But the game's got its money's worth_He thought. That was possibly the best experience of his entire life.
He brushed past the door and grunted at the hit rotating his shoulder. His eyes roved past the monuments, Grisla, Ogysdane and Maelstrom, there were other avatars too and he snorted at his confusion. Eve would probably have a male as an avatar. He had to step back to look at them properly and staggered closing his eyes when she replaced his glasses. He beamed at her
"Jillian,"
She stood at akimbo in a short white dress and her brown hair down, wielding a brown purse slung across her torso.
"What are you doing here?"
"I got this invitation," She flipped the card in his face but all he noticed were how the black wristband, complemented her strong hand.
"I was waiting for a commentary on the live stream," She joked "Peter felt so sorry for you, he had to work on your glasses first." She rolled her eyes and scoffed "You look better,"
He pushed up his glasses "Right, I look like a dork,"
"I meant you don't look like you've spent twelve hours in front of your screen," She said. "Odd,"
He exhaled "I'll never hear the end of it," He grinned "You were watching me?"
"No?" Her eyebrow rose "I don't even know who you are,"
He stiffened.
She shrugged "It's not worthwhile but I have nothing better to do, there are plenty of hands at the clinic uptown, I get plenty of leaves,"
"Leaves," He chuckled at the inside joke.
"And ma best bud's on TV," She poked him and brushed that off scanning the building for a second time, she thought the steel setting and lights were a little overdue.
"However I find it suspicious that they don't show the contenders playing, only the characters," She held her chin.
"Really?" He wasn't aware of the outside world. "I didn't know that, what's going on?"
_It's like a prison here, in the meantime, Sebastian owns us. I can't believe I just said that.
A guard aimed at them and he hardened.
Jillian noticed the change in his expression. "What's wrong with your face?"
"Nothing," He saw another guard raise a gun and he held her shoulder.
"No sexual contact!" The voice boomed and two men without masks laughed and high-fived each other.
Jillian paled at the gun.
Guy fumed at the guard who forgot to put his safe on.
"Sorry, sorry about that," He waved a gloved hand fixing it back.
"Klutz," He muttered and turned to her when she spoke.
"Are they keeping you in here? You should take legal action," She pointed.
"Bold of you to assume I can afford "legal action"," He made air quotes.
Something about their demeanour wasn't right, besides their guns and the tight security, he guessed Sebastian was lifting the tension.
She scoffed "Stop being such a dummy. Do you want to leave or not?"
"Of course not,"
She exhaled "Just be careful, it's almost like this game's to die for, I can never really tell,"
She almost hit the nail on the head and he sighed.
"It's just a game,"
...
They lounged in the room in boredom. The walls were pink with all sorts of novelty. Eve and Donnie stared up in shock when he walked in.
"Guy?"
"That you?" Donnie sat up.
"Quite frankly it is," He cringed at the well-anticipated laughter.
Kane laid on the hammock in silence boiling up. He tossed. "Ha ha,"
"Wow, that almost made me smile...almost," Bones said and swung the golf club, the ball hit the sheet and the virtual one missed the hole.
"What's your deal, Charlie?" He gravitated towards him in his usual gloom.
"We're not supposed to talk about the game, besides..." He hung the club over his shoulder and hit the second in a hole in one.
"My twin brother came to see me and don't call me Charlie,"
"Identical?"
Bones stared at him and his lips rounded in realization nodding.
"Well, that's that, I wonder what his name is," He said standing behind him.
"Please," He swung the club again and it zoomed in on the ball hitting a tree.
Big fail!
He nearly dumped it and then handed it to Guy.
"Where are your gauntlets?," He swung the golf club and he got a high score.
"Lost its charm,"
Bones' eyes rounded at the ten in a row and his eyes narrowed. "Let me in on your secret,"
"Country Club," He said without thinking, twirling the club.
"Must be cursed with luck to get a membership," Eve said folding her arms with a teasing smile.
"You're all dumbheads," Kane mumbled.
"What's his deal?"
"That's none of your concern," He said falling asleep.
"I got a visit from my dog Bosco," Eve shrugged "And I'm not really jumpy about all males in one room." She pointed a club at Donnie "You're the closest I can get,"
"Uh, thanks? My sister came to see me,"
"Didn't you say she owns twenty per cent?"
"She's twelve," A savant.
Their eyes rounded.
"I'm going to bed,"
"Do what you like all great and powerful whiz,"
Eve said; "You know I used to have a thing for brooding men,"
"That guy is one creepy machoso," Bones said taking his turn.
"I'm right here,"
"Ha,"
---
10 hours before the game, Sebastian spun on his chair flipping up money at his office.
'The charts were going up like crazy.'
"Cheers, cheers everyone," He laughed and the second man he spoke to at the office pulled back a chair and settled down.
He pulled it up the stack to his side and Dennis grimaced.
"I may have been a robber,"
"What, do you live under a rock?"
"Those were some pretty dark avenues you took,"
"You?" He looked apathetic and tossed the cash away pulling down his jacket and dropping his feet.
"That girl," He showed her the video of Jillian. "She may sound chirpy most of the time_"
"I thought her voice was out of range," He put his hand in front of his neck.
"She's too smart for her own good or is it you just being too obvious?"
"Hey, this is a firm, I'm the rich guy, you're my sideki_I mean underdog, and we're in a private establishment and we need to be safe. I care for your safety," He touched his chest "Or else we'll go bankrupt,"
He wondered if Sebastian ever listened to himself. "Any other dark avenues we should take oh wise one?"
"Oh yeah, shut the door on your way out,"
He stood up getting to the exit and Sebastian thought again.
"Brutus, it's just visiting hours, okay? We don't want contenders talking about poor mental health and all that garbage. The minors don't add any spice to the plot okay?"
"Yes," He said just to keep him quiet. "So, you're saying that you're wrong."
"Get out!" He tossed a book at the door.
---
Five minutes,
"No more tests," Guy said taking the capsules and swivelled in to lay back. "So do we have to sleep now or..."
The hands closed the door.
"Don't worry, the capsules help protect your lungs from pneumonia and primarily permanent scar tissues,"
"I have my concerns," Eve said after hearing that through the glass.
One unleashed the gas and stood back.
---