Bray sat down, waiting for Alexander, who was rubbing his chin while staring at the map, his mind grinding hard to form a plan.
The mission was brutal. It relied on numbers — and numbers were exactly what they didn't have.
You couldn't stay purely defensive; domination of a residence was required to win. But you couldn't stay on the offensive either, because risking your base meant certain death.
A difficult scenario. The kind that was perfect for Alexander's intelligence.
On his system screen, stats glowed:
Strength: 30
Agility: 30
Endurance: 20
Speed: 40
Intelligence: 65
Mana: 30
Combat Experience: 35
Level:65
Click!
The door opened. Jamie stepped in.
They had sent him earlier to Greg, to convince him to work with them on the mission. The weight of that conversation still clung to Jamie's face.
"The guys think we have a good chance of winning if we work together," Jamie said, recalling the words as he stood there, remembering Greg washing the plates from his meal.
"I know, I know!" Greg had replied with a smile, not even glancing up.
"Tell them I'll join you later," he added, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Greg was disturbing. Sometimes friendly, other times cold and rude. But no one confronted him — he was simply too strong.
Now Jamie closed the door behind him forcefully, still smiling faintly, trying to hide his unease.
"What did he say?" Alexander asked, curiosity flickering.
"He'll join us later," Jamie muttered.
"What!?" Bray barked. "He knows if we lose, we die together, right!?" His voice rose into a scream.
Alexander's eyes darted to the time.
[3:40]
Twenty minutes gone. Nothing accomplished. Who knew what had already happened by now? Maybe the Commander had already captured a base. Maybe the girls had already been overrun, outnumbered and defenseless. Whatever the truth, they had no time to waste.
"Okay, boys," Alexander began, his tone sharp and commanding.
"There are three crucial things we need to do."
"One — make sure this base is completely protected."
"Two — launch an offense strong enough to determine our success."
"Three — because of the alliance, we need to back up the girls. It's highly likely they'll be targeted first."
"So how do we do all those things at once?" Bray asked, his voice strained.
"We can't. It's impossible." Alexander's eyes hardened. "So this is what we'll do: Bray and I will go to the girls' base to help defend them. While there, we might even reduce some enemy numbers. From that, we'll know who's weakened enough for us to attack."
"What about the ladies?" Bray asked.
"Helping them defend is already enough. Jamie will stay here and defend our base."
"Me!?" Jamie shouted, startled.
"Yes. You have an unused Golden Point. And if that doesn't suffice… maybe Greg will join you."
Bray stammered, words choking in his throat. Leaving Jamie alone didn't sound right. But they had no choice.
"Don't worry. I'll handle it," Jamie said, forcing confidence into his tone. Deep down, fear raged inside him, but he stood up straight. "It's time I show my worth. I won't weigh you down."
The others looked at him silently. To them, Jamie was a younger brother — someone they always wanted to protect. But this time, they had to let him fend for himself.
"Alright then," Alexander said. "We move at 330 hours."
Confusion filled the room instantly. They stared at him, lost.
Alexander's eyes widened in disbelief. "I mean… 3:30!"
They all nodded quickly.
"Didn't you guys watch soldier movies?" he muttered.
"No, I never had a TV," Bray replied bluntly.
Alexander turned to Jamie, his eyes asking silently.
"Not much… most of the time I was studying or running," Jamie admitted.
"When we get out of here, go watch some movies," Alexander said, dead serious.
---
[3:30]
The time was upon them.
They wore identical black jackets they had found in the closets. If this was to be their last day, they wanted to go out in style. Masks pulled over their faces, Bray and Alexander set off. Their journey to the girls' base had begun.
As they moved out of sight of their residence, Bray glanced back one last time, his eyes heavy with unspoken thoughts.
"You've grown closer to him," Alexander remarked quietly.
"Yeah… believe it or not, I used to have a younger brother just like him," Bray said softly.
"He died?"
"Yes. Hit by a bus while trying to save a kitten."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"You know sooner or later Jamie has to adapt," Alexander said.
"I know."
"Donn't shield him too much. He won't be safe that way."
"You're right. Sometimes I wonder how the son of the richest man on earth turned out so cold-hearted."
"Sometimes I wonder how a boy from the slums turned out so caring," Alexander shot back, a faint smirk curling on his lips.
"Who knows? It's a mystery."
"Yeah… a mystery," Alexander murmured, his eyes distant, as if remembering something.
Their pace quickened, closing the distance toward the girls' residence.
But in the shadows, a suspicious figure hid in the bushes outside their base , watching every move.
---
Jamie was inside the house, the doors locked, the windows sealed shut. He had flipped couches over, barricading the entries even more.
Knock, knock!
The sound at the door froze him in place. His heart pounded, torn between fear and curiosity.
Who could it be? The guys, returning because they forgot something?
No. He couldn't waste time with questions. He had promised to protect the base.
Gripping his kali sticks, their ends glowing faintly, Jamie crept to the door.
"Open up, it's me — Greg!" the voice called.
Relief washed over him. He unlocked the door quickly, revealing an energetic Greg, though something about his expression didn't match his usual character.
"Where are the guys?" Greg asked.
"They're gone."
"Already?"
"Yeah. They left me on defense duty."
"That explains the furniture arrangement," Greg chuckled, glancing at the barricaded chairs.
"You can come in," Jamie said.
"Yeah, sure."
As Greg stepped inside, Jamie's eyes flicked toward the fence — a tall spear could be seen outside.
"Greg… who's that?" he whispered.
"Shit! Ass Broke Shields!" a familiar voice roared from outside the fence.
"I'm out here with my team, and we've totaled your base!"