The best laser tag in town was the MGZ, a shrine to competitive chaos nestled about four miles north of the Garvey Reservoir in Alhambra. Its reputation as a warzone for the wannabe elite -kids, teens, and adults clinging to fading glory days alike- was unmatched. For Dom, it was a place of tradition. She and Nile had been reigning champions of this dimly lit colosseum since middle school. Tonight, she intended to remind him, and everyone else, why.
System Message: Location Discovered: MGZ (Mega Game Zone)
Status: Battlefield of Champions.
Local Buff: Confidence Aura +2. Legend Status bonus active.
Confidence Aura? She thought smugly. As if I needed it. Let’s just hope the place smells less like sweaty socks this time.
Every time she pulled into the MGZ lot, it was like stepping onto sacred ground. The chipped neon sign buzzed faintly, its flickering glow casting jagged shadows across the worn asphalt. The faint smell of popcorn, grease, and ambition clung to the air like a ghost. It wasn’t just a laser tag arena; it was a battleground where reputations were forged, rivalries ignited, and legends born.
Knowing every shortcut, back alley, and cop trap between her house and the MGZ was a point of pride. Dom’s bike devoured the road in seven minutes flat, shaving GPS’s overly cautious 15-minute estimate in half. The engine’s purr harmonized with the rhythm of her heartbeat, each turn a victory in its own right. She swerved into the parking lot with a precision that would make stunt drivers weep, the roar of her bike silencing the low murmur of loitering teenagers.
As she swung into a space near the entrance, the neon sign illuminated her helmet in a staccato rhythm. The glow gave the parking lot an almost otherworldly feel, like something out of a synth-heavy sci-fi movie. She coasted to a stop, letting the low hum of her engine fade before killing the ignition.
The cool evening air hit her as she slipped off her helmet, shaking her hair loose in a practiced motion. The breeze carried the faintest hint of damp asphalt and someone’s vape cloud. She caught sight of her reflection in the bike’s mirror and grimaced. Helmet hair was its own kind of betrayal, an unruly crown mocking her efforts at perfection.
System Message: Style Penalty Detected.
Effect: -1 Charisma until corrected.
Seriously? Helmet hair deducts charisma? What the eff, she grumbled. Fine, but no one’s docking points for my killer boots.
Running her fingers through the mess, she coaxed it into something vaguely resembling the fierce, rebellious look she’d spent half an hour perfecting before leaving the house. Good enough.
With a practiced flick of her wrist, she checked her phone.
Exactly 8:00 PM.
For once, she was on time -no, perfectly on time. Her lips twitched into a smirk. That small victory was worth savoring. She hated lateness almost as much as she hated people who flaked entirely. It wasn’t hard to send a text or give a heads-up. Punctuality was a sign of respect, and Dom didn’t deal well with people who couldn’t even manage that. Nile, though, was an exception to most rules. Beneath the slacker vibes and laid-back attitude, he was solid -always where he said he’d be, when he said he’d be there.
Which made it odd that his A-Team wannabe van was conspicuously absent from the lot.
Her eyes scanned the parking lot, expecting to spot the lumbering monstrosity that was Nile’s pride and joy. No sign of it. Maybe he’d parked further down the street, but that didn’t sit right. The van, black and red with a retro stripe that screamed unapologetically 1980s, was as much a part of Nile’s identity as his smirking face.
Wherever he went, it followed. Like a devoted pet.
She parked near the edge of the buzzing crowd milling outside the MGZ entrance, grabbing her custom laser tag gun and helmet before striding inside. The kids hanging by the door parted like the Red Sea, their snickers and whispers cut short by the swagger in her step. She could feel their gazes trailing her as she entered -half admiration, half intimidation, and maybe just a little envy. If Nile was already inside, maybe he’d parked further out. Not like she could miss him once she spotted him.
The lobby hit her like a wave of nostalgia. The worn-out carpet, dim lighting, and faint chemical smell of cheap pizza and soda syrup were unchanged. It was the same place where she and Nile had wiped the floor with middle-schoolers on a weekly basis, their names immortalized on the leaderboards like graffiti on an ancient monument. Her boots echoed off the tile as she made her way to the counter, spotting the tall, lanky figure manning it.
His name tag read Matt, which fit him as snugly as the ill-fitted uniform that screamed management under duress.
“Hey, Dom! How’s it been going?” he said, pushing his dyed black hair to one side with the practiced nonchalance of someone who thought it made him look mysterious. Dom resisted the urge to smirk. It was like watching a cat knock over a vase and pretend it was intentional.
She leaned casually against the counter, scanning the room one more time for Nile. No dice. Turning back to Matt, she decided to turn up the charm -just a notch. “Oh, you know, school and work, the usual grind. How about you?”
Her voice hit the perfect mix of feigned interest and effortless cool. If there were awards for disarming boredom, Dom would sweep them. Matt, predictably, perked up like a sunflower in direct sunlight.
“Same old, same old. Actually, no -wait. I’m the assistant manager now. So, yeah, big stuff happening.”
Dom raised an eyebrow, mirroring his enthusiasm with a smile that said, Impressive, tell me more, you fascinating specimen. “Assistant manager, huh? Look at you, making moves. How’s the band?”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The question landed like a baited hook. Matt’s face lit up. “We’re, uh, doing great! Just had a gig at Johnny’s last week -full house.”
“Wow,” she replied, leaning in slightly, her tone a perfect blend of impressed and intrigued. “That’s huge! Must be nice to have a creative outlet like that.”
Behind her, the growing line of impatient patrons muttered curses under their breath, but Dom ignored them. Flirting was a game she played with surgical precision, an art as old as time. This wasn’t manipulation, she rationalized -it was diplomacy. Negotiation with a smile. And besides, Matt was enjoying himself. It wasn’t her fault he was as easy to read as a Cat in the Hat pop-up book.
After a few more rounds of verbal ping-pong, Dom was ready to cash in. Before she could ask if Nile had checked in, another employee emerged from the backroom.
Her name tag read: Christy. She was equally as tall as Matt, at least five foot eleven, and just this side of gangly. The uniform -if you could call a pair of Dickies and a black polo a uniform- did little to hide her figure. She had the shape of an athlete: pants hanging on slim hips, a narrow waist, and a modest bust. Her face was aquiline, with a severe nose that could’ve lent her an intimidating air if not for the easy smile that softened it considerably. She looked like someone who could take you down in a basketball game and then offer you a slice of pizza after.
“Howdy, Dom,” she greeted, her tone playful. “How’ve you been? Matty isn’t drooling on you too much, is he?”
She grabbed a napkin from the counter and pantomimed wiping at the corner of Matt’s mouth. He batted her hand away with a noise that was half-sputter, half-grumble, his cheeks flushing redder than a Game Over screen.
“Matt,” Christy said, her tone polite but firm, “break’s over. You’ve got a line.”
Matt blinked, as if noticing the disgruntled crowd for the first time. “Oh, right. Yeah, sure thing.” He hesitated, flashing Dom a sheepish grin. “Hey, we should catch up later.”
“Absolutely,” Dom said, flashing him a smile that managed to be both sincere and dismissive.
She shifted her attention to Christy. If anyone knew where Nile was, it would be her.
Without a word, he fled to the other side of the counter, where he unleashed his embarrassment on the waiting customers, each of whom suddenly became the undeserving recipients of his gruff demeanor. Despite his attempt at looking busy, Matt kept stealing glances at Christy and Dom, his expression swinging between irritation and longing as they began chatting like old friends -which, of course, they were.
Christy used to live just down the block from Dom and Nile when they were kids. Back then, they’d spent countless summers riding bikes, sneaking into PG-13 movies, and turning the neighborhood’s playground into their private warzone. Seeing Christy now, with her bright smile and easy laughter, felt like a fragment of the past had stitched itself into Dom’s present.
“Hi, Chris!” Dom said, her grin widening as they hugged across the counter. “I’ve been pretty good, actually. We only recently moved back into town. My dad’s teaching at the college now.”
“Yeah, I heard! This town hasn’t been the same without you. Hold on a sec.”
The store phone’s light began blinking insistently, and Christy picked it up with the kind of theatrical exasperation only perfected through years of retail. Her voice shifted immediately into a bored, overly exaggerated Southern drawl. “Thank ya kindly for callin’ the MGZ,” she drawled. “This is Christy. How may I help y’all tonight?”
Dom snorted, shaking her head as Christy finished the call and hung up with a loud, sarcastic, “Y’all come back now, ya hear?” The second the receiver hit the cradle, Christy’s sunny demeanor snapped back into place.
“How is it, you know,” Christy asked gently, “being back since your mom passed away? Are you doing okay?”
Dom’s smile faltered slightly, but she kept it in place, more out of habit than anything else. “Yeah, we’re getting used to it. Sometimes it’s tough, though. Without even realizing it, my dad and I keep avoiding the places we used to go together as a family. But it’s okay. I mean, it’s not like I can avoid going to Trader Joe’s or something forever.”
Christy nodded, her expression kind and understanding, but she didn’t press.
Instead, she let Dom shift the subject. “Hey, you didn’t happen to see Nile come by here, did you? We were supposed to meet at 8, and it’s now almost half an hour past. I’m getting a little worried.”
Christy frowned and turned toward Matt. “Matty! Has Nile come in tonight?”
Matt barely glanced up from the laser gun he was inspecting. “Haven’t seen him in months,” he said with a shrug. “Dude still owes me twenty bucks.”
Dom rolled her eyes. “It’s not his fault your computer was too infected to salvage.”
Matt’s expression darkened as he jabbed at a loose wire. “Why do you always defend him? You’re my sister; you should be on my side.”
Christy’s laugh was quick and bright, like sunlight cutting through a cloudy day. “I don’t always defend him. It’s just that he’s usually right more often than you are.”
Matt scowled. “He reformatted my whole drive! I lost everything!”
“And I bet it only took you about three minutes to fill it back up again,” Christy shot back with a grin, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Bet I could find at least five sketchy downloads in your history right now.”
Matt muttered something under his breath, but his ears were unmistakably red as he turned back to his work.
Christy turned to Dom with an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, D’. He hasn’t been around tonight. Not that I’m complaining, but why were you two meeting here?”
Dom sighed, her gaze drifting to the Extreme Sports calendar hanging on the wall. The bright, glossy photos of skydivers and snowboarders felt almost accusatory. “It’s sort of our tradition...”
“Oh my gawd!” Christy gasped suddenly, her eyes widening in realization. “I totally forgot. I’m so sorry! No wonder you were hamming it up with Matty over there! You should’ve just said it was your birthday! You didn’t have to put yourself through that! Happy Birthday!”
Before Dom could respond, Christy leaned over the counter and wrapped her in a tight hug. Dom laughed, the sound light and easy, even as she shrugged. “Thanks, Chris. You’re the best. Do you mind if I just hang out for a bit? Maybe he just ran into traffic or something.” Dom’s stomach twisted -not quite unease, but something adjacent.
Nile wasn’t late. Ever.
System Alert: Suspicious Circumstances Detected.
Quest Update: Locate Nile.
Status: Incomplete.
Suspicious circumstances? No kidding, Sherlock. Where the hell are you, Nile? She thought.
“Yeah, that must be it. I’m sure he’ll show up,” Christy said, her tone deliberately cheerful. She hesitated for a moment before adding, “So, how long have you two been dating?”
The question landed like a dart in the middle of a bullseye, and Dom’s entire expression shifted. Her smile disappeared, replaced by a stony mask that made Christy wince.
“Oh, umm,” Christy stammered, backpedaling so fast she might as well have been on roller skates. “I mean, I’d heard Nile was dating someone, and since you were back in town, I just assumed that you and he -wow, I’m such an ass. Pardon me while I go grab a pair of pliers to extract this foot from my mouth.”
She ducked behind the counter, her mortification palpable. Meanwhile, Matt was pretending not to listen with such exaggerated focus on his work that he might as well have been holding up a neon sign reading, Eavesdropping in Progress.
Dom sighed and reached over the counter, grabbing Christy by the arm and pulling her back up. “Relax, Chris,” she said, her tone flat but not unkind. “It’s fine. Just... don’t assume things, okay?”
Christy nodded quickly, her cheeks tinged pink. “Got it. No assumptions. Lesson learned.”
“Thanks,” she said, forcing a smile. “I’ll check outside.”
System Message: Insight ability triggered.
Effect: Increased Suspicion.
Increased suspicion? Pretty sure I don’t need a system to know something’s off.
As she turned back toward the entrance, her mind raced. Something wasn’t adding up.