Glitch in the God Complex (AmpCore #1)

20 - Dangerous World

Piper also spotted dozens of leader boards scattered across the displays, but these looked different from all the academy-sanctioned tables that infested the upper levels. These showed simple names, the corporate logo, and a record. Duelling wins and losses.

At the top of the rankings she saw Ferra's head shot. She looked vicious, even in a still image, a predatory smile on her face. A few places down, Toran's face stared out, smirking out into the arena. A few places below that, however, she saw another face she recognised.

"Odiye," she said, giving him a light smack on the arm and pointing. "You are in the Sharks?"

He winced; nodded. "I've been before."

"After all that shit about how dangerous these people are, and you're one of them?!"

"It's not like that!" Odiye blurted. "I don't organise any of this. Ferra and her little gang run the Sharks. For some of us it's not as optional as you think. Someone invites you here for a challenge, and you refuse, word will travel. It will get back to your sponsors, show them that you're not willing to stand up for their interests." He looked around, scanning the faces of the other students. "It is, at least, a good way to settle grudges."

"You must be pretty good," Piper said as they slipped through the milling masses. "To be in the top ten."

He shrugged awkwardly. "Hadrian is a dangerous place, Piper."

"Yeah, I know that."

"Not in the way that we do." Odiye made a vague gesture to the duelling ground. "This is as close to a real life fight as you'll get without being out in the city. It is a good way to train, when you're ready."

"Tambo! Tambo, over here!"

The voice sliced through the hubbub and they both followed it, winding through the group to find Holly Lockley standing with a couple of other students. When they reached her, however, her breezy demeanour cracked when she looked at Piper.

"Piper?" Her brows shot up in surprise. She stared at her for a moment, then looked at Odiye in confusion. "What is she doing here?"

"She wanted to come."

"And you let her?!"

Odiye sighed. "I didn't exactly have a choice."

"It was my idea," Piper confirmed. "Ferra's got quite a sales pitch. I wanted to see this all for myself."

Holly smiled ruefully. "Yeah, she's good at that. Just, be careful around, Ferra, alright? She's got a real vicious bitch-streak running right down her spine."

"I can tell, believe me."

"Are you fighting tonight?" Odiye asked.

"Fifth bout." A confident smile spread across her face and she exchanged a knowing look with her friends. "Saala was shooting his mouth off about our Nav-Systems glitching on the new Prometheus haulers. Everybody knows you keep a corporate like that private." A shrug. "But he decided to say it to my face in front of everyone."

Piper couldn't keep the incredulous smirk off your face. "So that's what, like slapping you in the face?"

"Something like that."

"And so you're going to have a duel over that?"

An air of mischief crept into Holly's voice. "Call it honour."

"I'd call it petty."

Holly rolled her eyes, looking to Odiye. "What about you?"

"Hadn't planned on it," he muttered. "But you know what Ferra's like."