Lunai opened her eyes to the soft chimes of her internal alarm. Her arm reached to the pillow on the other side of the bed. She expected to feel Cromble’s plush fur, but her fingers grasped an empty pillow.

  “Cromble?”

  She got up and went straight for the closet. The space Cromble claimed in the morning was now empty. Lunai’s heartbeat quickened as she looked at every corner of the room. There weren’t many places for the cat to hide, yet she somehow disappeared from sight.

  Lunai sprinted into the hallway with a bag of treats in her hand. She shook it fervently while calling Cromble’s name. A glimmer of hope came from Bliss’s door at the end of the hall. Lunai heard the high-pitched squeak of her precious cat.

  She cautiously knocked at the door. The only response she received was the screaming of two cats. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening the door. Bliss would be pissed, but then again, he shouldn’t have stolen her cat.

  The two cats swarmed her immediately. Her heart finally settled when she saw Cromble. After letting them eat, she grabbed Sorebel and moved to close Bliss’s door. She didn’t mean to look, but as she bent over to reach for the knob, she noticed that his bed was empty.

  “Bliss?”

  She took another step into his room. Bliss was gone, but nothing looked out of place. She leaned against the wall and put a hand to her head.

  Calm down. He wouldn’t have been taken without a fight. The room would’ve been destroyed.

  She checked every common room in the warehouse before she let herself panic. Aside from Dr. Crux and the agents on casino-watch, everyone was asleep. Bliss was not in the dining room, the recreational room, or any of the hallways between rooms.

  She had no choice but to run to the boss. As she hurried to their stairwell, she felt her hand brush against the leaf of one of her rejected plants. She felt a tingle travel up her arm and into her brain.

  Ions balanced. Energy Stored. Damage-

  She pulled her hand away. She had no idea that the artificial plants could talk to her. Its thoughts were neater than the plants back on Ya’ar, but it still felt open. It called to her like it was recognizing its own; offering support in the form of instructions. Her hand slowly reached back towards the leaf as she felt the tingling on her fingertips.

  No, the spirits would never allow it! I have to get going…

  She continued downstairs and found the door to the security room. A light traveled down her entire body before the door opened up. Dr. Crux stood behind the security agents, turning once Lunai entered the room.

  “Good evening agent Hollybrook. We were just about to prepare for your departure.”

  “Bliss is gone. He’s not in his room.” Her voice trembled. “It doesn’t look like there was a fight, but what if someone with reality glue got him? He wouldn’t be able to fight.”

  Dr. Crux looked at his agents. They started typing on the terminal in front of them and a map of coordinates appeared in one of the screens. Within a minute, Bliss’s name appeared right at the very top of the Treetop Hotel. Dr. Crux sighed and shook his head.

  “It looks like Bliss threw the mission out the window.”

  “You don’t know that, what if Placebo took him?”

  “This warehouse has airtight security. No one could’ve entered and taken Bliss without being seen.” He stepped away from the terminal and placed a hand on Lunai’s shoulder. “Even then, reality glue does not incapacitate him immediately. There would’ve been a fight.”

  His reassurance sunk in slowly. Though she appreciated it, Lunai started to feel like a burden. Dr. Crux had to hold her hand through almost every mission she’d been on so far.

  “Okay. It’s okay.” She gave herself one last breath to pull herself together. “Alright. Just tell me what the next move is. I can handle it.”

  “Let’s head upstairs and get agent Platinum Promise first. You’re both still going to the hotel, but we’ll have you go straight to Bliss’s location.”

  Lunai nodded along as they arrived at Argalax’s door. She knocked forcefully twice before speaking.

  “Argalax, something happened. You need to get up right now!”

  Lunai’s jaw dropped when she received no response once again. Dr. Crux pressed a button on his wrist and waited a second before turning back to Lunai.

  “Huh…”

  “Wha-what does that mean?”

  Dr. Crux pulled out his glasses and put them on, rereading whatever was on his CellPulse. “I’m not getting any signal from agent Platinum Promise’s chip. I won’t be able to track him without it.”

  Lunai had heard enough. She opened his door and found another empty room. No mess, no signs of any struggle. The bed was made as neatly as she would expect from Argalax.

  Emotionally detached men strike again. Fuck.

  “I’m so sorry agent Hollybrook. This is not how proper team members conduct themselves. I understand if you’d prefer to return home; I can always have a backup team clean up whatever mess this is.”

  She shook her head. “No, that’s fine. They’re difficult, but they’re mine. I can go find Bliss at the hotel and then we can discuss Argalax.”

  “An admirable choice. Activate your disguise and I’ll have transportation ready at the door in a few minutes.”

  Lunai’s fake foot was dancing up and down in the back of the street-ship. She looked out the window and saw the massive trunk of the Treetop Hotel. If she weren’t from Ya’ar, she would’ve been amazed.

  She hopped out of the vehicle and watched as several wooden platforms descended to the ground. Once Lunai stepped onto it, a translucent box surrounded its edges. She put her hand against the barrier as she watched the city from above.

  The barrier facing the hotel dropped when the platform reached its destination. Lunai looked down at her red dress. She was disappointed that she wasn’t going to be the party girl that night. Instead, she had to convince one receptionist that she was invited to the penthouse.

  The hotel foyer had an air of exclusivity. While the receptionist stood behind a counter with a smile, several guards lined any hall that led to an elevator. They weren’t super-hero level by any means, but bypassing them without permission from the Rengues government would get them all in hot water.

  The receptionist’s smile widened when Lunai approached. She had to be less party-girl and more confused damsel from the countryside for this to work.

  “Excuse me, miss?” Lunai let her natural accent run wild. “I’ve been invited by a very kind gentlemen currently renting a room here.”

  “Of course, I’m happy to help you with that. What’s your friend’s name?”

  “You know, he’s just so silly.” She started to giggle. “He told me he goes by Placebo. I think it’s just a cute little name his friends call him.”

  Lunai noticed the woman’s pupils dilate. It was risky to use Loshket’s villain name, but the hotel likely knew what one of their wealthiest patrons was up to.

  “I see…Give me a minute and I’ll call the room to make sure he’s ready for you.”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Yep, she thinks he invited me here for sex. Sorry lady, he’s only interested in my thoughtless senior!

  Lunai hoped that Bliss would tell Placebo to let her come upstairs. Just in case, she pulled up a file that Dr. Crux sent her for this scenario.

  “I’m sorry ma’am, he isn’t picking up the phone.”

  Lunai pressed her fingers to her cheek. “Oh, how strange, he seemed so excited to see me.”

  Lunai projected the file into the air for the receptionist to see. It was a letter in Placebo’s handwriting. An edited copy of the actual letter he sent for Bliss. Dr. Crux shortened the letter to make it solely about wanting to see someone. He also changed references to Bliss for a random woman’s name, describing her in a way that matched Lunai’s disguise.

  The woman scanned the letter and scowled. Lunai could imagine the internal struggle of a hospitality worker running through the poor receptionist’s head. The woman let out an awkward little chuckle once the letter was finished.

  “He’s certainly excited to see you…Go ahead.”

  Lunai gave the biggest smile she could. The receptionist simply nodded and the security guard by the hall relaxed his shoulders. Lunai slipped by and hurried to the elevator.

  Please be okay.

  The phrase repeated in her head as she reached the penthouse. Lunai only knew Bliss’s coordinates. She didn’t know how long he’d been gone. He didn’t even have any vital signs for Dr. Crux to track. Knocking politely wasn’t appropriate at this point. She slammed her foot into the door twice before it swung open.

  Placebo and Bliss were immediately visible. The scorpaenidae had his sharp hands running up and down her senior’s back. Bliss laid motionless, hunched over the counter as if in some sort of trance.

  Sick fuck injected him!

  “You! You bastard, get away from him!”

  She marched forward and dropped her disguise.

  “Bliss, get behind me!”

  “Lunai, it’s alright. He didn’t use the glue on me. He’s coming with us back to the agency, right Loshket?”

  “Yeah, fine, whatever. At least it’s just the drug charges this time. The murder charge is past the statute of limitations.”

  “Wha-JUST the drug charges? What about the people you controlled?”

  Lunai didn’t know what murder charge he was talking about, but she couldn’t believe he left his more horrific crimes out.

  “Oh right, I almost forgot.”

  Spirits help me.

  Luna watched Bliss put a pair of cuffs around Loshket’s pincers. He handed the scorpaenidae off to her and she started walking towards the door. A breath she held for far too long finally escaped her lungs. Her hand reached for the doorknob before a pained sound caught her attention.

  “Nula.”

  Her heart dropped. Whipping around she caught sight of the beautiful blue woman standing between her and Bliss. She was a member of the zimyefa species, just like the fanboy Kelang. She stood about as tall as Bliss, incredibly short for a crime-lord.

  It almost looked like she and Lunai showed up matching to the same party. Her purple strapless dress went down to the space just above her ankles. A slit in its side showed a massive gun somehow resting comfortably on her leg.

  Lunai let go of Loshket. The muscle memory of an emergency alert lingered in her fingers. It was sent in a second. She then let a thin root travel across the floor towards Nula’s foot. Bliss’s wrist was bleeding and he was clutching at his neck. Lunai’s eyes moved down to the empty syringe in her hand.

  Nula yanked Bliss forward and he fell on the floor. He was slow getting back to his feet, just staring into Loshket’s eyes.

  “You sent her-a fucking sample?”

  As if things couldn’t get any worse, a perfect circle formed on the ceiling just above Loshket. It released to allow five of Nula’s armored soldiers into the penthouse.

  The stars looked down at them as the men surrounded Placebo. They quickly neutralized his tail and knocked him out with another sedative. He was tossed over to Nula who draped the huge body over her shoulder.

  “Kill the half-breed. I don’t care what you do with the walking weed.”

  Lunai’s root finally reached Nula’s heel. It wrapped around the shoe as she started to tug. The woman was sturdier than Lunai expected, simply looking down at the pathetic attempt to knock her over. She yanked her foot away and the root snapped as if it were a fragile string.

  The men went for Bliss first. He stumbled forward and fell right into the arms of one unlucky soldier. The glitching finally started. Bliss started to scream as the air around his body shuttered. A black void erupted around him like an open flame. The guard holding him vaporized immediately.

  Nula’s tongue clicked. “Incompetent. He’ll burn out eventually, don’t rush or I’ll have to take over.”

  The void raged on as Bliss became a white outline within its space. Lunai could tell he was grabbing at his head and pulling. Parts of him seemed to disconnect and be pulled right back. The soldiers steered clear of the area as they waited for him to burn out.

  Lunai extended her arm into a long branch and swung it towards a soldier. He barely caught it as she slowly pushed him closer to the void. A blade emerged from his hand that sliced up and through her arm. She pulled away and used her stored energy to heal the damage.

  Ions balanced. Energy stored. Damage repaired.

  Her breath hitched as she realized she finished the artificial plant’s sentence. It was simple and efficient. A more balanced command to her body than the usual praying she had to run in her mind for healing.

  Two soldiers flanked her with their fists raised. She refocused herself and caught their fists with her open palms. Her roots pierced their gloves and started making their way up their arms. The men screamed in pain as they tried to pull her off. She felt the blood of one of the men fighting back with a cold sting. Her roots slowed down as if frozen in place.

  The other soldier fell to the ground after she reached his reticular activating system. She tried to pull her roots from the man with ice for blood, but they refused to come back. He pushed her away and her arm snapped where it met his skin.

  She fell straight into a soldier standing behind her who hooked his hands under her arms and threw her into the wall. Bits of bark escaped from her body on impact. She turned back to him and found the three soldiers left in front of her.

  Her leg flew up and extended as much as possible towards the one with cold blood, pushing him forcefully to the opposite end of the room. The trunk held him in place as she caught two blades coming towards her in her hands. One man released the blade and pushed her body back towards the window.

  The pinned soldier was freed as Lunai’s upper body crashed through the window. She watched small pieces of herself fell outside bark chipping off and falling outside of the window. Pieces of her that were possibly lost forever.

  Tears started forming in her eyes as she wrapped her roots around the blades inside of her. She threw them back towards the soldiers who jumped back. She took the opportunity to rush towards Nula, roots prepared to dig into her weak and scaly skin with both of her arms.

  Nula grinned as the roots went in. Lunai met little resistance as she traveled through her arms. It felt like she was swimming downstream towards the brainstem.

  “You’ve seen better days, little weed. Let me help.”

  Lunai felt a rush of water up her arms. It felt nice at first, cooling her rapidly firing nerves and providing extra oxygen her body could use for energy. Her roots had a second coming as the energy flooded her veins, but the water didn’t stop there.

  Lunai realized what Nula was trying to do and started pulling her roots away. The fish woman grabbed Lunai’s arms and kept her close. While the way in was downstream, she met heavy resistance moving the other way. Nula’s blood actively thickened as she inched her way out.

  Her cells swelled with water as she was forced to absorb more than any plant could take. All at once, the units making up her arms exploded into a splash of water. Lunai fell backwards as she felt searing pain in her shoulder stumps. She weakly looked to her side and saw Bliss fall down next to her, the flaming void around him dissipating.

  “Finally!”

  Nula removed the gun hanging from her leg and took aim at the half-siren. It started powering up as Lunai’s eyes went wide. She used her legs to push herself up just as the ray of light left the gun.

  “NO!”

  Lunai did the one thing she knew how to do when Bliss was in danger. She jumped in front of him and took the attack head-on by herself. A massive hole was left in her chest and she fell onto her senior. As she started to black out, she saw movement coming from the soldier her roots knocked out.

  His body started to jiggle and stretch upward as his form expanded into a massive blob. He waddled over and looked down at Lunai.

  “I’m so sorry! I should’ve intervened sooner, but you did so well!”

  Sir Jelly extended his body into a dome that covered the heroes’ bodies. Nula walked up to him and poked his jelly skin. She tried punching it once, getting a silly giggle in response.

  “How long were you with us?”

  “I’ll never tell!” He continued to giggle as Lunai started bleeding out. “I guess you don’t run as tight a ship as you thought, Ms. Nula. Now I’d suggest you leave before the cavalry arrives; Ms. Entropi gets scary when Bliss is hurt!”

  Nula clicked her tongue once more and nodded at her remaining soldiers. They jumped through the hole in the roof with her following behind, Placebo still strung across her shoulder. Lunai heard the sound of a spaceship calibrating and flying off into space.

  Sir Jelly returned to his normal form and placed a hand on Lunai’s shoulder. “Hold on, Lunai! Dr. Crux will be here soon. You’ll make it. Just hold on.”

  The room around her started to blur as she continued to bleed. Even if she lived, parts of her precious body were floating as dust in the wind. She looked around the room to steady herself when she found a potted plant knocked on its side.

  You poor creature.

  The plant stared back at her. She started to feel an unbreakable energy coming from its leaves.

  Ions balanced. Energy stored. Damage.

  It was calling to her. Its endless energy cycles coursed through its stem. It had everything to give and it wanted to share with her. In that moment, they were one and the same no matter what the spirits said.

  She inched across the floor like a worm. Sir Jelly started talking to her, but all she could hear was the plant’s offer. A trail of green blood marked her struggle for a new connection. The plant laid by her side and she gently rested her head against one of its leaves.

  Ions balanced. Ions balanced. Energy stored. Energy stored. Damage repaired. Damage repaired.

  The bleeding stopped and the hole in her heart closed. The plant’s energy continued flowing through her without restraint. She closed her eyes and let exhaustion take her while she was no longer fighting for her life.

  They’ve been drinking my future like it’s corp-subsidized coffee. I’m about to make them choke on it.

  I’m Dash. My great-grandfather was one of the Fifteen who saved humanity during the System Apocalypse, founding the corps that rule the solar system. That legacy should’ve been mine. Until my father was disinherited and died, leaving us with nothing but a single building on Earth 2.0.

  My compatibility tested at 17%. Failure. While classmates advanced to System Academy, I got mining school, fighting bugs for drops. But the 17% compatibility score was a lie. A rival corp has been draining my power.

  When a broken System finally manifests, it grants me Hoqalo, a trait to forge gear better than anything factory-made. Now, armed with my tools and my corporate grandmother’s dangerous resources, I’m done fighting for scraps.

  They stole my future. I'm stealing it back with interest.

  | LitRPG | Cyberpunk | Magitech | Underdog | Book 1 Written |