Game On

"We should probably hurry, seeing them all skating as a single entity creeps me out." says Bob, uneasy.

"Agreed," Rachel says, sneaking along with the group as fast as she can.

"Suit yourself," she says to Dirk.

To the others, she says, "Well, they don't seem to be interested in us anymore. Let's skiddaddle."

You stumble into the entrance of the Laser Tag Arena.
The entire attraction is Alien Invasion themed. First, it opens into a briefing room, where a TV flickers to life. A computer-toned voice reads out a script about alien invasions and 'humanity's last hope', and 'the war of the future is fought with lasers', all accompanied by a poorly edited slideshow of space warfare.

The next room is the Vesting Room, filled with about 20 laser tag vests with the laser pistols attached. It then leads into the Arena itself. You can hear the sound of DJ Corbin's beatbox blasting away on the other side of the door.

Sadie snatches a vest, wielding the pistol as a makeshift club.

Henrietta rifles through the vests and pistols and picks what she deems might offer her the best chance at surviving.

Ok. I'm ready.

"Way to go!" he says donning a vest and getting one of the laser guns.

Striking an action pose as if in a really bad action movie, he grins next to the door. "Crimes against music. Guilty as fuck. Let's go terminate that zombie-making sonofabitch. "

Rachel follows the others' lead, donning a vest and grabbing a pistol. "R-ready," she stammers nervously.

Bob shivers while he equips his vest.
"It seems like we are really doing this... Good luck to us, I guess?" he adds, taking his pistol in hand.

"Here goes!" he says pushing the entrance to the maze and stepping in.

"I think one of us needs to guard the door in case the mofo find his way back here?" he whispers to the others.
"Any takers?"

"Good idea man!
I can stay behind if no one wants to." he says looking at the girls.

"I sure as hell don't. But Bob, please be careful." Pistol drawn and ready to kill some zombies, she follows the others.

The Laser Arena doors slide open in a flood of artifical fog and laser lights. It's dark as hell, and bathed almost entirely in smoke and neon light fill the space. The Tone resonates warm and full. You feel happy. You want to fall asleep here.
Corbin is perched in the upper levels of the arena, sitting atop one of the guardrails with the boombox still on his shoulder, the Tone emanating from it. He lifts those tacky shutter shades up to give you all an accusing glare with bloodshot eyes.
"Why're y'all coming to kill the vibe?" He growls accusingly. A few figures shift in the shadows behind him.

"Damn... this is so... cozy and happy... TOO happy!" Ruben tries to put his headphones on and to play music from his own phone at full blast, in an attempt to drown the hypnotic Tone forcing him to be happy.

The music flows through your headphones, muffling the tone, and you definitely feel different from that. Mostly it just grants clarity. The gore and the lights seem less intense. Since you and the rest of the players haven't been in the Metroskate as long, the Tone doesn't have as much of a grasp over you as it does any other patrons. Covering it up with new music makes you feel the most yourself that you have in a hot minute.

"Hey guys! You should try this!" he says pointing at his headphones. "I feel much better not hearing that crap!"

Ruben goes into the maze, laser gun at the ready. He tries to focus on finding a path towards where he has seen or heard the crazed DJ...

"Where can I find some of those?" Henrietta asks or rather pleads. "There's too much smoke in here. Will it help with that?

But her rising panic is grappling with a feeling of warmth and happiness and a pleasant fatigue.

"No!" she suddenly blurts out. "I know what's happening here. That music is drugging me. Stop it! Just stop it!" She covers an ear with a hand, the other one wants to do the same but she's holding the pistol.