Lucas was free. The familiar vistas of Seaside Pass around him, the cool simulated breeze across his face, weapon in hand, and feet at a full sprint beneath him, Lucas couldn’t help but laugh as he flew away from the spawn location and towards the highway. Lucas wasn’t nervous for the match, on the contrary, that was the one part of the day he was absolutely confident in.

Lucas chambered a round into his suppressed submachine gun as he ran. He had selected the German made Heckler and Koch MP7 for the first round. Focal Point was incredible in its depth. It let you select your weapon like every other game, but it went so much further. You could select each component of a weapon, the material it was made from, what ammo it was chambered in, how much ammo you brought into the round, any attachment that was ever made for the weapon, helmet choice, body armor, boots, glasses, everything. Most people never fiddled with such fine details. It was overwhelming to be sure. But professionals utilized this system to its fullest.

Lucas’ current kit was streamlined in every way for mobility with the exception of his choice of weapon. There were other options in the sub-machine gun category that offered greater mobility or firepower, but Lucas liked the balanced approach the MP7 offered. He carried only one magazine of ammunition however. A move few were willing to commit to as any extended firefight would leave the player completely helpless. It was a foolish decision that Lucas was determined to make work.

Exiting the upper housing district that contained the offensive team’s spawn area, Lucas lept out onto the highway. Cars, buses, and trucks sat in a highly congested deadlock, providing Lucas the cover he needed to begin his approach on the far overpass. Analytical data began to run through Lucas’ mind as he felt the familiar adrenaline rush that came whenever he played a competitive match. Hours upon hours of replay footage played through his head in an instant. All about his opponents. Replays of their previous games that he had spent countless hours watching and rewatching. Replays from their perspective, overhead replays, audio only replays, replays of the players themselves in their gaming area moving in their visors and gloves. Anything that Lucas could get his hands on, he had watched it. From those memories, numbers began to flood Lucas’ mind.

These players from GrandMaster’s Gaming have played Seaside Pass as a team eighty three times, Lucas thought to himself as he continued to spring through the stopped cars on the highway, They’ve started on the defensive side of the map forty four times. They elected a 3-1-1 setup twenty six times, a 4-0-1 setup fifteen times, and a 2-2-1 setup for the remaining three games. Time to narrow the possibilities.

Lucas slowed behind the last bus before the overpass, which was still a good fifty yards away, and surveyed the surroundings. The overpass itself was little more than a thin walkway. It was enclosed with thin walls of metal but had four large windows spaced evenly across the gray walls. Lucas’ eyes raked the openings but could not see any sign of his adversaries.

No, Lucas paused on the far right window closest to the main terminal building.

He could see the distant outline of a barrel resting on the window frame. Instinctively, Lucas dove behind the bus. Bullets ripped through the air he had occupied seconds before. Shattered glass rained down around Lucas as the windows of the bus in front of him were shot to pieces. The car right behind him began to sink in height as air escaped its shredded front tire.

Lucas’ heart pounded but his smile stayed on his face.

Two shooters, American made M4A1 and the British SA80 assault rifle, both equipped with standard thirty round magazines from the number of bullets fired, Lucas’ brain continued to spin as the new information was processed, That means their running a 2-2-1. Two on this side, two inside of the terminal building, one on the far side. Rapid and Testudo are GM’s standard rifle players, that means that Toxic and Blasty are inside the building while Laser is watching the courtyard.

A flash of movement from the overpass caught Lucas’ eyes as he lifted his head.

They’re pushing me. Lucas ducked just as another hail of bullets tore through the metal bus frame just about his head. If I’m the only one here, Blasty expects the real push to happen through the courtyard. If Rapid and Testudo eliminate me, that leaves them free to push back towards my spawn area and flank around the rest of DEF.

Two figures emerged from the far left side of the overpass with rifles raised. Rapid let loose a well-timed series of bursts in Lucas’ direction while Testudo descended the stairs. The moment Rapid’s magazine emptied, it was Testudo’s turn to suppress Lucas’ position. They were well practiced. Like an oiled machine, they systematically pushed closer and closer to Lucas. Rapid took the center of the street, just to Lucas’ right, as Testudo pushed on the edge to Lucas’ left.

“You shouldn’t have gotten closer boys.” Lucas chuckled to himself.

He had all the information he needed. As soon as the two stepped past the far end of the bus, Lucas made his move. Testudo’s magazine ran empty just as Lucas stepped out of cover and began to sprint towards Rapid. A credit to his status as a pro player, Rapid reacted extremely quickly. The hastily fired stream of bullets whizzed just over Lucas’ head as he slid under the barrel of Rapid’s weapon. Within a second, Lucas lifted up his MP7 and emptied half of his thirty round magazine directly into Rapid’s chest. The tightly controlled cluster of bullets dropped the player immediately.

DEF Silence has eliminated GM Rapid.

Lucas ignored the small indicator that appeared in the left corner of his vision as he pivoted his weapon to aim at Testudo through the bus windows. Testudo had just finished reloading his M4, but was too slow to bring it around. The remaining fifteen bullets in Lucas’ magazine shattered the bus windows and dropped GM’s second rifleman.

DEF Silence has eliminated GM Testudo.

Lucas’ MP7 clattered to the asphalt as he picked up Rapid’s SA80. He’d prefer to pick up the M4, but there wasn’t time. Lucas grabbed two spare magazines from Rapid’s combat vest and quickly replaced the nearly empty one in the rifle. Taking a few steps forward and to his left, Lucas hopped up onto a car roof and raised his weapon.

Blasty would have moved himself and Toxic to support Laser on the far side when I was first called out by his squadmates. That plan would immediately change once the kill indicators showed both of his teammates were eliminated. He doesn’t want to lose the overpass, Lucas began to trace the invisible enemy through the walls of the two story terminal building.

It had no outside facing windows, mostly to avoid grenade spam from offensive teams, so Lucas had to trace it from memory.

Given the short time between initial engagement and Rapid and Testudo’s elimination, he would have turned around here, the barrel of Lucas’ rifle paused at a nondescript section of concrete, And he would have immediately begun to run back to the overpass.

Lucas brought his aim directly at the first overpass window, Putting him here about… now.

True to prediction, a dark helmet appeared in the window. Lucas immediately dropped the player with a quick burst of fire.

DEF Silence has eliminated GM Blasty.

Toxic should be a few steps behind, Lucas turned his weapon a few degrees to the right and began firing quick, controlled bursts into the thin overpass walls. No kill indicator appeared in the corner of his vision.

Didn’t get him. Lucas cycled out the spent magazine and slapped in a fresh one.

Lucas sprinted the remaining distance to the overpass stairs and took them three at a time. Weapon raised, Lucas turned the corner to view the interior of the overpass. Near the far end, Lucas could see the dark form of Blasty’s body on the floor. Toxic was nowhere in sight.

Did he back up into the building? Lucas frowned at the unexpected behavior.

About to step forward, Lucas paused as Blasty’s feet moved. There was no way GM’s captain was still alive. The kill indicator only appears when a player is fully eliminated. There’s no way to spoof the system. Before Lucas could process what he was seeing, a flash of light burst from Blasty and Lucas felt the cold impact of a bullet striking his shoulder. Lucas ducked back down the stairs as follow up shots ripped the air around him.

Toxic is hiding behind his captain’s body for cover, clever. Lucas lifted his gun just high enough to fire a few blind shots in return.

Lucas rotated his injured shoulder and winced. A part of Focal Point’s realism is the ability to actually feel things in the digital world. The cold metal of the steel stairs, the warm sun heating up his helmet, and even the uncomfortable stab of a bullet. The pain was just enough to let you know that you’d been hit, but not enough to actually scare anyone away from the game. Even as Lucas lowered his gun, the pain in his shoulder had begun to fade.

There was no easy way to confront Toxic head on. He had the hallway locked down. The second Lucas poked his head out, Toxic would cut him down. Lucas hopped over the staircase railing and back down to the highway below. Lucas sprinted a short distance under the overpass and aimed up at the floor above him.

Should be about here, Lucas rapidly emptied his entire magazine into the metal above him.

The armor piercing rounds tore a fist size hole through the floor and into Toxic’s abdomen.

DEF Silence has eliminated GM Toxic.

Once again, Lucas dropped his spent weapon to the ground. Now free of enemies, Lucas sprinted up and into the overpass. Lucas stopped briefly to collect Blasty’s weapon, the UMP 45, before he continued down the hallway and into the terminal building. The interior looked like an everyday office building, with the exception of no windows. The hallway Lucas entered connected on the far side to an overlook facing the courtyard. Where GM’s last player, laser, would be coming from.

Lucas glanced briefly at the door that led to the terminal room on his left. He didn’t bother entering.

The round is over now anyways. He reasoned to himself.

Just as Lucas finished his thought, Laser entered the far doorway. GM’s sniper had slung his SR-25 rifle over his shoulder and had his 1911 sidearm drawn. To Laser’s credit, his reaction time was milliseconds behind Lucas’ own. It wasn’t close enough though.

DEF Silence has eliminated GM Laser.

A victory screen flashed over Lucas’ screen as the round came to a close. The adrenaline, much like the environment around him, slowly faded into darkness. With the elation of a match gone, Lucas was once again left alone with his downcast thoughts and emotions.