The Change: Episode one by Angela White Page A

fencing with her furious red
eyes charging my way.
    She delivered an ugly kick to my stomach
that shot my breath out in a rush and sent the rage into my
eyes.
    I kicked out, sure she would jump it, and
lunged upward to deliver a staggering punch to her throat.
    She gasped for air as I drew back to do it
again, and then she was flipping, changing into a brute with more
fury than even I had stored.
    She dove at me with those sharp claws,
ripping away my cloak as she grabbed my arms and lifted me off the
mat.
    I kicked out again, nailed her in the chest
over her heart, and hit the ground as she grunted in shocked
pain.
    I scrambled to my feet and sucked in a tight
breath, letting her get to her feet. She’d caught me off guard, but
I was listening now. I couldn't wait for her to attack, it left me
blind to her lightning quick blows. Neither could I waste my energy
to chase what I had no real hopes of catching.
    Determined to find a weakness, I dropped
into my training style and began forcing her back with blow after
blow that didn’t land, only shoved her toward the fencing as she
blocked - trying to get her into what passed for a corner.
    She was faster than me, and I growled in
anger as she ducked a rough swing and delivered a hard hit of her
own to my ribs. I let the rage out a bit more, swinging faster.
    She caught my hits with her heavy hands, and
then bounced them back to cause me real pain that flipped my eyes
to dark pink. I tried to jump over her for a rear attack and took
another nasty punch to the ribs that had me gasping in pain and
frustration.
    Stuck using dirty tactics, I cowered away
from her next swing only to lunge back and nail her in the chin
with the top of my head.
    She staggered back, blood
pouring from her nose, and I moved in for the kill while I could. I
blocked her automatic defensive swing and sent the changed claws of my other
hand in to rip her throat out.
    Crimson rained over us as the fire faded
from her eyes, and I jerked my claws free, stepping back.
    Her mouth opened as she slid to her knees,
and I looked back with no remorse. “You underestimated.”
    Above the bloody cage, cameras turned,
capturing it all to be played back later for the Network Council.
The name Pruett was no stranger to those running these games. The
reporters hadn’t recognized Candice as the family member of another
winner, but the Network had.
    “ Match to
Pruett!”
    There was no controlling the crowd. They
broke the barriers and swarmed the cage, climbing over me,
screaming obscenities as the guards zapped them in vain. The
bloodlust had peaked, many of them had bet their life savings on
the Defender, and I was stung again and again by the things they
managed to hurl through the fencing at me.
    The hoses began blasting them off the cage
and into the air, drenching me in the process, and I struggled to
remain standing as order was regained.
    A full squad of guards burst into the arena
and escorted me out with brutal blows to anyone who strayed too
close to us, and I kept that ugly grin on my face the entire
time.

Chapter Five

    Day 5
     
    1
    “ Welcome to the final round
of the Bachelor Battles! As I’m sure you know, we’re down to just
three contestants and the blood has been flying.”
    Clips of the week’s matches flowed along the
giant screens as the massive crowd screamed and pushed against the
lines of guards and barriers in front of The Block.
    “ For the start of this
round, the Network will pick tonight’s evening elimination match
that will take place after today’s exhibition by the remaining
contestants.”
    The Network liked to mix games for this
part, and the crowd quieted as they waited to see what brutal
testing tool the Network had chosen.
    “ Our challengers will have
to… run the Tunnel of Time!”
    “ Please report to The
Block.” the speaker in my room instructed
and I flipped off the wall screen. Then I switched it off. The
Tunnel of Time wasn’t life threatening from what I’d