Chapter 6: New Life

The diner was both empty and oppressively quiet, as if the world outside had forgotten it existed. Jacob’s legs still trembled from the adrenaline coursing through him just minutes ago, but he forced himself to steady, inhaling deeply to summon what little dignity he could muster. He stepped inside, the soft jingle of the bell above the door sounding unnaturally loud in the silence. His fellow Jumpers were already there, scattered around the cramped space.

Brodyn stood at the entrance, his thick, muscular arms crossed over a chest that seemed almost too broad for the doorway. His imposing figure cast a long shadow in the dim light. The diner, though unassuming from the outside, felt even smaller on the inside, with a cramped layout that left little room to breathe. Booths lined one side, their vinyl seats cracked and faded from years of use. Across from them, the counter stretched along the opposite wall, cluttered with coffee mugs, condiment dispensers, and a small mirror where Carline fussed with her hair, tying it neatly into a ponytail. Above her, a dusty old TV hung precariously from the ceiling, droning faintly with static-filled news from a familiar yet distant world.

Circular stools with torn cushions stood in front of the counter, their metal bases tarnished from countless scuffs. The windows next to the booths offered a view of the streets of the middle-layer, where cars zipped by in organized chaos. Pedestrians shuffled along the sidewalks, heads down, lost in their own worlds. Occasionally, a robot zipped past, its sleek frame moving with mechanical precision, paying no mind to the humans it shared the street with.

Jacob lingered near the door, feeling both out of place and entirely exposed. His anxiety was a living thing, clawing at his chest and making his breaths shallow. The silence in the diner was almost unbearable, more oppressive than the chaos of the car chase he’d barely escaped. He couldn’t help but imagine what the others were thinking, their judgment weighing heavy on him.

He fucked it all up.

He ruined the mission.

Jacob could already hear Kaeas’s voice in his head: Did you shoot anyone? He wouldn’t have an answer. He wouldn’t have a defense. He’d failed, plain and simple. He’d lost everything—the intel, the mission, the trust of his team. And for what? He’d died for nothing. He’d come back for nothing. It was all pointless—

“Let’s party!” Brodyn’s booming voice shattered the oppressive silence, jolting Jacob out of his spiraling thoughts. A heavy slap on Jacob’s back sent him stumbling forward, and Brodyn strode past him with an infectious grin, his broad frame forcing others to shift in their seats to make way.

Jacob blinked, momentarily stunned. He wasn’t alone in his confusion; everyone in the diner turned to Brodyn with raised eyebrows or incredulous looks. Brodyn paused, hands on his hips, his grin faltering as he noticed their stares. He spun in place, as if trying to spot something out of the ordinary.

“What’s the matter?” he said, his deep voice carrying easily. “We completed a mission! Nobody died! I say we drink to this, party all night long, and—”

“Quit coping, Bro,” Junpei muttered from a booth in the far back. He leaned against the seat, his head tilted back to stare at the stained ceiling tiles. His gloved hands rested on his lap, fingers tapping an idle rhythm. “We failed. Or, well, we did our part. Jacob failed. Lost all the info. Probably in the hands of the Kamuras now.”

Jacob’s heart sank. His hands began to sweat as he searched for words to defend himself, but nothing came out. Before he could even attempt to speak, Canrad, seated in the booth ahead of Junpei, chimed in.

“How’d it happen, huh?” Canrad asked, leaning forward with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. “You got the info, and then what? They stuffed you in a car and drove off? Why were you driving a Kamura car?”

“Enough,” Carline cut in from behind the counter, her voice firm but calm. She adjusted the cuffs of her bartender’s outfit, her piercing blue eyes fixed on Jacob. “Let the man speak. He deserves to tell us his side of the story.”

Jacob nodded, swallowing hard as the diner fell silent once more. The weight of their stares pressed on him, but he forced himself to begin. Step by step, he recounted everything: renting the car, the pursuit, the ambush, and finally, the explosion. He left out certain details—his miraculous revival, the strange dream, and the cryptic words Kalaf had said to him earlier. Those secrets weren’t ready to see the light of day.

When he finished, he shoved his hands into his pockets, avoiding their eyes. The silence that followed was unbearable. Their expressions ranged from skepticism to intrigue, but none of them spoke immediately. Jacob’s stomach churned. Did he slip up? Did they know he was holding back?

“They blew up the car?” Brodyn finally said, his grin returning. “Well, if that’s the case…” He trailed off, glancing at Piper, who sat emotionless in the front booth, absently stroking the sleek, anime-like head of her robotic companion.

“If that’s the case,” Carline murmured, crossing her arms as her brow furrowed.

“Then the Kamuras…”

“Didn’t want the creds,” an unfamiliar voice finished. All heads turned as Kalaf entered the diner, the door clicking shut behind her. Her presence immediately shifted the atmosphere, her cloak trailing behind her as she strode in with purpose. She stopped near the entrance, leaning casually against the wall opposite Jacob.

“They didn’t want the president’s creds,” she repeated, her tone urgent yet measured. “I don’t know why, but they weren’t after the intel we had.”

The team exchanged uncertain glances, the weight of her words sinking in. Junpei sat up straighter, his striking purple eyes narrowing as he locked onto Kalaf.

“What? Impossible,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want the hidden information of the most important man in the entire multiverse?”

“Exactly,” Canrad added, gesturing dramatically with his hands. “With the president’s creds, you’ve got Mega City in your hands.”

“Hell, you’ve got the entire multiverse,” Kaeas chimed in, her tone unusually somber. She sat next to Canrad, her arms crossed as she stared at the table. “That’s what we needed. What we’ve been working toward since the Jumpers started. If we had those creds, every universe would finally be free.”

“If, but, blah blah blah,” Brodyn interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. “Who cares? We didn’t get it. What we need to figure out now is why the Kamuras blew up the car.”

Silence fell again, thicker than before. Jacob’s mind raced as he pieced together the fragments of the conversation.

“I’m sorry, but… huh?” Jacob finally said, his voice uncertain. “The creds were in the car, right? And they blew it up? So that means the creds are gone. Forever. Why couldn’t they be saved digitally?”

Junpei nodded curtly. “They were transferred onto the chip you used to rent the car. Once that chip’s destroyed, so is the data. We should’ve moved it to the Rain instead.”

Jacob’s stomach twisted. He’d been so careless. Brodyn had warned him, but he’d still… how could he let this happen?

“Well, questions everywhere,” Kalaf said, her voice slicing through the murmur of uncertainty in the diner. She pulled everyone’s attention back to her like a magnet, her arms folding beneath her weathered cloak. Her expression was grave, but her eyes carried the weight of someone who’d seen too much and spoken too little. “Luckily, I’ve got some answers. Sort of—and until we know more, it’s the only answer. The Kamura want Jacob dead.”

The silence was deafening. Heads tilted in disbelief. Mouths gaped like fish caught out of water. Confusion hung in the air, thick and suffocating, as if the diner had transformed into a mausoleum of unanswered questions.

For Jacob, though, it made perfect sense. He leaned back as far as he could on the wall, mind racing with bitter clarity. If only he could tell them the truth—that they succeeded. He had died. But he hadn’t. Somehow, impossibly, he was here. The implications clawed at his thoughts, but he shelved them for now. He had bigger concerns.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Me? What do they wanna kill me for?” Jacob pointed to himself, his voice rising in pitch. His incredulity mirrored the expressions of those around him, their collective confusion uniting them in the face of this revelation.

“That’s what we gotta find out, innit?” Kalaf’s tone was sharp, her words like a blade cutting through the haze. She turned abruptly, her cloak swaying as she strode toward the door. “We’ve got a busy few weeks ahead. Enjoy the rest tomorrow—our next mission is invading the Kamura base.”

The door creaked open, spilling cold city air into the diner. In that fleeting moment, Jacob caught a glimpse of the bodies—the Kamura assassins who had followed him here—gone now, erased as if they’d never existed. The door flashed shut with a finality that made Jacob curse under his breath. He hesitated, torn between following her and staying put. With a silent argument against himself, he pushed to his feet and stepped outside.

The night in Mega City was a mosaic of harsh neon lights and endless shadows. The sun was nearly gone, a faint smear of orange fading beneath the jagged skyline. The air was crisp, biting at his skin like a memory that wouldn’t let go.

“Kal!” Jacob called, jogging to catch up with her. She stopped, turning back with an arched brow, standing beside the Kamura’s sleek black car. The driver’s side door hung open, its interior a blend of synthetic leather and ominous tech.

“About today—” Jacob began, but his words were cut short by the sharp sting of a slap.

Pain blossomed on his cheek, his head snapping to the side. He stumbled slightly, instinctively rubbing the spot where Kalaf’s hand had struck. She grinned, though there was no humor in it, shaking her head like a disappointed teacher.

“You really were something special in the end,” she said, her tone low and almost wistful. “I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you—knew you were cut out for the job.”

Jacob straightened, his grin nervous, unsure whether her words were meant to comfort or taunt. “Uh… thanks?”

She chuckled dryly. “You’ve got no clue, do you? Think back. When you got burnt to a crisp an hour ago—what happened after?”

Jacob blinked, her words pulling him back to the moment he’d been sure was his last. “Well… I, uh… I saw these blue cracks. One of them… it spoke to me, I think. When I touched it, I was… back. Like, moments before I died.”

Kalaf nodded, her expression unreadable. “So, you escaped death.” She turned, her shoulders relaxing as if some great burden had been lifted. “Pretty lucky, you know that?” Without another word, she strolled off, the echo of her boots fading into the night.

Jacob stood there, the questions piling up like an insurmountable mountain. What had she meant? Did she know why he had "cheated" death? And what was the slap even for?

“Yo! You comin’? We’re about to celebrate!”

Jacob turned to see Brodyn, his burly frame silhouetted against the light spilling from the diner. His voice boomed with an unshakable confidence that almost made Jacob smile. Almost.

He sighed, dragging himself back inside. The diner had transformed in his absence. Music now roared from makeshift speakers, and laughter spilled from every corner. The Jumpers had shed their earlier tension, their camaraderie on full display. Conversations overlapped, and glasses clinked as the crew toasted to their uncertain victories.

When Jacob cornered Brodyn to ask why the mood had shifted so drastically, the answer was simple yet puzzling: It wasn’t about the creds. It was about you. They wanted him dead, and now that the crew knew it, their loyalty was ironclad.

Jacob found the sentiment sweet, if a little unnerving. He still couldn’t shake the questions gnawing at the edges of his mind. Why did the Kamura want him dead? Were the creds merely a diversion? Or were they somehow tied to the larger scheme?

Unable to join the revelry, Jacob slipped out the back door. The alley behind the diner was a forgotten corner of Mega City, where shadows reigned and the hum of distant traffic felt like a lullaby for the lost. He climbed onto the dumpster, hoisting himself onto the low-hanging roof.

There, under the cold expanse of the city’s neon-streaked sky, Jacob let his legs dangle over the edge of the low rooftop. The breeze was sharp, biting at his skin with a truth he wasn’t ready to face. Below, above and around him, Mega City sprawled endlessly, a labyrinth of shimmering lights and shadows that seemed alive in its complexity. The skyline towered above, crowned by the imposing Diamond Tower that pierced the clouds like a monument to arrogance. He shivered but wasn’t sure if it was the wind or the weight of his thoughts.

His mind wandered back to that dream—hazy yet piercing, vivid in a way reality rarely was. His father, on a stage before thousands, speaking with the kind of conviction Jacob had never associated with the man. “Use that potential for something good today. Not tomorrow.” The words echoed now, sharp as the breeze, cutting deeper than he’d like to admit.

“As if that means shit,” Jacob muttered under his breath, the bitterness palpable. His lips twisted into a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He let his gaze drift forward, watching cars glide along the arterial streets, their headlights weaving between pools of synthetic light. One vehicle zipped by too fast, reckless in its speed. He chuckled darkly. “Lucky there’s no cops around. If this city even has cops.”

The creak of the door behind him snapped him out of his reverie. A blast of techno music erupted from below, sharp and jarring, before it was muffled again. He didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Carline emerged from the stairwell, stepping lightly onto the trash bin before hoisting herself up to sit beside him. She moved with practiced ease, her silhouette framed by the neon glow of the skyline.

“City’s beautiful tonight,” she said softly, her voice carrying a warmth that contrasted the chill in the air. She swung her legs forward and back, matching the rhythm of the wind. Her gaze was fixed upward, tracing the jagged edges of the skyline as if it were a constellation.

Jacob followed her gaze, taking in the view anew. The towering structures, the middle-layer streets branching into unseen depths, the vibrant chaos that seemed both endless and unknowable. “It is every night,” he replied, slouching his shoulders to ease the tension in his body.

Carline chuckled, a light sound that carried a teasing edge. “You say that like you’ve been here longer than a few days.”

Jacob grinned despite himself, watching another car race by. “You’re right. But I could get used to it. The big city’s always called my name, even if I lived on the outskirts of one… you know, back in my other universe.”

Carline tilted her head, her expression curious yet knowing. “Other universe. You say that so casually now.”

Jacob shrugged, his grin fading. He looked at her fully then, really looked. The way her makeup caught the light, accentuating her high cheekbones and the sharp curve of her jawline. The tailored bartender suit she wore hugged her form perfectly, giving her an effortless grace. Her hair—uniquely styled—framed her symmetrical face in a way that made him wonder if this was beauty or just his own loneliness playing tricks on him.

“Sorry if you feel down today,” Carline said, her tone gentler now. “I know you’re new here, and there’s a lot of weight on those shoulders. But it’ll be okay. Happens to every new recruit.”

Jacob let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Really? An entire gang wanting you dead happens to everyone?” His words came out harsher than he intended, but Carline didn’t flinch. If anything, her expression softened.

“Well, no,” she admitted. “But you’ve just got to stay calm. Don’t make any rash decisions. I’ve seen someone like you before, trying to find their way in the city… It didn’t end well.”

Jacob’s curiosity piqued, and he turned to her. “In the Jumpers? How many people were originally here?”

Carline’s sigh was deep, her eyes clouding with memories. “A lot. The original Jumpers were nothing like what you see now. Back then, we were fighting a different game. The game of war between Mega City and Diamond.” She paused, then continued, sensing his unspoken question. “I joined the Jumpers when I was ten. An orphan from one of the small tribes in the wastes beyond the city. A paladin, someone like Kalaf, took me in and brought me here. Back then, we fought for independence. Mega City was community-owned, a beacon of hope. Then Diamond came and tried to seize it by force. We were just a ragtag group of freedom fighters, trying to save the city we loved.”

Her voice broke slightly, but she masked it with another sigh. “You can guess how that ended.” She pointed up at Diamond Tower, its gleaming spire a stark reminder of their failure.

Jacob followed her gesture, exhaling cold air that billowed like smoke. “So the Jumpers… How did it come to this? I mean, freedom fighters for the city sounds badass. Now it feels more… I don’t know. Anticlimactic. We run errands, small-time jobs. It’s not exactly inspiring.”

Carline’s lips curved into a sad smile. “It’s more than that. We all have our reasons, our pasts. But we share one thing: our hatred for Diamond. For me, it’s personal. For others, it’s different. But our goal… our goal is to bring them down, to restore peace to Mega City. To give people hope. We might look like mercenaries to you, but to me, we’re the city’s last chance.”

Jacob nodded slowly, her words sinking in. He stopped swinging his legs and sat up straighter. “I get it. I’ve been a liability, though. I’m sorry for that. I’ll do better. You guys are all I have now. This is a new life for me. I just… I just need to adjust.”

Carline placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You’ll find your place. Just take it one step at a time.”

Silence fell between them, heavier than the wind that ruffled their hair. Carline reached into her pocket and pulled out a hair tie, standing behind Jacob. “Want me to put your hair up?”

Jacob blinked, caught off guard. “Uh… sure. Yeah.” He felt her fingers comb through his hair, soft and deliberate. His cheeks flushed as she worked, tying it into a neat bun. When she finished, she stepped back to admire her handiwork.

“Looks great on you. Have you never had it up before?” she asked, tilting her head with a playful smile.

“Nah,” Jacob admitted, touching the bun lightly. “Feels good, though. Thanks.”

Carline stretched her arms, hopping down onto the trash bin below. “Enjoy yourself tonight. You never know when your last day will be.”

“Grim,” Jacob muttered, but her laughter made it less so. Her dimples were cute, he realized, and he wondered how he’d missed them before.

“It’s the truth,” she said. Then, with a glance back at him: “And Jacob? I’m glad you’re here.”

Her blue eyes caught the light, their brilliance stunning him for a moment. He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Me too.”

Together, they headed for the diner below. The music had shifted to something softer, more melodic. For the first time in a long time, Jacob felt like he belonged. He felt like he had a future. And that was all he needed.