Ian felt his throat tighten and he slumped down in defeat. He didn't bother to wipe the blood that dripped from his nose as he sobbed dryly.

Beside him, he heard his friend vomit on the metal floor. 'DAMN IT!' his friend roared as he slammed his hand on the floor.

Ian looked up from his bloodied face and his face twisted in rage. He jumped up, grabbed his friend by his collar and slammed him to the wall made of stunning neon pink concrete. His hiccups were silenced by the zooming of the blue electric impulses overhead them. But his voice didn't waver.

'No. DAMN YOU SPENCER! You absolute piece of garb-' Ian couldn't complete his sentence as Spencer slammed his forehead on Ian's nose. Ian doubled back dizzily but Spencer kicked him down.

Spencer looked down at Ian's pained figure, he felt a sudden pang of guilt but he shook his head and said, 'The only garbage here is you. We're going to get through this. I wish it weren't co-op, if it weren't, you would've been dead meat'.

'And I suppose you'd have killed me' Ian replied feeling a metallic taste in his mouth. Spencer just smirked and held out his hand. Ian slapped his hand away and got up, he was still dizzy so he ran into the wall and breathed heavily.

'Man up princess. It's the final level', Spencer said as he held out his palm. There was a glowing cipher with the words "Code 002" etched in gold. 'What do you suppose 002 is?'.

Ian found his balance and stood upright as he wiped the blood from his mouth. 'Quite obvious, isn't it? I suppose there was other players before us. Two unfortunate players. What do you reckon happened to them?'.

'They might be dead, we would be too if we are to lollygag. Come on'.

Walking behind him, Ian eyed Spencer warily. Spencer felt his heated gaze on the back of his neck, so turned around and gave Ian a derisive look.

'What?' Spencer asked.

Ian pulled back the strands of his jet black hair from his gray eyes and spat on the ground. He glared at his best friend's black eyes and asked 'Did you do it?'.

'Do what?' Ian asked, acting dumb.

'Don't play coy with me. You know what. Di- did you put the cheat sheet on my bag?'.

Spencer watched Ian's every move. He saw him shift his leg, his fingers twitched. Ian always did it when he felt anxious.

'Yes' Spencer replied avoiding Ian's eyes.

But to Spencer's surprise, Ian nodded. 'Thought so. And was this little expedition to neon world your idea of a prank?'.

'Do you see me?! I'm struggling the same way as you! Do you think I'll be doing this if I were to 'prank' you?'.

'No, Spencer. You are not struggling the way I am. Did you know? I'm suspended, thanks to you'.

'Sus- Ian, I didn't- Gosh man. I didn't think it'll go that far' Spencer sputtered in shock.

'Hm. Why'd you do it?', Ian repeated his question.

Spencer bit his lips but otherwise kept silent. And as they walked down a slope, they entered an archway, into another room filled with neon red and orange lights dancing in the vast ceiling. White electric impulses zoomed on the floor to the far centre of the large room. There was a harmony of different buzzes filled in the room and an unholy scent of burnt rubber. Multicolored wires ran on the floor and on the walls. Tiny screens that floated on the air illuminated the number 002.

Ian curiously moved to a pale orange screen that shimmered in lights. He read the numbers 001. He called out to Spencer.

'So you were right. There was someone else before us', Spencer noted.

'Except they didn't make it' Ian pointed to a sentence.

"Code: 001 disqualified"

'Can't blame them. We barely survive the last level. The first one didn't seem so bad' Spencer replied, a bit downcasted.

'We would've passed the last level easily, if you hadn't tried to jump across the sea of wires. I had to pry you away before it could electrocute you', Ian seethed.

Spencer didn't talk back. He nodded.

'I- don't like it', Spencer said suddenly.

'You and me' Ian replied. Then they fell back to silence.

'I didn't like it the moment I felt something odd back at my house', Spencer said flexing his fingers.

Ian looked at Spencer's hand. 'That tingling feeling in your fingers, right? Then the nauseous feeling in the back of your throat?'

'Yes. Yes. Excatly that. Spencer nodded furiously. A cold sweat clung to his thick brown brow.

Spencer turned to Ian, 'Ian I didn't know! About any of this! And- and I didn't mean to put the cheat sheet on you. I was trying to throw it away- I. Never mind'.

Ian turned away and began walking to the centre of the room. Where a large metal table with switches and buttons.

Suddenly two hand print sized equipment emerged from either side of the table. Each of them inspected one.

'Curious' Spencer said. Ian rolled his eyes to the Alice in Wonderland reference.

A sudden booming female voice made them jump.

Attention team 002. Place your right palm to your respective equipment.

Spencer walked to the left side and Ian stood to the right. They nodded and pressed their right hand to the equipment in unison. They felt a static buzz on their palm, it felt therapeutic, otherwise extremely odd. They suddenly felt something sharp jab their palm. Just like that they pulled their hand quickly, Spencer screamed, Ian doubled back in shock.

The "Code 002" now shone a bloody red.

'What the hell?!' Spencer screamed at the invisible woman.

All of a sudden, they saw a small compartment emerge from below. Two red and neon orange gun placed neatly, its mouth facing opposite directions.

'No-' Spencer started.

'Way-' Ian completed.

They slowly picked the long blaster gun off the compartment.

Spencer pointed the gun at Ian. 'Pew Pew Ian', Spencer laughed.

'Stop that. You'll get someone hurt'

'Oh yeah? Like Pew Pew?' Spencer chuckled. Ian smiled, he missed his goofy friend. When suddenly a light pierced from Spencer's gun and nearly missed Ian neck. It went straight and hit the wall. A burning hole left in its wake.

'JESUS CHRIST SPENCER!! PUT THE GODDAMN GUN DOWN!'

'Sorry...' said Spencer in sincere worry.

'Just- just point the gun down. I reckon we'll be shooting someone, or something', Ian said wisely.

'Something. Look', Spencer replied as he pointed to the high ceiling. The ceiling had vanished to a picturesque purple sky. Atleast two dozen spaceships floated in the sky. All looked futuristic, and armed.

'Welp. We're dead', Spencer said in skeptical joy.

'Not yet, we aren't', said Ian with a newfound determination, as he pulled his gun to the sky. But the spaceships lost no time is doing so too. They aimed their guns to them.

One of the ships at the far right shot at them, missed Spencer by inches. They ran to the table in front of them and hid underneath.

'Still think you'll survive this?' Spencer asked.

'Just because you're a git who betrays his friend by giving up, doesn't mean I am', Ian spat. Spencer looked at him, quite shocked but made note not to reply.

Suddenly another shot was made next to Spencer's leg. It grazed his knee and he seethed in pain. He clutched his knee while droping the gun. He moaned 'Dammnit! It burns! Why does it burn?! And why the hell are they only aiming at me?'.

Another shot was made, this time it touched Ian's long hair. He rolled from under the table and laid flat on his back as he watched the skies, littered by beautiful airships.

'Up!' Spencer roared as he pulled Ian by his collar and they made a run back to the room beyond the archway. Suddenly a long metal shutter slammed at the entrance. Ian slammed the gate with frustration. Spencer pulled his gun and aimed at one ship and blasted it. The ship dodged with ease.

'WHAT THE HELL! They're not supposed to do that!', Spencer screamed while waving the gun. The airships floated mockingly.

"Itsalyourfult", mumbled Ian incomprehensibly.

'What?' asked Spencer.

'I SAID, ITS ALL YOUR FAULT', roared Ian. He looked at Spencer. Spencer backed away from him. Ian looked beyond reasoning. His nose started to bleed again, and his eyes were red.

'Ian. We can talk about it after this' Spencer said.

Ian walked forward, with a smirk and slowly holding his gun to Spencer's chest.

'After this? After what? After we die?'

'Ian please-'

'I was your friend for what? Five years? All for what?'

'Ian, I didn't mean to throw it at your bag'

'Now it's not about that, is it?'

'Ian-'

Before Spencer could say anything, Ian aimed his gun between the space of two aircrafts and fired. It resounded with a blast and three other aircrafts surrounding the two ships blasted and hit the wall. The other airships were in a frenzy. They began firing blindly.

Spencer shook his head and began firing at the ships. He took a burning shot to the arm. He threw his head back and screamed but he recovered and began aiming at the ships.

Ian on the other hand, tried shooting the motors of the ships and as they fell down, he ran and slammed his gun to the ship's channel.

Spencer realised this was a fight aganist him.

Amongst the frenzy, the ships began firing aimlessly at the ground, missing Ian and Spencer foolishly. But the ship's guns might've been very powerful as one side of the floor began cracking. Ian suddenly felt the ground giving away. He jumped to the other side and pressed himself next to the gate, where Spencer stood holding onto the metal bars.

That was when Spencer noticed the wires connected to the walls, emit electric impulses- directly to the spaceships. They had to destroy the source to attack the ships.

Spencer glanced at Ian to point out his finding. But Ian already beat him to it. They'll have to do it together. And together they held their guns to opposite walls and fired. The impulses suddenly wavered. The ground that was cracked, broke down. And beneath was a large infinity hole, with luminescent purple stars. The impulses completely broke down. And so did the ships and they began falling down to the black hole.

Spencer smiled at Ian with ecstasy. But his smile immediately fell when Ian held his collar and pulled him to the edge of the cracked floor.

'Ian- wait!' Spencer screamed while holding onto Ian's arm for dear life.

Ian glared at him.

'Why?'

'Brother. Please. I would never do something like that to you', Spencer said as his eyes brimmed.

Ian's eyes shone too. His face cracked. He pulled Spencer back to safety.

Before Spencer could sigh in relief, Ian embraced him. Spencer slowly hugged him back.

'Did we win?' Ian asked while still in embrace.

The static noises grew louder.

'I think so' Spencer replied as the tears began stinging his eyes.

Eventhough their eyes were closed, they witnessed the glare of a bright light from their eyelids. It was unbearable, they tightened their eyes and their hold on each other.

Their faces were buried in each other's necks. Everything went silent. Or the static atleast.

But they could hear an annoying pigeon coo. But it didn't feel annoying to them anymore.

They couldn't see each other's faces. But they knew that they were grinning from ear to ear.

A faint female voice said-

Congratulations Code 002.