“Go ahead and cut off the CSWAvision completely,” said Ivy, “and kill the pyro. We know he'll try for those next. I think we’d all rather the matches look less produced if we can keep control of the rest of it.”

“We’re locked out of the entire system,” lamented Adrian as he pounded keys of his own, “He’s inside the entire system.”

“How much control do we still have?”

“The only reason the pyro hasn’t all gone off at once is because he hasn’t hit it. He's been content with letting us know he's around by playing with the lights.”

Ivy backed up, fighting off the tears that started to well in the corner of her eyes. She paced, ignoring the flare of pain that throbbed on her burned leg.

Usually she had ice water in her veins back here. But last time out, she saved Nova from being scorched by the hacker by the skin of her teeth.

This time, she was completely isolated from the system, and of all people to be in the ring, it just had to be Trip.

“Can we get Bill and Sammy on the headset yet?”

“Take a look,” replied Adrian.

The lights in the arena begin to flicker and continue to, causing a strobe-like effect inside the ring as Trip and Hornet continue to go at it no matter what. The crowd puts up with it at first, then begins to boo. The lights even out, then immediately start to flicker again.

“Damn it!” said Ivy, as she kicked the wall with the heel of her shoe.

“Options?” asked Billy Parsons.

They had no options. “Go get Thomas,” said Ivy, “and if we can’t get Bill and Sammy from back here, go get them – and Sean and Paul out of there as fast as you possibly can.”

The techs and runners hit their tasks as Ivy took off her glasses and pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes. Adrian turned his head to watch her, but he stayed silent.

“I swear, McGinnis… déjà f’king vu, all over again.”