Glitch in the God Complex (AmpCore #1)

21 - Queen of the Sharks

Piper watched with growing wonderment as the duels played out before them, feeling every eruption of energy. Some were more vicious affairs than others, where the aggression of the parties involved could be down to nothing but hatred.

The fourth bout looked a little more like a friendly test of mettle, two female students in their early twenties who seemed to be putting on more of a show for the onlookers than actually trying to beat each other. Huge blossoms of light crashed off of shields, creating a thunderous fireworks display for several minutes until one of them slumped to one knee, calling for a truce.

At the end they embraced, and found each other with a deep kiss.

Piper examined it all with interest. For some people it seemed like an act of mutual respect and courtship. For others – like Holly Lockley – it proved to be something else entirely.

She watched the young woman stalk out into the duelling field, her stance loose, as though she was waiting for a bus. When the call to fight began, however, Holly transformed into a tornado of energy. Her movements were almost too fast to follow as she twisted, jinked and pirouetted towards her opponent.

The male student on the other end of it let loose. Arcs of destructive energy tore out across the arena, but they seemed to bend around Holly as she advanced, scorching black furrows in the metal all around her but never finding their mark.

"How is she doing that?" she asked quietly, leaning towards Odiye.

"Same principle as the barriers you've been learning," he replied, a thin smile on his face. "But she's leaving gravity pulses all around her. Hitting her's like trying to throw a nail through a bunch of magnets. It gets pulled all over."

"Wow."

"He doesn't know what to do." Odiye nodded to the other student. "She's got him."

Piper watched, awestruck, as Holly's prancing dance continued, weaving through the minefield of devastation until she was close enough to reach out and touch her opponent.

And so she did.

Her amplifier flashed out, a delicate flick of her wrist tapping its tip against the other student's chest as she corkscrewed toward him. The motion looked gentle, but the result was anything but. A pulse of energy thumped through the air and her foe exploded backwards, flying head over heels several times until he smashed into the far wall with a sickening thud.

He crashed to the ground, and he didn't get up.

A roar went up from the onlookers, even as one of the instructors scampered over to the downed student, swearing under his breath. Holly's face was a mask of contempt as she slid her amplifier back into its sheathe. Turning, she faced Ferra on the stage and bowed, flourishing one hand.

Ferra grinned, and clapped slowly. No announcement of the victor needed here.

"Doesn't muck around, does she?" Piper murmured as Holly jogged back into the cheering crowds where her friends embraced her. Her victim was carted out of the arena with furtive speed, as though if they left his limp body there it would shatter the illusion of the Sharks' gladiatorial splendour.

"My friends," Ferra called out, her voice again thunderously loud, even though she didn't seem to be putting any effort in. She stepped down from the stage, legs moving with languid grace as her eyes glided from side to side. "So ends the first portion of our evening."

Against her judgement, Piper found herself staring. Ferra dominated the room, a literal aura of power rolling off of her in thick waves. She could feel it – hell, she could see it shimmering in the air.