148 A Calm Killing (1/2)
A sapphire flame suffused the metal dome. My vision dimmed. My armor cracked, the shell surrounding us holding in the explosion. Fragments of my armor fell down. Sensing damage, the metal shell around me rushed back onto my charred skin.
Charred might be the wrong word. The flames left a deep cooling sensation after the initial, brilliant flash of heat. It was like someone injected liquid nitrogen into my blood. The bits of Althea froze in burning piles around me.
I checked out my health, 1/5th of it gone. I looked around, seeing the ashen bed. I stretched my awareness, looking for other bombs. I found two other spheres embedded in the wall. Their consistency matched the concrete, blending them in. Now that I looked closer, they appeared like a vague outline.
I reached out a hand, charging my mana. With a swift jerk, I plucked two chunks of concrete from the wall. The bombs clicked, but I kicked my foot on a telekinetic pad.
The telekinetic pulse punted the two chunks of concrete out of the window. After crashing out of the glass, I bent down and molded my armor. I created a cape of moving metal around Althea's bits and pieces.
Outside the room, the two blue fire bombs detonated. A chain reaction began, two more bombs exploding outside. Someone assumed we would try and leave the room and pinned us in from both sides.
Thank god I'm not one for running away. I looked around, the explosion leaving our room trashed. It was odd. Most of the room charred from the blast. The fire now froze what remained of it. Before it did more damage, I spread my arms and clapped them together.
A shockwave ushered out a wave of wind. The flames blew out, an echo radiating through the mountainside. After a few more seconds, Althea materialized from the bits of cold mush. I bent towards her as she shivered. Her eyes darted around, grasping for information. I grabbed her hand, ”Are you ok?”
She nodded her head.
She looked around, her eyes wide with terror,
”What in the hell just happened?”
I frowned, ”Someone just tried to assassinate us.” My wounds regenerated already. ”They didn't do such a good job, but it was a pretty good shot.”
She glanced around at the room, ”Why isn't everything destroyed?”
I tapped my armor, ”My armor kept the first explosion contained. That's why it did so much damage in the first place.” I walked over towards a dresser,
”It seems like someone knew the armor enclosed around us while we slept. That's why the bomb was there. They must have snuck into our room while we weren't here if I had to guess.”
Althea shook as I threw her a jumpsuit. It reminded me of a surfer's outfit. She slipped it on,
”For a bomb, it sure feels cold.”
I nodded, ”Yeah. It feels like a cryo grenade or something weird like that. I don't really know.”
I opened my status screen, ”What I do know is we need to talk this out.”
I sent Torix, Hod's assistant Isa, Amara, and Kessiah a message to meet up. Althea looked down. She sighed and rolled her eyes, ”Here I thought we were finally done with people trying to kill us. At least for a little bit.”
I shrugged, ”This is why we're going to Giess after all.”
We turned and ran out of the room. We sent messages to Torix and the others for a midnight meeting. Torix was already there by the time Althea, and I arrived. Hod's assistant, Isa, threw the birdman into the room. He groveled on the ground, half asleep,
”Hod not ready for sun yet.” He raised his wings, ”Sun go away.”
Torix crossed his fingers, his eyebrows creased and his flaming eyes purple, ”Cease your mindless chatter. We've important matters to discuss.”
He turned towards me, interlocking his fingers, ”I assume you called because of the explosion?”
I frowned, ”Yeah, someone just tried to kill us.”
Torix sighed, ”A few of my undead sentries sent telepathic messages to me. Damage done to the base is rather...extreme. I'm left wondering why didn't they try to kill all of us and only you two?”
Hod pulled himself onto a chair. He pointed at me, ”Hod believe it because bomber not like Daniel.”
Kessiah walked into the room, the doors opening. We all stared at her, the white hair on her head ruffled. She sat down on Hod's side of the table. She looked around,
”What? Are you all that surprised I showed up?”
Torix shook his head, ”Not necessarily. I'm amazed everyone came so swiftly in all honesty. I don't sleep, and neither does Daniel. Having the rest of you rush here is an excellent sign of alertness.”
Kessiah turned towards me, ”What's the hassle this time?”
I shrugged, ”Someone blew up Althea and my room with some ice bombs.”
Kessiah sneered, ”Well when you do great things, you're bound to make enemies I guess.”
Althea raised an eyebrow, ”What do you mean?”
Kessiah looked between all of us, ”Are you serious? None of you know?”
Our confused expressions answered her question. She tapped the touchpad, opening the holographic projector. A second later, a white block appeared.
A video arose onto both sides. On it, the battle between Yawm and the Breakers played out. The brutality of Yawm's last moments was laid bare for all to see. A quick edit and I popped up on the screen. It showed my battle against Frode and Brim.
Minutes later, and the battle was over. From a different angle, the camera viewed us over Yawm. It showed him trapping us, my launch into his attack, and the bloody aftermath that ensued. In excruciating, high resolution, someone created a viral video of the fight.
An odd sensation traveled through me at the sight of it. I didn't know if I should feel proud or insulted. On the one hand, evidence existed that we killed Yawm outside of our titles. On the other hand, our life and death struggle devolved into entertainment on the web.
Kessiah scrolled down showing comments about the battle. A few armchair quarterbacks debated how we should have fought. Even more people marveled at the insanity of Yawm's powers. A small but vocal crowd also called Yawm an idiot for how he used his abilities.
Fierce troll fests cropped up even. Several commenters threw memes out, mentioning how we had level's lower than our IQs.
Ahhhh, the internet.
Kessiah raised her arms at the video, ”There you go. 30 trillion views already. This is why you were attacked if I had to guess.”
I blinked a few times, amazed at the sheer scale of the numbers mentioned,
”You're telling me people are trying to kill me because of this video?”
Kessiah rolled her eyes, ”Uh, yeah. You're a high-level unknown, and they know where you are. Put two and two together.”
I grimaced, ”So that's all it takes? For real?”
Kessiah crossed her arms behind her, ”Welcome to the life of a revenant. Hope you enjoy it.”
Torix raised a hand, ”But this doesn't explain why they didn't try to kill us?”
Kessiah raised her eyebrows at Torix, ”Daniel killed Korga Ryker, alright. The Korga Ryker. Every unknown across the galaxy hates you now.”
I tapped the desk, ”I mean...I didn't kill him exactly.”
Kessiah shook her head, ”People don't care. The video tells them that you helped Yawm then he betrayed you. After that, you betrayed him. Simple and easy. Everybody already made their mind up about you.”
I scratched the top of my head, ”Well fuck...Thank god we're nearly indestructible.”
Torix steepled his fingers, ”I believe that the sniper that survived our encounter published this video. It's also a safe assumption to believe they are the assassin we're after as well.”
Althea bit her lip, ”Hmm...that sounds like something the sniper would want to do. We did kill her leader and all her friends. Yenno, assuming they were friends.”
I tapped the table, ”Ok, so now what? We leave here and let them pick the legion apart, or do we stay and play a tower defense against waves of assassins?”
Torix waved a hand, ”They wouldn't dare kill any of our legions. Murder of an ordinary sentient would give them a bounty. This is especially so considering Earth is still a new planet.”
Torix pointed around us, ”That's likely why the bombs in your room weren't nuclear. They couldn't risk killing that many people. That's why the assassin's killing Yawm didn't use a nuclear bomb for destroying him either.”
Kessiah sighed, ”But if we were all unknowns, they wouldn't even hesitate. Great.”
I spread out my arms, ”I don't remember you being such an edgelord Kessiah.”
Kessiah let her hands go out from behind her head. She bit her lip, ”Alright, my bad. I'm just pissed off. We finally kill that unkillable monster and now look. We're still being hunted down. Doesn't that seem a little, I don't know, unfair?”
I tilted my head. Kessiah wasn't wrong per say. At the same time, being right doesn't mean someone is useful. I laid my hands on the table, ”Here's the thing. It doesn't matter if the situation is unfair. What matters is that we find a way to get through the situation.”
Hod raised a wing, ”Hod agree.”
Torix tapped his touchpad, closing the video,
”Then let's finalize the last details of leaving. This place will be safer once we've left. Anyone who remains here will have to hide their identities until we finish the missions on Giess. Who wishes to go?”
Athea, me, Torix, and Kessiah raised our hands. Hod didn't. I looked at him,
”Why don't you want to leave?”
Hod glanced at everybody, ”Hod like all of Hod's friends, and Hod want to go. Hod can't. Hod have to stay with Eltari.”
Hod gripped his feathers into something like a fist,
”Hod leader of tribe. Hod have responsibility as leader. Hod find Eltari home, and Hod make sure new home safe and good for eltari. Hod sorry.”
I lifted my palms to Hod, ”What? Don't apologize man. You have to do what you have to do.”
It surprised me that Hod thought that deeply about, well, anything. It was mature and, gasp...level-headed. Iturned towards the others,
”So we're all leaving tomorrow?” Everyone besides Hod nodded. Hod pointed behind himself,
”Hod let friends know Amara not leaving either. Amara not good with crowds. Amara eldritch after all, so Amara get attacked fast. She stay and teach other eldritch. Amara goal not the same as Harbinger.”
I stood up, ”That's totally fine.” I turned towards Hod, ”Are you going to be able to handle the sniper though?”
Hod laughed, ”Hod not worried. Hod and Amara strong together.”
Kessiah stood up, walking over to Hod. She got in his face, making him lean back,
”Wait a second...you love her don't you?”
Hod sat there, expressionless as a brick. He shook his head,
”What? No, Hod say nooooo. Hod not love beautiful Amara. Why Lady Friend number two think that?”
Hod blushed like crazy if you could call it blushing. His feathers ruffled out like he was being attacked. He glanced back in forth in a minor frenzy. Hod stood up, pointing at everyone, ”Hod command others not tell Amara; otherwise Hod hate friends forever!”
Amara walked in. She raised a palm, the eye narrowed,
”Tell me what exactly?”
Hod fumbled back into his chair, trying to look cool but failing miserably,
”Pshhhhhh, what Amara talk about? Hod not know a thing.”
He turned his head to the side, trying to whistle. Spit flopped everywhere instead. Amara looked at it then back at Hod,
”You are disgusting.”
Kessiah smirked at Hod, ”Oh yes he is.”
Torix stood up with us, ”It seems as though the conversation took a nosedive in an instant. Bring everything you need in your dimensional storages. What you can't fit within them, just use packs. My teleportation magic is more limited by volume than by space.”
He turned his gaze towards me, ”I've already sorted through the belongings of the Breakers and placed useful pieces in a room. Daniel, being the densest and most massive of the group by far, should use them instead of us.”
Torix walked past me, placing a hand on my shoulder, ”Would you like to do that now?”
I shrugged. I turned towards Althea, ”Where's somewhere she could sleep?”
Torix pointed downstairs, ”I'd recommend somewhere in the residential district. Our assailant wouldn't dare to use a bomb there. Either that or perhaps sleeping somewhere while stealthed will do.”
Althea punched my arm, ”I'm going to be fine. You don't have to worry that much. I can handle it.”
I scratched my cheek, ”Ah yeah, sorry about that.” I turned to Hod, ”Are you going to be able to hunt down the sniper?”
Hod nodded, ”Hod sure of it.”
I turned towards Amara, ”See if you can't help him out some. If you wouldn't mind that is.”
She turned an eye towards Hod, ”If it helps me survive...”
With the meeting handled, Torix and I walked out of the room. In silence, we entered the third floor. After passing by some students pulling all-nighters, we reached into Torix's personal office. With skulls, heads in jars, and all the lich cliches present, we sat at his mahogany desk.