The Bloodlust: (Volume Three of the Virion Series)

by R. L. M. Sanchez

  “We now have every unit type on the field as The Stranger lays down a Level 9 Techmage Sgt. Cruze! I haven’t seen that one in a while, Arnie! That puts her at a commanding score of thirty-four. Let’s see what Peyton can do to counter it!”

  “A well-balanced deck, I’ll give you that,” Peyton smiled, “but how fare your Force cards?” Peyton threw down another card.

  “Whoa, watch out, Sybil! Peyton throws down an Electronic Anomaly Force card, completely flipping that Techamge around! That’s going to knock her Techmage down to a strength of one, bringing her overall score to twenty-six, giving the lead back to Peyton by one measly point!”

  “Well, it looks like these guys can play defense as well. With each of them at six cards now, I’m wondering who’s going to break first, Arnie.”

  Kimmy looked at her hand and saw multiple ways to push Peyton over but, depending on which she chose, her decision could impact the next round, whether she won the first or not. She tapped her Leader card on the table.

  “Oh, and she chooses not to go for another card but activate her Leader’s ability!”

  “Now, Arnie, Leader abilities can only be used once per match, but sometimes that’s all you need. Her Alistair Variant is going to double every Assault unit’s strength that she has fielded, raising that Assault Marine to a whopping sixteen, bringing her score to thirty-four! Shit, son!”

  “Damn, Kim, I didn’t think you’d have the audacity to blow your Leader ability so quickly,” Peyton said as he looked at the board. Kimmy was still bitter at his confidence still not wavering. “I’m guessing you thought I would roll over and let you have the round to save my cards? Power is what wins Sol-Fate, pure strength of the units.” Peyton moved a card from his hand to the field, causing many spectators to roar in excitement.

  “Watch out, watch out, watch out!” Arnie shouted. “Peyton just threw down a Level 15 Space Angel Major Dan, the first Hero Card we’ve seen all night, everybody!”

  “Man, the Hero cards are what bring in a crowd! Produced in the most limited numbers and costing thousands if not millions of credits!”

  “Remember, Hero cards are not affected by strength-altering Force cards and will stand tall on the field until the round is over! Great play by Peyton, he now owns the field with an overall score of forty-two!”

  “Well, Arnie, they’ve put up a hell of a battle, do we even dare think of how The Stranger will continue to fight back?”

  Kimmy looked to the field, seeing a never-ending power struggle. If she kept going, one of them would go too far to combat the other and she wasn’t entirely sure which would be the one to do so. She sneered at Peyton as she hovered her hand over a holographic yellow orb off to the right before closing her fist, shattering the hologram.

  “Well played, Peyton,” she groaned, barely able to do so.

  “And The Stranger passes the round, leaving Peyton winning at one to zero!” Arnie shouted. “Someone had to lose, right Sybil?!”

  “The Stranger has her work cut out for her now, Arnie. She has to win the next two rounds to win the tournament and Peyton only needs one more. But she does start the next round with six cards to her hand while Peyton only five after that last Hero card play, and that may give her the edge she needs.”

  “True, Sybil, but Peyton does still have his Leader ability from his ENF Spirit, which will rally every Destroyer outside of his hand straight from his deck, assuming he has at least one Destroyer in his current hand. A dangerous ability if your deck is built for it.”

  “A coupe de grace, for sure, something a player would rather not waste early on. But then again, we don’t know what The Stranger still has in her hand, maybe something that will surprise us?”

  “We’ll just have to wait and see as we go into the next round between these two cunning players, Sybil.”

  “Shit!” Dill shouted as he stood from his stool. “Bastard had a ridiculous hand!”

  McKenna looked at the broadcast, feeling completely powerless as Kimmy lost the first round. He looked to Speakeasy who was biting his nails.

  “Speak, what can she do?” McKenna said.

  “Not much, I’m afraid. It’s all down to whatever she can muster from her hand. I never could have predicted Peyton would have such a powerful deck! And now he has Kimmy’s card to boot…”

  Humphries peered at the broadcast, his eyes beginning to glow red. “I suggest we blast our way into the room and destroy her opponent until he ceases to draw breath, ensuring her victory.”

  “That’s not how it works, mate,” Dill said, shaking his head. “This isn’t the AI uprising, there are rules here.”

  Humphries squinted. “I make my own rules…”

  “Humphries, calm down,” McKenna said. “We’ll just have to wait. It’s all we can do. We have to trust her.”

  “A new round and a clear field, as all the played cards go to the discard pile and out of future play,” Arnie said. “Both player scores have been reverted to zero and The Stranger starts off with six cards to her hand while Peyton holds on to five. Let’s see what she goes with first.”

  “She puts down a Level 10 Captain Rodger Compass Hero card, a good score to start off with but I just know Peyton has something to fire back with,” Sybil said, leaning forward in her chair.

  “And he does with a rare one! Another Hero card and it’s a Level 15 Marshal Kazan! Now, remember everybody, Marshal cards are neutral and can be fielded with any faction but the rarity alone. Whoa! That Stranger will have a hard time getting around that card.”

  “That puts Peyton ahead by five points. Let’s watch the counter by The Stranger. She can’t falter one bit if she wants to beat Peyton.”

  “You’ve been busy, Peyton,” Kimmy said. “How many of those cards are stolen, I wonder?”

  “You’re going to lecture me on good deeds, Hatter? Let’s see what else you have in that dwindling hand.”

  “You’re one to talk, Peyton. Four cards left. Let’s hope the remaining are as powerful as the last.”

  “Let’s find out,” Peyton smiled.

  “And here goes The Stranger moving her hand to the table,” Sybil said. “And we have a Level 10 Hellcat VT Assault card. Nice choice to get back in the lead, Stranger sitting at a score of twenty.”

  “And there’s Peyton quick to follow with a Scout Air Drone, but at a Level 3?! Is Peyton not able to combat with the heavy hitters anymore?”

  “It’s looking like he’s used them all up in the quick battles before! Is this the end for Peyton?!”

  “No, a lucky break, Sybil! The Stranger fields a Frontline Marine card at a measly Level 2!”

  “Look at this! Peyton throws down a Level 6 Corvette Cruiser, bringing his score to twenty-four, overtaking The Mysterious Stranger!”

  “Did you enjoy your lead, Kim? I couldn’t resist toying with you. Seeing you so vulnerable is just—”

  “You realize whether I win or lose, I’m still going to kick your ass, right?!” Kimmy growled as she threw down another card.

  “A Level 9 XFM-47 Zilant!” Arnie shouted. “The Mysterious Stranger is back in the lead with thirty-one to her name! These players are toying with each other now! If one of them knows they can win, they’re hiding it, just hiding it, damn it! They want to grind the other into the dirt in shame!”

  “I can’t believe it myself! Both The Stranger and Peyton are down to only two cards! This is exceptional!”

  “All right, Kim, that’s it! I’ll show my teeth now!” Peyton hovered his hand over his Leader card.

  “And Peyton activates his ENF Spirit Leader ability, holy shit!” Arnie yelled. The crowds formed throughout the complex were all on their toes, cheering and chanting. “But does he have a Destroyer in his hand?!” Peyton revealed a Level 10 Arclight Destroyer from his hand, sending the crowds into an uproar.

  “By God!” Sybil shouted. “With the requirements met, he automatically pulls every Destroyer Air unit from his deck! One of the most overpowering yet lega
l abilities in Sol-Fate!” The field filled with four more Destroyers, each with a strength of ten. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! With the added Destroyers, Peyton stands at a colossal seventy-four player score next to The Stranger’s thirty-one! He had those beasts packed away in that deck?! How the hell will she get through that gap?!”

  “Well, your move, Kim,” Peyton smiled. “Even with two cards left, I doubt you can overcome seventy-four points. You can still walk away with respect and dignity, but the prestige will always be mine.” Kimmy looked to the yellow forfeit orb. Kimmy tried her best to keep her cool throughout the entire match, despite a few setbacks, and the fewer the cards were, the more nervous she got. She was heavily outmatched and wouldn’t be able to overtake Peyton through sheer force.

  “You know, Peyton, what is it they always say about what makes a great deck?”

  “Cut the shit, Kim. You know it’s about the most powerful cards you can get your hands on.”

  “Oh, I thought that once too, believe me. You see, my deck was tailored to that card you took and it looks like yours was as well, but with a heavy favor to Air units, throwing off your balance. See, I’d wager to say that as soon as you lifted my card, you packed as many Air units as you could get your greasy little rat paws on, didn’t you?”

  Peyton ground his teeth as his smile slowly faded. Kimmy pulled her second to last card from her hand.

  “If you must build your strength in one area, Peyton, you have to build your weaknesses as well.” Kimmy put the card on the table, sending an uproar to the crowd.

  “Oh, the humanity!” Sybil yelled. “An Ionic Storm Force card straight up his pooper! She’s crafty, she’s so crafty! That limits every Air unit on the field to just a strength of one, including her own, but she knows that more than anyone! Peyton’s score: twenty-two, Stranger’s: twenty-three! Unbelievable! Un-by-God-believable!”

  Peyton growled under his breath. They were both down to one card. Peyton could only guess what Kimmy’s final card was. Could it be another special card that granted her another draw, adding more cards to her hand? Or was it something that could be overpowered and end the match immediately? Peyton still saw that Kimmy was as calm as ever, not even flinching, and she wasn’t even wearing sunglasses. With so much at stake, he’d have to duel her in sudden death. He hovered his hand over his yellow orb and crushed it.

  “I guess I expected nothing less from the Hatter,” Peyton said.

  “And Peyton passes the round, bringing this match to a tie!” Sybil said. The crowd was roaring in excitement.

  “Let’s go, Stranger! Let’s go, Stranger!” the crowd clapped and chanted.

  “I never thought I’d see this excitement tonight, Arnie. This is truly stupendous! Both players have one card left. They must be unit cards to have any chance, but it’s going to be a quick round that comes down to the pure strength of the card.”

  “It all comes down to this, Sybil, the final cards of the final round of the final match. I just don’t know what to say. I’m pissing myself right now, just a little squirt!”

  “Hold it in, Arnie! Let’s see how the show ends!”

  The underground complex was completely silent as they all watched the broadcast, itching and waiting for the players to make their moves. Kimmy and Peyton were in a staring contest, both a mystery to the other.

  “Well, Peyton, this is it,” Kimmy said as she leaned back in her chair.

  “Still think you can win this?”

  “Win, lose, I’ll find a way to get what I need. I always do,” she smiled.

  “Hasker won’t let you leave this place until he has you for good. He’s trying to be subtle by taking your team out of The Games by legal means. Even if you somehow miraculously win in here, we’ll just get you in the other events. But, if I can beat you here…”

  “Poor Peyton. When are you going to realize you’re just another one of his tools? He doesn’t care about any of us, but I guess he even has uses for skunks like you.”

  “You never shut up, do you?”

  “Since this is technically a sudden death match, how about I let you go first? For old time’s sake?”

  “Giving up your first strike capability? Unwise.”

  “Hardly matters now, wouldn’t you say? Or maybe you were worried I might have a Force card where I can gain a few more cards offhand? Is that why you didn’t finish me off last round?” Peyton groaned, regretting his decision, but it was a justified risk. “Do it, Peyton.”

  Peyton put down his card slowly, his frown turning into a Cheshire grin, sharp and eerie. Kimmy looked at his remaining card, a Level 20 ENF Freedom Dreadnaught Hero card.

  “Oops,” Peyton chuckled. “You must have thought I had some sort of bluff going?”

  Kimmy couldn’t believe the card Peyton revealed. He had been busy during her absence, accumulating the rarest and strongest cards known in the game. There was only one thing left for her to do.

  “Good of you to keep a surprise until the very end,” she chuckled nervously. “You never know when you’ll need an ace in the hole. When you swiped my card, Peyton, you took my ace away from me.”

  “Still sore about losing your ace? Maybe you should get over it already, be a big girl and accept defeat. No unit is higher than level twenty, and I very much doubt you can best a tie.”

  “My ace…” she mumbled. Peyton shook his head as Kimmy leaned back in her chair. “I had a bond to that card. Tracking down Pax Rn’yan was an adventure. Probably the wisest Auroran I’d ever met. I made a big deal of winning his ENF Spirit. You could even say I was smug about it. Playing this match, here and now, I think the old Auroran had the ancient mythical power of foresight. He had to have seen this day from what he told me next. ‘Always have several aces in your deck.’”

  “Funny how his supposed foresight couldn’t save him in a simple card match with you,” Peyton grinned.

  “It could only have happened once, Peyton.”

  Kimmy laid down her card, seeing Peyton overcome with paralyzing shock. The announcers lit up as well as the crowds.

  “Level 20 Sky Marshal with Wing Pattern ability!” Arnie shouted. He and Sybil embraced each other and began bouncing in their seats.

  The card was equal in strength to Peyton’s; however, the card allowed Kimmy to draw any other Space Angel card from her deck, each with strength of ten. Kimmy had always been a fan of the Angels in the sky. She made every effort to collect every one of them. Her score quickly jumped from twenty to one hundred as all eight of the Space Angel cards appeared on the field. Peyton’s jaw dropped as buzzers sounded, indicating Peyton’s automatic defeat. Kimmy jumped out of her seat as Peyton froze, staring at the board, dumbstruck.

  “Yeah, bitch!” Kimmy shouted as she pointed at Peyton. Several camera drones, patrons, and reporters came rushing into the room, along with McKenna and the rest of the team. Kimmy shook many hands of reporters and other players, all of them wanting to brush with her new fame. She saw McKenna off in the background giving her a subtle thumbs up. She smiled at him, happy that she could help.

  “Color me shitless!” Sybil shouted. “That’s it! It’s fucking over! The 2475 Red Sector Games Sol-Fate tournament is over as The Mysterious Stranger wins it with a spectacular finish!”

  “Too true, Sybil. I haven’t seen such a shocking play like that in years. Absolutely brutal. I can already hear The Stranger getting the praise she so well deserves. That is your Red Sector Games Sol-Fate winner of the year and this will surely be talked about for years to come.”

  “The Mysterious Stranger just claimed a solid Prime Points lead for her team, already putting them at the top of The Red Sector Games leaderboards. I’m sure everyone will be eager to follow her team’s progress. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our broadcast of the Sol-Fate tournament, but don’t tune away. The Red Sector Games has only just begun with Warp One Racing set to begin in the coming hours. I’m Sybil Gretchen…”

  “And I’m Arnie Bulwark. We’ll c
atch you next year, here, at The Red Sector Games.”

  7

  WOES IN A PADDOCK

  “Hold him up straight, for Christ’s sake!”

  Rossberg’s thugs grabbed Hugo’s collar and forced him up from the ground. Most hits were to his body until Rossberg himself targeted his gut, but the thugs were there to make sure he stood. A good blow to the jaw sent him down again, hitting the pavement hard with blood pooling onto the ground.

  “Shit!” Rossberg said, shaking his hand in pain. “Fucked up my hand!” Hugo had blood spilling into his eye. His mouth started to tremble.

  “You didn’t… ask any questions…” Hugo muttered, but just barely.

  “Oops,” Rossberg chuckled. “I seem to have forgotten them.” Rossberg gathered his posse and knelt next to Hugo, still holding his damaged hand. “Hear this, Mister Castellanos, Team Martian Greys will not be competing in Warp One. Well, with your broken bike and all.”

  “My broken…?” Hugo heard the sudden crashing in his paddock. He felt as much anger in him as pain.

  “Now, I'm assuming I only need to tell you this to keep you from racing a damaged bike. Safety is key.” Rossberg stood up and walked out with his posse after throwing a handkerchief on Hugo. “Make us proud and stay on the ground, Hugo.” He spit out a gob of blood onto the ground as he tried to get up after Rossberg left. His legs wobbled before he tumbled back down to the ground to take a much-needed rest.

  McKenna and Dill were walking through the long stretch of racing paddocks in the lower level within the race track. The track was a designed road course and had many tight hairpin corners and chicanes; however, two major straights would put the high output warp engines of the bikes to the test.

  A couple dozen racing crews were all going over the checks and configurations for their vehicles. Many types of music blends were heard, with the main beats coming from the track speakers and many pit crews playing their own electronic tunes. Dill was more actively engaged than McKenna had ever seen him before, constantly looking at the contending bikes and their crews. McKenna did notice he was spending more time looking at the pit crews than at the bikes themselves. Dill easily noticed many of the crew members were suspects he had arrested in his time, many of them repeated offenders for illegal racing and stolen vehicle parts.