The perplexed shooter looked at Kaai with awe and a vest with 3 red lights on it. The shooter was slowly stood up and said," How? There is no way you made it across the bridge that fast". Kaai looked at her with a smug look on his face and said proudly " Of course I couldn't. Besides, even if I could, how would I set up my diversion?." Then Kaai pointed to the only room on the level. " there a backdoor to this building that Ryan came up with. More like a black hole...Yeah, I know, terrible pun." As Kaai was chuckling. The shooter looked at him with bewilderment. 'He was able to locate me, analyze the situation, set up a trap and make his way silently to me all in a few minutes. Is this guy normal? He….'. As she was admiring him, a ringing sound broke her train of thought.
Kaai looked down at his watch, which was a smart watch. He opened it, and it revealed a small map of the woods. His face paled. The shooter looked at him, concerned and asked, "You good?". Kaai put on a disheartened smile and said, "The next zone is in the wrecked mall". That was at the southern edge of the battle royal field, while he was on the opposite edge. He let out a sarcastic laugh. Kaai turned his hurried gaze to the shooter and said, "Will you be able to
Make your way back to the lobby."
, she answered while rolling her eyes "obvio….", Before she could finish, Kaai was already sprinting away from the building.
Shooter looked at him in puzzlement. She met her fair share of fit individuals who took care of their physiques, but he was at the top. "So Ryan wasn't exaggerating when talking about him, huh?". She went into the room on the second floor and examined it. There wasn't a hole, but half of the room had collapsed with a vague way up from the ground floor. "He can parkour as well?", but something was missing. She looked down at her belt and said, "Where is my pistol?".
Kaai's watch read 10 minutes left,
Two, maybe three kilometers still ahead. He tore down the broken roads, lungs burning, every breath like fire scraping his throat. His legs pumped furiously, muscles screaming with each stride, yet he forced them harder, faster, pounding the ground as though he could shatter the distance itself. Sweat stung his eyes, dripping down into his mouth, the salt mixing with the copper tang of his breath. All because he was too prideful to lose to his friends.
His efforts bore fruit. He made it into the zone in time, albeit entirely exhausted. He sat next to a tree. Resting, he took a look at his watch. 18 fighters were left in the wrecked mall. He didn't like the mall. Too many openings, hard to lock down, and he was terrible at clearing rooms. Regardless, he made his way into the mall.
Inside the mall, it was too quiet, too Eerie and too scary. The moment Kaai was in, he felt goosebumps all across his body. To Kaai, the mall smelled like a tomb, the dust in the air drying out his throat and tightening his chest with every breath, the faint dripping of water into puddles. The slow drip of water dropping into the puddle like a clock counting down, every ripple shivering through the stagnant silence and the smell of something… dead. 'Is that a dead squirrel?'.
He tried to calm himself down but he couldn't. He was making his way across the mall. He was alone, but he knew he was wrong, completely and utterly wrong. They were scattered, hidden behind a piece of rubble and crouched behind the skeletons of what was once stores. They were lurking in the skeleton of the wrecked mall. Kaai was tense. His nerves strained, and his sense exhausted. Every sound startled him. Until one jumpscared him. They were shot down in the food court. Kaai was scared. 'When did this turn into a horror game?' he thought before collecting himself. He made sure to make. No sound while he was headed to the food court
Kaai arrived at the food court. He stood in the shadows and was analyzing the situation. Multiple bbs on the ground. No enemies in sight. He made his way into an abandoned kitchen. The walls had collapsed on each side, but considering the state the mall was in, it was an acceptable cover. He rested under the cashier next to a metal plate that was as big as him, lying on the ground. It separated him from the rest of the court.
Kaai was looking for the shooter that was behind the gunshots or any clues that could lead Kaai to him. In that moment, Kaai tightened his grip on his rifle. His heartbeats grew fast, and his sweat ran cold. The food court stretched wide around him, yet it felt smaller, suffocating even. Because there were enemies here. He couldn't locate them, not clearly, but he felt them. Hunters tucked into the silence, ringed around him, waiting. It was like an overflowing Dam ready to collapse.
The air grew thick, but before he could act, a sound resonated in the dark, deep, heavy voice. Each word falling like a hammer striking bronze, ringing out and echoing. A voice too familiar, it said " Marco" with a heavy r. Kaai's eyes widened, and he cursed in his mind ' SHIIIIIIIIIIII...DANNNY!!!!!'. Kaai opened his mouth, surrendering to his fate replied, "polo". As if Kaai wasn't terrified enough, 16 other voices replied with him. 3 of those voices were close, too close, terribly close.
One was behind him in the kitchen, while the other 2 were on each of his sides in the adjacent stores. He was trying to come up with a plan, but before he did, all hell broke loose. BBs were flying every bouncing off every surface. 'DANNY YOU…YOU OPENED THE GATES OF THE DAMM AND THE ENTIRE THING CRUMBLED'. Sounds of metal drumming, stone humming and ancient plastic breaking filling the food court. With a layer of screams, groans and shouts adding layers to the chaotic orchestra. There was simply too much chaos.
Kaai is already looking around him. The 2 shooters on his sides were already engaged in the battle. The one to his back didn't yet. The shooter, who was behind Kaai, made his way to the cashier, only to find a huge metal plate leaning against the counter. In the next heartbeat, a hand holding a pistol stretched out from under the plate, pointing at the shooter. Before the shooter could act, he was already shot 3 times in the chest.
Kaai waited until the torrent of screams and shots drowned. In the dread silence did Kaai reveal himself from under the plate and went into the open expanse of the court. There he saw the caranage. Everyone's vest had 3 red lights except for one, an all too familiar face. It was nour, wearing a vest with 2 red lights shining brightly. He was unarmed, his rifle empty, but a gun to his right side, 3 meters away.
Nour startled but said with an exhilarated smile, "Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary". Kaai chuckled at his friend's theatrics, his grin sharp with mischief. " YOU DARE CHALLENGE DEADEYE".
Nour looked at him with squared shoulders, eyes blazing with mock-seriousness "THIS CLUB IS NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR 2 PRO AIRSOFT GUNNERS"
"OH YOU ARE A GUNNER ALRIGHT" kaai tilted his head " just not a professional one"
Nour narrowed his eyes "OH YEAH, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?"
With that, Kaai stretched his hand to his belt and took out a pistol in a flamboyant manner and said, " PRESENTATION."
Then, without hesitation, he pulled the trigger — the red light on his vest blinked a second time — before tossing the pistol several meters across the court
Suddenly,footsteps as loud as the gunshot. gasps and screams followed breaking the silence in the court. Legs pumping furiously, muscles screaming with each stride. Nour reached the gun and looked in the direction where Kaai threw his pistol. Nour's confusion grew. He wasn't there, but standing where he was. Kaai had sly grin carved into his face. And in his hand holdinganother pistol, steady and aimed.
Nour chest froze and cheers in the court died down. 2 gunshots erupting in the silence. But one vest had the third crimson light.