The so called battle had been going on for only fifteen minutes, which many would say felt like days. There was an honor code - there had to be. If a player got fake stabbed, they were dead - out of the game. Players carried axes, swords, bows and arrows, and staffs. Leonard had been seen going around beating people with a blow up club as he proudly wore his viking helmet and fur vest. As Garrett had said, there were two teams made. Students had to find out where they stood within moments after Garrett's fake death. No one truly knew who was the leader of each alliance, but after ten minutes, it hadn't mattered. Once the truth of the prize had been revealed, everyone turned on each other. There were only a few players that kept their loyalty to their friends: The Greendale Seven for instance, and Fat Neil with Vicki. Magnitude had a war cry that he would yell after each of his kills, "Pop! Pop!" Some jocks had gotten together to form an unbeatable squad, while others went lone wolf.
"What the hell is this prize?" Jeff asked, brandishing his plastic sword. The study group was hiding under the bleachers, while cries could be heard from players "dying" on the quad. As the game went on, the area spread out to buildings all over campus.
"I don't know, Jeffery," Shirley said. "But if it's as good as people are making it seem, I want it."
"Must be a good prize," Abed added. "Even slackers are playing for it."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Britta joked, looking at Jeff.
"Did anyone hear the prize announced?" Annie asked, keeping her eyes on the battle past the bleachers.
Before anyone could answer, an archer jumped down from the top bleacher.
"Star Burns," Britta said, unwelcomely.
"You really think you're going to take us all on?" Jeff asked, pointing the tip of his sword toward Star Burns.
"Name is Alex!" he shouted as he wielded his bow and notched an arrow.
"Careful there," Abed told him. "Don't want things to get messy." Abed lifted a sword he had picked up off the ground while they were running for the bleachers.
Four other students jumped down from the top bleacher behind Star Burns.
"Not so fast," Star Burns told the study group. "I've brought friends."
"You have friends?" asked Pierce.
Star Burns aimed his arrow at Annie. "Surrender or she dies!"
Annie gasped and her lower lip quivered. Even though this was just a game, it felt so real, just as the paintball tournament and fort war had.
"You want us to surrender or else you're going to stick Annie with a rubber dart like you will if we do surrender?" Jeff depicted.
"I'll let this arrow go," Star Burns threatened.
Jeff sighed, giving into the game. "No, you won't." He stepped to the side, putting himself between Annie and the arrow.
"Charge!" someone yelled from not too far away.
"It's not 'charge,' you idiot!" Chang's voice scolded. "We say 'Chang!'"
Suddenly, Star Burn's had a worried look appear on his face, one that matched his friends' expressions.
"That's the Army of Chang," one of the friends announced.
"Twenty minutes in and Chang has already established a known army?" Jeff asked.
"Whoa," Troy gaped. "That's a big army," he said, peeking around the side of the bleachers.
"I guess he's the antagonist?" Abed assumed. "He'll be the mark to beat." He turned to Troy. "We'd better find Excalibur, Troy. It's our only hope at defeating Chang and his army."
"Any weapon will work, really," Star Burns told him.
"To Excalibur!" Troy put a fist in the air.
"I wish I could really breathe fire," Abed mumbled.
Jeff shoved Star Burns while he was preoccupied with gazing at the large group of students led by Chang in an evil scientist costume. Star Burns fell into his comrades, allowing for the study group to escape. Everyone took off except Pierce, who didn't realize they were supposed to run until he was grabbed by one of Star Burns's so called friends. "What should we do with him?" the student asked.
"Get your hands off me," Pierce ordered. "I need to win the prize."
"We'll take him with us. His friends will try to rescue him. They're our biggest threat. Pierce, do you even know what the prize is?" Star Burns asked.
"No, but I want it. It's mine!" Pierce told him menacingly. "What is it?"
"Free access to Hulu for twenty years," Star Burns revealed. "That's movies and TV for life for you, old man."
"Are you kidding? I'm still in my prime." Pierce struggled with no hope. "I'll get that access to Hula. Sounds fun."
"It's Hulu. Instant streaming." He turned to see the group of students getting closer. "Let's scram," he said as they ran away, holding Pierce as their hostage.
The Army of Chang had torn through the quad, leaving living bodies of students everywhere. They kept running, spotting the study group trying to get away.
"The prize is Hulu membership for twenty years," Abed announced as the group of six continued to run from the riled up students.
"Abed, how do you know?" Britta asked.
"I have a sixth sense type thing going on, but I don't see dead people, I can just lock on to words that have to do with movies and television. It's a gift."
"Chang!" someone nearby shouted.
The study group, minus one, veered between two buildings and kept running. All of a sudden, they got cut off by some of Chang's army. This caused the group to accidentally split up. Troy and Abed ran to a left turn, while Shirley and Britta turned to the right and kept running, unaware that they had left the rest. Jeff pushed open a door that led into one of the buildings and pulled Annie inside. He shut the door and put his back against it, listening as the students ran by. He relaxed, letting out a breath.
"Hearing the prize," Jeff began, catching his breath, "you still want to play?"
"This is a great academic opportunity, Jeff," Annie replied. "I wouldn't have to buy any films I need to watch for school. I could also keep up with all the Zac Efron movies," she added, dreamy eyed.
"Might be a good idea to keep up with movies and TV in general," Jeff agreed. "Maybe I'll be able to understand Abed."
"You'd stay for Abed? That's really sweet," she smiled.
"And because who doesn't love free movies?"
"Good job watching your back." Annie rolled her eyes.
"What does that mean?"
"You won't let yourself admit that you care about us. Like when you pulled me inside before Chang's army could get me. Or when you stepped in front of me, so that Star Burns couldn't shoot me. You saved my life, Jeff."
"You do realize this is fake, right? You wouldn't have died."
"It was still really nice."
"Yeah, well, just so you know, I do care about you guys. I just don't want to get all mushy over it," Jeff admitted.
"So what do we do?" Annie asked, letting Jeff off the hook. She looked around, finding themselves in a classroom. "Should we search for the rest of our group?"
"We should take things slow for now. Let's just find a safe way out of here, and try not to . . . die," he gave in, looking back at her with a small smile.
"I'll have to find a weapon."
"You think you could handle it?"
"Yes. I'm not just a princess in this game that is going to be the damsel in distress waiting for her knight in shining armor to save her. Then they'd get married and live happily ever after." Annie actually did like the sound of that. But at the same time, she didn't want Jeff to see her as only someone he had to protect, someone who couldn't stand up for herself. She needed to prove that she could do some damage too.
"You sure? It started to sound towards the end like you might want it that way," Jeff said.
"Of course not, Jeff," Annie let out an unconvincing laugh. "Who'd be my knight in shining armor? You? Pffft." She tried to play it off cool, but wasn't sure how much it was working.
"Come on," Jeff told her, gently pulling at her arm. He led toward the door that led out into the hallway. Jeff held his sword tightly as he slowly opened the door. Peeking his head out, the hallway was empty. Or so it seemed.
From up above, a ceiling tile was being pulled away. Out of it came a student that aimed a rubbed arrow notched in his bow at Jeff. Just before the arrow released, Annie pushed Jeff out of the way. "Watch out!" she warned. The arrow stuck to the floor. Jeff stepped forward and jabbed his sword upward, poking it against the student's chest. The student groaned and dropped his arrows and bow as he jumped down from the ceiling and went on his way, his head hanging down.
"Guess you really aren't a damsel in distress," Jeff smiled longingly.
"Guess not," Annie smiled back as she picked up the bow and arrows.
"Annie," Jeff spoke, breaking his smile.
"Yeah, Jeff?" Annie asked, waiting impatiently for his next words. She always had an attraction to Jeff. She had grown feelings for him after all the time they had spent together. After they had kissed that night at Greendale when she thought she was going to leave for Delaware with Vaughn, her feelings for him tripled, and ever since then, she would wonder what it would be like to be in a relationship with Jeff. She did have her doubts, but she couldn't seem to not want to try.
"Chang's soldiers," Jeff said at last. He saw a few of them coming their way down the hallway. "Stand back, Annie," he said, stepping forward, holding his plastic sword at the ready.
"I've got this," Annie replied, moving to the side for a clear shot. She notched a rubber arrow and let it go toward a student wearing fake chainmail armor. It stuck him where his heart was. He dropped a plastic axe and turned around to go home. Annie released another arrow, getting another student out.
The last three in the hallway charged. They attacked Jeff with two swords and a dagger. Jeff was able to easily stab the one with the dagger, leaving it down to four fighters in the hallway. Jeff's plastic sword collided with the two student's fake swords. They were caught in an standstill until Annie picked up the dagger from the floor and touched one of the student's backs with the tip.
"Really?" he asked, throwing his sword across the hall. "From the back?" He put his hands on his head and walked away aggravated.
"I'll get this one, Annie," Jeff said, swinging his sword around, flinging the student's sword against a wall. Jeff touched the side of his weapon to the student's neck. "You've been beheaded."
The student rolled his eyes and walked away.
Annie jumped up and down. "We did it!" She threw her arms around Jeff, and suddenly let go, hiding her face so he could see her flushed.
"That's only a few students," Leonard's voice came from down the hall.
"You're still in this, Leonard?" Jeff asked.
"Surprised?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Ahhh!" Leonard came running down the hallway toward Jeff and Annie, focusing mainly on Jeff. He brought his blow up club up in the air with both hands. Halfway to Jeff, Leonard stopped to catch his breath, his hands on his knees.
"Don't you have a YouTube video to upload or something?" Jeff asked, feeling bad for the guy.
"It's going viral," Leonard said, between breaths.
"I'm sure it is," Jeff replied sarcastically.
Leonard stood up. "I'm okay," he said. "Ahhhh!" He ran toward Jeff again, bringing his club back like a baseball bat. He swung at Jeff, but Jeff ducked and tapped Leonard's side with the plastic blade.
"Darn it!" Leonard threw his hands down and dropped the blow up club. He stomped on it, making it pop.
"Did you take your pills today?" Jeff asked, surprised by his outburst.
"I don't take pills! I don't need them." Leonard brought a fist up and punch Jeff in his face.
Jeff brought his free hand to his nose and could feel blood. "Leonard, what the hell?"
"Don't be a pansy," Leonard laughed.
"Is this game really that important to you?" Annie wondered.
"You bet it was!" Leonard replied. "I watch movies for fun. That is, when I'm not making my videos." Leonard turned around. "See ya, suckers."
Annie took her eyes from Leonard and checked on Jeff. "You're bleeding," she noticed.
"For an old man, he's got a nice punch." Jeff wiped some blood from his nose, but more kept coming.
"You need to have that looked at."
"I'll be fine."
"Jeff, I'm serious."
"I'm not going to forfeit the game because of a bloody nose," Jeff told her.
"Then let me look at it."
"That's how it started with Britta in the second semester paintball tournament."
"Ew, Jeff. I just want to help you."
"Fine, Annie," he gave in. "Where to?"