Welcome Home, Outcasts

Silvia sat in her car, on the way back to the District Building to continue the games. All things considered, her break was good, but uneventful. Really bad television, come to think of it. She stared out the window and it's view into Level Five. Not really focusing on anything, not that there was much to focus on. Just thinking about the others. And how to tell them she was the traitor. Would they care? Probably from the title alone. Aurora was dead because of her, as were Seeta and Ulrich. And the next thing was on how to die. It's not that she wanted to die, just that out of the remaining people still in the game, she had the least amount of reason to stick around.

"Hello, Silvia."

A voice came from her watch, snapping her out of her depressing daydream. A smooth voice, and a man's one, too. Nothing like Leonie or Kalea's voice.

"You say something?" She asked the driver.

"No?" The driver replied.

"In your watch, miss Silvia."

Silvia glanced at her watch, and on it was the NeoBunny logo, with nothing on the screen indicating a call was happening.

"Who is this?" She asked, trying to keep calm. Could be a hacker or something. Maybe something happened to the district building while she was gone?

"Well, I happen to be the leader of this little game. I've just come to tell you a few things."

"Leader?" Silvia jolted up, focusing her eyes on the watch.

"Yes, yes." The voice replied. "I've just come to personally congratulate you on making it this far. And a thank you on your service, of course."

"Yeah, whatever." Silvia said. "Don't think about it."

"In fact, I wish to discuss your role in the game going forward."

"Oh, do you?" Silvia replied, her eye twitching when she heard that. "Well, shove the discussions up your ass, I'm not doing it."

"Now, now, Silvia. Language. Besides, I can present more than enough incentive for you to continue."

"Oh, really? Enlighten me."

"Certainly. I know what you used the money for. Getting your little brother into school, hoping he'll change the entire Nova system. Very noble, really. But…things can happen."

"Cut the shit, Mr. Nova. Tell me what's happening." Silvia yelled.

"Well, things happen on level five. People sometimes learn things they weren't meant to learn, and have to be…erased, so to speak. And if you aren't around to help your brother, I fear the very same thing could happen to him."

"I'm sorry, what?" Silvia yelled. "That wasn't the deal! Leonie said I only had to last until the final ten!"

"Well, I have a higher authority than Leonie, so that should clear things up. If you feel like this is unfair, I'll bring it up at the next staff meeting."

"Well I…you can't! Just!" Silvia stopped talking.

"Accepted it, miss Silvia? Your goal is not only to sabotage, but to win. Do so, and I'll guarantee your brother's safety."

"How involved do I have to be?"

"I would imagine at least slightly."

"Fine. I'll do it."

"That's what I like to hear." The voice replied. "Well, best of luck."

The logo disappeared from the watch, and Silvia slumped back onto her chair, giving an exhausted yell as her head hit the cushion of the chair. The driver didn't respond.

The ride was silent until she was in front of the district building. She got out of the car and counted five extra cars. In front the gates were Cyrus, Odebode, Valentina, Amber, Micah, Yun-Yeong, and Eric, with five guards. Her and her guard stepped out, standing among the seven others.

"You guys have a good time?" She asked casually, waving to the others.

"Pretty good." Eric nodded when he turned back.

"What's with the missing guards?" Silvia asked calmly.

"Those would be ours." Amber replied quietly. "They got killed when someone tried assassinating us."

"Damn, that sucks." Silvia sighed. "Bet the guys were on your ass for that."

"Nah, they were cooler than I expected." Amber replied calmly.

"But anyway, shouldn't our hosts be here by now?" Micah asked, looking at his watch. "We've been here for like, ten minutes."

"I've been here for thirty." Cyrus replied, hands behind his back and staring face forward at the wall. "So by these estimations, Andrei and Wendy will be here in ten minutes, and then we can go in."

As Cyrus said, ten minutes later two more limousines joined the others, with Wendy and Andrei stepping out of each. Both of them joined the others alongside their guards.

"That everyone? I think that's everyone." Micah asked.

The metal door in front of them melted, revealing Leonie on the other side. She casually walked backwards towards them once they stepped in, reforming the metal door.

"Hello, everybody! Good days, good days? Hope so, because we need to kick things off with a bang!"

"Kick things off with a..." Micah started, before his eyes widened. "Lady, we just got here!"

"Wait, another game? Already!?" Eric yelled.

"Well, yeah!" Leonie replied calmly like it was obvious. "We dipped in ratings the last day, and we have sponsors to satisfy! Maybe if you weren't so boring when you weren't dying, we wouldn't have to do this!"

"Okay, so what is it?" Amber asked.

"Ooh, someone's ready!" Leonie replied, clapping her hands rapidly. "So basically, good ol Kalea had a few…things happen to her." Her voice trailed off as her sentence finished. "Not so sure what they are myself, but I do know she's stronger!" She yelled, her enthusiasm coming back as quickly as it left.

"So what do we have to do?" Andrei asked.

"All you have to do is subdue her!" Leonie replied cheerfully. "The goal is to get her to kill one of you, but if that fails then it'll be a vote, as per usual!"

She looked back towards the contestants, and her look changed to a glare.

"Remember, all you have to do is subdue her. If anyone kills or, or even scars her, I'll kill you myself. Got it?"

The look of genuine fury she had sent chills down to Micah's spine, leaving him unable to respond for a while.

"Y-yes, ma'am." He replied quickly.

"Okay!" She announced, happily bringing her hands together. "Well then, good luck! And remember, there are ten people you outlasted, so there's no shame in dying now!"

The doors opened without Leonie's interference, and the ten of them walked in. The doors closed once all of them were safely in the building, leaving them alone with just Kalea. Kalea was just looking down at the floor, not taking notice of any one of them.

"Hey…Kalea." Silvia said shaking. "We're…we're all back. So…are we getting things started?"

Kalea's head jerked forward, staring at the unmoving players.

"Is she gonna…do something?" Odebode asked through gritted teeth.

As he asked that, Kalea shot a beam out of her eye, barely passing by Odebode's head. As it passed by him, the beam turned around, and would have hit him were it not for Andrei blocking it with his greaves. The beam dissipated as it clashed with his greaves.

"Wait, were those her powers?" Odebode yelled, the panic rushing over him.

"No, her power was to lock onto things!" Yun-Yeong replied, just as panicked.

"So, she has new powers?" Eric asked. "Can you even do that?"

"Turning an enhancement into a projectile? Nothing like that has ever happened! Micah yelled back.

"Look, whatever it is, we need to defeat her!" Amber commanded. "So get ready, we're taking her on!"