Guardians

“How much longer do we have to wait?” asked WizzardKing while their screens still reflected the end stats of the previous division.

“We have to wait for the other groups to finish to see who is our next opponent,” said GreenDeath99

“Yeah, but it’s taking forever,” said WizzardKing

“Well, 2 of the other groups have literal team deathmatches, and so far none of them show signs of giving up,” said Normix10

“This is going to take a while,” said Spike

“So… anyone here likes comics?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“HELL YEAH!” everyone said

“What’s your favorite comic?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“I love Dragonkin,” said GreenDeath99

“Oh, I’ve read it before, I didn’t like the ending though, I mean, the main character…” said WizzardKing

“DON’T SAY IT MAN, I HAVEN’T FINISHED IT!!!” interrupted GreenDeath99

“Dude, you haven’t finished reading the comic?” asked Spike

“Nah, I’ve been busy,” said GreenDeath99

“I think you’re the only person here who hasn’t finished it,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Well excuse me for having a life!” said GreenDeath99

“Anyway… I love Gladiators,” said Normix10

“Who doesn’t should be the proper question,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Yeah, who do you think Lester is going to end up with?” asked WizzardKing

“My money is with Robyn, I mean, she literally waited for him for more than 10 years since he left,” said Normix10

“Or with Tiffany or Sam, they did become really close as fighters,” said GreenDeath99

“What about Fiona? He is always protecting her!” said WizzardKing

“I think he’ll end up with either Ramona or Ashley… maybe even Patricia,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Harem much,” said WizzardKing

“You only mentioned Fiona because of her massive rack,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Like any of the 3 girls you mentioned don’t have big boobs!” exclaimed WizzardKing

“Lester is going to end up with all of them,” said Spike

“Another harem fanatic!” said Normix10

“Nah, that’s the author’s idea for Lester,” said Spike

“You sure?” asked GreenDeath99

“Yup, he did mention that Lester was initially going to be Asexual, but that idea changed, now it’s just a matter of waiting for season 2 and see who is the first wife,” said Spike

“My favorite comic series is Isekai’d, dude’s awesome,” said Crimson_Shadow

“You just love the gore and the sex, don’t you?” said WizzardKing

“Can you blame me?” said Crimson_Shadow

“Not… really, I mean, I love it, the story is so well made that it engulfs you,” said WizzardKing

“Who’s your favorite character...and Delsin is not allowed!” said GreenDeath99

“Gabby!” said WizzardKing

“Clyde, how he went from a klutz to the God of Destruction was awesome, he actually inspired me to start lifting weights!” said Crimson_Shadow

“I like Sasha, her backstory and all she went through, and how she turned it around it was perfect, and then her love story with Delsin before he obtained his harem… 5 stars!” said Normix10

“For me… I know he isn’t exactly the main character, but I like Claymore, even when he went to Drakewood and informed Delsin of the situations back home, the way he obliterated the inquisitors, he is a fine warrior,” said GreenDeath99

“What about you DrakeReaper?” asked Normix

“Huh! What?” asked Spike

“Any thoughts on Isekai’d?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“Oh… Uhm… actually I lost myself on the comments you were giving about the comic,” said Spike

“Why?” asked GreenDeath99

“Well… I’ve never… really heard anyone speak so highly about the comic,” said Spike

“So, does that mean you hate it?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“NO! No!, I, Uhm, am actually the author,” said Spike

The second he said this, the lines went dark, no one said a word

“Guys?” asked Spike

“You’re messing with us right?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“I wish I was, it’ll make the next conversation less awkward,” said Spike

As soon as he said this everyone scream at the top of their lungs

“WHAT!!!!!!!!!”

“HOW?!!” asked GreenDeath99

“Well, it’s a bit of a funny story actually, you see, I had just finished learning to play the guitar, and to be honest I grew a bit lazy when it came to practice, so, I tried to play some video games instead but I got bored rather quickly, but then an idea popped into my head, why don’t I make my own video game story, and so I did, when I finished the first chapter I was so proud of it that I thought of uploading it to the internet and let people read it… by some funny twist of fate, I accidentally uploaded it to a “New writers” competition and it actually won… you can imagine my face when I got the email telling me about it, and one thing led to the next and now I’m currently taking a break from season 2, just as they finish the TV series,” said Spike

“NO WAY!” said Crimson_Shadow

“Not lying, my pen name is actually an old Gamertag that I had before I became known as…” Spike continued to say until he finally realized where he was going and stopped himself

“As to what?” asked WizzardKing

“DrakeReaper,” Spike quickly said

“Dude, that’s awesome,” said Normix10

“Awesome?! Just awesome?!!! THE DAMN THING IS GETTING A TV ADAPTATION!!! AND ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IS AWESOME?!!!” said Crimson_Shadow

“Well, it is awesome,” said Spike

“I think it’s incredibly amazingly awesome!!!” said Crimson_Shadow

“Thanks… going back to our previous topic… What about you WizzardKing? Any comics you like?” said Spike

“I don’t really have a favorite, but maybe Dragonlord,” he said

“Oh, that one’s good, but it’s not done yet,” said Normix10

“Yeah, it’s only on issue 32,” said WizzardKing

“I’m on issue 30,” said Spike

“I should check it out,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Agreed, matter of fact, as soon as this competition is over, I’m heading to the comic book shop to buy it,” said GreenDeath99

“What about you DrakeReaper, any comic you like?” asked Normix10

“Power Maidens,” said Spike

“Ah! A true connoisseur,” said Normix10

“Yeah, definitely one of the best comic series ever, maybe top 10 with Iseaki’d,” said Crimson_Shadow

“I don’t think my comic is THAT good,” said Spike

“Bro, your comic is already being adapted into a TV series, Power Maidens hasn’t,” said WizzardKing

“Yes it has, it’s on NetFlex, I think their on season 2 episode 4 right now,” said Spike

Once again the line went silent again

“Give me a second!” said WizzardKing as Spike heard everyone’s headset hit the floor or desk and the sound of running footsteps getting further and further.

A few seconds later

“Damn algorithm, you were right, I have so much catching up to do,” said Wizzardking

“Me too,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Me three,” said Normix10

“Oh, I have a question!” said Greendeath99

“What’s up?” asked Normix10

“Who is the best villain in the franchise?” asked GreenDeath99

“Specter!” said WizzardKing in a heartbeat

“Why him?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“The dude was a crazier, much more sadistic version of Thanos!” said WizzardKing

“True, but he was also a multi-billionaire crackhead,” said Crimson_Shadow

“That’s why! he wanted to eradicate life on this planet cause he was bored,” said WizzardKing

“Ok, he was a good villain, but I personally think that Arlequinn was way worse, the dude actually went through with Specter’s plan… What's more, he killed Hum Drum!” said Crimson_Shadow

“Technically he didn’t kill Hum Drum, he sacrificed himself to destroy the bomb by absorbing the core and keeping it stable until they reached space,” said Spike

“Still, Hum Drum was just beginning to get the respect he deserved not to mention, he and Radiance were thinking about getting married!” said Crimson_Shadow

“Good point… Although I hated Corenium, he literally tried to invade earth countless times, plus he was controlling Hum Drum and used him as a weapon against his friends” said GreenDeath99

“True… and that is why I hated Hum Drum’s evil cycle, he had no care for who he killed or injured, he was ruthless,” said Normix10

“So true, the author really made us have a love-hate relationship with Hum Drum,” said WizzardKing

“What about you DrakeReaper?” asked GreenDeath99

“Nox, definitely,” said Spike

“OH! Don’t get me started about Nox!” said WizzardKing

“He was pure evil,” said GreenDeath99

“He used the girls’ bad memories to torment them… especially Hum Drum’s death over and over again,” said Normix10

“I was so happy when he died, it felt so good and… therapeutic,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Actually, I hate him because he is the reason that Hum Drum became “Evil,” said Spike

“WHAT?!!!” they all said

“Yeah, when he was dying, you can see he was watching all of the memories of the important parts of the series, and when he got to Hum Drum’s death scene he said “The friend who they can’t forget… a Perfect plan B,” as he touched the memory, modified it and then disintegrated,” said Spike

“WOW… let me check that out!” said WizzardKing as he quickly got up and grabbed something, moments later they could hear the sound of pages ruffling as he scanned the comic.

“Yup, here it is… he does say that,” he said

“THAT SON OF A…” said Crimson_Shadow

“Oh the other teams are done!” said Spike

This got everyone’s attention as they looked at the screens again.

“Congratulations on reaching the next stage of our tournament, from now on, every move you make will count in and against your favor, and the maps are going to be even harder… teams prepare for landing,” said the computer voice

“That’s it?!” asked Crimson_Shadow

“Huh, wonder what they have up their sleeve?” said GreenDeath99 as their screens suddenly changed to a loading screen

“What the?!” they all said

“Guardians… ready?... GO! GO! GO!” said the robotic voice as they appeared on a deserted wasteland, with no one or nothing surrounding them.

“Where are we?” asked Normix10

“Crystalia… oh how I hated this map,” said Spike

“Wait, why?” asked WizzardKing

“Not much cover, full of bobby-traps and most importantly… Corrupted!” said Spike as he opened fire against a group of darkened suited enemies, killing them almost instantly

“What. In. The. World. Are. Those?” asked GreenDeath99

“Corrupted,” said Spike

“Corrupted, I’ve never seen them before,” said WizzardKing

“Well they only start appearing after you complete map 8 and destroy the Hive,” said Spike

“So, DrakeReaper, how do we kill them?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“There are three types of Corrupted and those three categories have a subdivision, first is the foot soldiers, Rangers, Acolytes, and Spearheads, you can kill them faster with shots to the head and chest plates, then you have the underlings, Knights, Captains, and Wizards/Witches, these ones are a bit more powerful, especially because they have a shield you have to weaken before making any real damage, and lastly you have the Lieutenants, these ones are hard to kill because they can summon as many corrupted as they want, and there is no easy way to kill them, only to keep firing… with guns over 250 damage bonus,” said Spike

“So these things are basically the same enemies in the game, only 10 times harder to kill and deadlier?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“Of course not!” said Spike “They’re 20 times deadlier,”

“We don’t even have weapons that strong,” said Normix10

“Point… that’s why here you have to be fast and silent… unless…” said Spike

“Unless what?” they all asked

“Unless you have me on your team,” said Spike as he moved forward and summoned different weapons before him “Take your pick,”

All of the guys ruched forward and equipped their new weapons

“WOW, my level just went from 147 to 157,” said WizzardKing

“That is bound to happen, the better your weapons and armor, the easier it is to level up… unfortunately, they will only take you so far,” said Spike

“Well then, we better take advantage of this,” said GreenDeath

“Yeah, thanks man, we’ll give them back to you as soon as this ends,” said Normix10

“Oh no, they’re gifts, from me to you,” said Spike

“Seriously?” they all asked

“Yeah, I have way too many anyway,” said Spike

“Thanks!” they all said

After this, they all headed forward towards the checkpoint.

A FEW SECONDS LATER

“Question… did anyone hear the mission?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“We haven’t received the mission yet, we have to get to the checkpoint, just over the… hill!” said GreenDeath99 as they climbed the hill and saw another team battling against a group of Robots

“What the hell are those?!” asked Normix10

“What are they even doing here!” said Spike

“DrakeReaper, what are those things?!” asked WizzardKing

“Vexes… killer robots,” said Spike

“OH COMMON ON!” said Crimson_Shadow

“WE JUST WENT FROM HARDER ENEMIES TO THIS!” said WizzardKing

“Luckily for them, those are low-level Vexes, they’re a pain in the ass though,” said Spike

“Wait there are higher-level Vexes?” asked GreenDeath99

“Yup, some of them are even immune to bullets,” said Spike

“SO how do you kill them?” asked Normix10

“Depends on your characters’ class,” said Spike

“What does that mean?” asked WizzardKing

“If you are a Berserker you have to ram it, to make it weak, or use grenades, if you are rogue, you have to stab its weak spot inside its armor, and if you are a mage, like me, you use the void,” said Spike

“Sounds complicated,” said GreenDeath99

“Well, all in all, you have to destroy the armor to kill it,” said Spike

“Oh, that makes sense… should we help them out?” asked Normix10

“If you want to,” said Spike

“CHARGE!!!!” screamed Crimson_Shadow as they all began to head towards the battlefield.

When they were about 10 Mts away, a massive orb of light exploded in the general area of the vexes, whipping almost all of them out.

“What was that?” asked Normix10

“That was a Void!” said Spike

“So they have a Mage in their team!” said WizzardKing

“Why didn’t he or she do that before?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“The void takes long to charge and you only get one chance for about 5 minutes,” said Spike

“The void is very powerful,” said GreenDeath99

“No… the mage is powerful, the void gets bigger depending on the level you are,” said Spike

“So, what level is this Mage?” asked Normix10

“It has to be over level 500 to create one so big! Maybe even higher” said Spike

As soon as he said this, the mage in question came into view

“Holy shit!” said WizzardKing

“He’s armor, is all legendary,” said GreenDeath99

“He has heavy bonus weapons,” said Normix10

“And he even has a stellar shield over the level of 200,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Then he is over the 800 level,” said Spike as they all aimed at the Mage

“LEVEL 1325!” they all said

“He is also a campaign player, but he is yet to finish it completely,” said Spike

“Let’s head over there and make contact!” said GreenDeath99

“Copy!” everyone said as they sprinted over.

A FEW INSTANTS LATER

“Everyone ok?” asked the Mage

“We’re here, we need bullets though,” said a female player

“Give me a second,” said the mage as he summoned various packs of ammo

“God, I hate does things,” said another member

“Be thankful they were only low-level Vexes if they had been over level 30 you’d have serious issues,” said Spike as he and his team arrived near the other team and entered their communication circle

When everyone turned to face him they went silent for a few seconds, no one said a thing until Spike had enough

“What are you so amazed about, even your mage has a 4 digit level,” said Spike

“Yeah… but, we’ve never seen one so high,” said another member

“Who did you manage to reach such high levels?” asked the mage

“I played the campaign… just like you,” said Spike

“Oh, right, in what map are you?” asked the mage

“I already finished the game… DLCs included,” said Spike

Once again, there was a short time of radio silence

“AWESOME!!!!” screamed someone in the background

“Thanks,” said Spike

“How long did it take you?” asked the female member of the team

“About 40…” said Spike

“Days?” asked the mage

“Hours,” said Spike

“That’s impossible,” said another member of the team

“Not if you understand the code,” said Spike

“What?” they all asked

“Well, let’s change the subject, you can call me Redsopine, I’m a mage and I’m currently on my 75th attempt to enter the competitive division,” said Redsopine

“Call me Moondancer, I’m also a mage, but I’m just a level 278, so I’m not that powerful, this is my 4th attempt this month to enter the division, 30th overall,” she said keeping her aim on Spike

“I’m Maverick, rogue, level 353, on my 48th attempt to enter the main division,” he said

“Koryo, rogue, level 376, and on my 37th attempt to enter the division,” he said

“Drosberg, I’m a berserker, level 300, and on my 60th attempt to enter the main division,” he said

“And we are members of team Hurricane,” said Redsopine

“Wow, I didn’t know that Hurricane was not legally allowed to play this game on competition,” said GreenDeath99

“We are the next-gen, or, noobs to the team, as they say, so we have to earn our badge,” said Redsopine

“What about you guys?” asked Moondancer

“Uhm…” said GreenDeath99

“well…” said Normix10

“you see…” said WizzardKing

“we aren’t…” said Crimson_Shadow

“Currently playing with our official name, you can just call us… Team #20,” said Spike quickly

“Oh… and what is your real team?” asked Maverick

Everyone turned to face Spike, and boy was he feeling the pressure.

“Shit, I didn’t think this through,” said Spike

“DrakeReaper?” said Redsopine

“Sorry… Mic issues, again I say… our name is… PhoenixGuard,” said Spike

The other members of the team just looked at each other and back at Spike

“Cool name, when was it established?” asked Moondancer

“We aren’t official yet, we are planning to establish it when we reach the division,” said Spike

“I respect that… anyway, we wish you all good luck,” said Redsopine as he motioned for his team to follow him into the beacon.

As soon as the notification appeared saying that they were no longer on the same radio frequency, everyone crowded Spike

“DUDE!!!” they said

“Sorry, that was the only thing that came to my head!” said Spike

“THAT WAS THE BEST NAME EVER!!!!” they all said

“Really?” asked Spike

“Yeah… now we just have to make it to the gaming division and make it official,” said GreenDeath99

“We also need an extra member to make it 6,” said Crimson_Shadow

“That’s… already covered,” said Spike

“Awesome… but why did you come up with that just now?” asked WizzardKing

“Because these guys were looking down on us,” said Spike

“How do you know?” asked Normix10

“Did you see how their demeanor changed when I gave them the name,” said Spike

“Now that you mention it… it did change a bit,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Well, that’s because first, they noticed our levels, they saw that we are all over triple digits even if it’s just barely,” said Spike pointing at Normix10

“Why is that important?” asked WizzardKing

“They wanted to know if they could take us seriously and if we were actual competition,” said Spike

“That makes sense… why?” asked Normix10

“Because they are actually trying to reach the “Legend” state in gaming,” said Spike

“WHAT?” everyone asked

“If you want to become a legend, you have to do 3 things, 1) find a way to break the system, 2) be able to gain knowledge from every single game and apply it wherever you can, and 3) know your competition,” said Spike

“So, you told them that to make them leave?” asked WizzardKing

“Not exactly… but I’m pretty sure they are reaching their own conclusions about now,” said Spike as he began to head towards the beacon.

WITH HURRICANE

“Yo, Redso, why did you end the conversation so early?” asked Maverick

“Because that team is dangerous,” said Redsopine

“Why? They only have 1 dude over our rankings,” said Drosberg

“And just by being around him, that team is leveling up like no tomorrow,” said Redsopine

“Why aren’t we?” asked Koryo

“Because unlike you, they actually realize that compared to him, they are nothing,” said Redsopine

“So they use him a walking encyclopedia,” said Moondancer

“Exactly, and if what all these years of gaming have tough me is going to happen… we better make sure to not meet up with them until the final,” said Redsopine

“Wait, you think they’ll make it?” asked Maverick

“I think… that out of all of the teams left… they are the strongest team… and once the other members reach their full potential, we will all understand why,” said Redsopine

“Wow dude, you sure?” asked Koryo

“Mark my words… we will meet them at the professional level… and THAT will be a match to remember,” said Redsopine as they all noticed Spike’s team entering the radio frequency.

INSIDE THE BEACON

“Welcome to the checkpoint, and gratulations on reach it with full squads, you will now be thrown at our mercy and be given different objectives to accomplish before reaching the next “chillzone” and advance to the quarter finals… teams that fail to complete this objectives WILL be eliminated,” said the robotic voice

“Told you,” said Spike

“So at this point is a matter of both luck and skill,” said Redsopine

“If what I’ve heard about this competitions are true, then the challenges will go from easy to suicidal,” said another player called Artemis

“And according to history, no team that has gotten the suicidal challenge has ever made it to the final,” said another player with a name tag of Crystal_03

“What can the suicidal challenge be?” Spike asked Microchips covering his microphone

“No clue, just imagine the worst case scenario… and hope for the best,” said Microchips

“Yo, Drake? You there?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“Yeah, wassup?” asked Spike

“Any idea of what may the suicidal challenge be about?” he asked

“Boss Hoard,” said Spike

“A what?” everyone asked

“A boss hoard is a hoard that contains only high ranking enemies, and that may be a challenge,” said the robotic voice

“WHAT!!!!!!!!!” everyone said

“Now, each team leader must walk up and spin the wheel, the color they get is the challenge level, green for easy, yellow for normal, orange for hard, and red for insane, now… Galaxy1, your leader please,” said the robotic voice

Then Artemis walked over to the wheel and interacted with it, after a couple of spins, it finally stopped in yellow.

“Galaxy1, your challenge is… survive the ambush, good luck,” said the robotic voice as the team disappeared.

“Survive the ambush?”asked GreenDeath99

“A time sensitive challenge, basically you have to kill as many enemies as you can before you get reinforcements,” said Spike

“Did I forget to mention that teams may receive the same challenges, and must then work together to win,” said the robotic voice

“Great,” said Redsopine in a sarcastic way

“Hurricane, your leader,” said the robotic voice

And as expected, Redsopine walked over to the wheel and interacted with it, after a few spins it landed in green.

“Lucky,” muttered WizzardKing under his breath

“Your challenge… free fire… enjoy the hunt,” said the robotic voice as they disappeared

“Free fire?” asked Normix10

“Clear a map just like in the normal videogame… now the map that was chosen that’s the challenge,” said Spike

“Oh…” said Normix10

“Goldluck, your leader,” said the robotic voice

Crystal_03 then headed towards the wheel and interacted with it, landing in orange

“Your challenge is… capture the relic, good luck,” said the robotic voice as they disappeared

“Capture the relic?” asked WizzardKing

“Capture the flag, but much more… deadlier,” said Spike

“Team#20… your leader,” said the voice

Everyone then turned to look at Spike

“What?” asked he asked

“Well, are you going?” asked GreenDeath99

“Going where?” asked Spike

“The wheel?” said WizzardKing

“Doesn’t the leader do that?” asked Spike

Everyone looked at him

“Oh,” he said as he walked up to the wheel

Spike then interacted with the wheel and it landed in red

“Fuck!” they all said

“Your challenge… survive the hoard,” said the robotic voice “good luck”

When the screens went from white to color, they realized they were standing in the middle of an open valley with just a moderate amount of cover and vantage points.

“Oh dear,” said Spike

“Something wrong?” asked GreenDeath99

“Apart of the fact we ended up with the hardest challenge in the game?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“We are in Noblisk… I hated this level,” said Spike

“Why?” asked Normix10

“This level is brutal when you go at it alone, even if you are more than 5 players in the same map at the time it can still prove difficult…” said Spike

“Your challenge begins in 5 minutes,” said the robotic voice

“OH COME ON!!!” they all said

“Well we tired,” said WizzardKing

“What?” said GreenDeath99

“Dude, let’s face it, we have no way of defeating the hoard of bosses, I doubt even DrakeReaper can do it,” said Crimson_Shadow

“So you’re just going to give up?” asked Normix10

“Not without a fight, but I know we ain’t gonna win,” said WizzardKing

“SO that’s it? You have no confidence in yourselves?” said Normix10

“It’s not that simple,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Why not?” asked GreenDeath99

“We know nothing about these enemies, about the map, and more importantly… Why is Drake staring into nothingness right now?” said Crimson_Shadow

“You think he’s on pause?” asked Normix10

“Maybe… Yo Drake, you there?” asked GreenDeath99

“Huh? What?” said Spike

“Something wrong?” asked Normix10

“Nope, just finishing up,” said Spike

“Finishing up what?” asked WizzardKing

“You said it yourself, you guys know nothing about these enemies and/or map, but I do… and I can create the weapons we need to kill them faster, and the how,” said Spike as he once again did the same movement and summoned varios weapons in front of him.

“He’s so cool,” said WizzardKing

“Agreed,” said GreenDeath99

“Ok, first berserkers, who feels more confident when it comes to close range combat?” asked Spike

“I do!” said GreenDeath99

“Ok, grab the Missile launcher machine gun,” said Spike as he pointed to the weapon which GreenDeath99 took

“Nomix, can you use sniper rifles?” asked Spike

“Can I?” said Normix10 as he grabbed the weapon and fired a round perfectly between a whole in a nearby wall and hitting an explosive barrel 10 ft. behind it

“That answers my question,” said Spike “Rogues… who has the “Speed devil ability?” asked Spike

“Me!” said WizzardKing as he grabbed the weapon on the right

“Great, this is a Fusion rifle, perfect for the speed devil type as it is quick to reload itself,” said Spike

“And I take it this one is mine?” said Crimson_Shadow

“Yes, the Shadow gun, it is specially designed for silent players who love stealth over anything,” said Spike

“You just read my resume,” said Crimson_Shadow

“2 Minutes,” said the robotic voice

“Ok then… Peewee!” said Spike as Peewee appeared

“Wow, what’s that?” they asked

“My ghost… oh right, you didn’t play the campaign so you didn’t get him,” said Spike

“That’s not fair,” said WizzardKing

“Well then play the campaign,” said Spike

“You called Spike?” asked Peewee

When Peewee said this, something clicked in WizzardKing’s head

“Spike?... I’ve heard that before…. But where?” he said

“Can you scout the area and tell us what we’re up against,” said Spike

“With pleasure,” said Peewee as he disappeared

10 seconds later he reappeared

“You have 10 goliaths, 10 fallen knights, 10 warlocks, 10 minotaurs, and 1 Drax the Destructor, all over the level of 300” said Peewee

“So we meet again...Thank you,” said Spike as Peewee disappeared

“That sounds like trouble,” said WizzardKing

“Not if we do this, Normix… do you see that ledge over there?” asked Spike pointing at the top of a structure

“Yup,” said Normix10

“Go there, our enemies are all actually common bosses, except for Drax, just aim for the chest or head,” said Spike

“Copy!” said Normix10 as he made his way to the vantage point

“Anything for us?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“Whatever you do, don’t stop moving,” said Spike

“The hoard is here!” said Peewee

“Fire!!!” said Spike

And as soon as the first enemy entered the line of fire, Normix10 sniped him down, hitting right in the center of the head.

“Time to dance with the widowmaker!” said WizzardKing as he opened fire and charged towards the hoard with Spike and GreenDeath99 right behind him.

“Wizzard take the ones on the left, Green right, the motherfuckers in front are mine,” said Spike

“Gotcha!” said WizzardKing as he turned and opened fire again

Don’t stray too far, don’t let your backs be exposed!” said GreenDeath99

As soon as he said that, various power orbs landed behind them causing damage, minimum, but damage

“We’re being overrunned!” exclaimed WizzardKing

“PULL BACK!!” said Spike as they all kept firing as they did their best to get away from the hoard of enemies.

“I’m running low on bullets!” said WizzardKing

“Leave it to me!” said Crimson_Shadow as he dashed behind the first line of enemies stabbing them in their weak spots and causing their armors to fall off.

“NOW!!” said Spike as he and GreenDeath99 used their grenades and RPGs on the enemies on the first and second rows.

“There Ammo!” screamed Crimson_Shadow as he fired against the enemy drones

“Wizzard, go! We’ll cover you!!!!” said Spike

“On it!!!” said WizzardKing as he dashed and grabbed the supplies bringing them behind the line

“Ok, reload!” said Spike as everyone grabbed ammo

“Guys, I hate to be “That Guy” but can someone bring me more ammo!” said Normix10 as he fired another round

“On my way!” said WizzardKing as he dashed up the hill towards Normix10

“How many are left?!” asked Spike

“32 Spike!” said Peewee

“You heard that guys?!” asked Spike

“Yeah! Let’s turn them into scrap metal!” said Crimson_Shadow as threw various grenades at the approaching enemies debilitating their armors “Now, shoot!”

Everyone then created a massive tsunami of bullets and one by one they killed all of the enemies.

3 minutes later

“How many?” asked Spike

“3 left… 2 left… 1 left!” said Peewee

“That must be Drax!” said Spike

“But where is he?” asked Normix10 as he scanned the surroundings

“Attention… Galaxy1 has been wiped out!” said the robotic voice

“They didn’t make it!” said GreenDeath99

“So now we have to make sure we do!” said Spike

“THERE!!!!” screamed Normix10 as he saw Drax power charging a cannon and aiming it at him “Oh no!” he said as he jumped off the ledge as the plasma beam destroyed the area he was previously on

“Normix, you ok man?” asked GreenDeath99

“Yeah, I only lost 3% of my life, it will quickly be restored!” said Normix10

“This guy Drax is powerful,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Yeah… that’s why I’ve been saving this for this moment,” said Spike as he walked over the hill and made eye contact with Drax.

“Saved what?” asked WizzardKing

“Drax has one fatal flaw in his armor… and I know exactly how to use it,” said Spike as he charged Drax

“Dude, where are you going?!” scream GreenDeath99

“Just stay put and look away… it’s for the best,” said Spike as his hands began to lit up

“Is he… is he planning to do…” said Normix10

“Just turn around!” said WizzardKing as Spike created a massive orb of light and shot it at Drax, seconds later a very powerful bright light engulfed the surroundings.

The light was so bright, that even after turning around, the rest of the team had to squint or look anywhere else but their screens to avoid eye damage.

After a few seconds the light dissipated, and they also the notifications

“DrakeReaper created 1 billion orbs of light!”

“Drake, you ok?!” asked GreenDeath99

“Yup, Drax is dead!” said Spike

“Dude, that was awesome!” said WizzardKing

“Thanks… level check!” said Spike

“Level 378!” said WizzardKing

“Level 380!” said Crimson_Shadow

“Level 375!” said GreenDeath99

“Level 377!” said Normix10

“Level 1829,” said Spike

“We’re doing great!” said Spike

“But who did we level up so much?!” asked GreenDeath99

“Tougher enemies give you more points after killing them, so after eliminating Drax and his hoard your levels must’ve skyrocketed!” said Spike

“Awesome!” said Normix10

“Attention GoldLuck has failed their objective, please report back to the beacon to receive a new assignment,” said the robotic voice

“They failed?!” said Crimson_Shadow

“Attention, Team#20 has successfully defeated the hoard, please advance to the chill zone to complete the level and ascend to the next round!” said the robotic voice

“So that’s the final challenge, a foot race to the chill zone!” said Spike

“Let’s go!” said Normix10

“Peewee, how far are we?” asked Spike

“I estimate that you will arrive at the Chill zone in 15 minutes by foot,” said Peewee

“The fuck!” said Crimson_Shadow

“I told you I hated this map, it’s massive!” said Spike

“Should I summon the Ryder?” asked Peewee

“DO you even have to ask?” said Spike as the Ryder (Star Wars like speeder/motorcycle) appeared

“Wow! Awesome!” they all said

“Where did you get it?” asked GreenDeath99

“First map, old Maressia… oh, right, you haven’t played the campaign,” said Spike

This realization hit everyone hard

“Dang it!” they all said

“Peewee, where can we find Ryders around here?” asked Spike

“10 clicks northeast, there is a small cabin with a generator… I must warn you, it is hostile area,” said Peewee

“Not for long… follow me!” said Spike as he sped away at full speed

“Did he forget that we are on foot?” asked WizzardKing

“Then start running!” said GreenDeath99

2 MINUTES LATER

The rest of the team finally reached the cabin, just to see the carnage that Spike had created

“Did you do all this?” asked Normix10

“No, my grandma… now come in here and get your Ryders… I've modified them to your needs, Green far left, Normix next to Green, Wizard in front of me, and Crimson… well it’s obvious,” said Spike.

“How do we use them?” asked GreenDeath99

“Hop on, and the instructions will appear,” said Spike as he summoned his

“We better hurry, we don’t know where the last team is,” said WizzardKing as he sped off

“Right, come on!” said Spike

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“There is the chill zone!” said Normix10

“And there is the other team!!!” said Spike as he pointed at the explosion at the distance

“Turbo boost!” screamed GreenDeath99 as they all jetted their Ryders into overdrive

“Almost there!” said Crimson_Shadow

As soon as he said that, the Ryders failed and disappeared

“What happened?” asked Normix10

“There is a shield, Ryders don’t work here,” said Spike

“Now what?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“RUN!!!!” everyone said as they sprinted to the chill zone.

WITH HURRICANE

“HOW MANY MORE LEFT?!” asked Redsopine

“12!” said Moondancer

“Push forward, we’re almost there!” said Koryo

“Look!” said Drosberg as he pointed at Spike and his team

“They’re almost there!” screamed Maverick

“How did they get here so fast?!” said Moondancer

“Not our problem, HURRY!” said Redsopine

But it was too late, Spike and his team crossed the line and won the round

“YESSS!!!” they screamed

“Congrats,” said Redsopine as his team entered the chill zone

“Thanks, you guys didn’t do so bad yourselves,” said Spike

“Well, know we just have to wait and see who our rivals will be,” said Redsopine

“ATTENTION! ALGORITHM FAILURE!!! Said the robotic voice

“What’s going on?” asked WizzardKing

“No Idea,” said Spike

“Attention, multiple forfeits…” said the voice again

“What?” asked GreenDeath99

“Attention… tournament over… congratulations!” said the Robotic voice

“What?” said Spike

And just as he said this all of their screens went blank, and then showed the main menu.

“What just happened?” asked Normix10

“I think… we won!” said GreenDeath99

Just then a golden badge appeared on screen and placed itself next to their IDs

“Just like that?” asked WizzardKing

“I believe various other teams and players quitted because of the nature of the challenges,” said Spike

“Hey, I take it,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Well, it was nice to play with you guys,” said Spike

“Wait! Where are you going?” asked GreenDeath99

“Uhm, to catch some Zs I’m sleepy,” said Spike

“What about the team?” asked Normix10

“You still want to go through with it?” asked Spike

“Well, yeah… you don’t?” asked Crimson_Shadow

“Of course, but… do we even live in the same city?” asked Spike

“I live in Canterlot,” said GreenDeath99

“Me too,” said Normix10

“And me,” said WizzardKing

“All of us live in Canterlot… and I’m going to go to Canterlot U.” said Crimson_Shadow

“You too!” everyone said

“What about you Drake?” asked GreenDeath99

“Me too,” said Spike in a shocked voice

“So… let’s meet up tomorrow and get to know each other!” said Normix10

“Good Idea… but where?” asked WizzardKing

“What about the burger bar on Main St. and Celestial Highway?” said GreenDeath99

“Sounds good… you Drake?” asked Normix10

Spike remained silent for a few seconds and finally said

“If you guys say so,”