When they pulled up to the front entrance of the Brax-Delta academy, Codi wasn’t quite sure what to think. The building didn’t quite live up to the expectations she held of a Gauntlet training facility. The dull grey cube squatted moodily in the centre of a run-down industrial district in the capital’s southern quarter, flanked by old warehouses and factories on either side. She could see cracks and split marks in the concrete exterior and a scrawling mess of graffiti on the right hand wall. All in all, it didn’t look like much.

Barrow guided the car into a parking space near the opaque glass double doors, unbuckling his seatbelt as the car sank to the ground. Codi, who had not deigned to bother with the safety measures, clambered out of the vehicle’s confines as fast as she was able.

“So this is Brax-Delta?” she asked, still not quite convinced by the dilapidated lump looming in front of them. “What a dump.”

Barrow sighed. “I know it’s not the nicest looking building, but they’re under-funded. It’s amazing this place has been going as long as it has.”

“No wonder their fighters never get anywhere,” she muttered.

“Do you want to do this or don’t you?”

She made a sweeping gesture toward the doors with one arm. Her chaperone rolled his eyes and started walking, and she fell into step behind him, still letting her gaze wander dubiously over the academy’s exterior. She’d seen pictures of the big academies on the inner planets, the ones that churned out the high ranking fighters, and they put this glorified storage building to shame. Granted, she’d never followed the Gauntlet too closely – getting access to a tele-screen was difficult for someone like her – but one year she caught the finals being broadcast in one of her many schools.

She delved for the vague memory, hunting for some clues as to exactly what Barrow was getting her into. One thing she remembered for definite was that the final fights had been nothing short of brutal.

“Right, I need you to understand something,” Barrow said as they reached the door. “Drake Vasco is not your ordinary teacher.”

Codi cocked an unimpressed eyebrow. “Meaning what?”

“I know you’re used to flying off the handle, talking back and winding people up. In a school that kind of stupidity will slide, but I guarantee that if you pull the same nonsense in here you’ll regret it.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s observation. Drake is not someone you want to push.”

She frowned but didn’t reply as he pushed the door open. When they stepped into the building itself she found the aesthetics improved dramatically. The smooth marble of the lobby floor gleamed under the interior lighting and two small rows of chairs lined either wall for visitors. In its entirety the lobby was only about thirty yards square, and at the far end a desk waited for them with a receptionist engrossed in the morning’s paperwork.

When they reached the desk itself the woman looked up and Codi almost recoiled in surprise. She was beautiful; long, luscious waves of chocolate brown hair, emerald eyes twinkling behind a pair of crystalline glasses and skin so perfectly smooth it didn’t seem real. The blue shirt she wore hugged her body tightly with a name tag reading “Holly” pinned over the left breast. A wave of self consciousness swept over Codi as she glanced down at her own shabby appearance. The old grey hoody, the faded jeans, the ripped trainers, and the black beanie over blacker hair – by comparison she looked like she’d crawled out of a dumpster.

“How may I help you?” the receptionist purred.

“My name’s Jacob Barrow. I have an appointment with the head instructor.”

She swivelled in her seat, further revealing the curvature of her body as she examined the computer screen for a moment. Then she nodded and threw a winning smile at them. “Everything’s in order. If you’ll just take the lift to my left, Mr. Vasco’s office is on the third floor.”

“Much obliged.” Barrow gave her nod and a smile then guided Codi into the elevator. Once he’d pressed the button to send them on their way and the doors closed, she looked at him.

“How did this Vasco guy get a bloody supermodel as his secretary?” she demanded.

A chuckle slipped from Barrow’s lips. “Codi, that’s his daughter.”

“Are you serious?”

“Perfectly; nice girl, though she’s a bit on the dim side.” He grinned to himself. “Just as well that jobs in this place pay pretty well.”

“How many people work here?”

“Well there are a handful of administrators, but on site I’m pretty sure it’s just the two of them.”

“Two people?” Codi exclaimed. “To run this whole academy?”

He shrugged. “I told you they were under-funded.” The lift reached its destination then, interrupting further conversation with a ding as the doors opened to reveal a grey-walled corridor. Barrow stepped out and Codi fell into line behind him, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell of cleaning products. They took a left turn down another hallway to a modest door surmounted by a burnished silver plaque. It read, “Instructor D. Vasco.”

Barrow knocked on the door three times then took a step back, waiting patiently. For a moment Codi thought no-one was inside, before a sudden grating bark sounded from within.

“Alright, Barrow, get in here!” the voice said.

“Brace yourself,” Barrow said quietly before opening the door.

When the door closed behind them Codi found herself staring eye-to-eye with Drake Vasco and swallowed hard. Although he was sitting behind his desk, the confined space of his office meant they were barely five feet from each other, and the same emerald green eyes glared back at her. However, this eyes did not twinkle. They were as hard as granite.

“It’s been a long time, Drake,” Barrow began.

“This is her?” Vasco returned, ignoring the greeting. The other man nodded. “And you said you were doing me a favour.” His eyes turned skyward as though seeking inspiration in the ceiling tiles. Then he stood up. “Alright, kid, let’s just get this out there. The only reason you’re here is because I owe Jake a favour. But if I don’t think you can cut it in the Gauntlet I’ll kick you out before you can say ‘screw you, Vasco.’ You understand?”

“I understand you’ve got a bigger attitude problem than me,” she retorted. She caught Barrow’s furious look, but nothing would make her able to let such brazen contempt just fly past.

“Oh, she’s a smartass too? You didn’t mention that little gem, Jacob.”

“I figured you’d find out.” Barrow shrugged awkwardly.

Vasco rolled his eyes and stood up. “Fine. Codi, isn’t it? Take off that hoody.”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t see how that could have confused you.” He folded his arms and started at her pointedly. After a long, uncomfortable silence she did as he asked, pulling the hoody off and revealing the featureless blue tank-top underneath. Suddenly she felt very exposed.

Vasco proceeded to step around his desk and started examining her from every angle. She looked at the floor, uneasy under his searching stare. Then he gripped her right arm around the bicep.

“Tense,” he grunted. She did as she asked, looking up to meet his eyes. Her muscle pressed against the vice-like grip of Vasco’s hand and as it did he made a small hmm sound and nodded approvingly. Releasing her he continued circling like a vulture for minutes, until eventually coming to a halt in front of her.

“What do you think?” Barrow asked in the intervening silence.

Vasco rubbed his chin with one hand, his brows creasing into a frown as he stared at Codi. She saw his tongue pressing from cheek to cheek inside his mouth until he eventually spoke.

“Tell me, kid, how do you feel about all this?” he said.

“I’d got nowhere else to go,” she replied, her voice small.

“Now, the way I hear it you’ve got some issues with authority. If you’re going to compete in the Gauntlet – hell, if you’re even going to train here – you’re gonna have to ditch the attitude and do exactly what I tell you to do. If you can’t do that then we might as well call the whole thing off.”

The words of the orphanage administrator rang in Codi’s ears. Make the most of the opportunity. She jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and nodded once. “I get it.”

“You’d better.” He walked around the desk and sat back down, lounging against the seat. “Well she’s a wildcard, no two ways about it and she’s not exactly a physical miracle.”

“That’s not her fault. I told you Vasco-,”

“I know I know. I’m just saying, she’s a risk…but I also think she’s got the backbone for this, which is the thing most kids are missing.”

“So you’ll do it?”

Vasco glared at him. “After this, we are even.”