User blog:LightStone123/The Black Games

Hello everyone and welcome to another Games created by me. These Games will not be apart of my main series and will take place in an entirely different universe then them. These will, however, take place in the same universe as The White Games, which you can read more about at the following link: http://thehungergames.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:LightStone123/The_White_Games.

Now, with that out of the way, I shall explain these Games more thoroughly.

Introduction
The Black Games will be taking place in the modern-day world. The tributes competing will be 30 ordinary people from the regular world between the ages of 12-22. These young people have been kidnapped by unknown forces and deposited into an arena located in a mysterious and unknown location. Once there, they will be informed by a strange individual known only as "Dr. Black" that they are now competing in his "games" (more on that below).

The Black Games
The rules for the Black Games are relatively simple.

-There are 30 tributes, or as Dr. Black calls them, Challengers. There will be fifteen females and fifteen males.

-Each of the Challengers will be randomly sorted into a team of three. There will be a total of ten teams.

-The Challengers will be forced to play Dr. Black's bizarre and increasingly complicated games until only one team remains.

-To make certain that the Challengers follow the rules and play the Games, each Challenger has been outfitted with an attached bracelet, called a datapad. This bracelet is capable of injecting the Challengers with a deadly poison and, if a Challenger attempts to remove it or otherwise break the rules, will administer said poison to the offending Challenger.

-The datapad also serves two other functions: The first is that this device has a built-in touchscreen that allows Dr. Black to communicate with the Challengers. It also shows a list of the other Challengers and Teams, yet only if they have already been personally encountered. When a Challenger dies, his or her name will be blacked out and each datapad will give off a loud ringing noise to signify a death has occurred.

-The second function of the datapad is that it will also show a map of the Playing Field, but majority of this is covered in the fog of war until a Challenger has explored the area themselves.

-There is no cornucopia. Supplies and weapons will be hidden around the island in various places. Also, at random times air drops containing precious items will take place.

-Outside of the normal Playing Field, where Challengers will spend majority of their time, there are also Event Hubs. Event Hubs are dotted across the Playing Field and are normally locked. Periodically one will open up and Dr. Black will instruct all teams to converge on the Hub. Only a limited amount of Teams are permitted inside. Once a sufficient amount of Teams have arrived, the Hub will close and the lucky team or teams will be required to play one of Dr. Black "games".

Rules
1) There will be thirty Challengers (tributes).

2) Instead of reapings, the Challengers have been kidnapped. Therefore, there is no volunteering. There won't be any reapings, training scores, interviews, etc. for this same reason.

3) As these Games take place in the modern world with no Hunger Games, there are no Careers. You can still submit Career-like tributes, just don’t designate them as such.

4) Each user can submit up to two Challengers (number subject to change)

5) I will not accept any Tributes that have been in my previous Games.

6) The Challengers may be from any country or region of the world.

7) Advice will be included in these Games, though there will also be user interaction that is sufficiently different from past Games of mine. During Dr. Black's Games, the Challengers will be presented with decisions. It will be up to the creator's of the Challengers to help them make said decisions.

8) Tribute Form:

Name:

Gender:

Age:

Home City & Country:

Personality:

Backstory: (Remember that these Games take place in modern times. There is no Panem, no Districts. Instead it's the current-day world. Make sure your backstory fits in with this theme.)

Height:

Appearance:

Weapon(s):

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Fear(s):

The Teams
Alpha Team: Jackson, Boone, & Ophrya

Beta Team: Hayle, Vika, and Arlyssa

Gamma Team: Timothy, Mike, and Nathaniel

Delta Team: Ryder, Shinji, and Vjena

Epsilon Team: Hayden, Junie, and Milan

Zeta Team: Hannah, Sofia, and Francesca

Kappa Team: Satoshi, Zantae, and Nailah

Lambda Team: Shintaro, Fernanda, and Harry

Sigma Team: Tetsu, Amare, and Waiyaki

Omega Team: Karne, Evie, and Nari

Arena
The Playing Field can be divided into four separate quadrants; north, west, south, and east. The northernmost border of the Playing Field is a range of mountains, which offers many hilltracks and pathes for the Challengers to explore. The mountains lead down to a evergreen forest, thick with pines, firs, spruces, and many other species of coniferous trees. This place is good for those looking for a place to remain hidden; the thick needles of these trees provide excellent means of concealment. Several smaller shacks and houses can also be found here, amongst which supplies may be scavenged. The northern quadrant also contains several large buildings, including a shooting range, abandoned supermarket, and a cemetery.

The easternmost border of the Playing Field is a coastline that stretches down to the south. Notable landmarks here include a small town situated on the coast, complete with docks and warehouses. This quadrant is also host to an abandoned vineyard, multitude of farmland, and, hidden in the fields, a cavern. Dark, dank, and dreary, unless they have proper light, Challengers won’t even be able to see their hand in front of their face, let alone what surrounds them.

The westernmost border of the Playing Field is a large concrete wall. Massively tall and almost impossible to climb, its construction is a mystery. Most of this quadrant consists of moorland, which offers very little in the way of shelter or camouflage, leaving the Challengers vulnerable to vigilant eyes. There is also a dead forest in the southern part of the quadrant. The entire area reeks of decay and anything that may once have been edible has long since disintegrated beyond safety. Detritus floats in the streams, tainting the water.

The southernmost border of the Playing Field is also coastline, yet not as big or with as many beaches. There is a small island just offshore, connected to the mainland only by a large suspension bridge. An abandoned carnival takes up most of this small island, with many different attractions and rides. Back on the mainland, the quadrant is host to an apartment complex, abandoned prison, and a swamp. Much of the water in this area is about knee-height, the bottom coated with a thick mud that could very easily swallow a Challenger.

Prologue
I wake up in a cold sweat. Fear spiking my heart as the dark memories of my dream swirl in my mind. I was in that forest again. I was being chased by that giant, metallic creature, as usual, through the same pale, lifeless forest. I have never been in a forest in real life. Never even seen a tree without any leaves. But it always shows up in my dreams. I do not understand.

I never do.

Despite my best efforts, the images of my dream soon begin to fade away. I try to grasp them, hold on to them, but it is like trying to catch mist with just your bare hand. It always manages to slip through the cracks of your fingers and disappear.

Then it is gone forever.

I lay my head back on the pillow, feeling the cold sweat of my shirt against my back. I've been having these dreams for almost a year now, but recently they have picked up in intensity, have become more vivid and detailed. Why? A logical reason would be because of the stress I'm under, trying to apply for a good college. But there must be more to it then that. There must.

Suddenly I sit up, no longer wishing to just lie here and think about it. I peel the sweat-stained shirt from my back and toss it off my bed. Today is a Saturday, so I don't have to go to school. I wanted to use that to catch up on my sleep, but the nightmare ruined that. And I'm not willing to try to sleep now. I have no desire to return to that hellish nightmare.

I run a hand through my unruly, dark brown hair as I rise from my bed, bare feet touching the old, wooden floor. My hair never seems to get in order, no matter how hard I try. And I've long since given up on trying.

I drop down and begin doing push-ups to drive the fog of sleep away from my mind. I do ten and then sigh loudly when I finish. I can do much better than that. Still, it worked. I don't feel very tired anymore. I stand up, ready to head downstairs to see if Mom has started on breakfast yet when I notice something that sends a chill down my spine.

I'm not in my room.

It's a surprisingly large room with irregular angles, pale blue walls, and hardwood floor. That itself isn't unusual, but the fact remained that this is not my bedroom. My room doesn't have blue walls; they're white. And I have carpet, not wood flooring. This is wrong. All wrong.

Heartbeat increasing rapidly, I spin around and take in the furnishings. There's a single bed, nightstand, and a sturdy desk with a futuristic mesh-work chair. There's a simple black phone on the desk. The old-timey type with a cord and everything. That alone confirms it. My family hasn't had a phone like that ever. The only time I've even seen one before was at my Grandma's house.

What the hell is going on?

There's a door, positioned between the desk and bed. I rush towards it, eager to escape this place and find my parents so that I can get some answers. But the door is locked. I try everything I can think of. I shake the knob, slam my shoulder against it, even look for the keyhole to see if I can pick the lock. Nothing works. There's not even a keyhole. It's just a plain, metallic knob attached to a metal slate.

I back away from the door until I hit the far wall, where I slump to my knees.

What is happening? How did this happen? My chest feels like it is in a vise. Panic is constricting my airways, so I take a deep breath and try to calm down, lest I start hyperventilating. Think logically! There has to be a reason for this! People don't just magically appear in strange rooms!

I try to summon all the facts I know. I was in my room last night, playing video games and eating snacks. Nothing was out of the ordinary then. I've done the same thing every Friday night for as long as I can remember. So that's not the cause. But what happened after?

I rack my brain, but can only come up with simple things. I brushed my teeth. Checked my phone. Dad had just gotten back from a business trip, so he was home. But I can't see how that matters. How any of this matters. The fact is that I went to sleep in my own room and woke up in this new, frightening locked room.

How could that happen? Things like this don't happen in real life. They only happen in movies and video games, books and...

...and dreams.

Of course. I am dreaming! That explains everything! After all, I do remember having that terrifying dream about the metal creature. And whose to say that dream ever ended? I may still be in it. Lucid dreaming is a thing, after all. Of course, I've never had a lucid dream myself, but there's a first time for everything.

Suddenly feeling much better, I raise a hand to wipe my sweat away. And pause as I see something strange. It's metallic, silver and clamped firmly on my wrist. It's some kind of bracelet-like thing that seems to hold an opaque empty screen in the center of it. What the hell is it?

"My imagination is a strange place," I mutter, reaching out and tapping the screen with my fingers. Nothing happens. I try touching every part of the strange device but no matter what I do it does not react. Finally I just try ripping the thing off my wrist but I find that it's impossible. For some inexplicable reason it refuses to get off my arm.

Eventually I'm forced to give up. It's not like it matters anyway. Everything will be back to normal when I wake up. A lot less panicked now that I understand what is happening, I wander around the room, wondering what exactly is its purpose. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't just dream up a useless room. Probably.

A phone rings.

I freeze in place, then slowly crane my neck around to look at the black phone. It continues to ring, vibrating atop the table. Curious, I cross the room and pick it up. "Hello?" I ask, placing the receiver against my ear. "Who is this?"

"You're not dreaming, Hayle."

My breath catches in my throat. "Wh-who is this? How do you know my name?"

"Don't let yourself be deceived. Everything that is happening to you is real. Very real." It's a feminine voice speaking. Not one I've ever heard before. "You have to escape. But it won't be easy."

"What are you—"

"Listen closely," The voice rolls on, not letting me get more than a few words in. "Do what they say for now. Go along with the game. But don't tell anyone you've spoken with me. That last part is crucial. Do not tell anyone. Do you understand?"

"Listen, I don't know what—"

"Do you understand?"

I'm shaken now. Any peace that I gained by deluding myself into thinking this was a dream has long evaporated. I have no idea what the hell is happening, but it's frightening me beyond belief. "S-sure. Yeah, whatever."

"Good. Remember that. I'll keep in touch."

The phone clicks off.

With trembling hands, I set it back down. Deep breaths. I need to take deep breaths. This is real. That much is clear. I'm not dreaming, nor am I imagining this. That means...what does that mean? The only logical explanation would be that I was kidnapped, but that itself isn't even logical! Why would anyone kidnap me and stick me in a room? What could possibly be achieved by doing that?

And the voice on the phone. I don't understand a thing she said, beyond telling me that this is all real.

Why doesn't she want me telling anyone? And who could I possibly tell? I'm alone here in this small room. I couldn't tell anyone if I wanted to! I stroke my fingers along my head, trying to soothe the massive headache I feel coming on. I sit back down on the bed and stare at the blank wall.

What am I supposed to do now?

With a deep sigh, I realize that there's only one thing I can do. Search for a way out. So I do my best. Minutes pass, maybe even an hour. I lose track of time soon after triple-checking all the drawers. But there's nothing. No hidden mechanism, no secret passage, nothing. I even check under the bed and feel around on the floor for hidden panels. I come up empty every time.

On the verge of utter despair, I punch the wall beside the door and let out an exasperated scream.

To my total shock, a portion of the wall slides open, revealing a small number pad.

"How...What..." I stare at it for several long seconds, wondering how long that has been hidden there and what I did to trigger it. Then I come to my senses and try to input some numbers.

There's ten different buttons, each labeled one to nine; the tenth is the enter key. I can only input four numbers before having to hit the enter button. I try a random combination but nothing happens. Frowning, I enter several more to the same result. What am I supposed to do?

That's when I get my second shock. The screen on the device strapped to my wrist, the one I briefly fiddled with before ignoring, suddenly flickers on.

A humanoid figure is on screen. Standing in a circle of light in an otherwise darkened room, it's one of the most bizarre sights I've ever seen. The figure is dressed in heavy black robes and wears some sort of wide-rimmed black leather hat. But the most startling feature of all is the mask. It's pure white, with two frosted glass eyeholes and a long, curved, beak-like nose. It takes me only a moment to recognize it as a plague doctor's costume.

"Hello, Hayle. I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my greetings to you," The figure speaks with a highly-synthesized voice, like someone using a voice modulator. "There won't be much time for pleasantries once the game is afoot, so I believe that now is the proper time to make do with our introductions."

You'd think that I'd be surprised, shocked even. But after everything I've already been through, I take this new development in stride. It's not like things can get any weirder.

"I don't know who you are," I say lamely.

"I do not expect you to," The figure bows his head and gestures with a cane that I had somehow overlooked. "But that does not matter. My identity has no effect on what is about to happen."

"And what is about to happen?" I ask, trying my best to keep my voice level. How many stupid twists am I going to face?

"You, Hayle Saraceno, are here to play a game."

There's a long pause as I stop to take in his words. It's certainly not what I was expecting. In fact, it's so extraordinary out of place that I'm certain I misheard him. "I'm...going to play a game?"

The figure nods his head, the masked beak bobbing up and down. "Oh, yes. It is a very important game, one that has the power to change the fate of the world, but a game nonetheless."

I may not be dreaming, but I'm definitely crazy. This doesn't make sense. None of this makes any sense! The figure, uncaring to my disbelief, continues on. "The goal of the game is very simple. You, Hayle, must work alongside your teammates to survive until the end of game."

Teammates? That's odd, considering that I'm the only person in this room. Who could I possibly team with? And why is that the thing I'm pondering, out of everything that was just said? And why am I just accepting what he says?

"You kidnapped me!" I scream into the screen, my confusion boiling over into rage. "You stole me from my home! From my parents! Why the hell should I listen to anything you have to say?"

"Because you have no choice." The figure says it so calmly, so matter-of-factly, that I freeze in place. A cold sense of dread slithers up my spine as I realize that he's right. I'm trapped in a room with no way out. This person, whoever they are, could just leave me here until I die of dehydration or starvation.

The only way out is to do as he says.

"I see that you have come to the only logical conclusion," The figure strokes his mask with a gloved hand. "That is well. It would not do for you to dwell on the possibility of escape, for there is only one way that is possible." He pauses, as if for dramatic effect.

"And what is that?" I ask warily.

"You must win the game."

So there it is. For me to get home, for me to escape this warped, twisted place, I'm going to have to play some crazy game cooked up by a guy dressed like a plague doctor. What could possibly go wrong?

"What is the game?" I finally ask. "And how do I win it?"

"As I said before, the goal is very simple. All you have to do is survive."

I frown. Something has been bugging me this entire conversation. Well, something other than the complete and utter lack of sense or reason. "You keep saying I have to "survive". What does that mean?"

"You do not know?" The figure gives a little chuckle. "And here I thought it was obvious. Very well. I shall explain. You see, to survive the game you merely have to outlast the other competitors."

"Other competitors?" He did mention that I would be teamed with other people. "How many others are in this "game"?"

The figure waves a hand. "That is irrelevant at the moment. For your team to win, you will need to avoid losing, naturally. However, there is only one way to lose this game. One simple but concise way."

"Which is...?" I'm getting really sick of these dramatic pauses!

The figure spreads his hands. "You die."

There's a long silence as the gravity of these words begin to sink again. Die? You lose the game by dying? How...why...my mind cannot form words. It seems too unbelievable. But there is no doubt about it. This man, this crazy, unhinged lunatic of a man is going to make me play a game where the cost of losing is death.

I almost puke.

"I see that you've realized the gravity of your situation." The figure nods its head. "That is good. There is little point to you trying to deny the facts, so it is pleasant to see you accept the truth of the matter."

No. No, I don't accept anything about this! But...he's right all the same. There isn't anything I can do. I don't know where I am, how he got me here, or how I could even begin to escape. This man, for all extents and purposes, has me in the palm of his hand.

When I speak, my voice is emotionless. "What do you want me to do?"

"I will give you the code to your room. Pay attention now, for I shan't repeat this," The figure takes a small pause, then continues, "2-0-5-2. Once you exit your bedroom you will meet with your fellow teammates. I will be in touch after those introductions. Farewell."

The screen clicks off. I stare at the empty screen for several long seconds. Did all of that really just happen? Am I truly stuck here, forced to play some madmans "game"? It seems impossible. This kind of stuff just doesn't happen in real life. But there's no denying what I just witnessed. No ignoring the truth.

Still, it is a lot to take in. I find myself shaking as I turn toward the number pad. How did this man kidnap me? Have my parents noticed? Surely they have. They must've contacted the police, and a search is already under way. I'm certain that they'll be arriving anytime now. I don't even need to play this game!

But...maybe I should. Just in case the police are delayed.

I focus on the number pad, inputting the code that the man gave me. 2052. There's a soft beeping sound and I hear a click. Is that the door unlocking? I put my hand on the knob and turn slightly. The knob moves. Yes, it has been unlocked.

A chill runs down my spine and I find myself sweating. What awaits me beyond this door? The man said that I would meet my teammates, but who are they? Have they been kidnapped like me? Or is it possible that he is lying? Well, I'll never find out my standing here.

Taking a deep breath, I push the door open.

I don't know what I expected to find on the other side of this door, but it definitely wasn't this.

I step into a large octagonal central space, punched with wide ceiling lights that cheerfully brighten the room. Clusters of simple couches and small chairs of muted colors fill the room, softening the sharp architectural lines.

What is this? I step further into the room, marvelling at the overwhelming sense of ordinary. It looks like some sort of communal living space or something. Kinda like how I imagined college would look.

That thought stops me cold. In the days prior to this occurrence, I had been thinking deeply about college and how it would change my life. And now I find myself here, in this place. That has to be a coincidence, right?

Suddenly weak in the knees, I stumble towards a oval table that sits right outside a small kitchen nook. I plop myself down onto a chair and try to control my breathing. Just what is going on? I want answers, dammit!

Unfortunately I know that none will be forthcoming.

Trying to take my mind off the despair, I turn my attention to my surroundings. Three doors lead off from the room proper, including the one I just came from. Each one has a number written on it in big, black print, from one to three. Mine has a "2". Why is that?

Bookshelves line the walls. A pair of steps lead down into the heart of the room, where large pillows and rugs surround a round rock fireplace. Like in the bedroom, there is no television or computer in sight. I bite my lip. I'd been hoping I'd be able to try and call for help through any such thing.

Click!

I spin around in my chair, nearly toppling out of it. That noise. I recognize it. It's the same as when my door unlocked! A door, the one labelled with a "3" slowly begins to swing open. I hold my breath, wondering what I'm about to see.

A girl steps out. She has a shock of red hair that tumbles past her shoulders and the most vivid blue eyes I've ever seen. She wears jean shorts, black boots, and a red shirt that leaves one of her shoulders bare.

Who is she?

"Um. Hello?" I rise from my chair, slowly crossing the room. Is this one of my "teammates" that the figure mentioned?

The girl is silent, staring at me with an unreadable expression. She must be terribly confused. Well, she's not the only one. I take a few more steps and then the unthinkable happens.

The girl darts forward, quicker than I thought possible, and grips me by the arm. I let out a shout of alarm as the girl hauls me forward. The next thing I know, I'm flipping through the air.

My back slams against the ground and a rush of air escapes my lips. But I don't have time to recover before the girl's forearm slams into my throat, cutting off my breath. Her face appears above mine, twisted into an angry snarl. "Who are you? Why did you kidnap me!"

I can't answer. I can't even breathe. I try to struggle free, but the girl has my body pinned down tight. My hands try to pry her forearm away, but I already feel myself weakening. Black spots appear on the edge of my vision, slowly encroaching...

The girl pulls her arm away. I cough and gag, taking grateful gulps of fresh, precious air. The girl steps off me, and I scramble into a sitting position. "What the hell!" I scream at her. "You could have killed me!"

She punches me in the face.

My vision explodes with light and, when I come back to my senses, I find myself lying face first on the ground. Something grips me by the collar and hauls me to my feet. I find myself staring into the girl's bright blue eyes.

"What are you planning?" She demands, shaking me, "why do you need me?"

"I-I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" It's hard to think. Everything is still kinda blurry.

"Oh? So do you want another punch?" She pulls back her fist.

"No! No, please, no!" I hold my hands up in submittal. I don't care that she's a girl; her punches hurt.

"Then start talking!"

"I don't know anything! Some man kidnapped me! I don't even know where I am!"

The girl suddenly lets go of my collar and I slump to the floor. I don't try to get up; I don't trust that my legs are steady enough. Instead, I stare up at the girl, blinking through tears I didn't know I had. "I don't know what's happening! I just woke up in some room and...and everything has gone crazy!"

"Huh." The girl turns to examine the room. "Guess you're not behind this after all." I don't know why she thought that in the first place, but I don't say anything. At least she's not punching me.

"So...what's your story?" I ask, massaging my throat. Damn, it hurts! This girl really did a number on me.

Ignoring my question, she crosses the room towards Door 2 and swings it open, peeking inside. "It's identical," She says softly. I raise an eyebrow. Did her room look just like mine? I'm about to ask when she turns around and glares at me. "You!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you." She crosses her arms over her chest. "Are you my teammate that figure was speaking of?"

"Uh...I guess so?" Honestly, I don't know. I'd assume so, but I've learned that assuming anything here can be a really bad idea. I push myself to my feet, glad to find that I'm steady on them. "I already told you that I don't know what the hell is going on."

The girl scoffs. Now that we're standing face to face, I take this time to examine her more thoroughly. Her long red hair goes down to her shoulders and frames her face nicely. She has porcelain skin and black arched brows that rest over almond shaped eyes. And what a pair of eyes! They're a dazzling blue that I've never seen anywhere except in pictures of tropical waters.

She's lean but fit, with a slender figure that hides the strength she showed when fighting me. She's not conventionally beautiful. In fact, there's nothing conventional about her at all. She's odd, mystical, an anomaly.

She's also strangely alluring.

"It appears," She says, tapping one finger against her chin, "that you and I have arrived here with the same experience. That suggests that we've both been kidnapped. Do you have any idea why that would be?"

"No clue." I've already tried thinking about this and haven't come up with a single logical reason for why this would be happening.

"A pity."

She goes back to investigating the room. I watch her as she rummages through the cupboards, feeling completely and utterly confused. Who is this girl? My "teammate"? If so, what kind of game are we about to play? I remember the figure and his strange threats of death.

"Hey," I call out to the girl as she is dumping pots and pans out onto the floor, "what's your name?"

No answer.

I think that maybe she didn't hear me, so I repeat the question. Still no response. Ticked off, I try a different tactic. "I'm Hayle," I say, "Hayle Saraceno. I'm from Texas. Coleman, to be exact."

The girl gives up on the cupboards and crosses the room, brushing past me to to reach the couches. She proceeds to rip the cushions off and look underneath them. I watch her, dismayed. Is she purposely ignoring me?

"Are you going to speak to me or not?"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about escaping?" The girl spins to face me so fast that I instinctively take a step back. "We have been kidnapped, in case you haven't noticed! A psychopath has just told us that he wants us to play his "game" where the losers die! And here you are, shooting the breeze and asking for names!"

God, her eyes are unnerving. They seem to stare right through me, into my soul itself. I shuffle my feet awkwardly. "What's the point? There's no secret escape route. The man wouldn't let us get away that easy."

The girl's eyes flash dangerously. For a moment I think I'm about to get punched. But then she sighs, flinging a cushion to the ground and collapsing onto it. "Unfortunately you are right. Searching for an exit is stupid."

"So...are you going to tell me your name?"

The girl snatches up a pillow and flings it at my chest. It bounces off harmlessly. "I take it that's a no?"

The girl glares at me.

"Okay, okay!" I hold my hands up in surrender. "But I have to call you something. How about Red?"

The girl opens her mouth to respond, but something happens before she can. Something that has us both spinning around to stare.

A door clicks open.

"Oh my! Isn't this quite the sight!" A girl steps out from the Number 3 door. Her hair is golden, descending down her back in ringlets, and she's dressed in powder blue from head to toe; a tight skirt, leggings, and a turtleneck sweater.

For a moment I just stare, completely stunned by this unexpected sight. The girl stares back, then suddenly looks away, her cheeks burning a bright red. I'm confused by the sudden bout of shyness but don't have any time to think about it before I'm being shoved aside.

"Looks like you're our third teammate!" The first girl, the redhead, plants herself right in front of the newcomer. Without a name for either girl, I instantly know that this is going to get confusing.

"I, um, I-I suppose so..." Blondie blushes a deeper red, clutching something to her chest. A sketchbook?

"Don't worry!" I push my way past Red—my nickname idea is suddenly looking very clever—so that I can get a closer look at the girl. "We're just as confused as you are!"

Red snorts. "Is that suppose to comfort her?"

I ignore her and focus on the new girl. "We should share stories," I tell her, "see if we had the same experience and whatnot."

"O-okay..." The girl seems a little hesitant, but she launches into a full explanation anyway. Apparently she woke up in her room with no idea how she got there, just like Red and I did. It's not a very enlightening tale and by the time she's done, I've learned nothing new.

"So we still don't know a thing!" Red grumbles as the girl finishes.

She blushes. "I-I'm sorry!"

"Don't be. It's not your fault!" A thought strikes me. "Oh, yeah. What's your name? I'm Hayle."

"Vika. I'm Vika!" We shake hands, then she turns towards Red, expectant. But the aggressive girl makes no move to introduce herself. Seriously, what's her problem? I know that the situation we're in is deeply troubling and more than a little unsettling, but I don't think unadulterated rudeness is the proper course of action here.

"Well, what now?" I ask the question that's on all of our minds. There are only three numbered doors in this room, and they've all been opened. There's no exits, no clues. I have no idea what to do from here.

Red snorts derisively. "We wait for our mysterious benefactor to give us further instructions, obviously."

For some reason that plan sounds...lacking. But I don't really have any ideas of my own, and I can't see a way out of this situation. I'm having a hard enough time just keeping myself from collapsing with despair. What if the man just leaves us here for the rest of our lives?

"When does the game start?"

I pause, surprised to hear Vika speaking. I had almost forgotten that she was even here. She's so frail and delicate looking that I never expected her to take the lead in a conversation. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"W-well, that is what he said," The girl blushes, her face turning a crimson red. "The masked man, I mean. He said we would play a game, did he not?"

"Yeah, you're right." He did say that. It's actually been on my mind this entire time. What kind of game does he expect us to play, exactly?

"He said that we could die in the game," Red has pulled away from us and is standing by the #2 door, her arms crossed. "So Russian Roulette, maybe?"

Vika gasps. "No! That would be horrid!"

"No," I shake my head.

She turns to me, aghast. "Do not tell me you don't think that game is horrid!"

"No, that's not what I meant. We won't be playing Russian Roulette."

Red frowns, raising an arched eyebrow. "And how, exactly, do you figure that?"

"We're a team, remember? You don't need teams in Russian Roulette." Admittedly, I know little about the game to begin with, but I do know that teams wouldn't make sense for it. "And besides, do you really think he kidnapped us all just so that we could play such a simple game?"

Red's lips twitch. Whether in a smile or a frown, I don't know. "No," she says. "I didn't think that would be the answer. I was merely thinking out loud." I don't know if I believe that, but I'm not about to put my doubts to words—my face still hurts from the first time she punched me.

With little else to do, the three of us continue brainstorming ideas. Vika suggests that the masked man might be holding us for ransom, but Red cuts that idea down right away. I find myself agreeing with her. What would anyone expect to gain from ransoming me? I mean, my family is pretty well off, but we're not rich or anything like that. I doubt we could even afford any ransom, even though I know that my parents would pay it in a heartbeat.

"Whyever are you so adamant we're not being held ransom?" Vika asks Red. She's truly caught up in her own idea.

"Because there's nobody out there who cares if I'm gone!" Red shoots back.

Everyone goes silent.

I don't know what to say. Nobody cares she's missing? What does that mean? I stare at Red, looking for answers, but she just glares at Vika and turns her back on us.

"I-I'm sorry!" Vika stutters. Once again, her face turns a bright shade of red. "I didn't mean to offend! Truly, I didn't!"

"Shut up."

"That's uncalled for! I was merely—"

"No, shut up! Don't you hear that?"

When we all go quiet, I do. It's a soft, musical sound with high, sweet notes. It reminds me of a music box my mom had back home. But where is it coming from? When I raise my hand to scratch my head, I see it.

The screen on my bracelet has turned back on. The mysterious figure is back.

"Hello, Beta Team!" The figure bows to us. He's still dressed in that plague doctor costume and is still in the same dark room. "I hope that the formalities have gone well?"

We all react differently. Red curses, telling him where he should stick those formalities. Vika looks troubled. I merely frown. I've already accepted that this is happening—the only thing left to do is figure exactly what is happening.

The figure claps his gloved hands together. "Excellent, excellent. I am sure you will all get along splendidly. But before we get any further, I believe that I should introduce myself. I am Dr. Black and I will be your host for this game."

Dr. Black. It's not as if I was expecting him to have a grand reveal of a secret identity or anything, but I still feel...let down, I guess you could say. I mean, Dr. Black? Did he even try to think of something original or cool?

"Please, sir!" Vika practically has tears in her eyes. "You must let us go! I am quite certain that my father would pay you handsomely if you were to return me unharmed."

"Money is irrelevant."

Vika gasps, deflating like a balloon. I didn't think that bribery would work, but it was definitely worth a shot. Red, however, begins to curse again.

"If you don't want money," I say, cutting her off, "then what do you want?"

"I believe I've already told you. I want you all to play my game."

A shiver runs down my spine. It's not new information, but the single track mind of this person is...frightening. How much resources did they expend kidnapping us? And what kind of payoff do they expect? I want to ask, but I know that I wouldn't get a straight answer.

"What is your game?"

Dr. Black spreads his hands, chuckling softly. "That is what I was about to tell you, before all these interruptions."

This time we all fall silent, even Red. Dr. Black waits a few seconds, then nods his beaked head. "Very good. You are learning. That is very good."

"Are you going to explain or not?"

"Patience, Hayle. Patience. Good things come to those who wait." Somehow I don't think any good things are coming my way. Dr. Black rubs a hand along the length of his mask, staring at us through the screen with those ghostly glass eyes. "My explanation, however, will most likely not meet your expectations."

"Try me."

"Very well. Now listen closely, for I shan't repeat myself. In this game there will be thirty players, Challengers, if you will. These Challengers will be divided into ten groups of three. It will be these teams that compete against one another for victory. You three, by the by, are Beta Team."

Thirty? There are thirty of us trapped here? I glance around the room, half-expecting to see twenty-seven other people hiding about. How in the world did Dr. Black manage this?

"What kind of game will we be playing?" Red demands. I sigh. As blunt as ever, I see.

"There will be many variations and rules to my game. Perhaps you could call them multiple games inside a game? Yes, games. I like the sound of that."

"Get to the point!"

"Patience, I am getting there. You see, the three of you will need to progress through a series of games to survive until the end. These games will vary wildly in rules and regulations. They will not all be the same and you will need different strategies to win each one."

I exchange a glance with Red. Judging by the look on her face she understands as little of this as I do. Vika rubs her head, looking absolutely lost.

Dr. Black sighs. "Yes, I thought that it would be too difficult for you to comprehend. I hoped otherwise but, well, hope is not reality."

"Are you calling us stupid?"

"I would never. However, I do believe that a hands-on experience is necessary. Observe."

The wall on the far side of the room, one of the two without a door, suddenly changes color. The tan flickers into a deep black, then slowly begins to fill with images. That's when it hits me. It's not a wall at all, it's a screen!

The screen transitions into a view of a room nearly identical to the one we're in. It has the same couches, the same chairs, and even the same fireplace. But most alarming is what sits in the center of the room, standing in nearly the exact spots we're in.

People. Three people.

"Wh-what are we looking at?" I gape at the screen. The trio of people don't seem to see us; they're currently in the midst of what looks like an argument.

"You are currently viewing Alpha Team," Dr. Black's voice says from my bracelet. "They can not yet see you, however."

"What are you planning?" Red demands. If I wasn't scared out of my mind I'd probably roll my eyes. Does she really think he'll answer that?

"In due time. All in due time. Now, if you excuse me, I must go speak with our guests."

The screens on our bracelets flick off. Dr. Black is gone. It doesn't take long, however, before I see where he has gone. Inside the screen the three people raise their arms and begin staring at their own bracelets. No doubt Dr. Black is speaking with them.

But who are they?

I take this opportunity to study them further. They seem to be around the same age as me, Red, and Vika. That would put them somewhere in their late teens. There's two guys and one girl. My eyes are naturally drawn to the girl. She is tall and athletic, with a muscular body type and long brown hair. Her face is drawn back into a glare as she looks at her bracelet. Clearly she does not like Dr. Black. Not that I can blame her.

As I move my attention to the two boys, I notice that they're almost complete opposites. One is short, with curly light brown hair and darkly tanned skin. The other is tall and blond, with the palest skin I've ever seen. The two of them stand side-by-side, watching the girl converse with Dr. Black.

"Who do you think they are?" I ask Vika and Red.

"Who cares?" Red doesn't take her eyes off the screen. No doubt she is still thinking about how to get information out of Dr. Black.

"W-well, I'd say that they've probably been kidnapped like us," Vika says, watching Red closely. Is she afraid that the girl will scold her?

I open my mouth to agree with her when the musical chimes begin and once again Dr. Black is on our bracelets. The man doesn't even give us time to process this sudden appearance. "I believe you wished to know what forms the games world take," He speaks briskly, barely pausing. "Well, here is your chance. The three of you are about to partake in the very first game of this program."

I exchange an uneasy glance with Vika. Red, however, only laughs. "Well?" She sneers into her screen. "Are you going to explain the rules of this "game" or are we just going to have to try and guess?"

"Patience, please," Dr. Black holds both hands up, as if trying to calm an angry dog. "If you would only remain quiet and listen, I will explain everything about this game. Now, do you believe you can do that?"

Red opens her mouth only to snap it shut, scowling. Dr. Black nods. "Very good, very good. It appears you are learning, that is good. Now, this particular game, which will hereby be called the Decision Game, is very simple. The three of you will merely have to make a decision."

I'm not going to lie. That does sound simple enough. But anything can be simple when stripped down to its barest essence. I'm more than certain that this "Decision Game" won't be nearly as simple as Dr. Black would have us believe.

"What decision will we be making, sir?" Vika asks. I frown. How can that girl stay so polite?

Dr. Black is silent for a moment, the frosted glass eyes of his mask twinkling ominously. "Your decision is simple. You will choose who dies."

Silence.

It feels like I've been punched in the gut. I reel backwards, heart throbbing with a fear more intense than any other I've ever felt. Surely I didn't hear him correctly. Surely he didn't just say that we would be deciding who dies.

"E-excuse me?" Vika stumbles, looking just as shocked as I feel. Red, however, merely throws her head back and laughs. I have no idea what she finds so funny; I'm having trouble merely breathing.

"I thought you said we were a team?" I finally say, my voice low and hoarse. "Now you want us to kill one another?"

On screen, Dr. Black tilts his head. "Hmm. I believe you misunderstand. In the Decision Game you will not be deciding who dies on your team. No, you will be deciding who dies on Alpha Team."

I blink twice, then lick my lips. "I...don't understand."

Dr. Black sighs. "The three of you will each have one vote. You will be presented with three options; each option being a member of Alpha Team. You will be given a period of time to think over and discuss your decision, after which you will then proceed to vote. Whichever member of Alpha Team that receives the most amount of votes will be killed. Tell me, Hayle, do you understand that?"

I do. It hurts me like a stab to the heart, but I do. I understand what he is asking of me. Asking of us all. He wants to kill someone, one of those three teenagers. He wants us to become murderers.

"How will they be killed?" Red asks quietly.

"Hmm?"

"How will the voted be killed?"

"Oh, they'll be injected with a lethal posion via their bracelets. It'll be quite painless, so you needn't worry about any undue suffering."

There's another long silence. I shift my feet, suddenly feeling like I'm being suffocated. How did I get trapped in this nightmare? Then, just as I am about to speak, the unexpected happens.

Vika lets out a loud, primal scream. She smashes a fist against her bracelet, punching it repeatedly."You're insane!" She howls at Dr. Black. "You are completely and utterly INSANE! I will not vote! I will not kill anyone! I refuse! Do you hear me? I REFUSE!"

She goes silent, swaying unsteadily, chest rising and falling with each laboured breath. I stare in stupified shock. I didn't think Vika capable of such tenacity. She seemed so quiet and soft-spoken that this outburst just...stunned me.

"Refusing to vote is a viable choice," Dr. Black continues to speak normally, not even changing his tone of voice. It's as if Vika's screaming never even happened. "However, that choice has its own drawbacks. If you neglect to vote, then you will be injected with poison. In short, refusal to vote is a vote against yourself."

So those are our options. Kill someone else or kill ourselves. I feel my mind locking up, seizing in place. None of this feels real. It's all so...otherworldly.

Vika lets out a quiet sob, sinking to the floor. Red stares at the wall in silence, apparently thinking. I can't even do that. I can only stand here doing...nothing. What's the point?

"Oh, one more thing."

In an instant my gaze snaps back to my bracelet, where Dr. Black waits. He holds up a single gloved finger. "I forgot to mention that, while you will be voting to kill a member of Alpha Team, they will also be voting to kill one of you."

For a long moment no one reacts. My mind can barely process the words. They...will vote to kill one of us? Kill...kill. Kill?

"You bastard!" Red snarls at her screen.

Dr. Black wags a finger. "That is patently false. My parents were married before I was conceived, let alone born."

Red lets loose with a litany of curses, screaming her defiance. Vika is still curled up on the floor. I, however, stand apart. I feel cold, empty. My life hinges on the prospect of three teenagers in the room across from us. Three people who are barely more than kids will decide which one of us will die.

Is life really so cheap?

"The Decision Game has begun. I will give you all time to discuss your impending decision. Until then, farewell."

The screen flicks off.

"Come back here, you bastard!" Red screams at the ceiling, to no avail. While my teammates rage and sob, I turn my attention to the far wall, the wall that lets us look in on Alpha Team.

The three of them seem to be handling things remarkably better than we are; the girl is pointing at her bracelet, waving animatedly and saying something I can't hear to the brown haired boy. The blond boy, meanwhile, stands off to the side looking...bored, of all things.

Which one of us will they choose? I find myself morbidly fascinated with the conundrum. How does one decide to kill one person out of a group of complete strangers? How am I supposed to decide?

"We mustn't play this game!"

I turn to see Vika on her feet, wiping away tears with her sleeve. "Dr. Black is bluffing. He wouldn't really kill all three of us. He wouldn't have a game then, would he?"

"He said that there were thirty of us here," I say numbly. "Pretty sure he can afford to kill three."

Vika sniffs, but to her credit she doesn't cry. "I...I don't know what to do then. Surely we can't vote to kill someone!"

"Why not?"

We both spin to see Red glaring at us, hands planted on her hips. She takes one hand and jerks a finger at the screen, at the other trio. "They're going to kill one of us, so why the hell shouldn't we kill one of them?"

"We don't know that..." Vika begins, only to be cut off by Red's mocking laugh.

"Oh, yes we do! Are you really dumb enough to believe that they'll throw their own lives away just so that they can continue to delude themselves into thinking they're "good" people?"

"So what do you suggest we do?" I ask, finding that I feel oddly detached from this whole situation. I should be just as concerned as Vika, but for some reason I feel...I don't know. I don't know how to explain it.

"We play the game, of course," Red says. "What else? I'm going to play the game and hope that those morons over there decide to off someone else."

"One of us, you mean."

Red scowls but says nothing more. The realization hits me like a stone. Even if that other team—Alpha Team, Dr. Black called them—decides to spare me, that just means that they've decided to kill Red or Vika instead.

I stare blankly at two girls. I barely know either of them, but the thought of them dying...

"There has to be another way!"

"There isn't. We play the game or we die. There's no middle ground."

She's right. I already knew that, of course, but hearing her say so aloud is just the final nail in the coffin. One of our coffins. Those three teenagers are going to kill one of us. I should feel enraged, but I can't muster the emotion. They have as little choice in the matter as we do.

"Wh-who are we going to choose?"

Vika's question snaps me out of my thoughts. I turn to face her. "What are you talking about?"

She gestures limply at Alpha Team. "If we absolutely have to choose, then, well, who do we choose?"

Before I can answer, our datapads begin to resonate with that familiar music. Surprised, I look down to see that Dr. Black has reappeared on our bracelet screens. "Greetings to one and all. I would like to inform you that it is now Decision Time. You will have ten minutes to lock in your choices. Remember, refusing to vote will result in your demise. Good luck."

Dr. Black blinks off screen. But instead of turning off, the screen instead switches to a new image. There's three pictures showing three teenagers, obviously Alpha Team, and above each picture is a small red button engraved with the word "Vote". Beneath each picture is a series of text.

"What is this?" Red demands, scowling at her bracelet.

I study the text underneath the pictures, surprised to find that it's basically a bio for each teenager. The girl is named Ophyra Grate, and she's a high school senior from San Diego, California. She's also apparently a champion martial artist which, looking at her muscular, toned body, I can believe.

The brown-haired boy is Jackson Sparks. He's a high school student from Stanford, California. The only other information about him is that his parents are elementary school teachers and that he's "lazy and dedicated to gaining vengeance on those who've wronged him." Which, admittedly, is creepy.

I finally turn my attention to the bio of the blond boy. But I frown when I see the information presented. Or, more accurately, the lack of information. His name is Boone Dixon and he hails from Montana. That's it. There's nothing else. It doesn't even say whether he goes to high school or not.

Frowning, I look up to see Red tapping away at her screen. Surely she's not already voting? I'm about to ask her when I remember how hard she punched me earlier.

"Do they have the same information on us?" I ask instead. "Like, are they reading our bios?"

"Look for yourself, stupid!" Red points at the wallscreen, where I can see Alpha Team intently studying their bracelets. Except for the blond boy, Boone. He's just leaning against the wall, casually examining his fingernails.

How can he be so calm?

"What did you guys vote?" Vika wraps her arms around herself, seemingly trembling with fear or anticipation. Probably both.

"Why the hell should I tell you?" Red snaps.

Vika is taken back. "W-well, why wouldn't you tell me? I mean, we're deciding on a person's life! If we coordinated we could—"

"We could what? Kill someone as a group?" Red sneers. "No thanks. I've already cast my vote and couldn't care less what you two dolts choose."

"Well, I voted Ophyra," Vika ignores the barbed insult, turning to face Alpha Team. "Something about her posture just...bothers me. It's almost as if this game excites her."

"Wait." I blink stupidly. "You've both already voted?"

Their only response is to give me blank looks. I'm stunned. I mean, I'm not surprised that Red was so casual and flippant about voting to kill someone, but I had expected more out of Vika. Wasn't she just talking about the sanctity of life?

"Five minutes remaining."

An automated voice beeps out of the bracelet. Red smirks at me. "Better get voting, Hayle. Don't want to die now, do you?"

I feel myself break out into a sweat. Oh, I am not good under pressure. I turn to my bracelet, stomach heaving. Vote to kill someone? How am I suppose to decide? I gaze at the three faces, feeling pity mixed with disgust at myself.

I can't pick Ophyra. Vika already chose her, so if I did the same that would mean she'd receive two of the three votes. Basically, if I vote her she dies. And I'm not about to be the deciding vote on who dies!

That leaves me with only two options; Jackson and Boone. Jackson and his whole revenge thing freaks me out, but Boone and his carefree demeanor is just as unsettling. I find myself unsure on how to decide. Which one did Red vote?

"Ten seconds."

Not good! Not enough time!

"Nine seconds."

I stare at the two faces, unable to make a choice.

"Eight seconds."

I don't want to kill anyone. I don't!

"Seven seconds."

Taking a deep breath, I reach out and hit a button. I only hope Red didn't make the same choice. Suddenly weak in the knees, I stumble towards one of the couches and drop myself onto it. I sink into the cushions, hiding my face behind my hands.

Did I really just do that? Did I really just vote to kill someone?

"Your vote has been registered. Thank you for playing!" A pleasant computerized, feminine voice chirps out of my datapad.

I feel the couch vibrate as someone sits next to me. I remove my hands and see Vika watching me, her blue eyes swimming with concern. "Who did you vote?" She asks softly.

My voice is little more than a rasp as I answer. "Boone."

Vika nods. She looks so understanding. Too understanding. Unable to look at her, I turn to face the wall that shows us Alpha Team. They're all standing in a line, staring at their bracelets. Maybe they're waiting for the results. The horrid, horrid results.

"The Decision Game has come to an end!" Dr. Black's voice blares out my bracelet, but when I look down all I see is the pictures of Alpha Team. "And, now that the game has concluded, I will show you the results!"

The screen transitions to show a sparkling silver font displaying the words "Alpha Team Results". Underneath the words the picture of Jackson appears. "Jackson Sparks," Dr. Black intones, "has received...zero votes."

A large white zero appears under his face. I feel my chest tighten as, beside me, Vika gasps. If Jackson didn't receive any votes, then that means Red voted for either Ophyra or Boone. Meaning...Vika or I just helped kill someone.

"Ophrya Grates..." Dr. Black continues on with that same lifeless tone as Ophyra's picture joins Jackson's. "Received a total of...two votes."

"No!" Vika leaps to her feet, eyes wide with horror. She wheels to face Red. "Why didn't you tell me who you voted? We could have avoided this!"

Red shrugs. "Avoided what? Someone was going to die either way!"

The two continue to bicker, but I'm no longer listening. My attention has honed in on Alpha Team and their own reactions to the results. Ophyra is staring blankly at her bracelet, seemingly stunned into silence. Jackson is screaming, his face red with anger. Boone...he's standing apart from the others, hands in his pockets as he watches with an indifferent expression.

"As Ophyra has received majority of the votes," Dr. Black is once again speaking, his voice still completely emotionless, "that means she will be executed. Immediately. Do you have any final words, Ophyra?"

The girl looks up. Her face is pallid, soaked with sweat. She opens her mouth, but before she can even speak her body begins to tremble. Her eyes roll into her head as her limbs begin to jerk rapidly. Then, in what feels like a matter of seconds, she collapses. She hits the hardwood floor with a thump, body now motionless.

She does not get back up.

"Oh, God!" Vika screams. "She's dead! No! Oh, God, no!"

I can only stare. Stare at the body of the girl who, only moments ago, was hale and healthy. Now she's dead. And for what? Why? What does Dr. Black get out of this? What could he possibly achieve?

"And now, it is time for Beta Team's results."

My brain stops working. Thoughts die before they even begin. What if...How...me? What if they voted me? I stare silently as, all at once, our pictures appear on screen. Then, under our faces and names, the numbers. The votes.

Hayle Saraceno 1

Arlyssa Valiante 1

Victoria Caprae 1

I have no words. No reaction. I stare at the results, dumbfounded and dismayed. We...we all received a vote? It's a tie? But that means...that means...

"We're all going to die..." Vika says softly. Her quiet, somber tone is contrasted by her previous frantic panic. She drops to her knees, eyes swimming with tears as she looks at the votes that sealed our fate.

Even Red doesn't have anything to say. She gapes at the screen, hands on her head and mouth hanging open, as if she was about to say something before seeing the results.

"It appears that it is a tie!" Dr. Black's voice comes through our bracelets. "A truly remarkable turn of events. Yes, I did not envision that such a thing would occur. Very well. Since it is a tie, that means...no one on Beta Team will be killed."

What?

Wait. What!

My head snaps up. Eyes swivel around to find Dr. Black, but he is not on screen. Did I hear him correctly? Have I gone insane with grief? Or did he really say it? Did he really say that no one will die?

"I see that you are all confused," My bracelet screen flickers to finally show Dr. Black. He is pacing around a dark room, hands clasped about his cane. "Allow me to clear up this...misunderstanding. You see, the rules were that the member of Beta Team who received the most votes would be executed. However, seeing as you each received one vote that, in effect, prevented any one of you from receiving the most votes."

I don't know if I completely understand what he's saying, but I don't care. I'm alive! I'm not going to be killed! Laughing with a sudden, insane glee, I leap from the couch and fist bump the air.

I'm so glad, in fact, that I'm utterly shocked when I see the look of pure horror on Vika's face. I halt my celebration and look around. The room is unchanged. "Uh, what's wrong?" I ask her.

"We could have saved her," She murmurs, "we could have saved her!"

"Um. Who are you..." I trail off as I follow her gaze and see Ophyra's body. Jackson is kneeling beside it while Boone watches from a distance. Saved her...it hits me like a punch in the gut. If we had all voted someone different, if we had all coordinated...

We could have prevented her death.

I feel insanely guilty, even though there is no reason for it. After all, I didn't vote for her. I was the only one on my team who didn't. But still...I could have done something. Couldn't I?

"There would have been no point!" Red scoffs. She seems to have recovered from her brief bout of shock and is now at the lone unmarked door, jiggering its knob.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Do you really think that this is the end of Dr. Black's "games", Hayle? Do you believe that, just because we survived this one, we're all in the clear?"

I have no answer for her. I just stare blankly ahead, blindsided by what should have been obvious from the start. Then, seemingly reading my thoughts, Dr. Black speaks from the bracelet. "Dear Arlyssa is quite right, you know. The games aren't over. Oh no. Far from it. In fact, they've just begun."

Hayle Saraceno (Beta Team)
This isn't happening. This can't be happening. I'm not trapped here by some crazy psycho, forced to play sick games for reasons unexplained. I'm not completely and utterly unaware of anything and everything that I could do to escape. I'm not...

I am.

I stare at the wall, feeling sick. My body trembles and my legs feel like jelly. How long will this continue? How long will we have to play?

"When does the next game begin?" Red—Arlyssa?—whirls to glare at the ceiling, hands on her hips.

Dr. Black chuckles. It's a creepy enough sound on its own, but its amplified a hundredfold by the fact that it echoes on all three of our bracelets. "My, aren't you eager? Unfortunately, dear Arlyssa, you will have to wait a bit for the next game. These things take time, you know."

Arlyssa scowls. "The hell with that! You expect us just to sit in this room and wait?"

"No. Of course not. You will be let out into...the Playing Field. There, you will wait. Of course, there will be plenty of danger and thrills out there for you. More than enough, I assure you."

Oh, I do not like the sound of that! I open my mouth to protest, but the glare Arlyssa sends my way has me snapping it shut again. "What will we be doing out there?" She demands.

Dr. Black's reply is the vocal equivalent of a shrug. "Whatever you wish. Until the next game begins, of course." Then, just like that, the screen flicks off.

Of course. That cryptic answer didn't explain anything! I turn to my two allies, not at all surprised by their demeanours. Arlyssa is scowling and punching the wall. Vika, however, is sitting on the couch, arms wrapped tightly around herself. "What are we going to do?" She speaks aloud, though it doesn't seem like her words are addressed to anyone. "Are we just supposed to sit around and...wait for us all to die?"

"We'll play his games," Arlyssa growls. "For now. But first chance I get, I'm blowing this joint."

Her words strike a chord in my memory. A voice...on the phone! I nearly gasp at my stupidity. How did I forget all about that? That voice, whoever it was, had warned me about this. Told me that I had to escape. Who were they and how did they know about Dr. Black and his games?

I'm about to turn and ask Arlyssa if she received a similar call when I remember more of the mysterious callers words. Do not tell anyone. I didn't understand it at first, because I was all alone, but now...

I watch Arlyssa as she futility tries to punch her way through the screen that used to show us Alpha Team but is now just blank. Why can't I tell my teammates? Is it because Dr. Black might overhear? Or is there a more nefarious reason?

Lost in these troubling thoughts, I barely notice the wall behind me as it slides open. "What the hell?"

Hearing my shout, Arlyssa spins around. Her eyes widen in surprise as she watches the wall, the entire wall, slide open like a screen door. Beyond it lies a dark tunnel, like the gaping maw of a sleeping monster.

For several long moments I just stand there, stunned. "Th-that must be the way we're supposed to go," I say, nervously scratching my head.

Arlyssa grunts. "Obviously."

Despite this, none of us make a move. I shift my weight from leg to leg, rooted to the spot. That tunnel is just so dark and ominous. Who knows what lies at the end? Knowing Dr. Black, it must be something horrible.

"Are...are we going to enter?" Vika steps up beside me, apparently recovered from her latest bout of melancholy. Before I can answer, Arlyssa pushes past us. The girl marches right up into the tunnel and disappears inside without even a glance backwards.

I exchange looks with Vika. "Well, I guess that answers it."

I force my body into motion, walking towards the tunnel. There's nothing to fear. Yes, Dr. Black has proven to be maniacal psychopath, but he also hasn't yet done anything that implies he would personally harm us. So far it seems like he'd rather us kill each other. Which is still troubling, true, but it makes me feel safer about traversing this tunnel.

At least, a little safer.

Vika follows me into the tunnel, staying close by my side. Every few feet there's an overhead fluorescent light. Each one offers only a meager, flickering light, but it's just enough to see by.

The walls seem to be made out of some sort of sheet metal, and the ground is very clearly sloping upwards. I can't help but wonder what that implies. Are we heading for the roof? Or have we been underground this whole time?

There is no sound but for our footsteps and Vika's soft breathing. There's also no sign of Arlyssa, but I'm not worried. The tunnel is completely straight, so she could only have gone one way.

Soon we're stepping out of the tunnel and into a spherical room. Arlyssa stands in the center, hands on her hips as she studies a pair of doublewide doors. To her side, set against the leftmost wall, is a small table that holds a trio of bags.

"What is this place?" Vika asks as I stop to take it all in. The austere severity is perhaps a bit too overwhelming. Besides for the aforementioned door and table, there is absolutely nothing in the room. The floor is concrete while the ceiling and walls are the same sheet metal as the tunnel.

"About time you arrived!" Arlyssa turns to glare at us.

I raise an eyebrow. "You couldn't possibly have been here for more than a few minutes!"

"More than enough time for me to get impatient!" She crosses over to the table and smacks her palm against it. "Now get over here, you dolts!"

Curious to what has her so riled up, I step up to the table. There's a small sheet of paper pinned to it that reads "Full Team Required". I frown. "What is this for?"

In answer, musical chimes sound out.

Instinctively I look to my bracelet, where Dr. Black has just reappeared on screen. He claps his gloved hands together. "Congratulations, Beta Team. It appears you have reached the Door of Beginnings."

The what? I blink stupidly, looking around to see if anyone else understood what he just said. But they both look just as confused as I do, so I turn back to the screen. "Past that door," Dr. Black continues, "you will find the Playing Field. That is where you will spend most of your time. That is also where you will most likely encounter the other teams for the first time."

I still have no idea what any of that means. But I do understand the part about the other teams. We've already seen one, Alpha. How many others are there?

"I do not wish to bog you down with long, meandering exposition, so I will keep this brief. As the goal of this game is to be the last team standing, outside in the Playing Field is where you will have one simple goal: Kill the other teams."

I nearly choke on my shock. Beside me, Vika gasps. "What! You can't be serious!" Kill the other teams? Did he seriously just say that? Images of Ophrya's body thumping to the ground flashes in my mind. Does he really want us to repeat that atrocious act?

"No!" Vika shakes her head, blonde curls bouncing. "No! I refuse! I won't kill anyone!"

Dr. Black chuckles. "You won't have to. You see, while it is perfectly fine to kill the other teams whilst out in the Playing Field, it is not required. You may, if you wish, simply try to carve out a living and wait for the next Event Hub to open."

I feel like he is intentionally trying to confuse us by throwing out such contradictory statements. I have no idea what he stands to gain from such a thing, but I can think of no other reason for his bizarre claims.

"So which is it?" Arlyssa demands. "Do we kill the other teams or not?"

"That decision, dear Arlyssa, is entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that, just because you will not try to kill the other teams, does not mean that they won't try to kill you." He's joking, right? No way that anyone would actually try and kill us. No way.

"Now, with that brief explanation out of the way, let us discuss the bags you see before you."

My eyes swivel up to the table, where three identical bags rest. Black, sturdy, and with a tactical look that reminds me of the military, they don't seem to be anything special. I cautiously poke one with a finger. "These bags?"

"Indeed. Those bags. Now, let me explain. Out in the Playing Field you will be required to scavenge for supplies. There will be no kitchens, no predetermined meal times. You will be subject to the weather and every other natural phenomena that nature throws at you. In short, you will be surviving in the wilderness."

Great. Just what I wanted. A camping trip where I may or may not have to worry about some psychopaths trying to kill me.

"I realize, however, that you all may not be accustomed to such endeavours. That is why I have prepared these bags, once for each of you. Inside you will find some supplies that will make your initial efforts to survive a little easier. I should warn you, however, that along with the standard rations, each bag contains different, unique items. Choose wisely."

There is a short pause. "Once you have chosen, the Door of Beginnings will open and you will be released into the Playing Field. There you will have to try and survive until my next announcement. Good luck."

The screen clicks off.

"Wait!" I shoot a hand out to try and flick it back on, even though I know that it is futile. ""You barely explained anything!"

"And he's gone," Arlyssa rubs her forehead. "What a confusing mess this is."

"I won't kill anyone!" Vika stamps her feet. "I will not!"

"Can it, Blondie. We need to think." As Vika gasps in shock, Arlyssa turns to me. "Looks like we're going to need to choose a bag. I get first pick." Then, before anyone can even respond, she reaches out and grabs the bag in the center. A moment later I grab the bag on the right. Vika, still sulky, takes the last bag.

"What is even in these?" She asks.

"Dunno." I set mine back on the table and unzip it. The first item I pull out is a canteen. Not surprising. If Dr. Black was being honest and we really are going to be surviving in the wilderness, then water is going to be at a premium.

Reaching deeper into the pack, I find several energy bars and a few bags of roasted nuts. Folded up beneath these is an item I recognize from late-night infomercials; a space blanket. Apparently it's a special blanket that helps you retain body heat or something like that.

"Looks like we have similar items," Vika says. I look up, surprised to find her next to me, going through her own bag. "Our food and water supply is the same, but instead of that blanket I have these." She deposits a small plastic bag on the table. I peer at, noticing the small cotton balls inside.

"What are those?"

"They're cotton balls," Arlyssa says from where she stands behind us. "Looks like they're covered in petroleum jelly, which makes me think they're meant for starting fires."

Vika and I turn to look at her.

"What?" She shrugs. "I'm not an idiot; I know things."

"That isn't the kind of thing most people know," I say. Then again, neither are space blankets.

"What do you have, Arlyssa?" Vika begins to question her as I return to checking my bag. I'm half-listening to the conversation, so I'm shocked when I see the next thing I pull out.

A knife.

"—same food as you and a poncho. I—Huh!" Arlyssa stares at the knife, eyes going wide. Vika, turning to see what got her attention, lets out a gasp when she spots it.

"No! Put it away! Put it away!"

"Relax, it's not a weapon." Arlyssa reaches out and yanks the knife from my hands. I think about complaining, but shut that idea down when I remember the punch. She spins it around, admiring the blade.

"How is a knife not a weapon?"

"Because it's not just meant for killing, you blonde bimbo!" Arlyssa gives the knife one last look over then hands it back to me. "It's a survival knife, and that means it's designed for work such as setting traps, cutting branches, carving wood, and skinning animals. Not killing people."

I study the blade, noticing its length is at least seven inches. I'm not an expert on weapons or things like that, but I'm pretty sure a knife this big could very easily be turned into a weapon.

Is that what Dr. Black intends? Does he want us to kill each other with weapons like this? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, I'm sure that this knife will come in handy, especially since I notice that there's a compass set in the cap of the handle.

"Did you two get anything like this?" I ask, storing the knife into a sheath I pull out of the bag.

Vika shakes her head. Arlyssa, however, grins and reaches into her own bag. "Behold! A true weapon!"

She pulls out a revolver.

Vika lets out a squeal, ducking behind me and clutching my arm. I simply gape as Arlyssa waves the gun around. "Watch where you're pointing that!"

"I'm not going to shoot you, moron!" Despite her remarks Arlyssa carefully lowers the revolver until it's pointed at the floor. I breath a silent sigh of relief. The last thing I want is to get accidentally shot by someone who is supposed to be my teammate.

"I-is that real?" Vika peeks out from behind my arm.

Arlyssa shrugs. "Only one way to find out." She raises the gun and turns to aim down the tunnel.

"Wait! Don't—"

Too late. Arlyssa pulls the trigger and there's an ear-splitting Crack! as a bullet explodes down the tunnel. Halfway down it slams into the wall and begins to ricochet back and forth.

Vika yelps and ducks under the table as I back off, cursing Arlyssa for her carelessness. She only laughs. "Yep, it's real alright. Looks like it only has six bullets, though. Maybe I should have saved that one."

The bullet finally loses momentum, dropping to the floor and skidding away somewhere in the darkness of the tunnel. Heart beating like a drum, I find myself glaring at Arlyssa. "Are you insane? You never shoot a gun indoors! Even I know that!"

Arlyssa opens her mouth, probably to snap off a retort, but before she can even form any words she's interrupted by a long, slow grinding sound. At first I fear that her reckless shot has somehow made the ceiling collapse, but then Vika points behind me. "Oh! The door is opening!"

The door, the one Dr. Black called the "Door of Beginnings" has begun to swing open. The wide doors take a ponderous amount of time, grating against the concrete floor as they do. I blink my eyes as a new source of light shines through the newly formed gap. Sunlight?

A minute later, the doors are fully open. A cool gust of wind blows in, rustling our clothes and bringing in the strong scent of pine. As we slowly approach, soft yellow light envelopes us.

"Trees!" Vika claps happily as I step outside.

Tall pine trees surround me on all sides. The ground is soft and covered with nettles and pinecones, a handful resting just beside my feet. Spinning around, I can see that I've just exited what looks like the mouth of a metal bunker, one that is completely built right into the side of a cliffside.

"We're on a mountain," Arlyssa says, stepping out beside me. She folds her arms across her chest and gazes out above us where, true to her words, I can see the knotted peaks of a mountain range.

"I think we're more of at the base of one."

"Whatever."

I look to the sky, where lances of sunlight shine through the gaps in the trees. This forest...it definitely doesn't look like anything in Texas, or at least the part where I live. The pine trees alone are a clear giveaway.

So if I'm not in Texas, where am I?

A question suddenly springs to mind and I turn to Vika and Arlyssa. "What states do you two live in?"

Vika frowns. "Connecticut, why?"

I nod and turn to Arlyssa. "You?"

She scowls at me. "I don't see why it matters."

"Just answer the question!"

"Fine. I'm from California. Happy now?"

Vika gasps, suddenly aware of what I've already discovered. "We're all from different states," I say, pacing. "States that are nowhere close to one another. Why then, has Dr. Black kidnapped us? Wouldn't it have been easier to kidnap three teenagers from the same state? Why go across the country to get us three in particular?"

"Maybe...maybe he wanted someone from every state?" Vika hugs her sketchbook to her chest. "That would make sense, wouldn't it?"

I shake my head. "It would, if he had fifty people here. But he explicitly mentioned that there were only around thirty of us."

Arlyssa, who doesn't seem to be as perturbed by this as I am, narrows her eyes at me. "Why does it matter? Dr. Black is obviously an insane psychopath. I doubt even he knows why he does what he does."

I don't respond, still lost in thought. Dr. Black is insane, that's true, but he seems to know exactly what he's doing. So far everything he's done has been meticulously planned. Nothing has been random or erratic. There has to be some reason why he chose us. But I have no way to figure out why. I simply don't have enough information.

"Anyways," Arlyssa turns away from me, obviously taking my silence as acquiescence. "We don't have time to be discussing this. Maybe you two have forgotten, but we're stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no shelter and a limited supply of food. Shouldn't that be our priority?"

That's...actually a really good point. I don't know anything about surviving in the wilderness. And one glance at Vika is enough to tell me that she's probably never even left the city once in her life. That means what little knowledge our team possesses belongs solely to Arlyssa.

"What do you suggest?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Hard to say anything, considering we know squat about this whole playing field. Best thing we can do is scout around and look for landmarks."

"Wh-what about the other teams?" Vika looks to the trees, as if she suspects we'll be jumped right here and now.

"What about them?" Arlyssa waves her revolver around. "If they come for us, I'll just show them a little gunpowder and lead."

Vika flinches back. I understand her reaction. Dr. Black has made it abundantly clear that he wants us to kill each other, and has even supplied us with weapons to do so. But does that mean we have to automatically assume the worst of any people we encounter?

"What if the other teams have their own guns?" Vika asks.

Arlyssa shrugs. "Guess we'll find out. Now, enough hand-wringing. Let's move out!"

Arlyssa sets off into the pines and we have little choice but to follow. I lag behind the others, self-consciously rubbing my knife. I didn't tell the others this, but I'm actually pretty proficient with knives. I did a lot of the cooking in my family, and that has given me skills that I doubt most others possess. I could kill someone, if I wanted.

That thought makes me cold. I don't want to kill anyone.

To clear my head of these dark thoughts, I belatedly turn my attention to the forest. The pine trees are supremely tall, the lowest branches themselves rise even higher than my head can lift. Though most of the ground is covered with nettles, there are the occasional patches of grass. Wood sorrel flecks these patches and I spot a pair of hares scampering away.

"How adorable!" Vika gasps, the first smile crossing her face in what feels like a very long time.

"We could hunt those," Arlyssa muses. Predictably, Vika begins to protest. I let my attention drift away from the conversation and to the sky, where a pair of jays are screeching high up in the canopy of the trees. I remember learning in school that Jays are the scavengers of the bird world. Their cruel, corvid eyes are always on the lookout for a feathered meal. In the winter, they raid squirrel stores for their nuts, often damning them to starvation.

As the birds drift away, I can't help but wonder if there is a similar situation between us and the other teams.

The forest continues on. I spot more signs of wildlife other than the hares and jays. Butterflies, squirrels, and what I think is a deer. I can't be sure, though, because I only see it from a distance and it bounds away immediately.

Yet I see no signs of other humans. Nothing. Where could they be? Surely this area isn't big enough to hide them all. But then, I don't really know how big this "playing field" really is. Does it stretch on for miles? Or is it just a small parcel of land? I don't have enough information; I don't have nearly enough.

"Oh! Look at that!"

I snap out of my thoughts at the sound of Vika's voice. I whirl around to follow her gaze and find, nestled between two particularly large pines, a small disheveled house. Well, calling it a house is generous. It doesn't look like anything more than a shack, and a poorly built one at that.

"Do you think the other teams are inside?" Vika steps closer to me, face paling with sudden fear.

"Only one way to find out!" Arlyssa says. Though she sounds carefree, I can't help but notice how her grip tightens on the gun. Nevertheless, she strides towards the shack without even a backward glance.

Vika and I follow after only a moment's hesitation. I don't think anyone is inside; if they were, they'd have come out by now, since we've been making way too much noise.

Arlyssa swings the door open and disappears inside. I follow suit and immediately blink as a cloud of dust swirls around my face. "Ugh! How old is this place?" I stumble forward and nearly collide with a wall until I catch myself on a small table.

Arlyssa gives me a withering glance. "Try not to break anything, Hayle."

I ignore her jibe and examine the room. True to its appearance, there's really not much to look at. Besides for the aforementioned table the only things of any note are a series of cabinets set against the far wall, a fireplace, and a sleek plastic box. I frown when I see the box. Unlike everything else, this isn't coated with a thin layer of dirt. In fact, it looks like it was placed here recently.

"What's up with this?" I tap its lid.

"Oh my!" Vika appears over my shoulder, peering down at the box. "It has a funny little logo on it!"

She's right. There's some kind of strange symbol engraved on the lid, with a word underneath. The symbol looks like an inverted cross set against a crescent moon and the word inscribed underneath is "Tarot". "What the hell does this mean?"

Ignoring us, Arlyssa reaches over and flips open the lid. There's a small note attached to the top part, which she immediately reads. "Congratulations, you have found a supply box. The items inside are now yours to do with as you please." She pauses, one hand on her hip. "Huh. Guess we got lucky."

"Still, what's with the symbol?" I find myself enthralled with the mystery. What could its purpose be? My allies, however, only care for what is inside the box.

"Bug spray?" Vika hesitantly pulls out a small canister. "Why would we need this?"

Arlyssa snags the rest of the items, which just seem to be a roll of bandages and a sewing kit. I turn away. None of this matters. Not to me. I only care about getting out of here, escaping this place before I have to play another one of those twisted games. The voice on the phone comes back to. Go along for now.

Why? What would be the purpose? And can I even trust that voice, or is it just another one of Dr. Black's games?

As Vika and Arlyssa discuss our next move, I turn to gaze out at the sky. I feel my panic beginning to abate...and in its place, my despair grows.

Hannah Jackson (Zeta Team)
''Water roared in my ears as the faint light of the surface disappeared from sight. The water dragged me down, down past the surfboard that was my only salvation. My lungs screamed for air and I resisted the urge to suck down water, clamping my jaws shut tight.''

I am going to die. The thought swept unbidden across my mind. I am going to drown here, in this ocean. Why didn't I listen? Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything.

''My head swam and blackness pressed in on the edge of my consciousness. I frantically pushed upward, praying that I would find the surface. Too late. The darkness closed in, and I knew that my death had come.''

Except it hadn't.

Somehow I had survived. Eyes blinking open, body sore with exhaustion, I found myself lying on an unfamiliar bed. I thought that I was in a hospital, that someone had found and rescued me. Well, the found part was true.

But I wasn't rescued. Far from it.

Keep calm. Just keep calm, Hannah. Panicking will solve nothing. I need to stay calm and think about this rationally. My life is at stake. That, if nothing else, is absolutely certain.

Life has just been one bad mistake after another. I should have listened to my parents. I shouldn't have ran away. I shouldn't have gone out surfing. Not during the storm. If only I hadn't, then I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be trapped inside some bunker where a maniac makes people kill each other.

Perhaps surprisingly the emotion that I feel strongest is anger. How dare Dr. Black do this! What does he hope to gain from such pointless, obscene activities? Murder. I wouldn't have thought it possible. I would never have expected that his captives would turn on each other so quickly.

Through our bracelets, Dr. Black showed us the "game" that Alpha and Beta team played. He showed us just how quickly humans will turn on one another. They didn't even hesitate before deciding to kill someone.

Would I?

I have no answer as I sit here on a sofa, staring at a blank screen. Beside me stand two other girls--my fellow Zeta Team allies, Dr. Black called them--who seem equally as despondent. I don't know them very well; neither has said much so far.

One of them, a tan girl with long brown hair that cascades down to her waist in waves, taps her feet as she stares out at the newly opened tunnel. It opened several minutes ago, but we still have made no effort to explore it.

"Are we just going to wait around?" I finally break the long silence, standing up and moving towards the tunnel before stopping halfway. "I mean, there's no point just sitting here!"

My other teammate, a tall, athletic black girl named Francesca, steps forward. "You're right. We have to explore whether we want to or not." I nod encouragingly at the girl. Truth be told, I was initially frightened of her. Her being so tall was off-putting enough, but she also has these strange colorless patches on her skin. I figure she must have some sort of disease, but I don't think it would be very polite to ask. I just hope it isn't contagious.

"Exploring will just be playing right into Dr. Black's hands, you know." My first teammate scowls at the two of us. Though she has categorically refused to answer our questions about anything, she has told us that her name is Sofia.

"So what do you want us to do?" I ask. "Just sit here and wait? What will that accomplish?"

"Better that than die in one of his stupid games!" She retorts.

"It's not like staying here will prevent that," Francesca says, "after all, that Ophrya girl still died even though she never left her room." Smart. Despite my initial doubts, I think that I might grow to like Francesca.

That is if I don't die first.

Sofia stares silently at Francesca, eyes cold and hard. Francesca only smiles back. I fidget, unable to stand still. I do not like this. I don't trust either of these girls, but I'm supposed to work with them? How the hell am I going to do that?

"You know what?" I shake my head and turn to the tunnel. "Stay here if you want or come with me. It doesn't matter. I don't care what you do."

I head off, not waiting for an answer. I don't care what Dr. Black says, I'm not going to work with people who clearly want nothing to do with me. But then...

I don't care what you say! Words said to my parents flash through my mind. This is my life and I'll do what I want with it!

Mistake. That was a mistake. I always think that I know best, that I'll always come out unscathed. But that wasn't true with the surfing, and it doesn't seem like it'll be true here. I may not understand what this is all about or what Dr. Black hopes to achieve, but I don't like my odds of surviving this alone.

I'm halfway down the tunnel when I pull to a halt. Unsure, I'm about to turn around when Francesca steps past me. "Getting cold feet?" She grins at me.

I shake my head. "No, I was just..." Just what? Regretting my hotheaded actions?

Francesca's eyes soften. "Look, I get it. None of us knows anything about each other. We've all just been thrown into a vicious, awful situation and emotions are bound to bubble over. I don't blame you for snapping at us."

A sense of guilt washes over me for my early thoughts about Francesca. "Thanks," I mutter.

"Stop this pity party; it's not helping anybody." Sofia brushes past us, not even slowing down on her way through the tunnel.

I pick up the pace and push ahead, quickly re-passing Sofia. She gives me a sideways glance but doesn't say anything. Smart. There's only so many cynical comments I can take before snapping.

But perhaps that's our problem, mine and hers. Despite being together for what has to have been hours, neither of us have really bothered to try and get to know the other. Francesca tried at the beginning, but I was too flustered and dismayed by our situation to respond. But now that I'm beginning to settle in...maybe we should try again?

As I'm thinking, the tunnel comes to an end, opening up into a wide, rectangular room. A pair of heavy-set doors lie directly across from me, while a narrow table is pressed against the left wall. The right wall is bare except for a more ordinary door.

Sofia steps into the room, eyes quickly scanning its contents. "What's with the doors?"

I shrug. "No idea." They seem to be very large. Why? What would be the purpose of such ridiculously sized doors?

"Those bags seem interesting!" Francesca walks over to the table and grabs what appears to be a note. "Huh. Apparently these contain supplies for us."

An awkward silence follows as we all share glances. Supplies? For what? I'm about to ask, but then remember my earlier thoughts. "We can't keep going like this!" Both girls turn to look at me, surprised. "We can't just keep walking on eggshells, acting like we don't need to talk to each other. We do. Dr. Black has made it very clear that this will be a team game."

"What do you expect from us?" Sofia glares at me. "I don't know anything about you! For all I know, you could be working for that bastardo!"

"Do you really think that?" Francesca sounds surprised. "Why would we do such a thing?"

Sofia throws her hands in the air. "I don't know! No sé nada de ustedes, estúpidos americanos!"

"Huh?" I blink, confused. "What was that last part?"

"She spoke Spanish," Francesca says. "I believe she called us "stupid Americans"."

I let out a low chuckle. "Joke's on her; I'm no American, I'm an Aussie."

"Interesting." Fransceca watches me closely, stroking her chin. I squirm, uncomfortable with her gaze. What's so interesting? Francesca shifts her eyes to our other teammate. "Do you mind if I ask where you're from, Sofia?"

The girl mutters something under her breath. "Mexico City," she says after a brief pause. "Why? It doesn't matter." Huh. I had assumed that she and Francesca were both Americans. Though the fact that she's not explains her accent; English is clearly not her first language.

"So we're all from different countries," Francesca continues, oblivious to Sofia's disdain. "And that is very interesting, because it implies that Dr. Black has the resources and manpower to kidnap people from totally different countries. Such an endeavor would require quite the operation. He is, in short, not acting alone."

I hadn't thought about that. If what Francesca says is true, then Dr. Black can't just be a lone psychopath. He has to have funding, resources, allies. Somebody, someone with money and influence, has to be helping him. But that...doesn't make any sense.

"That doesn't change our situation," Sofia says.

"No, it does not. But it is something worth thinking about." She pauses for a short moment, then turns to me. "Now, I believe Hannah's earlier suggestion has merit. We will never grow to trust one another if we don't know anything about each other. So, let me begin."

"I, as you can most likely see, suffer from Vitiligo. I don't blame you if you've never heard about it; it is woefully neglected by many people. Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment." She goes on to explain how she's been stigmatized and bullied for this condition, but has since grown to embrace it rather than hate it. Francesca tells us that, prior to her awakening here, she was living with her mother and carving out a living for herself by modelling as well as selling her own art.

It's a beautiful story, but unfortunately the biggest impact is that it just makes me feel even worse for unfairly judging her earlier. Still, it does the trick. I feel like I can relate to her better.

"I lived with my parents," I begin once Francesca finishes, "and I was a surfer..."

I tell the whole tale, not omitting anything. There's no point trying to hide my actions, even if they were reckless and irresponsible. No, especially because they were. These girls may need to put their lives in my hands; they deserve to know the truth.

When I finish, there is silence. Francesca and I turn to Sofia, expectant. But when she sees us watching she just laughs. "What? You think I will tell you my life story? No gracias, amigos. I will tell you nothing."

"Perhaps that is too much to ask," Francesca inclines her head. "But thank you for sharing, Hannah. You can only understand what you know, after all."

I nod, but don't take my eyes off Sofia. She's clearly not use to relying on other people, which I usually wouldn't mind. But in this situation? She better shape up fast, or I might just beat the hell out of her.

Francesca grabs one of the bags off the table and, hefting it over her shoulder, grunts. "This is surprisingly heavy. What's inside?"

I shrug. "Dunno. But what about that bag? There seems to be some sort of handle sticking out..." I trail off as I reach over and remove the object. I feel myself paling as I stare at it.

"What's wrong?" Francesca frowns at me. "It's just a baseball bat."

"He knows!" I whisper, gaze glued to the bat. "He knows!"

"Knows what?" Sofia narrows her eyes.

"I..." I set the bat down on the table, surprised to find myself trembling. "I used to play baseball. I was one of the best hitters on my team. Receiving this bat...no way is that a coincidence!" But that was years ago! Did he really dig up that much information about me? If knows this...

What else does Dr. Black know about us?

"Do you really think he purposely gave you that bat?" Francesca sounds doubtful as she picks the bat up. She runs one oddly-colored hand along its length. "What would be the point?"

"Because he wants us to know that he knows!" I should have realized this sooner. This wasn't some random kidnapping, Dr. Black didn't just choose us on a whim. I wouldn't have been chosen if it was random. I was drowning, dying, then...

Dr. Black captured me. He had to have been watching, had to have known. For how long? When did he start? Looking at my allies faces, I see that they too have begun to think this over.

"Más vale que ese bastardo no toque a mi madre!" Sofia shouts something in rapid Spanish.

Francesca sets a finger against her forehead, apparently deep in thought. For a long time she says nothing. Then she shakes her head. "This is deeply troubling, I admit. But we can't waste time worrying about it. What's done is done, and we only have time to focus on the present."

Yeah, no. I can't just forget about something because its not currently relevant. That's not how I work. I'm about to say as such when Francesca pulls something out of her bag. It's long, slender, and metal.

"A crowbar?" I frown as Francesca turns the item over in her hands. She gives it a test swing through the air.

"I believe...that Dr. Black intends for these to be our weapons..."

I stare blankly at the girl. "You mean...he wants us to bludgeon people to death?"

"I cannot be sure, but yes, I believe that is exactly what he wants us to do." If there was any doubt before, there's certainly none now. Dr. Black is insane. Completely and utterly insane.

"Zeta Team, may I have your attention please!"

I yelp as Dr. Black's voice emits from my bracelet. Francesca looks at me, raising an eyebrow. I feel myself flushing as I avert my gaze, turning to the bracelet screen. "What do you want?"

Dr. Black, still in the exact same room as before, chuckles softly. "My! What unwarranted aggression! Trust me, dear Hannah, when I tell you that I am not your enemy."

"An obvious lie!" Sofia huffs.

"Believe what you wish, Ms. Cortes. However, that is not why I have chosen to speak with you. No, I am here to tell you that the time has come for you three to play one of my games."

Everyone goes still. There's a sudden chill in the room as we all turn to look at one another. We all know what happened in the last "game" of his. Someone lost their life. Had it forcibly taken away from them by this heinous man.

Will one of us be next?

"What is this game?" Francesca is the first to speak, her composure recovered remarkably quickly. "And how do we play it?"

"You will find the answers you seek in the next room."

Then, as if on cue, the small door to our right slides open. I lean sideways, peering inside. The portion I can see is thin and narrow, with only two chairs inside. Past those, I can see what looks to be panes of glass. Encased behind these panes seem to be majority of the room.

Sofia and Francesca both enter without a word. Hands slick with sweat, I readjust my grip on the baseball bat, then grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. Finally, I follow my teammates inside.

The door slides shut behind us.

"He has locked us inside," Francesca says calmly.

"Predictable," I mutter. I knew this would happen, but its not like I had a choice. We either follow Dr. Black's instructions or die.

Sofia taps the glass, looking inside. "Is that...a bomb?"

"What?" I spin around so fast that my head nearly falls off. Inside the glass, situated smack dab in the center of the room, is a large spherical object. Completely black and crisscrossed with wires, there's a few small dials that occasionally emit a blinking red light. True to what Sofia said, it looks dangerously similar to a bomb. "A bomb! What the hell are you playing at?"

"I am not playing anything," Dr. Black answers, taking me by surprise. "You, however, will soon be playing a game I like to call "Are You Smart Enough To Exist?"

"What kind of name is that!"

"I hardly think that is what we should be worried about here, Hannah." Francesca frowns, tapping her cheek. She's so calm that I just want to punch her. Doesn't she realize our lives are on the line?

"The rules for the game are simple," Dr. Black continues, ignoring us. "One of you will have to answer a series of multiple choice questions. Get them all correct and your team wins. Get one wrong..."

"What," I ask, "happens if you get one wrong?"

"The bomb will explode."

Well, crap. Beside me, Sofia growls in rage whilst Francesca stands stoically still. I can't believe this! A bomb? A freaking bomb? Where the hell did this lunatic even find a bomb?

"You will all not be in danger, however," Dr. Black says. "Only one of you must answer the questions. The other two will merely observe from behind the explosion-proof glass." What? Explosion-proof glass? That doesn't even sound like a real thing!

"How will we decide who answers the questions?" Sofia demands. I can't help but notice how she glares at us.

"That will be up to you to decide. Be wary, however, for if none of you choose to take the risk and answer the questions then you lose by default, and all three of you will be injected with poison via your bracelet."

"I will not answer the questions!" Sofia makes her declaration before Dr. Black is even finished. I sigh, exchanging a look with Francesca.

"That leaves us. Do you want to do it?" Despite appearing calm on the outside, I'm internally screaming. I don't want to risk my life! And I don't even know what those questions are about! But if Francesca chooses not to answer, then I won't have a choice. The possibility of death is still far better than certain death.

"I will answer the questions!" Francesca steps towards the door without the slightest hesitation. Sofia nods in appreciation, but I can't help but feel nervous. If Francesca fails, then she dies. I may not have known her long, but I really don't want to see anyone else die today, no matter who they are.

"Very good, very good. It is always promising to see a young person step up to face a challenge!" Dr. Black intones as Francesca enters the glass room. The door slides shut immediately.

"Do you think she'll explode?" Sofia asks me.

I turn to face her, mortified by the lack of emotion in the question. "Aren't you worried?"

"Why would I be? I will not explode." She says it so matter-of-factly that I can't even think of a proper response. Perhaps there will be people who want to play Dr. Black's Games after all.

"Francesca, are you ready to begin?" Dr. Black's voice buzzes over our bracelets, followed by an echoy response from Francesca herself.

"Ready."

She certainly looks ready. Her face has a determined cast to it as she stares at the bomb without even the slightest sign of worry. I wonder why she decided to answer the questions. Is she just that confident, or was she worried that I'd refuse and we'd all be killed? I hope she doesn't think so little of me, but I can't say I'm certain of that.

Inside the glass room, a holographic screen flickers into existence. There's some text followed by a series of options. The question and the choices. Breath shaky with nerves, I read the question.

What is 20% of 240?

A clock immediately begins to countdown from ten. I begin to sweat, eyes glossing over as I stare at the four possible answers. Panic is getting the best of me, I realize. I'm about to fail, the clock is nearly--

"Forty-eight," Francesca says, tapping a button on the bomb.

"That is...correct." Dr. Black says as the countdown dissipates. "Prepare yourself for question number two."

The questions continue at a rapid pace. I try my best to keep up, but I find myself failing more often than not. Francesca, however, gets each one right every time. What is the capital of Colorado? Denver. What white, fluffy clouds are known as Fair Weather Clouds? Cumulus.

I don't know how she does it. With only ten seconds for the question to sink in before an answer becomes necessary--and the threat of explosion hanging over her head--she somehow manages to stay calm and rational. It's truly impressive.

Yet the questions seem endless. Francesca answers seventeen in a role and there's still no sign of stopping. Is there even an end? What if the game can only result in the bomb exploding? Would Dr. Black really be that cruel?

If you are facing north and turn Ninety-Degrees to the right, what direction are you now facing?

"East," Francesca answers. She sounds as calm as ever, but I can see a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"That is...correct. Prepare for question number nineteen."

By definition, a prism is a solid figure that has how many congruent bases?

Sofia mutters something in Spanish as Francesca nods. "Two."

"That is...correct. Prepare for the final question."

Yes! Only one more to go! I find myself suddenly jubilant, a wide grin breaking out on my face. These questions are no match for Francesca!

What is my middle name?

The grin slips off my face. What kind of question is that? I feel like I've been punched, the glee deflating out of me like air from popped balloon. After nineteen questions pertaining to general knowledge, Dr. Black throws this at us? Not fair!

"Who?" Francesca whirls around, eyes wide. For the first time emotion has crept into her words. "Whose middle name am I supposed to be guessing!"

"You have ten seconds."

Sofia curses loudly. I can't do anything but stare at the four possible options, completely bewildered by their absurdity. Bergstein, Marshall, Centrifuge, or Oddsworth. How is anyone supposed to guess with such a lack of information? Whose middle name? Dr. Black's? The computers? Hell, it could be anyone.

The seconds continue to tick away. Francesca's eyes dart between the questions, obvious panic crossing her face. Her fingers twitch towards one of the buttons but pull away at the last moment. My heart nearly explodes.

"Two seconds."

"Choose, Francesca! You have to choose something! Anything!" I scream.

Her hand darts forward and taps a button. The hologram dissipates immediately. Dr. Black's voice echoes from our bracelets. "That is...incorrect. Prepare for punishment."

Sofia gasps. I scream. Francesca just stands there, dumbfounded.

The bomb explodes.

Inside the glass there is an explosion of red. Thick, dark liquid slamming into the glass, covering every inch of the clear surface. It is impossible to see anything but red. Red...red liquid...blood.

Francesca's blood.

I gag, dropping to my knees. Sofia lets loose a series of unintelligible curses, then screams at Dr. Black. My heart beats like a hammer. That didn't just happen. It couldn't have. People don't just explode like that...they don't... How could he do this? Why would Dr. Black want this to happen? It doesn't make sense. Francesca was a good person...why would he want to...

The door slides open. A figure emerges from inside the glass room, gasping as they bend over for air. They're completely covered in blood, absolutely drenched in the stuff. But I recognize her. Her figure is unmistakable.

"Francesca!"

The girl who I saw die turns to flash a smile at me. "Thought I was a goner."

"How...why..." There's no way she survived that explosion. All that blood...

"Por qué no estás muerto! This makes no sense!" Sofia exclaims.

"It wasn't a bomb. Well, it was a bomb. Just not the kind we thought." Francesca tries to wipe the blood away, but all she succeeds at is smearing it across her face. She frowns at the result.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's not blood," Francesca accepts a handkerchief Sofia offers her, using it to wipe her face. "It's ketchup. The bomb was filled with ketchup."

That...I stare at the red substance more carefully, examining its texture. True, it doesn't really look like blood. Nor does it smell like blood...

"He lied?" Sofia is furious. "Dr. Black lied to us! I knew we couldn't trust him!"

"I did not lie," Dr. Black's voice flickers back into existence and I look to see him on my bracelet. "I told you that the bomb would explode, which was completely true. I do not believe I told you a falsehood of any sort."

"Semantics!" Sofia begins to rant, but Francesca cuts her off.

"What was the point of this game?"

"What indeed..." Dr. Black chuckles. "Unfortunately, that information is not relevant to you. For now, you'd best return to the room where you claimed your bags. The Door of Beginnings is now open and you are free to enter the Playing Field. Fare thee well."

The screen fades black. The three of us stand in silence. Confused. Angry. Afraid. Uncertain. Dozens of emotions rage inside me, threatening to boil over into an explosion of emotion. But the emotion that I feel strongest...is regret

I should have listened to my parents. Why didn't I listen?

I'm sorry.

Nathaniel Arvidsson (Gamma Team)
I feel uneasy as I follow behind Timothy and Mike. They lead the way down a wide thoroughfare that runs between a series of small, colourful booths. In the distance, looming over everything, stands an enormous ferris wheel.

I have to admit, when I emerged from the underground tunnel where I woke up, the last place I expected to find myself was in a carnival.

"This looks remarkably normal," Timothy stops beside one of the booths, running a hand along its side. "I wonder whether Dr. Black created this himself, or if he just found an abandoned carnival to squat in."

I watch the small, unremarkable boy as he studies the nearby booths. Well, boy isn't the right word. He can't be much more than a few years younger than I am, but he carries the confidence and bravado of someone much older. His neatly styled brown hair, serious eyes, and the elaborate suit he wears all work together to create the image of a commanding leader.

And he's filled that role from almost the second we woke up. He was the one who spoke with Dr. Black, questioned the man, and answered the man's questions. He's essentially been acting as our teams mouthpiece.

Not that I mind. The thought of having to speak with Dr. Black by myself makes me feel...uncomfortable.

"Dude, do you think these games still work?" Mike shoulders his way past me, marching up to a small booth that holds several crane machines.

If Timothy is elegant, articulate, and composed, then Mike is...none of those things. Standing at least half a foot taller than my own height, he completely dwarfs Timothy. Standing side by side, the two of them make for a comical sight.

"Those games are always rigged anyways," Timothy muses as Mike jabs a meaty finger at the glass case.

"What? No way! I can beat them easily!"

I watch the two as they argue over the fairness of crane machines, wondering if either of them know the easy trick to beating them. You just have to set the machine to maintenance mode and you'll pretty much automatically win. Though I'm not sure why that's important, considering everything that has happened...

Waking up in that bunker was a true shock. I don't know how I got there or why Dr. Black needs me here. I don't remember what I was doing before I got here. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now that I'm here. There's so much that I don't know...

I don't want to die. I know that much. Death is not something I ever want to experience. I'll do whatever is necessary to avoid it. Anything.

"Do you think Dr. Black is telling the truth?" Timothy sits down on a nearby bench, unslinging the bag from his shoulder and dropping it at his feet. "Will we truly need to kill the other teams?"

Mike scratches his head, face scrunching up into a peculiar expression. "Dunno. But we have weapons, don't we?"

Weapons. Inside our supply bags, alongside the expected supplies, we also received one weapon each. In my own bag was an icepick. I feel nauseated when I think about how it's meant to be used, but...

I won't die.

"Yes, we do have weapons..." Timothy falls silent, hand twitching towards his jacket pocket, where I know he keeps his own weapon. It's a gun of some sort, something that I haven't really seen before. Timothy said that it was called a Desert Eagle, but didn't tell us anything more than that. I suppose it doesn't matter. A gun is deadly no matter what name it has.

"I could totally knock a guy unconscious with my weapon!" Mike, excited as he seems to always be, pulls up his own "weapon". It's some kind of strange, egg shaped ball. Mike said that it was a football, but it doesn't look anything like the footballs I've seen. It wasn't until Timothy explained that it was from American Football did I understand.

Not that I really understood at all. Mike was super eager to explain his sport to me, talking nonstop about how he plays it collegiately and was soon to head to the pros. Still, despite his explanations, the game doesn't make any sense to me. Apparently you barely kick the ball at all; instead you spend majority of the time throwing it around.

"Why do you call it football?" I asked Mike. "Why not handegg?"

His only response was to offer me a blank stare.

"I'd prefer if we didn't get into any fights," Timothy speaks, pulling me out of my thoughts. "We still need to get a lay of the land and understand exactly where we are before we do anything rash."

Mike shrugs his broad shoulders. "Whatever you say, bro. But if anyone attacks us I'm chucking this ball into their faces."

Suddenly nervous, I spin around to take in my surroundings. The ferris wheel still lurks in the distance, its bright, garish lights visible even in the early afternoon light. Popcorn is scattered across the thoroughfare, placed so evenly that I'm almost convinced someone purposely threw it down. The booths and tents that surround us are clustered close together, creating many tiny alleys and narrow passages. It wouldn't be too hard for someone to hide there. While we wouldn't be able to see them, they would be more than capable of seeing us.

I rub at my beard, wondering if I should tell the others about this possible danger. But I decide against it. Surely Timothy has already thought this very thing. And if he's not worried, why should I be?

"We'll need to find some food," Timothy says after a long period of silence. "And a source of fresh, clean water."

Mike frowns. "Why? Dr. Black gave us both of those things."

"That's true. But our supplies won't last forever, and I'd rather we find a a source of replenishment before we run out. It'd be too late by that point."

I find myself nodding along in agreement. Everything he said is completely true. Who knows how long we'll have to stay here? If we're not rescued soon, we could...will we even be rescued? Why would we? No one knows where we are or what happened to us. Where would they even begin looking? I don't even know what's happening!

"There seems to be plenty of food around," I'm ripped out of my depressing thoughts by Timothy's voice. The slight boy is walking towards a small square building. A sign above the doorway reads "Carnival Cafe".

"Why would there be food?" Mike asks. "This carnival is abandoned."

"Is it?"

Both of them turn to look at me. Suddenly nervous, I find myself staring at my shoes, averting their gaze.

"What do you mean, Nathaniel?" Timothy sounds genuinely curious.

"It's just that, well, this place is so..." I wave my arms around, searching for the right word. "Maintained! This place is too maintained!"

There's a long pause. Feeling like an idiot, I look up to take in their expressions. To my surprise they both seem to be examining their surroundings quite intently. "You're right..." Timothy says slowly, rotating in place. "Nothing is broken down, or even dirty. All the booths appear to be in pristine condition, and the Ferris wheel is still working. Odd. Very, very odd."

Mike scratches his head. "I, uh, don't understand. Are you guys saying it's not abandoned?"

Timothy shakes his head. "No, it's definitely abandoned. But the abandonment had to have happened recently. As Nathaniel said, this place is too well maintained. The popcorn on the ground hasn't even rotted yet."

I nod. That fact alone is very telling. I'm not an expert on the decomposition of food or anything, but it can't be too long before food that is exposed to the elements begins to rot. So the abandonment had to have happened in the last few days.

But the logic behind that doesn't quite add up. Why and when would this carnival be abandoned? How did Dr. Black get access to it? Why is there an underground bunker beneath it?

My team is uncharacteristically quiet as we try to think this over. Timothy stands very still, steepled hands pressed together and eyes shut tight. If anyone is to think up the answer, it's going to be him. I'm not good with these kinds of puzzles, and Mike...well, judging by the constipated look on his face, thinking probably isn't his strong point.

My eyes wander away from my teammates. I take in the ballon filled carnival, the colorful cotton candy stands, the Merry-Go-Round, and the signs pointing towards a House of Mirrors. This place is filled with games and treats, but danger seems to lurk in the shadows...

Is that supposed to be symbolic?

"Am I the only one who feels like we're being watched?"

Surprised by his voice, I whirl around to face Mike. His eyes are narrowed as he stares out at the space between two tents. "What do you mean?" I ask, despite knowing full well what he means.

"I...don't know. Just feels like I'm being watched." He shrugs his broad shoulders, turning away from the tents. I fidget uncomfortably. It does feel like we're being watched. But who would be watching us?

"Dr. Black undoubtedly has cameras watching our every move," Timothy says. He looks remarkably unaffected by the current circumstances. "So it is only natural that we would feel that way."

That answer is logical, but it somehow doesn't feel right. Yes, Dr. Black is watching us. But this sensation...it doesn't feel like him. It almost feels as if someone is here, inside the carnival, watching us from the shadows.

Another team? Or something even more sinister?

"Come along now," Timothy says, pushing the door of the cafe open and stepping inside. "We have to continue our search for food."

Mike and I follow him inside. But, as I step into the cafe, I cannot shake the feeling that someone is watching me. Watching...and waiting.

Junie Harlow (Epsilon Team)
I shade my eyes as the sun shines through the tree branches, the warm rays tingling on my skin. When we first emerged from the underground bunker the sky was dotted with a thin layer of clouds, but the sun has long since burned through that. Now we walk through the sunny forest, listening to the rustling of animals rooting in the underbrush, the crunching leaves underfoot, and groaning of the trees as mild wind blows through them.

This is far from my usual scene.

It feels like a lifetime ago that I was only hours away from the debut of my newest set. Now I'm stuck in some sort of forest with a pair of people I know nothing about. Lucky me.

"We seem to be heading west," I glance at the guy beside me as he stops to wipe the sweat from his bald head. Tall, muscular, and rather handsome, he's been an enigma since I first stepped out of my room. Though he was quick to challenge Dr. Black and demand our release, he's also been prone to bouts of inactivity. Several times he's simply stopped moving and stared off into the distance.

"We "seem" to be heading west?" I turn the other way to where my other "teammate", a girl named Milan, is giving Hayden a scathing look. "Are you sure or not? I don't want to follow someone who can't lead us straight."

I can't say I like Milan very much. She's tall and lean, with long black hair that hangs past her shoulders and eyes that shine with a hidden light. A light that seems to say "I wanna punch you in the face", yes, but a light all the same.

Looks aside, it's her personality that gets under my skin. She rarely speaks unless it's to correct one of us, and she seems more than willing to play Dr. Black's Games, even going as far as to ask Dr. Black for a better weapon, because she wouldn't be able to kill anyone with the chloroform she received.

Maybe playing the game is the smart thing to do, and sure, I myself will do whatever I need to do to stay alive, but the fact that she's so completely accepting of that fact is a little chilling.

Milan suddenly pulls to a halt, a frown etched on her face. Confused, I turn and follow her gaze to Hayden, whose once again stopped moving. His face is completely blank as he stares out at the line of trees that surround us on all sides.

"Are you alright?" I ask. Great. Both of these people are slightly unhinged. Whoopee.

Hayden doesn't answer. Perturbed, I reach a hand out to poke his shoulder.

His reaction is instantaneous. He grabs my wrist, twisting it savagely as he pins my arm up against my back. I yelp in pain, trying to jerk free. But he's so strong! Fear and anger race through me as I try to angle my leg to kick him between the legs.

"Hayden!"

The pressure on my wrist releases and I find myself stumbling forward. Furious, I spin around to scream at the bull-headed idiot when I see something that stops me cold.

Hayden is crying.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" He mumbles, wiping at his eyes. "You just surprised me. I...I thought I was being attacked..."

I stare at him, completely lost for words. He's already cracked? I know that the pressure of this situation is extreme, but for him to fall to the stress this early...I have some serious misgivings about our teams chances of surviving this game.

"It's fine," Milan says, "Junie forgives you. Don't you, Junie?"

What's happened with her? A moment ago she was all ice and scowls, now she's watching Hayden with what can only be sympathy. What gives?

"I'm sorry, Junie," Hayden takes a deep breath, composure seemingly returned. "It won't happen again. You have my word."

"Uh...okay?"

He nods at me, then turns away, mumbling to himself. "This is punishment...the torture...I knew it was wrong..."

"I have seen men like him," Milan is whispering into my ear. "Men who have seen or done things that affect them so profoundly that they do not always act as they should. He means you no ill will. Do not hold it against him."

Then she's gone, striding off into the forest like she actually knows where she's going. I just find myself rooted to the spot. In the last few minutes alone everything I thought I knew about Hayden and Milan got turned on its head. Understanding people is hard.

DJing is so much frickin' simpler.

Our journey through the forest continues in silence. As we go I catch Milan watching me. That unsettles me. Her gaze penetrates too deep, her eyes too knowing. Just what is she? Why is she so...accustomed to the inanity of this whole situation? She doesn't seem frightened or worried about being attacked at all. But...

The forest clearly does unsettle her. Every now and then, when she is not watching me or Hayden, I find her staring at the trees and animals. She acts as if she's never been in a forest before. Which isn't too odd, because it's not like I've been in a forest before either. I'm not worried about that, though. I'm too busy being worried about the other teams and their weapons.

I glance over my shoulder at my bag, where I have stored the hand axe I received with my supplies. An axe. That psycho Dr. Black wants me to hack people to death with an axe. You'd think that if he really wanted us to kill each other he'd have given us more effective weapons.

I eye Hayden and the crossbow he has strapped over his shoulder. Sleek, with a modern design, I suppose that the weapon seems more than capable of ending somebody's life with one well placed shot. Especially with Hayden as its wielder.

Which is why I'm so worried about his mental stability. What would stop him from killing me? Whose to say that Dr. Black would care if a team turned on itself? He never said there were any rules against it.

"Hold!" Milan comes to a sudden halt, throwing a hand back to stop Hayden. As he begins to protest, she points through the thick bracken. "There! Something metallic!"

I edge up beside them, peering through at the object. Rotund, with a wide base and a long, narrow section attached to the top, it looks like a....

"A gun turret..." Hayden's voice is barely more than a whisper.

"You recognize that thing?" I've already let my attention drift past to what lies behind the object; a series of long, wide buildings. Warehouses?

"Yeah. I saw a few before--"

"I smell the sea!" Milan cuts Hayden off mid-sentence. The girl throws her head around, seemingly searching for the ocean in the middle of the forest.

"You think we're on an island?" I ask.

"If we're in the Philippines, then everywhere is an island," Milan answers. I frown. Philippines? Why would we be in the Philippines? I figured we'd be in England, or at least somewhere nearby. But that might just be my bias. After all, Dr. Black spoke without an English accent. He sounded more American than anything else.

"Guys!"

I blink, surprised to hear the urgency in Hayden's voice. "What's up?" I ask him. He's still staring out at the gun turret.

"Shouldn't we be more worried about that?"

"I don't know. Should we?" I'm not an expert on guns or anything remotely similar, but I do know that there's no reason to be worried about a single stationery gun. They can't shoot themselves, after all.

"It could be an automatic drone," Hayden continues, eyes still fixated on the turret. "Dr. Black might be able to remotely control it, or it could just operate on its own."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. I saw a few during...during my time in the army." Hayden goes silent. I wait for him to say more, but it soon becomes clear that he's not going to speak any further. I turn to ask Milan when I realize that she's no longer beside me.

"There are docks over there!" Milan has pushed into the clearing, walking towards the warehouses and the turrets. "It looks like a little harbor. No boats, though..."

"Wait!" Hayden shoves his way past me, heading for Milan. "Don't go any further!"

There's a whirring, buzzing sound and I spin around to see the turret moving, the nose of its gun rotating 360 degrees to face Milan and Hayden. I see what's happening. I react instantly.

I break into a sprint, not to help Milan, like Hayden is doing, but to cover. To protection. The warehouses.

Gunfire breaks the quiet peace of the forest. Smoke billows from the turret as it works. Hayden tackles Milan to the ground a moment before the first bullets slice through the air they were standing only seconds ago.

I'm already halfway across the clearing to the warehouses. The cargo bay door is open. But why did I run this way? A small part of my mind berates me for not running deeper into the forest when I hear Milan scream.

I throw a glance over my shoulder. Has she been hit? No. She's unharmed as Hayden drags her towards the warehouse. But her gaze is frozen on me.

Why me?

The gun turret has stopped firing. As I watch, it rotates away from Milan and Hayden. Its barrel doesn't come to a halt until it's turned halfway around.

To focus on me.

My breath rasps. My heart rattles against my chest. For some reason I feel myself slowing down instead of speeding up. Panic clutches at my brain, freezing all thoughts. I lurch myself forward and dive for the warehouse doors.

The gun fires.

Then there's burning pain.

I slam shoulder first into hard cement floor. Scream as I feel my shoulder dislocate. But the worst pain is in my leg. As I roll across the ground of the warehouse, out of the turrets reach, I look down to see my bloodied left leg. I've been shot!

I'm hyperventilating when Hayden emerges from deeper inside the warehouse, depositing Milan on a nearby crate. Where did he come from?

"Let me look at that!" He drops beside me, deft hands already opening the bag at his side. "I know how to treat this. I know...I know.." His eyes squeeze shut. His arms tremble. What the hell is he doing? What...

"No! I need to focus!" Hayden shakes his head. "Let me look at that." He studies my leg. "Okay. That's fine. It doesn't look so bad. The bullet passed all the way through. I can treat this..."

Hayden takes out the medkit that had been included in our supplies, sorting the objects into neat piles. Milan watches from the shadows, impassive. I'm just surprised that I now feel so numb. Have I gone into shock?

The gunfire has stopped. At first I don't understand, but then I realize it's because the turret cannot shoot at us while we're inside. Or maybe it just doesn't want to. Either way, it doesn't matter. We're...safe.

For now.

Karne Osmont (Omega Team)
My footsteps echo along the desolate hallways of the school. Yes, it is a school that I find myself in. A primal and run down version of a school, but a school all the same.

Most of the lockers that line the hallway walls are dented, and a few are just barely hanging on by their hinges. Each one looks seconds away from clattering to the cracked linoleum floor. Trash is littered all over said floor, while the walls are covered in graffiti. The very air itself is not exempt from this pervasive rot; a strong, musty scent lingers in the air, burning my nostrils.

"What is the purpose of this place?" I ask no-one in particular as I walk. I pass by a faded banner. Suppose that it must once have proclaimed the school's name. Now it's just trash. "Is this supposed to be our arena?"

"I won't die!" A shrill shriek escapes the lips of the girl to my right. I barely pay her any attention; she's been spewing that same nonsense from the moment this game started. "I won't, I won't, I won't! I'll kill them if I have to! I swear I will!"

Slim, with long brown hair and a pair of thick eyebrows, the girl isn't much to look at. She called herself Evie, but I really couldn't care less what her name is. Not when she keeps acting like a total idiot.

Is she really supposed to be my teammate? She's such a fragile thing. Already her mind has begun to slip and the game has barely even begun. But perhaps that itself is part of the game. Maybe my "teammates" are actually working against me. Deathbattles have never had such twists before, but then again, this Deathbattle is obviously different from all the rest. There's no crowd, for one thing. And the rules are clearly more elaborate...

Who is Dr. Black? Is he associated with Dustin? Is he Dustin himself? God, I hope so. The thought of snapping that snakes neck is the only thing that keeps me going. I'll win this game, then come and find him. I'll murder that punk and all his friends. I'll end Deathbattle once and for all! I'll...

How many times have I told myself this? How many times have I gone through these thoughts? A crippling wave of unease washes over me. Despite my bravado, I know that I am far from my goal.

Deathbattle is not so easily dismantled.

"Is this punishment? It must be punishment. But it was an accident! I didn't mean to!" Evie is still babbling, hands cradling the AK-47 she received as a weapon close to her chest. "He attacked me anyway! He deserved to die! I only did what was right!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I whirl around to face the girl. She yelps, shrinking away and hiding behind her gun. Sheesh. What a weakling. "What about you?" I glance at Nari, my other teammate. "Do you have any idea what she's going on about?"

Nari, a small asian girl with long black hair, only shakes her head. Figures. That girl hasn't said a word this whole time. It's annoying, but at least she's not screaming nonsense like Evie.

"He attacked me when I was coming home," Evie begins quietly. "I didn't know what to do. I had a knife, I panicked. I...killed him. I didn't mean to, but I did! I was only trying to defend myself!"

"Is that what's bothering you?" I chuckle softly, then continue my way down the hallway. No matter how far I go, the place looks the same; broken and rundown. "You shouldn't let that bother you," I add when I notice that both Evie and Nari are following me, "that bastard clearly deserved it. Why should you feel sorry for killing someone as awful as him?"

The images of the men I've killed flash through my head. There are dozens of them. All victims of Deathbattle. None of them deserved their death nearly as much as the man Evie killed did. But I still don't feel the slightest bit of regret at having killed them. It was them or me. And when my life is at stake, I'll kill whoever the hell I have to.

There's a long period of silence after that. Just the three of us walking. Occasionally I'll open a door and peek inside, but there's nothing to see but empty classrooms. This whole school is completely abandoned.

"I...I shouldn't feel bad about killing terrible people?" Evie speaks up just as I finish checking one such room.

I nod. "Why would you? Terrible people do terrible things. Killing them is just doing the world a favor." Dustin. The whole world will be better off when I end his miserable little life.

"But...what about the...other teams?"

"What about them?"

"Dr. Black said that...he said that they have to die for us to win. That we need to kill them. But what if they're not terrible people? How could we--"

"They're terrible people," I growl. No one who participates in a Deathbattle stays innocent. They might start out that way, but they don't stay innocent for long if they want to live. "Everyone here is a terrible person."

"Even you?" Evie's voice quavers. I stop and turn to look at her, eyes narrowed.

"Especially me."

I remember a time long ago. A small lonely boy sitting in a solitary room. He was a good person, he kept telling himself, a good person who was just trapped in a terrible situation and forced to do horrible deeds. But then the man came. He knelt beside the boy, laid a hand atop his head, and smiled. "You're not a good person, Karne," The man had told the boy. "A good person wouldn't have won that Deathbattle. A good person would have let the other boy kill him, so that he wouldn't have to bloody his own hands."

The boy looked up at that man. He saw the truth in his cold, empty eyes. Good people didn't survive terrible situations. All the good people died. The only ones who survived were the monsters. The monsters, and those that abandoned their own humanity, abandoned it so that they could someday kill the monsters.

"To rend one's enemies," I speak aloud, not to Evie or Nari, but to myself, "you must think of them as objects; not people. Hollow of meaning and soul."

The two girls watch me with silent gazes. Evie seems about to burst into hysterics. Nari, however, seems to be nodding her head. Does she understand what I'm saying? I honestly couldn't care less. She's nothing but a piece in this game Dr. Black is playing. A piece that I will gladly remove, if I am ever forced to.

"Hello?"

The voice freezes us all in our tracks. My head pivots around, eyes darting to find the source. That wasn't Evie or even Nari. It was a male's voice. That means it can only be one thing.

A member of another team.

The voice speaks again, but this time the words are unintelligible. By now it has become obvious that the speaker is directly ahead of us, somewhere behind the curve in the hallway. They haven't seen us yet, but once they round the corner...

Evie's breaths are hard and heavy. I glance at her, surprised to find her pointing the barrel of her AK-47 straight down the hallway. What does she think she's doing?

Faint footsteps echo against the floor. Then he arrives. Appearing around the corner at a brisk walk, the boy comes to a sudden halt when he spots us. Dark haired, slender, and Asian, the boy is clearly no one I've ever seen before. Recovering from his shock, the boy steps forward, holding a hand up, mouth opening to speak.

Evie starts shooting.

I scream out a curse as the hallway explodes with noise. Bullets zip down the hall, most of them smashing into lockers as Evie can barely hold the gun straight. But a few make it far enough to streak over the boy's head. With a scream loud enough to be heard over the bullets, the boy darts back the way he came, disappearing from sight.

Evie slowly lowers her gun.

"He was going to kill us!" Her face glistens with sweat and her arms shake so badly that the gun is rattling in her hands. "He was going to throw a weapon!"

I have no idea what the hell she's talking about. That kid clearly didn't have a weapon, nor did he seem intent to do us any harm.

"But I won't let him kill us! No, I won't let him kill anyone!" Evie takes a few tentative steps then, before I can do anything but watch, she breaks into a full-on sprint. Completely bewildered, I stand helpless as she rounds the same corner as the boy and disappears from sight just as he did.

Several long seconds pass before I turn to Nari, whose expressionless face is a welcome sight from the bat-shit crazy I just experienced. "You going to follow her?" I ask.

Nari shakes her head.

"Smart girl. Now, let's get out of here before something else stupid happens."

Satoshi Nakazawa (Kappa Team)
Hell. What the hell just happened? That couldn't have happened, no way. Why would she shoot me? What the hell! What does she think she's doing, shooting at someone like that? I mean, what the hell!

My feet pound against the linoleum floor as I sprint through the halls of this desolate school, retracing my steps. I knew I heard someone. I knew it! I was doing just as we had agreed, scouting the area, when I heard their voices. I knew they were another team, but I thought that I could speak with them, try to understand what was happening to us all. No way did I expect them to shoot at me!

I whip around another corner, taking it so fast that I nearly smash into the opposite wall. But I don't dare stop. Who knows if that crazy girl is chasing me? I can't take any chances. She was trying to kill me!

It takes only moments before I'm barreling down familiar hallways. This was where me and my teammates, two black girls named Zantae and Nailah, agreed to split up and search the area. I would never have agreed if I'd known that there was a crazy girl on the loose.

"Zantae! Nailah!" I shout their names as I pull to a halt. My chest heaves with each breath and my side burns with exhaustion. "Help! There's a--"

A door to my left swings open. I yelp, spinning in fear. But I overreacted. Zantae steps out of the classroom, confusion spreading across her face. "Satoshi? What's wrong?"

Zantae is a young girl, probably about a year or two younger than myself. Despite this, she acts remarkably mature and is seemingly always calm. A little too calm, if you ask me.

"There's a girl with a gun!" I explode into explanation, waving my hands around for extra emphasis. "She tried to shoot me! We have to run! Now!" I expect Zantae to shout in alarm, or even just gasp. But she does none of that.

Instead she just stares at me.

"Aren't you worried?" I am bewildered by her lack of fear. "A girl is trying to kill us!"

Zantae sighs and shakes her head, long black braids rattling. "Satoshi, I don't speak Japanese."

Oh. Oh, right. In all my haste to warn my teammates I had completely forgotten that they didn't speak the same first language I did. Switching to English, Zantae's own language, I try again. "Dude! There's a girl with a gun! She shot at me and tried to kill me! We need to run. Now!"

This time Zantae reacts.

Her mouth drops open, her eyes widen, and she presses a hand to her forehead. "Oh my. That is...this is not good."

"That's the understatement of the century!" I can't help but think of how that girl might be getting closer and closer to us as we speak. We don't have time for this! "Where's Nailah?" I ask, looking around for my second teammate. That girl's like a ninja. If anyone can solve this situation, it's her.

"I don't know," Zantae glances over her shoulder, looking slightly worried. Still not worried enough, though. "I haven't seen her since we split up to scout."

Well, damn. I was really hoping that she'd get us out of this situation. After all, wasn't the weapon she was supplied with a gun? I wish I had one of those instead of a stupid grappling hook. What am I even supposed to do with that thing?

"We need to get moving," Zantae says suddenly. She takes off down the hallway at a brisk walk. "We need to get out of this school and away from that girl."

Now that's a plan I can get behind. Of course, it still has its flaws. Where is the exit? Does one even exist? Since waking up here we haven't seen a single glimpse of the outside. What if the school is all there is?

"You can't run from me! I won't let you harm anyone!"

A chill runs down my spine as that familiar voice echos down the hallway. Then she appears, rounding the corner. That girl. The one with the gun. Aw hell. She's still chasing me!

"Gotta go!" I break into a sprint, pushing past Zantae. The girl yelps in surprise but I don't look back. I have no desire to die. I'm halfway down the hall when the first bullet zips over my head. I yelp, diving sideways into an adjacent hall. A second later Zantae joins me.

"You weren't joking!" Her eyes are as wide as saucers. "She really is trying to kill us!"

"I told you!" I scramble to my feet and take off running. I'm fast. I know that much. I run faster than anyone I've ever met. But am I fast enough to outrun bullets? I'm going to guess no.

"Satoshi!" I've already gone through several hallways before I hear Zantae's scream. Crap! I had completely forgotten about her! I never even stopped to consider whether she'd be able to keep up with me.

I hover in place, mind torn. Do I go back and help her? Or do I keep running? Running is the safer choice, but I don't really like the thought of leaving Zantae to die. I don't know her, but still...What if she dies and I could have saved her?

Zantae's next words make up my mind for me. "Satoshi! I found the exit!"

I'm already running. Back the way I came, whipping past the broken lockers and abandoned posters. Where? Where is Zantae? I call out to her and she responds from somewhere down a hall to my left. I take the corner at full speed.

"Zantae!" I see her now. She's standing in a large empty lobby, back to me as she stares at a series of glass doors that look out into what seems to be a dilapidated courtyard.

"Satoshi!" She spins around. A wide smile begins to form on her face before morphing into a scream. "Behind you! Duck!"

I hit the floor just as I hear the crack of a gunshot. An agitated screech rises up behind me and I don't even need to turn around to know that the girl has returned. How the hell does she keep finding us? And why won't she give up!

"Quick! Satoshi, outside!" Zantae scrambles through the doors. I'm not far behind. The two of us nearly tumble down the cracked and battered stairs, bumbling downwards into the courtyard that is dominated by a statue of a man atop a horse.

"What now?" I scream, throwing my head around to examine my surroundings. Bizarrely enough, the school seems to be set smack dab in the center of a forest. Large, overgrown trees creep up to the edge of the courtyard, branches and vines snaking across the cobblestones. In a few years the forest will swallow the school as well.

Wait. Why am I thinking about this stupid forest when a crazy girl is hunting us down? I'm about to ask Zantae what we should do now when she grabs me by the arm and drags me towards the forest. We're about halfway to the treeline when gunshots crack the air.

"Stop running!" The girl has appeared on the courtyard stairs. Her hair is unbound and hanging wildly behind her head, looking like a demented halo. "The only reason to run is because you know you're evil!"

Yeah. Either that or we're afraid this nutjob will shoot us to death!

The girl fires several more shots, but we're so far away and she has such poor aim that I'm not even concerned about getting hit. I do, however, duck behind a tree as soon as possible. Better safe than dead.

Zantae tugs on my arm, trying to pull me deeper into the forest. But I see something that holds me in place. Emerging from the forest on the opposite side of the courtyard as us, a new figure joins the fray.

Tall, broad-shouldered, and bizarrely wearing what looks like a business suit, the newcomer marches straight towards the girl with the gun, seemingly unfazed by her weapon or demeanor. I can't make out much more from this distance, but I don't have to think hard about who he is; a member of another team.

I want to yell out at him, tell him to run away while he can. But then I see something that keeps me silent. In the newcomers right hand, just barely visible, is the unmistakable form of a handgun.

Aw, hell. Every team has guns but us!

The girl, the one who has been chasing Zantae and I this entire time, whips around to face the newcomer. No words are spoken. At least, none that I can hear. The girl raises her rifle, points it at the newcomer, then fires.

Nothing happens.

I gape in astonishment. Beside me, Zantae gasps. I don't understand what happened. Why isn't he dead? Apparently the girl herself is equally confused. She looks down at the gun, shakes it, and curses loudly.

The guy across from her shakes his head and says something I can't hear. Then he takes his handgun and aims it squarely at the girl's head.

A gunshot rings throughout the courtyard.

Shinji Nakazawa (Delta Team)
The bullet takes the girl between the forehead.

For several long seconds she remains standing upright, swaying back and forth. Then, with a suddeness that surprises me, she goes crashing to the ground.

Ryder lowers his gun, shaking his head. Beside me, Vjena swings her hunting rifle over her shoulder. "That was a nice shot," She mutters. "Wonder where he learned to shoot."

I feel sick. My stomach feels like it's doing somersaults. She died. I just saw someone die. No, even worse. I just let someone die. I knew what Ryder was planning on doing as he walked out into that courtyard. I knew what his goal was. But did I try to stop him? Did I do anything to try and save that girl?

No. I didn't.

Vjena stalks out towards Ryder, seemingly unconcerned about the girls death. Cold and cynical. That has been my assessment of her personality in the handful of hours I've known her, and nothing that has transpired in the last few moments has me questioning that assessment. In fact, she may be even more callous than I had thought.

Shaking my head, I step forward and try to follow her. My steps feel heavy and slow. My mind still doesn't feel like it's working properly; I'm not yet recovered from the shock of witnessing what I just did.

Vjena stops beside Ryder. His eyes are glazed over as he stares down at the girls corpse. "She was impure," His voice is soft and quiet, "so impure. She couldn't exist in this world. She didn't belong. I had to remove her. I had to."

Neither Vjena nor I respond. How could we? I try not to look at the girl, but I find myself unable to tear my gaze away. A small hole rests in the center of her forehead, blood seeping out and pooling on the cobblestone around her head. Already her hair is soaked in it.

"What happened to her teammates?" Vjena asks. Unlike Ryder and I, she isn't staring at the girl. She has her hunting rifle up as she scans the trees across from us.

Oh. Right. Her teammates. I force my eyes shut and take a deep breath. This girl...she was shooting at two people, wasn't she? And they ran out into the forest. Were they her teammates? Did she turn on her own allies?

"Should we hunt them down?"

My eyes snap open as I spin to stare at Vjena. "What!" My voice comes out as a strangled gasp. Did...did I hear her correctly? Hunt them down? To do what? Kill?

I find myself re-examining Vjena, wondering if my previous assessment holds any water. Appearance wise she is remarkable; long ebony hair, heart-shaped face, and uniquely dazzling blue eyes. There seems like there should be a softness to her, but it's hidden behind her severity and coldness.

"Why would we do that?" I finally force the words out.

"That is the point of this game, no?" She doesn't even glance at me as she responds. "Dr. Black made it very clear that the other teams must be eliminated for us to win. And I will win. There is no other acceptable result."

I understand the logic behind her words. Yes, Dr. Black is forcing us into a completely horrible situation that apparently only has one method of escaping, but to just do what he says without even trying to think of another avenue? Without thinking the situation over? We've barely had any time to comprehend our position. No more than a few hours have passed since we woke up in that bunker, but already Vjena and Ryder have full-heartedly committed themselves to this game. Ryder has even murdered someone. Just because a man dressed like a plague doctor told him to.

How messed up is that?

"We should try and think things through--" I begin but cut off when I notice Ryder walking over. He is a big guy, standing several inches over six feet and having a muscular physique to back it up. The well-tailored suit he wears only enhances the dangerous aura that hangs around him.

He stops a few feet from us, dark green eyes slowly taking us in. "Shinji," He says my name slowly, as if he's saying it for the first time and unsure if his pronunciation is correct. "Shinji. You care for those people?"

I feel uncomfortable under his gaze. As if his eyes are slowly dissecting me, learning my secrets. I watch his hands as they fiddle with the gun he used so readily to kill that girl. "Those people aren't your friends, Shinji." One finger strokes the barrel. "They're bad people. Scum. They pollute this world and harm those who wish to live peacefully. Do you know why they're in this game?"

I don't answer, because I don't know where he's going with this.

"Dr. Black knows what they are, Shinji. He knows what they really are. And so, he rounded them all up and put them here for one reason and one reason only." A small, sad smiles crosses his lips. "Do you know what that is?"

I shake my head.

"To be culled. Eliminated. Dr. Black knows that for a perfect, harmonious world to exist, the greedy and cruel need to be taken care of. And that is where I fit in. I will do what needs be done. I will eliminate the greedy, the corrupted, the evil. I will cleanse this world. I would like for you and Vjena to join me. Together...together we could alter the course of humanity."

Insane. This guy is completely and utterly insane. My skin crawls just listening to him. What kind of person thinks you can make the world a better place by killing everyone?

"It is an unfortunate task, to be sure," Ryder paces back and forth, seemingly unaware of my doubt, "but it is one that needs to be done regardless. You agree, don't you?"

It is clear that appeasing this man is in my best interests, so I merely nod. He in turn nods back and then steps forward until he is only a few inches from me. His eyes study my face. "Are you a good person, Shinji?"

I open my mouth, ready to tell him that of course I'm a good person. But then I catch myself. Something about his tone of voice, his posture, sends warning bells in my head. There's a catch to this question. A trick. But what is it?

Ryder's eyes narrow. Seconds tick away without any response from me. I feel my heart beat against my chest like a hammer. For a moment I think I am about to be shot. Then the answer pops into my mind.

"I don't know."

Ryder raises one eyebrow. "Oh? You don't?"

I shake my head. "No. I mean, I always strive to be a good person, but there's no way of knowing for sure. Not that it matters, not as long as I always do the right thing." I'm not nervous anymore. I know for a fact that I've answered correctly. When Ryder nods and backs off, it only reaffirms what I already knew.

A good person wouldn't say they were a good person. They would be too humble for that. But neither would they say they were bad. So the answer I gave, a non-answer, is the only acceptable solution. In fact, the more I think about it, I doubt that Ryder's question was even about me being a good person at all. No, it was a test meant to determine my interpolational intelligence.

And I passed.

"What about you, Vjena?" Ryder turns his attention to the dark-haired girl. "Are you a good person?"

"I honestly couldn't care less."

Before Ryder can respond a familiar noise cuts through the air. A faint, gentle chiming emits from the contraptions strapped to our wrists. I glance down to see a column of question marked covered faces next to a set of words, apparently team names. The screen automatically scrolls downwards, passing past mine, Vjena, and Ryder's faces. It stops near the bottom where, just above the crossed out face of the first dead girl, a new face receives a large red X.

"Ryder Locklear eliminated Evie Castillo with a pistol," A robotic voice chirps.

Evie. Her name was Evie. I have to force myself not to glance towards the girl's body. Somehow knowing her name makes everything ten times worse. I should never have stepped foot outside of that bunker. I should have stayed inside my room and hid under the bed. There's nothing out here but death.

"We should bury her," My own voice takes me by surprise. It sounds so hoarse and raw.

"Why waste the energy?" Ryder contemptuously nudges the girl with his foot.

"She'll soon rot," Vjena says.

"Good. That way her outside appearance will match her inner self."

"She'll smell too."

"Won't bother me. I don't intend to stick around here long enough for that."

I can't take this. The way these two can have such a calm conversation about another's death. Don't they care? Aren't they worried that the same thing could happen to them? Dr. Black said that there would be more games, games like the one that claimed the first girl, Ophrya's, life.

More death, then. But why? What is Dr. Black's purpose? What is the point of this sick, twisted experiment?

Ryder and Vjena are walking off towards the forest. I must have zoned out and missed the rest of their conversation. Though I do notice that Ryder has claimed Evie's bag and gun for himself.

Evie...

My eyes are drawn to the girl. Though she was shooting and trying to kill those other two people, I cannot feel anything but sympathy for her. In death she is so small and frail. "I'm sorry I can't bury you," I whisper into the air, "but I will at least try to ensure your death is avenged. Yours and Ophrya's."

Ophrya Grate and Evie Castillo. The first two deaths.

And surely not the last.

Fernanda Gutierrez (Lambda Team)
"Ryder Locklear eliminated Evie Castillo with a pistol."

The voice has me pulling to a sudden halt. A cold chill that has nothing to do with the weather runs down my spine. Someone...someone has killed another person? How...why...I shake my head, long dark curls bouncing against my shoulders. No, surely that is not what the voice meant. It must mean something else.

It must.

"What does that mean?" A small scared voice asks from my right. I don't have to turn around to know that it is Harry, the little blond boy whose been placed on my team. He is only twelve years old, proving that Dr. Black cares nothing for the concepts of mercy or restraint. "Did...did that girl...die?"

I don't know how to answer that. What am I supposed to tell this kid? I really don't care for trying to baby him, but admitting that people are running around murdering each other will probably do nothing but freak him out.

"Yes. She did."

I am saved from having to answer, it seems. My other teammate, lounging against a trellis and juggling three spherical objects, doesn't even bother looking at Harry as he speaks. Shintaro.

I don't know what to make of him. He has been nothing but aloof and uncaring this whole time. When I first stumbled out of that room I woke up in I found him calmly studying the books on a shelf. When I asked him what was going one he merely shrugged and told me that "We'll soon find out". Yes, he's an odd one.

"Oh." Harry goes uncharacteristically quiet. He too has been taking things remarkably well. In fact, up until this point he seems to have thought that this was all one big game.

"That's just life," Shintaro says. I glance at him. He's a young adult, standing somewhere at 5'8" when upright, with straight, dirty blonde hair, and mid-tone brown eyes, all complimenting a rather attractive face. Well, it would be attractive, if it wasn't attached to such an annoying person.

Fed up with these supposed "teammates" of mine, I turn my attention to the vineyard where we rest. Once, this must have been a beautiful place, well-loved by those who maintained it. Much like us however, it has clearly been abandoned to the wild. While most of the original vines seem to have flourished, growing so thick that they obscure the trellises entirely, sections of them have choked and died under the relentless advance of foreign plants and animals. Even so, this place remains a haven for grapes and whatever else grows here.

"What should we do?" I ask no one in particular. I feel so lost and forlorn. We've been here ever since those Doors of Beginnings opened. In fact, from where I stand I can still see the entrance to the bunker. We haven't gone more than a dozen paces from it.

Shintaro shrugs. "Don't know."

I stick my hands on my hips and fix him with my fiercest glare. I would scold him, but that would serve no purpose. No, it is clear that neither of my teammates possess any intelligence or initiative, so I will have to take the reins.

But before I can make any grand plans or sweeping proclamations I will have to understand our situation more thoroughly. Our location ia unknowable, so I can save that for later. But what about our supplies? Once more I peek into the bag I keep wrapped around my waist. First I note our provisions; several loafs of hardened bread, a few packets of dried fruit, and two canteens of water.

Not much. But I believe that Harry and Shintaro each have similar foodstuffs inside their own bags, so I don't have to worry about having to share with them. Our water situation, however, is worrisome. Two canteens won't last long, even if rationed. We'll need to find a sustainable source of replenishment if we hope to survive long.

I pause mid-inspection as a new thought occupies my mind. Just how long will we be here? Dr. Black has not set any sort of timetable or deadline. Will this last several days or just hours? And if it does last days, then certainly someone will have come to our rescue before the conclusion.

I force these thoughts away and go back to the matter at hand. Our supplies. I pick up the tiny vial I have hidden away inside a side pocket of my bag and stare at its yellow contents. The label on it simply reads "Poison". I do not know what it is for. There is certainly no way for me to actually get anyone to ingest this, so it is useless as a weapon. But I see no other purpose for it.

I tuck the vial away and rezip my bag. The only other item I received is no longer inside. Instead, it is firmly wrapped around my torso.

I was surprised when I first saw the black, utilitarian vest. I had thought it was merely some sort of fashion item, but then I saw the note attached. "Bulletproof Vest".

My first reaction was alarm. Why would we need a bulletproof vest? Were we going to be shot at? It was incredulous to think about, almost impossible. Dr. Black wouldn't allow us to have firearms; we would be too hard to control. At least, that is what I used to think.

Ryder Locklear eliminated Evie Castillo with a pistol

A pistol. That means people are running around with guns. Which means that this vest I had thought useless is actually invaluable.

The cry of a bird catches me by surprise. I look up, expecting to see some sort of attack, but all I see is Shintaro still lounging against that trellis juggling those balls. For some reason that annoys me.

"Can you stop that?" I snap at him. He looks up, surprised. Doesn't stop juggling, though. "Where did you even get the balls anyways? Your bag?"

"They're not balls."

"Then what, pray tell, are they?"

"Grenades."

I leap up with a squeal, feet scrabbling in the dirt as I throw myself away from Shintaro. As I stumble headfirst into a nearby vine patch, I hear him call to me. "They won't explode. Not unless I pull the pins."

Isn't that comforting? I resist the urge snark at him, however, and content myself with another glare. "Were they the weapon supplied in your bag?"

"Obviously."

I pull myself out of the vines and try to dust myself off as gracefully as I can. It's not an easy task, given the circumstances. "We'll need to make a plan of action," I say, ignoring his comment. "Food and water are a must, but water in particular will be crucial." Not that I have the faintest idea where we would begin our search. But I'm not about to admit that to Shintaro.

Shintaro doesn't look up from his juggling. "No need to worry. I can find us water."

"Oh, can you?" This time I cannot hold back the sarcasm. "Then please, just use your infinite wisdom and procure this water of yours!"

Shintaro nods, catches all three grenades with one hand and stuffs them into his bag before bounding to his feet. He gives me a quick glance before walking over to a nearby trellis, where he begins to feel at the vines.

"What are you doing?" I ask. He looks absolutely foolish, groping the plants like that. Just what does he think he'll accomplish?

"Patience." He continues along the trellis, hands following one vine in particular. Eventually he slips between a hedge, disappearing from sight. I follow him with an exasperated sigh.

"You know, I don't think you actually know what you're—" I cut off as I find Shintaro sitting cross-legged on a smooth stone. Behind him laps a bubbling creek filled with clear, fresh water.

"Done." Shintaro reaches back into his bag and retrieves the grenades. Within seconds he is juggling again.

Shintaro! That stupid, idiotic man! I find myself furious at him, though I am not certain why. His uncaring personality? His apparent skill? Neither of those should give me reason for anger; he is, after all, my ally. Shouldn't I be pleased he found us water?

No. He showed me up. He did what took me several dozen minutes to think up within seconds. Now he probably thinks he is better than I am. Probably thinks I am useless. Well, joke's on him! I'm the most useful member of this team! Infinitely more useful than him or Harry!

Wait. Harry!

I spin around, searching for the third member of our team. But I see him nowhere. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since the death announcement. Where did he go? "Have you seen Harry?" I find myself asking Shintaro.

He nods. "Yes."

Irritation tugs at me. Why does he have to be so dense? "Where did you see him? And, more importantly, when did you last see him?"

"Not long after the announcement. He slipped away into the brush when you weren't looking."

"And you didn't say anything?"

He shrugs. "I didn't think it was important."

"Didn't think it was important? He's our teammate! What would we do if he died?"

Shinataro finally stops his juggling. He gives me a flat stare. "I don't know. What would we do? It's not like we know much about how this game is played. Dr. Black has explained remarkably little. I'm surprised that you have just accepted our situation so readily; I would've thought you'd panic."

Well, that shows what he knows! Why would I panic? This is certainly a stressful and unique situation, but panicking would do nothing but make things worse. No, I have to stay calm and analyze everything that happens. That way I'll know exactly what to do.

And what I should be doing is searching for Harry.

Without another word to Shintaro I stalk off into the brush. Vines tug at my arms as I go, but I shove my way through, calling out Harry's name. Where did he go? He can't have gone too far.

I spot a few greenhouses on my journey. Did Harry hide in one of those? I pause at the entrance to one and call inside. When I get no response I move on. Stupid boy. Who does he think he is, wandering off like this? Why did I get stuck with him and Shintaro as teammates? I don't know who else is here in this game, but they would certainly make for better teammates than the morons I received.

"Fern! Shintaro!"

Harry's shout takes me by surprise. For a moment I just stand still, startled. But then I take off at a sprint, following the sound of his voice. "Harry!" I shout as I run. "Where are you?"

"Here! I'm over here! Hurry! I found a big building!"

I'm more confused than worried now. A building? Here, inside the vineyard? I push my way through the last of a particularly overgrown patch of vines and stumble into a large meadow. The field is laden with goldenrod-yellow flowers and silver-washed fritillaries that carry their bushels of pollen carefully. A whirlwind of scents twirl above the petals and the pear sweet taste of the air hits me like an amvil. I pause, senses momentarily overwhelmed by the sudden beauty. Is that smell coming from those berries?

"Fern!" Harry's call snaps me back into my senses. I look around to see the small boy standing in the center of the meadow, waving vigorously at me. Behind him looms a large, circular building.

"What is that?" I ask, walking over. The building is slate gray and built like a dome. The material looks to be sheet metal but, unlike normal buildings, there is no visible seams or gaps. Just those smooth, interlocking plates, fitting together with intricate precision.

"Dunno. But it's cool, isn't?" Harry grins at me and I'm reminded of just how young he is.

"I suppose." I step up beside Harry, then gasp when I see what he is holding. A gun. A rifle, to be more precise. I stare at the weapon, astounded. Its receivers are apparently made of aluminum alloy, but its barrel, bolt, and its handguards, of plastics.

Harry notices my staring and his grin widens. "Awesome, isn't it? It's just like the Nerf gun my friend Tommy has. 'Course, his is much more colorful." When I don't respond his grin fades. "What's wrong? Oh, right. Girls don't like guns. My Mum hates them."

"Where did you get that?" I finally ask.

"My backpack."

Of course. This gun, much like my vial of poison and Shintaro's grenades, is Harry's assigned weapon. It was cruel luck that the weakest of us would wind up with the most valuable weapon.

"I can put it back, if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Yes. Do that." I'm already thinking of ways to get that gun away from him. A twelve year-old shouldn't possess such a weapon. And, more importantly, I don't trust anyone but myself with such a dangerous thing.

As Harry slips the rifle back into his bag, I return my focus to the building. Its presence is completely out of place here in this overgrown paradise. "What do you think it is?" I ask Harry.

"It's an Event Hub." I yelp as Shintaro appears behind me. He ignores my protestations, wide eyes focused solely on the building. "Dr. Black mentioned them earlier. It's where his games are played."

"How do you know?" Harry asks.

Shintaro points a slender finger at the base of the building where, when I look closer, I can just make out the form of a door. "There's words above it that say, "Event Hub". As for how I know what it is for...well, I already mentioned that Dr. Black spoke about their purpose."

"Did someone say my name?" I let out another yelp, this time much louder and more shrill, as the screen on my bracelet flickers to life. Dr. Black's masked face peers through it. "Yes. It does indeed appear that I was mentioned."

"Were you listening to us?" I demand.

"Why, yes, Ms. Gutierrez, I was. In fact, I can see and hear everything you do in the Playing Field."

Shintaro raises an eyebrow. "Everything?"

"I believe you heard me the first time, Sosune-san, so I will not repeat myself. Now, if you are quite done with the interruptions, I will give your team a little...let's say, early information." I don't point out how he was the one who interrupted us first.

"Are you all listening? Yes? Good. What you've found here is one of my Event Hubs. Event Hubs are dotted across the Playing Field and are normally locked. Periodically one will open up and I will instruct all teams to converge on the Hub. Only a limited amount of Teams are permitted inside. Once a sufficient amount of Teams have arrived, the Hub will close and the lucky team or teams will be required to play one of my games."

"You've said this before," Shintaro says. I frown. Has he?

"Very astute, Sosune-san. You will certainly be a Challenger to watch."

"Why would anyone want to play one of your games?" I interrupt. I'm thinking about the footage he showed us earlier, of Alpha and Beta team playing their game and what happened to that girl. "Someone wound up dead. Why the hell would we willingly sign up for that?"

"Because, if enough time passes without a team entering an open Event Hub, I will be forced to...take action." There's a brief pause as we all digest those ominous words. "I believe you all know what I refer to, but I will explain anyways to be thorough. If no one enters an Event Hub within the allotted time, I will kill each and every one of the Challengers."

I double over as if I've been punched. Kill everyone? I knew he was insane, knew that this was abnormal, but I never expected Dr. Black to go to such extremes. What would be the point of any of this if he just killed everyone?

"That is why it is in yours and every other teams best interest to access the Event Hubs when they are open. We would not want this game to end prematurely, would we?"

"You're insane!"

"The line between insanity and genius is very thin indeed. I cannot say which side I fall on, Ms. Gutierrez, but for the world's sake I hope it is the latter."

"Do we enter the Event Hub, then?" Shintaro is still calm, somehow. His demeanor hasn't even shifted an inch throughout this entire conversation. I don't know if that's amazing or terrifying.

"Oh, no. This Event Hub is still closed, you see. No, you will have to wait for a Hub to open before you can enter." There is silence as, on screen, Dr. Black turns away from the camera and begins to walk into the shadows. "Oh, one more thing before I go. The first Event Hub will open at midnight. I have not yet told the other teams this, so you have the advantage of information. What you do with it is up to you. Fare thee well, Lambda Team."

The screen clicks off.

Beside me, Shintaro closes his eyes. Harry lets out a strangled sob. "I don't think I like this game anymore!" His face has gone deathly pale and his eyes glisten with unshed tears.

"You and me both," I mutter. "You and me both."

Sofia Cortes (Zeta Team)
Hannah paces back and forth across the room, absentmindedly tapping her baseball bat against the floor as she goes. I do not trust her. I do not know her, so how could I trust her? What if she is in on this game? What if she is Dr. Black's acolyte? There is no way for me to know.

So I do not trust her.

The small room I currently occupy is just one of many. After making our way through Dr. Black's Door of Beginnings we found ourselves inside an old cellar. It did not take us long before we found our way out from there and into the building proper, which turned out be some sort of apartment complex. We have not done much exploring, despite being holed up here for hours. We are too worried about accidentally triggering another of Dr. Black's games.

I drum my fingers alongside the windowsill, staring out the large bay window at woods that lie in the distance. It is strange, this building. From what I can see through the windows, it appears to be set in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but wilderness. That is unnatural. Why would an apartment building be alone in the middle of nowhere?

I find myself drifting away from the window, unsettled by these thoughts. This room is almost identical to the others we've checked; light tan walls, dark hardwood floors, and furnished with a single bed, nightstand, and sturdy desk. A chest of drawers rest in an open closet, and another door leads into a white-tiled bathroom.

I set myself on the bed. Is this where I live now? I've faced this before; I'm used to starting over.

But can I do it again?

Now that the adrenaline and confusion has faded, the enormity of my loss threatens to crush me. I was on my way to the grocery store when I was kidnapped; I do not remember how it happened. The police will not know what has happened to me. Neither will Fernando. What will he think? That I ran away, abandoned him?

I take a shaky breath, trying to wrestle these emotions down before they overwhelm me. I will not grieve, will not give Dr. Black the satisfaction of knowing he has completely crushed me emotionally. I have to stay strong and keep fighting.

That is what Mother would have wanted.

The gun hidden in the holster strapped to my thigh suddenly weighs a ton. A Walther P99. I have not told Hannah or Francesca that I have it. They do not know that I have training in firearms, that I know how to shoot. What would they do if they found out? I do not know. So they mustn't find out.

"We should probably search the rest of the building," Francesca emerges from the bathroom. She has been busy washing the ketchup from her; the only trace left is the stains on her clothes. As usual, though, I cannot help but focus on her freakish height and unusual skin. Just because I know she has a disease doesn't mean I feel comfortable with her appearance.

Hannah stops her pacing and faces the other girl. "What's the point? What do you think we'll find?" Hannah is almost sculpted perfection, with her heart-shaped face, large, round blue eyes, and full lips expertly complementing her slim, toned body. I have never felt self-conscious about my own appearance, but Hannah makes me awfully close.

"The point is I don't know what we'll find," Francesca opens the door to the hallway and steps out, "so we need to go and see exactly what this "Playing Field" has in store for us."

I do not see why that is necessary. Dr. Black will come to us and give us directions whenever he feels like it. But Hannah heads off after her and I have little choice but to follow. Francesca leads us down the hallway where our rooms where located, back towards the central lobby full of bright and colorful couches. Corridors run down from the lobby like hours on a clock. Francesca swiftly goes down one of these and I follow, barely keeping my head straight.

This whole building looks the same to me. In the hours that we've been here, which cannot be more than three or four, we've checked several floors. Each one has been full of identical rooms and hallways, with nothing else inside. So what does Francesca hope to find?

After a few turns down some more similar looking corridors, Francesca leads us down a wider, more open hallway with stone floors and light pine woodwork. She stops beside a door at the end. "I believe this will take us outside."

"Outside? Why would we want to go outside?" I ask.

"Each floor in this building we've checked has been exactly the same, so it stands to reason that the whole building is identical. Thus, it would be worthless to individually check each room. However, we do not know what lies outside. Is it not worthwhile to check?"

No one has a response, so Francesca pushes the door open and steps outside. I follow, surprised to find myself in a courtyard of sorts. It's an enormous expanse, with paths set in stone that go through a grassy area in the center. Several small trees grow there, sitting alongside many topiaries cut into the shape of various animals. A large, elaborate fountain sits in the center of everything, gurgling softly as it spills its water out.

The large orange evening sun and glistening ivy gives the building that surrounds the courtyard a glossy glow. In the clipped hedges and pristine landscaping, not one blade of grass looks out of place.

"Dr. Black has a good gardener," Hannah quips.

I let my gaze drift past the building, towards the distance and what appears to be...the ocean? Yes, to the apartments south lies what can only be the ocean. Far out to sea and connected to our landmass by what appears to be a large bridge lies an island pulsing with garish lights.

I rotate in place, trying to see what else is around. As I noticed through the windows, a large forest grows in the west. But to the east lies barren moorland, occasionally dotted with a rolling hill.

"Huh." Francesca sets her hands on her hips as she surveys the area. "This...doesn't make sense. Any sense. At all."

"Yeah," Hannah scratches her head. "This is nuts. I mean, what's an apartment complex doing situated between a forest, an ocean, and some hills?"

"This is loco," I shake my head, dismayed. The temperate climate and the appearance of those trees is enough to tell me that this is not Mexico. But then where is it?

"Is that a carnival over there?" Hannah points out at the island. I squint, but cannot make out anything distinct. It's just a bunch of colors and lights.

"Looks like it," Franscesa frowns. I do not know what these two girls are thinking, but these current revelations do nothing but increase my fear. It has become more and more obvious that Dr. Black is stronger than we thought. The only reason he would let us out into such a wide open area is because he knows we cannot escape. Just what makes him so confident?

Lost in my thoughts, I don't notice that Francesca and Hannah have begun to approach the forest. Instantly I spring forward. "No! Are you two loco? Come back!"

"What is the matter?" The two seem confused as I approach, vigorously shaking my head.

"Where do you think you are going? It is almost night! Sun will set in a few hours, yes? No time for wandering." Once inside that forest we may never find our way back out. And I do not want to spend the night in the woods.

Hannah nods, seemingly seeing my reason. Francesca only frowns. "I have a tent, so we wouldn't be at too much a disadvantage..."

"No. I will not step foot into those woods. You two do as you please, but I will spend the night here." Here we have a roof and beds. Warmth and running water. Why throw that all away for a night in the woods?

Our conversation takes a few moments, but eventually they both agree that it would be better to spend the night at the apartments and save the exploring for tomorrow. By the time we head back inside, the sun is low in the sky. Nightfall cannot be more than an hour away.

And who knows what happens here after dark...

Tetsu Ueno (Sigma Team)
"You know, having a conversation with myself is usually pretty fun, but when that conversation goes on for half a day it begins to get real tiring real quickly." I chatter on mindlessly as we walk through the forest. Wood sorrel flecks the blankets of grass as we walk in and out of shady glades. The quiet peace of the forest was actually kinda soothing. Was being the key word. I've heard practically nothing but the sound of my own voice for hours and its begun to drive me nuts. I glance over my shoulders. "Can you guys even speak? You're not, like, mute or anything, are you?"

My two teammates stare blankly at me.

Great. They might just be mute after all. Well, you can only work with what you have, so complainings not going to do anything for me. Still would like to talk with someone, though.

Waiyaki and Amare are strange people alright, but they're probably the least strange of everything that has happened. I mean, this whole situation is absolutely insane! I can still remember waiting at the airport, ready to board the taxi that would take me to the hotel. Filming was set to commence tomorrow. I was thinking about how I could ad lib some of my stunts when I entered the taxi. Then there's a hissing noise, followed by a blast of air. Before I even knew what was happening I was blacking out.

When I regained my consciousness I found myself being greeted by Dr. Black.

Twigs crunch under my feet as we continue along the old forest path. Bilberries and chanterelles adorn the forest floor, questing for the fading sunlight. I'm so bored that I'm forced to examine a forest and its foliage.

"You know," I pluck a berry off from the ground and rotate it in my hand, examining it, "I know that I asked this before, but do you guys have any recollection as to how you wound up here?"

No answer, of course. I shrug and pop the berry into my mouth. It's sweet, but with a bitter aftertaste. "Okay, let's try another question. Do you guys have any idea why Dr. Black would kidnap you? I mean, I know that I'm an international celebrity, so my kidnapping at least makes a bit of sense. But what about you guys? What's your story?"

Waiyaki coughs but doesn't say anything. Amare simply stares at me. I smile back innocently. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me you haven't heard of me! I'm Tetsu Ueno! Greatest stuntman who ever lived!" To prove my point, I do a standing backflip. I stick the landing, despite the uneven floor, and give a flourishing bow.

Waiyaki raises his eyebrows in astonishment. Amare simply looks unimpressed.

I throw my hands in the air. "Whatever! I give up! If you guys don't want to speak, then so be it!"

I don't know what's up with them. Guessing would be useless. I should just be glad that my datapad provided me with their names, otherwise I would be completely in the dark as to their identities. Honestly though, what kind of person wakes up in a situation like this and decides that they're going to ignore the one guy trying to understand what the hell is happening?

When we first left the bunker it was noon. Now the sun is moments away from setting, leaving us in the lonesome grip of a darkened forest. It'll probably get cold. Good thing I have a blanket.

As we walk, I begin to twirl my sickle around in a circle. The curved, half-moon blade was inside the bag I chose at the beginning. It's a nice weapon and I know how to use it from all my days doing stuntwork, but I sorta wish that I had Amare's weapon instead.

She carries the pump shotgun in one hand, casually leaning against her shoulder. Her posture and general demeanor seem to suggest that she knows how to use it. But why? She doesn't look like much; she's barely more than five feet tall, with a slight, if muscular, stature. Her dark black skin lets her blend in easily with the shadows, and I cannot help but feel a sense of danger extude from her.

I wonder who'd win in a fight, me or her?

"The forest is thinning."

I'm shocked out of my thoughts by the sound of Waiyaki's voice. Huh. He sounds just how I imagined him. "Whoa, hold on!" I stop my twirling and shove the sickle into my belt. "You can speak? Plot twist!"

The glance he sends my way seems full of exasperation. "There's a clearing up ahead. We should check it out."

Good way to dodge the question. But I let it slide, focusing my attention to the path ahead. True to Waiyaki's word, the trees have begun to thin, growing further and further apart. I can now see the sky, where I notice that the sun has pretty much set. Darkness closes in on all sides.

Waiyaki leads the way into what turns out to be some old overgrown courtyard. Cracked and shattered cobblestones surround a large statue of a man atop a horse, which fills the center of the courtyard. Behind that lies a large, desiccated building.

"Looks like a school," I muse.

"Does it?" Waiyaki pushes past me. I scowl at his back. Now he decides to become a chatterbox? After hours of being completely silent? I'm about to demand answers when I notice Amare crouched at the edge of the clearing. She's sitting next to what looks like a mound of freshly dug dirt.

"What's the deal with this?" I ask as I walk over. The dirt mound lies just a few feet from where the cobblestones end and what appears to be a small makeshift sign is planted in the grass before it.

I squint at the words written on the wood of the sign. "What's it say? Doesn't seem like a language I know."

"I know this language," Amare speaks quietly, her words barely audible despite the complete silence around us. For a moment I'm too surprised to respond. Then I recover.

"You...know the language?" Amare can talk too? Why the hell were they both silent for so long! Seriously. I don't understand at all!

Waiyaki wanders up behind us. "So, then...You know what it says?"

Amare nods. "It says, "Here lies Evie, victim of fate. May she find peace."

Oh. Oh...realization hits me like a brick. Evie. The girl who died earlier today, the one that our datapad told us about. But if she's buried here, then that means...

"She was killed here," Waiyaki sounds worried, "She died here in the courtyard."

I nod. "Yep. But I wouldn't worry too much if I were you; I doubt her killers hung around for long." Why would they? There's no reason to guard a body in this game. At least, not a reason I know about.

"What about her team?" Waiyaki is still concerned. "Someone had to have buried her. What if they're still here, watching?"

"Why would they do that?" I stand up, stretching my legs. Night has completely fallen now. If not for the bright light from the moon, I wouldn't be able to see past my nose.

"The person who buried her will not come back." Amare walks past both of us, legs carrying her towards the abandoned building.

"How do you know?" I follow after her. Waiyaki reluctantly tags along.

Amare pushes the doors open, slipping inside and leaving my question unanswered. Figures. Today has just been that kind of day. Even though I follow her quietly inside, my mind is buzzing with thoughts. How does Amare know that language? And why is she so confident that whoever buried Evie won't come back? There's a lot of unknowns about this "teammate" of mine, and I don't like it.

"Why are we going into the dark, spooky building?" Waiyaki's voice drifts in from somewhere behind me.

"Probably because it's pitch dark outside and I don't like the idea of sleeping on the forest ground." I eye the cracked, dusty linoleum panels that makes up the entry way floor. "Well, okay, I don't like the idea of sleeping on this floor either."

Waiyaki mutters some complaints as I carefully pick my way across the hall. Stepping on a rusty nail and getting tetanus would be a bad way to end an already terrible day. It would help if I had some light. Despite what I said about the darkness outside, it's actually just as dark in here.

"Where's Amare?"

I glance back at Waiyaki. "What do you mean?"

He shrugs. "I don't see her anywhere. So what happened?"

Now that he's mentioned it, it's true that I don't see Amare anywhere. Did she slip into one of the hallways? I gaze down one of the dark gaping halls and seriously doubt it. She wouldn't be able to see a thing!

"Amare?" Waiyaki calls out. "Are you still here?"

Several long seconds pass without a response. Then the seconds stretch into minutes. "Great," I mutter, "she's gone and abandoned us." I'm about to suggest that we should just try to find somewhere to sleep and pass the night when I spot Waiyaki pulling something out of his bag.

A flashlight.

"Don't tell me you've had that this entire time!"

Waiyaki frowns. "Yes, I did. Why does this matter?"

I've seriously begun to think that this guy is trolling me. That, or he's just really dense. "Whatever, man. Just lead the way. We need to find Amare." I don't know why, really. Dr. Black hasn't explicitly said that teams have to stick together. But I would hate to find myself in one of his games were, for some reason, three team members are required and we only had two. That would suck.

Waiyaki picks a hall at random and heads off. I follow behind.

His flashlight illuminates the hallway, giving us our first real look at our surroundings. Cobwebs and dust cover everything, while discarded equipment lies scattered across the floor, some of it in messy heaps. A lone wheelchair sits in the center of the hall.

"Well, that's not normal." Waiyaki glances at me, eyes widened. I simply walk up to the wheelchair and push it, watching it roll away into the darkness.

"It's just a chair," I say.

"Just a chair? Yeah, sure." Waiyaki doesn't sound very confident. In fact, I think I see some beads of sweat forming on his forehead. I'm about to ask him what's wrong when a door to our right swings open.

Waiyaki screams and drops the flashlight. It hits the floor lense first, and with a loud Crack! our only source of light blinks out. Darkness envelopes us.

"Ghost! Help!" Waiyaki howls, thrashing about like a madman. I grip his shoulder and shake him, trying to knock some sense into the fool. What's so bad about a little darkness?

"Stop shouting. It's me."

Amare's voice cuts through the dark, silencing Waiyaki. Where is she? Still unable to see, I walk towards the source of her voice. "How can you even see?" I ask.

"Night-vision goggles."

"Oh." Well, that explains a lot. No wonder she could navigate her way through this darkness. "I'm assuming you found something?"

"A room. Good place to sleep."

"Ah, perfect. I could use some rest." I touch my hands to the wall, following it until I reach the door Amare presumably emerged from. I stumble into the room and immediately crash into a large object. "Ouch!"

Lights suddenly flicker on. Blinking, I turn to see Amare standing beside the doorway, a pair of goggles strapped to her head. A lightswitch rests next to her hand.

Convenient.

Now with the lights on, I examine the room where I find myself. It's is not unlike any office I've seen before. The walls are a dark-paneled wood, the floors are highly furnished carpet, smelling slightly of dust. A few potted plants fill the office's corners, and a large wooden desk dominates the room.

"Nice place," I say, depositing myself on the chair behind the desk. "Think this was the principals office?"

Neither of my teammates respond. Amare goes and crouches in the far corner while Waiyaki slowly lies himself down on the carpet. "Ah, this is soft! Truly a good place to sleep!"

I'm about to respond when I spot something in the corner opposite the one Amare sits in. It lies upright, tip leaning against the wall. A spear.

Lost in thought, I drift over and pick it up. Rubbing my hand along the smooth carbon fibre, I can tell from heft and balance that it is a good weapon. Sturdy, well made, well kept.

Memories of past stunts flash through my mind. The spear quivers in my fingers, begging to be spun, to be used. Without thinking, I snap the spear up under my arm in a guard position.

Waiyaki and Amare go still, watching me with quiet eyes.

Strength surges through me as I spin the spear up into an old form. The spear dances in my fingers, just an extension of myself. I spin with it, around and around. Across my neck. Over my arm. I can feel the tension and frustration fading as I fall into a familiar pattern.

Working with weapons. Doing stunts. That has always been what most comforted me. What defines who and what I am. Tetsu Ueno may be literally fearless, but that wasn't made me an international celebrity. No.

It was my skill.

I snap the spear back into place, holding the haft at the center, tip down and the backend protruding out over my head.

"You are a warrior," Amare's voice breaks the silence. She stands in the corner, watching me with narrowed, wary eyes. "A very good one."

I shrug, tossing the spear aside. "More or less, I suppose."

"If you fought my sister, I am unsure who would win."

"Uh. Thanks, I guess?" Is that supposed to be a compliment? With Amare I can't tell. I also wonder just what kind of "warrior" she thinks I am. Something tells me that, despite my worldwide fame, she has never even heard of Tetsu Ueno.

Amare nods, going back to her crouching. I glance at Waiyaki, but he remains silent, looking troubled. I don't know what his problem is, but then again, we sure do have a lot of problems. I scratch my head. "So I guess we're just going to spend the night here?"

No response.

Great. I guess they're going back to that no-talking thing. Well, that's fine. I'm not really tired, but I suppose that a little sleep couldn't hurt. I might need it anyways. Dr. Black may just have some more secrets hidden under his cloak.

Zantae Neilson (Kappa Team)
I bolt upright.

Orange lights flash overhead, accompanied by a shrill wailing that drowns out all other noise. For a moment I'm too confused to understand what is happening. But that ignorant peace doesn't last long.

The alarm.

Freedom of the Seas. It was the cruise ship that my parents and I have been on for the past few weeks. Trips to many different cities and countries. Food and delicacies from each. It has been a terrific time. I've had more fun on this ship than I've ever had before. Tomorrow we should arrive in Nassau, my hometown and final stop of the voyage.

Life is great.

But now an alarm blares over my head.

I realize that I'm still in my bed, tucked underneath my covers. I throw them off and scramble to my feet. What is happening? I'm about to rush out to go and find my parents when a burst of static interrupts the alarm.

"This is your captain speaking," A scratchy voice emits from the speakers in my room, "Freedom of the Seas has been intercepted by an unknown submarine. They have not made their intentions known, but they have halted our movements. I repeat—"

My window erupts with an explosion of glass.

I scream, hands going to cover my face as glass shards fly past. I feel a sharp pain, followed by blood trickling down my elbow. I fearfully turn to face the now shattered window. What just happened?

A man wearing heavy black robes and a wide-rimmed leather hat stands behind the window pane. I can see my own terrified expression reflected in the eyes of his white mask. A long, curved beak is its most defining feature.

Even with terror and confusion flooding my mind, I somehow recognize the outfit as that of a plague doctor.

The man extends a hand towards me.

I scream and turn to run.

I get only a few footsteps in before a gentle prick hits me in the neck. Confused, I reach a hand out and pull something free of my skin. A...dart?

I hit the ground, knees scraping against broken glass. Huh? When...when did I fall? I'm crawling now, unsure of how or why I am on the ground. It's hard to think. Why is it hard to think?

I feel hands underneath me, then I'm being pulled into the air. No, not the air. The plague doctor carries me over his shoulder as he walks back to the shattered window. In my delusional mind I fear he is about to jump straight into the ocean. But, no. A long, slender submarine bobs in the water next to our boat, an open hatch waiting.

The door to my room bursts open. Four people come barreling in, two of them gasping. My vision is blurry, black dots creeping in, but even still I recognize them. My parents. My loving, adoring parents.

The two men behind my parents (security guards?) come rushing forward. The plague doctor outstretchs a palm and...does something. My vision wavers. I slip in and out of consciousness. The ever-encroaching darkness closing in...

When I come to, I see the two guards lying in heaps on the floor. What did the plague doctor do? My parents are still standing, somehow.

My perspective suddenly shifts and I'm being lowered towards the hatch. Gaping blackness rushes to greet me...

"Zantae!" My parents scream.

In response, the plague doctor utters three words.

I black out.

Satoshi sits on an overturned shelf, quietly listening as I finish my tale. The look on his face is a mixture of pity and shock. I don't know which one hurts me more. "I had no idea you experienced so much," He mutters, shaking his head. "I don't even remember my own kidnapping."

"Perhaps that is for the best," I say. I certainly wish that I didn't remember. Not knowing couldn't possibly be as painful as having such a vivid recollection. I focus my attention on our surroundings to shut out the memories.

We fled into the forest after witnessing Evie's death. It was so quick, so brutal that we didn't even know what to do. So we just ran. The forest whipped past us as we ran and ran, completely unaware as to where we were going. Eventually we stumbled onto a road.

"We should follow this," Satoshi had said. "It might lead us to civilization! We could call the police!"

I knew better. Dr. Black would not have set us free into the wild if it was possible to find help. So when we reached the roads eventual destination, an abandoned grocery store, I was not surprised.

I was not surprised that all the cars in the parking lot were empty. That the glass windows were shattered. That all the shelves were either barren or filled with rotting food.

I was not surprised that we were completely and utterly alone.

"There must be someway to escape," Satoshi's voice snaps me back to reality. "This Playing Field or whatever he calls it can't go on forever. It has to end somewhere."

"I'm not so sure about that." What if we're on an island? Or Dr. Black has set up some sort of barriers? That man seems capable of anything....The mere thought of him has me shuddering.

"Well, then maybe someone will come find us. Like the police, or something."

Satoshi is so adamant that we'll find a way to escape. Be saved. I am not so confident. I've seen firsthand the determination that Dr. Black has, the resources he has at his proposal. He does not appear to be the type of person that will let his plans be foiled easily, if at all.

I stare at the dirt-stained floor of the grocery store. I'm sure that it was once white, but time has taken its toll so now it's more a gray than anything else. Gray and bleak. Just like our futures.

Satoshi sighs, leaning back so that he rests against the far wall. "I should never have ran off."

"What?"

He looks up, suddenly embarrassed. "I, uh, nothing. It's just, well, I, uh...ran away from home. Before. Like, right before I was kidnapped."

"Oh." I would never have guessed. I wait for Satoshi to say more, but he remains silent, staring out the shattered windows of the grocery store. Outside the wind howls as night continues to tighten its grip on the world. I am glad that we found this place, with lights and a roof over our heads. Being trapped out in the forest at dark would be awful.

"Oh!"

Satoshi slips to the ground, startled by my sudden exclamation. "What's wrong?" He bounds to his feet. "Are we being attacked?"

"No! It's just...Nailah!" I had forgotten all about our teammate. I'd only known her for an hour before we split up, and then things had gotten too hectic for me to spare any thoughts for her. But now... "Where is she?"

Satoshi blinks. "Right! I completely forgot she existed!"

I glance back out the window, where darkness reigns. If you were in the forest, the trees would block out the moon, leaving you in utter darkness. Is Nailah out there?

"We last saw her in the school," I say, uncertainty infecting my words. But that was hours ago, would she really have stayed there? I don't think so. She would have heard the gunfire and fled. But fled where?

Satoshi paces between the aisles, twirling that strange hook he has. "We're not going to look for her, are we? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm concerned for her safety, but...I really, really don't want to go outside after dark."

I tug on my braid. "I don't know. I don't like the thought of abandoning her like that..." But I don't disagree with Satoshi. Wandering a forest in complete darkness is a recipe for disaster.

Satoshi continues to stare out the window. His hook continues to swing in a wide, methodic arc. A grappling hook. That's what it is. Weren't they used to board ships back in the day?

Board ships...

Freedom of the Seas. My parents. That strange submarine. Dr. Black can do anything, anything at all. We can't stop him. Shouldn't even try. He might let us live if we don't. If we just play along.

But, no. He'll still kill us. Isn't that his goal? He wants us all dead, for some reason. Yet that feels...wrong. Surely he wouldn't have gone through all this effort just so that he could kill some people?

I think back to my kidnapping. When I was being lowered into the submarine. The man, the plague doctor, he said something. But to whom was he speaking? Not me. Not my parents. Someone inside the submarine, then?

Does Dr. Black have associates? To be honest, I'm not even certain if the plague doctor who kidnapped me was Dr. Black. What if he's multiple people? Those words. I'm sure I can remember them. I close my eyes and try to concentrate. What did he say?

I see the incident. I see the gaping black maw of the submarine as it rushes to greet me. I hear my parents screaming for me.

I hear his response.

"Zantae?" Satoshi frowns at me. "Are you okay? You're shaking..."

I come out of my thoughts slowly. I feel cold, so cold. True to Satoshi's words, I find myself shaking. Only with supreme effort can I keep my arms still. He couldn't...he wouldn't...no.

No!

Satoshi is saying something, grabbing my shoulders. But I can barely hear him. My mind is filled with thoughts of my parents. They know what happened. They saw everything. My parents...

In my head, I can hear his words. Crisp and emotionless. Spoken with a clinical detachment from the situation. Right before I blacked out, I heard his words. Those terrible, awful words.

Leave no witnesses.

Timothy González (Gamma Team)
The night sky is practically impossible to see, blocked out by the light pollution from all of the carnivals overly lavish lights. Yet I still stare out at it, hoping in vain to spot a familiar star so that I know I am still on Earth. So that I can grasp onto a connection, no matter how tenuous, to my home.

But I see no stars. The skyglow is too bright for that.

With a heavy sigh I lean against the railing of the balcony. How did this situation ever come to pass? Dr. Black is far too successful for his own good. How did he manage to kidnap thirty different people and transport them all here without being caught by the authorities? It doesn't seem possible, let alone plausible.

"Yo, Timothy! You just going to hang around out there? You're missing dinner!" Mike's voice calls from the doorway behind me. A soft yellow light glows inside, different from the bright and colorful lights that adorn the carnival booths. Softer. Gentler.

"I'm coming," I call back. My hands instinctively touch the Desert Eagle I have stored in my jacket pocket. It's a tic of mine; I constantly have to touch my possessions to ensure that they're still there. Back home that may have been unnecessary, but here? Well, let's just say that nothing is unnecessary here.

Content that I still have everything, I step back inside. We've holed ourselves up in this small, Bavarian themed restaurant. It is a surprisingly warm and intimate space, divided by brick arches, with fireplaces at either end. The room is filled with long tables and dark hardwood benches. Sawdust litters the floor and brass lanterns hang on the walls, illuminating the room with flickering candles.

I frown at one such lantern. We didn't light those candles; they were already lit when we arrived. So who lit them?

Lost in thought, I mindlessly sit down at one of the benches. Across from me Mike is busy telling a tale about his football exploits while Nathaniel listens silently. Those two and me are so different from each other...

What reason could Dr. Black have for gathering all of us?

"Timothy?"

"Hmm?" I look up, surprised to find Mike addressing me. "Is something amiss?"

"No, not really. But you haven't touched the food yet; You're just staring at it!"

Oh. I suppose I am. Shrugging, I go to reach for the food when I pause. The meal that lies before me looks nothing like what I had expected. On one platter is some sort of sausage smothered in sauerkraut, while another has a bowl of potato salad. The third and final plate holds sliced pickles.

I turn to Mike. "You made this?"

Mike shakes his head while shoving a pickle in his mouth. "Nah, man. Nathaniel did!"

Nathaniel ducks his head shyly as I stare in disbelief. Nathaniel did? That quiet, reclusive guy? Perhaps I have underestimated him. So far he has barely factored into my plans...but maybe I should rethink that.

"It's not that impressive," Nathaniel mutters, downcast eyes fixed squarely on the table. "I just followed the recipes in the kitchen." Hmm, yes. I do remember seeing the list of recipes and ingredients during our search of this building. Yet it still takes impressive resolve to cook during such chaotic times.

I find myself re-examining him. Long brown hair and beard hide his features, but his blue bespectacled eyes seem to glow with a light of intelligence. He's not very fit or athletic, but that shouldn't matter as long as I have Mike on my team. I don't need another fighter; I need someone who can think outside the box. And I think Nathaniel could be that man.

I smile. Yes, this team could be truly great. With a capable, intelligent leader such as myself in charge, I think we could very well end up winning this game.

Of course, I still have no idea how the game is actually played.

We finish our meal in silence. Despite my respect for this team, I find that I am still wary. The others are out there, the other teams. What are they doing right now? What weapons do they have? Dr. Black said that we'd be killing each other, and the datapad seems to imply that is indeed the case; that Evie girl was killed by someone.

"What do you guys think about the other teams?" I break the silence as Nathaniel is clearing the table.

Mike frowns. "Uh, I don't know. We saw those two teams, right? The ones that killed each other?" He is talking about Alpha and Beta teams. Early on in the day Dr. Black showed us their initial game and how it played out.

I rub my chin. "Yes, we did. Do you have any particular thoughts about them?"

Mike tugs on one of his ears. "Umm...that redhead girl seems pretty strong."

"She did indeed present a strong front, but that could also just be the Dunning-Kruger effect."

"The what now?"

I lean back in my chair and fold my hands across my lap. "Basically, it's the theory that idiots and incompetents grossly overestimate their own intelligence and abilities. In fact, they're so stupid that they fail to see what complete morons they really are. So they end up with a false sense of superiority, which in turn creates a false sense of confidence, which perpetuates the cycle that constantly reinforces their false superiority."

I pause, waiting for their reaction. Mike merely looks confused, but Nathaniel is slowly nodding. "On the other hand," I continue, "Genuinely smart and skillful people chronically underestimate their own abilities and end up suffering a equally false sense of inferiority and self-doubt."

I cannot help but notice the flicker of recognition that crosses Nathaniel's face. So I was right. He does suffer from a self-esteem issue.

"But what about the smart people who know they're smart?" Mike is frowning as he tries to sort this out.

"Oh? Those people?" I feel a smile on my face. "Those people, my goodman, are the people who run this world. People such as myself."

Mike nods, grinning. "Yeah! People like us!"

A short, awkward pause. "Yes. Us."

Bang!

A loud noise emanates from outside the balcony window. Nathaniel leaps up in the air, ducking behind the table. Mike shoots to his feet, hands clasped around his football. "Whoa! What was that?"

"Something outside." I tentatively touch the Desert Eagle. Has another team found us? My fingers inch toward the gun. I will not go down quietly. If someone wants to take us out...I'll make sure that they pay first.

"Should we...should we check it out?" Mike seems eager to go confront the noise, despite the fact that he is armed with only a football. I cannot fathom why, but he is adamant that it makes the perfect weapon.

"Perhaps we should." I slip the Desert Eagle out and hold it firmly in my hands. The pistol is fired by a single action hammer, and has a manual safety switch on the slide. The ambidextrous safety switch rotates a drum mechanism which sits over the firing pin, causing the firing pin to lock in, which prevents it from moving forward and reduces the possibility of the gun discharging accidentally.

I click the safety off. "Follow me."

I step out into the balcony, the cool night air enveloping me instantly. My eyes have trouble adjusting to the bright, garish lights that shine from the carnival booths. I force my gaze away from the light. If someone was hiding they wouldn't be doing it in the open. No, they would be in the shadows.

On the fringe of the carnival, where the booths give away to forest, darkness reigns. The lights don't stretch far enough to illuminate the area, and anyone could be--

A person stands in the shadows.

I choke on my cry of surprise. Stumbling backwards, I nearly tip over the balcony before Mike catches me by the shoulder. "What's wrong?" He asks, "did you see someone?"

Speechless, I point to the person.

The man is tall and muscular, standing almost six feet. His skin is unnaturally smooth and featureless, being a chalky white color. Bright red lips are spread into a wide grin. Neon green hair an untidy mop atop his head. His one piece suit is part purple, yellow, and red, while the ruff around his neck baby blue.

I gape at the bizarre figure, knowing fully well that he can only be one thing.

A clown.

"What the hell?" Mike stares, looking as confused as I feel. Behind me I can hear Nathaniel mumbling reassurances to himself. Mike steps forward. "I mean, what the actual hell? Is that a clown?"

"We are in a carnival," I try to sound amused, but fail to convince myself. This sight is too strange, too horrifying to me believed.

Dr. Black kidnapped a clown!

"What team do you think he's on?" I ask. The clown hasn't moved since we spotted him. He just stands there, staring back at us. Is he as confused as we are?

"I...don't know." Mike scratches his head. "Do we go greet him?"

Somehow I don't think that the clown would take kindly to a group of three strangers approaching him, especially when one is armed. "Keep a lookout for any sign of a sneak attack," I whisper to Mike. "I'm going to call out to him. Ready?"

Mike nods. I take a deep breath, then project my voice as much as I can. "Hey, you there! Clown!"

The clown doesn't so much as twitch. He just stands there, stoic and silent. Confused, I call out again. Still no response. I frown. How doesn't he hear me?

"Should I chuck my ball at him?"

"What?" I blink at Mike.

The tall guy shrugs, gesturing at his football. "Should I throw this at him?"

"Why in the world would you do that?" I am thoroughly confused. If we want to speak with the clown, what would we gain by throwing a ball at his head? I should think that would only anger him!

"Dunno."

I sign. Mike didn't strike me as the sort of guy who thought things through. This, unfortunately, confirms my theory. "No, we will not throw a ball at his head. Instead, we'll approach him. Slowly. We don't want to spook him, because that--"

"He's gone."

"What?" I turn to Nathaniel, surprised to find him speaking. He's stayed silent since we finished our meal. "What did you say?"

"The clown. He's gone." He points out at the shadows.

I feel my heart skip a beat. The place where the clown once stood is empty. My head whips around, searching for him. Where did he go? My hands begin to sweat and the gun feels slick in my hands.

He couldn't have just disappeared. No way. He had to have ran off, fled while we weren't looking. Or did he? What if he and his allies are planning a surprise attack at this very moment? What if they have guns like me?

It's this last thought that snaps me into action. "We should go back inside," I say to Mike and Nathaniel, not taking my eyes off the carnival. "We'll be harder targets in there. Very hard to kill."

"Kill?" Mike stares at me as Nathaniel sputters in disbelief.

I nod. "We don't know the other teams intentions, so it is wisest if we just assume the worse." You can never be too safe.

We all go back inside. Slowly. As if we're afraid that too much motion will draw an attack. I don't know what to expect, but I'm not about to let my guard down. Clown or no, I'm not going to allow anyone to bring my team down.

"We'll sleep in shifts," I say as we all begin to settle in. "One of us will always be on guard. Our guard will always have this," I wave my gun in the air, "and he'll make sure to stay indoors and out of sight of the windows." I'll allow no easy shots on my watch.

They both nod. I take a deep breath. Today has been a long, stressful day. And, somehow, I know that tomorrow will be no better.

Vika Caprae (Beta Team)
The house is quiet. The fluorescent bulb overhead casts a cool, even light over us all. The only sound is the scratching of a pen on my sketchbook. I work with quick, scraping motions, disturbed by the things that have transpired today. So much uncertainty. So much fear.

So much death.

I didn't kill Ophrya. I know what Dr. Black says, what Arlyssa claims, but I don't care. I'm not responsible for what Dr. Black did. He poisoned that girl. Not me. I didn't kidnap her and stick her in some horribly cruel game. All I did was vote. There was no way to know what Arlyssa had voted. I couldn't possibly have known my vote would be the final nail in Ophrya Grate's coffin.

It wasn't my fault.

"There has to be some way to escape," Hayle breaks the long silence. He is sitting in a chair across from me. Arlyssa stands on the leftmost side of the room, near the windows. "It's not possible for Dr. Black to have completely cut us off from the outside world. There must be some way out."

This is an old conversation. Escape has been the topic of discussion for the entire day. But despite the hours we've spent talking about it, we've made no significant progress. I try not to think about how that may because there is no way out.

"There is no escaping," Arlyssa stares out the window, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. "Dr. Black won't allow that. Pretty sure we've already been over this."

We have. Multiple times. No escape. No hope for salvation. How will we die? Will it be by knife? Poison, like Ophrya? Or maybe like that girl, Evie. Eliminated with a pistol. What kind of person could just shoot someone like that?

You A voice whispers in my mind. After all, you voted to kill Ophrya, didn't you?

"I thought you were all about escaping?" Hayle frowns at Arlyssa. "Have you given up?"

"Don't be stupid. Of course I haven't given up! But just because there isn't an opportunity to escape right now doesn't mean there won't ever be one."

I sit back, inspecting my art. I've been so distracted with the conversation that I'd just let my hands do the drawing, trusting in my instincts. The sketch depicts Hayle, sitting in his chair with that worried expression. The doorway to the hall is on his right. Yes, I think I managed to create--

I freeze, breath catching, heart pounding against my chest. In the doorway, barely visible in the shadows, I've drawn Ophyra.

I rip the sheet free from the sketchbook, crumpling it up in my hands. Hayle and Arlyssa turn to stare at me as I rip the crumpled ball into a dozen pieces.

"Vika?" Hayle looks concerned. "Are you...okay?"

"Fine. I'm just fine." I scatter the torn pieces across the room. Ophrya. I can still see her face. The look of fear and confusion as she died. Why had we voted her, she must have wondered. Why me? What reason did they have?

There was no reason.

My heart is still pounding. Pulse racing. I stand up and begin pacing, sketchbook hugged close to my chest. It wasn't my fault. There was nothing I could do! Nothing!

My teammates watch me but do not speak. Eventually Hayle settles back into his chair. "Well, at the very least we should be glad that we found this house," he says.

Our house. Yes...yes. Get my mind off Ophrya. Our house. Majority of today had been spent searching that forest we found. There wasn't much of note; just trees, bushes, and the occasional animal. We did find a few more shacks like that first one, but there were no supply caches inside. Just dust and cobwebs.

It was almost evening when we found it. We entered a clearing, expecting to find nothing but a meadow when we were surprised to discover the house. A small, rundown house with a slate roof and whitewashed walls. It doesn't have very many rooms; just a kitchen, living room, and one bedroom. I think there's also a cellar, though it's only accessible from outside.

Hayle is still talking. He's saying something about our plans for tomorrow when a soft, musical chiming picks up. I look around for a few seconds before I realize that the noise is coming from my datapad. Right. Dr. Black.

The screen flickers on and there is Dr. Black, standing in a circle of light in an otherwise darkened room. His gloved hands rub the length of his cane as chuckles. "Well, well, well. It appears that the vast majority of you have survived the first day. That is good."

There is no response from us. Is he broadcasting to all the teams right now? I think about Alpha Team and the two surviving boys, Jackson and Boone. Where are they and what're they doing?

"In case some of you are not aware, I would like to inform you all that it is now midnight," Dr. Black's deep, synthesized voice sounds...amused? "And, because it is midnight, I will allow you to witness how your fellow Challengers met their untimely ends."

No! Images of Ophyra flash through my mind. Her body lying on the cold, hard floor...I squeeze my eyes shut tight, yet I can still hear the gasps and screams of Alpha team as they watch their friend die.

"Yes, you all already knew how Ophyra died. But now it is time to show you Evie's end." My eyes open on their own accord. I watch, frozen in terror, as a wild-haired girl wielding a rifle is put down by one well-placed shot from a man in a tailored suit. As the girl hits the ground, the screen turns back to Dr. Black. "There you have it. Two deaths in less than twenty-four hours. Some of you are eager to play, others just wish to hide. Well, the time for hiding has passed. An Event Hub will soon open."

Event Hub? I remember him speaking about those earlier. Isn't that...where his games are played? A shuddering breath wracks my body as I think of our last game. That was where Ophrya died.

"I suppose you'll make us play another game?" Arlyssa sneers into her datapad.

"When the Event Hub opens," Dr. Black continues smoothly, ignoring her, "there will be a period of time allotted for a team to enter the Hub. Once inside, they will play my game."

I start to involuntarily shake my head. No! We will not play another one of those games!

"Before you decide to ignore this message, I'd like to tell you one more thing. Whenever an Event Hub opens, it is mandatory for a team to enter. For if no team enters an Event Hub within the allotted time, I will kill each and every one of the Challengers."

A shocked silence follows this proclamation. Kill...everyone? He can't be serious. But...why would he lie? The icy grip of despair wraps itself around my heart. Am I doomed to play another one of those games?

"Your datapads will show you the location of the now open Event Hub. That is all for now. Sleep well, Challengers. Or don't. After all, who knows when that Hub will close?"

The screen on our datapads change, flickering from Dr. Black to the map of the Playing Field. I had examined this map a little earlier, but there wasn't much to look at. Other than the areas we had personally explored everything was grayed out. But now something is different. In what appears to be the center of the map, a large white circle is glowing.

"Think that's the Event Hub?" Hayle asks.

"I...I couldn't say." It certainly appears so. The circle isn't that far either; it's somewhere to the south of us.

"So will we go?"

I blink. "Huh?"

Arlyssa folds her arms across her chest. "To the Event Hub? Will we go to it?"

"No! Of course not!"

"I'm not asking you, Blondie." She turns so that she is facing Hayle, with her back to me. "What do you think? Should we go?"

He runs a hand through his hair, looking confused and exhausted. "I...don't know. It'll be dangerous. We might even have to kill someone again...but on the other hand, if we don't go..." He trails off.

"If we don't go, then we all might die anyway," Arlyssa finishes.

Surely one of the other teams will enter the Event Hub? I can see no reason why we would need to subject ourselves to that horror. Dr. Black never said that every team had to enter.

I find myself clinging to this thought. We don't need to go. We don't need to play another one of those games. I refuse.

I refuse!

"This isn't something that we can just decide on a whim," Hayle stands up and begins pacing around the room. The uncertainty that is etched across his face mimics what I feel in my chest. "We should take some time to think this over."

"We may not have any time."

"I know."

A grim silence descends upon us. What if no team decides to go? Would Dr. Black really kill all of us? I imagine my bracelet activating, injecting poison straight into my veins.

If I died, would anyone even know?

Marc. Hannah. Father. They don't know what has happened. What will happen. They don't know anything.

I pick up my sketchbook and begin to draw. My fingers move of their own accord. Quick, even strokes. The scene I create is one drawn from my deepest fears. Hayle, Arlyssa, and myself in a room. This room.

Lying dead.

No!

I rip the paper in half and toss it over my shoulder. This time neither Hayle nor Arlyssa even bother to look at me. They're both too busy with the bleak situation facing us. The only way to survive is to make sure the other teams die.

Is there no answer except death?

The clock on the wall continues to tick. Time slips away. Hayle and Arlyssa are talking but their words are mute to my ears. We don't have much time. We, and all the other teams, will soon have to make decision.

A decision that undoubtedly will get somebody killed.

Hayden Owens (Epsilon Team)
I shoot upright. Darkness is all around me. Footsteps echo in the distance. I reach for the sidearm at my side and am surprised when I find it is not there. What happened to it? And where am I? Did I...

Memories flood back into my mind. The kidnapping. Dr. Black. That turret. Junie and Milan.

I sigh, allowing myself to lie back down. My bag serves as a pillow. An old tarp we found in the warehouse is my blanket. It's not the most comfortable arrangement, but it is far from the worst sleeping situation I've had to face. The warehouse is still dark, but I can hear Milan moving somewhere off in the distance. She's been on guard duty since Dr. Black's midnight announcement. Has that girl even slept?

I finally force myself to stand, no longer content to just lie here and wallow in my own thoughts. We need a plan. A course of action. Directionless people often just mill around and do nothing, wasting their potential. I can't let that happen to us. Our lives depend on it.

"See anything out there?" I walk over to Milan as she stops beside the double-wide doors that lead outside the warehouse.

The tall, dark-haired girl turns to give me a short glance before returning her gaze to the outside world. "No."

I nod. "What about the turret?"

"It is still there, but no longer seems active. I suspect it is proximity triggered."

"I agree." That was my initial suspicion. The turret itself didn't seem to activate until we approached it. It would only make sense for it to be a proximity alarm. I am, however, surprised that Milan would come to a similar conclusion. As far as I know, she doesn't have the same military experience that I do. But then, I barely know anything about her.

That should change. You cannot lead people you don't understand.

"What's your story?" I ask as she looks up to study the early morning stars. They shine like silver snowflakes. "How'd you end up in this godforsaken place?"

She shrugs. "It doesn't matter."

"It might."

"It does not."

I watch her expression closely. Something about her terse answers sets alarm ringing in my head. Whatever her past is, it doesn't appear to have been something pleasant. "Okay, fine. Forget I asked." There's a long moment where no more words are spoken. We just stand there, silent, staring out at the darkened world.

"I need to get home," I say softly.

Milan turns to me, eyebrow raised. I shake my head, feeling stupid. "I...I just need to get back. I have people who...need me." The lie leaves my heart heavy. They don't. No one needs me. Not anymore. Mia...Annalise...

God, I don't even know my own child. Sometimes I can't even stand to look at her. What kind of father am I? She'll grow up to hate me. And she should. After all the things I've done...

Why shouldn't everyone hate me?

"You have suffered a lot." Milan's voice breaks me from the dark cloud of my thoughts. I come out of my stupor feeling cold and distant. My hands are clenched fists at my side. Eyes squeezed shut.

I take a deep breath, unclenching my fists and forcing my eyes open. The morning sky greets me. As dark and desolate as ever. "You're right," I whisper the words into the wind. Feel them get pulled away. "But the people around me have suffered worse. Because they've had to try and support me."

I've just pushed them away. Tried to block out all feeling. All pain. All guilt. I can still remember the nights spent at bars, drinking to forget. But it never worked. Every morning I'd wake up and the pain would still be there. The memories. The fear. The guilt.

That's why I don't remember how Dr. Black kidnapped me. Because I was blackout drunk at some bar.

"You're better than you think you are," Milan says softly.

Troubled, I walk away from her, back towards the center of the warehouse. Shelves upon shelves of crates line the walls, stacked upon metal scaffolding. Earlier I forced one of the crates open but all I found inside was styrofoam. That's what this warehouse is full of. Boxes and boxes of stryofoam.

"Ugh. What are you two doing awake? It's not even four A.M!" Junie rises from the pile of clothes where she's been sleeping. Rubbing her eyes, she turns to glare at me. "Can't you keep quiet? It's not that hard, I swear!"

"Sorry!" I duck my head apologetically. Too wrapped up in my own worries, I had forgotten all about Junie. "How's your leg? Are you feeling better?"

She stretches her legs out, wincing in the effort. "Better, yes. Fine? No." She pauses, then shakes her head. "Sorry for snapping at you. All this pain and stress is..."

"It's fine. I understand. As long as your leg is healing things should be okay." I'm not an expert in medical situations, but I've been around enough injured men to know some simple things. "We probably shouldn't go anywhere until you're more rested, though."

"So we will not be going to the Event Hub?" Milan crosses her arms, looking to me expectantly.

"No. Probably not." Those games, so similar to what I had to endure...I shake my head and speak more firmly. "No. Definitely not."

"What will we do if no one goes?"

"We can't worry about that." But it brings up another thought that's been plaguing me since my arrival here. Where are the other teams? Dr. Black said that he had thirty people here. Two of them are dead already, so that leaves twenty-five others, excluding me and my allies.

So where are they? And, more importantly, who are they?

"It's already been almost four hours since it opened anyway," Junie says through a yawn. "So someone has probably already entered. We'd be dead otherwise, right?"

Would we? Dr. Black never specified the deadline. How long does that Hub stay open?

"If we're not going then it doesn't matter," Milan says, businesslike as usual. "Instead we should focus our energy on more productive things."

Junie yawns. "Like sleep?

"Yes, you should go back to sleep and rest," I say, "but Milan and I will explore this warehouse more thoroughly. Who knows? Maybe we'll find something useful."

So, as Junie curls back up in her clothes pile, the two of us spread out and begin exploring. Originally we have some difficulty because of the darkness, but that problem solves itself when I discover a small metal box on one of the shelves. Inside, conveniently enough, are a pair of flashlights.

"We could have just turned the lights on," Milan says as I call for her and hand over one of the flashlights.

"We could have," I agree, "but then we would have disturbed Junie. Not to mention draw the attention of anyone in the area." I can't just wave away the possibility that some other team will come hunting us down. Didn't Dr. Black prove that was already happening when he showed us Evie's death?

We split up once we have the flashlights. Milan takes the west side of the building, I take the east. I didn't get a very good look outside while we were fleeing the turret, but I believe that there are two more warehouses right next to this one. So we could spend quite a bit of time exploring.

Unfortunately there's not much to find. There's tons of those stryofoam crates, but little else. Hidden behind one such crate I discover a toolbox where I pocket some of the tools, namely a wrench, screwdriver, and pliers. Also, hidden behind a row of shelves, I find a rickety metal staircase that takes me up to a second floor. Here I find rows of boxes filled with unlabeled cans. Since I don't have any surefire means of opening the cans--I could try to use the screwdriver, I suppose--I leave them alone.

At the end of the second floor walkway lies a door that leads into what appears to be an old office. Here I finally flick on a lightswitch and, blinking in the sudden light, set about searching for supplies.

One whole side of the wall is covered with photo frames. Each picture seems to be showcasing some sort of natural landscape, though a few seem to be of buildings. I recognize one building in particular as the West Edmonton Mall. "Home," I say quietly, touching the picture. I stare at it for a few moments before continuing with my search. Memories can wait.

On the opposite wall I find shelves and shelves, coating the walls, filled with books. I try reading a few, but they all seem to be in some other language. I don't understand a word. But Maybe Milan or Junie can read it?

Making a mental note to ask them about it later, I finally turn my attention to the desk. It has several drawers, but each one is locked and there's no key in sight. I try to force it but give up after a few attempts. What's the point? I'm not going to find anything important.

There's a large postboard on the wall behind the desk and I take the time to study it. It's mostly just old calendars and flyers advertising sales, but there's one that seems to just be a large white square with the words "It will be done!" scrawled on it. There's also a newspaper clipping, which talks about some sort of terrorist attack...

I hurry out of the room after that. My skin feels clammy and there's a pounding in my head. I am there again. A cold, dark room. A man's screams. Bloody fingernails.

The pliers in my pocket suddenly weigh me down.

I hurry down the stairs, taking them two at a time. I nearly trip several times. When I get to the bottom I just barely stop myself from slamming into Milan.

"What is wrong?" She narrows her eyes, gaze darting up the staircase I've fled. "You look as white as a sheet."

"Nothing! I'm fine! Nothing." The words fly from my mouth without thinking. I stop and force myself to take deep breaths. Calm...I am not there. It's over. I didn't..."I'm fine. Just got spooked is all."

"You...got spooked?"

Before I can respond a bunched up shirt comes flying across the room. Striking me in the chest, it falls harmlessly to the floor.

Milan and I turn to see Junie, wide awake and glaring at us. "You two really don't understand the concept of being quiet, do you?"

We both apologize immediately. Junie still seems upset, but calms when we agree to just rest easy until sunrise. She even offers her own apology, though she has nothing to be sorry for. We're settling back into bed when a new thought strikes me. "Oh! Junie!"

She gives me a flat look. "Why don't you guys just sleep?"

Because I'm afraid what my dreams will bring. But that isn't an answer I can give so, mind still reeling with dark thoughts, I focus on my question. "Milan needs a weapon, and you're injured, so I thought that, maybe, you could lend her your axe. I mean, I know you won't like the idea of being weaponless so I thought that maybe you two could trade--"

"Sure. Whatever."

"What?" I blink, surprised by her quick acceptance. "I mean, you're fine with this?"

"If it means I'll finally be able to sleep, yes. So let's just get this trade done."

The exchange is made quickly. Milan receives the axe with all the grace and reverence as if she's being gifted a item of the heavens. Junie just stuffs the chloroform in her bag and lies back down, grumbling all the while. I silently promise myself to never again get between Junie and sleep.

Afterwards I lie down, though I know that I won't get any sleep. Not tonight. Those bloody memories still swim in my head. I've done terrible, awful things.

And that's why I belong here.

Tetsu Ueno (Sigma Team)
"I don't think we have much choice. We either enter or, well, we hope that Dr. Black was just lying."

The three of us stand in a meadow, surrounded on all sides by wide fields of yellow dandelions. Before us looms the large silver dome that Dr. Black has named an Event Hub. It hadn't taken us long to find; this meadow was only a ten minute walk north of the school.

We decided we'd head out shortly after hearing the announcement. Our maps showed that the Hub was pretty close, so there was no point in staying away. Especially not if Dr. Black is serious about killing us all for tardiness. Still, we spent several hours just sitting around before we actually left. Waiyaki said that he needed rest. So we waited for several hours, just long enough for the first faint rays of dawn began to shine upon the world.

So there was plenty of light to see the wild basil growing freely on the clumpy, mossy mattress of the forest floor as we set off. I ate a few apples that I found on the ground along the way. Like the nuts from yesterday they were sweet, but with a bitter twist. It was only after I got the stomach cramps that I regretted it.

"So we're back to the silence, are we?" I sigh as I realize that several minutes have passed without a response to my earlier statement.

Waiyaki glances at me but says nothing. Amare just stares stoically ahead.

I shake my head and take a deep breath. The simpering wind carries a fragrance with it. It's rather refreshing to smell the mulchy mix of the forest’s perfume. Too bad that I'm in a fight for my life, otherwise I might be enjoying this adventure.

"Waiting is pointless," Amare suddenly speaks. The first words she's spoken since we agreed to set out for the Hub. Before I can respond she's striding forward, straight for the silver dome.

"So we're entering? Good! I'm sick of waiting!" I don't even know what we were waiting for. We've been sitting here for several minutes, just gaping at that stupid building

Though, I have to admit that this building is really unique. The sheer, shiny metal that it is made of looks unlike any other material I've ever seen. The only gap or seams in the entire thing are the hinges of the door that rests in the center of the dome. Why is that?

"I don't like this!" Waiyaki is slow to follow us. "We have no idea what kind of game he'll make us play. What if he makes us fight to the death?"

Amare turns to him, face blank. "Then I will kill both of you."

I burst out laughing. "Ha! Nice one! I have to give it you, Am, I didn't think you had a sense of humor!"

She narrows her eyes, then turns back to the Hub. She's tugging on the door when Waiyaki sidles up alongside me. "I don't think she was joking," He whispers.

"Yeah, I know. That's what made it so funny."

As Waiyaki sputters in disbelief, I saunter up behind Amare and give my weapons a look over. Sickle on my belt, check. Spear in hand, check. Handful of rocks that I've stuffed in my pocket, check. Yep. I've got everything.

"We're good to go," I say, rapping my knuckles on the door. Amare is still tugging on the knob, to little success. How does it open?

"Maybe we need more teams," Waiyaki says, "Dr. Black did say that the number of teams required would--"

The door swings open. I step back just in time to avoid getting whacked. See that Amare has moved even quicker than I have. Damn, that girl is fast! What is she, some kind of ninja?

Amare slips inside the dome without even giving the door a second glance. I shrug and follow her inside. Waiyaki reluctantly tags along.

The room we find ourselves is wide and spacious. Circular, with plain gray walls and matching floors, the room is practically empty. The only thing of note is a wide screen on the far wall, set atop a trio of simple doors.

The screen flickers on as we enter. "Welcome, Sigma Team, to my Event Hub!" Dr. Black is once again on screen, serenading us with his deep, synthesized voice. "A hearty congratulations is in order for being the first team to arrrive. Though I suppose that is to be expected, considering that you have the literally fearless Tetsu Ueno on your side."

Huh. So he knows about that, does? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. I am famous across the world after all.

"Does this mean you won't kill us all?" Waiyaki asks.

Dr. Black strokes a hand along his beak. "Yes, as a team has entered the hub, I will not execute all of you."

Waiyaki breaths a sigh of relief.

"However, you three are not out of danger just yet. You still have to play my game."

Waiyaki mutters under his breath, but I just shrug. We all already knew this when we decided to come. Having to play a game isn't a surprise. The only question is what form the game will take.

"When do we play?" I ask. My eyes have squared in on those doors. One for each of us? That seems to imply that we'll be splitting up. Interesting.

"Unfortunately, the three of you alone will not be able to play this game."

"Excuse me?" Did I hear him correctly? "I thought you said that we had to play a game? Don't go changing the rules on us like that!"

"The game you are about to play requires a second team. As such, you cannot yet play until another arrives. Unfortunately, that means you will not be allowed to leave the Hub until then."

Behind us, I hear the entry door slam shut. Waiyaki yelps but all I can manage is an eyeroll. Of course this would happen! Nothing Dr. Black does can be simple, can it? "So what if another team never arrives?" I ask. "Do we just sit here and eventually starve to death?"

On screen, Dr. Black is silent for a moment. "No," He finally says, "you would not starve. For I would execute everyone first."

"Not fair!" Waiyaki howls at the screen. "You said that we would be spared if we came! So spare us!"

"Calm down!" I lean against the wall, casually inspecting my fingernails. "He's obviously lying."

"Oh? Am I lying, Ueno? You seem very sure of that fact..."

My head shoots up. I stare at the screen, surprise coursing through me. That language... Did Dr. Black just speak Japanese?

"How many languages do you know?" I demand. My mind is whirling with the possibilities. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Dr. Black has shown plenty of resourcefulness, but this is the first time he's shown an ability to speak my own home language.

Dr. Black's answer is gibberish to my ears, but judging by the sharp look he receives from Amare, his words are anything but. "You do not have to worry," He says, switching back to English, "because you will not be the only team to arrive. Another team is already on their way."

Well, great. I flex my hand, suddenly tense with exhilaration. Just what kind of game mandates two teams anyway? So many ideas pop into my head that I immediately know it's impossible to guess. "How long before they arrive?"

"A hour or two at most. Of course, that is assuming another team doesn't wayward them first. In any case, you must be patient. I will return when another team arrives. But for now, farewell Sigma Team."

The screen clicks off.

I turn to gauge the reaction of my teammates. Waiyaki punches the wall, muttering about how much he hates Dr. Black. Amare simply sits cross-legged on the floor and closes her eyes. Is she meditating?

"Well...this sucks." I lean against the wall again and shove my hands into my pockets. "I don't suppose either of you have a deck of cards? Because that sure would make things more interesting..."

Vjena Kovač (Delta Team)
I will win this game.

There is no other acceptable result. No other conclusion. I will win this game and be its best player. That is a fact. I do not care if that will require the deaths of every other Challenger. I will kill them myself if necessary.

I will do whatever it takes to win.

"Take a good look around you, my fellows," Ryder strides through the forest, unconcerned about the reaching branches that tug at his fine suit. "This forest is what the world will soon look like if we do not remove the corrupted from it. Not diseased. Not broken. Dead."

He is right about the forest, at least. Each and every tree is dead. No leaves grow on the bare skeletal branches of the thin close-together trees. The entire area reeks of decay and anything that may once have been edible has long since disintegrated beyond safety. There are several streams in the area, but detritus floats in them, clogging and tainting the water.

It is a truly imperfect place.

"How can we prevent this, you might ask. Well, there's only one way," Ryder stops and gazes up at the sky, which is visible through the leafless canopy. "We must remove the impure. Stamp out the greedy. Pull out the twisted souls by their roots and salt the earth so that they never again grow. We must do these things because no one else will."

I listen to him rant with an impassive face. I really have no cares about Ryder or his delusions. He is obviously insane, possibly even more insane than Dr. Black, but he is still my teammate. That means him and Shinji are the only two people out here who I won't have to kill.

Ryder is still monologuing, but I've stopped listening. Instead I turn my attention to Shinji. The quiet, refined boy is standing aways back from us, watching Ryder with a blank look. He has said little since we eliminated Evie yesterday. Obviously that act has bothered him.

I can understand his reaction, but that girl's death means nothing to me. Dr. Black has put us under duress, forcing our hands. If we don't act, then he'll kill us. Any court in the world would see Ryder's actions as justifiable homicide.

Yet that is a moot point. No law enforcement agency is coming to our rescue. If they were, they'd have already arrived. No, we're on our own. Which means that the only means of survival is to play the game and do as Dr. Black desires.

Ahead of me, Ryder is still walking and talking, apparently unaware of our disinterest. But that may just be an act. In our short time together I've observed that Ryder is much more situationally aware than you'd think. I've caught him watching us, analyzing our actions. Last night he watched where Shinji and I slept on the ground, then decided to climb a tree and tied himself in to make that his resting place.

His skills are impressive. He started a fire from practically nothing. Cooked his food with barely any effort. Extrapolated from the position of the sun and stars that the school where we found and eliminated Evie was the geographical center of the Playing Field. I cannot even understand how he managed that last one.

The taste of blood fills my mouth. I start, surprised to find that I have once again been biting my tongue. Why? What am I so stressed about? I find myself staring at Ryder's back. Staring at the answer.

He's skilled. More skilled than anyone I've ever met, save for myself. He had pin-point accuracy when he shot Evie. Is he, perhaps, even more skilled than me?

No. Of course not. I can do anything he's done and do it better. Quicker. Easier. But the fact remains that he is beating me at this game. He has an elimination. I have none.

I will have to change that.

"We need to find the other teams," I say. Both Ryder and Shinji turn to look at me. Ryder has stopped mid-sentence. "The faster we eliminate them the quicker we get home. There is no time to dawdle."

Ryder narrows his gaze. "That's what I've been saying this whole time."

Oh? Is that what his ramblings led to? I admit that I'm not too surprised; of course that would be what his mind would think up. I look him in the eye. "Yes, I know. But sitting here talking about it isn't getting us any closer to our goal."

It's impossible to miss the anger that flashes across his face. It's visible for only a moment before a neutral expression returns. "Of course," He says smoothly. "Then let us concentrate on hunting the vermin down."

We move in a single file line, Ryder leading the way and Shinji in the rear. I adjust my hunting rifles strap as we walk. It was fine luck that this was to be my weapon. I've used this exact same model on several hunting trips with my Father. The only difference between this hunt and my previous ones is that the prey will be smarter this time. More dangerous.

I am up to the task.

"Do not push Ryder." Shinji has slid up and now walks beside me. His eyes remain forward as he walks, his voice pitched low.

"Is that a threat?" I demand. I have not paid much attention to the slight boy, but he has capitulated to Ryder quite easily. Very much sycophant material.

"No. It is merely a suggestion."

"I am not afraid of Ryder." Him or anybody.

"You should be."

I brush his concerns away with a casual wave of my hand. "I've worked too hard at my life to be intimidated by anyone. I will do what I want, when I want."

Shinji's face tightens. "Please. Don't antagonize Ryder. If you just do what he says, then we'll all get out of this alive and go home. But if you don't..." He trails off.

My eyes dart forward to watch Ryder and, seeing that he is still out of earshot, shrug. "And what? He is my teammate. You and me are the only two people he won't try to kill."

Shinji doesn't respond. He just falls back into the rear and leaves me alone to my thoughts. I cannot see what has him so worried. Ryder is unpredictable, but he isn't unstable. He won't act against his own best interests. Besides, I have no desire to undermine him in any way. Outperform him, yes. Harm him, no.

Our trio continues on through the forest, heading south. Ryder doesn't even so much as look back to see if we're still following. He is very intent on securing the elimination of the other teams. Well, so am I. I won't be second best.

Not to anyone.

Mike Glennon (Gamma Team)
We left the carnival at first light. Timothy was adamant that we make our way to the Event Hub so that we could interact with the other teams and plot up some sort of plan to stop Dr. Black. I dunno what he's thinking. That crazy dude isn't going to just let us walk away from this game, no matter how hard we try.

And trust me, I've tried hard.

I flex my shoulders, remembering the night I was kidnapped. A trio of masked guys jumped me on my way back from practice. I tried to resist and took a beating for my efforts. It's funny, though. I have no wounds or bruises from that fight, despite the fact I know I received several. No way I healed in just one day. It doesn't make sense, but I don't have an answer. Maybe Timothy or Nathaniel do, but I haven't had the time to ask them yet.

"Keep up, Mike!" Timothy calls over his shoulder to me. I shake my head, surprised that I had been so caught up in thinking that I just stopped walking.

"Coming!" I break into a jog to keep up.

After leaving the carnival--and finding no trace of that creepy clown dude or his teammates--we set off to find the Event Hub. Timothy led the way, following the map on bis bracelet thing. About a half hour of walking later we found ourselves approaching a large bridge. It looked like it weighed two tons and hung at least fifty feet over the ocean below. I didn't like the way the waves crashed against the rocks.

"Is this safe?" I asked. The idea of falling off and going Splat! was pretty frightening. After all, how could I ever become an NFL starter if I was some mushy pancake smeared against a rock?

Timothy, however, wasn't fazed at all. "The bridge is very sturdy," he told me, stepping onto it. "The supports aren't the least bit rusted. Nor are we too heavy."

Despite my misgivings, he was proven right. We crossed without incident and found ourselves in this forest that we now walk. I don't like it. Not the pulpy smell or the crispy feeling of the grass beneath my shoes. It all just feels too...natural.

"Something wrong, Mike?" Timothy glances at me as I finally pull even with him and Nathaniel.

"Nah, not really." I try to play it cool, hoping that he doesn't notice how uneasy I am. It's not just the forest; I don't like the idea of trying to cooperate with the other teams. You work with your own team and that's it. My whole life has revolved around that motto, and I don't really want to break from it now.

As Timothy turns back to the path ahead, I catch Nathaniel watching me. He quickly looks away when I spot him.

If I'm the quarterback of our team and Timothy is the coach, then that spry dude is the utility player. I initially thought that he would be completely worthless, but he's shown a surprising level of skill. He may not be the MVP, but he's certainly trying.

Timothy comes to a stop and holds out a hand for us to halt. "We should be careful," He says, "We're getting pretty close to the Event Hub. I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into some other teams on their way there."

"You think other teams will come?" I ask.

He nods. "Oh, they'll come. The only question is how many and whether or not they'll be friendly."

Nathaniel gulps. I just tighten my grip on the football. I don't care how strong someone is; one good throw from me and this baby is knocking them stone cold.

Timothy takes up the path again. I follow in silence. I like my weapon and all, but I'm not delusional. Even I know that, if the other teams have guns and want to harm us, there's not much we'll be able to do to counter that. So stealth is our best bet.

When the forest finally opens up, we find ourselves in a meadow. A large building rests in the center, surrounded by colorful flowers. Metallic and circular, the building looks a whole lot like a dome. "Ah! I see why he calls it a Hub," Nathaniel says.

I stare at him. "Uh, why's that?"

"Because it looks like a hub."

"A what now?"

"A hub is the central part of a wheel that connects the axle to the wheel itself," Timothy says idily. His eyes are locked in on the building. "Many expressions use the term for a literal or figurative central structure connecting to a periphery."

Whoosh. I can practically feel all those words flying over my head. I'm not stupid. Far from it. But that doesn't mean I understand everything these smart-types say. Sometimes I'm not even sure if they themselves understand what they're saying.

"Do we go in?" Nathaniel asks. I nod, eager to see that the subject has been changed.

Timothy hesitates, but then nods. "Yes, I suppose that we should. There is nothing to be gained by standing around." He leads the way up to the doublewide doors and, gun still in hand, cautiously pushes them open. He peeks inside, then slips through the door. Nathaniel and I follow.

"Aha! Another team arrives!"

A loud, excited voice startles me the moment we step inside. Panicked, I rush ahead only to bump into Nathanial's back. He pitches forward and collides with Timothy, who gets sent bowling towards the ground.

The gun slips out of his hand, skittering across the floor. It comes to a stop beside the feet of the other team.

"Sweet gun!" A guy of slightly above-average height bends down and picks the gun up. Beside me I feel Nathaniel tense. My grip on the football tightens. One throw... The guy laughs, twirling the gun around his fingers. "I thought you'd guys would never show!"

Timothy climbs to his feet and holds out a hand. "We mean you no harm so, please, don't kill us."

As the guy pauses to think, I take this opportunity to study him further. He is an Asian dude with short, straight, dark brown hair, a lean face, slightly thick eyebrows, and piercing, narrow, hazel eyes. Behind him stand his teammates, both black. One is a small woman. The other a big dude.

The Asian guy shrugs. "I have no intention of killing you." He sets the gun down and, with a flick of his ankle, sends it sliding back towards Timothy.

"Tetsu!" The guy beside him lurches forward. "Why'd you do that? He could shoot us!"

Tetsu shrugs again. "Nah, Waiyaki. He won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because Amare would blast his face off before he even so much as tried."

For the first time I become aware of the pump shotgun held in the girls hands. Standing stoically still, she has the barrel aimed straight at Tim's face. Crap.

"May I have your attention, please." The screen behind the trio flickers on, coalescing into the image of that creepy Dr. Black guy. The man folds his hands. "Sigma Team, Gamma Team. It appears that you two teams will be the ones who shall play my game."

"About time!" Tetsu grins. His teammates don't seem to share his enthusiasm. Waiyaki shuffles his feet nervously. The girl, Amare, doesn't take her eyes off Tim. I don't like her. That cold, soulless gaze makes me uncomfortable.

Tim, for his part, is very aware of the danger. He slowly stows the gun into his jacket pocket, then raises his hands over his head. "What is the game?" He asks Dr. Black.

"First you will have to enter the doors behind you. As you may have noticed, there are three doors. You will be required to split up and send one member through each door. This is true for both teams."

Everyone in the room, minus Amare, turns to stare at the doors. Unmarked and plain, there is nothing special about them. They're just...doors.

"What then?" Timothy asks.

"I will tell you more once you enter. Oh, and though I am sure that this should be obvious, I will not permit unsanctioned fighting in the Event Hub. Save it for the Playing Field and the games. Until then, goodbye."

Tetsu chuckles. "What a wonderfully mysterious guy, huh?"

"He is rather enigmatic," Tim shoots a glance at Amare, "Must she constantly be aiming at me? It's rather...unsettling."

"Yeah, I guess it would be. I can't stop her, though. She only listens to herself."

Tim sighs. "Wonderful."

"How do we know she won't kill us?" I demand. I don't care what Dr. Black says; if that girl wants to shoot us there's nothing he could do to stop it.

"I just suppose we'll have to take that risk!" Tetsu flashes me a grin. I'm tempted to chuck my football at him. What kind of team leader can't control his teammates? And it's obvious that he is their leader. Just the way he holds himself makes that clear.

"Well, at any rate I am glad that I got to meet you," Tim says, "I was looking forward to communicating with the other teams."

"You were, huh? Interesting." Tetsu paces around the doors, examining them from every angle. He doesn't look concerned in the slightest. "Well, congratulations. You've met us."

Tim casts another look at Amare. "Yes. Your team has been quite...charming. At any rate, I was hoping that we could communicate more openly."

"I'm Tetsu Ueno. What more do you want?"

"Tetsu Ueno!" Nathaniel exclaims.

We all turn to look at him. He blushes, ducking his head and avoiding our gazes. Tetsu grins. "Well, it looks like someone finally recognized me!"

"Do you know him, Nate?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Not personally, no. But he's, well, he's famous!"

Tetsu sees that Timothy and I are confused, so he goes on to explain that he is some sort of actor or internet celebrity or something. I honestly have no idea what he does. It's not as interesting as football. Speaking of football...

I excitedly tell everyone about my exploits with the NC Wolfpack, finishing my tale with our latest victory and letting them know that I will soon be going to the NFL. When I pause to gather my breath, everyone is staring at me.

Tetsu gives me a thumbs-up. "Good job, buddy."

"Thanks, man!"

"Shouldn't we be going into those rooms?" Waiyaki interrupts. He's still shuffling his feet anxiously. Kinda looks like he needs to pee. "Dr. Black might get annoyed with our delays..."

"Good point." Timothy nods. "We should decide who'll go through which door."

"Does it matter?" I ask. They all look the same to me. I doubt that anything special will be in them.

"I'll take the center door," Tetus says suddenly. Waiyaki looks at him, shrugs, then walks up to the left door. Amare, without taking her sights off Timothy, slowly approaches the right.

I soon find myself in a huddle with Tim and Nate, going over our gameplan. "I want to go with Tetsu," Tim is saying, "He's obviously their leader and I want to talk more with him. Maybe an alliance of some sort is possible."

"I don't want to go with Amare," Nathaniel says, throwing a look at the girl. "She frightens me."

"I'll go with her," I say. I don't really like the thought of being alone with Amare, but I'll take one for the team. Besides, I probably have the best chance of overpowering her if it came to a fight. She may have a shotgun, but she's still just a tiny thing. Really, she can't be much taller than five feet flat.

"So that leaves Nathaniel with Waiyaki," Tim nods. "Sounds good. Let's roll."

We break apart and each head for our door. The other team watches us with cautious eyes. I don't miss the way Amare's eyes travel around my body. She's obviously searching for a hidden weapon. I pat my football and grin. Little does she know that there is no need to hide my weapon!

"See you on the other side, guys!" Timothy gives us each a smile and nod, then swings his door open and steps inside. Tetsu follows, whistling all the while. I turn to face my own door. I feel Amare move so that she is behind me.

"Dude, is holding that gun still necessary?"

When she doesn't answer, I shake my head and pull the door open. Inside I find myself in a small, circular room. It's empty except for two podiums that rest in the center. As I step towards them I hear the door slam shut. I look at Amare but she shakes her head. The door shut itself.

Great.

The two podiums each have a touchscreen on them, like the surface tablets we use on the sidelines during games. The screens are on, but the only thing they are showing is a bunch of weird words. Two of them are Sigma and Gamma.

"What is this?" I ask.

Though I was asking Amare, the answer I receive is from Dr. Black. "You are about to play a game of mine," His voice emits from my bracelet. "This particular game, called Reward & Punishment, is very simple. You will choose one team to reward with a supply drop."

A grin breaks out on my face. "That is simple! Hell yeah!" Ha! And I was worried that I'd have to play something dangerous like Alpha and Beta Team!

"What is the Punishment?" Amare asks quietly. I frown. Why do the first words I hear her say have to be so ominous?

"This is a paired game," Dr. Black answers, "that means one of your teammates, Timothy and Tetsu in this instance, will be playing the other half of the game. They will decide which team to...punish. You, however, only have to worry about the reward."

I...am not sure I understand. Is he saying that Tim is doing the same thing as me right now, only, he's picking a team to punish? If so, then I'm glad I chose this door. That kind of decision sounds...messy.

"We can choose any team to reward?" Amare asks.

"Yes. You may reward any Team, with the exception of your own."

"But I don't know any of the other teams!" I protest.

"Then choose wisely."

There's an audible click and I know that Dr. Black has left the conversation. I frown, scratching my head. "I don't understand this game. But, the only team I've met is you guys, so...this should be an easy decision, right?"

Amare does not respond.

I sigh and study the touchscreen. There are ten names in total. Ten teams. I can't choose my own, so I only have nine choices. Sigma team is here with us, but I don't know anything about the others. But I have to decide. Make a decision.

What will it be?

Nathaniel Arvidsson (Gamma Team)
The door slams shut the moment we step into the room. Panic wells in my chest, but I force it down immediately. I need to remain in control. Timothy and Mike aren't here to help me. I am alone. I can't afford to panic.

"That seens ominous," Waiyaki mutters. He attempts to pry the door open. Of course it doesn't work. He shrugs and goes to survey the room. "What is this place?"

The room we find ourselves in is a wide, flat place. Thirty feet wide and twenty feet long, the floors are made out of a panelled metal and the walls a shimmering silver. Staring at them for too long is disconcerting. They seem to swirl and shift before my eyes.

There's a podium set up in the center of the room, so I walk towards it. Waiyaki follows. "It's a screen," I say, observing what is set into the top of the panel. The words "Tap to Begin" flash in bold letters. "What should we do?"

Waiyaki reaches over and taps the words. Dr. Black immediately appears on screen. "I extend a hearty welcome to you," He says, "You two are either very lucky or unlucky, depending on your viewpoints. Because, unlike your fellow teammates, the two of you will not have to make a decision. Rather, you will do something much more straightforward."

"I don't like the sound of that," Waiyaki mutters. I nod. The palms of my hands are suddenly slick with sweat. What kind of game will we play? What will we do?

"The name of this game is rather simple," Dr. Black continues, "it is called "Duel". The rules are equally simple. The two of you will fight until there is only one left. To put it bluntly, this game is a duel to the death."

The screen goes blank.

"What does he think he's doing?" Waiyaki asks me. "Does he expect us to..."

He can't even finish the sentence. He sounds almost as dumbfounded as me. I can't form any thoughts. Duel to the death...

Waiyaki glances at me, then suddenly backs off. He doesn't stop moving until he reaches the far wall. I watch him silently, wondering just what is going on inside his head. He wouldn't really...I mean, he can't seriously be...

"We're n-not doing this," I stammer. My body is trembling so much that it's hard to speak. "I m-mean we're not actually going to f-fight, right?"

"I'm not going to die, Nathaniel," He says loudly. His hands reach into his pockets and pull out something slick and smooth. "I can't. I won't. Now, maybe a taser won't kill you, but--"

"Stop!"

He freezes, shocked by my scream. I shake my head, tears nearly blinding me. "We don't have to do this! The others, our teammates, they will rescue us. I know they will!" Timothy wouldn't abandon me. He'll find a way to break through that door. Maybe he will shoot it down.

Waiyaki pauses. Looks around. He seems to be seriously considering what I'm saying when it happens. A loud rumbling fills the room, followed by the sound of metal grating against metal. I don't understand what is happening until I see the walls.

They are closing in.

Inch by inch. Slowly, oh so slowly. But moving all the same. I stare at them with a mix of bewilderment and terror. My mind is slow to grasp what is happening. It's not until Waiyaki is forced to take a step forward do I realize the purpose.

The walls will keep moving until there is nowhere to go. We'll be trapped between them. Crushed. Killed.

Dr. Black is forcing our hands. We either kill each other or die together.

Tears streak down my face. Fog my glasses. Soak my beard. "There has to be another way!" I scream.

"Do you see one?" Waiyaki takes another step towards me. The walls are moving slowly, so the room is still at least twenty feet long. I stumble backwards, away from the approaching Waiyaki. "There is no other option! We fight or we die!"

Die...No! I can't handle the thought of death. Of losing everything. Never seeing my family again. Never getting to experience everything life has to offer. The darkness. The cold.

No!

I reach into my pocket and pull out the one thing I've tried my hardest to ignore. "Stay back!" I scream at Waiyaki, waving my icepick in the air. "Stay back! I don't want to hurt you!"

Waiyaki pauses. Uncertainty crosses his face. He is not so tough now that he knows I'll defend myself. I continue to back up, but I soon bump into the wall. There is only fifteen feet left between us.

I surprise myself by screaming for help. For Timothy. For Mike. For my Mother. I don't even know who. I just scream and scream. Someone will hear me, I tell myself. Someone will come save me.

No one does.

There is only ten feet left between us when the floor opens. One of the metal panels on the ground slides open, revealing a shining mass of silver underneath. What? Is that...

My heart practically stops when I see it. Blades. Sharp, silver blades. Like the kind you'd find in a blender but much, much bigger. There's a whirring sound as they begin to spin. Slowly at first, but then picking up speed. Faster and faster until they're spinning at an impossible rate.

One false step and I'd be sliced to pieces.

The wall pushes me forward. Closer to Waiyaki. Closer to the blades.

Waiyaki suddenly lets out a roar, charging straight for me. Some primal part of my mind kicks in. Memories of my time spent learning Kung-Fu swirl through my head. I reach out and grasp Waiyaki's right wrist, twisting it. As he yelps in pain I use the handle of my icepick to swat the taser out of his hand.

It slides across the floor and falls straight into the blender. There's a terrible grinding noise as, within seconds, the weapon is torn apart. Several pieces are flung back out, slamming against the rapidly enclosing walls and narrowly missing my face.

Waiyaki gapes, eyes wide in terror and confusion. Then he punches me in the face.

I stumble and lose my footing. For one horrifying moment I think I'm about to topple straight into the blender. But I only collide with the wall. I gasp for breath, glasses askew, mind reeling.

I'm going to die. The thought races through my head. If I don't do something, I am going to die.

Waiyaki roars as he throws another punch, this time connecting with my ribs. I wheeze in pain, slumping over. Waiyaki grasps my neck and pulls me back up. Begins to tow me backwards.

Towards the blades.

Panic. Sheer, unadulterated panic pulses through me. I lash out, swinging my arms and kicking my legs. Waiyaki stumbles as one of my fists hit his knees. His grip slackens. I shake myself loose and bump into the wall. We're only a few feet away from the blades.

Only one thought races through my head.

I will not die.

Waiyaki lunges for me. Without thinking, without stopping to consider the consequences, I act. I take my icepick, reverse grip, and swing.

The tip disappears into the soft flesh of Waiyaki's neck. His forward momentum sends him slamming into me. His face is only inches from mine as he gurgles wordlessly, blood bubbling out through his lips. Aghast, I shove him away.

His body falls backwards into the blades.

I press my face against the wall and shut my eyes as those awful blades go to work. Hot, thick blood spatters against my back. Thin, wet ribbons land in my hair. I slide to my knees, sick and broken. My stomach roils like a boat in a storm. I hate myself. I hate Dr. Black. I hate everything that just happened.

But I succeeded. I didn't die.

I did not die.

Timothy González (Gamma Team)
I stare at the touchscreen in silence, uncertainty rooting me to the spot. Punish? What does that entail, exactly? Dr. Black has not been very forthcoming on this issue; I have already asked him several times, but he has yet to respond.

I glance at Tetsu, who stands beside me, staring at his own touchscreen. He looks, if anything, bored. That is utterly perplexing. How could he be bored of all things? "What are your thoughts?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "Dunno. But I hate the word Delta."

"I...excuse me?"

"One of the teams is named Delta," He gestures at the screen. "And I hate that word. Worst letter of the Greek Alphabet."

"You recognized the theme of our names, then?"

"Of course. It's pretty obvious."

I wouldn't say that. Nathaniel and Mike, for instance, seem unaware of the meaning behind the names. I, of course, realized it the moment I learnt about Alpha and Beta team. It is interesting that Dr. Black named our teams after such, but I do not quite understand the reason. But then, I barely understand why Dr. Black does anything.

"We need to make this decision very carefully," I tap my hand alongside the screen. "It could, theoretically, have a huge impact on our very lives."

Tetsu laughs. "I guess. Personally, I think you should just be glad that I'm playing this game instead of Amare."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because she'd probably choose to punish you guys."

A sharp jolt of alarm strikes me but I quickly shove it away. I had forgotten that it is entirely possible for me to punish Sigma team, and vice versa. Not that I ever would do such a thing. My whole goal in coming here was to make friends with the other teams, not enemies.

"I don't think she'd do that," I say idily. Tetsu asks why and I smile slightly. "Because she'd be smart enough to know that, if she were to punish my team, I'd simply choose to punish her team."

Tetsu claps his hands then taps a finger against his forehead. "Clever! Mutually assured destruction, I like it!"

I nod, allowing my gaze to slide around the small, circular room where we stand. The way this whole game is set up makes it very unlikely that either of us would choose to punish the other. Similarly, it practically assures that we'd reward one another. This game, in short, does nothing but bring our teams closer together.

Why does that make me so uneasy?

"What's wrong?" Tetsu has noticed my consternation.

"It's just...this whole thing doesn't feel right. Anyone with a modicum of sense will know that we'll just reward each other. And there is zero chance we punish one another. So the game doesn't create any friction, tension, or anything, really."

"And that's a problem because...?"

"Does creating a game where everyone winds up happy sound like something Dr. Black would do?"

Tetsu is silent for a moment. Then he shrugs and points at the touchscreen. "I doubt that whatever team we punish will wind up happy."

Fair point. But I still cannot shake the feeling that something is amiss. I don't doubt that Dr. Black will enjoy "punishing" the teams that we choose, but I also don't accept the idea that he'd make a game that is so obviously beneficial to us. There must be some sort of catch.

I simply have no idea what it is.

"Decision made. The Punishment will be meted out."

A robotic voice interrupts my thoughts and I turn to see Tetsu tapping away at his touchscreen. I open and close my mouth several times, unsure as what to say. Tetsu notices and shrugs. "Something wrong?"

"Don't tell me you just did what I think you did."

"I just did what you thought I did."

"How could you make that decision so easily? We don't even know what the punishment is!" What exactly did Tetsu just do? Kill another team? Take their possessions? Give them a disadvantage in the next Event Hub? The possibilities are overwhelming.

Tetsu shrugs and twirls his sickle around. "A decision had to be made, so I made one. Why does it matter? It's not like we even know the other teams."

There is so much wrong with that line of thinking. But there is nothing to be done about it now. The past is the past. I take a breath, facing my own touchscreen. "Who did you choose?" I ask quietly.

"I already told you. Delta. I hate that word."

I will not take sole responsibility for this decision. If a punishment needs to occur, then better it occurs to a single team. That way less people get hurt...and I have someone to blame if things go wrong.

I reach out and tap the word Delta.

"Decision made. The Punishment will be meted out."

Tetsu lets out a low whistle. "Think they'll be double punished? Or will they get off easy and only get the one?"

"I do not know." Tetsu has a very unique view of the world. I can use that. I will use that. I'll ensure that Sigma team becomes my ally. For better or worse.

The door behind us swings open. I exchange a look with Tetsu, shrug, then walk out it. I find myself back in the main lobby, in the large room with the multiple doors. Mike and Amare are already there. Mike seems to be talking about football again.

"Nathaniel not done yet?" I ask him.

He turns and gives me a wide grin. "Tim! Man, is it good to see you!"

"I was gone only minutes."

"Yeah, I guess. But it felt like forever because she never speaks," He jerks a thumb at Amare. The small girl has moved towards Tetsu and is murmuring something to him. "Anyway, my game was easy. How about yours?"

"It was simple enough," I say. I still do not know just what fate I have consigned Delta team to. While I'd hate for them to perish, it is necessary. Unless, that is, I find a way to break free from this game.

"I decided to reward Sigma Team," Mike continues, "I mean, they're the only team I know. So why not?"

I nod. "Makes sense. Did Amare choose to reward us?"

Mike begins to say something but his words break off into a gasp. The third door, the left one, has swung open. Nathaniel stumbles out, walks a few paces, then drops to his knees, sobbing.

He is completely drenched in blood.

I stand still, frozen in horror. Tetsu shoves his way past me, darting to Nathaniel's side. "What happened?" His voice adopts an uncharacteristically serious tone. "Where's Waiyaki?"

"Dead! Dead! He's dead!" Nathaniel lets out a wail. He buries his heads in his hands, sobs wracking his body. I don't understand. Waiyaki is...dead? But how? Why? Then it clicks together.

The third game...

"What happened? Speak, man!" Tetsu shakes Nathaniel by the shoulders. It's no use. He's completely inconsolable, crying and mumbling incoherently. I catch something about him having no choice, but little else.

Amare steps past him to peer into the third room. Mike does the same, but recoils a moment later, gagging. "Oh, God. God, that's awful!"

"What is it?" I force myself to remain calm. Panicking will do nothing to improve the situation.

Mike shakes his head. "It's...there's some kind of giant blade or blender...I think...Oh, God. I think Waiyaki fell in it."

My stomach twists. I can imagine, all too vividly, what such a situation would look like. But how could such a thing have ever occurred? What transpired in that room? What game did they play?

"I had no choice!" Nathaniel is practically screaming. His body trembles so badly that I fear for his health. "He w-was going to k-kill me! I had to...I had to!"

Tetsu pulls away from Nathaniel as if he's been punched. "No. Not that. Don't tell me..."

That's when all our datapads chime. The combined noise is a that of a discordant symphony as a robotic voice speaks the words we all feared. "Nathaniel Arvidsson has eliminated Waiyaki Bello with an icepick."

No one speaks. There is no sound at all except for Nathaniel's quiet sobbing. When I look at Mike, I see my own feelings expressed there. Shock. Confusion.

Fear.

Amare is the first to react. She pulls up her shotgun, levelling the weapon straight at my face. I don't react. Any action I could take would be too slow. So I just stand there as Amare begins the motion that will bring my life to a brief, painful end.

"Stop!"

Tetsu grabs the shotgun, forcing the barrel down towards the floor. Amare tries to pull away but Tetsu refuses to let go. He glares at her. "Stop! Don't you remember Dr. Black's words? Fighting isn't allowed here."

I find myself silently thanking that masked psychopath. He and his rules have, for the moment, given me a chance to live.

"Don't do anything you'll regret!" I grab Nathaniel by the shoulders, pull him to his feet, and push him towards Mike. The big guy wraps his hands around the sobbing boy, leading him away from Tetsu and Amare. Good. If things go sour we might need to make a quick getaway.

"What the hell happened in there?" Tetsu rounds on us. The lackadaisical aloofness that had been his trademark has vanished underneath a barely concealed anger. "And don't give me any nonsense about a blender! That announcement mentioned an icepick!"

I begin to speak, but find myself cut off by an unlikely source. Nathaniel. The tall, bearded guy straightens himself out, shaking his head and wiping away his tears that have mixed with the blood.

"I...I didn't have a choice. Dr. Black locked us in the room. T-told us that we had to kill each other. Th-the walls began to close in, then...the floor opened up and there was a giant saw. I didn't--I didn't mean for it to happen, but Waiyaki charged me and..."

There it is. The catch. Reward & Punishment was designed to bring our teams closer, foster a bond between us. We were supposed to begin to trust one another, begin to think that perhaps an alliance was possible. Then we were to learn that one of our teammates had just murdered the other.

Thereby completely destroying our ability to trust the other teams.

"Waiyaki..." Tetsu punches the wall.

"I had no choice! I--" Nathaniel is cut off by Mike grabbing him by the shoulders and dragging him towards the Event Hub doors. Amare watches the pair with wide, calculating eyes.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I begin, "but please, try and be rational. Nathaniel didn't have a choice and he--"

"Shut up. Just, shut up." Tetus runs a hand through his hair, looking completely lost. Amare merely looks as if she wants to kill us. I open my mouth to try and speak again, but Tetsu stops me with a withering look. "Do you really think I want to hear your platitudes after your friend just murdered my teammate?"

I snap my mouth shut. Despite my best efforts to thwart him, it appears that Dr. Black's plan will succeed. Our teams will not align. We will not band together to try and find an avenue of escape.

Dr. Black has won yet again.

"We're leaving," I speak firmly as I slowly step away from the pair. "Do not try to follow us once we do. I do not wish to harm you, but I will do whatever is necessary to protect my friends."

"Like kill one of mine?"

There is no answer for that. I nod at Mike and he slips out the door, towing a mumbling Nathaniel behind him. I slip my Desert Eagle free from my jacket and hold it in a steady hand. Amare watches me but does not so much as twitch. She knows that I wouldn't dare do anything.

As I put a foot through the door, I give Tetsu one last nod. "I had hoped that we would be allies..."

I shut the door behind me.

Satoshi Nakazawa (Kappa Team)
A great sense of uneasiness washes over me as we exit the grocery store. The broken down parking lot is desolate, filled with nothing but the ruined remains of old cars and springy weeds that grow between the cracks of the cement. But it's not the atmosphere that disturbs me. No. It's the thought that someone may be out there, watching us.

Waiting.

"Is this really a good idea?" I ask Zantae as we pick our way across the parking lot. I keep a close eye on the thick forest that encroachs on the pavement. Just about anyone could be hiding in there and we'd never know.

"We need to find Nailah," She responds. Her voice sounds distant. Like her mind is elsewhere. I don't know why, but she's been like that she since last night. "And it's not as if we could remain here forever. We have to leave eventually."

"I know that," I grunt. "This was my idea, remember? It's just, well, is it a good idea?"

"Yes. It's the logical course of action. We'll be a much more cohesive unit with Nailah by our side than we are without her." Yeah, I know that. It's why I suggested that we look for her in the first place. But still...I don't very much look forward to aimlessly wandering around. It would be one thing if we knew where Nailah was, but we don't have any clue where she has gone. For all we know she may have retreated to that bunker we woke up in.

We press into the forest. I can't help but look at the serrated mountains that loom in the distance. What's up there? Are they even part of the playing field? Sheesh, I really hope not. That looks like it would be a pain to navigate.

The mountains disappear as the foliage of the forest swallows us. I stick close to Zantae as we walk, using my grappling hook to swat protruding branches from our path. We don't travel for long before we come upon a stream. Babbling and burbling, it springs over the rocks in its path further into the forest.

Zantae goes to refill our canteens as I stand guard. I shuffle from foot to foot, feeling like an easy target. What am I even supposed to do if someone comes? They have freaking guns.

That's when my bracelet chimes. Confused, I look down at it to see the face being blanked with a large red X, followed by a chirpy voice. "Nathaniel Arvidsson has eliminated Waiyaki Bello with an icepick."

I swear loudly. Zantae gasps and gives me a stern look. I swear again. "Did you hear that?" I demand. "Someone just got murdered with an icepick. What the hell kind of person even thinks about doing something like that?"

"I...don't know." Zantae sounds lost. Confused. Saddened. I wish I could feel the same, but the only emotion I can muster is anger and fear. Most of it towards Dr. Black, but also for the others. Why are they feeding into this maniac and killing each other?

"The Event Hub."

"Huh?" I look at Zantae. "You say something?"

"The Event Hub. Teams had to enter, remember? I...I think that this...death was part of the game."

I let loose another litany of curses. This time Zantae doesn't understand them, or maybe she's just not paying attention. She stands still for a long moment, staring out at the trees. Finally she shakes her head. "We have to keep moving. Find Nailah. Come on, Satoshi."

She sets off at a brisk pace, leaving me little choice but to follow. I wonder if she's just trying to distract herself from the hard truth facing us. People are dying. Quickly. Its been just over twenty-four hours since we got here and already three of us are dead.

How long before we all suffer that fate?

We leave the stream behind and set off to the west. Eventually the ground begins to slope upwards and we find ourselves heading up a ridge. Though I easily lope up the incline, I notice Zantae lagging behind. She has begun to sweat and occasionally stops to catch her breath. Embarrassed, I slow down. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is an athlete like me.

The lake appears as if by magic as we finally crest the ridge. It is deep blue in colour and shaped like a perfectly flat disc of metal. No sound rings out from the shimmering emptiness of space around it. Quiet as a shrine, it is lined with pine trees and the whiff of mint wafts up to us. Wordless, we begin to make our way to its shore. The idyllic scene takes my breath away. Unruffled by wind or rain, the lake is still and restful.

"It's beautiful," Zantae whispers.

I nod in agreement. For awhile I'm so transfixed by the sight that I forget to speak. But then I notice something amiss. Footsteps.

As a figure emerges from the forest, gun in hand, I scream. Not again! Not another attack! Panicked, I do the only thing I can think of.

I jump into the lake.

Nailah Adebowale (Kappa Team)
Satoshi dives into the lake, disappearing beneath the water with a splash. I lower my gun, surprised by this sudden action. Just what is he thinking?

"Nailah!" A bright smile crosses Zantae's face as she recognizes me. Darting across the open space between us, the younger girl wraps me in a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

I stand still, unsure how to react to such a display of affection from a practical stranger. Eventually I just pat her on the head. "It is nice to see you as well," I say. Out on the lake Satoshi finally emerges. Sputtering and gasping, he stares out at us with wide eyes.

"Oh, come on!"

"You were not expecting me?" I ask.

"Of course not!" He clambers out of the lake, shaking himself dry. I disengage myself from Zantae and step back to avoid getting wet. Satoshi scowls at me. "What were you thinking? Don't sneak up on people like that!"

They're so young and innocent. It's hard to remember that not everyone has had to experience the same things that I have. In my world, remaining hidden was oftentimes the difference between being alive or dead.

"I was just testing your skills," I say, "You did well in detecting me, Satoshi. That is a good skill to have."

"Really? Cool!" He grins and, just like that, his anger is forgotten. This has always been a skill of mine. The ability to emphasize, connect, and yes, manipulate people.

"Where have you been, Nailah?" Zantae stares at me with wide eyes. There is an unexpected twinge of emotion in my chest when I look at her. Though she is twice her age, she very much has the appearance of my niece, Amadi.

I hope that she and Amare are alright. My disappearance must have worried them greatly.

"Did you run from that crazy girl?" Satoshi asks before I can answer. He seems to have recovered from his ordeal in the lake and is now rubbing himself dry. "I mean, she was completely insane! She was trying to kill us! Kill us! What kind of person could do something like that?"

"Perhaps she was only trying to survive," I say quietly.

"Yeah, no. Not buying that."

So innocent. If only he could remain this way. Uncorrupted. Free from the black stains that infest the world. But he will have to learn soon if he wants to survive Dr. Black and the upcoming games.

"That girl, Evie, she was killed," Zantae speaks in a hushed voice. She stares out at the lake, face blank. It as if she is locking her emotions away. "A man...he shot her. Shot her right in the head. He didn't even hesitate! He just..."

"I know. I saw her body." I dug her grave. She deserved that much, at least.

There is silence. A slow wind has picked up, stirring the water on the lake. Judging by the position of the sun, noon is rapidly approaching. The fact that we are not dead indicates that some team has entered the Event Hub. Good. Dr. Black will be too busy dealing with that aftermath to harass us.

"We need to move," I break the tranquil silence. Both of my teammates turn look at me. I nod. "We need shelter, somewhere safe where we can plan and fall back to in case something goes awry. If we get separated again we need to know that we can find each other."

"Do you know a place?" Zantae asks. "Did you find somewhere yesterday?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Where were you anyways?" Satoshi studies me intently. There is a frown etched on his face. "And how did you find us? I mean, I'm glad that you did, but it was pretty convenient that you just happened to stumble on us."

"If you do not wish for people to find you," I say, "then do not move so loudly. A three legged buffalo makes less noise than you do."

Satoshi scowls and mutters something in another language. I turn to the lake, pleased. He did not notice his question went unanswered.

There is little else said after that exchange. Zantae brings up an old grocery store that they found, but I do not like its central location and general premise. Too many other teams will be drawn to it. So, instead of heading back, I lead them forward. We head east, a direction none of us have yet explored.

Satoshi and Zantae talk as we walk. They speak about their lives and their hobbies. Satoshi enjoys sports, football--soccer, he calls it--most of all. He has many friends and a happy, stable home. But there is an undercurrent of nerves beneath his words. He is not sharing everything. Something in his life, something recent, is troubling him. I do not know what it is.

Zantae, for her part, is far easier to read. There is an obvious hitch in her voice whenever she speaks about her parents. She is worried about them. Understandably so. While I am uneasy about being separated from mine own family, I know that Amare and Makari are well equipped to deal with any trouble that may arise in my absence. But Zanate does not have any such reassurance.

"Nailah?"

"Yes?" I pause, looking over my shoulders. Zantae is frowning at me.

"Did you, um, hurt your leg?"

She must have noticed my limp. I instinctively flex the leg, memories of pain flashing through me. "Yes," I say. "But it happened long ago. Long before I set foot in this Playing Field."

"Oh. I was worried that you may have been hurt while we separated."

I cannot stop the smile that crosses my face. "You're kind, Zantae. That is refreshing." May she never lose that priceless quality.

We drift into a peaceful silence after that. Yet I still I keep my guard up. A familiar maxim has long since been drilled into my head. Expect nothing, Anticipate everything. If someone were to attack us, I will not allow them to find an easy target.

The forest around us begins to thin. The trees grow shorter, the bushes further apart. The dirt beneath our feet is replaced by thick, fluffy grass. Soon hedges pop up alongside us. No, not hedges. Trellises. They're just so overgrown to be practically indistinguishable from a hedge.

"Think those grapes are edible?" Satoshi points out the small berries that grow along the vines. There are many of them, gathered together in large clusters.

"I would not risk it," I say.

"Grapes are harmless," Zantae pipes in, "Well, except to dogs."

"Wait, what? Dude! Are grapes like, dog poison or something?"

As Satoshi and Zantae launch into a discussion about grape toxicity, I turn my attention to the vines. I do not care if grapes are normally harmless. Nothing can be trusted here. Whose to say that Dr. Black hasn't poisoned them?

Far above us, a bird caws.

I pull up my sniper and zoom in with my scope. Despite the immense distant, the bird appears clear and detailed to my eyes thanks to the scopes magnification.

"I love the look of that sniper!" Satoshi grins.

Zantae gives him an exasperated look. "What kind of bird is it?" She asks, turning to me.

I do not know. I have never seen its like, so I imagine that it is not native to my homeland. It is very obviously a bird of prey, but I know little else. Zantae asks me to describe it, so I do.

"Oh!" She claps her hands together excitedly. "It's a bald eagle!"

"Aren't those native to North America?" Satoshi scratches his head. "What the hell is one doing here?"

I say nothing as I lower my scope. Already I am storing this information away. Amare would know more about what to do with it, but she is not here. I will have to accomplish this without her. Though I had known that would be the case, I still cannot help but feel that--

"Get down!"

I'm already on the ground before Satoshi's warning is even finished. I roll as soon as I hit the ground, propping myself up behind a fallen trellis. Zantae clumsily drops beside me as Satoshi ducks behind a trellis opposite us.

"What is happening?" I ask. I remain calm as I set my rifle atop the trellis, carefully settling it into a steady position. There is no time to speculate.

"There's someone in the trees," Satoshi whispers. He points a slender finger east at a small grove of what looks to be some sort of fruit trees. "See that wooden house-thingy? I saw movement there."

The "wooden house-thingy" is a small wooden structure that is set amongst the branches of the fruit trees. Square and boxy, it is quite small and from casual inspection appears to be nothing more than a very large birdhouse.

"You saw someone in there?" I ask quietly as I peer through my scope.

"Yeah. I don't think they saw us, but I didn't want to take the risk..."

Through my scope I can see the structure is clearly some sort of makeshift treehouse. Though it cannot possibly hold more than a single person, and a small one at that. I watch it carefully and see, true to Satoshi's word, movement.

"Someone is inside the box," I say. I examine the treehouses gaps, the seams. I could slide a bullet between them easily enough, but I would not need to. I could just as easily shoot through it. The flimsy wood would do little to protect the person inside.

"What are they doing?" Zantae whispers into my ear.

"It does not matter."

A threat to be neutralized. My finger rests over the trigger, ready to take the shot that will end this Challengers life. But before I can, something happens. Through the gaps in the wood I see a flash of movement, then a blond head is sticking, gazing down at a greenhouse parallel to us.

"Hey, guys! Guys!" A chirpy voice squeaks down. "Come check out my awesome treehouse!"

A child. The boy's youthful face is stretched into a grin. Wide, happy eyes that shine with a vibrancy of life that only the young know stare out playfully. Such innocence.

I remember an old building full of similar children. My orders. I remember the fire. The screams. I remember crying into Amare's shoulder afterwards.

My finger slips off the trigger.

I will not shoot this child. I can. I have done such things before. But those were things out of my control, actions I had no choice in taking. But this time it is solely my choice. Mine own decision.

"It's a kid!" Satoshi hisses from my right. "Dr. Black kidnapped a kid! That bastard!"

Zantae, though she herself cannot be much older than that boy, murmurs an agreement. "He shouldn't be here...it's not right!"

"Harry!" A new voice disrupts the conversation. Soft and feminine, with an accent that is different from all of ours. "Harry! What do you think you are doing? It is dangerous up there!"

The boy lets out a tinkling laugh. "No it's not! No one will ever find me up here! It's the safest place! Come on up, Fern! We'll all be safe together!"

Fern...

I slide my scope around until I spot the newcomer. Standing in front of the greenhouse entry is a young woman. She has a scowl on her face, hands on her hips, and long black hair that stretches out behind her as she tosses her head.

Fernanda Gutierrez. She, I can shoot. It is important that I do. Though I have qualms about such an unfair situation, I cannot relent. Too much is depending on me. I take a deep breath, steady my arm, and take aim. My reticle hovers over her heart as I line up the perfect shot.

"What are you doing?" Zantae's voice, shrill with alarm, pierces my eardrums. "You're not going to shoot them, are you?"

Ignoring her, I finalize my aim and pull the trigger.

There is an ear-splitting Crack! as the bullet races through the air. It takes Fernanda straight in the chest. Her words break off into a loud gasp as she topples backwards, bouncing off the plastered greenhouse walls and sinking to the ground.

The little boy is screaming. I lower my rifle, instinctively reloading. It is not until I finish do I see the horrified expressions on my teammates faces.

"What the hell?" Satoshi is shaking his head. He runs hands through his hair. "What the actual hell! You just shot her!"

"I did what I had to do."

"You didn't have to do anything!"

"Keep your voice down!" I shoot a glance towards the tree house, but without my scope I cannot make anything out.

Satoshi bellows wordlessly, turning his back on me. Zantae watches with quiet solemnity. I do not know what she thinks, but it is safe to assume that she is not happy. I do not understand. What did they think would happen in this game? Dr. Black has made it clear what the stakes are. That is not even taking into account my own--

Something thumps down beside us. Curious, I turn to see a small, round object rolling towards me.

My eyes widen. "Grenade!"

I tackle Zantae just as the explosion goes off. A brief pain flashes across my body as we hit the ground. Zantae wrapped tightly in my arms, I go rolling through the trellis. I emerge on the other side, ears ringing, arms and legs intact. Behind us, flames from the explosion lick at the vines.

"Are you hurt?" I pull Zantae to her feet. Pale and trembling, the girl shakes her head. "Good. Then let's move."

My legs sear with pain as I cut through the vines, practically dragging Zantae with me. I believe that they've been burnt in the explosion. That is fine. It could've been much worse. They could've been torn off.

I do not know where that grenade came from or who threw it. It does not matter. I need to get my team to safety before I can think about such things. Still, the threat of another attack gives me speed.

We're halfway back to the forest when we happen upon Satoshi. He's on his hands and knees, coughing his heart out. I grab him by the collar and haul him to his feet. He flails about, trying to fight, until he recognizes me.

"Wh-what the hell just happened?" He mumbles. He does not seem very coherent.

"A counterattack. I should have anticipated it. I did not, so we were caught unaware. It will not happen again."

He blithers something unintelligible as I drag him along. Zantae silently clings to my arm. I believe she has gone into shock. So, hoisting my rifle, which I managed to keep ahold of through the explosion, I lead them both back down the familiar path. Back towards the lake.

That is how my team limps away. Weakened but unbroken.

Shintaro Sosune (Lambda Team)
I crouch down and run a hand through the dirt, letting the fine powdery substance slide across my fingers. A few vines still smolder, but there is no sign of that team. They must have fled.

That is probably for the best. I do not envision that I could have eliminated all three of them. Not with my current tools, at least. I stand, dust myself off, and walk back towards the greenhouse. Upon arriving there I find Fernanda, lying prone on the ground. Dead, I see.

As always, a vivid crimson flashes across my vision when I look at her. A result of my synesthesia. Yet it is still unusual. I do not normally see colors attached to people. Why is she different?

I shake my head. It doesn't matter anymore. She is dead. Unfortunate, I suppose. I cannot bring myself to care. It is true that her death leaves me in a weakened position, but I never trusted Fernanda. Her actions and words made it all too obvious that she viewed me as nothing more than a tool to be used. One to be discarded the moment I lost value. So it is for the best that she died. I am about to turn away and look for Harry when it happens.

Fernanda sits up.

"Ay! Lo que acaba de pasar?" She rubs her chest, grimacing as she looks around. Her face twists into a scowl as she spots me. "Shintaro! What did you do?"

"I did nothing," I answer. How did she survive? I am certain that the bullet took her directly in the chest. No one could survive such a blow.

"Then what happened?" She slowly climbs to her feet. As she does, I notice a bulge beneath her clothes. A padded vest? "Where's Harry? And who the hell shot me?"

I quietly explain what happened. A concealed gunman attacked as she was speaking with Harry. After shooting Fernanda, the gunman appeared to get into an argument with their compatriots. That is how I triangulated their position. So I tossed a grenade and waited. There was no death confirmation, no body, so they must have all successfully fled.

Fernanda rubs her neck as I finish. "So another team attacked us?" She asks.

"That is my working theory, yes."

"Were they trying to get to the Event Hub?"

"Unlikely." The Event Hub that opened was not the same as the one located here in the vineyard. There would be no reason for a team to try and approach it.

Fernanda mutters under her breath. I study her intently. "Where did you get the bulletproof vest?"

Her head jerks up. "Excuse me?"

"The vest. Where did you get it?"

There's a moment's hesitation as she stares at me, eyes narrowing. Then she shrugs. "I do not know what you're speaking about. Besides," She adds quickly, "We don't have time for this. We need to find Harry!"

She rushes off, calling for the boy. I remain where I am. So. She chose to lie, did she? Interesting. That has confirmed my theory that she does not trust me. My skin prickles at the thought. To her I am nothing but a liability, something to be cast off.

How can I work with her?

Troubled, I begin to wander the vineyard in search of Harry. It is true that we need to find him. Still, I cannot shake off thoughts about Fernanda and her vest. The question of how she survived remains. That vest should not have protected her from a high-powered shot at such close range. Not unless it is much stronger than I believe it to be.

I catch up to Fernanda as I cross between two greenhouses. Spotting me, she slows down so that I can walk beside her. "I got the vest from my bag," She says quietly. "I did not mention it because I did not know if I could trust you.

"So you trust me now?"

A short pause. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

She does not. The way that this game is played has shown that it is crucial to work well with your allies. It doesn't matter whether I can trust Fernanda or not; I have no choice. I work with her or I die. Needless to say, death is not high on my to-do list.

"I have every intention of working with you," I tell her. She gives me a surprised look. "It's true. Our fates are inextricably linked. I will not allow you to be brought low and you, in turn, will not allow me to suffer the same. Agreed?"

A smile crosses her face. A rarity. "Agreed!"

Perhaps my earlier analysis was wrong. Maybe she does not view me as a discardable tool. I am more of a unliked acquaintance who one must work with regardless. It is not a preferable distinction, but it is far superior to my previous assumptions.

A flash of crimson.

I nearly stumble into the side of the greenhouse. Fernanda grabs me at the last moment, pulling me upright. "Are you okay?"

I nod, turning away from her. "Yes. Fine. Just fine."

My synesthesia has never worked like this before. It's been changing ever since I woke up here. Intensifying. Why? What could possibly be the reason? I search my mind, analyzing it for possibilities. What I find troubles me. There seems to be a...gap in my memory. Forgotten information.

The feeling is unpleasant. Thanks to my hyperthymesia I've literally never forgotten anything, no matter how trivial or how much I wish I could. The fact I now have a sizable gap is close to terrifying. It's not just information about my kidnapping that is missing. There's a strong, overwhelming sensation that I have forgotten something important. Something that I should remember but don't.

The sound of quiet sobbing pulls me out of my thoughts. I cast my gaze around but see nothing out of the ordinary. Fernanda, however, points at a nearby greenhouse. "He's in there!"

The two of us push our way inside. A warm, humid air immediately wraps itself around me. I wrinkle my nose as I sidestep a discarded pile of tools and take in my surroundings. Several large ventilation machines rumble from the corners of the greenhouse, forming a square around two long troughs filled with overgrown plants. At the far end, half-hidden behind a crate, crouches Harry.

His sobs echo as we approach at a careful walk. He raises his head as we near, tear filled eyes widening as he recognizes Fernanda. "You're alive! But how? I saw you die! You died!"

As Fernanda begins to explain, I step forward to examine the crate. The sheer plastic and carbon fibre plating immediately differentiates it from the rusty metallic machinery. I run a hand along the lid, then push up. It flips open easily.

Inside I find several useful objects. Some bandages, gauze pads, and antibiotic cream. A handful of ready to eat meals, a tarp, and, an object that immediately grabs my eye, a large knife.

A sheath knife, with a design similar enough to a Bowie knife that it might as well be one. It is not a gun, but it will do. I examine it for a moment before slipping it back into its sheath. Two grenades, a shovel, and a knife. That is the totality of my weaponry.

I wonder if that will be sufficient.

Fernanda is still trying to comfort a tearful Harry. Judging by her facial expressions it is not a job that she enjoys. I can relate. Emotional people, even if they're just children, can be immensely aggravating. Annoyed by Harry's irrational behavior, I exit the greenhouse.

The sun gives away that it is midafternoon. Evening should arrive in a few hours. It is interesting to note that only one person has died so far. The Event Hubs must not be as dangerous as I thought. That, or the real dangers are merely being held back for now. I sit down and stare at the sky, realising that there is nothing left for me to do but watch and wait.

Nari Rhee (Omega Team)
Karne and I stand silently as, far above us, the supply drop lazily wafts in the sky. The yellow parachute that holds the blue crate is a stark contrast against the heavily clouded sky. It is an omen. Of what? That I do not know.

Karne is large and muscular despite his age, with arms like stone and a chest broad as a boulder. Yet, there is nothing oafish in his air. He stands with an innate majesty, his eyes wise, his voice calm and steady. "Why is it coming to us?" He grunts as we watch it descend. "We haven't done anything to deserve a reward."

"Perhaps it is luck," I say quietly.

Karne laughs. "Luck? No. This is too staged to be random. It practically appeared right over us. Dr. Black, for some reason, wants us to have that supply drop."

He resumes staring up at the sky. Instead of doing the same, I watch him. He reminds me of the soldiers back home. So responsible and in control on the outside. But look a little deeper and you see the insecurities. The fear. Karne is not the irreverent killing machine he presents himself as.

He's something...more.

The supply drop lands with a thump. It is fortunate that we have long since left the forest and emerged into a open field of farmland, otherwise the drop may have been caught in the trees. As it stands, though, the crate merely lands between two rows of overgrown carrots.

Karne strides forward, grabs the parachute and, pulling it off from where it has concealed the crate, flings it aside. He then quickly and easily pulls off the lid. "Hrm," He grunts as he peers inside, "Seems like we got a new weapon."

The sword I received as a weapon is practically useless. Against someone like Karne it would be nothing more than a pointy stick. "What is the weapon?" I ask.

Karne pulls out a gun. "Heh! Now it's a fair fight!" He waves it about in one hand, grinning. I cannot help but feel uneasy at the sight of it. Only those blessed by the Supreme Leader are allowed to wield such weapons.

"It's an Uzi!" Karne is examining the weapon intently. He must see more about it then I do. To me, it's basically indistinguishable from any other weapon. "No extra ammo, though. So we only have what is already inside the gun."

Karne proceeds to take out the other items. A First-Aid Kit, a compact folding saw, and a flare. Karne lingers over this last object, rotating it in his hands. "What is its purpose?" He growls. "Does he want us to toss it on the ground and see what happens?"

I do not know. Perhaps he wishes for us to use it to illuminate a dark space. I have seen men do similar things before. At any rate, Karne takes all the items and stores them away on his person. I do not get anything, but I am fine with that. The strongest should hold the most.

Afterwards Karne stalks off without a word. I follow along, deep in thought. It is possible that this supply drop was to make up for us losing a teammate yesterday. That girl, I do not remember her name, never came back after she ran off. Neither did we bother waiting for her. Karne merely led me out a back door and the two of us disappeared into the shelter of the forest.

If Dr. Black had not informed us I doubt we'd have even known she died.

Now we walk along a dirt road between rows of freshly tilled farmland. Small wooden fences are all that separates us from the soft soil. In the distance, I can just make out a large red barn. A farmhouse lies a little ways beyond that.

"You're from Japan, right?" To my shock, Karne breaks the silence. Up until this point he has never spoken to me unless necessary.

"No."

He grunts something unintelligible. "China, then?"

"No."

This time he curses loudly. Seemingly confused, he scratches at his chin. "Where the hell are you from then?"

"Korea. The north."

Karne breaks out laughing. It's a loud, rumbling sound, his laughter. Several minutes of walking passes before he recovers enough to speak. "You're from the same country as Fatty the Third?"

"I know not of whom you speak."

"Your leader. The fat guy in the stupid suit."

Instantly my eyes dart around but, of course, there is nothing to see. "Do not speak so loudly!" I warn. "The Supreme Leader hears all."

Karne gives a derisive snort. "That idiot won't hear anything. We're in Dr. Black's game, not his." Despite his words, he soon falls silent. That is well. Though I have learned that not everything I was taught is true, it is still hard to hear such things.

I turn my attention back to the road. The farmhouse is coming up on our right. Other than that there is nothing to see but fields upon fields. Karne pulls to a halt at the crossroads. "I'm going to check that house out."

A quiet chiming stops him on his tracks. I raise my bracelet, expecting to see the announcement of another death. Instead there is only Dr. Black. "Greetings, Omega Team. It feels as if it has been ages since I last spoke personally to you!"

Karne doesn't respond. Neither do I.

"It appears that you have nothing to say. That is fine. I am only here to impart some information, after all."

I do not understand Dr. Black. Why does he speak so cordially? What is his goal? Nothing he does or says has any sense to it. It's all just...meaningless.

Dr. Black steeples his fingers, lacing them together as he stares through the screen. "That supply drop you found was not random. It was, in fact, gifted to you by another team. Sigma Team, to be precise." Though I do not show it outwardly, I am surprised. Weren't the other teams supposed to be our enemies? "I merely thought it prudent that you know whom to thank for your miraculous discovery. That will be all. Fare thee well, Omega Team."

Karne grunts. "Idiots!"

"Dr. Black?"

Karne glares at me. "No, Sigma Team." He turns his back to me and stalks towards the farmhouse. He pauses as he reaches the door. "Never give your enemy anything. He'll just use your generosity against you. Which is exactly what I plan on doing."

Francesca Rowe (Zeta Team)
The fields we stand before are bright green. The air around us is silent save for the chirping of insects. A pageant of smells float in the air and a wave of dandelions litter the meadow. Staffs of slim light spill from the darkening sky.

"Hannah should not have run off," Sofia grumbles. The girl has a frown on her face and arms wrapped tightly around herself as if to ward off the cold. "We should not be separated like this."

I step forward, leaning down to run a hand along the dandelions. I agree with what Sofia has said. Staying together is the most important and smart thing to do. But Hannah demanded that she be allowed to scout ahead, and I couldn't exactly force her to stay. "She'll be back," Is all I say.

Sofia tosses her hair. "She better! What does she think will happen to us if she dies?"

I focus my attention on the fields that lie before us. Past our meadow lies barren, rolling terrain as far as the eye can see. This moorland seems to offer very little in the way of shelter or camouflage. A negative quality, I'd think. Someone could spot us from a mile away and we'd be none the wiser.

We've spent the vast majority of the day exploring the woods, as we'd agreed last night. For the most part there wasn't much to find. Just trees and rocks, the occasional animal, and an old abandoned shack that looked like it was about to fall apart at any moment. We also happened on what appeared to be some sort of swamp or bog, but we all agreed that it would be utterly foolish to venture into there, so we immediately set off in the opposite direction.

And that is how we found ourselves on the fringe of this moor. Hannah has gone ahead to scout the rest of the forest, promising that she'd return in half an hour. Twenty minutes have passed so far.

"This doesn't make sense!"

I turn to Sofia and raise an eyebrow in question. "Oh? What doesn't?"

She gestures at the moorland. "This! The swamp! The forest! Why would such varied environments be so close together? It does not seem natural."

I hadn't thought of that. It's true that the placement of these biomes seem a little...suspect. I can't say that I'm an expert on the natural world, but the way things are laid out do not quite ring true. Is it possible that Dr. Black has created all these environments himself?

No. I don't see how that would make sense. Of course, nothing about Dr. Black seems to make sense. I still remember that game I played yesterday, the adrenaline that pulsed through me as I answered each question. And the fear that swallowed me when I failed. An emotion that was only matched by the relief I felt at learning that the bomb was a fake.

But why was it fake? Dr. Black has shown no qualms about killing us, as the three deaths have shown. He even seems to enjoy the dangers that we face. But what is his reason? Is he just a psychotic man who somehow received the resources necessary for this whole thing? No, that doesn't feel right.

I massage my forehead, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. I can't shake the sensation that I should know the answer. That I cannot remember something which I should. Of course, that may also just be the stress getting to me.

"It has been thirty minutes!" Sofia stamps her feet. "Hannah has not returned. What should we do?"

"I suppose that we should go search for her," I say. I doubt that she has run into trouble. More likely she has just forgotten about us and her promise. Hannah very much strikes me as the sort of individual who often forgets their responsibilities.

We tromp back into the shelter of the woods. I am, for one, very glad to be leaving the moorland behind. That open and exposed space made me quite uncomfortable. Still, I cannot let my guard down. You never know when an attack will come.

We take a leaf-carpeted path through the woods. A purple tint is invading the late afternoon sky. Evening cannot be far off. That means it is imperative that we find Hannah quickly. We should not be separated come nightfall.

"Do you hear that?" Sofia pulls to a stop. I do the same. Opening my ears, I can just make out a faint crinkling sound.

"Footsteps on leaves," I say quietly. Sofia gives me a questioning glance and I point to our west, through a thick grove of oak trees. "Someone is back there. Hannah, most likely."

In silent agreement the two of us push our way through the undergrowth. When we come out on the other side, however, we happen upon a surprise.

It's not Hannah.

A small, slight boy stares dumbstruck at us as we emerge. His tousled black hair and winded expression show that he, like us, has been navigating the forest. His narrow eyes widen and he opens his mouth to speak when Sofia beats him to it.

"Who the hell are you?"

The boy blinks, taking a step backwards. His eyes swivel from Sofia to me and then back. "Oh! Oh. I hadn't...excuse me, but this is quite the surprise..."

So polite. But there's an undercurrent of tension beneath his words, and the way his eyes keep swiveling show that he's not as collected as he'd have us believe. That said, I'm feeling similarly confused.

"You're a member of another team," I say.

"I...yes, that is correct," The boy glances over his shoulder. I frown. What is he looking for? "I must say that I am surprised to meet another team like this. Peacefully, I mean. I had thought..."

He'd thought we'd try to kill him. That line of thinking makes sense, I suppose. Dr. Black certainly seems keen to have us murder one another. But I see no reason to harm this boy. He, like us, is merely a pawn in Dr. Black's machinations.

"We haven't encountered another team yet," I keep my tone neutral. "I didn't know what to expect. Personally, I'm glad that you seem sane and rational. I was worried that wouldn't be the case."

"I...yes. I agree. I'm Shinji, by the way. Shinji Nakazawa."

"Francesca Rowe." I offer my hand to shake but he doesn't take it. After a moment's hesitation I withdraw my hand. "Where are your teammates?"

"They're around here somewhere." Shinji once again glances around. He is obviously uncomfortable. "Where is your third teammate, if you don't mind me asking?"

Answering my question with a question of his own...Is he trying to deflect? I can't see the purpose, but this boy gives off a serious vibe of paranoia. "She's around here somewhere," I say lightly.

"She?" His eyebrows raise. "So your team is all female?"

"It does not matter!" Sofia huffs. She turns to give me a fierce glare. "And do we have the time for this? I think not!"

It is obvious that Sofia does not believe we should be speaking with this boy. I understand that sentiment, but cannot agree with it. If we wish to survive long enough to be rescued, then it is imperative that we learn as much about what is happening as possible. And how are we to do that if we don't speak with the other teams?

Shinji shifts his feet, eyes once again darting to look around. There is definitely something bothering him. But what? My eyes examine his person, searching for a hidden weapon. The only thing I can find is a small coil tied to his belt. A whip? Well, that is hardly a threatening weapon. And if it came down to a hand-to-hand fight, I am certain tribute I could defeat this boy. In short, Shinji is nothing to fear.

Perhaps that is why he is nervous. Maybe he knows that he is completely helpless against us.

"We should get moving!" Sofia tugs on my arm, trying to pull me away. I resist and she throws her hands up in disgust. "Idiota! We have no time! And what if this is a trap? We could die!"

In response, a howl pierces the air.

Sofia spins in its direction. "What was that?"

The howl repeats itself, this time sounding much closer. I reach for my crowbar and hold it at the ready. Such an inhuman howl...a dog? As I'm thinking this, another howl rings out. This time from the complete opposite direction.

"Sounds like they're signalling each other," Shinji mutters.

He's right. As more of whatever these are pick up the call, it becomes obvious that they are communicating with one another.

"Stay together!" I command. Shinji and Sofia shuffle closer until we're in a tight triangle. Shinji uncoils his whip and holds it in a trembling hand.

"My teammates should be nearby," He says. His voice quavers only slightly. "They will come and help. I am sure of it."

The howls continue to ring out around us. I count at least six different calls. Six creatures. Can we beat six? The weak feeling in my knees is answer enough.

"Get to the trees," I say just as a foul odor fills the air. I resist the urge to gag as the putrid smell flutters around me. "We might be safe if we climb high enough."

"We don't know that!" Sofia is frantic. Her eyes are as wide as saucers. "What if they can climb?"

As if on cue, the first creature emerges from the trees. A large, wolf-like animal with midnight black fur and red eyes that burn like coals in a fire. I find myself transfixed by those eyes. There is something wrong about them. No animal has eyes that color.

"Run!"

Sofia breaks out into a sprint, dashing the opposite way of the wolf. But she comes skidding to a halt as a second wolf emerges from the woods. Snarling, it lets out a low growl as it paces forward.

Then it charges.

Sofia screams and throws her hands up. The wolves jaws come snapping for her face as I rush forward and swing my crowbar.

My blow takes the wolf directly in the face. The creature hits the ground, rolls, then lands in a discordant heap. It does not get back up. "Move!" I hiss at Sofia, darting for the trees.

The girl hesitates for only a second before following me. We're halfway to the nearest tree when two more wolves come for us. I barely have time to even note their presence before a claw is slashing across my face, cutting my cheek, and spilling blood down my skin.

I slam my fist into the wolf's head, using my crowbar to fend off a clawed paw from the other. My cheek burns with pain as I reorient myself, desperately trying to regain sense of the situation. The wolves attack again.

I spin between them and swing my crowbar. I hit the one on the right, metal iron of the crowbar smashing against the creatures jaw. Moving behind them, I sweep my crowbar at their feet, knocking one off balance. As it falls, I take the opportunity to turn and run.

Sofia is already at the deep woods. She disappears into the foliage without even a backwards glance. So she's safe...but what about Shinji?

That's when I see him. Trapped between a trio of wolves, Shinji is snapping his whip, looking like an animal trainer that is way over his head. He can't beat them. I realize that immediately. They'll take him down, kill him.

I can't let that happen!

Something slams into me. I hit the ground hard, air escaping my lips in a huge gasp. Hot, putrid breath blows against my face as snapping jaws reach for my neck. Desperate, I hold out my crowbar and the jaws close around it, saliva flying as it frantically attempts to chew through the metal.

My grip slackens. Arms weaken. The wolf presses down, eyes burning with that deep, unnatural red.

A metal bat smashes into its head.

There's a short whimper as slumps to the side, falling motionless beside me. Then a hand grips my forearm and jerks me to my feet. Familiar blue eyes stare at me. "Crikey, Fran. What the hell is happening?"

"Hannah!" My voice is a weak gasp. "Where've you been?"

"Now is definitely not the time! We need to go!" She tows me away towards the trees, the same place where Sofia disappeared. Halfway there I begin to resist and Hannah slaps me. "What the hell? Why are you fighting me?"

"Shinji!"

"Who?"

"That boy! He's going to die!" I point. Shinji is lashing his whip at the wolves, desperately but futily trying to keep them at bay. Even as we watch one darts forward and rakes a claw across his knees. With a cry of pain, he falls. Seeing an opportunity, one of the wolves lunges for him.

"No!"

A gunshot rings out. The lunging wolf flies over Shinji and hits the ground behind him. The other two wolves hesitate, confused. That's because they don't see what I do.

Two people arrive on the scene. One male, one female. The female stops to reload her rifle as the male opens fire with his own gun. A hail of bullets rip into the two remaining wolves. Mesmerized, I stand in silent terror as the beasts die beneath a rain of lead.

Something tugs on my arm. "Francesca."

I blink. "Hannah?"

"Time to go."

"But—"

"No buts. We're going. Now."

She tightens her grip on my arm and leads me away from the gunfire. I feel cold. Afraid. The wolves...I shake my head. No time to lose. We need to regroup with Sofia and get somewhere safe. Especially now that the sun is setting.

The second night has begun.

Ryder Locklear (Delta Team)
My AK clicks empty. Grunting, I toss it back over my shoulder and pull out my Beretta. I line up my aim and, with one careful shot, put a bullet in the head of the final wolf. Its body thumps against the ground a moment later.

"What were those things?" Vjena walks over to the corpse of the nearest wolf, nudging it with her foot. "They do not look natural. There is something...off about them."

"It doesn't matter. They are dead." I cross over to Shinji. The boy is still lying on the ground, staring up at the sky with a terrified expression. I grab him by the shoulders and haul him to his feet. "What happened?" I demand.

"I...I don't know. The wolves just came from nowhere and started attacking...I..." He trails off.

What utterly useless information. He didn't tell me a single thing that I didn't already know. I let go of him and stalk over to one of the downed wolves. A pool of rapidly spreading blood swallows the grass around the body. Vjena is right. These wolves are nothing like any I've seen before.

The world is falling apart. The cruel and the greedy are shredding its very core. They corrupt everything they touch, so it is not surprising that the natural world has begun to adopt the outward appearance of what lies beneath the skin.

Pure black corruption.

"Splitting up was a bad idea," Vjena rises from her examination of the wolf. "This attack would never have gotten so far if we had stayed together."

I narrow my eyes. She references the fact that the three of us split up about an hour ago. We were making no clear progess towards finding the other teams, so I decided that we'd go our separate ways to cover more ground.

"The plan was fine," I say. "No damage was done."

Her only response is a short nod. Fool. What difference would being together have made? And it is not as if she had made any objection to the plan when I first brought it up. Only now does she complain.

"The truly important thing," I begin pacing back and forth, "is the fact that we did not find another team. How are we to eliminate the impure if we cannot find them?"

Shinji makes a small noise. I turn to him, expecting a response, but he only shakes his head and turns away from me. I examine him closely. Has he, by any chance, somehow seen signs of another team? Not that it would matter now; it'd be almost impossible to track anyone in this fading light.

"What's our next play?" Vjena asks.

There is one thing that I can think of. Something that would guarantee we run into other teams. "We will find an Event Hub," I say.

Shinji looks up, surprised. "So now we're going to play the games?"

I snort derisively. "No, stupid. What we're going to do is find one of those Hubs and wait for it to open. Then, when a team goes to enter, we'll spring our trap."

It's the perfect plan. The other teams will be forced to come to us, sparing the crucial time and energy we'd expend hunting them down. Of course, the fact that my AK is out of ammunition could pose a problem. Not a significant one, since I still have my Beretta, but a problem all the same. Where would I even begin to search for more ammunition?

"May I have your attention, Delta Team?"

The datapad on my wrist has turned on. I know before looking who I will see. Dr. Black. He sits on an oversized chair, hands folded in his lap as his masked face peers into the camera.

"What do you want?" I demand. He may be the one who gathered all of the impure here for me to dispose of, but I owe him nothing.

"I only wish to let you know that the attack you just faced was not random." He wags a finger at the screen. "Not random at all. You see, the two teams who entered the very first Event Hub, Gamma and Sigma, won the opportunity to punish any team they saw fit. They each chose to punish you, Delta Team."

"So you sent those wolves after us?" Shinji sounds incredulous.

"Me?" Dr. Black seems taken back. He actually sounds offended that he'd even be accused of such behavior. "No, I'd say not. Gamma and Sigma were the ones who desired to punish you. I merely...acquiesced to their demands."

A cold fury builds up inside me. It starts in my arms, tightening the muscles, and clenching my fists. I grip my Beretta so tightly that I feel that I could snap it in half. Punished me? Me! They had the gall to think that I was the one in need of punishment?

Fools! The damn blighted fools! Don't they realize that I'm the only person who can save this world from impurity? The only one who will even try! No one else will do what needs be done. They're too afraid. Too stupid. Too corrupt.

Corrupt...

That's it. Gamma and Sigma Team. They are part of the corruption. The ringleaders. They wish me dead because they know that I will stop them. I will cleanse them. Unfortunately for them, their gambit failed. I survived. And now I will see that their wicked schemes come to an untimely end.

For the good of the world.

"I have one last thing to tell you before I depart. Or show you, to be more precise," Dr. Black taps a button on his own datapad and, a moment later, a small chime sounds on ours. He leans back into his chair, fingers laced together. "I have sent you and every other team the identities and bios of Gamma and Sigma teams members. Normally you'd have to personally encounter a Challenger before your datapad updated to show you such information. However, this is different for Challengers who have set foot in an Event Hub. Challengers who have competed there will have their information broadcast to each and every team. And that is all. I shall see you again at midnight. Au revoir."

"What does any of that matter?" I ask as Dr. Black disappears from our screens. What use could a bio possibly be to me?

Vjena, who is already scanning her datapad, nods her head slowly. "It gives us information. According to this, Gamma Team is made up of three males by the names of Mike, Timothy, and Nathaniel."

I use my datapad to read this information myself. Timothy Gonzalez, grandson of an United States Senator. So he was apart of the team that punished me, was he? No surprise. His family must be a major player in the corruption that grips this world. I will see that he meets a fitting end.

His teammates, however, are less noteworthy. A stupid athlete and a lonely nerd. Unimportant but impure. Greedy and selfish. Vain and corrupt. They too must be eliminated. The world can never be pure with the likes of them tainting it.

Of course, that goes for all the teams. They all must be taken care of.

"Tetsu Ueno!" Shinjia lets out a low whistle. He nods his head at his datapad when Vjena and I turn to look. "I know him. Not personally, no. But I know of him. He's a famous stuntman. A big celebrity."

A celebrity...

Everyone knows that they are the worst. The most impure. The greediest. The cruelest. They enjoy their power over lesser folk. Enjoy using it to stamp them into submission.

I will enjoy stamping out Tetsu's life.

"This girl will be deadly."

"Excuse me?" I turn to Vjena. She is still studying her datapad, a perplexed expression across her face as she swipes through the touchscreen. She stops on a picture of the only girl on either team, Amare Adebowale.

"This bio for her...it says that she is a part of an African gang and that she is trained in a multitude of weaponry. In short, she has killed before and will have no qualms over doing so again."

From the corner of my eye I see Shinji deflate like a balloon. His confidence seems to waver in the knowledge that an experienced killer is running around this game. He does not know that I have no fear in this discovery. What is one killer like her compared to me? I have defeated countless monsters such as her. Adding one more to the count will be no challenge.

I can feel the excitement building in me. So many corrupted souls, so many impure people...They must all be eliminated. Desposed. Destroyed.

And I will be the one to see it done.

Mike Glennon (Gamma Team)
I stumble out onto the beach and nearly lose my footing, only managing to stay up by righting myself at the last moment. Beside me Nathaniel collapses to the sand as Timothy stalks past, a grim look set on his face.

The Event Hub did not go well. I still can't even wrap my head around it. Nathaniel killing someone? That just doesn't seem possible. But it's hard to deny that it's the truth, especially when Nathaniel himself is saying so.

"What now?" I ask Timothy. The slight guy is staring out at the sea, hands stuck in his waistband. He looks as lost as I feel, but I know that he'll have an answer for me. He always does.

"We get some rest," He says after a short pause. Turning around, he gestures at the prone Nathaniel. "He still hasn't recovered from the shock. And, truth be told, I need some more time to plan out our next move."

I nod. Of course. That makes sense. Today has been long and confusing. It would be strange if we didn't need to recharge our batteries. Even the best athlete needs to stop and take a break every now and then.

I give Nathaniel a quick glance but, after seeing that he's still curled into a ball, silent tears streaking his face as he stares at the sand, I decide that he needs time alone. So I just wander down the beach, gazing out at the slothful ocean. Ebbing gently, it looks so peaceful in the shining moonlight. Far out to sea, rivers of pulsing light saturate the water with a golden glow.

I frown. What are those lights?

I point them out to Timothy and he scans the horizon. "No idea what that's about," He says with a shrug. "Probably just the last light of the sun or something."

He goes back to pacing and I turn to glance at the beach. The golden sand sweeps around in the shape of crescent, hemmed in by towering dunes. But beyond those dunes looms large, indistinct shapes. "There's warehouses over there," I point the buildings out.

"I know. I saw them as we came in. Seems like there is a dock as well. Possibly some boats."

"We going to sail away?" I ask.

"No. That wouldn't work. I'm sure that Dr. Black has some failsafe in place that would prevent us from escaping that way."

I shrug. I have no idea how to sail a boat anyways, and I doubt that either Timothy or Nathaniel have the experience. "Are we going to at least search the place for supplies?"

Timothy stares out at the buildings for a long time. Then he shakes his head, sighing. "I suppose that we must. We don't exactly have a good sleeping arrangement here."

That's true. We have no blankets or tents, or anything really. We could sleep on the sand, sure, but we might not have to if there's beds waiting for us in those buildings. "What about Nate?" I gesture at our friend, who's still lying on the ground behind us.

Timothy frowns. "I would rather he came with us but, well..."

Yeah. One look at the guy is enough to tell me that he's not up for a scouting mission. He doesn't look like he's up for much of anything really. "Okay," I clap my hands together, "so what's the play? The two of go up there and check the place out?"

"Actually, I think we might want to stay away for now."

"Huh?" I glance at Timothy. His eyes are focused out on the building, a more serious than usual expression on his already serious face. "Why?"

"There's someone up there. Look."

I follow his gaze and, halfway between the docks and the buildings, spot a pair of dark figures. Their shapes show that they can't be anything other than people. As I watch, they start moving quickly, heading right for the nearest building "Damn," I mutter quietly, "they beat us to the punch."

"Indeed they have. Come now, let us move away from here." Timothy goes over to Nathaniel and shares a few quiet words with him. A minute later he's up on his feet, following Timothy as he leads the way further down the beach, away from the buildings.

I jog to catch up. "Where are we going?"

"To those rocks," Timothy points out a clump of large boulders that lie strewn across the beach, just near the southern shore. "They should supply a decent amount of shelter."

I guess. But, as the three of us pick our way between the rocks, I can't help but wish that we were back at the carnival. There we had beds and hot food. I mean, yeah, that clown guy was really freaky, but so what? I'm more than sure that the three of us could take him in a fight.

The reason we haven't returned is because Timothy still thinks it might be possible to get along with the other teams. Our encounter with Sigma, and the terrible consequences of that meeting, have done little to change his mind. And since he doesn't think that we'd find anyone in the carnival, here we are.

"You chose to reward Sigma, right?" Timothy asks as I am lowering myself onto the sand.

"Yeah," I reply, stretching my limbs out. It feels good to finally lie down and rest after a day on my feet. "I didn't know what else to do, so I just picked them. Is that a problem?"

"No..." He runs a hand along his chin, seemingly deep in thought. "Actually, I still think that might have been the right move. Maybe knowing that we rewarded them will soften their stance towards us."

Maybe. But I don't think so. Nate killed one of their friends. That's not something that a few items will let them forget. I know that if someone were to kill Nate or Tim that I wouldn't be able to even look at the killer without wanting to beat them senseless.

I hope Tetsu doesn't want to beat us senseless.

We dissolve into a peaceful quiet. Timothy stares out at the ocean, hands running across his gun over and over as he thinks. The soft breathing of Nate shows that he's already asleep. Well, good. That guy more than deserves some rest.

I lean my head back on the sand, surprised by how soft it is. I'm sure that Tim will take first watch, so I can get some shuteye now. Folding my hands, I close my eyes and try to drift off. My last thought before sleep overtakes me is one hoping that the team up at the docks won't come looking for us...

Hayle Saraceno (Beta Team)
A cold wind picks up as we stagger into the cemetery, lost and confused as to where we are. It turns out that wandering the forest for the entirety of a day was not such a good idea. Especially when you're a trio of people who have barely been in the wilderness before.

We've encountered literally nothing since setting out from the house where we spent the night. No buildings, no people, nothing. Only trees, bushes, and other ordinary forest stuff. There's barely even been any contact from Dr. Black. Just the earlier death announcement and a recent update to our datapads show that he exists.

Why? Is there a reason for his absence?

"Great, just great!" Arlyssa throws her hands up into the air as the first tombstones come into view. "A cemetery! We're in a freaking cemetery!"

Vika gasps and reaches out with a hand, grasping my elbow. Her wide blue eyes fill with fear as she gazes out at the darkened landscape before us. "So many graves..." She breaths.

The graves are lined up in neat, orderly rows. Each one is similar—a solid square block of cement—but also different; each individual gravestone seems to be decorated with a different symbol. Some have flowers while others have skulls, and yet others have their own unique engraving. One notable gravestone has a snarling dog head set atop it.

Five rows of twenty-odd headstones—more than a hundred total—span the entire cemetery. Each row includes a large human statue standing over the graves. Like the graves, each of these are doing a different pose. One seems to be weeping. Another is praying. The other three are holding flowers, glancing skyward, and simply staring down at the gravestones.

Who is buried here? I pry myself away from Vika and approach the nearest gravestone. There's words inscribed on it. Faded and almost ineligible, but definitely words. "What does it say?" Vika asks quietly.

"Anne Bellhope," I frown as I read the name. Who was she? And why is she buried here of all places? I move down the row, reading off more names. Victoria Sinclair. Felix Leonard. Umbreon Martell. I slip between two graves to reach the second row. Here I find even more names. Tanner Shea. Miguel Santos. Weronika Tymoshenko.

"What are you doing?" Arlyssa calls out to me. Ignoring her, I walk up to the nearest statue, surprised to find a nameplate beneath the depiction of a hooded man. Ace Merciless. Huh. Doesn't even sound like a real name.

"Who are these people?" I wonder aloud as I gaze at all the graves. Everything is so elaborate, so well-designed. Did Dr. Black create this for our benefit? If so, then why? What exactly does he intend to convey? That we'll die? No, that would be pointless. He has already made our mortality clear enough.

"It doesn't matter!" Arlyssa crosses her arms. "The graves are probably fake and so are the names. This whole thing is just designed to creep us out. Well, it's not working!" She addresses this last part to her datapad and, presumably, Dr. Black.

"It's so sad," Vika stares up at one of the statues. It depicts a terribly beautiful young woman staring up in the sky, her imperious expression expertly conveyed through the stone. I stride up to the nameplate below and read it. "Italia Galloway."

"Oh!"

I glance at Vika. She gasps softly, one hand on her face. "What?" I ask.

"Don't you recognize that name?"

I exchange a glance with Arlyssa. "No," I say with uncertainty. "Should I?"

"Italia Galloway!" Vika repeats the name, expression changing from fear to excitement. "She's the daughter of that Senator! You know, the one that resigned! She went missing shortly after his resignation. She was never found and no one knows what happened to her. But why is there a statue..." She trails off. From the widening of her eyes I can tell that she's thinking the same thing I am.

"Dr. Black kidnapped her," I say slowly. It's like pieces of a puzzle are coming together in my mind. The graves. The names. It's a horrible, sinking realization. One that I don't want to be true but know is.

I wave a hand at all the graves behind me. "Dr. Black kidnapped all of these people! He...he made them play his game. And then..."

So many graves. Just how many people have died at this madmans hands?

Vika breaks into quiet sobbing. Arlyssa takes this revelation far better. Calmly tapping her feet, she stares up at the statue. "If that's true, then what's with the statues? They don't look like graves."

I shake my head. I have no answer. But...is it possible that the statues are of the survivors? After all, didn't Dr. Black promise that one team could emerge from this game alive? I didn't know if he was telling the truth, didn't dare hope for it, but could these statues be a sign that survival is possible?

I sigh. All this speculation is pointless. It won't improve our current situation one bit. I am about to tell the others that we should get moving when I stop myself. It's night and almost completely dark. The only light comes from the almost full moon, which illuminates the cemetery pretty well. But out in the forest? Well, the tree canopy would cancel that light source right out.

"Are their bodies buried here?" Vika asks. She is pale and shaking so badly that it looks as if she'll faint at any moment.

"Don't be stupid!" Arlyssa scowls at her. "These graves are just symbolic. There are no actual bodies here!"

I really hope that's true. The idea that Dr. Black goes around collecting the bodies of the fallen is creepy beyond belief. At the same time, though, I don't particularly like the thought of decomposing bodies lying all over the forest.

I decide to force these disturbing thoughts out of my mind and just focus on the matter at hand. Leaving the others, I scout around the area for a bit before finding a relatively flat patch of ground where I can lay my blanket out. I'm about to lie down when I notice Vika watching me.

Right. She doesn't have any bedding of her own. Resigned, I gesture at my blanket. "Do you want to use my blanket? I can just lie on the ground or something."

Her eyes widen. "What? No! I couldn't possibly—where would you sleep?"

"It's not that big of a deal," I say with a shrug. Really, with everything that's happened in the past few days sleeping on the ground is the least of my worries.

"O-okay..." Vika slowly settles herself down onto the blanket. She murmurs an apology and a thank-you as I nod, turning back to look for something I could use as my own blanket. I haven't the faintest idea what I'm searching for.

Soon I find myself roaming the graveyard, deciding it's not really all that bad. Sure, the setting is kinda macabre, but it should serve to make sure we're not attacked in our sleep. Who would want to enter a graveyard at night?

Other than us, I mean.

I'm halfway through my second circuit of the cemetery when I spot Arlyssa. She's hanging around one of the statues, examining it with a studious expression. I immediately notice that this particular statue is different from the rest. Namely the fact that there is no statue. The whole thing is just an empty base. As if someone was going to place a statue here but just gave up and didn't.

"What's up with this?" I ask, walking over.

Arlyssa raises an eyebrow as I approach. "Done playing the chivalrous knight, are you?"

I follow her gaze to Vika and frown. "I was only being kind," I say.

"Sure. But if she was a guy instead of a cute girl, would you still have done the same?"

I find myself bristling with indignation. I don't appreciate that implication! "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

Arlyssa rolls her eyes. "Sure, sure. Whatever. But look, this statue isn't like the others," She points out the empty pedastal, "it's as if they were going to make one but didn't."

"I thought you said this didn't matter?"

She reaches out and punches me in the shoulder. I recoil with a gasp. "Hey! What the hell!"

"Stop being stupid, you idiot!"

I remain silent, rubbing my shoulder. Sheesh, what has gotten into her? Sometimes it feels like she's two completely different people. Or maybe she just enjoys messing with me. Unfortunately I think it just might be the latter. "So why do you think this statue is different?" I finally ask.

"Don't know."

Is this some sort of test? Is she going to punch me again if I question her? Deciding it's better to be safe, I share my theory about the statues being of past survivors. Arlyssa taps a finger against her head, thinking. "That's a nice idea," She says, "but it doesn't quite add up. If the statues all survived, then why did that Italia girl never resurface?"

That's actually a good point. Vika did say that she was never found. But what would that mean for us? If there are no survivors...did Dr. Black lie to us? Is he truly just going to kill us all? Is there no hope for escape?

"Do what they say for now. Go along with the game.

That voice on the phone. I still don't understand who called me or why. As far as I can tell, neither Vika nor Arlyssa received a similar call. But then, I haven't asked. And if they did receive it, why would they bring it up?

''Don't tell anyone you've spoken with me. That last part is crucial. Do not tell anyone. Do you understand?"''

Tell no one...why? Is it possible that this mysterious speaker wants to help me? Are they working against Dr. Black? Or are they helping him?

I'll keep in touch.

I can only fathom that means the caller will try and contact me again. But how? I don't know. There's just too much that I don't know.

"Hayle?" I blink, slowly emerging from the haze of my thoughts. Arlyssa is staring at me with a look of confusion in her blue eyes. "What the hell is with you? You look like you're about to faint!"

"What? I'm fine," I shake my head, "just lost in thought is all. Nothing to be concerned about." Should I tell her? I want to. Hiding this information is eating away at me. But that voice made it clear that I shouldn't tell anyone...

"I wasn't concerned about you!" Arlyssa scowls at me. "I was concerned about myself. If you dropped dead I'd be stuck here in this game by myself!"

"You'd have Vika," I say. I'm still preoccupied thinking about that caller.

"That dolt? She's useless! All she does is moan and complain about—"

Musical chimes cut her off midsentence. We both look down to see our datapads flashing, followed shortly by the screens transitioning to a darkened room. There, standing in a small circle of light, is Dr. Black.

"Ah, Beta Team!" His synthetic voice echoes as he splays his hands in greeting. "It has been quite some since last we spoke. Much has transpired in that time. People have died, teams have made plans. You three, however, have not made much progress."

"What the hell does that mean?" Arlyssa growls.

"Ah, Ms. Valiante. As feisty as ever, I see."

"Answer the damn question!"

"Hmm. I think not. While I have no qualms with giving answers to enquiring minds, I will not reward your impudent behavior. If you were to ask nicely, then perhaps I could be persuaded to—"

Arlyssa breaks out into a medley of curses. I can only sigh and roll my eyes. Combative behavior will get us nowhere—that much is clear.

"Please sir, can't you let us go home?" I turn, surprised to see Vika behind us. She must have sought us out after Dr. Black appeared.

"I am afraid that I cannot. The Games are not yet complete."

Vika transitions into quiet sobbing. I shake my head. Neither of my teammates are thinking this through. I'll have to take the reins. "Why are you here?" I ask. It's a challenge to keep my voice steady. "Why did you stay away all day just to appear now?"

"I was merely paying you a visit. I like to check in with each team every now and then. But, regardless of that fact, I also have a secondary purpose." He pauses and, after adjusting his position, begins to speak with a louder voice. "I would like to inform you all that it is now midnight. And, because it is midnight, I will allow you to witness how your fellow Challengers met their untimely ends."

The screen flickers to show two guys fighting in a silver room. It's hard to tell what's going on, but it's impossible not to see the tension behind each of them. Then, in a quick and jarring motion, one of them slams an icepick into the others neck.

Vika squeals in horror as Dr. Black reappears on screen. "Yes. That was how Waiyaki Bello met his end. He did not have the Potential that most of you possess, but it is a sad end all the same."

My stomach feels like it's twisted in a knot. That death was the worst. So visceral...so personal. It's one thing to see someone die from poison or get shot. But to see them stabbed in the neck? That sort of brutality...

"I'd also like to take this opportunity to make an announcement regarding the Event Hubs. As you all know, an Event Hub opened up today. Two teams partook in the game inside. It was quite invigorating to see such confident behavior. And I hope that such behavior continues, because tomorrow will feature the opening of two more Event Hubs "

"Two?" I share an uneasy look with Arlyssa.

"These two Event Hubs will be positioned in separate areas of the Playing Field. And, unlike the last Hub, these two have specific requirements. The Hub in the southern quadrant will require two teams for the game to be played. Similarly, the Hub in the eastern quadrant will require the presence of three teams before the game can be played. Also, it should be noted that the same team cannot play in both Hubs. Different teams must play in each Hub."

I do the math. Five separate teams will be required to enter the two Hubs. There are only ten teams total. That means that half of the teams need to play one of his games...

"Finally, I'd like to remind you all of the penalty for refusing to attend. If either Event Hub remains unopen by next midnight, I will kill each and every team. Needless to say, I doubt any of you wish for that to happen. And that concludes my speech. Good night teams...and good luck."

Vika lets out a low moan, burying her face in her hands. Arlyssa curses quietly. I can only stand still as I take this new information and churn it about in my head. Half the teams will be required to attend an Event Hub or we'll all die. That is obviously not good news. Each "game" of Dr. Black's that I've seen has resulted in a fatality.

How many people will die tomorrow?

"He's trying to force us into the Event Hub," Arlyssa says with a shake of her head. "Unbelievable."

"He's got us cornered," I agree. "Because how can we risk not going? If six teams decide not to attend..." I don't even want to think about that.

"No!" Vika gasps, finally looking up. "No! I will not play another one of his games! I will not!"

"Just shut up, will you?" Arlyssa scowls at her then turns to walk back towards the graves. I call after her, but she shakes her head. "I'm not going far. I just need time to think. I'll take first guard, so you two can sleep or whatever."

Vika goes to curl herself up in my blanket, quietly sobbing herself to sleep. I just go sit next to a grave, one titled Sami Bitar, and try not to let despair overwhelm me. It's difficult. We're going to have to enter an Event Hub. What other choice do we have? Stay away and hope the other teams go in our place? Can we even risk that?

Somehow I don't think we can.

"Tomorrow is going to be a bloody day," I mutter as I stare out at the night sky. "A long, bloody day."

Harry Kent (Lambda Team)
I try to resist yawning as Fern leads the way back towards the big, round building she calls a "Event Hub". It's early in the morning, way earlier than my usual awakening. I'm not exactly sure why she wants to enter the Hub, but I think it had something to do with what the masked man said last night.

"This could be dangerous, you know," Shintaro strolls behind us. He keeps tossing a berry in the air with one hand and catching it with the other. That agility is cool, but I still don't like him. He doesn't seem to care about anything or anyone beside himself. And those cold eyes of his...I would never say this out loud, but he scares me.

I'm glad Fern is here. I wouldn't want to be alone with Shintaro.

As we walk I reach out and grip Fern's hand. She turns to glance at me but doesn't say anything. I like Fern. I trust her. That's why I gave her my gun when she asked for it this morning. I don't know what she wants with it, but I'm sure that everything will be fine.

"Everything we do is dangerous," Fern finally responds to Shintaro. "We can't just sit around and twiddle our thumbs."

"I didn't say that we should. But are you prepared for this? After all, you were shot yesterday."

I shiver as I remember that. The bullet came out of nowhere, striking Fern right in the chest. I thought she was dead. Nobody survives being shot. But Fern did. She had some sort of vest that protected her, and as long as she has that we don't have to worry about anything!

Well, most things.

People still might come and try to kill us. I don't know why. Is it just because Dr. Black told them to? Don't they realize that they don't have to listen to him? We can all just ignore him and wait to be rescued. I may not know how or why I got here, but I know that my parents will come find me. They wouldn't abandon me.

They wouldn't.

Fern stares straight ahead, not answering Shintaro's question. Seeing this, he shrugs and tosses the berry aside. It sails into a patch of brambles and disappears. Just like us, I think quietly. Disappeared from our homes and woke up here. "The other teams will converge on the Hub," Shintaro says.

"Yes. They will."

"You don't appear very concerned about that."

Fern whips around to glare at him. "Of course I'm concerned! But we have no other choice! You heard what will happen if enough teams don't arrive!"

A tremor of fear works its way down my spine. I remember now that the haze of sleep has gone. Everyone will die. That's what Dr. Black said last night. That everyone will die if we don't enter the Hub. I don't want to die. That feeling vibrates through me so strongly that I feel weak in the knees. I don't want to die!

"He's bluffing, obviously," Shintaro shrugs. "He couldn't afford to kill all of us. Not if he wants to keep his games running."

Fern stops, pulls her hand away from mine, and plants it on her hip as she glares at Shintaro. "Oh? And would you stake your life on that possibility?"

"I would. Yes," He nods, face completely expressionless. Once again I can't help but get the creeps when I look at him. Why is he so...abnormal? "However, I also believe that attending a Hub is to our advantage, so I will go regardless."

Fern stares at him for a long moment before turning away, tossing her hair with a huff. "If he's truly bluffing, then what do you suppose he'd do if no one entered his precious Hubs?

"He'd kill a Challenger. Possibly a whole team. He'd try to frighten the other teams enough so that they would feel as if they had no choice but to enter."

I stare at Shintaro with wide eyes. He's talking about death and killing so casually...does he really not care? About anything?

Fern must feel the same. She storms off, shaking her head and muttering something in another language. I hurry after her. I can barely stand the sight of Shintaro anymore. What if he decides to kill me?

We don't go very far before we arrive at the Event Hub. It looks just like it did yesterday. Big, dome-shaped and completely gray. The smooth panels seem to glint in the early morning sun and, if you look close enough, you can actually see your own reflection on the side.

Fern walks right up to the door set in the center of the building. Running a hand down its side, she turns to glance at Shintaro as he joins us. "This is the eastern Hub?"

He nods. "Should be, yes."

She peers at her datapad and makes a few taps. Eventually she looks up, seemingly satisfied. "The datapad says that this is the eastern Hub. That means three teams will play here."

"So two more teams will join us, then."

I don't like that. More teams? More people? Didn't they just try to kill us yesterday? Why would we want to meet them now? I want to suggest that we just send Shintaro in by himself but resist the urge. They wouldn't listen to me anyway.

Shintaro steps past Fern and approaches the door. He gives it a tentative pull and it swings open easily. He nods and is about to enter when I hear it. A faint whizzing noise.

I turn just in time to see the knife strike Fern in the chest.

I scream as her body thumps against the ground. No, no, no! I drop beside her as Shintaro dips a hand into his pocket, pulls out a rock, and tosses it towards a nearby greenhouse. I can just make out the shape of a person ducking to avoid the projectile.

"Get up!" Shintaro grips me by the collar and hauls me to my feet. "Get inside the Hub!"

"No! We can't leave Fern--"

With seemingly little effort Shintaro drags me across the clearing and thrusts me through the doorway. I slip as I enter and hit the ground, sliding across the smooth crystalline flooring.

I wrap my arms around myself, sobbing quietly. How did this happen? I thought we were safe, but then...it happened so quickly. No. No, that couldn't have happened. Fern isn't dead. She can't be!

I force my trembling limbs into motion and stand up, taking in my surroundings for the first time. The room is large and triangular, with three seperate doors at each corner and the main entrance at the base of the triangle. The floor and walls seem to made out of a smooth crystal and there's a set of matching furniture on each side of the room.

The entry way erupts with movement as Shintaro comes in, dragging a motionless Fern behind him. I let out a wordless cry. Seeing this, Shintaro makes a curt motion. "Be quiet. She's not dead."

"But--"

"He's right, Harry." I gasp as Fern sits up. Her face is twisted with pain as she looks around. She grimaces when she finally spots me. "I'm still alive. Somehow."

The fact that she's still alive is enough to dampen my despair. But it does not extinguish it. "Shut the door!" I scream at Shintaro. "Shut it before they chase us!" Images of knives flash before my eyes. How painful would it be to have one slammed in my chest?

"There's no point," Shintaro walks over to a bench and sits himself down on it. With a casual, almost mocking indifference, he begins to study his fingernails. "They can't harm us inside a Hub. Dr. Black has made that clear."

"Oh." Oh. I didn't know that. But still..."Who says they have to listen to him?"

"Rest assured, they'll listen to me." I let out a yelp as the entire wall before us transforms into a screen. Dr. Black is featured, the screen zoomed up close to his beaked mask and frosted glass eyes. "After all, the punishment for disobeying me is death."

I find myself crawling towards a chair, quickly darting behind it. More talk of death? Why? What does he have to gain from this? What do any of us have to gain? As I weep silently, Shintaro faces down the screen. Fern, pausing briefly to pull the knife from her vest, does the same. "What game will we be playing?" She demands.

"Patience. Two more teams still need to arrive before the game can be played."

I glance at the door, which still sits open. Are...are the people who attacked us going to enter too?

"I suppose you want us to just sit around and wait, then?" Shintaro asks.

"Precisely. Now, if you don't mind, I have other matters to attend to. I will return when two more teams arrive. But, until then, farewell."

Fern mutters something in another language as the screen goes blank. I wrap my arms around myself. I don't like this. I don't like any of this. I don't want to just sit here and wait for the other teams to come us. We've already been attacked twice! It's obvious that they all want us dead.

"Whatever happens, it's clear that we can't trust the other teams," Fern says, voicing my thoughts.

Shintaro nods, looking thoughtful. "Yes. Some of the other teams have clearly gone all in on playing this game. Very intriguing." He eyes swivel to Fern. "And another thing that is intriguing...your vest. Bulletproof vests aren't often bladeproof, as a matter of course. It is lucky to see that yours is both."

Fern shrugs. "It's not as if I was stabbed. The blade was thrown from a distance."

"True. Your vest will do little to protect you from a stab. Keep that in mind." As Shintaro turns to study the three doors, I notice Fern scowl at him. What a jerk. Why does he have to remind her of how easily we could die?

Once again I glance to the still open door. That other team still hasn't appeared. Maybe they don't want to chase us. Not that it matters when it's guaranteed that two other teams will eventually join us in here. No matter what I want, we're going to have to play some game.

As this thought races through my mind, I bury my face in my hands and wish that I could just go home.

Shinji Nakazawa (Delta Team)
I follow behind Ryder as he leads the way, face blank and eyes distant. I know what his plan is for today and, while I do not exactly like it, I will not question it. The truth is that all the other teams must die for me to survive. If that means allowing Ryder to attack and kill the other teams...

Logic dictates that I should allow him to do so.

We set off at dawn, following the marking on our map that indicates the Event Hub. The plan is to catch a team off guard as they try to enter the Hub. Ryder believes that they won't expect such an attack, and that they would never be prepared for our weaponry. He is probably right. That gun of his coupled wth Vjena's rifle will make for a formidable pairing.

These thoughts once again lead me into thinking about the other teams. I did not tell my teammates about Francesca. What could I have said? That she helped me because I was too useless to save myself? Vjena would probably have laughed at that while Ryder...I don't even know what he would have done, but it wouldn't be anything good.

They would have tried to kill Francesca. That, at least, is something I'm certain of. I don't know how I should feel about that. She and her teammates need to die for me to survive, but...I wouldn't feel right just sitting back and watching her die. She helped me when she didn't need to. How could I sit back and let her die after that?

I find myself hoping that she'll die at someone else's hands, away from me and my team. I feel a little ill at such a thought, but I know that such a scenario would be infinitely better than watching Ryder kill her.

"What shall we do if we find other teams fighting?" Vjena suddenly breaks the silence that has stretched on throughout the morning. She walks beside me, rifle slung over her shoulder and gaze straight ahead. She is an enigma. A conundrum that I don't understand. Why is she so eager to play the game? Ryder, at least, has the excuse of being clearly a little unhinged. But Vjena? She appears to be a perfectly normal person. That is why her cavalier attitude towards all of this is...perplexing.

"What does it matter if they're fighting?" Ryder doesn't stop walking as he speaks. He is very intent on reaching the Hub in time to intercept the other teams.

"Because it could effect our strategy," Vjena says matter-of-factly. "Do we stand by and watch them kill each other, then step out to attack the survivors? Or do we simply attack them all whilst they're preoccupied with one another?"

Ryder shrugs. "What weighs more, a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?"

Vjena narrows her eyes. "And the point of that question is...?"

"They both weigh a ton. So it doesn't matter which options we choose as long as the guilty die."

"A ton of bricks might actually weigh more," I say idily. "Because, if you get together enough bricks that should weigh a ton and all the feathers that should weigh a ton, then the bricks will take up far less room since they're denser than feathers. So, if you piled your ton of bricks onto a weighing scale, the pile would be smaller than the feathers. In particular, the top of the pile of feathers would be further away from the center of the earth." I pause for questions but, as there are none, I continue on. "Since the force of gravity drops off with distance from the center of the earth, the feathers would weigh slightly less than you expected because the feathers at the top of the pile would weigh less. This is true of the bricks at the top of the brick pile, but that pile is not as high, as I've explained, so the difference would be less. Therefore, if you actually weighed a ton of feathers and a ton of bricks, you might well find that the ton of bricks weighed more!"

There's a long silence after I finish speaking. At first I think that I may have made a mistake, that I have upset my allies with that spiel. But, a few moments later, Vjena nods. "Yes, I can see how that would make sense. I do not know if it is true, but I definitely see your point."

Ryder doesn't respond. He just stares off into the distance, his face blank as he regards something only he can see. Then he nods briskly and waves us forward. "We don't have the time for this! If the other teams enter the Hub before we get there we'll lose our opportunity!"

He hurries forward. Vjena follows him, but I lag behind a little. Killing the others is the only option. I have tried hard not to think about it, but it is true. I cannot just sit back and wait for things to happen; I'll need to assist Ryder and Vjena at some point if we plan on surviving.

Fighting is not my forte. I cannot and will not be able to take anyone else on in a fight. So I'll have to help in other ways. Learn about our enemies. Discover their weaknesses. Exploit those weaknesses

I won't let myself be held down by my emotions. Doing so would only put my life in jeopardy. I have things I must do out in the world. A life to fulfill.

A brother to find.

I only learned about his existence recently. For most of my life I didn't even know that I was adopted, that the people who raised me weren't my birth parents. Of course, that fact doesn't bother me; they were the ones who cared for me and protected me so, for all extents and purposes, they are my real parents.

No, I do not care that I was adopted. What I care about is the fact that I wasn't an only child. I had a brother. A twin. All my life I've felt an absence, a hole where something should be but wasn't. Perhaps my brother is that. Maybe he is what I've been searching my whole life for.

I don't know where he is or what he is doing, but I will find him. I will escape from this game and put all my energy into tracking him down. And if that requires me to stand by and watch as Ryder murders his way to victory...

So be it.

Jackson Sparks (Alpha Team)
I shuffle my feet and press myself further against the rocky wall as a bitterly cold wind blows past, chilling my face and causing me to shiver. Up here in the mountains, winter smothers the land with its vice-like grip.

"Maybe we should head down into the valley," I speak loudly so that my voice carries over the wind, "because I really hate this weather!"

The boy beside me doesn't answer. Sitting on the ground with his back pressed against the wall and huddled up in his black parka, Boone silently rolls a stick between his fingers. I can't say I'm surprised. Since first meeting him days ago he's barely said anything. And when he does speak its in short, clipped words. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard him string more than two sentences together.

Flat rocky ground surrounds us on every side. The serrated peaks of the mountain and the twisted, uneven path that leads to its summit lies just to our north. That was where we first emerged from our bunker. Yes, our bunker was apparently built inside a mountain. A secret bunker! The mere existence of such a thing fills me with excitement!

Of course, I'd be much more excited if my life wasn't constantly in danger.

I haven't forgotten how Ophrya lost her life to this "game" of Dr. Black's. That poor girl didn't deserve to die. None of us do, obviously, but a pretty girl especially shouldn't be subject to such a cruel fate.

I don't know why or how the other team decided to kill Ophrya. They could have picked any of the three of us, but for some reason they chose her. Well, two of them did. The other picked Boone.

I give the guy a sideways glance. He's still rolling that stick, staring out at the bleak gray skies that hang over the mountains. I wish he wasn't such an enigma. It sure would be easier to work with him if I actually knew anything about him.

As we sit here, the cold, squalling wind finally fades away. When it does, a tomb-like silence takes its place. It's so quiet that I can hear the quiet rasp of our breathing. "We can't stay here forever," I finally break the silence.

"Why not?" Boone asks.

"I, well..." I scratch my head, unsure as what to say. It's cold, yeah, but it's not exactly life-threatening. We were fortunate enough to find a supply cache hidden away in a small cave and, inside that cache, we discovered some parkas and other cold weather gear. Or maybe it was more than just fortune. It's possible that Dr. Black wanted us to find the cache. "We'll run out of food eventually," I finish.

"But not soon."

"True, true." We have enough supplies to last us at least a few more days. We could, theoretically, just hide out up here in the mountains and hope that the other teams forget all about us. But I don't like that idea. For one thing, I hate this stupid cold. And for another, I'm really, really bored.

Nothing happens up here. We just sit around and wait for Dr. Black's announcements, which seem to come at regular intervals. For the most part the two of us just spend our time sitting around fires and hiding in caves. We don't even have conversations because, as I've said before, Boone doesn't like speaking.

The wind returns. Shrill and shrieking, it races across the mountain, whistling as it flits through cracks and crevices. I sigh, wrap my arms around myself and try to wiggle into a more comfortable position. Boone just stares blankly ahead.

"I can't believe I'm going to die without ever having a girlfriend," I grumble.

"You could find one here."

I turn to Boone. Is he joking? His face is as expressionless as ever. "Where would I find a girlfriend?" I demand. "Do you see anyone else up here?"

He shrugs. "The other teams."

Huh. Well, I guess that it's true. The other teams do have female members. I doubt that any of them would be looking for a relationship out here but, well, if they were...I mean, I'm not saying that I would date one of them, but I certainly wouldn't dismiss the possibility outright.

Boone, clearly done with the conversation, starts playing with some rock, tossing it back and forth between his hands. I let my mind linger on the subject. Beta Team had some pretty girls. That Vika was really cute and adorable, especially with how delicate she seemed. Arlyssa was attractive too, but I can't help but feel that she'd enjoy beating me up more than anything else.

"Bah!" I wave my hand in the air. "I'm not going to find a girlfriend here. I don't even know how to pick up girls back home!"

"You don't know how to pick up girls?"

I turn to study Boone. "What? Are you saying that you know how?"

He nods. "You just lift."

There's not even a hint of a smile on his face. Is he for real? Confused, I rub my neck. "Oh. Well, uh...that's--"

"It was a joke."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't funny." I turn away, scowling. Sheesh. Way to a get a guy's hopes up! I thought I had finally found someone who could teach me something useful. Then again, maybe I should be worrying about more important things.

We might be safe up here in the mountains, but it's clear that while the other teams are currently busy fighting each other down in the valley, it'll only be a matter of time before we're forced into conflict with them. Ether by an Event Hub or by them searching for us.

And the only weapons we have are my stupid Molotov cocktail and Boone's rocket launcher.

I glare at the sleek silver case behind us. Boone keeps it in there at all times. I thought it was because he didn't know how to use the thing, but Boone has assured me that he knows how. Apparently he just wants to keep the weapon clean or something.

"What does a rocket launcher even do?" I ask, annoyed.

"It makes things go boom."

Okay, yeah, I definitely knew that. I just worded my question wrong. I meant to ask how it works. But still, I'm not going to ask again and make myself look like an even bigger idiot. So we lapse back into silence that is only broken by the screeching wind. I can't help but think about that first game we competed in. No one on Beta Team died because we all split our vote. That was completely accidental. I didn't, and still don't, know what Boone and Ophrya voted. I chose Hayle, but that was just a pure panic decision. I certainly didn't want him to die and am very glad that things worked out as they had.

"Boone?" I ask, still thinking about that game. "Who did you vote for? In the first game?"

Boone remains silent for so long that I think that he's not even going to answer. But, just as I am about to change the subject, he speaks. "Arlyssa."

"Oh." So Ophrya voted Vika. Interesting. "Why did you choose her?"

"She told me to."

What? I blink, surprised by his answer. "Who told you? Ophrya?"

"No."

That doesn't make sense. Ophrya is the only person the two of us have encountered this entire game, unless you count Dr. Black. But he's not a she and he certainly didn't tell Boone what to vote. "Who are you talking about? Who told you that?" And why?

Boone shrugs. "It doesn't matter."

I don't see how he came to that conclusion. How could it not matter? What mysterious person could have possibly told him anything? I ask him again but, try as I might, Boone never responds. He just picks up a pebble and rolls it between his palms, eyes forward as he stares off the mountain. I give up on trying to get anything out of him. Obviously he doesn't want to speak about it.

"Guess we'll spend another day up here," I sigh, rotating myself so that I am further out of the wind. "I just hope that we don't freeze in the meantime."

Hayle Saraceno (Beta Team)
The long, whispery grass tugs at my feet as we push through the field, charting a course towards the nearest Event Hub. My mind churns with thoughts as I go. What is the point of this game? How did Dr. Black set this up? Who is that voice on the phone? While I know that I'm not going to get answers any time soon, I cannot stop thinking about it.

Arlyssa leads the way as the late morning stretches on. The sun is a faint, pale orb in the sky, rays of sunlight weakly shining down on us through a layer of thin clouds. Empty fields of shortgrass lie all around us. We push our way through one such field, minutes passing into hours as we move along.

We left the cemetery at dawn, though it wasn't the sun that woke me. No, I could hardly sleep. Who could? Dr. Black's ominous threat hangs over our heads like a anvil waiting to be dropped. If enough teams don't enter the Hub...

No, don't think about that. The other teams will see sense and enter the Hubs. It'd be foolish for them not to. Of course, that just leads into another problem. What if we encounter a team on its way to the Hub?

Earlier I had broached this subject with Arlyssa but she had just shrugged and pulled out her revolver, patting its side. "I'll just use this," She said. That didn't ease my worries in the slightest. The last thing I want is to get into a fight with the others. We don't even know what is happening, so why should we fight?

I sigh, shaking my head as I turn my attention to the buildings that rise up before us. Greenhouses. According to the map we're on the outskirts of a vineyard of some sort. If that's so then I don't understand why there are greenhouses. Shouldn't everything be grown outside?

"The Hub should be somewhere in there," I say, pulling to a halt.

Vika comes to a stop beside me. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shivers. "I don't like this. Can't we just go back? I'm certain that the other teams will all play..."

"We don't know that," Arlyssa grunts. Hands on her hips, she has also stopped to survey the greenhouses. "What if all the others are cowards like you? What do you'll think will happen then, huh?"

"Don't instigate a fight," I say before Vika can snap off a retort. Why are these two always at each othes throats? Can't they just get along? We have enough trouble as there is--I don't need to worry about the two of them going at it!

Arlyssa throws me a dirty look but remains uncharacteristically quiet. Maybe she's realized that we have to take this as seriously as possible. I'm all too aware that one false move could lead us all to our deaths. Which is why I'm so nervous about the prospect of meeting another team before we get to the Hub. There's definitely no way we could fight them, despite what Arlyssa says. No, we'd need to try and talk our way through the situation.

If only I knew how we could do that.

We set off into the vineyard without another word. I make a path through the overgrown trellisis and reaching hedges, trying my best to follow the map on my datapad. From what I can tell, the Hub is located almost exactly inside the center of the vineyard.

I don't like the overgrown vegetation that looms on the side of us. Just about anything could be hiding in there and we'd never know. In fact, I swear that I can feel eyes watching me even now. I cast my gaze about, searching for the source of my discomfort, but find nothing. Probably because there's nothing to find and I'm just being paranoid.

"I still do not think that we're doing the rational thing," Vika speaks from the back of the line. She's fallen behind because she is constantly stopping to untangle vines from her person. "The other teams will play the Games. All we're doing by going is putting ourselves unnecessarily in harms way."

Surprisingly Arlyssa doesn't say anything to refute this. At first I think she may have been swayed by Vika, but when I turn to look at her she is scanning the foliage around us. She doesn't appear to have even heard Vika.

"Something the matter?" I ask.

She shrugs and walks forward. "Keep moving," She hisses in my ear as she brushes past me. "Someone is watching us."

Well that does nothing to calm my nerves. Resisting the urge to look for the supposed watchers, I follow after Arlyssa, doing my best to pretend like nothing is amiss. Of course, on the inside I'm panicking. What do they want? Nothing good, probably. They most likely...

"How do you know?" I whisper to Arlyssa. Behind us Vika is still loudly complaining.

"I saw him," Arlyssa is whispering in my ear again, though her mouth is closed and she does not look at me. "It was only a brief glimpse, but he was definitely there."

"He? Who?"

"I recognized him from our datapads. Tetsu Ueno."

Tetsu Ueno. If I remember correctly he is on Sigma team, which is one of the three teams that have lost a member. His only teammate left is someone named Amare Adebowale who, considering what I read about her on the datapad, is definitely not someone I'd like to meet.

"What do we do?" I ask quietly. It's hard to control my nerves. Part of me just wants to take off sprinting, run as far away the fastest I can. But I also know that's complete foolishness.

"We keep moving. What else? Do you want to attack them?"

"No!" Attack a world-renowned stuntman and an African gang member? That would be suicide!

"Then do as I said. Keep walking."

I do as she says and keep my gaze forward as I move, doing my best to try and pretend that I'm unaware of their presence. It's not easy. Several times I have to physically stop myself from looking back and searching for the two of them. Right now they don't seem like they wish to attack, so I shouldn't go and do anything that changes that.

Soon the vineyard gives away to a large clearing. In the center sits a large round building that is unmistakably the Event Hub. I tense up as I observe it. I already know what kind of "games" Dr. Black plays.

What does he have in store this time?

"I think they're gone," Arlyssa steps up beside me, hands on her hips as she surveys the Hub. Vika, who was completely oblivious to our prior discussion, glances at her in confusion. "But I don't know for how long. We should get inside before something else happens."

I nod. "Right. Let's go." I speedwalk towards the doors, surprised to find that they're already open. Has another team arrived? Maybe the game has ended. Eager to find out, I push my way inside.

And am almost immediately confronted by a trio of people.

I blink and step back, shocked by their sudden appearance. The three of them, for their part, seem almost as surprised as me. One of them, a little blond boy, darts under a couch and disappears from sight. One of the others, a slender young man, steps forward, arms splayed to the side. "You're here for the game, yes?"

I'm so caught up in my surprise that I find myself unable to speak. My mouth works but no words come out as I stand there gaping like a fool. Luckily, I'm saved from this awkwardness by the arrival of Arlyssa.

She charges into the room like a linebacker, moving so fast that I have to sidestep out of her way. Grunting, she turns to throw an insult my way but the words die on her lips as she finally spots the others. Her hands dart to the revolver on her hip, but pull away at the last second.

"Oh," Her voice is tight and emotionless as she addresses the trio, "I see that we're not the first team to arrive."

The young man nods. "That is correct. The three of us arrived a couple hours ago."

"My name is Fern," The third member of their team, a girl with tan skin and curly black hair that flows past her shoulders, offers us a nod and gestures to the guy beside her. "This is Shintaro, and that boy over there hiding under the table is Harry."

Fern pauses, probably expecting Arlyssa to introduce herself. But Arlyssa, to the surprise of no one, just nods and turns to survey the room. "Okay. So what's the Game? What does that lunatic expect us to do?"

Fern scowls, displeased at the obvious dismissal. Before she can voice any complaints, however, Shintaro speaks. "We do not yet know the game. Dr. Black will not tell us until all three teams have arrived."

"Oh my!"

Five pairs of eyes swivel to the doorway as Vika enters. The blonde girl puts a hand to her mouth, eyes wide as she takes everything in. "Oh my, I did not expect this..."

"And who are you?" Fern demands.

"She's our teammate," I speak for the first time. I've gotten over my initial surprise and have come to grips with the situation. Apparently this team has been waiting inside the Hub for some time. No wonder they're so grumpy. "Her name is Vika. I'm Hayle. Oh, and she's Arlyssa." I jerk a thumb at her.

She glares at me. "Knowledge is power, you idiot!"

"Come on! What harm is there in giving them our names? Dr. Black will probably tell them anyway." In fact, he sends the bios of every team involved in an Event Hub out to everyone, so I really don't see how this matters.

"I take it that the three of you have not yet met another team?" Shintaro asks. His narrow eyes seem to be watching Arlyssa. Worried about her explosive personality, maybe?

"No," I answer truthfully. "You're the first team that we've met in person."

"Did you attack us?"

All five of turn around to face the table, where the little blond boy ducks his head back underneath. "What did you say?" I ask, genuinely confused by the question. When the boy doesn't respond, I turn to Shintaro. "What was that about?"

"Ah, yes. Before we entered the Hub we were attacked by another team. They threw a knife at Fern. It was inconvenient, but also quite ineffective."

I exchange looks with Arlyssa. Was that, perhaps, the same team that was watching us? The thought is unsettling. If someone as famous as Tetsu is playing this game for keeps, then that doesn't bode well for the possibility of us all just talking this out.

Not that talking things out would have ever worked.

I'm about to ask Shintaro for more information about what happened when he was attacked, but the words die on my lips as a new, deadly sound rings out.

A gunshot.

"That's from outside," Fern says quietly. Vika lets out a yelp and ducks behind the same table that Harry is hiding behind.

Arlyssa's fingers twitch towards her revolver, but she doesn't pull out the weapon. "What do we do?" She asks us. She sounds unsure, quite the departure from the usual bravado she displays. "Should we check it out?"

"Why would we do that?" Shintaro is the only one unaffected by the gunshot. He lolls against the wall, hands in his pockets as he stares at the entryway. "Whatever is happening out there does not effect us."

"Yet," I add.

He pauses, then nods. "Yet."

Two more gunshots ring out, followed by muffled shouts. I shuffle my feet, palms slick with sweat. Are two teams fighting? It sounds so close...Surely those gunshots are happening in the vineyard. But if so, then that means...

"A third team is about to arrive!" I blurt out.

Everyone looks at me in bewilderment. Yet I only hold their gazes for a few seconds because, moments later, the front door slams open and three girls rush into the room, practically trampling each other in their haste to enter.

There's a yelp of fear as Vika ducks under the table, followed by Arlyssa's curse and what I think is Fern uttering the same thing in Spanish. I don't even know how to react. I'm frozen in indecision as the three girls stop and take in their surroundings, eyes wide with a mix of relief and surprise.

"Congratulations," Shintaro steps forward to meet the girls. "You've successfully made it to an Event Hub."

How can he be so calm?

All three of the girls stare at him as if he's just offered them a snake. Then one of them, a tan brunette, goes to slam the door shut. She looks around for a lock, but when she can't find one she just goes to collect a chair, jamming it beneath the knob. Once this is done, she turns and glares at Shintaro. "Someone just tried to frickin' kill us!"

My heart lurches as my fears are confirmed. Some of the teams are dead set on killing the rest of us.

"Care to explain?" Shintaro is unaffected by the girls display of emotion.

"Somebody shot at us," One of the other girls, a tall African-American, speaks. Her voice is steady and calm, not at all indicative of someone who was just running for their life. "We don't know who. We don't know why. We just ran as fast as we could for the nearest shelter. Which, incidentally, happened to be the very Hub we were headed towards anyways."

A short beep fills the air. The wall behind us, which until now has been blank, coalesces into the image of Dr. Black. Though every inch of him is covered by a cloak or mask, I cannot help but feel a self-satisfied energy coming off him.

"Welcome, Zeta team!" He splays his hands in greeting. "You are the third and final team to arrive at this particular Event Hub. That, of course, means that the game can now commence...However...I will delay the start of the game for just a moment longer. It is only fair that I allow each team a chance to examine each other, yes?"

The screen blinks off. I scan the unsure faces of the eight other people in the room with me. The eight complete strangers. I don't know what this game will entail, I don't know what we'll have to do. But I do know one thing.

I'm not going to like it.

Arlyssa Valiante (Beta Team)
I stand with my arms crossed, tapping my foot as I silently watch the three newcomers introduce themselves. I don't trust them. Not an inch. Who knows what they're plotting? They probably want to kill each and every person in this room. Hell, I know that I want to!

The introductions go quickly. Not much is said, and I get the impression that they don't want to reveal too much about themselves. That Mexican girl, Sofia, is particularly careful about this. She says as little as possible and her eyes never stop moving, as if she's trying to watch all of us at the same time. I also notice that she keeps one hand in her pocket at all times. Why? Does she have a concealed weapon?

"Does anyone have any idea who Dr. Black is or what he wants?" Hayle is trying to lead the discussion, trying to find some answers. I don't know why he bothers. Obviously no one knows who that psycho is or what he wants.

"I think we should be a little more concerned about those people who were trying to kill us!" Hannah throws her hands in the air. I can't say that I'm impressed by her. The immaturity she's shown is exceeded only by Harry, that little brat hiding under the table.

Shintaro shakes his head. "As I said before, there is nothing to be concerned about. Fighting is not allowed inside the Hubs. Besides such, there is no way they could enter. In case the rest of you haven't noticed, Dr. Black has locked us inside."

We all turn to the door. The chair that Hannah propped underneath the handle is still there, but there's no other sign that anything has changed. "How do you figure?" Hayle finally asks.

"There was an electrical beep when Zeta Team entered," Shintaro says with a wave of his hand, "it's a simple enough deduction to realize that it was the door locking."

Yeah, right. Shintaro is undoubtedly the skeeviest guy in the room. I don't know why. There's just something...off about him. I can't help but get the feeling that he'd literally stab us in the back and not feel the slightest bit of guilt over it. I could respect that kind of intensity if he was on my team but, of course, he's not.

Which means I'll need to kill him eventually.

It seems like everyone else is trying to avoid that fact. Only one team is making it out of this alive. There's no point in trying to understand Dr. Black or figure out his motive. No point in trying to find a way to escape. That just reeks of desperation. Because we all know there's only one way this ends...

I blink as I come out of my thoughts. I must have zoned out. A quick look around shows that none of the others have noticed. In fact, they seem to have split into groups. Hannah, Fern, and Vika are hanging out by the far wall, quietly talking amongst themselves. Sofia is examining the three unexplained doors, and Hayle is speaking with Shintaro and Francesca. I don't know where Harry is. But he's probably still hiding under a table.

Stupid kid.

"I'm not sure who he was," Francesca is speaking as I walk over to the group. The tall, thin girl holds herself up with confidence, despite the hideous markings that adorn her skin. She seems to be the only one on her team who wants to understand the situation. Which, I guess, is what makes her their unofficial leader. "But he was wearing a suit and had a gun. I do not know what type."

"It's not the same team that attacked us," Shintaro says. "They didn't have guns. If they did, I'm sure they would have shot us instead of using a knife."

"I don't understand why they're trying to kill us," Hayle says with a shake of his head. "Why play right into Dr. Black's hands? He's already doing his best to kill us--no need to help him out."

I can't help but roll my eyes at his naivete. How dense can you be?

"I didn't see his teammates," Francesca continues, ignoring Hayle, "but I assume that they were nearby. It's unlikely that they would have split up."

Shintaro stays silent. There's a look of concentration on his face, as if he thinks this is a puzzle and that if he tries hard enough he'll be able to figure it out. He won't be able to. There's nothing to figure out. You fight, you kill, or you die. That's all there is to it.

Hayle opens his mouth, but before he can say anything a loud giggle has us all turning around. The three idiots, Vika, Fern, and Hannah, have broken into a laughing fit. Apparently one of them told a joke or did something equally stupid.

"Your teammates suck," I tell Francesca.

She raises an eyebrow. "Oh? And what makes you so certain of that?"

"Attention, Challengers!" The voice of Dr. Black echoes around the room as the man himself appears on our screens. Hands clasped before him, he nods his head in greeting as we all stop to stare. "I believe that I have given you all enough time to acquaint yourselves. Now, I will move on to the reason you're all here. The game!"

"And what will this game be?" Shintaro asks.

"It is rather simple, really. To be sure, it is so simple that some of you may be disappointed."

Hayle and Francesca exchange skeptical glances. I just roll my eyes. That claim is extremely unlikely to come true.

"As I said," Dr. Black continues, drowning out Vika as she begins to speak, "the game you are about to play is exceedingly simple. But, before I can explain more thoroughly, I'd like to ask you all to form up in your respective teams and enter one of the three doors before you."

There's an awkward silence following this statement. Hayle takes a step towards one of the doors but pulls back, seemingly unsure of himself. Fern, Hannah, and Vika all mutter to themselves. In fact, the only person who follows Dr. Black's instructions and approaches a door is Shintaro, who stops beside the leftmost door.

With a exasperated grunt, I take my place in front of the middle door.

"I don't suppose there is any point in waiting," Francesca says slowly. She takes one last look at us all before heading for the right door. Sofia, one hand still in her pocket, follows suit.

"There is no point in agonizing over your choice of door," Dr. Black chimes in. "They all lead to identical situations."

All of the others fall into line after this. Hayle and Vika join me, both of them clearly uncomfortable with the situation. I can't say that I share the sentiment. I'm not concerned. No, I'm more...eager. After all, the only way this ends is with the other teams dead and so far the games have been the best way of winnowing down the competition.

"Please enter your rooms."

I open the door and push my way inside. The room we enter isn't very different from the one we just left; the walls and floor are the exact same shade of gray and the shape of the room is even identical. The only real difference is that there's only one door opposite us instead of three. "What's the point of this?" I ask as the door swings shut behind us.

"Where are the other teams?" Hayle asks. Vika is too busy trying to force the door open to respond, so I find myself doing so.

"They're probably in other rooms, stupid."

As he rolls his eyes, I stride forward into the center of the room. Before I get any further, Dr. Black appears on my datapad. I say nothing as I take in the sight of the enigmatic man. I know that I give the others a hard time for trying to figure out his motives but, well, I can't help but feel just a little curious about that myself. Why is he doing this?

"Greetings, Beta Team. Listen carefully, for I am about to explain the rules of this game to you. Actually, you all should have no problem following along, as these rules are very similar to the Decision Game that you already played."

Huh. What does that mean? I think back to the game we played before, the one were we cast votes for who on Alpha Team would die. Are we going to do that again?

"I will not kill anyone!" Vika interrups.

Dr. Black holds up a hand. "Now, now, do not fret. You will not be killing anyone in this particular game."

Vika lets out a sigh of relief as Hayle nods, looking pleased. I don't share their feelings. If no one is going to die, then how will we get any closer to winning? "What's the point of this game?" I ask, frustrated.

"I suppose you could call it a test of sorts. A way of activating your stressors and seeking Awakening."

I blink, shocked that Dr. Black actually answered a question. I didn't understand anything he said, of course, but the fact that he even bothered to reply is a huge change from his earlier evasions. I open my mouth to ask a follow-up, but he just rolls right along.

"Now, before there are any more interruptions, please allow me to explain the rules of the game, the name of which will be the Decision Game: Weak Link Edition. In short, you three will each be voting for whom you believe is the weakest member of your team."

"What does that even mean?" Hayle asks what we're all thinking.

"I thought what I said was rather simple but, alas, apparently it was not. Very well. Here are the rules. The three of you will each have one vote. You will be presented with three options; each option being a member of your own Team, including yourself. You will be given a period of time to think over your decision, after which you will then proceed to vote. Keep in mind, however, that unlike in the last Decision Game, whomever receives the most votes will not be killed or otherwise harmed."

I mull these words over in my head, trying to understand them. The three of us are supposed to decide who the weakest on our team is? And they won't be hurt? Something about that seems off, but I can't quite place my finger on it.

"What are the other teams doing?" I ask.

"The very same thing as you. They will also be deciding their weakest member."

A quick glance at Hayle and Vika shows that neither of them really understand this either. What's the point? What happens to the weakest member? Something has to happen, doesn't it? The game would be pointless otherwise.

"You have five minutes to think over your decision." Dr. Black blinks off the screen.

"Well!" Vika sets hands on her hips as she stares down at her datapad. "This doesn't sound so bad."

"That's why I'm worried," Hayle mutters. Vika shoots him a look and, just like that, her bravado melts away. Eyes widening like saucers, she gawps at him.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"This sounds too simple. Too...neat," Apparently Hayle thinking matches up with mine. He paces across the room, rapping his knuckles against the far wall. "There has to be some sort of catch. But...What is it?"

I shrug. "It doesn't matter." And that's true. No matter what the catch is, no matter what happens after the vote, it won't change my long-term goal. It won't remove us from the situation we're in. And as long as I'm still alive and kicking at the end of this game, then nothing else matters.

Hayle is still talking, but I've tuned him out. I'm focused solely on the upcoming vote. It won't be a hard decision. It's pretty frickin' obvious who our weakest member is. So, an easy vote and then a quick jaunt out of the Event Hub. After that I can get back to the real task, killing the other teams and escaping this hellhole.

It's a simple plan but simple things are often the best.