THE MOMENT
"Thank you! You're totally the coolest!" Jenny hugged Dread with glee. The Nordic girl's pale cheeks filled with warmth as she gladly returned the hug. "The quest didn't say anything about an underwater boss. I really couldn't have done it without you and Sunder." Jenny waved at the pink-purple shark fin circling the wet stone floor. The water drained away as soon as the boss was defeated. "Thank you, Sunder!" she added.
"You're welcome. From both of us," Dread replied. The shark fin disintegrated and vanished. "So, let's go see the loot?" she asked and gestured at the open doorway. The two teens crossed the wet floor and entered the treasure room. Torches lit themselves as soon as the pair crossed the threshold.
"That's so rad…," Jenny made the breathless comment when she saw it.
"Whoa… yeah….," Dread added.
A 15-foot tall silver and black mecha suit stood in the center of the room. It looked bulky and blocky with missile mortars mounted on its shoulders and a large laser canon attached to each wrist. The text above its head read: "Mecha of the Legendary Hero" in gold letters.
"I'm learning all kinds of things today," Jenny giggled. "Didn't know the AlterNet had Mechas too…," she looked at Dread. "Can you equip it?"
"It counts as equipment," Dread shrugged. "Anyone can, but Mechas aren't really used in Derby. It's more for other game modes that I don't really play. We're here for you, if you want it, it's yours."
"I want it…," Jenny and Dread approached the mechanical suit. Jenny felt small as she reached out to touch the cold metal. She shook her head.
"But, I don't have a use for it now….," she sighed.
"It's yours," Dread reaffirmed her decision with a nod. The two had spent a lot of time together since meeting and she had an idea of what Jenny was thinking. She made sure to give her blessing.
"You're sure!?" Jenny asked. "This is really awesome, you know!" Dread smiled.
"All I'm hearing is you didn't get what we're here for and you want to make another run," she said. "I don't mind joining you again."
"You're the best!" Jenny grinned and flicked her wrist upward. A large glass Slate appeared in front of her and she made quick taps on it before she could change her mind. White ripples coursed through the Mecha's body, then it disintegrated into gold specs and fell to the floor. The golden particles gathered in one spot to form a glowing, orange-sized cube.
"Whoa… that's a ton of nanos..," Jenny had experimented with her Recycling ability and she thought she had an idea of what to expect. But, this was the first legendary item she'd Recycled and it was so much more. She walked over to collect it. The cube disintegrated in her hand and her balance increased by a few million.
"No way… this has officially been the best week ever!" Jenny giggled. "I earned a spot on Ms. Sharp's team with my best friend, and, now I have way more than I needed to make my A. I. assistant, thanks to that same best friend," she smiled. "But that's not even the best part!" Jenny hopped in place as she tried to keep her excitement contained.
"It's not?" Dread felt a flash of insecurity.
"The best part is, I'm an Engineer!" Jenny laughed.
"Oh, yeah. That's good…," Dread's insecurity turned to confusion when she didn't see how that worth celebrating as much as the other good things both she and Jenny experienced during the week.
"The Mecha was tagged as 'Mechanical' equipment," Jenny said. She made more taps and swipes on her Slate, then guided Dread's attention to the floor in front of them. A 1-foot hologram of the same Mecha appeared. "I have a small chance to learn a blueprint when I Recycle Mechanical gear," she said. "Once I have my assistant and the Nanos start flowing in, I can make a Mecha for each of us!"