Cyber Mortality

Chapter 1:

"May! Help me with this last box!" my mother calls from inside our new condo. I sigh and grudgingly join her. Couldn't I just stay hidden in this dark room?

"I hope it doesn't take as long to unpack as it did to move all of this stuff," I grumble and lift one side of the box while she grabs the other. "Are you sure you can do all this lifting?"

"I'll be fine. I know you are excited to go out and make new friends," Mom winks, knowing full well I have no such intention. "But I need your help here for just a bit longer. I'm sure it'll be quick with the two of us." 

"I don't really have any reason to go out. I just don't like being cooped up inside," I shrug and set the last box down in the living room. "and it should be three of us." 

"Well, I heard there is a wonderful library with all the latest technology," Mom grins before wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.

"When will dad be joining us?"

"He needs to finish up a few things at his old job before he can move here. Don't worry you and I will find plenty of ways to amuse ourselves without him," she cuts open a box and places its contents in their new home. Mom places the photos from our trip to northern Michigan when I was seven on the mantle. "Go explore, Maylea. I don't need you brooding all afternoon."

"Fine," I sigh and sweep my dirty blonde hair into a ponytail. "I'll stop bothering you."

"Maybe the library will have some of that new Cyber-Tech there," she suggests with a soft smile crinkling her face. "You could maybe try it out."

"Mom, you know I have no interest in that mind-numbing stuff," I roll my eyes.

"All the kids your age are doing it," she shrugs playfully and places more photos on the mantle.

"I'm not a kid, Mom. I'm eighteen. I don't understand what people could like about sticking your brain into some machine anyways,"

"I guess you will never know if you don't try it," she hums. 

 Reaching the library, the first thing I see is a large poster dedicated to Cyber Mortality. Armor clad warriors with weapons and bright flashy lights stand out with the logo for the game.

"Great," I mutter. "Of course it would reach here too." I purse my lips and barge up the steps toward the library. As I turn the corner, my foot catches on a loose stone and I topple forward. I close my eyes to brace for impact when two strong arms stop my fall. My nose squishes into the soft leather of a jacket. 

"Whoa! Are you alright?" a guy with emerald green eyes and dark brown hair gazes down at me in concern.

I blink up at him in confusion before shoving myself away from his jacket.

"I'm fine," I snarl and cross my arms. 

The young man smirks while shoving his hands into his front pockets. 

"Bro! You running girls over again?" another guy, this one with fluffy blond hair and blue eyes, pats the guy who I ran into on the shoulder. "The name is Nyle." He holds out his other hand to me and I shake it briefly. "And this hulking piece of meat is my brother, Flint."

"Sup," Flint's green eyes narrow as he takes me in.

"Maylea," I wave nervously and can't help but glance down at my sneakers. 

"So where are you from? I've never seen you before," Nyle inquires while taking a step closer. 

"I'm from New York," I shrug. "My family just moved here."

"Wow," Nyle grins. "The big city."

"Yup," I nod awkwardly and look anywhere but at them. Several people bustle past to get into the library.

"Well if you want someone to show you around our humble town, let me know," Nyle winks before running a hand through his blonde hair. "Want my number?"

"Shouldn't you be asking for my number?" I raise an eyebrow and feel confidence grow in me.

"Hey, if that is the way you want to do it. Can I have your number, Maylea?" Nyle wiggles his eyebrows and I sigh. I hold out my wrist and he grasps it gently. "Whoa, this is like the oldest model in the existence of this watch." He gazes at my watch which is only a simple round-edged square with amazement. 

"I'm not really one for new technology," I shrug.

"Not even Cyber-Tech?" he inquires and taps his much newer watch to my own. A light flashes across its smooth two-inch wide surface before receding. 

"Yeah, no," I reply and the second he is done I pull my hand away. His name, Nyle East, flashes across my watch for a moment before it goes dark. 

"Well, if you ever change your mind let us know," Nyle grins. "My brother and I have an extra set if you wanted to try it. You don't have to play Cyber Mortality, but it is a really neat game. I love exploring the different-"

"I don't really think she cares," Flint suddenly butts in with his arms crossed over his chest.

I raise an eyebrow.

"And how would you know what I care about?" I raise my chin a bit higher and gaze into his green eyes.

"You looked bored, so I figured I would spare you Nyle's long explanation of why he likes CM," he shrugs nonchalantly. 

"And why do you like 'CM'?" I direct my question toward Flint. 

"I like fighting,"

"Yeah, he's one of the top-ranked players!" Nyle exclaims excitedly. "I'm not far behind just so you know. We have a team of three with our friend, Jezebel."

"How did you all meet?"

"Well Flint and I are brothers," Nyle blinks. "And Jez we met online. Then we found out she lives here too. There's a big tournament, the Tournament of Champions, coming up in a few weeks, and you need a certain number of power crystals to enter. So far our team needs another two hundred crystals and a fourth member."

"What's the point of entering a competition that isn't even real?"

"Well, there is a cash prize at the end. That's real. One-hundred thousand dollars to the winning team," Nyle smirks.

One-hundred thousand dollars? That's even enough for... I brush the thought away.

"I'm in," I reply coolly and grit my teeth. If this was what I had to do to get the money, then I would do it. Nothing would stop me from helping my mother. 

"In what?" Nyle glances between myself and Flint.

"Your team," I sigh. "I want in."

"Wait, but I thought you didn't like Cyber-Tech? Now I'm confused," Nyle scratches his head.

"When do we start?" I question Flint. He is obviously the one with the answers, whereas Nyle is the nice one. 

"Uh," Nyle sputters and Flint rolls his eyes.

"Who says we want you on our team?" Flint scowls. He uncrosses his arms and clenches his fists at his side. 

"Well, how will you know if you don't let me try?" I retort with a smirk crossing my lips.

"Fine,"

"Fine!"