Ch.12: Again!

The others nodded in agreement, their expressions showing various degrees of reluctance.

Waves, the supposed substitute teammate, had been watching us play with a bemused expression, probably questioning why he wasn't out there instead of me.

I glanced over at him, his athletic build making me feel even more inadequate compared to my luckless attempts on the field.

So much hate from me!

"Come on, guys," I protested, trying to keep my voice light. "It was just a rough start. Besides, I've got a lot of hidden potential."

"Yeah, hidden so well, even you can't find it," Skyro quipped, earning a round of laughter. "Seriously, Freddy, you managed to kill one ogre and scored a whopping 72 points. We need more firepower, and Waves here is itching to get in."

Waves grinned sheepishly. "Hey, no pressure, Freddy. If you want me to jump in, I'm ready. But if you want to give it another shot..."

Before I could respond, Lackney, my best friend and longtime teammate, stepped in.

"Hold on a second," Lackney said, stepping between me and the rest of the team like a bodyguard. "Freddy's already started this game, and I think we should let him finish it. He's really an ace player. Maybe he was just warming up."

"Warming up?" Gregg echoed, scratching his head. "That must have been one hell of a warm-up. More like a warm-up to a barbecue where Freddy was the main course."

Lackney shot him a look. "Come on, guys. We all have off moments. Let's give Freddy a chance to show what he can do. Besides, we all saw him get chased around by that baby ogre. If anything, he's got to be motivated now."

Jackal sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright. If Lackney believes in you, Freddy, I guess we'll give you another shot. Just try not to get chased again, okay?"

So if Lackney didn't say so, I would have been trashed?!

Well, as much as I needed to appreciate Lackney, these people knew him and I was just a stranger to them so, scratch appreciation!

The timer hit zero, and the game resumed. Round 2 began with a fresh wave of ogres stomping onto the battlefield.

I tightened my grip on the controls, determined to prove myself.

Shiksa was back in action, her gun at the ready.

As we charged into the fray, Jackal yelled, "Freddy, if you get harmed or knocked out by the opposition team even once, just know Waves is ready and waiting!"

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, focusing on the ogres ahead.

This time, Shiksa moved with purpose, and I managed to dodge the first opponent's swing, landing a solid hit on its knee as I somehow miraculously fisted it.

"Hah! Got you!" I shouted in my head, feeling a surge of confidence.

My moment of glory was short-lived as the avatar roared and hit Shiksa away with it's punch, though this time I managed to roll and recover without losing too much health.

Progress!

Behind me, Lackney was doing his best to keep morale up. "See? Freddy's getting the hang of it! Keep it up, buddy!"

Skyro hovered nearby, taking out another avatar from the opposing team with ease. Perhaps because that avatar was Skyro too, tch! "Don't worry, Freddy. If you need help, just scream. We'll hear you."

I couldn't help but smile. Despite the ribbing, it felt good to be part of the team. "Alright, team," I called out, rallying Shiksa for another attack. "Let's show these guys what we've got!"

As the battle raged on, I managed to land a few more hits, avoiding any more embarrassing launches across the battlefield.

My points were slowly ticking up, and while I wasn't leading the charge, I was holding my own.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd earn enough respect to avoid being benched in favor of Waves next time if there was ever going to be one! But for now, I was in the game, and that was all that mattered.

Now, everyone look here. The objective was clear: win the most gems out of the available three (get two gem), or win all the three gems as a team and the ultimate prize would be given to the team lead being a high rank and a hefty sum of money from the game makers.

I, Freddy, was determined to redeem myself after my shaky performance in Round 1.

"Alright, team," I said, my voice full of false bravado. "Remember, we need to get those three gems. The team with the most gems wins, and the highest-scoring player in the winning team gets the big prize."

Jackal snorted. "Yeah, Freddy, we get it. Just try not to spend the whole round hiding."

Ignoring the snark, I dove into the game with Shiksa, my trusty avatar who specialized in running, flying, and not much else.

The landscape was a chaotic mess of ruins, forests, and open fields perfect for ambushes and sneak attacks.

After the round began, I found myself in classic Shiksa mode: running and flying. And perhaps this time hiding!

Shiksa darted from cover to cover, trying to avoid enemy fire. "Okay, Shiksa, let's find a gem," I thought, attempting to sound confident to myself.

But then, disaster struck. An enemy avatar spotted me and, with a quick shot, hit Shiksa square in the chest. Her life line dropped by one life, leaving me with just two.

"Oh, come on!" I groaned lowly, avoiding attention which I already caught.

Panicking, I made Shiksa take to the skies, thinking I'd be safer up there. Instead, I just flew around aimlessly, contributing nothing to the team effort.

My teammates were locked in intense combat below, and here I was with this worthless avatar, floating like a useless balloon.

Shit! I hate being a piece of pilled shit!

"Freddy, we need backup!" Hell-hound yelled. He and Ragnarok were closing in on the first gem but were under heavy fire. "Get over here and cover us!"

I gulped, realizing I was the closest.

"Uh, sure, on my way," I called back, trying to sound brave. The problem was, I couldn't let them know I had only two life left. I had turned off the notification for my life bar to keep it a secret. They didn't f**king know!

F**k!

Flying over to their position, I tried to help, but fear kept me hovering uselessly above.

Without proper backup, the opposing team overwhelmed Hell-hound and Ragnarok, snatching the first gem right from under our noses.

"Great job, Freddy," Jackal yelled sarcastically. "We totally had that under control."

Things went from bad to worse.

As we fought for the second gem, I struggled to muster the courage to land.

Suddenly, one of the enemy players emerged with a sword and slashed at Shiksa, dropping my lifeline bar to just one remaining life.

"Seriously?" I moaned.

Just one life left, and the game had barely started.

On the ground, Hell-hound and Ragnarok were battling furiously for the second gem. "Freddy, we need you down here, now!" Hell-hound shouted.

My screen showed that Shiksa was the closest avatar, but I was too scared to join the fight with only one life left. Again!

I hesitated, flying back up into the air, and the enemy team seized the opportunity. They overwhelmed my teammates and took the second gem. Again!

Discouraged and desperate, we regrouped for a last push for the third gem.

"Come on, guys, we can still do this," Lackney said, trying to keep morale up.

But the third gem was in the most dangerous spot yet, right in the middle of the battlefield.

We, well, they charged in, only to be met with fierce resistance. I was still flying around uselessly when Skyro, the enemy's aerial ace, spotted me.

With a swift attack, he hit Shiksa hard, sending her crashing down.