Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Cutscene Part 2 - They Meet

Pacman's eyes widened. "Oh boy," he said to himself, speeding up.

"Hey! Hotshot!" called an unfamiliar voice. "You in the yellow!" That grabbed his attention, and he glanced back to see a member of the hockey team waving his arm at him and shout, "Watch your step!"

Pacman turned to look around, tense and alert, and suddenly with a gasp, he stomped his right foot down on the ice... to jump over the dark blur beneath him. His zip-up hoodie flapped behind him. When coming back down, his left foot narrowly missed landing on top of the black hockey puck. He slid forward with both feet on the slick surface, and he started to lift his arms for balance. Then he hissed through his teeth with a grimace, and grabbed his right arm, his shoulder throbbing in pain. He quickly let go of it to focus on balancing himself with his left arm.

Some of the hockey team zipped past him, heading for the puck. "Watch the puck, man!" he heard from behind him.

He frowned at the familiar words, turning his head around to look behind him. "What did you just say?" he asked the hockey player. Then he looked past the player's shoulder, something catching his eye.

It was Blinky, and he was coming for him.

Pacman quickly turned away, and reached for a player on his left, using them to bring himself forward. "Sorry," he said as they stumbled on the ice, and he moved forward faster; he didn't feel too bad about it though, they wore protection, he didn't. He was almost to the end of the rink. Hockey players now surrounded him, making him have to dodge and weave through them. A player suddenly ran into his right side, causing him to cry out and spin wildly. "Sorry!" the player called, casting a glance behind himself. "You should really get off the ice. It's not safe to be on here right now."

"Yeah, what's that kid thinking?" he heard another player chime in agreement. "It's suicide!"

Pacman's foot slipped and he fell down hard. "Tell me about it," he said through his teeth as he slid across the ice, spinning on his back. He curled up to make himself smaller as skaters zoomed past and around him. "Excuse me! Coming through!" he yelled. "Pardon me! Augh!"

Someone had tried to slow down enough in time, but they tripped over his legs. The hockey player fell to the ice beside him. Pacman grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as he spun even faster from the blow. He shot his legs out so he'd slow down, and felt himself kick something; most likely was the hockey guy. That slowed him to a bearable speed, and he opened his eyes—and came face to face with a shining blade.

He jerked his face back, and as his spinning twirled him around, he realized that it was just one of the hockey player's feet. He saw the rest of the ice skate, and... he stared at it. When his back spun round, he waited until it came back into view to look at it again.

And in his mind, as he gazed at it, something...

... clicked.

It wasn't so much of an idea that formed, as it was instinct. Looking up from the hockey player's foot, he saw Blinky on his own skates, heading straight for him. Pacman clenched his jaw, getting himself ready. When he turned again, his back facing the ghost, he got his arms beneath him, pushing himself up off the ice. He winced as his right arm protested in pain, but he pushed harder anyway, which he found difficult to do with him while rotating, albeit slower now. Seeing that Blinky was closer, he pressed himself further to get up. In a crouch, still twirling around, he closed his eyes. In his head, he thought back to the ice skates the player was wearing... pictured it... the shape of the footwear...

... and the blade.

Pacman opened his eyes to see Blinky skating toward him furiously. He felt electric energy course through him, and catching the ghost's gaze, he gave him a small smile. Blinky's eyes widened when he saw Pacman's irises flash, and Pacman spun back around again, facing toward the end of the rink.