The Teammates Who Don't Stop Helping Part 3

None of us were injured at all. We were unstoppable against all the enemies here. However, there is a very dangerous force that I am sensing. No one else is calling out on it, and saying it is just instincts.

Once again, we encountered some enemies. This time it’s three slimy snakes. Katerina and WV attacked, so it’s time to test my theory.

“See you guys, I’m gonna run away!” I yelled, as I turned my back from the enemy, and made full haste.

I made it about 3 meters away from the enemy, until it happened. My legs suddenly froze. I couldn’t even fight against it, it was like I was mean to turn around and fight. My arms couldn’t fight it either. They reached for my sword, and swatted at the last snake.

“Damn it, what the hell is happening?!”

“That’s enough about that,” said Junior, as he finished up the last snake.

I was now enraged. There was definitely something bad here.

“You know what, screw you guys, I’m taking a break!” I yelled in frustration.

“R. G., wait! You can’t do that!” cried West Virginia.

“I am going to figure out what is controlling my body. This seems more important than training.”

It suddenly happened again. I dropped to my feet, and I had no control of my body.

“Whats… going… on? Guys, can’t you see this?”

I slowly crawled back to my team, but not voluntarily.

“Hey, as long as none of us are getting hurt at all, you don’t have to worry. It’s nothing at all,” said Katerina. She had absolutely no concern on her face.

“I know I’m supposed to train, but why does it feel like I can’t do anything that I want?”

It suddenly hit me. One thing that Katerina said. “As long as none of us are getting hurt.” This whole time, I never got hurt at all. What happens if I do get hurt on purpose?

Next battle, four hawks with arms. Katerina was planning her attack. However, it’s time for my new plan.

“This is my foe!” I exclaimed, as I charged forward. I was heading straight into the enemies.

“Get out of my way, R. G.!” Katerina ran up to me, and shoved me to the ground. However, it was in a way so I hit the ground softly. I don’t think I got hurt at all. Katerina finished off one of the birds.

“R. G., what are you doing? I’ll save you!” West Virginia was up next. She was running to protect me.

“No, stay back, I want to take this one on.” I go up and ran forward again, however, as I was about to let one of the birds attack me, my legs froze. I was stopped right in front of the birds. It could attack me right now, but it was suddenly stabbed in the throat by WV.

“R. G., are you okay? Anyways, It’s your turn now.”

“Yeah, hold on one moment.” I turned and faced Junior. “Junior, shoot me in the leg, right now!”

Suddenly, Junior looked different. Instead of the usual stone-faced expression, he had a face of shock and excitement. He pulled up his bow and aimed it at me. However, he stopped all of a sudden.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” I asked. What I didn’t realize was my body was already moving. I pulled out the sword, and futilely hit one of the hawks.

I looked back at Junior.

“It’s your turn, shoot me!”

Junior suddenly pointed the arrow at my leg, but then pointed at the hawk in front of me. The hawk was shot away.

“Oh for crying out loud, why didn’t you shoot me?”

Junior looked confused, but then back to looking angry.

“Screw it, It’s the enemy’s turn now.” I ran up to the hawk. It turned one of its wings into a fist. I was ready to take the punch, but something pushed me.

“What are you doing. STAY DOWN!” It was Katerina.

“Get the hell off of me! Let me get it!”

I tried to wrestle Katerina down, but she was far more powerful. However, this distraction gave enough time for the hawk to do its move. It swooped down, and threw one of its wing fists. It was a lot more painful that I was expecting it to be.

“Ow, damn it! That’s going to bruise, and really burn for the next 10 seconds. OOOOW!”

Katerina avenged the bird for me.

“Why the hell did you do that? Do you want to die?” She picked me up, and stared at me in the eyes. I wanted to respond, but all of a sudden, I felt something new. It was that feeling I had when meeting all of these people. I learned something new about Katerina’s past. It was like opening a new adventure in an instant, a bit of invasion of privacy.

“Well, anything?” Katerina continued.

“Nothing, that was my fault.”

“No! Not only was this a deliberate act, but it seemed as if you have no idea how to strategize in a situation like this.”

As she said those words, my mental path opened up more. This is the exact thing she would say in a situation like this. Even though she is trying to help me, there is one thing she absolutely hates at the same time. Incompetency. Her past was full of frustration. She has taken up multiple jobs in senior roles, acting as a role model for others. Her field particularly had to do with electrical work. She knew exactly what were the right tools and materials to use for her duties, and the most efficient ways to deal with them. However, her co-workers were nowhere near that level. Despite their lack of professional experience, they rarely asked for her help, leading to arguments with her. At some point in her career, and up to now, it is clear what her new strategy is. Forcing others to learn no matter their skills.

This is no electrician work, but Katerina is treating it as such. Forced to grind in these beginning areas. She doesn’t want a beginner like me being a hassle for further places. With this in mind, I can safely deduce she is most likely the one controlling my actions. But how? I don’t see her doing anything. If I can’t figure this out, I’m going to be stuck battling like this for as long as she likes it. There’s no way I can get back to the border space before catastrophe happens.

After the battle, I went up to Junior.

“Hey, listen to me now. You were about to shoot me back there, but didn’t. What happened?”

Rather than silence, I heard giggling come out of Junior. He had a weird upset yet smiling expression.

“I figured it out,” he said. “I know what is happening, but unfortunately this will only work once.”

“Are you talking about… Katerina’s power?”

“What are you talking about? You can’t hide my name.” Katerina was suddenly in front of both of us.

“I just figured out a good way to train R. G. better for combat, that’s all.”

“I don’t even know how you can improve his combat, but whatever works.”

I looked at Junior. I needed an answer now.

“Let’s just stay back and talk, okay?” Before I tried, my legs suddenly moved on their own. It seems I am still under control of this force.

“Sorry, R.G. I can’t say it. If I say it, I’m over. But, you have to learn from this moment.”

I was confused about what he meant. He knows something about Katerina. Was it the secret behind this force? Are Junior and WV also under this spell? Or is it something more. He said he figured it out. I’m having a feeling he will put his own theory to the test, so I must observe what he does.

Next battle. This one is different. Three rhinos, and two snakes. So, unless someone uses magic, we may get hit twice. Katerina and West Virginia did their thing against one rhino and one snake. I was about to attack for my turn, but suddenly…

“You can do this, R.G.!”

I turned around, and saw a shocking site. Junior had a bow and arrow in his hand, pointed straight at himself. My feet suddenly began moving, but I still kept my head towards Junior. As soon as I took a step, Junior unleashed the arrow straight at his head.

“Holy shit!” I screamed out, while sprinting to the snake.

As I ran back from the enemy, I had a better look at the result of Junior. He was definitely dead. The arrow was like a stake in the ground hold his head towards the feathers of the stick. Normally when someone is “defeated”, they are just too weak to continue fighting or doing anything. However, this guy is “dead” dead. But why? What this all part of his plan? I looked all over his body for some sort of clue. At the same time, my body felt frozen seeing someone actually die. Or, that’s what I thought, until my legs began to move. It was my time to fight. I think I’ve figured it out. I know what Junior was trying to tell me.

Why did Junior call out to me during my turn and kill himself? Why was I able to investigate his body? What was causing me to freeze up? This was it. I know Katerina was controlling me. However, seeing what Junior just did, it all makes sense. Junior was also being controlled by Katerina. But as for killing himself, I think I get it. His attitude from before. He was forced to go through something just like me. Having all of his actions forced by someone else. He lost all of his character from this one woman. Now, she is trying to do the same to me. However, this hint Junior has given me is my one chance at getting out.

Why did Junior not explain it to me? It makes now. He didn’t want Katerina to know this weakness to her powers. As soon as she learns it, it is very easy for her to patch it up. Therefore, I must use it before she figures it out herself.

Now it is time for trouble, sort of. One of the rhinos were counter-attacked by Katerina, and West Virginia followed up against a snake trying to attack me. I, on the other hand, couldn’t do shit to the last one, and was bitten on the arm. The pain was excruciating for my stats. I’m going to need medical attention right now.

“I’ll help you -”

“No wait, I got this!” I cut off Katerina mid-sentence, and used my strength to run for her help.

I went for where she was putting her hands: her satchel. I frantically shoved her hands away, and pummeled my hands inside.

“Hey, get out of there, I will heal you up I said!” yelled Katerina angrily. She was fighting back at my arms.

“I need to heal now. Give me nothing inside!” I kept fidgeting all the stuff inside her bag, trying to grab any means of healing. However, she butted the back of her weapon at me. I looked up motionless, and see he run away from me. She was going to West Virginia instead, and handed the satchel to her.

“Hey! Why did you do that, I’m going to die!”

“Shut it! You’re going to heal up, but not by me, especially now that I understand what you’re doing.”

“ I don’t understand, I just wanted to heal badly.”

“If you really wanted to heal, you would’ve stood on the ground saving your breath, and let me come to your aid. Instead, you just cut me off when I was going to do just that.” She looked at Junior’s corpse, and then back at me. “So, you figured out my power then. As the leader of this party, I get to make the decisions. It was the God’s decision and my fate. They must’ve understood my past experience. Dealing with a bunch of idiots that lack proper experience, and come begging me for help. Though, through the means of full team control, I can show everyone in this party what are the correct decisions. But, it looks like you figured out a weak point, or rather, Junior did. He was kind of like you, except stronger. What a waste of effort now. I can’t let some newbie like yourself going all around wasting people’s times trying to carry you. No, I will force you to be carried, and go through every pain that I had to in order to get where you are.”

“You’re insane. What about West Virginia? She must be stressed out from your actions?”

“Oh no, I already know about this power. I’m just really glad to help new people just like Katerina. She trusts me, and allows me certain freedoms, such as in battle, and going out of the team temporarily to find new players. Just like you R. G.!”

“Damn it! Get me out of this party now!”

“I said no! You will be stuck this party until I deem you worthy of going out on your own.”

“Fine then. There’s nothing I can really do then. Can you at least heal me?”

“Oh, I’m not going to heal you anymore. Like I said, I know you figured out my weakness, but I have patched up that hole right now. I learned from Junior’s actions back there. He called out to you for a reason. As a distraction. He needed time to do one thing. Whenever I am deciding an action for myself or any one of you, that’s your only time to freely act on your own. Junior couldn’t handle being under my control, and took his life before I was able to make a decision. Once a decision is made, you all freeze up under my control, unless I decide otherwise. So, let me guess, you deduced this exact thing as well, and tried to use that opportunity to stop me? You tried to distract me so I couldn’t make a decision, and you could freely act upon me?”

“Oh give me a break, I wanted to say all of that after I like defeated you, which will happen.”

“That’s enough. Like I said, it is impossible now. If you want to heal up, you’re going to rely on West Virginia. Instead of trying to let me think of a decision, and get distracted by my own decisions, I can easily choose an action for West Virginia. In an instant, you would have no control. This is the only way you will heal for now on, and there is absolutely nothing you could do to stop me.”

When Katerina is thinking, that’s my longest chance to make my own decisions since she forces things on her own will, unlike the other members, which her decisions are instant. Even if I act during that duration, I have nothing I could do.

“Fine, you win. Just let West Virginia heal me up already.”

“I’m glad you finally understand. Training to fight is one thing, but understanding patience is a biggest problem to tackle. West Virginia, give R. G. a potion.”

“Woah, okay!”

I was forcibly moved towards WV, as she reached into her bag.

“WV, can you control your arms at all?”

“No I can’t, Katerina is using them to grab a potion from this bag. I trust she is getting a potion right now.”

“So she is forcing you to just a simply potion for me to use now, is that it?”

“Yep, here you go!” WV place the potion into my hands.

“Well, thank you very much, West Virginia. And, thank you Katerina for guiding my hands to freedom.”

My hands were forcibly moved away to reveal something shiny. Katerina and WV were in shock.

“What the hell? THAT’S THE-”

“R. G., WAIT! HOW DID YOU GET THAT?” exclaimed WV.

“Oh, just a little something I did back there when I had my few seconds of freedom. I wish I could thank Junior, but those few seconds have now saved my life.”

My hand removed the cover of the healing potion that WV gave me. However, as I popped it off, there was something hooked in the crease of the potion vial and lid. It was the magic hook itself, the one that was used to bring the party back to current spot in the journey. I could feel the vibrations of the hook on my hand.

“LET GO OF THAT HOOK RIGHT NOW!”

“I’m sorry Katerina. You’re the one controlling me. It’s still my turn.”

“Y-you… AH! I’LL KILL YOU!”

Katerina furiously ran to me. She rolled out her sword and was ready to kill me right there. However, in an instant, my vision flashed. I felt my hair being pulled really hard. My clothes felt like they were going to rip off. I could see blurry colors across my face. These weren’t just random colors. I was being magically dragged through the whole world. I’m going to Black Valley.

A few minutes passed, and got over the sensation. It’s kind of like setting in a rollercoaster going in a straight line, or maybe an airplane where you can feel the wind. My senses suddenly changed when everything came to a halt. It felt like my insides trying to punch their way out. I adjusted my sight, and saw the place I was in. It was a warm feeling. I looked at the ground and felt the rocky texture. I looked up and saw this was no ordinary town. This was a well-developed city. I couldn’t see a sight of nature, aside from a mountain in the distance. I’m pretty sure that’s where Katerina wanted to go to, The Stupidest Mountain in the World or something.

I got up and stretched. I had no time to waste. I had to get to that church. Shit, I forgot, I don’t have the map. All the stuff was left behind. I have some armor and a weapon, but with my stats, and what those guys told me, I’m pretty much screwed. Wait, what exactly do I do now? I can’t leave. I’m going to die the minute an enemy spots me. Do I dare join another party? Wow, I really didn’t think this far ahead. It’s definitely better than being with Katerina, but I’m like completely stuck now.

I rubbed my eyes, and moved my feet. It’s going to be a much more difficult journey than everyone else here. However, I had to think about it. I just jumped from the beginning town all the way here. I skipped months or even years of travelling and fighting effort. Well, I don’t actually know how long it would take to get this far. Anyways, I did it once, I could do it again. I just have to use my very own tactics. No, not it’s not just using my own tactics. I have to exploit these people if I want to get to my goal.

To be continued…