Compromised

The crowd was electric, with thousands of subscribers tuning in to see the epic battle between Ryker and Duke. Tyler's commentary was in full swing, his voice booming through the room.

"Welcome, gamers! We've got a real showdown on our hands today! Ryker, the veteran gamer, taking on Duke, the newcomer with a penchant for beating impossible levels! Who will come out on top? Let's find out!"

Ryker and Duke faced off, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. The game was about to begin, and only one could emerge victorious.

"Alright, folks, let's get ready to rumble! The winner is who gets an even number!" Tyler shouted as the game began.

The room fell silent, the only sound heard was the intense music and the clicking of controllers. Ryker and Duke were fully focused, their skills on full display.

The first round was intense, with both players showcasing their skills. However, Duke's slow reflexes in tapping on his pad at the right time allowed Ryker to emerge victorious in the first round.

The second round began, and the tension was palpable. Duke was eager to catch up, but Ryker was on a roll. With his extensive experience with the character's powers, Ryker played flawlessly, his skills honed to perfection. In contrast, Duke relied solely on his character's agility, which wasn't enough to overcome Ryker's expertise.

When the scores were revealed, Ryker had won again. He jumped up from his seat, his arms raised in triumph, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"Last round!" Tyler announced. "If Ryker wins this round, it's boo-hoo for you—" Tyler paused, realizing he didn't know Duke's name. Tyler looked at Duke, waiting for him to fill in the blank.

"Duke," Duke finally mumbled, his eyes still very much glued to the screen.

"Right. And if you win this round, you'll have to go again."

Just then, Nadia burst into the room, her brow furrowed in concern. "Hey, what's going on here?" She gazed at the trio, especially at Duke and Ryker. A while ago, they were almost at each other's throats; now they were sitting together in an unlikely truce. Nadia wondered. Her gaze shifted to Tyler, whose phone was still pointed at her.

"And what's with the phone, Tyler? You are not making videos to post on social media, are you? You know that's not allowed in this house."

Tyler's nervous chuckle filled the air as he slowly pocketed his phone, abruptly ending the livestream. Nadia's skeptical gaze held onto him for a moment before she turned and walked away.

The interruption broke the tension between Ryker and Duke, and they exchanged a brief, awkward glance. Ryker placed the pad on the table as he stood up.

"I'll go check on her, see if she needs me," he muttered to no one in particular before exiting the room, leaving Duke and Tyler behind.

Duke let out a deep sigh, his eyes fixed on the screen where his character still lingered. He couldn't believe he didn't get a chance to beat Ryker. Tyler, trying to break the silence, spoke up. "Hey Duke, want to see something I've been working on?"

Duke raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Tyler's enthusiasm. "Alright, Tyler, you've got my attention. What do you have up your sleeve?"

Tyler reached for a backpack lying on the floor and pulled out a sleek, high-tech net. "Check it out, man! This is my latest creation—a state-of-the-art net designed to trap anyone who dares cross me." He proudly showcased the net's features. "It's got a retractable mechanism and an invisible coating. No one will see it coming!"

Duke's eyes widened with a mix of astonishment and curiosity. He got up from his chair and headed over to where Tyler held out the gadget. "Whoa, that's some next-level stuff, dude. How did you even come up with this idea?"

Tyler's face lit up with a smile. "I've been tinkering with it for a while now. I wanted to create something that would give me an edge in... certain situations." He hesitated, leaving the purpose of the net ambiguous.

"And you made this all possible, how?"

Tyler's face lit up again as he began to explain. "I used to be part of a… special team. We needed ways to apprehend people without hurting them on the floor. I've been obsessed with this design ever since. I refined it to my personal gadget. Because I thought, 'What if we had a net that could immobilize foes?' So, I put my skills to work, and voila!"

Duke nodded, thoroughly impressed. "That's seriously impressive, Tyler. But what about those boots you mentioned? You said they let you stay midair? How does that even work?"

Tyler chuckled, eager to share his latest invention. "Ah, the gravity-defying boots! These babies are a game-changer. They've got these built-in thrusters that create an anti-gravity field around me. So, I can float in midair for as long as I want, man. It's like having my own personal superhero power!"

Duke couldn't help but grin at Tyler's enthusiasm. "That's freaking awesome, dude. I don't know anyone that can do stuff like that."

"Well, you know a friend now."

"A friend?" Duke wondered. Not knowing how to react, he tensed up immediately. Moments like this were so uncommon in Duke's life. He wasn't even sure how to respond to that, but he liked how genuine that sounded.

As they continued their conversation, Duke was captivated by Tyler's background, motivations, and skills. Tyler opened up about his childhood, sharing stories of how he always had a knack for taking things apart and putting them back together. He spoke passionately about his desire to create unique and innovative devices that could make a difference in the world. Tyler didn't seem to mind that Duke had nothing to say about himself; Duke's intrigued expression was enough to keep him talking.

Just as Tyler was getting into the details of his latest project, Nadia suddenly rushed in alongside Ryker. "Our location has been breached!" she announced, her voice urgent and alarming. Duke and Tyler stood up immediately, their conversation forgotten in an instant.

"How's that possible? I thought this was supposed to be a safe house," Duke inquired.

"Well, if Tyler hadn't gone live, it would still be known as a safe location!" Nadia exclaimed, her voice laced with a hint of accusation.

Tyler's face fell, realizing his mistake. "Nadia, I... I didn't think it would compromise our position. I only had a few people streaming."

"How few?"

He stuttered, "Four thousand six hundred and five."

Nadia's eyes widened in shock, her face red with anger. She rushed towards Tyler, but Ryker quickly intervened, holding her back. "Nadia, no!"

Ryker's expression turned stern. "We need to move, now. We can't stay here any longer." He gestured towards the exit, but just as they made their way towards it, they caught sight of vehicles parking at the entrance, blocking their way of escape.

The group exchanged worried glances, trapped and cornered. The sound of footsteps and murmurs grew louder outside, and they knew they had to act fast if they wanted to get out alive.