Iron Heart (The Gauntlet #2)

Chapter 31 - Where the Wild Things Are

So much for not being in a circus, she thought.

Then the time for examination was over. She watched hungrily as the door at the opposite end split apart, and Rokkie Thakkar came striding out into the Arena. The Firequake fans howled for their top fighter and he in turn pumped both fists into the air, adding his own roaring voice to the clamour. He faced the largest section of red streaked spectators, screaming and pounding his chest plate with a clenched fist.

Codi watched with a thin smile on her face. She liked a good show, but even for her this was a little over the top.

Once he'd finished psyching himself up he turned and looked straight at her, his stare burning and intense. She held his gaze; her smile broadened. Then she extended a hand towards him.

She pointed her fingers like a gun and mouthed: bang.

Although she couldn't hear it, she saw his features crack as he laughed. Still holding his stare, Codi coiled her body to spring as the announcer counted down. Thakkar did the same, bending his knees with his arms hanging loose by his sides. She saw him tense as the countdown reached five and knew the reason why. Despite her excitement she knew they both had something to prove here. With first fight victories for each of them, this match would most likely determine who topped their group in the singles matches.

The countdown reached zero and both of them exploded from their starting blocks, racing down into the arena on a collision course. Codi braced herself for the inevitable impact, aiming straight at the Firequake fighter. Propelled forward by the exoskeletons they moved at a tremendous velocity and in a matter of seconds they reached each other.

Codi wound up the gravity on her right side and hurled her body at Rokkie Thakkar, shoulder first. What she hadn't bargained on was him doing exactly the same thing.

Their bodies smashed together with bone-shaking force. Codi felt like she'd just run into a truck, and they both went whirling off in different directions under their sheer momentum. Thakkar was more heavily built and his flight was more of a skidding, bumping roll across the arena floor. On the wrong side the weight scale, Codi went spiralling away, crashing straight through one of the spindly wooden struts until eventually she thudded into one of the supporting pillars and tumbled back to earth.

As she picked herself up she heard the crowds going berserk after that first thunderous exchange. Her whole body tingled, partly from the shock of impact and partly from the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She looked to where Thakkar's tumble had ended; he was already back on his feet and hurtling towards her.

She moved to meet him.

Codi dove under the first murderous haymaker, rolled and spun to her feet, lashing out with her leg. He anticipated the move and met her halfway, turning into the blow and lowering his body, tensing up and absorbing the impact against his shoulder guard. Then his left hand snapped out like a piston, aiming for her face.

She dropped her head backwards with barely an instant to spare, feeling the wind as Thakkar's fist whistled in front of her face. Although she lost sight of him, her instincts were honed after the gruelling Battlecast training, and she kicked out again, feeling the sole of her exoskeleton boot crunch solidly against the other fighter's chest plate.

With a grunt of surprise he went flying backwards. Codi straightened up to see him hit the ground and smoothly backward roll to his feet again. His vicious smile returned and in a sudden motion he bunched his legs and jumped.

Propelled by the exoskeleton he cleared twenty feet with ease and landed on the walkway immediately above them. Codi didn't hesitate, leaping up in pursuit. When she landed on the narrow spur of reinforced wood, Thakkar grinned spreading his arms wide, inviting her to attack.