Novels by Matrix_the_Author

Chapter 45Levi woke back in the waking world tunnel, the support team already crowded close, weapons drawn against the visible exhaustion and fresh bruising evident across his frame."You were gone considerably longer this time," Reya said, relief warring with concern as she helped him upright. "We were about ready to send someone through after you.""You wouldn't have found me the same way," Levi said, still catching his breath. "Trial time doesn't match up cleanly with waking time. Long story. I'll explain everything at the debrief."The bag at his hip felt considerably heavier than it had going in, and when Corwin's scanner passed over it, the specialist's eyebrows shot up so fast Levi almost laughed despite his exhaustion."That's reading over thirty distinct fragment signatures," Corwin said, staring at his device like it might be malfunctioning. "Levi, what exactly happened in there?""Found a cache," Levi said simply. "Guarded. Had to fight for it. I'll explain the rest proper

Chapter 44The chamber's far wall finally gave way entirely, concrete and rebar collapsing outward in a shower of dust and debris, and what emerged from the darkness beyond made Levi's earlier guardian encounters look almost gentle by comparison.It moved on too many legs, a segmented, chitinous body stretching nearly the full width of the tunnel, embedded fragments of its own glowing dull amber along its carapace, as though it had been built, deliberately, from the very cache it now guarded."That's not a natural guardian," Levi breathed. "That thing's made from fragments.""Constructed," Pandora confirmed, grim. "Someone built this creature specifically, Levi Li, binding fragments directly into its physical form. That requires knowledge and control over the fragments considerably beyond anything either of us currently possesses."The shadow, still watching from the chamber's edge, offered nothing further, simply observing with the same unreadable golden patience it had carried throu

Chapter 43The eighth trial began the same way every recent trial had, Osei's team flagging a candidate location, the support team assembling with practiced efficiency, Levi stepping through a shimmering gate with considerably less hesitation than he'd carried into his very first one months before.This time, the location sat deep within a stretch of collapsed subway tunnels running beneath the citadel's outer districts, close enough to familiar territory that the team had barely needed a full day's preparation."Confined space," Corwin noted, checking his equipment one final time before Levi approached the gate's violet shimmer. "Whatever's waiting on the other side, you won't have the farmland's open ground to maneuver in. Keep that in mind.""Noted," Levi said, and stepped through.He woke in darkness, the tunnel's ceiling pressing low overhead, water dripping steadily somewhere in the distance, the air thick with the particular staleness of a space that hadn't seen open sky in a v

Chapter 42Osei's analysis team flagged the next candidate gate within two days, a location deep in what had once been farmland north of the citadel, close enough that the team could reach it before nightfall without the extended preparation the coastline trip had required."Resonance strength here reads higher than any candidate we've identified so far," Osei explained, briefing Levi and the support team one final time before departure. "Whatever's waiting, Pandora's instinct suggests it's significant. Possibly a stronger fragment, possibly more than one.""Or a stronger guardian," Corwin added, checking his equipment with the same methodical thoroughness he always brought to preparation. "Higher resonance hasn't exactly correlated with easier trials so far.""Noted," Levi said. "I'd rather go in prepared for difficult and be pleasantly surprised than assume gentle and get caught flat footed."The farmland stretched wide and empty around the gate's location, rows of long dead crops s

Chapter 40The new arrangement took shape faster than Levi expected, Reyes's full backing translating within days into resources he'd never imagined having access to only weeks before.A dedicated analysis team, working under Osei's direction, began cross referencing every recorded gate opening across citadel territory against subtle energy signatures Pandora helped them identify, patterns that, once mapped properly, suggested considerably more structure to gate emergence than anyone had previously realized."This one," Osei said, tapping a location flagged on the display, a stretch of coastline nearly sixty miles south of the citadel, "shows the same resonance profile as your first three trials. Pandora believes it's worth investigating.""How confident is worth investigating?" Levi asked."Confident enough that I'm assigning you a proper support team this time," Reyes said, entering the briefing room with the same brisk efficiency that had marked every interaction since the district

Chapter 40The new arrangement took shape faster than Levi expected, Reyes's full backing translating within days into resources he'd never imagined having access to only weeks before.A dedicated analysis team, working under Osei's direction, began cross referencing every recorded gate opening across citadel territory against subtle energy signatures Pandora helped them identify, patterns that, once mapped properly, suggested considerably more structure to gate emergence than anyone had previously realized."This one," Osei said, tapping a location flagged on the display, a stretch of coastline nearly sixty miles south of the citadel, "shows the same resonance profile as your first three trials. Pandora believes it's worth investigating.""How confident is worth investigating?" Levi asked."Confident enough that I'm assigning you a proper support team this time," Reyes said, entering the briefing room with the same brisk efficiency that had marked every interaction since the district

---**Chapter 16: Dreamer**"Derick!"Mrs. Claire called, holding my arm."Are you guys coming?"I asked pissed as they all looked at me speechlessly."I guess I have my answer!"I said and pulled my hand from Mrs. Claire and walked away."Derick!"April called, running after me. I stopped and turned to her."Please stay!"she pleaded."Are you coming?"I asked. She looked back at Mrs. Claire and June, then back at me."Please!"she added. I said nothing and continued walking away. Medusa followed.I walked some distance still by the side of the hill in search of a more distant cave. To my surprise my arm, which was said to be broken, slowly became movable."Let's wait in one of these caves till we are fully recovered,"I said to Medusa, noticing how fast my arm was healing."Are you hungry, girl?"I asked Medusa. It hissed and from it I could tell that it was hungry.I had stayed so long with her that I could tell what her hisses meant."You are in luck because there are lots of frui

---**Chapter 15: A Lot to Learn**She took off her gown and in the darkness we came together."What's this?"I asked as our bodies came in contact. A soft wobbly thing with a boil on it."Stop it!"she said and drew back."What's the problem?"I asked confused."You were touching my boobs!"she replied."Okay?"I said still confused."You don't know what boobs are?"she asked."Boobs... one definition holds a stupid mistake and another... a woman's... oh!"I said now realizing she meant the female breasts one used to give milk to babies."I am sorry but I do not see why you should react in that manner,"I replied."Woah! Why would you do that!"I said moving back reacting to her hand on my penis."That is why I reacted the way I did,"she replied and I said nothing."Okay I won't touch it again if you promise not to touch mine!"I said."Deal!"she replied and we came closer again.A certain kind of pleasure came from the contact our bodies made aside from the warmth I felt from it.

---**Chapter 14: Raging Storm**I woke up not feeling a thing. I lay next to a tree shaded from the sun's rays."Derick!"April called as she walked closer."Are you okay?"she asked."Would you be if you fell from a tree?"I asked."I am not sure I would still be alive even. I am sorry about my brother,"she replied. I tried to sit up but worse than the last time I was too weak to move an inch."Where's everyone else?"I asked."They are by the river fishing.""Where's Medusa?"I asked."We haven't seen her,"she replied."First of all it is her. She is female. Secondly are you serious?"I asked."Yeah we haven't!"she replied."And no one is worried about her!"I added getting pissed and extremely worried."I am sure she would be fine!"she replied."How could you say that? Look who I am even talking to. You never even liked her!"I added and struggled to turn around."Arh!"I groaned in pain."Sorry I forgot to mention your arm is broken from the fall,"she replied."Shit! Shit! S

**Chapter 13: Fire Full**All the zombies present rounded us up almost all at once. In that instant I was confused. I lost my composure. I looked at the fire and then around me as the zombies came closer. I am in no position to deal with this."Arghhh!"I yelled as I tore off my shirt. The scream and action was able to buy the attention of all present. I rushed closer to the fire hanging my shirt over it. It caught the flames as well. I began to spin it slowly above my head and the zombies moved away from me giving a reasonable distance between myself and them. They all watched me in amazement. Mrs. Claire and her grandchildren included. I bent down and picked up a piece of wood I found sticking out the fire. I quickly dropped the shirt I was holding because the flame was getting to my hand.With the piece of wood I chased the zombies away from my friends and with it I had their sticks lit up so we were able to form a fire circle one which no zombie dared to cross.He began to clap ag

**Chapter 12: White Conversation**Mrs. Claire soon followed."April!"she called as she went outside."Medusa!"I called after some failed attempts to get up."Why now!"I said to myself. I closed my eyes feeling really helpless as I hoped that Medusa was out protecting Mrs. Claire and April. But hold up, if I am this weak I wonder how Medusa is going to be. What if she gets angry and swallows something?"Shit!"I exclaimed."I have to... I promised Mrs Claire!"I said to myself as I finally got up. I picked up my cutlass and held my knife which were not far from where I lay. June must have taken my bow.Still staggering I walked out. April and Mrs. Claire seemed to have gone out in search of June. And just as I thought Medusa was lying beside the tent. I thought I was in a room."Medusa!"I called as I tapped it. It made no moves obviously fast asleep. I do not blame it for not responding. It moved a lot during the fight to be honest a little more than myself.I guess I have to go o

Chapter 11: Run!!Right before me she opened her eyes. Being calm and closer to her I could see her light brown eyes, a color like that of honey, and her hair, wet, scattered and long, with sand on it.She struggled to look at me, squinting because of the sun's harsh rays. She choicelessly turned away."Snake!"she screamed again and moved back on seeing Medusa."It's okay, it won't hurt you,"I said to her."Get away from her,"June yelled as he ran towards me.His foot ended up in my hand, a counter to his kick. I held it tightly looking at him in the eyes as he groaned in pain."Derick!"Mrs. Claire yelled, so I pushed his leg back and he fell and landed on the floor face to the sand."June!"April said as she stood up and ran to where he was. Medusa who noticed all of this was close and ready to strike but I put a hand up telling her not to.After he got up, Mrs. Claire continued apologizing on me and Medusa's behalf. I see no reason why she did that. It is not like I did anything

Jigoku…The landscape was formed wholly of the blackest brimstone and detailed by the hottest hellfire. Beneath the towering islands of rock, upon which unclothed Oni roamed about, a thick layer of lava bubbled brightly. The twisting, hovering pathways of solidified magma all led to the largest island in the realm: the throne room of Akuma. The throne glowed with orange veins as the massive figure of Akuma slouched discontentedly upon it, an enigma to those who'd hazard a guess what he was thinking. The room in which he resided was made of the same brimstone as that which formed the outside but was significantly thicker. Akuma himself was adorned in an unconfined, blood red cloak that sat over spiked, pitch black armour. His gloves were form-fitting over his clawed fingers, with his legs and forearms visible as he sat. His helmet was barely visible in the shadow beneath his hood, but his glowing crimson eyes were impossible to avoid. An Oni, much closer to a human in proportions and g

Los Angeles…An eerie silence sat over the living room, yet nothing seemed unbecoming of the normal behaviour of the area's inhabitants from a purely visual standpoint. Gunk, now thawed out, sat on the couch watching TV, with Suzy squished in next to his bulky emerald form, while Thomas sat on the sofa beside them, the side of his head laying upon his knuckles with utterly unenthused disinterest. In the kitchen, Kon leant his back against the bench with his hands in his pockets while Lizzy, seated on a stool, placed the side of her turned head on her arms that were folded atop the table. From a sheer glance, it all looked like a typical night in with the Crusaders, but anyone actually standing in the room at the time could tell that there was more to all of it than met the eye. A strange tension hung around each of them, comprised of words unsaid and actions drastic. It hadn't dissipated by the time the door opened and Hikaru and James stepped through, now changed back into their civi

New Mexican desert…Black DSA Post-Event Clean-Up vehicles surrounded the area around the collapsed pile of rock and steel that was once a Hermanium mine. The sky above kept traces of blue as the stars became visible, one distant twinkle at a time. A DSA medical team worked on fixing up the battered Nick, applying bandages and sewing stitches all over his topless body as he sat atop the gurney. Kenseijin held his helmet under his arm as he watched Jimmy Nomad talk with Nick from afar. Jimmy himself had his goggles pulled up to his forehead and his neckerchief below his chin while he conversed. Kenseijin bore witness as Jimmy shuffled about uncomfortably saying his piece, and carefully observed Nick giving his response, before smiling at the sight of the two hugging warmly. Not long after, Jimmy had made his way over to him, a contented smile on his face."So?" Hikaru began his inquisition. "What did you say?""Well, I started with an apology, for reasons that should be obvious." Jimmy

New Mexican desert…Nine minutes were left on the clock for Jimmy Nomad as he prowled across the large rock in search of El Bandido. His search ended when Bandido tumbled out from beneath the formation, turned around as he stood, and fired up at his opponent. Jimmy spun sideways, narrowly avoiding the bullets, and leapt forward off the rock to land behind a smaller stone structure. He grunted as he hit the ground shoulder-first, but he managed to quickly pull himself up to lean his back against the rock he chose for cover. El Bandido swiftly found protection for himself as he reloaded his revolvers, noting the low amount of ammo he carried in his coat. He shot up from behind the rock with his weapons raised, but the moment he did so, an already standing Jimmy Nomad shot him in the right shoulder. In a spin, Bandido fell to the ground, a scarlet mist bursting off the black coat upon the bullet's impact. Jimmy sprinted to his fallen target as fast as possible, bounding over the rock his

New Mexican desert…With trepidation in their steps, Jimmy Nomad and Kenseijin stalked towards the entrance to the mine that stood unbecoming of the desert landscape that surrounded it. The steel frame of the closed metal door sat rusted and dirtied within the large rock, and around the two heroes, small stone formations stood at chest height. The dust under the heroes' feet carried the orange colour of the slowly setting sun above them. The two Crusaders moved with their hands hovering over their waists, anticipating the inevitable moment where they'd draw their weapons. Until that moment, Kenseijin saw fit to answer some lingering questions he had towards Jimmy Nomad."Why would he take Nick?" He asked. Jimmy was a bit slow to acknowledge the question, being buried in concentration from the moment they teleported to the mine."What?""You and Nick haven't been together in over a decade. If El Bandido wanted to get his revenge on you and prove to the world you aren't a changed man, w

Los Angeles…James walked out of the apartment building, his eyes dashing around the street in a paranoid manner for reasons only he knew. In the waist of his jeans, concealed by his shirt, he carried the present that awaited him in the vacant apartment from which he came: two revolvers, paired with a stockpile of lead bullets. Moments ago, he received another phone call from Bandido, saying the two would 'pick up where they left off' in a message with obvious meaning to James. He moved as fast as he could past the alleyway, but couldn't escape the hands that gripped his shoulders before spinning him around and slamming him into the brick wall. His hands moved instinctively for the guns in his jacket, and he swiftly raised the barrels into the face of his attacker. Then he realised who he was dealing with, and stopped, prompting his assailant to quickly snatch the weapons."What are you doing with these?" He asked."Good to see you keepin' that paranoia in check, Hikaru," James said.