Level Up

Chapter nine

lightly edited

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Chapter nine

Collette's POV

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I crouch perched on the rungs, both hands securely wrapped around them, and I balance as the machinery rickets forward in a circular motion. The moments slowly angle forward and I brush hair out of my eyes.

This will not be fun in the least. 

I releas my grip and lower my back until my shirt hangs lose around my chest. A man from Bree's team comes running beneath me toward Michela. As quickly as I muster I switch arms and feet and position my foot at the mans neck when I release the bars. He calls out as he falls down in a leap and I have to scramble to hold onto a set of bars before my legs get locked beneath them."Thanks," Michela mutters and continues to pluck people from the rungs. I laugh sheepishly and hold myself tighter to the rungs as they descend.

"That's the third down for team B. Team X has lost four already and the match has only barely started. Let's see where this goes!" I can't hear the crowd but I can see them erupt into a chaos of cheers.

Once I'm able to put my two left feet down, I cross over to the other side and launch myself onto someone's back. The person twists and scratches at my arms and slams my back into one of the ladders. I hug myself tighter to their body and squeeze their neck with a nice long tug. Just as their spassaming succeeds, Bree uses the same tactic I accidentally used and knocks the two of us over. The poor unconscious guy topples over the edge and I hang on with all my might, my eyes just a half a foot from the floor. A ladder swings by and nearly cuts my nose off. With a yelp of surprise I jump back.

Bree stands over me, her face twisted in malice. I look around and notice X, Michela, and another teammate fighting their own battles. "Can't you use some moves of your own? I was aware you were desperate but not so much as to steal other people's moves," I comment, trying to rouse her. She huffs at me and in one swift movement she has a gauntlet encasing her hand and is throwing a deadly punch straight at me, the metal biting at the air.

I fall back, my arms spread, and hold onto the moving ladders. To my disadvantage they're moving opposite of each other and so I swing myself outward, my feet almost slamming on the glass of the observatory wall, and cling to the outer side of the ladder. Bree follows behind shortly after me and I began climbing to the top.

A shaft comes down and I have to step over it. My foot slips and my body slams into the unforgiving metal making the contraption shake slightly. My side stings and I can already feel a mighty bruise making home up the side of my abdomen. I hurl myself to the top and slowly pull my feet under my body. With an easy takeoff, I stand to my feet and steady myself just on the edge, walking slowly as if the machine is a broken treadmill.

I step over the shafts as they pass, careful to keep an eye on Bree and maintain my balance. I back up slightly as Bree hauls herself up and we stare at each other in expectancy of the next move. "You lummox!" She screams at me with everything she's got. "You're worthless and don't belong on the levels. Everything about you is a disgrace to look at," she spits, "And I can't wait to kill you."

I can't help but hear Eddy, Ela, and Gally's words swim through my mind. A part of me can't help but think they're true but I know she's trying to just get in my head. How about Gally then? He couldn't have just been overly dramatic about it.

She swings at me and barely connects as I lean back, one foot stabling me from behind. From someone in the audience it probably looks as if we're fencing, she throws a punch, I step back. I throw a punch, she steps back. The white device in my neck and bicep burn like an inextinguishable fire and tingles the skin around it.