The lights blinded me as I entered the arena. Contestants stood at the edges of the stadium waiting for the games to begin. The siren screeches, and the floor of the arena immediately begins to move; and water flows through clashing with magma that had seeped in through the bottom. Everyone sprints for the nearest weapon before he or she gets killed. I grabbed a saber of some kind. It was simply the outline of a sword yet very quick and sharp. In addition to that, it gave off an electric distortion field. Each player received his own objectives accordingly from his partner outside the arena. Depending on the achievements you pass during the time limit, you will earn more points and gain a better chance of earning better equipment. Plasma shots suddenly began hitting the small cover I had. With every shot, a good chunk was taken off. Quickly glancing around, I saw a pulse laser dangling on a ledge fifty feet away. I impaled the ground with my saber and released an electrical blast. The streak of electricity tore through the ground removing the only passage to me. I was now praying for a chance to break as I felt the small tower island shake. I received two updates on objectives. One, like always, was to get rid of the opposing players while the other one was to kill the magma golem. I impaled my saber into the ground once more when I heard a hissing sound. It sounded as if the plasma gun overheated. The released amount of energy turned the tower into a giant crumbling rock. I sprinted from rock to rock as it was falling apart and leapt at the pulse laser. I was unable to make it and ended up holding onto my saber dangling from the side.
Most of the contestants made their way towards higher ground so I was able to slowly climb my way up and retrieve the laser. I had a clear shot from there to shoot the magma golem; however, because it is entirely made of magma, I didn’t think it would do much rather than scatter the golem around. I received an update from my partner that there were now only four contestants left. I then did a back flip off the wall and waited to impact the ground. With the arena suits, you are allowed to choose certain add-ons for your suit to enhance game play. I chose to be able to fall great distances and stay alive, completely unscathed. On impact, I immediately rolled dodging an attack from the golem and firing the pulse laser into the wall in front of me creating a large tunnel. Next, I took aim at the large piece of the arena that was still standing. Firing the laser, I cut it down the middle and into random parts of it causing it to crumble and have all of the contestants come with it. I was now evading attack after attack from the golem. The water had seeped to the top during the challenge and was now falling directly onto the magma. When both came together, a large cloud of steam erupted from them and then turned to stone. Plunging my saber into the now inanimate statue I destroyed it with an electrical blast, blasting it into a million pieces. I was only able to take out one other player before the time ran out. All contestants were transported directly to their suites and received their score counts. I received the largest score count by destroying the two golems and eliminating two players. Apparently, when I destroyed the large tower at the beginning the guy with the plasma gun was caught in the electrical charge.
In the suite, I treated myself to a quick meal and nap before the next match. My partner ordered and updated all of my needs for me. I now had energy wings available and for being the top ranked in the match, I received the saber as a prize. We had been trapped in this facility for over a year, and we were one of the most decorated contestants. However, it had become so boring and the games have become more and more deadly that we have enabled an escape plan. We spent the next few weeks going full throttle on matches earning the best prizes we could. On our final match, we will have to hack the system to arrange and choose the contestants we need to escape along with allowing ourselves to enter the arena with all of our needed equipment. In addition to that, we’d need to hijack one of the ships to get off the planet and before the guards can take us down. We have found that during one of upcoming changes in suns, we will be closest to an available planet that could house us and protect us from the personal militia of these games. We readied several melee weapons, some assault guns, and some heavy duty guns like the pulse laser. We also prepared explosives and master keycards for the doors on our way to the hanger. I was equipped with a scope that comes over my eye and has a laser for direction in addition to an ear bud for communication. The armor I would wear allowed me to phase ship and teleport short distances. With the phase shift, I would be able to make myself untouchable for a period of time; however I would not be able to attack anyone either. Also, my energy wings and twin arm blades lined with diamonds would help me fly through swarms of contestants and/or guards. My partner created these large anti-gravity plasma turrets to accompany us. He used any unneeded equipment I received to create them, and they would prove to come in handy as transports for the additional weapons. Each one carried three weapons on either side of it with a curved staff-like lance firing piercing blows through lines of opponents.
As we were champions for the most part, have good relations with the workers, and help out with “advertising”, we aroused less suspicion and were allowed to build the turrets. However, we did say they were room decorations for storing weapons. The week before we would break out, we met up with the captain of the guard. He and I discussed several matters, none of which were true, like how there have been reports of contestants trying to escape down through the barracks and out through the waste removal. The captain asked for several details and agreed to heighten the guards around the area leaving the hanger route less protected. While this was happening, my partner hacked through the computer system and gained access to the network so that we could change things as needed from our suite. When we returned, we altered the contestants that would participate on the day of the match and removed all restrictions on what we would be allowed to bring and use during the games. Three days before the games, we met with the head boss of the entire asteroid game belt. He authorized the use of outside weaponry to falter game play during the match such as gunships, lasers, poison gas, increased/decreased gravity, and etc. During this time, we were able to slip through into databanks and files while he went to retrieve the set of options on weaponry. We gained access codes to all of the gunships, programs to override the lasers, and deactivate gravity distortion in areas.
On our way back to the suite, another popular contestant came up to us. “Do you guys have any good equipment I could have for these camo mods?” he asked.
“What are you thinking of?” I replied seeing as the mods could prove useful in hiding the weapons I’ll have to be carrying.
“Well… as you know, the last few matches I’ve been trying to get my hands on any sort of higher powered melee/ranged items. I was wondering if you had any?”
“Hmm… we do have one; it is not quite as strong as you want but has a good balance between melee and ranged. Also, it comes with a blur mod.”
Handing over the mods, “That’d be perfect, thanks; can you just drop it off before the next match? Thanks!” He ran towards the lounge probably getting “mentally” prepared for his next match.
“We now solved one problem, two more to go,” I said to my partner.
“Actually, maybe not even one; I was able to find a way into the ground array of the arena so that I’ll be able to clear an entrance for you straight to my position halfway to the hanger. I will override the doors allowing us some spare time to press through the few guards before the hanger, and we should be able to leave immediately.”
“Great, thanks much. I’ll head back and double check everything and lay out several scenarios to gain the trust and help of the nearby planet.”
“Ok, I want to check all the info and status we have on gunships and anti-air-space weaponry.”
On the day of the match, everyone was scrambling for last minute preparations. I delivered the sword in return for the mods as promised and double checked all of the equipment on the anti-grav turrets. I would be entering the arena with all of my normal equipment along with the phase shifter, invisibility matrix, and the electric saber. My partner returned to the room in a hurry with all the necessary programs, equipment, and keycards to get to the hanger. Updating several pieces of equipment and adding some armor and weapons for himself, we were ready to go.
I entered the arena with sun pouring directly onto me. All of the contestants looked nervous yet anxious. A few were brand new and unprepared for this fight. Others were more experienced and ready to tear each other to shreds. The announcer started us with his usual dictations and reminders. Everyone made reassuring glances to his next targets and prepared himself. I casually signaled my partner; and as soon as the game officially started, the arena erupted. The earthen floor encased the entire playing field in a mountain-like state preventing movement and forming a large labyrinth. I opened my energy wings and shot straight down as soon as a giant pit opened up. Swooping to a stop, I landed softly on the ground and walked down a narrow tunnel leading to the edge of the arena. There, I sliced through the wall with my twin blades and entered the main hallway in this station. Turning invisible, I crept behind the nearest guard, slit his throat, and impaled him through the chest.
“All clear, ready to mobilize for stage two,” I reported to my partner.
“Good, now head down the hallway as fast as possible with your energy wings. Eliminate any guards quickly and silently. When you reach block C, swoop upwards and phase shift,” replied my partner.
I followed the directions flawlessly and made my way to block C. Swooping upwards and phase shifting, five guards immediately attempted to attack me with concussion staves. Before any of them hit, they were all neutralized by green plasma shots. Turning to look, the anti-grav turrets had proven their worth.
The path to the hanger was fairly simple right now, and we arrived there, in no time. However, upon getting there we were faced with a larger problem. The stations’ private militia was waiting for us. I was about 100 feet in front of my partner so I signaled a detour to route B. I simply needed to attract the attention of the militia long enough now for my partner to board the Shade craft and prepare it for launch.
“Now look here guys, I simply wanted to test out one of the ships in the arena today and that required some bending of the rules. I really don’t want any trouble,” I said hoping they’d buy it.
“Hah, you expect us to buy that?” ‘I guess not, ugh’ “We know you were planning on escaping; and any second now, your partner will enter the hanger; and we’ll shoot him right on the spot.”
“What! Why? That makes no sense.”
“We figured you’d try the same thing again; otherwise, this way you’ll need a smart assistant again. Also, we want to let you watch your brother die and watch as it is entirely your fault.”
“Wait, you mean to tell me that guy is my brother?”
“Well, umm… yes, that is what I said right?” I saw my partner enable the main power, and the engines would come soon so I figured now would be the best time to escape given the captain of the militia was confused.
“So… before you shoot my ‘brother’, how much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck would? I’ve wanted to know my entire life.”
“A wood chuck 23 pounds on a given Saturday during the third month of the ancient eagle festival. Right? Or is it 18 pounds?”
Turning around to consult the others, I took my chance quickly phase shifting and turning invisible; I ran to the closest area to avoid the oncoming barrage of bullets. My phase shift faded quickly from overuse, and I pulled out an anti-grav grenade I’d been saving for a long time and threw it into the large mob of guards. Upon detonation, the entire area succumbed to zero gravity; and with my energy wings, I safely flew into the ship. Engines full blast, we shot out the hanger at top speed. The giant ring station grew slowly smaller, and we could still see the match playing out with pulse lasers and explosions every other second.
As soon as we felt that we were a safe distance away and started to relax, we had three enemy ships on our tails. Unfortunately, the way things turned out in the hanger, we were unable to detonate a large scale explosive to neutralize any pursuers. Manning the turrets, I released blast after blast of EMP bullets into the oncoming ships. Disabling their ability to pilot the ship, we were finally free.
We neared the target planet and received approval to land. The people living here were very welcoming, and it seemed as if there would be no problems hiding out here for the time being. We held small conversations as we approached the atmosphere when one of the rear engines exploded. A transmission was forced through and stated that there were explosives on board that would be detonated if we disobeyed the commands given. The transmission stated that we were to return to the ring of death, they called it, or else we would die. The people with whim we had been conversing on the approaching planet heard the entire thing and said that they have heard of such an arena. They freely offered to help us escape by transferring to an oncoming cargo ship. It would be a well-plated transport that would be able to withstand the blast if our ship were to explode. Suddenly, the other line stated that they have conformation of us entering another planet’s atmosphere and claimed they were going to detonate the ship. Unfortunately, the cargo ship would not make it; and we thanked our new-found friends and apologized. Bracing for impact, the ship’s rear was annihilated; and we began plummeting to the ground.
“Can I just ask one last question?” I said to my partner.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Are you my brother?”
On that note we crashed onto the ground… or water. We had been completely unaware of the fact that the crash safety had been available and activated.
“No, where did you get that idea,” my partner replied.
“Oh, I don’t know. Well, I guess we made it out after all.” Half laughing, I trembled from the ship and splashed my face with water. “This new planet is going to be a great start for us. Huh… we really are still alive.”