Next Generation

"So… Am I really going to be okay?" Corey Daring walks outside in the rain.

"Excuse me, sir! Watch where you're going!" A lady bumps into his jacket as the rain fights for the world's attention.

He walks up the train station and enters the turnstile. His hands are shaking nervously from drinking too much caffeine. He was playing his favorite game for over 48 hours straight.

"Sir! Put the tram card into the machine, so we can get on the train!"

Corey, not realizing he's not paying attention, does this. He looks around to check if anyone is following him.

'You're just being paranoid Corey, Sanctuary's computers are unhackable,' He pats his cheeks and smiles as the train arrives. He's worried about someone finding out his identity, and trying to take his card.

As he does this, he keeps thinking to himself today is going to be a good day, Corey, his name. You're going to make it, turn in the card at the Sanctuary Companies Headquarters, and get on with your life!

Quickly, the train arrives and he enters into the sliding doors as a few men in hoods enter with him. Feeling a little bit suspicious he gets off and goes to the next cart before the train doors close.

"Hmmm, they shouldn't mind that I take precautions today, right old pal?" He feels the card worth 50,000,000 RTCs that is hidden in his jacket sleeve and smiles. In his mind, he begins singing a song. It's his favorite song by the Acrylic Ghosts, and he gets so lost in the lyrics that he doesn't see the men staring at him cloaked in hoods.

He mutters the words to the song to himself under his breathe. His hands move with a rhythmic dexterity that only an advanced gamer could have. As he goes nimbly from one cord to another on his fake air guitar, the train seems to become aware of his movements and he's tossed onto the lady sleeping next to him.

"Ding! The emergency break has been pulled. Please exit the train at the current station…"

Corey feels somewhat nervous, but is so enamored by the song in his head that he walks out the train without noticing the men behind him.

"This way please!" A subway professional waves the crowd downstairs. Corey is wearing loose baggy jeans and a sweatshirt that says, 'Love it or else'. It's his favorite quote from <<World's Glory>> his favorite game, and the game he's too good at according to gaming companies.

"Hmm, well… I feel like I should run? What do you think old friend?"

Corey shakes the puppet hand in front of his face and immediately jumps over the stairs. He winds up in front of a store, and somewhat nervously pushes it open. If he's right, Sanctuary servers are uncrackable, and his account his safe, so he calms himself down.

"It's just a feeling Corey…. You have nothing to worry abo—"

"Creek"

The sound of a gun being loaded sounds behind him and he nervously puts up his hands.

"I was just singing a song in my head… No need to get so upset, big guy."

He really hopes his information wasn't leaked and that his account card is safe in his sleeve pocket.

"…You know what I want, Thrasher. Give it to me or else your new avatar's name will be NO Life.." There is not an ounce of hesitation in the man's voice, and Corey can only sigh and take out his wallet.

"Ah… the long awaited day someone finds out my screen name has happened. Would you like my hit CD, or my signature…"

Corey can only have a slight smile on his face before a gun hits him in the back of the head.

"Boom!"

His face slams into the glass and blood drips down his head like a splatter painting on fine glass.

"You… you should've just given me the card crazy…" He sighs deciding against shooting Thrasher. God forbid he gets caught, his boss wouldn't be very happy about losing his opponent.

"Well… hope you don't mind, but I'll be taking your wallet."

The thug runs out the room, and smiles with a diamond incrusted velvet wallet in his hand. After flipping through a couple of pockets, he discovers a game card for <<World's Glory>>, "Jackpot!"

He walks up to his friends as the sirens begin playing along with the rain. A somewhat melancholy symphony is playing, but these crooks are extremely happy.

When you get a chance to go from poor to rich, you take it even if it means shooting someone, or that was his motto. However, when they put the card into the computer, he notices a level 30 thief account loads on the last minute of the <<World's Glory>> server. After today, they are permanently upgrading it to the Virtual Reality Extension.

"NO! That little boy fooled your big papa bear! We've to go back…"

A second later, they look down the block and see ten cop cars in front of the store, and an ambulance.

"Fuck! Fuck it! Just follow the ambulance!"

The robber and his crew get in the car before his phone starts ringing. As nervous as he is, he still picks it up before a voice enters his ear.

"So, did my Ass Crew get the job done," A deep monotone voice says somewhat grudgingly.

"Not yet… However, he's getting put in an ambulance—"

"What! Don't follow that ambulance! If they catch you, I don't want to deal with you rats busting me…. I got a game to play, and… omg are you kidding me!"

"I'm sorry boss… it's not our fault. He didn't have it in his wallet, nor his shoes, or his hat!"

"Ugh…. Well, I hope you forgive me for killing you," The cell phone clicks as the man hangs up and presses a button in his small hand. The thugs immediately pull out their guns trying to defend themselves before a sniper seems to pierce through the rain.

"Plop!"

At this time, five bodies fall down, and the man on the other line begins tearing what's left of his bald spot off his head.

"I…. I can still win. You just watch, Thrasher… You will not beat me again."

He's still extremely depressed, though, and goes over and touches his new VR-MMORPG machine. "Tomorrow, you will not win Corey Daring. We're going to have fun."

In his imaginary world, he imagines beating Corey once again. Obviously, he has nothing but time keeping him from their reunion. With his role as a Beta Tester, no one will beat him and his guild this time around.