Chapter 45
Matt
I get a lot of stares from passersby as I walk through the Hub, but I ignore them, heading to the same spot Robbie and I took up last week on the arena floor.
There are a few familiar faces among the contenders who are getting ready, but there’s a lot of new ones.
The people here today look like they will be much more challenging than the people who were here last week.
I wouldn’t be surprised if I lose my standing and wouldn’t mind it either.
I love the fight, I would do this every week even if I weren’t winning, but as much assurance as Chanda gave us, I’ve had time to consider his words more.
The Hub’s future is in flux and that means Loretta’s future is as well.
She may have done what she did because of that, and I don’t think I want any part of it until that matter is settled.
Think of the she-devil…
“Good afternoon, Matt Blank D’Aquino,”
Loretta’s current translator, Jett, the sea serpent that stabbed me with her tooth to species type me, greets me on Loretta’s behalf.
“I have your winnings and payment for last week and extra because you did not stay for the free medical care we offer.
I apologize for not explaining that we would take care of your injuries free of charge. In compensation for my oversight, I am providing you with three jars of salve.”
Haverty offers me a small gift bag with the jars of salve and the envelope with my money in it.
I take the offering with a hard frown at Loretta.
“You don’t think maybe you owe me an apology for putting the duties of your Headsman onto me? I don’t remember agreeing to kill anyone, and I don’t remember fighting Loki, so I should never have been forced into a fight to the death.”
“I may have acted rashly, yes. I apologize.”
But she’s not sorry, I can tell by the failure to bother to hide her smirk.
“I see. Thank you for the salve,”
I growl, expressing my displeasure at her form of reparations. I’m here to find out what Erroll is up to, but it sort of feels like I'm playing into Loretta’s hands again. I don’t like it.
“Good luck in the Cage today, Matt. I look forward to seeing you win again,”
she adds before taking her leave with her entourage in tow.
I push the gift bag into my duffel and strip down.
These fights always end with me naked anyway, no point in ruining another pair of underwear.
I don’t purposefully grab at or ruin anyone’s clothes, but that can’t be said for the rest of these people.
Last week, a harpy deliberately ripped off my speedo, probably to shock me. This week, no one will believe I care whether they see me nude or not.
I take some time to warm up, taking the few minutes I have to make sure I’m not going to have an adverse reaction to getting back in the Cage.
I haven’t had any more middle-of-the-night, nightmare-induced panic episodes.
In fact, the nightmares aren’t nearly as bad as I expected.
I’ve only had two, so far. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that I’ve been able to keep steady after killing someone, but that’s how it is.
And, looking at it, imagining myself walking into the Cage and fighting there, I have zero compunction about it.
So, when the referee calls me to the Cage, I walk in and stand in my spot, without a single negative reaction except, when I see the skybox, I get annoyed at Loretta again.
I won’t give her the opportunity to force me to act as the Headsman again, but still, she should have done a better job as the proprietor and head of the Houston Hub.
Just to reinforce that to myself and her, I look up at the skybox where I know Loretta is.
Maybe provoking the woman isn’t the right thing to do, but I lift my middle finger up to her as the announcer introduces me to the packed arena and hold it there until he’s done.
When the first challenger steps into the arena, I lower my hand and get my head into the fight.
This guy—nope, that’s a woman.
She’s at least as big as me and has biceps the same size as her thighs.
The way her muscles bunch as she moves, and the slight tremor of the Cage as she steps makes me think I am looking at a pure Obsidite woman.
She’s going to pack a wallop in her punch, and I don’t know that I can take it since I’ve never actually been hit by one of my own people.
Her presence makes me all kinds of excited, actually.
I smile at her, grinning like the crazy person I have apparently become.
I will definitely let her get a hit in just to find out if I can take it.
I wouldn’t even mind if it means I lose.
She smiles back.
“Looks like it will be a good fight,”
she decides just before the gong rings out.
She’s fast, putting me on the defense right away. I block hit after hit, looking for the right one to let through. She challenges my speed and footwork to keep up with her flying, open-handed hits. She doesn’t slap at me, rather she uses her palm as her main offensive weapon. It leaves her vulnerable to the occasional kick to her leg, as long as I don’t kick too high.
We dance around the Cage for a long while before I see the right hit to take; it’ll hit me in the shoulder if I aim it right.
I turn just enough, let the hit through as I bring an uppercut to her chin.
The power in her hit immediately dislocates my shoulder, rendering my left arm useless, but the fight is already over.
The uppercut knocks her head back.
I grab her hair with my good hand and bring her face to my knee.
She hits my leg as I break her nose, and I use the sideways momentum to take her to the floor, pinning her down with my arm around her neck.
She’ll either tap out or pass out.
She fights for the few seconds it takes for her to pass out, goes limp, and the gong sounds.
I jump to my feet, grab the chain link with my injured arm and jerk my shoulder back into place.
Fuck, that hurts, and damn, that woman could hit. I did not expect to lose half of my strength in one arm in the first fight.
Still…
I grin as she comes to and gets to her feet. “That was fun,”
I tell her, offering her my good hand.
She smiles back. “You’re better than the rumors said. My husband will enjoy fighting you today.”
She shakes my hand and walks out of the Cage.
I watch her until she reaches the man I assume is her husband. He stands head and shoulders taller than her, which means he will physically dominate me. I hope I can offer that man a good fight, but shit, he’s big. Another man joins the two of them, also an Obsidite, and then—oh my fuck—there’s at least ten of them, and the ref is waving the next one over. I watch the next Obsidite man stalk over as naked as I am, lumbering and huge, but not at all awkward. He knows his body, its capabilities and advantages. He smiles politely as he enters the Cage and offers me a hand. “Good fight, Reaper,”
he congratulates me as the announcer introduces him to the crowd.
I have to look up at this man. “Are all of your group intending to fight today?”
I ask a bit wide-eyed.
“We are. We heard the rumors of the Obsidian Reaper and did not think that a throwback could earn such a title. However, I already regret underestimating you. I apologize for coming here in my hubris thinking that you were unworthy of being the pride of the Obsidites.”
My eyebrows go up in surprise as I step back to my place and he takes up his. I don’t know what to tell him since now that I am face to face with a pure Obsidite man, I understand why he might get a little huffy about me taking the honor of the Obsidites. I’m as small as a woman of my species and feel damn tiny compared to the men. I’m a little glad that Robbie didn’t come this week; he would freak the fuck out at the size of these people.
The gong rings, and oh my fuck, he’s even better than the woman.
He forces me to dance around the Cage avoiding hits and kicks.
He keeps his fists and shoulders up, mixing both boxing and kickboxing.
It looks like those are the limits of his hand-to-hand skills, which, as good as he is, gives me the advantage of adaptability.
It takes time and a long period of extreme focus, but I finally see the opening I need and take it.
He swings, I duck low, coming up inside his defenses.
I get my arm around his neck and swing myself onto his back, squeezing him until he falls to the floor on his knees and then help him to the floor as he goes limp.
I don’t know any other way to defeat an Obsidite, and I do know that the next one is going to learn to keep their chin down to avoid me getting my arm around their neck.
I stand up, looking toward the group of Obsidites for my next opponent, but the gong rings, indicating that it’s already break time.
I glance up at the digital clock on the arena wall, surprised that the two fights took up forty minutes between them.
I help the Obsidite I just fought to his feet.
“Any pointers for the rest of your people?”
I ask as we walk out of the Cage.
“Your small hands are to your advantage. You’re surprisingly dexterous with them,”
he replies sincerely. “My husband said they’re too pretty to be a fighter’s hands, but I’m certain he’s changed his mind by now. You’ll fight him next. Please make sure you drop him otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it,”
he grins at me, slapping my back hard enough to make me stumble and laughs. “How did I lose to such a small man?”
“You weren’t able to defend against mixed martial arts,”
I answer honestly. “You only know kickboxing and boxing; the Cage doesn’t care how you fight as long as you win.”
He laughs again. “Oh, you will have fun today,”
he announces. “Enjoy kicking ass.”
He gives me one last clap on the back before breaking off to go to his group.
I head over to my duffel, grabbing two water bottles and rehydrating, renewed by his encouragement and excited to see how well I can fight the rest of the Obsidites who came today.
I can’t believe it. I won all the fights. Ten Obsidites, each one progressively better than the last, and it only took five hours. I’m wiped, and exhausted, but feeling pretty fucking good about myself. I wipe the sweat off with a towel before pulling my shorts on. When I stand up, I get a tap on my shoulder and turn to see the group of defeated, but grinning, Obsidites behind me. The one I defeated last, Aubrey, holds out a hand to me. “You make our species proud, Obsidian Reaper,”
he congratulates me.
I take his hand and accept the congratulations. “Thank you. I enjoyed fighting each of you and look forward to the next time.”
He laughs. “We may send the younger generation to come have their asses handed to them. It will teach them humility, I think.”
Surprise hits me. “The younger generation?”
“Ah, you didn’t know. We are the Council of Elders for our people,”
he explains. “Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we understand you are living with the Maledict?”
“Deejay Aquino, yes,” I agree.
“And you’re safe with him?”
he confirms, but it doesn’t look like he’s concerned about Deejay specifically, just about the safety of one of his people in general.
“Safe-ish. Deejay is very protective of his family.”
“I’ve heard something about that,”
Aubrey deadpans with a steak of amusement flying through his royal purple aura. “Let me give you my number. I realize that you fall under the rule of his demesne, but Obsidites consider all our offspring citizens under our law. We recognize dual citizenship, but do not release any of our species from our governance because we want the right to intercede should something happen to one of our people. Obsidite throwbacks are rare, but we claim them as much as we claim pure Obsidites.”
He reaches behind him and receives a card from the first woman I fought today. She smiles at me as he hands me the card with his number on it. “Call us if you find yourself in trouble again. We heard about what Loretta did and are willing to take her to court over it if you want us to.”
“She offered reparations, but if she does it again, I will call.”
“Call for any reason, Reaper. We, the Elder Council, are here to serve.”
“Thank you.”
I’m not sure my words convey my meaning, but I can see the deep satisfaction in his aura as he reads mine.
Aubrey pulls me into a hug, which sets off a train of hugs from all the others, congratulations and hopes that I will keep in touch. When they’re done squeezing the life out of me, the group of elders leaves together, heading into the stands rather than out of the arena.
I gather my stuff up, pulling on a shirt and stop when I see Loki in the Cage, naked except for the sword strapped to his back by a harness over his chest. His carmine aura is pure and calm as he stands in his place covered in glowing marks that look like chains all over his body. His hair is up in a samurai bun, thick eyeliner makes his eyes pop. Over his mouth, I can clearly read Gage’s name, glowing as Loki looks up at the skybox, holding up both middle fingers. I chuckle at the sight because I know that look and that feeling all too well. I walk over to the Cage where Loki can see me if he looks and wait. I want to see how he fights as the Headsman since I did his job last week. He holds his hands up until the first gong rings and the pixie in the Cage with him attacks.
He moves like a cat, slipping out of the pixie’s attacks like it’s easy and the pixie is slow—he is not, and it is not easy to avoid his biting attacks. Pixies are venomous and while one bite won’t kill you, five will down you, and more will definitely make the struggle to survive difficult.
But the Headsman moves with grace, waits for his opening, and takes the pixie out the second he gets his hands on him. This isn’t a death match, but damn. Loki rips the pixie’s wings off and fucking eats them before the gong sounds ending the pixie’s punishment. Loki throws the man to the guards that come to collect him, moves back to his spot, and puts his birds back in the air until the next of the condemned is brought to the Headsman.
I stay for two more fights before deciding I need to head back. Loki is a vicious and efficient fighter. He doesn’t waste energy on putting on a show, though his fights certainly garner a lot of noise from the crowd. He knows it’s life and death in that cage and puts his opponents down without playing with them even when they are clearly a weaker opponent. And after each of the three fights, one ending in death, he puts his fingers in the air and stares up at the skybox.
I don’t know if he will see me, but I wave at him. He glances down at me, gives me a single nod of acknowledgment and turns his gaze back to the skybox. I turn away and head out.
It’s been a good night, but it’s time to get back to Deejay.