Fight Club

Fight Club
Gary’s POV…

I was already reaching for my weapon when I noticed the guard blocking Gati and Amara from entering the tent. Before I could pull the weapon free, Jarox placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Keep it away,” he whispered.

I looked at him. “They're about to raise the alarm.”

“This can be handled delicately.”

I wasn't convinced, but Jarox stepped forward before I could argue. The guard immediately turned his attention toward him. “Identification.”

Jarox smiled. “They're with me. They're my slaves.”

I almost laughed. The girls looked at him with expressions that could have killed him on the spot. Jarox didn't care.

The guard narrowed his eyes. “Slaves?”

Jarox nodded. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He placed it in the guard's hand. “Consider that a business fee.”

The guard opened the pouch and looked inside. Digicoins. His expression immediately changed. Jarox winked. The guard stepped aside. “Go in.”

I shook my head as we passed. We entered the tent. Almost immediately, Amara walked up to me.

“Hi.”

I stared at her. “Hi?”

She smiled. “Nice to see you again.”

“You're acting like I've been gone for months.”

“It felt like it.”

I couldn't help smiling. Then I looked toward Gati. She was standing a few feet away from Jarox. Neither of them said anything. Jarox glanced at her. Gati looked away. That was all. I could practically feel the awkwardness between them.

“How did you find us?” Amara asked.

“We saw Abigail,” I said. “Jarox and I were passing through town when we spotted her.”

Jarox looked at Gati. “Why is she here?”

Gati shook her head. “We don't know.”

“She ran away from the lab,” Amara added.

“We searched everywhere for her,” Gati said. “Then we found her trail leading here.”

“Why would she come all the way into New Lagos?”

Nobody had an answer. Then we heard it. A roar. Hundreds of voices seemed to explode somewhere deeper inside the tent. I turned toward the sound. “What the hell is that?”

Amara looked at me. We moved forward. The noise grew louder with every step. Eventually, we passed through another opening and stepped into a massive underground chamber. I stopped. “What the...?”

There were Krugs everywhere. Hundreds of them. They surrounded a large metal cage positioned in the center of the room. Inside the cage, an enormous Krug stood over two human men. Both humans were already down. One of them tried to crawl away. The Krug grabbed him by the leg and threw him across the floor. The crowd went wild.

“What is this place?” Amara asked.

Jarox stared at the cage. “I'll find out.”

He disappeared into the crowd. I kept my eyes on the fight. The Krug was enormous. Probably eight feet tall. He looked more like a machine built for war than a living creature. Around us, Krugs were exchanging coins and shouting about the fight. Gati kept looking around. A few minutes later, Jarox returned. “It's a fight club.”

“No kidding,” I said.

He ignored me. “Human slaves are brought here to fight Krug athletes. People place stakes on the outcome.”

Gati looked disgusted. “And Abigail came here for what?”

Nobody answered. Then the lights suddenly dimmed. The announcer climbed onto a raised platform. The crowd became silent. He lifted the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

The crowd erupted.

“Tonight, our champion has defeated every challenger placed before him! However, there is a new challenger in the house!”

The entire place exploded. People screamed. Coins flew through the air. Krugs started shouting and stomping their feet. I looked around. Then the cage door opened. Someone stepped inside. A small figure. I couldn't see her face. But something about her clothes looked familiar.

.

.

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Gatrina’s POV…

I hated everything about this place. The noise. The smell. The blood. The cheering crowd. The way everyone looked at the cage as though people dying was entertainment. I wanted to find Abigail and leave. That was all I wanted. Then the announcer shouted again.

“Tonight's challenger!”

The crowd became deafening. I looked toward the cage. The small figure stepped farther into the light. She wore a hoodie. I stared at her. Then she reached up and grabbed the hood.

“No,” I whispered.

She pulled it down. My heart stopped. “Abigail.”

She stood in the middle of that cage, facing an eight-foot Krug who had already destroyed every human fighter thrown at him. I immediately moved forward. “I'm going in.”

Jarox grabbed my arm. “No.”

“Let me go.”

“We can't cause a scene.”

“She's a child! She doesn't belong in there!”

“I know, Gati.”

I tried pulling away. Jarox held me firmly. “If we rush that cage, every Krug in this place will come after us.”

I looked at Abigail. She seemed completely calm. The champion looked down at her. Then he laughed. The entire crowd joined him.

“This is the challenger?” he said. “A little baby?”

The crowd laughed harder. My hands shook. Abigail didn't move. The announcer began taking bets. Krugs shoved coins toward the betting tables. Almost everyone bet against her. Then Amara stepped forward. She reached into her pocket. She pulled out her remaining digicoins.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Betting on Abigail...”

She nodded. She placed every coin she had on the table. “I'll take the child.”

I stared at her. “Are you insane?”

“She'll win.”

“You're gambling with her life!”

Amara looked at me. “I'm betting on what I've already seen her do.”

I looked back at Abigail. “Gary.”

He said nothing. “Jarox.”

He shook his head. “Gati, we can't interfere.”

I hated all of them for letting this happen. But there was nothing I could do. The bell rang. The champion moved. He charged at Abigail. My scream disappeared beneath the roar of the crowd. The Krug swung his enormous fist. Abigail ducked. The punch missed her by inches. She moved faster than I could follow. The champion turned. She was already behind him. Then she jumped. She landed on his back.

The crowd suddenly became quieter. The Krug reached behind himself, trying to grab her. Abigail climbed higher. She crawled up his back. Then onto his shoulders. The champion roared and tried to shake her off. Abigail held on. She reached the top of his head. Then she placed her palm against it.

A flash of energy burst from her hand. The champion froze. His entire body stiffened. Then his eyes rolled backward. He collapsed. The cage shook when he hit the floor. For one second, nobody moved. Then the entire chamber erupted. The crowd screamed. People jumped. Coins flew everywhere.

The announcer shouted into his microphone. “WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!”

I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Abigail stood over the unconscious Krug. Then she slowly turned. Her eyes scanned the crowd. And found us. For a moment, there was a smile on her face.

Then she seemed to remember everything. The smile disappeared. Her expression changed. And suddenly, I realized something. Abigail wasn't happy to see us. She was afraid of what we were going to do next.