Knuckle Sandwich (OPEN)

May 24th, 222AE

The feeling of her gauntlet-ed fist connecting with the face of her would be foe echoed around her with a bone crunching sound that made Vanessa's lips curl into a wicked smile. This was exactly what she needed, a good fight against a worthy opponent with a bit of money on the line. Her red hair had been pulled back into a ponytail that had fallen a bit loose during her match, wisps of it falling into her face to cover her silver eyes. Here she wasn't the human, here she was just another former soldier getting her kicks by kicking the crap out of other former soldiers and those who thought they could best her. This was exactly what she needed. Lately the Pack had been getting far too cloying, too restrictive. Vanessa wasn't the sit still and wait around type, and they hadn't had a job in weeks and Vanessa Sirnos didn't do restless....ore boredom.

Especially since Dash didn't do boredom either and if Vanessa became the victim in another of Dash's explosive practical jokes Vanessa was going to snap and do something she might actually regret. She ducked beneath her opponent's punch and brought her fist up into his belly. His knee found the opening in her side and she grunted, spinning away from him to come back up into the ready stance, her fists in front of her so she could block his attacks if need be. He had spun low however, aiming a kick for her ankles that forced her to jump to avoid them. Instead of jumping straight up as he might have expected, she lept over him, folding into a barrel roll to bring her clear of him.

The crowd that had gathered to watch the fight were yelling and cheering, most were betting on the entertainment. No matter how civilized you try to make a city, there would always be room for things like bars and clubs, and deep in the underbelly there would always be fighting pits. This was where Vanessa came to get away from the civilized world, where she came to reclaim a bit of her past, a past that had thrown her out on her ass without a second glance. Channeling her anger into her next punch, she caught her opponent in the ribs, bringing her elbow up into his face. He pressed a hand to his nose to stem the sudden rush of blood and Nessa kicked him in the knee, bringing him down to the floor in front of her. The man raised his other hand, proclaiming that he surrendered to her. The crowd erupted and Vanessa turned to face them as the announcer met her on the floor to raise her arm over her head.

She moved out of the ring for a breather, fully intending to go back in after she'd rested for a moment. Her favorite waitress met her outside the ring with a shot of whiskey and bottle of water. Vanessa took the shot first and then proceeded to drown the bottle completely. Her lip stung where her opponent had managed to get in a lucky shut, splitting her lip open. It wasn't bleeding anymore but it would smart for awhile. She pulled a couple of credits out of the hidden pocket in her boot and tucked them into the pocket on the waitress' hip. Good service didn't come free after all. The Server also knew that if any of the men got a little too handsy, Vanessa would swoop in and put a stop to it.

Vanessa wasn't the only one that was getting tired of the bullshit that was going on in the Pride. It was supposed to be a Crew and there seemed to be no one around to ever do anything. It was turning into a lonely existence. Malik didn't like it at all. He had been alone before, but this time the cold was starting to sting. The job market was going through a quiet period, and Malik wasn't comfortable taking any 'questionable' jobs with an untested member in their group. Those jobs paid well, but if she were an undercover officer their entire group would be in deep trouble.


Needing to get away from the quiet of the empty Mule and find some excitement. He usually went to McGregor's, but that was where he had been going lately. It was time to break the routine. He hopped on his bike, revved the engine, and tore his way into Librium. His path took him past the walls, and high rises of the business district. His destination was somewhere on the edges of reputable society, where corruption made it alluring. Malik followed this yearning for noise to a place where blood and sweat mingled, stirred by violent tendencies.


The Knuckle Sandwich, this one was called. The underground fighting rings always had colorful names. This one had a good bar to go with the violence, and some of the best odds in town. Malik parked his bike out on the street and went inside. His first stop was at the bar for a beer and a shot. The shit of whiskey went down easy, but unlike other people, he didn't chase the shit with a swig of beer. Malik enjoyed the flavorful burn as he walked over to the brackets. The brackets were a listing of all the matches that going to be fought in round of bouts.


One name stood out on the entire event roster and it made Malik's lips curl at the corners. The two of them were so much alike in some ways but so different in others. Malik walked over to the betting window and put down two hundred credits. "Two hundred on Artemis in the third fight." The odds being displayed were ten to one against which meant she was probably matched up against a guy twice her size. Whoever was doing the math didn't think to highly of women or got a good look at her ass and thought she was too hot to be a fighter. Malik knew it was easy money so he placed the bet and found a good seat. Like everyone else in the place he watched with focus and cheered a bit, but he didn't really get out of his seat until Vanessa's fight started. He liked seeing her like this. She was a warrior to her core. Vanessa would have probably been better served being born earlier so she could have enjoyed war her entire life, but the world was what it was.

When she finally dropped the knockout blow Malik jumped up with a thunderous "Fuck yeah!!!" that was drowned out by all the people who just realized they lost money or missed a good chance to make some. People were tearing up tickets and yelling about luck and fixed fights, but Malik was on his way to the collection window. He handed in his ticket, got two stacks of bills, each with a thousand credit wrapper binding it, and said"Thank You." He shoved the bills inside his coat, zipped it up, and then went down to where Vanessa had finally taken a seat at ringside. "You looked good out there, Nessa. You sticking around for the second round so I can bet on you again?"

Veles stood along the side of the bar, he had been in this particular establishment for several hours. He had imbibed more than half a bottle of whiskey and likely half a keg of a hoppy beer. He had just devoured what were claimed to be chicken tenders, though he doubted any chickens actually went into their preparation. As he took another shot of his chilled whiskey, he glanced to the ring again. A rather small lady was entering the ring against a rather bulky man. Clearly she was comfortable with her strengths and weaknesses, going against someone clearly with a reach, weight, and power advantage.

The match began, a few jabs were thrown, knees and kicks lashed out. He hit her harshly several times, then she quickly ended the fight with what would have been crippling had she laid into it a bit more. He had given up before she could really inflict any permanent harm, but her movements clearly showed that she had a history of fighting. She knew exactly what she was doing, initially testing the waters of the battle before really diving into the fray.

As she sauntered out of the ring, looking for a quick breather, the crowd let out many discouraged wails. Apparently the tiny female hadn't been the betting favorite against the hulking male. The crowd here never seemed to vote with any sort of intelligence, merely their guts. It was no surprise that with many of them, their guts, and women, were mutually exclusive.

Veles ordered a fresh glass of whiskey, downing his current one quickly, before making his way back toward the ring. His scheduled bout was in two more fights, he needed to be nearby, lest the fight be called on forfeit. Bruises were beginning to set upon his skin, after the many fights he had been in over several hours. His lips had had swollen a bit, though he had wiped most of the blood away from the breaks. His werewolf physiology would help him heal, surely, but his consumption of alcohol could certainly stunt that natural ability.

His eyes began to wander around the crowd, the woman from the previous fight was talking to a large man to the side. They seemed to know each other, which was interesting, but the smooth burn of his whiskey quickly regained his attention. The bout just beginning within the ring was two brutish men. Both had removed their shirts, showing their bare chests in a show of masculinity. Almost as if whoever had more chest hair would win. Veles couldn't help but grin. He could smell non-humans in the area, he knew certain powerful beings were within the room. He couldn't pinpoint individuals or locations with the crowd and his level of intoxication, but he still knew they were present.

Veles couldn't help but notice his pulse quickening. He was anticipating the next few fights going quickly so he could get into the ring again. He was eager to land the next few punches and kicks. The impacts seemed to bring him to life. The blows he felt cemented his reality. The pain was proof that he was alive and kicking. Sometimes it was good to know that, in a purely physical sense.

Vanessa moved to sit down near the ring with her bottle of water, content to watch the next fight before she got back in the ring. With most of her anger expelled, she figured she only had one more fight in her. Her human body couldn't go as long as the Were's, especially now that she was getting older. She was starting to feel it too, in her joints mostly, though the Pride would never catch her complaining about it, that was the last thing she needed from the band of furballs who would outlive her by a long shot. Hell, Malik was in his 60s and looked not a day over thirty, Asshat.

As if her thoughts of him brought the lion into being, the sound of his voice in her ear caused her to smile wickedly. He always did like sneaking up on her. So much for her night out away from the pride. She knew Malik had been getting a tad stir crazy as well though so she couldn't fault him for it. He was a sucker for a good fight, and he always did enjoy watching her kick the crap out of everyone. "Technically it will be my fourth round, you missed my first two." she stated, turning her face slightly towards him so she could keep one eye on the fight. Her left eye was on him however, and just above her eyebrow a sharp bruise was beginning to form. She looked rather fierce with her small battle wounds, though these were nothing as compared to some she'd had in her past. The alcohol she'd consumed deadened the pain slightly, but she hadn't drank nearly enough to affect her focus or her other senses. She always did have a high tolerance for alcohol, during the war she would participate in drinking contests, and was usually the victor. Though she never tried against a Were, even she had brains.

The fight that played out before them was exactly as expected, lots of bravado, lots of punches, but the two weren't that great a fighters, even if they were evenly matched. Vanessa found herself picking out the flaws in their techniques. Neither had had any sort of formal training, these were street brawlers, forced to fight to survive. Each had their own unique style, but they were too predictable, she had their weaknesses picked out in a matter of moments. Some thought of fighting as nothing more then primitive, but really it was more like a chess game then some understood. You had to anticipate your opponents movements, and that was where the old saying know thy enemy came in handy.

"I believe I'm paired against that large one over there next." Vanessa pointed at a tall, well muscled male, he held a wild look in his face. She'd caught one of his earlier fights, and knew that he would prove quite the challenge for her. "If I win against him I will be surprised." She admitted.

Down at ringside Malik pulled one of the chairs out from the table where Vanessa sat and lowered his thick frame on to it. His eyes cut to Vanessa so he could see her and not miss any of the action in the room. His other senses weren't as limited in scope as his vision. He could pay attention to a limited field of sight at one moment but his nose could take in everything around him. The room was a chaotic mess with all the smells in it, but Nessa was a familiar scent, and she was so close to him. He could pick her out of the chaos easily. Her scent was a mess with blood and sweat, but there was something prickly to it as well. Was he unwelcomed? It took him aback, but he pushed the surprise aside. He was there and there was nothing to be done about it.

He crossed his leg in a T above the other, and relaxed against the chair back, making himself comfortable. He lifted the amber bottle to his lips and took a long swig. "Four fights tonight already? Damn girl, you're on a rampage." he smiled proudly. "I wish I had gotten here sooner. I'd probably be up ten thousand by now." He turned his full attention back to the match when there was a good exchanges of blows between the two fighters. "He's dropping his left before he goes heavy with the right. He's gonna go down if the other guy notices."

A smile spread across his lips as Malik watched the quick exchange between the combatants, and the other started to take advantage. "There it is." he said with a bit of self satisfaction. That was the changing of the tide. It was a different fight from that moment on. Malik turned his attention back to Vanessa while only half watching the fight. He didn't need to see much anymore of this contest because the two fighters for all their strength were starting to slow down. Strenght was good to have in a fight but stamina was better. Some fought holding nothing back, while others fought knowing how to give their all.

"Which one?" Malik asked when he heard her words and started to search the crowd at the other side of the ring. Following her directions Malik zoned in on the man and focused all of his attention on him. The guy looked strong and he looked as if he could take a beating still. He wondered how many of the other fights he'd had that night. It would have been nice to see the man fight in the ring, but he wasn't the one going up against him. "You get a chance to watch his other fights?" Malik asked Vanessa, now turning his entire attention on to her. He lifted his bottle up to his lips and drained it completely. He held the bottle up knowing that it would be seen by the waitress watching the table, and then set it down.

"Bullshit." he called her on it. "You've fought bigger, and you've fought stronger." Malik was one to call Vanessa on her bullshit. Others may have been afraid of a quick bullet delivered even faster to a non vital spot, but Malik had known her far too long to be afraid of that. He told her the truth when she needed to hear it. "Fight him the same way you fight me. Fight smart and pick him apart." When the waitress brought him a beer, he paid for it, and gave her a good tip. He brought it up to his lips, took a swig, and set it down on the table. "I'm betting on you."

Veles watched as the two brutish men slowly ran out of energy, their blows becoming to one swinging fist after another. Neither man was trying to dodge, neither man was trying to use skill. They were merely trying to stay upright and put every ounce of strength into knocking the other down. CRUNCH. THUD. CRACK. THUD. It was as if these men were trying to chop the other down with their fists.

Finally one fell. The crowd roared wildly. Some moaning obscenities, some being very sore winners. This crowd cared nothing for the well-being of the fighters themselves, just for who won the battles and their bets. The man who had fallen was being carried from the ring by his arms and legs, his head lolled back, blood dripping to the floor. The winner had stumbled his way out of the ring, and even though he was offered a large mug of ale, he seemed too woozy to even take a sip. The bartender had wrapped a few handfuls of ice into a dirty bar rag, offering it to the man to ease the painful swelling of his right eye.

Veles couldn't care much for the man, either. He was stepping into the ring eagerly. His mouth burned from the whiskey he had consumed. His eyes blurred slightly under the intense lights focused on the ring, compared to the dim surroundings. His heart was beating rapidly, he was excited. Veles couldn't wait for the battle to begin, he was feeling so very alive tonight. These melee fights had reminded him just how alive he was. Surrounded by the brawl.

His opponent stepped into the ring herself, her grace in movement was easily noted, despite her previous fights. She might be tired and sore, but she still moved with the grace of an age-old warrior. She knew the battle she was getting into, but she came forward confident in her own abilities. The referee, if he could be called that, stepped into the ring and checked both of their hands. No metal or sharp objects ensured the bar wouldn't have to dispose of stabbed bodies. Without a word, he simply nodded and left the ring, his work done. The bell outside the ring rang twice, the bout was to begin.

Veles slowly began to circle his enemy, dancing lightly on his feet in a steady clockwise gait. He occasionally closed the gap, tossing a few fairly light jabs. His intention was more or less to figure out how energetic his opponent still was. She dodged and deflected his blows, which was good, it meant she was still going to be the prime fight of the evening for him. He couldn't help but let a wolfish grin cross his lips. This was going to hurt, but it was going to be fun.

The werewolf in human form swung into action. Suddenly halting his circling pattern, he swung his right leg in a round kick at waist level. If that didn't catch her harshly, he pulled in his leg and struck it out again, attempting to catch her with the flat of his heel. After he lowers his foot again, he'll attempt a few blows meant for her midsection. He'd seen her move nimbly before, aiming for small but critical targets wouldn't work well against her, and rushing head long with a great deal of momentum was certainly suicide. All he could hope for was to land a few solid body shots before she retaliated.

Vanessa smirked at Malik's assurance that she would have won the two fights she'd had before his arrival...the fact that he was right only boosted the humor of the situation. They had, in the past, used events like these to make enough money to keep the Mule fueled and their bellies full when jobs were scarce. Nessa understood Malik's wariness of taking some of their better paying jobs with a new member of the Pride. She was, as yet, untested and not all of their jobs were legal in the strictest sense, he was doing his job as Alpha to protect the Pride. Malik knew what he was doing, Nessa trusted him in that, she just didn't trust their new recruit.

When Malik asked which 'large one' she was referring to she would raise a hand and point in his direction without looking over. At his next question she nodded. "I did. He fights like you, though with less strength and more agility, I'm sure you can understand my reluctance in saying that I will win this one." Vanessa and the other members of the Pride often sparred to keep in shape, Vanessa had learned much about fighting Weres during her time with them. It was still difficult for her to beat Lisette's speed, though she often augmented her attacks with a few choice words to emotional compromise the spritely cheetah. With Malik she had her small size and agility to use against his strength, she was a smaller target then he was normally used to and her acrobatic fighting technique meant she won half of the time...but that was still only half the time against an opponent she knew like the back of her hand.

The large one...she knew next to nothing about. Her right eye had already analyzed him, naming him were though she was unsure which breed. He burned hotter then everyone else in the room, a stark contrast to the two vampires she'd already pinpointed, though he did not burn as hot as Malik so perhaps he wasn't a feline. "Don't hold your breath." she stated as her favorite waitress appeared with another shot of whiskey...before and after each fight just as Nessa had requested. She threw back the shot and then stood up from her chair, rolling her shoulder as she stretched the tight muscles from where she'd hit the deck at an odd angle to avoid a kick earlier.

Her robotic eye analyzed her target over all it's spectrum's, his heartbeat was elevated, his breathing was fast but not uncontrolled...he was excited about something. Vanessa allowed the referee to check her gauntleted gloves, as they were simply armored and had no actual weapons attached they were allowed. As the bell dinged, Vanessa moved into her stance, her arms moved up to cover her face, able to move to block his attacks should she have need. Her knees were bent so she could easily move with his punches and keep her center of gravity, though hers would shift far more then any other. As she was a sniper, the only time she would need a hand to hand combat was when the enemy was too close to put a bullet in his brainpan. She had chosen a technique that worked well with her small frame and allowed for her robotic eye to keep her one step ahead. It was a technique that kept her too close to her opponents for them to get in any large powerful swings.

As he circled her, she matched his steps. She easily avoided most of his test throws, blocking those that came too quickly for her to dodge without harming herself in the process. She threw in a couple of her own when she saw the opening, testing the way his body reacted when she hit him, just another way she confirmed what she'd already knew, he was Were and she was going to have a hard time coming out of this one the winner. Her robotic eye noted the change in his pattern and when his leg came up she finally revealed her acrobatic tendencies. Throwing herself back ward, she dodged the kick by rolling beneath it and away from him, coming up into a crouch that gave her the opening she needed as his arm moved over her. Coming up directly in front of him, the heel of her hand would aim for his jaw, barely waiting for the connection before she threw herself between his legs, as she came out the other side she aimed a kick for the back of his knee, trying to bring him down. The blow she'd aimed for his jaw was not meant to hurt, but more to disorient him.

Her tactic with large fighters who outmatched her in nearly every way was tire them out, but she wasn't sure she had the stamina for it after three fights and going up against a were.

There was it again. The muscles at the edge of his jaw flexed, as his teeth clenched. He looked away from Vanessa to the fight once again so she didn’t see his scowl. He didn’t know what had gotten into her lately, but whatever it was he didn’t like it. From his perspective, somewhere along the line she started doubting herself. He was worried about her, not because he thought she was losing a step. He was worried about her because he cared. There was no need to doubt her skill. Yes she was human, but how many humans could run with group of weres and carry their own weight? Most people would find that scary enough before they started talking about her skill set. Malik had known her for years and knew talking about it wasn’t her style. He just wished she would hurry up and work through it. This wasn’t the Vanessa he knew.

What she said only confirmed what he was thinking when he looked at the unknown combatant that watched the fight from ringside. There was something wild in his eyes. Wild things could always see kindred spirits. Sometimes you were right and it was a fellow were, other times you just found someone who was in touch with their instincts. Vanessa had a far more reliable way for picking a were out of a crowd. Her ‘great eye’ had thermal imaging and weres ran hotter than normal humans. She knew her next opponent for something more than human. ”Cut the shit,“ he growled at her. He didn’t yell but it was certainly that dominating tone that came when the beast in him was restless.

”If anyone can take him down, it’s you.“ he looked her in the eyes when he said that. There was no doubt in his voice. It wasn’t lip service he was giving her. Malik believed what he was saying, and he believed in her. Malik looked away to lift the bottle to his lips and drained it. He set it down and stood up. ”I’m gonna go bet on you to win. I’ll by cookies with the winnings.“ He gave her that confident smile and went the betting window to place his wager, and then hit the bar to get another beer. Once he had his bet ticket and a fresh cold beer in hand he returned to the table and fell back into his seat.

Malik waited for the bell to ring and watched the two of them walk in. Her stride was strong and confident. He knew it well, she was going to give it her all, and in a fight there was no room for doubt in Vanessa. That was why he loved being a born warrior. Malik understood the purity of combat and knew how superfluous thinking was removed from the equation. When they started to mix it up Malik’s hand tightened around the glass bottle, and he had to dial it back a bit lest he get shards of glass in his palm. Before he knew it he was standing up on his feet and yelling with the rest of the crowd. ”Yeah!! That’s it! Get’em!!“ he shouted. He kept the words generic on purpose. He knew his voice may be lost in the crowd to her ears, but her opponent might be able to pick out his voice. Anything he said advice wise would be telling the cards in her deck before she played them. He wasn’t going to handicap her. He watched the fight and paid attention to every detail. He wanted to see how this guy fought in response to her.

Veles was still grinning as he swung his foot out in his initial attack, he hadn't telegraphed the movement at all, but Vanessa had still spotted his shift and nimbly dodged his kicks. As he regained his stance, both feet firmly on the ground, she was somehow rushing right back towards him from her crouched position. The heel of her palm slammed quite quickly into the bottom of his jaw, wiping the grin from his lips and nearly all thought from his head for a moment. His senses jumped back into overdrive as he felt her from slip below him, now she was behind him and likely striking out. He shifted his weight to one foot, preparing for a quick turn, just as her attack came to the back of his leg. Luckily for Veles it wasn't the one his weight was resting upon, but the speed of her blow did catch him off guard.

Vanessa had been fighting in the previous bouts, but she was using none of her real skill during them. She picked apart her competition with strategy, and landed a few choice blows to end the conflicts. Perhaps Veles had been ignorant of just how quickly or how forcefully those blows landed. Vanessa could certainly handle her own.

Veles shifted with Vanessa's kick, dropping his leg hard to the ground, his knee struck the rough mat as though his weight had been resting on it the whole time. Vanessa likely knew the difference between striking a leg loaded with weight and one that wasn't, so Veles used the motion to hopefully mask the twist of his hips, rather than telegraph it all too well to his very skilled competition. As his left knee struck the mat, his right arm swung out behind him, palm open, just seeing if he was quick enough to catch her leg. If anything, the wide sweep of his arm would keep her at bay for the fraction of a second he needed to turn the rest of his body around, facing his opponent once more.

His jaw was still numb from her quick jab, but his grin returned quickly. The wild look in his eyes grew much more animated as he realized that this fight was going to be a lot more fun than anticipated. He decided to change tactics just a bit, and see how well she coped with something she hadn't witnessed from him before.

Holding his weight still upon the leg whose foot was firmly planted on the ground, Veles swiveled his hips again, bringing his bent leg in front of him and lifting it back so his foot was in the proper place. His stance was incredibly low, bent at the knee, his thighs were nearly perpendicular with the mat below him. He burst forward with a rush of speed, not quite superhuman, but certainly something to watch out for, and his hands struck out before his body. His left hand was a bit wide of her, meant as more of a feint, while his right stuck towards her core. He stuck out again and again in this fashion, keeping very good control of his base and keeping the pressure on. He wasn't in a great hurry, but he was attempting to force Vanessa back towards the edge of the ring with the near-constant pressure of his attacks without giving her too much leeway to get within his guard.

Regardless of hitting her, Veles was keeping his pace and the power of his strikes consistent. As he was stepping forward each time, he slammed his foot down a bit harder than he needed to as well creating great amounts of noise. The audience was going wild as the two prime fighters of the evening were going at it. The fact that Veles fought with a bit of obnoxiousness only spurred them on more.

Finally, when Veles felt that his onslaught of steady attacks had nudged Vanessa into a position where his attacks might do a bit better than being deftly dodged, Veles went on the stronger offensive again. Pushing forward as he normally would for his rush, he dropped into a fluid sweep, hoping to catch her off guard if she tried to step back. He kept his hands up, ready to defend, but spread his arms wide and shoved forward hoping to catch her within his grasp or better yet, with the hard contact of his shoulder. If he did manage to catch her, she was going to receive one hell of a werewolf-style bear-hug.

When Malik had used his Alpha voice on her she'd shot him a glare and stuck her tongue out at him. When he stated he'd buy cookies with his winnings an evil smile had crept across her lips, she did love her cookies. As he stalked off to the bar Vanessa had turned her focus back to the fight.

But now she was in the fight and her smile had taken on a whole new meaning. She was enjoying this, a good fight always made her feel better. There was nothing better then getting the crap beat out of you by a worthy opponent. When she'd hit him in the leg she'd felt it give too easy, he was faking his fall to the mat which gave her the time she needed to be able to lift her leg away from his sweeping arm. She followed through the maneuver by rolling completely over, causing Veles to miss his first few attempts at hitting her as she rolled free of his range. This put her on her stomach against him instead of lying on her back...not her favorite position in any situation.

One of his punches hit her in the elbow and caused it to buckle sending her rolling to the side as he approached her across the mat. Instantly her arms moved to protect her head as his jabs came sharp and fast. The sound of his pounding footsteps barely registered as her eye searched for the opening she needed. There it was. Reaching through his arms with her own she kicked her feet off the mat, launching herself up. Her hands gripped the sides of his neck, giving her a anchor point as she flipped up over him, barely escaping the Werewolf's arms and his attempt to crush her, which she knew he could do.

As she rolled up over him, she found herself on top of him much like a small child would playfully ride an adult for fun...though this wasn't nearly so innocent. Her powerful thighs locked onto his sides. She firmly planted the side of her head to the back of his, giving him no room to head butt her as her arms wound under his shoulders and around his neck in an attempt to cut off his air supply. She doubted it was going to be the end maneuver she needed, no, this fight was long from over. But an oxygen deprived Were usually leveled the playing field a bit so when he managed to finally get her off him he'd be disoriented and potentially pissed off, altering his judgement.

The way her arms were positioned under his armpits would restrict the range of motion he had with them, so she wouldn't have to worry about taking any punches to her ribs or exposed sides, and would also keep him from grabbing at her hands as they depressed his windpipe. The crowd was yelling all around them, she was nearly half his size, but sometimes big things came in small packages. Her tactics had changed, she knew she had to end this quickly, which meant forcing him to make a mistake, give her the opening she needed.

This was a good fight. It was like a recreation of the David and Goliath parable from the texts of the Divine Collective. Almost everyone in the bar was up and on their feet. Not just the people in the stands at the far side of the arena, but the customers who paid the premium to get table seating. The cheer was a deafening roar as punches and kicks were thrown back and forth to test defenses and reactions. There was no edge of the seat for Malik. The lion hadn't sat down since Vanessa walked into the ring, and the bell was rung. His heart was racing as quickly as if he were in the ring fighting in her place.

"Yeah!" he yelled to Nessa, "Stick and move! Stick and move!" She couldn't hear him, he knew that, but he couldn't help the outburst. His eyes picked apart how her opponent moved and fought. He had a very different fighting style from Malik's, but Vanessa was adapting quickly. She was always a quick study. His heart nearly stopped when Veles went after her legs, and then tried to drive her back to the edge of the ring. He barely turned his head when the waitress brought him the fresh beer that he ordered. The only thing that made him even acknowledge her was years of training, and the experience that came from ignoring the wrong thing at the wrong time.

All the yelling and excitement had worked up a thirst of epic proportions. He snatched up the bottle, gave it a quick sniff, and then took a large swig of it. He barely finished swallowing before yelling out "GOOD GIRL!!!" when she got out off the edge and went for a hold that would do well against a person with superior strength. She was used to fighting Malik, and knew she needed to use the body's natural build against itself. Joints and muscles were made to move in a certain way. If you took them out of the position where they were strong, leverage became your best friend.

Malik knew it was still too soon to celebrate anything. The fight had just started and this guy was good from what he'd seen so far. They both still had gas in their tanks, and techniques to use. This was an arena fight, so death wasn't on the line. That was the only reason Malik was able to enjoy the fight. The police looked the other way because these weren't death matches and they didn't have to investigate dumped bodies. He could cheer and watch a good fight between warriors, because he was one as well. This is a place where warriors came to be who they were born to be.

As Veles made his offensive forward, even with all the distractions in and out of the ring, Vanessa never faulted for a second. She was cool and calm within the battle, calculating the best way to end this fight with her on top. As the were rushed forward, Vanessa's nimbleness was highlighted yet again as she darted up and over him. Her agility was superb as she twisted, landed, and went on the assault all in one fluid motion.

She latched on tight, her hold was perfect technically, along with brutally hard. She was used to fighting very powerful enemies, she knew she needed this hold to work else she might be in a bit of a bind. Negating the majority of Veles' abilities wasn't easy, but Vanessa was handling herself just fine. As she squeezed harder around his airways, fully locking herself in for whatever he fought back with, Veles felt his head pound with each thud of his heart. She was squeezing so very tight, making sure absolutely nothing got through to his brain. Veles needed to act quickly.

In the midst of his now throbbing headache, Veles clearly heard someone call out "GOOD GIRL!" above the rest of the crowd. The voice had a certain hint to it, something purely Alpha, that Veles recognized instantly. Vanessa was more than just used to fighting those stronger than her, she was used to fighting those supernaturally stronger than her. She was doing a damn good job too, in her bout with Veles.

Veles reacted quickly, even harshly, considering the circumstances of himself being a were and him fighting a human. Instead of reaching for Vanessa's hands and trying to loosen her hold, he reached low, and grasped her legs that were squeezing tightly around him. With his arms pressed down over Vanessa's which she had laced under his armpits, and his firm grip on her legs, she was firmly stuck in one place, finally. Veles thrashed his body around the ring, slamming into the uprights at the edge of the ring, and even tossing himself to the ground repeatedly, all with Vanessa taking the brunt of the impacts. Not being able to sprawl her limbs, or tumble out of the way, Veles kept his grip tight as his momentum plowed into her torso over and over again.

His energy levels were fading quickly, as all the oxygen in his system was being consumed and he just couldn't get any more in. He was writhing harder and harder in his blind fight. He couldn't see Vanessa, only knew her location. He couldn't tell if his massive impacts were having any effect on her. Her grip was still intensely tight around his neck.

Veles took his last-ditch effort. Feeling her head pressed against his form so he couldn't headbutt her was smart on her part, but unfortunately, she was locked rather well into that position. As Veles stood near the edge of the ring, Vanessa still clinging to his back, he jumped backwards. His arch was high, letting gravity pull at his body's weight as much as possible before the slam into the mat. He felt the sharp pain of Vanessa's chin digging into his shoulder as all his weight fell pretty much on her head effectively uppercutting her with his body rather than fist. Would it be enough to knock her senseless? Would it be enough to encourage her to loosen her hold even for an instant so he could finally breath? As Veles and Vanessa tumbled on the mat together, he could only pray.

The cheering of the crowds was little more then a roaring in her ears, her entire focus was put into making sure that she won this fight, Vanessa needed her cookies. They also needed the money hanging on this fight, especially considering the fact that they hadn't had a job in weeks and Lisette was starting to get cranky. She wasn't going to win this just for her and her own highly inflated ego. This was for the Pride, if she won this maybe it would be a sign that their luck was shifting. This fight had taken a decidedly more brutal tone however, normally Vanessa wouldn't have resorted to potentially causing her opponent to lose consciousness, but then, this opponent was far more powerful then what she normally fought in these rings. Still, she was not only trained to fight, but she was trained to know the different between a killing blow and a subduing one. She was squeezing his neck and throat in the places that wouldn't cause permanent damage and wouldn't collapse his windpipe even as she was cutting off his air supply. Her lithe fingers were also using pressure points in his neck to restrict the blood flow and speed along her win.

As Veles' hands encircled her legs, she closed her eyes, she didn't need them anymore and she knew exactly what he was doing, the same thing she would have done and Malik had already tried on her in the past. Carefully she let out the breath she was holding, making sure that there wasn't any air within them for him to knock loose, as it was, the first hit against the railing post shot pain up and down her spine, but her fingers only compressed harder as she grit her teeth. Still, she'd never given up before and she wasn't about to now. She barely made much sound, only taking in enough air to keep her systems functioning. It was a trick she'd learned during her training, it reduced the amount of damage caused to her lungs and kept her from suffering the worst effects of having the air knocked out of her. Still she clung to him, helped along by the fact that he had a hold of her legs and kept her arms from detaching, he was making it easy for her to remain wrapped around him in the position she needed to keep a hold of him. A tactical error brought on by his anger, typical Were.

To the outsiders, it would look as if he had gone slightly crazy, throwing himself all over the place in an attempt to dislodge her. She'd locked her muscles in place, and it would be difficult for even her to let go. Still, every time he hit a railing, every time he would roll on the ground, her entire body would come alive with the pain that lanced through it, pain that she was all too familiar with. Most people would fear pain, shy away from it, even try to run from it. But Vanessa had been trained to accept it, move through it. It was a part of life and in a life like hers...a steady companion that would never disappoint you. Though she would cry otu and curse loudly, she would not let go, would not surrender.

With her eyes closed to avoid becoming disoriented, she relied on her internal sensors to tell her what he was doing, and the one that told her she was falling cried out in a panic. Breathing all her air out she relaxed her mind, shutting her eyes tight as she readied her body for what was to come. Her conscious mind would seem to drift away from all the pain, all the energy she was using that made every muscle in her body burn. It was as if she were looking down on the fight, watching as they hit the mat, the pain registered in the back of her mind at the moment of impact and she would be snapped back into the fires of nerves doing their best to tell her that permanent damage was imminent. Still, that wasn't going to stop her.

She didn't open her eyes because she already knew that her head was spinning, it was only the physical contact she felt as she essentially trapped beneath Veles that kept her grounded, kept her from returning to the welcoming harms of the emotionless void of unconsciousness. She focused on breathing again, made more difficult by the massive amount of weight pushing down on her, but her arms were still locked around his neck and she could feel that he was waning, feel that he was loosing his fight to gain some air. She wasn't the type to Pray, the Divine didn't want her anyway, she was monster, a cold blooded killer of men, women and even children if she was ordered to. She was the perfect soldier.

Finally, Veles would go limp, his body finally giving up. She would hold on for a few moments more, making sure he wasn't faking it before finally releasing her grip. It would take her a few moments to crawl out from underneath him, every muscle in her body burning in agony. Standing up took effort that was written on her face, she knelt next to him for a few moments, focusing on pushing the pain to a place far more manageable. The crowd would be a mix of cheers and insults, a lot of people would lose money on this fight after all, as those who didn't know her would have assumed she'd lose.

Standing up, she stretched out a bit, checking to make sure nothing was actually broken, bruised and painful, yes, but broken it didn't appear to be. She reached up and pulled her hair free of it's confines, the red strands had a mind of their own, and they fell around her sweat covered face. All she wanted now was a shower...she might even let Malik massage her burning muscles if he kept his end of the bargain. She expected some seriously expensive cookies out of this mess. Before she would leave however, Vanessa would make sure to take a few moments and leave Veles a little note tucked into his pocket. It would simple say 'Thanks for the ride.' and held her number beneath it.

”Good, good, good. That’s it baby,” he said to no one in particular when he saw how she had snugged her arms around her opponent’s airways, and started to squeeze. He knew that hold very well, because he’d helped her perfect it. He was her test subject, and he knew firsthand how effective it was. Malik crossed his arms and stood there in tense anticipation. There was nothing Malik could do to help, and he knew all he could do was wait. Either Veles was going to succumb to the hold, or he was going to find a way to break free. When Veles’ arms came down and his hands locked over Vanessa’s legs, Malik’s eyes went wide.

Malik knew what was coming next when he saw that. He’d done the same thing when Vanessa perfected the hold and he needed to get out of it. Malik had thrashed about with Vanessa on his back, slamming her about, but they had been inside a padded cargo bay. This was in a cage, and this man didn’t have her well-being in mind. When his large body started to move about the ring, Malik’s arms uncrossed and his hand grabbed the back of the steel chair that was to his left. The first time he threw his weight into the chain link barrier to crush her between. The first time he crashed into it, Malik winced. His jaw clenched and he bore it as if he were the one being slammed into the ring.

Each time Veles slammed Vanessa into the ring, it became more difficult for Malik to restrain himself. Each time Vanessa hit the boundary the beast within Malik roared out in rage. Inside Malik’s spirit slammed at the confines of his flesh trying to break free. He wanted out, he wanted to run in there, and pull Vanessa to safety. Malik couldn’t do that he couldn’t give into his instincts, and rush in there to save her. He wouldn’t embarrass her like that. Vanessa was a warrior and knew her limits. She knew when to end the fight before it was too late for her to walk away. Malik’s hand clenched, crushing the steel within his grip. No one heard the steel squealing its protest beneath his grasp.

‘I’ll kill him.’ Malik thought to himself. ‘If he hurts her I’ll go in there and tear his throat out.’ Malik’s teeth ground, and if they had not been so strong, they might have shattered in his mouth. The grown rumbled in his throat, and the legs of the chair started to twist slightly as he continued to push downwards. ‘You better survive, Ness, or else I’m going to turn this place into a bloodbath.’ His heart stopped when Veles launched himself into the air, and started to plummet to the ring. The crossbar he held in his hand finally ripped free when they hit the ring together. ”No…” Malik threw the twisted metal bar to the floor and ran tot hide of the ring.

”Come on, baby….” Malik said quietly, ”Come on, baby. Get up.” She was crazy, she was stubborn, but she wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t have given her life to win a meaningless fight. She wouldn’t stay latched on unless she knew she was good. The edges of his eyes started to yellow, as his pupils started to elongate. Worry battled with rage, but his concern for Vanessa won out over the beast. He just wanted her to be ok. He’d rather have her alive than have revenge. When Vanessa started to move, and Veles fell limp, Malik let out the breath he had been holding. ”Thank the Divine.” he whispered.

Malik waited and watched as Vanessa pushed Veles off of her, and struggled to get to her feet. He pushed himself away from the chain linked barrier and went to the gate where Vanessa was making her way to. Again he resisted instinct. Instead of picking her up into his arms and carrying her off, Malik simply held an arm out to help her steady her feet as she walked. ”I owe you cookies. You’re fucking crazy, Ness.” Malik wrapped his arm around Nessa’s hips and steadied her as they walked to the ticket window to claim the cash winnings. Twenty thousand credits in large bills, and they were free and clear.

One they were outside of the building Malik scooped Vanessa up into his arms and said ”We’re taking the ripper home. We’ll come back to get your bike tomorrow, but first…” Malik gently lowered Vanessa on to the bike, and then slid down on the bike himself. Malik placed his foot on the kick starter, and shoved It down hard bringing it to life. The bike roared and Malik sped off into the night streets. A few minutes later Malik was walking Vanessa, who looked like she had gone through the grinder, into a gourmet bakery. ”I always keep my word. Whatever you want, get it to go. You’ve got a date with a hot bath and a massage. Room’s on me too.”

Veles came to as he was being dragged from the ring. Gods his neck hurt, but not as much as it could have. Honestly, most of the soreness was likely his fault, having been the one to thrash about in an attempt to knock Vanessa off. She merely held on. She even did so in a manner that wouldn't cause him permanent harm. Veles hadn't been as kind in return, some of his strikes really could have caused serious injury especially to one not quite as resilient as a Were. He had gotten caught up in the battle. Gods if felt good to get his ass kicked.

The werewolf coughed and the two burly men dragging him lifted him just enough to drape him across to bench in a dark corner of the bar. "Beer. Cold." he called out, his voice raspy until his throat finally cleared. After a few minutes a rather petite waitress set his drink down on the table. She waited for just a few moments as Veles had his eyes closed while waiting. He heard her fidget and opened his eyes groggily. "Don't worry darling, I've got you covered." reaching into his pocket he found a wad of cash and an odd piece of paper. That hadn't been there before. Absentmindedly he handed the waitress a large bill as he glanced at the note. "Please bring me another." he requested.

Grasping the cold glass, he downed the entire beer in a few long gulps. He read the note Vanessa had left with him over and over, smirking. As the waitress returned with the second beer, she began putting down the change from the large bill he had handed her. "I didn't ask for change... What can I say? Getting my ass handed to me puts me in a good mood." he quipped with a wolfish grin. She stammered for a moment before collecting the cash again, not one to turn down such a lucky tip.

"I don't think the fight lifted your mood as much as the phone number." she offered with her own grin. "You're sure about this?" asking about the tip. Veles had paid for more than twenty beers. "I'll tell you what, if you can find my coat somewhere in that mess, I'll consider myself in your debt. It'll be the one that smells of wolf." he teased back playfully, pointing towards the bar where he had been standing before his bout. He had mentioned his other side as she was clearly an Other herself. He would have guessed some sort of fey, but he wasn't paying the closest of attention at the moment. A smirk was her only answer.

As the petite waitress made her way away from his current seat and back to the bar, she walked straight to the chair his coat was draped over and collected it. She yelled something to the bartender who managed a double-take. His pour wavered as he looked to the waitress and he wound up spilling rum all over the bar's surface. The young woman simply walked back to the table and held out his jacket. Standing where she was, he'd need to stand up to retrieve it. "A wolf in debt, whatever shall I do?" she asked just loud enough for Veles to hear. "Well, be a good boy. Come here." she teased, turning and walking a direct path right out of the bar. Veles knew better than to pass up a lucky tip as well. He was right on her trail.

~Slipping out of the thread if you two wish to continue. ~