Chapter 9: Fun time
Ace looked at the other seven members of his team.
Naturally, Alex and Marko were among them. He could’ve put them on the other team, but he wanted to show everyone how crucial each class was. The group gathered under the tall trees and stared at him.
"I’m the guy who bumps our IQ over nine‑thousand, so let’s play smart," Ace said. Grins spread all around. "See that hill? We’ll use it. Alex stays on top, back to the king. We rotate the king so Alex is always watching his six. We fight around Alex so we never lose track of our king. If the king needs help, yell. Tank and knight stay on him. Healer in the middle. Queen weaves between healer and tank. Other knight covers the rear. Have fun."
"Yes, Don Capo!" they chorused.
Ace stooped, picked up a pebble, and tossed it from hand to hand. "One pebble equals one hit. You might hate the trick, but doing everything we can is the least we can do."
They nodded. Throwing pebbles felt cheap, but they swallowed their pride and pocketed a few stones.
Five minutes passed; Ace had the first move. In the Chessboard Apocalypse, pawns could slip through any terrain, but on Earth he lacked those skills, so the rule mimicked them.
It took him less than thirty seconds to spot the other team. They were killing time, eyes glued to watches, asking each other for the countdown. No formation. They looked like lost kids on a field trip. At least they knew their classes: like that famous trainer Ketchup, the queen and a knight wore their caps backward to show their king was boosting their attack.
I should’ve told them one side attacks while the other defends, Ace thought with a sigh. Now they’ll either charge off and ditch their king or just stand there. Fine—I’ll scout and lure them out. I didn’t plan this game well. Next one’ll be better.
Moving like a cat burglar, he circled behind them, slid an arm around their king’s shoulders, and covered his mouth. Five quick taps to the back—game over.