CHAPTER LXVIII
SHOWDOWN SEMIFINALS
Setzer sat in his computer chair, programming innovative and torturous 'surprises' into the Setzer Dome's memory banks. Magnet boxes, slo-mo boxes, speed boxes…the rising water trick, he thought, was particularly impressive…they were all available for the semifinal matches, and then some. A gambler at heart, he had to tell himself not to play with the odds – he promised random, he would deliver random – but not without a little 'insurance', of course. No self-respecting gambler would invest in something this lavish without knowing that he'd rake in a pretty penny.
Behind Setzer's chair, a shadow silently shifted, as a dark, melodious voice drifted through the room. The tall man spoke to Setzer – not as a friend, but as a business partner; nothing more.
"You say that you're certain I'll be able to face him?"
Setzer laughed. "Please – the rest of these clowns are nothing compared to your little friend. He'll win the semis and the final match – and in order to claim his prize, he'll have to do what the rulebook said. 'Rise to the top of the ladder…'" Setzer quoted, reading from a screen.
The shadowed man was silent for a minute, but eventually, he spoke to Setzer. "I don't know why I shouldn't just kill you and everyone else that gets in my way."
Setzer's mouth twitched – he was used to working with ruffians and backstabbers, but this was a new low that even he'd never reached before.
"Because if you do that, my friend…he'll find out and run away…and you'll spend another year searching for him. I'm not exactly 'low-profile'; someone would notice if I was murdered in cold blood. Besides – once you're in the dome, you can kill him in front of thousands of onlookers – and they'll all be cheering your name…" Setzer bargained.
"Pointless. Though, the prospect of having him all to myself in a caged environment is tempting…"
"And isn't that all you want? A chance for an honest to goodness battle to the death? I know killing is against the rules…but I can't help it if one combatant happens to break the rules…now can I?" Setzer said, hoping to appeal to the man's lust for battle. "We both get what we want – you get your man, and I get all that beautiful munny…all without having to pay the winner a dime… You're at the top of the ladder – and since nobody can defeat you, well…it's a no-brainer after that point. Love that fine print, don't you?"
The man in the shadow's grunted his assent, retiring to his chambers, awaiting the unannounced 'super-final' match – wherein he planned to lay waste to his prey, once and for all…
Mickey, Cloud and Aerith were able to sleep the entire next day – the semifinals were two days away, giving them some much needed downtime. As they assembled for the first round of the semi-finals, Mickey and Aerith checked the board to see the list for the two matches. Cloud leaned against the wall, just waiting for his name to be called…
"Me, Pete," Mickey said, rolling his eyes, "You, Cloud, Rai, Fuu, Barlog and Phineaus…" he finished, reading the names off the list to Aerith. "But that's round two – where's round one?" he said, looking around for any sign of who'd be fighting that afternoon.
"Please take your seats – round one of the semifinals is about to begin!" the announcer said calmly over the intercom, urging the stragglers to make their way into the arena.
"Guess we'll find out soon…" Aerith said, as she, Cloud and Mickey went to watch.
The semifinals started much faster than the preliminaries – Thorn already had an account of the weapons, so the contestants were ushered in much more smoothly. Off to one side of the dome stood a lankly, limber man that looked as though he could tie his arms around his own head. Next to him, a squat, mustachioed fellow flexed his muscles. "That must be Gabe and Tycho…" Mickey said to Aerith and Cloud – though Cloud seemed as if he couldn't care less. When the next two stepped in, a flurry of signs around the audience flipped upward to reveal the names "NIDYA AND SLOAN" all over them; the two girls were dressed in skintight outfits, each holding identical staffs with butterfly crests.
Next to enter were two properly built gentlemen, each donning a fancy looking mustache that curled up at either end. They raised their fists in the air, pumping up the crowd as certain sections began to chant, "ED AND RED! ED AND RED!"
The final combatants caught Cloud's eye – a rather pudgy fellow and a sleek, caped young man entered the arena, each wearing identical black suits with tribal markings.
"Ember and Vincent!" Cloud asked, looking at Aerith sternly, as though chastising her for not telling him earlier.
"Surprised?" she said, turning her attention back to the fight.
It was over before a single random trap went off – Ember and Vincent had mopped the floor with their unsuspecting competition. True to form, the suits had gotten much more powerful since Hades' expulsion from the Legion… It was a dangerous concept that with each enemy they defeated, the remaining few grew stronger and stronger…
As some cranky fans ripped their supportive signs, others added lines to their chants. "ED AND RED ARE DEAD, DEAD, DEAD!" was the new chant – the two strong men were the first to be eliminated; they were constantly reminded of that as they weaved their way out of the Setzer Dome. Cloud and Aerith had already taken their places in the dome for the last semifinal match. Mickey was forced to wait outside for Pete, who came bumbling in five minutes before the buzzer sounded. Also in the dome were their opponents – Rai, who twirled a weighted staff around his fingers like a toothpick; and Fuu, who spun a single chakra around her arm, its black metal gleaming in the artificial light of the dome. Barlog and Phineaus stood off to the side, sparring gently with each other before the match. Apparently, the manual matching system wasn't totally flawed…they were a pretty lethal combination.
"Here we are, folks! The last of the semifinals – the winner of this match goes on to face the Unsmiling Man and the Fanged Man in the final match! The tension is killing me! In fact – ah…uh…" he chided, faking his own death over the intercom as the audience roared with laughter and applause. The buzzer sounded, sending the dome into a flurry of movement.
Immediately after they had begun to move, each of the combatants stopped – around their midsections, a long, glowing blue rope seemed to be tied, leading out to the dome's fencing. Each of the eight combatants tried to cut their ropes, but it was no use. They didn't seem to hinder their movement in any way, as Rai found out when he charged at Cloud.
Unfortunately, as Rai's rope got longer, Fuu's shortened, until she was forcibly slammed into the dome - causing Rai to be halted like a junkyard dog on a leash. When Fuu pushed off of the fence, Rai's rope, in turn, grew shorter.
"I don't get it!" Pete said, yanking his rope. Mickey sailed backwards, caught off guard, as a dopey smile spread across Pete's face. "Ohhh…now I get it…"
"Good for you…" Mickey said, brushing himself off. He prepared himself for a tough battle, as he and the other combatants realized that this match had gotten ten times more complicated in the blink of an eye.
