(A/N): New chapter! Enjoy!
"Attention, the Ring is now closing." The announcer echoed once again, putting more pressure against my chest as I ran.
I had finally made it through Capital City, running along the train tracks. It was a stupid idea to even run in a straight line in an open area, but I needed to make sure I made it into the next Ring. I avoided all fights around me, terrified when hearing footsteps nearby.
I was deciding between the respawn near Sorting Factory and Fuel Depot. I knew there was going to be a fight the moment I respawned my teammates, getting every other team to push us, but it was a chance I was willing to take. I was waiting for a ping from my teammates, hoping they would choose their fate for themselves, I didn't hear anything. So, I decided to run for the direction of Sorting Factory.
I quickly slid down the hill and began to respawn at the beacon. It didn't take long for the dropship to fly over the map as I watched Mirage and Wraith jump out from it. Wraith easily landed on her two feet while Mirage almost tripped over on his own.
"Didn't think you'll get us back," Wraith said as she stepped passed me to loot the building nearby. "There was a respawn outside of the Epic Center."
"There was a team nearby. That's a death wish." I responded while throwing out my drone to check on a champion banner in Sorting Factory. There were no teams in the area…yet.
"I still don't trust you." Wraith continued through her mic as I logged out of my drone.
"She's only messing with you, Crypto," Mirage said, but I didn't believe that.
Wraith took the time to find the fake name I put on my application for this horrible game. Only her and nobody else. I had thought that Mirage had known about my plans when I first interacted with him, but now I believe it was Wraith all along. She's under my skin and I needed to get her out.
I didn't respond to either of them, taking the zip-line towards Sorting Factory. I pulled out my drone to check for any teams. We were still by ourselves but knowing that made me nervous. I left my drone's eye again and continued looking for better loot for my teammates. Wraith and Mirage continued their conversation, talking about almost anything.
That made me think about Mila.
"Elliot, shoot down that drone. It has a Vault key. We can go to the one near Lava City." Wraith said as I headed for the roofs of Sorting Factory and sat down on the edge, dangling my feet.
I watched my team continue to loot since I was already geared up. Though we all needed better body shields, so going to the Vault would be the best option for that. I pulled out my drone remote and began playing with it, watching it twist and turn within my grasp. I glanced at Mirage and noticed he was checking on me from afar. I nearly panicked when we made eye contact. Mirage stares at me for a second longer before waving. I don't respond to him, continuing to stare until he finally chases after Wraith who was heading into a small building.
I started to wonder why he was interested in me. Why he wanted my attention?
I quickly blew away the thought, stuffing my remote back into my pocket as I stood up.
"We're running out of time. We need to head for the Vault." I told my team through the mic. "If we don't go now, we'll meet up with the teams who are trying to get into the Ring."
"You're so paranoid. Remember, it's just a game." Wraith responded as I watch her exit the small building she was in with Mirage.
"This is my second match, Baegchi (Idiot). I haven't had much experience constantly dying." I retorted.
"I don't constantly die."
I could tell I angered Wraith through her response, making me smirk.
"Hey, um…w-we're still going to be working together as a team, right? I-I mean…I'm really hoping we win this match." Mirage inputted, trying to stop the fight between Wraith and I.
Our mics grew silent until Mirage reminded Wraith about the Vault. It didn't take us too long to reach the entrance of the cave where the Vault laid since we took the balloon towards it.
Mirage quickly opens the Vault and Wraith took the majority of the best items in the room before Mirage could even step a foot into the Vault himself. I didn't really care for the loot as much as they did, so I leaned myself against the Vault doors and waited for them to finish.
"Hey! I opened the Vault!" Mirage shouted.
"If it wasn't for me telling you to shoot the drone, we would have never come here," Wraith responded.
"You're serious?" Mirage asked as he finally got the chance to look through the rest of the items.
Luckily for us, we all had on Level Three Body Armor, so armor wasn't the worry in our fight to win this match now.
We hurried out the cave, hearing the train entering Sorting Factory.
"Let's use that train to get to Tree," Wraith said.
"We could walk there. It's not far." I responded.
Wraith turns to me and smirks.
"Remember when you told me this was your second match? You don't have a say in this, Newcomer." She says before walking towards Sorting Factory.
I clenched my teeth, staring strongly at the back of Wraith's head. Though, I guess Mirage could see the anger in my expression cause I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder. I brushed it off the moment I felt it and locked eyes with Mirage.
"She was like this with Octane when they first played a match together. So, you don't need to worry too much?" Mirage explained and I didn't respond to him as I focused my eyes back on Wraith. "…Good talk."
Mirage walked off to follow Wraith when I noticed Wraith had stopped walking herself, scanning her surroundings before looking over her shoulder at Mirage and I.
"Sniper!" She shouted before I heard a bullet fired. I watched Wraith's head whiplash before she dropped to the ground. Her head was covered in blood while she yelled in agony.
"Shit! Wraith!" Mirage shouted as another bullet was shot, nearly hitting Mirage's head.
That bullet had forced Mirage to quickly hide behind a rock nearby just as I did.
"Where are the bullets coming from?" I asked in the mic.
"Sorting Factory. Main building. O-on the roof." Wraith answered.
"Wraith, can you crawl to cover so I can revive you?" Mirage asked her.
"Too late. They're –"
Then, we heard another bullet shot and Wraith's mic was cut. Mirage and I glanced at where she was Downed, finding her death box in a puddle of her blood. I nearly threw up.
"We have to run for Tree!" I shouted towards Mirage.
"We need to grab Wraith's banner first!" Mirage replied, sending out one of his decoys towards Wraith's death box.
"Don't go out there!" I yelled at him.
Mirage doesn't listen and runs for the death box a few seconds after his decoy. I knew the sniper would realize the second Mirage is the real one and I instantly took off for him. I pushed Mirage out of the open, making us both trip and fall behind cover. We heard the late bullet hitting the ground nearby before dropping into a puddle.
"What are you doing?" Mirage asked, shoving me off of him. Honestly, I was wondering the same thing. Why did I just save him? Was it because we are temporarily on the same team?
"Did you see that bullet? It didn't go for your decoy, Idiot." I answered him, getting back onto my feet in a crouch. Mirage was still laying down, staring at me. I could tell he knew I was right before he raised up.
Mirage checks his map and sighs.
"There's no other Respawn Beacon." He says.
"Then, we go to Tree," I responded.
Mirage glances at me before closing his map; he sighs.
"I hope you're fast, Kid. 'Cause we're running from a bullet to get to Tree. If we're lucky, the sniper has already attracted another team."
"We'll take off at the same time. It'll make the sniper have to choose who they want to shoot first." I added to Mirage's plan. I nearly said something about his nickname for me, but hearing Mirage sounding trustworthy again since he tackled me down the snowy hill in our last match together, I will let it pass for now.
Mirage suddenly raises out his hand and smirks at me. I don't take it, averting my eyes in the direction of Tree. The run seemed longer than walking to get there, terrifying me. My hands even began to shake.
"On my decoy," Mirage says, taking me out of my thoughts.
I glanced at him. I could tell he saw my shaking hands before he spoke; his smirk seemed more worried about me.
"…On your decoy." I repeated.
It took Mirage a moment before finally shooting out a clone of himself. Mirage and I took off for our lives as we watch a bullet fly through his decoy, turning it into pixels and disappear. I felt myself run a bit faster after watching that decoy be destroyed, the sniper was now on me. Every bullet they took, I still couldn't recognize the gun they were using.
I looked to my left, shocked to see Mirage right beside me. He seemed already out of breath from the burst of speed we had started with, but he showed in his stride that he could run all the way to Tree without the thought of taking a break.
Finally, a bullet was shot and was watched hitting a puddle in front of us. My heart nearly stopped. Then, another bullet was shot and had flown over my head, missing the back of Mirage's head. We both tsked, nearly tripping on our feet.
"We need to stop at that blue truck up ahead!" Mirage said beside me, pushing his speed to get to the cover he recommended a bit faster.
"They're going to follow us!" I shouted back.
"I see a third party on the other side of Sorting Factory coming for that team! We're – Augh!"
A shot was fired at us again and Mirage suddenly hits the ground as I ran passed him. I slid my feet into a complete stop before running back for Mirage. Blood was spilling from his ankle as he quickly shot out a decoy beside me.
"Go!" Mirage demanded me.
I quickly turned around to run off without him, but…I hesitated. I looked over my shoulder at Mirage, watching him watch his decoy finally disappear. I knew the next bullet was coming and fell on top of Mirage.
"W-what are you –"
We heard the bullet as it smashed itself into my chest. I tried to yell out the pain, but I only coughed up the blood in my mouth. I lazily glanced at Mirage's eyes. He was in shock about what I did. I begin to try to pick him up, feeling and hearing another bullet fly through my right leg. I dropped Mirage and myself back down in the dirt, screaming in my mouth.
"Crypto, j-just go!" Mirage told me.
Suddenly, we heard more bullets break out back in Sorting Factory. The team attacking us was attacked by a third party. I rushed Mirage and I back up to our feet and we dragged ourselves to the blue truck sitting beside three opened supply crates. We made sure to close the doors and hide in the back of the truck where there were no windows to catch our breaths.
I was shivering in pain and terror, watching the fight in Sorting Factory ahead of me. I checked my health bar and noticed the sniper needed one last shot to knock me down.
"W-why…why did you block the bullets?" Mirage asked me.
"…Neon nado ttoggat-i haess-eo. (…You did the same for me.)" I answered before coughing up some blood. I almost forgot I could heal myself back to normal health as if a near-death experience didn't just happen a moment ago.
"What?" Mirage asked me.
I sighed.
"We're a team," I answered again, beginning to use a syringe.
I couldn't get Mirage blocking a bullet for me out of my head. If it wasn't for him back at Overlook, I would be the one sitting in the Respawn Chamber right now. This idiot had his moments of stupidity, but he seems to be willing to take a bullet for anyone in this game.
"You know…I-I'm t –"
"Attention, the Ring is now closing." The Announcer said, interrupting Mirage.
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