by Riker Kane
“And their opponents… Making their Vicious Sanctum debut… It’s Emeril and Nightblade!”
Metal guitar riffs squealed into the air as the spotlight shined on the other end of the arena. Max watched the two men he’d only seen in grainy footage appear.
Nightblade held the steel with both hands, marching forward rigidly in his dark blue battle armor. Emeril walked by his side. The man wore a coat over his steel armor, a pair of red goggles covering his eyes.
“Two towers,” Proxy said. “One on the eastern end. One on the west. I did the math and they’re thirty meters apart but they’ve got a twenty-meter radius. Not much room for error when you’re in the middle of the arena.”
“Then I guess we’d better take control of both of ‘em,” Max said. “On my mark, Zigzag.”
The android nodded. The pink energy burned in her eye sockets like smoke. She wielded her blade near the side of her head as she looked forward.
“Ladies and gentlemen… Let the battle in the Vicious Sanctum… Begin!”
Max ran forward as the electronic bass thumped through the speakers.
“East,” he said to Zigzag. “I’m heading west.”
“Acknowledged.”
The two ran forward in opposite directions, racing toward the towers as fast as they could.
“Watch out, Max,” Proxy said. “Looks like they’re both heading for you.”
He looked up to see both Nightblade and Emeril running forward.
“Time to test this out…” Max raised his ACE up and activated Inferno Grenade. A volley of fiery red explosives shot from the compartments of his device and arced through the air. They crashed into the ground in an explosion of smoke and flames. Nightblade managed to roll out of the way but the explosion was big enough to knock Emeril onto his back.
“Not bad.” Satisfied with the results, Max rushed up to the tower and began activating the control panel. His hand on the touchscreen, the meter only filled up a few percentage points before Nightblade was suddenly behind him.
“Max!”
Proxy’s warning made Max duck and roll back. He immediately activated Plasma Edge and a pulsing purple blade extended from his ACE. He raised his energy sword up just in time to block Nightblade’s silver blade. Their weapons clashed in a spark of purple energy that made the audience gasped.
“Stand back,” Nightblade said through gritted teeth from behind his mask. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing.” Max pulled his blade back and swung. Nightblade ducked out of the way and slashed only for it again to come together in a clash.
They pressed their weapons against each other as they tried to force their will on the other. Max stared at his opponent’s mask, only able to see his teeth.
“The Disciples can’t get control of the Sharp District,” Nightblade said.
“That’s not your decision to make.”
Max retracted his blade and activated Mammoth Blast, catching Nightblade in the chest and sending him flying back. The center of his chestplate crumpled from the blow as he struggled to breathe.
Max had little time to be satisfied with his work as Emeril came rushing at him. The man in red goggles raised his ACE up and fired a blast Max was able to get out of the way from.
“Mammoth Blast,” Proxy said. “Stay out of range.”
“Easier said than done.” Max raised his weapon up and shot a blast of his own. Emeril activated an Energy Barrier to take the brunt of it then responded with a barrage of bright energy projectiles.
“Shit…” Max stumbled to get out of the way, taking some of the projectiles against his leg. “I’m fine.” He cut off Proxy before she could be worried about him.
Emeril helped Nightblade back up to his feet while Max moved behind a column to regain his composure.
“They’re activating the turret together,” Proxy said.
“Can’t let ‘em do that now…” Max quickly spun away from the column and fired another volley of grenades. Nightblade calmly kept his hand on the digital panel to keep the meter filling while Emeril activated his Energy Barrier again. The explosion from Max’s grenades crashing into it was enough to make both of them stumble but Nightblade kept his hand on the panel.
“Zigzag!” Max shouted out. “Let’s go!”
Just as he said it, the android came racing forward with her blade up. He moved forward and zoomed toward the tower with her.
“Watch out!” Emeril shouted.
Nightblade pulled his hand away and swung his blade just before Zigzag was able to take his head off. The pink energy sparked off of Zigzag’s sword as she swiped and stabbed with it. Nightblade held his own, parrying the android’s attack and responding.
Nightblade attempted to use his growing fervor and brute force to take her down. But Zigzag flipped to avoid low swipes and ducked underneath slashes at her head.
The audience cheered while the two dueled to a stalemate.
“Enough of this.” Max fired another Inferno Grenade to stop Nightblade’s relentless attack but Emeril rushed forward to block it. His Energy Barrier activated but not enough to take the full brunt of the explosion.
Max rushed forward and ignited his Plasma Edge. But Emeril proved deft enough to avoid Max’s swipes. Emeril’s attempts at firing his own Mammoth Blasts were met with Max avoiding them.
“He’s tough to hit,” Proxy said. “You keep this up, you’ll run out of energy and have to use your fists.”
“My fists,” Max said. “The old reliable.”
Max ran forward and tackled Emeril before he was able to fire. The two landed on the ground with a hard thud. Max cracked him in the jaw but the hard blow wasn’t enough to stop Emeril from firing a point-blank shot right into Max’s chest.
“Max!”
Proxy shouted out just as Max went stumbling back. His steel battle armor shattered on his chest with only his BioHarness remaining.
“Shit…” Max struggled to get up to his feet, watching as Emeril rushed to activate the turret. “Zigzag!”
The android disengaged from her duel with Nightblade and rushed forward to stop Emeril from taking control of the tower. Nightblade chased after her but wasn’t fast enough to stop her from digging her blade into Emeril’s side.
“That’s it!” Max got up to his feet and fired another Inferno Grenade into the air.
Nightblade and Zigzag quickly moved out of the way to avoid it but Emeril, still injured from the blade in his side, took the full brunt of it in the center of the explosion.
The audience gasped as the flames consumed him completely. When the dust settled, Emeril laid on the ground in a heap of smoke.
“His HP’s down to 11-percent and dropping,” Proxy said. “I don’t think you have much to worry about from him.”
Max looked around the steel grid and saw Nightblade was nowhere to be found. Zigzag ran up next to him and the two began searching the arena together.
“Proxy,” he said. “Where is he? He didn’t just disappear.”
“I’m still getting a reading on his HP,” she said. “He’s at 88-percent. He’s gotta be there somewhere—”
“Look out!” Zigzag shoved Max out of the way as Nightblade quickly descended from the ceiling. He plunged his sword into Zigzag’s midsection and out through her back.
“No!” Proxy yelled.
The android short-circuited, the pink energy in her eyes flickering.
“Shit!” Max ran up and tackled Nightblade, pulling him away from her. He quickly raised his ACE up and fired a point-blank Mammoth Blast to shatter his opponent’s armor. Nightblade grunted in pain as another blast knocked his helmet off.
Max clenched his jaw as he held his ACE up to the man’s face. One of his eyes was swollen shut. Blood leaked down the cut on his cheek and from his nose.
“He’s under 23-percent and dropping,” Proxy said. “Nobody can take two blasts like that so close…”
Nightb
lade looked up, his eyes narrowed. “Go ahead. What are you waiting for?”
“Shit…”
Max leaned over his helpless opponent. All he had to do was activate one more ability and that would be the end of it.
“Execute! Execute! Execute!”
The crowd chanted in anticipation, sensing the end was near.
Max looked up toward the broker’s boxes. He looked through lights and found Venom sitting in her booth with Slug by her side. Even from so many meters away, the look on their faces was clear.
“Nah.” Max shook his head. “You already lost—”
“What are you doing?” Nightblade said. “You’re gonna ruin everything.”
“What?”
Max blinked, not sure he’d heard him correctly. He narrowed his eyes at the man underneath him.
“Do it. Squeeze the trigger or you won’t get her trust.”
“Max?” Proxy said. “Are you all right?”
“What the hell…”
He looked into Nightblade’s eyes and gritted his teeth. “No… I won’t send someone to the regenerator when I don’t have to.”
Max pushed himself back up to his feet as the last of Nightblade’s hit points drained from him. He walked over to Zigzag and pulled the sword from her midsection.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
Zigzag looked down to examine her injury. “The blade did not strike any vital hardware. My bio components will be able to heal fully.”
He helped her stand up straight and the two of them looked up at the audience.
“Strange… They are not displeased with your unwillingness to execute,” Zigzag said.
He looked up to the broker’s box where Venom was but saw she and Slug were gone. “I know at least one person who is,” he said. “C’mon. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Chapter 22
Max hadn’t even stepped out of the locker room for a second when Slug was already waiting for him. He didn’t protest as the big man escorted him through the halls of Club Reincarnation and to the suite he’d been to once before. The clever quips on the tip of Max’s tongue stayed where they were, as he was too tired to test the enforcer’s patience.
It wasn’t long before Max found himself back in Venom’s suite. The blond stood next to the window with her arms behind her back as she looked out toward the night.
“The Sharp District was at our fingertips,” she said. “All of the gangs were willing to bow down to the strength of the Disciples. We could have pushed our product there without hesitation… Now that’s all out the window.”
She slowly turned back around. The sneer on her face had never been so cold.
Max stood his ground, patiently waiting for her to let out all of her obvious frustrations.
“I gave you the fight because I thought I could trust you,” she said. “You were supposed to prove your allegiance to me. Now I see I should have made Lotto and Slug teach those two a lesson…” She took a step forward, shaking her head in disgust. “Why did you refuse to follow my orders?”
Max locked his eyes on her to make sure to get his message across. “I didn’t think it was necessary.”
“You had them beaten down. They’ll be forced to recover anyway. There is no morality in the Vicious Sanctum.”
“I won’t send someone to a regenerator when I don’t need to. I know what it’s like. I know the pain you feel. I know the trauma you go through. I know the thoughts running through your head. You recover but the feeling of floating in the tank is still there.”
“That’s exactly why you should have done it.” Venom scoffed, turning her head away in disgust. “Executing Emeril and Nightblade would have sent a clear message to the Sharp District. The gangs would know better than to mess with us when we move our product into that territory.”
“Sparing them sends a better message.”
Venom raised an eyebrow though the frustration in her eyes remained. “And what message is that? That we’re not willing to hurt them? The only thing they understand is fear. And the GODs must instill that within them. Your continued mercy is a sign of weakness.”
“Emeril was beaten. Nightblade was beaten. My mercy was the message you were trying to send. I didn’t kill them but I could have. It’s a warning to all those who’d try to mess with us. Now they’re willing to step aside and let us do what we want. If they cross the line, they know what’s waiting for them on the other side.”
Venom crossed her arms as she leaned against the edge of her desk. The disdain was tattooed on her face at this point. She clenched her jaw, maintaining her composure as if she was about to explode.
Max stayed as relaxed as possible while knowing the blond was capable of anything.
She sighed a deep breath through her nose and some of the tension in the room disappeared. “Slug… Leave.”
“What?” The big man widened his eyes.
“I said leave. I have something to say to this man.”
“I don’t think—”
“It’s all right. This man might not follow orders but he’s not foolish enough to try anything.”
Venom’s enforcer shot Max a look before stepping out of the suite. Max stood patiently while he watched the blond pace back and forth in front of him.
“I had a feeling you were different,” she said. “When I first saw you at Barb Wire, I thought I could make some credits betting on you and then maybe have you work as protection just like Slug. But you’re more different than I thought you’d be. You’re brash. You’re stubborn. You refuse to follow orders and you make demands you have no business making.”
She moved closer to him, enough to put her cheek next to his. Max didn’t budge as she rang her long fingernails along his chin.
“I admire that.” She leaned forward to kiss him but he quickly turned his head away.
“I’m here to make creds,” he said. “All I want is my share of the loot trade the Disciples have control of.”
Venom was slightly taken aback by his rejection. But a second was all she needed to regain her composure.
She moved back to her desk and leaned against it. “Perhaps you’re right. The dealers and gangs in the Sharp District will look upon your act of compassion and be more willing to accept the inevitable arrival of our product in their territory. But I’m warning you, Max. If someone crosses us, I don’t expect you to show mercy again.”
“Just like you didn’t show mercy with me. Disciples attacked me when I was just trying to enjoy my night out.”
She scoffed. “There are hundreds of men across the Cobalt District representing our interests. A few rogues will get out of line from time to time. If you can’t handle it, you’re not fit to work with me. It’s not as if you had to spend any time in confinement. I made sure of that.”
“I’ll bet. But maybe it wouldn’t happen if the one in charge had better control of things.”
Max pushed his luck. The last GOD was still hiding behind a veil. Now it was just a matter of Venom pulling it aside for Max to see.
But the way she looked at him was enough for him to know she had no intention of saying anything.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” she said. “The GODs have worked years building what we have in Santa Fe. An outsider won’t come in and make demands, no matter how capable he appears to be.”
“Fine. I still want my cut.”
“You’ll get the percentage I promised you. Just remember who’s in charge.”
The two stood in the silence of the suite. Max ignored the tension beginning to build. But as the seconds ticked by, he knew she wasn’t willing to act on whatever she might have been thinking. He gave her one last look as he backed away before turning around to leave.
~ ~ ~
Obscure country jazz played in the background, accompanied by the conversation of all the patrons. Smoke wafted through the air like thick rainclouds. The stench of synthetic whiskey filled Max’s nostrils. None of it was enough to distract him f
rom his thoughts. Not even the brunette sitting close by his side, rubbing her palm on his shoulder.
“Where are your friends?” Sabrina asked.
“Zigzag is recovering from the battle. Proxy’s keeping an eye on her. Hudson’s at the hospital to check on his friend. Don’t worry. They’re all taken care of. We won.”
“You won, huh? You don’t seem like you’re in a winning kinda mood.”
“Just got a lot of shit on my mind.”
“I might be able to help you get your mind off of it.” Sabrina trailed her hand up the side of his head and not-so-subtly rubbed his earlobe.
Max smirked. “Not tonight. The booster you gave me is more than enough.”
“If you say so. I do have fun when I spend time with you. Men at the club don’t know how to handle me.”
“I didn’t mean to take you away from work tonight.”
“Don’t worry about it. Time away from work doesn’t exactly make me miserable. I can afford some time off.”
Sabrina moved away from him and enjoyed the ambiance of Barb Wire. Her eyes shifted toward the glass of whiskey Max twiddled his fingers around.
“Ever since I met you, I haven’t seen you drink before.”
“I used to drink a lot. Anything to clear my head. That was before I got everything figured out.”
“And now?”
“Everything’s cloudy again.” Max shook his head. “I’m close. I’m right on the doorstep. I’ve got as much power in the Disciples as nearly everybody.”
“What’s the problem?”
“The problem is I’m still not any closer to figuring out what happened to Hudson’s friend. That’s the reason I’m here. I can’t lose sight of that.”
Sabrina rubbed her hand on his shoulder again. “You’re a good person, Max. Don’t let the Sanctum or anybody else around it try to change you.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m gonna go get something to drink. Maybe a snack or two.”
“A snack?”
“This isn’t just a bar to get drunk and watch people beat each other up.” She gave him a wink then got up from her seat. He watched her walk away in the tight pair of jeans but even the sight of her curves wasn’t enough to distract him.