Darin couldn't believe her eyes.
This place didn't just look like a foreign city, it looked like a place out of the past. 'Okay, Darin. Let's recap:' she thought, 'Here I am, in the arcade, by the new game, and now I'm in an old city, I'm lost, and for some reason, I'm a kid, a girl, and a cat. So let's address the giant elephant. The game did it. Question is, how and why? And how do I fix it?' Darin looked around. The city was crowded, and all eyes were on her. Darin knew the look in those eyes. She hadn't been victimized or anything, but she learned to know a bigot when she saw one. 'Whatever I am, these people don't like it. Should probably try to find a friendly face.'
Darin tried to move through the crowd. She passed a man, who immediately checked his pockets as she passed. Suddenly, two men in armor approached her. "Hold up there, Cat!" Yelled one of the guards, the word "cat" dripping with venom. Darin stopped, cornered. The other guard looked down at her. "So what did you steal this time Cait Sith? A change purse? A dagger? Or maybe some catnip." Darin tried to back away, but the guards followed her. "Please, officers. I don't want any trouble." "Aw, but kid... why would you leave the ghetto if you didn't want trouble?"
It smelled like rotten fish. Darin allowed herself to be dragged by her tail. The pain was excruciating, but she got the feeling that if she resisted, she'd get a sword to the throat for her trouble. An iron gate stood between them and the smell. The guard on the other side opened the gate, and the three went through. A hooded figure, a cat man, approached them. "Guards, I received your message." He said in a thick, Romanian, or what sounded like it, accent. "She is but a child. And you found no stolen goods, yes?" The guard retorted, "Kiraq, I'm disappointed in you. Even kids gotta get logged." Kiraq nodded. "I take full responsibility. Any punishment you see fit to perform on her, I ask you do it to me." "You get a warning, Kiraq. This won't happen again." "Of course." The guard let Darin go. The two walked out. Kiraq ran to Darin and hugged her. "Are you alright, child? What were you thinking, leaving the ghetto?" Darin looked up at him, with tears in her eyes. "I'm not supposed to be here." Kiraq looked deeply in Darin's eyes. "Your face is unfamiliar. What is your name, child?" "Darin." Kiraq tilted his head. "Darin? I've heard of no Cait Sith called by such a name." "What's a Cait Sith? Is that what I am? I'm not supposed to be here, I'm human!" Kiraq stood and backed away. "Human... I know not how this came about, young one. I sincerely hope you did not become one of us intentionally. However, I suppose somebody should give you a warm welcome. Welcome to the Cait Sith, child. The most despised species in Ardour City."
--
"No, she hasn't called me, Mrs. McMillan." Biff sat on his bed. Biff was used to keeping his cool on the field, but this was different. Sarah has been missing all night. She wasn't at home, with her friends, and definitely not with Biff. Sarah's mother's voice crackled on the other line, "Please keep an eye out Biff. What if she was--" "I'm sure she's fine. I'll call you back later." Biff hung up. His girl is missing. Biff got a text from Melissa, one of Sarah's friends. Apparently, Sarah was in the mall the day before. Might was well start there.
Biff searched the crowded mall. He couldn't believe what he heard as he searched. Apparently, Jon Gibson, Karyn Black, and some college student named Darin Holmes had also disappeared. Biff was never particularly close to any of them, but he was surprised at how... casual everyone was about their disappearances. Even he was surprised that he wasn't worried. But whatever made those three disappear is likely related to what took Sarah. Madison, another of Sarah's friends ran up to him. "Biff, did you hear?" "'Bout what?" "All those disappearances? Sarah, Jon, Karyn, that Darin guy, they were all last seen at the arcade. Biff knew exactly where to go for answers.
A wave of nostalgia enveloped Biff as he passed through. He used to come here all the time as a kid. Biff always wished he could hold on to his love of video games, but between football and Sarah, everything had to go on the backburner. Biff wandered around, looking at all the old games, but one caught his eye. "Mystic Quest." 'That was not there when I was a kid.' Biff made his way to the cabinet, he felt as if he was called to it. He looked at the screen and couldn't believe his eyes. Four avatars saved at the top right. Four missing people. "What are the odds?" Biff thought aloud. "Right on the money, I'd say."
--
Athena watched as Biff turned to face her. "Jesus, freak! Don't do that!" Athena retorted "Okay, first off; rude. Second; what are you doing here?" Biff looked around. "I'm trying to find my girlfriend, she was last seen here." Athena looked at the cabinet. "Guess you needed the distraction?" "Look, I can't explain it, alright? It just... felt like it was calling me." "Yeah, I feel it to." Athena looked right into the screen. "Did you know this game was pulled because it was accused of being developed by Satanists? Adam Jepson, the lead designer, died in prison. Wanna know the real kicker?" Biff shook his head. "I don't have time." Athena grinned. "The other two designers were named Dr. Alistair Morlun and Dr. Miles Kane. A biologist and a physicist. Just found that out today. And Adam was a military contractor. So, what were these three people doing developing a video game?" Biff rolled his eyes. "Why don't you ask them?" "Can't. Morlun and Kane disappeared without a trace. Last time they were seen, they were headed straight for the playtest room." "What's your point? You think this game has something to do with those disappearances?" Athena looked at Biff. "I think the game is the cause of the disappearances. But the only way to know for sure is to play it." Biff laughed, but Athena remained stoic. "You're serious?" "Do you have a better lead?" "Alright, let's do it," Biff grinned, "But if you're wrong, you owe me twenty bucks."
Athena and Biff set about creating their characters. Athena checked the other four avatars. A martial artist, a sorceror, a thief, and whatever the doll was. Interestingly, there was no combat class. "Biff, design your character with physical power in mind. I recommend an Orc warrior." Biff looked at Athena and laughed. "Whatever you say. What about you?" "We need some range. Right now, the scorpion thing is the only one that can hit a faraway target. Elf ranger seems like a good pick." Athena chose her character, and built it, surprised at how in depth the character creator was. She deliberately ensured that the avatar's face resembled her own, just to ensure the others would recognize it. Biff looked over at Athena's avatar. "Now that's just gorgeous. You know what? Why spend my game time watching one cutie, when I can look at two." Athena rolled her eyes. Biff occasionally meant well, but he could be such a guy sometimes. Biff changed his Orc warrior's gender to female, grinning goofily at Athena. "You ready?" he asked. "Let's do it." Both Biff and Athena finalized their characters, and the screen went blank. And so did the world.
