Chapter 72

Freedom

Friday, October 3, 2059

13 days to Armageddon

Leo had spent the previous day eating and drinking as much as he could, half expecting to be dragged back into an interrogation room. But after a quiet, restful night of sleeping on a hard prison bed that was infinite bliss compared to being hung by his hands while listening to loud music in a freezing, smelly cell, he was taken to a washroom and allowed to shower. Soap and personal toiletries were provided, as well as the clothes (recently cleaned) that he'd worn in with him.

Future Man 10/16: Badger 22/Shank 66. Did you guys do anything to get me out of here?

Badger 22: I've been quietly looking into your case, but no. Like I said before, I'm a paper pusher, and I don't have that much pull at the agency.

Shank 66: Couldn't if I'd wanted to. I don't know for sure, but I suspect the nice humans from Bio-Blessed put in a word. If so, this goes so far beyond creepy I don't know what to think.

Future Man 10/16: Kind of suggests there's some truth to what I've been saying.

Shank 66: Or maybe aliens like crazy people? Let me know if the world ends. In the meantime, don't call me. I won't call you.

Future Man 10/16: One last question. Why didn't they cut off my fingers like they said they would?

Shank 66: To cut off the fingers of a minor, we have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and get permission from the director. It is much easier for us to do things that won't leave obvious marks.

Future Man 10/16: I see.

Leo chuckled. I knew they were bluffing back at the school when they were threatening to cut off my fingers. Some cold-blooded agents they are. He thought.

After showering and dressing, he was escorted to a reception room with bright sunlit windows and a front desk where a cheerful lady returned his personal effects. Nothing was missing, not even his debit card with the thousand dollars on it. His cellphone needed charging, but that was it. After he returned his orange prison clothes, the lady handed him a piece of paper and a black pen.

“We thank you for any assistance you've provided in our efforts to protect this country from terrorism,” she said with a smile. “Before you leave, we'd like you to fill out this questionnaire.”

Curious, Leo started reading.

1. During your stay with our agency, has anyone spoken to you in an excessively loud, aggressive, or derogatory manner? Yes/No

2. Has anyone threatened you with violence, or committed a violent act against you, or in your presence? Yes/No

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

3. Has anyone behaved in a less than courteous manner or behaved rudely to you? Yes/No

The list went on and on. Leo couldn't help it. He started laughing. It was a long time before he could stop. The lady continued to stare at him, still smiling.

“What if I say yes to these?” he asked.

“We would, of course, need you to stay and provide a full report of any and all such events that you believe to have occurred,” she said. “Our agency is very concerned with its image and would be quick to respond to any criticisms you might have.”

Leo quickly marked “No” for every question and returned the questionnaire.

“Thank you, Leo. We've already called a driver to take you home. You should know, your parents have been informed that you've been assisting us with an important secret investigation. They've each been sent a $100 gift card as a token of our appreciation.” She pulled a colorful plastic bag filled with miscellaneous items from her desk and handed it to him. “Because you are twelve, you are receiving our junior gift pack. This comes with a $100 gift card, a junior helper police badge, ten 'I Helped My Government' smiley face stickers, and two first-class tickets to our favorite movie, 'Die Die Die' a movie filled with edge-of-your-seat action as a secret government agency fights off hordes of terrorist scum. A movie our agency assisted in making.”

Leo took the bag, pulled out the gift card, and put it in his pocket.

The woman continued. “As always, we appreciate your discretion. This means you are not allowed to talk about this agency or anything you have done here. If you do talk about us, we will know and you will face legal action and possible imprisonment. Do you understand this, Leo?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Off you go, Leo. Your ride is waiting.” The woman smiled and waved.

Leo tossed the junior helper bag into the garbage and left the building. As soon as he stepped out the door and into the sunlight, Imp let him know his quest was complete.

Congratulations! You have completed your quest and gained 100 Demon Tears. In addition, your courage and determination to protect your friends has been noticed, and rewarded. You have been given access to one of the rarest and most powerful character classes in the game. Paladin/Uncommon.

After his days in prison, the blue sky and mid-morning sun were the nicest things he'd seen or felt in a long time. He stared at the sky until a honking car snapped him out of it. It was his ride.

The trip home in the taxi was peaceful, and the driver remained quiet. Leo couldn't believe he was free. He'd been in prison for only four days, but it felt like a lifetime.

When the taxi dropped him off in front of his house, he couldn't make himself go inside. He'd spent far too much time indoors, and the day was nice. He started walking, not caring where he went as long as there was sky and sunlight.

Paladin/Uncommon combined with his bonus would become Paladin/Rare. He'd never met a Paladin, but he'd heard stories. They had the best armor and were heavy hitters, with a lot of offensive weapons and abilities. That was in addition to a powerful healing gift they could use on themselves or their comrades. The only Paladin he knew of had supposedly died holding off a High-Level Boss so his comrades could escape. And if the story could be believed, that had been a Paladin/Common.

It was almost worth getting tortured to gain this character class. Almost.

On a one-on-one basis, Paladins were the toughest character Leo knew of. Guardians were better in a group setting because, in addition to being very strong, they could augment their group's abilities. The larger the group, the greater the augmentation effect. But as of yet, he hadn't been given the Guardian class and had no idea how to get it.

Paladin/Rare combined with his knowledge of these monsters, might--emphasis on might--be enough to turn the tide. For the first time in a very long time, he felt hope.

Leo laughed. Remembering his two-step, save the world program.

1. Get the word out—Done. Somehow Leo had gotten the word out.

2. Get a character class that won't get its ass kicked—Well... Done as well as could reasonably be expected.

Now, if he could only stop the end of the world from happening.