1 Chapter 1: Prologue; The Return Of Kel

It was a little over 10 PM in a metropolis of a city, full of beautifully crafted towers and buildings. In one such building, a modest apartment numbered 23 could be found.

Within this two-bedroom apartment, ambiently decorated, a silhouette of a man could be seen making its way toward a dark room with a plethora of colors flickering from one side.

As the man entered this room, the source of the flickering lights could be seen: it was a sleek, obsidian black gaming tower, next to an OLED 4K monitor. And above that desktop arrangement was a piece of oddly sophisticated art, depicting a silhouette figure sitting on a lonely peak overlooking the chaotic world below, though blanketed by a beautiful sunset.

The man approached the already turned-on gaming setup and placed a can of energy drink to the right of the table before taking a seat and turning his attention to two sets of controllers beside him.

"Xbox or PlayStation today?" he asked himself as his hand hovered over both of them. An 'eeny-meeny-miny-moe' moment later, he picked up the PlayStation controller and booted up the console situated on the right, opposite the tower.

As he did so, though, he was met with an update message and immediately exited before switching to the Xbox. "Forget that noise."

He managed to boot in undisturbed before immediately opening up Call of Duty and entering a ranked lobby. He then sighed and shook his head before muttering, "Can't end the day on a loss, just one more."

After saying this, in a mild but clear masculine voice, he opened the can of energy drink and took a long sip before rubbing his hands together to make sure they had no sweat.

He then reached for the Xbox's virtual reality gear headset and put it on. Though it was far from the deep immersive experiences depicted in fantasy webcomics and books, it simply allowed the user a crisp 4K view in virtual reality as they played a high-graphics game, controlling it with the controller with which they are familiar and have no need to look at as they play.

With the headset on, the man logged in and leaned back into his seat. As he was logging in, a random Spotify icon appeared in the corner of the game stating, "Congratulations, you're this match's playlist selector."

"Okay, now I can't lose. Sometimes this feature is truly a blessing; other times you have to play Search and Destroy to tense pirate music... still a goated match," the man thought to himself as he waited for a match to be found, which took some seconds before finally loading.

It was Hardpoint, in the all so very classic... Nuketown.

Upon loading in, he immediately wondered what loadout to use. As he was in the midst of doing this, voice chat was quick to begin as other users connected.

[Mr.Swiftkiller: "Hey, who has playlist rights? Can you pass it to me? I've got a banger playlist."

GoatCristiano: "Whoever has it, just play normal music please, we don't care if you're an upcoming rapper trying to promote your music." ]

As those two other players spoke, Kel quickly settled on his 8th loadout featuring a Grau as the prime weapon, Sai as the secondary, an audacious all-white skin, a Molotov, a trophy system, a K9, swarm, orbital laser, and airstrike.

After choosing his loadout, he joined in the chat.

[Kel: "Sorry, man, I'm not feeling like De Bruyne today. Make requests though; if it's a banger, we'll play it."

Mr.Swiftkiller: "Alright, can you play Munch by Ice Spice?"

Kel: "Fuck no."

GoatCristiano: "*haha* This guy is really a munch."

Mrs. Swiftkiller: "No he isn't, it's a good song."

GoatCristiano: "Oh, we have a couple in our group. You must have an OF."

Mr.Swiftkiller: "Shut up, virgin losers, you're just pressed because I have someone to sleep with." 

Kel: "You know, not everyone who is single is a virgin. Some of us just prefer having more money to ourselves and hooking up with your wives for free."

GoatCristiano: "*hahaha* Oh, he is most definitely a cuck. Bro really proudly requested some Ice Spice like it's a hood classic."

Milfman: "*hahaha* Yeah, no offense to the lovebirds but don't play Ice Spice, bro, or Taylor Swift I beg you. Play something hype so the other team knows we mean business. And guys, get trophy systems ready."

Kel: "Say no more."]

*Global notification* [Spotify: now playing Buccaneer Island

 by Brand X Music]

As soon as Kel picked that song, the other team, who had now connected, joined in on voice chat.

[CampFTW: "What the heck is that gay-ass title?"

Mrs.Swiftkiller: "Great, just another kid who thinks Andrew Tate is the second coming of Christ."

GoatCristiano: "*hahaha* Shut up, man. You're gay if you don't like a good old pirate jam every now and then."

CampFTW: "Nah, play NBA YoungBoy. That's real hype music."

Kel: "Fuck no."

Ghost_Frenchkid: "Play some Drake, bro."

Ghost_H8_NGGZ: "Yeah, some Drake or Future can hit."

GoatCristiano: "Nah, leave the pirate music on, man."

Hitlrrkiller69: "Of course, the crappy bots have crap music."

Kel: "Wow, you guys have a retard on your team too. COD matchmaking really is fair."

Hitlrrkiller69: "Screw you, man, your music is ass."

Kel: "Enjoy it then, we know you're not getting ass anywhere else."

GoatCristiano: "Suiiiiiiiii."

Mrs.Swiftkiller: *hahaha*

Mr.Swiftkiller: *hahaha*

CampFTW: "Wow, man, you don't have to fake laugh just because he made your girl laugh, pretty sure you're the retard he's referring to when he says "too" and you're busy laughing. *haha* Cuck behavior."

GoatCristiano: "*hahaha*"

Ghost_H8_NGGZ: "*hahaha* Damn, that's wild."

Ghost_Frenchkid: "*hahaha* Now see me personally…"

Mr.Swiftkiller: "You're all just a bunch of pressed virgins *hahaha*, I'm the one sleeping on asscheeks today."

CampFTW: "Bro, must've been a good boy and emptied his wallet."

Kel: "*haha*"]

Before the conversation could carry on any longer, the match loaded and the opening sequence began alongside the countdown. 

As the match began, their conversation in voice continued, 

[ CampFTW: "You guys have already lost. Your should just quit because this will be a massacre." 

GoatCristiano: "Bro, must've thought he sounds really tough when he says that." 

CampFTW: "I'm about to make you the first kill." GoatCristiano answered, "Bring it." ]

As the countdown was approaching one they went silent, then when it hit zero, the game began. 

It was pretty common knowledge that the first point to appear would be the one near the old run-down SUV near the yellow bus and the truck. To get there from where they were spawned, Kel and his team had the choice of either going right and coming out directly closer to the old car or going left, which would lead them to the open area with the car and boxes. 

However, that path was notorious for having a sniper prepared on the other side, peeking out of the small doorway and ready to snipe anyone dumb enough to rush through that point with little area to cover.

So he immediately rushed into the house and came out of its main entrance, finding that there was indeed a sniper whom he could see through the large hole in the truck parked at the center of the map. 

Because the sniper had been expecting someone to come on the left and was scoped, they wouldn't see someone who came from elsewhere and directly target them, which was what Kel did.

However, as he got ready to aim, he saw that another player was coming out from the same entrance and running forward, though he was using his secondary weapons: some boxing gloves, with which he looked ready to hit Kel. 

Unfortunately, the distance was too long, and Kel opened fire, shooting the first guy and getting the first blood before killing the sniper and getting a double kill. A global notification for killing the sniper prompted a reaction via voice chat.

[ GoatCristiano: *hahaha* "Mr. 'I'm going to massacre you' was the first blood. Must be a humbling experience."

Mrs. Swiftkiller: *hahaha*

Mr. Swiftkiller: *hahaha* loser

CampFTW: I was joking at first but you really are a cuck aren't you?

Mrs. Swiftkiller: "You're just mad, Andrew Tate boy, that I'm not some dumb girl who will make you a sandwich just because you asked." 

 Ghost_H8_NGGZ: "*hahaha*, that's a very feminist sentence." ]

As tthe conversation continued, Kel turned his attention to his right where one more guy had come out of the main front entrance, expecting to rush the hard point. Being that the other areas would be guarded by their friends, unfortunately, as he was running to the truck, Kel had a clear view.

[ Kel: "Oh no, I've encountered an unarmed civilian." ] 

He then shot the guy, and at the same time saw another coming out of the narrow path on the side of the house.

This time, although caught by surprise, when he saw Kel, the player was ready to shoot. Unfortunately, Kel was already in his scope after killing the other guy, so as he shot the guy on the side. He managed to shoot Kel twice, which wasn't enough to drain off his HP.

As he Kel this, a global notification popped up

*Global notification*: 4X MULTI-KILL 

[ GoatCristiano: "Man's been real quiet since the multi-kill dropped." 

Ghost_FrenchKid:"Wow you're just the camper who only comes out when you hear footsteps. 

Kel: "You're just salty." ]

And as Kel got ready to go back to the spot that overlooked the garage of the other house, he found that the two other players were already waiting for him in scope, and they shot him down without him being able to scope.

As he respawned, he couldn't help but join VC. 

Kel: "Wow, duo camping has to be the most gay shit I've ever seen on Call of Duty."

GoatCristiano: "Hold me tight ahh camping." 

CampFTW: "You're just salty because we've got the hard point. If your boy wasn't busy camping, you would've been at the hard point getting actual points."

*Global notification*: CampFTW: 5 kill streak 

As Kel's teammates rushed to the hard point, one could see numerous trophy systems around, so they were unable to throw any throwables, and as they got close, they were immediately gunned down as a player was camped hard in the corner with a light machine gun.

Kel was also rushing to the hard point and he got gunned down in the same way.

[ Kel: Wow, either you're really desperate for a win or you put money in this game because damn. Mans hugging the wall tight."

GoatCristiano: "The whole team is just for the fucking campers. There's one in the house, another is camped from the other side with the sniper rifle.

 Kel: "Bet, camping it is. or in bed." 

CampFTW: "Ouuu, I'm so scared. It's hard point man, get over it." ]

As Kel respawned after dying, he switched to his third loadout, featuring a Dingo light machine gun with the steel rain attachments, Sai as the secondary weapon, a flashbang, a trophy system, transform shield, swarm, orbital laser airstrike. 

While it was showing the invincible icon above, he immediately rushed to the area where the sniper was camped and immediately started firing. The sniper shot him, but due to the invincibility, he wasn't hit, whereas, as he began to fire, the sniper immediately began being hit.

Panicked, he tried to move to the right rather than go back into the house, so Kel simply began to shoot through the wall, which worked as he got the kill.

He then immediately rushed out to the open field where another one camped hard in the corner. This time, he switched to secondaries and slid, confusing the guy who was camped in his scope, and before he could change direction, Kel ran over to him and melee'd him. 

Next, from that point, he brought out the light machine gun and began firing on the hard point. He soon caused the car there to explode, which took out the camper under the truck. As then he began shooting at the garage doorway of the house as he knew the sniper would come back, and he did. Though yet again, he was met with steel rain and immediately died.

Unfortunately, as Kel was killing that guy, the other one who'd initially camped near the boxes came from the other narrow path to the side of the house and shot. 

However, upon immediately respawning, Kel rushed toward the hard point, using the closer path and, as he propped out, he could see that the guy had gone back into his corner and immediately shot him from that side as he entered the hard point.

He found GoatCristiano and Swiftkiller, then said nothing to them. Instead he threw a trophy system, and put a transform shield to cover them before running around the map shooting in scope with 100 bullets per clip. 

A few agonizing moments later…. 

The score above was now 132 to 130 with Kel's team being up by two. 

The next point was the house closer to the truck at the map center and Kel, who had just respawned, rushed into the house, and immediately put a transform shield on the main entrance.

Then he placed a trophy system near it before ducking behind the couch with his LMG scoped. He could feel throwables getting reflected and thankfully, as other players entered, they quickly added in their trophy systems. This forced the other players to try and come to the other entrance, however, the moment Kel heard footsteps, he began firing at two players who tried to come through the kitchen, where they were immediately shot before they could even enter.

Another who had spawned at the far back in the yard but also got in the way of Kel's bullets, got taken down. CampFTW tried to be smart and use the side entrance from the garage as he slid to start firing.

But Kel, who was right in the midst of firing, took him out too. 

*Global notification*; Kel: 5 Killstreak, Kel: 5X MULTI-KILL

This action unlocked an airstrike and orbital laser. 

Without wasting time, he activated the orbital laser on the part of the garage with the door and an airstrike on the entrance to the kitchen, providing no way inside.

These caused CampFTW to vent in voice chat. 

[ CampFTW: "Fuck! You gay ass campers!"

*Global notification* Ghost_H8_NGGZ left the game 

*Global notification* Ghost_Frenchkid left the game

GoatCristiano: "Wow, seems they rather take the exp hit than this L *hahaha*."

CampFTW: "Whatever cucks, you just lucky I had shit teammates." ]

Shortly after saying that, the victory screen appeared.

Kel took off his headset and sighed. 'Nothing better than ruining a camper's day with his own tactics.' He thought, before standing up from the chair and stretching. 

'Well, time to sleep.' He immediately turned off his gaming set up and walked over to the nearby bed, throwing himself onto it and laying his head on the pillow before drifting into sleep. 

However, just a few minutes into closing his eyes, he opened them wide only to be met with the site of a gigantic creature with a human female head, a body of a lion that had the legs of an eagle and snakes for tails. 

Before Kel could react, the strange creature enveloped in light spoke, "Do not be afraid." 

"What the fuck?"