The Angel Express - 6:21 PM

  My announcement was met with a lot of blank looks before Kayla spoke up. “I think it’s fair to assume that you’re looking forward to this, but the rest of us are going to need some context,” she said. “Also, the Zodiacs aren’t deities, right? Associated with gods and goddesses, sure, but they’re not divine in their own right if I’m remembering correctly.”

  “You are correct, but this is another case of the administrators taking something from our culture and twisting it so they can add more seats for Patrons,” I explained. “After all, enough people basically worship astrology enough that the different Zodiac signs could feasibly be a sponsor. I mean, if the Flying Spaghetti Monster can have an Avatar, why not a series of constellations?”

  Kayla made a face. “The Flying Spaghetti Monster is a Patron?” she asked, clearly unhappy with that development. Jeff started raising his hand, and she immediately reached out and put it back down. “No, honey, you can’t ask how to get on its good side so you can be its avatar.”

  Jeff shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

  The look his wife gave him made it clear that no, it was not worth a try.

  “Okay, so the Zodiacs are sponsoring the event,” Mercury said around a bite of cake, holding his hand over his mouth as if that excused him for talking with his mouth full. “What does that actually mean?”

  I nodded. “It means that there’s going to be a big competition between the original thirteen Avatars, their factions, and now us. There’s-”

  “Hold up a damn minute,” Ash demanded. “Now I might not know a lot about this astrology shit, but even I know there’s only twelve of them. Where’d you get thirteen from?”

  “Ophiuchus, the Serpent-bearer,” I answered.

  The Monstersmith narrowed her eyes. “That’s not a real thing.”

  “You’re half right. It’s not a real part of the Zodiac, but a small group of people have wanted it included. For the event, there’s only one person that’s a part of this faction. He’s known as the Interloper of the scenario, but he’s more powerful than any of the other avatars there,” I explained. “Enough so that he doesn’t need anyone else in his faction.”

  “Sounds strong. How did we even get an invite?” Jamie asked.

  “I did it,” Sara proudly answered, raising one of her top wings. “Not only was the administrator excited to get a glitch like Ant, but I managed to talk my way in by saying you couldn’t have something based on the Zodiac and not have the sun included, too. You know, like Sol Ligatus?”

  “For the record, I didn’t plan that,” I said with a chuckle. “That’s just a happy accident.”

  “Alright, sure,” Jeff laughed. “So what can we expect?”

  I nodded. “Alright, so every Zodiac has an Avatar, and they lead a hundred man team.”

  “Except for this other Interloper guy,” he said, prompting me to nod. “So like, a whole team of Virgos, Capricorns, Scorpios, and the like?”

  “No, only the Avatars of the Zodiacs have to match up with their Patrons,” I answered. “The rest of the factions will be people from New York that have joined guilds.”

  “So they have guilds in New York?” Jamie asked before shaking her head. “Actually, that makes complete sense. Of course the administrators want to rip off something like West Side Story or Gangs of New York or something.”

  “Yeah, that’s the gist of it,” I chuckled. “Every team will be filled out so they’ve got the same amount of people and each will have their own instances except on a few floors, and… I’m getting way ahead of myself.”

  “You’re doing fine, but I’ll take it from here,” Sara said, finishing her cake and setting the plate aside. She folded her hands on her lap as everyone turned their attention to her. Smiling, she seemed to freeze for a moment before she found her words. “The Emperor’s Ascent takes place inside a pocket dimension housed by the Empire State Building and is the fourth scenario for New York City. The Patrons of the Zodiac have spent a truly absurd amount of points to sponsor the event, and thus were able to guide the administrator’s hands on how the scenario goes.”

  “If they weren’t spending together, there was no way they’d be able to afford it,” I added.

  Sara nodded, confirming what I said before she continued. “Each of the original Zodiac Patrons have eight floors of their own. It starts with Aries, then Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and so on in order. Each section has the same types of floors, though the order of everything except the boss floor will be randomized. The goal is to make it to the top first and defeat the Emperor of Constellations, thus winning the scenario.”

  “And it’s not a mad dash to the top,” I continued. “There’s three levels of safe zones spread throughout. The first one is after the Aries constellation, and there’s a chance for everything we need to be there. Since the teams know this in advance, there’s plenty of merchants, crafters, and the like all coming to sell their wares not just to their faction, but to everyone. We’ll be able to network and get upgraded gear there.”

  “There are also perks to discovering the safe zones first,” Sara said, expanding on the topic. “Basically, whoever makes it to them first will receive bonuses like those who usually own safe zones. However, the only way to own it is to make it there first, and there are three tiers. Owning all of them can be quite lucrative, even if it might make people upset that you’re doing so well.”

  Mercury raised his hand, and the Angel nodded at him. “So, is two weeks a long time or are we going to storm through this?”

  “There will be limits on when you can advance,” she answered when he put his hand back down. “I’m not sure how much Anthony wants to tell you on that front for now, so I’ll leave that to him.”

  “I’m willing to put almost all my cards on the table today,” I said, crossing my arms. “But after the briefing about the Emperor’s Ascent. Sara, if you please?”

  “Right, yes,” she replied. “So, the different floors are modeled after the Zodiacs. Expect a lot of sheep while you’re in Aries’ domain, for example. Bulls in Tauros, etcetera. Each section will have a boss floor at the end, as one would expect. There’s also puzzle floors, stealth floors, one for gathering materials, one full of monsters, and then the rooms that require two teams. There will be both a cooperative floor as well as a faction versus faction floor.”

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  “And no, the likelihood of dying in PvP is almost nonexistent,” I said. “There is the option to turn off the safety locks by whichever team is doing worse, but both factions know ahead of time what they’re getting into. For the most part we’ll be sparring like we do here on the train. Or completing some other objective. If someone tries to sneak in a rule that killing is okay when I’m not participating, don’t accept it. Come and speak with me immediately. That’s nonnegotiable, by the way.”

  I looked at each person in turn, getting nods from each of them. Jeff snorted, though. “Sheep, though?”

  “That’s Aries, the ram,” I said with a smirk. “The boss is a big sheep, the cooperative section will likely require protecting sheep from wolves, for instance. The PvP section could be solved with violence, or we can get into a sheep shearing contest. Every section is going to be themed after the Zodiac in control of it.”

  “Are we going to get some really good monster wool out of this?” Ash asked, perking up. “Like some really damn good shit?”

  “There are entire floors dedicated to gathering materials, yeah,” I confirmed. “Bull horns in the second, crab claws in the fourth. The list goes on. You’ll especially like the gathering rooms, Ash. They’ll get you a lot of good materials you wouldn’t find elsewhere.”

  “That is correct,” Sara said. “For the Aries section, everyone in the guild will be participating, including Ashley and Bethany.”

  “As much as I like the idea of getting a bunch of new materials, I still don’t like that,” the Monstersmith complained loudly. “I didn’t sign up to go into any dungeons.”

  “And you’ll be fine with all of us to protect you,” I told her, which earned me a scowl. “Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, but after the initial section there will be a communal safe zone that you can hang out in that will be our base of operations. There, we can access the guildhall and you only have to come out for the puzzle and loot rooms that aren’t dangerous. Bethany, too.”

  Ash crossed her arms. “Okay, I get sending me; I’m a grown ass adult. But why would you put the kid in danger like that and why is Mercury okay with it?”

  The ninja looked at her with wide eyes. “Why are you bringing me into this?”

  “She’s your sister! Why wouldn’t you be a part of a conversation that throws her safety out of the damn window?”

  I clapped my hands, getting their attention. “Two reasons. First, because she’ll be kicked out of the guildhall when it joins with the building if she doesn’t, and second, because every one of these sections is worth an MVP token,” I said. That surprised everyone except Sara and I, as we already knew about it. “Sara mentioned that the Zodiacs had spent a ludicrous amount of points making this happen, but that’s an understatement. It’s going to be a huge spectacle. Thousands of players and hundreds of Patrons looking for Avatars and entertainment. There’s going to be a lot to gain here.”

  “If this is so profitable then why does it sound like a detour?” Jamie asked, leaning forward. “You said there’s supposed to be another event going on, but couldn’t we have just skipped that for this?”

  “We could have, but I don’t like to,” I said, running my fingers through my hair. “The normal event got pushed back because the administrators are figuring out what to do with me. As for why this is a detour and not a main event, New York needs these people to become empowered. I don’t like taking the MVP awards from places that really need it. That’s why we go to places where there’s going to be a lot of trouble or places where there’s not many people.”

  “But if you’re able to end everything early, then you can afford to play around with events you would normally leave well enough alone,” Kayla guessed.

  “Yes. That’s exactly right,” I said, snapping my fingers and pointing at her. “At first, I didn’t want to risk the future. I continued writing my manuals, I got my letters out to the Dealer to send in case his plan doesn’t work, but I’m fully committed now thanks to the circumstances I’ve gotten us into. And that means getting you all powerful enough to survive the endgame with me, if you want to come.”

  “I don’t think anyone’s going to say no to that, Anthony,” Kayla replied. “We’re saving the world. I think we’re all on board with that.”

  “So long as it’s lucrative enough,” Jamie said before her eyes darted to Sara, then she looked away as if she had said the wrong thing in the wrong company. It was a deflection, anyway. I already knew she was in.

  “We all know it’s going to be,” Mercury told her. “But I’ve got something.”

  “Sure, shoot,” I said.

  “First, Bethany is okay with going into the dungeon. I know she’ll be fine with all of us protecting her, so I’m not worried about that,” he started, and I nodded. Ash rolled her eyes, but said nothing. “Second, you said that the event that was supposed to be happening now got pushed back because of you, specifically. How do you know that event won’t just happen while we’re in the tower?”

  “Because that would piss off a lot of Patrons,” I answered easily. “Like I said, the admins are trying to figure out what to do with me. According to the Dealer, there’s been advocates on both extremes. One side wants to basically nuke whatever state I’m in, and the other wants to leave me alone. But, they don’t want to piss her off.” I pointed at Sara.

  “So you’re very powerful?” Mercury hesitantly asked the Angel.

  Sara smiled. “You could say that. What’s scarier for the administrators is that they don’t know who I am. You all know I’m an Angel, but they don’t even know that much. It’s part of the contract I signed with Ant.”

  “And because of that power, they’re hesitant to step on her toes. Understandably so. Now, what happens if a bunch of Patrons decide that they really like to watch me work, and all of them would be angry if I were to die?” I asked.

  “There would be more outrage?” Jeff asked, furrowing his brow. “Wait, is this what you mean by the court of public opinion? You’re just going to waltz into a huge event and win Patrons over so the administrators won’t try to nuke you?”

  “Basically,” I answered with a grin. “That’s also why I’m expecting the full two weeks, so that the administrators don’t step on the Zodiac’s toes. Of course, there’s always the chance we get pulled early leaving you and Kayla to handle the final boss by yourselves, but I have full faith in you both.”

  “That sounds way too intense,” Kayla complained.

  “Yeah, but, full faith,” I repeated.

  “Alright, so the plan is to go to New York City and climb a tower,” Jamie said, resting her chin in her hand. “That sounds easy enough. What gets me, though, is all this talk about how the administrators seem to take your existence like a personal insult. Now, we’ve traveled for a while so I get it, but the way you talk and the way they throw literal building-size monsters at you seems, to me, like there’s something deeper.”

  “Now, we shouldn’t pry like that,” Kayla chastised.

  I knew she was trying to protect my identity as a regressor. It hadn’t been all that long ago that I came clean to her and Jeff. They handled it well enough, and I had come to rely heavily on them. Now, it was time to come clean to everyone.

  “No, she’s right,” I said, standing up. “That’s a question worth answering, and now’s the perfect time to do it given the contract we all signed.”

  Sara leaned over towards me, one of her wings covering us from view as she whispered. “Ant, are you sure about this?”

  “I am,” I said, smiling before winking at her. She still looked concerned, but nodded. Once she sat back down and her wing returned to her side, I turned to my guild. “The problem the administrators have is that they think I’m a regressor.”

  Mercury dropped his tea cup at the word. It shattered when it hit the ground, spilling tea everywhere. Bethany quickly cleaned it all up while throwing glares at her brother all the while.

  “What the fuck is that?” Ashley asked, eying the ninja.

  “A regressor is someone who went back in time to inhabit the body of their younger self,” Mercury explained excitedly. “It comes with knowledge of the future, skills honed over time, and a plethora of other advantages that come with knowing the future.”

  “And they think you are?” Jamie asked, turning her full attention towards me. “Or do they know you are?”

  “Are you a regressor?” Mercury blurted out, seemingly unable to help himself.

  I pulled my cup of tea to my lips and smiled, looking at each of them. After all this time, it was finally the right moment. “Yes,” I answered, and the room went crazy.

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