*Blows dust off site and coughs*
Crap crap crap, not again! Oh my Ralph, not again!
I can't believe that I haven't updated this in like forever!
*sighs*
Oh well, Chapter 12's here. Enjoy.
RJ
"Come on, come on!" I call, waving my hand. "We don't have much time left!"
I tug down my hood further and look behind me. There's the railing, along with the ladder that led down to the Older Net. I just used that exact ladder to get myself out, and I know very well that I'm not the only one doing this.
I hear grunting, and then suddenly, a huge hand reaches over and grasps the edge of the pavement. The other hand quickly follows, and with them, the character whom the hands belong to is hoisted onto the pavement, also with a hood pulled over his head.
Smoothing down his poncho, Terrance stands on the pavement just in front of me, his features just barely visible under the shadow of his hood. But from that, I can see that he has a confused expression on his face, as if he's trying to understand why I pulled him out of the Older Net right after the moment I came here.
"Come on!" I call again. "We don't have all day!"
But I thought you just came here! He writes on his board.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. I mean…yeah, we got loads of time left. But we might not have much left if we keep standin' here doin' nothin', right?" I ask back. I wave my hand again. "Come on! I really have somethin' big I wanna show ya! Not sure where it is exactly, but we'll get there eventually. Ya with me, Terry?"
The character in front of me turns his head away, as if thinking for a moment. He turns it back seconds later, looking at me before nodding. I guess so. He replies.
"'Tis not every day that someone asks ya to join along for an adventure, right?" I ask, grinning.
Terrance looks away shyly. He has a faraway grin on his face has he nods again. I can see deep down he's excited for this; he just doesn't want to show it.
"Consider it to be a first, then!" I say. "Oh, and can ya use some ASL instead of yer board? I wanna try to see how well I'm at 'tis now."
It's only been two days, RJ! He writes. Don't push yourself too much!
"Well, it never hurts to revise, right?" I shoot back, laughing as we both leave the alleys and start walking on the main streets on the Internet, weaving among the many, many avatars who were also there at that moment.
"Ahhhh!" I scream, glitching slightly as I dodge an avatar that has gotten too close to me. at the same time, however, my glitching has sent another avatar flying across the road, causing her to yelp for a bit before picking herself back up like nothing has happened.
"Ugh! I hate these avatars! I hate them! I hate them!" I say, screaming as I trip over another one that crossed the road just in front of me. "They never look where they're goin' here! Never! Ugh!"
THUMP! I turn to see my friend collapsed on the ground, just in time to see an avatar or two vanish into bits underneath him. Obviously, he'd just tripped on an avatar and squished another with his figure. It is painfully clear that Terrance is suffering just the same as I am, that the avatars are not doing any good to him as well. After all, we're both invisible to them, right?
Yeah, I hate them too. Terrance glances over at me. They look like they own the world and such.
"Not today, Terrance. Not today. Yep, I've got prepared."
I kneel on the ground, carefully slide off the pack off my shoulder, and rip it open. Today, my pack's much heavier than usual, having filled with something that I can't tamper too hard with. As I traveled to the Internet, I kinda regretted bringing that particular thing along, especially when I knew my pack might get all messy if I did the wrong move. Still, I had enough of these stupid avatars, and I think Terrance feels the same towards them as well.
I'm going to teach some of them a lesson, and it's going to be so much fun.
Carefully, I pull out a huge bottle out of my pack, careful not to let the brownish liquid inside spill or fizz out. When I first had this idea in mind, I so didn't want to use these, didn't want to use one of the ready-made bottles of Diet cola sold in a store down another game back home. But I can't risk ruining my pack with the real stuff in Diet Cola Mountain. Look, that stuff is broiling hot, I learnt it the hard way, and I can't guarantee that that thing won't burn through my flimsy bottle. I mean, if I were pulling this prank back home, I would have greatly used the cola from the Mountain, but it's not the same this time. I can't let my pack get ruined because of this.
I set the bottle of Diet cola onto the ground and continue looking through my pack. Where is it…I think, searching. I think I've put it here somewhere…
I hear shuffling and I look up. Terrance has walked up to me and kneels also. What are you doing, RJ? He asks.
"Giving ya a basic science lesson, my dear friend." I answer, pulling a small pack of crushed Mentos out of my pack before zipping it and slinging it back over my shoulder. "Ya see, there's some stuff out there that can cause really big stuff when they come together. These two ya now see here, the Diet cola and Mentos, don't put them together unless ya really know what ya doin'."
Terrance nods his head, looking intensely as I pull some string from my pockets and tie the Mentos together. I carefully place them in a stack, like a tiny pillar before securing them down. I then look over at the bottle of Diet cola, finding it to be slightly fuller than I imagined. I go over and twist cap off, and am about to put to bottle to my lips when I remember that there's someone here that hasn't gotten a taste of this fantastic stuff before, and that someone happens to be kneeling next to me.
I hold the bottle out to Terrance. "Here! Ya try 'tis. Just take a sip: I'm gonna need most of these for what I'm doin' next, but I can buy more if ya like it."
Terrance reels back slightly, his face clouded with confusion as he looks at the bottle. Still, he reaches a hand and grabs it, before taking a small sip of the Diet cola. His eyes widen as he tastes the beverage, his head jerking back a bit as he swallowed the sweet liquid down. He looks at the bottle again, tilting it carefully and cocking his head as he tries to understand what on the Internet did he just drink.
"Well, whataya think about it?" I ask, "Is it good, huh?"
Terrance doesn't answer. When he opens his mouth, a burp unexpectedly comes out, and he covers his mouth on impulse. He glances at me nervously, and also at the characters around us, his face reddening further than it usually is.
I just smile. "'Tis okay; everyone does 'tis when they drink cola. Yer not alone." I reassure Terrance, recalling the burping contests Ralph and Vanellope would do with root beer over at Tappers. I don't bode well with root beer, but I make a go with cola and join in at times. Terrance pauses, then he passes the bottle back to me. "So what do ya think of it?" I ask again, accepting the Diet cola.
My friend doesn't respond, but eventually he picks up his board and starts to write. It's strange. Terrance admits. It's sweet, and I can feel bubbles. Not like anything I've tasted before.
"I'll take it that ya like it then!" I beam, taking the bottle back. "Diet isn't really that good, in my opinion. I'll buy ya the real stuff later."
You still haven't really told me what you're doing yet! Terrance says, looking right at me again. Now that Terrance has drank some of the cola away, the bottle is just full enough for what I'm about to do next. I take the pillar of Mentos and carefully lower it down into the bottle, making sure that none of it has touched the cola yet. I lie on the ground, making sure that the position of the Mentos stack really is correct. There can't be any mistakes with this, there can't be.
I breathe out a sigh of relief: the Mentos stack is hanging just where I wanted it to be, in the perfect position. I take the cap from the side and start to screw it onto the bottle.
What are you doing?! Terrance asks again. I didn't really pay attention to him, but he seemed quite concerned by what I was doing. Frankly, I can't blame him: I've done this dozens of times already, but this is probably his first time seeing something like this. It'll probably not be his last, though…
"Watch 'tis."
I twist the cap firmly onto the bottle, making sure that the tip of the Mentos stack is just directly above the cola. I stand up, motion Terrance to move out of my way, and then hold the bottle with both my hands. I steady my hand and squeeze one eye shut; the next act is going to be the most important part of my plan: get this wrong, and I'll probably have to end this day early with sticky, soaked clothes, all while being grilled by my brother of what I have just done.
I shake my head. No time to think about that now. Just focus! I tell myself.
Taking aim, I clutch the bottle and shake as hard as I can, shaking it for a full ten seconds before releasing my grip. The bottle flies off my hands, sailing on a straight beeline towards the crowd of avatars, who currently has no idea what's about to hit them…literally.
The bottle reaches the avatars. Just before it hits the ground, though, BAAAAAAAM! The bottle explodes, turning into a million shards of plastic and cola and Mentos pieces. I don't know if the avatars can hear the sound, but it sure looks like they can, for I see a few of them slip and fall when the explosion occurred. The ground, previously dry, is now slicked with cola, causing a fair amount of the avatars to slide across the road. And to top it all off, the location I picked happened to be right next to the edge, where the conveyer belts and pods run above, and also where the endless darkness awaits just underneath. Screaming, some of the avatars fall off the edge and into the darkness, while a few of them are struggling to stay on top. Seeing them struggle, I can't help but smirk, smirking at the pathetic little idiotic creatures that just ruined our journey mere moments ago.
Terrance gasps. He stands up quickly and runs towards the edge, stopping as he glances down at where the avatars have fallen down the darkness. We both know very well that the darkness probably reaches the Older Net, where Terrance claims as his home; but we also know that the avatars probably won't survive the fall, vanishing upon contact with the ground.
Terrance turns to me, his face with an expression I can only describe as a cross between anger and disbelief. Holding his board up high, he starts 'yelling' at me furiously.
You. Did. NOT!
"Yes, I did." I say, shrugging. "Ah, 'tis nothin'. They'll probably be fine, don't worry. Don't worry."
You built a BOMB! Terrance 'shouts' at me. I can't believe it! I can't believe you would do something like this!
"Ah, ah, ah." I wag a finger at my friend. "Wait, stop there. That's not a quote/unquote 'bomb'. Specifically, 'tis a device that just happened to be slightly explosive, that's all."
SLIGHTLY?!
"Well, they deserved it, right?" I ask back. Turning away from Terrance, I make a face at him. God! That's such a Ralph thing to do, to chew me out at times like these. Sometimes I kinda forget Terrance is a clone of my brother, but it's not hard to remind me of him when he does almost the same things that Ralph would probably do. Like chewing me out after I made a quote/unquote 'bomb'.
"Oh, all right." I sigh, turning back. "Maybe that was a lil' bit too harsh, but I really hate those guys. Let's just give them a lesson today, and just today, alright?"
Terrance scowls at me, his eyes narrowing. I can tell he's not convinced.
"Oh come on! Sheesh!" I wring my hands, frustrated. "Can't ya just learn to have some fun?"
By hurting someone?!
"Uh…" I start to reply, but Terrance stops me again. Sure, I hate those guys too, but you don't have to do that to them!
"Terry…" I try and start again, but he cuts me off once more.
You can't do that to them. I know they're really horrible, but honestly they didn't do anything wrong to us. They just can't see us, really. They don't deserve this. We have no right to prank them like that.
Terrance scrubs his board clean, and then flips it back with a new sentence.
If you're planning on doing more of this, then I don't want to continue our friendship anymore.
I stumble back, shocked by Terrance's words, shocked that he would 'say' such a thing. For a moment, I thought my friend was joking, but I also knew very well he wasn't be making that face up. His face hardens as he glares at me, taking a step back as he does so. And when I look at him, I can't help but feel awed by his reaction to my prank, and the way that he stands firm to his beliefs.
Maybe it's because of his backstory as a clone, that he had hurt others in the Crash and didn't want to do that again, yet I get the feeling that's not his only reason. It is like Terrance is stopping me not just because of triggering his bad memories, but it's because that's who Terrance really is: a character who despite everything, genuinely cares about others, and will not force others to do something they didn't want.
As if he really is someone more than a clone of Ralph…
"Okay, fine! Ya know what?" I wring my hands about. "I'm gonna say it now. From now on, no more 'bombs', no more prankin' on the avatars, even when they're totally despicable. Nuh uh, 'tis all over."
You promise?
"I promise." I glitch in front of Terrance and extend my hand. "I don't want to call off our friendship, I really don't. But if what I did made ya uncomfortable, then I'll stop it. I'll do exactly what ya just said."
Terrance looks straight at me one more, then he shakes my hand. Don't do that, again. He writes, and then cleans it straight off and shoves it into his poncho. He walks off in front of me.
"Wait! Terry!"
Terrance turns around, startled by my call.
"We're headin' 'tis way." I say, pointing in the opposite direction. "We're gonna go to a search site before we get to where I'm takin' ya."
Okay, fine. Terrance 'replies', running back and tripping onto the ground. Luckily this time, there were no avatars around: I guess the 'bomb' really was useful in scaring some of the avatars away, no matter what my friend just said. Still, I don't think Terrance will ever see me doing this stunt again, given how he reacted to them. And frankly, the more I think about it, the more I think Terrance (and Ralph) are right, that this prank might have gone a bit overboard, even to the characters I don't like. Rancis sure looked angry and frightened when the cola sprayed all over him, and it's pretty much the same reaction for the avatars. Terrance is right: they don't really deserve to be victims of my pranks.
Still, it wouldn't hurt if I didn't perform the same prank in front of his face…
Terrance suddenly turns to me. As if he has heard my thoughts, he writes down Promise me you won't do the trick again, even when I'm not around.
Hoo boy.
Darn.
"How…did ya know what I was thinkin'?" I let out slowly, surprised.
I just do. Just don't do it. Terrance shrugs, and then continues to follow me towards the search website.
What is this place?
Terrance and I are standing in front of the gateway leading into a website, hidden in the Gaming District. Huge banners hang above us, while avatars are pouring in and out of the doors. I hear shouting and yells from inside the site, but it's not because of chaos.
"I think it's sorta an exhibition of sorts." I mutter. "I mean, Yesss just told me there's somethin' interestin' here, but she didn't tell me what." I look towards the gateway again. "Ya wanna go in and see what is happenin'?"
Terrance looks at me, and then nods his head.
"Then let's go!" I say, leading the way. Inside, the exhibition hall looks larger than on the outside. I can finally see where the shouting is coming from; it's from the many, many stalls littered around the venue. Netizens and avatars are walking to and fro from the stalls, some of them hauling something away when they left. The whole area is teaming with energy and laughter; almost everyone's in high spirits.
"Okay. Ya got some cash in yer account?" I ask. When Terrance nods his head, I smile and reply "Good. Maybe we'll not be together at 'tis exhibition at the same time, but if ya see somethin' ya like and ya think ya can buy it, then do it. I won't stop ya."
Terrance looks surprised, but a moment later he nods again, and lumbers to one of the nearby stalls. I can see him pulling up his hood nervously as he approached the stall, and I can't really blame him. But I think he'll be fine; he told me that he engaged in more conversations and interactions lately, and so far, none of the netizens or characters had laid a hand on him. Yeah, this area's much bigger and has much more characters huddled in the same spot, but I'm not really that worried. Yup, not worried at all.
I turn my head, and see a character with a cap standing in a booth nearby. Fully clothed in green, the character is currently polishing something in his hands, rubbing it furiously with a cloth.
Hey, wait a minute; I know you!
"Hey there!" I call, waving and going to that particular booth. "I think I've seen ya before! Yer Spams-a-lot, right?"
The character tips his cap and laughs. "It's just Spamley, JP Spamley." And I remember you; you're the guy that declined my offer to 'get rich playing video games', back over at eBay! What are you doing here, young man; had a change of mind?" He finishes, raising an eyebrow mischievously.
"Never." I laugh back. "Yesss told me about ya, and that she hired ya to be one of her 'Sign Holders'. She also said that yer here for somethin' big." I look over his shoulder, at the many shelves and everything they contain. "What do ya have here?"
"Just some of my goodies." Spamley waves a hand excitedly. "Ice Blades, Double-Jump Boots, SparkleCrackers, Fury Swords…you name it, I'll see if I have it! Almost everything is from my customers, and I'm selling some of them here!"
"Whoa..." I gasp, taking in everything Spamley has in his stall. Last time Spamley and I met, he told me that there were many gamers seek after these weapons, but I didn't really believe him. Now, with all these weapons presented in front of my eyes, I finally realized why that is the case; these weapons and tools really are beautiful, and powerful too, I believe. The shiny metals reflect my figure, gleaming and shining under the lights.
"Tempting, right RJ?" Spamley asks.
"Temptin' inde-wait." I look straight at the character. "How do ya know my name?"
"Oh, Yesss told me. That gal just knows a lot of characters, okay? She's a social butterfly, gotta stay connected!"
"Righty-o." I say, and then turn back to the weapons. "Gosh, they're beautiful. All of them." As I'm still looking, a flash of gold catches my eye. I glance up, trying to see where it came from, finally able to find it coming from a blade hanging near the center of the wall, right behind Spamley. Pointing to that weapon, I ask if he can bring the sword over to me. Instantly, Spamley's face lights up, and he starts untying the strings holding the sword to the wall.
"Ah, good eye!" He says, his back turned as he keeps on working on the knots "That's the King's Battle Sword, aka the Wipeout Blade. Team of two bought this baby over to me from Castle Raiders. Class Ten weapon, high destruction value, one swipe and you can clear at least 5 acres of land in front of you."
"That's pretty impressive." I marvel as Spamley finally places the sword on the table. I pick it up, finding it to be much lighter than I imagined, and tilt the sword over in my hands to look at all the details. The shiny metal has no trace of rust on it, the blade with its sharp edges, the detailing on the handle applied by a delicate hand. I'm kinda tempted to swing it, but I don't know what will happen if I did it here. Spamley did say I can clear lands with this thing, so I don't think I should tamper with this, even more so when I don't really know much about this Wipeout Blade.
"'Tis thing's awesome!" I say. "I'm guessin' it doesn't cos-oh, come on; are ya kiddin' me?" I let out as I see the price tag dangling from the handle, boasting a number that is far greater than what I already have. Sighing, I give the sword one last stroke, and then haul it back over the counter. "Ya seriously think characters are gonna buy 'tis stuff? With the price?"
"Oh, you don't know much, RJ." Spamley wiggles an eyebrow at me. "People are willing to pay everything to get what they want. They just want that hard to win, that's all I can say. It's not that crazy, to be honest: I've got some stuff back there that are much more expensive than that Blade."
"Then don't show me." I interrupt, waving my hands. "I don't want any regrets."
The character laughs. "Okay, then. But if I remember correctly, I think I've got some cheaper ones on a leaflet nearby." He turns his head back. "Hey Gord, leaflets! And so, as I was talking, there are some other weapons and stuff that are more common, and I sell them at a much cheaper price here. If I can just get the-GORD!"
Surprised by Spamley's sudden yelling, I yelp and glitch back, only to yelp and glitch again when I realize that there's another smaller character standing next to me. The character is extremely short, wearing a brown sweater that almost fitted his entire figure. His huge eyes are the only things I can see popping out at me. He is nothing like anyone that I've seen before, both back home and up here.
"AHHHH!" I yell, crashing backwards towards the stall, pointing. "What is that thing?!"
Spamley chuckles. "There you are, Gord; you sneaky boy as always. Hey, the leaflets; where are they?"
As I watch from the stall, one of Gord's seems to extend and stretch towards me. I can't help but stumble back further back into the stall, sitting straight up completely. Yet soon enough, Gord's hand is mere inches away from my face, even though he hasn't moved from his place at all. A few leaflets are held at the end of it, beckoning me to read them. His hand didn't move anymore, so cautiously, I reach my hand and carefully pluck the leaflet out of his grasp.
"Thank you." I mutter as I read the leaflets. Compared to the horrendous pricing of the Wipeout Blade, these weapons and objects are much more affordable, barely over the price of 30 dollars. I see a pair of silver shoes being sold for 15 dollars, while a wooden sword is more expensive at 23 dollars. Yet, nothing advertised on them jumps out at me. None of the weapons catch my eye, and none of the objects interests me either. Spamley had warned me that this stuff would be more common than the blades displayed, but I really can't believe the fact that I can't get myself to pick and buy any of this stuff! None of them!
I shake my head at the leaflets. "Thanks, but…I don't have anythin' I wanted to get…yet." I say, standing up and passing the leaflets to Spamley.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." I reply. "Pretty sure. And besides…" I see a familiar reflection from the blades behind Spamley and turn around. There, Terrance is standing, fingering his device nervously in his hand. "I got a friend waitin' for me."
Spamely tips his cap. "I won't hold you up, then. Have fun with your friend here!" He waves, and I catch a glimpse of Gord, now peeking out from behind the stall, waving as well.
Waving back, I rejoin Terrance and head over to the stall he is pointing in. Another netizen is there, selling hats and caps of all sorts. Seeing what he is trying to tell me, I try to hold in my giggles, but it's enough for Terrance to hear and turn in my direction.
"Wait, so yer askin' me if ya can buy a cap for yerself?" I ask.
Yes. Terrance writes, nodding sheepishly. I can't help it, I really can't, but I blurt yet another laugh.
"Well, next time, ya don't need to ask me for 'tis!" I say, picking up the cap and flashing the price tag at him. "Reasonable pricin'. Pretty sure 'tis isn't some special kind of game-based stuff of sorts..."
"Well, yes and no." I glitch a bit, startled, and turn around. There, a blue-skinned character is standing behind the mountain of caps, coats, pants and shoes, smiling. I can see Terrance has turned around as well, and is also gaping at the character.
What do you mean? Terrance 'asks'.
"These clothes were all made in the online game that I work in; Designer Dreams. The gamers come in and make all sorts of clothes for our characters to model in. Last month we asked all our members to come up with all sorts of designs, so we can sell them here or anywhere else. We're still a relatively new game, just backed by a kickstarter program, so we definitely would like some funding here and then."
"I see…" I mutter, my gaze shifting to a cap Terrance has plucked off the pile of clothes. It is red and white, with a shooting-star logo on the side, and seems to be just large enough to fit on his head.
I can see him smiling as he inspects the cap, and I get his message. "Can we try 'tis on?"
"You can."
As soon as he hears this, Terrance bends down his knees, to the height where I can partially block him from the other character. He slips his hood backwards a tiny bit, just enough space for him to fit something underneath. He brushes his hair down, places the cap neatly on his head, and looks at me intensely to hear what I will say.
"Hey, that cap looks good on ya! Good eye!" I smile, giving Terrance a thumbs-up. My friend smiles, and bending up, turns to a mirror behind him. He readjusts the cap under his hood, turning his head side to side as he glances at his reflection. With the cap and the hood worn, it became much more difficult for characters to see his face; but underneath it all I know that there is a character underneath with a faraway smile, a character who just happened to be my friend.
Terrance turns to the character in charge, writes down something I cannot see on his board, and proceeded to take out his BuzzzyBuxxx card for payment. I would have stopped him and paid instead, but I also know he won't feel good if he let me do just that. I did, however, after my friend's approval, choose three more caps from the pile and bought them with my own money. Just mere days after he got officially approved by Yesss into BuzzzTube, Terrance had forbidden me to transfer every single dollar into his account, leading to me having some money of my own every time I head online. Not that's a bad thing, but still…
The head character seemed ecstatic when we leave the stall with the four caps, and Terrance and I head over to another part of the exhibition, where we get some food and drinks before continuing. Seeing that Terrance might have taking a liking to the Diet cola I gave him earlier, I grabbed some of the regular variety for him to have a taste. Before drinking, though, Terrance narrows his eyes at me, his glare cutting through as if saying "Don't do it, don't you dare pull that prank again!" Of course, I'm one not to break promises (for now, at least), and so looking back at him, I simply popped open the cans and took a sip, my hand never reaching into my pack the entire time. Terrance lets out a snort, one that greatly reminds me of Ralph, and then digs into his own Cola as well. I let out a sigh of relief. Well, that was easy. I think.
The other section of the exhibition seemed to be leaning more on showing rather than selling, but we both found it very entertaining as well. One section gives characters the opportunity to 'fight' one another through what I think is swords of light, another gives volunteers a change to sorta 'soar' through the sky when a headset is placed onto them, and yet another hoists a game for the players to try and win some prizes. To be honest, I think this section is much more interesting than the previous one, and I can see Terrance is having a fun time as well. Of course, not both of us were at the same booth at the same time, but I can sense that he's enjoying the exhibit as much as I am right now.
This place is HUGE! Terrance 'tells' me, trying to get a glimpse at everything.
"Yeah, and I can pretty much see why Yesss told me to come here. There's loads of awesome stuff, and some pretty cool demos! And also…"
ZAAAAAAAP! I glitch in surprise, trying to see where the sound is coming from. Looking around, I can see we're almost back to the selling section of the exhibit, and the sound is coming from a stall that is right smack in the boundary of both areas.
You want to go there? Terrance 'asks', pointing at the stall.
"Kinda." I say, shrugging a bit at him.
We go over to the stall anyway.
A character, doesn't look exactly young though, was displaying some gun-like weapons to some of the avatars passing by his stall. It doesn't look that he was selling the stuff, though, as no one had pulled some something or another to pay him with.
Or maybe they're just not really that interested in the stuff he brought out.
The avatar in front of the stall has just walked away, and so we both step up to the counter. The character's eyes light up as he sees us coming. "Well howdy do! Anything that caught your eye?" He asks us.
"Well, sorta." I say, "I mean, I heard it from a few booths away."
The character gives out a hearty laugh. "Well, one of the avatars was testing some of my shockguns; they're pretty loud to be honest."
"Shockguns?"
"Yeah, a cross between a shocker and a gun, if you know what I mean." Seeing my confused expression, the character scratches his head as he continues. "They're weapons, of course…that are gun-like…that can shoot out electricity. Though this is still just a prototype: we're still trying to perfect the technology before we roll it out to our game."
"That sounds so cool…" I mutter, reaching out and stroking some of the Shockguns placed on the table. I then remember the sound that I heard from a few booths away; the character said that an avatar was testing them. Does that mean that I can…
"May I?" I ask.
The character smiles warmly at me, and so I pick up one of the Shockguns displayed, weighing it in my hands and holding it up. The barrel of the gun crackled with power, sparks shooting from within every now and then. I reach to my chest and loosen my stabilizer, and then aim the weapon at one of the targets provided.
I press the trigger.
A blast of electricity shoots out of the gun, going straight towards the target. My aim was a little bit off, but I still managed to make the board. Almost instantaneously, a loud crackle of electricity rings out as the target is completely bombarded with blinding light and countless sparkles shooting out here and there.
By now, I have released my finger on the trigger, but the sparks keep on flying, shining brighter and brighter every second. Over the earsplitting crackle, I ask, half-yelling "Was that supposed to happen?!"
It wasn't.
It definitely wasn't.
For the very next moment, the target has started to fall apart, and the electricity has already raced to the surrounding walls around it. The three of us yelp and duck down, just as the crackling and lights reach their maximum, and then everything falls silent.
Slowly and carefully, after confirming that there are no more crackles, I stand up and look over at the targets. Saying that the area was wrecked is a complete understatement: the whole area was completely burnt black, the targets shattered and falling to the ground. As for the one target that I aimed at…it was gone, like really, gone! It was if my blast had completely destroyed it into oblivion, without leaving any trace behind.
"Whoa…" I mutter flatly, glancing at all the damage. Terrance's mouth has almost hit the ground, gasping in shock as well.
"Yeah, 'whoa' is all I'm gonna say, young man…" The character said, raising his eyebrow. As another piece of the target crashes down, I gingerly pass the Shockgun back to the character, but instead of taking it, he just stares at me.
"Interesting…usually characters wouldn't be able to do that much damage in a single shot…" He turns the weapon in his hands, examining it. "Hmm…the glass on the barrel was damaged, that explains the huge damage: too much electricity was used in that shot alone. Gotta get that fixed, but that's strange; normally it's thick enough not to let the electricity out, as characters aren't able to interact with it easily. Unless…"
The character sets the gun down on the table and looks me straight in the eye. His gaze seems menacing, to the point I can't help but glance away.
In a hushed voice, he asks me. "You're a Glitch, right?"
Immediately I gasp, stumbling back as quickly as possible. I tried not to do it, but I can feel myself flickering as I staggered back. It was if my code was trying to betray my status to the character, despite my efforts.
"Who…what?" I ask, glitching again. "How do ya know? What do ya want?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Relax, young man!" The character smiles at me. I'm still not sure what he wants, though. "That's okay, you're fine. I'm not telling anyone about this! I know Glitches, I know them very well. In fact, we have a Glitch or two in our game as well and let me tell you: they have 'trouble' written into their codes."
I can hear Terrance snort slightly before the character continues. "You're much powerful than any Glitch I've ever seen, though. From what I just seen, I think you might have accidently connected your Glitch into the electricity in my gun. Is that right?"
Recalling the moment that I held the weapon, I faintly remember a brief flash of green running quickly across my left hand and onto the Shockgun, but I'm not exactly sure. As I Glitch, I didn't really think much about it then; I mean, I always flickered every now and then; but now, thinking back, it makes a lot of sense.
Sorta.
Giving the gun one more look, he places it away and gestures me to step up to the counter. Glancing over at Terrance, I can see that he's signing something to me. You're so dead. He 'tells' me, all while wearing the same nervous expression as I am. I flicker again, suddenly scared. I mean, I just broke something, tore it apart with my own Glitch! The targets as well!
I don't want to know how much I'm gonna have to pay for this.
Sighing, I step to the slightly-singed counter, right up to the character. "Alright." I mutter nervously, heaving a huge sigh. "What's the damage? How much do I have to pay for 'tis?"
The character unexpectedly smiles back, and then states his price.
"Nothing."
My jaw hits the ground.
"It's your Glitch's fault, not you." He explains. "You wouldn't be able to do it if you're a normal character."
"Yeah, but…uh, I didn't control it, no?" I ask hesitantly. "Didn't I, uh…let it loose and blew yer stall up? Isn't that what happened?"
"Well, that's what something called insurance is for, right?" The character asked back. "Oh wait! I haven't introduced myself, have I?"
Seeing me shake my head, the character continues "I'm Darius, Master of Weaponry and Defense from the Kingdom of Orion from the game Masters of Legends. As I was saying, the programmers of our game had started developing some new weaponry, but they haven't gotten some of the coding of it right. Well, we decided to take things into our own hands, and try to see if we can fix it. As I mentioned, we have some in-game Glitches and they helped test some of these out; but as you can see, we still have quite a way to go."
"Wait…please don't tell me that I destroyed yer protype Shockgun…" I ask, slowly walking back.
The character sighs. "Unfortunately…that is our prototype." He then catches himself. "Was, okay."
Crap.
"So let me get 'tis straight: I just managed to blow up yer one n' only in-development prototype weaponry and also yer store."
"Yup. That's right."
As another piece of the debris slowly crashes down, I heave a very big sigh. "Okay, so basically I just wrecked everythin'." I mutter. "So what is it that ya want?"
"Tell you what; let's make a deal. I'll give you the Shockguns for free, you help me test them and report any potential bugs, and I'll let this issue go. You don't have to pay for the damage."
Wait.
Wait what?!
My jaw drops again as the character bends under the stand and slides out a briefcase. He opens it, showing two Shockguns, similar to those that I just tested, nested perfectly in the centre; only these are completely new and undamaged. Rested in the briefcase near the guns, I can see a few clear vials, placed neatly one by one.
"Oh, those are electricity holders. They store the electricity and you pop them into the weapon and bang! You're off. We intend to provide an electricity source with the usage of them, but I think you'll manage it with your Glitch." With that said, Darius clicks the briefcase shut and slides it towards me.
A few moments pass as no ones does anything. I feel a nudge from behind, and I step forward to the counter. I reach out a hand as if to take the briefcase, but I quickly withdraw it back.
"What's the matter?" Darius asks. "Don't you want them?"
"Yes!" I exclaim, but then I start to get suspicious. "Hang on; there's no such thing as a free lunch. How do I know that yer not up to somethin' bad or whatnot?"
"Seriously, kiddo. That's really the reason why I came here: to find someone to test them out. And I'm pretty sure you're the dude I'm looking for. We need some serious Glitches to see if these Shockers do their job well."
"And yer sure I won't destroy them like I did with those guns?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "What makes ya think I'm the guy yer lookin' for?"
"Well…actually, I expect that you're gonna destroy them, and then we can make adjustments to it and whatnot. But if not then we'll know that we're on the right track."
"So I just take these, go somewhere n' test them, maybe wreck them in the process, and then tell ya everythin'? 'Tis that what ya want?" I ask.
"Precisely!"
"Okay, I'm sold. So where am I gonna test them?" I ask, picking up the briefcase.
"Anywhere you like, kiddo!" The character smiles back at me. "Or if you want, just search up 'The Most Danergous Game on the Internet' and test them here."
"Good idea. Thank you!" I call, hauling the heavy case off the counter and walking away with Terrance, waving back as I do so. As we walk further, my friend bends down and peers closer at the case, having a doubtful expression.
You sure you trust that dude? He asks me.
I stop in my tracks, glancing down at the briefcase. A sudden feeling of uneasiness sweeps over me as I registered Terrance's words; he's right, I had just accepted these weapons in probably less than an hour, and I know for sure that wasn't enough time for me to make the right judgement abut that guy. I mean, although he saw that I was a Glitch, and he gave me the go-ahead to try these, would he be leading me into a trap without me knowing it? Did he had something else in mind when he asked me to test the Shockguns out?
I shouldn't have made that deal.
I shouldn't.
It wasn't the right thing to do.
I am about to turn back to the store to drop off the weapons when something clutches my shoulder. I turn to see my friend's hand clutching me. He shook his head, and nodded towards the exit.
"What do ya mean, I shouldn't go back?" I ask, confused. "Didn't ya just told me I should no accepted the offer? I don't understand Terry!"
Yeah, but if you headed back…Terrance furrows his brow before continuing. Then you'll look a coward in his eyes. Maybe he's really just nice enough to let you try these out, RJ. Maybe you should try them first.
"But wouldn't it be safe?" I ask again, wringing my hands. "Wouldn't it?"
You never know until you tried them. Terrance signs, shrugging.
I let out a shrug myself. "Yeah, I guess that yer right. Must have been overthinkin' 'tis…"
We make our way out the gateway and back into the busy Internet. Terrance taps my shoulder again. He told you test these at 'The Most Dangerous game on the Internet'. He reminds me. Any idea where that place is?
I shake my head. "No-freakin'-idea." I admit. "But that's not a problem: I'll just go n' search it up n' go to wherever it tells me to go. That's what the search engines' for, right?"
My friend shrugs. Wonder what that place is… He signs.
"Yeah, wonder what it is…" I repeat, walking out with him. "I'm bettin' 'tis somethin' real scary…"