Flag Race

by Felipe Valente

  “Oh, wow, how sanctimonious of you!” Thiago gave him an ironic smile. “You keep cool, Pedro. I won’t have to do anything. You’re screwed anyway. We’ll see in the court then. That is, of course, if you get to the final, loser.” He grabbed his cell phone and started dialing a number while he walked away.

  “You’re screwed anyway.” What does he mean by that? The game! Pedro ran inside.

  “Mom, Dad, I can’t see Rodrigo and Marcelo today,” he said while filling his plate. “The semifinals are about to start. Semifinals! I’ll come with you for the night visit, but, seriously, I really need to be with my team for this match now.”

  Antônio glimpsed at Marta from the corner of his eyes, waiting for her reaction. His mother sighed, then smiled.

  “You can go, son.” She paused before she added, “Your father told me how important this has been for you and how well you’re doing in all this championship thing. I just want you to know that, after this competition is over, I’ll be keeping an eye on your browsing! God help me if one day something happens like someone stealing your body or anything like that.”

  Pedro faked a smile.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” she recalled, “I didn’t like this classmate of yours who was just here. Wasn’t he the one you picked a fight with some time ago? I don’t think it’s healthy to hold grudges, but... Couldn’t you have picked someone like Luiz or Daniel to do that assignment? I like them. I don’t remember seeing this kid, not even on your birthday. But, well, never mind, your father and I still have to get dressed before we go.”

  “At least your stomachache didn’t ruin your appetite, right, son?” Antônio remarked.

  Pedro smiled once again, while scarfing down his food. He needed to recover as much of his energy as he could in order to have some decent stability in the game that was about to start.

  He ran upstairs to his bedroom almost at the same time his parents were leaving the house. He lay down on his bed and got inline.

  As he got to the server, he checked his stability, while looking for his friends: 75%. Damn! It’s almost like I’m starting the match after being shot already! I hope Bobby is in a better condition.

  Realizing he was coming closer, Mary ran up to him, her hair flashing a darker shade of red.

  “You fool!” An upset Mary gave him a shove and a couple of punches. “How could you let someone take your Neurolink!? Bobby told me you had your body stolen? That’s only possible if you were stupid enough to authorize the removal!”

  “I didn’t—” Ace didn’t know what to say. How could he tell her Blazkowicz had fooled him using her image?

  “Oh, never mind.” Her hair changed into a pinker hue. “At least you’re back here. I thought you wouldn’t show up to the match.” She hugged him. “It’s just that you’re so important to... to the team. I was afraid something worse could have happened!”

  “Are you taking the recording to the police?” Bobby asked, separating their embrace.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kerah said with a sigh. “If you really press charges against him now, they may want to take you out of the competition until they can prove whether the accusation is legitimate or not. It’s very easy to forge fake videos nowadays, so there’s plenty of people who try to harm others with this kind of threat. That is why the police often keep both the accuser and accused under observation until they can prove whether the video is real or has been doctored.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Ace remarked.

  “Yeah, it is,” Asuka agreed, “but there’s not much that can be done now, in theory. Under no circumstance should you have taken off your Neurolink...”

  “The thing that I fear the most,” Kerah went on, “is that if you try to make him pay for that now, that may end up hurting our team way worse than theirs. It could even invalidate the championship for us, while another team would get to keep their victory!” She tightened her lips, before concluding. “But that doesn’t matter. You can kick his ass after the championship, Ace.”

  Ace also recalled the fact that he’d also taken Thiago’s body. He had his reasons for doing that, but even so he figured that, really, if he went to the authorities to report what had happened, he could end up with more issues than solutions.

  “Ah, everybody’s here at last,” Dante remarked. “So good to see you, my Runner buddy! And look at that. Just in time! They’re making the first calls to the game. Are you ready, babes? Shall we hit the court?”

  This match was, by far, the hardest one they’d faced yet. Like Ace, Bobby, still in his shadowy shape, had also started the match with his stability below maximum, as he’d spent part of it holding down Blazkowicz.

  But that wasn’t the only issue. Their opponents were also way more powerful than they expected. To defend one of their flags, they had turned one of the game lines into a ruined city, ridden with zombies. Ace, distracted by all the undead, failed to notice an approaching cop, who disintegrated him with accurate shots from his pistol.

  Kerah tried to defend him, but she wasn’t quick enough. The shot she fired only succeeded in grazing her target. Their opponent then used a few seconds to prepare some concoction made by mixing strange green and red herbs. As he consumed it, he was nursed back to health.

  Bobby was defeated several times over while trying to protect Dante at the center of the court. A thin witch used her long black hair as a weapon, maneuvering it to give giant kicks and punches with which she struck Bobby repeatedly until he was disintegrated. He was furious to see the sardonic smile she kept on her mouth, adding insult to injury.

  This made it all the harder for Dante, who was trying to advance toward one of the flags. The game line at which he was looked like a huge set of marble stairs leading up to a Greek temple. Besides the witch lashing at him with her hair, another Hitter tried to get to him. He was bald and had a red streak painted over his right eye. He relentlessly attacked the Runner with swords held by chains, which either barely missed their target or were deflected at the last moment with a quick parry by Dante, using his own sword.

  Asuka had changed all she could about her team’s right game line in order to protect its flag. She’d made areas filled with flames, lightning, and ice, besides spots in which gravity was ten times stronger than normal. Much to her despair, this was unable to hold back an orange creature accurately jumping over the obstacles. She couldn’t understand what that thing was. It looked like a Tasmanian devil or some different kind of fox. When she finally cornered it, the creature put on a large colorful tribal mask which worked as a shield against the flames and lightning Asuka was firing against it. Despite her efforts, the creature soon managed to capture the flag she was defending.

  Mary was also in trouble. She was dueling against a blond kid dressed in a green outfit with a pointy hood, who advanced carrying a sword and a shield. Three yellow triangles could be seen encrusted on the powerful shield with which he blocked the energy waves she was casting at him.

  The Molder’s situation soon grew worse. Playing close attention to her foe, she didn’t realize a spec-ops soldier was creeping up, hidden under a cardboard box. The player had spent a good deal of his stability precisely so he could sneak up on her like that.

  In a matter of moments, Mary was caught by surprise, immobilized and disintegrated by the secret agent, who wore a grayish uniform and a dark-green bandana on his forehead.

  Though Dante was still in the game, advancing slowly, the whole situation was desperate. Their opponents were taking advantage of their lack of defenses to advance as much as they could toward the flags.

  “We need to act together! This isn’t working out!” Kerah yelled, a little before being disintegrated by the witch that had just beaten Bobby.

  Mary’s space-time warps managed to hold down the foes until all the members of Dante’s Chaos were back in the game. Dante started to come back holding one of the opponent’s flags while they were near the center of the court, bringing back two flags from Ace
’s team.

  “We’ll have to get them too!” Mary remarked.

  “Take it easy. We must focus on defending our final flag,” Kerah commented. We’ll have to let them capture the flags they’re already holding and gather at the left game line, where our last flag is.”

  They did as she ordered, hoping Dante would also manage to come back. Now in position, they started improving the line’s defenses as much as they could. Mary saved her energy, while Asuka caused a huge forest to sprout from the ground in order to keep the foes from advancing. Kerah helped her, making a gigantic battle spaceship that floated above the entrance. Ace used up what he could of his stability to build a tower with a sensor that beeped whenever a foe came by, so they wouldn’t be taken by surprise.

  Soon the game was settled in 2-1. Dante had only 17% stability left when the team regrouped, waiting for the foes to advance, as they planned how they would invade the final line.

  “We won’t win if we just stand still!” Bobby cried out.

  “Kerah is right, the best thing to do now is to stay together. None of us has enough stability left to go adventuring around! They must be coming already,” Dante remarked.

  They really were. All six of the attackers were advancing together, coming to clash with the six defenders. The sensor made by Ace was beeping like mad.

  When they were almost there, Mary unleashed her stability to create a large time bubble engulfing all the foes, who began moving slowly. Her friends took advantage of that to attack them. Ace was about to make a sword and head for battle, when he noticed what was going on with Mary.

  Her eyes were shining in fury. Her intensely green billowing hair was quickly growing pale, showing how fast her stability was being drained by that powerful effect. 50%. 43, 32, 26, 19...

  “Go, Ace! Go get them!” she yelled.

  “No! You know I’m not that good of a Hitter! Let me help you!”

  “What?”

  Ace laid his hand on the girl’s shoulder and concentrated. He tried to understand just how Mary was doing that effect, so he could give it a boost. At first he seemed to not be doing anything, but soon he saw her hair was staying the same color, at the same time his own stability began dropping to keep the effect.

  Then the first foe was finally disintegrated. Wrapped by Bobby’s shadows, the spec-ops agent didn’t stand a chance.

  “Viper? Vipeeeeer!” the cop cried out.

  Despite their will, the foe’s attacks weren’t fast enough to hit the Dante’s Chaos players. One by one the opponents were disintegrating, stuck in the slowness bubble made by Mary and now sustained by Ace.

  When only the orange creature was left, Ace decided to check his Neurolink: 2%.

  “Good luck!” he cried out to Mary, feeling he was getting logged out as soon as his stability reached 0%.

  Falling back into his own body, Pedro quickly woke up. He could feel a serious dizziness and a pounding pressure beating against his brain, but he didn’t want to wait. He needed to grab his tablet to see how the match was turning out.

  He went to the championship website and saw how much the announcers had appreciated what he’d done. Comments from viewers were more evidence of it. They had never seen two players perform the same effect together without one ruining the other’s creation.

  “They must be really close! Their minds work in perfect sync!” someone from the audience commented. “I think there’s something between them, huh?” another had typed. “The two of them look so cute together!” one woman remarked. There was a new comment every second.

  That’s all I needed now! Just imagine what would happen if Letícia saw this! I’m glad I didn’t say much about the Neuralnet to her! Well, she’ll have to understand. I have to root now so the rest of the team will find a way to finish the game!

  As every foe had been disintegrated, it was now time for Dante’s Chaos to advance. Bobby, Mary, and Kerah went by the center line, through the zombie-ridden city, while Asuka and Dante followed by the left, where, instead of an actual game line, they found a bunch of building pieces that fell from the virtual sky at every moment, forcing the players to jump from piece to piece of debris in order to go all the way to the flag.

  They were returning, with each group carrying a flag, while the opponents were being put back together. Bobby, with what little stability he had left, stayed behind to try and gain some more time for his friends, but he was quickly logged out once his shadows were slashed by the opposing Hitter’s chained swords.

  Pedro made a grimace, feeling guilty as he recalled it was his fault Bobby had started the match with sub-optimum stability.

  Dante was the next one to be disconnected, struck by the green warrior’s sword. Now the only ones left were Asuka, who carried the center flag, Kerah, who had the other, and Mary, who followed them as they returned, against all six opponents, who were still on the court, despite having spent a good deal of their stability.

  Even though she didn’t have much stability left herself, Mary was cheerful and confident. The center game line through which they were coming back to their base had been fully altered, with spots where gravity would pull them aside, pieces of the ground that weren’t really there, invisible walls and spots where every inch felt like a yard to cross. There was only one straight way to the base, which her friends had already memorized in their practice sessions together.

  And, even with all that advantage, Mary still wasn’t satisfied. Standing near the center of the court, she waited for their foes, while Kerah and Asuka returned with the flags. Once they drew near, Mary started stretching out her hands, one at a time, in her foes’ direction, throwing them further back with the special energy waves she was creating.

  Pedro was exasperated. Mary, are you crazy? Your stability is running out and now you decide to beat the whole opposing team by yourself? He recalled that by the time he’d logged out, her stability was below 20%. And those knock-back effects must cost at least 5% each, so...

  “It looks like this girl’s determination went to extreme heights after she was helped by her team-mate,” the announcer commented. “My dear viewers, I never saw someone this focused, to the point of achieving such strong effects like those at a cost of less than 1% stability! The Action Adventurers can’t even come close to entering the left game line, where the flag that could bring them victory still stands! Their attacks are all falling flat on the amazing force field Mary has created around her!

  “And that’s it, folks!” the sportscaster celebrated, after the much expected victory announcement, “Three to two! Dante’s Chaos are in for the final game! Dante’s Chaos are in for the final game! A team that started out this year in the amateur championship has guaranteed their position in the big match! Let’s all root for them two days from now, on Friday, when they’ll face their final opponent! Who will that be? Tune in tomorrow for the clash between Last Fantasy and Warfear and find out!”

  Pedro jumped for joy, punching the air and screaming in satisfaction. He knew they would make it! There was still one game left, but the mere fact they were in the final was exciting enough for him and filled him even further with hope. Hang in there, my little brothers! I’ll soon get the money for your treatment!

  Chapter 19

  Pedro was getting ready to tell Letícia all about Flag Race and Mary while he went to the classroom on the following day. He was sure she would understand. After all, he hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. He figured Thiago could never do something he himself couldn’t explain and be understood.

  His eyes, however, didn’t find her when he got to the door. All their classmates stopped whatever it was they were doing when he showed up. Oh, my God! What did Thiago do while he was in my body?

  He pretended not to notice the uncomfortable moment of silence that settled in the air and went straight to his desk, near his friends, who didn’t so much as dare to look directly at him.

  “Guys, I need to talk to you,” Pedro began.

  Luiz
and Daniel looked at each other before paying attention to him.

  “What do you mean? All of sudden we’re important to you again now, are we?” Luiz inquired, with resentment. “We have nothing to do with what you do in Flag Race. If you’re happy there, it’s OK, we won’t pester you anymore with our friendship.”

  “Yeah...” Daniel agreed, gulping.

  “Whoa, guys, what’s going on? You... Did you see Letícia around? She’s always here early and—”

  “Man!” Daniel was indignant. “Don’t you dare now! Leave the girl alone! You totally broke her down yesterday and now you’re coming back to make things worse? You know I care about women, and that’s why I’m not gonna let you do that. Especially after you came on to Amanda!”

  “I what? Oh, no!” Pedro was starting to panic. Luiz and Daniel looked at each other. “What did I do yesterday?”

  “What do you mean, dude? Don’t come pretending you have amnesia now, please.” Daniel was still indignant.

  “No, man!” Pedro toned his voice down, so that only his friends would hear. “It wasn’t me yesterday! I mean, it was my body, but it wasn’t me! It was Thiago! He stole my body!”

  His friends frowned, doubting the excuse they’d just heard, but listened closely for Pedro’s explanation. Soon it was his turn to despair when he heard what had happened. They then questioned several times how that was even possible and how Thiago could possibly pay for that. While they were talking, Pedro tried to call Letícia in vain. The girl rejected all of his calls. He sunk into his seat while classes began. Thiago’s and Letícia’s seats were still vacant.

  Pedro spent the whole afternoon and evening trying to contact the girl. If she would at least allow him to explain himself! He kept trying to call her and sent several text messages through all the means he could think of, but it was no good. He couldn’t believe he was going to lose Letícia forever. The way it all was going, he was sure he’d be spending the prom alone now. He’d been so concerned that Thiago’s goal would be taking him out of the championship that he never even dreamed the bully would mess up his real life so much.