“Up! Up!”

Adrenaline surged through Kiriai, and she leaped out of her cot. She almost stumbled, one foot getting tangled in the bedding as she fought to her feet, fists raised before she was fully awake. Chaos filled the spacious bunkhouse the new initiates had been assigned for the month. Kiriai blinked, trying desperately to figure out what was happening. Her fellow initiates were scrambling everywhere, the white of their identical sleeping clothes a stark contrast to the black of the intruders. Without warning, something smacked the back of her head at the same instant her feet were swept out from under her. She barely managed to catch herself before her face hit the polished wooden floor of the barracks.

“Push-up positions! Now! Why can’t you initiates follow simple commands?”

Kiriai shook her head to clear away the last cobwebs of sleep from her mind and made a snap decision to fall into line until she knew more. She placed her hands shoulder-width apart, straightened her back and held her position. She scanned the chaos that had invaded their peaceful barracks so early that it was still dark out. Light from lanterns made shadows flicker across the figures in the room. Some, like her, were holding a push-up position. One initiate kept trying to get up and multiple attackers knocked him down with ease, as they continued yelling at him to comply. A woman wasn’t getting out of bed fast enough and two men heaved the edge of the mattress, dumping her to the floor in a heap. It didn’t take long before every initiate was holding a plank position. Invaders stalked around them in circles, using hands and feet to adjust small imperfections. It was obvious now that she was fully awake. These were senseis or other brawlers enlisted to help with the initiation.

Kiriai felt small tremors in her arms, a mix of tension and the rush of adrenaline from the unexpected attack. To either side of her, she heard the other brawlers in similar states, some quiet, others breathing raggedly. Kiriai clenched her teeth before letting out a slow breath. After yesterday’s introduction, she’d suspected this would not be easy. And it was just getting started.

“At ease,” said a droll voice from the direction of the entrance to the bunkhouse. The invaders moved back and arrayed themselves into a straight line a few feet behind the line of shaky initiates.

“You too,” the woman said. No one moved.

“She means you, idiots. Stand up,” hissed someone from behind Kiriai, and she felt a foot smack into her lower leg.

Without second-guessing herself, Kiriai jumped to her feet and stepped into a ready stance, hands held low with fists clenched loosely in front of her.

Walking toward them was a woman who looked so unimpressive that it seemed far-fetched that the line of invaders would obey her with such alacrity. Something about her seemed familiar. Her sandy hair was tied up in a sloppy ponytail, the impatient kind used to keep hair back instead of for appearance’s sake. She looked less than pleased to be here this early. Kiriai could empathize with that.

Her plain black gi looked to be made of a superior fabric, but it was hard to tell for sure. It lacked any of the subtle embellishments that went along with expensive tailoring. She dragged the wooden stand from yesterday behind her with complete disregard. When she came to a stop, she tipped it to a standing position and let go, making the ’forcer armband swing wildly for a moment.

As Kiriai’s gaze moved up to her face, she found startling blue eyes staring back at her, one eyebrow raised. Kiriai flushed at being caught. As she dropped her gaze, she saw the other initiates had quickly followed her lead and were also standing at the ready. With a start, Kiriai suddenly remembered where she’d seen the woman before. She was the sensei from yesterday who’d seemed so bored at the opening ceremony.

“I am Sensei Nigai. Not that it matters much to you. Your job is to hate me and especially my trainers. Their job is to pummel you into submission so you’ll grab this armband here and join the ’forcers. My trainers have instructions to pay special attention to those of you who’ve managed to irritate powerful people.” The woman stopped and sighed with a tired expression. “Pummeling newbies into submission doesn’t require much talent, but like you, I have to obey those who have more power than I do, and this is what they want out of me. Your job is to do everything I want, and everything my trainers tell you, because we have more power than you.”

Kiriai tried not to let her shock at Nigai’s words show in her expression. The eight of them had fought the best fighters of all four hoods to make it this far. They were officially brawlers, for ancestors’ sake. The initiation was supposed to hone their fighting skills and give them a chance to integrate with the other brawlers, not make them want to quit. First the push yesterday to join the Chief’s ’forcers, and now this sensei was blatantly mentioning prejudices and power plays?

Either Kiriai didn’t succeed in masking her reaction, or her fellow initiates felt the same, because Nigai started laughing. It was a chilling laugh, without hope, and it made Kiriai shiver.

“What?” said Nigai with a bark. “Don’t tell me you’ve made it this far without having the facts of life explained to you? Those with power get to do what they want to those with less. Ask anyone who’s been around Chief Kosui during his recent rampage, if you don’t believe me. Everyone with any sense is hunkering down and following orders.” The woman moved with a feline grace as she spoke, pacing back and forth in front of her captive audience. The glimpse of the warrior under the unassuming clothes was scary. She stopped and the glint in her eye made Kiriai hope someone else had attracted her attention.

“Here, let me show you. Brawler Gebi, get up here,” Nigai said with a bark of command in her voice.

A woman raced past them and snapped to attention three feet in front of Nigai. Brawler Gebi executed a perfect bow and straightened with a snap, ready for orders.

Nigai looked back at the initiates. “See? I have more power than Gebi here and she knows it. So she has to do whatever I want without complaint, just like I have to obey those above me. Consider this your first lesson. Welcome to the brawlers, kids.”

Kiriai relaxed, thinking the show was over. But Nigai turned back to Gebi, expression hardening. “Sit down, Gebi.”

The woman dropped to the floor instantly, legs crossed and back straight.

“Stand up,” said Nigai, and Gebi obeyed just as quickly.

Kiriai held herself still, uneasy about where this was headed. She heard someone shifting next to her and knew she wasn’t the only one.

“Hands up, above your head,” said Nigai.

Gebi’s hands shot up without hesitation.

“Don’t move, except to breathe.”

And then with no warning the sensei punched Gebi directly in the stomach. Hard.

A grunt escaped Gebi. Kiriai could see her torso flex and tighten, but the woman’s stoic mask didn’t budge. And to Kiriai’s surprise, she kept both hands in position above her head.

“Aww, so well-trained, don’t you think?” Nigai asked with a smile as she turned back to the initiates. “Now, as the brawlers behind you will attest, while I’m not the nicest person, I try to be fair.”

Sensei Nigai turned back to Gebi. “Fighting stance, Brawler Gebi.”

In a flash, Gebi was in position and she suddenly looked dangerous.

Nigai scanned the room with the row of beds along one wall and backed up with lazy movements to the large open space on the other side of the room. Then, she stopped, tipped her head side-to-side and let out a sigh. One foot stepped back into a shallow stance and Nigai waved a hand at Gebi. “Come try to hit me back, Brawler Gebi. I’ll give you a fair chance.”

Kiriai saw Gebi’s mask slip as a familiar eagerness filled her eyes. The other brawler wasn’t much taller than Kiriai. Gebi probably outweighed her by half and moved with a fighter’s economy of motion. Her dark chestnut hair was cut in short spikes that made it easy to see her blue fighter’s implant on her neck with two black stripes that matched the ones on the belt tied at her waist. Her high cheekbones framed eyes that focused on the sensei’s figure across from her.

It seemed as if the rest of the room’s occupants held their breath as Gebi stalked toward their instructor. Nigai barely moved. She didn’t even have her guard up, and Kiriai wondered why Gebi was exercising so much caution.

“If you take any longer . . .” Nigai began.

Before the sensei could finish her sentence, Gebi lunged forward with a kick that flicked up from the floor. She followed it with a lead hand punch moving so fast, an invisible string seemed to have yanked it forward. Nigai waited until the last moment to respond, and Kiriai was sure she would see their instructor’s head snap back from a punch at any moment. Instead, Sensei Nigai leaned to one side followed by a turn and spin that made all of Gebi’s attacks miss their marks. Kiriai could have sworn one of Gebi’s punches brushed against the sensei’s cheeks. Kiriai’s eyes widened. She’d only seen this kind of fighting on the screens, never in person.

Before the younger brawler’s foot had even landed from her kick, she stumbled forward, hands flailing. Kiriai didn’t even see what Nigai did, but the sensei didn’t pursue her advantage. In a moment, Gebi caught her balance and spun back to face her sensei. She attacked again, lightning- fast but just as unable to land a blow against her sensei. The more experienced woman was untouchable in a way Kiriai’s eyes couldn’t follow.

Watching the amazing display of skill, desire and worry clashed inside Kiriai. If she could learn moves like that, she’d be unbeatable in the ring. Too bad there wasn’t time to learn them and then take them home to teach the Jitaku scrappers. This kind of skill would have helped them hold on to the territory Raibaru had been whittling away at over the year-long war.

Now, her home had the two options that she and her crew had been endlessly debating. The first, and best, plan was to find reinforcement scrappers to send home so they could spell Jitaku’s weary scrappers, who were being beaten into the ground by Raibaru’s seemingly endless supply of fresh fighters. Or, if the worst happened and Raibaru won a majority of Jitaku Hood, the fight would move to the burb level. Then the Southern Burb brawlers would be the only ones left to defend her home from conquest by their enemy, Western Burb.

But she was nowhere close to the skill of these brawlers and would have little if any role if it came to that. Kiriai’s heart sank. Fighting had always been her talent, and she rose to every challenge, excited to improve. But now, how could she get to this level of fighting in time to help save her home?

Kiriai clenched her jaw. Somehow, she and her crew had to make their first plan succeed. They would force the other hoods to send reinforcements by any means necessary. And soon, before time ran out.

Nigai had straightened with a chuckle and made a pushing motion with one hand. “That’s all you get, Gebi. One chance to hit me back. You failed, but”—the older woman brushed one hand across her cheek—“you came closer than anyone has in quite some time. Nicely done. Back in line, now.”

“Thank you, Sensei,” said Gebi before spinning and jogging back to her position. Kiriai caught the glimpse of a tight smile as she ran past.

When everyone was in position again, Sensei Nigai moved back in front of them and . . . yawned.

It took great force of will for Kiriai not to follow suit.

“I hate getting up early and am only here because it’s required of me. But I have taught you a lesson and demonstrated fighting skills, which means my responsibilities are done. Back to bed for me.” She stopped and looked at the back row of brawlers. “Brawler Gebi, with your show of skill today, I think I’ll turn these babies over to you for the rest of the month. You are now officially the Head Trainer. Try to find out if they have what it takes to join your ranks.” Sensei Nigai aimed a cheerful look at them and then added, “Oh, and make them hurt.”

Without another word the strange sensei turned and meandered out of the room. By the time she had disappeared, Trainer Gebi was standing in front of them, and Kiriai groaned inwardly at the look on her face.