Harlow felt absolutely worthless as he sat around the camp. That’s because he was. Worthless and seething with rage as he sat staring at Rizzo and Watchdog, who had reverted from its Anugent form to its Instar stage Ruffmutt. It sat down sleeping, looking cute as cute could be. And yet just hours ago it had violated his mind and made him fight when he hadn’t wanted to. He had said he wouldn’t fight the Termiterrors, but Rizzo had made the Anugent use mind control Techs to get him angry and mentally convinced him to attack them. He knew the Anugent could do it again.
Harlow was angry. He was so angry he could do nothing but sit there. It was a cold anger, one that wouldn’t leave his side when he simmered down. He hated Rizzo and Watchdog. He’d see them destroyed. It was almost meditation as he sat near the edge of the camp, watching them, mind empty of everything but hate.
“You should relax, we’ve got a long day tomorrow. We’re going to go deeper, see how Watchdog fares against something stronger.” Said Rizzo.
Harlow said nothing.
“You’ve gotta speak eventually.” Said Rizzo. Harlow didn’t. “Even if you’re mad. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for Cabletown. Don't’ take it so personally.”
Harlow still said nothing.
“If you don’t, I’ll get Watchdog to make you.”
Harlow actually laughed at that. And then he laughed some more, and then laughed until his cheeks hurt. By the time he was done laughing he finally felt back to his senses. With one last chuckle he stood up and raised his staff, power of the wind flowing through him and into the attuned weapon.
And then with both hands he brought it down into the ground before him. And then again. And again. He was fortunate in where he hit; it was hard stone, and the sound of clanging rang down the tunnels surrounding them.
Rizzo just looked at him, taken aback, before speaking. “That’s a really, really bad idea. If a Vanquisher comes, you’ll be the one to fight it.” Harlow just laughed again, still banging away.
“I’m serious, stop!” Snarled Rizzo. “You’ll get us all killed!” When Harlow showed no signs of stopping he shot up and dashed at the young adventurer, trying to grasp the staff out of his hands.
Harlow felt the wind energy from his element stone surging through him as he glided back just out of arm's reach of the captain. They stared at each other for a second, neither one moving. From behind Rizzo, Watchdog growled.
Harlow lifted the staff a little.
“Don’t do it.” Rizzo warned.
Harlow smashed it into the side of the wall, sending chunks of bismuth flying and clattering along the ground. The sound echoed for what must have been several seconds.
“You stupid little-” began Rizzo, but the sound of approaching Databeasts threw him off. “Watchdog, Juvenile!” He called as Watchdog transformed from Ruffmutt into Anugent in a shower of soft light. He then turned to Harlow. “After all I’ve done for you…”
Harlow still said nothing. In no time at all a large group of Termiterrors were upon them. There were eight of them, although one was larger than the rest. Unlike most Databeasts where the Vanquisher form usually varied a lot from the Juvenile, this Vanquisher did not. It was very similar to the other Termiterrors, it was simply larger, faster and much more scary. Its carapace was thick and it had a hard shell on its back. Harlow could see two wings sneaking out.
He couldn’t imagine them being useful in this cave system, but he was glad of that. The Databeast looked terrifying enough whilst standing.
The group was approaching fast. Something growled beside Harlow, but he couldn’t tell if it was Rizzo or Watchdog.
The first Termiterror hit Harlow like a brick wall. Yet Harlow, trained as he was and being unable to move well, hit harder. He felt the wind still with him as he struck the Databeast hard with his staff to arrest its movement, swept its feet out from under it and brought his staff crashing down on top of it in a smooth and swift motion.
“Make them fight amongst themselves, Watchdog.” Demanded Rizzo as he squared up against the Vanquisher level Databeast. Watchdog concentrated its Tech and all of a sudden one of the Termiterrors turned on its compatriots, confused, and began attacking them. Two of the Termiterrors focussed on holding down their ally. For his part Watchdog slid behind Rizzo, defending his back. It was needed as two of the Termiterrors tried to flank Rizzo. Rizzo and the Vanquisher Termiterror began to trade blows. For the first time Harlow saw something fairly equal to Rizzo in ability. Rizzo had beaten everything they’d come across fairly handily, except for Marius in Quartz Creek, who had wiped the floor with him. Harlow thought it was good to get a general estimate of Rizzo’s power. It’d come in useful later. If they both survived that long.
Harlow faced down two of the Termiterrors as the one he had beaten rose. It was 3vs1 against him. Not a problem. He had taken Termiterrors on in worse odds. And despite his leg he was feeling light as the wind - his element stone was working overtime somehow. Not enough to dance around his enemies and ignore his injury, but enough to move like he hadn’t in a long time.
One of the Termiterrors lunged for him but he took a step back and swiped with his staff, knocking it to the side. The next two were already moving at him but he beat them to the punch by moving to the side and jabbing in the face of a Termiterror. The third one managed to swipe at him while he was doing so, knocking his head back. He brought the staff horizontal and shoved that Termiterror back to give him some space.
That’s when the ball of mud hit him in the face.
The first Termiterror he’d knocked to the side had summoned it. He leaped towards that one, both pushing off and landing with his good leg, swinging his staff in a brutal arc. It struck with the awful sound of cracking carapace.
Just that was enough to return it into aether. Harlow was getting good at defeating Termiterrors.
Rizzo and Watchdog had managed to defeat two Termiterrors, but were getting pushed back by the Vanquisher level Databeast. Rizzo was putting up a hell of a fight though. Watchdog was doing well supporting him. The three Databeasts that had been distracted by the Anugent’s mind meddling were now freed from it however. The three Termiterrors were free to put the pressure on Rizzo whilst he fought against the Vanquisher level Databeast.
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Harlow was content to battle the two that were still facing him down. Comfortable in the fight as he was, trading blows with the two Termiterrors and coming out on top of each exchange, he had some freedom to watch Rizzo fighting.
The Vanquisher Termiterror was an absolute monster. Every time it struck it made a sound like a cannon going off. Rizzo was both extremely fast and in the right place at the right time, but even with perfection of technique it could only mitigate so much of the damage the Vanquisher Databeast was doing. The other three got their swipes in at Rizzo in these weakened moments, although Watchdog was defending against those well.
Harlow wondered if he should hurry up here and help Rizzo out, even for the sake of his own survival. It might make sense to do so, but he chose otherwise.
He did fight against the two Termiterrors beset upon him though, at a leisurely but violent pace. He saw Rizzo getting pushed back as Harlow defeated the two Databeasts around him. Rizzo was still fighting hard, but the pressure was too much. A gigantic hit from the Vanquisher Termiterror knocked him back into the wall. The three smaller Termiterrors jumped on him but Watchdog jumped in front and took the beating for him.
Rizzo, furious, knocked the Termiterrors back before taking another big blow from the Vanquisher. He looked like he was going to throw up as it crashed into his stomach but he held it. The gigantic Termiterror swung again and so did Rizzo, in a crazed and haphazard wild swing with his staff. They both hit. Rizzo’s staff smashed the Databeast in the side of its head, cracking the carapace slightly. The Databeast knocked Rizzo down the tunnel. Rizzo didn’t seem to realise he’d wounded the Databeast - Harlow only noticed because he was an outside observer calmly watching the action, and he was at the right angle to see the damage. Rizzo wasn’t.
Rizzo did however notice that Harlow was just standing watching and rage flashed over his face.
“Enjoying the show? Why don’t you cover our retreat, boy? Watchdog, now!”
The Anugent turned to him, eyes flashing red.
Harlow knew what it was doing. He knew it was trying to take control of his mind. In fact, he’d expected it, and it really stung deeply. And then suddenly Harlow didn’t care about all that. He didn’t mind dying. He didn’t mind fighting for his life whilst Rizzo and Watchdog escaped. In fact, he could think of no better way to go out. On some deep level, it struck him as purpose itself.
“Cabletown thanks you.” Spat Rizzo as he fled, Watchdog scampering behind him.
And Harlow thanked them too, in his heart. This wasn’t due to the mind control. Indeed, the mind control was something of a buff right now, something he’d hoped for. Harlow knew he’d never be able to escape the Vanquisher Databeast, not with his leg. Better to go down fighting. And if fighting, better to go into it with a clear sense of purpose.
Furthermore, the last time the Anugent mind-controlled him he had ignored the pain in his knee. It had hurt as bad as anything he’d felt later on, but in the moment he felt nothing but the desire to fight.
That was how he felt now.
The three Juvenile Termiterrors had chased Rizzo off down one of the tunnels. Harlow could hear the sounds of movement, but not battle. Rizzo must have felt in a real bad shape. But now it was just him and the Vanquisher Termiterror.
He looked at the Databeast properly. It was bashed up pretty badly, and all over. Its legs had heavy indents, one of its arms was leaking something, there was the crack in its head that Rizzo had caused. It looked around.
It seemed unsure of whether to chase after Rizzo or to finish Harlow off. Thanks to Watchdog’s mind control Harlow wasn’t in a mind to give it a choice. He felt the wind element flow through him. He felt angry, extremely angry. But he also felt empty, weightless. He almost glided across the ground as he went after the Vanquisher Termiterror.
He smashed the large Databeast again and again with his staff, dodging left and right as he did so, relishing in the new freedom of movement he’d found. He struck again and again at the side of the Vanquisher’s head where Rizzo had cracked it, mostly with hard jabs of the staff. He could feel it doing damage each time.
Then, finally, the Vanquisher databeast caught him with a massive strike. It was bound to happen eventually, and Harlow was sent absolutely flying across the tunnel, bashing into everything on the way. His ribs felt busted, his arms were screaming at him, and he’d landed weird with his legs. Another hit like that would probably kill him.
Luckily, the mind-control was still affecting him, so he cared little for that. What he cared about was destroying this Databeast. He stood, pretending to be more wounded than he felt and limped his way over to the Databeast. It moved to him too, very quickly.
His wind energy still flooded through him though and he danced and dodged his way around each strike, rapidly trying to unlearn as much of his stiffness and immobility as he could before it got him killed.
He hit the Databeast again and again but did little damage. When a swiping blow almost hit him, he realised he had no choice. He was starting to flag in energy and his pain was starting to really come through. Both the mind control and his adrenaline were weakening. He had only one choice.
He felt the wind rush through him as a surging gale. He performed the exact same move as Rizzo did. He swung his staff wildly. Like Rizzo, it connected on the side of the Databeast’s head. Like Rizzo, he got knocked off his feet by the strike of the Databeast and went tumbling. There was a flash knockout before he was back awake.
He looked up and the Databeast had gone! He began to laugh once more. He had done it! It had really worked! Laughing hurt his ribs but he couldn’t help himself. It was all so absurd!
There was an incredible, intense rush. It was a familiar one by now. A level gained.
Of course he’d levelled up. He’d just defeated a Vanquisher stage Databeast!
Harlow half-crawled his way to where their bags had been. He opened Rizzos. He found a briefcase containing several potions. And not low level ones either - these were the real good stuff. He downed two and lay there for what felt like hours as his head spun. He took everything of use from Rizzo’s bag, which included the remaining potions and some BIT drives, and put it in his own. Then he stumbled down the cave.
His journey downwards was calm and directionless. He ran into a handful of Juvenile Databeasts, all of which he dispatched fairly easily. Eventually he had to stop and set up camp, once he was comfortably assured that he wouldn’t be found either by a roaming Databeast or an angry Rizzo out for revenge.
He found a place to set up camp, a little divet in the rock that couldn’t really be called a tunnel. He moved in there and froze. He came face to face with a Databeast staring up at him, a Stonisse! It must have been hiding in wait preparing to launch some sneak attack, he thought, surely!
Why else would it have stuffed itself in a crevice?
Harlow raised his staff, about to attack the Stonisse. When it didn’t flinch or move, he paused. He stared at it for a second and then looked around himself suspiciously to see if it was shaping the earth around him in some way. The little rock goblins were tricksy, but he saw no evidence of it doing anything beside sitting there looking miserable.
It really seemed as if it just didn’t want to move even when faced with certain destruction. Very odd behaviour from a Databeast - or anything, really.
“What are you doing little Stonisse?” Asked Harlow rhetorically, looking down at the forlorn Databeast.
It looked back at him, no feeling in its gaze. It was disturbing for the young man.
“You look depressed. This is awful.” Said Harlow, lowering his hands. “You’re making me almost want to destroy you, just to put you out of your misery.”
“...Destroy… me.” Croaked the Stonisse in a raspy imitation of speech.
Harlow almost dropped his staff.
“You can talk!?”