Cyber Mortality

Chapter 38:

Rocky and I rush out of the room, frantically searching for a working TV.

Other's emerge, looking equally frazzled.

"Is your TV working?" Rocky questions people.

"No, the broadcast got cut off!"

"Put on your uniform, quick." Rocky commands.

I scroll through my inventory and quickly equip it.

Rocky grabs my arm and then we are standing in the stadium. Smoke billows everywhere and the scent of burnt flesh makes my nose crinkle up.

"What happened?" Rocky grabs someone to question.

"That woman, Jez, used high tier magic. We're waiting for the smoke to clear to see what happened," the man explains. "She knocked out all the cameras in the arena."

Rocky bites his lip and charges forward, down the steps toward the twenty-foot drop off into the arena.

"Sir! You can't go in there yet," a guard commands but Rocky shirks him off.

"That's my team down there," Rocky glares and leaps over the edge, tucking into a roll before disappearing into the smoke.

"Did her spell hurt bystanders?" I inquire, looking around, but everyone is still in their seats.

"No," the guard shakes his head. "We have a magical barrier in place that keeps all dangerous things, be they magic or weapons, from leaving the arena. She nearly broke it though."

"I'm going down too," I tell the guard before leaping over the ledge. I land much less gracefully than Rocky and it takes a moment before I can move without fear of falling over. I close my eyes for a moment, pulling on the magic inside me, and imagine a whirlwind sucking all the smoke upward. My braids whips around my head and I raise my arms with mint filling my mouth. The smoke rises and funnels out of the top of the arena. I take a few steps forward once I can see more clearly to find Rocky kneeling over two bodies. Releasing my magic before anyone can see, I rush to his side to find him leaning over Jez's unconscious naked body.

Rocky drapes a cloak over her and lifts her into his arms.

"Can you check Nyle?" he nods his head toward the second body.

As the last of the smoke disappears, guards and officials flood the stadium.

"Nyle?" I lean down over his also naked body, averting my eyes toward his face.

"May?" his parched lips part. His skin cracks and bubbles from the heat of Jez's magic.

I gingerly touch his cheek but pull back. It is still hot to the touch.

"Is he alive?" a man questions from beside me.

"Yes," I nod and pull out a potion Rocky gave me. I clench it in my palm for a moment, thinking about what I must do. 

"Alright folks! Now that the smoke has cleared we can give you the answer everyone has been dying to hear! The winners of this team battle are..." the announcer draws out his answer and the crowd waits with bated breath. "Team Ultra! Ana and Israel from Black Viper have both been wiped out!"

I press the vial to DeNyle's lips and pour the amber liquid inside.

"Does that help?" I inquire and drape my own cloak from my inventory over his body.

He nods slowly and closes his eyes. 

The poison works swiftly, numbing his pain until he breathes his last. For a moment he lies there motionless, but then his body disintegrates into particles of light, leaving only his sword and my cloak behind. 

"Did you..?" Rocky drops down beside me to look at the pile of DeNyle's things. His jaw clenches but he does not say more. 

"How is Jez?" I inquire, putting my cloak away before picking up DeNyle's sword.

"She's unconscious but fine. Using that much magic took it out of her," Rocky sighs and holds out his hand for DeNyle's sword. "I can take it. I'll go pick up DeNyle." He mutters before disappearing.

"Did you kill him?" a snort sounds from behind me followed by raucous laughter.

I turn to look at Skull Crusher, standing with his arms crossed over his chest. His dark brown eyes swirl with amusement. 

"Go away, Skull Crusher," I scowl and dust off my hands.

"My name is Hayden," he says with a smirk on his lips. "And I came to see if either of my people were alive." He shoves his hands into the pockets of his leather jeans.

"As you can see they are not," I gesture to the nearly empty arena and climb to my feet.

"So touchy," Hayden grins. "I hope to fight you in the finals. You did really well in your singles duel."

"I lost," I deadpan. 

"But there was potential," he then gestures to the arena. "And I saw your little magic act here. You cleared the smoke, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," I shrug and turn away.

"See you later," he chuckles.