Retvik, Nyssi, Tenuk and Kayel all sat in their private training area, none of them really knowing how to feel. There were excited beings wandering around, hoping to catch members of the team Xeno Dessaron One and get interviews and selfies with them. Not just normal beings in the public areas, but other gladiators, challengers and house fighters alike. The fans were mostly mind-blown, but a lot of gladiators were just glad that Retha Squad One got knocked down a peg. The training area was the only place they could go where they could be alone and gather their thoughts.
“We won…” Retvik finally muttered, breaking an awkwardly long silence.
“Yeah…” Kayel was still somewhat shell-shocked by it all. He’d defeated two Rethavok on his own, using his Phantasma abilities, but had broken something in the process. Something in his head. What he’d broken though, he wasn’t quite sure yet.
“Kayel won…” Retvik changed his sentence. Despite the fact that they’d beaten Retha Squad One, Retvik felt embarrassed. He’d let his emotions get the best of him, and he’d tasted personal defeat for the first time in a long time. “I think only a handful of Skyavok have managed what Kayel did today.”
“Nah, we all won!” Nyssi tried to inject some joy into the room. “By Sini’s scales, we won with half our team remaining. Against literally the best team around!”
“More than that, we won because Tenuk turned into a cat!” Kayel shook his head, he still felt a bit groggy. “I had, like 15% health left on my meter. If Gathin had managed to land a couple of shots on me, which he probably could have, I would have been fucked, but Tenuk distracted him and gave me an opening!”
“We’re also forgetting that Tenuk turned into a fire-breathing Retvik!” Nyssi added. “You Rethavok had better move over, we got a new second scariest species to worry about!”
Tenuk laughed awkwardly at the mention of his name and at Nyssi’s statement. Like everyone else, he felt weird, but that was because he was in need of sugar. “Nah, Spasts are lazy, and most of us can’t instantly heal like I can, which holds back a LOT of shapeshifting stuff. We ain’t climbing the predator charts any time soon. Don’t even eat meat. Still, us four, we should be way, way happier than we are.”
Everyone shrugged. Nyssi was the first to explain her mood.
“I’m kinda just getting over my headache. Being shot in the head hurts way more than I thought. Also kinda feeling a tad useless since I don’t have any super powerful overpowered stuff apart from enhanced senses.”
“You are super knowledgeable though!” Tenuk did his best to reassure his friend. “Also you outlasted Retvik in that match-”
“Please do not remind me!” Retvik snapped, before immediately apologising. “Sorry, sorry… I… I have made quite a few mistakes lately, and I have let things get to me. And now, having just beaten Retha Squad One? It was not the Rethan member of Xeno Dessaron One who helped win that fight. I made both myself and other Rethans look weak, and, well, I think I may have pissed off even more of my kind, while also giving them ammo to use against me.”
“Aw, don’t be like that!” Nyssi put an arm around the armoured goliath. “It’s okay, you got us instead. And the rest of the universe, cheering you on. I mean, it ain’t your fault that… actually, it’s 25% your fault Retha Squad One lost. Still, you said it yourself, most Rethans don’t really like you anyway, that’s not gonna change because their best Dessaron team lost, same way it didn’t change when they originally lost to the Fangs of the Whenvern.”
“Still…”
“Nah, Nyssi’s completely right!” Tenuk smiled reassuringly. “They’re just salty they lost at their own game. You Rethans take any sort of failure really badly.”
Retvik couldn’t help but agree. “You are correct, us Rethans are not… the best when it comes to negative emotions, particularly failure. I apologise once more.”
“You’re fine, Retty. We’re all fine.”
Kayel tutted. “I don’t think I’m fine. I kinda… snapped in that fight. Got insanely angry and aggressive because I felt like I couldn’t protect you all.”
Nyssi eyed Kayel briefly, then shrugged. “Eh, maybe Skyavok get all defensive-stance-y the same way Rethavok do. You guys did evolve from a common ancestor. Studies into Skyavok biology aren’t as in-depth as other members of the Twelve because you guys REALLY keep to yourselves, and a lot of what we do know is based on what we know about Rethavok. After Spasts and Lanex, the two really utterly super weird species, Skyavok are the least well-known race, because you’re all too busy storing vast amounts of data for the rest of us.”
“See, Nyssi, that’s why you’re important!” Tenuk butted in. “You are super smart and knowledgeable when it comes to all this more technical stuff. Did you, like study that or something?”
“I studied zoology in school. You need it if you hunt large beasts for a living.”
“Makes sense…” Kayel trailed off. “Still, I think I need to see a medic or something, but since it’s a Phantasma thing I’m worried about, I… I don’t really know what to do.”
“Do you not have any contacts or anything you can use?” Tenuk asked.
“Not really, outside from my old captain. And Teekay is super, super busy. I also kinda feel bad asking our local friendly Death God because he’s also got better things to do than be constantly answering my questions.”
Tenuk didn’t seem to care. “Yeah but didn’t Arkay literally pop by and visit you because you prayed to him? And he pops by to keep an eye on us on the regular too. Plus, he’s literally a god, he knows better than any of us do.”
“Yeah but…” Kayel sighed. “I guess Arkay was right. I’m unhappy because my stupid brainwashed mind expected me to kill someone and I didn’t…”
“By Sini’s scales, we’re a miserable lot, aren’t we?” Nyssi stifled a laugh. “I say we work out a way to get out of here and, I dunno, celebrate or something. Then we take the weekend off, come back on Monday and speak to the Raptor to get ourselves some proper customized gear like Retha Squad One have, because we fucking earned it.”
Tenuk and Retvik both seemed to agree. However, before any of them could put that plan into action, all four of them received a message on their assorted communicators. Weirdly, the number on the text message was just the number four.
“Congrats, guys! I owe you four a drink. Meet me at the Gold Suite at the GDBA tomorrow at 5pm and we can celebrate.”
Everyone re-read the message a few times, not saying anything at first.
“Why is Arkay’s personal number just four?” Nyssi eventually whispered.
“Same reason the Panelix’s number is just two, I assume!” Retvik grunted as he got up. “Based from what we have… experienced, I assume the Whenvern’s number is one, and the Allbirther’s is three. But we can ask Arkay in person tomorrow.”
“What do you want to do in the mean time?” Tenuk asked as everyone else staggered to their feet too.
“Go home, have dinner and get an early night, I guess…” Retvik made his way to the door, waiting for the rest of his team. “We can order take-out, if you all wish. We deserve it, after all.”