CODE X 777

C O D E 1 4 L O S E R

Asselyum didn't know what Jimmy was trying to present to her. He said he'd level up, but how? He didn't explain anything at all! He just walked out of the bar. He seemed to be in a hurry to reach somewhere. Meanwhile, Slaine stood on his skateboard, ready for a match. He and his challenger, Malvern, stood at the peak of a high ramp. Riley and his buddies stood away from the ramp and looked at them. Slaine looked furious as he glared at the other end of the ramp.

"You'll only get one chance, guys!" One of Riley's boys briefed them about the match. The time was fixed— 30 seconds was all that they had to prove themselves.

"Let the pros go first," Malvern said as he jumped down the ramp. He jumped up in the air, about 11 feet above the ramp and did a tail grab as he came down. All his homies shouted and hugged him. He looked up at the ramp. Slaine didn't look so impressed.

"Beat that, kid." He smirked. Slaine grabbed his board and came down.

"Slaine's a goofy? I thought he was a regular." Frank asked.

(Regular and goofy are terms used to describe how one would stand on a skateboard. Regular means that the left foot is placed forward, while Goofy means that the right foot is placed forward)

"Nah, he's a switch. He goes goofy when he really into it. We're definitely winning," Riley smirked.

(Switch refers to riding the opposite direction than usual, in the opposite stance, and making it look normal)

Slaine was extremely focused as he felt himself going up the ramp. He bent his knees and jumped up to 17 feet, performing a 900, and landed gracefully back on the ramp.

"So, what do losers taste like? I know what—Malvern Morris." One of Riley's boys shouted and they all started laughing. Malvern was too shocked to say anything. Riley looked at Slaine, he was still very focused. He fell on his knees and looked at his board.

Riley moved towards him "You still love skateboarding, don't you?"

"...I want to hate it," Slaine said.

"You can't. You haven't learned a 720 Gazelle yet." Riley smiled. Slaine looked at him "Last time I tried doing it, I almost died. I'm not doing that again. Don't call me for any matches."

Slaine began walking away while Riley looked at him back "Running away?" He asked and Slaine halted.

"I don't want to die," Slaine said.

"Have you ever heard that saying—Cowards die every day. Brave die only once."

"Bro, I'm dead inside. Yes, I'm a coward—But then," Slaine turned towards him "What does that make you? You use cowards."

Riley had no words as he watched Slaine walk away.

In the way, Slaine decided to visit the arcade. It had been a while since he last visited. He might earn a bit of money now. When he entered, he found that there was already a match going on between two guys. One of them was Jimmy! Slaine was surprised that a rich master was playing a game in that old arcade! He looked at Jimmy—He looked extremely absorbed into the game and equally serious. Something which Slaine had never seen was Jimmy Valentine taking something other than his own joke of male genitalia seriously. Slaine observed his moves—He was good—In fact really good. So good that he might make a formidable opponent. 

Jimmy won and collected all the money.

"Hey," Slaine moved towards him.

"Oh, Slaine! I won, see," He smiled like an i***t.

"Jimmy Valentine, I challenge you to a one on one," Slaine openly declared as everyone stared at him.

Jimmy smiled "We are mates so I'll pass—"

"Your d**k gave up within one round?" Slaine provoked him knowing how gullible he was. And somehow, it worked. Jimmy's expression turned sour.

"Are you trying to be funny or declaring a war?" He smirked.

"I am going to defeat you," Slaine smirked.

Jimmy dropped the cash and stood before the gaming machine.

"I have expectations, Slaine."

"The expectations are mutual, Jimmy."

They sat before the gaming machine and logged into their avatars.

"Hey, Slaine! Can I go first?" Jimmy asked.

"Whatever, I don't care. Not like you're gonna beat me" Slaine was confident that he would win. He started strong with full power and put Jimmy on to the defence. He could see right through that dumb blonde. The battle was decided—Everyone knew who was going to win so the enthusiasm of the audience began to fall. Jimmy's HP was much lower than Slaine. Slaine's avatar was the strongest...or was it?

Slaine felt a sudden tension as he saw his HP slowly falling. Jimmy smirked and Slaine turned towards him. Unlike Slaine, he was fighting with a plan. He was going easy on Slaine on purpose! To read his moves and his weapons. The audience didn't notice that yet but Slaine did. If he didn't do anything, he won't be even close to winning. He could feel Jimmy laughing at him in his head. Slaine's avatar picked up his weapon but Jimmy's avatar slashed his arm. Jimmy's avatar had a tail which he had managed to hide till now. Sweat dripped from Slaine's chin as he moved his hands frantically on the board.

Jimmy Valentine.

He was particularly dangerous.

'Goddammit!' Slaine shouted in his head as he saw his HP falling. He was getting a beating like never before. With a flip of a tail, Jimmy landed a move—Crux! Grabbing Slaine's avatar by his neck and throwing him off. When he got up, he found his HP even lower than Jimmy's. He dropped down to 20 hit points while Jimmy was 40. There was still a chance! He could still win. Slaine decided to use his secret move which he always saved for formidable opponents like Jimmy—Seism!

There were no second chances.

His avatar ran towards Jimmy and dug his spear into the ground. He grabbed the feet of Jimmy's avatar and raised him up till his shoulder. The plan was to throw him behind him, on the spear. This trick usually confused his opponent and before they could think of a counterattack; they had lost. Slaine laughed psychotically in his head as he saw his victory coming towards him. Jimmy smiled 'This is fun'

He seemed impressed but not intimidated like all others before. He moved his finger and Slaine's eyes turned sharply towards him, glaring at him from the corner. 'He figured it out already?!'. As his avatar fell, he grabbed the hair of Slaine's avatar and jumped back, bringing Slaine's avatar's head down into the spear.

Slaine looked at the game helplessly. The audience was dazzled as Jimmy's avatar stepped on the ground. A huge logo glowed up the screen.

"Game over. Victory: VVJimmyVV" Slaine had lost. He fell on the ground as Jimmy walked up to him.

"It was so fun! Did I meet your expectations? Cause you didn't meet mine." Jimmy laughed.

Slaine glared at him.

"Eek! Scary!" Jimmy moved back. Slaine picked up his skateboard and walked out of the arcade while everyone stared at him. He stomped his right feet as he reached the Manhattan Bridge, got down from his board and hit it on the pavement. "f**k it!" He stood at the bridge and looked into the water as his board lay beside him.

"I was so proud that I was the best at something..."

"You are a good skateboarder though," Slaine looked away. It was Asselyum. She stood beside him.

Slaine looked at her "No, I'm not."

She didn't say anything.

"I lied." He said and she looked at him, "I'm not bored of skateboarding. I still love it but... I feel like I'm going nowhere with it. I'm unable to learn anything new. I got intimidated that night and ran away. And I turned to gaming instead because I thought it was easier—And it was... Until a damn blonde defeated me again. They have everything that I don't."

"Which night are you talking about?"

"When I lost at a match."

"Match?"

"I lost, Asseylum. I lost a skateboarding match. A frickin blonde b***h defeated me. Before she came, I was the best. I don't know what happened after that—I just never won again and went on losing. I felt like a loser and decided to give up skateboarding."

"Doesn't skateboarding require investment?"

"Riley and his boys let me in their group so they took care of all that. I just needed to win matches for them."

"And so after ditching one game, you moved to gaming?"

"Pretty pathetic, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Asselyum, if one day, I'm not the best gamer—Will I have to leave the team?"

"Do you think I chose you because you're a gamer?"

"Isn't that the reason?"

"I chose you because of this" She pressed his right temple.

Slaine stared at her.

"Controllers are team leaders—They prepare strategies and keep us together. I will choose you over everyone else, under any circumstances."

"Are you pitying me?"

"I am just choosing you, not because you have had a sad past, I couldn't give a f**k less about that, but because, I think you deserve to fight for the future more than anyone else,"

"And why do you think that?"

She looked at him, "Because you have the mind to control what surrounds you,"

"...What the f**k?"

"Anyways," She stood at the top of the railings "I'll go look for Jimmy. You go home." She flew into the sky. Slaine simply stared at her.

'You always appear when I'm sad—It's like you don't want me to be'

Meanwhile, Riley and Frank stood in front of Malvern. He passed a little something wrapped in black polythene. "Here's what I promised."

"Thanks, bro," Riley took the packet and turned back to leave.

"Does that kid know about this?" Malvern asked.

"You mean Slaine?" Riley asked with a smile "He doesn't need to know it."

-To be continued