Chapter 2

The blinding light disappeared as soon as it had appeared.

Hank blinked, his eyes slowly readjusting.

"What the... what the hell happened?" He asked, looking around.

Twenty five individuals(including Hank), including his family, neighbors, friends, co workers and a few people he didn't know were spread out in the immediate area, each looking confused.

"Bobby! Peggy! what is this?" He asked, moving closer to his wife and son for protective reasons.

"Dad! What happened? I swear it wasn't me!" Bobby shrieked.

"I know son, just stay calm" Hank said.

"Hank! where are we?" Peggy asked nervously.

Hank looked around, "I don't know, this sort of looks like Arlen, but not right." The group was in a large empty backyard with poorly maintained hedges instead of fences, and a large shed stood in front of them, with back packs and various tools and cases spilling out of the entrance.

The others were equally confused.

"It's the government. There testing out the new matter transporter" Dale stated calmly.

"Matter Transporter! Oh no, that's not good" Bill said, sweating a little.

"Yo man, this... this is...not good" boomhauer agreed.

"boomhauer! What's going on! I was just sleeping in your room!" The anonymous woman that was sleeping in Boomhauers bed ran over and hugged him. He did not hug her back, instead looked surprised. "yo man... I ... I thought you left" He said, looking around. Bill glared at him.

"Look here old top, there's a note!" Buck Strickland called out, opening up an envelope that had been on the nearest backup. The others slowly looked through the different packs while he read it out loud.

"You have all been selected for ultimate hungry game time, and will all fight to the death in an arena themed death battle. These weapons and supplies are here to help you succeed, good luck"

"I knew it, government matter mover, the C.I.A are working with the mob to film human deathsport" Dale said. He was the only one not shocked by the note.

"They want us to fight to the death? This is crazy! There's no way we're doing that!" Hank shouted.

"It's all on this note, old top, they know what they want" Buck Strickland said.

"We don;t have to listen to some note! We don't even know who wrote this!" Hank argued.

"the government, C.I.A and the mob" Dale said. He opened up one of the larger cases, revealing a long hunting rifle.

"Yo... that's nice" Boomhauer said. Bill nodded in silent agreement.

"But... but we don't have to listen to them! They're not even bothering to show themselves!" Hank argued.

"I'm sure no one would leave all these pretty things behind if they didn't want us to use them" Lucky replied, picking up a shot gun from beside the shed. "That's a nice looking gun!" Luanne said. Lucky smiled at her, "It sure is."

"That's crazy! that's no reason! Are you all actually going to follow these instructions!" Hank argued.

"Hank, you've always been a disappointment to me!" Cotton said. He opened a case and pulled out an old fashioned Winchester rifle. He pointed it at Peggy.

"DAD! NO!" Hank screamed. Cotton pulled the trigger. Hank jumped in front of Peggy, but nothing happened.

Cotton burst out laughing. Dale and the other men joined in.

"It wasn't loaded! Jesus, my son is stupid!" Cotton shouted.

Hank's face turned red from embarrassement.

I'm going to kill that old man later Peggy thought to herself.

"Excuse me! That wasn't funny! that's borderline abuse!" The scrawny social worker said. Cotton stopped laughing and glared at him.

"Hey!" Pat called out, breaking the tension, "What the hell is going? I don't even know who you people are!"

They all turned to him.

"I mean, I was just driving in my car! I shouldn't even be here! You all seem to know each other, what about me!" Pat asked.

"hmmm, that's right" Dale said quietly, pondering.

"Can you guys please just put the guns down, I mean, this is a little crazy, don't you think? no reason to act like rednecks now" He said.

"Who you calling a redneck, boy?" Cotton asked. Buck Strickland glared at Pat and cracked his knuckles threateningly.

"I mean... no need to pull out guns... please... just put the guns down" Pat repeated. He was starting to sweat a little.

"Listen honey, you don't want to be saying that" Joe Jack said, picking up a lead pipe.

"Oh god... please ... put the pipe down" Pat began backing away.

Dale continued to ponder.

Kahn unzipped one of the backpacks and reached in. He pulled his hand out a moment later, a revolver in it. "Nice... nice" He said to himself.

"We don't take to kindly to being called that around here" Lucky said, stepping protectively in front of Luanne, "you're not a very nice person!" she shouted.

"Oh god, please... stop looking at me! Look, just forget I ever said anything!" Pat cried out.

Cotton laughed. The others followed, except for Hank , Bill and Dale.

"Come on guys, he's making a good point!" Hank shouted.

"Shut up, boy" cotton said without looking at him.

"This doesnt seem very nice" bill said quietly, but no one heard him.

Dale continued to ponder as Pat took another step backwards. He was a couple feet away from a large back pack.

"He's a government spy! He's the reason where all here!" Dale shouted , pointing his finger at Pat.

"What! NO! I'M NOT! YOU'RE ALL CRAZY, AHH!" He took another step back and tripped over the backpack.

"He's with the government! Don't let him get away!" Dale shouted.

Pat scrambled to his feet, but first he grabbed a gun that had been laying beside the backpack. He opened fire as soon as he stood up.

"He's firing back!" Cotton shouted, ducking down to load his rifle, but Pat hit him trice. Two large purple blotches of paintball hit him in the arm and chest.

Pat was filled with bullet holes instantly as Dale, Kahn, Lucky, Joseph, Joe Jack and Enrique opened fire on him. In the distance a cannon was heard.

Unfortunately, Joseph had picked up the only machine pistol. He lost control almost instantly and started shooting wildly in every direction.

"RUN!" Dale screamed, fleeing the scene with Bill and Boomhauer as chaos, panic and disorder took control.

Enrique was the first to be hit by Joseph's out of control machine pistol, falling to the ground riddled with holes.

The woman who had slept with Boomhauer screamed. One of the bullets hit Buck Stricklands leg, "GOD DAMN THAT STINGS!"

"Enrique!" Joe Jack screamed. he pointed his gun at Joseph and opened fire. He missed completely, instead blowing up principal Mosses face.

"HEADSHOT!" Dooley shouted, "Lets get out of here!" Chane Wassonasong screamed, running through the bushes. Dooley and Clark Peters followed, fleeing for their lives.

"This ain't safe!" Lucky said, pulling Luanne out of the gun fight. He continued to shoot back until they escaped through some of the hedges.

"He's trying to kill me!" Joseph screamed as Joe Jack shot at him again. "Lets go!" bobby squealed, running away with Connie. Joseph threw the machine gun onto the ground, which continued to set it off. Hank tried to grab Bobby, but recoiled just as a couple bullets zoomed by.

"Hanks Wife, you're done for" Cotton Hill whispered quietly after loading his rifle. He aimed at Peggy. She saw him, as did Hank , "DAD! NO!"

He pulled the trigger, but she was already running away, with Minh and Nancy.

"Damn it" He said angrily.

"Dad! What are you doing!" Hank screamed, charging him.

He replied with a warning shot at Hank. Hanks primal survival instincts took over, and he fled away, somehow dodging each stray bullet.

Joe Jack had become enraged over Enrique's death, shooting with a rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other at anything that moved. The woman that boomhauer had slept with was hit by a stray shot as she attempted to flee, killing her instantly.

Joe Jack continued to shoot wildly in all directions. His rifle ran out of ammo, so he threw it aside.

Eventually he stopped, realizing that the clearing was empty, aside from himself and Buck Strickland, who was laying in a slowly forming pool of his own blood, holding his leg.

"You really... fucked it up" Buck said.

Joe Jack looked down at him, his adrenaline rush quickly crashing.

"You forgot about me" Cotton Hill growled.

Joe Jack spun around and opened fire with the pistol.

Cotton didn't even flinch. The pistol only clicked.

Joe Jack's expression changed to one of realization and fear, "I'm sorry honey... It was just instinct! I don't know what happened!"

"I always thought you were a good guy, but I guess you're just as bad as Hank" Cotton said, pulling the trigger.

Joe Jack fell to the ground. Cotton stepped on his neck while passing him, making sure to break it.

"You don't look to good" He said to Buck.

"Hey... you gotta... you gotta help me... I'm ... I'm bleeding out fast" Buck pleaded.

Cotton laughed at him, "You call that an injury! I had my shins blown off in WW 2 and I still killed fitty men! You are a disgrace! Now pick yourself up, there's probably some bandages in some of these backpacks."

Cotton looked away while Buck Strickland reached and pulled over a backpack. Cotton was correct, there was a first aid kit in it.

"Well what... what are we going to do now?" Buckland asked while attempting to bandage himself.

"We're hunting Hank's Wife" Cotton said with an evil smile.