Chapter 41

I cut off the engine with a flick of my hand and slid the key out of the ignition before hauling my ass off the bike and hitched the helmet on its hook.
I adjusted the duffel bag and took my phone out to call Levy but his voice halted my finger from pressing the call button.
I turned to face Levy and squinted when I saw a few minor bruises on his face as he approached me in a hurry. I could see the scars from the fight 2 nights ago but some were actually fresh.
"There you are! Dammit, Pix. I told you to be here at 9. What the hell took you so long?" He ranted off, taking my wrist and dragged me along to the familiar path we took before my first fight here.
I rolled my eyes at his overdramatic greeting. "Well hello to you too, Mr. Cranky-Pants," I smiled sweetly at him while he shot me a brief glare and continued dragging me inside the building. Two minutes was barely counted as late.
This time, there weren't any stretchers that were being carried around the hall, screaming and contaminating the corridor with an aura of tension and panic.
I breathed a sigh once we reached the dressing room and I took off the jacket I wore, revealing a tank underneath. I rolled my neck and shoulder blades around, checking my phone to see how many minutes we've got left.
With 3 minutes to spare before someone come fetch us, I set my legs shoulder-width apart and let my arms fall limp at my sides before turning sideways abruptly by my hip.
My limp arms followed suit, making a loud piercing sound every time I turned sideways in an abrupt motion. I could feel my fingers turn warmer and warmer, searing into the bare skin of my arms.
After 3 whole minutes, I stood straight and looked down at my fingertips and saw that they have turned a raw shade of red. My arms had red fingertip marks imprinted on them and I smirked lightly.
Levy simply stood there, warming up using his own ways. He learnt not to question my way of warming up a long time ago and I was happy with how it was.
After a few seconds of waiting, someone finally came for us in the changing room and guided us along the distinctively familiar hallways towards where the stairs were. I turned to Levy after the lady walked away, leaving us alone with the same porcupine head.
"So, are you fighting right after I finish?" I asked him curiously, watching him fuss over the strap of my bag. He shook his head to answer me but didn't look up, still trying to adjust the strap of my bag.
"Nah, I fought way before you arrived. The guy landed a pretty hard blow on my side though," he winced as if he could still feel the throbbing pain of having someone beat you up.
I nodded at his statement. It would explain the fresh cuts. After a second of being in my own thoughts, I finally turned towards the stairs when I heard my stage name being called and the porcupine dude gave me the go.
I climbed the stairs, preparing myself. I drained my facial expression of any emotions and steeled myself, not letting my nerves get the best of me and kept walking towards the center of the arena. My skin prickled under the heated stares of hormonal perverts. I went for the reckless look today with my tank that showed off my arms but still covered a decent amount of cleavage and shorts.
I contemplated on wearing leggings but I didn't trust it's loyalty to me on not getting me humiliated in the middle of a fight so I had to fish out my shorts and suck up my pride. I didn't bother looking around and rubbed my fingertips instead. They were still raw from the warm up and my inner self smirked. They would never know what hit them.
I finally faced my opponent. The second he set foot on the arena and saw who he's going to fight, his face morphed into pure rage.
He faced the space where a huddle of people in uniforms were watching and screamed at the top of his lungs in complete fury.
"You have got to be shitting me! You are fucking kidding me! A girl, you paired me up with a girl?!" He yelled out and the veins in his neck protruded and were prominent whilst he continued to yell as if I wasn't there.
Eventually, I got annoyed. Now, I'm not exactly outspoken. I have my opinions but I kept it to myself. I'm the silent arguer. I don't voice my thoughts but I don't support anyone in fights on any political issue and all that but this, this is a complete insult.
Not just to the female race but to me and no one- NO ONE - insults me directly because of my gender. This is why I fight. This is why I keep on fighting.
I snapped when he started yelling on top of his lungs for the umpteenth time.
"Oh my God, just fight me already!" I yelled out in annoyance. I could hear Levy laugh in the distance. That dick.
The dude turned to me and I assessed him.
He's muscular, I'll give him that. He's tall and lean, not lanky tall but huge tall. He would've been a sight if it wasn't for the scowl on his face.
"Go home, little girl. This is not where you belong," he mocked me and my attention flew to the big board, ticking off the time. The fight had already started.
Let's show him what we're made of, shall we? My conscience bit, I could feel the tremors of her hunger for blood in me.
And in that moment, I can't help but agree with her. The guy was getting on my last nerve with that final comment. I locked eyes with him.
"What are you going to do? Cry and slap me?" With that last sentence, I caved into his latter wish. I slapped him.
The sound rang through the arena and everything fell silent. His head whip to the side, eyes wide in disbelief. When he finally grew out of the shock, he laughed at me.
I smirked, knowing that he wouldn't be laughing for long.
"You hit like a girl!" He spat. His hand reached up to pat his cheek. His palm came in contact and he winced, his eyes becoming glassy and he gritted his teeth.
"What the fuck?" He whispered audibly and the crowd went wild the minute they saw red, raw fingertip marks were visible on his cheek.
I conjured up a smug smile. Those would scar his face for enough time to make sure he learnt his lesson.
"Thanks for the compliment," I taunted with pride referring to his taunts of me being a girl.
Now, let me explain. How did the fingerprints leave such a heavy mark? The warm up I did before coming into the arena was to make the blood rush into my fingertips. That was why it turned red. With the blood in my fingertips, it heightens the sting that people would feel if they were hit by it.
"Still think I'm not worth fighting against?" I mocked, pretending to file my nails and I heard him growl.
I saw him advanced by the ends of my visions and the second he lunged, I side stepped him and tut him at his dubious state, "Too slow."
I had the upper hand now and I sure as hell am going to take advantage of that. He got up again and blinded by his bruised ego, he didn't think twice on rushing towards me once more, swinging a punch.
Instead of sidestepping him or ducking, this time, I met him head on, choosing to barrel into him shoulder first and hitting him right on the middle of his chest, effectively knocking the breath out of him. His outstretched arm immediately retracted and started to nurse the most probably throbbing spot as he staggered backwards.
He groaned under his breath and wheezed out a ‘fuck' before losing his balance and falling to the ground, eyes still squeezed shut and chest heaving in an attempt to catch his breath.
I didn't give him a chance to collect himself as I slammed my knee onto his chest once, earning a loud grunt from the semi- conscious man and held him by the neck.
I counted to 8, tightening and loosening the hold to prevent from killing him. He insulted me but I'm not here to kill anyone.
When the timer stroke 8, I let go of my hold and didn't wait for the winning announcement. I turned and jogged back to the stairs, meeting a grinning Levy halfway there.
"You killed his ego, Pix. You demolished that guy's ego. Exter- minate, annihilated, obliterated, eradicated, deracinated-"
I held up a finger, halting his word vomit. Anyone who says that street fighters are people who fight to survive because they were incapable to strive academically certainly haven't met Lev yet.
"I get it, I get it." I smiled up to him in amusement. We strolled towards the exit. Levy's grin didn't falter while he kept on talking about his fight animatedly and I shook my head at how excited he was.
We parted ways when we reached my bike and he passed me back my duffel bag. I rummaged through my bag to get my water bottle and took a swig of my water, twisting the cap back on and shoving it back in. I climbed onto the bike after putting my jacket on.
"I'll text you the details of the next fight and Pix, for the love of God. Pick up my calls. I honestly feel neglected," His tone was filled with feigned hurt referring to the times when I'll ignore his calls on purpose just for fun.
I laughed at his statement before turning on the engine. "No promises, Lev!" I shouted over my shoulder.