Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Michigan - 10:28 AM

  Boss Perfect Game retrieved his ball and stepped towards his lane. I received the quests I had been expecting.

  <<<>>>

  [[Quest: Filbin Crew Battle!]]

  You have challenged Boss Perfect Game to a crew battle between The 300 and the Seven-Tenners. This is a match between two diamond-rankers at the highest echelons of the Filbin League, featuring two Grandmasters who have honed their skills to become contenders for the title of Filbin Grand Champion. The stakes are high, so make sure to give it all you’ve got.

  Objective: Cause Boss Perfect Game to miss a strike before you do.

  Reward: Boss Perfect Game’s blessing, The 300 patch, the moniker “Boss Perfect Game,” +5,000 points.

  Failure: Loss of Boss Anthony Franklin’s Diamond Bowling Ball and you will no longer be able to call yourself “Perfect Game.”

  [[Patron Quest: Become Perfect Game!]]

  You already are, but let’s go ahead and make it official.

  This Filbin is amongst the most powerful, and the differences between him and the other two at the top of the leaderboard is slight. You’ve fought him dozens of times, I’m sure, so all I’ll say is to be careful.

  I know there’s another stage of the quest where you can become Filbin Grand Champion, but we don’t have time for it so this will have to be enough. His rewards will synergize the best with your class, anyway.

  Kick his ass, honey.

  Objective: Win this crew battle.

  Reward: +15,000 points, “Boss Sara Franklin’s” “Blessing.”

  <<<>>>

  “Oh, nice touch there,” I said, smiling as I looked at the rewards I would be getting from my wife’s Patron Quest. I didn’t let it distract me, though, because we were starting.

  I watched, hands on my hips, as Boss Perfect Game took his stance and paused. He gave me the side eye, as if wondering why I hadn’t tried anything yet. I smiled at the Filbin, causing him to snort before he took his shot. His aura was full of confidence, but there was a hint of stress there.

  The ball shot down the lane without harassment before slamming into the pins. A perfect strike.

  My opponent gave me a curious look as I took a step and sent my bowling ball rocketing down the court with a second to spare. The Filbin huffed, but wasn’t idle as he commanded his alley to hinder me. Dozens upon dozens of pins from other lanes, though specifically not the ones in front of me that were off-limits, flew onto my lane to form short walls.

  “Child’s play,” I scoffed as I pointed forwards.

  My bowling ball accelerated, breaking through the walls one by one with minimal slowdown. The last barrier shifted so that it was more structurally sound, but I easily curved the ball to the side. It hit at the perfect angle, bouncing upwards instead of coming to a stop. I smiled as the ball flew over before Dropping it so hard that the lane cracked when it struck the wood. All ten pins, however, were knocked over.

  “Dang, my bad,” I said, gesturing towards the destruction. “That last wall, you know?”

  Boss Perfect Game glared and let each of the pins he had been controlling fall. Snatching another ball from the return, he moved into position and gave me another look. I gestured for him to continue, and he did so with a growl.

  Once again he threw his bowling ball, and once again it flew down the lane to produce a strike.

  Since the lane I stood at had been partially destroyed, two of the pins fell over when the machine released them. This one was no longer usable. Good thing there were so many more. I moved to the next one over.

  My bowling ball was available, but I let it sit in the return for now. I knew the Filbin wouldn’t touch it thanks to league etiquette. Instead, I Pulled a blue 16-pound ball from one of the racks that hadn’t been touched yet. The moment I did, the rest of them flew past me and onto the lane while I tested the weight in my hand.

  I couldn’t see the wood due to how many balls there were, and I nodded. “Just to be clear, this ball in particular needs to knock down those pins, right?”

  “They’re your rules,” the Filbin replied.

  “So, yes. Got it,” I said.

  With my time limited in mind, I casually tossed the bowling ball. It wasn’t nearly as heavy as my usual, but that wouldn’t have mattered. The deadly projectile, and that’s really what it was, careened through the air like a cannonball and knocked over each of the ten pins before bouncing and colliding with the pinsetter’s divider in the back. It dented the machine so heavily that the ball didn’t fall back down to the ground.

  “You know that the ball is supposed to touch the ground before you hit the pins, right?” Boss Perfect Game seethed through gritted teeth. “That’s the way the game is played.”

  “Yeah, but if there’s no ground then why would I bother trying to play the normal way?” I asked, reaching down to slap him on the back. “You’re up.”

  He grumbled and left me to grab his ball. This time he didn’t give me any looks as he took his shot. I could tell that my lack of resistance was getting to him by the time his ball knocked down the pins.

  “What’s your game?” the Filbin demanded with a growl, turning to face me.

  “Bowling, mostly, though I also play a mean game of Othello,” I told him as I Spun My Diamond Bowling Ball on my finger. “And, don’t worry, I aim to win. I want to see how you interpret the rules so you can’t be sour after you lose.”

  His aura was alight with stress. The confidence was still there, of course, but Boss Perfect Game couldn’t figure out exactly what I was playing at and it was slowly going to drive him mad.

  He wasn’t finding my mind games so pitiable anymore.

  My Diamond Bowling Ball tore across the oiled wood as he worked to impede it. Pins and balls from the next lane jumped over, crashing down in my projectile’s path. In a way, this was harder to deal with than what he had done previously.

  My bowling ball swerved throughout the lane as I used Orbit to avoid the obstructions. Boss Perfect Game, in his rush, wasn’t holding back. Everything he brought down in front of the ball left a crack or dent in the wood before bouncing off. I Pushed a little harder as the diamond sphere struck the pins at just the right angle, knocking them all down.

  “Damn, this lane looks like a bunch of bombs went off,” I remarked with a whistle. “Good effort, though. You’re upping your game.”

  I watched as the Filbin’s eyes twitched at my remark. He stomped off to the next lane, took his stance, and threw. It was time to step up the pace.

  This time, I didn’t even wait for his ball to reach the floor. I didn’t leave the pock-marked lane, which still had a lot of objects littering it, and loosed my own. The ball hit the wood and I Lifted it, causing it to rise and fall through the air as if on a wave in order to ignore everything in its path.

  Boss Perfect Game was caught off guard but recovered quickly. Each of the pins and bowling balls in my projectile’s path lifted into the air to stop it. They formed more walls in front of me, and I could sense the extra strength the Filbin was putting into them. I wouldn’t be able to break through these ones.

  For shits and giggles, I tried anyway. My bowling ball collided with the tangle of pins, almost appearing as though it would push through, but bounced backwards instead. I put some Spin on it but didn’t Push. Once it landed on the lane, it continued moving forward underneath the barricade before slamming into the pins. I did have to give it a little extra oomph so that they would all be knocked down, but I was pleased that my prediction on the angle had been just right.

  I was already grabbing my next ball and moving to a new lane as my opponent threw another. He was speeding up to match me, and that was good. Ten seconds was a long time. There was no use waiting when we could do this rapid-fire all day.

  Just to fuck with him, I Constructed an archway for his bowling ball to go under. It wasn’t going to hinder Boss Perfect Game in any way, shape, or form, but all of the items he was telekinetically controlling froze when he saw it.

  Taking advantage of the moment, I threw my next ball. His eyes snapped towards my lane as the other objects fell. There was a loud cracking noise as the floorboards were ripped upwards and left a jagged mess. I Pushed it over, the strength of my Willpower letting the ball flatten the floor back down, before a ramp was made.

  My bowling ball hit the edge and was about to soar several lanes over, but I couldn’t have that. I Constructed a wall for it to bounce off of, redirecting it back to the pins. Once again it was a strike.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Ruining the floorboards was my example move,” I chuckled. “Running out of ideas, friend?”

  “We are not friends,” Boss Perfect Game growled as he glared at me.

  A wave of bowling balls came at me from all angles, but they weren’t meant to hurt me. Their passing was accompanied by a heavy wind that ruffled my Hawaiian trench coat and hair, and I stood eye to eye with a wall twenty lanes wide that reached from the floor to the ceiling. There was only one hole nearby, and that’s where my opponent bowled through.

  I Constructed two arches this time before grabbing My Diamond Bowling Ball from the return. He looked at me with smug eyes, and I took my stance. Not facing the pins, but him. I took a few steps forward, causing his expression to change to concern, and let my ball fly.

  The Filbin put up his hands to protect himself, but it turned invisible moments after it left my fingers.

  <<<>>>

  [[Item]]

  Boss Anthony Franklin’s Diamond Bowling Ball

  When used as a shield, this bowling ball allows the bearer to block blows as if their Strength were five times higher than it actually is. 10% of all damage blocked this way is reflected onto the attacker. (Seven-Tenners, Tough Actin’ Pin Action, & Kingpin Blessings)

  When used as a thrown weapon, you can choose to envelop this bowling ball in fire. This adds fire damage equal to your Dexterity stat to each strike and burns the target, reducing physical stats by 10% . You may use this skill up to 12 times per day. (Iron Anchor & Burn Lane Blessings)

  When thrown, you can cause this bowling ball to become invisible until the moment before it strikes. Based on how it is released, you can change direction midair to strike a different target at the last moment. In addition, up to 10 times per day, create a duplicate at the time of the hook to hit a second enemy. (Dime Store, Hook Line, & Hood Rack Blessings)

  25% of all damage done by this weapon is inflicted to enemies within 20 feet as splash damage. (Strike Force Omen Blessing)

  Once per day, the spirit of Boss Steener will inhabit the bowling ball in order to block a fatal blow against the wielder. This ability may be activated when the item is in your inventory, but there is a small, stacking chance that Boss Anthony Franklin’s Diamond Bowling Ball may shatter completely.

  Authorized wielders: Anthony “Perfect Game” Franklin (Filbin Grandmaster), Jamie “Summer Shrapnel” Summers (Adopted Filbin Elite).

  <<<>>>

  My Diamond Bowling Ball had picked up a lot of blessings thanks to Jamie’s efforts while the rest of the guild was gallivanting across the Atlantic Ocean. Boss Perfect Game’s aura changed from one of momentary panic at me choosing to throw at him to concern at where it had disappeared to. I could track it through my awareness aura, and I pointed at the gap he had bowled through.

  The sound of the ball hitting the ground in the hole he had bowled through caused him to turn, but it was already through the wall. It sailed back to my lane before becoming visible again right at the cusp of knocking down the pins. There was no need to worry as I hit another strike.

  “C’mon!” I yelled, throwing my arms out. “Make this interesting, Perfect Game! I’m here for a challenge! If not you, then who?”

  The Filbin gritted his teeth, ready to say something, but then decided against it. His stress levels were at an all-time high now, nearly overtaking the confidence he felt in himself. This was the problem I was poking at.

  Filbins were pack monsters. They needed crews. I was basically dunking on the socially awkward introvert of the bunch who wanted to play by himself. It was almost enough to make me feel bad. Almost.

  Boss Perfect Game grabbed a ball from the wall and threw it down the next lane. I did the same, taking it from somewhere around knee level, and he lost his control of it since it was technically my ball at that point and the rules forbade him from messing with those. I threw it through the vacant hole it left, and raised an eyebrow as my opponent finally did as I instructed.

  Not only was he already taking his next shot, but the roof over my lane collapsed. Tiles, lights, pipes, and metal fell in the path of my bowling ball, and I had to take evasive maneuvers immediately. I mentally controlled it with my Warmind abilities as I stepped to the next lane and grabbed another ball.

  The moment I threw this one, Boss Perfect Game threw again. Almost every bowling ball still on the wall preceded it, slamming into the lane with enough force to break through the wood and embed themselves in it. I let my own ping pong off of them, still heading towards the pins to knock them all down.

  Our game continued as we moved back and forth across the lanes. While we played on these ones, the older ones fixed themselves automatically. The minutes stretched out as we moved as quickly as we could. Five more strikes, twenty more, sixty more, until we reached a hundred apiece and counting.

  The Filbin’s throws were always clean and straight down the middle, unimpeded by my considerable psychic powers though I did Construct an arch or ramp here and there. Not to hinder him, but to remind him that I could. Every time that happened, he became a little more stressed.

  I was matching him bowl for bowl. The floorboards were ripped from in front of my balls, the pins tried to bat it away, the metal returns were thrown across the alleyway, and the speakers and televisions were dropped in my path. I was forced to have six lanes in play in order to keep pace. Every ball was dodging and weaving in and out, up and down, finding the optimal path through all the shit he was tossing.

  Then, something happened that made me frown, but it was neither against the rules nor unexpected.

  I did nothing as I let loose my ball, paying it no mind, and decided this was going to be the end of our contest. If he was ready to escalate, then I was ready to finish up.

  One of the 16-pounders, possibly even the same one I used before, slammed into the back of my head just under my floating crown. I stumbled forward having already taken my shot and landed heavily on my foot in order to prevent myself from getting knocked over. Blood ran down my neck, but it hadn’t been enough to crack my skull open.

  <<<>>>

  [[Passive]]

  Bones of Steel

  Your bones have been altered to be several times stronger than average.

  <<<>>>

  I turned my head to regard my opponent. He was breathing heavily and glancing at me from the corner of his eye, but he bowled as if nothing had happened. His aura told a different tale. Boss Perfect Game, mentally at least, was pushed into a corner.

  There were only ten seconds for me to throw my next ball, but I had other plans already in motion. Instead, I stalked towards the small Filbin.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded, trying to sound calm.

  I reached back and dragged my fingers through my bloody hair. “You want to turn this into a contact sport, boss?” I asked, letting my Tyrant’s Will flood the alleyway.

  “I-I can’t help it if you’re not paying attention,” he answered, glancing at the balls I had already thrown. “You’re running out of time.”

  A short, intense whistle brought his attention back to me. “I’ll ask again,” I said, malice dripping like venom as I showed him the blood. “You want to turn this full-contact? Because I can and will throw down.”

  “T-that’s…”

  He stumbled against a ball return and fell backwards, making it easy to catch up. I squatted down in front of him, arms on my legs, and continued to stare. Behind me, the bowling alley was starting to tear itself apart.

  Ball returns and chairs were ripped out of the floor, sprinklers and the systems hidden in the ceiling pulled themselves free, and everything not bolted down was in the air. Boss Perfect Game had to be controlling over three hundred objects.

  It was a display of telekinesis that I couldn’t match with the limitations of the class. If they all attacked me at once, then I would be hard pressed to defend myself. It wasn’t often that I was on this side of things, but it could be fun.

  There was no need for him to attack. He sneered as some of his confidence came back and pointed up to me. “It’s been ten seconds,” he announced with manic glee. “You haven’t thrown a ball. I win! I’ve won your challenge!”

  I leaned forward slightly, and his expression waned. Tyrant’s Will dropped as I smiled at him.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, the glee leaving his voice in exchange for panic. “You lost! Why are you smiling!? I bested you, Anthony Franklin! I bested you!”

  Raising my hand, I pointed towards the last lane he had used. Boss Perfect Game was reluctant to take his eyes off of me, but did so after a few seconds. The sound that came out of his throat was half gasp, half wail.

  Because standing tall behind an inch-wide, shimmering Force Field was the number ten pin.

  He watched in horror as the pinsetter dropped down to collect it before pushing the other nine away. It was quickly returned, ready to be knocked over for a spare.

  <<<>>>

  [[Quest Complete!]]

  Today, in a battle between peers, a Grandmaster was toppled. The boss of The 300 has lost his challenge against Boss Perfect Game, who now holds the moniker. While both crews are still in the upper echelon of the Filbin Leagues, it seems as though one can foresee challengers coming with more frequency.

  Reward: (Old) Boss Perfect Game’s blessing, The 300 patch, you may now call yourself the only “Boss Perfect Game,” +5,000 points.

  [[Patron Quest Complete!]]

  Excellent work! I’m sorry to see that he had tried to knock you around like that. You were clearly having fun before that moment. Something tells me that you would have kept playing if you hadn’t promised me you’d stop being so reckless, and I want you to know that I appreciate it.

  Congratulations, Ant!

  Reward: +15,000 points, the Holy Hurler skill book.

  <<<>>>

  “No… No!” the Filbin said, clutching his head. He turned back to me, but pointed at the remaining pin as it was set back down. “That’s against the rules! We couldn’t affect the pins either mentally or physically!”

  “I didn’t,” I replied easily. “All I did was make a wall between them, and the rules stated that there had to be a path around. It was an inch thick, so there was definitely a path. You should have paid more attention after your throw.”

  “That’s… No!” he repeated again, falling onto his knees. “No! I am Boss Per… I am! I’m…”

  I moved forward a little bit and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Sorry. friend. For what it’s worth, it was fun while it lasted. If you hadn't attacked me, we probably could have done this for hours longer,” I said.

  He looked up at me, eyes wide, and I stood up to leave. “What am I supposed to do now? I’m ruined!”

  I paused but didn’t look back, though I did Pull My Diamond Bowling Ball into my hand. “I’d recommend assimilating the crews that come to knock you down a peg,” I told him honestly. “You need people by your side. It’s a tough road, but not everyone can do everything themselves. I think you’ll learn that sooner rather than later. Until then, stay out of trouble, Boss Two-Nine-Nine.”

  The Filbin’s breathing hitched at the name I had given him, and he started screaming as I exited the building. That, at least, made me feel a little bad.

  It wasn't anything to dwell on, though. At some point during our game the scenario had finished up with Jeff, to my surprise, gaining the MVP, so I started heading home to celebrate.