The moment the reinforced door opened an inch, I was met with air. Hot to the touch, humid as it brushed off my skin. Light held a significant substance, no longer dim and flickering. Though, that's not to say it was any better, like buying the same beat up vehicle with a new paint job.
— WHUDD!
— KRRRRM!
I pulled, widened the opening enough for me to see a clearer picture. The racket held a crystal clearance in quality than before. The fighting intensified as seconds pass. With it— the chaos— and with its increase, the likely hood of myself catching a stray round followed with it.
'If anything, I'd be grouped together with the scum around here.'
I peaked out. Exposed enough of my head to gather split second information. Such was enough for me.
For as far as my sight could see, both sides were clear. I don't know where anyone would put their prisons in their bases. I'd be dangerous to assume where I stood was as close to the core of it all as possible. Me not seeing anyone could mean that the scumbags diverted most of their forces to the battle. But where is the answer I'm lacking.
'Caution is going to keep me alive. Just because I have certain gifts doesn't mean anything if I don't have the time to learn and improve upon them.'
I took a step through the door, hugged the walls as closely as possible. Adjusted my head to the sound, pinpointing their possible direction.
— THUDD-THUDD-THUDD!
I immediately turned on my heels to the opposite direction of the sound. A step, and then another. I didn't make it far before I stood still. My head in wonder. I thought back to the panels, the rewards Evelyn gave based on my decisions. At the end of the day, I'm a puppet playing on her strings.
I looked at the revolver on hand. It's visage half focused as I looked beyond it.
"I did say I'm willing to pay with my sanity," I paused, "gotta pay upfront."
With a twist of my hips I faced behind me. Legs moved in front of the other; a walk gradually turned into a light jog. I unclipped the keys from my pants. As I passed the doorway again, without looking, I tossed them in, not giving a damn what she does with it.
I ran, didn't look back, eyes forever forward.
"I just had my character development, I ain't wasting that shit," I mused quietly.
╒═══════════════════════════════════════════╕
Exploit acquired:
Thrill Seeker
You're not boring
?????? like that
Reward: Hyper card draw: x2
╘═══════════════════════════════════════════╛
Somehow— sometime in between, I had a grin on my face— all unbeknownst to me.
◃───────────▹
The place was like a maze. One spot looked like the other, the ending hardly in sight. I believe I'm heading the right way. When sound is all I have to navigate, my lack of knowledge of this place leaves me with a pint size uncertainty. It doesn't end here. This universe that other reincarnates or transmigrators fear, I hardly know it. Maybe I did at some point, I still feel it. This environment, the roughness of the air. The grimdark tone. I feel my memories heal, like the right puzzle pieces brought together to make a bigger picture— a fuller picture.
But I digress— that isn't the focus right now.
The focus is I'm weak. I need to rectify that asap if I'm going to be a resident of this world; and the only way for me to do so is to be entertaining.
Left, then right. I matched the sound and picked that path. I surveilled all that I could perceive. The the thing I've been searching for still hasn't showed up. A patrol, mounds of bodies, someone deserting— just empty tunnel ways was all I was met.
'This is getting bor—'
"MOVE IT, YA FRAKKIN' SCUM! GET YER ARSES IN GEAR OR I'LL PUT A ROUND IN YA MESELF!"
I halted, thoughts paused for a moment. I lowered to a crouch, masked my noise as much as possible as I neared the corner where the shouting originated. Before scanning for hostiles, I checked the revolver once over. Quietly counting the chambers to see them full. Satisfied, I took a quick peek:
'Twelve, one boss looking motherfucker. The rest are scrubs by the looks of it.'
Despite that, I was outnumber. More importantly: outgunned.
Six shots, plus twenty spares on me. I have the element of surprise working for me, as well as the newly merged [Violence Processing Unit]. Not only that, I can't forget the plus ten passives going for me outside of the evolution/skill card.
But, they have the experience. I have the potential they don't.
'Meaning that both my advantages and theirs cancel each other out.'
I felt like I was over thinking it— maybe— actually I think I was. I peeked again, this time taking notice of what they were doing.
They carried with them supplies— no doubt for the current war effort they have on their hands. Some pushed carts, others carried backpacks. The really unfortunate ones carried ammunition, guns, battlefield supplements, and more on their hands. The— what I'm going to call for now— scum sergeant was the only one at the ready. Hands around his very own pistol. Different from mine, his had a mag. His other hand held a large knife. Borderline classified as a sword I'd say. His scars told stories, his orders spoke of authority, and his weapons enforced it. I tucked myself fully in cover as I noticed his body twist my way.
Knowing all that I could know, I took a second to assess:
'The scum sergeant is the most threatening. Armed both in long and close combat and had the thickest armor out of the twelve. He is priority one added the fact that he's the one giving orders. The rest were variables. Dangerous ones as they had numbers. Ill prepared due to their task, I'll only have seconds to take them out.
Twelve targets: six rounds— I'll need to make it count.'
I side eyed the corner they were in. My breathing controlled to the best of my abilities.
╒═══════════════════════════════════════════╕
Exploit acquired:
Fuck It, We Ball
Make sure that you don't end up finding out
Reward: Hyper card draw: x5
╘═══════════════════════════════════════════╛
The panel existed and ignored as I leaned out the corner. The revolver held up front at what I assumed was the most comfortable and efficient way of holding it. I aimed center mass, my main concern concluded that I at least needed to hit the target. I'll worry about confirmed kills during the run. I thought and I squeezed the trigger. Heavy resistance caved into nothingness as the trigger snapped towards me. The hammer launched, no faster than a slight slow motion for me. But it was fast in real time. No sooner the muzzle flashed. Even though I held it out with two hands, my wrist and grip worked enough to keep the gun the from flying off my hands. With my thumb, I pulled the hammer back and repeated the process.
— Bang!
— Bang!
— Bang!
I released three rounds in quick succession. Not quite fanning out like shooting from the hip, but with no lag between my wanting action and actual reaction, I could compare to it.
The rounds flew to their intended target. I watched in my peripherals as I designated another together— arm and hand adjusting in mind.
The scums didn't turn their head my way— not right away at least. Before anything, multiple eyes first witnessed their scum sergeant lean over as consequence to the loud revolver discharge.
Blood splattered as their scum sergeant let out a reactive gargle, the three rounds digging in deep as all entered the side where no armor or arm protected his flesh. Before long he folded, body too distracted to keep standing up. His ragged face showed symptoms of difficulty breathing. It was then their minds clicked:
"WE GOT RAIDERS! RAIDERS!"
Calling me a raider added flavor. I smirked at the thought with their supplies at the back of my mind.
'Well, not a wrong assessment.'
Two more rounds exited the muzzle in between those thoughts. Knowing that my location and element of surprise was loosing its momentum every nano-second. I exited my cover, opting to trade it for close encounters. Using their confusion and line of sight against them.
The two rounds met their target, hitting one— soon to be victim— scum. He leaned back, the recoil of impact sending him to the ground. He twitched, nerves still firing as the bullets found a new home in his unarmored chest. Either way, another out of commission.
'I'll confirm the kill later when this is over.'
In the move now, with one last round in the chamber. With my inexperience being carried by my abilities. I was getting closer with every rushing step; I made a risky maneuver with that in mind. Instead of center mass, I aimed at one of the skulls exposed to me. I let my want guide me, squeezing the trigger before self doubt even processed in my mind.
'You miss a hundred percent of the shot you don't take,' I mused.
The cylinder released, my thumb feeling the lingering shape of the release. I flicked my right wrist back, watched as the empty casings succumbed to the cravings of gravity. My left hand swiftly entered my left pocket. Grabbed a handful without thinking. I glanced up, set my sights on the one I aimed my last shot.
The results concluded: I grazed him. My inexperience led to the bullet taking out his ear instead. The pain hit him instantly, hand over the injury. To me, the results weren't bad. Not only was that another one temporarily out of commission, his mental wouldn't be in the right place if he were to react to me. That only makes him reckless— therefore— predictable.
I felt the cold leave my left hand, the casing entered the empty cylinder chambers one by one. I didn't look down, I instead let my mind do it. I believed I'd make no error there.
Keeping my eye up as I moved towards their scum sergeant, I found half of their eyes were on me. Even so, it took them a second to realize who, what, and where I was. The rest soon followed and they too took a second to register.
"THERE! THERE 'E IS!" one of them shouted, colors drained from his face.
The same one that shouted snapped his finger towards me, "SHOOTA! WE GOT A SHOOTA!"
"HE DROPPED THA BOSS!" another shouted an astute observation.
"GET 'IM! GET THAT FRAGGIN' BASTARD!"
It took the three shouting that I was here for the rest to start in motion. They held this reckless uniformity. Some tripped, some held their guns sideways towards me. Some just stood out in the open with rifles braced down at their waist.
"DROP THA CRATES! DROP 'EM!"
"AMBUSH! AMBUSH!"
Seconds was all it took for me to reach their scum sergeant, closed the remaining distant with a slide. In close proximity, I felt his life force. His breathing tattered, a hand held over his wound. Mind too jarred with the pain and dysfunctional breathing to register that I was close. I didn't waste time; as the last round enter the chamber, I snapped my hand right, the cylinder clacked shut in place.
The reason I chose to rush towards the scum sergeant was simple: he was the closes to me. Any other cover that obstructed their line of sight towards me were on their side. That left him; he was injured, had frontal armor, easy for me to grab and control.
'In theory,' I mused, 'let's put it to the test.'
I leaned down, I became the epitome of speed that a human body with neural enhancements could. Left arm wrapped his neck, left hand holding on to two left over rounds I couldn't chamber. I yanked back, crouched as he was so most of my body shielded from the impending shots. Right hand over his right shoulder, extended and finger on the trigger.
I needed confirmed kills. I couldn't afford temporary stuns. I matched the revolver's iron sights with their noggins; I started with the stupid ones.
"GET BEHIND SOMETHIN', YA MOR—"
A ganger I heard shouted from behind something. His words cut short, probably due to the lifeless body that leaned back until it fell.
Turns out, shooting heads is easier when you're not on the move.
Before the morons— that hidden scum had so accurately described them— hid behind something, I picked them off first.
Five more shots: three more fell. I held my dissatisfaction in. I wasn't a combatant, not until some time ago. Still, four confirmed kills, two unconfirmed but injured.
Instead, I felt myself get loss. The sound of my heartbeat like a rhythmic hypnotism. My vision blurred and down to blackness.
"Shit..." the last of my word as I entered the void.
◃───────────▹
╒═══════════════════════════════════════════╕
Warning:
abnormality confirmed
╘═══════════════════════════════════════════╛
Evelyn's eyes read the words on the panel. The very same one that appeared before her during Numen's last black out.
She held her breath. When an abnormality presents itself in any normal circumstance, one usually get a negative notion. An abnormality is usually a variable not planned form. In most cases: negative.
But her hazel eyes said otherwise. Instead, her eyes translated to a want and anticipation. Deeper still, her hazel eyes held a gaze only one who experienced nostalgia could tell: Familiarity. Her right hand danced on a holographic surface. A mound of exploits withheld from Numen. Her left hand paused just above a bucket of popcorn. Her legs crossed comfortably, hugged by a warm blanket.
Her right index finger tapped enter, the last character for the last exploit correctly inputted. A silver neckless manifest in light. A kind of manifestation closer to a revelation as her hand moved in knowing, as if they were always there just hidden in plain sight. It wrapped around her neck; two rings with chains looped through them— it hung just above her collarbone.
Her eyes closed calmly,
"Hmmm."
A wanting hum as she watched a whole new movie behind her closed eyes.
As to what, only she knows.