I had to get my emerald button back.

There was no chance of running for it. If I got separated 2 feet from my button I’d be disqualified. I couldn’t lose on the first day!

The metallic alien’s gaze was still focused on me. The top half of an unconscious female alien laid on the ground to the right of him. Within his right hand held my left arm. The arm whose fist held my emerald button.

“You didn’t scream! I want my food to make noise! Think you’re tough, huh?”

What the hell? Does this guy want his food to be quiet or make noise? Make up your mind. Besides, I wasn’t tough, my arm hurt like hell. I wanted to scream, but I wouldn’t let myself. 100% of my body’s energy had to go towards figuring out how to beat a behemoth.

There was no way I had the reaction time to dodge any of his attacks. To even think about dodging, I’d have to have some form of future-sight. I didn’t have any power like that, but I did have my mind. To win you have to “get into the mind” of your opponent. That’s what every form of media has told me.

Let’s think. Our enemy was a beast. A beast that’s only form of satisfaction was to devour others. Based on that, I knew that even if he realized that my button was in my torn arm, he wouldn’t destroy it. If he broke the button, I’d be eliminated. If I was eliminated then he probably couldn’t eat me. That must’ve been why he left the alien woman alive. He wants her to heal so he can eat her again, and again, and again. If I let him beat me I could probably ensure my safety for a while.

As his infinite meal.

I wouldn’t choose that. I almost broke down going without a meal for 6 hours. There was no way I could mentally survive that torment. There was also no guarantee that when the contestant count got lower he would kill us. He might choose victory over his hunger.

To be honest the rest of those reasons were afterthoughts. There was a real reason I didn’t want to lose. To prove myself. This world had beaten me down in a matter of 6 hours. If I could beat him; if I could beat this overpowered strength demon, then maybe I could win this Shanty legit. I could win with my head held high. I could return to Muhammud with my head held high and scream “I WON”.

I could make my mother proud.

The beast wants to savor his food huh?

The beast already had taken of my left limb. That was a fact.

If I were to eat a chicken I’d start with both legs. It wasn’t really good reasoning, but to me, this meant he was going to go for my right arm next. My best bet for evasion was a dodge to the left. I preemptively jumped to the left.

As I made my movement, the metallic alien violently thursted his left arm forward.

Just as I predicted! He went for my right arm!

I barely dodged the thrust. A bit of the skin on my right arm tore off with the alien’s attack. Just as quickly the skin tore, the skin cells on my right arm healed it back up. My left stub had also already stopped bleeding. Being a Gambit species sure has its benefits.

The dodge had landed me to the right of the alien. From this perspective, I could see the true gore of my ripped arm. The tendons, the bone. It all revealed itself. It made me sick. My stomach...

No, Focus!

“My food lets ME EAT IT!” The metallic alien was enraged.

I preemptively dodged to the left once more. Just as I predicted, he launched another thrust towards my right side. Like before, my preemptive dodge allowed me to evade.

This alien was stubborn. He wanted to eat me in a certain way. The next step in his perfect meal was to remove my right arm with his left palm thurst. I could use his stubborn attitude to survive.

Like a pair of Olympic ice-dancers, our routine continues. I dodge preemptively to the left, and his left palm thrust misses. The best he can do are small grazes now and then. Due to my Gambit Species nature, these cuts healed near-instantly.

At a glance, I seemed like the advantageous one in this situation. Upon a closer look you would realize that if this kept up, I would lose. Each dodge he left a bigger and bigger gash on my arm. I was only human. A human running on no food and three hours of sleep. My stamina reserves were running low, and I’m pretty sure his reserves were infinite. Should the encounter continue the way it was, my right arm would be gone as well.

The initial dodge was a lucky guess. If he took my right arm and chose a new spot to target, I’d be left in the dark. In that reality, I would likely be incapacitated with his next shot.

I also was in no position to attack. If I wasted even a second on a movement that wasn’t dodging, there was a good chance I would be hit. So far, I was only delaying the inevitable. I needed to change the future. I needed a path to victory.

I was never a lucky boy growing up. Not one to taste victory all too much. I wasn’t the fastest or strongest. I didn’t accel in sports or school. My high SAT score was a result of studying a year in advance. I was average to all extents. I just had the power of an anxiety that allowed me to think ahead.

This had to be my lucky chance. I needed some external force to tip the scales my way. My options were blocked off. I knew that stalling increased the chances of a random event. I’d just have to wait.

Damn.

He just blew a decent chunk off my right arm. It was still mostly there, by all means, but this damage wouldn’t be healed in a couple of seconds.

Focus Harder!

I tried to jump to the right again. Something caught my left leg. I fell and tripped over. I was still able to just barely dodge the usual right palm thrust. I was paralyzed in fear. The rhythm had been messed up!

I looked at what had caught my leg. What dastardly thing had made me meet my terrible end?

It was a hand. A feminine hand.

My eyes quickly traced the hand to its source. The alien woman. She was ragged and looked to be desperate. I guess this facial expression carried over across the universe.

Her voice shook as she tried to let out a few words.

“Help…… me”

Sorry, idiot but you’ve doomed us both.

I felt it before I saw it. In fact, I didn’t even see it. I felt a huge force indent itself into my chest. As if I teleported, I found myself at the end of a hallway of broken trees. My downfall still holding on to my legs.

“You are weak,” The alien woman’s voice said meekly.

Weak! Sure, I know that, but this situation was caused by her!

The metallic alien walked ever so closer down the column of trees. The setting sun roared behind him as if to complement his savageness. A mix of green and red bloods he obtained from both of his “foods” ran down from his jaws. My arm was gone from his grasp. He must’ve eaten it. That means he must’ve eaten my button. I was done for.

I waited for it. I didn’t know how disqualification worked, but I thought it maybe would’ve been some teleportation thing.

How was I not disqualified?

I felt a slap to my face. I was broken out of my thought stream. It was the alien woman. She had crawled further next to me.

“You mooch off my emerald guard, yet you choose not to help me?”

I got it! The slap jolted me into reality.

I didn’t need to be in 2 feet of my button. I could be within 2 feet of any button. This alien woman must’ve had one on her.

I excitedly looked at the alien woman.

“You’re my new bush! Don’t leave my side. I won’t let you leave my side.”

She gave me a face that looked confused and disgusted. Hopefully, that face wasn’t universal.

“I understand. You must be the Gambit participant. Just my luck” She made a depressed face and sighed. These expressions better not be universal.

She continued.

“Well under these circumstances, I won’t be fully healed for at least 42 days. In exchange for temporary use of my emerald guard, I command you to help me.”

The metallic alien behemoth was taking his sweet time. His steps were slow and labored. He was enjoying this, savoring the moment. I wasn’t complaining, but it rubbed me the wrong way.

“I’ll do whatever you want. But right now could you focus on the problem at hand. Do know of any possible path to victory” I pointed at the metallic titan looming ahead.

I didn’t care for the “high and mighty” act this woman was keeping in this dire situation. But hey, beggars can’t be choosers. It was a small nuisance to pay for y’know… not being infinitely consumed.

“Gambit boy, have your wounds healed enough to walk?” She asked.

I stood up and nodded my head.

“Seems so.”

I lifted up her half body and threw her over my back. I needed to have her within 2 feet of me at all times. She was going to be my backpack for the time being.

“Gambit boy!” She yelped.

She opened the palm of her right hand that was slung over my shoulder. She put her hand in my view. Out of her palm secreted an item. I kid you not, the item phased from her skin into existence. It was a silver cube

The metallic alien drew closer.

“Gambit Boy, your body heat better work!”

I paid no attention to whatever she was saying. Without hesitation, I grabbed the item with my remaining arm As I did the woman slung over my back snapped her fingers. The metallic cube started to morph. It bubbled like boiling water and started to grow in length. It solidified into a silver staff akin to the skin of the metallic alien. It was about 3 feet long and was frictionless to the touch. Had I not been holding it horizontally, it probably would’ve slid out of my grasp.

Just what I needed. An alien weapon for an alien fight.

The metallic alien was right in front of us. His eyes were cold.

“My food shouldn’t move.” He lifted his right hand up. He was preparing to bring down the heavens in a single blow.

“Gambit! Swing!” the woman on my back cried out.

All in the hips.

I swung the rod like a baseball bat and made contact.

The power of the gods was in this swing. At least it sure felt like it. After the initial swing, time seemed to pause.

Would it be enough to defeat him?

What would be my plan B?

I’m not sure I have enough energy to carry on after this.

BOOM!!

All of a sudden, like a rocket launch, the metallic alien flew rapidly away. The impact crashed and tumbled him through the brush of the forest. Trees he crashed into uprooted themselves.

As he was launched, his monstrous screams echoed through the forest.

His screams stopped.

I’d somehow managed to launch him miles away. If it weren’t for the path of uprooted trees, I wouldn’t be able to make out where he was. He was nowhere to be seen.

Confidence brimmed throughout me.

“I WON!” I screamed this fact at the top of my lungs. Nobody could take away my victory. I had done it. A human beat an alien. It was possible. I continue screaming, the world must know my victory.

A hand in my mouth cuts off my screams. The alien woman speaks up “Gambit, we won. Plural. Without me, you surely would’ve lost. Also, don’t scream in the forest. That could caus–”

I fainted. I had neither the power to stand or get told off by this random.

Victory was possible.

However, it came with a huge load to carry.