The room fell silent at Lucas’s bold declaration. Sensing the tension, Lucas grinned secretly before feigning a mistake. “Oh, sorry, what I meant was, you two help me succeed with your support,” he corrected himself.
Romano and Greg burst into laughter, the tension dissipating. Romano then gave Lucas a mockingly stern look. “Kid, I thought you were brave,” he said with a chuckle.
Greg gave Lucas a pat on the back, laughing. “Alright, alright, if you win, I’ll take care of you.”
As Lucas approached Romano’s player, the player eyed him curiously. “New to this, are you?” he asked.
Lucas nodded, maintaining a humble demeanor. “Just a little knowledge,” he replied.
The player smirked, sensing an opportunity to mock. “Well, let me give you some pointers,” he began, his tone condescending. “First off, there are different types of darts. You’ve got your steel-tip darts for traditional boards and soft-tip darts for electronic boards.”
Lucas listened intently, nodding occasionally. “And the grip? How important is that?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“Very important,” the player replied, feeling superior. “You need to keep your elbow steady and follow through with your throw. And remember, the triple 20 is your best friend. You need to finish on a double.”
Lucas nodded again, as if taking mental notes. “Got it. And the outer bullseye is 25 points, right?”
“Yes, exactly,” the player confirmed, feeling confident in his perceived upper hand. “Just make sure you don’t bust your score.”
Lucas continued to listen, occasionally interjecting with comments that suggested he was absorbing the information. “Thanks for the tips,” he said, his tone polite and seemingly grateful.
Romano and Greg stepped aside to discuss the stakes. “Let’s make this interesting,” Romano suggested confidently. “I’ll bet a million dollars and your house I just won. Plus, I’ll throw in one of my vintage cars.”
Greg nodded, considering the offer. “Alright, I’ll match your million,” he agreed. “But if I win, I want your 1967 Shelby GT500.”
Romano grinned, clearly amused by Greg’s confidence. “You seem pretty sure of yourself,” he remarked with a chuckle.
“We’ll see,” Greg replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He turned to the others, clapping his hands together. “Alright, let’s get this game started,” he announced. “Same rules.”
The game began with Lucas taking the first throw, as suggested by Romano’s player. Lucas stepped up to the line. He threw his first dart, which landed in the single 10, earning him 10 points. His second dart hit the single 15, adding another 15 points. The third dart landed in the single 5, bringing his total to 30 points.
Seeing Lucas’s start, Romano’s player smirked and said, “Don’t be nervous, kid,” with a mocking tone before taking his turn.
Romano’s player then took his turn. His first dart landed in the single 20, scoring 20 points. The second dart hit the single 18, adding 18 points. His third dart landed in the single 12, bringing his total to 50 points.
Greg commented, “Looks like your guy’s off to a strong start, Romano.”
Romano replied with a grin, “It’s just the beginning. Lucas might surprise you yet.”
In the second round, Lucas focused more intently. His first dart landed in the single 20, scoring 20 points. The second dart hit the bullseye, earning him 50 points. His third dart landed in the single 10, adding 10 points. This brought his total for the round to 80 points.
Greg nudged Romano, “See? Lucas is catching up. That bullseye was impressive.”
Romano shrugged, still confident. “He’s got some luck, but my player is consistent.”
Romano’s player, slightly surprised, took his turn. His first dart landed in the single 19, scoring 19 points. The second dart hit the triple 15, adding 45 points. His third dart landed in the single 16, bringing his total to 80 points.
Greg teased, “Your guy’s consistent, alright. Consistently just ahead.”
Romano chuckled, “We’ll see who holds the lead in the end.”
In the third round, before his final throw, Lucas asked, “What happens if I hit three bullseyes?”
Romano’s player laughed but explained, “That’s a perfect score, kid. Highly unlikely.”
With newfound confidence, Lucas picked up his three darts. In a bold move, he threw them all at once. Each dart landed perfectly in the bullseye, achieving a perfect score of 150 points.
The room erupted in disbelief. Romano’s player was so shocked that he shouted, unable to believe what he had just witnessed. Romano and Greg were equally stunned.
Greg stammered, “Did that really just happen?”
Romano shook his head in disbelief, “I can’t believe it. That was incredible!”
The spectators were equally amazed. Some looked at Lucas with newfound respect, while others rubbed their eyes, questioning if what they saw was real. A few even asked aloud, “Did that really happen?” while others simply admired Lucas’s skill.
After the buzz of excitement and disbelief settled, Romano’s player stepped up to take his turn, visibly nervous. In his mind, he wasn’t sure how he could possibly match Lucas’s impressive score.
Despite his best efforts, Romano’s player, under pressure, took his turn. His first dart landed in the single 17, scoring 17 points. The second dart hit the triple 18, adding 54 points. His third dart landed in the single 20, bringing his total to 91 points.
Lucas won with a total score of 260 points, while Romano’s player finished with 221 points. Greg couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected comeback Lucas had pulled off. “Wow, Lucas, that was something else!” he exclaimed, still chuckling.
Romano, on the other hand, was left speechless, staring at the scoreboard in disbelief. “I can’t believe it,” he muttered, shaking his head. “And now I have to hand over one of my favorite cars to you, Greg.”
Greg grinned widely, “Oh, don’t worry, Romano. I’ll take good care of that vintage beauty,” he teased, giving Romano a playful nudge.
Romano sighed, a hint of a smile on his face despite the loss. “Alright, alright, you’re lucky this time,” he conceded.
Meanwhile, Romano’s player approached Lucas, extending a hand. “Congratulations, Lucas! That was incredible. How did you do it?”
Lucas shook his hand with a smile. “Just a little secret technique of mine,” he replied, winking. “You played really well too.”
Greg and Romano exchanged knowing glances before Greg turned to Lucas. “Hey, Lucas, why don’t you join us in the other room? There’s something important we want to discuss.”
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Can I bring my friend along?”
“Of course,” Greg nodded. “Bring him along.”
Lucas turned to One Eye and nodded. One Eye approached as the group made their way to a private room. Inside, Greg and Romano sat at a table, sipping tea, with Lucas seated across from them. One Eye stood a short distance behind Lucas, near the door, alongside four guards who stood watch.
Greg leaned forward, breaking the silence. “Lucas, have you ever thought about competing in the upcoming dart tournament?”
Lucas raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A tournament? Tell me more.”
Romano jumped in, “It’s a big event with a hefty prize for the winner. Players from all over come to compete.”
Greg added, “You’ll face different opponents in each round, and the competition gets tougher as you advance. It’s a real test of skill and strategy.”
Lucas nodded, considering the challenge. “What kind of games are played?”
Greg explained, “You’ll start with standard 501 matches, where you aim to reduce your score from 501 to zero. As you progress, you’ll encounter games like Cricket, where you need to hit specific numbers.”
Romano nodded, “It’s not just about hitting the bullseye. You’ll need to adapt and strategize.”
Lucas seemed to pause for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he looked up with an unusual expression and a chilling smile. “Interesting,” he said slowly, “but I’m more interested in your lives.”
Romano furrowed his brow, confused by Lucas’s words. “What do you mean-” he began, but before he could finish his sentence, he noticed something alarming behind Lucas.
One Eye moved quickly and quietly to disable the four guards. Romano was surprised, but before he could do anything, everything went fuzzy and he couldn’t breathe. Before he knew it, his life had ended suddenly and he couldn’t understand what had happened.