The final day of the Mad Machine War Games is here, and I'm ready to punch my ticket to victory. It's been a long time coming, but I've been meaning to get my revenge on my rival Rayne, the team captain of The Brick City Sirens, since the past year.
What's the War Games? It's a sport where two teams, sometimes three or four, duke it out in a battle royale deathmatch with guns, explosives, scouter drones, and the odd engine-powered sword thrown in. Some games even have special objectives like capture the flag or holding a checkpoint. The difference is that unlike an actual war, if we die, we respawn and fight again. It's all fun and exhilarating, drawing in millions of spectators to the sport every Sunday night.
Before we enter the arena, I get a quick text message from my holo-phone. It's from Cithara, my girlfriend. Good luck, Ari! We'll be cheering you on at the labs. Bring home the gold! Also, we should go out tonight after your game.
I respond: Thanks! I'll see you tonight at the local café. Then I place my phone back in my pocket and march onward with my team, the Neon City Valkyries, sponsored by CrystalCorp Cybernetics of Las Vegas, with me as the Valkyries' team captain.
As we all enter the arena, orchestral war drums pound. A chorus of strings and trumpets hum and tweet in the air, announcing a battle of epic proportions. It's the anthem for The Mad Machine War Games, and it's playing through the public announcement system. The audience cheer and root as we enter the war zone. Jumbo sized holograms of our team display above, introducing us to sixty thousand attendees and millions of viewers streaming at home.
I live for this sport. I've been in the Valkyries' War Games team since my 13th birthday, and made it to two championship games, three counting today. Won at my first appearance against the Sirens, but they one-upped us a year later. Now, we're going to a trilogy! However, for the first time, I'm entering this game as the team captain. It's not an easy job, I'll admit, but if — no — when we win the championship, it's going to be all worth it. It started with 32 teams. Only the Valkyries and the Sirens remain. I'm pumped and ready!
Besides, if we didn't win, Dr. Kari, my coach, would put me up for trade and I wouldn't want that. That's what happened to the previous team captain, Skylar Li, and I haven't heard from her since. Hell, I don't even know if she's enjoying her time with her new team. Skylar's profile on WarGamesPedia hasn't updated since she got traded, which makes me wonder if she's still even playing — or maybe worse. Some say that CrystalCorp's scientists were performing illegal cybernetic experiments on the rejects. Is it true? Beats me, but I ain't going to find out.
Still, this team is family to me. I don't know who my real parents are — I know I'm adopted. Instead, the scientists and trainers at the CrystalCorp campus are the closest things to parents while my teammates — they're all sisters to me. I'm not sure how I would feel if I'm forced to leave them behind. I know Skylar didn't take the trade too well. The Valkyries need to win. If we don't win, then I won't have a family to return to.
Right now, my arms are tensing with my left hand near the hilt of my engine-powered triggerblade.
A levitating platform descends at a gentle pace. Fans chant and cheer: "War Games! War Games! War Games!" Standing on the platform is The Eyes of War Grand Overseer herself, Ruby Solstice. She stands high, donning a red hooded robe with black accents, covering her polished metal cybernetic body. Her chrome metal hands undo her cowl to reveal her long platinum white hair. Yet, a white grinning porcelain mask shrouds her face, like a life-sized doll. A creepy one at that.
"Greetings, fans!" Ruby's booming voice reverberates throughout the stadium, crying out the prelude to a glorious battle. "Welcome to the Mad Machine War Games' Grand Finale. It is time to witness the Final Chorus amongst two warring factions: the #1 seed on the red base, The Neon City Valkyries of Las Vegas."
The audience cheers with triumph for us, the home team.
"—and last year's champion on the blue base, The Brick City Sirens of New Jersey."
The home crowd lets out a loud and hissing boo.
"Two squads enter. Only one will remain!"
For the next two hours, our teams clash, trading shots, firing weapons, clashing blades — killing, respawning, and killing again! Spectators watch and marvel as they witness the explosive madness packed inside T.F. Roth Stadium here at Al Davis Way in Las Vegas. The scoreboard shifts and sways leaders for each kill scored, point held, flag captured, and each rocket scored through the goalposts.
Rayne and I — our teams — wrecked and wasted, putting in everything we got in the last four rounds. We're in the lead, but only by a tiny margin. Good thing my teammates can relax since the final round is a 1v1 deathmatch between captains. That's right! It's just Rayne and me. White-and-blue versus black-and-purple, colors of NovaTech, the corporation who sponsors the Sirens. Unlike me, Rayne wields an actual gunblade that can fire bullets at long-range while I depend on my melee-centric triggerblade. During the previous battles, I have deflected a majority of her shots back at her or her teammates. Her reflexes are quick, but I can counter speed with the creative use of accuracy.
We stand face-to-face with Rayne's sharp nose is just mere millimeters from touching mine. Her frayed raven-black hair flowing unsecured by the light draft in the arena. Her sapphire blue eyes locked with a piercing gaze. The stadium lights accenting her bronze colored skin.
Ruby's platform descends once more, shining a spotlight right on top of us. "Mad Machine Fans, it all comes down to this!" Ruby declares. "Two of the finest soldier-athletes shall compete in a brutal deathmatch. You two know the rules! Ari, are you ready?" Ruby shines her spotlight at me.
"I am." I say, nodding.
"Rayne, are you ready?" Ruby asks, shining the spotlight on Rayne.
"Yes," she says.
Lights go black, the holograms and jumbotrons shut off, and the public announcement system stops playing music. Theatric suspense, I ponder. This has to be all kayfabe. Drama and theatrics are gimmicks that Ruby relishes on.
It would not surprise me if this is Ruby's plan for a daring surprise to interrupt the finals just to show off her skills as a one-woman army, like she did during the All-Star Battle Theater a few months ago. In that game, I lead top soldier-athletes from the west coast teams to against all-stars from east coast teams, lead by Rayne Sahin. It's crazy, but Ruby thrills for having the odds stacked against her.
Yet, as Ruby continues to speak, her microphone refuses to amplify her voice. Something is not right. Ruby taps her lapel mic on her robe, but nothing pops.
"Ari," Rayne says to me, "do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" I ask, my eyes shifting left to right, attempting to discern a strange noise.
"The wailing noise." Rayne shifts her gaze upward. "It's coming from above us."
I focus my sights and hearing towards the ceiling. I see nothing odd through the glass roof of this domed stadium. Just the apparent lack of the giant hologram that depicts The Eyes of War's insignia, a red bloodshot eyeball with crossed rifles below it. I hear a noise. My first thought is a jet whizzing and wailing. Yet, the sound seems a little off. Instead, it sounds like a beast that should not belong here. It's a wailing noise with a lower pitch, almost like a roar. Then another noise, this time an obvious ferocious guttural sound, bellowing and menacing. Yes, a monster. It has to be. No doubt about that!
"What the hell?" Rayne gasps. "Ari, we need to run. Something ain't right, mate!"
"You're right. Any idea where to go?"
Rayne and I glance around and notice that all the gates are locking. We're stuck in the arena!
At that moment, a screeching wail sounds from above. I raise my chin, gazing high, and activate my zoom on my cybernetic eye, getting an unrestricted view through the clear roof. Then I realize that beyond that glass is something dreadful. My voice cracks. "Rayne, get back! Get back!"
Rayne and I rush out of the center of the arena in a daring panic, taking cover near one of the course's obstacles. A second later, something menacing crashes through the glass. Shards and metal debris fall on to the battlegrounds. Fans scream, horrified by the thing crashing from above. Dust clutters the battlefield, clouding our vision.
"What in the world?" Rayne snaps. "What the hell is that thing, mate?"
"I have no freaking clue," I say.