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"This is where everyone starts," Leo said, standing next to Valeria with Gabriel in front of them in the cabin with the bots playing Sweven, ignoring their presence. His earpiece was attached to his right ear, connected to his watch. He'd used one before but only on battle missions.
"Okay," Gabriel said, squinting his eyes. "Now what?"
"Tap the screen of your watch," Leo lifted his head, instructing him. "That's your passport. It contains a map of the game, cell phone, you can transfer items and currencies to other accounts, et cetera."
"Easy enough," Gabriel scrolled through his hologram. "What's that?"
Leo squinted his eyes, tapping the screen of his own watch, "I don't know, that's not on my map."
"It's on mine," Valeria pointed out, zooming in on hers. "It's a few clicks outside the Raury. No one's there right now, though."
Leo took a few steps back before turning around, Valeria walked alongside him as he said, "Well, we shouldn't worry about it then — "
"Star could be there," Gabriel said as they stepped outside onto the stone dock. Leo was used to the landscape of the game but seeing the orange and pink tones in Gabriel's eyes — the astonishment — was like experiencing it for the first time all over again.
"Yes but according to Val's map, half the time she's at the White Rabbit." Leo added, "I've seen her there a few times, we should start there."
"We can take a ferry," Valeria optioned, looking to Leo. "Takes forty minutes."
"Or you could show me the map and I can jump us there." Valeria turned to Gabriel, who was standing nonchalant with his hands in his jogger pockets.
Valeria pointed her finger across the water towards a green lit cottage, "I have access to the portal."
"Cool," Leo felt Gabriel's hand on his shoulder and he didn't get to blink, they were on the porch of the cottage so fast.
He turned to Valeria, "Yeah, recruiting him was a bet."
Entering the doors stood Alister, a silver skinned bot in a tuxedo, stood behind a bar, cleaning shot glasses. His head tilted at the sight of Valeria, like a glitch. "My liege," he greeted. Leo'd never seen him bow at her before.
"Hi, Alister," she smiled, leaning her weight on the counter of the bar. "Got anything for me?"
"The senator had this delivered for you last night," he placed a flash drive in her hand.
She took it, connecting it to her watch and waited as a file downloaded. "Dude, that's lit."
Leo's eyebrow rose, "Why, what is it?"
"It's my own portal gun," she chuckled, holding her hand up to high-five Alister. "No? Okay."
