200 At the Edge of Urbanite
200 At the Edge of Urbanite
I woke before the lamps dimmed on their own, habit pulling me out of sleep rather than any sense of urgency. I folded the bed neatly, smoothed the blanket once, then washed my face in cold water until the last traces of sleep bled away. Breakfast came next, something simple cooked on the small stove I’d bought weeks ago, followed by eating without rush, brushing my teeth, and standing under the shower until the warmth loosened the stiffness in my shoulders.
I dressed slowly, choosing comfort over appearance as I always did. A gray hoodie with more pockets than it had any right to possess went over a plain white shirt, and I pulled on jeans worn soft at the knees. Augmented soldiers were required to wear uniform within Foresthome, but capes had always been granted latitude, especially when a mission took them beyond the canopy. Clothing, like posture, was another layer of camouflage.
It had been a month since I arrived here in Lockworld. In that time, I’d accumulated the mundane necessities of living, cooking utensils, hygiene items, and small comforts that made the room feel less temporary.
Integration came easier than I expected. I smiled, nodded, helped where needed, and presented a version of myself that passed easily for heroic here, something that would’ve been impossible back in the outside world. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
I walked the familiar streets of Foresthome, returning greetings with casual nods as people recognized me. Children waved, elders acknowledged me with measured acceptance, and by the time I reached the northern edge of the settlement, the forest felt less watchful than it once had. Snap was already there, leaning against a reinforced trunk, wearing a vest heavy with utility pockets and a sidearm secured at his hip. A pair of homemade grenades hung from his belt with careless confidence. Qilin stood nearby in a tracksuit, a massive backpack strapped to his shoulders that looked capable of sustaining four people for weeks. Perry waited a short distance away, calm and composed, a sniper rifle cradled with the ease of someone who treated violence as logistics.
It was nearly half of Foresthome’s capable force, which told me everything I needed to know about the importance of this mission.
The past month had been quiet. I’d split my time between the library, absorbing what little could be known about Lockworld, and patrols through the forest, usually paired with one other cape. The most excitement I’d seen was repelling small Urbanite gangs that tested Foresthome’s borders and learned quickly not to do it twice.
Snap glanced at me and frowned. “You sure you’re fine carrying so little?” he asked. “You look like you’re heading out for a walk.”
“I prefer it this way,” I replied. “And I’ve done my research on Urbanite. This fits their NPC aesthetic. I’ll be able to blend into the crowd and use it as cover.”
That was only part of the truth. Beneath the hoodie, I’d packed more than appearances suggested, compact tools, concealed trinkets, and contingencies layered under fabric. The outfit was deliberate. Urbanite was strange even by Lockworld standards, populated by beings the library classified as NPCs, non-human people that behaved like humans. Inside that territory, game-logic ruled, and the closer you looked like you belonged, the less the system noticed you.
Perry stepped forward, drawing our attention without raising his voice. “We’re infiltrating Urbanite,” he began. “The primary rumor is a piece of science, possibly a cure for cancer. If it exists, it would benefit our community significantly.” He paused, letting that sink in. “However, that is not our main objective.”
He adjusted the rifle strap on his shoulder. “We’ve been in contact with a cape inside Urbanite who wants to defect. With the Divine Forest King’s permission, we’re acting now.” His gaze flicked to each of us in turn, lingering on me just long enough to be deliberate. “I’ll be taking operational command. I expect orders to be followed.”
I nodded without comment. The words were meant for me, and I had no issue with them.
Perry finished with a grim reminder. “Among the four factions in Lockworld, Foresthome has the least number of capes. If this team suffers even a single casualty, it will be a heavy blow for us. So, don’t die on me. Am I clear?”
I nodded once. Qilin adjusted the straps on his pack and answered evenly, “I won’t be a burden.” Snap grinned, tapping the grenades at his waist. “Same here. I know my role.” I added without ceremony, “Just tell me who to kill, and I’m going to kill them.”
I still had no idea what the capes of the other factions were really like. Everything I knew came secondhand, filtered through library records and guarded conversations. What I did understand was that Foresthome’s survival hinged on one overwhelming truth, the Divine Forest King. Huston was not subtle about his feats. They were recorded openly, even celebrated in the library’s history texts. Some of it was probably embellished, polished by reverence and time, but even if half of it was true, it was enough to command respect. Individually, he was a monster of a cape. As a force multiplier, someone who could shape terrain, bodies, and logistics at once, he was terrifying beyond measure.
Perry set off first, his pace efficient and unhesitating. Snap followed close behind him, relaxed but alert, while I kept stride with Qilin at the rear. The forest thinned gradually as we moved north, roots giving way to harder soil.
“How often do missions like this happen?” I asked quietly.
“One or two times a year,” Qilin replied. “Sometimes none at all.” He hesitated, then added, “If Perry’s involved, it’s usually the most dangerous kind.”
“Care to tell me more about him?” I asked.
Perry’s voice carried back to us without him turning around. “Less chatting. More walking.”
Snap glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “Relax. The newbie’s just curious.”
I’d grown friendly enough with most of the capes in Foresthome over the past month, learning about there life before this. Whisperer had been a con artist before Lockworld, smooth enough to make lies feel like favors. Snap had been a rockstar, all noise and ego turned into controlled chaos. Firefist had been a firefighter who somehow ended up a robber, an irony so clean it almost felt intentional. Everyone here had a story shaped by failure and compromise.
“I kill people for money,” Perry said suddenly, flat and unembellished.
Qilin cleared his throat. “Same line of work as you used to be in,” he said to me. “He got clipped. Took the fall for a job that went wrong.”
Snap picked up the thread easily. “He killed everyone who set him up,” he said casually. “Then got caught off guard in one of his safehouses. Heroes hit him while he was suffering power fatigue.”
Perry sighed, stopping briefly. “Now that my life story’s out,” he said, “we move on.”
He increased his pace, and the forest gave way quickly after that. The canopy thinned, light shifting as the terrain changed. Perry stopped abruptly and raised a hand. His nose twitched, subtle but deliberate.
“Snap,” he said. “Go wide. Use your hearing. Check for anything off.”
Snap nodded and veered away without a word.
“Qilin,” Perry continued. “You’re his plus one.”
Qilin followed, disappearing into the trees.
Perry fell into step beside me as we waited, his presence heavy without being loud. “I’m keeping a close watch on you,” he said calmly. “Whatever designs you have that might compromise Foresthome, abandon them.” His gaze never left the path ahead. “Think very carefully. Otherwise, you might find a bullet in your head.”
“I know my place,” I said quietly as Perry and I stood side by side.
He didn’t look at me. “You don’t,” he replied. “That’s why I’m telling you.”
I tilted my head slightly, feigning ignorance without pushing too hard. “I’m just here to help,” I said. “Foresthome benefits, I benefit. Simple.”
Perry finally glanced my way, eyes cold and measuring. “You’re duplicitous,” he said flatly. “You hide it well, but not well enough. Don’t insult me by pretending otherwise.”
Before I could respond, movement cut through the trees. Qilin and Snap returned at a jog, Snap looking annoyed rather than alarmed.
“There’s a Candy Beast out there,” Snap said. “Just lounging around.”
I stiffened at that. Candy Beasts were natives of Candyland, creatures warped by that faction’s influence until they barely resembled anything natural. I hadn’t seen one in person, but the illustrations in the library had been enough. Each entry was marked clearly, avoidance recommended under all circumstances.
Perry’s posture shifted, attention sharpening. “What kind?” he asked. “How bad’s the corruption?”
Qilin nodded once. “Slime-type,” he replied. “I took a peek. Corruption’s bad.”
Corruption was the term used to describe Candyland’s spread, a creeping phenomenon that transformed matter into candy-like substances. Soil turned brittle and sweet, stone softened into crystalline sugar, and living things warped into grotesque parodies. Once corruption took hold, reclaiming the land became exponentially harder.
Snap clicked his tongue. “Never seen one this close before,” he muttered. “Right outside the forest, too. With corruption already setting in.”
Perry exhaled slowly. “We’ll need to detour,” he said. “And Huston needs to know immediately.” He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Qilin. “Tracking incense. Light it at the outpost. I’ll know when you’re there.”
He straightened. “We’ll regroup near Urbanite. I’m heading back to Foresthome to report this.” His expression darkened slightly. “It may take time. I’ll have to deal with the Candy Beast with Hera.”
I opened my mouth, instinctively wanting to volunteer. Killing monsters was something I understood. This, however, wasn’t my call to make.
Qilin nodded. “We’ll wait at the outpost,” he said calmly. “I’ve got this handled.”
Perry vanished in a blink, teleportation folding space as he disappeared back into the forest.
I frowned and looked at Snap. “What’s the deal with his nose?”
Snap snorted softly. “Superpowered intuition,” he said. “Mostly manifests through smell.”
Qilin was already moving. “Keep up,” he called over his shoulder.
The rest of the journey passed without incident. Snap’s super hearing proved invaluable, his control over sound precise enough to catch disturbances long before they became threats. Acoustokinesis was deceptively versatile, and paired with a group, it offered layers of tactical advantage that brute force never could.
We reached the outpost as dusk began to settle, perched high along the mountain’s edge. It was still a distance from Urbanite, but from this vantage point, the city dominated the horizon. Towers and structures sprawled endlessly, an enormous urban mass that dwarfed anything I’d seen before.
Qilin set his pack down and looked back at us. “Get comfortable,” he said. “We’ll be waiting for Perry.”