Snap—!!!
Thunder cracked, the rumble hitting like a sledgehammer!
Zoey Parker's eyes widened, brimming with shock and confusion.
She stared at Gus Harper, opening her mouth three times but unable to speak!
"…Sorry," Gus said, slowly raising his gun, aiming at Zoey: "I'm a cop."
Turns out!
Just moments ago!
When the player as Leo confronts Harvey, demanding why he betrayed him, players as Vincent see a secret CG.
This CG, hidden from viewers and unstreamable, reveals Vincent's true story—
He wasn't a bank clerk laundering money. Neither was Gary.
They were both cops.
When Harvey took Leo for that deal, the buyer shot dead was Vincent's brother, Gary!
Vincent volunteered to go undercover in prison, befriend Leo, break out, gather intel on Harvey, and take him down—dead or alive!
From start to finish!
It was all a covert police op.
Vincent's undercover.
"You betrayed me?" Zoey gasped.
"Leo, I…" Gus stammered.
"You betrayed me?!"
Bang!
Zoey roared, smacking Gus's wrist, snatching his gun, and jamming it against his head!
In that moment!
Leo's fury burned away all reason!
Zoey's rage matched Leo's, blazing just as fierce!
"Slow down, Zoey…" Gus, now her hostage, shuffled toward the police car.
"Shut up, you bastard!!!" Zoey's shout drowned out the game's audio!
"I never trusted you!"
"When we broke out, you nearly died tossing that ball. My hands were raw, but I didn't let go!"
"When we were on the run, I took bullets shielding your car!"
"If you wanted me dead, why save me at the cliff? Why pull me up when I was parachuting? Why hesitate to shoot Harvey?!"
They reached the police car. Gus opened his mouth: "I just…"
"You're a liar," Zoey whispered in his ear.
Then, she kicked him into the car: "Get in!!!"
Vroom—!!!
The police car roared off!
Leo pressed the gun to Vincent's head, bellowing: "I trusted you so damn much, Vincent!"
"Calm down, Leo. Just listen, okay?" Vincent waved a hand. "I know you're pissed…"
"Pissed?! Screw you!!!" Leo slammed the gun against Vincent's head: "You've never seen me truly pissed!!!"
The car careened like a wild bull!
The plot twist hit streamers like lightning!
Vincent's player knew he was undercover from the start, so most stayed quiet to keep the game smooth.
This left Leo's players deep in the story!
They'd been through hell together!
Countless escapes, chases, covering each other!
Thought they were the tightest brothers ever!
Leo'd introduce Vincent to his family, show off his son!
He cared about Vincent's life, went to see his daughter, helped patch things up with his wife!
He saw Vincent as a brother!
Just five minutes ago, he was picturing their life on the run together!
And now—
"You betrayed me, Eggplant! Today, it's you or me!!!"
Boom!
The car plunged into the sea, the two grappling underwater.
"Stop, man. You won't get far. I'm sorry…" Vincent pleaded.
Rat-tat-tat!
A helicopter's minigun raked the water, trying to stop Leo's speedboat.
With a tragic soundtrack swelling!
Leo slipped into a factory, Vincent hot on his heels!
By the factory's tempered glass, they faced off, guns raised!
"Vincent! Feel good being a traitor?!"
"I'm sorry, Leo! Harvey killed my brother! I had to!" Vincent shouted.
"I trusted you a hundred times more than Harvey!"
"I'll talk to the sheriff! Get you a reduced sentence!"
"My sentence? You're dead, Vincent!"
Rat-tat-tat—!
Bang! Bang!
Rat-tat-tat—!
Gunshots echoed in the factory!
Thunder rumbled above, each clap a blow to players' hearts!
Hands that clasped countless times now fired lethal rounds!
They fought from factory to terrace.
Then terrace to rooftop.
Now!
Rain poured!
Thunder and lightning, just like their prison-break night!
Bloodied and drained!
Guns dropped, vests shed, they brawled hand-to-hand!
Rumble—crack!
Rain soaked them.
Buzz! Bang! Leo's fist smashed Vincent's face—
Thanks for the help.
[You're welcome]
Their first prison team-up, beating a bully…
Whoosh! Bang! Vincent's kick sent Leo sprawling—
[Hey, can you help?]
[Oh—sure—]
Their first heist, stealing a chisel…
Whoosh! Bang! Leo's elbow slammed Vincent's back—
Alex is cute.
[Damn right!]
They'd gone home, helped Leo's son craft a wooden horse…
Buzz! Bang! Vincent's knee hit Leo's gut—
I'm nervous.
[Chill, go see your daughter, hug her.]
They'd visited Vincent's wife and newborn in the hospital…
Wind and rain choked their breaths.
Wounded and spent, they collapsed on the rooftop, gasping.
Zoey stared at Gus, silent.
Gus glanced at the rooftop's edge, then back at Zoey.
Next second!
Both dragged their battered bodies toward the edge!
There, jammed in a crack, was a black pistol!
Dropped during their brawl!
Scrape—
Scrape—
Their struggling echoed on the rooftop.
Zoey gritted her teeth, fighting the IndieVibe X2 cabin's motion resistance, eyeing the gun, crawling hard!
Bang!
Finally!
In the rain!
Zoey's hand seized the grip!
She spun, aiming!
But Gus barely moved.
Rumble—
Thunder rolled.
Rain turned to white mist.
The black muzzle pointed at Gus, the two locking eyes across the rooftop.
Memories of Vincent and Leo's fights cut like blades.
For players, those moments hit deep.
Hand-in-hand from clumsy starts to perfect sync.
But now, united, they faced not freedom, but war.
A soft sob broke through the voice chat.
Zoey's gun hand trembled.
When she learned of the betrayal, she burned with Leo's rage, wanting to gun down Gus's Vincent.
But aiming at him now, she couldn't pull the trigger.
"…Shoot," Gus said.
As the game's designer, he knew the final stage left no choice.
Once a gun's grabbed, it's over.
Bang!
Flames flashed.
The bullet flew.
Relief and despair, heavy as the rain.
Pfft—!
Blood sprayed from Vincent's chest!
His staggering steps matched his ragged breaths.
Rain washed his chest red.
Slumping against an iron tower, Vincent slid down.
Click.
Leo's gun hit the ground.
He stepped forward, moving stiffly toward Vincent.
"This… letter I wrote…" Vincent, trembling, pulled a folded paper from his pocket: "Give it… to Carol."
You should write her a letter.
Leo's advice.
Vincent took it seriously.
Rain poured!
Vincent reached out.
Leo grabbed his hand, as they had countless times—
Through life and death.
Protecting each other.
The strongest shield.
Brothers.
Rustle—
As rain fell, Vincent's hand dropped forever…
…
Later.
Morning sun lit empty streets.
A car turned a corner, stopping at a house.
Click.
The door opened.
Leo, bearded, stepped out and approached the door.
He left the letter in plain sight, rang the bell, glanced at the house, and walked away.
Carol opened the door, saw no one, then spotted the letter.
Unfolding it, Vincent's voice echoed:
"Carol, my love."
"I'm writing to apologize."
"I wrote too many bad checks, missed our big moments, wasn't there when you needed me most…"
With Vincent's voice, scenes shifted.
His funeral, solemn, with a police salute.
Leo, with Linda and Alex, heading to a new land.
"I'm sorry for letting you down, again and again."
"My biggest regret? Not spending every second with you."
"But now… I won't miss another moment with you and our daughter."
"Forgive me. I'll cherish you and our girl, like always."
"I'll always love you."
"—Vincent"
The game closed with Leo's family driving down an empty road.
Distant mountains layered ahead, the unknown path stretching on.
WindyPeak Games
[Presented to you]
A Way Out
Game over.
Gus, in the IndieVibe X2 cabin, exhaled.
In his past life, playing this game to the end left him hollow, the weight lingering.
He'd wondered why someone had to die.
Why not a happy ending where both live?
Why couldn't Leo's shot hit Vincent's leg?
Why couldn't Vincent's gun miss, giving Leo a chance?
Now, remaking the game, reliving it in the cabin!
The answer crystallized—
Leo and Vincent are stubborn, driven souls.
Without that fire, they'd never have teamed up.
Without that grit, they'd never have pushed forward.
Different, yet the same.
Only death proves their convictions.
The game's called A Way Out.
They broke free from prison, got their revenge.
But from the plan's start, Vincent and Leo were trapped.
A heart's walls are stronger than any prison.
Whoever dies leaves the other scarred, caged forever…
Hiss—
The cabin opened!
Gus shook his head, a bit lost.
At the same time, Zoey's cabin opened.
Her eyes red, she leapt out before the lid fully lifted, throwing herself into Gus's arms, sobbing: "I… didn't mean to shoot… You… you made me…"
"Hey, it's okay," Gus hugged her, stroking her hair: "I told you to shoot. How else would we finish?"
Sniff… "If this is the ending… I'd rather not finish…" Zoey choked: "The plane ride could've been it…"
"But in games or life, everything needs an ending," Gus said, patting her head: "You can't dodge it just 'cause it hurts, right?"
Zoey sniffed, looking up, eyes teary: "Will you ever leave us?"
"No," Gus said, no hesitation: "Never."
"Pinky swear?" Zoey extended her finger.
"Swear." Gus hooked it. "Hook it, hang it, hundred years, no take-backs. Breaker's a puppy. Deal?"
"Deal!" Zoey nodded, lips pursed.
"Alright, no more tears," Gus said, squatting and patting his back: "Piggyback?"
"Yeah…" Zoey climbed on. "Next time we play a game like this, happy ending, okay?"
"Sure. Happy family, sweet life, lovers tying the knot," Gus said, carrying her out of the studio: "Sound good, Ms. Parker?"
Zoey sniffed, firm: "Ms. Parker says it's got legs… yeah, it's got legs!"