Chapter 32 · Iron Arena - Chapter 32: Qualify or Burn

Cole's mech hit me before the announcer finished saying his name.

I barely got my guard up. The impact threw my rig sideways, hydraulics screaming. The crowd went wild. They didn't know. They thought this was just another grudge match, trainer versus student, some dramatic scripted shit for the cameras.

But I knew.

That wasn't Cole's timing. He never opened with a straight rush. He always made you come to him, tested your stance, then punished the gap. This was someone else's hand on his throttle.

"Cole." I keyed the direct channel. Nothing. Just static and the grind of his actuators locking into another strike. "Cole, I know you're in there."

His mech came at me again. Faster this time. The motion was too clean, too efficient. No hesitation. No read. Just execution.

I rolled left and his fist cratered the arena floor where I'd been. Dust and concrete chunks sprayed up. The sync feedback spiked through my temples. My rig wanted to counter. My hands were already on the trigger.

I didn't fire.

"Come on." My voice cracked. I hated how it sounded. Desperate. Scared. "You're better than this. You taught me better than this.