I flash him a feral grin, already anticipating my fist connecting withflesh.
Before the beginning of the match is even announced, I dash forward. The guy is caught off guard by my punch, but he doesn’t complain about cheating.
This isn’t a clean match, after all.
Because of his weight, I know I can’t tank any of his blows. I’m forced to be quick on my feet and dodge all of his attacks. That gives me the opportunity to trip him, and once he’s on the ground, I get on his back and start punching his sides.
He tries to buck me off, but I keep him pinned for those five long seconds until I’m announced the victor.
I grin and get off him, raising my fists and basking in the cheers.
“River! River!”
I glance over my shoulder, and I spot Pandora cheering for me. Blaze and Asch are both with her, hollering too.
I grin, the exhilaration from the fight making the adrenaline surge. I could go for another fight, or I could go for a fuck; it wouldn’t even matter which. But with Pandora there to watch, I want to show off a little more.
I stay in the cage as the guy leaves, and another one steps in. This one is within my weight class, and I’m pretty sure I can dispatch him in short order. Better to get this over with fast, for all that I’d love to show off.
This guy had to have been paying attention during the previous round, because he launches himself at me without waiting for the start of the match. I raise my arms to deflect his blow, and then it’s a flurry of back and forths.
He’s holding back though, and I know why.
If he wins, there are more matches to follow.
Neither of us can afford to expend all our energy here.
“Kick his ass, River!” Pandora shouts.
How can I do anything else when she’s watching me?
I’d come here willing to take a beating if it got me out of my head, but now that Pandora’s here to cheer me on, I don’t want to lose.
That doesn’t mean I don’t take any blows, though; I end upgetting clipped in the shoulder, harder than expected, and I hiss in a breath even as I sidestep his next blow. I take a swing in turn, and this one connects solidly with his gut.
I hear him suck in a breath, and I follow the blow up with a kick that knocks him down to the mat beneath us.
Five seconds is a long time to expect an opponent like this to stay down of his own volition. When he tries to stand up, I’m there to wrestle him back down to the floor, determined to keep him there so I can win this match too.
He must not have been expecting the switch in techniques, and his hesitation ends up costing him the match.
The announcer calls my name again, and I pump my fist triumphantly in the air to calls of my name in the background.
I’m brimming with anticipation when the next person steps into the ring, and I’m startled to see that it’s the woman from earlier.
“Place your bets! Can newcomer Bobbi take down our current champion River?” the announcer calls out.
Bobbi grins at me and widens her stance. “Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you just because you’re a man.”
I snort. “Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you because you’re new,” I retort.
The fact that she’s a woman has nothing to do with anything. If she’s here, and she’s willing to step into this cage, she’s willing to take a few hits.
I get into a defensive position anyway, curious to see if she’ll be more aggressive or if she’ll hold back. She’s probably been watching, which means she has a good idea of the fighting style I use.
I’ll have to vary it up to make sure I’m not too predictable.
I’ve seen a lot of different fighting styles in this cage. Boxing, judo, MMA, Krav Maga. Everybody picks what works for them.
