The Gauntlet

Chapter 03 - Brax-Delta Academy

Codi didn't get a lot of sleep that night. She recounted the conversation to Becca, but her friend couldn't offer anything that would shed light on the cryptic nature of Barrow's words. And then Becca had to go, leaving Codi in a void of uncertainty. What little sleep she did manage to snatch up had little impact. Upon rising to greet Kantha's morning sun she felt drained.

A rap on the door heralded the arrival of an early breakfast.

"Morning, Codi." She recognised Amelia's voice and stood laboriously upright. Unlatching the door, she found the diminutive orphanage volunteer standing with a small tray in her hands, her short brown hair tied up in what looked like an uncomfortably tight bun. "I hear you're leaving us this morning," she continued.

"Apparently," Codi replied, eyeing up the food. It wasn't anything spectacular – a bowl of porridge, a few slices of apple and a cup of coffee – but her stomach was already rumbling. "You know anything more about it?"

"Afraid not." Amelia gave her an apologetic look. "But all the best wherever you're going." She offered the tray.

"I appreciate it." Codi took it and forced a smile. Amelia was okay in her books. The woman beamed a smile back then strode off down the corridor to attend whatever tasks awaited her.

By eight o'clock Codi had polished off the breakfast, showered, and now stood outside the main entrance of the orphanage with the head administrator alongside her, awaiting Barrow's arrival. Behind her the ugly brown block of the orphanage itself loomed over them like a disapproving father staring down at his children.

Five minutes later than promised Barrow's dull blue car hummed to a halt in front of them where it's gravitic repellors disengaged, letting the chassis sink gently to the surface of the road. Codi glanced at the administrator only to receive a cold glare. The passenger side door of the car swung open and she saw Barrow leaning towards them, beckoning.

"Alright, Codi, time to pack up your troubles," he said. "Quick now, we've got an appointment to keep."

"On you go." The administrator nodded. "And Miss James, I'd advise you to make the best of the opportunity you're being given." With that she rounded and stormed back into the orphanage. Codi watched her go then looked back to the inviting open door of Barrow's car.

After a moment of hesitation she swallowed her pride and started forward. Slinging her holdall between her legs, she sat down against the cushioned passenger seat and hauled the door shut. Before she knew what was happening the car was up and moving again, zipping through the busy morning streets of Kantha's capital city.

"How are you doing?" Barrow asked.

"I'm alright." She looked at him suspiciously. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"There was no way I could stop the headmaster from expelling you this time, Codi. This was the only other option I could think of."

"Well what is it?!"

Barrow blew out his cheeks in a sigh. "I thought about what you told me, about wanting to do something, be something special, and about your violent track record. And then I had an idea."

Codi bristled, beginning to lose her patience. "Which is?"

"How much do you know about the Gauntlet?" She blinked in surprise and for a moment was stuck for an answer. He looked at her. "Well?"

"I know a bit," she replied. "It's a fighting tournament."

Barrow laughed. "That's a fairly minimalist description of the biggest sporting competition in the whole of colonised space. It's where the best of the best of every planet's fighters battle it out."

"Well I'm not exactly part of the mainstream," she continued, curiosity now flooding through her. "Why, what's the Gauntlet got to do with me?"

"You know there's a Gauntlet academy in the city, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well they were recently appointed a new head instructor to coach this year's Gauntlet team, and he happens to be a friend who owes me a favour."

"Wait a minute…" Codi's eyes widened as she put the pieces together. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'm going to be blunt, you're a violent little pain in the arse, Codi," Barrow replied. "You don't fit in at school and at this rate you never will. If you're dead set on fighting every step of the way then competing in the Gauntlet might be something you're actually good at. Who knows, if you do well then you'll have done something pretty special."

"How's that?"

"Brax-Delta is the only academy on Kantha, and has never put a competitor past the group opening rounds. If someone from there won the tournament…well it'd get people talking."

"So…so what happens now?" she stammered.

"We're on our way to the academy now," he said. "So I want you to understand something. The Gauntlet can make or break people. Not everyone can handle it – very few will ever graduate to the senior divisions and make a living out of this. For most people if they don't make it they'll have something to fall back on, but you don't, Codi. There'll be no more school, no more second chances. I'm not exaggerating when I say you're gambling with your life here. It's everything in one shot." He looked her in the eye. "So, do you want to-?"

"Yes." The word was out before Vasco could finish. Codi didn't need to think about it. She'd take any chance she could to get out off the dead-end path she currently walked.

He looked back to the road, slightly taken aback by her instant response. "You're sure?"

Codi took a calming breath and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Alright then, today you'll meet Drake Vasco, the instructor, and then you're going to be living there."

"Living there?"

"Training for the Gauntlet is full-time, Codi. You'll be up at seven, asleep by ten, and you'll spend the time in between getting the crap kicked out of you by a bunch of other kids who'll be your team mates. It'll do you good."

Codi stared at him in amazement. When she'd woken up this morning her life had been a train wreck and now, thanks to this teacher, she'd been given a bizarre opportunity to set things back on track. But this favour the instructor owed, it sounded like a one time thing, which launched a single question into her mind.

"Why me?"

"Why? Because I couldn't stand by and watch you piss your life away. Because for the last six months I've had to watch you make one wrong step after another, all the while trying to think of some way to get you out this hole you've dug yourself into." Barrow pressed his lips together, guiding the car down a rightward turn. "Because everybody deserves a second chance and I saw an opportunity to give you yours."

The answer silenced her. She sat there, eyes on the road as she tried to wrap her head around what was happening. The Gauntlet. Only yesterday that had been a pure fantasy and all of a sudden, now, she was on her way to joining it. She suddenly felt ashamed of the opinions she'd held of Mr. Barrow up until now. He truly had gone the extra mile to help her.

"I don't…" She bit her lip. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything. Just make the most of this."

When they pulled up to the front entrance of the Brax-Delta academy, Codi wasn't quite sure what to think. The building didn't quite live up to the expectations she held of a Gauntlet training facility. The dull grey cube squatted moodily in the centre of a run-down industrial district in the capital's southern quarter, flanked by old warehouses and factories on either side. She could see cracks and split marks in the concrete exterior and a scrawling mess of graffiti on the right hand wall. All in all, it didn't look like much.

Barrow guided the car into a parking space near the opaque glass double doors, unbuckling his seatbelt as the car sank to the ground. Codi, who had not deigned to bother with the safety measures, clambered out of the vehicle's confines as fast as she was able.

"So this is Brax-Delta?" she asked, still not quite convinced by the dilapidated lump looming in front of them.

Barrow sighed. "I know it's not the nicest looking building, but they're under-funded. It's amazing this place has been going as long as it has. They're not even entering a senior team this year."

"No wonder their fighters never get anywhere," she muttered.

"Do you want to do this or don't you?"

She made a sweeping gesture toward the doors with one arm. Her chaperone rolled his eyes and started walking, and she fell into step behind him, still letting her gaze wander dubiously over the academy's exterior. She'd seen pictures of the big academies on the inner planets, the ones that churned out the high ranking fighters, and they put this glorified storage building to shame. Granted, she'd never followed the Gauntlet too closely – getting access to a tele-screen was difficult for someone like her – but one year she caught the finals being broadcast in one of her many schools.

She delved for the vague memory, hunting for some clues as to exactly what Barrow was getting her into. One thing she remembered for definite was that the final fights had been nothing short of brutal.

"Right, I need you to understand something," Barrow said as they reached the door. "Drake Vasco is not your ordinary teacher."

Codi c****d an unimpressed eyebrow. "Meaning what?"

"I know you're used to flying off the handle, talking back and winding people up. In a school that kind of stupidity will slide, but I guarantee that if you pull the same nonsense in here you'll regret it."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, it's observation. Drake is not someone you want to push."

She frowned but didn't reply as he pushed the door open. When they stepped into the building itself she found the aesthetics improved dramatically. The smooth marble of the lobby floor gleamed under the interior lighting and two small rows of chairs lined either wall for visitors. In its entirety the lobby was only ten yards long, and at the far end a desk waited for them with a receptionist engrossed in the morning's paperwork.

When they reached the desk itself the woman looked up and Codi almost recoiled in surprise. She was beautiful; long, luscious waves of chocolate brown hair, emerald eyes twinkling behind a pair of crystalline glasses and skin so perfectly smooth it didn't seem real. The blue shirt she wore hugged her body tightly with a name tag reading "Holly" pinned over the left breast. A wave of self consciousness swept over Codi as she glanced down at her own shabby appearance. The old grey hoody, the faded jeans, the ripped trainers, and the black beanie over blacker hair – by comparison she looked like she'd crawled out of a dumpster.

"How may I help you?" the receptionist purred.

"My name's Jacob Barrow. I have an appointment with the head instructor."

She swivelled in her seat, further revealing the curvature of her body as she examined the computer screen for a moment. Then she nodded and threw a winning smile at them. "Everything's in order. If you'll just take the lift to my left, Mr. Vasco's office is on the third floor."

"Much obliged." Barrow gave her nod and a smile then guided Codi into the elevator. Once he'd pressed the button to send them on their way and the doors closed, she looked at him.

"How did this Vasco guy get a supermodel as his secretary?" she demanded.

A chuckle slipped from Barrow's lips. "Codi, that's his daughter."

"Are you serious?"

"Perfectly; nice girl, though she's a bit on the dim side." He grinned to himself.

"How many people work here?"

"Well there are a handful of administrators, but on site I'm pretty sure it's just the two of them."

"Two people?" Codi exclaimed. "To run this whole academy?"

He shrugged. "I told you they were under-funded." The lift reached its destination then, interrupting further conversation with a ding as the doors opened to reveal a grey-walled corridor. Barrow stepped out and Codi fell into line behind him, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell of cleaning products. They took a left turn down another hallway to a modest door surmounted by a burnished silver plaque. It read, "Instructor D. Vasco."

Barrow knocked on the door three times then took a step back, waiting patiently. For a moment Codi thought no-one was inside, before a sudden grating bark sounded from within.

"Alright, Barrow, get in here!" the voice said.

"Brace yourself," Barrow said quietly before opening the door.

When the door closed behind them Codi found herself staring eye-to-eye with Drake Vasco and swallowed hard. Although he was sitting behind his desk, the confined space of his office meant they were barely five feet from each other, and the same emerald green eyes glared back at her. However, these eyes did not twinkle. They were as hard as granite.

"It's been a long time, Drake," Barrow began.

"This is her?" Vasco returned, ignoring the greeting. The other man nodded. "And you said you were doing me a favour." His eyes turned skyward as though seeking inspiration in the ceiling tiles. "Alright, kid, let's just get this out there. The only reason you're here is because I owe Jake a favour. If I don't think you can cut it in the Gauntlet I'll kick you out before you can say ‘screw you, Vasco.' You understand?"

"Well, hello to you too," she returned before she could stop herself. She caught Barrow's furious look, but no matter the circumstance she wasn't about to be intimidated by the Gauntlet instructor.

"Oh, she's a smartass? You didn't mention that little gem, Jacob."

"I figured you'd find out." Barrow shrugged awkwardly.

Vasco rolled his eyes and stood up. "Fine. Codi, isn't it? Take off that hoody."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't see how that could have confused you." He folded his arms and started at her pointedly. After a long, uncomfortable silence she did as he asked, pulling the hoody off and revealing the featureless blue tank-top underneath. Suddenly she felt very exposed. The cold air pressed eagerly against her skin and she could feel the goosebumps rising.

Vasco proceeded to step around his desk and started examining her from every angle. She looked at the floor, uneasy under his searching stare. Then he gripped her right arm around the bicep. His fingers were coarse and hard, like being gripped by someone wearing sandpaper gloves.

"Tense," he grunted. She did as she asked, looking up to meet his eyes. Her muscle pressed against the vice-like grip of Vasco's hand and as it did he made a small hmm sound and nodded approvingly. Releasing her he continued circling like a vulture for minutes, until eventually coming to a halt in front of her. Then, like a bolt of lightning his hand shot out, a clenched fist coming to a halt barely and inch from Codi's jaw. She twitched but forced herself not to jerk away. She was no fool: that was a test. Instead she held his gaze. After a moment Vasco pulled his fist away and nodded again.

He stepped back and held up a palm. "Alright, kid, let's see what you've got. Punch my hand."

Codi's brow furrowed and she glanced to Barrow. He gave nod of encouragement. Taking a breath she reared back and swung a punch. Vasco moved his hand away in an almost lazy motion and stopped his retaliatory chop a hairsbreadth from her neck.

"Do it properly," he said. "I've seen slugs that could have dodged that."

Codi bristled and bit back the angry response that wanted to leap off her tongue. Instead she did as he said. Bending her knees she brought her hands up close to her chest and snapped out a jab. She suspected he could have easily avoided this one too, but he seemed satisfied enough with the technique to allow the blow to land. Her fist smacked against his calloused palm.

"That's more like it," Vasco confirmed.

"What do you think?" Barrow asked in the intervening silence.

"Well she telegraphs like a freight train and has no technique to speak of," the coach replied. "But I suppose I've seen worse."

It was all Codi could do not to scream a***e at this arrogant excuse for a man. Coach or not, she doubted she could put up with this kind of verbal a***e seven days of the week. For now, however, she kept her mouth shut, seething inwardly.

"You need her," Barrow continued. "You're still one short."

"That doesn't mean I should just scoop up the first runt that comes bursting through the door!" Vasco rubbed his chin with one hand, his brows creasing into a frown as he stared at her. She saw his tongue pressing from cheek to cheek inside his mouth until he eventually spoke again.

"Tell me, kid, how do you feel about all this?" he said. Codi composed herself to give an honest and above all, restrained answer.

"I promise you I can do this," she replied. "Just give me a chance. I've got nowhere else to go."

"The way I hear it you've got some issues with authority. If you're going to compete in the Gauntlet – hell, if you're even going to train here – you're gonna have to ditch the attitude and do exactly what I tell you to do. In six months I've got to train you to a level that takes most people three years. If you can't put your ego in a box and listen then we might as well call the whole thing off."

The words of the orphanage administrator rang in Codi's ears. Make the most of the opportunity. She jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and nodded once. "I get it."

"You'd better." He walked around the desk and sat back down, lounging back against the seat. "Well she's a wildcard, no two ways about it and she's not exactly a physical miracle."

"That's not her fault. I told you Vasco-,"

"I know, I know. I'm just saying, she's a risk…but I think she's got the backbone for this, which is the thing most kids are missing."

"So you'll do it?"

"I'll give her a shot." Vasco glared at him. "After this, we are even."