Dizgaia ~ The Dreamfinder's Daughter

Chapter 12 ~ The Wager

"Interesting?" said Mia.

"Yeah. We could make a wager. You get something if you win, or I get something if I win. How's that sound?"

Mia tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well... I'm not opposed to trying my hand against you one-on-one, but I'm pretty sure we both already know which of us is going to win. So I don't know that there'd be much point in a wager."

"Hey, you never know," said Flynn, shrugging. "Besides, I've got top-of-the line equipment here, not to mention my brilliant brain. You could ask me for anything and I'd have to grant it. Wouldn't you want to take a chance on winning yourself your very own light cycle?"

"A light cycle, huh?"

Mia took a moment to ponder this . A light cycle would be a pretty cool thing to have. She could easily picture herself driving it down Main Street in some new duds, perhaps a leather jacket not so unlike the one Flynn wore outside of The Grid.

"Well, that would be pretty sweet. All right, then. In the unlikely event that I actually win, I get a light cycle. But when you doubtlessly win... Well, I'm not really sure what you're gonna get. But it does make things interesting. Okay, let's do it."

"It's a deal. And don't worry, we'll cross that bridge when we get there... if I win, of course."

"You mean when you win."

Flynn grinned and shrugged as he went to the control console and began loading a new game. Mia wondered what Flynn could possibly expect from her. She hadn't brought many material possessions with her from the other side.

"What do you wanna play first?" he asked. "Discs? Cycles? Rings? You pick."

"Why not just do everything in the same order as before? Discs, Rings, and Cycles?"

"Works for me."

And so, it began. Despite being a fast learner and despite her previous success at Disc Wars, Mia just couldn't compete with Flynn physically. A couple minutes into the game, Flynn's ID disc struck Mia's midsection. The glowing circuits on her outfit blinked, showing she'd been hit. The disc disappeared on impact and reappeared on Flynn's back.

"User Mia... Elimination. Winner... User Flynn."

"Well, that was no huge surprise," said Mia afterwards.

Next was The Ring Game, which to Mia's immense shock, she somehow managed to win.

"Are you sure you didn't let me win just to be nice?" she asked, giving Flynn an accusing look.

"No way! You won fair and square, man. You're getting better at that game, for sure!"

Finally, they both took to the arena for Light Cycles. Flynn was pleased to see how well Mia was handling the game now, making full use of the sudden and naturally impossible 90-degree turns. She was doing her best to trap him, but Flynn managed to give her the slip each time. They were on the arena for a long time. As such, they'd managed to practically create a labyrinth with their light ribbons. Now, Mia and Flynn were racing side by side through the maze they'd created.

They were one to one in a three-game competition and were pretty neck and neck on their light cycles. Just when Mia foolishly thought she might have a chance at beating Flynn, the opening in the maze she'd been aiming for was abruptly cut off by Flynn's light ribbon as he swerved in front of her. Mia's cycle collided with his ribbon.

"AHHH!"

The light cycle derezzed around her and Mia went flying and tumbling onto the grid. Her helmet disappeared and she lay on her back, gazing up at the lights tracing along the circuits in the night-like sky above.