Guardians

SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD

“Sir, why did you end the tournament early?” asked a female voice

“Cause all of the teams checked all of the boxes to receive the badges,” said a man sitting on a very expensive gaming chair

“But… you just gave 32 teams of 5 gold badges to participate in the tournaments,” said the woman

“Katte, can’t you understand why I did it?” asked the man

“No sir,” said Katte

“The more badges, the more teams, the more teams, the bigger the competitions, the bigger the competitions, the more views, the more views, the more money, it’s a simple equation,” said the man

“Oh, that makes sense,” said Katte

“I know… now, what is the whole “sir” thing, I mean, you're my wife, aren’t you?” said the man

“Sorry Max, but we are at the office so…” said Katte

“Right… anyway, it’s time for lunch… what would you like to eat?” asked Max

“How ‘bout, Mareamese?” said Katte

“Excellent choice… go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you,” said Max as Katte left the office

Max then turned to face the computer screen again and said

“Drakereaper, TechGod2000, and now Redsopine… the only three players to ever finish the campaign,” said Max as a notification popped up saying “Redsopine has successfully finished the game”

“These 3 are going to be something else, I better keep a close eye on them… I mean, it is weird to ever see legends in the making… I wish to see what teams they join,” said Max as he turned the monitor off and left the office.

AT THE BURGER BAR ON MAIN ST. AND CELESTIAL HIGHWAY

“Are you sure about this?” asked Microchips

“Dude, think about it, we all live in the same city, we are attending the same university, and… they are probably the only people that will talk to us, nerds, like normal people,” said Spike

“Ouch… but you’re right, let’s see what they’re all about,” said Microchips and they both walked through the doors

“Welcome to Awesome Burger, table for 2?” asked the waiter

“Actually, we are looking for a reservation,” said Microchips

“Certainly sir, how many would it be?” asked the waiter

“Actually, it’s under the name PhoenixGuard?” said Spike

“Right this way please,” said the waiter as she guided them to the back of the burger bar and showed them a booth with 4 other boys seated there with shocked faces.

“Thank you,” said Spike giving her a $20 bill as she walked away

“Here goes nothing,” said Microchips as they walked towards the table

“I still can’t believe that you’re GreenDeath99,” said WizzardKing

“How do you think I feel?” said GreenDeath99

“What I can’t believe is that we’ve known each other for the past 5 years and we never talked to each other like this,” said Normix10

“No kidding… I can’t wait to see who is Drakereaper though,” said Crimson_Shadow

“Maybe he’s going to be one of the popular techy kids,” said Normix10

“Techy kids?” asked WizzardKIng

“Sorry, that’s the nickname we used to give guys and gals that loved techno,” said Normix10

“Oh, it almost sounds insulting,” said WizzardKing

“It was, but I don’t mean it in that way,” said Normix10

“Anyway, do you think he’s going to show up?” asked GreenDeath99

“Well, he didn’t sound too keen on the idea, but let’s hope for the best,” said Crimson_Shadow

“That’s because I only had one friend during high school,” said Spike

When they all heard this, they turned and their jaws hit the table

“SPENCER!!!!” they all said

“And me!” said Microchips

“MICROCHIPS!!!” they all said

“That’s it!” said WizzardKing when he jumped up from his seat

“What is?” everyone asked

“During the last stage Peewee called you Spike, I knew I’ve heard that before, and now I know why, Micro was always calling you that,” said Wizzardking

“Well now you know… sorry if you’re disappointed,” said Spike

“Why the hell would we?” asked GreenDeath99

“I’m not the cool kid you expected,” said Spike

“Dude, do we look like cool kids, we were rejected too… well, except for those 2,” said Crimson_Shadow pointing at GreenDeath99 and Normix10

“Anyway, may we sit down?” asked Microchips

“Do you even have to ask?” said Normix10

Spike and Microchips then, sat down, and an awkward silence took over

It lasted for about 30 seconds before GreenDeath99 had enough and said

“So, Spencer, I know we didn’t really talk… at all, but, I can assume you know something about us… right?”

“A few things…” said Spike

“Then let us start over and reintroduce ourselves, like if we’ve never met before,” suggested Normix10

“That’ll work, I’ll go first,” said WizzardKing as he stood up “ Hi, my name is William Kincaid, I’m 18 years old, my birthdate is September 10th, 2000, I’m 5’11” and my favorite subjects are math, science and tech, feel free to call me Wiz Kid since that’s what everyone calls me… even my mom,”

Wiz Kid was a lanky looking guy, the stereotypical nerd, look included, brown, mushroom-styled hair cut, big, nerdy, glasses, and a button-up shirt with a bow tie, he had brown eyes, and by the looks of him, the Gym was probably the only places he’s never gone too, that and a night club.

“Nice to meet you”: they all said

“Hello, My name is Cole Nasslund, I’m 18 years old, born May 1st, 2000, I’m 6’0 and my favorite subjects were music, PE, and history, as you can see I’m a rocker, and I love my music, my friends call me Crimson Napalm, because of my band, feel free to call me that too,” he said

Cole was the true definition of punk, he even had a mixture of a mohawk and a mullet for a hairstyle, he was thin, but by no means lanky, you could tell he worked out, he had blue eyes and a friendly smile, despite his glaring eyes

“Nice to meet you,” everyone repeated

“My name is Norman Peterssen, I’m 19 years old and my birthdate is December 3rd, 1999, I’m 6’1 and I love fashion, my dream is to become a world-famous fashion designer, as you may know, my favorite subject in school was design and economics, I didn’t really have a nickname when I was in school, so call me Normix, or just call me Norman,” he said

Norman was the typical image of a top model, skinny but too skinny, with the right amount of muscle, or as they called it “Fashionably svelte”, it was easy to see that he was an actual fashionista as he was the only one there wearing something that wasn’t a T-shirt and jeans, but he wasn’t overdressed either, he was wearing a leather brownish-red jacket, a pair of designer black jeans, expensive-looking red jordans and greenish beanie, he had medium, reddish-brown length hair, fashionably combed under the beanie, and green eyes

“Nice to meet you,” everyone said again

“My name is Sergio Soto, but my friends call me Sandalwood, I’m 19 years old, born November 20th, 1999, I’m 6’3” and I’m a vegetarian, I like biology and science, I am an advocate for human rights, as well as animal rights and green energy research,” said Sandalwood

Sandalwood was intimidating, he was not only tall, but by the looks of him, you could tell that he lifted weights for fun, he had long, braided, green hair, green eyes, he wore a black vest with a recycle pin, a red button-up shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and oddly enough, a pair of black Champion tennis shoes, topping it all off with a black beanie.

“Nice to meet you,” everyone repeated, at this point getting tedious

“Well, I assume it’s my turn, Hey my name is Martin Cresswell, you might know me as Microchips, I am 19 years old, I was born February 2nd, 2000, I’m 6’1” and I am a massive techie, my family owns the Fusion Blast arcade downtown, in which I work, I am planning on studying Game Design or Electro engineering,” said Microchips as he sat down

“I’m guessing it’s my turn,” said Spike “Hi, my name is Spencer Davidson, I am 19 years old, I was born November 17, 1999, I am 6’3” and my favorite hobbies are reading, writing, and working out… and as of late… video games… again… I also like music, and I’m planning to study Law once I get my undergraduate degree,” said Spike

“What do you mean by again?” asked Norman

“Excuse me?” said Spike

“You said that video games had become a hobby again,” said Norman

“Oh… can you guys keep a secret?” asked Spike

“Dude, we’ll be teammates from now on, we better,” said Sandalwood

“I actually quited playing video games when I was 14,” said Spike

“Why?” asked Wiz Kid

“When I was 8, some bad things happened in my life, and I became addicted to gaming, especially to play LOL,” said Spike

“Oh, I remember that game, it was fun!” said Crimson

“Yeah well, I became so engrossed in the game that I didn’t care about anything else in my life… this was actually a double-edged sword for me, on one side I became a gaming legend, on the other I distanced myself from my family… it was my own personal drug, my escape… my everything,” said Spike

Everyone looked at Spike with disbelief

“Then one day, I saw a notification on my phone saying that LOL was going to be discontinued, as you can imagine, this hurt me a lot, I felt like my world was crumbling, so, I decided to go to a nearby gaming cafe and play LOL until the server died, hoping that if I played for a long time, the game developers would not discontinue the game and leave it running… As soon as I started playing, I fell into a trance. I played non stop for 8 days, I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep, I didn’t even go to the bathroom, and this took a toll on my health, it was so severe that I actually collapsed… when I awoke, I was in a hospital bed, the doctors told me I had been very lucky, 10 more minutes, and I was as good as dead… I spent 2 more weeks at the hospital, and during that time I told myself I was no longer going to play videogames again… I talked it over with my grandparents and they agreed to let me move out on myself, and that’s how I came here to Canterlot… of course, I had a scholarship for Canterlot High, and here we are now,” said Spike

“Wow… dude, you almost died!” said Sandalwood

“Yeah… almost developed cancer as well,” said Spike

“Wow, you are lucky… What brought you back to gaming?” asked Wiz Kid

“Microchips told me I had to get over my fear and face my demons, and that’s what I did,” said Spike

“Wow!” they all said

“WAIT! you said you were a legend, but I don’t remember hearing about your ID,” said Crimson

“That’s cause I created that ID recently,” said Spike

“And what was your old ID?” asked Norman

“Drag0n_L0rd99,” said Spike

The second he said this, everyone, even Microchips’ jaw dropped

“Prove it!” said Sandalwood

Spike then dug into his bag and pulled out his laptop, he then began to type his password and into the “GamerRegistry” and just before he pressed “enter” he turned it around for everyone to see the screen light up and a robotic voice saying “Welcome back Drag0n_L0rd99, we have been waiting for you!”

Everyone’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets

“Now do you believe me?” asked Spike

Everyone nodded

“But why don’t you play with this ID?” asked Sandalwood

“Cause this part of me is dead, I am no longer Drag0n_L0rd99, but DrakeReaper, and I don’t want anyone finding out… just yet,” said Spike

“Well, we’ll respect your decision,” said Crimson

“Wow, I can’t believe I just became friends with a legend,” said Wiz Kid

“I know right,” said Norman

“Changing the subject… Any ideas for the team?” asked Microchips

“Branding!” said Norman almost instantly

“Branding?” asked Spike

“Yeah, if we trademark our team, and then start getting fans it will be easier for us to get fame and recognition, almost like the Elements, back during school, or even Hurricane,” said Norman

“And I suppose you have ideas to do that?” said Sandalwood

“Of course, what is the first thing, and the most important thing an Esports team needs?” asked Norman

“A good name?” asked Wiz Kid

“We already have that,” said Norman

“Fans?” asked Microchips

“We need this to get that,” said Norman

“A brand?” asked Spike

“Close... we need a logo,” said Norman

“A logo?” they all said

“Yeah, a way so that people can know who we are when they see us,” said Norman

“So you have any ideas?” asked Spike

“Yeah, actually, after the conversation yesterday, I could sleep and I began to create some drafts, what do you think?” asked Norman as he dropped a few sketches on the table.

The guys then proceeded to look at all of them, but none of them caught their attention

“They’re good, but, they don’t seem too attractive,” said Crimson

“Well duh, they’re sketches, not the finished product,” said Norman

Spike, however, had been staring at one of them in particular

“Norman, pass me your drawing equipment,” said Spike

“What makes you think I have it?” asked Norman

“No true fashionista leave home without it, you never know when inspiration will hit you,” said Spike

“How did you know?” asked Norman as he handed it over

“I heard you guys saying that millions of times during high school,” said Spike as he grabbed a pencil and some color pencils and began to draw

“Wait, you’re left-handed?” said Norman

“Is that suddenly a crime?” asked Spike

“No it’s just, we didn’t have any lefties in the arts or design class, and the teachers were always telling us it is bad to draw with your left hand because of the smudging,” said Norman

“Yeah, typical high school segregation,” said Spike as he gave the sketch a few finishing touches “Voila, what do you think?” he said as he showed everyone

“Love it!” said Norman

“Me too,” said Crimson

“It’s official then,” said Microchips as everyone nodded

“Now I only have to put this in a bunch of caps, beanies, hoodies, t-shirts, and other gadgets!” said Norman

“Hold your horses, first we have to make a name for ourselves,” said Spike

The moment he said that everyone went silent

“And how do we do that?” asked Sandalwood

“First things first… you all need to finish the campaign,” said Spike

“But how are we going to do that?” asked Norman

“Just bring your games to the arcade, we have a private gaming room that no one uses, we can set up the consoles and have a marathon, and since both Spike and I have already finished we can guide you till the end, what do you say?” said Microchips

“Sounds like a plan… but what about the cost?” asked Wiz Kid

“If this work, it will pay itself off,” said Microchips

“So, when do we go there?” asked Sandalwood

“I take it you are all adults but are any of you living with your parents?” asked Spike

No one lifted their hands

“Ok then, go home and get the discs, unplug any electronics that use too much electricity, and leave your pets, if you have any, with a friend, Spike and I will head to the arcade, and set everything up, is that a plan?” asked Microchips

Everyone nodded

“Then see you there in the next hour,” said Microchips as everyone got up and went to their different locations.

DOWN AT THE ARCADE

Spike proceeded to give a 1 hour seminar about the different rules, tactics and points of interest in the game that might come in handy while playing.

“If any of you needs to take a break then do so, it is not good for your health to sit in front of a screen for a long time, go outside, walk around the block, get some fresh air at the park 2 blocks away,” said Spike

“What about food and water?” asked Sandalwood

“Leave that to us, we will rotate between helping you out, ordering food and drinks, and other miscellaneous activities during the whole time,” said Microchips

“Last question, why did you choose the name PhoenixGuard?” asked Wiz kid

“A phoenix always rises from its ashes, at some point in our lives we will go through dark times, but if we are smart and learn from those dark times, we will be just like Phoenixes… and since we are also soldiers in game, I thought it would be cool to add Guard,” said Spike

“Cool,” said Wiz Kid

“Remember, our goal is to finish in time for the regional tournament, which a great resource for new teams to brand themselves, that’s happening in a month, so,” said Microchips

“Game on!” they all exclaimed

1 MONTH LATER

“WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL REGIONAL GUARDIANS TOURNAMENT!” said the anchor

“TODAY, WE’LL HAVE 16 NEW TEAMS FIGHTING EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT DEATHMATCH ENCOUNTERS, WINNER TAKES ALL!!!!” said the anchor

Meanwhile, outside the arcade plaza

“Ok, so, you guys are ready right?” asked Microchips

“Definitely, all the gaming we’ve done was amazing practice,” said Crimson

“Good, cause there are going to be players here, that have more skill, remember, the level is just a number,” said Spike

“Right!” they all said

“Ok, registration is complete, now they can follow us on social media… you did change your names on IG right?” asked Microchips

“Yup,” everyone said

“Ok… let’s do this!” said Spike as he put on a skull mask and his hoodie over his head

“Wait! Where did you get the mask?” asked Crimson

“Oh, I made some masks resembling our in-game characters… I’m using it so my identity remains a mystery, and add an extra layer of intrigue to the game,” said Spike

“Son of a bitch, took you this long to tell us!” said Wiz Kid as everyone dug into the duffle bag

Sandalwood, grabbed a Cyberpunk demon green colored mask that matched his hoodie

Norman grabbed a Kitsune red and black mask

Crimson grabbed a red tactical skull face mask that looked just like his characters mask

Wiz Kid took a mask that looked just like the Abyss King’s mask, except it was white

“You all set?” asked Microchips as he walked up to the group with his custom made HUBOPTIC electric mask

“Yeah,” they all said

“When did you make these masks?” asked Norman

“While you guys were playing, I began to design them and then when you fell asleep I would measure your heads to make them custom for you, and all I needed was a 3D printer,” said Spike

“So that’s what you’ve been doing while we were gaming?” asked Sandalwood

“Nope, it was something very different… we’ll tell you after the tournament,” said Microchips

“By the way, Norman, good job with the team’s uniform/hoodies, they resemble our armors in the game and it has our logo,” said Spike

“Thanks, this will be the perfect publicity stunt,” said Norman

“Let’s do this!” said Sandalwood as they entered the arcade hall.

“AND NOW, THE LAST BATTLE OF THIS ROUND, WE HAVE R0uTER, and it’s members, JINX, CYBORG, BUBBLE, KING, RUNSOV, AND DREAMBOUND, FACING PHOENIXGUARD, AND IT’S MEMBERS DRAKEREAPER, TECHGOD2000, GREENDEATH99, NORMIX10, CRIMSON_SHADOW, AND WIZZARDKING!!!” said the anchor as both teams entered the platform

Immediately everyone began to whisper and look at Phoenixguard and their uniforms.

“Are they cosplayers?” said someone

“They must be rich kids, I mean the masks and the hoodies must’ve cost a fortune,” said another

“I like their presence,” said another

“Yeah, they cool, let’s see if they can hold their own,” said another

Immediately after, PheonixGuard’s IG became hot topic on social media, and they earned many followers in a matter of seconds

“NOW, TO PRESENT THEMSELVES, WE WILL ASK EVERY SINGLE MEMBER TO LOG IN AND SHOW US THEIR CHARACTERS… FIRST OF… JINX!!” said the anchor

Jinx walked up and logged in, then turned to face the crowds and show her character, she was a level 420, which was fairly impressive; Then came Cyborg, who was a level 350, followed by Bubble who was a level 349, then King who was a level 330, then Runsov how was a level 328, and finally Dreambound how was a level 325.

“THAT’S A TOTAL OF 2,102 LEVEL POINTS, VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!” said the anchor

Then it was PhoenixGuard’s turn, and Spike walked over to his stations and logged in

When his character information appeared on screen, the whole room went quiet

“Is… is that number real?” asked someone

“No, there has to be a mistake, they must’ve hacked the game,” said someone else

“MAKE NO MISTAKE PEOPLE, WE HAVE VERIFIED THEIR ACCOUNTS, THE NUMBERS YOU SEE ON SCREEN ARE 1000% REAL!!!” said the anchor

Spike was a level 1500, then came Microchips who was now a level 1362, and Sandalwood who was now a level 1245, Norman who was a level 1243, Crimson who was a level 1239, and Wiz Kid who was a level 1235

“THAT’S A TOTAL OF 7,824 LEVEL POINTS, SIMPLY EXTRAORDINARY!!!” said the anchor as he walked over to PheonixGuard

“Tell us, how did you achieve such high levels?” he asked

“We finished the campaign, DLCs included,” said Spike, the microphone on his mask making his voice sound robotic

“Really?” asked the anchor

“Yes… if you want to see proof, follow us on our social medias, that’s PhoenixGuard on IG, and PhoenixGuardGaming on Youtube to see walkthroughs and Speedruns of every single level and difficulty in Guardians,” said Microchips

“What about the masks and attire, are they for sale? Who made them?” asked the anchor

“Normix10 design the hoodies, Drakereaper made the masks, yes they are for sale, just go to our social media for the purchase links, or create your own,” said Microchips

“Well, now you know people, go onto their social media and follow them!,” said the anchor as he walked over to the other team to ask the same questions.

After he left, Spike pressed a button on the left side of his mask that made the microphones work only with the team communication

‘How is the social media thing going?” he asked

“We are at 1.3K followers, and all of our personal social medias are also growing,” said Microchips

“Excellent, everything is going according to plan,” said Spike

“GAMERS!!! TO YOUR SEATS!!!” said the anchor as everyone sat down

“You know the rules, the last team standing wins… FIGHT!!!” said the anchor

INSIDE THE GAME

The characters appear on a map they all knew to well

“Capital Nova,” they all said

“Enough hiding spots,” said Norman

“Abush spots located at 3 clicks north and 2 clicks west,” said Crimson

“Center stage is the prime location of a face to face confrontation,” said Wiz Kid

“Watch out for meteors!” said Sandalwood

“Regroup at Dusk Point (here), in 10 minutes, if you are having trouble give your coordinates and hold for assistance,” said Microchips

“Happy huntings,” said Spike as he dashed off.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, 10 CLICKS TO THE SOUTH-EAST

Wiz Kid was rushing the area, making his way back to the Dusk Point

“Odd, there is no one in the area, did they go after Spike? Makes sense, if they all attack Spike they could leave him in a tight spot, but he can overcome it,” thought Wiz Kid

As soon as he said that a bullet hit his arm’s armor

“Sniper!!” he said as he slid into cover just as a bullet impacted the the edge of the wall he was taking cover on

“Ok, bullet came from up top, maybe the 3rd level of the building across… only way to reach it is with a jetpack which I don’t possess… but If I am able to access the second level of the building I can use my rifle to shoot through the floor,” said Microchips as a hurricane of bullets began to hit the wall

“New plan… hello Mr. Flashbang!” said Wiz Kid as he through the flashbang into the open

At first he thought it wasn’t going to work, but then he saw that the bullets were missing the target so he made a run for the left side of the building.

He was about to enter the first floor, when he noticed something

“Oh, you cheeky bastard!” he said as he noticed a scaffolding placed so that you could reach the third floor.

Wiz kid then began to climb the scaffolding until he made it to the third floor and hid behind the wall

“Where did he go?!” said King as he frantically looked around the area

“Wow, he is using a Thermal Vision aim, I should ask Norman if he has one,” as he crept silently towards King

“Damn it, this is King, I lost him, I’m moving out to…” said King before

“WIZZARDKING HAS SLICED KING’S NECK, KING IS OUT!!” said the robotic voice

“Heading to the checkpoint!” said Wiz Kid

“Copy that Wiz, good job!,” said Spike

AT ANOTHER POINT OF THE MAP, TO THE WEST

“Nothing so far… wonder where they went… OH! Got movement!” said Norman as he aimed his sniper rifle to the land below

There he could see Runsov heading to secure a point of interest on the map from which you could learn the location of your enemies.

“Huh! I see what your plan is, but sorry, I won’t allow it!” said Norman

“Ok, guys, the safe zone is almost ours, I can see the location of some of the members of PhoenixGuard,” said Runsov

“Where are they?” asked Jinx

“The closest one to my location is…” was all Runsov could say before

“RUNSOV HAS BEEN SNIPED BY NORMIX10, IT’S A 60 MTS. SHOT!” said the robotic voice

“Damn it,” said Jinx

“Well, my job here is done,” said Norman as he came out of hiding and headed to the Dusk point

“Cyborg, Bubble, DreamBound, where are you?” asked Jinx

“Heading towards you,” said Cyborg

“The Plaza,” said DreamBound

“The wasteland,” said Bubble

“Ok, everyone come towards me, we are heading to their safe zone and attacking them there,” said Jinx

“On my way,” said Dreambound

“Be there short…” said Bubble

“CRIMSON_SHADOW HAS SLASHED BUBBLE,” said the robotic voice

“DAMN IT!!!” said Jinx as she headed for the PhoenixGuard safe zone.

MINUTES LATER AT THE PHOENIXGUARD SAFE ZONE

“Be careful guys, they might be here,” said Cyborg

“Doubt it,” said Jinx, “They might have finished the campaign, but I doubt they know that if we capture their safezone they lose automatically,”

They were just about to enter the safe zone when

“NOW!!!!” said Spike, as he, Microchips, and Sandalwood sent a barrage of bullets, grenades, and RPGs down on the last remaining members of R0uTER.

Even if Jinx and Cyborg lasted a few seconds longer than DreamBound, they were no match for the attack and succumbed to it.

“R0uTER HAS BEEN DEFEATED, WINNERS PHEONIXGUARD!!!” said the robotic voice

The crowd then cheered and applauded both teams as they all got off their stations and went over to congratulate each other.

“Good match!” said Jinx as she shook Spike’s hand

“Likewise, almost had us there,” said Spike

“How did you know we were going to do that?” asked Jinx

“Simple, when you notice the superiority of the other team, the logical thing is going for the tactical victory it was just a matter of waiting or being discovered,” said Spike

“Awesome… by the way, what are the prices for the outfits?” asked Jinx

“Depend on how elaborate you want it, but I don’t recommend buying from another team, it may seem like treason to your teammates,” said Spike

“Oh, please, the great and powerful Trixie would never do that!” said Jinx as she left

“Wait a minute… was that?!!!” said Spike

MINUTES LATER

“AND WE ARE BACK, PHOENIXGUARD ARE NOW FACING, DEATHWISH, A TEAM OF 7,824 LEVEL POINTS, VS A TEAM WITH 3,569 LEVEL POINTS… READY… FIGHT!!!” said the anchor

The team then appeared at the level they all knew to well, the level that started it all

“Gaia!” they all said

“How do you want to go around with this Spike?” asked Microchips

“Number 15,” said Spike

“Who shall go?” asked Sandalwood

“Leave it to me,” said Wiz Kid as he sped off into the map.

SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE MAP

“What do we do boss?” asked Fusion

“Stay close, they’ll try to take us out one by one if we separate,” said Mou5e

“What if they are headed our way?” asked Pompeii

“I’m counting on that!” said Mou53

“And if they want us to go to them?” asked Ghost

“We are Deathwish, we are all Rogues, they won’t be able to match our speed,” said Mou5e

“You’re right, we even defeated that other team the same way!” said Eclypse

“Our tactics never fail!” said Snake3y3s

Just then a few bullets hit the land before them

“Catch me if you can bitches!!!!” said Wiz Kid as he fired at them causing damage

“GET THE FUCKER!!!” said Mou5e as they all began to chase Wiz Kid while firing at him

A FEW METERS LATER

“Mou5e, it must be a trap!” said Ghost

“So let’s end him fast and scram!!” said Mou5e

“Too late, pal!” said Sandalwood as they all opened fire on the team and the surroundings, causing some of the trees to fall on top of them or shooting them down.

“DEATHWISH IS ELIMINATED, PHOENIXGUARD WINS!!!” said the anchor

“That was easy,” said Norman

“That’s why you never have to be too impulsive when fighting, be it real life or game,” said Spike

“OK, I’ll take note of that,” said Crimson

“You better, we are in the semi-finals, and I just checked, our rival is one of the toughest local teams there is,” said Microchips

“Elements?” asked Wiz Kid

“No, the girls never come to this competitions, they’re not “Important” enough for them,” said Microchips

“Well that’s a foolish belief,” said Spike

“A lot has changed in the gaming world Spike, that mentality is common in powerful or popular teams,” said Sandalwood

“Well let’s make sure to not end that way, right!” said Spike

“Right!” everyone answered

“So, who’s are enemy?” asked Norman

“Casa Cristo,” said Microchips

“So we meet again,” said Spike

“You know them?” asked Wiz Kid

“They were the second best team in LOL in the world, not surprised they made it into this game too,” said Spike

“Ranked #3 in town at the moment, they are all elites,” said Sandalwood as he read an article on them from his phone

“Bunch of rich kids,” said Spike

“What?” asked Crimson

“Casa Cristo members come from the same background, in other words, if you or your family don’t have a bank account over the 1 million dollar mark, you’re not aloud in,” said Spike

“Plus, they tend to look down on teams below them, even people that don’t play videogames,” said Microchips

“So just a bunch of privileged assholes,” said Crimson

“Yup, and their… “acceptance” right also helped create Killshot, the #2 team in town,” said Microchips

“And the team waiting for us in the final,” said Crimson as he pointed to the screen

“Now this is going to be fun… here’s what we’ll do…” said Spike as they all huddled together

“NOW FOR OUR SECOND SEMIFINAL OF THE TOURNAMENT, THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK PHOENIXGUARD GO UP AGAINST A HOMETOWN FAVORITE, ONE OF THE TOP 5 TEAMS IN CANTERLOT, AND DESPITE EVERYTHING, ROUND FAVORITES,” said the anchor

The teams then appeared on a very strange map

“Wow, I thought they were going to save Valhalla for the finals,” said Wiz Kid

“Then that only leaves 2 maps, and I am really hoping it’s not the one I’m thinking about,” said Spike

“Regardless, what do we know of Valhalla?” said Microchips

“Basically a heavenly plain, not many places to hide or take cover,” said Sandalwood

“Momentary fog is the best support for Rogues,” said Wiz Kid

“Stay far away from the south sector of the map to avoid sinkholes,” said Crimson

“Only three areas to respawn on the map,” said Norman

“1 of them already out of contention,” said Sandalwood

“And knowing these map, there is only one place Casa Cristo will head to…” said Spike as everyone looked to each other

“Asgard” they all said as they headed to the massive castle at the North-West of their location.

INSIDE ASGARD

“Let’s show these noobs who’s boss!” said Blueblood

“Yeah, they may be stronger, but we bought the best weapons and gear in the game,” said DoubleDiamond

“And now that we are in our rightful place in the map, they will have a hard time getting to us,” said JewelH3art

“Nevermind that, let them try to make it in here, I can’t wait to use my Prisma Canon on them, it cost me $20,000 on the online store,” said AvatarGold

“Ava, only $20,000, don’t make me laugh, my Diamond encrusted, custom made Photon Gun cost me $90,000 only to make it,” said LyndaSt33l

“My High Frequency Thermal Rifle is much more valuable than those subpar toys of yours, this beauty cost me $130,000,” said D3L3G4T3

“Can you 3 stop fighting over whose weapon is pricer, besides, compared to all of my attire, you’re guns are cheap, my “Nord Goddess armor, and Chaos Phase Rifle are worth $1.3 million,” JewelH3art

“Just $1.3 million, my Frenzied Proton Shooter and my “Malevolent” armor are worth $3.2 million… plus tax,” said DoubleDiamond

“And despite all that, I posses the best armor and weapon on the team, my Armageddon Meson Shooter and my “Chaos Harbinger” armor are worth $5 million,” said Blueblood

And after that a full blown argument began between the members of the team and it got heated in a matter of seconds.

It continued going for a few more seconds when a notification caught their attention

“DrakeReaper waves at Blueblood,” read the notification

Immediately they all turned to see PheonixGuard standing before them guns ready to spit lead

“HOW DID YOU GET HERE SO FAST?!!!” asked Blueblood as they all pointed their guns at PhoenixGuard

“What part of “We finished the whole campaign” did you not understand, we know Valhalla and Asgard as the palm of our hands,” said Microchips

“Plus, we know that there is a secret entrance at the back of the castle that brings you directly to Odin’s throne room,” said Spike

“We’ve actually been watching you argue and make fools of yourselves for the last couple of seconds, just like everyone watching the livestream and everyone present on the plaza,” said Sandalwood

At the mention of this, all of the members of Casa Cristo looked away from their screens and noticed the looks on the spectator’s faces.

“Well, this game isn’t over, we can still defeat you, we have better weapons and armor,” said Blueblood

“Actually…” said Spike as the robotic voice said

“PheonixGuard has successfully captured Casa Cristo, PheonixGuard wins!”

“HOW?! THIS ISN’T EVEN OUR SAFE ZONE!!!” said DoubleDiamond

“Yeah, but thanks to your brilliant plan of setting up the defense and trap systems inside the palace, and the fact that you locked the door, technically leaves you trapped in here with us, and do to our armor and guns the algorithm has dictated that your chances of winning are 0%, so, you technically defeated yourselves,” said Spike

“It’s the same concept in Guerrilla Wars,” said Microchips

“THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!” JewelH3art screamed

“NO! YOURS!!!” said LyndaSt33l

“Actually, it’s everyone's fault, ou cared more about your wallets and the price of IN-GAME weapons and armor that in fighting your enemy,” said Spike

“Not to mention, just because you spent millions of dollars on an armor and gun doesn’t mean they’re indestructible,” said Microchips

The Casa Cristo members went silent

“Although, I have to handed to you, I thought you guys were going to be fighting over who is going to seat on Odin’s throne, I was not expecting that fight, so… props to you,” said Spike as he gave them a thumbs up, infuriating them

“Of course I get to seat on the throne, I am the leader,” said Blueblood

“According to who? I made the team!” said DoubleDiamond

“And I have a better level than the 2 of you!!!” said JewelH3art

And once again, conflict erupted

“This is why I hate getting the rebound teams,” said Spike

“Rebound teams?” asked Wiz Kid

“Teams that only care about themselves more than the game, they tend to kick themselves out of the game, which doesn’t allow you to gain much in-game experience, so it makes it harder to level up against them,” Spike explained

“Do they do this a lot?” asked Norman

“When Filthy_R1ch was the leader, no, he wouldn’t allow it… plus it was pointless, he was the richest member of the team,” said Spike

“I take it he retired?” said Sandalwood

“Yup, he decided to focus solely on his company, but now his daughter is beginning to follow his steps on the minor leagues,” said Spike

“And these guys and gals?” asked Crimson

“They’re our age, I mean, we all know who DOUBLE DIAMOND is right?” said Spike as he pointed to him as Casa Cristo left the stage

“Derek?... Derek Daniels?” they all said

“Bingo,” said Spike

“Oh! It’s the school’s rich kids team,” said Crimson

“And they will be our competition during University as well,” said Spike

“Oh yeah, Canterlot U. is taking in as many local Esports university teams as it can,” said Microchips

“So that makes… us, Casa Cristo, Elements, and…” Norman said

“Killshot,” they all said as the members of Killshot appeared on stage

“Things just got interesting,” said Spike.

“ AND NOW PEOPLE, THE MOMENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR, THE BIG EVENT OF THE NIGHT, THE FINAL!!! KILLSHOT, SEASONED VETERANS, TAKE ON THE NEW MAESTROS, PHEONIXGUARD!!!”

The teams then logged in and prepared to fight

“AND AS AN ADDED BONUS, WE SAVED THE SIMPLEST, YET, BEST MAP FOR THE END…” said the anchor as the teams appeared on a building that resembles a stadium

“THE ARENA!!” everyone said

“Hypothesis confirmed,” said Spike

“WHY?!!!” everyone asked

“Because that way they can modify the surrounding and make things even more complicated,” said Spike

“Any ideas?” asked Microchips

“Don’t get yourselves killed early,” was all Spike said

“FIGHT!!!” said the anchor as the 2 teams immediately began to exchange bullets.

The match continued like that for a few seconds, bullets flying and missing or creating low damage to each other's characters

Then, Spike noticed something

“Everyone get away from the colored blocks!” he said as he jumped off the block he was, followed by his team

Seconds later, the colored blocks exploded.

The Killshot members realised this too late, but almost all of them managed to avoid being blown away from the floor

“I_Don’t_Sc4re has been blown to pieces,” said the robotic voice

Just as the floor went back to its original state, Wiz Kid made a dash for the disoriented members of Killshot

Just as he crossed the centerline, his character was pommeled by various bullets and RPGs

“C0wb0YFromH3ll has obliterated WizzardKing!” said the robotic voice

“Sorry guys,” said Wiz Kid over the radio

“It’s ok, you tried your best,” said Spike

Then Spike once again noticed something

“Everyone, hit the deck!” he screamed as he stopped moving and dropped to the floor, his team following

“DO WHAT THEIR DOING!!” said Killshot’s leader R0V3R as all of them dropped to the ground, only for the floor to break beneath one of them, causing him to follow into a spike pit

“AlamRyder has been skewered,” said the robotic voice

“They’re toying with us, be weary of your surroundings!” screamed R0V3R as he got up and headed shotted Crimson

“FUCK!!!” he screamed

“It’s ok dude!” said Spike

Then the ground began to shake as various parts of the ground turned into covers and platforms

“FREE FIRE!!!” screamed R0V3R as his team charged Spike’s shooting like crazy

“GET TO COVER!!!” screamed Spike

“Normix10 has been gunned down,” said the robotic voice

“Damn it!” said Normix10

“These guys are good!” said Sandalwood

“And foolish!” said Spike as he motioned for a member called F1D0

Just F1D0 leapt into a platform this one disappeared causing him to free fall to his death

“F1D0 has ventured too far!” said the robotic voice

“DAMN IT FIDO!!!” said R0V3R

“We have them, where we want them!!!” said ZP0T

“CHARGE!!!” screamed R0V3R as the last 3 remaining members jumped over Spike, Microchips and Sandalwood, shooting in the process

However, Spike and Co where not going out without a fight and they returned fire

“ZP0T HEADSHOTS SANDALWOOD!!!” said the robotic voice

“SANDALWOOD GETS A KILL BEYOND THE GRAVE AS HE HEADSHOTS ZP0T!”

“R0V3R HAS COMMITTED SUICIDE!!!”

“TECHGOD2000 HAS COMMITTED SUICIDE!!! Said the robotic voice when both R0V3R and Microchips created kamikaze attacks on each other

That left Spike and the player called C0wboYFromH3ll who had missed their last shots, leaving each other with just 1% life left

They both pointed their rifles at each other, but then Spike had an idea

“DrakeReaper has motioned CowboYFromH3ll to halt!” said the anchor

This confused C0wboYFromH3ll

“Spike has switched to his hand gun!” said the anchor

C0wboYFromH3ll then caught on and nodded doing the same

Spike then motioned for the anchor and blinked his 5 fingers twice

“Understood! 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… SHOT!!!!” said the anchor as both Spike and C0wboYFromH3ll turned and fired one round each.

The crowd went silent, both teams looked on with baited breath until finally, C0wboYFromH3ll fell to the floor dead

“DRAKEREAPER HAS ELIMINATED C0WBOYFROMH3LL!” said the robotic voice as the crowd cheered and roared with applause

Seconds later, all of the members of PhoenixGuard jumped up form their seats and went over to hug Spike

“PHEONIXGUARD HAS WON IT… ESPORTS BEWARE, WE HAVE A NEW DREAM TEAM ON THE LOOSE!!!!” said the anchor as confetti began to cover the stage as Spike raised the trophy.

ON A BOOTH ON THE PRIVATE SECTION OF THE PLAZA

“That was beautiful, am I right Katte,” said Max

“Yes sir,” said Katte

“PhoenixGuard, they seem interesting, I’ll follow their development closely… who knows, maybe we’ve just witnessed the creation of a beast club,” said Max

“Just like Pangea?” asked Katte

“Maybe even better,” said Max as he bit down into his noodles.

OUTSIDE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER

“WE WON!!!” said Wiz Kid as he ran around with the trophy

“Our social media has blown up, the PhoenixGuard IG has reached 2.5 million followers,” said Microchips

“And our personal accounts are almost hitting the millions as well,” said Sandalwood

“Not to mention, the amount of orders for our merch has tripled in the last 5 minutes,” said Norman

“Everything worked out like we planned,” said Crimson

“Yeah… What do you guys say? We head back to the “Barracks” and put the trophy on the stand, my dad is going to be so proud!’ said Microchips

“Yeah, and maybe you can tell us what is this big secret you kept from us,” said Sandalwood

“Deal, I’ll go order a few pizza’s to celebrate,” said Microchips

“Ah, Micro…” said Sandalwood

“Don’t worry I’ll order a vegetarian pizza just for you!” said Micro as he dialed the pizzeria

“Thanks!” said Sandalwood, when he noticed the stares “What, big guy, plus I don’t eat meat, 8 slices of veggie pizza would be the equivalent to the other pizzas you’ll share,” he said

“Let’s hurry back and get ready to party!!” said Crimson as they all headed towards the subway station

That was when Spike noticed something out of the corner of his eyes

“You guys go on ahead, I have an errand to run,” said Spike

“Sure, but don’t be too late or I’ll finish you pizza,” said Microchips

“You touch my pizza, it’s your head!’ said Spike as he walked away

“What is his pizza?” asked Wiz Kid

“He doesn't really have a preference, but, right about now I can tell he wants a Spinach Alfredo with double cheese,” said Microchips

“Oh, I love that flavor!” said Sandalwood

“Should I change your order?” asked Microchips

Half and Half,” said Sandalwood as they began to walk down the stairs.

WITH SPIKE

Spike had noticed the members of Killshot talking nearby, he was planning to go over and congratulate them, but he stopped when he heard their conversation

“What is wrong with you?” said R0V3R

“You could’ve offed the noobie and win!” said ZP0T

‘And then he defeated you in a duel!!!” said F1D0

“ah wasn’t gonna shoot someone on the back, that’s cowardly, let alone cheating,” said the tall, muscular guy with a southern accent, Spike understood was C0wboYFromH3ll

“YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO WIN!!!! THAT’S OUR MOTTO!!!” said R0V3R

“ah though the motto was “Never Give Up When Having Fun!” said C0wboY

“There is nothing fun about losing!!” said R0V3R

“Ah enjoyed fightin’em,” said C0wboY

“THAT’S IT, YOU’RE HEREBY EXPELLED FROM THE TEAM!!!” said R0V3R

“Give us your gloves!!!” said F1D0

C0wboY did as he was told

“I still don’t know why I let a loser like you join the team,” said R0V3R as they walked away leaving C0wboY behind

“Sore loser?” asked Spike

“Looks like it,” said C0wboY

“Well, I just wanted to say… thank you and well played,” said Spike

“Thank you fer what?” asked C0wboY

“For not shooting me in the back,” said Spike

“Ah, never do that, Granny raised no cheater,” said C0wboY

“What are you going to do now?” asked Spike

“What any normal Gamer does… search fer a new team,” said C0wboY

“Well, good luck with that,” said Spike as he stretched his hand forward

C0wboY then proceeded to shake Spike’s hand, only to feel Spike handing him something as their hands parted

C0wboY then looked at his palm and saw a card on it

“The Barracks, 3291 Central Blvd.” read C0wboY

When he looked up, and noticed that Spike had disappeared, he looked around for a few seconds and then down at the card.

LATER THAT DAY

“YOU’VE BEEN PROGRAMMING A VIDEO GAME?!!!!” everyone said

“Yup, and we just finished it… we’re only missing the Game’s soundtrack,” said Microchips

“So, is it like the rhythm inside the game?” asked Sandalwood

“Nah, we mean the song that let’s everyone know about the game,” said Microchips

“Oh!!!!” everyone said

“And what’s the game about?” asked Norman

“A mix of GTA, CyberPunk, and Infamous,” said Microchips

“Second son or original?” asked Crimson

“Both,” said Spike

“Then my band is out of the question, you should get a metal band or at least a hard rock band to do it, we’re just punk,” said Crimson

“We actually were thinking of doing the band ourselves,” said Microchips

The second he said this everyone got the message

“Oh, because I can play the drums,” said Sandalwood

“Bass,” said Normix

“Guitar,” said Crimson

“Guitar and Keyboard, I can also sing,” said Wiz Kid

“I’ll take care of the additional cleans, and keyboards since that’s the only instrument I can play perfectly,” said Microchips

“And I take it Spike’s gonna sing,” said Crimson

“Obviously, guys got golden vocal cords, he can sing in theater musicals to brutal metal growls… he can even play all of our instruments,” said Microchips

“So what do you guys think?” asked Spike

“When do we start?” they all asked.

1 MONTH LATER

“And with a few clicks… it’s online,” said Microchips

(No Lyric video... odd)

“Well done boys,” said Norman

“Let’s see how this goes,” said Sandalwood

“Let the adventure begin,” said Spike as they all turned to face the emblem painted on the wall.