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After logging back into Gambit, I brought up the menu for training mode and explored the new interface. I scrolled through the options for enemies, most of them appearing as a shadowy blur.
The only enemies I could select were those I had already faced.
I selected the zombie meerkat king.
An empty desert landscape opened around me, flat sands extending in all directions. At least it wasn’t a drained swimming pool.
The zombie meerkat king materialised ahead.
Pausing for a moment, I ran through the training options, switched on the hit bars, and opted to attack the zombie meerkat king.
Returning to the game, several hit bars appeared superimposed over its shoulders, arms, legs, chest, stomach, neck, head, and tail, with an overall energy bar hovering above its head in red.
I loaded my rifle and aimed at its right arm. I let out three shots. The two shots that hit brought the hit bar down by a third, though the main energy bar remained almost full.
I took aim at the legs. Each hit made a higher impact on the overall energy. That was good to know.
Shots to the stomach and chest did little to the total damage, I presumed this was because it was the easiest part of the body to hit...logic and anatomy be damned. Though, I wasn’t exactly sure how much zombies needed vital organs. After all, they were already dead, weren’t they?
Its head jerked from side to side, making it difficult to aim. A shot between the eyes would do the most damage, but as much as I tried, I could not score the hit.
Socko spawned next to me and stared up at the zombie meerkat king. “What you doing, bro? Training alone?”
I turned off the simulation and returned to the forum. “I need to work on my sniping. Thought I’d see which parts of the body were best to hit.”
“Training doesn’t help build your stats any longer.”
“I know. I can still build up my skills, though. I think I kidded myself I’d improved.”
Socko shook his head. “Still a lone wolf?”
“It’s not like that at all. I was doing it for the team.”
FragQueen logged in and looked between us. “You two are fighting again, are you?”
I waved my hand and forced a laugh. “No.”
“Neuro was training, bro.” Socko folded his arms and glared at me. “By himself.”
FragQueen shook her head. “Oh.”
Harley spawned next to me. “Hey.”
“Socko and Neuro were fighting again,” FragQueen said, curling up onto the sofa.
“Not again.” Harley rolled her eyes. “You two need to sort this out.”
“Don’t blame me, bro. Neuro thinks he’s still a freaking lone wolf.”
I let out a long sigh. “I was trying to work out the best way to take out the meerkat zombie thingy.”
“And?”
I frowned at Harley. “And, what?”
“What did you learn, fool?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I couldn’t say.”
“Couldn’t, or won’t?” Socko narrowed his eyes at me.
I raised my hands. “No. Not like that.”
“This isn’t helping,” FragQueen said. “Don’t make me sing Baby Shark again. Because I will.”
“What should we do, then?”
She examined her claws. “Go back into monster-hunter mode and work on some team strategy.”
“I hate it,” I said. “It’s too hard.”
“Bro, this is supposed to be a challenge. If you want to be like R2, find yourself another team.”
“Fine.”
FragQueen clapped her hands. “This is going to be fun.”
“Yeah, right.”
She tilted her head and smiled. “Ba-by Shar—”
“No!”
––––––––
We returned to the first level of monster-hunter mode. The desert landscape spread out before us. Giant cacti stood against the red rocks, casting elongated shadows across the sand as tumbleweed cartwheeled by.
I pulled up my head and loaded my rifle. “When we see the meerkat king, aim for the head and limbs. Hits to the chest and stomach don’t do much damage.”
“I think I can see the zombie meerkat king in the distance to the north,” FragQueen said.
I scanned the horizon with my sight, but couldn’t see the zombie meerkat king. “I can’t see it.”
“Maybe it’s one of the smaller ones, bro. It’s called perspective.”
“I can tell the difference between something small and something far away.”
FragQueen and Harley fanned out ahead of me.
“Says you. You’re the one who’s convinced yourself that you’re really tall because every time you look down—”
“Drop it FragQueen,” Socko said. “I’m getting tired of your asinine crap. Remember what happened last time. We need to be ready.”
I swept the road behind us. “Still seeing no signs of it.”
“Maybe it went underground,” FragQueen said. “They’re meerkats, after all.”
“Frag’s right,” Harley said. “You and I should go after the smaller ones. I’ll bait them to your mines while Socko and Neuro can cover us.”
“I’ll smash the heads in any stragglers,” Socko said. “Neuro, you need to get somewhere high up and keep an eye out for the king. Try to get a good headshot.”
“I’ll need you to have my back as well,” Harley said.
“I can’t focus on two things at once.” I put my rifle away and ran towards a pile of towering boulders. “The only way we win is when we take out the king. I’ll focus on that. You just keep me safe.”
“You just want to take all the glory.”
“I know, right?” FragQueen let out a sigh. “We’re trying to work as a team and Neuro’s off on his own again thinking he’s Nicolas Cage.”
“Which one?” Socko asked.
“Which what?”
“Which Nicolas Cage?”
“There’s only one Nicolas Cage.”
“No, bro. There’s at least three.”
“Alright. Con Air.”
“Yeah, bro. That makes sense.”
I laughed. “Never seen it.”
“That movie’s freaking awesome. There’s this plane and some prisoners hijack it.”
“Right.”
“How about Raising Arizona?” Harley asked.
“That movie sucked,” Socko said. “If nothing blows up, it’s arthouse crap. That’s how you can tell. That, and boobs.”
I scaled the pile of boulders and took in the landscape. I squinted at the movement heading towards us. “The meerkats are coming.”
FragQueen laid mines at regular intervals along an abandoned town that looked like something from a low-budget Western.
Harley charged towards the meerkat zombies and doubled-back, luring them towards the mines.
Socko waited behind the first row of mines, readied with his power mace.
The meerkats funnelled between the buildings.
When the first explosion came, Socko charged forward, swinging his power mace while Harley let off some shots with her pistol.
The zombie meerkat king emerged from underground, lumbering down the street towards us. “Here we go,” I squinted down my sight and took aim, following the rhythm of the king’s shambling movements, his head turning this way and that in erratic shifts.
I pulled the trigger.
Chunks of flesh flew off the king’s shoulder. I was aiming for the head, but a hit’s a hit.
I reloaded.
The king shuffled towards FragQueen and Harley.
I pulled the trigger.
The bullet sent up a cloud of dust several paces behind the king. “Damn it.”
“Missed again, bro?”
“Yes.”
I reloaded. “Frag, can you get some of your grenades this way.”
“I’m on it.”
“Socko, can you keep the rest of the smaller ones at bay?”
“Sure, bro.” Socko rolled to his left and brought his mace down on a meerkat. “Welcome to Earth.”
FragQueen threw a grenade at the king’s feet.
The explosion sent the creature off its feet.
“Yay! I got a critical hit.”
“Good work, Frag.” I took aim and let off a shot. A hole opened on the side of the king’s face. “Boom!”
“Good shot, bro. Keep the pressure on.”
FragQueen tossed another grenade at the king.
When the smoke cleared, the king reared on its hind legs and shrieked. It turned red. It moved faster, more erratic.
I let off another shot.
The bullet missed.
“Damn it.”
The king turned its attention to me and charged towards my position.
I reloaded and took aim.
The king scrambled up the pile of boulders, closing in.
I pulled the trigger.
The king’s right arm tore from its shoulder and spun to the ground. The rest of him followed.
Rolling to his feet, the king lunged towards Harley, tearing off her head. He leapt towards FragQueen and slashed across her stomach.
Harley’s head rested on the ground, its eyes locked on FragQueen’s glistening innards—the designers had certainly turned up the gore.
“Screw this, bro. I’m going in.” Socko ran at the king, his mace swinging wildly as he pounced and smashed shoulder-first into the king’s hind legs.
The king crumpled.
I let out another shot. “Aim between the eyes. That’s the weak point.”
He jumped up and shattered the king’s skull.
It dropped to the ground and faded.
“Boom! You did it.”
“No, bro. We did it. We kicked that freaking meerkat’s ass.”
A treasure chest appeared before Socko. He opened it up and received a sledgehammer and Viking helmet. “Awesome.”
“I knew we could do it.”
“Yeah, bro. How are your stats?”
I checked my HUD. “My perception’s up a point. Team level looks the same though.”
“Awesome. My strength’s up. Good work, bro.”