POV: Henry.

  The sky was clear and cloudless. Vast swathes of vibrant blues covering everything in sight until the edges of the horizon.

  Up above, the sun was shining. Like a grand diamond at the center of a mantlepiece.

  The rays warmed all the people passing by as well as the cobblestones beneath them. Stopping just shy of being uncomfortable or sweltering.

  Whatever method the locals in this make-believe place used to clear away sewage was clearly working as well, since the only odor one could notice were those of the flowerpots and gardens the people here kept.

  It was the kind of day that might make a person leap out of their depression. The kind of day where couples fell in love and children welcomed new puppies into their lives.

  Too bad all the corpses ruined the effect.

  “Henry, I’m scared.” Cass whispered to me.

  “I know. I’m scared too.”

  She nudged my shoulder.

  “You’re supposed to tell me that everything is going to be all right!” She hissed into my ear. Voice tinged with panic.

  “You’re a mind-reader.” I reminded her. “You’d know I was lying.”

  We edged away from a nearby lamppost then. Moving to the right as a gaggle of orcs or whatever they were used ladders to bring down a couple of bodies.

  One of them was a gnome. A real gnome. With strangulation marks around his throat and both legs missing.

  The other was a human. Though not one I recognized.

  He was male, with black hair and a slightly tanned skin tone. His face suggested an Asian descent and his clothes re-enforced that idea. They were heavy, treated furs that reminded me of the native populations of eastern Russia or Mongolia. Good clothes for riding or keeping the cold away.

  I wasn’t too caught up with my histories but I could make a few educated guesses. Maybe someone from the Silk Road? Or an actual Mongol raider?

  “Subutai.” The short red-headed woman beside us said. “His name is Subutai and he’s a dumb mook for having been caught so easily. I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack off in training from now on.”

  “He couldn’t have known.” I whispered back.

  “Yes he could have. We all knew Boss Sully. We all know the gnomes too. I’ve done my fair share of… uh… enthusiastic questioning. He should’ve slit his own throat the second he was about to be caught. Would’ve been quick at least.”

  “(Sully)ing (Sully) Gina.” Cass sighed.

  “What? You’re gonna tell me I’m wrong? After seeing this? Girly you’re lucky to have gotten away the first time. I’d bet my papa’s favourite shotgun you’d be begging for death after a few minutes.”

  “Enough.” I hissed at both of them. “We’ve got to get a move on. I don’t like being exposed.”

  Gina laughed.

  “You’re always exposed ya mook. Boss Sully has no limit to his magic thingy. As long as we’re in the same dimension, we’re all (Gnome)ed.”

  “Then why haven’t you slit your own throat then?”

  “Ah. Is that resentment I smell girly? Not used to minds being blocked off? Not used to high-levels?”

  “Answer the question.” Cass demanded.

  “Simple. I like money. It’s a family thing. You might call it an addiction. Death is out of the question so I figured I might as well save up while I can. Boss Sully had his own stash confiscated by the Tutorial feds ya see. So, he and his girl will be needing someone with lots of spare cash laying around after this game ends if they wanna buy anything. As it happens, I’m in the market to score brownie points with the boss. So, it all works out. I get lots and lots o’ cash with no downsides. All fer just standing around herding dumb sheeple like you.”

  “So you’re not worried about being caught?”

  “Oh! I’m terrified! Anyone who isn’t is either brain-dead or doesn’t know boss Sully all that well. Thing is. I’m prepared for the worst. Ya could say I’m good with my hands. I cooked up a nifty trick to get me and my friends out of sticky situations. See that pharmacy over there?”

  We both looked in the direction she was pointing. Noting the shattered windows.

  “Took all the stuff that weren’t nailed down. Then I took the nailed stuff too. Got myself a nice big suicide pill in my mouth. Just crack a tooth and off I go!”

  She chuckled to herself.

  “So I can get rich without worrying about being caught by the boss.”

  I thought about it for second. Really considering the things I’d seen Sully doing to the others he’d caught, as well as all of Cherub’s ranting back when Pat made her move.

  “Are gnomes really that bad? I mean, bad enough that Sully hates them this much?”

  Gina barked out a laugh.

  “Buddy, I don’t blame the boss one bit. In fact, I’m sorta proud of him. Were I in is shoes, you’d better believe that disappearing gnomes would be my top priority too. Maybe I wouldn’t enjoy it quite as much as the boss does, but I’d still get a chuckle or three out of business.”

  She paused to stare longingly into the air.

  “I mean, I’m more of a concrete shoes kinda gal. All things considered. Ya can’t whack folks by strangulation too much or the fuzz will start to get a whiff of ya. Hand prints and all that jazz. I appreciate the personal touch but ya gotta be professional. Gotta keep things nice and quiet ya know? The most we ever did was crucifixion and only once or twice a year. Ah, but those were special occasions.”

  Gina paused with a glimmer in her eyes.

  “Tooty the rat was my first. Why, I still remember how he…”

  “Okay! Can we please stop talking about killing people!?” I butt in.

  Gina turned to me.

  “Why? You a cop?”

  “No.”

  “Fed?”

  “No.”

  “Rat?”

  “No!”

  “Then why do ya care Mr. handsome?”

  “Cause I don’t like to hear about killing people!”

  Gina rolled her eyes.

  “Oh please. You’re telling me that sugar-(Gnome) over there wrapped around your arm never killed anyone? After all that time doing leg work for the feds? Am I supposed to believe she never once took some poor mook out for a nice little stroll in the woods?”

  “Of course not!”

  Cass coughed into her hand.

  I flinched and slowly turned to her.

  She gave me a sad, pleading look.

  “Henry. Baby. I… I love you. But there are times when all of us have to do hard things. Being a hero back home, it was simple if you were an Enhancer or a Projector. Being a Telepath… they expected more of us. Untraceable operations and all. I… I didn’t want to do it, but I wanted to live and I had a family. Parents and grandparents. They didn’t talk to me much, after I got my powers. But I still loved them. Bad things would have happened to them if I said no.”

  She bit her lips.

  “Sometimes there are dissidents. Most people don’t listen to them, but some do. And there are… were… a few that had large audiences in some podcast or radio show or something. I… just let it drop. I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”

  Gina burst out laughing.

  “That’s what they always say! Oh it was just an accident Mr. judge! He just slipped and fell into my knife head first! Why! I didn’t even know there was a big tub of acid in that shed! I swear! Would someone with this lovely face and sugar-(Gnome) lie?”

  Cass gave her a withering look.

  “Okay okay. I’ll be the bigger person. I give. Let’s just get a move on.”

  “Why are you even helping us?” I asked out of the blue. “I’m not a mind-reader but I get the feeling that charity isn’t exactly up your alley.”

  Gina raised one of her eyebrows.

  “Good catch Mr. Handsome. No. I am not one for charity work. Not unless family is involved.”

  She gave me another assessing look. Her freckled face never giving anything away.

  “I guess you could say I’m making an investment.”

  “How so?” Cass asked.

  “Simple sugar-(Gnome). This version of boss Sully is a fake. He’ll be done for after the event. But the real boss Sully will still be out there waiting for us and I’m planning to move up in the world.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Move up?” I asked in confusion.

  “Yeah. I’ve had to walk on my tippie-toes for a while. Since boss Sully ain’t exactly what you’d call forgiving. Now, that’s not a bad thing mind you. He’s got boss material written all over him. But the problem is he thinks he’s a choirboy deep down. Deluded himself into thinking he’s not a bigger monster than the gnomes he’s nailing to crosses or setting on fire for (Gnome)s and giggles. Despite being the kinda guy my papa would be proud of deep down. Ya get what I’m saying? I can’t be myself around him, cause he might get upset and whack me. Or worse.”

  She didn’t elaborate further, but her eyes went to yet another lamppost where three actual gnomes had been crucified with wooden boards.

  None of the bodies had any teeth left.

  Or eyes.

  “So ya see, I’m a bit nervous. But that will all change when I tell the boss I rescued you two mooks from Nega-Sully. I’m sure of it. Boss Sully never forgets a debt. Never. That’s another part of him that makes him prime family material.”

  I silently wondered what my best friend would think if he knew people like Gina were giving such backhanded compliments.

  ‘Not that she thinks about it as backhanded. She probably means it as altogether praise.’

  “Here.” Gina said. Giving each of us a little packet.

  “Are these?”

  “Suicide pills.” She clarified. “Nothing fancy, since I couldn’t get my little hands on some proper cyanide, but it should do the job. (Gnome), ya might even get a kick out of it!”

  “Why would we get a kick out of it?” Cass asked.

  “Cause I had to work with what I had and what I had was rat poison and opioids. Lots and lots of opioids.”

  Cass made a face.

  I didn’t.

  Sure, it wasn’t the most attractive prospect. Compared to capture though…

  “Thank you Gina. I’ll make sure Sully hears of how much you helped us.” I paused for a moment. “And if there’s anything I can personally do for you in the future, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  Gina’s face beamed with a smile so innocent that no judge would ever believe the amount of blood she had on her hands.

  “That’s the spirit Mr. Handsome! See sugar-(Gnome)? Someone gets how this works. Now you can rest easy knowing the brats ya pop out will be smart as well as pretty!”

  Cass blushed. Then reddened further. Looking as if she were about to blow.

  I held her back with a firm hand.

  “It’s only natural to repay the goodwill someone shows you.” I spoke. Keeping my voice as even as possible.

  “If not, then no one would show anyone else any goodwill in the future. Debts must be repaid. It’s the mark of a good friend.”

  “And I’ll be yer best friend in whole world, so long as you keep those truths close to yer heart.”

  I nodded. Knowing damn well she could read my mind since she had three Types.

  I knew that those pills came with heavy, heavy debts.

  I also knew Gina here could have taken most old-world heroes with a hand tied behind her back and the gap between us was only going to get larger.

  There was nothing I could do for her outside of using Sully as a crutch. While there was nothing she could do for me unless we met in some kind of System event. For now.

  The Tutorial would end. Principal Banerid had assured us of that much.

  After that, me and all the tens of thousands of people in Novice difficulty would have to contend with people like Gina. Better to have a working relationship now, rather than later, when everyone else would be searching for high-levelled friends.

  We kept walking for minutes after that. Passing more and more bodies nailed to the walls of buildings or ripped to pieces and scattered along the ground.

  Some were Students, like myself. Some were actual gnomes that had been unfortunate enough to cross my best friend.

  Some bore the telltale strangulation marks of a gleeful, sadistic Sully. While others bore long curved scars that left deep lacerations along bellies and throats. As if animals had clawed them open.

  “I guess your friend is making use of his new Shifter powers.” Cass commented as we walked.

  “No kidding.” I answered. Doing my best to keep my eyes away from the wretches.

  ‘It’s all trauma. Sully wouldn’t do this unless the gnomes had messed him up first. They’re the ones to blame. Yes. That’s right. That’s why the System made Nega-Sully see us as gnomes. Sully didn’t touch any of the natives that weren’t gnomes. He’s still the Sully I knew. He hasn’t changed much. He’s just been surrounded by bad people. He just needs a friend.’

  Things would be better when I talked to him again.

  Things would go back to the way they used to be.

  “Extra! Extra!” A voice called from the side. “Sunnyside Strangler goes on murderous rampage across the city! Thousands dead! Suicide rates spike around industrial district! Hundreds kill themselves by jumping from Lover’s Leap! Read all about it!”

  Gina tossed the paperboy a coin and grabbed herself a copy of the newspaper.

  “Where did you get local money?” Cass asked.

  “Robbed a bunch of stores after the pharmacy. They’re not real so they won’t be missing anything. Now pipe down. I’m trying to read.”

  She flipped through it as we walked.

  “Tch!” She intoned. Sounding annoyed. “This isn’t good.”

  “Yeah. No (Sully).” Cass bit back.

  “Not that, sugar-(Gnome). The numbers aren’t adding up.”

  That caught my attention.

  “How do you mean?”

  Gina shrugged.

  “Yer not the only one who went to Uni Mr. Handsome. I studied law. With a couple courses in journalism and statistics. Papa thought it was the best use of my brains. The best way I could help out the family business. This…”

  She flicked a finger at the paper in her hands.

  “Doesn’t add up. Not the suicides. That part checks out. Anyone from our difficulty would either be killing themselves or helping people from other difficulties to kill themselves as an act of mercy. The other guys in other difficulties wouldn’t know the danger they were in, so they wouldn’t add towards the count by themselves. If we extrapolate based on the people I know, we should stop seeing suicides or at least see a marked drop in numbers. Maybe one or two per day for as long as we stay here. It’s also good that the places people kill themselves in are listed. Gives us options in case the pills don’t work.”

  Cass’ head whirled in her direction.

  “What do you mean if they don’t work?”

  Gina shrugged her shoulders.

  “What do ya want from me!? I was improvising! I’m pretty sure they’ll work but ya never know with powers being involved. They didn’t have them back home. I got Enhancer, Shifter and Telepath. The last one won’t help for nothing, but I still got two fully levelled Types at 50. Either of which could make the happy bombs I made not so happy. Either through natural resilience from things like [Enhanced Constitution] or maybe even [Regeneration].”

  She paused to sigh.

  “(Gnome) I even have points in [Neurotoxin Resistance], [Cytotoxin Resistance], and [Enterotoxin Resistance] from the Enhancer side. That and I turned generalist with my Shifter side. Following Boris’ advice. I mean, I’m pretty sure the pills’l kill ya. But I’m not sure they’ll kill me. Might just give me a stomach-ache.”

  “Then why bother?”

  “Cause it’s better than nothing ya dumb broad! That and I needed a favor to sell Mr. Handsome over here.”

  “You scammed us!”

  “I did no such thing sugar-(Gnome)! I may not be licensed but I’m a better pharmacist than most of the pill-pushers in New York! Those pills are genuinely the best I could do on short notice and you have my word of honor they’ll be enough to kill a bull three times over! The problem is that I might be built better than a bull. How was I supposed to know being tough would be a problem?”

  “Never mind that.” I cut in. “What were you saying about the numbers?”

  “Right. So, see this here? Thousands dead?” She tapped the headline, then moved a small finger down towards the blocks of text underneath.

  “Total count is somewhere around three and a half thousand. Which means it isn’t even a third of the population in Novice difficulty. As far as I know from asking Peachy and Mr. Orphan Maker, Intermediate and Adept are both gonna have lots more people than our own difficulty. With Master only having one or two survivors, if they have any survivors at all. That means that boss Sully left a good portion of the people alive. Which isn’t like him if he thinks he’d dealing with gnomes.”

  She paused for a second. Seemingly lost in thought.

  “That, or they haven’t found the bodies yet for some reason.”

  I shuddered at the thought.

  “Let’s get a move on.” I told the both of them. “I want to meet this group of survivors you were talking about. Maybe we can figure something out.”

  Gina looked apologetic at that.

  “Ya know, I only mentioned the bunch o’ losers as a gathering place to talk and kill time until boss Sully comes to kill us. I don’t actually think they stand a chance. Even with all of us put together. Boss Sully is just that kind o’ freak.”

  “Even so.” I insisted. “We have to try.”

  The Vulgar Unicorn was an odd building.

  A mix of stereotypical western tavern and modern dive bar. Built out of old, crumbling wooden planks and salvaged ship parts. With visible slapdash repair jobs dotting its storefront.

  The sign was faded and barely hanging from the post outside. To the point where the letters were barely visible. Even to my Enhanced eyesight.

  My first thought upon entering was:

  ‘Sweet baby buddha! Someone took a (Cherub) on the floor and let it sit there for months!’

  The stench assaulting me like a runaway ice-cream truck before taking my money and giving me a wedgie.

  My second thought was that this place was filled with the kind of people who would show up on a ‘Scared Straight’ program. Tattoos and broken, rotted teeth being as omnipresent as body odor.

  One of the patrons, for lack of a better word, close to the door assessed the three of us as soon as we came in. His one remaining eye moving from our faces to our clothes and from there, to our hips. The place where all other patrons had knives or spiked clubs.

  He smiled and moved to rise. His big green muscles bulging like balloons as the smells radiating from his armpits threatened to knock me out right then and there.

  “I guess we got three new escorts in the neighbourhood. Good. I was getting tired of the usual cheeks. Tell me, pretty boy. What’s you usual fee?”

  He drew his lips back. Exposing rows upon rows of jagged, blackened teeth.

  “And is there any chance of a discount for handsome boys like myself?”

  “Back off.” Gina growled at once. Stepping between us with practiced motions. “Or the local eunuchs will be snickering behind yer back after I’m through with ya.”

  The big lug laughed. So did the other behind him.

  “Feisty one! I like it! Been a while since I had three at once!”

  His gaze turned pitying.

  “Don’t ya worry lassie. I’m the gentlest lad around.”

  Gina disappeared. Just like Cass did when she used [Hide].

  She appeared a half second later. Holding a leaking pouch. A manic, impish grin plastered on her freckled face.

  The orc was screaming.

  Then her knife flashed and the screaming stopped.

  She spat on him and turned to the others.

  “Anyone else feel like saying something?”

  The barkeep, an ogre of some kind, snorted.

  “Ya kill them, ya clean them. House rules. Take the body outside and pay me whatever he’s got in his pockets. Compensation for the ruckus.”

  Gina’s smile softened.

  “Ah. Finally. Some good business sense. I feel like I’m back home already.”

  She obliged him.

  Grabbing the orc by an arm and dragging him outside with ease.

  When she came back, she flicked five coins at the barkeep.

  He narrowed his eyes.

  “There’s no way that oaf had this much on him.”

  “Yer right my good man. Consider it a tip fer being such an upstanding citizen.” She paused to wink. “And a good friend.”

  He nodded and took in the coins.

  “Are you pretty folks with the lot downstairs?”

  “We are.”

  “Great. Move along before ye end up stabbing more of me dumber customers.”

  Gina practically whistled her way down to the basement. Me and Cass following in tow.

  “That was (Sully)ed up.” Cass said as soon as the hatch was closed behind us.

  “Oh don’t get yer panties in a knot sugar-(Gnome). We both know you’ve done worse.”

  Cass scowled.

  “Whatever I did, I did because I had no choice. I never enjoyed it.”

  “Boo-(Gnome)ing-hoo sugar-(Gnome). Go back up there and cry me a river over the big green slob’s corpse. I’m sure the flies could use the company.”

  Cass gave her another withering stare, but kept her silence.

  Another few steps saw us reaching a large square room. With candles lining up the walls so as to provide a modicum of illumination.

  Despite that, most of the light came from some kind of Projector ability. [Photon Wall] if I had to guess. Someone had used it on the ceiling and the resulting shine was more than enough to mimic modern-day lightbulbs.

  There were roughly fifty or so people gathered there. Their faces and clothes making each one seem like a character out of an old-timey time-travel movie.

  I saw a guy dressed like a roman soldier. A woman dressed in a waistcloth that left her chest bare. Two men that looked like stereotypical pirates, right down to the wooden peglegs each one had attached to a stump.

  Then there was the guy dressed all in furs with deep blue paint covering his face. The young girl in a polka-dot dress with the old-timey gun. The older woman in riding leathers and a six-shooter strapped to her hip. The half-naked tribal dude with shark-teeth for earrings. The old man with decorated robes and a cane. The suited-up business woman who seemed to be trying very hard to avoid making eye contact and the tanned short guy in white shorts and a white buttoned up shirt.

  All of them a slice of whatever world they had come from.

  “Hey there friends.” The tanned guy said standing up. His face donning the most genuine, most disarming smile I had ever seen in my life.

  “My name is Lalo Buddyfriend. I’m a gnome just like you! I hope we can get along!”

  “Uh. Okay?” I shook his hand. My brain itching a little as I did so. Almost as if there was something glaringly obvious that I couldn’t see. That was being kept from me.

  The man in front of me smiled even wider and the feeling went away. Indeed, I couldn’t even recall the exact nature of the feeling now. Nor why it had come in the first place.

  ‘Wait. What feeling? Oh. It probably wasn’t important.’

  “Nice to meet ya Lalo.” Gina spoke, offering her own hand. “Always nice to see a new face.”

  “The feeling is mutual.” He assured her as he shook her hand. “I love having gnomes like you close by. In tight, confined spaces.”