The reinforcing servos in the exoskeleton let Codi leap a dozen feet into the air, soaring up and over Lucas to avoid his attack. Landing, she bent her knees with the impact and whirled, only to find the burly twin bearing down on her again. He stooped and wrapping his arms around one of her legs and driving his shoulder into the pressure point of her hip.

Codi knew she was going to fall. Instead of trying to halt the inevitable she caught Lucas in headlock and jerked a knee up hard into his midriff as they went tumbling to the floor. With a growl of exertion she grabbed his body armour with her free hand and pulled, heaving him up and over from her position on the ground and slamming his body against the mats. She let go and pushed hard against the mat with both hands, the force lifting her straight back to her feet again. Turning around again she had just enough time to register Lucas’s motion before his foot smacked her in the stomach.

The impact fired her backwards head over heels at least thirty yards before she managed to roll to her feet, hands akimbo and ready for the next onslaught. Lucas grinned and came at her again.

The introduction of the exoskeleton into the training regimen had changed everything. Codi now fully understood how matches could last so long in the Gauntlet. The body armour protected her from what would normally be disabling injuries and aided her movement in every way.

Lifting the Hacktors, staffs and bolas was almost laughably easy; things didn’t hurt much anymore. Oh sure she could feel it when someone smacked a clenched fist across her jaw or drove a knee into her stomach, but it took repeated punishment to make any sort of impression in the exoskeleton’s defences.

“Alright, that’ll do for today!” Vasco roared, just as she sent Lucas flying into a set of nearby dumbbells with a dropkick to the chest. Codi looked at him eagerly as he examined the portable computer he carried. With the introduction of the suits their spars had taken on a form much closer to the Gauntlet itself, where fights could be decided by the amount of impact force imparted between opponents if neither competitor achieved a knock out or yield.

“Well…” Vasco lolled his head from side to side. “That was a pretty close one. Until that last little exchange Lucas was in the lead. Landing on those dumbbells pushed you ahead.”

“Great-,”

“But-,” he looked at her pointedly, “the dumbbells weren’t technically part of the arena.”

“Oh, come on!” she exclaimed. “Gimme a break once and a while.”

“I’m not really big on giving breaks.”

“Just let her have it,” Lucas laughed as he picked himself out of the mound of weights. “It was a nice move.”

Codi smiled triumphantly at their instructor. Vasco looked from one to the other then shrugged.

“Fine, fine, chalk up a win for Miss James.” With that he pressed a button and turned the computer off. The group gathered around as he continued. “You’re all off the clock for now. The friendly is in two days, so we’ll take an easier day tomorrow. As for tonight, there are some snacks and drinks in the cafeteria. Relax, have a bit of fun and get a good night’s sleep.”

With that Vasco turned and strode from the training centre. After a moment the others followed, but Codi trailed behind as they laughed and joked. One by one they split off to their respective rooms and she gratefully closed the door, letting the exertions of the day wash over her. The room hadn’t changed much under her occupancy, still a fairly barren cell-like affair. Only her small collection of personal possessions on the bedside table, the unmade bed and scrawled notes on the desk showed her presence.

Sighing, she began the lengthy process of removing the Gauntlet exoskeleton. The fabric of the suit itself was self-fitting, shrinking to an optimal level to match her body’s shape. A dozen small locks held the chest and back plates on, and it took a special vibrating screwdriver to loosen them. After fighting with the finicky mechanisms for several minutes she pulled the attached harness over her head and tossed the armour onto her bed.

Putting her back to the mirror she started hunting for the almost imperceptible zip that ran down her spine. Eventually she got a grip on it and undid the fastening, feeling the suit’s tight grip on her body slacken away. A few minutes of wriggling later she stepped out of it and threw it to join the body protector on the bed, leaving her standing in her underwear. Then she stood and stared at herself in the mirror, marvelling at the transformation only a few weeks in the academy had wrought.

Every contour of her body had been smoothed and toned by the rigorous training, and she could see the lines of added muscle clearly in her reflection; along her arms, thighs and midriff. Codi had no idea how much weight she’d managed to pack on during the training, but the scrawny delinquent who walked into Brax-Delta three weeks ago no longer existed. Her skin, once pale and gaunt, now almost glowed with a healthy pallor. For the first time in her life Codi felt good.

Smiling to herself, she delved into the cupboard, flinging on a pair of leggings and a tank top before she sat down at the desk. She still remained fairly solitary from the rest of the group despite the odd overture of friendliness. It was difficult to say why, but she felt more at home in the comfort of a room entirely her own, wrapped in her own world.

Rummaging through the pieces of paper strewn over the desk, she found a half finished one she’d started on last night. She picked up a pen and then flicked the tele-screen into activation. A video flashed into life, showing two men sparring using a form of martial arts called Ithcad. A discipline originating from the Martian colonies, it formed a brutal hybrid of power boxing and wrestling, and was a style of fighting Codi found suited her quite well. Although she expected her techniques would never be zeroed in on one discipline, this vicious system played to her strengths and was her mainstay.

For twenty uninterrupted minutes she watched and jotted down notes on the two combatants, examining stances, footwork and posture. Anything she could amalgamate into her fighting would be a useful addition. However, a sudden knocking on the door brought her studying to a halt. Frowning in confusion, she stood and stepped over to the door. Pulling it open slightly she found the cheerful faces of the twins looking back at her.

“Yeah?” she said.

They looked at each other before Lucas – at least she thought it was Lucas – spoke. “You up to much right now?”

Codi glanced to the notes. “Sort of.”

“Oh…well we just thought, since this is the last night we’ll get to chill before the tournament, that you might want to come hang out?” He shrugged, burying his hands awkwardly into the pockets of his trousers.

“We’re having a game of snapjack,” Lazlo interjected, even his voice virtually identical. “There’s room for another player.”

She pursed her lips, looking from the twins to the notes and back again. Would it really matter if she didn’t use the next forty odd minutes? With only a day till the friendly tournament she was probably as ready as she was going to be.

Eventually Codi nodded, stepped out of the room and closing the door behind her. “Alright, I’m in.”

“Sweet.” Lucas grinned. “Vasco laid out a bit of a spread in the caf too, even let us have some junk food tonight.”

“Seriously?”

“Come see.” The twins led her through the corridors of the living level and into the common room, where Lita and Max waited for them. The pair sat at one table, Max busily shuffling a pack of cards while Lita nibbled at a bar of dark chocolate.

“Found the hermit,” Lazlo chimed. “Managed to lure her out with promises of food and games.”

“Hermit?” Codi eyed him dangerously.

The twin took a step out of arms reach. “Well you do tend to keep to yourself.”

“Take a seat, guys,” Max put in. “We’re almost ready to start.” As they took their seats he looked at her. “You played before?”

“A couple of times in school.”

He smiled. “Can’t imagine the rules will be any different.” Then he scooped up a bottle of green liquid sitting nearby and took a swig. Codi raised an eyebrow, seeing the name Mazzo printed along the label.

“Isn’t that stuff alcoholic?” she asked.

“A bit.” Max shrugged. “It’s okay, I’m twenty. I’m allowed.”

“Is that smart?”

“Well I’m not planning to get drunk if that’s what you’re asking.” He smiled mischievously. “C’mon, let’s get started.” As he dealt out the cards Codi found all manner of treats thrust at her from the others. Even Lita seemed happy to have her company right now. It was strange, but Codi buried her cynicism for the moment, instead choosing to enjoy it while she had the chance. Claiming a bottle of cherry fizz and three overly elaborate cupcakes, she let herself relax. They played several games, and although Codi sucked appallingly she enjoyed herself nonetheless.

At first she listened and laughed along with the friendly banter. The twins ended up as the butt of many jokes, mostly centred about the others’ inability to tell them apart. As things wore on though, she actually started to contribute, regaling the group with some of her less than appreciated exploits at the many schools she’d attended.

One particular gem stood out: when she’d rigged up the entire gymnasium with a fireworks display that was set off when the teacher stepped on the tripwire when leading the class inside. It had been a dare, and Codi, never one to back down, saw it through to the end. Unfortunately the individual who’d laid the challenge also ratted her out. As the hoots of disbelieving laughter subsided, Max leaned back heavily in his seat and looked at her.

“So how did you actually get roped into this place?” he asked, gesturing around him with the bottle of Mazzo. “I mean, the rest of us were dumb enough to apply, but you didn’t, did you?”

“No I didn’t,” she confirmed. “I guess…well I guess I just got lucky.”

“What do you mean?” Lita gave her a quizzical look.

Codi sighed. “The disciplinarian at my last school, he knows Vasco. I was going to get expelled and he must’ve pulled some strings. Next thing I know I’m being shipped out here to fight in the Gauntlet.”

“Well, I guess it pays to have friends in high places,” Max chuckled.

She shifted in her seat awkwardly, the feeling of relaxation beginning to ebb away. Maybe this was why she’d been spending her free time alone and not mixing with the others. She wasn’t really one of them. They’d planned to compete; had set out deliberately to join the academy. She landed in the same situation by a twist of fate.

“What about you?” Codi asked, eager to shift their focus from her. “How come you wanted to join?”

“Oh, I guess it was my dad’s idea.” Max shrugged. “He’s always been keen for one of us to give it ago. My brother turned twenty-two this year so he wasn’t allowed anymore so dad asked me if I’d do it. He’s really into all this combat stuff, goes to The Gauntlet every year.”

“He actually goes to Earth to watch?” Lucas’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “He must be pretty well-off then.”

“He does okay.”

“What about you guys?” Codi inclined her head towards the twins. They looked at each other again. They always seemed to, as though corroborating an answer.

“Oh, we’ve been planning too for a while,” Lucas began.

“Both of us,” Lazlo agreed.

“We always watched on the tele-screen-,”

“-even though mum never wanted us to.”
“She was not pleased when she found out we applied.” They both grinned in unison. “But there wasn’t anything she could do. Now we’ve both got a good four goes at the Gauntlet.”

“So you can compete more than one year?” Codi asked.

“Oh yeah.” Lazlo nodded vigorously. “People do it all the time. You can start competing at sixteen right the way through to twenty-one.”

Then all eyes turned expectantly to Lita. She drummed the fingers of one hand against the table and took a drink of her hot chocolate before speaking.

“I finished school last year,” she said. “And my parents want me to go into banking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to do that, to have a career, a job. But I just wanted to do something else first. I’ve got two years in hand for the Gauntlet then I can get back to my studies.” She ran a hand through her glossy black hair. “It’s something that’ll let me live a little before I have to grow up, I suppose.”

Codi curled up onto her seat, absorbing the information. The only details that really rung in her mind from every story were those about the parents. All her companions had their decisions influenced in some way by their families, something she never had. Unconsciously she found herself fingering the empty locket around hanging around her neck. Max noticed the motion, however.

“What is that thing?” he asked. “You’re been wearing it since you got here.”

She looked at him sharply. “It’s personal.” The phrase came out far harsher than she meant, but the question caught her off guard. Max blinked in surprise and lowered his gaze to the table. An awkward silence loomed in the air for a moment, before the arrival of Vasco saved the situation.

“Okay, everybody,” he declared. “Finish up and get to your beds. We’ve got one more day to get ready, and I want everybody at their best.”

Codi needed no second bidding. Scooping up the bottle of cherry fizz, she walked quickly past him without looking back. She clutched the locket tightly in her right hand.