He was standing amongst the ruins of a castle, a weapon stand next to him. The sky was a deep orange and full of patchy clouds, giving the impression of a storm approaching at dusk. He selected a Plasma-rifle from the stand and made for a set of steps in front of him. He left what turned out to be a courtyard and climbed the steps into a large hall. The hall was decked out as if for a feast but all was chaos, tables upturned, food everywhere. Adama had a sudden feeling of unease and threw himself to the floor as a burst of minigun fire erupted from one of the upturned tables. It flew through the space he had previously occupied and Adama returned fire at the table, shattering it with plasma. But Leinne had moved on and was laying covering fire as she went, Adama struggled out of a doorway with some of the bullets ringing off his armour. He took a moments respite behind the safety of the wall and then launched himself back through the doorway using the beam fire to immaciate anything in front of him. The room was empty, either she had gone out and down the steps where he originally entered or she had gone through a door to his left. Adama picked the door and came to a smaller room with a wooden lift the only means of exit. She was only moments ahead of him so she would not have had time to work it, meaning she must have gone down the steps. He spun back and saw her, or rather her Minigun as it spat out a hail of bullets. He only just had time to dive to his right. Trapped, I can't use the lift without her hearing me working the ropes. But does she know thats the only way out?
"I know the only way out of there is a lift Adama," her singsong voice sounded lovely, even in this situation. "If I hear you trying to use it, you're in trouble." Adama swore softly. Pull the ropes to lure her in. At first Adama had no idea where the idea had come from, realisation came as a shock. Tactician? But there was no reply. The idea was a good one though so Adama started pulling on the lift ropes with one hand while he kept his rifle pointed at the door. Leinne burst around the corner so quick Adama almost missed his chance but his plasma found its mark. He noticed that even the look of shock on her face was pretty as she dissolved. He stuck his head round the corner and advanced to the hall, exiting it by the door on the right where he had hidden moments before. There was a long coridor stretching both left and right, after a few seconds hesitation Adama headed left and turned a corner to see Leinne standing in the middle of a room with a Bio rifle in her hands. He smiled to himself, Bio rifle against Plasma-cannon. As he planted his feet to fire a barrage at her he realised her rifle was already smoking. He noticed something by his feet, a big green blob that promptly exploded. He respawned in a room he had not seen yet. She killed me with a Bio-rifle! No-one uses a bloody Bio-rifle efectively, its a joke of a weapon! Well it seemed she was good with one, she had timed it perfectly when she heard him coming down the coridor. The rest of the battle passed quickly, Leinne reaching the target of twenty kills three before Adama. His companions stayed silent throughout the rest of the match and Adama was beginning to think he had imagined Tactician giving the advice. The match ended and they both removed their headware.
"Thanks," said Leinne, "I really had to work for that, and you almost had me a coupla times."
"Ha!" Said Adama with a toss of his head, "i'll know to push harder next time." I gave it everything I had, he was thinking, shes bloody fast.
"What events are you doing in the Garaxis?" She asked innocently. Adama hesitated before replying, wishing he could say the blood matches.
"I'm doing both sim competitions, what about you?"
"Well i'll see you in the flag sim matches, and then im doing the blood-deathmatch. How come you never do the blood matches anymore, you used to be quite good I heard?" Adama's face obviously betrayed some of his dismay at the question because Leinne said, "sorry, its no business of mine."
"Its ok," said Adama composing himself. He was not really surprised that she had heard of him, his story was known to most of the players staying at the Tournament grounds, "If you've heard that I don't compete anymore you've probably heard the reason as well. I get these... headaches I guess you can call them." Adama had never told anyone about the memories in his head, people would think him mad. "They leave me incapacitated and as you know, thats it in a blood match, no second chances." Leinne had a sad smile on her face, and a look that said pity. That made Adama angry. "Look, I don't need pity alright? I'm doing ok in the sim battles and who knows, maybe the headaches will clear up soon," fat chance, he thought to himself.
"It wasn't pity Adama, sorry if I upset you, it's just that you're really quite good, at times brilliant. Even though I won that battle some of your kills were far superior, sometimes you reacted before I even knew what I was doing." Adama felt his anger drain away, he could not seem to stay mad at this woman. "You're just madly inconsistent thats all," she said with a smile.
"I'm sorry I sparked, no sleep makes me a grumpy wanker sometimes. Maybe we can practice some more before the Cup?"
"No time like the present," Leinne looked at him cheekily, "that is, if you think you're up to another match?"
"With a phrase like that you may as well have double-dared me. Very well, but i'm warning you, I won't hold back this time."
"Bring it," with that she sat back and pulled the visor down over her head. Adama punched in the instructions for one of his favourite training areas and joined her in the virtual world. They battled for several more matches, Adama tried his hardest but everytime Leinne beat him by a handfull of kills, until they reached their fifth match. They came out of the virtual world together and Leinne was laughing.
"Where the hell did that come from?" She said, still laughing. "You start out being all killable and then you annihilate me twenty kills to three!" Adama found her laughter contagious.
"I guess I got a bit tired of being your punchbag." In reality Adama did not really know what had happened. Leinne had gone three kills up at the very beginning and something inside him had just snapped, or rather had come together. He felt as if he had been fighting whole, for the first time in ages.
"Well thats how I expect you to play if we get put on the same CTF team in the Cup, alright? Anyway i've got to go, i'm meeting with my new sponsor. Says he has some advice for me."
"Yeh right, as if any of them have any idea what being in the Tournament is like. Well I guess i'll see you at the flag matches, good luck with the blood fights."
"Thanks, you too, good luck with yours." With that she turned and exited, disappearing down the coridor. Wow, thought Adama as he retrieved his token and made for the door himself. As he was headed back to his room he glanced at the time display on an info screen in the hall. Holy shit, how is it the afternoon? A long time had passed whilst training it seemed and he suddenly realised that he was shattered. He walked slowly back to his cell thinking about that last battle with Leinne. She was so fast, in all the other fights she was running rings around me. What was different that last time?
You were complete. Adama stopped, in shock, and looked around. He had no idea where the voice had come from, but it had sounded like it was inside his head.
