Path to the Apocalypse

“Ah, Matt! It's good to see you again! And you must be Miss Klein.” The Australian Ambassador, a woman named Gloria Strombeck, greeted Beth with a smile, glancing at Jello as she walked in with Beth and Matt. “And who might this be?”

“Please, call me Beth, and this is Jello.” Beth replied. “She's here so Chris can join us.”

Gloria frowned, straightening up. “What-” She cut off with a hiss as a portal opened next to Beth, her eyes widening as she took a step back.

“Hi, I'm Chris.” Chris waved. Gloria stood there frozen for a moment as she just stared at the portal. “Hello?” Chris prodded curiously.

“You- how are you-” Gloria stammered, shifting to the side to try and see what the trick was with the portal. “How did you set something like this up in my office?!?”

Matt shook his head. “This isn't a magic trick, Gloria. This is a real portal, created using Chris's ability.”

“Technically not an ability.” Chris commented.

“This is an ability.” Beth added, grabbing her head and pulling it upwards, stretching her neck out.

“How about this!” Jello chirped happily as she joined in, returning to her slime form and bouncing around the room, dragging Chris's portal after her.

“Matt, what's going on here!?!” Gloria exclaimed, panicking slightly and wondering if she needed to call security.

“These are the representatives of the City from Azza.” Matt explained. “They're here to establish relations between their people and the people of Earth.”

Gloria blinked. “You expect me to believe these people are from your stupid game?!?”

Matt sighed. “They aren't from the game, they're from a world almost exactly like the game… It's weird, I know, but I swear it's true.”

Gloria narrowed her eyes suspiciously, taking a seat behind her desk. “Let's say I did believe you. What type of relationship are you looking for?”

“First, we would like to discuss the potential for trade between our peoples.” Beth began as the rest of them sat down as well. “Due to our abilities, we're capable of turning any material we have into any other material, but we have difficulty actually getting that material. Your world, on the other hand, has plenty of raw material, but from what we hear, there are certain materials that are much harder for you to find. So, if you can provide us with raw materials, we can provide you with significant amounts of any rare materials you have a hard time getting your hands on. Furthermore, we have several different technologies you may be interested in from advanced food processing and environment management to teleporters, while we have some interest in your computing and aeronautic technologies.”

Gloria raised an eyebrow. If this wasn't some elaborate prank… “I believe we could be interested in such an exchange… though the specifics would have to be negotiated.”

Beth smiled. “Of course. As for our second proposal… If you've followed the storyline of Matt's game, you should be aware that the City is in a rather difficult position. As such, in order to ensure that we're actually capable of fulfilling any trade agreements, we're looking to purchase a significant parcel of land in order to establish a colony on Earth, where we can keep our people safe while we handle the issues we're facing on Azza.”

Gloria frowned. “You want us to give you our land?”

“We want to buy your land.” Beth corrected. “And of course, the nation who is willing to provide us with something so vital to our survival would be given priority in any trade agreements, along with various other benefits.”

Gloria pursed her lips, considering Beth's proposal for a moment. “We would need to establish the various benefits you're capable of offering before we could make any promises.” She then turned to Matt, narrowing her eyes. “And if this turns out to be some sort of prank, I swear I'll find a way to get so many tariffs on that stupid game of yours you'll be losing money on each subscription!”

Chris pulled out a large stack of documents, handing them to Jello, who placed them on Gloria's desk. “That's a full list of all the materials we can easily create, the descriptions of the various technologies we have that you don't, and the services our abilities allow us to provide.” He explained. “You're welcome to share it with whoever you like.” He then produced another piece of paper, handing it over. “These are the abilities we can demonstrate right now, to confirm we're capable of what we say we are.”

Gloria's eyes widened as she looked the list over. “Can you make a copy of this statue?” She asked, pointing at a small statue on her desk.

Chris nodded. “Sure. Jello?”

Jello grabbed the statue, handing it to Chris so he could scan it. Chris then called Maddie into his space for a moment, pushing her ability to Jello, before jumping into Jello's mind and creating a copy of the statue, placing it on the desk along with the original. Gloria stared at the two statues on her desk for a moment, before looking up at Chris. “Is there a reason you won't come out of there?”

“Oh, this isn't my real body, it's just a copy made of material connected to my space, so it can't leave. My real body is currently mutating, so it's mostly goop at the moment.” Chris explained. Gloria looked back at the statues, before sighing and rubbing her forehead. She was going to need some time to adjust to this new reality.

*

Chris pushed, breaking through the cocoon as his mutation finished. “Ugh, final- oh, hey, I can talk.” He looked down. “And it looks like I'm still mostly human. Did I change physically at all?” He created a mirror in his space and opened a portal to it, pausing as he took himself in. “That- might be a problem.” He was still mostly human, except for two points: a ring of seven horns around his head and two long, pointed ears, which combined to make him look like some kind of monstrous elf… in other words, he looked like a mix between an elf and a doppelganger. Now that he was thinking about it, his other mutated form also had horns and pointed ears… were his parents' original genetics resurfacing as he mutated?

“Hey, what are you waiting for?!?” Jacobs' voice called through a speaker in the corner of the room. “Get dressed and get out here so we can test that new form of yours!”

Chris rolled his eyes, opening a portal to his room in the space and putting some clothes on. Then he opened a portal to Beth. “We're testing my new form. Want to come?”

“Duh!” Beth agreed, jumping up, pausing as she took in his new form. “That- is an oddly suspicious looking form.”

“Isn't it?” Chris paused. “Do you think I should hide it?”

Beth frowned. *It’s blatantly advertising his origins, but it isn't like he can just pretend he didn't mutate…*

“True.” Chris muttered. “What if I just got rid of the ears?”

Beth blinked. *What- did I say that out loud?*

“Yeah?” Chris cocked his head.

Beth's eyes widened. “Chris… I'm not talking.” *Did- Did this mutation make him psychic?!?*

“You think I'm psychic?” Chris raised an eyebrow.

*Chris, look at my lips! You're reading my mind!* Beth thought, not saying a word.

Chris stared at her for a moment, before changing back to his human form. “Okay, now think something.” He waited for a moment, before letting out a relieved sigh. “I got nothing, we're good.”

“Thank goodness.” Beth sighed in relief as well. “I mean, I guess you being psychic isn't the worst thing in the world, but- well, if anyone in this relationship needs to be psychic it's me.”

Chris snorted. “If you want to know what I'm thinking, all you have to do is ask.”

“Yes, but if I was psychic, I wouldn't have to ask.” Beth retorted.

“Fair.” Chris agreed. “Now, the real question is if this is a good enough reason to lock this form away and never talk of it again. Or at least keep it as a secret weapon, so the vast majority of people will never see it.”

Beth nodded. “Definitely. No one with psychic abilities would advertise it unless they absolutely have to.” She paused. “Should we tell the squad?”

Chris frowned. They hadn't filled the squad in on his origins yet, since it would just complicate things, but if they saw his new form, they knew enough from the game that they'd pretty easily make the connection. And even if he wasn't planning on using the new form, he couldn't deny that he might have to at some point, possibly in front of the squad, and if they got distracted by it, it could be dangerous. “I think we're going to have to. If I end up needing to use the form later, it could cause issues if they don't already know.”

Beth sighed. “That's what I was thinking. Zack is definitely going to freak out over it, you know that, right?”

Chris waved dismissively. “He only freaks out on the surface. I'm more worried about Carmen. She holds grudges. I swear she's been doing something to my food ever since I told her about not actually having to kill someone to heal them. Particularly since she chose to start making everyone their own dish right after.”

“Oh, yeah, she's definitely doing something to your food.” Beth agreed. “I just don't think your origins are going to bother her since it doesn't affect her.” She paused. “She might care about you being psychic, though… it'd make it harder to hide whatever she's doing to your food.”

“True… but the thing is, she's being so obvious about it, I'm not sure if she's actually doing anything, or just trying to get me to think she's doing something.” Chris pointed out.

“I think that may have been how it started, but since you just kept eating the food, I think she has to have done something to it by now.” Beth retorted. “There's not much point in playing mind games with someone who doesn't care that you're playing mind games, and she has to get her revenge somehow.”

Chris cocked his head. “That last soup did taste a little funny…”

“Wait, couldn't you have analyzed it with your space?” Beth suddenly realized. “And why are you eating her food in the first place! You haven't even been using your real body, so you didn't have to eat at all!”

“Analyzing something just lets me copy it, it doesn't actually tell me what it is, particularly if it's all mixed together.” Chris explained. “And if she wants to get her revenge on a fake body, who am I to stop her?”

Beth narrowed her eyes at him. “You see, this is why I need to be psychic. So I can tell if you actually missed something, or if you're just choosing to ignore it.”

Chris shrugged. “Honestly, it's fifty-fifty. Though I'd say most of the time, if I didn't notice, I probably would have ignored it anyway. Unless someone is actually trying to trick you, things that deserve your attention tend to stick out, you know?”

“I guess that's fair…” Beth muttered.

“Anyway, we should probably get going before Jacobs’ head explodes.” Chris commented.

Beth sighed. “Right.”

“Finally!” Jacobs exclaimed as they walked out. “What took you so long?!?”

“We figured out my new form has some issues.” Chris explained. “Mainly, it's psychic.”

Jacobs blinked. “Is that so? Fascinating! Wait, is it an ability or is it tied to the form itself?”

“Well, seeing as I'm not psychic at the moment, I'd say it's tied to the form.” Chris replied. “Why?”

“Because this means your mutation allows you to develop natural abilities!” Jacobs exclaimed excitedly. “Think of the possibilities!”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Like what? Having multiple abilities?”

Jacobs paused. “Hm, good point… well, shall we see what this new form of yours is capable of then?”

“I guess. I'm probably not going to be using it much, though.” Chris shrugged. “I have no desire to listen to everyone's thoughts.”

“Understandable. I'm not a fan of having my thoughts read either.” Jacobs nodded, waving for Chris and Beth to follow him to his personal testing room. “First, let's see what your ability power is at.” Chris borrowed Firbolt's ability for a moment and sent a fire blast at the machine. “Fourteen point four! Excellent! Now the new form.” Chris transformed into his new form, just keeping his ears normal, and threw a punch at the machine. “Three point four. Not bad. Did this mutation really just give you horns?”

“Plus telepathy.” Chris added.

“Right!” Jacobs snapped his fingers. “Let's see what your range is. Just keep moving that way until you stop hearing my thoughts.” He sent Chris towards the other end of the room, starting to sing a little ‘do do do’ song in his mind.

Chris walked a few steps away, pausing as Jacobs' thoughts faded out. He moved back a bit, finding the edge of his range. “Okay, I think this is it.”

“Just a few meters, huh?” Jacobs muttered. “I suppose that makes sense, since it's tied to your physique, not your ability energy.”

Chris returned to his base form. “Is that it then?”

“Unless you want to try mutating again to see if you can develop another natural ability, no, I think we're done.” Jacobs sighed. “I need to go over the data from this mutation and compare it to your previous mutation.”

“Alright, have fun.” Chris waved, turning to Beth. “So, you wanted dinner?”

Beth blinked, smirking slightly. “Okay, maybe you being psychic is a good thing.”

*

The meeting with the Canadian Ambassador went about as well as the meeting with the Australian Ambassador, Beth pitching their offer and Chris performing a demonstration for them, then leaving a list of everything they had to offer. Then they had to get the Australians in contact with the City officials who actually had the knowledge and authority to set up the actual agreements, the Canadians joining in not much later, both nations seeming interested in the trade at least, though no one had breached the topic of the land deal yet. Someone would have to, though, because the City wouldn't entertain any trade agreements until they had a position to actually trade from.

Thankfully all Chris and Beth had to do was set up those meetings, not actually attend them because now that Chris was finished mutating, they had other duties to see to. Chris needed to start building up his power, while Jo and Salvador still needed to study his capabilities in order to develop countermeasures against the shooter, since even though Chris had already found the shooter, he could exactly tell everyone about him. Still, it gave him a good excuse to meet with his parents, so he couldn't complain too much. Plus, since apparently people with multiple abilities were a thing now, it might be a good idea to develop countermeasures anyway.

Jo and Salvador still needed to get creatures with the abilities they wanted to study, since apparently finding creatures in the Maze with specific abilities wasn't all that easy, so for now Chris was focused on getting stronger, which meant heading into the Maze with the squad. Or at least, that was the plan until they talked to David. “As much as I want you to get stronger as quickly as possible, I can't condone a squad running around the Maze on its own without any direction. You still need a platoon and a mission.” David explained with a sigh. “I've been working on putting together a special platoon for you, but there's been some… resistance. Apparently you made quite the impression on Platoon Four and they've been calling in favors to try and get you into their platoon instead.”

Beth sighed. “We probably should have seen that coming.”

“Why not just put us with them, then?” Chris asked. “I mean, I get it'd be better to have a specialized platoon, but if we can't get it, it's better to have something, isn't it?”

“Because if I put you with them, you'll be accompanying them on their missions, not doing what you need to be doing to get stronger.” David replied. “Platoons operate largely independently, and if the captain doesn't want to take the mission, there isn't much I can do. It's Scout policy that captains can refuse any mission, to protect platoons from being sent on missions they can't handle because their superiors have a poor understanding of what they're actually capable of.”

“Gotcha…” Chris muttered. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

David shook his head. “No, it's just politics. I should have everything in place soon, it's just going to cost me a few favors of my own.”

“So what should we do now?” Beth asked, frowning slightly. All these delays were starting to get frustrating. They couldn't even get Alexander into the Maze yet, because all Chris's minions were on the first level, and there wasn't much point in having him hunt there.

“Why don't you take some time to celebrate your engagement?” David offered. “You haven't even officially announced it yet! Have a party, invite your friends, celebrate! We won't have many opportunities to celebrate in the coming months, so you should take them when you can.”

Beth's expression twisted. “It just feels wrong to celebrate when the City is in danger. It's like drinking tea while your house is burning down.”

“If your house is burning down and there's nothing you can do about it, why not have some tea? You don't have to make yourself miserable just because things are going poorly. If anything, it's even more important to find joy where you can.” David retorted.

Beth frowned, then glanced at Chris. “What do you think?”

“I don't mind celebrating our engagement.” Chris shrugged. “It does seem odd we've been engaged for two weeks now and we haven't really taken the time to appreciate it.”

Beth smiled, turning back to her dad. “Okay, let's have a party!”