The Branching

Underfoot the pavement sizzles, so hot it burns through Vivi’s thick soled boots.

Today promises to burn, the sun and its rays thick with heat that feels as if it’s roasting Vivi from the inside out. It spills from the clouds illuminating the track, casting all the racers in a harsh light that makes Vivi grateful for her dark visor and helmet. The major disadvantage with that though is how the sun feels drawn to her.

Not the best day to wear all black.

And not the best day for her motorbike to be all black too. Still though, there’s no changing it now. It’s not like she can, with the race starting in--

“ALL RACERS TO THEIR BIKES! CALLING ALL RACERS TO THEIR BIKES!”

Now apparently.

Vivi can’t help her smile as she stands from her crouch, running a hand across the sleek black metal as she sinks into her seat.

She’s going to win this competition.

Not just because she’s been practicing for ages, and not just because she knows she’s the best. But because she simply won’t let anyone else.

She’s a loyal citizen of her country, and to prove it, to prove so much else, she’s going to win. 

The Branching rules are simple: whoever makes it to the end of the racetrack by motorbike first, wins glory, fame, and the likes, as well as enough gold to last three lifetimes. It’s easy enough. 

Just stick to the paved path, dodge the deathtraps scattered throughout, avoid the blades of other players, and grab the Golden Branch that’s said to be guarded by some of the President's best killers. Simple right?

There’s no rule stating that you can’t eliminate the competition while in the competition, and that’s exactly what Vivi plans to do.

Troy made sure she was well prepared for it too, explaining how poor of an idea this is, while he was helping her tuck the blades into the leather folds of her jacket, her pants, and her boots.

“Are you sure?” Troy had asked not ten minutes earlier, while strapping a long knife inside the pocket of her pants. “You don’t have to go through with it.”

“It’ll be fun!” Vivi had said, tucking two daggers into her jacket pocket. “The Branching is only every five years, I’m not waiting another five for it to come around again.”

“You could though.” Troy had replied, standing to face her. “It would give you more time, and that’s always better.”

Vivi had smiled up at him, wishing she could say something that would make him understand.

He had always played it safe, never daring to risk much of anything. He was always happy with their quiet quaint life. Vivi wasn’t.

She had always wanted more, something outside of the ordinary. A deadly competition is perfect for that.

And she loves Troy, she truly does, but in all their years together this was the one thing that he always had trouble understanding. 

That she was built for more than this.

And today she’s going to prove it.

So looking up at Troy’s face in their tent, before coming down to the racetrack, Vivi had pressed a kiss to his lips and hurried off before he could say goodbye. She had hoped it contained all the words she was unable to say.

She scans the crowd for him now as she readies her bike. The other racers around her do the same, shifting their weight, eager for the red light to turn green. The counter to the side still displays 30 seconds though.

30 seconds for Vivi to search the crowd for Troy’s familiar curls and bright eyes. She scans the front row seats, the spot where Troy said he would be. But he’s not there.

15 seconds now.

Vivi’s heart pounds, desperately moving from box to box, trying to pick out his face. He’s here, he has to be here, he would never miss something like this, he wouldn’t! Vivi knows it! She knows he--

5 seconds.

Vivi quickly turns her eyes forward, to the glaring white of the starting line, trying to ignore the awful dread in her stomach. 

3 seconds.

There’s something wrong. Vivi can feel it as clearly as the hard lines of the motorbike against her body, black and burning against the cold clamminess of her skin inside her gloves.

“RACERS!” The loudspeaker voice booms. “ON YOUR MARKS! GET READY,”

Vivi clears her head as best as she can, her heart pounding with a fear that has nothing to do with the race.

“SET,”

Her gloves tighten on the throttle.

“GO!”

Vivi pulls the clutch, shifts down to first gear, and takes off, the other racers blurring around her as she accelerates. 

The race has begun.

Vivi skirts around other racers and pushes her bike harder, hoping to make it out of the cluster of people. Out of the corner of her eye she can already see some of them pulling out clubs and knives to knock the other racers out of the way.

She steers around a group of them...and nearly drives straight into a steel bar.

Vivi swerves just in time, her leg brushing the burning hot metal that had seemingly just popped up from the ground.

There’s a muffled scream and a crunch from behind her, and she knows that other racers drove straight into it.

She doesn’t dare look back though, and keeps her eyes on the track, and the other racers near her. One of them is too close for comfort.

But just as she leans to the right, slowly inching away from her, another racer pulls up to her other side.

They’re boxing her in.

It’s hard to tell through the glaring sunlight and the bright reds and whites of their outfit, but Vivi can make out the silver of metal as the girl pulls out a small knife. With a quick glance at the other racer she can tell that he too is pulling free a blade.

Her heart racing in her throat, she knows she has to time this next part perfectly.

When their blades move towards her, so close Vivi can practically feel their metal points, she slams her foot on the brake pedal and yanks the brake lever. Hard. 

She slams to a stop, lowering her foot to the ground to get better control.

The other two racers ahead barely have time to steady their bikes, before Vivi watches them falter and nearly fall.

Pushing herself back onto her bike, Vivi reaches into her pocket and pulls out two blades. As the racers fumble to get back on track Vivi throws them.

Lucky for her, her lessons with Troy taught her well. Not very lucky for the racers though.

Vivi’s knives sink into their arms. She knows the wounds aren’t nearly deep enough for serious damage to occur, but it’ll hopefully keep these two racers out for the rest of the competition.

She sails past them, her tires screeching and her heart rate lowering.

It bounces right back up though when she remembers Troy.

She knows she won’t see him in the trees and forests surrounding the race track, but it doesn’t stop her from looking.

Some of the spectators have moved into the trees to continue watching the race, but their numbers are only half compared to the number of them at the race’s start.

Troy, from the blurs of faces Vivi sees as she races by, isn’t among them.

She moves her eyes back to the track and the other racers near her. They’re all far enough away for them not to be threats, but Vivi still checks the places in the folds of her clothes where her weapons are.  

She has to be prepared.

But with her too busy looking at the other racers, and the bend in the path ahead, she nearly drives straight into the chasm that’s opened up before her.

She’s going too fast to stop.

If she tries to swerve around it, she’ll risk falling directly into the rapidly widening chasm, and if she tries to stop, she might just fall forwards straight into the darkness. No, there’s only one thing she can do.

Vivi pushes her bike the fastest that it can go, mumbling prayers under her breath that this will work. The chasm is right in front of her, and Vivi keeps her eyes on it as the road under her gives way...then she’s flying across darkness.

It nearly works.

But her back wheel snags on the edge of the chasm, and Vivi can feel herself falling backwards.

Panicked, she tries to accelerate, her poor motorbike sputtering as she does. 

Racers fly past her, but they begin to falter too as the race track opens up in places, admitting more chasms like hers. She watches some of them fall to their deaths, but some racers manage to avoid them, disappearing around the bend.

With a loud screech Vivi feels the front wheels slipping, and knows she’s going to die.

What a waste this has all been.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she prepares herself to fall and fall and fall until she hits something. Bracing herself for an impact that is sure to come.

But something else comes instead.

The ground under her is miraculously solid again.  

Vivi gapes at the asphalt. At the chasm that was just below her feet, but is now smooth pavement again.

Not bothering to think about it now, about how lucky she was, Vivi takes off.

She’s got a competition to win.

As she rounds the bend, she spots something glowing gold in the distance. Squinting, she realizes that it’s the Golden Branch. The Branch that she has to grab.

There are only a handful of racers ahead of her, but Vivi knows she can beat them.

As she draws close, she throws a dagger at one of the racers tires, then another at the racers leg. She doesn’t even watch them crash, or pay attention to their shout, as she turns back to the other three racers.

As she pulls free another dagger, a blade whistles past her arm, scratching through her leather as it does. With a cry she touches a gloved hand to the cut, then whirls around.

Vivi manages to keep her bike on track, and throws her dagger at the racer behind her. It hits their shoulder, and they fall off their bike.

Turning back around, Vivi realizes that traps and the third racer must have done her work for her. Out of the three racers that were ahead, there’s only one left.

But they must plan on finishing her off too, because the racer pulls their motorbike up to Vivi’s, and before she can even properly think, they slam a large club down onto her hand.

Vivi screams.

Her bike loses control, and before she can process what’s happening she’s heading towards a spike strip.

  Reining in another scream, Vivi gingerly uses her throbbing hand to steer out of the trap’s way...and nearly runs straight into another one.

A wall of fire blazes in her path, stretching long and wide across. She’ll never be able to go around it.

Out of the corner of her eye she can see the other racer steadily making their way towards the Golden Branch and the pedestal that it rests atop. There are pillars around it, and figures with faces too blurry for her to make out. Or perhaps that’s just her sweat and tears stinging her eyes.

She knows that she’ll have to drive straight through. And that pain will be even sharper than the one in her arm and hand.

But gold is an excellent motivator.

Gritting her teeth she heads towards the flames, and lets them engulf her.

Thankfully the path of them only stretches wide across, and not thick. She’s only in its burning painful path for two seconds, before she’e emerging from the other side, desperately trying to pat out the flames with her bad arm, while keeping her injured hand grasped firmly on the throttle.

She manages to get the flames out before they can do any serious damage, but her lower legs still sting with the memory of them.

But it doesn’t matter now. She can take stock of her injuries after she eliminates this other racer, and takes the Golden Branch for herself.

She drives towards the Branch, the figures, the pillars, and the other racer, already freeing more blades as she goes.

As she draws nearer she knows that if she doesn’t do something NOW then the other racer will win. They’re far closer to the pedestal than she is, so if she’s going to make her move she has to do it right this moment.

Gripping her last two throwing knives in her hands, she trusts that her bike can stay steady and continue going straight if she just… 

Faster than lighting, Vivi lets go of the throttle and throws her two blades. 

One of them misses. But the other hits true.

Flying past the racer who’s frantically pressing hands to their shoulder, Vivi nearly careens right into the heart of the circular courtyard. Right into the President herself.

She manages to stop herself in time, pressing down on her brake pedal and lever. Her motorbike stops just a few paces away from the President, who regards Vivi with a small smile.

“Madame President.” Vivi flicks out the kickstand on her motorcycle and takes off her helmet, running hands through her hair, while trying to subtly wipe the sweat from her brow.

The President merely nods her head, and gestures to the Branch.

When they told her it was a Branch she figured it would be, you know, a tree Branch. And this is not that. It looks...like a weapon.

The Branch is golden, with smaller branches at the end whose very tips have been sharpened to wickedly long points. And the longest point practically glows in the scorching sunlight.  

But that’s not all.

There, surrounded on all sides by agents of some kind, standing to the side of the shining white pedestal holding the Golden Branch, is Troy.

“Madame…” Vivi looks from wide eyed Troy to the President, still regarding her with a cool smile. “I...I don’t understand.”

“It’s simple.” The President says, gesturing towards the weapon-like branch.

Vivi stares at the woman, slowly realizing what the President wants her to do.

Her stomach drops, then drops further as the President continues,

“You have only one final obstacle left.” She gestures at Troy. “Eliminate him with the Golden Branch and prove your dedication to your country, and the gold, as well as eternal fame, is yours.” She peers past Vivi’s shoulder. “And you’ll have to do it quickly dear, I think some of the competition is catching up.”

Vivi turns around and winces, not because of her throbbing limbs, but because the racer who she hit in the shoulder is rushing towards them, bike wobbling as they try to steer with one hand.

“But I...I still don’t understand.” Vivi struggles to focus, to try and wrap her mind around this new development. Of all the rumors she’s heard about the competition, killing someone was never part of the stories about wild obstacles.

“You.” The President points at Vivi. “Have to kill this man to win the gold. This random citizen. With the Golden Branch on the pedestal right there.” She says it slowly, as if Vivi is incredibly stupid. “Homicide dear. That is the obstacle.” 

When Vivi doesn’t say anything for a moment she sighs and plucks the Golden Branch from the pedestal, and presses it into Vivi’s hand, her bad one. She nearly screams at the contact.

“I…” Vivi’s heart races as her mind tries to work for a solution.

The President couldn’t have known that her and Troy are...but what are the chances of the randomly selected person being someone she knows and loves?

“A minute left I’d say, dear.” The President looks from the other racer and back to Vivi. “Better choose quickly.”  

Vivi gulps, trying to ignore the pain, the President's cold smile, and the weight of Troy’s eyes on her. The weight of the Branch in her hand.

When the other racer’s ragged breathing reaches her ears, Vivi knows her time is up. 

Luckily, she also knows what she has to do.

“Madame President.” Vivi’s smile trembles as she forces it onto her face. “Thank you for this opportunity. I would die for this country, and I will prove my devotion to it, right here, right now.”

The President's smile doesn’t crack. It also doesn’t reach her eyes. “Go on then.” She moves her arm out towards Troy, as if she’s displaying all the gold of the prize.

One that Vivi knows she will now never get.

With a nod at the President, Vivi steps forward, the Branch shaking in her throbbing hand.

“You trust me.” Vivi doesn’t whisper it like a question, once she’s close enough for Troy to hear her.

“I do.” Troy whispers back.

His eyes search her face, but Vivi keeps her expression neutral. Plain. Perfectly calm.

Her mask can’t break if this is to work. Besides, if the President’s personal guards behind Troy  suspect something, she’ll never get the chance to make her move.

Slowly, she raises the Branch, preparing to strike the weapon through Troy’s heart.

But at the last second she whirls around and throws it through the President’s instead.