Chapter 5: A Wicked Game

“Phillip… everything is fine here, there is nothing to worry about; they fell for it I think, but a couple seem suspicious, I will have to keep my eyes on them but things are getting underway today and hopefully I will have something more to report tomorrow.” Dorian says into the phone and after listening for a moment, hangs up. He is unaware that Saraya had been wandering and came upon his place of concealment and overheard the last part of the conversation. She may be a little out of the loop most of time, but she recognizes that something is up with their overseer and is determined to find out what.

“Who was fooled; Us or someone else?” She demands roughly. “How were we fooled and what do you mean you’ll keep an eye on us?” He simply gives her a flat look. “I think it likely that you misunderstood the conversation, you only caught the tail-end after all and many things can be construed by what was said.” He replies smoothly. Saraya may not be that smart as many people, but she knows he is avoiding the question, trying to divert her off-topic. 

“Why are you reporting to someone else? Aren’t you the one running this thing?” She demands angrily. “I have a boss like anyone else, the network sponsors mostly and they want this year to be special, since it is the tenth anniversary.” He says mildly, but she still isn’t convinced. “I don’t believe you, there is something sneaky going on here and I will find out what it is sooner or later… maybe I can get some of the others’ to help me.” She says and when she tries to walk away, he blocks her path and stares her down.





“You stay out of my way and mind your own business or you will find out why I won last years’ competition.” He hisses through clenched teeth. “I won six gold medals, don’t think for a second I am afraid of you “overseer” She retorts with a superior smirk and putting emphasis on his title with a touch of scorn. 

They argue for a while longer, basically turning into a shouting match where Saraya threatens to get everyone to help her find out what is happening and with him stating she shouldn’t make a big deal of this “for her own safety” The fireworks subside and when she tries to get past him, he delivers a swift hard blow to her sternum, stealing her breath and sends her to the floor with a kick to her knee, just hard enough for it to buckle beneath her slight frame. As she gasps for breath leaning against the wall, Dorian just looks down at her emotionless; as though she were a whipped dog. 

“I won’t kill you, but I swear that if you do as you plan, I will make you wish I had killed you“. He rasps softly and leaves her there on the floor. It takes many long minutes for Saraya to recover and when she does, she goes to find someone she can talk to… someone who she believes doesn’t hate her as Ayasha has suggested before.



Blaze only seems to listen half-heartedly to what Saraya has to say and sees Dorian following him with his eyes as he walks for the barracks when the conversation is over. Whether something is wrong or not, he just can’t make himself care anymore, even the latest pranks and jokes at people’s expense hasn’t brought him out of his mild depression. Thunder, his friend since childhood has been dead only a fortnight and the pain is still very raw and festering in Blaze and threatens to overwhelm him even now if he doesn’t rein in his feelings. Also he has spent long hours contemplating his life and the downward spiral it became with Thunder’s death and the death of one of the Tri-fecta; at his hand no less. All of that as a consequence of wanting to be famous and taking a chance by trusting the wrong person. He hasn’t deserved any of the things that have happened but he only idly dwells on that fact, certain his life will end soon at any rate, though how soon just doesn’t come into his thoughts at all. 

Dorian watches her walk away too and then goes to the kitchen for a bite to eat, his food tasting like ashes, though he swallows it all and washes it down with some nectar he brought, which at least tastes good to him.





Round one begins that afternoon and starts with Saraya facing off against Tarik; who scores the first point against her with a surprise left hook to her abdomen, but when she falls into her familiar Olympic rhythm, she scores the final two points in quick sequence; a kick to his knee and punch that tries to drive him through the mat.

Owen faces off against Rowena and it doesn’t take long for the military-trained man to overcome the mostly defensive actions of Rowena, who doesn’t seem to have her head completely in the fight. His fists make her ribs and back into a mass of bruises and she thinks that luckily she will have the evening to recover or else it may slow her down tomorrow for the second heat.





Troy likewise doesn’t have his entire mind focused on the match and loses fairly quickly to Ayasha, who in a one-two blow, sweeps his feet out from beneath him and jabs her elbow hard into his sternum, taking the wind and the fight completely out of him. He is carried out of the arena by Tarik and Owen and taken below to recover from the match.

Simon and Blaze are both fully entranced in the combat they are engaged in, but even though Blaze scores the first point against Simon, he loses concentration when a random thought of his friend Thunder enters his mind. He does well in keeping the leaner man’s hands from him, but it was his feet that he should have been defending against, taking a kick to the abdomen first, then a kick to the head that lays him low and into unconsciousness.





The second heat of the competition begins the following morning and it is Saraya that is first to compete against Owen, so they move to the back to the arena with everyone watching intently as blows are exchanged in rapid succession, with neither really gaining the upper hand until Owen’s left hand snakes in for a quick strike to her sternum, giving him the first point. Saraya underestimated the foolish Blaze a couple days before and had promised she wouldn’t make that mistake again and focuses intently on her opponent. Dorian, now in his role as “overseer” again separates them and they go at each other with even more furor when he restarts the fight.Their hands and feet are blurs of motion and Saraya is on the defensive, barely keep Owen’s strikes at bay. 

She sees an opening after he miscalculates and her foot connects with his chest, sending him pedaling backwards. With only one point left to award, Owen charges back in with a guttural roar and while he does manage to keep Saraya on the defensive, his slight lack of focus becomes apparent to him as her fists connect three times in rapid succession in the center of his chest. 

Ayasha and Simon are the next to compete and do so with everyone else watching on the edges of their seats. Even though she has been coaching him a little, she easily defeats him in a short bout of combat scoring two of the three points before he could even come close to connecting on her lithe, whip-quick frame.



Rowena and Tarik square off in the arena during the third match and Rowena decides that if she gets through this first entire round of combat, she will change her look to become the “character” the overseer wants her to be for this spectacle, but for now puts all of her attention on her adversary, who ordinarily has that very mild manner and long beard beneath an easy smile, but his eyes are fixed in concentration and his beard relatively bristles beneath a lip curled in anger. 

Tarik is the first to score a point with a leg sweep that takes her down, but fails to connect with a downward thrust elbow and she scrambles to her feet and when they face off again, she falls into a steady rhythm of attack and block, lulling the unknowingly into that rhythm. When she is secure, she blasts the rhythm to pieces with a burst of motion, leaping into the air and planting a double kick into his stomach and her fist arcs across to connect with his jaw before he can recover.



The final match of the second heat is Blaze, the Orange Rooster against Troy Boardman who scores against him easily for the first point, a knee connecting with his face, leaving him stunned for a moment. Blaze recovers quickly and tries to focus, but finds that he only has a tenuous hold over it; his mind keep threatening to splinter it into shards. He manages a point against the other man in the form of an uppercut to Troy’s jaw but the man’s retaliatory strike nearly takes his head off and sends him to the floor and into defeat.

The overseer calls a recess for them to rest up for the finals; which will determine which of the finalists will be overall winner of round one and who will be the overall loser. The sim that succeeds during the winners final will get a “respite” during the second round, having the first heat to sit and watch and not compete or worry about getting in with the losers. The sim that gets defeated in the loser’s final gets placed in the “cell” until they choose which ceremony they want for their “reckoning” or they die of starvation; whichever comes first. With the finalists decided, they break for the evening having the entire following day out to rest before the finals begin.



Not long after, Rowena is relieved that she is out of the crossfire for elimination and taking the overseers advice, changes her look to something more “rough and tumble” to use his words. She changes her clothes from those available in the barracks dresser, donning something more appropriate and after removing the color from her hair, she fashions it into a simple braid so it will be out of her face, a problem she had had in the arena earlier.

Looking in the mirror, she hardly recognizes the woman staring back at her as she is leaner and more muscular than she has ever been in her life. Rowena is also more disciplined and determined than any other time in her life, now that she has gotten past the self-pity and decided to focus all her energy on just surviving the competition and putting on a good a show as she can. Already she knows the next round will be tougher still, but she will at least be there for it; not something plainly evident to Tarik or Blaze; who must be beside themselves with worry.





It isn’t long before Saraya comes looking for her, intent on telling her what she heard the overseer say the previous morning and how she is very suspicious of him, but she doesn’t get the chance. The instant she sees Rowena’s new look, she becomes enraged. 

“How dare you copy me!!” She shouts and advances on the other woman. “I have had my hair like this since I was 19 years old and about to compete in the Olympics and you think you can just do your hair up like mine and be better… I should kick your narrow ass right here and now!” She is red in the face from rage and clenches her fist as though deciding to do exactly what she said. “I wasn’t… “Rowena says weakly and backs away, not wanting a fight so soon after leaving the arena. To her surprise, Saraya turns and storms toward the barracks, kicking open doors in her path and knocking things down that “get in her way”.



Saraya heads for the bathroom and while she is still angry, she feels vengeful, truly believing that Rowena had copied her look on purpose. “That will show her… let’s see if she has the guts to copy me now!” She says triumphantly when she finishes and sets down the pair of scissors, giving herself a glance in the mirror, happy with her new look and proud that she did so well in the first round.



Not far away, Simon; having talked to Blaze at length about the substance of Saraya’s conversation, is chatting with Ayasha and telling her third-hand now, what Saraya had told Blaze, how she had found him in that lonely hallway making the suspicious phone call. Ayasha is entranced and angry all at once and goes to find the new “Overseer” in hopes of straightening things out. Before Ayasha can do anything, the “Overseer” calls them back to the arena to finish things right here and now; so they can take a more extended break once the first round is officially over. 

The competitors are all tired and sore from the nearly two full days of competition, but since he has the title of Overseer, can tell them when to fight. One by one they shuffle back into the arena and take a seat; except for Ayasha and Saraya; who are the winners’ finalists.

The battle between the two women is fierce and a very closely matched competition, leaving everyone watching awestruck as they “dance” around the arena, each attempting to get the upper hand against the other. Saraya scores the first point in the form of a solid blow to Ayasha’s midsection, but she counters right away with a jab to Saraya’s face, scoring a point in return. The last point goes to Saraya, who took advantage of a momentary stumble by Ayasha and landed a blow to the back of her head.



The mood is subdued and pensive among the spectators; those in the arena and those watching from their homes around the world as Tarik and Blaze climb into the ring for what will be the last time for one of them.

The crowd around the arena, and at home are breathless in anticipation and cheer for their favorites as the blows are exchanged by the two men in the center. Blaze and Tarik work their way around the arena, both tired from their previous fights but knowing full well what it means to fail here and push their bodies to the limits of their endurance and stamina. Punches and kicks are thrown and deflected in rapid succession and it seems to everyone watching that they are dancing. Neither is willing to concede defeat, but Blaze; in a surprise move, takes Tarik’s legs out from under him and gets kicked in the face trying to follow it up with a second attack. When they separate, a hush falls over the world as they resume the fight for what will be the last point.

There is an audible grunt as both men collide in what will be their last stand and each man tries desperately to fend off the other, while at the same time seeking an opening to exploit. Blaze surges forward in an all-out attack and Tarik falls back under the onslaught, but it is over a moment later when there is a loud pop heard from within the mangle of human flesh and Blaze Monroe staggers back clutching his side and newly broken rib, falling with a loud slapping sound to the pad below. Tarik is breathless and collapses as well from the exchange and has to be carried to the barracks; while Blaze is taken to the cell, to await his honorable demise.



Still awestruck from the surprising end to the first round, Ayasha calls her father and updates him on the status of things in the arena, though it is largely unnecessary since he was watching the whole competition on television and he expresses his pride in her skills in the arena. She tells him of Saraya and the overseer’s suspicious activities and asks if perhaps he and her Grandfather can check into this guy for her, and let her know what they come up with. Kinto Miakoda and his father (her Grandfather) Ukito may be antiquated in their methodology and running of the family “business”, but they have some very talented hackers working for them and it isn’t long before she has word from them about the “overseer”.



Armed with that knowledge, she confronts him later that afternoon, on instructions from her Grandfather. “You thought you could keep something like that secret?” She says coolly, not a hair out of place or a tremor in her voice. He is immediately defensive and shifty, trying to figure out what she knows before responding. “I mean seriously, you think that just because last years’ competition went so badly for you; even though you won… that gives you the right to try and control this one in your favor… and all for money… how petty is that?” He suddenly realizes he is in trouble and there may not be any way out of here. 

As he turns to flee, a large black car pulls up out front and four well-dressed Asians climb out and wait patiently for him; and when it becomes obvious he isn’t going to come out, they enter and “escort” him companionably out to their car and drive away. Her Father had told her that he has notified the competition founders and they would send the “real” Overseer out tomorrow.



Blaze is depressed and alone in the cell, thinking back on his life bitterly; especially the events of these last few weeks that have sent him completely into a hole from which there is no escape. He weeps piteously for the first time in years, both for his own tragic fate and that of his best friend Thunder; who he will see very soon if this truly is his destiny. He mulls long and hard over everything and realizes one irrefutable fact; he had killed the man that had killed Thunder, and no one has the right to take a life frivolously like that. 

He feels satisfaction that the man is dead, but feels nothing but dread for what is to come, if divine intervention doesn't intervene on his behalf. Like his name, he eventually chooses to die in a blaze of flaming glory should the new Overseer decide to uphold the results of the contest thus far. He can’t sleep and stays up; strangely content with his decision and knowing he is beyond redemption; though perhaps God will at least let him try.