They walked up onto the Golden Gate Beach as Tinuriel turned off the Affinity effect. The city was weathered and beaten by the elements, and a pall of grey-yellow mist covered everything. Felix felt queasy just being there, and noted with some shock that Reth and Tinuriel’s Health was decreasing. “What’s going on Lucifer?”
“Radiation. Psychic Radiation. Your bracers are protecting you, but those two are going to suffer 1 Health damage every minute while we are in a hot zone. Some type of psychic bomb that left behind an aftereffect that caused the various mutations in creatures.”
“Detect Object,” Felix stated, focusing on this Universe’s Penny.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/JRtgPNNm/Detect-Object.webp] The line arced to the south and the nearby highway that used to accommodate the busy commuter and tourist traffic – now collapsed in places and naught but a monument to an era that once testified to a thriving culture. Reth squinted and rubbed his temples, “Aside from this nasty headache, the level of construction here is massive.”
Tinuriel led the way along the road Felix was familiar with, having traveled to this beach and the nearby wharfs as a child with his grandpa. He remembered vividly being treated to delicious ice cream at a chocolate factory, sitting along the pier and watching the sea lions – envying their lack of having to do chores or go to school. Some of the best experiences of his life were made in and around this city. As they clambered onto the raised portions of the freeway, he glimpsed, far off to the East, the city he had lived in most of his life.
“What are you thinking about?” Tinuriel asked as she glanced back at him.
“The past,” Felix whispered back. “This place is full of memories for me. Well, the version in my ‘Verse is. But everything is so familiar, it’s like I’m back home…minus the destruction.”
Reth tapped Felix’s shoulder, prompting him to turn. “Hey, I think we’re being followed.”
Felix looked over Reth’s shoulder. Detect Hostiles.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/NQVnVKDX/Detect-Hostiles.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/1schyXRx/86-1.webp]
The golden circle shot out and did not stick to the cloaked figures that were going from cover to cover behind the group. “Well, they’re not intending hostile action.” Felix stood atop a nearby chunk of rock and waved as he deactivated Ghostwalk. “Hey! Are you friendly?!”
Their stalkers stood up as one – their actions uncanny in their synchronization, and their bodies oddly elongated from the waist and further back. They were completely cloaked to the point that Felix couldn’t even see their feet. The voice that came out from the dark hoods had some odd vibration to it that sounded soothing to Felix, but he saw Reth and Tinuriel’s bars depleting slightly faster. “We have not seen your kind here.”
Felix waved Tinuriel and Reth to back up so they wouldn’t be in range of whatever effect was caused by this creature’s speech. “I’m a Versewalker. Do you have a name?”
“We are a collective. We call ourselves the hive.”
“Good to meet you. I’m Felix.”
The hooded figures looked towards each other for a moment – as if they were communicating mentally – and then they became shrouded in the golden glow of Detect Hostiles. Ah, crap. Undetectable Step. Ghostwalk.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/JRwdmGSC/Ghostwalk-WEBP.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/z5skH47n/Undetectable-Step-WEBP.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/Skm17r45/86-2.webp]
The cloaked figures threw off their attire and the sight Felix had disgusted him. Why does it have to be bugs?
Psychic ones, at that.
What stood in front of him were five enormous praying mantis that had razor-sharp appendages that thrummed with a vibrant, purple energy that let off some type of whining, squealing noise. Felix winced and felt his head thrum and pulse.
It’s not strong enough to inflict harm – lucky you with those bracers. The other two though-
Looking back, Felix saw that Reth and Tinuriel were both on the ground, gripping their heads. Rebel Against All Odds, once for each. And Fallen flight for myself.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/PHFyTC8V/Rebel-Against-All-Odds-Redux.webp]image [https://i.postimg.cc/CSn6WjP4/Fallen-Flight-WEBP.webp] image [https://i.postimg.cc/4Z6F90DV/86-3.webp]
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The spectral wings appeared on both of his allies, and their bars refilled back to full. They lifted off and Felix joined them as the flew up a good hundred feet, getting out of range of the psychic assault. “We’ve got one minute,” Felix shouted to them.
Reth pointed at the golden line, tracing towards the South-East. “We should just make for the objective.”
Glancing down, Felix saw the huge mantis’ linking claws. “We better move fast!” He turned and flew, followed closely behind by his allies. There’s no way they can cat- Felix felt the worst headache of his life and floated in the air, stunned. He felt the drool dripping from his mouth, and even though he heard Tinuriel, he couldn’t move or act. He was fully cognizant, but his entire body stopped responding. It was as if he was locked inside.
Oh, that’s not good. I'll get yo-
“Hey! Come on!” Tinuriel said as she grabbed him and kept flying.
“Get closer,” Reth said as Tinuriel slowed slightly, “Cleanse!”
image [https://i.postimg.cc/BSPNQqWg/Cleanse.webp]
image [https://i.postimg.cc/8DQ0sG0T/86-4.webp]
Felix felt control of his body again and wiped the saliva from his mouth. “Thanks. What the hell was that?”
Reth shrugged, “No clue. But it’s a good thing that you used that Skill on us when you did. We’ve got forty seconds left.” Reth pointed past Felix and to the golden line that alighted upon the top of a building. “Inside that?”
Felix nodded and the trio dashed with only a few seconds to spare before his allies’ flight would have run out. He saw to his dismay that their flight had not gone unnoticed. He could see movement along the streets below – converging on the building they had just landed upon. “We’re going to have company,” he said as he led the trio to the rusted, metal door. He kicked it in, and it broke away entirely from its frame, crashing down the stairwell. “Let’s go.”
[Experience Awarded = 30]
----------------------------------------
They descended the stairs, and Felix made sure to keep a very cautious eye out for anything resembling a trap. There were none on the top level with this service set of stairs, and they made it inside the building proper. It looked like an office building; several long hallways that opened to cubicle farms. Heading to the elevators, Felix found what he knew he would find – a directory. Looking through the various floors, he settled on the basement level which was simply labeled as restricted. “Tinuriel, get those doors open.”
She went to the elevator doors and shoved her armored fingertips into the crevice, shoving it aside with ease. “A shaft that descends,” she stated. “A means to quickly traverse, like the lifts between Mercantus and the Tier above.”
Reth held up a hand as if to ask a question, “The headache is gone.”
“Something about this structure. Steel appears to interfere with psychic energy.”
Looking down the elevator shaft filled Felix with a sense of dread. The memories of the Death World that he survived by descending into a passage just like this one. The escape from the bear-mutant creature. The recollection kicked his fight or flight response into gear, and he backed away, taking rapid, panicked breaths. “What’s wrong,” Tinuriel asked.
Felix just shook his head, “I…”
Beacon of Free Will.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/mRXvxZbT/Beacon-of-Free-Will-WEBP.webp] image [https://i.postimg.cc/zDrtQwgy/86-5.webp]
You’re a Versewalker. You survived that Death World because of what you did. You’re going to deal with trauma-inducing scenarios for your entire immortal life. The voice softened, I’m here for you.
Felix nodded and felt his heart rate steadying as the anxiety and fear faded away under the effect of the Skill. Thank you.
Now let’s go. Get down that elevator shaft and find this ‘Verse’s Penny.
Felix took a deep breath and nodded, walking up to Tinuriel. “I’m okay.” He looked to the inside of the shaft and saw a ladder embedded into the wall – inside of a cut-out recess. That’s handy. He jumped over to it and began descending. Tinuriel was right above him, and Reth brought up the rear as they climbed down.
Every other floor had the elevator doors shut, and as they passed the ground floor’s elevator doors, Felix heard combat on the opposite side. Gunshots, shouts, screams, a guttural roar, and loud chittering noises. Descending the rest of the way, they landed atop the elevator, and Felix pulled the handle on the top-access panel, dropping into the space. Tinuriel and Reth dropped in behind him, and she stepped past Felix to force open the doors.
The hallway that Tinuriel revealed appeared to be a service corridor. It ended in a large, metal door that looked akin to a bunker entrance – a large, sealed vault. There wasn’t any indication of a way to open it from this side. “Thoughts?” Felix asked as they approached the door.
Reth nodded, “Let me handle it.” He got to the front of the trio and put his hand on the door. “Fire Beam.”
image [https://i.postimg.cc/z5PxDhwL/Fire-Beam.webp] image [https://i.postimg.cc/2kv9T9Vp/86-6.webp]
A beam of bright red energy lanced out from his palm and into the metal. Pulling his hand back slightly, Felix saw that he was using the Affinity effect to carve a hole that they could get through. He traced the shape as the flame continued to burn, and Felix could see an open space past the melted, carved metal. Reth took a step back and lifted his foot, putting it on the door, and pushing it in with a colossal thud. Tinuriel crawled through the entrance and glanced around, “Looks clear.”
Felix followed her through. They were in a state-of-the-art medical facility. The floors were a bright, shining silver that was spotless save for the dust that moved as they stepped across the room. There was faint lighting from above. This front area was some type of locker room with a decontamination corridor extending further into this subterranean facility. Why would they build an underground facility in a place known for Earthquakes?
No idea.
Felix went through some of the lockers – all of which were either unlocked or in various stages of being partially ajar. He found several name badges, all labeled as Department of Defense with various ranks listed. “Well, if this ‘Verse’s Penny is here, this part is matching up to who I dealt with.”
Tinuriel went down the corridor and kicked open another door. “This place was sealed,” she stated. “That should mean there are people – or corpses – down here somewhere.”
Reth pointed up, “And they have power.”
Felix pulled his knife out, Ghostwalk.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/JRwdmGSC/Ghostwalk-WEBP.webp]
He followed Tinuriel as they descended deeper into the facility, Reth a step behind.