I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at that announcement. Nobody appeared immediately, so I took stock.

The baseball arena had been reset. The sand was combed into neat circles and showed no sign of footprint or blood. The crowds in the stands cheered mindlessly for us. We were standing where home plate ought to be, looking out toward the outfield.

I cleared my throat. "So what do your headband and your binoculars actually do?” I asked Grandpa and Jones. They hadn't gotten the chance to tell us before the last match.

"The binoculars allow me to see through camouflage and obstacles," Jones said promptly. "I can also get combat profiles of my target, like Sage's Eye-Spy ability."

"Useful," I said. Sage's Eye-Spy had come in handy more than once, and the more info we had about our targets, the better.

"I can also target an enemy through them and share my targeting info with allied party members.” Jones grinned. "So you don't even have to get eyes on them to shoot them with your abilities."

"Nice," Grandpa grunted. "That's helpful. The headband has a couple of effects. It's got a constitution and a dexterity buff for me, and renders any attack I do from behind a target or while obscured 30% more powerful. It'll be a good combination with scalp and shadow step. It also lets me cast a toned-down version of War Chief's Aegis more regularly."

War Chief's Aegis was the ability he had gotten after his class evolution. It had a day-long cooldown, and we'd only used it a couple of times. It empowered and buffed all members of his party, but the downside was it tended to make you feel invulnerable and then take stupid risks. "This version can be used at the start of a fight," Grandpa explained. "It's a 30% health regen boost, plus a shield that gives everyone a quarter of their hit points. Once the shield's gone, it's gone."

"Let's see how that stacks with Cowgirl Cheer," Sage said at once. Her buff had gained levels alongside her: now it granted a 30% buff to dodge chance and damage done to all party members in range.

The System announcer spoke.

[Ladies and gentlemen, beings of every type and description, it's time for the next round of this Double Header!

You've already met your home team, the earthling miners of Team Twofeather. Now, the challengers, hailing from Aldebaran 19's Reality Engine Complex, it's the very best representatives Team Firebrand can field. Please welcome Mak'gar, Grim’dan, Lor’khan, Ash’kall, and the rookie, Em’bar!]

Sage cast Cowgirl Cheer and Grandpa used his new buff. My effects menu reported it as [Inspired Leader Bonus], which was a remarkably subdued name compared to most of our other abilities. Maybe Grandpa’s refusal to accept the feather headdress had changed the System’s interaction with us? The two buffs stacked, all right, granting me a shield as well as the dodge and regen boosts.

A loud bang produced a puff of smoke in centerfield. As the smoke drifted away, it revealed five tall orcs facing us.

They held laser pistols and spiky clubs. They were wearing the same sort of silvery, logo-bearing bodysuits they'd had when attacking our outpost. Mak'gar stood in their center. He raised his pistol to his forehead, saluting us.

I’d been afraid of just this. Not because I had any problem fighting with our sometimes allies, but because Mak'gar and his orcs had seen a lot of what we could do, and I respected their combat prowess.

[Play ball!] the announcer roared.

The five of us on Team Twofeather sprang forward without needing to discuss anything. By now, we had worked together as a team long enough to understand how to do best together.

As Mak'gar and two of his orcs sprinted toward us, I triggered Fastest Gun in the West and ran forward to meet them, catching them around the third base area. The two orcs flanking Mak'gar both had clubs in their hands. Mak'gar fired a shot at me from his laser pistol. It screamed harmlessly over my shoulder. My coat whipped in the breeze of my passing.

One of the orcs swung at me as I approached. I ducked under and cast [Never bring a knife to a gunfight.] The orcs dropped their clubs and Sage threw Mucking Out the Stalls right on top of us as I sprinted out the other side of the orcs.

Mak'gar fired a shot at me again. Smith hurled smoke grenades, creating a cloud above the sand.

I felt Jones activating his Camouflage skill. In chat, he said, Get behind them. I can see through the smoke and target them.

He passed me targeting information on one of the disarmed orcs. I fired a Trick Shot. It was one of my knockback rounds, like I had used on their chief during our duel.

It exploded loudly. I couldn't see the results through the smoke. My target was still there, at 160/180 HP, so I hadn't killed him.

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I need a target, Sage said in chat.

There, Jones replied.

Got 'em, Sage announced triumphantly. I supposed she had managed to get a Lasso around one of the orcs.

Meanwhile, my target took more damage as Grandpa Shadow Stepped in behind and Scalped. He hit the orc again. The smoke must be triggering his new damage buff, because his Scalps hit hard. The orc went down to 100/180 hit points.

Mak’gar roared from somewhere in the smoke. I heard his charge just in time to dodge out of the way as he came crashing past. "Coward!” he yelled. "You have more honor than this. Williams, I have seen you fight. Stand!"

I ignored his taunt. He couldn’t see me while I was camouflaged, and I was still trying to take out his buddy. I fired another Trick Shot. 80/180 HP.

Help! Jones called out in chat. They're on me! I felt Camouflage drop as the smoke began to clear out of the ring.

Jones cried out in pain. I turned. He was across the arena from me, out where left field should be, with a pair of orcs backing him into a corner. They fired their lasers at him and several of the shots connected, taking his health down point by point.

I cursed and charged across the sand. I wasn't close enough to use Call ‘em Out, so I engaged Fastest Gun in the West to close the gap. As I barreled through the pair, I cast my taunt, forcing them to focus on me.

Jones was already down to 20 hit points. As I dropped a Barrage into one of the orcs, a well-aimed laser blast from across the arena slammed into Jones' chest. His eyes went wide as he fell backward, his hands groping at the enormous black burn that now marred his ranger uniform. Jones was gone before he hit the sand, his body dissolving.

The orcs fired at me. My coat caught several of the blasts, deflecting them from doing any damage. A shot drilled through and burned into my shoulder. My hand spasmed and I dropped my gun. I used Quick Draw to retrieve it before it hit the ground.

I reloaded and fired at the closest orc as Grandpa Shadow Stepped in. He hit the orc I was shooting with a Coup de Grace and the orc disappeared.

The other orc shot Grandpa in the face. It left a patchy burn on Grandpa's cheek, and dropped him down to 60 health. Grandpa disappeared, Shadow Stepping off elsewhere in the arena.

I couldn't see what was behind me. I heard Sage shouting gleefully as she ordered her tamed orc to attack one of his fellows. At the same time, Smith shouted a warning, "Look out!"

I was in arm's reach of the other orc now. I grabbed at his wrist with my left hand and twisted, trying to get him to drop his laser pistol. He resisted. He fired a shot into the sand by my foot. I shoved my Ruger into his chest and squeezed the trigger, sending six rounds in a Barrage into him. The orc stumbled back. He was still pretty healthy, with 85 hit points, but I wanted to get some distance between us. The laser pistols were not as accurate as my Ruger, or they weren't very good shots.

I sprinted away from the orc back toward the main action taking place where the pitcher’s mound should be. Grandpa and Smith were locked in melee combat with a pair of orcs, Mak’gar and a skinny, younger-looking orc.

The skinny orc was in pretty bad shape. Smith had drawn his cavalry saber and was attempting to keep Mak'gar from intervening.

Sage was running her lassoed orc around the edges of the arena, like a demented outfielder chasing a foul ball. "He's resisting when I try to get him to attack!" she shouted. "I didn't know they could resist once I had them tamed!”

“Keep him busy!" I yelled as I targeted the skinny orc and fired a Trick Shot while I barreled toward the pitcher’s mound like an irate umpire.

Mak'gar tossed aside his laser pistol with a curse. He pulled a rusty-looking, jagged scimitar from thin air and brought the sword down in a two-handed slash.

Smith blocked with his saber, but the sword blow knocked him backward. Smith stumbled and prone on the sand. Mak'gar leapt forward, landing with both feet on Smith's chest. He brought his sword down hard and decapitated Smith in a single blow.

Smith’s head rolled on the sand before it and his body vanished. I bellowed, furious and frustrated. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t real. My head knew that, but my body believed I had just seen a friend and teammate die horribly. I charged Mak'gar, dumping every round in my cylinder into him and reloading.

I had a couple of armor-piercing bullets Sage had made me, and I used them now. They went through Mak'gar's jumpsuit armor, dealing huge amounts of damage.

Sage screamed. I looked over my shoulder. She in the far left corner of the field now, pressed up against the outfield wall. The orc she had tamed had apparently thrown off her control and had been joined by the half-dead orc from across the field. They were advancing on her with their laser pistols firing.

Use Three-Barrel Race! I sent her.

I can’t, they’ve got me locked down somehow!

Before I could intervene, she was gone in a twisting cloud of sparks. My stomach twisted. I nearly dropped my gun. This isn’t real she’s fine keep your head!

Grandpa yelled loudly, a scream of wordless rage. He brought his tomahawk down hard on the young orc's head, bursting it open like a split watermelon as he took out the orc's final 20 HP. The orc's brain and blood splattered me. A second later, it disappeared as the orc despawned.

Grandpa Shadow Stepped over to the lowest health orc on the other side of the arena, leaving me just outside melee range with Mak’gar.

Grandpa hit his target’s head with Scalp. I fired a knock back round at him from across the field. The explosion pushed both orcs away from Grandpa. He disengaged, getting a little more distance. A stream of shuriken into the injured orc.

Mak'gar advanced on me, his menacing weapon high. He grinned, tusks protruding behind his wide lips. "You are a strong opponent indeed," he said. He swung at me. I shot him in the arm, but he didn't seem to care.

I was just about out of tricks. Across the arena, Grandpa downed the injured orc, but the other advanced on him with a spiked club. Grandpa only had 10 HP left. He drew an axe in each hand and ran toward the orc, a blood-curdling cry on his lips.

I reloaded and shot Mak'gar. My bullets were chipping him down, each shot hitting, but he had too much health. I had taken a few points of damage in each of the fights I'd been in, and I was at 50 HP myself.

Mak'gar swung his sword. It hit my coat and sliced right through, taking my left hand off just above the wrist. Pain lanced up me. I gripped my teeth and fired more bullets into Mak'gar.

Across the field, Grandpa fell. The other orc advanced toward Mak'gar and me, but it didn't matter. Mak'gar's next swing cut through my chest. As I felt my lifeblood draining from me and saw the world going dark around me, I heard Mak'gar say, "And now Firebrand's honor is redeemed. See you back on the map, Williams."