Howard, being the best bud he is, suggested we go to Greg's Game Hole and maybe that would cheer me up. I agreed, but found it ironic that we were going back to the place that started it all. I do love the black jimmy jams, but I saw a man die here. A man who died at the hand of the same being that is most likely trying to now kill me.
Despite all this, it did cheer me up. There's nothing like the feeling of walking into an arcade, pockets bulging with quarters for tokens and a friend beside you. When you open the doors and the pings, boinks, jingles of the games assault your ears and the cries of victory and defeat from the gamers blur into one. Arcades have an energy about them that no other place does and that energy is of competition.
Not to brag, but I totally have the top scores on all the games. At the moment I'm working on beating my own high score for Future Time Radioactive Zombie Punch. Howard stands next to me, scoffing.
"Missed one Cuningham."
"Working on it," I say, my teeth clenched.
"One life leeeft," singsongs Howard. I move the joystick as quick as possible and pound the 'punch' button. So close…
"You can't psych me out, my scheming friend." Only 5,000 points away…
"Oh my cheese! There's a rampaging Chimera!" Howard said with fake terror. Concentrating on the game, I didn't pick it up.
"What?" It only took one glance away for a zombie to sneak up on my character. "What the juice Howard!" I try to do damage control, but the 'game over' screen appears.
"HA! In your face." He says smugly.
"Oh yeah? Try beating," I glance at the numbers, "Eight hundred thirty three thousand two hundred and five points!"
"Just watch me. I'm feeling lucky today."
Now it's my turn to laugh. "Aw, how adorable, you thinking you can beat me."
He slides the golden token into the slot. "Watch and be amazed," he states, cracking his knuckles.
The first zombie wave approaches, then the second, third and fourth. The wave's just keeping coming and Howard never falters. His fingers fly across the controls, I've never seen him move so fast before. The game cast a green glow on us and the points kept racking up. Watching him is mesmerizing; I'm too impressed to even try to trash talk him.
"Have you been practicing without me?" I ask.
He shakes his head, eyes still on the screen. "Nope. I'm just that awesome." It's hard to believe, but I have to. Howard has always had good reflexes; I guess I've never noticed just how good. Either that or my gaming skills aren't as good as they used to be.
A few minutes later and he easily beat my high score.
"Read it and weep Cunningham," his self-satisfied smile is then replaced by one of pure joy when he realizes what he did. "I DID IT! I FINALY GOT FIRST PLACE AND YOU'RE IN SECOND!" He begins to do a victory dance and I roll my eyes.
"I was warming up, I can totally top that." I hear muffled screaming; it must be coming from Disgruntled Pirate Chase. The arcade is always noisy, but someone should really turn down the volume on that game.
"I doubt it."
"Food Hole then rematch?" I suggest.
"Sure. Don't you think you should take care of that first though?" He says, nodding towards the front of the building.
"Take care of- Oh no. I'm not falling for this again." Does Howard honestly think I'm that stupid?
"Seriously."
Turning, I discover that he was in fact being serious. Out of the Game Hole window something gray with a ton of legs rushes past. That screaming I thought was from a game? It's actually coming from outside.
I lean closer to my friend. "It's Ninja O'clock."
He laughs. "That's so corny Cunningham!"
I run to the back door which is located next to the telephone. Nobody is in the alley behind the Game Hole so I suit up. Contrary to what I thought when I first tried my wings, they're not too small to fly. I just needed to strengthen those muscles and make sure the feathers were in order like Heidi had said. A quick flight over the building to the main road isn't a problem.
"Hey bug for brains! Stop harassing these nice people and look over here!" For some reason, the bug- a robotic centipede- kept running back and forth along a block's length of side walk, not even sparing me a glance. The "nice people" stopped screaming and stared at me. Only then I remember that this is the first time I've been seen outside of school in the daylight. I launch into the air, angling to land on the robot's back. I'd have to say it's as long as a school bus and a half and as wide as one too. The Robo-pede doesn't acknowledge its new passenger.
"Hey! I am talking to you!" I don't think it can hear me. Do centipedes even have ears? Or eyes for that matter. "This'll be easy then. Ninja slice!" I aim the sword for the center of its head. Jerking to a halt, the centipede then takes a sharp left. I am thrown off before delivering the blow. My head hits the pavement, vision blurring. I hear glass breaking and more screams. It broke into… Greg's Game Hole?
I can't see what's happening; I must have cut my forehead because blood is trickling down into my right eye. The robot exits while I'm distracted and someone calls my name, or rather the ninja's.
"Cun- Ninja!" Howard hollers. He's being carried away by the Robo-pede in its mandibles. "A little help here?"
"Oh no you don't." I start to follow and the mechanical insect picks up speed. It weaves through traffic; cars slam on their breaks, honk and some drivers give me rude gestures as I chase after it.
It's a wild assumption, but it seems to be heading to the giant pyramid in the middle of the town: McFist Industries. I abandon the foot chase, taking to the air. Taking a direct path and skipping traffic allows me to easily get in front of the robot.
"Let him go Robo-pede!" With a clear view, I answer my earlier question. Centipedes do not have eyes, or at least this one doesn't. For the first time, the robot stops. Its antennae flick back and forth.
The side street we're on is quiet; no pedestrians or drivers to get caught in the upcoming battle. I can't help feeling like this is a scene from a western; two opponents facing off, dead silence, a newspaper fluttering across the ground… all ruined by Howard.
"Sometime soon would be nice."
"Howard! You ruined the moment!" I shout.
"What moment? I'm being kidnapped by a robotic insect!" He shouts back. The antennae stop moving and the centipede charges forward once more.
"Ninja rings!" I throw a few handfuls, hoping to lop off a few legs. Unlike my last robot encounter, they bounce off. The Robo-pede passes me and my sword bounces off as well. How do I fight this thing if it won't stop for me? I could really use some ninja advice about now; too bad they are still gone.
I'm in the air again, trying to figure out the best course of action. That's when I see it coming. A giant semi-truck is on a collision course with the robot! Only the driver can't see it coming because of the buildings on the corner of the intersection. I have to get Howard out of there!
My world seems to slow. Deep down I know I can never make it in time. The truck is moving so fast and there's nothing I could do if I got there before the crash anyway. I flap my wings harder… hoping… Howard. This is the second time his life has been put in danger, the second time all I can do is watch uselessly.
There's the sound of metal grinding, then crumpling. Glass shatters. The momentum carries the wreck onto the sidewalk. Metal scrapes along the concrete.
Then all I can hear is the pulse of my rapidly beating heart. I land, torn between facing the possible grim reality and looking away.
Both the semi and the robot are totaled; there's no way… Someone coughs.
"Howard!"
It's just the driver. Police sirens are audible, they are close. I take a few more cautious steps and someone taps my shoulder.
"I think we should get outta here," Howard says nonchalantly.
"I- How…?" He isn't even scratched?
"Never mind how! The police are coming!" He folds his arms. Howard looks exasperated, but I know my best friend. His eyes aren't meeting mine; he's hiding something.
"But the police are good guys."
"And you're wearing a spandex ninja outfit," he counters.
"You have a point there."
We jog a ways away from the accident and I de-suit. Howard has an expression on his face that I can't place. Anger? Confusion? Not quite.
"Howard, I have something to tell you." I didn't want to be right, but after a second robot it has to be. "McFist is working with the Sorcerer."
He laughs. "Good one Cunningham. The brucest guy ever working with the evil Sorcerer? I don't think so."
"Remember the attack yesterday? It wasn't another student, it was the McSnackables machine! Then today, another robot attacks! But this time it's outside of school at the Ninja's fav hangout and it kidnaps the Ninja's best bro! Julian told the Sorcerer who the Ninja is and McFist is sending robots to destroy me! All the evidence adds up."
We walk quietly for a while until he comes up with a counter argument. "If the Sorcerer knows who you are why would he suddenly pair up with McFist? He could just go to your house in the middle of the night and be done with you."
"Gee thanks, that's a wonderful thought," I retort.
He shrugged. "You asked. I bet he's stanking inanimate objects or something. McFist is too cool to be teaming up with a sorcerer. Did you see the upgraded McFistPad that came out last week? So the cheese."
"But Howard, I saw the smoke the da-"
"Stop. Stop being a paranoid chowder-face! There are tons of people in Norrisville who can make robots! McFist Industries doesn't even make robots besides the Robo-apes."
I sigh. "Maybe you're right… I still need answers though! I can't defeat him if I never see him."
I can see Greg's Game Hole a few shops down the street. We didn't decide to come back this way; our feet just carried us here. Yellow caution tape surrounds the scene and police are talking to witnesses. We pass an electronics and computer store; glancing at an advertisement in the front window jogs my memory.
"McAfee," I whisper. "Howard, I know who we need to talk to!"
"An anti-virus expert?"
"No, the article for the English paper, Mac Antfee!"
"You've lost me."
"Never mind." I know what I have to do. Running ahead, I slip past the police and into the Game Hole. There's a payphone in the back and I bet there is also a telephone book. There is. Flipping to the white pages, I find the name I need surprisingly fast. I tear out the page and return to Howard.
"You ditched me! I can't believe that you ditched me," he rants, throwing his hands in the air.
"Is your sister available?" I ask.
Howard's eyes widen. "Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"
"No! I mean, can she drive us somewhere? Today. Like now maybe."
Not questioning me further, Howard dials a number and waits. After five rings, someone picks.
"Hey Heidi." I can make out something that sounds like 'What is it now?'.
"Can you drive me somewhere?" Pause. "I'm not… maybe… please?" Howard paces a little while waiting for an answer. "Game Hole." The other caller hangs up first.
"She says she will, but that it better be good."
"Oh it will."
Ten minutes later, we're piled in Heidi's old car. It had been her aunt's car, but she was saving up for a better one.
"Before I start driving, I'd like to know where I'm going." She glares at her brother in the passenger seat and me in the back. I hand her the phone book page and point at the address. "That's at the edge of down! Why the juice…?"
"I need some info from the guy," I say, trying to seem business like and mysterious.
"Keep talking."
"There's an evil sorcerer stanking the students at the school and Ninja here thinks this guy knows stuff," Howard smirked.
"WHAT?"
"Way to break it gently," I grumble.
"You would have taken too long. Short and to the point is the way to go," explains Howard.
"What is this about a sorcerer?" Demands Heidi, looking to her brother for further clarification.
"How else did you think it happened?"
"I don't know!" she confessed. Heidi ran a hand through her hair. "I'll take you as long as you explain everything; I do mean everything, on the way there."
So we did. It took the entire half an hour drive, but we did. From the day we saw the Sorcerer, to a couple nights ago at Principal Slimovitz's with Julian, to now. Not half way there, Howard let me take over the storytelling and fell asleep. Heidi didn't say much beyond a 'mhm' or 'really?' but I could tell she was holding back excitement. If she could tell this story on her webcast it would earn her major popularity points.
At some point the road had switched from paved to dirt. We bump along, counting the numbers on the mailboxes. The number we're looking for is at the end of a driveway that leads into the woods.
"You sure about this?" Heidi asks me, sounding very unsure.
"I can't count on the Ninja suit to give me tips anymore. I need to know as much as possible about the Sorcerer to defeat him… I don't want any more people to get hurt." I lean forward. From this angle I can see Howard's bruised eye. He had told me he had gotten it from stepping on the prongs of the rake that had been laying in the yard. Classic. It makes me think of the crash; he never did tell me how he got out of that.
The house is a small cabin; pieces of junk are strewn around the unkempt yard. The most conspicuous being a gutted couch. A sign nailed to a tree reads 'No Trespassing' and a sign closer to the house reads 'Antfee'. The windows are dark.
"Looks like no one is home," Heidi says cheerfully. "Guess we'll have to come back later…" I manually unlock my door and hop out. "Hey! Get back in the car!"
I ignore her and slowly walk up to the porch.
BANG!
The ground at my feet explodes; someone shot at me.
a/n: I've been having trouble with links but they all work now if you type them without spaces! I'm not happy with this chapter, it'll get better I promise.
I've been dropping some hints, I don't think its very obvious but can anyone guess what Howard is hiding? (hint: chap 6)
more fanart: bit. ly/ 17hRYu6 (thank you so much!)
something I drew…: bit. ly/ 1BrjMcz