A Dangerous Game

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Charlotte didn't reply. She was too focused on dodging the mess of zombies fighting for her blood. She had no weapons for close combat save a knife far too small and thin to take on this mob. All she could afford to do was dodge and bide her time. The only words that came out of her mouth were hissed curses. She could catch images of Daniel out of her peripherals. He was killing them left and right, being talented at close combat. That strength boost he got long ago from Decius didn't help. So it was genetics versus mutation, in essence.
Charlotte stopped dodging and settled on one space. She took a deep breath, pushing away her frustration, nervousness, and anger. Yes, that's right. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Take in the surroundings. She gazed around calmly, watching zombies narrow in on her from all sides. One, two, three... five... ten... fifteen... Despite the large number, she held the same cold expression her father had.
Reaching into her blazer, she pulled out a small sphere, no bigger than the palm of her hand. She rolled it around experimentally, watching the creatures get closer and closer. Finally, she lifted her arm and hurled the sphere onto the ground. There was a loud banging sound that was shortly followed by a cloud of smoke covering where she once stood. The zombies all made a confused hissing noise at the new element.
Then gunfire.
Lights flashed in the smoke like rapid lightning. Bullets shot out in every direction, shooting all the zombies that had surrounded Charlotte earlier. Some lost their legs, some their arms, and many died.
By the time the smoke cleared up Charlotte was missing. There were footprints in the dirt that led to the forest area, where a light shined from a tall tree, the sunlight reflecting off of a sniper scope.

Julian made a triumphant fist when he saw Daniel immediately attack the zombies. Look at him go! He was a killing machine, already downing so many of them! The brunette looked at one of the screens where it showed the scoreboard. Daniel's points kept growing and growing while Charlotte stayed at zero. She was too busy dodging the zombies to fight them. At this rate Daniel will win in a landslide!
As soon as Julian thought that, however, he saw the cloud of smoke. He hesitated. A smoke bomb? He leaned in, trying to see if he could see Charlotte run off. To his surprise, she stayed in and used the cover to distract the zombies long enough to shoot them. Wow! That was a crazy technique! Julian glanced back up at the scoreboard, wincing as he saw her points climb up just as fast as Daniel's.

 

[Mayah Playah]

The smoke filled the area, watering Daniel's eyes and distracting him long enough for his knife to slip and nearly cut his own finger off. He hissed in anger, ducking aroudn the zombies to round the crowd and use what remained of the smoke screen to clamber onto a roof of one of the little buildings in the western area. He caught his breath, laying against the roof as he thought carefully. He couldn't win with shooting them, since his aim was terrible compared to his sister's deathly one. What did he have to his advantage?
Speed, agility, strength.
What, that's it?
Well, he was smart enough to know when to use the right weapon. He reached into his boot, pulling out a small orb, even smaller than that of his sister's. Taking a few breaths, he stood up and looked at the crowd, his eye catching a glint int he trees. There she was. Well, maybe this would teach her to accept a challenge so quickly.
Holding his arms up, he started to yell. "Hey! Hey, over here! Come and get it, meatheads! Look at me, I'm real delicious-looking, aren't I?" He called out and hooted, and slowly, a crowd of about fifteen to twenty zombies began to move towards the little building. He smiled as they did, then just as they coagulated, tossed the orb up into the air. As it began to fall, the zombies watched in distant confusion, glancing up just in time to see Daniel leaping onto another roof for cover. The second the orb hit the ground-
BOOM!
An explosion took them by surprise, blowing them to pieces as well as the two buildings between the crowd and Daniel. He smiled a little to himself, grateful that he'd remembered to bring a couple apricot bombs with him, so designed by his favorite uncle in order to defend his boyfriend-turned-husband, the king. He glanced upwards, taking a second before pulling out his little sword and laying in wait.

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Julian watched Daniel hurry to the town area. He looked tired from all that fighting, but Julian was convinced he still had plenty of fight in him. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the explosion, following by the mess of points shooting up on the scoreboard.
"Awesome!" he cheered.

Charlotte saw the scene through her scope. Not bad, but very basic. By the time Daniel's bomb had gone off she had taken out her own mess of zombies with her rifle. At one point she even shot through three heads with one bullet. If only marksmanship could count as bonus points.
She leaned back into her gun, staring through the scope for more zombies. Suddenly, something flew past her scope. She hesitated. Was that a bird? No, there was no life in this pit. A zombie? How did it get up here so fast? How did she not hear it?
Calm down, calm down! Forcing a deep breath, she gazed in again, greeted with the sight of a hawk with a partially missing skull, messed up wings, and a partially missing stomach. "What-?!" Before Charlotte could express her shock, the zombie hawk squealed at her and shot at her with its razor sharp talons. Her body moved on fight-or-flight, throwing her off the branch she hid on.
She let out a grunt as she began falling. If she hit the ground then she'd be out of the game for sure! She stretched her hand out, grabbing a branch she passed by, stopping her fall. The weight and velocity caused her to dislocate her shoulder, making her let go but thankfully land on the branch below. Grabbing her shoulder, she forced it back into place, muffling her whimper in case the hawk was still around. That's right, the hawk.
Charlotte looked up. That was definitely a zombie. What other animal zombies were there? She looked down, estimating her drop to the ground to be ten to fifteen feet left. Her eyes suddenly widened as she caught sight of something. Her sniper! It fell on the ground! She looked back up, watching tensely as the branches at the top of the tree shifted with the hawk's searching.

In the midst of Julian's cheering, he noticed something show up on another screen. WAVE 2, it said. Under the list of zombies were humans, and now animals. Julian scratched his cheek. Would that make it easier or harder?

 

[Mayah Playah]

In the middle of his celebration, Daniel looked up towards where he knew Julian was to wink, only to hear it. He froze, staying very still as he listened carefully. He could hear something, and it wasn't anything good. He stepped to the side slowly, then bolted to the other and leaped off the roof, narrowly escaping a heavy claw. Hitting the ground hard, he grabbed his arm and limped a little away, eyes up on the creature he'd nearly encountered. Irritation flashed in his blue eyes as he realized Julian had forgotten a very crucial hint.
It was drained almost entirely, fur black as night and white as a ghost. The eyes were glowing green, the tail skinned to the bone. Some of the fur on its maw was hanging loosely, and one ear had been brutally ripped off, with claw marks slashing through skin on its belly and side. It was monstrous, and Daniel couldn't be angrier. Why hadn't Julian told him about this?! Oh well, he was certain Char didn't know. This only made it more fair.
He reached for another cleaver in his belt, holding the two weapons at the ready as he watched the tiger stalk him on the roof, eyes glaring into his soul. It was a good thing he didn't care about PETA, because this dumb animal was going to die again.
As if they could read each other's minds, the tiger pounced to the ground and started after him, growling as they walked in circles, pacing and facing each other. "Hey, kitty," he mumbled, mouth dry as he forced himself to stay calm. He stayed on his toes, but was still surprised when the animal took the initiative and charged at him.

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Julian gulped thickly as he watched the two struggling on the camera. Their parents never had trouble with the animals, but now that he thought about it, was it because they were used to them? Or because Daniel and Charlotte were being exposed to them for the first time?

Charlotte lowered herself from branch to branch, moving as quietly as possible so the hawk wouldn't hear here. Her lungs ached with the small breaths she took, and her shoulder felt like it would break in any minute. If she could get to her sniper then maybe...
CRACK!
Charlotte's eyes widened as the branch she clung to snapped, sending her falling again. She hit the ground with a thud, coughing out what little air was left in her lungs. It wasn't that big a fall, so it didn't hurt as much as it would have, but it still stung. What's more, the hawk heard it.
Charlotte was usually very good about keeping her emotions under control, but fear was beginning to grip her tightly.
The hawk screeched and shot down, avoiding the branches as it got closer and closer, Charlotte scrambled to her feet. She looked at the sniper then at the other areas. If she left she could probably make it. No, who was she kidding? That hawk would catch up to her quickly. She needed to think fast. She needed to... to...!
The hawk yelled, its talons ready to tear her apart, its beak opened and ready to eat her. Charlotte almost screamed. Fortunately, her body moved on its own. She yanked out another smoke bomb and hurled it on the ground. The hawk cried out in surprise and tried to catch itself until falling into the smoke cloud. It took a while to clear away its disoriented self, fanning away the smoke with its wings. By the time the smoke cleared up, both Charlotte and the sniper rifle were gone.

It was a long run that made her lungs feel like they were on fire, and it was filled with the tension of fear of the hawk flying after her, but Charlotte made it to the Western area she saw Daniel in. She needed to find him and figure out what more was to be expected of this horrid place.
Hiding in an old saloon, she peered around with her scope to find her brother. She found him... fighting a tiger. It was a vicious monster, and it looked like Daniel was having just as hard a time with it as she did with the hawk.
As she stared through the scope, a thought occurred. She could leave him like that and have Julian stop the game out of fear, earning her a victory. That would definitely shut that brat up. He'd never challenge her again, accepting his role of living in her shadow. She thought that, but deep in her heart she couldn't do it. She wanted to win, but not like this, especially if her brother was having just as hard a time.
Steeling her resolve, she steadied her aim and fired her gun at the tiger.

 

[Mayah Playah]

"F-ck, f-ck, f-ck!" cursed Daniel as the tiger began to pounce at him, scrambling backwards as he struggled to get a grip on his weapons. Sh-t, this was it, wasn't it? He was going to die, and Charlotte would be the next Nightingale. The very thought of it disgusted him. He wouldn't be able to live knowing that. Well, good thing he'd be dead. Okay, stop, now is not the time to have a sense of humor!
Before he could respond or die, a shot rang out, hitting the tiger right between the eyes. The animal fell motionless as his feet, and Daniel stood very still. What was that?? Taking a step closer, he looked over the beast, then raised his foot and crushed the skull, making double sure that it was dead. Wiping his shoe on the ground, he turned to greet his savior, only to spy that familiar glint. Charlotte? She'd been the one to save him? But why?
Daniel didn't have much time to answer. He could see the hawk that had been chasing her. It was already about to close in, and he knew he had to act fast, at least to respond to her saving him. Raising the cleaver, he held it in the air for a solid half-minute before throwing it hard into her direction, straight for the bird's neck that was fast on her scent and about to descend onto her.
"Technically, there isn't anywhere safe, so we gotta keep moving," he said, gesturing for her to pick up the cleaver when she was done and walking towards what looked to be a bank.

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Charlotte lowered her gun once the tiger fell. There, now that brat can't say she never did anything for him. She heard a familiar screech, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand, and looked ahead of her to see the hawk moving at high speed towards her. Crap, it already tracked her?!
She lifted her gun. That bird was too fast, and it was gaining ground! She wouldn't make it! She would-
Before she could utter a prayer, the hawk fell to the ground, its velocity sending it sliding towards the saloon. She hesitantly looked at it, seeing a cleaver dug deep into its neck, nearly chopping the head off. What?
Hearing Daniel, she looked up then back at the cleaver. "Consider us even," she muttered under her breath before pulling the weapon out.

Julian exhaled slowly. The way they both survived those attacks was intense. He was in a puddle of sweat, and he was only watching them! Something flashed in his screen and he looked up. He stopped, catching his breath and feeling the color drain from his face. 'WAVE 3' showed on the screen. Beneath the list of humans and animals were...

Charlotte sighed as she walked alongside her brother. She needed a place to rest and look at her shoulder. Fortunately, the animals and humans that lingered didn't seem to notice them. Maybe she could find a good vantage spot and-
The ground shook. It wasn't much, not enough to cause concern, but in this case it was the opposite for Charlotte. It shook again. And again. And again. She turned around, covering her mouth to hide her shock.
Emerging from the city area was an enormous beast about 9 feet tall, and that wasn't including its long, cracked horns. It was burly and stood on two hooves, one cut claw carrying a large axe. It once had fur, but they were only patches now. It was missing, showing only an eye socket.
"A zombie minotaur...?!" Charlotte breathed. What kind of monstrosities were hidden here?!

 

[Mayah Playah]

Unlike Charlotte's shock, Daniel irritation grew more and more as he turned to face the disgusting beast. Clenching his free fist, he snarled. "Someone has GOT to get Decius a girlfriend!" He looked to his sister, elbowing her twice. "Snap out of it. We need a plan." He looked over the Minotaur, remembering nothing of his stupid. He was sure the skull was the same out. Still, though, they needed a plan. The creature was just too strong.
"I think you should go high while I go low. I'll trip him, you shoot him in the head. Is that okay?" he asked.

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Charlotte looked at Daniel when she heard him, taking a moment to regain her composure. Yes, that's right. She had to be level headed if they were both to survive. Looking back at the minotaur, she nodded. "Alright. It may take at least five minutes so I can scout the areas for vantage points away from the other creatures." She looked around tensely. "Surely that can't be the only zombie monster, though."

 

[Mayah Playah]

"We don't have five minutes, Char," he said, glancing to her sniper. Was that all she brought? "What, you didn't bring a handgun? You're supposed to be the smart one!" He looked around, then pulled a small handgun from his belt and held it out. "On three, I'll charge it. I'll get it still, you just need to shoot it in the head. Don't miss."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Charlotte shook her head at her brother. "I've got more than just a sniper on me, but it's the only gun capable of fazing that thing," she said while pointing to the minotaur that was sniffing the air for them. One human zombie lingered too close towards it, and with a grunt it swung its axe at it, slicing it in half easily.
"Unless you're in the mood for playing matador, handguns are only going to irritate it. It'll take more bullets than what we have combined to harm it." She paused. "I can take fire from here."

Julian watched the two stand close to each other. Were they teaming up? Was that even possible between them? They hated each other! The entire reason they were there was because they were competing.
"Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hello I say to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Julian tensed up. Sh.t. He had been so focused on Daniel and Charlotte that he forgot to check the monitors! Spinning around quickly, he moved to stand in front of the monitors, covering what he could.
"Uh, h-hi, Grandpa!" he greeted, feeling beads of sweat form against his neck.
The blue-haired scientist grinned eagerly at his grandson, glad to have him over and playing with his creatures. "What is it that you are doing inside the room that is here and not in the pit that is there???????????" he asked while happily tilting his head ninety degrees.
"O-Oh! I-I was just... w-wondering how the z-zombies would react to each other," Julian said while nervously scratching his cheek.
Decius's smile unnerved him. He was also eerily quiet. When he was like that it meant he was thinking. Suddenly, the scientist moved him aside to look at the monitor. He happily gazed at the screen, staring at the two small images. Those were Fredrich's children. Charlotte and Daniel. Daniel... That's right... The boy... that caused Julian... to nearly die...

 

[Mayah Playah]

"Wait." He scanned the area, fingers tucking away the gun before touching the scabbard at his side. It was the biggest weapon he'd brought with him, one of the few things he didn't use on a daily basis in training. "Okay, so look at the neck. It's thick, but still, if he falls a particular way, I'll be able to separate the head. Let's not risk shooting it, Char. Let's kill it completely."
Looking down at her, he smirked and wrapped his fingers around the hilt. "Get it pissed off, shoot at the knees, make it fall. I'll cut the head off."

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Charlotte nodded. "I'll give you covering fire," she responded. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted a few creatures bounding towards them. There were several humans, a snake, and a monkey. She pulled out her handgun and narrowed her eyes, firing her gun before they got close enough to charge. The monkey dodged the first hit, but in the middle of its enraged snarl she shot it through the jaw then the head.
She holstered the gun then looked at the minotaur, which was staring at them. "It heard the shots," she murmured as she got to the ground, getting the rifle ready. She took a few seconds to aim. In that time the minotaur crouched down and began launching itself at the two in a stampede. Charlotte narrowed her eye and fired. There was a stream of smoke, and the minotaur stumbled in its step.
Through her scope she could see that the bullet reached its shin. She realized that she shouldn't have expected one bullet to make that goliath fall.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Meanwhile, Daniel focused on the creature, letting his sister get rid of the monsters around them. He'd knock whatever got too close. Crouching down for just a moment, he clenched his fists and shot off, bouncing his foot of the wall. He expected her shot to debilitate the minotaur, not piss it off! Having gotten too close already, he swung the sword he held in one hand at the leg, wincing as the blade missed. What?!
He looked back to his sister. "Shoulder!" he shouted, swinging the sword again at the monster's hip, this time hitting him. She had to shoot it down long enough for him to behead it.

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Charlotte took deep breaths to steady her aim. She fired three shots, one hit the beast's upper arm, making it miss as it swung the axe at Daniel, the other two hit two zombies that tried to attack him while he was distracted.
She watched his attack miss from the minotaur's immense strength. Catching his command, she aimed once again. The beast was moving fast, but that didn't matter. She took another deep breath and calculated the wind speed, firing the gun. Following the crackle of thunder, the bullet shot through the air and shot right through the monster's shoulder.