The Grand Champion

I'm holding my hand up. Ah, the crowd's understood. Keep looking at her, keep cheering. There she is: the Grand Champion.

I've seen her throw a mean uppercut in training. No one could stand up against that. Not even me.

"Submission, Evren Kinnunen-Mwangi!" Joe's voice is shaking, even he can't believe this. "We have a new Grand Champion: Aika Inoue, our newest and youngest competitor this year, our Fast-Forwarder, of the 18-24 Lightweights!"

The spectators in the front row look like they're gonna pass out. I honestly feel like I'm gonna pass out. Good thing the med team's finally here. I can also hear Faith yellin' her way over to me while the event volunteers gently usher Aika up to the judges' stage for her victory speech. I catch Joe's eye as he extends an arm towards Aika. Yes, Joe, I did do this. Yeah yeah, I'll give you a speech later, too.

"Aika! Congratulations!" I snort as I hear her confused whimper through the mic. Faith is immediately transfixed, her hands still in the way of the medical staff. "None of us could have predicted that we would ring in the new year with a Battle Royale like this. What an incredible show."

"Um, thank you." She's a complete deer in headlights. It's adorable.

"You were injured in a couple of your one-on-one points fights, while our defending Grand Champion loomed just in front of you without a scrape in sight. But in the disarray of the Battle Royale you've come out without a single bruise. How did you manage to reverse the roles this round?" Joe passes Aika the mic and although she nearly drops it, she finally steels herself enough for the cameras to catch the same cool expression she first walked on stage with.

"It was honestly Evren." Me? "Watching the Grand Champion closely was the only way I could figure her out enough to go toe-to-toe." Did she just grin my way? "Even then, though, she's incredibly strong. I didn't 'win' in the way I wanted to, really." She passes the mic back to Joe.

"With that injury, she would be hard-pressed to continue," Joe notes. I nod. It was only a matter of time before I exhausted myself or crumbled under my knee. Aika shakes her head, though, and Joe points the mic back towards her.

"I'll feel better when I win in a proper one-on-one, when neither of us is injured. A fair fight."

Joe smiles. "Then you promise us a Battle of the Unusuals: Rematch?"

Aika smiles her most dangerous smile. My heart skips a beat. "Definitely."

Joe's smile widens and he steps back to let the judges come through with the trophy and papers, no doubt with the details of that Jaspis Park trip. I so need to get Aika to show me later. "You heard our Champion! Tune in again next year for fresh match-ups and, if we're lucky, a fated rematch. Let's see if our Fast-Forwarder can keep her title or if it was beginner's luck after all." I scoff as I let Maeva scoot me onto a stretcher. As if 'beginner's luck' was what took me down.

A judge formally presents Aika with her spoils, first in French and then in English. Then the closing sequence begins and Aika makes her way off the stage, straight into Lev's arms, bombarded immediately after by a hovering parent, brother, and coach. Somehow Hadley's also appeared, along with several of Aika's previous opponents and other co-competitor fans. Security is managing to corral everyone else well for now, but I see dozens of markers and NCC posters waving around just out of reach.

"You let her win?" Maeva's tone is actually questioning for once. She genuinely doesn't know.

I shake my head, still staring at my co-competitor, girlfriend, Grand Champion. "No. I didn't." When her eyes catch mine, the last of my self-control finally crumbles and I find myself laugh-crying.

"Evren?" She's next to me immediately, still holding her trophy and papers, still sweating, hair dishevelled.

No. You've won, Aika, fair and square: our fight one on one, the NCC, my heart, all of it. "You were incredible. Thank you."

Then her arms are around me, so gentle compared to just a few minutes ago. I've gotta get used to this. "What are you thanking me for?" she asks, still clinging to me.

"Everything."

She gives me a squeeze and only lets go when the medical staff start clearing their throats.

"I'm proud of you, Aika," Nevaeh says. She motions to everyone around her. "We all are."

I would do anything in the future to make Aika beam like she is now.

I catch a glint in Nevaeh's eye that reminds me of Santeri as she opens her mouth again. "But don't think you're getting any more than two weeks off training."

I would do anything in the future to make Aika make that face again, also.