by Logan Jacobs
“And you were there, and you were there, and you were there,” I said and laughed, then grimaced. My back was sore as hell and laughing made my ribs feel like someone was tickling me… with punches.
“Yes, we were all there,” Artemis replied quizzically. “Except Grizz and Aurora. They were not there. They were here.”
“Movie,” was all I could croak out through the laugh-pain.
“Ah, classic, Havak,” she said with a shake of her head.
“So, what happened after I decided to take a nap?” I asked. “Cause that’s what I did. Nap. Not pass out. Just so you all know.”
Artemis patted my head. It was more than slightly patronizing and adorable.
“The Council of Nine No Ones--” She started to answer.
“Which is only five people,” I interrupted. “But I guess when you have a cool name like that, math takes a back seat.”
“Yes,” Artemis continued as if I hadn’t spoken, “the council appointed the empty seat to Fallon. She now controls all of Irrus’ territory. Baba-Tadao is her second.”
“She’s got a hell of a job ahead of her,” I said.
“Agreed,” Grizz said as he came over to my bed. “She will need to weed out all those loyal to Irrus. Those who abuse the power they have. Who seek bloodshed for bloodshed’s sake.”
“I’ll manage,” I heard the familiar purr from the doorway.
“Goddamnit! Will you stop with that?” I yelled over to Fallon with a smile. As per usual she’d seemed to materialize from out of nowhere.
“No,” she replied with a smile of her own and walked into the room. “Baba and I are giving those who thought Irrus’ way of doing things was the right way a choice. Swear loyalty to me and do things my way, or, leave our territory and never ever set foot in it again. It’s been about fifty fifty.”
“If you need any help wrangling up stragglers,” Nova said as she set her cannon part down on a desk and stood. “Let me know. There are one or two that I’d like to have a word with. And by word I mean beat them to bloody pulps.”
“Yeah, we kinda got that, Nova,” I said.
The orange-skinned warrior woman came over and kissed me gently on the lips. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. Don’t ever do it again.”
“Can’t make any promises,” I muttered between our kiss.
“Fair enough,” she said and sat back down in her chair.
“Oh, when did he wake up?” Aurora asked as she yawned and stretched in her chair. Apparently bedside vigil wardrobe for her consisted of a light pink teddy and matching thigh-high boots. The stretch pulled everyone's attention to all the magnificent curves of her body, and she stopped just as it looked like her incredible breasts were going to spring free from the thin piece of material that covered them.
The space vampire lazily walked over and kissed me as well.
“Don’t forget your promise to behave like animals with me,” she whispered as she bit my lip, and I adjusted my blankets just a little to keep from pitching a tent in the middle of my bed.
“How long have I been out?” I asked as I felt my stomach rumble.
“Eighteen hours, forty-two minutes and twelve seconds,” Artemis rattled off. “Not that I was counting or anything.”
“Oh, son of a bitch, I missed it,” I heard PoLarr as she walked into the room, her arms full of takeout food boxes. “I wanted to watch the surprise on his face when he realized he wasn’t dead.”
She set the boxes down on the same desk that Nova had set her cannon parts, hopefully we wouldn’t get them confused, and hugged me.
“Can’t wait to get caught up on the memory the next time we Soul Exchange,” she said with a quick kiss and then began to hand food out to everyone.
“What’s that?” I couldn't help but ask.
“Oh, a byproduct of Soul Gazing,” She said through a mouthful of delicious looking noodles in thick, red sauce. “As long as both of us are still alive every so often our consciousness will get an update, like new software releases.”
“Sure, why not,” I said simply. “Makes sense. Where’s mine?”
PoLarr looked a little guilty.
“Um, we didn’t get you any,” she said and swallowed quickly.
“Okay, that’s it,” I said and started to get up. “I don’t want to spend the rest of the day in the med bay. We’re taking this little shin-dig to the apartment. I’m telling Woodhouse to make four large, New York style pizzas with extra cheese. You all already have food.”
“Marc, you really shouldn’t…” Artemis started and then stopped herself. She knew better. Once I had an idea in my head, I could be very stubborn. “Fine. But tonight you sleep in the regen pod.”
“Deal,” I responded and swung my legs out over the edge of the bed. As I started to stand I realized I was quite naked. “Um. What happened to my clothes?”
All I got were mock innocent looks from the ladies.
“On that note, Marc,” Fallon said as she moved to the door, “I must take a rain check. Irrus depleted just about all of the gang’s resources in his vendetta against you. Which is quite over, by the way. You will get no more trouble from us or anyone on the Council of Nine No Ones. We will leave you to your championing in peace. But if you ever need anything. Anything at all. You can call on me, and I will be there. Feel free to drop by now and then in the meantime.”
“Someone likes the fabled cat-bird seat--” I started to say, but she was already gone. “How the fuck does she do that?”
“Trust me,” Grizz said as he looked after her, “they never tell, Marc. They never tell.”
I wanted to ask him what more there was to that, but it was a story for another time.
Artemis helped me get dressed, I was still crazy sore, and my body looked like one giant bruise. The claw marks on my back were still ragged, red and angry but were going to make killer scars soon. I was happy to wear them as a trophy.
We walked as one giant group out of the Hall of Champions to more than a couple cheers from our fellow combatants. Team Havak was apparently a favorite. A hovervan was waiting as we got to the curb, and we made good time to my apartment. I called Woodhouse on the way so that my pizza pies were just getting out of the oven when we all walked through the door.
It took me a second to realize that in my absence the apartment had grown again. The kitchen and living room had been expanded considerably and upgraded. Woodhouse was now able to motor around the kitchen without fear of hitting anything with his multiple arms. And the living room could easily seat ten people comfortably on the large sectional couch and several recliner chairs that sat aesthetically in front of my even larger view screen wall.
As we all walked in and everyone began to make themselves comfortable, I noticed that I now had two extra bedrooms as well.
“I have a Tardis apartment,” I said to no one in particular. “That’s fucking cool.”
“I do not know who Tardis is,” Artemis said, “but your apartment’s spatial program is connected to the Hall of Champions mainframe. Everytime you survive or win a match it keeps a tally and you ‘level up’ so to speak when you hit a certain milestone. I believe you are officially Silver Tier now.”
“That is excellent news, Artemis,” Grizz said as he materialized in my living room. He wore what I assume was casual on his world; loincloth, no leggings, sandals, and that was all. To be fair, he did look very relaxed. He even brought a six pack of holographic beer. “I’m not overdressed am I?”
“No, Grizz, you are…” I stammered for a moment, “…you are perfect.”
“Good,” he said relieved as he popped a top on a beer and sat on my couch, “I didn’t know how humans like to unwind so I went with caution.”
“And I thank you,” I said. Woodhouse delivered the pizza and sat it on my large coffee table.
I grabbed a slice, folded it, and took a massive bite. The salty cheese and sweetness of the sauce hit my taste buds like a flavor train taking me to flavortown where
I would be named mayor. Before I knew it I had killed three gigantic slices as I stood hunched over the coffee table. I looked up and saw everyone staring at me.
“Um, you guys want some?” I offered and grabbed another slice. Most everyone did and soon they were all moaning at the glorious goodness that is New York-style pizza.
“Woodhouse?” I called over to my eight armed, cylindrical, robot butler.
“Yes, sir, how may I be of assistance?” He asked with a whir of servos and motors.
“One, the pizza is spectacular,” I gushed.
“Thank you, sir, I was able to synthesize the exact ratio of pollutants native to Manhattan tap water,” he responded gleefully.
“Great,” I continued, “two, can you que up 300 on the big screen?”
“Immediately, sir,” he said in his adorable British robot voice.
The room darkened and the seventy inch screen came to life.
“What is happening right now?” PoLarr asked a bit dismayed.
“Oh, don’t worry, sugar,” Aurora drawled as she pulled her feet up underneath her and snuggled into the couch with a piece of pizza in her hand. “This is called a movie.”
“Right!” PoLarr broke in as a memory flooded into her brain. “They are stories and tales from Earth. Some are true. Most are made up. They are very entertaining and just about Marc’s favorite thing ever.”
“Next to you all,” I threw out just as there was a high trilling noise from my bedroom.
“Sir,” Woodhouse said. “You have a call from someone who just identifies as The President. Capital letter T and capital letter P. I’ve taken the liberty to route it to your bedroom.”
“Oh, shit, okay,” I said taken off guard. “Thanks Woodhouse. Ya’ll go ahead and start the movie. I’ve seen it. Like twelve times.”
I rushed into my bedroom and sat at the foot of my bed as a small screen appeared on my wall in front of me. Sure enough there was the President of the United States of America in all his glory. He sat in the Oval office and was in the middle of what looked like a taco salad.
“Oh, Marc, there you are, thanks for calling,” he said in his very distinctive voice. I didn’t bother correcting the fact that he had actually called me. Tomato toe-mah-to.
“Sure thing, Mr. President, to what do I owe the honor?” I asked as I snuck the last bite of my pizza into my mouth.
“Oh, it is an honor, isn’t it?” he asked and took a bite of his own food. To be fair, it looked pretty damn tasty. “I just wanted to let you know that you are doing a stellar, terrific, just terrific job. You know that. I know that. The world knows it. It’s a fact.”
“Well, thank you sir,” I said with a smile. He was the most powerful man on Earth but he cracked me the hell up.
“Because of your recent spectacular job, really great, great, job,” he continued, “Earth got a bunch of great new gadgets and gizmos and computery type things. Like this.”
He held up what looked like an old school gameboy but what I recognized as a vital sign scanner. It was like a CAT scan, MRI, and non-body cavity invasive physical rolled into one.
“It’s a-ah, um, a thing, that does…” He struggled to find the words.
“It’s a medical scanner, dad,” his daughter said from off camera. She snuck around and crowded into the frame. “Hi, Marc.”
“Hi, nice to see you,” I said to her with a cocky grin. The President’s daughter totally had a thing for me, and I totally had a thing for her, too.
“Yes, yes, medical scanner. I knew that. That’s what I said,” he corrected himself. “Oh, and we now have food that doesn’t make you fat. Not just ice cream, but none of our food makes you fat. Not cake. Not double Quarter-Pounders with cheese. None of it. Can you believe that? Soon all the women on the planet are going to be perfect tens. Every single one. Hardbodies, Marc.”
“Sounds a little boring, if I’m being honest, sir,” I had to admit. Variety, spice of life and all that.
“Nonsense, it’s going to be great, just great,” he countered.
“I guess there won’t be any heart disease or diabetes either,” I said impressed. That would actually be really great.
“Oh, yeah, yeah, that too,” The President waved as if he was brushing something away. A button on his medical scanner began to blink violently. “Oh, there’s an incoming call, gotta take this, Marc. You understand. I’m The President. Very important. Keep the cool stuff coming, son. POTUS out.”
And my screen went dead before I could tell him that wasn’t his phone. When I looked up, I saw Grizz standing in my doorway.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I did not mean to interrupt your conversation with the King of your planet,” Grizz said as he started to walk away.
“Grizz,” I called and stopped him. “We were done. Did you need something? I don’t think I have any more holographic beer.”
“No, Havak,” he started, and I could tell he was struggling to tell me something. “I was wondering if I could have a moment?”
“Yes, of course, Grizz,” I said and motioned for him to come in. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to say,” he started, and I could feel the emotion as it welled up inside of him. “I wanted to say thank you. When they brought me back on line, it was quite the shock to realize that not only was I dead, but that my loved ones had been gone for quite some time as well. Those that remained of my family were great-great-great grandchildren who had only heard about me in legend. My spouse. My children. They were gone. It was a pain that I would not like to endure again. It took me a long time before I did not wish to be erased. When Irrus stole away with Nova and Artemis I felt that soul searing pain once again, and I dismayed that they would be gone, and I would have yet more holes in my heart.”
He took a moment to take a breath. I sat silently for him to finish. In awe of the holographic man that stood before me. I knew plenty of flesh and blood males who couldn’t be this honest.
“You did what I could not,” he started again with a deep breath. “You returned my family to me. Like I knew you would. And for that you have my eternal gratitude.”
Once again I wanted to hug the big idiot but the bounds of light and physics prevented that from happening. So I did the next best thing.
“Grizz,” I said as I met his eyes, “you are welcome. I would do it a hundred times over. They are my family too.”
“I know they are, Marc,” he said, “And I believe that is what sets you apart from so many other champions and why you have emerged victorious while others have fallen. You have something precious to fight for.”
“That I do, Grizz,” I said and choked back tears of my own. “Now, does this mean you are going to be nicer to me during training?”
“Ha!” He scoffed and laughed. “Please, you are still slow, weak, and ridiculously ineffective as a warrior. I shall push you even harder now.”
“There he is,” I said quietly. “Thanks, Grizz.”
He nodded at me with a grin on his face which was replaced quickly by his trademark eyebrow raise and then walked back into the living room where I heard Gerard Butler as King Leonidas bellow “This is Sparta!”
“Oh!” Nova yelled out a second later and burst into laughter. “Now I get it. Ha! Very funny, Marc. Very funny.”
I stood and looked out at everyone lounged in my living room. Nova’s laughter spread around the room and soon everyone chuckled.
My family laughed together, and it was music to my ears.
End of book 2
End Notes
Hey! Thanks for reading Arena 2. Did you like the book? If so, leave a review right here. Thanks! You are awesome!
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Logan Jacobs
