“You alright, Owen?” Coach Wilson asked. He took a step back and lowered his mitts. “Lookin’ awful serious.”

  Owen thought about his life up to this point. His parents’ death, the care facility, working at Luther’s. Everything he did in his life was determined by what happened prior. He’d still be living the same shitty life if he hadn’t stepped over the line at the bike shop and received those fines. Everything that happened to Owen in the past year sprouted from the seed of that moment. He didn’t control the direction of his life, he was merely a passenger in an out of control car.

  “It’s nothing.” He hadn’t heard from the team and he hadn’t seen Sensei Dan since he installed the jumper. “Pre-fight jitters.”

  “We don’t get those at the Warzone,” Coach said. “You can’t stop shaking it’s because you can’t wait to get in the pit. If you’re thinkin’ about something it better be the fight. We didn’t bring you to the coliseum so you could shit your pants.”

  “My pants are shit free.”

  “That’s what I want to hear. Can’t be stainin’ those white pants.”

  Amber tried to get Owen to wear shorts like a majority of fighters in the league, but he never fought in shorts in a real fight. And besides that, it felt right to be wearing something to honor his Sensei even if they weren’t speaking. WILSON’S WARZONE was emblazoned on the sides of his pants legs, while the Hardknuckle Crab adorned the back of his gi. A black belt completed the look, which Owen wasn’t sure he’d earned even if Sensei Dan said Hardknuckle Karate didn’t use a belt system.

  “Don’t worry about her,” Coach Wilson said.

  “Who?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me. I’m old, not blind. You two aren’t as secretive as you think.” Coach nodded at Amber who was talking with the team medic. “It’s not just Amber’s reputation on the line here.” Owen threw a quick combo at the mitts. “You’re being sponsored by Amber through Wilson’s Warzone. You win, we all win. You lose, well shit, we lose too.”

  “I don’t plan on losing.” He bounced on the balls of his feet and threw half speed kicks at Coach’s leg. He had to win for Amber. The entire city was watching. This wasn’t part of the mission anymore. He played his part for Tuck, he needed to play his part for Amber.

  “Neither does Colin Mace. We trained for this though. Mark put you through the ringer. Hell, I think you’ve fought everyone in the warzone ten times over. When Amber introduced us you were a wet behind the ears kid with a couple karate moves in your toolbox. You’ve got an arsenal now. Once you’re in the pit it’ll be up to you to put it together. Two ten minute rounds with a one minute break between them. It’s all up to you once that siren goes off.”

  “We’re ready for him,” a coliseum worker in a silver mask said. He spoke into a radio and signaled Owen and his team.

  “This is what we’ve trained for people!” Coach Wilson yelled. “We know our roles. Get out there and do your job. We go home winners tonight!”

  Owen didn’t hear the cheers, and he didn’t notice Amber smiling at him. He focused on the fight. This was all possible because of her, yet he was working against her family and he didn’t even understand what part he was really playing in Tuck’s master plan.

  On the walk to the hexpit spotlights shined on Owen. Music blared across the Coliseum while a light show enchanted the roaring crowd. Owen’s fight was the sixth of the night and highly publicized as Amber Callahan’s first foray into the combat league. His performance would set the precedent on fighters sponsored by Amber going forward.

  He felt the eyes of the world on him. Camera operators pivoted their all seeing eyes to him as the made the walk to the pit. Drones buzzed by his face, getting a look at Amber’s fighter before he entered the pit for the first time. One of the team threw Warzone shirts into the screaming crowd. The air was thick with scent deterrent and his face was plastered on screens. Above the common people of City Seven, the elite sat in private booths. Flags hung from balconies denoting which corporation owned them.

  The Callahan booth was in the middle of the private booths. The Callahan family crest, an owl with spread wings, and the flag of City Seven hung from their balcony. Owen could scarcely make out the figures of the Callahans in the booth but he knew they were there.

  Owen popped in his mouth guard and removed his gi as he reached the pit. He handed it to Amber and she flashed him a quick smile.

  “Don’t hurt him too bad,” Amber said. Owen wished he could kiss her.

  The pit was five times as big as the one in the gym and the obstacles more varied. Padded red and blue blocks and cylinders lined the pit. Some were ankle height, others waist high, and a few head height. A fight in the League wasn’t just about defending against an opponent. The environment played a part in any fight.

  Owen stood on a small red circle that matched his gloves while his opponent entered the arena. He saw Colin Mace on the screens.. They were of similar weight and height, with their main differences being Colin’s long wild hair and ornate nautical tattoos crisscrossing across his chest and arms. He held his hands up high, soaking in the crowd’s attention. When he stepped on his blue circle he grinned at Owen like a predator sizing up its next meal.

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  An announcer gave the crowd the fighters’ names and relevant information before five chain fences slid out of the ground on each side of the pit. Owen was locked in with his opponent until ten minutes was up, or someone won. A pair of drones flew close to each fighter, serving as both cameras and referees.

  “Obey my commands at all times,” Owen’s drone squawked. “This will be a clean fight. No strikes at the groin, no biting, and no eye gouging. Do you understand?”

  “I do,” Owen said. He stared at his opponent who was getting the same speech about rules and safety. Then the siren blared.

  Owen stuck to the game plan and moved methodically through the obstacles. Colin Mace had a different plan. He ran across them, jumping from obstacle to obstacle like a jungle cat through a forest. He leapt at Owen with a kick. Missed. Hit the ground rolling and hopped to his feet.

  Coach Wilson made watching Colin’s fight tapes a part of Owen’s training. He knew Colin was fast, and he knew he could use the obstacles to his advantage. He hit Owen with a barrage of kicks, pushing off a nearby cube to launch at his opponent.

  Owen stayed on the defensive, dodging and maneuvering through the obstacles as Colin pressed the attack. The judges were scoring outside the pit and Colin was winning on aggression alone. He always came out of the gate swinging with both of his wins being in the first round. Owen needed to survive the first round and take the fight to Mace in round two after he was tired out.

  Colin zipped around a cylinder and caught Owen with a kick. He fell back. Smacked a Padded cube. Took a hard kick to his exposed ribs. He rolled to his back and kicked up. It would’ve been a knockout if Colin was half a second slower. Owen sprung to his feet in time to avoid a nasty stomp to his chest and shoved Colin away.

  Defense wasn’t working. Colin was more aggressive than any of Owen’s sparring partners. Almost as aggressive as the ninja he killed. But it was a controlled aggression that never seemed to wane despite the constant punches and kicks he threw. Colin kept the pressure on with his relentless assault. If he threw a hundred punches one was bound to hit.

  The clock ticked away while Colin battered Owen across the hexpit. From outside it would appear that Owen was being mauled by a more aggressive and skilled opponent. Appearances weren’t everything. While Colin was aggressive, he didn’t hit as hard as Mark on a bad day and he wasn’t half as accurate. Most of his strikes were aimed at Owen’s midsection and legs, and while he felt the hits, they weren’t slowing him down.

  The siren blared after what felt like an eternity and Colin and Owen separated under the drones’ instruction. If either of them decided not to separate the drone was equipped with a small ECD to incapacitate a fighter.

  Owen jogged back to his corner and sat on a small metal stool Coach Wilson provided him. Cool water hit his head and an ice pack slapped his sore ribs. His team checked him over while Coach Wilson knelt in front of him.

  “Alright, Owen,” Coach said. “Time for phase two. Bring the fight to him and don’t let up. He was already runnin’ out of gas before the bell. We don’t want this to go to a decision, so get in there and knock his ass out.” Coach slapped Owen’s shoulder as the warning siren went off.

  Ten seconds later he was in round two. He didn’t wait for Colin to come to him. He ran through the hexpit, dodging obstacles in his way and threw a straight punch at Colin’s head. His hit was solid. A nose breaker and brain shaker. A low kick put Colin on his ass and the crowd roared.

  Blood poured from Colin’s nose as he scrambled to his feet and threw a hook kick that Owen ducked. He answered with his own front kick to Colin’s chest. He could swear he heard the audience cheering him on. Owen was a newcomer to the league with zero fights on his record. Compared to Colin Mace he should’ve been easy prey. Not when he’d been training Hardknuckle Karate for nearly a year.

  Colin closed the distance and brawled with Owen. They traded punches while drones flew around them in a circle. The slugfest ended when Colin went for a single leg takedown. Owen’s back hit the floor and punches sliced his head. Colin was mounted and unleashing everything he had. They’d stop the fight if Owen didn’t defend himself. Owen covered up, taking the hits on his forearms as he weaved his body away from hammer fists.

  Owen caught Colin’s arm and squirreled out from under him. He could win with a submission. He took the arm bar and cranked Colin’s shoulder until he heard his shoulder pop and let go. He stood up and raised his hands in victory, but there wasn’t a siren and the drones were still watching.

  “The fight isn’t over,” Sensei Dan said. He perched on top of a cylinder. It was the first time Owen saw him since he put the jumper on Amber’s scratchpad. Nearly two weeks. “Eyes on the enemy.” He nodded at Colin Mace, who to Owen’s horror slammed his arm against an obstacle to force his shoulder back in with a pop. “Finish the fight, Owen.”

  Colin Mace didn’t waste time. The clock was still running and Owen knew he was behind on points. The animal was back with unrelenting attacks fueled by pain and adrenaline. Punches zipped past his cheeks. Kicks hammered his thighs. Owen weathered the storm, blocking with his elbows as Colin drove him to the fence. He zipped behind Owen and suplexed him onto the mat. The crowd groaned. His forearm snaked around Owen’s neck as he locked the guillotine choke and strangled Owen.

  A simple tap in surrender would get Owen free. He couldn’t breathe and even worse the choke cut off blood to his brain. He’d be unconscious in seconds and Colin Mace would win.

  “Come on, Owen!” Sensei Dan shouted. “It’s a chokehold. You know how to get out because I taught you how to get out. Get out of it!”

  Sensei Dan was right. Owen did know how to escape. He pushed back with all his strength to drive Colin down, and he rode the momentum, nearly doing a headstand as he pivoted his hips. He created a small gap to slip his head out and he was free. He pushed to his feet as Colin rose to engage him.

  Owen stood his ground. Colin rushed for the points. Everything was still as Owen saw the perfect opportunity emerging. Owen faked a hook. Colin was too far away to make contact, but the punch wasn’t meant to make contact. It was to build momentum. Owen spun and threw a spinning wheel kick that cracked across Colin’s chin.

  He dropped like a sack of garbage on trash day, unmoving as the drone counted to three. The siren blared. It was over. The cage retracted and medics flooded into the hexpit while one of the referees raised Owen’s hand to the sky. The crowd chanted his name. Coach Wilson shook him by the shoulders before Amber pushed him away and planted a kiss on Owen in front of everyone. The entire crowd went silent. There was no mistaking Amber Callahan when the fight had been so highly publicized. He knew the team was watching. Owen stood dumbstruck. Amber merely smiled at him like she hadn’t dropped a nuke in their life.

  “Secret’s out, Owen,” Sensei Dan said before he disappeared.

  Owen won the fight, but as he glanced at the screens replaying the kiss for all of City Seven to see, he wondered what he lost.