Episode Eighteen - Round One (Part 1)

Chapter Song Suggestion "Sorcery by The Toxic Avenger"

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THE PAST | Lars

The first thing he noticed were the piercing blue eyes in the dark – curious and intense – burning a hole through his skull. He moaned, slowly sitting up to observe his surroundings. There was nothing but plain, gray walls illuminated by a bluish, dim glow.

"There's no way out." It was a boy – the owner of those blue eyes.

"Where are we?" he demanded, placing a hand on the solid glass trapping him inside the cell.

"We're in Ataxia."

"Ataxia?" He peered in the darkness. "What is this place? Why can't I see you?"

"Motion sensor." Suddenly, the opposite cell illuminated with the same blue glow, allowing Lars a glimpse of his cellmate. Tall and thin with a scraggly mop of light-coloured hair, the boy wasn't much older than Lars.

"Who are you? Why are we here?"

"You don't have to know my name. All the boys who were in your place, they never last." Dull resignation saturated his words. "They're turning us into kill hunters – soldiers to wipe out those predators that have destroyed our world."

Panic settled into his bones. "No! I don't want that!" He bodily slammed into the glass. "I need to get out of here. I need to find my friend. I need to go home!"

Calmly, the other boy said — as if he had seen this a million times. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"I have to get out of here!" Lars exclaimed repeatedly, his heart rate and anxiety levels increasing. He repeatedly banged the glass. "Let me out!"

A sudden cloud of colourless gas misted his cell, overwhelming him until he was coughing from the acrid scent. "What the -!" He collapsed; his muscles turning slack.

"I told you. There's no use," the boy remarked, darkness engulfing his cell once more. His voice sounded like it was coming from far away; dreamlike. "We can never escape. No one ever does."

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THREE WEEKS LATER

"Well, well who do we have here?" a blonde man mocked as they entered the roaring arena – the atmosphere intense and pulsating with energy. He swaggered up to them, or more specifically to Koga and stared him down.

Eira had never seen a crowd this big, let alone attend the Ataxian Intra-Unit Battle. She wasn't aware of how phenomenal this event was, judging by the overwhelming audience — Ataxians, outsiders and commoners. She could see plenty of unit one's fans holding up signboards, cardboard cut-outs of the team members and colourful glow sticks.

It felt like she was attending a concert instead. Once upon a time, humans have made a living performing on stages — singing, acting and dancing — these forms of entertainment remained a relic of the past. Of course, there were the occasional entertainers who dwelled in the underground cities beneath some nations. Volaris was Ataxia's underground city and she had yet to visit the synonym of old era's sin city.

Eira found it hard to breathe and yet a strange vibrant excitement bloomed in her stomach. The arena was packed with both spectators and the participating units. Eira spotted Colonel Emory in the V.I.P. box with some unfamiliar faces, probably part of the Ataxian authority. Everyone was anticipating the opening ceremony.

Her attention drifted back to the blonde stranger, his green eyes flashing with…animosity? Or was it her imagination? What unit was he from? The members surrounding him looked intimidating, especially the tallest man with tree trunks for arms. Not to mention his upper torso was a canvas of tattoos. Eira pegged him as their Captain.

Koga openly smirked at the younger man, trying to pick a fight. "Do you have a problem, Havel?"

The gunman stood, towering over Koga. Both exchanged a long, hard stare. Eira believed someone was about to throw the first punch when Havel opened his arms and the pair hugged like long lost friends. They were laughing like a pair of naughty boys.

She was bewildered, to say the least.

"Have you gotten scrawnier, Havel?" Koga taunted. "Was the recent mission too tough for you? Perhaps unit one should consider giving us the tough jobs in future. We'll handle it easy-peasy."

"Fuck you, Koga," Havel spat amicably. "What about you? I heard unit six was sent to handle the Oasis mass slaughter. There were some pretty gory details."

"It's not just a mass slaughter, dimwit." Koga grimaced. "It's a mission in progress so you know I can't disclose any confidential information. Captain's orders. You'll have to wait until we close the case."

"I don't care about that." Havel leaned closer. "Is your Captain participating this year?"

"Nah, he isn't."

That's right, Eira thought. Lars wasn't joining them for the battle, although it was mandatory for every unit Captain to be present. She hadn't spoken to him for weeks, mostly exchanging short answers or questions – about work. It wasn't because she was angry at him…she had forgiven him long ago. She just wasn't sure where they stood, and she wanted to think hard about her next move.

After crying out her eyeballs, she told herself to woman up. She wasn't going to be defeated easily, and she knew Lars. He would be beating himself up for his actions. That was the kind of man he was. Oh, she wasn't planning on letting him off the hook easily. He was going to earn himself back into her good graces. But after three weeks, the tension between them was stilted.

She hadn't realized she was staring until Lars glanced her way. Flushing, she yanked her gaze away. Thankfully, Anaelle requested that they warm up together and she seized on the immediate chance to escape from the Captain's watchful eye.

Lars watched Eira's retreating figure, holding back the urge to sigh. He didn't know how to overcome the wall she had erected. His apology was on the tip of his tongue but, she made it obvious she didn't want to speak with him, leaving the room whenever he walked in or making sure she was never alone with him. The guilt was wearing him thin.

"You're not participating again this year?" a deep voice rumbled behind him.

Lars turned to find Hakon Leitis, unit one's Captain frowning at him. They had known each other since Lars arrived at Ataxia. Unlike him, Hakon's father had sold him to the government after wrecking up a gambling debt. At six-foot-eight, Hakon was a veritable giant towering over everyone. It wasn't hard to spot him, and he was an iconic figure of Ataxia – to Hakon's dismay. There was nothing left of the scrawny kid he had met in the cells.

Despite his flashy status, Hakon despised being in the spotlight. As boys, he and Lars would compete for everything, and Hakon once declared his life's mission was to ultimately defeat Lars. Not everyone was aware that Hakon had never won in combat battle against Lars. It was a sore spot for the accomplished Captain.

"Missions are one thing. Voluntarily letting myself be used by the government like a puppet on a string is where I draw the line," Lars uttered dryly. "You know why they are doing this. This battle is proof of the government's hypocrisy."

Hakon understood Lars's antipathy towards the government. Setting that aside, he didn't think the battles were useless. As Captain, he wanted his members to improve by fighting and challenging others. It was the fool proof way to become stronger. He wasn't against taking advantage of the situation. "Then you'll remain the last unit again."

"Disappointed?"

Hakon's eyes narrowed. "At times like this, I wonder what even drove you in the first place." With those parting words, he went to prepare his team for the ceremony.

These days…Lars wasn't even sure of himself.

Music trumpeted from the arena's drone speakers, commencing the event. It was a flamboyant introduction of all the units and its members. Eira was blown away by the explosive reception unit one received the moment they were announced. Their screams threatened to make her ears bleed. Unsurprisingly, their fans were mostly female and who could blame them? Apart from their Captain, the other members were all good-looking. Eira was especially fixated on the female twins. They were like porcelain dolls — misleadingly fragile but unmistakably deadly.

Feeling Eira's gaze on them, the twins turned and smiled. She didn't hesitate to reciprocate, wondering if they somehow knew who she was or were they just being polite?

"That's unit one for you." Resignation shadowed Florian's voice, although he wasn't truly upset. In fact, he looked eager to compete. Eira only heard rumours about unit one but, she was glad their units were apparently 'rivals yet friends'.

"Look at that clown Havel soaking up the attention," Koga spoke, scowling at the younger gunman over the rim of his dark glasses. "I can't wait to beat his egotistic butt."

"That's because he's handsome and you're not." Anaelle didn't spare him a single drop of compassion. "How can anyone compare Adonis to a horse?"

"Hah!" Koga pierced her with a scowl. "You're one to talk."

"Actually, Koga," Eira cleared her throat. "The guys from the other units are always inviting Anaelle out for drinks. I doubt that would happen if she were hideous."

Florian resisted the urge to smack his face at her candour. Was Eira being purposefully mean?

Koga's face froze with surprise before tightening with displeasure – like he didn't like whatever revelation he just discovered.

"Quiet everyone. It's starting," Florian shushed them, pointing to the holographic box-screen above the arena.

"Welcome to the eighth Ataxian Intra-Unit Battle! Where you get to vote for your number one unit in Ataxia!" the announcer's voice boomed with dramatic effect. "This year we have a few interesting additional members to our units. Will they be able to wrestle the title of unit one from Captain Leitis? As usual, all units are required to advance two rounds of elimination before proceeding to the final round. Without further due, allow me to brief you on the first-round."

On the screen, a portion of what Florian assumed was Briar's Forest appeared – a deep forest rumoured to be home to an apex predator. What kind, they weren't certain.

"The first round features an obstacle course set near Briar's Forest. The aim is to reach Briar's lagoon from the drop off point. Note that not all members are required to reach the lagoon. If one member from the unit makes it to the lagoon, then your unit automatically qualifies for the second round. The last unit to reach the lagoon will be disqualified. No do-overs. For those with predator partners, they will be awaiting your arrival in Briar's Forest."

The swishing sounds of the copters swept through the arena as the pilots started the engines, the wind whipping through Eira's braid.

"Our copters will transport your units and our drones will be capturing your every move. Audiences get to vote in real time and determine your ratings. Best of luck and I'll see you in the next round!"

The screen fades to black, and Florian motioned for everyone to hurry. "Let's go! It's a race against time. That damn announcer always leaves that out." He turned to Lars with a fierce grin. "Watch us closely, Captain! We'll make you proud."