HONG KONG K.O.
----
Stepping through the airport's arrival doors, Lindsey Colt lifted her sunglasses and grinned broadly as she saw a girl holding a card with her name on it. Lindsey whistled and waved as she bounded over to meet her contact.
"Linda Leaper, is that you?" asked Lindsey, hugging the girl tightly.
"Yes, not so loud though," replied Linda, giggling quietly. She was a british girl, dressed in a very professional dark blue dress and jacket. "I'm still in my business skin."
"You wear glasses!" exclaimed Lindsey. "How do ya fight with glasses on?"
"I've had corrective work done," said Linda, helping Lindsey with her bag. "I just...haven't told mummy or daddy."
"It's so badass to see your secret identity thing in person," added Lindsey.
The pair had befriended one another online, in one of several small social groups for those who enjoyed the life of a moonlight pitfighter. While Lindsey was simply acting out her natural role of a social butterfly, Linda used the communities as an outlet for what was very much a secret escape. She was the daughter of wealthy british entrepreneurs, the Lexingtons, who both crafted and guarded a very specific lifestyle for her to lead. Linda was eager to act out and rebel, and what began as self-defense classes quickly became a second life and false surname that few in her normal life were aware of.
"Well, it does leave me to rely on circumstances like this to socialize with...well, our kind," said Linda. "I've been told to take a suite at the Hilton while they are on business here in Hong Kong. Lucky for me, my friend Lindsey Colt happens to have the time to visit the city at the same time."
"And lucky for both of us?" asked Lindsey.
"I happen to have heard about a lovely spot at the Hilton, where we can both get quite a good workout," replied Linda.
----
Later that night, the two girls stepped out of the elevator and into the Hilton lobby dressed in white satin bathrobes and matching slippers, carrying towels and looking ready for a swim.
"I feel like a dork in this get-up," said Lindsey, stifling a snicker.
"Well we can't just stride through the lobby in our ring attire," said Linda.
"Yeah, but is EVERY fighter staying at this hotel?" Lindsey scratched the back of her neck. "I thought you said it was gonna be a real raw Hong Kong underground arena."
"Of course there are plenty of combatants without the means to have a room above the venue," replied Linda, smirking. "But why not enjoy the luxury, right?"
As they reached the reception desk, Linda said an awkward phrase in cantonese. The hotel employee gave them both a strange look, and then quietly stepped to one side to let the two girls by. They headed into a nondescript service elevator behind reception, which had only one destination.
----
Lindsey's eyes brightened as she arrived in a musty locker room, directly connected to the elevator door. She quickly tore off her robe and kicked away her slippers, heading straight for ringside. The ring was a simple canvas mat, stretched out on the floor and surrounded by wooden barriers. The lighting was yellowed, and the crowd was raucous. A caged enclosure was attached to the ring, filled with a few benches and a number of restless fighters.
"You seem happy," remarked Linda, walking up behind Lindsey. "I've put our things in a locker."
Lindsey bounced to her feet and grabbed Linda tightly. "This is so raw! It's perfect! I feel like I wanna fuck someone up, or...or...or get fucked up, I dunno!"
"It has that particular bare-knuckle sort of squallor, doesn't it?" Linda laughed. "I should forewarn you, this may well be brutal. I have heard that the Hong Kong Hilton has the latest in MediKade, and uses that to encourage some extreme violence."
"Don't serious-talk me, Linda," whined Lindsey. "We're both the special kinda crazy that needs this, right?"
"YOU'RE crazy," said Linda, smiling coyly. "I'm just repressed."
"Well, where do we sign up?" Lindsey began bouncing. "I wanna kick some face."
"Over by the cage, I would imagine," answered Linda. "I suppose the Hilton wishes to ensure one's intentions of competing."
----
Once locked into the cage with the rest of the evening's competitors, it did not take long for Lindsey and Linda to notice that nearly every other fighter was clearly local to the area. All but one, save for themselves.
"Coral. Coral Connolly," said the only other non-chinese fighter. She spoke with a strong irish accent. "Pleased to finally meet somebody who speaks proper english. Pleased until I have to thrash your arses, anyway."
Lindsey laughed. "I like you!"
"Of course you do," replied Coral, before turning to Linda. "Didn't I see you in a smart and fancy suit, up in the lobby? Your sort don't usually dress down for a tussle in the pit."
"And what sort are you, exactly?" asked Linda.
"I told you, I'm Coral Connolly." After a quiet beat, Coral looked insulted. "You seriously haven't heard of me? I've sung in Eurovision, you know."
"How's that have you ending up in a cage with us?" asked Lindsey.
"I was just on the radio! Singing! Here!" Coral received only a shrug in response. "Ugh. Anyway, my liason over there mentioned he'd be fighting, and I told him I wouldn't give him a tip if he didn't take me along for a scrap." She gestured at a chinese man shadowboxing on the opposite side of the cage, pointedly ignoring Coral's words.
Linda raised a hand gently. "I still don't understand what that has to do with...Eurovision, and..."
"A girl can't have two talents?" Coral shook her head.
The cage door opened, and a ring attendant pointed at Coral as he barked, "You! Singer! Get in ring!"
"First match? Really?" Coral frowned as she headed for the door. "Don't they know who I am?"
----
"So what're they saying?" asked Lindsey.
"I don't know," said Linda, "my cantonese is still a little sloppy."
As the announcer finished his opening statement, he then gestured to the fighter tapping her foot impatiently on the mat. "CORAL CONNOLLY!"
Her frown immediately turning into a practiced smile, Coral raised her hands and strutted across the ring as the crowd cheered. The irish girl's bright blonde hair was tied in a celtic knot ponytail, and her namesake was represented in the bright reddish-pink halter leotard that she wore in the ring. It matched the colour of the sash belt wrapped around her waist and hanging down the side of her bare thigh.
The announcer then gave another introduction, before gesturing to a doorway on the other side of the venue. "<A champion you all recall shall face this foreign challenger! The goddess body!>XU CHENG-HUA!"
The doors opened to reveal a muscular and long-haired chinese woman in a tiger-striped bikini, who stepped into the arena and immediately posed to a roar from the crowd. The audience parted respectfully as she walked to the ring, vaulting over the wooden barrier without taking her eyes off of her opponent. Coral looked back at her defiantly, before a gong sounded the start of the match.
"Why isn't she fighting anyone that was in the cage with us?" mused Lindsey, out loud.
Linda tapped her chin, repeating some cantonese words that she had just heard the announcer use. "What does that mean..."
Clapping her hands together, Cheng-Hua then crouched slightly and held her arms at ready as she began to approach her opponent. Coral assumed a jiu-jitsu posture and moved forward as well, eager to get to business. The two fighters grabbed hold of each other, but Cheng-Hua instantly span around and yanked Coral down into a headlock. Walking her struggling opponent forward a few steps, Cheng-Hua began tightening the headlock with pumps of her muscular arms. Coral threw awkward punches into Cheng-Hua’s back with her left fist, crying out angrily as the simple grinding headlock began to make her feel some real pain within the first minute of the match. Cheng-Hua twisted and jerked to one side as she released Coral, sending the irish girl flipping forward onto the mat.
Astonished at how badly her opening melee had gone, Coral got to her feet very clearly shaken. Cheng-Hua grabbed one of her shoulders, forcing Coral into another grappling contest. The irish girl’s pride flared up again as she realized that while she was spending all of her effort to try and match up against her opponent’s powerful body, Cheng-Hua was smiling and even conversing with the crowd. With a shrill roar, Coral began throwing hard knees into her opponent’s body as she tried to lift one of Cheng-Hua’s legs and take the chinese woman to the ground. Cheng-Hua gave a surprised noise before clapping a hand onto Coral’s oncoming thigh and pushing it up. The chinese woman grabbed Coral’s clavicle and pushed it up as well to lift the irish girl overhead. Coral made a frightened noise as she was pressed into the air, barely getting a chance to struggle before she was thrown down onto her opponent’s knee. Cheng-Hua scooped Coral off of her knee as she stood up, carrying the stunned irish girl towards one of the sides of the ring and pausing twice to give her two more backbreakers during the journey. Coral lay gasping and draped over Cheng-Hua’s knee, her spine on fire as her opponent raised two arms and flexed for the crowd. Two fists clubbed down into Coral’s gut, curling her up before she fell to the canvas.
Looking down at the quivering girl that was balled up at her feet, Cheng-Hua snatched hold of Coral’s ponytail. Squealing defiantly, Coral was pulled up and made to stand before her opponent. With a desperate and angry cry, the irish fighter shoved Cheng-Hua’s arm away from her hair and pushed her body against the chinese woman’s, trying to lock in some kind of offense. Cheng-Hua wrestled with her happily, maneuvering Coral into position before suddenly lifting her up for a vertical suplex. Coral’s bare feet kicked helplessly in the air as her opponent held her suspended and upside-down, the irish girl’s struggles slowly ceasing as she felt increasingly light-headed and helpless. After taking a few steps back, Cheng-Hua pulled Coral down into a falling powerslam, immediately hooking one of the stunned girl’s legs and kneeling on top of her in a victorious pose.
Coral lay gasping for air, unaware of what was happening until her opponent was already off of her body and pulling her up by her ponytail once again. The irish fighter did not come to her senses until she was already miltary-pressed into the air once again, squealing loudly just before Cheng-Hua slammed her back-first down onto the wooden barrier. Coral lay draped over the structure, her cries cut off by a combination of a kneelift to her shoulder blades and an elbow strike down into her chest. Cheng-Hua grabbed Coral’s head and tossed her forward off the barrier and onto the floor outside the ring. The crowd dispersed rapidly as Cheng-Hua stepped onto the concrete and forced Coral to her feet. The irish girl only briefly wondered why the floor was so cold, before she felt herself being hoisted into a backbreaking submission hold. Playing to the audience that surrounded her, Cheng-Hua ground her opponent’s body in a torture rack hold that was filled with practiced and brutal showmanship. Coral’s arms and legs flopped and flailed as she screamed in pain, trying desperately to show some kind of surrender as the pain overcame her. Cheng-Hua paused, gripping Coral more solidly before jerking her down sharply with a loud pop, and then once again with a painful crack. The limp irish girl slid off of Cheng-Hua’s shoulders as she was released, tumbling over the barrier and landing back in the ring. The chinese fighter stepped up onto the barrier and launched herself into the air, before dropping an elbow into the center of Coral’s chest and forcing another defeated noise out of the prone girl.
Standing up and basking in the applause, Cheng-Hua turned to look at one side of the ring. The announcer nodded back to Cheng-Hua as he made a loud declaration. "Jíbài!!" Coral could not understand the word, or why the crowd had begun to chant it, but a firm hand around her throat made her sputter a plea as she was lifted back to her feet. The irish girl’s shoulders were slumped as she was walked to the center of the ring, shaking her head and slapping at her opponent’s wrist. Cheng-Hua ducked and hauled Coral into a fireman’s carry over her shoulders, wearing the weakly struggling fighter like a mink shawl. Trapping Coral’s head under her right arm, and one of the irish girl’s knees under her left to keep her in place, Cheng-Hua began to flex and pose. Coral groaned as the pressure of expanding bicep and lat muscles surrounded her skull. Cheng-Hua continued to tighten her posture, and Coral’s arms and free leg began flailing more and more violently as her moans became screams. Cheng-Hua continued crushing her opponent’s head under her arm, holding the wildly struggling irish girl around her shoulders as she heard two pops and a satisfying crack. Coral made a loud noise as her limbs went stiff and shuddered. Her eyes rolled back and glazed as her skull made another cracking sound, and her softening spasms let Cheng-Hua know it was time to let go. Coral hit the mat splayed out and on her stomach, with a puddle of drool running out of her open mouth.
"<The foreign warrior lies humble and dominated at the feet of a champion! Your winner, XU CHENG-HUA!>"
"O-Oh," said Linda. "I think I recall. 'Jíbài' means defeat. Beat. Vanquish."
"So it's like sayin'...finish her?" Lindsey looked to Linda for an answer.
"Yes," said Linda, nodding. "Yes, something like that." She watched as ring attendants dragged Coral across the mat and out of the ring. "Clearly."
----
A ring attendant opened the cage door and pointed at Linda. "You! Next fight! Get in ring!"
"Go Linda!" cheered Lindsey, slapping Linda on the back as she left the cage.
Linda had figured out at least part of what the announcer's introduction was about. Something about foreigners, and something about champions. She knew that she and Lindsey were likely to be made into a spectacle like Coral, rather than have legitimate matches in the evening's competition. But she also knew that it would be a fight to remember, and a rush like no other.
"LINDA LEAPER!" declared the announcer, gesturing to the british girl as she raised a fist and skipped towards one side of the ring. She smiled as she began bouncing on her bare soles, picking up a soft combat rhythm in the back of her mind. Linda's red hair was in a wild and messy ponytail, with long bangs draping down along either side of her face, and she wore dark-green briefs with a matching strapless bandeau top. The prim and proper daughter of businesspeople began to fully recede, as the bared body of a spirited pitfighter took her place.
Pointing at the doorway across the arena, the announcer began his next introduction. "<This foreign challenger faces another champion you will all remember. The mountain crusher!> GONG WEI!"
Stepping into view was an enormous and wide chinese man, with short and greasy hair plastered down onto his large skull. He wore nothing more than a brown loincloth, and carried a sizeable watermelon under one arm. After punching a fist into the top of the fruit, Gong Wei began eating messy handfuls of melon flesh as he lumbered towards the ring, as attendants dutifully pulled a metal staircase into place so that he could step over the wooden barrier and onto the mat. He finished chewing and slowly pointed at Linda, before suddenly crushing the half-hollowed watermelon in his bare hands, leaving a pile of pink and green pulp at his feet.
Even as she moved in an animated capoeira ginga, Linda could not avoid staring at the remains of the watermelon that her opponent had used to intimidate her, even before the gong sounded to start off their match. She snapped to attention as she barely ducked and rolled out of the way of Gong Wei's meaty hands grabbing at her shoulders, popping up behind the fat fighter and delivering a pair of leaping chops to the back of his head. Linda stopped as she saw Gong Wei begin to turn around with an unphased expression on his face, and rolled forward again to dodge underneath a wide-swinging lariat that aimed to take her head off. The british girl tried a new target, rhythmically kicking her opponent in the flank several times. Gong Wei's thick flesh barely jiggled as her leg smacked against it, and he once again slowly turned around as though nothing were happening. The fat fighter raised his hands, and then lowered one as he moved in with a sudden burst of short-range speed. Linda went to roll underneath his arms again, and Gong Wei caught her with expert timing. He laughed as he held her under one of his arms by her waist, looking down at a pair of legs kicking madly in the air as his opponent tried to squirm free. Turning around in two large steps, Gong Wei swang Linda around and then threw her down onto the mat.
Crawling back to her feet after her body hit the floor with a loud slap, Linda saw her opponent yawning and waving a hand at her, beckoning her to get up and fight. The british girl began bouncing into a low ginga stance, and moved in a circle around Gong Wei. She picked up speed and started to throw spinning kicks into Gong Wei's face, her bare foot cracking across his cheeks every few seconds as she continued to circle around him. Linda's momentum faltered as her opponent suddenly slapped her leg away before another kick connected, and the british girl quickly switched to a series of standing kicks. Gong Wei reached for her head, so Linda ducked out of the way while moving into a handstand, twirling and kicking the fat fighter three more times in the face. Somersaulting back to her feet, Linda leapt into the air with a loud "HAI!!" and went for a finishing chop. Her hand sank solidly into the meat of his neck, but her heart sank as well as she saw that all of her effort had resulted in reddening Gong Wei's face. She panted heavily as he laughed and grabbed her wrist, and then put all her energy into rapid knee strikes aimed at her opponent's kidney. Gong Wei stood and took it, holding Linda's arm tightly and watching her slowly tire herself out. The british girl slumped slightly, breathing heavily as she gave one violent pull to try and get her arm free. After a few moments, she threw one more kick into Gong Wei's unmoving body. The fat fighter finally reacted, pulling up on Linda's arm to lift her off the mat, and then slapping her back down to the canvas with an enormous overhand palm strike. Linda lay on her stomach, trying to get up until one of her opponent's feet pressed down into her back. Gong Wei stepped forward, pushing his entire weight into Linda's body and causing the british girl to make an excruciating noise.
Linda rolled left and right as she clutched at her back and gasped in pain, and then grunted out a long and breathless noise as Gong Wei stamped a large foot down into the center of her chest. The british girl's limbs went limp for a moment, before she began writhing and trying to get out from under Gong Wei's weight. The fat fighter then stepped forward again, and Linda made a retching noise as her body curled up into a ball around the pressure pushing down into her chest. As Gong Wei stepped off of her, the british girl flopped out spread-eagled on the mat, gasping for air while weakly trying to lift an arm or a leg every few seconds. Her opponent grabbed hold of her head and raised her back to her feet himself. Linda instinctively raised her hands to push away from any holds, and was rewarded by being thrown forward several feet. She lifted her head off the mat, and saw the pile of watermelon pulp just before Gong Wei pushed her face down into it. He scooped a giant handful of the crushed fruit into her mouth as she struggled to get up, and held her mouth closed as he raised her to her feet once again, laughing as he watched her finally swallow the impromptu meal.
Drops of watermelon ran down Linda's face alongside drops of sweat as she tried to come back to her senses, but two large arms clapped around her body and lifted her into a bearhug before she could fight back. Linda's toes brushed the mat briefly as she kicked her legs and beat at Gong Wei's body, but the fat fighter wasted no time in squeezing her body against his large belly. He wrang Linda from side to side as she howled in pain. Upon seeing her eyes grow wide, he then squeezed her in the bear hug as hard as he could. The british girl shuddered and began bending back, coughing up foamy pink globs of spittle and watermelon. Gong Wei then wrenched her to one side several times, feeling ribs crack in his arms as a string of bloody drool dripped over Linda's lower lip. With a roar, the fat fighter crushed his opponent in his arms until something cracked, and then let her crumple into a messy sprawl at his feet.
"Jíbài!!" commanded the announcer. The crowd began chanting "Jíbài" as well, and Linda could barely lift her face off the canvas as she felt Gong Wei grab hold of her head to proceed to finish her off. Linda looked beaten and fearful, and she cried out as her opponent scooped her up into a bodyslam position. Gong Wei held Linda horizontally against his chest, carrying her into the center of the ring before planting his feet. Then the fat fighter began squeezing her, one of his arms pushing between her legs and into her tailbone, while the other pushed into her shoulders and neck. Linda's spine began to compress and bend, her arms and legs flailing wildly in the air as she screamed in agony. There was a pop as she suddenly bent back slightly, and another as she bent further. Linda made one more sharp shriek as her back audibly broke, and Gong Wei held her folded in his arms even after she went limp, her head nearly pressed against her own posterior. Holding his arms out wide as the crowd cheered, Gong Wei stood over Linda as she fell to the mat and lay in a mangled heap.
"<The foreign challenger was no match! She has been broken in the arms of the mountain crusher, GONG WEI!>"
Ring attendants quickly got into the ring and rolled Linda's rubbery body into a stretcher, carrying her away to receive state-of-the-art MediKade treatment.
"Poor Linda," thought Lindsey, shaken despite the knowledge that the Hilton's technology could heal her friend. "Got yourself pretzelled real hardcore."
----
"America girl! You fight now! Go!" barked the ring attendant.
"LINDSEY COLT!" said the announcer, as Lindsey hopped over the barrier and onto the mat. Her natural all-american looks got a loud reaction as she got into the ring, filling her with excited adrenaline almost immediately. Her hair hung loose in curly copper locks that bounced as she waved to the crowd. She had not dressed with any subtlety, wearing a blue sports bra that was speckled with white stars, and a small pair of red-and-white striped spandex shorts.
As the doorway across the arena opened once more, the announcer continued. "<The american fighter will face the champion with the most american blood on his hands. The Demon!> BOLO LI!"
Arms wide as he walked to the ring, Bolo Li drank in the adoration of the crowd, and never once gave his opponent so much as a glance. Clad in black-belted red shorts, the veteran chinese fighter stepped up onto the wooden barrier around the ring before casually hopping down and landing in the ring. Finally making eye contact with Lindsey, he pointed at her, and then down at the ground. The confident and threatening expression on his face cut through the american girl’s exuberance like a knife, making her visibly falter. While she was barely a rookie anymore, Lindsey had never felt such a chill in the ring, and it made her even more excited as she heard the gong and prepared to fight.
Coming out swinging, Lindsey’s rapid swinging punches missed their marks as Bolo Li dodged and weaved around them. He landed a blow to her chest between her attacks, and a chop to her shoulder after another few dodges. Lindsey bared her teeth in a pained and excited grin, throwing punches and elbows before finally connecting with a turning midriff kick. She immediately went to hit her opponent’s face, but Bolo Li suddenly raised a leg and blocked her arm as he wrapped his calf down over her elbow. The same foot then snapped one kick into her other hand as it reached to pull her trapped one free, and then snapped a second kick straight into her face. Lindsey’s head snapped back as she barely stayed standing, before a second kick dropped her backwards onto the mat.
Rubbing her jaw as she got up, Lindsey saw Bolo Li bouncing in place with a bored look on his face. Charging in, she began another long string of strike attempts. After two dodges, Bolo Li drove an impatient palm into her chest and watched her stagger back. Timing his next attack so that she would have only a split-second to see it coming, the chinese fighter stepped in and cracked an elbow up into Lindsey’s chin. The american girl would have fallen to the floor, but instead landed awkwardly against the nearest wooden barrier. Her opponent was upon her before she could move away, grabbing her throat and punching her twice in the flank as he pushed her against the makeshift wall. A solid kidney punch forced a pained squawk out of Lindsey’s mouth as she bent to one side, before Bolo Li grabbed one of her legs to help lift her up and slam her down onto the top edge of the barrier. Raising an arm, the chinese fighter drove an elbow down into his opponent’s bared belly, curling her up as she fell back into the ring.
Spitting up a gob onto the mat, Lindsey struggled to stand. Her opponent punched her in the ribs, letting her stumble back a few steps as she clutched her chest. Raising a shaky arm, Lindsey threw a wild elbow at Bolo Li. He caught her arm and locked it with his own, before giving the weakened american fighter two palmstrikes to the face. Lindsey nearly slumped to her knees before her opponent used her captured arm to keep her upright, proceeding to pummel her body with short-range punches. Some blood came out of her mouth and spattered onto his fist, giving Bolo Li some pause. He released her arm and reached down to yank up on both of her legs, dropping the american fighter’s back against the mat. He twisted her legs to roll her onto her stomach, and then crossed her ankles as he knelt down and pulled up on the back of her scalp. Bolo Li immediately punched Lindsey twice in the back of her head, standing up and letting her body unfold in a sprawl.
Lindsey’s arms waved dazily as she stared wide-eyed at the spinning blur that filled her vision, raised to her feet by a hand on the back of her neck and held in place as her legs stumbled in place. "Jíbài!!" filled her ears for several seconds, before a loud snap caused her right leg to explode in pain. Bolo Li had stamped down into the side of her knee, visibly and gruesomely breaking bone. Lindsey screamed as she fell to the mat, clutching her leg and curling up on the canvas. Her opponent wasted no time taking hold of one of her wrists and yanking up on one of her arms, pushing a foot into her shoulder to keep her on the floor. The fallen american fighter whimpered as she anticipated what would come next, knowing that she had gone past the point of losing the match. Bolo Li wrenched her arm as he stomped down into her shoulder, audibly breaking bone once again. Lindsey shrieked, growing light-headed as she nearly blacked out from the pain. Her opponent shoved her over onto her back with one foot, and knelt over her chest as he grabbed the back of her scalp and raised her head off the mat. She looked up at Bolo Li, breathing rapidly as she waited for him to finish her off. Slowly forming a fist, Bolo Li then delivered three sudden punches to her forehead, throat, and chest. Lindsey spasmed three times, choking loudly from the throat shot in between. The chinese fighter felt her pulse with his thumb, waiting for the right moment. Then, another two punches to her chest impacted with brutal crunches. Bolo Li released her and turned away to celebrate, as Lindsey began to gag and convulse. Her heart tightened as she continued to spasm, finally coming to a rest laying spreadeagled with a pained expression frozen on her face. Bits of blood and foamy spittle ran down one side of her gaping mouth, her tongue protruding and draped over her lower lip.
“<Another American challenger has been destroyed by the demon! BOLO LI!!>”
As ring attendants came to rush Lindsey away from the ring, Bolo Li held up his hands in a request for them to wait. He walked back to his beaten opponent, bowing politely. Then, he stomped her chest twice, watching her prone body flop in place. He reached down and shook her limp hand before turning to leave, celebrating once again as Lindsey was carried out of the ring.
----
Her eyes began to blink open, revealing the hotel room ceiling.
“Linds? Are you back with us?” asked Linda.
Diving towards her friend to give her a hug, Lindsey exclaimed, “That was fuckin’ raw! Hardcore fuckin’ RAW!!”
“Ow! OW, Linds, not my back…” Linda winced and gently pushed away at her gleeful friend. “Were it not for their MediKade facilities, it would still be snapped in two.”
“I think, Linda, omigod!” Lindsey brimmed with energy after a solid slumber. “I think he actually stopped my fuckin’ HEART with a PUNCH! That was intense, fuckin’ INTENSE!”
“And I certainly feel more limber,” replied Linda. “Limber and free and a little terrified. At least for a little while. Ah, we have a video message, for the two of us. I waited for you to wake up.”
Using the television remote control, Linda played the message on the screen. A chinese woman in a black dress spoke in polite, somewhat accented english.
“Good day to you. I hope you have recovered well from your time in our arena. Such a treasure, this American MediKade. Though, we believe it took more than a western mind to create. But that is not as important as what I say next. The audience of our arena, the people of this place...they feel the weight of your country’s power. They want to see foreign fighters driven away, yet they just as much want to see them bleed. Fighters like you are good for business. Good for...morale. I cannot promise you a fair contest, but as you surely understand, I can promise you an exciting one. A fight for your life, with the safety of our equipment. You will find a large sum of money in the envelopes in your dresser. You will find the luxurious room has been paid for. Should you wish to come back again, please contact me so that we may...do business.”
Lindsey looked at her friend with wide and excited eyes. “Well?”
“Really?” replied Linda. “I assume that look on your face means that you want to do this again.”
Nodding rapidly, Lindsey repeated, “Well?!”
Linda smiled. “We do have the room for a week, don’t we?”
----
Stepping through the airport's arrival doors, Lindsey Colt lifted her sunglasses and grinned broadly as she saw a girl holding a card with her name on it. Lindsey whistled and waved as she bounded over to meet her contact.
"Linda Leaper, is that you?" asked Lindsey, hugging the girl tightly.
"Yes, not so loud though," replied Linda, giggling quietly. She was a british girl, dressed in a very professional dark blue dress and jacket. "I'm still in my business skin."
"You wear glasses!" exclaimed Lindsey. "How do ya fight with glasses on?"
"I've had corrective work done," said Linda, helping Lindsey with her bag. "I just...haven't told mummy or daddy."
"It's so badass to see your secret identity thing in person," added Lindsey.
The pair had befriended one another online, in one of several small social groups for those who enjoyed the life of a moonlight pitfighter. While Lindsey was simply acting out her natural role of a social butterfly, Linda used the communities as an outlet for what was very much a secret escape. She was the daughter of wealthy british entrepreneurs, the Lexingtons, who both crafted and guarded a very specific lifestyle for her to lead. Linda was eager to act out and rebel, and what began as self-defense classes quickly became a second life and false surname that few in her normal life were aware of.
"Well, it does leave me to rely on circumstances like this to socialize with...well, our kind," said Linda. "I've been told to take a suite at the Hilton while they are on business here in Hong Kong. Lucky for me, my friend Lindsey Colt happens to have the time to visit the city at the same time."
"And lucky for both of us?" asked Lindsey.
"I happen to have heard about a lovely spot at the Hilton, where we can both get quite a good workout," replied Linda.
----
Later that night, the two girls stepped out of the elevator and into the Hilton lobby dressed in white satin bathrobes and matching slippers, carrying towels and looking ready for a swim.
"I feel like a dork in this get-up," said Lindsey, stifling a snicker.
"Well we can't just stride through the lobby in our ring attire," said Linda.
"Yeah, but is EVERY fighter staying at this hotel?" Lindsey scratched the back of her neck. "I thought you said it was gonna be a real raw Hong Kong underground arena."
"Of course there are plenty of combatants without the means to have a room above the venue," replied Linda, smirking. "But why not enjoy the luxury, right?"
As they reached the reception desk, Linda said an awkward phrase in cantonese. The hotel employee gave them both a strange look, and then quietly stepped to one side to let the two girls by. They headed into a nondescript service elevator behind reception, which had only one destination.
----
Lindsey's eyes brightened as she arrived in a musty locker room, directly connected to the elevator door. She quickly tore off her robe and kicked away her slippers, heading straight for ringside. The ring was a simple canvas mat, stretched out on the floor and surrounded by wooden barriers. The lighting was yellowed, and the crowd was raucous. A caged enclosure was attached to the ring, filled with a few benches and a number of restless fighters.
"You seem happy," remarked Linda, walking up behind Lindsey. "I've put our things in a locker."
Lindsey bounced to her feet and grabbed Linda tightly. "This is so raw! It's perfect! I feel like I wanna fuck someone up, or...or...or get fucked up, I dunno!"
"It has that particular bare-knuckle sort of squallor, doesn't it?" Linda laughed. "I should forewarn you, this may well be brutal. I have heard that the Hong Kong Hilton has the latest in MediKade, and uses that to encourage some extreme violence."
"Don't serious-talk me, Linda," whined Lindsey. "We're both the special kinda crazy that needs this, right?"
"YOU'RE crazy," said Linda, smiling coyly. "I'm just repressed."
"Well, where do we sign up?" Lindsey began bouncing. "I wanna kick some face."
"Over by the cage, I would imagine," answered Linda. "I suppose the Hilton wishes to ensure one's intentions of competing."
----
Once locked into the cage with the rest of the evening's competitors, it did not take long for Lindsey and Linda to notice that nearly every other fighter was clearly local to the area. All but one, save for themselves.
"Coral. Coral Connolly," said the only other non-chinese fighter. She spoke with a strong irish accent. "Pleased to finally meet somebody who speaks proper english. Pleased until I have to thrash your arses, anyway."
Lindsey laughed. "I like you!"
"Of course you do," replied Coral, before turning to Linda. "Didn't I see you in a smart and fancy suit, up in the lobby? Your sort don't usually dress down for a tussle in the pit."
"And what sort are you, exactly?" asked Linda.
"I told you, I'm Coral Connolly." After a quiet beat, Coral looked insulted. "You seriously haven't heard of me? I've sung in Eurovision, you know."
"How's that have you ending up in a cage with us?" asked Lindsey.
"I was just on the radio! Singing! Here!" Coral received only a shrug in response. "Ugh. Anyway, my liason over there mentioned he'd be fighting, and I told him I wouldn't give him a tip if he didn't take me along for a scrap." She gestured at a chinese man shadowboxing on the opposite side of the cage, pointedly ignoring Coral's words.
Linda raised a hand gently. "I still don't understand what that has to do with...Eurovision, and..."
"A girl can't have two talents?" Coral shook her head.
The cage door opened, and a ring attendant pointed at Coral as he barked, "You! Singer! Get in ring!"
"First match? Really?" Coral frowned as she headed for the door. "Don't they know who I am?"
----
"So what're they saying?" asked Lindsey.
"I don't know," said Linda, "my cantonese is still a little sloppy."
As the announcer finished his opening statement, he then gestured to the fighter tapping her foot impatiently on the mat. "CORAL CONNOLLY!"
Her frown immediately turning into a practiced smile, Coral raised her hands and strutted across the ring as the crowd cheered. The irish girl's bright blonde hair was tied in a celtic knot ponytail, and her namesake was represented in the bright reddish-pink halter leotard that she wore in the ring. It matched the colour of the sash belt wrapped around her waist and hanging down the side of her bare thigh.
The announcer then gave another introduction, before gesturing to a doorway on the other side of the venue. "<A champion you all recall shall face this foreign challenger! The goddess body!>XU CHENG-HUA!"
The doors opened to reveal a muscular and long-haired chinese woman in a tiger-striped bikini, who stepped into the arena and immediately posed to a roar from the crowd. The audience parted respectfully as she walked to the ring, vaulting over the wooden barrier without taking her eyes off of her opponent. Coral looked back at her defiantly, before a gong sounded the start of the match.
"Why isn't she fighting anyone that was in the cage with us?" mused Lindsey, out loud.
Linda tapped her chin, repeating some cantonese words that she had just heard the announcer use. "What does that mean..."
Clapping her hands together, Cheng-Hua then crouched slightly and held her arms at ready as she began to approach her opponent. Coral assumed a jiu-jitsu posture and moved forward as well, eager to get to business. The two fighters grabbed hold of each other, but Cheng-Hua instantly span around and yanked Coral down into a headlock. Walking her struggling opponent forward a few steps, Cheng-Hua began tightening the headlock with pumps of her muscular arms. Coral threw awkward punches into Cheng-Hua’s back with her left fist, crying out angrily as the simple grinding headlock began to make her feel some real pain within the first minute of the match. Cheng-Hua twisted and jerked to one side as she released Coral, sending the irish girl flipping forward onto the mat.
Astonished at how badly her opening melee had gone, Coral got to her feet very clearly shaken. Cheng-Hua grabbed one of her shoulders, forcing Coral into another grappling contest. The irish girl’s pride flared up again as she realized that while she was spending all of her effort to try and match up against her opponent’s powerful body, Cheng-Hua was smiling and even conversing with the crowd. With a shrill roar, Coral began throwing hard knees into her opponent’s body as she tried to lift one of Cheng-Hua’s legs and take the chinese woman to the ground. Cheng-Hua gave a surprised noise before clapping a hand onto Coral’s oncoming thigh and pushing it up. The chinese woman grabbed Coral’s clavicle and pushed it up as well to lift the irish girl overhead. Coral made a frightened noise as she was pressed into the air, barely getting a chance to struggle before she was thrown down onto her opponent’s knee. Cheng-Hua scooped Coral off of her knee as she stood up, carrying the stunned irish girl towards one of the sides of the ring and pausing twice to give her two more backbreakers during the journey. Coral lay gasping and draped over Cheng-Hua’s knee, her spine on fire as her opponent raised two arms and flexed for the crowd. Two fists clubbed down into Coral’s gut, curling her up before she fell to the canvas.
Looking down at the quivering girl that was balled up at her feet, Cheng-Hua snatched hold of Coral’s ponytail. Squealing defiantly, Coral was pulled up and made to stand before her opponent. With a desperate and angry cry, the irish fighter shoved Cheng-Hua’s arm away from her hair and pushed her body against the chinese woman’s, trying to lock in some kind of offense. Cheng-Hua wrestled with her happily, maneuvering Coral into position before suddenly lifting her up for a vertical suplex. Coral’s bare feet kicked helplessly in the air as her opponent held her suspended and upside-down, the irish girl’s struggles slowly ceasing as she felt increasingly light-headed and helpless. After taking a few steps back, Cheng-Hua pulled Coral down into a falling powerslam, immediately hooking one of the stunned girl’s legs and kneeling on top of her in a victorious pose.
Coral lay gasping for air, unaware of what was happening until her opponent was already off of her body and pulling her up by her ponytail once again. The irish fighter did not come to her senses until she was already miltary-pressed into the air once again, squealing loudly just before Cheng-Hua slammed her back-first down onto the wooden barrier. Coral lay draped over the structure, her cries cut off by a combination of a kneelift to her shoulder blades and an elbow strike down into her chest. Cheng-Hua grabbed Coral’s head and tossed her forward off the barrier and onto the floor outside the ring. The crowd dispersed rapidly as Cheng-Hua stepped onto the concrete and forced Coral to her feet. The irish girl only briefly wondered why the floor was so cold, before she felt herself being hoisted into a backbreaking submission hold. Playing to the audience that surrounded her, Cheng-Hua ground her opponent’s body in a torture rack hold that was filled with practiced and brutal showmanship. Coral’s arms and legs flopped and flailed as she screamed in pain, trying desperately to show some kind of surrender as the pain overcame her. Cheng-Hua paused, gripping Coral more solidly before jerking her down sharply with a loud pop, and then once again with a painful crack. The limp irish girl slid off of Cheng-Hua’s shoulders as she was released, tumbling over the barrier and landing back in the ring. The chinese fighter stepped up onto the barrier and launched herself into the air, before dropping an elbow into the center of Coral’s chest and forcing another defeated noise out of the prone girl.
Standing up and basking in the applause, Cheng-Hua turned to look at one side of the ring. The announcer nodded back to Cheng-Hua as he made a loud declaration. "Jíbài!!" Coral could not understand the word, or why the crowd had begun to chant it, but a firm hand around her throat made her sputter a plea as she was lifted back to her feet. The irish girl’s shoulders were slumped as she was walked to the center of the ring, shaking her head and slapping at her opponent’s wrist. Cheng-Hua ducked and hauled Coral into a fireman’s carry over her shoulders, wearing the weakly struggling fighter like a mink shawl. Trapping Coral’s head under her right arm, and one of the irish girl’s knees under her left to keep her in place, Cheng-Hua began to flex and pose. Coral groaned as the pressure of expanding bicep and lat muscles surrounded her skull. Cheng-Hua continued to tighten her posture, and Coral’s arms and free leg began flailing more and more violently as her moans became screams. Cheng-Hua continued crushing her opponent’s head under her arm, holding the wildly struggling irish girl around her shoulders as she heard two pops and a satisfying crack. Coral made a loud noise as her limbs went stiff and shuddered. Her eyes rolled back and glazed as her skull made another cracking sound, and her softening spasms let Cheng-Hua know it was time to let go. Coral hit the mat splayed out and on her stomach, with a puddle of drool running out of her open mouth.
"<The foreign warrior lies humble and dominated at the feet of a champion! Your winner, XU CHENG-HUA!>"
"O-Oh," said Linda. "I think I recall. 'Jíbài' means defeat. Beat. Vanquish."
"So it's like sayin'...finish her?" Lindsey looked to Linda for an answer.
"Yes," said Linda, nodding. "Yes, something like that." She watched as ring attendants dragged Coral across the mat and out of the ring. "Clearly."
----
A ring attendant opened the cage door and pointed at Linda. "You! Next fight! Get in ring!"
"Go Linda!" cheered Lindsey, slapping Linda on the back as she left the cage.
Linda had figured out at least part of what the announcer's introduction was about. Something about foreigners, and something about champions. She knew that she and Lindsey were likely to be made into a spectacle like Coral, rather than have legitimate matches in the evening's competition. But she also knew that it would be a fight to remember, and a rush like no other.
"LINDA LEAPER!" declared the announcer, gesturing to the british girl as she raised a fist and skipped towards one side of the ring. She smiled as she began bouncing on her bare soles, picking up a soft combat rhythm in the back of her mind. Linda's red hair was in a wild and messy ponytail, with long bangs draping down along either side of her face, and she wore dark-green briefs with a matching strapless bandeau top. The prim and proper daughter of businesspeople began to fully recede, as the bared body of a spirited pitfighter took her place.
Pointing at the doorway across the arena, the announcer began his next introduction. "<This foreign challenger faces another champion you will all remember. The mountain crusher!> GONG WEI!"
Stepping into view was an enormous and wide chinese man, with short and greasy hair plastered down onto his large skull. He wore nothing more than a brown loincloth, and carried a sizeable watermelon under one arm. After punching a fist into the top of the fruit, Gong Wei began eating messy handfuls of melon flesh as he lumbered towards the ring, as attendants dutifully pulled a metal staircase into place so that he could step over the wooden barrier and onto the mat. He finished chewing and slowly pointed at Linda, before suddenly crushing the half-hollowed watermelon in his bare hands, leaving a pile of pink and green pulp at his feet.
Even as she moved in an animated capoeira ginga, Linda could not avoid staring at the remains of the watermelon that her opponent had used to intimidate her, even before the gong sounded to start off their match. She snapped to attention as she barely ducked and rolled out of the way of Gong Wei's meaty hands grabbing at her shoulders, popping up behind the fat fighter and delivering a pair of leaping chops to the back of his head. Linda stopped as she saw Gong Wei begin to turn around with an unphased expression on his face, and rolled forward again to dodge underneath a wide-swinging lariat that aimed to take her head off. The british girl tried a new target, rhythmically kicking her opponent in the flank several times. Gong Wei's thick flesh barely jiggled as her leg smacked against it, and he once again slowly turned around as though nothing were happening. The fat fighter raised his hands, and then lowered one as he moved in with a sudden burst of short-range speed. Linda went to roll underneath his arms again, and Gong Wei caught her with expert timing. He laughed as he held her under one of his arms by her waist, looking down at a pair of legs kicking madly in the air as his opponent tried to squirm free. Turning around in two large steps, Gong Wei swang Linda around and then threw her down onto the mat.
Crawling back to her feet after her body hit the floor with a loud slap, Linda saw her opponent yawning and waving a hand at her, beckoning her to get up and fight. The british girl began bouncing into a low ginga stance, and moved in a circle around Gong Wei. She picked up speed and started to throw spinning kicks into Gong Wei's face, her bare foot cracking across his cheeks every few seconds as she continued to circle around him. Linda's momentum faltered as her opponent suddenly slapped her leg away before another kick connected, and the british girl quickly switched to a series of standing kicks. Gong Wei reached for her head, so Linda ducked out of the way while moving into a handstand, twirling and kicking the fat fighter three more times in the face. Somersaulting back to her feet, Linda leapt into the air with a loud "HAI!!" and went for a finishing chop. Her hand sank solidly into the meat of his neck, but her heart sank as well as she saw that all of her effort had resulted in reddening Gong Wei's face. She panted heavily as he laughed and grabbed her wrist, and then put all her energy into rapid knee strikes aimed at her opponent's kidney. Gong Wei stood and took it, holding Linda's arm tightly and watching her slowly tire herself out. The british girl slumped slightly, breathing heavily as she gave one violent pull to try and get her arm free. After a few moments, she threw one more kick into Gong Wei's unmoving body. The fat fighter finally reacted, pulling up on Linda's arm to lift her off the mat, and then slapping her back down to the canvas with an enormous overhand palm strike. Linda lay on her stomach, trying to get up until one of her opponent's feet pressed down into her back. Gong Wei stepped forward, pushing his entire weight into Linda's body and causing the british girl to make an excruciating noise.
Linda rolled left and right as she clutched at her back and gasped in pain, and then grunted out a long and breathless noise as Gong Wei stamped a large foot down into the center of her chest. The british girl's limbs went limp for a moment, before she began writhing and trying to get out from under Gong Wei's weight. The fat fighter then stepped forward again, and Linda made a retching noise as her body curled up into a ball around the pressure pushing down into her chest. As Gong Wei stepped off of her, the british girl flopped out spread-eagled on the mat, gasping for air while weakly trying to lift an arm or a leg every few seconds. Her opponent grabbed hold of her head and raised her back to her feet himself. Linda instinctively raised her hands to push away from any holds, and was rewarded by being thrown forward several feet. She lifted her head off the mat, and saw the pile of watermelon pulp just before Gong Wei pushed her face down into it. He scooped a giant handful of the crushed fruit into her mouth as she struggled to get up, and held her mouth closed as he raised her to her feet once again, laughing as he watched her finally swallow the impromptu meal.
Drops of watermelon ran down Linda's face alongside drops of sweat as she tried to come back to her senses, but two large arms clapped around her body and lifted her into a bearhug before she could fight back. Linda's toes brushed the mat briefly as she kicked her legs and beat at Gong Wei's body, but the fat fighter wasted no time in squeezing her body against his large belly. He wrang Linda from side to side as she howled in pain. Upon seeing her eyes grow wide, he then squeezed her in the bear hug as hard as he could. The british girl shuddered and began bending back, coughing up foamy pink globs of spittle and watermelon. Gong Wei then wrenched her to one side several times, feeling ribs crack in his arms as a string of bloody drool dripped over Linda's lower lip. With a roar, the fat fighter crushed his opponent in his arms until something cracked, and then let her crumple into a messy sprawl at his feet.
"Jíbài!!" commanded the announcer. The crowd began chanting "Jíbài" as well, and Linda could barely lift her face off the canvas as she felt Gong Wei grab hold of her head to proceed to finish her off. Linda looked beaten and fearful, and she cried out as her opponent scooped her up into a bodyslam position. Gong Wei held Linda horizontally against his chest, carrying her into the center of the ring before planting his feet. Then the fat fighter began squeezing her, one of his arms pushing between her legs and into her tailbone, while the other pushed into her shoulders and neck. Linda's spine began to compress and bend, her arms and legs flailing wildly in the air as she screamed in agony. There was a pop as she suddenly bent back slightly, and another as she bent further. Linda made one more sharp shriek as her back audibly broke, and Gong Wei held her folded in his arms even after she went limp, her head nearly pressed against her own posterior. Holding his arms out wide as the crowd cheered, Gong Wei stood over Linda as she fell to the mat and lay in a mangled heap.
"<The foreign challenger was no match! She has been broken in the arms of the mountain crusher, GONG WEI!>"
Ring attendants quickly got into the ring and rolled Linda's rubbery body into a stretcher, carrying her away to receive state-of-the-art MediKade treatment.
"Poor Linda," thought Lindsey, shaken despite the knowledge that the Hilton's technology could heal her friend. "Got yourself pretzelled real hardcore."
----
"America girl! You fight now! Go!" barked the ring attendant.
"LINDSEY COLT!" said the announcer, as Lindsey hopped over the barrier and onto the mat. Her natural all-american looks got a loud reaction as she got into the ring, filling her with excited adrenaline almost immediately. Her hair hung loose in curly copper locks that bounced as she waved to the crowd. She had not dressed with any subtlety, wearing a blue sports bra that was speckled with white stars, and a small pair of red-and-white striped spandex shorts.
As the doorway across the arena opened once more, the announcer continued. "<The american fighter will face the champion with the most american blood on his hands. The Demon!> BOLO LI!"
Arms wide as he walked to the ring, Bolo Li drank in the adoration of the crowd, and never once gave his opponent so much as a glance. Clad in black-belted red shorts, the veteran chinese fighter stepped up onto the wooden barrier around the ring before casually hopping down and landing in the ring. Finally making eye contact with Lindsey, he pointed at her, and then down at the ground. The confident and threatening expression on his face cut through the american girl’s exuberance like a knife, making her visibly falter. While she was barely a rookie anymore, Lindsey had never felt such a chill in the ring, and it made her even more excited as she heard the gong and prepared to fight.
Coming out swinging, Lindsey’s rapid swinging punches missed their marks as Bolo Li dodged and weaved around them. He landed a blow to her chest between her attacks, and a chop to her shoulder after another few dodges. Lindsey bared her teeth in a pained and excited grin, throwing punches and elbows before finally connecting with a turning midriff kick. She immediately went to hit her opponent’s face, but Bolo Li suddenly raised a leg and blocked her arm as he wrapped his calf down over her elbow. The same foot then snapped one kick into her other hand as it reached to pull her trapped one free, and then snapped a second kick straight into her face. Lindsey’s head snapped back as she barely stayed standing, before a second kick dropped her backwards onto the mat.
Rubbing her jaw as she got up, Lindsey saw Bolo Li bouncing in place with a bored look on his face. Charging in, she began another long string of strike attempts. After two dodges, Bolo Li drove an impatient palm into her chest and watched her stagger back. Timing his next attack so that she would have only a split-second to see it coming, the chinese fighter stepped in and cracked an elbow up into Lindsey’s chin. The american girl would have fallen to the floor, but instead landed awkwardly against the nearest wooden barrier. Her opponent was upon her before she could move away, grabbing her throat and punching her twice in the flank as he pushed her against the makeshift wall. A solid kidney punch forced a pained squawk out of Lindsey’s mouth as she bent to one side, before Bolo Li grabbed one of her legs to help lift her up and slam her down onto the top edge of the barrier. Raising an arm, the chinese fighter drove an elbow down into his opponent’s bared belly, curling her up as she fell back into the ring.
Spitting up a gob onto the mat, Lindsey struggled to stand. Her opponent punched her in the ribs, letting her stumble back a few steps as she clutched her chest. Raising a shaky arm, Lindsey threw a wild elbow at Bolo Li. He caught her arm and locked it with his own, before giving the weakened american fighter two palmstrikes to the face. Lindsey nearly slumped to her knees before her opponent used her captured arm to keep her upright, proceeding to pummel her body with short-range punches. Some blood came out of her mouth and spattered onto his fist, giving Bolo Li some pause. He released her arm and reached down to yank up on both of her legs, dropping the american fighter’s back against the mat. He twisted her legs to roll her onto her stomach, and then crossed her ankles as he knelt down and pulled up on the back of her scalp. Bolo Li immediately punched Lindsey twice in the back of her head, standing up and letting her body unfold in a sprawl.
Lindsey’s arms waved dazily as she stared wide-eyed at the spinning blur that filled her vision, raised to her feet by a hand on the back of her neck and held in place as her legs stumbled in place. "Jíbài!!" filled her ears for several seconds, before a loud snap caused her right leg to explode in pain. Bolo Li had stamped down into the side of her knee, visibly and gruesomely breaking bone. Lindsey screamed as she fell to the mat, clutching her leg and curling up on the canvas. Her opponent wasted no time taking hold of one of her wrists and yanking up on one of her arms, pushing a foot into her shoulder to keep her on the floor. The fallen american fighter whimpered as she anticipated what would come next, knowing that she had gone past the point of losing the match. Bolo Li wrenched her arm as he stomped down into her shoulder, audibly breaking bone once again. Lindsey shrieked, growing light-headed as she nearly blacked out from the pain. Her opponent shoved her over onto her back with one foot, and knelt over her chest as he grabbed the back of her scalp and raised her head off the mat. She looked up at Bolo Li, breathing rapidly as she waited for him to finish her off. Slowly forming a fist, Bolo Li then delivered three sudden punches to her forehead, throat, and chest. Lindsey spasmed three times, choking loudly from the throat shot in between. The chinese fighter felt her pulse with his thumb, waiting for the right moment. Then, another two punches to her chest impacted with brutal crunches. Bolo Li released her and turned away to celebrate, as Lindsey began to gag and convulse. Her heart tightened as she continued to spasm, finally coming to a rest laying spreadeagled with a pained expression frozen on her face. Bits of blood and foamy spittle ran down one side of her gaping mouth, her tongue protruding and draped over her lower lip.
“<Another American challenger has been destroyed by the demon! BOLO LI!!>”
As ring attendants came to rush Lindsey away from the ring, Bolo Li held up his hands in a request for them to wait. He walked back to his beaten opponent, bowing politely. Then, he stomped her chest twice, watching her prone body flop in place. He reached down and shook her limp hand before turning to leave, celebrating once again as Lindsey was carried out of the ring.
----
Her eyes began to blink open, revealing the hotel room ceiling.
“Linds? Are you back with us?” asked Linda.
Diving towards her friend to give her a hug, Lindsey exclaimed, “That was fuckin’ raw! Hardcore fuckin’ RAW!!”
“Ow! OW, Linds, not my back…” Linda winced and gently pushed away at her gleeful friend. “Were it not for their MediKade facilities, it would still be snapped in two.”
“I think, Linda, omigod!” Lindsey brimmed with energy after a solid slumber. “I think he actually stopped my fuckin’ HEART with a PUNCH! That was intense, fuckin’ INTENSE!”
“And I certainly feel more limber,” replied Linda. “Limber and free and a little terrified. At least for a little while. Ah, we have a video message, for the two of us. I waited for you to wake up.”
Using the television remote control, Linda played the message on the screen. A chinese woman in a black dress spoke in polite, somewhat accented english.
“Good day to you. I hope you have recovered well from your time in our arena. Such a treasure, this American MediKade. Though, we believe it took more than a western mind to create. But that is not as important as what I say next. The audience of our arena, the people of this place...they feel the weight of your country’s power. They want to see foreign fighters driven away, yet they just as much want to see them bleed. Fighters like you are good for business. Good for...morale. I cannot promise you a fair contest, but as you surely understand, I can promise you an exciting one. A fight for your life, with the safety of our equipment. You will find a large sum of money in the envelopes in your dresser. You will find the luxurious room has been paid for. Should you wish to come back again, please contact me so that we may...do business.”
Lindsey looked at her friend with wide and excited eyes. “Well?”
“Really?” replied Linda. “I assume that look on your face means that you want to do this again.”
Nodding rapidly, Lindsey repeated, “Well?!”
Linda smiled. “We do have the room for a week, don’t we?”
