Pawn Star

Richard fell forward as Garth pulled his other hand off of the sword and this time hit

him full in the gut. The force of the blow almost threw him off of the slab and would mean defeat. Richard just managed to balance himself back onto the slab and then ran

toward Garth as fast as he could. He jumped into the air and twisted his body to give

his right hand an extra strong punch. It was too late, Garth had grabbed the sword

with both hands winning first move. Richard stopped dead.

“That’s the last victory you will have.” Richard said looking like a rabid dog. Garth

laughed as he tried to think what breed suited Richard best. Was a Chihuahua being a

bit too mean?

“First Move has been awarded to Team Gold.” Said the same women in white that

had thrown the sword at the beginning of the match. Garth moved back to his position

on the board as King. The real king had settled in his booth with his Queen and way

too much food for two people. The front row of fighters looked back at Garth to see

what move he wanted done.

 Garth looked at the player third from the left and nodded that he moves two spaces

forward. The red team answered with moving exactly the same piece making each

attack on an opposite side.

 The two fighters got up and turned to face each other and then walked to the centre of

the slab. This was a nerve wracking position to play as it could heavily affect the rest

of the game. It also had to be dominated or the team would be seen as weak. Both

players took fighting stance and revealed what creature they were. Garth waited with

his fingers crossed as he hoped to see a Chihuahua from at least one of the red teams’

players. Garth looked with pride at his soldier; this was one of the best parts. Nothing

did quite say ‘Ta-da!’ like a huge wolf.

Daniel always had a flair for the dramatic. He flared his nostrils and growled towards

the crowd. He pumped his fists into the air as the crowd went wild with applause.

Garth lowered his microphone to his mouth.

“Hey Gladiator get it together man.” Daniel heard Garth’s voice in his ear.

“You got it Captain. I’m going with ‘Hails-fire’. Daniel said as he concentrated on his

first move.

“Wait for the turn before you set your move Danny, you don’t know what he is yet.”

Garth warned knowing Danny acted too quickly most of the time.

“Doesn’t matter his element is Earth I know him from a couple hundred-years ago.”

“Fine but be sure.” Garth answered and hoped he hadn’t just made a very bad

decision. Danny closed his eyes and held his hands at his sides. Playing out his move

in his head Danny‘s one hand started to drip water that would turn to ice before it hit

the ground. The other hand looked like there was steam rising from it. Daniel

concentrated on where his opponent had been standing and threw out of solid ice and

a ball of fire towards him. Moments before it would hit the target, the two balls

absorbed it other disappeared and seconds later hit the red player like a brick wall.

The player almost fell but recovered by throwing Danny with a blast of mud that

covered him from head to toe. Garth and the rest of the team tried not to laugh but itdidn’t work.

“Well, well Danny you were right about the element at least.” Garth couldn’t help

teasing him. Danny disappeared into the floor leaving just a mud pool behind. The

crowd stood up to try to get a better look. Water exploded from the ground like a live

grenade, shooting the other player high into the air. Danny slowly let go so that he

wouldn’t hurt the other player, a fall from such a height would be fatal and illegal.

“Terrance get rid of him he’s soft.” Richard’s voice spoke over their radio.

“Time for my Sandstorm you can get ready to win the first move.” Terrance said with

his usual confidence. Terrance stood on one knee and loosened a pouch from his belt.

He dropped a small amount of white sand into his hand and clenched it in his fist.

Terrance threw the sand into the air and it froze in place in the air, when he nodded

the sand flew towards Danny like a solid sheet of steel. Danny dodged it but the sand

now twirled around him in thin lines from head to toe. Danny put a hand out and the

sand cut his hand open. He was trapped the sand would grind him to bits.

* * * *

- Trigger Happy

“So most of the players are Police like you guys?” Natasha asked Seth as they spoke

about the game.

“Yip not only have we got the best job ever but we get to do this too. In fact if you do

well here it determines if you can make it as a cop or not.” Seth said really enjoying

speaking to someone who didn’t know every detail of the game.

“So if you play you get to be a cop and that’s what you did?” Natasha had to make sure

how this worked because she was starting to form an idea in her head. “Can you teach

me how to play?” She added before she lost her nerve to ask.

“It takes years to learn but I could give you a few pointers. Did you work as a cop in

the human world?” Seth asked hoping to hear stories of how their force works.

“No actually I didn’t amount to much there. Maybe I can change that for once seeing

as no one knows what a loser I am.” Natasha said without self-pity, to her it was just fact.

“You’re not a loser Natasha nobody is a loser you just didn’t find your place there. Let’s

see if we can make a cop out of you yet.” Seth said as he reached out to shake hands

on their new deal. She shook his hand and realised it was warmer then she expected a

Vampires hands to be and as usual her mouth followed her head without pause.

“Aren’t Vampires supposed to have cold hands?” Natasha asked.

“They only go cold when we need to hunt soon. The blood we drink keeps us warm

till it runs out then we get cold and not to good-looking, Charming facts about blood-

suckers number one-oh-seven. Oh and by the way your training starts right now.”Seth said with a satisfied look on his face he just looked at her shocked confused one.

Natasha didn’t have time to react as Seth grabbed onto her and appeared dead centre on

the chess board. “Don’t worry it’s a tradition for someone from the crowd to try out

the game. I’m head cop here and I choose you. You won’t get hurt I won’t let it get

that far, just listen to your radio and do only what you get asked to. Seth then stood

back to the game to continue but he kept his eyes on Sam and the players around her.

She just had to listen and focus and she would see that she wasn’t quite so useless

after all.

Kyle had never even enjoyed watching a game so much when he was alive. To think

for years he had worshipped sports that never came close to this action.

“OK so this is like a very extreme version of chess where it’s mixed with a bit of

good-old contact sport?” Kyle asked Jake as they gobbled through their fifth pizza.

“Pretty much only our contact involves abilities few humans have. All of us can do

impressive things but these guys eat and sleep combat. It’s also not about strength

either you see chess is a thinking game and you have to know your mind and the one

your against.” Jake filled in as he thought of when he had played but the country took

up more and more of his free time as he grew up. “It works like chess the front

players move first and they protect their captain just like the king. They communicate

via radio and make moves as a team. Players get their powers from the elements. You

know what I mean water, fire, air, earth and now and then metal. They can use those

things to win a play and injury is permitted but not a fatality or even doing something

that may lead to a fatality.”

“Well that pretty much explains it then.” Was that Kyle said in reply to Jake’s long

explanation but Jake hadn’t even heard a single word from Kyle, usually humans

burst with emotion. One of the crowd had been chosen and it wasn’t a player that hurt

the eyes either. She had striking black hair that had highlights that were almost white.

Jake squinted to get a closer look and could make out that she had green or blue eyes.

Not usually the type he went for but she was most definitely a stunning women. Now

to see what type of warrior she could be, if any type at all.

“Ok don’t worry to much the crowd players are guests on the board and are treated as

such. No harm will come to you so just have fun win or lose.” Garth explained over

Natasha's radio. He seemed rather nice but nothing would calm her nerves. She felt

millions and millions of eyes on her and couldn’t hear herself think over the roar of

the crowd. She had always been the invisible one and had always wondered what it

would be like to get noticed, This wasn’t just for fun now, now it was to make her

mark somewhere just once. “ Natasha do you know anything about your powers yet.”

Garth spoke into her headset for the first time making her jump.

“Nothing I don’t even know what I am yet.” Natasha said as it dawned on her that she

was basically defenceless here.

“Its ok Natasha, tell me how quickly do you get angry?”

“Rather slowly actually I don’t get angry that often, why do you ask?” She said with a frown. These people never made sense to her.“OK play is going to resume soon what ticks you off more then anything. If we can

know that we can get a grip on your powers and their elemental source.” The siren

went off announcing that the games were to continue. Natasha felt panic wash over her as

though somebody had thrown an ice-cold bucket of water over her.

“Well being shoved into situations like this at least gets me irritated.” naty replied

before one of the opponents from the other team caught her eye. It was a girl who

looked about her age and although it was normal to hate the apposing team, this

girl had hate pouring from every fibre of her being and it was being directed at Natasha

The first move was still on the line and the reds were very bad losers.

“ Natasha it would seem you have interest from the other team.” Garth spoke through the

radio again. “Rules say we put women against each other but be careful with this one.

It’s impossible to win against her so just try not to get hurt.

“She does seem rather angry.” Natasha replied trying to seem more at ease then she really

was,

“Her name is Sarah complete psycho but you are just here for fun so she won’t kill

you today.”

“Kill me but I thought you weren’t allowed to kill in these games!” Natasha nearly

shrieked as she felt ready to make a run for it.

“Well, well someone did listen to the rules after.”

“That’s not funny I’m scared to death and you think I’m a joke just because I’m new.”

Natasha removed the earpiece and stood ready. She told herself she couldn’t do it most of

her life she wasn’t going to let someone else have the job.

Garth hadn’t meant to insult Natasha but it was his job to win this and he had to find a

way she could help. At least he had a good idea of how to rile her up without having

to upset her too much. It just took a whisper of doubt and she was ready to prove

anyone wrong. He knew what it was like to always feel like you had to prove

yourself.

The announcement went off that the first move had been ruled a disqualification for

the reds for using deadly force. The players and fans were up in arms. It started to

look like the tuck shop at school when it ran out of sweets, there would be a riot soon

if something wasn’t done. The bright lights focused on Natasha as she was given a new

set of earphones by the referee.

“Here you go you’re on.” He said as he walked back to his place on the sides. She

didn’t feel like speaking to anybody but put them on anyway.

“Hey there warrior or should I say worrier?” It was Seth on the radio this time.

“I’m not too worried it’s just a game.”

“Listen Natasha the next play is going to you, Garth didn’t mean to be rude he has to get you angry or you won’t defend yourself.” Seth tried to explain.

“I don’t get it what do you mean Seth?”

“There isn’t much time step forward to the next square, and Natasha?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t be afraid to get angry, once that takes over you have a chance of winning. I

have to put you through to Garth he knows about game play but I will be listening and

watching. Go get them ‘New Girl’.” And with that Seth had gone and Garth was

leading her into the only competition she had ever taken part in. Natasha stepped forward

and so did the other girl.

“Sarah, try to be kind it’s just a crowd member.” Richard spoke to his team-mate

knowing full well she would destroy any opponent even if winning didn’t matter.

“Don’t worry I’ll get rid of her quickly so we can carry on with the real players. Why

did it have to be a girl now I have to put up with her?” Sarah said with her usual lack

of good humour and charm. Sarah took her stance for her move; the ‘Snow-Angel’

was one of the crowd pleasing moves so it would look good and win the move. Natasha

didn’t even see her move but she started to feel very cold, when she looked down she

saw that she was covered in ice and snow and felt like a piece of frozen meat.

The crowd loved it and cheered knowing nobody would want to stick around after

frost-bite. What Sarah and the crowd didn’t know was that Natasha had a temper even she

wasn’t aware of. Natasha looked around at those pointing fingers and laughing and she

felt like she was back in school. She would rather die then be the big joke again; this

wasn’t going to end like this.