by Rohan Healy
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Titans Arena! Our first match of the day will be starting in a couple of hours but while you wait, why not grab a few hotdogs, check out our funtastic video game arcade or buy something for a loved one at the Titans Arena gift shop! And if you just can’t wait for your fill of bloodshed you can take your place in the stands as we show replays and highlights of yesterday's fights!” Miles was beginning to grow nervous but he managed to keep himself relatively calm and focused. ‘Got to keep cool, we’ve come this far, just one more fight, just got to get through this one then we’ll be on our way. We can do this.’ If they made it through their first fight against such an experienced team they could surely survive their second, at least that’s what Miles kept telling himself. After forcing down the majority of the meal, Miles and Maxen decided to warm up before the fight, exercising their muscles as best they could in preparation for the battle ahead and checking that all their equipment was fully operational.
“You ready for this Miles?” asked Maxen.
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I sort of wish we didn’t have to wait so long, these nerves are killing me,” he replied as he span his arms around, loosening them for the pending contest.
“Yeah I know what you mean, I just wanna get this shit over with. Just think man,” Maxen said smiling broadly, “in a few hours from now we’ll be hitting that road again, pockets overflowing with Talons and headin’ towards a one way ticket home baby!”
“I like the sound of that,” Miles chuckled, Maxen always knew how to lighten the mood.
The last hour passed as the three of them talked tactics with Miles reminding everyone that it’s Maxen’s job to do the fighting and that he and Lucy were just there to make up the numbers. Lucy didn’t say much over breakfast but seemed in fine spirits, she had passed out for most of the fight the day before, mercifully missing the majority of the gory battle. Miles’ stomach tightened as the announcer began to speak again, it wasn’t long now until the fight would begin.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the first fight of the day is not far off now, let’s take this opportunity to refresh you all on the rules of Titans Arena!” The crowd groaned, apparently everyone was already well versed in the arena’s rules, but for the sake of any new audience members the regulations were read out every day before the first fight. The announcer did his best to rattle off the rules in as concise and exciting a manner as he could, despite having likely read them out a thousand times already throughout his career.
“A combatant is defeated when killed, knocked unconscious or disabled to the point that they can no longer fight! In team matches a creature is released into the field of play by a chuckster every time a combatant is defeated. When all members of one team are defeated the remaining members of the other team are the winners. In one on one matches whoever kills their opponent or renders their opponent unconscious or disabled is the winner! In one on one matches creatures are released into the pit by the chucksters every five minutes! All dead, unconscious, or disabled combatants are removed from the pit at the end of the contest and placed in the feeding pen where they serve as dinner for our hungry creatures!”
Miles shuddered visibly at the mental image of being ripped apart by boars, crocodiles, snakes and who knows what else down in the feeder pen. Whether dead or alive, the very thought sickened him. ‘So that’s where The Wasteland Warriors were being wheeled off to. They feed the damn animals with the bodies of the losers!’ Finally the mess hall door was opened by one of the tough looking arena security guards and Miles’ heart skipped a beat.
“Maxen's Marauders?” he called out loudly. Maxen, Miles and Lucy stood up and met the man at the door. “You guys ready?” he asked them.
“Yeah,” said Maxen, nodding his head.
“Alright, follow me.”
“D-do you know who we're fighting?” Miles asked the guard nervously as they made their way through the dark tunnels to the arena grounds.
“You're fightin' The Reaper,” he replied.
“Wait a minute,” said Miles, slightly confused, “you mean it’s just one person?”
“Yep.”
“Looks like this'll be an easy one after all!” Maxen said, slapping Miles on the back, the security guard gently shook his head and laughed quietly to himself.
“So,” said Maxen as they drew closer to the exit, “same plan as last time, shouldn't be any trouble if we're only fightin' one guy.” Miles nodded in agreement, but this didn’t settle his nervous stomach, it continued to gurgle loudly as he resisted the urge to heave. He could hear the announcer above, warming up the now packed stadium for the first battle of the day with a series of call and response techniques.
“ARE YOU FUCKIN’ READY?!” he roared.
“YES!!” replied the barbarous crowd.
They eventually arrived at the end of the tunnel, Miles' heart was pounding rapidly once again though cognitively he felt slightly more confident this time. He knew what to expect from an arena battle now and there was only one opponent. ‘Just keep it together Miles, we’ll get through this and get the hell out of here.’ Miles took a deep breath in through his nose, down into his abdomen, closing his eyes. The smell of dust and blood filled his nostrils. He exhaled slowly out of his mouth, doing what he could to calm his nerves. The guard gestured for the team to step into the sandy arena and they obliged, suddenly hit by the deafening roar of the rabid spectators and booming voice of the psychotic announcer.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in the eastern corner of the arena, the team that everyone's been talking about, the three unlikely combatants who, just yesterday, annihilated The Dustbowlers in a flawless victory…Make some noise for MAXEN’S MARAUDERS!” The crowd went wild, filling the stadium with relentless cheering as the arena screen displayed highlights of yesterday's battle with The Dustbowlers. Miles looked up to the platform surrounding the pit where the “chucksters” would usually stand in preparation for their duty and was confused when he noticed the platform was empty. Not a chuckster in sight. ‘They should be there. But wow, looks like we’re pretty popular with the crowds today!’
“And in the western corner...” the announcer continued, “the reigning champion of Titans Arena, with an unbelievable thirty seven victories under her belt since her first fight here one month ago!”
“What the fuck...” Maxen said, turning to Miles, his eyes almost bulging out of his skull.
“Wha...they can't be serious! Why are we fighting someone like that?!” Miles added angrily, beginning to panic.
“You folks know who I'm talkin' about! The one, the only, The RRRRRREAPER!” The audience roared even louder this time as, on the opposite side of the stadium, a young woman stepped out from the tunnel and onto the sand. The screen zoomed into her face and Miles could see that the left side of her head was shaved leaving shaggy dark black hair covering much of the right. She wore a black tank top, baggy black jeans with several rips and tears and heavy brown work boots. She had a silver ring pierced through her nasal septum and almost her entire body, apart from her face, was covered in tattoos.
A sinister smile stretched across the young woman's face as she began to show off in front of the spectators, drawing a large combat knife with a twelve inch blade from a sheath on her right thigh while the giant hanging screen played highlights of her previous battles. Miles and Maxen looked up in awe as they watched The Reaper's swift, acrobatic fighting style displayed on the screen, backed by loud, hardcore punk music blasting though the speakers. She moved with unmatched speed, agility and style, effortlessly slicing through each opponent with her brightly shining, razor sharp knife sparkling under the stadium’s floodlights, blood trailing through the air following each slash. Miles’ eyes shot back to the figure at the other side of the arena.
'This has to be a mistake,' he thought to himself as cold sweat began to trickle down his back, 'we've only fought once and they put us in the pit with that...thing?!'
“I've got a feeling that this is
gonna be one hell of a fight, folks!” boomed the announcer as The Reaper's highlight reel came to an end.
“What the fuck do we do Maxen?!” Miles shouted frantically as the time to battle drew near, Lucy put her arms around Miles’ waist, clutching tightly.
“I’m scared,” she said, her voice muffled by Miles’ shirt.
“Relax man,” Maxen said in a deadly serious tone, keeping his eyes intensely focused on their opponent, “stick to the plan and stay calm.” Miles closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, he looked down at Lucy who was staring vacantly across the pit at The Reaper. The only sign of emotion on her face were her eyebrows which quivered slightly in fear. Miles put his left hand on her back and held her close as Maxen took a step forward.
“Who's ready for some ACTION?!” shouted the voice of the announcer, the question was answered loudly and enthusiastically as cheers and whistles filled the stadium.
“Aaaaallllright then people! Let's get this show on the road. FIVE!” Miles slowly lead Lucy back to a safer distance as the countdown began.
“FOUR!”
Maxen took his position in front of the other two, preparing his cannon for action once again.
“THREE!”
The Reaper crouched down low, assuming the position of a sprinter before the beginning of a race.
“TWO!”
Miles clutched his revolver in a shaking hand as he readied himself for the madness which was about to ensue, his mind a blank.
“ONE!”
The stadium fell into the familiar and chilling silence that preceded the start of each fight like the calm before a raging storm.
“FIGHT!” The roar of the crowd returned immediately as The Reaper kicked off the ground and charged towards Maxen with incredible speed, throwing up clouds of sand behind her. Maxen fired, The Reaper leapt into the air higher than Miles had thought humanly possible. Dodging the speeding ball of energy, she flipped gracefully in mid-air, removed something from her belt, and, as she did so, threw it forcefully at Maxen's right arm upon landing. The round, silver, apple sized object made contact with Maxen's mechanical limb, causing it to spark and lock up, rendering it completely unable to fire. He looked down at his disabled arm with wide panicked eyes and slapped it with his left hand hoping to unjam it somehow, but before he had a chance to turn his attention back on the enemy, the sole of her heavy boot met with his jaw, knocking him out cold. His heavy frame flopped onto the floor of the pit with an audible thud as clouds of dust obscured him momentarily.
“Looks like The Reaper's taken down her first victim!” screeched the announcer over the public address system.
'Oh God no...’ a spark of terror struck like an arrow to Miles’ heart as The Reaper shifted her focus to the remaining opponents. ‘We don’t stand a chance!’ Miles heard a wild scream from behind him as Lucy, in her altered state, charged ahead to meet the fearsome woman.
“Lucy, no!” Miles yelled desperately and he reached out a hand in vain. Lucy had lost control again. The Reaper narrowed her cold, dead eyes, took another metallic sphere in her left hand and casually tossed it at Lucy. It made contact with Lucy’s chest and sent her whole body into a wild spasm until she fell to the ground, where she lay motionless, face down in the sand. ‘EMP grenades! Fuck! I didn’t even think of that!’
“That's two down folks! This is not looking good for Miles Stanton! The Reaper might have a new record here if she takes out the remaining competitor within thirty seconds!” Miles had little time to think about his fallen team mates as the crazed warrior sprinted towards him with her combat knife drawn back and ready to strike. Lifting his revolver with unsteady hands, Miles took a shot, the bullet missed its target, striking the force field that surrounded the pit. He went to take another shot but it was too late, he’d underestimated her speed. The Reaper dove on her victim, tackling him to the sandy arena floor, knocking the wind out of his lungs and the gun from his hand. Miles looked into the eyes of the deranged woman as she crouched over him, he could feel the cold steel of her knife resting against his Adam’s apple.
“KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!” chanted the audience loudly. It was all over, Miles' body went limp as he awaited his certain death. Time slowed and all his senses became exaggerated. He could smell the pleasant breath of the savage woman on top of him, the sun felt incredible as it warmed his face, he looked around at the hordes of spectators pumping their fists and begging for bloodshed. He spotted his friends slumped motionless on the blood covered arena floor. A drop of warm sweat fell from The Reaper’s nose onto Miles’ cheek. At that moment Miles didn’t mind dying at all, at least there would be no more struggle, no more pain, no more loss, no more fear. A sense of relief washed over him and a strange and serene smile spread across his face as he looked up at the young lady who would take his life. ‘I’m sorry Maxen, I’m sorry Lucy. I’m sorry Hellen, and Chet. I let you all down but I’ll never forget you’.
As The Reaper held her helpless opponent down and lifted her knife aloft to plunge into Miles, her eyes suddenly widened, seemingly drawn to something lying in the sand to the right of Miles’ head. Her mouth fell open and the knife in her hand shook slightly.
'What the hell is she doing?' thought Miles, 'just get it over with!'
After several seconds of hesitation, The Reaper returned her gaze to the eyes of her victim and Miles felt a searing hot sting in his side. He let out a pained groan and looked down to see the long blade disappear into his torso. As Miles’ vision began to fade, the last thing he could hear was the excited roar of the spectators and the piercing voice of the announcer.
“She's done it again folks! The Reaper remains the undefeated champion of Titans Arena! IT’S A NEW RECORD!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 27
Miles stared into absolute darkness, he wasn't sure if he was asleep or awake, alive or dead. In the distance, a small red light flickered into view before fading once again into the deep blackness. The pungent stench of death and rotten flesh filled his nostrils. He felt like throwing up, but couldn’t.
'What the hell is this? Where am I?' Sensation seemed to return to Miles’ body as he felt a cold hard floor beneath him along with the excruciating pain of the wound in his stomach from the recent battle. ‘How much time has passed? What the hell happened?’ He blinked his eyes rapidly as his vision slowly returned. He could now just about make out the strange, dark room he found himself in. Miles looked around, trying to figure out exactly where he was and how he had gotten there. The red light appeared once again, this time Miles could see more clearly, it was the end of a cigarette and it illuminated the face of the smoker, it was the last face Miles had seen before losing consciousness. It was The Reaper. She noticed Miles had awoken and, throwing the cigarette to the ground, approached him. Miles tried to speak but before he could, the rough treads of a boot forcefully pressed against his neck.
“Where did you get this?” asked the woman in a sultry and smoky voice. Miles’ vision had mostly returned as he directed his eyes on the small object in her right hand, the Machine token he had kept in his pocket since Ryker gave it to him back at Wolf's Den.
“Someone...gave it to...me,” Miles said, struggling to speak due to the sandy boot restricting his windpipe, “on...Carthage.”
“Who?” The Reaper added weight to her foot as she spoke.
“His...name was...Ry...Ryker.”
The boot was removed from Miles’ neck to be replaced by the same blade that had stabbed him earlier.
“Why did he give it to you?” she demanded, her face inches from Miles'.
“He told me, if I ever end up on Gyaros...I should find someone called Mesa and give it to them.”
“Well,” said The Reaper as she stood up and sheathed her knife, “you've found her, what now?”
“Well now I…Wait a minute...” said Miles, sitting up quickly as confusion swept over him, “you're Mesa?”
“That's right,” she replied
dryly, placing her hands on her hips, “now, what exactly do you think I can do for you?” Miles waited a few seconds before answering, absorbing what he had just been told.
“I-I need your help, there's a way back to Carthage, isn't there?” Mesa looked down at Miles condescendingly, sniggered and replied, “so that's your plan?”
“Yes it is,” said Miles, “is there something wrong with that?”
Mesa shook her head and laughed softly.
“Look, I don't know what your deal is but if you and your friends do something for me, I'll consider helping you out, you are cool with Ryker I guess. As for getting back to Carthage? That's a whole different story.”
“My friends...” Miles said, remembering Maxen and Lucy, “where are they!” he shouted.
“Shut the fuck up you idiot,” Mesa said quietly, covering Miles' mouth with her hand, “they're right over there, alive but still out.” Miles looked where Mesa was pointing, it was only then that he noticed the piles of dead bodies and broken machines that littered the dark room. In the corner sat Maxen and Lucy, both unconscious. The thick stench of rotting flesh and faeces filled Miles’ nostrils.
“Wh...where are we anyway?” Miles asked in trepidation, pinching his nose.
“We’re in the feeding pen, you don’t wanna be here when it’s dinner time for the animals,” Mesa replied calmly, “and the next fight should be ending soon so we've gotta get out of here quickly.”
“Get out of here?” Miles repeated angrily, wincing in pain and holding his wound, “you just stabbed me! I can hardly move!”
“What do you want, a fuckin' piggy back ride? I missed your vital organs and patched you up, you'll be fine,” Mesa said, heading for the exit. “I can't be seen down here, wake up your buddies and meet me at your shitty truck, I’ll leave the door unlocked.” Before Miles had a chance to argue, Mesa rushed out of the dark room through a door on the opposite side.
