ULTRAMagic Interval - Chapter 12
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“Hey, Jack?” Will asked.
“What’s up, Will?” he replied as he drove Sam and Will to the city.
“I was thinking about what you said yesterday, the internet detox bit. Despite all of the chaos we’re going through, I’ve actually been feeling a lot better.”
“Ha, the irony, am I right?”
“Right before all the stuff with Bethany, there was a lot of negativity on the internet and it was disheartening. I’m not faulting people for having to deal with trouble and nonsense, it’s just that… I think a lot of people need to log off and go outside.”
Jackson nodded. “If you ask me, I don’t think humanity in its current state was ready for the internet. Modernity made everyone think they should have everything handed to them on a silver platter and the internet compounded that…”
Sam was a little confused. “What do you mean by that? How does the internet make it worse?”
“Free entertainment. Look at it this way, Sammy: Working for a reward feels great because we earned it. We feel fulfilled for working hard and being compensated for it. Funny cat videos on the web? You didn’t earn that, the cat owner earned that. It’s further devalued when you realize any Tom, Dick, and Larry with working legs can go anywhere with a computer and free internet access and look up these videos with minimal effort. Now people who pay the bills? That’s a little different. Everyone else? They’ve become unfulfilled, feel guilty about doing nothing, and take their issues out on other people to feel something.”
“Well, that’s a fairly blunt way to look at it. You have to keep in mind that people have a right to escapism though.”
“Absolutely. I’m just saying you should earn that escape. I mean, it is your responsibility to be productive and contribute to society. What does it say about someone who doesn’t contribute yet demands rewards?”
Will then had a quirky realization. “Oh, like… hold on, like how I’d come home from school as a kid and watch a VHS tape?”
“Yeah, sure,” Jackson replied. “You went to school, learned some stuff, helped some teachers pay their bills, and did your homework. I’d say you’re entitled to a little entertainment after all that.”
Sam nodded after processing that idea. “Alright, fair enough. It kind of sends the wrong message when you just hand a kid a tablet with access to the internet…”
“Precisely,” Jackson replied. “Parents are turning their kids into spoiled brats by giving them free entertainment which tells them that they should get whatever they want no matter what…” he trailed off as he rounded a corner.
Will gave a subtle laugh. “Hey, Sam, you can tell all of those witch bloggers to buzz off, we’re busy saving the world, hehe.”
Jackson finally parked the car. “What?”
Sam rolled her eyes at the thought. “Yeah, I got called out by a bunch of internet witches for studying the occult…” she answered as she got out, being greeted by the sounds of cars passing by. “You know, a bunch of enthusiasts that don’t actually practice magic. It’s kind of annoying because I announced I was giving up witchcraft in favor of alchemy on my social media…”
“You wouldn’t believe how many times they’ve tried to ‘curse’ us,” Will added as he shut his door. He could smell autumn in the wind.
Jackson shook his head. “Jeez, I thought witches liked all that spooky occult stuff.”
“Not internet witches,” Sam replied. “They all claim they’re Pagan, but treat demons like religious wackadoos would. Freaking discount Christians…”
That made Jackson laugh. “Alright, let’s get busy. You guys want to check out AR-Jay’s Electronics? They got some really old retro games, along the lines of the 5th and 6th generations, and even the 4th generation at times.”
“Wait, really?” Will was excited. “Sure, let’s go!”
While the others back at M.A.I.G. were nervous about Will being out and about, everyone agreed it was ideal for his mental health. After buying some video games at the cozy electronics store, Jackson took the two to his favorite pizza restaurant in the city for some lunch. They even crossed paths with Satsuki, who was out gathering intel. At some point while wandering the lively city, Will was lured away by something odd. A child that looked like him ran down a fairly mundane alley.
“This isn’t going to work…” Bethany pointed out from the shadows to Valentin.
“Hook, line, and sinker…” Valentin smugly boasted as Will walked down the alley.
Bethany was dumbstruck. “Wait, what!?” Is he stupid?!”
“Be quiet and hide!” Valentin ordered. Just as Will stepped into the right position, Valentin got out a card and threw it.
“WILL, GET DOWN!” Faustus shouted as he tackled him to the ground.
“WHAT THE!?” Will exclaimed as the card hit a dumpster, merging it with the stone wall.
“You are so lucky Umuka told me what you were up to!” Faustus went into Will and readied a fireball. “Where’d he go!?”
“Will!” Sam called out as she and Jackson came running down the alley. “Are you okay!?”
“Just what were you thinking, Weatherman!?” Jackson demanded to know.
“I…I saw something odd and wanted to make sure it wasn’t…”
Jackson sighed. “Don’t worry, I’m calling this in…” The dumpster fell to the ground as he got out the walkie talkie, startling him. “I’m going to need a patrol of quadrant B starting from the alley between El Street and Harbor Street… Yeah, Will encountered Perkele again…”
It was right back to M.A.I.G. after that, no two ways about it. Trumna was hesitant to authorize another trip to the city the next day, even though Will promised to be careful. Mayhem could see that Will wanted to check out some more of Jackson’s favorite places, so he offered to go with them. He also wanted to see the city without having to scope it out. Faustus also volunteered, making it clear that he did not care if maintaining his disguise required a bit more effort. After thinking about it, Trumna approved the trip. On the bright side, Valentin acting up would potentially secure M.A.I.G. more government funding.
Things went fairly smoothly that day, with the group having fun at the hobby shops and nature parks Jackson enjoyed. This was interrupted when Bethany jumped Will, however. She wound him up in red threads made of magic and pulled him into another alley. Just as she was about to sting him with her tail, Mayhem intervened and shackled Bethany in spectral chains. He then cut Will free, followed by them taking a moment to gloat given Bethany’s predicament.
Of course Bethany took exception to this mockery and stung Will, as her tail could stretch further than Mayhem initially thought. Will rapidly turned into a clear, glass statue. To fix this, Mayhem went into Will, reversing whatever the poison was. While Will had no control over his actions, Mayhem did not need it as he created a gust of wind that sent Bethany flying. Upon leaving Will, parts of the dullahan’s body were still glass. Jackson and the others found the two, got them right back to M.A.I.G., and went straight to Fractal to get Will all fixed up. The odds of another trip to the city being authorized after all of that were slim to none.
The following mid-morning, a motorcycle was blazing down the roads to Red River City. Riding the bike was an odd man and his girlfriend, who were heading to M.A.I.G. headquarters. Despite making good time, the man had a nagging feeling he was forgetting something. This was compounded when he drove through an open checkpoint, getting the impression he was not supposed to do that.
The mechanics were a little concerned when the slick, black and white motorcycle pulled into the garage, with some going for help. The biker radiated unease and many were contemplating whether or not they should have done something right then and there. And the fact that the man was accompanied by a woman who felt like she did and did not belong worsened this paranoia.
“See, Ekaterina? No muss, no fuss… I think.”
“Vlastimir, sweetie, they don’t look happy to see us…”
Before the two could take their helmets off, a group of security guards had their guns pointed at them. “Put your hands up where I can see them!” the leader ordered.
“Um, I’m Zoltan’s son, Vlastimir. I believe he’s expecting us” the biker said as he raised his hands.
The guard turned to one of the others. “Get a hold of Zoltan…”
Zoltan and Trumna were quick to respond, making their way down the halls to garage 1A. “I really hope that’s Vlastimir, Zoltan.”
“Knowing my boy, absolutely…” he groaned. Entering the garage, Zoltan immediately recognized his son. “Vlastimir! You were supposed to go to the city first!”
“Put your weapons down, men,” Trumna calmly instructed.
Vlastimir chuckled as he took off his helmet, revealing his red eyes and pinkish hair. “Sorry, dad. There was an opportunity and I took it.”
“Hold up, I wrote down the instructions Zoltan told us though,” Ekaterina pointed out as she took off her helmet. She had long, blonde hair and orangish eyes.
“Sorry, bout of madness and whatnot…”
She pinched his cheek, making him laugh. “You are so lucky we’ve been through thick and thin.”
Trumna cleared his throat. “This is an official U.S. military base, Mr. Dracul. Normally trespassing like this would be a federal crime… but given the circumstances and who you are, welcome to M.A.I.G. headquarters, you two.”
“Come along, Will’s in lounge AC-1 at the moment,” Zoltan said as he indicated for Vlastimir and Ekaterina to follow him.
Over at the lounge, Will, Sam, Buster, Olivia, and Adrien were discussing the events from the past two days. The latter three were not thrilled Will had gotten into trouble, but were glad he was alright. They still lectured him on being careful though. Zoltan then stuck his head in the room, pausing the conversation.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“Not at all,” Sam replied. “We’re just getting on Boyo’s case about not going down random alleys. What’s up, Zoltan?”
“Will, Vlastimir is here.”
The biggest smile stretched across Will's face as he saw his old friend enter the room. “Vlastimir!”
“Will!” The two hugged like long lost brothers.
Will noticed there was something odd about his friend’s attire. “Holy crap, are these clothes made out of your blood?”
Vlastimir nodded. “I’ve had 20 years in The Unlight to master my blood, haha.”
“20 years!?”
“Yeah… or maybe it was 15… Either way, all I have to show for it is this awesome girlfriend right here…”
Ekaterina laughed. “Vlastimir, you goofball.”
“Will, this is Ekaterina Moore,” Vlastimir introduced. “Eka, this is Will.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Ekaterina said as she shook Will’s hand.
“Same here.” Will noticed something odd, like there was something under her skin. He was going to say something, but hesitated as it felt awkward to point out for some reason.
Zoltan clapped. “Most excellent. Adrien, could you watch these two while I go get some things settled and get their security cards all situated?” He nodded. “Thank you, I’ll be back soon.”
Adrien smiled. “Come on over, you two. Have a seat.”
After a quick round of introductions, Will spoke. “So, Vlastimir, you’ll have to bear with me as my memories are still coming back…”
“I know how you feel. The same happened to me after I got to the Unlight. You wouldn’t believe how distracting it was fighting The Lich of Old while thinking about you and our classmates…”
Sam was caught off guard by that. “The Lich of Old? You’re… You’re one of the ones who fought him?”
Vlastimir nodded. “You’ve heard of us?”
“Yeah, it turns out Sam’s been to the Unlight before,” Will answered.
“I’m also from the Unlight,” Buster added.
Ekaterina and Vlastimir looked at each other for a moment, as if processing all of that. “Really now?” She asked. “Can you tell us more, if you don’t mind?”
Adrien could see it was getting a little awkward for Sam. “In due time, but first let’s get you two up to speed. It has been a wild couple of weeks here.”
Will mischievously chuckled. “Like how yesterday I got turned into a glass statue…”
“Ooh, do tell.” Vlastimir had an overly curious desire to know more.
Ekaterina chuckled. “Why do I get the feeling your old professor, Milan, wouldn’t be thrilled over this?”
Next: Chapter 13
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
“Hey, Jack?” Will asked.
“What’s up, Will?” he replied as he drove Sam and Will to the city.
“I was thinking about what you said yesterday, the internet detox bit. Despite all of the chaos we’re going through, I’ve actually been feeling a lot better.”
“Ha, the irony, am I right?”
“Right before all the stuff with Bethany, there was a lot of negativity on the internet and it was disheartening. I’m not faulting people for having to deal with trouble and nonsense, it’s just that… I think a lot of people need to log off and go outside.”
Jackson nodded. “If you ask me, I don’t think humanity in its current state was ready for the internet. Modernity made everyone think they should have everything handed to them on a silver platter and the internet compounded that…”
Sam was a little confused. “What do you mean by that? How does the internet make it worse?”
“Free entertainment. Look at it this way, Sammy: Working for a reward feels great because we earned it. We feel fulfilled for working hard and being compensated for it. Funny cat videos on the web? You didn’t earn that, the cat owner earned that. It’s further devalued when you realize any Tom, Dick, and Larry with working legs can go anywhere with a computer and free internet access and look up these videos with minimal effort. Now people who pay the bills? That’s a little different. Everyone else? They’ve become unfulfilled, feel guilty about doing nothing, and take their issues out on other people to feel something.”
“Well, that’s a fairly blunt way to look at it. You have to keep in mind that people have a right to escapism though.”
“Absolutely. I’m just saying you should earn that escape. I mean, it is your responsibility to be productive and contribute to society. What does it say about someone who doesn’t contribute yet demands rewards?”
Will then had a quirky realization. “Oh, like… hold on, like how I’d come home from school as a kid and watch a VHS tape?”
“Yeah, sure,” Jackson replied. “You went to school, learned some stuff, helped some teachers pay their bills, and did your homework. I’d say you’re entitled to a little entertainment after all that.”
Sam nodded after processing that idea. “Alright, fair enough. It kind of sends the wrong message when you just hand a kid a tablet with access to the internet…”
“Precisely,” Jackson replied. “Parents are turning their kids into spoiled brats by giving them free entertainment which tells them that they should get whatever they want no matter what…” he trailed off as he rounded a corner.
Will gave a subtle laugh. “Hey, Sam, you can tell all of those witch bloggers to buzz off, we’re busy saving the world, hehe.”
Jackson finally parked the car. “What?”
Sam rolled her eyes at the thought. “Yeah, I got called out by a bunch of internet witches for studying the occult…” she answered as she got out, being greeted by the sounds of cars passing by. “You know, a bunch of enthusiasts that don’t actually practice magic. It’s kind of annoying because I announced I was giving up witchcraft in favor of alchemy on my social media…”
“You wouldn’t believe how many times they’ve tried to ‘curse’ us,” Will added as he shut his door. He could smell autumn in the wind.
Jackson shook his head. “Jeez, I thought witches liked all that spooky occult stuff.”
“Not internet witches,” Sam replied. “They all claim they’re Pagan, but treat demons like religious wackadoos would. Freaking discount Christians…”
That made Jackson laugh. “Alright, let’s get busy. You guys want to check out AR-Jay’s Electronics? They got some really old retro games, along the lines of the 5th and 6th generations, and even the 4th generation at times.”
“Wait, really?” Will was excited. “Sure, let’s go!”
While the others back at M.A.I.G. were nervous about Will being out and about, everyone agreed it was ideal for his mental health. After buying some video games at the cozy electronics store, Jackson took the two to his favorite pizza restaurant in the city for some lunch. They even crossed paths with Satsuki, who was out gathering intel. At some point while wandering the lively city, Will was lured away by something odd. A child that looked like him ran down a fairly mundane alley.
“This isn’t going to work…” Bethany pointed out from the shadows to Valentin.
“Hook, line, and sinker…” Valentin smugly boasted as Will walked down the alley.
Bethany was dumbstruck. “Wait, what!?” Is he stupid?!”
“Be quiet and hide!” Valentin ordered. Just as Will stepped into the right position, Valentin got out a card and threw it.
“WILL, GET DOWN!” Faustus shouted as he tackled him to the ground.
“WHAT THE!?” Will exclaimed as the card hit a dumpster, merging it with the stone wall.
“You are so lucky Umuka told me what you were up to!” Faustus went into Will and readied a fireball. “Where’d he go!?”
“Will!” Sam called out as she and Jackson came running down the alley. “Are you okay!?”
“Just what were you thinking, Weatherman!?” Jackson demanded to know.
“I…I saw something odd and wanted to make sure it wasn’t…”
Jackson sighed. “Don’t worry, I’m calling this in…” The dumpster fell to the ground as he got out the walkie talkie, startling him. “I’m going to need a patrol of quadrant B starting from the alley between El Street and Harbor Street… Yeah, Will encountered Perkele again…”
It was right back to M.A.I.G. after that, no two ways about it. Trumna was hesitant to authorize another trip to the city the next day, even though Will promised to be careful. Mayhem could see that Will wanted to check out some more of Jackson’s favorite places, so he offered to go with them. He also wanted to see the city without having to scope it out. Faustus also volunteered, making it clear that he did not care if maintaining his disguise required a bit more effort. After thinking about it, Trumna approved the trip. On the bright side, Valentin acting up would potentially secure M.A.I.G. more government funding.
Things went fairly smoothly that day, with the group having fun at the hobby shops and nature parks Jackson enjoyed. This was interrupted when Bethany jumped Will, however. She wound him up in red threads made of magic and pulled him into another alley. Just as she was about to sting him with her tail, Mayhem intervened and shackled Bethany in spectral chains. He then cut Will free, followed by them taking a moment to gloat given Bethany’s predicament.
Of course Bethany took exception to this mockery and stung Will, as her tail could stretch further than Mayhem initially thought. Will rapidly turned into a clear, glass statue. To fix this, Mayhem went into Will, reversing whatever the poison was. While Will had no control over his actions, Mayhem did not need it as he created a gust of wind that sent Bethany flying. Upon leaving Will, parts of the dullahan’s body were still glass. Jackson and the others found the two, got them right back to M.A.I.G., and went straight to Fractal to get Will all fixed up. The odds of another trip to the city being authorized after all of that were slim to none.
The following mid-morning, a motorcycle was blazing down the roads to Red River City. Riding the bike was an odd man and his girlfriend, who were heading to M.A.I.G. headquarters. Despite making good time, the man had a nagging feeling he was forgetting something. This was compounded when he drove through an open checkpoint, getting the impression he was not supposed to do that.
The mechanics were a little concerned when the slick, black and white motorcycle pulled into the garage, with some going for help. The biker radiated unease and many were contemplating whether or not they should have done something right then and there. And the fact that the man was accompanied by a woman who felt like she did and did not belong worsened this paranoia.
“See, Ekaterina? No muss, no fuss… I think.”
“Vlastimir, sweetie, they don’t look happy to see us…”
Before the two could take their helmets off, a group of security guards had their guns pointed at them. “Put your hands up where I can see them!” the leader ordered.
“Um, I’m Zoltan’s son, Vlastimir. I believe he’s expecting us” the biker said as he raised his hands.
The guard turned to one of the others. “Get a hold of Zoltan…”
Zoltan and Trumna were quick to respond, making their way down the halls to garage 1A. “I really hope that’s Vlastimir, Zoltan.”
“Knowing my boy, absolutely…” he groaned. Entering the garage, Zoltan immediately recognized his son. “Vlastimir! You were supposed to go to the city first!”
“Put your weapons down, men,” Trumna calmly instructed.
Vlastimir chuckled as he took off his helmet, revealing his red eyes and pinkish hair. “Sorry, dad. There was an opportunity and I took it.”
“Hold up, I wrote down the instructions Zoltan told us though,” Ekaterina pointed out as she took off her helmet. She had long, blonde hair and orangish eyes.
“Sorry, bout of madness and whatnot…”
She pinched his cheek, making him laugh. “You are so lucky we’ve been through thick and thin.”
Trumna cleared his throat. “This is an official U.S. military base, Mr. Dracul. Normally trespassing like this would be a federal crime… but given the circumstances and who you are, welcome to M.A.I.G. headquarters, you two.”
“Come along, Will’s in lounge AC-1 at the moment,” Zoltan said as he indicated for Vlastimir and Ekaterina to follow him.
Over at the lounge, Will, Sam, Buster, Olivia, and Adrien were discussing the events from the past two days. The latter three were not thrilled Will had gotten into trouble, but were glad he was alright. They still lectured him on being careful though. Zoltan then stuck his head in the room, pausing the conversation.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“Not at all,” Sam replied. “We’re just getting on Boyo’s case about not going down random alleys. What’s up, Zoltan?”
“Will, Vlastimir is here.”
The biggest smile stretched across Will's face as he saw his old friend enter the room. “Vlastimir!”
“Will!” The two hugged like long lost brothers.
Will noticed there was something odd about his friend’s attire. “Holy crap, are these clothes made out of your blood?”
Vlastimir nodded. “I’ve had 20 years in The Unlight to master my blood, haha.”
“20 years!?”
“Yeah… or maybe it was 15… Either way, all I have to show for it is this awesome girlfriend right here…”
Ekaterina laughed. “Vlastimir, you goofball.”
“Will, this is Ekaterina Moore,” Vlastimir introduced. “Eka, this is Will.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Ekaterina said as she shook Will’s hand.
“Same here.” Will noticed something odd, like there was something under her skin. He was going to say something, but hesitated as it felt awkward to point out for some reason.
Zoltan clapped. “Most excellent. Adrien, could you watch these two while I go get some things settled and get their security cards all situated?” He nodded. “Thank you, I’ll be back soon.”
Adrien smiled. “Come on over, you two. Have a seat.”
After a quick round of introductions, Will spoke. “So, Vlastimir, you’ll have to bear with me as my memories are still coming back…”
“I know how you feel. The same happened to me after I got to the Unlight. You wouldn’t believe how distracting it was fighting The Lich of Old while thinking about you and our classmates…”
Sam was caught off guard by that. “The Lich of Old? You’re… You’re one of the ones who fought him?”
Vlastimir nodded. “You’ve heard of us?”
“Yeah, it turns out Sam’s been to the Unlight before,” Will answered.
“I’m also from the Unlight,” Buster added.
Ekaterina and Vlastimir looked at each other for a moment, as if processing all of that. “Really now?” She asked. “Can you tell us more, if you don’t mind?”
Adrien could see it was getting a little awkward for Sam. “In due time, but first let’s get you two up to speed. It has been a wild couple of weeks here.”
Will mischievously chuckled. “Like how yesterday I got turned into a glass statue…”
“Ooh, do tell.” Vlastimir had an overly curious desire to know more.
Ekaterina chuckled. “Why do I get the feeling your old professor, Milan, wouldn’t be thrilled over this?”
Next: Chapter 13
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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