The First Turnaround

He used a broken rock to cut the angle and left just enough of his body visible to make the enemy think he was backing off. They pushed, trying to finish it with raw fire. Chase nudged the stick left. Squeezed the trigger. The first opponent went down. The second tried to trade instantly, so Chase slid into a shallow dip, let the terrain absorb part of the damage, and used his last Shockwave to throw himself behind a tree on the side. That wasn’t a flashy trick. It was a decision he and Emily had practiced over and over: when you are low on health, low on resources, and without height, movement is a form of life. He didn’t stop. Cover. Reload. Peek. Shoot again. The second elimination popped up, and the caster’s voice jumped immediately.