Less Than Alive: Still Kicking

Time: Let's Screw With It

We stepped out, Black Ruby just ahead of me, walking with a straight back and a grim grin.

The crowd was thinner here at the front, cut off by the row of leather-wearing hooligans that Protagonist seemed to control. So, with little difficulty, we snuck up behind them and were at the very edge of the stage.

“Levitate me up,” Black Ruby whispered as she slipped into the shadows pitched by the crowd.

“Um, I can’t?” I said, cringing at her inevitable rebuking. It never arrived.

Instead, what happened was rather surprising. She looked at me, nodded firmly then whispered. “Use your magic to soften the landing then, even you should be able to do that.”

I was wrapped in an indigo tendril of magic that dug into my gut, cutting off my air supply until my eyes watered and all I could do was gasp. People began to notice us.

That’s when she threw me.

It was an interesting moment. Floating up in the air, fresh breath flooding my lungs while I watched the rapidly approaching stage. The crowd looked at me, many of them gasping. The grabbing of attention was probably aided a little by the stream of indigo magic that was following me.

Now, landing. Landing is hard.

There’s this easy level two spell to slow one’s descent. And there’s a level three spell that makes it so that hitting the ground will feel like hopping on your parent’s bed on a Saturday morning. I had neither.

So, I spent the time thinking about Miss Black Ruby. That spell she had used, that was level five levitation, I’d bet my flying ass on it. And she had used it with hardly any effort. Which meant, much to my surprise, that she must be level six or seven herself. Damn.

Then I crashed into the stage at a speed that felt like mach ten.

“Well, shit,” I groaned, as the waves of pain began to flow out of me and my mind readjusted to the world around me. I didn’t have much time to wallow in self-pity as a pair of dark purple shoes installed themselves a few milimetres from my nose.

“A fan, I take it?” Protagonist asked as he leaned down, his faceless mask staring at me. He stood up, giving me a tiny bit of a view of his exposed throat. “I suspect that I have done what I sought to accomplish. Perhaps it’s time to leave?”

I followed his gaze while I tried to untangle the mess that was made of my body. Behind the restless crowd—many of whom were staring at me—was a growing number of men in white armour, a sash of purple running over their chests. They--well over two dozen in all--were standing in two neat groups, cantering forwards with measured and even steps.

“Levelists, to me!” Protagonist shouted, and instantly the leather-garbed students broke their line and began climbing on stage while their leader began to turn around.

I reached out, wrapping a hand around his ankle and stalling him. “Wait up, bud. I’m supposed to beat you up a little,” I said while delivering my nicest grin.

“You? Alone?”

“Not quite, I brought an angry girl too.”

One of the leather boys flew by us, the force of his passing making Protagonist’s cape flutter out.

Both of us traced the area he had come from.

There, standing in a half-circle of leather boys (a convenient name) was Black Ruby, her blonde hair flowing around her as she spun on one leg and finally fell into a crouch. The personification of grace as she looked to all the leather boys surrounding her in turn, then to me. “Wedgie, take care of these weaklings, I’ll take out the boss.”

“I think not,” Protagonist said, his eloquent voice replaced with that of a simple, yet wise, gentleman. “Good bye. I trust you have enjoyed your evening. My men here will take care of your... departure.”

The ankle my hand was wrapped around disappeared and where once the spokesperson stood was now only a cloud of tiny dust-like sprinkles.

He’d teleported. No incantations, no recitals, no massive dose of magic. Just simple point-A to point-B teleportation. I stood there, staring blankly at where he had been while his afterimage faded from view.

Then Black Ruby screamed, it was all the crowd of freaks needed, final spark to ignite panic burst into the fold.

I spun around and onto my back, noticing that three of the leather boys were barreling towards me.

Well, shit.