Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Twelve - Still Dreaming

"QBert, please calm dow―" Jumpman began.

"I can't calm down, Jay!" QBert yelled at him. Although the look on his face was of anger, real fear shone in his eyes, rain falling past. "Coily was able to screw up the rules―the only thing that's stable in my life―and messed up our memories and got away with it. That's the kind of thing that scares me. I don't know how he did it or if he's gonna be able to do it again, and, and..." QBert grabbed his head. "And it's driving me crazy!" he shouted.

A large wave of orange translucent light pulsed from his body, and QBert staggered. The energy made the rain hiss and the Denali rock to the side on impac. The grass rolled back beneath, and Jumpman gasped as the wave hit him. His body reacted with electric blue numbers, and they sparked as QBert's energy passed through him like a rush of pins and needles. It left him breathless, and he stumbled back and fell to one knee. He stared straight down at the wet ground, and shook his head in an effort to clear the fuzziness. His vision blurred, the blades of grass meshing together beneath him, and he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head again, wet hair whipping back and forth. The movement sprayed drops of water. Then, finally he took a deep breath, and felt the static clear. He looked up and squinted through the rain―which had thickened―to see QBert staring at him with wide eyes.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The rain poured on them, soaking through their clothes, and thunder rumbled overhead. Once in a while, the dark clouds above them would flash with lightning.

QBert was breathing hard, and he tried to steady it. "Jumpman?" he asked quietly after a long pause. "Are..." He swallowed hard. "Are you okay?"

Jumpman's lips parted, and he looked down at himself. His hand was still on his chest from trying to catch his breath, and his right knee was starting to get numb from being on the cold ground. A few stray sparks flashed across his body, but that was it. "Uh... yeah. I think so. I'm just..." He looked up and shrugged a little. "I'm just more shocked, really, than anything."

"Jay, I wasn't joking around!" QBert shouted, his hands balling back up into fists.

"I wasn't trying to be funny! I meant it!" he quickly shouted back. "I'm..." He glanced down at himself before looking back up at him again. "I'm fine, QBert," he assured him.

QBert gulped. "Are you sure?" he asked shakily, yet surprisingly stern, and a seriousness in his gaze.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he replied. He got to his feet, and looked at his friend; he seemed relieved, but shaken, and Jumpman watched as his fists slowly uncurled. When they did, they shook.

"Are you okay?" he asked him.

QBert's eyes widened at the question, but he looked away and didn't answer. A hand of his absentmindedly reached up and tugged on an ear, a move Jumpman had seen him do when he was in distress, which wasn't often. He didn't look like he did it to calm himself down, but rather it just seemed to be a natural instinct. QBert closed his eyes, and his shoulders shuddered as he took a deep breath. Then another. A second later, he opened his eyes with a frown, and abruptly looked at the Denali. Jumpman followed his gaze, and was startled to see the face of an awake Pacman, who had rolled down the window and was looking at QBert. His face was relatively neutral in his weariness, but the look in his eyes was the same as when QBert had flickered on the floor back in Ugg and Slick's lair―deep concern, and fear for his friend's safety. QBert's lips parted, and then pressed tightly together as he looked away. His hand dropped from his ear. "I..." He clenched and unclenched his fists. It seemed like there was something he wanted to say, but just couldn't find the words. Then he straightened, rolling his shoulders. "I need to go get some rest," he stated.

Jumpman stepped forward. "QBert," he started to say, but he was cut off with a wave of a hand, their friend already heading towards the house. The rain splashed in quickly forming puddles and the sky thundered nearby, sending vibrations that he could feel in his feet from the ground. QBert just walked up the steps of the porch, taking care not to slip from their wetness, and opened the front door to the house without another word. Jumpman stood there in the front yard, looking after him through the rain with a worried gaze, even after he heard the sound of the door closing.

When it shut behind him, QBert let out a long sigh and fell back on it with a wet thump. He rubbed his shoulders and his arms; every inch of him was drenched from the rain, and water dripped from his clothes and his hair, running down his face―he faintly felt aware of a puddle forming at his feet, but he didn't care. He looked down and slowly held out his shaky hands before him. Small tendrils of neon orange electricity flashed around his palms and circled his fingers. QBert grit his teeth and set his head against the door with a hard thump, also wet. "What the @!?#@! are we?" he whispered. A word balloon appeared beside him, and he wrapped his arms around himself tighter, a tired and ragged sigh escaping his lips.

Only thunder replied.