Contest of Champions

48

I'm still standing on the bridge when I hear the announcement, blasting down from the sky. In the middle of my scheming, I'm surprised and jump at the sound.

"Greetings, contenders," the voice begins, and I furrow my brow. Normally, voices don't address us from the sky. It takes me a moment before I realize the voice belongs to Christine Everhart, the announcer for the Contest of Champions. Why is she speaking to us? She's supposed to speak to the audience!

Then I remember. Sometimes in the Contest, there are "feasts," events where contenders are offered new supplies, whatever they need, which are left at the Gauntlet. Is that what's happening now? Is Christine Everhart calling us to a feast?

"Tomorrow morning, there will be a feast at the Gauntlet. Packs containing something necessary for each contender will be left there. Be there at the rising of the sun to receive your gift."

Then there's silence again.

I stare up at the sky, pondering Christine's message. Every contender will be offered something. What do I need that I should have to fight for it? Then it hits me. Veers needs medicine or something similar to prevent Carnage from completely taking her over. She's been fighting it, but even though she's Kree, she can't hold out against a symbiote forever. She needs help.

There will be medicine for Veers at the Gauntlet tomorrow.

So I have to go, to save my ally, as she can't get the medicine for herself. And in my heart, I know I will go, willingly. I don't want Veers to die.

Walking to the edge of the bridge, I look around, wondering how I'm going to get to the Gauntlet. Am I in the same space? After a bit of turning around, I notice that there's a steep incline west of where I am, and I can just see the glint of the sun on the metal of the Gauntlet. I must be in the space on the other side of the drop off.

The strains of the anthem start up and Sharon Carter's face appears in the sky, under the "Avenge the Fallen" banner. So Sharon is the other contender whose cannon we heard earlier. When her face fades to ash, Cletus Kasady replaces her and then he, too, is gone.

I make my way down the stairs and head back into the room under the bridge. Veers is lying back on the cot, her eyes closed, breathing slightly labored. Stopping in the doorway, I stare at Veers, tilting my head.

She said she may love me, and I rushed out before answering. Now I have to address that, but I'm not sure how. So I just stand, looking at her, trying to find the right words to mend this situation. Truth or lie, I'm not sure what to say.

The Kree's eyes flicker open and she sees me standing by the door, just looking at her. She attempts to lift herself up into a sitting position but a low moan issues out of her mouth and my feet respond before my mind does, carrying me over to her side and keeping her from rising and further exerting herself. "Just rest," I tell her, the words escaping my lips before I authorize them.

Veers narrows her eyes at me, but she can't hide the ghost of pain lurking in her eyes. I walked out on her declaration of love and I'm not sure how that makes me look to her now. Or to the audience, for that matter. I wonder what Hela is thinking, if she wants this romance. I know she wanted the alliance.

"What?" Veers asks, her eyes searching mine.

"I'm sorry," I tell her. "I didn't mean to leave like that. But I needed to think. Truth be told, I believe I might have feelings for you myself." While I say this, I brush a strand of hair behind her ear, the gesture feeling strange and foreign to me. I remember wanting to do this to Gamora, back on the mountain before the Reaping, but I hadn't, knowing if I touched her, she'd knock me to the ground. Veers doesn't attack me, though, when I gently move the strand away from her face.