Deep breaths weren’t going to be enough to calm the nerves she felt now. Standing with the nineteen others in her Mayhem, Codi looked at the floor, trying to keep her concentration before the fighting started. Vasco had done all he could in the last two days, but now the time for talk and practice was finally over. With a long breath she forced herself to look up at the doors, past the forms of her competition. Above the door a counter descended.

“You feeling alright?” asked a boy to her right. Codi turned slowly and found herself looking into the mischevious eyes of the fighter who’d spoken to her in the lobby. His exoskeleton was largely black in colour, with two white stripes running down each arm. He grinned.

“I’m fine,” she grated, looking back to the door.

He leaned in closer, speaking conspiratorially. “Rumour has it we’re going to be doing a lot of climbing.”

Before she could ask what he meant by that, the counter above the door reached zero and the fighters began filing out into the arena, one by one. The massive voice of an announcer blared as each individual was introduced upon their entry. She stepped into line, following another girl wearing the earthy brown exoskeleton of the Orion academy into the doorway.

“From Orion, Brya Stone!”

Codi could hear the announcer’s voice clearly, and the girl in front of her stepped into the glare, vanishing from her sight despite only being a few feet away. A low roar filled the air and that was when she realised just how many spectators there were going to be inside the arena. Clenching and unclenching her fists, she began bouncing lightly on the spot. The attendant in the fighters’ corridor made a chopping motion towards the door with one hand.

“From Brax-Delta Academy, Codi James!”

She stepped through the film of light and the noise from the crowds hit her like a wave. Her eyes wandered up and around as she took in the arena construct for her Mayhem. Currently she stood on a kind of gangplank that protruded barely ten feet into open space, and that was the only real surface in the entire arena.

The transparent walls formed a colossal dome, and through them Codi could see the innumerable hoards of Gauntlet spectators. Level after level of seating rose on all sides, each one packed with cheering onlookers ready for their first spectacle of the day.

However, her concern was no longer with the crowds. The walls of the dome were covered in handholds, ranging from hoops to rods to little more than small protruding lumps. Higher up there were criss-crossing gantries that made the arena look like an overly elaborate conurbation of children’s monkey bars. Far below she could see the glittering blue mesh of gravitic netting, waiting to catch any fighters who fell.

Codi moved to her right, knowing she needed to get into position. Already the eight fighters before her were climbing their way around into evenly spaced starting points marked out by glowing red lines in the arena wall. Latching onto the nearest hoop, she set off to show off.

Yanking once with her right arm, she launched herself into a graceful back-flip before latching onto another protruding bar several feet higher. Whoops and roars from the crowd set her heart racing and she swung on. Airborne again, she kicked off one of the hoops and somersaulted as many times as she dared before landing on both feet, right in front of a red starting marker.

Codi grinned as the noise of the crowd swelled again, and she caught a glare from the girl who’d entered the arena before her. She ignored the other fighter, a feeling of elation washing over her. So much for stage fright.

Glancing to her left she spotted the black armoured boy making his way to the closest starting point in a less extravagant fashion. He landed about twenty feet away and flashed her a gleaming smile.

“Nice entrance,” he called above the noise of the crowd. “Hope your fighting matches.” There was no challenge in his voice, however, just a kind of playful admiration.

“Only one way to find out, eh?” Her grin broadened and she turned her attention to the immense counter built into the ceiling of the dome. Every ten seconds another fighter entered the arena; only eight to go. Codi took the remaining time to formulate some kind of plan.

The easiest route for elimination would be to simply dislodge another fighter, letting them fall to the netting. However, the gantries in the highest reaches of the arena offered a more stable platform. It would be harder to be knocked off, but she knew that everyone would be clamouring for the relative safety of the high ground. And she remembered the game plan; not to fight unless she had to. Scanning the others she spotted the towering six and a half foot bulk of Dustin Morto on the opposite side of the arena. At least she wouldn’t have too much trouble avoiding him.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer roared, his augmented voice overwhelming the noise of the crowd with ease. “The fighters of Mayhem ten! Standard knockout rules apply, and any fighter knocked from the arena and into the gravitic netting will be deemed eliminated. Fighters: good luck! We begin in 10…”

Codi exhaled a long, slow breath and tensed herself to spring. The countdown boomed out over the arena, the roar of the crowd rose in a crescendo and then the starting klaxon screamed.

She started her ascent, half climbing, half jumping her way up the arena walls. Right now the climb was relatively easy, especially with the assistance of her exoskeleton, but she knew the going would be tougher as the domed walls began sloping inwards. Glancing left and right, she tried her best to keep tabs on the other fighters.

Her first look showed the first elimination of the Mayhem, when the girl from Orion sent a boy flying into empty space with a double heeled kick to his chin. He hurtled out into the void of the arena before plummeting down into the safety of the gravitic netting. On the other side she caught a glimpse of the black armoured fighter brawling whilst perched precariously on a triangular spur of metal.

Just as she was reached for the next hand hold, a hulking form came out of nowhere and landed above her. Codi eyes widened when she found herself looking up into the face of Arvin Lee. Before she could think, he aimed a kick at her jaw, but she reacted in time, letting go of the bar she was currently holding and allowing herself to fall. After dropping about ten feet she latched onto the wall again, eyes locked on her enemy.

Determination gripped her, and Codi felt a rush of adrenaline. She was not about to be put out; not this quickly and not by him. Avoiding a confrontation here would be impossible and that suited her just fine.

She began leaping diagonally upwards, attempting to bring herself onto an even level with the boy. Lee moved laterally, trying to block her route up, and she knew that as long as he had the high-ground he had a huge advantage. Gripping the hoop above with both hands, Codi leapfrogged her over it, and then in the same fluid motion kicked off, propelling herself up again. The lumbering boy didn’t get there in time to stop her reaching an even height, but she had to duck a swinging right fist almost the second she landed.

Codi evaded the swipe for her head, but he moved his arm in a downward spiral motion, instantly throwing a follow-up jab towards her ribs. Locking her elbow, she blocked and kicked out at his stomach. Lee pushed off the wall, putting himself almost horizontal, and then, to her shock, swung his entire body towards her, aiming a vicious kick at her throat. She managed to bend backwards in the nick of time, but ended up putting herself off balance.

Having to take her eyes off her opponent, she instead focused onto the nearest protruding support behind her. As she overbalanced away from the boy, Codi launched herself into something approaching a backwards cartwheel, bending all the way back, kicking off the hoop she stood on, and locking onto the football-sized protrusion with both hands. She let her momentum carry her and felt a surge of vertigo for the brief instant she was completely upside down. Then her feet landed on the next ledge along and she drew herself upright again, facing her adversary.

Lee jumped towards her in a bold, frankly stupid manoeuvre as far as Codi was concerned – the ledge was barely two feet wide. She coiled her body to spring, let him land, and then surged forward, slamming her left shoulder into his midriff. She felt the satisfaction of a solid impact and immediately released her hold on the wall, slinging a boxing right into Lee’s stomach with all the force she could muster. He gave a little ground, but his weight advantage held him in good stead as she couldn’t quite dislodge him.

He drove his boulder-like fist into her stomach in reply, but this time Codi anticipated the move. It still hurt, but she braced for the impact and grimaced as Lee slammed her into the wall. Not anchored anymore, she entwined herself around the most stable thing she could: him.

She hooked her right leg around his and dragged herself up against him, so close she could feel his heavy breathing on her face. She latched on with both hands to prevent him moving away, and before he could attempt a counter Codi unleashed a brutal head butt.

Her eyes closed on the impact, but she felt her forehead connect squarely with Lee’s nose. Then she felt the stability of his bulky frame give as he reeled backwards. It was now or never. Disentangling herself, Codi twisted around awkwardly. With her back to Lee she flipped on the spot, landing in a precarious handstand. Then she bucked like a wild bronco.

The soles of both feet smacked Lee square in the chest, and she felt his massive frame give way. The forces unbalanced her too, however, and she only just managed to catch the ledge with her hands, dangling there over empty space. Craning her neck, she looked around over her shoulder to see Arvin Lee falling into elimination. And it was then that she registered the almost feral shrieking from the crowd that swelled like a thunderstorm.

She grinned wolfishly as she clambered back up onto the ledge. With a moment to breathe, she took stock of the Mayhem’s progress. Another fighter came plunging downwards from the top gantries where she could see maybe half a dozen others battling.

On her side of the dome she could only see two other fighters: the two who’d started on either side of her. The girl from Orion was climbing perhaps forty feet above, and a little further up the boy in black ascended too. He looked back over his shoulder and spotted her.

“C’mon up, Brax-Delta!” she heard him yell before he turned back and kept climbing. She cocked her head to one side, staring in amused confusion for a moment before she started up after them. Vasco probably would have wanted her to stay exactly where she was, seeing as the bulk of the fighters had spread away, but she was loath to sit around and watch. That wasn’t why they were here.

So up she went, hand over hand, jump by jump, ready and eager after her small taste of victory against Arvin Lee. As she went another competitor fell from the high reaches of the arena into the gravitic netting and she had a sneaking suspicion that Dustin Morto was responsible. She hadn’t seen him in the Mayhem, really, but if he was as good as Vasco said chances were that he’d gone straight for the top.

Up ahead she saw the other two climbers finish their ascent and alight onto the gantries above. It seemed that the black-clad boy finally decided it was time to fight, and she could see them trading punches as she went up.

It didn’t take long for Codi to make it to the upper reaches and she at last got to place her feet on something solid that bridged the empty space in the middle of the arena. The walkways were little more than ladders lying flat, still with plenty of scope for falling, but at least she wouldn’t have to cling to the wall with her hands.

She scrambled up to the level above where the other two fought, and came face to face with a girl clad in a bright green exoskeleton. Codi dropped into her fighting stance, hands loose, knees bent and muscles ready to spring. Her opponent came forward, effortlessly moving along the bars of the gantry, and Codi moved to meet her.

They went toe to toe for the longest time, fighting with almost diametrically opposed styles. This girl moved like a professional, her attacks rigidly encoded with something approaching etiquette. Meanwhile, Codi went in like a street-fighter, taking the hits she knew were coming while dishing out what she could. For every hook or jab she landed the girl returned a chop or kick. Codi’s mind raced as she tried to find some weakness, some way to break the deadlock.

She needn’t have bothered.

All of a sudden a shape landed on the gantry behind the green-armoured girl and Codi’s eyes widened in apprehension when it stood up to its full height. Her opponent half turned before Dustin Morto grabbed her by the scruff of her exoskeleton and flung her screaming into empty space.

Then Codi found herself alone, face to face with the most dangerous fighter in the Mayhem. She swallowed hard. Morto met her gaze, smacked a clenched fist twice into his palm, and then advanced across the walkway towards her. Codi held her ground. She’d never backed down from a fight before, and now sure as hell wasn’t going to be the first time.

Despite his size, Morto didn’t present a large target when he moved in to attack, his body side on to her, hands tucked in close. A long jab snaked out with speed that belayed his size, and Codi only just knocked it aside. His other hand came in next, and she ducked, and then his knee crashed into her left side.

She gritted her teeth as the exoskeleton took the brunt of the blow, and being well set in her stance she kept her balance. However, Morto wasn’t about to let up. Codi kept her hands up like a boxer as he forced her backwards, delivering blows to her midsection and sides. She protected her head as best she could and tried to ride out the storm, but a low spinning kick smacked her right leg out from under her.

The force made her turn, and when she managed to plant her feet again she was teetering on the left hand edge of the gantry. With a growl of exertion she bent backwards and kicked with her legs, flipping over Morto’s follow up kick and landing in a similar position on the walkway’s opposite side. He swung a right hook for her head and she only had a split second to get out of the way. Unbalanced as she was, there was only one thing she could do.

Codi stepped back and dropped off the walkway catching the edge with her fingertips as she fell. Then with the strength of desperation she swung back to gain momentum before flinging herself into empty space. The lower walkway approached with alarming speed, and she stretched out her right hand to grab it. Her fingers closed around the bar and her shoulder wrenched painfully as her freefall came to an abrupt end.

She’d only just managed to clamber up onto the gantry when a shuddering impact heralded Morto’s arrival from above. Codi threw up both hands in X-shape to block a powerful spinning kick aimed for her head, but without time to properly set the impact knocked her back and off the gantry. She managed to adjust her body position in order to catch the edge again, but this time there was nothing below except a stomach churning fall and the gravitic netting.

Morto raised a foot to stamp down on her hand and dislodge her for good, and a hollow feeling of helplessness surged through her. She didn’t have time to move, to swing away. This was it.

But before Morto could bring his foot down something cannoned into him from behind, sending him tumbling forwards. Codi watched in amazement as the huge fighter fought to keep his balance before falling flat, catching either side of the walkway with his hands. Looking the other way she saw the black-clad boy standing hands akimbo, eyes wide as he took deep breaths.

Morto had already recovered, levering himself back up into a fighting stance and advancing on the new threat. He ignored Codi and went straight in, hammering the other boy with a hail of fists and eventually kicking him in the gut to send him sprawling.

Codi desperately hauled herself back onto the gantry, eyes locked on Dustin Morto’s massive back. Throwing caution to the winds she took three leaping steps and threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his legs and tackled him off the gantry.

He must have managed to grab on because the next thing she knew Codi found herself dangling once again over the sickening drop, clinging on to her opponent’s heavily muscled legs. She felt him flailing, trying to kick her loose, but she wasn’t about to let go without a fight.

Then something went flying past her, and it took Codi a moment to register to the tumbling form of a Gauntlet fighter in the livery of the Battlecast Academy. The body fell away from her until it struck the gravitic netting far below, and the next instant the klaxon screeched.

Codi’s mouth opened in shock. Had she really just heard that? Craning her neck, she looked up and saw the girl from Orion standing with her arms folded two levels above. Morto had stopped kicking to free himself, now just dangling from the lowest gantry. The roar of the crowd surged back into prominence.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” boomed the announcer. “The winners of Mayhem 10!”

As applause and cheering answered the declaration, the black-clad boy who’d saved her tournament made his way across the gantry to the dangling pair. He looked down, grinning.

“Well, well, well,” he laughed. “Looks like you two could use a hand.”