Vicky got up the next day, to find everyone getting ready to leave.
"What's going on?" Vicky asked.
"The fight is over now. So we're going back," Claire said, eating her breakfast.
The living room was filled with bags. Vicky looked at the dinner table, where everyone was gathered for breakfast, for one last time.
Before Vicky knew it, everyone had finished breakfast. They loaded their luggages onto their vehicles. Aiden, Sophia and Theo were the first to leave. Then Miles left, and then Mia and her family did. It was finally down to the captain, Vicky and Connor.
"I guess I should get going too," the captain said. Vicky smiled at the captain, and hugged him. Connor nodded at the captain.
The captain walked to his car, and drove off from the lake house.
Vicky turned to her father, and saw him carry a bag.
"Are you going too?" Vicky asked.
"Yes! I can't stay here. I'll put you in danger. I'm technically dead. It's better things stay that way," Connor said, looking at Vicky.
"What about me?" Vicky asked.
"You could stay here as long as you want," Connor said walking to his car. He noticed Vicky was not in the best mood. He kept his bag in the car, and walked back to Vicky. "You'll be fine. Here's my number. Call me if you need me, you know how to find me," Connor said hugging Vicky.
Connor walked back to his car, and drove away. Leaving Vicky alone in the large lake house.
"Miss Mitchel! Will you be leaving too?" Cora said, walking towards Vicky.
"Wouldn't that make you lonely?" Vicky asked.
"I'm a robot. I don't feel emotions, Miss Mitchel," Cora replied.
"Call me Vicky," Vicky said, turning to Cora.
"Yes Vicky!" Cora replied.
Vicky walked back into the house with Cora following her. Vicky walked into the house, and grabbed her shoulder in pain.
"Is everything alright Miss Vicky?" Cora asked, turning to Vicky. Vicky looked at Cora and sighed.
"Just a small wound," Vicky replied.
"I could patch it up for you if you want," Cora replied.
"Okay!" Vicky said, sitting on the couch.
Cora stitched Vicky's wound, and bandaged it.
"Thank you!" Vicky said, and walked to her room. She checked the pod, it wasn't connecting to the game yet. Vicky sighed and lied on the bed.
It was soon night. Vicky went to the kitchen to check on Cora. She noticed a trail of oil, which led her out of the lake house. She followed the trail to docks.
"Cora!" Vicky said, rushing to Cora, who was laying on the docks. Vicky took a close look, nothing was wrong with Cora, she was just switched off. It was dark, thus reducing the range of visibility.
Vicky glanced around her surroundings, and dragged Cora into the house. She shut the door after her, and armed the alarm. The lights to the house went out, and someone attacked Vicky, holding a cloth to her face. She struggled, and passed out eventually.
Vicky woke up in a cave. She was wearing her outfit from the game. The cave was dark, resulting in Vicky following the light source that was coming from outside the cave.
"Vicky?" the captain asked, as Vicky walked out of the cave.
Vicky looked at the side she heard the captain's voice come from. The captain, Connor, Sarah, Miles, Kane, and Colton were all standing on top of a rock. Vicky sighed and looked at her surroundings.
The land was full of red rocks, with a few green plants growing. The atmosphere was that of red tundra. It was cold, and harsh.
"Where are we?" Vicky asked, walking towards the team.
"No idea!" Connor replied.
"We all woke up here after returning home," Colton replied.
"We need to get out of here, and get back home," Miles said.
"Welcome to the main tournaments!" A loud voice rang across the area, and continued "This tournament can only be entered by the best. You can't leave now that you have entered. The players are selected by the judges. I assume each of you have met your team members."
"Just when I thought I could take a break," Kane said.
"You have three lives. Once your lives finish, you die, in the tournament… and outside the tournament. So be aware of the number of lives you have left. The tournament has no timer. It could go on for days… weeks… months… or even years. The only place other players can't access is the cave you spawned in. All powers work here. The team with the highest number of kills, or the last team standing wins. If one person in the team wins, the whole team can go home alive, but if you lose…," the announcer said, and started laughing.
"Was a break too much to ask for?" Colton said.
"You have five minutes to make your plans. In other words… in five minutes this place will turn into a field of death," the announcer said.
"Let's get back in the cave, make our plan there," the captain said.
Vicky followed the team into the cave. She watched as planning turned into arguing.
"We can't do that! We won't make it," Miles said.
"That's the only plan that makes sense," the captain replied.
"No we should…" the team kept arguing as Vicky stood deciding on what to do.
"GUYS!" Vicky shouted. The team quieted down, and turned to Vicky. Vicky continued "There's no way we're going to be able to get out there as soon as the tournament starts, and survive. We'll have to sit the first few days in this cave."
"We can't stay here, we'll run out of food and water. And then what? We'll die here," Colton said.
"Tournaments drop food and water each hour or something. At least that's how it works in most games. They'll give everyone a notification, and then it'll turn into a warzone to take the food and water. The dude on the announcer said that powers work here. I freeze time, grab what we need, and get out," Vicky replied.
"What happens when the other players don't freeze?" Connor asked.
"Then we do it old school," Vicky replied.