"I hate this place," Carol said as she lay on the walkway. "Why are they always shooting at me?"

I couldn't help but smile :

"You're the tallest," I replied.

Carol laughed, her spirits lifting momentarily.

We could hear the footsteps of the bandits as they started to move closer. Carol stood up and joined me as we took cover behind the metal sheets lining the skywalks.

"You have no way out. Give us your gold, and we'll only kill one of you!" shouted a voice.

"Your mom is so fat, she broke the stairs to heaven!" Carol retorted, catching me completely off guard.

"What?" I asked, my surprise evident.

The bandits paused their movements, murmuring among themselves.

"My daughter taught me that," Carol said, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"But why did you reply like that?"

"You'll see," Carol said, her smile growing wider.

"Where did you see my mom? We have no idea what you are --" the voice began to say, but Carol swiftly stood up, armed with the pistol, and shot.

The bullet struck the bandit in the head just as he was peeking, tearing a portion of his scalp. He fell to the ground, shouting in pain.

Carol quickly took cover again and began to reload the pistol.

"What the fuck was that?!" I asked, still in shock.

"Payback is a bitch," she said, her smile now bordering on a maniacal grin.

"You Frenchies are weird."

"Time to get some XP," she replied, her anger fueling her readiness for a fight.

The bandits around us resumed their move, attempting to encircle us.

"So, this is what all the branching was for," I remarked, understanding the purpose of the intricate walkway design.

Carol nodded in agreement.

Two bandits approached us, wielding metal pipes. Carol shot the one coming from behind us in the chest, and he dropped to the floor, quickly retreating.

I followed her lead and shot the one approaching from our left, hitting him in the head with my crossbow. He collapsed lifeless.

"The head," I said, with a grin on my face.

"Whatever," Carol said as she swiftly crouched and ran toward the bandit she had shot, finishing him off with her hammer.

She looked at me, her expression turning from a grin to one of concern, as three more bandits rushed toward her. As she stood up, she was immediately shot in the chest, propelled against the railing, and dropped to the ground. I moved in her direction, but two more Watoo bandits emerged from each side pathway, converging on me.

I managed to shoot one of them, but he quickly dodged, striking me in the head with his metal pipe. The pain was excruciating, blood spewing from my mouth as I was launched toward the side of the walkway, colliding with it. My health plummeted to 162.

The second bandit attempted to finish me off, once again aiming for my head, but I swiftly rolled to the side, causing his weapon to strike the walkway with a resounding impact, making it sway violently.

The Watoo who had attacked me in the head closed in, ready for another strike. I used my crossbow to push him away, but he proved stronger than me.

BAM!

I was shot in the chest, the bullet bouncing on my armor, and I fell to the ground, quickly protecting myself with my arms as the two bandits continued their relentless assault, striking me with their pipes over and over.

My forearms bruised and bleeding as I had no reinforced metal part there, my health plummeting to 94, I had to think quickly. I could hear Carol fighting in the background.

BAM!

Another shot rang out, and the skywalks swayed even more as something hit them.

"Carol!" I shouted, hoping for a response.

Silence.

Desperation took hold as I activated my Blood Wall ability. The two bandits next to me were launched away, propelled by an invisible force as my protective shield materialized. One of them fell over the barrier and disappeared into the clouds below.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I quickly used a healing patch, raising my health back to 119 and allowing my bleeding arms to recover.

Reloading two bolts in my crossbow, I shot both projectiles at the remaining bandit who stood nearby, still recovering from the shock of the Blood Wall. The bolts struck him forcefully in the chest, propelling him backward and causing him to fall to his demise.

Staying low and moving as fast as possible, I made my way toward Carol. Only two bandits remained, and I assumed she had dealt with the third one already. However, she lay on the ground, barely shielding her face with her forearms as the bandits continued to rain blows upon her.

Leaning against the side of the walkway, I reloaded two more bolts, aiming at the Watoo on the left. I shot, hitting him squarely in the head, and he collapsed.

The second bandit glared at me with rage, then charged in my direction. I fired my second bolt, but he managed to evade it, raising his metal pipe as he closed in. I pulled out my sword, but my movements were too slow. His weapon struck my head with a resounding "boing" sound as it made contact with my helmet.

My head started to spin, and I barely managed to protect myself with my forearms as he swung at me for a second time. My health dwindled to 61.

With a quick roll to the side, I positioned myself between him and Carol, then unleashed my Ceto's Wrath Spell, making sure to direct the flames away from her and toward the bandit. A wave of fire erupted from me, propelling the Watoo backward. He screamed in agony as his body caught ablaze, smoke trailing behind him until he finally landed on the walkway, motionless.

Rushing to Carol's side while crouching to avoid exposing myself to the remaining shooters, I could hear the bandits repositioning themselves.

"Carol!" I shouted as I reached her.

Her face was bruised and bleeding, her left eye swollen shut. She didn't move.

"Carol, are you okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

"Fu...fuckers," she muttered weakly.

"Are you on cooldown for healing?" I asked urgently.

She nodded slowly.

"Fuck!" I shouted, frustration overwhelming me. "How long --"

Before I could finish my question, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the bandits aiming at us from the right path.

He fired, and I instinctively covered Carol's head with my body. The bullets hit my back, ricocheting off my reinforced chest plate with force. My health dropped to 54. Then, from my left, another bandit fired, once again targeting Carol's head. I quickly turned, but not quickly enough. The bullet struck my unprotected bicep, blood spraying from the wound. Pain coursed through my arm as my health dwindled to 38.

Before they could fully reload, I rushed toward the first shooter on my right. He fumbled with his pistol, panic flashing across his face as I raised my sword and brought it crashing down upon his head. The blade pierced through his skull, sending brain matter and blood shooting into the air.

I swiftly turned around, my vision starting to blur. I dashed toward the remaining bandit.

BAM!

He fired, and as I attempted to dodge, I realized too late that I was dangerously close to the pathway's barrier. I went overboard, barely managing to grab hold of a rail underneath the platform at the last moment.

I need to invest even more in Dexterity, I thought.

I sheathed my sword and grabbed the rail with my second hand, attempting to raise myself up. However, a sharp pain shot through my arm as my fingers closed around it, making me cry out in agony - the bullet wound in my bicep. Nevertheless, I held on tightly, determined not to let go. I could hear the bandit moving away, for reasons unknown. Desperately, I swung my feet back and forth, striving to find a secure foothold on the rail where I could stick my feet to help support my body, all while blood continued to trickle from my arm wound.

The Watoo was already making his way back towards me. As I saw him peering over the barrier, it suddenly dawned on me where he had disappeared to - he was holding a menacing metal pipe.

Reacting swiftly, I swung myself out of harm's way, releasing my wounded arm just in time to avoid his intended strike to my head. I found myself trapped, with no immediate escape route in sight.

"You killed my brother!" the Watoo bellowed in anger. "You killed him, and now I will kill YOU!"

He lunged at me once more, his fury palpable. Fueled by desperation, I summoned every ounce of strength in my legs and propelled myself to the side, clutching onto a second rail beneath the same walkway with both hands, all while letting out a piercing cry of pain as the bullet wound stretched, my health going down to 34.

Now completely hidden and inaccessible from the Watoo above, I breathed a momentary sigh of relief. However, the bandit, consumed by rage, began mercilessly pounding the metal floor, shaking the walkway with every forceful strike. I held on tenaciously, enduring the searing pain in my arm.

I desperately tried to think for a way out, but nothing came to mind.

BOING! BOING!

The Watoo continued his relentless assault, hoping to weaken my grip.

"Think, Simon! Think!" I shouted in frustration, urging myself to find a way out of this dangerous situation.

"YOU WILL DIE!!" The Watoo's voice reverberated through the air as he persistently hammered the floor.

The walkway swayed faster and faster with each subsequent blow, my fingers began to lose their grip, inching closer to the point of no return.

Glancing downward - like an idiot - I was greeted by the unnerving sight of a forest far below, barely visible through the mist and clouds, that scared the shit out of me.

"Nope, nope, nope!" I exclaimed. "I need to do something."

Refocusing my attention on my slipping fingers, I fought against my fear of heights.

"Fuck it!" I declared, mustering determination.

"Fuck it! Fuck it! Fuck it!" I kept repeating.

I knew I had to take drastic action. And so, I did.

Building momentum with each swing, I launched myself forward, stretching my arm as far as humanly possible, aiming for the rail beneath the parallel pathway.

In that fleeting moment, everything seemed to unfold in slow motion as I managed to seize the rail with one hand, propelled by the momentum of my leap. I quickly secured my second hand, enduring a surge of pain as the wound in my arm stretched some more. My health dwindled to a mere 30.

The Watoo ceased his relentless attack and turned toward me.

"Are you stupid?" he taunted, a sneer on his face as he pulled his pistol. "You made it even easier for me."

Out of nowhere, his head exploded in a violent burst.

I looked to his right, where Carol stood, her pistol held tightly in both hands. She looked at me, her bruised face showing a smile.

"The head!" she exclaimed.

I smiled back, relieved, as she ran over to my side and helped me up.

"I thought I was dead," I said softly, still processing the intense situation.

"Me too," she added. "That was crazy what you tried, and completely stupid."

"I don't know why I did that. I think -"

Before I could finish my sentence, a high-pitched noise pierced the air, and my HUD started to flicker.

"Oh no, not now!" I shouted in frustration.

"What's going on?" Carol asked, panic evident in her voice as she covered her ears with her hands.

CHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOSSSSS!!!