Chapter 11 - Edtweiser's Lockdown

The streets were jam-packed with strangers who walked around with their heads in their bright, flashing screens or with their overpriced Verti-Buds. They were supposedly the new "hip trend" that plagued the world since they were earbuds that were weightless and formed using new advancements in holographic technology. Stultic desired to have such a technological marvel; they shouldn't even be in the hands of the teens that walked past him.

They must've been the bratty rich kid stereotypes at school... Stultic thought, agitated.

Vertigal may have been formed by corporate scumbags but they did use their endless wealth in decent ways, making them mildly forgivable.

Stultic pushed through the crowd of media-influenced zombies, escaping their clutches at last and entered the massive and bustling commercial area known as Winterban Square. At night, the lit signs gave an illustrious sheen to the entire area, bouncing around like a light show in a nightclub. Even if there was more space now that the main crowd was out of the way, the outer square was still filled with couples, families, friends, and many more. At least it gave Stultic more cover than the irregular, raggy clothing he changed into. A simple cloth hood was all that stood between him and a suspecting officer.

It became increasingly evident that Ashten had vanished from view. It was plausible he had already bolted for the quickest route to the house because of how desperately he wanted to win the unofficial competition. Stultic was on his lonesome and out in the open. He had the urge to keep his hands on his weaponry at all times. It was natural for him. He was used to the feeling of being watched or being hunted, though this was a different situation than most. He felt trapped rather than free to do anything he pleased. He was always a wanted criminal and continually hunted by those around him but it always felt more like a crude yet pleasant joke rather than something pressing. Now, it felt more like a figurative, materialized rope that slowly strangled him alive. It was intense and felt life-threatening. His life was already a ruthless ticking time bomb that would explode within the next few weeks. It hurt his morale.

He took a long look at the makeshift, metal phone that Cyperus gave him and clicked the simple power button on the right side. The screen flashed with a bright red route displayed with a single red dot located near the destination. At least it didn't seem too far on the phone's map. With no rooftops he could climb safely or any alleyways to lurk into, he had to take the only possible route that didn't involve running into too many authorities — the mall.

The doors were built to scan any person who entered through them. However, nothing beats a good ol' signal jammer made out of bits of a toaster oven and a few other gadgets lying in a messed up fridge that desperately needs repairs. After scrambling the scanners, he walked through with no problem whatsoever. He saw a few stores with lines that seemed endless, especially one's with "designer clothing" which was obviously a rip-off. I mean, who buys fancy, expensive clothing? What's the difference?! Can't you just get it at some random cheap bargain place? That clothing better be made out of god-like impenetrable skin to be worth it... Stultic would agree with me.

The mall was tall too. It was estimated to be around five stories high with each floor being for a separate purpose. After taking a look at the map, the second floor seemed to be full of more stores purchasable items. The third floor was the food court and where most common foods such as burgers, wraps, shawarma, tacos, and burritos were being sold. You then had the fourth floor which was for a more fancy and exclusive dining experience from across the globe with wine, cheese boards, and fancy dishes such as Lemon-Rosemary Arsonat Breast with well-seasoned potatoes and a wonderfully dressed coleslaw. Yzaltan always had wonderful dishes due to their extensive farms and wildlife. Finally, you had the fifth floor which was completed for recreational purposes, packed with games, lounges, and theatres with bars for the adults coming around.

He was never able to experience a mall due to his wanted status. He couldn't take his eyes off the people who walked past with drinks or to talk with loved ones. The environment was appealing. For once, he wished he lived a normal life so that he could experience it like anyone else. He felt envious of those who were completely oblivious to the dangers of society. It was like not knowing you were blind which made your life much easier to live since you knew it was normal.

He walked on the white tiled floor. Everything was spotless because of the cleaning drones that wiped down every spot of grime in sight. He could smell the aroma of freshly cut pomegranate and the sizzle of meat from above. Laughter poured from around him. Sounds of parents opposing their kids' fashion choices brightened his day. There were even a few frozen yogurt stands on the first floor.

According to his phone, the exit was on the other side which seemed to be quite far. He enjoyed his walk through the lengthy mall, enjoying his time and taking in everything around him.

A few vague memories returned to him. His mother held his hand while he skipped over to the food court to ask for the new Pineapple Swirl Smoothie that came out at Tacos Ball. She went up to the cashier and bought the drink in a small-sized cup. They enjoyed movies, played games, and had fun. It was one of the only times Stultic was allowed to leave home. It also reminded him of how his mother led them into a hidden section of the mall and told him to keep his ears shut, though everything else diluted those moments.

His mother was always quite odd. She would leave from time to time, putting Stultic in the care of a babysitter he knew as Ms. Young. She was kind and very helpful towards him which made his days brighter, yet his real mother was still busy. Nevertheless, she was kinder and warmer than his father by miles. Stultic also got used to the idea of his family being strange after a certain amount of time. It was a bit thought-provoking the more he thought about it...

A loud bell rang as the announcement system turned on.

"Attention all shoppers," the woman manning the microphone said. "Edtweiser has gone into a lockdown state. All procedures during a lockdown must be followed. Please evacuate the building and return home. I repeat, please evacuate the building and return home. Thank you from everyone at Vertigal."

A loud alarm chimed throughout Edtweiser, signalling an immediate lockdown of the city.

"Damn..." Stultic muttered.

Stultic rushed to the other exit to escape. There wasn't a second to waste. He needed to blend in with the crowd as best he could. He continued to look back and forth from the phone screen to the exit, making sure he was going in the right direction.

"Halt, citizen," a robotic police officer said with his arm in front of Stultic. It was a Robotic Police Enforcer.

"Please take off the—"

Stultic shoved its arm out of the way and ran for the exit. He rammed through the crowds and exited the mall.

"Emergency. The fugitive was spotted at Winterban Mall. Apprehension was unsuccessful. Now conducting arrest."

The Enforcers ran after Stultic and forced their way through the mounds of people. Their right arms shifted and became rifles. Their left arms formed into stun batons. Loud flashing lights emitted from their shoulders. They were very nimble on their feet and shot through the streets. They may not have been WARDENs but they were just as deadly for a different reason — their quantity. Once one called for backup, a slew of officers and drones would arrive to aid them.

Stultic felt grounded without his traditional vest and boots. They were a staple of his look and enhanced his fighting technique. Without them, he was just some generic mercenary easily imitable by those around him. It wasn't like he could get better clothes either. If he even stepped foot in a clothing store, there would be a high chance that a random store clerk would ask him if he required assistance which would be painful to hear as a wanted fugitive on the run, though he didn't have much time to worry about it since he was being shot at by robots with rifles as hands.

Cars jammed on the roads with mass panic spreading throughout the avenue. He jumped onto the black bench in front of the rectangular bike storage. He used both his hands to vault over the box and slide across the roof, leaping onto the cars below. He leaped from one car to the next, trying to avoid ones that'd move and cause him to slip. He landed on the other side of the road with the police robots on the other side, trying to find a way across without harming civilians.

He ran across the street with his phone in hand.

Left.

Forward.

Take a right.

He followed its instruction carefully to guide him back home; back to safety, though something waited for him.

He moved onto an empty street that had already been evacuated by authorities. If he got to the entrance of the abandoned Maglev tunnels which were located on the other side, he could escape easily. With one final rush, he bolted for the other side to quickly make work of the distance. A wall of blue flame abruptly curved in front of him, forcing him to halt before he burnt to a crisp. It had to be the work of a Magium. Only magic had the potential to create such a brilliant blue flame.

He heard the sound of footsteps from behind him. He took out his baton and his pistol from within his jacket and turned to face his opponent. His opponent dressed oddly. His right hand was completely ignited by blue flames. His left glove seemed to be reinforced heavily. It was reminiscent of a blacksmith glove. His face was covered by a black helmet but it didn't look very protective. One good shot towards the head would easily kill him. It could've been a fault in the design, so why would the WARDEN continue to wear it?

"I suppose we've never formally met since my colleague was an utter imbecile and let you escape our grasp. It was a shame you couldn't accept your fate in WARDEN hands. Your life would've been much easier. I know better than most since I was like you once, except I made the right choice."

Stultic gave a sarcastic laugh in response. "Well, at least my life is better than yours since I have something called 'free will!' I'm sure you'd love it."

"Oh I know, because I already have this so-called 'free will' but please! Mock me to your heart's content. It'll make your immediate execution that much sweeter."

Lariat pulled out a whip with a bright blueish-coloured flame that pulsated with vibrant warmth and determination. He then grabbed a white mask with black eyes and a black smile that was fastened to his belt and attached it to his face. The classic mask of comedy.

"Please. Call me Lariat. The Third Ranked Arch-WARDEN of the now Eighth Generation," Lariat said, tugging on his whip.

Stultic choked after hearing the word "Arch-WARDEN". He never would've thought an Arch-WARDEN would arrive so quickly to such a case, let alone to fight against someone like him.

Lariat's eyes drifted towards Stultic hands which were holding his weapons with a tight grip.

"I see you don't have your signature weapon. How tragic..." Lariat said. "It was the sole object that gave you importance."

"You shouldn't make too many assumptions about me. You'd be amazed how little you know about who I am..." Stultic cockily replied.

Lariat's face had been covered, yet his emotions were readable. He tilted his head with annoyance and hate.

"I likely know more about your situation than anyone on the planet," Lariat said. "I suffered just as great and I was orphaned, but I chose to own up to my mistakes and become something greater. Now, look where you are and where I stand. You didn't take the opportunity and lost the option to become something more. You wasted your given life. That is something I will never forgive you for."

Lariat's cerulean flame-covered whip slashed through the air. Stultic leaped to dodge the burning cord of metal. Even though he quickly responded to the slash, it wasn't fast enough to beat the pace of the light cord. The end of the whip cut through his shoulder, cutting through and cauterizing the wound immediately. It was too hot for him to take on with the gear he was given. The baton was too short and the gun would likely do nothing against such a fast weapon. At least he wasn't bleeding but it still burned. The burn was worse than placing his hand on an ignited stovetop.

"I wasn't permitted to kill you in such an open area so I'm forced to bring you in alive. That doesn't mean I'm forced to keep you mobile. I could probably give them a barely moving corpse with a heartbeat and they'd be content."

The cord lashed backwards, returning in the opposite direction it was originally flailed from. Its sharp edges cut through him again; this time on his arm. It had partially cauterized, causing minor bleeding. It stung to hold onto the cut area.

A few Enforcers finally arrived behind Lariat with their rifle hands out. They must've taken a while to run around the traffic.

The situation was dire. If he ran through the flames, he'd be burnt to a crisp and made into ashes for a burial urn, making it impossible to escape underground. Without backup, it'd be more than difficult to take on the third-ranked Arch-WARDEN alone with his pathetic excuses for "weaponry" and his less than useful clothing. Even if he managed to escape the Arch-WARDEN's grasp, he'd be shot down by the Enforcers waiting behind him and having to dodge the flame whip. It'd lead to an intolerable death.

He then felt something spiky in his pocket. Taking it out, he realized he forgot about the Magium that Madica had given to him. It was cold to the touch like a cube of Morainian Deep Ice. It gleamed with a light blue hue as lights danced against its reflective crystal surface.

It's now or never, he thought.

Stultic clenched the frozen crystal tightly, shattering it and releasing its pent-up energy. The cracked crystal shards dissipated into frosty snow which gently swirled around his fingers. His hand was coated in a frosty mist. The mist fell from his fingertips and diffused across the asphalt roads. Freezing ice was produced on the palm of his hand. His hand may have been immune to the cold, the rest of his arm and anything even remotely close to it were freezing. The ice that developed on his palm had slowly began coating his entire arm. The ice was thin yet chilly enough to make Stultic wince in pain. His arm may have been freezing itself to death but it was just enough to face off against the Arch-WARDEN's roaring blue flames.

Lariat squinted his eyes to get a better look at what Stultic had done; he didn't believe what he saw. In a fluid motion, he threw his whip back and used all his might to send the cord flying into the air. He tugged on the grip to bring the cord down onto Stultic with haste.

Lariat's whip flew in from above; Stultic grasped the flaming rope before it could land another hit. His icy hand began to melt from the flames' rigorous and unstoppable heat. His hand bled from the sharp edges that lined the cord; though the good thing was that he was still alive and having a few cuts on his hand was minuscule compared to those on his body.

"Time to eat your words, Lariat," Stultic said with a wide, shaking grin on his face.

—^𝐯——^𝐯— 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 —^𝐯——^𝐯—