When I told Nevva that I would enter the Grand X, I thought she would be all sorts of excited. She wasn’t. At least not at first. We stood on that street corner after having heard the taunts thrown at me by Challenger Green, and I gave her the news that I’d compete. Instead of being all happy and relieved, she gave me this odd look.
“What?” I asked. “Isn’t that what you want??”
“It is,” she said, but it sure didn’t sound like she meant it.
“Look, you made your case,” I said. “I know what you’re going for. On Second Earth a big game or race or fight can capture people’s imaginations. It’s like the whole world stops to watch and cheer. We have Super Bowls, World Series, prize fights, Kentucky Derbies, Olympics, NASCAR races, and tons more. People root like crazy, even though there really isn’t anything at stake for them. Some people make bets, sure, but mostly they just want their favorite to win because it’s fun to root. But here, people do have something at stake. Seeing Mr. Pop made that clear. If you guys can get the people behind me the way I’ve seen fans at home believe in their favorite team, then I think it can launch something big. It all comes down to the revivers taking advantage of the emotion that comes from my winning.”
Nevva still didn’t say anything. She looked troubled.
“This is weird,” I said. “I feel like I’m convincing you. This was your idea, remember?”
“Yes,” she said, shaking off whatever was bothering her. “You’re absolutely right. You’ve made the right choice. We have a lot of work to do. Let’s tell the others.”
She was back in hyperefficient mode, but I was left with an odd feeling. I knew I had made the right decision, but for that brief moment Nevva looked like she had second thoughts.
“Wait,” I said. “Something’s bugging you.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just that, I still have this image of Remudi falling from the Tato platform.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I said. “I’ve been through a lot worse than anything Green boy can throw at me.”
“I know,” she said, smiling. Whatever doubts she had were gone. “This is the way it was meant to be.”
She walked down the street, headed for the underground. This time Nevva didn’t ask me to wear the hood over my head. I guess I had passed whatever test needed to be passed in order to be accepted by the revivers. She led me into a building, down an elevator, through some subterranean corridors, and generally on a twisting, confusing route that I don’t think I’d be able to tell anybody about even if I wanted to. We eventually found ourselves at a cement wall that looked as if a hole had been blasted through it.
“This is one of the entry points to the underground that the revivers opened up,” she explained.
I felt like I was entering an ancient tomb that had been unsealed by archeologists. Beyond the hole were more corridors that eventually led us through a steel door and into one of the underground malls. Waiting there for us was another electric-powered cart. Or maybe it was a tarz-powered cart. With Nevva at the wheel we drove another several minutes through the deserted malls until we found ourselves back at the department store that was the base of the revivers.
“So what do we do now?” I asked.
“We prepare you” was Nevva’s answer.
It seemed like she had been planning this for a long time. There was no question she’d thought the whole thing through. That was Nevva. Her mind was like a computer, calculating every possibility and planning for every contingency. I guess you had to be organized like that in order to juggle three different lives.
The first phase of her plan was to prepare me for the Grand X. That meant a lot of things. For one, the revivers trained me. They worked me over pretty good, too. It wasn’t like the grueling training at Mooraj that Loor put me through, but it was tough. We worked on strength with weights, and agility. We did tons of cardio to build up my breathing and stamina. I ran for miles through the deserted malls beneath the city of Rune. I also did sprints. Many, many sprints. I was already in pretty good shape, but after the time I spent in the underground, I had to admit, I was rocking.
Nevva wasn’t there very much. She had to deal with her job as assistant to the trustees. Every few days she’d come to the underground with news about what was happening with them. The hunt for me was still on. They wanted me for the Grand X. Or maybe I should say. Saint Dane wanted me for the Grand X. He wouldn’t let them give up on me. I think he must have known all along that I would compete. I hated that he was right.
Tylee Magna reported back to me on how the word had gone out to revivers all over Quillan about the upcoming event. I was being talked about as a champion of the people. The buzz was building. Only time would tell if it would get big enough to have the effect the revivers wanted. It was a weird feeling to know that I was being promoted like this. Up until this point, everything I had done as a Traveler was pretty anonymous. That was about to change. Here on Quillan my face would be known to every person on the territory. You’d think I’d be intimidated by the whole thing. I wasn’t. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because I was so confident.
My training with the revivers had a lot to do with that. Nevva had gathered a boatload of information about Challenger Green. She studied the replays of his matches and put together a report on his strengths and weaknesses. His biggest strength by far was his attitude. He was ruthless. I won’t go so far as to say he enjoyed killing off his opponents, but he definitely didn’t mind it. He was smart, too. He adapted to situations quickly. I saw that in the replay of the Tato match where he smashed open the dome, then held on to the opening as he threw the platform off balance, killing Remudi. That was a snap decision and a smart one. I couldn’t count on him making mistakes. He was also strong. He was bigger than me, and I was sure if it came down to a show of pure strength, I’d be in trouble.
But the guy had weaknesses. He wasn’t agile. He could easily be thrown off balance. And he was slow. Running both distance and sprints. There’s a big difference between being fast in the forty-yard dash and being fast in a two-yard dash. From what I’d seen, I was better than Green in both. It made me feel confident that even if things went sour and I got in trouble, I could get away from him. As an added bonus, Nevva told me that the vision in Challenger Green’s left eye was weak as the result of a childhood accident. That was a great thing to know.
But what gave me the most confidence was the fact that I was a trained fighter. Me. Bobby Pendragon. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I never even got in a dumb wrestling match back at home, let alone a fistfight. But that was a lifetime ago. I had recently been hardened by the tough physical regime that Loor and Alder put me through, and by fighting for my life more times than I like to think about. Challenger Green had no such training. The fighting skills I had would help me in so many phases of the Grand X, there was no way Challenger Green could compete with me. I was sure of that.
Nevva walked me through many of the possible events. There were hundreds to choose from-far too many for her to cover all of them, but I got a pretty good overview. The Grand X wasn’t just one game, or battle, or race. It was a series of five contests. Nobody knew what the actual games would be until the day of the event. They were chosen by Veego and LaBerge. Nevva explained that sometimes the Grand X was a huge spectacle, with each event a team sport that pitted several challengers against one another. But usually there were two challengers who battled to Win each event, because the loser would be given a handicap! for the next stage, or the winner an advantage.
Here was the kicker; the Grand X ended if either of the challengers was killed, or injured so badly that he or she couldn’t go on. Nevva told me that many Grand X’s never got past the first event. That was a grim thought. I had no doubt that Challenger Green would not only try to beat me, but once he realized how good I was, he’d try to hurt or kill me. So the Grand X was not only about winning, it was about staying in one piece.
“So how do you win?” I asked Nevva
.
“The champion is the challenger who wins the most events. Which means the Grand X might only last for three events if one challenger wins them all.”
“So it’s possible to lose the Grand X and still survive?” I asked.
Nevva hesitated.
“Tell me the truth,” I said.
“Yes, of course it’s possible, but only if you lose the Grand X within the first four events.” “Why’s that?” I asked.
“Because if it goes to the fifth event, the tiebreaker, it’s usually a game where, to win, you must kill your opponent.”
Oh. That gave new meaning to the phrase “sudden death overtime.”
I won’t go into the details of the possible events, because I’ll describe the actual events to you when I write about the competition, but I will say this much: After spending roughly three weeks training in the catacombs of Rune, I was ready. Mentally and physically. As we got closer to the Grand X, I felt that my biggest problem would be overconfidence.
There is something else I need to mention. An odd thing happened during my time with the room that wasn’t much better than a cell. But it was comfortable, so I didn’t complain. One night while I was sleeping, I had a visitor. At first I thought it was a dream, but then I recognized her as the old woman I had met on my trip to see Mr. Pop. The one who showed me the children’s portrait gallery for inspiration. Remember her? She knelt down by my bed and woke me up by stroking my hair. You’d think I would have jumped in surprise, but I didn’t. There was nothing frightening about her. Just the opposite. She had this calm air that made me feel as relaxed as if I were still sleeping.
“You are a very brave young boy,” she said softly. “We are all very proud of you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“You said you were looking for inspiration?” she said, and held up a dark necklace made of stone beads. It wasn’t fancy, the only unique thing about it was a single gold bead that was slightly larger than the rest. I’d say it was about the size of a large pea. “This once belonged to someone who sacrificed everything for what he believed in. I wish you would wear it. For luck.”
I reached for the beads, but the woman gently pushed my hands aside and put it around my neck herself.
“Who was it?” I asked.
The old woman put her hands over my eyes to close them. She didn’t answer, and I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I thought for sure it was a dream. But when I touched my throat, the necklace was there. I had no idea who that old woman was, or whose necklace this was, but I had no intention of taking it off. I needed all the luck I could get.
Finally, after so many weeks of hard work, the day came to take the next step. I had just finished a megalong run through the mall, when I got back to the department store to see Nevva and Tylee waiting for me. They looked tense. I didn’t have to ask why.
“It’s time, isn’t it?” I asked.
Nevva was carrying a sack. She reached inside and pulled out something I hadn’t seen in quite a while. I hoped I would never see it again, but as things turned out, that wasn’t meant to be.
It was a red shirt with five black diagonal stripes-the jersey of Challenger Red. My uniform. “Get dressed,” Tylee said.
Soon afterward I was in the back of a car being driven through the streets of Rune. The older man whose name I hadn’t learned was driving. Tylee was in the passenger seat. Nevva was next to me.
“The campaign has been incredible,” Nevva said. It sounded like she was talking about my run for class president or something. “The anticipation is huge. Everybody wants to know when you’ll reappear. The mystery has only helped build excitement.”
“It’s going to work, Pendragon,” Tylee said. “We’ve positioned you as being the first challenger to compete on your own terms. You’ve stood up to Blok, and now you’re going back voluntarily. That’s never happened before. I almost want to say that it doesn’t matter what happens with the Grand X. You’re already being spoken about in awe, all over Quillan.”
“So what you’re saying is we’re in a no-lose situation. Depending on what happens I’ll either be a hero… or a martyr.”
Tylee looked at me, debating about how to answer. She knew she had to be honest with me. I was too smart. “We’d much prefer you to be a hero.”
I smiled. “Good answer.”
“I’ll be there the day of the Grand X,” Nevva said. “In case…”
She didn’t finish. I knew what she meant. She was going to be there in case I was killed. She would do all she could, as a Traveler, to bring me back.
“It won’t come to that,” I said defiantly.
Nevva nodded.
I added with a smile, “But try to be there.” “I will,” she said.
“So when does this big doo-da begin?” I asked.
“Soon,” Nevva said. “I’m sure Veego and LaBerge are going to want to show you off a little and whip up some excitement. They have no idea that the entire territory is already primed and waiting.”
“Are they expecting me?” I asked.
“No, of course not,” Nevva answered quickly. “But the trustees have promised them that they would bring you back. Or should I say, Mr. Kayto made that promise.”
Nevva and I exchanged looks. Saint Dane knew I’d be back. He knew I’d compete. I hated his confidence. I just hoped he was ready to live up to his end of the bargain.
“We’re almost there,” Tylee said. “Get out quickly. We don’t want to be seen.”
“Got it,” I said. “Just slow down enough so I don’t break my leg. How stupid would that be?”
The old man said, “We’re proud of you, Pendragon. And more grateful than words can say.”
“Good luck,” Tylee said. “I’d say we’ll be watching, but that’s a pretty big understatement. Millions will be watching right along with us.”
“Good thing I’m not camera shy,” I said.
Nevva touched my arm in a show of support. I winked and said, “I’m doing this for Remudi, too.”
She smiled and nodded.
The car slowed and Tylee shouted, “Go!”
I threw open the door and jumped out. My feet barely hit the road when the old man hit the throttle and sped off. As I watched the car disappear into traffic, I felt very much alone. For a quick moment I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I had the sudden urge to take off into the city and disappear into the crowds. It didn’t last. I knew I was in the right place. Slowly I turned to see that I had been deposited exactly where I needed to be. I was standing directly in front of the big, ornate golden gates that led into the garden of Veego and LaBerge. I stood there with my hands on my hips, not entirely sure what to do. Ten seconds later the big metal gates slowly swung open with an eerie creeaaaaaaak. I stood watching until they had opened the whole way and stopped with a loud clang!
I was headed back into the fire.
(CONTINUED)
QUILLAN
“I never thought we’d see you again!” LaBerge said, all bubbly and happy as I walked up the marble stairs toward the front door of the castle. Behind me were the two security dados that had met me as soon as I set foot back inside the front gate. “This is just incredible! Do you know how much excitement is building for the Grand X? It’s impossible! It’s phenomenal! It’s-“
“Yeah, I get it,” I said.
“Oh,” LaBerge said, looking all pouty. “Just wanted to let you know how happy we are to see you back.”
He turned with a huff and stormed into the castle. Veego stood at the top of the stairs, staring at me with those cold, calculating eyes.
“Miss me?” I said, faking a smile.
“They told me you’d be back,” she said coldly. “I didn’t believe them. Yet here you are. I must admit, I don’t understand.”
I walked right up to her and said, “I’m here to win your dumb little contest. Is that a problem?”
Veego said, “Absolutely not. This is going to be the most widel
y seen Grand X in the history of the games. Your running away has only raised the interest. And now that youVe come back on your own, well, let’s just say we expect the wagering to be very high.”
“Then we’re all good,” I said. “I want to compete and you want to look good to your bosses. Everybody’s happy.” I was being kind of obnoxious, but couldn’t help myself.
Veego continued to stare at me suspiciously. “Don’t push your luck. Challenger Red,” she said. “We aren’t as dumb as you seem to think.”
“Really? How dumb are you?” I asked.
Veego didn’t fight back. “Your quarters haven’t been touched,” she said. “Settle in and we’ll begin the preparation.”
“Terrific,” I said, and walked past her, headed into the castle.
The woman grabbed me by the arm and said, “Just one more thing.”
Before I realized what was happening, she deftly slipped something over my hand and pushed it all the way up my arm. I instantly felt the tight grip of the loop as it grasped my biceps.
“Welcome back. Challenger Red,” she said with a sneer.
I didn’t give her the satisfaction of reacting, though the feeling of being constrained again by one of their leashes made my skin crawl. I continued on into the castle, where someone was waiting for me in the grand entryway.
“Hello, Challenger Red,” Fourteen said formally. “I’ll bring you to your room.”
“Hi, Fourteen,” I said. “Or maybe by now you’re Fifteen.”
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