Arena 4

by Logan Jacobs

  I sheathed my SVAs and then pointed finger guns right at his chest.

  He swords stopped moving and he cocked his head at me.

  “Wait, what are you doing, human?” Vex asked, confused as hell.

  “Don’t take another step or I’ll or be forced to shoot,” I said and smiled.

  “Those are your fingers, not guns,” he pointed out. “You can not hurt me with them.”

  “Nope, but I can distract you with them,” I said. “Now, PoLarr!”

  Vex turned his head toward the windows and stared into the barrels of two stun-cannons. PoLarr held the gunship just outside the train car. Not only had she matched the trains speed and kept the ship inches from the ground, but she’d done so while going sideways.

  “No--” Vex began to say as PoLarr pulled the trigger on her joystick and the cannons blasted the NecroWraith into the middle of next Tuesday. The force of the stun-blasts threw him up and out through the windows on the other side of the train where he teleported away before slamming into the mountain.

  PoLarr pulled the gunship out of the sideways slide and hovered for just long enough to shoot me the thumbs up before she angled up and out of the way as the train entered the tunnel. We were just past the halfway point.

  My Occuhancers adjusted to amplify the ambient light so that I could make out enough of my surroundings to continue moving toward the front of the train.

  The next two train cars were empty which put me on edge.

  “Marc, you need to hurry,” Artemis reminded me. “Seven minutes left.”

  “Copy that,” I whispered. “How are you guys coming along back there, Nova?”

  “We are just about set, Marc,” Nova replied through the comm-link.

  “Okay, don’t wait for me, stick to the plan,” I said and threw open the door to the engine car just as the train came out of the tunnel.

  Muerdock greeted me as I stared down the barrel of four stun-pistols. The green amphibian’s other two arms rested on the train’s controls.

  “Very predictable,” she said with a self-satisfied smirk.

  “Yup, very,” I said and gave her my best arrogant asshole smile, which by now was pretty damn good.

  Muerdock cocked her head in the same confused way that Vex did just as the air behind her shimmered

  Then Aurora lifted her veil, and she seemed to step from another dimension. She grabbed the amphibian pilot’s face and pulled her in for a life-force sucking kiss. I let her get her fill this time until Muerdock’s limp body teleported out of the match.

  “That was much more filling,” she said as her blue tattoos glowed with power.

  “You good?” I asked. If Aurora fed too much, she could sometimes lose herself a bit to her Shriike nature.

  “Right as rain, sugar,” she answered and licked her lips.

  “Good,” I said and turned to open the door of the train car. “Nice job, Aurora.”

  The refugees poured into the engine car single file.

  “Where’s Nova,” I asked as the last of the refugees came through the door.

  “Right here,” Nova said. She had lagged a bit behind everyone else because her arms were wrapped around the refrigerator cabinet. Sweat poured down her face, and her arms bulged from the strain. “This thing is heavy.”

  I smiled at her but then the smile faded.

  “Nova! Look out!” I shouted but I was too late.

  Four Tempests rushed into the train car behind her firing stun-pistols. The blasts hit Nova in the back, and she crumpled. As she fell to her knees, two of the Tempests grabbed the cabinet while the other two pushed Nova forward toward me.

  Nova was groggy but still able to move. Her dense molecules were able to take more of the stun blasts than normal people.

  The Tempests formed a defensive perimeter at the other end of the passenger car. I stood in the open doorway with the wind whipping my hair.

  “Hey, Tempest.”

  “Hey, Marc,” Tempest Prime said as she held a stun-pistol aimed at my face. “No hard feelings, right?”

  “Nah,” I said and shrugged. “Gotta’ do what you gotta’ do, right?”

  Tempest nodded back, and I could tell she didn’t want to be doing this. But she was loyal to her alliance, and I had to respect that.

  “Marc!” Artemis shouted in my ear. “We are almost out of time.”

  “Damnit, Artie, I know,” I hissed back as I drew my SVAs, and Aurora joined me. She helped Nova to her feet.

  Hann-Abel, his pipe cocked arrogantly out of the corner of his mouth, strode into the train car. He began to slow clap.

  “Almost, Havak,” he said. “Well done. You were so close. But close don’t count, son. Not in the Crucible of Carnage.”

  “We got time, Hann-Abel,” I challenged him. Beside me Aurora’s fists turned into balls of dark matter and Nova shook the last of the stun-gun effects from her head. I could feel her draw energy from her body, ready to unleash a blast of concussive force. “Pretty confident we can still kick your ass.”

  “True,” he smirked. “But not before the train flies over the edge of the gorge.”

  I spun and looked through the windows of the engine car. I triggered my Occuhancers zoom function and on the tracks in the middle of the bridge stood another Tempest, a hover sled at her feet and a detonator switch in her hands.

  “You really shouldn’t leave your toys around for others to play with,” Hann-Abel gloated. “Do it, Tempest.”

  With a sigh Tempest closed her eyes. A second later there was a giant explosion from down the tracks.

  “Choices, choices, Havak,” Hann-Abel cooed. “Win the match or save the poor, helpless refugees again. You can’t do both.”

  “God damnit!” I cursed. He was right.

  “Tick-tock, tick-tock,” he dared smugly.

  “Stand down,” I whispered, defeated.

  “Marc, no!” Artemis yelled over the comms.

  “We have no choice,” I spat. “I can’t let those people die.”

  “Your emotions make you predictable, Havak,” Hann-Abel said as he motioned for Tempest to advance on us.

  Reluctantly Nova, Aurora and I backed into the engine car.

  “Throttle us back, Nova,” I ordered. My voice full of anger and frustration.

  “Marc--” she started to say.

  “Just do it, goddamnit, we are almost out of time!” I shouted. Nova almost flinched but did as I asked. The train began to slow. In my head the seconds ticked away.

  “Now, have the Val’Keerye bring the gunship down,” he commanded.

  “PoLarr,” I said into the comm, “I assume you’ve been listening to all of this. Do as he says.”

  A second later the gunship descended until it was next to the train.

  “Set the autopilot and get out,” Hann-Abel barked.

  With grim disappointment etched on her face, I watched PoLarr flip a few switches before the canopy of the cockpit opened, and she jumped out. She landed on the walkway between the trains and stood behind me.

  “Tempest, take the controls,” he ordered. Another Tempest clone sprang from her body, ran through the car and jumped up into the cockpit of the gunship.

  “So close, Havak,” Hann-Abel teased as he checked his watch. “If you had managed this, you would have beat us by a full three minutes. Too bad.”

  He strode over to me, blew a puff of the foul smelling pipe smoke into my face, and then kicked the latch for the car coupling.

  The engine car began to pull away from the rest of the train as the cargo cars slowed. The gunship maneuvered in front of it so that he and the Tempest clones carrying the power core cabinet could walk up the ramp into the belly of the gunship. The ship then spun on its axis so that he could face us as we pulled farther and farther away.

  Hann-Abel tossed a small, smug, self-satisfied salute at us.

  My mask of disappointment morphed into a big shit-eating grin.

  Hann-Abel cocked his head like Vex and Muerdock
had done just moments before.

  I held up my hand to signal the refugees who crowded the doorway of the engine car. With one hand they all pulled a Vexar Power Core from the folds of their ragged clothes. Their other hands shot a big middle finger at Hann-Abel whose face went wide. He wrenched open the door of the cabinet in Tempest’s hand. It was completely empty.

  “Now, PoLarr,” I said softly.

  She keyed a button on her harness and the Val’Keerye jetpack that she had tossed into the back of the ship roared to life. It began to bounce around like a firecracker until it shot out of the side and smashed into one of the gunship’s engines. The ship angled sharply to one side with the sudden loss of power.

  Just before the ship crashed into the side of the mountain and Hann-Abel and Tempest teleported out with a full minute and a half to spare, I shot my own middle finger at the arrogant asshole.

  “I love it when a plan comes together.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Where the heck are we going, Chaz?” I asked the little blue alien as we walked down the busy Valience City street.

  “By Lothar the Long Lost, where are you taking us?” Grizz grumbled from behind me.

  My teammates and I, along with Chaz, made our way through the heavy pedestrian traffic. Valience City’s lights shone all around us as a cool breeze blew through the buildings. It was a gorgeous night.

  “Nope, nope, nope,” Chaz said, giddy as a schoolgirl. “It is a surprise, and I am not going to spoil it.”

  “You are lucky I cannot throttle you, little blue man,” Grizz harumped as people walked through his holographic form. “That, and I am in a splendid mood after today’s victory, which still boggles my mind. When Hann-Abel took that cabinet I thought for sure our alliance was done for.”

  “Ye of little faith, Grizz,” I smiled back at the big guy. “I had it under control the whole time.”

  “Oh equestrian caca, Marc Havak,” Artemis admonished me as she squeezed my arm. “Our plan went to hades almost immediately.”

  “Artie, shhh,” I hushed her. “I had every eventuality figured out.”

  “Horse shit is the term I believe you were attempting, Artemis,” Nova chuckled.

  “Yeah, sugar,” Aurora smirked, “you were making it up as you went along and you know it.”

  “Erroneous, erroneous,” I argued. “Having the refugees smuggle the power cores was always the plan.”

  “That was the only part of the plan that we stuck to,” PoLarr added. “You improvised the rest.”

  “What? I did… yeah, you’re right,” I admitted. “Although I knew Hann-Abel’s hubris was his Achilles Heel. And I was totally right about that.”

  “Very astute, Havak,” Grizz nodded from above me. “Hubris has been the downfall of many a Champion. That is a lesson we should all remember.”

  My crew and I let that sink in for a few minutes as we walked through the streets. We were all dressed for a casual night out. Chaz had burst into the gym a few minutes after we teleported back in after the match and insisted we go out with him. I’d wanted to go back to the apartment as per usual, but the blue munchkin had been very insistent. I had no idea where he was taking us.

  “Team Havak barely managed this challenge,” Grizz said after a bit. “But a victory is a victory.”

  “Word,” I hummed. “Hey, speaking of victories, I’ve been so intent on what Earth gets from our victories that I’ve never asked what everyone else gets. You guys all come from planets far more technologically advanced than Earth, and jeez, Aurora, you don’t even have a planet anymore. Why are you even here? I mean I’m glad you are, but why?”

  “I was wondering when you were going to ask, sugar,” Aurora replied as she pulled a few credit chips from her more than ample cleavage and handed them to Artemis. “One more day and I would have won the bet, Artie.”

  Artemis took the chips with a smile and put them in the pocket of her jeans.

  “Thank you, Aurora,” Artie bubbled. “Do I know this guy or what?”

  “How many bets do you guys having going about my behavior?” I asked, a little worried.

  “Five,” Nova replied without hesitation.

  “I have a spreadsheet to keep track,” Artemis added with a wide smile.

  “Fair enough,” I shrugged.

  “To answer your questions, sugar,” Aurora continued, “I sought the Crucible out. After my planet was destroyed, I was all alone with this creature inside me. I didn’t want to roam the galaxy as some kind of monster, so I found passage here and asked to become a champion. I figured I would either die or be able to feed the demon with a clear conscience. Thankfully the Aetherons agreed and let me participate.”

  “Wow, that’s heavy,” I said as I mulled over what she’d said.

  “I never expected to find a surrogate family,” she tried to throw away.

  “Look at this morose motherfucker right here,” PoLarr blurted out and gave Aurora a big hug. “Why did I say that, Havak? Why?”

  “That is a reference that would take entirely too long to explain right now,” I admitted. “What about you, PoLarr?”

  “Tartarus Major was on the brink of a major economic collapse,” she replied. “We had depleted most of our natural resources and were a decade away from running out of water. My people now have clean energy and a way to draw fresh water from the ice moon that orbits the planet.”

  “Cool,” I said. “Nova?”

  “Peace,” she said simply. “My planet has been gifted peace.”

  That hung there for a long moment as we all contemplated what her words meant. That’s what this whole damn intergalactic gladitorial competition was supposed to be about in the first place. A way to keep peace in the universe. I’d never imagined it could be used to bring an end to the wars that could consume a planet.

  I was about to say something to that effect when we turned a corner and whatever words were forming stuck in my throat as my mouth hung open.

  “Here we are!” Chaz practically shouted.

  We stood in front of a huge, golden age of cinema, movie theater. It was an replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood down to the hand and foot prints of everyone from Judy Garland to Jim Carrey out in front.

  “Pretty sweet, huh?” Chaz effused. He was clearly beside himself.

  “What? How?” I mumbled as my brain tried to comprehend what I was looking at.

  “My grandmother’s cousin’s father’s uncle was looking to open up a new business,” Chaz explained. “He wanted to capitalize on the whole Earth fad, so I suggested this. I know how you like movies, Marc. Come on.”

  Chaz led us through the big courtyard. The Chinese pagoda inspired towers that framed the building loomed tall above us. We walked through the doors and into my favorite movie theater in all the universe. My mom and great uncle Joe had taken me to California when I was twelve to visit a relative, and we’d gone to see the first Matrix movie at the famous Chinese Theater. I was way too young for the movie, but my mom never let that stop us from enjoying a good flick.

  The inside was perfect in every single possible way. We walked through the thick red velvet curtains into the theater itself. It could hold over nine hundred eager film goers when sold out in the plush velvet seats. The elaborate Oriental meets art deco interior was as bright and garish as I remembered from my childhood.

  I stared, mouth agape, transported instantly back to that moment when I was twelve.

  “Marc!” The President’s familiar voice boomed from behind me. “Fantastic job today. The best.”

  I turned to see the POTUS and his Daughter as they walked into the theater.

  “Mr. President,” I said as I pulled myself from my reverie. “How are you? I thought you were headed back to Earth.”

  “I was,” he said and shook my hand. “But we decided to stay for the opening. Chaz told me about it. Very VIP, very exclusive.”

  “I wish we could stay longer,” his Daughter said and looked at me long
ingly. “Much, much longer.”

  “But we have to go home,” the POTUS said. “Planet to rule… I mean run. Plus, we have to get busy on plans for the hotel.”

  “Come on,” Chaz beckoned. “We need to get seats before they let everyone else in.”

  We walked to the dead center of the theater, my absolute favorite spot to watch a movie and took two rows of seats. Half of us sat in one row while the other half sat in the one behind.

  I sank into the somewhat uncomfortably small seats as we watched an eager alien crowd file into the theater. Soon it was at capacity and the lights dimmed. I put my arm around Artemis’ shoulder and held PoLarr’s hand. She was almost as excited as I was.

  “I do not understand,” Grizz said, confused. “We watch Earth movies all the time.”

  “Yeah, Grizz,” I whispered as the huge red curtain in front of the screen began to pull back. “But nothing compares to this. Nothing.”

  Light played from the projector at the back of the theater as familiar bright blue letters appeared on the screen.

  A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR WAY…

  I felt like a little kid as a stupid smile burst onto my face and I looked at my friends, no, my family sitting all around me.

  I used to dream of going to a faraway galaxy a long time ago.

  Now I got to live it every day.

  And it was better than anything I could have ever imagined.

  End of book 4

  End Notes

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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.