she'd been in the arena
against Tate! She was winning, but something had happened. There
was something she was supposed to remember. Something
important.
"He stabbed me!" Nova shouted. She tried to
sit up, but the pain in her stomach forced her to wince and lean
back.
"You see? Now we have proof," Lucas said,
stepping into Nova's field of view.
"Lucas, you know I can't do anything on the
word of some pain-addled fighter," Silver replied.
"She's not just some pain-addled fighter.
This is Nova. She was going to kick the crap out of him and he
turned cheat, just like he always does."
Nova listened to the exchange. She wanted to
yell out, to tell them that Lucas was right, that Tate was a cheat,
and a liar, and not fit to fight in these circles. But she
couldn't. Every breath was agony as the skin around her stab wound
stretched and pulled. She tentatively reached her hand down and
patted her side. Just under her ribs was a layer of bandages.
She winced at a new surge of pain and
squeezed her eyes shut.
"We've never been able to catch him before
and it's the same now. No matter how hard we search him, the
weapons never show up. I can't kick him out without a good reason,"
Silver said.
"Yes, you damn can! It's your place," Lucas
replied angrily.
"'I'd lose half my customers doing that.
They like him because he's a sure win. I can't kick him out without
evidence."
"That's bullshit," Lucas said.
"I agree with that," George said from
outside of Nova's vision.
"Could you fit her suit Honey?" Silver
asked.
"I don't think so boss, she's too short,"
Honey replied.
Nova's brows drew together. She tried to put
the pieces back together. Tate had stabbed her, but there was no
way to prove it. And then, Honey… Honey was going to…
"No!" Nova said. This time she did manage to
sit up although she swayed. Jonas placed a hand on her shoulder to
keep her steady.
They crowded around her, blocking her view
of the far corner where Tate was sure to be.
"Glad to see you're awake girl," said
George, his mouth lifting.
"She can't go out there," Nova said
sluggishly.
"Neither can you," Silver said. "And I've
got at least three more rounds to fill if I'm going to stop a full
riot."
"I can do it," Nova said.
Cal hovered over to her and his internal
systems scanned her eyes and then the rest of her body. His
processors beeped, but he didn't say anything.
"I don't think so," Jonas said, putting more
pressure on her shoulder in an attempt to make her lie down. "You
nearly died on me back there. You've lost way too much blood for
this nonsense."
"So get me some synthetic," Nova said. "I
know you've got stacks of it down here."
"Nova, I'm sorry I pushed you into a fight,
but you really shouldn't do this. Tate's not going to go easy just
because you're hurt. He'll try to kill you," Silver said, rubbing
his forehead.
"You're forgetting that I also have a bet on
this match," Nova said. The effort of staying upright and talking
was making her head swim. She took three deep breaths to settle
herself.
"Screw it; you can still have your five
hundred," Silver said. "Just promise not to sue me for damages over
this." He gestured to her stomach with a weak smile.
"I have to take him down," Nova said. "If I
can just prove that he's cheating, then everything will be
fixed."
"It's not as easy as that," Silver said.
"I've been trying to pin him for years."
"Yes, but you didn't have me."
"Look, my girl. You don't have anything to
prove. We know you're a bad arse and you would have won that fight
if that bastard hadn't cheated," said George. "Don't hurt yourself
more just for an ego boost."
"It's not just my ego. He has to learn and
it's my lesson to teach," Nova said stubbornly.
"Nova—"
At that second Nova caught sight of Tate
through the press of bodies surrounding her. His visor was up and
he sneered at her across the arena. An icy cold settled over her
racing heart and a sudden calm spread through her. She clenched her
teeth.
"Patch it
against Tate! She was winning, but something had happened. There
was something she was supposed to remember. Something
important.
"He stabbed me!" Nova shouted. She tried to
sit up, but the pain in her stomach forced her to wince and lean
back.
"You see? Now we have proof," Lucas said,
stepping into Nova's field of view.
"Lucas, you know I can't do anything on the
word of some pain-addled fighter," Silver replied.
"She's not just some pain-addled fighter.
This is Nova. She was going to kick the crap out of him and he
turned cheat, just like he always does."
Nova listened to the exchange. She wanted to
yell out, to tell them that Lucas was right, that Tate was a cheat,
and a liar, and not fit to fight in these circles. But she
couldn't. Every breath was agony as the skin around her stab wound
stretched and pulled. She tentatively reached her hand down and
patted her side. Just under her ribs was a layer of bandages.
She winced at a new surge of pain and
squeezed her eyes shut.
"We've never been able to catch him before
and it's the same now. No matter how hard we search him, the
weapons never show up. I can't kick him out without a good reason,"
Silver said.
"Yes, you damn can! It's your place," Lucas
replied angrily.
"'I'd lose half my customers doing that.
They like him because he's a sure win. I can't kick him out without
evidence."
"That's bullshit," Lucas said.
"I agree with that," George said from
outside of Nova's vision.
"Could you fit her suit Honey?" Silver
asked.
"I don't think so boss, she's too short,"
Honey replied.
Nova's brows drew together. She tried to put
the pieces back together. Tate had stabbed her, but there was no
way to prove it. And then, Honey… Honey was going to…
"No!" Nova said. This time she did manage to
sit up although she swayed. Jonas placed a hand on her shoulder to
keep her steady.
They crowded around her, blocking her view
of the far corner where Tate was sure to be.
"Glad to see you're awake girl," said
George, his mouth lifting.
"She can't go out there," Nova said
sluggishly.
"Neither can you," Silver said. "And I've
got at least three more rounds to fill if I'm going to stop a full
riot."
"I can do it," Nova said.
Cal hovered over to her and his internal
systems scanned her eyes and then the rest of her body. His
processors beeped, but he didn't say anything.
"I don't think so," Jonas said, putting more
pressure on her shoulder in an attempt to make her lie down. "You
nearly died on me back there. You've lost way too much blood for
this nonsense."
"So get me some synthetic," Nova said. "I
know you've got stacks of it down here."
"Nova, I'm sorry I pushed you into a fight,
but you really shouldn't do this. Tate's not going to go easy just
because you're hurt. He'll try to kill you," Silver said, rubbing
his forehead.
"You're forgetting that I also have a bet on
this match," Nova said. The effort of staying upright and talking
was making her head swim. She took three deep breaths to settle
herself.
"Screw it; you can still have your five
hundred," Silver said. "Just promise not to sue me for damages over
this." He gestured to her stomach with a weak smile.
"I have to take him down," Nova said. "If I
can just prove that he's cheating, then everything will be
fixed."
"It's not as easy as that," Silver said.
"I've been trying to pin him for years."
"Yes, but you didn't have me."
"Look, my girl. You don't have anything to
prove. We know you're a bad arse and you would have won that fight
if that bastard hadn't cheated," said George. "Don't hurt yourself
more just for an ego boost."
"It's not just my ego. He has to learn and
it's my lesson to teach," Nova said stubbornly.
"Nova—"
At that second Nova caught sight of Tate
through the press of bodies surrounding her. His visor was up and
he sneered at her across the arena. An icy cold settled over her
racing heart and a sudden calm spread through her. She clenched her
teeth.
"Patch it
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