Iron Heart (The Gauntlet #2)

Chapter 31 - Where the Wild Things Are

A splintering crack echoed through the air and she lost her grip on Thakkar, her momentum spinning her past the pillar until she hit the ground lying flat on her front. Scrambling back to her feet she whirled and saw Thakkar on all fours, the back plate of his exoskeleton covered with pulverised slivers of wood. She also noticed that the pillar they'd ploughed into was now bent like a broken bone.

Shaking himself like a dog to dislodge the wooden splinters, Thakkar turned to face her, a hungry smile on his tattooed face. He took a step forward but another crack of snapping wood arrested his progress. Codi's eyes flickered to the supporting pillar. It had bent even further. Another crack sounded then the whole arena construct wobbled unnervingly.

They both looked up.

Codi's eyes widened with horror when she saw half the structure about to collapse on their heads. She glanced back down to see Thakkar looking at her and, to her amazement, the other fighter was grinning like an idiot.

"TIMBER!" he whooped, whirling away and diving in the opposite direction. Codi had just enough time to follow suit before a building's worth of wood came crashing down on them like an avalanche.

Loosening her gravity fields and propelled by the powerful servos of the exoskeleton, Codi managed to clear the worst of the collapse, but still ended up half-buried under a mangled collection of broken supports and walkways. Snarling with effort she kicked herself free, sending splintered wood spraying in all directions as it broke under the force of the exoskeleton.

Once she'd smashed her way clear of the debris she looked around to try and find her opponent, but of Rokkie Thakkar there was no sign. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the wreckage of broken wood and collapsed struts. Then a crash snared her attention and she turned sharply to the right. A mount of broken logs and metal seemed to be writhing and moving as though alive.

Then a gore red exoskeleton exploded from underneath it, sending debris in all directions.

Thakkar looked around breathlessly until he spotted her. Then he glanced at his immediate surroundings and an expression of amazement stamped itself on his features.

And then the final klaxon blared.

A silence swelled like a bubble, before the spectators exploded into a torrent of cheering. The sound crashed down through the arena like a flood and despite herself Codi started laughing. Every single person, whether Battlecast or Firequake or anything in between, was screaming their approval. She hoped the fight had looked as good as it felt.

She looked across at Thakkar, chest heaving as she regained her breath. He met her stare, still grinning like a lunatic. Codi knew she should have felt more anxious that this important group match would now come down to the impact ratings, but for some reason she just felt exhilarated. The whole exchange had been so utterly wild that it made up for any result that might be coming.

Minutes passed as the noise of the crowds died down. Rockie Thakkar waded out of his heap of debris and crossed the arena to stand beside her as they waited for the judging decision. She glanced at him.

"Well that was different," she murmured.

Thakkar nodded. "I'm not complainin'." When he spoke his voice carried a slight rasp, a consequence of growing up in the searing heat of Io's volcanic atmosphere. The terra-forming scrubbers could only do so much.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

Codi took a deep breath, steadying her heartbeat as the announcer's voice boomed out across the arena. Thakker looked at her; raised both eyebrows for a moment.

"What a display," the announcer continued. "But there are no draws in the Gauntlet. We have the decision by impact rating from the judges." Another dramatic pause. "The winner by impact rating is...Codi James from Battlecast!"

As the cheering started again Codi let her body deflate, releasing the breath she'd been holding and turning her eyes skyward in relief.

"Well, y'had to drop half an arena on me," Thakkar laughed. "But you got there."

She turned to face him, smiling thinly. "I don't mess around."

"Yeah, I got that." He stuck out a hand. "You're crazy. I like it."

"You've got a few screws loose yourself," she returned, shaking his hand. "Make sure you get to the knockouts. I think I'd like a rematch."

*

Codi didn't have a lot of time to dwell on the victory or on Rokkie Thakkar. After they cleared the media storm on the other side of the arena doors she'd quickly ditched her exoskeleton and made her way to the fighters' lobby where she hoped to find Leela. The other girl had her ominous match with Keefer Darkwood looming close on the horizon, and Codi felt like she needed to at least show her face – show her support.

Her friend wasn't there but on the display screens she did get to watch, with no small amount of satisfaction, as Dustin Morto got his boulder-like hands on one of the other Black Horizon competitors who'd made it through the Mayhems. This boy was not Keefer Darkwood, and at the hands of the Atlantic Academy's top fighter he never stood a chance. It seemed their rivals from across the ocean didn't like Black Horizon either.

With that small success in the back of her mind, she then jogged down to the next logical place she would find her young companion: the gymnasium. Sure enough, when she arrived Leela was there in full Gauntlet amour along with Bronagh Llewellyn, no doubt imparting some final words of wisdom.

"Hey, hey," she said, loping to a halt in front of them.

"Hi." Leela forced a smile. "How was your fight?"

"You didn't see?"

She shook her head. "I've been down here."

"I won – impact rating."

"Good."

Codi frowned. "Never mind me. How are you feeling?"

Leela shrugged. "I'm okay."

Bronagh Llewellyn pursed her lips and looked at Codi. "I believe we've prepared as much as we can. It's in her hands now."

Leela swallowed hard at that. Codi could sense the nerves in her friend, though she could hardly blame the rookie fighter for that. She'd been just as nervous when she first stepped into the Arena with Bruno Varlin.

"Just remember what we practiced," Codi said firmly. "He's not superhuman. None of us are. You can beat this guy, Leela. Go out there show everybody that you're not just here to make up the numbers, alright?"

Leela gave a bobbing nod. "I'll do my best."

She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder pad and with the other pointed at her chest plate.

"Get angry: find that level," Codi told her. "And good luck."