“Welcome to the Lunar Lounge, Please wait here until all players are present.”

Player

Status

Kills

Deaths

IvebecomeDeath

Waiting…

347

0

NoobMaster142

Ready

48

1

SniperBunny47

Ready

29

1

Z3n3n3my

Ready

17

1

HeroKnight07

Ready

5

1

Thapelo had hoped that a bit of time in the Lunar Lounge would ease some of the tension, instead he realised, being stuck in a chair, no matter how comfortable, was the worst frustration for any gamer. He looked over to where SniperBunny was vibrating in a fit of silent rage. Perhaps it was a good thing SniperBunny was locked in her chair, otherwise, who knew what she might have done to HeroKnight.

He switched his attention to Z3n3n3my. Normally the picture of calmness and tranquility. He was sitting crossed legged on his lounge chair breathing forcefully. Inhaling hard through the nose, and then blowing out steam through rounded lips. The entire episode was almost more unnerving than HeroKnight’s constant idea-storming. “Maybe, you know, like, we are in a simulation, at the pentagon, just think, imagine, that would be uber tight… I wonder if you know, we could get badges, like for heroism, I mean, you know, could be nice to pick up girls with… I mean, imagine, hey girl; who me; yes you baby girl; O wow, your that guy with the medal, kiss me… I’ll have to make sure I have a mint close by after we receive our medals…”

When IvebecomeDeath finally arrived in the Lunar Lounge, sighs of relieve burst out from everyones lips.

“Finally!” SniperBunny burst out first.

“Sorry.”

“Your arrival is most balancing…Most balancing!”

“Tight! Now I can go collect my medal!”

“All players are present.” The woman’s voice reappeared. “Congratulations. Your team has been selected for a special event, ‘Robot War’s on Mars’, your new mission is to eliminate President Anam, leader of the Atlantean settlement on the Moon. Your mission is to infiltrate the lunar dome and eliminate your target.”

“These mission, are, like, you know, uber lame, I mean, yea sure the fighting is tight, but, the stories, the adventure…”

“Will you just shut up!” SniperBunny’s voice cut with untempered fury, slicing through HeroKnights vail of ignorance and landing a fatal strike of understanding.

“During this event, each individual will be given a robotic body that has been custom made to fit each individual’s fighting style. Each individual will only receive one robotic doppelgänger. Departure in 5…4…3…2…1…”

In the blink of an eye Thapelo felt himself strapped to the side of the free falling capsule again. His body already started bracing for what was to come. “Team meeting, Pease! When we land! I have a plan!”

He squeezed his eyes shut hoping to ignore his stomach that was already showing signs of distress. His entire body tightened, then, just as he anticipated, the capsule suddenly started to slow down.

“Impact in t-5…t-4…t-3…t-2…t-1…”

They crashed landed, again. And like before, Thapelo was hanging in his straps like a corpse. There was a commotion, but he couldn’t make out who or what or why, and in the state he was, he actually didn’t even care. He just kept hanging, until Z3n3n3my eventually came back and to carried him outside again.

After a few moments spent hunched over, NoobMaster managed to stand up by himself.

“Is… sorry, not fun…is, uuh, is everyone still here?”

“We are here, and in perfect balance…”

“IvebecomeDeath?”

“Here.”

“Okay, that’s good, I, uh, was thinking, maybe, we could use a 5 dice formation. It’s just an idea, Z3n3n3my and I could be in front focussing on any close range enemies, and then SniperBunny, you and HeroKnight can take care of any long range enemies, almost like what we did in the previous round… And I was thinking, IvebecomeDeath, you can help with both close and ranged enemies from the middle… I saw you scavenging weapons, and based on your K/D, it seemed like you’re pretty good with any weapon?”

There was a moment of silence. NoobMaster was waiting for someone to say something like “yea, right, like we are going to follow your stupid play…” or “Your on you own dude, after what happened with HeroKnight, there’s no way…”

“Sounds good and all, but…” SniperBunny started, sounding calm and collected all of a sudden. It was a bit unnerving. Both the fact the she was agreeing with him, and the sudden change in her mood. But then, Thapelo thought, avid gamers should be able to put their conflicts aside, after all, the mission should always come first.

“…but, we’re only 4.”

With the nausea almost fully subsided, Thapelo realised for the first time that he was taking to robots. Then, looking down, he realised he was a robot too!

“What do you mean we’re only 4?”

He eyes focussed past where SniperBunny and Z3n3m3y was standing, seeing a robot filled with bullet holes laying half hidden behind the capsule.

“I see…”

“4 is balance.”

“He was an idiot! He was going to do it again…”

“No arguments here… IvebecomeDeath, will you then take long range with SniperBunny?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe, then, Z3n3n3my, if you take the back, and I take the front, with the 2 snipers in the middle…”

“I am like water, I will take whatever form is needed, not that my soul is at peace.”

The 4 of them turned their attention towards the dome, moving with a cautious hast across they grey moon surface.

There was no pre-existing hole in the dome this time, but that did not stop them, Z3n3n3my used one of his gravity grenades and imploded a big enough hole for them to slip through. However they were caught off guard by a strong gust of wind that was rapidly escaping through the hole. NoobMaster noticed a large panel sliding down the side of the dome, most likely to seal the hole, he went down on all fours, crawl jumping through the hole. Then, locking his body in behind the side of the dome, outstretched his hand.

In an instant IvebecomeDeath was hanging by his arm. He pulled her inside, then SniperBunny, and just before the sliding panel could cut Z3n3m3y in half, he was also pulled to safety.

“That was close…”

“Mmm”

“Life is a constant balance of life and death…”

“Boom!”

The sound of SniperBunnies rifle pulled them back to reality. They hadn’t achieved anything yet, the mission only started here.

As if practiced a thousand times, they moved into formation, NoobMaster covering their front and Z3n3n3my their back, with the deadly duo clearing they way ahead of schedule.

They quickly found the little sandstone road again, and, like before, started clearing enemies as they followed it. The enemies were a bit smaller, although that did not stop any one of them. Instead, they just aimed for the larger green heads sticking out of the little metal exo-suits.

“Is it just me, or are these bots?” NoobMaster said after finding another camping spot empty.

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“hmm.”

“I think you could be right,” SniperBunny agreed, not letting her guard down for a moment, “they don’t move like online players.”

They kept moving, following the broadening into the central business district. It was quiet. Even SniperBunny and IvebecomeDeath, who had been picking off enemies in the distance, had gone quiet. The sandstone city felt abandoned, like a ghost town.

“What do you think Nooby?”

“It’s definitely weird.”

“I have a feeling we’re missing something, something big…”

“And, just, I’d prefer Master over Nooby…”

“Like I’d ever call you Master…”

“Do you hear that?”

“What?”

“Sounds like bees, maybe we should…”

“…Drones” IvebecomeDeath announced under her breath, looking down a sniper scope, “We should move.” The tone in he voice did not reflect the seriousness of the situation, although, when she started running for the museum, the rest of them agreed that if she was running, they should definitely be running too!

The museum was large, and white, and filled with things the younger generation of Atlantis either didn’t understand, or didn’t care for; except perhaps for school excursions, but then it was more about skipping school that learning why Atlantis split in two, or why they made such a huge fuss trying to make everyone believe that Atlantis was at the bottom of the ocean.

However to the 4 of them, the thick white walls, ample cover, and marble pillars served only one purpose, protection. Though that didn’t mean NoobMaster and Z3n3n3my wouldn’t occasionally sneak a peak at the naked statues.

They flowed back into formation with NoobMaster leading the way.

“Where are we going?” SniperBunny whispered into NoobMaster’s ear, making him jump atleast 2 steps ahead.

“Don’t do that!” He tried to force a calm whisper.

“So?”

“So, don’t.”

“No you idiot, so where are we going?”

“Forward…for now…”

“Idiot!”

The buzzing grew louder as they made their way aimlessly forward into the museum. NoobMaster felt the pressure of being in front, he knew nobody else knew where to go either, but still, he would have liked to turn around like, ‘Huddle up boys, listen fast and listen good! This is the plan! Got it! Let’s kick some ass!’ Instead, what he said was, “They are getting close.”

“No shit Sherlock!”

“What I meant to say was, we should find some place and wait for them…”

“If I may, NoobMaster, we’ve just passed the sculpture exhibition,” Z3n3n3my interjected, “It seemed to have a good balance of open space and solid marble cover.”

“What do you think bunny?”

“I think you have a death wish nooby.”

“I mean…” NoobMaster felt Sniperbunny’s barrel against his back, her gentle way of saying ‘I dare you to call me that again.’

“Sound like more of a plan than you have.”

“Hmm.”

“Ouch…”

They spun around, this time with NoobMaster covering their rear and Z3n3n3my leading the way. It wasn’t long before they were guided into a long broad white room. There were two rows of statues, one just to the left, and one just to the right. They wove through them until they reached the middle of the room, with the girls settling on the right and the boys on the left.

The buzzing was close, they knew one of the drones were most like just outside. And then, as if hearing they thoughts, a drone made its way under the doorframe, quickly soaring high towards the ceiling again. It was a black soft square shaped drone with 4 fans, 1 for each soft corner. There was something mounted on top of it, and what looked like a camera sticking out from underneath it.

The drone slowly made it way towards the middle of the room, most likely scanning as it did so.

“Click…Boom!”

“NoobMaster sighed, “You ready Zeni?”

“Like water, ready to ripple at the slightest touch.”

There was a definite change in the buzzing outside. They knew where they were, they could heard the drones swarming together towards them.

“We should focus fire on the door.”

“Hmm.”

“SniperBunny…”

“Don’t you worry about me, I know what to do…”

The first of the drones started swarming in and NoobMaster and IvebecomeDeath started firing, machine guns blazing, cutting most of the drones down in the doorway already.

SniperBunny and Z3n3n3my focussed on the drones that slipped through the initial rain of gunfire. However, every now and again, Z3n3n3my would steal some of the action by throwing a gravity grenade into the doorway, drawing in a bunch of drones all at once, and then viciously explode them into fine black dust. It was a beautiful noise. Two machine guns running wild, click, click, then running again, never reloading at the same time.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” SniperBunny exploded quick-scopes, never missing her target. The sound rebounding violently off the stone walls, drowning out her laughter of pure dominance.

The makeshift plan worked like clockwork. It was teamwork for dayz. As quick as the drones came in, they were mowed down, there was no escape.

Though hidden underneath the noise of gunfire and explosions, boot-steps started echoing in with the buzzing of the drones. And as if out of nowhere, troops with riot shields started appearing in the doorway.

NoobMaster stopped firing as soon as he realised that the shields were bulletproof, and that silence was all it took for SniperBunny to know something was wrong.

“Boom! Boom!”

The first four troops collapsed in a double collate takedown. IvebecomeDeath joined the sniper party, collecting headshots through the riot shields, while NoobMaster switched to mowing down the remaining drones with Z3n3n3my.

It didn’t take long for them to deal with the troops, and by then, even the drones had dried up. As they stood there, satisfied with a job well done, the once beautiful exhibit around they was changed into a collection of dead bodies, dead fragmented statues and black plastic debris.

“I’ve got about 5 mags of SMG ammo, and all of it for my pistol.” NoobMaster announced, hoping that his teammates would also take the time to prepare for their next encounter.

“Im out of gravity grenades, still have lots of ammo though.”

“How about you IvebecomeDeath?”

She didn’t respond. She was starring at one of the surviving painting. It was a bride and groom standing hand in hand about to be married by a smiling priest in the background.

“You like it?”

“Yes.”

“Are you married?”

“You idiot, no girl starred at a painting like that if she’s already married!”

“Boyfriend then?”

“Leave the poor girl…”

“…Had.”

“Had?” SniperBunny suddenly curious.

“He made the wrong choice.”

“I am so sorry for your loss.” NoobMaster added, feeling stupid for forcing the issue.

“He chose games over me, so we broke up and then I started gaming.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

Even Z3n3n3my seemed confused, “Surely if you started gaming while you were still together it would have brought more balance?”

“Not really, I find him online and kill him over and over.”

Perhaps it was the calmness in her voice. Or the straightforward openness. Or the complete commitment to vengeance. But all they could do was stand and stare. Stunned, not knowing what to say. SniperBunny tied to re-break the ice by pointing towards the painting she like. It was a red haired winged female warrior descending down from the sky. NoobMaster and Z3n3n3my shared a nod, deciding that any further questions to either of them could spell danger, and should be avoided at all costs.

They started falling back into formation, only waiting for IvebecomeDeath to finish scavenging the troops around the room, and then made their way out back towards the yellow sandstone road.

If the previous mission was anything to go by, NoobMaster thought, then the marketplace was next, and that was where they were the most exposed; and then it was the parliament building, though, besides for the armoured robot, they didn’t know anything about anything passed that.

They continued following the sandstone road, NoobMaster leading the way and Z3n3n3my covering the back, while SniperBunny and IvebecomeDeath kept a close watch for any movements higher up in the skyscrapers. It was quiet. No movement. No gunfire. The city was abandoned.

The marketplace came into view. And for a moment, it seemed to be just as abandoned as the rest of the city, until they noticed an armoured robot kneeling in the middle of the sandstone square, its back turned to them.

“You think…”

“Click…Boom!”

It was like a magic trick, one moment its head was there, then it just disappeared. The robot fell forward onto its headless shoulders, laying there, completely lifeless.

“Toooo easy!” SniperBunny said, making her way to the robot and then tea-bagging it.

“Another bully!” A low metallic voice made SniperBunny jump away, evading a double edged axe aimed at her head, “I have caused you no harm, yet you harm me! I have given you love, yet you don’t love me! I am Refilwe! Executioner of Atlantis! I herby sentence you to death!”

The berserker rose headless to its feet, bringing the large axe forward gripping it with both hands.

“Click…Boom!” SniperBunny fired another dead accurate shot, this one hitting the monster square in the chest, “Bo-hoo…” although her smile was short lived. The shot had barely left a dent in the berserker’s chest plate.

With a quick heavy step the berserker darted towards SniperBunny, swinging the axe with the intent to kill, slicing from the side, forcing her to jump back, then cutting from above, splitting the sandstone bricks where SniperBunny had been a moment before.

The berserker kept chasing her, swing after swing, each swung with ferocious aggression, everytime missing SniperBunny by the breadth of a hair. SniperBunny kept ducking, jumping, rolling, running, but the monster did not cease its relentless attack, not giving her a second to do anything but evade.

NoobMaster and the rest desperately tried to help, but their bullets had no effect. They couldn’t even do enough damage to distract the berserker for a single moment.

“Gravity grenades?”

“Out…”

The berserker kept swinging, for the time being cutting air and splitting stones, but they knew, one misstep from SniperBunny would mean the end for her. And more, then the beast would most likely turn to them, cutting them all down one at a time.

“A little help!” SniperBunny called out, a mixture of rage and panic in her voice.

“We’re trying!”

“Try harder!”

Z3n3n3my was the first to hear the dreaded click-click of an empty mag. And not long after, NoobMaster heard it too.

“Bunny! I have a plan!”

“I told you…”

“Just do it!”

For a moment NoobMaster thought he heard a growl coming from SniperBunny, but then he saw her focussing her ducks, dodges, jumps and rolls towards him.

He swallowed hard, suddenly having the berserker steamrolling towards him made his confidence waver, it would have to be perfect. He pulled the pin from a grenade, peeing a little as he did. They were coming close, he took a deep breath, “Duck, follow, duck, follow”.

When SniperBunny was right in front of him, she jumped, and he ducked, the axe cutting the air between them, he stepped in close, following the swing of the axe, jump-swinging onto the berserkers back and dropping the grenade into the hole where the head had been, letting go of the berserker as soon as he was sure the grenade fell in, dropping down to the ground and then wasting no time scurrying away on his hands and knees until his feet could take over.

The berserker froze mid swing, for a moment looking like an armoured statue. Then, in an instance a red glow, followed by deafening explosion of fire and smoke. The armoured robot had burst from the inside, flinging pieces of armour in every direction, leaving only a cloud of black smoke floating on the yellow sandstone.

“My online master was right,” Z3n3n3my made a bow in respect, “A strong foe must be defeated from within. O, what a fool I was, for I could not understand. But you NoobMaster, you understood. You have my respect and admiration.” He made another bow, this time directed at NoobMaster.

Slowly the smoke started clearing and they started regrouping.

“I…” SniperBunny started, looking at NoobMaster.

“No need to say it?” He smiled, even though his robot body couldn’t show it.

“O? You thought I was going to thank you? No, no, I forgive you.”

“Forgive me?”

“Next time you call me that, I’ll end you, mid-battle if I have to.”

“Yes ma’am! Understood.” Even though he knew she most likely would, he still couldn’t help smiling, this time happy the robot body couldn’t show it.

IvebecomeDeath was the last to rejoin the group, carrying the axe that the berserker had been using. She was having trouble hanging it around her neck, unlike most of the weapons she scavenged, it didn’t have strap. She moved it this way, then that, unable to find a comfortable place for it. In the end deciding to carry it over her shoulder.

NoobMaster checked that everyone was good and ready, before leading them towards the parliament building that was already visible. The building itself had the same oversized pillars and overly high roof resembling the style of the museum, with the difference being it was constructed from sandstone.

They reached the building without any problems. It is if if the further they went, the more abandoned the city seemed to be. NoobMaster was about to lead them up the stairs when a little green alien in a silver exo-suit came charging down the stairs, closely follow by a group of little green aliens with guns, who seemed to be more focussed on the first alien, than on the four of them.

“Click…”

“…No…”

“…Boom!”

The bullet exploded into one of the sandstone steps, almost turning it completely into dust.

“Why the hell!”

“Maybe this is part of the campaign…”

“Who cares!”

“He’s the one who saved…”

“I dare you to finish that sentence Zeni!”

“I…uh…” Z3n3n3my stepped back into formation, leaving NoobMaster to fend for himself.

“Can we just please follow the story, it’s a one time event…”

“Nooby…”

The aliens still stood glued to their positions, their black eyes wide, perhaps still in shock from SniperBunny’s ‘warning shot’.

“Why are you here?” He alien infront asked. Her voice high pitched, put carrying authority, “I demand an explanation.”

The four of them exchanged glances.

“We’re here to kill President Anam?”

“I am President Anam!”

“Happy now nooby? Can I shoot her?”

“Just, please, wait…”

“Who sent you?”

“Listen alien Anam, get to the point. NoobMaster here want to know how the story ends, and I want to kill you to got back to the online platform, sorry, but this mission sucks. And I think I speak for everyone if I say that.”

Everyone mumbled in agreement, even NoobMaster who enjoyed the occasional RPG.

“I suspect my daughter, Boitumelo, did she send you?”

“Who the hell is Boitumelo?”

“I believe she’s the one behind the video…”

“What video? Last chance lady Alien, start making some sense.”

“Do you really think we have the strength to attack Mars? How’s being the foolish now…” SniperBunny raised her rifle, pointing it directly towards President Anam.

“I apologise, that was rude of me, please, lower your weapon.”

“Speak. And make sense…”

“It’s my daughter, I banished her because she was always playing games on the citisens of this city. It was harmless in the beginning, but then people started disappearing. Later we realised she had built mazes and set up games where people died. So I banished her. It wasn’t long after when I heard she was on Mars, apparently working closely with President Pawe…”

“Boom!” SniperBunny pulled off another magic trick, only this time it was close up magic and the special effects were splattered across the sandstone steps. IvebecomeDeath also jumped into action, cutting and slicing through the remaining 4 aliens who were still in shock.

“Don’t cry nooby…”

_ _ _

Somewhere, somehow, Thapelo sensed that he was dreaming. As if he just had to open his eyes and the dream would end.

He was patiently waiting for the killcam, instead, he opened his eyes. He saw someone hanging over him. He blinked, trying to focus his eyes.

“He’s awake…”

“Thapelo, my boy!” He heard his mothers voice, he could tell she was crying, “Where have you been!”