When we arrive at the ArenaSphere, we’re greeted by security, whom we flash our VIP tickets to. They scan the tickets off our credentials and usher us into a separate entrance. We’re a little late, so there's no one outside. Inside, I can hear there’s a fight going on, the crowd roaring with excitement.
“Follow me Ren!” Migo says cheerily. “I’m not sure I can record here, but I wanted to show you guys that I am backstage at the Koujin fight!” Migo says, broadcasting the empty hallway to his stream through his credentials. “What do you mean I’m lying? Look!” he says, pointing the camera around at random doorways and people.
“You can’t film back here,” one of the security guards says, covering Migo’s credentials with his hand.
“See. I told you guys. Look for me in the crowd!” Migo says before shutting down the stream. I shake my head.
“Koujin was supposed to meet you guys, but he’s still busy warming up. Go ahead and take your seats.” The security guard says, directing us through the door to the arena. We find our seats in the front row, right in front of the ArenaSphere. The Sphere is used to contain the violence of the fight, with both combatants locked inside until one submits, passes out, or dies. As we sit, we can see the medical crew drag the loser of the previous match out.
Sanitation Droids swarm in, getting it ready for the main event, but they aren’t fast enough. I can still see trails of blood dripping their way down the inner walls.
The maximum offensive output these guys can produce is more than a person can take, even with armor. Frank said that during the 2080 rebellion, these guys would rip tanks apart and tear off limbs like they were pulling pages from a book. I can’t imagine what it was like for him to see one of them on the other side of the battlefield.
Loud music blares overhead and the crowd talks amongst themselves. Most people are probably using some kind of noise cancellation, but I am not modded, so I don’t have anything to lessen the volume. Even with the background noise, I’m close enough to make out the middle of an argument going on near the loading area. It’s Koujin, his girl, and his manager talking to who, I can only imagine, is the challenger and his own manager.
“Then why don’t we make a wager if you're so confident? Whoever loses, loses their gear,” the challenger’s manager yells, cutting the bickering to a silent halt. Koujin and his girl trade glances while his manager shakes his head behind them.
“Hell no. Winning is enough, Koujin.” Koujin’s manager says, trying to get him to decline the offer. Wise. Something feels off about those two. Koujin comes off as confident, but he’s committed to the life; so he’s not going to wager something so important.
“I’m in. I could use some upgrades, and there’s not a single human alive in MetiCity who can beat me, especially not some noso in a bird suit,” Koujin says, pushing away his manager. I am shocked, as is his girl. I can’t really make out what she whispers to him after, but I can see her face. She isn’t as confident as him. Just as they shake hands on the deal, the announcers introduce them.
“Whoa. Is that the girl you were talking about? She’s hot!” Migo says, finally noticing them in the corner.
I get a better look at the challenger before he dons his helmet. Pale and pasty like a walking corpse. Something you rarely see in the Outskirtz, but it isn’t as uncommon in MetiCity. Some guys spend entire months tapped-in, completely outside of direct sunlight. That isn’t him, though. I’m thinking it is a designer drug addiction. To be fair, you would probably have to drug me to get me into the ArenaSphere. These professional leagues have a ton of doctors and med Droids around in case someone gets seriously injured, but even then, there will still be casualties.
They announce the challenger's name as Raven. It’s a fitting stage name. His Biosuit is mostly black with dark purple highlights. It’s similar to the Paladin armor Koujin is wearing, but it’s been modified to give Raven a more bird-like appearance. He’s got black wings jutting out of his back, talons for feet, and sharp claws at his hands. I know that the Robot Fighting League tended to get theatrical, but I thought the Human Fighting League was more serious.
“Dammit. That reminds me, I forgot to put some money on Koujin. Wonder if I can still make it in time,” Migo says, looking around the room for a timer. It is up. Both fighters make their way into the ring. No flashy entrances. The ArenaSphere closes, and they waste no time.
Raven immediately takes flight to the top of the sphere, digging his talons in and damaging it slightly when he lands upside down. He quickly dives down to Koujin’s flank like a bird of prey. Koujin smiles, falls to his back, and suddenly thrusts both feet up, crashing into Raven’s helmet. The force of the blow sends him back into the air. This might be over quickly.
The durability of his Biosuit kept him alive, but the output of power would have been enough to punch a hole through most classic metals. It’s not odd to see someone with armor made of full Metimetal. Almost everything is made of it these days. What separates the champion from most other competitors is how he utilizes the reflex boosts. Bursts of enhanced power and agility that only the most skilled can perform. Before Raven can reorient himself, Koujin grabs him by the ankles and pulls him back down to the floor. The thud of Raven's body slamming into the ground shakes the entire ArenaSphere.
The crowd finally has a moment to catch up and are going nuts. Oddly enough, both teams seem happy with this turn of events. Koujin kneels down and crosses Raven's legs before planting a knee on them so he’s unable to move. Raven is face down, unmoving; he seems to be knocked out. Koujin turns to the judges outside the ring and they begin a count. The numbers flash above the ArenaSphere holographically.
“LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER QUICK NIGHT AT THE OFFICE FOR KOUJIN!” the announcer blares over the loudspeaker.
10… 9… 8...He has to get up by the timer, or it’s over that quick.
7… 6... 5… Koujin takes his helmet off and nods to his girlfriend. I look over to see the reaction on her face go from relief to shock. She wildly points behind him, but it’s too late. With his legs still tied up, Raven somehow manages to completely twist around his upper torso at the waist. Something that shouldn’t be possible for any human with a spine. There’s no way he survives outside of that suit. He quickly wraps his claws around Koujin’s neck and begins choking him from behind.
The crowd is just as shocked as me. This shouldn’t be possible. I can see the confusion and fear on Koujin’s face as he tries to break free. Raven flaps his wings and they both begin to lift into the air.
“LOOKS LIKE RAVENS GOT NEW TECH! HE COULD END IT HERE!” The loudspeaker screeches.
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I can’t imagine Koujin going out that easily, but his corner isn’t showing the most confident poker face I’ve ever seen. Raven’s torso slowly realigns to the correct orientation and soon, his legs are wrapped around Koujin, claws digging into his stomach. Koujin first tries to tear off the grip on the neck, but, after a while of struggling, he gets more desperate. He swings his legs back behind himself, then reverses direction and launches both feet above his own head and cracks Raven in the helmet again. Raven doesn’t budge this time. Even after Koujin begins throwing wild punches behind his head, smashing into Raven’s helmet, Raven only seems to tighten his grip. His claws crack and pierce into the Metimetal armor as Koujin’s punches start to become more labored and slow. He draws back one more punch and, swinging from his hip, puts everything into it. Damage. Raven’s helmet has cracked open. Progress, but still no loosening of the grip. Raven is silent. Unnerving. Relentless. Koujin, for all his experience, surprises me. I thought he’d have more tricks up his sleeve, but he just continues punching. Over and over, he wails until Raven’s helmet is hanging on by a thread. Another punch and Raven’s head is fully exposed. As ugly as he was before he put on the helmet, he looks even worse now. But he’s unprotected. One more punch should do it.
“Come on Koujin!” I scream out.
“Come on Koujin!” Migo yells, following my lead.
He cocks back his arm to throw one more, but the bag he pulled it from was empty. The shot lands but with no relative impact. It’s over. His arms drop to his side. Raven drops Koujin’s limp body from the air and it hits with a dreadful thud. The crowd goes silent as they realize he might not ever get back up. There is no count. The announcer sends in a little android they use to test vitals. He lays still, a champion nevermore, while the Raven casts his shadow on the floor.
“THAT’S IT FOLKS! RAVEN IS THE WINNER!”
Shock and awe. The crowd can’t believe it.
“Holy shit. I almost bet on that!” Migo says unsympathetically. A lot of people just lost a lot of money.
The former champion’s team is devastated. Koujin’s girlfriend is trying to force herself past security to get into the ArenaSphere. Raven slowly floats down and plants one leg over Koujin’s body. Security rushes into the ring because the small Droid isn’t able to get Raven off him. The crowd starts to boo. Raven won’t let go of his talons’ grip.
Koujin’s girlfriend screams while Raven’s manager tries to separate his talon. I can make out Raven’s eyes. They’re black and lifeless. The manager signals Raven to stop. Raven lifts his Talon off of Koujin’s body and they quickly remove his helmet. The Droid signals it is not able to find a pulse. It begins trying to resuscitate him using chest compressions and a tube for air. It seems like forever, but eventually, he is back on Earth, gasping for air.
“Allspirits man, I thought he was dead,” Migo says.
“He was fucking dead,” I correct him.
“WELL! A deal’s a deal.” Raven’s manager says before Koujin can even catch his breath.
“Go fuck yourself!” his girl yells.
“Are we going to have a problem?” Raven’s manager says, signaling to his wrist. Company credentials. The audacity. The Company is here testing new military-level mods in pro competition. Scum. Once Koujin gets a look at the credentials, his anger turns to fear. Even someone as tough as him isn’t outside of the reach of the Company and its dominance. He knows what it would mean for him if he refuses.
It looks painful. Coming out of the Biosuit was something he hadn’t done in probably decades. He sheds the skin-tight armor, and once it’s fully removed, you can see he is completely emaciated. Weak and feeble, a stark contrast to what he was just minutes ago. He doesn’t even have the strength to lift the suit once it hits the ground. He has his manager take it over to the Company manager. As soon as it is in his hands, the manager turns to the crowd, smiling devilishly.
“WHO WANTS A FREE BIOSUIT? MILITARY GRADE PALADIN ARMOR EDITION!” he yells before throwing it into the crowd. Before anyone can start a riot, I am smacked in the face by the helmet and suit, knocking me over. Migo immediately fights off the crowd of dangerously drunk Meticitians.
“Let’s get out of here!” Migo yells while dragging me away. I roll the suit up around the helmet as fast as I can, shoving it under my arm. The last thing I can see before turning away is Raven staring blankly at Koujin’s withered body. He is in the arms of his girl, who is trying, unsuccessfully, to get him to his feet. He tries to push her away, but he isn’t strong enough to resist the help. Nor is he strong enough to hold back the tears running down his face. Neither is she. A sad scene in a mad city.
We’re out of there in a flash. The first thing he says to me when we get back to his place is;
“Run a scan!”
“On the suit?” I ask.
“No, on me.” He says, falling dramatically onto his living room couch.
He has a sky-loft bachelor pad. It’s not like his job doesn’t pay well, but this place is above his pay grade. He’d never say, but my guess is it had something to do with inheritance. It honestly is amazing. The latest….everything. Above the city, congestion, and best of all, the noise. “Yes, on the suit. Let’s check it out! How did you get so lucky?” he asks, basically tearing it out of my hands to lay it under a light on the table.
“I don’t even know what to do with it,” I say, linking up to it.
“You can always sell it back to the poor guy,” he says, laughing his way over to his seat.
“I could use the money. You don’t want it?”
“Eh, that’s the kind of thing you’d only use in an emergency, and I’m never in an emergency. Look at me,” He says, kicking his feet up.
“I kind of feel bad for taking it, to be honest. Maybe I should just give it back to him?” I say.
“Why do you give a shit? Did you see his girl? If he can get it up without the Biosuit, I bet he’s getting some good old-fashioned pity sex right as we speak.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ve never seen a Jardinera in person before. As a couple, they’re sickening. Both could be MetiCity billboard models.”
“I know, right? It’s like they’re both out of each other’s league. In a modding war until one can be crowned prettiest plastic humanoid,” He says, sipping a drink I never saw him make.
“She’s not modded,” I say sternly.
“What? She DEFINITELY has mods. No way she’s natural.” He says confidently.
“No, I could tell. She didn’t have mods.”
“Oh yeah? Why so confident? Did you get to cop a feel before I rescued you from that crazed crowd?” He says sarcastically. He is right, though. One thing I do remember is the switch that went off in people’s heads when the armor flew at me. Not everyone in MetiCity is like Migo. Some of them would have given me a big fight for that thing. It wouldn’t be the first night I got jacked for some gear in a crowded place like that.
“No. I can just tell.” I say, wrapping up the Biosuit and joining him on the coach.
“So you were checking her out?” He says, poking at me.
“Nah, It isn’t like that. She’s just so…different.”
We reminisce for a bit. It’s been ages since I’ve been to his place. I start to tell him about the shape I found the Droid in, but I can see his eyes slowly start to close as I go on.
The Droid.
I can rig the Biosuit to the Droid. I mean, it’s not impossible. I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to waste a suit on a Droid, but what else am I going to use it for?
I can hear the slow drone of the news anchor talk about more quelled protests drowned out slightly by Migo murmuring in his sleep. I begin going over protocols in my head and looking up any rules for Biosuit symbiosis with a Droid.
Nothing in the rules about putting a Droid in one. I’ll have to do some coding to authenticate the link though. Not exactly my strongest field, but I don’t see anything saying it’s not possible. I also need to figure out if the prototype could still enter carry mode while wearing the armor. I’m not trying to have people looking my Droid up and down for its armor. Although, with it on, I doubt many people would try to run up on us. Once I link him to my credentials, he’ll be able to protect me using minimal force if I'm under threat. Hell, he would even be able to travel to me if I'm in danger using location tracking. Something I could use if I'm ever caught scavenging in the wrong territory. This could be life-changing.
Shit, what time is it? I have to be at the stadium in the morning! I don’t want to bother Migo with a ride, so I hop on the closest public transit to try and get back to the shop and sync the Droid to the Biosuit before I have to be back at the stadium. By now, the self-repair software should be finished, so I might have enough time.
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1163602583076753480/1163627253914140722/Raven_vs_Koujin.png]