powder to give it an expensive, unusual look. As expected she was fitted with a metal reinforced corset providing dubious protection, but it certainly appealed to the crowd. Of more interest to Spartan was her choice of weapon, an iron ball swung from a metal rod.
“Shit!” Spartan swore but not loud enough for the rest of the fighters to hear.
It didn’t matter though as the second fighter had now arrived and for the first time he was faced with having to fight two women at the same time. She was much bulkier than the first woman. Her upper body and head were covered in exquisitely carved golden armour. He didn’t recognise this one but the expensive armour made him wonder what was so special. Her legs were bare and for just a moment Spartan was distracted before he drew himself back to the fight.
“Come on, man, concentrate you idiot!”
From behind her back she pulled out two small objects that looked like half size maces. For a few seconds Spartan breathed a sigh of relief, until she shook them. With a sudden noise they extended to double their length and crackled with blue sparks. They were electro mauls and illegal outside of the police. They were potentially lethal, especially when placed near the skull or nervous system. Spartan had personally seen deaths in the arena from these weapons.
“Great, they never play fair do they?” Spartan laughed as he swung his own weapon in front of him and moved towards the two women.
The woman in the gold armour started moving the two mauls around her body as if in some kind of ritual dance, the other started to swing the iron ball over her head in a wide circle. The bright sparks flashed on the mauls, creating colourful lines and arcs as she spun them in a web of defensive patterns around her body. It might look pointless but he had seen this method before and it very easily confused and disorientated an opponent.
A loud blast on the horn indicated the start of the fight. Without hesitating Spartan moved to Keira and her circling iron ball. It was his intention to remove one of the women from the fight as soon as possible rather than have to fight both of them at the same time. He lifted his weapon up high, catching the chain connecting the weapons together. As they entangled he rushed in to strike her. He expected to hit her with the reverse end but before he could make contact the woman with the powered mauls was on him. The first strike missed but the second caught his left arm sending a sizzling spark through his flesh. It forced him to release his hand as he jumped back in pain. The weapon was obviously on its maximum setting so he had to be careful as it had the potential to confuse him enough to be struck by Keira. If they could both reach him this fight, and possibly his career, would be over.
As he staggered back she struck him again and again, each heavy impact numbed his muscles forcing him to his knees in pain. As Keira untangled their weapons the other woman moved up to stamp down on his head. It was his chance and with a quick movement he grabbed her ankle ripping it to the right. She lost her balance and collapsed. Spartan picked up one of her mauls striking her hard across the exposed parts of her body, the shocks sending her into spasms. He grinned and then remembered Keira. Instinct told him to move and as he jumped back he raised his newly stolen mauls above his head. It was a simple move he always made after a major attack or defence when he needed to recover to a safe distance for body protection. This was a lesson that early fencing masters had learned and it was a lesson not wasted on him.
It was the right choice as the iron ball came smashing down towards his face. The maul in his right hand took most of the impact but it still sent him flying across the arena.
“Keira! Keira! Keira!” The audience rallied behind the woman as she continued swinging the weapon over her head.
Spartan moved back and checked his weapons. The one in his right hand had stopped sparking, presumably damaged from the impact of the iron ball. The other still seemed to be working, just his luck.
Keira stepped closer, keeping the weapon swinging at just the right distance to threaten him but not too close to be entangled. Spartan moved and kept moving to maintain distance between the two fighters.
“Spartan! This time you’re going down!” she shouted as she released the weapon.
The heavy iron ball rushed towards him and it was only with a superhuman effort that he was able to slide to the side to avoid the strike. As he regained his footing the ball swung back and she continued swinging it. She had developed a wicked technique that allowed her to both swing the weapon in wide arcs as well as to hurl it forward like a heavy iron cannonball from an eighteenth century warship.
He ducked and dived as the ball swung ever closer to him. His reactions were fast and it was almost impossible to strike him without leaving herself exposed. Then he spotted the opening. The iron ball moved just a little too far. He leapt forward past the ball and grabbed the chain. He could see the fear in her eyes. Then the lights cut out.
Shouting came from above in the crowd, though whether it was from missing the fight or feeling cheated at the prospect of losing their winnings he couldn’t tell. Then the screaming started. Spartan stood still, as his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He could still make out the shape of Keira in front of him but little else. A flash came from above and several of the red emergency lights came on. They were low power but they did provide a dull red glow. He stared intently at the woman stood in front of him, they were both transfixed on their entangled weapons but the commotion above made it perfectly clear that for now the fight was off.
A loud blast echoed across the arena and the shape of a man tumbled down to the soft earthen floor. Spartan released his weapon rushing over to check him. As he approached a sickening feeling welled up inside. The body was a cop, but not just any cop. It was a man from the Advanced Tactical Unit. Spartan lowered himself down to look at him more closely. Like all ATU officers he wore the latest powered tactical armour giving them good protection. The armour also contained built in communications, analysis and air supply for riot duties. This wasn’t the kind of gear a normal officer would wear, it was something you would expect when raiding an arms factory or for taking out a terrorist cell. What worried him even more was that he had two massive holes in his chest. Each was the size of his fist and neatly burned through the armour and out the back. The inside of the man was fused as though molten metal had been neatly poured into the wounds. The sides of the flesh were seared.
“Fuck!”
Keira ran over, examining the body before turning to Spartan.
“This man has been hit with a military issue thermal blast, probably at close range from a shotgun, you know they’ll screw us for this?”
“Keira, what the hell do you know about military issue hardware?”
“Jackass!” She rushed over to the side of the pit. She moved fast, it was hardly surprising, he’d seen her move in previous fights and she was well known for her agility and physical prowess.
Two more bodies, this time from the spectators, dropped down into the pit. Spartan tried to move as a volley of shots hit the ground. It looked like they weren’t taking any prisoners and in the open space there was no cover.
“You coming?” Keira called as she climbed up onto the metal gate and towards the lower edge of the viewing gallery. She dropped some of her armour down to allow her to move more freely.
More gunshots blasted across the site as extra ATU officers arrived and engaged in battle with whoever they were after. They could either stay in the pit and risk being shot or take the opportunity to try and get somewhere safer before any more of them arrived. Maybe they were after the gamblers or whoever ran the illegal fights. Who knew? The one thing Spartan did know was that he didn’t want to be around when they switched the lights back on. It was ten years with no parole for unlicensed blood sports. They might not be legal but if you wanted the real thing you had to go underground, it was only there that real weapons and cruelty could be shown in all their glory. More important to Spartan was that he only needed two more fights to pay off his indentured service and be free of the bastards. He reached the ledge to find a waiting hand from Keira. He dropped down and into the viewing area. There were several bodies on the floor with scores of people running and screaming as they made for the exits. Around the computer displays and gambling terminals no less than a dozen men with advanced weapons were holding back double the number of ATU officers.
“This place is a goddamned warzone!”
“No shit!” Spartan swore as he looked for a way out.
At the other side of the room and right between the violent crossfire was a small door to a refreshment area. From memory Spartan was pretty sure it led to a shuttle bay where they could probably catch a ride. From the main entrance more black-armoured officers arrived. These guys meant business and wore even heavier
