16-14

A/N: After a bad health crisis that lasted years, I have returned to bring you the end of Space of Time. It took me so long to be able to write again, and I wanted to share the edited chapters and finale of this cute little YA romance I decided to write on a whim. Thank you to everyone who waited for this and for anyone new that I can finally show this to.

The klaxon sounds off. Here we go: 16 competitors, from 18 years to well into their 30s, from scrawny flighty heights figure users to muscled machos who barely need to use their figures at all.

It's exhilarating.

People are already running at each other: they've clearly got rivalries to decide. No one's run at me yet, but I didn't expect them to. They haven't tended to in the past couple of years. I really am commanding the space here, haha.

"Evren." Aha, I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Justin!" I immediately respond. I bring my hands in front of my chest. I need to stay loose. "Here for a rematch?"

He smirks. Good, that's the fire I'm here to fight! "Naturally. Though, maybe let's not put each other in hospital this time?" He's leaning on his good leg, he's going to try pouncing soon.

"No promises." I wink as I step further onto the stage. There are a few platforms of different sizes and heights, probably the most massive Battle Royale stage yet. The lights are bright and I'm sure there are a dozen cameras pointed at each one of these to capture all the simultaneous brawls. I'd better put on a proper show. "Alors, mon ami, one on one? Or should I expect a friend?"

"Just you and me, Commandante." He pauses and even I can tell he's doing it for dramatic emphasis. "Well, me times two. It is a free-for-all." There it is: the mirror.

Justin knows it's unsettling and that's why it works so well. Having a clone of your opponent that moves almost exactly the same way, just using the opposite side, can make you cross-eyed. Especially when your opponent is a 5-foot-10 acrobat built like a tank. It goes beyond distraction, honestly.

Luckily for me, I know Justin well. I always remember which side of his nose his scar is on, so all I've gotta do is focus, ignore his reflection, and interrupt his pounce with a well-timed arm trap.

Like this!

Hah, the thud onto the floor is always so much better when it's someone from Heavyweight.

I know Justin's no pushover, though. He's immediately somersaulted backwards to standing and is coming at me again. He swaps sides with his mirror partway into his sprint, and now again, and quickly back over to try to confuse me, but I'm not gettin' fooled. The real Justin's hand is reaching out to grab my right shoulder but I shift out of the way. He goes for a tackle and I'm forced to warp to meet him partway. I throw him off balance but he recovers before I can get close enough to trip him.

Side-step. Redirect. Bend and attack. Miss. Redirect and attack again. Bend again. But still nothing.

"You comin' at me for real?" I call out over the shifting noises of the other fighters nearby. He takes the bait. I still miss somehow. But, I can tell that he's thinkin' what I'm thinkin'. He's glancing around our portion of the stage. We've heard four knockouts and one submission already while we've been doing this dance. We'll have company soon. That means we need to wrap this up.

I bend the space around me again, forcing the area Justin's standing in to overlap with mine. Then I'm there. Then he's winded.

But he still doesn't go down. Come on.

We need to change tactics. He's always had the weight advantage and the Battle Royale is usually where we see that factor of fighting highlighted most. It's honestly mostly thanks to my figure that I've been able to take the Heavyweights on. For the Super Heavyweights, I've never won without an assist. Now, where-

BOOM!

What the-?!

I'm barely aware of a countdown beginning and I check my feet. No, they're still planted firmly on the stage, I'm still up. Then that means-

"Knockout, Justin Tranchemontagne, by Alec Hunter!"

What? There's no way...

No, there's Justin on the floor, actually knocked out. And next to him is the guy from the safety briefing that tried harassing Hadley. The med team is on them fast and Justin's already coming to by the time they carry him off stage, but... it doesn't really feel like a fair win.

Can't think too hard on that right now, though, because if this guy was willing to interrupt my rematch, I can guess he's just as ready to attack me the moment the med team gives the all-clear.

Mmhmm, there he is. He's already gone for a straight aimed at my head. His other fist is up at his face, his arm close to his slightly hunched upper body. A boxer, huh? Not exactly the one I actually want to be fighting right now, but he's got at least 10, maybe 15, more years of experience than Aika. He's not going down easy.

Based on his build, I'm not even sure he'll go down against me alone.

No, Evren, focus! Deep breath, in, now out.

"I think it's time to show you how a real boxer fights," Alec says before sidestepping and throwing a feint-jab combo. Luckily Aika also likes to use that one and I see it coming.

"Can't wait to see it up close," I reply.

Then someone in the crowd boos. It's loud. It's distinct. But I don't expect it. Any of my potential bad press hasn't leaked out, by way of some Christmas miracle. Most of it's been directed at the NCC itself, or hyping up this very Battle Royale. No one's sent me angry fan mail. I'm pretty sure Alec is still a first-time NCC competitor, but I suppose he could have fans that don't want me to win. But still, why would they- ow!

"Our first hit on the defending Grand Champion!" I hear Joe announce through the crowd's sudden roar. My cheek stings. I'm bleeding. Crap, he's still coming! Ugh! That crack definitely can't be good. No... that knee is not supposed to be bending like that.

The med team interrupts us briefly but I manage to stand up on my own before they get to me. 'Ain't no way I'm letting them even start counting me down. I'm given the go ahead for now, but this is the worst injury I've gotten in a long time.

I watch a smug grin appear on Alec's face.

As I hear another loud boo from behind him, he launches at me again. Did he know it was coming? Is there a plant in the audience?

He hits hard. And fast. I can already feel my forearms going numb from the blocks he forced me to put up. I'm not going to last much longer with this pummeling. I don't think I've even seen him use a figure yet.

I admit that even though he made a not-so-good first impression socially, he's a mean fighter. I'm sure he knows it, because his wide smile isn't fading.

I haven't seen Aika yet either. I still have to get to her. She still has to get to me. I haven't heard her name, but she's got to be in a fight by now. Even so, right now would be a great time to give me an assist.

Oh damn, did I summon her just like that?

Alec and I pull back.

No, that's a black ponytail, but it's not Aika. This person's taller. And their hands are in... Oh! I'd recognize that movement anywhere. It was only for a second but that was definitely a Man Sao.

"Kē Xīn Táng, joining Evren's battle against Alec!" Oh, now I remember Kē Xīn, she's in a different weight division in our age group. She flashes me a shy smile and I return it. I'll take any backup, but especially from a fellow Wing Chun appreciator.

I bring my left hand up near my face. I let the other hang down near my hip and sneak a glance at Kē Xīn, hoping she sees what I'm trying to do. Our eyes meet and she shifts her stance, changing her guard. Yes! Now I can only hope she responds in my favour.

Alec bounces steadily towards us - towards me - and I wait. When he lands harder on his right foot, he'll take that momentum forward and punch. There! He's pulled back!

I focus on my figure, keeping my ready position strong, and the floor waves a little under my feet. Alec launches forward with the cross I expected, but I'm closer than he estimated. All I need to do is strike his jaw with my prepped hammer fist, while redirecting his fist. Then I just jam my heel into his shin and use the momentum for some counter-movement takedown. Then Kē Xīn is ready to sweep his arms and land a few quick blows to stun him until the countdown ends.

"3, 2, 1, knockout, Alec Hunter, by Kē Xīn Táng! Assist by Evren Kinnunen-Mwangi!"

Alec grits his teeth but doesn't contest it. Good. I'm glad he wasn't an even bigger asshole or we might've had an actual scandal in the press.

But now I've got Opponent Number Three in front of me while my knee and face are throbbing. Said opponent waits for me to assume a ready position before she nods. I nod back. There's no use prolonging this: the pain is only going to get worse. Almost a dozen people are out of the Battle Royale now if I've been counting right. These fights are fast, chaotic, and intense, even more so than the points fights.

Kē Xīn hesitates, and that's her downfall.

"Knockout, Kē Xīn Táng, by Evren Kinnunen-Mwangi!"

The cheers from the crowd almost drown Joe out, and he's already louder than usual because of the Battle Royale excitement. But I still hear his next sentence crystal clear.

"Knockout, Noor Khorasani, by Aika Inoue!"

Where is she?

I whip my head to the right - nothing - then the left, and there she is. Noor is peeling herself off the plastic-foam blend that is the mat floor underneath her area of the stage. Aika hovers over her with an extended fist before shifting her weight back onto her heels and standing up. She meets my eyes immediately.

Not a scratch on her.

"Well, folks, it looks like this is the moment we've all been hoping for: The Battle of the Unusuals!" Joe starts up his speech and I feel my legs begin taking me closer toward the center of the stage. The camera people love a good walking shot to hype up the crowd. Aika follows from the opposite end. "Our newcomer, Aika Inoue, Fast-forwarder, against the undefeated defending Grand Champion, Commander of Space, Evren Kinnunen-Mwangi." I swear I just heard Faith's high-pitched squeal.

This is it.

"Our final one-on-one of this year's National Combat Championship: the duel for the title of Grand Champion," Joe continues. I bring my hands up to a close guard.

Aika smiles.

I do, too.