Rebel 2

by Riker Kane

  “What?” she said. “You think I dress like that when I’m out and about?”

  “Anything’s possible.”

  “It’s warm in Santa Fe but it’s not that warm.” She took the spot at the bar next to him. “Saw your battle. Made pretty quick work of Spike.”

  “I’ve got some experience.”

  “Experience with an ACE is one thing. Battles with Spike usually end a lot more violently than that. You know what you’re doing in there.”

  “And apparently this isn’t the first time you’ve ever watched a battle.”

  Max gave her a narrowed stare. She looked back up at him. Despite how intense she was, she couldn’t fight a smirk from coming to her lips.

  “I made some decent creds from betting on you,” she said. “Bettors are always leery about putting something on the new guy.”

  “First you take my creds at the strip joint. Now you’re making creds off me here. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to set me up. Maybe you’re working with the Disciples and wanna get me killed.”

  “Hey! I’m not working with those assholes. I wouldn’t even think twice about it.”

  Sabrina raised her voice, no longer smiling like she just was. Her sudden change in demeanor only made Max more curious. When she realized what she did, she sighed softly and leaned back against the bar with her arms crossed.

  “I wasn’t sure what to make of you,” she said. “When I first talked to you, I thought you were a really incompetent detective or someone from a rival gang.”

  “And now?”

  “Now…” She looked Max up and down and shrugged. “I just have a strange feeling about you… Like I said, I think you might be telling the truth.”

  “I don’t suppose it’ll make a difference if I tell you that it really is the truth.”

  “Weirdos don’t usually go to strip joints looking for information. There are better places to get the details you’re looking for. You definitely look like you’re from out of town though. And you wouldn’t be the first person the Disciples ever fucked with.”

  “Then you know more about them.”

  “I know as much as everybody else.”

  “Which is?” Max raised his eyebrows at her. She responded by turning toward the bar and eyeballing one of the robot bartenders.

  Max raised his AllDevice up and scanned it over the tablet. Sabrina followed up as she punched in her drink order.

  “The Disciples are responsible for most of the loot circulating Santa Fe,” she said. “They’ve got a stranglehold right here in the Cobalt District. It’s the richest part of the city, so that’s where all the creds are made.”

  “Then they should be easy to find.”

  “The Disciples aren’t a small group. You go into a back alley pretending you’re looking for loot, all you’ll do is draw the attention of the higher-ups.”

  “What about the cops?”

  “Ha!” she scoffed. Sabrina kept giggling to herself as she took a sip from her drink. “The only difference between the cops and the Disciples is the pigs aren’t on the streets selling the product themselves. The Disciples are running a bigger loot business than anybody else in town, legitimate or not. There are enough crooked cops around here, there’s no reason for them to get involved.”

  “Disciples are pushing loot. Cops get paid to stay out of the way.”

  Max looked down at the ground and shook his head. Sabrina only confirmed what he’d already thought. Finding whoever was responsible for what happened to Sammy was something he’d have to do on his own.

  “You want my advice?” Sabrina said. “Find a speeder and get out of here. Santa Fe’s not the place you wanna be.”

  “You live here. How do you do it?”

  Sabrina took another sip from her drink and looked out into the crowd. “I’m just like everybody else. We’re all stuck here because we’re not important enough to make it to Mars. But in Santa Fe, everybody’s forsaken.”

  She gulped the rest of her drink and dropped the glass on the counter. “Thanks for the drink.”

  “Don’t mention it…” Sabrina started to walk away when he called out to her. “Hey, Sabrina.”

  She turned around and raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m heading over to Reincarnation tomorrow night. Got an invitation to battle. You wanna make some real creds, you can bet on me there.”

  Sabrina stared blankly at him, her lips twisted like she was trying to fight off a smile. She didn’t say anything, just nodding before turning back and going on her way.

  Max ordered another round of drinks then headed back to the table where everybody else was waiting.

  “Look who it is!” Hudson said. “What took you so long?”

  “He was talking to someone,” Proxy said. “Don’t think I didn’t see that brunette.”

  “That brunette was giving me some of the information I was looking for,” Max said. “It’s just like we already figured. The Disciples are the ones pushing weight here in the Cobalt District. If what happened to Sammy is loot-related, chances are it was the Disciples.”

  “All right. We find the Disciples. We smash ‘em up and teach ‘em a lesson. And that’ll be that.”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that. The Disciples have numbers. It probably didn’t take more than a few people to take out Sammy. It might be impossible to single ‘em all out.”

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to do just that.” Hudson smirked then nonchalantly took a sip of his beer.

  “It’ll be tricky to do it out in the open,” Max said. “Santa Fe PD is on their payroll, too. It’s not just the Disciples we’re dealing with here. We play this wrong, we’ll end up behind bars ourselves.”

  “Police officials are taking bribes,” Zigzag said. “A regrettable but believable situation.”

  “There’s gotta be a way around it,” Proxy said. “Just because these punks have the cops working for ‘em doesn’t mean we can’t give ‘em justice.”

  The table fell silent as everybody considered what to do. Barb Wire was noisy all around Max, making it harder for him to think.

  He glanced at the arena off to the side, the battle going on out of view below. But the drunken spectators watching were cheering and shouting like the action was intense.

  “We take this one step at a time,” he said. “I’ll head to Reincarnation. I’ll find out what’s going on over there. If I can win there, I’ll get more attention from the right people. That’ll lead me right to the loot.”

  “I’ve never seen someone as good in a battle as you,” Hudson said. “If that’s the way we’re gonna do this, the Disciples don’t stand a chance.”

  “Continuing combat does not seem to be the most obvious avenue but it appears the only one available,” Zigzag added.

  “Do what you gotta do, Max,” Proxy said. “We’re all with you.”

  Max looked down at his left arm. Even though his ACE was covered by the sleeve of his jacket, the weight of the metal was still pressing into his skin to let him know it was there.

  It was only his first day in Santa Fe. He didn’t have all the information he was looking for. Everybody at the table had his back though he could still sense some doubt from them. But nothing would stop him from moving forward. He was ready for whatever was waiting for him at Reincarnation.

  Chapter 7

  Later the next day, Max and Hudson took a speeder back into the Cobalt District. The city didn’t look much different during the day, the skyscrapers tall enough to block out the sun if it tried to peek through the gathering clouds.

  Max kept his head down and ignored all of the sights of the new town he was in until Hudson put a hand on his arm.

  “We’re here,” Hudson said.

  Max gave him a nod and stepped out of the cab. He turned his neck up toward the white marble building in front of him and the bright red neon lights immediately grabbed his attention. It wasn’t as large as the other buildings in the vic
inity, just a few stories tall. But lights lining the roof and windows would have made it stick out even if the rest of the city was pitch black.

  Near the entrance, Romanesque statues five meters tall surrounded a fountain brightened by even more red lights. Next to them were security guards dressed in black suits draped over their hulking frames. Shades covered the eyes closely watching over the line waiting to get in.

  Max looked up at the sign above the statues. Giant neon white lights were twisted into shape, spelling it for everybody to read.

  “Reincarnation…”

  Max and Hudson moved into line and whispered to one another.

  “Looks like regular folks here,” Hudson said. “I wonder how much money is moving around inside.”

  “It’s still the middle of the day. If there’s already a line this early, the place probably gets packed later.”

  “There’s gotta be loot in there…”

  They waited patiently until finally being allowed to step within the luxurious club. As soon as he got inside, Max was greeted with even more intricately carved white marble statues. The soft glow of blue neon lights highlighted the tiles, creating a path toward a larger barroom.

  Electronic synths and bass thumped softly in the air as a crowd moved to the music on the dance floor. On the other side, robot bartenders made drinks for all of the patrons looking to place an order on the tablet. All around the room, men and women lounged on white leather sofas and relaxed without a care in the world.

  “Nice change of pace from the Ink District,” Hudson said. “Everybody’s in a good mood.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable now. These people might be dressed to impress but I’m guessing they’ve all got something to hide.”

  “I’m not exactly blending in here…”

  Max and Hudson looked at each other’s outfits. Despite how many credits he had, Hudson hadn’t changed much from when Max first saw him. His facial hair was groomed a little better. His shirt and jeans didn’t have as many wrinkles. But he didn’t spend any more on his outfit, the cheap ballcap as glaring as ever.

  Max was in no position to judge him, laughing at how out of place they were among the better-dressed patrons.

  “C’mon,” Max said. “We didn’t come here to dance and make friends.”

  Max made his way through the barroom and down a long hallway illuminated only by lights on the floor. A few more steps and the black walls began to shake all around him. In the distance, he could hear something loud like thunder but couldn’t quite place it. The end of the hall slowly came into view and the noise became more obvious.

  He stepped out with Hudson onto a plateau where dozens were gathered. An arena with hundreds of filled seats surrounded a pit below them.

  Max walked forward to the steel railing and looked down into the pit. “Looks just like the War Zone…”

  The steel grid below was twice the size of the battleground in Barb Wire. Glowing red lights ran along the tiles on the ground and across the walls.

  “Nothing you can’t handle,” Hudson said. “It’s a different color but everything else is the same.”

  “Not entirely. Look.” Max pointed at one of the steel columns in the middle of the battlefield where two combatants were going at it. A turret with two cannons on top of it fired while they tried to engage with one another.

  “It looks like there’s more than one,” Hudson said. “But they’re not active.”

  “I’m guessing things work a little differently around here.”

  “Ah! There he is!”

  Max turned around to see a familiar-looking woman walk up to him. Her platinum-blond hair shined even underneath the dim lights of the arena. She was dressed in the same shirt and short blue jeans from the night before, though it was the look in her eyes Max remembered more than anything else.

  “This is who I was talking about, Slug,” she said to the man next to her.

  Max eyed the big man up and down. Tan skin. Shaved head. Tattoos on his face. Nothing about his outfit stood out except for the ACE strapped near his wrist, which he made more apparent by crossing his massive arms. He was tall enough to look Max right in the eye.

  Max ignored the big man and turned to her. “Venom. And your friend…”

  “This is my associate Slug. Don’t try to let him intimidate you. He only hurts people who are disrespectful.” She glanced at Hudson, who was staring at her with the same quiet intensity as Max. “You’ve brought a friend with you.”

  “This is Hudson. He’s my Agent.”

  “An Agent? Then you are a professional.”

  “Not a professional. Just need a man by my side to make sure I get the creds I’m due.”

  “Confidence. I like that. If you’re as good as you think you are, you’ll get all the creds you deserve and more.”

  “Creds. Loot. I want it all.”

  The blond narrowed her eyes. “You seem to have a curious interest in loot.”

  “I fight. I win. What better way to celebrate?”

  “Indeed. But you haven’t won yet. Come with me. I’ll show you how things work. Don’t worry. Slug will keep your friend here company.”

  Max gave Hudson a nod before walking along the side railing with Venom. Everybody’s attention was on the fight down below, yelling and screaming at every move the combatants made. Max followed the blond down a set of stairs until they were close enough to the arena he could see the turrets up close.

  “What are those?” He pointed at one of the columns.

  “Towers,” she said. “Every tower lets out a concentrated blast. No matter what kind of armor you’re wearing. No matter what kind of abilities you use. Towers do a minimum of ten-percent to your hit points. It always hurts.”

  “How do they decide what to fire at?”

  “It depends on who activates it first. You can gain control by taking it. Sounds simple but try doing that when someone is pointing an ACE at you.”

  “There’s more than one tower.”

  “The bigger the stakes, the more towers are active. Some people say it’s cheating to use the towers to your advantage. There are battles where a combatant hadn’t landed a single ability but still won. I say it makes things a little more interesting. What do you think, Max?”

  Max kept his eyes locked on the battle below. He watched closely as the two fighters moved around one another, fighting off their lack of energy and stamina as well as one another.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Blasts from the towers are just another rule. The better fighter always wins.”

  “Spoken like a true professional.”

  Max watched one of the opponents take a concussive blast right to his chest and fall onto his back. He looked up at the digital display hanging from the ceiling and saw his hit points slowly draining away.

  “Execute! Execute! Execute!”

  He looked around to see the crowd all chanting the same thing then turned back to the fight. The victor stood over his downed opponent and aimed his ACE right at his face. A violent blast splattered his head in every direction to the delight of the crowd.

  “What the hell was that?” Max said. “The guy’s hit points were already gone.”

  The scoreboard turned black with red letters flashing upon it.

  EXECUTION!

  “Fighters get a credit bonus for executing an opponent with a little style.”

  Max watched attendants rush in to gather the remains of the loser. “I wouldn’t call blowing a helpless man’s head off ‘style’…”

  “If you’re gonna fight in here, it’s just something you’re gonna have to get used to. I don’t know where you came from but here in the Vicious Sanctum, the credits go to the one who’s willing to earn ‘em. Mercy won’t get you anywhere.”

  The red lights illuminating the steel grid below were dimmed as the next battle was prepared for the hundreds gathered.

  “What do you think?” Venom crossed her arms. “You having second thoughts?”
>
  “The only thing I’m having second thoughts about is making sure I get the credits.”

  “The towers might not be what you’re used to. Same for the Executions. But look around.” She pointed at the booths above her. Glass walls separated the wealthier observers from the more common people. “There’s a broker in every booth. They’re all looking to make some cred. You fight. You win. There’ll be so much action on you, you’ll have enough to line your pockets and have you drowning in all the loot you want.”

  Venom narrowed her eyes at him.

  “What is she up to?”

  He decided against calling her out on it, instead biting his tongue as he looked back down onto the steel grid.

  “How soon can you get me a fight?” he asked.

  “Tonight.”

  “I got an Operator. And a partner, too.”

  “You came to Santa Fe prepared, huh? And you say you’re not a professional… There’s an Operator booth for you. No partner fights yet. People will wanna see how you do on your own before you get any real action. The Vicious Sanctum and Reincarnation are run by brokers, battle officials and a board of owners. If there’s no creds to be made, there’s no fight to be made.”

  “You seem to have an in with someone if you can get me a fight.” He raised an eyebrow at her.

  She gave him a smirk and held an index finger up. “All you need to know is I can get you a fight. I won’t sponsor you. Not yet. Right now, I just want a sure thing.”

  Max crossed his arms and stared right at her, his eyes unblinking. “If you want a sure thing, don’t bet against me.” He clenched his jaw and didn’t move to make sure he got his point across.

  Venom kept the grin on her lips as she slowly started to nod. “I knew you were different. Come back tonight ready to strap in and put on a show.”

  Max headed back to Hudson. The big man Venom called Slug kept a close eye on both of them as they left the arena and headed into the main barroom. Max looked back to make sure they weren’t being watched before saying anything.

  “How’d it go?” Hudson asked.

  Max sighed a deep breath before he said anything. “The towers are something new. Fighters get an execution bonus for finishing a downed opponent. But outside of the lights and the name, it’s not anything I can’t handle.”