by Noah Barnett
A lot happened at once. On his left gunfire erupted as the enemy team made their move. Remy jumped from her foxhole and ran towards the tank. Charlie raised himself up on his good knee as the one enemy on the left started shooting from cover. He couldn't see through the grass but he fired back at what he hoped was their position. The little teal haired psycho made it to the tank, and hunkered down trying to make herself as small as possible. On his left side the gun battle petered out on a dissonant note. He couldn't see any of the other girls which didn’t bode well. Charlie pulled a fresh mag free of its holder and reloaded. The used one went into the last slot. It still had rounds left but he wanted to top up the pistol. Finally, he laid down among the grass and weeds for a lower profile.
Remy sat listening for movement. Charlie couldn't hear anything other than the sound of moving grass. All was quiet for several more minutes as the red line crept closer. He had a choice at this point. Charlie could risk the crawl to the tank or stay in cover to provide fire. There was at least one enemy left. His teammates hadn't made a peep after the gun fight, and he suspected they were all dead which left just Remy and himself.
Slowly two people crept around the side of the vehicle. One in each direction. Being further away he could see both were men, so obviously not teammates. The red line was almost on him, but if he moved out now he would be seen. Charlie shifted with deliberate care aiming Elva at the second man. He had to hope Remy could manage her own battle. The red line crossed over his feet, and he instantly lost all sensation in them. Still, Charlie didn't move or fire until the guy was fully in view. The numb feeling crept up his calves to his knees.
"Now!" The man yelled dashing around the tank as a second did the same near the front. Charlie fired several times and the man danced as the rounds struck him. He slammed into the vehicle before sliding to the blackened ground. The red line crossed over Charlie's waist as Remy exchanged fire with her own target. Red filled his vision, and the door to the lounge opened. Three girls were waiting inside.
"Looks like we win."
"I'm just as surprised," the blonde girl said.
"Lasted longer than any of you," Charlie said moving forward. The female glanced back with an annoyed expression, but said nothing.
"I wasn't holding out hope with the noobie and that weird psycho.”
"The psycho won the match, so you can shove it up your ass," Remy said from behind them.
"Well, I am out." The blonde said making for the elevator. Charlie checked his stats. He was 2k richer and had two additional kills and one death. His battle rank had also risen again to Bronze Four.
"Thanks for the assist," Remy said from nearby.
"I don't know what to say. It was… well… interesting. I'll say that much." He replied without looking back.
"Want to run another game together?" She asked, which was literally the last thing he wanted, but thankfully he had an excuse.
"I already won a match today so I'll pass. I'm going shopping real quick and then logging out for dinner." He said glancing back. Her instincts were good, and she was obviously skilled, but her personality needed work. Remy shifted her weight under his scrutiny and rested a hand on her slim hip. The black cannon hung under her arm rocked back and forth.
"What's your name?" She asked, and Charlie paused trying to think of an excuse. He was reluctant to give it to her because she creeped him out something fierce, but Remy had been platinum before. It might be a good idea to stay on friendly terms.
"Charlie," he said extending his hand. Her fingers were delicate in his grasp.
"Remy," she replied giving his hand a long squeeze. "Wanna do it?" She asked without hesitation, and he ran for the elevator. It opened, and he slapped the controls as fast as he could. The expression on his face must have been something because Remy was laughing as the doors closed.
"Charlie your heart rate is elevated. Are you ok?" Elva asked with some concern.
"I think I just met the devil incarnate," he rasped in a shaking voice.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Beach House
Charlie didn't stop running until he'd put a few blocks of virtual distance between himself and the competition center. He paused, breathing hard, and waited for the crossing light. He had a mind to spend some of his hard-earned credits on weapon upgrades, and another spare magazine.
"What kind of mods can I get for you?" He asked as the light changed.
"As a bronze ranked player your choices are limited. This is to keep all the pistols roughly equal. At silver, you'll be able to customize me however you wish."
"Do you have any suggestions?"
"A weapon skin would be nice," Elva offered after a few seconds. Decorating your weapon was in vogue, and Elva spent a lot of time in that form.
"I can do that, but a pretty paint job won't help me kill other players."
"You'll only be able to buy magazines and different sights. Revolvers can alter their barrel length since they can't increase in ammo capacity." Elva said keeping step with him. That did make sense. The developers wanted to give everyone a fair chance. The mall came into view, and they entered the cafeteria lobby.
"Is there a way I can give you cash?" He asked. There were going to be times he couldn't get on and Elva needed to eat.
"We can't own anything but you can buy cash cards." She said and he looked around. There had been a customer help desk in the mall for that, and he found an NPC blithely waiting the counter.
"How can I help you?" She asked.
"I need a cash card."
She took a black plastic card from the stack, inserted it into the reader, and pointed to the screen on his side. "How much would you like to put on?" The woman asked. Elva had been a helping partner, and he didn't want to keep filling up the card every week. He selected two-thousand credits, and placed his palm on the surface to confirm the transaction. There, at least Elva wouldn't starve. He turned and handed it to his weapon. She looked oddly pleased sliding the card into her back pocket.
They wandered into the holster store, and splurged on a ten round magazine. It was a thousand credits, which was a ridiculous price but he might need those two extra rounds. Next Charlie needed some night-sights. He'd already been in two matches that were near sunset. During those matches, he'd had a tough time getting a sight picture. Several stores down was a boutique specializing in optics, and he found a set of Trijicon Low-Profile Night Sights. The front and back posts had green glowing dots, and even in total darkness, all he had to do was line up the circles.
"How do you install these?" he asked holding out the item. Elva squirmed a little which was odd for her. Normally she was bluntly forward.
"After you buy it I just need a little privacy," she said pointing to a back door which resembled a changing room. He bought it and followed her back to the door, but she stopped him from following her inside.
"It's umm... very personal," she said clearly uncomfortable.
"I've seen you naked, we've had sex," Charlie said rolling his eyes. She pushed him lightly and closed the door in his face. From inside he heard a humming sound followed by a moan. Under the door crack, yellow light spilled out which grew in intensity. It was hard to describe the noises after that. Both gun and human seemed to be present. There was a shrill orgasmic cry followed by the sound of a slide racking. Slowly the light faded and the door opened. Elva stood just inside flush with crimson.
"Let's see it," he said holding out a hand. Elva nodded as her cheeks continued to redden. She changed into weapon form which landed in his palm.
"Yes, that is much better," he said pointing the gun at a nearby mannequin. Even under the mall's bright lights, he could still make out the glowing dots. Next he reloaded Elva with the extended magazine, which stuck out of the grip by about two inches, and noticeably increased the weight of the gun.
The night sights, magazine, and cash card cost him 3600 credits, so Elva’s weapon skin would have to come later. It was getting late and Charlie needed to fi
nd a bed. Sleeping in cheap hotels was getting old, and he was ready to drop some money on a home.
"You can change back," he said and Elva returned to her human form.
"How do we find an apartment?" he asked.
"There is a directory down the block. You can either buy property or rent it." She said stepping closer to Charlie. Elva took his arm, and guided him from the store. Outside the sun had finally dropped below the horizon. Street lamps and the headlights of passing cars lit up the avenue. Charlie gave up trying to retrieve his arm as they walked together down the street and entered a building next to the intersection. Along the walls were pictures of real estate. Several screens sat waiting, but the lobby was otherwise empty.
Whoever had used the console last had left the listing open. It was a million credit mansion, and he suspected a clan had pooled their resources to buy it. It had a hundred rooms, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and an interactive practice range. Pictures of the property showed a silicon valley fortress with a nine-foot wall that circled the compound.
He exited the page and did a search for properties for lease. An interactive map appeared and he could further refine his search. Quickly he excluded hotels and anything over six thousand dollars. The cheapest apartment was only eight hundred a month and it was near the competition center.
Charlie clicked the link and said, "Ugh." It was little better than the hotel he'd stayed in last night. The wallpaper was peeling off, and he noticed a water stain on the ceiling. That property was just a little too cheap. He exited the listed and tried properties further out.
The third place he checked out seemed to fit. It was a two bedroom beach house for lease and it was only three thousand a month. The problem was that it was at the edge of the city. It would be a ten-mile walk to the competition center, but there were buses, so he could catch the metro most of the way into town.
"Three thousand creds..." he mused tapping the edge of the screen. It was easily doable, especially if he won a single match per month.
"Lease?" It queried when he placed his palm on the screen. He hit accept, and a small compartment opened nearby. Inside was an electronic key-set. On the tag attached to this was listed the address, "13 North - Sex on the Beach Way." He pocketed the key and turned looking for Elva. She had occupied herself with another computer across the room.
"Ready to go?"
The metro was thankfully nearby and he climbed aboard with Elva. Filling the bus were dozens of other players heading home for the night. After flashing his palm over the pay console, the took a seat near the back. Across from Charlie, a man was openly making out with two girls. Both his hands were digging for gold within their unbuttoned pants as the three canoodled. Charlie rolled his eyes and glanced out the window. The city slowly rolled past, and after ten minutes of heavy petting, the trio got off... of the bus that is.
It took almost an hour to reach the city outskirts, but the bus dropped them off a couple of blocks from his new house. The sign depicted a couple doing it under an umbrella. Below the image was another sign reading, "North - Sex on the Beach Way." The sound of the surf grew stronger as they neared the beach and a small ranch house grouped with a few others came into view. As Charlie approached the front door the key fob chirped. A red light under the door lock turned green, and he inserted the key opening the door. His first thought was that the place was empty. The listing hadn't said anything about furniture but he'd assumed there would be stuff. The only thing in the house was in the master bedroom. The king sized bed probably couldn't fit through the door. From the living room, two sliding glass doors opened onto an enclosed porch. The beach began just on the other side. Elva stood near the bay doors looking at the half moon rising over the water.
Charlie walked into the master bedroom, and the LED bulb flashed to life filling the room with a soft yellow glow.
"That worked at least," he thought. Charlie sat on the king-sized bed and dropped the shopping bags to the floor. He'd had a hectic day. What with having his world view shattered and pieced together again. Then he’d managed to win two matches in a row. Elva wandered into the room and toward the closet. It was several feet deep with plenty of room for a future wardrobe.
"Are you glad I did better today?"
Elva turned toward him searching his face. There was a pause, one slightly longer than usual, before she strode toward him. She grasped the hem of her tank top, dragging it over her head, and her breasts came free with an erection inducing bounce. The shirt dropped to the floor. Her long fingers fiddled with the unfamiliar button on her shorts before sliding the zipper down. Wiggling her hips, she shimmied out of the daisy dukes and kicked them towards the top.
"I am thrilled," she stated turning and sitting naked on his lap. That pause from Elva suggested she had struggled with another option.
"You were going to say something else?" He asked curiously. Elva looked back, searching his face again.
"I don't personally care, but it's better that you did well," She said at last. Those were two very different statements, so he decided to reward her honesty.
"Why is that?" He asked sliding his hand between her legs. He wasn't above searching for some golden honey himself. Elva opened her mouth to say something but gasped as Charlie stroked a finger down her sex. It was already slightly wet, and she leaned back parting her long legs.
"Statistically… players who do well—are more likely to remain," She said between quickening breaths. Charlie rewarded her further by slipping a finger inside. It was warm and wet. She gasped again and reached back gripping his neck. Elva shifted and unconsciously started rocking back and forth in Charlie’s lap as his fingers picked up speed. There was no mistaking Elva as human. Despite her beautiful body, she smelled like a weapon. One that had been recently used. The aroma of metal and gun smoke quickly filled the air as Elva grew more excited.
"Do you need a cleaning?" He asked.
"My—” She groaned as he furiously circled her clitoris. Elva, breathing heavily, tried again with, "My efficiency—hasn't been affected—yet." His fingers fiddled faster and he continued to occasionally plunge them inside. Maybe he ought to get into the habit of cleaning her daily. Charlie had finally started taking things more seriously, and he didn't want to slip back into lazy habits. Elva let out a long moan, and her legs lifted into the air as her toes curled in orgasmic bliss.
“Oh Charlie…” Elva cried.
She shuddered and shook for almost a minute before slipping from his lap to the floor. She turned and began to unfasten his belt, quickly tore pants free, and cupped his manhood. Charlie relaxed back on the mattress as Elva started licking. She must have discovered a few new techniques because her tongue slid along his shaft in ever more complex patterns. Charlie closed his eyes, relaxing back onto the bed. Lips closed over his erection and he groaned in pleasure. Gun Meister had to be cheating. Charlie was pretty sure his sensitivity levels were a few percentage points higher than real life. When he opened his eyes Elva was staring at him searching his face for any expression of pain.
"Much better," he admitted reaching down. Charlie grabbed a wrist pulling her up and forced Elva onto the bed. Her technique had improved but he wanted to fuck. Charlie got behind the kneeling woman, slid inside, and quickly built into a steady butt-jiggling rhythm.
"This was better too," he thought to himself. Was there some special code at work or was it just mental?
Over Memorial Weekend the sex had felt like a booby prize or a consolation. Like a child getting a toy after throwing a public tantrum. It seemed wrong getting laid after losing so much. Tonight he was flushed with victory. He deserved to get the prom queen and fuck her too. Charlie pushed her forward with the power of his thrusting, and Elva’s arms buckled. Her legs began to shake as a second orgasm overwhelmed her. Charlie held onto her waist with an iron grip, and through a tangle of golden hair Elva stared back at him. He smiled down, withdrew from her, and slapped her ass hard. She let out a surprised shriek of pleasure, as
he plunged back inside. His fingers dug into her fleshy hips as he neared his own peek. There was no doubt about it; tonight the sex was the best yet. He finished by dragging her back onto him, and Elva made a sound which was half moan, half whimper as his essence filled her. After a few seconds, he withdrew and fell onto the bed panting for breath.
“I changed my mind. I like it when you win.” Elva said and he laughed. She turned pressing herself to his chest and laid her head in the crook of his shoulder. Charlie, in turn, ran a hand down her spine. Her hair and body still smelled metallic but he was quickly coming to like the scent.
"I have to warn you," Charlie said. Elva stopped licking him to look up into his eyes. "I won't be on tomorrow. There is a mandatory meeting after work."
"Didn't you already have one of those?" She asked in a voice still heavy from sex.
"It started off as a joke but it's become a weekly thing. Every Tuesday some of the agents get together at the bar. We mostly just drink and talk shit about the job. Good stress relief that helps us get over the hump in the week." He said running a hand over her bare bottom. Charlie was reminded of the cash card he'd picked up. It had originally been for food when he was away, but there was no reason Elva couldn't take care of some of the drudge work. After all, this was her home too.
