This time, Axel asked Rose to wait with him before the fight. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust himself to be alone. Well, not only that. He just wanted her with him. With Rose by his side, he felt like he could accomplish anything. It was just a bonus that her presence kept him from over-indulging in liquid courage.
She helped Axel strap on his armour and test his jet boots. She made him flex his gauntlets and ensure his blasters were fully charged. Most importantly of all, she talked to him. ‘You can do this. You can win. This is your time. Your moment.’
The light turned red.
‘Good luck, sweetheart,’ she said, kissing him on the cheek.
Axel smiled. ‘I don’t need luck. I have you.’ He slipped his helmet on and stepped into the ready room, taking one last look at Rose before the doors slid shut behind him.
I can do this, he told himself. I can win, and I can do it in style. I’m Axel Murray. The Hornet. I’m the best young fighter this station has ever seen. When the Galactic Tour reps see me, they’re going to want me. So what if I’m going up against the Golden Hawk? He’s old. He’s had his day. It’s my turn now.
‘LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,’ the announcer called. ‘DO WE HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU TODAY? OUR VERY OWN AXEL MURRAY IS TAKING ON A TRUE LEGEND OF THE ARENA. MARCELLUS CLAY. THE GOLDEN HAWK HIMSELF. WHO WILL TRIUMPH? LET’S FIND OUT.’
The light turned green.
Axel swept through the doors before they’d fully opened. First, he ran his eyes over the arena. He didn’t intend to get caught out by another sneaky trick. Luckily, it seemed pretty straightforward; an open space dotted with a few floating steel platforms. Apparently, a match featuring the Golden Hawk was spectacle enough for the fight’s organisers and too high-profile to rig.
However, before Axel could study the field in more detail, he had to pirouette to the side as Clay shot towards him, a blur of gold.
‘Hey, kid. Nice gear. You look a little familiar, but I just can’t place why.’
Axel blushed beneath his helmet. Obviously, Clay had noticed the broad similarities in their style, though the older man’s gold-coloured gear was much, much higher quality.
Seeing him there in all his glory brought the absurdity of the situation home to Axel. Jesus. What am I doing? Axel thought. I can’t beat the Golden Hawk at his own game. He shook his head. No good second-guessing himself now. Whipping out his blasters, he opened fire. ‘No time to talk, old man. I have a fight to win.’
Clay dodged with ease. ‘Woah, old man, is it? What happened to “Mr Golden Hawk, sir?”’ He chuckled. ‘Alright, kid. Let’s dance.’
The two began a ballet of light and fury. Spinning to the side, unleashing a flurry of shots, then shooting off into the distance. Both scored hits, but neither managed to secure a decisive blow.
As time wore on, however, Clay’s experience began to show. His shots were that little bit more precise, his dodges that little bit faster. Bit by bit, Axel’s shields diminished. The more this happened, the more flustered Axel became. And the more flustered he became, the more prone to mistakes he was. Axel teetered on the brink of a vicious spiral from which there would be no escape.
He darted behind a platform, buying himself a precious few seconds to think. How can I win? We fight the same way, but he’s better than me. Plus, he has the momentum. I’m done. There’s no way I can turn this around. Unless….
Just like that, Axel had an idea. What had Clay said that night in the fighter’s lounge? Fighting isn’t about power. It’s about spectacle. Getting the crowd on your side. Getting inside your opponent’s head.
But the crowd is already on Clay’s side. He’s the Golden Hawk, for Christ’s sake. Plus, he’s winning. How can I possibly turn the tide?
Axel wanted to scream. Activating his power gauntlets, he punched the platform he’d been hiding behind. To his surprise, it catapulted through the air and slammed into an unsuspecting Clay. The crowd, who had been roaring for Clay to hunt down his prey, grew silent. One second, then two. Then they went wild.
‘AXEL, AXEL, AXEL, AXEL,’ they chanted. Clay might be a beloved celebrity, but Axel was one of their own. The chance, no matter how slim, that he could score a victory for Hades Station filled them with a rabid euphoria.
Beaming, Axel didn’t stop there. He pressed his advantage, chasing after Clay’s spiralling form and slamming a fist into his chest. Of course, things weren’t going to be that easy. Clay was a champion for a reason. Axel surged forward again, meaning to land another blow, but the veteran fighter regained control of his flight and pulled aside. The two resumed their dance, but this time there was a difference. With the crowd behind him, Axel gained an edge, a sharpness that he hadn’t possessed before. Now his shots were just as precise as Clay’s, his dodges just as fast.
Seconds stretched to minutes. Clay’s shields drained. Axel stayed on the offensive, the threat of his gauntlets keeping Clay constantly off balance.
You’re doing it. You’re actually doing it. Axel grinned beneath his helmet, his eyes sparkling.
‘THE HORNET HAS THE GOLDEN HAWK ON THE ROPES. YOUNG AXEL MURRAY HAS A CHANCE OF BEATING THE GALACTIC CHAMPION. WHO’D HAVE SEEN THAT COMING?’
Rose, Axel thought. Rose saw this coming. My beautiful, wonderful Rose. His mind drifted to his girlfriend and the life they would have together outside of Hades Station. That was a mistake. A costly one.
Though Axel’s lapse in concentration was only momentary, it was more than enough for Clay to take advantage of. Short beams of golden light extended from his gauntlets, turning them into spiked knuckle dusters. He punched out, smashing Axel in the chest.
Axel tumbled backwards. His shields shattered, his bones felt like they’d been snapped in half, and his muscles screamed in agony. As Clay hovered in front of him, Axel tried to fly away, but a couple of shots from Clay’s blasters knocked his jet boots out of action.
‘Well, kid, looks like it’s the end of the line,’ Clay said. ‘You did well, but not quite well enough.’
Clay raised his blaster to Axel’s head. But he didn’t pull the trigger. He hesitated. Only for a split second. Probably not long enough for anyone in the crowd to notice, but long enough for Axel. Gritting his teeth and silencing his battered body’s protests, Axel lunged out with a fist, punching Clay in the chest.
Clay vanished as his teleporter blinked him away to safety. Axel had won. The crowd went ballistic.
***
‘You did it! You actually did it.’ Rose flung her arms around Axel, plastering the outside of his helmet with kisses.
‘We did it,’ Axel said. ‘We’re a team, remember?’
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
As he slipped off his helmet and leaned in for a real kiss, the door to his dressing room slid open. A rotund man, whose belly strained the fibres of his black and gold jumpsuit, stepped through. A pair of horn-rimmed spectacles perched in the centre of his ruddy face.
‘Mr Murray,’ the man said. ‘That was a most impressive display, most impressive indeed. You beat the Golden Hawk at his own game. There aren’t many people who can say that.’
Axel smiled, though a slight frown creased his brow. ‘Thank you, sir. But may I ask who you are? People aren’t supposed to be back here.’
‘Of course, where are my manners? My name is Fitzgerald. I represent the GGF, and I have a proposition for you.’
Rose squeezed Axel’s arm and beamed at him. He smiled right back at her. This is it, he thought. It’s happening.
Seeing their smiling faces, Fitzgerald chuckled. ‘I see that perhaps you have some idea of what I’m about to propose. It’s my understanding that you aren’t among the tournament winners due to join the Galactic Tour, correct?’
‘I’m not,’ Axel said.
‘Would you like to change that?’
‘I would.’
‘Wonderful. I have the authority to pay your debt in full, so you may join the others when they leave. Congratulations, Mr Murray, and welcome to the Galactic Tour.’
Axel’s smile faded. ‘What about Rose?’
Fitzgerald looked back at him blankly. ‘What about her?’
‘Axel, what are you doing?’ Rose said through gritted teeth.
Axel ignored her. ‘Are you paying off her debt too?’
Fitzgerald seemed taken aback. ‘Well, er, no.’
‘But I just beat the Golden Hawk.’
Fitzgerald nodded. ‘Yes, you did. And for that, we are offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the Tour.’
‘I just beat the greatest gladiator in history, and you won’t let my girlfriend come with me? The cost of her debt is nothing to you.’
Fitzgerald pursed his lips. ‘Listen, young man. I’m not quite sure what you expect here. Marcellus Clay is a legend of our sport, true. But he’s heading towards retirement. Beating him now doesn’t mean what it once did. I think you have to temper your expectations somewhat.’
Despite Rose furiously tugging at his arm, Axel stood firm and puffed out his chest. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s both of us or neither of us.’
‘Then it will be neither of you.’ Fitzgerald turned away and stormed off in a huff, though he paused in the doorway and glanced back, his face softening slightly. ‘Look, what you did was impressive. There’s no denying that. So I’m going to cut you some slack. I leave tomorrow night. If you come and find me before then, the offer still stands.’ With that said, he left.
The instant the door slid closed, Rose wheeled on Axel with all the fury of a cornered wildcat. ‘What the hell was that? We went through all this to get you that exact offer, and you turned it down.’
Axel raised his hands in surrender. ‘I know, I know. Please, just listen.’
‘This better be good,’ Rose said, her eyes burning with barely controlled rage.
‘When I went to talk to Clay, he said pretty much the same as you. I’d been an idiot. I should have joined the Tour and earned some money. If I failed, I could’ve come back. No harm done.’
‘Yeah, you’re not exactly explaining yourself so far.’
‘Just wait, please. Later, he said that maybe I’d actually made the right decision, that I’d be lost without you. I think he was joking, but the thing is, he’s right. I need you, Rose. I can’t make it out there without you. I love you.’
Axel waited with bated breath for Rose to call him an idiot again. For her to turn away in disgust. But she didn’t. Instead, she groaned. ‘Why’d you have to go and say that?’ She embraced him. ‘I love you too, but what are we going to do now?’
He sighed. ‘Stay here, I guess. I’ve repaired my reputation a bit, and with the tournament winners gone, I’ll be the top gladiator on the station. We can make a good living. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll save enough to get out of here. Together.’ He chuckled. ‘Of course, Fitzgerald might always reconsider and come crawling back.’
As if on cue, the door slid open once again, and Axel spun around. But it wasn’t Fitzgerald. Instead, Marcellus Clay, fresh from the infirmary, stood in the doorway.
‘Miss Rose, you look as radiant as ever,’ he said.
Rose giggled. ‘You better watch that charm, Mr Clay, or I’ll ditch this lunkhead and set my sights on you.’
‘Hey,’ Axel protested
Clay chuckled. ‘Well, we wouldn’t want that. I’m a happily married man, and after the skill he showed out there, I don’t want a vengeful Axel hunting me down, either.’ His face turned serious. ‘Would you mind giving us a minute, Rose? I’d like to talk to Axel, gladiator to gladiator.’
‘Of course,’ she said and immediately strode out of the room. As Axel watched her go, he knew he’d made the right decision. Wherever he called home, he could be happy as long as he had her.
The minute she left, however, his expression soured. He had a bone to pick with Clay.
‘Some fight, huh?’ Clay said
‘I suppose,’ Axel replied flatly.
‘You don’t agree?’
‘It was fine. Until the ending.’
Clay cocked an eyebrow. ‘What? Nearly splintering my ribs wasn’t enough of a showstopper for you?’
‘It would’ve been if you hadn’t let me win.’
Clay wrinkled his brow. ‘Now, where did you get a crazy idea like that? I did no such thing.’
Axel narrowed his eyes. ‘But you had your shot. You didn’t take it.’
‘I’m getting old. I guess my reflexes aren’t what they once were.’
‘That’s bullshit, you—’
‘Jesus, H Christ, kid. Will you just take the God damn win? Sure, maybe I hesitated. Maybe I stopped for a moment and wondered whether I really wanted to beat you, whether I wanted to crush your hopes and dreams. But that doesn’t mean I let you win. It doesn’t mean you don’t deserve your victory. All it means is that you got inside my head. You had me at a disadvantage before the fight even started. That skill will be damn useful for you on the Tour.’
This is awkward, Axel thought. Time to face the music. He hadn’t considered how he’d break this news to Clay. After everything the man had done to get him his shot, would he be angry? He scuffed at the floor with his foot. ‘About that… I’m not joining the Tour.’
‘Sure you are,’ Clay said.
‘No, I’m not.’
Clay slapped a palm against his forehead. ‘Will you stop making stupid decisions for five minutes? I saw Fitzgerald on the way here. He told me what you said. It’s all sorted now. Rose is going with you.’
Axel’s jaw dropped. ‘What? How?’
‘Apparently, a stupid old man with more money than sense offered to cover the cost of her debt.’
‘But who would…’ Axel didn’t finish the sentence. He already knew the answer. ‘You? You paid off Rose’s debt?’
Clay grinned. ‘I certainly did.’
‘Sir, you can’t do that.’
‘Sure I can. It’s my money.’
‘Why?’ Axel asked, frowning. ‘Why are you doing this for us?’
Clay shrugged. ‘I like her. I like you. And I respect your love for your family. You made a good call, son.’
‘But you said it was stupid.’
‘Oh, it was. By all logic, you should have ripped Fitzgerald’s hand off. But just cos something’s stupid doesn’t mean it’s wrong. What you did, what we both did, were gambles. We sacrificed opportunities, not knowing if we’d ever see them come along again. But we did it for the right reasons.’
He sighed. ‘I didn’t tell you the whole story about my Daddy. That year, before I joined the Tour, he died. If I’d left when I was supposed to, chances are I wouldn’t have ever seen him again. If that’d happened, I’d never have forgiven myself. And I can’t bear to see your future ruined because you made the same choice I did.’
‘I… I don’t know what to say,’ Axel said.
‘How about you start with, “Thank you, Mr Clay,” then shake my hand before I change my mind.’
‘Right, of course. Thank you, Mr Clay,’ Axel said, extending his hand.
Clay reached out to grasp it, then froze. ‘Actually, there is one condition to my generosity.’
‘What?’
‘Rose is in charge of all your business decisions.’
Axel chuckled. ‘Done.’