Abella Sterling (Female P.O.V)

September 29, 2074 

I scurried over to my desk, checking my internet modem and router. After seeing both were functioning, I took a deep calming breath, although it proved futile in easing my queasy stomach. If anything, it seemed to increase by the minute as the first round of the competition drew near. Any time now, it would begin.

My eyes swept over my living room while reviewing my mental checklist. My computers were powered up, the lights dimmed, and my controllers lay on my couch, ready for use. I took a step toward my hallway. The temptation to check my breaker box was fierce. The last thing I needed was a power outage or equipment failure during the game.

My teeth nibbled my bottom lip as my feet eased closer and closer to the hallway. When two knocks sounded on my front door, I jumped a little before going to answer it.

The momentary distraction was a blessing in disguise as it suppressed my neurotic tendencies. Hopefully, it would soothe my rattled nerves as well.

However, upon opening the door, I forgot all about them. A deep furrow formed between my brows as I checked both ends of the long narrow corridor.

It was empty, without even a soul in sight.

Shrugging, I started to close my door, only to glimpse something brown on the floor. A rectangular box shorter than my forearm sat in front of my doorway. I warily eyed the package before picking it up.

A chin laid on my shoulder before Cristina asked, "What's that?"

"I don't know."

After casting one final glance around the hallway, I brought it inside. "Will you get me the scissors?"

She nodded before rushing into the kitchen. The sound of utensils clinking came from the other room as I sat the box on my desktop.

Shortly after, she bounded into the room with the scissors in tow.

"Here you go." She handed them to me.

I muttered a quick thanks before cutting the tape and opening the box.

Inside was a much smaller rectangular black box. There was no custom embroidery to make it seem more fanciful. Frankly, it bore no markings at all. Yet a tiny piece of parchment resided on top with two words cursively written in black ink.

Wear me.

Cris and I sported matching frowns as we looked over at each other, displeased with receiving orders from paper.

Begrudgingly I lifted the lid revealing a silver digital watch.

Awed by the sleek design, Cris stroked one manicured finger alongside the device. "Do you have to wear it for the competition?" She inquired, snatching her finger back as the screen lit up and a message scrolled across the center.

Welcome to The Hunt.

"It seems that way." Sighing, I grabbed the watch and strapped it around my right wrist. "Does it make you reconsider wanting to learn to play?"

She pursed her lips while mulling over my question. "Maybe. Tell me what it does again."

"It will shock me during the game just to make it more challenging," I averted my gaze so she wouldn't detect the lie.

The watch would only monitor my biometrics during the game, ensuring no one else was playing for me. Since none of the players used cameras, it was the next best choice. It was only fair they implemented some preventive measures because a lot of money was at stake.

"Oh, hel-"

My computer emitted a jovial ping cutting off her response.

"It's starting!" She squealed before rushing into the kitchen and reemerging with a bowl full of popcorn.

Lightly chuckling and shaking my head, I grabbed my controllers before stepping onto the VR Treadmill.

"You got this!" Cris said while I donned my vest and headset.

Her confidence in me brought an even wider smile to my face. I knew it stemmed from her genuinely believing I could win and not because I was her source of income.

I took a few deep, calming breaths and focused on the screen.

My customized avatar stood in the center of a shipping container fully decked out in black tactical gear. The sunlight shone through the open doorway casting its beams on her long silver curls cascading down her back and glossy lips. She swayed from side to side, bopping her head to the rap music playing in the background. One hand tapped against her thigh while the other clutched a steel pipe.

I didn't even bother skimming through the endless list of weapons for another. They were all locked. I just entered the game.

A black message box popped up on the screen displaying the location and mission.

Location: Eazy Underground Parking Garage

Mission: Reach a Safety Chamber before time expires.

The words slowly faded away, and the image underneath it came clearly into focus.

We stood in two rows with five players in each. A row of parked cars, each varying in model and color, separated us from the other players standing in the same formation.

My fingers repeatedly clenched and unclenched around the controllers while awaiting the countdown. I don't wait long when a mere second later, it begins.

"Three...Two...One..." A voice deeper than the boughs of hell spoke in sync with the numbers flashing across the screen. "Go!"

At once, all of us took off. Neither of us was willing to sacrifice a second because it could easily mean the difference between winning and losing and...

I broke out of my thoughts and concentrated on the five pistols hovering three feet off the ground ahead of us. They were positioned in a line slowly spinning.

In front of me, a shoving match commenced between two players.

PANDORA99267 and THE_LEGEND77 roughly knocked into each other, struggling to shove the other aside to reach the last gun. The pink-haired girl looked tiny compared to the wall of muscle she was battling. Yet her ferocity and strength rivaled his.

In the end, the big beefy blond got it first and immediately equipped it while PANDORA99267 continued to run.

A feeling deep within my gut told me their quarrel wasn't over yet.

And it was proved right when a few seconds later, THE_LEGEND77 slowed his pace until he aligned with mine.

I noted the calculating maneuver and went to put distance between us. But before I could, he opened fire on PANDORA99267. Her body jolted, blinking in and out of focus as gaping holes appeared in her back.

The hearts above her head diminished as she crumpled to the ground.

The running script off in the bottom left corner announced her death.

THE_LEGEND77 killed PANDORA99267.

It was the first kill but certainly not the last.

Just keep moving, Abella. I hated my missed opportunity, but at least I was still alive. Besides, there would be more chances to upgrade my weapon. Or else I would be stuck with this one.

Straight ahead, the gleaming steel elevator doors slid open, beckoning us inside.

All of us steered clear of it. Recognizing it for the ruse it was.

A metal death trap. Once the doors shut, enclosing you inside and an infinite amount of robots would spawn.

Easy paths meant perishment. During The Hunt, only a few things were here to assist. The rest only promised death.

The game's objective was to have one winner, not being fair. It would achieve this by any means necessary.

We veered to the right, joining the other players as we entered the ramp.

My eyes immediately sought out the glass cylinders lining the walls. All of them were the length of my forearm and capable enough to hold a substance that could kill all of us if unleashed. As long as they remained empty, they would bring no harm to us.

Gunshots rang out, hitting THE_LEGEND77 square in the back. The hearts above his head rapidly diminished as the gaping holes increased.

He whipped around and fired back at JIMBO.

Everyone naturally moved out of the way to keep from getting hit in the crossfire. If they wanted to shoot each other, so be it. The less competition we had for the prize money was the best.

The gunshots grew fainter before disappearing altogether as we reached the end of the ramp.

I glanced to the left when a notification popped up.

JIMBO Killed THE_LEGEND77

That split second cost me.

In my peripheral vision, a gray streak leaped in front of me. I turned and saw a spider standing before me. Its hulking metal frame was poised to strike. Before I could defend, it attacked, inflicting damage. Seeing my flickering body and rapidly declining hearts spurred me into action. I fought back with everything I had.

Every bash from my pipe riddled it with dents until its movements grew languorous. Light applause and shouts of glee erupted from Cris as its body went limp. When two more spiders appeared, her cheering came to an immediate standstill.

One jumped down from the car hood as the other stalked towards me. I went for the nearest one just as the other sustained numerous gunshots to the body. I suppressed the scream of joy tickling at the back of my throat and the urge to fist pump the air. Celebrating would only distract me. Later I would be sure to repay the player for their assistance.

While I continued to the one in front of me, it suffered the same fate as the previous.

I turned to find the player responsible, and he was already heading away.

"Thank you, NeonPrince!" I yelled even though he couldn't hear me.

Cristina shouted a few indecipherable words, probably also in praise, while I ran to the ramp. The metal carcasses scattered across the pavement slowed my momentum as I jumped over them.

Once I cleared the congested path and turned to the right, my eyes grew large at the treasure hovering above the ground, slowly rotating.

Yes, yes! I mentally chanted, rushing to collect the single machine gun and equip it.

The bloody thing would have come in handy a few moments ago, but I was still grateful for the weapon upgrade. I continued forward, only to slow down again when reaching the ramp entrance. A player lying still on the floor forced me to veer around it. The broken cobweb dangling above the opening seemed responsible for his death.

The scorch marks covering the entire length of his body supported my assessment. A grimace twisted my features as I looked at his face. It appeared to receive the brunt of the damage. The traitorous web seared clean through the skin, revealing gruesome blazing red flesh. A rare few tiny patches of skin were left untouched.

My stomach churned at the visuals. One thing was sure the game's graphics designer didn't skimp on the details.

Softly sighing, I moved past him, keeping up the ramp. Halfway through it, I glanced at the cylinders on the walls. Thick white clouds tumbled into the glass in deep rolling waves. In a split second, all of them were full.

I don't need to see the remaining time to know I need to get moving. And fast.

My palms moistened upon reaching the end. The pressure to not die in these last few seconds weighed heavily on my shoulders.

This level of the parking garage was slightly different from the previous two. The twenty large metal contraptions mixed amongst the cars marked the finale. Seeing the safety chambers was a welcoming sight. Anxious to finish this, I rushed to the one sitting in the center of the floor between the first and second row of cars. It was the nearest one that was unoccupied.

A sliver of silver poking out from behind a blue smart car on my left alerted me to the robot before it fully came into view. When the rat revealed itself, I was ready for it with my gun already locked in on its position. I fired relentlessly while never slowing down once. Before it even hit the ground, others flocked to my location from both sides.

Shit, shit!

My gun moved on a swivel while spewing endless bullets at them as I dashed the last few feet to the safety chamber. Once there, I yanked open the door and went inside, narrowly escaping the horde.

My image started to distort, and a single word overlapped it in bold print.

Completed.

A whoop of joy went up while I removed my headset and put it aside. Something popping off my forehead caused my smile to waver a little. My eyes slightly widened as they traversed the length of my couch. Buttery goodness covered every bit, including the floor in front of it.

"What place did you win?" Cris asked, snapping me out of my stupor.

It took me a moment to respond while I dragged my gaze from the mess. "It hasn't come up yet. They'll probably show it in a minute."

"Okay. God, that was stressful." She groaned, brushing the popcorn off the sofa into the bowl.

I nodded even though she didn't see it.

While she cleaned up, I went to my desk and set down the controllers. Seeing the screen begin to transition, I shouted over my shoulder. "It's coming up now!"

She chuckled as she set the bowl on the couch. After sidestepping the popcorn on the floor, her giddy form bounded over to me.

We looked at the screens, searching for my name among the results.

The list was slightly different compared to the one in the last game. The right column displayed mission status instead of kills. I scrolled down the list noticing the red 'X' struck through five names with the word Failed written beside it.

Cris released a high-pitched squeal while mashing her finger to the middle monitor screen. "You finished in fourth place!" She cheerily announced. "We need to celebrate."

"Celebrate? For fourth place? I don't think so." I dropped in my desk chair in no mood to celebrate winning something that felt awfully like receiving a participation trophy.

"Yes, for fourth place. It means you're still in the running for fifty million dollars. And that's a win in my book, honey." She saucily said with her hands on her hip.

I gave a little nod. After all, she had a point. But still...

"Cris, I'm honestly not in the mood. We can do it some other time."

"Fine." She huffed with a dejected expression on her face.

Narrowing my eyes, I closely observed her, suspicious of her quick acceptance.

Her brows pinched together, and the wheels in her head turned faster than she could twist the yellow gold ring on her finger. The oval-shaped five-carat diamond embedded in the ring glinted as it caught the lights.

Her fiance, Josh Clarkson, had spared no expense in purchasing the engagement ring. An act that still surprised me, considering his frivolous nature. He made Ebenezer Scrooge seem generous. And fortunately, he didn't share the same temperament.

His frugality was the one thing Cris had grown to love about her soon-to-be husband. She took it as a sign that he would only splurge on the things that held the most sentimental value.

My chair, suddenly spinning around, pulled me from my thoughts. Cris's eyes lit up as she bent over me. "A few friends are taking me out to celebrate my engagement tomorrow. Why don't you come along, and we can combine the events?"

Her selflessness shocked me to my core, and I stared at her with my mouth agape. "Are you telling me you're willing to share your special moment with me?"

"Yes!"

"I can't let you d-"

"Consider it an early wedding present."

"Fine, fine." I finally relented.

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*Author's Note* I'll try to post a table showing the remaining players sometime this weekend.

Don't forget to vote and comment!

Thanks!❤

6-16-22