Fortnite's Revenge and Rebirth: Book 2

Chapter 1

The Afton household buzzed with morning activity. William was the first to wake, slipping out of bed before Jen to head downstairs and prepare breakfast and coffee. Soon, their son Kevin joined him, greeting his father as he made his way down. A little while later, Jen appeared, already dressed in her bus driver uniform. She poured herself a cup of coffee and leaned in to give William a quick kiss before the day began in full.

"Morning, Kevin. Are you going to campus today? Do you want a ride, or would you rather take the bus?" Jen asked as she poured her coffee.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll take the bus. It's a nice day, after all," Kevin replied. Moments later, the sound of footsteps filled the room as Alexandra entered the kitchen and sat beside her brother. William brought over the plates, and the family settled in for a pleasant breakfast, unaware it would be their last together. After they ate, Jen handed Alexandra her lunch, and the young girl darted out to catch the school bus. Jen and William followed shortly after, heading out the door with a final wave and a goodbye to Kevin.

Kevin sat in the college campus cafeteria, chatting with his friends as they worked on assignments together. Suddenly, a deafening boom echoed through the air, rattling the entire campus. Startled students ducked for cover, but Kevin's eyes were immediately drawn outside, where thick smoke rose from the direction of the bus terminal. His heart sank as he realized it was near the Minecraft headquarters, where his parents worked. Fear gripped him, and without a second thought, he bolted out of the cafeteria and ran to the only place that felt safe—Johnny and Katie's house. He pounded on their door, breathless and panicked, until Johnny opened it.

"Kevin! What's going on? Come in quickly. Katie went to get our daughter and your sister," Johnny said, his words bringing Kevin a momentary sense of relief knowing Alexandra would be safe. After catching his breath, Kevin asked, still shaken, "Have you heard from my parents? I can't reach Jen or William."

Johnny shook his head and turned on the TV, where images of the bus terminal's rubble and the destroyed underground base filled the screen. "Sorry, Kevin, I haven't been able to reach them," Johnny replied. Just then, the front door opened, and Kevin rushed to embrace his younger sister, holding her tightly as they all gathered in the living room, anxiously watching the news. What came next hit Kevin like a ton of bricks. The screen flashed two photos—one of Jen, the other of William—along with the word "MISSING."

"What do they mean, missing?" Kevin exclaimed; his voice filled with worry. Katie pulled him into a comforting hug as he broke down in sobs. Guilt washed over him as he remembered his mother offering him a ride to campus that morning, and how he had turned her down. If only he had accepted, he thought, maybe he could have stopped them from going to work.

With that the broadcast ended. Kevin is the first to speak up. "So how did you guys win the war 10 years ago, my parents never told me about it." Katie and Johnny sat down, and Johnny explained.

"I should have accepted their ride or asked them to stay home..." Kevin muttered, his voice heavy with guilt and anger. Johnny, trying to reassure him, said, "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known this would happen." The words seemed to calm Kevin, though the tension lingered.

 Suddenly, strange sounds came from outside. Katie glanced out the window and saw a sleek, blue robot with a large "F" logo on its chest standing at their door. It knocked, and when Katie asked its purpose, it coldly replied, "YOU ARE ON HOUSE LOCKDOWN. ALL HAIL FORTNITE." The door slammed shut and was quickly welded, trapping them inside.

"This is bad," Johnny muttered, his voice edged with disbelief. "How is this possible? We eradicated that madman. This doesn't make sense! Why is Fortnite back? And where are Jen and William?"

Katie, trying to soothe her frantic husband, said, "We'll figure this out." But before they could process what was happening, more explosions erupted outside, tearing the streets apart and forming a dome-like barrier around their neighborhood. The TV flickered, and the screen distorted before a man in a black cloak and dark mask appeared, his voice booming with authority.

"ATTENTION CITIZENS OF BARRIE. YOU ARE NOW UNDER NEW CONTROL. YOU COULDN'T GET RID OF US FOR LONG. YOU WILL WORK FOR US, BUILDING OUR TOWERS AND WEAPONRY. AS FOR OUR ROBOTS, THEY ARE INDESTRUCTIBLE. THEY HAVE A SOURCE, AND REST ASSURED, ESCAPE WILL NOT BE EASY."

The message sent chills through the room, and the gravity of their situation sank in even deeper.