"Gus, Gus, where you at?"
Day two in the game!
Zoey Parker, as Leo, stood in the prison's windbreak area, scanning the yard.
A random inmate, Benny, tipped her off that someone was looking for her—over there.
There?
Zoey squinted in the direction Benny pointed, confused.
"No clue, but I see a crowd by the basketball court. Meet me there," Gus Harper's voice crackled through the voice chat.
"Cool, got it!" Zoey replied, heading toward the court without a second thought.
As she descended the stairs and looked up, she spotted Gus's Vincent lurking by the court's back door, eyeing the prisoners.
So we're on opposite sides of the court. No wonder I didn't see him.
"Yo! Over here!" Zoey called, stepping onto the basketball court to link up with Gus.
But—bam!
Two prisoners at the main gate grabbed her arms, pinning her down!
"What the hell?!" Zoey yelped, trying to break free.
Two fists against four hands? No chance. She could only watch as a bearded bald guy swaggered toward her.
Boom!
The bald dude landed a gut-punch on Leo, doubling her over.
"What's your deal?!" Leo roared, struggling against the grip.
Yesterday, this bald jerk had warned Leo that Harvey had it out for him.
Now, this setup was clearly Harvey's doing!
"Not my call," the bald guy sneered. "Ask Harvey what he wants."
"Screw you!" Leo spat. "That creep's probably laughing his ass off outside!"
"Oh, he's thrilled," the bald guy said, hands spread. "Paid me a fat stack to take you out. And, lucky me, I've been sick of your face for a while. Win-win."
With that—
Wham!
A fist slammed into Zoey's face!
Blood sprayed, her nose went numb, half her face tingling as she hit the dirt.
She glared at the back door, rage boiling.
There was Gus, chilling among the gawking prisoners, peeking in like it was a show!
You sneaky bastard!
Zoey was livid. Should've known you were up to no good!
This jerk knew the basketball court would trigger a beatdown and sent her right into it!
He wasn't meeting her—he just wanted to watch her get wrecked!
"You…!" Zoey hissed, biting back a curse. This was GDC, a global stage, cameras everywhere. She gritted her teeth: "Gus! You're such a sneaky genius!"
The livestream chat exploded:
"Haha, nice one, Zoey!"
"She's keeping it classy, but that was savage."
"Genius (jerk), sneaky (total jerk)!"
"Pro translator vibes!"
"Zoey's got a filter on, but she's roasting him."
"Knew Gus was gonna pull something! Lured her into a trap!"
"Spit my drink out, this is gold!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fists and kicks flew. Zoey's Leo was held tight, eating punches left and kicks right.
The somatosensory cabin dulled the pain, but getting pounded into the ground had her fuming.
Then—
"Hey, yo!" a shout rang out.
Gus's Vincent got shoved onto the court by the jeering crowd, like it was a cage match!
The prisoners knew the bald guy was bad news, and Vincent, the new guy, was fair game for hazing.
Awkward silence.
"I… was just watching," Gus said, giving a sheepish grin and pointing behind him. "Just passing through…"
"Got backup, huh?" the bald guy snarled, waving at the goons holding Zoey. "Take 'em both!"
Whoosh!
One goon let Zoey go and charged Gus.
"Hey, I'm just passing!" Gus protested, backpedaling.
But the goon swung wild, fists flying.
Boom! Bang!
Flesh met fist. Gus grabbed the bloodied goon, slammed him down, and raised a fist: "Told you, I'm just passing."
Meanwhile—
"Don't hit me! I said don't hit me!" Zoey shouted, seizing her chance.
With one goon off her, she rolled, sprang up, and, with the cabin's motion assist, elbowed the other goon out cold.
Then she squared up with the bald guy.
Punch for punch, kick for kick!
Zoey dodged, weaving fast, landing a brutal hook to the bald guy's face, blood spraying.
But this prison bully wasn't soft.
"Argh!" he roared, smashing Zoey's nose, dropping her. He lunged, aiming a kick at her head.
Swish!
Gus yanked Zoey's collar, dragging her from the kick, and threw an uppercut to the bald guy's jaw.
"Screw you!"
BANG!
With that punch, Gus and Zoey swapped foes.
The court erupted in chaos—fists, kicks, blood flying!
Real-time camera shifts hyped the crowd, the raw combat thrilling the livestream.
"The OTP's got hands!"
"Zoey's a beast! Smashing that bald dude!"
"Gus is holding it down, one versus two!"
"Damn, this kid's got moves!"
"These camera angles are fire!"
"Movie-level visuals!"
"This game's a double win—play it, watch it, swap roles and replay!"
"For players, it's an action-crime RPG; for viewers, it's a blockbuster!"
"This is next-level!"
"Solves the 'buy but don't play' problem—cloud-watch it!"
"A Way Out: Don't call me out like that!"
"Haha, sorry, I can't handle Outlast's jumpscares—cloud's my limit!"
Bang!
Heavy breathing. Gus and Zoey stood back-to-back, fists up, faces scarred.
The bald guy's crew? Wrecked. Four or five goons groaned on the ground.
Then—
Beep!
Prison guards' whistles blared!
A squad with batons stormed in, beating everyone down—fifty lashes each!
Zoey thought it was over.
Nope.
Lunchtime. The bald guy, still hungry for trouble, ambushed her with a knife!
Gus swooped in, knocking the blade away, saving her.
But Harvey's bounty was too sweet.
The bald guy, eyes wild, stormed the kitchen with a cleaver, aiming for Leo. He even shanked a guard trying to stop him.
This was 1972 Michigan State Prison.
The bald guy's fate? A brutal beatdown—fists, kicks, batons, maybe worse.
In the infirmary, Leo, propped on a white bed, leaned toward Vincent. "Yo, thanks. I'm Leo."
"Vincent," Gus nodded. "What's your beef with that guy?"
"Long story. He's out now," Leo said, cagey, glancing around. No one else. He whispered, "Can you do me a favor?"
"For what?" Vincent asked, eyeing him.
"Need… something." Leo nodded toward the office area. A worker's chisel sat on a table.
"Just keep watch, cool?" Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Nah," Vincent said, glancing at the chisel. "Not my thing."
"Fine, I'll do it myself." Leo slid off the bed, heading for the chisel.
"Hey! You'll land us in solitary!" Vincent hissed.
"No choice," Leo shot back, moving.
"Alright, alright!" Vincent caved.
Ding!
Gus hit the call bell. A nurse approached the ward.
"Oh crap, I'm not ready!" Zoey yelped, diving behind the door just as the nurse entered.
So close!
The nurse passed inches from Zoey, separated by the door.
Everyone's hearts raced.
"Ahem, I'm… hungry," Gus said, signaling Zoey while chatting up the nurse.
Zoey slipped out, staying in the nurse's blind spot, crouching down the corridor.
At the end, a guard was buying water from a vending machine.
"Gus, I gotta wait for this guard to leave. Stall longer," Zoey whispered, tense.
This was it—jailbreak!
Caught? Solitary at best, doubled sentence at worst.
Her palms sweated.
The nurse, done telling Gus food was hours away, turned to leave.
If she stepped out, she'd spot Zoey!
The livestream audience held their breath.
"Hey!" Gus called. "I'm thirsty. Got water?"
"Hurry, I can't stall forever," he muttered in the chat.
"Almost there!" Zoey hissed, peeking out. The guard was gone.
Whoosh!
Like a cat, Zoey darted to the office, but—
Holy crap!
A guard sat at the desk, writing.
Zoey shrank back just in time, heart pounding.
"Gus, you're such a sneaky genius…" she growled, teeth clenched.
If she hadn't reacted fast, she'd be toast!
The crowd cheered, fists clenched.
Livestream chat gasped:
"Whoa, that was intense!"
"Zoey's reflexes are insane—half a second!"
"This security's brutal."
"My hands are sweaty!"
"How's she getting past now?"
Zoey was stuck. The guard faced the corridor—one step, and she's caught.
"Gus, I'm pinned. Got a plan?" she whispered.
"Yup," Gus said. "Say something nice."
"You…!" Zoey's face flushed.
This was GDC! Global devs, cameras, millions watching!
Not their living room!
"You, uh…" Zoey stammered.
"Didn't hear you," Gus teased, smirking.
You jerk!
Zoey grit her teeth, squeezing out, "You're so damn cool, okay? A sneaky genius, a total rockstar. I'm obsessed, alright?!"
Chat lost it:
"Haha, Gus is savage!"
"Zoey's roasting him through gritted teeth!"
"Translator, where you at?"
"All I got is asterisks!"
"Kinda sweet, though?"
"Gus: I'll face the music at home, but I'm milking this!"
"Say something nice (lol)!"
"Give me that mic!"
"Prison break vibes!"
"This is forced co-op done right—call your buddy to clown around!"
"Gus is showing the game's soul!"
Clink!
Gus, taking water from the nurse, propped up and tapped the glass partition behind him.
Boom!
The guard, startled from his diary, spun around, cursing Gus.
Now!
Zoey bolted, a shadow grabbing the chisel—
"Hide! Guard's coming!" Gus warned.
Zoey dove under the table, heart racing.
Step… step…
The guard's legs approached.
Zoey's pulse spiked.
The guard stopped, flipping through desk papers.
Go, go, go… Zoey prayed.
The crowd held its breath.
"Found it!" the guard said, grabbing a magazine.
Zoey exhaled—
Thud!
The magazine dropped at her feet!
Oh no!
If the guard bent down, she's done!
Zoey's mind blanked.
Time slowed.
The guard's legs bent, hand reaching—
"Call 2045!"
An intercom crackled.
The guard straightened, grabbing the magazine, answering the call, and rushing off.
Zoey collapsed, soul leaving her body.
Blood pressure maxed!
The crowd erupted like it was a World Cup goal!
Chat exploded:
"OHHHH!"
"INSANE!"
"My heart stopped!"
"This is too much!"
"PT, Outlast, now this? WindyPeak's killing me!"
"Lights out in PT, locker drag in Outlast, now this book drop—WindyPeak's top three heart-attack moments!"
"I'm done!"
"That half-second save! Late intercom, and she's busted!"
"When's this game dropping? I need it now!"
"This'll blow up on streams!"
"Players eat, viewers feast. Gus is a mastermind!"
"Say something nice!"
"Gus, you sneaky genius! Total legend, love you tons!"
Haha!
Peak tension!
A simple book drop spiked everyone's blood pressure!
Zoey's legs wobbled.
The return was smoother. With the nurse gone, Zoey slipped back to bed, exhaling.
Survived…
Guards took them away, bruised and battered.
Leo stashed the chisel on a windowsill.
The sky was gray, storm clouds brewing.
Leo sat on a worn bench in the yard, picking at leaves, deep in thought.
Vincent joined, sitting nearby. "So… what's your plan?"
"What?" Leo played dumb. "No clue what you mean."
"I know what you're up to," Vincent said, eyes sharp.
They locked gazes.
Leo stood. "Appreciate the save, but this ain't your business."
He turned to leave.
Vincent rose. "You've got a reason to bust out. So do I."
"So?" Leo backed off, hands spread. "Not my problem."
"Just trying to help."
"Guess what? I don't need it. I got this."
"Like in the infirmary? 'Got it' like that?"
Tension flared.
Vincent softened. "We need to team up."
Leo stayed quiet, then shook his head. "I got this."
He walked off.
Vincent called, "What about Harvey?"
Leo froze, then spun, grabbing Vincent's neck, slamming him against the barbed wire. "What'd you say? Who told you about Harvey? What's your game?!"
"No wall's airtight," Vincent said calmly, eyes flashing hate. "Harvey took someone I loved. Like you, I want him gone."
"You can sit it out," Vincent added. "But I'm finding him. And ending him."
That night, Leo paced his cell, restless.
Finally, he stopped at the wall.
Knock, knock, knock.
Vincent, leaning against it, hummed. "Yeah?"
"I'm running this. You follow my lead, got it?" Leo whispered.
"Fair," Vincent said. "Your call."
"I'm serious," Leo growled. "Screw up, and I'll take you out."
"Deal," Vincent replied. "What's the plan?"
The camera pulled back.
Their figures shrank, dwarfed by iron bars and electric fences—a fortress locking them in.
Leo's voice echoed: "You'll see…"
[A Way Out]
[To be continued]
The title flashed on the screen.
Applause roared, whistles and screams nearly lifting the roof!
Thrilling! Gripping! Mind-blowing!
Cinematic storytelling, slick levels, and hardcore co-op gameplay!
A half-hour demo delivered shock after shock.
From gasps to screams to pure awe, A Way Out was GDC's biggest surprise—a dark horse!
With two days left, media already crowned WindyPeak the winner of the "Most Anticipated Game Award"—a first for an Asian studio!
The global gaming scene buzzed.
Fans went wild!
That book-drop moment, with everyone holding their breath, sealed A Way Out's success.
WindyPeak showed the world what Asia's new-gen studios could do, ringing a wake-up call for global devs.
The hype was electric!
Livestream chat went chaotic:
"No way it ends there! Come on!"
"One more go, please! I'm itching, ants all over!"
"Gus, your game's got issues. Send me the full version to check, I'll write a report!"
"I wanna go to jail, I wanna go to jail…"
"Short demo? Show these devs we're legit! Ten more scenes!"
"Mind blown…"
"Threats, adrenaline, abacus beads to the face—pure chaos!"
"Day one, still trapped…"
Chat hyped WindyPeak's GDC domination, peaking at the closing ceremony two days later.