Backyard Hero

Chapter 1: The Girl in the White Dress

"Hello?" Max said, as he slowly started walking toward the edge of the crater. "Is someone there? Are you hurt?"

A girl. She turned and looked up at Max from her position at the center of debris. A white shawl covered most of her face, leaving only two fierce eyes visible. They were dark and beautiful, and when they landed on Max he lost himself in their depths.

Not a girl, a woman.

"I can help —" Max began to say, as he reached his hand out to help her up.

A curved sword appeared in the woman's hand. She thrust forward and began to spin. Her dress twirled and spread out from her like the petals of a white lily. She rose up into the air like the morning sun. Ribbons of white cloth rained down over the cracked pavement as Max looked up in amazement.

"You're a —" Max said.

"Run, you idiot."

The mysterious woman landed next to Max, now wearing nothing but a skintight black jumpsuit. It was armored in strategic places, but it still left so little to the imagination that Max couldn't help himself as his eyes drifted downward. Before Max could finish his inspection she was already running.

"Wait!" He yelled while chasing after her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Run!" she answered without turning back.

Before he realized it, Max was running at full speed, without worrying to hold back. Shit, he thought, I can't let myself get caught keeping up with a classer. He began to fall back but the woman reached out and grabbed him by the hand.

"Look," she said, "I'm not going to let you die for something that is my fault. When they get here, just stay behind me and run when I say."

"When who—"

"Them," she came to a stop and pointed in front of her where three brilliant orbs of white energy where beginning to form. Max looked away for a moment as the orbs grew brighter before exploding into a wave of light and kinetic force.

Three men and a woman appeared where the orbs had been. Each wore utilitarian looking uniforms that were lightly armored and vaguely military, but that had no identifying marks. Classers.

"Is that a ..." Max said. "That's a Quad."

"Yes, but they're after me. If you don't interfere ... well, they'll still probably kill you. Good news is that you'll be an afterthought. I'll deal with them and buy you some time to escape."

"No way," Max shook his head. "I still don't know what's going on, but I'm not leaving you alone if these guys are after you. Quad or not."

"Suit yourself," the woman smiled and held her sword above her head.

She shimmered for a moment before her blade lengthened and became wider. Around her formed a suit of polished armor, much like that of a medieval knight. The metal was almost pure white and was adorned with gold plating and expensive jewels.

This is no ordinary classer, Max thought. Even still, there was no way she could take on a Quad by herself.

"Eve," Max reached into a pocket and grasped the command orb. "Re-Spec: Might."

"Re-Spec successful," said Eve, "All points allocated to Might; user is granted the Warrior role for the next 45 minutes, 27 seconds."

Max felt his muscles grow and strengthen. The wet t-shirt that clung to his chest and stomach grew taught and threatened to break. At the same time, Max felt sluggish and it became difficult to think of anything but battle.

The mysterious girl looked at Max with a raised eyebrow but said nothing before she charged toward the Quad that was also beginning to move forward.

The female member of the Quad was dressed in a flowing gown and held a long staff with a blazing azure gem affixed to one end. As she ran, arrows of blue light shot from her staff. Dozens of them were cutting through the rain, aiming directly for the mysterious woman in the white armor.

Max roared, drawing eyes toward him. Damn, not smart. He couldn't help but respond, his body launching forward before his mind could react.

"I told you to run!" The mystery woman yelled as she effortlessly batted away countless magical arrows. "I don't need the help of some single-digit classer fresh off his first delve!"

"I am running!" Max yelled right before colliding with the startled girl. He grabbed her in his arms and leaped. They sailed over the railing and began to plunge towards the dark water beneath the bridge.

"What are you doing —"

"Saving your life," Max said.

"Eve! Activate Fade."

"Fade Initializing: Commencing in 3 ... 2 ..."

Everything became cold and black as they sank beneath the waves.