The metro keeps a steady pace towards AutoSoft tower, and we keep our heads down. We managed to reach the station and hop on a train without any problem. Kay kept blasting songs and replaying the message everywhere we went. She’s out there watching us somewhere. I’m not sure if I’m more pissed at her for trying to have us killed or Daamin for giving her the name Virtual Vagabonds.
“Daamin, why vagabonds,” I ask. “First, we all agreed we wouldn’t make an official gang because we didn’t want to deal with all the extra steps. Second, who wants to be called a vagabond? Vagabonds aren’t cool.”
“Vagabonds can be cool,” Daamin responds.
“Name one.”
“Musashi.”
I stare at Daamin in confusion, “who the fuck is Musashi?”
“Musashi is the lead character of the 1998 manga series Vagabond created by Takehiko Inoue. He’s most well known for his series Slam Dunk being one of the best sports manga ever. He also created Buzzer Beater, a series about an intergalactic basketball association that was initially self-published as a web comic, and Real about a former track star, basketball prospect and a delinquent dedicated themselves to the sport of wheelchair basketball,” Daamin is in full blown nerd mode. “While he’s known for sports manga he started his career by illustrating an action series called Chameleon Jail and despite the lengthy hiatus, many consider Vagabond to be his best work due to the fact that he stepped away from his traditional kind of story.”
“Will you stop,” Kai shouts.
As we sit in silence, I wonder if the fact that Daamin has Lukemia caused him to miss out on some social growth. He’s idealistic to a fault at times. Sometimes I think he’s a little childish with his logic, actions or thought process. He wants to do everything in one go, and name his attacks when he fights or be a swordsman because it’s cooler than using guns. I used to thinking it was just my own thought process being focused too much on the logical and setting aside fun, but it’s Daamin too. I might also be blaming him somewhat because of the sleeping with Kay thing, if they slept together. Falling in love with a person who traps you in a virtual reality simulation until you beat the game because you can see the good in them is just way too positive for me. Especially when it’s probably because she has a reptile fetish. At times like this, I want to tell him to get serious, but that isn’t really my place.
After a few stops we’ve gotten pretty close to AutoSoft but we’re also starting to get a few stares. Kai just keeps raising the bounty, no doubt everyone is waiting on their chance to go after us. I know I might jump at the bounty before I knew someone might die if we killed them in the game so I don’t blame them.
Stolen story; please report.
“We should get off at the next station,” Kai whispers.
“Sounds good to me,” Daamin replies. I just nod.
When the train comes to a stop we stand and move to exit calmly.
“Hey, there’s a park near the next stop, meet me there,” I shove Daamin and Kai out as the train car closes.
I’m not the strongest in the group, that goes to Daamin. Kai, is the strategist, and the smartest. Me, I’m just good at knowing when shit is about to hit the fan. I spotted the guy behind me when we first got on the train; never moving, always watching, us. He’s already got the gun trained on me, and I’m pretty sure he was just going to blast us as soon as we got off the train. Even if I can’t make it to the end, the game can still end. Kai has the ability to assemble the code, and Daamin can beat the security. I got my win in the jail, I can be happy knowing I did my part as a Virtual Vagabond to save all of these players. Even the guy who is about to splatter my brain against a train door.
“I knew you all were guilty the moment I saw you so I don’t feel bad about this,” the player speaks.
“A bounty hunter?”
“Don’t feel bad about it, you won’t be my first. You can blame The Creator for making you worth so much,” is this guy monologuing?
“We’re not the bad guys here.”
“Doesn’t matter who the bad guys are or who the good guys are,” he’s really monologuing. “The line gets closer and closer every day.”
I don’t let him finish. I turn and fire a shot from Excalibur ripping through subway seats but he dives for cover in time. I make my way forward to the next car, occasionally glancing back to see if he’s still following. I fire another shot as he crosses into the next car following closely. I don’t have a plan here, I’m just winging it. Being the bad guy is new to me. A few people hear the gunshots and flee blocking my path forward. Soon we’re standing face to face with guns drawn. Excalibur aimed to rip his chest to shreds, him with some kind of unique handgun I can’t recognize.
“Why don’t you shoot,” he asks me.
“What?”
“What’s wrong? Lose your nerve? You started out so fearlessly. Go on, pull the trigger.”
“I don’t think so. If I kill you in the game, you’ll die in real life. Don’t you get that?”
“I have no fear of death. It just means dreaming in silence. A dream that lasts for eternity,” he thinks he’s a philosopher.
There’s no reasoning with this guy. I fire a shot at his feet and duck behind a seat for cover as he returns several shots. Bigger impact that a regular handgun but nothing crazy. I wait for a pause and pop out to return fire only to be met with a kick to the gut. I try to push him away but he responds with two fists to the face. A quick kick to the head stumbles me sending Excalibur sliding across the floor. As he approaches he keeps his gun trained on me. I remember Daamin’s sword, quickly taking a wild swing at his ankles and throwing him off balance. I take the opportunity stab him in the hand before grabbing Excalibur. I could kill him, but he didn’t do anything wrong. I fire at a window on the train, shattering glass. Just tuck and roll is all I think as I force myself out the window. I hold my breath as I land on the opposite side of the tracks and continue to roll, feeling every single bump and piece of hot metal. Lying flat on my back I take a moment to catch my breath.