Iron Heart (The Gauntlet #2)

Chapter 37 - Eyes on the Prize

The media craziness really was hitting fever pitch.

Two days before the singles knockout stage commenced, all the fighters who were left in the competition were summoned to one of smaller, satellite arenas built into the higher floors. That meant thirty-two singles competitors, eight pairs and eight flag teams, all assembled in one place, for the sole purpose of driving the media and fans into a fresh frenzy.

It was time to shoot a promotional video.

Codi didn't really know how to feel about it. Last year, apparently, the video they'd used as an introduction to the final Gauntlet stages had been fully animated, but that hadn't played well with the focus groups. This year they wanted the real faces; real people doing real things.

She walked alongside Ripple, leading the Battlecast group into the bizarre room that had been specially set up for the occasion. Dozens of support staff swarmed over the area, together with a small cloud of camera drones that would capture the action from every conceivable angle. The arena itself had been converted, with black-screen walls laced with lines of shimmering blue like a gigantic spider web. The other competitors were shepherded in nearby and all of them looked equally nonplussed by the venture.

"Take it this never happened last year?" she murmured to Ripple from the side of her mouth.

The other girl shook her head silently as Bronagh directed them to one of the media handlers who would tell them where to go, and what to do. The young man they ended up with stood ramrod stiff, his body ensconced in a skin-tight black top and iron grey trousers, along with a pair of gleaming trainers. He turned a dazzling smile on them, displaying eerily perfect teeth.

"Battlecast," he said, his head bobbing up and down in approval. "Excellent. My name is Weaver, Arando Weaver. I'll be your media director for today. I must say, it's a pleasure to have such a group of young stars to work with."

Codi raised an eyebrow; exchanged a dubious look with Gareth. Weaver kept talking.

"Now, I'm well aware this could be a little different to what you're used to, but you know the audience loves to see the real fighters – none of that computer generated nonsense." He allowed himself a strange, high-pitched giggle that made Codi's skin crawl. "Now I'd like to take your capture the flag team first. If you can all step forward...?" An expectant sweep of his arm beckoned them.

Reluctantly, Codi stepped forward. Gareth and Ripple moved up on either side, then Cardle, and then Leela limped into position on the right.

"Excellent," Weaver repeated, clapping his hands together. "Now, if you'll just..." He didn't finish the sentence, instead sweeping forward and moving the fighters around without preamble. Codi tensed as his soft, slender fingers coiled around her upper arm. Up close the man had a strange, antiseptic smell, mixed with some kind of mint. The odour put a wobble in her stomach but she tried to ignore it, allowing herself to be moved into place despite her discomfort.

Although Leela had recovered enough to begin light drills with her exoskeleton again, she was far from one hundred percent. Accordingly, the media man arranged Battlecast's top flag team with Leela at the front, Codi and Ripple to either side, then Gareth and Cardle flanking out to complete the arrowhead formation.

Then she had to stand in an over-dramatic pose, flag planted to her right and held in one hand, the other held up straight in a clenched fist. Then they took closer up shots: a dramatic look up at the camera, the flicker of the flag, and fleeting headshots of the rest of the team. Drones flickered around them, recording every inch of every person. In brief snatches, Codi could see other teams being put through the same paces. Some were made to run in formation towards ranks of cameras – others took up different formations. She saw the team from Atlantic at the far end of the room arranged in an outward-facing pentagon as the cameras circled them.