The ten-second countdown begins. The crowds shout out the dwindling numbers while the Leviathan continues its approach. I wait until the last possible second before hurdling the railing and dropping into open air, freefalling as the tournament begins with a massive roar.
I tap my holoband to open my air-scooter, glancing upward as the vehicle forms around me. Explosions ignite in the sky like fireworks as the fliers engage in close-quarters combat. Nearby buildings take substantial collateral damage, filling the air with falling debris. Twenty-five percent of the combatants are eliminated in a matter of seconds. It's always the case, which is why I learned to avoid the chaos with a different approach.
I slam on the thrusters just before the aerocycle is about to hit the ground. In the normal world the abrupt stop would kill me, but here the rules are more flexible. I feel a hard jolt, then I'm dodging collapsing rubble at street level, weaving between buildings and street vehicles at speeds that reduce everything to blurs of movement. The v-drive enhancer automatically compensates for the increased speeds and threats, allowing me to counter before a catastrophic crash. I spot a couple of fellow fliers with the same low-altitude idea just ahead of me. I initiate target lock and fire torpedoes to congratulate them.
One direct hit, a bloom of flame. The other manages to evade by turning a hard corner. The torpedo hits the building; I let the guy go. If he thinks to cut back to look for me, I'll be out of firing range. I glance at the rankings on my dash — thirty-six out of one hundred dead. I'm ranked at fifty-seven. Pretty bad, but my strategy hinges on winning, not how many kills I rack up. Scrolling the list, I see that Dabria is ranked thirty-three. Surprising. I realize that she's had experience with this. I should have known when she issued the challenge, but I’m still confident I can outlast her. After all, there's no way she's put in as many hours as I have.
No way.
I pull up, rising against the surface of one of the towering skyscrapers, shattering glass in my wake. Angry clouds billow in front of me, tinged with licks of searing flame. The sheer force rattles my scooter, but I punch the thrusters, going even faster. A massive tentacle blindly swings past, smashing into the building like a wrecking ball. I weave around it, passing through the smoke and mist to rise into the aerial battlefield, where the Leviathan wreaks havoc.
The monstrosity looks like someone tried to graft a giant squid to a blue whale but gave up halfway through the process. Part biological, part mechanical, it drifts slowly but deals punishing damage with its tentacles, ion cannons, target-locking missiles, and other nasty weapons equipped all along its gigantic frame.
I immediately open fire from behind it, landing cheap licks to boost my score. At the same time, I have to dodge multiple attacks from the other fliers in the area. Just about everyone left is in the vicinity — shooting, weaving, and dodging attacks from the Leviathan and each other.
An alarm blares in the cockpit, alerting me to a target lock. I quickly drop, spinning in corkscrew fashion and weaving around the tail of the Leviathan. An explosion from behind rocks my scooter, but the monster took the brunt. Energy rounds follow, trailing after me as I try to evade. Whoever is on my tail isn't giving up. From a glance in the rearview, I think it's the flier I attempted to hit earlier. Must have a grudge.
Grinning, I give the controls a sadistic yank and fire a torpedo into the nearest building, following quickly behind the explosion. Keeping my hands on the trigger, I use energy rounds to blast through walls as I whip through, catching blurred views of people and office furniture flying through the air from the force of my passage. My pursuer follows, refusing to be thrown off. His guns blaze, and my scooter rocks from multiple rear impacts. Wincing, I check my shields — thirty-seven percent integrity. I start to worry.
I fire torpedoes again, and I'm out of the building, followed by my persistent pursuer. Another target lock alarm flashes on my panel. My palms are slippery with sweat.
Then he's gone, shredded by another attacker — someone who used her metal wings to shear his craft in two. I recognize Dabria as she soars away, firing at the Leviathan. Her voice buzzes over my com.
"You're not gonna even get close if you keep that up, kid."
"Yeah, thanks," I mutter, taking my frustration out on a trio of sky surfers. One torpedo, three kills. Bonus points, baby.
I weave when I catch the Leviathan opening his mouth. The sonic force of its rumbling roar decimates the unlucky fliers caught in the path, along with the nearest building, which shudders and crumbles downward in a cloud of dust and debris.
I dip under the Leviathan, firing at its exposed belly. Missile launchers pop out and fire in response, but they're not locked and easy to evade. I continue my barrage before whipping up and dodging a swing from its massive tail. It slams into another building, taking out most of the top half. I catch a flier using the tail for cover and lock on, firing until the aerocycle explodes.
There are only twenty-two fliers left. I'm ranked at twenty, behind Dabria who's already ranked nine. Gritting my teeth, I wheel around and activate my lightrazor. It hisses when it activates from the bottom of my scooter. I make a pass alongside the Leviathan, positioning right where the tentacles meet the scaly body. The razor slices right through the first tentacle, then another. The third is mechanical, which takes damage but still holds. By the point the Leviathan responds with a barrage of missiles and ion rounds, not to mention more tentacles wriggling in my direction like gigantic, angry snakes. It takes all of my skills to escape destruction and keep firing at the same time, racking up significant points. I'm practically surrounded by explosions and tentacles by the time I finally pull up to catch a breather.
My ship shudders from damage taken, and I fly around one of the remaining buildings to give my shields a chance to recover. The Leviathan seems to take my attack personal, using tentacles and cannons to destroy my cover in a furious attempt to take me out. I dip down and circle, using the debris to cover my trail as I gear up for my next run. I glance at the rankings. I'm now ranked ten, right behind Dabria.
I whip up, guns blazing. To my shock and surprise, an armored scooter with a solid gold paint job is directly in my sights. Instantly recognizable as Broodient, one of the players who always finished in the top five. I fire my last two torpedoes, not even taking time to lock on. Broodient goes out in a massive explosion, and a cascade of upgrades and game points are mine. My torpedoes are refilled and twice as powerful, my guns armed with explosive rounds, my shields boosted. My rank: seven.
Time to finish it.
The Leviathan bellows a wounded cry, tilting sideways and into one of the few buildings still standing. Most of its tentacles are destroyed, smoke pours from gaping cavities in its body, green blood showers to the streets like rain. I search for Dabria, spot her whirling above, engaged in a firefight with another winged flier. They move too fast for a target lock. I change my mind and pursue one of the sky surfers instead.
It's Blazer, one of the most reckless and dangerous players. She rides an air-board, managing to maintain her balance while firing powerful blasts from the massive cannons mounted on her forearms. A rotating turret gun on the bottom of her board takes care of any unseen threats. Which at the moment is me. I take the barrage head-on, trusting my boosted shields to deflect the damage. Blazer senses my attack and dives toward the dying Leviathan. I follow her, guns firing continuously. Somehow, she manages to stay just ahead of the streaking blasts.