Hearts of Darkness

“Okay! Okay! I give up! Stop! Stop, please!”

Manami Kuroda:

Manami wasn’t entirely convinced. This girl had actually been putting up a decent fight for quite a while now. Quick, agile, good at reading the situation. She was making a good first impression for the rest of the gym hands. Seems AFW spared no expense when it came to these personal trainers.

Not good enough to last against the Wolf Girl, of course. Just good enough to be entertaining. Like everyone who crossed paths with her, they all slipped up eventually. One step in the wrong place. One strike too shallow. That was all it took, and all she ever needed. Now this girl had been on the receiving end of some harsh punishment for a good ten minutes now. Nothing too extreme, but she’d be leaving with some mental scars far worse than her actual ones.

“Tap! For the love of god, I tap!"

No helping it, it seems. Fine. She'd done pretty well, either way.

“Hm. It’s a shame you never managed to fall on me at least once. But, you have been a good sport about all of this. Thank you for your help today.” Manami bit her lip slightly as she felt the bones grating beneath the skin. What excellent condition this girl was in. “You...you’re welcome, Miss Kuroda.” The girl let out weakly, happy to just finally be out of this torment. “Now, can you please just-!”

Those words died in her mouth, replaced by a blood-curling shriek that echoed and reverberated throughout the gym. A male trainer rushed over after hearing the commotion. The girl rolled under the ropes and practically fell into his arms, clutching her hand tightly as he looked her over.

“Stop bawling. It’s not broken, but you’ve got some hyperextension in your wrist now if I’ve done it right. Go take some time off. You’ve earned it.” She finished those words with a smile before turning around and going to leave between the ropes before the male trainer caught her attention. “Hey!” She looked back and caught the fierce glare in his eyes. Anyone could tell what that meant.

“I have room for seconds.” Manami ran a tongue over her lips, quick enough to be taken in the mocking tone it was meant as.

“You-” Whatever spiteful comment he had planned was cut short when the girl pressed a hand against his chest, stealing back his attention. The man could only let Manami off with a scowl as he helped the girl away from the ring and out the gym doors. The Wolf’s smile dimmed as quickly as it shone, realizing now that she had no other plans and no one else to occupy herself with. She pondered convincing one of the more experienced gym goers at a couple bouts, but after the performance she had just put on, the Wolf Girl was less than confident of her chances at an encore. Better to just head home and shower.

If she could find her way out, that was. This gym was large to an almost unnecessary degree and the staff hadn’t been clued in yet to make the directional signs large enough to read feasibly. Where were those damn lockers, again?

”She’s psychotic.”

”Some of my best friends are psychotic.”

Manami’s display hadn’t gone wholly unnoticed. In the corner of the room, two figures hung around, just out of sight around the heavy bags. You wouldn’t have thought much of them from a distance - just two women getting in their training. But if you got closer, you’d notice a few things. Like how one of the woman was clad in black from head to toe, wearing what appeared to be a gas mask, and had red, piercing eyes. Or how the other woman was large, more built than 95% of the men on the Tension roster, and didn’t have a single hair on her head longer than a centimeter.

If you got that close, you’d probably do the wise thing and never get that close again, because you would realize who they were: River Styx and Abattoir. Two-thirds of WAR.

While Styx’s group hadn’t been as active as she’d have liked in the past year, they were still well known enough that people gave them a wide berth, just the way she liked. They remembered what she did to Angel, how one of the AFW’s shining stars had gone AWOL after the crossed paths. They remembered what she’d done to Silver Ace, putting the ‘hardcore’ champion on the shelf. That got her some respect.

But now that respect was being jeopardized. New groups were stepping into Friction, and Styx felt that WAR should feel out the playing field. Starting with one of the most interesting people on the list: Manami Kuroda.

”She’s a mad dog.” Abattoir was, of course, her cheerful self. It was hard to ever read the woman’s face, what with half of it being covered and the other half typically in some form of scowl, but Styx had been around her enough to see she wasn’t impressed with what she saw so far.

”Even a mad dog can be useful if you can get it going in the right direction.” Styx shrugged and watched as Manami began to leave the gym, leaving the remains of a traumatized trainer in her wake. She hoped the Wolf Girl enjoyed that sort of thing while she could - if it was anything like when Styx came here for sparring partners, it would be harder and harder to get willing participants. ”Just watch my back, make sure we don’t get any interruptions. Me and Ms. Kuroda are going to have some alone-”

She’d just turned around, only to see she wasn’t talking to anything but dead air. Abattoir had developed this lovely habit of appearing and disappearing at a whim, and it was simultaneously creepy, unsettling, and irritating. ”Right.”

As Manami began to make her way out, Styx came over to intercept her, standing right in her path. She leaned back against the door, full height, and crossed her arms as she looked at the Wolf Girl, a lazy smile etched on her face. Sure, there were other ways out of the gym if Manami wanted to look, but if Styx’s measure on this chick was right, she was the type that preferred going through obstacles instead of around.

So, there she stood. Quiet. Unmoving. Imposing. Just waiting to see how this woman would react.

Finally, she managed to find the lockers. Even from behind the double doors, the place still smelled like someone died in there. No way was she sticking around longer than she needed to. She was in and out of there in a hurry, gym bag slung over her shoulder as she made her way from one side of the large room to the other. She was just about to reach for the door when a big woman stepped in front of her.

No. That didn’t paint a very good description of what she had just gotten in her way. It didn’t seem like any single or couple words could. A mountain of hard, menacing muscle felt like a more accurate description. Manami didn’t need long to get a very good look at her. It seems it wasn’t enough for this woman to just look intimidating. Thick legs. Broad shoulders. Large arms. Even larger body. Hardly an inch of hair on her head. She looked fierce and untamed. Like some prison inmate had gotten a wrestling contract instead of their bail money.

No, she was more than that. The Wolf could feel it. There was an aura about this woman. It was thick and heavy. Her presence bent the space around her, warning passersby. This was not someone you approached absentmindedly. That much was clear. Any person in their right mind would have done anything to steer clear.

The beast didn’t say anything, not like she needed to. The message was loud and clear. However, if she was really attempting to frighten someone, she was destined to be disappointed. Manami hadn’t known fear for a second of her life.

She also didn’t like the way she was being looked at. That indifference in the taller woman’s eyes had to go. Snuffed out like a flame. She took only one step forward. One strong step raised high into the air, then planted right down hard onto the woman’s foot. The distance between them a little closer, her eyes would narrow, honing in and staking her claim on this big game.

“Do you want to dance too?”

Her eyes shot daggers at the woman. One corner of her mouth crooked and formed a slight grin. Whatever this was, Manami hardly cared anymore. She could always use a little more practice.

Styx didn't flinch when Manami brought her foot down hard on her instep, hitting with force to crack bones. As much as she wished she could've claimed it was because she was such a badass that she could ignore pain, the truth was a bit more mundane: she was wearing steel toed boots. Still, the surprise of it did make her jump a little, and a smile on her face widened. The She-Wolf was as bold as her reputation suggested she was. This relationship was off to a good start. Sure, the stomp hadn’t hurt, but it was the thought that counted.

She gave Manami a good look over, now that she was close enough, impressed with what she saw. Strong body. Solid. Not the biggest, sure, but there was something to be said for a slimmer, fit form. If Styx had been the same height, Manami probably would’ve been a little bit brawnier than she was - a lot of her own power was natural, coming off the sort of life she’d been living for over a decade, now.

But it was that face that interested her the most. Styx couldn’t say she was a killer, but she might’ve known a couple, and the look in those eyes...

So far, Styx was liking what she saw. But there was only one way to solidify her feeling on things, and that was seeing what Manami could do. Up close. Personal.

Styx brought her head down to meet Manami’s face, coming close, close enough to make an educated guess on what she’d had for breakfast, close enough that she could taste the wild woman’s breath on her tongue. ”Something like that.” Her voice was deep, terse, ragged from too many bad habits. ”You’ve got a match in your favorite sparring room. Five minutes. See you there.”

With that, Styx sighed, stepped back, and strolled her way out of the room, as casual as could be.

That was a bit of a surprise. That would have most people crying at this point.

If anything, that made her even more excited. Even without this giant feeling inclined to draw closer and closer to her face. There wasn’t a twitch spared between the two. Even as a warm breath washed over her face and into her eyes, Manami’s expression never faltered.

Although, she felt a bit inclined to when this mysterious stranger mentioned the locale for their little scrap. Well, well. How did she know about that? The Wolf Girl had had an unfortunately low number of willing candidates since arriving at the federation. Either her reputation was spreading faster than she’d realized, or someone was taking a serious interest in her. Either way, things had gotten a lot more interesting. It had been a while since she’d experimented with such a large body. She opened her mouth to say something, but the darkened figure had already disappeared around the corner.

Fine, then. Five minutes. The room wasn’t too far away, though. She knew a shortcut and could make it in two. That left three minutes to kill. But she only needed one. That brief encounter had got her blood going badly.

Taking an unsuspecting woman’s bottle, she undid the cap and quickly splashed the remnants onto her face, letting the cold water and ice wash over her cheeks and run down her neck. Her head canted to the ceiling as she let the air cool her skin and settle her mind. A couple of idle stretches and she opened her eyes again. Time for her date.

A brisk walk down the hall, a couple of left turns, one to the right, and she was at the door. The Wolf Girl turned the handle, threw open the door...and there she was. Standing in the middle of the ring. Big, bad, and imposing. Manami could hardly contain herself as she threw her bag down and slammed the door behind her, hitting the push lock with a bump of her fist. Slowly, she made her way to the ring, letting her narrowed gaze focus on the woman as she climbed the ropes.

“As much as I hate waiting to unwrap my gifts,” She said, ducking between the ropes and entering the weathered ring. “I have to ask. What’s the occasion?”

If dominance or humiliation was what this person was after, trying to establish the hierarchy here, why not do it in public? This woman didn’t look like the masochistic sort either. Maybe she simply thought she could take the Wolf clean. A common mistake for people of her size. One that she was happy to correct.

As eager and willing as she was to see if Manami lived up the hype, Styx hadn’t just wanted the five minutes for shits and giggles - she actually needed it. There was a quick errand that required running.

She hadn’t had a match, a real match in a long time. Oh, sure, she got into fights all the time, but that was often for pleasure and rarely for business, these days. She still wanted to win the hardcore title, the prize that was rightfully hers, the thing that the AFW had been keeping away from her since she came in. Management was giving her a wide berth, not wanting to risk putting her back in the ring after she’d put one of their stars on the shelf, but there were ways around that little wrinkle.

Theoretically, Styx could start up a match anywhere, anytime. All she needed was a referee.

So, after a quick search, she’d found what she was looking for: a referee, just getting off duty, still in her stripes. It took a little convincing to get her to agree, but after a few thinly veiled threats, she agreed.

That referee - a small, brown-haired, shivering thing - was hanging around in the corner, looking as if she wanted to be anywhere else in the world, and wisely staying as far away from the ring as possible. Not a problem, since it wasn’t like she’d need to do any counting. For what Styx had in mind, a referee would only need to make one quick call at the end of the fight. ”Stay there.” Styx ordered her, as she made her way under the ropes, popping up just in time for her new friend to arrive.

Manami wasn’t one for the subtle shit - another quality Styx could admire. She showed that when she came into the ring and immediately approached the bald brawler without a single hint of hesitation. She asked a fair question, so Styx decided she’d get a fair answer.

”Simple.” She shrugged and took a few steps around the ring, circling Manami, staying just close enough to attack if she needed to. ”I’m Styx - River Styx. Friction is me and my girls’ territory. I like your style from what I’ve seen, so I don’t have a problem with it being your hunting ground...in theory. I want to see all you’ve got to offer, though, and the best way for that is to experience it first hand. Besides…”

Styx licked her lips and tugged at the gloves on her hand, feeling her blood boil. It had been a while since she was this eager to try her hand on someone, but Manami was awakening all the old, familiar feelings. ”I want a fight. A real fight. Hoping you can give me one.” She cracked her knuckles. ”First to get knocked out, loses. And trust me: if you’re not worth my time, you’ll wish you hadn’t woken up.”

River Styx. She knew she would have to come face-to-face with her at some point. Although, the Wolf imagined being the instigator between the two.

The giant’s words were few, but striking. Manami filled the time she was being circled with a couple arm stretches before placing her hands on her hips. A twitch started to develop in the back of her head. She didn’t like hearing as though she was being given permission. To be told what to do and where to go. If there was one thing she could call a pet peeve of hers, it was being treated as a subordinate.

The She-Wolf wasn’t one to stand idly and wait for things to fall into her lap. She didn’t believe in fate. She didn’t believe that life had simply decided that this was the opportune time for the two to meet. That she needed instruction of any kind of what and who to believe and trust. When she wanted something, she reached out and grabbed it with her own two hands and never let go. It's not as if anyone could stop her from obtaining what she wanted. Not even River Styx.

Although, that was for another time. The Wolf Girl  Those thoughts took a backseat from what she what she was really concerned with: adding another dent to the ring with this woman’s skull. Her blood was starting to go again. They needed to get started soon.

“Knockouts. At least you have good taste. Alright, River. I'll make sure to send you off easy."

Manami turned back around and headed towards the ropes, getting a few stretches in. She placed her leg over the top rope and leaned forward, trying to get her hamstrings as loose as possible, before she opened her mouth again.

“But the same goes for you.” She brought her leg down and turned back to her future foe. “You’re in my ring, remember. Disappoint me, and you’ll be lucky to ever wake up again.”

One good roll of her shoulders, and she was ready to go. It was about now that she noticed the referee wormed up in the corner. Oh yeah. This woman was serious.

“Are you going to do your job, or keep gawking like a weasel?”

River liked Jessica. Hell, there were times when she wouldn’t mind tacking on another ‘L’ word to their relationship, if using it wasn’t so likely to make the both of them vomit.

She’d just met Ophelia Black, but the newest WAR recruit seemed like she would be a good fit with the group. They were on good terms, particularly considering that their first and last meeting had wound up with the rockstar trashed in the middle of a construction site after an impromptu fight.

Abattor...Styx didn’t know what to make of Abattoir and likely never would. But she was useful. That’d do.

That was the long list of Styx’s acquaintances. And while she liked her relationships with all three, they weren’t quite like her. Not quite as animalistic. Not quite as nihilistic. Similar, but with many notable differences. That wasn’t the case with the woman she was staring at now, though. When she spoke, Styx heard the same venom that came out of her own mouth. Her eyes had the same cool malice. The same hunger in her eyes, that thirst that would never really be sated. She wouldn’t like being bossed around, but that was the point. Neither would Styx, if the roles were reversed.

This would be a fight for dominance. And fun.

Now, all they needed was the official start to their unofficial carnage, and Manami took the words out of Styx’s mouth with her demand. The referee sheepishly came out of the corner, looking like the She-Wolf would pounce on her at any second - not an entirely unjustified fear. Somehow, she managed to steel herself enough to make her way over to a bell that had been set up on a ringside table. With a shivering sigh, she gave it a ring.

Styx was moving before the noise could even finish reverberting. With a roar, she stormed towards Manami and swung her arm out, long and wide, in a mad attempt to clock her with a lariat straight out of the gate.

Manami felt a wave of reassurance wash over her when she Too often in the past, big talkers would back down or lose their edge once the bell rung. They became lost in their strategies and unnerved by the Wolf’s mannerisms. Not this one. No hesitance. That was all she needed to affirm her thoughts.

Blood would soak the ground tonight.

It didn’t take an expert to make a reasonable guess as to how Styx would come at her. Her gracious host hadn’t shown herself to be one to dance around the problem. She was anything but punctual. If Manami were a betting woman, she would go all in on her taking the aggressive route.

And off she went, shaking the ring to the foundations with every stomp. She moved a bit quicker than expected for a person of her size. Didn’t mean she could catch her opponent. Telegraphing your attacks was a bad idea even against a rookie. Against the Wolf Girl? That bad idea quickly became a grave mistake.

She went high, so she went low.

Ducking her forearm with relative ease, Manami would spin about on her heel and send a kick into the back of Styx’s knee. She couldn’t stop there, of course. She was here to put this woman down. Without missing a beat, the nimble Wolf would leap up and wrap her arms around the woman’s thicker neck in a rear naked chokehold.

If she actually let herself be taken down so easily, Styx had a long, painful future ahead of her.

Styx was many things - a gambler, a fighter, a schemer, occasionally a groupie, a thief, a delinquent, among many other roles - but one thing she was not, ever, was a technician. She’d never truly been formally trained beyond the basics she needed to get into the AFW, and that worked well for her. Most of the time. 95% of the people she faced were easy enough to steamroll over with her pure size and brutality. Hell, she’d even taken down Rebecca Tomko, and that bitch almost had half a foot on her.

But that 5%, the ones who actually had good technique and were able to outmaneuver her with ease, those were always pains in the ass to deal with, and she could tell right away which class Manami fit into. It was all too apparent when she ducked under the decapitating lariat and hit her leg with a slicing kick, one that made the bald brawler buckle underneath her own weight.

”Fucking-” Was the only word she could get out before arms wrapped around her neck and clamped down, locking in a tight rear naked chake. Styx didn't’ have to be a MMA maven to know the trouble she was in right away. She knew well how quick this hold could knock someone out when it was done even half-well, and Manami was doing far better than half.

Her hands shot up, pulling at the She-Wolf’s arms to alleviate the pressure. That was hardly the only countermeasure, though. She pushed up, standing straight with Manami draped over her back like a human cape, and rushed backward at full speed, aiming to smash her unwanted passenger into the nearest turnbuckle, sandwich her between the unforgiving pads and her own bulky body.