The quest started as soon as the seconds marking it's beginning clicked to an end. Guild teams became locked in combat with the surprising tougher Zexils.
The all but one members of the Silver Syndicate were locked in the apocalypse as the loud reports of guns rented the air.
Recoil stood at a distance upon a rocky mountain and watched the chaos with an expert eye.
" Think anyone's gotten the card?" Recoil wondered. " Negative Recoil! The cards are still safely hidden"
" Good, I guess" he shrugged and retrieved his dual Glocks. He took a deep breath of the volcanic air and lunged into the fray.
As Recoil charged into the fray, the acrid smell of smoke and ozone filled his nostrils. The air was thick with the din of gunfire, screams, and the eerie, unearthly roars of the Zexils. The ground beneath his feet trembled with the impact of explosions, and the sky above was a deep, foreboding crimson.
He caught glimpses of other guild teams clashing with the Zexils. The "Eclipse Squad", a team of stealthy players, flitted through the shadows, taking down Zexils with swift efficiency. Meanwhile, the "Maelstrom Marauders", a guild of battle-hardened players, laid waste to a cluster of Zexils with their heavy artillery.
As planned they avoided most people and killed only Zexils that came at them in order to remain undetected.
The battle raged for an hour the players giving it their all. Recoil's earpiece crackled to life as Smoke's voice came through, his words clear despite the chaos around them. The game's AI-powered communication system allowed team members to stay in touch, no matter how scattered they were across the battlefield.
It was smoke that found a card. " Rec, I've gotten a card!" He relayed through their connection.
" Good keep it that way I'm coming" Recoil ordered and charged in Smoke's direction. He shot at multiple Zexils and ducked to avoid the swing of a powerful tail.
He had just downed a Zexil which nearly killed a player when he saw the outline of a masked man in a dark tuxedo also making his way in Smoke's direction.
The masked man moved with an unnerving fluidity, his dark tuxedo blending seamlessly into the shadows. He dodged and weaved through the chaos with ease, his eyes fixed intently on Smoke's position. His movements were almost serpentine, as if he were gliding across the battlefield rather than running. Recoil's gaze narrowed as he watched the masked man close in on Smoke, his hand instinctively tightening around the grip of his Glock.
" Smoke stay alive and that's an order!" Recoil's eyes narrowed as swiftly switched frequencies, his gaze never leaving the masked man as he relayed orders to Vapor and Tyrion. "Vapor, Tyrion, we've got a situation. Smoke's got the card, but we've got unwanted company heading his way. Make sure he gets out alive." His voice was low and urgent, his mind racing with the implications of this new player in the game.
Recoil however had his own personal mission: find out who that guy is and if he's willing to kill to get the card.
***Recoil's POV***
I ran as fast as I could, swerving and ducking continuously through the chaos in order to intercept the player who might be an enemy.
I paused briefly to reload the nearly depleted magazines of my pistols. " Status report" I said into my earpiece.
" We've got Smoke Man, nothin gonna happen to him" Tyrion replied. " Not on my watch" I declared and continued my charge.
As I finally closed in on the mysterious player, my eyes locked onto the familiar sight of Smoke, his iconic white Ferrari parked nearby. But my relief was short-lived, as I spotted the masked man mere yards away, his gaze fixed intently on Smoke. I sprinted towards them, my pistols at the ready. The masked man turned to face me, and for a moment, our eyes locked in a silent challenge. Then, in an instant, he was upon me, his features revealed in a flash of clarity.
Name: Reaper Coins: ?
Height 6 feet 4 inch(es)
Rank: C {Amateur I} XP: ??
HP: ?? MP: ??
Strength: ??
Stamina: ??. Agility: ??
Luck: ??
" What the ??" I heard myself say. How in heaven's name did he manage to hide his stats?
The masked man was apparently the Reaper. My fingers tightened on the pistols even more fiercely.
" We meet again Reaper" I said. He didn't remember me, if he hadn't been wearing a mask I knew his eyes would be filled with confusion.
" I'm sorry, who are you?" He asked. " You know what nevermind just get outta my way"
" You humiliated me in a game. Now I repay the favor" I replied…
***
Recoil's eyes narrowed as he faced off against Reaper, his pistols at the ready. Reaper sneered, his eyes glinting with a malevolent intensity.
"You think you can take me down." Reaper taunted, his voice dripping with malice.
Recoil didn't bother responding, instead charging forward with a swift kick. Reaper dodged easily, countering with a powerful blow that Recoil barely blocked.
The two players clashed, their movements lightning-fast as they exchanged blows. Recoil's pistols fired in rapid succession, but Reaper dodged and weaved, avoiding each shot with ease.
Reaper retaliated with a devastating combination of attacks, sending Recoil stumbling backward. Recoil's vision blurred for a moment, and when he refocused, Reaper was mere inches from his face, his eyes blazing with triumph.
Just as Reaper had retrieved a pistol from his arsenal and about to deliver the finishing blow, a burst of gunfire echoed through the air, followed by the sound of screeching tires. Smoke's sleek white Ferrari skidded to a halt beside Recoil, and Tyrion leapt out, his SMG blazing as he pinned Reaper down.
"Recoil, get in!" Vapor yelled, as Recoil stumbled toward the car.
Recoil dove into the backseat, gasping for breath as Smoke sped away from the scene, leaving Reaper to nurse his wounds.
"Thanks for the rescue," Recoil said, wincing as he tended to his injuries.
"No problem, man," Tyrion replied, grinning. "We've got your back."
As they sped away from the battlefield, Recoil couldn't shake the feeling that Reaper was f
ar from defeated....