Many other battles gradually faded with time. Each had victors boosting their egos in groups. Each had losers quickly disappearing from view, some that were expected to be in the finals. Each had crowds cheering for either side of the fight. Everyone had their fair share of enjoyment and disappointments. Credits continued to flow like a titanic waterfall as millions flooded in as bets and trickles of credits came out. This flood kept flowing even as the matches drew to a close. However, these were the important ones. The winners of these final matches would have the greatest distance between themselves and greater chances of rewards. Many could only dream of such rewards, worth well over the thousands or millions of credits. These were reserved for the best, or ones lucky enough to get them in the markets. They always went for ludicrous prices due to their rarity.

Night had just set in, even within the Glocken too. Traces of sunlight shone over the horizon. Darkness filled the sky like a thick paint on a smooth canvas. Instead, a vast ocean of lights lay beneath, a city still in motion. LEDs still danced about as any day. Various weapons still exchanged hands as frequently as always. Only difference was that every screen had been transferred to the same streams that had been running all day. They came in cycles, showing off various chat rooms and interviews. Only a main central one remained throughout the day. Even players waiting within the waiting room watched them chatter away about the ongoing matches and upcoming updates.

Three avatars sat around a high table in high chairs. Each chatted away like their lives depended on it. No pauses or rests. The viewers had to be entertained at all costs.

"A quick reminder of the current events folks!" the middle one, in a standard US army uniform, suddenly boomed, "we've currently seen nearly all of the matches pass and go along with some of our best. Certain top rankers are out! What do you guys reckon caused all of this? The sudden absence of XeXeeD or something else?"

"Well…" began the left one, dressed in skin tight clothing, "it may have had a very small impact, but the meta has truly shifted this year. Assault rifles are no longer the best choice. Them being jack-of-all-traits means specialising is out of the question. You need rare, specialised guns from raid bosses for such things. Like, for example, the recent addition of the 'AA-12' it demands a higher stat level in both strength and dexterity than other shotguns. Yet, with the right skills and playstyle, it is unstoppable. Personally, it should be banned from competitive for its incredible rate of fire and damage output."

"I agree on that," the one on the right burst in, wearing a simple grey cloak, "Close range firefights are unwinnable against it, unless you have one! Though for longer ranges, it does suffer a lot. A sniper is the best counter for such shotguns. Keep your distance players! Don't want to end up on the end of that monster…"

"Speaking of monsters, what about any stars among the players remaining in the finals? Any got your eye?"

"Well, there are some new faces on the block, like members of the squadron 'Foo Fighters'. They are experimenting with grenade launchers and using objects around them to their advantage. In one battle, 'Charlie's Angel' used their grenade launcher against a weakened building, making it fall on the other player. Truly a fantastic move, and awesome for the crowds who watched it live. This squadron is definitely one to fear unless a new strat comes about."

"In this time of a shifting meta, it is certainly great seeing new players taking the stage. No one wants a stagnant top tier for too long. However, one I'm looking out for is 'Patriot'. He's been around the championships for a while, but only recently broken through the first few rounds in the higher ranks. Though using a typical AK, his tactics are vastly different to others from before. He baits his foes, sending them into the open before gunning them down without hesitation. It's worked every round so far. He's sticking to his guns, which I can respect in a championship of this magnitude. Even with my attention focused on a few people, I still wish for the very best for everyone who remains."

"I completely agree. All players still in the running have a guaranteed place in the final battle royale, but that doesn't mean you can take it easy! We all expect you to do your best! Now, the last few dozen battles are currently underway, let's go onto one heated battle after a quick word from our sponsors…"

"I still find their words repulsive to listen to, no matter how I think about it..."

Sabretooth turned around to face the metallic voice from behind him. Sinon was still in a match, while Starbug and Subaru were currently facing each other in a great clash. Who could it have been? It could have been anyone. No… It had to be him. It was.

"Death Gun, as you go by with the rumours," began Sabretooth, staring right into his soulless red lenses, "You really should have got a better name, honestly. It does not strike fear into me."

"Nearly nothing does, as I have heard from… other players."

Death Gun was identical to the screenshots taken from several days ago. Same voice from the recordings too. It had to be him… Or someone pretending to be him, whoever he is. Unlikely as the reputation from those murders hadn't been fully spread out across the community. Police secrets and all. Him and his 'justice' were mere jokes currently.

"So, what do you want then 'Death Gun'?" Sabretooth continued, mockingly saying his name, "We both have matches soon to attend to, I would guess. So you better be quick."

"Simple… I want you dead and your comrade, Sinon."

"Quick and to the point, I like that."

A breath of smoke poured out of holes upon the mask. "You deserve something worse than death, justice requires only that. I am the justice which will remove you from the world of the living. I know what you did many years ago, Honda. It was all your fault, if you didn't reach for the gun, no one would have died."

Sabretooth only stared blankly downwards, his pupils shrank as his stomach churned. Something was terribly wrong, he felt it from his bones to the tips of his hair. How… How did he know? There was so much more to this. He'd hopelessly underestimated the situation. Where were the connections? How did he know his name? Very few did, even less could connect it to a person. The questions clogged his mind like fat in a drain pipe. It wouldn't fade, no matter how hard you tried.

"Back down and accept your fate. I'll deal with you later, like so many before… Goodbye, for now."

Death Gun vanished into thin air, leaving a broken Sabretooth trying to get himself back together. Piece by piece. Minute by minute. Thought by thought. Yet one thought stood out beyond all others, well two thinking about it. 'How did he know about the incident?' and 'If Death Gun wanted him dead, by not kill him there and then?' Something was hiding in plain sight and Sabre intended to get to the bottom of it… Fast… For now, there were other matters to attend to.

A few minutes passed extremely slowly, like a snail taking its time to cross a calm patch of grass. Sabre kept trying to process what had happened without waking the beast within. For him, being lost causes frustration, which quickly leads to rage. Rage that takes over in an instant, no reaction time, no mercy. Destroy it from the outside, prevent it from taking over. Never again shall it rule as a king. No king can rule by killing all around him. He had to endure it, allow it to fade with time. Time he did not have.

"Sabre, you alright there?" A familiar voice, a stern one at that.

He raised his head from clutched hands. "Hi Sinon… Just a close encounter of the Death Gun type. Would rather not experience such a thing again."

Puzzled (a common reaction when Sabretooth was around), Sinon sat beside him. He'd lost it. Whatever held him together previously, it was gone for now. Be it a mental glue or the best tape around, nothing of it remained. She remembered the warnings. The warnings were constantly thrown at her, but all in good reasoning. His other side… It was brutal. It was danger to all. It was not to be able to take over him, no matter the cost.

"He knows who I am," he continued, head back into his hands and groaning away, "Getting such information would be near impossible unless… unless…"

"Unless what?" Patience had warn thin. There was simply not enough time. Within minutes their battle would begin. Not for who gets in, but who gets the best starting position for the finals.

"They, somehow got the information who knew about the whole thing. People, papers, anything." His mind had suddenly burst into intrigue. Intrigue for information. He had to know. Always his downfall as with all of humanity: the continuous strive for knowledge even if the consequences were horrible. It had to be done, apparently. "Worth an in depth study tomorrow. But… first thing's first. There is a duel to fight!"

Sinon smiled. A sudden swing of this magnitude was nearly second nature to expect it. She'd started to adapt. Not many had even a glimmer of hope to achieve the first level. Then, there was Sinon. The first levels were behind, along with the first boss 'Fear'. Now, it was phase two. Building friendship, breaking down those barriers and opening up to the world.

Thus, they both vanished into blue pixels just as Starbug turned up. She was quickly followed by Subaru.

"Bugger… Too late." sighed Starbug. She'd hoped to gloat about her highest position yet, muttering to herself before realising Seiba had vanished, "They must be in the middle of a duel then, I guess."

"Not at all! Look at the central screen!"

Starbug spun around. He was right. On the largest of all the vast screens displaying the matches their avatar names danced to the cheers and gasps. Both had passed a few top ranking players to get there, defeating them with ease. Only now had those victories began to sink in. Took 'em about an hour or so. Partly due to other battles most were more focused on and that some bets hadn't ended well. However, now being the final battle of the day, all remaining eyes were on the duo.

"Alright folks!" Came a familiar voice from a heavily watched stream "Time for our final battle for the qualifiers. Winner gets a place in the city. In the red corner, we have Sinon: a formidable sniper who's not been hit at all so far with her Hecate rifle. Then in the blue corner, a new face on the competitive front, Sabretooth: easily crushed all competition while climbing the ladder and unpredictable threat!"

A cheer arose from those who watched. For too long had the finals been dominated by the top guns. Now others had their time to shine. Although it would not matter in the long run, this duel was just a little fun between… friends? Acquaintances? Whatever the case is, the duel guarantees two fighters not willing to back down.

As the timer slowly clicked downwards, the bets skyrocketed. The stakes were rising. Credits began to flood into bets like a tsunami mercilessly storming inland, nothing able to stop it. Only time could ease the flow as its energy faded as the waves penetrated deeper inland. Starbug and Subaru only watched. No matter the ending of the battle, some would lose out. It was only the nature of such gambling.

Thirty seconds remained. Both Sinon and Sabretooth waited in their own personal darknesses. Though the same, they held very different demons. One was colder than the arctic, silent and deadly. The other burned with solar-like passion, scorching anything and everything. Both had their plans, very different plans at that. Counter, counter this, counter that. Every plan had to have a backup, even if it was a backup for a backup. No stone could remain unturned. Each one had to be ripped from their foundations for weaknesses. Well… one was doing this. Guess which one?

"Battle Start!"

Darkness faded in an instant. It fled into the shadows in terror. In their wake, the battlefield grew before the combatants. There was no horizon, only tall skyscrapers towering above the cracked streets below. No life sprung from such cracks. Buildings forgotten to time. You could have been in any of the many cities with Gun Gale Online and not tell the difference. Every alley lead to three others, identical in their barren greys. Upon the streets, light trickled in like a gentle drizzle stroking the edges of the skyscrapers. Silence filled the air heavily. Not even a breath of wind dared to wonder through in fear of the maze that was the city. However, this was all in the background, just a set for a grand play to continue towards a climax.

The battlefield would play on a bridge over a long dried up river. Only the remains of shopping carts and pieces of tyres dotted where gently flowing water swept passed. Nothing about it seemed special, just your standard concrete bridge. No pillars reached for the heavens with wires that stretched from pillar to pillar. Simple barriers that reached heights of the hips ran across the boundaries. Even these were incomplete. Many parts had shattered, falling to the stagnant air beneath including the road itself. Vehicles hung in the gaps. They had panicked long ago. Now they stay, left by their owners to rot on the sidelines. Their times in the spotlight would only come in small parts (mostly as cover) and quickly abandoned as the violence increases.

This would be their battlefield, winner takes the glory. Loser gets a bullet. With those involved, a bullet in the head.

On one side, Sinon crouched behind a trailer carrying worthless furniture. Not much cover on the bridge could stop a bullet, or not explode. With a simple flick of the fingers a whole road could be set ablaze if the vehicles had the fuel for it. They did generally. An advantage anyone could take to completely change the battlefield from the apocalypse to Hell on Earth. Sinon knew this. Her line of vision could be easily blocked by the flames above the vehicles that already littered the bridge as if a toddler had placed them there before playing with them. Sinon prepared for a long wait, kneeling against a bonnet with her Hecate. It was as ideal as possible. Places to hide, vision across the bridge and multiple places to dash to if under fire. Now it was just to wait… To wait for the frenemy, which couldn't be too far away.

"Where is that slab of meat?" Questioned Starbug, "He should've been up and shootin' by now!"

"Something isn't right…" Commented Subaru, "He's never this slow for a fight. Both sides would want to at least do something. Scout the local area, take a few warning shots, or just blow something up."

"Ugh, don't tell me it's because he's facing a girl, a proper one at that. Not those usuals you see."

"No, no. I sincerely think that's got nothing to do with it. He's faced plenty before. Even when helping me on Rally Superstars, believe it or not. Besides, I've talked to Sinon IRL, and well… She's got issues. Not issue issues, but something up there."

He pointed to his head, leaving the rest of his body motionless. The extra effort wasn't worth it. Not during these times. All focus was on the match, what was the point?

"Problems from her past keep haunting her, serious stuff," continued Subaru, "Maybe he feels this too?"

Starbug groaned at it, "Too coincidental for my likings. Such a chance of meeting someone else with something so scarring are millions to one at least."

"Well, such coincidences occur nine times out of ten."

Sinon still waited. Nothing had budged an inch. The silence rang loudly in her ears. She kept scanning every spot someone could hide and fire upon her position: behind wrecked cars, on top of overturned lorries, even using holes in the bridge itself. Not a sign of life anywhere. Was this bait? Bait to head forward into the firing line? That was normally done by snipers. Conceal your position and wait for your opponent to enter your range of view. If done well, they would never know you were there. Perhaps it was a close range ambush? Wait behind, say, a wall until the opponent is right in front of you. Then let hell loose. Hell in the form of a shotgun generally. He had one as well, a good one at that. The 'Clever Girl' could even fire incendiary rounds for extra pain. Would he do such a thing? Maybe as he was… unpredictable after all.

Suddenly a noise. Just a simple rattle, yet it echoed far and wide. Followed by another rattle. Nothing could be seen still. It was close, whatever it was. Another look around; not even a breath of life anywhere. Enough was enough. She'd been waiting for too long, action was the only way forward. Sinon, at last, placed the Hecate upon her back and took a step.

Boom!

A huge explosion sprang from nowhere then proceeded to vanish in a flash. It was extremely close. No smoke, no smell of gunpowder. What was going on?

Rumble...

Something from beneath, it started to shake the bridge violently. Cracks sprang into life. They danced to the beat of destruction. More cracks formed, they connected to each other growing further. 'Screw it if he locates my position, I need to get off this bridge!'

Thus, Sinon made a quick dash towards the edge of the bridge. It was the only chance in her mind. Behind her holes had started to feed off the bridge. Concrete and vehicles plummeted towards the ground. She had to move quickly before…

The bridge collapsed underneath her. Quickly, she grabbed what remained of the bridge in front of her. It wasn't much, but it had to do until the shaking stopped. If it did, which it did eventually. Sinon held on with all of her might, every fibre held on, on the brink of failing. Beneath was solid concrete and metal (with some rubble added to complete the mixture), falling onto that would seriously hurt at best. Not kill however, too small for such a feat. Still wouldn't want to fall down into the spikes and jagged metal.

"Need a hand?"

Sinon looked upwards. There he was. Sabretooth crouching upon the weakened bridge, which had finally stopped shaking. He had been covered in dust and black spots of exploded gunpowder. Smoke started to set around him, forming a thin layer of ash turning everything grey.

"You set up C4's under the bridge to try to lure me out, didn't you?" Sinon questioned Sabretooth, still holding on to the crumbling edge.

"Spot on, "he gave her a quick thumbs up, "Snuck underneath the bridge as quietly as possible, placed 'em under where I thought you'd be and boom! It was a change of pace from previous battles, right? A bonus of catching you off guard and extra points for 'altering' the battlefield. Then-"

"Why are you tell me this? We're against each other right now. I could just whip out a gun and blast you right now."

"But you haven't."

He leaned in closer. Not too close however, he really couldn't put himself up to such a feat. Then he continued, once his head was only around two feet away from hers, "Quicker this is dealt with, the better. Nothing gets in the way of my search for answers, not even you. I'm sorry Sinon. I win this match."

After much strain holding herself onto the remains of the bridge, her grip failed along with what remained of the bridge. There she fell, plummeting alongside rubble and metal. Sinon could just give up now, fall onto what she escaped from, leave her life in someone else's hands. No… That wouldn't do at all! Now or never! Do or die! There was only one chance of this working, but that was all she needed. In a heart beat, her trusty Hecate was by her side and in position. Sinon aimed carefully. Sabretooth was now on the run, leaping from the destruction he had caused. The safety of stable land was fast approaching for both of them. Make this chance count! Lead the target. Hold your fire for the perfect moment. A single shot would do, to end it all. A gap in the falling rubble. His silhouette against the burning sun. Him in her sights. She pulled the trigger…

A flash from the muzzle. A bullet charging forwards. Sabretooth turned towards the bullet. It was too late. It was all over. It was Sinon's to win for now…

Writer's Notes:

Panzer_Bros:

Over half way for my plans of progression, that includes absolutely everything. All still under construction, heavily in fact. Have had to watch the show again at places so I could get a feel of important plot threads and characters. Not one of my favourite shows in the world, but this arc has its moments. (mostly the guns). I hope I haven't changed the actual characters too much from there to here.

Anyhow, the final royale is fast approaching now. Can they fight to overcome their pasts? Can they open up themselves to the world? Who will win? Questions that will be answered with time and a lot of bullets.

P.S. The four main characters should have more time in the spotlight, especially Starbug and Subaru, over time now things are kicking up. Someone has to be there for when the main two fall down.

Moreover, progress is getting slower and slower. So expect uploads to be some distance apart from now on. As it turns out, reaching a suitable climax is harder than you'd think.