In the Heart Rings of New DC, Level C served as entry to the true center of the city—a threshold where the urban landscape seamlessly shifted into a vision of the future. Gatetech manifested in every detail here; even traffic lights and shop signs shimmered with the light of the advanced technology. The paved streets gleamed smooth and black, while sidewalks bustled with well-dressed people, each a vibrant display of fashion and unique style. Monster Gate materials forged into cars glided noiselessly on the roads, emitting a faint, magical hum from their Gatetech engines.
Amidst this high-tech splendor, at one of the many high-rise buildings, the tires of a motorcycle could be heard screeching to a halt at its curb. Marcus had arrived at his home, furious veins still pulsing on the surface of his skin, jealousy raging within his heart. His keys were thrown into the air as he hopped off his bike. A valet scrambled to catch them, forced to dive and slide like a baseball player.
“Welcome back, Mr. Brent!” the valet rushed to say while still on the ground.
“I won’t be long,” Marcus informed and went in. He then rode an elevator to one of the highest floors where he lived—a luxury suite with a steep price tag, but Elina loved it, and that was all that mattered.
“Daria,” he called out, and within seconds, a woman appeared in formal wear. “My armor.” The maid’s movements were quick as she detached Marcus’ armor piece by piece. “Get my darkest clothes. If I have any gear with camouflage capabilities, get that too. If not, buy it.”
He’d visit this “Lucian” in the dark of night and beat him so bad that Elina would vomit when she looked at him.
“Your accounts have been locked, sir,” the maid informed respectfully.
“What the fuck?”
“It was your mother.”
The ringing of a phone went off as Marcus made an urgent call.
“Marcus, don’t,” said the voice of an aged woman on answering.
“Mom, what the fuck?!” Marcus cursed, his rage boiling.
“We are not having this conversation again, Marcus,” his mother denied, her tone laced with finality. “I warned you this would happen.”
“I need that money. Elina wants to visit South Sun City in the fall. What am I supposed to do if I don’t have the cash—look like a jackass?”
“You already look like a jackass, son.”
“Mom!”
His mother spoke with authority, “You’ve been cut off, Marky. The family is no longer going to support your lifestyle. You’ve borrowed way too much from us! All you have to do is leave that little succubus and then we’ll talk.”
The phone then went quiet.
“Mom? Mom!” Marcus shouted, but his mother had hung up. “Fuck!” He pushed his fingers through his stylish haircut with frustration. “What am I going to do…?” A mirror nearby reflected back to him his worry and anxiety. Upon his frame were expensive clothes of the latest fashion. He couldn’t remember when he had started dressing like this. Monster Gates and being a Warden used to be his entire world before.
Did I change when I started dating Elina? He wondered, fondling his clothing and the brand names that appeared on them. His previous style had only been a simple jeans and a shirt combo.
“Marcus!” the voice of an angel came before she herself appeared through the door, Elina—beautiful, lovely, and charming Elina. She rushed to him as if they’d been apart for years and hugged him tightly, emotionally. “Don’t be mad, Marcus. It’s all my fault.” Her buxom bosom pressed against him, lighting a fire in Marcus’ body.
Marcus’ eyes focused on her shapely silhouette reflected in the mirror, accentuated by her slim waist. Draped in the expensive mage robes he’d bought for her, she seemed like a goddess. Marcus let out a goofy noise that was half a chuckle and half a sigh of contentment. No woman compared to Elina, maybe except her best friend Amelia, solely due to her voluptuous posterior.
“Oh, I’m not mad,” Marcus said, his voice sounding as if he’d been hit with a hammer of sex appeal.
“I know who takes care of me,” Elina iterated. “It’s you, Marcus. Only you deserve me.”
Marcus’ goofy grin grew as his eyes glazed over. Yet, a sudden realization struck him.
“Oh, Elina,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “We won’t be able to go to South Sun City. Something came up…”
“What?” Elina’s expression darkened as she distanced herself from him. Marcus’ arms reached out for her, but she forcefully pushed them away. “Marcus, I was really looking forward to that trip. I've already told everyone in the guild we were going. I’m going to end up looking like a broke nobody from the Broken Ring.” Elina hated being reminded of the Broken Ring. That place had warped her in more ways than she would dare ever express to anyone.
“It’s just that my family is being stupid and wants me to stop using our corporation’s funds. Man, they’re being, like, selfish, you know?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“I can’t do this.” Elina crossed her arms below her overbearing chest. “You’re treating me like a Broken Ring whore. You fucking hate me!”
“No, Elina! I love you!”
“Worm,” Elina spat, though shorter than him, seemed to be looking down on him. “You’re just another New DC faker.” Marcus tried to reach for her again. “Don’t touch me, worm. I should’ve known you didn’t care about me. You’re just a pretender, like the rest of them.”
“Please, don’t say that,” Marcus begged, falling to a knee for her but she turned her back to him.
“Let’s just take a break from each other.” With that Elina walked out.
Amelia, who was coming up, chasing after Elina, paused seeing Elina on her way out. Amelia prompted, confused, “We’re leaving already?” When she saw Marcus distraught in his penthouse, she smiled widely with satisfaction. “Yea, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I’ve got to get more money,” Marcus muttered to himself, still kneeling on the ground. “Elina deserves it.” Lately, she’d become like a different person. Though it excited Marcus her new domineering attitude, it also crushed him at times. “It’ll be better when I get money. It always does with Elina…”
***
Lucian and the others were stacking goblin corpses, the wind in the forest blowing overhead, the constant shudder of leaves battered by its force remaining as it always did in this Monster Gate.
“So, what’s your story anyways?” Lucian asked, picking out a monster body to dress.
While Lucian’s Gatetech cutters whirred, surgically separating monster meat from bone, Dougy grunted from exertion, tossing a heavy hobgoblin onto the growing pile. Catching his breath, he answered, “We’re Wastelanders, isn’t that obvious? Dealing with raiders, warlords, and the monsters that escape the gates—it's the regular hell shit of the Wasteland.”
“Two Tap is from the Wasteland,” Two Tap answered, as if the question had been posed to her. She playfully tossed up and down a sapphire sphere—the Boss Key, cut out of the Boss Monster. Thin, with her dry, straw-like blonde hair that resembled a pile of hay, she seemed like your average strung-out crystal addict from New DC, just a bit dustier. It was how Wastelanders were. They were always coated in dust.
“Why the metal teeth?” William had to ask, staring at the metallic gleam in Two Tap’s mouth while tossing goblins onto the corpse pile.
“Two Tap is like Dougy,” Two Tap responded, smiling, displaying her metallic teeth.
Dougy coughed awkwardly. “I didn’t want her to get that metal put in,” he explained, “but she wouldn’t stop bugging me, you know? So, I kind of had to.”
[Metal Man]
Metal crawled swiftly across his body to cover his skin.
“It’s because of my Skill.” Dougy scratched the back of his head helplessly.
“Two Tap is like Dougy,” Two Tap repeated, her smile more genuine than when it was when elicited by drugs.
William couldn’t help but smile in return. He instinctively reached out to Penelope. “Sisters are great, huh?” he found himself saying. Awkwardness filled him and he pulled his hand away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that…”
“It’s alright, big bro,” Penelope grinned and hugged him.
William almost felt like he could feel his deceased sister through Penelope, causing his eyes to sting but he managed to hold it together.
“I don’t think Scavenging for Wild Gates is for me,” Penelope expressed what had been on her mind recently. “I think mercenaries are a lot cooler.”
William sniffed, “There’s always room in Wasted Souls for exceptional talents.” He looked to Lucian and Dougy. “You guys got what it takes too, if you’re interested. And hell, we just recruited an Exotic grade talent!” He put his arm around Penelope. “Business is going to start booming!”
Dougy felt a twinge of temptation. Watching William and Penelope together stirred a longing within him, a desire to grasp the elusive concept of sibling connection that seemed foreign to a Wastelander like him. His arm instinctively lifted as if reaching for Two Tap, but the chasm between them felt insurmountable. Such closeness was a luxury they hadn't been afforded in the harsh upbringing of the Wasteland.
“I’m alright,” Lucian denied with a friendly smile, “I got my own dream, a promise to someone that needs to be kept.” An orphan girl who loved flowers came to his mind.
“He’s always thinking of girls,” Penelope chastised, knowing Lucian’s story and could guess where his head was at.
“I’m not a player!” Lucian groaned, prompting the others to start laughing.
“Yea, maybe mercenary work ain’t so bad,” Dougy said to William about his offer. “Me and Two Tap just reunited a few months ago. Found her back where I used to stomp around as a kid. It’d be rad if we could catch a break for a moment, maybe pitch camp in that walled off city for a while.”
“Two Tap mom and dad dead,” Two Tap explained her life story with a few words. She raised a calloused finger at the goblin corpses. “Dead!”
“Yea, they kicked the bucket a few years back and left Two Tap along with a lab full of crystal.” Dougy paused as he watched Two Tap start smoking again at the mention of Elysium. “It’s where she got the habit.” He watched her for a moment. “I didn’t even know our parents were still alive after the raid…”
“Ah, fuck!” Dougy suddenly shouted, gripping his arm in pain.
“What is it?” Lucian responded in alarm, getting up from his work.
“My fucking…slave brand is fucking…” Dougy’s eyes grew wide as he spun around to look at the surrounding trees, in fear of what he was expecting. “There’s no fucking way…!”
Emerging from the forest, a heavily tattooed young man with a mohawk, dust covered and wearing chitin armor, appeared with a malicious grin.
“Xavier?” Dougy sputtered then became blinded by rage. “You fucking pussy! You run off and now you want to come back when we’re counting the loot? Fuck you! Me and Two Tap is taking your share. It’s standard Anointed rules!”
“You ain’t getting shit but a one-way ticket back to fucksville,” Xavier retorted. Three figures emerged from behind him—fellow Wastelanders, recognized by their black biker attire, sundried skin and tattoos.
Two Tap became frantic, hopping from foot to foot in her anxiety.
Dougy mirrored her unease, his expression paling at the sight of the man leading the newcomers. The thin figure sported a buzz cut with metal spikes protruding from his head. One hand held a magic staff and the other had a Gatetech Device. His tattoo-covered chest was exposed by an open leather vest adorned with patches, the most prominent of them reading, “Man Hunter.”
“Merlin…” Dougy grumbled, nervous sweat appearing. He knew the man and what he was about. “Hey, Lucian.” Lucian was wary and turned to the sound of his name. “Could you take my sister with you? I don’t care where, just take her out of the Wasteland.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Lucian responded.
“These men are about to take me.”
[Angry Gremlin]
Lucian grew into a looming figure of muscle with a menacing presence. “No, they’re not,” he denied in his raspy voice, glaring at the Wastelander strangers, exposing his sharp teeth at them.
Penelope nodded in agreement with the sentiment, “I don’t like party poopers. We’ll show them the exit!”
William drew his dagger and slid into a fighting stance. “A mercenary’s work is never done,” he grunted with a grin, his adrenaline spiking.
“You guys…” Dougy mumbled, unable to fathom the sincerity in their actions. He then nodded. “Yea, let’s fuck them up!”