The Carnival

[Victoria]

“That’s powerful, more powerful than lightning.” Victoria answered, holding up a hand that sparked with tiny bolts.

“You can make lightning?” The girl asked, looking at the Hunters hand curiously.

“Yes, it’s kind of cool. I can do some things with it, make traps, shock people.” She shrugged mildly, and smiled meekly. “But what you can do, it’s incredible,” Victoria paused for a moment, “wait, I know someone who did it as well.” She held up a finger. “Her name is Piper.” She tapped the same finger against her lips. “Yeah, she teleported around when we fought, by accident. Anyway, we fell off a building and she teleported us up, but I barely remember since I had a giant antenna through my torso.” She touched her stomach momentarily.

“You had an antenna through your stomach? How did you survive?” The reptilian asked, astonished at the story.

“I…have another ability.” She looked away, to stare down at the carnival. “I can’t die, at least, not easily.”

“Whoa, hang on,” Alura interjected. She leaned forward to stare at the pink haired Hunter. “You say my teleporting is powerful, but you can’t die?” she said, pointing at her.

“Easily, I can’t die easily.” Victoria shook her hands up and down. “I can die, I’m sure I can, but it would take more than just kicking my ass, you know? I only found out just before being dragged off here…I was training to use it better. Everyone can regenerate, in a sense, only I can do it a lot faster.” She explained, and lifted the bottom of her vest up to reveal her abdomen. “No scar, no damage, it’s as if that fight I had never happened, but it was at least two days ago.” She lowered her top.

“That’s got to be useful,” Alura said, leaning back and casting a glance towards the darkness around them. “A lot of people have talents like us, that’s probably why most of us are here.” She said idly.

“In this game?” Victoria asked.

“Yeah, we’re all strong, and different. We were all targeted, weren’t we?” The lizard-girl replied.

“I suppose so,” Vic lowered her eyes. “When the robots came for me, Lucas, one of the higher-ups, said a bounty was on my head. It caused a situation, because The Company fulfills bounties, and well, they couldn’t refuse or else the robots would have caused a large scale fight.” She said, her voice held sadness to it. “I think I’m homesick.”

“We’ll get out of here, you’ll see.” Alura assured the girl; she had determination in her voice. Vicky smiled, liking that the other girl was very similar to her. They both had lived a life of pain, emotional or otherwise. They both held the abilities to aid in their battles, and they were both determined to get out of Kill Town.

“I’m afraid, though,” Victoria looked away suddenly.

“Afraid of what?” The blue-skinned fighter asked.

If I want to get out of here, I have to win, that’s what he had said, isn’t it? Victoria mused, looking at the dark sky. There were no stars, no moon, just an empty void. Gamer had laid out the rules, only one would survive. She wanted to live, regardless of her life as it was. She knew so many things now. She knew her past, and her strength, and that she could be something more than a mere girl. If she died here, her new dreams would be dashed away. Only a week ago she had thought her life would be pointless, that death would be better, but now she had hope for something more. This entire thing would ruin all of that, and she couldn’t bear the thought.

These people, Piper, and Alura, and all the others, they deserve to live too. She furrowed her brow in thought. If only one could win, and survive, the others would have to fall at her hands. She would have to finish each game at the top, and come out victoriously. They would lose, at worse, they would die. The man, no, boy running this game had no right to play with their lives.

“Tori?” The girl prompted, and broke Vic out of her thoughts.

“Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something. Remember what Gamer had said? I’m afraid that I’ll have to fight you, or Piper, or anyone else.” She replied, explaining her thoughts. “I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to fight others to get out of here.”

“We’ll figure it out; we’ll have to do what it takes to survive, just take it one step at a time.” Alura shrugged and smiled.

“I like the nickname,” Vic said suddenly, grinning.

“What?” Alura tilted her head slightly.

“Tori, I like it, no one has ever called me that. What do I call you, Al?” Vicky asked.

“No, that’s alright, I’d rather you didn’t.” the girl shook her head at the name.

“Hmm, alright, but I’ll have to think of a nick name since you were so nice to give me one. I’ll make sure to survive the next game so I can tell you what it is.” Victoria held up a fist, and gave her a determined look. “I may seem soft sometimes, but I know how to kick ass when I need to. I’ll make sure to survive, if you do the same.”

“Sounds like a plan, we’ll get this guy,” Alura nodded in returned vigor. “He’ll learn to mess with us, right?” she smiled again, showing her sharp teeth.

Victoria liked this girl, as different as she was, for all it was worth, she wasn’t so different after all.