For the second time in as many days, I played AR games with Laci at his store. This time, the players were all familiar with the app and able to jump right in. A steady stream of suggestions and ideas were passed around between the players, and I could see Bushra with wide eyes trying to follow everyone speaking all at once. I found a moment to let her know I was capturing everything, and she should just concentrate on getting the most out of the experience. The relief on her face was evident. She began diving deeper into the feedback that was coming, asking for clarification, posing alternatives, and generally engaging in the conversation.

Laci popped in and out of the games and the discussion, as his store was still open and all. While it was midday on a weekday and slow, there was still the occasional customer that needed tending to. Bily led the bulk of the discussion as a result, at least until Laci's son Jan showed up around 4pm. Jan took all the activity in with a slow blink, said "Hey, Mai." I waved. Then he opened his textbook and began studying.

It was dark outside by the time we left, Bushra insisting her head was filled with suggestions and ideas and had to take some time to work on them. With a promise to show them the next iteration, Bushra, Iter, and I began walking to my house.

"Wow, those people are serious about games," Bushra exhaled. Her eyes were still a little glazed.

"Well, Laci does run a gaming store," I replied. "I suppose it would be weird if he wasn't."

"That Bily person was also pretty intense." Her lips crooked up in a tight smile.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"But a gaming environment," Bushra continued. "I never figured that use case. I guess I never did much gaming. I was more into sports and physical activities."

"Really?" I guess Bushra did seem like the athletic type.

"Yeah. I was actually recruited into college as part of the soccer team, but a knee injury my freshman year put an end to that pretty quick." She shrugged and sighed at the same time. Then smiled. "I found something else instead."

"Arrow in the knee will do that," I chuckled.

"An arrow?" Bushra frowned in puzzlement.

"Ah, nevermind, it's a gaming meme." She did just say she wasn't into gaming.

"I understand that reference," Iter unexpectedly chimed in.

"Yeah, well, gaming was always a waste of time, when I could be doing something else. Something more productive. But that was fun," she mused. She gave me a sidelong smile as we walked. "Thanks."

"Granted, that's a pretty small focus group to base decisions on," I reflected. "But what do you think about focusing ARC as a collaborative gaming platform to start?" I looked over at her to see her reaction. She was looking upwards at the night sky, purple from the haze of street lamps and city lights. When she didn't say anything, I continued.

"I'll want to look further at the size of the market, but we've found some initial interest. Kind of like a Virtual Tabletop, only with AR instead."

"An AR Tabletop? ART?" Bushra pondered for a bit as we strolled. "Hunh." Her lips quirked up in a half-smile.

✦ ✦ ✦

We continued talking about the games we played and the players, until we reached my block. Bushra's car was parked half a block further down. I told Iter he could go on in (and maybe deal with any other stray gods who happened by), and walked Bushra the rest of the way.

"I really did have a good time," Bushra began, "Not just playing games, but working earlier. It was, I dunno, fulfilling? She cocked her head sideways, looking up. "Like what we're doing is for us. No one else. We're making the decisions." She stopped at her car, between the pools of light from two street lamps. "It's scary, but also thrilling at the same time."

"Yeah, I get that. Win or lose, it's ours." I nodded in agreement.

"Well, I'll have you know I aim to win." Bushra looked at me half in shadow, half in light, eyes fierce.

I opened my mouth to respond, when a shadow stepped out from the nearby hedges.

"Well, hello ladies. What a coincidence finding you two together." The voice was rough and deep, but familiar. My brow furrowed as I tried to place it. Then the shadow stepped away from the shrubbery and more fully into the light.

"Bruce?" I breathed.

The same Bruce Paap that I'd barely known from IHS. The man I'd fought with the day of my accident. He was about as tall as Iter, but wider, stockier. He wore dark slacks, a dark knit cap, and a dark jacket, the colors muddied in the haze of the street lamp. He had the kind of bulk you see on middle aged athletes who gave up their exercise routine. There was muscle, but also a lot of flab. But the towering mass he had was no joke. His voice sounded calmer. But his eyes still had the same wild stare he had the day he jumped me. His eerie smile gave me goosebumps.

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"What are you doing here?" Bushra demanded. Her hand was in her bag. I thought of Iter and whether he could hear us from inside the house.

"Just collecting some bad little kids who need to be taught a lesson," He said, his grin widening. Then he suddenly lunged forward, attempting to grab me with his large, fleshy hand.

I ducked, and swatted at the arm instinctively. Surprisingly, my hit was solid. While I didn't think I did any serious injury, I heard a swift intake of breath and a snarl. Closer now, he grabbed again. But it seemed like he was moving so slowly. Or, maybe I was just faster? This time I reached out and caught his wrist. Flustered, he threw his other arm at my head, and I caught that, too. He leaned forward, trying to use his weight and height against me. He pushed hard against my much smaller frame, but I held fast. It was exhilarating, holding the much bigger man at bay. This must be the result of my leveling up. A part of my brain wondered at where the additional power came from with no increase in mass, but I didn't have time to work it out.

Frustrated, Bruce yanked his arms away, trying to pull me off balance. I let go in time, and he stumbled backwards from the momentum. Then stood there, breathing heavily, and glaring at me in anger and puzzlement. I wondered if I should attack, retreat or wait for his next move.

"I'm calling the cops!" Bushra yelled. She'd pulled out her phone and raised it, the screen glowing brightly in the night.

Bruce swore, looked between the two of us with narrowed eyes, then raised his right hand in Bushra's direction. At first I thought he had a gun or something, and was about to shout a warning. Then I saw his hand was closed in a fist, seemingly empty. A weird flash of light split the darkness from a ring on his finger.

I saw Bushra go limp and fall to the ground.

Shocked and wondering if Bruce really did have a gun, I froze, trying to keep an eye on Bruce, but also trying to check on Bushra. She wasn't moving.

Bruce chuckled, wiping the side of his face with the back of his other hand, then raised his right hand again in my direction. "Nighty night," he said and the light flashed again.

All my muscles seemed to seize up at once. Unable to even cry out in shock, I fell to the ground like a dropped mannequin.

✦ ✦ ✦

I couldn't move. I tried to lift myself off the ground, to roll, to yell, but nothing happened. I heard Bruce move over to Bushra first, checking her over. Then it sounded like he lifted her up. I couldn't turn my head or even move my eyes. But I could hear. I could see. I could blink and breathe. Though, when I tried to suck in air to scream, my body didn't respond. It was as if there was no conscious link between my brain and my body. I couldn't do anything but mutely witness what was going on around me.

"Now for you, girlie." Bruce had returned, and hoisted my limp form like a rug over his shoulder. He took me further into the shadows. Since I couldn't even shift, I could only see his back as I dangled there. But we reached his destination soon enough. He dropped me unkindly to the freezing floor of what seemed like a utility van. I heard some rustling, then I felt myself pulled by my arms over to the side of the van, and then my wrists zip-tied to a metal frame along the interior. The plastic bit into my skin, and I winced involuntarily - it seems I could still feel sensations like pain. Some more movement, and I heard the rear doors slam shut one after another. Bruce opened the driver's door shortly after that, and the van's weight shifted slightly as he climbed in. The engine started.

The interior of the van was mostly dark, with the only light filtering in from the front windshield. I couldn't see Bushra, either from the lack of light or the angle I was stuck in, or both. The metal was cold, and my muscles were starting to sear in pain from the position I was in.

I was entirely helpless.

Open Status, I thought. The Status window showed immediately. Okay, that works. I scanned it, and one thing caught my eye immediately:

Condition: Paralyzed

Something Bruce did with that ring paralyzed me. Bushra, too. How'd he do that? Was it a stun gun? I'd never been stunned before, but I thought it was more intense? In videos and the like the targets were always flopping around. Maybe a gas or something? Would I be Poisoned or Intoxicated, though? This seemed very different.

My health was also now at 45, so I either took some damage in the fight, or when I fell. I saw Swift Regeneration take effect. Maybe that would cure the paralysis? It fixed my intoxication before. Would that even work on whatever this was?

"You girlies being together is quite the two-fer. I wonder what you were plotting?" He snickered. "Can't wait to find out." The van began to move. "Just sit tight, girls. It'll all be over before you know it."

I called up my Map, and saw Bushra and myself moving now to the South and West. A red marker was nearby – Bruce. Further west lead to a sprawling residential area, while to the south is the Oakland Airport. Oh shit, are we being transported somewhere?

There must be a skill or something I can do. Come on, Mai, be a fucking hero for once. Would Iter look for us? How would he find us? He is a god, can he do something? Would he?

Didn't Iter say something before about using Focus to get rid of environmental effects?

In relief, I noted on my Map that we'd passed the turn off for the airport. But we kept heading south, towards San Leandro. I switched back over to Status, and tried to channel my Focus into breaking whatever this condition was.

Notification: Paralysis condition: resist failed.

My Focus had gone down to 70. Five points. I tried again.

Notification: Paralysis condition: resist failed.

Another 5 points. No problem, I have a lot of Focus.

Notification: Paralysis condition: resist failed.

I was feeling a bit lightheaded now, an incipient headache forming. But I had to keep going.

Notification: Paralysis condition: resist failed.

Starting to float a little, I considered that maybe it was impossible to resist this paralysis Would I keep failing until I rank out of Focus? Fuck!

Notification: Paralysis condition: resisted.

Condition: Normal

Yes! I could move again! But my wrists were still tied to the wall. Being unfrozen was definitely an improvement, though. I tried to lay still to avoid alerting Bruce.

Now what?