonna make a quick call. You mind being quiet for a—"
Comically loud snoring resounded from Vol's chair.
He shook his head with a grin. She's a real character. Alright, let's see. "Friend list. Message: Ir'alith."
"Message activated," the game declared.
"Hey, Ir'alith, do—"
"Carl, I cannot speak at this time!" Ir'alith shouted, the sound of her voice giving him slight chills. "Jungrathol, set the rock—Yes, on top!"
"Message ended."
Carl frowned. Second time that's happened. Well, whatever. If she's that famous, I'm sure she's gotta be pretty active. Oops, maybe she was in the middle of a raid or something. Huh, with this time scaling thing you could have a dungeon that takes days or weeks to clear. Kinda awesome to think about. "Dismiss."
"Carl, how are you this fucking interesting?" Vol asked.
"Uh…"
"Fuck me, I'll be back," she said with a groan.
He looked over, but the dark-haired woman was gone.
She's got some pretty crazy skills, that's for sure. Did she just warp us before? Even Ir'alith used a portal that time. Though she did that illusion thing the other time, which was definitely on another level. I wonder which one of them's higher level. Or maybe when you get that strong level stops mattering? Never seen Ir'alith fight before. Or Vol, I guess, since she just keeps using whatever that broken counterattack skill is.
The thought made him chuckle again. Can't imagine them meeting. Ir'alith's usually so serious and straight-laced, Vol's always kidding around. Real oil and water kinda thing. Wonder what she's doing right now. Well, either of them.
Carl lay in his chair for a time, keeping a close eye on Mina, who seemed to have relaxed into a more peaceful slumber. "Inventory." He flipped through the pages to his potions and glanced over them, but there were none which looked like healing potions, and he even inspected one that he thought might be, but it was an Elixir of Health, which increased maximum health, and that obviously wasn't going to be of any use right now, and he couldn't really leave since he absolutely needed to be here when she woke up again.
He pulled out his mug and, with extreme caution, filled it with magic-created water. He took a drink. This water tastes so freaking good. Way better than any of that garbage bottled water I gotta drink most of the time. He placed the mug back into his inventory. "Dismiss."
"Ugh, people," Vol said suddenly.
"Welcome back?"
"Got anything to drink? What happened to that wine from earlier?"
"Inventory."
"That skill is so fucking great."
"No drinking on the chair."
"Carl, I think I can handle—"
"Vol."
"But—"
"Vol."
"Okay, okay," Vol said with a sigh. She stood up with the decanter in hand and tipped it back, taking several gulps. "Want some?" She offered it back.
"Nah, I don't drink," Carl said with a hand raised.
Vol shrugged. "More for me." She took another drink, then set it down on the ground and fell backwards into her chair. "Hnngg," she groaned. "Is this the so-called friends with benefits?"
Carl guffawed. "So where'd you go?"
"Don't worry about it," Vol said.
"You say that a lot."
"Yeah, there's a lot of things you don't need to worry about."
"Not worried, just curious."
"Don't curious about it. Nah, doesn't sound right."
----------------------------------------
"Yeah, I guess I could play. You have a deck?"
"Do now."
"Where'd you go? And don't say—"
"Don't worry about it."
"You're driving me crazy with that."
"Should probably stop worrying then. You know how to play Old Boy?"
"Uh, no?"
"It's like this…"
----------------------------------------
"Oh, it's just Old Maid."
"Could call it that, I suppose. Pick one."
"Not really the type of game I imagined you playing."
"You don't know what I'm gonna pick for the penalty when you lose."
"Penalty? And why do you talk like you know you'll win."
"Carl, I never lose."
"We'll see about that."
----------------------------------------
"Ugh, how is this a thing."
"Ooh, what'd you get?"
"Card Player, rank one."
"Well, you'll need all the help you can get."
----------------------------------------
"Let's see 'em."
"Really?"
"Carl."
"Just seems a little—"
"Hey, I showed you mine already."
"Yeah, but…"
"What, you afraid to show your tiny—"
"Fine. Happy?"
"Yeah, good calves."
"Real one-track mind."
----------------------------------------
"You're cheating. You have to be."
Vol started to laugh. "Can't believe it took you this fucking long to figure it out. But the real question's if you can figure out how I'm cheating. Great joke, right?"
Carl set his cards down on the arm of his chair. "Eh, I think I'm—"
Mina stirred, and he was instantly standing at the side of her chair.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, running a hand over her forehead.
"Carl?" she said, sounding sleepy. Then her eyes widened. "No!" Her hands went to her temples, and she cringed away into the edge of the chair. "No, no, no," she moaned, curling up.
"What's wrong?" Carl asked. He stroked his hand through her hair in an attempt to comfort her.
"Everything," she sobbed. "I'd thought this time perhaps I could…" She sniffed. "She's even destroyed my steamcar now!" she cried, lapsing into sobs.
Carl glanced behind himself, thinking he'd maybe ask Vol to come back another time, but the other recliner was already empty, and there was no trace of her. He returned his attention to the crying girl, knowing that this wasn't the time to mention that the track itself had destroyed her car. "It's okay, Mina," he said soothingly. He reached out to give her a hug, but she shied away, eventually rolling out of the chair.
Mina sprinted over to and up the stairs, disappearing out of sight. He heard a cushioned thud as she threw herself onto her recliner, followed by quiet sobs.
As a father of two other girls, Carl was no stranger to seeing his kids cry and throw occasional tantrums. Bobby and Sammy might be angels most of the time, but they had their bad days just like everyone else. At times like these, he knew exactly what to do.
He settled back into his chair and gave her space. Rather than start thinking about something that might get him so involved he'd be distracted if she needed him, he decided to play with magic again, since that was pretty fun and seemed to pass time quickly and distract him a bit without getting him too involved.
Today, after that earlier mishap with the steak, he chose fire magic. It was easy to use but hard to use effectively, he realized. He could make a big flame—an embarrassingly large one, really—with ease, but making and maintaining a small one was tricky. The mindset was almost the exact opposite of what he'd needed to find success with water magic, and it took him a while to reorient his thinking.
Did Mina need him yet?
No, she was still crying, and it pained him to listen without doing anything, but being a great dad wasn't easy.
He eventually reached a degree of proficiency where he was capable of sustaining a small flame atop each finger, at which point he came to the realization that he'd just been practicing freaking fire magic while sitting in one of his favorite recliners and shut the whole thing down.
He'd been incredibly lucky that no recliners had been harmed in the process.
At last, and after being somewhat amazed that he'd spent so much time sitting around practicing magic without noticing the hours slipping past—and also, why the heck wasn't he getting any kinds of classes or skills or stats from this?—he decided that it had gotten pretty late. He'd grown accustomed to sleeping in the game at this point. It was different than real sleeping, that was for sure. Most importantly, game sleep didn't have Annie next to him, which made it automatically worse. He knew he'd probably wake up with the annoying doll on top of him the next day—which reminded him, she'd been way less annoying than usual since they'd gotten back, just sitting against the wall staring off into space—but that was something he was prepared to deal with again.
Mina didn't come back down. He went up to check on her at one point as the evening wore on, but she was fast asleep and clutching the scarf he'd given her. He appreciated the Dad Moment for a little while, feeling like she should at least have a sheet or something so he could tuck her in appropriately, then returned to the ground level.
After another long game-day, Carl fell asleep.