Epic games and Atari own it not me
Chapter 4: Slight changes
It was a long off-season for me. I trained my ass off, lusting for a chance to get my hands around the throat of Bernard. The Phalanx grounds was buzzing for the weeks while new recruits joined up and some members of other teams defected to our ranks. I was so proud of my training over that month and a half. I put on almost twenty pounds of muscle, I had become a much more accurate shot, and I forced myself to be able to take a stun blaster hit better. Bjorn was impressed with my diligence, but many times voiced his concern with me allowing my team mates to shoot me at point blank with their blasters. I know it was all worth it, I trained so hard that I could take a stun blast and most of the time stay on my feet, down to one knee at the worst. I remember mostly though how close Arielle and I grew over those weeks. We had become very good friends, I just wished we could progress that last step. I had grown very fond of her, I think I was falling in love with her… I don't know, it's been so long since I've known what love is.
About a week
before my second season Bjorn called us all together. We assembled in
the lounge of his wing, he walked in looking clearly distressed.
"Liandri has passed
some new rules for the tournament." he began quietly. He placed a
steel pistol down on the table that the couches surrounded, we all
stared down at it. "This…. is the enforcer… It will be taking
the place of your stun blasters this season." At first we didn't
really understand, how could Bjorn be so upset about a new stun
blaster? How dangerous could it be? Then he filled us in, these
things didn't shoot sonic blasts that winded the target… this
thing shot bullets. "Liandri has stated that last seasons ratings
dropped by three percent at the end of the season, as a result we now
use real weapons in order to keep attention on the tournament." I
felt sick as I stared down at the pistol, I wished this was all a bad
dream. "So, as a result of this change, fatalities are very
possible if not likely. This brings about the next item of change,
teams are no longer four members. Now teams can have as many members
as they wish, since Liandri hopes at least one fatality will occur
every match." There was a deathly silence over the room. Several
recruits voiced their disgust and walked out, never to be seen again.
I wish I was as smart as they were. "It's been passed that now
there will also be weapons that can be picked up in the arena during
combat. These weapons include a minigun, a rocket launcher, a shock
rifle, the "pulse gun", something called the "Bio rifle",
sniper rifles and new prototype weapons called the "Ripper" and
the "Flak canon"." I felt ill at every weapon's name. There
was another long, drawn out silence until Bjorn spoke again. "This
is not what we signed up for people, so if you want out I will
understand." A few more members got up and left the room, leaving
Bjorn, Arielle, Blake, myself and some rookies. We all were too
stunned to speak, Bjorn even seemed at a loss for words.
"So let me get this
straight." Blake started, reaching out and lifting the enforcer.
"Liandri expects us to risk death, so that their stock will go up?
They think we won't have any issue with these new rules while their
ratings go up a few percentages?" Bjorn sighed and nodded. "Ya
know what I say then?" Blake spoke again, a strange glimmer was in
his eye. "I say we call the Iron Guard. We talk to Brock and Lauren
and launch an attack on Liandri itself, they want action we'll give
them action."
"Don't be stupid,
Blake." Bjorn said quietly. "Liandri would likely already expect
some teams to be unhappy about this, I'm sure they've already
planned ahead for this." I reached out and took the enforcer from
Blake's hand. I was quite light in weight, yet it seemed very
durable. I stared at it for a few minutes, unsure what to think. "Our
first match of the season is going to be against the Thunder Crash, I
recommend we tighten ourselves up now that the stakes are higher."
I still stared at the gun that sat in my hand.
"Bjorn." I said
calmly, I couldn't take my eyes off the enforcer. Bjorn looked at
me. "Bernard is mine." I placed the enforcer down on the table,
but still stared at it obsessively. "I promise you he won't live
to see past the season opener. That son of a bitch is mine."
So we see the beginning of the tournament we now know. Will Jordan get some vengeance on Bernard? What will transpire next for the Dark Phalanx? You know the drill, next chapter.
