Chapter 173

The Angel Express - 8:23 PM

Jeff and I walked through the portal and into the dining car to find a very welcome sight. Mercury and his sister weren’t supposed to be here until morning, but Kayla and Jamie were sitting with the Dealer. Corwin jumped up from his bed and immediately ran to us, and the knight went to one knee to pet his trusty hound.

“I’ll be honest, Dealer, I could have used you earlier today,” I said, petting the dog before walking up to the bar.

Kayla stood up and walked to Jeff, checking his wounds. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

“Never better,” he replied quietly. I had already canceled the Mental Link, but I could hear the grin in his voice.

“I told you it would be a few days,” the Dealer protested as he stood. “Not only did I have to collect that payment up front before anyone else could snatch it, but I also had to go around finding your items for you. Not to mention there was some lucrative side work in the area, had to take care of my little girl, make-”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” I said, holding up my hands in surrender before I turned to the Dealer. “Whatcha got for me?”

With what could only be described as a toothy grin, the alligator man started pulling things out of his overall’s large pocket. One by one, he placed the items on the bar. The first was a rust red can with a blue straw coming out of the nozzle. The words on the side indicated that this was RI-45, which was the Rust It I had wanted. I tapped the can for the description. 

[[Item]]

Rust It

By spraying the liquid inside of this can on a metal object, cause it to start oxidizing immediately. This may also rust items normally resistant to such processes, though it will take longer.

I nodded with satisfaction as he pulled out the next thing I requested. The thick, cream colored catcher’s mitt didn’t look like anything special. There were three baseballs stitched into the glove’s palm with a circle around them and the word “guaranteed” underlined beside it. I tapped this one, too.

[[Item]]

Guaranteed Strike Mitt

While wearing this glove, your hand will move to safely intercept any incoming physical projectile. Any damage it would have caused is nullified, though it doesn’t stop effects that activate on contact. This item can be used three times, as shown by the baseballs stitched into the palm. 

“This will be perfect for Jeremiah’s rifle,” I noted as the Dealer pulled out two stick grenades.

I recognized their shape immediately. This wasn’t my first time getting this item during the run. The one I planned on using to easily take out the Vespae queen had been used on the Writhing Zeppelin.

The grenade, which was modeled after Germany’s Stielhandgranate 24 from World War II, had sent its brain and other innards deep into the Atlantic Ocean, lobotomizing the raid boss and ending the fight before it could destroy Etson’s largest safe zone.

These ones had letters written in sharpie to indicate where they went. One said AE, and the other said HT. The Dealer tapped the first one. “Kayla already took me upstairs to set this one, so you don’t have to worry about it. It’s in the rear left on the second floor.”

“Did you put up any signs or anything, Kayla?” I asked, turning around to see that the Mills were missing.

“We did,” the alligator answered for her. “Didn’t want anybody’s stuff to get messed up due to whatever you plan on teleporting in there.”

“Good call, Dealer, thanks.” With a nod, I activated the grenade labeled HT, waited three seconds, and tossed it into my inventory. It would be ready for me when I needed to retrieve it next. I was expecting the last item he pulled out to be a scroll of Blinkback, but my eyes widened when he pulled out a large purple book. “You know I didn’t pay for that.”

Spell books were rarer than skill books and nearly twice the size. The hefty tome was dropped onto the bar with a loud thud, and the alligator pushed it towards me. There was nothing embossed on the cover of this one except for the name of the spell.

“I’m aware,” he said. “Couldn’t find a scroll of it just laying around, so I decided to snatch this up. It wasn’t that much harder.”

I arched an eyebrow. “This was easier than a scroll?”

“Easier enough,” he claimed with a shrug.

“What’s the price?” I asked.

Grunting in amusement, the alligator stroked his chin. “I’m going to need a favor coming up here soon. In a month or so. Something only you can do. I promise you won’t have to go too far out of your way. It’ll barely be an inconvenience.”

Watching the Dealer’s sly smile, I thought it over. If he just wanted to get into my good graces, then that was one thing, but even with our relationship I was hesitant to owe him favors. Especially if I didn’t know what it was going to entail. Still, I needed a way to keep Jeremiah from escaping; that part wasn’t negotiable.

“I reserve the right to veto any favors for whatever reason,” I firmly stated. “You’re not getting some kind of blank check for this.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” the Dealer laughed. “But I know you’re going to jump right in. There’s no way you won’t be curious when the time comes.”

“Curious about what?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Nothing I’ll say now,” he said with a grin. “You’ll just have to trust me. You’re the golden goose, so I’m not going to do anything to hurt you. That, at least, you can take to the bank.”

“I suppose that’s true,” I replied hesitantly before reaching out for the spell book. Flipping it open, I hit Yes when prompted.

[[Spell]]

Blinkback

Recall a creature or player who you observed use a Teleport ability, skill, or spell. You must use this within one minute of the effect in order for the Blinkback to succeed. Cost: 120 Mental Points.

Nodding to myself, I snapped away the screen. “I appreciate you, Dealer,” I said honestly before offering my hand.

The alligator shook it before pulling a ratty hat out of his pocket and placing it on his head. “Before I go,” he started, adjusting the accessory so that it was perfect. “Apparently, there’s been a lot of things coming into Pittsburgh from Hell. There’s been a few different shipments, but nothing I could get a manifest for. Everyone I’ve talked to has been real tight lipped, and the place your grenade going to has been surprisingly quiet, considering.”

“Thanks for the tip. I managed to talk to Jeremiah today, and he mentioned an excessive amount of Angel Blinds and Pustibule setting up something new,” I informed him. “It’s making things hard, but we’re narrowing it down.”

The Dealer hesitated for a moment. “I’d offer to help, but unfortunately I’ve got another big Patron ask. To be honest, I’ve been here too long already.” 

[[Patron Message]]

Scoff at him, Anthony. Scoff at him hard.

We don’t need his help. I’m already working on my next big plan.

Sincerely,

Sara

I snorted a quick laugh at the message before shaking my head. “No worries, Dealer,” I said, holding up a hand. “We have a few more things to try, and I don’t expect this to take more than a few days.”

“Still, I’ll check in after I’m done,” he said as he started heading towards the door. “Good luck, Anthony, Jamie. Don’t die.”

“Don’t get turned into a handbag,” she replied, speaking for the first time since I saw her. The Dealer laughed as he left. “He’s not too bad.”

“Yeah, expensive tastes aside, he’s a pretty good dude for someone who’s not a player,” I agreed. Walking to her table, I took a seat across from her. “How’d the Guild of Guilds go?”

She shrugged and glanced towards the Mills’ room. “Was kind of hoping that Kayla would be back to tell you all about it.”

“I’m here!” she announced, coming out of the other car in a pair of plain blue pajamas. “I got some of Jeff’s blood on me and who knows what else, so I had to change.”

“You can tell him all about the Guild, then,” Jamie said, glancing at the other woman before leaning back in her chair and looking back at me. “You got into a fight with that sniper, right?”

“A minor tussle, but yeah,” I confirmed. “He managed to get away, but he won’t have the same luck next time now that I have the Blinkback spell.”

The Weapon Master nodded as Kayla sat next to her. “We should work on liberating buildings around the Depot entrance,” she stated. “Get some cover from long range attacks. If you can, leave some directions and I’ll take care of them tomorrow.”

“On your day off?” I asked, smiling.

“If it’s my day off, then you can’t tell me what I can or can’t do,” she scoffed. “I’m volunteering to do more work. There’s worse things I could be doing than fortifying our headquarters.”

“That’s fair,” I agreed with a nod. “You mind taking Kayla with you for a little longer? Give her some more practical experience in the way of knife fighting?”

Jamie wrinkled her nose, and Kayla frowned. “I’ve been doing well under Jeff’s tutelage,” the Double Agent said. “I’m certainly a lot better now than I was back in Etson.”

“That’s what he’s told me, but we’ve already talked about learning from Jamie, too,” I said, thinking back to my conversation with the knight. “After seeing him in action today, I have a few places in mind I can send him.”

Just as Kayla opened her mouth to protest some more, Jamie nodded. “Yeah, I’ll take her.”

The Double Agent seemed surprised. “Really?”

“I said it, don’t make me take it back,” she replied. Taking a look at Kayla’s face, Jamie sighed and rolled her eyes. “You’re tolerable. I’ll train you.”

“Wow. That’s about as good a compliment as you’re going to get, Kayla,” I chuckled.

“Now that that’s settled, I’m going to my room,” the Weapon Master said, standing up and stretching before heading towards the sleeper car.

“Good night,” Kayla said, staring after her before looking back at me once the door closed. “She’s a tough one to read.”

“Always has been,” I agreed. “But she’s a good friend once she decides you’re worth it. Anything happen between the two of you?”

She shook her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe she just likes our dog.”

I laughed. “That could be it. She’s got a soft spot for animals, though if she heard me say it then I’m likely to get punched.”

“I got that impression,” Kayla said with a snort of amusement. 

Now that Jamie was gone, it was as good a time as any. Rapping on the table, I took on a serious tone. “Hey, keep a close eye on Jeff, will you? I think he’s having some issues.”

Blinking, the Double Agent looked confused. “Sorry, what?”

“Just some things we discussed today,” I said. “He seems stressed.”

Kayla pursed her lips, but nodded. “I think he’s mostly worried because combat isn’t my specialty, so he thinks he needs to protect me more than he does.”

“That might be a part of him, but this is Jeff; he’d be that way anyway. I remember when he didn’t want Corwin to fight because he treated him like a pet instead of a customizable monster bred for combat,” I snorted before shaking my head. While I had been willing to let him get away with it, I was glad he didn’t stick with it. “You are right, though, Combat isn’t your specialty. However, you’re incredibly crafty and got a lot of good things going on right now skillswise. I don’t want him to bite off more than he can chew.”

“I think it’s because most undead don’t fall for Part of the Crowd. It’s only a glamer, after all,” she said quietly. “I think they can smell me, so they’re not fooled. But, I’ll talk to him, Anthony.”

This was the best way forward for the two of them. Jeff had to step back to learn his wife wasn’t made out of porcelain and had to be protected from everything, and Kayla needed to step up and stop allowing her husband to coddle her. I felt it was a necessary first step.

“Good. I’d hate for him to become useless because he can only worry after I’ve asked you to do what you’re built for later on. Like infiltrating monster dens for extended periods and backstabbing whole nests. I’m going to really be pushing you, especially because you wanted more to do for the cause.”

All I received in response was a nod. A silence descended on us as she processed my words, and when she spoke again she shifted gears. “How’d Jeff do today?”

“Your knight acquitted himself well,” I answered. The queen rolled her eyes at the title. “I feel like I can send him into 30 point dungeons alone at this point, probably into 40s with you and Corwin. You know, later.”

“I’m looking forward to showing off what I’ve learned,” she said, the very picture of determination.

“Soon, but probably not yet,” I replied, holding up a hand. “We’ve still got a long way to go, and we have to train Mercury as well. He’s young and hasn’t had the kind of training any of you have. His method of getting stronger so far has been to skulk around and steal points from people who are actually fighting.”

Kayla frowned and took a tentative sip from her mug before speaking. “Why is he here, then? Not that I doubt your plan, but it seems strange to call in someone who I could probably beat in a fight at this point.”

That was, unfortunately, an accurate assessment. “The kid’s got an ocean’s worth of potential,” I said honestly. “With the Princess’ help, he’s going to surpass both Jamie and your husband, and even get to the point where I’d have trouble with him if I didn’t know any better.”

“Really?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “The guy who couldn’t properly speak to us until he slipped into character is secretly one of the best?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know what to tell you, Kayla. His mentality, tenacity, and class will make him a juggernaut. I’m not doing this out of the goodness of my heart, you know. The only people who get on this train are those who can help me save the world. He’ll just take some time to get on our level.”

“That makes sense, then,” Kayla said, nodding.

“Alright, enough about Mercury…” I trailed off. Leaning forward on the table, I laced my fingers together. “What happened at the Guild of Guilds?”

Kayla nodded again as she sat up straighter in her chair. “Two things of note happened,” she reported stiffly. “The first is that we spoke to those Elven twins, Medi and Tsae. They wanted to congratulate us on a victorious skirmish, and I told them what we knew about Jeremiah. It took some convincing, but I managed to get them to agree that we should be sent a message if he joined any guilds.”

“Because he’s a constant threat to Sol Ligatus?” I guessed.

“That’s correct. We explained the circumstances with him and Pustibule, and they agreed that we had some grounds to be worried,” she continued. “On top of that, I requested the other members of Black & Gold be put on the same list, but they had a screen that showed them which ones attacked you, so only their old guildmaster joining up with someone new would trigger the warning.”

“Well, that sucks but it makes sense,” I sighed. “Excellent job getting them to crack down on two of them, Kayla. I really appreciate you making that happen for us.”

The Double Agent smiled. “It’s all part of the job,” she said humbly.

“Sure, but I would pay good money to see Jamie or Jeff try that without you.”

Kayla tilted her head in thought before nodding. “You know what? So would I,” she admitted. “The second thing is that we ran into Olivia on our way out.”

“What did she have to say?”

“Not much, honestly, but she wanted you to come and speak to her tomorrow morning,” Kayla said with a roll of her eyes. “She said she doesn’t want to speak to anyone else but the Angel of God. I almost got her to spill the beans thanks to Jamie, but couldn’t get it out of her.”

“Was she at least quiet about it?” I asked, wincing. There was no reason for everyone else to know about my Angelic side.

“Reasonably,” Kayla answered. “I told her about how we were under curfew and that we were being introduced to a new member of the guild tomorrow morning. She said she was fine waiting for you in the Guild of Guilds’s main hall for as long as it took.”

“Gotcha,” I said slowly, chewing on the inside of my cheek in thought. Hopefully, whatever she wanted to talk about was Demonic in nature. If she simply wanted to leave Greg to come join us because of some perceived holiness, then that wouldn’t do at all. After a few seconds, I nodded. “Alright, I’ll go see her tomorrow on the way to the Pitt.”

“Got someplace special to be?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Not in particular tomorrow, but Jamie was right that we could use some more cover around the Depot. I’ll send everyone to places closer to the surface so we can knock them out one after the other, work our way down, and I’ll start at the bottom because I won’t need to stop for directions. Probably grab the train station first.”

“Alright,” Kayla said. She hesitated for a moment, masking it with a sip of coffee, before setting it down and standing up. “I’m going to go spend time with my husband. He had to jump into the shower, but he was excited to regale me with all sorts of tall tales.”

“Flick him on the nose for me,” I said. When she gave me a confused look, I grinned. “You’ll know it when you hear it.”

“Alright. If we don’t see you, have a good night, psychic boy.”

“You, too, Kayla.”