The red smoke of the airdrop billowed into the sky like a signal fire. Michael approached the area with caution, maintaining his deceptive "bot" pace. He could hear the crackle of gunfire in the distance, but his focus was on a sniper hiding in the attic of a nearby house.
Just as Michael was about to flank the building, he saw another player sprinting toward the same cover. The player was pinned down, suppressed by heavy fire from a squad near the drop. Michael raised his M416, ready to eliminate this new target, but then he saw the nameplate hovering briefly over the player's head: [Legend_John].
Michael's finger froze on the trigger. John? His old duo partner from the professional circuit? The man who had shared a thousand victories with him was now just meters away, unaware that his former teammate was the "bot" staring him down.
John was in trouble. Two players were closing in on his position with grenades ready. Without thinking, Michael broke his rhythmic walk and sprinted with human-like agility. He leaped over a stone wall and opened fire, a laser-accurate spray that dropped both attackers before they could pull their pins.
John scrambled behind a tree, gasping for air, his gun pointed directly at Michael. "What the...?" John stammered into his mic, his voice filled with confusion. "A bot just saved me? And he's wearing a Level 3 helmet?"
Michael stood still, his M416 lowered. He wanted to scream John's name, to tell him he was alive, but only a low, digital hum vibrated in his throat. He looked at John, and for a split second, the "bot" eyes showed a flicker of human recognition.
"John..." Michael thought, "You have no idea how glad I am to see a friendly face, even if you're the one holding the gun."
The sound of a heavy sniper shot echoed from the hills, hitting the tree right above John's head. The real fight was just beginning, and for the first time, the bot and the pro were standing side by side.