Chain Gang All Stars
: Part 3: Chapter 51

Thurwar looked across the way, out in the far-right field, where the two men were waiting. She was trying to forget what had just happened. Trying to forget it even as it continued in front of her.

They pulled away Marissa, who had finally stopped convulsing, by her legs and shoulders. They were quick with her body, trying to get her away from the cameras and all those eyes, as if once she was out of sight, she would be forgotten. It hurt for Thurwar to see it happen, to know what being Influenced would do. Her attachment to life had been completely different since she’d learned that kind of pain was possible.

She had to forget Marissa right now, though. She couldn’t believe she was trying to remember her battle strategy now instead of thinking about what had just happened, one of the most courageous things she’d ever seen. But there she was.

She looked at Staxxx.

“She’ll be okay,” Staxxx said.

“Maybe,” Thurwar said.

“She will.”

“Yes,” Thurwar said. Staxxx smiled.

“Wanna hear a joke?” Staxxx asked.

They were close, but still they had to yell to hear each other over the ruckus of the crowd.

Thurwar waited.

“This,” Staxxx said.

“That’s not funny,” Thurwar said, laughing. That was the joke. The joke was everything. That they’d been thrown into evil and discovered it was a land they could master.

The people in the crowds were restless. They didn’t know who or what to boo and cheer and it made them uneasy.

Micky Wright spoke clearly.

“That’s one way to get attention. But might I suggest to all the rest of you that you not do that ever.”

The audience didn’t laugh. Made a collective mutter that conveyed, We don’t know if we believe in laughter right now.

“I’m getting noise from the bosses. They say give the people what they want! And didn’t you come here for some BattleGround mayhem!”

Yes, they said.

“Did you come here for a doubles match for the ages?”

Yes, they yelled.

“Did you come tonight because the baddest in Chain-Gang All-Stars history are here for what will be, for at least one team, their very last doubles match ever?”

Hell yes! the people screamed.

Thurwar closed her eyes, drank the energy in. She looked at Hass Omaha, which was directly to her left. LoveGuile was stabbed into the ground just to the right of Staxxx.

“Then if you’re ready for a classic, why don’t you make some noise!”

And they did. They screamed, pushed what had troubled them just a moment before deep into their minds. A seed that was buried for the moment. There was a sourness in their bodies; the word “precious” rang somewhere inside them, and it would be there forever, but in the moment, they pretended to forget.

“RELEASE!” Micky Wright screamed.

The empty sound of the BattleGround release flushed through the arena. Thurwar pulled her hammer from the ground. Staxxx held LoveGuile in her hands and they waited for the men, who were calmly walking their way.