CHAPTER 2: FIRST MATCH
"This is your new team." An employee pointed to a group of men adjusting their armor. "Don't look like much to me.." One said and spit on the floor. "No shit." The other was smoking a cigarette, the employee disappeared into the hallway. "Drake, Kregore. Knock it off." A woman with red hair entered the conversation. "Don't worry.. New guys always get the most shit." She stuck her hand out. "Avalon. And you are?" Norton shook her hand. "Norton." She laughed. "Oh.. We gotta find you a cooler sounding name." She walked toward the gun rack. "Alright, they told us you don't have any experience with these guns, so I'll just give you the run down.." She picked up the Rocket Launcher. "Now for this-" She pointed toward the trigger. "Guys! We're live!" A different employee walked through the doors. "Shit.." Avalon walked towards the Teleporter platform. "Come on rookie. Just stick with me." Norton followed behind her, noticing himself on the big screen. "Hey, dickhead. You better not make us look bad out there." Drake pushed Norton, then stepped into the Teleporter and disappeared. Norton heard the crowd laughing through the thick glass above him. "Don't mind him.." Avalon nudged Norton as she walked past. "He'll still get your back." She disappeared in the Teleporter.
Norton took a deep breath and jumped a bit to loosen up. "What're you waiting for? Get the fuck in there!" A camera operator shouted as he pointed toward the screen. Norton stepped onto the Teleporter pad and was blinded by a flash of light. He felt weightless, as though he flipped forward through the air, followed by a burning sensation in his lungs. He fell to his hands and knees, choking and coughing as he struggled to take his helmet off. He gasped for air as he threw his helmet and rolled onto his back staring into the sky. ("Uh oh, looks like one of our newest contestants might die a little earlier than we expected." The personality joked. Sarah gasped and covered her mouth. "Get up, Norton..") He was nearly deaf as his ears rang, only hearing the bass from distant explosions and heavy boots rushing past him, Avalon being one of them.
"You okay?" Avalon helped Norton up. "..Fine." Norton watched the Goliath heading down the road. "You're gonna need this." Avalon picked his helmet up and passed it to him. "And this.." She passed him a Link Gun. "It's alright.. First time through a Teleporter's always a bitch." She dusted his shoulder off, and ran for the bridge. "We got a Raptor going mid-field high." The voice said over the Comm. "Got it.. Keep up rookie, we still got a long way to go." She fired four grenades from her Flak Cannon as they ran across the bridge to the other end, only one managed to hit anyone on the blue team. Norton blind fired his Link Gun down the street until he was shot by Stinger shards.
"That looks pretty bad.." Avalon checked the holes in his armor. "I'll be alright, let's go." Norton tried to push on, but Avalon stopped him. "No. You stay here and wait until I get back. Shoot anyone who comes through that door.." She left and he was alone, with the sound of explosions and weapon fire in the background. He tried to steady his Link Gun, but his hands were shaking at the thought of killing somebody.
He took a deep breath, then blue armor ran through the door. Norton held down the trigger and fired past his enemy, hitting the wall behind him. The soldier in blue jumped forward and shot Norton point-blank range with his Rocket Launcher. ("Oh!" The personality and audience all exclaimed. Sarah covered her eyes in fear.) Norton fell back onto his feet out of mid-air, completely confused as to what just happened. "Anybody else want some?" A voice said through Norton's earpiece. "I could use some back up rookie.." Avalon said over their comm. "Blue Flag taken." A robotic female voice announced.
"Right.." He ran back towards the bridge, and switched back to the Link Gun. "You might wanna change guns too. Didn't sound like you did a lot of damage with the other one." Norton picked up a Flak Cannon. A distant Manta fired at Norton as it was headed down the bridge. "Where the hell are you?" Avalon said as Norton shot his Flak Cannon at the Manta already nearing him, it flew high in the air, then swooped down to try and crush him. He jumped to his left and shot once more, it exploded as he lay there with his arm covering his eyes. "Nice.." Avalon said as she ran past him, Blue Flag waving behind her.
"Now get my back!" A second Manta was putting holes into the street, as she dodged from left to right. Norton got to his feet and fired his Flak Cannon at the Manta. It focused it's fire on him, and hovered high in the air. Norton fired a final time before being torn to shreds, but the shot fell short, luckily the Manta didn't have enough fuel to stay in the air and landed directly into the line of fire. ("Wow! That was lucky.." The second personality said. The audience cheered in excitement.) "Red team takes the lead." The robotic voice announced.
"I knew you had it in you." Avalon ran past Norton. He caught up with her inside the bridge walkway, a teammate went out to the jump pad and bounced out of sight. "Alright, only two more to go. I'm gonna try that again.. While we're in their base, you steal a Manta and cover me. You know how to fly one?" She said, ready to run. "A Manta?" Norton put his hand on her shoulder. "I don't." Avalon turned her head. "Shit.. Then I'll cover you." She turned back around. "Wait a second. I've seen this map a hundred times. I'll be right back.." Norton stepped onto the jump pad outside and his weight shifted toward the red base. "..Fuck!" He dropped his Flak Cannon in mid air and landed on the second floor roof. "Oh.. Damn." Avalon shuddered as she watched him get to his feet. "Yeah, you might wanna have Jump Boots on before you do that again.." An enemy Goliath's missile hit behind Norton, causing him to fly forward into the river.
(Sarah watched Norton's screen as he flipped through the air and sank to the bottom. "Oh Norton..")
"Rookie! You okay?" Avalon's voice echoed as his vision grew dark.