>be me
>be working security for a small merc company specialized in storage of sensible items and information
>kinda like a warehouse for people who want to keep something important safe
>must of the time it's big weaponry like artillery or combat vehicles 
>but we also have a cell block in case anyone wants to keep someone in, like pow's or hostages
>bosses have alliances with no one, so we serve everybody that can pay the monthly fees
>this stings me in the moral bone but i can't do anything about it
>i'm just a guy watching the camera's feedback in a closet and giving announcements through the intercomm, they don't even trust me with a gun on the job 
>i always arrive armed but i'm forced to lock everything away before starting my shift
>in all honesty this job kinda sucks but i got no other options and the pay is not half bad
>one day a convoy of armed humvees and a ural park in line outside of the building and a total of 20 something fully spookyfied mercs disembark from the vehicles 
>ohshit.mp3
>connect the intercomm system to the directors office and inform him about the spooks outside
>he tells me not to worry about it and that he's been expecting them
>sigh in relief and relax for a few seconds before turning to look at the monitors again
>see director walk outside alone and unarmed and recive the mercs with open arms
>the mercs kinda just glance over the cordial greeting and start showing papers to the director
>looks like they are straight to the point kinda guys
>i can see the director nodding at the papers, he then starts to wave at one of the mercs
>the merc he waved at and 2 others start to move to the back of the ural
>after a few seconds the mercs bring out of the back an elf, a centaur and a beast halfling of some sort out of the back of the truck
>all barely dressed and looking rough
>ohno
>the prisioners are all transported into the cell block cuffed and with a piece of cloth in their mouths
>they are shoved into a cell, the mercs immediately turn to the director and shake his hand
>they then hand him over a briefcase and proceed to leave
>after my shift ended i went to ask the director about the whole deal
>he said "those mercs, they are a group called the cape of humanity and the prisioners they brought are their pow's"
>"i see" i replied but as i was leaving the office the director tells me "but don't go telling people about this deal, ok?
>"yes boss, im aware of our privacy policies" i said and left
>next day
>the director announces that “from tomorrow on all the staff will rotate chores every 2 days, so you better get a look into other’s positions and how to work them before you end up fucking up”
>”YESS BOSS” is said aloud in union by everybody in the warehouse
>i get exited thinking that maybe i’ll finaly be able to come out of the closet
>nowait
>but before i can keep daydreaming another message comes throught the intercomm
>”also i would like if anon could present himself in my office, thank you”
>dread status: SUDDEN OVERDRIVE
>everbody in the crowd glares at me with eyes of panic as if to tell me that i’m beyond fucked
>everybody scrams to their positions still with a look of shock
>dread status: EVEN FURTHER BEYOND
>old timer aproaches me and says “when the boss wants someone in specific at their office, it’s not a good sign, for everybody”
>that explains the look of mild panic in everybody else
>report to the main office
>boss greets me and tells me to sit down
>leaking sweat like a whore on church day i sit down and listen to the director
>”listen anon, you are the youngest employee i’ve got here” said the director
>”yes boss i know, is there a problem with my age?” i replied
>”no son, or atleast no a mayor one, we still can’t trust you with a long gun in the facility” the director answered
>”why no-“ but then the director cut me short
>”listen here son, i called you because i made a special schedule for you, instead of rotating Jobs like everybody else, you will work 3 days on your old post and 3 days as a cell block helper”
>”cell block helper?, what does that mean boss?” i asked
>”basic stuff, clean the empty cells, bring food to the prisioners yada yada yada, just stick to the warden and help him out with anything he tells you to, ok?
>”yes sir” was my reply before being dismissed back to my post
>after my shift ended in this pretty uneventful day i went down to the cell block to talk to the warden
>after meeting the warden named mike he told me that since there were only 3 prisioners occupying 1 cell this job should be a walk in the park
>as i leave i turn to see the 3 prisioners in the cell
>the centaur is just resting against the wall asleep, the elf is crying in the corner and the tiger beast halfling is cleaning his scorpion tail
>wait his wat?
>ohshit, he's not a tiger halfling, he's a fucking manticore
>well, this is gonna get interesting tomorrow
>the next day yet again
>i get to my locker and i put away my rifle, my beautiful sl-8 with a modified magazine well so it can fit a normal 30 round mag
>i admire it for a bit, resting in the vertical rack of my locker
>mike suddenly walks in and says "hey, anon, stop faffing about and get in position..."
>"sure thing miniboss" i said as i loaded my pistol, a cz75 in jet black
>inb4 muh soi boi memes
>as i walk down the hall to the cell block i think to myself about how cool it feels to finally be able to carry in the job
>ayyouboisknowicameinthisbitchstrapped.jpeg
>as i walk to the desk that supposed to be the wardens ""office"" i turn to the cell containing the 3 pow's
>the centaur is sleeping in the floor, the manticore is staring at me with daggers in his eyes and the elf is hugging him with her face burried in his chest still sobbing
>"what you looking at?" i said with my most neutral tone possible
>his face turn red and his frown gets more intense
>he punches the bars of the cell, scaring the elf
>"LET US GO YOU FUCKING CAPPED MOTHERFUCKERS" he screams and follows with several punches to the bars
>"were not part of the cape of whatever, they just pay us to keep you here" is my reply
>he goes silent for a few seconds before igniting once again, shaking the bars and grunting in rage
>"why did they capture you for? they said you were prisioners of war, but im starting to feel they are not the honest kind" i asked
>the elf has calmed down and is just sitting in a bed just looking down defeated
>the manticore starts what i can only assume is an attempt to bend the bars
>"we... are in... conflict" replies the manticore, clearly exhausted
>"easy there man, so you are pow's huh?" i replied
>"it's not that... simple, we were acting in..." but before he can continue he starts to wheeze in pain
>he must have hurt himself with all that effort
>"self defense, we were... def-... defending ourselves" he says as he clutches his abdomen
>want me to get you a painkiller for that? i asked
>"go... go fuck yourself" was the answer i got
>taken aback i reply "n-no dude i'm serious, that look like it hurts a lot"
>he just looks down and then nods
>i step away to get this guys their food and medicine
>when i come back mike is sitting in his chair, cleaning a shotgun with a piece of cloth
>i put the plater with individual bowls of stew on the ground
>i open the food hatch at the bottom of the cell and i slide the bowls in
>the manticore quickly grabs one and starts chugging it
>the other 2 join him and as they are eating i tell them "maybe if you tell me more about this self defense thing i could help you get a better accommodation"
>i wanted to know more about this cape of humanity guys, they seem like an interesting group
>a few minutes after everybody finished eating mike leaves for a piss break
>now's my chance
>i lean into a wall and ask the manticore about the group
>"it's kinda complex but i'll tell you everything i know"
>oh boy, exposition time
>"the cape of humanity is a terrorist organization hellbent on destroying anything fantastical, we've been at war with them for a few months now"
>"so what's your side called and why they didn't kill you on sight?
>"we are just a group called Rodela, we started as a tribe of purely fantastical beings trying to get out of humanity's sight, all for the sake of peace, why they captured us is beyond me but i imagine that they want our knowledge"
>with all my questions answered i just ask the guy about themselves
>"my name is zacharias, im half manticore, the elf is named lucy, but she says she won't speak with humans, and the horse gal, we don't know, she's mute and doesn't want to interact with us"
>i just nod and start to walk away when i remember
>"hey did that pill work?" i asked
>the guy just slightly nods
>the night continues as normal
>next day
>as i enter the cell block i notice mike hasn't showed up yet so i take the opportunity to ask zach how is he
>he just raises his head and says "ah, the not-so-much-of-an-asshole guard, im doing fine"
>"just call me anon"
>"anon, eh? thats a weird name but okay, i talked to lucy last night"
>my interest is lifted slightly
>"lucy, come here" he says and signals her to come closer
>the elf comes closer and opens her mouth
>"he-hello sir, zach told me that you could help us out of here"
>wait what
>"i umh.. i"
>spaghetti status: containment breach
>after clearin up things with the elf she looks down defeated
>i back away and remain silent for the rest of the day
>as night came i was heading to the locker room to grab my shit and leave
>the alarm starts blaring and the intercomm comes in
>"WE GOT AN ARMED INTRUDER AT BACK ENTRA-
>the lights go out, i pull out flashlight and i start running to my locker 
>as i run i pull out the shitty kevlar vest i was issued and i toss it behind
>i get to my locker, put plate carrier on, make sure plate is secure and that i got mags in the pouches
>grab rifle and load it
>i aim it into the corner to inspect sight
>it's acting up and then goes out completely
>godfuckingdammitwhynow
>i run to the main storage area and encounter with a small group of security
>i quietly say "the fuck's going on?"
>one of the guys just shushes me and keeps moving forward, rilfe aimed
>as we are walking in between some shipping containers i see a sphere roll out of the corner of one
>ohshit.wav
>before i can react the sphere lights up and out several times and so bright it actually hurts to look at it
>i cover my eyes with my forearm and start backing up
>i start hearing several automatic weapons start firing right in front of me, followed by screams
>my fucking ears i fucking forgot the earpro
>i just do a 720 and run as fast as i can, still with forearm around my face
>i uncover my eyes and start to run to the security room to hide as is one of the most armored rooms in the building
>still hearing automatic fire and screams but coming from different sides this time
>i get to the security room and shut the heavy reinforced door
>and i notice something weird
>the cameras are still on and they are recording in their night vision mode
>i try the light switch to see if the electricity is back
>lights don't work so how are the cameras fine?
>i take a look at the camera feed
>i can see a dark figure just walking around the facility
>help
>the figure gets the jump on several groups of staff, killing them without a problem
>as i see things unfold i can hear the action aswel, fire and screams muffled by the walls around me
>that's when i realized, i had saved myself by being a coward and running away
>feels bad man
>i lay my rifle next to the security console and look away from the monitors still hearing gunshots and bloody murder
>15 minutes pass and the place has gone mostly quiet except for some occasional gunshot or screams
>i turn to look at the monitors and my heart fucking sinks
>it
>is
>out
>fucking
>side
>staring at the door, fumbling with something in it's hands
>[INTERNAL SCREAMING SO HARD IT'S ALMOST EXTERNAL]
>inmediatly open the cupboard under the console and pull out all the spare parts and electronics in there and get inside
>try to close the little door as much as i can, but i can't close it fully
>through the little opening i can see the lock of the door opening itself
>i press my cz against myself as i peek
>the door opens itself and i can finaly see that provider of my company's doom with my own eyes
>it's...
>...a teenager?
>anon.exe is not responding
>more than a teen he looks like a young adult, maybe somewhere near my age
>he's about 6 feet tall and wearing a baggy black hoodie with some white words in cyrillic written above where he's left pectoral would be
>i can only make out a word "copoк"
>besides that he has some loose jeans and black steel toe boots
>he walks closer to the console and stares at the electronics on the ground
>i hear him mutter something along the lines of "кажется, что кто-то делал ремонт, когда я пришел сюда" and then he chuckles
>i don't know if he is talking to himself or he knows im here and is talking to me but holy hell do i hope it's the first one
>he moves out of what little sight the small opening gives me
>i hear typing and humming, i can recognize the tune, it's white army black baron
>fucking help
>typing stops and and his hand comes down, gently letting something onto the floor infront of the cupboard
>it's a gun, a very short barreled rifle with a wire stock folded to the side and a short handguard, my memory springs into action as i recognize the weapon
>it's an sr-3m with an 1s-03 kobra sight and no silencer attached
>typing intensifies
>hear a satisfied chuckle, followed by a curious "oh?"
>what's he doing?
>hear like swivels rattling against polymer followed by soft scratching
>what in the god da-
>oh no he is not
>hear the distinctive sound of a bolt being racked back
>my fears are confirmed, this asshole is fingerfucking my rifle
>as i continue to stew in my soup of rage and despair i hear a lound "tack"
>i peek to see my rifle in the floor and his hand gently picking up his own weapon
>MaximumDisrespect
>he rapes my beloved raifu and then tosses it to the ground
>i see him closing the door behind him whilst whistling
>as soon as the whistling fades away i crawl out of the cupboard and start looking through the consoles
>open the file manager and go to "file movement history" to try to figure out what this little shitter did
>last to movements are the modification of a video and moving said modified video to an external memory unit named "copoк ceмь"
>the video is titled BigDebut.mp4
>i open it and immediately recognize what it is
>it's tonights whole security footage starting 5 minutes before the alarms went off
>hear screaming, feminine screaming coming from the lobby
>open the camera feed
>i see the elf on the ground in front of the main gate
>fuck, what was her name?
>lucy!
>i see lucy crawling on the floor as an elongated black smudge approaches her
>the smudge bends over, and ties lucy's arms behind her back
>lucy struggles and kicks at her assaulter landing a lucky kick
>the smudge dissipates revealing the dude with the sr-3m slinged to his back
>he's holding his left hip in pain
>im paralyzed
>please don't kill her
>he composes himself and gets close to lucy, standing her up and socking her in the jaw
>lucy goes limp but before she can fall to the floor the dude catches her and then carries her on his shoulder
>he starts to leave out of the front gate but as he does the smudge starts to form again, surrounding his figure completely except for the elf on his shoulder
>fuck what do i do?
>save her you fucking twat
>god damnit sense of heroism, i barely fucking know her
>fuck it i've lost my only source of income, if i die i don't loose much else
>/biz/ mentality
>pick up rifle and start running towards the front gate snatching a kevlar helmet form a body 
>as i get to the door i get my keys out to pursue any vehicle in what would be a deadly chase sequence
>deadly for me atleast
>instead i see the dude standing in the dirt road that leads to the warehouse
>he hasn't noticed me yet
>he arches his back and quickly hunches over
>two black metalic shapes start emerging from his lower back
>2 elongated trapezoids are attached to him by a corner of the shapes
>they seem sturdy yet they hang limp, but quickly harden and sweep themselves forward
>and thats when i realize what they are
>they're wings, not natural wings but some kind of transmutative magic bullshit
>WHAT
>THE
>FUCK
>he simply floats about 100 feet into the air and then dashes to the forest that envelopes the road
>without thinking i run to my suv
>an old jeep with heavy duty dirt tires i'd never thought i'd use
>fotunately the forest is not dense enought to keep me and my vehicle out of it or to hinder my visual on that little fucker
>in the fray on trying no to loose my target i scratch the paint and destroy both my side mirrors, doesn't matter
>thats not what i'm focused on right now
>i see him quickly descend to somewhere onto the forest straight forward from my current location
>i stop my car and grab my rifle, walking to get the jump on him
>i walk a hundred feet from my car until i see where he landed
>in a clearing, how convenient
>i lean against a tree in the edge of the clearin to take it as cover
>he's standing in the center of the clearing with the elf laying on the ground completely limp and with blood all over her cheecks
>rage get's the best of me and i impulsively start shooting at him, counting my bullets but not aiming correctly
>my first burst falls short of his target
>he quickly takes off and starts shooting back, but unlike me, he has the composture to aim properly with a fully automatic rifle
>his bullets start hitting the tree im behind
>return fire, this time actually trying to hit him
>17 rounds gone, take cover again, still taking fire
>he stops his barrage, he must be reloding
>poke out again and continue to fire at my airborn target
>29th bullet reaches it's mark
>i hear a muffled scream and i see the little shitter falling to the ground
>he spreads his artificial wings once again stopping the fall and giving me the right moment to hit him again
>distance and angle are counted for, this should hit
>*click*
>WAT
>WHAT HAPPE-
>flashback
>he had handled my rifle in the security room, he must have ejected a round whe he racked the bolt back
>oh fuck im retarded
>so retarded that i freeze out of shear shock
>i snap back to reality when i hear the sound of bullets hitting the trees and ground around me
>i try to hide behind the tree as fast as i can
>but it's not enough
>i feel a sudden pressure just above the elbow on my left arm quickly followed by an sharp pain and bleeding
>he got me, straight throug my flesh just barely missing bone, god fucking damn it hurts
>my arm goes limp below the wound
>the fire stops and i hear a scream, not one of pain but of anger
>peek out to see whats happening
>little shithead is still in the air but he's clutching his left shoulder
>his rifle is hanging by it's sling
>he's just stares at me before shouting in a very light slavic accent
>"YOU GOT LUCKY THIS TIME FAGGOT, BUT I, DAKO OF VETRILLY, WILL COME BACK TO DECAPITATE YOU AND FUCK YOUR HEAD UNTIL YOUR SKULL CRACKS"
>he flies off
>is it just me or does this guy talk like a normie tier anime villian?
>nevermind
>ok, so now i know that a crazy russian named dako wants me dead, my arm's fucked, i lost my job and fucked over my car
>what else am i missing?
>OH SHIT LUCY
>i sling my rifle over my shoulder with my still working arm
>i run towards her still limp in the ground, face turned to the side
>she is barely conscious so i turn her head so she can focus on me and thats when i see it
>she has a big chunk of her right cheek flesh missing
>holy shit i can actually see a bit of jawbone exposed
>that crazy psychopath must have taken a bite out of her
>i try to pick her up with one arm
>i could but i need both to lift her up carefully
>she opens her eyes a little and says "h-here... let me get that for y-you"
>she lifts her right arm towards my wound as her palm start to shine purple
>she rubs the area of my wound and i can feel my muscle fibers reconnecting
>holy shit she's healing me
>the shine starts to dim, her arms falls to the ground, she has fainted
>my wound has healed a lot, not completely but atleast i can move my arm now
>gently pick her up and start running back to the car
>we get to my car and i seat her in the front seat
>i get in and start the car, i do a 3 point turn and speed my way back to the warehouse
>i lift the center console compartment hatch
>there is a water bottle in there
>this will do
>i open the bottle and start pouring it into her forehead with one arm, keeping the other one on the wheel
>she reacts when the water descends to her mouth
>thank god she's still alive
>she opens her eyes and turns to look at me
>her stare is coparable to that of a zombie
>she remains quiet throught the ride
>we arrive at the warehouse 
>i park as close as possible to the doors
>i get out of the car, rifle still mounted on my shoulder
>i run over to the other side and get her out, she's still awake, barely but awake and her cheek is still bleeding
>enter the building, the lights reveal that she is extremely pale
>run with her in my hands to the medical station
>open the door and lay lucy on an examination table
>start opening cabinets and closets looking for something useful
>find hemorrhage kit, theres a tourniquet, antiseptic cream, gauzes and bandage rolls
>take everything but the tourniquet
>come on obligatory first aid course, it's your time to shine
>apply cream on a gauze and put it in the wound
>roll bandage tightly over her head and under her jaw
>she looks like she got her wisdom teeth removed
>she needs something to eat and drink to energize her
>run to the break room to get her something
>open the door, theres a body lying against the fridge
>it's the old timer, fuck
>no time to mourn, didn't rally knew him either way
>move his body and open the fridge
>theres a sandwich , a can of monster zero ultra and a bottle of coconut water marked with a sticky note that reads "faggot cleff"
>take everything and run back
>i run back to the medical station
>lucy's breathing hard and color is returning to her skin
>close the door behind me 
>the sound of the door closing wakes her up
>she just stares at me
>i wave the food signaling to her if she wants to eat
>she just nods and tries to sit up
>but before she can do anything i put the food on top of one of those little table with wheels
>i help her sit down on the examination table and i ask her "can you talk?" whilst pointing at her covered wound
>she pulls the bandages a little, probably to loosen them up a bit an replys with a very rough voice "a bit"
>"that's good enought i guess" i said as i gave her the sandwich and coconut water
>she starts to nible the sandwich and taking little sips of the water
>i tell her to stay here, as i get out of the room
>walk out to the main storage area and head to the director's office
>it's a little room suspended on a catwalk over the storage area
>i open the door slowly, the director is on top of his desk dead
>his guts are spilling out of his abdomen, he was cut open with a knife
>god damn
>i reach into his pockets looking for a key
>bingo, the archive keys
>i use them to open a green cabinet full of documents
>search "employee data list" and search for myself on the big ass folder
>motherfucker why didn't he get a computer
>finally find my page, it contains my full name, adress and contact info
>rip it out of there and stuff it into a pocket, i don't want to get involved with any investigation that may occur
>suddenly i get an idea
>search the directors corpse again but this time im looking for something else
>i found what im looking for
>a keycard
>no
>THE keycard
>it has acces to everything that locked behind a keypad
>the director's personal locker, the narcotics in storage the armory
>the armory
>i know what im doing next
>good thing a brought an suv
>wait
>turn to look at a gray cabinet with a keypad with a black label on the door
>it's the director's personal locker
>open it with anticipation clearly marked on my face
>my jaw drops
>there are 2 tuxedo suits, 5 gold bars and a golden deagle brand deagle
>with a duffle bag folded on the bottom for convenience
>guess if shit hit the fan the director was ready to grab all his stuff and dip
>grab the bag and start to think of a way to stuff everything down without damaging something
>get flashback to getting killed by a deathclaw because i couldn't run away because i was over encumbered
>fucking fallout nv need to play that shit again
>grab deagle brand deagle and only 1 gold bar
>the gold bar alone weights like 7 pounds
>stuff them in the bag
>walk to the armory
>the keypad has a green label on it
>open it without a problem because "muh omnicard"
>lockers full of sweet sweet loot
>start opening lockers randomly, stuffing shit into the bag without a care
>a spas 12, a galil in 308, a steyr scout with a 19' barrel
>fuck i already fill heavy
>keep a p90 i found on my hands
>start walking to my car
>drop everything into the back
>walk back inside
>I NEED MORE LOOT
>return to the armory
>pick more shit up
>a mp5sd, msg90 and a shit load of ammo
>oof
>fuck
>god this is heavy
>as i run out spot something that stops me in my tracks
>a locker but the keypad has a black label in it instead of a green one
>walk dramatically and open the locker
>theres wide and stuby gun case
>open it
>jizz my pants a little
>it's a fucking gen 1 wa2000, a can flash hider one
>but i can't carry all this shit
>fuck it, drop the msg90 and half the 9mm ammo i was carrying
>pick up this beauty inside it's case as delicately as i can
>walk to car and drop everything of except the case
>set the case carefully on the backseats
>I WANT MOR-
>NO YOU GOT ENOUGH
>NO, NEED LOOT
>YOU ARE STEALING FROM YOUR DEAD COMRADES
>DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CAR- yeah i should probably stop
>run to medical station to take ask lucy if she wants me to give her a ride
>she's not here and the monster can is empty
>fuck, where could she be?
>sling over my rifle and head out the medical station
>search through the entire management area of the facility looking for lucy
>sudden idea emerges
>fuck i think i know where she is
>run to the cell block
>on the way there i found her bandages stil soaked in blood
>oh no
>as i enter the cell block i start to hear crying
>OH NO
>yes, indeed
>she is in the cell she was put into but..
>the centaur gal is slumped against the wall
>she has an entry wound in the back of her head
>she is dead
>lucy is holding into zacharias chest
>her hands are glowing purple
>zach has 3 entry wounds in his upper torso
>he's long dead too
>his body is colorless
>his eyes still wide open with an expression of shock
>dry blood all around his mouth
>fucking hell
>i squat down to level with lucy
>i grab her chin and i turn her head towards me
>she is bawling her eyes out
>she healed her own wound but i can still see a scar
>tell her to leave him alone
>she grinds her teeth, still tearing up
>she stands up and leaves the cell
>i put my hand over zach chest
>fucking hell man, i barely knew you but it still hurts me to see you like this
>i close his eyes and mouth
>i stand up, form a layman's blessing hand and mark a cross on my body with my hand
>i get out of the cell
>lucy is standing by mike's desk
>i look over the desk
>mike is lying under it
>he has a single bullet hole in his forehead
>right in between his eyes
>his corpse is clutching a shockwave shotty by the fore end and a piece of paper folded in half
>grab both the gun and paper, then put the shotty on top of the desk
>what the hell, mike never holded papers for anyone but the director
>open paper
>it's an instructive directly sent by the director
>it's a short paragraph that reads as follows
"michael, i need to ask you a favor"
"the fine gentlemen that decided to employ your cell block for the prisoners you've been overlooking are coming back tonight"
"and they'll be coming at 12 o'clock to pick up the prisoners and discuss further possible cooperation in the future, 2/3's of the staff will be dismissed for the day"
"i want to make sure anon is among those 2/3's because he seems to be getting quite attached to the prisoners"
"and i need you to stay here to assist with anything"
>im cold after reading that
>check clock, it's 11:49, fuck
>turn to see lucy
>she's still sniffling
>quickly take mike's khaki jacket he kept for maximum deputy cosplay from his corpse
>give it to lucy along with my keys and the shotty and tell her to "run to the car and start it, shit's not done yet"
>her face turns to horror and she dashes off
>grab rifle and run to the security room
>this night just keeps on giving
>as i run i realize something
>the lights
>they were back on when we arrived
>dako's attack happened about 10:27, right before everyone covering a night shift is sent home
>we have an automatic light control system that's supposed to shut down every light in the facility at 10:45
>this should have been the first indication that something was off
>i could have escaped earlier if i've had payed attention to my surroundings
>fuck
>get to the security room
>my cz is on the floor, fuck i must have dropped it earlier
>pick up pistol and open the the console's file manager
>attempt to wipe all the memory of the console but it's blocked by a password
>write my password
>denied, i must have been changed depending on who's on shift
>fuck it
>pull slide of pistol a bit to check the chamber
>it's loaded
>dump the whole mag into the console
>reload and dump second mag into the monitors
>check clock, it's 11:53
>get the fuck out of there
>i run out of the building
>it's dark as shit but the interior light of my car guide me
>as i get in the clock turn from 11:59 to 12:00
>lucy was already waiting for me inside the car
>unless these guys are swiss clocks we should have a small window of time to get out unseen
>speed out of there
>as we ride off i tell lucy to fasten her seat belt as i fasten mine
>"but i don't wear belts" was her reply
>"nevermind just hold on to something"
>things are gonna get bumpy
>sudden realization comes in
>im driving a fucked up black jeep with an elf wearing rags and a bloody jacket
>with a metric fuckton of guns and ammo in the back
>heading towards a calm neighborhood in a city
>slam the brakes
>lucy grabs onto the headrest with a scared face
>put the jeep in neutral and pull on the parking brake
>get out
>lucy yells "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!"
>i run to the back of my car
>i grab the license plate and rip it out
>run towards the front and do the same to the other plate
>run back in and throw the plates in the back seat
>"WHY DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" yelled lucy as she slapped my shoulder
>i reply "to not get tracked once in the city, in this condition we are a rolling felony"
>she lets out a heavy stressed sigh
>we are about halfway to get to the highway when i see several fog lights coming our way
>shit, it's them
>ohno.jpg
>the front humvee blinks it's high beams twice, signaling at us
>i tell lucy to hide as i search a way to turn the interior lights off
>lucy won't move, she is frozen in fear as she recognizes the unmarked vehicles
>she stares at a ural truck
>it's the same ural that brought her and the others in that day
>but this time the truck has a logo stenciled on the side
>we pass the convoy
>they must have seen her because the 2 last humvees stop and turn around while the rest of the convoy head towards the deserted warehouse
>shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit
>try to push my jeep as much as i can without breaking something
>lucy is sobbing still clutching the headrest
>i see the highway, i break a bit and prepare to turn
>turn right to get on the highway
>as soon as i feel the transition from dirt to tarmac i start speeding again
>humvees still on my trail but they seem to be further away than in the dirt road
>all this time i've been expecting them to shoot at my car but they never did
>don't mid it for now and keep driving south
>i see the lights of the city in the distance
>on the way i see a small building on the side of the road
>i pass the building, it's an equestrian center
>why is this important?
>because when i looked back the humvees were turning west to the building
>i don't know if they gave up or had another reason to stop chasing me but i'm not slowing down
>keep driving for a couple of minutes, looking back from time to time to see if anyone is behind me
>nothing at all
>we are getting close to the city, lucy is hugging her legs, still tears rolling down her cheecks
>we reach the city and i slow down a lot
>turn west to get into the suburbs not only to stay away from the city center but also because i live there
>boulder, home, or atleast it was until i fucked everything up 
>finally inside of the suburbs of boulder, i feel a bit better, not fine but better
>i drive to my home as slowly as possible, just feathering the pedal
>we get to my house and i press the garage door control in my keychain to open the garage
>[unnecessaryly loud mechanical noises]
>god i hope that doesn't wake up my neighbors
>get inside and close the garage door
>as soon as the garage door closes i shut the car down and get out to turn the lights on
>as soon as i flip the switch i feel something grab onto my back
>i flinch and turn my head quickly
>it's lucy
>she's hugging me, almost crying
>i wrap my arms around her chest 
>i pat her head a bit before telling her to get inside
>"we'll talk in a bit, get yourself a bath, i'll look for something for you to wear beside those rags" i say
>she walks in and starts to look around
>i should probably tell her where the bathroom is
>"bathroom is upstairs, first door you see" i said
>she just nods and heads upstarirs
>okay time to use my head and
>waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait
>the loot
>i open the trunk 
>yes my sweet sweet loot
>pack as much as i can into the duffle bag and carry the rest in my hands
>i drop everything on my kitchen table
>feelsgoodman.jpg
>go back and retrive case containing glorious wa2000
>carefully set it on top of my coffee table on my living room
>sit on couch in front of it
>open case and jizz myself a little again
>admire it's beautiful frame and it's delicate wood furniture
>i am blessed right now
>take off plate carrier and helmet
>take wa2000 of it's case
>close the case
>deploy bipod and rest rifle on top of case
>i admire it for a few minutes
>before remembering i told lucy i would get her some clothes 
>right, i should get on that
>i go upstair and into my room
>i start looking around for anything that lucy could wear
>so far the only things that i've been able to are a gray t-shirt and camouflage pants with suspenders
>both used to be mine but don't fit me anymore
>the t-shirt could fit her fine, if a bit (lot) baggy
>the pants she could wear without a problem except they are way too long for her
>fold the bottom hem inside until it looks short enough for her
>staple the bottom hems in place with a stapler i had nearby
>i fold everything and i put it in a neat pile
>i carry the clothing to the bathroom door
>i can hear the shower running
>i knock on the door a few times
>the water stops and i hear a muffled "yeah?"
>i reply "lucy, i got you some clothes, im gonna put them in th-"
>the door opens a little and lucy peeks her head out, still wet
>"sorry anon i couldn't hear you"
>i try to muster every ounce of self control in me trying not to let myself blush
>i fake cough and say "u-um yeah sorry, i foun-er i got you some clothes for you, okay?
>she replies "oh thanks, just put them next to the door, i'll get them when i get out"
>she goes back to showering as i put the clothes on the floor
>i walk to my bedroom and sit on my chair in front of my computer
>look at myself in the reflection of the black monitor
>didn't blush, fuck yeah, spaghetti contained
>start to think about tonight's events
>overall, i think today was a shitty day and i just hope i did enough to not let the police, or those extremist or that russian shitter track me down
>i hear my door creack a little
>i turn around to see lucy at my door, wearing what i got her
>"thanks for the clothes, you can use the shower now"
>well, atleast i got to know this nice elf a little better
>i still don't know why my subconscious was yelling at me to save her
>maybe i was just forcing myself to do the right thing
>maybe there's more than just doing the right thing
>she is pretty cute afterall
>after showering and getting dressed i call lucy to chat with her about the whole deal and what's next
>she doesn't respond
>start looking for her all over the second floor
>nowhere up here, better look downstairs
>walk down
>she is in the living room
>she's asleep on my couch in a weird position
>looks uncomfortable
>get an idea
>go to my room upstairs again and look in my closet
>"shit, it should be right he- bingo"
>a folded inflatable matress
>unfold it, inflate it and put my covers and a pillow on it
>put the air conditioner on
>walk downstairs
>lucy is still sleeping
>sneak up on her and put my right arm under her neck and my left arm under her knees
>gently hoist her upstairs in my arms
>she is surprisingly light, almost as light as a child
>gently put her down on the inflatable bed and put my only blanket on top of her
>she unconsciously covers herself with it
>how im i gonna sleep then?
>fuck it, just put on some tracksuit pants under my jeans and a jacket to sleep
>turn the lights out and lay on my bed
>pull out my phone and delete my alarm labeled "Haven't you got work?"
>won't be using that anymore
>think about tonights events once again
>how can i be calm right now?
>i lost my job in the worst way possible
>i didn't really cared for my coworkers that much, maybe that's why
>except the director and zach, i'll miss those
>look at lucy
>she has an unhappy frow in her face
>even in her sleep, she is clearly not content with tonight's events either
>try to go to sleep
>wake up at 3:00 in the morning
>hearing thumping downstairs
>ohshit
>turn around to check on lucy
>she is still sleeping
>get out of bed and wake lucy up
>she immediately wakes up asks me what's going on
>thumping intensifies
>i tell her to hide in the closet and to not make a sound
>she quickly runs into the closet and closes the door
>open the drawer on my bedside stand and pull out cz
>rack the slide chambering a round
>thumping has stoped
>walk through the moonlit hall to my staircase
>walk downstairs making as little sound as possible
>i get downstairs
>because this part of the house doesn't have much windows it's very dark
>only see the black stains that are the shadows formed by my furniture
>suddenly i see a shadow move out of the corner of my eye
>turn around aiming my pistol at the movement
>as soon as i turn around i see the black figure jump at me
>i flinch as i try to pull the trigger
>but before i can fire my pistol i feel something rip it out of my hands
>i try to compose myself
>"GAH-" is the only thing that came out of my mouth as i feel something burrow itself on my lower back
>in a fraction of a second i feel my legs go numb and then give out
>i fall to the floor on my side
>the pressure of the object turns to a sharp pain
>i try to reach it and pull it out
>but before i can do so i hear a voice
>a familiar voice with a slight slavic accent
>"well, bet you didn't expected my so soon did you?"
>i turn in a cold sweat to face my attacker, it's dako
>he's standing in the shadows, grinning smugly at me
>imdonefor.mp3
>look around me
>i can partially see my pistol
>grab it and point it a dako
>pull the trigger
>*thinck*
>check my pistol only to realize the entire slide is missing and what i hear was the base of the hammer striking the frame
>dako laughs and say "looking for this?" as he pulls the slide of my pistol out of his pocket
>"don't worry, you won't need this anymore" he continued as he pulled the recoil spring and barrel out of the slide
>he throws them behind him and grabs the slide itself in both of his hands
>with little effort he snaps the slide in 2 at the middle of the ejection port
>he starts to walk to me
>i throw the frame of my pistol at him as a distraction
>he simply moves his head out of the way
>i start to crawl only using my arms
>bad idea
>the pain of the knife still stuck to my back gets sharper
>i grunt in pain as i reach to pull it out
>i feel something clutch my hand and turn me to my side again
>i turn to face dako only to see a hand come down to cover my mouth
>"we don't want any pesky neighbors getting in out way do we?" said dako
>i start to punch and shove at him to no avail
>a tar like liquid start to pour out of beneath his sleeves
>it starts to crawl under his hand and all around my mouth
>i feel it solidify as he lifts his hand of my face
>i can't move my jaw at all, all my cries are muffled
>he says "now, this arms are getting in the way"
>he moves my arms to my back effortlessly
>fuck i think he dislocated something
>feel the same liquid envelop both my wrists, my arms are bound to my back
>he grabs the hood of my jacket and starts dragging me on the floor
>he lets go of me in front of my staircase
>"now where did that knife go to, eh?" i heard as i felt him pull it out of my back
>as soon as he pulls it out i start to scream as hard as i can
>useless, my screams are muffled
>he starts to hum as he twirls the knife in his hands
>he lifts up my jacket and shirt
>he inserts the tip of the knife into my side in a gently manner
>he starts to glide the knife from one side of my abdomen to the other
>my eyes are wide open but my vision is fading
>i feel him do it again, but i can't respond anymore
>"don't move now bud, i don't want to taint your meat"
>i can feel air entering my cavity
>my eyes are tearing up
>he grabs my chin and turn my head to face him
>he's squating in front of me with a long and thin slice of my abdomen flesh in his hands and says
>"this if for shooting me in the shoulder"
>he puts the piece of me in his mouth and starts to chew
>"tastes like scumbag, but atleast i got to see your guts as you die"
>i can't feel anything anymore
>he tilts my head down, i can see a bit of my intestines poking out of my wound
>"you need a better view of this"
>he lifts his leg over my side and stomps me
>a surge of pain travels through my body as i see my intestines launch out of my abdomen
>something travels up my gullet
>it's vomit and blood but i can't spit it out so i swallow it back
>he laughs as he starts to walk up the staircase
>"keep yourself alive bud 'cuz im not done yet"
>after what feels like minutes of clinging to life i see him come back down
>he has lucy bound with that tar thing as well
>her muffled cries are barely audible
>"this is what i came here for baby"
>he start to bite her neck
>lucy starts to bawl her eyes out
>he takes chunks of her neck with every bite he makes
>he licks his lips as he throws lucy in front of me
>me and lucy are facing eachother on the floor
>blood is coming out her nose and spourting out of her neck
>life draining from her eyes as her body convulses
>some last tears escape my eyes
>"one last goodbye to the lovebirds"
>is the last thing i hear before giving up
>everything goes dark and i can't feel my body anymore
>thats it
>im dead
 
>suddenly i start to feel my body again
>my sences are coming back
>the void around me starts to transform from black to gray and then to white
>everything around me shines before feeling myself in the real world again
>i feel like im in bed again
>but i still feel pain in my abdomen and lower back
>sit up and try to open my eyes
>my eyes a glued shut with gound
>ew
>fucking hell, mr. sandman overdid himself this time
>slowly peel the rocky mucus out of my left eye
>open my eye
>it inmediatly starts to sting
>look around
>im in my bedroom, everything is just like before i went to sleep
>lift up my jacket and shirt
>im fine, no cuts or wounds
>the pain starts to dissipate as i inspect myself
>turn to look at lucy
>she's still asleep but she's shivering and breathing hard
>i pat her shoulder to wake her up
>her eyes spring open and she quickly sits up on the inflatable mattress 
>she jumps at me, and hugs me
>my spaghetti starts to act up a bit
>i hug back as she starts to sniffle a bit
>she says in a very rough voice "anon, i had a horrible nightmare were... were we-"
>i try my best to calm her down and tell her "we had a shitty night, we almost died like 3 times, it's just a nightmare"
>she starts to cough and grabs her neck
>i say "look, im gonna make us some breakfast, meanwhile relax, ok?"
>she just nods and stands up
>she walks over to the bathroom
>i grab my phone, it's 6:58 in the morning
>i walk downstairs, a bit worried about that nightmare
>mine or hers?, both
>that wasn't a normal nightmare, it felt too real
>i get to the kitchen and i start to wash my face on the sink
>i clear my other eye of the sticky blockade and i look at myself on the camera of my phone
>jesus, i look like fucking shit this morning
>im pale as fuck
>my eyes and nose are red
>and my hair look like a donkey munched on it throughout the night
>fix my hair a bit with my hands as i pull out ingredients to make some pancakes
>my secret is to throw a bit of yeast and a dab of molasses into the mix
>make 4 big pancakes and a bunch of bacon
>put half of everything in 2 plates and put them on the coffee table of my living room
>bring some syrup and put it on the table as well
>go back to the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee
>add a bit of milk and sugar and pass it to a bigger cup
>pull a bottle of whiskey out of a drawer and serve it on a small shot glass
>pour it into the coffee and mix it
>the coffee takes a more clear texture
>grab a can of whipped cream from the fridge and float a bit of it on top of the coffee
>grab it and sit down on the couch
>turn the tv on to the morning news
>the reporter ends a statement about riots occuring in denver
>"we got reports about yesterday night, a chase between 3 unmarked vehicles at the northern highway of boulder heading to the city"
>"after contacting with some locals we found a testimony from the autumn hill equestrian center about the whole ordeal"
>the feed cuts to the recording of a call and the voice of a man starts to speak
>"i was outside, when i heard multiple like... engines coming in... and i saw this like"
>"this black jeep, like an early 2000's jeep just ran and it was in a pretty bad condition"
>"scratches and dents and all that, but then i saw 2 like... military vehicles"
>"they looked like humvees or some deal like that and the pulled up on our road"
>"and i was really scared i ran inside to get my gun but when i looked through the window to see what was going on, they were gone" 
>the feed cuts back to the reporter who says
>"i you have any information about a black jeep in a bad condition near the city of boulder, contact the police departemnt inmedia-"
>i switched the channel to cartoons
>i hear steps walking down
>i turn to see lucy, visibly refreshed, unlike the botched mess i am
>i pat the seat of the couch next to me, mouth still full of breakfast
>she sits in and grabs her plate
>she starts to dig in, a gloomy and somber expression is still on her face
>i offer her some of my irish coffee
>she takes a little sip and gasps a bit
>"did you burn yourself?" i asked
>she silently stares at the cup
>"you okay?" i continued
>she starts to chug the contents of the cup
>mfw she drank it all in 4 seconds
>she looks at the cup for a few seconds
>she looks at me and gasp a bit harder, whipped cream in her lips
>"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD IM SORRY ANON I DRA-"
>i shuss her and tell her "it's okay, i can make another one"
>"finish you breakfast and we'll talk, okay?"
>she nods and resumes eating
>after finishing and putting our plates in the sink i sit down next to her and ask 
>"would you be comfortable talking about your nightmare?"
>she just stares at the floor for a few second
>"i don't know, it was very graphic and i would feel akward telling you what happened" she replied
>i grab her shoulder and i just nod a bit telling her that "it's okay, i dream weird shit too"
>over the next minutes my face turns from a slight smile to concern as she describes with great detail my nightmare form her point of view
>everything, me waking her up, she hidding in the closet and getting found, me with my guts on the floor at the bottom of the staircase, the line of "one last goodbye to the lovebirds" before fading out
>she notices my worried expression and asks
>"anon, did you have the same dream?"
>i just nod and say "from my perspective"
>she starts to breakdown saying "wha-what, that guy... he could do stuff with- and- what if he's nearby and he's messing with- hesmessingwithushesgonnakillus"
>she starts to hyperventilate
>i grab her shoulders and start telling her to stay calm
>"we'll be fine, trust me, we are okay"
>that totally wasn't a normal nightmare
>"hey, how about we go out to find you some proper clothes,ok? i said as i picked up the keys of my car
>lucy just nods as she stands up and heads to the garage
>"let me put something to go out and we'll be on our way" i continued
>i walked upstairs and into my room
>as i change myself i noticed that the curtains on my window were closed
>i never close them
>i get close to the window and open the curtains
>theres a weird rune marked into my window with an oily substance
>on the inside of the window
>i panic a bit before cleaning the mark with a paper towel
>i finish changing my clothes and walk downstairs a bit shaken
>if i tell lucy she'll brakedown again
>lucy is sitting on the couch again and waves at me
>"anon, how are we gonna go on that" she points to the door that leads to the garage
>my jeep still in a very bad condition sitting there
>"nevermind, im gonna call a taxi" i replied
>also police have been notified about my jeep so thats a no go
>we exit my house and sit on the curb for a little
>i call for a taxi and we leave to the town center to get lucy something decent to wear
>after a few hours of walking around barely shopping for anything we decided to go home for the day
>and with not enough money to pay for a taxi we took a bus home
>or the closest it could get us home
>the bus dropped us of at a nearby park
>"come on lucy, we are only 2 blocks away" i said as we started to walk
>i was carrying 2 bags of groceries and lucy a small bag with some clothes she picked up for herself
>it was 4:00 o'clock at the time, there was plenty of sunlight but the parked was empty
>that's weird i noted to myself
>i see some weird shadows circling near us but before i can look up at what producing them i hear a muffled femenine voice yell
>"that's them, GET 'EM" from above us
>i looked up only to see a black figure dropping on me
>i felt a blow on my upper chest and neck
>everything went dark
>i had lost consciousness
>i finally wake up
>i don't know what happened
>my head hurts and my chest feels like it's gonna colapse 
>im in a dark room
>it looks like a wooden shack from inside
>or atleast that's what it looks like from what little i can see
>my wrists are chained to the wall
>and my clothes were changed, im wearing a thin robe
>i hear a voice call out "hey you, finally awake?"
>todd howard ptsd kicks in
>i spring my head in the direction of the voice
>i see a figure close in on me from the shadows
>stepping close enough so that i can clearly see who it is
>it's a harpy, with showy clothing and scars scattered all over her exposed parts
>oh boy i already know what im in for
>she squats down in front of me and says "can you speak? someone wants to talk to you"
>i just nod and say yes
>"good" she replies as she leaves the room
>after a few minutes i hear the door open again
>the harpy enters and says "he's here brother"
>my heart stops a bit after seeing who walks in
>it's motherfucking dako in a full 3 striped tracksuit with his smug shit-eating grin he always has
>flashback to me about to get gutted in my own living room
>i start to struggle, pulling on my chains as hard as i can
>"heyheyheyhey relax, im not gonna hurt you just yet" dako said
>i turn to face him
>"listen, i made a mistake and i'd like to give you a chance to get even with me" he continued
>he turns to look at the harpy and says "no one has mated with him, right?"
>the harpy just shakes her head
>"good, i don't want him in my bloodline"
>fucking hell
>i speak up "where is lucy, she was with me when we were attacked"
>he turns to the harpy and says "гдe этoт эльф?"
>the harpy just shrugs
>dako continues "ecли ты cъeл ee, ты знaeшь, чтo я cдeлaю"
>the harpy recoils in surprise
>she then speedwalks out of the room
>dako walks to the door and flips a switch next to it
>the lights come, yep, defenetly in a wooden shack
>he then walks to a table and grabs something
>he walks back to me and slav squats in front of me
>he has something wrapped in a white clothe in his hands
>he unwraps it revealing a piece of roasted meat
>"eat it, it 'ill get you back on your feet"
>i hesitate a bit before opening my mouth
>he just places it in and sit on the floor in front of me
>the chunk of meat was chewy and tasted gamy but it was well spiced
>i place to meat to a side of my mouth to speak "what is ths?"
>he stands up and walks to the table again replying "swallow it and i'll tell you"
>i pass the meat of unknown source and say "done, what was it"
>he turns around with an ear to ear grin
>he has an amputated arm in his hand
>"it was roasted lamia tail" he said in a cheeky tone while waving the disembodied arm at me
>i start coughing, trying to activate my gag reflex
>i yell "FUCKS WRONG WITH YOU"
>he replies "in this household if the meat ain't human or harpy we eat it, no matter how sapient it is"
>he laughs as he walks to me again with a key in his hand
>he starts to unchain me and says "look, i could kill you by staring at you wrongly so you better try nothing funny"
>he unchains me and continues "also, if your girlfriend has bite marks on her that was not me, ok?"
>i just stare at him puzzled
>my girlfriend?
>OH SHIT LUCY
>he throws me my clothes and says "you've got 5 minutes to change, i'll wait for you out the door"
>i start to change my clothes
>im halfway done when i realized they are clean and smell like they were recently washed
>curious
>im done changing so i head outside
>im impressed by what i behold outside
>we are in what's basically a glorified tree house
>"ah, you are done, over here, follow me" said dako
>i follow him to the other side of the elevated house
>there are more tree houses coneccted by narrow wood bridges
>like the ewok village but with less tribal shit and more tecnology
>there are solar panels on the roof of a house and water colectors in another's
>we go inside of the biggest house
>inside there are a lot more harpies going about their day
>doing chores and talking to eachother
>dako sits me on a couch
>he grabs a chair and sits in front of me
>"so, anon anonson, you may be wondering how and why you are here, first, i got my sisters to get you, second, yesterday's night might have been a bit of a mistake" he says as he pinches air with his fingers 
>"w-what do you mean a mistake?" i replied
>"we'll... you know a group called the cape of humanity right?"
>i just silently nod
>"sooo... i thought that you and your buddies at the warehouse were part of them... which they were not sooo-" he said as he shruged
>"so you got your sisters? harpies, are you sisters? to kidnap-"
>dako interrupts "they are my sisters, we are blood related and how it happened it's something we don't have time for"
>"ok, so you got me kidnapped to apologize with me"
>dako laughs "oh nononononono i got you here to make you an offer you cannot decline, mainly because i'll kill you if you choose otherwise"
>i gulp and say "em.. could you elaborate?"
>dako elaborates "capped motherfuckers have taken the warehouse and since you used to work there and you are also the only survivor, you'll help me out to assault it again"
>oh no
>i start to question why on earth we are going again?
>he said to take it back but i don't think thats the only thing in this fuckers mind
>"where is lucy?" i questioned
>he looks at the door and replies "i told somebody to bring her here, she should enter through one of those soon"
>as if on cue a door swings open and in walks lucy followed by 2 harpies armed with rifles
>lucy smiles as she sees me and starts running at me
>her smile is deleted from her face the moment she sees dako besides me
>she tries to stop herself mid-sprint, falling on her butt
>she starts to crawl on her back backwards quivering
>dako shoves me with his elbow and says "your lady"
>she is not my gf geez
>i start to walk to her
>i kneel in front of her and she lurches forward
>burying her face in my chest
>hugging me with tears forming on her eyes
>dako walks up and coughs, following with "i am sorry for what i made you experience last night, i don't really want to hurt you"
>hearing this lucy's grip gets stronger
>i face him and ask "so the nightmare, it was your doing?"
>he replies "yes, indeed it was me, i wanted give you a little scare to incentivise you to get out of your house"
>"a little?" lucy ask as she sobs
>"yeah, to get you moving so i could get you here, like... whats the expression?"
>he taps his chin as he looks at the ceiling
>"ah.. like lighting a fire under your ass" he says proudly
>"i reply "ok, if i help you, you'll leave us alone?"
>"yep" he said with a simple tone
>lucy looks at me still hugging me
>"so when are we attacking"
>dako sits in the couch and proudly announces
>"tonight!"
>i step back a bit
>dako stands up and points at the harpies and says "you 2 tell the recon group to gear up and meet me at the port in 10"
>the harpies nod and walk out
>he points at us, lucy flinches at the gesture
>"you 2 wait here, i'll gear up, follow me when i come back"
>dako walks out through the same door as the harpies
>lucy and i both sit on a couch, she's still hugging my arm with excesive force
>i stroke her hair a bit, then i start to pet her head
>she calms down a bit
>"anon, i don't trust him, what were you 2 talking about"
>i don't know how to reply to this
>if i tell her im gonna assault a base full of mercs form the COH she'll freak out
>"he wants me to help him with something, if i do he'll leave us alone" i replied
>lucy just gives me a distressed look
>a few minutes pass and the door swings open
>dako walks in with his signature attire
>but also sporting a plate carrier, his sr-3m, with supressor and sight hanging from it's sling and a big alice pack
>he just says "follow me" and points at the door he came from
>we do as told and follow him through
>after walking a bit we reach a room with a garage door for a wall
>5 geared harpies walk in
>when i say geared i mean plate carries, helmets, knee pads and all of that
>but none of them were porting rifles
>just holdsteres pistols
>dako instructs them "you 4 take our guest with you and you carry the bag"
>the harpy instructed with "the bag" picks up a bulky duffle bag and hangs it around herself
>dako presses a botton in the wall
>the big garage door opens revealing a beautiful sight of the forest roof dako lifts his backpack a little as he arches forward
>his wings start to emerge from his lower back
>sounds like someone poking ground beef
>he acomodates his backpack and starts to float of the ground
>"follow me, we are planning this at anons house" dako declares
>i feel 2 talons grip my shoulders
>before i can react the 2 harpies lift me of the floor and follow dako
>ridetothesunset.jpg
>i look around to see the forest
>lucy is being carries the same way
>the view was amazign
>until i looked down
>we arrive at my neighborhood
>the harpies drop us in front of my house
>i walk up to the door and open it with my keys
>everybody walks in
>dako and the harpies settle in the living room
>i take lucy upstairs and into my room
>i tell her "listen, we'll go out to do this, but you have to stay here ok?"
>lucy just nods and says "i'll stay by the door vigilant untill you come back"
>i kiss her in the forehead
>i walk to my bedside stand and open the drawer
>i grab my cz and it's holdster
>i hear dako yell downstairs "anon, grab all your gear and come down here"
>i grab sl-8 and plate carrier, with plate secured and mags in the pouches, just as i left it last night
>i walk down stair
>dako is looking throug the duffle bag one harpy brought
>he says "take this things" as he hands me a PASGT helmet with a fore mount crudely bolted to it
>he then hands me another 2 thing that made me realize whe ghost recon now
>a pvs7 nvg's and a silencerco maxim 9
>he points at the pistol and says "this is what you'll mostly use, you are NOT allowed to use anything else until stealth is out the window"
>i nod as i attach the goggles to the helmet and put it on
>dako sits on the couch and turns on the tv
>he starts to munch on a big bowl of chips as he watches cartoons
>the harpies join him in the couch and start grabbing chips too
>i have 5 harpies and a dude acting like they live here
>all in fully spookified gear
>watching cartoons on my couch
>eating chips
>the chips i had stashed on top of my fridge
>i say "a-aren't we going?"
>they all turn to look at me and dako replies, mouth full "fuck no, too early, we're leaving 11 0'clock"
>look at clock, it's 7:48
>sigh
>walk upstairs to be more time with lucy
>time passes as i meditate about what the fuck am i about to do
>11 o'clock hits as i hear dako calling me downstairs
>i grab my shit and go down
>dako and the harpies are all waiting impatiently
>he throws me something
>catch it, it's an earpiece with an ear plug attaced to it
>for your other ear i suppose
>he signals me to put it on and says "we got our comms set up, you are enforcer 1-2, i am enforcer 1-1 and harpies are thread 1 to 5"
>i nod as we head out
>it's storming so no one outside to bother us
>i didn't even notice inside
>dako deploys wings and floats of the ground 
>2 harpies grab me once again and we head to the warehouse
>after a few minutes flying we touch down in a tree line outside the front of the building 
>dako stands beside me as the harpies take off again
>dako whispers into my ear "we need to take out a camera whatching a fuz-"
>i cut in "why are you whispering? we're like 70 feet away from the building, oh, and i destroyed the security console last night"
>dako looks perplexed before answering in a normal voice "oh, so they got no cameras nor an alarm?
>i just nod and declare " i wasn't taking chances with anyone who found this place after shtf last night"
>dako replies "good man" as he pats me in the shoulder
>dako taps into his earpiece "thread 1-4, you are clear, get the fuze box outside and make harsh"
>i don't even see anything with this storm but somehow the harpy got the fuzes
>all the lights in the building cut off at the same time
>it's go time
>we sneak into the parking lot in front of the warehouse
>theres a massive hole in the middle of the parking lot
>4 flashlight come out of the front door
>2 head back of the building and the other 2 make their way through the parking lot 
>dako taps my shoulder and whispers "i take the 2 going to the fuze box, you deal with other 2"
>he sneaks off
>but.. i.. how?
>fuck it i'll come up with something on the fly
>i make a wide turn to sneak behind the 2 guards
>they are a dozen feet between eachother
>the storm surely is being handy right now
>fold nvgs down
>turn them on expecting cool fweeeuuuu sound
>*click*
>excecute dissapointment.exe as administrator
>anyway, keep skulking to my targets
>the nvgs provide me with some detail
>guard in right has a kevlar helmet
>guard in left has a cap
>lightbulb appears over my head
>gets close to right guard, maxim 9 ready
>sneak right behind him
>look left
>other guard is reaching for something in his belt, completely unaware of my precense
>stick muzzle into right guard's nape under his helmet
>inmediatly pull trigger
>*bang*
>er.. i mean
>*fziiip* *clack*
>he drops death (i doubt that he died instantly but either way)
>turn left, pistol aimed at other guard's face
>in the fractions of a second i could glance at him
>he had a horrified face, he was holding a walkei-talkei and he was reaching for his pistol
>pull the trigger
>he drops to the ground with a "HURK"
>someone chimes in through the talkei
>"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT MAN!
>"hello? HELLO?"
>DON'T play around with me dickhead"
>remember my bank heist training (otherwise known as payday 2)
>i pick up the talkie and clear my throat
>i reply "sorry control, i slipped on a puddle of mud, almost fell into the pit out here, heh"
>the voice in the talkie hisses "yeah whatever, pass the talkie to glasgow, i need to tell him something"
>ohshit 
>uh...
>press the talk button on the talkie
>"um.. he's taking a piss behind some bushes" i said as i stared at the corpse of the guard once know as glasgow
>the voice in the talkie responds with an annoyed tone "uhg, ok, is there anything out there?"
>i reply as naturally as possible "nah, theres nothing at all over here"
>the talkie replies witha a less annoyed tone "ok, i'll check on the repair team"
>the talkie beeps signaling that the connection has been cut
>i start moving the frecuency knob on the talkie to see if i can spy on anything
>nothing until a few seconds later when i come into a transmition
>it's the same voice of whoever was talking to me
>i came in mid sentence but what i could catch was "-ay, so you guys got this?" 
>a voice similar to that of a grizzled soldier replies "yep, were good here control, good man danny over here is taking care of the problem, power should be back in around.... 7 minutes?"
>control replies with a happy tone "good to know but does danny know what happened to the fuze box?"
>the soldier replies "uh, i think he said something about a blown breaker? probably just lack of maintenance"
>control just sighs and replies "well then, talk to you guys in 7"
>transmision ends
>i pull out the batteries of the talkie and throw both walkie and batteries to the pit
>speaking of which...
>i walk to the edge of the pit to look in
>the nvgs help me out again as i see what lays on the bottom
>it's a pile of corpses
>the corpses of my ex coworkers and they all are stripped of their gear
>god damn
>open pit mistery: solved
>i start walking to the front door of the buildin to wait for further instructions
>i was about to tap into my earpiece
>a voice comes behind me
>"you really thought you were so sneaky?"
>it's the voice of the grizzled soldier
>i try to turn around with my pistol aimed, ready to blow a hole in his head
>as i turn i feel something slap the pistol out of my hands
>i flinch and try to recover 
>before i can visualize my attacker a hand comes forward and covers my eyes
>i feel another hand cover my mouth
>im lifted of the ground and pressed against a wall
>im flailing my arms and legs trying to land a punch or a kick
>i can't make contact with anything
>resort to scratching the arms of my attacker
>i hear the voice giggle a bit before it says "you'd better have said goodbye to that lovebird of yours"
>all i can reply with is a muffled "mmmmphoo?"
>my eyes are freed 
>i can see again
>i can see my attacker
>it's...
>it's dako with his ear to ear shit-eating-grin
>his other hand lets go of me and i fall to the ground
>i fall on my knees
>dako starts to laugh as quietly as he can
>i whisper "asshole"
>he says amidst wheezes "sorry, i saw a chance and i took it"
>we are about to risk our lives fighting a group of armed to the teeth mercs 
>AND HE'S PULLING PRANKS?!
>i stand up to recover
>he presents the maxim 9 to me and says still chuckling "here, you dropped this"
>i snatch it from his hands and i throw him an annoyed glare
>and thats when i noticed
>his arms are disgustingly long
>he could stand perfectly erect and touch the ground with his palms
>holy shit
>makes my gag reflex go apeshit
>he starts to walk to the front door
>his arms retracting to their normal lenght as he goes
>as they retract they produce carnal sounds like squelching
>hearing that shit makes me shiver
>i ask "how did you change your voice?"
>he points at his neck
>something starts to move under the skin of his neck
>he replies with the voice of a young girl "i can change the structure of my vocal chords anon"
>he winks and sticks out his tounge to the side of his mouth and holding his thumb up
>he's trying to imitate an anime wink
>disgusting coming from a slavic 18 year old who clearly had a bad upbringing
>he sticks to the wall besided the door and signals me to come closer
>he says with his normal voice "you'll be looking for a black keycard, it's probably in the directors office, do everything that you deem neccesary to stay concealed"
>oh shit he wants the keycard
>should i tell him that i have it?
>no i don't know how he'll react
>im gonna pretend to look for it then
>before i can say or question anything he says "im gonna be taking people out but i can't risk myself as much this time"
>i ask why
>he turn to me and says "because these guys are NOT push-overs"
>ok asshole
>he opens the door and walks inside
>i follow him in
>he taps my shoulder and says "once you have the keycard we move to stage 2 and remember... use your comms"
>he sneaks off again
>i have no idea what stage 2 is
>im starting to fucking hate this night
>unfold nvgs that were knocked up during dako's little prank
>start to wander around the corridors
>pistol in hand and aimed forward
>walk to the main storage area
>walk around in between the containers and stacks of crates
>there are almost no guards except for an asshole standing besides the staircase to the directors office
>trying to sneak behind him i see some crates coveres with a tarp
>the tarp is not attached to anything
>get idea
>walk behind the dude
>get as close as i can
>i inspect him from behind before continuing
>his rifle is hanging from his sling
>perfect
>stick muzzle of pistol under his chin in a backwards angle to get his cerebelum
>he inmediatly grabs my arm
>but before he can do anything i pull the trigger
>he falls limp into my arms
>good, if he fell the noise could have alerted anyone i hadn't spotted
>drag corpse to the covered crates
>grab tarp and roll corpse like some sort of blue and dead burrito
>prop him next to the crates
>body hidden: 100 pts
>onto the directors office
>slowly walk up the stairs to the directors office
>fucking loud metal catwalk makes it hard to ghost around
>reach the door
>prepare myself to quickly drop anyone inside
>push door a bit
>peek inside
>theres a man reading through some documents with the aid of a flashlight
>push the door a little more and squeeze inside
>without turning around the man says "what is it soldier?
>shit myself a little before replying "i-it's about the blackout, b-boss"
>holy fuck that sounded fake as fuck
>the man replies "don't call me boss, im your commander and you shal-
>*fziiip*
>he drops to the ground twitching
>*fziiip*
>again just for good measure
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvijW1MtMfM
>fold nvgs up to rest my eyes
>ok, i think i've done enough fooling around
>or atleat enough that dako will belive me
>tap into earpiece and say "enforcer 1-1 this is enforcer 1-2, keycard is get"
>ackward silence before "...ok, guess were moving to stage 2"
>a few seconds of silence
>start hearing automatic fire coming from the other side of the building
>dako comes in through the earpiece "BIG GUNS FREE STEALTH IS OUT THE WINDOW"
>followed by more gunshots
>cowabunga it is
>unsling rifle and head towards the sound of the fray
>unfold nvgs and load rifle as i run
>slow down to walking speed
>rifle aimed forwards at chest level
>fuck it
>im dropping everybody i come across
>walking in a hall
>hear steps running
>kneel down and prepare to shoot anything that moves
>a man runs out of a corner with a rifle in his hands
>shoot at his center mass
>don't know how many shots it took but he falls to the ground
>he start to grunt and moan in pain on the ground
>pop another one in his head
>see his eye pop out of it's socket a bit
>peek out of the corner he came through
>nothing
>keep on moving
>after walking for some other corridors i peek out of a corner
>i see a guy standing against a wall as if he's waiting to ambush someone
>i hasn't seen me
>lit him up
>he falls to the ground with his arms stiff
>pop him in the head too
>can't never be too careful
>a message comes through my earpiece
>it's dako saying "if you are still alive meet me at the armory"
>i reply with a simple "on my way"
>start to walk to the armory
>see a bunch of corpses on my way there
>he has been busy as well
>on my way i hear someone call out to me
>turn around, rifle aimed
>it's a member of COH
>he's unnarmed
>he waves at me and says "hey dude chill, we need to get the FUCK out of he-"
>*bang*
>right in the temple
>keep moving towards armory
>as i get close to the door i hear dako's voice come through the earpiece "hey i cleaned the armory, don't shoot coming in"
>got it
>indeed, the armory door is opened
>walk inside
>dako is standing in corner with a smug grin in his face
>he walks up to me and says "the card" as he reaches forward with his hand
>i pull the card out of one pouch and hand it to him
>he admires it a bit before saying "nice, where was it?"
>i reply trying to sound as honest as i can "it was in the director's office, some guy was guarding it tho, he said he was the commander"
>dako replies "he said?..."
>ohshit
>i answer "yeah, he thought i was one of his soldiers before i popped him in the head"
>he just looks at the card for a bit
>he drops his backpack and pulls out several folded duffle bags out of it
>i think that's all he had in there
>he hands me 3 bags and says "another reason i wanted you here, i needed a cargo mule for all this loot"
>i just frown at his comment
>he starts to laugh
>dickhead
>dako pulls out a flashlight, he taps and waves it around a bit before it turns on
>he walks to the lockers with card in hand
>he signals me to follow him as he starts to dump weapons and ammo into the bags
>all of it
>everything inside each locker
>imagine that asshole that always clicked "loot all" in any videogame ever
>well, he is that asshole
>he fills out one bag until it looks like it's gonna burst
>he passes the bag to me and takes an empty one from my hands
>fuck this shit heavy
>dako laughs at my grunts of effort and says "don't sweat it tiger, we still have 6 bags to go"
>for fuck's sake i should have gone to the gym in my spare time
>we do this for a few more minutes with every bag full except for one
>dako start to giggle as he stares at the locker with the black label
>ohno.png
>he opens the locker with stars in his pupils
>his face of delight turns to one of shock and then anger
>"WHAT IN THE GOD DAM-... WHERE THE FUCK IS IT?!" dako shouts as he looks through the locker
>i ask "what wrong?"
>he slams the locker shut and then punches it leaving a very deep dent in it
>damn
>he looks at me with daggers in his eyes
>he turns back to the locker and starts punching it several times with as much force as before
>the locker door is practically bent in a 60° angle
>the keypad is busted
>i see a lone tear roll down dako's cheek
>he moves on to another locker a few spaces away
>before opening the locker i hear him say "this will have to do" under his breath
>he opens the locker and pulls out a fucking cheytac m200 and a small elongated case
>he puts everything into the last bag
>and heads toward the door of the armory with an intence face of anger
>i follow him as i ask "WHAT the hell was that all about?"
>he stops and starts to look for somethin in his vest
>he pulls a little notebook ands starts to flip through it
>dako stares at a page and points at it as he shows it to me
>dako let's it all out "look, here... t-the page says that there was a walther wa2000 its this li-like... this rare and e-expensive rifle and i always wanted one since we moved to this world and and and..."
>he had stolen the inventory notebook and was looking for loot
>i can hear the anxiety in his voice as he describes his feeling for the rifle
>he facepalms and continues in a more calmed voice "it's.. it's not here, those bastards must have moved it out the moment they found it i know they did"
>dako grabs 4 bags, 2 tied around his torso and the other 2 under his arms as he contines "i will find out where they moved it to and i will torch down that place after i collect MY rifle"
>wat
>i ask "the rifle was yours?!
>he snaps "NO BUT IF I WANT IT SO BAD THEN IT WILL BE MINE... IT IS MINE"
>fuck
>he must have picked that actitude from the harpies
>if he finds out i have it he will surely degut me
>for real this time
>what do i do?
>if i keep it a secret and finds out he will surely kill me
>if i come clean, i fear how this uncontrolable tornado of childhood issues will react
>he will probably bullshit an excuse to harm me either way
>i will keep my mouth shut for now but im not sure of what to do yet
>dako instructs me to pick up the other 3 bags and follow him
>fuck its heavy
>we walk back to the storage area
>dako seems to be looking for something
>he point at a metal container and exclaims "aha, this one!"
>he runs to the crate dropping the 4 bags he was carrying
>theres a keycard padlock on the opening side of the crate
>no problem for the all mighty omnicard
>dako swings the doors open and starts to chuckle
>i take a look inside and gawk a little
>theres a fucking daimler ferret inside
>unfortunately it doesn't have a turret or a mounted gun on it
>dako attemps to enter the armored car from the top
>he hits his head on the ceiling of the crate
>kek
>he succesfully gets in
>the car starts
>we used to recomend our costumers to empty their fuel tanks every time they brought in a vehicle
>looks like this is a lucky exception
>he drives the car out of the crate and in front of a bigass garage like door
>dako stops the car and gets out
>he starts to fumble with the lock of the gate
>he points to bags and say "theres a cargo net on the bag of the car, tie the bags to the net"
>ok then, if it means all this loot
>i throw the bags on top of the car
>this takes almost all my effort
>i hop on top of the car
>i start to shove the bags under the cargo net
>im halfway done when i feel a sharp pain go through my lower left side
>followed inmediatly by a gunshot
>i've been shot in the lower torso where my plate couldn't have protected me
>i strategically roll forwards towards the front of the car
>i fall on my ass but im covered by the scout car
>absolutely meant to do that
>not like i fell because i jumped out of fear or anything, am i right fellas? 
>fuck this hurts
>i clutch my wound trying to stop the bleeding
>im just imitating shit that i've seen in movies but i don't think it's working
>shit, atleast better than doing nothing i guess
>dako is taking cover behind a bunch of crates
>he turns to look at me worried
>he runs into the shadows and out of my sight
>motherfucker better not let me here to die
>i still hear bullets landing against the metal armor of the car
>whoever is shooting me is using a semiauto because of the inconsistency of the shots
>and by the angle of the sound i bet he is on the catwalk next to the directors office
>i hear a scream thats suddenly cut off by a splat
>before i can move dako lands in front of me, wings deployed
>he kneels down in front of me and starts to inspect my wound
>i ask him "can you heal me?"
>he shakes his head and says "i can only heal myself but i think i can still help you"
>he puts his hand over the hole in my torso
>that weird tar like thing starts to scurry out of under his sleeve
>i can feel it enter and solidify inside me
>i think im about to puke
>i have a black solid rod going through me
>i feel it cling into my flesh, stooping the bleeding
>well i wouldn't say stopping the bleeding completely
>i can still feel my blood sloshing around in there
>at least better in than out i guess
>dako taps into his earpiece and i hear him say "this is enforcer 1-1, i need thread 1-2 to 1-5 on the front of the building right now, thread 1-1 hold position and await further instructions"
>dako grabs me from under my arms and starts to drag me to the big gate in front of the storage area
>he lets go of me and says "hold still"
>hear a gunshot right behind me
>turn around to see whats up
>dako has shot the padlock of the gate open
>he comes back and drags me again
>we make it to the gate
>dako starts to push the gate door up with his free hand
>he's grunting because of the effort it takes him to open it with one hand
>with the opening just big enough he pushes me out into the dirt parking lot and out to the storm
>my back is completely soaked by the mud
>i hear the gate slam
>dako just dropped the gate and left himself in
>looks like he still has business inside
>i hear wings flapping as i see 4 figures decend upon me from the dark sky
>it's the harpies
>i feel one grab each of my limbs with their talons
>they lift me up and start flying but i can't see where we are headed
>i hear one of the harpies scream "WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE GOING?!"
>well that's reasuring
>i get an idea
>lucy, im pretty sure she can help me
>i scream to the harpies "MY HOUSE TAKE ME TO MY HOUSE"
>without an answer i feel them change course
>fucking hell im not leaking but this black rod that's in me hurts
>that last line sounded bad holy shit
>after about 6 minutes of hanging from my limbs i feel the descend 
>we land right in front of my house
>2 harpies start to look out for any witness
>the other 2 stand me up and support me as we walk to the front door
>i fumble through my pockets to get my keys out
>i finally find them and unlock my door
>we get inside only to be greeted by the business end of a shotgun
>the harpies raise their arms up
>letting me drop to the floor
>ouch
>i hear lucy's voice gasp as i hear the clack of something hitting the floor
>i look up
>lucy has tears in her eyes and she's covering her mouth with her hands
>i sit on the floor gasping for air
>im starting to feel weak
>i tell lucy to heal me
>one of the harpies runs to the kitchen and comes back with a bowl
>the same harpy says "ok, i now how to fix this guy"
>one harpy puts the bowl behind me, another harpy is grabbing my vest and another one holds the weird rod sticking out of me
>the commanding harpy tells lucy to "be ready to heal him once the rod is out"
>wat
>another harpy holds my hands up
>the harpy starts to count down from three
>at one the harpy holding the rod pulls it out
>hold on i have to relief myself
>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
>ok moving on
>i feel the blood that had acumulated inside of me pour out at high speeds
>the harpy holding my vest lifts it up and moves my jacket and t-shirt out of the way
>the commanding harpy points at lucy and says "now heal him now!"
>i feel lucy's hand touch my back
>i inmediatly feel the fivers in my torso reconnect with eachother
>fuck that would have felt amazing if it didn't hurt so much
>i feel the pain disipate as im healed
>i should be good for now
>i stand up and grab the shockwave of the ground
>lucy walks me to the living room
>she sits me on the couch
>and stares at the shotty
>hand it to lucy and ask her if she knows how to use it
>she shakes her head and says "i was copying what i've seen people do, so im guessing puling this back fires?"
>she racks the pump back ejecting a shell
>the gun was loaded and she tried to shoot it by pulling the pump back
>of course it wouldn't fire but she had the intention on doing so
>inside the house
>holy fuck this girl
>i quickly snatch the gun from her
>lucy flinches with an "eeek" as she covers her face with her hands
>a harpy laughs from the other room
>cheeky cunts
>one of the harpies walks into the room taps into her earpiece and says "job's done, you'll get your part tomorrow"
>the 4 harpies proceed to leave through my front door
>wat
>ok, seems like that was that
>now i can relax knowing that oh wait
>theres a trail of blood and mud on the floor
>the couch is soaked because i was on it
>it's 1 in the morning i am about to collapse
>fucking hell
>take out bucket and powder soap from cleaning closet
>start moping the all the shit from the floor
>thank god i don't have carpeted floors
>after a while i've manage to clean the floor and the couch
>it's 1:30 in the morning
>lucy has long gone to sleep
>and so should i
>i walk up to my room and i throw myself onto the bed
>as i wait to enter death practice i start to think of everything that went on today
>dako no longer wants my head on a dick, i assaulted my old workplace and killed 5 people, lucy flagged me...
>...i killed 5 people
>holy shit
>i forgot about that
>i didn't even care at the moment
>and i didn't hesitate either
>why?
>i start to feel shit with myself
>i can't belive i actually did that
>am i psychopath?
>nah, too edgy to be me
>i hope i can just find a way to get back to something that resembles a normal life
>im halfway through falling asleep when i think back again
>i have no car because it got fucked up
>also the wreckage is sitting in the garage and i have to get rid of it
>god damn it
>it would be easier to just buy a new car
>maybe a cheap wrx would be nic-
>GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP ALREADY FOR FUCK'S SAK-
>i pass out
>hopefully without something horrible happening to me in my sleep this time
>it's the start of a new day
>i wake up, lucy is still asleep
>i take my clother and change in the bathroom
>i walk down stairs hearing a soft distant tune
>i stop to hear what it is
>it's david bowie's when the wind blows
>probably boomer neighbor next door
>he may be a cranky fud but the man has a good taste in music i'll give him that
>walk into kitchen
>start the stove top
>today's breakfast: ramsay eggs on toast 
>throw in a little chunk of butter into a small pot
>throw 5 eggs in that bitch and shake 'em around
>take of the eggs of the heat, add salt and pepper
>put 4 slices of bread with butter spread over them on the pan
>no toaster shit
>as im cooking and grooving to the angel that is bowie i start to think about lucy
>not in a romantic way but a curious way
>i know almost nothing about her besides her name being lucy
>i just took her in and she didn't say anything
>where does she come from?
>why did she come to this side? i thought elf disliked our earth
>how did she end up in the hand of those asshole?
>does she have plans?
>is she staying or leaving?
>i don't know man im too autistic to talk to her about that
>hmmm...
>OH SHIT THE TOAST!!
>the toast was a little burned but still passable i guess
>i serve my part and sit down in the living room
>turn on the tv and look around for something to watch
>meh.. nothing
>i hear foot steps coming down
>i see lucy walk down the stairs
>she has bags under her eye
>she clearly didn't sleep well
>i wave at her as i chew on the toast
>she walks to the kitchen and comes back with her food served
>she doesn't look good at all
>last night took a toll on her
>no wonder why she was probably worried sick about me
>oh...
>she worried about me
>she sits down in the couch next to me but keeping her distance
>i keep eating and watching tv
>my autism physically prohibits me from talking to her
>god damn why im like this
>i try to muster every ounce of willpower within me
>"h-hey, how was your night?" i said in a very raspy voice
>shit that was fucking awful
>she just shrugs and says "i couldn't sleep"
>she starts to eat her breakfast
>i continue "hey i don't want you to think that im kicking you out but is there somewhere you have to be?"
>she stops for a second and shakes her head "no, nowhere that i know atleast"
>what?, she doesn't even know
>i ask again "are you comfortable telling me how those assholes took you in?"
>she wipes her face, probably trying to hide tears from me
>she softly says "it's a bit of a complicated story, my home was a small camp of non-humans trying to live peacefully, out of humanity's sight, we came to this world because it would be the perfect cover"
>i nod a bit and say "no one would expect it, coming here to get away from humans"
>she nods too and sniffs a bit "it didn't work, my home, my friends, t-they all b-b-bu..."
>she covers her face with her hands
>she starts to sob
>i grab her plate and set it on the table
>i scoot over to her and i start to pat her head
>she is rambling under her breath a lot and i can't understand any of it 
>her sobbing turns to crying
>she lifts her legs from the ground and hugs her knees
>she buries her face in between her legs, muffling her cries
>shit i should have kept my mouth shut
>some minutes pass
>lucy has calmed down quite a bit
>she's just staring at the ceiling
>she finished her breakfast fine but now she doesn't respond
>i take the plates back to the kitchen and i start to wash them
>after coming back to the livingroom i see lucy laying on the couch
>she feel asleep on the couch
>good, she need to rest
>although she has tear trails on her cheeks
>i sit next to her and i start to fuck around with my phone
>i have nothing better to do anyway
>something like 25 minutes pass
>i hear knocking at the door
>i walk over and cheek through the peep hole
>there's nobody at the other side
>i slowly open the door
>absolutley nothing here
>i look down
>theres an envelope on the ground
>i have a mail slit in my door
>whatever
>pickup the envelope and head inside
>rip it open
>it's a letter written with bad calligraphy
>it reads "Hello faggot/faguette, congratulations, you have been invited to a party in my humble home, there will be alcohol and bitches and don't bother bringing your own because mine are better anyway, it's where you know at 4, but if you don't know where i live thats because you are a loser so just send a message that reads 3977 to my number"
>theres a phone number written in highlighter
>theres a crude drawing of dako's face smiling with a cigarette in his mouth in the corner of the paper
>sounds like a nice distraction and i haven't gone to a party in almost a year
>and maybe lucy can unwind a bit too
>this totally sounds like a good idea
>i pull out my phone
>i open my contacts list and start punching in the phone number
>as i write it some missmatching contacts dissapera from my screen
>all except for one...
>...named sweet daddy...
>...with an identical contact number
>god fucking-
>how?
>tap the contact and call it
>after a few seconds the other side answer
>"hello anon, got my invitation?"
>im starting to regret this
>i answer back by asking "when did you put your number in my phone?" 
>dako replies "you gotta put a password on that thing, and you need more tits and ass in your gallery"
>i reply "can you just send someone to pick us up?"
>dako answers "yeah sure they be over at 4:15"
>click
>it's gonna be 6 hours before whoever picks us up
>sit back and relax again for some minutes
>stand up to do some chores around the house
>after something like 2 and a half hours later lucy wakes up
>i go to her and tell her about the party and if she wants to go
>she accepts but looks reluctant at first
>half an hour before 4 i take a bath and change my clothes
>lucy does so, putting some of the clothes she bought yesterday on
>some loose fit gray pants, a red t-shirt with a black generic pull-over hoodie on top, no marking or branding
>and finally some nice toeless work boots
>i, myself im rocking a camouflage windbreaker with baggy jeans and running shoes 
>not flashy but comfortable
>the time comes and theres a knock on the door
>as i go to the door i grab my cz that i had put on the dinning table and put it in my waistband
>i open the door and there's a harpy and a female elf wearing an adidas tracksuit
>the daimler ferret is parked on the sidewalk and im pretty sure they ran over somebody's mailbox
>lucy walks out with me
>she has calmed down a lot
>the elf jumps inside the ferret and the harpy takes off
>i too jump inside the scout car
>it's very cramped and there are only 2 seats besides the pilot seat
>they are basically thin metal trays welded to the wall
>i see lucy's legs pop in and i star to guide her so she doesn't hurt herself
>inside we are forced to lean forward to not hit our head on the roof
>we are touching forehead to forehead
>the elf starts the car and we are off
>visibility is ass in this thing
>after like 12 minutes of driving and having to listen to that awful engine note i hear muffled music in the distance
>as we get closer to the music i start to identify it
>it's hardbass
>suddenly the car stops almost throwing us from the seat
>the elf says we can now get out, and we do
>fuck that car that sit was uncomfortable as fuck
>the elf hops down and shakes my hand "sorry for not introducing myself, my name is gladia"
>she walks off towards a narrow staircase as she signals at us to come inside
>we follow her inside
>there are a lot of people in here, and none are human
>i see a bunch of harpies, elfs, orcs, what i belive is a demoness and a couple of drows
>gladia comes back with other 2 elfs wearing tracksuits
>she grabs lucy's hand and they walk off
>i could hear gladia say something about being the only elfs in the area
>i all alone in this place already
>it hasn't even been 5 minutes
>fuck
>i start to look around for dako so he can ""pay me"" like one of his harpies said
>walking around the tree mansion i see somethings that are rather curious
>none of the harpies look like they've reached adulthood
>all the alcohol seems to come out of nowhere
>you blink and suddenly everybody had their glasses refilled
>there are no bitches like the invitation said there would be
>and there are 2 harpy chick just chasing eachother among all the drunkers and blaring speakers
>so young they can't even fly yet, just hop around flapping their little wings
>that would be cute if it wasn't for the ambient were in
>i walk through a door that leads to a balcony
>at first i thought it was a dead end
>as i was reaching for the door i hear someone whistling faintly
>i look up
>there's dako sitting on the rooftop looking at the evening sky
>"what a great host you are" i shout sarcastically
>without turning to see me he raises his hand and flings his middle finger, flipping me off and throwing a lit cigarette at me
>it falls front of my feet
>i step on it to extiguish it
>i reach for the edge of the rooftop and i pull myself up
>i walk up to him and ask about the "payment"
>he reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out a stack of cash
>he hands it to me and says "here's your cut, it's 5 grand"
>i take the cash and say "oh, ok, thanks but why aren't you inside i thought this was your party"
>he waves his hand and says "it's by me but not for me, it's for my sisters and their friends... and my friends"
>sounds like a cop-out but ok
>this boy got me curious so i decided to ask him about stuff
>"hey, can you tell me somethings"
>he replies "sure, what would you like to know"
>[--->ask about himself]
>--->ask about "sisters"
>--->ask about vetrilly
>--->ask about lucy
>"tell me about yourself"
>dako cracks his neck "alright, get ready for some exposition"
>"my full name is vedakost drenter of vetrilly, i practice transmutative magics and i do any job that has to do with shooting shit, and that's all im telling you about myself, but feel free to ask about anything else"
>[--->ask about "sisters"]
>"who are these harpies that you live with and why do you insist on calling them sisters"
>dako frowns at me, he looks a bit insulted "because they are my sisters asshole, sit down this is a long one"
>i sit down on the roof
>dako cracks his knuckles and clears his throat "ok, male harpies are extremely rare and a lot of people belive they don't even exist, so harpies usually kidnap men to reproduce, pretty basic shit right?"
>i nod a bit "so your father was kidna-"
>"no, he wasn't found, he found them, he came across a nest of harpies in the middle of a forest and decided to conquer it, and conquer it he did, he made housing of any harpy who opposed him, the rest fell under his command, you following along?"
>i simply stare at him
>that has to be bullshit
>dako continues "he wasn't a captive broodfather, he was the alpha broodfather but he didn't want to have his genes to be on a harpy bloodline so he smashed any eggs layed by anyone... untill i was born"
>he stares at me for a few seconds
>i wave my hand in a circle as to signal him to continue
>"ok, so harpies produce eggs on their wombs and then they lay them, however i was a different case, i developed inside the womb like a normal human baby" 
>i interrupt "but harpies aren't made to endure this kind of birth"
>he nods and says "indeed they are not, my mother's health deteriorated as i grew inside of her, she died giving birth to me... but in a way it's kind of interesting if you think about it, some friends told me that "my father was such a dominant man he could produce a human son out of a harpy" and i always found that thought funny"
>i am dumbfounded
>he continues "after having me my father stopped destroying the eggs and thus my sisters were born, some are a few days older than me but most are about 2 to 3 mounths younger now we are all here"
>this has to be a joke
>[--->ask about vetrilly]
>"ah, home, vetrilly was the not the biggest kingdom in the land by a long shot but it was a hell of a place to live, it was known as the kingdom of the fighters, everybody was thought how to fight since an early age, in case you had to enlist on the army, this lead to some unusual traditions, for example the greatest form of fame was becoming a champion, that meant to be the best warrior at a certain form of combat"
>that's not too unusual
>he continues "there were a lot of categories to be a champion of, there was vhragant, champion of the hand to hand combat, brentar, the controller of blades, dastian and galida, the brother and sister combo undefeated in duo matches, netherstophilis, the demon queen of the dungeons and her son rex, who was the only other champion child of this generation, and many more, oh such violent splendor"
>wait, only other champion child?
>i trie to question dako on that but he contines
>"there was also grudge day, were every 4 mounths we were encourage to beat the everloving shit out of friends and familly to release any grudges or built up anger we had with eachother, no hard feelings"
>"so many good times"
>i think i bit more than i can chew here
>ok, enough of personal info
>now why he tried to kidnap lucy
>[--->ask about lucy]
>dako looks back puzzled "what about her?"
>i specify "why did you try to kidnap her and why did you bit her like that"
>dako's eyes slowly open wide "oh, that night... yeah, i probably should apologize to her about that, it wasn't personal, i didn't want the COH to get whatever they were looking with her, and so i had to get rid of her but if i was just gonna kill her, might as well have some fun right? she's was just another elf at the time"
>i shake my head a bit
>dako starts to apologize and proposes me to personally apologize to her if it meant my ease
>i accept as dako jumps of the roof and onto the balcony
>i sit on the ledge and slide down to the balcony as well
>we walk inside and dako starts pointing at people and telling me about them
>about the elfs he helped stablish themselves in the city
>the orcs he accompanied to assault a junkyard for scrap and engine pieces
>the demoness he "accidentaly" summoned when he was young
>the drows who buy guns from him 
>and the small harpy chicks who he rescued from a gobling slave market and now keeps them as familly
>damn, gobling trading slaves that young?
>that's fucked up
>he mentions something about a gobling kingpin named "the tax collector" he wanted to take down but another guy got to him first
>well atleast that gobling asshole is dead now
>after some casual conversation dako mentions that he would like to speak to lucy
>i inform him that she was taken in by the tracksuit elfs
>dako chuckles and says "no point in looking her anyway then, those guys must be really exited, they thought they were the only ones here"
>after explaining me their situation dako start to talk about some odd jobs he has gotten into and ask if i was interested in getting involved
>i just answer that not right now since i still have the warehouse thing stuck in my head
>dako smiles and comments "oh right, yeah i'd recon that's the first time you've ever killed, right? how did it felt?" with a smug tone
>i tell him about how it didn't cross my mind until later to which he replies "ah, you are what i like to call a "do, forget then remorse" kind, this gives you potential to be a mercenary, if you don't end up killing yourself on a whim first"
>hahaha very funny jackass
>he continues "oh yeah, since i already gave you your cut, would you mind telling me what you'll do with it?
>i try to avoid the question but to not look bad i answer that i need a new car
>he ask if i had a car and what happened
>i tell him that i wrecked it rescuing lucy...
>...from him
>he nods and tells me to follow him as he walks out of the room
>i do so and we start going through a lot of rooms
>the music muffles and quiets down with each room we pass
>we enter a really dark room
>i hear a click and the lights turn on
>we are in a simple but quite empty room
>theres only a bed, a desk with a computer and a closet
>dako opens a drawer in the desk and pulls out a bunch of papers
>he puts them in a line and tells me to have a look at them
>it's a bunch of cars
>the papers have a photo and the specifications of each car
>there's a honda crx, a new ford fusion, an old corolla gts and a nissan skyline base model, not the gtr kind (unfortunately)
>as i look through dako mentions that he'll accept my wrecked suv as payment
>ok...?
>i start to consider my options
>i think i'll go for the crx because i don't have much money for gas
>i grab the sheet of paper with the info of the crx
>halfway through reading it dako start to laugh maniacally
>i turn over to see what's all that about
>he has a black wooden box about the size of a shoe box
>he walks towards the table giggling
>he puts the box on the table
>theres a black paper sheet on the top of the box and rectangular marks on one side
>dako peels the paper off
>he gives a proud "ta-da!" as he points to the box with his open palm
>the paper was covering a clear polymer pane with tiny holes in it, letting me see whats inside
>theres a bunch of small humanoids inside
>they are fairies
>most of them are banging on the walls but some other are sitting on the floor with tears running down their faces
>dako points at a fairy who has a collar chained to a wall of the box
>her little clothes are very dirty
>dako explains "you see that chained one? they were trying to bust her out but fell for my very obvious trap"
>he points at the rectangular mark "this door swings freely untill you disturb the trigger in her chain, then a powerful spring locks it up so strongly that if a fairy were to be standing at the door at that moment, she would have been turned to mush"
>he does a triumphant fist bump and keeps laughing
>this guy
>i ask "what did they do and what are you gonna do to them?"
>he replies "they steal ammo and im gonna have some fun with them once im alone"
>he opens a different drawer and pull out somethin small and transparent
>he taps on the pane with the thing dangling from his fingertips
>many of the fairies turn to see the thing and inmediatly beging to freak out and bawl their eyes out
>i can hear their tiny screams
>the wall banging intensifies
>i lower my head to see what the source of such distress
>it's a pair of fairy wings with a bit of dried blood on the tips
>i think im about to puke
>he grabs the box and puts in in a drawer
>he turns to me and asks "so whats your pick?"
>my mind is still fixated on the poor fairies
>he snaps his finger on my face "hey, you there?"
>i flinch into focus "y-yeah, the crx" i said as i hand him over the paper
>dako looks at the paper for a second "ok, i'll get it to you tomorrow night"
>i stare a bit aimlessly
>he grins at me "don't worry about the fairies, i was joking i will not kill them"
>i don't buy it
>he grabs my shoulder and says "hey, let's just get out of here and grab some shots ok?"
>i nod and we walk out
>im starting to think of a way to bust those poor fairies out
>i can't leave them with this guy
>we arrive at the main living room
>dako starts to pour shots of vodka
>only vodka
>after some minutes of barely talking an mostly doing nothing a harpy rushes into the room
>she runs at dako, she has a worried face on her
>she grabs dako's shoulders ands start rambling
>dako tells her to calm down and explain herself
>the harpy tells us what's happening "goblins bother, they are coming in a caravan from the east"
>dako's face turns to anger and asks "how many?"
>the harpy hesitates before answering "i-i counted 6 vehicles"
>dako walks off into the sound system
>he turns the music off
>inmediatly everybody in the room turns with an annoyed face
>dako shouts "WE GOT GOBLINGS COMING FORM THE EAST GET YOUR SHIT READY"
>everybody starts to move in their seats
>i see one of the drows pull out a duffle bag out of nowhere
>the others open it and start pulling out battle rifles
>the tracksuit elfs run out of the room
>i couldn't see lucy among them
>they come back with submachineguns
>dako walks to me and says "if are packing you better pull it out now"
>i reach into my waist and pull out my cz
>he rolls his eyes and starts to drag me off the room
>dako shouts "DO I REALLY HAVE TO DRAG YOU ALL THE WAY OR ARE YOU GONNA MOVE YOUR LEGS AT SOME POINT?!"
>i snap back into my sences
>oh shit right we are under attack
>i start to run along dako
>i follow him towards his room again
>the box with the fairies is still there
>dako opens a big closet
>there's a bunch of clothers inside
>noshit.sherlock
>he grabs as much clothes as he can
>he tosses them into the floor and grabs something in the back of the closet
>he pulls back the backside panel of the closet
>there are a bunch of ARs on racks in the secret compartment
>he starts to inspect every gun
>without saying a word he throws a rifle at me
>it hits me in the mouth but i catch it after it bounces of my face
>ow
>it's an hk33
>something heavy falls on my feet
>it's a pair of jumper straps with a lot pouches
>magazine pouches
>i get the message and put them on
>they are a bit tight for me but whatever
>dako says "let's move back"
>he too grabbed a weapon, a FAL with black furniture
>we run back to the main living room
>the music and lights have been shut off
>the windows are all open
>everybody is hugging the walls next and under the window frames
>dako and i do the same
>he's peeking a little out of the window frame
>i hear engines approaching
>i hear dako rack his rifle and mutter "let's dance, green niggers" under his breath
>the engine sounds get louder
>then they idle
>then stop completely
>they have dismounted
>i can't see anything because dako is in the way so i can only use sound to give me an idea
>dako yells "NOW!"
>everybody jumps out of cover and open fire
>im late to react but join in as well
>[loud skirmish noises]
>i have a hard time controlling full auto but im not trying to be precise
>dump a mag, reload and repeat
>as im reloadin i see a glimpse many small flames in the distance
>some are pretty bright and moving while others are still and dying out
>motherfuckers got wisps?
>oh nevermind
>they're molotov flames
>green motherfuckers are trying to burn down the tree-mansion-house-thing
>continue firing this time trying to focus on the flames that are moving towards us
>the goblings start retreating back and taking cover behind a tree line
>i hear a manly voice yell "CAN'T HIDE FROM THIS"
>i turn to see a drow holding a thin and sharp gray crystal with greenish tips
>he throws it out the window and begins to fall
>but before it hits the ground it stops midair
>it begins to zoom around with a sharp whistle as it flies
>everybody has stopped firing at this point
>the crystal flies out into the tree line
>we can hear the screams of the goblins as a green glow moves from side to side behind the trees
>after a few seconds the glow gets closer
>the glowing crystal flies back to the window from in between the trees
>the drow catches it and starts to laugh
>mfw
>everyone starts to walk towards the exit
>some walk while reloading
>i don't know why but i decide to follow them
>everybody is at the base of the tree complex
>just standing still looking at where the goblings came from
>i catch up to dako and ask them why did everybody came down here
>he wasn't speaking correctly, all i could understand was "looking for survivors"
>we all walked to the treeline were the goblings hid
>the smell of gasoline filled the air but the molotovs were far out
>there's a bunch of goblins leaning against trees
>all have a bunch of bullet holes , a hole the size of the golfball in their chest or the 2
>after following dako for a couple of minutes through the massacre we hear a voice call out "HERE'S ONE BUT IT'S TOO FUCKED UP TO TALK"
>dako shouts back "USELESS, KILL IT"
>shortly after we hear to gunshots not so far away
>i notice movement out of the corner of my eye
>i turn around to see a gobling still alive and clutching it's stomach with his left hand
>i aim the rifle at it and start moving towards it
>there's a hi-point right of the gobling
>of course...
>the gobling notices me and moves it's right hand towards the pistol
>i fire a 4 round burst at his hand
>1 bullet got him in the hand, 2 missed completely and the last one hit the pistol in the grip
>the gobling start to scream in pain
>hey this doesn't fell bad at all
>i think i found my calling in life
>dako walks up to the gobling
>he picks it up by the neck and slams it into the tree, shutting the gobling up
>with a clear coat of anger in his voice dako ask "who sent you and where are they?"
>the gobling responds with worry in it's voice "y-you dumb goys are dealing with dr. gold, he had the warehouse in his sights, a-and nobody steals from dr. gold's loot, i'll never tell you where he is so kill me and then dread the green horde of destructions"
>how did that dr whatever knew about the strike on the warehouse?
>i was about to ask when i felt something tug at my waist
>dako had grabbed my pistol and shoved the muzzle in the gobling's nose
>dako demanded with irritation spewing out of his mouth "listen you greedy booger, i know how much filth like you love their own noses so you better speak if you want to get out of here with your's intact, YOU GOT THAT?"
>he presses the gobling against the tree harder
>the gobling is in clear panic as it stutters to answer "a-a-a-a a tall building, it's a tall building near the c-city hall"
>dako slams the gobling against the tree again "DO YOU THINK IM STUPID? YOU THINK YOU CAN PLAY DUMB AND PULL IT OFF?"
>the gobling start to ramble "iswearisweariswear I DON'T KNOW HOW ADRESSES WORK B-but there's a mark indabilding, gobbed is written in green on an alley that's all i know"
>dako drops the gobling on the ground saying "unfortunately that's the first time i've ever felt honesty on something said by a gobling, so now i must keep my word"
>the gobling begins to inspect it's nose
>dako raises his foot up to the gobling's head
>the gobling looks up and yells "NO WAI-"
>crack
>dako lifts his foot of the gobling's forehead and stomps on it again
>squelch
>the goblin's face is fucked flat
>there's an eye dangling out of it's socket
>theres a horizontal split along the top of the head of the gobling, brain matter it's exposed
>it's not like goblings used it anyway but still
>dako kept his word, the goblings nose is intact
>dako cracks his neck and asks me "im gonna shit all over that dr. gold's existance, you down?
>i silently nod
>he scratches the back of his head "well, a tall building, probably and apartment complex near the city hall is next to nothing to go off, so i'll poke around and call you up when i have everything i need, in the meantime, let's head back for some more booze"
>he walks off to his house abd i follow him
>the rest of the guest join us
>a drow start to chat with dako, probably asking him what the was the deal with the screming and skull crunching
>once we enter the house a couch suddenly jerks forward with a *thunk*
>the elfs train their weapons on the moving furniture
>lucy peeks out behind the couch
>the other elfs lower their weapons and aproach her
>so do i
>she is sitting on the floor as the elfs squat around her
>male elf puts his hand on her shoulder and asks "lucy! i thought you had gone down there with us, why didn't you help?"
>i can tell by his tone that he's not angry but certantly a bit irritated
>lucy just stare at him with puppy eyes
>i cut in "hey man im sorry but she doesn't even know how to hold a gun"
>lucy turns back at me with and unimpressed face
>what?! it's the truth
>i help her up, the male elf frowns a little and says to lucy "you should get some training 'cuz in this world you either fight or die"
>geez his over dramatic statement makes me cringe but he is not so wrong, it wouldn't hurt teaching lucy something about self defence
>i could even take her innawoods
>the idea makes me smile a little
>i join lucy for some drinks
>everybody is on their own groups unwinding with more booze than before
>dako probably ran off to smoke all alone
>the party contined as normal
>it's somewhere around 20 after midnight
>people just sharing laughs in their groups
>i stood by lucy drinking a little with her
>im feeling a bit fizzy but i still got control over myself
>lucy just finished a shot in between sips before dropping alcohol completely, so she's most likely fine
>guess licor isn't her thing
>after some more minutes of us talking dako walks into the room, cigarette in his mouth
>the group of drows stand up and all walk to him
>after a short exchange the drows pack up their stuff and leave
>dako approaches us
>he just sits right next to us on the bar and starts to take swings from a bottle of tequila that was nearby
>rude
>dako put's the bottle down and akwardly tries to start a conversation with us
>about life, interests or whatever
>guess he's more of a 1 to 1 talker
>his attention shifts focus when the demoness from earlier walks towards the bar
>without saying a word she leans on the bar with dako between them
>lucy and i step back a bit
>dako is leans away from her a bit, clearly unamused by the situation
>the demoness says with a tone of sensuality "i gotta fly off baby, i got deals to seal"
>she kisses dako in the cheeck
>dako replies with and empty "...ok, see ya"
>the demoness walks off a bit with a smile on her face
>she stands in the middle of the room and turns back to face us
>she waves at us and immolates herself 
>lucy and i jump back a bit scared
>her form dissipates and as she dissapears the flames shrink
>the little flame dies out with a *fssh*
>there's nothing left, not even a trace of fire damage
>dako sighs and mumbles "unnecesarly dramatic" as he takes another swing of the bottle
>one the female elf that drove us here approaches us
>fuck what was her name?
>galidia? glida? GLADIA!
>she walks to dako and hugs him saying "we're off to, we have to clean the flat a little, well after an alcohol induced nap"
>dako wraps his arms aroud her and says "right, have a good night then"
>she lets go and heads to her group who is already walking to the door
>she looks back at lucy and waves at her
>lucy smiles and waves back
>the orcs get up too and one yells "OI WE LEVAN TOO, WE 'AVE SUM LOOT TO GO TRU, CALL YE FOR DA NEX RAID"
>dako yells back "BYE GRONT AND BYE THE REST"
>the orcs walk to the door and leave squeezing out one by one
>i turn to dako and say "you let them go really easily, no like? a proper farewell or nothing? just yeah see yah"
>dako shrugs "w-well, yeah, they're my guest, not my hostages" he take a swing of the bottle
>a group of harpies the were in different groups integrate into one and start chatting
>to me seems like they were more attached to the guest than dako is
>i ask dako about that "your sisters seem more interested in your guest, why?"
>he shrugs again "i've helped them but i met them through my sisters, you see?"
>i just nod, so they are not really friends but just know eachother
>that's a bit eery, and autistic
>dako stands up, puts the bottle on the bar and says "follow me, i have to show you something"
>the way he said that is a bit concerning
>i stand up to follow him
>lucy hesitates a bit before following me
>we walk to dako's room
>the moment we enter the door slams shut behind us
>dako was in front of us
>there was nothing that could close it
>mild panic: engaged
>he chuckles a bit and says "you know, i was planning on apologizing to you"
>he turns his head and glares at lucy
>lucy steps back away from him
>dako continues "but i managed to connect the dots since that day i meet you"
>he starts to walk to lucy
>i reach for my waistband just to feel it empty
>dako laughs as he pulls out my cz from his own waistband "looking for this? you forgot to ask it back"
>panic state went from mild to OHSHITNIGGER in a fraction of a second
>i feel my heart sinks as he racks the slide back
>he pops the slide out and throws the frame to his bed "not gonna need this interupting me in this situation"
>we're done for
>lucy gets in a defencive position, like ready to beat the fuck out of someone 
>dako simply starts to walk over to her
>lucy puts her right hand inside the sleeve of the left arm
>dako skips back a few steps
>lucy pulls out an 8' dagger from her sleeve
>holy shit, were did she get that
>she start to run towards him, ready to stab him in the torso
>considering the body difference of the 2, this is probably a mistake
>if dako gets her in a lock she is most certanly going to loose to his sheer body mass
>dako grabs the wrist of her armed hand and pulls it upwards
>dako throws his shoulder to lucy's body, hitting her in the sternum and throwing her to the ground
>lucy falls on her ass, she is still holding her knife
>im paralyzed from shock
>lucy stands up, hand over her chest
>dako starts to monologue "look really wasn't planning on fighting anyone i just wanted you to tell the tru-"
>lucy starts to rush him again screaming
>dako once again grabs her wrist "you don't learn do yo-"
>lucy lands a good punch on dako's lower jaw
>dako moves his jaw around with a sickening pop "that was really good i'll give you that"
>lucy drops her blade and starts to choke him with both of her hands
>dako smiles says among grunts "you're good... BUT IM BETTER"
>he clutches his own hand over one of lucy's arms and quickly pulls down on her elbow, forcing her to let go
>dako kicks lucy in the back of her knee, forcing her to kneel
>then a motherfucking knee to her chin
>i can practically hear the birds chirpping around lucy's head as dako stand her up
>he swings his arm back and jabs lucy in the neck
>she is out and im still in the corner of the room with my dick in my hand (metaphorically speaking)
>i finally snap out of it
>my legs start to rush him
>i did not agree to this
>fuck it worst thing that could happen is that he decorates his house with my organs
>in my mind everything plays out slowly but magic superperception that comes out of nowhere is not enough to defeat him
>mainly because i have no idea how to attack him
>well he can't predict my attacks if not even i know what im doing
>i can see dako's face, he has a mug of indifference
>i don't know if that's because he hasn't been able to react to my or because he's unimpressed and ready to beat the shit out of me
>he lands a jab under my ribcage, right on my diaphragm, both sending me collapsing back and without breath
>i try to stand up to no avail
>dako starts to walk to the still unconsious lucy
>he grabs one of her arms and starts massaging her wrist
>i stare confused trying to figure out what he was doing
>lucy's palm light up a dim purple
>holy shit
>he forced her hand to use healing magic
>he rubs lucy's own hand on her abdomen, chest and head
>he lets go of her and kicks her knife away from her hands
>lucy starts to regain conciousness
>dako walks to his desk and pulls out the chair beneath it
>he carries it to where lucy is
>he props it up and sits lucy on it
>lucy's palm light up again, this time her light looks as strong as it is normaly
>she begins to rub her forehead
>tears start rolling down her cheeks
>dako kneels besides her "okay, now you are gonna tell anon why you were captured and not straight up executed, okay?" he said as he puts his hand on lucy's shoulder
>lucy quickly slaps his hand off her
>i ask "what do you mean not straight up executed?"
>dako turns to face me "the reason nobody survives a raid by the cape of humanity is because their tactics... make sure nobody runs off, then round up everybody who survived the initial attack and then execute them..."
>he glares at lucy for a few seconds "...unless they have something useful for them, in which case they hold you for a few days, a bit of interrogation over here a sprinkle of torture over there and once the dropped the soup... kill them"
>lucy gulps after hearing those words
>i ask "why would they send her over to us then?"
>he spins around waving his index finger, revolver ocelot style
>"they were trying to absorb you company anon... give them some jobs, pay them a little extra, get some favors, offer them a parthnership they couldn't refuse and badabing badaboom you're COH"
>i start to ponder over our situation
>he's right in some thing like why would they keep her alive?
>but if she was important, why trust her to us and not offer us lesser work?
>and how does dako know all that?
>i do not know how to interpretate all this information
>"but why worry about this, we killed them, we killed the COH"
>both turn around to face me, lucy has a perplexed face and dako looks a bit offended
>dako starts to yell at me "THAT WAS JUST A SMALL CONVOY, NOT ALL OF THEM YOU FUCKING RETARD, WE'RE LIGHT-FUCKING-YEARS FAR FROM KILLING THEM ALL"
>lucy covers her face in shame
>yeah i should have probably assumed that
>dako stops himself from rambling and yelling
>he pinches his forehead starts to breath heavily
>i try to excuse myself "o-ok i know that was VERY stupid of me to say that but still, they probably won't be coming near here after we destroyed their convoy"
>dako smashes his forehead against a wall
>lucy answers "they're not wild animals that you can simply scare away anon, on the contrary, they'll come here looking for whoever dared attack their men"
>dako lifts his head from the wall, snaps his finger and points at lucy "what she said, and that's why i want to get dr. gold out of the way as soon as possible"
>ok i've had enough this night
>dako tries to say something
>i cut in "ok, you exposed lucy as something more, whatever, can we please go home and deal with this later!"
>dako replies "but don't you want to know what's up with this gir-"
>i cut him off "we'll talk about this later, ok?"
>dako frowns in frustation
>i turn to look at lucy "we will talk about this tomorrow"
>she nods
>dako walks to the door rubbing his temples "right, if you care so little then get the fuck out of my house, c'mon i'll drive you home"
>he opens the door and a bunch of screams and giggles erupt from the other side
>a bunch of harpies run away from the door and into different rooms
>they were eavesdropping on us
>dako muthers "nosey bitches they're learning from me"
>as we are walking to the car some other things start to invade my head
>i ask "hey dako, i should have asked this sooner but if you are from the other side, what's up with all the russian shit?
>i answer with another question "what russian shit?"
>i don't know if he's playing dumb or hasn't realized
>"the accent, the clothing, the guns, the fact that you sometimes talk in russian, all that edgy shit you do from time to time like trying to eat other sentient beings? that russian shit" 
>he answers with a sort of list "this is vetrilian accent, the clothing and guns i got in russia and the idiom is my cover-up, the other "edgy shit" is my thing"
>sounds belivable, if a bit stupid
>i ask "what do you mean a cover up?"
>he gets annoyed "ok, first you get tired of my shit, now you asking questions?.. after coming to this world to a place called stonia or something like that, we moved to russian because it was the biggest country in this side, and since you people blame everything on the russian, we decided to pass as russian, put it this way "who murdered this caravan", "oh it was some russain asshole, of course"
>there's a small pause in his speech
>"you get what im doing?"
>i reply "we no longer blame the russian, it's the chinese this time"
>he facepalms "of course you fucking do now"
>we finally made it to the car
>i had forgotten that our """car""" was a cramped armored scout car
>dako jumps in and we follow him inside
>once again lucy and i are forced to rub foreheads on the uncomfortable metal seats as we listen to the horrible dying-animal-thats-being-devoured-by-a-lion sounds of the engine
>oh god this is gonna be a fun ride
>as we are leaving through a dirt trail in the forest i start to get this nagging feeling like im forgeting something
>but what could it be
>OH SHIT I LEFT MY PISTOL
>i tell dako to back up to the house to get my pistol
>he starts to laugh and calls me an idiot, then stomps on the brakes
>i hold onto a metal safety handle handle to not fly out of my seat
>could have been useful on the way here
>if i had noticed them earlier
>lucy reacts the same way but instead of gripping a handle she grips my hair
>owowowowowowowowowowowow
>i hear a clunk and the scout car begins to move backwards
>the car stops
>i inmediatly open the hatch and get out of the cramped space
>i bolt it upstairs an through the main door
>i walk up to dako's room and i open the door
>one of the little harpy chicks is sitting in his bed
>she looks at me with a mile long smile "oh helwo mister, whad awre you doing in mwy brothers wroom?"
>i walk towards the bed "uh.. im looking for a black pistol... you do know what a pistol is right? and what color is black?"
>she start to giggle "yes sir i know boudw answers" she reaches for something behind her and pulls out my assembled pistol "couwld id be this wan?"
>i close in to grab it "yes it's that o-"
>she suddenly aims at me and remarks with a snarky "nah-ah-ah findwers keepers"
>i back up in shock
>im being held at gunpoint with my own gun
>by a child
>this situation is quite...
>...embarassing
>i start to step further away
>i notice she's tracking my forehead
>she is most definitely ready to shoot me between the eyes
>i ask "hey kid, who taught you how to use that?"
>she answer with a smug smile in her face "i watched my brother twrain my sisters and when nouwan was looking i wud take a gun and plway with it in secrwet, brother always got mwad at me for taking it widouwt premission"
>right...
>if she gets in trouble for taking them, maybe i can use that to give me back my gun
>i say to the little featherball "what if i tell your brother you took my pistol without permission? eh? he will get mad"
>without hesitating she fires back "twry it and i'll pwonch a whole thru your head" with that smug smile still in her face
>...i
>i-im genuenly terrified now
>holy shit
>i go to grab my phone to call dako
>i hear a slide being racked
>she screams at me "HEY! yiu put that away or ill wreally shoot you, lwast warning!"
>i pocket my phone again and raise my hands up
>i beging to shuffle backwards to the door "ok, ok you can keep it you thieving brat!"
>im not really letting her have it
>as i walk out the door i hear emit a triumphant chuckle
>laugh now you little bitch
>as soon as i close the door i pull my phone out and start to look for dako in my contacts
>lmao harpies are stupid
>i finally find dako's contact info and as i press the call button i hear his voice behind me
>"what's taking you so long?"
>i flinch and throw my phone up in the air
>i barely manage to catch it
>i turn around
>dako is smirking at me
>"i scared you didn't i?"
>i roll my eyes
>"you surprised me, scaring is a more complex fo-"
>he cuts me off "yeah whatever, why are you still here eating slices instead of getting your shit out of my house?"
>eating slices? what the fuck does that mean?
>doesn't matter right now
>"look i have a problem in there" i said as i pointed at the door to his room
>he stares at the door confused
>he walks inside and closes the door begind him
>i stick my ear to the door to hear what's going on inside
>i hear a muffled rambling with the distinctive tone of a scolding
>ohohoho you are in truble now you little bitch
>the rambling stops and i hear some sort of strange repeating muffle whiffs
>i think he made her cry
>i open the door and slowly walk inside
>the little harpy chick is in the corner of the room with tears running down her cheeks and constantly sniffling
>she notices me and gives me the death glare
>dako walks up to me and hands me my pistol
>i thank him and put it on my waistband
>he walks up to his desk and opens a drawer
>as he's moving stuff around he says "as for you young lady"
>he stops and sighs "i was gonna give this to you in your birthday, but since you seem a bit desperate for it"
>he pulls a beautiful 6 inch revolver with wooden grips
>the harpy's face changes in fractions of a second from sadness to joy
>he kneels down and extends his hand forward, offering the revolver to the harpy
>she inmediatly jumps onto her feet and sprints to him
>she grabs the gun and starts to admire it
>dako starts to list it's features "6 inch barrel, single action, top breaker, 6 chambers in the cylinder for 38 special..."
>he pauses for a second to strike another smile at her
>"... custom made for you"
>the harpy's eyes swell with tears as she jumps to hug him
>she clings to him with all her love
>it's very noticeable that dako does love his family
>even if he gets a bit bossy with them in the field
>the harpy climbs down his leg hugging her new toy
>dako ruffles her hair and says in a playful tone "alright, it's too late for you to be awake so go to sleep unless you want me to take your new toy away from you so soon"
>the little harpy nods and then runs out of the room giggling
>dako notices me staring at the little demonstration of wholesomeness
>he coughs and erases his smile from his face "right, let's get you home"
>i glance over to his desk "damn, that was a nice piece, you got one for me?"
>he replies with a cold "no"
>i ask "so what model was it? because i want one too"
>he replies again with the same cold tone "it's tailor made... by me, if you want one, give me the details and money"
>aaaw he doesn't want people to know his soft side
>he walks out of the room says "close the door, will you?"
>right
>time to go home
>as im closing the door of the room i notice something on top of dako's desk
>a black box
>inmediatly after seeing the box i start to get that nagging feeling again
>but this time it feels more urgent
>i try to remember what i had to do with the box
>i remember interacting with it earlier tonight but i can't remember exactly how or why
>i ignore the feeling and close the door
>maybe it's not my problem anymore
>i head outside and into the car
>as we drive home lucy ask me what happened up there
>i answer that a harpy decide to play a prank on me
>dako drops us on the outskirts of my neighborhood
>the massive engine of the car would attract unwanted attention to it
>porcine attention
>lucy and i walk home
>i live in a calm neighborhood but im still ready to pop anything that tries to jump us in the night
>we get home, go to sleep and that's the end of that day
 
>im standing in a dark room
>a perfectally square dark room
>i have full recolection of what happened last night
>we arrived home, i went to sleep and haven't woken up since
>and i don't feel like im actually in the dark room
>this must be a dream
>hopefully it's a dream
>it may be dark but i can see the walls and ceiling of the room
>i try to walk up to a wall to look for anything to give me context as to what it going on
>as im walking a notice that the wall doesn't seem to be getting closer
>i start to run at it
>still looks like the same distance away, like im running in place
>i look down and the floor is moving accordingly
>that means the walls are the ones moving with me
>i stop running and i sit down
>if it's a dream that means i can wake myself up
>i try focusing in waking up, i pinch myself, i bite my thumb i try everything i can to wake myself up
>nothing
>i close my eyes and relax
>guess i'll wait it out then
>as soon as i think of that i hear something similar to a distant thunder
>the ground shakes a bit
>the walls and ceiling start to take a red hue, like someone is shining a red light through stretched cloth
>suddenly hundreds of imprints of faces start to cover the walls
>hundreds of femenine voices echo around the room, all whailing and crying, begging for mercy
>scared i stand up and try to run
>no use, the walls are still following me
>i get desperate, i have no idea of what is going on or what all of this means
>i start to feel something tugging at my chest
>suddenly everything goes black
>i wake up to lucy with tears in her eyes, looking at me
>i sit up on my bed and i ask her what happened
>she tells me "i-i don't know i was asleep and then i started to hear creaking so-so i woke up and saw you convulsing on your bed"
>i rub my forehead trying to make sence of what i just saw
>i hug lucy and tell her "im okay, thanks, i-i don't know what that was about but im fine" 
>i lay awake in bed for the rest of the night
>the clock hits 5 a.m.
>i can't find rest anymore
>i turn to my side
>back against the wall
>i lift up my head a bit to spy on lucy
>she's fast asleep on her inflatable mattress
>good, she needs it
>ever since we arrived home i've had this feeling
>no...
>since i saw that box
>fuck, it was the box
>what was it about the box? was it cursed?
>i know i interacted with it but how exactly? i don't remember
>come on brain
>boxboxboxboxbox what was it about the bo-
>...
>fuck
>everything come back to me
>the fairies, the crying, dako being a creepy motherfucker towards them and me promising to myself that i would find a way to help them
>oh fuck
>oh god
>oh fuck
>i grab my pillow and press it against my face
>im about to muffle an f-bomb on my pillow
>i stop myself in order to not disturb lucy
>i put the pillow in it's place as i sit up on my bed
>i slowly get out of bed
>lucy remains dormant
>sneek out my room
>i walk to my bathroom and flip the light switch on
>[Internal Screaming]
>my eyeballs be like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFRd6LCOvzU [Embed]
>my sight comes back and the pain fades away as my eyes adjust to the light
>i look in the mirror over the sink
>surprise surprise, i look like a fairy that just over dosed on peel
>that means like shit
>my eyes are red like i've been butt-fucking bloodsuckers and my nose is running like a waterfall
>as im inspecting myself i notice the purple splotches sagging the skin under my eyes and i sarcastically remark to myself
>"oh good, i thought they got lost in transit"
>heh, get it?
>cuz i got bags under my eye and-and.. bags get...
>...they get.. lost
>...fuck
>i think that shitty joke finished off any remaining brain cells i had up there because as soon as i finished it a heavy migraine starts scrambling shit in my brain
>as i rub both my temples with my thumb and pinky finger i open the medicine cabinet behind my mirror and pull out a pack of ibuprofen with my other hand
>i take a tablet and down it with some delicious sink water
>refreshing
>i can't sleep and can't start the day yet because lucy is still sleeping
>what can i do in some 2 and a half hours to distract myself?
>lightbulb.jpg
>i walk towards my stash of loot hidden in a hall closet
>as quietly as possible i put every gun i looted from the warehouse in 1 duffle bag
>it was easier without having to worry about the ammo
>but still heavy as fuck so i had to travel down and up the stairs 2 time to get every thing out and into my living room
>including the wa2000 in it's case
>i've decided to keep it, dako can go fuck himself, i got to it first
>first i take the spas 12 and check to see if it's not loaded as to avoid an ND
>empty, good
>i beging to admire every detail of the gun
>i was inspecting everything, the controls, the feel of the pump, i caress the heat shield and i looke for any scratches or dents in it
>it had none, this was a beautiful shotgun in perfect condition
>oh yeah, im already starting to feel better
>i put the spas on my coffee table as i reach another beauty to inspect
>i pull out the .308 galil of the bag
>i check it to see if it's empty
>it is, proceeding
>i shoulder the rifle, getting a feel for it
>the wide wood furniture is surprisingly comfortable
>i take the dust cover off to inspect the internals
>after a careful inspection i notice that the safety and hammer assembly have been modified
>i think i've seen this type of modification somewhere else
>to comfirm my suspicion i check that the weapon is empty again because im autistic
>i rack the bolt back and let it fly forward
>i pull on the trigger
>*click*
>without letting my finger off the trigger i pull back the bolt again but instead of letting it go i slowly crawl it forward until it's closed
>*click*
>i gasp in surprise combined with a smile
>someone converted it to full auto
>my smile fades as i notice something else
>the baboon who worked on this convertion did an awful job with the safety
>you either fire full auto or don't fire at all
>god dammit
>well, i think i could fix that myself
>i just need some tool and practice
>i carefully put the galil back in a duffle bag
>i put up a mental note to check if i can jury rig a better safety mechanism
>onto the rest of the booty
>a styer scout in it's classic gray furniture
>it has a fancy big scope with a long eye relief distance
>i know next to nothing about long scoped but this one is more mysterious than ususal
>it has no markings, no indicators of manufacturing nor are the dials labeled
>i looked through it, it has a mil-dot pattern reticle but no other indicators either
>courious
>the rest of the rifle is fine, it's a scout, i've handled them before but now that i ""own"" this one maybe i can get into long distance shooting
>i open it's integrated bipod and i stand it on my coffee table
>i see the stubby case on the ground next to the duffle bag
>it's siren call tugging at my attention
>fuck it
>the rest of the weapons can wait
>i grab the case and set it on my lap
>i overdramaticaly open it
>glorious piece of wood-and-iron-based german engineering
>if it wasn't for the fact that i've learned to control myself my dick would have propelled the case through the roof
>i lift this entrancing artifact from it's resting place
>i get lost in it's details
>it's almost like it's telling me to worship it
>yes
>YES
>this is MINE
>MY wa2000
>I looted it
>I got to it first
>FUCK YOU DAKO, PIECE OF SHIT, I GOT TO IT FIRST
>ME
>IT BELONGS TO ME
>MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-
>i gasp as i come back to my sences
>feel like i was suffocating
>beging to breath heavily
>what in the mother of all fucks was that?
>fucking hell man i think this loot is doing some sick shit to me
>hope it's not cursed and that is just me being retarded
>fucking hell
>i don't know for how long i was out but it doesn't seem like it was that much
>i noticed that the rifle and case are no longer over me
>the case is on the floor and the rifle is on the coffee table with it's bipod deployed
>the spas and scout are on the floor beside the table
>like if they were pushed out
>god damn
>i thought to myself as i picked everything up and put it back on the bags except for the wa2000
>i leave it standing on my coffee table as i put everything away
>my stomach growls loudly as im closing the zipper on a duffle bag
>suddenly feel like im startving
>i hear a few knocks on my door, no calls, no signals, just knocking
>the fuck? i wasn't expecting visitors
>the knocking intensifies
>oh shit negger, it must be the atf, they must have intercepted my brain signals when i was thinking about the converted galil
>i open the duffle bag again looking for something i can conceal at the door
>the most concealable weapon inside is the golden deagle brand deagle
>fuck
>[knocking intensifies]
>i pull out the magazine
>empty
>i pull the slide back
>nothing in the chamber
>[KNOCKING INTENSIFIES]
>i look through the bag
>there are 2 magazines full of .50 ae
>fuck yeah
>put one in and chamber the gun
>put the other sticking out of my pocket for access
>walk to the door with deagle hiden begind my back
>this thing is uncomfortable and heavy, no wonder it sells only on it's niche cartrige
>i walk up to the door as quiet as can be
>i wait for whoever it is to knock once again
>it does so and i take advantage to look through the peephole before whoever can slam the door again
>i see a familiar black hoodie with an offset white cyrillic text
>it's dako, and by the way he's shaking in place he's getting impatient
>shit i thought he said he was gonna come in the evening
>i turn to my side to see the wa2000 still on the table
>OHSHITNEGRO.jpg
>if he sees it im fucking death
>i try to walk back to hide the rifle
>but as soon as i move my foot i hear muffled from the door
>"hey dickhead, i can see the shadow of your feet under the door, open the fuck up!"
>shit
>shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit
>well... as long as he doesn't step inside he probably won't see it
>or atleat i hope he doesn't
>i put the deagle on a stand next to the door
>try to look as calm as possible as i reach for the doorknob
>open the door trying to give a slick glare like i started my day on the right foot
>"hey man, what's up?, how you doing? how's the family?"
>he glares at me, clearly confused "are you okay anon?, your eyes are red and watery"
>oh shit they are? didn't even feel so
>i try to think of an excuse but before i can say anything he says "look im here to make the deal, and make it quick, im busy"
>he waits for a reply
>"oh yeah the exchange" i said as i reached for the keys of my rolling piece of scrap
>i step outside of the door with the keys and the garage door controller
>as i close the door i feel something grip my leg
>i look down to see the little harpy chick from yestersay night clinging to my leg
>dako says "oh yeah, she asked me to bring her so she could-"
>the little harpy hushes him and answers "hey, IM gonna tel him ohkay?"
>he nods and keeps quiet
>the little harpy give me the puppy eyes and says "mr anon, thank yiu, if yiu hadn forgoten yiur gon yesterday my brother wouln have giben me my fwirst gon"
>aw how cute
>she points at her revolver hanging from a thigh holster on her leg
>hopefuly no one is out at this time to see a child open carry a revolver
>is open carry legal here? fuck i should look into this
>anyway, we walk to the front of the garage
>i click the botton and the door begings to rise
>revealing a fucked up old jeep
>yeah it's worse than i remember it
>dako walks up to it and starts to inspect wheels
>he says "the wheels are a bit out of line but it's nothing i can't fix, the suspension looks a bit abused but driveable, now, can you pass me the keys?"
>i do so, dako opens the driver door and pulls the latch the opens the hood
>he gets out and starts to poke around the engine bay
>as he does so i take the chance to ask "um hey, also, why are you here so early?, i thought you said you were gonna come in the evening"
>without turning away from the car he replies "because this is the time of day where everybody is awake and home... unless you go to church which you don't seem like the type to do so"
>i reply "are you sure everybody is awake this early? it's barely gonna be 7 in the morning"
>he turns his head slowly giving me an annoyed glare "it's 20 past 11 retard"
>wat
>i look outside, the sun is shining brightly
>i pull out my phone, it's 11:22
>what
>the
>fuck
>i was out for almost 5 hours
>dake remarks "holy shit anon, what were you smoking? weed?!... can i have some?" 
>fuck no, even if i had i wouldn't share shit
>whatever, doesn't matter right now
>i ask "so, where's my new ride then?
>he answers "it's right there front of your door"
>oh shit he right
>a clean honda crx si is parked besides the sidewalk 
>sporting a clean gray paintjob
>i peek through one of the windows looking for an important detail
>fuck yeah, there it is
>standard transmission
>i walk back smiling
>dako closes the hood and nods
>"everything is fine enough, here's your part"
>dako hands me the keys to the crx, 2 sheets of paper and a pen
>i ask them what the papers are for
>he answers "they are ownership papers, just put your information on the blanc spaces and we'll be set"
>right
>i write down everything that is asked for on the paper of the jeep first so dako can leave faster
>i finish writing everything down and give dako the paper and pen
>i'll fill the other one inside my house
>dako tells her little harpy to get on the jeep >she does so
>as dako is opening the door i hear a very faint boom
>dako reacts by turning towards the direction of the noise "you heard that?"
>"yeah, i think it came from the south" i said as i looked over to try to spot anything
>i can't see anything significant
>weird
>dako climbs inside and starts the jeep
>listentothatbabypurr.mp3
>feels weird to know that this may be the last time i'll hear that engine
>dako rolls out of my garage a bit and says "try to stay away from where that sound came from, i don't think it was a firearm"
>he rolls the windows up a bit but interups it "oh, and anon, don't drive that car around pennsylvania if you want to stay out of trouble"
>he leaves with my jeep and heads north up the highway
>god damn i'll miss that piece of junk
>i walk back inside admiring my new car on the way in
>i set the sheet of paper on the dinning table
>i pack all of the guns in the bags and take them upstairs where i stashed them
>i notice the light coming from under the door of my bathroom
>lucy has gotten up
>good
>i walk to my room and lock the door behind me
>i change to from my pijamas (a shitty t-shirt and tracksuit pants) to casual wear (a less shitty t-shirt and jeans)
>i walk back out, the bathroom light is out
>i go downstairs and see lucy sitting at the dinning table, she's reading the paper
>she's wearing the same hoodie as last night
>that's kinda weird
>i walk up to her to give her the good days
>she looks sad
>i ask her whats wrong
>she says "oh nothing, i also had trouble sleeping last night"
>right, that shit last night
>she tells me she's hungry and rubs her abdomen
>ok, im gonna bust my best recipe for a bad night
>some kotlet with toast and coffee
>this is gonna stiffen her right up
>after making the bread infused patties and toasting the bread i lay them on plates and put them on the table
>as soon as i turn around i start to hear the crunchin of toast
>yep, she was hungry
>i walk back to the kitchen to serve the coffee and bring it back
>once back at the table i notice lucy's dagger is next to my plate
>emphasis on dagger, this ain't no punny knife, im talking full on 8 inches of blade 
>i set her coffee mug besides her plate that she's munching from
>i move my now empty hand to set the blade aside
>but before i can even touch it lucy quickly snatches it and sets it aside to the other side of the table
>she swallows her food, coughs onto her hand and apologizes
>okay.....?
>i sit down and begin to eat
>after a few minutes of akward silence on the table lucy finishes before me
>she takes her plates to the sink and sits back down
>i try to break the ice "so, why did you woke up so late?"
>she grabs her dagger and starts to toy it around before answering "i don't know, just couldn't sleep after what happened, i just layed still on my side trying to go to sleep... and then i think i passed out eventualy"
>i nod "i see... i had a hard time sleeping yesterday"
>i grab my mug of coffee and take a sip leaning back to take as much of this divine liquid into me
>i straighten my self to continue the conversation only to see lucy with the fingers of one hand spread on the table and holding the dagger downwards with the other and looking intensely to her hands
>i choke on my coffee at the sight
>i start to violently cough
>she puts her blade down and stares at me for a moment before patting my back "are you ok?, where you poisoned?"
>i pass the coffee and regain composture "no i wasn't poisoned"
>she slightly tilts her head to the side "what happened then"
>i point at her blade "what where you trying to do with that?"
>she simply replies "stabberscotch"
>fucking hell, she was gonna ruin my table
>after carefully explaining her that whis type of tables aren't a cheap thing you can abuse she looks really annoyed
>"maybe if you all used normal tables instead of this somehow premium ones you would worry less in your lives"
>she being petty but kinda has a point
>why the fuck are tables so expensive nowadays?
>anyway, getting of track
>i tell her to change onto the pants and hoodie i gave her when she arrived
>when she ask me why i tell her that we are going innawoods to teach her to shoot and that she should wear something she's not afraid of ripping or getting dirty
>she smiles a bit and goes upstairs
>she must really like the idea of the forest
>she's an elf after all
>....is that racist?
>i start to plan where we'll be going and what we'll be carrying
>i'll take the scout and my innawoods kit
>i'll start lucy with my sl8 to start her shooting
>go to my garage
>theres a carry bag under a table
>in theres theres a HAM radio kit i made from different scrapped radios some time ago
>i like to take it to the woods and spy on whatever i can find
>it's mostly ATC comms from the nearby airport
>i gonna teach lucy how to innawoods
>/k/ommando style
>none of that tree hugging shit
>take the radio and put it on the living room
>go grab the guns and ammo from upstairs
>man, it's my first time going with someone else
>i honestly feeling a bit akward about it
>but still, im sure we'll have a good time
>after loading everything into the car
>i wait outside leaning against the car
>after a few minutes of checking my phone i hear the door open
>and out comes lucy dressed with the same old clothes i gave her
>i open the door for her and walk around to get inside the car
>inside the first thing that lucy says is "this one is cramped compared to the other one"
>really nigga?
>"we'll this one is not wanted by the police"
>she looks at me puzzled
>i offer a different comparison "at least it's not the scout car"
>she nods and then looks down
>"well then, were off to a nice day outside"
>i drive out to the northen road out of the city
>after 16 minutes of ackward silent driving i pull over to the side of the road next to a very dense forest
>we get out and load out everything in bags
>lock the car and start hiking up the hills next to the road
>lucy is following behind me
>she seems indifferent to the trip so far
>i'll make sure she comes out of this forest happy
>after aroud 7 minutes of walking in a singular direction we stop
>we are in a small clearing that has a small creek running along it
>wipe the dirt of a nearby rock and sit on it
>open all the bags and pull out the scout and mount it on my chest with the provided sling
>i reach for the sl8 and say "im gonna let you shoot this one to get you started, okay?"
>lucy replies "don't worry, i got my own"
>i hear the pump of a shotgun racking a round
>i look up
>lucy is standing in front of me with the spas with the stock folded up and a witty smile
>i say "you need to stop doing that"
>her smile turn to a frown "what do you mean?"
>"pulling weapons out of nowhere"
>she rolls her eyes "i'll stop if you show me how to shot this, this is all i know what to do with it"
>she works the pump again
>well...
>atleast she's starting to show some interest
>I ask her “why the sudden enthusiasm?”
>she looks down at the shotgun for a few seconds
>”well… since you seem to really like this guns, then they may have something truly enjoyable that I am just not getting and… so if you teach me how to use them I can then truly feel what you feel”
>not a solidly worded answer but if she really wants to learn then I’m happy to help
>we smile at each other for a bit
>our moment gets interrupted when a loud zap rings from the other side of a hill
>I stand up with rifle in hand and turn to where the sound came from
>from over the hill we hear what sounds like the screams of a little girl
>I start to run up the hill to see what is happening
>I ready myself to fend off whatever could possibly be making that girl scream
>I hear Lucy’s footsteps behind me 
>as we are running a blue light flashes from the trees over the hill and the loud zap rings again
>the light makes me cover me eyes and stop on my tracks
>after the zap I uncover my eyes and continue running
>over the hill there are a bunch of leafs floating down and there’s a spot cleared of debris on the ground which I presume is where that zap blue light explosion shit happened
>there are no tracks of whoever made those screams
>Lucy kneels down and waves her hand over the clear spot
>she gets up and shakes her head
>I ask her if she has any idea of what happened
>”well anon, what I feel around here is the same energy irradiated by a portal”
>I ask her what that means
>she looks at me with a sad face “anon, sometimes when people cross, the portals don’t react to kindly to them, they get phased to different places of any of the 2 dimensions before getting thrown out to somewhere random, some get lucky and get placed on their destination but this is extremely rare, most get lost and not many find their way back to their loved ones”
>that sounds infuriating
>I ask “so what we saw was someone getting thrown about by a portal?”
>she nods “the chances of something like that happening near us, here in the wilderness, is incomprehensibly low… and whoever it was sounded young too, poor thing, must be scared to death”
>she wipes the dirt of a nearby log and sits on it
>she looks distressed
>god, talk about a mood killer
>I sit next to her
>she seems really touched by this theme
>touched in a hurting way
>I try to comfort her
>”hey don’t worry, I’m sure whoever it was is safe”
>she looks at me unamused “unlikely”
>[speech failed]
>that’s a kick in the conscience 
>I wrap my arm next to her and begin to pat her head with the other one
>she grabs my hands and pushes them away
>oof
>was it really that bad
>she stands up and shakes her head
>”I’m sorry anon it’s just…”
>she lets out a heavy sigh
>”it’s just that I’ve lost people that way too”
>oh shit
>well fuck
>what do I say now?
>maybe if I don’t touch the subject anymore she-
>”it was my first time crossing through a portal, walking through with the Rodela caravan on our way to stablish a new camp, we were 275, only 238 of us passed through, the others we never heard of again….”
>right I think she’s getting a bit intens-
>“among those 37 that we lost there was a pretty good friend of mine and my sister, the only person not of my family I could truly trust and my last blood relative ripped away from me in an instant”
>she begins to sniff and lifts her feet of the ground
>she brings her knees up to her chest and hugs her legs
>I’m just sitting there thinking of something to say without fucking up the moment even more
>I get up and grab the shotgun from her side
>I present it to her and say “how about we replace those bad thoughts with some loud noises”
>not really
>I have some earpro on the bags
>she wipes her forehead and grabs the shotgun
>she gets up and we walk down to where we left our bags
>I tell her all about the importance of gun safety
>mainly because I remembered how she almost accidentally blew my head off
>I tell her the basics, keep the weapon pointed at a safe direction, keep the finger off the trigger, etc.
>I give her a pair of earmuffs and she puts them on
>I do the same
>after a short tutoring on the basic operation of the spas-12 Lucy unfolds the stock and shoulders it
>”do all stocks feel like this one?” she ask as she inspects the metal box that’s supposed to make contact with her shoulder
>I shake my head “nah, must are nicer than just a piece of metal”
>she shakes in her boots as she loads shells
>she is either exited or nervous
>by the sweat forming on her forehead I think it’s the latter
>she shoves shells into the gun until they can’t fit on the tube anymore
>she puts the rest of the shells she couldn’t load into a pocket
>”ok, so now I pull this back and then forward again?” she yells as she grabs the pump of the gun
>I nod
>she tries to pull the pump back to no avail
>she gives me a confused look
>I yell “you have to push it a bit forward and then quickly back”
>she stares at me for a few seconds
>she processes the information I gave her and then goes “ooooh”
>she successfully pumps the shotgun
>she shoulders it and aims at the creek
>”so now I just pull this?” she yells
>”yeah but put some of your weight on your front foot” I yell back
>she adopts an amateurish stance but it’s a stance none the less
>she quickly pulls the trigger
>BANG
>water from the creek splash up as the barrage of buckshot impacts
>Lucy is thrown of balance by the recoil
>her eyes widen as she stares at the gun in her hands
>she smiles and looks at me
>I know that smile
>she’s hooked
>I approached her
>as I move closer she shoulders the shotgun again and fires at the creek
>I flinch to the sudden action 
>she unloads on the creek
>the recoil throwing her around
>she hits the creek and several trees beyond it
>the shotgun clicks empty and she starts to laugh
>ok maybe a little too enthusiastic
>she reaches into her pockets for the shells she couldn’t load
>she has an ear to ear smile on her face
>I yell “wait! Before you load it..”
>she stops on her tracks and stares at me with a grin and wide eyes
>I just noticed that she’s panting
>ohshitnegger
>I think my Lucy became a Sako
>must be a race thing
>I stand there with an awkward smile
>she takes her earpro off
>oh right I was talking
>”so, how did it feel?”
>she chuckles “I don’t know I was very nervous at first but after firing for the first time.. it just like… it felt empowering, like an instant jolt of adrenaline like, the kick and the loud bang and the flash it-it… oOoOOooOoh”
>okay…
>I think she may have gotten a little too into it
>she goes back to loading the shotgun
>she does it pretty quickly
>she works the pump and shoulders the thing again
>I stand back as she unleashes a storm of buckshot into the nature in front of her
>however I notice that with every consecutive shot she lifts weight of her front foot
>the 8th shell is expended and the recoil kicks her more than she anticipated
>she begins to fall back but she moves her front foot back to recover
>she steps on a mossy rock and slips
>ohfuck
>I run to catch her
>she falls onto my arms as I hear a loud clack
>I look over
>the spas is on the ground
>it fell on a rock
>the spas-12’s perfect condition: GONE
>I help lucy up and ask her if she’s ok
>she sits down on the rock she slipped from
>”shit, I bend my ankle” she says as she starts to rub her leg
>I walk over to the shotgun and pick it up
>turn it over
>let a single tear roll down my face
>there’s a big scrape on the left side of the receiver
>there are a bunch of little scratches along the left side of the pump too
>I’ve just about mcfucking had it
>put on a fake smile and walk back to Lucy with the gun on my hands
>she takes it away from me and thanks me for handing it to her
>I ask “aren’t you worried it got scratched?”
>she nonchalantly says “nah, I don’t care as long as it works”
>cringe internally
>oh poor child if only you knew the value behind it
>she wipes some dirt of it and asks me to hand her more shells please
>refuse and tell her to shoot something else instead
>she puts a pouty face and crosses her arms
>I hand her the sl8
>she takes it and shoulders it
>”hey this feels better than the other one”
>she starts to look around the rifle
>”hey anon, how do I load this one?”
>I move closer and guide her hand to the charging handle
>pulling it back and letting it fly forward
>”you’re loaded”
>she smiles and immediately dumps the whole magazine into a tree stump on the other side of the creek
>as she shoots she screams “WOAW THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE SHOTGUN”
>the constant bangs stop with a click
>she’s empty
>she lifts the rifle up like if she was inspecting a dollar bill to the light of the sun
>she hands me the rifle “that was cool but I prefer the shotgun, yeah, it feels more powerful”
>really?
>whatever, her tastes are hers
>I forgot if I brought more shells or not
>fuck…
>tell lucy I didn’t bring anymore shells
>she pouts “what! I thought you said you were going to be ready for this”
>”well sorry for not bringing ammo for a gun I didn’t pack”
>she rolls her eyes “fair enough I guess”
>I pull the scout out of one of the bags
>I hand it to her
>she glances over the rifle but stares at the scope
>”anon, what is this?”
>she rubs the top of the scope
>I begin to explain what a scope is
>she seems to understand what it does but kinda doesn’t care about how it works
>”so where I put the cross thing is where I’m hitting”
>”yeah pretty much, there’s a shitload of thing that you have to keep in mind when shooting long distances though”
>she shoulders the rifle and looks through the scope “right, but I’m shooting at a creek about 7 meters away from us”
>ok then
>wait…
>…meters?
>”anyway, look this one doesn’t have a handle or a pump so you grab this bit and do this motion” I say as I work the bolt of the rifle
>she shoulder it and fires at the tree stump from before
>”woah, this one kicks more than the other one”
>shit right I still haven’t explained calibers to her
>”yeah that’s because that one is 7.62…”
>she turns to me puzzled
>”…or .308” I shrug
>”what do you mean or…”
>wait wa-
>”so you don’t know which one is then?”
>aw fuck, here we go
>the one thing I feared wouldn’t happen
>”n-no it’s not that I don’t know is tha-“
>”what?, you aren’t really that much of an expert, are you?”
>she gives me a kooky smile
>ok
>1. I never claimed to be an expert
>2. I know that face, she’s just playing
>”do you really want to know how calibers work or are you gonna be a little butt about the whole day”
>she chuckles “ok, gun guy, teach me”
>"with pleasure" i retort
>...
>that sounded dirty
>some time passes
>we’re shooting the shit while shooting shit on the woods
>talking in between reloads about calibers, how different guns behave, gear, etc.
>even though she doesn’t seem very interested on the fighting part about firearms
>she’s clearly enjoying herself while shooting at nothing in particular
>man, this feels good
>I’ve never thought I’d bring somebody over to fuck about in the woods
>let alone that it would be this comfy
>after some minutes we cease-fire and sit down for a bit
>I pull out the HAM radio out of its bag
>I start to explain to her how the radio helps on long distance communications and shit
>she inspects the radio and says “yeah, I’ve heard of this things before, I thought they were massive in order to do something like sending a message for so long”
>I tell her about how those are the towers and transponders that can get big and how the radio relies on them
>”how about I show you how it works?”
>Lucy nods and shuffles closer to me to see how I operate the radio
>I start to move the CTAF frequency knob at around 122.7 to hear the communications of the nearby airport
>it’s awfully quiet today
>but it seems like a Beechcraft baron is coming in to land
>Lucy seem oddly amused to the pilot speak coming through the radio
>with a hint of confusion on that amused face
>I don’t blame her
>hearing all that kind of shit pilots and tower spew at each other, might as well be speaking their own language, shit’s uncomprehendable
>she gets close “um… hello?”
>I chuckle at this
>”they can’t hear you Lucy, not yet, I have to press this button to connect the microphone” I said as I pointed at the button at the side of the microphone
>”ooooh” she reaches to grab it but I stop her hand
>”wait, I think interrupting in air traffic frequencies is very illegal”
>she puts on a pouty face “aww dang”
>I switch the channel and start moving the frequency knob to see if I find anything new
>after a few seconds I hear a faint voice among the static noise
>I move the knob more delicately trying to clean the audio
>I reach as clean as I could get it
>its vatnik speak
>I’m not sure which language exactly but it’s clearly eastern-european
>I can’t understand anything that comes out of the radio except for the random “cyka” and “blyat”
>it’s highly unlikely that this a military frequency so to me this is just a curiosity
>I turn to look at Lucy
>she has a weirded out face
>I tell her “weird ain’t it?, I’ve never come across this before”
>”I don’t like that language anon”
>…
>ok
>I turn of the radio
>it’s almost 3 in the evening and I’m getting hungry
>”hey, how about we go back home and order a pizza?”
>she looks at me with curiosity “what’s a pizza anon?”
>she doesn’t know what a pizza is
>poor thing
>I tell her “oh it’s an incredible food we can order to get at the house”
>“oh ok, good, I was getting hungry”
>we pack everything up and carry it back to the car
>I start it and make a u turn back home
>“so… how did you feel?”
>she chuckles “it was… eye opening? It was fun but I don’t know how to explain it”
>I just nod while keeping my eyes on the road
>I chime “I showed you the pleasure of guns, now, I’ll show you the pleasure of delivery pizza, so you get to experience the 2 best things in this world in one day”
>damn saying that made me feel like I was 16 again
>she leans back on her seat
>”this pizza thing better be as good as you say it is or else I’m playing with my knife at the table”
>well, now I gotta make sure she doesn’t get disappointed, I’ll order the best pizza I can afford
>just for us
>we get home and take everything inside
>I tell her that the pizza will be over in a few minutes
>she nods and runs off upstairs
>I pick up the phone and call a local joint with a fancy name
>ask for a medium specialty pizza called the “all-in-supreme”, a loaded behemoth that puts every vegetable and cold cut they have on NY style crust with a thick layer of mozzarella and pepperjack, except tomato bits
>fuck tomato bits
>add a 2 liter coke
>they tell me the 2 liter machine broke so I scrap it from the order
>its $11.60 for the fucking pizza alone
>doesn’t matter it’ll be worth it
>they already know me by name and where to deliver the pizza
>I don’t know if this is cool or sad
>…
>fuck now I feel bad
>thank them and hang up
>I hear the shower running upstairs
>now I want to shower too
>feel sticky as shit
>walk over to the fridge and open it
>my water purifier is full and cold
>nice
>why do I have a water purifier
>because the water supply has been contaminated by the jews
>drinking water straight from the faucet will infect you and turn you into a gun control liberal
>that’s why Colorado is going to shit too
>nah, it’s just because I’m paranoid about catching ass parasites
>I walk over to the living room and sit down to watch tv
>after a bit Lucy comes down with fresh clothes and sits next to me
>watch Brooklyn 99 because I’ve got nothing better to watch
>hear a knock on the door
>oh shit it’s happeni- oh no wait it’s the pizza boy
>open the door and hand him $13.50
>tell him to take the change
>I too am extraordinary humble
>take the pizza box inside
>Lucy snatched it from me and runs back to the living room giggling
>sit back down with her as she opens the box
>she grabs the biggest slice and takes a bite out of it
>her eyes widen
>oh yeah
>we good
>she chuckles with her mouth full
>she passes her food and sighs with pleasure
>she takes another big bite
>I grab my own slice and dig in
>this is the best evening I’ve had in a while
>we keep eating and watching tv for a while
>when we finish the pizza I close the box and set it on my coffee table
>she leans on my shoulder “damn anon, you were right about the best thing on this world”
>I smile at her words
>I don’t think we’ve ever declared anything on each other but in moments like this
>for as few and far between them as they are
>I’ve felt a strong connection with her
>maybe that’s why that something on my head told me to save her that night
 
>after the end of an episode she gets up from the couch and stretches
>“we should go upstairs to get on the air conditioning thing and continue watching it there anon”
>I get up too “ok, just let me move the bags upstairs”
>I point at the bags of guns near the staircase
>she walks up to them and picks one up “I’ll help you with this one”
>she walks upstairs with the bag
>I walk to the bags and feel my cellphone vibrate in my pocket
>pull it out to see a shitload of missed calls, some whatsapp messages and a message from my service provider
>that last one is what made my phone vibrate
>I had left my phone on vibrate mode and didn’t bother to check it since we departure until now
>I open whatsapp
>dako has left me 2 messages
>the first one is a bunch of links to different news sites
>the second one is just a blunt “call me when you can”
>I open one of the links
>read the headline in surprise
>“Bomb attack on a pub on Boulder, Colorado”
>the rest of the article details it more thoroughly
>a bomb was detonated inside of a pub some 2 miles south of my house on the morning
>the detonation killed 11 and injured another 20
>there were no human casualties except for 3 injured
>it is strongly believed that the attack was race based because the joint was known to be popular amongst fantastical races
>holy shit
>so that faint boom we heard in the morning…
>…wait, why were so many people at a pub in the morning
>I open the phone directory
>the missed calls are from my parent, my sister and dako
>the calls are before the messages
>I call my parents and sister and tell them I am okay
>they seemed very distressed but calmed down when I told them I wasn’t on the city at the time
>they tell me about how scared they were when they heard about humans getting injured and how their prayers are with the families of the affected
>finally tell them I have to hang up
>they thank me for returning the call and the conversation ends
>I call dako and he responds breathing heavily into his phone
>lovely
>“a-anon?”
>“yeah it’s me, I…”
>he sounds very anxious
>“yeah I know, its them I’m sure of it, fuckers got here sooner than I expected”
>nigga wat?
>“look anon, shit in this tow- no, shit in this entire state is about to hit the fan and we got very little options so while I work something out you need to know some things, if you see any type of SUV going around like they are looking for something, stay away and do like you don’t notice them, don’t walk around on the streets at high hours of the night and KEEP LUCY OUT OF PUBLIC”
>this is starting to scare me
>“I’ll call you later when I know what to do, stay inside as much as possible, peace”
>“peace out fucker”
>I got a really bad fucking feeling about this
>as I walk to the staircase to tell Lucy about what happened I hear a knock on my door
>pants: shat
>I walk over
>the deagle is still on top of the stand near the door
>I put my hand over it as I peek through the door
>there’s a single man
>looks like he’s on his 40’s
>standing on the other side of the door
>he has a beige tweed suit and is holding a clipboard in his hands
>he knocks again
>“hello? Mr. Anon?”
>his voice has a robust slav accent
>I slowly open the door
>“hello?”
>the first thing I notice is a white van parked in front of my house
>looks like the rapiest of rape vans
>the windows are tinted black
>void black
>I can’t see anything through them
>concerning
>“ah, good evening Mr. Anon”
>he extends his hand forward
>I shake his hand nervously
>“hello sir, who are you and where did you get my name?”
>he steps inside
>without my permission
>“I am Galvio Neprusko, I was one the associates to the company that you worked for, I came here to clear some things up”
>this is getting me nervous
>he starts to look through his paper and walk forward
>closing the door behind him
>he stares at the deagle on the stand next to the door
>oh shit
>“oh goodness, it seems that I have arrived at a tense moment, must be because of the events that transpired this morning?”
>I just nod, I don’t know what to say
>I wouldn’t feel threatened by a midlife dude in a suit
>but this guy…
>it like he irradiated dread
>it is said that some animals can feel the strength of their rivals to know which fight to pick and which one to flee from
>I have now felt that
>except I don’t know how to react to this dude
>he just stands there wiping at his coat like the idle animation of a videogame character as he stares at his clipboard
>he looks back at me “mr. anon, do you know what happened exactly on THAT night in your work place?”
><lie> “I don’t know sir, I got dismissed early that day and when I saw on the news what had happened I just never went back” I said trying to sound as convincing as possible
>“right, what’s weird is that there were only two survivors, you and one of our prisoners you were charged to overlook that day, so, you wouldn’t know what happened to that prisoner, did you?”
>he sounds more and more accusatory as he speaks
>wait, how did he know my shift was at the holding block that day?
>“no sir, what was so important about her? And how did you I was on that shift?”
>“her?...”
>oh shit
>“how did you know it was a her mr. anon?”
>OH SHIT
>“and how come your name and employee code was in the schedule and computer but your personal file was ripped from the archives? How come we found a letter that declared that you were staying until the end of your shift to be dismissed along with two thirds of the workers?, why do you have the same golden pistol that I PERSONALY gifted to your director right there on that stand by the door?”
>I’m about to shit myself, I thought there were no computers within the archives but I thought I had taken the letter that- oh right, fax machines are still a thing
>in my defense, how many times does the existence of fax machines passes through your head?
>how the fuck was I supposed to ah never mind
>“so mr. anon, I don’t know what happened that night, I do know that you somehow survived that night and took the advantage to steal things-”
>hey it's not stealing it's looting
>he reaches into his coat pulling out a large silver pistol with a very long slide and pointing it at my forehead
>i should have kept my mouth shut
>“SO TELL ME BOY, WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE I DON’T THINK A TWERPY PIECE OF SHIT LIKE YOU COULD MURDER A LITERAL WAREHOUSE OF ARMED MEN BY HIMSELF”
>I feel like if I open my mouth I’m going to get shot regardless of what I say
>…
>are my legs shaking?
>yes they are
>“if you are not going to talk then I’ll just shoot you and move on with my investigation so unless you want a hole in your forehead you JUST. HAVE. TO. ANSWER. ME.”
>the only thing I can do to save myself is to bullshit my way out of this
>come on come on
>something save me
>even if it is mary sue-ish in nature, just blast this dude
>“fine mr. anon, if you are not going to talk then I’ll just leave you on the floor”
>okay, I would bend down to kiss my ass goodbye but the sudden movement would get me shot
>even though he’s planning on shooting me either way
>his grip stiffens and he rest his finger on the trigger
>why am I not doing anything besides standing there like a retard?
>well you see reader, I am, in fact, a retard
>he frowns at me one last time
>BANG
>I flinch by shutting my eyes and stiffening my arms
>wait…
>I flinched!
>this means I’m still alive, right?
>I start to touch my head in different places to see if graced me or whatever
>intact
>yeah boy
>I look back to see what happened with the dude
>he’s lying on the floor dead
>oh shit
>there’s a substantial pool of blood pouring from his head
>his hair is fucked up and one of his eyeballs is out of its socket
>ew
>Ihear a faint “ah!” coming from my right
>I turn to see Lucy standing at the staircase with the styer scout in her hands
>her eyes are wide open and mouth agape
>she is making this weird and faint “ah ha he” noises as she lowers the rifle
>the sudden roar of an engine comes from my front door
>followed by screeching tires
>the van has booked it out of here
>but now they know where I live and that we killed one of their guys
>fuck
>I walk outside and peek my head out of my door
>yep, the van is gone and there are tire tracks on the asphalt
>as I return to Lucy I see her poking the dead dude with the barrel of the rifle
>she seems to be in trance with the body
>the shock kind
>“hey Lu-”
>she screams before covering her own mouth with her hands
>she starts gasping for air “s-sorry anon, I…”
>she sits down and breather normally “I’m on the tip of my nerves, I did not expect that I just hear screaming and grabbed the rifle and then i-”
>I cut in “it’s ok, you saved me, you did nothing wrong”
>she sighs and wipes her fore head
>I really wouldn’t want to involve the feds with me in any way
>but it’s not like we got a choice now
>fuck it, I would do better explaining what happened to a cop face to face rather than through the phone
>the neighbors probably called the police already
>if they ask why we didn’t call I’ll state it as shock’s fault
>I should talk to Lucy about what’s going to happen when the cops arrive
>my phone it start to ring
>a bit inconvenient considering the gravity of this situation
>it’s from dako’s phone
>I answer “h-hello? Dude?”
>“hey anon, hey um, I have an idea about what to do about you know who doing you know what in the town but I need a bit of your time to explain it so, do you have time?”
>“no dude, we got a bit of a situation and the cops are getting involved”
>“oh shit! What happened?!”
>“I don’t know if telling you this is okay but a dude in a beige suit barged into my house and started threatening me so Lucy shot him”
>“a dude in a beige suit?, did you catch his name”
>“something Neprusko, I think”
>“anon, are you sure about that name?, if you can send me a picture of the body”
>I’m pretty sure this is illegal but ok
>I snap a photo and send it to him through whatsapp
>“...ANON, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”
>oh god don’t say that
>“who’s this bloke then? what makes him such a thing to worry about?”
>“he was the top investigator and interrogator for the COH, he gets shit found out”
>“why the fuck would they send one of their top dogs after a retard and an elf and where did you know him from?!”
>“because she has information the COH wants, DIDN’T YOU FUCKING ASK HER LIKE I FUCKING TOLD YOU TO DO SO!?”
>oh shit I didn’t
>I should take some Adderall sometime
>“so anon, how does it feel to make it to the “kill-on-sight” list”
>“fucking hell man, this day had started nice and quiet and shit, now I gotta deal with this bullshit”
>“tough titties fucker, if you want to live I would recommend you to get the fuck out of that house and find somewhere to lay low… oh and take anything you are not willing to loose in a fire with you”
>“yeah but what about the poli-”
>“fuck ‘em, also, you know what? Come over with your shit, just drive north and you’ll see me besides the road, I know what to do…”
>“oh also, before I go, bring me that dead fuck’s pistol”
>*click*
>fuck that noise, we killed him, it’s ours
>well… Lucy’s I guess
>she can keep it as a reward for saving my ass
>even though technically we’re even
>I tell Lucy what Dako told me
>she starts to breath heavily
>looks like she’s having a silent freak-out
>…again
>we load everything back to car again
>plus what we didn’t take last time
>weapons and ammo are loaded and looks like the rear suspension of my car is suffering already
>go back inside and load a bunch of cans of food I had in my cupboards into plastic bags
>I hand them to Lucy and she loads them onto the car as well
>meanwhile I go upstairs to grab some clothes and soap
>grab my laptop with all my information and contacts
>I wouldn’t want those fucks to get ahold of my family
>stuff it all on a suitcase
>just to be sure I grab the Wi-Fi router and throw it to the floor
>it smashes into the ground and breaks
>stomp on the internal components a few times for extra sureness
>man, who would have known that a sudden attempt to disappear would be so intuitive
>I grab my suitcase and head downstairs
>going out I almost trip on the dead body on my floor
>oh right
>the pistol
>duck down to grab it
>it looks like a buff 1911
>read the markings on the slide
>AMT AutoMag III
>chambered in .30 carbine, holy shit
>now that I’m taking his gun might as well see what else he had
>nothing but his wallet
>inside there’s 3 Ben Franklins
>ooh don’t mind if I do
>[rubs hands mentally]
>uh?
>there’s also a patch here
>it’s the COH insignia but unlike the ones in the trucks this one doesn’t look as crude
>hmmm
>looks like their higher end goons get better stuff
>after getting everything and looting this fucker we walk outside
>I lock the door behind me and holster the pistol in my waistband
>Lucy is already inside the car
>she rolls the window down and says “if we are really leaving we should go now anon”
>she rite
>I walk over and open the driver door
>as I open it I see my boomer neighbor starting wide-eyed at me from his window
>we make eye contact and stare at each other for a few seconds
>I then yell “it was in self-defense “
>he simply disappears behind the curtains
>that went ok
>I get in and start the car
>drive normally until we are out of the town
>then step on the gas more
>the road is unusually quiet
>we drive up Foothills highway until we arrive at Altona
>there a black figure waves at us from in between the roads
>I pull over to the side of the road
>the figure takes a more identifiable shape
>it’s a person with a black leather jacket, loose jeans, bike boots and helmet
>it starts walking at us
>ready AutoMag in case it’s a trap
>the figure takes it helmet off
>it’s Dako
>ok
>put AutoMag away as I lower the window
>he leans in and asks “you didn’t get followed, right?”
>I just shake my head
>“good, just give me a second and then follow me”
>he walks all the way to the other side of the highway and enters the parking lot of an inn called The Greenbriar
>seconds later he comes out in a green, blue and white sports bike
>I recognize the make and model
>it’s a Kawasaki zx-7 ninja
>my dad had one of those
>he waves at us
>I start the car and follow him west
>we drive through Lefthand Canyon drive for a few minutes
>he slowdowns and takes a dirt road
>seeing a such a bike going through dirt makes my autism reeee
>Lucy suddenly speaks for the first time since we left
>“hey anon, how come you knew what to do when we were leaving”
>“well, let’s just say that I’ve had a rough idea of how to disappear in my head for some time now”
>she turns to me confused
>“just in case I mean” I said and shrugged
>she leans back in her seat
>Dako raises his right fist and the brake lights of his bike turn on
>we slow down until stopping
>Dako gets off the bike and opens a tube gate that was blocking the door
>there’s a “trespassers will be shot” sign on the gate
>he hops back up and moves to the side of the road
>he turns to us and points forward
>we move as he stays back to close the gate
>after another 2 minutes of driving the trees open and we see Dako’s tree complex in front of us
>we park besides the entry stairs and get out of the car
>the Daimler Ferret is nowhere to be found
>Dako parks his bike next to our car
>“nice ride, my dad had one like that”
>“your dad has taste, now, if you could follow me”
>we walk up the stair
>the tree mansion thing that Dako lives in is awfully quiet this time
>we go in and it’s almost empty say for some sofas and the bar
>“what happened here?”
> “my plan anon, that’s what happened, so sit down because is kind of complicated”
>we sit down in the sofa and coffee table that are still around
>“ok ok ok, first of all, I’m not forcing you to participate”
>aaaaand immediately got me concerned
>“ok, but that depends, what is the plan?”
>Dako taps his finger on the coffee table
>“I’m going back home….”
>“…to Vetrilly…”
>“…on the other side.”
>he smacks his lips a bit
>“so you are saying that-”
>“I’m saying that I want you to come”
>he nods and sighs
>“why?”
>“weeeeeell, I got you involved with the fuckers that have been chasing me around the globe for the last one and a half years, and now those fuckers are on their way to burn your house down so in the way I see it, I’m repaying you for burning your house down”
>“you can’t be serious”
> “oh I am, so if you don’t want to go then also don’t go back to any city in… just get out of the state, I’d be easier”
>“what about dr. gold? aren’t we gonna kick his ass?”
>“gold is as good as dead, every fantasy creature is, if they are found in the streets alone, they risk getting jumped, kidnapped or just outright murdered”
>“what about Gladia and the other elves?”
>“already left for New York, the orcs just said goodbye and fucking disappeared, the drows moved to Cancun, Mexico to start a beachside bar and that demoness lost interest on me”
>“and your sisters? This place is more empty than usual”
>“all of them went to Denver with most of our cargo, that’s where we are heading next”
>suddenly we hear a thump followed by a muffled female voice that shouted “BROTHER!”
>Dako sighs “all of them except one”
>he rubs his temple
>“hey anon, you brought the gun, right?”
>I pull the AutoMag out of my waistband
>“here, but I were you so interested on this gun?”
>“let’s just say that this is not the first time I hold this gun specifically”
>…ok
>he stands up and walks off with the pistol
>as he leaves he says “I’ll be back in a bit, if you want to come then you’ll be staying here for the night”
>well, maybe going to the other side is the change the I need
>“ahem!”
>Lucy is glaring at me
>“oh, sorry Lucy, I should have asked for your opi-”
>“do you really want to go anon?”
>“honestly, I think so, not 100% sure though, I mean, I got nothing else here”
>she draws a deep breath and sighs
>“anon, I am afraid to go back”
>“w-why is that? d-did you do something bad?”
>“no, no I didn’t but…”
>she wipes her forehead
>“on the contrary, I’m sure there’s plenty of people that’d be happy to see me again but it’s more like a thing of….”
>I roll my hand in circles
>“aaaa thiiing ooooooffff?”
>“…shame, a thing of shame because I had supposedly left to get a better life, a calm life with a pourpose, doing something that calms me for a living like fishing or pottery or somethingofthat naturebutgoingbackwouldbelikegoingBACKINDEFEATANDANDANDBUTTHEN-”
>I cut her rambling by hugging her
>“calm down, it’s ok, you are NOT a looser, you are NOT going back defeated because I believe in YOU, OK?”
>that last part was kind of corny and improvised but still
>I don’t know in what about her I believe in but I do it none the less
>her breathing slows down
>“y-yeah, you’re right, yes, i-it will- I mean-… it will be better back, I will be better back home”
>so I guess it’s decided then
>we’re going
>we cuddle in the sofa for a few more minutes
>Dako walks back whistling holding to submachineguns and magazines in his arms
>“so, have you decided yet?”
>Lucy and I nod to each other
>“we’re going”
>“hehe, I knew you would make the right decision, now I can finally do this”
>he shoots finger guns at us with his arms still occupied
>he drops the guns on the table in front of us
>“Africa by toto?!”
>we hear the amazon alexa sound it does when it’s ready to receive a command
>“play commin home by cheeseburger”
>[YouTube] Cheeseburger - Commin' Home (embed) starts playing from speakers around the room
>Dako starts shaking his shoulder to the beat
>… he named his amazon assistant Africa by toto
>anyway
>the music stops along with Dako’s little dance
>he walks back to the sofa and sits down
>“sorry, I got a little carried away”
>he stares blankly at us
>…ok?
>“so about the pla-”
>“ooh yeah, the plan, it’s easy, we wake up early in the morning and drive to the Denver airport and catch a plane to the other side”
>“you can catch a plane to the other side?” I asked
>“yup, portals can appear anywhere, yesterday I read about a portal that was found in a quartz cave in Mexico, a portal underground seems more unlikely that one in the air right?”
>“not really, they seem a bit on par on bizarreness” Lucy retorts
>“ah um… ok, anon, did you know what happened to Bismark?”
>“the dude or the boat?”
>“the boat, it disappeared from its resting place, some people theorized that a huge blitz portal appeared beneath it and swallowed it whole to the other side! Some claim that it appeared beached on the shore of an inhabited island but the claims go only by word”
>“aight”
>Lucy sighs “ok cool, but how are we going to pass through the portal without getting beamed somewhere else in the sky and fall to our deaths?”
>“easy, seatbelts”
>“what?!”
>“yeah, portals need room to fuck with people so if you wanna make it safely you just gotta strap yourself in nice and tight”
>Lucy falls back to the couch and exhales
>she wipes her forehead and covers her eyes
>“is she… ok?”
>“give her a few minutes, she’ll be fine after I talk her through it”
>“oh, ok, so… these guns”
>he picks one of the subs
>it’s an hk mp7 but the mags seem longer than usual
>“like ‘em, custom made 55 round magazines, I’m gonna carry this under my jacket and I’ll cover you from my bike in case we meet any road warriors on the way, and this one…”
>he picks up the other one and hands it to me
>it’s a weird looking submachinegun, I can’t really tell what it is, the ergonomics remind me of an specter m4 but it’s clearly open bolt and the body seems a bit crude
>“…this one, 9mm, is for you to carry on your car since your guns are going to be loaded in the back”
>“cool, thanks but what is it?”
>“it’s my take on the luty”
>oh shit he made this?
>“you made this?”
>“yup, I made this”
>he made this
>“it’s basically a luty but I modified the action a bit to fit it with this exterior style, I went for the specter m4 looks because it looks neato, I even made quad stack mags, here, 50 rounds on tap”
>he picks one of the magazines and hands it to me
>damn, I’m impressed
>I didn’t think it was made by him because it actually looks like it was made by a manufacturer
>a crappy manufacturer but still
>the outside is evenly coated in grey paint
>the grips are made from polymer
>the bolt is clearly milled yet it doesn’t look tough or rushed
>it has a retractable stock similar to that of an mp5a3 which kinda screws with the spectre looks a bit
>there’s a safety switch but no selector
>I pull the bolt back and look inside the chamber
>it very simple but sturdy looking
>I think the barrel is rifled properly too
>“is-is the barrel rifled?”
>“oh yeah, I didn’t make it though, I know these dwarves in Minnesota that have a machining business so I commission the barrels to them, I had a bunch of barrels of different lengths and calibers but I already shipped them out of here”
>“it’s pretty fucking cool, can I keep it?”
>“sure”
>“wait, really?”
>“yeah, keep it, I can make more and better”
>oh he’s flexing on me now
>cheeky asshole
>I smile as I close the bolt of the gun
>Dako looks behind me and his smile fades
>“um… Anon, are you sure she’s ok?”
>I look back to see Lucy rubbing her temples and mumbling to herself
>“y-yeah, she’ll be alright, she kinda has a bad thing with the portals”
>“I’m guessing that the seatbelt revelation could have saved her some trouble in the past?”
>“yeah, she lost people on transit but I can help her out of it”
>Dako nods and stands up
>“yeah, help her out, imma make dinner in the meantime”
>he walks out of the room towards what I can only assume is the kitchen
>I shuffle back to Lucy
>“hey, you good?”
>“seatbelts”
>“what?, hey, no, listen, I know tha-”
>“of course it was that simple, all that could have been avoided by a bunch of leather straps, yes, completely obvious and logical”
>that last part sounded sarcastic
>I wrap my arm around her
>“hey listen, the portals just move you around when they fuck up, your sister and friend must be out there, and we can look for them and find them, we can- no, we WILL find them”
>Lucy grabs my arm and pushes it back to me
>she lies down onto her side on the couch
>she lets out a sigh and closes her eyes
>I’m…
>…ouch
>I sigh too and slouch on the my seat
>looking at the ceiling I begin to drift off
>darkness
>more darkness
>and then…
>more darkness but I feel like something is poking my face
>I open my eyes slowly revealing Dako poking me
>he’s wearing an apron over his leather jacket
>“wassup?, dinner’s ready dude”
>I lift my phone up to my face
>it’s 8 p.m.
>man, transitions are weird
>i looks to my left to see Lucy is gone from where she laid
>“hey, Dako, where did Lucy go?”
>“she woke up and went outside, she started shooting some of the guns you guys brought along but stopped like, 10 maybe 20 minutes ago”
>I stand up from the couch and look outside through a nearby window
>Lucy is leaning on the car
>she has the spas on her hands and is caressing it?
>“L-Lucy?”
>she looks up to me puzzled
>“what’s up?”
>“before I can think of anything Dako pushes his head out of the window too
>“DINNER’S READY!”
>she walks back up with the shotgun in her hands
>Dako tugs my sleeve and says
>“come on dude, I made creamy spaghetti and eggs”
>the fuck kinda hellish combination is that?
>a female muffled voice comes through the ceiling
>“BROTHER! ARE YOUR FAGGOT FRIENDS GONE YET?”
>“NO, THEY ARE COMING WITH US TOMORROW”
>“FUCK!”
>Dako turns to me with a grin
>“she sounds lovely doesn’t she?”
>“who is her?”
>“the oldest one in this house second to me and also second in command, she didn’t leave with the others because of… many things”
>Lucy enters through the front door with the shotgun in her hands
>Dako signals us with his hands to follow him
>we walk through the now mostly abandoned house into a small room with a stove and a circular table with 4 chairs
>the smell of the still warm food is pretty good
>still don’t see how spaghetti and eggs are a good mix
>we sit down and Dako puts the already plated food in front of us
>the spaghetti is bathed in a white sauce with grated cheese on top of it
>the eggs are just normal scrambled eggs with little onion pieces in it
>“GABBY GET THE FUCK DOWN HERE NOW!”
>Lucy covers her ears to protect herself form the screaming
>“do you really have to scream like that?”
>“yes, otherwise she doesn’t listen”
>some footsteps come from the ceiling
>through the walls and finally behind a door
>the door swings open and through it comes a harpy with blue feathers and hair
>she has a pissed frown but what catches the eye is her body
>she was wearing a tank top so a lot of her torso is visible
>smut time?
>no, this is a Christian story
>the reason her body is distinctive is because it’s full of scars and slashes
>sure, something like that in a roided chad warrior that carries a sword the size of a minivan would look badass but on her, it more concerning than anything else
>but the worse is yet to come
>she crosses her arms
>her left arm is amputated from just below the elbow
>her right eyelid hangs lazily with a streak of scarred skin crossing through it
>Jesus!
>what happened to this girls?
>“what do you want?”
>she sounds really pissed
>“stop being such a bitch and sit your ass down to eat”
>family love, ladies and gents
>sits down grinding her teeth
>Dako puts a plate in front of her
>she immediately pulls it closer to her and starts shoveling food into her mouth with her able arm
>she says amongst mouthfuls of food
>“who are there fucking assholes anyway?”
>“stop being such a big cunt, without them you wouldn’t have gotten your AMT back”
>her…
>…what?!
>the harpy glares at us before pouting and avoiding eye contact
>Dako starts to poke her forehead
>“come on, say it, say what must be said, come on”
>she lets out a sigh
>“thanks you guys for getting my pistol back, there I said it, can you fuck off now?”
>“just for the rest of this dinner”
>Dako grabs his plate and sits down with us
>we start eating the food
>Lucy digs right in while I hesitate
>after building up courage I poke the eggs with the fork and scoop some spaghetti into it
>hey, this is pretty good actually
>dinner continues normally
>after we finish Dako grabs everybody’s plates and throws them out a window
>“won’t be needing to clean since we’re leaving tomorrow, right?”
>instead he washes his hands in the sink
>Gabby pulls out her phone and distracts herself with it
>she rests her stump on the table revealing a weird rune etched into her skin
>damn, whatever did this to her, it did not fuck around
>Dako slams his fists on the table
>“OKAY, so, we are gonna wake up super early and then we are gonna drive around boulder and into Denver, we get to the airport, board a plane and get the fuck of this world, easy right?”
>we just nod
>guess a simple plan is not that bad
>as long as we don’t attract attention that is
>“sounds good, but where is she ride?”
>I said pointing at Gabby
>“she sits on the back of your car along with your bags and shit, ok?”
>I nod again
>“ok, good, that’s it for tonight so you fuckers better get to sleep right now because when I say we leave its because we leave”
>he points at his sister
>“especially you, lazy ass”
>Gabby flips Dako off before standing up and leaving the room
>I get close to him and whisper
>“dude, what’s the deal with your sis?”
>he whispers back
>“she doesn’t trust people much, not even friends she already knows and all becau- …hmmm nevermind, you’ll be sleeping on the couch, good night”
>“h-hey wait, come on dude, we won’t say anything about it”
>Dako rolls his eyes and sighs
>“if you want a bedtime story call your fucking mom, get the fuck to sleep now”
>he walks out of the room too
>I turn to Lucy who is scratching her head whilst she inspects the shotgun on the table
>“I don’t like her Anon”
>“yeah, she wasn’t very welcoming”
>she stands up and grabs the shotgun of the table
>she walks to the couch and props it up against a wall
>“we should probably get as much sleep as we can”
>“y-yeah, we got a big day tomorrow”
>I walk over and lay on the couch
>Lucy lies besides me
>she cuddles right up to me due to the lack of space in the couch
>“Anon, I’m sorry, you know, for how I acted on the evening and all that”
>“it’s ok, I know how you felt and I understand”
>“i- yeah, thanks"
>...
>"we should probably turn the lights off"
>“I’ll get it”
>Lucy stands up and flicks the lights
>she comes back and snuggles again
>“you know I could just have shot it, right?”
>“r-really? Isn’t that dangerous?”
>I laugh softly “just kidding”
>Lucy chuckles as she drifts off
>I close my eyes and relax
>the cool breeze coming through the windows makes it cozy
>I too begin to drift off
>the night passes quickly
>my slumber is tame
>there was no dream
>just darkness and rest
>it seemed to have only lasted a few seconds in total
>but from away I hear a voice approach
>it calls my name
>it gets closer
>and closer
>and ever so closer
>what could it be that seeks me?
>what does it want?
>knowledge?
>guidance?
>I let the presence before me
>feel like something is tugging at my chest
>suddenly open my eyes
>“WAKE. THE FUCK. AAAAAAA-”
>cut Dako off by accidentally head-butting him as I spring awake
>he falls back clutching his jaw
>“DICKHEAD!”
>I start to rub my forehead when Lucy wakes up in the commotion
>“ugh, what time is it?”
>she grabs my phone and puts it up close to her face
>“n-no Lucy wa-”
>she turns it on unleashing a laser beam of destruction directly to her eyes
>“ow! What the fuck?!”
>“yeah, that”
>I rub my eyes before pointing the screen away from my face and dimming it without looking at it
>muscle memory baby
>I had to endure this pain several times before acquiring this power
>its 4:45 in the morning
>“dude, why the fuck did you wake us up so early?”
>Dako stands up from his ass still rubbing his lower jaw
>“the plan dipshit, that’s why”
>we are leaving as soon as you fuckers wash your faces and drink some water, I don’t want you passing out on the wheel and fucking this plan up”
>truly a caring individual
>we stand up from the couch
>Lucy looks fine for someone who just woke up
>I in the other hand, look like a mule chewed my hair while I stared at the sun for an hour
>shitfaced and tired I stumble between the furniture
>“w-where’s the bathroom?”
>“through that door, and second to the left”
>“aight, thanks”
>I walk to the bathroom with Lucy close behind me
>as I get to the door I hold it open and say amidst a yawn
>“ladies first”
>“it looks like you need it more”
>“…...ok”
>wash my face on the sink and wet my hair after
>coax it into shape with some rebel strands still messy
>eh, good enough
>I already look, well, better is not the correct word so I guess less shitty
>I exit and Lucy enter behind me
>I walk back to the living room where Dako is sitting on the couch looking at a glass terrarium in the table
>“did you bring that here in the few seconds I spent in the bathroom?”
>“no, I set it here and then woke you up”
>“shit really? I didn’t even see it”
>“’cuz you had just woken up”
>“yeah I guess so”
>I sit next to him and stare at the terrarium
>it’s filled with dirt and dense vegetation
>Dako sighs and reaches for something in his pocket
>he pulls out a single cartridge of 5.7x28 and drops it into the tank via a little hatch on the top
>suddenly the leaves rustle
>a group of fairies emerge from the plants and start caressing the cartridge
>“5.7 is their favorite”
>“are those…?”
>“the fairies I catched that night at the party, I told you I wouldn’t kill them”
>“but what about those wings you showed me and that other edgy shit you did”
>“oh I was just trying to give them a scare for stealing my ammo, I bought those wings of a witch”
>“…. You were planning on selling them, weren’t you?”
>“yup, but shit got out of hand and now I won’t be able to so I’m releasing them”
>“why are they caressing the bullet, don’t they it ammo?”
>“it’s a cartridge not a bullet and no, ammo fairies don’t eat ammo, those are the ammo pixies”
>“ah….”
>Lucy enter back into the room and sits down with us
>“now what?”
>“we wait for Gabby and then we leave”
>“just like that? what about the water and electricity and everything else?”
>“eh, doesn’t really matter what happens to it, I already shipped out what’s important”
>“so you’ll just leave a tree mansion here?”
>Dako nods with his eyes still fixed in the terrarium
>“oh yeah, I got something to show you”
>he pulls out his phone and hands it to me
>it’s a video on LiveLeak of a bunch of people stomping on a goblin wearing a tuxedo
>everybody moves aside as another guy with a jerry can starts to douse the goblin
>someone from the crown throws a lit cigarette into the puddle forming around the goblin
>the goblin screams and shrieks in pain as it squirms on the ground
>“told you he was as good as dead”
>“is that really…?”
>“Doctor Gold, he didn’t even last a week”
>“how long ago was this video posted?”
>“17 minutes”
>a door gets kicked open and Gabby walks in
>she’s holding a tree branch in her hand
>a tree branch that looks a lot like an arm
>…
>…oh she’s got a prosthetic arm
>coolio
>it looks like it has little wooden tentacles in the back end
>weird
>she presses the back end to her stump
>the little tentacles extend and cling to her skin
>the prosthetic arm starts to move very naturally
>she checks the fingers by waving them around
>“I’m ready brother”
>“right, let’s move out then, Africa by toto?”
>the amazon assistant chimes that it’s ready for the command
>“I’ll miss you buddy”
>the amazon assistant replies with its robotic voice
>“it was an honor serving with you sir”
>it shuts off
>Dako sniffs and nods his head with a smile
>I think I saw a tear roll down his cheek
>“let’s get out of here”
>Lucy grabs the spas from where she propped it and hands it to me
>I push it back to her
>“keep it, you seem to like it a lot”
>she smiles at me like a child when you tell him you’ll get him the toy he’s been bothering you to buy
>Dako leans in “and it fits you well”
>Lucy smiles and hugs the shotgun a bit
>we walk out as Dako gives us more detail on how everything is going to play out
>“so, we’ll ride east back to Altona, from there north until we hit highway 66 and we follow it east through northern Longmont where we’ll stop to refuel and have breakfast, then we get to the interstate 25, ride it south and badabing badaboom we went around the shat fan area and into Denver”
>all right, sounds easy enough
>“who’s Gabby riding with?”
>“you, she can lay behind the seats of the crx”
>“but we already have stuff in there”
>“don’t worry, she’ll manage”
>Dako nods at me while looking at my car
>for some reason feel like I’m forgetting something
>“h-hey Dako, don’t you feel like you’re forgetting something?”
>“now that you mention it, yeah I do, but what?”
>“hmmm”
>big think
>I look over to see both girls looking at us annoyed
>Lucy still caressing her shotgun
>wait…
>shotgun, what is a shotgun?
>it’s a firearm!
>FIREARM!
>“oh shit, I forgot the luty”
>“oh shit, I forgot the mp7”
>Dako and I rush back to the house
>I look around the couch while he runs to probably his room
>find the luty and its 2 mags on the floor beside the coffee table
>Dako must have pushed it off by accident when he placed the fairies on the table
>wait!
>the fairies!
>they still here!
>this evacuation is a total shitshow
>Dako enters the room trying to shove the mp7 inside his jacket
>“DUDE! You forgot the fairies”
>“oh for fucks sake!”
>he rips the top of the terrarium off and says
>“sorry girls, wish we could have had a more emotive farewell”
>he grabs me by the shirt and pulls me outside
>“come on, let’s get the fuck out of here!”
>we rush down the stairs
>the girls look like they are about to leave with us
>Dako jumps on his motorcycle and puts his helmet on
>I open the driver door of the crx
>before I can enter Gabby pushes me aside
>“eeeexcuuuse me”
>she steps through the cabin and pushes hey way behind the seats where some of our bags are
>notice that she left talon marks on my seat
>oh for fuck’s sake
>“yo, nice loot bags”
>Lucy and I enter the car and I start it up
>I hand Lucy the Gucci Luty™ and its extra mags
>“put them on the glove compartment and be ready to hand it to me in a pinch”
>“what’s the glove compartment?”
>Gabby laughs and grabs my shoulder
>“really? How long has she been on this side?”
>Lucy’s cheeks get pink as Gabby burst into more laughter
>I reach over and open the glove compartment
>“don’t worry Lucy, we all learn a bit every day”
>gee, that sounded more corny out loud than it did in my mind
>Lucy places the gun inside and practices how to open and close the glove compartment
>we roll out with Dako on the front and us close behind
>he stops at the gate and opens it for us
>we drive through
>I look over through the rear view mirror as Dako stands still staring back at his tree mansion
>he hops back on the bike and catches up
>we exit the trail and ride back to Altona
>“welp, imma hit the hay a bit more”
>Gabby pulls out a little leather pouch from her back pocket and stretches it a lot
>she pulls put a fucking entire pillow and blanket from it
>she covers herself and falls asleep immediately
>…ok
>“Lucy you should probably sleep a bit too, it will take a few minutes to get to Longmont”
>“o-ok, sure”
>“I’ll wake you up if anything happens, ok?”
>“ok”
>she leans back to her seat and sighs
>hopefully we’ll stop at the waffle house I know there is in northern Longmont
>I want some blueberry waffles with strawberry syrup
>hmmm yes I can already taste the strawberry syrup
>wait…
>blueberry waffles and strawberry syrup are from ihop…
>FUCK
>my restaurant-chain-specialized-in-breakfast sense has become dull
>anyway
>what’s on the radio?
>turn the radio on and turn it down to not wake up the girls
>“I think this one is that 80’s and 90’s radio station”
>I click the button and slowly rise up the volume
>[YouTube] Stevie Wonder - Part Time Lover (Lyrics) (embed)
>aw fucking nice
>slightly turn the volume a bit more
>hear a tap in my window
>flinch a bit
>Dako is riding next to the car and is tapping my window
>I lower the window and he lifts the visor and chin protection of his helmet
>“hey dude we’r- oh fucking nice tunes man, I mean, we’re gonna take a highway into Longmont to eat and refuel, so just follow me…”
>“or try to”
>wat
>he slaps his visor down and warp drives the fuck off
>aight
>we speedin then
>close the window and push the car into [M A X I M U M O V E R D R I V E]
>the 4 banger comes to life
>its roar comes muffled from within the firewall
>working the gears to their limit
>[HAYAI]
>this the intoxicating feeling that made 16 y/o me do stupid shit behind the wheel
>good thing this road is relatively straight
>otherwise I would be upside down in the grass next to the road
>I’m starting to catch up to Dako
>here I come, motherfucker
>suddenly he extends his right arm out and waves down
>signaling me to calm my shit
>aw, I was just getting into it
>then I realize why
>there’s a right turn we have to make before we get another long stretch
>after the turn Dako points forward 2 times and twists his accelerator hard
>oh goodie
>more high speed low drag
>step on it hard again
>my car is doing the automotive equivalent of reeeing at this point
>keep in mind
>in my mind this may feel like a fucking Eurobeat dream sequence
>in reality it’s just an autist going mildly fast with Stevie Wonders smooth voice in the background
>the girls aren’t event moving or reacting at all
>end up sperging my way into Longmont
>we take an exit south into the city
>after some more blocks we stop at a 7-11
>Dako gets off his bike and leaves his helmet on the handlebars
>I wake up the girls and we follow him inside
>Dako grabs a frozen burrito and a can of red monster
>ew
>I grab some doughnuts and a can of cold coffee
>Gabby grabs a bunch of different flavored chips and a liter bottle of grape soda
>Lucy…
>…she’s just wandering aimlessly looking confused through the aisles
>“have you found anything you like yet?”
>“I-I don’t know what most of this is stuff is”
>“hey I think I know something you would like”
>I take her hand and guide her to the freezers
>“would you like some ice tea?”
>“oh, tea? I love tea”
>I open the freezer and point at them
>“pick the one you like the most”
>“I like how this can looks”
>she reaches for a can of watermelon four loko
>“nonononono don’t touch that, that’s not good for you”
>“oh, sorry”
>“na- um, nevermind, I was talking about those cans, those are the teas”
>she picks a can of black tea
>we take everything to the counter
>the Asian clerk is surprised by the amount of chips Gabby brought to the counter
>we put out stuff next to theirs
>Gabby puts her wooden arm in between and tells the clerk
>“separate tabs please”
>tabs?
>Dako stares through the glass store front and hands Gabby his wallet
>he leaves through the front door
>Gabby pays for her and her brother’s things and leaves
>we pay and leave too
>outside Dako is leaning on his motorcycle with his helmet on
>he has a bowie knife in his hands
>the blade is covered in fresh blood
>what did you do this time?
>I ask him
>“what happened now?”
>he nods towards and alley behind the 7-11
>in it a melanin enriched individual lays on the floor
>I get close to inspect him
>blood is flowing down the alley from him
>he has a big slit right on top of his skull
>I can actually see a bit of brain matter
>wait?
>niggers have brains?!
>I return to Dako
>“he tried to steal my helmet”
>“oh”
>fucken called it
>“so what do we do now? Do we sit down to eat or…?”
>Dako opens the visor and chin of his helmet
>he grabs his burrito and monster from Gabby’s bag
>he shoves the monster into the pocket of his jacket and opens the plastic wrap of the burrito
>the burrito gets fucking ravaged
>Dako destroys it by taking chunks of the thing and swallowing them without chewing
>after he’s done with it he takes his drink and chugs it in one long sip
>I bet this motherfucker could finish Utgard-loki’s horn
>in less than 20 seconds Dako’s food is gone
>I feel disgusted, Lucy has a shocked expression and Gabby
>she doesn’t give a shit, she’s on her phone
>“dude, that’s unhealthy”
>“yeah yeah, anyway, let’s go”
>“dude we haven’t eaten yet”
>“you’re in a car, you can eat on the road”
>he hops on his bike and closes his helmet
>he starts his bike and starts to roll his way out of the parking lot
>motherfucker
>we get in the car and follow him
>Gabby stuff most of her chips her little leather pouch
>we stop at a gas station to refuel
>nothing interesting happened there
>Dako just bought a pack of cigarettes
>we return to the highway that we came into the city
>eating breakfast on the way
>something that I would normally freak out about even thinking off
>fuck me this time i guess
>Gabby calls out to me
>“hey cunt, why didn’t we stop at one of those fancy restaurants that my brother talked to me about, eh?”
>“maybe it’s because its 6:30 in the morning and nothing has opened yet”
>“oh”
>“yeah, I wanted to eat some waffles today but I guess the early bird was too fucking early today and the worm is still asleep underground”
>“…ok?, want some chips?”
>“I’m good, just a bit irritated”
>“’kay, imma sleep another bit”
>man, fuck
>I really wanted those waffles
>we get to the interstate 25
>this means this will soon be over and I’ll get to adventure and shit
>good
>I look left to see if Dako is keeping up
>he’s gone
>uuuuh…
>I wake up Gabby and tell her about her brother
>“oh shit, get a gun ready”
>pls don’t say that
>“Lucy, hand me my Gucci Luty™”
>“the what?”
>“the submachinegun I told you to put on the glo-“
>“oh that, here”
>she hands me the Gucci Luty™ and I put it between my right leg and the center console
>where I can still reach it with my hand
>Gabby shouts
>“here they come, road warriors!”
>I look through the rear view mirror
>2 motorcycles are approaching us from behind
>I pull the bolt of the Gucci Luty™ back
>“keep the gun hidden, these guys ask questions first”
>they pull up right next to us
>both riders pull glocks out of their waistbands and aim at us
>the closer one points downwards with his gun
>I roll the window down
>it’s not like it was gonna protect me from a bullet
>the bandit shouts
>“pull over speed boy, we just wanna talk!”
>fuck no
>he sees me frowning at him
>he frowns back
>“FINE, if you want to-“
>the bandit gets interrupted when his pal gets shot up by automatic fire
>his steel steed sliding out into the concrete barrier as his corpse cartwheels dead due to inertia
>the bandit looks over to his dead pal
>“WHAT THE FUCK?!”
>bad move motorized nigger
>I pull the Gucci Luty™ out of its hiding spot
>riddle the bandit’s upper chest with lead
>hear a “HURK” as he faceplants into the asphalt
>look through my side mirror as his bike falls on him and rolls into pieces
>lmao nice dismount bro
>Dako pulls up next to us
>mp7 in his left hand
>he lifts his visor up
>“more are on their way, be ready”
>we speed it up
>I can see Denver in the horizon
>the next few minutes of high speed are tense but nothing is trying to pull up on us
>the only other things on the road are the few cars going the other way
>until something else appears in my rear view
>a white unmarked van is fast approaching
>I signal to Dako and point back
>he turns around and flinches
>the van closed the gap much faster than I anticipated and it’s going to ram Dako of the road
>he yanks on the handlebars and slams the brakes
>sliding out of the way of the van but also losing a lot of speed and falling behind
>the side door of the van opens
>a nigger with a stripped sweater and a face full of colorful tattoos stare at us with a deranged smile
>oh god it’s a soundcloud rapper
>he reaches for something in the van
>the nigger pulls out a motherfucking AT4
>oh fuck
>I go to grab the Gucci Luty™ but Gabby stops my hand
>“on my signal, slam on the brakes”
>she opens her palm to the van like she’s trying to use the force
>the nigger lifts the rocket launcher and aims at us
>“NOW!”
>I slam the clutch and the brake
>the van overshoots us without slowing down or correcting their aim
>the nigger fires
>the rocket flies off into a field
>the back blast crushes the van from the inside out
>it loses control and drives of the road as a wreck
>that’s what happens when you don’t listen to sun tzu
>idiots
>“Gabby what the actual fuck was that?”
>“I got illusions faggot”
>“you got magic?”
>“yeah, I mean, when a harpy can’t fly, then what the fuck does it do?, magic obviously, that’s what we do”
>I uhh
>what?
>I don't see how that would be obvious but ok
>“I um… nevermind, let’s keep going”
>under all the stress I hadn’t realized that the radio was off
>“eh… who turned the radio off?”
>Lucy looks at me and raises her hand
>“sorry, it’s just that that soothing music didn’t go well with the scenario”
>looks like Lucy is a bit of a screenwriter
>“doesn’t matter, I’ll turn it back on, let’s just hope that there won’t be any more stressful-“
>“DEADLY ANOMALIES, DANGEROUS MUTA-“
>“YEAH HOW ABOUT WE KEEP THE RADIO OFF”
>Dako catches up with us
>“what the fuck was that about?”
>“stupid nigger didn’t account for backblast!”
>“ah, he didn’t listen to sun tzu”
>“yeah, I though the same thing”
>he nods and flips his visor down
>we proceed with caution
>I look around the for something to start a conversation
>see that Lucy has barely taken any of her tea
>“hey, why haven’t you drank your tea?”
>“I-I didn’t like it that much, you want it?”
>“yeah sure, the adrenaline withdraw makes me thirsty”
>Gabby pokes her head into the conversation
>“don’t count on withdraw just yet, we don’t know if it’s over”
>I spit the tea back into the bottle
>not because of what Gabby said
>but because black tea is fucking disgusting
>“yeah I see why you don’t like this shit”
>we enter Denver after a few minutes
>we go from the interstate 25 to the 70
>and from the 70 to Peña boulevard
>Peña
>have heard it before and still think it’s a stupid name
>anyway, were getting close to the airport now
>throughout the entire ride through the city nothing happened
>and that’s a little more unnerving in my opinion
>if these guys are truly a global organization with the arsenal of a small country
>you’d expect them to send more than 2 fags in mopeds and a shitty van
>but that doesn’t matter
>were are close to getting the fuck off this side and not having to deal with that shit anymore
>those faggots won’t be following us into the other side
>right?
>we arrive at the airport
>we drive up to a gate in the fence of where the ramps are
>the guard at a booth stops us and asks for papers
>what kind of papers?
>I dunno, the guys just said papers
>Gabby pulls out a folder out of her bag of holding and hands it to me
>I hand it to the guard and he opens it
>he reads it for like a solid minute before closing it and handing it back
>he walks back to his booth and opens the gate
>I’m surprised he didn’t see the submachinegun I had next to me the entire time
>after we pass the gate Dako overtakes us and guides us to our transports
>a C-130 with its back ramp-hatch-thing down and a lot of dudes around it
>I hand the Gucci Luty™ to Gabby
>“can you please hide this in your bag?”
>“sure”
>she stuffs it in the bag like if it was air
>man I gotta get one of those
>we get out of the car but one of the men stops us
>“please get back inside and start the vehicle so we can load it”
>I do so and start the car again
>the men start to guide me with hand signals
>they make me load the car into the plane
>the guy leading me crosses his arms and shouts
>“STOP!”
>I stop, slightly intimidated
>“APPLY PARKING BRAKE!”
>I pull the parking brake leaver and then give him a thumbs up
>“SHUT DOWN YOUR VEHICLE AND VACATE IT PLEASE!”
>I kill the engine and we get out
>Lucy looks mortified by all this
>“you ok?”
>“y-yeah, it’s just that I’m a bit scared”
>“we’ll be ok, I too was scared the first time I boarded a plane”
>“I meant the part where we escape from a bunch of armed maniacs to start life over somewhere else”
>“oh”
>some of the men board some weird platforms onto the plane
>one of the platforms have weird triangular supports sticking out but I can’t find the words to describe them
>Dako rides his bike inside the plane
>he shuts it down and dismounts
>Dako and the men start lifting the motorcycle
>they carry it to the platforms, their arms trembling
>they set the bike on the platforms
>the triangular supports are holding on to the forks of the bike, keeping it up
>ah so that’s what they were for
>the men approach us and tell us to leave the cargo bay-thing of the plane
>we walk out and more vehicles come in
>2 other bikes I can’t recognize and a blue mazda rx7
>they are loaded in similarly and then the some guys start tying them down with cargo straps to some handle bars in the floor of the plane
>those handles look like they were carelessly welded to the floor
>a bit concerning
>I approach Dako and ask
>“what did you do to get these planes?”
>“somebody owed me a favor”
>“’kay, unrelated to that, don’t you think it’s weird that we got assaulted only twice on the way here?, for the great evil you make them out to be, don’t you think that they would have send more than a bunch of retards in scooters?”
>“and a van and a helicopter”
>“a helicopter? When did-“
>Dako points up to the sky
>I look up and see a small dot hovering in the distance
>“are you sure it’s with them?”
>“let me confirm, gabby!”
>he extends his hand out to Gabby who pulls out a pair of big binoculars from her pouch
>Dako takes a look at the heli and then looks at me
>“I can see they used to much paint for their logo on that heli, it has drips all over it”
>“is it gonna attack us?”
>“nah, it’s just reporting on our actions and locations to other COH teams on the ground to come and kill us”
>“should we do something about it?”
>“hmmm…”
>he hands the binocs back to his sister
>“Gabby take down that heli please”
>wat?
>Gabby smiles and cracks her only set of knuckles
>“sure!”
>WHAT?
>Gabby directs her palm to the helicopter like she’s using the force
>her eyes starts twitching and she grinds her teeth
>“I- I can’t reach them, I need a boost!”
>Dako shoves his hand into his jacket and pulls out a golden thumb tack
>the flat head kind and with a little piece of cork in the needle
>he pulls the cork out and drives the thumb tack directly into his palm
>oh what the fuck
>that shit gives me heebie jeebies
>he grabs Gabby’s free wrist with his hand that has the thumb tack
>she shudders and then sighs
>“ok, I got ‘em now, where do I throw them?”
>Dako looks at me with a grin
>“’kay Anon, you live around here…
>no I don’t, I rarely touch Denver
>…so where could a helicopter crash and do the least damage to civilians?”
>“I uh… I mean, there are some fields east of the airport but-”
>“chuck it east”
>“got it”
>I look up to the dot in the sky
>it starts to move east
>but like… very fas-
>it’s sideways isn’t it?
>the helicopter is going sideways
>the dot in the sky dives for the earth and disappears from our sight behind some buildings
>I look over to Gabby
>she looks back with a smug smile
>“did… did you just use the force?”
>“what?! no! I made the pilot believe that he needed to yank the stick to a side, that’s all”
>I stare at her in disbelief
>she shrugs with that shitty grin that now I’m starting to believe is a family thing
>“put it this way, I just suggested the pilot to crash east and he obeyed”
>Lucy grabs my shoulder and asks
>“what just happened?”
>“uuuh”
>“I’ll explain you later, ok?”
>Lucy slowly nods
>Dako grabs my other shoulder and leans on me
>“so that was a lot of fun, but how about we get the hell out of here”
>he points at the open door of the plane
>we walk up to it and Dako turns to the men that were aiding us load our stuff
>“thanks for the help boys, I’ll personally make sure you get a good pay!”
>the men simply stare at him unamused
>we walk into the door and up some small narrow stair to get to the cockpit
>Dako sits on the pilots and puts on the headset
>“you’re not gonna fly are you?”
>Dako slowly nods with a grin
>“oh you gotta be kidding me”
>“aw c’mon man, I can do this I got my degree in pilot shit almost as soon as I got to this world”
>“and where the fuck would you get a “degree” for being a pilot if you were underage at the time?”
>“flight simulator X”
>I stare at him for a second
>he shrugs and sticks his tounge out
>“we’re gonna fucking die”
>“we will if you keep up that attitude”
>I sit on the co-pilot seat and also put on a headset
>I rub my forehead preparing myself mentally for the potential shitstorm that this flight might be
>Gabby and Lucy sit behind us in some seats that are next to a bunch of lights and switches that I’m assuming are for the radio or some shit like that, I dunno
>I’m not a plane autist, ask Hornet or something
>Dako starts to flip switches and press buttons and shit I don’t understand
>man, it would be nice to know about planes and shit
>a soft whirl penetrates the fuselage as the engines of the plane start up
>he takes my headset from my head and turns it on
>“hey hey cunt, can you hear me?”
>I set the mic in front of my mouth but not so close
>“loud and clear shitface”
>Gabby joins the conversation
>“hey retards, I got my headset working too”
>I look back to where Lucy is sitting
>she has her headset on her hands looking puzzled at it
>Gabby takes it from her hands and sets it up for her
>“Lucy can you hear me?”
>Lucy looks back at me and presses her mic up to her mouth
>“Y-YEAH I CAN HEAR YOU”
>Dako and Gabby take their headset off and rub their ears
>“geez, don’t put your mic so close to your mouth”
>Gabby readjusts Lucy’s mic
>“ok, try it again”
>“hello, can you guys hear me?”
>“yeah, you’re good now”
>Dako pushes the throttle of the plane forwards a bit and the plane starts to roll
>“ok, let’s get the fuck out of here”
>as we roll through the taxi way I realize how calm the airport is
>you’d think that an international airport it would be crammed with airplanes coming in and out
>but today the only other planes moving are a Learjet I saw heading to the northern runways
>“awfully quiet today”
>“I know, but hey better for us, less bullshit to worry about”
>he has a point
>we turn west as we follow the taxi way only to see a raising smoke column in the distance
>“oh shit, Gabby look! you got ‘em”
>“nice”
>we get closer to the runway
>another C-130 is taking off from it
>“is that the other plane you were talking about?”
>“yup, there go my sisters and my gear”
>“what kind of gear?”
>“mostly tools, machines and materials”
>“oh, I thought you meant like weapons and armor and all that stuff”
>“nah, I don’t keep those around for long…”
>“what do you do with the-”
>“except for my sr-3m, my baby”
>“what do you do with the rest?”
>“sell them or trade them for other stuff”
>“ah”
>“yeah”
>we line up at the runway and take off without a problem
>once in the air everything feels smooth
>Lucy and Gabby are taking a nap with their headsets off
>Dako and I are just staring into the endless sky before us
>and the other C-130 we’re closely following
>“so, how long will it be to the portal?”
>”well, the portal is in Arizona above the western face of black mesa, the real one not the video game one, and that is 639 kilometers away from here and considering we’re heading straight to it at an average cruise speed of 540 kilometers per hour that means that it would take us approximately 1.183 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 hours to get to the portal”
>“uh, in miles please?”
>“around one hour and ten minutes, more or less”
>“ok”
>“…”
>“21 questions: what’s your favorite animal?”
>Dako takes a deep breath in a “please don’t do this” way
>“lobster”
>“cool, cool, how many pieces of bread have you eaten in your entire life?”
>“do we really have to do this?”
>“what else can we do?”
>“crash this fucking plane if you keep this up”
>gee and I was the one who was bitter before taking off
>“look, I’ll play your stupid game but don’t get personal”
>“yay”
>“fire away then”
>“favorite food?”
>“roasted lamia tail”
>“favorite videogame?”
>“factorio”
>“would you give your life to save 10?”
>“who are these people?”
>“randos but you know they are of good heart”
>“fuck ‘em”
>“language you hate?”
>“French”
>“favorite piece of clothing?”
>“my 47 jacket, the black one with the offset white Cyrillic text”
>“is that what the Cyrillic means? 47?”
>“yeah”
>“ok then how about-
>[several questions that don’t have an impact to the story later]
>“and those are all the questions I can think of”
>“good”
>I nod my head to a fictitious rhythm playing in my head
>“soooo… how long ‘til we get there?”
>“49 minutes”
>“fuck”
>“take a nap so I can get a break from you”
>yeah nah chief
>I have way too much energy to just simply fall asleep just like tha-
>“hey Anon, HEY!”
>I get woken up by Dako
>he points forward
>“were almost there”
>I look out of the window
>the terrain below us is desert
>yup we’re in Arizona
>in front of us is the black mesa
>the real one not the video game one
>“hey girls wake up!”
>Dako reaches behind his seat and taps on Gabby’s knee
>she wakes up suddenly
>“uh wah?”
>“wake Lucy up please”
>she wakes Lucy up and tells here we’re about to jump
>Lucy gets physically nervous
>her breathing becomes heavy
>we pass over the mountain and see our jump point
>the massive blue rift in the sky
>most portals I have seen or heard of are round and small
>but this one is like a horizontal slit in the sky
>I let out a little nervous chuckle
>I can’t believe we’re doing this for real
>“hey Lucy, why don’t you have your seatbelt on?”
>both Dako and I turn our heads and say at the same time
>”WHAT?!”
>Lucy is looking around her seat trying to find the seatbelt
>she hadn’t put it on the entire flight
>Dako slaps his on forehead in frustrations
>“Gabby, help her out”
>“I’m not getting up from this chair”
>“oh my fucking-“
>“don’t worry I’ll get her”
>“anon wait!”
>I get up of my seat and walk over to Lucy
>she’s desperately trying to find the seatbelt
>notice the straps of the belt go behind Lucy’s back
>she’s sitting on her belt
>“hold on I got this”
>I reach behind her and pull it out
>“okay, put your arm through here”
>Dako calls out to me
>“anon”
>“I got this, don’t worry, do the same with your other arm and click this bits together”
>“anon!”
>“hold on! now you pull on this until it’s tight and there!”
>“ANON!”
>“that’s it! she’s goo-
>a blue flash fills the cockpit of the plane
>everything starts to quake violently
>we’re going through
>ok, ok, don’t panic
>there’s still a very big chance that I’ll be fine
>I start to feel like if my lungs turned to stone
>breathing gets hard
>I look at my arm and it looks like if I had double vision
>like if I was splitting into two realities
>but everything else looks normal
>or as normal as it can get in this situation
>…oh no
>I look back at Lucy
>she has tears in her eyes
>I try to reach her with my hand
>she does the same
>her hand goes through mine like if I was a ghost
>or made of light
>the tears in her eyes roll down her face
>“ANOOOOOON!”
>a white flash fills everything around me
>then darkness
>everything around me shifts from black to a light tone of blue
>similar to that of the portals
>I feel like I’m floating in the air
>the vast blue void extends around me
>I can see little flakes of a darker blue floating around me
>like glitter in a water bottle
>so this is it then?
>am I doomed to float here ‘til I starve or some other shit?
>…
>…Lucy must be crying her eyes out about me…
>…
>…man, I never worried about dying but more so of whom would I leave behind…
>this is a rotten way to make people suffer
>…
>…but, now that I think about it
>every time I heard of the portals and how the misplace stuff…
>no one ever mentioned a blue void or something like this
>it was always people snapping between two places
>so am I special for ending here?
>is there some magical entity living here willing to help me back?
>is there hope?
>…
>…but that could also mean…
>if no one ever hear of the blue void is because no one who ended up in it lived to tell the tale
>and that sounds more likely
>guess I was just trying to fool some hope into myself
>as much as I hate to say it, Lucy is gonna have to let me go
>she was the whetstone to my dull life
>man, how I wish we could have met differently
>so we could live calmly at our home
>“that would have been nice… home”
>as soon as the word home leaves my mouth the blue void sends an abrupt white shine
>“huh?”
>did- did the void hear me?
>“uh, home?”
>the void sends an even brighter shine in response
>“what the hell is happening?”
>the void responds to the word hell as well
>I have the feeling I shouldn’t say that again
>ok, let’s give this another try
>“home”
>the void responds with yet a brighter shine
>if this end up killing me it’ll just end up doing it faster so whatever
>I can only gain from this point forward
>“home, home! HOME”
>the void shines so bright it becomes blinding
>I close my eyes to protect my corneas
>suddenly I feel the effect of gravity pulling me down
>my ass hits something hard
>the impact travels up my spine and hits my skull
>ow
>the sudden feeling of a cool breeze of air distracts me from the pain
>I slowly open my eyes
>oh sweet fucking Christ
>I’m sitting on the street right in front of my house
>or its charred concrete shell
>there’s police tape covering the door frame
>wow
>Dako was serious when he said they’ll burn my house down
>I get up on my feet and look around
>only to make eye contact with my boomer neighbor with a garden hose in his hands and mouth agape
>he was cleaning the scorch marks of his wall when I appeared out of nowhere
>“uh… hi there?”
>he suddenly bolts it inside his house as he pulled out his phone and likely dialed 911
>motherfucker
>I look around to find something useful or some shit like that
>notice there’s a blue ball above where I landed
>it’s the size of a marble
>the moment I touch it, it falls to the ground
>suddenly affected by gravity
>I manage to catch it midair
>I take a closer look at it
>it has a glossy glaze and it’s a bit entrancing
>it has the same color and flakes as the portal void I came from
>and it feels…
>“oddly powerful”
>what could it be?
>what does it do?
>how did I manage to evoke such artefact?
>my fantasizing is cut short by the sound of distant sirens blaring
>the cop kind, not the maritime trap kind
>shit
>“uh- uh- uh- fuck!”
>this shit is related to the portals and the blue void, right?
>can it get me the fuck out of here?
>...
>please?
>I clench my fist around it
>“uuuuh… ball, can you take me back?”
>nothing happens
>“ball, can you take my back to the portal-”
>it reacts to the word portal by shining
>cash!
>“portal!”
>nothing happens
>WHAT?!
>“what do I say now?! PLEASE?!”
>the white flash of the ball escapes my fist through my fingers
>guess it likes manner?
>white flash
>darkness
>boom
>back to the lab again
>shit I meant void
>I open my fist and the marble is gone
>ok
>this thing has decided to listen to me
>just one question
>why the fuck me?!
>I mean, thanks for the power and all but what is it in me that made this whatever think that I’ll be good with it?
>…anyway
>let’s try to get back to the plane
>“ok void, put me back on the cockpit of the plane… please?”
>the void glows gradually stronger
>guess we started to understand each other
>so I don’t have to scream where I want to go 5 times
>the light envelops me
>right before I get spit back out to reality I shout to the void
>“THANK YOU”
>I feel my feet touch solid ground
>as the light around me fades I feel something push me
>I stumble backwards and hit my head and back against something metallic
>ow fuck
>I rub the back of my head and groan in pain
>a gasp calls my attention
>I open my eyes to see Lucy, Gabby and Dako staring at me
>eyes wide open and mouths agape
>“uh… hi”
>Lucy lounges at me wailing with tears running down her face
>she slams against me sending us back and making me hit against the metal wall again
>ow fuck again
>she hugs me and buries her face on my chest while sobbing
>I wrap my arms around her as she lets out all her feelings
>she is trembling a lot
>she must have been so worried
>her trembling dies down and she stops sobbing suddenly
>she’s just breathing really hard on me with her eyes closed
>she’s unconscious?
>“uh…”
>“YOU!”
>I look up to see Dako pointing at me
>“YOU ARE ONE LUCKY MOTHERFUCKER!”
>“i- guess but not in the way you think”
>“huh? What do you mean?”
>Gabby stands up from her seat and walks over
>she has her eyes on Lucy
>“is she ok?WOOOAH!”
>she backpedals a bit
>“what? what’s wrong?”
>“you’re overcharged with mana dude”
>“uh, explain?”
>“I can only feel it, but if I could see it, holy shit, then you’d look like the top result of “extreme cumshot” of a weird asian porn site”
>…ok?
>“is- is that bad?”
>“well it’s not normal if that’s what you mean?”
>it’s been only a few minutes since we crossed the portals and already we are knee deep in weird shit
>cool?!
>I lift Lucy up and carry her in my arms
>“what happened to her? Did she faint because of stress?”
>Gabby inspects her from a distance
>“I can’t tell with you jamming my senses, put her down and back off”
>I put Lucy down as carefully as I can and then walk back to the wall
>Gabby kneels down and rubs her hand over Lucy’s forehead
>“yep, just as I thought”
>“what is it?”
>“you overcharged her with mana”
>“that can happen?”
>“oh yeah, and it can be very dangerous”
>“how so?”
>“imagine a cellphone”
>“uhu”
> “and then you plug that phone to the wall socket with a cable that let’s too much energy flow into the battery, what happens to the phone?”
>“the battery swells and the electronics get fried”
>she snaps her finger and point at me
>“exactly, you are lucky that this is a very minor case”
>“what can I do?”
>“we have to drain the excess, but you and that concentration of mana stuck around you better stay away if you want this to work, Dako, do that thing with the hand and the pressure points bullshit”
>“sure, anon, take over the controls”
>“I don’t know how to fly a plane”
>“it’s on autopilot, just keep the stick steady and make sure we don’t crash”
>I walk over to Dako’s seat making sure not to touch anybody else to not magically comatose them too
>carefully lay my hands on the stick and then hold it firmly
>I try my best to look back at what Dako is doing
>he massages Lucy’s wrist
>forcing her to activate her healing powers
>like that time they fought at his house
>“this will drain the excess but it’ll take some time”
>I turn back to the window-thing of the plane
>the terrain in the distance is the polar opposite of the Mojave Desert
>a lush and very green forest that expands to the edge of the horizon
>the other C-130 is flying closely in front of us
>looking around I see 2 other planes have joined us
>2 fighter jets
>“hey Dako, who are these guys?”
>“don’t worry, they’re out escort, this air space is more dangerous than the other one”
>ah cool
>after a few seconds Dako walks up and sits down on the co-pilot seat
>“I think I drained enough, she should be waking up soon”
>he said as he pointed back at a still unconscious Lucy sitting on a seat
>“I sat her down so she wouldn’t be rolling around the floor when maneuvering”
>“thanks…”
>he looks down and nods a bit
>“so… want to tell me what happened when we went through”
>I nod and proceed to explain to him everything I went through with every little detail I could remember
>he looks at me with a face that is a mix between confusion and disbelief
>a face I shall name “I want to call bullshit on what you are saying” face
>“you… don’t believe me?”
>“oh nonono I- well, I kinda don’t want to but everything else in me is telling me you are saying the truth”
>“I understand”
>“so where is that marble you mentioned now?”
>“now that you mention it, it didn’t appear above where I appeared when I got to the plane”
>I start checking my pockets on my jacket and pants
>“I don’t know but if I lost it then- never mind I found it”
>I pull the glassy sphere out of a pocket in my jacket
>but the marble is now gray and lifeless
>“wait…”
>Dako gives it a closer look
>or as close as you can get from one side of the cockpit of a C-130 to the other side
>“maybe it’s discharged?”
>“I don’t know, hand it to me”
>I throw the marble over and he starts inspecting it
>“hmm, this is certainly not a regular marble, I can feel it but I can’t pinpoint how it’s different, I’ll ask Gabby, she’s more sensitive to magic”
>he turns around presenting the sphere in his hand
>“hey Gabby could you plea-“
>[loud birbwoman snore]
>“oh, she fell asleep…
>…again”
>Dako throws the marble back at me
>“well, don’t worry, we’ll figure that out later, for now be grateful you managed to get back”
>“yeah I guess you’re right”
>let’s start a quest list with this
>quest #1: figure out what the fuck was that deal with the portals and the marble
>what?
>you thought I was just gonna get a cool ability/item and take it for granted instantly without further question?
>who do you think I am?
>Hirohiko Akari?
>I look back at unconscious Lucy in her seat
>she moves a bit from time to time
>more like she was asleep than knocked out
>relief
>“she’ll be fine”
>“I know, it’s just that I didn’t know that could happen”
>“what? overloading?”
>“yeah, and how come I’m fine?”
>“because is not inside you, it’s stuck to you”
>“how does that work? how does mana work in general?”
>“mana is a mysterious subject with bases that no one can agree on, some say that mana is a form of energy produced by the body, others say that it is a superior entity we cannot understand, but the way my father thought me says that mana is a byproduct of the existence of a soul, not the body, and that the qualities of the soul would change the way a being can use mana, that’s why if you manipulate the mana of 2 humans in the same way, they can react very differently, but it mostly ended in harmful ways though”
>“you can manipulate someone else’s mana”
>“oh yeah, but it’s a practice that has fallen out of favor”
>“why?”
>“well, it’s a bit of a weird story, like, 3-5 decades ago, a bunch of mages started attempting to manipulate the mana of others for combat purposes, but when they made their technics public, they weren’t well received, mainly because they were hilariously inefficient, I mean, why stuff a large part of your own mana into a goblin to blow him up when just throwing a fireball at the fucker was faster and less mana consuming”
>“those mages must have felt pretty stupid”
>“yeah, you’d think they would have realized early in the process"
>“yeah…”
>we continue rambling for a couple of minutes
>nothing to note for the most part
>just dako telling stories about stupid shit random mages have done through history
>and just me reacting to it
>until the conversation lands on dako’s type of magic
>“so, any weird or funny story about your thing with the mass and the muscle?”
>I asked while leaning as back as this seat will let me
>“transmutation… not that I can recall no, it’s always been this kinda obscure art”
>I stare at him with intrigue in my eyes
>“I don’t mean, like, hipster obscure, I mean it’s kinda not what someone thinks first when they hear magic ok?”
>“yeah I understand, kinda like dragonforce before through the fire and the flames”
>he snaps his fingers and points at me
>“I have no clue who those are”
>“never mind then”
>dako stares through the front cockpit window thing of the plane with a bored look on his face
>he leans back, still looking forward
>“though, if you have some serious questions about transmutation, don’t doubt on asking, that’s all I know after all”
>I lean forward again giving him a confused look
>“all you know?”
>“no, I mean I know other things but that’s all I know how to put into practice”
>“yeah but then how do you fly?”
>he looks dumbfounded by the question
>“…wings?”
>“yeah I know but how do you float without moving them of how do you stabilize without a tail and those thi-
>he suddenly leans forward
>some grotesque sounds starts emanating from his back as the tips of his selfmade wings start to poke out
>“nonononono you don’t have to show them to me, I’ve seen them before and the noises it makes are fucking disgusting”
>“oh…”
>he leans back
>a wet slurp sound when his back hits the backrest of the seat
>ew
>“oh I know what you mean”
>he suddenly shoves hand into the opposite sleeve of his jacket
>“this is what helps me with that”
>he pulls out a white crystal with purple shine from his sleeve
>“this is a gravity crystal, not very rare but you need and expert to configure it to your liking, that’s the expensive part”
>“that’s what makes you fly?”
>“it only makes me go up, I control the rest with these bad bo-“
>“don’t do that here please”
>as dako is about to respond he gets hit in the face with a rubber ball
>Gabby is on her seat with her bag of holding in hand
>she has another ball in her other hand and is ready to throw it
>“shut the fuck up faggots I’m trying to sleep here”
>“you sleep more than an owl and that’s why you are getting fa-
>dako gets cut off with the other ball to the face
>Gabby reaches into the bag and pulls out a third one
>“fine, we’ll talk on the ground”
>we settle down and continue watching the sky and planes in front of us
>I know I could have noted this before but it just came into my mind
>the planes escorting us are eons apart
>one is an f-18 and the other one is a cold war era tube with a cockpit and stubby wings
>I don’t know whoever organized this flight was thinking but I hope this doesn’t mean we are heading into a mess
>time passes
>none of the planes have communicated with us
>I don’t even think our radio is on
>but what do I know…
>I’m not the guy who’s got a flight simulator x degree
>dako sits properly and grabs the stick
>“we’re here”
>he points to a distant city on the front window thing
>“the city of champions...”
>“is it called that because the champions are made here?”
>“uh... no, on the contrary, this is where they come to retire”
>“oh”
>we land on a pair of parallel runways
>each plane on one
>or… well…
>the other plane landed perfectly
>and we landed but now my ass hurts
>but hey at least the plane is in one piece
>I hope
>after taxing away from the runways dako parks the plane near a building that the other plane parked in front of
>“well, here we are finally, come on, let’s get out of this can”
>dako stands up from his seat and stretches
>he walks over to Gabby and gives her a light tap on the face
>waking her up
>“mmmmh, the fuck do you want?”
>“we’re here”
>“god damn, finally”
>Gabby takes her belt off and jumps of her seat stretching her arm-wings behind her head
>I see Lucy’s eyes quiver before slowly opening them
>just in time
>she slowly comes to her senses
>dako walks up to her and takes her seatbelt off
>“hey, you ok?”
>she locks eyes with me before pushing dako aside and darting towards me
>“ANON!”
>“no Lucy wa-”
>Gabby grabs Lucy by her waist stopping her on her tracks
>“woah there girl, don’t touch the magical cumshot unless you want your noggin fried”
>what did she just call me?
>dako puts his hand on Lucy’s shoulder
>“it’s a bit hard to explain, we’ll tell you outside”
>Lucy flinches a little hearing dako’s voice behind her
>the girls walk out with dako behind them
>he turns to me and cocks his head to the door
>“you gonna stay here or what? come on”
>“mmm? Ah yes, I just got a little distracted”
>we walk outside
>the sun is high above us shinning strong
>it must be noon
>I see the other plane open its back thing
>a bunch of harpies walk out
>dako’s sisters
>they start hauling things out of the plane
>some guys in blue jumpsuits arrive on a golf cart and start speaking with the harpies
>one of the harpies points at us and one of the men comes our way
>dako approaches the man and start to speak with him
>we just kinda stand there waiting
>the man retrieves some more men and they start unloading the car and bikes dako brought with him
>I glance back to the runways to see the two jets that were escorting us being pulled by some weird cars
>that’s weird, I always thought planes were able to taxi by themselves
>I can make the shape of one of the pilots against the blue sky behind him
>he’s looking at us
>I throw him a friendly wave
>he returns it
>nice :)
>dako taps me on the shoulder
>“lazy shHhIIiiiIiIiiI-
>dako recoils back convulsing and stares off wide eyed into the horizon
>“you forgot about the mana thing”
>dako regains composure and fixes his hair
>“…mhmmm, as I was saying, lazy shitters, to worried about their precious fuel to even taxi by themselves, anyway, get your car keys and help me get your car out of the plane”
>I snort a little after seeing him try to pass off his induced sperging
>“shut the fuck up and help me with the cars, ok?”
>I help dako and the men to unload the cars and bikes of the planes while Gabby talks to Lucy about what happened and why she can’t touch me
>I check the trunk and back seat of the car to see if anything was missing
>we’re good, I though as I inspected my bags of loot
>Gabby approaches me with her bag of holding in her prosthetic arm
>“you forgot about this one”
>she pulls out the Gucci Luty™ and its extra mags from her leather pouch and hands them to me
>“aah yes the Gucci Luty (trademark) is back into my hands, thank you”
>she nods and walks away with her sisters
>they trade hugs for a while
>then all of the other harpies grab onto bags of different sizes that came with them on the plane and take off
>I see the little chick that had me at point blank with my own gun once being carried away by a bigger harpy in a sort of leg hammock
>she looks back at me and waves me goodbye with her revolver on her hand and a pair of aviators on her forehead
>bye girl
>Gabby approaches dako and openly asks
>“so what are we gonna do about this guy’s mana dysfunction?”
>I don’t think that’s a correct way to refer to an excess of something but whatever
>dako grabs his chin and starts to think
>he snaps his fingers and his eyes light up
>“I know who can help us, and I bet she’ll be happy to see me too”
>he retrieves his bike and gives his helmet to Gabby who puts in on and hops on the back
>“follow us but not too fast, the streets here are tighter than Venice’s”
>we hop on my car and head out of the airfield
>the city is a bit weird at first glance
>the streets are made of stones held in place by concrete, very narrow and streets are in a grid form
>the buildings look like a weird combination between Venice and big city England just before the industrial revolution, and many of them have canvas signs over the entrances with writings in weird runes
>oh god the fucking language barrier
>I had forgotten about that, although, I believe I remember dako mentioning something about a program to teach English to the locals
>I hope it’s true because this language looks like a nightmare to read
>it’s all just runes, similar to those of the Norse
>not exactly alike but very similar
>each character seems to stand on its own so no weird rune combination bullshit, thankfully
>there are very few people on the street
>and Lucy is oddly quiet
>“hey, are you ok?”
>“yeah it’s just that, it feels wrong to come back here”
>“why? What’s wrong with that?”
>“I don’t know, I just don’t feel ok”
>“don’t worry, we’ll be fine”
>I reach out to put a palm on her shoulder when she leans away
>“…uh, the mana thing”
>“oh, right, sorry”
>hmmm, this girl got me worried now
>I’ll find a way to make her feel comfortable again
>…maybe if there’s a pizza joint around here…uh?
>oh, looks like we’re here
>we stop at a beige two floor house with a wooden sign on top of the door
>the bottom half of the first floor is made of stones and the rest is wood with a triangular roof
>comfy rustic vibes emanate from the house
>dako knocks softly on the door
>he looks ecstatic
>shuffling in place and with a big grin on his face
>the door creaks open slowly and out comes a very old woman
>I mean OLD
>she is about 4 feet tall and looks like a mass of wrinkles with a chaman-esque dress and a white wig
>she looks surprised by dako
>she laughs and hugs him
>dako starts speaking to her in their language
>Lucy and I are uncomfortably standing there
>just staring at them
>dako extends his hand at us
>“these are Anon and Lucy, hey guys this is Mehily, the wise hag, local expert in magic, I told her that you can only speak English”
>“ah, nice to meet you Mehily, but actually I’m quite good at Spanish”
>“hi, a-and my native language is elvish”
>“ooooh nice to meet you too young couple, it’s nice to see that the young mister Dentrer is capable of making friends”
>her accent is way more robust
>dako scratches his back and chuckles nervously
>“I forgot how weird it feels to be called by my second name”
>“oh there is no limit to how formal you can be, but I digress, what did you tell me you came here for? Hmm?”
>“aaaah… well, you see… my friend here is eeeh… overflowing?”
>“hmmm, come inside then”
>Mehily’s house is full of wooden furniture with little trinkets on them
>most seem to be crystals of different colors inside of glass boxes
>weird but interesting
>dako is explaining the situation with more detail as we walk
>we get lead into a big room with more furniture and trinkets hanging on the walls
>there’s a big vase filled with what I assume is a bunch of wizard staffs on one corner
>a big empty cauldron chained to the ceiling with a pile of firewood surrounded by stones beneath it (the floor is stone, it’s not gonna catch on fire. The furniture around it though)
>and there’s a broom on a rack above a fireplace
>because of course the not-a-witch has one hanging above her fireplace
>Mehily grabs a stone from the top of a stand and walks up to me
>“please young mister, extend your hand to me”
>“eeem… ok?”
>she puts the stone on my palm
>it has a weird sigil on its surface
>not quite like the local language
>more complex and exaggerated
>“mmmmmm… interesting, the energy it’s not stuck around him…”
>“what’s happening then?”
>“the energy is… it’s yours…”
>“and that means…?”
>“it’s not stuck to you young man, if it was the stone would have reacted and absorbed some of it, it belongs to your body but being able to hold such and amount in such a relatively small body leads it to flow around you instead, I have only seen something like this twice before”
>“so… why didn’t the rock picked it up?”
>“because it can’t take the energy bound to a body without permission”
>“then how did I overload my friends?”
>“because you transferred to them, I can tell you have very little experience on the subject, you can’t control your flow yet, so, as long as you don’t learn to control yourself, it’d be safer to simply drain it, just for now”
>she walks to a chest beside a sofa
>the chest begins to vibrate as she gets closer
>eeeeeh…
>she opens the chest to reveal a mass of teeth lining the inner rim of the chest
>its insides are pink and fleshy
>the chest roars at her making her hair fly back
>it’s a mimic!
>I jump back scared by the thing
>but just before I can shout Mehily kick the mimic and raises her hand at it
>the mimic shuts it’s lid and emits a whimper like noise
>“ERNESTUS! Bad chest! How many time do I have to teach you not to roar at me?!”
>I… guess she has the situation under control?
>“darned piece if cursed wood and iron, give me the sword!”
>the mimic shakes a little before opening his mouth with a “bleh”
>out of its throat emerges the hilt of a sword
>it has a golden basket for a guard and a red cloth with golden details
>its scabbard is made of wood with a shiny coat of lacquer
>she hand it to me
>I take the sword and admire it a bit
>it is single edged and there is a rune similar to the one on the stone on one side
>there’s some writing on the other side
>“now, young man, focus your mind on the blade, picture the rune of activation and let your energy flow through the blade”
>I do as told, closing my eyes, emptying my mind and picturing the rune and only the rune
>feeling a slight breeze on my face I open my eyes to see the runes and writing on the blade have lit up in a powerful blue color
>the breeze coming from the blade
>it’s producing a high pitch whistle that changes tones when I move it around
>my awe is short though
>as the blade stops its display after a few seconds
>its blue light flickering before dimming out
>my legs quiver as I suddenly feel weak on my limbs
>I fall backwards only to be caught by dako and Lucy behind me
>I start to breathe heavily as the exhaustion expands to my whole body
>“what…[inhale] the hell…[wheeze] was that?”
>“the sword took a bit more energy than what it needed to young man, you should really learn how to control your flow”
>dako stands me up and pats me in the back
>“you ok buddy?”
>“yeah I- can you read what it says here?”
>I hand him the sword on the side with the writing
>“hmmm… ‘foolish those who dare face this blade in combat’… a bit pretentious in my opinion”
>cool but what did it do to me?
>“cool but what did it do to me?”
>dako raises his shoulders and hands it back to me
>“it’s the enchantment young man”
>“oh, what does it do?”
>“this blade is a powerful one, it’s very capable on its own but the enchantment is what makes it outstanding, it was forge by a notorious dwarf and then enchanted by one of the most powerful sorcerer of the land, it can slash through anything like it’s air and do so with tremendous speed”
>“so it can cut anything with no effort and do it fast?”
>“indeed, but such powerful enchantment comes at a cost, it requires a lot of mana to work properly, the longest someone has been able to hold it before tiring out was seven seconds, you young man, lasted four while you were overflowing”
>“and you keep such a powerful artifact here just to drain people?”
>“yep”
>Mehily snatches the sword from my hands
>she puts it in its scabbard before carelessly throwing it back to the chest
>the mimic opens its mouth and catches the sword with its tongue
>it swallows it and then shuts with a loud thud
>“I guess were done here then”
>dako walks to Mehily and gives her a big hug
>“thanks for the help mehi, I know I can always count on you”
>“oooh hoo hoo careful, you know I’m no longer in age for those kinds of affection”
>“aw come on Mehily, you don’t look a day older than 278”
>I noticed something
>getting here must have switched a flip on dako because his mood is very different
>he’s less cunty and sassy
>he must have really wanted to come back
>“alright, once again, thanks for everything mehi but we have some more stuff to do”
>“just make sure to visit more regularly while you are here, ok?”
>“of course”
>we wrap everything up and leave
>I think we are headed to where we are gonna live for now
>Lucy seems to be calm now
>that’s good
>she catches me staring at her so I shoot her a smile
>she smiles back
>“you should be looking at the road”
>not the answer that I was expecting but ok
>we pull up next a row of buildings that are three stories tall and next to each other
>if it wasn’t for the different paint schemes you’d think it was all one long building
>we get off the car and dako walks over to the last building in the line
>“here we are, this is my home”
>“it looks pretty big”
>“well, we needed that since it was twenty-something of us living in the same place”
>Gabby leans into her brother whilst gazing at the building
>“but now those almost-twenty-someones are living in a different place, god it’s gonna feel empty without them”
>“we’ll visit them soon enough, don’t worry about it”
>dako starts scratching Gabby’s head
>“well, what are we waiting for? let’s get inside”
>they round the corner and we follow
>there’s a big garage on the side of the building
>dako takes out a key and unlocks a padlock before pushing the garage door up with Gabby’s help
>there’s a bunch of weird looking machinery and boxes inside
>they all seem relatively clean compared to the floor, walls and some of the furniture
>dako walks in and starts inspecting the machines with a smile
>“perfect, they left it as I asked”
>I imagine someone dropped these off and arranged them before closing and locking the place
>I think dako mentioned something along those lines
>“what do you think anon?”
>“it’s pretty cool but I’m still nervous about somethings”
>“don’t worry, we have plenty of space and there’s a lot of opportunities to find a job around here”
>“no… well I mean… thank you, but that’s not what I was talking about”
>I wrap my arm around Lucy as I continue my explanation
>“we accepted to come because Lucy has some business back here and I decided to help her out”
>“y-yeah, but still, anon… we don’t know where we are exactly in the world, we don’t know where to go and we have no money, I think it would be ok if we stayed a bit to gather our bearings before leaving”
>Lucy adds
>that’s weird, she first told me that she wasn’t comfortable here but now wants to stay?
>“no worries, you can stay all you want as long as you help out”
>“we will, but we just need a way to make enough money to continue, what can we do around here”
>“don’t worry about that, you can do pretty much anything around here and get some coins out of it if you play your cards right, we’ll do it together since we, eh… we kinda are low on cash too”
>wat
>“really? you never doubted to flex your things to us before”
>“we’ll I kinda sold my stuff and used a lot of money to buy a house in harpy city big enough for almost twenty harpies and the housing market over there is fucking ridiculous…”
>“ok… what do we do then?”
>“we could take bounty hunting or body guarding”
>“hmmm… I don’t know, I don’t think I’m fit for those jobs”
>“hmmm…”
>I glance around the room as I think
>my sight tracing the machines and boxes of parts and sheet metals
>finally landing on a box of assorted tubes of different sizes labeled as “barrels”
>“I think… I have and idea”
 
Now, imagine for me, my friends…
The camera zooms away from us as we all smile at each other only for it to pan to the high noon sun directly above us as its movement across the sky suddenly accelerates at an immense speed.
The day goes by, the skies darken, the moon appears only for it to fade and turn day in the blink of an eye over and over again.
The days fly by as the movement of the cosmic bodies slowdowns for it to stand back to normal, the afternoon sun still shining brightly.
~32 days have passed~
 
>“hey dako, we have an order”
>“what is it?”
>“double triple bossy deluxe on a raft, 4x4 animal style, extra shingles and a squeeze, light axel grease, make it cry, burn it and let it walk”
>dako stands there unamused
>he shrugs and takes off his leather gloves and apron before marching back inside the house and into the kitchen
>“uh…”
>I follow him inside only to find him pulling out a bag of texas toast from the pantry
>“you’re not actually gonna make it, are you?”
>“yeah… why?”
>“…”
>“…oh it was a joke!”
>“god dammit, are you really willing to take a fast food order working at a fucking gunshop?”
>“I mean… yeah, as long as we get paid”
>“just… go back to the workshop, we actually got a legit order”
>“oooh let me see”
>I rip the page with the specifications from my little booklet
>it’s similar to the ones waiters in restaurants use, that’s where I got the joke in the first place
>“alright let’s see what this fucker wants… bolt action, walnut stock, 6 round detachable magazines, chambered in .308, 17’’ barrel minimum… no sights or scope mounts? what the fuck?”
>“I dunno, let’s just make it and it out of the way, they are coming to pick it up in two days”
>“two days? really? we can make it in like… three hours tops”
>“so let’s fucking do it now and be done with it”
>“nah, your girls isn’t back from her lunch break and I want someone manning the front, we’ll make it later in the evening”
>“what about Gabby?”
>“she’s off shopping for weird ocult books again”
>“fine, I’ll be at the front then”
>so yeah, that’s what we’ve been doing for the past month and a day
>the original plan was to flip gun parts and make basic repairs to make some quick cash
>but it kinda evolved into that + full on restorations, enchanting, selling reloading equipment and even making full on custom guns now
>sooooo… a bit overkill compared with the original plan but hey
>we enjoy it and get good money out of it
>what’s not to love?
>contrary to dako’s attitude, we never really came up with a chain of command or whatever the business version of one is called
>everybody just does their own thing and helps out
>it’s just that dako doesn’t like to say please and thank you
>we do have some roles established though
>Lucy manages the orders and the money
>Gabby does enchantments and keeps inventory
>dako and I work on the workshop, doing the maintenance and repairs
>when it comes to making guns dako does most of the craftsmanship but he does need my help regularly
>it’s a pretty comfortable way of running things
>but Gabby and Lucy are out so I have to deal with the orders
>the front of the store is literally just a living room where we moved all the furniture out, put a counter on the center and a bell on the front door
>since it’s a pretty slow day and my phone is charging on the other side of the room I decide to entertain myself by taking apart and putting back together the Gucci Luty™
>I’m halfway through putting it back together
>I just need to put the bolt back inside the receiver and close it
>the bell rings as the door swings open and a drow comes into the shop
>hmm… I had never seen a drow in person
>only seen pictures and heard stories
>neat
>“hello?”
>“hello and welcome sir, how can I help you?”
>“oh thank god”
>he sighs and wipes his forehead
>“w-what’s the matter?”
>“oh nothing, it’s just that you are the first person I’ve found here that speaks English”
>“oh”
>“yeah, I don’t know where exactly am I or how I got here but I need some directions, do you know a place around here where I can get some sort of transport service? the faster the better”
>“well, I don’t know about nearby businesses that much, hold on, let me go ask someone who know the city better”
>I take a few steps to my left and open the door to the garage/workshop
>I pop my head in and shout
>“hey dako, get your ass over here, someone needs directions!”
>…
>“please?”
>I hear dako’s footsteps heading over to here
>“hmmm nice gun”
>“uh wat?”
>I turn around to see the drow looking at my Gucci Luty™
>“homemade I imagine”
>“ah, yeah, you could say that”
>“may I?”
>“…yeah, go ahead”
>the drow picks it up and puts it back together in a flash
>“it’s pretty pristine for something self-made”
>“we have some pretty good equipment around here, we can make anything you can afford”
>“oh really?”
>yes, spend money with us go- I mean… valuable costumer
>dako walks in through the door that leads to the garage
>apron still on
>“what’s the matter?”
>“hey, do you know where I could get a lift back to the harpy city?”
>“harpy city? you come from there?”
>“…yeah?”
>“…anything interesting happening over there at the moment?”
>“no interesting enough for me to care, why are you so interested?”
>“oh it’s just that I got family over there”
>the drow gives dako a confused stare in response
>“anyway, lift service, yes, just head northeast from here and you should arrive at the commercial area, there are way more people walking around the streets over there, you shouldn’t have any problem finding it, once there ask around for the Clawfher brothers, any store work its salt should have someone who can speak English at hand, got all that?”
>“…yes”
>“good, the Clawfhers have griffins that can get you there in no time, just say dako send you and they should give you a nice discount”
>“…”
>“…”
>“…well, thanks man I really appreciate it, I have all day to get back so I’m in no rush so I was wondering, how long would it take you to make me one of these?”
>the drow points at my Guccy Luty™
>“a custom smg? we can have it ready in about 3 to 4 hours”
>“nice, I’ll take one”
>“anything special you want to add? it’s pretty much completely customizable”
>“really? can you make it look like an hk smg II?”
>“sure thing”
>dako grabs the booklet from the desk and starts writing the drow’s specifications
>“put an mp5a2 stock on it, extend the barrel and handguard and remove the vertical grip”
>"anything else?"
>“do you have enchantments?”
>“sure thing, what would you like?”
>“something to control recoil”
>“nice, anything else?”
>“I think that’s good, it’s open bolt right?”
>“yup”
>“can you put a double trigger on it?”
>“double trigger?”
>“like an mg34”
>“ah ok, gotchu”
>in my honest opinion, double triggers are obsolete as fuck but this guy is paying for it so whatever
>if he wants it he’ll get it
>“so, how big’s the bite?”
>dako taps the pencil against his forehead for a second or two
>“you are looking at about 3900$, how you paying?”
>“eh…”
>“we take dollars, Balthazar credit and virtuos, the local coin”
>“do you guys take mastercard? I only got like 15$ cash in my pocket”
>“sorry no, if you ca-
>“do you guys take gold pieces?”
>dako stares at me and I give him a thumbs up
>“I guess we could try that, anon, you got this?”
>“yep, leave it to me”
>I pull out my phone and quickly go to my preferred exchange site
>“3900$ would convert to 2.479 ounces of gold as of today, let me go get a scale so we can measure yo-
>“oh there’s no need for that”
>the drow pulls out a bag of holding from his back pocket
>he digs through it for a few seconds before pulling out 3 MOTHERFUCKING GOLD BARS FROM IT
>each one is marked “CREDIT SUISSE 1oz fine gold”
>he hands them to me
>“I- uh… ahem sorry, yes, 3 ounces of gold would amount to 4717.57$, your change would be-
>“keep the change, I’ll be back in a few hours then”
>and like that he walks out with a big smile in his face
>dako taps my shoulder, he’s as wide eyed as me
>his agape mouth slowly transforms into a wide grin
>“this is gonna be the best fucking gun we have made so far, ok?”
>I just slowly nod
>mfw we just got an 817.57$ tip
>the door opens again
>Lucy enters looking over her shoulder with a paper coffee cup in her hand
>“d-did you guy’s see that drow?”
>“yeah, he just payed us a shit ton of money for a machinegun”
>“r-really?”
>“yup”
>dako shows Lucy one of the gold pounds the drow gave us
>“he paid with just that?”
>“nope, he paid WITH 3 OF THEM!”
>Lucy’s eyes go wide
>“how much did you charge him?!”
>“the normal for a high end but he gave us an almost 900$ tip!”
>wait…
>didn’t I have the gold in my hands?
>I look down to see my hands empty…
>…and my CZ missing from its holster
>motherfucker
>I pretend to walk over to Lucy
>when I’m about to pass dako I grab him by the sides and lift his t-shirt up in a swift movement
>“OI!”
>indeed, he has my CZ tucked in his waistband
>I pull it out hard, making sure to scratch him the front sight
>“OW! HEY!”
>I lift my pistol in the air in front of his face
>“don’t do that shit again or I’ll shoot you in the ass”
>his annoyed face turns into a smug smirk
>quivering lips and all
>fucking asshole
>“hey baby”
>I said as I turned around both physically and emotionally to greet Lucy
>we give each other a little kiss and a hug
>“you seen Gabby around? she usually doesn’t take this long to go shopping”
>Lucy just shrugs
>“I didn’t even know she left”
>the door swings open violently
>a loud burp emanates from the other side of the door frame
>aaaaaaaaaaand she’s here...
>“WHAT’S UP FUCKERS?!”
>and she's on cunt mode...
>fucking great...
>she latches onto Lucy
>“hiiiiiiiiiii bitch…”
>she jumps from her to me and hugs me
>“hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii bigger bitch!”
>she stumbles towards dako and tries to lift him up to no avail
>“HIIIIIIIIIIIII BROTHER BIIIIIIIIIIIIIATCH!”
>“Gabby, you are drunk”
>“nooooooooo…?”
>“your breath smells like Christ’s blood”
>“weeell… maybe I wanted to celebrate a little because I found this bomb-ass book and bought it!”
>she pulls out her bag of holding and from it takes out a giant fucking hardback encyclopedia with colorful ribbons in between every couple hundred pages
>she is having trouble holding the damn thing in her hands
>“h-how much did this thing cost?!”
>“oh just, most of my money actually, don’t worry, I’ll just sell all my other old books, this one has made them all obsolete”
>I get closer to try to get a closer look at the book
>“can I see it?”
>“if you can hold it”
>she dumps the book into my hands
>nothing someone sober would do to the precious book they just spend most of their saving buying…
>…but whatever
>the cover, spine and back are made of wood, covered in silky smooth plum colored leather
>the title and subtitle in the cover is written in the local runes
>the pages are thick and firm
>fucking hell
>there must be at least 1,000 of them in this book
>“what does the cover say?”
>Gabby takes the book from me and passes her finger along the words in the cover
>“The Ultimate Guide for Magic and Sorcery: Special Magical Gunsmith Edition”
>that’s oddly specific
>“Gabby, go take a rest and a shower, I’m gonna need you in 2 hours”
>“mmnnnnooooo, I wanna play with my book”
>“you are gonna use it for what I need you”
>“oooh, ok”
>she sprints of to the kitchen, probably to eat shredded cheese out of the bag
>dako shakes his head and sighs
>“she acts like a fucking kid when she gets drunk”
>“…”
>“…what?”
>“…is Christ’s blood your edgy way of saying wine?”
>“no, it’s the name of a wine based cocktail a pub down the street serves, it’s pretty fucking strong and has a very distinctive smell, we should go get some one day”
>“on an off day, we have shit to do right now”
>“yeah I guess you are right about that”
>I turn around to Lucy
>“you can handle the counter right?”
>she nods before taking a sip of her coffee
>I plant a second kiss on her forehead and give her a hug
>“thanks baby”
>“come on lovebird I don’t want to disappoint a high paying costumer”
>hands rubbing.png
>we go back to the garage/workshop
>I put my gloves and apron on while dako takes out the material
>“hey Anon, hold on”
>“what’s up?”
>“we don’t have material or machines to make the polymer parts”
>“so where are we gonna get them from?”
>“we are gonna outsource them, hold on, take your shit off while I get this done”
>he starts writing very fast on a small piece of paper
>I put my gloves and apron back in their place before seeing what he’s doing
>dako grabs the small piece of paper and gives it to me
>“go to the city center and look for a place called “The Polymer Wizardz”, they are right beside the center plaza, big store, big neon sign outside, can’t miss it”
>“ok and then…?”
>“you give them this piece of paper with the specification of the parts, they should have them ready in 15 minutes or less”
>“’kay got it, how much do you think they are gonna charge me?”
>“take 300$ just in case”
>that’s seems a little excessive but ok
>I go back to the front to get those 300$ and say goodbye to Lucy
>she ask me to bring her a pack of sour gummies of the store on my way back
>I exit out the front door
>putting my wallet in my back pocket and making sure my gun is in my holster and it’s loaded
>this is a pretty peaceful city but you can never be too careful
>I picked my keys out of my jacket pocket and climbed inside my CRX
>with a twist of the key and a few seconds of that glorious engine idle I was on my way to the center
>I could feel the cool breeze in my face entering through the window as I rode down the street to the livelier parts of town
>there were more people in the street with every block I passed
>the noise of more car engines in the distance grew louder and louder
>it was surprising to know this city had a considerable amount of people who owned cars
>I had seen pictures and heard stories that cars aren’t too common in this side because of the lack of appropriate roads
>sure, you can take a heavy duty off-roader anywhere where there aren’t trees blocking your way but I’m talking about normal commuting cars
>you know, Honda civics and Toyota corollas and all that kind of jazz
>like this one I’m on
>but people don’t like using cars in the backroads
>they prefer bikes and mopeds because of the narrower streets
>fortunately, they are big enough for my car
>unfortunately, my car takes up the entire street
>so, if anyone else comes the other way we would have to do the awkward slow-side-pass-shuffle just to not scrape each other’s paint
>shit, sorry for rambling
>we are almost there
>I can see a bigger street with cars passing through it the next block over
>I turn into said street to join a bunch of late 90’s and early 2000’s era shitboxes happily chugging to their destination
>going straight for a couple of minutes the buildings get bigger and more modern with each block I pass
>the clutter of buildings is interrupted by an open space
>a big plaza with a huge gilded marble kiosk standing in the middle
>surrounded by several small gardens filled with patches of flowers
>these patches are arranged to look like a patter of colorful spots among the green grass
>the gardens are divided by stone paths that lead to the kiosk itself
>man I'll never get used to how fucking beautiful this place is
>the people around the plaza are very interesting
>you can see very easily who is a local and who is an adventurer
>mainly because the locals are pale as fuck
>there are adventurers that are just passing
>you can tell them apart because of all the gear and guns they are carrying
>there are the local guardsmen which are basically just the police walking around with ARs and a full chest rig with badges
>and then there’s the everyman, carrying (most likely) a concealed handgun
>because the Vetrilians don’t fuck around when it comes to self-defense and god bless them for that
>there are a lot of little stands around the kiosk in which a lot of people gather around
>selling things like hotdogs and pretzels
>but I’m not heading there now
>I have spotted the store dako told me about
>they have their bright-ass neon sign lit in the middle of the day
>I enter the store to be immediately greeted by an overly enthusiastic old man in a star patterned purple robe with a matching pointy hat
>this guy must be the grand wizard or whatever
>“uy sir, velcome to me magic emporiouuuuuuuum of polymahs!”
>what the fuck…
>“eh… hello? I’ve come to make an order…?”
>“ah, very vell very giud, iu have come at a very good smoment young mister, I have no busyness to attend to so I fhill be able to seeeervs you quite rapidly”
>I think the magic when to this guy’s head a bit to hard
>and by magic I mean crack cocaine
>I hand him the note and he snatches it of my hand
>without skipping a beat, he rolls it up and shoves it entirely through his left nostril
>he paralyzes for a few seconds before gasping for air
>“OOOOOOOH!”
>whatthefuck whatthefuck whatthefuck whatthefuck whatthefuck whatthefuck
>“I seeeeee… you fant costume made pieces for machinegun yes?”
>“y-yeah”
>“very gud very gud, they shall be ready in 20 minuts”
>“…”
>“je se can come back by then, bye bye”
>“…ok”
>I exit the store trying to convince myself that what I just saw was perfectly normal
>it's not working
>as I walk back to the stands near the kiosk I spot a duo of goblins peering into my car
>one standing on top of the other
>“HEY!”
>the one on the ground immediately drops his buddy and books it
>the other one falls on his face
>it staggers up and runs away clutching his face
>this place would be paradise if it wasn’t for the fact that they let these creatures live here too
>the goblin left a small puddle of his greasy blood and a tooth on the ground
>the tooth is rotten and has been swiss cheesed by cavities
>fucking disgusting creatures
>I swear to god
>I’m beginning to understand why dako is so predisposed to be aggressive against them
>there’s nothing of value inside my car either way
>fuck’s sake, I’m getting to booty flustered by this
>I need a pretzel
>a cream cheese filled pretzel
>so I walk over to the stands and order one from a halfling that has to stand over a stool to serve me
>I have an urge to make a shitty remark about the manlet’s size but I don’t want him to spit in my food so I refrain from it
>I grab my pretzel and sit down on a bench
>watching my car making sure no more nosy green niggers come looking for trouble
>…
>“fuck me, this pretzel is delicious”
>a significant part of those 20 minutes later
>I walk back inside the store
>just now I notice all the parts on display on cabinets and hanged on walls
>most pieces are ar lowers and g3 furniture with some other miscellaneous bits
>there’s a young guy working the cash register
>he has tanned caramel skin and weird off-putting yellow eyes, wearing a polo shirt with a similar pattern to the robe the weird guy was wearing
>I guess that’s their uniform
>I don’t know how exactly but his gaze makes me uncomfortable
>he stares at me like if he was waiting for me to say something
>“what do you want?”
>“I came to pick some parts, the wizard guy told me they’d be ready by now”
>“hmmm, hold on a few seconds… ahem… MARCUUUUUUUUUUUS! GET YOUR CRUSTY ASS OVER HERE WITH THE ORDER YOU WOULDN’T SHUT UP ABOUT!”
>this is the fucking store of weirdos
>“…”
>“he’ll be here any second now”
>the guy sniffs and rubs his nose
>“hey, wouldn’t you happen to know a guy named Vedakost…”
>well, that came out of the blue
>how the hell would he know dako?
>“y-yeah, we work together in this little shop”
>the guy immediately takes more interest
>“oh really? i didn’t know he was around here again, where is this shop?, I wanna pay him a visit”
>I don’t really trust this guy
>but he doesn’t seem dangerous
>just a bit off-putting
>“it’s in the… uh… hold on”
>I take my wallet out of my pocket and hand the guy a very cheesy business card that dako made
>I always try to avoid using them, but I’m shit at giving directions so fuck it
>“nice”
>“you want me to say hi to him on your behalf?”
>“nah, I’ll make it a surprise”
>…ok
>“ME BOIE HERE BE ZA PIECES”
> the old weird guys stumbles through a door holding a bag with the pieces
>“zit tzat’ll be 187 unitz of monetary from ze Balthazar company”
>“actually I’m paying with cash”
>“oh, zat will be 187 dolla”
>I hand the guy two bill of a hundred
>get my change
>and get the fuck out of there as fast as I can
>weird fucks...
>Christ…
>I inspect the parts
>they look spot on to what the drow asked for
>finally, I can get the fuck back
>I drive back home
>stopping at a little corner store to buy two packets of sour patch kids
>Lucy loves this
>and so do I
>I also take a roll of toothpaste because we were running out
>the moment I get through the front door dako bolts out
>snatches the bag of my hands
>and pulls me from the arm to the workshop
>as we pass the front desk, I hand the gummies to Lucy
>“one’s for me one’s for you baby”
>dako slams the door behind us and start giggling to himself as he takes the pieces out of the bag
>“oh he got them perfect!”
>“I mean, that’s what I paid for”
>“yeah but it’s nice to see we don’t have to do extra work fixing any potential mistakes”
>no it’s not
>you shouldn’t expect to fix something you paid a professional to do
>or well…
>I don’t know if I should call those guys professionals
>“ok, while you were gone I got started on the rest of the receiver, so you’ll make the bolt and work the barrel, ok?”
>“uh-
>“good, see to it”
>…sigh
>I put my apron and gloves on
>I grab the metal elongated square piece that will become the bolt and take it to the precision milling machine
>this bigass bench drill with a different assortment of bits of different sizes
>I shove my hand into one of the pockets of my apron and pull out a marker and a micrometer
>taking measurements and marking the areas to be drilled out with my upmost precision to make sure I don’t fuck up anything
>fuck I’m starting to sweat
>if the sweat drips down and fucks up the markings I’m gonna reee
>I’m gonna reee hard
>I take my time milling the piece
>making sure I’m using the correct bit every time I’m about to mill the next part out
>I finalize the bolt’s shape by cutting a small hole all the way through its face
>that’s because we are gonna make the firing pin a threaded piece that can be replaced easily
>I thread the hole with a thread cutting tool and then I heat treat the fucker
>I always get this funny feeling in my gut when we build our own guns
>it feels nice although the most common orders we get are for replacement pieces
>so I make sure to enjoy it as much as possible
>I just remembered we also have that weird rifle on order too
>I think this is the first time we get to work on two different original pieces in one day
>well… that is if dako doesn’t feel like being a lazy shitter and refuse to work on it until tomorrow
>speaking of which
>I look over to see him working on the trigger group
>he’s done with the receiver
>putting together the pieces inside the polymer trigger housing I bought off the lizard wizard fucks from the center
>I’m still wondering, how the hell is he gonna make it a double trigger?
>I think he’s going for the steyr aug system
>I don’t know but I hope he doesn’t fuck it up
>I’d hate to deliver something shitty to someone who paid so much for it
>it feels scummy
>when dako is done with the trigger group he bends down and pull on a drawer on his table
>out of the drawer he pulls a weird looking piece of metal
>on a better look, that piece looks like the magazine well of an mp5
>he turns to me and asks
>“the drow said he wanted to make it take mp5 mags, didn’t he?”
>“yup, it’s than real hk piece or is it a clone?”
>“it’s an official piece, I’ve been wanting to use some original pieces for some time now”
>“is it because you are lazy?”
>“perhaps…”
>our conversation is cut short when dako starts focusing on the gun again
>I do so too and put the finished bolt aside to work on the barrel
>well...
>"work" on it since it's pretty much finished
>I grab a 9mm barrel of the box of barrels and take it to a saw cutter
>the way dako orders and works the barrels is kind of weird
>he orders them… well…
>let’s take this 9mm for example
>it’s a tube with inner rifling with a 1:10 twist rate, like a normal barrel (duh)
>but the initial piece was 2 meters (3.28 feet) long and had half an inch-thick walls!
>that’s fucking massive for just a little dinky 9mm barrel
>but that’s because it is then shaped to the form needed for the gun
>let me show you
>I place the barrel into the clamp of the cutter and turn the power on
>the red LED next to the emergency stop button lights up
>I tap the gauge of the cutting fluid pressure
>it moves a bit but seems alright
>I pull the orange trigger on the saw handle and gently bring it down
>little drops of the cutting fluid splash my apron but almost all of it fall into the fluid pan below the saw
>the piece gets separated, but I had my hand under it to catch it
>I wipe both parts of the tube and put the leftover back in the box
>now I have to shape it with a turning machine
>but since barrels are funky tubes, I need to put a filler piece inside of it, so it clamps into the turning machine nicely
>I grab the filler piece and shove it carefully in
>put it in the turning machine and grab my scrappers
>dwarven steel barrels require dwarven steel tools
>this are tailor made and are not cheap
>dako is weird when it comes to expenses
>he a cheap ass unless it involves tools, ammo and guns
>I respect that but he also likes to police around our expenses as well
>he gets pissy when we waste money on snacks or other little trinkets
>that’s why he was unamused when Gabby came in with her giant ass book this morning
>that plus the fact that she bought it drunk, so she could have been tricked into paying more for it
>and considering the kind of shady dealers you can find in dark corners on the way to the bar…
>it’s not exactly unlikely that that was the case
>“Anon, are you done with the barrel?”
>“almost, just this little… there, it’s done”
>“cool, mind switching stations?”
>“what do you need?”
>“the trigger group is almost done, I just need you to paint the safety markings with the aerograph”
>“you mean the airbru-
>“yeah whatever, just help me with it because I’m shit at using it”
>aight, fair enough
>we switch stations
>the sound of machinery returns as dako gets on working with the rest
>I pull the airbrush, sheet of stencils, a bottle of water and paints
>“it’s a double trigger like an aug right?”
>“yep, you only have to paint the safe and fire on the safety”
>“how the hell did you make that work with an open bolt?”
>“gunsmithing magic”
>I mix the paints with the water and start the compressor of the airbrush
>I put the stencil and mark the line that indicates the position of the selector, the S of safety and the positions for single and auto above the trigger
>clean the airbrush and mark the F for fire
>“done!”
>“nice, I’m almost done too, after this all we have to do is get Gabby to enchant some parts and assemble it”
>man, that drow asked for a lutty like mine, instead we are building him this beautiful monstrosity
>kinda makes me wish I could redo mine
>well, I’m sure I can modify it by myself now
>I just need some free time to do it
>“GABBY GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!”
>the sudden shout making me flinch and almost fucking up the paint
>“geez dude, at least warn me the next time, almost fucked up the piece”
>“alrighty then, here comes the next one, AND BRING YOUR DUMBASS BOOK HERE TOO!”
>Gabby kicks the door open
>she has her book in her hand and a pretty rotten disposition
>“don’t fucking scream at me like that asshole, you’ll leave me deaf before 30 at this rate”
>“yeah yeah fucking whatever, I need you to enchant some parts for me, ok?”
>“OH fucking nice, treat me like shit and then ask for my help. What if I say no?!”
>“then you don’t get your cut of money”
>the feathers on Gabby’s arms puff up as she clenches her fist
>she puts on a pouty face and then throws her book in the air
>which is kind of impressive considering it’s a massive fucking book
>it hits the ceiling and falls towards her head
> before it can hit her, the books stops completely in the air
>“what do you want?”
>“recoil control and durability, do them as best you can”
>“hmmm show me the piece”
>dako grabs the buttstock and presents it to Gabby
>Gabby’s book then floats down in front of her and opens itself
>she takes a deep breath before pointing her finger at the stock
>a thin light blue laser(?) shoots from her finger and it starts carving into the side of the buttstock that attaches to the receiver
>the laser carves two figures, an upside-down isosceles trapezoid and an arrow pointing downwards with three horizontal lines crossing its tail
>when she’s done, Gabby grabs the book out of the air with one hand and then rubs her temples with the other
>“uagh”
>dako seems dismissive of her discomfort so I ask her
>“are you ok?”
>“mh… yeah, I’m just still a bit hungover and pushing myself on this state makes me ill”
>dako examines the piece
>he runs his finger along the carving before acknowledging his sister
>“you did a good job…. But you should really just stop drinking on workdays”
>Gabby rolls her eyes and leans against the wall
>“the a rest, I’ll hand you your cut after the guns is delivered”
>Gabby walks out of the room with her book
>she slams the door on her way out
>this is usually how their exchanges go
>dako is more reserved and patient with Lucy and I
>guess he holds himself back because we are not related
>“I think you are being too harsh with her”
>“if you were a manager, would you be happy if one of your employees turned up hungover from work?”
>“I thought you said we would all work on the same level”
>“she isn’t su-
>dako takes a second to process what I said
>he then slams his fist into the table and rubs his temples with his other hand
>“THAT’S. NOT. AN EXCUSE.”
>I am about to speak but before I can say anything dako raises his hand
>eyes frowning and still rubbing his temples
>“I-I… I’ll talk to her… let’s just get this thing over and then I’ll talk with her, ok?”
>we gather the pieces and begin the final assembly
>piecing the trigger group with the lower receiver
>fixing the barrel to the upper and then sliding the bolt into place
>connecting both receivers with a single push pin in front of the foregrip
>making it able to hinge open like an AR of a FAL
>I slide the stock over and insert another two pushpins in place
>the pushpins go one over the other and they keep the receiver parts closed and keep the stock attached
>there, it’s finished
>the 3-gold-ounce smg
>and just in time
>Lucy opens the door to the reception and pops her head in
>“the drow is here”
>“nice, we just finished his gun”
>dako grabs the smg and walks to the desk where he greets the drow again
>he teaches the drow how to operate and disassemble the gun
>meanwhile I lean in to whisper to Lucy
>“you heard the commotion?”
>“yeah, what was it this time?”
>“about how she came back drunk”
>“ah, understandable”
>“I- I guess but, I think… hmmm, nevermind”
>dako takes his attention to me and signals me to get closer
>I walk over to them and ask what's up
>"mister drow has a request for you"
>"hmmm? what is it man?"
>"can I name it?"
>"uh...sure"
>we take the drow to the back where the airbrush stuff is
>I start the air compressor and clean the airbrush itself
>“what do you want to call it?”
>“the DB-1, with a hyphen between the letter and the one”
>really? I thought he was gonna ask for some mayor shitpost material
>well whatever
>at least he’s not defiling this piece with something cringy
>“what color do you want?”
>“the purest white you have”
>“alrighty then, DB1488 it is then”
>the drow lets out a single chuckle
>dako is tapping his forehead with a thinking man face
>“are you sure anon? I think #db1488 is a shade of pinkish purple”
>“it was a joke but ok…”
>I place the character stencils in place and mark them onto the gun steadily
>once done I carefully unstick them from the receiver and hand the gun to the drow
>“there, just be careful with the paint, give it a few minutes to set”
>“alright! Thanks dudes, I can’t wait to show this to my friends”
>“hey you said you were going to harpy city right?”
>“yeah, why?”
>“if you see a group of 20something harpies together, say hi for them for me”
>“I- yeah… suuuuure…”
>the drow leaves through the front door
>Lucy waves him goodbye
>“thank you for your business, we hope to see you again”
>I lean on the desk and sigh in relief
>“another job well done”
>“mhmm, anch I thou drouws wood be schcarier”
>I look over to see Lucy eating a mouthful of shower patch kids from a family size bag
>“where did you get those?”
>“yoo bot ‘em for me *sch* remember?”
>“noooo you had already eaten those”
>“nooo…?”
>I put my hands in my hands and frown at her
>“…yes…”
>“too much candy is bad for everyone”
>dako pops his head through the door
>“even for an elf with an average lifespan of 500 years”
>Lucy starts to blush
>dako pops his head again
>“oh, that reminds me, how old are you?”
>Lucy’s cheeks go from pink to beet red
>bruh
>“bro you don’t ask a lady her age”
>“…”
>“like seriously”
>“…simp…”
>dako retreats back into the workshop and locks the door behind him
>the door locks on our side, how did he…?
>nevermind
>I squat besides Lucy and pat her on the back
>“don’t feel bad about it, you know he gets kind of autistic sometimes”
>Lucy sighs and leans back on the chair and mutter to herself
>“I wish it was 500”
>“hmm?”
>“oh nothing, I- nothing”
>“ok”
>I definitely heard that correctly, but I play it off as if I hadn’t, to not push her to tell me something she doesn’t want to
>but does that mean she doesn’t live to 500?
>”Anon, there’s something I have to tell you”
>“what is it?”
>“well, I…”
>Lucy stops short and stares at the bottom of the door to the workshop
>I look at the door too, to see the shadow of a pair of feet underneath it
>slowly I put my hand on the door know and then I open it as fast as I can
>dako slams face first into the floor
>the fucker was spying on us
>he lifts his head, a little drop of blood flows from his nose
>“didn’t you said you were gonna talk to Gabby after delivering the gun?”
>he frowns and worms his way upstairs
>leaving us alone at last
>“okay, what did you want to tell m-“
>“I won’t live for long Anon”
>my heart sinks
>my face turns to shock
>“what do you mean?”
>“not all elves live the same Anon. It’s a question of genetics”
>“what?”
>“it’s like the purity of a precious gemstone. Higher breeds of elves can live indefinitely, but I… I am a pebble at the lower end of the scale”
>a single tear rolls down her cheek
>an aura of doubt and sadness emanates from her
>so thick it claps when running upstairs
>“h-how long do you think…”
>“an apothecary tested me a while ago, I got nothing but a short 200 years of life expectancy”
>…
>the single tear called upon its brethren as more and more stream down her face
>“…”
>she turn to look at me with puppy dog eyes
>only to meet my confused face
>she sniffles
>“w-what?”
>“…that’s still a lot… like a lot like the double of the best you can hope for in human terms”
>her face turns from sadness into a blank stare
>I nod my head a bit
>“y-yeah, we have like… 80~ to mid-90s… on average”
>“r-really?”
>“I mean… yeah, you kinda get used to i-
>Lucy jumps into my arms and buries her face on my chest
>her sobbing is muffled by me
>“oh Anon, I didn’t know, I’m sorry”
>“l-look, don’t worry about that no-
>“I can’t believe you are gonna be dead by the time I’m halfway through my life”
>“…you didn’t have to put it but like that but I guess you are right”
>she lifts her face up to mine, tears still trailing down her cheek
>she puts on a frustrated look and starts shaking me by my shoulders
>“how can you take this so lightly?!”
>I grab her wrists and pin them to her side
>then I open my arms and wrap them around her
>“I don’t care for how long I will live, as long as I get to have a fulfilling life with you”
>Lucy sighs and goes limp in my arms, breathing softly
>I response I start to pat her head
>“you don’t have to worry about those things right now, ok?”
>she nods her head and smiles a little
>flicking off her last tear
>she goes in for a kiss
>I close my eyes and lean in too
>the fucking front door explodes with loud bang, sending wooden shrapnel everywhere!
>instinctively, I grab Lucy with both my arms and throw ourselves to the floor
>I hear the footsteps of both dako and Gabby rushing downstairs
>I grab my cz and pull the slide to chamber a round
>with steady hand I rise from behind the desk and aim my pistol at the door
>there’s smoke in the air, I can only see the silhouette of a humanoid
>dako stops at the middle of the stairs and aims at the figure with his sr-3m
>Gabby stands behind him, automag III pointed at the figure over dako’s shoulder
>I hear the pump of a shotgun besides me
>it’s Lucy, she too is aiming at the intruder with her shockwave
>she keeps it under the desk in case of trouble
>guess trouble came today
>the dust settles and reveals the menacing figure standing at our doorframe
>and our mysterious assailant is!
>…the guy from the polymer place?
>he’s standing there dramatically with a beretta 3032 on his left hand
>he is pointing it up as if he was robbing the place
>“ALRIGHT MOTHERFUCKUUuuuuuuh…”
>Lucy pumps her shotgun again, ejecting a shell
>bruh?
>the guy speaks again
>“uh… um, I didn’t think you all would be armed”
>dako lowers his rifle and walks to the guy
>we are all still pointing at him
>“h-hey veddy, ahe… l-long time no see”
>“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU TRYING TO DO?!”
>the guy starts shaking and sweating
>“oh I uh… I’m uh… April fools?”
>dako responds by clocking him in the chin
>sending him back against the doorframe
>he falls on his knees and has a coughing fit
>sprinkling droplets of blood
>I walk up to them, Lucy stays behind the desk
>“hey, I met this fag at the polymer shop. he told me you knew each other but I never asked what’s the deal between you”
>“he's a dead FA-
>the guy claps his hands together and emits a powerful wave of air
>knocking both of us to the ground
>he then presses his hand into the ground and a luminous orange portal opens on the floor where he placed his hand
>he crawls down it like a wounded rat crawling into a manhole
>“I’m… gonna get my mom and sh-she’ll kick your a-ass”
>the portal close and dako and I get up
>“what the hell was that?!”
>“an old rival, son of a demoness that was friends with my dad”
>“why do you always have weird relations with demons?”
>“hey they are the ones with problems, not me!”
>“…did he call you veddy?”
>“who cares?! He got away, how am I supposed to make him PAY FOR MY FUCKING DOOR?!”
>“he did say he would get his mother so… maybe tell her to pay the door?”
>“he what?”
>“he said he was gonna get his mom…?”
>“okay, we’re moving”
>“what? why?”
>“because unlike him, his mother is actually FUCKING TERRIFYING!”
>...
>...wut
>“ok, what are we gonna do?”
>“we’re closing temporarily, I need time to think”
>“how are we gonna close down without a door”
>I say with a retarded grin on my face
>dako looks at me with hate-filled eyes
>“I’m gonna punch you in the nose”
>“ok but seriously, where do we get another door?”
>“I don’t know”
>what?
>what do you mean you don’t know? you’ve lived here for most of your life you twat
>“what if we take the kitchen door and bolt it to the front entrance… I mean who puts a door in the kitchen either way?”
>“yeah I guess we could… let me put this thing away and get my tools”
>he said as he unclipped his Vikhr from its sling and headed upstairs
>the different color and shape are gonna make it look like shit but it’s only temporal
>who cares
>I leave him to it and join Lucy in the living room couch
>she’s looking at soap opera while cleaning her spas-12
>she has the removed folding stock on the table next to a bandolier full of shells
>“what are you doing?”
>“cleaning my shotgun”
>“I mean I can see that, but why?”
>“well, that guy did say he was gonna come back with his mom so I thought I’d better get the better shotgun ready”
>“fair enough”
>I said as I sat down next to her
>the soap opera on tv is in the weird local language
>I can’t understand a word of what’s going on, yet Lucy seems to be invested in it
>stopping to look up at the tv and take in what the characters are doing
>“you can understand it?”
>“somewhat, I’ve picked up a bit of the language”
>“I can’t understand a single word of what’s going on”
>“it’s easy, that woman there is in love with that man but she’s already married and has a son, and that man over there is her husband who is secretly plotting to kill that other guy who is in love with his wife and that also is in turn also plotting to kill him and his son so he can claim the girl all to himself”
>“…”
>“…”
>“so a cookie-cutter soap opera then?”
>“I guess…”
>“well, I guess you picking on the language is good, it may come in handy”
>“then why didn’t you take those classes the dako offered you?”
>“HA! I TOLD YOU”
>shouted dako from the front room, his voice coming in muffled through the walls
>“we’ll I honestly didn’t expect we’d stay for this long”
>“aaw dude”
>“stop eaves dropping on us!”
>“…”
>“ok… I expected we’d be back with your group by now”
>“well… I still don’t think we’ve gathered enough resources to leave yet, maybe just another week of hard work should you it”
>“maybe?”
>“hopefully”
>“hmm… ok, let’s just hope you’re right”
>we spend a few minutes on the couch together
>Lucy is more focused on her soap opera, assembling the stock of her shotgun and putting it aside to pay full attention to it
>I start scrolling through my phone, messaging my family
>I don’t know why I didn’t expect that sending messages would take longer when I’m trying to reach people on the other world
>up to 25 minutes to send a message sometimes
>it’s ridiculous
>I can hear dako fiddling with the door and Gabby walking around upstairs from time to time
>man… sitting on a couch and doing nothing feels more relaxing here than when I lived alone
>maybe the presence of other people I trust is subconsciously comforting or some gay psychological shit like that
>“hey anon could you come over? I need your help over here”
>I get up from the couch and walk over to the front door
>“hey I need you to lift the door a bit so I can screw the top hinge properly”
>“sure”
>I grab the door by the handle and lift it up slightly
>dako pulls a stool closer to the door, stands on it and screws the top hinge of the door in place
>“there we go, thanks anon”
>he kicks the stool out of the way of the door and opens it to test it
>“fits perfectly”
>he pushes the door close and then nods
>“hey, couldn’t you have morphed into a weird shape to hold the door up and reach the top hinge at the same time?”
>“…”
>“…”
>“you know… sometimes I forget I can do that”
>“well, you know what they say, the stupid and the lacy have to work twi-
>a sudden explosion coming from the door sends us both flying back
>dako gets yeeted into the staircase, destroying some of the steps
>I’m blown away all the way back to the living room where I land back into the sofa, breaking its backrest
>Lucy gasp in shock as I land next to her
>the shockwave punched the air out of my lungs, causing me to have a violent coughing fit
>Lucy gets on top of me and starts healing me all over my torso
>my insides tingle for a moment
>fuck’s sake
>AGAIN ALREADY?!
>I shake my head and get up, ignoring the cries of agony of my limbs
>I stumble my way into the entrance room with Lucy and her shotgun close behind me
>a tall figure stands among the still settling dust
>the explosion caused was powerful enough to not only obliterate the door but to also blow a huge hole on the wall and destroy several windows
>the figure parts its way through the cloud of ex-wall, revealing its full form to us
>a tall and fit feminine body with glowing red skin, with two long horns sticking out of her forehead and bending upwards
>wearing skimpy purple clothing adorned with gold and a platinum headband atop her ashen short hair
>a demoness no doubt, and a big one at that, standing at almost 8 feet tall
>she looked pissed and ready to gut anyone with her bare hands
>the demon boy that tried to burst in earlier with a dinky pistol was standing behind her with a cocky grin on his face
>that little shit
>he actually brought his mom
>dako started to get up from the ruined staircase, trying to catch his breath
>the demoness raised her hand
>a red glow grew on dako’s neck and he was suddenly yanked into the air
>he started kicking and struggling to get free when he was pulled closer to the demoness
>”DRENTER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON?!”
>yelled the demoness, literally spitting fire as she spoke
>oh boy
>I think we may be in trouble
>“ok first of all: your little vagina turd started it… second of all: WHAT’S WITH YOU DEMONS AND BLOWING MY SHIT U-
>dako gets cut off when his neck gets crushed by the demoness’s two gigantic hands
>“YOU ARE A LIAR DRENTER! I SWORE TO NEVE TAKE YOUR WORD AGAIN…
>Jesus Christ, her voice sounds bass boosted
>my ears hurt, and I can hear my car’s alarm going off outside
>how the explosion didn’t activate it in the first place?
>I have no idea
>…let’s see if you can still lie AFTER I TURN YOUR WINDPIPE TO MUSH”
>dako starts coughing and lifts up a finger
>he clears his throat shakes the dust of his coat
>“okok listen, trying to strangle me is futile… I can reroute my entire respiratory system to breath out of my dickhole if I wanted toOOAAAAUGH”
>the demoness cuts him off again by tightening her hold around his neck
>“ok… ok… still hurts… still… huUUUGH”
>god damn I can see the veins on her arms swelling
>and her abs getting tense
>would fuck if it weren’t for the kid
>…and maybe because I’m already with Lucy
>tch tch, what a waste…
>...
>what were we doing?
>oh yeah, she’s torturing dako
>I look over to Lucy with and unsure face
>“I think we should do something to help him”
>“well… he kinda deserves it”
>“yeah… but he’s the one that pays all the bills, plus, he makes some killer lasag-
>“COULD YOU TWO STOOGES STOP FUCKING ABOUT AND HELP M-AAAAUGH!”
>“ok ok fine, I’ll shoot her”
>said Lucy nonchalant as she pumped her spas, accidentally ejecting a previously chambered round
>“no no, hold on and think about it. we are right to kick that little shit’s shit, he was the aggressor, we just gotta make her understand”
>“but I wanna shoot her”
>“and I want to keep my skin not crispy”
>“augh… fine”
>“ok, the diplomatic option it is then… uh excuse me mistress red rocket?!”
>the demon’s eyes light up red as she throws dako upstairs into the second floor
>“WHAT?!”
>“uh…”
>fuck this may have been a mistake
>“ok miss uh… miss demon, I just want to let you know that my associate up there is telling the tru-
>she grabs me by my sides and pulls me up face-to-face
>I hear Lucy pump her shotgun and another shell hit the ground behind me
>"stand down Lucy"
>"hmmph"
>“who are you AND WHY ARE YOU DEFENDING A LIAR?!”
>“well, I’m a co-worker of mister Drenter and we uh… look just take my word with good faith tha-
>“AND HOW CAN I TRUST YOU?!”
>“well… we’ve never met before, so that means I have never lied to you before”
>“hmmm, you do have a point mortal, so then, look into my eyes and SAY. IT. AGAIN.”
>her furious eyes open wide, piercing my soul
>her entire sclera turns into a deep purple
>it’s kinda hypnotic not gonna lie
>“uh… I said that dako is telling the truth and… and that uh… your son started this mess by uh… breaking into our store… with malicious intentions, yep”
>her eyes turn back to normal but her body stars shaking
>uh oh
>she gently puts me down and turns to her son
>“he’s… telling the truth…”
>the little demon shit starts shaking and sweating like a pig
>ohohoho this is gonna be good
>the demoness crabs her son by the neck jerks him up violently
>she growls and bares her teeth
>cover your ears ladies and gents
>“YOU CAUSED A MESS AND THEN BROUGHT ME IN TO HANDLE YOUR CONSEQUENCES?!”
>“n-no mama… you ar-
>“YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!”
>“n-no?”
>“YOU LIED TO ME! MY OWN DAMNED FLESH AND CURSED BLOOD! I’LL BANISH YOU FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK TO THE…
>“NO MAMA NOT TH-
“…the cocktus pit”
>“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
>with that final scream, the demon kid erupts into flames and disintegrates from this plane of existence
>“talk about strict parenting ehehe”
>Lucy walks up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder
>“Anon, what’s a cocktus pit?”
>“I have an idea, but I’ll tell you later, ok?”
>“ok”
>dako stumbles back down what’s left of the stairs like a slinky
>“Anon you’re still alive? Then I’d reckon something went well”
>“I guess you could say so”
>the ground shook and a large shadow covered us
>the demoness reached down and picked up dako by the scruff of his neck
>”you may have been telling the truth this time Drenter but if you ever cross me again, I’ll destroy your ass so hard that you won’t be able to reshape into anything recognizable, understood?”
>“sure thing ma’am, you can’t count on my golden tongue from now on”
>the demoness growls
>she lets him fall into the ground and walks outside
>I follow her and poke on her thigh
>“excuse me miss demon, is there a way you could repair or otherwise compensate for the massive fucking hole you blew through our wall?”
>she sighs and rolls her eyes
>with a snap of her fingers all the debris, rocks and pieces of wood start floating in the air
>the broken splinters reassemble into planks
>the pebbles stick back together to reform the lower part of the wall
>the shards of glass fuse back into windows on their frames
>“hmmm…”
>“is there something wrong?”
>“oh nonono I uh… nothing”
>“hmph… your aura feels interesting kid, don’t let the wrong people influence it”
>“uh… what?”
>the demoness exhales a cloud of ash from her mouth that envelopes her whole body
>the cloud dissipates into thin air, leaving nothing behind
>she’s gone
>huh…
>I enter back into the house to see Lucy picking up her shells and dako walking upstairs
>“hey dako, I need to ask you something”
>“what?...”
>“ok, now that this whole thing is over and done with, would you mind telling me what the fuck just happened?”
>“oh boy, exposition dump here we g-
>“no. short answer”
>“demon bitch = retired champion: she fucking hates me and forces her son to do so as well”
>“why?”
>“lied to her”
>“about what?! WHY WOULD YOU LIE TO A DEMON?!”
>“told her that she cooked nice but really all she cooked was either raw, burnt, or literal molten rock stew”
>“ooh…”
>“the molten rock stew was actually really really nice..."
>"..."
>"...it just hurt to eat it"
>after a heated debate about the implications of molten rock stew in a human body we decide to close shop for the day
>but just as I’m about to put the closed sign outside I hear a knock on the door
>“hmmm? Hello?”
>I asked as I opened the door
>a short, robed figure was standing outside
>like one of those big robes that cover you from head to toe
>“a-ah… sorry, I came to inquire about an order”
>it’s the voice of a young woman
>“sorry but we just closed, you can come back tomo-
>“NO I MEAN LI- sorry, I mean I want to change an already existing order”
>“which order?”
>“uh… a bolt action rifle”
>…
>she wants to change an order…
>and she doesn’t look like the person that first made the order
>well, this is unusual
>but we did plan for things like this
>“what are the specifications of the rifle?”
>“oh you haven’t started it?
>I shake my head slowly
>“oh thank god”
>“the specifications”
>“uh-uh… walnut furniture, 17’’ barrel, no scope mounts and uh… IN .308”
>“correct, now, why is a young woman coming in to change the order of a grown hunter?”
>“I’m his daughter and he’s busy…? Yeah he’s busy… so…?”
>“ok… what are the new speci-
>“here’s a list I’ll come pick it up tomorrow evening bye thank you”
>she shoves a piece of paper on my hands and runs off
>the wind blows her hood off for a split second, letting me see her orange hair, with a pair of pointy ears on top of it
>a half-beast…
>this feels extremely fishy
>…
>I’ll make both versions
>just to be safe
>I’ll keep the one that doesn’t sell
>I close the shop and read the piece of paper the girl gave me
>…
>…what the fuck?
>walnut furniture, pistol grip, no stock, no scope mounts, no iron sight, 26’’ barrel in 6.5 creedmoor
>holy shit
>was that girl retarded?
>what kind of abomination is this?
>ah fuck it
>money is money
>plus, we have a clean record of customer satisfaction and I don’t want to fuck that up
>I don’t want to jew people
>only Jews do that
>“hey dako, someone came in to change and order”
>the door to the workshop gets kicked open
>“WHAT?!”
>“here”
>“…”
>“…”
>“WHAT THE FUCK?!”
>“oh and it’s for tomorrow evening”
>“aw fuck that, I got plans for tonight, you do it”
>“woaw what the fu-
>“keep all the money if you want, I don’t want to be associated with that piece of shit”
>“…ok that more fair”
>“I have all the shit needed to make a Remington 700, fuck I think I even have a bolt in 6.5 made already”
>“you have a barrel in 6.5?”
>“I have a barrel for an APS, you think I don’t have for creedmoor?”
>“ok no need to flex on me”
>“are plans for a remmy 700 are in a drawer somewhere, just use a small piece of wood because of the stock”
>“you mean the lack of stock”
>“fucking yeah whatever”
>dako walks upstairs and goes do whatever
>Lucy pops out of the living room and walks towards me
>“need help?”
>fuck it, I just want to get this shit done soon
>“yeah why not”
>we walk over to the workshop
>immediately I start opening the drawers and cupboards looking for anything useful
>there’s a cupboard labeled “finnished parts”
>yes with two N’s
>I open it
>it’s divided into different parts
>there’s the Remington bolts
>they all have a sticker with what caliber they are
>and here’s one labeled “6.5 CRMD”
>I’m pretty sure this is it
>I take it and place it on the workbench
>now the barrel
>the huge fuck-off box filled with barrels of different calibers
>here’s the one in 6.5
>according to dako, this should be 2 meters long
>because this is the first gun we have made in creedmoor
>fuck I forgot this are heavy
>I need to cut this shit
>I take a measuring tape and mark it at 27 inches off one end
>just in case
>wait…
>I should get all the pieces I need before this
>[insert montage of me turning the workshop inside out looking for things while Lucy stands in a corner, preferably with the king of the hill theme playing in the background]
>ok, recap, I found a really good template for the stock
>I only need to trace it into an appropriate piece of walnut making the correct modifications
>AKA the shitstol grip
>I’m only missing:
>-the receiver
>-the recoil lug
>-a magazine
>I know .308 mags are compatible with 6.5
>fuck I need to go to the store again
>“Lucy, I’m gonna need to go back to the store, want to come with me?”
>“I have something to do here, I’ll wait for you to come back”
>ok…?
>“well, I’ll be back in a bit, please don’t touch anything yet?”
>I grab the car keys and 200$ from the safe
>back to the shopping district again
>I look at the hour on my phone
>traffic must have gotten bad by now
>I start the car and drive through the same route again
>slow on the back streets
>and slower on the big roads
>the traffic is a crawl
>an agonizing and infuriating crawl
>I feel an aneurysm inching its way up my brain
>finally make it to where I wanted to
>I pull up and park in the lot of a big department store
>the Urthine Finizht
>which according to dako, means “Good Spender”
>the air goes cold as I go near the entrance
>the whirring of an angry engine resonates through the walls
>muffled by the mechanical sound, I can hear the desperate anguished moans of a crowd
>I can see the shadow of their crumbling form behind the frosted glass sliding doors
>the doors open by themselves, a mysterious mist spewing through the crack, dissipating at my feet
>I can feel a strong breeze hit my face as I pass through the gates
>it sends a chill down my spine
>the whir of engine grows louder
>AND ANGRIER
>I look up to see what’s the cause of the deafening noise
>my god…
>...I can't believe it
>they've done it...
>…they installed some of those air door things on the entrances
>nice
>now what were those unholy sounds?
>I looked around the entrance of the store and immediately found my answer
>a mass of old people was gathered around an out of service ATM
>they refused to acknowledge the piece of paper taped to the wall besides the ATM, detailing when the machine would be operational again 
>written in Vetrillian, English and Spanish
>so no excuses on languages barriers there
>I continued forwards, grabbing a plastic basket, and walking to the sporting section
>smooth jazz started playing on the store speakers
>the sporting goods section one of the biggest parts of the store
>second only to the deli and liquors
>priorities I guess
>although it’s called “sporting goods”, it would be better called “weapons, weapon accessories, ammo and a box of tennis rackets”
>a young girl was sitting behind the counter
>mounting a collection of AK on the wall behind the counter
>a label on counter contained a message in Vetrillian and English that read “your server can speak: ENGLISH”
>“excuse me?”
>the girl leaves the stack of AK and faces me
>she walks over to the counter and steps up a small ladder to level with me
>“hello sir, how can I service you?”
>“I need some pieces for a Remington 700?”
>“which pieces sir?”
>“um… it was ah… recoil lug, a receiver, 2 .308 magazines and a box of 20 rounds of 6.5 creedmoor”
>“just the receiver sir?”
>“yeah no bolt, just the receiver”
>“and the trigger mechanism sir?”
>…
>fuck
>I forgot about the fucking trigger
>“yeeeeah… how much do the triggers cost?”
>“our cheapest model is the Timney 3lbs trigger in special offer for 110 American dollars”
>oof
>“uh, how much is it in total?”
>“uh… it’s 296.99$ sir”
>fuckfuckfuck
>I grab my wallet and quickly scour through it
>the girl starts giving me the “you fucking broke bitch” eyes
>I have 277$ with the 200 I grabbed before leaving
>“how much does the creedmoor box cost?”
>“20.99$... sir”
>oh thank god
>“take the ammo out... please”
>after that admittedly retarded moment, I paid for the stuff and headed home
>I parked the car and when I got out, I realized something weird
>it was oddly quiet
>not only the house but the entire street
>I guess it’s just one of those times of the week
>where everybody on the block has simultaneously nothing to do
>well I’m about to interrupt that when I get working on the stock
>I open the door and see dako leaning on the frame of the workshop door
>his eyes are wide open and fixed on something
>I lock the door behind me and walk up to him
>“hey what’s u-
>he raises his finger and shushes me
>then he points to the workbench and continues staring
>I turn to look at the bench
>all the lights on the room are off except for the warm yellow light of the workbench
>Lucy is leaning against it, filing the checkering on a wooden stock
>“it’s amazing…” dako mutter under his breath
>“wut?”
>“she shaped and checkered that stock from a blank, all by herself” he whispers
>“…wait, how long was I gone for?”
>dako lifts his left sleeve up and looks at his watch
>“she’s been at this for 27 minutes… she knocked out a full stock in half an hour”
>“I assume that’s fast?”
>he cracks a smile
>“it would have taken my three and a half if I was in a hurry… why didn’t you tell me she had such a good way with wood?”
>“uh…”
>Lucy blows away the residue wood from the stock and lifts it up to inspect it
>dako gently shoves me in the shoulder
>I walk into in and say hi to Lucy
>“hey Lucy uh… what are you doing?”
>“I uh… did I do something wrong?”
>“what? no! I just want to see what you have done”
>“oh, well… I wanted to help since we closed earlier today so I decided to take this stock of your workload today”
>“can I see it?”
>“uh?... sure”
>she hands it to me
>the wood is not even varnished yet, but this stock feels…
>fuck
>I don’t know how to describe it
>it feels “”complete”” sort to say
>she even molded a nice cheek rest on the butt of the stock
>the fore end is long, and it has an indent for the fingers
>much like a mosin-nagant
>“where did you learn to do this Lucy?”
>“working on the Rodela, since we were always travelling, I had to pick up some useful survival skills, so I chose woodworking, to make tools and other useful things like handles or tent supports”
>“why didn’t you tell me about this before?… it’s great”
>“GREAT?!”
>dako steps into the room fully
>“you clearly lack an eye for detail!”
>he takes the stock from my hands and turns the room lights on
>“look at this! the grain of the wood, it’s perfectly parallel to the shape of the fore end”
>“oka-
>“and then the it fiddles at the back! The layers mix and sway like marble, it’s beautiful”
>“dude… you good?”
>“oh and the checkereing! THE DIAMONDS ARE FULLY BEVELED AND WRAP AROUND THE GRIP THIS TAKES ME SO LOG TO MAKE AND SHE-
>“OK OK WE GET IT!”
>“I uh… sorry I creamed myself a bit”
>“ew”
>“metaphorically Anon… anyway, can I take a picture of this?”
>Lucy and I stare at him awkwardly for a second
>then she stares at me
>I raise my shoulders
>“sure…? But It’s not finished yet”
>“oh, thank you, thank you very much”
>dako puts the stock on the table and snaps a couple of pictures of it with his phone
>he says thank you a bunch of times as he walks away to his room while staring at his phone
>”I’m pretty sure he’s going to jack off now” says Lucy and immediately snorts and laughs at her own joke
>nice to see my childish sense of humor is sticking to her, I guess
>“so what do I do now Anon?”
>“well, we need to varnish the stock and uh…”
>“what? what’s the matter?”
>“the order specified only a pistol grip with no butt”
>“oh fuck”
>“don’t worry, we’re not butchering this stock for that piece of shit, we’re saving it for something that’s truly worthy of it”
>“so I have to start over?”
>“um… yes”
>Lucy crosses her arms and frowns
>“I’ll give you half of my share”
>“ok”
>Lucy immediately cheers up and goes to grab another stock blank
>instead of grabbing one of the nice blanks, she grabs an unsharpened plank
>as to not fuck up the work the goes into shaping them
>Lucy then puts the blank on the workbench
>and she stares at it…
>“uh… anon… can you… leave?”
>“wait what? why?”
>“I don’t like being watched from behind like that”
>“…imma… I need to work on the turning machine, ok?”
>“lathe”
>“yeah that, I’m gonna work on the rest of the rifle ok?”
>Lucy takes a deep sigh and nods
>“just remember, no stock”
>“pistol grip”
>“yeah”
>Lucy grabs a pencil and starts marking her design on the wood
>I grab my phone and earphone out of my pocket and put on some nice music to work to
>[YouTube] Wii Sports Boxing Results Music for 10 Hours (embed)
>when…
>when did I add this song to my library?
>[YouTube] Part-Time Lover (embed)
>that’s better
>I turn my attention towards the barrel I need to finish
>so I grab it and put it on the turning machi-lathe and get it spinning
>I slowly thin down the barrel until it has the same outer diameter as the receiver and recoil lug
>then I put a 15° tapper about 5cm long and then back straight again
>once mostly done I trimmed the fat end of the rifle and threaded it for the receiver
>now to finish it
>I used cold blue to finish the barrel
>dipping it in scolding water, drying it and then rubbing the blue with a sponge lenght wise
>let set and then scrub with a 4 grade steel wool cloth
>wipe, let set and repeat another 3 times until the finish of the barrel matched the receiver and recoil lug
>grab barrel and put in the lathe again, this time on the opposite side
>ream and headspace the barrel with the receiver and bolt
>assemble trigger and attach to receiver
>clean forehead sweat off rifle
>ready
>now I only need Lucy to fini-
>someone pulls my earphone out
>"hey Anon I-
>"AAAAAAAH"
>accidentally throw entire thing into the air
>I flinch my arms forward in a weird manor
>of course, purely out of reflex
>then I realize what I have done but before I can look up
>the receiver, barrel, and trigger fall into my arms
>getting caught in my slightly bended elbows
>oh
>that was lucky
>I grab the assembled rifle parts and turn around to see Lucy with a smug smile
>“I scared ya”
>“I… yeah you did… what’s up?”
>“look!”
>she said with enthusiasm as she presented me the product of excellent workmanship and a terrible idea
>it’s the pistol stock
>it looks like an eliminator stock for a Remington 700
>but without the butt
>it has a nice even and shiny layer of lacquer
>the interior is already carved out for the components
>wait… how did she-
>I grab the receiver and put in into place in the stock
>it fits perfectly
>and the part where the barrel would sit on the stock is shaped for a snug fit
>“hey Lucy, how did you…?”
>I asked as I pointed at the components perfectly placed on the stock
>“oh, I looked over your shoulder when you were putting it together and carved it out”
>“that’s… honestly very impressive”
>“mhmm thanks”
>I grab the trigger guard and screw it in
>finalizing the rifle
>I set it on the workbench under the light
>“and it’s done… hmmm now that I think about it, it doesn’t really look that ba-oh!”
>Lucy suddenly hugs me from behind
>she’s laughing and doing those weird noises girls make when they get giddy
>“it’s our first rifle Anon!”
>“I- yeah it is… I guess”
>Lucy stands on the tip of her toes and gives me a quick kiss
>a peck actually
>“we’re gonna celebrate it with a good movie and a big bowl of buttery popcorn”
>“well…
>I look around the workshop
>at the fine metal shaving on the lathe
>the woodchips on floor
>and the stains of lacquer on the workbench
>…I think we should first celebrate by cleaning this pla-”
>I hear the door to the hallway close behind me
>I turn around to see Lucy already left to do her thing
>sigh deeply as I go to grab a broom
>several minutes later
>I drop the last of the shavings into the garbage and stretch my back
>hang my apron near the door and walk into the living room
>Lucy is there waiting for me on the couch
>already digging into the big bowl of popcorn
>I sit besides her and open up Netflix on the TV
>after 15 minutes of scrolling through our recommended feed, we settle for Netflix’s retelling of the story of the hero of Neumagh
>yikes, only one-and-a-half-star rating
>…
>let’s watch it
>Lucy leans into me as the movie starts
>a couple dozen minutes later I can see why the low ratings
>it’s filled with that Netflix spice everybody hates
>it doesn’t even resemble the original story
>hell, they made Anon into a black trans man for fuck’s sake
>what a fucking shitshow
>it’s kinda good if you want something to laugh at though
>a couple more minutes later, even that faded away
>as Lucy and I slowly drifted to sleep on the couch
>…
>slowly, I got woken up by an uncomfortable feeling
>the popcorn had done me dirty
>and I had to get up less I wanted my bowels to riot
>as I stretched, I noticed Lucy was no longer besides me
>then I heard the distinctive sound of ammo being pushed into a magazine
>I turned to my left to see dako loading a mag on the other side of the couch
>there was a g17 on the table in front of him
>it already had a mag in
>I took a look at my phone
>2:37 in the morning
>I looked back at dako again
>“what are you gonna do?”
>“business shit”
>I pulled out my CZ and its spare mag from my waistband
>“want help?”
>“what do you expect to get out of it”
>“I didn’t get dinner, so I want to hit a 7-11 on the way”
>“heh… sure, it’s low risk anyway”
>"lost interest"
>"yeah right... like you could handle anything but"
>I chuckled and stood up
>put my gun back in waistband and stretched again
>"...actually do come with me tho, I want to show you something"
>“sure, just let me go to the bathroom first”
>some minutes later (again)
>“ok let’s go”
>I grabbed the keys of my car and we headed out the door
>we got in the car and went on our way
>“so… what are we doing tonight”
>“gathering information”
>“like… spy shit?”
>“kind of, I got a contact we got to meet, meeting is in Buns and Horns”
>“the strip club?”
>“yeah, you know how to get there?”
>“uh…”
>“get us to the center, I’ll guide you from there”
>I cracked my neck and took a deep breath
>“to the strip club it is then”
>“you said you were hungry right? They got some killer parmesan wings there”
>wings on a strip club?
>wait…
>food on a strip club?
>I thought the only things consumed in those places were alcohol and contraceptives
>…
>anyway, we make it to the place
>lonely joint in the middle of a bunch of small apartment buildings
>parking lot absolutely filled with cars, all of which have mismatched paint or are riced to shit
>the only lights in the entire block are the pink and purple neon signs outside of the place
>park the car on the opposite side of the parking lot due to lack of space
>get out and walk towards the front door
>“hey anon, you remember that demon woman from earlier?”
>“miss red rocket? What about her?”
>“her husband owns this joint”
>“oh”
>“and that fucker has ears all over the place”
>“oh”
>“so no calling her names, but most importantly, no questions, got it?”
>“got it”
>once near the entrance, the first thing I noticed was a giant boulder next to the door
>boulder which started to shake as we got closer
>“uh…”
>“don’t worry, it’s the bouncer”
>“the boun…cer...?”
>several cracks stretched over the boulder
>and bits started to fall off
>revealing the shape of a man wearing a robe sitting hugging his knees
>like watching a statue get carved out of marble but sped up
>the eyes of the statue light up yellow as he stood up
>easily reaching 7 feet in height
>and his stone garments unhardened and started to flow with the wind
>uh...
>“yo Ulcer! how you doing my good pebble?”
>his name is Ulcer?
>like those things you get in the stomach when you eat Mexican?
>Ulcer extends his open hand towards dako
>“Drenter… gun…”
>and he sounds like Dwayne Johnson with an infernal echo and slowed down to 25% normal speed
>“but you used to let me through with my-
>“new policies… gun…”
>“augh fine, here”
>Ulcer then extends his hand to me
>“you… gun?”
>“yeah, here you go mate”
>“what is… this?”
>“it’s a CZ-75”
>“ew…”
>bruh
>“you may enter…”
>he kneels down
>the stone bits that had fallen to the floor start shaking
>they levitate and fuse with Ulcer
>forming the same shape of the boulder he was before
>we enter the strip club
>and it’s exactly what you would expect of a normal strip club
>everything is either dark or lit by eye-frying neon lights
>the air feels like secondhand smoke
>there’s a smell of crotch sweat everywhere
>there’s a table full of goblins hollering at the strippers in the back
>and the carpet is sticky
>instead of sitting down in one of the vacant tables, dako guides me to a big pair of swinging doors guarded by another bouncer
>a human this time
>dako shows him a piece of paper and then points at me
>“he’s with me”
>“guests without membership most pay an entry fee”
>“what?! but-
>“new policies”
>“god dammit fine, how much?”
>“it will be added to your tap”
>the man opens one of the doors and lets us pass
>we enter into a different, fancier part of the strip club
>properly illuminated, wooden floors and the air is breathable
>there’s a big stage on the back with the curtains down
>all the people here are sitting quietly eating and enjoying themselves
>they all look like respectable memebers of society that enjoy watching a titty maybe once or twice a month
>it's kinda like a casino showroom but with prostitu-it’s a casino showroom
>a female elf with big assets and tanned skin walks towards our table
>she’s wearing the yellow and black jumpsuit the bride from Kill Bill used
>she hands me a pair of menus
>she then winks at me and leaves
>bruh…?
>I look over to dako and hand him one of the menus
>“this is exactly why we came here today”
>“big elf titty?”
>“what? no! once every month the club hosts cosplay night”
>“oh, you have a cosplay fetish”
>“no! it’s because my conta-I MEAN… yes, I have a cosplay fetish Anon, you would not believe how hard I am right now”
>I lift my phone from under the table
>“ok say that again, I was only recording audio”
>“oh you mother bitch… just- just order whatever the fuck you want and wait quietly”
>and so we did
>I ordered some parmesan wings and a pineapple vodka cooler
>the elf that was attending our table slipped me a small piece of paper
>it was her phone number
>I looked back at her
>she winked at me once again and then disappeared behind the doors that lead to the kitchen
>as soon as she was gone, I crumpled up the paper and flicked it away
>I would never dare cheat on my girl
>I’m a man of clean morals
>just ignore those few times I stole from the dead
>we spend some minutes in quiet contemplation
>dako was contemplating the waitresses that passed by
>and I was contemplating how fucking good those wings were holy shit
>dako checks his phone and looks around
>“here she comes”
>I lick the last of the parmesan of my fingers
>“she?”
>I look over to where he’s looking
>a woman in a bunny girl outfit walks towards us
>she leans on our table and looks at me
>“big boy… you brought a big friend today huh?”
>“uh…”
>“what’s your name?”
>“I’m-
>“how bout you tell me somewhere more… private”
>“UH…”
>she walks away, beckoning us to follow her with her finger
>dako just stands up and gleefully walks behind her
>I… I guess I have to
>she takes us to a hallway with several doors on both sides
>oh no
>I know what this place is
>I've seen it in GTA
>she takes us to the very last door of the hallway
>it’s a dimly lit room with three beanbag chairs surrounding a metal pole
>yep, this is where they give lap dances
>there’s sound proofing on the walls and ceiling
>uh…
>she locks the door behind us
>okay… breath anon
>be strong, don’t be tempted
>you have a girl, and you don’t cheat
>you know who cheats?
>niggers cheat
>don’t be a ni-
>“hey Anon, are you ok?”
>“I AHMAH HMMM…”
>“what?”
>the bunny girl looks at me funny
>“is he ok?”
>“yeah am… I’m fine… totally”
>she takes a deep breath and wipes her forehead
>“phew… ok…”
>she puts her hands on the sides of her head and pulls on her ears
>they come off cleanly and leave an empty patch of skin
>wait what
>she digs into her cleavage and pull out a folded piece of paper
>“here’s what I managed to pick up this month Drenter”
>her bunny ears twitch as she sits down on one of the beanbags
>oh shit
>those are real?!
>“do you really have to put it there?”
>“does this outfit look like it has any pockets? besides, my leggings are already busy with $1 bills”
>“excuse me but what the fuck is going on?”
>“this is Kalia, my informant”
>“hi~”
>“huh?”
>“Anon was it?”
>“y-yes”
>“yeah look sorry for that weird introduction, I had to sell it to my boss that I'm actually working and not plotting against his biggest source of income”
>“your boss was watching?”
>“he’s always watching”
>“…”
>“…”
>“…ahem”
>dako brings attention to him
>"oh yeah that, bring it over"
>dako grabs one of the beans and pushes it besides Kalia's
>he unfolds the piece of paper and starts reading it
>"weapons in the warehouse... Ulsman street... new shipment coming in soo-what the fuck is this?"
>"I told you, it's what I heard"
>"I thought it would be all cryptic code or some shit like that, this is clear as day!"
>"you seriously were expecting a group of drunk and horny goblins to be subtle?"
>"...ok fair enough"
>I scratch the back of my head
>"um... I still don't know what you guys are talking about"
>“really? I mean… I think we’ve given enough clues through dialogue for you to piece what we are doing here, don’t you think?”
>“oh definitely”
>“well since you seem be on one of your sporadic episodes of mental disability, let me explain you what’s the deal with us… ahem ahem… I met Kalia here…”
>“hi~.... again”
>…a few days after we arrived back here a little over a month ago and we struck a deal”
>“aha~”
>“as you can probably deduce, or rather, CAN’T in your case, I’ve been using Kalia’s natural gifts to my advantage”
>Kalia wiggles her ears a bit
>“yep, I’ve been gathering information I’ve overheard from the mob of goblins you probably saw when entering”
>“and what do you get out of it?”
>“a good pay and satisfaction at the fact that I’m helping in the reduction of the local goblin population… speaking of which”
>she gives dako a gentle jab with her elbow
>dako reaches into his jacket and pulls out a wad of cash
>“thank you~”
>she folds the wad in half and stuffs it down her cleavage
>“if you have such a good deal going on then why are you being so hush about it?”
>“my boss, he knows the goblins are the biggest part of his income”
>“how so?”
>dako replies for her
>“promiscuous little green shits, come here every night and blow all their money away on marked up cheap booze and throwing it at the women”
>“yeah that and-
>suddenly, a buzzer rings out from somewhere within the room
>“welp, times over, see you next month Drenter… and you Anon guy”
>“aight see ya, take care, don’t catch an STD”
>“bye k-Kalia”
>she waves us goodbye and then starts working on reattaching her fake human ears on
>we leave the room and sit back at the table we were on
>dako looks around and then waves the ok sign at one of the waitresses
>“now we just pay and then we leeeeeeeee-
>dako slowly starts to look up as his eyes widen
>a shadown covers the whole table
>I feel a big hand wrap around my shoulder
>uh...
>"good morning Drenter, how are finding my fine establishment?"
>oh uh
>this voice…
>it’s like a deeper Rick Hunter (the actor not the anime dude)
>“hiiiiii… mister Ruth… how’s the family?”
>“my wife told me about your whole debacle yesterday’s evening”
>“ooooooh…”
>he pats me on the shoulder and then walks around our table
>he puts his hands on dako’s shoulders
>the dude is just as tall as the rock dude from the entrance
>but whereas the rock dude looked like a scaled-up human, this guy lanky as fuck
>he’s wearing a black two-piece suit with a dark red shirt under the vest and a black sunglasses
>the shirt has a weird pattern
>it’s equally spaces thin vertical lines
>that’s not the weird part
>the weird part is that they stay in place when he moved, no matter the angle
>like the clothes from that one old cartoon network show
>man, I loved that sho-
>“hey you kid, you’re Anon right?”
>“I uh… yes sir, how did you know my name?”
>“I read your mind”
>“…”
>“…”
>“…I’m just joking, I read it of your driver’s license”
>from his pockets he pulls out, indeed, my driving license
>I put my hand on my back pocket to feel that I still have my wallet with me
>“how did you-
>he snaps his finger and my license lights on fire
>it disintegrates in less than a second
>uh…
>“don’t leave you mouth open like that boy, you may accidentally swallow a fly”
>he snaps his fingers again
>before I can even say anything, I feel something strange on my stomach
>feel nauseous, like I’m gonna vomit
>no, I AM gonna vomit
>I feel it crawling up my throat
>I grab a napkin to try and cover my mouth
>but I’m too late
>my mouth snaps open, and a swarm of big flies spews out
>“ohoho! horse-flies! how interesting...”
>I try to scream but it only strengthens the flow of flies coming out
>I try to take a deep breath through my nose
>instead, flies come out of my nostrils
>dako just sits there
>staring at me and sweating anvils
>HELP ME DAMMIT
>I AM ABOUT TO HAVE A FUCKING HEART ATTACK
>dako starts breathing heavily
>he twists and turns himself in place
>arms extended and stiff, like if they were tied down to the table
>the other people on the club take notice of our sorry state as the flies reach their table
>they start swatting at them
>but as the swarm grows bigger and bigger, they start to get desperate
>the waitresses run into the kitchen
>the patrons take cover under their tables or run out of the club entirely
>dako’s struggles start to get more violent
>jumping off the chair and trying to pry himself off with the aid of his feet
>suddenly, it sounds like two ceramic plates getting smashed against one another
>the sleeves of dako's jacket come off the table empty
>the sleeves drape down with gravity
>as his arms stayed stuck on to the surface of the table
>detached, not like ripped flesh but like broken porcelain
>what in the heavens IS GOING ON?
>dako starts backing off while staring at his detached limbs
>he trips on his own feet and fall onto his back
>another crash
>the top of his jeans and part of his jacket deflate as broken skin colored bits of porcelain pour out
>a crack extends from dako’s collarbone all the way up and splits his face in half
>dako tries to scream but the left half of his lower jaw falls off and smashes against the floor
>the only sound dako emits are desperate and panicked gargles
>the owner of the club starts laughing maniacally
>slamming his fist on the table several times as the screams of the people fill the air
>I feel like I’m about to pass out due to lack of air
>the black lines on his shirt opened like eyes with bright red irises
>oh god
>oh fuck
>HELP!
>“ok… ok… I’ve had my fun”
>the club owner snaps his fingers again
>all the flies that were flying across the room burst into flame and disintegrate
>including the ones still coming out of my face
>I cough the cloud of ashes that were stuck on my throat and lungs
>slam my head against the table and start taking deep breaths
>the people that didn’t run away for their lives start to stand up and look around
>confused as to what happened
>“…w-why…?”
>“I don’t know, you tell me”
>“but-
>“yeah I know you aren’t at fault of my son’s mistakes… in reality I just wanted to let off some steam, but don’t worry, I may be a spawn of the devil but I’m a fair spawn of the devil”
>he reaches into his suit vest and pulls out a microphone
>he tests it out by tapping into it a few times
>the speakers on the base of the stage boom out
>“ahem ahem… attention everybody, I’m deeply sorry for the sudden commotion, it was a practical joke that may have gone a bit too far…”
>the crowd starts to denounce their discontent in mass
>booing and shouting synonyms of penis at us
>“…as compensation, all of tonight’s taps are on the house, plus enjoy a free show by the SuccuBabes”
>the crowd immediately switches to cheering as waitresses poured out of the kitchen doors to attend the new orders of booze
>the stage curtains lifted up to reveal three women with horns and pointed tails wearing skimpy latex suits backed by a full band
>one of the three women grabs a microphone from a stand in front of her and waves at the crow
>“alright everybody, here’s Soft & Wet”
>the crowd starts cheering more loudly
>she points at the drummer who then counts down and the band starts playing
>[YouTube] Prince- Soft and Wet (Second Unreleased Version) (embed)
>the owner turns to me
>“see, I give you a potentially traumatic experience and I lose out on a night’s worth of work, I think we’re even”
>“I… yeah fair enough”
>“well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your technically morning already, if you need anything don’t be afraid to call me”
>he reaches into his sleeve and pulls out a business card
>“name's Inportunio Melphkrot but you can simply call me Mr. Ruth, now, if you’ll excuse me”
>he turns on his heel and walks off towards the kitchen door
>…
>hmm, maybe he's not that bad after all
>...
>I feel like I’m forgetting something...
>suddenly I hear angry gargling noises coming from the other side of the table
>I stand up and look over to see the janitor sweeping dako away with a broom and a dustpan
>“oh shit MR. RUTH WAIT!”
 
~a few minutes later~
 
>we leave the club in a relatively neutral disposition
>Ulcer gives us our guns back at the exit
>or well…
>he gave me my gun in hand and then threw dako his gun into his face
>so much for “good pebble”
>we make it back to the car
>I sit behind the wheel and start the car
>dako stands out the passenger side making weird faces at the side mirror while picking at his teeth
>“what the fuck are you doing?”
>“hoftdon ah phink ah haf somfthing stufk ing my gumbs”
>he pulls something out and flicks it away
>then gets in and reclines his seat back
>“it was a stray piece of porcelain”
>“wasn’t that technically part of you then?”
>“…eh, it was probably not important”
>just as he says that, his nose starts bleeding
>like a lot
>“uh… du-
>before I can finish, something suddenly pops from behind my seat and strikes me in the jaw
>with enough strength to send me lurching forward and hitting the horn for a second
>before I can even recover at all I feel a pair of hands wrap around my neck and start strangling me
>I instinctively grab the hands that are assaulting me
>the tender and soft hands assaulting…
>the very familiar feeling han-
>I let go and punch the interior lights switch
>my eyes adjust to reveal Lucy gripping my throat with angry and teary eyes
>ah fuck
>“Lu...cy…
>“ANON YOU SON OF A BITCH!”
>“w-wait I-
>she lets one hand go off my neck and grabs my hair instead
>uh oh
>she slams my head against the steering wheel
>“LUCY HOLD…”
>BANG, again
>“HOLDON I CAN-
>POW, and again
>“I CAN EXPLA-”
>*car horn*
>“WHEN DID YOU GET SO STRO-
>*windshield wiper noises*
 
>“LUCY STOP FOR FUCK’S SAKE I WASN’T CHEATING ON YOU!”
>“HOW DO I KNOW YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH?!”
>I get her to stop chocking me for a second
>“d-dako, tell her what we came here to do!”
>the only response I get is a distracted
>“huh?”
>and the sound of a lighter striking
>“hey! HEY CUNT!”
>dako flinches and drops his cigarette
>“what?!”
>“no smoking in the car”
>“oh fuck off…”
>Lucy raises an eyebrow
>“didn’t you promise you were gonna stop smoking?”
>“pfft… nah, I didn-
>a wooden arm comes out from behind the seat rest and snatches the cigarette out of dako’s mouth
>“yeah you fucking did ya cunthead”
>Gabby pops out from behind the seat
>“oh great… you are here too”
>“of course, I’m the one that had the idea in the first place”
>“what do you want?”
>“we want into the raid”
>“what fucking raid?”
>“you came here to get some info about where some goblins are hi-
>“HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW THAT?”
>“I got my secrets…”
>Lucy drops me and sits back down
>“wait… didn’t you bring me with you to prove that Anon was cheating on me?”
>“what? NO!”
>me and Gabby shout at the same time
>“oh Anon I always knew you would never betray me!”
>god…
>what the fuck is happening?
>I think everybody is a bit sleep deprived
>“are you guys ok?”
>dako shakes his head
>“it doesn’t matter, we are going home right now”
>Gabby refutes
>“oh nonono I didn’t pack all this kit for you to call it a night”
>Gabby presents several bags of holding with our names on them
>“the sun will rise in a couple of hours, we can’t do this now”
>“so you don’t think you’d be able to clean a goblin warehouse in a few hours eh?”
>“…”
>“yeah that’s what I thou-“
>“Anon, takes us to Ulsman street”
>Gabby gives a coy smile
>I sigh as I turn the ignition key
 
>the drive is quiet
>Lucy is leaning on my shoulder
>not saying anything
>the ambient feels awkward
>I think I need some rest
>this doesn’t look like a good idea anymore
>it never did you whiny bitch
>oh shut the fuck up inner doubt, you talk much and do jack shit either
>…
>yeah that’s what I thou-
>“Anon are you ok?”
>Lucy shakes me slightly
>“hmmm? yeah why?”
>“you’re making weird faces… again…”
>“oh that’s just uh… I was just thinking of something”
>“ok…?”
>I enter the highway that crosses through the entire city and drive a good bit to almost the other side
>a more industrial area
>factories with tall chimneys stand on the outskirts of this area
>there’s not much actual housing here
>most buildings are shops or warehouses
>from this point on I rely on dako’s instructions since I can’t read the street signs
>“this is it, this is the beginning of Ulsman street”
>“and how are we supposed to know which building is it?”
>“oh believe me, you’ll know when you see it”
>we cruise through the street slowly
>there are no other cars around
>not even parked on the street
>most of the buildings are completely closed down
>rolled down security gates and barred windows
>no lights on
>well… with one exception
>a big exception
>a small warehouse with multicolored lights flashing through the windows
>and muffled hoodlum music vibrating through the walls
>“uh…”
>dako nods
>“yep”
>I drive around the building and park inside a dark alleyway
>"how can you be sure this is the place? what if it's just some teens having an industrial rave?"
>at that very moment, another source of muffled nigger music appears
>a sports sedan rolls down the street and parks in front of the building
>three goblins and a human step out and go into the building
>"ok this is the place..."
>dako pulls out a pair of binoculars and eyes up the car
>where did he get those?
>"that's a nice ride they got..."
>"huh? let me see"
>he hands me the binoculars
 
>“hey that’s a late 90’s Subaru WRX… an STI judging by the pink badge”
>“ooh… what does that mean?”
>“it’s a nice car I guess”
>“maybe too nice for a gang of filthy goblins”
>“hmm, maybe… what’s in that warehouse anyway?”
>“it’s an illegal weapons shop”
>“Illegal weapons? I thought there were almost no limitations to gun ownership here”
>“oh no they are not hiding illegal weapons, they’re hiding the illegal shop itself”
>“what? why is it illegal?”
>“tax evasion”
>“but don’t you do that too?”
>“CHRIST NO! Anon what kind of sick criminal do you take me for? I only evade taxes of other countries”
>“ok…”
>“well anyway, I already formulated a perfect plan”
>“and that is?”
>“we cut the electricity, murder every motherfucker inside, loot everything we can and bounce before the police arrives”
>“so the classic?”
>“yeah”
>Gabby shoves a bag into my hands
>“and we get to join the fun this time”
>I open the bag and shove my entire arm into it
>inside there’s a black coat, a balaclava, my SL8 and a chest rig with five mag pouches
>but only three magazines
>“uh… what happened to all the fancy helmets and night vision goggles?”
>Gabby hands me a flashlight and some duct tape
>“we’ve had some... budget cuts”
>I raise an eyebrow
>dako rolls his eyes
>“I sold them to buy the house… along with most of my cool toys and those fancy cars I brought back on the plane”
>“oh that’s what those were for?”
>“yeah, to pay my mortgage”
>“and what happened to your bike? one day you took it out and came back walking”
>“I uh… I lost it in a bet”
>…
>we all get prepared
>dako has his SR-3M and suppressor
>Gabby has an MP7
>and Lucy has her spas with two bandoliers full of extra shells
>she looks ready and willing to kill but I better stay with her
>she has had some training recently but...
>hmmm...
>"are you guys ready?"
>"yeah"
>"couldn't be readier"
>I take a deep breath
>"let's end this quick"
>dako chuckles
>"Gabby, do it"
>she waves her hands and smoke comes out of her fingers
>uh..
 
>the smoke moves through the air like a ribbon being pulled by a ghost
>“what… is… that?”
>“just don’t move, I’ll explain soon”
>the smoke starts to envelope Gabby
>then it moves towards Lucy and surrounds her
>and then it goes after dako
>and then after me
>it covers every inch of my body and my clothes
>even weaving between my fingers
>it looks… strangely… familiar…?
>the it dissipates into thin air
>“uh”
>“it’s a countermeasure”
>“like the ones planes have?”
>Gabby explains
>“no, it’s a spell that protects you against cameras”
>“yeah, pull out your phone and try to take a picture of us”
>I do
>and when I open the camera and point it at dako and Gabby
>my phone can’t display them
>the wall, the car and the garbage on the ground are still there
>but where they should be standing there’s only a pair of humanoid shaped black blobs
>hmmm
>I fee like I’ve seen this before, but I can’t quite remember
>“neat, what kind of magic is that?”
>Gabby grabs a duffle bag from behind the car
>“we’ll tell you later, we don’t have much time left”
>“right”
>I chamber a round into my SL8
>we cross the street
>dako whispers
>“from this point on, no talking, everybody is their own boss only after we strike”
>we just nod
>we end up walking around to the back of the building
>always looking around for cameras or guards
>but there’s nobody
>and that nigger music is driving me crazy already
>we come across the electric panel of the building
>you’d think a building such as this would have it inside or protected in some way
>but no
>why?
>fuck if I know
>it’s right next to a back door
>a nice entry point
>dako reaches into his bag and pulls out a small pipe bomb
>he plants it into the panel and lights the fuse
>we move away and wait for the boom
>and then…
>a bang
>not like a proper explosive but like a big firecracker
>disappointment aside, it does its job mostly well
>the lights go out and the music stops
>thank god
>immediately, we hear a ruckus from inside
>a lot of anger
 
>we hear a pair of footsteps draw closer
>dako slings his rifle back and pulls out a knife
>ready to stick whatever comes through that door
>a goblin kicks the door open
>hitting dako straight in the face
>the goblin doesn’t even notice as he walks to the electrical box
>angrily mumbling under his breath
>Lucy just walks over to the goblin
>she’s holding her spas by the heat shield
>stock folded up
>before the goblin even notices her
>she clonks him over the head with the pistol grip
>squish
>the goblin falls over dead
>eyes bulging and tongue sticking out
>the top of his head looks like if someone pushed in the soft spot of a baby
>like really hard…
>but what surprises me the most if that Lucy’s gun is still relatively clean even though it just came into direct contact with a goblin
>Lucy grabs the goblin’s corpse by the shirt collar and three points that bitch into a nearby dumpster
>Jesus…
>…Christ…
>…that was awesome
>dako scoffs as he shapes his face back into a not-flat state
>we enter into the dark building stacked together
>all the main lights are out but there are some flood lights on the floor dimly glowing
>they probably turned on because of the power outage
>plus, the moonlight coming from the skylights on the roof means we don’t really need the lamps
>but it also means it will be harder to hide with less shadowy corners
>the corridor we end up on only has two doors
>one seems to lead into the actual storage area and the other into a smaller room
>probably an office or something like that
>Lucy and I stay on the door to the smaller room
>Gabby and dako move towards the warehouse proper
>Lucy sticks her ear to the door
>she looks at me, raises two fingers up and then points to the door
>ok
>two inside
>Lucy suddenly pulls out her giant fucking knife out of nowhere
>seriously, where does she keep that?
>she flips it around and grabs it by the tip
>she's gonna throw it?
>oh I get it
>I get the idea
>nice
 
>I reach for my knife…
>…
>I said I reach for my…
>my…
>…
>fuck…
>I didn’t bring a knife
>I take a lesson from Lucy and grab my SL8 by the front end like a baseball bat
>she rolls her eyes
>hey it wasn’t my idea to assault a bunch of goblins unprepared
>…
>well… it wasn’t hers either, but you get the point
>Lucy slowly turns the doorknob
>then she quickly pushes the door open
>she raises her knife up and throws it with all her strength
>nailing a goblin that was sitting on the complete opposite side of the room right between the eyes
>I scurry in besides her
>buttstock primed and ready
>the second goblin was standing near the door
>it barely had a moment to react before I went apeshit on its ass
>I swung with all my strength
>connecting with his lower jaw first, and continuing with its throat
>*crumch*
>the goblins flies off, and bounces against a wall
>by the time it hits the floor, it was already dead
>omae whatever, greenskin…
>…
>I think I dislocated one of my shoulders…
>ow…
>I put my rifle on a nearby table so I can get my hands free to fix my joints
>as my bones pop back into place I take a deep breath and look around the room
>there’s not much interesting but a bunch of drawers, a big cabinet, and a desktop computer on the corner
>oooh!
>I mosey over and take a better look at the computer
>maybe I can hack it and find something interesting
>so I press the power button…
>…
>nothing happens
>I press it again
>and again
>and again
>andagainandagainandagainandagainandagainan-
>Lucy grabs my by the shoulder and whispers aggressively
>“what the fuck are you doing?!”
>I whisper back
>“I want to see if there’s something useful on this computer”
>“the lights are out!”
>“…”
>“…”
>“oh yeah…”
>Lucy facepalms
>“well uh… have you found something interesting?”
>“no…”
>“so there’s nothing cool on this room then?”
>“doesn’t seem like it, unless you want a coffee”
>Lucy points at a steaming coffee maker on top of a drawer
>“you know what, I actually kinda do”
 
>“wait you actually…”
>“yeah… why not?”
>I grab the whole coffee maker and two mugs that were besides it
>I lean on the table and pour myself a cup
>Lucy sits on the table besides me and starts fidgeting with her fingers
>“why don’t we uh… you know… go help the others?”
>“oh they’ll be fine, they have more practice in this sorts of things”
>Lucy remains uneasy
>I take a sip of coffee
>man, this is probably the shittiest coffee I have ever tasted in my entire life
>“you want a cup too?”
>“n-no…”
>“ok”
>I start to walk around the room, mug still in hand
>I kneel down and start opening the drawers just for the funsies
>first drawer: nothing
>second drawer: some papers in Spanish
>Lucy interrupts me
>“you know, I haven’t heard anything since we entered, no gunshots, no sounds of struggle, no nothing”
>“that’s good, that means they haven’t gotten shot yet”
>“…”
>third drawer: a black gambeson with white stripes?
>it has ten thin stripes circling around the upper torso horizontally and one thick vertical stripe right in the middle
>the sleeves also have a thick vertical pinstripe on them
>it has iron shoulder plates sawn to it and it feels like the chest is reinforced with chainmail
>fancy as hell but it’s way too small for me
>I pick it up, only to see a pair of matching pants underneath it
>god damn… what is this medieval LARP gear doing here?
>forth drawer: a big humanoid skull with bull horns…
>uh…
>the face and interior of the skull have been completely carved out
>like it was turned into a helmet
>this is… getting weird…
>fifth and final drawer: a japanese matchlock rifle and a steel mask
>the mask is completely featureless
>no holes, no space for the nose
>just a black cerakoted steel oval with straps...
>...and it has a punisher-ish skull painted on it
>...
>I have several question...
>and I am very concerned by any possible answer
>just.. please... tell me this is not some cultist shit
>I don't wanna deal with that today
>...or this entire week
 
>I grab all the weird shit and put it on the table
>“what the hell is all this Anon?”
>“I have no clue”
>“…”
>there’s a knock on the door
>Lucy grabs her shotgun and aims at it
>Gabby’s muffled voice comes through
>“hey it’s us, we killed everyone but we still need your help over here”
>“see? I told you they’d be ok”
>Lucy sighs in relief
>“yeah I guess…”
>dako kicks the door open
>“the fuck were you doing?”
>“oh we were here looking at all this crazy shit”
>I say as I take the last sip from my coffee
>eugh
>“the fuck is all this?"
>“it's pretty cool right?”
>“and you were ogling at this shit instead of coming over and helping us out?”
>“yes”
>“we had to take on four goblins and a human”
>“yeah you’re pretty good, you even managed to do it without firing a single bullet”
>“just get the fuck over here and help us steal shit”
>“ok”
>Lucy and I start heading for the door
>when suddenly a hard knock comes from the metallic cabinet
>...
>maybe something inside fell over
>then another knock
>and another immediately after
>ok there’s someone inside
>all four of us approach silently
>Lucy draws her knife
>I slowly turn the handle
>when it clicks open, whoever was inside pushes
>sending the doors flying open
>making us all jump back
>from inside the cabinet falls… a… small girl?
>bound with... rope... and duct tape
>oh no…
>dear god…
>those sick green fucks
>hey wait a minute...
>that orange hair covering her eyes
>those feline ears
>it's the half-beast that ordered that weird abortion of a rifle
>or... at least I think it's her
>what is she doing here?
>Lucy walks over and kneels down
>she starts cutting the rope binding her arms to her sides
>"oh my goodness! are you ok?"
>[muffled angriness]
>"oh sorry"
>Lucy rips the tape off her mouth
>the girl yelps in pain
>and then she stares at us
>"who the fuck are you people?!"
>I take my balaclava off and step forward
>"hey, are you the gi-
>"oh shit! you're that gunsmith I ordered a rifle from!"
>yeah it's her
 
>the girl takes the rope off her
>revealing an orange tail
>and that’s she’s wearing nothing but underwear
>ooook, this is... uncomfortable...
>please don’t smite me down Chris Hansen
>I'm only trying to help
>“what are you guys doing here?”
>“what are YOU doing here?!”
>Lucy starts examining the girl’s back
>“I wanted to… hey hey! what are you doing?!”
>Lucy’s eyes widen in shock
>“what… happened to you?”
>“HEY BACK OFF!”
>the girl shoves Lucy away
>she then jumps onto the table and takes the gambeson and pants
>oh so this stuff was hers?
>as she puts them on, she continues her explanation
>“I wanted to steal some supplies from these filthy green creatures, but as you can probably conclude, it didn’t go very well”
>“you got caught”
>she picks up the matchlock rifle, puts the skull helmet on and straps the mask to her belt line
>“yeah, I guess… I guess I own you one for helping me out”
>she jumps off the table and heads for the door
>“I’ll see you soon to pick up that rifle ok?, just don’t tell anyone you saw me like this please”
>“you’re leaving?”
>“yeah, I have no reason not too”
>Lucy walks up to her and grabs her by the collar
>“you do have a reason, you need help”
>“h-hey HEY! LET GO!”
>“Lucy what are you doing?”
>Lucy grabs the back of the girl’s gambeson and lifts it up
>revealing a nasty infected wound stretching diagonally across the girl’s back
>it’s clearly a cut made by a blade of some kind
>our faces when
>the girl gets frustrated and starts swiping at Lucy
>“LET GO I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP”
>dako walks up and turns her around
>he pins her arms to her sides
>“name?”
>“I ah… NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS”
>dako puts on an intense face
>“I-I…HMPH!”
>the girl resists and puts on her own intense face
>“parents?”
>“…”
>“where do you live?”
>“…”
>“…”
>“…”
>“you’re coming with us”
>“NO I AM NNNN-GAH!”
>he just picks her up and keeps her pinned under his arm
>[angry cat noises]
>"hey could you pass me that piece of tape she had on her mouth please?"
 
>“here”
>the girl growls as dako gets the tape closer to her mouth
>“I’ve handled several feral kittens before, but none were as rowdy as you, you know?”
>she seems to take offense at this
>she starts screaming and flailing uncontrollably
>managing to twist her torso enough to land a good kick on dako’s ass
>“I’M NOT JUST SOME LOWLY WILD CAA-ah!”
>she stops struggling
>her toes curl up
>and she starts sobbing
>“dako what did you do?”
>“I-I didn’t do anything…”
>Lucy runs up and grabs the girl by her shoulders
>“put her down”
>“wha-
>“LET GO!”
>“Jesus Christ ok…”
>dako lets go of the girl
>I thought she would bolt out at first chance
>instead the girl just lays down in a fetal position
>she starts coughing violently
>and… and…
>augh god damn
>what is that smell?
>Lucy takes the gambeson off the girl
>a waft of an even worse stench spreads out from it
>making Gabby gag
>her injury looks worse
>like way worse
>the skin around the area is turning gray
>it’s secreting blood and pus
>there’s even a faint yellowish gas emanating from it
>and it has only been a couple of minutes
>Gabby covers her mouth in shock
>dako kneels down and pokes the wound
>“dear lord… this is no infection… she’s been poisoned!”
>a memory flashes before my eyes
>yes, it’s true
>I remember reading stories about this in online adventuring guides years ago
>feral goblins tend to coat their weapons with poison or filth to cause lasting damage to any would be survivors of their attacks
>it’s a known goblin trick
>but goblins living in the city?
>guess old habits die hard, even when you live in a society
>Lucy looks more and more distraught
>“we need to get her out of here like right now”
>“hold on…”
>I look over to see Gabby digging through the duffle bag
>she’s pulling empty bag of holding after empty bag oh holding out
>“I had a bag of first aid shit around here somewhere”
>she starts sweating profusely
>“come on… where are you?!”
 
>“ah! here it is!”
>Gabby exclaims as she pulls out a leather bag with a red cross hastily painted on it
>she turns it upside down and several first aid kits worth of band aids, tourniquets, ointments, and pills pour out
>she digs through the pile and pulls out a small, corked vial full of a purple liquid
>“here, drink this”
>the girl responds only by opening her mouth
>Gabby pulls out the cork and pours the liquid into her mouth
>“it’s a general antidote, it won’t completely fix her, but it will put a stop to the poison… at least for a few hours”
>dako grabs the duffle bag and all the empty bags-o-holding Gabby threw out
>“great, get out of here”
>“what? what do you mean?”
>“get her out of here, get her to a medic”
>he starts to walk away with the bag of bags
>“what about you? where are you going?”
>“I’ll clean this place, you take care of the cat… Gabby”
>“huh?”
>“you know where Dokdok lives right?”
>“y-yeah…”
>“guide them there, I’ll see you all back at the house”
>“right…”
>I pull my car keys out of my pocket
>“come on, let’s get out of here”
>Lucy picks up the girls and we all book it for the exit
>we run back to the alleyway where I parked the car
>I unlock the door and Gabby jumps into the back through the passenger seat
>Lucy sits down with the girl on her lap
>“come on let’s go!”
>Gabby shouts
>I start the car and speed out of the area
>“where are we going Gabby?”
>“uhm…”
>“you do know where we are going right?”
>“yeah I just… I uh…”
>“what?”
>“I don’t like where we are going”
>the fuck is that supposed to mean?
>“listen… just… just take the ramp back up the highway going south”
>once with a clearer idea of where to head, I step on the gas
>once back into the deserted highway, I lean back on my seat and look at Lucy for a second
>she’s using her healing magic directly on the girl’s wound
>it doesn’t seem to be doing anything
>uh…
>"what's the matter?"
>I ask
>"I can't repair dead tissue but… at least I can hold back the poison a little"
 
>I move the girl’s hair out of her face
>her eyes open and she looks at me
>good, she’s still conscious
>I take a deep breath and lean back on my seat
>Gabby reaches around Lucy’s seat and pinches the mask of the girl’s belt line
>the girl notices but she just stares at Gabby angrily
>Gabby inspects the paint of the mask for a moment
>she turns it around and chuckles
>“what’s the matter?”
>“hm? oh nothing, it’s just that I thought I had seen this type of masks somewhere before…”
>“really?”
>“yeah, it’s a military exclusive marksman’s mask… it was made by a Japanese company named KoMaKai, they sold different types of magical artefacts for competitive shooting and some other products exclusive for military contracts”
>“never heard from them before”
>“probably because their products were banned from most high profile competitive shooting events and shunned by professionals all over the world because they “took the skill out of the sport”…”
>“uh…”
>“yeah they declared bankruptcy and were bought off by Balthazar three years ago”
>“damn…”
>“they are called OPMACO today, but they stopped making a lot of their cooler and more expensive products, these masks included”
>“wait… Balthazar? aren’t thos-
>“those the guys that operate most big businesses here? yeah it’s them”
>“wow…”
>“my brother had some goggles that equalized light made by them, they were like night vision goggles and anti-flashbang shades at the same time”
>“and he sold them when we moved out…”
>“nope, one night he sat on them and broke the lenses by accident”
>“oh…”
>“yeah he cried… oh and take the next ramp to your left”
>“ok…?”
>I get off the highway
>we are back to the slums again
>Gabby directs me to a small apartment located between a drugstore and a GP
>“this is the place, leave your bigger guns on the car”
>“what is this place?”
>“one of my brother’s contacts lives here, he’s a doctor and also a massive fucking weirdo”
>“what kind of weirdo”
>“I wouldn't trust him with children"
>“oh"
 
>"yeah"
>I step out of the car
>Lucy hands the girl to me so she can pack her stuff away
>I carry ger piggyback style
>with her small hands clinging to my coat
>we gather by the door
>there’s one of those weird intercoms next to it
>Gabby presses a button on it and a rough gravelly voice with an obviously fake German accent comes through the speaker
>“who is it?! what do you want?!”
>“hey Dok, it’s Gabby”
>“oh! Gabriela you have come back to my warm embrace!”
>“no retard! Vedakost’s sister”
>“oh, a Drenter… greeeeat just what I needed”
>“hey what’s that supposed to mean asshole?!”
>“oh nothing, just come in”
>a buzzer sounds from the other side of the door, followed by several metallic sounds
>which I assume are locks
>Gabby opens the door and we walk in
>I look over to the door frame
>yep, it was locks
>the place looks messy as all hell
>furniture covered in dust
>TV is cracked and sparking
>there’s a small dining table on one corner
>it’s filled with dirty bowls and instant noodles packets
>is this really the place?
>well… Gabby did say he was a weirdo
>Gabby grabs a seemingly normal wall and opens it like a sliding door
>revealing a dark staircase that leads downwards
>uhm…
>“follow me, down these stairs”
>Gabby goes in first, with Lucy behind her and me in close third
>I feel the girl’s tail coil around my arm
>she grabs me by the neck to pull herself up
>she leans in and whispers into my ear
>“m-my name i-is Nayako”
>“huh?”
>she slumps over
>her breathing gets heavy
>“g-girls..?”
>“come on Anon, let’s hurry”
>we reach the bottom of the stairs
>it smells like a hospital in here
>but not one of the nice ones
>like a third world country kinda hospital
>Gabby opens another sliding door wall
>an excessive amount of light pours in
>stinging my unadjusted eyes
>ow
>we get greeted by the same voice from before
>“ohoho hello people, who are you?”
>“no time for formalities Dok, we need your help… a-as much as that hurts me to say”
>I… am concerned…
 
>my eyes adjust to the light
>now I can finally see where we are clearly and…
>…
>oh dear…
>a rather clean room with white walls and medical equipment
>like a proper doctor’s room
>but the problem is that in the middle of the room there’s a stainless-steel table
>on top of which lays the dissected corpse of an orc
>eyes sunken, skin pale, organs rather dry and a lack of odor
>this carcass has clearly been unproperly kept in cold preservation
>oh, and the doctor is poking around in it
>yes
>in it
>the doctor is a halfling
>a particularly small one at that
>he looks like a 7 y/o kid that grew a full beard
>he’s wearing a lab coat and some weird goggles with giant lenses
>he jumps off the open chest cavity of the orc and starts scribbling on a clipboard
>“hello you two new faces, name is Dokdok, half-medical expert, was it that you need?”
>half?
>is it a stature joke or should I be worried about of this man’s skill?
>anyway
>I turn around to present Nayako still clinging to my back
>Gabby picks her up by the armpits and sits her unconscious body on the table
>she then grabs Nayako’s helmet by a horn and pulls it off
>letting her ears flop out
>“this girl… she-
>“oooooh! I’ve never dissected a half-beast before, much less one this young and tende-
>Gabby smacks him over the head
>like really hard
>like I felt a shockwave when he made contact
>“no dissection jackass! she needs help!”
>“OKAY OKAY GEEZ!”
>“she was attacked by some goblins with blades we believe were poisoned”
>doc walks up and kneels down behind Nayako
>he pokes at her wound and then licks his pus smeared finger
>dude…
>“yep, goblin poison…”
>doc smacks his lips a couple of times
>“doc I…”
>the doc raises his hand and then turns to an empty wall
>he hunches down and projectile vomits into a corner
>there's visible traces of blood in the vomit
>“uh…”
>“…and judging by the metallic aftertaste hmmm…”
>more lip smacking
>“doc…”
>“what?”
>“are you…?”
>“oh don't worry I'm fine, I'm a doctor”
>huh
 
>“…”
>“anyway… I’d reckon it must have been around four to five hours since the attack”
>I look back to everything Nayako said about her capture, plus the time we spend on getting here
>“yeah I believe it’s been like four hours or something like that”
>“hmmm, it’s a miracle she’s even alive then”
>Gabby interjects
>“I-I gave her some general antidote… on-on the way… here”
>the doc grabs his own chin and ponders
>“I see… well that does give me some window of time to act… you, big guy, help me out here will you?”
>he points at me
>he then walks to the orc body and starts pushing it with all his strength
>barely moving it
>doc catches his breath
>“so… are you… gonna help me… or not?”
>“oh! sorry”
>I walk over and push the orc corpse off the table
>the corpse plops onto the floor and its organs fly out
>some squelch as they land into the pool of the doc’s vomit
>I lean over the table to look at the mess and then turn to the doc
>he waves it off
>“eh don’t worry about it, I’ll clean it later”
>I lay Nayako on the now vacant table
>doc jumps off and goes into another room to fetch some things
>I kneel down to level with Nayako
>she’s still breathing with difficulty
>I move her bangs out of the way to see her eyes
>she opens them as I do this
>she’s regained consciousness
>I didn’t notice before, but her eyes are bright yellow
>very shiny
>very cute
>I smile at her for positive reinforcement
>she frowns at me and loses consciousness again
>…
>the doc shuffles back in
>hands full of bottles and boxes
>and pushing an IV stand with his hip
>“I-I need a h-hand here”
>Lucy walks over and helps the doc carry everything to the table
>the doc jumps and grabs ahold of the edge of the table
>he takes a deep breath as he starts to mantle up
>he makes it, panting and sweating heavily
>“ah… ah… ok… ok let me…”
>[gasp for air]
>“ok… I’m good, I’m a doctor…”
>he grabs a purple bottle
>“this should clean the wound”
>he says and pours the entire thing on Nayako's back
 
>the wound starts to bubble and sizzle
>Nayako winces in pain
>the doc seems to be surprised by this
>he takes a second look at the bottle
>“so um… this is either a cleaning agent… or muriatic acid”
>Gabby’s eyes twitch in anger
>she raises a hand and opens her mouth but gets interrupted by doc
>“oh no wait it is the cleaning thing… look”
>he kneels down and wiped the dead tissue with his own lab coat
>leaving a nasty green and black stain on it
>dude… again
>with all the dead shit out of the way, Nayako’s wound seems like it was just made a couple of seconds ago
>but her skin still looks sick
>Lucy smiles as she steps forward and her hands start to glow
>doc pushes her away from the table
>“nonono we don’t use magic in this household, and you wanna know why?”
>the three of us roll our eyes
>“because I-
>Gabby cuts him off
>“am a doctor yes we get it just get on with it for fuck’s sake!”
>“ok ok geez, such an impatient naughty girl”
>he grabs a handful of other bottles and starts pouring and rubbing all sorts of weird shit over Nayako’s body
>all the while mumbling to himself
>“and finally, this powder purple…”
>he fucking coats her torso with it
>“…this should help her open wounds heal faster, now…”
>he grabs a purple vial and pours the contents down one of her nostrils
>“there we go, that should stop the poison from killing her”
>“what was the IV stand for?”
>I ask and point at it
>“oh that was only to make me look more professional…”
>bruh
>“…now, uh, preferred payment method?”
>Gabby pushes me aside and confronts the doc
>“we don’t have any cash with us“
>“oh for fuck’s sake… of course you don’t, I know I owe your brother a favor but why can’t you pay me with cash at least once in a while?”
>“five favors”
>“fine, but I’ll take two just for that slap you gave me earlier”
>“deal, now come on, let's get the hell out of here”
>we nod and as I go to pick the girl up, doc stops me
>“you can't take her yet!”
>Gabby's feathers puff up
>oh god oh fuck
 
>“why not…”
>oh boy she’s pissed
>you could her teeth grinding as she spoke
>“she needs to be under my supervision, maybe until noo-”
>“BULLSHIT SHE DOES!”
>Gabby lunges and picks the doc up by his neck
>“n-nonono I’m serious, just letting her rest isn’t gonna be enough, s-she needs to…AGH”
>Gabby starts chocking and shaking the doc
>she’s got murder in her eyes
>I grab her by the shoulders and try to pull her off
>I can see that her concerns are real
>yet I still can’t see their foundations
>yes, this guy, Dokdok or whatever his name was, is clearly not a normal per-er… halfling
>he’s careless and clumsy and has weird mannerisms
>and he was little creepy at the beginning to be honest
>but I can’t see how he is bad
>he’s doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions
>“Gabby stop, let him down!”
>she does so, reluctantly
>doc drops onto his knees to catch his breath
>“t-t-three! three favors!”
>“I swear to god Dokdok, if when I return that girl has a SINGLE scratch made by you, I’m murdering your ass!”
>“wha-who is this girl that… that you are so worried for her? that’s not e-exactly a trait of you that I know of”
>“IT’S NOT ABOUT THE GIRL, IT’S ABOUT YOU BEING A SHADY, FILTHY, AND UNTRUSTWORTHY RAT!”
>“b-b-bold words co-coming from a m-member ofa-of a family known fro- for deceit”
>Gabby’s pupils shrink
>she’s about to lose it
>a green glow starts to shine from in between the intertwined branched that make her prosthetic arm
>before she can do anything, I grab her by the shoulders and yank her back
>“THAT’S ENOUGH GABBY! we’re leaving!”
>she doesn’t struggle as I push her back
>she just quakes in place
>“come on Lucy, we need to uh…”
>I turn back to see the door already opened and Lucy nowhere to be seen
>oh
>she already left
>Gabby stomps up the stairs with anger
>I take a deep breath and look back
>the doc is rubbing his neck while leaning on a foot of the table
>he looks up and stares at me
>“I uh… we uh… we’ll be back at uh"
>“noon”
>“yeah noon"
 
>“yeah just… please, get the fuck out of here”
>I grab Nayako’s helmet from the table and head up
>“see ya doc”
>I close the front door behind me
>a slight rain has started to fall
>I get into the car where Gabby is waiting for me
>and Lucy…
>well…
>she fell asleep on the passenger seat
>I hand Gabby the skull helmet and start the car
>the drive home is mostly silent
>the only noises are the raindrops falling on the car, the squeaking of the windshield wipers, and Gabby’s exasperated breathing
>I look through the rear-view mirror to catch her staring at the mask
>“hey…”
>she looks at me and puts the mask away
>“…I’m sorry”
>“no it’s… it’s ok, I just don’t really like that guy”
>“yeah I got the impression”
>“hmph”
>I pause for a few seconds thinking of something else to say
>“her name…”
>“what?”
>“the girl’s name… it’s Nayako… she told me before passing out”
>“are… are you sure about that?”
>“yeah, why do you ask?”
>“Nayako… sounds a lot like nayakortz”
>“what?”
>“it’s… Vetrillian, means ‘runaway’ or ‘stray’… as in like, stray dog”
>“or stray cat?”
>“yeah… but maybe it’s just a coincidence”
>maybe
>or maybe it’s a nickname and it was on purpose
>and the conversation ended there with that thought
>we arrived home
>the sun was just barely starting to come out
>no one said anything
>we just got out of the car and went to collapse on our beds
>I’m not even sure I locked the door properly
>eh
>doesn’t matter
>slept for a couple of hours
>then my body naturally told me to wake up
>I checked my phone to see it was around 10 o’clock
>early but way later than when I usually wake up
>I turn around in the bed
>Lucy is laying down beside me
>she’s still fast asleep
>snoring and almost falling of the bed
>I slowly rise up and get out of bed
>I'm gonna go cook breakfast
>get out of my room to be greeted by quietness
>uncomfortable quietness
>the vibes on this house are horrendous
>doesn't matter
>go downstairs and into the kitchen
>already planning what to cook
 
>I open the door
>only to find Gabby sleeping on top of the small square table we all eat on
>a couple of loose feathers are strung around on the floor
>she’s clutching the mask on her hands
>her sharp talons clenching and releasing repeatedly
>like a dog that runs on its sleep
>or in this case, a raptor ripping something (or someone) to shreds
>I would try to wake her up, but knowing her, a bomb could go off next door and she wouldn’t even move an inch
>so I just move on and hope she wakes up before I need to use the table
>open the fridge and look for what I need for my favorite breakfast
>three small links of chorizo, a can of pureed tomatoes, one onion, two cloves of garlic, a jalapeño pepper and some olive oil
>slice the onion and crush the garlic
>fry the chorizo in a pan until it falls apart
>push it to one side and pour a little oil on the empty part
>throw onion and garlic over oil
>let it cook for a little before mixing with chorizo
>throw ½ a cup of tomato puree into chorizo
>mix
>cut pepper in halves and throw them into the pan
>simmer until it acquires desired consistency
>fish pepper halves out (don’t worry if some seeds fell into the sauce)
>take off heat and put a lid on it
>yes, I just inserted a whole ass chorizo sauce recipe into the story
>shut the fuck up and go try it
>the rest of the breakfast
>it's just some eggs sunny side up
>three for me
>three for Lucy
>and three for Gabby
>just throw the sauce on top of them and eat them with some tortillas
>boom
>breakfast
>I plate everything up
>and as I carry it to the table
>I see that Gabby still has her ass sprawled across it
>sigh as I put the plates on top of the stove
>grab the pan of sauce and wave it in front of her snoring face
>her nose starts sniffing
>her mouth waters
>even drooling a bit
>ew
>but fortunately, it doesn’t land on the table
>Gabby opens her baggy eyes and yawns
>“is that… Mexican for breakfast?”
>“TexMex… actually… I think… I'm not sure”
 
>“the fuck is that?”
>“it’s… nevermind, just please get off the table?”
>wha…? oh shit!”
>“what?”
>Gabby sits up and jumps off the table
>“augh… I’ve must have sleepwalked or something, I thought I had crashed on my bed”
>“why were you holding the mask? it’s not haunted and possessing you right?”
>“nah… maybe it’s just that I had a stressful night”
>she pulls a chair and sits on it
>I grab her plate and put it in front of her
>“don’t worry, we’ll go pick her up soon”
>Gabby groans
>“what?”
>she picks at an egg with a fork but stops to speak
>“don’t make it sound like it’s about her, I just really don’t trust that guy”
>“aw Gabby, I know you are worried about her, I can hear it in your voice”
>“I- well I-I-I… augh!”
>I just smile and raise an eyebrow
>“yes ok! I AM worried about her but come on man!”
>yes, come forth
>say what you must
>that’s what I want
>“how could I not be worried? she’s just a kid! I would have felt like an absolute piece of shit if I just up and left a child to die like that! don’t you think you would have felt that way too?!”
>“yes, I very much would but-”
>“THEN?!”
>I take a deep breath
>I grab the pan with the sauce and a small wire rack from a cupboard
>put the pan on the rack on the center of the table
>Gabby just waits angrily for my response
>I grab mine and Lucy’s plate
>Gabby crosses her arms
>one of her talons is impatiently tapping against the wooden floor
>I sit down and look her in the eyes
>“there’s nothing bad about that”
>in the blink of an eye she goes from angry to confused
>“what?”
>I give her a coy smile
>“it’s not criticism, I just wanted you to speak your mind”
>“well I… but…”
>“why? well you seemed little conflicted with yourself since yester-er… since earlier today, so I just wanted you to speak your mind, keep your feeling in tract with your thoughts you know?… don’t you feel better now?”
>“I… I guess”
>Gabby takes a deep breath and chuckles
>and then laughs
>and then cackles
>“oh! ohoho! oh goodness!”
>um…
 
>“what?”
>“oho… HO! oh-oh my god… oh that’s rich… oh that… HMM!”
>“what?!”
>she leans back on her chair as she winds down
>“did… did you just wake up and decided you were going to be the house’s emotional support today?”
>“what?”
>“oh fuck off Anon”
>I-
>I am very confused
>“I don’t understand”
>“look, it’s just that… I don’t… I’m not… this is not something you…”
>she gives up and just rubs her temples
>I stand up and get a pitcher of water from the fridge
>“you got a lot of pent up emotions, don't you? even from before this whole debacle with the girl”
>“god… is it really that obvious?”
>I shake my head as I pour myself a glass of fresh water
>“not really, you kinda showed it just now”
>Gabby just sighs
>she pokes her eggs again before cutting a piece off and eating it
>“you know, these need something else, like some bread or something to put them on”
>“ah shit, I forgot to heat up the tortillas!”
>“we have tortillas?”
>“uh…”
>FUCK
>uh
>um
>oh I got it
>I open the pantry and grab a bag of sliced white bread
>I put several slices on a cutting board and flatten them up with a clean frying pan
>“there, improv white bread tortillas”
>“ok…?”
>I sit down with a cutting board of flat bread
>“well what where we talking about?”
>in that instance, Lucy walks into the kitchen
>she yawns as she scratches her back
>Gabby looks at me for a few seconds
>she looks uncomfortable
>she whispers
>“maybe we should talk about this later”
>I just nod
>“hi baby”
>“hi sweetheart, I made breakfast, but you may wanna put it through the microwave a little”
>“aw thanks”
>she leans down and gives me a peck on the cheek
>Lucy puts her plate on the microwave and continues her morning stretches as she waits
>“so what where you guys talking about?”
>Gabby tries to explain with her mouth full of eggs and bread
>unsurprisingly she starts to choke
>I calmly put the water pitcher besides her plate and turn to Lucy
>“oh we were talking about the whole mess that was last night”
 
>“oh really? it didn’t sound like it”
>“what do you mean?”
>“well it was Gabby’s maniacal laughter that woke me up”
>“oh…”
>I look over to Gabby who is chugging water straight from the pitcher
>uh…
>she slams the pitcher down on the table and takes deep breaths
>“you know you are supposed to use a glass right?”
>“I didn’t have one on hand”
>“fair enough”
>the microwave beeps
>Lucy grabs her plate and sits down to have breakfast with us
>we discuss what we are gonna do for the day
>well, we are definitely not opening shop today
>Gabby and I are gonna be out by noon
>dako is nowhere to be seen
>I’m not even sure if he is even still alive
>and Lucy says she’s tired of just napping and wants to have a “proper sleep”
>considering she is an elf, I can only assume that means sleeping for like 30 hours or something
>I don’t know
>we finish eating
>throw the dirty dishes on the sink
>aaaaand now I have like two hours to kill
>Lucy heads back up
>I assume to have her micro-hibernation
>Gabby goes off and seals herself on her room
>like she usually does
>and me?
>well…
>I just sit on the living room couch for like 15 minutes thinking of something to do
>and that’s when I get an idea
>I climb up the stairs and sneak back into my bedroom
>Lucy is already fast asleep on the bed
>I kneel down and pull a bag of holding from under the mattress
>inside is my stash of guns I brought with me
>the ones I stol- appropriated from the warehouse I used to work in
>well some of them…
>that full auto Galil in .308 was irreparably fucked so I sold it off along with some other uninteresting stuff
>the only things I kept were the MP5SD, the golden deagle and the Steyr scout with that weird unmarked scope
>…
>oh and the WA 2000…
>yeah, I almost forgot about that one
 
>I sneak back out of the room
>passing by Gabby’s room on the way down I realize that her door is locked and there’s music faintly passing through the walls
>which means she’s probably going to stay shut in for some time
>good
>er… not good
>not for her
>good as in ‘good she won’t be bothering me for some time’
>hmmm
>maybe shutting herself like that could be contributing to her declining mental fortitu-
>I’ll talk to her about that later
>now it’s time to ogle at guns and get weird feelings in my crotch about it
>I sit back on the living room couch
>I reach into the bag and pull out a big duffle bag filled with the guns and ammo
>then a big case
>the best for last so I reached for the duffle bag first
>opened it up and pulled out: the deagle
>I had forgotten how heavy this thing really is
>its sheer volume made the word ‘excessive’ flash through my mind as I held it
>yet, it didn’t feel out of place in my hand
>it felt powerful
>like I could take on anything on the worlds with it
>still, the golden trigger stripes grounded me in reality
>the tacky appearance only someone without taste would find attractive reminded me that this is not a side arm
>it’s a toy
>a very deadly and expensive toy
>and that’s what made me keep it
>it’s fun…
>…or so I’ve heard
>I ought to take it to the range sometime soon
>…
>next up: the MP5SD
>the integrally suppressed brother of a legendary German submachinegun
>H&K’s roller delayed blowback guns have always kept a special place in my heart
>I’ve heard mixed things about the system in general
>but their performance is not what attracts me, but rather their iconic styling
>some people complain that they kick more than any other weapons of the same caliber and size
>I didn’t feel such things, those people may just be weak
>this one however, remains unproven to me
>I don’t know what the suppressor may change about the gun besides a slightly more annoying cleaning process
>I don’t exactly know what to expect of it either
>…
 
>and now: the Steyr Scout
>ah, a gun I’ve actually shot before
>Steyr’s take on Jeff Cooper’s concept of the scout rifle
>chambered in .308 and weighing just 6.6 pounds
>sounds like a rifle that would let you know you are shooting it but honestly it doesn’t kick more than any other similar rifles I’ve shot
>the magazine cut-off and the space for a spare on the butt are nice features
>the integrated bipod is nice though I feel like the rifle wouldn’t lose much if it got replaced by a lighter one-piece polymer stock
>the long eye relief scope seems a bit unnecessary, but I wouldn’t know
>after all, I have never been attacked by an African predator/Mexican that got the jump on me because I was too focused on the scope while hunting/patrolling the border
>I set the rifle down and rub my hands as I eye the big case
>only to feel a weird sensation on my hands
>huh?
>I look at my fingertips to see that my hands are coated in a thin layer of dust
>what?
>I look over to the guns on the table
>I sweep my finger across the buttstock of the Scout
>more dust on my finger
>what?
>the slide of the deagle
>dust
>the suppressor of the MP5
>more dust
>but… they were kept in a bag of holding for a month
>how?
>how do you get dusty inside a duffle bag that’s inside a bag of holding?!
>hey wait a minute…
>I grab the duffle bag and shake it
>releasing a cloud of gray into the air
>a cloud of gray D U S T
>some gets in my throat and I start to cough
>and that’s when I realize
>this dust
>it smells like beef jerky
>it tastes like salty sand
>what on earth is this?
>I open the bag of holding and peer inside
>stretching the bag as much as I could
>I can’t see much beyond the fabric but an endless void
>the moment my eyes make contact my vision gets hazy, my ears feel like they’ve been plugged
>my knees start to buckle as something in the back of my head beckons me to go inside the bag
>there's something here
>something that wants to be seen
>I take a deep breath…
>…and…
 
>and shut that shit down immediately
>yeah nah
>sorry chief but I ain’t that stupid
>I walk over to the kitchen and throw the bag into the trash
>never buying discount magic items ever again
>I grab a small towel and a glass of tap water to clean that all that fucking shit off the living room before somebody yells at me
>as I’m about to leave I notice that Gabby has left Nayako’s mask on the table
>hmmm…
>curiosity gets the best of me and I grab it to pla- I mean to try it out and see what it does
>Gabby just told me it was made by some weird Japanese company but never told me what it did
>the outside is matte black plus edgy skull drawing
>the inside is clean stainless steel
>this doesn’t even look like it should fit on my face
>not unless I chopped of my nose
>I loosen up the straps and place it on my forehead
>immediately something is off
>the mask feels like it’s wet
>I ignore it and pull it down
>it feels like my face was suddenly submerged into a shallow pool
>I panic a little before realizing I can breathe normally
>I can see norma- scratch that
>what the fuck
>everything looks clear and evenly lighted
>I can see perfectly even through the dark spots between the oven and the cupboards
>damn we need to clean there more often
>I can smell the dirty dishes in the sink just by breathing normally
>the creak of the floorboards beneath me is deafening
>it was barely audible before
>this thing literally augments all your senses
>this is awesome!
>I let got of the straps so I can pull the mask off
>but the moment I let go, they slam shut around my head
>oh fuck
>they vibrate and phase though my hair and flesh
>OH FUCK
>the mask itself sinks deeper and becomes lush with my skin
>uhm…
>it literally fused with my head
>straps gone
>steel plate for a face
>I crouch down and see my reflection on the oven's glass door
>mfw I have no face
>it looks cool as fuck though
>like a combination of cobra commander and Emile from Halo:Reach
>but uh…
>how do I take it off?
 
>at first I try to just pull it off but my hand just slips off
>ok, don’t panic
>there’s surely a way to remove this thing
>I remember something Lucy showed me about worn magical artefacts
>she saw some tutorials on youtube about them
>they said that some artefacts need to be “ejected” by the user before being taken off
>like how you eject a USB drive before pulling it out
>except this is actually necessary
>I take a deep breath and widen my stance
>I extend my arms outwards as I loudly command in my mind
>MASK: EJECT
>the effects of the mask on my senses wear off as I hear something clunk on the floor
>I look down to see the mask on the floor
>oh it worked
>neat
>I grab everything and walk back to the living room
>spend the rest half hour cleaning all that dust shit
>however, the smell of beef jerky still lingers
>it’s not unpleasant but it’s certainly weird
>I throw myself on the couch as finish cleaning the slide of the deagle
>just for laughs, I put that mask on my forehead and start pointing the hunk of gun carelessly
>all the while making wooshy noises
>then I pull on the slide, fully cocking it
>the mask slams down and merges with my face again
>scaring the shit out of me in the process
>my senses become sharper again, just like before
>however, this time a white X appears in the middle of my field of view
>it pulses a few times before flying off into the wall
>and it moves around whenever I move my left ha-wait a minute
>it moves around to where I’m pointing the gun
>it’s literally just a crosshair
>well…
>this is interesting
>I laugh a little thinking of all the shenanigans I could use this for
>well that is if I ever get to use it in combat
>this is not mine after all
>well I’ve fucked around enough
>now onto the main course
>oh yeah
>the WA 2000
>I set the mask down next to the Steyr
>and I as I put the big case on my lap, I hear an electric crack
>I look over
>it's the mask
>it's vibrating violently
>slowly inching its way to the Scout
>uh…
 
>I set the case aside and lean forward to get a closer look
>the mask keeps moving on its own
>pressing itself against the rifle’s scope with a clink
>and then nothing
>for a few good seconds, the mask lays still
>still touching the scope
>I lean even closer and attempt to telepathically communicate with the mask
>what is it girl?
>is the scope your friends?
>or an enemy?
>…
>no response
>maybe it only works when worn
>wait…
>the mask isn’t conscious is it?
>then why is moving like tha-
>another electric crack takes me by surprise
>I flinch
>as in I cover my eyes and fucking launch myself into the couch out of reflex
>but instead of quietness like before, that cracks persist and slowly turns into a low pitch buzz
>I uncover my eyes, but only a little
>to see the mask and the scope are connected by an electric arc
>the knobs on the scope are going crazy
>the glass on both ends is glowing
>I’m scared but also very intrigued
>the arc stops
>the scope is smoking
>and the room once again falls silent
>I immediately reach for the rifle and pull it closer to inspect it
>the movement wafts an odor of burnt plastic directly into my face
>the rifle itself seems to be fine
>the scope however, it has changed almost completely
>I mean…
>the structure is the same
>but the knobs are now marked with their proper measurements with white paint
>and the elevation knob has the same logo etched into it as the inside of the mask
>…
>no
>fucking
>way
>I quickly scramble for the mask
>racing to put it on and see what it does in conjunction with the scope
>holy shit
>if previously the only thing the mask gave me was better senses and a crosshair
>then this is a whole ass videogame HUD
>I’m talking ammo counter, compass, wind indicator, and even variable zoom
>all around my peripheral vision
>the crosshair is no longer just an X
>it’s a big circle with a thin cross in it
>oh I’m about to cream myself
>oh my god…
>…
>…what if I put the scope on the WA2000?
 
>I start to laugh
>like the laughs that come with a new feeling of empowerment
>oh I want to abuse this so much
>I quickly put the scout down and pick up the case
>the enhanced HUD-like effects disappear
>I swing the lid of the case open
>and there it is…
>one of the most valuable and sought-after rifles in the worlds
>a first-generation Walther WA 2000
>it’s squared frame and wooden furniture make this rifle look elegant as fuck
>I just can’t hold back
>I rip it out of its protective foam encasing and hold it in my arms
>its utmost beauty
>it makes me…
>it makes me lose myself in it…
>…
>I could just stare at it…
>for hours on end…
>for hours on eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
>“ANON!”
>“AH WHAT?! WHAT’S UP?!”
>I take the mask off and look over my shoulder to see Gabby standing a few feet behind me
>“it’s 12:34, I’ve been trying to get you to-why does it smell like bootleg bag of holding?”
>“uh…”
>“nevermind, I came to tell you tha-
>“…”
>“…”
>“to tell me what?”
>“what… is that in your hands…?”
>oh shit
>I quickly put the Walther besides me and try to cover it with the sofa pillows
>“uh, nothing!”
>“bullshit it’s nothing, for how long have you had this thing for?!”
>she throws the pillows away and grabs the rifle by the fore end
>“ah I ah…. uh… for some time now?”
>“you got to be kidding me, you know for how long my bro has been looking for one of these?”
>“yeah…?”
>she grabs the grip with her prosthetic arm
>the hand portion begins to flash red
>Gabby doesn’t notice
>“oh if he finds out he’s gonna gut you like a fi-hey woaw WOAW!”
>her prosthetic hand and fingers start to shake violently
>she shoves the rifle onto my chest and backs off
>oh no…
>“w-what happened?”
>“augh loose connection… nothing serious”
>“are… you sure?”
>the wooden branches near Gabby’s shoulder move and tighten their grip on her stump
>the trembling stops
>“yeah… it happens every once in a while”
>“oh… ok”
>I look down at the rifle
>don't worry myself
>it's not cursed, it's mere coincidence
 
>“look we can discuss later when we come back ok?”
>“yeah, ok”
>I put the WA 2000 back into the case and slide it under the couch
>no one will suspect a fucking thing
>grab the mask and my keys
>I leave the rest of the guns lying there as I head outside
>Gabby gets on the passenger seat
>I slide over the hood
>only to land badly and twist my ankle
>oh god oh fuck
>ah shit
>fuck
>dissimulate as I limp my way inside the car
>“you know where to right?”
>“yeah, did you bring her stuff?”
>Gabby pulls out a bag of holding from seemingly nowhere
>“yeah, her helmet and rifle”
>I hand her the mask
>“great, let’s go get her”
>I twist the keys on the ignition and rev the engine a little
>roll out easy while the engine heats up
>roll down the windows because it’s a beautiful day today
>clear sunny skies
>cool breeze
>smells like the nearby flower shop
>not a single sound disturbs the air but the gentle hum of my engine
>…and Gabby tapping on her cellphone
>she has her talons up on the dash
>“hey could you uh… put your feet down?”
>“they don’t fit down there, that’s why I almost always sit on the back”
>she says without even lifting her sight of her phone
>“you know you can pull the seat back right?”
>“wait you can?”
>“…”
>she starts to look around
>“how do I do that?”
>“you thought they were fixed or…?”
>“n-no I just… I knew you could move them, but I thought you needed like tools and shit to do so”
>“what? no! these older seats usually have a lever underneath you pull up and you can move it back or forth”
>“shit, really?”
>she tries to spread her legs apart and reach under the seat
>she starts to strain herself as her face mushes against her knees
>her face is starting to get red
>“um… I can pull up and-”
>“I got it!”
>I hear a CHUNK and the seat flies back a few inches
>surprising Gabby and causing her to jump startled
>I laugh a little
>she pouts and hits me in the shoulder
>I simmer down into a gentle chuckle
>“well, at least my fucking feet are comfortable now”
 
>we make it to the ramp and take it up to get to the highway
>with the sun up, riding over the city takes an entirely different vibe
>the antique suburbs slowly mixing into more modern buildings as we get closer to the city center
>“so where’s your brother?”
>“huh?”
>“is he alive?”
>“oh, yeah I called him not long ago, he’s busy dealing with “some other shit” he didn’t want to tell me about, but he should be home soon”
>“ok…?”
>once again, the ride goes silent
>then, the semi-distant rumble of jet engines fills the air
>Gabby looks up from her phone but quickly loses interest
>I slide the sunroof back and look up to see a fighter jet flying far above us
>it’s the silhouette of a MiG-29
>neat
>it must be from the Balthazar airfield
>I close the sunroof and focus back on the road
>“Anon…”
>I look over to see Gabby staring back out of the window
>“yeah?”
>“you missed our exit…”
>“ah for fuck’s sa-
>spend the next 4 minutes driving to the next junction to take the return and go back
>spend the next 4 minutes after that getting back to our exit and get off the highway
>finally make it to Dokdok's appartment
>Gabby knocks on the door
>Dok's voice comes through the intercom
>“hello? if you are selling something, I don't want it but feel free to leave a sample by the door”
>“Dok, it's Gabby”
>he gasps
>“GABRIELA?! my love you have come ba-
>Gabby starts bashing at the door
>“JUST OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR YOU LITTLE FREAK!”
>silence…
>and then the buzzer
>she pushes her way inside
>I close the door behind me
>Gabby grabs secret sliding wall door and opens it
>before we can go down Dok's voice comes muffled from the ceiling
>“I-I'm actually up here g-guys”
>Gabby sighs
>she closes the sliding door and then opens it again
>only for this time to reveal a staircase going up instead of down
>uh…
>Gabby turns to me with a desinterested face
>“what?”
>“how…?”
>she lifts her hands up and makes air quotes
>“non-euclidean architecture”
 
>we go upstairs
>the next hidden door slides open to a quiet hallway with several doors
>carpeted floor, nice wallpaper and lights
>like the hallway of rooms in a hotel
>honestly, I was expecting something more hospital-ish
>a door at the very end of the hallway creaks open slightly
>Dok peeks out and notices us
>he darts back in and audibly locks the door
>Gabby clenches her fists and stomps her way over
>me nervously following behind
>hear fabric ripping so I look down to see Gabby’s talons are leaving tears on the carpet
>sweet mother of Christ someone save this poor manlet
>Gabby punches the door three times
>she’s fucking shaking
>the door unlocks
>but before gabby can rip it from the frame
>Dok quickly slides out and blocks our path
>he’s a sweating mess
>“hi~ Gabby~”
>“what are you doing?”
>“l-look, the-the girl is in there ok, but before you go in, there’s some things I need to uhm… what are you doing?”
>Gabby grabs Dok by the collar of his shirt
>she then grabs his pants by the waistband and fucking chucks him to the other side of the hallway
>Dok flies like a football and hits the wall so hard he gets embedded into it
>my first thoughts: he’s fucking dead
>but to my surprise, his legs start flailing around as he tries to free himself
>Gabby swings the door open and enters
>I follow close
>inside lies Nayako on a small bed, covered by a blanket
>she’s sleeping
>or at least I think she is
>I can’t tell because of her hair
>she’s breathing heavily and moving around weirdly
>something’s off
>I lift the blanket off her to see that’s she’s wearing a straitjacket
>oh no…
>oh he's so fucked…
>Gabby leans closer, she feels like something's wrong too
>she moves her hair out of the way
>Nayako's eyes are dilated and lost
>she starts to mumble and shake
>Christ
>she's drugged
>Gabby starts shaking again
>a vein on her forehead becomes visible
>oh he's so fucking dead…
>we hear stumbled breathing behind us
>Dok is leaning on the door frame
>RUN YOU FOOL!
 
>“l-look! I know this looks bad b-but I can explain!”
>Gabby raises her hand
>the door shakes before slamming shut and locking itself
>I fucking knew it!
>she CAN use the force!
>“I-I-I um… well I…”
>Dok starts to look around frantically
>he rushes for a room divider curtain and pushes it aside to reveal another door in the room
>Gabby shoves me out of the way as she storms towards Dok
>not saying anything
>only anger
>Dok opens the door
>it’s a bathroom
>with no windows
>yeah he’s fucked
>“I-I-I… you-YOU STAY BACK!”
>he reaches into his back pocket
>I instinctively draw my CZ
>Dok pulls a scalpel out of his back pocket and points it at Gabby
>he back pedals into the wall of the bathroom
>Gabby walks in and locks the door behind her
>“NO! YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME, I AM A DOCTO-
>Dok’s pleas for mercy are silenced by a loud wet crackle
>followed closely by a snap
>the pleas turn into screams of agony
>and I mean like SCP femur breaker tier shit
>which after several more carnal and wet sounds turn into gargles
>and then…
>silence
>and after that, the sound of the shower running
>…
>ok then…
>gonna take my mind of that for a bit
>I’m gonna check on Nayako
>I sit on the bed besides her
>“hey girl, how you doing?”
>her mumbles get louder as she attempts to reply
>“haha yeah”
>I turn her over and start undoing the straps of her jacket
>“honey, can you tell me why the doctor had you tied down?”
>“[unintelligible mumbling] …twelve scape attempts… [more unintelligible mumbling]”
>“oh… and what did he give you?”
>“[unintelligible mumbling] …k-ketamine… [more unintelligible mumbling]”
>“that's um… uh… let's just get you out of this jacket”
>I undo the last strap and pull the jacket off
>revealing that Nayako was wearing a hospital gown underneath
>“there, you are free”
>Nayako chuckles as she jumps out of bed
>she walks two steps forward and then falls flat on her face
>oh shit
>I pick her up and cradle her in my arms
>she smiles and nuzzles my chest
>“mmm teddy”
 
>I go back to sit on the bed with the girl on my arms
>wait for a few more minutes until I hear the shower stop
>not long after Gabby comes out of the room pale and shaking
>her talons and arms are wet
>she takes a deep breath and composes herself
>I stand up
>“Gabby…”
>“he had it coming”
>“d-did you kill him?”
>“he had it coming”
>“yeah but DID you KI-
>she grabs me by the mouth and stares into my eyes
>“he had it coming”
>she lets go
>“but di-
>she raises a finger up
>“ok he had it coming”
>she nods
>“he had it coming”
>she walks to a drawer on the other side of the bed and pulls out Nayako’s clothes
>she then walks out of the room passing straight through the door
>which promptly dissipates into thin air
>oh
>it was an illusion
>dammit!
>…
>I follow her
>she’s already waiting at the end of the hallway
>“Gabby…”
>she doesn’t reply
>“he had it coming yes… but why?”
>she sighs and then starts opening the doors of the hallway
>for every time she opens one, she mumbles “not this one” under her breath and moves to the next
>until she gets to a locked door
>Gabby kneels down and takes a whiff out from the foot of the door
>she gags and then mumbles “it’s this one”
>um…
>Gabby’s prosthetic arm starts to glow
>the wooden branch that makes her pointer finger starts to grow
>she inserts her growing finger into the lock of the door and proceeds to move it around
>it snaps
>“oh for fuck’s sake”
>she stands up and kicks the door open and points inside
>“this is why he had it coming”
>I slowly walk into the room
>it smells like a morgue here
>it's cold
>it’s pitch black
>the light coming in through the door only lets me make out the shape of some weird objects within
>then Gabby flicks on the lights
>…
>holy shit…
>…
>my knees go weak
>oh I'm gonna puke
>“yeah, now you see why he had it fucking coming”
>my knees start to buckle
>“oh this is so fucked up“
>“yeah, now lets get the fuck out of here“
>“yeah, just... let me regain control of my legs“
 
>we leave
>I make sure to lock the door on the way out
>“Dok had no family, so hopefully no one will notice and that thing will remain hidden for a long time”
>“what do you mean? he had no one who cared for him near him?”
>“he had”
>“what happened to them?”
>“they… they were in there…”
>“in there…?”
>a jolt of dread runs down my spine as I realize what Gabby meant
>“hold this for me”
>I say as I hand Nayako over to Gabby
>“what are you doing?”
>I kneel down and rapidly expel the eggs and chorizo sauce I had for breakfast into one of the planters besides the door
>oh this poor carnations
>“Anon?”
>I start to get up, breathing heavily
>then the second wave hits me and I projectile vomit into the other side of the planter
>oh those poor lilies
>…
>actually nevermind
>fuck lilies
>overhyped piece of shit flowers
>focus my fire on them
>…
>sorry that got weird on me
>anyway
>I finish all the contents in my innards and stand up
>my skin has become considerably more pale
>wipe the caked puke around my mouth off with my sleeve
>“ew”
>“yeah yeah let’s get the fuck out of here”
>we hop on the car and leave
>hopefully no one saw us
>Nayako wraps herself around Gabby’s real arm-wing-thing and starts rubbing her face all over it
>all the while chuckling and mumbling “mhmm hmm birb” over and over again
>she eventually falls asleep on Gabby’s arms again
>the ride back becomes quiet
>“…Gabby…”
>“yeah?”
>“remember what we were talking about earlier?”
>“ah fuck yeah”
>“I think you need to go out more”
>she crosses her arms and gives me face of mocking surprise
>“really mister sudden psychiatrist? and fucking do what exactly?”
>“I dunno, go to the plaza, gather with some friends, thing to clear your mind you know? at least go for a walk from time to time”
>“go for a fucking walk, very funny dude”
>“what?”
>“fuck you Anon!”
>“WHAT?!”
>Nayako slowly rises her head up and mumbles
>“please don’t yell, the big baby is trying to eat his beans”
>before collapsing back down
>uh…
 
>Gabby turns to her confused
>“what?”
>“she’s still high”
>“oh, right…sorry, anyway, fuck you Anon”
>“why?”
>“what do you mean why? as if you didn’t know what you were saying…”
>“no I actually don’t… know… oh”
>Gabby raises an eyebrow
>“l-look, I didn’t mean it that way ok?”
>“hmph”
>“no I’m serious, I wasn’t making fun of your prosthetic”
>Gabby grinds her teeth for a few seconds
>then she takes a deep breath and starts stroking Nayako’s hair
>Nayako starts to purr in response
>“Gabby…”
>“yeah I… I’m sorry, I can tell you are telling the truth, I…
>“y-yeah, no problem”
>“it’s just that… I’m sorry, I get self-conscious about it”
>“I understand”
>Gabby starts to chuckle
>and then sobbing at the same time
>“g-Gabby?”
>she breaks down
>“I mean like… look, what am I supposed to do with this?!”
>she grabs her prosthetic arm by the base and rips it out of her stump
>“Gabby!”
>“not fly, that’s for sure!”
>“Gabby calm down”
>“flying is like what? 50% of what defines a harpy?”
>“no girl, you ju-
>“and the other 50% is being a cunt… so if I can’t fly then what am I?!”
>“you don’t have to see-
>“just one half of a harpy? and 100% cunt?!”
>she chucks her prosthetic arm out the window and into the suburbs below
>“GABBY!”
>“just drive Anon… I want to go home”
>“oh my god”
>Nayako rises up once again
>this time she stands up on Gabby’s lap
>she does her best to stare Gabby face to face with her lazy eyes
>“don’t cry birb, you still got one good fluffy arm”
>Gabby smiles a little
>“t-thanks girl”
>Nayako lets herself fall forward and wraps her arms around Gabby’s neck in a hug
>Gabby takes a second to react before returning it
>only for Nayako to start snoring and drooling down Gabby’s shoulder
>“hey, I think I know what could make you feel better"
>“w-what?"
>“what if one of these days you get your brother to take you to harpy city so you can visit your sisters? wouldn't that be nice?"
>Gabby wipes her face with her forearm
>“y-yeah, I actually want to see them again"
 
>Gabby looks at her bare stump
>then sighs and looks out the window into the horizon
>“that was stupid”
>“yeah… it was”
>“my brother is gonna be so pissed”
>“was that prosthetic expensive?”
>“nah… we grew it ourselves, but it took like half a year”
>“oh…”
>“yeah…”
>Gabby goes back to stroking Nayako’s hair
>“maybe we can go look for it later?”
>“maybe…”
>we drive the rest of the way home in silence
>I park the car and take the girl inside
>Gabby gathers all the stuff and places it into a bag
>it takes her time on the account of only having one arm now
>I set Nayako down on the living room couch
>Gabby the bag with all her stuff on the table
>she then goes upstairs to fetch a pillow and a blanket for Nayako
>and then she returns and tucks Nayako in the couch
>Nayako hugs the pillow and tucks her knees in a fetal position
>her snoring gets louder
>“so that’s it then?”
>“yeah I guess”
>“well… I’m kinda relieved it’s over now”
>“yeah, me too”
>“I’m gonna go chill in my room”
>“I’m gonna stay down here and look after her”
>Gabby just nods and walks to the stairs
>just as she steps in the first stair, the engine of a car parking outside is heard
>Gabby and I notice
>“that…”
>“sounded like it parked outside”
>“yeah”
>“we're not expecting anyone, are we?”
>”no…”
>that's weird
>it's rare for people to show up without notice around here
>sus level increased
>I move closer to try and peek out of a window
>but just as I get close, the lock on the door turns
>someone has the keys to our house
>sus level max
>Gabby get uneasy too
>disengage safety of CZ
>the doorknob twists slowly
>the door moves a few inches, then gets slammed open
>I draw my pistol
>only to get greeted by a familiar, annoying and smug voice
>“FEE-FI-FO MOTHERFUCKERS!”
>oh god fucking dammit
>“guess who’s back bitches!”
>it’s dako
>wearing a pair of white shutter glasses and carrying a stuffed duffle bag on his back
 
>“fucking hell dude, were where you?”
>“vibing… with of all this loot”
>he pats the bag on his back
>“yeah that’s cool and all bu-
>“oh and guess what?”
>“what…”
>he reaches into his back pocket and tosses something at me
>I barely react fast enough to catch it
>almost falling back in the process
>I look at the thing he threw at me
>“car keys?”
>“it was too nice for them”
>I turn the keys around to see the Subaru badge
>no
>fucking
>way
>“oh shit…”
>“yeah… you were right, it's a 99' model”
>I walk outside to see a 4 door WRX parked behind my CRX
>but this one is black
>“hey wasn’t it blue when we found it?”
>“yeah, that’s what took me so long”
>I kneel down and pass my finger over the glossy surface of the front passenger door
>yep
>clean fresh paint
>“god damn… how much did this cost?”
>“nothing, I just cashed a few favors in return”
>“huh… what about registration?”
>“taken care of, I have a friend that works in the department of civil transportation, he forges documents on the side, and he was more than happy to help me out”
>“damn”
>dako walks up and stands beside me
>“so… what do you think”
>I stand up and look him straight in the eyes
>“we bad?”
>he smiles and nods
>“we bad…”
>“hell yeah”
>“yeah… and it’s for the house”
>“that’s weird coming from you, I thought you’d hog this thing for yourself”
>“eh… it’s neat but not really my kind of car”
>“no?”
>“nah, I’m more of big trucks or sport bikes and um… actually I almost crashed it once… like a few minutes after first getting behind the wheel”
>I just turn to him raising an eyebrow
>“yeah, driving from the warehouse I pushed the throttle a bit too fast over a puddle and the wheels spun and I almost hit an incoming garbage truck”
>“Jesus Christ dude”
>“yeah the garbage truck swerved to avoid me and crashed into the pole of a billboard which tilted due to the impact and then collapsed shortly after”
>I just stand there amazed
>he collapsed a whole god damn billboard with sheer hoonery
 
>“yeah but don’t worry, the billboard crashed over a conveniently placed empty lot of land so no one got hurt”
>“…that was either a huge crash or a shitty billboard…”
>“well the truck driver died on impact but he was an orc, probably serving community service so like I said, no one that mattered got hurt”
>“aight, fair enough”
>“yeah and the-
>“ahem!”
>we both turn around to see Gabby standing on the door
>she’s impatiently tapping her talons on the floor
>“shit sorry, come on Anon let’s sort this haul out”
>we go back inside and into the living room
>“hey what’s the deal with these?”
>dako asks and points at my guns that I left on the table
>“oh those are mine, let me just…”
>I grab them all between my arms and put them away on my own bag that I had also left out
>“there we go”
>Dako sets down the duffle bag
>we gather around the table
>“alright ladies and gents, prepare to see some serious shi-Gabby where’s your arm?”
>“huh? oh I um… long story short I uh…”
>I interject
>“Gabby just needed to let her skin breathe a little”
>“what? I mean yeah yeah that… because you know… my uh my stump gets sore and shit”
>“…”
>[nervous]“…”
>“ok, like I was saying, prepare to see some real shit”
>dako turns the bag over
>letting all its contents spew out
>several engorged and bulging bags of holding
>“damn, how many guns do you think we have here?”
>“I lost count after 30”
>“huh…”
>“pretty cool right?”
>Dako stretches his back and leans on the back of his heels
>he starts to tip over
>Gabby’s eyes go wide as she stands up
>oh god
>he’s about to jump onto the couch
>I move in too
>but just before I could grab him by his shirt
>dako ducks down and then springs into the air
>high enough and fast enough for me to get ahold of his foot instead
>Gabby did the same thing
>she just managed to grab his other foot
>immediately we both pull with all our strength
>dako plummets to the ground with out traveling back as much
>his legs landing on the table and kicking some bags over
 
>his back and head hit the floor at the same time with a meaty TWACK
>he rolls around and starts coughing and groaning in pain
>“wha… what was that f-for?!”
>Gabby look over the table and points at Nayako still sleeping in the couch
>“watch where you’re landing first retard, this is exactly why you broke those expensive goggles you cried so much about”
>“hey fuck you, those had sentimental value as well… also hey nice, you got her back”
>“yeah it was… an uncomfortable process”
>“yeah that’s how it be with Dok, but he gets it done and more importantly, he owed it to us”
>“yeah about that…”
>oh no
>“…we kinda got into a situation with Dok”
>“what happened?”
>Gabby scratches the back of her head
>“we had a bit of an argument… and he got pissed so he doesn’t want to see us again, like forever”
>“…say what…”
>“no I meant he needs some time alone… maybe a mont-two months”
>“okay…?”
>“yup”
>“tch, well anyway, back to the guns”
>“y-yeah”
>dako sits up and starts fumbling around with the bags
>he opens one and turn it over
>immediately a bunch of rifles pour out
>mostly ARs but I can see some cooler thing in there
>like an L85, an AUG, some SCARs and OOOH!
>I spot among the pile the distinctive stock of an HK416
>without a second thought, my hand flies forward to grab it
>I try and pull it towards me
>the rifle only budged a little
>try again
>nothing
>I look at the pile to see what’s going on
>dako is also reaching into the pile and pulling on something
>…
>wait a minute…
>instead of pulling, I lift the butt of the rifle up
>moving the other guns out of the way
>revealing that he is also grabbing the same rifle by the barrel
>and that the rifle is not an HK 416, it’s a 417
>we stare at each other for a few seconds
>then dako licks one of his fingers and smears it across the barrel
>“haha I marked it it’s mine”
>I retaliate by gathering spit in my mouth and directly licking the entire stock lengthwise
>“haha my mark is bigger fuck you it’s mine”
 
>dako frowns and starts tugging
>I do so too
>“come on dude! you already got HK shit”
>“yeah and you have Russian unobtainium”
>“let… go!”
>“if you want this rifle then you’ll have to separate my arms from my torso!”
>“I would but I don’t feel like CLEANING!”
>he makes one final effort
>I counter it by lifting my leg up and placing my foot on his chest
>by the time he notices and looks down it’s already too late
>I grab the rifle by the grip and kick dako away
>claiming it as mine for good
>dako flies back and lands on the couch…
>…and on top of Nayako
>she wakes up kicking and hissing
>scared and confused, Nayako acts on instinct and lunges at dako
>she wraps her legs around his torso and starts swiping at his face
>“HEY WHA THE FUCK! AH! AH FUCK!”
>he quickly stands up with the girl still attached and clawing his eyes out
>“GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!”
>Dako stumbles and trips on the foot of the table
>he falls forward but with enough inertia that he bounces off the table and lands on his back on the floor again
>“oops”
>Gabby walks over and lifts Nayako up by the armpits
>“hey easy girl”
>Nayako growls and starts breathing heavily
>her hair got messed up so her eyes are visible
>her pupils are narrow and pulsating
>Gabby starts patting her on the head gently
>Nayako seems to calm down
>her pupils become normal
>her breathing slows down
>“I… where am I?”
>“hey you are back to normal”
>“where…”
>“this is our house, you do remember us right?”
>“y-yeah… w-what happened?”
>“we took you to the doctor and he sedated you”
>“I-I need to go”
>she starts pushing against Gabby
>“hey wait”
>she pries herself free and lands on her feet
>she fixes her hair and deliberately drapes her bangs over her eyes
>“I'm sorry but I need to go, where's my stuff?”
>Gabby clips off a bag of holding from her belt line and hands it over to Nayako
>“here, everything shou-”
>Nayako snatches the bag from Gabby's hands
>she digs around and pulls out her gambeson and pants
 
>Nayako hides her tail by wrapping it around her waist before pulling her pants up and buttoning them close
>she throws the gown away to reveal most of her torso is covered in bandages
>hallway through putting her gambeson, she freezes
>“what’s the matter?”
>Nayako looks around
>“w-wait… w-what time is it?”
>I take out my phone and look at the time
>“um… it’s almost a quarter past 2”
>“what?!”
>she lets her gambeson fall to the floor as she runs to the front door
>“hey wait!”
>Gabby and I chase after her
>Nayako opens the front door and gets blinded by the sunlight
>she slams the door shut and starts to panic
>“oh no no oh god”
>“what? what’s the matter?”
>“I can’t go out like this in broad daylight! I need normal clothes”
>“why can’t you leave like that?”
>“what if they recognize me? they’d kill me on the spot!”
>“what? who’s after you?”
>Nayako locks the door drops down to her hunches
>she whispers to me
>“the goblins, I’ve done enough that now they want my head on a pike”
>“Jesus Christ aren’t you like barely past 10 years old?”
>“uh… almost 14 actually”
>“oh… well it doesn’t matter, we can protect you until you get to where you need to”
>“no, I’m sorry but no one must know”
>“know what?”
>Gabby places her hand on my shoulder and gently moves me aside
>she kneels down in front of Nayako
>“hey, I can let you borrow some of my clothes”
>“r-really?”
>“yeah, they are older stuff but they may still be a bit big for you”
>“t-thank you”
>“come, follow me”
>Gabby grabs her by the hand takes her upstairs
>well… I guess that means we are just letting her go
>she is in better condition now
>I hope she can take care of herself from now on…
>…
>oh wait!
>I open the door to the workshop and walk in
>there it is
>right on the workbench where Lucy and I left it
>the abomination that she requested
>I grab the rifle along with its spare magazine
>now where did I left the ammo?
>…oh wait…
>shit…
>nevermind…
>I grab a towel and clean the rifle a little
 
>I go back to the living room and grab Nayako’s gambeson
>dako is sitting on the couch eyeing my new rifle
>I take it with me just in case
>hear dako mumble something under his breath as I leave
>just in case: fuck you too wankface
>wait besides the staircase
>after a few minutes Nayako, Gabby and Lucy walk down
>Nayako is wearing a pink blouse and denim shorts at least two sizes too big for her along with a weathered pair of blue crocs
>the shorts are deformed because of the tight belt she has to wear to keep them up
>Lucy is still wearing her pajamas
>“hey babe”
>“hey baby, had your proper sleep?”
>“no, dako’s screams of pain woke me up”
>“oh”
>Gabby pats down Nayako’s clothes to take off any clinging dust particles
>“are you sure you can take care of yourself out there”
>Nayako nods
>“ok, try to stay out of trouble”
>“hey wait, before you go, this is yours”
>I hand her the gambeson over
>“ah yes, thank you I almost forgot”
>“oh and I believe this is yours as well”
>I kneel down and present her with the rifle
>he faces fills with joy and amazement
>“oh my god!”
>she takes it from my hands
>Lucy starts to get giddy
>she’s bouncing up and down
>Nayako works the bolt a few times and then pulls the trigger
>“oh my god! this action is so smooth, and this trigger is so light…”
>Lucy gets a smug and proud smile
>“…and this stock, it’s… it’s kinda ugly”
>Lucy’s delighted face turns into shocked betrayal
>“what!”
>the sudden shout makes Nayako jump
>“Lucy calm down”
>“b-but we made it just like she asked!”
>Nayako seems confused
>“what? but I didn’t ask it like this”
>“but it said pistol grip no stock in the order!”
>“oh! I um…”
>she reaches into her bag of holding and pulls out her Tanegashima
>“…I meant it like this”
>Lucy just sighs defeated
>“yeah I guess that makes sense…”
>“well, we could make a new stock and-
>“n-no, it’s fine, it’s still great”
>“are you sure?”
>“y-yeah”
>“well, take good care of it”
>Nayako gives me a smile that turns uncertain
 
>“yeah I uh… about the rest of the payment”
>“don’t worry about it, just take it”
>Nayako smiles and wipes a tear of her eye
>“I can’t thank you enough”
>“if you ever need anything else in the future don’t be afraid to come here ok?”
>“y-yeah, I must go but once again, please don’t tell anyone you saw me like this”
>“we won’t say a thing”
>Nayako puts her stuff away in her bag
>she opens the door and leaves heading to the city center
>I hope her the best
>though I have a strong feeling it won’t be the last that we’ll see of her…
>we gather back at the living room
>dako has already pulled out more shit from the bags
>and he looks quite pleased with himself
>“hey guys, grab whatever you want”
>“what? are you not gonna try and hoard as much as you can?”
>“nope, I found the one thing I needed, I can’t believe I had forgotten I grabbed it… oh and Anon, that filthy little German rifle you snatched underhandedly? It doesn’t compare”
>“oh yeah? well what is this mysterious ultra find then?”
>dako laughs as he shoves his entire arm into a bag of holding
>the bag stretches as he pulls out a beast of a rifle
>it’s a BAR
>but it’s quite different
>for starters, the metal is blued with art deco style gold engravings
>it has the square wooden front guard of an M1918A1 but it also has a pistol grip like the colt monitor
>the back of receiver is squared of instead of having that grip protrusion
>the top is flat instead of having that weird bulge
>the stock looks like a wooden m16a1 stock but with a cheek rest molded into it
>Gabby loses her shit at the sight of the rifle
>Lucy and I are just confused
>“that’s a weird looking BAR, I mean it’s cool but it’s a BAR”
>dako laughs
>“it’s no normal BAR… it’s a Vetrillian High Guard ceremonial rifle”
>“so it’s a licensed production BAR that was made here?”
>“not only that, these rifles are only given to high guards that retire after 50 YEARS of service… that’s 20 extra years you have to take willingly”
 
>“god damn”
>Lucy asks
>“who are the high guards?”
>“they are like those weird bearskin hat dudes from Britain”
>“so royal guards?”
>“yeah except these guys actually do shit and arrest people for fucking around instead of just yelling at them”
>“so these are rare rifles…”
>“yep, less than 10 are made every year and only way to get one is to buy it off a retiree or from someone who bought it off a retiree… it was actually illegal to have one for a long time because they were so rare in civilian possession that the only way you could have gotten one was by stealing it”
>“god damn… again”
>“I consider this more valuable than anything HK has ever made, even more so than that WA 2000 I was looking for some time ago”
>so he won’t get pissed if I show off the Walther now?
>“so yeah, grab whatever you like, I’m done, I’m finished, I don’t need anything else on the earths”
>“ok, I’ll ta-”
>“not you faggot, you already took enough”
>“bro what the fuck? didn’t you just say that you didn’t care for the HK?”
>“augh fine… oh just one more thing, I separated some special things”
>dako stands up and grabs two bags
>he digs around through the first one and pulls out a large white and red box
>it’s a Benelli still in its packaging
>he hands it over to Lucy
>“here, because I know you like shotguns”
>“I- I… thanks?”
>he digs through it again and pulls out two HK Mark 23’s
>“here Gabby, because I know you like big pistols”
>he tosses them at her
>Gabby catches one while the other clatters to the floor
>you know… because she only has one god damned arm
>“oh shit… sorry I forgot about that”
>Gabby slowly looks down to the pistol on the ground before erupting into laughter
>well… she took that better than I expected
>guess she’s not self-conscious about it when it comes to family…?
>ok…
>“and for you Anon…”
>Dako shoves his entire arm into the bag
>and he pulls out…
>…his middle finger
>“oh fuck off dude”
>“hahaha gotcha asshole!”
>“augh whatever fuck you”
 
>dako sits back down on the couch
>he hugs his new rifle
>and that gives me an idea
>“hey dako, you said you’d never need anything else besides that thing right?”
>“yep, all other guns in the world could disappear for all I care”
>I smile as kneel down and take the Walther’s case from under the couch
>I put up my fakest innocent voice
>“oh my god, look guys I finally found it, after one month I thought it was lost forever!”
>I say as I show the case to Gabby and Lucy
>Gabby catches on immediately and gets a coy smile
>Lucy looks legitimately relieved like I had actually lost the case
>dako snickers
>“what is it, your sex toy collection?”
>I open the case, take the WA 2000 out and raise it up in the air
>“nope, just my Walther”
>dako’s grin fades into a blank expression
>yeah, who’s got who now eh dick nuggets?
>he grabs his BAR clone and walks out of the room
>we hear his footsteps as he goes upstairs
>and after a few seconds of silence, a window crashes, followed closely by the sound of something hard hitting the floor outside of the front door
>the door slams open
>dako walks back inside
>he’s covered in bruises and has several glass shards stuck to his face
>with the same blank expression, he walks upstairs again and shuts himself into his room
>Gabby and I look at each other before starting to laugh
>Lucy looks on concerned
>“uh… who’s paying for the new window”
>“um…”
>we silently go back to diving the loot
>and well…
>we all agree that it’s better if we just sell most of this off
>there really isn’t anything interesting in here
>it’s all crap you could go out and buy at any LGS
>some notable exceptions were a G36C Lucy took for herself and a mac-11 Gabby snatched up
>we just spent the next few hours cataloging everything and writing it down
>then we bundled up the guns and throw them upstairs into a spare room we use for storage
>by the time we finished the sun was setting down
>some grey clouds were rolling in with thunder echoing in the distance
 
>Gabby went off to talk dako out of murdering me in my sleep
>Lucy and I went downstairs to watch TV and unbox her new shotgun together
>we sit down
>Lucy opens the box and takes the instruction manual
>I look over the other contents while she reads that
>yep, it’s Benelli M4 super 90
>the one with the top rail and the collapsible stock
>pretty neat
>unfortunately, it’s doesn’t come ready to use out of the box
>there’s some assembly required
>that’s fine
>all we need to do is-
>“okay I got this”
>“wut”
>“I know how to put this together”
>“you only held the manual for like 15 seconds”
>“yeah”
>Lucy pulls the box closer to her
>she starts removing the pieces from their wraps
>the receiver is almost fully assembled already
>Lucy grabs it along with some other things
>“look, it’s very easy, you just grab this big piece and push this pin… and this pin… and this bit comes out”
>she pulls out the entire trigger assembly off the receiver
>“then inside this beige envelope is the bolt, and you unscrew this handle right here… like that… and then you slide it into the big piece this way and then you screw that thing back on and then you put this piece with the trigger back in and push the pins back into place and we are halfway done”
>I just sit there amazed
>she looks around the box and pulls out the plastic shells that make the fore end and the entire barrel assembly
>“and now for the barrel thingy, you just snap these plastic bits into place and slide the entire thing into the other big piece and screw this cap at the end of this tube and ta-da! done!”
>“holy hell…”
>“this little book was really helpful, I wish more things came with instructions like this ones”
>“yeah but how does it feel?”
>“it’s lighter than my spas, the grip is a bit more comfortable too but I don’t like the stock”
>“but you haven’t even shouldered it yet”
>“yeah but I don’t need to do that to know… I mean just look at this, was this made for a halfling? how am I supposed to use it?”
>uh…
 
>“Lucy…”
>“what?”
>I sigh as I take the shotgun from her and extend the stock
>“oh… well this is way better, thank you”
>“yeah, no problem”
>we huddle together as the first raindrops falling on the roof echo throughout the house
>after another half hour of watching reruns from older shows the storm has fully set in
>the temperature has dropped
>thunder booms in the distance
>and the streets are covered in 2 inches of flowing water
>Lucy is leaning against my shoulder
>I have my arm wrapped around her
>“it’s getting cold, we should get a blanket”
>I scratch Lucy’s chin
>“I’ll go get it”
>“can you make some coffee in the meantime? please”
>“sure”
>I stand up from the couch and head to the kitchen
>we have a coffee machine, I just have to fill it with water and put some grounds in
>I do so but before I can press start, some one knocks on the door
>I step out of the kitchen
>Lucy is looking back at the door from the couch
>“don’t worry I’ll get it”
>whoever it is knocks again
>it sounds urgent
>with this weather it better be something urgent
>I swear to god if it’s another one of those door-to-door merchants I’m gonna lose my shit
>resilient bastards
>I try to peak out of the window next to the door but it’s too dark
>we need to put a peephole on this door
>I disengage the safety of my pistol as I slowly open the door
>oh shit…
>it’s Nayako…
>she’s shivering with tears swelling in her eyes
>her clothes are completely soaked
>and she’s carrying a nylon sack over her shoulder
>“oh my god… come in”
>I close the door behind her
>she drops to her knees to recover her breath
>“Lucy get over here!”
>“what’s the mat- oh god…”
>Lucy rushes over
>“hello, are you ok? what happened?”
>Nayako doesn’t respond
>she just continues shivering as the drips forms a puddle under her
>“go get her a towel, and get Gabby and dako over here”
>Lucy nods and runs up the stairs
>“hey girl, what happened?”
>she breaks down into bawling
>“m-my home… it was d-destroyed while I was gone!”
 
>“Christ that’s terrible”
>“i-it must have been t-those stupid green idiots! they found out where I lived and… and…”
>I scoot forward and wrap one arm around her
>“don’t worry, we are here to help you”
>“e-everything was destroyed, what wasn’t crushed was taken by the police and thrown into the trash!”
>that’s… a little weird…
>she drops the nylon sack bag she was carrying and it squelches as it hits the floor
>“t-that’s all I could recover…”
>she simmers down but continues sobbing and sniffling
>“what about your family?”
>“I-I live a-alone…”
>what?!
>there’s not way on heaven or hell that this girl was living alone and going out at night to steal from goblins
>“where was your house?”
>Nayako wipes her nose on her forearm before replying
>“I d-didn’t live in a house… I-I lived inside a billboard near the industrial sector…”
>“oh…”
>ooooh…
>oooooooooooh…
>“Anon!”
>I hear Gabby’s voice along with several footsteps coming down the stairs
>she pushes me out of the way
>Gabby wraps Nayako in a big towel
>Lucy is standing behind her holding two hair driers
>dako is slowly making his way downstairs carrying a portable heater
>he puts it down on the floor and leans on it to catch his breath
>Lucy hands dako the driers and carries Nayako to the living room
>Gabby helps dako push the heater to take it with them
>I’m left alone by the door
>sitting on a puddle and with a cat girl shaped stain on my shirt
>as I get up to join the group, I hear another knock on the door
>I open the door to see nobody on the other side
>I close the door
>the knocking resumes immediately
>annoyed, I swing the door open and look around for whoever the fuck is bothering us at this time
>nothing…
>grind my teeth a bit
>I grab the door and I'm ready to slam it shut
>then a weird clacking noise calls my attention
>like something tapping against the hardwood floor
>I look down to see Gabby's wet wooden prosthetic arm crawling its way in with its fingers
>uh...
 
>“uh… hi?”
>the arm just stops for a few seconds
>it doesn’t have eyes, but it still feels like it’s staring at me
>the arm then goes back to crawling towards the living room
>I bent down and pick it up
>it goes limp when I grab it
>weird…
>I go to the living room to join the rest of the group
>Nayako is sitting on the table with everyone gathered near her
>Lucy and Gabby are drying her off with the hair dries
>dako is sitting by the corner fiddling with the knobs and buttons of the heater
>once he figures it out, he turns it on and pushes it near the table
>“hey Gabby”
>I call out as I toss her the prosthetic arm
>Gabby turns around but dako snatches it off the air before she can catch it
>“hey!”
>dako inspects the arm and notices it’s soaking wet
>“Anon… where did you find it?”
>“um… it came in… crawling through the front door”
>“it crawled in eh?”
>dako frowns and stares at Gabby
>“hey don’t look at me like that, maybe it decided to go out for some fresh air and jumped out of the window you broke”
>“it’s not supposed to seek you unless you are a kilometer away for more than 5 hours”
>“I- well I… um… I-I HAD AN EPISODE OK?!”
>dako rubs both his temples with the prosthetic’s hand
>“you had a fucking episode…”
>Lucy turns around looking quite annoyed
>“hey guys could you not right now?”
>“fucking… augh, yeah sorry”
>dako tosses the arm to Gabby
>“I’m sorry bro, I just wasn’t thinki-
>“yeah whatever… just don’t do that again because I’m not growing you another one”
>“y-yeah”
>Gabby reattaches her prosthetic arm back on and sighs on relief
>ok, now that that is cleared up, I join into the group
>sitting next to Lucy who is still hard at work drying Nayako off
>Nayako still shivering, scoots over closer to the heater
>“I-I'm s-orry to bother you but… could-could I stay here f-for a while?”
>“yeah, don't worry about it”
>dako sits on the couch behind us
>“yeah, you can stay in the attic if you want”
>I look at him puzzled
>“we have an attic?"
 
>“yeah, it’s pretty cozy”
>“but is it hospitable?”
>“sure, that’s where I keep Grapes”
>“Grapes?”
>dako’s eyes go wide as if he realized he said something he shouldn’t
>“y-yeah grapes, I keep my grapes up there”
>“why the fuck do you have grapes in the attic?”
>“eh… um… well yeah, I uh… I pickle them…”
>“you pickle grapes…”
>“yeah”
>“in the attic…”
>“w-well you need a lukewarm and clean place when you pickle stuff so what better place than the attic”
>“the fucking pantry?”
>“oh shut up Anon, what do you know about… fucking… pickling grapes… fucking asshole disrespecting my… cultural… culinary traditions and shit…? ain’t that right Gabby?”
>I look over
>Gabby is just as confused as I am
>“the fuck are you talking about?”
>“oh fuck off, you uncultured shits, I’m gonna go check on my grapes”
>dako storms off and goes back upstairs
>ok…?
>Gabby walks over and kneels down besides Nayako
>“hey I have a big bed, you can stay with me if you want”
>“yeah Gabby is the only one with enough space for you, besides, she could lend you some more clothes”
>“t-thank you, but I’ll stay in the a-attic”
>“um… are you sure about that?”
>“I d-don’t want to b-bother you so ple-ase”
>“well, if that’s what you really want”
>“t-hank you, I really ap-appreciate it"
>“don't sweat it"
>we spend the next minutes in silence drying and warming Nayako up
>at some point Gabby went off to get fresh clothes for her
>they were slightly bigger than the last pair
>maybe we should go buy her proper clothes tomorrow
>hmmm
>that kinda reminded me of the first days after I saved Lucy and shortly before I got plunged into the mess that got me hiding in another world
>oh those were the days
>I can still remember them like they happened a few days over a month ago
>hahaha yeah
>“hey Anon"
>“ah uh um what? what happened?"
>“you were drifting off"
>“oh, sorry"
>Nayako changed into her new clothes while I was reminiscing
>now she's sitting huddled against Gabby on the couch
>aw…
>…I'm getting hungry
 
>I stand up and go to the kitchen to see what I can make for dinner
>god did we even have lunch?
>I think we all forgot
>well whatever, I’m making sandwiches
>I just need…
>wait…
>fuck, I used most of the white bread this morning
>shit
>I don’t want to go to the store now
>hmmm…
>fuck it, delivery it is
>I step outside of the kitchen and ask
>“hey guys, are you hungry?”
>Gabby is the first one to speak up
>“hell yeah I’m starving”
>Lucy thinks for a few seconds before responding
>“I’m not super hungry but I could eat”
>we all turn our gaze towards Nayako
>she looks at us and gets visibly nervous
>“w-what?”
>“don’t you want something to eat?”
>“I… I do…”
>Gabby pats her on the head
>“well then, what do you want to eat?”
>“um… what did you say you where gonna get?”
>“I was thinking of getting some burgers but uh… do they have an english line?”
>I ask as I pull out my phone
>Gabby pulls out her own phone
>“no, I’ll order… what do you guys want?”
>“where are you ordering from?”
>“that local joint near the center, what was it called? Parniko’s?”
>“ooh yeah I remember that place, you think they'll deliver all the way here at this hour and with this weather?”
>“yeah, they have 24 hour delivery, less than 40 minutes or it's free”
>“well then I want a bacon cheeseburger with onions”
>Lucy sits for a minute to ponder
>“hmmm… I’ll just have a normal burger with extra lettuce”
>“and you Naya?”
>“I uh… I don't know what they sell”
>“burgers”
>“I mean I don't… I'll just have what you are having”
>Gabby nods and then dials up the place
>she orders the food in their language
>I go back to sit on the couch next to Lucy
>we continue watching the tv in silence for the next half hour
>then we hear the horn of a car outside
>Gabby pulls out her wallet and goes to the door
>after a few minutes she comes back holding a big oil-stained paper bag
>mmm it smells like unhealty glory
>Gabby puts the bag on the table in front of us and we all reach in to grab our food
 
>each burger is contained in one of those styrofoam boxes
>each box is marked with runes in top
>“um… Gabby…”
>“oh shit yeah, this is yours and this one is Lucy’s”
>“thanks”
>we take our food and start eating
>Nayako seems puzzled by the container
>Gabby helps her on opening it before grabbing her own
>Nayako stares at the burger for a few seconds
>the bun has a shinier and smoother crust than ours
>the patty is larger and juicier
>condimented with long sliced dill pickles and the same caramelized onions I had to order as an extra to get on my burger
>it comes with a side of onion rings and a small plastic container filled with blue cheese and mushrooms sauce
>I recognize that beast of a sandwich
>it’s the Parniko delux combo
>that thing costs like 12 dollars
>Jesus…
>can she even eat half of that?
>but well, she did say she wanted the same thing as Gabby
>and if anyone on this house lacks enough modesty to casually order something like that, it's definately Gabby
>Nayako leans closer to it and gives it a whiff
>closing her eyes and taking in the smell
>and then she just stays still
>completely paralyzed for a solid 20 seconds
>uh…
>not the reaction I expected but…
>Nayako opens her eyes again slowly
>her pupils have narrowed
>she looks like she just figured out the secret to eternal life
>she takes the burger out of the box
>it's so big that she needs both her hands to handle the delicacy
>the hair on the back of her neck stands up
>drool has started to seep out of the corner of her mouth
>her toes are curling in anticipation
>she wastes time no more as she opens her mouth and takes a sizeable bite out of the burger
>she chews rapidly but slows down to savor the taste
>her tail puffs
>pupils dilate
>tears form on her eyes and then roll down her cheeks
>Nayako chuckles as best she can with a mouth full of food
>she looks around to see that all three us have been staring at her for the last minute and a half
>her cheeks turn bright red
 
>Nayako wipes the tears off her face and continues eating
>taking big bites
>only stopping to get some onion rings
>“how long has it been since you had a proper meal?”
>Nayako is taken aback by the question
>tries to answer with her mouth full
>her speech is unintelligible
>“uh…”
>she realizes and passes her food properly before answering
>“I… I had been living on discount cocktail sausage packages and public drinking fountains for about 3 weeks now, and… and finally eating something decent made me feel… oddly hopeful”
>“well you don’t have to worry about that now ok?”
>Nayako nods as she continues eating
>by the time she’s done we have all finished our food
>and she somehow managed to eat the whole thing
>onion rings and all
>but it seems that all that food is about to induce her a coma
>her eyes get heavy and her stance unsteady
>“Nayako, are you tired?”
>“I… I am”
>“would you like us to take you to where you’ll be staying?”
>she nods slowly
>Gabby takes Nayako by the hand and guides her to the stairs
>I follow closely behind
>kicking something on the floor, I look down to see Nayako’s hobo sack on the floor still wet
>oh
>I gently push it aside with my foot and follow the girls upstairs
>“so… where’s the attic?”
>Gabby looks around the ceiling before fixating on one spot
>she stands beneath said spot and then jumps up, punching a well-hidden trapdoor open
>a rope ladder unfurls down from the hatch
>and immediately we hear footsteps coming from above
>dako leans over the entrance
>“hey wait, you can’t come up yet”
>“why not?”
>“I um… I’m hiding my grapes”
>“why are you-
>“I’m also making space for her shut up”
>dako pulls the ladder up and closes the door
>we hear as he moves stuff around upstairs
>and sometimes I can hear muffled speaking
>like he’s talking to someone
>he could just be thinking out loud
>weird but I know he does that sometimes
>the hatch opens and dako peeks out
>“how many days did you say you were staying?”
>he asks Nayako
 
>“um… a few days… maybe three?”
>Nayako answers with tiredness clear in her voice
>“…”
>“…”
>“…aight”
>dako slams the hatch shut
>the shuffling above intensifies
>and then, quietness
>the hatch opens slowly
>the rope ladders rolls down
>Nayako, Gabby and I climb up
>the first thing I notice about the attic is that is really clean
>like scary clean
>like pressure wash clean
>there’s a lot of empty space around the hatch and near the two windows
>there’s a bunch of boxes and closets stacked together that they form the illusion of straight walls among the diagonal lines that make the roof
>“I cleared some space, re-installed the mosquito nets on the windows and look, I even set you a nice cot up kid”
>dako says as he points at a sleeping bag sitting on top of a pile of rusty oven wire racks near one of the windows
>“uh… thanks…”
>I look closer at the glimmering floorboards
>I haven’t even touched them, and they already squeak of cleanliness
>weird
>“this place is…”
>“pretty neat right?”
>“…oddly clean for an attic”
>“yeah you can thank Grapes for-I mean you can thank me for my grapes for that… because I need to clean regularly… because of my grapes… because I don’t want food poisoning… yep…”
>ok there’s clearly a lie here and I don’t think I’m the only one who noticed
>Gabby looks around the place
>“so where are they?”
>there we go
>“so where what?”
>“where are the grapes?”
>“hidden… somewhere… because uh… they are not ready yet… this batch is not ready”
>“why have I never heard of them before? I mean I understand if Anon hadn’t, but you usually talk to me about these sorts of little things”
>“b-b-because… because I didn’t think you’d like them”
>Gabby gives him the shifty eyes
>dako starts looking around, avoiding eye contact
>“so um… anyway, this place is yours kid just don’t touch my boxes or my grapes the light switch is over there we're are gonna leave you alone now bye have a good night”
>dako tries to hurry us out
>but Gabby is having none of it
 
>Nayako nods as she crawls on top of the sleeping bag
>she kneads it a bit before laying down on it
>“alrighty then, remember, don’t touch anything”
>dako tries to push us to the exit but Gabby pushes back
>“look it’s so painfully obvious that you are hidi-
>dako hugs Gabby but discretely wraps his arm around her neck and covers her mouth
>she immediately starts to struggle
>“he-he-he-hey lil’ sis how about we go to my room and discuss that little episode you had earlier today”
>dako picks Gabby up and walks off the hatch on the floor
>hitting the floor beneath with a heavy thud and a soft “ow”
>I look back
>Nayako is rolling around on the sleeping bag
>“well um… goodnight and uh… yeaAAUGH!”
>I feel a hand grab me by the collar and drag me out of the attic
>I fall through the chute, landing on my sides
>ouch
>the air got pushed out of my lungs
>so I roll around groaning in pain
>I open my eyes to see dako stretching his arm out and closing the attic hatch
>he’s got his other arm stretched and wrapped around Gabby like rope
>pinning her arms to her side
>“well now that that’s done and dealt with, who’s hungry?”
>“we already ate jackass”
>“shit really? fuck”
>“yeah now let me go before I shred your arms off myself”
>“geez, w-why so angry today eh?”
>dako unwinds his arms rapidly, sending Gabby into a spin
>“well then I guess I’m gonna go make myself something to eat then”
>he starts to walk away
>Gabby stabilizes herself and then runs after him
>“stop fucking around! what did you lock her in with up there?!”
>dako sits on the staircase railing and slides down
>“don’t worry, it’s not gonna hurt he-I MEAN what are you talking about? there’s nothing up there”
>“oh my god you are so fucking bad at lying you know?”
>Gabby runs down and continues chasing after dako around the house
>I walk down the stairs and pick up Nayako's wet bag
>hmmm
>I should probably get this dry
>she may have important things in here after all
>…maybe…
>…possibly…
>…hmmm
 
>I pinch a flap of the bag and carefully take it to the living room
>Lucy is still there watching TV
>I sit beside her and place the bag on the table
>“whatcha doin?”
>“Nayako left her stuff down here and I thought I should probably make it… you know… less wet?”
>“ah, here use this”
>Lucy says calmly as she hands me a hair drier
>“won’t this bother you?”
>“nah, I’ve seen this episode before anyway”
>“if you say so”
>I once again pinch the bag but this time by the bottom side, turning it over and letting the contents spill out
>there weren’t a lot of interesting things inside besides the bag of holding we had given her
>just a couple of virtuos, some American 5-dollar bills, a couple of weird knight figurines and a hairband
>the bag we gave her was made out of high-quality leather so nothing inside there should be wet
>unless she didn’t close it properly
>so I start with the other stuff first
>gently waving the hair drier in front of the items at a good distance as to not damage them
>they… don’t look great… but they are usable(?)
>and besides, I’m pretty sure they were in shabby condition before I did anything
>I set them aside and turn the bag of holding over
>the first thing to come out is the new rifle we made for her
>which promptly clattered onto the table
>I realized I probably shouldn’t be too careless with this stuff and decide to pull out everything individually
>most of the things inside were stuff we had seen before
>Nayako’s rifles and her armor
>though there was a couple of new items
>a pair of leather boots covered in steel plates and a beige envelope full of other papers
>I guess the boots are just part of her clothes she doesn’t take often
>so what’s the deal with this envelope?
>maybe I should….
>no…
>hmmm maybe…
>it’s not your business anon, don’t mess with it
>right…
>dako walks up sipping on a capri sun and sealing a giant talon slash across his face
>“hey ano-ooh a beige folder! they usually have secrets!”
>oh for fuck's sake
 
>I slap him in the wrist and take the folder away
>“not your business”
>“well, it isn’t yours either”
>I frown and set the envelope between me and Lucy
>“and I don’t intent on opening so git”
>dako plops himself on the couch next to me
>“tch, come on dude… what secrets could a street urchin like her even hold? nuclear launch codes?”
>“no, it’s not about what it may be there but about privacy”
>dako opens the envelope flap by running his finger under it…
>wait a minute…
>how the fuck-
>“if she’s gonna live here then she better start opening up becau-
>dako stops the moment he pulls out one of the papers inside
>it’s a white sheet with gray borders and with writing on it
>it has a mugshot of a much younger Nayako in one of the corners
>but it’s not written in Vetrillian runes
>it’s clearly another different language of this world but I have no clue as to what it could mean
>dako stares wide eyed at the page
>he looks uncomfortable with its contents
>he quickly shoves it down the envelope, seals it and throws it on the table
>“what… was that?”
>“not our business”
>“what?”
>“hey looks at this armor, you wanna know something cool about it?”
>dako grabs Nayako’s gambeson of the table
>“dako what was that? what did you see?”
>“pfft I it wasn’t interesting, it’s wasn’t even a language I could read, now look at these shoulder plates”
>I raise an eyebrow
>then look at the envelope and reach for it
>dako grabs my wrist and pulls it away from the table
>“Look. At. The. Shoulder. Plates”
>he hisses between closed teeth
>I get the message
>“w-what about them?”
>“good question, you see how they bend upwards near the neck?”
>“yes, that’s to protect it right?”
>“yep”
>“…”
>“…”
>“that’s it?”
>dako stands up and leaves
>“yep and remember, not our business”
>he goes upstairs
>I turn to Lucy who's eyes are glued to the soap opera on the TV
>she probably didn't even noticed dako stopped by
>sigh
>I grab Nayako's gambeson and fold it neatly before putting back on the table
 
>then I place everything into the bag of holding
>I poke Lucy on the shoulder and take her out of her soap opera induced trance
>“hey baby, I’m gonna go lay down for the night”
>“ah, yeah… I kinda want to sleep a bit more too and uh… what time us it?”
>“well it’s not too late but I want to compensate for last night you know?”
>Lucy turns the TV off
>I turn all the lights off and lock the doors
>then we head to our room
>I hear murmuring coming from Gabby’s room when we pass by
>the door is slightly opened
>Lucy goes on and gets to our room
>I stay behind to try to see what’s going on inside
>peeking through, I see dako and Gabby sitting on the bed talking to each other
>Gabby seems upset
>she’s grinding her teeth and rubbing her temples
>and dako looks like he’s trying his best to comfort her
>he forces her arms to her side and gives her a hug
>aw
>I smile subconsciously
>until dako stretches his arm towards me and punches the door close
>hitting me in the forehead
>ouch
>ok maybe I deserve that, but it was worth it
>I stand up, wipe the blood dripping down my nose and head to my room
>…
>wait… why did I get a nosebleed?
>hmmm
>the lights of my room are already off
>Lucy is already tucked up
>so I slide in beneath the blanket besides her
>“Anon…”
>“yeah?”
>“we haven’t gotten out of the house alone in a while”
>“yeah… I was feeling the same thing too”
>“how about we go out together soon?”
>“where do you want to go?”
>“the range…”
>I chuckle softly
>“of course…”
>“I want to test out my new shotgun and the rifle and all the other cool things”
>“yeah, me too”
>“what do you say we go out tomorrow?”
>“don’t we have work?”
>“tomorrow is sunday”
>“oh, well then I guess we can”
>“hmmm thanks Anon, goodnight”
>“no problem sweethea-
>[loud elven snoring]
>I take a deep breath and clear my mind
>tomorrow is gonna be a good day
>so I relax
>let go
>and drift off to sleep
>oh yeah
>the land of pillow
>the great sanctuary of the mind
>sweet drea-
>“AAAAAAH!”
 
>I shoot up in bed
>the sudden movement cause my vision to fade for a few seconds
>god fucking iron deficiency
>another scream
>that sounded like Nayako
>I throw the blanket off me and get up as fast as I can
>I open the door and leave into the hallway
>Gabby’s room door gets kicked open and dako runs out
>Gabby closely following behind
>the screaming continues
>dako runs to the attic hatch and jumps up
>punching it open so hard it breaks off its hinges and falls down on dako
>taking him down to the floor
>I run up to get up there while dako starts to get up
>“ANON WAI-
>I step on the hatch
>something crunches beneath me
>dako screams out in pain
>I jump up and grab onto the unfurling rope ladder to climb up into the attic
>the lights are still on and Nayak-
>OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!
>a weird bright white blob creature is on top of her
>Nayako is doing her best to fight off the thing
>Jesus…
>I didn’t know we had giant fucking attic wisps here
>I run up and um…
>I uh…
>what the fuck do I do?!
>at first I just try to pry the creature off her
>its body is squishy and cold, but the surface is covered in velvety fur
>the hairs of the creature stand up when I put pressure on it
>immediately my palms begin to itch a lot
>painfully so
>I let go and start rubbing my hands on my shirt to make the itch go away
>dako finally gets up here
>he sees the creature and starts to panic
>“oh god dammit!”
>he yells as he runs towards it
>he grabs the creature much like I did
>“no wait! the hai-
>“let her go boy!”
>he yells as he pulls off the creature
>boy?
>Nayako now free from whatever the fuck that thing is, stands up and hides behind me, catching her breath
>dako takes a deep breath and starts to pet the creature
>“oh my god…”
>“dude, what the fuck is that?!”
>“ah fuck… welp, no point hiding it anymore…”
>he puts the creature on the ground but holds it in place
>“…this is uh… this is Grapes, a giant bristled slug”
>a slug?
>that thing is a fucking slug?!
 
>well…
>…under a calmer examination, it does look like a slug
>not an earth slug
>more like a nudibranch
>it looks like a sea bunny to be exact
>except it’s completely white and its antennae are solid instead of the bristly moth like thingies sea bunnies have
>“and why the hell do you have this thing? why did you have it hidden up here? is it dangerous?”
>“oh well… no or well… normally they are extremely poisonous”
>“WHAT?! dude I touched that thing, and it touched-IS THIS ITCHING CAUSED BY THE POISON?!”
>it’s not, chill out, that’s because of the bristles he’s covered in… these slugs get their poison from the locusts they eat and Grapes here hasn’t eaten anything but moss and dust for weeks”
>“so why isn’t it itching you right now?”
>“because he trusts me, isn’t that right boy?”
>he starts scratching the side of the slug
>a long proboscis covered in a pink-ish slime slithers from under it and starts licking dako’s hand
>“and why was it attacking Nayako?”
>“I don’t know, these guys only filter feed whenever they can’t get their tongues on any insects, I don’t see why… hold on…”
>dako stands up, the slug still on his hands
>he tries to walk around me to get to Nayako, but she moves away
>“hey come on, I need to test something”
>“NO! get that thing away from me!”
>“augh fine”
>dako gently throws Grapes a few feet away
>the slug splats onto the floor
>creating a puddle of pink slime on impact
>dako picks up Nayako from her armpits and smells her hair
>“mhmm… just as I thought…”
>“what?”
>“she smells like wet moss”
>Nayako takes offense
>she kicks dako in the chode, causing him to drop her instantly
>and also causing him to drop to his knees clutching his crotch
>she’s too distracted watching dako writhing in pain to realize the slug has started crawling towards her
>“uh… Naya”
>“what?”
>“the crawly is going after you”
>“wha-AH!”
>she tries to jump away but the slug shoots its tongue out and wraps it around Nayako’s ankle
>Nayako screams again
>oh boy

>Nayako starts running around the attic screaming while dragging the slug around
>Gabby pops her head in and yells
>“what the hell is going on he-
>Gabby’s face goes blank as she takes in the scene
>I catch Nayako and try to pry the slug off her
>“hey Gabby, we’re having some problems here”
>“y-yeah I noticed, what the fuck happened?”
>Dako stands up still tearing and wheezing
>“fu… f-fucking wild slug g-got in and attacked Na… Nayako, crazy ain’t it?”
>I manage to get the slug off Nayako
>she breaks free, jumps out of the attic, and runs off somewhere
>“a wild slug?”
>Dako shuffles over and picks the slug up
>“y-yeah he- I mean IT somehow broke in and… and it… it-
>“its name is Grapes and Dako had been secretly keeping it up here for about a month”
>“d… DUDE!”
>Gabby facepalms and starts to laugh
>I turn to Dako and ask
>“why were you hiding this thing anyway? it’s not like we have rules against pets or anything”
>“uh w-well I mean… it’s dangerous and… and it has poison and shit”
>“I thought you said it had lost the poison long ago”
>“uh… well… it-it’s got a tongue and… it can choke you to dead with it… yeah…”
>Gabby stops laughing and starts exposition dumping on me
>“he was probably hiding it because giant slugs are often considered girly pets and he’s self-conscious about it”
>“NO I AM NOT?!”
>“girly pets? wait, you mean to tell me that more people besides him decided to keep these things as pets?”
>“yeah and they go back a while, there’s records of prominently female members of the aristocracy keeping and breeding giant slugs that date as far back as 300 years before the convergence”
>“oh damn… well they do look kinda cute”
>“yeah, even to this day plenty of people have them, though they usually acquire them from a licensed breeder… adopting a wild one is… well… unorthodox… and dangerous…”

>we both turn to see Dako sitting on the floor, cradling Grapes in his arms and tickling its belly
>he realizes we’re staring and scoots 180°
>“don’t judge me ok, I just think they are neat”
>Gabby looks back at me
>“domesticated slugs are nothing like the wild ones now, they’re fatter and fluffier and are harmless and have colorful patters not obtained by eating poisonous insects and shit”
>“how much do they cost?”
>“depends on its genetics, colors and patterns but usually hmmm… around a fuck-ton, they to us like premium koi fish are to the Japanese”
>“oh wow”
>“yep, out of all the practices to survive the several revolutions, coup d'etats and drastic reforms we’ve had in modern history, of course slug domestication had to be one of them”
>“you guys get a lot of revolts?”
>“oh yeah, the longest period of stability we’ve had in recent times lasted only 150 years”
>I look back at her with a worried look
>“eh don’t worry about it, they mostly end with little violence… mostly…”
>“oh… well… I guess since the um… slug situation has been resolved we can um… go to sleep and shit”
>“yeah… yeah we should, I’m gonna go calm Nayako down and make space for her in my bed”
>Gabby drops down the hatch and goes to find Nayako
>“Nayako? where you go girl? ksksksksks”
>followed by a muffled
>“I’m NOT a wild cat OK?!”
>I slide off the hatch and leave Dako alone with his weird pet
>then I go back to my room and lay back down with Lucy
>she lazily turns around and mumbles
>“hmmm what happened?”
>“oh it was nothing, just turns out Dako was keeping a secret pet on the attic”
>“hmmm ok”
>…goodnight baby”
>“goonigh”
>I smile as I turn on my side
>take a deep breath…
>1
>2
>3
>snap
>sleep…

>my eyes spring open
>I look around to see that Lucy has already gotten up
>I get out of bed
>get cleaned and dressed
>go downstairs and into the living room
>Dako is slouched on the couch with Grapes sitting on top of his head like some weird slug pompadour
>“you brought it down from the attic?”
>“well, you guys already know about it so why keep him hidden up there?”
>“fair enough, where’s Nayako?”
>“hiding besides the couch, she’s still scared of Grapes”
>I look over to see the top of Nayako’s head peeking from the behind the couch
>“hey, did you sleep well?”
>she looks down for a second
>“…no”
>“oh… well, you can try to sleep more later”
>she looks down again before disappearing behind the couch again
>ok…?
>I leave to the kitchen
>Lucy and Gabby are cooking breakfast together
>“hey baby”
>“hello~”
>I hug Lucy from behind and plant a kiss on the top of her head
>“hey Gabby”
>“hey Anon”
>“need any help?”
>Lucy pours flour into a big bowl before turning to me
>“you already cooked breakfast yesterday”
>“doesn’t mean I can’t help”
>Gabby swats my proposal away
>“don’t worry we got this, don’t we Lucy?”
>Lucy stares at a carton of eggs confused as to what she’s supposed to do with them
>Gabby looks back at me and gives me a thumbs up
>“ok… I… I’ll go wait on the living room, just don’t forget there’s a fire extinguisher in the cupboard left of the stove”
>I go back to the living and sit on the couch with Dako
>he’s watching the news transmitted in Vetrillian
>“can you change it to the English one”
>“I lost the remote…”
>“hmmm”
>I lean back and fidget with my fingers
>I’m about to pull out my phone to entertain myself when I hear the distinctive sound of a slide being racked
>I look over the side of the couch to see Nayako sitting on the floor playing with a glock 17
>“hey Dak, isn’t that-”
>“I let her borrow it”
>“it’s not loaded is it?”
>Dako digs into his pocket and pulls out a handful of 9mm
>“oh”
>Nayako dry fires the gun three times and then giggles

>I turn back to Dako and whisper to him
>“you seem to have taken well to her moving in, honestly I would have expected you to demand something in return”
>“1.- she’s a child, how morally corrupt do you think I am? 2.- thanks for reminding me”
>oh for fucks sake
>“hey Naya”
>the top of Nayako’s head peeks out from the armrest
>“come here girl, I need to talk to you”
>Nayako narrows her eyes
>“what?”
>she points at Grapes, still sitting on top of Dako’s head
>“oh come on, that was just a misunderstanding, he didn’t mean to scare you”
>she narrows her eyes more
>“augh fine”
>Dako grabs the slug and plops it on the floor
>he then pokes it in the tail to coax it to crawl away
>“come on buddy, go suck some hydration out of the ceiling corners”
>Grapes slides away at high speeds (for a 3ft. long slug) and then crawls up a wall and sits by the ceiling corner
>huh…
>Nayako walks around the couch and sits between us
>she hands Dako his glock and he pockets it on his jacket
>“hey, you remember how these guys told you that you could stay out of the bottom of their hearts?”
>Nayako nods confidently
>“well… I am not that cut and dry, you’re gonna need more than just being a child to win me over, ain’t that right anon?”
>by the time he said ‘well’ I was already giving him dirty looks
>“what are you planning?”
>“look, if what you said about being in conflict with the goblins is true, then I assume that you know where they congregate, right?”
>I catch on what Dako is planning
>“oh you motherfu…”
>Nayako nods hesitantly
>I don’t have a good feeling about this
>“here’s the deal kid, you tell me everything you know, and you get to stay in this cozy house of ours, what do you say?”

>Nayako looks around nervously
>“I-I’m not staying”
>“aw come on! you can’t seriously be declining a home… just for telling me something you already know? you don’t even have anyone to return to”
>“hey you don’t know that!”
>I interject, tired of this nonsense
>“oh but I do mon amie”
>Dako bends down and whispers something in Vetrillian
>Nayako clenches her fist and growls
>“f-FINE! I accept…”
>Dako puts on his smug face
>“oh goodie my girl, you are going to love it he-
>“…b-but I want the pistol too!”
>Dako’s eyes spring open in surprise
>“we-he-ell, that came out of left field… but ok, just take good care of it”
>he pulls the glock out of his pocket and tosses it on Nayako’s lap
>she immediately takes the pistol and pulls back the slide
>“where are the bullets?”
>Dako pulls out the jingling bunch of 9mm out of his pocket
>“no loaded chambers in the house ok?”
>Nayako jumps off the couch and goes back to hiding besides it
>“you were… surprisingly willing to let go of something?”
>“it’s just a glock, got something better anyway”
>at that sentence, out of the corner of my eye, I see Nayako’s ears perk up over the armrest
>Dako reaches into his waistband and pulls out an UZI pro
>“eh?”
>“oh shit”
>Dako puts his proud snobby face on, eyes closed and everything
>“cool isn’t it? full auto as well, won it at a poker gam-
>Dako opens his eyes to see the UZI that was just in his hand got replaced with a glock 17
>“WHAT THE-
>he looks over to me
>but I’m too busy looking over at the Nayako running up the stairs with the UZI on her hands
>“you little rat COME BACK HERE!”
>Dako jumps over the back rest of the couch and pursues her upstairs
>I sit there laughing my ass off
>Grapes crawls back to the couch and lays besides me
>“h-hey… buddy…”
>Grapes’ body starts convulsing
>“huh…”
>he then spits out the TV remote all covered in slug juices
>I pick it by a corner and wipe it off on the armrest
>“…thanks?”
>Grapes huddles against my leg
>his hairs don't hurt me anymore

>d-does he trust me now?
>I hesitantly put my hand on his forehead
>or at least what I think it’s his forehead
>hey, it doesn’t feel like my hand fell into a septic tank full of used needles!
>no, instead he feels soft and fuzzy
>like a chinchilla
>I start moving my hand back and forth softly
>Grapes start wiggling his little feelers
>“aw, maybe you are not that bad of a pet after all”
>he starts chirring like the antlion grubs from half-life 2
>I hear Lucy call me from the kitchen
>“hey Anon, breakfast is ready”
>“coming”
>I stand up, taking up Grapes with me
>as in, he’s stuck to the side of my leg now
>“uh… ok… just please tell me your juices are easy to wash off”
>he replies with a soft purr
>“I’ll take that as a ‘hopefully’…”
>I walk back to the kitchen where breakfast is already platted up
>mmm pancakes with bacon and eggs, an American classic
>I sit down on my seat and reach out for a jar of raspberry jam
>Lucy slaps my hand as she sits down beside me
>“nah-ha, not until everyone is at the table”
>“ye Anmon, don iu hab som teible manrs”
>we both look over to Gabby who’s already stuffed her mouth with pancake
>we both raise an eyebrow at the same time
>“whack? Imma hackpi”
>“so what?”
>Gabby washes down the pancakes with a sip of her cup of coffee
>“ah… we aren’t accountable for human-elf codes of conduct”
>“anyway, I think we can make an exception today sine Dako and Nayako seem to be…”
>I look up and wait
>“…”
>“…”
>“be what?”
>“shhh”
>“…”
>suddenly, a loud crash comes muffled through the ceiling
>there it is!
>“…they seem to be rather busy”
>“…”
>“…damn Anon, that timing was wack”
>“shut up-so yeah I think we should eat now since it seems that Dako is-
>“hey”
>“oh shit”
>I look back to see Dako standing at the door
>hair messed up, jacket sleeves shredded
>“what happened?”
>he sits down and rubs his temples
>“we came to an agreement, Naya gets to keep the UZI and I… well I get fucked pretty much”
>“tch, tough negotiator isn’t she?”
>“shut up"

>“heh…”
>we all go back to minding our own business
>having a silent breakfast like always
>until a look around and notice there’s isn’t more food around other than what we all have served
>“uh… girls… you did cook for Naya right?”
>Gabby and Lucy freeze in place
>“uh…”
>I hear utensils clang against a plate to my left
>dako is rubbing his temples in frustration
>he stands up with his plate of food and throws it into the microwave to keep it warm
>“what are you doing?”
>“well, since it looks like you forgot about the kid rather easily, here I come make her some actual food… so much for that hospitality and bottom of the heart bullshit”
>Gaby rolls her eyes in annoyance while Lucy looks down ashamed
>“what are you even doing?”
>dako turns around with a cereal bowl full of flour on his hands
>“what does it look like? I’m making a fucking waffle for her”
>he then kneels downs and pulls out a circular waffle pan out of a cupboard
>we all go back to eating while dako does whatever
>“so uh… what do you guys plan on doing today?”
>Lucy throws me a puzzled look
>“you haven’t forgotten your promise, right? Anon?”
>oh shit, the range promise
>“uh… no, of course I didn’t forget, but you know, it’s still morning, we still have time to do stuff around the house”
>“like getting ready to go out?”
>“I suppose, what about you Gabby?”
>“I dunno, maybe help Naya settle in…”
>she then forks up an entire pancake and tears a bite into it
>“…wha bout iu bi bro?”
>dako starts pouring the waffle batter into the pan
>“…bi bro?”
>“hmm? I don’t know… maybe clean out the workshop”
>well, it seems like today is going to be another boring Sunday in the house
>lucky for me and Lucy, we are not staying in the house
>man… I can’t wait to try that new HK on a course
>maybe I'll take all those other weapons I haven't shot before too
>oh and I bet Lucy is gonna break her record with that new Benelli
>I just hope those fuckers at the range haven’t gouged the price of 7.62x51…
>…again

>dako flips out the big round waffle into a plate which he then covers in butter and blue berry jam
>he walks out of the kitchen with plate in hand and goes upstairs
>we continue eating and leave the plates on the sink once we are finish
>Lucy taps me in the shoulder and says
>“I’m gonna go take a quick shower before we leave”
>“ok, I’ll be packing the things then”
>she gives me a quick peck on the cheek before walking off
>dako enters back into the kitchen as I leave
>he takes his breakfast out of the microwave and tells Gabby
>“Naya refuses to leave from under your bed so I left her breakfast on the floor, be sure to clean up when she’s done because I don’t want ants swarming the house again”
>“are you trying to trick me into cleaning my room?”
>“I’m not paying for professional pest control twice in the same month ok? if you become one of the 20 to 30 people to get killed by ants on average every year then it’s your fault”
>“geez ok”
>Gabby begrudgingly leaves to her room
>dako remarks
>“she may be almost my age, but she still acts like an angsty teen”
>I shrug
>“she’s still relatively young, maybe she’ll grow out of it? have patience with her, it worked for me”
>“I barely have the patience to put up with you thre- uh… four now, imagine what I had to put up with when I lived with over 20 of her, speaking of which, we are leaving tomorrow”
>“uh what?”
>“we are going to visit the rest of my sisters tomorrow, we’ll be gone for six days”
>“WHAT?! that’s an entire work week and TOMORROW IS MONDAY!”
>“hey don’t bitch at me, it was your idea”
>“ohp- well… shit”
>“you’ll manage”
>“fuck’s sake”
>dako takes a long and loud sip of a glass of water
>“you better enjoy the rest of this weekend”
>I smack the door frame and stomp upstairs to my room
>I jump headfirst into my bed and take a long breath
>“fuck!”
>well shit
>I better not tell Lucy until we come back from the range
>doing it now will surely sour the rest of her day

>I sit up on the bed
>well I may as well try and enjoy the rest of today
>just gotta pull out my bag of weapons from under the bed
>…
>got it
>I know I left some in the storage room
>I’ll get them on the way out
>oh and my personal CZ which I left it in the bedside drawer
>I open the drawer and I’m met by both my gun and a weird blue glow coming from a crumpled piece of paper
>what in the…
>…already?
>I uncrumple the paper and fish out the magic marble
>the one I got when I crossed a portal for the first time
>yeah I bet you thought I had forgotten about it
>I’ve actually been experimenting with it in secret
>going out of the house all evening with the excuse that “I was just going for a stroll”
>in reality I would hide in the streets and use the marble to travel to different parts of both worlds
>I even used it once to go visit my parents once
>then I would teleport back inside Mehily’s house so she could help me drain the overflow of mana
>(yeah I bet you thought I’d forgotten about her too)
>so far, I’ve learned that I can use the marble two times before it goes inactive, great for round trips but only if I’m alone
>the marble has to rest five days approximately before being useable again
>recovery time varies by a few hours but I’ve yet to determine what causes this
>I gave it to Mehily over a weekend so she could examine it for details
>she came out empty handed…
>and I’ve kept it secret because I fear if I use it with someone else, we’d get stranded somewhere dangerous
>don’t know if they still remember this thing exists
>I hope they don't, specially dako since he is way to impulsive when it comes to things like this
>it’s extremely powerful and I still get nervous when I use it
>I’ve read somewhere that the portals are fickle and fucking around with them will only make them fuck around with you in return
>maybe I should just get rid of this thing…
>make sure it’s in the proper hands…
>…
>oh yeah the weapons for range day

>I just pocket the marble
>putting on fresh clothes and taking the guns downstairs
>I use the kitchen sink to wash my face and brush teeth since Lucy is in the bathroom
>yes, we only have one bathroom in this house
>we had two but one day Gabby tried mixing her own fairy dust gunpowder using the toilet bowl as a cauldron
>no one got hurt but city guard came down with guns ready because they thought it was a botched terrorist attack
>we had to pay for damages to surrounding building plus a giant fine for “attempting to manufacture explosives without a license”
>Gabby enters the kitchen with an empty plate in hand which she then dumps into the sink
>I assume that’s Naya’s plate
>“how is she?”
>“sleeping in my bed, she was curled up and surrounded by 9mm and clutching an Uzi in her hands”
>“was she angry sleeping?”
>“she was purring…”
>“aw”
>“…angrily”
>“oh”
>“yeah… um, my brother did tell you about the visit, right?”
>“yeah, he already did”
>“and you are cool with it right?”
>“I… yeah I was just… taken by surprise a bit”
>“oh really? well uh… thanks for taking on a week without us… a-and for convincing my brother to do this”
>“yeah don’t worry about it”
>Gabby smiles a bit before walking out of the kitchen
>then I hear coming muffled from above me
>“Anon, I’m ready~”
>“I’m down here, I’m ready to go too”
>I reply as I walk out to the living room
>Lucy walks downstairs dressed like if she was going to the gym
>light shirt and yoga pants
>which would be nice if it weren’t for the fact that weather here is constantly 60-65°
>“you should probably put on something warmer”
>“well we are gonna be running a lot and the sun’s out today so…”
>“just don’t ask to borrow my jacket later”
>“psh I’ll be fine”
>I take the Subaru keys
>Lucy gives me a smile and a little punch in the shoulder as we head out
>she then jumps in the passenger seat while I throw the guns in the back
>then I get on the pilot seat and twist the key
>the engine comes alive with a deep rumble

>I let it sit for a few seconds
>then I tap on the gas
>the engine growls and whistles
>the entire frame rumbles
>a flutter turns my dick to graphene when I step off the pedal
>I cover my mouth to avoid a moan coming out
>accidentally smearing my chin with drool
>“uh… Anon?”
>“y-yeah?”
>“are you… ok?”
>“I’m… fantastic actually”
>“o-ok”
>I engage first gear and gently, yet firmly, roll out
>suspension feels nice
>steering is responsive
>and these bucket seats are actually quite cushy
>we’re out of the claustrophobic back streets in just a matter of minutes
>it’s significantly faster than with the CRX
>which is good because the range is quite a drive away
>I would say it’s in the other side of the city but that would imply that it’s within the city
>it’s an open range so it’s a few miles away from city limits
>which means I get to drive all along the main highway
>speaking of which
>we take the ramp up
>Lucy leans forward and switches the radio from a podcast I couldn’t understand to a station with actual music
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-QonjPdUo comes on
>quite weird than a relatively unknown slavic musician gets a spot on the radio but I'm not complaning
>then I look at the almost empty stretch of highway in front of me
>something click on my head and I mutter to myself:
>“oh I’m about to act up…”
>Lucy looks at me confused
>“sorry what? I couldn’t hear you”
>“oh nothing…”
>I say as I casually push on the gas more than necessary
>Lucy catches on and smiles as she tightens her safety belt
>…
>oh shit…
>I forgot to buckle mine…
>…
>meh, I'll be fine…

>we pass the very few cars that we shared the highway with
>the rest turns into a blur
>suddenly there are high rise buildings around us
>suddenly there are not
>we passed the center of the city and were on our way out quick
>in a matter of minutes, we were out
>the highway slopped down to ground level and the brick buildings turned to some quite woods
>I look towards Lucy to see her resting her head against the window
>she has a slight smile on her face
>the radio was now playing some weird local hip-hop track that I had stopped paying attention to
>over the treetops in the horizon I could see the distinctive beige color of the building we were heading to
>yes, I said over the treetops
>after around 3 minutes of driving, we were here
>the range…
>literally
>that’s what this whole place is called
>a massive 3 story building shaped like an L
>we get on to the mall tier parking lot and stop near the entrance
>the entrance is adorned by several posters about new deals in both English and Vetrillian
>the doors open automatically, and we’re hit by the cool air inside
>Lucy starts getting giddy
>the first thing we do I head towards the reception right in front of the entrance
>there’s a young woman at the desk, she looks at us and shrugs her shoulders
>I lean onto the desk and say “English”
>she nods her head and replies with a heavy accent
>”good day shooters, what is it that you would like to do today?”
>I turn to Lucy
>“so uh… what do you want to do?”
>she smiles at me and then turns towards the clerk
>“two and a half hours in the open range plus a session for two in the run and gun course”
>the clerk starts typing on a computer before turning back to us
>“which course instructor would you like to attend you?”
>“Mika”
>“understood”
>I place my hand on Lucy’s shoulder
>“wow, you really knew what you wanted”
>“of course, I’ve been itching to come back since… well since we last came here”

>“we came here like two weeks ago”
>“and?”
>“fair enough”
>a mechanical whir come from behind the desk
>“ok, your session is booked, what will you be paying with?”
>“American dollars”
>“understood, that would $125”
>I reach into my wallet and hand the girl a couple of bills
>the clerk girl hands us a couple of tickets and my change
>“we’re having a big bore pistols special today, all cartridges with diameter above .45 are at half price”
>“thank you”
>“have a fun day shooters!”
>we walk towards the shooting ranges
>I look at one of our tickets to see which boot we got assigned to
>“so Anon, which floor did we get”
>“3-22”
>Lucy balled up her fist and she put it up to her chest
>“yesss” she whispered
>“why do you like the third-floor range so much? It’s indistinguishable from the rest”
>“yeah, but the lounge has a nice view of the forest”
>“oh… of course…”
>“hey don’t think I didn’t pick up on that!”
>we arrive at a set of elevators
>I click one of the buttons and the doors immediately open
>a family of four come out
>the parents are carrying bags full of what I can assume are guns (no shit sherlock)
>their children are walking beside them with big smiles on their faces
>the father says something to me in Vetrillian and smiles
>I just smile and nod
>they leave
>I have no idea what that guy said to me, so I’ll assume he told me to have a nice day or something like that
>he could have cursed my entire bloodline for all I know but at this point I’m sure all of my ancestors and successors have gotten used to it
>we get in and I press the third-floor button
>we get sent 3 stories up
>when the doors, open we are greeted by a rather lively scene
>there are people chilling all across the floor
>unlike the bottom floor which seemed to be inhabited only by the people entering the building and the receptionist
>passing through the lounge, it seemed like most of the people were gathered here
>second only to the cafeteria beside it
>this place has a bit of everything

>we move past everybody else and get to the shooting range proper
>it’s a pretty long indoor range where every boot is spacious and has a lot of amenities
>every wall is reinforced and sound proofed
>you can even walk around without ear protection with no issues
>some RSOs are walking around making sure no one does something stupid
>others are hanging about talking to each other
>we finally get to out boot
>I hand Lucy one of the tickets
>she passes it in front of a scanner besides the reinforced glass doors
>the scanners lights up a green LED and the doors slowly open inwards with a hiss
>“hey, they fixed the in-boot air conditioning”
>“nice”
>there are two vending machines on the walls of the boot
>one is for buying ammo
>the other is for renting magazines and protective equipment
>Lucy goes over to the dispensers while I go on and set down our bags of weapons on the firing lane
>I open the bags and start lining guns up on the table
>Lucy comes back and hands me ear protectors and safety glasses
>she has her glasses on already, and her ear-pro on her hands
>the cups are actually shaped to accommodate her longer ears
>the safety equipment here is tailor made for several races which is a pretty cool detail
>“you think we brought enough ammo Anon?”
>“we can always buy more from the machine”
>Lucy pouts as she gives the death glare to the machine behind us
>“I don’t like the ammo venders…”
>“why not?”
>“hmph… they are stingy and slow, and one of them ate a $20 bill when I wanted to buy some shells last time”
>“well, good for you because I think shells are the only thing we brought too much of”
>“can’t never have too much ammo Anon”
>I smile before putting my own glasses on
>“what do you want to run first?”
>“my new shotgun”
>“of course”
>I reach for her Benelli on the table and hand it to her
>Lucy makes sure it’s empty before extending the stock and flipping the shotgun upside down
>“uh Lucy, I don't think that's how that goes”
>she just smiles at me

>then she reaches into the ammo bag and pulls out a box of shells
>“Lucy…”
>she grabs two shells, one pressed right behind the other, and shoves them into the magazine tube at the same time
>wot
>she then chambers a shell, and then slaps three more pairs in
>she turns to me again with a smug smile
>“woaw… where did you learn that?”
>“I saw it in a video on the internet!”
>“huh, I didn’t even think people did stuff like that”
>“I bet I could do it faster though”
>“really?”
>“they guy I saw had this weird bandolier thingy on his chest that held the shells in two”
>“ah, I think I know which ones you’re talking about”
>“can you take me to the gun store later? I want to buy some”
>“sure, but how about we waste some ammo first?”
>“sure”
>“you go first, I’ll handle the targets”
>Lucy nods and then puts her earmuffs on
>I put mine on too before walking to a panel on the side of our boot
>the panel is pretty much an ipad rigged to a mechanized system that controls the targets down range
>and I mean it literally
>we saw one getting maintenance the first time we came here
>they are literal ipads wired and stuck to the wall with a piece of plastic put over it to hide the home button
>I tap the screen twice, activating it
>a menu flashes a language select screen
>I tap on English
>the screen takes me to another menu where there are several lists
>these are for choosing what type of targets you'll be shooting
>at what average distance they appear, how fast they pop up and down, if they linger or go down after getting shot, and all that type of stuff
>or you could you put a stationary target at a specific distance away
>I know Lucy likes testing her reaction time, so I’ll customize it accordingly
>once everything is ready, I look back at her
>she’s on her shooting stance, shifting in place in anticipation
>“you ready?” I shout slightly
>she gives me a quick thumbs up
>I punch the start button
>a buzzer goes off above us
>alright girl…
>let’s see what you got…

File got too big for the site, continuation here: https://www.4binz.org/528