Meeting a gamer

'How long has it been that I have been in a place like this?' (Y/N) thought to herself as she soaked up the environment where mechanical sounds could be heard, whoops of joy and shouts of disappointment. The banging of gun games, music from dance games and so on...

(Y/N) was in an arcade, trying out a few games for pleasure with the money she had now from Lyla. Lyla left her on her own as she disliked arcades and she will be back in an hour, and 'have fun.'

(Y/N) there was left to do what she had always had a passion for, as fun entertainment: gaming. She played plenty of games and scored high. She preferred Mario Kart and it was her luck that she snagged plenty free credits in one of the machines that she played about 10 games without even needing to pay. The luck of the devil in arcades was still in her, and the reason why she chose to hang out here.

There was one game that caught her eye and still had one game in it for free. It was a shooter's game called 'Gun's UP' and holding the plastic gun to face the screen, she pulled the trigger for start. She did surprisingly well... extremely well that she beaten someone's high score ranking first.

Around then, she had amassed a lot of gawkers who fell a hushed silence when she scored the top.

"He won't be happy about this," said one person.

"Yes, pray her soul that he never finds out," said another.

He? Who's 'he'?

(Y/N) didn't have enough time to contemplate before she was pulled away from the game into a boy's grasp. He was slightly shorter than her, with dirty blonde hair, orange fiery eyes that were wide from lack of sleep and a gauntness/ paleness probably from lack of sunlight. But that didn't make him any less menacing as he was staring bullets at the girl.

"So, you presumed to beat me?" The boy asked quietly. (Y/N) looked at everybody and expected to see any sort of resistance or security from the arcade at the boy's aggressive behavior toward her but there was none. She was going to complain about management about this.

"I did, and you can't escape results," (Y/N) said calmly to this angry boy, "And who are you, anyway?"

There was an intake of breath from the crowd as one, and the boy's scowl darkened deeper at the girl's cluelessness.

"You are probably new here, so I'll forgive that slight but people here, they call me 'Annihilator' because I never lose, so you better know your place."

"Yes, I do. It's above yours, because I beat you and gave you your first loss. So, deal with it," (Y/N) said, pushing the hammer of reality hard on the boy. She was not one single bit afraid of him, and it was time the pipsqueak knew his place.

"You really want a fight? Fine. How 'bout a PvP of this game. All bets in. The loser must be in command of the winner," the boy said.

"Deal," (Y/N) said. If she could beat his score, she could totally beat him now. The boy smiled inwardly, sure that the girl was going to know one thing: In games, no one messed with him. No one.

The crowd was shifting uncomfortably against one another as both gamers prepared a never before seen duel with the same game that the newbie had miraculously beaten the Annihilator. Some people felt sympathy for (Y/N) to be challenged to so ruthless a gamer, while others were excited to see the outcome and hopefully see the Annihilator, their gaming king these past few years, truly taken down a few notches.

the screen beeped, and both gamers were trying to outdo one another as it was a battle to the death, well to the Annihilator, because he was as mad as hell but for (Y/N), she was simply laughing and having fun.

The crowd was hooting and hollering, eager to see the outcome and winner. It was immediately close, to the dismay of both, because they thought they could slam dunk one another.

For the Annihilator, he was peeved that he couldn't defeat the girl the way he wanted to, while (Y/N) finally decided to acknowledge that this boy was an incredibly great gamer.

It was the seconds counting down and everyone expected it to be mostly a tie, to the slight disappointment to the crowd, because ties were mostly boring.

Then, something unexpected happened.

The players both met each other at the last scene when so far they have just been battling random enemies.

'I knew that when there's a duel, an actual one on one may happen instead of one up-ing the other, but at the last second?' (Y/N) furiously thought, mercilessly attacking and defending on one another.

0.05

The Annihilator shot a grenade.

0.04

(Y/N) exploded it near vicinity of the Annihilator with her bullets.

0.03

There was smoke coming out and the rat-a-tat-tat sound.

0.02

(Y/N) dodges all the bullets and tossed a grenade at the general direction she thought the Annihilator was.

0.01

BOOM!

0.00

Game over! Player 1 wins!

Player 1: (Y/N). So, the bomb had reached it's target after all?

Everyone was staring, staring at the words but it was completely undeniable. Everyone cheered and whooping, even one shouting, "The dictator's rule is OVER! Haha!"

The Annihilator was furious and he grabbed the cuff of (Y/N)'s shirt, "You cheated! YOU CHEATED!!!"

(Y/N) shoved him away, "I did not. I have the devil's luck, Adolf Hitler. Your reign is over. I promise peace and fun gaming!" (Y/N) shouted to the masses that were double cheering.

The Annihilator's jaw clenced, "Luck? Ha! Don't make me laugh, and how do I look like Adolf Hitler?"

"The way you act, because the whole place seems like under your rule because you are number one, right? Not now! Ha!" (Y/N) whooped. It felt good to hit brutal reality on the boy, but in the end, it was all fun and games, so maybe (Y/N) should tone it down.

The boy's jaw was grinding now, "I'll get back at you, if it's the last thing that I do..." He was looking at the (e/c) unyielding eyes that glittered in amusement at him, mocking him. But he will get her... because NO ONE defies him. He will teach her a lesson...

"OK, I like to see you try," (Y/N) now said in good humored, "So, what's your name, 'coz I would like to know the sore loser of a Hitler." Dang her motor mouth. There was showing reality and plain insulting.

The Annihilator didn't wince, but he was boiling in rage with her taunts. Getting cocky, huh?

"Dan Hudson, and what is your name? I would like to know the name of the person who beat me so I can return the favor," Dan said.

The girl made a face, "I think I will stick with Hitler. Suits you better. A strategic ruthless person like you... my name is (Y/N) (L/N) and don't you forget it..."

"Never," Dan said, still seething inside.

(Y/N) regarded the boy in front of her, and thought of her behavior towards him, which although fun was a bit unsportsmanlike. So, (Y/N) offered her hand as a good gesture of faith.

"Look, Hitler, no one's invincible. So take the beating like a man, but you are undoubtedly a good gamer. Hope to be challenged by you soon, and hopefully with a better attitude," (Y/N) said.

Dan regarded her warily. Although not a complete 180, the girl turned from mean to nice in just one hand offering. He gauged the girl wanting to find a motive, but saw in her (e/c) eyes that she was just having fun and meant nothing with the smack. Just being a good person.

Dan begrudgingly shook her hand, and a strange tingle erupted all over his body.

"My carpool," (Y/N) said when she saw Lyla at the entrance, "Thanks for the good game."

"Hey, how about our bet?" Dan hollered out.

"What bet?" (Y/N) tilted her head.

"Winner commands loser," Dan, although many things, was very loyal towards bets and results of it. He won't shy out of his deal like a coward.

"Who cares," (Y/N) shrugged.

"Who cares?!" Dan shouted. Many people, because (Y/N) was right that he led a dictatorship at the arcade, would love the opportunity to control him, but not her?

"Yeah, 'coz I, unlike you, am not a dictator, and I, unlike you, don't care to control others. I just had a fun time playing, alright? That's what it truly is about," (Y/N) said, and waved her bye before heading off to Lyla.

Dan was stunned, to be beaten, to be treated as an equal when the rest had already grovelled by his amazing gaming skills, and her sincere caring attitude.

"You will never escape me..." Dan whispered, surprised to hear those words come out of his mouth and even more surprised still that they were true.

Who knew one girl could change his life?