by Riker Kane
“Shit… Proxy?”
“Must be a Sound Blast of some kind. Ducking behind a wall or tower should stop it.”
“Got it.”
Lotto raised his ACE up to fire again but this time, a missile shot out of it. Max tried to counter but the speed of the missile forced him to slide behind a steel column and narrowly avoid getting caught in the explosion.
“It’s not a homing missile,” Proxy said. “No tracking but it does a lot more damage.”
“Sound Blasts. Missiles. He can shoot whatever he wants at me. He’s not gonna land.”
Max spun away from the column and shot another arrow. Lotto raised his ACE up but instead of blocking it with another barrier, a burst of white energy came out and swallowed the arrow whole.
“You wanna use the same ability over and over?” Lotto said. “Two can play that game.” The man in gold slung his arm forward and shot the same arrow right back at Max. Again Max was forced to spin out of the way and hide behind a column. The arrow ricocheted off the wall and burned a hole through the steel ground.
“Stop hiding from me!” Lotto shot from his ACE again. Max listened to blue energy crackling through the sky. It crashed against the steel floor and made a trail around the tower, leading right up to Max. It caught him on his foot and sent a jolt through his body.
“Shit…” Max muttered to himself.
“That was 10-percent,” Proxy said. “You’re still in good shape.”
“Speak for yourself. I can’t keep this fight at a distance. I’m outgunned. Gotta get close. Where is he?”
“He’s fifteen meters north from your position and he’s walking toward you. You got a plan?”
“I always do. Let me know how close he is.”
The audience cheered to drown out the louder music. Max stayed behind the tower and listened for any sign of Lotto.
“My ACE is better than yours,” Lotto said. “My armor is better. I’ve got more skills. Why don’t you just come out so we can end this quick?”
“Ten meters,” Proxy said. “Closing in.”
Max closed his eyes and took a deep breath to compose himself.
“Five meters.”
“It’s time for this to end, Max.”
Max opened his eyes and nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “Time’s up.”
Max listened to the sound of Lotto’s footsteps and moved away from the column. Lotto raised up to fire but Max was already there, wrapping his arms around him and tackling him to the ground.
Max quickly raised his ACE up and fired a Mammoth Blast right at Lotto’s face. The energy from the blow shattered Lotto’s golden helmet, twisting the metal and breaking chunks off of it.
“How do you like that?” Max smiled as he was now able to see Lotto’s eyes and the frustration in them.
“You’ll have to do better than that!”
A sudden burst of energy sent Max flying back. He flew through the sky before landing on the steel grid with a thud.
“Oh… Fuck…” Max groaned as the wind was knocked out of him.
“Max! Watch out!”
Max looked up and saw he’d been knocked underneath Lotto’s turret. Max quickly rolled out of the way but the blast caught him in the back. The energy burned through his jacket and sent him tumbling forward.
Another groan was followed by undeniable soreness running through his body.
“You’re at 57-percent,” Proxy said. “Energy is still high.”
Max rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself back up to his feet as he heard footsteps approaching him. He looked up to see Lotto slowly walking toward him.
“You can’t expect to beat me with just—”
Max roared as he jumped to his feet, spearing Lotto in the chest and taking him back down to the ground. His ACE near Lotto’s stomach, he fired another point-blank Mammoth Blast and crumpled his golden chestplate.
Before Lotto could rise up to fire again, Max blasted his arm away then ripped off what remained of his helmet with his hand. A hard right fist across his cheek drew blood from his nose.
“I can beat you with just… my… fists…” Max hammered Lotto in the face.
Despite the punishment he took, Lotto still managed to smile through it all.
“I don’t think so.” Lotto raised his ACE up and fired a missile into the air. It flew up into the sky, high above the arena. The crowd gasped in amazement as it reached its peak before slowly descending.
Max ignored the missile, again hammering Lotto in the face with another right hand.
“His HP’s dropping,” Proxy said. “But I don’t think you’ll knock him out before that missile comes back down.”
“I’m almost there,” Max said.
“Max…”
“Almost…”
Max kept punching Lotto until his face was covered in a mask of blood.
“Max!”
Max rolled out of the way at the last moment. Lotto managed to do the same as the missile came crashing down onto the steel grid. The explosion knocked them back even farther.
The audience gasped then fell silent, staring in awe at the smoke consuming the arena. But when the dust settled and the two combatants stirred, cheers erupted.
Max struggled to get back to his feet but a sudden concussive blast in his side sent him reeling forward, back into the zone near Lotto’s turret. Again he was too slow to move out of the way from the shots from the tower.
“Max… You’re down to 27-percent… I don’t think you can take another tower blast.”
“What’s he at?” Max groaned.
“He’s down to 47-percent. You’re gonna have to use more than your fists. His armor is compromised. I think an arrow should do it. Or even a blast from your turret.”
Max looked at his tower on the other end of the arena and sighed. “How about both?”
The smoke cleared the battlefield. Despite the dents in his armor and his bloodied face, Lotto remained standing.
“Is that the best you got?” Lotto said as he whipped his dark hair back over his head. “Venom was wrong. She said you’d give me a challenge.”
“Battle’s not over.”
Max immediately dug his heels into the grid and ran toward him. Lotto raised his ACE up to fire but Max rolled forward to avoid the Sound Blast and keep his momentum. He moved right next to Lotto and grabbed him by the collar.
Lotto struggled to break free but a sudden Fiery Arrow shot from Max’s ACE was too close to avoid. The arrow sparked against his golden armor and burned through it. Lotto grunted in pain and stumbled back but Max kept his grip on him.
He moved both of his hands around Lotto’s collar and dragged him to the other end of the arena.
“Max, what are you doing?” Proxy said.
“Making sure he can’t counter this.” Max rushed him all the way to the eastern side of the Sanctum then with all of his strength, tossed Lotto into his tower’s proximity. The turrets rose up and fired.
“No!” Lotto shouted out, reaching out to try and escape the blast but another Fiery Arrow into his leg made him stumble. The turret slammed into his back and knocked him onto his stomach. Too helpless to move, another turret blast hit him again on his side.
Max watched as Lotto helplessly tried to crawl away from the turrets before his hit points were drained completely.
“Execute! Execute! Execute!”
“He’s done, Max. They’re gonna have to take his harness and regenerate him.”
Max looked down at his defeated opponent and sighed. Attendants arrived to take Lotto away. A familiar chorus of boos filled the arena as Max’s victory was announced.
“I think they’d cheer for you if you had golden armor,” Proxy said.
“I got enough cheers back in the War Zone. The win is all that matters.”
He looked up at the broker’s boxes but saw no sign of Venom or Slug.
Max smiled knowing what the victory against Lotto meant. Now it was a matter of figuring out
if Venom would keep her word. He intended on finding out as soon as he could.
Chapter 15
Max looked around the small room. There was no fancy art. There were no overpriced furnishings. There wasn’t even a pleasant aroma in the air he expected. The only remarkable thing about it was the view.
Just outside of the window, the rest of the Cobalt District was on display. Neon billboards flashed with advertisements of the latest gadgets for citizens to waste their credits on. News reports on the displays told the latest on colony transports and peaceful international relations. Down below, people made their way along the streets underneath the glow of the neon lights and the moon just barely peeking out from behind the clouds.
Max didn’t care too much about his surroundings. His ACE had drained most of his stamina and he wasn’t in the mood to spend much of his energy. The big man standing across from him made sure he thought twice about trying anything.
But Max was fully intent on listening to the woman sitting on the other side of the desk before him.
“You had another chance.” Venom arched an eyebrow at him, not bothering to hide her disdain. “Lotto is undefeated and you beat him with brute force. Executing him would have been unprecedented.”’
“I couldn’t care less about the Execution bonus,” Max sighed.
“A man who claims he wants credits but doesn’t care about a bonus… You’re the only man to refuse to execute. You heard the crowd boo.”
“What does matter if they cheer or boo? I won, didn’t I?”
He didn’t let the blond try to intimidate him. Even with her enforcer by her side and the obvious resentment she had, Venom wasn’t in the position to say anything. Max knew that more than anything else.
She reached into her leather jacket then slid a card across the table. “That’s 5,000 credits.”
Max stared at the metal card and shook his head. “You know what I want—”
“I remember what we discussed.” Venom got up from her seat. She moved over to the window, her hands behind her back. “Lotto is in a regenerator right now. I imagine he’s gonna be in a foul mood when he wakes up and realizes he lost. But having someone like you on our side should appease him. The Disciples need more strength and you’ve proven yourself worthy. There’s just one thing that bothers me. Do you know what that is?”
Max stayed silent, unable to tell what she was thinking from the tone of her voice. She turned back around and looked down her nose at him.
“You refused to execute him and every other combatant you fought,” she said. “I wonder if it’s such a good idea to trust working with a man who’s not willing to get his hands dirty. For a man who says he’s trying to make credits, you seem reluctant to do so.”
“I’ll get my hands dirty when I have to. The real creds come from moving the loot, not beating people up.”
Venom sighed a deep breath through her nose and nodded. “…I suppose you have a point.” She took a seat back at her small desk. “The Disciples own every piece of drug territory in the Cobalt District. There’s not a corner or alley where our loot isn’t being moved. But we’ve been in control long enough. With you on-board, perhaps it’s time to expand to the Sharp District.”
“I don’t know how it works. I just want a cut of what you and the other Disciples are making.”
“You proved yourself worthy. You’ll get three-percent.”
“Three?” Max chuckled and shook his head. “I just beat one of your strongest men and that’s all you’re giving me?”
“Lotto is loyal. I trust him. You can fight but that’s all you’ve proven. Pledge your allegiance to the Disciples and as time goes on, we’ll talk about a raise.”
“Hmm… If I’m getting three-percent, I wonder what the poor saps under me are getting…”
“They’re lucky they’re getting anything at all. Without our product, there would be nothing.”
Max had to do his best to keep his composure. He was sitting right in front of the Disciples. The people who knew what happened to Sammy. But he couldn’t act yet. Not without having all of the information.
“You. Slug. Lotto. Is there anyone else I should I know about in the Disciples?”
“The Disciples are hundreds strong in the Cobalt District and we’re spreading through Santa Fe,” she said.
“It’d help if I knew who they were.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You know enough.”
“You don’t think I can handle the responsibility?”
“There’s that… And I simply don’t trust you… yet.” She leaned back in her seat. “So… Do we have a deal?”
Max looked up at Slug, who’d been quiet this entire time. “Three-percent… I want more.”
“Prove your loyalty to the Disciples. By the time we’re finished, you’ll have more credits than you’ll know what to do with.”
“What about the Sanctum?”
Venom shrugged. “The audience doesn’t like you because you refuse to give them the blood they crave. But they can’t argue if you keep winning. Betting on you is a sure thing. Every win you stack up earns more money for the Disciples. Come to me if you’re interested in lining up another fight.”
Max got up from his seat and turned around. As he was about to leave Venom’s suite, she called out to him.
“You planning on celebrating tonight?” she asked.
Max stopped in his tracks. “It crossed my mind.”
“You forgot something.”
He turned back around and saw Slug standing there with the credit chip in his hand. Max smirked as he swiped it from him. “Thanks. Wouldn’t have been much of a celebration without the creds.”
Slug gave him a blank stare. Max looked right back at him as if waiting for him to do something but the big man just stood there.
“Maybe later…”
Max turned around to leave without giving the two a second thought.
~ ~ ~
“You should really look into getting some new abilities,” Proxy said. “A little more diversity means you’ll have other ways to attack beyond punching people out.”
“You can’t argue with what’s effective,” Max said. “Lotto never saw it coming. Back when I was in basic training, the first thing we learned was hand-to-hand combat. But… I guess you have a point. I’ll try to find an ability dealer and change my loadout. I’ve got the creds for it.”
“I have little doubt you’ll succeed regardless of your abilities,” Zigzag said. “In most cases, strategy and quick thinking supersede the abilities provided to you by an ACE.”
“That’s right. You’ve gotta think on your feet.” The group shared a laugh at their table in the corner of the bar.
The festivities in Barb Wire were as wild as the previous nights. The group made the decision to leave Reincarnation in order to draw less attention.
While Proxy searched her AllDevice for another alcoholic beverage Zigzag would find pleasing, Hudson chugged on a mug of amber beer.
“You all right?” Max asked him.
“I’m fine. Just getting anxious. The longer we stick around here, the deeper we’re getting into it. I’m starting to think this whole idea is crazy. Sammy’s all right. Maybe it’s for the best we just walk away.”
“We can’t walk away now.”
“Why not? I was…” Hudson shook his head and chuckled. “I was so pissed when I saw what they did to him. But the Disciples are in control. That’s just the way it is. That’s how the whole world is. Anybody with any sense is trying to scoop up the first ticket to Mars.”
“Getting to Mars is a dream for folks like you and me. But just because we’re here doesn’t mean we’ve gotta put up with everything.”
“I just don’t see how you fighting in the Sanctum is getting us any closer. A broker with a connection should’ve approached you by now.”
“Yeah…” Max looked at Proxy and Zigzag and saw how deep they were into their conversation. He leaned toward Hudson to make s
ure they didn’t hear. “I need to talk to you.”
Hudson’s face wrinkled with confusion. Max gave him a nod to make sure he understood how important it was.
They got up from their seats and headed to the side of the bar. Any chance of someone listening in on their conversation was drowned out by the rowdiness around them.
Hudson crossed his arms and shrugged. “What’s up?”
“You trust me, don’t you?”
“What? Of course.”
“What I’m gonna tell you… You can’t do anything. You just gotta listen to me, all right?”
“Yeah…”
Max hesitated for a moment before saying it. “Venom and Slug are running the Disciples.”
Hudson didn’t say anything. But from the way he wasn’t blinking, Max knew he’d heard him correctly.
“How do you know this?” he asked.
“After the gauntlet, I talked to a broker. Kason Irving. He told me who they are.”
“Wait a second… I remember that conversation. You didn’t mention that before.”
“Because I knew how you’d react. If I told you Venom and Slug were Disciples, what would you do?”
“I’d grabbed ‘em by their fuckin’ throats and beat answers out of them.”
“We can’t rush into this. If we really wanna find out what happened to Sammy, we’ve gotta be patient.”
Hudson sighed and looked away. “What does this have to do with you battling in the Sanctum?”
“Lotto is a Disciple, too.”
“Shit… They’ve got their fuckin’ hands on everybody.”
“From what I can tell, they’re the three in charge of everything. Beating Lotto means I’m strong enough to stand with ‘em. I’m in good with Venom. I keep this up, I’ll get more answers on how they do things.”
“You can just fucking cave their faces in next time you see ‘em and that’ll be that.”
“The Disciples are hundreds strong. Maybe more. We beat them up, there are still more out on the streets. We find out exactly who’s responsible for what happened to Sammy and then we make ‘em pay. The plan doesn’t change.”
There was a growing frustration in Hudson’s eyes. It was enough to make Max put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.