Chapter 7 – The Champion

 

L’Cor stumbled away from his companions as they left the Pecca bar.  “See ya later guys!”

 

His companions laughed and waved.  Lani, the friendly young pilot of Arachne yelled, “Get home before you hurl!”

 

L’Cor chuckled and gave Lani a friendly gesture that involved folding all his fingers except his middle one.  Lani and his friends laughed again and walked away.

 

L’Cor took a deep breath of the night’s air and started walking in the general direction of his apartment.  Tonight’s party had been to celebrate another one of L’Cor’s victories in the Tournament.  This far, he had won ten matches with only minor damage to Phantom Crash.  He was really starting to get the hang of piloting a Mick but deep inside, he sorely missed piloting a MAAC.

 

As with other parties, L’Cor had passed the night away by drinking and swapping war stories for Tournament stories.  He also enjoyed debating the virtues of Micks versus MAACs with his fellow Tournament players.  Now, with the party over, he only wanted to get back to his ratty apartment so that he could watch another entry from R’Tus’s journal before he passed out.  R’Tus’s journal was special in more than one way.  Not only was it a record of R’Tus’s thoughts and feelings, but also the way that L’Cor came to possess was special.  After that fateful day, the one when R’Tus had died while holding back a tide of Saxx so that L’Cor and the rest of his tri-quad could get to minimum safe distance, L’Cor had collapsed onto his bunk only to find R’Tus’s AV journal already occupying it.  As far as L’Cor knew, R’Tus kept the journal close at hand at all times, yet somehow, had managed to sneak it into L’Cor’s bunk the day he died.  It was almost as if R’Tus had somehow know that he would not be returning.  L’Cor was not normally someone who held on to sentimental mementoes, but somehow, he knew that he was meant to have R’Tus’s journal.

 

L’Cor turned down a dark alley to take a shortcut.  As soon as he was sure that no one was around, he straightened up and lengthened his stride.  There was no way these young pups could ever out drink him but he wasn’t about to let them know that!

 

He heard laughter coming out of the darkness, followed by a loud indignant scream.  Unlike the laughter, the scream definitely sounded female.  L’Cor frowned and turned his stride into a jog.  Someone was in trouble up ahead!

 

He skidded to a halt at mouth of another alley.  This one was darker than the rest and he could barely make out four or five figures at the end of the alley.  He heard more raucous laughter followed by a string of curses shouted by a feminine voice.

 

“Ha ha!  Hold her steady will ya?  I’m gonna do her good!”

 

“Yah Jok!.  Do her man!  Come on!”

 

“Not so tough out here in the real world are ya!”

 

L’Cor heard the sound of cloth shredding and suddenly, he was past all thought.  He raced down the alley and bulldozed his way through the crowd of dark bodies.

 

“What the frak?!”

 

L’Cor lashed out with his right fist and was rewarded with a thud and a grunt of pain.  A hand bearing a knife flashed in his face and he blocked with his left forearm.  Before his attacker could recover, he twisted his left hand and grabbed the wrist of his attacker.  L’Cor heaved to the side and threw his assailant into another dark figure.

 

Something jabbed him in the back and he hissed with pain.  He spun around and kicked out with his right foot.  He felt more than heard the kneecap of his attacker breaking.

 

A beer bottle hit him a glancing blow on his temple and his vision blurred.  He saw a young roughly dressed man with a mean looking knife come towards him.  Suddenly, his arms refused to move properly.  He stared helplessly, as the knife got closer and closer.

 

A small brightly coloured form leapt from the shadows and kicked the knife away.  A reverse roundhouse put the thug down onto the ground for the count.

 

L’Cor blinked his eyes several times, not quite believing what he was seeing.  It looked as if a small girl was kicking and screaming obscenities at the man on the ground.

 

L’Cor couldn’t hold his head up anymore.  He sank to his knees and closed his eyes for just a moment.  The next thing he knew, he was staring up into the dark eyes of a young girl.  The girl looked vaguely familiar but L’Cor couldn’t place it at the moment.  The girl snapped a bubble from her gum and said, “Gonna take a holo this time old man?”

 

Recognition finally hit L’Cor’s brain but before he could say something heated in return, his mind blanked as he passed out again.

 

*

 

L’Cor awoke to the sound of someone coughing.  The sound was ugly and nasty, as if the person coughing were trying to expel something from their system.  L’Cor opened his eyes slowly and stared up at the dirty ceiling.  Where was he?  He remembered a brawl of some sort.  Some guys had thought it would be funny to abuse and rape a young helpless girl.

 

Only, the girl wasn’t all that helpless.  Yoko Ana!  He had rescued Yoko Ana, and then in turn had been rescued by her!  Where the Hadis was she.  Wait…where was he?

 

“There there now.  Take a deep breath and drink this.”  The voice was soft and soothing.

 

“I don’t wanna.  It’s tastes terrible!”  The second voice sounded old, tired and raspy.

 

“Come on, don’t be a baby.  It’ll help you sleep.”

 

The second voice suddenly broke into deep hacking coughs.  “I…ok…”

 

L’Cor got out of the couch that he was in and softly walked towards the voices.  He was in a small apartment room that had certainly seen better days.  The rug was tattered and there were cracks in the walls and the ceiling.  The furnishings were spartan but clean.

 

L’Cor walked to a door that was slightly open.  The voices were coming from inside.  The floor creaked just before he reached the door.  Before he could raise a hand to knock though, the door swung open and he stood face to face with the current reigning champion of the Tournament, Yoko Ana.

 

She was wearing simple clothes and not the usual hideous attire that L’Cor was used to seeing her in.  Her hair was still multi-coloured but it was now combed straight.  Her mouth was set in a grim line and her eyes were glaring silent accusations at him.

 

“Well, wanna take that holo now?  Come on and get it over with!”  Yoko angrily swung the door wide so that L’Cor could see inside.  The room was tiny with a small dresser and a small bed.  On the bed was a thin frail figure that L’Cor couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

 

“Yoko, who is that?” said the figure on the bed.

 

Yoko’s face softened as she turned to face the figure.  “No one Kasa.  Try to get some rest, ok?”

 

Yoko stepped out of the room and gestured for L’Cor to follow.  She pointed to the front door and said, “Now that you’re awake, the front door’s over there.  Help yourself out.”

 

L’Cor took a step towards the door and then said, “Thank you.  I think you saved my life tonight.”

 

Yoko sniffed loudly and said, “Ok, now get out.”

 

L’Cor took another step and then turned and said, “I saved you too, you know.”

 

“So what?  You want a medal?  I would’ve gotten free eventually and taught those bastards a lesson.”

 

Instead of feeling angry, L’Cor only felt curiosity.  Why was Yoko always acting so angry?  Lani and the other players had said that Yoko never partook in any of the after game parties and that she always disappeared as soon as the game was over.  “Are you angry at me or just the world in general?”  He kept his tone mild and as easy going as possible.

 

Yoko snorted and said, “You don’t deserve my anger.  I reserve my anger for the people who did that.”  Yoko gestured with her head at the room where the pale thin figure slept.

 

“Who is that?” asked L’Cor softly.

 

All of a sudden, all the anger seemed to melt away from Yoko.  She sighed and sat down on the couch.  She motioned to L’Cor and he sat down on the chair opposite of her.

 

“That is what happens when someone signs up with one of the corporate sponsors.  They pamper you, treat you like a princess, and when you lose, they drop you like a hot potato.  That, is the former champion of the Tournament.  That, is my older sister Kasa.”

 

L’Cor leaned back and muttered a curse.  He suspected it might’ve been something like that but he never imagined that the person on the bed was Yoko’s sister.  “What happened?”

 

Yoko’s eyes took on a faraway look as she said, “My sister is several orbits older than me.  When she turned eighteen orbits, the corporate hacks at Fizzy Pop discovered that she had a talent for piloting Micks.  They sponsored her and provided everything from living expenses to a brand new top of the line Mick.  She climbed up the ranks in the Tournament and soon became champion.  She reigned for a few orbits until she met her match…me.

 

I didn’t go through the sponsorship route.  During my sister’s time as champion, I got to know a certain Ivan McMac rather well and he counselled me to stay away from the corporations.  I followed his advice but I desperately wanted to be a pilot like my sister.  So, Ivan leased a Mick to me at a fraction of its worth.  In a few games, I earned enough credits to both pay him back and to purchase my own Mick and customize it.  In less than half an orbit, the Tournament was abuzz with the possibilities.  Two sisters, one title.  Who would win?  I didn’t want to fight my sister.  I was quite happy chugging along and earning my way through the Tournament.  However, the hacks at Fizzy Pop cornered me.  They owned Kasa’s contract and could tell her who to fight and when.  We didn’t have a choice.”

 

Yoko paused and got up.  She left the room for a couple of minutes and then came back with two glasses of water.  She handed one to L’Cor and took a long gulp from hers.  “I still don’t know if it was my missile that punctured Kasa’s cockpit or if it was shoddy maintenance.  Either way, Kasa ended up being exposed to the radiation in Old Neomar for a hellishly long time.  The corporate devils at Fizzy Pop had decided that since Kasa couldn’t even defeat her younger sister, then she wasn’t worth retrieving in a timely manner.  After she got sick, they dropped her contract and moved on to the next victim.  That’s all she was to them.  A way to sell more of their crap to the general population.  A brief moment in time.  A candle in the wind.”

 

“Is that why you keep fighting?  To earn money to take care of her?”

 

“That and to stick it to those corporate devils by keeping the title away from their people.  The problem is, as champion, I don’t play as often anymore because very few people are willing to challenge me.  I have a reputation for not leaving enough of my opponents’ Micks to salvage.”

 

“You’re that good?”  The question was asked honestly, with no hint of arrogance or rancor.

 

Yoko answered the question with the same respect.  “Yes, I’m that good.”  She picked up a holo remote and pressed a button.

 

Across the room, a small holo screen came to life.  It showed a recording of a Mick game.  L’Cor became instantly fascinated as he watched.  It took him a few seconds to orientate himself because of the top down view but he managed.

 

It wasn’t hard to pick out Yoko’s Baby.  From what L’Cor could see, it was a hover type and it moved very very fast.  He watched in silence as Yoko danced Baby through the crowded and devastated city streets, always on the hunt for more prey.  She hardly bothered with OC.  As soon as she spotted another Mick, she went in for the kill with guns blazing and missiles flying.  L’Cor watched carefully and could tell that Baby was armed with a laser weapon, a triple tube missile launcher, a rocket propelled grenade launcher and some sort of projectile weapon that spoke in powerful single shot bursts.

 

Yoko was right.  She was that good.  In fact, the only other person that L’Cor had ever seen who could move a war machine that fluidly was his long lost brother R’Tus.

 

The battle quickly wound to a stop as Yoko expertly defeated all of her opponents.  L’Cor whistled softly and said, “I don’t think I would want to face you either.”

 

Yoko smiled the friendliest smile that L’Cor had ever seen on her.  “You’re not so bad yourself newbie.  I’ve been looking forward to facing you on the field.”

 

L’Cor shook his head.  “As much as that would be an honour, I wouldn’t last five minutes against you.  You remind me a lot of my younger brother.  He was a natural, just like you.  He could do things with his MAAC that no one else could.”

 

“Oh?  Where is he?  I’d like to meet him.”

 

“He died in the war.”

 

Yoko fell silent as she digested this piece of information.  The she said, “So, you were a soldier?  A MAAC pilot?”

 

L’Cor nodded.  “Yup.  I got drafted out of high school and wound up fighting the Saxx until we finally won.

 

Yoko suddenly did something so unexpected that it took L’Cor completely by surprise.  She got up and crossed the distance between them.  She bent down and planted a kiss on L’Cor’s cheek.  “Thank you.”

 

L’Cor cleared his throat and managed to say, “Um, you’re welcome?”

 

Yoko giggled and L’Cor decided that she was actually very cute and attractive when she laughed.  “Thank you for fighting the Saxx.  I actually have a soft spot for war veterans.  Whenever I meet one in the field, I try to disable their Micks with as little damage as possible.  You, and people like you, saved our world.”

 

“It didn’t always feel like that,” said L’Cor.  “My brother died from friendly fire because some creeps at Intel didn’t know their heads from their asses.”

 

Yoko didn’t say anything to that.  Instead, she bent down again and this time, kissed L’Cor on his lips.  “Thank you for saving me in the alley tonight.  It was very heroic.”

 

In spite of himself, L’Cor found himself smiling.  Now that Yoko was letting her guard down, he found that he actually liked the young woman.  “You’re welcome.  My brother would’ve done the exact same thing, only he wouldn’t have gotten beaned on the head.”

 

Yoko laughed and gingerly touched the bump where the bottle had hit L’Cor.  “Your brother sounds like a regular knight in shining armour.”

 

L’Cor laughed.  “Yup, that he was.  He was always carrying around this old book.  It was left behind by our father.”

 

Yoko’s face brightened even more.  “Book?”  She waltzed away and came back carrying a worn and tattered book.  “This book?”  She perched herself on the arm of L’Cor’s chair and showed it to him.

 

L’Cor looked at the title.  It read, History of Royal Gaya.  “Yup, that would be the one.  Somehow, I’m not surprised that you’ve got one too.”

 

Yoko cradled the book to her chest.  “This was left behind by my mother.  When I was young, I used to fantasize that I was Princess Gaya and that the Black Knight would come and rescue me from the slums that we lived in.”

 

L’Cor glanced around the room.  Come to think of it, the room wasn’t all that much bigger than his own ratty apartment.  He had thought that once he started playing and winning money that he would move into a nicer place.  However, between maintaining Phantom Crash and partying, he didn’t have much money or time left over.  “It certainly costs a lot to maintain a Mick in top fighting condition doesn’t it?”

 

Yoko snorted derisively.  “You got that right.  I spent a large fortune in outfitting Baby with a laser cannon because I thought I would save money in the long run on ammunition.  Little did I know that a laser cannon needs a ton of money just to keep it properly tuned.  Ivan knows about Kasa.  He knows how much I’m spending in her leukemia treatments.  He’s offered to maintain Baby for free but I won’t accept charity.  However, if I don’t get some games soon, I may have to start selling pieces of Baby just to keep up with Kasa’s treatments.”

 

“How about a challenge match?”

 

“Challenges are good, but they’re generally one on one with the challenger earning more potential money.  The prize money from one top-notch player is barely enough for a month supply of medicine.  I need to get into a melee where there are multiple opponents and more cash potential, but the rules state that players cannot win the title from a melee game.  That prevents them from ganging up on me but it also means that they can’t win the title from me either.  Without numbers on their side, there aren’t very many players that want to face me.”

 

L’Cor felt a very strong urge to help Yoko.  Not only did he feel empathy for her plight, but she also reminded him of R’Tus very much.  Like Yoko, R’Tus had a strong sense of nobility and honour that he hid away from the world.  Suddenly, he had an idea.  “How about a team battle?  You could form a small team and offer to fight any other team up to a set number.  Players would have the chance to face you with odds on their side and you would earn more prize money.”

 

Yoko cocked her head to one side as she considered the idea.  “That could work, but who would team up with me?  It can’t be another Class A player.  No one would want to fight then.”

 

“You could team up with me,” said L’Cor.  As the idea took form in his head, he began to speak more excitedly.  “I’m still a newbie so I’m still a Class E right?  We could bill it as Champion and Newbie versus all comers.”

 

Yoko got off the arm of the chair and began to pace around.  “I like the idea.  You’re not a half bad pilot and you’ve got tons of potential.  I don’t think you’d be a liability at my side.”

 

L’Cor got up too and began to pace in the opposite direction.  “I don’t need much prize money myself.  Just enough to keep Phantom Crash maintained.  I’m not in this for the money after all.”

 

Yoko suddenly stopped pacing and face L’Cor squarely.  There was just a hint of anger and wounded pride on her face.  “No.  If we’re going to team up then we split the prize money fairly.  I don’t accept charity.”

 

L’Cor raised his hands in a placating gesture.  “That’s fine.  If we face a team of oh let’s say six, I’m pretty sure I can handle two and leave you the rest.  We’ll split the money based upon who we take down.”

 

Yoko smiled brightly at the suggestion.  “That puts me back into a melee scenario where I can earn more money.  I like the idea very much!  All we need now is a team name.”

 

“How about The Champ and the Nube?”

 

Yoko shook her head and took a few steps forward until she was standing right in front of L’Cor.  “Not catchy enough.  How about Beauty and the Beast?”

 

“That’s catchy but you really shouldn’t call yourself the Beast!” said L’Cor with a laugh.

 

Yoko laughed out lout and punched L’Cor playfully on his shoulder.  “Idiot!”

 

L’Cor rubbed the spot where Yoko punched him in mock indignation.  “Owch!  You pack quite a punch for a little girl!”

 

In response, Yoko punched him again on the other shoulder.  “I’m not a little girl.  I’m a hunter in search of prey!”

 

“A hunter eh?  How about, The Stalkers?”

 

“The Stalkers…” Yoko rolled the name around in her mouth.  “I like it.  Simple yet sinister.”

 

“It’s a deal then!”  L’Cor held his right hand out.  Yoko took it and shook it firmly.  Then she stepped and kissed L’Cor firmly on his lips.

 

“There, sealed with a kiss!”  She bounced away and disappeared into another room.

 

L’Cor touched his lips with his hand.  Both Yoko’s attractiveness and her kisses were starting to awaken feelings in his body and emotions in his chest.  He wasn’t sure how he felt.  Did he like Yoko in that manner?  Did she like him?  What did she expect from him?  There was such a large gap in their ages that L’Cor really didn’t know how to relate.

 

He was roused from his internal conflict when Yoko came back into the room.  She was carrying a computer terminal.  She showed him the screen and said, “Here, I’ve registered us as a team and put in our fighting conditions.  By this time tomorrow, there’ll be at least five or six other registered teams, all vying for a shot at the champion.”

 

L’Cor reviewed Yoko’s posting but could not find anything that he disagreed with.  “Looks good.  I better get home to get some rest.  Looks like I’m going to need it.  Do you by any chance have directions?”

 

Yoko smiled broadly.  “Of course!  Take the elevator down two floors and hang a right.”

 

“What’re you talking about?”

 

“You live in this building!”

 

L’Cor was stunned.  “You live in the same building as me?”

 

“I not only live here, but I manage it too.  This building is owned under Kasa’s name.  I generally rent out rooms to people who otherwise could not afford more expensive homes.”

 

L’Cor chuckled softly.  He’d been right about Yoko’s nobility.  The rents in this building were by far the cheapest.  They were cheaper than even some of the other apartment buildings that were in worse shape.  “Well, that makes it easier for us to get together to discuss strategy and tactics!”

 

“And easier for transportation too.  Make sure you set your alarm early old man.  We’re going to see Ivan tomorrow morning.”

 

“Why?”

 

“If we’re going to make this partnership work, you’re gonna need some serious upgrades to Phantom Crash!”

 

“Upgrades?  I thought I had a pretty good weapon load out.”

 

Yoko laughed.  “Ok, maybe I was wrong.  You’re not braver than you look for riding in that piece of crap – just dumber!”  Yoko’s laughter and smile took the sting out of her barb.

 

“What do you mean piece of crap?”  L’Cor tried to sound angry but he couldn’t.  He knew from seeing Yoko’s Baby in action that he had barely scratched the surface of all the options available to a Mick.

 

Yoko kissed him softly on his cheek and said softly, “Just trust me.”