Page 17 of Found By the Alien Warrior

My priority had to be redirecting the fight away from Sonya. It was obvious this was a ploy to rile me up. And it was working. I wanted nothing more than to slug Korga where he sat like a stuffed bird on that tiny crate in the front row. But for the time being, I had to concentrate on defeating Gornoc. One step, one victory at a time.

Sonya stood between me and Gornoc. She flashed me a quick smile, though I could tell she was nervous and out of her element. “I have to explain the rules of the match. I don’t know them, so...don’t kill each other. I want a good, clean fight.”

Gornoc’s bionic limbs made whirring sounds as he turned to face her. "What exactly does that mean?"

She tapped her chin. "You know, I never really had an idea, but I do know it means no cheating. Got it?"

"You should be disqualified for refereeing for your lack of knowledge."

“That whole right arm of yours ought to get you thrown out, buddy.”

"Enough." I interrupted, wanting to get her out of this pit and someplace safer. "Just start the match already."

"Excuse me." Sonya asserted her newfound authority with a slight smirk. "I call the shots around here now, okay, Cuddle Punch?"

I blinked, confused and off guard. “What did you call me?”

Gornoc rolled his infrared eye at us. Sonya stepped back, raised her hand, then brought it down with a decisive motion.

"Begin."

I focused on Gornoc, fists ready, determined to make him regret ever agreeing to this fight. One step, one victory at a time.

Gornoc's metal fist was already hurtling toward me. I narrowly ducked under his swing, feeling the wind as the makeshift weapon passed through the air above me. This shouldn't have been allowed in any clean fight, but of course, Korga's rules reigned supreme here. I could hear his grating voice urging Gornoc on.

"Go! Knock him over the edge!"

"Not happening," I growled, my eyes darting to ensure Sonya stood safely away from the fray. I tackled Gornoc to the ground, grappling him as our bodies collided with the hard crystal gravel that surfaced the pit. The crowd shouted around us, with some cheering for me while others called for Gornoc to flip the script. All of it fueled my determination to win.

With a surge of strength, I tore the gears and components from his mechanical arm, tossing them out of the ring like scraps of trash. My fist connected with the part of his torso that was flesh. Sonya began her count.

"1...2...3..."

Gornoc shuffled to his feet, but I wasn't finished yet. I struck him again, eventually forcing him into a submission hold. I heard wires pop and metal snap in his shoulder armor. Gornoc tapped out, and Sonya declared me the winner.

The little crowd erupted in both cheers and jeers. I let Gornoc fall into the sharp crystal gravel. He could spend the rest of the trip picking that out of his circuits.

One step closer to my goal, I didn't hesitate before sweeping Sonya into my arms and pressing my lips against hers in front of the onlookers.

The sensation of Sonya's soft lips pressed against mine sent fire through my entire body. I felt her reluctance as she pushed away from me with a teasing smile. "You really enjoy people watching us, don't you?"

The audience’s faces were a blur in my peripheral vision as I focused on the woman before me. I had to tell her about the bond. The stronger it got, the more I couldn’t ignore it. "I’d prefer we were alone. There's something important I have to say."

Her teasing expression switched to curiosity. "It'll have to wait. You have another match later, and Vessa's up next."

"Promise me you'll be careful."

“Sonya.” Korga barked orders at her. “Ref this one, too.”

She shot him a smug glance that made my heart swell with pride. She was spirited in this messed up game of survival. I only hoped I could live up to what I wanted to tell her after today’s bouts were over.

Before I could dwell on it further, the guards walked me into the male fighter's pen as Vessa strode into the ring. The crowd's excitement grew again as she faced off against one of the locals, a female combat artist by the name of Ulon.

"Begin." Sonya's voice rang out, and the two women launched into action.

In under two minutes, Vessa had nearly thrown Ulon out of the ring twice. On the third attempt, she succeeded, but Ulon managed to fly back onto the island unharmed, though defeated. The audience booed as they wanted their own to win. Their jeers appeared not to reach Vessa. Instead, she fixed a disapproving gaze on Sonya and me.

What was the look for? Sonya appeared equally confused as me.

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