Beyond the Walls

Unprepared

Team 1, led by Liam has four members left while Team 2, lead by Lucas, still has their complete numbers. Comparing their tasks, Team 2 acquired the ‘Easy Mode’.

Which is to collect 1 watch on the opposite team while the other is three watches. Looking at it Team 2 has it easy, since Team 1 has a dead teammate, all they need to do is to collect it but… even if that is the case, Team 1’s players are not easy to beat, Liam, the leader, had known Team 1’s plans and they are all laying in wait surrounding their fallen teammate tattered body.

*Bzzz

“L…Liam. Retrieval was successful.” It was Michael’s voice on the other line.

*Bzzz

“Good.” Liam answered on the earpiece.

“Are there only two earpieces?” Brandy asked.

“Yes.” He answered dryly and put the binoculars in his eyes. It was night time already and the feast of mutants is all done but they still linger around the area. Seeing closely at the mutants their mouth and chest area are drenched in blood.

“You could have brought 1 pair more. That way, we don’t need to risk our lives to retrieve the remaining earpiece.”

Liam stopped looking through his binoculars and turned to Brandy. Since they are grouped into two groups, Liam brought Brandy with him and on the other group are Michael and Athena.

“Brandy, do you know how ridiculously expensive these communication earpieces are? It cost more than half of my skill points. You should have brought it with your points, instead. Ah? Wait… You can’t afford it. Shut it if you are not making sense.” Liam is on his limit of patience like he is on edge since their sniper, Lark, died.

“...Ah. Yeah. I’m sorry.” Brandy apologizes while scratching his neck but Liam is already done listening.

Liam bought those earpieces for Lark. He didn’t want to lose such an asset especially when he had gone to the trouble of saving him multiple times.

Lark Logan. 23 years old. Resident of Wall 89. Bastard son of a Military Family. Gifted in long distance weaponry. Denied entry to the Military due to his birth status. Occupation: Weapon Tester.

How did Liam know this? He was the one who recommended him to the Games. He can guess why he was at the games. He has a sick mother, doing all sorts of jobs.

“Haaa…” He sighed.

He already had a plan laid out to save Lark again, since he would be playing a big role in this game, rather than him being eaten, he is planning to sacrifice Brandy instead only if that person (Lucas) didn’t plan it too well.

If they go and save Lark. After that chances of a horde of mutants coming to their final item place increases. Since mutants already gathered in one spot, they will move all together after.

He had to decide. Will he still save Lark, get behind with the tasks and risk altogether their winning chances? Or he can abandon him and focus on winning.

It wasn’t really a hard choice.

He turned his head away from Lark’s direction with thoughts of ‘I can deal with Lucas’ team in another way.’

*Bzzz

“Liam… I am seeing some movements at 12 o’clock by the tower.” Michael reported.

Liam, who is by the window checking the opposite of Michael’s direction, said to Brandy to look at Lark’s body for a while. He went to the other side of the ticketing booth. He slowly pulled hanging cloth on the side and looked at the hole.

There was not much movement at first. Then he can see faint moving shadows.

*Bzzz

“Have you confirmed if it’s human or not?” He asked Michael. There is a limit to how much he can see from their spot.

*Bzzz

“Negative. It was too dark.”

It was hard to tell since mutants are hanging around the place.

“Liam… I saw something moving here.” Brandy said in a hurried hushed voice.

*Bzzz

“Michael, report once you confirm it.”

“Copy that”

Liam pulled back the hanging cloth to cover the hole again and move beside Brandy.

“Where?” He asked.

“Around there.”

Liam who is looking through his binoculars had to remove it again to see where Brandy is pointing. He doesn’t appreciate this kind of simpleness but he decided to let it go.

He looked at the direction where Brandy was pointing. The movements had stopped.

“Liam, can’t we just watch ourselves?” Brandy asked after minutes of waiting.

“We can. Do you want to risk it?”

“I… I am not the best person to do such an errand. Ma,Maybe, Michael or Athena s,should do it. ” Brandy didn’t know that his tone came out cowardly but he already expected it.

Lark’s watch is placed underneath the ride tower and there alone, is a mutant looking like it was guarding it. They are already down with one member, should they risk it? It’s not worth it… at least not yet.

“You’ve seen Elijah right? He is the best person for the kind of Grab and Go. Afterall, he is a professional thief.”

“H,how did you know that?” Puzzled, Brandy never said a word about the things he learned about Lucas’ group. He thought maybe Athena, but she didn’t seem to be the kind of person to tell.

“I know things.” Liam straight looks into Brandy’s eyes. He can guess that Brandy kept the information for himself. Not bad, but he is dealing with him.

‘I am the one who recommended him too.’ Liam thought.

Brandy was seriously contemplating and Liam could read him all too well.

*Bzzz

“Michael, take turns. Be sure to be well rested.”

“Noted.”

“Brandy, you take the first shift. I will rest. Don’t sleep.” Liam put his hand on Brandy’s shoulder before taking a seat at the corner and closing his eyes.

“They should be moving anytime now. Why are you sleeping during the crucial moments”

Every word Brandy spits out is irritating to him.

“...High probability, they won’t move at all. Like us, they are just observing. In headcount, they have an advantage, but I know their abilities. Except for Elijah, nobody will suit grab and go tactics. Also with that number of mutants, I don’t think he too will be able to leave unscatched… You should use your head more often.”

“...” Brandy shut his mouth and clenched his fist as he glared down at Liam’s.

Even with his eyes closed Liam continues to assess the situation, Unless the numbers of mutants decrease, the other team won’t be able to get the watch. One image pops out while he is thinking. Athena, she is one of the players that he didn’t recommend. From the start, he had been intrigued at her presence. At the start of the games, when players woke up, Athena was unlike the others, she was calm and she stayed in her own bed observing. When they meet eyes, something tells him that she is like him. It was only a hunched but he never had the chance to confirm it.

He had been puzzled at her skills since the points and reward system, where there is only a brief exposure of her in action and also her stealth played the biggest additional points. It was unbelievable until he saw it with his own eyes. She managed to retrieve the last item in Task 2 in more or less than a minute.

If she were to retrieve the watch, maybe she can do it but… was it worth it? No… Not yet. If things get worse, she can probably assassinate the whole team 1 before their team loses.

With his thoughts flowing like that, Liam feels more relaxed than he was a few hours ago. Lark was too bad as a loss but they haven’t lost yet.

‘Team 1… is composed of people I’ve chosen. I know their profile and story…”

Kiko Francisco, Jack Primo, Elijah Cook, Aaron Manne, they are all people Liam recommended.

All but one. Lucas. According to his gathered information he is a resident of Wall 103. Though Liam frequents Wall 103, he never heard of an Outlander in that district, if not for the traits he had displayed during the games. He would've not known.

From being interesting fellow Lucas became a torn in the eye to Liam

'That guy is becoming dangerous.' Those were his last thoughts before falling asleep.

It was not until a few hours before daybreak when Liam took the shift. The place remained unchanged except for a lower number of lingering mutants.

*Bzzz

“Be ready.”

“...”

*Bzzz

“Michael, Athena?”

“...”

*Bzzz

“...They are coming.” It was a girl’s voice on the other line.

Liam kicked Brandy to wake up. Brandy was surprised. “What the… I haven’t slept—”

“They are coming. Get ready.” Liam doesn’t care and gets his undivided attention to the watch and its surroundings.

*Bzzz

“Liam, I am spotting at least two figures in here.” The line returned to Michael.

“Looks like they are divided into groups too.” He said on line after spotting Jack and Kiko moving from one post to another.

There is another one missing.

‘Even if they do the same tactic again, it won’t work unless they can overpower our group.’ Confidently, Liam watches from all the sides.

*Bzzzz

“Liam, It’s Aaron and the leader, I am seeing.”

‘It’s Elijah!’

Liam looked over at any nearby blind spot but cannot spot him… That is until the mutant that had been guarding the watch dropped dead.

Coming straight down from the ride tower is Elijah. The reason he was not spotted was because he was up there all along.

“..!!”

Liam stepped back on his other foot and threw something towards the ride tower as Elijah was picking up the watch.

Rolling around the ground at Elijah’s feet is a palm size metal stick.

‘Did you think I came here unprepared?’ Liam had a satisfied look on his face when…

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH

An ear splitting high pitch screeching sound came out of the metal stick.

“....!!!!”

A sound bomb.