Chapter 3:
After Max left Wolf got to his feet. He couldn't believe he just got thrown to the ground by a sixteen year old girl. The others looked at him.
"What?" he asked irritation creeping into his voice.
"Aren't you going to, you know, go after her?" Eagle asked warily.
Wolf snarled at him. He was embarrassed and in pain from his meeting with the ground.
"Later," he said not really wanting to go after her," You're all dismissed for lunch."
As Max walked through the camp she noticed that it was not empty. It was as bustling and alive as the camp she just left. She also noted with annoyance that, again, she was the only girl around in uniform. Those taking a break noticed her and nudged their friends. Max could feel their eyes on her back. She didn't want to go to the barracks because she knew the others would be there. Her stomach protested loudly. She hadn't had anything to eat since dinner the night before in Florida. She headed for the mess hall. Once there she noticed a large group of people surrounding an arena. Max joined them. There were two men in the middle fighting. They both had bulky protective gear on. On the chest pad there was a little computer that had little numbers on them. One guy's computer said one.
"What is this game?" asked Max.
"Well it's a sparring game. The object is to get your opponents number down to zero by hitting sensors hidden in the pads. As for rules there is no use of deadly force and no weapons as for that anything goes," answered the guy beside her.
There was a buzzer and one of the guys, the one that had the one on his computer, left the ring. The other stayed. Max looked at him closer. He looked familiar. The hair he could see was a blonde color and his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"He is our champion in this ring. No one has been able to even get his counter lower than nine. His name is Mike. Mike Chance."
Chance? Where had she heard that name before? Max pushed away the thought and concentrated on the ring.
"I think it's over for today no one's going to get geared up," said the guy.
Max started for the gear. She didn't know why she was going she only knew she wanted to fight. Maybe it was to blow off steam or maybe it was her ego. What ever it was she started gearing up.
"Hey what are you doing?" asked the guy.
"Gearing up. What does it look like I'm doing? Picking my nose?" she answered.
"You're joking. You think you can beat him? You must be crazy," he said.
"Watch me," she said and marched into the ring.
From afar Alex watched as his "partner" for his next mission geared up for the sparring arena. He had half a mind to go and drag her to the barracks. But he watched with interest.
The gear itself was light but bulky. The worst it could do was impend her movement. She faced her opponent. The guy, Mike, gave her a once over and scoffed. She gave him a hard stare. She noticed that his stance was different than hers and that it was less stable. There was a buzzer and the guy went into action. He attacked but she parried the blow easily moving out of his way. She saw an opening and kicked the guy in the back. He turned annoyed at the fact that he hadn't hurt her. There was also a gleam of curiosity in his eye. She backed off and waited. He came after her again this time spinning so she couldn't land another blow. Max carefully came to stand a few feet from his bulky form. Her legs were shaking badly from lack off food and water. Mike saw it and laughed.
"Scared?" he asked pleasure seeping into every word.
She kept silent not wanting to further worsen the situation.
"Are you scared of me?" he asked laughing.
The crowd laughed with him. Ignoring the noise Max formulated a plan.
Alex watched as Max stood there seemingly unfazed by the taunting surrounding her. He saw that indeed her legs were shaking but he doubted from fear. She took on the guy in the first place. He continued to watch even when the others joined him.
Sweat glistened off her face. Max wasn't sure how much time passed but she knew that it was time to end this. Slowly she began to bounce on the balls of her feet. She knew when to strike and she knew to strike when the opponent would loose the most. Finally an opening. She sprinted forward. She kicked the guy in the stomach then on the side of the head. When he was almost to her level she punched him on the side of the head again sending his reeling backwards. He crossed the line and a buzzer sounded.