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Neal Groep, Tim Buzi, and Mario Rassembler stood on the sidelines waiting for the match to begin as massive crowds milled around them, smug Pipes fans, fathers with small children transfixed in admiration, and vainly interested women. Joram again sat at one corner of the ring with Nick and Tomma who were again more involved with each other than the fight. He watched Neal clench his fist in an angry confidence while Tim looked over the crowds with a brazen cocky face. As the omni-announcer boomed the rules of Venatio dueling over the omni-electric field, Neal and Tim both gazed over at their competition for the day. They were three freshman physics students who were both sporting omni-electric weapons they had designed, which had so many wires and electrical gadgets hanging out that they looked like primary school science projects. Tim looked at Neal and they both broke into hard, mocking laughter.
Chris Venatio moderated the match as he had done before, pushing a series of buttons at the base of a black titidium omni-power source so that lights flashed madly across its surface. "Shake hands," ordered Chris.
"The Pipes will now duel the Numbers," announced the omni-voice through the air.
Joram knew the Numbers. Clyde and Jeremy had been in his Differential Quantum Equations class, and he had met Gene on another occasion. They were well known for setting up late on Friday nights playing a quarky triple-integration game. Although their weapons looked crude compared with Neal and Tim's professionally designed Venatio guns, they fought with mathematics. Each weapon was a quantum computer constantly calculating all the possible moves of their opponents in all their counter moves and counterattacks, displaying the result in a small portal affixed on top. But could this help them win? The Pipes and the crowd certainly didn't think so.
Neal, still laughing, ran towards the numbers as his fans cheered, while Tim and Mario advanced more slowly. Jeremy and Gene stood and simply watched the charging pipes, but Clyde peered intensely into is portal. Nearby, Stacy Delecto, Anika Perperam, and Earlen Uekte stood just off the edge of the energy ring. Neal charged towards them, past the partially constructed wall placed as an obstacle, and past an artificial tree. Jeremy and Gene still didn't move as Clyde peered intently into his portal. Neal was almost on them, with Tim just a short distance behind so that Joram thought the match was certainly over.
But Neal slowed just as he came within range, looking confused and distracted, with Tim and Mario pulling up behind him.
"Now!" yelled Clyde, finally looking up.
All three of the Numbers fired their omni-powered quantum contraptions at once, so that white light flashed between them and their adversaries. Neal and Mario had been thrown to the ground by the force of all three blasts, but Tim was thrown against an artificial wall, and was thereby able to stay on his feet; the numbers had not won yet.
Tim was furious. He saw Neal and Mario on the ground and that filled him with a violent, enabling fury. While Chris made circular motions indicating Neal and Mario were out, Jeremy quickly fired his omni-weapon again, but Tim had already begun charging so that Jeremy's white hot energy missed him clear.
Joram saw Stacy, Anika, and Earlen trying to get Tim's attention, but didn't think much of it because he saw something else that filled him with dread. He saw Tim pulling another weapon from his belt, and recognized it immediately. “That's a rupter!” he said to Nick and Tomma, both finally paying some attention. Nick nodded in a ghastly way and Tomma looked at him wide-eyed. Chris, however, being the fight moderator, didn't take any notice.
Tim fired his rupter at Clyde, causing him to lurch and lose sense of direction and purpose. Tim whirled and fired again and Jeremy, who by this time was staggering backwards. Gene was hit hard by Clyde, who seemed to have become confused as to his team loyalty. Jeremy then fired upon Clyde, and Tim finished them both off, blowing them out of the ring with two quick blasts of black lightning.
The crowds roared their approval while Joram swallowed hard: Tim's anger had won that day. As the crowds disbursed, though, Joram wondered in what shape would he find his friends after the fight?
Narration by Howard Douglas; based on discussions with Tomma Torstig.
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