So they'd figured out Keefer Darkwood's secret of success. Now the question remained: what to do about it?

Their little gang of conspirators had found solace in one of the small meeting rooms in the upper levels of the Arena, but Codi was acutely conscious of the fact that they were running out of time to stop Keefer Darkwood. The next round of quarter finals came in two days – the semis three days after that. That left Cardle North in the firing line first, but beyond that, assuming Ripple made it through her quarter final, she would be the next to face Black Horizon's destroyer.

The frustrating thing was the subtleness of the tweaking. Darkwood was already good, so throwing even an extra five percent behind that talent and size made him virtually unstoppable, but to the average observer nothing looked amiss. Codi drove a hand through her locks of black hair, staring down the table as they argued over their next move.

"We need to lodge a formal complaint," Ripple said flatly. "We can prove that his exoskeleton has been tampered with to make it non-regulation. That should be enough."

"No, no, no," Kye snapped, slapping his palm against he table angrily. "I told you, if you do that they'll ask how we got the information. We'll have to admit we broke into the damned lock tech unauthorised and violated another academy's property. If Black Horizon has a coach worth a damn they'll lodge an instant counter-appeal and send the whole thing spinning through the Gauntlet's judiciary panel for months."

"We don't have months," Codi interjected. "The semi finals are in three days. If we don't do something now it'll be too late."

Rokki Thakkar let out a snort of frustration, seated with his feet slung up on a table. "Hate to say it, gang, but brains there is right. You got two choices. First, try complain straight up and see how it takes you. Second, you gotta get a bunch of other folks on board and make some noise at the same time. Otherwise no-one'll listen."

"It'll take too long." Kye slumped forward, leaning his chin on crossed arms. "Even if by some miracle we could get the head instructors of the other major academies to support a Battlecast complaint, think how this looks to the administrators. This whole year has been about how Battlecast has a monopoly on the competition. Then, the second it looks like someone has your number – whoosh – accusations of cheating, tampering with exoskeletons, trying to get them disqualified just days before the semi-final." He sighed. "They'll never bite on it. Black Horizon timed this perfectly."

Codi pinched the bridge of her nose with a groan. "We have to try, Kye."

"It won't do any good."

"Well, what the hell is your plan then?"

"I don't know!" Kye shot her a grim look. "And frankly, it's not my problem. I've got no horse in this race."

"If you really didn't care you wouldn't have bothered helping us in the first place," Codi shot back. "So just tell me, what do you think we should do?"

"I'm not ..." He hesitated, hunting for the words. "We need to do something more direct."

"Like what?"

"If we don't have time to expose what they're doing maybe we can find someway to sabotage it instead – level the playing field somehow. But I'd need to know how they're transmitting it in the first place; figure out the frequency of the signal somehow." He threw up his hands helplessly. "I just don't know where to start."

"Start with the coach," Rokki grated. "Somebody's gotta trigger those gadgets once the fight's started. Who else you think it's gonna be?"

"So what do you want to do, follow the guy around like a damned spy?"

"No, ya clanger." The Firequake fighter rolled his eyes like parent speaking to a particularly dim-witted child. "During the quarters, how's about you and me do a little snooping in our coaching buddy's personal affects?"

Kye looked at him as though he were insane. "You cannot be serious."

Rokki shrugged. "Depends. You wanna bust this guy?"

"Of course I do."

"Then I'm serious."

"Pissing novas," Kye swore, rubbing his eyes with both hands.

"Codi," Ripple interjected. "There's nothing more we can do here. We need to get kitted up. We're due in the Arena in an hour and Bronagh will be wondering where we are."

Damn it! Codi had almost forgotten about their next match. Her body tensed with annoyance, but she knew Ripple was right. Between the time it would take to get geared in their exoskeletons and a pre-match warm up, they couldn't linger any longer.

She stood, walking past Kye and putting a hand on his arm. "Come find us when we're done. Let me know if you two come up with anything."

"I'm not promising anything," he grumbled. "You understand?"

"It's difficult, I get it." Codi leaned down and took the risk of planting a kiss on the top of his head. "Just, do what you can."

Then she strode from the room, not looking back.

*

Codi tried to put what she'd learned about Keefer Darkwood out of her mind, and focus on the task at hand. Right now she had to leave that matter in Kye's hands and pray. She stood next to Leela with the rest of the flag team, standing in the mouth of the arena with the thunder of reporters ringing in their wake as Bronagh Llewellyn paced back and forth in front of them like a caged beast.

Battlecast's top flag contingent had blown expectations of the Gauntlet world aside, sweeping to the finals despite Leela's spell of injury. With her return, now only one team stood between them and the first portion of a Battlecast podium sweep.

Maryn Le Rourke had led the much-vaunted Atlantic Academy unit to a second consecutive Gauntlet final, dispatching squads from Zulu Forge, Olympus Mons and Firequake along the way. They had not missed a beat, and came crashing into the title match as heavy favourites in spite of Leela's return. The recordings of previous matches had not made for pleasant viewing. They'd never looked like losing, adapting with frightening speed to each new arena layout, twisting the structures against their opponents and toppling one after another.

But Codi knew they could win.

Both teams were evenly matched and ran a similar style: essentially four blockers to escort their flag carrier. Where Leela had the edge in speed, Maryn was better in a stand up fighter – more self-sufficient if caught alone. Atlantic boasted impressive and proven team chemistry. Battlecast sported some of the most dangerous one-on-one fighters in the competition. The whole thing balanced on a knife edge.

"This will be your biggest challenge of the tournament," Bronagh Llewellyn told them as they prepared to enter the arena for the final time as a team. "Make no mistake about that. This is an unchanged line-up you're facing, and they won this last year. That being said, I have faith in you. You can beat them, but each of you will need to be perfect."

Codi joined the others in nodding. She knew as much – any slip-ups against this opponent would hand the trophy to their biggest local rivals.

"Maryn Le Rourke is the most dangerous runner this contest has seen for a long time," Bronagh continued. "She has more than just speed on her side, and the four lads acting as her bodyguard have been working the same system for three years solid. They have more experience than any of you in this regard."

"So what do we do?" Gareth asked quietly.

"Don't play their game," the coach returned. "Do not let them dictate the pace of the match. You've seen the film; you know what they like to do. The four will aim to engage as fast as they can, leaving Maryn alone, one on one." At that, she looked directly at Leela. "You can either try to fight her, or outrun her."

"I'm faster," Leela said, though the tremble in her voice betrayed the girl's nerve.

Bronagh nodded. "I know that, and so do they. Maryn might come after you just to remove that problem."

"Not on my watch," Codi grated, thumping Leela affectionately on the shoulder pad. "I'll stick with you, just like always. If pinkie wants you alone she's got another thing coming."

A low blare of a siren rang in the passage and the counter above the door began booming down from ten. Bronagh spared it a brief, nonchalant glance before facing the team with a smile of breezy confidence on her hard features.

"This is our first chance to bring home a trophy," she told them. "Go out there and get it."

"Yes, ma'am!" Codi shouted with the rest.

Then the doors parted and with Codi in the lead, Battlecast's title contenders jogged out into the light. Noise rolled around the huge domed transparency of the arena, fans from all quarters screaming with enough volume to fill Codi's veins with thundering adrenaline. The stands were a patchwork of Battlecast cyan and deep, dark Atlantic blue, all of them shaking the seats with anticipation. Codi listened as the announcer boomed out their names; raised her hands high, turning on the spot and beckoning the Battlecast supporters to pour it on.

Eventually the noise died down and she turned back to the centre of the arena to examine where they would be fighting.

The construct for the finale of the flag events filled Codi with unease. She stared at the madness of the structure, trying to fit all the wildly moving parts into her vision. Their flag sat in the centre of a raised rectangular plateau that sprawled thirty feet from end to end. The side facing out into the arena itself linked to a bizarre alternating set of paths. From left to right there were anti-grav launchers, divided by thin downward sloping flumes.

She scanned the paths leading to the centre intently, hunting for the most direct route, but there didn't really seem to be one. Instead, two paths formed, the grav launchers providing access to an upper level, while the flumes descended into a canyon-like passage. An identical arrangement spilled away from the Atlantic flag and the whole thing converged in a carnival of machinery.

The centre of the arena was a massive, open-topped tunnel, split at regular intervals by colossal slowly spinning fans that dominated the majority of the space, their fat blades contained within cylindrical guards. Each blade was twice the height of a man, and the space between each of them bore seemingly random collections of walls to hamper quick progress. The two fans on either side of the centre were separated by another split of upper and lower levels – a veritable web of thin metal paths.

Codi realised, with a pang of apprehension, that the narrow field of play would severely limit both teams' normal style. The condensed path also meant the likelihood of a quick win by either team was exceedingly unlikely. There were no shortcuts, no big loops where someone like Leela could just run around the opposition. No, if one team wanted to get the flag, they would have to go through the other.

It was the final match, and the Gauntlet demanded a spectacle.

Codi couldn't fault that reasoning, and as she watched the far doors heave open, she felt excitement tingle in every bone.

"And their opponents, the Gauntlet's local heroes and defending champions, please welcome ATLANTIC ACADEMY," the announcer boomed, conjuring a fresh eruption of cheering from the Atlantic fans. "Make some noise for Maryn Le Rourke ...Kelton Murno ...Collin Garson ...Erik Vanzataar and Roe Jenkins!"

They strode from the darkness of the tunnels, the four boys moving in a line like a guard of honour, raising fists to the crowds. Behind them, hand on hip, Maryn Le Rourke swaggered into the light, blazing pink hair vicious in the brightness, a wily smile painted on crimson lips. She waved a free hand to the crowd turning languidly on the spot to give everyone a good look.

Codi exchanged a smirk with Gareth at the display and turned her attention back to the arena itself.

"This is different," Ripple called over the noise. "Will they go four out like normal?"

"Stick to what Bronagh said," Codi replied. "Don't play their game. We play ours. You and Cardle follow but keep your distance behind us. Sweep this section and keep them away from the flag. Gareth and I will get Leela to their flag."

"And if you run into all five of them without us?"

"Then you'll know all about it." She shrugged. "If they are all out there and we get Leela past that line we'll get their flag first. If they don't send everyone out to fight it evens up the numbers everywhere and we'll get a stalemate. This might go on a hell of a lot longer than we're used to guys. There's no quick fix here, especially with this damned tunnel they've stuck us in."

An extra minute elapsed as the Atlantic Academy team were given time to examine the construct and formulate a plan, having entered second. Codi watched as Maryn moved to each of her guardians in turn, speaking close into their ears with whatever scheme she'd formulated. For their part, the Battlecast team moved into their tried and true formation – she and Gareth taking the lead with Leela centred behind them, and then Ripple and Cardle locked further back to guard the flag against unwanted interlopers.

Then the klaxon blared out, cutting through the cheers and the screams. Both teams burst into motion and the first Gauntlet final was underway.

As she raced toward the upper paths, Codi kept a wary eye on the distant Atlantic competitors, noting that all four of the male competitors accompanied Maryn into the central path, a wall of aquamarine protecting their most valuable asset. They split, Maryn and two others diving down and two of the enforcers staying on the top path, arcing out into the arena under the propelling force of the anti-grav launchers.

With Leela behind her, Codi leapt onto the anti-grav launcher, letting the machine hurl her in a shallow arc out into the upper pathway. She hit the metal plates without breaking stride, and heard the dull thumps as one by one Leela and Gareth arrived after her. Then they were tearing out across the open space, heading towards the monolithic structure of the first of the fans. The thing loomed over them, bigger than a house, the moody thrum of its slow-turning blades growing louder and louder as they approached.

She slowed slightly, gauging the moment to dart between them. Each fan blade was over two meters across at the widest point, and although with the protection of the exoskeletons they couldn't do any serious damage, getting hit by one could easily take someone out of a crucial moment.

They passed through the first fan without incident, bunched together in a tight formation and blazing a weaving course through the series of jutting walls and metal spurs that filled the no-mans land to the next fan. Before they reached it, Codi caught a glimpse of deep aquamarine flashing beyond the blades.

"I see them," she shouted to her companions. "Get ready."

They cleared the next fan and sure enough, thundering in the opposite direction were four blue-armoured members of the Atlantic team. Two of the bruisers were out in front, Maryn Le Rourke behind them, pink hair incongruously vibrant against the grey metal backdrop, and then another of the male fighters – one of the slighter members from the look of him. Of the fifth, there was no sign, but Codi couldn't worry about that now. The two front-runners of the other team closed ranks protectively, shielding Maryn from their opponents.

Codi waved Gareth forward into position alongside her, taking a similar approach to keep Leela out of the direct firing line. Bracing herself for a bone-shaking clash, she piled on the speed and targeted the left-hand runner of the leading Atlantic members.

Before the teams met, however, the two out in front pulled up suddenly, facing each other and looking back the way they'd come. Confusion reigned in Codi's mind as the pair took each other's hands, forming a cross shaped bridge of arms between them. Then when she saw Maryn racing towards them she realised what they were about to do.

Too far away to do anything about it, Codi could only watch helplessly as Maryn made a final leaping bound towards her team mates. As she flew towards them the two boys bent their knees, then with perfect timing, shot upright as Maryn's foot landed on the cross of their arms. As she pushed off, they pushed up, slinging Maryn into the air as though she'd been tossed out of a trebuchet, accompanied by a blast of encouraging cheers from their supporters. She soared overhead, dangerously high even with the exoskeletons, and to Codi's amazement she actually cleared the huge bulk of the next fan, landing in empty space. She fell, rolled; got up and started running again.

"What the hell?!" Leela exclaimed from over her shoulder.

"It doesn't matter," Codi snarled. "We just need to get past these guys now!"

But as she spoke, she realised Atlantic weren't finished. The slighter kid who'd been running in Maryn's wake accelerated hard and repeated the same wild motion. He was heavier than his team-mate and so didn't go quite as far, but he still landed well behind Codi and her companions – an extra body to help Maryn make her way to the Battlecast flag.

Frustration twisted in Codi's stomach as the two who'd formed a catapult turned back to face them. There was still no sign of the fifth Atlantic fighter and Codi suspected he'd been left somewhere further back as a fail-safe if Leela made it past these two louts. Waving a hand for her friend to hang back, she nodded at Gareth and they peeled off, seconds later crashing together with their counterparts from Atlantic.

Finally getting to grips with their opponents, Codi went at the boy with a vengeance. She turned aside a jab, deflected a kick aimed at her left flank, then snapped a fist out to crack her opponent in the nose. His head rocked back and she flung herself forward, bringing her left arm forward into his throat like a swinging bar. The force knocked him flat and he spluttered for breath, trying to grab at her as she hurdled his body.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw Gareth and the other Atlantic fighter utterly demolish one of the barricades as they grappled, tumbling through it in a mad flail of limbs. She couldn't stop to help now though. During the melee Leela had slipped through, just visible now as she sprinted flat out for the next fan. Codi shook her head, silently chiding the other girl for her impetuousness. She wanted to win too, but Leela hadn't factored in the missing member of the other team. If the boy caught her by surprise it could be disastrous.

As she ran, though, Codi knew she'd never catch her friend before that happened. All she could do was hope Leela reacted in time. She watched Leela pass between the fan blades without incident, then lost sight of her. Redoubling her efforts, she gritted her teeth, worry clawing at her mind. Roars rose from the Atlantic supporters from something she couldn't see and the worry grew.

Then she saw it.

The fifth and final Atlantic fighter must have been lurking on the far side of the fan, maybe concealed by the barricades and obstacles, and now between the spinning fan blades she could see him holding a struggling Leela by the throat. He didn't seem to be throwing any real punches of his own, instead just fending off her attempts to free herself and forcing her backwards into...

"No," Codi breathed, now just twenty meters away.

Not close enough.

Having forced Leela backwards, the boy gave her one last perfectly timed shove that sent her into the path of one of the fan blades. There was a resounding thunk, a groan from the Battlecast fans, and Leela went flying with a howl of pain. She was thrown backwards, striking one of the canal-like walls of the arena construct and tumbling back down to earth where she slammed into one of the many spurs of metal wall.

Codi skidded to her knees at Leela's side as she rolled onto her back, face twisted up with pain. "Leela!"

"I'm ... okay," she coughed. "Got me by surprise."

"Then come on." Determination burning in her veins, Codi grabbed her comrade by the front of her exoskeleton and wrenched her back to her feet. Then, as Leela regained her breath, she turned and locked her eyes on the Atlantic fighter who now stood in their path.

Between the blades she could make out the name 'Vanzataar' emblazoned across his chest-plate. A heavily-built boy with peroxide blonde hair and piercing, dark eyes, he looked a little unnerved at having to face her down alone, but he'd already fulfilled his part of the Atlantic Academy plan. Now she would make him pay for it.

"Follow me!" she growled to Leela, before hurling herself past the fan blades and crashing into Vanzataar like a hungry wolf.

To his credit, he didn't back down, but he got the worst of the exchange as Codi pummelled him back into one of the obstacles, fists flying as she unleashed her pent up anger. This time when Leela blazed past them, there was nothing to stop her. As kept Vanzataar from following, however, Codi heard another rush of cheering go up in the Atlantic support, at odds with what she'd just done. That couldn't be good.

She and Vanzataar battled their way back through the arena as he tried to follow Leela, doing his best to disengage time and again. Codi dogged him every step of the way until he finally managed to get free and use one of the launchers to get himself back to the Atlantic flag plateau. She followed him there too.

When they landed, Leela was already tearing the Atlantic flag free of its mounting. She turned, saw Vanzataar and then saw Codi behind him and an evil smile flashed across her youthful features. Not wanting to disappoint, Codi hit the Atlantic fighter from behind in a tackle and shoved him out of her team mate's path, feet digging against the plating as she heaved her heavier opponent aside. As Leela swept past them she let out a final yell of effort and flung Vanzataar forward, straight into the flag plinth.

Codi spun away from him, turning to face the lip of the plateau where the paths met. Leela flew from one of the anti-grav launchers, hitting the top level path and moving like a guided missile, but as she did, another figure emerged from below, travelling in the opposite direction. From a low path on the right hand side of the plateau a blaze of pink hair appeared, closely followed by the rest of Maryn Le Rourke.

And in her hands she carried the long pole affixed with the Battlecast flag.

Dread coiled in Codi's stomach as the girl hurtled towards her. Barely thirty feet separated Maryn from victory, and Codi was the only thing standing in her way. Her mind spun as she tried to think of a plan, painfully aware that Vanzataar was getting to his feet behind her.

She needed to stall Maryn long enough for Leela to run the rest of the course, and she had almost no room to speak of. Determination filled her as a tactic fizzed up to the surface of her brain. She'd worked too long and hard to let Atlantic have this one without a fight, and if there was one person who could pull this off, it was her.

Spinning, Codi sprinted away from Maryn, back towards the flag plinth where the other Atlantic fighter had just picked himself up. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Codi barrelling towards him, but he didn't have time to react as she closed the space and leapt in flying drop-kick, planting the soles of both feet squarely into his chest plate.

The cracking impact smashed him back to the ground with a gasp as the wind was driven from him. Codi rebounded off of him and curled up, hitting the ground and rolling backwards, twisting back to her feet to face the onrushing flag-carrier as ragged cheer went up from the Battlecast supporters.

Maryn hesitated for an instant, seeing her companion removed from the equation for a moment and sizing up her options. One on one, Codi knew she could handle the girl, and although the flagpole could make for a dangerous weapon it was also ungainly and difficult to wield in such away, being a good twelve feet long.

After weighing up those pros and cons for a couple of seconds, Maryn decided to take a swing with it anyway, the servos of her exoskeleton driving the thick metal bar through the air with crushing force. Codi only just rolled underneath it, feeling the cold whoosh of air as it passed overhead. She surged forward and as she passed, wrapped an arm around Maryn's slim waist. Using the girl's body like a pillar, she swung herself into position behind her and grabbed her with both arms, throwing all the gravity fields of her exoskeleton up to maximum and heaving backwards, trying to drag the girl away from her destination.

She heard Maryn growl with exertion as she tried to plant her feet against the force. For a moment she managed to hold her ground, but Codi quickly adjusted her tactic and kicked Maryn's right leg out from under her. This time when she pulled she brought the Atlantic fighter toppling backwards with her.

Before she knew what was happening, a rain of punches and kicks suddenly descended on her exoskeleton and she took more than one direct hit before releasing her hold on Maryn and raising her arms to protect her face. She realised, belatedly, that the girl had let go of the flag as soon as she started to fall, freeing up all her limbs to unleash this onslaught. Head ringing from a punch to the eye, Codi twisted and writhed to avoid the worst of it, then jerked a knee up into Maryn's mid-riff hard enough to throw her off.

She scrambled backwards and shoved herself upright, only to see that Vanzataar had regained his feet and was flying towards her. He'd gotten his breath back too, and had fury in his beady eyes as his feet hammered against the floor plates. He hurled himself at her with a wordless growl.

Codi tried to juke to one side, but the boy guessed her move and redirected himself with a deft shove from one foot. Then his bulk crashed into her, shoulder first, and she found herself fending off a storm of blows driven by desperation. She pivoted back, deflecting two stinging swings from side to side, ducking a third and then immediately straightening up and bending backwards away from his attempt to catch her in the face with a knee.

Grinding her teeth together in frustration, she jumped back out of the range of another wild swipe then darted forward, aiming a sideways kick into his chest, sending him staggering. Behind him she saw Maryn Le Rourke scoop up the Battlecast flag and turn. With the speed of an exoskeleton it would be seconds before she covered the distance to place the flag in the plinth. Then it would all be over.

No. No. No. No.

That was all Codi could think. She would not let this happen. With one last desperate gamble forming in her mind, she sprinted at the Atlantic fighter blocking her path. As he stepped to meet her with a ferocious swing, she jumped, clearing the blow, her eyes fixed on the gleaming silver of the flag-pole beyond.

As she flew over him, Codi planted a foot against the back of the boy's neck and pushed off, launching herself towards Maryn in a high arc as the girl reached the plinth. Deafening roars swelled from the Atlantic supporters as she raised the flag, an instant from placing it into the empty cradle and cementing victory.

But before she could, Codi came plummeting back to earth, and on her way down she caught top of the flag pole.

With all the strength she could muster, with every driving servo of her exoskeleton, Codi pulled. The sudden yank coupled with her weight whipped the flag backwards, pulling its base away from the empty cradle, Maryn still clung to it, but she'd been taken completely by surprise.

A horrified gasp cut off the cheers from the Atlantic supporters as both flag and fighter were yanked backwards away from the plinth – victory snatched away with inches to spare – and went crashing to the ground.

Blood thundered in Codi's veins, a fresh surge of adrenaline boiling like a storm and she bounded forward, grabbing Maryn as the girl tried to rise and hauling her up by her exoskeleton. In one fluid motion Codi shoved her back a pace into optimum striking distance with one hand, and with the other smashed a scything haymaker into her jaw with enough force to flip Atlantic's talisman head-over-heels backwards.

Picking up the fallen flag, Codi hefted it like a lance. Then she took three steps and with a scream of effort, threw as far back down the arena path as she could. Its structure glittered in the light and an explosion of wild cheering from the Battlecast fans buoyed its ungainly flight until it eventually dropped from sight.

She looked down again to find Maryn staring at her, aghast. The girl looked at her; out into the arena and back again. Her face crumpled with fury and she spat something in a language Codi didn't recognise. Then she whirled and sprinted for the arena, plunging into one of the downward sloping flumes and vanishing from sight.

Codi followed, pinching one of Leela's trademark feints to wrong-foot Vanzataar and fling herself down the same flume in pursuit.

She caught up to Maryn around halfway between the first two fans where the flag had fallen. The pink-haired girl swept up the fallen standard and turned, brandishing the heavy pole with a snarl on her crimson lips. Sucking in a deep breath Codi readied herself for another duel.

But before they could clash again, the klaxon screeched out across the air, and Codi's heart swelled as Battlecast's supporters exploded with all the force and volume of a volcanic eruption. It lasted for several long seconds as she stumbled to a halt, breathing heavily, a smile crawling across her face; disbelieving. In front of her Maryn stopped too, looking stunned – bereft – like a child robbed of candy. A moment of inevitability yawned out between them.

Then the announcer's voice boomed above it all.

"Ladies and gentlemen we have a new team of champions! Please, make some noise for Battlecast Academy – Leela Crockett, Gareth Hosk, Cardle North, Ripple Thawborn and Codi James!"

A faintly hysterical laugh slipped from Codi's lips and she slumped into a sitting position, the exertion of the match catching up to her in a sudden rush. Winners. First place at the Gauntlet. And while Leela might have gotten the enemy flag home, Codi knew what she'd done. It wasn't speed that had won Battlecast the title match. It was her.

In front of her Maryn Le Rourke stood for a moment, face tightening with anger. She glanced at Codi, hate burning behind those pretty eyes. And Codi watched as all those emotions bubbled over in a sudden, unstoppable rush. Taking the flag in both hands, Maryn's whole body tensed and, with a snarl, she broke the heavy metal pole in half over her knee. The girl tossed the broken pieces aside in disgust, and stalked past without a word, Battlecast's fans jeering her on her way.