Gambler

by S. J. Bryant

  "Hold your horses, Silver; I'm not here to fight. I'm just saying hello to some old friends."

  "I don't understand," Silver said, his face falling. He held his hands out in front of him, the very image of disappointment.

  "I don't do that anymore," she said.

  "That's two shocks in one day," Honey said, shaking her head. "Never thought I'd hear the day when the undefeatable Nova wouldn't give it a shot."

  "You're right Honey, I think she's gone soft living up there with the rich folks," Silver said with a smirk.

  "Rich folks? I live with bounty hunters. They're worse off than you are," Nova said with a chuckle.

  "Still though, you've changed. What happened to hitting 'em where it hurts just for the fun of it?"

  Nova held up her hands. "I haven't fought in ages. I have no idea what condition my suit is in, and I didn't come down here prepared."

  "Excuses, excuses. It looks like I'm going to have to find someone else to be a kickass role model for the kids; can't have them going soft. Isn't that right, Hank?" Silver said, glancing over his shoulder at the younger boy.

  Hank grinned and looked up at Nova. He used to help her with her armour. She taught him a thing or two about mech fighting, but he was under Silver's pay now. "You're right, even just listening to her I think I'm about ready to quit The Pits and start dress-making."

  "Oh, I see how things are," Nova said. "You can try all you like, but I'm not going into The Pits. Not today."

  "Really? Even if I offered you two hundred credits?" Silver said. "There are a lot of locals here tonight who would bet big on the home favourite."

  "Two hundred credits isn't even one percent of what you'd make from those bets," Nova said.

  "More than I'm getting paid," Honey said as she pulled the last of her armour off and added it to the pile at her feet.

  "I'm already on a job," Nova said. "And it pays more than two hundred credits."

  Silver smiled and looked up at Nova out of the corner of his eye. "Would it change your mind if I told you the next fighter is Tate?"

  "Tate?" Nova's eyes widened and she whipped her head around to stare at Silver.

  "Yep," he replied, still smiling.

  "What the hell is he still doing here? Shouldn't he have died by now?"

  "Probably," Silver said with a shrug, "But he hasn't. He's still here and still kicking some serious mech-arse."

  "He's a cheat!" Nova said, her mouth hanging open. "You know as well as I do that he wins half his fights by playing dirty."

  "What do you want me to do?" Silver said. "The Pits aren't exactly legal themselves. Should I call the local law enforcements down to arrest him?"

  Nova frowned. Tate was a dirty fighter. He packed his mech suits full of contraband weapons; poisonous gas canisters and the like. They went against the very nature of The Pits, but no one had ever proved it and so he kept on winning.

  One year, Nova had prepared to beat him down and reveal his hidden weapons, but he snuck into her house the night before and tampered with her suit. The next day when she stepped into the arena, a massive electrical shock rocked through her body and she was sent to the medics. It took weeks for her to recover from that and by then, Tate had moved on to other arenas.

  Now he was back.

  "Ah I see you haven't forgotten him," Silver said, watching her closely.

  "Damn straight."

  "Well, he's about to go up against one of the back-listers, a new guy. There's a lot of money riding on Tate. Let's say the new guy hurt his leg and you stepped in. That could be very profitable for certain people," Silver said.

  "Certain people like you?" she asked.

  "And you, I'm willing to offer three hundred credits."

  "I'd put money on that fight," Honey said.

  "Five hundred," Nova said.

  "That's outrageous!" Silver cried.

  "You said yourself there's a lot of money riding on Tate. If I win you'll make a fortune. You can spare five hundred. And I'm allowed to place a bet."

  "You know I don't let fighters bet against themselves," Silver said.

  "Oh no. I want to place it on me."

  "Of course!" he said. "How about five hundred credits?"

  "Perfect," Nova said with a grin. "My suit is up in my ship, usual parking spot."

  Silver nodded to Hank who turned and hurried out of the changing rooms, back into the stadium.

  "Welcome back," Silver said with a grin, his hands held wide.

  "Just make sure Tate doesn't know it's me until he steps into that arena," Nova said.

  "Of course. I think you were the only one he was ever scared of. I'm looking forward to watching him crap himself."

  Silver turned and walked away from the changing room. He rubbed his hands together, a wide smile plastered over his face.

  Nova nodded once. She hadn't come down here for this, but she couldn't let Tate just walk away. She owed him one and she'd be damned if she was going to let the opportunity fly by.

  "So… When do I get that tenner?" Honey said, wiggling her eyebrows.

  "Here," Nova said, tossing a handful of coins in Honey's direction. The older woman caught them and stuffed them into her deep pockets.

  "You better know that I'm putting them all on you to win. So you'd better win, dammit."

  "Oh if I don't, you have permission to bury me and steal my ship," Nova said.

  Honey nodded and sauntered out of the changing room. For the moment Nova was left alone with her thoughts. It had turned out to be a very peculiar night. But still, revenge was a dish best served now.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Cal tightened the last strap on Nova's arm and hovered around to check her helmet. His tiny metal arms dinged against the bigger metal monstrosity that covered Nova from head to foot. Only her face was visible and that would soon be covered by the retractable shield. She winked at Cal as he hovered in front of her face.

  "I told you it wasn't a good idea," Cal said.

  "It'll be fine. Besides, it's money that we need."

  "Yeah," Cal said, noncommittal. "You're ready to go."

  "Alright. Let's do this."

  She punched her fist into the green button at her shoulder and the shield slid up over her head to cover her face. Her vision wasn't affected by the shield but to the external observer it was an opaque silver-green.

  She stomped down the long corridor towards The Pit. The yells of the crowd got louder as she approached even though the sound was muffled by her helmet. They thought she was some new-comer and were probably ready for blood. A few of the locals who had been attending The Pits for years might recognise her suit, but that was unlikely.

  Her boots clunked on the gravel floor and already she could feel the heat inside the metal casing. It was like wearing a second, unbreathable piece of skin. The only air came through a grate near her mouth and it filled with smoke and haze. Nova's eyes watered and sweat dribbled down her face. Memories flooded back. It had been a long time since her last mech fight and damn how she had missed it!

  Cal hovered in front of her. Once he was inside the square arena, he moved to the corner. Nova followed him and stood with her back to the crowd. Her eyes locked on the opposing hallway and the approaching figure. He was backlit, with only his silhouette visible. It was a great hulking thing that reflected the lights of the arena. The black suit hid everything, including his face, but there was no mistaking his arrogance, or the pretentious suit. It had to be Tate.

  The gates to the changing rooms slammed shut and the clanging of metal rang around the stadium. It quietened the crowd as they waited for the fight to begin. A smaller side gate opened and a scantily clad woman strode out, holding up a piece of metal with the number one painted on it. She walked an entire lap of the arena.

  Nova tensed. The fight would begin as soon as the girl walked out and the gate closed behind her. She'd be damned if she let herself be taken by surprise by Tate.

  The girl paused halfway around the
arena and held up her sign to the lit box where the commentator sat. She smiled and winked at the crowd.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, do I have a surprise for you." The voice echoing from the speakers wasn't the usual commentator. Nova recognised Silver immediately. He'd once been a commentator in the legitimate mech fighting circuits. After seeing how overly taxed and poorly managed they were he decided to start his own. Thus The Pits were born. His voice carried out over the crowd and had every person on the edge of their seats, holding their breath to hear the surprise.

  "You all know Tanker Tate."

  Some of the crowd got to their feet and cheered, others booed. The majority remained silent, waiting to hear what was coming.

  "But tonight he will not be fighting New-guy Nathan."

  The crowd muttered amongst themselves. Tate glanced between Nova and the commentator's box. Nova couldn't see his face, but she grinned as she imagined his confused expression.

  "Tonight I am very pleased to welcome back an old favourite. A girl who many of you know and love. For those of you who haven't seen her before, get ready for a real, mech fighting treat. Old friends will know her real name but for tonight please welcome back, Smasher Sam!" Silver's voice echoed around the stadium.

  As he said the name a section of the crowd went wild. Smasher Sam was the pseudonym Nova had used when she used to fight in The Pits years ago. Clearly there were still many who remembered her. They jumped to their feet, cheering her name. Some of them jeered at Tate and a few others ran to the ticket boxes to place last minute bets. Many booed and hissed at her, throwing cans at the fence surrounding the arena.

  Nova lifted her hand to the crowd, her signature salute, but her eyes didn't leave Tate. At her name his head whipped up and looked straight at her, and he'd taken an involuntary step backwards. Nova grinned; she had him scared. She'd waited a long time to kick the crap out of him. He knew it was her, which was the best thing. He recognised her fighter name and knew exactly what it meant.

  The scantily clad woman resumed her walk around the arena and lifted the metal sign up to each section of the crowd.

  "Look who came crawling back," Tate jeered, his voice muffled by his helmet.

  "Only so I can watch you fall."

  "Aww, c'mon, don't be like that. Hey, why don't you play nice? I'd sure like to see you on your back for me."

  Nova clenched her teeth and resisted the urge to lash out. If she struck before the round started she'd be disqualified. "Over my dead body."

  "Perhaps," Tate said.

  "You first."

  The woman with the sign made it full circle and stepped out of the arena. The wire gate snapped shut behind her and the fight was on.

  As Nova predicted, Tate ran straight for her. He sprinted across the arena, careening like a boulder across the dirt floor. He tucked his head low as if he meant to head-butt her to the fence and he growled as he approached.

  Nova held her ground for as long as she could. She pulled back her fist, as if aiming a punch, and at the last minute stepped to the side. Tate's weight carried him forward. As he shot past, Nova turned and slammed her elbow down into his back. Their metal suits clanged against one another. The force sent a jolt up Nova's arm that made it tingle. She'd forgotten what it was like to be encased in a metal suit; she was protected but so was he.

  Tate whirled to face her and without warning he rained fists down on her head. He beat at her with all of his strength, smashing left and right.

  Nova held up her metal arms and his blows bounced back. Each hit sent another shock vibrating through Nova's arms until she was sure they were going to fall right off. A tightness formed in her stomach; she couldn't remember the last time she'd checked the connections in her suit, and a cold sweat broke out at the thought that it could all fall apart.

  She shook her head, she couldn't think about that now. She turned her focus back to the fight. At the moment, she wasn't doing anything but defending as Tate hit her again and again. No fight was ever won just by blocking. Nova let three more punches land before she leant backwards and swung her right foot through the air in a roundhouse kick.

  Her leg smashed into Tate's side and sent him stumbling. The metal suits weren't made for moving sideways, the vision was limited and the balance wrong. Tate faltered until finally regaining his balance. By then Nova was on him.

  She rained down punches of her own. Instead of letting him block the hits, she changed her angles, aiming for his head, then his stomach, his crutch, then back to his head again. The onslaught had Tate peddling backwards. He tried to get around, to lash out with his own arms, but it did no good. Nova was too quick. She blocked every blow and still had time left to attack him.

  Tate's back slammed into the fence and it rattled. The crowd behind him went wild. Some threw bottles at the arena, and they shattered, sending pieces of glass in all directions. The bright specks caught the arena lights and cast rainbows on the violent scene.

  With Tate backed into a corner, Nova had the advantage. She slammed her knees up into his ribcage. The metal suits would protect him from some of the force but the constant hits would hurt him bad, possibly break a few of his ribs if she aimed them right.

  Nova had victory in her grasp. There was no way Tate could get himself out of the corner. Mech fighting had come back as easily as walking to Nova. She slipped straight in and overpowered her opponent as easily as she had when she was fighting every day. Inside her suit she grinned; Tate was finally getting what he deserved.

  Pain stabbed up Nova's side. She grunted and her forward attack failed. She reached down to the source of pain but her metal hands stopped her from reaching it. She looked down, trying to see over her own armour to her side. Pain shot up into her chest.

  While she was looking away, Tate lifted his right fist and slammed it into the side of Nova's head. The blow sent her flying across the gravel arena. Her head snapped to the side and her body crashed to the ground. She wanted to get up but the pain in her side made her cringe; she could barely move. The best she could do was curl into a small ball, hoping to minimise Tate's attack.

  She groaned. Tate ran straight for her. His foot lifted off the ground, swung down and smashed into her stomach. Nova's organs clenched and vomit rose to the back of her throat. Pain surged through every inch of her body. Her side boiled with agony and yet she had no idea why.

  This was it.

  Tate prepared to smash her face in. He wouldn't show any mercy, and she'd be dragged out of The Pits in a body bag. She wouldn't be the first one, and the only way to avoid it was to get to her feet, to stand. She tried with all her might to push herself up but her muscles refused to respond. Every ounce of energy she had was consumed by just staying conscious through the haze of pain.

  "End Round One," Silver's voice boomed over the speakers.

  "Lucky you got friends up top," Tate said, nodding to the commentator's box.

  From her position on the floor, Tate looked huge. He towered over her and his massive helmet blocked out most of her vision.

  "Look at that. You did roll onto your back for me," he said. "If I were you, I'd bow out now. You won't survive round two."

  He stomped away from Nova to his own corner of the arena.

  Nova was instantly surrounded by people. Cal hovered near her head, talking, but she couldn't understand a word he said. Her vision and hearing were cloudy, foggy and unreadable. Silver ran into the arena and stood in front of her. At first he looked mad and was yelling. Nova couldn't make out his words. After a few moments his face fell and he pointed at Nova's side.

  She tried to look down, see what he was pointing at and what was causing her such agony but the helmet made it impossible. At Silver's gestures the crowd around Nova changed, their mood darkened and the voices became quieter. Jonas was there. He was so old he was practically ancient. Apparently he'd once been a vet in the inner galaxies. No one knew why he wasn't still there but it was qualification enough to be a medic in The Pits.

/>   A flicker of Nova's consciousness wondered what Jonas was doing by her side. He should be worrying about Tate; he was the one that was going down.

  She continued these delusions, until she dropped into unconsciousness and the world went black.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  "Nova? Nova? Come back to me girl," Jonas said.

  Nova's eyes flickered open at the sound of his voice. Her back rested against the arena fence and a bright light burned over her head. Her abdomen ached like death itself. Jonas stood next to her; his beard rough and his clothes dirty, just as she remembered.

  "Hey, Jonas, what's up?" she whispered through the pain.

  Her mind sifted through her memories. What had happened? She'd visited Roxanne, then she'd come here to ask questions. She'd met Honey and then…… Then she'd been in the arena against Tate! She was winning, but something had happened. There was something she was supposed to remember. Something important.

  "He stabbed me!" Nova shouted. She tried to sit up, but the pain in her stomach forced her to wince and lean back.

  "You see? Now we have proof," Lucas said, stepping into Nova's field of view.

  "Lucas, you know I can't do anything on the word of some pain-addled fighter," Silver replied.

  "She's not just some pain-addled fighter. This is Nova. She was going to kick the crap out of him and he turned cheat, just like he always does."

  Nova listened to the exchange. She wanted to yell out, to tell them that Lucas was right, that Tate was a cheat, and a liar, and not fit to fight in these circles. But she couldn't. Every breath was agony as the skin around her stab wound stretched and pulled. She tentatively reached her hand down and patted her side. Just under her ribs was a layer of bandages.

  She winced at a new surge of pain and squeezed her eyes shut.

  "We've never been able to catch him before and it's the same now. No matter how hard we search him, the weapons never show up. I can't kick him out without a good reason," Silver said.