Author's Note: Sorry this has taken me so long to update. I've been crazy busy with work and travelling and I wasn't sure how best to approach these next few chapters. I hope you enjoy them and I welcome any feedback or suggestions!
The Tournament – Chapter 4
Alex ran.
Breath wheezed out through dry lips. White spittle formed at the corners of her mouth. Lungs burned with the lighter oxygen concentration. Her legs felt like rubber but they'd gotten into a pattern and she didn't know if she could stop.
The first run had started three hours ago and for the last two Alex had been running through a rainforest-like environment in an attempt to not be killed or injured enough to have to drop out. The runners weren't the only menace, though. The foliage that had been transplanted for the run was out to kill anything that moved.
The other competitors were not easy targets either. They had been split up before entering the first arena: seven runners per environment of rainforest, desert and tundra. There were no barriers between each section but you had to survive each for a minimum of three hours before you could move on. And, given the nature of the game, hiding and waiting out the clock was not an option.
"Alright, you're doing good, Alex," said the voice in her ear. Each runner had one form of communication, a temporary two-way transmitter about the size of a thumbnail. It was pressed into her right ear and allowed one member of Team Earth to provide intelligence on what the other runners were doing, their location and any other information they'd been able to uncover.
"A few more minutes and you can cross into the next section." Which was why she was running full tilt towards the demarcation line her sharp eyes had picked out. She had no breath to waste on replying, focusing instead on that literal line in the sand.
Her muscles burned from a brief scuffle with a X'dristha, the climbers who lived in trees on their home planet. The part of Alex's brain that was focused on survival had been indignant at the unfair advantage it had had in the rainforest.
A deep bell-like tone tolled just as she reached the line and she pounded across it without breaking stride.
"Second last one, Alex," Dolls said in her ear. Alex managed to huff out a laugh at the positive spin and she slowed to a jog to get a better idea of her surroundings.
"There's nothing here but sand and dunes," she gasped, sucking in oxygen as she looked around. "How can anything – "
Alex slammed to the ground, mouth and nose filling with sand and grit. She thrashed against the heavy body pinning her down.
"So the little human survived the first section," a voice growled in her ear.
"Alex, it's a Batrax!"
Batrax were a race of cannibals who killed their old and infirm then ate the meat. They were also solid, heavily muscled and were notoriously good at camouflage. Fortunately, Alex had trained against people who were bigger and heavier than her for her entire career. Hank had made sure her diminutive size and lighter weight were not a barrier to success and she mentally thanked him for his foresight.
Alex put her training to good use by slamming her head into the face of the Batrax then used his shifted weight to rip her long bladed knife out of its sheath and slice whatever part of it was closest into the nearest part of her attacker. He howled in pain and Alex scrambled away, settling into a balanced, easy stance that could launch her in any direction.
Dark blue blood poured out of a wound in the Batrax's head and he glared at her with a hatred bordering on manic. Alex knew she'd humiliated the proud alien in front of his team and the judges.
"You will die, little akshah," he hissed, baring sharpened teeth in a snarl.
"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Alex taunted, well aware that the creature in front of her had probably killed then eaten its mother. A part of her mind registered a dark smudge over the Batrax's shoulder, slowly getting closer as another runner closed the distance.
That runner was pushed to the back of her mind as the Batrax predictably rushed her with its own knife and attempted to remove her head from her body. It was fast but Alex spun away, avoiding a beheading but not quick enough to stop a gash that almost severed her carotid artery. Alex retaliated with a swipe of her own, missing the Batrax but bringing her closer in to his body. The position gave her access to the unprotected portion of his hide and she took full advantage of it, ramming the knife in as far as her strength could get it. She ripped it out and stuck him again, and again. A third time and the Batrax fell forward as dead weight. It lay unmoving. Alex pulled her knife free.
"Behind you!"
She spun and bared her own teeth at the third runner, knife held confidently and firmly by her side. Blue blood dripped onto the sand. The third runner hesitated for a fraction of a second at the sight of a blood covered human woman snarling and Alex leapt at the newcomer without conscious thought, using that hesitation to strike swiftly. Like she had done, it spun away and retaliated with a quick belly swipe. Alex jerked backward, avoiding the blade entirely and hammered her knife into the alien's shoulder. Its arm dangled uselessly, knife on the sand.
It scuttled away with a speed non-runner Alex appreciated. Runner Alex growled at the lost kill.
"According to Dr Green, that was one of the Hish. Not inherently violent, but fast and intelligent. Their culture has no shame in retreating from a fight. They use the respite to consider strategy and where best to strike again."
"So I'll need to keep an eye out for it again," Alex mused, walking back to the Batrax and cleaning her knife on what passed for clothing. She had chosen to wear her usual combat attire: black pants, black top and black boots. It was familiar, comfortable and she knew how to move in it.
"How much longer in this section?"
"Two hours." She heard a scuffle, murmuring, then Dolls was back. "Doctors Green and Lord advise you to wrap something around your neck to stop the bleeding."
"Max isn't a doctor," she retorted.
"He thinks he is," came Doll's dry reply. Alex snorted but set about ripping off a piece of fabric long enough to tie around her neck.
"You know, this is just asking for someone to try and choke me," she muttered as she knotted the fabric over her wound, wincing in pain. There was no reply so Alex started walking, muscles protesting at every step on the uneven and constantly shifting ground.
"I've been here four hours and have only seen three other runners. Does that seem odd to anyone else?"
"We're looking into it."
With nothing else to do, Alex kept walking towards the distant smudge of shimmering blue, the last section of freezing cold tundra.
"So, good news and bad news."
"Good news first."
"Max hacked into the other competitors location –" Alex rolled her eyes at the distinctly Maxwell Lord thing to do "– and it appears that the rest of them are congregated in the tundra. They haven't moved since they started and when a new runner gets to the same area, they don't leave either."
"Dead or trapped?" Alex guessed.
"Max says no to death but the data doesn't have enough fidelity to say whether they're trapped."
"Copy. I'll press. When I get close, warn me."
"Roger that."
Alex used the time to stretch her muscles and sat in the shadow of a dune. She looked up at the fake sun and closed her tired eyes. Eventually, the call came that she had an hour left in the section so she pushed herself upwards and onwards, trudging towards that last section.
Once again, her timing was excellent and she had only a few heartbeats to wait before the tone sounded and she crossed over.
It was bitingly cold, the heat from the desert fading rapidly. A small breeze whipped up flurries of a substance that resembled fluffy snow but had a pink tinge to it. Alex shivered.
"Three hours. Piece of cake. What could possibly go wrong?" she said to herself with a sarcasm that was just as biting as the temperature.
She broke into a slow jog, as much to keep warm as to stop her muscles from cramping from her earlier running. Eventually she saw a small hill ahead and stumbled down to a walk. Her lungs rattled and burned from breathing the cold air.
"Behind that hill is where all the others are."
Warned, Alex made sure her knife was free and crept closer, adrenaline surging as she got closer. Instead of scrambling up the hill, she opted to head around the base, coming in from the side. It wasn't the best vantage point but she already knew how many there were.
As she rounded the hill, she could make out one, two, five, eight, fourteen bodies. Thirteen of them were lying in the snow. The fourteenth was standing calmly in the centre, a small smile on her face. Her eyes were closed and she seemed unbothered by the temperature, despite her thin pants and sleeveless top.
"Damn," Alex breathed. "That's a – "
Sleepy calm descended. Rest, it said. Warmth and peace spread through Alex's mind and body. Her muscles relaxed, heart slowing as she drifted into the sensation. Her fingers slowly loosened their hold on the knife that had saved her life three times and it fell into the snow silently. A voice buzzed in her ear but it was far away and the warmth beckoned her. Alex began walking again, this time without the awareness of herself, aware of nothing as that alien mind ever so gently forced her submission.
It wasn't until she stumbled over the body of a Strith and jabbed herself on one of its spines that she regained a semblance of consciousness. It was like waking from a dream. A dream of warmth and peace that promised no pain. A part of her refused to let go of it. An image of her sister dressed in Kryptonian clothes and standing with her mother popped into her mind and with a jerk Alex broke the alien woman's hold on her mind.
She was instantly assailed with cold, pain, hunger and thirst. She reached for her knife before vaguely remembered it dropping to the ground.
"Come on, Alex, wake up!"
"I'm awake," she slurred, the cold settling into her body. "Have to kill her."
Have to kill. Have to kill. Have to kill.
"Snap out of it! You can't kill her!"
"Why?" Alex mumbled through cracked lips that were now starting to bleed. An alarm in that primitive region of the brain that registers danger started ringing. She could now barely feel the cold; hypothermia and frostbite were setting in. She ran out of energy and collapsed into the pink snow.
"You have no weapon. She's keeping the rest of them from killing you. Use it! Start walking towards the end. Get off your ass and start walking, damn it!"
She pushed herself to her feet. "So bossy," came the weak reply but she took one step, then another and another. Dolls kept talking to her, alternating between goading her onwards to encouragement.
Close to two hours later and she couldn't feel her feet or hands. She only knew she was moving forward because she was watching her boots lift and land, not really caring that she was feeling nothing under them. Her brain had shut down, focusing only on doing the one repetitive thing that required almost no thought. She barely registered Doll's voice in her ear.
She stumbled onwards. She was still stumbling when the tone sounded for the third and final time. She didn't hear it. Didn't notice the sudden lack of wind, the snow starting to melt away as the artificial temperature was increased to a more comfortable level.
The first thing she was aware of was the pain. Tingling at first, then angry pins and needles until finally the temperature thawed enough of her body that it was a battle against the cold and beginnings of frostbite. Alex collapsed, unable to bear the dichotomy.
A sharp jab in her ear jerked her head to the side and snapped her back into focus.
"Keep going! A few more minutes and you'll be at the exit!"
Taking Dolls at his word, she dug deep and heaved herself upright. Tears dripped down her face at the pain, the low energy reserves, the lack of willpower as she started walking for the last time in the first run.
The team were gathered at the exit assigned to Team Earth and watched as Alex finally surged through the door and collapsed. She didn't move at all. Silent tears fell down her face as she lay curled into a protective ball. Dr Green and Max sprinted for her, each carrying a portable med kit and a blanket. Dolls was hard on their heels.
"Strip her," Dr Green ordered. Dolls hesitated but Max understood the need immediately. He grabbed her under the arms and hefted her upright. She began to fight him and Dolls had to grab her arms. Max held her for a few seconds, murmuring in her ear until his words invaded the fog surrounding her mind. He tugged her sodden shirt up and over her head, Alex somehow finding the energy to help him by raising her arms ever so slightly. Dolls quickly shed her of her pants and Dr Green wasted no time in wrapping her in a blanket and ordering Dolls to carry her to the medical room attached to their headquarters.
The rest of the team were waiting there already, having already received orders from Dr Green. The bed had been warmed and padded with blankets. Dolls set Alex down in a chair at the doctor's directions and she and Max worked quickly and efficiently on getting most of the blood wiped away and disinfecting and covering her wounds. Alex started shivering as her body tried to raise its temperature.
"Get her in the bed."
Dolls once again picked her up and gently laid her down in the cocoon of warmth. Green fussed over her, layering blankets on top and double checking the temperature of the bed. Alex lay there, drifting in and out, as her body shivered uncontrollably. Eventually, the warmth of her surroundings seeped its way into her muscles and bones and, exhausted, she fell asleep.
Max entered the medical area to find Alex still sleeping and Dr Green changing the dressing on her neck.
"How's she doing?"
"Her wound is healing exceptionally fast," the doctor answered, bending to study the puffy patch of skin. "Whatever she allowed herself to be injected with seems to be doing its job."
Max nodded and took a seat by the bed.
"She's one tough woman," Dr Green expanded.
"Of course she is," Max said, almost dismissively. "She's the best. I don't allow just anyone to waltz through my doors and arrest me."
Dr Green laughed and taped the last piece of bandage down.
"I'll stay with her," Max offered.
"Call me the second she wakes up," Dr Green ordered. Max lazily saluted her and settled himself in the chair beside Alex. Once the door had closed behind her, Max leaned over and whispered in Alex's ear.
"I know you're awake."
Alex's lips twitched but she kept her eyes firmly closed.
"I can kiss you awake if you want." Alex's eyes flew open and Max smirked down at her.
"I'm not a princess that needs rescuing," she said in a raspy voice.
"After your display in this first run, I'm inclined to agree with you," Max mused. "That was an impressive display."
"All in a day's work," she replied. "I'm assuming it was you who reworked the programming on my earpiece to shock me back to myself?" she said, eyes slipping shut again. Max answered in the affirmative before reaching over and smoothing her hair behind her ears. She rumbled something unintelligible and he took the opportunity to press his lips against her head.
"Back to sleep. Doctor's orders."
"Not a doctor," she mumbled. He didn't bother to reply. She was sleep seconds after her last word.
Max sat by her side until Nails came to relieve him two hours later.