Rise

Bloodsucker was a troll. He loved to talk people down on the internet, just so he could feel better about himself. This rang especially true after having played a bad game of League of Legends. A loss stung so deeply into his ego that he needed a release. So, like a trained professional, he hurled abuse at his teammates throughout the game and in the endgame lobby. But then they talked back to him. All four of his teammates ganged up on him and told him it was his fault they lost the game and that he could piss right off. That stung even worse than losing the game, because somewhere deep down he knew they were right. But he’d never admit that. So he took the easy way out. Bully the fat kid.

Tian Tian was one of the biggest names in all of League of Legends. But unlike many of his fellow professional players, he didn’t walk with his chest raised, full of confidence. He was about as far away from that as possible. He slouched, bit his lips constantly, and looked like a nervous wreck more often than not. And on top of that, he was the quiet fat kid. That made him the perfect target for Bloodsucker. Someone who didn’t talk back, regardless of how much abuse was thrown at them. So Bloodsucker bullied Tian Tian until he left the endgame lobby. And then Bloodsucker sent Tian Tian a friend request, just so he could get a little more abuse in.

Lin Feng sat next to Tian Tian in the cybercafe. He watched over his friend’s shoulder as Bloodsucker sent the long string of messages, stewing. His eyes were wide open and bloodshot. He hadn’t blinked once after the bullying started, committing every message to memory. Then he muttered, “I’ll remember this. You’re going to regret this, Bloodsucker.” He spit out the last word. You crossed the line so far that you can’t even see it anymore! Bloodsucker. I’ll remember your name. And I’m going to find a way to pay you back for this! I’m going to make you feel how shitty you make others feel with your words! AND THEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE!

Tian Tian did what he always did when he got bullied. He tried to act like the words didn’t hurt him, even though they destroyed what little confidence he did have. He chewed on his lips, forcing back the tears, and invited Lin Feng to another game. When his friend didn’t accept the invite right away, he glanced over. And his eyes widened. L-Lin Feng! His lips quivered as he muttered, “L-Lin Feng, I’m okay. I really am! D-don’t get angry, please.” T-that guy was just a troll. There are so many of them… And they always go away eventually if you just ignore them. I-I would know… They always bully me. No, no. He shook his head and blinked a tear away. P-pretend it didn’t happen. It didn’t happen. Nothing happened. He looked back at Lin Feng, who looked like he was about to explode, his entire face red in rage. “P-please don’t get yourself in trouble for me…”

Lin Feng looked at Tian Tian and forced the anger off his face. Then he smiled weakly. I can’t ignore this. You’re my friend. Friends stand up for each other. I’m going to get Bloodsucker back for this. He’s going to regret ever having said anything about you! But I know you don’t like confrontation. So don’t worry, I’ll do it. You won’t have to do a thing. He nodded and said, “It’s okay. I won’t get myself in trouble. Anyway, let’s queue up for another game!” Now, how do I find this asshole? And how do I teach him a lesson he’ll never forget?

✹

Lin Feng and Tian Tian played their Top-Jungle combination again in the second game. Tian Tian was still visibly upset at the start, but quickly forgot about Bloodsucker the Bully after Lin Feng helped him get a kill. From there, the two friends found their rhythm from the first game again. They were joking and laughing and completely decimating the Blue team. Towers fell and they were knocking on Blue team’s base after only 15 minutes. Two minutes later, they destroyed the top inhibitor. And another two minutes later, they destroyed the Nexus and won the game.

Lin Feng invited Tian Tian to a third game and started the queue. Then he looked over at his friend and said, “I think I’m going mid this game.”

“Oh, yeah! Ok, that sounds good,” Tian Tian replied.