Only a Game (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 19: Level One

Teddy

"There's not a lot of puzzles on this path, just saying."

"And I'm saying my cheat code worked."

"Well in previous games Metion designed, we would have encountered a lot more puzzles by now," I point out, tripping a little as I follow Ariadne down yet another narrow passage.

"This one is different, it would be."

"Why?"

"I think it's his last, and he's not playing for fun anymore," she says.

"If what you're saying is true and your father is keeping him captive and making him churn out game design---why didn't you go to the police?" I ask, "You seriously expect me to believe that Minos is holding him hostage AND refusing to put his name on the games?"

"Teddy, I told you I watched your YouTube conspiracy videos. We both know that's exactly what you think happened."

"You said you watched me playing the games you didn't say you watched my -----wait those aren't conspiracy videos! They're true crime videos---"

"They're only true crime if they're proven to be true and until then they're conspiracy theories."

"Well all of mine have come true---except---well now if what you're saying it true I've always been right," I say, haughtily.

"Yes. Yay you. I'm sure MI-5 feels very lucky to have you—"

"You know what? They don't!"

"Whatever, just stick with me, I'm trying to keep you safe."

"What gain could Minos possibly have for killing his contestants? That isn't exactly good for business?" I ask, following her all the same, "Kidnapping a designer, yeah sure he doesn't have to pay him. Plus Metion got a decent amount of press in his own right---I can see Minos being jealous. But why would he want to let anything happen to a bunch of gamers?"

"Hope you never find out," she says.

"Wait so---you know? Why wouldn't you tell me?" I ask, skipping to keep up with her, "What's so dangerous? Why wouldn't you tell me if you legit thought something was going to happen to us?"

"Because life is complicated. And while I am trying to help you---- he's still my dad. And family does matter. Sometimes people you love do bad things and while it doesn't make it right---you understand why they're doing them. And you don't want their faces splashed across all of the internet in some conspiracy YouTube video channel that some British boy spams MI-5 with ."

"What---okay well we went over them NOT being conspiracy since they're right—"

"Teddy."

"Okay fine fair point," I mumble, since of course I want to know what she thinks is going on in order to make a video of it. I signed an NDA saying I wouldn't talk about the game. I didn't say anything about talking about kidnapping people "Soooo how long have you known Metion?"

"Since I was smaller than you."

"You know what--- I'm not even mad? That was funny."

"Sorry---since I was three or four, my mother lost custody of me and he'd just moved in here to work for Naughty Bull," she says, amused.

"Lucky---but I mean I guess not maybe for you," I say, quickly, when her face darkens a bit.

"It was educational. I haven't seen my mother in a long time, I miss her," she says, shrugging.

"I live with my mom and my step-dad. I don't care about my biological father but---I would miss my mom if I didn't get to see her," I say, "She's like ---the only person who really cares about me, so."