Dark Dayz: VR Dawn (Chapter 33)

BIT 33: HACKS

     

Even with the picked lock, the door didn’t budge. Zimea pushed her shoulder against the wooden barrier and shoved. She grunted, and braced her feet, but it moved only a smidge. 

    With that, she sighed and threw her hands in the air. “Can’t get this stupid thing open!”

    I climbed the stairs, but she blocked my path. “Let me try.”

    The Sniper shoved a finger to my chest. “You think you’re stronger than me? The door will not open!”

    I tried to duck under her.

    She lowered her arm, blocking me yet again. “I don’t think you can. Let’s find another way.”

    Orion grimaced, a suspicious look in his eyes. “Just let him try.”

    “You stay out of this!”

    “What a bitch,” Joker muttered.

    “I heard that!” Zimea turned on the Necromancer, giving me the moment to duck her arm and step to the door. 

    Zimea grabbed my wrist and pulled, but I yanked my hand free. “Just let me.”

    “Stubborn jackass!”

    “Takes one to know one.” I braced myself against the door, turned the handle and shoved.

    The door flung inward, and I stumbled. I slammed into the end of a long wooden table, covered in bloody white tablecloths. I grumbled, righting myself. Four tables stood around the room, each holding the same grotesque scene. Lining up between each of the tables were black cauldrons. Fires lit underneath brought the red liquid within to a boil. From the stench of death, it had to be blood.

    Zimea, and the siblings joined me in the room.

    Orion crossed his arms and glared at Zimea. “Jammed door, huh?”

    She raised her hands. “I must’ve loosened it for him. I swear I couldn’t open it.”

    Something seemed off—As if it hadn't jammed, but maybe I didn’t know my own virtual strength.

    I used Avenger to move a tablecloth with a lump under it. My stomach turned as I found an ear. “So, where are we?”

    “The kitchen, duh!” Zimea put a hand on her hip. “Such keen observation skills.”

    “I figured as much—How much farther? Which way out of here? There are three doors.” I pointed to three separate wooden portals.

    “The one at the end, I’m thinking.” Zimea shrugged.

    “Where are the chefs, though?” I scratched my chin. “There’s boiling blood and bones here, but no one is supervising?”

    As if to answer my question, the side doors opened and three people emerged. They dressed in black robes, with white, red stained aprons. One had a tall hat while the others each had smaller ones. In their hands, they held butcher knives.

    “You had to ask.” Joker sighed. “Never give the game ideas!”

    “You can’t blame this on me!” I held Avenger ready and lifted my shield.

    “Guys, enough arguing.” Orion took a step back. “They’re coming!”

    The chefs spread out, two on either side of the table, and two in the center.

    “I got the ones in the middle.” I nodded. “Zimea, cover Orion, and Joker have a field day!”

    “Gotcha!” Joker grinned wide, waving a wand in front of her. Gusts of wind formed small tornadoes that crackled with electricity.

    The Lv11 Vampire Chef with the tallest hat pulled back his arm and hurled the butcher knife. I snapped my shield up, and the projectile dinged away. When I lowered it, the two enemies had closed the gap. Each slashed at me. I blocked one attack, but the other raked claws along my side, taking a small chunk of hit points with it.

    I clenched my jaw and attacked with Lightning Jab. Both vampire chefs dodged to opposite sides, leaving me vulnerable. Two slashes cut away more hit points, losing me a third.

    I jumped and landed on the rim of the cauldron; both came for me. I flipped over their heads, landing behind them. My shield slam left one tumbling past the pot while I kicked the other in the back. It doubled over the cauldron, and I shoved its head into the boiling blood. Its HP bar shook as it drained to a tenth. I pulled its head back out, finding melting flesh dripping into globs. With every ounce of strength I slammed its skull into the rim, and its head shattered, leaving red shards flying.

    As thunderous booms came from my right, the Vampire Head Chef turned to face me. It straightened its hat and charged, leaping over my head, but I backed up, leaving it facing away from me and slashing empty air. 

    “Huzzah!” I Lightning Jabbed it in the kidney. Its HP dropped to a sliver. I finished it with a basic slash.

    Red light shattered behind me as I turned. Joker pushed the Vampire Chefs, unleashing mini-tornadoes to send them flying. On the opposite side, Orion tossed Holy Orbs, while Zimea unleashed fiery blasts from Lillian’s Crucifiers, leaving burning holes in her two opponents. None of the Vampires got closer to their targets.

    They couldn't have all the fun. I jumped on the table by Joker, kicking and sending a candlestick slapping against the face of a Chef. It snapped its head in my direction and came on, fangs bared.

    I grinned. “Oops, did I do that?”

    The undead flew at me, but I brought my shield under it, shoving up and sending it flying. It crashed onto a table, dragging the cloth away and getting tangled.

    I jumped across and found the Vampire Chef still struggling to get free. Into the air, I leaped and dropped with a Star Cleave, killing it before it escaped its bindings. This left me behind the Vampires fighting Orion and Zimea. I struck with a Lightning Jab, but the Chef shattered before my blade hit and as the other turned to regard me, its head exploded. It collapsed and vanished.

    Joker’s Vampire Chef tried to get across the tornadoes but kept bouncing back. The Necromancer giggled as she tortured the creature. With the bang of Zimea’s gun, the last of its hit points vanished, and it died.

    The twisters dropped, and Joker glared. “I was having fun!”

    “We don’t have time for fun.” Zimea shook her head.

    Joker tried to respond, but I lifted my hand. “She’s right. We have to hurry!”

    “Fine.” Joker scowled.

    With that done, we ran to the far end of the room. Zimea moved for the door, but I stopped her. “I got this one!”

    “Jerk,” Zimea muttered.

    I pulled open the door with ease, and we rushed into the next hallway. To our right stood the humongous drawbridge, raised to its greatest height. Outside were two Vampire Sentinels at a high level, so we were lucky.

    To our left, the hall ran on to a wide flight of stone stairs. Doors stood on both sides of the corridor.

    I glanced between them. “Where do those doors lead?”

    “It doesn’t matter!” Zimea smacked my arm. “We need to get to Lord Kilo’s throne room. Let's hope we don’t run into Pan.”

    I furrowed my brow. “We have to find Pan. He has our Holy Crossbow.”

    “Oh, yeah!” She glanced away. “How stupid of me.”

    I waved the party along, and we ran for the stairs. 

    Violet circles of light appeared on the ground a dozen yards ahead, and the four of us stopped. Stark white skulls rose from the cracking floor, pulling themselves out of their magical graves.

    “No!” I gasped.

    “Again?” Orion groaned.

    Joker pursed her lips. “I have no puns for this one.”

    Zimea stayed silent. I glanced over, and she had her jaw set, her eyes focused on the skeletons rising before us.

    The undead stood, wielding scimitars. Their bones cracked as they took a few steps forward.

    “You’re just gonna mess with us?” I spun in a circle. “Screw your Skeletons! Come out and face us!”

    The Summoned Skeletons came closer, but stopped and dissolved into thin air. Stepping from behind the side columns, came Clarissa X and Keffex, the two PKers from the Church of the Hunted Moon.

    The beautiful War Priestess giggled. Her mace hung at her side, and her shield remained strapped. She undid the clasp on her white robe, and it fell to the ground revealing her shining white armor. The necromantic counterpart left his black robes on and stared with burning eyes.

    “Don’t get close to the Priestess.” I brandished Avenger and glanced to my friends.

    “Why ever not?” Clarissa X cracked her neck.

    “You’re not looking for a fight?”

    Clarissa X grinned ear to ear. “We gave you one warning to stop, but you didn’t listen. So, we aren’t looking to fight. We want to slaughter.”

    “You won’t beat us again!” I gritted my teeth. “We know your tricks!”

    “Do you hear?” Keffex chuckled. “They know our tricks! They think they can beat us.”

    “You won’t have a traitorous Beta here to save you this time.” Clarissa X scoffed. “Or you’re little Assassin friend, Pan.”

    “He isn’t our friend!” Zimea slashed the air with her gun. “Let's we get this over with, already!”

    “You’re taking the fun out this,” Keffex muttered. “We had a motto and everything prepared to recite.”

    “We don’t give a damn about any mottos.” Orion stepped forward holding up his fist.

    “What about an evil monologue?” Clarissa X gave a toothy grin. “You do-gooders want one of those? They always want those, don’t they Keffex?”

    Her boyfriend snorted. “Of course, they do!”

    My throat tightened as I wanted to throw every curse word in the book at them, but I bit back my anger and brandished my sword.

    “The Blader is ready to die, it seems.” Clarissa X drew her heavy-looking mace and shield.

    Keffex held forth a wand. “Are the rest of you going to follow such a quick path to death?”

    “Don’t worry!” Clarissa waved her hand. “I won't kill the Blader first. He gets to die last—After watching these pathetic losers writhe in pain until their final hit points vanish.”

    “Never!” I shouted. “You won’t kill any of us!”

    “So cute.” Keffex laughed. “He believes that!”

    Clarissa X came running at me as I shouted, “Spread out!”

    Joker and Zimea ran around the sides, and Orion formed a Holy Shield. I stepped into the light just as the Priestess stomped her foot, and the Divine Radius burst out around her. The Holy Shield blocked the attack. She had executed her ability, and now it had to recharge. The time had to come to strike.

    I Hell Charged the woman. She lifted her shield, eyes wide. I met her block with a shield bash, sending her arm high, then lightning jabbed her side. She growled, taking the hit and jumped away.

    I stifled a laugh. “You won’t win this time. We’re ready!”

    “No. You’re. Not!” Keffex hissed through his teeth.

    As Zimea’s bullets rained upon him, I gave chase, holding my sword out to the side. He whispered something and Skeleton hands burst from the floor and seized my ankles.

    “Damn you!” I spat.

    He threw Firebombs from each hand, striking Zimea and Joker. Both girls flew back, screaming. Clarissa X charged at Orion. The Shield couldn't block a player. She stepped through and swung her mace, striking his jaw. He too got knocked back, taking a massive hit to his HP.

    My friends needed me—I couldn't afford to get pinned.

    I hacked at the hands holding me in place, and snapped the cracked fingers of one, breaking away. I stomped on the other and freed myself. Hell Charge became available, and I used it, facing Clarissa X. She turned ready to block, but I leaped, activating Star Cleave for a combo attack.

    Her eyes widened as I crashed into her shield. Shards of metal exploded everywhere as it shattered. I continued my blade into her shoulder, forcing her to the floor.

    I kneeled atop her. “Give up this game! You can’t and won’t defeat us this time!”

    “You’ve already lost!” She laughed.

    I pressed my sword against her throat. “Don’t make me kill you.”

    “You won’t do that, now will you?” Keffex called.

    I glanced back, and my heart became as heavy as lead. He had a dagger drawn and held it to Joker’s throat.

    I swallowed hard. “Let her go!”

    “I could say the same.” Keffex narrowed his eyes and brought the dagger closer. Joker’s HP dropped a few points.

    I looked back to Clarissa X, who grinned. “You see. You can’t win this fight. Beta’s are the master race!”

    I jumped back when the War Priestess stood, wiping dust from her clothes.

    “Now drop your sword.” She gave a wicked smile. “Or your Necromancer bitch gets it.”

    I shook my head hard. “You expect me to sit back and just die?”

    “Yes.”

    Joker’s eyes pleaded. She didn’t want me to give in to the PKers, but what else could I do?

    I opened my hands and released Avenger and Morpher. Both made clattering echoes.

    “You too, Sniper.” Keffex pointed his wand.

    Zimea narrowed her eyes and Keffex let Joker’s HP drain more, as he glared. “Do it!”

    “I refuse!” Zimea turned, firing her gun at something behind me. The great chains snapped into the ceiling, and the drawbridge crashed open, slamming with a thunderous explosion. Moonlight shone in, and the crescent moon symbol on my health bar changed to a full moon.

    I felt the change coming—an itching in my blood; one I could never scratch. My snout extended, and fangs replaced my canines. The Necromancer PKer’s eyes widened, and he dropped the dagger, backing away. He shoved Joker, and she fell to her knees.

    I threw my clawed hands out to the sides. “You aren’t getting away again, you son of a bitch!”