Dan and his teammates hopped off the transport from a few dozen meters off the ground and landed onto their chosen destination from the topographic map. Dan planted his feet on soil that was only marginally better in health and quality compared to the cracked drylands outside the Combat Games building. He watched as the transport hovered away from them, making its way to another section of this land a few hundred meters away to drop off the next team.
The events leading up to this were still fresh on his mind as he replayed the dour mood of his team after seeing their assigned constriction. After Angie finished filling the armory with hostilities and threats of violence towards the Combat Games’ staff, Li discussed Dan his recommendation on their drop off point for the battle royale.
The map on the computer terminal highlighted eight weapon caches marked by an icon drawn as a hollow bullet. Li suggested to drop their team in between two caches that were closest to each other. Dan protested as he saw in real time the other teams choosing their drop off points. More than a handful of them had the same idea and Dan wasn’t a fan of engaging in a fight with the other teams right at the beginning of the round. On top of that, their team’s constricitons meant they couldn’t shoot back.
Reluctantly, Dan relented, convinced by the stealth specialist that they would keep a low profile as they moved through the forest environment and avoid any engagement with the other teams.
After deciding on the drop off point, Dan’s team exited the building and out to board their transport, though not before being stopped by a staff member. All three were asked to discard their ammo. Dan and Li were the first to dump their magazine. Angie expressed her honest opinion about their constriction that almost devolved into a screaming match before Dan ordered the strawberry blond to dump her ammo.
It didn’t help that the attendant added that the consctriction also included specialized gear taken from the previous round, which included Dan’s last booster stim, Angie’s hologram, and Li’s sniper.
The ride on the transport was nothing noteworthy. Dan had to endure listening to Angie rage in his ear regarding the absurdity of being dropped in a survival situation without ammo.
Dan still didn’t like the fact he was still breathing and sweating since the last round. The consequences of stacking his berserk mode on top of a booster stim were bleeding into this round.
“We would all be better off if you channled your anger into pulling through this battle royale, Angie,” Li said calmly.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said. “It’s still fucking bullshit though.”
“So we’re making a beeline toward the nearest weapons cache?” Dan said.
“Yes, our HUDs have just updated and the nearest one is at my two o’clock position four hundred thirty meters away.”
“If we’re all seeing it, that means the other teams will too,” Dan said. The rapid staccatos in the air confirmed Dan’s assessment.
“Well Li, you better give us a crash course on your stelathy ways. Because we can’t fight anybody without ammo for our guns,” Angie pointed out.
“Follow me,” Li said.
The team followed closely behind Li. Dan stayed in the middle while Angie took up the rear and watched their backs in case any teams tried to sneak up on them from behind. Aside from distant gunfire, Dan didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The forest contained the same skeletal leafless trees he had seen common on this land and the air had a hint of staleness that Dan wasn’t quite used to. Back in his home town, the air was a polluted, smog-filled cocktail. The air in Cerulean city was much more tolerable with a hint of exhaust from vehicles or the smell of metal from machinery and weapon systems near Alpha buildings.
The air in this forest was more than breathable, but Dan could feel something in the air that flared up his nose and lungs. His heavy breathing from fatigue didn’t help the situation either. Li took notice of this and turned around.
“You’re breathing is heavy,” Li said. “You still haven’t recovered from the last round?”
“Guess not,” Dan replied. “The nurses had squat when it comes to fixing fatigue. They didn’t have any healing stims to spare and just gave me the bare minimum to lessen the aches and pains.”
“They expected you to suck it up,” Li said plainly. “They most likely had agents in worse condition who either suffered losses or just flunked out. The team of Genesis Talons and Hellhounds from the last round took a beating from both Rachel and her crew and the mutated animals running amok.”
“Yeah, probably” Dan said.
“Still, you need to get a hold of your breathing. The other teams have enhanced hearing just as we do. If you keep breathing heavily like that, you’ll get us spotted,” Li said.
“Hey, what gives? He’s fucking tired from the last round. He got our credit boxes to the vaults and took on that bitch Rachel head-on. Have some consideration.”
Li narrowed his eyes at the strawberry blond. “I’m not downplaying on his contributions to our victory Angie, but I’m simply stating that his heavy breathing will be an issue. He’s making noise that will expose us to nearby teams.”
Dan knew that Li was valid in his concern. He still hadn’t recovered from his exhaustion from the previous round. The stealth specialist didn’t say anything that was unreasonable.
Angie focused on Li with an intense gaze. “Are you really this cold to your own team? You see, this is why I’m not with Miles and his people anymore.”
“What happened in the past between you and Miles’ people has nothing to do with the current situation,” Li shot back, his tone becoming more cold.
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Dan placed his hand gently on Angie’s shoulder. “It’s fine Angie,” he said. “Li’s right.”
“But he—” Dan cut her off.
“That’s enough,” he said sternly. “If Jane were here telling me the same thing, I don’t think anyone would be back talking her.” He turned to face Li. “Lead the way. We need to get to that weapons cache.”
The stealth specialist nodded. Angie opened her mouth but no words came out. She backed down and begrudgingly dropped the issue. Dan assumed she was still frustrated at the constriction taking away their ammo and she was snapping at Li to vent her frustration. But Dan suspected something else was bothering her.
The team continued walking methodically and cautiously through the barren forest. During that time, Dan consciously controlled his breathing, taking slow and deliberate breaths even if it did cause him to trail behind his teammates.
Angie turned around and gave him a look, but he shut it down and said through the private channel, “It’s fine. I’ll keep watch at the rear.”
The team continued their admittedly glacial pacing through the forest before Li raised a closed fist in the air, signalling the team to stop.
“Get behind the trees, now,” Li ordered over the private channel.
Dan didn’t question and simply obeyed. If Li knew there was a threat nearby, then they needed to remain out of sight. They had no ammo and couldn’t take any chances of relying on their fists.
He found himself behind a tree with a thick trunk with charred bark. “Li, where’s the enemy?”
“None yet, but you can hear the gunfire getting louder as we get closer to the cache. We’re still two hundred meters away.”
“Then why are we stopping?” Angie asked impatiently.
“I just received a HUD notification for the optional mini-objectives for extra points,” he replied. “Thought it might be best to review our opportunities to earn points.”
The notification hit Dan as well and numerous mini-obectives showed up in front of him as a series of bullet points.
Find weapons cache (8x of them in total in the area).
Kill a rare mutated coyote.
Easter egg hunt (find at least three hidden healing stims in the area).
Seek out a hidden route to the safe house.
Eliminate at least 3 other teams to get bonus points.
“Our problem is that the weapons cache we’re heading to is the same direction where all this gunfire is. If we continue on our current path, we might be walking into action we’re not ready for.”
Dan thought about his options and knew that going for a weapons cache was the only logical first priority for the team. Without ammo for their guns or grenades, the the other mini-objectives would be much more challenging if not impossible to accomplish.
“We have to go for the cache Li,” Dan said. “If we do encounter enemy teams, the only thing I can think to do is for me to activate my berserk and try to overwhelm them. While I’m being loud and kicking ass, Li turns invisible and sneaks in, either backing me up in taking out our immediate enemies or going for the weapons.”
“What about me?” Angie said.
“Stay out of sight for now,” Dan said. “Li and I still have options of taking the fight to the other teams even unarmed.”
The strawberry blond narrowed her gaze at him, possibly annoyed at the inference that she would be useless in such a scenario.
“He’s telling the truth Angie,” Li stated. “Open your eyes and see the situation objectively. It’s not the best, but his plan is all we have to be able to fight the enemy teams if it comes down to it. As of now, you wouldn’t be able to do much. I’ve seen your hand to hand skills during our training sessions and you didn’t show anything particularly impressive.”
Dan leaned out from the tree and saw Angie staring daggers at the stealth specialist for his harsh assessment.
Li’s response didn’t help matters. “You need to stop being a brat. If Jane were here saying the same thing, you wouldn’t be giving me giving me that look. I have no clue how Ms. Sunheiser even thinks of keeping you any longer in this team for more than a few weeks. If I had someone like you in my squad, I’d kick from the team you so hard you will fly into the sky and never come back down. Take that attitude and bring it somewhere else because we don’t need this. Dan doesn’t need this either.”
“Li, cool it,” Dan said. He had to put a stop to this. “Can you scout ahead for us? I need to have a word with Angie. Privately.”
The stealth specialist glanced at him and gave a nod. “Understood. Maybe you can get through to her.”
Li moved away from the tree and his body transitioned into the nearly transparent form of his cloak mode. Once he was no longer in sight, Dan stepped away from the charred tree and moved up to the tree his teammate was at, across from Angie.
Dan pressed his back against the decrepit tree and glanced at his teammate. Angie’s face had a scowl that appeared as if it was painted on. She pressed her clenched fist against the bark of her tree. Her eyes focused down at the soil at her feet.
Dan opened a private channel with her just between the two of them.
“Hey, you can talk to me. Is everything alright?” he said, keeping his tone level and consistent. He didn’t want to coddle her, but he had to get to the bottom of her outburst and sudden antagonism towards Li.
Angie looked up from the ground and exhaled. The expression changed from frustration to worn down.
“I’m fine. It’s just that…”
“Don’t sugercoat it. You can be honest with me. We have some time on our hands to sort this out,” Dan said. “And we will, because we can’t work like this when we’re at each other’s throats. Let’s start with what you said about your previous team. How did that get brought up?”
“Why does it matter?”
“You don’t bring up something else entirely during a heated exchange unless it means something to you. Unless you want to tell me that it was just a random slip of the tongue, because I highly doubt. Plus, you connected Li’s behaviour to Miles and his team, so it’s obvious there’s a connection there.”
Angie hesitated and didn’t answer. But her hesitation was what made Dan suspect her true feelings. Her departure from Miles’ squad and her bringing them up while arguing with Li was indeed something.
“If you’re not going to be honest with me, at least lock that shit down and stop letting in control your judgement and emotions. I don’t have my booster stims and you don’t have your hologram anymore. Li and I are the only ones who still have offensive options without our guns. If you tried anything as you are now, you would get yourself eliminated or even killed. Just set your feelings aside and focus on doing what’s necessary to win. Can you do that for me at least?”
Angie looked up from the ground and made eye contact with him.
“Okay. I can do that. For you, not him,” she said, pointing her finger around the tree.
“Alright then. Whenever you feel comfortable, you can still come and talk to me about it, okay?”
The strawberry blond gave him a silent nod and Dan dropped the matter. Shortly after he received another private call from Li.
“We’re clear up ahead for at least another seventy meters,” he said.
“Good. Stay where you are. We’ll come to you,” Dan said.