Mirror: Chapter 19

Rain.

Iron City welcomed this gift, despite it inconveniencing many low-fidelity cyborgs. Even so, Zalem proved protective, despite its usual exploitative relationship, and rust-susceptible cyborgs could still move and work under its umbrella. Falling droplets cleansed the air by dragging out the dust and smoke.

The frown on her face deepened as her eyes fluttered quickly under closed eyelids. When her eyes finally opened, she took in a deep breath and let the crispness wake her.

Hugo.

Although bundled up in her cozy bed, she imagined the falling water had pooled in her chest and froze her from the inside out. After curling into the fetal position, she called herself a colossal screw-up.

Before she left the room, she rotated the full-length mirror against the wall.

Adem wasn't on the roof.

The two of them were high-fidelity cyborgs, and a day's exposure to the rain would be no detriment, but sleeping in it would still be psychosomatically annoying.

"Adem? He left a while ago, said he wanted to get some practice in."

"That little--"

Ido smiled, cutting her off, "He said he was going to the practice track."

"Oh. That's good."

"That he told you, you mean?"

Alita bit her upper lip and searched for something to distract her on the ceiling.

With a teasing grunt, Ido continued organizing, then said, "He's a grown man, not a lost puppy."

"I know that!" Alita rolled her eyes, then said under her breath, "I definitely noticed that."

"If you wanted to protect him, then you'd drop out of the motorball circuit. He's still racing because you are."

Alita's hands lighted on the table like discarded feathers. After studying her fingers a moment, she asked, "Is that his sync score?"

The monitor displayed 59%.

"It's somewhat weaker after the installation, but he'll manage. You should understand I'm picking the lesser of two evils, the upgrade is a mental struggle for him, but going into motorball without it is too dangerous."

She nodded, staring at the number.

"What you decide now is going to have consequences for everyone."

---

"Where's Adem?"

Coach replied, without looking up from his maintenance, "On the track. Check the monitors, he's improved quite a bit."

"I'll join him then."

"Hang on a second, kid. We need to discuss something."

Coach wiped his hands free of grease and passed her a cellophane printout, the sight of them make Alita bristle.

There was so much information on the plastic sheet that she wanted to throw it away.

"Schedule changes?"

"Last two games are tomorrow, back-to-back. Granted, you only need to win one, but you should aim for the first and get it over with."

"Roster updates?"

"Three new players, two of them announced. Pair of guys named Shark and Razor, and I can tell you right now they're both above motorball specs."

"I know who they are," Alita closed her eyes and took a breath. Finally, she asked, "Rule revisions?"

"It was supposed to be a secret, but I pulled a few strings and discovered it, but no one knows what they are. Kid, listen, the only time the commission goes this far is when Zalem is targetting someone."

"I'll be fine."

"Well, make sure you are. If you want my advice? Call it off."

"I can't do that," Alita said, tossing the printout aside, "I'm going to check on Adem."

It took her a minute to catch up to him.

"You're finally moving smoothly," Alita commented.

"Thanks to you," he said, briefly looking back while he cut through the spikes. The moment he looked back his shoulder clipped one of the obstacles, but he quickly righted himself and kept his momentum.

The mirrored mask. Of course. Well, at least I don't have to stare at myself, trying to say what needs saying.

"Both Ido and Coach think I should withdraw."

"What they want isn't important. What do you want?"

"I have two good reasons to stop."

"You have a better one to keep going."

Alita's lips parted in surprise, then she clenched her jaw, "I was hoping you didn't hear. Adem when I said that--"

"It's fine. I knew before my total-body replacement."

The only sound between the two of them was the gentle whine of the rollers and rubber squealing on metal as the cut through the spikes. She shadowed him, kick for kick, and slowed to a stop when he did.

She stared at his back for a moment, desperate for something to say.

He spoke first, "It really is okay. You got a strong heart, but you're going to tear yourself in half trying to contain two loves inside it. So, let's race with clear heads, and let's promise to figure it out after the fight."

She nodded, then realized he couldn't see her. After choking down the heart in her throat, she said, "Okay, I'd like that. Can you do me a favor, though?"

"Of course."

"Can you practice without the mask?"

He turned, and all she could see was her own pleading expression in his mask, but this time she didn't care.

It cracked, and he pulled it off, "I'll shadow you."

He had the same expression she did, and it relieved her.

Coach yelped and caught the helmet as Alita and Adem flashed by the pit.

"At least they're taking it seriously."

The two were intimately close. Adem was within her leg range, so their kicks had to synchronize to prevent entanglement.

Each movement was flowing. He leaned with her, copying cuts and slides through the turns and spikes. Some of the other racers stopped to watch them, as they seemed to be two bodies running with one mind.

She looked over her shoulder with raised eyebrows.

"I'm with you."

So, grinning, she leaned forward and accelerated into a tight turn, cutting hard enough for lean lower than forty-five-degrees. She could feel him from behind, overlooking over her.

Their fingers scraped the metal, lighting up a crest of sparks.

---

"Are you ready for some motorball?!" the muffled announcer's voice boomed, through the floor.

"Almost time," Alita commented, noncommittally.

"Yeah," Adem said, checking his armor.

"Can you check my armor, too?"

He had to look away when he noticed the cheeky grin on her face.

After she giggled he coasted over to her, "Alright, turn around."

She hopped up.

First, he started with her hair. She leaned her head willingly as his hands brushed it aside, and it caused him to hesitate.

"What?" she asked, smirking.

"You're acting very comfortable, and we haven't even done anything."

"Please take this seriously," she mock-pouted.

"I'm sure I'll be the only one," he joked.

When his hands made it to her thighs, he wavered as if expecting her to say something. She stiffened as his hands gripped the plates, gently swaying it to check the connection.

After checking each ankle, he stood up to meet her blushing face. She grabbed his shoulders and made him turn around.

Unlike before, her hands rested on his shoulders.

"It's going to get difficult," she said.

He nodded.

"I still see you in there, that body I mean," her arms reached around his chest and hugged him.

"I know, it's what got me this far."

"Racers, this is your twenty-minute warning!"

Both rolled up the entry-way to the main hall, silent and focused.

Alita's hair stood up on the nape of her neck, "You see that?"

Adem nodded, locking his mask into place, "This won't stop us."

The racers were quiet and filed into organized lines. Those not human-shaped still sported good proportions, they were all balanced. There was no banter, only concentration on the gate leading to the motorball coliseum.

The chaff was eliminated, what remained were professionals.

Shark and Razor placed one pole position ahead of team Battle Angel. Like Bruno before them, both were seriously upgraded, and both had full metallic bodies.

Shark's body was painted a polished blue and was the larger and bulkier of the two. His head crowned the same fin, from before, and when he looked behind he smiled with multiple rows of triangular teeth.

Razor had a slender body, but still heavier than either Adem's or Alita's. His right hand ended four long serrated knives, instead of fingers.

Shark said, "When I get done chomping you, I'm going to chomp on her, starting with her feet--"

Alita growled, "I'm going to rip your fucking brains out through your mouth."

With a snort, Shark and Razor returned to the front.

Adem's helmet slowly turned to face her, and she grinned and watched her reflection shrug.

Red! Yellow! Green!

Both Shark and Razor spun around, raising their fists and knives.

Alita and Adem were gone.

Both had pushed off each other and angled up the sides of the tubular course, then used it as a ramp to pick up acceleration. A moment later they had overtaken the Shark and Razor team, plus the team in front of them.

"I thought you were going to rip my brains out!" Shark taunted.

Alita laughed, "I lied!"

The two in front of Alita, human-shaped racers, turned and attempted to two-man lariat her. She braked, leaned forward and slapped her palms on the ground, and the sudden rotation threw her into the air. With two perfectly timed flips, she landed on her skates clear of them.

Adem lacked Alita's grace. Plus, the infraction sealed his attacks.

The third man on the blocking team positioned in Adem's path, punching madly for his head. Adem's forearm guard was impenetrable, Ido's reinforcements for the oscillators and the additional armor ensured that.

Once the last starting zone marker passed, Adem snapped. His blurry fist smashed through his enemy's midsection, scattering abdominal parts and cyber core.

"Adem?" Alita called out, looking behind her.

"I'm with you," he said.

The accelerated forth, as one.

The crowd exploded, cheering, "Battle Angel!"

"Why isn't anyone covering the ball?" Alita asked.

"No contest?"

She shook her head ignoring her instincts. There wasn't a choice. They needed a fast win, or their chances dropped significantly. As soon as she grasped the ball, she wobbled madly and struggled not to tip forward.

"It's heavy. I think it's magnetized to the track."

"Drop it, I'll carry, and you cover!"

"I can't. It locked on!"