Author's Note: So I've deleted the first chapter and am going to rewrite the whole thing really, I'm leaving this here so bare with me, the rewrite make take some time.
Life was good. Until a real war woke us all up.
Sometimes it would have been nice to have a simulation or tutorial of life. Just so that you know what to expect, and can plan ahead. You would be ready for what real life throws at you.
A surreal world they created. It felt like you weren't even in your own body, merely acting in a first person movie. Death held no weight, you'd come inches away from his door only to be tugged away all of a sudden. Awoken on your feet, as fresh as the day began. Yet everyone believed it.
It was all, of course, a simulation. However, life outside the battlefield was real, there tumours bread and magical roommates were very much a threat. Their bodies, personalities, families and weapons were also quite real (and in some cases: handmade). But in reality, not one gun was ever fired.
How long this had been going on for was a secret. The fighting world felt so real, it's not human to second guess your own senses. But, a real respawn device was a closely guarded work in progress.
But alas, the invention was never finished. A certain Grey Mann interrupted things.
The mercenaries were awoken and thrown back into real life. Forced and expected to lead and save the world.
It seemed impossible to save anyone from robotic steel and nuclear fire. Especially when some of your only experiences came from a death defying war game.
But really, war, war never changes.