Radical-9

CHAPTER 20: The Last Question

February 24^th, 2022

11:20 Am

I'm sitting in a void of white.

The last thing I remember is us going back down to Novus Dandé, the screen transition isn't supposed to last this long, right? Am I stuck in a sort of Elysium-Limbo? I don't know how much time has passed, time seems to be one big blur.

I can stand, move, I have full control of my limbs, but what good are your arms if you're trapped in a world where something as trivial as movable limbs are useless? These aren't even my real limbs, they're just projections of them.

The ground is solid, that much I can tell. Well, if it is even the ground. I can't find any walls or ceiling or any of that. It's just white.

“I see you've awoken,” A voice calls out, everywhere and nowhere.

I turn around in a full circle, trying to find the source.

“It won't do you any good, but do keep trying. It's very amusing,” the voice says.

“Who are you? What is going on?” I ask.

A large brown eye opens in front of me, and then another at my right, and then another at my left. By the time I can fully comprehend a giant eye popping out in front of me once they've surrounded me in every direction. Through the pupil I can see the interior of a house, the pupil acting as a sort of window. Outside of the pupil I catch a glimpse of Beth, the view looks to the right and I can see Klein's armor come into view.

“What...is this? Why am I seeing my friends out there?” I ask.

“Simple, I've bumped you out of your own body, Black Swordsman. It's a shame you changed your armor, what're the fans going to call you now? Blue Swordsman? How ridiculous,” the voice says.

“Ben?” I ask.

“Ooh, check out this show,” Ben says.

Outside of the pupil I see the view shift to Athena at my...his...side. I hear her whispers clear as day, “Hey, can I speak with you outside about something? It's very important.”

“No, Ben, what are you doing? Give me back my body...however the hell you fucking did this!”

“Sure,” Ben whispers back to Athena, I see her smile and it melts me inside.

I try to run through the eyes, hoping that maybe if I break through it will act like an actual window, that I can smash my way through back to Athena.

It doesn't work.

The eyes follow me, they track my every move, following me, encased in a constant display of what he wants me to see. He walks out with Athena, looking down to make sure I can see that they're hand in hand. It twists up my inside all kinds of ways. They make it outside, taking a few steps away from the house. Why do they have to walk so far away?

He's now looking at Athena, she seems nervous. Really nervous.

“Okay, this is very hard for me to say because...well, it's...Okay, I like you,” she says almost all at once. “I like you a lot, I know that you said what you said, and I wanted to say that I like you like how you like me. I wanted to make it vocal, because I don't want something to happen to you and not have you know for sure...” she says. “And...that's it. That's all I had to say.”

I stand there, watching her, watching her face as it waits for a response. She looks so absolutely beautiful and I wish for nothing more than to just walk up to her and be at peace, to kiss her like there was no tomorrow.

“Andy?”

“Get ready for this, Andy. I'm about to give the response,” Ben says.

I see a smile form on Athena's face, it is an expression of one word, relief.

She walks closer and I can see Ben walk towards her. I see his fist, my fist, come into frame, and slam into her face, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Her health bar doesn't deplete, but she looks to be out cold. He bends down and rips the keystone off of her neck, placing it in his inventory. The view cuts back to the start of the hit, repeating it over and over in slow motion.

“That's the beautiful thing about a memory, Andy. You can see it anytime you wish, over and over,” Ben says, laughing.

The look on her face as she realizes what is going on is too much, the look of utter shock hurts like no other.

“Ben you better hope I don't find a way out of here, you son of a bitch!”

“Good luck with that,” Ben says.

The view changes again back to what he's seeing, and I see him re-enter the building.

“How the hell are you even able to do this?”

“I made a connection, simple,” he says.

“Connection?”

My mind races back, and then I remember it.

“It was at that point that I realized it was a fool's dream to be like you, I can't be anyone but myself. I want to help others the way I can, maybe I can find out how back in Novus Dandé,” Ben says.

“Well, that's very admirable of you. I...apologize for hitting you earlier,” Athena says.

“It was deserved,” he faces her, and then turns back to me, “Can I get a shake before I go...as a sort of final peace?” He extends his hand. I take it in my hand and grip it tight. There is a small shock, it stings, but I keep holding as I nod my head to him.

“Keep being you, and we'll all get out of this alive, okay?”

“Right, thank you so much,” he says, nearly bowing.

“Your handshake...really? That small sting?”

“Huh, you are smarter than you look. That's a shock.”

“God damn it, you are not making bad puns in my body you fucking asshole,” I call.

“Well, it looks like you don't really have a choice.”

“Hey Andy, what's up?” Jen says as she walks back in the house.

“Oh, everything is all great,” he says.

“I take it then that she told you?” Jen asks.

“Yep,” he says.

“How'd it go?” Jen asks.

“Better than expected,” he says.

“Where is she at?” Klein asks.

“She's right outside, actually. She wanted to speak to Sam, so I came in to come grab him,” he says.

“Sam's actually helping Beth in the back,” Klein says.

“Awesome, also, can you wait on seeing Athena? I'm planning something in response and she needs to stay in the dark for it,” I say. “Oh, and also, maybe you could teach Jen the basics for combat, just so she doesn't freeze up in the middle of battle,” he says.

“Well, I guess I could,” Klein says, nodding his head.

I smile.