Heyo, Heres a story taht Ive started this afternoon...one slight prob..I dunno where to go, now..if anyone's got any suggestions on how to continue it, thta would be very appreciated...and..feel free to critisize it..either positivly, or negativly..just give me a reason for the critisism 
anyways..without more ado...
Chapter 1
"Flag carrier down!" I heard in my commlink.
"****, Samael! Our Flag carrier's down!" Get the flag, NOW!"
As a "yessir!" barked through my commlink, I crept through my own base, mini-gun in hand, knowing that somewhere, a blue-man was in here....
All of a sudden, I heard the distinctive sound of the damage amp being activated rang through my ears, "****..." I hissed, " A blue-man's got our damage amp, in our base, beware" I reported to my team mates.
I ignored the blue-man, for the moment, concetrating on staying concealed , and getting the Redeemer.
"The Enemy Has Your Flag!!" Boomed the announcer, through the Team Commlink.
I picked up the shock rifle, a shock core, loaded the core into the weapon, and crept through the teleporter, to get the All Hallowed weapon...The Redeemer!! I quickly teleported back into the interior of the base, knowing, on this arena, Face, that an enemy sniper would very damned well would be camping somewhere, in the oppsite temple, making grabbing the redeemer a risky task. As I made my short way, through the temple interior, I reflected on how amazing this arena was...two very opposing fighting styles can come together, and create one hell of a strategy, as the flak-cannon-toting-psychotics, charged the enemy, while the more, sneakier type would snipe and, provide cover fire for the attackers...brilliant. I quickly burnt a hole through a blue-man's chest, with the shock rifle, before he could squeeze off a few rounds of his mini-gun.
I teleported to the top of the temple, to go to my little "hidey-hole}. Before I dropped the couple of feet down, into the shadows, I nodded to DarqEagle, who was crouching behind one of the pillars, sniper rifle in hand.
"Roger, XirVo, I've got you covered." He whispered to me.
I dropped down, down, into the shadows, behind one pillar, pulled the redeemer out, attached the missile camera output over my right eye, aimed the monster of a weapon out, and fired. As I steered it around the tower, I let the team mates know that I had a missile in the air. As the aknowledgments came in, Shaylok reported that she had the blue flag.
I could tell that the gibs were gonna fly very, very soon, with at least one missile in the air, bothflags in the open, and a tie-end game.
I saw Shaylok, and , what looked like, to me, UnTouched duking it out, with enforcers blazing at each other, near the center. I seen UnTouched going "gangsta style" with two enforcers, just plugging away, and I seen puffs of smoke, on the ground, near both of them, as the blue snipers attempted to gun her down.
I also ignored the duel , for a bit, searching out the enemy flag carrier.... I steered around the top of the blue temple, when I seen Fre3LY, the enemy flag carrier camping out, behind one of the pillars, almost opposite of DarqEagle. I told Fre3LY's Location to Darqeagle, and ordered Bladed1 to get the flag, when dropped. I swung the missile around, and flew it back to near the Red base, to see Shaylok, outside of our base, amazingly, still alive..and ramming the flag pole thtrough ShoKerZ's right eye. Needless to say, ShoKerZ went down..Hard.
"Squeal boy, squeal!" Shaylok taunted.
She turned around, to enter our base, but found, instead herself face-to-face with PeterPan23...and a smuggled flak cannon.Point blank. Flak cannon. 'Nuf said. The flag flew back a good dozen feet, along with Shaylok's gibs.
I finally desided that this is where Mr. Redeemer was gonna give his great gift of Boom-ness. A bare second before PeterPan23 managed to to nab his flag, I detonated the redeemer, instantly vaporizing him, and a couple of Blue-men, and knocking their weapons almost back to their base.
"You like that, bitch??!!" I snarled, with an evil cackle.
I dropped the spent missile launcher, ripped the camera output off of my eye, dropped it, too, and got back, up to the top of the temple, to find DarqEagle without a face, and Fre3LY, still camping , with the flag. "dirty, little sonovabitch" I muttered. I quickly grabbed the fallen man's rifle, and dived behind the right pillar. I took a second to catch my breth, allowing me to steady my shaking hands. I radioed everyone to report their situations. As the "under surpressive fire", or just "holed up at such-and-such a location"-s came in, I realized that this is gonna end up as a stalemate, if something wasn't done, and quick.
"Well, " I thought to myself, "I sure as hell hope that this is gonna work.." I frowned...waited a few seconds, to gather my strength, and ordered everyone to get ready for a Scorpian Defensive Maneuver on my go.
I got my translocator out, launched it over the edge, out front, to where the blue flag lay, put the sniper rifle to my shoulder, took careful aim...and ripped Fre3LY's face out the back of his head. I watched the flag flutter around, and down, a bit, but it snagged in a crack in the ancient tower's brick-work, near the top.
As "Head Shot!!" boomed by the announcer, to me, I yelled "GO!!" as loud as I could, into the team Commlink.
DarqEagle, with mini-gun in hand, and Shaylok, with a rocket launcher, did a suicide run up the left lane, between the astroids, SamaeL, with a shock rifle, and Ravenna, with her two trusty enforcers, did their thing up the right lane.
I let the sniper rifle clatter on the stoneworking of the temple roof, pulled out my translocater, prayed that no one had shot my module, and teleported to a couple of feet from the blue flag. I grabbed the flag, seeing a blue-man, I pulled out the shock rifle, and launched a few plasma balls at him. A couple of them managed to find their targets, and gibbed him, lusciously.I ran back into the temple, and set up camp, opposite, from the flag base. Outside, I could hear the death screams of both teams, as they died valiant deaths of glory. I finally, thankfully, seen the flag spawn back, in its base. I ran up, gave off a few victory shots of the shock rifle, and touched the flag, with the blue flag.
"The Red Team Has Won The Match!!!"
Chapter 2
I sat back, on the cold, hard bench, in the prep/debreif room, and tiredly sight with releif, "congrats, team..that was a bloody awesome match" Cheers went up, and I couldnt help but smile.
I then, dragged my body off of the bench, and walked to the showers. I stripped down, and let the hot jets prick my skin, washing the blood of my foes, my team , and my self down the drain. I couldn't beleive this..two more matches, and I would be free..finally, from the Tournament. Free to get a real job, to get an appartment, with normal people as neighbours...not with psychos, criminals, and cruel, rich snobs. Bloody hell..I ddin't belong here, I should have never, Never had been convicted, At All! That goddamned Black Dragoon clan member should be here, in this shower, washing his filthy body, not me. HE was the one who had killed the taltos security guard! I felt the anger at the unfairness being to burn, and grow, in a black pit in my stomache.
Goddammit! Why the bloody hell was it that if a miner has been seen by a dead body, they're automatically convicted?! Never, ever given a say in the courts, simply an arbitrary reading of their penalty. I yelled, loudly, hearing my voice echo like the screams of the past, and I slammed my fist into the shower wall. I head something crack, I didn't know, nor really care, wheather it was the wall, or my fist. I pummeled the wall, with a fury I hadn't seen in a while.
Finally, after, what seemed forever, I stopped, exhausted, hurting, and sighed. I turned around, to see Bladed1 leaning against the door frame. "lo", I said. Bladed1 gave a slight nod of his head. "Errm...the wall did something wrong to ya, XirVo?" He quipped. I gave a cynical "heh" at his attempt of humour.
"Oh, no..nothing...Just pretending that the wall was someone..." I answered, as I nursed my sore fists.
We stood, there, for a few awkward seoconds, looking at each other. Bladed1 smiled, and shook his head, and threw a roll of gauze to me. I gave a small laugh, and thanked him. He nodded, slightly, and left. I wrapped my knuckles with the gauze, dried myself off, put the towel around my waist, and stepped out. I spotted the team, lounging around the locker room.
Hey, how come you all are still here?" I inquired.
"Jis' waitin' fo' you, mon." Samael, the skrawny Jamaican shock h0 replied. I noticed Shaylok looking at the bloodied gauze on my knuckles, WIth the deepest green eyes, and pale, pale skin, she was aobut as close to Necris as humans could get, but to me, she was dead seksay.
"You should see a doc, about that" she simply said, while nodding at my knuckles.
"I'll be fine for the next game" I replied. She shrugged. Whatever, you know best, she seemed to say.
Having been a team for a good coupla years, now, neither of us had any inhibition, nor embaressment of of changing in front of each other. I stripped down, and got dressed in some street clothes. No one even batted an eye at the scars that raked my thighs, and back of my legs. Having gone into a pit fight, with a Skaarj hadn't been one of the most brilliant idea I've had. But, then, I'm not nessicarily thr sharpest knife in the drawer, having accumulated many scars from numerous fights in streets, mines, pits, and, even in arenas, when my respawn/protecion module had been damaged, or fell off.
We walked out of the arena complex, of Liandri Headquarters, consisting of two arenas, and the Liandri Head office, into the cool, crisp October night, as a team. Always in, always out, sa a team, the six of us. Misfits, we were, even for the Tournament. Shaylok, the 22 year old semi-goth woman of my dreams, SamaeL, the skrawny 26 year old Jamaican shock-rifle expert, with wild dreadlocks that flew all over the place, seeming to have a mind of their own. Then there was DarqEagle, the tall, well-built sniper of 23, and the only one with military background, Bladed1, the strangely quiet, ripper-toting psychotic of 27, who happens to be the fastest, deadliest member of our team, in arena, but, off-arena, is the most charming, nicest guy you could ever meet in this nasty city, and finally, Ravenna, the crazy sharpshooter, of 21 who uses her double enforcers and her deadly looks to rip through her opponents; and, finally, that leaves me, XirVo, age 22, the only team member in the Tournament due to a framing - but certainly not the only- the best Redeemer missile pilot, and with a flak cannon, and a smile, I'd be happy to rip your screaming face out the back of your mutulated head.
"Damn, mon, she's a bit cold out, 'ere!" SamaeL quipped. DarqEagle shrugged, and adjusted his trench coat.
"it's not all that bad, out here" Shaylok grinned, as she hooked her arm through mine,
"Meh, it's not too bad out, 'ere, fo' you two lovey-birds, all cozy-like, and **** wit each oter, but, wit' me, hell, all I is, is a skrawny goi, who barely fills his own damned coat..damn, I sure wish I had someone to help me fill it, though..." SamaeL winked at Ravenna. She pretened to ignore him. SamaeL "hmmf"-ed, then grumbleing tightened his leather jacket around his waist.
"hey, wanna stop in at Lorenzo's?" Bladed1 asked. We all shrugged our agreements, and turned the corner and made our way to Lorenzo's, the local club where the Tournament contenders hung out.
As we progressed through the crowd, I noticed a familiar looking limo slow, and pull up to Lorenzo's. As we neared the club, the back door swung open, and a tall man, in a leather trench coat stepped out. He adjusted the coat on his lean frame, and looked at us. My agent has come...again.
"Ah, good evening, Mr, Nerok" Mr. Szandoz , my agent greeted me, with an out streched arm, and palm facing up. I nodded, and shook the offered hand, firmly, "Lo, Mr. Szandoz", I replied, "What brings you out here?"
"You do, Mr. Nerok, I need to talk to you", Szandoz looked around, "Alone." He looked pointedly, at my group of freinds. "Ok, fine..." I half grumbled, "I'll meet you guys, in Lorenzo's , soon" I looked at Szandoz. "Not to worry, I shan't be long." reassured Szandoz.
Mr. Szandoz led me to his limo, helped me inside, and stepped in, after me.
"So, Mr. Nerok ...how are you this night?"
"Seen better" I replied, "Whatcha here for, now?"
"Well, Mr. Nerok...the Tournament Board has sent me, to you, with a request."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow...this should be interesting...
Well....they're proposing an offer for you, Mr. Nerok...an offer that you just Cannot not take. They are offering you a chance to make up into the hundreds of millions of dollars." My other eyebrow joined the other one, near the top of my forehead, at the mention of such a ridiculous amount of money.
"Aaaand, what am I supossed to, in return for this amount of money?"
"Stay in the tournament as the team leader of DCI." I couldn't think of what to say..I never knew that I was already this close to having my sentance over.
"Just outta curiosity, when DOES my sentance end?"
"Saturday, if you win, will be your last match, and your sentence is over, Mr. Nerok"
****...Saturday was my last frellin' game, already?! My jaw hung a bit...I would be free, this Saturday! But...My agent, and supposedly, the Tournament Board wanted me to stay, in the Tournament...but why? I asked Szandoz.
"Because, the Tournament has enough Deathmatch stars out there, what they want is more Team leaders, like you, to show that the team games are also profitable venues, for Contenders to join, and show that taking orders from a Team leader isn't always that incredibly harsh...IF the leader is a good leader...not a psycho, or a person who doesn't give a **** about their team...I know you arn't like that." He emphasised the "know", as if he did know me, as if he had gotten into my head, and knew me from the inside, and out.
"Well, Szandoz....I don't know what to say...I can't make a descion, right, at this moment, as I'd have to think about it, if I really, really want to actually stay in the Tournament, and then, after that I'd have to talk it over with my teammates, to see if they really want me to be a team leader, for them, and have our team go official, and all that other stuff...."
"Mr.Nerok...I understand that you'll need time to think it over, and I'm not asking for a descion, right this moment...BUT I will need a descion by, at the latest Friday night." I sighed, and nodded.
"And, one more thing, before you go, I have one more thing to say...I hate to burst your bubble, and all, but , if you think that you'll just find a job, around, here, in the city, and have a nice appartment, well, I'm sorry, but, have good luck getting it, because, almost all of the "good" jobs are taken, and, with your education, and raising..well, it leaves something to be desired, by the companies..I mean, come on, think about it, you were born on an astroid, you were raised on a mining colony, and you worked in the mines..this is your first time, here on Earth... when a company is going to see your background..I doubt they're going to accept you, having such a smal amount of, and such poor education."
"I know, Szandoz, I know, But it never hurts to try." I replied.
"Maybe in the mines, that was the mentality that was accepted, but here, in the city, it DOES hurt to try...trust me." I nodded, and stepped out of the limo. "Friday night, I will call you, and I want you to have your descion made, ok, Mr. Nerok?" "Yeah." Was all that I could reply. "Good." Mr, Szandoz's limo pulled away, leaving me standing, by the curb, in the gentle rain that had started, as we talked. I looked at my watch. 10:24pm ..we had been talking for only la bit more than ten minutes. I shrugged, and turned around, and stepped into Lorenzo's.
anyways..without more ado... Chapter 1
"Flag carrier down!" I heard in my commlink.
"****, Samael! Our Flag carrier's down!" Get the flag, NOW!"
As a "yessir!" barked through my commlink, I crept through my own base, mini-gun in hand, knowing that somewhere, a blue-man was in here....
All of a sudden, I heard the distinctive sound of the damage amp being activated rang through my ears, "****..." I hissed, " A blue-man's got our damage amp, in our base, beware" I reported to my team mates.
I ignored the blue-man, for the moment, concetrating on staying concealed , and getting the Redeemer.
"The Enemy Has Your Flag!!" Boomed the announcer, through the Team Commlink.
I picked up the shock rifle, a shock core, loaded the core into the weapon, and crept through the teleporter, to get the All Hallowed weapon...The Redeemer!! I quickly teleported back into the interior of the base, knowing, on this arena, Face, that an enemy sniper would very damned well would be camping somewhere, in the oppsite temple, making grabbing the redeemer a risky task. As I made my short way, through the temple interior, I reflected on how amazing this arena was...two very opposing fighting styles can come together, and create one hell of a strategy, as the flak-cannon-toting-psychotics, charged the enemy, while the more, sneakier type would snipe and, provide cover fire for the attackers...brilliant. I quickly burnt a hole through a blue-man's chest, with the shock rifle, before he could squeeze off a few rounds of his mini-gun.
I teleported to the top of the temple, to go to my little "hidey-hole}. Before I dropped the couple of feet down, into the shadows, I nodded to DarqEagle, who was crouching behind one of the pillars, sniper rifle in hand.
"Roger, XirVo, I've got you covered." He whispered to me.
I dropped down, down, into the shadows, behind one pillar, pulled the redeemer out, attached the missile camera output over my right eye, aimed the monster of a weapon out, and fired. As I steered it around the tower, I let the team mates know that I had a missile in the air. As the aknowledgments came in, Shaylok reported that she had the blue flag.
I could tell that the gibs were gonna fly very, very soon, with at least one missile in the air, bothflags in the open, and a tie-end game.
I saw Shaylok, and , what looked like, to me, UnTouched duking it out, with enforcers blazing at each other, near the center. I seen UnTouched going "gangsta style" with two enforcers, just plugging away, and I seen puffs of smoke, on the ground, near both of them, as the blue snipers attempted to gun her down.
I also ignored the duel , for a bit, searching out the enemy flag carrier.... I steered around the top of the blue temple, when I seen Fre3LY, the enemy flag carrier camping out, behind one of the pillars, almost opposite of DarqEagle. I told Fre3LY's Location to Darqeagle, and ordered Bladed1 to get the flag, when dropped. I swung the missile around, and flew it back to near the Red base, to see Shaylok, outside of our base, amazingly, still alive..and ramming the flag pole thtrough ShoKerZ's right eye. Needless to say, ShoKerZ went down..Hard.
"Squeal boy, squeal!" Shaylok taunted.
She turned around, to enter our base, but found, instead herself face-to-face with PeterPan23...and a smuggled flak cannon.Point blank. Flak cannon. 'Nuf said. The flag flew back a good dozen feet, along with Shaylok's gibs.
I finally desided that this is where Mr. Redeemer was gonna give his great gift of Boom-ness. A bare second before PeterPan23 managed to to nab his flag, I detonated the redeemer, instantly vaporizing him, and a couple of Blue-men, and knocking their weapons almost back to their base.
"You like that, bitch??!!" I snarled, with an evil cackle.
I dropped the spent missile launcher, ripped the camera output off of my eye, dropped it, too, and got back, up to the top of the temple, to find DarqEagle without a face, and Fre3LY, still camping , with the flag. "dirty, little sonovabitch" I muttered. I quickly grabbed the fallen man's rifle, and dived behind the right pillar. I took a second to catch my breth, allowing me to steady my shaking hands. I radioed everyone to report their situations. As the "under surpressive fire", or just "holed up at such-and-such a location"-s came in, I realized that this is gonna end up as a stalemate, if something wasn't done, and quick.
"Well, " I thought to myself, "I sure as hell hope that this is gonna work.." I frowned...waited a few seconds, to gather my strength, and ordered everyone to get ready for a Scorpian Defensive Maneuver on my go.
I got my translocator out, launched it over the edge, out front, to where the blue flag lay, put the sniper rifle to my shoulder, took careful aim...and ripped Fre3LY's face out the back of his head. I watched the flag flutter around, and down, a bit, but it snagged in a crack in the ancient tower's brick-work, near the top.
As "Head Shot!!" boomed by the announcer, to me, I yelled "GO!!" as loud as I could, into the team Commlink.
DarqEagle, with mini-gun in hand, and Shaylok, with a rocket launcher, did a suicide run up the left lane, between the astroids, SamaeL, with a shock rifle, and Ravenna, with her two trusty enforcers, did their thing up the right lane.
I let the sniper rifle clatter on the stoneworking of the temple roof, pulled out my translocater, prayed that no one had shot my module, and teleported to a couple of feet from the blue flag. I grabbed the flag, seeing a blue-man, I pulled out the shock rifle, and launched a few plasma balls at him. A couple of them managed to find their targets, and gibbed him, lusciously.I ran back into the temple, and set up camp, opposite, from the flag base. Outside, I could hear the death screams of both teams, as they died valiant deaths of glory. I finally, thankfully, seen the flag spawn back, in its base. I ran up, gave off a few victory shots of the shock rifle, and touched the flag, with the blue flag.
"The Red Team Has Won The Match!!!"
Chapter 2
I sat back, on the cold, hard bench, in the prep/debreif room, and tiredly sight with releif, "congrats, team..that was a bloody awesome match" Cheers went up, and I couldnt help but smile.
I then, dragged my body off of the bench, and walked to the showers. I stripped down, and let the hot jets prick my skin, washing the blood of my foes, my team , and my self down the drain. I couldn't beleive this..two more matches, and I would be free..finally, from the Tournament. Free to get a real job, to get an appartment, with normal people as neighbours...not with psychos, criminals, and cruel, rich snobs. Bloody hell..I ddin't belong here, I should have never, Never had been convicted, At All! That goddamned Black Dragoon clan member should be here, in this shower, washing his filthy body, not me. HE was the one who had killed the taltos security guard! I felt the anger at the unfairness being to burn, and grow, in a black pit in my stomache.
Goddammit! Why the bloody hell was it that if a miner has been seen by a dead body, they're automatically convicted?! Never, ever given a say in the courts, simply an arbitrary reading of their penalty. I yelled, loudly, hearing my voice echo like the screams of the past, and I slammed my fist into the shower wall. I head something crack, I didn't know, nor really care, wheather it was the wall, or my fist. I pummeled the wall, with a fury I hadn't seen in a while.
Finally, after, what seemed forever, I stopped, exhausted, hurting, and sighed. I turned around, to see Bladed1 leaning against the door frame. "lo", I said. Bladed1 gave a slight nod of his head. "Errm...the wall did something wrong to ya, XirVo?" He quipped. I gave a cynical "heh" at his attempt of humour.
"Oh, no..nothing...Just pretending that the wall was someone..." I answered, as I nursed my sore fists.
We stood, there, for a few awkward seoconds, looking at each other. Bladed1 smiled, and shook his head, and threw a roll of gauze to me. I gave a small laugh, and thanked him. He nodded, slightly, and left. I wrapped my knuckles with the gauze, dried myself off, put the towel around my waist, and stepped out. I spotted the team, lounging around the locker room.
Hey, how come you all are still here?" I inquired.
"Jis' waitin' fo' you, mon." Samael, the skrawny Jamaican shock h0 replied. I noticed Shaylok looking at the bloodied gauze on my knuckles, WIth the deepest green eyes, and pale, pale skin, she was aobut as close to Necris as humans could get, but to me, she was dead seksay.
"You should see a doc, about that" she simply said, while nodding at my knuckles.
"I'll be fine for the next game" I replied. She shrugged. Whatever, you know best, she seemed to say.
Having been a team for a good coupla years, now, neither of us had any inhibition, nor embaressment of of changing in front of each other. I stripped down, and got dressed in some street clothes. No one even batted an eye at the scars that raked my thighs, and back of my legs. Having gone into a pit fight, with a Skaarj hadn't been one of the most brilliant idea I've had. But, then, I'm not nessicarily thr sharpest knife in the drawer, having accumulated many scars from numerous fights in streets, mines, pits, and, even in arenas, when my respawn/protecion module had been damaged, or fell off.
We walked out of the arena complex, of Liandri Headquarters, consisting of two arenas, and the Liandri Head office, into the cool, crisp October night, as a team. Always in, always out, sa a team, the six of us. Misfits, we were, even for the Tournament. Shaylok, the 22 year old semi-goth woman of my dreams, SamaeL, the skrawny 26 year old Jamaican shock-rifle expert, with wild dreadlocks that flew all over the place, seeming to have a mind of their own. Then there was DarqEagle, the tall, well-built sniper of 23, and the only one with military background, Bladed1, the strangely quiet, ripper-toting psychotic of 27, who happens to be the fastest, deadliest member of our team, in arena, but, off-arena, is the most charming, nicest guy you could ever meet in this nasty city, and finally, Ravenna, the crazy sharpshooter, of 21 who uses her double enforcers and her deadly looks to rip through her opponents; and, finally, that leaves me, XirVo, age 22, the only team member in the Tournament due to a framing - but certainly not the only- the best Redeemer missile pilot, and with a flak cannon, and a smile, I'd be happy to rip your screaming face out the back of your mutulated head.
"Damn, mon, she's a bit cold out, 'ere!" SamaeL quipped. DarqEagle shrugged, and adjusted his trench coat.
"it's not all that bad, out here" Shaylok grinned, as she hooked her arm through mine,
"Meh, it's not too bad out, 'ere, fo' you two lovey-birds, all cozy-like, and **** wit each oter, but, wit' me, hell, all I is, is a skrawny goi, who barely fills his own damned coat..damn, I sure wish I had someone to help me fill it, though..." SamaeL winked at Ravenna. She pretened to ignore him. SamaeL "hmmf"-ed, then grumbleing tightened his leather jacket around his waist.
"hey, wanna stop in at Lorenzo's?" Bladed1 asked. We all shrugged our agreements, and turned the corner and made our way to Lorenzo's, the local club where the Tournament contenders hung out.
As we progressed through the crowd, I noticed a familiar looking limo slow, and pull up to Lorenzo's. As we neared the club, the back door swung open, and a tall man, in a leather trench coat stepped out. He adjusted the coat on his lean frame, and looked at us. My agent has come...again.
"Ah, good evening, Mr, Nerok" Mr. Szandoz , my agent greeted me, with an out streched arm, and palm facing up. I nodded, and shook the offered hand, firmly, "Lo, Mr. Szandoz", I replied, "What brings you out here?"
"You do, Mr. Nerok, I need to talk to you", Szandoz looked around, "Alone." He looked pointedly, at my group of freinds. "Ok, fine..." I half grumbled, "I'll meet you guys, in Lorenzo's , soon" I looked at Szandoz. "Not to worry, I shan't be long." reassured Szandoz.
Mr. Szandoz led me to his limo, helped me inside, and stepped in, after me.
"So, Mr. Nerok ...how are you this night?"
"Seen better" I replied, "Whatcha here for, now?"
"Well, Mr. Nerok...the Tournament Board has sent me, to you, with a request."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow...this should be interesting...
Well....they're proposing an offer for you, Mr. Nerok...an offer that you just Cannot not take. They are offering you a chance to make up into the hundreds of millions of dollars." My other eyebrow joined the other one, near the top of my forehead, at the mention of such a ridiculous amount of money.
"Aaaand, what am I supossed to, in return for this amount of money?"
"Stay in the tournament as the team leader of DCI." I couldn't think of what to say..I never knew that I was already this close to having my sentance over.
"Just outta curiosity, when DOES my sentance end?"
"Saturday, if you win, will be your last match, and your sentence is over, Mr. Nerok"
****...Saturday was my last frellin' game, already?! My jaw hung a bit...I would be free, this Saturday! But...My agent, and supposedly, the Tournament Board wanted me to stay, in the Tournament...but why? I asked Szandoz.
"Because, the Tournament has enough Deathmatch stars out there, what they want is more Team leaders, like you, to show that the team games are also profitable venues, for Contenders to join, and show that taking orders from a Team leader isn't always that incredibly harsh...IF the leader is a good leader...not a psycho, or a person who doesn't give a **** about their team...I know you arn't like that." He emphasised the "know", as if he did know me, as if he had gotten into my head, and knew me from the inside, and out.
"Well, Szandoz....I don't know what to say...I can't make a descion, right, at this moment, as I'd have to think about it, if I really, really want to actually stay in the Tournament, and then, after that I'd have to talk it over with my teammates, to see if they really want me to be a team leader, for them, and have our team go official, and all that other stuff...."
"Mr.Nerok...I understand that you'll need time to think it over, and I'm not asking for a descion, right this moment...BUT I will need a descion by, at the latest Friday night." I sighed, and nodded.
"And, one more thing, before you go, I have one more thing to say...I hate to burst your bubble, and all, but , if you think that you'll just find a job, around, here, in the city, and have a nice appartment, well, I'm sorry, but, have good luck getting it, because, almost all of the "good" jobs are taken, and, with your education, and raising..well, it leaves something to be desired, by the companies..I mean, come on, think about it, you were born on an astroid, you were raised on a mining colony, and you worked in the mines..this is your first time, here on Earth... when a company is going to see your background..I doubt they're going to accept you, having such a smal amount of, and such poor education."
"I know, Szandoz, I know, But it never hurts to try." I replied.
"Maybe in the mines, that was the mentality that was accepted, but here, in the city, it DOES hurt to try...trust me." I nodded, and stepped out of the limo. "Friday night, I will call you, and I want you to have your descion made, ok, Mr. Nerok?" "Yeah." Was all that I could reply. "Good." Mr, Szandoz's limo pulled away, leaving me standing, by the curb, in the gentle rain that had started, as we talked. I looked at my watch. 10:24pm ..we had been talking for only la bit more than ten minutes. I shrugged, and turned around, and stepped into Lorenzo's.
