The metallic groan of collapsing structures reverberated through the desolate combat arena, a sprawling urban labyrinth forged from shattered glass and crumbling concrete.
The air buzzed with static energy, faint arcs of electricity snaking across the towering debris like serpents. The oppressive hum of the arena's energy grid was an ever-present reminder: there was no escape, only victory or defeat.
I adjusted the interface on my HUD, watching as my combat drones ascended into the storm-laden sky. Their smooth metallic surfaces gleamed, reflecting faint streaks of lightning overhead.
Atlas crouched next to me, his gangly frame half-concealed behind a slab of concrete, a carefree grin plastered across his face despite the chaos.
"Smells like burnt circuits and bad decisions here," he quipped, his voice low but laced with excitement. "Think they've got insurance for this place?"
"Be ready, Atlas," I replied, scanning the feed from my drones. "They'll be attacking any second."
"Yeah, yeah. But I'm telling you, Noah, when this is over, we're grabbing the biggest burger the academy's got. I'm starving."
I suppressed a smirk. Even in the middle of a deathmatch, Atlas managed to be a ray of misplaced optimism.
A flicker of movement caught my attention as Lucky Stefan sauntered into view, his deck of glowing cards spinning between his fingers like the wheels of some infernal slot machine. He exuded confidence, his slicked-back hair glistening with rainwater.
"Welcome to the show, rookies," he called, his voice dripping with smugness. "I hope you brought your A-game, because luck's on my side."
Behind him, Edgar the Sonic Architect, emerged, his silver hair catching the faint light as he surveyed the battlefield with predatory precision. The staff in his hands thrummed, a low, menacing vibration radiating outward.
He smirked as the transition finalized, gripping his staff. "Nature's nice and all, but this is where the real fun begins. Let's see how you handle a battlefield designed for professionals."
His voice carried a mix of confidence and condescension, as though he were already envisioning their victory.
The first sign of their attack was a faint hum—like a violin string plucked by an unseen hand—followed by a ripple in the air that shattered nearby glass.
A sonic trap. Typical.
"Watch your step," I warned, glancing at Atlas. He grinned, shifting his sniper rifle to rest against his shoulder.
"Already ahead of you," he said, leaping up and darting toward a skeletal skyscraper. His wiry frame made scaling the structure look effortless. Within seconds, he'd disappeared into the shadows of the upper levels, leaving me to hold the ground.
I tapped a command into my interface, sending a swarm of drones circling above them. Their sensors picked up multiple sonic traps spread across the terrain, glowing like landmines on my HUD.
"You know," I called back, keeping my voice casual, "for a Gambit Master, you sure like stacking the deck."
He grinned. "It's not stacking if the odds are in your favor."
"Let's change that."
The battle began with an explosion of movement. Lucky Stefan the Gambit Master, flicked a card into the air, its edges glowing as it spiraled toward me.
I dodged, but the card detonated mid-flight, releasing a shockwave that sent me skidding across the cracked pavement. My drones zipped in to counter, releasing EMP pulses that temporarily disrupted his cards.
Above, Atlas lined up his first shot.
A single, quiet crack echoed as his sniper rifle released a high-energy bolt aimed squarely at the Gambit Master. But the air shimmered as the probability manipulator activated his ability, the bolt veering off course and striking harmlessly against a wall.
"Nice try," the Gambit Master taunted. "But luck's a cruel mistress."
"Good thing I'm not counting on luck," Atlas retorted, his voice crackling through my comms.
I smirked and deployed another drone, this one programmed to release a localized electromagnetic pulse.
It zipped toward the Sonic Architect, who was busy setting up his next trap. The pulse detonated, momentarily disrupting his staff's energy flow and causing his carefully laid sonic constructs to flicker.
"Looks like we underestimated you a bit, rookies," Edgar taunted, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"A bit? Isn't that a serious understatement, senior?" I shot back with a smirk.
Another attack from my drone disrupted the carefully laid strategy of the gambit master.
Lucky Stefan cursed under his breath, pulling out two more cards. "Enough of this."
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
Edgar, the Sonic Architect, retaliated, swinging his staff to release a volley of sound spears. They streaked toward me like glowing javelins, their vibrations slicing through the air with deadly precision.
My drones intercepted most of them, their shields absorbing the impact, but one spear grazed my side, leaving a stinging burn.
"Damn it!" I bit back another curse and activated my Electrostatic Pulses, channeling the energy to my drones.
The drones swarmed forward, their tiny frames releasing synchronized pulses that scrambled the sonic constructs. With his defenses down, Atlas seized the opportunity.
"Locked on," he murmured over the comms. A single shot rang out, piercing the Architect's shoulder. He staggered, his staff clattering to the ground.
The Gambit Master let out a roar of frustration. "You're going to pay for that!"
He raised his hand, a glowing card materializing between his fingers. But before he could release it, one of my drones swooped in, releasing an electrostatic burst that caused the card to fizzle out.
The final moments of the battle were a blur of motion and sound. The Gambit Master, now desperate, activated his ultimate ability, Destiny's Gambit. Cards swirled around him in a storm, their edges glowing with raw energy.
"You think you've won?" he snarled. "Let's see you handle this!"
The air thickened with tension as the cards converged, forming a massive energy construct. But I wasn't about to let him finish. With a thought, I sent my drones diving into the construct, releasing EMP pulses that destabilized its core.
"Atlas, now!" I shouted.
From his perch above, Atlas fired a final shot. The energy bolt streaked through the air, piercing the Gambit Master's defenses and striking him square in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, the storm of cards dissipating around him.
The arena fell silent, save for the faint hum of my drones as they hovered overhead. The Sonic Architect was down, his staff shattered beside him. The Gambit Master lay unconscious, his deck scattered across the ground.
Atlas climbed down from his vantage point, a triumphant grin on his face. "Told you we'd make it."
I glanced at him, shaking my head. "And I told you to focus."
"Come on, Noah. You've gotta admit, that was fun."
I allowed myself a small smile. "Yeah, maybe a little."
As the system declared our victory, a notification appeared in my HUD.
[Targets Lucky Stefan (Gambit Master) and Edgar (Sonic Architect) defeated]
Successfully obtained 2 tags
+ 10 points
"Let's get out of here," I said, turning toward the exit. "I owe you that burger, by the way."
Atlas laughed, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "Finally, some priorities I can get behind."
As we left the arena, I exhaled, feeling the tension leave my body. The scenery shifted back to the Jungle Arena as both seniors disintegrated behind us.
Just as the scene changed, my remaining drones, which had been out scouting near the perimeter, signaled an alert.
[Multiple hostiles detected.]
Warning: Hostiles closely approaching, approximately 10 miles out.