For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,131
to be on point, and that mess would throw her off her game.
The contract was the only thing that mattered. All the rest could wait. So when the cursor began spinning, indicating the game was loading, she pulled on her headphones, cranked up the volume, and was ready as soon as the world appeared. Before anything else, Rhaven checked her character's loadout. Only when that was good did she scan the new map.
This was a train. A moving one, and the clack of the wheels was growing louder as the pregame countdown got closer to zero. She was in a boxcar, and the thing rocked rhythmically. That would throw off her aim if she wasn't careful. On each of the long sides were two doors - one in the front corner, and one in the back. Four doors in total. The freight kind, so big enough for a few people to fit through at a time.
Right next to her boxcar, she could see the back of another train car, almost like it was driving on a parallel track. It had a platform on it, like a porch or something, that lined up with one of the doors on her train. On the left side of her "room" was another boxcar type like the one she was in.
So that was the trick, she realized just as the timer went off and the game released her. The crates in here would work as cover. The gap between the trains would be a problem if she wasn't careful. It was narrow but had no cover at all, so it was a kill zone. That meant no loitering between trains. And the entire map was based off three straight lines of "rooms." Hiding was out. Playing it safe would result in someone sneaking up behind her. This was the kind of map that made for a lot of action and movement. Thankfully, she could do that.
Rhaven headed for the train to her right, the one that had the platform at the back instead of the side door. She didn't even need to jump to reach it, so falling damage wasn't going to be a concern. The back door was open. When she stepped inside, she found an empty passenger car. Seats were stacked on both sides with spaces in front of them where she could crouch. Besides that, it was just a long, straight alley to the next car.
She rushed forward, deciding the boxcars were safer. Just as she reached the door at the other end, a silhouette appeared in the car before her. Rhaven didn't hesitate. She scoped in and fired, hearing a second gun go off at the same time. The player dropped, and she glanced down to see who was out of play.
M0us < VOID
Which meant she knew where he was. Turning left, she crossed the gap again, returning to the same train she'd started in - the middle one - but one car ahead. From there, she kept going across, and then up. The three trains were lined up just right so she could zigzag her way forward, and Void could only run so far.
But when she stepped back across, it wasn't Void she found, but PBJ. The guy was crouched behind a crate and facing the wrong way. A button changed her weapon to the pistol, but he'd heard her. As PBJ's character stood, she tracked his movement, unconsciously compensating for the rocking of the train, and tapped off a pair of rounds to his head before the guy was even facing her.
PBJ < Rhaven
Two kills down. Six to go, and this game was moving fast. Her dot would be lit up, so she had to get out of here. Playing it safe, Rhaven went back the way she'd come, then jumped ahead to the next box car on the middle train. She was slowly but surely making her way to the front of this mess, but were the others going to the back?
Then a thunk made her turn just as Void came in through the rearmost door of the train. Instinct took over. Rhaven aimed and fired, most of her body shielded by the crate beside her. Void crouched, ducking before the second round hit his head, and he started shooting back. Rhaven heard the sound of a med pack ring out, but he was using his machine gun. Her pistol had better accuracy and damage in this environment, and she wasn't going to fucking lose!