Save State Hero 2 -ch 8- (Patreon)

“Oz. Tell me when you’re updated with your absorbed memories,” Edmund spat out even after loading back into the tunnel.

Part of him wanted to collapse the save and spend time with Alina. To let her tend to him and let his worries go away for a time.

One of the few save-states where he could let the flow of the world go alone all without him actively participating.

Actually… hell… I don’t even know what my stocks are doing anymore

I haven’t even looked at any of that in quite a while.

In fact, I can’t… do… which is even my own save-state anymore?

Blinking, Edmund realized he had truly lost himself now. There wasn’t any particular time-frame or period that he felt that he belonged to now.

I’m a bit adrift.

I guess the only thing I have is Alina.

Well, Ellie, too.

But that’s not really fair to her. I’ve kept her at arms length this whole time.

“I’m now up to date and have absorbed everything,” Oz stated. “Since we came back to where I can originally trace back to, it wasn’t very difficult. It, in fact, felt a lot like synchronizing rather than dealing with an echo.”

“Lucky you. I still have a bunch of echoes all trying to take me over,” Edmund complained.

“They’re not as bad as they once were. Ellie’s seed has been carrying a great deal of the load for you,” Oz countered. “And before you ask, no, you can’t go get her seed again.

“The seed still comes with you, but it also eliminates her seed in any other save-state you enter as well.

“It’ll just vanish from where-ever she has it and it’ll no longer ever be possible for her to have another.

“It’s quite likely this was caused by Claire’s spellwork since it also changed my own reality, but I can’t confirm that.”

“Wait, excuse the fuck out of me?” Edmund demanded.

He knew how important a seed was to a Dryad. To not have her seed, any seed, ever again, more or less robbed Ellie of ever living a normal Dryad life.

She would never be able to shake herself free of Edmund, never have a family without him, and would quite possibly die if he moved far enough from her.

“Has it always been like this?” Edmund demanded.

“I honestly am not sure. I can only operate from the point that I began crossing over with you, and at that point, the seed was doing the same,” answered Oz. “Its an assumption that this was caused by Claire, but you did mention Felix made changes to it as well.

“It is entirely possible that this was the case before I noticed and informed you of it.”

That’d explain why she came over so often.

My poor Aenor.

I’ve treated you so poorly.

Did you know this would happen to you when you gave it to me?

There was a sudden burst of warmth from the seed. As if in response to his sudden spike in heart rate and his frenzied thoughts.

I’ll just ask her. Ask her about all of it.

She’d know if I told her to touch me and look at the seed. Then I’d be able to ask her from there.

“I’ve identified a suitable point to crossover into the other plane that Andrea would have gone into,” advised Oz. “It’s also in the same save-state that the tear in reality occurred.

“Given that time is irrelevant to this situation, we can utilize any save-state in the time-line.”

“Makes sense,” Edmund allowed then nodded his head. “Well? Which one is it?”

“You accepting Dorothy’s invite to go on a date,” Oz stated. “We can also have her portal us around. This serves more than one purpose.

“We can just attempt to include her in our mission by telling her about the reasoning. I think she’ll accept.”

After his most recent talk with Dot, Edmund wasn’t looking forward to speaking to her again. He was gaining a deeper insight into her that he really didn’t want.

Because if he started to understand her more deeply, he opened himself up to further problems.

His mind skittered away from the fact that he didn’t have an active relationship with Romina, but apparently did with a very bright and optimistic Alina.

That didn’t even take into account how weird he felt about Ellie and what was and wasn’t between them.

“Yeah, date with Dot,” Edmund got out, even as he realized it really was the direction he needed to go.

He needed to go on the date with her, earn some points, then take her off and where he needed to go. To get her to help him look for Andrea’s soul and that meant getting her into a good mood he imagined.

“Right. Sergeant Gigolo reporting for duty,” he murmured.

***

“Then Ryker just started screaming about weeds and set the farm on fire,” Dot said with a chuckle, making an explosion like motion with her fingers. “I didn’t realize how intense he felt about farming until that moment.”

“Isn’t it because he was a farmer first on your original world?” Edmund asked, deciding in this moment it was an opportunity to push to what he needed. “That’s what you told me in another time-line. Claire kinda mentioned it too, now that I think about it.”

As they slowly walked around the lake in the middle of the com-park, listening to a fountain in the center, they’d been chit-chatting.

Dot let out a strangled breath at that and he could feel her staring at him. As if her eyes were each blazing suns and burning holes through the side of his head.

“I can move through… well… it’s not quite time, and it isn’t parallel universes. Somewhere in between,” Edmund tried, continuing to walk along. “In one such instance, you told me to call you Dot to get you to agree with things.

“In another, you told me to remind you that it was a lot like toad soup, and he chose it. Pretty sure you were referring to Ryker. We’d been talking about the fact that you felt as if Runner had been forcing Ryker into working for him.”

Dot was breathing heavy and hard now, her stare hadn’t grown any less in intensity. Her steps sounded quite loud and clacked with each.

“The reason I’m telling you all this, Dot, is because I need your help. Because I’m trying to save you,” continued Edmund. “I need to save you. To save you, I need to save Ryker. To save Ryker, I need to save Andrea.

“That brings me here. To this moment in this particular ‘save-state’ as I call them.

“I need your help to try and track down where Andrea’s soul went. If I can find it, I can revert her death. If I can revert her death, that’ll let me go back further in my time-lines.

“Save Andrea, save Ryker, save you. Something like that. I can answer any questions you have, by the way.

“But before you ask, this is our first pass through like this. I’ve told you about stuff like this this though several times before, you always react stunned, then unsurprised, and often blame Runner, Ryker, or both.

“Since I wouldn’t have this power or ability without them knowing about it. Pretty sure they were working in tandem to somehow make sure I was born and put here specifically.”

Edmund finally turned his head and met Dot’s gaze, holding it with his own. He offered her a tired smile.

“He dies?” she asked in a whisper. “Ryker… Ryker dies?”

“Mmhmm. Zeus kills him. He dies trying to protect Shirley,” confirmed Edmund. “Claire goes insane at that and tries to kill Zeus. She dies, too after that. Pretty sure Zeus killed her.

“Then you kinda… go… crazy, and run off. You go to join Zeus and fight Runner. I killed Zeus after that and you became the new Zeus.

“Pretty sure Alina and I will have to fight you at some point if that save-state progresses. Not sure what’ll happen. Alina’s pretty heart-broken over it.”

By this point, Dot had finally stopped walking. She was standing still, staring at him, and as white as a ghost.

“I joined Zeus?” came the incredulous question.

“After Ryker died. Yeah. I tried to go after you a few times and you would just attack me,” added Edmund. It didn’t sound very helpful to him, but he needed her to understand the extreme end of all this. “You’re… not going to go crazy right now because I told you Ryker died, are you? Should I not have mentioned that?”

“I… no. It’s fine. It’s fine, it’s just a lot-a lot to take in,” mumbled Dot.

“Well, it’s worse. The first time we went to this mission, you died,” Edmund added after a pause. “I didn’t even go on the mission you’re about to go on. I stayed back and watched over Legion.

“The mission takes a few months in real time, despite only being like… a day at most during mission time.”

“I died!?” Dot squawked.

“Yeah. You got separated in one of the weird distortions, they lost contact with you, and you died. I think Ryker said you’d been dead for a bit,” Edmund explained. “As if you’d had a different passage of time or something.

“You left a request to talk to me. Actually, now that I think about it, you probably have it on you or already gave it to Ryker.

“You wanted me to be told ‘thank you for treating me like a friend first, woman second, mage last.’

“Apparently you’ve had a lot of problems with people seeing you as anything other than a tool to be used.”

Dot’s mouth hung open as she stared at him. She shook her head minutely in denial of his words.

“I did,” she whimpered, her face screwing up in what looked like pain. “I sent it to him a few hours ago. I died. He died. It’s… okay. Okay. What do you need from me, Edmund? Or can I call you Eddy?”

“Sure. Whatever works,” he said with a grin. “First, tell Ryker that you won’t be going. Because the mission doesn’t matter at all.

“That you’re going with me to another save-state to try and fix things. Don’t mention his death though or he might just stop listening to you. He gets kinda touchy about that apparently.”

“And then?” she asked.

“Then we need to go to a location. You’re going to have to portal hop us. Oz will be directing us to a degree,” Edmund finished. Glad to finally be getting to this point.

“Yes, Dorothy. I have portal coordinates that we can utilize to make the jump happen. Please advise Ryker to drop the portal overlap even if he doesn’t carry out the mission.”

Dot’s complexion was returning slowly. Her eyes had lost their widened look and her breathing was starting to level out.

Surprisingly, she looked determined.

Very determined.

With one hand clenched in front of her chest.

***

The jump Dot performed dropped them into an odd location. It looked a lot like it had once been intersection for an urban area.

Now it had a massive stone plinth in the dead center of it that extended a significant margin.

Around it was a roundabout that’d been built around it.

Edmund noted that there was nothing living at the edges of the plinth. Nor were there any carvings on it or artistry.

It was quite literally a gigantic stone slab.

“This is where we’re supposed to be?” Dot asked, looking around. “This is the portal trap that was made by Felix and his group. While they were escaping their old world.”

“Oh?” Edmund asked, staring at the big stone monument. He was fairly certain the portal was inside of it, given what everyone had said.

“It’s the only way to that world now. Because of… well, the portals, Zeus, and the whole planar war,” finished Dot with a sigh. “Well, was. Ryker took away the portal on the other side as requested. Now it’s just a doorway I guess.”

“Great. Oz, any sign of Andrea here?” Edmund asked while surveying their surroundings. It looked like a very ordinary street.

Then again… since when was currency green.

That’s fucking weird.

“No sign of Andrea currently,” Oz reported. “As I mentioned previously though, there is no way to determine if she’s passed through an area. Only if she’s actively in the area.”

“Yeah, yeah. You said that,” conceded Edmund. “Alright. Into the portal we go then, right? Into the other side?”

“Yes.”

“Dot, would you be so kind as to open the way for me? I’d normally be the first fool to try and hold a door open for you, but uh… no door knob,” Edmund asked, grinning at Dot. “I’m afraid that makes you the lady with the key.”

“Oh, well, far be it from me to shirk a duty,” Dot said glibly and with a smile. She lifted up her left hand and an intricate series of writhing runes appeared in front of her hand.

She then made a small gesture with her fingers and they shot forward all at the same time.

Striking the large stone monument they sunk into it.

Edmund had been half expecting it to explode, truth be told. Which given the fact that it did nothing at all rather disappointing to him.

Dot then make a flick of her hand to the side.

The monument tore itself in half and both sides fell apart into heavy lumps of dirt and earth. Thumping into the ground and making mounds of themselves where they struck.

Sitting at the central point of where the stone had been was a strange and wobbly rectangle.

“It looks a lot like the portals you’ve opened for us before,” Edmund murmured, walking towards it. “Not as clean as Ryker’s though. Nowhere near as ragged and fucked as Claire’s though.”

“Yes, this was made by a very sophisticated and rather cultured mind,” Dot agreed, moving up to the portal as well. “All portals are similar to their owners in many ways.”

“Well then, uh… well… lady’s first?” Edmund said and looked to Dot. He gestured at the portal and grinned at her. “That and really, you’re the stronger one between us. “I’m limited to a gun and my wits. You’ve got the infinite power of the cosmos and all that.

“That and a really killer smile when you decide to let it loose, Dot.”

Dot clicked her tongue at that while holding his gaze.

“You keep flirting with me in subtle ways,” she accused, pointing at finger at him. “Are you always like this with me?”

“Sometimes. Sometimes not. We haven’t had a future together yet,” Edmund admitted. “Though it’s probably going to happen at some point. Just have to save you from yourself first. Can’t let you go crazy when Ryker dies.”

“I wouldn’t go crazy if he died right now,” she countered.

“Yes, but right now is a far cry from when and where it happens,” Edmund argued. “Besides, even if you really do think that now, your mental fortitude might crack when you see him die. He didn’t die in a pretty way, either.”

With a sigh, Dot moved forward and walked right through the portal.

Edmund followed close behind her and just about through her on the other side. Having to stutter step to avoid knocking her down rather than just bumping into her back.

All Edmund could see was darkness.

Where-ever they were didn’t have light in any way shape or form.

If they were indoors, it was pitch black, if they were outside, there was no moon or stars.

“We’ll need to go up a few sets of stairs. We’re now in the basement of Felix’s original Legion city,” Dot advised, a flame appearing in her hand. “It might actually be best if we took a different route out now that I think about it. There’s a lot of really bad things that go upward.”

“Lead on. I’ll keep my eyes on you,” offered Edmund without argument.

“On me, huh,” Dot said, once more laying eyes on him and staring. Then she smiled. “I don’t have a good hip-roll you know.”

“Oh? Well. I’ll be sure to really pay attention, stare nice and hard, and take notes. Would you like to review it later?” he asked, grinning at her.

He knew he was flirting with her.

Knew that it probably wouldn’t help in the long run.

But it couldn’t help himself.

Seeing dark Dot and her sad mental state had pushed her into a different status in his head. That it would be hard to be anything other than pleasant and teasing to her.

“Please do. Just remember that I can melt the skin off your face when you critique me later,” pointed out Dot.

“I’m well aware. You melted my leg once when I refused to let you run off. It was rather rude of you. It’s hard to white-knight you when you’re trying to knock me off the damn horse.”

“Do better? What do you want me to say. I’m a nasty bloody mage.”

“I dunno about that. You just seem like Dot, to me. Anyways. Get to stepping, girly. I can’t view or gauge shit without you moving along.”

With a huff, Dot began moving away from where they were. Leading them into a tunnel.

Edmund noted that it looked like a strange railway tunnel, but that it wouldn’t be quite tall enough for a train.

“Felix’s first experiment with trains?” he asked as soon as he realized what it was.

“Yes. They were somewhat underpowered but got the job done. He didn’t care for it and made the ones you have currently.”

Edmund gripped the rifle he held in front of himself a bit more tightly. He’d been carrying it since Dot portaled them here.

There’d been a momentary concern in his head about bringing it along, but he realized he would rather deal with people staring, and cops, than not having it.

He wasn’t really a super, a martial artist, or a combatant. A firearm was the only way for him to level the playing field.

“Ah, up there,” Dot said and looked upward. She made a gesture with the hand that wasn’t holding a fireball.

Edmund and Dot suddenly lifted off the ground and began moving through the air.

“Way to sweep a man off his feet,” Edmund teased as they moved into the dark hole. “Any other fun things you can do with this?”

With a soft chuckle, Dot kept moving them upward.

Edmund heard the crackle and boom of what sounded like rocks being shoved aside. Beams of light suddenly breaking through the darkness from above.

Then they were free.

Standing in what felt like the middle of a large freeway.

Distantly, Edmund could see a tall and looming building

One that looked oddly familiar to him

There was also a number of large flying monsters in the sky.

“Holy shit I think I’ve been here before,” Edmund blurted out. “Oz, is there a rest station in that building? Apartment twelve-forty-two?”

Edmund asked that while pointing at the apartment building.

“I— yes. Yes there is,” he answered.

“This is where I got the things to kill Zeus,” Edmund said and shook his head. “Ryker said we had to go to a number of other places first to make me not mortal. So that Zeus couldn’t just outright kill me.”

“That sounds about right. Going to where Zeus is would indeed get you killed swiftly,” agreed Dot. “Oz, how much time do you need to scan?”

“Significantly more than previously. This world is a mess,” Oz stated. “Though I don’t think it’ll be much more than an hour.”

“Then I suppose we’ll go to the apartment,” Dot said with a short nod of her head. Then Edmund and she were flying again. Moving with great speed toward the building.

Where he had spent a great deal of time recovering and having burgeoning romantic encounters with Alina.

He really didn’t like this one bit.