Saving the Captain

So, what would it be? Move the entire triangle to Bot? Or, split it between lanes? Jaiden couldn't make up his mind.

"They're still pushing Top," Rio pointed out.

"Oh, right!" Jaiden exclaimed. There was another option all along!

InformationBlackhole and Beat were the ones tasked with defending Top, and they were possibly the enemy's weakest links. Beat was the weakest for sure, and Blackhole wasn't impressive either as far as Jaiden could tell. [In other words...!]

"The enemy's defense is weaker in Top," Jaiden said. "How about the three of us rotate to Top and help you take the tower?"

"Hmm." Raymond knotted his brows. "It's a sound idea, but who'll defend Bot in that case?"

"Oh, right, about that..." Jaiden didn't think that far. He was just excited by the possibility of crushing Beat once more and riding to victory on top of her corpse. [But, Ray is right. This will leave Bot undefended.]

"I can recall after you get here," Zeph suggested. "I'm starting to run low anyway, so I gotta head out soon."

"It's because you're not being careful enough," Raymond criticized.

"Chill, man. I'm doing what I can. It's not my fault they got that obnoxious Sorcerer range on their side. I can't approach without getting hit by something or another."

"Very well." Raymond nodded. "In that case, let's use your HP to its fullest. We'll keep pushing until Jaiden's group arrives, then you'll recall and defend Bot."

"Works for me." Zeph grinned dangerously. "So, we're going all-out now, right?"

"Just make sure you don't overdo it. If you die, it'll ruin the entire plan."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. These guys don't look like they're gonna attack any time soon. They're just turtling and poking. Cheap fuckers."

"Yes, they're not very assertive," Raymond agreed.

The enemy Viking and Sorcerer have been defending rather passively. Even though this was a fair 2v2, the enemy didn't dare to aggress on Raymond and Zeph. They played a turtly keep-out game that only stalled for time. It failed to discourage Raymond and Zeph from continuing this push, so they pressed on.

[Heh, and now we can push even harder!] Zeph grinned. [Full speed ahead! Let's go!]

He'll fight to the fullest, no matter how much HP he loses in the process. After all, HP was just another resource. As long as Zeph avoids dying, he can keep pushing and pushing and pushing some more, no matter how much HP it costs him.

"Let's go with this plan," Raymond summarized. "Mid rotates to Top, then Zeph recalls and defends Bot."

"Okay!" Nash exclaimed. "Let's go, let's go, let's goooooo!"

"Wait, I need to cast the buff on you." Rio ran after Nash, who was already all the way at the jungle.

"Oh, right." Nash hit the brakes and let the others catch up. "Forgot I'm too fast for ya, haha."

"Show-off." Rio made a face. [You just built a bunch of Movement Speed. There's nothing to brag about.]

"Nash, you should go ahead with your speed," Jaiden suggested. "Get there first and hit them hard. We'll be right behind you."

"Sounds good! I'mma get me a double kill by the time you get there!"

"Do it, man." Jaiden smiled.

Rio cast Godspeed, granting a Movement Speed buff to the entire trio. Then, without further ado, Nash sprinted off and vanished from sight.

[I hope that reckless fool won't get himself into unnecessary trouble.] Rio thought.

The trio wasn't particularly discreet about their rotation plans. In fact, they did the entire thing in plain sight, alarming their enemies ahead of time.

"Is it just me or they're rotating?" Luke asked.

"Looks like Top is their new target," Yuel deduced. "Top, watch out! They're rotating!"

"Oh no! The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom set its eyes on us!" Vincent made noise. "It's coming to claim us!"

"Do we retreat?" Kai asked.

"Yes, but not right away," Yuel said. "If you start retreating now, they'll have enough time to cancel the rotation and change their plans. And, they'll still be able to take the tower with the pushers they already got over there. We can't surrender the tower like that."

"Then, we wait here until we die?" Kai was brimming with positivity in this game.

"Retreat to the edge of the tower area, but continue clearing minions as much as you can. Let's see how the situation develops for now, then decide when to fully evacuate you from the lane."

"What about reinforcements?" Vincent inquired.

"Yes, about that..." Yuel considered their options.

It made sense to respond to this rotation in kind and rotate the defenders from Mid to Top. Unfortunately, there was a big problem with that.

The enemy still had lane advantage in Mid, so their minion waves had the upper hand. As such, somebody had to stay in lane and clear minions until the balance was restored in the lane.

"Stay here and clear the incoming wave," Yuel requested from Luke. "I'll rotate to Top."

"Got it." Luke gave a thumbs up.

[I hope this is the right move.] Yuel felt sweat forming on his forehead. He didn't anticipate this sudden rotation to Top, but he immediately recognized it as a strong move.

Kai was underperforming, whereas Vincent didn't pose much of a threat if the enemy takes the fight to him. In other words, the defense in Top was paper-thin. Somebody had to rotate over there to help them, especially against the enemy's infamous Triangle.

[It should be the right call to rotate me to Top over Luke.] Yuel continued questioning this move as he was running toward Top.

With Noble Steed, Luke could rotate to Top much faster, probably even outrun the Triangle itself. However, somebody had to stay and clear minions in Mid, and Luke's Knight was far better suited for the task than Yuel's Aquamncer.

Therefore, even though this resulted in a much slower rotation, this was the better play overall. Hopefully.

[I'm surprised they're still ignoring Lars.] Yuel glanced at the mini-map.

Lars was already at the enemy's Bot Golem, ready to engage the giant guardian. At this rate, the enemy will lose their Golem to a one-person split-push. Were they really fine with it?

[No, of course they're not. They're probably going to recall somebody once the gank begins.] In that case, the situation in Top will actually be a 3v4, not a 3v5. That's why it wasn't necessary for both Yuel and Luke to rotate together to defend Top. Three defenders against four pushers were more than enough.

[We'll probably still have to concede the tower in the end, but we won't give it to them for free.][The longer we stall them there, the more time Lars will get to push Bot without worry. I just have to get to Top in time before things get out of hand-]

"HERE I COME!!!" Nash leaped over a jungle wall, diving straight into the tower area!

"They're already here!?" Vincent exclaimed. "Such speed! Unbelievable!"

"Shit...!" Kai heard the leap coming, but she was too slow to react. The Lancer landed right on top of her, dealing heavy damage. Next, he swung his spear, sweeping right through her!

[Shit, I'm done for...] Kai hung her head.

It was over. The sweep slowed down her Movement Speed, so there was no hope of getting out of here alive. [Damn, if only I dodged that stupid leap...]

But, Kai couldn't make it. She wasn't good enough. Once again, she was going to drag the entire team down with her incompetence. It wasn't even that long since she revived, but she was going to die again...

"Oh, no you don't!" Vincent's booming voice cut through the cloud of negativity. He grabbed the Lancer by the waist and tossed the invader to the other side of the tower area. "Beat, now is your chance! Make your escape!"

"Ah, right!" Kai turned around and started running… slowly, very slowly. Unfortunately, no matter how much she begged her Sorcerer to pick up speed, this was the best she could muster after getting hit by Lancer's Sweep.

"RWAAAAAAR!!!" A roar of fury resounded from behind her. The Berserker entered his Berserk mode.

The enemy was about to launch an all-out attack. Top Turret was done for.

[Can I at least get away alive?] Kai gulped. [No, probably not.]

Sorcerer had an amazing attack range, but zero escape tools. On top of that, the Lancer's Sweep drastically slowed her down, so even her regular running speed was far worse than average.

[Yeah, it's over, no matter how I look at it.] Kai gave up. [At least, Vince should be able to get away.]

Viking's Axe Blitz was handy for getting out of sticky situations like this, so Vincent will be able to escape without a hitch. Only Kai will die here, alongside the tower. That should've been the most likely scenario, but...

"I shall use everything in my power to hold them down!" Vincent proclaimed.

"Huh...?"

"I'll hold them down even if it's the last thing I do. So, make sure you escape alive from this hell!"

"Huh...?" Kai opened and closed her mouth. "What are you talking about? You're the one who should get away."

"Nay, nay, nay! You have to make it out alive in my stead!" Vincent insisted. "We shall need a mage to defend our Golem against the Bermuda Triangle, so your life is far more important than mine!"

"Huh, is that so..." Kai reluctantly agreed. For once, Vincent's words weren't filled with total nonsense.

After taking Top Turret, there was a chance the enemy will extend their attack to Top Golem. In that case, whoever survives this assault will have to defend right away. And, it was always best to have somebody with fast wave-clearing speed on the defense

[Yeah, I guess it makes sense why he values me so highly.][Or rather, why he values my CLASS so highly.]

"Besides, you're the captain," Vincent added.

"Eh?"

"I cannot allow our captain to perish like that, can I? Don't you agree, my soldiers!?" Vincent activated Unstoppable Raid, summoning a brigade of warriors. They all roared in unison as if sharing Vincent's sentiment.

"Captain?" Kai spat a self-scoring laugh. "Bullshit. It's just a title. In practice, I haven't done shit..."

"The last two games were big blowups, I understand," Vincent said. "But even so, we must push onward! Did we come here today to lose? Nay, I say! We came to seize victory! No matter how many times they beat us down, we shall rise from the ashes like a phoenix! No matter how frustrating it is, no matter how much we screw up - we must rise and fight once more!"

[Is he quoting one of his Chinese cartoons or something?] Kai found the speech a tad cheesy, but Vincent was right. The team definitely didn't come here today to lose. They didn't struggle so hard the entire day just to walk away defeated.

This was the competitive stage, not some Ranked match she could throw at any time because she wasn't feeling it. On this stage, at the pinnacle of the competition, quitting wasn't tolerated. No matter how many times the team screws up, they had to keep fighting until the bitter end. This was no time to drown in self-pity.

"Alright, I'll get away," Kai reassured. "So, make sure you also get out afterwards."

"But of course." Vincent smiled wryly. "Such was my plan from the start. I'll definitely get away tool. I'll be right behind you!"

But, it was a lie. As Vincent was throwing his empty promise into the air, his eyes laid on the axe he tossed a few moments ago.

This axe was supposed to be his ticket out of this mess. He planned to confront the enemy under tower for a while, then blink into the jungle and make a break for it.

Alas, their opponents were too good. DragonMaster read that intention from a mile away. As soon as he turned Berserk, he leaped over Vincent's head to block off the path to the jungle. What's worse, it was happening right as Vincent released the axe from his hand...

The result was nothing short of comical. Instead of sending his axe all the way to the jungle, the axe firmly planted itself in DragonMaster's shoulder. It traveled less than a meter. Instead of becoming a key to Vincent's survival, it became an invitation to death.

[I'll perish here.] Vincent was convinced of that.

DragonMaster, StormMonster, and Nirvana. All three of them focused their attacks on Vincent under the tower. Even with his faithful army of warriors, Vincent couldn't stand up to this overwhelming force.

Not to mention, two more enemies were on their way to gank the lane as well. It was the grand finale. Vincent's tale of heroism came to an end.

[But, it was all worth it.] Vincent smiled. [As long as Beat gets away, we can still hold onto hope even in these dark times. If it's to save the captain's life, I shall throw away my life without a second thought!]

Beat's tale was not done yet. The captain always maintained a confident front, but she was actually very vulnerable. A few unfortunate mistakes were enough to shatter her spirit and reduce her to her current sorry state.

But, in truth, she was stronger than most. Yes, she truly was. Unlike Vincent and his mediocre skill, Kai was a real fighter. In terms of raw strength, she was second only to the almighty Gunz. Alas, she was struggling to awaken her full power on this grand stage today.

Pressure, anxiety, and anger. This chaotic mixture was chaining her down, preventing her real strength from coming to the surface.

[Nevertheless, I believe she'll overcome it all.] Vincent smiled confidently. Like a chick busting out of its egg, Kai will tear apart the chains binding her. She'll show the world what she was truly capable of! Once that happens, nobody will dare to question the legitimacy of her position as the captain.

[I'm nothing more than a humble servant. You're the queen of this show, Kai.] Vincent closed his eyes and exhaled. Then, he opened them dramatically! [Therefore, I shall fight! To the bitter end! To death! Even if all I can do is buy you a couple of seconds, I shall restrain these enemies with everything I've got!]

And so, Vincent challenged the three overwhelming forces.

Thankfully, he wasn't alone. A brigade of strong vikings stood by his side, all sharing his will. And, there was the Turret too, contributing with its high damage output. Together, they were going to make their last stand here!

Vincent swung his axe at the rampaging Berserker. His loyal army also ganged on this one rampaging foe.

Swing. Swing. Swing!

Even though Vincent knew death was nigh, he continued swinging to no end. Every swing was pregnant with the desire to strike down the powerful barbarian.

[If I smite down at least one of them, my death shall pay for its own cost and my contribution to this game would be immortalized!] This wasn't just an operation to stall the enemy, Vincent had every intention to get a kill as well!

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Even though Vincent had the numerical advantage with his viking squad, a raging tornado struck all of them at once. Nirvana unleashed his ultimate, turning the entire area into a disaster zone for Vincent's squad.

The tornado sucked them in and tore rent them asunder. The viking warriors fell one by one. Vincent remained all alone.

[At the very least, I made him spend his ult.] Vincent smiled.

Yes, in the face of these depressing odds, he was smiling. His death has long since been prophesied, it was recorded in the Akashic Records. There was no escape from this certain demise.

As such, there was only one thing he could do in this situation: make the enemy's life as hard as possible! He shall not go down without a fight!

"Aeromancer ultimate is down!" Vincent reported as he confronted his opponents head-on.

[Yes, keep focusing on me! Keep trying to kill me!] Vincent smirked.

Each second the enemy wasted on Vincent was a second that counted toward Beat's escape. Even though Vincent was going to die for certain, Kai will be able to escape from this apocalypse alive!

But, as if to crush this wish, an epiphany hit Jaiden.

"I think Nash better chase the girl," Jaiden suggested.

"Are you sure?" Rio asked. "It's risky."

"What's risky about it? It's just that girl. Nash gonna make quick work of her."

"Sorcerer is dangerous during the mid-game," Rio warned.

"C'mon, you really think Nash would lose to that girl? She's been playing like a scrub the entire game. She's the enemy's weakest link, your favorite kind of target."

"Well, yes, but..." Rio couldn't explain it well but he had a bad feeling about this.

Letting Nash chase Beat alone seemed risky. There was a decent chance of overextending and Jaiden should've been aware of it too, yet he was pushing for this play.

"Then, I'll go back him up," Rio presented a compromise.

"I don't think that's necessary, but you do you. Anyway, there's no time! Hey, Nash!" Jaiden called out. "Forget that Viking guy. He's already dead. Go chase the girl."

And from that one suggestion, a chain of unexpected events was born...