"It's you, isn't it?" - Encore

October 8th

Afternoon

Round One: Not Worth The Wait

On the roof of a brown and dilapidated factory three miles away from the arena, Robin crouched behind a rusty smokestack and peered at it through a pair of red and black binoculars. Raven stood somewhat behind him, hidden from view on the far side of a ventilation shaft that emerged upwards and curved out. Her blue hood was up over her head and her cloak somehow enveloped her figure and helped make her form indistinct. The Boy Wonder watched as Encore helped Aquagirl to her feet in a small rest area just outside the arena doors and led her back inside. He lowered the binoculars and narrowed his eye slits in thought.

"Aquagirl is making friends quickly." He observed. "I guess that's a talent of hers."

Raven looked at him dispassionately. "I'm assuming that comment is aimed at me." She said. "And of course you're worried about it."

"I've never seen you develop a friendship with someone so quickly."

"And that's a crime?" There was an edge to Raven's voice.

Robin glanced over his shoulder at her. "Of course not, Raven. It's just strange...and strange makes me nervous."

"Then you made the wrong career choice." Raven told him. "Does this have anything to do with why you don't trust her?" She went on when he didn't answer. "I should be the first person you tell if you think she's not being honest with us. If our friendship is some kind of sham-"

"No," Robin assured her quickly. "I'm convinced her friendship with you is genuine; it's most likely the most genuine thing about her. You shouldn't worry about that."

"What should I worry about, then?" Robin once again gave her the silent treatment. She stepped forward and lightly put a hand on his shoulder. "I know this goes against everything you've been taught, Robin, but secrets are dangerous. They're like an infection and, if you keep them hidden, they have a way of festering and drawing people apart. I don't want that to happen to us."

Robin looked up at her and then laid his gloved hand on hers. "Me, either, Raven. But this is one secret I have to keep for now. You'll just have to trust me."

Raven looked into his masked face and nodded. "I do, Robin. We all do."

Robin gave her a grateful look and turned away again.

"It's just infuriating." Raven added.

Robin couldn't help but smile at that admission. Then he reached into his utility belt and brought out his Titan communicator.

In a ratty hotel a couple miles to the east, Cyborg and Starfire were camped out in a second story room. The alien warrior princess laid restlessly on the cheaply covered bed while Cyborg sat in front of the glass door leading out to the balcony. The yellowed drapes were mostly closed, only leaving a small crack for him to peer through. There was a mechanical, depressurized hiss and a short tube emerged from the metal part of Cyborg's head, pivoted and conveniently stopped in front of his red optic. The short telescopic device allowed him to see much more clearly than any pair of binoculars or goggles Robin possessed.

The device on Cyborg's forearm beeped and Robin's face flashed up on the tiny LCD screen.

"Report." Robin got right to the point.

"Nice to see you, too, man." Cyborg quipped, but then he got to business. "We've seen a lot of familiar faces go in. Hive Five, Adonis and Punk Rocket just to name a few. I recognized some members of the former Brotherhood of Evil, too."

"It was just a matter of time." Robin sighed. "You can't keep villains like that on ice forever...pardon the pun."

"I wish Beast Boy had heard you say that. Oh!" Cyborg suddenly said as he remembered. "Even you girlfriend Kitten is here, too!"

"Kitten is not my girlfriend!"

"Kitten is not Robin's girlfriend!" Starfire and Robin thundered as one person. Cyborg chuckled, sweat dropped at the double glares and then let his laugh die out nervously.

"Anyway!" He went on, bypassing the awkward moment. "We haven't seen anyone go in for a while now. My guess is that most of the fighters have arrived...which means the fighting will start soon."

"There's one way to find out for sure. I'll check on Walker and then contact Beast Boy. I'll call back when I learn something. Robin, out."

The screen went to black and Cyborg allowed his telescopic eye aid to retract into his skull. He stood up from the low stool he had been siting on and stretched his metal muscles; more out of habit than any real need to do so.

"Guess there's nothing to do now but wait." He said.

"I dislike waiting." Starfire said. "I have never been proficient at it."

Cyborg gave her a look of mild surprise. "You could have fooled me." He said. "You're always so patient when you're talking with us. You have a knack for not prying and...I don't know...kind of waiting out our feelings. It's easy to confide in you, Starfire."

"I am glad for that, Cyborg, but that is not what I meant. Being patient with my friends is easy to do." She said. "My race is a race of warriors. We fight with vigor and righteous fury. We are in our element when we fight, but waiting for the battle can be unbearable at times."

Cyborg sat down on the foot of the bed. "I kind of know how you feel." He said. "Back before my accident, I was a football player. I was pretty good, too. It's like a battle when you're on the field. Your team is competing with the other one. Hitting them. Trying to dominate them. Just less casualties, I guess. Anyway, when I was on the field, it was the greatest feeling in the world. The sweat and the competition and the pain and joy. There's nothing like leading your team to a victory."

"But," he went on. "Before a game was always tough on me. Sitting in the locker room, just waiting. The anxiety and anticipation reaches a fever pitch, ya know? I think it's hard for everyone and everybody deals with it differently. Some people get rowdy and like to make noise. Bang their helmets against the lockers and bark and stuff. Others like to jog in place, move around and get the blood flowing. I knew some guys – great players – that would throw up before every game."

"And you felt this way as well?" Starfire asked. "How did you cope with it?"

"I was a little different." Cyborg said. "I coped with it by helping others cope with it. I'd go around the room and try to help people out. Relax then and ease the tension, you know? By focusing on other people, I kind of helped myself at the same time. I bet you understand that more than anybody."

Starfire nodded, but her emerald eyes were a million miles away. She sat up and folded her knees beneath her. Cyborg took in the look and body language in a single glance.

"That's not really what's bothering you, is it?" He guessed.

"You know me too well." Starfire gave him a fond smile. Then she sighed. "Do you...do you ever worry about the team?"

Cyborg cocked his head at her. "I don't know what you mean."

"I mean...over the years we have been together, I find I take our victories for granted." Starfire explained. "We are engaged in war against the villains of the world. And there are casualties in war. I fear it is only a matter of time before...one of us falls. I do not know if I could handle that. I do not know if we could handle that."

"Haven't we already?" Cyborg said it softly. "I know she's back now – or so says Beast Boy – but when Terra was stone-"

"But even then," Starfire interrupted. "There was hope she could be restored. I speak of the possibility of...one of us dying in battle."

Cyborg affectionately squeezed her knee. "What brought this on?" He asked her gently. "Why are you thinking like this all of a sudden?"

And so Starfire told him about the nightmares she had been having for the past several nights, all of which were gory images of Robin losing his life.

"Robin assured me they are just dreams." Starfire finished up. "But then he found trace amounts of chronotons in my bedroom. I fear...I fear they are not dreams, but premonitions of the future."

"How is that possible?"

"I do not know. But now," Starfire's tone suddenly went from despair to frustration. "Robin deliberately separates us. I feel the need now more than ever to protect him and he purposely thwarts me! I am sure he thinks I am doing the smothering."

"I was kind of wondering why he paired us up the way he did." Cyborg said. "As far as this Mystery Machine goes, you and Robin are Fred and Daphne."

"A-and I suppose Beast Boy is the talking canine?"

Cyborg blinked several times and then he laughed. "Wow, Starfire. I didn't think you'd get that. Pop culture references usually go over your head."

"I have been here on this planet for some time now." Starfire pointed out. "My education is slow, but I am learning." She sighed again.

"You know, there's an old saying. An old earth saying, of course." Cyborg corrected himself. "It says that the best way to protect something is to set it free. I know you're worried about Robin, but he's more than proven that he can take care of himself."

"I know that, Cyborg. It is his attitude about this situation that worries me. He acts as if nothing is wrong. I would feel better if he merely demonstrated a small amount of caution."

"Robin would say he's always cautious."

"I hope so."

Cyborg's forearm communicator beeped again. "Speak of the devil..." He said as he answered it. Again Robin's face appeared on the tiny monitor with Raven's blue silhouette behind him. "What did Beast Boy have to say?" Cyborg asked him.

"Nothing. I could barely hear him. There's some kind electronic interference that's distorting the feed."

"You think whoever the ringleader is has it set up that way on purpose?"

"Maybe. It's hard to say for sure, though. This operation is going to be tough if we can't contact our people on the inside."

Cyborg thought about it. "Let me try to patch in to Indigo." He said. "Her tech is a lot more advanced than our stuff. Maybe I can connect to her. It might take a little while to get through, though."

"Try it." Robin approved. "I'll check in on Walker while I wait. Let me know when it's done." He hesitated. "How's Starfire?" He asked.

Cyborg realized that the angle of his forearm hid her from view. He glanced sidelong at her before he answered. "A little antsy, but she'll be ready when the time comes. She always is."

"Of course."

"Maybe you should ask her yourself." Cyborg said pointedly.

"Maybe later. I don't-" Robin looked like he might say more, but then he shook it off. "Robin, out."

On the far side of the domed arena, completing the triangle of vantage points, was Commissioner Walker. He sat behind the wheel of a dated, bland-colored sedan parked near the mouth of an alleyway. He was wrapped up in his customary dusty long coat and rumpled tie. His window was down and he puffed away irritably at a cigarette. The thumb of his free hand thumpthumpthumped against the steering wheel in an uncoordinated and often changing melody. Beside him in the passenger seat was Officer Brian Murphy. He wore a sturdy plaid jacket over his dark blue uniform and, even with his dark skin, the puffy bruise just over his eye when the assassin that had broken into the metahuman cell to kill Jeff had hit him with his sword hilt was still clearly visible. His window was down as well and he pointedly pointed his face out at the fresh air. Commissioner Walker ignored his discomfort.

"So, Ryan-" He started to say, but Officer Murphy interrupted him.

"It's actually Brian, sir."

"Right, right, whatever." Walker brushed the correction aside. "You got any kids?"

"My wife's working on our first, actually." Murphy said proudly. "A boy."

"You're lucky." Walker grunted and exhaled smoke. "I got a little girl that's not so little anymore."

"She a handful?"

"You have no idea." Walker stressed. "She got all my bad traits, all of her mother's good traits and she happens to hate me."

Murphy wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I-I'm sorry to hear that, sir."

"Kids always get pissy when you try to protect them. It's annoying."

A beeping rang out and Walker reached into his jacket to bring out an unmarked communicator. "What can I do for you, Bird Boy?" He asked.

"I'm just checking in." Robin replied, unaffected by the nickname. He used to ruffle under the name, but now he just ignored it. He had a way of sucking all the fun out of it. "Are your men in place?"

"Yeah. And they were in place ten minutes ago, too." The Commissioner sounded slightly offended. "My men are good, Robin. I don't have to babysit them. If something comes up, they know to call me."

"Of course, Commissioner. I didn't mean to doubt them. I'm just a little wound up. I guess I just needed someone to talk to."

"That's not like you." Walker said. "Since when did you become a chatterbox?"

Robin smirked. "Blame it on teenage hormones." He said.

"I always do. What did Beast Boy have to say?"

"Nothing. I couldn't get through to him. Cyborg is trying again now to-" His masked face looked distracted. "As a matter of fact, he's calling back now. I'll get back to you later, Commissioner. Robin, out."

Walker grunted sourly and replaced the communicator in his coat. "Damn teenagers." He complained. Then he looked over at Officer Murphy. "Enjoy the first twelve years or so of your kid, Ryan. Once they become teenagers it's all downhill."

"My name is Brian, sir."

"Whatever!"

Back on the factory roof, Robin motioned Raven over and she peered over his crouched shoulder at the direct link opened between them, Cyborg and Starfire and Indigo.

"There is an electromagnetic field inside the arena scrambling communication." Indigo reported. "It seems to be originating from a luxury box high above the arena floor. The windows are tinted, so it's impossible to see who or what is inside."

"You can bet the mastermind of the operation is in there." Raven said.

"That seems like a logical conclusion." Indigo agreed.

"Is there any way for us to get inside without being detected?" Starfire asked.

"I don't think so." Indigo shook her blue head. "There are guards everywhere and an energy field is over the door. Odds of gaining entry without being seen are slim at best." Her pink eyes grew thoughtful. "It's possible I could use my technology to wirelessly jack into the computer inside. If I can take over the network, I could disable the door and perhaps give us a better opportunity to infiltrate. It will have to wait, however. The first round begins soon."

"Be careful, Indigo." Cyborg said.

"And check in as soon as you can." Robin added.

"Of course. End transmission."

TTTTTTTTTT

The inside of the old arena was dark, musty and smelled of age. The arena floor was fenced off by a tall steel grating covered with reinforced glass to protect the spectators and contain the super-powered fights soon to come. While the arena seating could have easily held thousands, there were only a few hundred people in attendance. Most of them had the telltale signs – such as priceless jewelry, suits and shoes – of the criminal elite. The bets were lavish and the atmosphere was like that of a high profile boxing match. Even more than the betting, these people had come for the blood thirst; to see violence ordinary men and women could never be capable of.

Everyone in the audience was worth millions; all save for two. The first was Thomas Austin, the man who had met with Marcus Verilli the previous morning. The grizzled ex-cop stuck out like a sore thumb in his cheap, old gray suit. Yet his cool, confident air dissuaded anyone from questioning his presence there. He sat several rows back from the arena floor and, despite the dimness, wore a large pair of amber-colored sunglasses. The second was Holly Walker, the stubborn private eye with her iconic red coat, gold eyeglasses and smoking cancer stick. She stood unobtrusively near the back of the seating level and leaned against a dull metal embrasure to watch her brown-skinned target from afar. Mr. Austin, however, was much craftier than she had guessed. Holly was more than a little surprised when he turned in his seat, looked up and waved for her to join him. Holly grumbled, dropped her cigarette and stomped down to him. She shimmied down the row and brusquely plopped down beside him.

"How long have you known I've been tailing you?" She cut right to the chase.

"I suspect you've been following me since I left the hotel this morning," Mr. Austin said calmly. "But I didn't notice you until after breakfast. You have good technique, but your driving is a little jerky."

"It's a rental car." Holly said sourly. "I'm still getting used to it. I can thank your friend Verilli for trashing my regular ride."

"Ah," Mr. Austin said knowingly. "So it was you at the Verilli Estate yesterday morning. You should be proud that you gave him such a start. Mr. Verilli really hates it when he doesn't feel secure. He was sure his security was perfect."

"It was pretty good." Holly admitted. "But any security is going to have holes in it once you take out a couple guards."

"You killed them?" He sounded only mildly curious.

"No. I Solid Snake'd it."

Mr. Austin looked at her blankly.

"Oh, right. You're old." Holly realized. "I bashed them over the head a few times with the butt of my pistol and dragged them behind some bushes." She explained. "I'm sure they woke up with some lumps and a hell of a headache, but nothing permanent."

"That's actually pretty impressive. Verilli's guard is made up of ex-law enforcement and mercenaries and mafia lieutenants. They aren't your run of the mill rent-a-cops."

"You're way too old for me, pops, so let's stop with the flattery and get down to business, all right? Who are you and what did Verilli hire you to do?"

Mr. Austin laughed and his off-white teeth contrasted with his brown lips. "Oh no, young lady. You can't play the ignorant card with me. You wouldn't be following me if you didn't know anything."

"I don't know anything you can't find out from Google." Holly said. "You're Thomas Austin; former detective retired from the Bludhaven Police Department. Now why would a mayoral candidate meet with a lifelong flatfoot?"

"We're old acquaintances." Mr. Austin answered vaguely.

"And by old acquaintances you mean you made a career out of looking the other way and covering Verilli's tracks while his smuggling business made Bludhaven an even bigger hellhole than it already was. Am I right?"

Mr. Austin looked at her but confessed to nothing. "Why hasn't Verilli killed you yet?" He asked bluntly.

Holly flashed an incandescent grin. "He's tried. Twice. I'm too stubborn to die."

"Just what do you want from him?"

Holly's lips turned into a grim line. "I think he killed my mother." She said it gravely. "I'm gonna make him pay for it."

Mr. Austin leaned in and removed his sunglasses to peer closer at her. He squinted and studied her face for a span of several heartbeats. "...Holly?"

Holly's blue eyes widened, but then she whipped out the pistol hidden beneath her jacket and pressed it uncomfortably into Mr. Austin's ribs. "Verilli told you my name, didn't he?" She demanded scathingly in his ear.

Mr. Austin didn't look too terribly worried. "What are you going to do, Ms. Walker?" He asked. "Murder me in cold blood in front of a hundred witnesses?"

"No one's paying us any attention." Holly told him. "We're as inconspicuous as the eye color of a stripper."

"How inconspicuous will we be when you fire?"

"If that happens, you won't be around to care." Holly pressed the pistol firmer into his side. "I'd be long gone before anyone realized what was going on and I don't think anyone in this crowd would be anxious to talk to the police. Now tell me how you know my name!"

"Verilli didn't tell me." Mr. Austin said calmly, though he winced at the discomfort of the gun barrel. "He just said you were a snooping private eye and left it at that. I met you when you were much younger. You still had bows in your hair. It was ten years ago."

"When Jump City was built around the old town?"

"And when Verilli moved here." Mr. Austin nodded. "I came to warn the commissioner about him, but he was already in Verilli's pocket. I snooped around a bit and your dad was the highest ranking officer – he was just a lieutenant at the time – that wasn't in Verilli's camp so I warned him instead. You happened to be there when I approached him. You were in that awkward stage between being a kid and a teenager; all legs and elbows."

"What do you know about my mother's death?" Holly demanded.

"I don't know anything. I warned your dad and then went back to Bludhaven. My conscious was clear."

"Why warn anyone about Verilli when you worked for him?" Holly wanted to know.

"I didn't choose to work for him." Mr. Austin allowed some regret to show in his voice. "I did it because he made me. I didn't want anyone else to go through what I did. Verilli always gets what he wants, one way or another."

Holly looked at him for a long moment. Then she took away the pistol from his side and returned it under her coat. "That's a bullshit answer." She decided.

"Think what you want." Mr. Austin said coldly. "Any other questions for me, Ms. Walker?"

"Yeah. How the hell did Verilli know I was snooping at his place? There's no way anyone saw me."

Mr. Austin smiled but said nothing. Holly might have said more, but then the spotlights flashed on and upbeat, pulsating music played through the arena speakers. Multiple entrances to the arena floor opened and colorfully costumed teenagers filed into the dust covered fighting grounds. Holly happened to be looking at Mr. Austin when he saw Aquagirl. His eyes flashed with surprise and recognition. Holly blinked and followed his line of sight to see the short-haired girl in the leotard wetsuit.

"Who is she?" Holly asked him, but Mr. Austin just shook his head. He looked at the detective with engaged eyes.

"I'm going to tell you what I told your father." He said seriously. "Don't cross Verilli. No matter how good you think you are, you will lose. Get as far away from him as you can while you still have the opportunity to do so." He stood up and began to maneuver his way down the line of seats. He passed two young women, one shorter than the other, both with wide-brimmed hats and fashionable sunglasses.

"Where are you going?" Holly said. "The fight's about to start!"

"That's not why I'm here. Goodbye, Ms. Walker."

"Then why are you here!" Holly shouted over the increasingly loud crowd. If Mr. Austin heard her, he gave no indication. He hurried up the aisle steps and lost himself in the crowd as they came to their feet in anticipation.

Holly frowned and looked back at Aquagirl. She looked at her speculatively and then fished inside her rust-colored jacket for her digital camera. She zoomed in and focused on Aquagirl's face.

CLICK!

TTTTTTTTTT

Encore and Aquagirl stepped out of the short tunnel and onto the arena floor. The spotlights shining down were bright and Aquagirl shielded her eyes to look around. Encore's eyes were much better protected by the brim of his cowboy hat and the dark round sunglasses he used to mask his face, so he saw their surroundings much more clearly at first. The ground was covered with a thick layer of tallow sand. It was grainy and gritty, nowhere near fine enough to be confused with the sand one might find at the beach. Encore experimentally ran his foot across it and the flat bottom of his boot slid over it much more easily that he would have liked. He immediately foresaw that keeping his feet under him during the fighting would be a challenge. He looked up then and noticed the crowd for the first time, clustered on a balcony section just below a tinted luxury box. It was a small group, perhaps a hundred or so and could nearly be matched in number by the tournament participants. It was lively, however, and they shouted and yelled encouragement at their favorite fighter. Encore suddenly heard a buzzing in his ears but whether it came from the crowd or his nerves or from some other unseen source, he couldn't tell.

Other fighters funneled onto the arena floor through more tunnels. Many of them reacted just as Encore had, looking around carefully and testing their footing. Others took a step further. They reached down, grasped a handful of the sand and tested the consistency of it by letting it filter through their fingers. Some even went so far as to sprinkle it over their weapons and even tasted it. Encore got the feeling that, even though everyone was roughly the same age, that he was very, very green while many others were very, very experienced.

Both he and Aquagirl flinched visibly when the steel doors slammed shut behind them and, one by one, sealed off the other tunnels as well. The dozens and dozens of fighters had all arrived and were in the process of cautiously putting distance between each other and finding just the right position. They began eying each other, picking out who they saw as weak targets and warily watching those that looked poised to attack them. The air was thick with tension and the pulsating, high-energy techno beat that raged out of the arena speakers didn't help to alleviate it. Encore found himself fidgeting and bouncing against his will, unable to restrain the pent up energy and anticipation inside him. For once, he was thankful for the training Slade had put him through.

Aquagirl was much more subdued. Her clear white skin was even paler than usual as she looked around at the other fighters. She realized the awful potential of violence that was about to occur. She didn't have the comfort of Encore's training. Raven had briefly coached her the previous night in the training room of Titans Tower, but it wasn't nearly enough. She felt like she was getting ready for a teeball game while everyone else was warming up for the major leagues. Her hands began to shake. Doubt crept into her soul. She was in over her head here. She didn't belong here. She shouldn't have ever agreed to this. Robin was right. She couldn't do this. She looked over at Encore and found he had been watching the panic rise up inside her. He looked at her solemnly and, in a flash so quick she didn't even have time to see his eye color, he lowered his shades to wink at her. Aquagirl blinked back at him, regained her composure and rolled her eyes at the gesture. Still, something about it made her feel better. At least she had an ally nearby. She knew in all logic that she shouldn't trust this cowboy she had only just met, but the experience out in the arena courtyard when they had connected through her meditation made her feel as if she knew him for much longer.

Aquagirl took in a deep breath and, much calmer this time, took another look around the arena floor. She spotted Beast Boy in his blonde human form on one end and, on the other, the blue-skinned Indigo. She had friends with her and Raven's faith. She could do this. She was ready.

In front of another tunnel was Verilli's personal assassin, the swordsman the criminal underworld knew as the urban legend called Black Eyes. His clothes were loose and dark and his wooden sword was strapped across his back. He stared across the arena floor from behind dark shades at Julia who leaned against the outer wall and trembled. Beside him was a hulking shirtless behemoth with a fuzzy flattop haircut and a physique like a marble statue. Brightly colored bits of thong were tied around his upper arms for no other reason than to accentuate the size of his bulging biceps. The big man looked over Black eyes and quickly summed him up.

"You're too small to be fighting in a tournament like this, don't ya think?" He said. Black Eyes didn't bother to answer and continued to look at Julia. The shirtless fighter followed his gaze. "She's cute, I guess." He grunted. "A little skinny for my tastes, but whatever floats your boat...or in this case, whatever unfurls your sail! Hah!" He smiled goofily.

Black eyes glanced at him in irritation.

"Why the silent treatment, man? Are you mute or something?"

"What do you want?" Black Eyes asked him flatly.

"This place is gonna go crazy once everything starts." The fighter pointed out. "Our odds of advancing would go through the roof if we had someone watching out for us. You know what I mean?"

"Are you suggesting we team up?"

"Rules don't say we can't! You watch my back and I'll watch yours! What do you say?"

Black Eyes smirked at him. "Okay." He agreed. "It's a deal."

"Awesome!" The muscled man rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

The warrior Encore had dubbed as Gladius Girl had silently been making her battle preparations nearby. She sniffed disdainfully and shook her head. "You're a fool." She told the gloating fighter bluntly. He gave her an angry look and then laughed harshly.

"You're just mad 'cause you didn't think of it!" He turned to Black Eyes. "Let's take her out first." He suggested. Even though Black Eyes nodded his agreement, Gladius Girl didn't look the slightest bit worried.

"And now the moment you've all been waiting for!" Roulette's promo'd over the loudspeakers. "Combatants, get ready!"

Encore crouched down, hummed and conjured a fireball in one hand. All across the arena floor there was the sound of unsheathed weapons and whirring tech and the heated whine of superpowers being charged up. Aquagirl awkwardly raised her fists. The music suddenly stopped and the silence was only broken by the slathering spectators. Aquagirl held her breath.

"Fight!"

The music came back with a vengeance and the arena floor became utter chaos as nearly a hundred costumed and superpowered teens attacked each other all at once. There was the steely sound of swords clashing and laser fire and explosions. Black Eyes had the honor of the first elimination. Even as his 'partner' made his move on Gladius Girl, he flashed forward on a cloud of smoke, leaped and cracked the big man across the bridge of the nose with his wooden sword. Blood flew and the big man fell to the ground like a toppled tree. Both Encore and Aquagirl hesitated at the sudden violence.

It was Encore that recovered first and the melee's first explosion came from him. The moment the group melee has begun he had flung his fireball at a random opponent; a tall, bronze-skinned girl in a blue bandanna and red braids. She saw it coming and, in an instant, every inch of her skin changed to shiny steel. She backhanded the fireball away and the projectile arced and inadvertently exploded into the back of another fighter. Stainless' metal hand melted and elongated into a thin, pointed sai and she charged Encore, her steel feet spraying up clops of sand. Encore waited for her and conjured another fireball. He jumped back to dodge her swipe and flung it full in her face. The shock of the resulting explosion knocked him back, but Stainless was unaffected. She stomped through the flames and swiped at him again.

Aquagirl looked around, trying to make some sense of the brawl around her. She watched as Encore dodged and fended off the metal girl and then turned to see a clown girl flipping agilely through the general melee and, upside down, tossing out water balloons somehow filled with sizzling acid. The dazzling harlequin continued her acrobatic performance until Indigo caught one of the balloons, used the alien nanotech that made up her body to transform it into a solid iron ball and threw it into the painted girl's gut, knocking her out of the air and into the dirt. Across the way she spotted Beast Boy in the form of a giant white polar bear as he slashed a deep gash into Adonis' red chest armor. Then he stood up on his hind legs to grapple with the teen in the big mechanical suit. A figure in a white hooded cloak leaped impossibly high over the battle to engage a girl in a purple hood. They exchanged a few blows and the girl in purple kicked away only to be replaced by Red-X. They traded blows as well, but no one could get in a clean shot. They shoved away from each other and he and the white-cloaked figure separated.

Aquagirl might have seen more, but at that moment a fighter leaped on her back. Despite the suddenness of the attack, she surprisingly didn't stumble a bit. She reached over her shoulders, plucked the attacker off with her extraordinary strength and threw him away from her. The impact as he hit the ground created two Billy Numerous' and they rolled to their feet together to face off against Aquagirl.

"You might look like a princess, but you're no southern belle!" One of them shouted.

"Darn tootin'!" The other agreed and fingered the rip she had made when she grasped his costume. "Don't you know you ain't supposed to mess with a man's threads?"

They ran at her together and Aquagirl was shocked at how easy it was to reach out with both hands, stop them cold and throw thing away again. This time, however, there were four Billy Numerous' facing her when they got back up. She saw that the situation could quickly get out of hand and back stepped hesitantly as the four Billys stalked her, unsure of what to do.

Elsewhere in the battle royale, Red-X and his partner Spoiler had separated from the white-hooded figure and were methodically cutting a swath through the competition. Spoiler would attack a fighter, wearing them down and stripping down their defenses with her nimbleness and flexible fighting art. Then, at the most opportune moment, Red-X would drop in for the finishing blow.

Wynter the ice elemental had a very simple plan when he was confronted by the red and white clothed archer supreme known as Arrowette: He ran. He weaved in and out of the general melee while Arrowette trotted after him and shot volley after volley of flat-tipped concussive arrows after him. He ran through the empty space between Mammoth and the scaly-skinned Dracon just before they collided head-on like a pair of transfer trucks. Arrowette leaped, vaulted off their shoulders, flipped and shot more arrows down at the peak of her jump. Now that she was above the fighting, it was her first good look at her target. Wynter skidded to a stop in the grit, pivoted and summoned up a narrow ice wall. The arrows st-st-stuck into the shield and held fast.

"Hehehehe!" Wynter cackled with giddy nervousness. "I stopped'em cold!"

Arrowette landed several yards in front of him. She notched another arrow and began to advance on him, but then something made her look over her shoulder. She dropped down a split second later. Wynter looked over her and saw Kitten wielding a laser rifle so large it defied logic that her petite frame could even support it. He also saw that the long barrel was pointed right at him. His pupils dilated into tiny pixels and he shivered. Then he raised a finger and opened his mouth to-

ZAP!

The red laser shot burned through Wynter's ice shield like it was made of mist and passed beneath his recently raised arm. Wynter gulped heavily. He stared at the half-melting hole the laser shot had left behind and decided his first course of action had been for the best. He took two running steps to gain momentum, held out his now smoky white palms and hopped onto a lane of ice. He slid along it faster and faster as it rose and dipped and banked back and forth like a frosty roller coaster track. Arrowette followed after him, sliding along the ice on her knee-high boots. Kitten, not to be outdone, clicked the heels of her tennis shoes together. Wheels popped out from the soles and rocket propulsors fired up beneath her heels. Arrows, laser shots and ice blasts filled the air.

One fighter was causing more havoc than the rest. It was Geo-Force, a narrow figure in bulky black and yellow armor and a visor'd helmet. He was an absolute terror on the battlefield. Those fighters not smart enough to get out of his way were quickly eliminated. He gestured upward with his skinny arms and two rock pillars erupted from the ground. Geo-Force thrust his hands outwards and the pillars arced like twin streamers and slammed two competitors into the arena floor. The attack resulted in a cloud of dust and, when it settled, Gladius Girl was standing between the two downed fighters.

Geo-Force gestured again and another rock pillar lashed out. Gladius Girl contemptuously back handed it away with her wrist buckler. The pillar's trajectory was changed and it crashed harmlessly into the ground several meters behind her. Geo-Force did a double-take, took in the situation and attacked with both hands this time. The rock pillar he summoned was bigger and denser than the previous he had used and was as thick as a tree trunk. Blocking would be out of the question.

Instead, Gladius Girl leaped on top of it and stomped down its length. Geo-Force saw the approaching danger and launched a dozen three foot long rock lances. Gladius Girl didn't slow down and drew the short sword – her gladius – from the scabbard at her hip. She ran and pivoted and spun and ducked and bound along the pillar even as she slashslashslashed the pointed projectiles into rubble. She knocked away the last lance with her wrist buckler, twirled around to gain momentum and flung it like a discus. The spinning buckler glanced off Geo-Force's helmet and sent him stumbling. The leather strap that connected the buckler to Gladius Girl's wrist grew taut and the shield retracted and snapped back into place. She reached the end of the rock pillar. Geo-Force recovered from her attack and produced a stone sledgehammer just in time to block her vicious sword strike.

Elsewhere on the arena floor was Veil and Julia. They were invisible to the naked eye thanks to Veil's metahuman powers and huddled together next to the outer wall to watch the violence around them. Spark the pyrokinetic fired multicolored energy from her hands up at Punk Rocket as he swooped around above her atop his supersonic electric guitar. Spark's frustration grew larger and larger with each subsequent miss. She grit her teeth and brought her fingertips together. Energy bloomed in the empty space between her hands. It swirled and rotated and expanded into a glowing, glimmering ball. She drew it back over her head, her body arced like a drawn bow, and threw it with an angry shout. Punk Rocket gasped at the speed and size of it, but then he regathered his wits. He swung his guitar and batted the pulsating energy ball down.

The ball bounced and rolled to a stop just a few feet from where Veil and Julia were cloaked. The energy ball flashed. It went from red to blue to pink to yellow to green and every neon color in between. The two girls watched it for a moment before they realized the danger. It flashed faster and changed from -

BOOM!

Veil had shoved Julia to one side, but the two of them were still caught in the blast. They reappeared on the visual spectrum. Veil was ragdolled one way while Julia bounced and rolled through the dirt the opposite way. Both Black Eyes and Beast Boy saw the explosion and saw Julia fall. Black Eyes was closer and he sped towards her, trailing murk. Beast Boy saw the dark swordsman heading for her and could only think the worst. He tail-whipped Adonis away as a tyrannosaurus and reverted to his human form with an outstretched hand.

"No!" Wavering green danced across his fleshy white face like honey in a glass. He ran for her, but then Indigo was suddenly in the way. Beast Boy tried to run around her, but she sidestepped to block his way. "Indigo! What are you doing?"

"Your skin," Indigo pointed out. "It's original pigmentation is returning."

"It's original what-" Beast Boy look down at his hands and saw the splotches of green undulating there. Then he shook his head. "I'll deal with it later! Julia's in trouble!" He attempted to run by her again, but Indigo grasped him by the scruff of his neck and threw him back into the dirt.

"Indigo!" Beast Boy raged. "What are you doing!"

"You're risking the integrity of our operation." Indigo explained with infuriating calmness. "You have to be eliminated before anyone catches on."

Beast Boy looked over her shoulder. Black Eyes had almost reached Julia. A deep, horrible growl formed in his throat. "Ooooooooooooooooooout of my way!" A black-furred werewolf with streaky green spots that looked somehow diseased swiped at her with long, dull claws. Indigo nimbly leaped over it, scampered along his broad shoulders and flipped off him to avoid the next swipe. Indigo landed in a crouch, grabbed a double handful of dirt and tossed them into the werewolf's face. The werewolf was blinded. It stumbled back, shaking its canine head and trying to clear his eyes with clawed hands woefully inadequate for the job. Indigo ran forward and launched herself into a flying side kick. The werewolf somehow sensed the attack and grabbed her by the ankle. He held her upside down before spinning and slamming her with unbelievable force into the arena barrier.

With that obstacle out of the way, the werewolf turned his attention back to Julia and Black Eyes. He bound across the arena with frightening speed, backhanding anyone that got in his way. Black Eyes saw him coming. He planted himself firmly between the slavering creature and Julia, holding up his wooden sword at eye level. Two murking, smoky fingertips slid along the sword and the once dull edge suddenly became razor sharp. Black Eyes charged forward and jumped into the werewolf's face. The werewolf bit at him, but Black Eyes turned to murk and reappeared behind him. He vaulted off his shoulders, somersaulted and landed in a slide. The werewolf turned on him and bit again. Black Eyes dodged and then blocked the creature's claws with his sword. He pivoted beneath its guard and slashed shallowly across his chest. The werewolf howled in pain and fury and smashed Black Eyes to the ground with a heavy overhead blow.

Indigo began to stir over by the outer wall. The wounds her robot body had sustained sparked and then closed as the nanotech that comprised her repaired them. She pushed herself up to her feet and as she did so her hand grasped a steel piece that had broken off from the impact in which she had been thrown into the arena barricade. Her pink eyes narrowed in concentration and her alien nanotech went to work again. The steel liquified. It floated formlessly in the air. Then it molded into shape and solidified. There was a bright flash and Indigo was holding a laser pistol.

Closer to the center of the arena floor, the werewolf that was Beast Boy had knocked away Black Eyes and turned to face Julia. He stalked her, his neck twisting animalistically and the green rolling across his dark fur like tall grass in the wind. Julia cowered before him, her blue eyes lost in his white on black orbs. The werewolf reached down with his clawed hand and picked her up, his long furry fingers easily wrapping around her middle. Julia screamed.

ZAP!

The laser shot hit the werewolf high on the shoulder and the rancid smell of burnt hair filled the air. The werewolf howled in pain and jerked its head around to stare balefully at Indigo. It negligently – but with surprising gentleness – lowered Julia to the ground. Then it snarled and made a mad dash at Indigo on all fours. Indigo fire shot after shot at it, but the werewolf was much too fast and agile to be hit. Just before it reached Indigo, Black Eyes exploded upwards into its face from out of nowhere on a cloud of murk. He kickickkicked, alternating between his left and right leg to drive the creature back. In a crowning effort, Black Eyes jabbed both of his feet into the werewolf's face. He vaulted away with the attack, back flipped and slid to a stop beside Indigo. The two of them exchanged a look and then stood together to face Beast Boy's ultimate form.

The werewolf snarled and rushed them. Indigo took several more shots at him with her laser pistol, most of them hitting their mark. The werewolf made a mad dash at her and attempted to snatch her up in its claws, but Indigo danced out of its reach. It tried to follow, but then Black Eyes was there. He smacked the creature directly in the teeth, jerking its head back. Indigo darted back in as it shambled back with a howl of pain. She used her transmutation powers again to change the laser pistol she was holding into a small zenothium bomb and stuck it on the werewolf's furry chest. The beast clawed at her, but she was already at a safe range. The werewolf looked down at the bomb on his chest and, for the briefest of moments, there was a glimmer of human intelligence and emotion in its white on black eyes.

BOOM!

The blast shook the entire arena floor and sent dirt and grit flying in every direction. When the air cleared Beast Boy lay smoking and unconscious in his human form, lying motionless in the scooped out crater.

Aquagirl continued her contest with Billy Numerous and thus far it was a stalemate. Aquagirl fended off his attacks, but it was like trying to turn back the tide. For every Billy she knocked away two more would take his place. Each individual Billy was weak compared to her super-strength, but the sheer number of them threatened to overwhelm her. One Billy Numerous was nothing to worry about. Fifty of them, on the other hand, was an altogether different matter.

Encore wasn't faring much better. Stainless' metal skin seemed impervious to all of his attacks. Fire was ineffectual. Wind slowed her down, but her dense weight kept her feet on the ground. Because he couldn't control it, Encore didn't bother to try out his power to produce water. That only left-

SL-SLASH!

Stainless didn't give him a chance to try his last power. Encore leaned back to avoid Stainless' bladed hands. He took the lasso from his belt, looped the lariat around her wrists and pulled it tight. Then Encore did perhaps the stupidest thing he had ever done: He punched Stainless in her metal face. There was the muted smack of flesh hitting steel and Encore immediately withdrew his hand. His howl of pain was rudely interrupted by a front kick to the chest.

Aquagirl saw Encore go down and Stainless pounce on top of him. Her metal hands changed into round, top-heavy maces and she lifted them over her head to deliver the finishing blow. Aquagirl forced her way out of the ring of Billys with a shout, knocking several of them back.

"H-hey!"

"Watch it, girl!"

"I'm self-replicating here!"

Aquagirl ignored the plaintive southern cries and ran through the arena grit. She connected with a colossal uppercut to Stainless' steel chin even as her hand-mace descended down on Encore. Stainless was sent sailing across the arena as if she had been shot from a cannon. Aquagirl reached down and pulled Encore to his feet.

"Thanks," Encore said to her gratefully.

Aquagirl eyed the fifty or more Billy Numerous' that had formed a ring around them. "Thank me once we get out of this." She said tightly.

Encore stood back to back with Aquagirl and took in the situation. "Any ideas?" He asked.

"Not yet." Aquagirl said tersely. "If only I had some water, maybe I could-"

"Water?" Encore echoed her.

"The name's Aquagirl, remember?"

"I can get you water." Encore said confidently. "You just gotta keep'em off me. How much do you need?"

"As much as possible." Aquagirl said. "But how are you gonna-"

But the poncho'd cowboy was already humming and holding up his hands. Two of the Billys, seeing him vulnerable, leaped to attack. Even as Aquagirl knocked them back, she recognized the melody Encore hummed as the same one he had taught her earlier to use in her meditation. Above them a glob of water that could have filled a dozen or more bathtubs materialized Unlike fire, wind and electricity, water was too heavy for the nanotech grafted to Encore's nervous system to control. The nanoscopic technology could gather the oxygen and hydrogen atoms out of the air and combine them, but the element the particles formed became too big for the nanotech to handle. All that water came crashing down until Aquagirl held up her palms and caught it in her aquakinesis. The Billy Numerous' surrounding them suddenly looked less confident as Aquagirl stood there with hundreds of pounds of water under her control. They gulped simultaneously.

Aquagirl smirked.

SP-SP-SP-SPLASH!

The Billys flinched as water streamed out in all directions and then tentatively reopening their eyes when they realized they remained dry. The water jets had gone past them and had formed into a high curved wall behind them.

Aquagirl latched onto Encore's side and held him tightly around his waist. "Fly!" She told him.

Fear immediately washed over Encore and his chest tightened. His phobia of heights locked him in place.

Aquagirl glanced at the Billy's around them. The situation was sinking in for them as they experimentally pushed at the super dense water barrier that trapped them. It would only be a matter of time before they accepted their fate and performed the only option left to them: Attack.

"You can be afraid later." Aquagirl said and rattled her new cowboy friend perhaps a bit more than she intended to thanks to her superhuman strength. "Do it!"

But Encore was still hedging from the idea despite the fact the battalion of Billy Numerous' had begun to advance on them. "How did you know that I-"

"I'll explain later!" Aquagirl cut him off. "I'm not going to let you fall! I promise!"

Encore looked searchingly into her dark yes. He found sincerity there and decided to trust her. He took in a shaky breath and sang in a tight voice.

"Like a feather flying high up in the sky on a windy day I get carried away!"

The Billy lunged at them, but it was already too late. Whipping wind had lifted Encore and Aqualgirl up into the air and supported them twenty yards above the arena floor. Aquagirl could feel him trembling in his arms and saw his eyes were nearly squeezed shut beneath his shades when she looked up into his face. Aquagirl was stabbed with a sharp burst of compassion, but then she shook it off. There were more important thing to deal with at the moment. She looked down and narrowed her eyes in concentration. The water barrier rushed inward like a crashing wave to sweep up the trapped Billys. The water congealed into a sloshing pool in which the red spandexed villain and his doppelgangers couldn't escape.

As soon as Encore saw them taken care of, he quickly had the wind take he and Aquagirl back down. Encore touched down, wobbled and fell to his hands and knees. He gasped in air and Aquagirl realized he had been holding his breath.

"Sorry," she said. ""I didn't realize you were that sca-"

"I'll live." Encore waved off her concern brusquely. He looked up at the Billys gurgling in the floating pool. "Are you connected to that?"

"No," Aquagirl shook her head. "Why do you-"

Encore stood up and hummed. Electricity arced from his hand to the water, instantly zapping the Billys stuck within into unconsciousness. Aquagirl called the water back to her and the Billys dropped limply to the gritty ground.

Aquagirl turned back to the general melee. She walked through the fighting, the water under her control now orbiting her in compact globes. A clawed and masked Chesire leaped at her, but she was met with one of the orbs and exploded into her chest with a fleshly splat. Aquagirl continued on, flinging the water orbs into anyone that approached her. Without realizing it, she came closer to closer where Julia still cowered near the outer wall. Black Eyes had resolutely stood over her attacking anyone who drew too close. Now it was Aquagirl's turn.

Black Eyes gripped his sword and rushed at her unsuspecting back on a fountain of black murk, but Encore had seen him coming. The poncho'd cowboy plowed bodily into his side and the two of them rolled and grappled across the dirt. Black Eyes ended up on top, but Encore managed to get his feet under him and kick him off. Black Eyes back flipped and landed in a slide, holding up his sword while Encore drew his knees up past his ears and nipped up in one fluid motion. The stood ten yards apart, each of the shaded fighters waiting for the other to make the first move. Black Eyes gripped his sword while Encore conjured up a whip of crackling blue electricity. Their bodies tensed as they prepared to attack. Encore squinted. Black Eyes smirked.

And then a third fighter known as Dragonfly was suddenly there, sporting a light-weight mech suit and supersonic wings. Dragonfly swooped down and drop kicked Black Eye's unprepared side. The winged fight vaulted over, flipped, dodged Encore's startled attempt to attack with his whip and clubbed him in the side. Black Eyes recovered first and streaked darkly at Dragonfly, hacking and slashing with his sword. Dragonfly dodged and blocked with his armored gauntlets and maneuvered expertly with his blurring wings. The fighter had forgotten about Encore, though. Encore's electric whip wrapped around Dragonfly's ankle. Dragonfly was yanked out of the air and slammed down hard to the arena floor. The fighter groggily stood up and tried to shake out the cobwebs when Black Eyes murked by him and slashed the energy pack that powered the supersonic wings. The pack sparked and whined and sparked and the slash – like an open wound – gushed out unstable gold energy. Dragonfly ripped off the pack and flung it at Encore and Black Eyes. They glanced at each other, then at the glowing, pulsating energy pack and then ran in different directions. Black Eyes picked up Julia and blurred smokily away.

BOOM!

The pack exploded and Encore was sent rolling from the concussion. He rolled head over heels along the ground before coming to a stop on his rear. He blinked dizzily and tried to reorient himself.

"Too easy." The early gloating and the slight glimmer of his cloaking device gave him away. Encore raised his arm without thought to block the sharp, short kick aimed at his temple that would have surely been a knockout blow. The air flickered as the cloaking device gave way and Red-X appeared, his foot still outstretched. Encore raised his free hand palm out and hummed a quick tune before Red-X could react. A funnel of gale-force wind rushed out and lifted Red-X up into the air. His short cape flapped wildly and he spun haplessly inside the mini tornado. His signature x-blades popped out of the compartments on his wrists and twirled. Red-X held them at his sides, using the makeshift propellers to balance himself in the whipping wind. Then he put them at his hips to propel himself down towards Encore. Encore – who had already regained his feet – pointed with his other hand. A streak of blue electricity arced out, struck Red-X's right wrist and then jumped to his left. The motors inside sparked and shorted out and he was stuck helpless in the funnel once again.

WHAM!

Spoiler came out of nowhere, hand vaulted just in from of Encore and drove both flat-booted feet into his chest. Encore stumbled, fell and rolled to his feet, but his concentration was already broken. The funnel of wind he had conjured disappeared and Red-X landed nimbly beside his partner in crime with his cape draped dramatically over one shoulder.

"This one is actually pretty good." He admitted, though Encore could hear the smirk in his electronic voice. "This is going to be fun, baby."

"I look forward to it." Spoiler replied with an oddly demure confidence. Her voice sounded younger and more innocent than Encore would have expected.

Encore took a step back to brace himself and clenched his fists at his sides. "Two against one ain't really fair, is it?" He asked them.

"No one ever got anywhere in life by playing it fair." Red-X told him. Then he paused and looked over at his accomplice. "It might be fun to watch for a while, though. Take him, Spoiler."

Spoiler rushed him with a blurring flurry of kicks and punches. The strikes were quick and left Encore no other choice than to dodge and block and back step away from the onslaught. Even as he defended himself from Spoiler, Encore saw black flashes in his peripheral vision. He knew it was Red-X flitting around the edge of the battle and waiting for the perfect opportunity to land a finishing blow. Encore's head snapped back as Spoiler hit him high on the forehead with an upward palm strike. Encore blocked the next one only to be kicked in the chin with her purple boots. Spoiler's attacks didn't have much impact but they were swift and precise. She landed several more blows and each one felt like a lash from a whip. Each time Encore attempted to counterattack Spoiler would nimbly dodge and use the opening to land two or even three more attacks before he could recover.

And then Spoiler overextended herself. She threw a punch just a bit harder and her fist went no more than an inch further than it should have, but it was enough for Encore. Slade may have betrayed him, but he had trained him well beforehand. Encore ducked the strike and his hands flashed up to grasp her petite wrist. He pulled her in and wrapped his other hand around her throat. Spoiler choked and jabbed the back of her tricep into the joint of Encore's elbow. His grip was nearly broken, but he was too strong. He spun her around – forcing her back into his chest – and changed the hold into a rear throat lock. Spoiler struggled, stomped the flat heel of her boot onto Encore's toes and flipped him over using her hip as a fulcrum. Encore hit the dirt and immediately reached out and grabbed Spoiler's ankle. When bent over to dislodge his grip she was met with a pair of cowboy boots. Spoiler staggered back and gave time for Encore to get his feet back under him. He charged at her and swung a fire-covered fist with all of his might. Just before the point of contact, however, Spoiler disappeared with a wavy effect not unlike rising hot air.

Spoiler reappeared beside Red-X. "He's good." She said, sounding slightly winded.

"I see that." Red-X agreed. He looked at Encore. "It's time to teach you a lesson, kid: Nothing's fair!"

Then, without any warning whatsoever, Red-X and Spoiler rushed at him at the exact same time. Encore managed to block Red-X's leaping punch only for Spoiler's knee to bury itself in his middle. He shoved Spoiler away, but that gave Red-X ample time to kick him painfully in the thigh. Encore half-limped and half-hopped away, trying to get the tiniest bit of breathing room but Red-X and Spoiler followed him relentlessly. Encore flung an electric bolt at Red-X and a column of fire at Spoiler. Red-X disappeared with a static flicker and the bolt harmlessly hit and threw up dirt where he had been a split second before. Spoiler wrapped her purple cloak around herself with a flourish to protect herself from the heat and then vanished using the same technology. Encore was suddenly alone with streaky, heated clouds of dust wafting up around him.

Encore exhaled.

"Hah!"

"Hah!"

Red-X and Spoiler reappeared at once and, in a perfect mirroring of each other, struck him violently with a flying kick. Encore went down hard and tasted blood in his mouth. He blinked back dark spots before his eyes and incoherently realized that Spoiler was left-handed. He looked up bleary-eyed at Red-X and Spoiler. He was suddenly dreadfully homesick and wondered just how he had found himself hundreds of miles from home and fighting in a tournament he didn't understand.

"No hard feelings." Red-X said. "It's just business. We're out to get ours just like you were trying to get yours. Tough break, man. Better luck next time." He drew back his foot to kick him into oblivion.

Encore tensed himself for the final blow. The buzzing in his ears was suddenly deafening. Instead of the cool darkness he was expecting, Encore's vision was suddenly filled with white. A fighter in an ivory hooded cloak – the same fighter Encore had spoken to briefly before the tournament had begun – interjected herself between Encore and the duo of Red-X and Spoiler. She spun with a graceful roundhouse kick, causing Red-X and Spoiler to leap back to avoid it. Still facing the two of them, she reached back without looking to offer her gloved hand to Encore. Encore blinked up in bewilderment. He licked his lips and grasped the outstretched hand and he was pulled firmly up to his feet.

"Now it's fair." A voice said softly from beneath the white hood.

Both Red-X and Spoiler went after her. The girl in the white hood planted her feet, braced herself and Spoiler's attack bounced off her blocking crossed forearms. Encore protected her left side. He snatched Red-X out of the air during his flying kick. He locked his ankle beneath his armpit and locked his fingers beneath his knee. He spun twice to gain momentum and them slung him away with all his might. Red-X regained his center of gravity in midair, righted himself and landed in a crouching slide. Encore and White Hood stood back to back as Red-X and Spoiler charged them from opposite sides. They jumped over simultaneous leg sweeps and were spun into each other by synchronized heel kicks. There was the whapwhapwhap of flesh smacking flesh as Encore reached around White Hood to block Spoiler's attacks to her back as White Hood did the same to stave off Red-X. Both of them connected with open palms to the chest, forcing them back.

"They work together!" Red-X growled electronically.

Encore realized he was right. What just happened had been impossible. There was no way he could fight alongside a stranger with such seamless chemistry. In fact, there was only one person in the world he could fight together with so well. Encore realized how close he was to her. He looked under her hood, but a filmy veil hid her face.

"Kelly?" He whispered. She had no time to answer, however, because Red-X and Spoiler advanced on them again.

What happened next was a whirling dance of concentrated grace and violence. Red-X and Spoiler fought as if they were two puppets controlled by a single puppeteer. Encore and White Hood were no less connected. They fought side by side as extensions of the same person.

Red-X performed a spinning leg sweep and both White Hood and Encore were forced to jump over it. Spoiler went high, her legs split to kick both of them. Encore caught her left foot and White Hood caught her right. They shoved together and Spoiler backflipped and landed behind Red-X who was already gliding in again. He flickered just as he reached them and reappeared behind them. White Hood turned and blocked his kick while Encore protected her back from Spoiler. Red-X and Spoiler attacked relentlessly, forcing them to fight back to back and giving them no room to move. And then Encore reached back and locked elbows with White Hood. White Hood used him as a base to double-kick Red-X away. Then Encore bent forward sharply, becoming a fulcrum for White Hood to roll backwards over him and slam her feet into Spoiler, too. Encore stomped forward and jumped to smash down at Red-X, but he was too slow. Red-X bounded beneath him and nimbly vaulted over White Hood to land beside Spoiler.

"This is serious." He said, holding his chest where White Hood had kicked him. "Maybe you should-"

"Already ahead of you." Spoiler told him. She reached beneath her dark purple cloak and brought out a gleaming, perfectly round chakram. She looked at Encore and White Hood and negligently sliced the air with the weapon as if somehow getting a feel for its weight. "I was hoping to keep this baby as a secret wild card for the one-on-one part of the tournament. But oh well!" She slung the steel weapon at them like a frisbee.

Encore and White Hood ducked and the weapon sliced through the air above them. Across the arena near the barricaded outer wall, Black Eyes stood between a helpless Julia and a hulking Adonis. The swordsman held his ground and raised his weapon. Adonis smirked, laced his metal gauntlet fingers above his head and prepared to smash down at them both.

CLANK!

Spoiler's chakram flew into his helmet and sent him sprawling. Then the weapon did a u-turn and Spoiler snatched it out of the air. She grasped it with both hands and there was an audible click. The chakram came apart to become two half-circle blades. Encore wasn't prepared to dodge her slash at him, but White Hood was. She grabbed him by the nape of his poncho and jerked him back out of range. He recovered to block her next wide-arcing slash by kicking away her wrist with his boot, but he had nowhere to go when she jabbed straight on with the crescent hand-blade. He clenched his eyes shut and prepared to be skewered.

SKRKKCKKT!

White Hood punched over Encore's shoulder. A reinforced knuckle – Encore had no idea when she had slipped it on – covered her gloved hand and metal met metal in a shower of sparks. Spoiler jabbed with the other crescent hand-blade. White Hood punched over Encore's other shoulder and again sparks flew. Encore found himself in a strange hug between the two. He realized just how vulnerable Spoiler was with her arms occupied and smirked. Spoiler saw the same thing and tried to kick at him, but Encore blocked with a raised knee and uppercutted her with one combined fist. Spoiler ragdolled back in a twirl. Even as she fell back, Red-X dashed beneath her. She dropped the hand-blades and Red-X caught them without slowing down. White Hood's arms were still outstretched above Encore's shoulder's. The cowboy reached up and wormed his hands into her metal knuckles in one swift motion and he and Red-X came together.

SK-SK-SK-SK-SKRCKT!

Encore and Red-X exchanged a flurry of blows and counter blows, sparks marking the places where blade met knuckle. Spoiler ran back in, her purple cloak flowing behind her. She hand-vaulted with a single hand off Red-X's shoulder and reached down with the other to take one of her hand-blades from him. She sailed over Encore's head to slice down at a weaponless White Hood. Encore raised his hand and blasted her with wind at the height of her jump, sending her sky high. Behind him, White Hood jumped impossibly high to leap up and engage her. Encore blindly threw his left knuckle over his head to her as she went up. White Hood and Spoiler came together in the air and exchanged strikes and counterstrikes. They reached the peak of their lift and, like top-heavy missiles, came back down towards the ground headfirst, still fighting.

Red-X kicked, spun and kicked again. Encore ducked the first and caught the second in the chin. He stumbled to the side while Red-X flickered into invisibility and reappeared in a punch to send him the other way. Encore blocked a flipping double kick with a crossing guard and pushed Red-X away from him. He held up one palm to fire off another wind blast to prevent White Hood and Spoiler from crashing into the ground and putting them airborne again.

The two female warriors looked like they were fighting mirror images of each other. Both were cloaked and hooded and white cloth danced and caressed purple as they fought, almost as elegantly and graceful as their fighting techniques. White Hood had the advantage of strength while Spoiler bested her in speed. At least as far as their weightless competition went, the two of them were evenly matched. They came down again, rushing headfirst at the arena floor. Encore held a palm to wind blast them up yet again, but Red-X tackled him in a flash of black. The two of them tumbled away, but a blinking red and black bomb was dropped in their wake. Spoiler and White Hood fell over it just as it beeped...beeped...beepbeepbeeped and-

BOOOM!

The zenothium bomb exploded and the concussion of the blast stopped their downward descent and tossed them in different directions. Red-X kick-vaulted off of Encore's chest just in time to land in sync beside Spoiler. White Hood landed behind Encore and caught him in her strong arms. Encore looked at her gratefully, found his balance and stood beside her to face off with their opponents.

"Finish it!" Red-X said sharply and handed his hand-blade to Spoiler. Spoiler took it and reattached it with hers to make the chakram complete again. She held it in one hand and grabbed Red-X's with the other. She jumped and Red-X whipped her around in a blurring circle. Spoiler used the extra momentum to fling the chakram even faster. Her aim, however, hadn't been true. Instead of whizzing at White Hood or Encore, it aimed for the empty space directly between them. But then, no more then ten yards before it reached them, the chakram clicked apart into the two crescent hand-blades and arced at both of them. They ducked with no time to spare and the two blades curved, caught air and turned back to blaze serratedly at them again. Encore moved to run, but White Hood stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Wait!" She told him.

The blades turned back and descended at them in perfect symmetry. Encore fidgeted, but White Hood showed no anxiousness. The blades came closer and closer. Encore found he was holding his breath.

"Now!" White Hood dove into Encore, sending them to the ground at the last possible second. The blades clanked together above them, revolved around each other and then stabbed into the arena floor on either side of them, reverberating and glinting back the roof lights.

And then a horn blared out through the indoor arena, stopped and blared again. Roulette's voice funneled through the numerous speakers of the buildings. "Cease fighting! The round has ended!" She paused to let the horn blare again. Across the arena fighting slowed and then – punctuated by one or two more explosions – finally stopped. "Congratulations! All who are still able to fight have advanced to the second round!"

Encore breathed a sigh of relief. He lay on his back in the arena grit with White Hood straddling him. There was something comforting and familiar about the warm body next to his. Encore's hat had shifted back during the fall and his shades were high on his head, revealing his face and eyes. He looked up into the veil that covered White Hood's face. He leaned his face up to hers, trying to look through it. Even so, he felt like he didn't have to.

"It's you, isn't it?" He whispered to her. He reached up and pulled back the veil-

-And looked up into an alabaster face with soft silver eyes.

"Amber!" Encore gasped. White Hood shoved him back down hard enough to make him see stars. When he regained his bearings, White Hood was already gone.

Encore's hands shook uncontrollably and tears sprang unbidden to his eyes.

"...Amber..."