Chapter 18: Hello new readers!

Hello, and glad to see you've read through the first volume of Once in a Lifetime!

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As of late, I've been working really long shifts that keep me away from home 14 hours a day, four times a week. Juggling that with my real life responsibilities, I get slim opportunities to actually write. Despite this, I still want to provide the highest quality stories for everyone to read!

Currently, I'm planning and working on a novella, which will act as a good transition between part 1 and 2 of the story! Hopefully in mid-may, I'll be able to start posting some chapters of this early for everyone to see!

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Bless you all for keeping up. I really hope I'm giving everyone a really fun experience!œAm I helping you?”

Assisting Louise isn’t the only thing I’m good at.

It was also thanks to his actions that Queen had the chance to escape the Collector. Even if his gut feeling didn’t take him in the right direction all the time, some good came of it.

He inhaled, then exhaled.

Now another friend was in peril by the same man.

“Don’t worry, none of us are gonna die! You’ve seen how many times we’ve laughed in the face of death. If we’re staring it down, we’ll find a way around.” She held her fist in front of her, grinning.

His breathing calmed. He closed his eyes.

"I-i… it's hard to explain." He said, continuing to steady his breath and heart. “How much do you know about the human brain, Queen?”

She cocked her head. “A brain?”

He tapped his head. “It’s a body part here in the head. Other animals have it.”

Despite having the same neutral look, Queen’s eyes lit up. “Ah. Was it a problem with your brain?”

“Kinda. Our brains are really useful. They like… help us control everything we do basically. Like how we make decisions and that stuff. I’m probably explaining it terribly…” He shook his head. “Sometimes, we can be hit with some like, situations. That are really scary or tough and it just causes it to… Shut down. And… I’m really scared. About what happened to Louise, and how I… How we’re supposed to break her free. And that fear caused that shutdown.”

Queen flinched. “Are you fine then? Brains sound very important.”

“Yeah…” He snickered at the statement. “But that fear… It's still there.”

He swallowed.

“Friendship.” Queen said. “That will help you beat the fear. Right?”

“That’s just one half of it.”

Just because she was gone, doesn't mean I am incapable.

He closed his eyes, still trying to control his breathing.

“But it’s my choice in the end. Should I let fear paralyze me, or overcome it and save my friend?”

He opened his eyes to the sight of his concerned partner.

"This is something I need to solve on my own."

Another deep breath. He stood up.

"The odds of freeing Louise seem impossible, but I mean, our existence is impossible too." He swallowed. "We're gonna find a way to get her out, all of us alive!"

Queen looked up, thinking, what would Louise do?

She mustered up an awkward smile.

He giggled. “See, I knew you’d get it.”

He sat back down on the chair, hand tapping his chin. His heart began to accelerate again. Instead of anxiety, each beat was full of passion.

"We like… Need information. The Collector can't be flawless. There has to be some way to get in and out of there. Maybe even a way to do it right under his nose!"

Queen returned to the couch. "Are there others he knows? His guards. Maybe we can find where they live, and follow them-"

Her eyes dilated, whirling over to the door. Every hair on her skin stood up.

"I smell Kirino. She is approaching with…" she snarled, showing fangs. "Clarice. There are two others with her as well."

Davis's heart skipped a beat. The door shook as Kirino banged against it.

"Davis, are you there?" Her muffled voice spoke. "I heard what happened to Louise! We need to talk, NOW!"

Queen had already begun shifting her hands into blades, and was growling at the door.

Davis took another deep breath.

"Well… We needed somebody who knows the Collector." He spoke. "This is as good a shot as any. But if they try to start a fight, we both flee. All right?"

Queen stared with anger in her eyes, nodding subtly.

Davis stood, and walked to the front door.

He opened up, to Kirinos entire gang staring him down.

"So, tell me." Kirino barked. "What the hell did you two do?"

The knot in his stomach was there. He clenched his fist.

He kept his eyes locked with hers for a few moments, before breaking contact. His heart began to race again.

"It's a lot. But you're not here to fight, are you?"

"No. I need to know, what on Earth did Louise do?"

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Louise was eating a small segment of the MRE, still waiting on the cot. The entire thing looked like an oversized granola bar, tasting like anything but. It tasted like she was eating literal sand. After a few bites, she threw the entire segment into her mouth, chewing as fast as she could, and chasing it with a glass of water.

She stared at the rest of the uneaten meal, gagging at the thought of having to eat any more of that.

It can’t be that bad. You’ll be out of here the moment he lets his guard down.

Moments later, The Collector’s voice crackled over the intercom.

“Your first job will begin soon. You’ll be guided by a few guards. Follow them along, and we won’t have any trouble.”

The girl perked up.

Moments passed, and she could hear the sound of heavy boots outside her door. There was a click, and the steel door slid open. Standing there were two guards. They were loaded in combat gear from head to toe, looking like members of a SWAT team. Assault rifles were slung in front of their chest.

“Come on! We don’t got all day!” One of them barked. Louise got off her cot, walking over to the guards.

She clenched her armored fist.

The moment she stepped past the cell door, she kicked as hard as she could at the knees of the guard.

He let out an agonizing scream, the other guard scrambling to try to grab her.

Louise grabbed the other man’s arm first, swinging him overhead and slamming him onto his partner.

The two guards lay limp, stacked on top of each other, moaning in pain.

The girl smiled, and bolted down the metallic hall.

The path was a dark, metallic hallway, with dozens of cell doors lining the walls. She sprinted around a corner, finding an elevator door.

It dinged, opening.

Out stepped The Collector, holding a rifle, though not the elephant gun that knocked her out before.

She grinned, rearing back her fist.

He took a casual step back, letting the girl fly past her, and fired the rifle.

Two prongs launched out, sticking to Louise and crackled to life with electricity.

She could feel her body tense up, searing with pain, but she could still move.

She turned to face the disappointed face of the collector, struggling to move forward.

The crackling noise increased, and so did the pain. Her entire body tensed up, and she fell over.

The Collector sighed.

“What did I tell you? All you had to do was not cause any trouble.”

He took out two pairs of metal restraints, with a small digital interface on them. He clamped them around Louise’s ankles and wrists.

The girl groaned. Her numb body barely felt the cold metal of the restraints.

He pulled a small radio from his pocket. “Get me a stretcher, and make sure it’s a sturdy one. Some restraints as well.” He glared at the paralyzed girl. “I have a feeling if we give her an inch, she’s going to keep causing trouble.”

Turning off the radio, he kneeled down to her. “You’re still going to work for me. Like I said before: Any trouble you cause is going to make things worse ONLY for you. Listen to me, and things will work out just fine.”

Moments later, the elevator dinged again. Four more guards with a sturdy stretcher walked out. Louise watched as she was lifted up, placed onto the stretcher, and her clamps were locked to the edges of it.

Feeling had somewhat returned to her body.

She began flailing, rocking the stretcher. The guards held onto it tight.

The Collector stared at her with judging eyes.

“What did I just say about causing trouble?”

She returned the same look, continuing to struggle against the restraints.

He sighed, shaking his head. He leaned in closer to her.

“I’m not going to repeat myself. But I will say, you’re going to come face to face with the consequences of your trouble very soon.”

He backed away, turning to the guards.

“Take her to the Smog Stalker. Once she’s in it’s unit, I’ll release her restraints.”

“Yes sir.”

The guards wheeled her into the elevator, but Louise still kept her eyes locked on the Collector’s old, worn out face. All the way until the elevator door closed between the two of them.