{Warning: This Chapter have illustrations/images that may contain Blood, Violence (Physical or Psychological) and Mild Language. Not recommended for peoplr who have Trigger, Phobia or feel sick with such things like Nausea or something. So, ya have the permission to skip the chapter. Do not worry, i will always make little explanations of the previous chapter in the new one. But if ya want to read it at your own risk, i won't stop you, but i will warn you again, preferrably do not read it if ya feel those things with such stuff. Good luck! And hey, Cole would be proud, Fellow Conduit! Also, this is the hugest chapter of it. May shorten it soon or divide it in two chapters}
߷ — Previously on Meta Runner: The Conduits —߷
Tari has finally learnt a bit more of her powers of the Conduits which are the Video abilities. She used her powers for the first time against a gang of drug dealers, her first good deed to the new city she lives now
Sofia has learnt more about the Conduits, how did they rose, when did they appeared for the first time and who made them rise, which is someone quite important for them. Somehow Lamar could know about them before the MD5, but no one believed him and this had been forgotten for years
While, Masa and Belle get to know more about Mario and the Conduits as well, but Belle certainly noticed more about him than the others.. Which bothered him quite a lot..
߷ — Now, in the New Chapter —߷
Tari's P.O.V
Another day learning more about my Conduit abilities. Sofia told me a bit more about these superhumans, and i am quite interested in learning to know more and more about them to be a hero and protect my friends and the innocent people! I know i can help them!
But.. I don't know if i am still powerful enough to fight a Conduit. I don't know if i am, since i didn't ask Luigi how much strong they can be. So i must do it! But where he could be..?
Hm.. Wait, he tends to make graffiti stuff, so he may be on some public place!
That's it, i'm going there!
So, i traveled with my new flight abilities that became muscular memory after practicing them a lot, and they don't consume my fuel, so it was easy to do it!
After some minutes, i was in the other city, since i found Luigi painting a beautiful art! It was like.. Darth Vader..? Is that his name? Ah, yeah yeah, it was! The guy who was once a good boy but turned evil because of the death of his mother and his wife's death but then redeemed himself to save his son!
Wow, he was so skilled in these stuff! I may wanna learn to draw like this!
So, i just greeted him to say hello and then i could ask about the Conduits.
"Hey, Luigi!"
Luigi — "Huh? Oh, hey, Tari! How are you doing?" He said, with the same giant smile as i always see him doing, and i retrieve it happily
"I'm great! What about you, my friend?" I said, enthusiastic
Luigi — "Oh, i'm alright! Well, what've you been doing? Capturing some drug dealers or helping people on their stuff?" He asked, just trying to be funny since i'm still new to these things
"Yeah, i'm doing these things good, but not often as you do!"
Luigi — "Great! Glad to see you doing the good for them!"
"Hehe, yeah, thanks!"
Luigi — "But well, i can know ya didn't came here to just greet me. Is there something you need?"
"Oh, yeah! There is! I just have a question. Am i strong enough to defeat my first Conduit?" I asked, not minding if he say i'm not since i was just curious and if i ain't, that means i will do my best to train!
Luigi — "Oh! Well, you're doing good anyways so.. Yeah, about that, you can't right now. You're still not strong enough, but you will be soon since you are a great prodigy!" He said, keeping the smile as he tried his best to not sound rude or something to not make me sad or angry for still being not strong
"Really? You think i will be?"
Luigi — "Of course you will, you are great! I mean, being Meta Runner may be it, but i guess not since you seem to be greater than one ever since you were born!"
"Ah, yeah, i am, i guess..! But thanks, anyway!" I was a bit sad since i still didn't told him i wasn't a total human. I mean, i am, but actually artificial. I'm not an Android cuz i can eat and do stuff a human could do, but created in lab rather than normally born, but that is in the past. I don't have to worry about it. And i guess if i tell him, he wouldn't mind
Luigi — "Well, while you are training with or without me your physical powers, we still haven't trained your virtual ones."
"Huh? You mean.. The warp? Me in the games?"
Luigi — "Yep! I can teach you how to hack the games without having to code or do these stuff to unlock abilties or cheat!"
"O-Oh, i mean, that would be nice! But.. I don't think this would be good to use in a tournament of games, since i may probably be banned for hacking."
Luigi — "I mean, yeah, you would. But ya can do this outside these stuff, okay?"
"Really? You mean it?"
Luigi — "Absolutely!"
"Well, i can try! Sure, i can! But i promise not to use in the tournaments!"
Luigi — "Don't worry, i know you won't! Come on, let's train!"
"Okay!"
Well, we took a walk back into my apartment while we were talking about the games i like to play and how these virtual powers could help me with getting used to warping in it and he told me how he learned those things in his years.
And.. Luigi always seems to be happy to talk about this whenever he talks to me. He likes to talk about these stuff. And i like too. I guess we wi be great friends, since we always use these stuff to protect our friends!
Anyway, it took some time but i am finally back in my apartment! It was small, but perfect to live for a person like me who don't really cook stuff or make some parties!
Luigi — "Hmm, hey, i have an idea. To start the basic with virtual powers inside the games, you must first get to a game you like to play and is most used to the controls. Which game you like to play, Tari?"
"Oh! Okay, nice! Well, i like to play Tempest for a bit. It's like those two games called.. Fortnite and League of Legends, right? It is a Battle Royale where you loot magical powers from the ground or the people you eliminate."
Luigi — "Great! That is perfect! Oh, uh, and sorry to interrupt the subject, but.. Remember the day you beat those criminals?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, i do! It was the happiest moment i had since i was doing the good for people. But why you ask that?"
Luigi — "Well, i noticed that in the day you fought them, i could see one of them shooting in your shoulder like, three times. So i wonder, how's those wounds?"
"Huh? Oh, well, i did got shot, but it wasn't really such a heavy wound to worry about. Like, after some two or three days, i was fully healed like nothing happened to me, didn't even made a scar."
Luigi — "Good, good, that is nice, glad to see you're okay."
Why did he ask that? Is it about what he said to me when i got the powers, about the "healing factor" thing? I mean, he knows i kinda have but.. Is he worried about me..? Does he.. Like me..? E-Even if it's a slight feeling? Anyway, i think i should ignore it.. F-for now..
Luigi — "Anyway, let's continue where we stopped. So, ya wanna start the training with this game?"
"O-Okay, sure! Go ahead!"
Then, he just quickly put the game to play, turning on my PC and loading the Tempest game for us to play. Then, he got the Joysticks for us to play, while he get the app for his gamer phone to play online!
"Okay, let me get my headset!"
I said, while quickly getting my headset and putting it on with my super speed!
Luigi — "Great, let's start! Do you already have a server for us to play privately?"
"Oh, i mean, i have one with MD5! I think they're not playing rn so we can be online to play it alone!"
Luigi — "Good!"
Then, i put on the game to play, while i give Luigi the password to join the server freely!
Then!
We start to play!
But this time, in this warp
My Tempest outfit was different than before!
I mean, it hadn't changed too much, but there is some differences
Like, i have a black coat with golden details
And there are more armory in my outfit
And my hair is not in ponytail, it's loose!
Like, i got leveled up to somewhat a Master or something!
And Luigi has warped with me too!
He had his own outfit
He had some sunglasses
His armory had golden parts
He had a golden gauntlet on the right hand with claws and sharp knuckles
And he had more heavy armor
While the black coat and the medieval outfit as well!
Luigi — "Woah, that seems a great game at all! My outfit is really cool! Yours as well! Ya look beautiful!"
"Hehe, thanks, thanks very much! But well, they're not as good as yours!"
Luigi — "Aww, thank you!"
"Anyway, i think we can start, right?"
Luigi — "Oh yeah! Right!"
Then, i prepare myself doing a combat stance pose and he does the same! I make mine a little more like kung fu while he make his like a brute fight
Luigi — "Well, first, you need to remember one thing. Once you warp, forget that you're in another world. I know you like Theo and all the video game characters, ya don't need to forget them. Just need to forget that this world exists and have rules. Forget the rules or the laws of Physics of this game. They are just a simulation, ya don't need to follow them."
"Okay, okay, right. I know, Theo is a character and i like him. But i need to forget to follow up the rules of this world. Forget the health, forget the jump, forget the gravity, forget everything!"
Luigi — "Good! Imagine like you have the Conduit powers in this game, or that you can use other games' powers in this one or even use the ones you can't!"
He said, while demonstrating it for me. He showed me up the ability bar he has. At first, he had none of them, but then he after some seconds, he unlocked all of them in one row! The wind, the shadow hand, the meteor shower, the sword, the heal, the shield and the laser fingers, the super speed, the crystals and other of them!
"Okay, okay. Need to imagine i gave all these powers because i don't need to follow the rules of this game. At least, not outside the tournaments."
I tried to do that. Closed my eyes and concentrated. I don't need to follow the rules, i don't need to. I can have all the powers i want to. Okay, i want the super speed, the wind jump, the laser fingers, the shadow hand the sword and the shield!
Come onnnn, come on! I can do it, i know i can!
Aaaandddd..
After some hard minutes, i could finally have the ones i wanted!
Yay! It really worked!
"Oh my Gosh, i did it! Thanks, Luigi, thanks!"
Luigi — "Hehe, no problem, Tari! No worries!"
"Haha, okay, okay! So.. What next?"
Luigi — "Oh, yeah, the next level. So, if you have those special visions, you can see that you have healthbars, stamina, mana bar and stuff, right?"
"Oh yeah, i have, i have those, yeah!"
Luigi — "So then, think you can just heal all of them in a instant, 1, 2 or 3 seconds or even better, you imagine you wither have none of them or all of them will be forever in the same animation and you won't die or get tired or get low in Mana."
"Huh? Oh, okay okay, like God Mode cheating, right! Immortal, Indestructible and Infinite Stats!"
Luigi — "Yeah, like that!"
"Okay.. How should i test it?"
Luigi — "Test it in me!"
"H-Huh..? Like.... Hurting.. You..? For real..?"
Luigi — "Yeah! Don't worry, Tari! even if i possibly die, i will be okay since it's just a game!"
"O-Oh, hehe, yeah, it's just a game! Well, i will do my best!"
Then, i justused all of my abilities combined in a strategic combat to hurt hum fatally or brutally.
He was good at dodging and counter-attacking, but as i see him fighting, i learn his type of combat!
He tried to avoid many pf my attacks, but i slowly could hurt him more and more until supposedly i could eliminate him from the game!
Aannnnddd....
Aaaaannnnndddd.....!
...
Come onnnnnn!
Yeah, i did it!
He's brutally injured! Oh Gosh, that seems so wrong, it seems like i am happy to try to murder someone, but i swear i'm not, it's part of the training, it's a game, okay? It's a game, nobody dies! Luigi is okay, outside the game!
But.. He didn't seem injured. and i could see his healthbar and his stamina didn't even low a tiny bit of it! It surely worked!
Luigi — "See? I told you i would be okay!"
"Ah, yeah, you did, your healthbar is still full and the other stuff too!"
Luigi — "Hehe, yeah! You can do it too!"
"Oh yeah, i can, right!"
Luigi — "Well, let's start with a easier part of this. Try to imagine your healthbar, stamina and mana will heal back to normal in seconds. First slow then quickly as soon as you get used to it."
"Okay, okay, right! Okay, well.. My health, sta and mana are full always, and whenever i get hit, they get back to normal in seconds."
I started concentrating.. I started to think deeply about healing, healing, and more healing, no matter which bar is healing.. They just heal. So i cannot die.
Then.. I asked Luigi to test it if it worked.
"Luigi, try to hit me with a you can!"
Luigi — "Huh? you sure? I don't wanna hurt you that much, you know, since i dunno if it can work in a first time training."
"I don't mind, i trust you, you're my best friend, i know you can do it, and i don't mind if i die, we can try again and i get better!"
Luigi — "Hm, okay, if you say so. Let's go!"
Then, he came up to me in the speed he acquired, doing the attacks like bending the earth to launche me and then using the crystals to hit me. Of course i could block, dodge and counter those attacks
He kept doing it, and i kept the defense of sdoding and countering the moves, since i wanted a nice and fun fight while training.
But at some points, i was injured by him
And then more
And more
And more..
Until i finally open my guard
Then he hits me with a fatal attack, which probably would make me get eliminated from the match
But i was still okay and there..
I was with a lot of wounds in my body.. They were spilling a lot of blood, and those injuries seemed horrible visually, like burn wounds, bullet wounds and bruises and cuts. Even my face had bruises.
But everything got back to normal slowly and all of my attributes got full once again!
I could heal!
Not in God Mode still, but i could at least be immune to death in-game!
But then something happened.
We got interrupted by a ringing sound coming up from my Meta Runner arm.
I went to see who was calling, and it was Masa.
Hmm, why is he calling me right now? I am busy.
Ooohh, right, i know why
He probably is mad because i gave a password of the server to someone he doesn't know by the username, since Luigi's nick is "KarmicEagle96"
Well, i don't mind if he scolds me, i am having fun!
"Hello? Masa?"
Masa — "Tari! What the heck are you doing?! Why is there someone in our private MD5 server?!"
"Oh, hey, well, i just gave the password to someone!"
Masa — "You did WHAT?! Tari, you know this is a server for training and personal plans for glitches and hacks, and you just simply gave the password to a stranger?"
"Eh, who is the guy you know that i would trust very much to give the password and has a specific nickname to represent a Conduit's behaviour?"
Masa — "Hm.. Luigi?"
"Exactly! He's my friend, and i trust him, so just calm down for a bit, we are just here to train me for hackimg the game so i can make God Mode and Infinite Money or All the Powers."
Masa — "Hmm, ok, i apogize for my behaviour. Tell Luigi i said hello to him. Well, you said he is training you to achieve God Mode and stuff through your warping thing. Can i watch it?"
"Oh, sure sure!"
Luigi — "Oh yeah, sure, man, come on in, watch the show!"
Masa — "Okay okay. Lamar would like to see this, right Tari?"
"Yeah, he would!"
Masa — "Hm, okay. Let me call him."
Then, i wait for a bit and Lamar has joined the video call. They were watching my vision on the Tempest match, and i was in front of Luigi.
Lamar — "No way, Tari! You are training to hack games inside of it?! So sick, lady!"
"Uh-huh! And all thanks to Luigi!"
Lamar — "Lady, you found the best guy to do this stuff! I remember now that he once did hack a lot of games to just keep up alive in them and win the matches! All of them doing inside of it!"
"Oh! That's cool! It seems very nice! So then, i think the next thing you will teach me is to forget the gravity and the limit of strength, speed, stamina, health, defense and stuff, right Luigi?"
Luigi — "Oh yeah, you bet i will! Well, do you think you are good to do all of this alone without me explaining it?"
"Oh yes, i think i am, i just think it will take a small time to do all of this, but i think i can!"
Lamar — "Okay lady, tell the gravity that yoy are not chained on 'er and you feel like a Goddess!"
Masa — "Hmm, that seems very interesting. I will watch it and comment about it a bit."
"Okay, right! First, need to imagine my body not limited to be in the ground anymore. Then, i need to imagine i don't have limits for my attributes. Right, got it!"
I concentrated once again and tried to do flight first. So, i don't have gravity anymore, i don't have gravity anymore, i don't have gravity anymore..
Theeeennnn...
Slowly....
I could float!
I concentrated more.. And more..
And i could fly! In high speed and freely to anywhere!
Luigi did the same as me!
Now the last step!
Need to imagine i don't have limits for my strengths again..
I don't have limits, i don't have limits, i don't have limits..
Soooo...
Slowlyyyyyy..
Aaaaaannnd...
There!
I could break blocks and lift them
I could be very fast!
And i could have a huge defense!
Nice!
I did all of this!
"I did it! I did all of them, i am good at it! I did it! Thanks, Luigi, thanks!"
Luigi — "Hehehe, no problem, Tari! I just did what i needed to do, my friend!
"hahaha, okay, okay, okay! Thanks, but mpw, i'm interested in these. Can we spar for a bit? Just a friendly spar, 1v1, with these stuff just to test our limits!"
Luigi — "Huh? Oh sure, we can, i would love to test your limits! Let's keep it up and start the fight!"
"Okay, okay!"
Masa — "I trust you, Tari. I know you can do it. If you don't win, do not worry, there is always next time, and this is just a friendly spar, so it's just to have fun."
Lamar — "Come on, Tari! Do your best, girl! I know you can do it! Let's see you win, girl!"
Sofia's P.O.V:
Well, you readers are wondering why i wasn't with Masa and Lamar cheering for Tari while she is training and fight with Luigi.
Well, that is because i was more curious about the Conduits' stories and legends/facts more than that, since i know Tari is the best Runner of Silica City and she can do it.
I was outside the hideout of the MD5, looking for people who could've known about the life of the Conduits before us.
I was asking them about it and asking if they have something involved to it.
There were people helping me about it, telling me about how much Conduits lived in this world, how many years they have been around and how they have been helpful for people
But others seemed.. Sad, or angry or scared about them, and they were telking me there were some terrible Conduits. Some that ended lives for selfish deeds, how much property destruction they did with all the power they have, the monsters they created, the deaths of innocent people and the sacrifice of lives to create/unleash new Conduits.
All of them seemed interesting and kind of realistic at some sort of way
Surely people would be scared to suddenly unleash some random powers they didn't even know they had
And how much people could die when they do their stuff for evil or even for good
The monsters they could create with this kind of power
But then, at some part of my quest of knowing what are the Conduits, i bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry, sorry! I didn't see you!"
??? — "Hey, it's okay! Don't worry, miss! It was nothing much, you are fine."
"Oh, uhm, mister, do you know something about the Conduits?"
??? — "Huh? Oh yes, i know some stuff. What do you need?"
"Oh well, i wanted to know some stuff like.. Did at some moment the government made some sprt of special unity to stop the Conduits and arrest them?"
??? — "Oh yeah, let me show you. There are on the news. There was a special unity created since 2011, but these special unity were not used anymore ever since 2018 because of some incidents. They were called D.U.P. Department of United Protection.
"Oh! Right! Okay.. So a special unity were created in 2011 to arrest Conduits but they stopped working due to accidents in 2018. Got it. Why exactly they stopped..?" I said, while writing that in my Ipad to keep it in the noteblock to know more about them
??? — "Well, because a Conduit called Delsin has known what they did to the Conduits besides arresting them because of the witneases who were caught by them."
"Oh! Okay! Soo.. Somewhat like.. They torture the Conduits, train them to kill, authoritary move, martial law or something?"
??? — "Yep, all of them. So their leader got turned in to jail and they cancelled the special unity."
"Alright! D.U.P cancelled because of Authoritary moves, martial law, torture with prisoners, training to kill with prisoners, bad treatment and lying to the media." I kept writing to keep it saved so i could do something about it.
??? — "Well, that's all i know a bit. Also, people are still a bit scared and don't like Conduits if you have talked to them before me."
"Oh yeah, yeah. They did seem it. I guess the D.U.P and the bad Conduits made them still scared even 12 years later."
??? — "Yeah. But me and my friends are trying to keep the people from this country safe and calm about all of these stuff and reveal the lies about us Conduits."
"Oh, so you have a group of friends to calm people about it? Are there any progress for your gang? And you are a Conduit?"
??? — "Oh yeah yeah, they are doing very good, thanks! Don't worry, we are doing our best for it."
"Okay, thanks for all the cooperation, sir!ay i have your name, please?"
??? — "Oh, it's Luke! Luke Mark Glitchervagul IV!"
"Oh, okay, Mr. Luke! Do you have other name to call you?"
Luke — "Well, Call me SMG4 or Just G4 is enough!"
"Okay, Mr. G4! Thanks!"
G4 — "What's your name, miss?"
"Oh, it's Sofia! Sofia Porter!"
G4 — "Okay, Ms. Sofia! Well, if someday you want, you can find me in the local library of the town or thw Kinopio's Café nearby! We can talk about this more if i find more stuff abut the Conduits!"
"Oh, okay, Mr. G4! Thanks!"
G4 — "Okay, i gotta go now. See ya, Ms. Sofia!"
"Bye, Mr. G4!"
Belle's P.O.V
M
ario invited me to join his house and get some coffee and breakfast since my apartment was on renovation today. I was changing some stuff to be more gamer-like so i can continue the stuff. It was nice of him since i didn't want to bother the MD5. I mean, i know he doesn't trust me that much, but i know he is a nice guy after all.
Well, i just got accomodated drinking my coffee and just looking at what the TV was passing right about now. It was passing a series about some guys joining a brutal game to pay their debts
But then he interrupted my watch with something.
Mario — "Well, if ya wanna check my house, yoy're welcome to do it, you can check all of them. Luigi is not home right now, so you can check his room and mine.. Just.. Don't check mime that much, please.."
"Oh! Uh, alright, sure, i was getting bored in just being sitting here all time, so why not?"
I was just confused about one thing.. Why didn't he want me to check his room completely..? Is there something he want to hide from me or from someone else..?
Well, anyway, i went to check his room to not feel bored and get interested in what they do.
So, Luigi's room was a bit more gamer and artistic since it had lots of posters and drawings and some pro gamer stuff like chairs, mics, headphones and his PC along with a lot of consoles, even old ones. Wow, so he is a true old gamer even though being young.
While Mario's room is a bit more normal, has some more casual things on the room, his doctorate, his doctor outfit and stuff like that. Yeah, i can see the difference between the brothers.
But then, i saw something weird in his drawer.. It seemed like a box with a little plushie arm coming out of it.. So then, i went to check it..
It had.. What is this..?
It seems like.. A plushie of Luigi when he was young, but old, and withered, since it had some cuts and the left arm seemed made out of.. Rocks..
Along with that, it had a picture of him and a woman.. And a child.. Is that why he didn't want me to search it up..? It was.. Some sort of past he ddn't want to remember..?
Gosh.. I'm sorry for him.. I really shouldn't have disobeyed him..
I need to get these things back in place like it wasn't touched.
But then, i heard a grunt.. Coming from him from the door..
I felt scared.. Because i know WHAT he is.. He is a vampire mixtured with a Conduit that throws fire out of his hand, and probably he could kill me at any moment, i wasn't in Silica City anymore where i could release my anger and don't be threatened in such level.. I could be dead definitely because of it..
I just turned around to look at him, but kept myself calm for a bit.
"I'm sorry, i'm sorry, i know you didn't want me to touch your things, but i was just curious, come on, people get curious, right? I-"
He seemed very angry.. His eyes were glowing red and.. His teeth became as sharp as a shark's.. I.. I am dead, i think i am.. I just.. Want to say sorry for him.
"I'm sorry.."
But then, he started looking down after having some sort of "realization" face and looking down in sadness. He calmed his anger. It seemed he didn't trust me and the MD5 because he wanted to protect his child.. Possovly hos daughter..
"Uhm.. Hey. I saw the toy and the picture.. You had a child and a wife, right?"
Mario — "Yeah.. I don't really like to talk about it.. I'm sorry if i looked angry at you."
Somehow, i could see flaming demonic hands fading in trying to reach him while he looks sad at me..
"Hey, it's okay.. But.. Can you tell me what happened to them..?"
I wanted to know, since i had something similar.. I lost a friend.. You readers probably see me and her as girlfriends, and you are right, we were.. But not anymore. I lost her.. I hope she is okay..
But now, i had to know what happen to his child..
I need to know about her..
I feel she needs me..
߷ — End of Chapter 7 —߷
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Belle's P.O.V:
I will find the child, and i will protect her..