Path to the Apocalypse

“So, you open portals to a space that heals anyone who dies in it and allows you to form connections with creatures so you can control them?” Beth summarized Chris's ability as they searched for a beacon, frowning slightly as she tried to wrap her head around it.

“Basically.” Chris agreed. “I can also open portals between me and my minions, but I'm pretty sure that's just an extension of the portals and the connection.”

“And you had no idea you could do this before the Trial?” Beth asked skeptically.

“None.” Chris confirmed. “I've seen several Readers about it and they all confirmed that I didn't have an ability.”

Beth shook her head. “That's so weird! I know Readers aren't a hundred percent accurate, but I've never heard of them missing an ability entirely! Usually they just get the tier wrong or something.”

Chris shrugged. “To be fair, my ability is pretty weird itself. It's very… external? Like I'm not really doing anything, it's just the space.”

“I guess…” Beth muttered noncommittally.

"So… what's your ability?" Chris asked after a moment of silence.

"Me? I'm stretchy." Beth replied with a shrug, extending her arm to pick up a rock as an example. "It's a pretty good ability. I'm practically immune to blunt force trauma, I can squeeze my way through tight spaces, compress my muscles so I hit harder, stuff like that."

"Neat." Chris nodded, not sure how to follow up. "Uh, I had a toy like that when I was younger."

Beth snorted. "I'm sure you did."

"Yeah…" Chris trailed off.

Beth glanced over at him, before rolling her eyes. "What are your plans for after the Trial?"

"Plans?" Chris muttered, frowning. "I… don't really have any. See, I didn't think I had an ability, right? So I was more focused on just surviving."

Beth frowned. "That's… kind of- no, that's just really, really sad."

Chris shrugged. "It's just the way things are. If you don't have a powerful ability, you really don't have time to worry about the future, or you just may not have one."

Beth's eyes widened. "That- you- how- how do you live like that?"

Chris frowned. "Same way anyone else does? You just focus on doing what you can."

"But it just sounds so… so… hopeless." Beth continued, a sad look in her eyes.

Chris shrugged again. "For a lot of people, it is. When your survival is essentially dependent on luck, it's hard to be hopeful. It's like getting diagnosed with cancer and being told you only have a year to live. If you go through chemo, eat healthy, stuff like that, you might live, if you're lucky. All you can do is try to not have any regrets, so that when you do go, at least you have a certain level of peace about it."

Chris suddenly went stiff as Beth wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm so, so sorry you had to go through that." She whispered in his ear, her voice cracking slightly.

"Uhhhhh…" Chris awkwardly returned the hug, patting her on the back. "It's- it's okay?" He assured her hesitantly.

Beth pulled back, giving him a serious look. "When we get out of here, you're going to have some fun, understand? No more hopelessness for you."

Chris squinted at her. "Are you propositioning me- Ow!" He exclaimed as she flicked his ear.

"Don't be gross." She warned him, raising a warning finger at him.

"How is that my fault! You made the vague, suggestive comment!" Chris retorted.

"Men!" Beth snorted, crossing her arms.

"You- ugh, whatever." Chris grumbled as he rubbed his ear. "So what about you? What are your plans?"

Beth sighed. "My plans are… complicated. On one hand, I really want to do something helpful like medicine or psychiatry, but on the other… Well, I have this powerful ability. Anyone can be a doctor or a psychiatrist, but not everyone has the ability to go into the Maze and fight."

Chris frowned. "Well, sure, I guess, but… do you really need to go into the Maze and fight? Isn't the Maze sort of… self regulating?" The way the Maze was set up, powerful creatures would naturally be drawn to higher levels. The higher you went, the better the environment was, so anything that could would naturally go as high as possible. "Besides, didn't I find you literally on your deathbed back there? Are you sure you're Maze material?"

Beth flushed. "Th-that was fluke! One of the centipedes could turn invisible! Besides, I'd have a team with me, including a healer. And yes, we need to patrol the Maze! While most creatures follow the rules, there are some that don't, wreaking havoc on the Maze's natural dynamic. If a high level creature comes down to the lower levels and it isn't dealt with, not only is it dangerous, but it also drives the weaker creatures deeper, making it more dangerous below as well! Without regulation, level one could become as dangerous as level two or three! Plus there's the creatures with weird abilities that aren't necessarily powerful, but could be dangerous to the City or the structure of the Maze, like powerful tunneling abilities."

Chris shrugged. "Fair enough. Still, I'd leave all that to the high-tiers. Mid-tiers are just too expendable in the Maze." He continued in a slightly bitter tone.

Beth froze. "Uh… I am a high-tier."

Chris's eyes widened. "But… you almost died?"

"That was a fluke!" Beth retorted.

"But still, you almost died." Chris repeated.

"It. Was. A. FLUKE!" Beth reiterated through gritted teeth.

"But-"

"Chris, if you don't drop it, I will hurt you." Beth growled, raising a warning finger.

"Uh… kay, so, high-tier… kind of-" Chris continued.

"Not kind of!" Beth interrupted.

"Whatever, ish, sure, but… does that mean you have to go to the Maze?" Chris finished.

"You literally just said leave it to the high-tiers." Beth pointed out.

"Well, sure, but… you could leave it to other high-tiers. Ones who didn't almost die- Ow! Ow! Quit it!" Chris yelped as Beth began slapping him all over.

"I warned you!" Beth growled.

"Fine! Fine! I'm sorry! Gah!" Chris apologized, squirming to avoid her blows.

Beth finally stopped with an angry huff, before giving him a weird look. "Why are you so against this anyways?"

Chris paused. "I don't know… I don't want you to die? Wait! Not like that!" Chris flinched back as Beth raised her hand with an angry expression. "I-I just mean that the Maze is dangerous! People die! Even powerful people! If you don't have to do it, why force yourself?"

Beth frowned, pondering what he'd said, before an idea occurred to her. "Then, what if you did it with me?"

"Eh?" Chris froze.

"Yeah, think about it!" Beth continued excitedly. "As long as we're in that space of yours, we're unkillable! As long as I'm not killed instantly, you can just drag me in there and bam! Good as new! Oh, plus, you're like a mobile camp! We wouldn't have to worry about finding a safe place to spend the night, or setting up watches, carrying supplies, or anything! You just open up your portal and bam! Home sweet home! Oh, wait, do you think we could use it like a battlefield? Lure the creature in, and then bam! Er, wait… they wouldn't die, would they? Darn."

Chris groaned. "You have to stop saying bam."

Beth stuck her tongue out at him, flushing slightly in embarrassment. "But what do you think? It's a great idea, isn't it? You said yourself, you don't have any plans, so it isn't like you're giving up anything. You're already in great physical shape, so the training won't be an issue, and with your ability, literally any squad would want you!"

"I don't know…" Chris muttered noncommittally.

"Come on! What if you're not there and I get hurt? Don't you want to keep me safe~" Beth cajoled him with a pouty expression, batting her eyelashes pitifully.

"What happened to being a doctor?!?" Chris asked incredulously.

"Nope. You've convinced me. We're going to be in the military!" Beth exclaimed, grinning proudly.

"Convin- We?!? I have even agreed yet!" Chris exclaimed.

"Don't worry. I can be very persuasive~" Beth winked.

"Okay, that time you were definitely propo- Ow!" Chris yelped as she flicked his ear again.

*

The more Chris talked with Beth, the more he suspected she might be a little bipolar. Her moods seemed to change for little to no reason. They'd be talking, and laughing, and then suddenly she'd start hitting him. Or they would talk about their school life, and then suddenly she'd get all sad. Chris just didn't get it. Plus, half the time, he couldn't tell if she was flirting with him, or just had a terrible sense of phrasing. Still, he had to admit she was useful to have around. No matter what they ran into, she could take care of it in a matter of seconds. Goblins, spiders, rats, you name it, all of them would turn to mush under her rapid fire blows. Chris almost felt like he could relax with her around. Of course, Chris also contributed to their survival. His minions scouted ahead, warning them of any danger, and whenever they got tired, they'd go into his space to sleep, safe from any harm.

Since their safety was pretty much guaranteed, all Chris and Beth needed to worry about was finding a beacon and getting out of the Maze. Unfortunately for them, this late into the Trial, most of the beacons had probably already been found, carried around by whoever found them so that they could return as soon as they activated. If they were lucky, they might run into someone who already had one, but the odds were better that they'd have to wait until the beacons activated and people began leaving to find one. The Maze was simply too big and people never stopped moving. The fact that Chris had run into Beth as soon as he had, right when she'd needed him, was a miracle in and of itself.

"Ugh, I hate bugs." Beth grumbled with a bleh as she shook her hands, trying to get the goo off of them. "They always burst. It's so messy."

"I don't think it's that they burst, it's that if they don't burst, they probably aren't dead." Chris commented.

Beth glared at him. "How is that different from what I said?"

"It isn't? I was just clarifying the necessity of the bursting… bursting bad, but bugs need burst, so bugs bad." Chris elaborated.

"Hm." Beth grunted, narrowing her eyes at him, before turning back and heading down the tunnel. "So, have you given it any more thought?" She asked as Chris caught up with her.

"The military thing? Yeah, I guess… I'm still not sure though." Chris replied, frowning.

"Come on! What do I have to do to convince you?" Beth asked, nudging him with her shoulder.

Chris glanced at her, before shaking his head, having learned to ignore anything that seemed suggestive. "I don't know. It's… well, I just don't like the idea of being in the Maze all the time, you know? I know the military has great benefits, but that only counts for so much when you have to live like a savage for extended periods of time."

"That's why your ability is so great, dummy!" Beth poked him. "With the space alone, you can pretty much carry an entire apartment with you wherever you go, especially if you build a second floor, and your portals can take us back to the City whenever we want!”

Chris frowned. “I suppose…”

Beth sighed. "Look, Chris, you wouldn't even have to really do anything! All you'd need to do is follow the squad around, like you're following me now, and open the portal when necessary."

Chris's frown deepened. "That… sounds worse? Walking around with nothing to do all day? That just sounds boring.”

Beth rolled her eyes. "Then don't! Learn how to fight, or maintain equipment, or anything you want! There are plenty of roles you could fill in a squad!”

Chris paused, considering what he'd actually want to do in a squad. What he'd actually want to do at all. And the answer was… not much. He knew he didn't want to do nothing, but there wasn't anything he found particularly exciting either. At best, he just didn't want to be bored. He glanced at Dyrdek, reaching up to give the slime on his shoulder a rub. Maybe he could do something with them? With minions in general? Honestly, now that he was thinking about it, the Maze was the only place he really could use his minions. It wasn't like he could send Dyrdek out to get a job, and leaving him in his space all the time seemed cruel on some level. But that meant he needed to find a role for his minions to play in the squad as well… the rats were fine as scouts, Jello could be used to capture and restrict things, but Dyrdek… Dyrdek was too weak to fight, and he wasn't sneaky enough to be a scout. Maybe if he got him a weapon? If he could equip all his minions… “Huh… I think I wouldn't mind creating and maintaining equipment.”

"Perfect! Plus, you know, the military has some great benefits. It's two months on, two months off, though for the second month you do have to report for training in the morning. The pay is comparable to mid-level government jobs, even when you first join, and you get raises as your rank increases. If you stay on base, all your room and board is covered, and if you live off base you get a generous stipend." Beth listed off the various benefits excitedly.

"All that just to go into the Maze?" Chris asked incredulously.

"How else would they attract high-tiers?" Beth commented. "And that isn't all. Health care is free, there's a sizable recreation facility you can use, also free, uh… if you have kids, their education is covered, and they're guaranteed admission into any school, up through university. Plus, if you die, your salary will be divided between your kids until they turn twenty."

"Oh, I knew that one." Chris nodded. "Did not know about the school thing… would have been useful information. Eh, I probably still wouldn't have used it. My school was pretty- actually, that explains a bit." How else would an orphan like him get into a school with people like Derek, the children of the rich and connected? The orphanage probably didn't tell him because they were worried he'd decide to go to the school the other orphans went to, which… was a reasonable concern, at least when he was younger.

Beth paused. "I feel like you just breezed past an important piece of information."

Chris cocked his head. "My school was good? I mean, not the nicest kids in the world, but the education was fine."

Beth stopped, turning and placing both her hands on his shoulders, staring him in the eyes with a serious look. "Chris, how do you know about the stipend?"

"Oh, that? Because I get one. Well, two really. Both my parents died in the Maze when I was five." Chris explained with a shrug.

"Oh, Chris." Beth muttered, pulling him into a hug. "No wonder you're so scared of the Maze."

"Whoa, hey, I'm not scared of the Maze. I treat the Maze with the proper level of concern that any sane individual would feel towards such a dangerous place." Chris retorted sternly, lightly pushing her away. "And you don't need to be sad for me. All that happened years ago. I'm used to it."

"I- I'm sorry, I just-" Beth stammered, backing away.

"It's fine. I'm not insulted, I'm just tired of everyone's pity." Chris sighed. "So my parents are dead, so I don't have an ability, so I probably won't live much past eighteen, so what? Does that mean I can't be happy? Does that mean I can't enjoy things? I don't need people to be careful around me and I don't need people to feel sad for me! I'm not even sad, why should they be?!?"

"I'm sorry." Beth apologized in a quiet voice.

"Hey, no, don't-" Chris groaned. "You don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong, you just did the natural, human thing. It's fine. I get it. Just… move on, okay? Pretend it didn't happen or something. Just treat me like you normally do, alright? Tell me more about the military."

"O-okay…" Beth nodded. "Uh, well, there- there are three divisions, based on the area they operate in. The Defense Force operates in the low-tier levels, regularly patrolling, hunting creatures for food, keeping the population down. They're the largest and safest division. The Scouts operate in the mid-tier levels. They also patrol, but they can't kill as freely as the Defense Force. If the mid-tier creatures felt the area was too dangerous, they'd move deeper, into the low-tier area. They focus on taking care of specific issues, such as an expanding tribe of goblins, or a creature with a dangerous ability. The last division is the Vanguard. Their job is to delve into the higher levels, looking for new resources, mapping out the tunnels, and hunting powerful creatures for their materials."

"I'm guessing you want to join the Vanguard?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Huh? No! Nonononono. The Vanguard guys are crazy!" Beth protested vehemently. "No, I'd join the Scouts. It isn't a delayed death sentence like the Vanguard, but it also isn't a glorified police force like the Defense Force. You get to take care of real issues, not just do the same boring task every day, or send yourself to your death for a little bit of glory."

"Fair enough." Chris shrugged. "Though, I'd say any of this is a delayed death sentence…"

"Hey, the Scouts have over an eighty percent safe retirement rate! For the Defense Force, it's almost a hundred! The Vanguard might reach ten percent, in a good year. There's a huge difference there." Beth retorted.

"That's still like a one in five chance you'll die… not exactly great odds." Chris pointed out.

"Sure, for other people, but we'll have you!" Beth replied. "With you around, our casualties will be practically nonexistent! Plus, you have to remember that that rate is for mid and high tiers. If you just looked at the high-tiers, it'd be much higher."

"Even so, it's a dangerous job." Chris shook his head. "Remember, if you die before I can get to you, you die. It isn't like there aren't other people with healing abilities out there, and the death rate is still that high. It isn't like me being there is a complete guarantee of your safety."

"But… you will be there, right?" Beth asked hopefully.

Chris paused, glancing at her, before letting out a heavy sigh. "Yeah… I guess I will." He replied, hoping his decision wasn't being influenced by stupid, teenage hormones.