"Six targets still heading your way, one is unknown in cloak. 400 metres from your current position."

"Roger, we're entering our positions Sinon, on your call. Then they'll be slaughtered like last time."

Above the wastelands of lifeless sand, an occasional trickle of light reflected from the scorching sun. This reflection came from a large pile of rocks far from a central canyon beneath the position. In these rocks, a female player waited, sniper in hand. Her indigo eyes watched the battlefield carefully through the scope. In the canyon below, wrecks of pillars and a skyscraper beside gave cover to the squad waiting in ambush. Dyne and Ginrou seemed incharge of the other players, they gave each one certain hand gestures. Slowly, all of the squad were in their positions ready to fire at the unexpected hunting squadron. Four of them clearly had energy weapons: perfect for mobs, not PVP. However, the largest opponent of the lot had no visible weapon. He was hiding something underneath, just what?

A decision had to be made, who to fire at first?

"Any ideas on who the other player is?" Dyne asked his squad, "he wasn't with these guys previously when they came through a few days back."

"Could he be Death Gun?" a squad member asked sheepishly, "hired to kill more high rankers? No one knows who that guy is anyway..."

Dyne took a quick glance at this mysterious player. "Nah, I doubt it. This 'Death Gun' had a pistol. Just there for show/ This guy looks like a support player. Increased strength, y'know. Min-Maxed in that stat most likely. Sinon you still have the targets in sight?"

"Yes, all of them. Still in a close formation."

"Permission to open fire is granted. Give 'em hell!"

Sinon locked onto her target. A player beside the giant in the cloak. He held a FN Minimi with both hands. Not dangerous at this range, but could easily suppress the squad in wait given the distance between them. All she had to do was to wait for the bullet circle to close in. She opened fire…

A shell shot out of the barrel as a flash engulfed the muzzle break. Small shockwaves lifted up some dust around her. The full firepower of her trusty Hecate had just been unleashed, and it was heading right for the head of a player that had no idea it was coming. As quiet as a whisper, the bullet continued on its path to the target before finally hitting.

The victim fell dead on the floor instantly, it was a perfect headshot right at the forehead. Other players quickly scattered to defensive positions as the ambush had sprung. Dyne and Ginrou, with the rest, were closing in to finish off the rest, their movements swift between covers. The occasional round flew between the groups. Ammunition was limited, every bullet had to count.

"One down..."

Sinon pulled back the bolt, chambering another round. This time, this bullet was for the big guy. Even though her cover was blown, not many could dodge a round from a sniper rifle. She fired a second round… However, the target dodged the bullet without hesitation. He knew where the shot was going, and thus got out of the way even before the red line appeared. Experience was on this player's side. Along with something else too...

Suddenly, the unknown player removed his cloak in one fell swoop. Sinon stared in horror. This giant of a man had a Minigun. They ran later because of the weight on the player preventing him to run, not due to a hunt that ran over time. And now her allies were closing in to a dangerously close distance. He only smiled powerfully as the distance continued to close.

"He's strong to smile like that on such a battlefield…" Sinon muttered to herself, "To become stronger, I must kill him."

Like a flash, she quickly grabbed her Hecate rifle and made haste for the battle zone. She had to get there and quickly. There was little time to waste. The rest of the group remain, but not for long. Her allies had managed to kill a few weaker players; it wasn't enough.

"Pull out!" Shouted Sinon "I repeat, pull out! He has a minigun!"

Unfortunately, her call fell under deaf ears. The squad had already become bloodthirsty for kills. Ginrou, being his usual self, had started to show off with some over the top actions before and during killing opponents. Well, until the whirring begun…

The minigun started to whirr as the motor engaged, it was ready for murder. He stood up and proceeded to start a massacre. Multiple were terminated within seconds, including Ginrou. Gunfire stopped. A silence covered the wasteland like a thick blanket for a moment. No one dared to move against the firepower of a one-man army. The ambushed had now gone on the offensive. Energy weapons started to fire at who remained from the ambush. Any part of the body not covered by stone or metal, was deleted within seconds. Dyne and the rest were on the back foot. Sinon needed to close the distance, and fast. A distraction, at least, was needed. Her entire squad could be wiped out with a single burst of that minigun. No one wanted to take the risk and be slaughtered like an animal.

As Sinon quickly closed the distance, something caught her eye. Although some distance off, she could tell something was moving. She quickly went to her knees and aimed her sights at the area. Just beyond a wreckage of an Abrams, was three figures of varying sizes. Some features could be identified, but they were too far away for anything else to be seen properly. One had a long trench coat covering their whole body. One was as green as could be, perfect for grassland. One had a form of red cape gently blowing in the wind. They didn't seem dangerous, yet. 'Mostly likely opportunists. To scavenge anything left by our fight', she thought. Taking the chance, she continued her way to her allies; she hoped the one who willed the minigun was starting to run low of ammo and the so-called "scavengers" would arrive after the battle. 'The rate of fire of that minigun is a double edged sword. Quickly dispatches hordes but burns through ammunition quickly'.

Eventually, she made it to ground zero. The three figures from far away were nowhere to be seen, along half of the players who entered the fight. Two things became apparent: the fight was a current stalemate and now she was a prime target. Slowly, the mingun turned to face her. Then, with another whirr, the bullets started to fly right towards her where red lines covered much of Sinon's vision. It was do or die. Any hesitation would certainly lead to death. Sinon continued her charge, right into the fire.

As the little battle continued, three figures appeared yet again. One left the cover of the tank and grabbed a pair of binoculars. Before the figures, a perfect view of the landscape. The figure scanned the battlefield that lay before them. 'Nothing but a stalemate. These guys have some good loot yet a dead-on attack would only fail… Besides, they have Behemoth on their side, pro for sure…' His red cape gently rippled in the wind as he kept a close eye on the events unfolding. He watched as Sinon managed to jump out of the way of the wraith of bullets and joined up with the rest of her allies who remained after the onslaught.

"Did that sniper just… dodge a minigun?" the one in green asked in slight confusion while lying on the engine bay, "I have never seen that before!"

"Quiet, don't want to attract anymore attention." came a voice from the one in the trenchcoat while observing the cannon barrel, "That sniper could help us in our search though Seijirou said he didn't want too many involved in this but-"

The one holding the binoculars immediately took charge. Both listened as he started to come up with a plan in his deep voice. "Unexpected, but possible outcome… They'll try to kill the one wielding the minigun last, wiping out teammates first. We help them with this. Starbug, smoke shells on their positions to mask our attack from both sides. Subaru, suppressing fire on their side of the battlefield. I'll make sure this sniper girl gets the kill on Behemoth. Roll out!"

The squad started to make their way to the battlefield, remaining in the shadows as they went. In single file they jogged insync. Each one had their weapons ready to begin their assault. Only parts of the weapons could be seen, like barrels or stocks. Soon, an old skyscraper stood between them and the ongoing standoff. They entered.

"Starbug: 3rd floor, bearing 178. Be ready for coordinates."

"On it!" She skipped up what remained of the stone stars. Much was covered in debris or simply non existent.

"Subaru: 2nd floor, bearing 190. Identify opponents and relay back."

"Roger that!" He quickly followed Starbug up half way up before turning around. "What will you be doing in the meantime, Sabretooth?"

The one in the cape smiled with malicious intent. "I do not know yet. But, I know for real, there will be bloodshed."

Back at the stalemate, Sinon was holding Dyne by the scruff of the neck. Sniper rifle on her back, all of her strength was put into raising the man up on a pillar. Others watched cautiously, many feared butting in now would not end pretty. Thus, they just stayed where they was, slowly getting squeezed by Behemoth and those who remained from the hunting party.

"We can still win this!" she boomed at Dyne, "logging off now would not only leave us easy prey but also no way of getting back to the Glocken. So, follow my plan if you don't want to get humiliated. You make the first move. I'll head for a vantage position on that building."

She then threw him to the floor before darting between pieces of cover away from the group. Only four of them remained now including Sinon. Even though they outnumbered their foes by a single person, Behemoth could easily be counted as multiple players in both health and raw power. He had to be dealt with differently to the other players. A simple baiting would unlikely do the trick. So, a multi-directional attack would work best for now, as long as no one interrupted them at least.

As Sinon made her way to some stone stairs towards the back of the building, the others got into position. They readied their weapons for the order of attack. The others did the same, waiting for the same call. No-one budged. No-one spoke a word. No-one even twitched. Silence trickled down like raindrops; an uncertain ceasefire was in affect, but for how long?

Suddenly, shattering the silence, a sound echoed quietly. Not gunfire, but something from the upper levels…

Beside the feet of the ones wielding energy guns, something landed with a clunk. Then another. Then another. One looked down to attempt to find the cause the source of the noise. It was a tiny canister of sorts, multiple of them. Only an instant later, they detonated. Smoke poured out of the tiny containers. Quickly, it spread around them and then they immediately started coughing while holding their eyes in pain.

Sinon carefully made her way back to see what events were unfolding. She saw clearly what was going on. 'CS gas… Burning sensation and uncontrollable closure of the eyes. Why not use the High Explosive and kill them instantly?'

Suddenly, a figure brushed past her at lightning speed. The one in the red cape. He was here, right in front of her, wavy platinum blond hair gently flapping in a summer's breeze. A SPAS-12 in hand, he slightly turned his head towards Sinon after passing her.

"You kill Behemoth. I kill others."

An emotionless voice resonated from the player. However, in a flash, the figure was gone; he only left a cold chill of an artificial wind. The figure had run past right for the ones screaming in pain. Sinon saw him just keep running even with the minigun turning to face him. Soft humming from the electric whirr started again. Red lines filled the space the figure was charging against. Sinon could only stare from her position as the bullets started to fly. Smiling, Behemoth began firing in one continuous burst. 'He has no hope being that close. There is no cover between him and that gun. With that rate of fire and that distance, dodging is not an option. It is suicide.' However, the charging berserker had another idea in mind…

"Come get some!" the figure boomed at the top of his voice.

The figure darted behind a foe as the bullets ripped past. All of them missed by only a few inches. Some embedded themselves into a nearby wall while a few hit the player still holding his eyes in pain. Behemoth held his fire, no one would want to hit their ally while the enemy is still at large. Especially since dead bodies are indestructible for a few minutes before vanishing into pixels.

BANG! CLUNK!

The meat shield fell to ground in a slump. A cartridge shot out of the gun and bounced on the floor beneath. No screams came from the player, just silence. Bullets started to fly again in an instant at the killer; these however were in vain. Sabretooth darted to another victim as the whirr of the minigun hummed into silence. The same tactic, a different meat shield to use.

BANG! CLUNK!

Another foe fell. Another rapid sprint. Another barrage of bullets ending their journeys everywhere but their target. Behemoth grew impatient with every second that passed. "Come out and fight! A true man would face me one on one."

"Coming from the guy with a rotary…" came a quiet reply from the now crouching SPAS-12 wielder, "I'm using every advantage you're throwing away."

A hand gesture came from him, pointing towards Dyne and the other allies of Sinon followed by a thumb to the neck. Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from the second floor. A light machine gun, blasting away in short bursts. Half a dozen rounds or so escaped the barrel at a time to the bewildered group (who had spent the entire time focused on the events laid out before them). From the third floor, an echoing sound of something being thrown into the air via launcher. Sinon looked above her, a smoke grenade glided through the air before smashing into the ground beside the group. It instantly activated. Smoke poured from the device; within seconds, the air was filled with smoke like from a fire yet had no source of fiery destruction.

Even through the thick smoke, the bullets from the LMG hit true. One after another, they fell like flies. Sinon checked her HUD. All defeated except her, their hit points were all zero. Nothing was going to change that. She could only wait until this conflict was over. On the other hand, something stuck to her. For a glimpse, she saw the player's gamertag. His name was… Sabretooth.

This 'Sabretooth' told her she could kill Behemoth. Was he to be trusted? If so, why was he letting her get the final blow? 'Questions to be answered later. For now, I must be ready for the shot.'

Sinon set up her rifle by a large hole in a mostly collapsed wall. A perfect position: sights on the target and not too visible to her foe. So, she waited, eye on the target. She placed a finger beside the trigger. Placing a finger on the trigger would show the red line. A bad move for stealth.

Meanwhile, Sabretooth was still crouching behind a rusted metallic pillar, SPAS-12 in hand. There was still one opponent to deal with: Behemoth. This will not be a pushover. He still had a smile sewn onto his face but his grey goggles were long gone, destroyed in the intense fighting that just faded in an instant. Now his grey eyes, blazing with light, fixed his entire focus on the player that just wiped out several of his mob group.

"Come out and play!" Behemoth taunted, "I'll have fun tearing you to pieces. Got any last words before you are eliminated?"

He slowly walked forward towards Sabretooth, the electric motor whirring away for a final time and into Sinon's vision. No attention was paid to her. He was entirely focused on him.

After a few seconds of silence, Sabretooth answered. "Go dance with the angels!"

"What?" his opponent stood there confused by the taunt. He took a step forward then continued, "I don't care, you're going down!"

Behemoth pressed the trigger. The barrels rotated faster and faster. However, no bullets flew. It was run dry, drier than a desert. A moment passed. The unstoppable force had been conquered; now the final blow had to be dealt. A red line appeared directly to his head, but had noticed it too late. At the origin of the prediction line, was the very sniper that started it all: Sinon. She fired a single round. The shot flew true, right for its target. Just as Behemoth turned to face the bullet, it struck. He fell backwards onto the ground with a great thump. Finally, the goliath had been defeated. For the first time since before the battle, warmth flooded into the area like a miniature sandstorm.

Now, with no hostilities lingering in the shadows, Sabretooth stood and approached the body. 'Bingo, just what we came for. Here it is in perfect condition. Hopefully no one heard what I said...' He grabbed a small golden crystal from the corpse and held it up to the light. It glowed slightly. Sinon looked at the crystal through the lens, watching as it glistened in the high sun's glow. However, what really caught her eye was the person holding it. More of him became visible as he stood tall among the debris. The deep red cloak had stopped blowing in the gentle breeze. It now lay on his back as if sleeping. The wavy platinum blond hair remained in the same position as before, unmoving yet still unstyled. Most of body was molded with black armoured plates from neck to ankles. The figure looked at his black shotgun, twirling it a few times. 'Clever girl…'

He had never crossed this way before, nor crossed paths with Sinon in Gun Gale Online. Nothing of him was recognisable from the top rankings, except the name: Sabretooth. The name occasionally dotted some leaderboards. These could be easily forgotten by many others. No one had gone out of their way to find out about him, to her knowledge. Yet, here he was, victorious over a pro support player and claiming the loot.

Suddenly, Sabretooth turned to face Sinon, looking directly at her with both eyes. The left blossomed in green as the right remained shadowy in brown. She flinched. Many have stared at her over the time playing GGO, most in lust or awe. This was different. One eye stared in joy, the other in anger. Nothing came of it, only the distance closing between them as he approached. She did nothing, only watched until he was face-to-face with Sinon.

"Here, take this." He handed over the golden crystal, before closing her hand around it. "Plenty to go around."

Then, as soon as his lips closed, he was off again.

The others, that were with him to begin with, had been waiting by the foot of the stone staircase. Sinon watched them carefully from the corner of her eye while placing the Hecate over her shoulder. 'Was that… teamwork between complete strangers? It went so smoothly. No planning needed yet it flowed better than those guys could ever muster.'

The three made their way around the remains of the battlefield, scavenging whatever they found. Anything valuable, the one who found it would smile a little to themselves before placing the object into their inventory. Sinon approached the one who allowed her to get the final blow.

"Hey, umm," she was still at a loss for words, "Thanks for helping us defeat Behemoth. Though I do have to ask… With coordination and skills like that, why don't you appear more often in the tournaments?"

To begin with, it fell on deaf ears. Sabretooth was rummaging through materials in his inventory, comparing them to what lay at his feet.

"You didn't play with these guys long, right?" an answer at last, but not what she wanted to hear. The answer became yet another question, this time directed back at Sinon.

"A few weeks at the most, why?"

"Thought so…"

Sabretooth stood slowly and faced her yet again. The same expression from before remained. Corpses of Dyne and Sinon's other allies vanished into pixels. Followed by the players ambushed by them originally.

"Teamwork is necessary to rise on the food chain. Having a small pack makes it difficult at the best of times. Squadrons of a dozen or more roam the plains."

Hearing this person speak, was unusual. As much as his actions flowed, the voice wasn't fluid. Some words were mispronounced. Many could simply gloss over, but not Sinon. It was unlike any accent she had heard. At some points, she nearly struggled to tell what words were spoken. These were few and far between, yet noticeable.

"Then, how about increasing your 'pack' numbers by another? It's not like this one is any good anyway"

He was taken back by this. Surprisement flashed across his face before vanishing into the void.

"Had no requests before… An hour at the Glocken. By the Observatory. No later. You can think about your choice then."

Without a pause, he began to walk away into the void of a lifeless desert. The others were quick to join. Then, around 50 metres away, Sabretooth turned to say one last thing: "You hear what I said to the fella?"

"I don't think so…"

"Good! Let's forget about that, and never speak of it."

Thus, the three that appeared from behind a hunk of metal, would vanish into endless sand dunes. They all walked in a perfectly straight line away side by side, at a quickened pace before anyone else dared to intercept them back. Now only a single person lingered: herself. She would have to return to the safety of the Glocken soon too. That crystal was a rare drop for refining weaponry. Definitely worth a witch hunt over. So, while still in the clear, Sinon made her own way over the sand dunes. Past ruines and wrecks, over destroyed roads and avoiding larger squadrons until her destination was in view. You couldn't miss it, not even on the worst of days. Just beyond several ravines, the central hub of all activities stood above everything in this barren landscape: SBC Glocken. Safety in the form of a humongous space battle cruiser. This grounded space cruiser was complete with high rise skyscrapers and many darkened walkways. Sounds like the perfect place be stationed out of, right?

Author's notes:

Panzer_Bros:

So yeah, the great Sinon finally comes across our new protagonist and his comrades in the field of battle. Each of these new additions will be fully introduced later on, stay tuned for that. Each OC I have tried to make unique in their own regards (without making them typical Mary Sue OCs or grounding them too much).

Moreover, even without their direct influence, there has been some alterations from the source material. I have done this on purpose. Personally, this way makes it flow better and some parts (objectively) I think could have more impact if altered. Yet, Sinon and other Original characters will not differ (or at least too much) from their anime/light novel/manga adaptations. I will be taking parts from all three throughout.