I changed my mind and swung back to Garvek, putting him between me and the others. "Garvek? They'll kill me. I can't help you if I'm dead."
Garvek tried to grab me. "Come now, it's only a bit of exercise. Without pain, there is no gain."
I twisted out of his reach, but that exposed me to the others.
Staccato darted in for a strike. I leaped high, crawled several feet up the wall, then dove for the ground again at an angle to evade him.
A cannonball crashed into the ground, inches from where I had landed.
Fuck! I scrambled away.
The door! Zoe's tone was urgent but calm, back to her usual self.
Door?
Phase Shift through the door.
I should have thought of that earlier. I ran towards the training room's large door, Cody hot on my heels. I jumped straight for the door and Phase Shifted, half-expecting to be blocked.
My body passed through, and I emerged in the huge tunnel-like corridor on the other side. I also had the satisfaction of a loud thump behind me, followed by angry cries.
Run, Dustin, run!
Where?
Anywhere but here.
The training room's door started lifting. I ran.
At first, I simply sprinted down the corridors, taking turns at random.
Staccato suddenly appeared in front of me, slashing downward with his forearms.
Right!
I followed Zoe's directions, turning into another tunnel. The endless tunnels all looked the same to me, with no landmarks or identifying features as far as I could tell. But Zoe seemed to be memorizing more and more of the layout.
Take the one sloping downward.
The tunnel split up into two up ahead, one going up, the other down. I went down.
Where are we going?
Towards the center of the airbase.
Center? If we want to get out of here, shouldn't we go towards the edges?
We're floating miles above the Earth. We can't escape on our own. And weren't we going to play with Garvek?
That had been before I had two bloodthirsty Beastmasters on my tail. What's the plan, then?
We'll eventually need to sabotage the main power source, find a communication room, or pursue another plan. All of which are more likely to be in the safer core of the airbase.
A mass of gray came barreling down a side tunnel, interrupting us. I leaped over Cody's cannonball. They had to be tracking us, or getting directions from the Mekanics.
Go straight!
Straight? What about Cody? I heard snarling noises behind me.
If the pattern holds…Phase Shift into the floor, now!
I knew better than to question Zoe. I Phase Shifted, letting my body sink into the floor. I was vaguely aware of something zooming past me overhead. There was darkness for a brief second before I emerged in another lit tunnel. As soon as my Phase Shift ended, I grabbed the ceiling, clinging with my claws before I fell further. I ran forward in a spiral until I was back on the floor, right side up.
A figure was standing in the tunnel ahead of me. I skidded to a stop, ready to change direction, before recognizing it as Garvek.
"We want to see you evolve," Garvek said. "While evading attacks is admirable, you've hardly made any progress towards your next evolution."
NEXT EVOLUTION: 73%
Garvek was right. I was only a couple percent closer.
"But they're insane," I said. "They're trying to kill me."
"Don't be silly. There won't be any killing." Garvek sighed. "I personally guarantee it."
Staccato appeared behind Garvek. "Funny, I was going to say the opposite," Staccato said in a raspy tone. Staccato skittered along the side of the tunnel past Garvek, then somersaulted straight at me.
I Claw Whirled to knock him away, but Staccato recovered instantly and swiped at me again with a forearm before my original Claw Whirl had finished, aiming low past my claws.
A searing pain ripped through my midsection, then another.
ENERGY: 265/700
"Garvek!" I screamed. "Stop him!" I tried to run away, but Staccato moved to block my path. I turned the other way, but Staccato was there again, using his speed ability.
"Hunter! You're mine!" Staccato screamed.
"Leave me the fuck alone!" I yelled. "We're on the same side now!"
Staccato paused, his arms raised for an attack. "Same side?"
Four seconds of Phase Shifting to the right should place us in another tunnel.
I started to move but hesitated. I needed answers. I needed Staccato to talk.
"The Second Strain. The Mekanics. You and Cody. Your side."
Staccato lowered his arms. "I gave you a chance once already. You made your choice."
"I changed my mind. Didn't you?"
I ducked as Staccato swiped at my head. "You don't know anything about me! No one does!" he screamed.
Uh, Zoe, I'm not good at talking to psychotic traitors. Any advice?
Focus on them, not him.
"What did they do?" I shouted as I scrambled away from his outburst. "The Second Strain?"
Staccato stopped attacking. "You don't know anything, do you?"
Make them the enemy. Make yourself the victim.
"Why would I? I'm a nobody. They tell me jack shit. So tell me, what'd they do?"
He shook his insect-like head. "You've got some balls, kid, I'll give you that. Coming here like this."
That's it. Talk about Preston.
"Dr. Preston tried to take me by force. To drain my life force. Why the hell would I want to stick around for that?"
"Preston?" Staccato didn't move for a while. Then, his arms lit up with a furious blue glow.
Shit, did we screw up? I got ready to Phase Shift to the right.
Staccato smashed his blades into the side of the tunnel, burying the entire length of his six-foot-long forearms. He withdrew his arms, then turned, unmelded, and walked away without another word.
Garvek had been watching silently the entire time. He shuffled forward, bending over to peer at me.
"How exciting! Just a little more!" he said in loud, rushed tones.
NEXT EVOLUTION: 91%
We didn't fight that much, though.
Many things contribute to an evolution. Convincing an enemy to back down is a victory.
My Beastform's sensitive hearing picked up a low growling sound behind me. It grew louder and louder.
"Fight!" Garvek shouted.
Cody! How do I deal with him? Talk him down?
It's worth a try, but I wouldn't count on it. He doesn't have the history of someone like Staccato. Staccato was a hero, once.
In other words, Cody's nothing but an asshole.
I turned to meet the approaching bulldog. He charged, lunging with his powerful jaws.
I slashed as his jaws defensively as I backed away, knocking aside his bites without taking any damage back. I was faster than him in a direct match up. We danced, claws against teeth, for several rounds, before Cody stopped.
"What're you doing here anyway, little-D? You trying to take my place here?"
His body dissolved into a gray mist that threatened to engulf me. I hit back with a Claw Whirl, and the mist retreated, reforming into a bulldog back in his original position.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said. "They said they wanted to meet. That's all I know."
"I had a good thing going once. I was top dog at the Academy. Until you arrived and messed things up." Cody lunged at me with open jaws. "Then, I come here. Get treated like a king. And you show up again."