One Life, No Respawn

Five, Four, Three, Two, One…

“DESTROY THE OBJECTIVE.”

The beep sets us loose, I slide for the case

Race toward A, put the wall at my back

Slip behind cover with frantic haste

Sneak through the doorway and hear the first “crack”

I scan for the shot as the walls close around

Footfalls fade beneath blasts and debris

I crouch by the doorway, low to the ground

A beam of green tells me where you might be

I tuck behind the broken wall

Hold still enough to hear

Footsteps somewhere past the smoke

Are slowly drawing near

I turn my head to catch the sound

Left side… maybe stairs

A scrape of boots against the floor

Tells me someone’s there

Explosions from across the map

Another ally goes down

A blue “X” glows from an alley’s gap

Time to find a way around.

Down through the streets, I scan the shade

Target ahead, I lob a grenade

“YOU ARE THE LAST ONE; COMPLETE THE MISSION.”

Smoke wraps the street in a shifting shroud

I creep toward the target, taking my time

I scan every shadow that frames the scene

Then break from cover and cross the line

I drop to my knees to shrink my frame

Press the button to plant the bomb

Seconds crawl, I can’t raise my aim

Stay still, stay exposed, stay calm

“THE BOMB HAS BEEN PLANTED.”

Bomb in place, I stash my “gift”

Then race for the wall beside the square

I hold my breath as green slices the air

The cautious approach, a spray of lead

The enemy drops to his knees

I raise my rifle and aim for his head

He reaches to disarm what he sees

I watch through my sights as he reaches the bomb

Headshot or C4, I retain control

The rifle rests steady, the switch firm in my palm

As the seconds tick down to the final toll

No time to waste, I gently squeeze

A crack rings out, he doesn’t drop

I thumb the switch with practiced ease

No second thought, I make the swap

A searing light, a wave of heat

The explosion shakes the ground

Smoke and debris engulf the street

Then silence swallows every sound

“NICE WORK. GET READY FOR THE NEXT ROUND.”

Search and destroy, search and destroy, let the countdown begin

Secure your gun and gather your courage

Seconds are ticking, the odds wearing thin

Attack or defend, your life for the package

One chance to survive, no second deploy

Hunt or be hunted, search and destroy

Five, four, three, two, one…

“DEFEND THE OBJECTIVE.”

I make my guess and race for A

I must set up before they arrive

Target in sight, I stage the play

Determined none make it out alive

They creep toward the target, believing it clear

One step in my sights and they disappear

Search and destroy, search and destroy, hear the countdown again

Secure your gun and gather your courage

The seconds are ticking, the odds wearing thin

Attack or defend, your life for the package

One chance to survive, no second deploy

Hunt or be hunted, search and destroy

Five, Four, Three, Two, One…