Hearts of Darkness

Things were going to be bad from here on out. Manami didn’t even have to think on that possibility.

She was still a little dazed, teetering on the edge of fully aware and knocked senseless. The hard impact from that box felt like it had made a dent in her skull. Her vision was hazy and her limbs felt a little numb, even if she could start moving them again. Yet despite all of that, it was still clear as day to the Wolf Girl just how absolutely livid her opponent was. The wildfire blazing in her eyes. The heavy breaths and pronounced muscles. Nothing but abject fury was headed straight towards her.

Or towards her neck, to be specific.

“Ghrk!”

Oh shit. Oh fucking shit. That was some serious power behind those mitts. This wasn’t just some chokehold. It could hardly be called a move at all. It was just...intent. Pure hatred made manifest with her own two hands.

Manami’s grip instantly went to the bigger woman’s arms, trying desperately to pry them away. No such luck, unfortunately. Styx had her in a death grip. Blood trickled down from her neck as the brute’s nails dug deeper and deeper into her skin. The wolf’s good leg kicked weakly against the woman’s iron side, but she barely had the energy to muster anything worth a damn.

It looked like it was over. Her eyes slowly rolled up, her pupils beginning to disappear into the back of her head. Her struggles weakened and her arms slowly fell to her side before going limp. A mere moment later, the fire inside her began to flicker and fade. Darkness enveloping her as her eyelids slowly closed shut and she let out one final breath into the musky air.

Not.

If her trachea wasn’t already busy being crunched like an empty soda can, Manami would be laughing her head off right now. Styx was ferocious. Truly. She possessed the brawn, the fury, the experience, but she had all the subtlety and prowess of a demented hippo. Any martial artist worth their salt could and would tell you the danger of not having one of your arms free at all times. If they’re both occupied, guess what they aren’t protecting? Manami would give her a hint.

Two fingers. That was all she needed.  A wide smile graced her face, albeit somewhat twisted against the extreme pressure, as her eyes locked back onto Styx’s. Then, with a couple deft movements of her arm, she raised her hand between them, spread her index and middle fingers apart into a ‘V”, and locked their targets. All in one second, she snapped her digits forward, digging each into Styx’s eyes, poking them hard back into their sockets.

She made sure to curl them slightly as they dug in before yanking them back. It was a detail people often overlooked. Really made it sting. Bad.

There was a raw thrill in choking someone out, one that Styx had frankly missed since she joined the AFW. You wrapped your hands around the neck, put the pressure on, and there was no telling what came next. Some people went quickly and quietly. Others squirmed like crazy, kicked and spasmed and bridged and used up what precious energy they had left. The noises came in so many different flavors, too - the screamers, the squealers, the sputterers…

Manami, though, was something new. Different.

Oh, she had some of the mainstays. There was the feeble, weak kicking, not helped in the least by the way her leg had been wasted. The pawing hands, not doing anything more than becoming a minor annoyance as they tried to ease her iron grip and pathetically failed. And the eyes, rolling back in the head, that was always a welcome touch.

But what Styx saw none of was fear. None of the silent pleas, the wordless begging. Manami was going to dreamland like a proud little wolf. Styx could respect that. She was still going to choke the bitch out and make sure she had the worst awakening in history, but there was respect.

”Just let it happen.” Her whisper was low and growling, raspy like a blade sliding over glass. ”It’ll be over soon.”

To Styx’s credit, she was right. - about the choking, anyway. That was over, just not for the reason she expected. The smile was a strong clue that something was wrong, but she didn’t know exactly what until Manami brought her hands to Styx’s face, worked her fingers into the eye sockets, and…

”Gaarrrgh!” Styx immediately released Manami and went staggering back, grasping her face as she reeled from the pain in her eyes. She could tell what damage had been done, couldn’t tell how bad it was, all she knew what it felt like her eyeballs were on fire and they weren’t getting any better and she wanted to bash Manami’s head into the floor until it made a thick, bloody paste. But being able to see would be a big requirement for that, and she wasn’t quite sure she could do that anymore...

Manami clicked her tongue in disappointment. She didn’t feel them pop. She was losing her touch.

It was satisfying nonetheless, of course. Seeing such a powerful figure in utter shock and agony. Normally, she would laugh at the sight and take a moment to enjoy her handiwork. Normally. In her current condition, she was far more amped up than usual. There was no time for rest or celebration. Only the fight.

Whether or not Styx had been blinded, she couldn’t tell for sure. Her vision was too blurred to get a good read on the woman, even as she was released from the hold and fell onto the ground heap. She let out a few ragged coughs before turning her hateful eyes back to the person who had put her in such a state. The wolf gritted her teeth and brought herself to her knees. Time for revenge. Wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, though. Fucking leg.

For a second, her mind settled on simply losing the initiative. Maybe she could scurry away into a hidey hole while the beast was blinded. Take her by surprise. That was until her eyes found the toolbox, and her grim disposition shined twice as brightly. All was forgiven between the two. She popped open the lid and immediately laid eyes on a rather attractive looking instrument that appeared polished and ready for action. A wrench. A pipe wrench. Nice and sturdy. Good weight to it. Perfect for what she had in mind as she inched closer and closer to the disoriented giant. Eye for an eye, leg for a leg.

“Remember....what I said about the kneecap?”

Styx was probably too focused on the pain no doubt pulsing through her head and burning her eyes to focus on the wolf’s words. Not to worry. She had something to get her attention in an instant.

With a slight wind-up, Manami gave the wrench a couple practice shakes before swinging it hard into Styx’s kneecap. Once she fell, the Wolf Girl would pounce. Scramble on top of the larger woman and start wailing on her upper body with the heavy tool in her hands, far too deep in a frenzy to aim properly. Her opponent had practically given her this moment. No chance she was getting another one too soon. The wolf had to make this one count.

Styx was crying. Not because she was sad or distressed or anything like that, but because Manami’s fucking fingers had done something to screw with her tearducts. Damaged them, maybe. She couldn’t be sure until she got a chance to go see the doctor, and there was no question that was what it would come to - as much as she hated the thought. The AFW had great insurance, she might as well take advantage of it.

Styx pushed those thoughts out of her head, and tried to do something that wasn’t easy for her at the moment: blinking. It didn’t come easy. She opened her eyes and found herself looking at a world of fog, as if she were staring through a wind filled with condensation. Blurry, faded, but clearly up more and more by the second. She would be able to see well enough in a moment

But that wasn’t the pressing thing. The bigger concern was whether she’d be able to see in time to stop Manami from taking advantage, and the answer to that was likely a big, fat ‘Fuck No’. She figured that when she heard the sound of metal rustling. Like a toolbox. Combined with what Manami said…

Yeah. The searing pain in her knee cap wasn’t too big of a surprise.

She went down on her  knees and the wolf pounced, and it was only wild luck that Styx managed to turn around as she came at her. That kept her from getting pinned on her back, but it also meant that she couldn’t get her hands up to defend. Her back - her big, wide back - was open.

One blow fell on her  upper shoulder blades.

Another struck her lower back.

One hit the side of her arm and a bit of her ribs.

Broken bones all around, and they weren’t getting any better anytime soon. Styx needed to shut this shit down.

Growing desperate, she blindly swung her body around and lashed out with her elbow, just hoping against hope that she’d hit something important.

The next couple moments were a blur for Manami.

She knew that staying on top of Styx couldn’t last long. The woman was too stubborn. Too angry. Too unpredictable, even if she was blind. She had the weight and strength to pull her off if she wanted, it was just a matter of when. So, the Wolf Girl was content to do as much damage as possible. No time to think. No time to blink or even breath. She just wailed to her heart's content whatever which way, fracturing bones and breaking her spirit beneath the weight of the iron.

Then she caught a glimpse of water run down the woman’s cheek. Clearly it wasn’t intentional. There were no whimpers, no wrinkles on the face, no silent sobbing to accompany it. Whatever was causing those waterworks, the wolf’s claws were to blame and the claws alone. Still, that was too good to pass up.

“Aha! Are those tears, River? Ha ha! I can’t believe it. And me without my camer-”

An elbow shut that little tidbit down quick enough. She caught it right in the cheek. Not bad, not good. Any lower would have been dangerous, but it didn’t change the fact that it knocked a bit of wind out of her. Her inner cheek was cut, a bit of blood filling the side of her gums. Thankfully mouths healed fast. Just had to eat carefully for a few days now.

The good news was she was starting to feel her leg again. The bad news was...she was starting to feel her leg again.

It was heavy and ached like hell whenever she put pressure on it. It was almost impossible to get it in a comfortable position while she relied fully on the other. In a way, she wished it had just stayed numb, but the adrenaline had worn off. Nothing to be done. Her attention had to be back on Styx now.

Getting back in the ring wouldn’t be a smart idea. Not on this leg, and not with someone as large as this. Her sight had to be coming back any second now, too. At the same time, without any ropes or corners to keep her steady and elevated if the need be, it wasn’t much better on an even playing field. For now, Manami just quickly got to her feet - well, mostly foot - and backpedaled as much as she could, trying to make whatever distance possible from Styx.

What did it say about Styx that Manami’s taunting about the tears pissed Styx off more than anything? It was a lack of respect, and that was this whole thing came down to in the end, right? They weren’t going to get any money for this fight, weren’t going to get any extra credit, and the only person who would know about this besides them was the referee, and from the way she was quivering in the corner, it was safe to say she’d be trying hard to block this memory out.

Yeah. Styx had never been the type to brook disrespect, and she wasn’t about to suffer it from the She-Wolf. Thinking about the myriad of ways she’d rip the bitch a new hole was all well and good, but getting it done would prove a more difficult task. She got some relief when her elbow struck what felt like a jaw, but she could already tell it was only going to be some.

To make matters worse, she was in no position to capitalize. She’d managed to knock Manami off and got her to cease her assault for a few moment, but the damage had already been done. Styx tried to push her way back to her feet, but failed, falling to a single knee just a second later. Tried to rise again. Failed, same way. ”Shit!”

Okay, it would be a moment or two before she was good enough to move and give chase after Manami, which she hated, because every moment they were apart was a moment the She-Wolf could heal, gather her thoughts, plan, and generally make Styx’s life more difficult than it needed to be.

She need some way to attack her, some way to make the distance not matter, some way to…

Hello, there.

Styx’s evil gaze centered on a toolbox, undoubtedly the same one that had given Manami’s wrench. That wasn’t the only blunt instrument it had, though.

Her vision was still blurry, so it wouldn’t be the most accurate shot, but she was going to give it a try, anyway - she reached into the toolbox, pulled out the ball-peen hammer, and threw it hard towards Manami’s legs, hoping she’d something important.

That was a good sign at least. Styx was actually struggling to stand on her two feet.

Manami was beginning to wonder what exactly what it would take to put this woman down for once. From the outset, all she’d ever been doing was charging, and all Manami had been doing was countering. Up to a point, she hadn’t minded that strategy all that much. Made for easy hits. Styx was practically setting herself up for a knockout with every second she was on the offense.

Yet at the same time, the Wolf Girl was beginning to doubt even her own stamina. Each strike she dodged was like avoiding a runaway train. Every hair on her body stood up on end whenever they clashed. She was putting her all into these strikes and praying it wasn’t all for nothing.

Thankfully, that appeared to be the case. Seems she was finally able to get a feel for things. Styx could soak up as many strikes as she’d like, but the armor would wear eventually. Just a little more, and Manami would go for the kill. The question was now, how should she go about that? Let Styx wear herself down? Bide her time and wait for a counter?

She didn’t have time to decide either way. The sound of rustling metal snapped her out of her plans, and the next thing she knew, Styx had a hammer in her hand. That didn’t bode well for her. When she chucked it at her? Less so.

Manami jumped. In no particular direction, mind you. It was just a reflex more than anything.

Her instincts told her that Styx was going for the legs. Trying to slow the wolf down a bit while she was incapacitated, and that may have very well been the case. It would’ve been smart, too. It’s what Manami would have done in her position. Good for Styx, her aim was shit at the moment. The hammer went high and hit her shoulder, front-side first. The worst side possible.

Manami fell to the ground in a heap and clutched the injured area tightly, writhing and cursing on the ground with grit teeth. Some frustration welled up inside of her. If she hadn’t jumped, the thing would have just flown through the air and hit the referee curled up away from them. Son of a bitch. This must have been her karma for the teasing.

Styx wouldn’t like to use the word ‘desperate’ to describe her most recent move, but that was really the best description for it. It certainly wasn’t something she would’ve done if she could physically get over to Manami and pummel her with the hammer, but she was running short on options. Manami was one of the rarest, weirdest opponent's she’d fought - she’d taken on women who were savage and she’d taken on women who were skilled, but she couldn't remember one who’d blended both some seamlessly.

Someone else might have taken that as a hint, a sign that she needed to tact on some skill to her own power. For Styx? It only pissed her off even more.

So there was plenty of hate behind her throw, rage that was meant to be taken out on Manami’s leg, hoping to worsen the damage she’d already taken. Instead, she wound up hitting the shoulder, and while Styx’s vision was still hazy, it was clear enough to see the miss, though it almost looked like Manami had jumped to save the referee from getting hit - Styx knew for sure that wasn’t right. Still, she’d take an unintended target over no target at all.

This she could work with, after all. The playing field was leveled.

It wasn’t the most dignified way to move, but Styx dragged herself along the floor like the world’s fastest slung, not stopping until she was upon Manami. The bitter brawler frantically scrambled on top of her foe, did her best to straddle the She-Wolf, and started throwing down hammer fists from above. No technique, no rhyme or rhythm, just bringing them down as hard and often as she could as a manic haze began to take over her bloodshot eyes.

Right. Definitely karma.

That was the only explanation Manami could muster for how quickly things had been turned around on her. One second she had Styx in tears. The next, she felt on the verge of them herself. The bone was definitely bruised. It was a bit difficult to move now. Thankfully it wasn’t the arm attached to her dominant arm.

Then she saw the giant approaching her with a mad glint in her eye. She did her best to scoot away, but it was like was a weight was holding down half of her body. Slowly but surely, Styx caught up with the wolf, promising a painful end based upon her stare alone.

The surging pain in Manami’s shoulder was keeping her at bay for the moment. This all spelled danger for her. A bum leg, a dented shoulder, and a two-hundred pound rampaging goliath straddling her. This was so far proving to be the absolute bottom of her match thus far.

The forearm strikes came in hard and heavy. Most of them met the side of her face dead on, a bit of blood shooting out from her mouth from the cut still fresh in her cheek. Her head rocked under the pressure. This was rage. Pure, unbridled rage. Directed straight at the downed Wolf Girl, who could only stare back with a mad twitch developing in her eyelid. She was starting to feel the distress. An actual worry welling up inside her that she might pass out. Her strength was waning on her. She especially couldn’t let Styx see that.

Couldn’t take a couple more of those to the face. Readying the wrench, she kept blocking the strikes as best she could, absorbing the shock as she bided her time. With one snap movement, she swung the wrench forward, aiming straight for the wrist and the cluster of nerves tucked away between it. Hopefully that would give her a bit of an opening to throw the wrench right at Styx’s head and kick the beast off of her.

Styx had Manami. She was done. No question in her mind - or what was left of her mind at this point.

There was still some coherent thought left in that bald head of Styx’s head, buried somewhere beneath the raging cauldron of feral instincts. Thinking about what it would take to bring this woman down, the insane amount of punishment it was taking, how she was more resilient than any woman her sized had a right to be. She could”Fucking wolf-bitch, fucking-” Her words came out more like growls than anything, curses and hisses slipping out through clenched teeth. She didn’t know what she was aiming for, didn’t know when she’d stop, didn’t care about the mounting pain surging through her body or the way each blow she threw was weaker than the last.

All she knew was that she wanted - needed - to mash Manami into a pulp. All other priorities were rescinded. ”Stay down.” Her was coarse, crass, otherworldly dark, more than fitting for her namesake. ”Stay the fuck-”

Styx was so caught up that she didn’t even notice the pain in her wrist until a moment after the blow that caused it happened. But when she felt it, it came like a blazing hot poker jabbed into her arm, as bones cracked and tendons snapped. She cried out, bellowed, but that was stopped short before the noise could properly reverberate. Taking a wrench to the dome had a way of shutting people up.

Styx’s body had finally had enough of the poor treatment, and it showed its displeasure by flopping over to the side, leaving her flat on her back. Styx wasn’t out yet - at least, not completely. The world was spinning, fading in and out, but her hate was doing a good job of keeping the fires lit. How long that could last was anyone’s guess.