A Bad Name [Worm][OC][The Gamer]

Potato Nose · Mar 3, 2017

So, I've gone silent for a couple months. Haven't abandoned you all but writing has been dodgy for me, a lot of hit and miss. Among other things I've got a sequel to Playing with Lego's that I never wanted to write (but it won't leave me alone) that's in the works, plus this. Touch is stubbornly refusing to move forward, Sucker Punch is stagnant, and Unnatural Disaster is in desperate need of a rewrite.

I'm getting Ryugi-itis.

This post is reserved for omakes; prologue and chapter one incoming shortly.

Potato Nose · Mar 3, 2017

Prologue

They promised us there wouldn't be an actual firefight. Just us, raw numbers and more guns than they had. Twenty of us, eight of them. They'd give in. They'd leave.

As the gun falls from my fingers, I lose my balance, landing on the meaty part of my left butt cheek. The Empire thug who shot me-- or at least, I think he was the one-- shoots again. He misses, but the second shot was probably unnecessary, as I bring my hand to my throat. The gunfire that practically explodes around me sounds hollow, far away.

I've felt worse pain from smaller injuries. Still, lurking behind the numb awareness that the heated dark pulse of slick, black liquid that's dyeing my ratty t-shirt black, Alfred E. Neumann's words "What, me worry?" being drowned in blood, the terror is receding. Fading to fear. To alarm. To something less, all worry leaving me.

I float, looking down at my body, laying in an expanding pool of shiny blackness in the orange tinted light of the street lamp over the back alley basketball court. One of my bloodied hands is pressed uselessly against my throat; there's a darkness spreading in the crotch of my jeans that has nothing to do with blood. How incredibly undignified, I think to myself. I can't feel my fingers or toes. My hands and feet quickly go numb, my legs, my arms. But there is no pain, now. No pain, no fear, no doubt, no sadness. Dignity has no meaning. The view of it fades from my eyes, white and black blotches invading my vision and cotton filling my ears.

What was I thinking about? I don't remember.

I try to take another breath but I can't tell if I succeeded. I have

Time

To wonder

---

There is no time. No sense of body; an attempt to move my arm gives no response. No memory. No regret or shame. Sight, smell, taste touch, sound-- all gone. There's only... a little boredom. With what passes for thought right now, I dimly think of my lack of surroundings.

But... There isn't nothing, either.

There's something here.

For the first time in seconds, aeons, eternity, there is something else. Something that is not just my thoughts in lonely emptiness. It surrounds me.

I reach out, without hands, without change. I reach out..

And I grasp it.

Blue light enters me, and I open my eyes.

---

I can hear the fight-- or maybe I should call it a battle-- moving away, towards Empire territory. I suppose that means we're winning. Either that, or some of our boys are running the wrong way. Which, depressingly, is the more likely.

Skidmark didn't even bother to show, so it was just twenty of our boys against maybe a dozen Empire thugs. They told us there'd only be eight. Still, good odds until you think about what most of the Merchants are: strung out junkies. I'm part of the temps, just another bum they grabbed, gave a gun, and a promise of fifty bucks and a dime to look scary for fifteen minutes.

I'm with the Merchants not because I'm hooked on drugs, but because I'm homeless. I've done this work before, four times. Usually, it's not a thing. Merchant for an hour, food for a month.

And, glancing down, at my shirt and pants, I'm now laying in piss and blood, both my own. I've seen others like this, before, punks on the nod or hot boxing chronic, but this is the first time I've been there myself. Getting shot up and shooting up... I know there's some kind of joke to be made there.

It's at this point that I realize I don't feel any pain from being shot. Am I in shock? And I'd think I'd be freaking out right now, running for cover-- except my mind is clear as a bell, and calm. Right now, both sides think I'm either dead, or on my way. Nobody's shooting at me while I just lay here. My fingers are still on my neck; beneath the sticky cold blood I feel unbroken skin.

No wonder I'm bleeding out. Dumbass. I need to cover the gun shot wound. Except as I search, there's no wound there to cover. Anywhere on my neck.

Is this a bad fucking dream? Did someone slip me a clickum instead of a roach this afternoon? But no. It doesn't have any of the reactive feel that my one experiment with acid had. Nothing was changing according to random thoughts I was having.

What the fuck is going on?

New quest! Dafuq?
Find out what's going on with the missing gunshot wound.
Time limit: 10 minutes.
Success: Enlightenment, 1250 Exp.
Failure: none.

And I take it back. There's a weird response to random thoughts right there. Now I'm seeing a see through blue text box. I wave at it; nothing happens. My hand passes through it like it's not there.

Okay, someone definitely slipped me acid. No question. Why the fuck is there a ticking timer?

New quest! Dafuq?
Find out what's going on with the missing gunshot wound- AND the blue text box.
Time limit: 9 minutes, 43 seconds.
Success: Enlightenment, 1250 Exp.
Failure: none.

This... seems familiar. Something about this reminds me of something.

Before I can think much further on it, the approaching sirens distract me. Oh, shit! The cops. How am I going to get out of here? I'm not going to get very far with a gunshot wound to the neck. Do I stick it out here, and let the ambulance guys check me out? First thing they have to do when you're arrested is make sure you're healthy, or take you to a doctor if you're not.

Sure, in jail I can't do much, but they still get weed and cigarettes on the inside, and it's three meals and a roof over my head. It's actually... kind of a nice idea. On the surface.

Me, though? No, fuck that noise. Scrawny guys like me end up taking it in the ass on a regular basis, I know from experience. Being a part time Merchant... no, no back up either. Better to make my escape here. Even dead is better than prison bitch. Once was more than enough for a lifetime.

I'm expecting pain as I roll over; I'm surprised when there isn't any. Not even as I can feel gravel pressing into my elbow, no pain.

-1 hp

Floating red number drifts up; that time of familiar memory tickles at my conscious.

The lack of pain tells me one thing: must have been PCP. Guys on PCP have been known to shatter every bone in their arms and hand punching something, get shot on the heat, and not even notice it.

Quest: Dafuq?
Find out what's going on with the missing gunshot wound- AND the blue text box.
Time limit: 8 minutes, 51 seconds.
Success: Enlightenment, 1250 Exp.
Failure: none.

That's weird. It doesn't say "New" any more. When did that change?

I get slowly to my feet and wave at the stupid blue text box, wishing it wasn't right there in the middle of my sight. I can't see in front of me well enough like this. It remains where it is stubbornly, like the mole in the middle of my back that just itches so goddamn much sometimes.

Usually, just thinking about my mole was enough to make it start itching. For some reason, though, this time it seems satisfied to not bother me. Maybe because it realizes I have more important shit to do. Like get out of here before the sirens arrive. Except I can't figure out how to get rid of this fucking blue text box blocking my view.

I can't really see where I'm going as I leave the lit area, which kind of sucks, because I suddenly slam into something hard and unyielding at a full stagger. One of the metal poles holding up the chain link fence surrounding the court.

-3 hp

And there's that red fucking number again. I manage to keep my balance.

Quest: Dafuq?
Find out what's going on with the missing gunshot wound- AND the blue text box.
Time limit: 8 minutes, 26 seconds.
Success: Enlightenment, 1250 Exp.
Failure: none.

It is at this moment that I notice the little line inside a tiny box on the upper right corner of the text box, the usual computer icon for minimize. I stare at it for a good twenty seconds. Well, according to the timer counting down, it's actually sixteen. Then I reach up-- and my hand whacks against the wall I ran into a half minute ago.

I back away, then cautiously poke at the icon. The blue text box collapses into a small box that reads "Dafuq? 8:02."

More importantly, I can see. The sirens are stopped, and I can see the flicker of them from a nearby alley. A couple of police officers are slowly trickling in from the alley leading to the court. A few feet from me, I see the bloody black puddle that I'd been lying in two minutes ago.

The cops are doing that two handed thing they do, one hand holding a flashlight and steadying their pistol in the other. Circles of light pass over the walls of the project apartments at ground level.

I'm not a smart guy, but I know when it's time to go. I glance to the side, the break in the fence only a few feet away, and I run for it. Police flashlights move in my direction but I ignore their yells, running for the alley. Then I feel something hit me in the shoulder blade as I hear four or five rapid gunshots.

-35 hp

Through enduring excessive physical punishment, you have gained a new ability: Resist Damage!

The sense of deja vu is still strong as I see that, accompanied by nostalgia. Good feelings, like when I was a teen age kid, summer afternoons, playing-- oh. Quests. Hp. Damage resistance. Just like in a role playing game.

Wait, what now?

There doesn't seem to be any further pursuit. Apparently the cops aren't eager to chase a runner into a dark alley after the obvious evidence of the huge gunfight that just happened. My mind goes back to the little collapsed blue box.

'Dafuq? 6:55'

I wonder if there's a control panel, or menu--

MENU
STATS
ABILITIES
SKILLS
INVENTORY
PERKS
QUESTS
PARTY
HELP

Oh, shit. I'm in some kind of video game? Is that why there's no gunshot wound? I'm on video game hp mechanics now?

Quest complete!
You figured out what dafuq is going on. Sort of.
Received 1250 Exp.
Level up! You gained five stat points.
New perk!
New quest!
Surplus time added to new quest.

The alert screen vanishes as I wave my hand, but I don't have time to rejoice: another big blue text box pops up. I stab my finger at the minimize icon; it collapses into a little box that reads, "Going to Ground: 16:52."

Looking around, I don't see anyone. Maybe... I should probably read that.

New quest: Going to Ground
The police are looking for you. The area is about to be covered with more fuzz than a Shih Tzu. Find a place to lay low
Time limit: 16 minutes, 48 seconds.
Success: Escape, 500 Exp.
Failure: Prison bitch. Again.

My eyes lock for a split second on the "Failure" result. These windows are telling me things. Is this some kind of cape helping me out in a mentally fucked up way? Or...

I shake my head. Time to think about that shit later; if there's even a chance it's correct, then I need to move. And all things considered if say there's almost a certainty that is correct.

I scan the area again, this time looking for a way to get out of here. I can't just go out onto a main street in a blood soaked shirt and, oh yeah, let's not forget piss soaked pants. Because I was starting to feel something like dignity for a moment.

Unlike in the movies, a fire escape is never handy when you need one. I briefly consider trying to force my way into a door or window, but decide against it. Don't want to kick random doors open; that'd make noise and draw any cops looking for me like flies on shit.

Due to an especially sensible decision, your wisdom has increased by 1!

I wave away the pop-up immediately.

Wait. What did that say about wisdom?

Eh, whatever. It was a small pop-up. Doubt it said anything important.

... Who the dick am I kidding? I gotta know. I think the word 'Menu,' hoping this works.

MENU
STATS
ABILITIES
SKILLS
INVENTORY
PERKS
QUESTS
PARTY
HELP

There it is. Now, let's try... 'Stats.'

Peter Gardner
Level 2(10%)
HP: 11/55
MP: 20/20
STRENGTH:5 (-3): 2 [+]
AGILITY: 7 (-2.1): 4.9 [+]
VITALITY: (3+2)=5(-2.5): 2.5 [+]
INTELLIGENCE: 6 (-3): 3 [+]
WISDOM: 3 (-1.5): 1.5 [+]
CHARISMA: 2 [+]
LUCK: 1 [+]

Unused Stat Points: 5

CONDITIONS: Malnourished (-30% STR, AGI, -20% INT, WIS, VIT), Depressed (-30% WIS, INT) Recently Revived (-30% STR, VIT)
The Bum.

It suddenly occurs to me. Did I actually get super powers?

Nah. That's fucking stupid. Except... I look at that timer.

'Going to Ground: 15:10'

Okay. Let's assume that I have powers. I mean, it's more likely this is a trip, and someone slipped me acid, except, if I have been shot-- twice-- and I'm still somewhat okay, or whatever, then to still be standing this long after being shot I almost have to have powers. As weird as they are.

... That "11/55" hp thing scares me, though.

And if I got powers, they're also telling me that cops are looking for the guy they shot at. Oh, fuck, I left my gun! It's got my prints all over it! Doesn't matter I didn't shoot it, it's got no serials. That's five years right there, minimum.

'Going to Ground: 14:52'

Fifteen minutes is plenty of time. Just be cool, be calm, relax... Think.

... And not about how I'm fifteen minutes from prison bitch.

Can I climb the wall?

I look up. I'm not sure I can manage it; the stat thing totally called it when it said I was hungry. I haven't eaten since yesterday, and the slightly rubbery feeling in my arms and legs is one discomfort that my super powers apparently didn't fix.

Hide in a dumpster?

No, probably not. Any broken glass... Well, that eleven hp I have left says it's a bad idea. I don't want to know what happens when it reaches zero.

... Take off the shirt?

That's a thought. Of course, it'd be better if I could replace it. Running around in February shirtless in New England is rather stupid. And obvious. Plus all the blood.

Wish I could think of something.

I wave the menu away, mindful of the quest box. 'Going to Ground: 13:30'

I could just stand here like a moron. Or I could start moving. South along Flight Street? That's straight into Empire territory. Plus, that's where the fighting went. West? Back to the basketball court and the cops. East takes me right out to the water--

Maybe that would be a good move? At least I could wash off the shirt and the blood. I glance down at my pants. And the piss too.

Fuck, today sucks. Sucked. Whatever. I begin walking towards the beach.

At this time of night, the streets are pretty quiet, especially this close to a major fight. I almost don't see the reflection of flashing lights coming from a cross street; I duck into a doorway to a tenement building, huddling down against the short brick wall. Within seconds the prowl car zips past the building, lights on but sirens quiet. I wait briefly, peeking up over the brick work to watch the car go.

As soon as the cop car turns the corner, I start to go, only to huddle back down as several more cop cars go past. And an armored van. Is that the PRT?

Yep. One of the Empire capes must have shown up. And by the look of things, the PRT is getting ready to sweep up everyone from the fighting.

I test the door handle. Like I expected, locked. Looking up, I scan the front of the building. Nothing I can reach, not that I wouldn't be seen the moment I started climbing. Assuming I could manage the climb in the first place.

Peeking over the brickwork again, making sure to stay hidden, I wait, hoping for the officers gathering there to not be looking in my direction so that I can get out of the stairwell I'm trapped in. Four cop cars and a PRT van so far.

Oh shit. Police sometimes gather in a nearby spot before they raid a place or respond in numbers to a major fight or crime. Is this the staging area? Talk about bad fucking luck. Getting myself trapped out here less than a block from the staging area.

... And I saw my stats; I don't know why this even surprised me. On the upside, is looking more and more like this is a left super power thing. If a really fucking weird one. On the downside... 'Going to Ground: 6:08'

I'm running out of time. How far do I need to get?

The quest window opens back up.

Quest: Going to Ground
The police are looking for you. The area is about to be covered with more fuzz than a Shih Tzu. Find a place to lay low
Time limit: 6 minutes, 08 seconds.
Distance: Indeterminate.
Success: Escape, 500 Exp.
Failure: Prison bitch. Again.

Indeterminate? The fuck does that mean?

Quest: Going to Ground
The police are looking for you. The area is about to be covered with more fuzz than a Shih Tzu. Find a place to lay low
Time limit: 6 minutes, 02 seconds.
Distance: Unknown.
Success: Escape, 500 Exp.
Failure: Prison bitch. Again.

Oh.

Wait, can I just... Ask what I need to do to get away?

Quest: Going to Ground
Achieve one or more of the following objectives:
Reach a safe haven before time runs out.
Reach a safe distance from the fighting before time runs out.
Get a complete change of clothes and a shower before time runs out.

How far until I reach a safe distance?

Quest: Going to Ground
Achieve one or more of the following objectives:
Reach a safe haven before time runs out.
Reach a safe distance from the fighting before time runs out. (300 yards minimum distance North)
Get a complete change of clothes and a shower before time runs out.

North! That means... Away from the cops. Duh. I poke at the minimize button again.

I peek over the bricks again, making sure to not be seen. They're not looking in this direction. Good. Then, a blue window pops up.

Through repeated attention to detail, you have gained the Observe ability!

I almost swipe it away, before I pause. Let's not be hasty. Observe ability. Okay. Remember that. Later. I reach out, and try to move the window- it moves. Oh, man. This is actually kind of awesome.

They're still not looking over here; I slip over the wall and stick close to the building.

Through repeated activities to conceal your presence, you have gained the Stealth skill!

I move that window up next to the Observe window, and keep moving. I think my heart jumps into my throat as the light of another pair of headlights pass by but I'm far enough into the nook of a couple bushes that I'm not seen. I glance at the collapsed window.

'Going to Ground: 4:22'

I wait two seconds and chuckle to myself. Then I keep going.

Only a block later, the window expands.

Quest complete! You got away from the cops. For now.
Received 500 Exp.

I don't stop to read more, though. I'm hungry, and I want to find a safe place, preferably somewhere I can hole up, clean up, and eat something.

There's an old apartment building a few blocks away that's pretty trashed. In another city, it'd probably be demolished, but in Brockton it just serves as a gathering spot for people that don't have anything left to lose. I'm pretty sure I can find a corner to curl up in, maybe a sink to wash off my shirt. And my pants.

---

Peter Gardner
Level 2(30%)
HP: 11/50
MP: 20/20
STRENGTH:5 (-2.5): 2.5 [+]
AGILITY: 7 (-2.1): 4.9 [+]
VITALITY: (3+2)=5(-2.5): 2.5 [+]
INTELLIGENCE: 6 (-3): 3 [+]
WISDOM: 3 (-1.5): 1.5 [+]
CHARISMA: 2 [+]
LUCK: 1 [+]

Unused Stat Points: 5

CONDITIONS: Malnourished (-30% STR, AGI, -20% INT, WIS, VIT), Depressed (-30% WIS, INT) Recently Revived (-30% STR, VIT)
The Bum

PERKS:
The Bum: You are hardy, or at least, you're used to sucking it up when times are shitty. Because they always are.
+2 VIT, 55% chance to ignore effects of spoiled food and bad water.
1 Unused Perk Point

ABILITIES
Observe level 1 (0%) Active
You can gain valuable information about people and things just by looking. The amount of information gained is determined by the target's level (if any) and the level of Observe.
Resist Damage level 1 (5%) Passive
You are tough, harder to injure than most. All damage taken is reduced by 3%.

SKILLS
Stealth level 1 (5.5%) Active
You can go unseen and unheard.
10% reduced chance to be seen or heard when trying to conceal your presence. This bonus is tripled when at least 50% cover is available.

Potato Nose · Mar 3, 2017

Chapter One

As run down buildings go, this one is well known, if you're down on your luck in the bay. It used to be named Opera Terrace. Nobody's called it that in years; the first three letters fell off the corroded placard decades ago and not long after some wit decided to chisel off the "er" in Terrace. It's been called "raT race" for as long as anyone can remember. The run down apartment building hasn't seen a super, plumber, electrician, or inspector in living memory.

If there was any property value to buying it, the place would be torn down but the fat cats like Christner and Anders want it standing, it and the other trashed, worn out buildings near it, as a place so the homeless and out of luck wouldn't sleep where out of towners could see them.

The doors are long gone. There's no outside lights; power still comes to the building so that means SOMEBODY is paying the electricity bill but probably not anyone who actually flops here. There's a few lamps here and there in one downstairs room or another, giving a little light, but not enough. Crumpled burger wrappers, broken bottles, wind blown garbage, nobody goes barefoot here. Something crunches under my left shoe sole that sounds like a needle.

Ahead of me, a skinny, sucked up looking guy is sprawled half-in an abandoned room. He's using a shitty jacket as a sort of blanket. I look up at the little box telling me about learning Observe.

Okay then. Menu, Abilities.

Observe level 1 (0%) Active
You can gain valuable information about people and things just by looking. The amount of information gained is determined by the target's level (if any) and the level of Observe.
Resist Damage level 1 (5%) Passive
You are tough, harder to injure than most. All damage taken is reduced by 3%.

Just look at them? I close the menu and look at the skinny guy. He's just laying there. How do I Observe--

Oliver Surhoff
Junkie
Level 5
HP: 168/220
Affiliations: None.
Condition: Sleeping, Intoxicated (Alcohol)

... Oh. I have to actually think it. I... should have already figured that. But what the hell is affiliation?

Oliver Surhoff
Junkie
Level 5
HP: 168/220
Gang Connections: None.
Condition: Sleeping, Intoxicated (Alcohol)

Oh.

The correction is a bit embarrassing. I never was smart; I always knew that. But earlier tonight, it said that making good decisions made my wisdom go up. And both those Abilities say level 1. Meaning there's probably a way to increase them.

Menu. Abilities.

Observe level 1 (1%) Active
You can gain valuable information about people and things just by looking. The amount of information gained is determined by the target's level (if any) and the level of Observe.
Resist Damage level 1 (5%) Passive
You are tough, harder to injure than most. All damage taken is reduced by 3%.

How do I increase them, though? If--

Wait. Didn't Observe say 0% earlier?

I look around, then notice the jacket. Observe.

Jacket
Clothing
Level 1
HP: 12/20
Protection: Resist Cold 10%, absorb slashing damage to torso 20%, absorb piercing damage to torso 1
Condition: Moderate Disrepair.

Due to accurately exercising logic and reason your intelligence went up by 1!

That ratty old jacket does all that?

And my intelligence went up. Huh. I look at the Abilities again.

Observe level 1 (2%) Active
You can gain valuable information about people and things just by looking. The amount of information gained is determined by the target's level (if any) and the level of Observe.
Resist Damage level 1 (5%) Passive
You are tough, harder to injure than most. All damage taken is reduced by 3%.

So it went up a percent. I'm betting that if it reaches 100% it'll improve-- meaning using my abilities improves them? That... I also should have guessed on my own. It almost seems too obvious.

Now, the big question. Do I sleep, or do I try to meet up with Caleb? He can probably hook me up with a cleanish shirt, and get me the fifty bucks and dime bag of weed that was supposed to be pay for the 'show of force' that turned to shit tonight.

I look down at my shirt. That mess right there says it all; if I sleep right now I won't be able to go out till dark tomorrow. Meaning no food either. It's already been way too long since I ate.

---

Caleb's rat trap of a place is only a mile from here, but I have to detour the long way around to get there to avoid the area the police and PRT have blocked off. By the time I get there I'm wishing I'd taken Oliver's jacket when I'd had the chance; I need it a hell of a lot more than he does.

The apartment buildings here are slightly better than what I'm used to; all the tenants pay rent, even if it's almost entirely cash.

Walking down the hallway to the stairs, I can hear a baby crying, several dogs barking from different directions, and the sounds of a couple arguing. I tune it out; it's not my problem and it's not what I'm here for. Along the way, though, I Observe everything I see.

Hall Lamp
Light Source
Level 1
HP: 3/3
Projects mild light when active (25 feet).

Observe became level 2!

That cheerful announcement puts a smile on my lips as I knock on Caleb's door. The lighting in the hallway is from several dingy lightbulbs but it's plenty to see what a mess I am. Thankfully, nobody here cares any more about other people's business than I do. Nobody looks out in the hall. I Observe the peephole while I wait.

Peephole
Tool
Level 2
HP: 5/5
Grants ~~panoramic~~ wide angle view of the hallway from the living space.
This small lens is designed to allow people to see not only white knocking, but also who might be waiting off to the side. An exercise in paranoia, but a justified one in some places.

That's new. I look at the lamp on the wall again, and Observe.

Hall Lamp
Light Source
Level 1
HP: 3/3
Projects mild light when active (25 feet).
A common, cheap indoor lamp fixture, made by Pfizer. Inexpensive to purchase and maintain.

That's pretty cool. Got more information that time. I wonder what else I'll learn as I level up observe more?

The door opens. "Get the fuck in here you stupid shit below someone sees you!"

Caleb doesn't wait for me to act, grabbing the unbloodied right shoulder of my t-shirt and dragging me inside the apartment.

"The fuck are you coming here looking like that?!" He demands as soon as the door is shut. "You tryina get me arrested? Bring the cops down on this place?"

"I need my money and a change of clothes," I say. "Fifty bucks and the dime."

"... Fuck, fine. Where's the gun?"

I wince. "Cops shot at me, and I dropped it."

He looks at me for couple seconds, his eyes moving to my blood stained shirt. For a moment, I think he's gonna stiff me but then the moment passes and he nods. "Yeah... Yeah. Well, fuck it, that's why the serials are filed off. Come on. Let's get you a clean shirt. And pants."

---

I'm not about to turn down the offer of the shower; as I take off the blood crusted shirt, I see the bullet hole with still damp blood surrounding it right by where my shoulder blade would be. I stare dumbly at it, before turning to look at my back in the mirror. There's the bullet hole, though the bleeding has stopped.

There's a painless bullet in me somewhere. Something about the idea strikes me as hilariously funny. I toss the shirt on the sink, following it with my pants.

I don't look into the mirror anymore; I don't want to see myself. I step into the chipped bathtub and turn on the water. Cold water splashes across my toes, and quickly little streamers of dirty water start trailing to the drain. It warms up quickly, and I pull up the little knob that sends the water flowing to the shower head. It's a jolt, the first spray chilly but then the hot water hits the top of my head. It feels better than any water has a right to.

I turn my back to the spray, and I can feel my muscles start to relax. That's really... REALLY nice. I grab the bar of soap-- Ivory, funny, I'd have guessed Caleb would use Irish Spring-- and begin rapidly scrubbing my legs and feet.

A sixteen year old run away doesn't appreciate something as simple as a shower. It took me a few days to really worry about it, weeks to come to a decision. By the time I tried to go back home, it was too late. Without me to beat on, my step dad turned to my mom. Mom was even skinnier and less durable than me. I never got hospitalized by him, but it was close a couple times. Mom didn't survive it.

I find myself staring at the bar of soap, dirt so thick on it that it looks muddy. I wipe away the dirty streaks and rinse it off, setting it on the soap indent and washing the brown suds off. I suspect myself down again, wanting to wash away not just the dirty but the feeling, the very sensation of the streets. I know it won't last. I know tomorrow I'll be buying a loaf of bread, a couple raw potatoes, I'll hole up somewhere near Acre Park, where I can get water from the bathrooms. The dirt will cover me, coat me, cake under my nails and in my hair. But for now...

For now, I want to pretend I'm a human being.

My eyes drift up to look at the notification windows that have been hanging open for the last hour. I close both of them.

... Menu.

MENU
STATS
ABILITIES
SKILLS
INVENTORY
PERKS
QUESTS
PARTY
HELP

Well... Nobody's here to watch me. Maybe I could experiment? Perks.

PERKS:
The Bum: You are hardy, or at least, you're used to sucking it up when times are shitty. Because they always are.
+2 VIT, 55% chance to ignore effects of spoiled food and bad water.
1 Unused Perk Point

What do I do with the Perk Point?

PERKS:
Select a new Perk. Once selected, this choice cannot be undone.
Choose one:
Regenerator
Tough as Nails
Fast Learner
The Acrobat
Scrounger
Hunch
1 Unused Perk Point

What do those do?

PERKS:
Regenerator:
You heal stupidly fast. You recover hp at a rate equal to your VIT every thirty seconds. +2 to VIT.
Opens Regeneration Perk tree.
Requirements: none
Tough as Nails:
You're ridiculously hard to injure. After any other damage reduction, reduce damage taken by your level. +2 to STR.
Opens Juggernaut Perk tree.
Requirements: none.
Fast Learner:
You pick up new skills quickly. You gain +5% increased experience to skills and abilities; reduce requirements from skill books by 5%. +2 to INT.
Opens Scholar Perk tree.
Requirements: none.
The Artful Dodger:
You're nimble, light on your feet. You have 10% increased chance to dodge attacks while using acrobatic abilities or skills. +2 to AGI.
Opens Acrobat Perk tree.
Requirements: none.
Scrounger:
You have a knack for finding what you need, at a good price. Increases chance to locate objects for sale by 10%, and reduces the cost of those items by 0-15%. +2 to CHA.
Opens Well Connected Perk tree.
Requirements: none.
Hunch:
You have acquired a talent for making better decisions. While making a choice, you have a 10% chance of getting a good vibe off the better alternative. +2 to WIS.
Opens Guiding Light Perk tree.
Requirements: none.
1 Unused Perk Point

Those all look good. I'm not sure which I should pick. And what are Perk trees?

PERKS:
Perks not only improve your stats and give you bonuses to certain actions or abilities, they also open up new paths for you to develop a focus. Selecting a peek allows you to choose from new Perks at your next Perk selection. As you go deeper into a Perk tree, the new perks you may choose from will offer increasingly better bonuses to actions related to that Perk tree. This, you may choose to branch out to a wide selection of bonuses, but in doing so you may never unlock the highest abilities and benefits that focusing on a single tree will give you.
You gain a Perk Point at every even level.
1 Unused Perk Point

There's a knock on the bathroom door; I almost jump. "Uh-- yeah?"

"You hungry, man? I got stuff for sandwiches."

FOOD. My stomach rumbles at the thought of it. "Yeah, I could go for that."

"Alright. When you're ready, man."

Suddenly, I'm eager to get out of the shower. Despite how much I was enjoying it. I rinse myself down fast; most of the suds have already washed away while I was looking at my menu. I twist both handles, turning the water off, and push down the knob that redirects the water to the shower head. The water backed up to it gurgles cheerfully out of the faucet, and I step out onto the bath mat, toweling off with the clean towel Caleb gave me.

As shitty as my night had been, Caleb is actually being really cool to me. I generally don't trust this sort of thing but right now my night has shifted to something less than shit and I'm not looking gift horses in the mouth.

My shirt is still laying where I left it; the mostly dried blood a reddish brown. Seeing that makes me... Not scared, but cautious. I look back at the Perks. With that in mind, I poke the word Regenerator.

PERKS:
You have selected Regenerator. Once you confirm this selection, it cannot be undone. Continue? Y/N.

"Yes," I mumbled.

PERKS:
The Bum: You are hardy, or at least, you're used to sucking it up when times are shitty. Because they always are.
+2 VIT, 55% chance to ignore effects of spoiled food and bad water.
Regenerator: You heal stupidly fast. You recover hp at a rate equal to your VIT every thirty seconds. +2 to VIT.
Opens Regeneration Perk tree.

Stats.

Peter Gardner
Level 2(10%)
HP: 21/60
MP: 22/22
STRENGTH:5 (-3): 2 [+]
AGILITY: 7 (-2.1): 4.9 [+]
VITALITY: (3+2+2)=7(-3.5): 3.5 [+]
INTELLIGENCE: 7 (-3): 3.5 [+]
WISDOM: 3 (-1.5): 1.5 [+]
CHARISMA: 2 [+]
LUCK: 1 [+]

Unused Stat Points: 5

CONDITIONS: Malnourished (-30% STR, AGI, -20% INT, WIS, VIT), Depressed (-30% WIS, INT) Recently Revived (-30% STR, VIT)
The Bum
Regenerator

I watch for a few seconds; my HP increases to 22 after about eight seconds, then 23 about eight seconds later.

An idea is forming, but I'll deal with it later. First, dry off. Then, food.

My eyes drift back to the stats. There's a lot of penalties there. Malnourished, depressed, recently... Revived?

Can I get more details on Recently Revived?

CONDITIONS:
Recently Revived: You have been killed and revived recently; your Recovery ability is currently inaccessible. Additionally, you have a 30% penalty to STR and VIT.

What's Recovery?

ABILITIES:
Recovery: You may recover from death, returning to life at full hp. In doing so, on revival you receive the Recently Revived condition until you next sleep in a bed.

I can come back to life?!

Wait. I don't HAVE a bed to sleep in.

Shit.

There's a knock on the bathroom door again. "Yeah?"

Caleb's voice comes from the other side of the door. "Here. Toss your clothes out here, I got some clean shit for you. No guarantees it'll fit good but I got you a belt."

I wrap the towel around my waist, opening the door. "Thanks." He hands me some crumpled up clothes and starts to turn around, but I say, "Listen, this is cool of you and all, but why the..."

"Dude, don't read into it. The clothes are from Goodwill anyways so it sets me back like six bucks. And, seriously, you need to eat something. So just fucking take it, grab some sleep on my couch, and don't be here when I wake up in the morning." He turns and walls down the hall. "Couch pulls out. Money's in the pocket of the jeans."

The door shuts behind him, leaving me standing there in a towel holding a wad of clothing.

Fuck it. I pull on the cargo pants and sweat shirt. As promised, the pants won't stay up; still, the material's thick and intact. Patting the right front pocket, I find a pair of twenties and a ten, wrapped around a baggy full of sticky, green weed, held in a bundle by a rubber band. Paid as promised. In Brockton Bay, say what you like about the Merchants, but they at least offer work even I can do. Although after tonight I'm reconsidering taking them up on it again. Getting shot at... Except that's not as big a deal as it once was, is it?

My stomach twinges, reminding me. Food. I cinch the belt tighter, and walk down the hallway barefoot, the carpet hard packed beneath my bare feet, the way a carpet gets after it's been too long since it was last vacuumed. The whole place looks a bit dirty, and the door jambs have black smudges at shoulder height, probably where Caleb usually puts his hands.

An old comic strip from a newspaper has been cut out and taped to a hall closet door, something about a guy trying to hold up a cop hangout without knowing it. The date reads August of '98.

Observe.

Comic Strip
Decoration
Level 1
HP: 0/1
An old comic strip taken from a newspaper. The paper is too old to safely take the strip down.
Written by Rob Armstrong, the comic strip Jump Start featured the humorous exploits and experiences of a fictional police officer.

I shake my head. Strange thing for a Merchant to have hanging on his wall, a comic strip about cops. I keep walking, looking around for the kitchen, before I catch sight of the living room and the couch I'm probably going to be sleeping on. On the other side of it is a fairly standard apartment kitchen, with room enough for a fridge, a stove, a sink, and just enough shelves to fool you into thinking you can actually cook in there. There's no kitchen light; I guess he either uses the living room lights or doesn't use the kitchen at night.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm eating my third tuna sandwich while looking over my new Food Crafting skill.

This could be awesome.

As I finish the last bite of my sandwich, a new message pops up.

You are no longer suffering from Malnourished.

That's good to know. I spoon out the last scrapings of the tuna in the mixing bowl, eating it as is. Not enough left for a sandwich. True, I'm not really hungry now-- but a long learned lesson sticks with me: eat until you're full, especially when someone offers to feed you. You never know when your next meal will be.

I put the mixing bowl info the sink, running water into it and pouring a few drops of the dish soap into it. The bottle is only a third full and has a crust of dried soap half way down the pull top. I take the dish sponge and wipe up some of the blue crusting too, then go about washing the spoon and the mixing bowl.

The dishes taken care of, I put the mayo in his fridge, toss the tuna cans in the trash, and close up the bread bag, all three slices of bread that's left in it. It's still enough for toast and a sandwich, so it's worth saving.

The couch pulls out into a hideaway bed as promised. It has no sheets, but the living room is warmer than any place I've slept since September, and I haven't slept in a bed in at least two years. I rest my head on a couch cushion, and I'm asleep before I know it.

You are no longer suffering from Recently Revived.
You are no longer suffering from Depression.

---

Peter Gardner
Level 2(30%)
HP: 95/95
MP: 40/40
STRENGTH:5 [+]
AGILITY: 7 [+]
VITALITY: 7 [+]
INTELLIGENCE: 7 [+]
WISDOM: 3 [+]
CHARISMA: 2 [+]
LUCK: 1 [+]

Unused Stat Points: 5

CONDITIONS:
The Bum
Regenerator

PERKS:
The Bum: You are hardy, or at least, you're used to sucking it up when times are shitty. Because they always are.
+2 VIT, 55% chance to ignore effects of spoiled food and bad water.
Regenerator: You heal stupidly fast. You recover hp at a rate equal to your VIT every thirty seconds. +2 to VIT. Opens Regeneration Perk tree.

ABILITIES
Observe level 2 (20%) Active
You can gain valuable information about people and things just by looking. The amount of information gained is determined by the target's level (if any) and the level of Observe.
Resist Damage level 1 (5%) Passive
You are tough, harder to injure than most. All damage taken is reduced by 3%.

SKILLS
Stealth level 1 (5.5%) Active
You can go unseen and unheard.
10% reduced chance to be seen or heard when trying to conceal your presence. This bonus is tripled when at least 50% cover is available.
Craft (cooking) level 1 (12%)
You can prepare food. Improves the quality of taste and nutrition for self-prepared food by 2%.

Edmulla · Mar 3, 2017

MY NIGGA THIS IS THE GAMER STORY IVE BEEN WAITING FOR

Ambit · Mar 3, 2017

Looks interesting, I'll be waiting to see the direction of the story after the main character fixes his life.

blackshadow111 · Mar 3, 2017

A story by Potato. A gamer story. A gamer story by Potato Nose.

Oh, this is a good day. The grenade watches this.

Straw_Man · Mar 3, 2017

Holy shite .... that got me. You are no longer suffering from depression. Watched like a hawk.

A/N · Mar 3, 2017

This is going to be amazing, thank you.

Ryune · Mar 3, 2017

Huh, have to wonder where he goes with this. Gamer's mind and body aren't on the skill list but the HP and his obvious ability to keep his shit together means they are there...

I'm wondering just why he was homeless in the first place though. Have to wonder if it was because he simply couldn't get a job or a mental problem. If the first is the case... well walking right into the PRT HQ to sign up could be a major fix to... like all of his problems unless he beats someone up between now and then to discover the joys of loot drops.

JamesB · Mar 3, 2017

A Worm/Gamer fic using an OC, who appears to be even worse off than Taylor (or most other OCs)? This has places to go that are off the map. It looks like it'll be a good read.

Kaoticice · Mar 3, 2017

Apparently Santa does exist, he's just late with the gifts.

Potato Nose, this is looking great. Definitely watched; I'm really looking forward to the ride you're about to take us on.

ptb_ptb · Mar 3, 2017

Potato Nose said:
Success: Enlightenment, 250 Exp.

He actually got 1250, not 250, when he succeeded in his first quest.

EdroGrimshell · Mar 3, 2017

This looks promising. Watched.

Potato Nose · Mar 3, 2017

ptb_ptb said:
He actually got 1250, not 250, when he succeeded in his first quest.

Supposed to be 1250. Will fix that.

Phant0m5 · Mar 3, 2017

*Sees OC and Gamer tags*
*is wary*

*Sees Potato author*
*jumps in*

Worth.

Seonor · Mar 3, 2017

Ryune said:
I'm wondering just why he was homeless in the first place though. Have to wonder if it was because he simply couldn't get a job or a mental problem. If the first is the case... well walking right into the PRT HQ to sign up could be a major fix to... like all of his problems unless he beats someone up between now and then to discover the joys of loot drops.

He ran away from home at sixteen because of a violent father, a few months later when he decided to go back the father had killed his mother.

TeaSpoon · Mar 3, 2017

Yes, this is great!

No magic!

No instant dungeons!

Which makes sense, since Worm doesn't have magic or Gaia to create dungeons for people. And really, the Gamer ability set is already too OP as it is. It's essentially something like half a dozen separate superpowers cobbled together. Each of them could be a decent Worm-level power all on its own.

LordsFire · Mar 3, 2017

Good wind-up. I'm generally leery of Gamer fics, but you're a good enough author I decided to give it a chance. I hope it goes somewhere.

Vali · Mar 3, 2017

One thing that interests me about this story is the character development that will occur as the main characters Wisdom and Intelligence rise.

Most of the time, these two stats don't actually change the personality of the Gamer character; the main character just becomes a math whiz who can speak a dozen languages, but who still behaves in fundamentally the same way they always did. But here, you've started Peter out as being at the very least uneducated, and rather damaged from years of hard living and depression, and you've also made it clear that this is changing. Status effects are falling away, stats are rising, Peter is changing, possibly in a Flowers for Algernon kind of way, and I'm curious to see where you end up going with this.

blitzxs · Mar 4, 2017

Watched. I read a lot of Gamer/Worm fics but never something like this. I'm also looking forward to the VIT-build, assuming that's what he'll choose based on the Regenerator Perk. TGWP's Jaune chose the WIS-build and it was pretty sweet so it's nice to see a different one.

sdarian · Mar 4, 2017

I like how the descriptions are changing so that he understands them.

That's really something I would have liked to see on other Gamer stories, as so many of them spend the majority of their short-lived story having the protag trying to figure out the menus and what does what... Don't even get me started on the ones where video games don't exist in that setting/time period, so it takes even longer for them to try and work it out.

Toad · Mar 4, 2017

Looking good so far.
I will be watching.

Ta'al · Mar 4, 2017

Would have picked fast learner myself but that might be a little forward thinking for him, good start. Watched.

CthuluWarlock · Mar 4, 2017

i love this so far the oc is interesting and sympathetic i like your spin on the gamer power so far and i actually agree with his perk choices so far especially since he didn't know whether or not there is a way to restore health other than slowly healing over time that 11 hp would definitely be the immediate problem to think about so re-generator was the best choice with the info that he had

Mysteriez974 · Mar 4, 2017

Hey, there's a new Gamer fic !

*raises eyebrow*

It's by Potato Nose !

*pauses*

I am watching this with the fury of a thousand bad and/or dead Gamer fics.
Which is about 6.5 times the fury of a thousand suns, for y'all.

It's really the little things that allow you to recognize quality.
Just as an example, the fact the Game can do that :

Quest: Going to Ground
The police are looking for you. The area is about to be covered with more fuzz than a Shih Tzu. Find a place to lay low
Time limit: 6 minutes, 08 seconds.
Distance: Indeterminate.
Success: Escape, 500 Exp.
Failure: Prison bitch. Again.

Indeterminate? The fuck does that mean?

Quest: Going to Ground
The police are looking for you. The area is about to be covered with more fuzz than a Shih Tzu. Find a place to lay low
Time limit: 6 minutes, 02 seconds.
Distance: Unknown.
Success: Escape, 500 Exp.
Failure: Prison bitch. Again.

Oh.

Wait, can I just... Ask what I need to do to get away?

Quest: Going to Ground
Achieve one or more of the following objectives:
Reach a safe haven before time runs out.
Reach a safe distance from the fighting before time runs out.
Get a complete change of clothes and a shower before time runs out.

How far until I reach a safe distance?

Quest: Going to Ground
Achieve one or more of the following objectives:
Reach a safe haven before time runs out.
Reach a safe distance from the fighting before time runs out. (300 yards minimum distance North)
Get a complete change of clothes and a shower before time runs out.

Fills me with joy. On the spot corrections, instead of the protagonist wasting time cursing the game for being vague ? Excelsior !

WAIT, THERE'S PERK TREES ?! If I had any money, I would be throwing it at the screen right now !

I'm looking forward to more of this.

Also, don't worry about Ryuugi-itis. It's not fatal.
...well Ryuugi hasn't died from it, anyway...maybe he's just immune, though.

A Bad Name [Worm][OC][The Gamer]

(Verified Alpaca) (Monkey With a Typewriter)

(Verified Alpaca) (Monkey With a Typewriter)

(Verified Alpaca) (Monkey With a Typewriter)

You know this is against the rules, right?

Happy Helpful Grenade

Unverifiable Fan

Hotel Manager

You needed worthy opponents.

Wizard-Scientist

(Verified Alpaca) (Monkey With a Typewriter)

Student of Ti Kwan Leep

Internet Wizard

Watching The World Burn

I am Leech

Verified Fic-Junkie

Recovering pessimist