Ch.9: I Picked Shiksa

Introducing the crew like this was some kind of weird justice league, Lackney pointed to each of them "These are Jackal 00245, Nimo in a Limo, Horsfall, Caribbean Waves, and our moneybags, Mr. Utah."

As if I cared about their silly nicknames – all I cared about was the cash. So, I went straight for Mr. Utah.

"Greetings, Mr. Utah," I said, shaking his left hand with both of my hands. He smiled in acknowledgment, and I liked that.

To the others, I introduced myself with a small smile, "I'm Freakyfreddy."

"Whatever, you're here now," said a guy whose alias I'd already forgotten. Guess I made them wait. "You missed our master plan to destroy the other team, but let me tell you, Freaky Boy, don't make us lose this gig! Game starts in two minutes!"

I didn't like his tone neither did I like the fact that he butchered my name.

I shot Lackney a glare.

He understood, nodding for me to calm down.

Calm down? That jerk mangled my name!

"Take your seats, everyone," another guy announced.

I quickly grabbed the chair at the far right.

The annoying guy glared at me. "Why are you sitting there? You're supposed to be behind us!" Rude. "Waves, you sit there, and Freaky Boy can get lost!"

"Chill, Jackal, the dude didn't offend you," Lackney defended me.

This tension was rising seconds before the game? Ridiculous!

Caribbean Waves intervened. "Jackal, relax. If the game goes south, I'll switch with Freaky Boy. If Lackney says his friend's better, let's give him a shot. We don't want to lose the money, do we?"

I sure didn't want to lose the money too now did I? I needed food and new socks!

All this drama was unfolding in front of the guy who hired us. Hilarious!

"Put your earphones on, guys," Mr. Utah commanded, just in time.

I grabbed the headphone attached to my computer and put them on.

Lackney, sitting to my left, did the same.

"Ready for this, Freakyfreddy?" he whispered with a chuckle which I just chuckled back in response. Silence was the best answer at this moment.

The game kicked off with a bang. Both teams were online, and the location was set at Ogre's Field.

Seeing the map on the screen's top-left corner brought back memories – memories of Shiksa.

"I'm playing Skyro," said the guy in the middle, his choice popping up on the screen as Nimo In The Limo became Skyro in the game.

"I'll be Gregg," announced the guy next to the annoying dude.

"I'm going with Ragnarok!" Lackney giggled, always favoring the mighty titan god. "I bet Freakyfreddy will pick MK," he added with a smirk, eyes glued to the screen.

"MK's a loser," the irritating Jackal sneered. "I'll choose Hell-hound. It's the best!"

Pfft! As if I'd listen to him just because he trashed MK. Sure, Hell-hound was a beastly titan, but I had other ideas.

To everyone's shock – including my own – I picked Shiksa.

Yeah, the ogre reminded me of her and how I, as her, had blown its brains out. Maybe that's why I chose Shiksa.

Regardless, the choice was made, and the game was on.

"Freddy?" Lackney questioned, confusion painted on his face. He shot me a condescending look.

"Just focus on the game. I know what I'm doing," I insisted, keeping my eyes locked on the screen.

"I sure hope so..." Lackney muttered before refocusing on the game.

Whatever, dude! Piss off!

As the game began, both teams had to team up against a pair of colossal ogres and their gigantic offspring. I mean, these ogres were freaking huge! Baby ogres? Yeah, you heard right.

Big, chunky baby ogres. That's something you don't see every day!

Sure, fighting together wasn't necessary, but it was the smart play. If each team ignored the ogres and went for the gems instead, those big uglies would hunt us down like the last slice of pizza at a frat party.

The battlefield looked like it had been chewed up by an angry Godzilla on her monthly period. Craters everywhere, but there were also these huge plants that looked like grass next to the baby ogres.

It was like playing tag in a jungle of broccoli.

Well, forgive me for dissing on broccolis. I'm just not a fan of that.

The opposition team made the first move, creeping up on the ogre family like they were tiptoeing past a sleeping dragon.

They had a Skyro avatar flying above, acting all superior like it was too cool to join the fight.

Pfft! Typical Skyro character. Total diva but our Skyro was busy helping us fight the ogres now that's smart! Hehe!

Our squad, all five of us, moved in next.

The ground trembled like we were crashing a giant's tea party. I had a close encounter with an ogre's axe last time – trust me, it's not a pleasant memory!

The other team was gearing up for a showdown too.

On our side, Hell-hound and Ragnarok took the lead, ready to rumble with the ogre parents. Gregg went after two baby ogres like they were unruly toddlers at a daycare. Skyro grabbed a baby ogre and took to the skies.

What Skyro was doing up there? No idea. Probably giving it a stern talking-to.

I, Shiksa, was at the rear, supposed to handle one of the less terrifying but still enormous baby ogres. One at a time, please.

"If I had chosen MK, I'd have smashed three babies by now," I grumbled in my thoughts.

But no regrets. Gotta roll with the punches.

Then, a notification popped up on our screens – a message from the other team. Oh joy.

It read: "Really? Using a low-grade avatar and a girl? Don't cry saying you let us win if we win, losers!"

Sneer! Yeah, they were dissing me. My teammates didn't give a rat's ass about it. We had a job to do.

The baby ogres towered over us, casting long shadows like monstrous skyscrapers. Drools dripped from their gaping mouths, and their beady eyes watched us like we were snack-sized action figures.

The air was electric with tension as we clashed with the ogres. The battlefield roared with the sounds of battle.

Despite our initial doubts, we got stuck into the fight, determined to overcome these colossal foes and grab victory for our teams.

And so, the epic showdown began!