Light illuminated a dark room as a cloaked figure stepped up to a futuristic video camera placed on a stainless steel table.

He removed his hood to reveal a man no older than 20 years old with caramel skin, spiked hair, a tired expression and a scar below his right eye. A pair of black and blue headphones cradled his neck.

He turned the camera on and began recording.

"Hello. To whom this may concern, someone I once knew asked me to create this video diary. Todays date is February 15, 2014. A lot has happened in almost 2 years. I'm a lot calmer, a lot smarter, and I have a lot more to lose. At this point you're probably wondering who I am and why you should care," the man chuckled before he continued.

"My name is Raiden Samuel Hagane, but you can call me Ray. I'm part of a secret order of protectors that guard the video games of the world from extinction. They call us... Codemasters."

"I'm currently the top ranked Codemaster in the order, but after the mission I'm about to embark on, I'm stepping down indefinitely." Ray sighed as he combed his fingers through his chestnut colored hair.

"This may seem confusing to some so let me start from the beginning. About 2 years ago at X Button High School..."

Chapter 1

A Cliche Beginning

Friday, August 24th, 2012, 3:05pm

School had just let out and Ray was walking down the steps of his high school.

His expression was a bit softer than his older self, but if you looked closely his eyes still had that look of experience: Like he'd seen some serious shit that he'd have to live with until death.

He was looking for his friend, Chad, when he spotted him being manhandled by the captain of the football team. This wasnt their first confrontation, but Ray always aimed to make it their last.

The senior stomped down the steps and approached the scuffle. "Leave him alone, Dimitri!" Ray barked as he shoved the starting quarterback off his friend.

Dimitri was a 61, 17-year-old pale skinned senior with a buzz cut.

He wore his football jersey over a pair of blue jeans that barely fit his bulky frame. He was the unofficial school mascot for trouble.

"Leave, you filthy traitor! This nerd here hasn't paid his fee for crossing my path." Dimitri huffed in a snarky tone.

"Just because I quit the fucking football team doesn't make me a traitor! And last time I checked, this is school property."

"Stay out of it, Ray! This is between me and the underclassman. Unless you want me to tell him what you really are." Dimitri smirked as if he had already won the argument.

"Ok, that is low, even for you. Dont you have anything better to do like play golf with your grandmas cane or some shit?" Ray stepped between his friend and his mortal enemy.

Both boys noticed the sparks flying off of Rays hands and the frost clinging to Dimitris.

"Whats he talking about?" Chad inquired, obviously confused.

Ray leaned in and whispered, "Just meet me in front of L.A. in 5 minutes. I'll buy you some time."

"You done whispering in your boyfriends ear?" Dimitri taunted.

"He's not gay dude! Dont even joke about that!" Chad rebutted angrily.

Ray just happened to be bisexual. How Dimitri knew this? They dated a few months back and Ray dumped him. Of course, both of them kept this a secret... Until now. Ray mentally gulped before he remembered he had the upper hand here.

"I did steal Anna from you last year and then dumped her cold the next day. Not that she liked you for your personality anyways. She was a slut." Ray flipped a spike from in front of his eye, dismissing the sparks from around his knuckles.

"You said you'd never bring that up again! Youre dead!" Dimitri swung at Ray but he ducked the telegraphed jab and swept his feet.

"Later 3rd string wannabee!" Ray quipped as he took off down the street.

"After him!" Dimitri hollered as the team dashed after Ray in blind rage.

Ray had finally ditched Dimitri and his flunkies and was taking a leisurely stroll down an alley near 5th Avenue.

He was on his way to meet Chad at their normal hangout spot: Litwak's Family Fun Center. He still questioned the name constantly seeing as it was really just an arcade. He preferred to just call it Litwak's Arcade.

"Where'd that traitor go?!" a voice shouted from around the corner.

"Lets try this way!" another kid shouted as the football team passed up the alley and ran off into the distance.

"You'd think that a senior in high school wouldn't have to deal with this crap." Ray thought to himself as he emerged from the alleyway.

Ray might've been a 6'2, 240lb wall, but when you've got 2 strikes towards being expelled from school, you don't exactly want to be caught fighting the entire football team. Just wouldn't look good.

Not that Ray was using this as an excuse to avoid them. He just knows how to pick his battles wisely. But sometimes he sticks his neck out for people and with him that's just asking for trouble.

5 minutes later, Ray finally reached the arcade near the freeway underpass and saw his friend leaning against the doorframe.

"Took you long enough!" Chad groaned sarcastically as Ray walked up.

"I'm sorry... I didn't know that saving your ass had a time limit. I told you to stay away from Dimitri." He crossed his arms in disdain.

"Whoa, bro. He came looking for me. Now come on. I want to get to Heros Duty before the after school rush hits."

"OK dude. Chill." Ray grinned.

Chad was a trouble magnet when it came to Dimitri. The exchanges between the two high schoolers actually caused Rays departure from the football team and his break up with Dimitri; not exactly in that order. Chad opened the double doors and shed some light on the darkness that was Litwak's Arcade as he waltzed in with Ray on his heels.

The owner, Mr. Litwak, liked to keep the lights really dim and have the games light the room with their screens. The floor was also black with glow-in-the-dark green bits so that helped too.

"Its open!" Chad squealed as he booked it for the game.

"Such a kid. No wonder were friends." Ray chuckled to himself as he followed his pal, but was stopped by a commotion coming from Fix-it Felix Jr. between two boys who looked about 11.

"It's my turn, Timmy!"

"I'm still playing, Adam!"

"Whats going on here?" Ray asked as he arrived on the scene.

"He just got here so I'm paying again." Timmy explained.

"No I didn't! I had a quarter on the screen, but you flicked it off!" Adam barked back.

"Is this true?"

"I don't know. Maybe..." the middle schooler mumbled.

"Well this is how I see it. Either you let him take his turn or Mr. Litwak hears about your foul play and unlike me, he might not give you a second chance." Ray explained to Timmy with his arms crossed and a stern look etched on his face.

"Ok. I'm sorry." Timmy said as he shook hands with Adam and let him go first.

"Nice work, Ray." a voice from behind him spoke.

"Mr. Litwak? How long have you been standing there?" Ray queried as he turned around.

"The whole time. You fixed that situation better than Felix would've. Nice."

"It was nothing. No need to thank me."

"Youre too modest. Theres gotta be a way to show you my appreciation." Litwak thought for a moment and suddenly got a bright idea. "Isnt your birthday tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I turn 18. Why do you ask?"

"Well I'm not getting any younger and I could use some help around here. How about I hire you on part-time and let you play for free tomorrow?"

Ray's jaw dropped at the offer. 11 years of coming to the arcade and now he was being offered a job. This had to be a joke.

"Whoa... Mr. Litwak, are you sure?"

"I've been sure for 5 years now. If any kid in here deserves this job its you. And now that you'll be of legal age to work without a permit, it makes it that much easier on both of us."

"Thank you!" Ray squealed and hugged the air or of his new boss's lungs.

"Need...to...breathe." Litwak groaned as Ray released him.

"Sorry."

"Its okay. Just be here tomorrow at 7:30am. Well sort out the paperwork and you can start your shift at 9." Litwak waved Ray off as he headed towards his office.

"Chad! Guess what?!" Ray shouted as he approached his friend, sightly deafening him.

"What is it?! I've almost beat the game!" Chad replied as he gunned down a group of cy-bugs without looking at the screen.

"Mr. Litwak just offered to give me a part-time job here! Isnt that great?!" Ray screeched completely out of character as he grabbed the gun from his friend's hand and shot a cy-bug that had been on the screen since his arrival. "You honestly need to pick your game up..."

Chad was speechless and trying to calculate what just happened as Ray finished the game for him and got the Medal of Heroes.

"Wait wait wait... He just up and hired you?! Why you?! Why not me?"

"Probably because I broke up a potential fight. No biggie."

"Ok. That sounds like you. So when do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

"On your birthday?! Why would you agree to work tomorrow of all days?" Chad asked, shock etched on his face.

"You know you yell a lot, and you act like I have anything better to do. My family isn't even gonna be around to celebrate with."

"What about me? We could have some real fun all day."

"And then you'll leave for Australia that night." Silence overtook the teens immediately after he said that.

Chad and Ray had been best friends since 2nd grade and did practically everything together. Neither of them expected Chads dad, who worked as a head designer for Electronic Arts, to get a promotion that would move their entire family to the Australian branch.

"You okay, man?" Chad queried.

"It's nothing, bro. I'm going home." Ray saluted his friend as he waltzed out of Litwak's and began his short walk to the suburbs, heavy metal blaring through his headphones.

Ray unlocked the door to his two-story house and kicked his customized Converse off in the doorway.

"Home sweet home." Ray thought to himself as he crashed on the couch.

He had lived alone in this house since his sophomore year. His brother moved out with his wife across the country and his mom paid the bills while she roamed the world on her own, exploring everything she'd ever dreamed of. Although she always did make it home for Christmas, it was pretty lonely in the house most of the time. His dad was just down the street, but Ray never spoke to him. They weren't exactly on speaking terms.

He watched tv for a while before he lost interest.

"At least I have food." Ray stood up, walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cold slice of pizza from a box in the fridge.

"I might as well go to bed. Theres no reason to stay up anyway." Ray slowly made his way upstairs and into his room. He sat on the edge of his bed chewing on the slice of garlic dough and cheese.

After he finished it, he leaned back on his matress. Sleep took him quickly afterwards.

Ray woke in a white corridor.

"Uhh... Whut? Where am I?" He thought to himself as he propped his body up on the wall. Now Ray didn't black out often, but he felt hung over and he was pretty sure he hadn't gotten drunk lately: or ever.

When he regained his motor skills, he began walking down the corridor. Pictures of different men and women graced the pearly walls, but underneath each photo, right before their names, one word was the same. "Codemaster"

As he continued to walk, he noticed a door at the far end of the hallway with am empty frame on it. Hoping for a change of scenery, he sprinted for the exit.

When he turned the knob, he found a white room with a single wooden desk and two leather chairs in the center. The rest of the room was completely barren.

He still felt exhausted, so he sat down in one of the chairs.

"So glad you could join me, Ray. We have much to talk about and very little time..." a voice said from behind him. He turned in his seat to find a middle-aged man, maybe 45, with lightly tanned skin, golden hair down to his shoulders and a futuristic brace on his left arm.

"What is this place? And how do you know my name?" Ray asked him, feeling just a bit freaked out.

Why was he here? And why was a Thor look-alike standing in front of him?

"I know a lot of things, Ray. I even know all about your past self." the man replied as he took the seat opposite Ray.

"If you know me, then you know I'm not patient. What do you want?" Ray asked, suspicious of this mans motives.

"I want to give you a chance to do something good for the things you love: Video Games."

"Huh? I'm lost."

"I'm here to ask for your help. Litwak's Arcade, as well as video games in general, is under attack."

"The arcade? Whats going on?" Ray queried a bit taken aback by the statement.

"I don't have time to explain now, but trust my words. The arcade games you play at Litwak's are not just games. You will soon find my words to be fact. If during the ensuing journey you're ever backed into a corner, let the code guide you and you shall be victorious. Now I believe you have a phone call. I'll leave you to it."

The room and the man faded as Ray's ringtone broke him from the dream.