Message from author: Hey hey! ok now.. this is where the story starts continuing from the introduction... and yes... year 2020... couldnt come up with anything else.. the theme and ideas were generated to an extent that the story might be or very close to S4League theme... so... yes... i might change the category when i think it is most suitable...

Chapter 1: The Semi-Finals

Preparation for the Semi-finals are done. Keyboard, check, mouse, check, headsets, check and done. Now for the announcement as we sat down on stage waiting. Hi, I'm Shana, Team CG!, and this is my past.

- Year 2020 -

"relax guys... This might be your first time being on stage in front of a huge crowd... As usual, raise your hand and say 'it's okay'. " Raf smiles as he finish his sentence. A couple of members did that, and so did I... I haven't played in front of a crowd this big before... The crowd cheers as the host walks in... "I can't believe I'm doing this..." I said covering my face.

"Round up guys! I'm the planner for today," exclaimed Kurei " we are going for our usual hit and run strategy.. Raf and you will guard A and S-Shana and her partner will proceed though the middle after Faith. The rest and I will be pinching their health off while they proceed. Aim to kill when they are weakened. Understood?". The team was practically stunned by the strategy.. Amazed I must add... Weirdly came out of Kurei's mouth but we proceeded with his plan. While the opposition looked at us fiercely and finish off with "Man your battlestations!". We replied with our symmetrical pose, yeah... Gotta love it.. Makes us feel like Death the Kid... Hehe...

With our eyes on the countdown timer, we prepared our weapon loadout cards at the card reader and I was still searching for my loadout card. "argh... Where is it?... M...M... Hey! My 'M' category's missing... I swore I bought it along..". At the point I thought I had misplaced the card but soon after searching, a handful of us saw the opposition smirking at their end. They have done it... They got me frustrated and now they have earned it, that's what went through my mind as I took a card from my 'overhaul' category...

"Yea alz readyz? Alright! Cards on! Ready? May your guns sing! Cards Sync!" announces Zieruk, the host of the competition. Oh, I probably haven't mentioned.. The game's called Mercenary's Song, and the game has a phrase 'Cards Sync' that's when players activates their Loadout Card and broadcasts their main weapon and loadout class... Now back to the story... "AK-47 Tac! Assault!" "MP7 Desert! Assassin!" yelled Raf and Kurei respectfully,"MG34, MG42 dual wield! Scout!" The crowd cheers for Faith as he mentioned his loadout, I smirked and shouted "Grappling Hook! Assault!" the next thing I knew the crowd went dead quiet...

"What the hell?" my team exclaimed in uniform, "grappling hook... Seriously..." Kurei pointed out, "yup." I replied with a sinister smile. The opposition was laughing at my loadout... Well.. That was my plan... Good thing I don't have to mention my secondary weapon and equipment.. Hehe.. "alrighty then! Loadouts loaded and weapons deployed! Okay! It'll be the best of 3 and the game mode is Search & Destroy! Players get ready!" Zieruk announces, initiating the semi-final match. Everyone puts on their headsets with jacks in including the audience, I wore my headset with my signature style: headset's headrest in front of my eyebrows. "load your weapons!" at this point, players presses the 'R' button to load up their weapons. All... Except me...

"What are you waiting for, Shana?" Raf asks me. "There isn't anything for me to load..." I stated while quick-switching my weapons, "They are soooo screwed" I continued while cracking my knuckles and with Kurei giving the cat face cheer. "Let the battle begin! Round 1! The classical Counter-Strike: Source map! De_Dust2! Loading map and relocating players! Done! Round starts in 10 seconds!" Zieruk begins the competition.

"haha... Classic... We'll win this easily.." Kurei exclaimed confidently, I doubt it though... I'm confident I must say... But from my point view.. The opposition has the upper hand.. Oh well... " we can do this! Along with the plan and we can do this!" I said out loud. The match starts... "go go go! Move! Into positions!" Raf orders, as we deploy ourselves into our positions, my partner and I were proceeding to the middle when my partner got shot by a sharpshooter from the far end. "Shit! Sniper 11 o'clock!" informed my partner, I nodded and proceeded with caution, I threw a smoke grenade to cover our position as I took out an enemy with my knife. "oh! First blood drawn! Let's see the killcam!" Zieruk reported while playing the killcam, all the killcam shows was a ball of smoke with blood spraying out of it. I smirked after taking a short preview of the kill.

Everyone noticed the opposition member raging the moment he died, hilarious and ironic... The moment my partner and I stepped into the tunnel, the battle started, we could hear Faith's gunfire only and we were curious... I took a peek at the platform above us and saw Faith emptying his gun on a dead enemy, "bwhahahaha Overkill powa!" flamed Faith, shots were fired at Faith, "shit! Shana I know you there.. A little help would be appreciated.. I have to reload.." Faith worries as he load up both of his guns. "Tag location, Zach," I asked as my partner tagged the enemy with tracking bullets, "not that tag... I meant give me his location..." "oh... Haha I thought you said track..." my partner joked, " he's at the left corner top ledge..." "ok that's all I need," I interrupted, "now watch...".

I jumped into the opening and grappled the enemy with my hook, "your mine!" I taunted as I pulled him towards me and slices his head with a katana in a split second then swapping back to the hook after killing. "Heh... Easy..." I said while reloading my Gappling hook launcher, "now then... We better help the others...". Faith lead us to the back of the enemies, "Ready girls?" Faith asked as we sneak up to the remaining three enemies, I nodded and signals my partner to take her kill first. Bam!, the signal was fired as Faith and I took the other two with close combat.

"Woah! Did you see that people? That's what we call team coordination! Now to view the best kill of the round!" Zieruk screamed into the microphone as he played the kill of me grappling the enemy off the ledge then killing him, he walked up to me and asked "Sooo... Young lady... How did you pulled it off? The killing i mean.. Not the grappling." "It's my secondary weapon sir... A Flash Katana, made for quick instant kills that only works with the grappling hook." I said revealing the secret behind the loadout.

"oookkk... So. This is match point for Team CG! and a quick defeat of the opposition... Alright! Players! Prepare your second card for the next round! Map is Shipyard! COD4's mini-map! This is going to be a fast battle so stay on your ties guys!" "So... Shipyard.. Nice! Kurei, lend us your loadouts.." Raf hands out Kurei's loadout to the others after listening to Zieruk's 'next round' information..

The ten of us were prepared to scan our cards with shotgun loadouts, "I hope our change in strategy works... Shotguns aren't our forte, except Kurei..." I said demoralizingly. "Cheer up sis... It's not the first time we have played this map... Just play it as of you did in the hall.. Ok?" Raf said as he kissed my cheek, "eh? O-o-ok..." I said as I blushed. As the round start and ended, there wasn't much spectacular kills and the battle was a close one...100 - 97 with my team winning.

"Finals..." everyone in my team murmured as we won the semi-finals, while I walked up to the opposition and demand my loadout card back. I jumped with glee as I took my card back, "Suckers! You don't know who you were messing with... Nor do you know our names." I taunted. Irritated, the opposition stomped of the stage, "And the Winner is Team CG! Team CG, please take a break in the waiting room and enjoy the beverages inside..." as we left the stage, as Zieruk announces the start of the second part of the semi-finals, we were recalling the match we had.

Semi-final's over... Proceeding to the finals without any intentions of winning the finals... We were preparing to lose the finals the moment we stepped into the competition.. "so now.. Second place is more than we should get... So... You guys don't mind fooling around in the finals? We aren't planning to win the finals in any ways possible." stated Raf as we commence Operation Fool Again, everyone agreed and took out the custom Melee loadout card we had distributed before the competition. "tch... So.. The head-on Spartan rush plan huh?" Faith pointed out, Raf and I nod and proceeded to drink the fruit punch provided.

Zieruk: ... And there we go! The semi-finals are over! Semi-final A Team CG! And now! FlameZeroZ! For Semi-final B! Congratulations to both teams proceeding to the finals! Guys and Gals! Please hang on to your sits as we prepare the stage for theeeeee ffiiinnnaallllsss! *crowd cheers*

"wait... FlameZeroZ? Holy... I didn't know they were in the competition too..." I said stressing the main point. Kurei facepalms and said " crap... This is going to be the most ridiculous finals ever..." Raf nods in agreement " disappointment is in store for the audience..." "hmm.." Faith hums without emotion. The others tilted their heads in confusion.

Bonus History:

Casual Gamers and FlameZeroZ has common believes and they both recruit and train non-competitive gamers, hence an alliance was made between these two communities. Their community leader, Zero, was Shana's childhood friend and gaming partner, he once had a crush on Shana which dissipated when he went into casual gaming.

The assistant leader of FlameZeroZ, Aria, was the coach of Shana for pistols and Melee coach for Kurei. The community of FlameZeroZ was basically the master of Casual Gamers. With two playful and nonsensical communities facing each other in the finals... Yes.. Even I, the narrator, isn't looking forward for the finals... But I have to write it though... I don't have the choice...