There was little that compared to walking between the giant skyscrapers of the Glocken. Everything about the city was huge. From the number of places to go, to the size of the dungeons beneath, you can be guaranteed that there is always something new to explore. Above all of the jostling of players and NPCs, was a titanic building acting like a lighthouse. It danced beams of colour far and wide (generally beyond the boundaries of the SBC). Just like the wallpapers advertising the game, the city stood there alive to the brim with activity.
Many were continuing with their daily MMO lives. Markets had everything one would need for mob hunting or ambushing unexpected players. Players bought and sold by the truck load. Millions of credits exchanged hands constantly without any signs of stopping. Some pieces of equipment were at a great price, others ripoffs. Other players, fearing such ripoffs, would swarm NPC stores for their fair share of credits and weaponry. All of this thrived like an ant colony, the workers constantly on the move in and out of the colony to receive their paychecks. However, among these, some just chatted in special locations dotted around the Glocken, say private rooms and sets of tables encircling the main gun store towards the centre.
Yet, past the crowds, past the shops and past the endless paths was the central plaza. A glass roof covered much of the area. Sections within the area were dedicated for tournaments and gambling during said events. Today, many swarmed the booths. Warriors wanting to test their might could now sign up for the third Battle of Bullets. A few tried to barge into the queues, only to be thrown out immediately. The occasional fight would brawl by these instances, ending in one backing down as their place would be filled quickly by others. Thus, resulting in another person barging in to reclaim their position; it loops again. Even with six days to go before the Battle of Bullets, many signed for their places straight away. Although places were unlimited, matches were generally more even in matchmaking for the early birds. No point for a newbie to face against a reginning champion on the first stage. Stage fright would consume them.
Many still filtered through to get their names down for the big fights. Many prizes could be won here, generally of great value for those who master their weaponry. Among these, was Sinon. She just stood there patiently in line as the commotions repeated every so often. Eventually, the line shuffled forward and she finally reached the front. A simple screen greeted her. All she had to do was confirm her details on her account and sign up for the tournament.
"Done. Not hard at all. What took everyone else so long to do this?"
By a large, and open, circular area, numerous tiny groups of three or four huddled and chatted. From here, the main district was in impeccable view beneath. This elevated position gave the best way to not only stay for sightseeing, but also spying on others. Noticing a large bounty would spring up conversations on how to claim it for themselves. Some were, indeed, discussing such things. This was the Observatory. It was the perfect place for a chat.
Sinon exited the great glass building. The queue had begun to reach beyond the building, and was still growing. Their diversity kept going through the roof. There were: newbies, pros, agility builds, strength builds, supports and so much more! 'I guess many want the best chance of getting through to the finals, they have no chance of that.'
In the corner of her eye, she saw the three from before. One short and dressed in green. Another in a trench coat with long purple hair. Then, the leader, Sabretooth. He still remained in his red cape fluttering in a gentle breeze. They chatted between themselves. 'Judging by their precision and teamwork from previously, their chemistry must be a sight to see.' As she approached, their words became clearer and audible. A different tone from before shone brighter with every step.
"I'm telling you, the Stoner is better in the Bren configuration than with the drum magazine! It is smoother and is easier to use."
"The automatic rifle holds 30 rounds compared to at least 75 of the drum. You are incharge of suppressing fire 'n' trap detection y'know. Constantly reloading will only hamper combat performance. C'mon Sabre! You're supposed to be backing me on this!"
"Yea, yeah, I know Starbug… We'll try the Bren instead of the LMG in a small engagement and make a decision there, you fine with this Subaru? The gun is yours. You should choose the correct configuration. But, bare in mind, efficiency must be uphold at all costs."
"Aye, aye sir! I shall make the changes when I get back to my room, it won't take long to convert, especially with my support and crafting skills."
They were all facing the other way, soaking in the skyline of the Glocken, all unaware that Sinon was right behind them.
"Umm, excuse me… You said to meet here and-"
Suddenly, Sabretooth jolted forwards and right into an invisible wall in front of him, face first. Immediately afterwards, he turned around, hand rubbing his forehead.
"Jesus! Don't do that! You nearly made me jump into oblivion."
"I am so sorry!" Sinon bowed in a great swoop. "I didn't mean for that to happen, just came here as said…"
"No, no, it is fine…" a reply came from Sabretooth, still rubbing his forehead, "Should have been more prepared."
She raised her head. Finally, Sinon was face to face with the players who decimated both a raiding party and an ambush within a few minutes. Not exactly what she was expecting, but already she could tell this would be an 'interesting' experience.
"I'm here to join you guys", Sinon continued, relaxing somewhat as the three listened. "The previous ones I worked with were 'inadequate' to say the least. I'm Sinon, pleasure to be by your side."
Clearing his throat, Sabretooth answered, "The pleasure is mine, Sinon. I am Sabretooth, of course, platoon leader. This little one is Starbug, incharge of specialist rounds and espionage. And finally, this chap with the trench coat is Subaru, he'll suppress anything that moves and is the technology expert."
His pronunciation again cropped up. Some words were on the harder side to understand. Yet again, many could simply gloss over it, but Sinon wanted to ask about this. Until…
Starbug approached Sinon before looking up at her. Her height was only just beneath Sinon's shoulders, but it was heavily noticeable especially with her teammates being much taller than her, and even greater in height than Sinon.
"Another female avatar, at last..." Starbug stared carefully at Sinon' body structure and equipment carefully. "Still, I am uncertain if you are actually a woman or not. Y'know how these things work, right? VRMMOs are an escapism from the real world. Anyone can become anyone else with the correct role-play."
"Hey, don't be rude." Sabretooth yanked on Starbug's small backpack, forcing her backwards. "That is a terrible first impression doing that kind of thing. A question for another time perhaps, not right now. Instead, be kind to the lady."
Sinon shook her head a little. "No, no, it is fine. Fully justifiable. Quite a few people do what Starbug just said, though fortunately I am not one of them. Though I do have a question of my own to ask..."
Both Starbug and Subaru fixed their gazes on to Sabretooth. Starbug smiled and nudged him while Subaru took a step back.
"What is your question?" Politely asked Sabretooth, shaking slightly. His brown and green eyes had just become an open book for others to read; the pulse rose with every passing second. 'Oh God… What on Earth will she be asking? Personal stuff? Some have done that before. Equipment? Seems too easy to get out of and unlikely. Skills? At her level, doubtfully. Just act calmly…'
"Where exactly are you from? I've never heard someone with your accent before. Hokkaido? Fukuoka?"
She received no reply. His eyes were blank. His expression was blank. There was no movement, as if he had shutdown. Then, suddenly, his eyes began to move. He wasn't AFK after all, but instead panicked. Panicked but containing it as best as he could. Barely any of it seeped to the surface. At least, that was he thought was going on anyway. He cleared his throat. Then, after a quick ruffle of his hair, answered.
"Not exactly… I live elsewhere, but that would give away my true location. I'll say when the time is right. After all, we've not exactly known each other for years."
"True… Sorry for asking…" It wasn't the answer she was looking for, but some things did just get clearer. They'll just need need to be fully unearthed later on. "So, you accept my invitation for joining?"
"Oh yes, of course. Another player would work marvellously, especially a sniper."
Thus, with a quick few presses upon a hologramatic curved screen, the deed was done. Sinon was now a part of 'Sabot Platoon'. It now had four members, all focused on different skills and stats.
"Sabot, huh? Who came up with that?"
A swift reply came from Subaru. "I did. I got it from the name of the ammunition from most modern armoured vehicles. APFSDS, or armour-piercing-fin-stabilised-discarding-sabot, is where I got it from. Though it can be referred to firearms as well."
"You sure know much on weaponry, perfect for a tech-guy like yourself. When should be begin to head out? There's plenty to-"
Starbug cut in out of the blue. "Hold your horses there miss. We have some things to sell and forge from our previous expedition. That queue was long y'know."
"So, you have signed up for the Battle of Bullets?"
"Yeah, of course. Anything else to queue for?"
This was news to Sinon. These players had never appeared on the Battle of Bullets league tables before. Only on smaller tournaments, they crop up every so often. In each one, they would get close to the finals, but no further. However, it was in the field of battle where they would shine. The platoon name… 'Sabot'... Now, that was a name Sinon had heard thrown around a few times in her time playing GGO. The squad name came up with players that commonly go to dungeons and mob spawning areas. Quite a few parties were wiped completely by Sabot. Information on their members and equipment loadouts went for high prices on the back streets. However, these were generally vague, even the best of information. Still, a few attempted to outdo the platoon. These were too destroyed. Even over many months, not much is spread among the playerbase about them. Except one thing, the gun used to kill them right in front of them. A black shotgun. Heat shield on the front and a stock filled with holes. It became known as "Clever Girl" by those who fell by it. Yet, now she was talking to its owner like nothing had ever happened with that gun's rampage.
However, there was six days till the first rounds started. So there would be plenty of time to get to know each other. This could only go well...
An hour or so later, much of the useless equipment was sold and upgrading the current equipment was complete. A lot of credits had been earnt in the previous events, and it was to be invested into other equipment with improvements. The four passed many shops and markets on their travels for the best prices. For someone who isn't much of a talker to strangers, Sabretooth looked at home in the bustling back streets where many items were exchanged. Some even greeted him before exchanging both information and items. These varied from beginners to some of the best, all seemingly oblivious to his actions on the battlefield. Yet, the exchanges were mostly focused on the supplies than anything else.
"Oh good, the optical sights are still on the table…"
"Giant armour? I have three spare, the going price is how much I can give them to you for now…"
"That price is the lowest I can sell the AK for, any lower would be charity, not business…"
"It has to be this way mate. These are hard to come by, but I promise better than the standard rate…"
Almost nothing about this Sabretooth connected with the one she met only a few hours ago. Bloodthirst and using the fallen as shields no more; this had transformed to simple greets and trading. As if these were two different people inhabited the same body, each lending a hand to complete him.
Another player approached them from behind, she came from a little gun store from the right.
"You guys back already? You must have got some good stuff then," came a voice from behind before suddenly both Starbug and Sabretooth were grabbed by a giant of a woman and hugged them tightly. Sinon and Subaru could only watch as they were slowly being crushed under this player's weight. Eventually, after some gasping from the victims, she let go.
"Sheesh Zero, stop doing that! You will kill us someday," Sabretooth spat out between deep breaths. Nearly every time they came each other, this would commonly happen with the same results: an embarrassed Starbug, a suffocating Sabretooth and a completely confused Subaru. Sinon would join Subaru in confusion this time around.
"Oh, I see you have brought a friend too!" She noticed Sinon, then walked up to her. She towered above Sinon, red hair covering her left eye. This player didn't seem threatening, but her kindness was enough to kill, "Don't tell me, is this the one who wields the Hecate sniper?"
"Yes… that is me… Sinon is my name…" answered Sinon sheepishly, refusing eye contact; instead, she kept her focus just to the right.
"Well, well. How unexpected of you to join with these lot. I'm Ahmya's older sister by the way, you can call me Zero X, or just Miss X. I run a little gun store just here, I guarantee the best prices!"
Starbug's face turned red as she went head-on against Zero X. "Don't use my actual name! IRL stuff stays there, and game stuff stays here. It's the rules of VR. How many times must I say this?"
"Good grief, my mistake. I'll try not to make the same mistake again, 'Starbug'. And, as for you sniper girl…"
Zero X bent down to Sinon's height, staring in kindness.
"You can have a look around to see if a gun suits you. A sidearm, I mean. I couldn't force you to replace your rifle."
"My Glock is fine how it is…"
"A Glock? They are usually replaced when the money starts rolling in… No matter, you should find something with much better gun characteristics and firepower. Come."
Thus, Zero X led them all into the shop. It was a small one, a little corner shop among other small shops. To prevent it blending in too much from the hordes generic stores, the "Gun-O-matic" was stocked to the gills in LEDs and price cuts. The LEDs filled the shop windows with guns and accessories for such weapons. The blacks and greys of the guns themselves faded in pinks and reds of the LEDs advertising them.
Inside, the store had many alleys full of new and used weapons. Each was placed on a tiny stand, clean and polished to the point of winning concorde competitions if they were cars. Every shelf had a theme: it either being nation of origin or type of weapon. Some starter, cheaper weapons lined up in rows at knee height. These were the weapons for starting combat, and not much else. They worked and did their intended roles. It was the rarer weapons that a player had to look out for; they held surprises for their owner. Be it higher damage output than usual or gaining more ammo for killing enemies (to name two), each had their quirks that made each one different. Beside these, magazines for the weapons were placed into large piles. Hundreds of rounds. All sleeping in darkness, waiting to be used one day.
However, these were not of interest to the current customer, she was looking for something small yet deadly. Either a pistol or SMG would work. They would fit the bill.
"Well, what can I say? There's everything from 'Chicago typewriters' to the 'right arm of the free world'. You have free choice." Zero X was extremely confident in her stocks. Her pride in a grand display of guns, now under the judgment of Sinon. Although still uncertain of replacing her Glock 18C, she still had a look. It wouldn't cost an arm and a leg after all.
Sinon decided to look around on her own, answering Zero with a simple nod. She was not kidding on the amount of guns to purchase. Plenty laid right in front of her, but was anything worth buying?
While Sinon looked at other pistols and some SMGs, the others proceeded to do their own things. Subaru was rummaging through the menus to alter his Stoner's appearance. Starbug practised some quick draws with her Beretta 92, each time at a different angle. Finally, Sabretooth and Zero X chatted away at the counter. Both lent over the counter, sitting on rounded red stools.
"You entered the Battle of Bullets? That's very unlike you, Sabre, what gives?"
"Well… Thought I might as well give it a try, the others wanted to give it a go. They've been asking for a long time. A test of singular strength against the odds. Though many just team up until the final ten or so are left."
"Never been a 'Royale' kind of guy have you... Shame, you would be able to play with a lot more people if you only tried more of them."
"That genre should have disappeared long ago… No matter. The main reason was to track a certain fella too. 'Death Gun' is the name he goes by when he fired a shot at a screen. Not his ingame name however, that's set to private. Been requested to get some info by a nice chap. Friends with Kujo's father y'know along with a hefty paycheck"
"How fascinating! Though I've never seen this person enter his workshop when I'm there. Still, if you guys are being paid well for this endeavour, I cannot complain. Just make sure Ahmya isn't hurt, alright?"
"Oh I will, nothing to worry about on that front. Besides, you can't be killed via a game anymore. Any form of danger has been removed entirely. Even the companies known for their bugs wouldn't leave this kinda thing around. There's gotta be more to this…"
"This 'Death Gun', I do believe he had a Type 54 pistol, if that helps. I don't see many with that pistol as their sidearm. Generally they have revolvers or European semi-autos. And had a robotic voice with a cloak, black I think. The item was rare, optical camouflage if I am not mistaken. Can't miss those red eyes either."
"Thanks… I have a mental note on it. Your keen eyes never miss a good piece of equipment. Finding the guy maybe hard in the open world, but that's where the Battle of Bullets comes in. The previous targets were high ranking players from the Tokyo area. So, imagine if several high ranking players suddenly came into the spotlight? Not only unfazed by those claimed murders, but also intending to win the Battle of Bullets. Pretty high ranking targets I have to say."
"Wait, wait! You're using yourself as bait? You know what happens when you're under that amount pressure, right? It ain't pretty by any stretch. People's lives are on the line here, especially yours!"
"I know all the risks involved here, that's why I hope to direct him at me. After all I do have a trump card after all that not many players can boast: where I live. But, hush for now, you're the only one that knows where I actually live and my IRL name. So zip it, or I will zip it for you, got it?"
"We made that promise a long time ago and I do not intend to break it any time soon. I know, sheesh. Now, I have a question for you… What do you see in Sinon? You've never let anyone into your little group, so why her?"
Sabretooth turned red and looked away from Zero X, attempting to hide most of the blushing. However, this attempt was in vain, she could see right through it.
"I thought she would be a good part of the group, that's all."
"Yeah, sure…"
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the store, Sinon was still skimming through all of the guns for sale. Most were simply inferior to her sidearm, why replace it with them? That was until one raised its head above the others. A MP7A1. A red dot sight and extendable stock included too. She picked up the gun. It was perfect for weight. This (plus the Hecate) would not go over the weight limit, meaning she could still run with both equipped. It was… perfect. But, how was it when firing?
Sinon grabbed the MP7 and slowly made her way to the counter. She twirled the gun in her hands; it felt natural to wield. Though bigger than the Glock, this has greater rate of fire and 40-round magazines for longer bursts.
"I'd like to buy this gun, Zero X."
She placed it onto the counter gently, as if priceless. Zero X stared at it before grasping the gun. Then, proceeded to twirl it on one of her hands.
"Not a bad choice at all, Sinon." She politely commented, "Good for short distance firefights and doesn't kick you in the teeth constantly. I can add engravings onto it free of charge if you wish. What do ya say?"
The question was answered with a shake of the head with: "Engravings don't give you a tactical advantage whatsoever. No point in adding any."
Thus, after a quick exchange of currency, the MP7 was Sinon's to use. She managed to get some ammunition as well without extra payment. However, she was not ready to let go of her pistol just yet. For her, it would be for the best if she kept it for the time being. Now, there were more important things afoot. With everything now sorted, they could head out on a quest or general grinding. Sinon had no idea what she was getting into, but she welcomed it with open arms. This would surely help in her recovery from that event all of those years ago. That was her secret from them. At least, for now. Maybe when Sabretooth's secret is out, then would be a good time to tell. A fair trade. However, she had to gain their trust first. It was going to be a long six days before the Battle of Bullets…
Author's Notes:
Panzer_Bros:
And so, our heroes' journey together begins at last! Thinking of a way for Sinon to join forces with the squad was a reasonably hard one, so I decided this would be the best course of action. Partly for all in 'Sabot' platoon to be friendly, reveal some of their personalities and what each one is mostly focused on; while also keeping enough of them secret for the time being. More information will be given by them directly or indirectly over time, so stick around for them!
Also, I like a good reference or two. See if you can spot any of them. If so, fantastic. If not, no matter they're just there for display really. Final thing, I decided Sinon should have the MP7 from the light novel instead of the Glock 18C from the anime. She deserves more.