Everyone, regardless of their level or alignment, needed a place where they could feel safe. A place where they could fully relax and be protected, regardless of what craziness was going on around them. That was the fundamental mindset of the game’s programmers when they constructed the secret base system. While random encounters could be fun, it was also nice to have a safe place to return to.
Of course, there was also the reality of having too much of a good thing. Staying safe and indoors was fine for a time, when there was too much going on and you just needed a breath of fresh air. But after a few hours, or maybe a few days? By that point the sedate peace of it all might drive you insane without more to do.
Well, maybe that wasn’t a problem for everyone, but it certainly was a problem for Cannoneer. Ever since the disastrous meeting and subsequent fight alongside Lightforge, he had spent nearly two full days inside his base. Part of that was simply common sense; he didn’t have any revivals left, after all. But was that really a reason not to go out and live? It didn’t seem like it to him.
That was the line of reasoning that led him to pull together his equipment and gear up for the day. He had everything ready and was quietly headed for the door when something moved behind him.
Instantly he froze in place, not even daring to breathe for a moment. The shuffling sound faded and he breathed a sigh of relief. He took another step towards the door before light bloomed behind him, casting the inside of the base in a golden glow.
He slowly turned his head and found Sunbird lying in bed, eyes still closed. She had one hand half raised towards him, crackling with power that would have been terrifying anywhere else in the world. Here, he just raised an eyebrow.
“Even that can’t hurt me here.”
“I know more about the mechanics of this world than you do. Do you really want to push me?”
He had to admit that he didn’t have an answer for that. He didn’t know of any exploits that could circumvent the base’s protections, but Sunbird had repeatedly demonstrated an uncanny familiarity with every glitch, exploit, and easter egg that the game had to offer. Now he had a choice. He could call her bluff and force her hand, or he could go along with what she wanted.
Of course, there was also a third option, which is what he went for.
“Even if you do know an exploit like that, you won’t use it. Isn’t the whole point keeping me alive?”
“There’s a whole spectrum between ‘dead’ and ‘unharmed.’ And I’m willing to explore all of it with you if you don’t step away from the door.”
“You’re taking this too far. I know you want me to be safe, but like this? Keeping me prisoner?”
“You’re the one who went and lost all his revivals. How did that even happen?”
An uneasy hush fell over them as she brushed against a topic that she knew was taboo. It was the big wall that stood between them, even as they had grown closer. A secret that he’d very carefully hidden, but he couldn’t hide the signs. The multiple deaths, for starters, not to mention all the other times that he’d returned battered and badly damaged.
The truth was simple: he had joined an Alliance, and they had sent him out on missions for them. They were demanding, but he was gaining a lot of information that he could put to use. Unfortunately, the Lighter Shade Alliance could be extremely businesslike with its members. Nothing came for free, and bigger requests came with bigger requirements. He had made a couple of requests that were bigger than he could earn.
But all of that had to go unsaid. They had very clear rules regarding secrets, and the exact membership of their alliance ranked high among their secrets. Revealing himself wasn’t strictly forbidden, but his standing would suffer if he were to do so. And that was something that he couldn’t afford.
All of this flashed through his mind in an instant as he looked at the woman in front of him. She was beautiful, but that was almost a given in a comic book style universe like this. That alone wasn’t what had drawn him to her. She was fun, wild, and a little reckless. She would strike down her enemies with a smile on her face, but when she cared about someone, she cared deeply.
But this one secret sat between them. She knew that it was there, even if she didn’t know what it was. Most of the time, she politely pretended not to notice any secretive behavior on his part.
This was not one of those times. This time she lifted herself from the bed, floating directly into a standing position in the air above him. She glared down at him and she was surrounded by crackling golden energy that danced between her fingers.
“I’m asking you again: why have you died so much?”
“We’ve talked about this. We’re both entitled to our secrets.”
“Yeah, but your secret is killing you, so I think I deserve something.”
She squeezed her eyes shut hard and he watched as the tension slowly released from her body. While it was a struggle, she took control of her emotions and forced herself to be calm. After a minute she spoke again, cool and quiet.
“I know what I’m asking you isn’t fair, but I’m worried about you. So if you really can’t tell me the whole story, then just answer one question. Was it worth it?”
He grinned sadly and found himself nodding before he could form an answer.
“It was. I’d rather it wasn’t so expensive, but it was all worth it.”
“Good. I’d expect nothing less. Well then, I guess there’s nothing to be done about it.”
“So you’ll stop holding me hostage in my own base?”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Fine, but on one condition. No more running off on your own for now. You let me take the hits instead of you for a while.”
“You can’t expect me to accept that, can you? How could I ever just let you get hurt in my place?”
“You’re smart, and you know that it’s the right choice. I’m not budging on this. Until you have another revival to burn, you’re staying where I can see you.”
“And if I don’t agree to that?”
“Then I call the others and you’ll have to drag all of us around instead of just me.”
He studied her face for a moment, looking for any hint of leniency or joking. There was none to be found; she was dead serious. At last, he nodded. There were worse fates than to spend more time with someone that you care about.
Sunbird grinned and zipped through the air, grabbing her things and getting ready for the day.
“Well, I’m glad to see you come to your senses. Now come on, let’s go get something to eat and then we can keep an eye out on the situation around here.”
----------------------------------------
While bases were comfortable and safe, there were always circumstances that could change that. Such was the case for Gray Guardian that same morning, who was so worried and antsy that they were out the door before the first hint of dawn appeared, in the darkest moment of the night.
They weren’t overly concerned about the hour; in all honesty, it was probably one of the safer times of day in Paramount City. Few people were comfortable being awake at such a time; the night owls would be heading to sleep and the morning people hadn’t woken up yet. It was only the odd case like them that would break that cycle.
Simply put, they were feeling worried and guilty. They had heard all about what their friends had gone through, but they hadn’t been there. Would it have made a difference? It was impossible to say, but the presence of a healer was rarely a bad thing. Maybe they could have added enough buffs to get Cannoneer out alive, or done something to help Lightforge get away on his own.
Or maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference. Maybe they would have been just another death to add to the pile. That would be objectively worse than the current situation, but they would have slept better if it were true.
Instead they were out and about in the darkest hour of the night, worried that they might miss out on another chance to help. Between the hour and their own skill set, they weren’t putting much effort into being quiet. Even with the conflicts in the streets, killing a healer and defensive specialist was often more trouble than it was worth. That was easily the greatest protection that they had available, as tenuous as it was.
It took a while to reach their destination, a site that was quickly becoming their regular haunt. That familiarity made the sight of the bombed-out Gadget Forge all the harder to see. It wasn’t exactly reduced to rubble, it looked more like the victim of a particularly vicious looting. Either way it didn’t look like a place where someone worked and built things.
And, of course, Lightforge was nowhere to be seen. Gray Guardian had been listening to rumors and chatter from all sides and it seemed like the gadgeteer had simply vanished. It had been a few days since the incident, and he hadn’t been seen. The villains aligned with Razorhawk were slowly building themselves up into a frenzy turning the neighborhood upside down looking for him.
And he was somewhere. His smash and grab on his own secret base had caused waves of its own, and there was a heavy guard on the area watching for him. And Gray Guardian knew that he couldn’t move the gate at the moment, so he was out and about. But he had vanished and he wasn’t answering any messages.
That wasn’t anything new. There had been a few times where he would get caught up in his work and stop responding to calls and messages for a few days. But those had always happened here in the shop, where you could still walk up and interrupt him if you truly needed him.
Gray Guardian sighed as they picked their way through the ruined shop, looking for clues. They didn’t expect to find anything, but it was the only course of action that fought back the feeling of uselessness that was gnawing at the back of their mind. They were absorbed completely in their task until someone spoke up behind them.
“You’re not going to find him here. And it’s dangerous for you to be out and about.”
The dim light of pre-dawn was seeping into the dark streets, throwing long shadows that displayed dozens of different shades of black. And standing in one of them was Circe, whose surprise appearances had reached the point where Gray Guardian barely reacted. Instead they just shrugged.
“I didn’t really think I would. I just couldn’t sit around anymore.”
“You blame yourself for what happened.”
“Of course I do. I wasn’t there to help when you all needed it. What does that make me if not guilty?”
“A person. You can’t be everywhere; these things just happen.”
“Uh huh. And now I’m worried about the next time, so here I am. Do you know where he is?”
“I have a few strong suspicions. Why don’t we give him some space and just wait? No need to beat ourselves up about it.”
“Huh? Wait… Were you worried about him too?”
For the first time since they’d met, Circe looked a little off balance by the question. She cleared her throat and considered silently for a few moments before shrugging.
“I’ve put a lot of effort into watching him develop, and I have high hopes for him. And, if I’m being honest, he’s a friend. A tentative friend at times, but still a friend.”
“So…”
“So, yes. I was worried about him. I’ve seen the results from his more manic inventing sessions, and it wasn’t pretty. I just wanted to make sure that he was alright. That’s all.”
“Huh. You know, you really don’t act much like the other villains that I’ve met around here.”
“You haven’t met any villains, just thugs in tights. The game was never perfectly balanced, but it was better than this hellscape.”
“I guess so, but what does that have to do with you being different?”
“Just look around. This is a world with a few powerful groups at the top and little chance to ever reach the top. Villains, fundamentally, are people who look at the power structures in place, give them the finger, and do whatever they want. That’s not happening here.”
“Is that why you’ve been hanging around Lightforge so long? You’re hoping for him to change it somehow?”
“Maybe. If he could figure out XP potions or something, maybe that would even the playing field enough. He seemed the type to make something insane because no one told him that it wasn’t supposed to be possible.”
“He had been coming along. His inventions are getting more useful all the time.”
“True. Well, if I’m being honest, I wasn’t thinking about any of that when I headed over here. I was just worried.”
“About your friend?”
Circe grinned and gave a half nod. She looked like she had more to say, but Gray Guardian wasn’t willing to push. This conversation had already been more than they’d ever expected to get out of the enigmatic villain.
Any further conversation was cut off when light erupted from the ground beneath their feet. In the blink of an eye they were surrounded by a field of sparking energy in a dizzying array of colors. Different kinds of light darted back and forth through the air around them with a manic energy. Individual streaks would ricochet off one another, or swirl together into something new, or simply explode on contact.
The display was completely silent, and Circe and Gray Guardian found themselves stuck in place like a giant had gripped them and was holding them in place. The air itself shuddered and twisted in silent fury, tearing at them as they were frozen to their spots, vision dancing as they tried to comprehend what they were seeing.
And then the world around them changed.