cast
rainbows on the violent scene.
With Tate backed into a corner, Nova had the
advantage. She slammed her knees up into his ribcage. The metal
suits would protect him from some of the force but the constant
hits would hurt him bad, possibly break a few of his ribs if she
aimed them right.
Nova had victory in her grasp. There was no
way Tate could get himself out of the corner. Mech fighting had
come back as easily as walking to Nova. She slipped straight in and
overpowered her opponent as easily as she had when she was fighting
every day. Inside her suit she grinned; Tate was finally getting
what he deserved.
Pain stabbed up Nova's side. She grunted and
her forward attack failed. She reached down to the source of pain
but her metal hands stopped her from reaching it. She looked down,
trying to see over her own armour to her side. Pain shot up into
her chest.
While she was looking away, Tate lifted his
right fist and slammed it into the side of Nova's head. The blow
sent her flying across the gravel arena. Her head snapped to the
side and her body crashed to the ground. She wanted to get up but
the pain in her side made her cringe; she could barely move. The
best she could do was curl into a small ball, hoping to minimise
Tate's attack.
She groaned. Tate ran straight for her. His
foot lifted off the ground, swung down and smashed into her
stomach. Nova's organs clenched and vomit rose to the back of her
throat. Pain surged through every inch of her body. Her side boiled
with agony and yet she had no idea why.
This was it.
Tate prepared to smash her face in. He
wouldn't show any mercy, and she'd be dragged out of The Pits in a
body bag. She wouldn't be the first one, and the only way to avoid
it was to get to her feet, to stand. She tried with all her might
to push herself up but her muscles refused to respond. Every ounce
of energy she had was consumed by just staying conscious through
the haze of pain.
"End Round One," Silver's voice boomed over
the speakers.
"Lucky you got friends up top," Tate said,
nodding to the commentator's box.
From her position on the floor, Tate looked
huge. He towered over her and his massive helmet blocked out most
of her vision.
"Look at that. You did roll onto your back
for me," he said. "If I were you, I'd bow out now. You won't
survive round two."
He stomped away from Nova to his own corner
of the arena.
Nova was instantly surrounded by people. Cal
hovered near her head, talking, but she couldn't understand a word
he said. Her vision and hearing were cloudy, foggy and unreadable.
Silver ran into the arena and stood in front of her. At first he
looked mad and was yelling. Nova couldn't make out his words. After
a few moments his face fell and he pointed at Nova's side.
She tried to look down, see what he was
pointing at and what was causing her such agony but the helmet made
it impossible. At Silver's gestures the crowd around Nova changed,
their mood darkened and the voices became quieter. Jonas was there.
He was so old he was practically ancient. Apparently he'd once been
a vet in the inner galaxies. No one knew why he wasn't still there
but it was qualification enough to be a medic in The Pits.
A flicker of Nova's consciousness wondered
what Jonas was doing by her side. He should be worrying about Tate;
he was the one that was going down.
She continued these delusions, until she
dropped into unconsciousness and the world went black.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
"Nova? Nova? Come back to me girl," Jonas
said.
Nova's eyes flickered open at the sound of
his voice. Her back rested against the arena fence and a bright
light burned over her head. Her abdomen ached like death itself.
Jonas stood next to her; his beard rough and his clothes dirty,
just as she remembered.
"Hey, Jonas, what's up?" she whispered
through the pain.
Her mind sifted through her memories. What
had happened? She'd visited Roxanne, then she'd come here to ask
questions. She'd met Honey and then…… Then
rainbows on the violent scene.
With Tate backed into a corner, Nova had the
advantage. She slammed her knees up into his ribcage. The metal
suits would protect him from some of the force but the constant
hits would hurt him bad, possibly break a few of his ribs if she
aimed them right.
Nova had victory in her grasp. There was no
way Tate could get himself out of the corner. Mech fighting had
come back as easily as walking to Nova. She slipped straight in and
overpowered her opponent as easily as she had when she was fighting
every day. Inside her suit she grinned; Tate was finally getting
what he deserved.
Pain stabbed up Nova's side. She grunted and
her forward attack failed. She reached down to the source of pain
but her metal hands stopped her from reaching it. She looked down,
trying to see over her own armour to her side. Pain shot up into
her chest.
While she was looking away, Tate lifted his
right fist and slammed it into the side of Nova's head. The blow
sent her flying across the gravel arena. Her head snapped to the
side and her body crashed to the ground. She wanted to get up but
the pain in her side made her cringe; she could barely move. The
best she could do was curl into a small ball, hoping to minimise
Tate's attack.
She groaned. Tate ran straight for her. His
foot lifted off the ground, swung down and smashed into her
stomach. Nova's organs clenched and vomit rose to the back of her
throat. Pain surged through every inch of her body. Her side boiled
with agony and yet she had no idea why.
This was it.
Tate prepared to smash her face in. He
wouldn't show any mercy, and she'd be dragged out of The Pits in a
body bag. She wouldn't be the first one, and the only way to avoid
it was to get to her feet, to stand. She tried with all her might
to push herself up but her muscles refused to respond. Every ounce
of energy she had was consumed by just staying conscious through
the haze of pain.
"End Round One," Silver's voice boomed over
the speakers.
"Lucky you got friends up top," Tate said,
nodding to the commentator's box.
From her position on the floor, Tate looked
huge. He towered over her and his massive helmet blocked out most
of her vision.
"Look at that. You did roll onto your back
for me," he said. "If I were you, I'd bow out now. You won't
survive round two."
He stomped away from Nova to his own corner
of the arena.
Nova was instantly surrounded by people. Cal
hovered near her head, talking, but she couldn't understand a word
he said. Her vision and hearing were cloudy, foggy and unreadable.
Silver ran into the arena and stood in front of her. At first he
looked mad and was yelling. Nova couldn't make out his words. After
a few moments his face fell and he pointed at Nova's side.
She tried to look down, see what he was
pointing at and what was causing her such agony but the helmet made
it impossible. At Silver's gestures the crowd around Nova changed,
their mood darkened and the voices became quieter. Jonas was there.
He was so old he was practically ancient. Apparently he'd once been
a vet in the inner galaxies. No one knew why he wasn't still there
but it was qualification enough to be a medic in The Pits.
A flicker of Nova's consciousness wondered
what Jonas was doing by her side. He should be worrying about Tate;
he was the one that was going down.
She continued these delusions, until she
dropped into unconsciousness and the world went black.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
"Nova? Nova? Come back to me girl," Jonas
said.
Nova's eyes flickered open at the sound of
his voice. Her back rested against the arena fence and a bright
light burned over her head. Her abdomen ached like death itself.
Jonas stood next to her; his beard rough and his clothes dirty,
just as she remembered.
"Hey, Jonas, what's up?" she whispered
through the pain.
Her mind sifted through her memories. What
had happened? She'd visited Roxanne, then she'd come here to ask
questions. She'd met Honey and then…… Then
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