Chapter Text
The Ring was much louder than she expected, the hood of her coat doing little to shield her from the shouting and screaming that was happening all around her. Sweating bodies crushed against one another on the concrete stands, tattooed arms raised towards the sky with wads of cash gripped between their fingers. Cigarette smoke lit the air with a toxic fume that clashed against other smells of cheap beer and body odor. The dimness of the green lights tinted with sickly yellows and warm pinks made each individual blend together in a mass of harsh shadows and intense stars.
She knew she was being stared at.
She doesn’t fit in here.
She knows that.
But they don’t have to know that. She has to blend in if this is supposed to work.
Or she at least has to try to.
She already looked suspicious with the stupid way she presented herself in front of the outside guards. She never knew the exchange of money for entry could be so nerve wracking and awkward. In her defense she didn’t expect to need to pay for anything.
Yet again, she also didn’t expect for the facility to be so large.
There are a lot of things going on here that she didn’t expect.
She also didn’t expect to easily find a spot, but she settled next to a smaller, hunched over figure in one of the bench rows closer to the front of the arena. Sitting down she clutched her jacket closer to herself, looking up and noticing the unsteady light fixtures swinging from the ceiling. Dust particles fell from the rusted metal, creaking along the flimsy bars as a result of all the loud commotion of the people below.
Blue eyes drifted down to the ring, which was set a deep eight to ten feet below all the stands, metal fencing closing off the crowd from the sand below and was kept in place with barbed wire and chains. The patched concrete walls were lined with metal plating and further wire, creating some weird ramp that would prevent whoever was down below from getting out. On opposite sides of the concrete ring were two large metal doors held in place by thick industrial chains, attached in a way similar to a door seen on a castle moat. The uneven sand of the ring was tainted with dried stains of what could only be blood, with other chunks and rocks mixed into the grains. Her eyes found a particularly nasty splatter near the far left side of the sand, watching how it carried up into the barbed wire and metal plating of the walls nearby.
Jesus.
What was she thinking?
“If we can get in and get out fast, it should be a successful mission.”
Dark eyes looked down at the map, observing quietly as the man pointed towards another location on the piece of paper. “We enter in here after we have discovered the target, and from there was sent troops in here,”
A tap of the paper.
“Here,”
Another tap near the top right.
“And here.”
A final tap near the bottom.
“I see,” Cautious eyes looked back up towards the other. “The only problem with this officer, is that are we sure this is the correct location?”
“Unfortunately not, Sheriff Marcus. We have only heard from other officers who have been listening to words on the street while on duty.”
“There are lives at stake here,” The sheriff, Marcus, explained carefully. “We cannot mess this up. If it's true that there is an illegal fighting ring happening in the Underground, we need to stop it.”
Marcus pulled back from leaning over the map, turning away from his desk to face the large window looking over the city. Below cars drove by, honking at each other for stopping too fast or running through a green light at the last second. People walking down the streets, chatting with others or on their phones, some struggling to carry all their shopping bags while others sat at outside seating eating their lunch or feeding the nearby park squirrels. The sight sent an uneasy feeling to brew in the sheriff’s stomach.
“The streets of Piltover are not safe while this is happening. Who knows how many lives have already been lost, and there will be more if we don’t end it. However, you need to understand that we cannot be careless. One wrong strike and the people we need to find that are behind this will be gone in a second. It will be like finding a needle in a haystack.”
Marcus turned back towards the other officer, who was quietly waiting for the higher in command to finish his thoughts.
“We need to act quickly but rationally, we need more inside information before we do something drastic. I will send you a report and further instructions in the morning.”
“Of course, Sheriff.” The fellow officers' eyes shined in understanding, their green hue matching that of Marcus’s own. It was then the two police officers turned their backs to each other, Marcus being left alone in his office while the other left the room quietly.
She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, honestly, she didn’t, it just happened by accident while she was walking down the hall. As a result of this, she felt pure panic while she did a walk that was halfway into a run to escape the sight of the officer leaving Sheriff Marcus’s office.
Her thoughts were whirling.
Underground fighting ring?
They needed more information, and quickly.
Perhaps this was her time to prove to them.
She can show them all-
“You must be new around here.”
Her thoughts were snapped from a voice to her left, and she turned to look at the smaller figure sitting besides her. Broken glasses could be seen from underneath his hood, a larger nose and boney hands that continuously wrung together nervously. Her blue eyes looked up and down the scrawny man, hesitant to speak.
Blend in, Caitlyn. Blend in.
“You could say that,” She finally settled on. “I was curious as to what all the fuss was about.”
A nervous laugh met her ears, the man’s hood shaking from the movement. “Yeah, these are quite popular. The prizes are the real kicker though,”
“Prizes?”
“Oh yes!” He exclaimed happily, looking towards her. For the first time Caitlyn got a glimpse of the man’s face, pale skin veined with a sicky purple that tied into his equally vibrant eyes. The sight sent her reeling back in shock. “The prizes ar-”
“Oi! Watch it!”
Someone walked into her shoulder, sending her leaning forward and instinctually wrapping her arms around herself. Looking over her shoulder and forgetting the rest of what the man next to her was saying, her eyes met that of a large man stomping his way down the stands and looking down at her with a snear. He flicked his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other, the sickening smell of smoke filtering her nose and causing her to quickly look away.
“-ou just have to make sure you bet on the right person and bam!” Caitlyn turned back just in time to hear the end of the other man’s explanation.
Before she could question the man any further, the place was cascaded in darkness. The shaky green tinted lights faded and in place were stronger spot lights shining into the sandpit at the bottom of the warehouse. It was then that the crowded and cramped stands fell silent alongside the darkness.
The show has begun.
A man was visible on the other side of the fence above the sand, standing on a piece of bent metal bolted to the concrete walls and twirling a haphazardly built microphone in one hand. The smile adorning his face was surprisingly joyful for the current environment, and it sent shivers through Caitlyn’s spine.
Beyond that was a larger chair in the stands, a faded teal wood accented with gold. Sat in that chair was a man that seemed too well dressed for such an environment. A suit of black and crimson tailored tight with white and gold plating, a tie snug around his neck. His face wasn’t too visible in the darkness, but it was clear that one of his eyes was almost non-human, a black cornea with a splatter of blood orange as an iris. The mutation of the flesh stretching around the eye was mostly hidden.
But Caitlyn noticed it.
It made her uneasy.
He looked out of place among the crowd of rough and ragged undersiders. But with the way he was being guarded by those standing around him made it clear.
This was his show.
And he didn’t want to be disappointed.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” The voice of the announcer boomed throughout the warehouse, bringing Caitlyn’s attention back towards the arena. “Welcome to the Underground! Boy do we have a show for you tonight! I hope y'all place your bets right!”
A round of cheers and applause erupted from the stands, hands clapping and boots stomping.
“Are you ready!?”
Another round of cheers broke out, and for some reason the sound shook Caitlyn to her core.
“To the right we have the man who has conquered most of our streets! A big guy that is sturdier than a wall of steel,” The man’s arm waving towards the direction he mentioned as one of the heavily rusted doors creaked open. The chains keeping the heavy metal plank in place loosened their hold as it hit the sand leaving a puff of smoke. Mist emerged from the darkness of the room beyond, warping around a heavily padded boot stomping out into the light.
“Metalhead!”
Once Metalhead had fully exited the darkness, Caitlyn saw perhaps the biggest man she had ever seen before. A nearly seven foot tall man of pure muscle, arms and legs the size of tree trunks with bloodied fists of equal proportion. His bald head was covered with tattoos that stretched down his chin and neck, fading into the skin that was concealed behind his white t-shirt and black pants. Metalhead reached the center of the sand ring with large but slow strides, rolling his shoulders and head to stretch his muscles as he cracked his knuckles. The cheering sounds coming from those who probably placed their bets on Metalhead seemed to boost his confidence as he stood to wait for his opponent.
The announcer then turned their attention to the left side of the arena.
“And to the left, we have our in-house undefeated victor: Enforcer!”
The insane way the crowd broke out into a louder round of cheers and applause made Caitlyn believe that this “Enforcer” was somewhat of a favorite. Someone everyone placed bets on.
Someone that wins.
So when the left door opened, it revealed something completely unexpected.
A woman walked out that could be no older than her, shorter in height but wider in build. The pink hair was the first thing she noticed, chopped messily and swept to one side while the other was shaved. Her body was covered in nothing more than baggy striped pants and a tight white tank top, cuts from glass, sand and other debris covered her bare feet. The dried blood on her dirty clothes matched the bruises, cuts and scars on her skin. It was a stark contrast to the black inked tattoos that ran down the backs of her arms and torso, ending below her hairline. The closer she observed she noticed that despite the muscle, she was unhealthily skinny. She also noticed the blood-stained bandages wrapped around her forearms and fists, which in turn were covered by sharp-edge metal plating that turned her fists into make-shift gauntlets.
This is Enforcer?
She looked tiny compared to the mammoth of a man that stood on the other side of the arena. It was at this point that Caitlyn realized she was literally about witness a possible man-slaughter. There was no way this seemed to be a fair fight.
Many things in life seem to not be fair, it seems.
As Enforcer made her way to the center of the arena she carried herself with pride, the nasty snarl on her face matching the fire that pooled in her eyes. However, it did little to faze Metalhead, the man simply looking down on the woman with nothing short of amusement. With the two opponents facing each other, it seemed as though there was little left to say.
And with that it had begun.
The announcer whipped out a pistol, raising it into the air with little hesitation. The lack of fear or reaction from it was extremely off putting. Most were instead focused on Enforcer and Metalhead, who slowly started circling each other in the ring.
“Three,”
Feet shuffled against the sand, the faded blood stains being lost in the grains with their footsteps.
“Two,”
Enforcer’s bare feet dug into the sand, body tense as she raised her metal-clad fists and ready to fight. Metalhead did the same, cracking a stray bone in his neck as a smirk crossed his face.
“One!”
The pistol fired into the sky with a bang, the sound of a bullet hitting the metal clanging around the warehouse. Crows that had been scalvaging alongside the rooftop scattered in a panic. But that all went past Caitlyn's ears as she saw the two jump into action.
Like a rocket Enforcer launched through the sand, throwing the first punch towards Metalhead. Caught off guard by the speed of the attack, Metalhead was forced to take the punch to the stomach head on. With a grunt he was pushed back in the sand, kicking up dust that got in both of their eyes. Quickly recovering himself he reeled his fist back, attempting to strike Enforcer in the side of the head only for it to be blocked by a smaller, metal-plated gauntlet.
The attacks were both coordinated and messy, both taking turns receiving hits and giving them. There were patterns, while Enforcer was small and fast, Metalhead was large and unmovable. Every hit Enforcer would land Metalhead would take with ease, barely batting an eye at the metal punches hitting his skin. In return Enforcer dodged any heavy fist sent her way, her lean and agile fighting style preventing Metalhead from getting any real damage on her.
But Metalhead could only take so many hits before he wore down.
And Enforcer could only have enough energy to dodge for so long.
This statement seems to be true, as a wide swung fist going in the pink-haired woman’s direction sends her falling towards the right, feet kicking up in the sand to keep herself upright. Metalhead’s body turned faster than Enforcer prepared, his opposite arm coming down and a strong punch was delivered to her stomach. The force of it sent the smaller body flying across the arena with a breathless gasp, landing on the ground in a puff of sand. Enforcer scrambled, disoriented but frantic to get back on her feet.
But Metalhead just got the upper hand.
And he was determined to take advantage of it.
Quickly he was on her, his foot swinging down into Enforcer's side which halted any progress she made to get back on her feet. Metalhead leaned down, a large and gnarly hand wrapping around her pale throat with ease. Enforcer was yanked out of the sand and into the air, and Caitlyn could only watch as a sudden glimpse of fear etched itself into Enforcer’s eyes. A single drop of blood dripped from the woman’s lips, trailing down her chin and lost in the air as she moved. Instantly her legs kicked up, desperate to get the grip around her throat off.
The action seemed to do nothing more than piss Metalhead off, for his grip tightened and it was clear from the stand that Enforce let out a desperate gasp for air. Her eyes were widening as her fists attempted to reach the face of the man choking her.
But she was too small.
Her hands were only grasping at air.
It was at this point in time, as Caitlyn watched the life being choked out of someone, that this was more than just a fighting ring put on for bids.
This was a fight to the death.
Literal gladiator fighting.
And she couldn’t do anything to stop it.
Her eyes refused to look away as Metalhead slammed Enforcer down into the ground, the crowd erupting in a mix of angered shouts and excited cheers. It was quickly amplified when the sand particles cleared from the air, revealing the two opponents still fighting with all their might. Metalhead leaned down close towards Enforcer, the grin on his face sending shivers running through Caitlyn’s body. He whispered something that she couldn’t hear, and Enforcer’s body convulsed, eyes lightening ablaze and teeth gritting in anger in response.
Whatever he said evoked a spark in her.
A spark to keep fighting.
People around her stood up from their seats in unexpected thrill when Enforcer grabbed a handful of sand, throwing it directly into Metalhead’s eyes and causing him to release his grip. A shout left his throat at the same time Enforcer reeled back a fist to strike him head on. Rolling in the sand from the impact, Enforcer created distance between herself and Metalhead, who had collapsed. Desperately gasping, one hand clutching her throat to take in air, Enforcer shakily rose to her feet. The positions were now reversed, with Metalhead struggling to lift himself off the ground and Enforcer standing over him.
Caitlyn hated that she had a preference as to who she wanted to win.
She hated how she found it satisfying when Enforcer’s metal-cladded fists came down onto the back of her opponent’s head, sending him face down into the sand. She hated how she was silently cheering along with the crowd as Enforcer forced the man to turn over to face her, how she was quick to straddle his body and raise her fists for another strike. She despised herself wanting another punch to land, watching how Metalhead’s returning blows weakened under Enforcer’s wraith.
She took too long to notice the bloody flesh gumming up under the metal on Enforcer’s gauntlets, or the identical liquid pooling under Metalhead’s body and staining both of their clothes. She lacked awareness of how Metalhead’s body went limp, his movements ceasing when Enforcer brought her fist down so hard that his form went deeper into the sand.
It was over.
The suited man in the green chair seemed to be displeased, watching with cold eyes and neutral expression as Enforcer finished her unleashed havoc on her opponent. However in a split second, Enforcer practically threw herself away from the body. Metalhead laid dead, blood gathering around his form as what remained of his face was turned towards the opposite end of the room. Caitlyn was relieved she couldn’t see the jagged bone, protruding muscle and bloody pulp that had become of him. Turning her eyes back towards Enforcer, she could see a flash of chaotic fear circled through her eyes as she frantically crawled away from what she had just done.
Fear of herself.
But little time was able to be dwelled on that as she brought herself to stand on trembling legs. The way the crowd erupted into a series of “boos” or cheers was astonishing, people practically clawing out of their seats in hungry excitement over the outcome of the match. Caitlyn thought it was anything but that.
The announcer was screaming things that fell on deaf ears to her, she only saw the way Enforcer looked around the crowd with wide eyes and back towards her victim. Her bare feet kept moving in the sand, backing up towards the door she came out of, like she wanted to leave.
And attempt to leave she did.
Her duty was done, she did her fight and won, that was it. People get their prizes for their bets then they continue on their merry way. That’s how it goes.
Or at least that is how it should have gone.
The flash of copper and purple that bursted from the door behind her, swiping through the arena was so fast no one expected it. A sickening sound of flesh being sliced met her ears, and the sudden sound Enforcer let out was equivalent to that of a strangled animal. With a splash of blood and gash spanning the length of the woman’s upper back she stumbled forward, attempting to grasp at her wounds.
The crowd’s energy was back up again, eager to watch the fighting continue as the metallic blur focused into another woman. Her dark skin matched her black hair which was half tied back to show her heavily scarred face. Dark eyes stared with pure hatred at the pink-hair girl on the other side of the arena, her leather cladded clothing creaking with her movements as she raised her fists for a fight. It was then that Caitlyn noticed that this new opponent only had one human arm, the other one being made of metal and constructed of black and copper in a steampunk style. A strange purple glimmer ran through the contraption, tubes of the vibrant stuff located near the top shoulder and feeding the rest of the limb.
It was the scary way the eyes of the newcomer glowed a bright purple before she pounced, jumping across the ring and towards Enforcer with no hesitation. With wide eyes the smaller woman dodged the attack, spinning on her heels to swing her fist back around with her turn to strike. The hit landed, sending the opponent to her knees. The metallic hand was quick to grab Enforcer’s fist, the gears and sprockets of machinery clamping down on gauntlet plating and embedding it into pale skin. Enforcer cried out, anger prominent behind the sound as her other fist quickly collided with her opponent’s face. Instead of releasing her wrist as expected, the dark-haired woman kept it in her grasp as she brought them both down to the sand.
From there it was a scuffle of bodies in the sand, their clothes tainted with Metalhead’s blood as they rolled and exchanged punches. Strangled shouts and pained cries met Caitlyn’s ears as both women took hit after hit from each other, cuts and blood running free down their skin with each devastating blow. As the fight continued so did the roaring crowd, but Caitlyn could tell.
Enforcer was getting tired.
Her movements were getting sluggish, her reaction time slightly off as she took hits that earlier in the fight would have been dodged. Her opponent seemed to pick up on that as well, even when Enforcer got a good hit that sent the dark-haired woman slamming into one of the concrete walls of the ring. The smaller woman charged, bloodied and metal fist raised to hopefully deliver what would be the fatal blow to end the fight. But everything changed when the purple returned, overtaking the opponent's eyes and highlighting her movement as her mechanical arm returned the strike.
This time it was different.
The heat of red erupted from the arm, long and sharp and deadly as it avoided Enforcer's punch and landed home right into her belly. The sound of slicing flesh echoed inside the suddenly quiet arena, a guttural scream of agony breaking from Enforcer’s lips as her body fell limp.
The blade embedded itself deep into Enforcer’s stomach, staining her tank top red and dripping from the wound and past her belt line. Blood dribbled past her lips, creeping through her teeth and being spat out into the open air with desperate gasps of pain. Those panic filled eyes looked directly at her opponent, who only smiled in malicious joy at the sight of Enforcer’s condition.
No remorse was held as the woman yanked her blade from Enforcer’s body, a shrill shriek being let out as she did so. Enforcer fell down into the sand, body surprisingly still as her opponent pushed herself off the wall to tower over her. With a growl the dark haired woman ran her hand along the blade protruding from her mechanical arm, Enforcer’s blood clogging the space between her fingers until she flicked it off and into the grainy earth below their feet.
Caitlyn saw the way Enforcer’s body shook, how her hands were desperate to claw into the sand and push herself back up. It was short lived as her fingers curled into the air, another blood-chilling cry echoing the air as the blade came down and planted itself right into her right shoulder blade. The blade twisted, blood bursted like fireworks from Enforcer's flesh and splattering over her face and hair.
It seemed that was it, nothing could be done to stop it as the knife was mercilessly torn from the smaller woman’s flesh. With a cry she clutched her shoulder, unable to stop the boot kicking her in the face and sending her sprawling onto her back with a devastating crack. She laid like a starfish, deadweight in the sand and staring up at her opponent with foggy, unfocused eyes.
The crowd was uncontrollable at this point, watching as their undefeated house victor was straddled by the other woman, bladed fist raised to deliver the final blow. With a howl she swung the blade down only to meet a shaky fist clenching around the blade. A new wave of cheers broke out as Enforcer’s hand made every effort to push the knife away, blood spilling freely from the cuts in her hand as a result of her tight grip. There was a fire still present in her eyes, overtaken by anger and overcoming the pain her body was going through.
A fire to win.
A fire to live.
It seemed the halt on the upcoming attack was enough to surprise Enforcer's opponent, as she brought her unoccupied fist up fast and strong to collide with the other woman’s temple. With a yell the contact hit, the opponent’s head whipping to the side and knocking blood and teeth out in the process. Instantly Enforcer was free from the other’s grip, and she shakily rolled away to create distance between the two of them. Cradling the injury on her belly, Enforcer forced herself to stand. Her legs trembled, feet unstable as she attempted to get back into a fighting position.
She wasn’t ready to give up yet.
And Caitlyn couldn’t help but admire that.
With that the fight continued, the two going back and forth dodging punches and receiving them. Both were equally as tired and worn out, their movements sluggish and delayed as it carried on. Enforcer took another deep stab to the stomach, which in turn she retaliated by delivering a harsh kick that released the sound of a clearly broken ankle to her opponent. Caitlyn was surprised with how invested the audience still was, cheering and booing for their respective fighters in the hopes a victor would finally be called. Even the man that sat high and mighty in his teal chair had stood, mismatched eyes frantically following the movement of the fight.
Eventually Enforcer caught a slip up of her opponent, successfully catching her metal arm mid punch and gripping it tight in both hands. With a harsh twist and a shout, the larger woman was thrown over her shoulder and into the sand. Enforcer stood above her, desperate pants leaving her lips as she twisted the mechanical arm harshly behind her back, a single bare foot pinning her into the ground. Another harsh tug caused the dark-haired woman to shout, with the way the gears and cogs of the supernatural limb creaked, it seemed not good. Suddenly it was fait, but there.
A desperate tap of fingers in the sand.
A sign of surrender.
A sign of victory for Enforcer.
But it wasn’t enough.
For she didn’t stop.
Enforcer continued to rip the arm back, using all her force to attempt to dislodge the limb from its socket. The sound of pain let out by her opponent was enough to launch an attempt at freedom from her, for she turned around in her grip and tried to throw another punch. Enforcer released her grip, falling back to avoid the hit and quickly recovered to deliver a harsh kick to the larger woman’s chin. Instantly she fell back, her sword-enhanced limb reaching up in a last attempt to take out her opponent. It once again was caught between Enforcer’s fingers.
But this time, it shattered.
The blade broke between pure flesh and metal plating, breaking off the limb and rendering it useless. The cry let out by the opponent seemed to be music to Enforcer’s ears as she changed her grip back to the mechanical wrist.
And with determination, she pulled.
The guttural howl let out by the opponent made the crowd fall silent, watching as Enforcer successfully ripped the steampunk limb off and splintered it into nothing but metal shards, nuts and bolts. The purple liquid used to fuel the limb splattered from the broken tubes, smearing into the stains of blood over their skin and the ground. It was seconds before any movement in the limb ceased and it went limp in Enforcer’s grip, rendering it completely useless.
Enforcer stepped back from her opponent, slightly hunched over and panting for breath while she watched the other woman scramble in the sand. Her pale eyes wandered over to the shattered blade in the ground a few feet away, and Caitlyn saw how Enforcer struggled to simply walk the distance towards it. With trembling hands, bruised and blood-coated fingers picked it up off the ground, turning back towards the other one still lying in the sand.
It was then they were exchanging words to each other, anger and malicious intent behind their expressions as they yelled and Enforcer closed the distance between them. What was being said couldn’t be heard over all the yelling and cheering of the audience, but it seemed to be a little piece to the big picture. A last few exchanging punches were given as Enforcer attempted to pin her opponent beneath her.
With a shaking, weak arm the blade was raised into the air, and brought down with little hesitation.
The other woman’s struggling actions instantly ceased, nothing more than a small twitch leaving her body as she laid limp against the sand.
Dead.
It was over.
And with that, Enforcer kept her head down low, hands still shaking and gripping the blade that was stabbed into her opponent's throat. Both of their bloods mixed with the purple shimmer that stained everything around them. The way the pink-haired woman’s back heaved with each breath went unnoticed by the crowd around them, for the warehouse erupted with surprised yells and excited cheers.
Their inhouse champion was still the victor.
It seemed that was about to be formally declared as the announcer happily jumped down from his stand, the wire of the microphone twirling in his hand as he made his way towards the middle of the arena. With little care for Enforcer’s condition he yanked her up off the second body, raising her metal-cladded fist into the air and smearing the blood over his own fingers.
“Enforcer is victorious!”
With that declaration the crowd went nuts, some throwing their money in the air in joy while others screamed in anger and threw their hats to the ground. The spotlights shaked from the action happening inside the warehouse, dust and sweat and grease visibly polluting the air as the regular lights came on to signal the end of the show. The sickly green hued atmosphere returned, and people reluctantly started getting up from their seats to leave. Some were eager to go claim their prizes while others started arguing with each other over the results.
She looked up to see the suited man staring at Enforcer with absolute disgust, the pure anger and maliciousness behind the stare enough to make any normal person cower. He clearly was displeased with the results. However, if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, she saw the ring fighter looking back to meet that stare with a fiery snarl of her own. It was short lived as the suited man quickly broke eye contact and stood, adjusting his tie and straightening out his coat before he turned heel and left his seat with his guard posse soon following him.
Caitlyn however, found herself remaining seated. She watched with careful blue eyes as the announcer left the ring and the two large metal doors opened again. Men emerged with shovels and bags, getting to work scooping the remains of the bodies out of the sand and removing what tainted grains they could. On the flip side, Enforcer was unmoving, standing in the middle of the arena gasping for breath and looking around without much focus.
It was then that Caitlyn could truly take in the damage done to her body, mostly covered in blood and cuts and bruises. Sweat pooled over her skin and caused her hair to stick to her forehead, fingers twitching and trembling as she desperately clutched over the stab wounds. Her hands did little to stop the bleeding as it still soaked through the fabric of her clothes and onto the ground below.
And her eyes.
Her eyes said everything .
The fighting blaze that pooled within them was nearly gone, instead replaced by nothing but exhaustion and pain. It wasn’t long before Caitlyn watched them roll back into their sockets, unable to do anything as Enforcer fell and landed face first into the sand.
She was done.
All three laid unmoving in the ring, motionless and defeated.
One of the men that wasn’t cleaning up the dead bodies walked over to the pink-haired woman, grabbing her by the back of her tank top and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He carried her back through the metal doors alongside the others removing the bodies, effectively cleaning the ring clear of any debris.
As if the fight never happened.
It was scary how easily such events were just covered up. Caitlyn broke free from her observations as she clenched her fists in her lap, seeing how clean and neat her hands were in comparison to the fighters she had just observed.
She had seen enough.
She needed to end this.
With newfound determination she stood from her seat, going to leave as she had more than enough information to share with the sheriff. She just had to obtain photographic evidence.
Easy enough.
As she turned around, a violent creaking of metal met her ears. She found herself looking up towards the ceiling, seeing the unnatural way the green lights shifted and shook. New noises were able to be heard, people shouting but from a newfound event that seemed to be the center of attention.
This was different though.
A faint orange glow was visible beyond the stands and bleachers, smoking up towards the ceiling and emulating some heat she could now feel down her arms. It wasn’t until the words being shouted by the people around her confirmed her suspicions.
“Fire!”
Quickly she stood up, a panic bursting inside her at the declaration.
What?
How?
People scrambled, leaving their seats and fleeing the warehouse in an uncoordinated way that broke into more chaotic panic. Not allowing others to cut in front of them or take their time, people ran and shouted into the air in a way that forbidded her from thinking clearly. With urgency she went to follow, escaping being the main thing on her mind.
Caitlyn was quick to trip over other people’s feet, sardined between other sweaty bodies that were also trying desperately to leave. Someone aggressively shoved past her, pushing her out of the way and sending her back to where she started. Before she could bring herself to move again, another large body was pushing her out of the way and towards the metal fencing that protected people from falling down into the ring.
Clearly it didn’t do a very good job of it.
With her full weight being on the rusty and unkept fence, it snapped under the pressure. The railing broke with ease and Caitlyn couldn’t stop her feet from tripping as she fell backwards over the shallow concrete wall and into the ring below.
She couldn’t tell if she was screaming, all she knew was that her throat suddenly hurt and her eyes were wide with fear as she stared up at the ceiling. She watched the sight of the flickering spotlights get smaller and smaller before she hit the ground. Her back smacked against the sand and it felt like gravel, the shout she let out meeting her ears and the way her head smacked against the earth sent her ears ringing.
Slowly she blinked, looking up and seeing how the smoke started to cloud her vision, the flames engulfing the sky above her in a dangerous inferno. She couldn’t stop her eyes from closing, the dizziness in her head created a clouded version of the area around her.
Shit.
And like that, she went out like a light.