Chương 117: 30 - SECOND ROUNDS

Vienna was trapped in a cycle of heavy breathing, looking up at T'balt.

"You have to help me get her back. Otherwise, I... I.."

"What's all this going on now?" Monan had woken from his nap due to all the loud noise. He walked out shirtless and yawning. Then his tired eyes caught sight of Vienna.

"Ay... if it ain't the commando bird. Where's your leash?" Vienna stared at him, her brain taking a moment to process. Then, when it did, it wasn't rage that came to her but confusion.

"Don't worry," T'balt tried to reassure.

"He's playing nice for now. We're keeping an eye on him, though." She shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. Tyene is all that matters. Please."

"Oh, this is the one that was with you before, the other Redeemer?" Uriel asked behind them.

"Yeah," T'balt answered. Uriel went to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you, number four. I'm Uriel Grace. Like I told T'balt, I apologize for the circumstances of our last meeting, and I hope to better acquaint you." Vienna snatched her hand away from Uriel's, eyes wide and even more confused.

"I don't care! Just stop and answer! Are you going to help get Lady Tyene back or not!?" Suddenly, Monan started laughing.

"You can't be serious with this shit. She's got both of you wrapped around her finger. Damn, T. I always knew you were an easy catch, but Uriel, I'm almost disappointed."

"What are you talking about?" asked T'balt, squinting. Vienna's eyes shot around the room, searching everyone's faces. Then her hand went for her gun.

"Whoa! Hold on! Calm down!" T'balt held his hands up, but the woman leaped away, pointing her gun at... herself. Uriel looked perplexed, and Monan just kept laughing. Everyone else in the room kept their distance, figuring this wasn't their place to speak.

"You have to help me! Or I'll reset all of you right now!" she yelled. Everyone stayed quiet for a moment until Monan walked up to her slowly. He bent over to meet her at eye level.

"Go ahead. I could use a good laugh." Vienna shoved the gun into her own neck, face nearly breaking with tension.

"I'll do it right now." T'balt stepped between them.

"Monan, back off. I thought you were being Mr. nice guy." He leaned back.

"What's nicer than letting a girl do what she wants?" T'balt looked to Vienna.

"I'll help you, okay. Just put the gun down and tell me what happened." After a moment, the tension in the room eased, and Vienna holstered the gun at her waist.

"Tyene went to speak with him. She went inside the Hunter's Club mansion, but she never came back out."

"Speak with Corlander? Why would she do that?"

"She thought she could convince him not to attack Graceland." Uriel chuckled to himself.

"I could've told you that wasn't going to work."

"She's inside, but I don't know where they're keeping her, or if they're hurting her or... they know my face, so I can't just go in and look for her. Please," she bowed her head.

"I don't rely on others, but Tyene said I should trust you." She was facing T'balt. He lifted her by the shoulder, never liking it when people bowed towards him.

"Don't worry. I'll help."

"You know you're a real stand-up guy, T. Mind if I piss on you too? Trust me, it's just rain." Monan said condescendingly, before walking up the stairs.

"Come on then."

"Where are you going?"

"To help the gingerbread bird. I'm side-kicking it up, remember." T'balt sighed. Monan was just relentless about tagging along. There didn't seem to be a point in fighting it. He looked at Uriel.

"I'm staying here," he smiled.

"Right. Can't raise a hand to Corlander. Well, Ellie, Cannon, Acelin. You guys are with me." They all followed at his command. Vienna bowed again.

"Thank you." T'balt told her not to worry, but as he did, he got a strange feeling about her. Like something was off, but he couldn't place what. They split off, with Vienna going to scout out the mansion while T'balt, Monan, and the others took a ride in the convertible far out of town. It was the middle of the day. The sun was bright, but the air outside was cool.

"Where we off to, boss?" Monan asked.

"Don't call me that," T'balt said. He was in the driver's seat. Monan sat passenger while the others were bunched up in the backseat. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Okay. Where we off to, fuckhead? That better?" He sighed.

"I figured the easiest way to get in and out of the Hunter's Club without a big fight is with the Wanderer loot."

"What's that do?" Acelin asked from the back.

"It's a teleporter. And based on my experience with it last life, if the user touches somebody, they teleport with them."

"Ahh," Cannon epiphanized.

"So your plan is to teleport wherever this Tyene is, grab her, and teleport out before anyone notices."

"Pretty much," T'balt answered.

"Not bad," Monan said.

"Someone's using their thinker."

"Don't patronize me. It isn't like the Wanderer will be easy. But at least I know somewhat how to fight it." It was likely going to be a bit more difficult this time since they didn't have German Casas with them. He was typically the glue that kept the fight even with his perception and telepathic communication. But he was confident he knew how the thing fought enough to predict it. Plus, they had Monan with them now. If he was going to force T'balt to use his help, he was going to throw him right at the thing.

They stopped at the road right off that long desert plain. T'balt got out of the car.

"Alright, everyone, listen up to the plan. We're gonna--" No one was listening.

"You know, you probably would've been right at home with the boys and me. You certainly got the build for it. What are you, 230?" Cannon told Monan as they both showed off their muscles in some sort of man-off.

"Nah. Not my sport. But I've seen a few wrestling matches recently." Monan said.

"Once you get past the whole sweaty, half-naked men situation, it ain't too bad." Cannon's smile went from ear to ear.

"So you must've seen one of my matches, right?"

"Yeah. One or two. What's the guy's name you were fighting... Big Body Braham. That's it. It was a decent fight, but you definitely outclassed the guy. As soon as I saw him, I thought he played a fine heel, but his stage presence could've used some work."

"That's exactly what I've been saying!" Cannon laughed loud enough to summon the Wander if he were anywhere around. T'balt squinted, wanting to growl like a rabid dog.

"Is everything alright?" Ellie asked. He tried to fix his face.

"Fine," he said, a little aggressively. She traded glances between him and Monan.

"I still don't understand why you hate him so much. He doesn't seem like such a bad guy."

"Yeah, but he is." He chewed on his lip as he spoke.

"Well, maybe think about it this way. So many people have lost friends and loved ones in this new world. That they regret not being able to make up with. Maybe it's time to think about forgiveness."

"Oh my god, Ellie, please stop talking... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just... no." He didn't care to stick around for her to try to make him feel guilty about hating a man who murdered him several times. He just wanted to get this whole thing over with.

"Everyone, listen to me, right now. We don't have time to lolligag. We have a fight on our hands, and if you don't listen to me, we're going to be in for a bad time." Everyone stopped, but they didn't necessarily listen because Monan took it upon himself to say,"Nah. Forget the plan. You lot stay in the car. I don't want the kid to get any brain damage, and you other two are too pretty to get those faces hurt. Me and T are gonna tag team this one, right buddy?"

"Wha--" Before he could even finish his sentence, Monan was already heading up the hill to their vantage point. T'balt was forced to chase after him as the others stayed back at the car.

"What are you talking about?" T'balt ran up behind him.

"You can't just take this thing on by ourselves. It's too strong for that."

"Dude. Chill. I've faced this thing before."

"And what happened then?"

"Well, it's a tough son of a bitch."

"That's supposed to reassure me?"

"Look. You overthink things a lot. We'll keep it simple. You're Batman. I'm Robin. You go in first, I'll be the backup."

"Go in first. How am I supposed to fight that thing by myself?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, since it'll be behind you in about two seconds."

"What?" T'balt twisted his body around, looking for the beast but only seeing open space. Then there was a loud gunshot right behind him. Monan had taken a couple of steps back and fired his pistol in the air.

"You idiot!" His words didn't make it to the air, over the overwhelming sound of thunder. It appeared above him, its giant lionlike form with its scaly skin covered in glowing purple marks. The same as before. It swiped down on him with its massive claws. T'balt flung himself away the millisecond he heard the thunder. The attack barely missed as he rolled down the hill. Quickly, he went into his pocket, fetching a reflex loot.

He equipped it just before the Wanderer appeared in front of him again, this time swinging low. He jumped over it, only able to back away. He was barely looted; any punch he threw at the thing wouldn't even tickle it as he was now. He wasn't prepared. He thought he would have more time. But as he dodged the beast's feral attacks, he peered at Monan, standing on top of that hill, laughing to himself.

"I knew it. It's another one of his backasswards attempts to get me killed," he gritted his teeth as he flashed through all the ways he was going to repay him for this, but he couldn't rely on his autopilot brain to dodge the Wanderer. It was too quick and too unpredictable, even with his reflex, since he couldn't see it when it teleported. He equipped a hardening loot, and one of its claws skidded across his arm instead of tearing it to pieces.

He fell further into the open plain, and the thing just started pummeling him with attacks. He knew the thing could pierce straight through the hardening if it hit him directly, so he focused his reflex on redirection and deflection. But he couldn't keep up. The thing was fast and strong, each attack causing the air to shockwave even when it missed. It knew it had him on the back foot, not even bothering to teleport to overwhelm him. He had to think of something. A third loot.

Something strong enough to give him the advantage. But it was his last equip, so it also had to be strong enough to kill it. Did he even have anything like that on him? Did something that could match this beast's power level in one loot even exist? There was a sharp whistle from atop the hill.

"Let's go, T! Give him hell!" Monan was cheering.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Both T'balt and the Wanderer stopped, staring at the man with the same confusion. The beast's massive frame recognized the noise, not as hostile but as something worth noting, staring with that same curiosity as before. But then it disappeared and reappeared right behind Monan.

"Oh," was all the man could say before it snatched him and teleported away.

"That idiot!" T'balt scanned around, searching for where the thing might've taken him. And then a second later, a bright light appeared in the sky. And it got bigger and bigger... until it matched the size and brightness of the sun itself. And the shockwave of the explosion blew T'balt to his back. When he recovered, T'balt closed his eyes, expecting to see the game-over screen when he opened them. But it didn't appear. And then a few more seconds passed, and he realized....

"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Monan walked up to him from somewhere in that stark desert. He was waving, and he was completely nude, skin as fresh as a newborn's.

"Looks like we did it, brother." He patted T'balt on the shoulder.

"You used my self-destruct second chance trick." T'balt felt defeated, even as Monan put the Wanderer's loot into his hand.

"A strategy used to kill the great Monan Ryker needs a better name than that. Work on it," he said.

"By the way, you don't need me for the rest of the plan, right. Dying is exhausting work. And it'd be a little weird if I walked around with my nuts out and all."