Tru Grit’s Fight Pits: First Tourney (Pt. 3) Watching And Learning

--- Maya Williams ---

Figuring that, (It’s probably best to at least have an idea of what the competition is about.) She went ahead and made her way back to her break room before grabbing one of the snacks off the table and watching the split screen showing off four sets of fights getting ready to begin.

“Alright, now which of these is the one we’re going to be fighting next round?” She asked the screen.

(The bottom right one.) Her insanity answered, drawing her eyes to the feed of someone wearing a black hoodie and a surgeon’s mask with their hands in their pocket.

“Huh, does that guy even want to be here?” She frowned, unable to see anything that made them stand out. At least not when compared to the other screens where she could see the other -mostly teenage- competitors at least looking like they were itching for a fight as they brought a variety of weapons from blades and baseball bats to guns and (is that a potted plant?)

(I… believe so…) Her inner reason confirmed. (I do not know what kind though…)

(Yeah, you failed that biology check.)

She pinched the bridge of her nose before turning her attention towards the last amateur fighter in this tournament, a teen covered in a mix and mash of metal and leather to form a set of patchwork armor. (Really tacky armor.)

“Please tell me we don’t look like that…” She grimaced as she looked down at her ‘gear’ while feeling more than a little self-conscious about the metal plate she was wearing over her clothes and beneath her hoodie.

(No, no. We got the Artistic Aesthetic perk. Our stuff may not be great but it is nowhere near that bad.) Her inner madness assured her. (At the very least our outfit goes together.)

“Yeah, yeah. Navi or Decker would’ve said something by now if we were dressed weirdly.” She nodded, as she forced herself to focus on the four fights going on simultaneously.

Keeping track of that much information at once would, for most people, be difficult on some level. Some of the details getting lost as they had to focus on each fight bit by bit. (But we’re bat shit crazy and this is nothing.)

While she herself focused on her fellow amateurs fighting it out, the armor kid simply rushed his opponent who merely raised a hand into the air.

Her inner logic dissected another fight between, (The gun user isn’t firing bullets, their shots are some kind of energy. The girl they’re fighting can create shields of some kind.)

And her inner insanity watched as (Ooh, plant girl is using it to bind the other guy. He’s trying to do something but, nope. He’s out. Switching to the other fight where -oof- that guy just got knocked the fuck out. You see how far he went flying from that punch? I mean where did that thing come from?)

What had her personal attention however, was the fact that in the fight for her next opponent, the guy in the armor looked like he’d run into an invisible wall of some kind. The person in the hoodie suddenly drove their other hand forward, and the armored kid was sent flying back by an invisible force.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Though that wasn’t enough to keep him down as her fellow M.A.D. sat up and pointed his fist at his opponent before firing some kind of projectile, a trail of smoke following it all the way to where it seemed to be freeze in the air,

Using the remote she changed the channel so that her fight was the only one on the screen, giving her a much better look at the projectile struggling to keep moving as the person in the hoodie locked it in place with a hand in the air.

For a split second the projectile seemed to break free of whatever invisible force kept it in place, before suddenly spinning around and flying straight for its creator where it unleashed a big enough explosion to leave her worrying about the guy.

The match was called and a pair of medics ran into the ring while inspecting the downed Deviant, before one of them gave a thumbs up towards the camera assuring everyone that the guy was still alive.

“Okay, that’s… that’s not something we want to get hit by.” She decided as she started thinking about everything she’d just seen.

(No we do not.) Her inner reason agreed.

(You sure? If he can take it I’m sure we can tank it with our superior armor.) Her less reasonable self argued.

“Let’s try not to find out.” She told herself as her eyes fell on the one in the hoodie and narrowed. “I don’t think they're an Arcane.”

It was something of a gut feeling, but something about the force they’d used to catch that explosive and send it back seemed different from what she’d seen other Arcane use.

(Meaning that they’re very likely a Psionic.) Her inner logic figured. (Not a Deviancy we’ve really encountered before.)

Psychics despite being fairly well known were also infamously secretive with the majority of the Psychic Masks she knew of from her games being Sanctuary Agents, or one of the most infamous crime lords in recent history.

(I very much doubt that this person is in any way related to Frank Sionis.) Her inner reason assured her.

“Right, yeah. I know that…” She shook her head. “Since they’re our next opponent, what all do we know about Psychics again?”

(They’re knock off magic users, but actually acceptable since they work with scientists all the time to figure out how their powers work.) Her inner Madness summarized.

(Not entirely accurate.) Her inner logic pointed out. (They can have elemental powers similar to Arcane, but they lack summons of any kind. They also have cognitive abilities allowing them to see the past and future, and telepathic abilities allowing them to read people.)

“Do… we need to worry about mind control?” She frowned, unable to help but think of why Frank Sionis had had a kill warrant that everyone knew about.

(In such a public place? No.) Her inner reason knew.

(Besides, I’m pretty sure we’re a little too -heh- crazy for total control.) Her inner insanity laughed.

“We weren’t too crazy for those Bloodhounds to Fear spam us.” She reminded her other self.

(And we snapped out of that. There’s nothing to worry about!)

While that didn’t do much for her nerves about facing a new Deviancy, it did keep her from second guessing herself until the light for the next fight turned on. Getting her to get up and once more make her way through the fight pit’s twisting corridors until she finally reached the doors leading to the ring proper.

Hopping in place she took a calming breath as she impatiently waited for the red light to turn, her ears faintly picking up the announcer introducing her opponent first before the light flashed green halfway through.

“And now our psionic stranger is up against their second M.A.D. One with far sterner steele than the first, and cybernetic spellwork to top it off!”

(It is science not spellwork you infidel!) Her inner Madness raged as she stepped through the doors, her eyes passively scanning for the announcer’s booth. (Find him and kill him Maya! The infidel must suffer!!!)

(Or we could direct this all consuming rage into something more productive…) Her inner reason suggested as her attention was drawn to the teenager in a black hoodie and surgeon’s mask standing across from her while wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Her eyes narrowed at her opponent. (Well hello, acceptable target.)