Chapter 17 — When the Chips are Down

  Rana squeezed my hand under the table as we both stared across to my opponent.

  Kyla shrugged. "Come on, are you seriously surprised?"

  "No," I replied, at the same time my girlfriend said "Yes."

  Rana cleared her throat, leaning forward. "When did you—"

  "Sensei doesn't have anything left to teach you," said Kyla, looking at me with a forced joviality. It sickened my stomach. Everything felt wrong. Kyla being here, facing off against me, lives and futures on the line… even facing off against Rana would have been better than this. Rana had me and a mansion to come home to, had a life outside her wish.

  Kyla had nothing. Not even her one friend anymore.

  "Nice of 'em to fix up our stomping grounds, huh?" she added, glancing around the clearing. True enough, the damage Reylon had done was completely erased. The trees had returned, and the new table and chairs were far nicer. "Almost worth the price of admission."

  "Kyla…"

  "Probably oughta get started," said Kyla, glancing at the crowd. There were still a few stragglers wandering in, but for the most part, it seemed like everyone was here. At the far end, I saw a trio of figures watching us patiently—the Enforcer, the Moderator, and the Commissioner themself. I didn't get any real sense of urgency from them, but Kyla sure seemed impatient. "Give the people what they want, that's my motto."

  "Time for a show?" I murmured.

  She smirked. "Now you're gettin' it. Well, where are we headed, mighty Noël of the Súileabhán clan?"

  For the first time ever, I winced at someone pronouncing my name correctly. My eyes fell to the board, where Kyla was already dealing out the six grounds. Seattle 2084, Candir, Wandorn Woods, the Lair of the Hunger, Fenwick Rapids, and the Charge of the Winter Battalion. Not a great draw for me, only one location that gave me a strict advantage.

  It was my ban first. Kyla impatiently tapped her finger on her duelist. I'd lost the last game we played against each other. It wasn't a League match of course, so it didn't count, but Kyla wasn't budging. She was giving me the free advantage. Stubborn as always.

  Straight for the heart. Might be your best friend, but it's still the final. You know what's at stake. "I ban the Charge," I said. My hand lifted it and set it aside, feeling momentous as I did. Every card drawn, every touch carried more weight than any game I'd ever played before.

  Kyla nodded, and without a word, tossed Seattle off the list. I went for her home, she went for mine. Made sense, and now I knew where we stood. Time to play for the advantage with everything I had. "Wandorn Woods," I struck next, tossing out the snowy forest that would have given Captain Winter an edge.

  She responded almost instantly with the Outskirts of Candir. So fast, like she'd already known exactly what I'd pick. Which, to be fair, she might—I'd played her so many times. If anyone knew my patterns, knew how to read me, it was Kyla.

  Last choice… Fenwick Rapids or the Lair of the Hunger. One very familiar, one straight out of my nightmares.

  "Hey, do we get to keep these after the match?" asked Kyla, glancing toward the Moderator. None of the trio reacted in the slightest. "It is kinda your fault this place got trashed…" That got the Enforcer to shoot her a glare, but Kyla only shrugged. "Just sayin'."

  It's Kyla. No matter what happened, I still love her. She helped me out so many times… I'm not throwing her into danger headfirst. "I ban Fenwick Rapids," I said finally, tossing the Dangerous ground aside.

  "Ooh, spicy," said Kyla, glancing back to the board. "Guess we're making this a horror movie."

  "Fee amaan Allah," murmured Rana, squeezing my hand tight as the roar of the wind erupted through the clearing. Our world faded out once more, disappearing into the swirling rainbow of color. The Commission trio disappeared, but the audience came with us, a shimmer surrounding them like a shield. Not at risk like we'd been as spectators, it seemed. They wanted everyone to see the game play out, wanted the whole League to know that it was possible to win.

  Give people just enough hope to keep them trapped in the cycle.

  I was beginning to see through the surface of their system. It had mechanisms to lure people in, to keep us playing, to encourage us and make sure we gave every match our all. Who knew why—or if these people were even really human—but it was a self-propelled machine. The League would sustain itself with endless new players, so long as people lost matches but never gave up the hope to win someday.

  Today was my day. I was getting out of the cycle. Out of this whole mess, I could finally enjoy my life with my parents, with Rana—hell, even with Lloyd and Carolyn. And maybe… just maybe, with Kyla again.

  We landed in a mess of dark caves. Check appeared at my side opposite Rana. She put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed tight for just a moment, before checking her gun and falling into her customary slouch. Across the cave stood Captain Winter, in her snow-colored fatigues. A pistol sat in one holster, a rifle in another, and a rocket launcher poked out from one shoulder. She glared at us, projecting every shred of frustration and rage I'd felt from Kyla the other day, the same anger that was suspiciously absent this evening.

  Beyond them lay the Lair. Thick webs covered every surface, criss-crossing throughout the black in a sparkling web of danger. A drip of water echoed over and over from somewhere we couldn't see, unsettling in its irregular rhythm. A musty smell filled my nostrils, dank caverns mixed with a vague scent of blood. My skin crawled as I saw tiny insects flitting about. They were the many parts that made up the Hunger. This was their home, and they weren't happy about the intrusion. Occasionally, they flew through the center, an angry buzzing filling the air and causing us both to flinch.

  "Lovely," sniffed Kyla, glancing around. As I did the same, I saw Rana murmur something… but nothing came out.

  "Rana?" I asked.

  She glanced at me, said something else.

  "Can you hear me?" I tried to enunciate as clearly as I could, making sure the mouth movements were obvious.

  Rana slowly shook her head.

  "Guess it's just you and me, grasshopper," said Kyla.

  "Yeah." I nodded. As friendly as I felt appropriate—not a smile or anything, but… something like before at least—I tried to get something out of her. "So… how's the League been for you?"

  She rolled her eyes. "No."

  "Huh?"

  "No, we're not doing this." Kyla put down her first card, starting the first bout of the tournament. Captain Winter drew her pistol, cocky and self-assured. Check's hand rested on the hilt of her katana, still in a slouch but with a newly dangerous air. Violence could erupt at any moment. It would erupt, the moment I played my first card.

  "Kyla, I—"

  "Places to be, things to do, rich girl," said Kyla, interrupting me yet again. She glanced around. "I've got a long walk home after I win, and it's gonna be even more dark and depressing than this hellhole."

  I frowned. "You won't win."

  "Prove it," she shot back. "Play your damn card."

  My hand moved without thinking. I slammed it down on the table. Instantly, Check launched herself forward, her katana slicing straight down Captain Winter's outstretched arm. Blood spattered across Kyla's face. She'd played a Block, myself a Strike.

  The Captain jumped back, panting a little. Check sheathed her katana, falling back into her slouch. She glanced at me and nodded.

  "The hell?" asked Kyla.

  "What?"

  She glanced behind her, at the now-vacant spot where the Commissioner once stood. "Hey, is this a joke? Her duelist is, like… alive. How's that fair?"

  No response came. It seemed like a couple people in the audience had reacted, but most remained silent, watching our duel with stony silence. Only Rana really moved, as her hand squeezed mine under the table. She hadn't let go since we started. It made a huge difference to me, even if I couldn't hear her, that she was at my side. I had support.

  Kyla had nothing. Not even the Captain, as inanimate as most duelists I met.

  She swore as she realized nobody was going to do anything. Her hand slapped down another card, glaring at me as if I'd cheated somehow. "Doesn't matter," she muttered.

  "I didn't do anything special," I said. "You gave me Check, remember?"

  "And I'll wipe the floor with both of you," Kyla snapped. "No tricks, no special privileges. I know you, Noël."

  The duel began in earnest. Check dodged or blocked most of what Captain Winter threw at her. This was the early game, where I always excelled. Kyla might have known me better than most, but she was off her game. She wasn't as used to League matches, or to the physical presence of our duelists next to us, and it showed.

  She winced at every cannon-blast of Captain Winter's massive pistol, ducked at the katana slashes slicing just above her head, practically fell to the floor as the Captain's flag-tank fired a shell straight through the cavern walls. It was a nightmare and a half. Insects scattered everywhere. Many landed on me, skittering and crawling about. I could feel every miniscule leg tapping on my skin, their deadly mandibles ready to tear me into tiny pieces. More bugs landed on Check, on the Captain, on Kyla.

  Instantly, Check turned to me, pistol raised. I had a split-second where I feared this was my moment somehow—that I might meet the same fate as Reylon—but Check pressed a button on the side rather than pull the trigger. An electric shock blazed around the two of us. Every single bug was fried, leaving a pile of scorched corpses in our wake.

  "Thanks," I gasped, brushing the last few off my shoulders. It was awful, but liveable. I'd been through far worse, as the twinge in my shoulder reminded me. Across the table, Kyla wasn't so lucky.

  She cursed even louder, throwing insects every which way. The Captain managed to get all hers off, doffing her combat jacket in the process. Kyla desperately flung her hoodie aside, leaving only a plain white t-shirt underneath, but still the bugs persisted.

  I glanced to Check. "Can you—"

  Without hesitating, Check fired her bug zapper again. The rest were fried.

  Kyla took a couple seconds to realize what had happened. I waited for her to look up before I spoke. "You okay?"

  "This isn't supposed to be a Dangerous ground," she grumbled.

  "None of them bit me," I noted aloud. "Must be safe, just… uncomfortable."

  "Lucky you, future-gadget-girl over there with your fancy bug zapper."

  "What is your problem?" I shot back. Kyla raised an eyebrow, which only set me off further. "I didn't have to do that. I just saved you. She did," I added, tossing my head at Check. My duelist didn't react in the slightest, eyes and headgear still locked on the Captain. "I'm your friend, Kyla. Your bestie. Remember?"

  She didn't respond, except to put down another card. I waited a few moments, but with nothing forthcoming—and with a visibly-impatient crowd surrounding us—I reluctantly returned to the duel.

  Whatever our own feud, it didn't extend to Check and the Captain. They fought hard, but nothing like the vicious beatings I'd seen between her and Cynthia Warbeck. This was a proper duel, the Captain's military honor against Check's street-samurai code. Strikes were hard, but never dirty, with each giving the other room to recover. The Captain gave as good as she got, pistol-whipping Check when she got too close and laying down bursts of gunfire from afar.

  Still, Kyla was off her game. I could tell, and so could she. Whether it was the League, the ground, or just our relationship, I was winning.

  An electrified net sprang into existence as the Captain charged in on the eighteenth bout. She was caught, inches from Check. My trap sprung, I played my combo. The disruption field appeared, engulfing both the Captain and Kyla. In a way, it made things easier, as I triggered my next move. Check's pistol charged up, and just as the field disappeared, the huge burst of blue light disgorged.

  Captain Winter was blown backward off her feet. Kyla's hair fluttered out. Check lowered her pistol, still smoking.

  ROUND ONE: CHECK.

  "Let's go," Kyla growled. I didn't bother to reply.

  Our duelists might not be showing much emotion, but Kyla and I more than made up for it. I didn't understand why she was so upset. Yeah, I leaned on her too much and I was kinda thoughtless sometimes, but… this? Kyla was practically punching the table with each card played. I felt like she might hurt herself. I needed to end this fast, for her sake. A quick win would be better than a long drawn-out slugfest. Anything to get us out of the Lair.

  The Captain dodged backward out of a slash, laying pistol shots into Check's body armor as she did. Check fell back, but managed to recover into a backwards somersault and sprang upright again. Kyla and I had both already played our next cards, and it translated into a fluid motion for Check as her own pistol sprayed across the field. Her bullets curved in midair, smart-targeting giving no chance for the Captain to dodge.

  Except she wasn't trying to.

  I realized a split-second too late that I'd walked right into Kyla's trap. I'd tried to finish the round quick and clean, with a safe attack on a weakened Captain. Kyla knew I liked to close games out safely, without much risk. I took heavy risks out of the gate to surprise opponents, but tempered it by knowing I could always pull back later.

  No such opportunity now.

  "Suppressing Fire," crowed Kyla as she threw the card down. Check's strike still landed thanks to her smart-pistol, but it didn't matter. Gunfire erupted once again in the cave, a machinegun blasting away and pounding into Check.

  My duelist fell to the ground, utterly pummeled by the rapid gunfire. A couple shots had penetrated, and blood was leaking out. She was trying to patch herself up, project a shield, anything to get herself out of harm's way—but that wasn't how the card worked. Kyla got a free shot.

  Captain Winter walked forward, leveled her pistol and fired one brutal round straight into Check's chest.

  ROUND TWO: CAPTAIN WINTER.

  I reached over and helped Check back to her feet. She was rough, but she could still fight. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. Check nodded, and I threw her a smile. Despite everything, I was actually enjoying myself a bit. Kyla was a real challenge. As I reset my board for the last round, my smile didn't go away. I wanted to win, fair and square, even without the promise of the prize.

  Damn the League, damn everything, against all odds, I actually loved this game.

  I played my next card. Kyla frowned, first at the card, then at me. I tried to read her—confusion, rage, disappointment, pain… so many emotions. One way or another though, she wanted to stop the hurt. She'd go aggressive.

  Captain Winter threw a grenade, accompanied by a few pistol shots. Check's shield bounced them aside with ease. My Block was perfectly timed. One free card for me.

  The third round was slow going at first. Kyla was playing much more cautious than usual, and I matched her slow pace. I didn't think she felt the same as me, that the game was actually fun despite everything. She clearly hated being here, and hated facing me. Some small part of me hoped it was because she still loved me… but I doubted it. I think she just wanted an easier win.

  I wouldn't give it to her. Check and I were pulling slowly ahead with each even trade we landed. Captain Winter started with a smaller health pool, so even trades favored us. All I had to do was keep it up, and the first game was mine.

  "What's wrong with you?" said Kyla suddenly, eyes narrowed, her next card hovering above the table. Mine was already down.

  "Huh?"

  "You're enjoying this crap." Her voice sounded dangerous. I was honestly intimidated. I could probably take her in a fight—and I had Check at my side, for that matter—but I recognized a desperate rage bubbling under the surface that I'd never heard from someone else before. I knew just how powerful it could be. "This is fun, is it? Beating me in front of the crowd, taking your glorious victory lap?"

  I shook my head. "This is serious. You know what's at stake. My parents are on the line here."

  "My life's on the line," Kyla shot back.

  "And it still will be!" I cried. "Yours doesn't have to be now. I'll help you."

  "Arrogance of the rich yet again, Noël," she snapped. "You always know what's best for me, don't you?"

  "What?"

  "This!" said Kyla, gesturing around us in a wide arc. "You knew about the League from what, day one? Is that why you moved here? You and Lloyd?"

  "No, that's not—"

  "And why didn't you tell me? You knew what my life was like. A wish would change everything."

  "It still can." I shook my head again. "I just wanted to make sure it was safe first."

  Kyla laughed bitterly. "Like I've got anything worth living for anyway. Just one friend, who… well," she added with an eye roll. "Whatever, Noël. Not gonna spell it out for you. Your life got shaped by the League, now it's my turn."

  "My… what?" I asked, taken aback, but Kyla didn't reply again. She played her card, and Captain Winter sprung into action, while I was still desperately puzzling out Kyla's meaning.

  Suddenly, Kyla was back to her old self with a vengeance. Cards flew fast and smart. Captain Winter ducked katana slashes with ease and peppered Check's armor with gunfire. As Check tried to feint into a stab, the Captain just shrugged and pulled a shotgun from yet another holster. The resulting blast near-deafened me, while Check was thrown onto her back.

  I couldn't get back into it. No matter what I tried, Check and I kept taking hits. I felt each one—not literally, but still, it was like I was getting pushed further into despair with each hammer blow of gunfire to poor Check. The crawling insects and dank discomfort of the Lair amplified it all tenfold. We were on the edge, and my mind couldn't focus on the game in front of me.

  My life… shaped? What? Does she mean—

  No, can't be. I already confirmed Lloyd was rich before all this, and my parents weren't involved for sure. They never had time, and they weren't the type to play games. I'd never even heard of Riposte before Kyla. So… what?

  I played another card, knowing it was over, but too stubborn to concede. Check likewise didn't look ready to give up for anything. I would never concede to Kyla again. She'd made the rules of engagement plenty clear—we weren't friends anymore. No courtesy, no dignity. I'd drag it out to the bitter end. She'd have to earn every single inch if she wanted her wish.

  One last burst of the Captain's uzi, and Kyla was one step closer.

  GAME ONE: CAPTAIN WINTER.

  ***

  The audience murmured and whispered around us, though of course I couldn't hear them. For all I knew they could be shouting. It didn't matter. I was stock-still in my chair, staring across the board at a victorious Kyla. One game down… one game away from being eliminated, separated from my parents, possibly forever.

  It's not over yet.

  I felt Check's hand on my shoulder again, but I'd already steeled myself. Rana too was trying to get my attention, but I just shook my head. The Lair shimmered around us, but hadn't gone away yet. We needed to select where we were going next, it seemed. Since I'd lost, it was my pick.

  One game down. More importantly, the game I was supposed to win. I was strong out of the gate, and everyone knew it. No wonder Rana looked so worried. If I was already down, Kyla was in a great position. She was better at the long game. We rarely played best-of-five, but when we did, she nearly always won. This was best-of-three, but still.

  I could take us to the obvious choice, downtown Seattle. It was Check's home turf, it gave us a clear advantage, and the Captain didn't get anything from it. However, she also didn't lose anything… and predictability was my weakpoint right now. Kyla knew my moves, knew my patterns. Even the runback to the Lair was too risky, with my mental state and Kyla's momentum. I had to change things up.

  My eyes fell on Fenwick Rapids.

  Even in my non-League duels with Kyla, I never went Dangerous. Maybe bad memories, maybe just because it left too much to chance… I couldn't say for sure. In that moment, game two with my future on the line, I needed a blindside. I knew the place, I'd been there and fought to the bitter end there.

  I'd watched Reylon die there.

  It's game two. Kyla won't die. Check can save her if it gets that far.

  I knew what was coming. She wouldn't have a clue. It was the best advantage I could pull.

  My hand shuffled the rest aside. The Lair began to swirl into mesmerizing color as we were lifted away. My heart beat hard and fast in my chest, while Rana wrapped her arm tight to mine. She knew this was where her friend lost everything. Knew the risk I was taking, the danger into which I'd just plunged us all.

  We landed on the raft, the exact same as before. Instead of Reylon and the finery-clad Cynthia, I had Kyla and Captain Winter. One thing remained the same—Kyla's glare matched Reylon's, wrinkle for wrinkle. They both held a complicated hate of me, borne of the League's machinations and of my own unknowing actions. The water crashed against the sides, bringing back to the present.

  I laughed aloud. The audience was on the banks of the river, and already fading into the distance. They weren't keeping up with us. In only a minute, they'd be completely gone, leaving just the five of us.

  "Well that was some poor planning," said Kyla.

  "They could always run and watch." I grinned, and she smirked back. It almost felt like normal, just for a moment. Rana smiled too, and it seemed like that was the straw to break Kyla.

  "Well, you got me all alone," she said, the sardonic tone back in full, "let's get it on already. Or am I still not good enough for you?"

  "Come on," I sighed. "Can't we just—"

  "Nope." The raft bucked on an odd part of the river as if to accentuate her harsh tone. Kyla put down her first card, eyes set in a stony expression. Not a glare anymore, just… focused.

  I glanced down at my own cards. One of everything, except a Recover, which was useless on turn one anyway. I had every option in the world… and it paralyzed me. There was so much on the line. I was already one game down. One loss away from elimination, one misstep to losing my parents. I couldn't move.

  "Don't give up," came a murmur at my side.

  I glanced at Check, and Kyla's narrowed eyes followed suit. Check wasn't watching the Captain anymore like she was supposed to. She glanced between the two of us, pistol in hand, upright and not casual in the slightest.

  "Audience is gone, so you can talk now, is that it?" asked Kyla snidely.

  "Yes," said Check, shocking us both into silence. Only the sound of the river remained, water lapping up against the wooden raft. I could barely make out the distant waterfall if I focused. My eyes were locked on Check though, on my suddenly-animate partner. She'd never been conversational before. What was this?

  "...You were one of us, weren't you?" I asked finally, desperate for an answer.

  "What?" asked Kyla.

  Check shook her head. "I don't remember."

  Kyla rounded on Captain Winter, tapping her duelist on the shoulder. "Hey, you alive in there?"

  The Captain glanced at her for a moment, but quickly returned to watching Check, hands still on weapons and ready to fight.

  Kyla frowned. "What, am I not good enough for you either? What the hell did I do?"

  "I think it just takes time." I glanced at Check and got a small nod. "You haven't been dueling long, yeah?"

  "Two weeks," muttered Kyla.

  "So you…" I hesitated, guilt rushing to my head as I did the mental math. Kyla's face drifted in and out of focus as the raft rose and fell. "That's how you found Lloyd's hiding spot."

  Kyla rolled her eyes. "Duh. And then got to enjoy my best friend, my only friend, lying to my face. Again." Her eyes narrowed, expression hardened. "Didn't win a League match before that, but beating you makes a great motivator. Now play your damn card already."

  Her voice dropped to a growl by the end. Simultaneously, Captain Winter took a more aggressive stance. Check, after one last concerned glance my way, shifted to a similar pose. They were ready to fight—to kill. Rana, glancing between us totally lost, squeezed my hand, but she couldn't help. This was just me and Kyla, and it wasn't going to be a light duel anymore.

  I wasn't going to make it one either. Kyla'd gotten on my nerves now. Yeah, she was pissed, but so was I. The rules forbid me from telling her unless I was inviting her in, and this wasn't safe. This was a nightmare and Kyla didn't know the half of it. I'd made the best decision I could at the time. I laid down my first card.

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  Check jumped to the side as the Captain pulled a shotgun. The deafening blast had all three of us wince, but Check didn't seem perturbed in the least. Normally on a first-round Dodge, I'd play a Prepare, get myself some free cards and start loading up on combos. Captain Winter was different—she could accelerate damage very quickly if I gave her the chance. She had a big weakness though, in her low starting health. If I could get out ahead early…

  The Rapids would win it for us, no matter how I played.

  I dropped a Charge. Check glanced at me, surprised, but she still threw out her pistol arm. A blast of blue-white energy erupted, slamming into the Captain's shoulder and shoving her a few steps back on the raft. Check lowered her arm, still watching me, not even bothering to give Kyla or her opponent a second look. Her lips curled into the slightest smile, so subtle I doubted even Rana noticed.

  She knew I'd got my confidence back. I had a plan.

  The duel started in earnest. I played fast, very fast. Kyla, having started both duels so aggressively, was put on her back foot. My cards dropped almost as fast as each round ended, and soon Kyla was the one second-guessing herself, overthinking every move.

  Captain Winter ducked and weaved between gunfire, pulled from a dizzying array of weapons, even charged with a bayonet at one point. Her bullets sprayed the back of the raft, loud popping sounds accompanying each burst of wood blasted off the back of the raft. A few shavings struck me in the back of the head, prompting Rana to check for blood. I didn't even notice.

  Check likewise dodged as much as she fired her own pistol. Her katana stayed mostly unused. She seemed reluctant to approach the heavily-armed Captain. I couldn't blame her. Kyla's duelist packed a lot of heat. We weren't doing a lot of damage, but we didn't need to. The last round had told me everything about Kyla's options in a tough situation.

  Bout five arrived, and with it, the gunships. Kyla glanced skyward at the approaching beat of helicopter blades. They weren't visible yet, but as soon as we played our next cards, they would be. She looked nervous.

  "Ever been to a Dangerous ground before?" I asked, pretty sure I already knew the answer.

  Kyla hesitated and shook her head. "We're… we're safe, right?"

  "Remember when I came back to class half-dead and smelling like a swamp?" Another hesitation and a nod. "Talvela's Grief. I got stabbed through the shoulder by a chunk of ship mast thrown by a kraken. Had to throw that shirt out from all the blood."

  "Holy…" She winced, looking at me with the first thing approaching concern all day. "How did you…"

  I shrugged, trusting it would throw her off her game even more. "Got lucky."

  Kyla's hand quivered as she dropped her next card. My first thought was a cautious play, but a memory of her home popped into my head—Kyla's mom confronting her and Kyla giving back as good as she got, even with the fear. She didn't back down. This would be something aggressive.

  Captain Winter rushed at us with her shotgun bayonet stabbing forward. Check's holo-shield popped up, stinging my eyes. My duelist bent with the blow like a tree in the wind. She came up without a scratch. Sure enough, Kyla had played Charge. She growled with frustration in unison with the Captain, but it was quickly drowned out.

  The gunships opened up.

  Cannonfire raked the river around us. Huge splashes burst over the gunwales, soaking us. Check and the Captain dove to the deck while Rana fell below the table. Kyla was frozen, mesmerized by the chunk of boat suddenly missing near us. She wasn't taking cover. The explosions were getting closer. Deck splinters were already shooting by our faces, and one had sliced across my bare forearm.

  My mind was racing. The world fell into slow-motion. Should I take cover? These weren't the flechettes from last time. What about Kyla? I could leave her up here. This was the advantage I needed—Kyla injured by a ground I knew well, distracted, easy pickings for the opponent who knew her best in the world. It'd be so easy. I just had to do nothing. No witnesses, since even Rana couldn't see from this angle. Just… take cover myself and leave her to her fate.

  I leapt forward.

  Kyla's eyes widened in the split-second before I tackled her to the deck. The boat cabin behind her shattered as a cannon blast slammed into it. Wood shards shot across our heads. If either of us had been standing, or even seated for the duel, we'd be in serious pain.

  Kyla's eyes were shut tight as she froze beneath me. The cannons were past our boat now, but I did my best to shield her from the remaining debris. My eyes caught Rana's under the table. Check crouched a few inches away, shielding her as well. She nodded to me, reassuring me of my choice.

  As the gunship roar subsided, Kyla's eyes slid open. She coughed and cursed, trying to catch her breath. Her hands shoved me aside. I forced my annoyance aside as Rana scrambled forward, checking me for any injuries. Kyla meanwhile examined herself, while the Captain stood idly above us, watching Check with a steely glare.

  I winced as Rana plucked a fair-sized wood splinter out of my arm. "You okay?"

  Kyla stopped. Her head twisted around to face me like clockwork, an unpleasant lopsided grin stamped on her lips. "Flattered, but you're not my type. Go tackle some other hot chick. I don't want it."

  "The hell is wrong with you?" I snapped. Rana fell away as I got to my feet, Kyla only a second behind me. "You know, you didn't tell me that you'd joined this. Goes both ways here."

  "I was going to," she said, her voice subdued. It caught me off guard. My own rage deflated completely. "I was so damn excited. Got into a secret Riposte tournament that could literally change my life, saw my favorite character come to life, my best friend was finally happy with her girlfriend, and I was about to go hang out in her fancy mansion and play my favorite game all day. Best day of my life, right up til I got in the car and saw your card."

  I stayed silent. The boat gently rocked in the drifting river. To my relief, none of the cannon blasts had sprung a leak—yet. Kyla shook her head as she went on, while the rest of us watched her talk. I wondered what Rana thought of all this. Hopefully she could read lips.

  "You've been doing this for months. Found out the first day, didn't you? When we followed Rana to that parking garage?"

  I nodded.

  Kyla's mouth twisted into a weak, sad smile. "See what I mean, grasshopper. Day one, you were already lying to me. I never hid anything when you asked, but when I asked? When it mattered? I wasn't good enough. I didn't matter."

  What was I supposed to say? Her words felt like a false equivalency. Not only that, I was specifically barred from telling, unless I wanted to commit Kyla into this world myself before I even knew what it was. Angry rants aren't usually logical though. Instead, I walked over to my chair and sat down, picking up my perfectly dry, untouched hand of cards.

  "Just using me like you always do," sighed Kyla.

  "What?"

  "S'what everyone does," she muttered. "Don't beat yourself up about it too much. I'm the punching bag."

  I put down a card. "Your move."

  Kyla nodded. "Yup."

  We continued the duel in silence from that point. Check ducked under the Captain's blasts, slashing out her legs and spilling blood everywhere. Some of it splattered across Kyla's arms, but she played on heedless. As we plunged into the rapids, the raft bucked and kicked us around. Rana hung onto my arm, while Kyla and I grabbed onto the table. Compared to the gunship strafing run, this was practically tame, but I didn't mind. I had support. Kyla had none.

  One last attack right as the roar of the waterfall began to echo in my ears. As the voice faded away, the waterfall did along with it, to my relief. I didn't exactly want to test Check's equipment in freefall again.

  ROUND ONE: CHECK.

  The second round was even more one-sided than the first. Kyla floundered in the chaos of the river ride. She'd caught me off guard in the first game, but this one was already mine.

  Check dodged and slashed, the Captain fired and ducked. Their fighting styles were at odds—my duelist favored one-on-one close quarters duels in alleyways, where a good knife was just as effective as any rifle. Captain Winter would normally be on an open battlefield, mounted on her flag-tank or deep in the trenches. If this were a real fight, Check would win in a heartbeat, between her advanced tech and her skills.

  "Real" wasn't the right word, as the waterfall roared back to life just down the river. This was plenty real.

  I let it get to me. As Kyla played her next card, two bouts away from the next danger trigger, I pushed harder than I should have. She knew by now that I knew the ground, knew what was coming, and lured me into a trap. I wanted to finish it fast and get us out of here.

  Check rushed forward with a slash, but the Captain dodged it as easy as blinking. Her shotgun twisted around, and a blast thumped into Check's side. My duelist stumbled, blood flying from the impact. I winced, now with a newfound respect for Kyla. She was willing to keep us here longer to get the advantage. Just like I would have done.

  No more time to dwell on it though as the boat picked up speed. We were heading for the waterfall, and this time, the raft had taken far more damage. I wrapped my arms around Rana.

  "Hold on tight," I shouted in her ear above the rush of water. A moment later, arms wrapped in a thick duster encircled us both. Check's grip tightened as the raft tipped over the edge—as I watched Kyla fall away from us.

  Check's coat deployed wings just like before, and we began to glide down, but there was a problem. Last time it was just the two of us, and the tech had only really been built for one. We were still going down fast, and with way less control. I saw Kyla plunge into the water below with a huge splash, Captain Winter right behind her. We braced for a similar impact, but that wasn't our fate.

  We were headed straight for the jungle.

  Check tried to close the wings at the last possible moment, but we'd picked up too much forward momentum. Our tangle of bodies overshot the water, crossing the riverbank and plunging straight into the thick jungle on the other end. My shoulder crashed into a tree with a huge thud. Rana and I were torn out of Check's grasp and tumbled to the dirt.

  Dazed and aching all over, I spluttered from a fern that had made its way inside my mouth. Rana next to me was spitting up dirt. She still didn't make a sound, in a darkly comic version of some silent film. I tried to stand, but a sudden spike of pain put a stop to that.

  My arm felt like it was on fire.

  The shoulder that took the impact was all sorts of screwed up. My arm bent at an unnatural angle. If I tried to move it or put any weight on it, the pain tripled. My eyes screwed up as I gasped for breath, trying to hold it together.

  Rana stumbled over and helped me to a sitting position against the nearest tree. To my relief, she seemed to have gotten away with just a few scratches. I'd shielded her from the worst of it.

  Check likewise looked okay as she emerged from deeper in the jungle. She took one look at me and dropped to my side, picking out an auto-injector from inside her jacket. I felt a quick pinprick in my neck as painkillers shot through me, dulling—but not completely—blocking the pain.

  "Anything to fix this?" I grunted, though of course I knew there wasn't. Same as when Check broke her own arm in the book, all I could do was put it in a splint until I could get to a real doctor. Check was already digging in her coat for anything to use… but there was nothing. She only had bandages, and neither Rana nor I had anything on us.

  Check glanced at Rana. "Your scarf," she said abruptly. She pointed at the hijab.

  Rana paused, her eyes sparkling as she considered. I wasn't sure what she was thinking. Disregarding every other complication from that suggestion, was it even large enough? Yes, it was, and it had stayed fairly clean despite everything we'd just been through. I couldn't ask her to do it though.

  Without another moment's hesitation, she tore it from her head and handed it over. I tried to look at her, see her expression, but Check was already tying up my arm and the pain completely blinded me. By the time I pulled together, Rana was already at my side and helping me to my feet.

  I wondered if Check knew what she'd just asked of Rana. Islam never really came up in her world. That didn't mean it didn't exist there… did it? How did any of this work? I wished I knew, but it was too much for me in my present state. I had a game to win.

  We emerged from the jungle to find the raft stuck on a rock near the pool exit. Kyla was sprawled on the deck, staring into the sky with the Captain panting beside her. I forced myself to walk steady, my arm wrapped in Rana's beautiful scarf. It was a tiny hop onto the raft from the riverbank, but it felt momentous.

  I sat down at the table again, Rana and Check at my side. Rana tried to pick my hand up for me, to avoid using my broken arm, but her hand simply passed through my cards like they weren't there. She sat back dismayed. Kyla stayed on the deck for a while, staring up into the jungle sun. The raft still hadn't left the waterfall pool—I assumed it would when we started playing again. Kyla looked awful. There were bruises all over, her lip was cut open and bleeding, and she was completely soaked from her plunge into the water.

  "You okay?" I asked.

  Kyla sighed, but gave me a nod. She still didn't say anything, or get up from the deck. My arm kept throbbing with pain, but thanks to Check's painkillers, I could stand it. I'd be looking for a doctor ASAP—and with Lloyd knowing about the League, I was way less reluctant about that now—but I'd be fine for now. Maybe Kyla could use some of the same… if Check were willing to share.

  I was considering asking when Kyla spoke up.

  "It's worth it, right?" She pulled herself up to a sitting position, watching me from the deck. She was breathing heavily, and I realized even with my broken arm, she'd been beat up way worse than I had by the rapids. "All this crap for a wish, yeah? Something life-changing."

  "We're all here, aren't we?" I pointed out. "Nobody got tricked into this."

  "Didn't get all the details either," said Kyla. She sighed again, but got to her feet and pulled herself across the raft to sit at the table once more. The moment she picked up her cards, the raft kicked into motion again. The game was back on.

  Almost.

  "What did you mean?" I asked quietly, examining my own cards. I had to play left-handed from here out, but it wasn't too bad.

  "Huh?"

  "That your life was on the line." I thumbed my hand, thinking about what to play, waiting for her response to decide.

  Kyla didn't answer. After a few moments, raft gently rocking us and a pleasant misty breeze drifting across my skin, she put down her next card. I waited, but Kyla looked determined to play it out to the end—an end just around the corner, I realized. No matter what Kyla played, I could win in three moves. She probably knew it too, unless she was betting on a really terrible set of cards in my hand. No wonder she looked miserable.

  Despite everything, despite my earlier decision to win no matter what it took, I was worried about her. Kyla wanted to win as desperately as I did. Rana squeezed my hand as I put down the first card. Check sprang into motion, and that was it.

  GAME TWO: CHECK.

  ***

  A rumble shuddered to life beneath my feet. It shook my whole body, sending a small spike of pain through my arm. The card table morphed into a metal extension of thick armor plating. Each card on its surface defied all sense of physics as they stuck to the table like glue. As the world faded in, biting frost cut across my face.

  I winced as the cold settled on my body. Rana huddled close for warmth, while the audience sat around us atop nearby vehicles, the Commission at the rear of our own. They seemed not to care about the biting chill. Lucky them.

  We were atop Captain Winter's flag-tank in the midst of a deadly winter. On the horizon sat a war-torn city, which the Captain was en-route to liberate. A thick forest lay between us, but a path had already been torn through it by advance bombing runs and infantry scouts. Motorcycles and scout cars darted around the huge tanks, arrayed in a tremendous line facing toward the massive city.

  Everything about Captain Winter's story was massive. The tank below us was as big as a house, with multiple levels, living quarters, a galley, even a small garden. In a world of eternal frost, it was a mobile home for her and her crew, a place away from the rampant icy chaos—until called upon to create some themselves.

  I wondered if there was another Captain below us in the primary gunner seat. If I just reached down and popped the hatch, would we see a clone of Kyla's duelist?

  Kyla put down her first card, hand shivering. She was dressed warmer than me, but her clothes were still soaked from dropping straight into the waterfall pool. Since we'd landed in the jungle, the sun managed to dry us off before moving here. We'd be just fine, but Kyla looked like she might die of pneumonia if this game went long.

  To my relief, Captain Winter noticed as well. She leaned down and banged on a hatch. A few seconds later, a hand thrust out holding a fur coat lined with heating elements. The Captain draped it around Kyla's shoulders and flicked a switch. Faint wisps of burning metal coils tickled my nose. Almost immediately Kyla looked much happier.

  "Thanks," she said, glancing at the Captain. Kyla got a curt nod in response. I would've felt it impersonal, but Kyla looked even more comfortable. She turned to me, confidence restored. "Home court advantage."

  "You chose it," I said blandly. Not entirely sure why I replied, I didn't have any grand strategy. I just wanted to say something. Everything about the game had me on edge. My clothes were pretty thick, and Rana had moved inside my coat for warmth, but it was clear we were at a disadvantage here. I'd want to win fast.

  Case in point, I put my first card down. Check leapt into action, catching the Captain off guard. Her katana whipped forward in a wide slash, cutting a bright red line across her blocking arm. The Captain stumbled across the icy armor plating, but her spiked magnetic boots helped keep purchase. Check had no equivalent, relying on her skill and instincts to keep balance in the harsh wind.

  The duel began in earnest. The final game, our wishes on the line, Kyla and I were both playing cautious. Check would strike at the same time the Captain blocked and vice versa. Neither of us wanted to open ourselves up to an easy combo or a charge counter. It was all just chip damage.

  As we approached the sixth bout, I realized I'd fallen into a trap. Sure, a long game would favor Check, between the higher HP total and better combo potential, but this was Kyla's home turf. She knew everything that might happen. I'd only skimmed the book—military sci-fi just wasn't my thing. The Captain also got some advantages here that Check couldn't match. I managed to get a free Prepare in as Kyla dodged nothing, but before I drew my cards, it was the Battalion's turn.

  We'd reached the forest.

  A path had been cleared by advance bombers, but that still left a ton of arbor debris in front of us. Lead tanks lowered hood attachments like moving woodchippers, plowing through bursts of sawdust and snow. It slowed us down—too much. The enemy was bound to strike, as I realized a split-second too late.

  Two things happened at once. Gunfire began to pepper the sides of the line, tiny rifle flashes from the remaining tree canopy. Bullets flew straight through the audience unimpeded to strike the sides of our tank. The clangs of bullets on armor rattled my skull. It was a rough ambush, but it had nothing compared to the deep rumble as mines began to detonate.

  A tank far to our right exploded in a huge gout of orange and black flames. Fire roared into the sky like an angry dragon erupting out of the earth. The shockwave blasted into us and nearly knocked me to the metal, searing heat following in its wake. Another blew apart a rocket truck to the left. Some of the rockets detonated right there, shrapnel peppering the tank, while others fired off at random into the sky or far ahead of us.

  One piece of metal shot straight through my broken arm, re-igniting the pain I'd nearly forgotten. I gasped. Rana hurriedly re-adjusted the splint, applying one of Check's discarded bandages to the sudden wound. I was hurt, but I'd gotten through it. Check was hurt too, taking a few pieces of shrapnel and losing more HP than she should have. We were down, but not quite out. We might have mounted a comeback… but the blasts had barely begun to subside when Kyla sprung.

  "Blitz!" she shouted, as she always did. Two dice appeared on the table, translucent grey with white specks swirling inside as if they were snow globes. Kyla rolled them without a moment's hesitation… and got double-sixes. I had a split-second to react before the artillery opened up.

  Far behind the line, the first booms echoed across the hills. Huge guns meant to pound cities to dust were zeroed in on Check. We were about to be ground zero for the strongest artillery barrage in the entire world, one of the keys to Captain Winter's dominance on the battlefield, and Kyla had rolled the highest possible damage.

  Check shoved Rana and I out of the chair. We slammed to the surface and skidded across the icy plating right to the edge. My face was suddenly peeking out twenty feet down to the next level, just above the roaring engines. I twisted around just as the first shells began to fall.

  The blasts landed one after another, hammer blows that would have killed anyone but a proper duelist. No shrapnel, since this was a duelist move and not part of the ground, but I likely would have been deafened nonetheless. I winced with each one, tears in my eyes as Check was tossed about like a ragdoll. Seven, eight, nine, ten… I counted in my head until the twelfth shell landed.

  As the final smokey blast subsided, Check fell to the plating. She was battered, her jacket torn to shreds, heavily favoring one leg… but she was alive. I rushed back to her, Rana a few steps behind, and helped her back to her feet. One of her arms was bleeding. I snatched a bandage from Rana's hand and wrapped it tight to stop the flow. Check smiled at me and whispered a 'thank you'.

  "'Course," I muttered, blushing a little. "I've got your back too, you know that."

  Check back on her feet, Rana and I settled back into our chairs. Kyla put down her next card. She looked angry, hurt, and… jealous? Was it Rana and I? Check and I? All three of us together? I couldn't say which. My next card didn't matter anyway—Kyla would win even with chip damage, after the huge burst from her blitz. I'd spare Check as much pain as I could, and I'd win the next round.

  The Captain loaded her shotgun, Check raised her shield. A single blast, a single pellet sneaking by the edge of the shield, and Check fell back to one knee.

  ROUND ONE: CAPTAIN WINTER.

  I wasted no time in the second round. As soon as Check was on her feet, we were on the offensive. She blasted away at the Captain with her pistol, forcing Kyla's duelist away. As Kyla tried to strike back, I dodged. Check danced out of the Captain's line of sight, avoiding a shotgun blast that would have tossed her to the next level down, and fired back. Another shot blew straight into the Captain's chest armor. A blackened hole was steadily getting deeper, threatening to penetrate and end her life.

  Kyla growled with frustration and threw down her next card. I knew that look. I could exploit it. My next card was another dodge, and then another. I dodged and dodged again. Five dodges in a row. Six. Seven. Each dodge came with a counterattack or gathering up support cards. A bombing run took out a few vehicles on the line while booming flak cannons fired into the dark sky from side-gunners all over the flag-tank. We barely noticed, we were so focused on our duel. Kyla couldn't land a single blow, despite how apparently stupid I was playing.

  "Would you stop it?" she shouted. Her hand shook with rage.

  I didn't respond. Not stupid if it's working, right?

  At the ninth dodge, the Captain was chiseled down to a quarter health. It was time.

  "I blitz."

  Check's pistol whirred into life. Kyla's eyes widened, and she desperately looked through her cards, but she'd been too focused on attacking to get any support cards. One attack from Captain Winter, one brutal stab forward with the bayonet. Check flinched, but didn't fall. Her pistol fired.

  The massive blast of energy rocked us. Shivers down my core, or it might have been the winter chill, but either way I was shook. Captain Winter's body was thrown like a limp mannequin, tossed to the deck by the bolt.

  ROUND TWO: CHECK.

  Kyla glared at me for a second before rushing back to her duelist. She helped the Captain to her feet and walked her back to the table. I couldn't tell—was she genuinely concerned, or trying to emulate my relationship with Check? Did it even matter?

  My blood was pumping. I felt like I might be sick. I could barely focus, my head was pounding so hard. The pressure was real.

  One round left.

  "Of course it'd come down to this," I muttered to Check as she returned to my side. "One to one, last game, last match, both blitzes gone, all or nothing."

  "Almost there," she murmured back, facing the ground so her lips wouldn't be so visible.

  "Thank you," I whispered. "No matter what happens, thank you."

  I played my first card, opening with a Prepare. This would be a combo game, with no surprise blitzes left in the tank. Check threw me a quick nod and faced her opponent, for what I hoped—prayed—would be the last time. Kyla watched me with a funny look. I couldn't read it. Was she upset, angry, nervous? My speculation was cut short as Kyla suddenly moved.

  She twisted around and threw up.

  "You two…" said Kyla, coughing as she turned back to us. I thought she meant Rana at first, but no, she was looking at Check. "If— didn't know better… I'd think you've got… two girlfriends Noël. Greedy greedy."

  "You look really bad," I said, genuinely worried now. My determination to defeat her had diminished as I watched her suffer. Sure, I was pretty bad off myself, but… Kyla was throwing everything at this game. She was still bleeding from earlier and there was some bad swelling, not to mention the frost covering her nose and brow.

  "My modeling career's over," she joked, running a finger across a deep cut below her eye. "So why's Check like… alive, huh? You know something. You aren't as good at hiding as you think."

  My mouth started to form a lie, something to get me out of this, but… I didn't want to lie to Kyla anymore. Not after everything. I'd lost my best friend because of lies. Except I couldn't tell her truth. Not with the Enforcer, the Moderator, the Commissioner themself right in front of us. What if it jeopardized my wish?

  I must have glanced their way, as Kyla barked a mirthless laugh. "Them? You're keeping secrets for the League? After what they did to you?"

  "What?" She'd managed to take me off guard, despite everything.

  Kyla rolled her eyes. "You're a product of this game. It's all so damn contrived, I want to hurl. And I just did."

  "You think—"

  "Look at you, look at Lloyd. You two together. I lurked the forums, talked to people, read up on you. It's obvious if you can do simple math." Kyla sighed. "They screwed your life up hard, Noël. I'd feel sorry for you if you hadn't screwed me too." She shrugged. "Actually, still kinda do."

  She put down her first card. I'd totally forgotten that I'd already played mine. Check held firm as the Captain dodged to the side, avoiding an attack that didn't exist. Good start for me, but I was still thinking about Kyla's words. She put down her next card, but I was lost in thought.

  Was I right about Lloyd? Had his fortune come from the League after all? No, I was certain it hadn't. This wasn't about Lloyd… not specifically. This was about us. Lloyd had won a tournament three years ago, right when… when my parents died. Did Lloyd wish for them to die?

  That didn't make any sense. Lloyd couldn't have known my parents. They weren't techies in the slightest. There was zero relation between us. Lloyd didn't even live in Portland at the time of the accident. He worked on self-driving car AI now, but the projects that made him rich were in data mining and analysis. Nothing related to how they died.

  Even if he was related to their death… how? Would he have wished for their death? It seemed totally out of character. He was the gentlest man I knew, and history agreed with that impression. I'd researched Lloyd on the free library computers when I heard he wanted to adopt me. Plus, what kind of wish was that? Absurd. All of it was absurd.

  Rana squeezed my hand. I spluttered back to life, as if I'd just been fast asleep. Kyla's next card was already down. Reluctantly, I played mine.

  The duel advanced slow and steady. Kyla and I were both playing very cautious. The occasional Charge, but so much recovery and prepare cards that we were both near our starting HP eleven bouts in. The sixth bout was a wash—the tank below us fired a huge shell toward the city, a place we never really seemed to approach despite always moving toward it. The burst of snow from the impact covered an opposing armored vehicle, while a fireball erupted in the distance. Onboard, we just felt the recoil, a huge shove to the side but otherwise not really that painful. Far less than some of the nightmares we'd endured already.

  It favored me, and we both knew it. Captain Winter was better in damage bursts, with a much higher output. She didn't have the combo potential Check could unleash once I got enough cards. Kyla was conflicted, torn between attacking and worrying I'd trap her in another dodge loop, abuse her aggressive tendency. There was too much pressure, too much pain, too much doubt and anguish in the air.

  Physically, both of us were falling apart. I'd taken a bullet at some point, lost in the adrenaline and Check's painkillers, on top of the shrapnel and the broken arm. Kyla likewise was bleeding under several hasty bandages. We were breaking, but I could hang on. Rana kept me sane. I couldn't hear her, but I felt her at my side, saw her hijab keeping my arm together, basked in the warmth she gave me.

  Check blasted away at the Captain between bouts. Her pistol shots flew between members of the audience, none of them flinching in the slightest. I wondered if they'd been told they were safe this time around. Maybe they didn't feel anything. I wished every duel was like that now. I loved the rush of victory, craved it to an unhealthy degree, but… I didn't want anyone to die. Not for this. Not like Reylon.

  My combo was almost ready. We were all breathing heavily. Our duelists were seriously beat up. Check looked like she might collapse at any moment, while the Captain couldn't keep a steady aim and one arm had been completely disabled. Kyla had whittled Check down pretty far, but not far enough. She knew it, I knew it. Her eyes were screwed up, her expression pained. I thought she might be sick again, but this was something else.

  Victory was closing in, like a train coming down the tracks, rumbling like the huge tank beneath our feet, an unstoppable force building up momentum in the palm of my hand—and Kyla was terrified.

  "Wait," I said, as Kyla's hand descended with her next card. She froze.

  "...What?" she asked suspiciously, eyes darting up to meet mine. There was a fire raging inside, so bright and full of emotion that I felt it viscerally across the table. I missed her so much.

  "You said you didn't win any matches before…" I trailed off, not willing to voice it. "How many?"

  "Just two," said Kyla, rolling her eyes. I was relieved she could still do it, overwhelmed as we both were. "Not that many."

  "And you worked them off?"

  "Huh?"

  My heart fell out of my chest. I glanced at the Enforcer, not sure how far I could press here. Sure enough, the severe woman's hand was on her sword. I hadn't crossed the line… yet.

  "Penalties."

  "Oh." Kyla frowned. "I've got a tournament to win. Not the first thing I'd be in debt for."

  Check's eyes flicked over to me. I knew she couldn't do anything more than that, not with the Commission watching so closely. The audience was far away, I had no idea what they might be saying. Rana hadn't a clue.

  I could win. I had the cards already. Kyla didn't know it, or she might have conceded already. In her mind there was a chance, but for me, it was already over. Play the cards, win the tournament, get my parents back, leave this all behind.

  The winter wind blew across the tank. Ice caught in my hair. Rana cleared it away and pulled the strands back inside our coat. We rumbled along, never stopping, the tank so large that obstacles were crushed beneath its treads with barely a bump in our ride. Explosions echoed in the distance as the artillery opened up on the city ahead, a city we'd actually, finally closed in on. If we made it six or twelve more bouts, I'd expect us to go in—and who knew how many ambushes awaited us in the dense streets?

  I saw a golden path ahead of me, a beautiful perfect future. My parents back in my life, returned as if they'd never left. Rana at our dinner table, sharing our food, laughing at my mom's jokes, talking with my dad about whatever inane topic he'd gotten obsessed with this week. Lloyd and Carolyn would come by occasionally, and maybe Robin sometimes.

  We'd go to school together, come home together, find a college and start a life. Maybe get a condo out in the suburbs where it was quieter, where we didn't have to worry about what people thought and could just live our lives. I'd fix the place up and Rana would have some super intellectual hobby and I'd listen to her talk about it all night while we sat on our porch swing, gazing up at the endless stars.

  Everything would be perfect, but Kyla would be gone forever.

  I wanted to win. I needed to win. My body screamed out for me to win. This would be so much more satisfying than any other duel I'd ever fought, the culmination of an ordeal that felt like it had taken hours. I had no idea how much time actually elapsed. My phone and watch were both shattered beyond repair. My clothes were ripped and torn. It would all be worth it, though, if I could just hear the voice cry out my victory, my tournament victory.

  I'd earned this. I'd fought for it, bled for it. Reylon had died for it.

  Rana squeezed my hand again, thinking I'd frozen up. She hugged tight, trying to transfer warmth to me. I think she wanted to remind me I wasn't alone here, even if I couldn't hear her. She was right, too—I wasn't alone.

  Kyla still was.

  I had Lloyd and Carolyn, I had Rana. If I were to lose… it would hurt. More than anything I'd felt since my parents died. But I could survive. I still had a home, no matter what happened here.

  Even as I considered it, my brain tried to reject the idea. What would Kyla even wish for? Money? Her parents might just abuse it and take it away from her. Would she go too far, wish for something that couldn't be fulfilled? I'd asked explicitly if mine was possible. Kyla didn't even know how penalties worked.

  Besides, she hated the real world anyway. She'd even told me once that she wished she could just be the Captain, fight her battles, live her life. It was a pretty dramatic way to do it, but… wasn't this her wish? I could fulfill that for her by winning. I'd never see her again, but… maybe that was for the best, right? She hated me. I'd ruined our friendship. Maybe we could both get what we wanted.

  Except I remembered the look on Cynthia Warbeck's face. On Reylon's face the instant before he was going to die. Check's pained confusion at not knowing if she was real or just a fictional character.

  I glanced to Check, who always seemed to know what I was thinking, and she didn't disappoint. She was in serious pain after three duels in a row, long drawn out battles in brutal landscapes. We were all exhausted, half-dead, on the edge of sanity, and she wanted it to be over. Her eyes darted to Kyla, then back to me. She shook her head ever so slightly, just as much as she could without drawing suspicion.

  Check wanted me to concede.

  "Hey sensei."

  Kyla glanced at me, blood-splattered and panting, her hand trembling—from the cold, from stress, from pain, everything. "What?"

  "What did you wish for?"

  She frowned, suspicious of me. It wasn't a strategy though. I'd already made up my mind. I just wanted to know what would come next. Kyla had two penalties, I only had one. I could get out of this with my life, she couldn't. It had to be done, as much as I hated myself for it, hated throwing myself back into the real world and away from the bright shining star of my parents' resurrection.

  Finally, Kyla smiled slightly. "Oh, you know," she said airily. "A new life."

  I smiled back, tears filling my eyes. Her own widened as she realized what I was about to do, but she couldn't say a word. "Hope it's a good one."

  I reached down and flipped Check's card over.

  A chorus of trumpets blared. The tanks all fired in unison, a cacophonous salute to the victor. Check fell against my shoulder and let out a deep breath, while Captain Winter raised her rifle to the sky in triumph. The voice came, and this time, it didn't shout the name of a duelist. No, this was the Tournament, and there was a special reward waiting for the victor—the purest exultation of victory ever heard in history.

  KYLA WICK HAS WON THE MATCH.