--- Part 2: The Law of the Jungle ---
Once inside, the doors closed leaving them in darkness for a few seconds before the lights came back on.
"Do we fight now?" Enquired ActionJackson.
Ash sighed and he was pretty sure that Meow did the same. Newbies, it took him back to his first match... it seemed like so long ago. He had been so nervous that he had almost thrown-up. ActionJackson expression indicated that he was unlikely to embarrass himself like that.
It wasn't even like he had been some fresh faced rookie at the time, he was a veteran of the campaigns on Ragol's surface. Part of a select few called up by the government to investigate a mystery where the military had failed, he would have faced the mighty Falz himself had he not been involved in the incident...
The thought of dwelling on such an unpleasant event made his entire body shudder and he cast it from his mind hoping not to show weakness to those that might exploit it. But as he looked around he realised that the others had already stepped through the teleporter. Switching to a Partisan of Lightning, he stepped into the soft green light and vanished.
A brief sensation of nausea and he arrived. The flashing lights from the ceiling and numerous sounds of mechanical systems operating in the distance informed him that this was the 'spaceship' level. It was not one of his favourites, the warm glow of the sun of the 'temple' area always felt better to battle under, instead of the harsh lights they laboured under now. He gripped the handle of the double bladed weapon, its blades fading into view and he readied himself. The door to his starting room would not unlock until everyone was ready.
He briefly closed his eyes and imagined what might be taking place outside the Arena, where the audience would wait and in hushed tones whisper Ash's name onto victory. Not just them of course, the show was broadcast primetime throughout Pioneer 2 and the fleet of ships that accompanied it in orbit around Ragol.
His eyes opened once more, jolted back to life by the disembodied voice counting down from five, the round was about to begin! He gripped the handle more tightly and when the doors opened he sprang forth. He raced up the narrow corridor into the network of interconnected rooms that made up the actual fighting area.
He crouched against an adjacent wall and listened for footsteps that would indicate an approaching adversary. He looked down at the weapon in his hand and cursing himself for a fool, deactivated the photon blades. The cost in powerup time would more than be offset by the advantage gained by not glowing like a neon sign saying "Hunter hiding here, please attack me!"
After a few moments of listening and sure that he was alone, he cautiously ran over to the far exit, head kept low to minimise his profile. This next room was filled with a series of short walls, forming an impromptu maze. He paused in the doorway and listed once more. Hearing nothing, he dashed into the centre of the room to wait for a target. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the body of Meow lying face down.
He frowned, he had not heard the announcer call out that someone had been defeated. He quickly realised that she must be faking. He activated his weapon and edged around to she what weapon she was holding in her hands. When he caught sight of her face he saw her expression, "She's a pretty good actress." He thought. He hesitated in his advance when he glimpsed what was pooled beside her mouth... Blood!
Now he was confused, had she been defeated or not? A prod with the end of his weapon yielded no response, so he moved closer.
"Are you alright?" He asked, and then immediately felt foolish for doing so.
He knelt beside the fallen HUnewearl and gingerly touched her. Despite a thin wound across her lower back she was still warm, it wasn't a hologram, so why was there blood? The VR room prevented actual damage from being dealt to those inside, and when someone was defeated a photonic body was put in the place of the removed combatant as a marker along with 'wounds' to indicate what had happened. Those removed from battle had to sit in the waiting room till the round was over.
He held her shoulder and carefully turned her over. He was shocked to see that her legs had remained in place... she had been cut in half! He stood up as a wave of nausea hit him, he covered his mouth and turned away, not wishing to see this horrible sight.
Loud and clear a metallic voice carried over to him from some unseen place.
"We meet again!"
His legs went weak at the sound of that voice, so familiar yet mocking him with the impossibility of its existence. It couldn't be!
"Who are you?" He yelled.