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Iggy found himself staring at the ceiling of the sleeping hall, listening to the loud snores around him. He couldn't sleep. How could he after what happened?

Part of him still felt like he was riding that Skimmer. The adrenaline left his veins hours ago, but he could still feel the rush. It made him restless. Antsy. The cot underneath him felt more like a rat trap than a bed. Lifting his head, he peered at Tenn.

The man managed to survive his first challenge as well. Iggy caught a few seconds of their game on a screen in one of the arena's halls. Like Moxi said, the second and third-rounders battled each other. Except, it wasn't a normal fight with hands and weapons. No, they fought on skimmers around the stadium, firing blaster bolts from the rapid vehicles at each other. The crowd loved it.

Tenn's team won the game. The other squad perished. Not a single one of them survived.

A few of the winners bragged about their victory upon returning to their sleeping quarters for the night. But not Tenn. He walked right past Iggy as if he didn't exist, laid down on his cot, and went to bed. Or, rather, pretended to.

Iggy couldn't see his face, as he laid with his back facing him, but he knew the Andradan failed to fall asleep. He heard it in the old man's choppy breathing. He noticed it through his uncomfortable shifting along the stiff cot.

The pair couldn't be more different, but he knew they were alike in this manner. Victory at the cost of another's life brought them no joy. It brought them no solace. But it might've brought them salvation.

As he laid there in the dark, he wondered what was better to have. What would keep him alive in the end? His dignity or his willingness to survive? The answer hid in that arena. A shiver seized him, running up and down his spine. Gritting his teeth, he flipped onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow.

For once, Iggy wished to be a Hand. They existed within their predetermined protocols, never acting outside of them. Their coding didn't allow for independent thought and philosophical questions unless their makers programmed it into them. Most times, they didn't. He envied them to a point. Being sentient wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

He shot up from his bed with his face scrunched up.

Clearly, sleeping wasn't on the cards. Being cooped up in this dark room listening to everyone else snore would've driven him crazy. He needed to go for a walk. He wished the training center was open at night, but they weren't allowed out of their rooms once curfew arrived.

That didn't stop him last night, though.

He peeked at the door.

Surely not...

He carefully stood up from his bed, equipped his shoes, and tiptoed to the exit. No one paid him attention. If Tenn was awake, he didn't let it be known. Iggy turned his attention to the door handle. Just like before, it'd been left unlocked. Did they want him to sneak out? He figured security regarding the tributes would be a bit tighter.

Maybe they just didn't care.

It didn't make a difference to him.

Armed only with his quick wit, weak fists, and his father's pendant, he ventured into the bright hallway for the second time.

#

Iggy might not have been as lost as before, but he was still lost. Whoever designed the tunnels snaking beneath the stadium needed to get their cranium checked. They shouldn't have been this complicated and tricky. Then again, it might've been by design. Tributes couldn't escape if they didn't even know where they were going.

He wouldn't put it past the empire. After seeing what they enjoyed for entertainment, he couldn't rule anything when it came to the Elysians and their supporters.

The guards were on their regular patrol routes. He'd gotten the timing down now. Another guard wouldn't be due down this corridor for another fifteen minutes. He'd stay on the side of caution, though, and lurk in the shadows. As he continued down the nondescript hall, he spotted something peculiar.

Something very peculiar indeed.

A lone figure emerged from an offshoot ahead. They were dressed in a Hand's uniform, but Iggy knew better. When they turned their head, he caught a look at their striking, blue eyes. He squinted at them.

The stranger had returned.

What's he doing back here?

Blue Eyes moved about with his head on a swivel. His sharp movements and frantic glare suggested he'd lost something. Or perhaps he was looking for something else. Iggy watched him from the darkness, silent as ever. The imposter hadn't noticed him; he was too wrapped up in searching the hall for whatever it is he sought after.

But then his blue eyes landed on Iggy. He froze, his chest tightening. Heat spread across his face and over his neck.

Uh oh.

"Are you spying on me?" he hissed from across the hall.

"What...no...."

Blue Eyes stomped up to him. Before he knew it, the man had a fistful of his shirt. He found himself face to face with him, their breaths mingling in the empty hall. Iggy gulped as he was lifted an inch off the ground. Embarrassment replaced his fear.

"C'mon, man," he whined. "I'm not that light."

"What're you following me for?"

"Put me down or I'll scream."

"Yeah, real manly."

Iggy gave him a look. Blue Eyes grumbled a curse before setting him down. Folding his arms over his shirt, he lifted a thick brow at the boy.

"Answer my question."

Rubbing his neck, he glared at the man. "I wasn't spying on you. You just happened to enter the hallway I was walking down."

"Don't you tributes have a curfew? You shouldn't even be out here."

"I don't think you should be either."

Blue Eyes narrowed his stare. "I'm working."

Iggy rolled his eyes. As if he'd believe that. He might've fooled anyone else, but the Arigorii liked to think he possessed a sharper mind than the average person. The galaxy hadn't blessed him with strength or profound abilities like others across the empire, so he developed other skills. Perceptiveness happened to be one of them.

"Wait a minute," Blue Eyes wagged a finger at him before breaking out into a grin. "I know you. Iggorii, right? You finished fifth in the race today."

"Don't remind me. I've been trying to scrub my mind of any mention of that stupid race."

"Anyone else would've been over the moon about winning."

"Yeah, well, not me."

"Clearly."

The pair spent the next few seconds sizing each other up. Iggy just now realized how tall this guy was. A bit of muscle hid beneath his uniform as well. Through the white fabric, he noticed tattoos running up and down his forearms. He didn't recognize any of the symbols. They weren't like Tenn's, which seemed rooted in tradition and culture. These were more decorative.

"Alright," Iggy said. "Who are you?"

"Don't worry about it." Blue Eyes checked over his shoulder. He cursed. Snatching Iggy by the shirt collar for the second time, he dragged him over to the wall. The man yanked open a door that'd been hiding in the blandness and forced them both inside. Closing it behind them, he peered through the slits built into the metal.

Right on cue, a guard marched down the hall, oblivious to the fact two people were hiding in what appeared to be a supply closet.

Iggy nearly dripped over a bucket full of water. Clamping a hand over his mouth, he froze. The guard outside stopped right in front of them. Their black visor covered their face and hid their eyes. Blue Eyes motioned for Iggy to keep quiet.

Does he think I'm stupid or something?

Nevertheless, he followed the order.

The guard approached the closet door. Just as he reached for the handle, a voice crackled through his communicator. A tired sigh left their lips. He barked a response into the device before continuing down the hall.

Exhaling, Iggy collapsed onto the wall. His anxious face dripped with sweat.

Blue Eyes rubbed the creases in his forehead and leaned against the door. "Thanks for nearly getting us caught."

"How was I supposed to know this bucket was here?"

"We're in a janitor's closet, moron. What else would be in here?"

"Hey, I didn't even know this was here."

"Course you didn't." The man scoffed. "How the hell did you survive that race?"

Iggy scowled. Frankly, he wondered the same thing. He went from dead last to narrowly snatching fifth place. Luck had been with him heavily during the race. Would it return to him for the next challenge?

He didn't want to think about that right now. So, he turned to Blue Eyes and presented him with another question.

"Are you going to tell me who you are now?"

"Not a shot, kid."

Pursing his lips, he pointed at the door. "Either you tell me, or I go and alert the guards that there's someone running around the arena pretending to be an android."

The man lifted his chin slightly. He crossed his arms, his jaw clenched. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

They engaged in a silent standoff, testing each other's resolve. It quickly turned into a heated staring contest, one Blue Eyes didn't seem particularly keen to lose. Iggy didn't plan on relenting anytime soon either. But after a while, his eyes started to burn. The look on the stranger's face suggested his were doing the same. Gritting his teeth, Iggy forced his eyes open. Eventually, his handsome opponent succumbed to the horrible effects of dry eyes.

Iggy grinned victoriously.

Blue Eyes grumbled obscenities under his breath before turning his back on the boy. "Fine." He glanced at him over his shoulder. "The name's Jaxon Gunn. I'm a spy for the rebellion and an all-around badass." A smirk grabbed his lips. "Oh, yeah, and I'm the greatest pilot in the entire galaxy."

Iggy couldn't tell if he meant that last part jokingly. The cockiness present on his face indicated he was serious. The Arigorii stifled a laugh. Jaxon Gunn—which seemed like a totally fake name—scowled at him.

"What're you laughing for?"

"You really expect me to believe you're not only a rebel, but you're also the greatest pilot in the galaxy?" Iggy didn't stop himself from laughing this time. "I've met a real rebel. Two of them, technically."

Now it was Jaxon's turn to laugh. "Yeah, sure you have."

"Shut up. I have and I can prove it."

Tenn might not have fully admitted to being a rebel yet, but Iggy knew it was only a matter of time until the old man revealed the truth. The second rebel he knew was Icarii Amrada, his missing father. Though, he didn't exactly know the man anymore, did he? Recent revelations turned the man more into a legend than his parent.

"Who?" Jaxon asked, pulling Iggy out of his thoughts. "Maybe I know them."

Iggy's eyes lit up. What if he knew his father? What if he knew what happened to him?

He told the self-proclaimed best pilot in the galaxy about both Tenn and his father. Then he showed Jaxon the pendant in his pocket. The blue-eyed man didn't recognize the symbol, nor did he know Tenn or Icarii Amrada. In fact, he hadn't even heard of their names before. Sure, the galaxy was huge, but if he truly was a spy for the rebellion, surely he'd have at least heard mentionings of them. Right?

Perhaps his story was a lie.

But why would he lie about being a rebel? If anyone heard him say that he'd be arrested on the spot and likely killed. No one would risk execution to earn cool points from some random tribute in the arena.

"Okay, I have another question."

"Don't press your luck, kid. You're lucky I answered the first one."

Rolling his eyes, Iggy ignored him. "What're you doing here? I know you said you're a spy, but what's your mission?"

"Now, what makes you think I'd tell you that?"

"Look, I'm not going to rat you out. I hate the empire just as much as you do." He gestured around the dark closet. "The only reason I'm fighting in these games is to get back home to my mom. That's it. I'm not in it for the glory or the fame or whatever else it is people want. All I want to do is get back home. I could care less about interfering with your stupid spy mission."

Jaxon observed him for a moment. He tapped his chiseled jaw, thinking noisily. As he opened his mouth to speak, a high-pitched beep sounded from the depths of his back pocket. Cursing, he retrieved a flat, metallic device from his pants. He glanced at the tiny screen before returning it to his pocket. "Listen, kid—"

"It's Iggy. My name is Iggorii Amrada. Iggy for short."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyways, I gotta go. Like right now."

"What? No, you didn't answer my—"

"Meet me back here tomorrow two hours after curfew, okay? I'll answer your question then."

Iggy blinked at him. Before he could question any further, Jaxon slipped out the door. He looked both ways down the corridor before sprinting down the left. His feet made zero noise as he darted away. Maybe he was a spy after all.

The green-eyed boy remained in that supply closet for a few more minutes, utterly stunned by what just happened. He wasn't quite sure what prompted his curiosity about Jaxon's mission, considering he claimed to not care at all, but now he couldn't wait until tomorrow night. His head hummed with anticipation.

Smiling like an idiot, he snuck out of the supply closet and made his way back to his bed.


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