NATE MERCER’S APARTMENT, SAFE HOUSE. HELL’S KITCHEN, NYC
NEIGHBORHOOD: UNCLAIMED.
CITY: CLAIMED BY SQUAD THE PARAGONS OF JUSTICE
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Being able to just unequip my boots was actually a hell of a perk and as I plopped down onto my bed with a heavy thud, my boots disappeared in a flash of light.
“Is the Common Ground the only place to see all those leaderboards? How much do they even matter?” I said and looked up at a clock I kept on the wall. If Silver was right, Axio would be making an announcement soon.
“It depends on the leaderboard! For now, the only one you can access while outside of The Common Ground is your Wave Leaderboard and that’s only while you are within a Safe Zone,” Angie chirped as a window expanded in my vision.
Tenth Wave
1. Tempest’s Wrath - Level 5 - Miscreant - Territories: 2 - Score: 500 Points
“Holy crap, how has that guy already claimed another territory?” I wondered. It had taken me a few hours just to get through the tutorial alone.
“Claiming territories is technically easier for Miscreants, especially those with particularly destructive power sets. I cannot say for sure until there is more data but 250 is generally the lowest amount you can receive for a single territory. These low scoring regions are normally a small town or neighborhood that is minimally considered a community. Points also increase from day to day, the longer you hold a territory, the more points it is worth. These points are… ah you know what, I’ll just let the man himself explain.”
I was about to ask what she meant when my clock ticked over and the TV I had seated on top of the dresser opposite of my bed clicked on. There was a logo I had never seen before, but common sense suggested it had to be for the game. It was spinning and what looked like a loading bar appeared beneath it, rapidly ticking up to full. I looked from the TV over to the remote that was only a foot away from it on the dresser and then back at the screen.
“Ummm….”
“Gooooood Evening Augments! We have officially reached 6 hours post commencement and boy oh boy have you guys already been entertaining! There have been 943 completed tutorials and amazingly 17 of you have already exited the game. For some of them, it’s really their own fault, I mean… who the hell thought it was a good idea to pick the power to emit light from their whole body?! Also, I see you Dr. Noodle, that is an absolutely terrible name and I intend to have a Major Level Threat sent your way tomorrow morning. I have to draw the line somewhere and claiming a doctorate without submitting and defending a valid thesis is where it is god damnit.”
The screen came to life as a news report clicked on, showcasing a man throwing fireballs ducking for cover in a grocery store, then the screen split and another news report appeared, a woman standing with a wicked smile cutting across her face as her eyes glowed and lighting struck, her body being replaced with a mass of electrical energy. The screens continued to split, with more and more news reports being showcased. A lady turning into a two headed beast, a man spitting what looked like acid at a bank vault, there was even an older man with an impossibly bushy mustache that was equal parts confusing and amazing to watch. The hair stretched out into honest to god fists that were smashing into a police officer trying to approach him.
“Many of you have already begun to make waves in your local communities, but I’ve been doing some thinking here today. You see, that little loophole that added an Augment to this years wave also happened to leave a little backdoor for me, and oooooo boy, I’ve been tinkering.” Axio let out a laugh that sent a bit of a chill down my spine. “As I’ve been watching all of you do the same boring tutorials we’ve been throwing at you Augments year after year since this all started, I have to admit… I can do better. Oh I can do so much better than this basic game that you Augments have all been stuck playing for the last decade. See we’ve been going about this all wrong, keeping all of you separated by years and trying to keep things “fair” and “balanced.” Giving you guys several months at a time to get to the next phase of the project. Only setting you all on the task of taking over land, no that’s not going to get us anywhere. You’re all getting soft, you’re getting used to the pointless squabbles over territory and merch sales and we just aren’t… we just aren’t… ahhh it’s all just so pointless. None of you are pushing yourselves, all of the waves that came before this one, they’ve just decided to “get by” and I just can't stand it.”
“What is-”
“Shh.” Angie said quickly. I felt my body buzzing with a mixture of fear and anticipation.
“The points given for territories will continue, if your Personal A.I.s haven’t explained it to you yet, well, stop slacking and start asking them the right questions already. More importantly however, additional points will start to be granted to all players for additional activities. Defeating other Augments, stopping kaiju, oh I should tell you there’s kaiju now, the NPCs are going to freak out when they become collateral damage to those monsters, and that’s not even getting started on the invasion I have planned for… you know what, maybe I won’t spoil that just yet. Additionally, you will be given increased points for defeating and taking territory from higher leveled Augments, those slouches have had it too easy for far too long.”
“Needless to say, there are so, so many more new ways to gain points. If you need inspiration, just look at Tempest’s Wrath, so far, she’s my favorite from this wave. Don't you worry Tempest, your point total will reflect your real achievement after the end of my announcement. Point gains will be retroactive for this and all former waves for activities completed within only the last week. Oh, and Tempest? I hope you enjoy that S:Tier loot box you received, you earned it. With that, I am officially opening up Phase 1 of the Tenth Wave,” Axio said and the reel of News footage vanished to be replaced with a countdown labeled 4D:00H:00M:00S. There was almost a giddiness in the A.I.s voice as he announced this, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell whoever created this thing was thinking.
“All Wave Ten Augments will have just 4 days to reach 10000 points, those of you who have not reached this milestone by the end of this timer will immediately be faced with a Critical Level threat. This will be guaranteed to be at a minimum a level 75 elite. Your Personal A.I.s are now being updated with a full list of the scoring system, though access to it will initially be limited. Leaderboards will also be updated to better represent the data that I think is far more important to you. Players in the top ten at the end of Phase 1 will be granted an S:Tier loot box. That’s all for now, don’t go worrying your little heads too much, it’s not just the points I’m going to be changing up this year. Good luck Augments.”
There was the click of a sound as Axio’s voice faded and the leaderboard popped back into my vision, now updated with not only different information, but a lot more lines.
Tenth Wave
Guardians: 415 Miscreants: 528
1. Tempest’s Wrath - Level 5 Thunder God - Miscreant - 6535 Points
2. Freakenstein - Level 3 Patchwork Armorer - Miscreant - 850 Points
3. Pretty Pink Warthog - Level 3 Berserking Boar - Guardian - 750 Points
4. Sound Off - Level 3 Midnight DJ - Miscreant - 600 Points
5. ????? - Level 3 ????? - Guardian - 500 Points
6. ????? - Level 3 ????? - Miscreant - 415 Points
7. ????? - Level 3 ????? - Miscreant - 350 Points
8. ????? - Level 2 ????? - Miscreant - 85 Points
9. ????? - Level 2 ????? - Guardian - 65 Points
10. ????? - Level 2 ????? - Miscreant - 50 Points
"Holy shit…. How-"
“System Updated. Point scoring events updated from 1 activity to 3 known activities and 9,997 currently unknown activities.” The monotone robotic voice said and a screen opened.
Most of the list was filled with line after line of question marks but at the top I was given a list of 3 items labeled as “Basic.”
* Claim Territories: 250 to 50000 Points (Dependent on Size)
* Arrest Sentient Augment: 500 to 5000 Points (Dependent on Level Difference)
* Kill Sentient Augment: 1000 to 10000 Points (Dependent on Level Difference)
“Seriously? That’s it!? What the hell does it mean 9,997 unknown activities and for the love of god don’t say “it means unknown Augment,”” I said leaning forward and putting my head in my hands.
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“I’m sorry Augment, it would seem even Axio isn’t quite giving us an exact list. The items are locked behind discovery at this point, but given the sheer number I’d assume many standard activities will result in points.”
“Cool… Okay, so I need to collect points in the next few days, otherwise I’m going to probably get steamrolled and die, am I understanding that correctly?” I asked, rubbing my temples.
“Pretty much spot on, yup!”
“Awesome. And that whole Acceptance Matrix thing is keeping me from a complete and total panic attack about that fact, right?”
“Also spot on! You’re getting pretty good at repeating things!”
I let out a long sigh, cursing whatever RNG factor had left me with one of the asshole A.I.s. Silver might have thought his A.I. was boring for being straightforward, but I’d trade him in a heartbeat.
“Okay, can you at least explain how claiming territories works? Not just theoretical, give me the actual rules of the game on how making a claim works.”
“I thought you’d never ask!” Angie chirped happily. “Now to start, territories come in a rather wide range of sizes, varieties, and importance. There are multiple types within each level. A basic example of the smallest tier of territories would be your Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood. Territory types continue all the way up to Planet level with nothing rivaling that for points. Each of these territories are also separated into sizes, so an Extra-Small Neighborhood would be worth much less than an Extra-Large. In order to claim a territory, you must make a vocal claim that at a minimum of 10 NPCs hear, though this number requirement varies the larger the territory you wish to claim becomes and larger territories require a larger reputation to claim. You do not have to say “I claim this region”, but you have to make an active association between the region and yourself. Now, if there is an existing NPC group in the region, the territory will become “Contested” and while you will still have an active claim on the region, you will only receive half points for the claim. Other players may also contest your claim, but you probably won’t deal with that anytime soon and I will make it a point to explain that situation when it occurs. Please Note: You MUST have a Name that NPCs will recognize you as in order to stake your claim, if you give them a name prior to visiting the registration center, your claim will be marked as “Tentative” until you register your name. While the territory will be “officially” marked as yours if it was unclaimed, if you choose to use a name other than the one you used to make your territory claim, your claim will be considered void.”
“Ok cool got it, that’s… complex but not that complex,” I replied before feeling my stomach rumble. “Now are you going to yell at me if I take an actual break and go get some dinner? Cause it feels like I haven’t eaten in a week.”
“No Augment, I won’t yell at you, but I will remind you that just because you’re not in your gear doesn’t mean you’re not playing the game. The chosen story for you will progress, regardless of your direct involvement. I bet Lt. Nester will be just fine if you leave him waiting.”
“Yeesh he’ll be fine for a night, it’s not like I’ve picked a name yet, he’s not going to talk to me until I do that. And as far as I can tell, this game isn’t getting rid of my hunger factor at all,” I said.
“Actually there are Safe House upgrades that do in fact provide food and drink bonuses,” Angie replied.
“Huh, well that’s actually pretty cool. Not at all useful at this very moment, but still cool,” I was about to grab my converse when a thought crossed my mind. With a quick flick through my B.E.L.T, the Illusory Slippers appeared in my hands. “Okay, I just have to…” I started to mutter as I barely touched the slippers to my converse when a flash of light passed over them, leaving an exact replica of my shoes in their place.
I used the Fast Equip option and the shoes appeared on my feet.
“You said something about equipment readying, right? I don’t exactly want to be walking around with this jacket and the bracers on,” I asked and Angie quickly pulled up a new screen with the silhouette of a person, several lines poking out to empty equipment boxes.
“It’s very simple, you’ll assign items to each of these slots. There are two tabs, Active and Inactive, I recommend setting your items for these now. Your Inactive tab will act as your “idle” outfit, perfect for those overpriced slippers of yours. In contrast, your Active tab is the tab to set your active costume items into and will activate if you either choose to activate the tab or you willingly choose to enter a combat scenario. This is to prevent you from automatically having your combat gear activated if you are trying to remain incognito.”
“That’s good,” I said. The more I used the interface, the easier it became and I quickly navigated through the tabs. I only had a few items to assign, and after just a minute I was ready to stretch my legs. “So I just have to…” I started and trailed off. I didn’t need to open the Readying screen, instead just thinking of the patrol tab as my outfit flashed and my jacket, mask, bracers and boots were all suddenly on. With another thought, it changed back to my idle outfit, the ratty looking converse back on my feet.
“New Achievement! Fashionista! Well, look at you, Mr. Versatile. Now you can effortlessly switch between your combat gear and your 'going out' outfit. Now you’re always ready to save the world or dazzle at a cocktail party (though, let's be honest, your style could still use some serious help). This is a Wood Level Achievement. Reward: You have received a C:Tier Loot Box.”
I stopped at the desk, mentally pulling it and the C:Tier I had gotten from purchasing my shoes out of my inventory. From the two boxes I received 550 credits, another How The Hell Does This Fool Anybody mask, though this one had the color listed as “Lime”, and… a book. I materialized it onto the desk and it looked just like one of those “for dummies” books, though I almost could have sworn the guy on the cover looked like a cartoon version of myself.
“Mirage and Shine. Did you ever wonder why people think they see things when it gets really hot? I mean, of course you’ve heard of mirages, but do you actually know how they work? Well now you do! Not sure why this is particularly useful knowledge, but hey, that’s for you to figure out.”
“That’s… interesting,” I said as I looked at it, flipping the cover open. I expected the inside to be filled with nothing but illegible scrawl, but it was actually filled cover to cover with images of light patterns and some sort of math that I was pretty sure didn’t make sense in context but was also confident I couldn’t tell you why it was wrong either. I didn’t actually have to read anything, because as I turned to the last page, the item dissolved and the text Optical Refraction Knowledge - Level 3 appeared and then faded into nothing. “Is there anywhere to see a list of all of these skills?”
“I thought you wanted to go get something to eat?” Angie teased and I couldn’t help but laugh. I pulled my door open and headed for the apartment’s exit.
“I do and I am, doesn’t mean I can’t ask anyway.”
“If you open your character sheet and select stats, it will give you a full list of your stats. This is not a comprehensive list because why the hell would we care how good you are at tying your shoelaces, now bondaging tying? We do track that.”
The stairway was empty as I climbed down the few flights to the ground floor, Jon was nowhere to be found. And since he wasn’t on the couch playing Augment Fighter 4, it was almost a guarantee he was down at the corner diner. As I headed out the front door I opened my character sheet and selected the tab labeled Stats.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but it certainly wasn’t seeing “Page 1 of 324” at the bottom of the screen. I closed it out, deciding I’d look through that later when I wasn’t walking down the street.
Sure enough, Jon was camped out in his usual booth at the back of the deli/diner combo named Tio’s only a block and a half away from our building. It was run by a couple that simultaneously made the best matzo ball soup and cuban sandwich in the city. Or at least so they claimed. All I knew was they were cheap and the in house hot sauce they made was killer.
“The man still lives!” Jon said with a cheer that made me feel awkward as I dropped into his booth. He had a tablet set on the table and his feet up on the seat as he gestured at the wall behind me. “You have got to see this, it’s been all over the news since like, 5. ”
I turned to look at an LCD mounted in the corner of the shop, and almost felt my stomach drop. Maybe I should have been expecting it, hell I had just seen a veritable montage of them after all, but there was something unsettling about it all the same.
“New Achievement! I’m on the News! You have been featured on the local news! If only you had a more memorable look, maybe you’d start to get a following. Oh well, it’s at least a start… And I’m sure you’ll really stand out with that tacky orange jacket next time. This is a Silver Level Achievement. Reward: You have received a B:Tier Loot Box. Maybe you’ll get something to really give you a unique look instead of looking like you’re some weird Naruto knock off.”
The channel didn’t even show their anchor as the screen was filled with just so, so much footage. Between phone cameras, a bit of the bank’s security cameras, and shots that I couldn’t prove came from nowhere but certainly seemed like they came from nowhere, I watched as I took down the entire gang on the screen, strategic pixelation blocking the worst of the gore with a “Warning: Graphic Footage” label. The News Banner read “Hell’s Kitchen Brawl! A Brutal Bank Beatdown by an Unknown Augment.”
“We finally got a hometown defender of our own. I wonder what this dude is calling himself,” Jon said as his hand dove into a bag of chips and he reached over for his tablet. “There’s already some chatter over on both the Hell’s Kitchen and the Watch subreddits, one dude claimed he was at the bank when the whole thing went down.”
This got my attention and I stopped watching the footage. I turned and dropped into the seat opposite him.
“Oh yeah? What’s he saying?”
“Well he said the dude was pretty quick on his feet, though most of what seemed to happen was just really bad luck for the guys he was fighting. According to him there was a weird moment when all the sound in the room just disappeared,” Jon said as he handed his tablet over to me. It was a pretty basic write up, hell anyone could have put it together just by watching the news reports, but the muting? That was specific. “But what the hell does that mean? Luck and Audio Control? That can’t be this dude’s only powers, I don’t think it would explain how the one dude’s gun went off.”
“His gun? Shit how much theorizing is happening off this one bank robbery?”
“A shit ton honestly. You know how the Augment Trackers are, anytime a new one crops up people can’t help but try to analyze every last bit of info they can get. There’s entire forums dedicated to power scaling those guys, it’s actually really interesting stuff. Most of the folks in the bank got at least some bit of the fight on camera, so for this guy there’s a at least a little bit to go on right now. There was even one where the dude said some cheesy as hell line about luck which I mean, that basically has to confirm his powers are something luck based, or that’d be my guess. I mean, half the time the Augments seem to talk like they are out of a Saturday morning cartoon from the 50s,” Jon was practically buzzing as he talked and I once again found myself wishing I could just tell him about my powers.
I knew how much easier my life would be if I could just fill him in. But at the same time, I didn’t doubt Angie’s warning about my Secret Identity, and if I could help it, I wasn’t going to let Jon get used like a prop in some stupid game. While I didn’t have a choice to play this game, I certainly wouldn’t take away someone else’s.
Still, there were so many questions I had for him and a sudden bolt of inspiration hit me as a thought occurred to me. I was pretty sure he’d only be subject to consequences of the Secret Identity rule if he knew that it was me specifically that had powers. As long as I could pretend that this was someone else, maybe I could get his thoughts on my abilities. I almost wanted to laugh, but I suppressed it behind a cough. It was a loophole. And that was something I could work with.