New standard

After Adela's incredible performance a new standard had been set.

About five or so many prisoners came up after her and died just as fast as Yowal. Their begs and screams echoing in Niko's mind.

"Please I have a daughter."

"No not yet!"

It seemed that Tophat would bring on a new member of the audience each time. For fun. He called it 'audience participation' as the ultra-wealthy regularly engaged in these horrific acts cheering them on more than the last Niko began to wonder who it was that really lacked life.

Niko looked at Brown-haired in front of him who was now shaking in angst.

"Are you afraid?"

Talia butted in.

"Of course."

"I'm not talking to you."

The Lizor turned around to stare Niko down. His brown eyes perfectly matching Niko's aqua blue.

"There is a nothing a man has to fear when knowing the eminence of death."

He paused and took a sigh for a moment.

"I am not afraid."

A sudden rush of fear wrapped over Niko, how had he been so stupid? He hadn't decided what to say his talent was yet! Niko could not carry large weights nor could he perform advanced dance rehearsals the only thing he had was his intellect. Could counting to a really large number work? No that'd get him killed instantly. Perhaps he could perform a card trick, yeah, That might work! Niko turned round to Talia deciding to consider her opinion seriously for the first time.

"Would it be good to perform a card trick as my talent?"

"What does it matter? You'd be picked either way."

What could that possibly mean? Talia elaborated for the first time.

"Do you… Not know?"

"Know what?"

A small smile crept upon Talia's face. She seemed to be hiding something imporatant. Up until now she had been nothing but stone-faced.

"There's no way, they really didn't brief you did they?"

"What? What do you mean I'll be 'picked anyway'?"

For the first time the usually sombre Talia began to laugh out heartily as she mocked Niko.

"You'll see… You'll absolutely see. But trust me, you'll be fine. Did they really not brief you on anything?"

So now she was interested in him.

"They didn't brief me on anything I just woke up in the cell with you."

Which seemed to have been a colossal oversight.

Niko watched as more and more prisoners died it seemed that around five had actually managed to survive. Through pure talent, one had actually carried the boulder another had ran 10 miles in ten minutes. These impressive feats had earned them enough awe to be selected. The other three had failed near-end and still been impressive enough for selection. So far the ratio of alive to dead was about ten-to-one and Brown-haired's turn was up.

Niko thought back to what he said previously.

"I am not afraid." What exactly did that mean?

What was he not afraid of? Death? Maybe he believed he was going to die?

Tophat began his introduction once again.

"Now up next we have the Tasocano!"

So that was his name.

Tasocano stepped up once again shaking. Niko hoped he would be able to make it, brown-haired was the only person here who had treated him with kindness he felt a respectful warmth towards him.

Tasocano stood afront the stage held his breath in and then began to speak.

"You all, go to hell."

He was stabbed to death instantly.

The 'civlised rich' began to jeer and scream throwing tomatoes at Tophat. The guard who had somehow covered the distance of 8 metres in about a second, just to Brown-haired, slowly walked backwards. Tophat of course attempted to minimise the damage.

"Everybody, everybody please calm down!"

Niko wondered what his motivations were.

'Perhaps he just wanted to make a point.' The death of brown-haired / Tasocano was upsetting but it was nothing Niko hadn't seen before. It seemed Niko was up next, and he wanted to see what Talia was talking about.

If it was all nonsense he would just play a card game, he was unbeaten at blackjack (he always cheated). He could even do a magic trick. If he presented himself as entertainment he would probably earn a pretty good spot.

To Niko's surprise he was not the next person to be called out, neither was Talia. The next person was in fact whoever was behind Talia.

"Come on out jack Croach!"

He died after three minutes of carrying a boulder.

The next person was called up. This continued Talia and Niko completely ignored. Why? Tophat had said that main event would be saved for last. It couldn't be…

That Niko was the special?

As more and more prisoners them by it became apparent that something was going to happen with Niko. But then the question was that why had Talia not been chosen to come up as well? Maybe they hadn't even bothered knowing they would immediately execute her.

 'I wonder what makes me a special.' Niko didn't have any unique augmentations and if he did have a constellation he wasn't aware of it. Maybe it was his lineage. Niko never knew where his mother and father really came from so it wasn't out of question. If Niko was of royal lineage that might've been able to earn him certain benefits. That sounded nice.

More and more came up, and more and more died. It seemed the audience had been getting tired as the dead to alive ratio grew to fifteen to one. As eventually the last person not named Niko or Talia came up to the stage and was promptly shot by an older gentlman, Niko prepared himself for what would come next. His time to shine as the special.

Tophat began his introduction.

"Ok now everybody! I'm very excited to announce the main event."

Niko's head began to grow. What sort of greatness did he hold?

"Now this person has a very interesting situation!"

They were definitely referring to him. After everything he'd been through.

"Possessing a peculiar unique augmentation."

Oh god.

"With beautiful red hair would Ms Talia Sylvan please come up to the stage!"

How? What could've possibly been special about her. As Niko now sat alone at the backstage Talia began to make her way to the front.

'Did he say she had a unique augmentation?'

Holy shit. A wooden unique augmentation was almost unheard of. That was next level unlucky. Maybe the AI-program had malfunctioned and put her in a devastatingly poor situation?

Unique augmentations were almost impossible to break, could not be removed and in the (very) unlikely case that they were broken or removed it was impossible to attach a new augmentation so that part of their body would become disabled.

As Talia skipped along the stage it seemed the previously monotone and uncaring girl had been replaced with a gleeful extrovert. She took a deep breath, perhaps this was the last time Niko would get to see her true personality.

"Hi everybody, my names Talia and I have a unique augmentation!"