Mob 5.7

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"I'm sorry. It's just..."

"I love you…"

"Greg… sweetheart…"

"I love you…"

"I'm worried that if I don't hold on, you'll just… run away…"

"My worst nightmare…"

"You're all I have left."

"I'm sorry… for everything…"

00:00

"Mo-!"

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

April 18, 2011

12:33 AM

VIT + 2

Greg Veder let out a deep gasp as he jerked awake with a start. The boy shook as he scrambled around in confusion, unseeing eyes wide with shock. Breathing heavily, the blond let out another shuddering breath, a coating of sweat lining every inch of his body despite the chill of the air on his bare skin. He sat up where he was, hands scrambling for purchase across the gravel that he could feel under him. Where… am I?

His face swung to both sides, tilting his head as the sounds of a multitude of repeating sirens filled his ears like an orchestra of the worst kind. What's going on? What happened to me?! Greg blinked in clear confusion about to wonder what that could be about, only for another thought to send a heavy shock of panic through him as he realized something else. My… my eyes…

[Terror] negated by Gamer's Mind.

Why… He let out another shaky breath, hands rising to his face as he felt his eyelids close, a slowly rising itch beginning to skirt the very edge of pain in his sockets. The odd note of dulled panic in his thoughts only highlighted the absurdity of the situation to him, fear coming out in his mind with a bit of a monotone. Why can't I see?

He opened his mouth to voice that same confusion, only to find himself cut off as he let out a pained retching noise. "Wha-" The boy paused, coughing again as he choked on the words. "Whe-" His body only continued to fight him, rejecting his attempts to put words to his thoughts as the more he tried to speak, the harder it became. What he knew as his own voice came out raspy and hoarse, as if he had spent an inordinate amount gargling the gravel that was currently underfoot. "Wha-"

One hand going to his throat, Greg's body jerked forward as his frame was wracked with a hacking fit, the boy coughing for all his worth. A few seconds of this passed until he was nearly hunched over completely until finally, "...Hrrrrk!"

Something thick and bitter spilled from Greg's mouth, the blond retching even more as the disgusting taste of the gelatinous substance lingered on his tongue. Blood?

The smell and taste of it was all too familiar, but the texture was something else entirely and a wholly unwanted surprise for Greg as he retched up everything he could feel clogging his throat. Mouth and nose filled with the disgusting taste and overpowering stench of rusted iron, the boy simply remained where he was, continuing to heave as the congealed substance continued dripping from his mouth. Over and over again, he hacked up chunk after chunk of thick, gelatinous… Blood? What happened to me?!

Just like that, it finally stopped and Greg was able to draw breath without the feel of something constricting his throat. Chest still heaving as if he had just run a marathon, the boy began to scramble away from the heap of whatever he had just thrown up, a horrified expression on his face. His bare hands and feet skittered on the gravel, sending the small rocks darting away from him as he kicked and pushed himself back, not stopping for a second until his back met something firm, his head slamming into it an instant later.

What? Pale, blind eyes widened as Greg's hands rose to pat at the surface behind him, confusion clear on his face. A wall?

A brick wall, by the feel of it.

Another surprise, but a far more welcome one than the blood.

He tilted his head, blinking as the feel of the crumbling brick under his hands brought a thought to mind, the blond shaking his head as he began to recall exactly how he had gotten here.

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

7 Hours and 50 minutes ago

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

4:38 PM

Resistance: Piercing Lvl Up!

21→29

Resistance: Slashing Lvl Up!

9→14

Blunt Force Resistance Lvl Up!

56→63

Ten minutes.

Ten pointless minutes. Just the thought of it sent a wave of annoyance to the forefront of his mind that was quickly forgotten in the wake of his body's protests.

That was how much time he had wasted uselessly twitching his fingers and toes, all in a pointless attempt to get himself mobile. The pain from the pointless attempt at moving from his position had almost been enough to break his concentration but even still, he held on to what focus that he could muster.

The bright blue words were almost seared into his mind by this point.

Ten minutes of twitching, struggling and pained groaning had passed by with Greg still deaf and blind to the world, leaving him in basically the same position as when he started. He was ashamed to say that it took him half again as long to even think about using his energy the way he had a week ago, just after fighting Lung and the Undersiders.

The first few moments of it had been almost heavenly, at least compared to the hell that was the last forty-five minutes of consciousness. The instant he pulled on the bright yellow energy, Greg felt his heart rate pick up, his breathing becoming much less labored as the broken blond had let out a body-shaking shudder, not of pain but out of sheer relief.

It had almost been enough of a shock for him to let go of the energy.

Almost.

He wasn't stupid enough to let go of his life-saver over something that small.

No longer an oppressive, overbearing force driving him to silent screams, the pain had lessened to a dull, aching throb all over his body. It still hurt, of course, and Greg would be lying if he said it didn't.

On top of his aching chest, throbbing skull, sore jaw, itchy skin, and legs and arms tender to the point of irritation, what little remained of his eyes in their sockets stung like an entire beehive had made their home in them!

In retrospect, that was probably all the glass shards, but the point remained.

Still, at least now, he only felt like he had been hit by a Mack Truck going ninety down the highway instead of like he had just been shoved into a woodchipper. Compared to the perpetual torture of less than a minute ago, at the very least, he could actually think with a clear head so that was a definite plus. To make the situation even better, he managed to move far more than his fingers and toes, which was… odd. Judging from how limp they were, he could tell that a good chunk of his bones were still broken but even then, moving them wasn't an impossibility… somehow.

Regardless, Greg wasn't one to punch a gift horse in the throat so he purposely chose not to waste much time questioning the weirdness of his own abilities.

Finally able to move his broken form without dissolving into a whimpering mess, Greg Veder took his first step off of the shattered car that had been his resting place for over an hour now, only to plunge directly onto the floor like a sack of potatoes.

-45

-26

-13

-9

-6

-4

-2

-1

-3

-1

-2

-2

-1

The sound of bones cracking and snapping as they moved in ways they were definitely not supposed to hit Greg's ears, the disgusting cacophony made completely irrelevant in that same instant as the pain he had been dreading returned with a vengeance. Blinding pain seared into his skull, forcing another garbled groan from his throat.

Status Effect: Visible Bone

Doubles the remaining healing time for the affected wound.

Unable to hold himself back, Greg Veder once again found himself screaming internally as a bone tore itself free from his forearm and jutted out by his elbow, his raw, bloody and glass-embedded throat continuing to make its usual weak gurgling sound as the mute boy tried his best to vocalize his pain. To his credit, he only continued screaming for only half a minute at most.

After that…

Well, after that came the vomiting.

It took him only five minutes to get back on his feet after that. Four to stop hacking up what remained in his now-emptied stomach and one more for Greg to attempt moving again. Trying to step up onto two feet was almost an impossibility, his mind filling with pained curses every time he tried to balance his weight on a broken leg and another with an upper thigh resembled something closer to a tenderized hamburger than anything else.

For nearly a minute, the boy just lay there silently as he tried to think of what to do, never forgetting to keep his flow of will active to dull his body's reaction to the pain. Can't stand. Can't walk. Don't even know where I'm going cause I'm fucking blind and deaf, Greg groused to himself as his mouth closed in a twisted scowl on the last part, the stinging sensation in his eyes seeming to intensify at that. How am I supposed to do anything if I can't…

Can't… Greg's thoughts slowed down as an idea popped into his head, the fingers on his good hand twitching as the boy came to a realization. Can't even see, huh? Calling mana to his hand, the boy placed his palm down on the ground and said the words in his own head. [Structural Analysis.]

The mana he gathered to his palm shot forward as he discharged it, sinking into the ground and sending a vague image of nothing back into Greg's head. All he could really discern was the few shards of glass in a general radius of six inches around his palm.

What the- The scowl on the blond's face sunk further as he realized that all he got back was something he could already basically figure out for himself. Okay, that didn't work. Let's try this a different way. With a slight breath, Greg brought his hand down again — in a weak fist, this time — and gathered mana to it as he thought the words. [Structural Analysis.]

As he felt it try to leave him in a quick rush, the blond tightened his hold on the mana and pulled back on the flow, his fingers slowly opening up as he let the energy trickle out of his grasp. Unlike before, where it sunk underground in an instant, the mana that left Greg's hand this time seemed to spread out in a forward arc, trickling over the ground in a small wave of energy that Greg could feel.

INT + 1

Structural Analysis Lvl Up!

10→11

I can… I can see? He tilted his head, frowning slightly at the stiffness in his neck as he did so. I mean, I guess? Kinda. If you can call this seeing. Rather than waste any more time thinking about it, he shook his head slightly, placing his good hand back on the ground. Let's just do this.

With one problem out of the way, Greg decided to charge forward the only way he could think of and began to crawl along the ground, his one working arm assisting him at inching forward across the asphalt. Granted, doing that while lying in a pool of his own throw-up and with so many chunks of glass sticking out from the front of his body was in and of itself a terrible idea.

-1

-2

-2

-1

-1

-1

-1

-2

-1

-1

Nevertheless, he persisted.

Even with no idea of where he was going, it didn't take long for him to complete the quest he had started, his fingers sinking into a mound of dirt as he dragged his body onto what could only be manicured grass.

Quest Success!

"Just Move" Completed!

Gained 250 XP

Before Greg could even stop to let out a ragged breath, something else popped up in his mind, the boy letting out a groaning gurgle that had nothing to do with pain as he realized what it was.

Quest Created!

Just Move II

Details: Continuing in the same direction, move 5 meters away from your current location.

Success: +500 XP

Failure: Discovery by PRT

Son of a... His chin dropped onto the grass, Greg's mouth twisting into a frustrated frown as he realized that this was probably going to be a chain of missions, each one sending him even further away from where he was now. Son of a bitch.

Praying he wouldn't run out before all this was over, Greg's body flared slightly brighter with golden light as he began to move again.

VIT + 1

Stamina Lvl Up!

11→12 – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

5:23 PM

VIT + 5

Stamina Lvl Up!

12→15

Greg Veder hurt.

All over.

From the bottom of his feet all the way up to his scalp, every inch of him cried out in pain, figuratively begging him to just stop moving and find a nice hole in the ground to pass out in.

He wasn't gonna lie, either. The idea was extremely appealing and Greg knew that if he had no other choice, he would have gladly let himself fall into blissful unconsciousness.

And that in itself was the problem.

He had no other choice.

At least, no other choice that wouldn't have him shoved into a PRT van and his identity exposed. Seeing as he was in no rush to have either of those events come to pass, — the former more than the latter, really — Greg had quickly done his best to follow the instructions laid out for him in glowing blue lettering.

Every time he had completed one of these quests, another one would pop up in a second to replace the last one, reminding him to keep walking in whatever direction it felt like giving him.

What was he on now?

Just Move VII

Details: Turn left and head 1500 meters away from your current location.

Success: +5000 XP

Failure: Discovery by PRT

Yeah, that made sense.

Each quest only served to multiply the previous one, usually by a factor of five for whatever reason. The quest descriptions had been oddly contradictory as well, annoying Greg as he found himself hobbling repeatedly from point to point simply to keep up.

Continue in the same direction, turn right, turn left, double back for one-hundred steps and then make a right and walk two hundred and fifty meters; All of it was enough to make him want to tear his hair out. It really didn't help that every step was an effort in and of itself.

It really hadn't taken all that long for Greg to try walking again, simply out of a sheer need to move faster. This time, instead of trying to walk like at least part of his lower body didn't look like it had just been through a meat grinder, he managed to keep himself stable enough to shuffle down the street, his limping gait likely resembling that of a zombie. As it was, with the fact that he was likely leaving a trail of blood behind him with every labored footstep, it was doubtless that he looked like the exact picture of a zombie, slight flaring of golden light on his body aside.

Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lvl Up!

18→19

He had been forced to rely on Structural Analysis to guide himself around with his eyes still useless in their sockets, making his stumbling gait even more exaggerated. Both his feet had to touch the ground for him to really get a picture of what was within a few meters of him, forcing him to nearly fall over several times before he got the hang of it.

To make matters worse, spreading out the skill's range the way he had to only hurt the detail of his 'sight'. So much of what he could detect around him was just a vague lump projected into his mind, giving off a general idea of the shape and size but not much else. All in all, what he was doing was a far cry from the detail that he had come to know from the skill and definitely less useful than actually being able to see for himself.

Apart from the relentless itching in his sockets, though, Greg had almost grown used to the nerve-wracking sensation that his blindness wrought. Having awareness for a few meters all around him somewhat made up for it by being incredibly useful, if hard to get used to. At the very least, he was walking again. Still, for all that it let him cover more ground, getting back on his feet had him struggle with learning how to use the skill from the bottom of his soles, requiring more focus than Greg thought he had to spare.

Awareness: Mana Lvl Up!

8→11

Structural Analysis Lvl Up!

11→12

The boy continued to hobble around, limping through the back streets and abandoned alleys of Brockton Bay as he moved farther away from the hospital with no real idea of where he was going. As random as his pattern of movement was, Greg felt he had to be getting somewhere. By now, he must have been walking for what felt like hours through the city, meaning wherever he was headed to had to be close by now.

Any moment now and he would be done finally, able to let himself pass out for real this time. Hopefully, after he removed the last shards of glass still jutting from his skin. The blond worked his jaw, swollen and bleeding tongue moving carefully over the jagged remains of still-growing teeth and empty gums. Any moment now.

5:58 PM

Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lvl Up!

19→20

Stamina Lvl Up!

15→17

VIT + 4

Any moment now.

Those three words repeated in Greg's head as he continued to hobble in the direction he had been headed towards for what felt like the last eight hours. His shambling gait didn't let him cover much distance at any pace that would be considered quick but this was insane.

Blood-encrusted fingers twitched as he lurched forward, quickly balancing the movement by throwing his arms back before he could lose his balance due to a lack of focus. Unable to firmly place his weight down on his legs, Greg stumbled forward a few more times, repeating the balancing motion every time with a growing frustration.

Interrupting the litany of curses firing off in his mind for a second, the blond decided to check on something before it got too late. Will.

Will: 42/530

Shit. And just like that, the cursing returned again in full force.

It was a routine he had gotten familiar with over the time since he had finally pulled himself to his feet. Stumbling around like this only happened when he started to run low on Will, a phenomenon he had caught on to quick after the first time he nearly went sprawling to the floor. Certain movements had gotten easier as certain pains seemed to fade, several of his negative status effects dissipating as the time on them ran out. Greg could only be glad for that but it was still only a drop in the bucket compared to everything else.

Even if he wasn't using more than a fraction of his the energy to keep himself mobile, it had to start getting low eventually. When it came to topping himself up with a little extra juice, he had an inventory filled with enough energy drinks to last him for days, even taking into account how quickly he chugged them. Thankfully, the thing responded just as well to thought as it did to speech, Greg quickly realized. The boy only wished it didn't take him literally losing the ability to speak to find out that bit of information.

He barely managed to hold the bottles he pulled from his inventory to refill his Will, let alone open them. Managing to raise the things to his mouth was less of a challenge but it was annoying to Greg that he even had to consider it one. Granted, it was still a better option than struggling to chew with his mouth and teeth as torn up as they were. Come on, any moment now.

He continued forward, still swaying on his feet but managing to stay upright. Any moment now.

Structural Analysis Lvl Up!

12→13

6:32 PM

Any. Moment. Now.

Agonizing step after agonizing step.

Any moment now and he would be done with this goddamn quest.

Just Move VII

Details: Turn left and head 1500 meters away from your current location.

Success: +5000 XP

Failure: Discovery by PRT

Fifteen hundred meters.

Seven hundred and fifty meters.

Two hundred and fifty meters.

Fifty.

Twenty-five.

Five.

One.

Greg didn't need any help adding all of those together and he certainly didn't need any to get the answer he needed next.

Almost two miles.

He had been walking… no, stumbling through the oddly empty back streets of the city for however long it'd been and he'd only almost made it two miles. No, it was worse than that, Greg realized. The last quest — the longest one so far at fifteen hundred meters — wasn't even over with yet.

Any. Moment. Now.

Fingers at his side — each one still sticky from the last bottle of the sugary sports drink he had shakily poured into his mouth — clenched into fists as he lurched forward again, one leg only lightly meeting the ground as he forced himself to keep his weight off it lest he do even more damage to it. The further he walked, the more Greg was beginning to feel like all of this was utterly pointless. For all he knew, he could be walking for hours more without ever finishing this stupid qu-

"Just Move VII" Completed!

Gained 5000 XP

I'm done? Greg Veder stumbled back in shock at the words that popped into his head before making another cautious retreating motion, his Structural Analysis warning him of an obstacle directly in his path. He waited with bated breath for a few seconds, nervously expecting another set of blue words ordering him to continue on this endless trek any moment now.

When none came, Greg allowed himself a deep — albeit rather shaky — breath, only wincing slightly at the twinge of pain in his chest. I'm finally done?

The boy lurched forward again, throat gurgling quietly as he painfully caught himself on the obstacle in front of him, his palms meeting the distinct rough and grainy texture of a brick wall. Greg let out another breath, this one much less labored, as he turned his back on the wall itself and let himself lean on it, seeking a moment's respite from his long trek.

It lasted roughly that long.

Just Move VIII

Details: Make your way to the rooftop of the building in front of you.

Success: +7500 XP

Failure: Discovery by PRT

If there happened to be words to properly describe how he felt about this situation without profanity, Greg Veder was not aware of any of them.

VIT + 1

Stamina Lvl Up!

17→18 – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

6:52 PM

Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lvl Up!

20→21

Surface Adhesion Lvl Up!

9→11

Stamina Lvl Up!

18→19

Bloody fingers latched on to the edge of the rooftop, gripping the masonry with a level of strength that was wholly artificial. The faded golden glow flickering around the digits could only attest to that.

Come… The fingers gripped on even tighter, digging into the brickwork for all they worth as a head of filthy, matted hair made itself visible over the edge as well. That too was then followed by a just as filthy face, one that would have been horrific to look upon if anyone had actually been around to see it.

Thankfully, the rooftop was empty.

Greg Veder didn't find himself wondering about any of that, though. The boy's attention was all too focused on how much his fingers were protesting his current actions, the rest of his body not too far behind in making itself heard. Come on.

It was a testament to the boy's resilience that he was managing this much, really. Although, it could be said that if anyone were to compare his injuries from just a few hours ago to right now, they would conclude that he was in a lot better condition than when he started. The fact that his skin was no longer slick with his own blood was a fairly obvious signifier of that fact. Even more obvious was the fact that a large section of bone along his left arm was firmly back where it belonged; his head no longer pounding like someone had taken a jumbo-sized wrench to it yet a third item to add to a quickly growing list. It was safe to say, though, that none of that meant the boy was in a condition that any reasonable person would term 'good.'

Despite what could be said about his current 'condition', everything for Greg was still a tapestry of pain and varying levels of discomfort. While a good deal of the pain that he felt was dulled by the golden energy that currently suffused him and he knew very well that even without it, he wouldn't be in anywhere near the same amount of pain as when he first started on his hands and knees. Still, it didn't take away from the fact that the reinforcement was not much of a painkiller as it only served to dull the intense pain he was already feeling.

It took the edge off, so to speak.

That ignored the fact that there was still plenty of edge left.

All of this aside, Greg Veder was doing well for someone who should, by all means, be in traction. Very well, if one was to be honest.

Almost… As he continued to climb, mana poured off of him in waves, the blue light clashing vividly and distinctly with the gold of his Will as the boy kept every inch of bare skin that he could manage stuck to the wall as he reinforced his broken body to provide him enough strength to make it to the rooftop. It had been like this for about twenty minutes now, Greg using his Surface Adhesion and reinforced body to make his way up the side of the brick building. Doing something like this blind was harrowing enough but what made it even more tense was the fact that his Surface Adhesion skill only lasted him roughly four minutes.

Thankfully, Greg had inched his way high enough on the three-story building that he could rest for a short time on the recessed window ledge that he found himself on by the time he got to the second floor, allowing himself enough time for his mana to recover to the point where he felt safe continuing his climb.

It was slow going but he was making the best of it even now as he pulled himself upward bit by bit, his hands digging in for greater purchase on the rooftop. It was just as he raised himself up even further, both his shoulders just cresting the rooftop that Greg Veder felt a sudden change, mouth falling open as he felt the last of the golden light flicker and fade from his body. ...No.

It struck like a speeding car, unstoppable and unavoidable; Greg's entire body weakening as a wave of exhaustion and mind-numbing pain dropped into his muscles without warning. As the pain resurfaced in full, Greg couldn't help but let out a long pain-induced groan, his throat having healed somewhat enough to do that much. Still-healing skin burned as a multitude of small untreated cuts stung under the open air, remaining shards of glass now niggling at Greg as he was acquainted with their presence. How did I…

The thought was interrupted as Greg's right leg twitched against his will, shards of bone in his leg suddenly without any support screaming for his attention.

Fuck… Greg let out a raspy breath, weak limbs shuddering as he struggled to hold tight to the roof's edge. How did I… His chest heaved as he felt the return of a burning tightness around his midsection that he could say without a doubt that he did not miss in the slightest. How did I forget to check…

"Nghh-!" He bit back a groan as his body refused to cooperate, his attempt at pushing himself over the edge failing again. ...to check on will? How did it even fall so fast? The questions went unanswered as Greg continued to struggle, the current situation leaving him no time to even consider them.

His only saving grace was the fact that his Surface Adhesion skill was still going strong but even that had a time limit that was drawing closer by the second. You can do this… The dizziness and nausea threatening to overwhelm him were even more obstacles, albeit neither being nearly as powerful as the many, many injuries he could now feel in full force. Just hold on.

Trying to pull himself up like this was just pointless. As hurt as he was, his body wouldn't be able to respond the way he wanted without will acting to mediate the situation. Come on. Still, all he needed… Just a few more seconds.

The blond grit his teeth as he felt his fingers beginning to slacken, well aware that in just a little more time his Surface Adhesion would do the same. Come on…

All he needed…

Will: 1/546

All he needed was to wait it out.

Burst! The boy's body flared a pale gold for a heartbeat, a pained grunt leaving his mouth in that same moment as he thrust his hands down on the rooftop with all his strength. Masonry cracked apart from the sheer force of his action and for a single moment, Greg Veder was airborne as he forced himself over the edge in a move that could only be called a bastardized vault.

The moment ended as ingloriously as it begun as he quickly fell to the ground face down in a heap of limbs. His face met what could only be the gravel that lined the rooftop, pieces of smoothed rock digging into his face giving him a very good idea of what he had just landed on.

-40

-9

-3

...Ow.

An understatement if there ever was one.

"Just Move VIII" Completed!

Gained 7500 XP + 1 STR

Stamina Lvl Up!

19→20

Will: -19/551 Status Effect: Severe Exhaustion - 4 Hours

Severe… A wave of tiredness washed over the prone boy, interrupting his line of thought for a moment. Severe… Severe Exhaustion? What's th…

As quickly as if someone had flipped a switch, what little tension still in his paralyzed form faded as Greg Veder lost himself to a deep sleep, his body forcing him into a long-needed rest.

Perk Gained!

Catch Your Breath

Endurance is patience concentrated.

After forcing yourself to move under extreme circumstances for a long period of time, your willpower recovery rate has doubled. (1 Will per 5 Seconds)

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Now

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

No!

The blond surged up, pulling away from the brick wall in front of him in a panic as he quickly rose to his feet. One hand clutched at his skull, quickly followed by the second as unwanted memories of the last day came rushing back to Greg with the force of a river set free from a broken dam, battering the boy with a pain that felt all too physical. No.

Memories.

Memories of being hurled like a ragdoll.

Memories of glass flying everywhere.

Into him.

Into the sky.

Into everything.

Everyone.

Memories of…

Mom. He stumbled forward, the blond physically reeling as he tried to process everything he remembered all at once. Emma. Nononono. Another thought hit him and the blond nearly tripped again, partially from shock as well as lack of sight.

This can't… His back brushed against the wall again, Greg clumsily staggering away from it with all the grace of a drunk with his fingers grasping at his own temples. This can't be real.

[Grief] negated by Gamer's M-

No!He pushed aside the sudden calm with a wild anger, hand almost trembling as he thrust it out in front of him into the empty air. No. Greg shook his head angrily, teeth grit to the point of straining as he did so. He wasn't going to even think about allowing himself to just ignore this… pain.

So much of this was wrong already. He couldn't make it worse by trying to forget that. His thoughts, almost unbidden, went back to what he could recall of the day.

...Emma. Yes, the parts with Emma stood out strongly in his mind's eye, every single moment after the first bomb event almost crystal clear in his thoughts. There were still so many questions he had about that by itself, but everything was moving so fast before and now…

Well, now just wasn't the right time.

His time in the hospital was the next thing to stand out in his recollections, Greg sitting apart from the teeming masses in actual need of help.

So much time spent just looking at the TV, not even really watching, just looking on as video and images of the damages from Downtown were broadcast on the local news.

And then…

Then...

Mom. The teen dropped to his knees, nearly hunching over as his chin met his chest. He shook his head, ignoring the feeling of his own dirty and matted hair as it struck him in the face.

[Grief] negated by G-

I said NO! A surge of angry bitterness rose up in his cheat, Greg mentally shoving away the sinister calm he could feel creeping up on his thoughts.

So much was wrong here.

"...Mom," His voice came out in an awkward croak, Greg still struggling with his newly regrown vocal cords. Fingers tightened again in the gravel, the stones cold to the touch. This is wrong.

Greg bit back what could have been a sob if it didn't sound so angry, the boy wiping his tears with the back of one hand. "This is so… so wr-nnnngghh!" A choked scream burst from his lips as pain lanced through his eyes, the boy blinking rapidly as the unnatural brightness of the streetlight nearest him made itself known.

I... Eyes widened as color returned to them, milky-white irises suddenly a bright blue. Greg Veder stumbled again, this time out of raw shock as his vision returned. His gaze dropped to his own body, blood and dirt streaked arms and bare torso browned with much of the same. Stained and tattered trousers appearing far more like shorts and bare feet greeted him as he glanced down.

Trails of blood stained the gravel of the roof below his feet, turning white and gray into varying shades of brown and red, from the edge all the way to where he stood intermixed with chunks of something dark in a dark pool of what could only really be what he had thrown up a few minutes ago.

A feeling bubbled up in his chest as he looked down at himself, the realization that he was seeing again after so long.

Not relief or happiness.

A pit of anger blazed in his chest, burning brighter than it ever had before. Fingers clenched themselves into tight fists and Greg turned his head upwards, forcing the wetness in his eyes to retreat.

All of this and… Greg bit back the urge to scream as he stared up at the starless night sky, toes twitching slightly as they acclimated to the feeling of cold gravel beneath his bare soles. All of this and…

"I'm perfectly fine." His croaking voice hit his ears again as Greg recalled those words. He remembered telling her that when she asked him how he felt not too long ago in the hospital. She had stood in front of him, smiling her worried Mom smile… And I just brushed her off, Greg thought, expression shifting into an angry grimace. I just brushed her off and I told her that...

"I'm perfectly fine." He found himself almost spitting, so much raw anger behind the three words that it was almost palpable. Part of him felt like screaming again, screaming and crying and slamming his fist into the wall in front of him until something broke.

Until everything broke.

The other part was busy thinking, half his mind at work trying to piece together everything he remembered from before… before it happened.

The crowd, the cops, the PRT, Triumph…

All of those had been in front of him before he turned back towards the hospital, running as fast as he could.

He remembered the force, the glass, the sound like a hundred windows shattering at once…

Just everything.

More than anything else, though, he remembered the one face that looked familiar, if only a little. In that thick, swarming crowd, his mother was impossible to make out but that woman had been right in front of him. Just meters away in the center of a terrified crowd, she had opened her fur coat completely, allowing Greg to see exactly what was under it.

The red lights on that panel almost seemed burned into his thoughts, a countdown that he had been too late to stop. Just above that, though, was something else Greg couldn't remove from his mind.

The crying face of an old Asian woman.

She didn't… He blinked again, a smaller thought making itself known through the blinding haze that was his emotions. She didn't want to do it. That much was obvious to him. It didn't do a thing to quell the roaring anger he felt but that much was clear to him. Then why…

Why... His mind went back to Triumph, something missing in his own thoughts about the lion-helmed hero that he was fighting to remember. I… Greg paused, fists so tight they felt on the cusp of drawing blood. I remember now.

He did remember.

… in the wake of the recent ABB terror attack.

Observing Triumph had told him everything he needed to know.

But nowhere near enough.

The blond turned narrowed eyes out onto the mess of a city around him, the sight of smoke trailing from several buildings still visible even in the dark and the sound of multiple sirens his first reintroduction to the place he called home.

"I'm perfectly fine."

[Anger] negated by Gamer's Mind

He nodded again at those words and looked back out over the edge of the rooftop facing away from the hospital, expression visibly shifting in the span of a few seconds. Greg let the void that was Gamer's Mind subsume him, almost embracing the quiet with open arms as his hands slowly uncurled from white-knuckled fists at his sides

He couldn't afford to let himself fall apart.

"I'm perfectly fine." The lie felt numb on his tongue but Greg paid it no mind, pushing it down to the same place his rage simmered. Again, he didn't have time for that, too busy thinking about what lay in front of him.

Bright blue eyes gained a distinct edge to them that no one who knew Greg would ever recognize.

Quest Created!

ABB I: Avenge The Fallen

Details: Destroy the Azn Bad Boys through any means possible

Success: ???

Failure: ???

He had a job to do.

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Spoiler: STATUS Greg Lucas Veder Age: 15 (and three-quarters!) Title: Ninja - In Training Level 19 Experience 31510/32000 Health 1597/1597 Mana 485/485 Willpower 555/555 STR 65 SPD 62 (+2) VIT 97 INT 51 WIS 18 (-70%) CHA 23 (+9) (-90%) Stat Points: 23 Perk Points: 0 Cash: $18,568.57

Traits

Nerd-Geek Hybrid: Your obsession with video gaming, computers, fantasy/sci-fi literature and 80's/90's pop culture has left you in the rare middle of two circles; the obsessive fandom-loving geek and the intelligent, knowledge seeking nerd. Sadly, your hobbies have left you with an aversion to physical exertion. (50% bonus to INT gains, -50% penalty to STR, SPD & VIT gains.)

Asperger's Syndrome: Ever since you were a little kid, you've always been a little bit off. Impulsive, obsessive, socially obtuse and emotionally needy, you're a bit of a weirdo. You now know that you have Asperger's Syndrome. Thanks to the help of a PRT doctor with good advice, you're now more aware of your own mental state. (-70% reduction to overall WIS, -90% reduction to overall CHA.)

Casanova Bloodline: As a Veder man, you have a great smile, natural charm and a confident approach to life that draws the ladies in like a moth to a flame. Your great cheekbones don't hurt either. It's how your dad got your mom to go out with him while dating at least three other girls and sleeping with two others, at least that's what he always told you - even when you didn't ask - all the time. (+ 9 CHA)

Dragon-Blooded

Fire and fury flows through your veins, blood of the dragon.

The mythical hero Siegfried was baptized in the blood of a magical dragon and became nigh-invulnerable, immune to nearly all forms of damage. You, on the other hand, were splattered in the blood of a not-so-magical dragon. (+ 250 HP, + 10 STR, + 10 SPD)

Dragon-Souled

For some, baptism by fire tends to be a symbolic term. Not for you, though.

Facing the heat of Lung's flames head-on has purified the strength of your will and the power of your soul. The beginnings of draconic power grow throughout your being. (+250 MP, +250 Will, +10 INT, +10 VIT)

Peak Human

What is peak human, anyway?

Somehow, you have surpassed the physical threshold of humanity, surpassing those inherent limits man is beholden to. (Unlocks perks for STR, SPD, VIT and INT once a stat crosses a benchmark of 50 pts)

Perks

Baby Steps (1/3) [Ranked Skill]

With Catlike Tread...

Allows very light movement across surfaces, allowing you to move or stand on surfaces that would normally not support your weight.

Bulwark

Facing off against an opponent who far outclassed you has given you an ability to withstand impossible pain in the face of impossible odds.

Takes 50% less damage from opponents over five times your level.

Danger Sense (2/10) [Ranked Skill]

My common sense is tingling.

You gain a sixth sense that allows you to sense the presence of incoming danger.

Developed Mind (1/10) [Ranked Ability]

I like to think of myself as enlightened.

Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 MP for each rank of this perk.

Dragon Blood's Gift

What is a knight without armor? A dragon without scales? A lion without teeth?

All equipped armor and gear is self-repairing at a rate of 1% a minute, so long as it is constantly being fed mana or will in some manner.

Fire Dragon's Aura (1/10) [Ranked Skill]

Bathed in Dragon Fire and Blood, I shall fear no flame

At a rate of 1 MP per second per rank, draw upon your pyrokinesis to generate an aura of fire. Your equipment and body are immune to the heat, of it and anything cooler than it. It is, however, actual fire, so try not to burn down your house. In addition, you can literally breathe fire instead of air while this is active.

Growing Will (1/10) [Ranked Ability]

Some people say you're rather willful.

Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 Will for each rank of this perk.

Keen Vision

20/20? That's weaksauce.

The range and clarity of your vision scale with your INT by a ratio of 2:1. (100%)

Lifegiver (3/10) [Ranked Ability]

Health is more than just not getting sick.

Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 HP for each rank of this perk.

Not Quite Dead

People die when they are killed… usually.

Survive after your HP sinks below 0 and a harmful status effect is active.

10% Chance to recover with full health when HP drops to 0.

Quick Healer

Don't worry, it won't scar.

You heal rather fast, at a rate of a tenth of your VIT every fifteen seconds.

Surefooted

I don't trip.

Allows perfect traction over any solid ground, eliminating the chance of slipping and falling over your own feet.

Toughened Body

Charles Atlas would be proud.

Simply put, you're already tougher than most people. Now, well, look at the title of this perk. All physical damage is reduced by half your level number, in addition to all other damage reduction.

Transformation Sequence (1/3) [Ranked Skill]

"It's Morphin' Time!"

By willing yourself to transform, you can equip any full outfit within your inventory, transforming in a flash of blue light, mana glitter and/or a whirlwind of aerokinesis obscuring you.

Skills

Gamer's Body (Passive) Lv. MAX

Allows you to live life as if were a game.

Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects.

Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv. MAX

Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional and mental trauma and severely dangerous emotional states.

Basic Aerokinesis Lv 12

"Winds, guard me!"

Exert the force of your air control over a range of 35 meters. (140 mph)

Cost: 20 mp per second of sustained use at max range & power.

Basic Pyrokinesis Lv 3

Burn, baby, burn!

Generate flames and control them up to a range of 3 meters.

Cost: 20 MP per second of sustained use at max range.

Dash Straight Lv 11

Force equals Mass times Acceleration.

You may suck at physics, but you know that much.

Through reinforcing the body, you smash your fist into a target while moving at high speed. Damage scales based on distance moved. (1.5x Damage Cap)

Damage: 165

Cost: 25 Will + 2 Will for every meter power sprinted

Mana Glitter Lv 4

Sparkle like the pretty bishounen you were always meant to be. Or a princess. Or a pedophilic slightly-rapey vampire. Who's judging you?

Release particles of mana from your body in the form of iridescent sapphire sparkles. Max Range increases by 25% with each level. (2.5 meters)

Cost: 1 MP per second

Mana Platform Lv 1

I call it walking on air.

Using raw mana, you create semi-solid platforms under your feet that last only as long as you remain still. (.25 m)

Cost: 1 MP per 2 seconds

Observe Lv 11

A skill to find out basic information relating to the chosen object.

Cost: 1 MP

Raging Combo Lv 13

A blistering barrage of belligerent blows built to batter baddies.

By repeatedly using weaker forms of Angry Straight, you pummel your target with raw frustration and anger. (36 Hits)

Damage: 390

Cost: 65 Will

Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lv 21

A discount version of the Kaio-Ken for the squishy wizard.

Increases your effective strength, speed and health by 5% per level with this technique from a base of 50%. Does not increase actual points of vitality or willpower. Improved control means that weaker usages of Reinforcement is within your grasp for lower costs. (155%)

Cost: 5 Will every 2 seconds

Subskill: Burst

Cast from hit points. Yeah, it's one of those skills. A short, yet extremely concentrated and focused burst of reinforcement applied to the extremities for an insane burst of ability lasting 1 second (x 2.5 top Reinforced SPD/STR) Cost: 20 Will, 40 HP Subskill: Layer Reinforcement Increases the quality of non-living items, increasing their sharpness, durability, and hardness. This form of reinforcement can be used on non-living substances for a base quality increase of 250% Each level improves this by 25%. (675%) Cost: 2 Will every 5 seconds.

Surface Adhesion Lv 11

You ever wanted to be Spider-Man? Don't lie. Of course you did.

This skill allows you to stick to walls and hang on to ceilings and vertical surfaces without a risk of falling. While not denying gravity, this allows you to adhere to surfaces unaided.

Cost: 2 MP per second

Structural Analysis Lv 13

Judging the concept of creation, Hypothesizing the basic structure...

Grants the ability to gain a rudimentary understanding of the internal structure and functional design of simple, non-living objects.

Cost: 2 mp per square half-meter of object. Subskill: Physical Analysis Allows an innate understanding of the human body with the levels of complexity based on the progression of the primary skill, Structural Analysis. Weapon Charge Lv 17

Conceptually do twice as much damage with a weapon. Broken?

What's that mean?

Boosts weapon damage x 2.

Length of charge increases by 1/2 second for every level. (8.5 sec)

Cost: 8 MP

Abilities

Acrobatics Lv 21

Parkour!

An ability that enables you to pull off backflips, frontflips and any manner of jumping-based ground-movement technique with greater ease.

Awareness: Mana Lv 8

Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, thaum, spiritual energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.

You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.

Awareness: Willpower Lv 7

Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.

You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.

Ballroom Dancing Lv 1

I wouldn't call it dancing yet. More like a full-body dry heave set to music.

Represents your skill in the art of dancing in a fancy, romantic manner when with a partner.

Anatomy: Intermediate Lvl 2

The quickest way to a man's heart? Directly through his ribcage.

Gain a more experienced understanding of the human body and how interconnected systems function.

[Status Effects] become easier to inflict in melee combat by 2% every level. (4%)

Basic: Increases [Critical Hit] damage by 10% per level. (100%)

Beginner Combat Lvl 5

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

The next level of combat, Beginner Combat is a fusion of fighting and footwork into the ability to learn new styles of combat, fusing them into a novice martial combat capability.

Increased bare-handed damage by 2% per level. (10%)

Blunt Weaponry Lv 5

Carry a big stick. Speaking softly is optional.

Measures your skill with using a blunt weapon.

Increases damage with a blunt weapon by 2% per level. (20%)

Breath-Holding Lv 14

Asphyxiation is a terrible way to die.

Increases time able to stay conscious without air by 30 seconds per level. (7 min)

Bullshitting Lv 6

First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.

Increases chances that any lie you tell is successful by 2% with every level. (12%)

Disarm Lv 3

Take their weapon from their warm, living hands.

Increases chance of disarming the enemy by 2% with every level. (6%)

Driving Lv 4

NASCAR, here we come.

Measures your skill at operating a four-wheeled motorized vehicle.

Gunplay: Handguns Lv 6

Possibly more than the automobile, the handgun is synonymous with America.

Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a handgun by 5% per level. (30%)

Improves damage with a handgun by 2% per level. (12%)

Gunplay: Rifles Lv 3

Slightly better than a stormtrooper.

Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a rifle by 5% per level. (15%)

Improves damage with a rife by 2% per level. (6%)

Kissing Lv 8

Looks like practicing on a peach actually paid off.

Represents your skill in the art of smooching.

Language: Japanese Lv 8

Gratuitous Japanese indeed.

Reflects your speaking skill, and understanding of, the Japanese language.

Meditation Lvl 12

Breathe in the good shit. Breathe out the bullshit.

By finding your inner focus, you push out all earthly distractions and enter a state of mental and physical harmony, allowing a greater understanding of your mind and body. While meditating, your Mana and Will recover at a rate of 10% faster per level into this ability. You retain this bonus for a period of ten minutes post-Meditation. (120%)

Parry Lv 8

To deflect an attack is a double-edged sword;

Risking more damage for the chance to inflict the same.

Increases the effectiveness of any attempt to divert or deflect a physical attack by 2% with every level. (16%)

Reflexes Lv 14

DODGE!

Increases innate perception speed by 10% per level. (140%)

Resistance: Biological Manipulation Lvl 5

Some people like to work with clay, or glass, or wood. Others prefer the mutability of flesh.

Measures your ability to resist any attempt to directly control your physical form, referring to skin, nerves, organs or otherwise. Increases by 2% per level. (10%)

Resistance: Blunt Force Lv. 63

Going from punching yourself in the face to actual self-mutilation?

Bold move, Veder. Let's see if it pays off.

Reduce all blunt force damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (47%)

Resistance: Cold Lv 6

The cold never stopped bothering you.

Increases resistance to cold temperature by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (6%)

Resistance: Electricity Lv 8

Everyone knows electrocution is harmless.

Increases resistance to electrical damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)

Resistance: Heat Lv 46

"You have to respect anything that can just stand there, on fire."

Increases resistance to heat damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (46%)

Resistance: Piercing Lv 29

The thrust or stab is risky because it can kill and yet not stop

Reduces piercing or stabbing damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (16%)

Resistance: Poison Lv 3

I wonder what counts as a poison...

Reduces damage and effects caused by poison by 1% every level that will cause damage less than 100% of your health, in any way, shape or form. (3%)

Resistance: Slashing Lv 9

The cut will stop but not kill.

Reduces slashing or cutting damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (7%)

Seduction Lv 1

I didn't mean to turn you on… or did I?

Manage to draw the attention of a member of the opposite sex using your innate attraction skills. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by .5% every level. (.5%)

Singing Lv 2

Stick to doing musicals in the shower for now.

Represents your ability to hit the correct notes, harmonize and anything to do with the art of vocals.

Sneaking Lv 11

Ugh… stealth missions suck.

Allows for 2% quieter movement per level while trying not to be heard. (22%)

Stamina Lvl 11

Whatever I lack in talent I have in stamina.

Increase Will by + 5 with every level. (55 Will)

Swordplay: Single Blade Lv 25

All swords are the same.

Represents your martial skill with the art of a single blade.

Increases damage with a blade by 2% per level. (50%)

Taunt Lv 10

"And this! Is when I taunt you!"

Draw the attention of a target through nonsensical, idiotic, but occasionally piercing, verbal attacks. Increases chance of Critical Hits on enemies by 2% with every level. (20%)

Thrown Weapons Lv 4

Throwing your sword always works. Except, you know, when it doesn't.

Increases the skill, range and force by which items and weapons can be thrown by 2% with every level. (8%)