Arena

by Holly Jennings

  “How’s your ankle?” I asked.

  She glanced down at it, shifting her weight side to side. “Still tender, but it’s getting a lot better.”

  “Do you think you’ll be recovered by this weekend?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. Why?”

  “Check this out.” I held out the tablet for her to watch as Zero’s ogre crashed through the tower’s door and started slaughtering his opponents. Lily’s eyes went a touch wide.

  “He’s a freaking beast.”

  “I think you could take him out easy.”

  Her eyes went wider. “Really?”

  “He’s huge, but he moves slowly. You’re faster than anyone I’ve ever seen in the arena. You could get the drop on him before he can take anyone else out. Think you could handle it?”

  She considered it. “Yeah. Might be good if I could practice against someone that size.”

  No one here was even close to seven feet tall. I spotted Rooke across the room and waved him over. He’d have to do.

  “You’re the tallest one here,” I told him, as he stopped in front of us. “Do you mind sparring with Lily for the week? She needs to work with a larger opponent.”

  He nodded. “Sure.”

  They paired off on the mats. Lily’s gift was her speed, and against Rooke, she was a Tasmanian devil with a pair of short axes. Even with the practice weapons, Lily moved like a hurricane, spinning and whipping faster than Rooke could keep up. Looked like my plan might work.

  After lunch, I laid out a potential strategy for the coming matchup.

  “I think three on defense and two on offense would work best against QuickZero,” I said with my teammates huddled around me. “Hannah and Derek will go for their tower while Rooke, Lily, and I guard our own. Lily will be the one to take out the ogre. If something goes wrong, Rooke and I will be there to back her up.”

  Derek stepped forward. “Still going two on three? Kali, let’s be serious. No pro team keeps three on defense. It makes us look weak.”

  “Lily’s still recovering from her sprain. Plus, Zero always goes three on offense and two on defense. It’s their style. If we mirror them, it’ll be one-on-one. Since we’ve replaced a player, and we’re still not used to each other yet, I think it’s best if we play it safe for now. At this point, we’re not here to show off. We’re here to survive.”

  “And what if they try a different formulation to screw us up?”

  Good question.

  “I’ll think about that,” I said. “We’ll go with this setup for now.”

  Everyone agreed, but Derek had a good point. What if they changed up their format? How could we prepare for that?

  The next morning, a hardback copy of The Art of War sat waiting outside my door with a new sticky note on its cover. Guess he wanted me to find it right away today.

  Which of the thirteen chapters do you think best applies to the virtual battlefield?

  Is that all you got, recruit? I was going to own his ass. The thirteen chapters in The Art of War each dealt with a different aspect of warfare. It wasn’t a Taoist text in the strictest sense, but employed many of its concepts and ideals. Tapping a pen against my bottom lip, I flipped through the pages a few times to refresh myself on the material.

  A few minutes later, the book somehow ended up in the men’s changing room of the training area, tucked in Rooke’s locker.

  Chapter Seven speaks about adapting to the fluidity of the battlefield.

  The virtual world is programmed. Therefore, it is more fluid than any.

  As I walked toward the cafeteria for a cup of my personal poison, I thought about The Art of War. I’d never considered the virtual battlefield as fluid before, but the programmers could reformat standard programming to do almost anything they wanted.

  I stopped dead.

  That was it. The answer to the question Derek had posed the day before. We could run various scenarios of QuickZero’s possible attacks in the virtual world and master any format they threw at us. As fate would have it, Elise turned a corner and started coming toward me. I jogged up to her.

  “Hey. I’m going to need you to plug us in later.”

  Her face fell, and she sighed. “Look, Kali, I’m going to lose my job.”

  “What?”

  “The other programmers said you got the girl before me fired for letting you plug in off-hours.”

  I shook my head. “No, no. This is practice for the whole team.” I smiled as I lied through my teeth. “Clarence already approved it. You won’t get in trouble.”

  She brightened. “Oh. Okay then.”

  In the cafeteria, I hurried over to the team as they sat eating their breakfasts.

  “We’re going to spend more time in the virtual world,” I told them. “I’ll get the programmers to create simulations with opponents similar to QuickZero’s size and skill. Then, they’ll run the different ways they might attack. Three on defense, three on offense, four on offense. If at any point we wipe out, we can rerun the same scenario until we figure out how to beat it. That way, we’re prepared no matter what they do.”

  Everyone exchanged glances and nodded in approval.

  “That sounds . . . perfect,” Derek said. “Good idea.”

  “Well”—I glanced at Rooke at the end of the table—“someone reminded me how fluid the arena is and how fast we need to adapt.”

  Rooke smiled but said nothing.

  The rest of the week, we fell into a pattern. Mornings in the training room, afternoons in the virtual, and nights at the clubs, intermixed with media events and my ongoing sticky-note war with Rooke. Sometimes I’d find a book outside my door, waiting for me in the mornings. On other days, I’d stumble across one in my pod, on the roof of the facility, or on top of the gaming consoles in the facility’s rec room.

  The gaming consoles. Now that gave me an idea.

  Like Hannah had said, I was good at finding ways to make this fun. So, on Friday night, after an entire week of nonstop action, I decided I needed a break. We all did. After returning from the clubs, I led the team through the hallways of the facility.

  “Where are we going?” Hannah asked too loudly, obviously still feeling the effects of the shots she’d done earlier.

  “Shhh, you guys,” I warned. “Quiet.”

  “Where are you taking us?” Derek asked in a hushed voice.

  I smiled. “To fight.”

  “Oh, God,” Hannah whined. “We’re going to practice, aren’t we?”

  I ignored her and led them past the training room and into the rec room. When the door slid shut behind us, I quickly entered a lock code on the keypad and turned back to my teammates.

  “With the amount of training we go through, I think sometimes we forget that this is a game.” I grinned. “I have a surprise for you.”

  I walked over to the television. The rec room consisted of a wall-sized television screen, all the modern gaming systems, and an oversized couch, long enough to seat a dozen people. I grabbed one of the systems, booted it up, and started searching through the menus. When I located the spot where I’d downloaded a few classic video games, I clicked on one. A remake of Super Smash Brothers popped up on the screen. It wasn’t the original game, but a tribute with updated effects and graphics. The original only ran on old systems, and almost no one had those anymore. At least, not ones that worked.

  “Yes!” Hannah screeched, practically diving for a controller. “I’m Peach!”

  Derek scooped up the second controller. “Who in their right mind picks Peach? What is wrong with you?”

  She giggled as she tapped a few buttons. “You’re about to have your ass kicked by a princess.”

  “Just to be clear: Are we talking about the character or you?”

  The trash-talking had already begun. I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across
my face. Lily snatched the third controller, and I motioned for Rooke to take the last. He hesitated for a second before joining the others in front of the wallscreen.

  I sat on the couch behind them all and watched. As they chose their characters and set up the fight, the trash-talking continued between Derek, Hannah, and Lily. Rooke sat at the end, somewhat excluded from the conversation. After joining the team late, he was still on the outside looking in. Now, that just wasn’t right.

  “Hey, guys. Take it easy on the recruit,” I said. They all glanced back at me with confused looks on their faces, especially Rooke. I grinned. “He likes virtual golf.”

  My teammates exploded.

  “Virtual golf?”

  “Oh, no. Now we’ll lose tomorrow night for sure.”

  “Should we trade your sword for a five iron?”

  They all laughed, and soon, Rooke was laughing with them. Nothing like a good razzing from your teammates to feel like you’re a part of the group. I felt sort of proud in that moment. We were becoming a team again, and, more importantly, we were having fun.

  The game started up, and the room filled with sounds of cartoon attacks, explosions, and karate chops.

  “What are we going to do next?” Hannah asked, eyes glued on the screen. “Ancient video games?”

  Yes, games now had eras. Ancient was anything from the first computer-based games in the 1950s and ’60s through to the video game crash of 1983. Classic games were from the release of the original Nintendo Entertainment System in the mid-1980s through to the first at-home VR headsets in the mid twenty-teens. Modern was anything from VR forward, including non-VR games.

  On the screen, I watched as four characters battled each other, until Peach went out, then Samus, then Fox. Pikachu was left dancing on the platform, claiming victory.

  Lily raised her arms triumphantly.

  “Not bad,” Derek said, “for someone who likes Bubble Bobble.”

  She punched him in the arm.

  “Ow.” Derek turned back to the screen. “That’s it. Rematch.”

  The next round started up.

  I sat back against the couch and let my vision go fuzzy. Besides the media bullshit and torture-based training, life was pretty good. I was on my way to becoming a permanent pro gamer, and the team was gelling over classic video games. This was heaven, almost as much as the virtual world. Almost. But only with a sword in my hand was I truly invincible.

  I pushed deeper into the couch and pictured the virtual tower. A soft rustling, like trees in the wind, filled the air around me. I took a breath, breathing in the deep, lavender scent. Stone, wheat stalks, and sand. I was home.

  “It’s your turn.”

  I glanced around the tower, looking for the owner of the voice. Who else was here?

  “Kali?”

  I blinked and looked up at Hannah standing over me. I was on the couch of the rec room, not inside the tower. My other teammates sat on the floor in front of the TV. I blinked again and rubbed my eyes.

  What the hell just happened?

  “It’s your turn,” Hannah repeated, holding her controller out to me. Her brow furrowed, and she tilted her head. “Where were you just now?”

  I sat up straight and cleared my throat. “I must have been dreaming.”

  “Your eyes were open.”

  Huh.

  “Daydreaming,” I sputtered. “I meant daydreaming.” I glanced between her and the controller, and pushed it back toward her. “You go ahead. I’ll watch another round.”

  She grinned. “Well, I’m not going to say no to that.”

  She scurried back to the group. I followed the line of my teammates’ backs until I met Rooke’s eyes. He was the only one still facing me, and he stared like he was trying to look through me.

  Derek nudged him. “Hey, choose a character.”

  Finally, Rooke turned back to the screen and tapped his controller.

  With his back turned, I released a breath. I lifted my hands off the couch and studied them. They were shaking. My stomach swirled. What was wrong with me?

  Nothing. I was tired. That was all.

  My teammates battled each other until they were too exhausted to hold the controllers. We filtered out of the rec room and down the hall to our bunks. Everyone said their good nights and wished good luck for tomorrow. Inside in my bunk, I stared down at the empty bed though a phantom ghost memory of Nathan filled in the other side, like every night. Forget it. I’d never sleep. Maybe I could go for a run around the track. Never mind. Clarence would be watching. What are you doing, running this late at night? It’ll throw off your entire schedule.

  In the bathroom, I poked a few pills through the package, popping out them out like pieces of gum. Two. Three. What do they call that? A cocktail? Nah, that’s only when you mix. I must have a natural resistance to these things.

  I tossed the pills in my mouth and groped around the counter for a glass. Bottles clanged together in my search, which turned up nothing but liquor minis, lotion, and makeup bottles. Whatever. I downed the pills and emptied one of the liquor minis in one swipe. It slid down smooth, barely even burned anymore. Looks like it wasn’t just video games I’d become professional at doing.

  I wrapped myself in a towel and sat on the bathroom floor, waiting for the drowsiness to grip me before returning to bed. Maybe if I waited until I was tired enough, I’d fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow and wouldn’t even think about a dead Nathan beside me. But before I ever got back up, everything went black.

  CHAPTER 11

  White light streamed in through the tower’s barred windows, splaying sunlight across the stone floor. I stood in the center of the tower, basking in it. The trees outside rustled in the wind. Through the tower’s entrance, Lily’s feet disappeared up branches to her hiding spot. Rooke paced in front of me, in minimal armor, muscles gleaming in the light. Not that I was looking, or anything.

  “You think we’re ready?” he asked in a low voice, so the audio wouldn’t pick up his words. Last thing we needed was for the world to see another argument between us, or for the press to take something that was said and spin it out of proportion.

  I spoke back through my teeth. “We practiced hard and played hard. We had fun. There’s nothing more we could do. We’re ready.”

  He stopped in front of me. “You really believe in having fun, don’t you?”

  I shrugged. “It’s a game, isn’t it?”

  Footsteps beat up the path to the tower. I gripped my sword and drew it out from its sheath. Rooke mirrored my pose. Two of QuickZero’s players burst through the tower’s entrance. The ogre clambered in behind them. The formation we were most expecting. Perfect.

  Lily jumped down from the trees outside the tower and dove for the seven-foot brute, slicing through his calves with the speed of light. He clomped around, trying to find her as she weaved through his legs. They looked like a cartoon of an elephant stomping around a mouse as it scurried beneath its feet.

  A warrior closed in on me.

  His footsteps pounded as he bolted, sword out. I waited, drawing him in, grinning my warrior’s grin. His feet pounded faster. That’s it. Fuel your rage, my dear. It will do you no good.

  He swung as he reached me. I dipped under his arm and elbowed his ribs. He stumbled back, coughing, gripping his side.

  He charged again.

  Sword met sword as he swung. I followed his blow, flinging his arm to the side, leaving his chest wide open. Big mistake, pal. With two quick spins, I sliced an X across his rib cage. Blood sprayed out, slicking his lower half with red. He cried out and went rigid. Then he collapsed to his knees and fell forward, practically kissing my toes.

  I looked to my teammates. Both still battled their opponents less than a foot apart, nearly back-to-back.

  I retrieved my opponent’s sword from the stone floo
r and bolted. Just as I reached the brawl, I dropped down, slid between the remaining enemies, and slammed both swords in either’s back. They gasped and went rigid. I ripped my weapons out, and they collapsed to the ground.

  Rooke and Lily glanced down at the floor and back at me, their mouths slightly agape. That’s right. There’s a reason why they call me the warrior.

  I closed my eyes and smiled, waiting for the jolt back to reality. We’d done it. We were working as a team again. There were kinks, sure, but we were on our way.

  “Should two of us move up to the enemy’s tower in case Derek and Hannah need help?” Rooke asked.

  Sure, whatever.

  I took a deep breath, inhaling the lavender and the wheatgrass, and the mountain air in all its perfection.

  “Kali?”

  An elbow nudged me. Hard.

  “What?” I snapped.

  Rooke stared back, eyes wide, dressed in his pod suit. He sat beside me in the conference room, in front of a sea of reporters. I blinked and looked out at the crowd. Shit. How much time had I lost now? Forget that. When had I left the real world for this place?

  Okay, press conference. Right. Someone must have asked me something. I pressed my lips to the microphone. “Could you repeat the question please?”

  The reporter stared at me for a second and cleared his throat. “For the last few weeks you’ve been struggling in your matchups, and now tonight, you didn’t lose a single player. What do you attribute to your improvements as a team?”

  What was I supposed to say? I couldn’t mention anything about the books or that we’d been sneaking moments of fun between training.

  “We practiced fighting each other in various scenarios,” I said. “It helped us to better know each other’s styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Then, we worked together to become stronger. We’re really starting to gel as a team.” I grinned. “Which I think you all saw tonight.”

  The crowd laughed, and I laughed with them. Good. I’d recovered. As my teammates answered the reporters’ questions, I looked down at myself dressed in my pod suit and forced my brain to trudge backwards, sorting through my memories. I was in the tower, then I was here. Nothing between. No. There must have been. I must have left the pod and walked here. Was I on autopilot? I got to the destination but couldn’t remember the journey.