there." She pointed her gun in the direction the damage had come from. "Wait for them to swing out, and then tag one. If you drop, I got you."
"Can do, boss," Zara said.
A split second later, the sound of a foot came through Riley's speakers. Both women were crouched, but a few more steps, and then Zara popped up and began firing. She really wasn't as bad as they all said. She would never be a pro, but she also didn't want to be. Zara just wanted to have fun, and as she let off a few controlled bursts of fire, the woman giggled, proving she was enjoying this.
Then, "Oh!" Zara cheered herself. "That asshole's down!"
Riley checked the kill spam to see that she'd just dropped a guy named M1sEr. Yeah, he'd been here a few times. He was also the loser who'd gotten his ass beat by Braden for stealing Rhaven's panties - but the man sucked so bad. At pretty much everything! He'd even tried corner-camping a map once, hoping it would be enough to let him advance in the PLG tournament. Needless to say, Riley didn't feel bad at all for kicking his ass. Fucker deserved it.
"Kate?" Riley asked.
"She's working," Rhaven answered for her. "Guy one is almost done, and guy two is moving in. Has no idea I'm even sitting here." The kill spam ticked off another kill, proving Kate had just finished the first guy. "And now for the second. Reload, Kate. You're gonna... shit."
"Where's the last guy?" Riley asked. "Anyone seen the medic yet?"
"He's the one I just killed," Kate said. "Rhaven's taunting the other."
"Then time to find the last," Riley decided. "Zara, go left. Sorry, babe, but I'm using you as bait."
"I'm damned good bait," Zara promised.
Sure enough, she ran to the left, her character jogging up the hall as if she didn't have a care in the world, and a guy strafed in behind her from an almost hidden alcove. A fucking corner camper, because of course he was. Riley scoped in and double tapped just as the guy got his gun up and tagged Zara in the back. She lived. He, however, didn't.
A splash screen for victory faded in, proving that Riley's team was advancing. "Ready for round two?" she asked.
"Sure," Kate said. "If we move faster, then we get the better players, right?"
"Usually," Rhaven agreed. "Although sometimes it's just the lucky ones. Go see what it is, Q."
So Riley pushed back her chair and made her way to the fish bowl. The official standing beside it to make sure each team only drew once per round - instead of trying over and over to get a match with a friend - smiled at her as if he knew her. Riley gave him a tentative smile back, reached in, and retrieved a slip of paper.
"QQ, right?" the guy asked.
"That's me," Riley agreed. "And you are?"
"Um, I'm a developer at Smash Games." He gestured behind him. "This is our game for the tournament. I just wanted to say that I've followed you since your first tournament. It's a pleasure."
She offered her hand. "Same. Always nice to see new game companies breaking in. I happen to know a damned good gamer who'll be looking for a sponsor in a few months too. If you need a spokesperson."
"I'll let the boss know," he promised. "Good luck in your next match."
Riley checked her server, gave the paper back to the guy to be tagged for it, and returned to her seat. Knock stood just as she got there, a little smirk on his lips that proved he'd made it to the next round.
"HighFive's not bad," he said before walking away.
Beside her, Dread was tapping away at his keys furiously, proving that the Dad Team had already entered their next match. A glance at the clock made it clear that this tournament was moving a little faster than normal, but Riley was ok with that. Slipping back on her headset, she looked down the table at her team.
"Server eleven, ladies. We ready?"
"Let's do this!" Zara said.
They hit the server to find the countdown already started, making it clear they were the second team to enter the match. Just like before, all of them chose to play medic - which would get out soon enough, but it wouldn't matter. And as soon as the map released them, they were moving, this time, all four of them like a pack.