Space and Time

Darkness Approaches

Jab-Cross. Hook. Jab-Cross. Jab-Cross. Jab-Cross again?! I've done this combination probably a hundred times!

Ow!

"Your nose will be next if you don't pay attention, Aika." Nevaeh's poking me with her focus mitt as I rub my shoulder.

"I am paying attention," I counter. Nevaeh's put the focus mitts down so I guess this means I can get a break. My sweat's starting to drip down into my eyes, and they're stinging.

"You're still putting too much weight into your jabs," Nevaeh says. "It's a good thing I have good reflexes; otherwise you would've mangled your wrist beyond repair at least three separate times today." I let out a huff. Nevaeh responds with a sigh. "You need to treat your leftside jabs more like feints," she says. "But you can't let your opponent know it doesn't hold any power. They can't know the feint is coming, so you have to put something into it, without getting injured. Deception is key."

I'm not sure what the point of faking it is when everyone in the NCC probably knows about my injury by now. "Nevaeh, what deception? I can't fool anyone. My entire left hand is pretty much useless."

Nevaeh gives me a frown. "I don't want to hear this," she says. "Since when were you so whiney and mopey?"

I narrow my eyes at her. "Uhh, maybe since my chances at winning the NCC went to shit?" I say sarcastically.

"Aika, you've won all of your fights so far, and this is your first time in the NCC. What would one loss matter?"

"You're the one who's been telling me to take the championship, Nevaeh!" Nevaeh looks taken aback. Good. At least she's listening. I'm getting tired of her bullshit. She doesn't say anything right away and I take the chance to get a swig of my water.

"...Are you afraid of losing the next fight?" Nevaeh's voice is suddenly very quiet. I only barely heard her, but I still don't know what to say. I expected her to yell. I wanted her to yell. I've been wanting to have a yelling match for days; my voice box is itching. My whole body is itching and I don't know whether this is nerves or pain or dread.

Of course I'm scared. Takumi and Dad keep looking at me like I'll tumble down a jagged cliff at any second. Lev's no better, either, and even Evren's explicitly said she's worried about my chances. Anything could happen. NCC competitors end up in the hospital all the time. People have gotten... killed in this competition. What if something happens to me, worse than what's happened already, that puts me out of commission? Out of fighting forever? I've been cutting it real close. If anything else happens, there will be no redemption for me.

But what kind of impression would I give if I backed out now? All the hype about 'a battle of Unusuals' would die immediately. My entrance into the NCC would be remembered as an anti-climactic fluke. As recklessness. I'd be the brute that punched her way into the NCC without any real finesse. The fast-forwarder who rushed head-first into every fight like a complete moron. "Why are you still competing?" Nevaeh asks. Why am I still competing?

I don't answer. I take off my gloves.

Nevaeh seems to have gotten the hint and is starting to clean up our training room.

If by some miracle I win my next fight, I could still be in the running for division champion. If this next fight ends in loss or draw, I'm done. I'd take second place at best, which honestly wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for division champion rather than grand champion. I need to make it to the final battle royale. I promised Nevaeh. I promised myself.

And even if I win this next round, there's still the tiebreaker. Once Evren wins her next round, and I definitely put a when on that rather than an if, she'll be up for division champion with a perfect five-fight win streak. If I win my next round, and that's a huge if, then I'll also be up for division champion with five straight wins. I myself have never seen a tie for champion. For matches, sure, but the points system makes it nearly impossible to tie unless you've got enough people and enough luck. I have no idea whether the judges will really let both Evren and I into the battle royale, or if they'll force a tiebreaker fight before the all-out brawl.