The industrial area was alive as always, smokestack choking the sky with gray plumes. On the edge of the district stood the hospital, its white walls bearing the red cross symbol.
In an office on the second floor, Freddy sat opposite a bespectacled doctor who was quietly flipping through medical reports.
"There is some progress" he said after sometime "the severed nerves are showing slight movement towards each other"
Freddy exhaled in relief.
"However, if you rely on this slow healing alone, your brother might never walk" the doctor spoke much to Freddy's expectation.
"The surgery I suggested has to be performed, and only specialized hospital in the urban region or major alliances possess the equipment and personnels for it"
"I know doc" Freddy replied "I'm still saving up for it, but it'll still take sometime."
The doctor nodded, scribbling a note. Then he added almost casually, "In the meantime, try to get him that new game launching today."
"Arcadia Online?" Freddy raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. From early data, people with disabilities experience restored functions inside. It may stimulate his brain to remember it has a legs somewhere."
Freddy hesitated, then stood, shaking the doctor's hand. "Thank you, doc."
"Looks like I'll have to play too, if only to make Kelvin play. Besides, let me see whether this game lives up to its hype" with those thoughts in mind, Freddy left the doctors office.
Ring! Ring!
"Hey, what's up, Big Ben?" Freddy answered his phone as he stepped into the waiting area.
"H-hey Freddy… y-you planning to play the new game?" a timid voice stuttered through.
"At first, no. But now… yeah. My problem is where to get a headset, they would mostly have been sold out."
"The appliance store near m-my place had a few left yesterday," Ben said quickly.
"Thanks. You home?"
"Working overtime at the site. If you join, don't forget to add me. In-game name's Big Ben!"
"Got it." Freddy hung up just as Kelvin rolled up beside him.
"Who was that?"
"Ben. Let's swing by Viva Street before heading home."
"Why?" Kelvin asked, surprised.
"You'll see." Freddy replied and they left.
---
Thirty minutes later, both brothers entered an appliance store in Viva street.
"Good afternoon, how may I help you today?" The lanky male clerk greeted with a smile.
"Two common headsets for Arcadia Online" Freddy told the clerk.
"I'm not sure we still have them, Let me check" the clerk replied and moved towards the back of the store.
Kelvin's eyes widened. "You're gonna play?"
"Yeah. Ben's playing, can't let people bully him."
"Ha! Like anyone can bully Ben." kelvin scoffed, yet the smile on his face spoke volume of his happiness.
"We're out of common headsets, these two are the last headset in general" The clerk returned with two boxes which he placed on the counter.
"Elite grade?" Freddy exclaimed. While he thought "common headsets cost 500 credits each, but the total of two still isn't up to one elite grade headset"
"That's what we have left, if it's not what you need then am afraid...."
"We'll take it" Freddy hurriedly interrupted him.
Swiping his payment card, Freddy felt his heart bleed as he saw the four thousand credit deduction. "There goes four months of hard work"
"Thanks for your patronage, do come again" the clerk handed over the boxes with a smile, and they turned to leave.
But just as they reached the door, an ostentatiously dressed young man and woman walked in, escorted by two bodyguards in suit.
The man's dyed green hair glistened under the lights, his arm snug around the waist of the girl with long, glossy black hair.
"Two platinum headsets," he ordered arrogantly.
"Sorry, all headsets are sold out," the clerk replied.
"Could you please move aside, you're blocking the exit" Freddy said as the couple were arrogantly standing in front of the door.
"F*cking trash store." The man sneered, but his companion's eyes caught the boxes in Kelvin's lap. She whispered quickly into his ear.
The man's gaze snapped to Freddy and Kelvin. "Those headsets. Sell them to me. Name your price."
Freddy frowned. "They are just elite grade, and they are not for sale. Please move aside."
"You insolent fool! Do you know who I am—"
Kelvin cut him off, scowling. "We don't know or care. Move."
Clap! Clap!
The bodyguards began advancing forward.
"F*ck them up," the green-haired man ordered.
Seeing the sudden development, Freddy immediately pulled Kelvin behind him and took a fighting stance. While the clerk immediately ducked behind the counter.
Right when it was about to explode, the sound of a siren suddenly sounded from outside the store.
A blue car with a siren and without wheels, hovering about a foot from the ground stopped in front of the store.
Two Alliance guardians alighted and began to make their way to the store entrance.
"Let's leave, it isn't worth the nuisance over a bunch of wretches" the girl spoke as she stared daggers at the two brothers.
"I'll remember you two, pray that our paths don't cross again else..." The green-haired man spoke and turned to leave.
"What seems to be the problem here?" The guardians who had already approached asked.
"No problem at all, we're leaving" the girl spoke while the guy straight up ignored the guardians and headed for the exit.
Kelvin wanted to say something, but Freddy only placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke instead "Just a minor misunderstanding that's all, we will also leave now."
With that he pushed Kelvin out of the store. Outside, both brothers watched as the group hopped into a green car.
Similar to the car the guardians came in, it had no wheels, but four thrusters in the position wheels. Four spider-leg-like steel legs was currently holding the parked car up.
The engine revved to life and the car lifted slightly while the steels folded into the car and disappeared from sight.
Casting one final mean look at Freddy, the green-haired guy engaged the gear and with the thrusters angling slightly backwards, the car sped away.
Freddy heaved a silent sigh of relief that the problem didn't escalate and both brothers started heading home.
---
As both brother's arrived at their apartment, Kelvin asked curiously "Why didn't you tell the guardian?"
"That guy was driving a 'Speedlox MAC-19 hovercar', his probably a rich young heir from the urban region, what do you think will happen if I reported him?" Freddy replied with a question of his own.
Not waiting for a reply he continued "he'll probably get a slap on the wrist at best and then we'll have an angrier spoilt a*shole on our tail"
Kelvin also nodded showing his understanding.
"Let's eat leftovers for dinner, the game launches in thirty minutes. What class are you playing?" Freddy spoke as he locked the door and prepared their dinner.
"I'm playing the Archer class, what about you?" Kelvin asked.
"I'm not sure, I guess I'll look through the introduction in the character creation, before choosing" Freddy mused.
"I read on the forum that Drenstar created a platform for selling in-game coins for credit" Kelvin said while, Freddy froze.
"There's such a thing?" He asked.
"I only saw it at the hospital this morning" Kelvin replied "it already trending on the forum."
"In that case, I'm more motivated to play" Freddy spoke and Kelvin burst into laughter.
The two happily ate their meal and returned to their bedroom. Unpacking the boxes, they found a cyclist-looking helmet, a pair of digital gloves and the matching socks.
They connected the headgear to a power socket, linked it to the apartment wi-fi and put on the socks and gloves, ready to log in.
"Alright, happy gaming" Kelvin who'd already put on the helmet and laid on his bed click the power-button and his body went limp.
Freddy also did the same and a dark vortex suddenly appeared, sucking him into it.
No one knew however, that this was the birth of a gaming legend.