"What did you say to me?" Farmbarian said, his voice rising in anger?

"I said, come get it. If you want your money." Internally, I was screaming 'Interface! Boot up buddy!'

[System notice: I am here Aegis. I am still processing -]

'Stop processing and start listening! I need to know the fastest way out of here. With the emphasis on fast!'

[Query Response: Behind you is a door to the kitchen. 10 feet beyond that is the doorway where the kitchen receives food from the alley behind the restaurant. Does this match your query parameters?]

'Yes! Thank you!' I responded emphatically.

I saw the terrified look in Sylvania's eyes -- questioning, pleading. The brute Jordan looked at his right hand and balled it into a formidable looking fist. He then leered at me, looking down on my lack of size. If I didn't already know I could probably rip him in two, I would have been quite cowed. Instead, I lifted my chin and gave him a rude gesture. I guess the "bird" was a universal sign of "screw you" because he lost it completely and barreled toward me like a fleshy freight train.

I ducked his clumsy attempt to clothesline me, and something strange happened. Like a switch was clicked within my awareness, I suddenly could SEE things in a completely different way.

[System notice: Engaging battle mode phase 1]

Just when I thought I had this world figured out, and that this wasn't a game. I'm suddenly SEEing myself from a third person perspective. I saw the huge man Jordan passing me by in slow motion, I saw Sylvania slowly raising her hand in reaction to Jordon's attack on me. Everything was in this strange 3D perspective and slowed down like a cutscene in a game, or a bullet time slow mo in the movie The Matrix.

`Battle mode? What is this?` I asked as my body automatically cleared the guy and turned toward the door. It was like I was walking in thick jello.

[System Query: Battle Mode is a v2 enhancement. Your thought processes are temporarily sped up by 2x. Your perceptual inputs are using perspective hints to map a 3d field around you in order for you to make better tactical decisions. This mode will only last 30 seconds in real time and you will experience extreme fatigue afterward.]

Huh.

`Let's get out of here, 'face!`

My "bullet time" experience was quite interesting. I dashed toward the kitchen door, watching the slow dawning of recognition on Jordan's face. I carefully pulled the door open, yet winced as my fingers gouged grooves in the door with my enhanced strength. Had it been 30 seconds yet? I guess if I was really thinking twice as fast, I only had a minute to move it.

I dodged cooks and servers in a slow motion dance that left me bemused. I accidentally clipped a bowl as I leaped over a kitchen counter to get to the outside door faster, and I watched as it shattered into a million pieces in slow motion.

What the heck WAS I?

Jordan was on my heels - shoving cooks and servers out of the way like a force of nature. His face twisted in anger and frustration.

I made the door and hit the slick, greasy alleyway road with a skid that had me crashing into a huge dumpster. I was NOT going to smell good after this.

I felt my power drain tremendously. It was like I was a balloon and someone just let the air out of me.

Bluh.

'Interface! Can I change appearance again? '

[System Query: Your camouflage system is passive and is not affected by your power drain - unless you reach 20% power.]

Immediately, I thought about the old woman I had seen earlier with her kids. Plain, plump and tired looking. Like I felt.

I stepped woozily out of the garbage pile and began walking nervously down the alleyway, as if I had just seen a crazy boy running past me.

Jordan burst out of the restaurant back door and looked about wildly.

"Hey! You there! Wench! "

I glanced back at him, affronted. I clutched an illusory purse.

"Y-yes?"

"Did you see a piece of garbage one-armed boy come out of here just a moment ago? Moving like a jackrabbit on fire?" He yelled.

"Wh-why yes. He was quite scary! I feared for my life! He went -" I smirked inwardly " - thataway." I pointed toward the main street that connected to this back alley.

He ran past me, shoving me aside. "Outta the way, bitch!"

As I hit the grimy street I laughed inwardly.

[System Message: You have sustained mild abrasions to your outer matrix due to contact with the alley street. Your power level is at 48%. ]

'Better than I expected, `face. Let's get back to the hotel room -'

I stopped abruptly. There, standing outside the restaurant's back door, was Sylvania. She was talking to a hooded figure. I couldn't make out his face.

"It was him alright. The boy who nearly killed one of Theo's goons. But they must have been on Blue Ice or something, because this boy wasn't in a wheelchair, and he had two perfectly functioning legs. "

The hooded figure nodded. "Keep him under observation. See if you can gain his trust further. If we have a rogue wizard on our hands, the Mage Guild must know. And if needs be, we will put an end to him. There's enough going on already. We don't need another free agent who could spoil our plans."

Sylvania clutched her elbows nervously. "Do you think- do you think perhaps he might be working for another Guild? Like the Thieves Guild? Or maybe the Tinkers?"

"It doesn't matter. Regardless of his affiliation, he's obviously enhanced, and dangerous. Keep an eye on him. We need more information before we act. You know what you need to do."

The hooded man handed Sylvania a fairly large bag of what could only be ... money? She nodded nervously and made her way back into the restaurant. Sounds of yelling and people talking rose as the door opened and she went inside.

As I walked by I tried to sneak a glance at the hooded man's face, but it was shrouded in darkness.

'`face. Can you tell me anything about that man standing by the door?'

[System Query: Negative. I detect no heat signatures or air disturbances. There is an 80% chance that individual is using magic shielding.]

The hooded man glanced about - I could feel his eyes on me for a moment and I shuddered.

'Could he see through my ... illusion?' I asked

[System Query: Negative. Illusion magic is at master level and is not dependent upon your intellectual acumen]

I laughed inwardly. 'Foolproof huh?'

[System Response: Proof of the fool. Yes]

The man touched a green ring on his left hand and in a flash of light and a rather smelly "POP" he was gone.

A half an hour later, and three transformations, I was able to get past the swarm of police and make it back to my room. Archive was still on my bed, with it's eye closed. Sleeping?

Without a sound, I carefully placed the book on the table by the bed and I fell under the covers, exhausted.

Before I drifted completely into ... "sleep" I heard a distant voice. It was Bright.

~Good night sleepy head. Don't forget your Date tomorrow!~

I groaned and rolled over, covering my head with the pillow.