I nodded grimly, realizing she was right. We needed to win this. And if zip-lining to my death was what it took to win? I needed to suck it up. Besides, it wasn’t like real-life dying. It wasn’t even like Dragon Ops, where it would real-life hurt. If I fell, I’d reset. No big deal.
But it still felt like kind of a big deal.
Starr handed me a thick piece of wire she’d pulled from her wings. She instructed me to wrap it around the clothesline and then use it to slide down. I did as I was told, my hands shaking the entire time as I gingerly stepped out onto the broken walkway, trying not to look down.
“I am seriously a crazy person,” I muttered, then jumped.
WHOOSH. The air rushed at my face and past my ears as I flew down the clothesline at breakneck speed. My stomach dropped, possibly to ground level, and I fought not to puke all over myself. (Could you virtually puke? I wasn’t sure.) The window of the next building rushed closer and closer and—
“Ian! Jump! Now!”
I kicked my feet out, using my jumping power to leap through the window. I ducked my head as I crashed through the glass and somersaulted three times before slamming into a wall and stopping short. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, and for a moment I just lay there, gasping for breath. Then I recovered, scrambled to my feet, and ran to the window.
I waved up at Starr, grinning, rather proud of myself.
“Your turn!” I cried.
She gave me a small salute, then jumped out the window with ease, using her wings to keep from dropping to the ground. For a moment she looked like an angel floating across the sky. The first beautiful thing I’d seen in this game. And then—
BOOM! A blast rocked the building, knocking me backward. One of the robot sentries below had taken out a member of Team Blue on the ground. Which, of course, was a good thing. Until I realized his partner had survived, dashing into the alleyway to avoid the blast. When she looked up, her eyes locked on Starr—in midair, unprotected.
She raised her crossbow.
“Watch out!” I cried, frantic.
But the warning came too late. The arrow arced through the air, hitting its mark. Embedding itself into the middle of Starr’s left wing. She flailed, knocked off balance, her wing smoking and sparking behind her. The other wing working overtime to keep her afloat.
But in the end, it wasn’t enough. She began plummeting to the earth.
“No!” I cried.
Her eyes flew to me at the window. “Keep going!” she cried. “Get the orb!”
And with that, she hit the ground, blinking out of view. Straight to the graveyard.
Leaving me alone.
I abandoned the window, my mind racing. What to do? What to do? I could go for the orb alone, like Starr had suggested, but once I grabbed it, my hands would be full and I couldn’t use my sword. Which meant I wouldn’t be able to defend myself on the way back. I needed backup. Where were Lilli and Josh? Had they gotten the stupid power-up yet? Were they on their way?
I couldn’t wait around to find out. The girl from Team Blue had to have heard me shouting. She’d be heading inside any second now to finish me off. I had to move, and fast.
I raced through the building, an old movie theater, I realized as I ran through a projection booth, tripping over film reels and machinery. Pushing the far door open, I took the stairs two at a time, landing in the theater lobby, wanting to make a break for it while I still could.
But just as I was about to exit, I heard voices. Team Blue was there, right behind the door. I dove behind a popcorn machine, trying to find a hiding spot. Unfortunately, I managed to knock over a stack of soda cups in the process. They fell to the ground with a loud crash. (Which was seriously louder in-game than it had any right to be. They were just paper cups, after all!)
“There he is!” cried the girl who had taken out Starr. “I told you he was still in there!”
“Let’s go get him,” her partner exclaimed, sounding way too eager for my liking.
Crap. I glanced around, desperate for a better hiding spot. My gaze landed on an open door leading into the theater itself. Drawing in a breath, I made my move, praying it wouldn’t prove to be a dead end.
Inside the theater was dark. Only dim floor lighting gave off any sort of illumination. I ducked down behind a row of moldy red velvet seats and began crawling toward the other side. Thankfully, there did seem to be an exit at the front by the ripped screen, its light faintly glowing in the darkness. If I could get to it, I would be able to escape.
But the other team had entered the theater now. One on each side, walking down the rows, peering into each one. I had four—no three—rows before they spotted me. And then I’d be a sitting duck.
What to do…? What to do…?
It was then that I remembered my superpower. I could leap. Maybe I could leap as far as the door. They’d be startled—not expecting the move. Maybe I could make it outside before they knew what was going on.
It was worth a try.
“Hey, cheater. We know you’re here,” one of them called. “Just give up already. We’ve got you surrounded.”
I clenched my body tight, preparing for the jump. If this worked, I’d never complain about a lack of super speed again.
Three… two…
I shot into the air, throwing myself at the exit.
“What the—”
“He’s getting away! Stop him!”
They dashed down the aisles, the girl raising her crossbow as she ran, trying to get off a shot. But I was already there, shoving open the exit. Accidentally activating
