Rob couldn’t wait to figure out what Uncle Winter wanted him to do with Graveyard. And although he wanted to explore more of what he wanted to do as a Cultivator, his love for cooking had been enriched by his experience during the Tournament of Scions, and he now wondered what the next tier of Adroit Academy’s Climbing Challenge had to offer him through their many cooking competitions.
Guess I’ll just have to find out when I get back.
Rob lifted his spacial potion bag over his shoulder and walked through the Adroit Academy portal to enter CloudLake’s Realm Travelers Branch. The moment he stepped through he was scanned, and even before an attendant could ask him if he needed any assistance finding where he needed to go, he made his way to Maelstrom's string of portals.
The room that housed all of the portals that led home filled an entire hall. Where once they’d been left in the open as public portals, they were now considered to be a higher classification of transit due to the changes within the realm as of recent season cycles.
“Sir, are you allowed to—“ Rob ignored the guards, his body again scanned as he strode right up to the entrance to the hall he needed to enter. The doors slid open even as the two men’s hands both dropped to their midsections in search for their mana pistols.
Rob didn’t pay the combative moves made by the guard any attention, understanding that any sort of person wanting to go to Maelstrom as of late wasn’t exactly normal. He’d tried to shrug off how much his life had changed since the creation of BlackHole Conglomerate, but in all honesty, Brianna had given him a perspective that changed his whole outlook.
He was the personal chef of a scion known to many realms. Had been taught personally by a woman proclaimed to be one of the most skilled and talented chefs to ever live, even though she only cooked as a hobby. All of these details seen as minor when compared to the award for excellence he was being prospected for as a prime candidate.
Am I really all that different?
His home realm, as a whole, had hosted the Tournament of Scions. An event he’d dreamed of experiencing since he himself was a youth, but now felt somewhat small in the grand scheme of things. If BlackHole Coliseum was rented Rob would cook for massive events of the same scale almost every season.
Additionally he felt like he’d slowed himself down in the kitchen to allow for the other chefs on his team to be utilized. Rob could produce enough autonomous hands to replace his entire staff, but knew that such an act would only demoralize those around him. His team was a very skilled group of chefs, but Rob couldn’t get the competition he’d won out of his mind when he first stepped into Adroit Academy, a thrill he wanted to experience again, almost at any cost.
Would Brianna and the others forgive me if I left to pursue harder challenges?
The guards began to whisper and Rob tried to compose himself as stoically as possible. He didn’t want a macho persona to be how people viewed him, but the level of calm every member of the Builders presented publicly had a certain aloof nature that Rob did enjoy. They weren’t above anyone or anything, just busy.
He walked past the portals that led to the diamond sector, the gold, and even the silver to find a private portal that led into the heart of the Graveyard Branch. The portals held within this portion of the hall were all significant areas within Maelstrom, including the Realm Travellers Branch, Town Hall, StormSide Bank, and many more important monuments within the realm.
His destination also had a scanner that stopped entry into the portal itself. The gateway enclosed in mana-enriched glass that would close the portal if shattered, slid silently into the ground when Rob approached.
Winter had given Rob credentials that allowed entry into the private police station, but the moment he entered, the officers around the room all froze. He didn’t know if it was his casual wear accompanied by a chef’s coat, or the rebreather he wore consistently, but it wasn’t until he saw their faces distort into obvious alarm that he noted the possibility that he could look the slightest bit intimidating. He slowly reached into his bag, as many there held their hands on their weapons. Weapons he no longer feared…
“I’ll give a bottle of 1 star to anyone who can point me in the direction of Sergeant Winter.” Rob set the bottle of alcohol down on the desk of the nearest officer, taking slow steps to approach, making eye contact with any who dared. He saw many in the room glancing above him, and dared to take a look away from many of the officers to see what they were inspecting.
His brief look showed a hologram screen that showed his face alongside a list of details. His name, height, skills, a list of associates, as well as a short description that he read allowed to himself.
“Private chef to Carter Gestalt, known affiliate of the Omni family, delegate of the Orphan Mother of Maelstrom, Private student to the daughter of crime Elizabeth Amorra Carter, participant in the destruction of RaidCorp amusement park Coliseum,” said Rob before he looked around. He jutted a thumb up at the screen and laughed.
“Is this for real?”
…
Micro and Khalif set up for a guard operation. Khalif would lead a small group of people from one area of the UnderCity for a paid protection contract, while Micro would look for a bounty that had been targeting the company’s still trying to gather their lost materials from the terrorist attack. Much of what was still able to be recovered was behind locked vaults, and though many had been targeted, many more still were far too advanced for minor criminals to breach.
Which gave the budding couple what they believed to be many opportunistic date nights. The guard duty for Khalif was often minimal effort, but had very lucrative payouts, and Micro’s bounties were much of the same, but both felt that this set of jobs was completely different, as the mortality rate on the contracts seemed abnormally high.
“Isn’t this kinda close to your old gang’s territory?” Micro nodded at Khalif and smirked.
“How much do you want to bet that this is one of my ex-gang mates?”suggested Micro. Khalif put a hand to his chin and smirked.
“Never thought of that, but you really think any of yours could put up a kill count this high?” Micro frowned, her face scrunching in thought.
“Mmm doubtful, but you never know, I’ll put money down that it isn’t if you are scared though,” Micro offered with a playful smile toward Khalif.
“Oh yeah, you're on,” said Khalif, but then he too wore a slight frown, realizing he may have just been tricked.
“How did you get me to do that? What am I, an idiot?”
“No, but you are weak to my smile which I love,” said Micro.
“Yeah you would like that wouldn’t you, how much are we putting on this,” asked Khalif moving the conversation forward, not wanting to be any more annoyed with himself.
“Hmm, well you already agreed so how about a million credits?” Khalif’s eyes went wide and his gaze shot toward Micro as he finished snapping the last button of his Shinobi suit into place.
“What, are you trying to bleed me dry? You know having Rob cook for us isn’t cheap right?” Micro smiled before she put on an innocent pout, jutting out her bottom lip in imaginary displeasure.
“Oh jeez, you're on, just fix your face. I don’t like how easily you can make me want to empty my accounts with a single look,” said Khalif putting the money into a betting account that the couple had made the first night they’d ever partied together, after getting drunk enough to start an illegal underground betting pool between the members of the Pocket Apartment Gang.
The group had bet on arm wrestling, board games, and even who could chug their drinks fastest. Only for the account to be kept alive in the end with their own private bets.
“So what side am I on again?” asked Micro, also sending a million credits to the account. Khalif opened his mouth to speak, freezing at the sound of a mana rifle going off in the distance. A body dropped just outside the building where they were gearing up, and the couple was on the move even before a scream of terror could be heard just on the other side of the door.
Khalif rushed out into the area, and even before he could realize what was happening, a massive hand made from shadow reached out from a nearby alley, blocking a second rifle bullet.
“Everybody down!” Micro dashed passed Khalif, diving into the same alleyway his Shadow Avatar had just reached out from.
Micro: Make yourself a target. I’m a few thousand feet up and have eyes on you, but not the shooter.
Khalif moved toward the dead body of the group they’d been hired to protect, bewildered by the thought that their group had been found even before the mission had even begun. The group he rushed toward started to scramble in different directions at the sight of his demon mask until he yelled for them to get behind the portable mana shields he’d gotten from Micro for this mission. Apparently, she’d gotten them from another realm more advanced than their own, and as the soft blue light sprang up defensively in-between magnetized rods that snapped together as he threw them down, the civilians began to understand whose side he was on.
Another shot rang out and Khalif’s shadow once more blocked the shot, lifting a massive hand protectively around his head. He didn’t see where the shot came from, but a piercing whistle made him look up, even as he was continually fired upon.
His eyes were already adjusted to the dark but he still struggled to see, until a sound of fluttering wings helped him focus on Micro, whom he assumed was grabbing his attention to help him locate the shooter.
Though he never actually saw Micro or the flock of diving miniature dragons that were now her calling card, he was able to see the rooftop and building that her aerial attack started to destroy.
Khalif dropped the cube he’d been given by Arson just that morning, a portal opened, and the entire Pocket Apartment Gang flooded out of the opening even as Khalif darted away toward the building Micro still fired upon.
“Shields up, protect the civilians!” Khalif didn’t even look back to give his commands, knowing that the group most closely trained by Arson wouldn’t let him down in that moment.
Micro: This bastard is shooting holes in my glider suit!
A series of yelled curses could be heard as Micro came into view, diving toward the crumbling building. Khalif would have laughed in that moment, but the next shot that rang out was easily seen shooting directly through Micro’s shoulder. Khalif had always secretly found Arson’s rage and roar during combat to be slightly funny, until that very moment, a roar of his own escaped his mouth.
Khalif’s arm instinctually rose, his Shadow Avatar’s hand springing up in front of him allowing him to shift through the shadows even though he was running through a surprisingly well lit area of the UnderCity.
“Micro!”
Khalif emerged onto the roof even while the ceiling below caved in. He’d closed the distance fast enough that he was able to witness Micro slam through the side of the building, her course thrown off by the laser-like bullet through the shoulder.
He yelled as cold energy filled his body unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The group on the roof turned just in time to see Khalif swing his arm out in a sweeping motion in front of himself, causing his Shadow Avatar to form in a fraction of a blink. The giant shadow appearing from the waist up, using its massive arm to smack nearly all of the targets on the roof completely off. Many were able to dive inside the hole created by Micro’s attack, but many more flew end over end off the roof, moving at break neck speeds as they plummeted. Khalif ignored their screams of peril.
Even as Khalif front flipped into the hole made in the roof, his shadow Avatar continued its work. Khalif landed, rolled, and immediately charged the person in front of him, pushing them out of the window, while his Shadow Avatar began grabbing Cultivators through the hole in the ceiling and hurling them like stones through the cavern that was UnderCity’s eternal night sky.
“Micro!” Khalif felt a moment of panic until his best friend stepped out from his very own shadow, slicing her swords at a trio of Cultivators running up a nearby stairwell.
Her first swing caused the one in the lead to jerk back, only for Micro to take advantage jumping toward the group. A kick to the chest transitioned into the Cultivator being used as a surf board, both swords she held piercing through the pair behind her first target..
Khalif tried to chase her down, but a rifle was fired within the room he stood, and Khalif knew the shooter hadn’t been dealt with the moment he was struck in his side. He dove and rolled, but was shot a second time. Flopping to the floor as his Shadow Avatar seemed to be having a reaction to Khalif being injured.
Khalif was honestly surprised by the rifle's ability to pierce the light weight armor made by Xani, and Axis, but then he saw the advanced weapon in the wielder’s hands. The young man stared up at the giant black shadow as it grabbed individuals, roared in their faces the sound like dozens of wild bears yelling in anger, all before squishing them like bugs on the remaining sections of roof that remained standing.
“Sparks…” both the sniper and Khalif cursed in tandem. The sniper raised the advanced weapon most likely found in one of the crash sites created in the aftermath of the scar of Maelstrom’s creation to fire on the giant, while Khalif bled on the floor slightly dazed.
Khalif tried to roll on his side and push himself off the ground, but he immediately grew dizzy. His armor was soaked in blood from only two shots. He cursed when he heard another shot ring out, and the pain wasn’t felt in his body, but instead from his core, His Shadow Avatar wailing was enough to let Khalif know that his Avatar had been hurt somehow.
Must be weaker if I’m injured, Khalif thought barely managing to get to his feet. The sniper spun toward Khalif, about to fire again. Khalif saw this, struggling not to look up at his Shadow Avatar and wondering why the sniper had changed targets, he immediately paid for his glance. His Avatar had vanished, and he’d been shot in the upper thigh, instant pain taking over every sensation imaginable as he dropped to a knee.
“Why won’t you die!” Khalif laughed in that moment, wondering why the sniper thought he’d die from a wound to the leg, until he looked down and saw two wholes in his chest. He looked up and smiled as the sniper took aim, a laser sight landing directly between Khalifs eyes.
“Probably because you sparking suck—“ Khalif’s own taunt was cut off as a giant hand tore through the wall behind the sniper, wrapping around their body, squeezing so tightly that the gun fell from the sniper’s hands, the Cultivator screamed as life was visibly draining from their body. Khalif was so stunned by the sight he didn’t see the holes in his chest slowly closing, but was even more shocked when Micro’s bloody form jumped from the darkness spinning, twin blades slicing silently through the neck of the sniper even before the life could be completely snuffed out of him.
Micro spat on the skull the moment it stopped rolling. Picked up the sniper and tossed it to Khalif, which he caught to his own surprise, feeling as if he wasn’t even able to raise his hands properly just a moment prior.
“What are you doing just kneeling on the ground, we got work to do the Pocket Apartment Gang are being flooded on all sides,” roared Micro as she rushed toward the exit a few yards behind him.
“Can a guy get a moment to breathe? I just got shot like 4 or 5 times woman!” Micro stopped in front of him, looking him over, even pulling on his damaged armor, seeing nothing but smooth skin behind the damaged sections of his gear.
“There isn’t a scratch on you, you big baby. Come on or I’m telling Seneschal that you cried about being scratched,” Micro said, patting Khalif on the cheek as she jogged off, chugging a health potion while vanishing into a shadow. Khalif turned paler than he’d been moments prior bleeding all over the floor and rushed after Micro.
“Hey, beautiful,” he yelled, his voice cracking awkwardly as he grew nervous.
“You didn’t really mean that, did you?” Khalif yelled in question trying to keep up.
“Beautiful?”