Playerhood18: Let's find out, shall we?
vh1660924: All will be revealed in time.
South Down: You couldn't be a little more descriptive?
GBond007: Questions to be revealed.
When Jimmy opened his eyes, he and Timmy were in a dark room. His vision was fuzzy, so he could hardly tell where exactly they were; he instinctively reached for his phone, but found it had been removed from his grip.
A distance away, he could just barely make out people talking. Craning his head in the direction of the voices, he could see three figures. He couldn't see them clearly, but one of them was significantly larger than the other two. Mimsy.
Next to him was none other than Nathan, and a. . . girl. Her back was turned to them, and he couldn't see well regardless, but she was dressed in purple and had long, dark hair, her motorcycle helmet in her arm. She was currently speaking with Nathan, with Mimsy loitering around next to him, staring absent-mindedly.
"I thought I told you not to interfere with Kyle's forces," The girl was currently saying to the pair, seemingly unaware of Jimmy's regained consciousness.
"Ah, come on, boss," Nathan replied coolly. "You told us we could have some fun once we did our job. That's what we were doing; having ourselves some fun."
"And you couldn't have done that before I set all of this up?" The girl chastised them. "You're lucky Kyle's attention is focused on Cartman at the moment; if he or anyone else in his group learns that those two are missing, it's gonna be your funeral."
"It's like you said, boss, Kyle's attention is on Cartman, now," Nathan reassured her. "So what if two guys in his little army goes missing? He'll probably just think they were captured by the Grand Wizard."
"Yeah, Cartman's super scary now, eh bosses!" Mimsy piped up. "Kyle's gotta be crapping his pants thinking about him!"
He was met with Nathan's fist to his temple. "Shut up, Mimsy!" He shouted in anger, shouting his fist at him.
"Careful!" The girl snapped, rushing over to Nathan and reaching up to grab his head. A distance away, Jimmy squinted his eyes, wondering why the girl was so spooked.
As he watched, the girl brushed Mimsy's hair aside, revealing a metal band wrapped around his head, knocked loose by Nathan's punch. "These things are fragile; you shouldn't be fucking with them," She scolded the two, readjusting the band over his head.
"Sorry, boss," Nathan apologized.
"You will be sorry if these are damaged," The girl said, walking over to him and checking the band over his head next. "These are the only things that will protect you from the wave. Break it, and you'll be just as vulnerable as everyone else."
Wave? Jimmy wondered, confused. Vulnerable? What is she talking about?
"Anywho, Cartman's a fool," The girl sneered, releasing Nathan's band. "That totem I gave him might have increased his energy generation, but not his brain. Now he thinks he's invincible."
Placing her helmet back over her head, the girl turned to leave. "I'll let you have your fun with these two," She said as she opened the door. "But dispose of them quickly. If Kyle's forces track them down to your location. . . that wouldn't be good for you." With that, she exited the room, slamming the door behind her.
As soon as she was gone, Nathan turned towards Jimmy and the still unconscious Timmy. "Well, now," He whispered coldly. "It's just the four of us, now."
Slowly, he walked towards Jimmy and Jimmy, cracking his knuckles and grinning.
"Whats say you and us play a game?"
Kyle let out a weary sigh as he watched his growing army train and converse with one another in the fields. There were so many of them now, more than Stan's initial group back at Many Moon's Stronghold.
And yet he still wondered if it would be enough.
"Kyle, is everything alright?" Stan the Great asked as he approached his friend, sensing his doubt.
"I killed him," Kyle whispered, his eyes dark. "Not too long ago. When I left you. . . I killed Cartman. I shot him in the head, I saw the light leave his eyes. And I did it precisely to make sure he wouldn't endanger the game. And yet here he is now, more of a threat than ever. I kind of wonder if this is my fault. If I hadn't killed him, maybe he wouldn't have come back like this."
"Okay, so Cartman's back," Stan replied. "Doesn't mean you can't kill him again."
"But I don't know if I can," Kyle said. "You saw how he killed Father Maxi." The vision of the priest being blown apart by Cartman's Unholy Combustion spell played out in his mind.
"Kyle, it doesn't matter if Cartman's more powerful now," Stan told him. "You're still one of the most powerful players we've got. If anyone can take him out, it's you."
That caused Kyle to snap to his head up, his eyes widening briefly. A flashback played over in his mind, that of his brief conversation with the masked girl, the girl who had sent him to kill Cartman in the first place.
If anyone can take him out, it's you.
Kyle stared at the ground, his eyes narrowing briefly. The girl had told him to bring Cartman's body to her after he killed him. He'd obeyed, never questioning why she wanted the body. He'd assumed she simply wanted proof he'd done the deed, but now he wondered if it was for other purposes.
"Look out!" Token abruptly shouted, piercing Kyle's thoughts.
Glancing upwards, Kyle and the rest of his group let out cries of horror as a hail of arrows rained down on them. Quickly, the kids scrambled to dodge the arrows as they embedded themselves into the ground. Several kids weren't so lucky, and were struck by the arrows.
"Oh, shit!" Stan shouted, rushing towards one kid who had gotten pierced in the shoulder by one of the arrows. "What the Hell was that?"
"Arrowstorm spell," Craig said, grunting as he ripped an arrow out of a grunt's leg, eliciting a yelp of pain. "It must've been cast by Cartman's cronies. They're trying to scare us, keep us unfocused."
Kyle stared at the field before him, which was now riddled with arrows and injured kids. "They know we're here," He said solemnly. "It can't be long until they launch an attack. We're gonna have to move on earlier than I'd hoped."
Standing at the front of the hideout in view of everyone else, Kyle shouted, "Everyone, get a move on. We'll go to the Elven Sanctuary to better fortify our positions for when the Grand Wizard arrives. But first, is everyone accounted for?"
The large group all shouted out their names. Kyle let out a relieved sigh, but noticed that two kids were unaccounted for.
"Where's Jimmy and Timmy?" He asked.
The group looked around, trying to find the two handicapped children. "They're not here," Hercules Clyde said, shaking his head.
Kyle groaned. "Stan, you lead the group to the sanctuary," He commanded him. "Clyde's phone has the map on it; that'll guide you. I'll go look for Jimmy and Timmy."
"I'm coming with you," Craig said.
Kyle glanced towards him. "You really don't need to-"
"I lost Tweek," Craig interrupted. "I'm not losing two more members of my gang."
Kyle sighed. "Fine," He relented, gesturing for Craig to follow him. "We'll track them down using their phones. The rest of you, get a move on!"
"You heard him," Stan said, raising his sword. "Let's go!"
With that, the massive group headed off, while Kyle and Craig went in the opposite direction.
In the Orc Pit, Hermes Kenny and Annie panted heavily, exhausted and out of breath, as they faced off against Firkle, who approached them slowly.
"He keeps. . . punching me. . . in the vag," Annie wheezed, clutching her sore groin. "Why? Why does he keep punching me in the vag?!"
"(Don't worry, Annie,)" Kenny told her, even as he himself was worn out from their fight with the pint-sized fighter. "(I've unlocked a few spells since I entered this game. One of them should come in handy.)"
"Could you pick one quickly, then?!" Annie shouted as she dodged out of the way of a fireball spell summoned by Firkle. As she stumbled across the ground, a pair of thick Power Bind chains were flung by Firkle and latched themselves onto her body, dragging her to the ground.
"Kenny!" She shouted as Firkle reeled her in like a fisherman would his catch.
"(I'm on it!)" Kenny reassured her, flipping through his spells on his phone. Finally, he activated his Hyperdrive spell. Instantly, fiery energy surged around him as Kenny felt his speed increase exponentially.
By now, Firkle was on top of the chained Annie, his tiny fists smacking against her face. "Get off me!" She was cried, trying futilely to fight back against the kindergarten Goth. "Get the fuck off of me!"
Firkle was distracted from beating up Annie as he noticed a bright orange light through his peripheral vision. Turning around, he saw Hermes Kenny, surrounded by fire and vibrating violently. Hopping off Annie, he charged towards his other opponent, readying his Power Bind.
However, Kenny was quicker. Zooming towards Firkle with lightning speed, he collided with the kindergartner with such force his phone went flying out of his hand. The young Goth soared through the air, slamming into the wall of the valley so hard he left a small dent in the rocky cliffside. He dropped soundlessly to the ground, down for the count.
As his spell faded, Kenny rushed towards Annie, unchaining her. "(Are you alright?)" He asked, helping her to her feet.
"My baby maker isn't," Annie grumbled, clutching her aching crotch where Firkle had punched her repeatedly. "Let's just get out of here and-" She cast her eyes upwards, and her skin paled.
"(What?)" Kenny asked.
"Hey, you took care of the Goth, right?" Annie said, wincing.
"(Yeah,)" Kenny replied.
"Well, it seems he disagrees," Annie said, pointing behind Kenny. He turned around, and his eyes widened as he saw Pete, backed by over a dozen Squires and Native Hunters, standing at the top of the valley, glaring down at them.
"So, you two conformist bitches took out Firkle?" Pete asked, flipping his hair. "You'll pay in blood, for that." He waved his arm, and his forces surged downhill towards them.
Kenny let out a sigh. "(Well Annie, it was nice knowing you,)" He told her, patting her on the shoulder.
Annie narrowed her eyes at the oncoming attack force. "It's a good day to die," She sneered, cracking her knuckles.
And with that, the two charged.
"Time to start our newest game," Nathan called out to Jimmy and Jimmy. "I thought it up myself. I call it "Dodge the Bomb"."
Hanging from a cliffside, suspended by vines, Jimmy called down, "That doesn't sound like it took much thought."
"TIMMY!" Timmy shouted, hanging next to Jimmy.
"Here's the rules," Nathan called out to them, bouncing a bomb in his hands like it was a dodgeball. "Me and Mimsy here are gonna throw the bombs, and you're gonna try to dodge 'em. If you get blown up, you lose. If the vine snaps, you fall and snap your necks, and you lose. Any questions?"
"Is there a way for us to win?" Jimmy asked.
"Let me think," Nathan said, placing a hand on his chin. Then, he shouted, "Nope!" And tossed the bomb up at the two. Jimmy and Timmy swung to avoid it, and the bomb hit the side of the wall and exploded, the two just barely avoiding the blast.
"My turn!" Mimsy shouted, chucking his bomb up at the two. His aiming was off, however, and the bomb soared up past Jimmy and Timmy before coming back down towards him and Nathan.
"Look out!" Nathan shouted, and he and Mimsy jumped to avoid the bomb. It exploded, sending the pair flying several feet, landing on the ground roughly.
"Oops," Mimsy said, on his head with his legs in the air.
Getting up, Nathan struck Mimsy's hip, flipping him over. "I'll take it from here!" He snapped, pulling out another bomb. He stormed over to the cliffside, preparing to throw it.
"Get ready, Timmy," Jimmy warned his friend as they prepared to dodge the bomb once more.
Suddenly, a laser blast zipped through the woods. It struck the bomb right as Nathan was about to throw it, detonating it. Nathan let out a cry as the bomb exploded in his hand, blasting him into the wall. He collapsed onto the ground, covered in soot and burn marks.
Stunned, Jimmy and Timmy whipped their heads towards the source of the laser. Their eyes widened as they saw Ninjew Kyle and Incan Craig rush out of the darkness and towards the cliffside.
"Guys!" Jimmy shouted. "How did you find us?"
"We were trying to track you down with your phones, but they weren't on you," Kyle informed them. "Luckily, those exploding bombs weren't exactly quiet."
Crawling across the ground, Nathan groaned, "Get 'em, Mimsy."
"On it, boss!" Mimsy shouted. He prepared to rush at the two, but Craig slammed into him, knocking him onto his back. Pinning him down, Craig plunged the tip of his spear into his chest.
While Craig handled Mimsy, Kyle threw his shurikens, cutting the vines holding Jimmy and Timmy. They dropped down towards the ground, but Kyle caught them as they fell. "Thanks, Kyle," Jimmy said as he set him down.
Kyle turned towards Nathan, who was trying to crawl away. "Not so fast," He said, placing a foot on his back, stopping Nathan in his tracks. He was about to finish him off, but Jimmy, walking with his staff, halted him.
"Wait, Kyle," He said, hobbling up towards him. "When I was captured by him, I saw him talking to a girl."
"A girl?" Kyle whispered, his eyes lighting up. "What did she look like? Was she wearing purple, with a motorcycle helmet?"
"My vision was a little fuzzy, but yes," Jimmy said. "She said something about giving Cartman a totem that increased his power. She said she didn't want Nathan interfering with your forces."
Kyle gritted his teeth in frustration. So the girl, whoever she was, had been responsible for Cartman's resurrection and power boost. And he'd assisted her in it.
Grabbing Nathan by the collar, Kyle pulled him close and growled, "What the Hell is going on? Why did she give Cartman of all people a totem? Doesn't she have any idea how dangerous that is?"
Despite his injuries, Nathan chuckled. "Cartman?" He sneered. "He's just a pawn. All of you are."
Kyle narrowed his eyes. "A pawn for what?" He asked. "What does she want with him?"
"I ain't telling you nothing," Nathan replied coolly. "And there's nothing you can do that'll make me."
Kyle growled, and reeled his arm back for a punch, but Jimmy stopped him. "I think I have a better idea," He said, hobbling up to Nathan. Reaching out, he brushed Nathan's hair.
"W-What are you doing?" Nathan asked, his cocky charade melting as the metal band around his head was revealed.
"Something tells me you wouldn't want this damaged," Jimmy said, taking the band off of his head.
"N-No!" Nathan shouted, his smug exterior vanishing immediately. "Give that back!"
"I'd be happy to," Jimmy replied, grinning. "Would you like it in two pieces, or three?" He tightened his grip on the metal band, threatening to snap it in two.
"No!" Nathan cried. "Don't damage it! It can't be damaged! It's my only protection!"
"Protection from what?" Kyle asked. "Talk, while it's still in one piece."
Gulping, Nathan relented. "Alright," He said, hanging his head. "She came to me and Mimsy while the game was still in production. She promised us a huge reward if we did as she said, that we could get whatever we wanted. Warned us that if we didn't, we'd share the same fate as everyone else. These bands were gonna spare us from that fate."
"What fate?" Kyle questioned. "Who is that girl?"
Nathan bit his lip, visibly nervous. "Answer me!" Kyle shouted, shaking him violently.
"Alright!" Nathan relented. "Her name is-"
Before he could answer, a flash of blue illuminated in Kyle's eye. Glancing upwards, he saw a bolt of lightning spiral towards him. Quickly, he released Nathan and rushed to avoid the attack.
But the attack wasn't meant for him.
Nathan only had time to let out a terrified cry as he was engulfed by the lightning strike. The others shielded their eyes from the blinding light, feeling the raw energy surging from the strike.
After a few seconds, the light died down, and the boys dared to look back. When they did, they saw Nathan's electrified corpse, lying face-down on the ground. His limbs were twitching slightly from the electricity, but there was no doubt that he was dead.
Kyle approached Nathan's fried corpse, getting down on his knees and inspecting his body. He knew immediately that it had to have been the girl. It appeared she hadn't wanted her name revealed to him.
Walking up to Jimmy and Timmy, Craig said, "Come on, guys, we gotta catch up with the others." Turning around, Craig and his gang members headed off in the direction of the rest of Kyle's forces.
For a few moments, Kyle remained by Nathan's side. Getting up, he walked over to Mimsy's corpse, and brushed his hair back, unveiling the metal band around his head. Carefully, he removed it from his head.
He stared at the band, studying it. These bands were gonna spare us from that fate.
What fate? Kyle pondered.
He glanced upwards towards Craig, Jimmy and Timmy, then back down at the band. He thought hard for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, he took off his hat and carefully placed the band over his head.
Then, putting his hat back on, he followed the others.
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