“TWO!”
Boothe couldn’t believe he’d let Lucas talk him into this. He should have controlled his anger. Should have listened to Braddock.
Too late now. Time to kick some ass.
“THREE!”
2
A bell rang, and Boothe heard distant cheering that seemed to come from all around. He ordered Marty to stay close to him, activated the energy shield in his helmet and then walked swiftly down the corridor.
Straight ahead, a ramp led up to some other unseen area, while another path to his right opened into a wide room with a ceiling that reached up to forty feet high and exits along each wall. He heard footsteps coming from that direction and hid around the corner, letting Marty fly up to scope the place out, hopefully unnoticed.
A moment later a figure ran across the large room. One of Lucas’ teammates - the bandit-looking guy with the mohawk. Boothe took aim with his carbine and squeezed off a three-round burst.
The bullets blasted holes through the man’s chest and shoulders, causing him to spin. Amazingly though, he did not die, and instead howled in fury. He pulled two grenades from the bandolier across his chest, yanked the pins from them and ran screaming towards Boothe with a grenade gripped in each hand.
Marty fired a shot from above, the lightning-wreathed laser cutting through the man’s shoulder. Again, this psycho merely shook off the shot and kept running. Boothe backed up, but found only a wall behind him. He heard more gunfire in the distance and hoped that his teammates were doing okay. Then another shot rang out closer. A bullet hit the crazy grenadier directly in the hand. The grenade in his grip exploded, launching him sideways into the wall. Then, all at once, the rest of the grenades strapped to his belt detonated as well, turning him into a fine red mist.
Krieg has been eliminated.
Out of the shadows in the far corner of the large room, Mariko emerged and gave Boothe a little wave.
“I’m in trouble here guys,” Braddock said through the headset. “There’s two of them, they have me trapped in this small room.”
Mariko motioned for Boothe to follow and led the way up one of the narrow corridors leading out of the large room. Boothe heard gunfire ahead and knew that they were going directly towards it. Ahead of them, paths branched away to the left and right. Mariko placed her hand against Boothe’s chest to tell him to stop.
Then she whispered “Stay here. Watch my back,” and rushed down the righthand path.
Boothe pressed up against the wall and tried to watch every direction at once. He could hear a minigun firing somewhere. In these narrow corridors, the sound bounced making it impossible to discern where the shots were coming from.
Further away, a huge explosion rocked the ground.
Caustic has been eliminated.
“Shit!” Scarlett said. “What happened? I can’t find anybody!”
“Foster?” Boothe whispered into his headset. There was no reply.
“Boothe,” Mariko’s said. “Come help.”
Boothe rushed around the corner and down the corridor to the right. Mariko was on one knee ahead of him, firing shot after shot at some unseen target. As Boothe ran up to assist, a figure appeared next to Mariko - one second he wasn’t there, then he was. The ninja-looking guy with a katana in each hand. Mariko had no time to react, and before Boothe could raise his rifle, the ninja swiped both swords through her neck, sending her head tumbling to the floor.
Mariko has been eliminated.
“Shit!” Scarlett said. “SHIT!”
The ninja hadn’t seen Boothe approaching, and so didn’t expect the three-round burst that Boothe shot at him. Only one of the bullets hit, slamming into the ninja’s stomach, while the other two flew wide. The ninja turned, surprised by the attack and threw two knives through the air towards Boothe. Both would have hit him directly in the face, but the energy shield provided by his helmet caused them to instead bounce away harmlessly.
Shield - 3 / 5
Then Marty fired his laser, piercing a hole directly through the ninja’s head. He fell to the floor, a thin wisp of smoke rising from his skull.
Masato has been eliminated.
“I got away,” Braddock said, “But watch out Boothe, their heavy is just ahead of you. I’m going to circle around and try to come up behind him.”
Just then, the big guy turned the corner, his minigun raised and spinning. He grinned as he saw Boothe, and aimed the barrel towards him.
A howl of fury came from behind the man, and Scarlett leaped onto his back, slamming her axe into his shoulder.
“Finally found somebody!” she yelled.
The big guy squealed in pain as Scarlett’s axe bit into an artery - a particularly girlish sound that seemed out of place coming from this huge-muscled Arnold Schwarzenegger looking guy. He spun, spraying blood all over the walls, and tried to reach back to grab Scarlett, but now she had climbed up and wrapped her legs around his neck, squeezing him tight.
“Shoot him Boothe!” she yelled.
The big man turned and slammed her against the wall. She grimaced in pain. That was enough to finally kick Boothe into action. He fired a three-round burst into the man’s chest, but most of the damage was prevented his thick metal armor.
Marty shot his laser as well. It didn’t do much damage, but sent the big man into convulsions, electricity coursing through his body. He gritted his teeth as his limbs twitched uncontrollably. Scarlett twisted her legs around his neck and slammed him to the ground. She landed on his chest, and then with a final swing she brought her axe down and split his face down the middle.
Cinder has been eliminated.
Boothe heard cheering coming from somewhere, then the entire arena grew deathly quiet. The gunfire that had echoed through the enclosed space silenced. After a few moments, he heard clanking footsteps approaching and Braddock rounded the corner.
The robot looked around at the bodies in the small room and said, “Good job guys. I think that leaves two of them against the three of us.”
Scarlett slung the blood off her axe in an arc and said, “Let’s go find them then.”
They rushed through the small room, moving as a team and watching in every direction for any sign of an ambush.
Down the corridor, the narrow space opened into another large room. Boothe sent Marty out to scan the area, but didn’t see any enemies, so the three stepped into the room.
As soon as Boothe entered, he heard a crackle of electricity from above and looked up to see a drone much like Marty floating just over their heads. Before he could yell out a warning, the drone exploded with a thunder-like boom and sent bolts of lightning arcing all around them.
Boothe is STUNNED.
Boothe couldn’t move, his arms and legs spasmed, his vision blurred. A gunshot rang out and the video feed from Marty’s camera wobbled, then another gunshot sounded and the feed went black as Marty fell to the ground. More gunfire. Boothe looked over to Scarlett and saw her body pelted with bullets. They tore through her stomach and shoulder. She tried to scream, tried to move, but the electricity coursing through her did not allow it. Then a bullet punched through her forehead and blasted out the back of her skull. Her eyes went blank and she fell to the ground.
Scarlett has been eliminated.
Boothe regained control of his body just as another shot slammed into his energy shield, shattering it with an electronic crackle.
Shield - 0 / 5.
Shield depleted!
The bullets were coming from the far side of the room. Lucas hid around the corner of the right exit, while the other remaining enemy - the one who had looked like a Techie with a drone similar to Marty - hid in the exit on the left wall. The enemy techie’s drone was still hovering around somewhere above their heads.
“Get to cover!” Braddock yelled. He ran across the open area of the room to an exit on the opposite side, drawing the attention of both Lucas and the Techie. Gunfire chased him from the left. One of the shots clanged against his m
etal torso, but he kept running.
Boothe backed up into the doorway that they had come through, taking cover against the wall. He peeked his head around the corner just in time to see the enemy drone above charging up a laser shot aimed at Braddock.
“I don’t think so,” he said and fired at the drone. The burst hit the tiny robot and it exploded, its burning metal husk falling in pieces.
Braddock snaked his arms around the corner and fired his two revolvers at the enemy techie’s location. Gunfire from the opposing team stopped momentarily, so Boothe took the opportunity to lean out and try to get a shot himself. When he did, he saw two of Braddock’s bullets connect, blowing holes into the enemy techie’s chest.
Jean Hackerman has been eliminated.
“Yeah!” Boothe cheered. Only Lucas left. They were winning this!
Two gunshots rang out and Boothe turned to see Lucas standing next to Braddock, with two pistols pushed up against the robot’s head. He must have taken another path and gotten behind them somehow. Braddock’s metal face had already been torn open and crackled with electricity, but Lucas grinned and pressed his pistols in further. He pulled the triggers over and over, until only a twisted bundle of frayed wiring stuck up from Braddock’s neck.
Braddock has been eliminated.
Boothe raised his rifle and fired, catching Lucas once as he ran around the corner.
“Ow!” Lucas yelled from cover. “You shot me in the ass, Boothe!”
“Sorry, I thought that was your face!” Boothe said, immediately wishing he had come up with a cleverer retort.
“So just you and me now?” Lucas called. “I figured it would end like this.”
“So let’s end it!”
3
Boothe went through the options available to him.
He could go down that tunnel and try to find Lucas, fight this out, rely on his Aim and his trigger finger to win in a gunfight. He didn’t like this idea. Lucas looked like he was a gunslinger and he was likely camped out right now, waiting for Boothe to make the first move.
Boothe didn’t think that he could win in a straightforward fight. He needed to find some way to come at Lucas in a way that he wouldn’t expect. What assets did he have available that Lucas might not know about?
Grapple glove.
Boothe put his rifle into the sling on his back and pulled out his pistol, still loaded with the fire rounds. He gripped it in his left hand, then aimed his right glove to the corner of the high ceiling in the large room where Braddock and Scarlett had both been killed. The hook stuck in the ceiling and dragged him through the air to hang there. It wasn’t comfortable, but holding himself up with one arm actually required very little strength thanks to the glove.
This could be the worst idea ever - he had no cover here - but he doubted Lucas would think to look up. It was a gamble.
Boothe stared down at the spot where Scarlett had died. Her body had disappeared, but bloodstains remained. He couldn’t get that image out of his head - seeing her blown away right in front of him - seeing the life leave her eyes.
He shook off the thought. He needed to win this for the team. He had gotten them into all of this, challenging Lucas like that - now he needed to get them out. What would even be the point of playing if they couldn’t be the ones to kill Orion?
He kept a sharp eye on all the entrances to the room while he thought of other approaches he could take. What skills did he have on his own? Without Marty? Not very many, that’s for damn sure.
Shield Recharged - 1/5
“Boooooooooothe?” Lucas called from somewhere. “Where are you Boothe? I thought we were going to end this? Who were you calling a coward earlier? Now everyone can see you hiding in fear from me.”
Boothe stayed silent and still, holding onto the grappling hook in the ceiling.
“Boothe, you let your girlfriend die. I shot her to pieces right in front of you.”
Lucas was trying to press Boothe’s buttons. It was working too. Boothe’s eyes burned with fury. His hands shook. He hated Lucas. He took in a breath to yell something back, but stopped himself.
No, he couldn’t do that. Couldn’t give away his position. Had to stay quiet. He had to control his anger. Had to win this for the rest of the team.
“You know that the arena is real, right?” Lucas called. “You die in the arena - that’s it. Same as dying anywhere else in the game. Scarlett and the rest of your friends are dead. You won’t be playing with them anymore. Well, you won’t be playing with anybody, because I’m about to kill you too.”
That couldn’t be true. The game wouldn’t be that punishing. There would have been some kind of warning. Besides, he had seen players die before - he thought of Locke, bitten in half by that Mutyrant - their bodies didn’t disappear. This was just Lucas attempting to get under Boothe’s skin once again.
“Booooooooooothe?” Lucas called. His voice sounded very close. “Come on Boothe. What if we just put our guns down, and fight bare-handed? You and me, street fight, just like the action movies?”
Boothe seriously considered this. He’d love to beat Lucas’ face in with his bare hands. How likely was it that he could win a fist-fight against Lucas though? He wasn’t very strong, and he didn’t know anything about what Lucas was capable of. Besides, what were the chances that Lucas would let it be a fair fight. He’d probably hide a gun and just shoot Boothe as soon as he got the chance.
No, Boothe couldn’t let his ego get the better of him. He had to think of the team. He stayed silent.
“Boothe, this is really getting old!” Lucas said. “Just come out, so I can kill you! Do you really think that you could beat Orion anyways? The strongest person on your team is a girl!”
Boothe tried to listen to where the voice was coming from.
Shield Recharged - 2/5
“I really like Scarlett,” Lucas said. “You think that I have a chance with her? You think that after I kill you, she’ll see how much of a loser you are and go out with me?”
Lucas kept talking, but none of what he said mattered. Boothe ignored the words and just listened to the sound, trying to pinpoint his position. Lucas was just inside the doorway underneath where Boothe hung, hiding around the corner. He could picture the exact location in his head.
“Oh I can just imagine the things I’m going to do to her when she’s mine, Boothe,” Lucas said. “I’m going to…”
He never had time to say what he was going to do, because right then Boothe dropped from the ceiling, swung into the doorway, shoved his pistol into Lucas’ face and pulled the trigger.
The bullet went directly through Lucas’ open mouth, and exploded into a fiery ball that burst out the back of his head. His lips and cheeks burned, and black smoke rose from his face. Somehow though, he did not die.
Lucas lifted his guns and shot Boothe twice in the chest. At this close range, it was nearly impossible to miss. The first shot burst his shield and punched into his armor.
Boothe takes 3 DAMAGE!
Shield - 0/5
Shield depleted!
Boothe HP - 5/6
The second shot dug deep into his chest, scraping against his ribs and puncturing through organs.
Boothe takes 3 DAMAGE!
Boothe HP - 2/6
Boothe fell back against the wall in pain. Lucas screamed as the fire engulfed his head. Thinking of all the things that Lucas had said and done, Boothe concentrated all his focus into the pistol in his hand, ignored the pain in his chest, and fired another shot.
This time, the bullet went right through Lucas’ forehead, then exploded into a ball of fire. Bits of bone and brain and bottle-blonde hair flew outwards as Lucas’ skull burst apart and his body fell limp to the floor.
Lucas has been eliminated!
Atomic Massacre WINS!
Lucas’ body disappeared and the walls around Boothe fell away, until he stood in a black void. His wounds sealed themselves shut, and the pain in his chest faded. Then, like opening his e
yes after a long sleep, the world around him reappeared and he was standing in the second-floor hallway of the Palisades.
His teammates stood around him - all healed and safe. Boothe felt a rush of relief that Lucas’ taunts had all been bluffs, as he had thought. Then he almost fell backwards when Scarlett ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“That was amazing!” she cheered as she hugged him.
Other Eagles had gathered in the hallway, applauding the match. Lucas and his teammates were still there as well, standing awkwardly with angry looks on their faces.
Scarlett let go of Boothe and stepped away to give Caustic, Mariko and Braddock a chance to pat him on the back.
Then Lucas walked towards him. Boothe’s hand went instinctively to the gun at his side, and Scarlett had her axe gripped tight. The fight in the Arena had all been for show, but this was real.
“No need for that,” Lucas said, nodding towards Boothe’s pistol. He held out his hand. “Good fight, Boothe.”
Boothe shook Lucas’ hand. Just two quick pumps and their rivalry was over.
“Sorry about the things I said in there,” Lucas said to both Boothe and Scarlett. “I was just trying to taunt you out of hiding. I’ll stop messing with your team now, and I’ll be cheering you on when you fight Orion.”
“Uh,” Boothe stammered. “Thanks.”
Lucas walked away and motioned for the rest of his team to follow. Soon the other Eagles that had gathered in the hallway gradually wandered off as well, leaving only Atomic Massacre.
“We still aren’t guaranteed to be the team that fights Orion,” Braddock said. “We didn’t gain anything by that fight.”
“We got Lucas off our backs,” Caustic said.
“And we got to see his head explode,” Scarlett added.
Boothe shook his head. “No, Braddock is right. It was a dumb risk. Sorry guys.”
“Doesn’t matter now,” Scarlett said. “We won.” She slipped her hand into Boothe’s, their fingers intertwined.
Apocalypse 2020: A Wasteland LitRPG Page 28
