"Who was that guy?"

Sara looked at the speaker, shaking her head to remove the thought of Jason. "Just some guy I knew from before."

The girl's head was poking out of the SRM tube of the Warhammer. She was incredibly skinny, almost to the point where it seemed dangerous. But it was natural, permanent, the doctors had said. Her growth was stunted, so she would never grow any heaver than 75 pounds. Her arms looked like bones with skin attached to them, and she was incredibly flexible. Because of this, she was able to fit inside an SRM tube, which was astonishing to say the least.

But what Sara loved about her the most was not her sweet face, but her wonderful disposition. A soft voice and caring heart gave her a kind and loving spirit. God, Sara never knew where she would be without her.

"What happened?" Alice's soft voice asked, her large brown eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Alice, remember how I told you that was one point in my life I never wanted to discuss?" Her brown hair bobbed as she nodded. "That's it." Sara sighed as she went back to work, repairing the right shoulder actuator.

"Sara, what happened?" She asked again, her gentle voice filling her ears.

Sara shook her head. "Can we talk about this later?"

Alice slowly nodded, then folded herself back up inside the tube, going back to her work.

How did she do it? She could fit inside a SRM tube; she could turn herself around inside one. She had no fear of tight places, that much was obvious.

For a girl her size, she also possessed immense strength, often being the one to open the forever-tight jar of salsa that Sara loved so much.

Grateful that her thoughts were now off Jason, she focused on Alice. Although no one else knew it, she was terribly insecure about herself. Sara knew it was only a matter of time before she found someone though.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Alice's head popped out from the SRM tube. "SRMs are done." She climbed down into the waiting catwalk. "I'll fix that PPC."

"Want me to help?"

Her wide eyes met Sara's dark blue ones. "You can't fit though."

"I'm almost done here, and it's nice to talk to someone while you work. Besides, the nozzle needs replacing."

Alice slowly smiled. "Okay." With that, she jumped down on the arm with perfect balance, and then walked to the end of the barrel. With that, she slipped into the large tube like a snake.

How did she do that… Sara couldn't help but wonder.

"…that I'm not that kind of guy, so if you feel the same, your tired of playing games, then try to understand, that I'm not that kind of man…" He glanced up from the engine to his watch. Already it was late, but he didn't care.

Maybe tonight he would actually get sleep; he hadn't been able to get his mind off of her.

Sara. How could things have gone so wrong? How could their feelings for each other have survived so long? Why didn't they just kiss and make up?

Because it hurt too much. It all hurt so much.

"Um… excuse me…" A soft voice called out, waking him from his thoughts.

He turned to face the speaker. "Yes?"

Large brown eyes looked back at him. "Are you Jason?"

All she wore was a large t-shirt and a large blanket wrapped around her. She looked so frail…

"Yes."

"What happened with you and Sara?"

His eyes narrowed, immediately suspicious. "Why do you want to know?" He growled.

She seemed to shrink back, scared. "Because Sara is crying and she won't stop, I'm worried about her."

His face changed. "Ask her to tell you."

She shook her head. "She won't, she just keeps crying. Nothing I can do helps."

He sighed. "All you need to know was that it was my fault, alright? Everything was my fault."

She nodded and trotted down the catwalk, and Jason hoped that he hadn't been suckered.

Groaning, he turned back to his work; that was the most he had ever told to someone who wasn't a personal friend.

What personal friends? Heck, it was the first time he had told anyone at all.

The ratchet never stopped clicking as Jason worked away his troubles. He drowned himself in the enormousness of the giant.

"Jason?"

He shook his head, slowly looking at her. "What." He grumbled.

"She's crying more now, I think it upset her." Her wide eyes were filled with concern.

"Why? It's true, isn't that what she wanted to hear?"

"No, she gave me this shocked look and just started crying more."

"What do you want me to do? Stoop lower?"

"I need you to help her."

Jason laughed. "You have got to be kidding, she hates me. If I go in there-"

"She doesn't hate you!"

He blinked. "Come again?"

"She still loves you."

He blinked several times. "You are so joking. She sure as hell didn't tell you that."

"I'm not joking! She needs you!"

He fought the urge to give in. "No. She doesn't need me. I'm the last man in the galaxy she would want to see."

"Please!"

"No. I won't get hurt again."

She grabbed his arm. "Please!"

He yanked his arm away, recoiling. "No! She hurt me; I won't let her do it again!"

She looked at him, surprised. "What did she do to you?"

He glared at her. "Ask her, she knows all too well."

Slowly she walked backwards, and left.

He shook his head. He couldn't. She would hurt him again. With bitterness he remembered how he had been driven to the edge of insanity the last time; he had not recovered, and another one would send him over the edge.

Did he hate himself for being so hard? Of course. He hated the thought of Sara crying, of her being sad at all. He was the one that made her sad, made her cry.

This was why this was his fault. This was why he would never forgive himself for this.

Red light filled the cockpit, casting an almost bloody look on everything. His swamp-green Champion took on a black appearance under red floodlights. Underneath, techs were running about, giving the mech a last look-see. They scrambled about like ants, scavenging for anything that might not belong.

With a loud hiss, a large hose was pulled away from the Champion's torso, and a tech gave the thumbs up sign. Jason glanced at his readings, and it showed coolant at 100. He returned the thumbs up sign.

Another tech loaded the last of the ammo, and Jason felt the weight of 240mm shells sliding into the ammunition drum. Jason glanced at the readings, and saw the correct amount of rounds, and gave the tech the thumbs up sign.

This match was designed to give four of the higher-ups an advantage; the other eight were merely cannon fodder.

Boy would they be in for a surprise.

Strobe lights began to flash all around, and an alarm went off. Quietly Jason began to sing to himself. "Another one bites the dust, another one bites the dust, another one gone, another-"

"Mech 12, clear the channel!" A rude voice snapped in his ear.

"Sorry mate; didn't realize it was on."

"Well be careful!" Boy what a grouch. Someone slip that guy some Prozac.

Jason turned off his mic, and started to go through the main powerup sequence. "Another one gone, another one gone, another one bites the dust. Another one bites the dust…" The fusion hummed louder as the mech came to life, giving Jason the feeling of a god. This much firepower at his mere fingertips, so lethal.

The door slowly opened, and bright light filled the cockpit, almost blinding him. He saw other doors being opened, and the roar of the crowd filled his ears.

Was Sara watching?

Probably not.

He shoved these thoughts from his mind as he walked his mech out of the starting bay.

"Here he comes now." Alice said, her eyes locking on to Jason's familiar swamp green Champion. Sara looked around, finally seeing it.

She blinked and tried to focus on it.

"You okay?"

"Yah, my eyes are just sore." Sara replied, leaning back in her seat.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to help."

Sara put an arm around her friend. "Don't worry; there was nothing you could have done."

Alice leaned into her taller companion. "You've never told anyone, have you?"

"No."

Alice slipped an arm around Sara, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Tell me sometime."

Sara just nodded, then focused on the fight that was about to take place.

Jungle like forests dominated half of the map, giving the whole place a unique feel. Where there were no trees, deep swamps stretched everywhere. Multiple mud pathways stretched across the swamp, allowing treacherous access to all sides. Some places were only accessible with jump jets. This was going to be a very dangerous match.

All the mechs stopped before proceeding to their starting points. Three Assault mechs, four Heavy mechs, four mediums, and one light.

She knew most of the pilots by name. The Atlas pilot was Derrek Steele, a pilot that had come close to winning the Unlimited series last year. The Stalker pilot Shaniqua Miller, was assumed to be a mayfly, but she had beaten Steele in an amazing one on one duel. The Madcat MKII pilot was a bloodname clanner, Jerome Kerensky, who was representing Clan Wolf.

The Thor pilot was a Davion called Isaak Asamov, no relation. A veteran of the clan wars, he had reportedly taken part of operation Bulldog. The Axeman pilot, Julie Paul, a ruthless mercenary with a reputation for killing her opponents. The last she knew was the Artic Wolf pilot, a spinner, known for her ambushes. She forgot the name though.

The other mechs consisted of a Warhammer, Bushwhacker, Hellspawn, and a Raven.

And then there was Jason. It had been a long while since she had seen him fight. What she did remember was he was as ruthless as he was canny. Every time someone had dared to treat him like an inferior, he had shot up their mechs beyond recognition with his Autocannon 20, ripping their mech apart with ease. This would be most interesting.

Then the open communications was put on the main speakers.

The first voice Sara heard was Jason's.

"Hey clanner."

"What do you want, freebirth?" Kerensky growled back.

"Not much, I was just wondering how you have adjusted to combat in the Inner Sphere. How do you find it?"

The clanner cleared his throat. "Although I find the tactics dishonorable, I have been forced to adapt to your spheroid way of thinking. Though transition is difficult, I have managed." Evidently, this clanner had softened somewhat on spheroid beliefs.

"Good to hear that. May the best warrior win."

The clanner paused for a moment. "Aff, may the best… warrior win."

Then, a rude feminine voice intruded. "Get off the comms, rookie."

"Who you calling rookie?" Sara knew where this would lead.

"You, seatfiller." Julie Paul, the Axeman pilot with a reputation for trash talking.

"You have five seconds to take that back." Jason's voice had dropped to a dangerous level that Sara knew all to well.

"Shut up, farmer."

Sara knew that Jason was not going to let her go for that one. He never would let anyone get away with calling him an inferior pilot.

After a 30 second delay, the mechs were given clearance to their starting points. Her intrigue turned to surprise as he walked his 60-ton war machine across the mud paths…

…Into the middle of the swamp. What was he thinking? The only way back was the way he just came, he would be a sitting duck out there! She couldn't help but gape as his mech halted at the edge, slowly slipping into the swamp.

The starting horn blared-

-and unceremoniously Jason's Champion slipped into the swamp, disappearing from view. The whole stadium erupted with laughter. Sara couldn't help but smack herself, she had bet 500 C-bills on him. Stupid frakker!

But the horn didn't blow. Strange.

"That's why I don't bet." Alice rebuked mildly, taking some of the sting out of the situation.

The instant the battle started, the assault mechs began to pound the life out of each other, raining down hellfire without relent. The Axeman dashed around into the forest, and the Thor and Warhammer began to hammer away at each other. The medium and light mechs slipped into the forest, playing a deadly game of hide and seek, while the Bushwhacker followed the Axeman from a safe distance.

Unleashing a lethal barrage of lead and rockets, the Stalker pulverized the mighty Atlas, which fired at the Madcat MKII. Shrugging off the assault, the Madcat took aim with each arm, and sent two watermelon shaped slugs crashing into the internal structure of the Atlas. Reeling from the impact, the Atlas sprawled backwards, finally falling on its back.

The Stalker turned to face the Madcat, only to be blown away by the superior firepower of the clan mech. With a groan, the Stalker crashed on its side, fires emerging from its torso.

The Madcat MKII slowly walked towards the Warhammer, along the edge of the swamp. Walking slowly, it carefully lined up a shot-

-and with a muffled roar, the torso was shredded by heavy autocannon fire. Something slipped beneath the water just as the Axeman approached from behind.

On the scoreboard, a kill went to Jason.

"No way…" She murmured. This was impossible. You just couldn't pilot a mech through that muck. It had to be a fluke, something wrong with the scoreboard. The Axeman had to have taken the Madcat out with its heavy autocannon.

But it didn't. It didn't even fire.

Meanwhile the Thor was pounding the Warhammer into the dirt, raining lightning and shotgun pellets on its unholy adversary. Finally the Warhammer crashed into the ground, having lost its gyro. The Artic Wolf snuck up on the Raven, and hit it from behind with a full salvo of Streak SRMs. Instantly, the Hellspawn and the Chimera pulverized the clan mech, and turned to face the Thor.

The horn blared, and everyone looked just in time to see the Axeman drop at the Bushwhacker's feet. Then the Bushwhacker was ripped to shreds, strange reverse spray coming from the water. Two more kills went to Jason's score.

Everyone knew it was impossible. It just couldn't be done. Many had tried, none have succeeded. But the thing was, it was happening.

Sara couldn't help but shake her head. Where had this come from?

The Thor backed to where the Axeman and Bushwhacker had fallen, pounding the Chimera and the Hellspawn simultaneously. The Chimera exploded from an ammo hit, and the Hellspawn's torso was ripped to peaces by heavy autocannon fire. Another point went to Jason's score.

The Thor whirled around to where the fire had come from, blasting into the water. It aimed to the side and fired again. Nothing.

The seconds began to tick by, and the Thor began to look around, trying to find the source of the fire. It took a step back-

-With a magnificent spray of slime water, Jason's Champion burst from the water, its heavy autocannon pounding away at the Thor. The Thor reeled from the assault of 240mm shells, sprawling backwards. Desperate, the Thor dropped its arm, trying to get off a lucky shot at the rampaging 60 ton mech. Jason stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding a stream of shotgun slugs. Firing again, the Champion sent a stream of slugs into the heaver mech, and the mangled Thor fell on its back, motionless.

A fifth mech was added to Jason's score, and the crowd roared. Victory music began to pump from the speakers.

"Wow." Was all Sara could say.

"You're sharing with me." Alice giggled.

Jason and Sara were going to get a lot of money from that match.