SYSTEM VS HUMAN

Jeff checked out of work at 4:47 PM and found himself trapped in front of a beautiful woman staring at him with golden eyes. He hadn't seen her for 7 years since she got famous, but there she was leaning on his red Camaro with a blue mini skirt. He could tell she hadn't forgotten him because she instantly gave him his favorite type of coffee and a kiss on the cheek.

"Do you know that a top secret organization is looking for you?" Angela got in the driver seat of her car and let Jeff accompany her in the passenger seat. "They are looking for you because you're the only one who can ever beat me in games."

"I'm out of the pro circuit, Angela," Jeff made a comment from the bottom of his heart. "How can they come close to paying better than the marketing agency I work for?" Jeff felt the doldrum of his day starting to hit him, craving to bask in the limelight of once more being a perfect gamer. "You also used to be the best on the team. I only beat you because I know your greatest flaw."

"Oh, and what is that flaw?" Angela said with a smile on her face. Her lips reminded him of the most beautiful crescent moons stacked on top of each other. "Are you talking about that promise we made in 5th grade?"

The car started and they drove back to Jeff's house and pulled up to a familiar blue car and the sound of someone in Jeff's house bashing buttons on a controller.

They opened the door and walked in together. Angela took off her golden stilletos and Jeff tossed aside his boots and walked over and sat on the couch. A muscular man stood up and greeted them with a giant smile on his face.

"I finally cleared that dungeon people said couldn't be cleared solo. I totally hid in the corner and spammed one attack." Marcus seriously did a backflip and landed on the couch. "Yes, and whomever said you can't exercise and play video games at the same time is so wrong!"

"It's a boy. I'm having a boy," Angela grabbed Jeff's hand and squeezed it. "I wanted to let you know first. That it's a boy and we're keeping it."

"You're what?" Marcus nearly puked. "You haven't seen Jeff for 7 years! How can you already be pregnant!"

"No, it's a boy. The person we have to call is a boy, haha!" Angela joked and pulled out a card. "There is mysterious organization that wants me to contact them. I'll tell you more about it as soon as I call them."

Jeff rolled his eyes.

Angela was so far out of his league, but she always tried to hit on him. When he was a kid, it was their favorite pastime to try and flirt with each other. He didn't understand why she liked him so much on the surface, but in the center she seemed to have so many secrets. He looked at her pulling out her cellphone and recognized that beautiful glint in her eye that he'd seen every day in high school. She had one of her brilliant ideas. The ideas that led her to becoming the captain of the best gaming team to ever enter into the Pro Gaming Circuit.

Ding!

"Geez, they answered already, Hello?" Angela pulled Jeff closer to her with her slender, quick hands. "Yes, this is Angela. How did you know that already?"

"Nice to meet you. I suppose Jeff and Marcus are with you as well?" A deep, mysterious voice roused everyone's attention. "Thank you for contacting Monarch House. I'll be sending you everything you need in just a second."

Ding!

Jeff and Marcus pulled out their phones and looked down at a offer from a corporation with 7 zeros on it.

"Are you mad? What the hell is this?" Marcus laughed and slammed his phone down onto the couch. "Dude, how did you do that so fast?"

"My name is Monarch, and I am a very special person from Monarch House. Would you mind getting into the car that's pulling up outside?"

Jeff and Marcus turned and saw a limousine had pulled up outside. Angela rolled her eyes and then smacked Jeff on the shoulder.

"I forgot that they said a limousine would be here at 7 PM. It's so amazing that I called at just the right time."

Jeff sighed and walked over to the phone and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, sir. You said your name is Monarch right. Is there any reason you're named after the corporation or is just a coincidence?"

"You'll find out when you meet me. My boss told me that you'd call so I had a limousine waiting around the corner. You see, I'm always 100 steps ahead."

Jeff nodded his head and then looked down at his suit and tie that had stains on stains. "Oh, great. I need to change. This is not what I want to wear! Marcus, did you do our laundry yet?"

"Dude, I'm not your house husband… You'll find your laundry folded in the closet. Because you know… I got laid off last month and I need to help out."

Jeff smiled and pulled off his shirt as Angela gawked.

"Hey, you can't just take off your shirt in front of me! This isn't the old days at the circuit. You can't just change in front of me! We used to have to practice for 18 hours and didn't have time for the bathroom, but what the hell! You… you still have a six pack?"

Marcus smiled and patted Jeff on the chest.

"Ha, as video gamers, you got to work out! It's the rules, yo!"

Jeff shook his head and walked towards his closet and pulled out his best shirt.

"Well, time to get out of here, and meet this Monarch."

He had a strange feeling something fascinating was about to occur, but he couldn't put his finger on it.