I'm Not Ready

Adventure

Riptid3's P.O.V.

Mechagodzilla?! Really Nolan?!

I roll my eyes and huff. I see Aech moving forward out of the corner of my eye. I guess it's machine vs. machine now.

As I'm watching with worry, I feel someone stab my shoulder. I yelp in pain because of that suit that allows you to feel everything. I swing around while pulling the blade out. I look at my opponent and it's just another sixer. I smirk and take the blade I have and slice their head off in one clean motion. While their body dissolved and turns into credits, I heave and clutch my shoulder.

Damn, that hurt!

I look around once I hear people shouting Daito's name. I look up and see Daito in the palm of the Mechagodzilla. I don't hear what else happens, but Daito flips Nolan off before he's torched by Mechagodzilla's blue flames. I laugh because of how comically perfect that was. I'm definitely giving Daito a hug when this is all over.

While Nolan's distracted, Aech takes him out. I smile and run towards the castle along with Wade and Sho. Arti stays behind to take out Nolan with Aech.

I see someone on the other side of the bridge. I don't recognize him, but I do see that he's holding something in his hand. He presses it and the bridge between us and the castle explodes. The remains fall into the lava river bellow. I sigh seeing that it's almost impossible to get over there.

Just as I've given up, I feel the ground shake and I see a flash of silver. Aech is making a bridge using the iron giant. The giant's hand opens and Arti appears. I smile and climb over. As I reach the other side I look back. Wade about falls due to the fact Aech is slipping. My heart clenches but is relieved slightly when Wade makes it. Aech looks at us before letting go. I rush over to the edge of the cliff just in time to see her make the peace sign before being consumed by the lava.

"Come on!" Wade yells and I dash after him. But I stop when I see the man from before holding up a gun. I duck behind a fallen rock and catch my breath. I look to my side and see Arti looking through her arsenal. Most of her guns have no ammo, until she runs across one. Her eyes light up and the gun falls into her hands. She slides to the side so she can aim at who's blocking our way. She shoots but he fires a shit that demolished the gun. Sho then uses a ninja star which cuts off his arm. His arms leaks credits instead of blood. He's too caught up in trying to save his credits that we run past him.

We're greeted by a bunch of sixers firing at us. We manage to duck behind a structure. I try and search through my arsenal and try to find one last weapon. As I'm searching, I hear Wade and Arti talking. I don't really pay attention until-

"I'm giving you a chance to escape IOI!"

"No, don't do it!"

"I'm sorry..."

I snap my head over just in time to see Arti gone and Wade with a guilty look on his face. He looks over at me just as I pull out my last pistol. I aim it at his head. His eyes go wide with shock.

"Andromeda, I'm trying to save you!"

"Then why the hell am I here?!"

"I..."

"I'm going to help you get to the last challenge, even if it kills me," I say in my most convincing voice, despite me being scared out of my mind.

He sighs before nodding. He pulls something out of his pocket that appears to be a grenade encrusted with several jewels. The Holy Hand Grenade.

Why would you do that when it's going to get blown up anyway?

Wade chucks it into the middle of the field of sixers and crouches down. I do the same because he seems to know what he's doing. I shut my eyes and hear a bang. I open my eyes and peer over the edge of the rock. No sixers remain. My jaw drops.

No grenade does that!

Wade laughs at my face and I glare at him. He grabs my hand and drags me towards a bright light. We arrive on a ledge in the middle of an icy cavern. I see a sixer who's very immersed in a game. I squint my eyes and realize it's Adventure, one of Halliday's favorite games.

The sixers shouts in victory as he completes the game, but he falls through the ice, which reforms to its original state. Wade jumps down and I follow, but I almost slip on the ice.

Of all environments, and Halliday chose this one...

Wade goes over to the game and picks up the controller. But he doesn't change the game...

I'm yanked backwards and I try and scream. But as usual, a hand covers my mouth. I glance over to my left and see Sho in a similar situation to me.

"Put down the controller, Wade," I hear all too familiar voice say from behind me.

Wade turns around and looks at Nolan. His eyes land on me and fear swirls through his avatar's eyes. His eyes move back up to Nolan.

"Why should I?"

Nolan laughs before responding. "Because I have this!"

I look to my right and see a Cataclyst.

Welp- I'm dead. Just get it over with.

While Nolan's partner is freaking out about losing his credits, I'm sitting there waiting to die. I'm going to be pissed about losing my shit, it's been a good run. I look at Wade and see him gazing at me with sympathy. His eyes then change to something stronger and he kicks the Cataclyst out of Nolan's hands. I'm let go by him but pulled back by the other guy. Now that I'm not paying attention to the action, I recognize him as I-Rock: one of my fathers old friends.

I sigh and redirect my attention to Wade and my father. He's getting his ass kicked by Wade. But the real highlight is the nut shit Wade delivers. Nolan falls over in pain and I laugh. I stop when I see Nolan reaching for the Cataclyst. He grabs it and activates it before Wade can stop him. I see a wall of blue and then the classic Game Over on my visor.

I remove my visor and see Sho, Aech, and Daito surrounding a tablet. Wade still has his visor on. I quirk my brows and hover over Sho's shoulder. I see Wade still in the ice cave. He doesn't have his usual attire on, but he's alive. He looks around confusedly and picks something out of his pocket once he stops. It's the coin that the Curator gave him. Daito zooms into the coin and I see something I've never seen in my years of being in the OASIS.

Extra Life.