I fell.
Just before I hit the ground, I used my hands to catapult myself headfirst towards my goal. I aimed so the target passed me on the right side, touching it with my hand, and then I hooked my arm around the pole and slingshotted myself back into the main cluster. Luck was on my side. The next target – which would have appeared behind me if it weren’t for my acrobatics – was a dead arrowshot ahead. As my hand hit the neon plate, I couldn’t resist as smile.
This is so awesome.
One arm wrapped around the pole, I took a quick glance at my scores. Seven points. Just one more target to go. Let’s make it a good one.
The last target was harsh. It appeared on the pinnacle of the highest tower, which dwarfed the others. I could feel the clenching fist of fear as it tightened in my stomach. Come on, Danny, if you can save Alex at over two hundred feet, you got this.
I kicked off the cool metal and arched myself high into the air. The tip of the central tower still seemed to be infinitely far away. I thrust my hands downwards, and my ability kicked in, lifting me like a parachute caught in an updraft. Shifting my hands, I arced towards the shimmering blue target on the top of the obelisk.
When I saw it pass underneath me, I knew something had gone wrong.
Among the gasps and ‘oooohs,’ I understood that I had somehow pole-vaulted my destination and was now falling to the ground headfirst. Instinctively, I threw my hands out and almost screamed when I shot back up as quickly as I’d been falling.
Upside down.
From my odd angle, I saw the blue tip of the tower appear, and I frantically slapped out a hand. My fingers connected with it just as it winked out. A deafening roar of cheers rose up from the crowd.
“Well that was certainly an interesting way to end your round, Daniel,” Ivy said. “But you finished with eight points. Well done!” A rush of relief and excitement filled me up. Eight points, not bad at all.
I used the side of the obelisk to right myself, and then, like a fireman, slid my way down the pole and shakily made my way back to Hollie.
“Smooth,” she teased.
“Just call me iceman.”
“I’ll call you an idiot.”
“Fair.”
The scores on the board jumbled about, and then I saw myself two points clear of Troy. I chanced a look at him, and he looked back, giving a subtle nod of the head.
Then it was Hollie’s turn.
She glanced at me, and I gave a thumbs up. Clenching her fists together, she marched over to the starting zone and stared up at the towers.
I remembered back when we’d been practicing levitation how she’d struggled. I felt nervous for her; I liked Hollie and didn’t want her to do badly. I didn’t mind if she took first place – in fact I would be happy with it. But most of all, I didn’t want her to embarrass herself in front of the Guardians and other recruits. Who knew what sorts of things stick in a place like this? I turned to look at the other recruits. They were all watching in raptured silence. The audience had hushed and was waiting for the blare of the siren before the chaos would resume.
As soon as the sound rang out, Hollie was sprinting as if her life depended on it. The first target was in the centre of the nearest pole. She made it to within fifteen feet and then thrust her hands down so hard it was like she was trying to get rid of them. Her feet shot off the ground, and she let out a cute squeak as she gained air. But the angle was wrong. I grimaced as her shoulder collided with the metal tower and she ricocheted away, spinning through the air.
Come on!
Hollie recovered quickly, using her left hand to steady herself. She managed to slap her hand against the target with just over four seconds left. The timer reset and the next target, about ten feet higher and behind her, winked into life. She was hugging the first tower with one arm, feet pressed against the curved metal. When she saw the flash of blue, she sprang off and corkscrewed upwards towards the glowing tip. This time she aimed perfectly and grabbed an easy two points. The third was the centre column right near the ground. Hollie shut her eyes as she let herself drop like a stone. When she was within five feet of the ground, she used her hands to propel her towards the target. A few seconds later she’d earned another two points.
The crowd was a cacophony of noise, and I found myself cheering with them. The fourth target lit up to her nine o’ clock, about forty feet above her. She floated towards the pole and then rocketed upwards, hands squealing along the metal as she gained altitude. It was a good tactic and ensured she didn’t miss. I glanced at the giant clock next to the zoomed-in image of her fingers touching the glowing target. 6.22
I laughed to myself as I realised she might beat me. What was she worried about?
The last target was in the top half of the highest obelisk; it was about fifteen feet lower than mine had been. Hollie was on the other side of the cluster. This one would be hard. Still hovering, she arced herself towards the pole, but she fell far short. Instead of hovering, she used her hands and feet to launch herself up the pole, raven hair flapping up and down.
Three seconds left.
“Come on, Hollie!” I shouted.
She made one final, exhausted leap upwards, and like me, hit the target just before it blinked out. I joined the cheering recruits and crowd as she unsteadily floated back to the ground. She walked over to me, mopping a fine sheen of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
“Nine points! Don’t know what you were worried about,” I laughed as she blew a damp strand of hair from her eyes.
“What can I say, it’s the competitor in me,” she wheezed. “Not going to lie though, that one took it out of me.”
The scores were calculated, and Hollie’s name appeared just below mine, with thirty points.
“Second place,” I whispered to her. “Well done.”
“Yeah, not bad, but I’m after the spot above,” she teased.
“We’ll see about that.”
18
Danny
The arena shifted for the final round.
Everything sunk into the ground until there was nothing left but an oval arena of dirt, sand, and water.
“Guardians and recruits, we have reached the final round. Combat!” Ivy’s words were met with the sounds of a thousand people stamping. “This event is one-on-one, unarmed combat, and each round of matches takes place at the same time. The victor of the first round will score three points, and the defeated will score nothing. Victory is achieved through knockout or submission, which is indicated via the HASEA salute. The winner of each fight will then face the other victors in the semi-final, which is worth five points. The final fight is worth ten points to the overall victor. No abilities are to be used – they will result in immediate disqualification.” She stared down at Richard, who looked away. “As will biting, gouging, or any other dishonourable attacks. The fights will last for as long as both combatants are still standing.”
I felt a lurch of dread at the thought. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I glanced at Hollie, who was looking nervously back at me. Especially not her.
“Recruits, are you clear on the event rules?”
We all nodded.
“Excellent. Then I shall list the pairings. Bear in mind that these are completely random.”
I waited with baited breath as she began to list the names.
“Andrea is paired with Troy.”
Oh dear. I turned to see Andrea’s face go pale. Troy looked awkward and stared down at his feet. Richard leaned in and whispered something to Andrea. She turned away in annoyance.
“Elliot and Richard.”
The two looked at each other, and Richard gave an arrogant smirk.
“Danny…”
I tensed as I heard my name.
“And John.”
I breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least I don’t have to fight Hollie…unless we both get through. John gave me a nod, which I dutifully returned.
“Which leaves the final pairing:
Hollie and Lucy.” They both gave each other weak smiles. We were instructed to spread out into our pairs around the arena. John and I took position on a slither of dirt between a sand pit and a pond.
“Listen,” I said in the lull before the fight began, “no hard feelings, right?”
He smiled. “None at all.”
My heart was thumping double in my chest as Ivy bought the microphone to her lips. “The fight will begin in ten seconds. Good luck.” She set the microphone down in its holster, and both screens were filled with a countdown timer. I tried to control my breathing – as my years of martial arts training had taught me to do – as the clock ticked down. John was regarding me as if I were the next course on the menu. I switched into a defence stance and waited.
The siren blared.
A fist hammered into my jaw. My head snapped backwards, and the pain bloomed a split second later. John followed with another punch, but I caught his arm and flipped him over my back, slamming him into the dirt. There was a loud cheer from the crowd, but I had no clue if it was for me. The fighting was happening all over the place.
John scrambled to his feet and sprinted at me. He jumped into a kick, and I moved out of the way, but not before his boot connected with my hand, sending a spike of pain shooting up my wrist. He landed, sliding on the dirt, and I delivered a jab to the back of his neck. He grunted and fell onto all fours. I grabbed him by the shoulder and hoisted him up, hesitating before I sent a knee sharply into his stomach. His eyes went wide as he gasped for air.
“Sorry,” I said and pulled backwards, waiting for him to recover. I was a trained fighter, but I wasn’t into beating people mercilessly.
He shook his head in a way that meant ‘doesn’t matter’ and then snapped a punch right into my eye. My vision exploded into a burst of yellow, and I retreated, rubbing at my wounded eye. Already I could feel it swelling up. John extended me the same courtesy, allowing me time to recover. I took a second to glance at the screen and saw a close-up of Troy deflecting blows from Andrea. The camera switched, and there was Richard, pummelling Elliot black and blue whilst he cowered on the floor. The shaking Elliot saluted the creep, and Richard raised his hands in the air as the crowd cheered and booed in response.
Dammit.
I didn’t have time to think on because John sent an uppercut towards my chin. I trapped his fist and kicked out at the side of his leg, bringing him to a knee, and then sent a haymaker into the side of his head. John slumped sideways and splashed into the water as he fell unconscious. Instantly I dragged him out and tapped his cheeks, trying to wake him up. I was vaguely aware of a loud beep and a cheer that meant I’d won, but I was more concerned with John’s safety.
“Come on, buddy, wake up,” I whispered, tapping his soaked face a bit harder. He groaned and his eyelids fluttered open.
“I lost, didn’t I?” he croaked.
“I’m afraid so, yeah.”
“Bollocks.”
I held out a hand and lifted him to his feet. He patted my arm with a hand. “Well done, Daniel.”
“Call me Danny.”
“Cool. Nice one, Danny.”
“Cheers.”
As I supported John, we both turned to watch the rest of the action. Richard was sitting down with his feet stretched out and arms supporting his weight, smiling around at the crowd as Elliot lay in a heap, receiving a booster shot from an agent. Another approached from the side of us.
“Do you need a booster?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
“Okay.” He led John away to administer his recovery jab.
A beep rang out, and I saw a guilty-looking Troy help up a wounded Andrea, who was sporting a busted lip and black eye. He fawned over her whilst she gave a lopsided smile and assured him she was okay.
I turned to the far side of the arena in time to watch Hollie slide to the ground and scissor her legs together, causing Lucy to fall onto her back. Hollie sprang up and delivered a decisive punch to end the round. Afterwards, she helped Lucy up, patting the dirt off of her. The two hugged and then looked out at the rest of us. I gave Hollie a thumbs up, and she winked back.
A sharp siren sounded the end of the first round, and the cheering settled down as Ivy made her next announcements.
“The recruits who have made it to the semi-final round of the combat event will face each other in the following pairs: Hollie and Richard, Troy and Daniel.
Oh…crap.
Troy moved over to me, his huge frame blocking most of the sun from the windows and bathing me in his shadow. He engulfed my hand in a crushing handshake and slapped my shoulder. “Good luck, mate.”
“Yeah, same to you.” Not that you’re going to need it.
I watched Hollie and Richard move over to their spot near the front of the Prolesium. I knew from the expression on the latter’s face that he wasn’t going to hold back because Hollie was a girl. But then again, Hollie looked like she wasn’t going to hold back either.
Troy and I were stationed on the ring of dirt surrounding a sandpit. As I watched the big guy stretch his neck from side to side and brace himself, I felt like I’d just reached the boss level in a video game. Except this fight was going to hurt…a lot.
“If I go too hard on you, salute out, mate. I don’t want to knock you out,” whispered Troy in his gruff voice.
I gave the best smile I could manage. “That’s if I don’t knock you out first.”
He raised his eyebrows and then gave an impressed nod. “A sportsman, that’s what I like to see.”
The countdown timer began. Troy raised his fists, balled tight and ready like a prize-fighter. I slowed my breathing and mentally prepared myself; I lifted my fists and waited.
The round began.
I sidestepped left, avoiding the jab I knew Troy would start with. Pressing a hand to his back, I pulled his stomach into my knee. He let out a loud huff and stepped backwards, bobbing his fists up and down. He swung again, and I dodged right, cutting an elbow across his face. His head snapped to the side, and a trail of spit dampened the dirt beneath our feet.
“Not bad,” he grinned.
A foot crashed into my chest. As I was still reeling, a fist smashed upwards into my jaw. The force of the blow lifted me off my feet. I thumped down into the pit in a shower of sand, and the world wavered as I struggled to retain consciousness. I’d bitten my tongue, and blood filled my mouth. A dull ringing in my ears joined the cheers of the crowd. Troy slid down the sandy slope until he was towering above me. He pulled his fist back in an overly-telegraphed move.
I stood up fast and kicked both his shins in rapid succession, and then punched his coiled arm outwards, knocking him off balance. Then I jumped up and slammed both feet into his chest, sending him careening into the sandy slope. The compacted sand hit my back with a hard slap as I fell. From my position, I could see the base of Ivy’s podium and a dozen shards of light pouring in from the domed ceiling high above. Troy was groaning like a wounded ox.
Picking myself up, I only saw a flash before a fist filled up my vision. My mouth exploded in pain, and the world tumbled about as I cartwheeled back into the dirt. Troy was on me again in a split second, his giant hands hoisting me up by the collar until I was at arm’s length, and then he slammed me back down. Agony raced from my coccyx to my skull.
“Just salute out,” he advised as he hoisted me up again.
Through the dizzying pain, I bought the sides of my hands into a sharp chop attack on his temples. His hands went limp, and I fell out of his grasp. He shook his head like a confused bear. Knowing that constant attack was the only way to beat him, I sprinted forward and jumped. Wrapping my arms around one side of his back, and I used my momentum to try and flip him over.
But it didn’t work.
Instead, he used my momentum against me, spinning around and hammer-throwing me away from him. The arena spun like a top before I hit the ground and slid for what felt like forever. The crowd collectively sucked
in air as if they had taken the impact themselves.
My lungs spasmed, and a spray of blood hit the dirt. Hollie and Richard were right next to me. Head thumping, I staggered to my feet in time to see Richard grapple Hollie and flick a handful of sand into her eyes. She screamed and rubbed at them. Taking the cruel advantage, he pinned her down and started hitting her hard. No one seemed to notice what he’d done.
Goddamn cheater!
Partially because I was delirious from pain, but mostly because I liked her and disliked him, I moved over to the scrambling pair. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d wrapped my arms around Richard and thrown him off.
“Hey, what the hell!?” he shouted.
“Stop the event!” shouted Ivy.
I was still shaking with a mixture of anger and agony as the crowd fell silent. “Daniel, why have you interfered with another recruit’s battle?” Ivy’s words echoed around the hushed Prolesium.
“Because he cheated,” I wheezed back.
“What…no I didn’t! You just fancy her,” Richard said, picking himself up.
“He threw sand in her eyes.”
“No, I bloody didn’t!”
“Yes, you did.” Hollie gingerly picked herself up. She spoke through a face that was a maze of bruises and cuts. “That arsehole threw sand in my goddamn eyes.”
The crowd descended into a flurry of disapproving murmurs.
Ivy pressed her Biomote and both screens rewound themselves to the moment just before I’d pulled Richard off. The camera switched to a new, closeup angle, which showed him so near he seemed to be hugging Hollie, and then clearly flicking a small handful of sand directly into her eyes. A moment later, she reeled backwards. The tape clicked back to present time.
“Now everyone knows you’re a cheater,” I wheezed, clutching my side as another wave of pain hit me.
I saw him stiffen in anger.
“Richard, for your unacceptable conduct, you have been disqualified from this event and will receive zero points. Please stand with the other recruits at the side. Hollie, you are through to the final round by default.”
The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2) Page 27
