A dagger came straight at me and I moved out of the way just before it connected only to find another blade coming at me from where I had dodged. I moved back, avoiding the blow. The weapons were small, so I had no problem getting out of range. I stayed my hand, rather than attack, waiting for the next strike to come. By the time it came, I was ready and easily dodged again, avoiding the attacks of both of the daggers. Then, I made my move. I spun around the weapons quickly and got behind the wielder, then patted her on the head.

"You're dead."

"Why are you so good at this?" Allison whined.

"Practice," I walked towards the door, picking up my jacket, "That's good enough, I think."

Allison sat down in relief, "Finally."

We had moved all of the furniture out of the largest room in the house that Allison had brought me to. The owners didn't have any training equipment, so we opted for making space to practice her pocket dimension ability as well as her skills with her twin daggers. With the room empty, we worked on footwork, attacks and a few stances for offense and defense. We also practiced with her ability, but that left much to be desired. Her ability could be useful, but she had trouble making the portals quickly. We had spent hours with me throwing paper balls around and her trying to catch them, only using her power. She only caught two.

The rest of the house was not much help to us, so we only used the kitchen, bathroom and the two bedrooms for basic needs. We decided to only stay here until the chills were gone. It wasn't the safest route, but we also needed to train. However, I didn't want a repeat of my last cycle; not that it went badly, but I was ready to get out. I wanted to find Zack. He was my oldest friend in the game and yet, he had betrayed me. I wasn't sure what I was going to do to him. I was still angry but I also understood his point of view. He wanted out and he was on his last win. He had seen an opportunity and went for it. I may not have done the same, but I realize that I'm in the minority.

I hadn't slept much during the night. A house makes it safer, but it doesn't prevent danger. Still, few would sneak up on us while we're sleeping. Everyone knows that the action is in the daylight. Attacks in the dark often lead to needing to sleep during the day; and that makes the night owl easy to pick off.

"Hey!" Allison stood up, "The chills are gone."

"Huh." She was right. The lack of goosebumps was comforting, "That was quick." I opened the door to the kitchen, "Let's get something to eat, then we'll head out."

We had met less than a day ago. Usually, the chill goes after about a full day, but not always. The change was interesting but nothing worth lingering on. I opened the refrigerator, looking for what to make. There was little here, but I did find a container of leftover pasta with chicken, bacon and broccoli. I heated a couple plates of the food in the microwave and handed one of them to Allison. She thanked me and got us both some water before we sat down to eat.

Shortly after teaming up with Allison, I realized that I was more on edge than usual and I think it was because of what happened in the last cycle. Zack and I had been through thick and thin for nine cycles only for him to con me on the tenth, like a thief; no, like an assassin. The thought made me chuckle. That was my profession before I wound up here. I think Zack is the reason why I was having a hard time trusting Allison. She was a quiet girl, which made me a bit nervous. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking. It's not like I expected her to turn on me at any moment, but I couldn't rule out the possibility. I hadn't seen Zack coming and something in the back of my mind wouldn't allow me to be blind against others doing the same.

"Any ideas where to go?" Allison asked through a mouthful of pasta.

"How much of the map have you seen?"

"Just the graveyard and the church. It's a ways out from here though."

I thought about where I had been. Usually, I explore the map more thoroughly, but I could tell that the map was large. Starting in a field, moving to a town and then a forest is enough to prove to me that we're dealing with a big arena. Now that we had a base, we could establish how big of an area we could defend, but we'd need to see what's out there. If we have a reliable place for food and water, we could come back here every night, fortify it against attacks and go out during the day to find supplies, or enemies. "Let's backtrack from where I started. It's not very far from here and we can continue east once we get there."

Allison nodded. She took a drink, gulping down her food, "Can I ask you a question?" She said sheepishly.

"Sure. Shoot."

"Well," her face reddened, "You're kind of famous...or maybe infamous, depending on who's talking." She rubbed at her hands, nervously. "I just was wondering...why did you want to team up with someone like me?"

I laughed, then realized that I was probably being rude, "Sorry. Look, I've been here a while and if you're going to make it far, you need a team. Being well known doesn't usually play well for me. You were the first person I've seen so far and you weren't trying to kill me. That's a pretty good resume." This time, she laughed. "How long have you been here?"

"This is my third cycle."

"Then you know what it can be like. Act first, ask questions later. I don't care if you're not a great fighter or if your ability isn't all-powerful. I can help you with that. But it's hard to find someone who will be loyal until the end."

"Well, it's not hard to see why."

I cocked my head, "What do you mean?"

"You're strong, but it's more than that. You're smart too. It took you no time at all to figure out how dangerous my ability can be. I had just accepted it as a dud and no one else bothered to even try and help me with it. But you showed me how to turn my lame power into a weapon within a matter of minutes."

I finished my food before saying, "I do have one more idea with it. But I don't know if we should test it out."

She looked at me curiously, "What's your idea?"

"What would happen if you went inside of your portal and closed it? Would you be able to get out? Would you die instantly? Or would you be able to reopen it anywhere and at any time?"

Allison played with her red hair, thinking, "I can see why we might not test it out yet."

"We'll probably never actually try it. But it's something to keep in mind if you have no other option." I stood up, searching the fridge for more to eat and came back to the table with a vine of red grapes, popping one in my mouth.

For the rest of the meal, she peppered me with questions about survival and fighting strategies for the game. I gave her my opinions while gleaning bits of information about her story thus far. I learned that Allison hadn't been very lucky in her two past cycles. The teams that she had been on were very aggressive and demanding. They expected her to be stronger than she was without helping her to reach her potential.

"I was actually thinking about trying to go it alone this time. When you showed up, I was afraid you would be like the other teams I've been with, but you're not. You're a really good person," she said.

"That's a matter of opinion. Good is not how I would describe myself."

"Well, I would," she mumbled, but I got the feeling she meant to be assertive.

When we were done eating, I washed dishes while she practiced with her portal ability a bit more, then we got ready to head out and explore the new map. We took some food with us, putting it in plastic bags before setting them in Allison's storage space. I had pushed for the bags. If someone were to attack us and Allison used her ability and ended up cutting off an arm or something, the food might get blood on it. I wasn't completely sure how her power worked but I felt better about our dinner being covered.

It was a bright day. The sun was out and there were almost no clouds in the sky. The air was warm and the breeze was peaceful. We walked through the trees, hoping they would hide us from anyone who might look our way. While we hiked through the forest, we saw no one; players or shades. The one good thing about the game was that the bugs disappeared when people turned into shades. There would be no animals either. If we weren't in the game, I would have found the silence ominous, but after being here for so long, it instead felt comforting. It wasn't until we exited the treeline and saw the outskirts of town when we felt the chills.

"Keep your eyes ope-" I began but stopped when the point of a spear crashed through Allison's head and she vanished. My instincts took hold and my sword was in my hand, swinging at the attacker, but I hit nothing. The attacker had retreated and I saw three more people walk up to his side.

"Found you," the man who killed Allison said. "And here I thought you would've seen me coming. We've been looking for you all morning."

I knew each of them and had fought and killed them in previous cycles, but never as a group. There was a woman on the far left named Maryanne. I had been on a team with her more than once. She had the ability to create phantom-like daggers that would float in the air and attack her enemies for her. The man next to her was named Dexter, who I had only met on the battlefield. He was able to see things in slow motion. This did not make him faster or stronger, but he could react instantly, seeing a strike coming as soon as the attack was made. Next was the man who killed Allison, Troy; another x-teammate. His ability was inhuman speed. The catch was that he had to commit to whatever he did. He wouldn't be able to react to a counter, if that counter was fast enough to hit him. Finally, the woman on the right; her name was Grace and I had only met her once, while I was stalking her team. She could create an energy force field around her. It would dissipate after a few minutes but a strong enough attack could also break the energy shield. Out of the four, she was the least deadly but all of them were heavy hitters, talented both with weapons and abilities.

It wasn't a secret to them, or to me, that I was screwed. Each of them was a strong fighter and now, I had no backup. If I had been able to get the jump on them, or had help, this could be a very different fight, but that wasn't the case. I was alone and outnumbered, but I was also angry. I don't like seeing my allies die and I was determined to give them the fight of their lives.

There would be no small talk. These four held grudges against me and they didn't want to stand around talking about the advantages they had; they just wanted me out of the way. I went through my options quickly and made a decision before they moved. The best option for me would be to take one of their abilities. Taking an attribute wouldn't get me very far, even speed. Troy's ability would be much faster than me and I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep up with his attacks. Taking his ability for speed would be a mistake too. I wouldn't be able to react if a plan went wrong. The energy shield was promising, but only until they broke it or it wore off and the phantom daggers wouldn't defend me at all. I had to take Dexter's ability. It would be my best chance to defend against all four of them. The problem was that my ability was slower than Troy's. I would have to get a lucky block, counter or take a hit.

I activated my ability and sidestepped to my right, holding my sword defensively. A faint bubble exited Dexter and raced towards me as Troy attacked, as I expected. The ability I copied activated as soon as it entered me and time slowed. Troy's attack was inches from my body and with the extra time I had to evaluate my situation, I chose to make a grab for his spear. The blade entered my left shoulder but I grabbed the shaft before it did too much damage. I kicked Troy square in the chest and he fell backward. Ignoring the pain in my shoulder, I leaped towards him, intending to finish him off but my blade was met with another.

Dexter had come to Troy's aid, blocking my attack and the man I had kicked down retreated again. Grace approached, attacking me with a long samurai sword. Thanks to Dexter's ability, I was able to block and dodge easily, but all of my attacks were blocked by Dexter. Troy tried to attack again but I saw it coming and went for a counter, Dexter went to block again but it was at an awkward angle and the attack grazed Troy's side. Then I felt a sharp pain in my back.

I had nearly forgotten about Maryanne. She had slipped behind the shelter of the trees and I had been too focused on the other three. I hadn't seen her move so I hadn't worried about her; my mistake. She used this to her advantage, using her ability and moving one of the ghostly blades behind me. My attack on Troy not only cut into him but probably saved my life. I had sunk down, trying to make it difficult for Dexter to block my strike and inadvertently also made the phantom blade miss my vitals. It still got me though, resulting in a deep cut, but not a fatal one. Still, I was wounded and the best I had been able to do so far was give one of them a relatively small cut. I cried out, swinging my sword vertically with all my might. Troy dropped to the ground before my attack hit him. Dexter went to block again, but the force of the attack knocked the sword out of his hands and cut him deeply in his arm. Grace's energy barrier shielded her from my attack but I managed to put a crack in it.

All three of them retreated once more as I moved out of the way of the ghost blade and readied myself for another attack. I wasn't sure how long I had been using Dexter's ability. There's a time limit to my power. I get about two minutes before I need to renew it. My sense of time was off thanks to the nature of his power, but I could feel it and I was determined to take it again if it left me. The four flashed vengeful grins briefly, but their smiles faded as I saw a large blade, faintly glowing orange, pass me on the left. The man holding the blade slashed at Grace. Dexter went to block again but his sword was cut in half and he backed away before being the next victim. Instead of Dexter, the giant sword cut through Grace and she vanished without a trace.

I was not going to let this fight be fought for me, so I rushed in and attacked Troy. His speed had slowed with his injury, but only slightly. Thanks to the ability I copied, I could perceive his movements as though they were in real-time and I was able to strike him down after dodging his spear thrust. Two left. Dexter didn't stand a chance against his opponent. He reflexively blocked, but the massive sword passed through and cut him down as I swung my sword at Maryanne. It was a light blow and she blocked, but I used the momentum of the block to move around her quickly and slice upward, cutting her nearly in two. When she disappeared, I faced the new arrival and attacked.

He blocked, no longer using his power to cut through my blade. "Is this the thanks I get?"

"Thanks?" I spat. "After what you did?"

"Can we talk? Just for a minute?" He pushed back my attack and allowed his sword to vanish.

I kept my sword out and readied myself to strike but waited. "What do you have to say, Zack?"

He sighed deeply, "I'm not here to make excuses. You know how this place is and how much I want out. We've talked about it a lot. I took a chance. Not saying it was the right thing to do, it's just what I did."

"Didn't work out for you, did it? You're still here."

To my surprise, Zack chuckled. "Yeah, that kid is really somethin'. Xander got me. Knocked me down and let me bleed out while he lectured me on integrity and stuff. He made me think about going home differently. I've been thinking about it a lot since he beat me but I think he was right. I want to go home knowing that I didn't turn on everyone that I cared about. Right now, I can't do that. So I want to try to make amends."

"What, and saving me like this makes everything better?"

Zack waved a hand, "Naw. I owe you more than that. I'll figure something out."

I relaxed a bit but kept my sword in hand. "You don't just owe me. You owe Xander and Demi too."

Zack blew a raspberry, "One thing at a time." Then Zack's tone changed, instead of apologetic, it was hard and almost urgent. "There's another problem. Someone strong is here; really strong. He's picking off people like nothing I've ever seen. He's also forming something closer to an army than a team."

"Sounds risky for him."

"You'd think, but this is different. Everyone is afraid of him."

"Even you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I can't beat him. Wouldn't even be able to hit him. I've seen him kill some really strong people."

My eyes darted around, trying to think of what kind of person could have Zack on edge like this. "What can he do?"

"He's a fire user, but nothing like I've ever seen. His flames are hotter than anyone else's. I've seen him burn someone to ash in a matter of seconds." He paused, letting that sink in. "Stay away from him. Let someone else deal with him."

"You said he's got an army," I noted.

"Basically. I decided to be a part of it, but only to try to find his weakness. Give me time to find it."

"You know what they say about playing with fire."

"Yeah! You see some awesome fireworks and stuff, right?" He smiled, "Don't worry about me. Let me handle this. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about...well about everything."

I had a hard time trying to stay mad at him. We had been through a lot and I knew how badly he wanted out. I wasn't sure that I would be able to trust him in the same way, but I could forgive him. "Just be careful."

"That's my middle name. Zack Careful Quake. Really rolls off the tongue."

"What's your actual middle name?"

"Anthony. Well, it used to be. Now it's Careful." Zack's smile faded, "I can't stay. I'm gonna tell him that I got you. Lie low, okay?" Without waiting for a response, Zack left. He ran in the direction of the house Allison and I had stayed last night and I decided that I would not return there.

First, I needed to find a place to heal. The ability I had copied from Dexter had gone and I had managed to take Zack's natural ability to heal to help recover faster, but the cuts were fairly deep and since he hadn't been injured, I wasn't getting much of a boost to my own healing. Bandaging myself here, out in the open, would be a risk I didn't want to take. I needed a safe place to hide for a while. I went down to the town and found an unlocked house. I went inside, throwing off my jacket and locked the door. This was not an ideal place to hide, but I didn't feel confident in my ability to stay conscious for long. The town, as a whole, was too busy and I knew I would only be able to stay here a short while. The shock from the loss of blood was getting to me and I quickly tore off part of my shirt to cover the wound in my shoulder as white filled the corners of my vision. The hole in my shoulder wasn't too deep but it was bleeding a lot and I couldn't tell how bad my back was. I sat on the floor and leaned against the wall next to the door, closing my eyes and letting myself lose consciousness.