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Bryce.

That name repeated through Trevor's head endlessly throughout the week. Finally, the powerful player blasting aliens and monsters in Snatched Silence 2 seemed like a real person. Like there truly was somebody there behind a computer screen, someone with the same sexy voice and gentlemanly ways as Werecat129. It made Trevor giddy just thinking about it, that his knight in shining armor was somewhere out there, patiently smiling at his screen as he helped the noobish wolf on the other end.

Or scowling in frustration. But if so it would be a sexy scowl, of course.

Trevor spent as much time online playing with Bryce as possible over the next week, which meant doing the minimum amount of homework required and staying up till 2 in the morning every night. But it was paying off in the game world--with Bryce's guidance, he had gathered enough credits to upgrade 4lphaW0lf's gear to Tier 3, significantly improving the female wolf character's damage output. Now, enemies that gave him trouble just days ago fell before her.

And it was paying off in the real world, too. A part of Trevor that had remained empty for so long was finally being filled. He hadn't felt like this since... well, since that time he tried not to think about. But this time would be different, he was sure. Since college students are infinitely more mature than middle schoolers, he was optimistic he wouldn't have to worry about another embarrassing episode in front of his peers. He now walked with a confident air through the halls of his high school: the air of a senior. His friends noticed the lightened expression he wore now, and his teachers noticed his new habit of staring blankly at the same spot on the whiteboard regardless of what was written there.

At home, the only person who had noticed so far was Alice, whose sisterly habit of walking into Trevor's room when he least wanted it (or worse, standing just outside the door) had made her privy to some of his conversations with Bryce online.

"Saving the world with your boyfriend again, Trey?" she smirked, on this most recent occurrence.

"One sec, Bryce," Trevor told his mic hastily. Trevor turned his head and uncovered one of his beheadphoned ears, and pushed the mic away from his face. "He's not my boyfriend," he told his sister, blushing right through his gray fur. She was getting increasingly good at eavesdropping noiselessly these days. This time, he and Bryce had only been chatting about good defensive spots in-game while they waited for more players to join their server. However, on other occasions she had caught him in-game showering Bryce with compliments on his combat prowess, which probably sounded like he was hitting on the other player. And he likely would have hit upon Werecat129 by now if there was 'friendly fire' enabled in those sessions.

Alice gave him a wink. "It's just a matter of time. It happens in all the movies: a guy and a girl have to save the world (girl character in your case), and they fall helplessly in love. Usually one of them gets captured or killed or something to keep things interesting, but the love story is the same, right?"

"That's not very reassuring..." Trevor said with a frown.

She giggled. "So when are you going to ask him out, huh?"

"I don't... I don't know. It's not the same online. You can't just invite them to dinner, you know. Online relationships are even tougher than real ones. Not like I've even had a real one anyway..."

"Puh-lease," the she-wolf scoffed. "I've been in countless relationships! Trust me, I know what's gonna work and what won't."

"Ali, you're not even a semester out of middle school," Trevor pointed out. "Relationships there usually don't last a week."

"Well that still makes me more experienced than you, lover-boy!" she said, putting her paws on her hips. "At least I know how and when to ask someone out. I bet you're too chicken to do it."

Trevor shrugged. She was probably right, anyway. "So what? I'm not the macho-bravado-romantic type anyway. I probably wouldn't be the one to ask someone out."

"Then you've gotta make him do it!" she said happily.

"How...?"

"Well...," she stared off at some faraway point in space, collecting her thoughts. "The first step is: you gotta make sure they're not in a relationship already. That can get ugly, and people will remember you for that for years. Do you know if your little Wear-whatever friend is taken? Huh?"

"That's Werecat," he corrected her while adjusting his headset to a more comfortable position. "And I have no idea."

"Well, you better check that out before you get your hopes up too much. Onto Step Two: get to know the guy better! Talk to him, find out similar interests... y'know, conversation stuff. Stuff you're probably not too keen on anyway. Probably best to let him do the talking. And finally, the most important step: Step Three! Invite him to a romantic place, and if you don't have the guts to ask the guy out, start talking about how nice the future will be and how nice he is. And don't forget to thank him for having a wonderful time on your little date! That's what gets 'em: if they want to keep having wonderful times with you, they just have to ask you out!"

Trevor raised an incredulous eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like it would work for anyone, even in real life. Besides, this isn't exactly the most romantic game ever invented. There's no gorgeous waterfalls or gazebos looking out onto rainbow-streaked sunsets or whatever. It's all concrete, rust, and clouds."

"Well, you want this Bryce guy, right?" she questioned.

"Um, yeah."

"Then you'll make it work! Otherwise you'll be unhappy for a very long time... See ya!" She gave a small wave and a hair toss as she made her exit.

Trevor let out an exasperated sigh. As usual, Alice was trying to be helpful when she simply didn't know how. Sisters.

"Okay, Bryce, I'm back," Trevor said, turning back around to the computer. "Still there?"

"Yeah... Yeah I'm still here," came the reply. "Hey, um, I'm getting kinda tired of waiting. Want to try to tough it out with just the two of us?"

"Sure!" the wolf said happily. "Whenever you're ready..."

...

The all-too-familiar dilapidated city surrounded 4lphaW0lf once more. The randomly flying pieces of paper scuttling about in the breeze was the only sound to be heard, broken only by three far-off pistol shots that came within a few seconds. After some quiet minutes of weaving her way over and around wreckage, she located her armored, well-built tiger compatriot.

This time, he didn't look visibly pleased to see her. His eyebrows were locked low over his blue eyes, and his lips were set in a slightly downward-curving line. He hardly even looked up as 4lpha approached.

"You okay?" she asked him.

Werecat129 sighed and shook his head to dispel his thoughts. "I was just... pondering things, I guess." He started walking without further comment, and 4lpha could only follow in wonder.

Maybe the seriousness of trying to survive with a team of just two is getting to him_, she thought._ Maybe he's just trying to listen really hard. His black rounded ears were more to the back than usual, after all, and he walked more carefully than any other time she had fought by his side. Whether or not he was expecting a surprise attack, she didn't know, but she was by his side, and that was what mattered. The two of them continued on through the all-too-temporary stillness of the city.

4lphaW0lf was almost relieved when she heard the first unnatural screeches of monsters closing in. It gave them both something tangible to concentrate on.

Werecat surveyed the area quickly, and pointed to the tallest nearby building. "It's no gazebo looking out onto a rainbow-streaked sunset, but it may be the most defensible position around here," he said.

Trevor's blood ran cold.

"Uh... where d-... where did you hear that phrase?" the wolf stuttered.

"Heard it a few minutes ago, when you were talking with someone in the background. That your sister?"

"Um, yeah..." 4lpha replied softly. She stood limply in front of the tiger, closely inspecting a pebble by her foot. "How much did you, uh...?"

"Sometime around 'Step Two,' I believe," said Werecat, joining her in the examination of the pebble. "There was a rustling of the mic, and then I could hear your voice, and your sister's faintly."

"Oh... yeah, I was adjusting my headset. Must have moved the mic." Damn thing.

"So let me see if I understand correctly: you want me... to ask you out?"

4lpha never expected such a direct question. "Well I-... I guess-... I don't know. I sure wasn't expecting you to figure it out like this..."

"Well neither was I!" Werecat growled. 4lpha looked up with a hurt expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," the tiger reassured her. "It's just... so sudden."

Suddenly, 4lpha stumbled forward as half a dozen needle-like feathers pierced her exposed back from above. Werecat caught her as she fell, and pointed his rifle at the sky as soon as she was standing again.

"We need to get inside, now!" the tiger told her. "This building must be an old high-rise apartment space. The hallways upstairs will be too narrow for those vultures to get in."

4lpha nodded, remembering this from their conversation about defensive positions not ten minutes ago. They backed through the front entrance as one, firing back at the dozens of black birds circling above. The main lobby was a spacious room with once-polished granite floors, a lounge, and various decayed potted plants. An old reception desk sat across from the glass entrance doors, which were somehow the only windows in this space. The two warriors dragged all the furniture against the glass doors and took cover behind the reception desk.

"Just curious," Werecat mused, "what was Step One?"

"Eh, y'know... find out if the guy is already in a relationship."

"Ah. That would be important." The glass doors burst into a brilliant cloud of razor-sharp projectiles as the huge vultures slammed into them, clawing and screeching madly. As soon as the shower of glass subsided, the wolf and the tiger popped up from their cover and showered the invading birds in turn with plasma. Each brilliant blue bolt of light was reflected off the tiny crystals that now lay on the floor at every angle, making it appear as if there was a multitude of shots flying toward the avian attackers. They cawed loudly, so many at once that it shook the entire reception area, but they soon backed off to regroup for another bombardment.

"And for the record," Werecat129 said, ducking back behind the counter with 4lpha, "I am currently single."

"Oh! Uh, great, I guess... I mean not for you but... well not exactly--"

The tiger pulled a time grenade out of a pouch, pressed the green button, and hurled it at the makeshift barricade. It lodged itself in the cushions of a tattered old sofa and exploded in a bright green flash. The sofa, potted plants, chairs, and everything they had piled against the door now shone with an eerie green glow. A second later, the giant birds rammed the door once more, swarming so thickly they blocked all light from outside. This second assault would have shattered all of the furniture completely if the pile hadn't been frozen in time and space due to the grenade's effects. Instead it held its ground, not changing in form, not budging an inch, and not allowing quite enough room for the deadly birds to pass through.

"Nice one," 4lphaW0lf complimented him. The two warriors once again stood up and fired at the flying attackers, filling the room with angry blue light.

"Y'know, I wasn't really in the market for a relationship!" Werecat shouted over the cacophony.

"I, uh, wasn't either!"

"College has been keeping me busy enough..." the tiger remarked, shooting a grasping claw away from the door frame. "Calc 2, CS classes, English, marching band--"

"You do marching band too?" 4lpha's expression brightened a bit. "What do you play?"

"Tenor Sax," Werecat said with a smile. "You?"

"Mellophone for marching season, French horn for concert season." She filled yet another vulture's face with plasma.

"You a music major, or...?"

"Eh, still gotta decide if I'm going to college... Don't think I could ever be a music major. Computer Science sounds interesting, though."

"It's hard work, but very rewarding." With one last collective scream the vultures retreated into the air again. Black feathers slowly settled to the ground, covering a dozen of the dead monsters. The two warriors' heavy breathing was the only sound that echoed throughout the large room. The glowing green light surrounding the barricade soon faded, leaving it the same vulnerable wreck as it was before.

4lpha reloaded and pulled out a time grenade of her own, but the tiger stopped her paw. "I don't think that will help any longer..."

The wolf cocked her head to the side in confusion. She felt a soft rumble from the floor.

"...What was that?" There it was again, just seconds later.

"_That _we will not be able to handle with just the two of us," Werecat told her, a grim expression on his face. "We better get to higher ground fast."

If 4lphaW0lf had needed any more convincing, she heard the familiar roar of a group of tar bear monsters. This finally spurred her into action, propelling her toward the stairway Werecat129 was already climbing. Even if the barricade was made indestructible again, the tar bears would be able to squeeze themselves through the crack between it and the top of the door easily. She stepped carefully across the broken glass, watching the doorway cautiously until she reached the stairs.

Flight after flight of crumbling concrete stairs flew by underneath 4lpha's feet, never enough to let her catch more than a glimpse of the tiger. She quickly lost track of how many stories they had climbed, but she figured it had to be at least fifteen or twenty. Her high-tech power armor helped amplify her movement, letter her ascend quickly and efficiently. Every couple of seconds another rumble shook the building, making the few yellowed lights that still worked flicker ominously. The canine warrior could not imagine how enormous the monster had to be to cause that much of a seismic disturbance.

She almost ran into Werecat, who had reached the top of the stairs. His paw was on the knob of the heavy-looking metal door that undoubtedly led to the rooftop. He motioned for her to be quiet. He opened the door as slowly as possible, careful not to make it squeak. He peeked through the crack, lobbed an incendiary grenade through, and closed it quickly. He threw the door open again after the resulting concussive boom, gun held at the ready. 4lpha followed right behind him as he went through.

The grenade had done its job taking out the nest of armored alien bugs, as well as a defective AC unit. The two stepped through the smoldering wreckage cautiously as they scanned the area for more monsters. The coast was clear. This time. 4lphaW0lf relaxed slightly and walked to the edge of the roof facing the street. The black vultures attacked the building's entrance far below, oblivious to the warriors' presence. They must not have heard the grenade go off. There was no sign of what was causing the quakes from before--whatever it was must have moved on. Or maybe it was standing still, watching, waiting.

"Look up," Werecat said quietly. She complied, and gasped in amazement. The setting sun was peeking between two layers of clouds, coating the rooftop in its warm orange light. It lit up the ruined city below, allowing a glimpse of its vastness. Everything looked so small from so high up. The cars looked like tiny (squished) bugs, and the rubble was hard to make out from this far, making the streets look cleaner. She could almost imagine what the city must have been like before the mysterious calamity hit: a sprawling, bustling metropolis in its day, filled with people_. It must have been a sight to see when it contained sights still worth seeing. It might have even been a nice place to live. It might have even been beautiful, in its own rugged, urban way._

She turned to the tiger, whose striped fur practically glowed in the golden sunlight. He looked dashing and powerful, yet vulnerable somehow. He stood erect, yet his face still held the same frown it had before. Maybe he was nervous about being in a relationship. Maybe he was scared. But no, he wasn't the type to be scared... Was he?

"I've uh, had a fun time with you online lately," he said softly. "Been fun showing you the ropes and all."

"Yeah," replied Trevor. He was glad the characters in-game couldn't blush, otherwise 4lpha would be all red. "I've really enjoyed it, too. You're really, really patient with me."

This forced a small smile out of Werecat. "You can sure be a handful sometimes."

"Well, I hope you'll continue helping me out anyway. I mean, if you have the time that is."

"I'd love to," the tiger said, stepping closer to the she-wolf.

Trevor's heart fluttered. Why isn't there a 'kiss' option in games for a moment like this?!? "And uh, if you'd like to keep having these fun times then, well... would you...? I mean of course if it's not too much trouble with your busy schedule and all, but, if we could maybe, possibly--"

"Go out together? Start dating online?" The tiger was now so close they were nearly touching. The wolf looked up into his deep blue eyes and nodded. He smiled warmly and gave a soft chuckle. "I thought you'd never ask."