“I’m Mei Lin. Tommy Chen’s ‘best girl.’” She snorted. “He has no clue. She lost status five months ago and left town. So I took over. I’ve been fighting and winning for weeks, and I finally got myself back in his good graces.” She gave a wicked smile that warned Kellen trouble was on the way. “I’m taking him out tonight, for good. Keep out of my way.”
“You won’t get any trouble from me,” he said, meaning it. “But keep the death to Chen. You kill any of the Ravagers with me, we’ll have words.”
She sighed. “Whatever.”
“Viper,” he growled.
She chuckled. “Kidding. I’ll steer clear.” She twirled a band of short hair around her finger. “So, you happy?”
“Getting there.” He was surprised to mean it. “It’s not easy. I still feel like I don’t fit in, but I never really have. I found a few Ravagers I like and who seem to like me.” He shrugged, pretending his new intimacy didn’t matter. “Might work, might not. But I’m giving it a shot. I figure if it doesn’t work out, I can always leave town and move on.” Which no longer seemed like a viable option. But he never said never.
“At least you have your people.”
He knew how alone she felt. Overseas, at least they’d had each other, if not for emotional support, then for safety. “Viper, you know you’re not the last of your kind. So many Voiders have arrived on this world and gone into hiding. For all you know there’s a whole clan of them on another continent.”
She gave him a sad smile. “Maybe. But my family is lost.” Her expression grew hard. “I’m here to get back what’s mine.” She paused. “Something you should know. There’s rumor of a new class of Watchers who are rallying Norms to revolt. They want to get rid of the Voids and Voiders for good.”
“How the hell will they do that? They’ve been trying for decades. The Voids are here to stay.”
“I know. But these watch groups are stirring trouble. I’ve heard of Voiders just disappearing, and no one seems to care.” She scowled. “It’s those who have no one else. The solitary Voiders who are fair game.”
“I’ll tell Prime. Maybe he can help.”
“We need something. Someone to take care of all the Voiders. At least the Ravagers have strength in numbers.” She paused again. “I won’t be here long. I’ll try to say goodbye before I leave town though.”
“I hope you do. And I’m always glad to see you. Let me know if you need help with anything. But not Chen,” he said, lest he get involved in the chaos of her making.
She snorted. “Right. Well, get out of here. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. And keep your head down after I win my fight.”
“Will do.”
He left before she did, and seeing no one looking, hurried to the guarded door in the back. “I’ve got an invite from a Vulcani.”
The armed guards looked at him and nodded, then opened the doors.
He walked into a surprisingly well organized series of matches. Fast-moving servers delivered drinks to several spectators surrounding bar tables. Other spectators crowded the raised, ringed platforms upon which opponents fought. Two Norms in one ring. A Valk and a Vulcani in another. And in a third, he saw a Ravager, not one of Prime’s but an independent likely living in the city, facing off against a Roc.
He watched in awe as the Roc, a metallic humanoid with incredible strength, lifted the Ravager and tossed him from the ring. As if the furry Ravager were no stronger than a toddler.
Impressed despite himself, Kellen joined Dante and the others gathered around the dais.
“Not bad, but he was too cautious,” Dante said as the Ravager reentered the ring with a growl. “Rocs are tough, but if you go in low and take them off their feet, you sever their inner stability nodes, which latch onto whatever surface they’re standing on. The key to fighting Rocs is being strong enough to take them off their feet.”
The crazy look in his eyes told Kellen Dante meant to jump in the ring.
“No, just no,” he growled.
They watched the Roc pulverize the Ravager, ignoring the slashes to his chest that did little damage. Then the Roc picked up the Ravager once more and tossed him into the crowd, who cheered.
Dante groaned. “Oh, come on. He’s making us look bad. The Vulcani needs to see me fight. She’s into me, I can tell. But I need to prove I’m more than a pretty face.”
Next to him, several of the Ravagers laughed uproariously. While a few others cautioned Dante to keep it in his pants.
“Yeah, what Dean said. Keep it in your pants, Dante.” Kellen looked around and spotted Mei Lin standing near Tommy Chen. Right next to a few of his guards, she nodded and conversed, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched some new fighters.
Chen sat on a raised dais against the back wall, a king on his throne overlooking his fiefdom. Kellen knew of him, of course. Everyone in Cross Step did. Tommy Chen had the look of a Norm. A tall Asian man almost as muscular as Kellen with dark sleeves of tribal tattoos covering him from shoulder to wrist. He wore a black tee-shirt, jeans, and boots, and had black sunglasses shielding his eyes from the masses.
He ran the criminal underground in town, rumored to be running guns, drugs, prostitutes, and anything anyone wanted for the right price.
