The door slammed open. The police officer, in full riot gear, leaped in and leveled a rifle at Levi. Maury jolted, smacking the button on her cart again. It sped up, wheels squealing.

CRACK!

Levi turned. Maury stared at the engine, irritated. A backfire.

The police officer whipped around. A shot rang out.

Maury cursed and grabbed her shoulder. Blood soaked into her shirt.

“Maury!” Levi shouted. He sprinted at the police officer, forcing the man to focus on him. Bullets cracked out, one after another, and slammed into Levi. He stumbled, barely keeping his feet, and staggered back.

The engine roared, and the cart lurched off at full speed. It hurtled into the darkness, carrying Maury away.

Levi spread his hands, putting his body between the officer and Maury. His body shuddered from the force of the bullets.

“Get out of my way!” The police officer shoulder charged him. Levi grabbed onto the police officer with both arms. Frustrated, the officer slammed the butt of his rifle into Levi’s shoulder, over and over. The dull thuds shook Levi’s body, but he barely felt them.

He giggled. “You shot me too much, bro. I’m dying.”

The officer twisted in his grip. Grabbing Levi by his collar and belt, he hoisted. The world spun, and Levi smashed into the floor. Lying on his back, Levi watched the officer run after the cart. His vision faded.

Hold on. I gotta hold on. If he reaches Maury, she’s fucked. Levi squinted after the officer.

After a few moments, the officer came back, shaking his head. He looked at Levi and wrinkled his nose.

“I’m dyin’,” Levi slurred at him.

“Yeah.”

“But I’ll be back.” Levi gave him a sloppy thumbs-up.

“Sure thing, kid.” The police officer raised the gun to Levi’s forehead.

Levi giggled again. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you. Officer…” He squinted, struggling to read the man’s nametag. “Officer Torkiss.”

BANG!

[You lost a life!]

[Lives remaining: -17267]

DEBUG: Corruption Level HIGH [URGENT] | Ability Points non-degraded | status DEGRADED [worsening]

Press X to reallocate your ability points.

The first thing he heard was the crackle of a radio. “All hostiles down. Room is clear. One runner…escaped off a cliff. I lost sight of her, couldn’t follow in foot. Bring in the special unit.”

Levi twitched. He glanced around, not moving. He laid on the stone floor, his face toward the entryway. Blood splattered all around him.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

The officer stood in the door, talking on his radio. He leaned forward, looking up the staircase.

Slowly, Levi shifted his foot, hooking it around a feature on the rock. He pulled himself downward, just an inch. One inch at a time, slowly retreating toward the table. The table, and the syringe atop it.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Hurry it up, alright? She’s moving at speed.”

Officer Torkiss turned, glancing back. Levi stilled, going limp. He glanced back up the stairs, and Levi inched on. “It’s just me and a corpse down here. Come on.”

The table loomed. Levi waited, holding his breath. Under half-closed eyelids, he watched Officer Torkiss, waiting.

Officer Torkiss took a few steps up the stairs. “Is that you?”

Now! Levi lunged for the table. He grabbed the edge and snatched the syringe down.

Officer Torkiss whipped around. He raised his gun.

“Whoa, whoa! Hey! I’m just a little guy,” Levi said, putting one hand up. With the other, he injected the syringe into his gut.

“Drop that—hey! Drop that!” Officer Torkiss charged Levi, raising the gun again.

Levi tossed the syringe away and put both hands up. He laid out flat on the ground. “Wheee!”

Heat burned in his forehead. His eyeballs lit up, dry and hot. He blinked rapidly as tears leaked out of his eyes. More and more heat, so much his lips trembled, on the verge of screaming. He tilted his head to the side, putting his forehead against the cool stone floor, but there was no relief to be found. Not even an ounce.

Officer Torkiss lunged on him. Levi went limp, letting the man flip him over and snap cuffs on him. The change in posture forced his burning forehead against the floor. At last, a little relief bit through the heat. He smiled, shifting his head back and forth to get the most coolness out of the floor.

Officer Torkiss slammed him against the floor, then stood. He stared at Levi for a minute. Abruptly, he kicked him.

“Police brutality! Police brutality!” Levi shouted.

“Yeah? So what?”

Levi peered at him from the corner of his eyes. He grinned. “Just thought you ought to know that you’re breaking the law right now, Mr. Officer.”

Officer Torkiss pulled his foot back. Levi braced himself.

The kick lifted him off the ground and sent him rolling. Levi kept on rolling until he struck the wall. “Yay!”

Ability Points + 24

Level: N/A

ATK: 8

DEF: 1

PWR: 0

PDEF: 0

SPD: 20

EXP: 0 | To next level: 0

AP: 24 | To next AP: 0

He hummed to himself, pleased with the new incoming surge of points. Hundred-pointers hit different.

For now, let’s bank those points. I’ll use them when I need to break out of jail. No idea how I’m going to do that, but that’s exactly why I’m not allocating them now. Levi closed his eyes, resting his warm forehead against the oh-so-cool wall.

“What did you inject?” Officer Torkiss snapped, planting a foot on Levi.

“I dunno, what do you think I injected?” Levi returned.

Officer Torkiss’ nose wrinkled. He kicked Levi again. Levi lifted off the floor and landed again with an oof. “Fuckin’ junkies. Piece of shit. People died, you know? People died.”

“Wait, what do you think I did?” Levi asked, curious.

“You know what you did.”

“No, I don’t. People died? I mean, person died…not by my hand, of course, but people?”

Another kick. “Shut the fuck up, piece of shit.”

“You’ve got the wrong man, officer. The wrong man!”

Officers thumped down the stairs. Someone picked Levi up by the shoulders and marched him up to the first floor. Officer Torkiss nodded at them. “He’s a healer. Feel free to give him a workover if you need it.”

“He’s a liar, I bruise easily and I’ll bleed all over your upholstery!” Levi shouted.

Ignoring Levi, the other officers nodded. A foul smile crawled over one’s face. “Got it, sir.”

“You will regret this,” Levi said, suddenly calm. He looked into one of the officers’ eyes, one who hadn’t agreed wholeheartedly with Officer Torkiss. “I promise you.”

That officer stumbled back, his eyes wide.

“It’s too late to talk big.” With a shove, another officer pushed him toward the stairs. Levi went to climb up them, only for a kick to the back of his knees to land him hard on the stairs’ edges.

He looked over his shoulder. “You’re on the list, too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Keep moving.”

Levi stumbled up the stairs, shaking his head at the officers. This had better be the damn hand of destiny. If this isn’t that precog’s plan, I’m gonna be pissed. Hell—I’ll put him on the list, myself.