Codi's heart pounded, a different kind of adrenaline racing through every vein in her body. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady herself, doing her best not to think too hard about what lay beyond the massive white-metal doors that led into the refitted arena. The noise that bled through them, however, made it impossible to fully shut out the electric fizz of excitement bubbling beneath her skin.
The closing ceremony was here.
And Battlecast had finally pulled off the three way victory. She waited in the entryway with all the other champions, along with the second and third place finishers who'd still fought their way to a podium in this most gruelling of contests. Unlike last year when she'd attended the ceremony in a hoody and leggings, now she'd accepted the sense of occasion without much argument. Clad in a long-sleeved, knee-length tunic of cyan trimmed with midnight blue, she stood tall and proud, the Battlecast logo emblazoned over her right breast, her long black hair hanging straight and glossy like a waterfall of pure darkness.
The members of her flag team stood with them, Leela at their centre, the young fighter unable to keep the grin off her features. Codi didn't blame her. Not far away stood a disgruntled Maryn Le Rourke and the members of the runner up team from Atlantic, and a little further back, the third place finishers in the distinctive yellow and black dress uniforms of Orion stood, with Chalyze Bamber at their head.
Chris O'Leary and Ripple Thawborn would be taking the paired trophy, ahead of the twins, Lucas and Lazlo, who still recorded Ursa Major Academy's best ever finish at a Gauntlet event. Codi got an extra reason to smile, too, when she discovered that the last podium place in the paired discipline belonged to Firequake. Rokki Thakker stood with his partner, smiling languidly, apparently just enjoying the atmosphere as he looked around the crowd of champions.
But the most prestigious prize belonged to Codi. Champion of the singles tournament, she would be the last to enter; the one who the final avalanche of attention would crash down on. Right now she felt like a god. She was well aware of the glances that flew her way from all directions, murmuring and whisperings from other fighters creating a backdrop like a babbling brook. Breathing it in, she basked in the sensation of being the most important person in the room. It might be some time before she would feel this way again.
Keefer Darkwood couldn't hide from anyone this time, though. He stood alone, off to one side as though he emitted some kind of radiation, arms folded and eyes downcast. Still, Codi wasn't completely sure if the towering young man had actually been party to the tampering with the exoskeleton. Although she doubted it, there was a chance that he didn't know. At the moment, she didn't have a way to find out, one way or the other.
Third place in the singles went – somewhat more deservingly – to Dustin Morto. After being edged out of a podium place last year, he'd managed to make it this time. Despite the hype that had surrounded him as a title challenger, he seemed happy enough with that for the moment, standing with his team-mates, laughing and joking without a care in the world. It was quite a departure from the stoic, mountainous individual she was used to seeing.
"Alright everyone!" shouted the senior attendant of the Gauntlet staff. "We're just about ready to get underway. Can I please have all the capture the flag teams to the front of the queue?" He accented his request by waving the hefty dat-pad clutched in one well-manicured hand. In a buzzing jumble of energy the flag teams eagerly bundled to the fore. Codi hung back, letting Leela lead them on. Only three of the Battlecast team would actually being included in the first portion of the awards – Leela, Gareth and Cardle – while Codi and Ripple had to wait for their respective titles.
"Hey," Codi said quietly, catching Leela by the arm as her friend went by. "Make sure you enjoy it, eh?"
She grinned. "You too, Codi. See you out there."
Then the doors yawned open. Light and noise spilled out over the champions and Codi could here the thunderous sound of the announcer's voice calling for the third place finishers in the flag discipline. Now, however, his voice sounded more immediate – more real. The man had descended from his eyrie to present the awards in person.
Craning her neck to look out into the arena, Codi could just make out the portly figure of Dray Meraux, resplendent in a suit of ruby-red and gold, at the far end of the vast walkway that bisected two looming stands of seating that had been set up inside the arena. Those with more disposable income than most had paid for the privilege of being up close and personal with the Gauntlet winners. Beyond those stacked tiers of seating the stands beyond the dome itself seethed with noise and motion as the rank-and-file spectators made their presence known.
Chalyze Bamber led Orion's flag team out into the spotlight to a cacophony of cheers from the team's fans. They made their way down the crystal studded walkway to the series of podiums at the far end, arranged in groups of three. The flag teams would be to the left, the pairs to the right, and in the centre on a slightly raised dais stood the smaller podiums reserved for the singles champions.
She could hear Dray Meraux giving a quick interview with Bamber as the Orion team took up their place. Then it was Atlantic's turn. Pink hair as vibrant and eye-catching as always, Maryn Le Rourke strode out with her companions in tow. Not long after that, Leela flashed a breathless smile back over her shoulder and took off, leaping into the embrace of the Battlecast cheers.
The pairs followed soon after. As he passed, Rokki Thakker glanced at Codi, pointed his fingers like a gun and mouthed: bang. She laughed and retuned the gesture, just as he and his partner stepped through the doors, their arrival accompanied by a swell of thunder from the Firequake fans. She bumped fists with Lucas and Lazlo as the twins walked by to take their second place podium, happy in the knowledge that there was no bad blood between them.
Ripple and Chris went out into the benevolent storm; two out of three on the podium sweep, getting a deafening ovation from the Battlecast fans as they went. The pair had been an unstoppable force in the paired discipline – with Ripple having one more year under to compete in the junior categories, they would be the team to beat next year and everyone knew it.
But then came the final round of podiums. Codi could feel adrenaline pumping through her veins, her heart slamming within her chest as the seconds ticked down. Soon it would all be official; all be real. She would be etched into history as a Gauntlet champion, something nothing and no-one could take away from her.
Morto went out, Atlantic's supporters cheering him on. Then it was Keefer Darkwood's turn and the atmosphere changed noticeably.
While most of the neutral supporters offered their cheers as a courtesy more than anything else, Darkwood had made no friends among the supporters of the big academies. Boos, hisses and jeers mingled with the applause and despite everything that had happened, it made Codi a little sad to hear it. This was meant to be an occasion for celebration and the sour note made her feel uncomfortable. It just didn't feel right.
So she decided she was going to ramp up the fun factor just a bit.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Dray Meraux roared, his voice amplified by some unseen mechanism, arms outspread as he turned slowly to address all the fans present. "We now come to the moment you've all been waiting for."
Codi stepped up to the threshold, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, happy that she'd elected for a set of black, flat soled boots instead of anything with heels. The last thing she needed was to fall flat on her face in front of the whole damn galaxy. She took a deep breath.
"From rags to riches, from zero to hero, from nowhere to the centre of the universe," Meraux continued. "You all know exactly who I'm talking about. So please, put your hands together and let the whole world hear you, for your Gauntlet Champion, last year's underdog star back to finish the job – the one, the only, COOOOOODI ... JAAAAAAMES!"
Somehow the noise grew even more. It was like stepping through a physical wave of electricity. Codi loped into the light – her eyes flickering all around, over the stands that towered over forty meters up on either side, crammed with people, including coaches and other fighters from various academies. She could hear her name being chanted from all directions and massive holographic banners bearing her face glittered through the audience. In that moment the sense of ceremony slipped out of her mind and she started cheering back, raising both hands high into the air, index fingers extended to the sky. Then she broke into a run down the main aisle.
She must have made an incongruous sight, but Codi didn't care. She just let the feelings pour out into action, jumping up and down, bounding down towards the podiums, spinning over and over to wave to the fans in all directions. This was her moment, and she would be damned if anyone knew better than her how to enjoy it. The crowds went wild at her display, laughter and cheering rolling around the dome like a joyous bell.
By the time she actually made it to the podium she was quite out of breath. She came to a breathless halt in front of Dray Meraux, the announcer himself sporting a broad grin at her antics. She shook his hand, and he politely gave her a moment to catch her breath before beckoning an attended forward to hand her a microphone.
"Well, Codi, I think we can all see how much this means to you," Dray said good-naturedly. "It's been a long road to get here, but here you are. How do you feel?"
"Err..." She blew out her cheeks in a sigh. "It's hard to say. It's just crazy, you know? It doesn't feel quite real."
"I can quite imagine." The announcer nodded sagely. "From a no-where academy on the edge of space, to joining Battlecast and winning the tournament in two short years – quite the whirlwind wouldn't you say?"
"Definitely." Codi looked out into the crowds, trying to fight down the lump in her throat.
"Well, I think I can speak for everyone when I say, your story has captured the hearts and minds of this competition. Not to mention you've gathered quite a following along the way. Is there anything you'd like to say to your supporters?"
She could feel the tears threatening to well up. She blinked them away, smiling through the sensation. "Just thank you. Thank you a million times. Battlecast put its faith in me – the fans put their faith in me – and I'm just glad I could repay that trust. I owe them this win."
A wave of applause erupted at her remark and she laughed, rubbing her eyes with her free hand and sniffing, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her on the big stage. When the noise died down, Codi spoke again.
"The coaches at Battlecast have been amazing, and so have my team-mates. They accepted me as one of their own and I wouldn't be here without them either. I think it's something people don't realise – even in the singles contest – without a team behind you you'll get nowhere. I do my part in the Arena, but behind the scenes there are so many things that go into preparing us for what we do out here, I can't begin to describe it. So, if it's okay, I'd like every Battlecast fan here to make some noise for all the fighters that competed and all the coaches ... please."
The fans needed to second bidding. A storm burst over the arena yet again and thousands rose from their seats in a standing ovation for the whole Battlecast Academy. Codi screwed her eyes shut, battling against the tears. A steadying breath. She pinched the bridge of her nose and eventually got herself under control as the noise subsided.
A pair of names then popped unbidden into her mind – individuals whose mark on her Gauntlet career was even more profound than anyone in this room right now. She opened her mouth to speak, but then glanced at Dray Meraux, unsure if she was overstaying her welcome. She needn't have worried. The announcer could see she had more in the tank and gave her an encouraging nod.
"I ... I don't know if they are out there watching," she said, voice wavering. "But if they are, there are two other people I would like to thank – I need to thank. The first is a man called Jacob Barrow. You won't know him – he was a teacher of mine back on Kantha – but he was the one who got me my chance at Brax-Delta Academy. I would never have competed without him. The other is Drake Vasco, my old coach. He taught me how to fight. If he hadn't done that, Battlecast never would have noticed me. So ... yeah, if they're out there, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."
The cheering erupted for a final time, and Codi handed the microphone back to the attendant.
And the tears finally started to flow.
*
At last one of the attendants led her and the other podium finishers out of the grasp of reporters, coaches and team-mates, out into the halls of the arena. Codi peeled away from the others, leaning against the cool wall of the corridor and listening to the dull roar of the celebrations behind. Fireworks crackled and boomed and music blasted from speakers that had long been reserved for Dray Meraux's booming announcements. She wiped her eyes, focusing on her breathing, trying to clear her head. Everything seemed to have a dream-like quality to it now.
But Codi wanted to be somewhere else; to see someone else.
So she made her way to a small, quiet passageway, hoping that she wasn't the only one who remembered its location. When she rounded the final bend a warm tingle spread through her body when she spotted Kye lounging against the wall, clad in the simple black and white tracksuit of Zulu Forge, drumming his fingers on his thighs. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps, and a grin quickly spread across his face.
"I wondered if you'd remember," he told her, straightening up.
"Likewise." Codi didn't break stride. She walked straight up to him, slung an arm around the back of his neck and hauled him forward into a kiss. His arms folded around her waist and she let out a squeak of surprise as he lifted her up and spun her around. She kept her lips locked against his, fingers moving through his hair, her other hand clutching his jacket tight.
He put her down and she pulled away with a giggle, clapping a hand over her mouth.
"I think some congratulations are in order?" he said, cupping her face in one hand, still grinning. "Nice job out there."
"Couldn't have done it without you." Gently, Codi pulled his hand from her face and held it tightly. "You did it, didn't you? You interrupted that signal; turned off Darkwood's exoskeleton."
The mischievous smile flashed. "I most certainly did."
She pulled his arm around her shoulders and together they leaned against the corridor wall, listening for a moment to the muffled noise of the ceremony.
"I ... I," Codi hesitated. "Kye, I don't think I can ever thank you enough for what you've done for me."
He shook his head, giving her a playful nudge. "Hey, all I did was flick a switch. You still did the hard part. And you had to get to the final in the first place. That's all on you, Codi James. You can take that to the bank."
"Believe me, I will," she laughed, leaning a head on his shoulder. "So what's next for you?"
"Me?" He rested his head against hers. "Back to Zulu Forge, I guess. Someone's got to help those poor sods look like the real thing when they get to the Gauntlet."
"And it's got to be you?"
"I love a hard luck case."
Codi lifted her head, fixing him with a beady eye. "Oh, you do, do you?"
"Oh, that's not ... err ... I didn't mean-,"
She cut him off with a playful punch on the shoulder. Then, when he was still staring at her in a fluster, she grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him forward into another kiss. She pulled away, grinning mischievously.
"Gotcha." She winked.
"Very good," Kye chuckled, planting a kiss on her forehead. "So what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Are you coming back to Battlecast again next year?"
Codi looked at him strangely. "Why wouldn't I?"