Fortnite: Quest Buddies (FINISHED)

Chapter 21: Zero Point

I can't open my eyes.
I can't move.
I can't speak.

Skye tried desperately to open her eyes, to move, to speak, but in her state, it was impossible. All she could do was think about what could be happening to her.
Eventually, the numbness in her head subsided, but it still took all her strength to open her eyes.
She looked around. She was in a white room that seemed to go off into the distance forever. She was on a brown wooden chair and there was a small black table in front of her. The thing that was on that table chilled Skye to the bone.
A single muffin.
It was on a white plate, and Skye could tell it was double chocolate. How much did Chaos Agent know about her in order to know that she liked muffins? Perhaps Hugo told him. But, deep down, it was still scary.
"Isn't it funny how easy people can be manipulated?"
Off in the distance, Skye could see a figure in black walking towards her. She wanted to run, but the numbness still existed in her legs.
"Hey there, Skye," Chaos Agent said.
Skye could tell it was him by his signature gas mask - the face of Shadow. Skye nervously eyed the muffin, drawing Chaos Agent's attention.
"It's not poisoned or anything, you know. It's double chocolate, your favorite."
He was right, double chocolate was her favorite. Skye uneasily reached for the muffin and had a bite. It wasn't poisoned - in fact, it was delicious.
"I see you're enjoying it. I suppose you're wondering why you're here. Well, Hugo hacked into your cams a while ago."
Skye looked up into Chaos Agent's lifeless eyes. Or where his eyes would be. He did what?
"Don't look so surprised. Well, I realise that you have a lot of questions, and not many answers. So, I'm here to let you ask one question. So, what is it?"
As soon as he said that, Skye knew her question. It was a question that had bothered her since her first dream, and perhaps her entire life. Saying it took all the strength that she had.
"Why did you kill them?" Skye croaked.
"You'll have to be a little more specific. I've killed a lot of people in my time. Some I wanted to more than others."
Skye's eyes filled with tears, because she knew he knew exactly who she was talking about. Chaos Agent did some sort of gesture with his hand, and the soreness of her throat disappeared.
"You know who."
"Well, you're right about that. Well, I should get to explaining."
"Yes, you should," Skye glared at him.
"You see, I was told."
"By who? About who?"
"Ah ah ah! I said one question. But, today, I'm feeling a bit generous. So, let me show you."
Chaos Agent stepped backwards and gestured behind him. Almost as if on cue, a strangely shaped crack appeared in thin air. It was like shards of glass had defied gravity.
"What is that?"
"Why don't you go and see?"
Skye walked over to the crack and hesitantly went to touch it. It was very pretty, and she knew some people who would love it if she brought it back to The Agency.
When she touched it, a horrible sensation erupted on her body. It felt like she was being lifted up and stretched into really awkward positions by some unforeseen force. Eventually, she smacked down on some glassy black surface and lay sprawled on the floor. When she looked up, the room was lit by some strange blue light.
Then she saw it.
A large blue orb floated in the air and small blue particles were coming off of it. It lit up the floor in the same colour.
It was then she realised that there were 3 people watching her. They all looked similar; like robots with red faces. One looked like a normal man, one a woman, and one a bulky man. They goggled at her as if she were an animal in a zoo.
"Wh-Who are you?" Skye asked the three robots.
The bulky male and female looked to the one in the middle. The middle man looked down sheepishly, just as Chaos Agent appeared at her side.
"They're mute," he said. For some odd reason, he sounded more human here.
"Are they robots?"
"No, they're as human as you are."
"What's that?" Skye pointed to the orb.
"That is the Zero Point. It controls those cracks that took you here. They are called rifts, by the way."
"And you have it here? Where is here?"
"Here is a special anomaly in time and space where everything is a void. It's where they hang out. Also, this isn't the actual Zero Point. It's a replica of the actual thing. We think that the real thing might be under The Agency. Or maybe those energy readings are from that device that Midas is making."
Skye met eyes with the man in the middle and thought of a question.
"Who are they?"
"Oh, yes. The guy in the middle is The Visitor, the one on the left is The Paradigm and the right one is The Scientist."
"Why can't they talk?"
"Well, none of them could talk except for The Visitor. He only lost his voice last October."
"Why's that?"
Chaos Agent paused and looked away from Skye for the first time since they had arrived.
"I'll let you find that out for yourself."
Skye didn't reply. She was full of a sickening feeling that it had something to do with that Zero Point. Skye had a thought. Something she should've already realised.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
Chaos Agent stared at her in an odd matter.
"Well, I was hoping that perhaps you could join me in Shadow. I like you, Skye. You have a lot of potential."
"No! You know that I can't say yes to that!"
"Well, well, well. I thought you would say that. You see, what you have just heard is classified information. In fact, the only people who know about it are here right now. If you say no, I will have to kill you, since you will be of huge value to the enemy."
A blackmail. Not unlike Chaos Agent to do that. Skye couldn't see any way out of this one. But, perhaps it was worth a go.
"You know I can't. But, maybe we can forge a deal."
Chaos Agent tilted his head to one side.
"I like the sound of that. What's your offer?"
"If I don't join Shadow, then I promise I won't tell anyone about the Zero Point. I know you'll be watching. However, I will only do so on one condition."
"What's that?"
"You have to promise not to harm Jules or Tek no matter the circumstances. If you lay one oily finger on either of them, then I will make sure every Ghost representative knows of that Zero Point."
Chaos Agent shook his head, then stared blankly into Skye's eyes.
"Deal. But if you break our deal, Jules and Tek will be dead before nightfall."
"Agreed."
Chaos Agent held his hand out so Skye could shake it, and Skye followed. As soon as Skye's hand touched Chaos Agent's hand, Skye was teleported away.
When she finally arrived, she looked up. She was in Pleasant Park. She had her bag back with her AR and sword inside. And in front of her, laid out neatly in all its glory, was Oro's staff.
Why did he give me the staff?
Skye picked it up to test if it was real, and shot a purple beam at a rock, which subsequently exploded. She couldn't believe that Chaos Agent had given it to her.
She checked her phone. 13th June. 2 days before Midas' plan went into action.
Oh my goodness. I've been gone 5 days.
She noticed that Midas had sent her a message 2 days ago. It read:

Skye, if you are somehow reading this, then we have grouped up in Risky Reels prior to my plan that'll be happening on June 15th. If you turn up, that is where you should go. I hope to see you soon.

"Oh no," Skye said to herself, then instantly broke into a run for Risky Reels.
She knew it wasn't far, but she knew that it couldn't be close enough. When she came to the river, she was no longer worried about getting wet, so she swam right through it.
When she finally reached the entrance, she took a deep sigh. It appeared that no one had noticed her yet. It was apparent that everything inside of The Agency had been moved here; file cabinets were set up anywhere they could be fit, henchmen had set up their own break areas and she spotted some agents in the crowd that were familiar.
Skye watched as Joe walked towards her. She could tell it was him because his trousers were gone again.
"Oh, hey Skye," he said, before jerking back. "Wha- Skye?!"
"Yup! That's me!" Skye waved.
Joe hugged her abruptly, and Skye hugged him back.
"We all thought you were dead!" he cried.
"I'm not. I'm OK," Skye comforted him.
"GUYS! IT'S SKYE! SHE'S HERE!" Joe shouted.
He then proceeded to collapse on the spot. Several henchman appeared to take him away, and Skye noticed for the first that every eye in Risky Reels was on her.
Only a few figures in the crowd moved. Skye could name every single one.
Tina.
Brutus.
Meowscles and Kit.
Maya.
Finally, accompanied by Deadpool, Jules, Ohm and Midas, Ollie stared at Skye with his black, classy eyes as if he were questioning whether it was really her.
"Skye?" he said nervously.
"Yes?" she replied.
"You know, I used to think that walking on my own two legs was best, but thinking about it now, I miss your head."
Skye giggled and hugged Ollie, just as the others all swarmed her. Only Midas stayed away. Skye smiled at him through Maya and Brutus' shoulders, and Midas waved at her in response.
"Hey Skye watch this," TnTina gestured to Ollie.
"Oh yeah," Ollie nodded.
Then, right before her eyes, Ollie changed from his humanoid form into a hat. Skye simply gaped at him.
"What are you waiting for? Put me on!" Ollie smiled on the floor.
Without a word, Skye picked up Ollie and put him on her head.
"I don't understand. How are you-" Skye began.
"Oh yeah, I reckon we have some explaining to do," TnTina shrugged.
TnTina and Ollie exchanged looks, before they began to explain the whole thing.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Word Count: 1800
Skye Count: 47