Lady luck certainly seemed to be smiling on Codi today. She almost couldn’t contain herself when she found out that her fight with Cassandra Riven would be conducted with the quarterstaff weapon system. Not only did it let her unleash her strongest skill set, but it also largely negated the other girl’s vicious close-quarters aptitude. So as she circled, the crowd roaring in her ears, Codi allowed herself a fleeting smile.

Facing an older, more experienced opponent, however, she checked any impulse to engage recklessly. Riven may not have been in her element, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous. Not only that, but if Codi managed to win this fight then she would most likely secure her place in the knockout stages.

Her fight against Yuri Drevok, the boy from Ursa Major Academy, had gone by the book. Vasco’s coaching and a full day of specific preparation to deal with a wrestling opponent paid dividends as she picked him apart with a kind of precision she didn’t even know she had. Staying out of reach, delivering thunderous volleys of punches; by the end of the half hour time limit Drevok had barely landed a hit and the judges had scored Codi as the unanimous victor.

She thought there would be more of a feeling of elation, of accomplishment. After all, that win had been her first one-on-one victory that she could take one hundred percent credit for. But it just didn’t feel that way. Maybe it was because it hadn’t even seemed all that difficult to beat him. He was too slow; his style had played to her strengths. She had been in complete control from the moment the fight started.

Things were different now, however. Codi met the steely eyes of her opponent as they edged back and forth, sizing each other up. The boots of her exoskeleton slithered across the smooth marble of the arena floor. Even the individual bouts had been livened up with bizarre scenery, in this case a kind of ancient castle interior, with staircases, balustrades, pillars and balconies that either fighter could use.

Riven took a step forward, her staff lashing out. Codi parried away to her left then thrust out with both hands, aiming the end of her own weapon at her opponent’s throat. Riven jerked her head back out of reach with inches to spare, and then stepped back, resetting her footing. The sizing up began again.

Acutely aware of the crowd watching her every manoeuvre, Codi couldn’t shake the feeling that things were getting dull. Despite what Vasco had told them all with regard to putting on a show, she wanted – she needed – to generate some kind of response from the crowd. When she’d kicked Arvin Lee into empty space in her Mayhem the screams of the spectators felt like a blast of adrenaline. And standing about waiting to be hit? That wasn’t her style.

Codi closed the distance them in two long shuffles and locked her staff against that of her opponent. Now in a bind, she let out a snarl of exertion and wrenched the other girl’s staff aside. In the same motion she lowered her head like a bull and leapt forward, ramming the other girl head to head.

She felt the satisfying jar of impact and when she jerked her head up again she was gratified to see Riven tumbling backwards. The girl rolled with the impact, however, coming to one knee a few yards further back with her staff held across her body. Then she shifted her footing slightly before launching into an upward leap.

As Riven went skywards Codi’s mind joined the dots. The girl was trying to get up and over her. Accordingly, she bunched her legs and jumped up to intercept.

The staffs clacked together, but Riven got the best of the exchange, twisting her body aside and laying a stinging elbow across Codi’s jaw as she flew by. Codi hit the ground on one knee, but she knew her opponent wouldn’t be wasting any time. She whirled and came to her feet, just in time to block a hammering downwards swipe and deflect it away from her head.

As Codi knocked the staff aside her opponent released her grip with one hand. She used the momentum, carried the weapon in a full circle and brought the butt slamming into Codi’s stomach.

A gasp of surprise escaped as the wind was driven from her body and she staggered back, trying to keep her stance intact. Riven landed another strike on the outside of her left knee and the limb buckled, dropping her back to one knee again. Codi lashed out with her staff to buy a precious instant of time, and then pushed backwards with her set leg as hard as she could. The exoskeleton boot found solid purchase on the floor and she propelled herself back and away from the next incoming swipe of Riven’s quarterstaff.

She hit the ground in a backward roll and came smoothly to her feet, her staff hanging loosely in one hand. Meeting Riven’s gaze again, Codi bared her teeth in a vicious smile. This was a fight.

Advancing more slowly, she kept eye contact every step of the way, staff still hanging in her right hand slightly behind. Riven stepped forward to meet her. As the other girl advanced Codi gave a deliberate opening in her left side. Mentally she braced herself: this was going to hurt.

Riven went for her right first, and she swept back out of reach, not bringing her staff into play yet. She ducked and dodged for a few seconds until her opponent finally took a swing at her left side. Grimacing, she stepped well into the range of the swing and exposed her ribs.

Riven’s staff smashed home with punishing force that sent lightning bolts of pain up and down Codi’s left side. With a snarl she snapped her left elbow back down again like a vice and trapped Riven’s staff against her body. Then she brought her own weapon around in a sweeping arc and clouted the other girl across the face.

Riven went head over heels from the force, rolling several times before she managed to clamber back to her feet. The staff was pulled free and Codi let out a gasp, her ribs throbbing from the impact. But the roar of the crowd swelled and she drank it in like nectar. And she saw Riven shaking her head to clear it, a large red welt already visible on her cheek from where the blow had landed. Codi gritted her teeth against the pain and pressed on, the crowd shrieking every step of the way.

The pair set about belabouring each other with blows for several minutes, each giving as good as they received. They stepped, parried, swung, thrust, punched and kicked in a storm of disciplined violence and before long Codi ached all over. She could see in Riven’s eyes that the other girl was in no better shape. Technique began to fade and the fight degenerated into a desperate bludgeoning match. That suited Codi just fine.

Driving Riven backwards, she manoeuvred her opponent towards the large pyramidal staircase that protruded up from the centre of the arena. She took another solid hit to her already aching ribs, but replied in kind with a crunching thrust into Riven’s chest-plate. Her adversary stumbled backwards and ended up mounting the bottom stairs. They battled their way upward, but as they went Codi made the realisation that without the high ground she was at a serious disadvantage. As Riven reset her feet and flung her staff out in a broad arc, Codi made her move.

Planting her staff dangerously against the stair in front, she used it like a vaulting pole and jumped, levering herself up and over Riven to land around halfway up the staircase. She spun around instantly and unleashed a two-handed hammer blow down on the girl’s upheld staff. The strike hit with bone-jarring force and snapped Riven’s weapon clean in two.

For a moment they both stood there, stunned. The quarterstaffs were designed with only so much impact tolerance, and with the added force delivered by the reinforcing servos of the exoskeleton it was possible to break them. Codi just didn’t think she’d be able to. However, she reacted first and began hurling attack after attack at her reeling adversary.

Using the two halves, Riven defended as best she could, but she was already off balance. She tried to back down the stairs and make it to level ground, but had to unbalance herself to avoid taking another strike to the face. Seeing her opponent teetering backwards, Codi abandoned all finesse and dove forward, spearing Riven in the midriff.

She hit with such force that both fighters flew horizontally almost twenty feet before descending and crashing into the solid marble floor. Landing on top, Codi had the benefit of a cushion in the form of Riven’s body. Bringing her intact quarterstaff around, Codi jammed it against the girl’s windpipe, pinning one of Riven’s arms to the floor with her left knee.

With her free arm flailing uselessly, Riven could only struggle in vain to escape, her breath coming in choking rasps against the bulk of the staff. Codi saw her opponent’s face go crimson and a moment of panic flashed through her. This was it; she’d won, but why hadn’t the judges let the klaxon sound. If they waited much longer she’d end up killing this girl.

Tears began streaming out of Riven’s eyes and she went limp, her gaze begging for release. A surge of revulsion roiled through Codi’s body and she instantly pulled her staff away, releasing the pressure on the girl’s throat. Riven rolled onto her side, sobbing for breath, clutching her throat with both hands.

Codi stood and took a step back, the staff falling from her hands as she watched, horrified. What the hell had she just done? The klaxon finally sounded, but she wasn’t thinking about that anymore. The roar of the crowd now filled her with disgust, not energy.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the winner from Brax-Delta Academy, Codi James!” the announcer’s voice bellowed out over the arena, but Codi barely heard it, her eyes still locked on Riven’s writhing form. She clapped a hand over her mouth, sickened at her own conduct in the fight. Was this what she’d really signed up to do? Eventually she tore her gaze away as the Gauntlet medical staff came clattering out onto the arena floor to attend the downed fighter.

Codi squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the urge to vomit.

***

She’d hidden away from everybody after winning the fight against Cassandra Riven. Vasco informed her that she hadn’t caused any serious injury, and that her conduct was well within the rules, but that didn’t make her feel any better. The image of a girl no more than a year older than her almost choking to death haunted her mind’s eye.

Codi sat at the desk in her little dorm, kicking her heels despondently. By rights she should have been ecstatic. Unless by some miracle one of the others managed to beat Varlin she had secured her place in the knockout rounds of the tournament. But all she could think about was the feeling just before she’d pulled her staff away from Cassandra Riven’s throat.

She’d been enjoying every second of the fight up to then, and that fact, now that she had a chance to stop and examine it, made her uneasy. Enjoying winning was one thing, but enjoying inflicting pain was quite another. She leaned her elbows heavily on the desk, digging the fingers of both hands into fists in her hair. For once this was something she really did want to talk about.

But with who? Max? He wouldn’t understand. Vasco? He already had enough on his plate getting the others ready for their fights. She might have opened up to Barrow, but he was a million miles away.

Who did that leave her?

She stood up, grabbed her hoody and set off into the halls of the Gauntlet arena. Winding her way down the ramps she passed through the fighters’ lobby, weaving through the small handful of competitors examining the tables to the cafeteria. Her gaze darted around the room until she found who she was looking for.

Kye sat alone, digging into an impressive late night mountain of food without a care in the world. Codi hesitated for a moment. Was this really her best option? Yes, he was a stranger, but he was also one of the few people she felt comfortable talking to. Taking a deep breath she crossed the room and sat down beside him.

He looked at her when she sat down, and when she couldn’t think of a good way to start the conversation he did instead.

“How’s it going?”

Codi managed a shrug. “I’m alright.”

Kye gave her a quizzical look. “I thought you qualified for the knockouts today?”

“Yeah…” She shifted awkwardly. “How’d you do?”

“Okay, I guess. Won one; lost one. But big Dustin’s out of the way so maybe I can sneak through my next round.” Again, she couldn’t think of a way to segue the discussion into what was bothering her. The discomfort must have been obvious because after a few seconds of silence Kye nudged her. “Seriously, you okay?”

Codi looked at him, on knee beginning to bounce nervously as she thought through her decision a second time. Did she even have the right to drop her problems on him? It wasn’t his job to help her. Hell, he might be thrilled that she’d shaken herself up. At the end of the day they were not working together. Only one person could win the Gauntlet. But the sickening sensation she’d felt during the fight with Riven had not faded and she needed to unload the burden onto someone. A strange thought crossed her mind. Did she trust this boy? That would be a first.

“Right, now I know something’s up,” Kye chuckled. “I’ve never seen you stuck for words. You’re usually the biggest smartass around. Well, excluding me of course.”

Codi glanced around. “Can we…can we talk somewhere else?”

“I don’t see why not. What’s up?”

“I’ve just got something I need to get off my chest.”

Kye gave her a perplexed frown. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why talk to me?”

“I just…” her voice trailed off when she realised she couldn’t give him a good reason. “I don’t know.” She bit her lip then stood up. “You’re right. Sorry I asked.” She made to leave but a soft grip caught her arm and tugged her back.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” he said. “I know that feeling when you need to just unload on somebody. I’m a pretty good listener. I know a couple of places round here.” He took a huge bite from his sandwich and stood, nudging her with one elbow. “C’mon.”

Following Kye through the corridors, Codi took a long, steadying breath and buried her hands into her hoody pockets as she tried to formulate what she would say. How could she explain the leaden feeling in her stomach?

He led her through the corridors to the main elevator, but he punched a floor she hadn’t been to yet. It was one of the lower levels of the academy. The lurching of her stomach paid testament to just how deep they were going. When the doors opened again, Codi’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

“Wow.”

“Yeah, it’s something isn’t it?” Kye grinned.

They stood on a long corrugated metal gantry and opening out in an endless expanse before them was a veritable forest of machines. Cylinders the size of cars rose and fell, powering immense cube shaped furnaces. Far below on the factory floor Codi could see the ant-like shapes of men and women scuttling back and forth. Lumbering six-wheeled vehicles moved parts from machine to machine in a hive of organised chaos.

“What is this?” Codi breathed.

“It’s the engineering levels,” he answered. “Where they rebuilt the arena constructs. They get contracted with other deals as well, I think. Just kind of shows you how big this whole thing is.” He turned to face her, leaning one elbow on the gantry rail. “So what is it you wanted to talk about?”

Codi took hold of the rail, not looking at him as she spoke. “Did you see my fight today?”

“Sorry, didn’t get a chance. I checked the tables though.”

“It just…wasn’t quite how I imagined getting through to the knockouts.” She hung her head. “I know it’s meant to be vicious here, part of the course, but they almost let me kill that girl. And I almost didn’t stop.” Codi looked up at him. Kye’s expression had softened from its usual mischievous glint, but he simple nodded.

“Go on.”

“I had her beaten and I barely even noticed I was choking her to death,” she blurted out. “I was enjoying what I was doing and it scares me!”

“Hey.” Kye put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “I know you feel like you overstepped some kind of line, but trust me, it’s not your fault. They put on a show, they tell you to fight, and you did just that.”

“That’s not the problem.”

“You can’t beat yourself up about this.”

“Can’t I?” She slapped the rail with one hand. “I was watching myself choke the life out of her. That was all me.”

“It’s a product of what they do here,” Kye persisted. “If you spend months learning to fight and fighting to win, you’re going to start taking things to extremes.” He cocked his head to one side. “Is the girl okay?”

“Apparently.” Codi shrugged. “But she had to go to the medical wing.”
“Not the first and I’ll bet my teeth she won’t be the last.” He smiled at her. “I think you’ve missed something pretty important.”

“And what would that be?”

“Codi, the fact you’re here, talking to me; the fact we’re even having this conversation shows that you know you did something wrong. Self awareness is more important than you think.”

Her features crumpled with confusion. On the one hand she could see his point, but it didn’t make her feel better. Knowing she’d done wrong didn’t change the fact that she had done it. But Kye wasn’t finished yet.

“So when you were doing this heinous deed, you realised and stopped yourself, right?”

“Well…yeah, eventually.”

“You ought to give yourself more credit.” The mischief returned to his smile. “For one, they would never have let you kill her. They like their violence here but if a competitor actually died…well that’d sour the audience view a little. We’re all just kids here Codi. It’s a sport not a bloodbath.”

“I know that,” she snapped more harshly than she wanted to. But Kye was undeterred.

“This feeling you’ve got, you’re not the only one to be there. The Gauntlet is brutal, especially at this stage.” He laid a hand on her shoulder and stepped closer, forcing her to look into his twinkling brown eyes. “That little bit of disgust, that little bit of self doubt, that thing that’s knotting your stomach right now: that’s what makes you human. So don’t try shut it out. Embrace it and use it to remind yourself that no matter what you do out in that arena, you’re still you. Okay?”

The words sank in through several seconds of silence. Codi pressed her lips tightly together, holding Kye’s stare. His small speech threw her actions into a different light and she felt the tension inside her ease. Taking a deep breath she looked at the floor and nodded.

“Okay,” she said huskily.

“Right then.” Kye reached forward and tapped her under the chin. She looked up into his irrepressible features. “So cheer up. Tomorrow you can come cross your fingers and watch me try not get my ass kicked.”