cayde "quickshot" mori // encampment // #990012 // img credit: alex flores
The desert sun streamed through the metal grate of the broken window like ribbons. Even indirectly, the radiance filtering down was enough to charge Cayde's rifles to 100%, their coils whining as they discharged the excess energy.
Hearing a thunk on his âroofâ, Cayde climbed out of the van and found a metal capsule attached to a parachute. On a normal day he might have thought that these capsules were a boon; however, the thought of tampering crossed his mind. As improbable as it was, nothing stopped a contestant from pilfering his supplies competitorâs sponsor from sending him something rigged to explode. He pulled the packaging down and gave it a few cautious shakes. It must have been tightly packed because he couldnât hear a single thing rattling (or beeping) inside.
Cayde pushed a button to unlock the capsule and emptied out its contents: a few energy bars, a canteen of water, and spare parts, not unlike those in his workshop. Where most contestants required a first aid kit, he needed only a toolkit and a few proprietary pieces to complete repairs and retain some level of dignity against the dusty wind.
In his hunger, he began unwrapping one of the bars, barely stopping himself from scarfing it down all once. But as he slowed down he gave pause, noticing a note hidden beneath the wrapper.
Levi, King,
Chel
On the surface it seemed like a standard hitlist, but that brought up the question of why Ljilja was struck from the list. Given the indent in the paper, it looked like a last minute change but who could have made that call other than the person packaging the food? He wouldnât put it past Halo to make a last minute change, but surely they would have enacted a more formal change. Was it a case of well-intentioned tampering or sabotage by Jaden?
Not that he would admit it, but it was a relief not to kill her this early. Outside of the narrative his team had established between them, it was hard not to see her as anything more than a child cursed by chance. Chel on the other hand, he certainly could have lived without. He couldnât tell whether the green meant befriend or ânot kill'' but she was one of the last people he hoped would be involved in his life.
Heâd interacted with her for less than a minute but heâd already clocked her as a user, ready to jump ship the moment someone more favorable came along. Because who else would discard their former partnerâs body so nonchalantly? Even if Chel was easy to kill, she would prove to be a nuisance if he made an enemy out of her.
After finishing the rest of his energy bar, he examined his guns which were halfway charged. They definitely could have used another hour but he was sure that they had more than enough to reach the first checkpoint. Similarly, his hoverbike didnât seem in too bad of a condition save for a layer of dust. It glided just as smoothly as yesterday, unperturbed by last nightâs sandstorm.
The billowing winds didnât do much to deter his arrival to the gates nor the gatekeepers that the games were notorious for having.
And thatâs when everything went wrong.
The moment Quickshot parked his bike, a gunshot whizzed by his helmet and embedded itself in the boulder behind him.
âShit.â
Ducking behind his bike, Quickshot whipped out one of his pistols before firing in the direction of the shooter. He could hear each shot bounce off the vehicle, grateful that the Overseers didnât skimp out on quality. Peeking over the leather seat, he could see two more figures running towards him: a tall, white-haired mutant and a boy with an assortment of hair clips.
âYou canât hide there forever~â the younger mutant whistled, twirling his sword.
âThen come fight me.â
The larger of the two approached him brandishing a pair of gauntlets. Bringing them together, the fists seemed to hiss with anticipation as they began arcing with electricity. Ansel shoved the hoverbike away with one hand while swinging at Quickshot with the other. Fast as lightning, Cayde dropped prone, leaving Anselâs fist embedded in rock.
There was no time to rest however, as Quickshot saw Sado flanking from the left. Though his grip was steady, his form was lacking. Quickshot caught the blade with one hand before firing a round straight through his forehead.
Red painted the area as he fell to the ground, the sword clattering out of his hands. The light in his eyes disappeared while the rest of his blood pooled around him, soaking into the sand.
âSado no!â another voice cried out as they ran out from the bushes.
âNezumi stay back!â the oldest mutant yelled as he pulled his fist out of the boulder.
Diving in front of Nezumi, Ansel felt two shots bury themselves into his chest. Rather than falling however, he shot them a relieved smile before flicking the bullets off his vest.
Cayde managed a quick âfuckâ before the other mutant lunged at him with fangs bared and fists raised. He deflected each subsequent shot before closing in and delivering a strike straight into his chest.
âYou shouldâve aimed for the head!â he roared.
Careening across the field, it was a miracle that their teamâs sniper missed. Heaving into his mask, Quickshot barely rose to his knees before diving down to avoid Nezumiâs cover fire. The world was still spinning and with it, the after images of the enemy team closing in on him.
The revenge was clear in Anselâs eyes and the tears in Nezumiâs cutting through the dust around them. He didnât have long now, maybe a minute before that beast would cave his skull in. He wanted blood and Quickshot couldnât blame him. Sado wasnât much younger than Sherry and Nezumiâs aim was piss poor.
Dads huh?
With a quick tap and a new magazine, his gun flickered blue for a few moments before firing towards Ansel.
âThatâs not gonna work!â the mutant growled as he shielded himself with his gauntlets.
âSure about that?â Right behind Quickshotâs initial blasts, a bullet grazed Anselâs knee and brought him to a stagger.
Quickshotâs vision was steadying and with it, his aim. Rising to his feet, he sent another round to the same knee. The smell of blood and sweat filled the air as Ansel continued hobbling towards his enemy. By now Nezumi caught up to their teammate, spraying bullets in Quickshotâs direction.
âNezumiâŚstop firing from the hip,â he grunted as he held up his gauntlets.
âYou can stop anytime,â Cayde taunted.
âLike hell I will!â
Well Cayde couldnât say he didnât try.
Loading his pistols with a new set of bullets, he riddled Ansel with bullets, watching the man stumble forward. It wasnât enough that his legs, chest, and shoulders were marred with signs of their fight. Each punch grew sluggish and each dodge equally taxing. Right, left, left, and Cayde on the backfoot all the while. By now, he was sure Ansel was a shell of his former self, swinging forward on willpower alone. It wasnât worth offering an out.
When you were in for a penny you were in for a pound and Quickshot would gladly fulfill his last wish.
A shot to his shoulder, a shot to his one good leg, and the final through his forehead as he made his last, ill-fated punch.
âNo-no-n-â Nezumi cried, tightening their grip around their weapon. âP-please. Donât come any closer!â
Dodging each of their shots, it wasnât long before Quickshot honed in on Nezumi, his expression unreadable beneath the helmet.
A single shot rang out before the final member of the team collapsed. With enough tranquilizer to disable an elephant, it would have been far too easy for Quickshot to eliminate them but he had his limits. Beyond the competition, he had no grievances with the kid. If they were meant to die, it neednât be by his hand. Instead, he tucked his weapons away and grabbed Nezumiâs submachine gun.
Walking back to the remains of his hoverbike, he grabbed what little provisions were still intact after Anselâs destructionâŚonly to be struck by a blinding light.
Shit. Suddenly the area was a bright white filled with a tinny riii in his ears. He needed to regroup. He needed to find cover.
He needed to not be hit right where Ansel dented him earlier.
His prosthetics felt heavy. The pain that he'd so lovingly inflicted on Ansel was returning tenfold, but he didn't have the luxury of backup. He hadn't come prepared for military grade weaponry but neither did anyone else.
Think. Think. Focus. Remember the layout when you first arrived. The dust in the air, the smell of dried blood and sweat. He wasn't the only one who'd crossed this path but surely would be the first to escape. He clutched Nezumi (now his)'s gun and crawled back to the boulder, his one safezone. He felt for the face of the rock before wobbling behind. He couldn't trust the spots still dancing over his eyes nor the second wave of after images.
Extending the stock, he fired two rounds before ducking back behind his cover. He could hear another shot whiz over his head before firing off in the direction of the noise.
Nothing.
How many bullets did he have left? Racking the top a few times he tossed the weapon away in frustration.
None. Because Nezumi couldnât stop aiming at the ground.
Quickshot grabbed his own pistols, closing his eyes to isolate the noises. He could feel the dizziness of his concussion reemerging, compounded by his newfound tinnitus. Where were those footsteps coming from?
Bam! Clink. Bam.
He gave his pistols a haggard tap, pivoting out of his âmercy roundsâ for energy. Regardless of the enemy, he knew he could shoot faster
âWhat was that about working alone?â
How he had wished Ansel had killed him instead.
He would recognize that saccharine voice anywhere. It was the same tone that Kore wore but far less perky. Squatting down to meet Cayde, Chel could only smirk as she pushed his gun away from her face.
"Leave me be Chel," he grunted.
âThat's not a very nice way to talk to your savior.â
"I had it handled before you interrupted," Quickshot hissed.
"Oh sure you did," she mocked.
"I-" He stopped himself from speaking any further and instead, opted to walk past her. The more he engaged with her, the deeper she would sink her claws into him. It was what she wanted and likely, the only reason she didn't kill him yet.
"Listen!" Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him close to her before continuing. "blahblahsecretstuffwordstbablanktextwhyareyoureadingthis"
Cayde's fingers hovered over the trigger for a few moments, his lips pressed together before finally slipping his gun back in its holster.
"Great! Iâm glad weâre on the same page!â Chel clapped, following behind her newfound partner.
Stepping over the last member of Team Ansel, the two entered the Gates, wasted, weary, and
