Factions 4.6 was authored by Faria Lyton as a part of Co-Op Mode. This chapter is reposted as part of A Bug in the Game with permission.
Factions 4.6
An empty Illusion Barrier is a far more discrete setting for absorbing our remaining skill books. I've already got 29 skills, if «Gamer's Mind» and «Gamer's Body» count. Probably a safe bet. So ten slots I can be sure I have left. Where to start? School subjects, I guess. That's four skills in a matter of minutes. I'm not sure about filling up on language skills, but German is going to be useful. And since that's an available class at Winslow, French and Spanish round out the set. Three slots left. What's next? Extra books on skills I already have?
"Here, you wanted this, right?" Lisa is holding a large, glossy paperback out to me, smiling sweetly. The Ultimate Parkour & Freerunning Book. Oh my God! She found one! I could ki- "Go ahead, learn it!" Right, right. I grab the book.
«You're obtained the skill book [Acrobatics]»
«The development of flexibility, grace, and skill in movement.»
«Exercises developing or displaying physical agility, balance, and coordination. +0.5% AGI»
«Acrobatics provides bonuses when attempting feats such as rolls, vaults, and balance.»
«Penalties apply while wearing medium or heavy armor.»
«Would you like to learn [Acrobatics, Lvl 1]»
«Yes» «No»
Really? Lisa and Taylor laugh until I go ahead and hit «Yes». Fair enough, it's a little funny. Wait a minute… «Parkour is just applied Acrobatics.» Three for three, everybody here is having some fun at my expense. But I can kinda see the humor. And now I see why Lisa grabbed more than one copy of that cheerleading guide.
I'm just deciding to sit on my last two points when Lisa informs me I'm going to learn a few skills she picked. Well, I guess I'll need to get… 4 more INT. But if I'm spending points, let's make it an even 50 and read a couple more of the books I grabbed. A little knowledge of the law could come in real handy soon and I'm not letting the super-villainess be our only legal expert.
«Through repeated calculation, your INT has increased by 1!»
Okay, only 10 points to INT. Pokety, poke, poke, 'ding'. Ding?
«The skill 'Mana Affinity' has been created through INT rising above 50.»
«Mana Affinity (Passive)»
«Allows the user to become more sensitive to mana and handle it better.»
«10% increase in MP recovery rate.»
«5% increase in total MP amount.»
«5% increase in magic attack.»
«5% increase in magic defence»
«30% increase in MP related skill effects.»
...magic attack? Allows the user to handle mana? Okay, I need to experiment with that, but not in front of the girls. I'm probably wrong and really don't need an audience for grinding «Fool's Act». Maybe hitting 50 in my other stats has similar benefits, check that later too. For now, I've got a stack of books to get through. Ten minutes, give or take, and about a tree and a half of destroyed paper later, my head is spinning a little as I process. I can speak twelve languages total. Sure one is dead, one never really got off the ground, and two are fictional, but what geek could pass up Klingon and Sindarin? I know what purkinje fibers are. I can probably pull off a decent jitterbug now, and I know exactly how full of shit Mom was when she described the lambada as 'standing sex'. If she thinks that's sex, it's a wonder she managed to have five kids. And that's more than enough thought on that subject.
Once everyone has come down a little from absorbing far too much knowledge, far too fast, Lisa suggests stocking my inventory with supplies for any conceivable occasion. We stop by a pay phone first at Taylor's suggestion. Best to make sure our families know we'll be home late. I'm not even sure if anyone is home yet, so I let her go first. It's a little obvious Taylor's dad isn't exactly happy. Apparently 'hero stuff' doesn't cut it as an excuse.
"You know, it wouldn't be a lie to say you're doing something educational with friends." Sometimes it's all about telling the truth the other person will be happiest with.
"And then I would have to explain it later. Exactly how am I supposed to explain that I just completed most of my high school education today?" She's not happy with that idea. "Sorry, my brain is all awhirl. I'll talk to him… eventually."
My turn. Five rings, and no one is home yet. Damn it. "Hey, it's James. I'm hanging out with some friends, we're getting dinner, I'll be home around bedtime." It doesn't really matter that I've left a message. Unless Mom gets a chance to tell me 'no', it doesn't count as telling her. Totally worth it, though. I've learned a few new words for everyday use; I think 'callipyge' is my current favorite and I'm spending the evening with two women who make it easy to remember it. Okay, probably still a little out of it from all the skill books.
Lisa drags us through several stores in rapid succession. We already had to let her cover the difference on books (seriously, over $2,000 worth of books, each), and now she's buying us cell phones. We each get one Tinker-tech 'inspired' smartphone and two of those borderline indestructible Nokias as burners. No, wait. They're knockoffs. Someone actually made knockoff bricks... Next she buys a pair of bleeding-edge miniaturized digital voice recorders. Apparently they aren't for exposing the bullies, at least not primarily. I shouldn't be so surprised that our insightful little Thinker wants us to be ready to provide accurate data for her talents to process. Finally, Lisa stocks my inventory with all kinds of supplies from an Army Surplus store. Several heavy boxes of ammo, camo BDUs, high-end camping supplies, over-sized metal first aid kits, bottled water for weeks, and MREs for months, which even come in vegetarian now. Who knew?
"Let's get food." Finally, Lisa seems to have finished with her shopping list. "Hmm, it's Monday. There's a good Thai place nearby, and you both like Thai."
Taylor agrees after a moment's pause. "Sure."
"I like Thai?" I've never had Thai. What's in Thai food? "...as long as they don't fry it in grease." Shouldn't hurt to try it.
I've just started into something called 'pad Thai' when Lisa informs us, in «Chinese», that no one nearby can understand that language. It's cool that we can discuss things and train up a valuable skill at the same time.
Taylor doesn't wait for small talk. "So you promised to tell us your plan?"
"Oh course, but first you need to know more about Coil, particularly his power." And she's smirking again. I haven't known her for long, but Lisa really seems to enjoy flipping the script. "He claims it's destiny manipulation, but I can tell that's a lie."
"Wait, destiny manipulation?" What is that? Deciding who can pull the sword from the stone? Rewriting the book of someone's life? Flipping people's PC/NPC switches on some cosmic control panel? Dinner dates with Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos? "How would that even work?"
"Coil strongly implied that his power lets him choose the outcome of any event: what numbers win the lottery, which horse wins the race, and who wins a fight."
Taylor responds thoughtfully, "I'd call bullshit, but given what James' powers can do… Can he really control destiny?"
There's an aggravatingly long pause as Lisa slowly sips at her soda. "Not to the extent he claims, but he can do a good imitation of it. When he 'hired' me he showed off my controlling eight coin tosses in a row."
I can't help myself from laughing shortly. "That doesn't even take powers. I might need another level or two of «Sleight of Hand»," thank you, Lisa, for suggesting that one as a way of hiding menu gestures, "but I can think of a few ways to do it without much practice. One or two weighted coins, one heads and one tails, would be simple enough." Just palm-switch them a few times to keep anyone from noticing you always call heads. Powers open a world of other ways to pull it off…
"I wish it was that simple," Lisa laments. "My power reveals secrets. I know he manipulated outcomes; he wasn't just faking it, but he was overselling his power. He had to use a coin, not something like a deck of cards."
"Because a coin toss only has two outcomes." Taylor vocally realizes.
Lisa shoots her an approving nod. "Exactly. Unfortunately, his power does more than coin tosses. When Coil sent the Undersiders out to fight Lung, he gave me his guarantee that we would survive. He completely believed that we would survive. I'm not buying his power arranging for the two of you to show up before Lung could roast us, but he did something. Could anyone else have known you were going to fight Lung?"
"Nope. Not a chance. We didn't know we were going to fight Lung, and no one else knew we were out training, let alone where." Or that I have powers. "Taylor spotted a bunch of ABB thugs, and we followed them. We didn't even plan on fighting. Could any power have arranged all that?" If there is a power that strong, I really don't want to have to fight it. Although, given Lung dropped a skill book related to his powers…
"It can't be that powerful," Lisa insists. "Otherwise Coil would already be king of the world. Coil is ultra-paranoid, hiding in a well-fortified base surrounded by mercenaries. He clearly has his limits."
"Maybe it doesn't matter what Coil's power is. Functionally he may as well have precognition. The question is, 'How do we counter it?'" Taylor has a point. We've already got enough to work with.
The Thinker was clearly just waiting for this prompt. "Simple, we don't let him pick the battlefield. Coil is invested in Brockton Bay. He has a base, soldiers, moles, informants, and assets galore. He can somehow affect the outcome of one event. So we give him dozens. We hit everything he's got at once. Even if he escapes, his power base will be ruined and he won't be able to retaliate effectively."
That's a start, but three people can't exactly attack 'dozens' of targets at once. But Lisa's already developed the beginnings of a rather ambitious plan. Taylor and I both have problems with our roles, but we can't come up with anything better. Our families should be safe. Taylor won't be in as much danger this way. At least the Winslow scheme is a lot simpler, more concrete.
We're just about done eating when Taylor's «Chinese» levels up. That's not fair, she was at an even level 15 after absorbing her skillbook. I was almost ten percent past that! Lisa suggests maybe Taylor's higher WIS score is helping somehow. "Right, the guide did say something about that."
Both girls stare at me for a moment. Lisa opens her mouth first. "Bullshit. Your power came with an instruction manual?"
"No, I had to complete the tutorial first."
"Your power came with a tutorial?! ...your power isn't normal, you know that, right? Mind loaning me the guide some time? The more I know about how your powers work, the more I can help you with them."
"Maybe after I finish it."
"You haven't finished reading it yet?!"
Things continue in that vein for a while before Taylor takes over, suggesting we should introduce Lisa to the wonder that is zombie smashing. Oh course, Lisa can't just not have the last word. "So, James, ready to show me to your 'dungeon'? I think Taylor is eager to tie up some victims in silk cords. Where are we going to do this?"
"Um. dungeon…" Hadn't really considered the innuendo there before. I get the feeling Lisa will be pointing out things like that a lot. "We've been practicing in the Boat Graveyard, but anywhere can do." Fighting zombies on the Boardwalk could be fun. "We just need a hidden spot to enter and exit the dungeon. Since you picked «Capoeira», you'll want more room to really cut loose." The many alleyways here would be bad for that.
"We need at least part of the zone to be constricted. We can leave every hour or so and reset the dungeon to avoid spawning the boss zombie, but if he does come out to play we'll need a place to lure him into a trap." Taylor has a good point there.
"Don't go easy on me, I'm a big girl." Did Lisa just... "Capes don't always get to pick their battlegrounds. Let's stick with what you already know for today."
"Fine with me." Doesn't seem like any of the few people around are paying attention to us. It's as good a time as any to unlock «Sprint» for Lisa. "So… want to race?"
"Maybe we should walk and let our food settle?" I really thought Taylor would be all for a little extra training.
"If you keep pushing, you're going to hurt yourself someday," Lisa scolds her, "and if you keep hiding things, you might not be the only one who gets hurt. We're a team, aren't we?"
What's she talking about? "Taylor?"
"My legs are still a little sore." Taylor is remarkably sheepish about it. "I can manage. I should get a level up from the zombies. That will wash away all the muscle aches."
We need to train up as fast a possible, but letting her hurt herself would just slow us down in the long run. "We can call it a night if you need to rest."
"No, I'm fine. If it gets bad, I'll call a break, and you can «Massage» my legs, okay?"
I really need to make sure she knows I'm straight. But it's not the time, and I'm sure she'll understand. Needs must and all that. "Okay. But if you start limping, I'm pulling us out."
"Fine. I get it. I won't push it."
"Such honor, such nobility of spirit." Okay, that's sarcasm. And there's the disadvantage to having a Thinker around. Guess there's no hiding some things. "Now, if you two are done making eyes at each other, could you tell me what you mean about 'leveling'?"
Wait, "What?" Taylor splutters out a "We're not!" at the same time.
"Good to know you're both available." Lisa winks at Taylor. Lisa. Taylor. Wink? Lisa laughs happily. "You two are too easy. Now leveling up, give me details."
I do my best to answer all of Lisa's questions, with Taylor helping. But it seems like every answer brings two more questions. Leveling leads to stat points, which leads to what each stat does, which leads to all the ways to increase stats, which leads to «Crafting» and blueprints and crafting materials, which leads to what drops in the zombie dungeon, and then on to the ghosts.
"Ghosts are intangible. If we can't kill them, how would I know what they drop?"
Taylor interrupts before the conversation can go any further. "Excuse me while I change costumes." Oh, we're here.
"And I'll be changing over there. No peeking. Not on the first date." First date? I should probably tell Lisa about exchanging equipment. Later.
It's getting dark. A little light is going to help more than a small boost to my stats. "«Beetle Knight, Firefly Mode!»" Huh. Cold out tonight. I swap to «Zombie Slayer» while I'm at it.
Lisa actually beats Taylor back, wearing a set of loose camouflage pants and matching jacket. Kinda expected her to come back as Tattletale, even if she shouldn't be seen around Lady Bug and Beetle Knight.
"Hey James, nice headlights." Oh, Taylor is back. I must look a little dorky right now. The «Firefly Augment» gives me a set of saw-toothed antenna and plants a segmented yellow gem that looks just like a firefly's butt on my forehead. The yellow light from it diffuses nicely, but there's still a focus point that illuminates wherever I'm facing.
"Isn't that supposed to be his line?" What's Lisa laughing about? Wait, headlights. As in… the focus point drops from Lisa's face. Did Taylor really make that joke? The focus point jumps to Lady Bug's chest armor. Am I really looking for… headlights? In front of a Thinker? While there's a bloody searchlight marking whatever I'm looking at? I shoot an apologetic look to Taylor before realizing she can't see it. What do I say to Lisa? I could comment on how neither of them is dressed for highlights, but I've got a personal rule about always being the last one to make that kind of joke and I'm not sure Taylor meant it that way. "I don't know what you're talking about?" Yeah, that was weak.
Taylor doesn't call me on it. "Hey, more light is a good idea. I've collected some fireflies, and I've got a couple of cold-light sticks, but we could use the extra light." A teasing note fills her voice as she turns to Lisa. "So, ready to be covered in bugs? We're planning to quit before the boss shows, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. The only way to bring my bugs along is by having them touch one of us."
"Not looking forward to it, but I'll manage. Ready as I'm going to get, bug me." Both girls lay a hand on opposite shoulder before we're completely swarmed by insects of every kind. I open the barrier as fast a possible. Even if I can work through any emotional response with «Gamer's Mind», I still don't want to spend more time than absolutely necessary as a bug-katamari.
Adding a third person has thrown off our rhythm a bit. When it was just Taylor and I, we mostly just took turns demolishing whichever zombie was closest. Lisa's zipping around like she thinks she won't get XP for any enemy she doesn't hit at least once. All those kicks are really impressive. Even in her current outfit, «Capoeira» shows off her body as much as her skill, not that I can really appreciate the view. This light shining wherever I look makes even a casual glance at either of the girls potentially problematic. Come to think of it, I've only been assuming that we can only learn one martial art each. The reduced penalties for fighting while restrained could be worth the risk.
"Hey, Lisa, when you get a chance, there's a couple skills you'll want to pick up here. Hit one zombie as hard as you can-"
"«Power Strike», got it almost immediately. Thanks. Are there more?" She doesn't even stop. Is it still a drop kick if she catches herself on her hands and spins around upside down, kicking two more zombies away?
"Three we've found. Try for a coup de gras, send one airborne, and knock one out of the air." There really isn't time to talk more than that, even if the zombies are pathetically easy now. I am making it a little harder on myself by looting as me go. After a few minutes Lisa switches to shooting the zombies while catching her breath. Taylor is still going strong, and I could probably do this all day. Not sure that 7 XP a head would be worth it though.
Fighting zombies shouldn't have gotten boring so quickly. About the only interesting thing I've seen in the last hour was a zombie wearing a certain red leather jacket. Actually, that gives me an idea… There are some songs that are just so catchy, nobody can resist. Just a few lines of Thriller and Taylor is singing along. Lisa takes a little longer to join in. To put it nicely, I can tell the instant she gains «Singing». It's a definite improvement. We work our way through a few other 'scary' songs, but there isn't another one we all know particularly well. Taylor even missed a few lines of Monster Mash. I'm just considering pushing things a little with Zombie Prostitute when I realize just how many songs we've gone through.
"It's been almost an hour, Taylor. Want to call your bugs in so I can reset this?" No need to waste time waiting for the bugs to pop out on their own. "Or we could give the Dragon Yakuza dungeon a try. This is almost too easy, and 7 XP a kill is weak."
"Hmm, how about we don't stop? We just keep going and kill Legion Zombie again. We've got rope and we know how to kill him. We can try out the Dragon Yakuza dungeon tomorrow in the daylight." I guess Taylor is just as ready for a real fight.
"Sure, sounds good." Best make sure everyone is on board. "Hey Lisa, are you okay with fighting the boss? He drops better loot." Considering how many questions she had about drops...
"If two rookies could handle him, I'm sure all three of us can manage."
Taylor takes charge by reflex, directing us to the same ambush point we used last night. She easily adds Lisa to the plan, in a somewhat more fluid role. Basically, her point of attack depends on which side the Legion Zombie spawns from. When Taylor asks for questions or comments, there's nothing I can think of, but Lisa takes the opportunity to compliment Taylor.
"It's a good plan. Maybe a tactical Thinker could do better, but I can't see how. Especially not with what you had on hand. Your «Multitasking» is subtle, but don't sell it short. Use it right and you might be as good a Thinker as me someday." Okay, so it's a kind of a mixed compliment.
"Thanks, Lisa." Apparently that's good enough for Taylor.
Time to represent for the Brute side of things. "Me brutezan. Me hit things good." I consider tossing in a warbling yell or a couple 'zug's, but nah.
"Your powers are even more bullshit than hers. You're in no danger of being overshadowed."
And that's enough back-patting. We must have killed more zombies than I thought, because we've barely started hunting again before the Legion Zombie spawns. Still huge, still scary, but now it's only nine levels higher than me, and I'm the lowest level here. With the addition of a third teammate, two of us can attack it while the third runs bait. While the battle is still a complete rush, there's never any doubt involved. I'm grinding «Dodge» closer to its snapping teeth than is strictly sane when it lets out an unearthly howl and melts away.
"Whew! That's a rush! Not quite as much as I expect from what you said, Taylor, but I should be way more beat than this." Sounds like Lisa got her first level up. I'd be disappointed if I hadn't already leveled once today. Let's see, last time we hugged before looting, but that was kind of a special situation and now there's two girls here. "Don't be silly. Group hug time! We beat the giant monster."
Never one to turn down an invitation from a pretty girl (let alone two), I enjoy the slightly awkward three-way hug. While it's really nice, I make sure to back out the second Lisa's grip loosens.
«Relationship with Lisa Wilbourn has increased!»
"Ooh, loot!" Let's see what we've got here. Well, that bottle is familiar. "Looks like another «Low Grade Recovery Potion», that's a healing potion." I realize the explanation is largely redundant a moment too late. "And this is…" Huh, a brownish grey potion in a squarish bottle. «Observe». "A «Potion of Zombie Strength», gives an extra 20% STR for ten minutes." Save that one for an emergency. Ooh! "Blueprint! Hmm, ten ribs and a skin will let me «Craft» a «Bone Rot Bow». Looks like it takes 40 STR to use it," honestly seems a little low for a 'horn bow', "but it gives +5% to accuracy and damage. It can also debuff enemies with [Bone Rot], which drains a little VIT." On any given hit there's a 15% chance of the debuff applying. Then for 30 seconds the target has 10% less VIT. Not bad, but nothing extraordinary. "And we've got some cash again. Does anyone want a bow? I'm not super-excited about picking up an «Archery» skill, but this might be the way to kill the ghosts. Sometimes enemies that are immune to normal weapons can be hurt by weapons with even the slightest enchantment on them."
Even with her face hidden, it's obvious Taylor is mulling it over. "I'd have to dump a huge amount of points into STR to be able to use it. Lisa? You want to become our ranged weapons expert? Maybe there are special ranged attacks, just like there are hand to hand attacks?"
"I don't have the strength either, but let me check something. «Skills». You know know nothing in «Power Strike» or «Finishing Blow» says anything about it being restricted to hand to hand. Let me try it out." Lisa's test puts a much larger hole than expected in a nearby oil drum. "It's got some kick to it, but «Power Strike» at least works with ranged attacks."
It's useful information, but still not enough for any of us to want the bow. The potions both go in my inventory for now and there's $120 for each of us. While I'm at it, how many craftables dropped? Looks like I've got another 112 «Soul Shards», 78 «Teeth of the Dead», 53 «Ribs of the Dead», and 32 «Skins of the Dead». That's more than enough to make «Undead Shirts» and «Pauldrons» for Taylor and Lisa. Neither seems interested in the pauldrons, but both accept the offer of a shirt. Lisa does make sure to warn me that the more of this stuff I display, the harder it'll be to keep the full scope of my powers secret.
It's not as impressive as the loot from last time, but it's still good. "Want to go again? Or check out the Dragon Yakuza?" Maybe we can find a blueprint that uses «Dragon Scales» or a fire-breathing skill.
"I told my father I'd be home by 10:30. I should head back." Taylor seems reluctant about calling it a night.
"And you're still sore. So am I," Lisa pipes up. "James will just have to «Massage» us both before we call it a night." At least it's safe to assume the Thinker knows that I'm straight. Not sure if that makes it more or less awkward that she's still asking for this. "And James, I need you to get all my muscles. Unlike Taylor, I don't want a sore ass in the morning."
...um… did she just… ask me to… She winks at me as she shucks her coat and rolls it into a pillow. Okay. Don't make a whole thing about it. I start at her ankles and work my way up. I don't want to seem overeager, and this gives her plenty of time to change her mind. Kinda expect it, given how she tenses up the moment I touch her. Calves. Knees. Thighs.
"James." Da- thank G- I have very mixed feelings here. "Fighting doesn't only affect leg muscles. Make sure to get my back and arms next." I resume my upward progress.
With seven levels in «Massage» now (Lisa's stack of books she insisted I learn included a few on the subject), the full process takes just under 5 minutes. The middle thirty seconds are significantly more… interesting. I swear she's making noises just to make me uncomfortable.
Lisa rolls over and pats the 'pillow'. Taylor fills the vacated spot silently. Should I…? If I just start at the ankles again, would she even speak up? I mean, this is the girl who barely complained with all the Trio put her through. "Uh, Taylor? Um…"
"Lisa's right. Those muscles get sore too."
"Thank you… for answering the question. The question I was having trouble wording. The thanks is for answering that question." Shoot me now. Thankfully, the massage itself goes mostly smoothly. I have to work around her armor a little, but it's doable. I do have to go over her legs a second time after she tenses up when I… move past them.
«Massage's level increased by 1!»
Lisa keeps a conversation running throughout. How soon can we meet up tomorrow? Since we don't have school we actually have a couple extra hours. What do we want to do with them? She even tells us a few personal tidbits about the Undersiders, like how much Regent loves white furniture and Bitch can't stand new people. "Hey James, if you two race home, be sure to give Taylor another massage."
How many times does she think Taylor will tolerate me doing that in one day? "Uh, we don't have to run. Plenty of time to walk. It's a nice night out?" Actually, I think it might rain.
"No, we should. I mean, we both need to practice «Sprint», and the massage isn't terrible. Actually, it feels good. Arrgh, that's not what I mean." Taylor is babbling until she stops abruptly and rallies. "James, we're partners and teammates. We fought the boss zombie and Lung, we can be adults about this. A massage is just a massage. Let's ignore the whole boy/girl thing? 'Kay?"
Boy/girl thing? Does that mean? "Do you…" actually know I'm straight? I'm… not going to ask that. Would not end well. I'll figure it out on my own. "Want to race?"
"Hey! Don't leave me in here."
"Oh, right. Give me your hand. «ID Escape». For the record, when we left bugs behind, they popped out on their own after a few minutes."
A fresh dungeon later, Taylor and I are charging across the city. Seriously, an extra 30, no 35% running speed is huge. It's a good thing I'm wearing my helmet. A few more levels and I'll need the lenses to keep my contacts from drying out. Since it's already dark out, we aren't half as careful about privacy going from one barrier to the next. Don't see anyone anyway.
Taylor puts on a good show, but it's clear that she's wearing down. By the time we reach her neighborhood she's barely jogging, each foot step slapping wearily. I am so glad my (Sustained) skills run on MP. No need for a massage. Huh. Guess that could be seen as a downside..
It's a little odd giving three massages to the same girl in one day, but Taylor clearly can't go any further. She completely collapses across her front porch, huffing and puffing. Thankfully face down. I almost ask if she's okay with me handling it, but stop myself. I really don't think she'd appreciate the stupid question. I have to go over her legs twice, again, but altering the order of operation without discussing it first seems like a bad idea. Especially since the girl in question controls bees.
"Thanks. Let's go to the side yard. Some of my neighbors can see right over the back fence." Looks like the «Massage» worked, she's mostly walking steady again.
"See you at nine?"
"Eight. We can meet up here before meeting Lisa in the Boat Graveyard at nine."
"Right, right. «ID Escape»." I wait for Taylor to step back before opening a new barrier. It's like she just disappears along with the sound of crickets.
I get in one last «Sprint» on the way home, before running my «Power Down» macro to change back to street clothes. It's almost eleven when I exit the barrier behind my house. Damn it, if I didn't leave a message, I could have just snuck in. Then again, I don't really have anything new to tell Andy if he notices this time, so I guess it's face the music time.
I haven't even fully opened the door when Mom starts yelling at me, "Where have you been?" She must have been waiting in the living room. I've got to oil the screen door or something. "We were worried sick about you!" While she doesn't look healthy, it's anger coloring her otherwise unremarkable face, not worry. "What does 'hanging out with friends on the Boardwalk' even mean, I thought you didn't have any friends?" You're middle-aged, kinda overweight, and only ever talk to your coworkers. Don't walk to me about friends. "How did you get money to spend on the Boardwalk, did you steal it from my purse? Close the door already, you're embarrassing me." Embarrassing is the number of people who think my mom is purposely dyeing a white stripe in her hair because she likes Rogue. She's not that cool, and it's natural.
Wow. I mean, I expected it, but geeze. "I was at the Boardwalk, like I said." And fighting zombies with two capes. Two other capes. "Spending time with some friends from school." Well, one friend from school and a supervillainess. "I have a few friends," ...ouch. "I didn't buy anything," that you need to know about. "No, I didn't." Andy swipes at least $20 a week. Just try telling her that. Never ends well. "You're the one yelling for the neighbors to hear."
"Don't be rude. I've half a mind to ground you until graduation! If you tell me the truth, it'll only be a week. Did you steal money from my purse?"
"No, I didn't."
For once, she takes me at my word. "Who were you hanging out with?"
"My friend Taylor and her friend Lisa."
"Okay, two weeks. After school, you come right to my office and do your homework."
The rest of the conversation goes about the same. As far as she's concerned, me spending time with friends is a stretch. Two friends, both girls? Not a chance in hell. And since I'm lying about that, I must have stolen the money from her purse. Can't believe Andy actually took $100. I can't believe Mom was stupid enough to have that much in her purse. ...actually, I can. Dad occasionally tosses in a weary, half-assed 'calm down', but most just ducks and covers. Mostly metaphorically, but it's disappointing to see a man who's over 6'2" (and and a bit heavy) cower from any confrontation. Andy snickers through the first fifteen minutes before wandering off to the bedroom.
"Dude, she really tore into you."And of course he's still up. "You're lucky you looked so pathetic out there, I almost told them about last night."
"Why?" Seriously, why?
"Everything you told me was up on PHO before you even made it home. I don't care what you were actually doing, but don't screw with me." Holy crap! «Gamer's Mind» is good enough to keep me from putting my 28 STR fist through his aggravating face.
I ignore Andy and just go to bed, pretending to sleep until around one. I've got to see what people are saying on PHO.