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The security knows so now Hideo knows And that means Zero probably knows, too The tiain Shahira’sits head for a moment as it tries to reorient itself I immediately activate my second power-up Team Freeze

Her mech freezes in its h Brennar’s comm, Asher’s voice comes on "Go!" he shouts

But I have no tirab hold of the cover overmy view, and I realize that the stored during s I haul myself out of my mech The other Phoenix Riders are circled around me, the backs of their mechs turned to protect me

I crouch on top of h its eyes, I can see her staring back at me, eyes wide, unable to move I hop down onto the shoulder ofits extended arm Overhead, the announcer’s voice echoes above the storm "Brennar has broken froure out--"

They are going to stop the game at any moment now I’m surprised they haven’t stopped it already What is Hideo doing? Just concentrate I reachleap onto Shahira’s mech arm The rain has turned thee to scra up her arm I climb up the side of the mech’s head As the audience breaks into a ruht as the Tea at Shahira, who has just unfrozen enough to turn her head up at ht over her head, scarlet red I take out

I move to activate it

But I can’t I blink, shocked My limbs are frozen, head to toe, and I stand there with e an inch Below me, Shahira narrows her eyes and jumps up to pull herself out of the h a haze that she has used a power-up onthat has rendered me frozen

"I warned you, Eh the words are in Shahira’s voice, I know I know that it is not her who is really talking to le in vain as Shahira approaches race as Zero’s Her ruby Artifact shines brightly above her head So close She circles me once, just as Zero had done in the Pirate’s Den, and then she reaches out and takes my power-up

No! I want to shout, but I can’t Shahira holds out the power-up to lasses "Two can play at this," she says She turns her back and starts running toward Asher’s aone wrong As the audience roars with a cacophony of confusion, cheers, boos, and incredulous shouts, the power-up finally wears off onafter Shahira Whatever happens, I can’t let her use the power-up on Asher I can’t let Zero’s Artifacts activate My hands grapple for the rope at my waist

"Hey!"

All of our heads turn to see Has down hard into the water, sending waves puar on her mech’s head flies open, and out shoots Ha leap She holds up a bright-green power-up she’d grabbed earlier Then she flings it at Shahira

An explosion lights up the end ofShe skids to a halt, but the blast still throws Shahira off her feet and sends her flying through the air On our other side, Franco’s thening winds "Harabs Haoes flying through the air, landing with a splash in the churning open ocean beyond the wall With his other hand, Franco catches Shahira and saves her fro fast now, fist raised at Franco I stop running for a second to duck down I see Asher soar high over h in the sky He smashes hard into Franco’s side--the impact knocks me to my knees Water sla pour over the ruined arm of my mech I ater froainst Asher, each blow a deafening crunch of , I find Shahira She is racing up Franco’s arm toward Asher’s mech I run in her direction

"Need a lift?" Roshan’s voice coh to see his fist co aroundso hard that they forh the air to where Franco and Asher are locked in a death grip

Nearby, Ivo’s ht for Roshan We’re alainst the inside of his palm

He does as I say and drops me I fall toward Asher’s shoulders At the same time, Shahira reaches his opposite shoulder We both cli to hurl htly as I can and try to cliainst Asher’s chest, sendingon by only

I reach the top of the ets to her feet She runs toward the head’s cover If she gets it open and sees Asher’s Artifact, she can use the power-up on him, and we’ll lose I clench my jaw and forceseems to happen in slow motion

Shahira pulls the head’s cover open

She raises her hand to use the power-up