Project: Crossfire

'Hot'

'So hot'

A girl fidgets violently on her bed as rounds of bullets rain over her character. Loads of sweat were dripping down her face, giving off a sticky sensation.

She was surrounded and being teamed up on in a Battle-Royale game.

'Damnit, I'm being ganked' she thought to herself as she gently moves her joystick to the left side of the screen gaining visuals to three players equiped with light machine guns.

One of them carried a Degtyaryov and fire relentlessly at the window of the room she's trapped in.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" she yelled in frustration.

"Why the hell does it had to be like this?!" the girl yelled as she rose from her bed, yanking a fan that seems to have ceased on working.

She tried to gently knock it a few times hoping for it to spin once again. As a few minutes passed by, nothing happened.

As moments passed, the sound of gunshots eventually stopped. Thinking her attackers were all gone she went back on her phone made her character jump up from laying flat on her chest, and took a quick look on her surroundings.

No hostiles were in the vicinity. 'They probably retreated' she thought. 'I'm definitely gonna make it to the-'

Her train of thought was cut off. A gunshot broke through the silence and pierced the wall, finding sanctuary at the girls head.

"Eh?!"

The words 'You've been killed by: Archon' flashed on the screen with a video of a crosshair killing three people in one shot before firing through a concrete wall.

'Rank: 11/99'

Turning off her now broken fan, she turns off her phone and grabbed a bag as she climbed down a set of stairs. Speading some dust along the way.

As she was to pass the kitchen, an old woman, pressumably the girls grandmother, noticed the sound of footsteps and went out and called.

"Gabriel? I've made some jam. I think it was quite alot, could you perhaps bring some of them to your father, please?" the old woman asked grabbing the girl on her shoulders.

She turns around, forcing her eyes to gleam and a false smile plastered on her face. She was clearly not pleased about the idea but was forced to play along, in order to not hurt the woman's heart..

"Oh, come on sweetie." the woman pouted, reaching out to cuddle her. "Don't be so hard on Papa, he's probably just doing his best to pro-"

"Yes, I know" Gabriel cutted her of, brushing away her grandmothers arms as she grabbed for the door. "I'll try to get back here earlier than usual so I'd be able to bring it to him" she added, twisting the knob of a sturdy wooden door.

As it swung open, light met her was caught in her eyes and gave off a glimpse of peace.

'War. Is it what's really happening now?' she thoght to herself as she walks out of the frontdoor, closing it behind him.

Who would've believed that a war is happening. A word that paints ashes in an already dull and tainted sky. A perfect word to fit a description of the view of the marks that remain in the path which one takes. A path filled with mud, and mud wet in blood. It is a state of armed conflict. It is a harsh battle that is carried on by force of arms, as between nations or parties; warfare, as by land, sea, or air.

It was a word of multiple definitoons.

Who would've thought?

But there can never be a possibility for the word to defined as bloodless and fair. Blood is always spilt and underhanded tactics are poignant and inevitable. Atleast, for Gabriel that's how it is.

The sun was out, yet she still feels a chill in her spine as a strong gust of wind blows towards her with a firm breeze. "It's freezing out here today" she thought to herself as she tries to dismiss the tingling sensation that the kind August wind has brought and continued to walk down the road.

It has been a daily occurence for her. To not attend school and wander off to God-knows-where, only to return home when her grandma is asleep. The poor lass has always been that ever since her father went missing.

It has been four months since the incident, and three n' a half since war was declared, yet there still is no sign of bloodshed. She continued to walk as she wonders how could it happen.

"This is weird" she mutters, "It's been a while since the war has commenced, yet there are still no casualties. Has the president been hiding information about this?" she continues as doubt fills his entire being.

As she wanders around the city, his shoelace went loose making him stop for a bit to fasten it all up. She then looks around, he was at Times Square. People were busy walking from all directions. Among the crowd, she notices three of his classmates. Instinctively, she raised the hood of her jacket and turned around. Her breathing was heavy, as he prayed to remain unnoticed.

But fate is truly cruel. One of the three, a tall man with brown hair, noticed that hooded jacket of hers-That white and black hooded jacket that could easily be seen in a sea of strangers. He breaks from the group and runs after Gabe, desparately trying to push through all those people.

Gabriel's heart was pounding. It's like as if there was a herd of mustangs galloping inside her chest. The boy was still after her. He yelled and yelled for Gabe to stop but the latter never listened. He kept on running till she ran out of air.

As he made a turn on W 46th street, he bumps to a couple of dudes in black. They grabbed her by the arm as she was about to fall.

"Gabe! Wait up!" the boy called out as he catched up. "Why weren't you attending classes? We were so worried"

The girl didn't looked at him. She knew the guy too well. Once she starts an argument he would surely be able to convince her.

She broke free from the two strangers grip and faced the boy.

"What ever it is, it's none of your business, Nathan" she scowled at him, drawing unwanted attention to the both of them.

The boy, who she called 'Nathan', was Nathaniel Bright. He was tall and slim, but it didn't affect his seductive charm. He was a perfect depiction of a devil, an innocently goodlooking bastard. He was wearing a brown duffle coat over a knotted black shirt serving as a make shift crop top, revealing his superfluously gorgeous six-pack.

Gabe averted her gaze afraid of being noticed that her face was now beet red. She shook her head and slapped her face a couple times in her imagination before turning back to reality.

"Gabe?"

"WHAT?!" she yelled.

"Where are you going? You've haven't attended scool for two weeks now. Mr.Santiago is really getting pissed" he told her as he grabs her wrist.

Gaberiel flinches, she had seen one of these scenes before in those animated asian shows. It was a scene where a male character was going to confess what he truly feels to the main heroine.

But it's too early for that to happen in this story.

She was speechless. Flustered and unable to bear the heavy pounding on her chest, she bursts forth with a slap on Nathan's cheek.

Everything went dead silent. Nathan didn't dared to speak and so as the his two companions who just arrived and witnessed the whole ordeal. They feared that the next swing would be for their cheeks to take. When someone did dared to talk, it was Nathan.

"Gabe" he called out, his voice ever so soothing to her ears. It was a voice so angelic that it was though as if he heralds the end of time. "I'm so sorry. I should've tried to look at things on your perspective. I shouldn't have outrightly confronted you" he said looking at the now more embarssed Gabe.

Snapping back to her senses she slowly looks down to her feet and started to fidget from left to right.

"Nathan, that's very sweet of y-"

"I know, I know. You're pretty dumb at academics anyway" he bluntly claimed leaving her floating adrift as she processed his words.

Gabe was a smart girl, if it wasn't only for her lack of determination and focus, she would have aced any exam without breaking a sweat.

Now red in fury. Gabriel leans and prepares to unleash a hard hook to her foul-mouthed friend.

The other two, fully aware of what tragedy is about to occur and not wanting to accompany Nathan to the hospital, stepped in and grabbed Gabe to restrain her.

"Bastard! Watch you mouth, will you?!" one of them yelled. He was the shorter of the two. With jet black hair and an ahegao jacket, it was safe to say that he was Asian. Japanese to be exact. "バカ! (Moron!) If we weren't here you would have been lying in the floor, cold!" he angrily as he tries to hold off Gabriel who's starting to over-power them bit by bit.

It took like about a minute or two for her to calm down. It may be for a short while but it was absolutely too much to bear. The two sat down at the sidewalk, breathing heavily because of exhaustion.

"We b-better get-going N-N-Nate" the small girl wearng round glasses said between her gasp for air.

"Well if you really want to get going then I suppose you shouldn't be sitting there so we can leave" he answered.

With Nathan's words, its now her turn to be mad.

"Hey! Ow! Q-Quit it, four-eyes!" he yelps as the girl stood up and repeatedly gives him an endless rain of light jabs.

Not wanting to laugh, she reaced out for the boy who was sitting at the pavement. "Come on, Yotsuzuki"

The boy looked at her hand as if he was thinking to whether he'd take it or not. Being the snob that he is, he stands up on his knees without even looking at her, clearly refusing Gabriel's offer to help him get up.

Yotsuzuki turns to face the other two who were still bickering in the middle of the sidewalk. "Oi!" he called out, "We'll be late for the test if we keep on dallying here"

"Right, I almost forgot!" Nathan exclaimed. "Gabe, there is a test that'll be held at our school which I think would be pretty interesting" he said, obviously trying to draw her attention with so little detail that he gives off.

She was thinking what in the world it might be. And she hated it. She hated pondering over something she doen't even know. As she heaves a long sigh, Nathan knew he had won. He grinned like a moron and moves her eyebrows implying 'what do you say?'.

"What is it?" she asked as Nathan smiled wider, walking past him.

"You'll see when we get-"

"It's a beta test" the girl in glasses replied which cutted Nate off. Ruining the element of suprise.

Turning around to face the girl, Nathan placed both hands in her shoulders and violently shook her, not minding the curious gazes of passers-by.

"Why?!" he demanded. "Why would you do that Amelia?!"

"Serves you right, you foul-mouthed bastard" Yotsuzuki exclaimed as he and Gabe watches Nathan shake the hell out of Amelia who kept on laughing despite the dizzying way he shakes her roughly.

They continued to do so until Nathan's arm fall off, exhaisted. Amelia, on the other hand, was barely able to stand. It was though as if she had drunk alcohol till she's wasted.

Gabe walks to them and catches Amy to her arms.

"You guys are done, right?" Yotsuzuki asked. Impatience was present in his voice. He heaved a long sigh before grabbing Nate on his shirt, "Were already 5 minutes late" he said and grabbed Amelia who grips on Gabe and then dragged the three of them to the direction of the school.

The walk was severely long.

On the way, Gabe couldn't help but wonder what her oldest friend is so excited about. So she asked.

"What are you so excited for anyways, dumbass?"

"The BETA_Test" he looked at her, eyes overflowing with enthusiasm. "Remember CrossFire? It was chosen to be the game were supposed to play today, to test the extent of a new console's capability. I canht wait to shoot down other students in-game"

He continued to explain for a while. Each one filled with more enthusia than the last one.

As they arrived at school, they ewere already 55 minutes late. The large gate was already closed and the only way in was through the small gate where the school guard would be waiting to get your names to be called to the principal's office later. The second option is much much worse. It requires one to climb over a 6 ft concrete wall in order to enter the school premises.

Gabriel had to admit, climbing the wall would be more convenient even though they still might get caught.

They started to pile up beside a low part of the wall, agreeing that Nathan would serve as their ladder.

Reluctantly obeying the majority, Nathan bent down as Yotsuzuki stepped on him and jumps to the other side. Amelia then went next, yanking on his face on purpose as she climbed the wall, pouting.

When it was Gabe's turn, Nate suddenly stood straight, preventing her from climbing up his back.

"What's the big ide-"

Nathan covered her mouth placing his index finger at her lips. He shushed her as they listened carefully to the voices coming from the other side.

Three voices could be heard from the opposite site of the wall. Two of them were from Amelia and Yotsuzuki. The other one was quite inaudible for them to clearly hear.

It took a while before the voice became loud enough to be able to be recognized.

"Hoy!" a man's voice called out from the other side. "What are the two of you doing, jumping in from the wall like that? Hey! Come back here!" the man shouted as they hear Amy and Yotsuzuki running away from the man.

It was their class adviser, Ronald Santiago.

Hearing the way the two panicky scram made the both of them laugh.

"I can do this all day" he whispered in her ear as the footsteps of their teacher slowly faded away. Nathan bent over in order to lift Gabriel to the other side. "Come on, were already late"

What he did seems to have flipped a switch inside her. She smiled shyly as she stepped on him and jumped to the other side and Nate swiftly followed.

They found themselves at the back of a few metal bleacher. Nathan immediately scanned the whole area. "Let's go" he said as he noticed that no one saw their little stunt, he immediately grabbing her by the arm Gabe sprints in order keep stay on pace with him.

As minutes passed by, Gabe noticed that they had been walking down halls and passing through corridors, but Nate seems to be troubled. They passed by multiple facilities including the biology lab and the gymnasium. An incomprehensible expression was painted on his face. It gave her a hunch of what may be happening so she asked.

"Are you lost?" she asked nonchalantly. She did not moved and only looked at his face waiting for an answer.

Turning red to the core, Nathan went dead silent, looked away and continued dragging her along. When he did mustered the courage to confess Gabe bursted out laughing her heart out.

"Jesus Christ" she exclaimed patting Nathan hard in the back. "You've been studying here for five years and you still haven't familiarized yourself to the place? Pitiful" she continued to mock him as he curled down to a ball, lying on the ground.

Nathan was disappointed at himself. He thought that he would be able to keep the act. As embarassment flowed to his every nook and cranny, Gabriel gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"Pathetic" she said in a voice that hinted disgust.

Nathan's spirit was rapidly depleting as his ego was slowly being crushed to bits.

Gabe giggled innocently at him and bent over. She then grabbed his face to turn it towards her.

"You don't have to work so hard to impress me. Your honest (frank), and caring (mostly because you need something from me). That's what I like about you, y'know?" she said.

Nate's eyes gleamed. 'Could it be? That she-' he thought to himself. He then began to laugh for no reason. Drowning from his own delusions, he wasn't able to notice the fist that came from the side. Hitting him cheek with so much force, he tumbles to the ground.

"Your a pathetically worthless, bad-mouthed bastard. Y'know that, Nate?" she grabs him by the jacket and banged her forehead into his. "Now tell me where were going so that I can lead the way" she demanded ignoring him who is now in the brink of crying.

"The gymnasium" he answered.

"The gymnasium? But we just passed by the gym a couple minutes ago" she said and leaned from the direction where they came from. "Come on, get up" she ordered as it was now her turn to drag him around.

When they arrived at the gym after being about 40 minutes late of the intended time that they were supposed to be there, people, mostly students, were already starting to lie down to make-shift beds that were lined up on the gymnasium floor.

On the other side of the gym was Amelia and Yotsuzuki sitting at monoblock chairs as they talk to a woman in a black tuxedo. Gabe immedately dragged Nate and stormed across the room to reunite with their friends.

As they were a few feet away, Amelia noticed and waved at them. "Good thing you made it" she said as she heaves a sigh of relief. "Our team nearly got considered as a default since the two of you seems to have enjoyed taking your time" she vexed giving an 'I-know-what-you-did' kind of expression.

"Wait. Our team?" Gabe asked in disbelief.

"もちろん (Of course)! Don't expect us to just let you have all the fun" says Yotsuzuki as he stood up and walked towards a row of unoccupied beds. Amy then stood as well. "Come on now. There is still a calibration process." he added.

Before the two went to their teams respective beds, the woman in black gave them a quick briefing of what to expect.

They are to play a game using a newly developed gaming platform that uses brainwaves to control ones character. The game to be played was CrossFire: Online, the most popular battle-royale game there is to date. Participants may use their accounts in this Test Run but is only allowed to use the Battle-Royale functions. The rules on this one was pretty simple, lead your team and shoot as much as you want to victory.

With all that briefing set and done, it was now time to set up the gear. A thick black collar, with a beeping red light was clipped to the neck. A large futuristic helmet (it is actually just like a normal helmet, except it doesn't wave the glass on front) was then placed over their head.

A screen was lit inside and the word 'Calibrating...' was displayed on the screen. Once the calibration process was complete, Gabe couldn't move her body anymore. A form then popped up on the sacreen. It asked if whether the user has an account or not for the game.

Gabe was puzzled, she doesn't knowwhat to do. All that was said earlier to them in the short briefing was they only haveto play it.

"What seems to be the problem, Miss Bright?" the woman eearlier asked, noticing that there was only one unit that has no reading.

"Do you guys got a keyboard?"

The woman immediately understood what she meant and proceeds to instruct her. "Look at the bar that you need to fill and think of the characters to be placed, one by one" she said.

Still confused, she hesitantly followed the woman's orders.

'Username: Hemluck'

'Password: J5O12W3M'

She then suddenly felt drowsy. She slowly closed the lid of her eyes until there was nothing but an endless void. Darkness continued to surrounded her as words appear in front of her.

'Fetching Data'

'Log-In: COMPLETE'

'Directing to Hangar'

'Generating Lobby'