Stoking The Flames

So how to break the flag that Fate had set up? My first thought is to just keep defending against Big Tits's attacks until Hernandez finally makes his entrance. I can't hurt Big Tits if I don't attack her in the first place. On closer examination though, that idea simply wouldn't work. The Voice had told me that Hernandez would take a while to get here. Dodging Big Tits the entire time would put her ineptitude on display for everyone to see and simply discredit her as the Hero's master. Then there is the other problem I am facing. My mission is not yet complete. Putting on that farce with Big Tits guarantees that I fail the mission and lose out on all that sweet instability.

So I need a way to both complete the mission and not hurt Big Tits too badly. Annoying, since Big Tits even now is still trying to run me through with that sword of hers. Looking at how her spiritual nimbus is flickering like crazy, Big Tits is unlikely to be able to take much more punishment from me. I am going to need to move very carefully from this point onwards.

Quickly backing up, I reach into the trench coat and draw a flash bang round from the bandoleer. With an exaggerated flourish, I fling the flash bang round at Big Tits's feet, where it rolls into the dirt. Big Tits hurriedly jumps away and raises her sword in a guard stance, but absolutely nothing happens. The flash bang round just lies there completely inert. I feel the stares from everyone around me and can't help but feel that I have let my side down.

I loudly announce, "That was meant to explode by the way."

The Voice responds, "It was? Apologies Transmigrator." With that said, the flash bang erupts in a blaze of light and sound, stunning everyone around me. I take the opportunity to break out of the enclosure formed for the purpose of this boss fight and race towards the overturned bulldozer. If there are no ready solutions for my problem, I need to act outside of the box, or in this case outside of the arena.

The Voice rasps, "Where are you going? My readings from the Crossroads indicate that defeating Inspector Scott will complete the mission."

"Its a trap." I reply, "I suspect that the trigger for the divergence point is Big Tits herself. Fate wants us to defeat her. Are the molotovs still available?"

The Voice rumbles as I reach the bulldozer, "Yes, I managed to save the molotovs. What do you plan on doing with them though?"

I reach into the wreckage of the Corrie and pull out the sling bag with the remaining cocktails rattling merrily about inside. Securing the bag on my shoulder, I continue my head long dash towards the SOPO station.

"The station is the key to all this." I explain, "Once everyone sees it being demolished, no one will have any faith in the URI being a viable project. That makes the station our ticket to completing the mission safely."

"The molotovs will not be enough to destroy the station." The Voice objects, "Also, Inspector Scott has recovered and is in pursuit of you."

I click my tongue and discreetly drop another flash bang round on the ground as I am running towards the SOPO station. I hear the sound of battle rising from where the two sides had originally ringed us in. Looks like once both Big Tits and I made ourselves scarce, everyone else started going at each other again.

"The City has a winter season, that means all large buildings have centralized heating. Just like the Academy" I say, "Guess what such buildings use to generate heat?"

The Voice muses as I hear the flash bang go off and Big Tits curse in surprise, "Gas fired boilers. Its the most economical way to generate heat on a large scale. Not a bad plan Transmigrator, but an explosion in the boiler room will still not do enough damage to the station."

The Voice continues as I kick open the main door of the station and storm inside, "You will need to knock down a number of weight bearing structures before sabotaging the boiler room. See the big pillar in front of you? Destroy that and head further inside. I will guide you along the way."

I nod and make my way to the pillar in the reception area that The Voice had indicated. Focusing the core, I deliver a series of kicks and punches on the pillar, wrecking it in no time flat.

"Good." The Voice congratulates, "You also need to destroy a wall located close to the staff washroom. Head through the door at the end of reception and keep to your left. You will eventually pass a wall covered with a SOPO pennant. Destroy it."

I advance further into the station and enter what looks like a bog standard cubicle farm. No one's in sight, meaning that everyone is probably taking part in the scrum outside. Good, one less problem to worry about. This place is so new that there is still that fresh paint smell hanging over everything. The furniture is just the regular stuff you can find in any office, but some of the furniture still has the protective plastic on. Just ordered from the warehouse? Too bad this place is not going to see much use if I have my way.

I finally manage to reach the wall The Voice had indicated and begin channeling Damavand. As I unleash the spell against the wall, causing it to shake, I unload with a single hard punch. The wall completely gives way and collapses into rubble. As I am about to move on, a sudden bolt of pain runs through my gut, causing me to double over briefly. The stress must be catching up with me. I don't know how much more Gallant's body can take, but I need to wrap things up quickly.

"Now head to the basement." The Voice says, "Unfortunately, Inspector Scott has managed to catch up with you and has correctly guessed what the plan is. She has situated herself just outside the boiler room, waiting for your arrival."

"No worries." I quip, "I expected something like this to happen. Tell me where I would need to go if I wanted to stand directly above the boiler room."

I pause for a moment before asking, "Can you protect Big Tits from the explosion though? Something like what you did for me at the lab?"

"Head back to reception and take the corridor to your left." The Voice informs, "Follow it all the way to the end. The place you are referring to is right at the foot of the staircase. As for Inspector Scott, I can limit her injuries to superficial burns, nothing that should seriously trouble her well being, other than her sense of vanity."

Great. Time to get to work then. I make my way forward as guided by The Voice and at the prescribed location, slam my fist downwards against the floor causing cracks to form in a haphazard pattern. I then climb to the top of the staircase and gather my strength, before leaping down towards the cracks. As I close in on the damaged floor, my legs piston downwards powerfully, smashing a path through the concrete. The floor gives way with a rain of debris and I smoothly plunge through a rapidly widening gap.

I land on my feet with a thump, and see a complicated network of pipes that snake around the room that I fell into. The pipes surround a large rectangular contraption with some of the pipes attached to various ports of the device. This is it, this must be the boiler. But where do I start?

"The pipes painted in green." The Voice helpfully instructs, "Tearing them apart will allow the natural gas to escape. Then all you need to do is use the molotovs. Be quick though. The Hero has managed to break free from the melee outside of the station and is making his way here as well."

Didn't I mind blast the Hero into staying out of this? He must have suspected that Big Tits is in danger, causing his fundamental nature to override my mental command. All the more reason to make haste, I don't want to contend with both the Hero and Big Tits together. This whole thing reeks of Big Tits becoming the heroic sacrifice mentor and dying in the Hero's arms. That scene is going to lead to a bad end all the way.

I rip open the green pipes and the pungent smell of gas fills the room. Now I just need to jump back up to the floor above, light the molotovs and bombs away, mission accomplished. Big Tits might get a few scars from the explosion, but hey, this just adds to her credibility as a hardcore fighter. No one would doubt her place as the Hero's mentor after this little adventure.

As I am about to leap back upstairs, Big Tits barges through the boiler room's door and we come face to face with each other. Damn, she must have heard me breaking through the ceiling in order to get around her. Big Tits's eyes widen in alarm as the pungent smell hits her and she notices the torn up pipes.

"I won't let you win!" Big Tits shouts fiercely and rushes towards me.

Time to go.