The Fallen War

Episode 14: Exploiting Weaknesses

The island battlefield was a storm of gunfire and chaos, but for Josh and Don, it had become a duel of wits. They knew each other’s strengths, but now they were playing a deadly game of who could exploit the other’s weakness first.

Josh darted through the trees, his FN SCAR in hand, and his Aimbot engaged. His heart raced, his mind sharp as he scanned the landscape for Don. But this time, something was off. His Aimbot wasn’t locking on.

*Where the hell is he?*

He paused for a moment, his superhuman hearing straining to pick up any sound, but all he heard was the distant gunfire of other students battling it out.

Then, just as he was about to move, his Aimbot flickered for a split second—only for it to target…nothing?

*What?*

Josh’s eyes narrowed. His Aimbot was registering a hit, but there was no enemy in sight. A large mass was moving in the distance, but it wasn’t a person. It was—*a cape?*

Realization hit him like a bullet. Don. That *bastard* was wearing a huge, flowing cape to fool his Aimbot.

Meanwhile, Don grinned as he moved through the underbrush, his massive cape billowing behind him like a ghost. His AA-12 shotgun was gripped tightly in his hands, and his Warning ability hummed quietly, alerting him to any incoming danger.

He had figured it out. Josh’s Aimbot, as deadly as it was, had one major flaw—it targeted large shapes without distinguishing between a person and an object. And Don was using that to his full advantage. His cape was confusing Josh’s Aimbot, causing it to lock onto the fabric instead of his body.

Don could feel the tension in the air. He knew Josh was hunting him, and he was ready for it. His Warning ability had already saved him once from a near-death headshot, and now he was going to turn the tables.

*Come on, Josh,* he thought. *Let’s see what you’ve got.*

Josh cursed under his breath, quickly re-calculating his strategy. His Aimbot’s flaw was glaring now, and Don was exploiting it like a master. It was the first time Josh had felt *this* level of struggle. Usually, his Aimbot ensured quick, efficient kills, but now? He’d have to rely on his own reflexes, his own instincts.

A rustle in the bushes. Josh’s ears twitched.

He spun, his SCAR aimed and ready. His finger hovered over the trigger, but once again, his Aimbot locked onto that damn cape. The weight of the moment pressed on him as he fired, knowing full well he wasn’t hitting Don—but he had to move. Staying still was suicide. He fired a few shots, each bullet puncturing through the air, hitting the cape.

The bullets passed through fabric, not flesh.

"Dammit!"

A hum. Josh’s superhuman hearing picked up the faint, vibrating noise of Don’s Warning ability. He barely had time to react before Don emerged from behind a building, his AA-12 roaring to life. The auto-shotgun sprayed bullets, tearing through the space Josh had been standing in just a second ago.

Josh rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the barrage. He had to think fast. Without the advantage of his Aimbot, he needed to rely on his sheer speed and battle IQ to outmaneuver Don.

The two circled each other, Josh staying light on his feet, his mind racing through options, while Don advanced steadily, his cape swaying like a shadow in the wind. His Warning kept buzzing at the back of his mind, warning him of Josh’s movements.

*This isn’t just about our guns anymore,* Josh thought, beads of sweat forming on his brow. *This is about outsmarting him.*

He watched Don closely, noticing how the shotgun user was relying heavily on his Warning ability to avoid direct confrontations. He was always just one step ahead, predicting Josh’s movements with an almost unnatural accuracy.

Suddenly, Josh grinned.

*Time to exploit that, Don.*

He faked a step to the left, making sure his foot crunched on a branch to signal movement. As expected, Don’s Warning hummed, and he shifted his shotgun to fire in that direction. But Josh wasn’t there anymore. He had already leaped to the right, moving faster than Don could react.

Josh aimed his SCAR and fired, but Don's cape flickered into his line of sight again, fooling the Aimbot for just a second. That was all it took for Don to dodge and fire back with his AA-12, the bullets shredding the space around Josh.

The tension in the air was electric. Gunfire echoed across the battlefield, but all that mattered to Josh and Don was their one-on-one fight. They were locked in a deadly dance, both of them exploiting the weaknesses of the other’s weapon. Josh’s Aimbot was thrown off by Don’s cape, and Don’s reliance on his Warning ability made him predictable to someone with Josh’s superhuman hearing.

Josh was sweating, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He darted behind a crumbling wall, catching his breath. He couldn’t rely on his Aimbot anymore, but he had to keep moving. Don wasn’t going to give him a break.

"Come on, Josh!" Don’s voice echoed across the battlefield. "I know your tricks now! That Aimbot isn’t going to save you!"

Josh clenched his teeth. He could hear the challenge in Don’s voice, the confidence. And Don wasn’t wrong. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight. But Josh wasn’t done yet.

Josh sprinted again, weaving through the trees. He couldn’t see Don, but his hearing picked up the faint hum of the Warning ability again. Josh smirked. He had to keep baiting Don’s Warning, force him into a pattern, and then—he’d strike.

He faked another movement, deliberately stepping on a branch to send a signal to Don’s Warning. As expected, Don turned and fired his AA-12 in that direction. But Josh was already gone, moving silently behind Don’s blind spot.

Now.

Josh leaped out from behind cover, his SCAR ready. He had only one chance. He aimed, but just as he pulled the trigger, that damn cape came into view again, messing with his Aimbot.

Josh growled in frustration, his bullets missing by inches. Don whirled around, his AA-12 roaring to life again.

Josh dove behind cover just in time as the shotgun tore through the air where he had been standing. He was panting now, feeling the weight of the battle. *This isn’t working. That cape...*

He paused for a moment, staring at the cape fluttering behind Don.

*Wait.*

Josh’s eyes widened. The cape was *huge.* It wasn’t just fooling his Aimbot—it was slowing Don down. And more importantly, it made him a larger target. Josh didn’t need his Aimbot to hit something that big.

The next time Don fired, Josh was ready. He moved swiftly, running toward Don instead of away from him. The Warning ability hummed loudly in Don’s mind, but Josh was too fast. With a swift motion, Josh slid under the bullets, his SCAR aimed directly at the mass of the cape.

He fired.

This time, the bullets tore through fabric, but they didn’t miss their mark. Don’s body jerked as the bullets hit home, and he staggered, his AA-12 dropping from his hands.

Josh stood up, breathing heavily as he watched Don fall to his knees, the massive cape fluttering to the ground beside him.

"You...figured it out," Don muttered, a faint grin on his face.

Josh nodded, his SCAR still aimed at Don’s chest. "It was never about the Aimbot." He lowered his weapon slightly, catching his breath. "It was about *outsmarting* you."