Queen of Brawl, Wolf of Battle (For Darius)

*A few minutes after Ciara left Katsumi and Akashi (Clash of the Titanesses)*

Ciara's heart was pounding in her ears and her blood fired with every step she took. She didn't care if she'd missed the locker room two times out of two, this was IMPORTANT. She'd stopped for mere moments to unzip her sweatshirt, rip off her sweatpants and stuff them both down her gym bag before sprinting onwards through the maze of exercise machines and exercising people. Instead of her camo/black MMA shorts before, Ciara had gone plain and simple with olive-drab combat shorts, a pair of panties of the same color, and a black sports bra, her impressive, muscled upper body leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She grinned almost savagely as she thought to herself, 'Always nice to thrash the big catches with your Sunday best.'

A very large proportion of training athletes knew Ciara by sight or by word of mouth, particularly her frightening hunt for Sarah, yet none of them had the bravery or stupidity to tell Sarah to her face about it or inform Ciara that she was nearly suicidal. Those who recognized her AND realized what was going to happen started dividing into two parties: those that decided that being on THIS side of the gym was not promising for their prospects of a full and healthy existence, and those that decided they wanted to see a great straight-up match, even if it cost them years off their lifespan. Besides, the word had already spread like wildfire across the Gym that Akashi was going up against ANOTHER sumo that was new to Friction, of all things, and at the very least, many people agreed that watching THAT match might be less lethal than being remotely close to the one set to begin.

Ciara ignored all the fools that were milling about, it wasn't HER fault that the muppets couldn't decide whether or not they had the minerals to just stay where they were. All she was wondering was whether or not she was finally going to come face-to-face with Sarah Gatt, and what exactly they would be able to say to one another. Ciara seriously doubted that she would find much in common with the Queen of Brawl like she had with Rose Deltora.

As she mulled over her thoughts, Ciara was closing in on Sarah quickly, and the two would face off very, VERY soon.

"Omph!" Rika Smart grunted as Sarah sent her tumbling backwards.

"Come on, is that all you got?" Sarah Gatt laghed, beckoning her young friend forward. The two of them were having a small spar on the gym mats near one end of the gym. Unlike their normal style of fighting, today they were grappling. Thier brawling would only take them so far, andwhile it worked for them, it didn't hurt to have a few surprises in store for their opponants/victims.

Rika scowled at Sarah's taunt, already resuming a stance. "You wish!" she shouted, and charged at her again. Sarah grinned, and the two locked up in a test of strength. Both red heads pushed against each other, but neither seemed to be getting the upper hand. They were oblivious to the fact that someone was looking for them.

Even as intent as she was on finding the Queen of Brawl, Ciara later would not believe that she had so fixated that she would start using some of her frontline skills to try and find her. Honed on the field where knowledge of the surroundings often meant the difference between life and death, the young soldier's gaze swept over the exercise machines and individuals moving about, automatically ignoring empty devices and anyone who wasn't a redhead, then disregarding any subjects of interest on general body type like a high-speed checklist.

Kawaii, kawaii, too delicate, kawaii, she's scared of me, not that outfit, kawaii, scared... damn, someone this well-known shouldn't be too hard to find!

Suddenly, Ciara noticed the sounds of a scuffle behind the last few rows of bowflexes and other weighted contraptions, the area where a good amount of the floor was matted for grappling and judo practice. Through the arms and supports of steel, the Spec Ops girl spotted a flash of red hair, and her heart rate shot up in fierce excitement. Ciara started forwards almost immediately after her ears registered the strong mocking tone that she had heard so many times before from the AFW recordings.

"That IS her. Now let's find out if this is MY lucky day or HERS."

Ciara rounded the last row of machines to find her long-awaited opponent grappling with another girl, was it Rika? The veteran strode forward, not walking onto the mats and a fair distance away from the two sparring partners. Sarah's back was to Ciara, but the raven-haired girl smirked. So much the better for effect. Her gym bag strap slung over one shoulder and both thumbs tucked firmly in her pockets, the powerful soldier struck an intimidating figure and her eyes flashed plenty of fighting intent and silent ferocity towards the two girls, a withering gaze that Rika was bound to spot in an instant.

If there was a clear winner between Sarah and Rika's test of strength, it wouldn't be decided anytime soon. The willpower of both girls made sure they refused to give in to the other. "You're looking a little tired, kid," Sarah growled with a grim smile. "Sure you don't want to quit?"

"Hell no!" Rika shot back, grinning through the exersion. "Spar or not, this time I'll beat you!"

"Ha! Good lucj trying!" Just when it seemed like the brawlers would be in that position all day, Rika noticed something, or someone, just over Sarah's sholder.

"Hey, Sarah," she whispered in-between their contest. "Some weird girl is staring at you." Sarah blinked at news. The two unlocked their hands, putting their spar on hold at the moment so Sarah could get a look at the girl behind her. Her green eyes were blank, not recognizing this girl from anywhere, so she adressed her as she would any other stranger.

"The fuck you looking at, asshole?"

In all honesty, Ciara should have been expecting such a response, considering how she hadn't introduced herself and who she was facing, but Sarah's challenge, loud and crass, just tweaked her the wrong way. Yet the other girl's face was completely neutral, and Ciara wondered just how much they would piss each other off if and when the blood ran hot. Still, the raven-haired veteran stared back impassively at Sarah, but her eyes portrayed a different emotion: challenge.

If she wants to do it like that, fine, I'll play her game.

Ciara shrugged dismissively. "I was staring at that pretty wall on the other side of the mats, but you two muppets happened to be in the way practicing slow-dancing," she taunted Sarah. She let her gym bag drop heavily to the floor and kicked off her tennis shoes; the apartment she was living in was only a few minutes from the gym so she didn't even bother wearing socks.

Rolling her neck to loosen her muscles, Ciara strode intently onto the mats until she was five or six armlengths from the two girls, just in case Sarah was willing to start something early on the spot.

"Is THIS the reason the people here are steering clear of the mats? Your bloody sharp tongue?" the soldier taunted. She obviously knew the true reason behind others' fear of Sarah, but Ciara hardly noticed that she herself was a main reason as well. She still nodded her head towards with a fair amount of respect, but still, she did so with a slightly mocking manner, never taking her eyes off Sarah's face.

"Not even Akashi knows you're here, Sarah. Thinks you just comb the streets looking for thrills and sloppy punches to be thrown." Ciara's lips briefly flashed a small smirk Sarah's way.

Perhaps later Ciara would admit that antagonizing the Queen of Brawl wasn't the best approach for a healthy relationship, but first and foremost, the Spec Ops girl wanted to make sure Sarah was ready and plenty willing to fight her.

As the girl removed her tennis shoes Sarah knew right away she had a fight on her hands. Not that it worried her, she was leaning in that direction anyway if the girl kept pestering her and Rika. It was made even clearer at the girl's lame attempt to taunt the two of them. Sarah didn't know who this girl was, and from one look at Rika, she saw she didn't know either. Probably some new wrestler that didn't know the ropes around here yet.

But when the girl mentioned her name, and that she knew Akashi, Sarah realized that whoever this girl was, she had specifically sought her out.

"People are staying clear because their smart enough to know better," Sarah answered with a sneer. She took a few steps towards Ciara, never one to back down from a challenge. "You're obviously a dumbass, or just really, really brave." Sarah gave her a menacing smile. "I bet I can guess which one."

Ciara took the flash of recognition and challenge in Sarah's eyes as an affirmation that both of them were spoiling for a fight. Deep down she knew both of them would be hurting later... a LOT... but she didn't care, the moment was all and one of the AFW's best was ready for a good scrap. Katsumi and Akashi could sumo all day long, as far as she was concerned. But this was HER fight.

When Sarah fired off her comment at Ciara, the raven-haired girl merely pressed her lips tightly together in a grim smile. "Bet all you want, Queen, but you'd be better off guessing how much blood and sweat they'll have to clean off the canvas after one of us drops." They both understood, and to Ciara, it was done. As far as she was concerned, the fight was already set. She knew Sarah liked it nice and simple before a brawl, and that was exactly what she was going to get.

Jabbing her chest with a thumb, Ciara introduced herself in a combatant's language that Sarah would relate to. "Ciara Austerlitz. You and I don't fuck with details, so there's no point. All you need to know is that I'm a fighter who doesn't have to be stupid or has to stop from wetting herself in order to fight you. Look anything else up on the internet later. Regardless of how this bit swings, you'll be hearing about me after. But these dinky cuddle mats? Not my thing. We're taking this somewhere else so I don't pitch your arse through the wall."

Ciara thumb withdrew from her chest to motion towards the unoccupied ring behind her. "I'll be waiting. But if you're half the woman I think you are, I won't be waiting for long. Oh, and the muppet you're babysitting? For her sake, she won't get involved. It'll just end up being you and me either way. You get to choose if she gets to watch this ringside or from a stretcher." The veteran soldier turned her gaze on Rika and shot her a feral grin to drive the point home.

This bitch sure likes to talk, Sarah thought to herself. The girl, Ciara apparently, clearly knew who she was. But she knew nothing about her. It was a situation Sarah had been in before back in her street days, when her reptation drew the attention of other gang leaders, and had them seeking her out for a fight. She wasn't worried then and she wasn't worried now. But the way Ciara was going on, calling the shots and even going as far as to threaten Rika, just pushed Sarah the wrong way.

"Yeah," Sarah said with a drawl. She clenched her left fist tightly, staring at it idly. "Or, we can do this." And then suddenly her right hand would shot out in a tightly clenched fist, aiming a sucker punch right into Ciara's face.

The moment Ciara returned her focus from Rika to Sarah, she noticed a steely tensing of the latter girl's entire body. Some of the blood had drained from Sarah's face in cold fury, and, from Ciara's many experiences in the orphanage, the sparring arenas, and the field, she grimly recognized the signs of an impending fight.

Ciara focused on Sarah's chest and stomach, remembering Windowpane's strict lesson: the opponent can fake all they want, but the moment they commit, they telegraph with their chest and abdominal muscles; where they point is the direction you ready your defense.

The raven-haired fighter had never been so happy for her military reflexes OUT of the field as Sarah's strike lashed out like a thunderbolt. Seeing Sarah's speed and power secondhand was one thing, but being on the receiving end was another matter entirely. Yet another reason why they should move to the ring so they didn't destroy anything... or anybody.

Ciara swiftly loosened and lowered her knees while tilting her body forward and to the side with practiced skill. Still, Sarah's opening strike was too quick to dodge entirely, and the Queen of Brawl's fist ricocheted off the top-left side of Ciara's skull. The moment Sarah's hand passed the impact point and blunt pain blossomed lightly above her temple, Ciara tensed up and rushed in with speed comparable to Sarah's. Ciara's left arm whipped up and around Sarah's extended arm, trapping it between her bicep and ribs. Going with the momentum of her rush, Ciara primed a heavy punch with her right fist and drove it forward like a piston towards her opponent's stomach...

Only to pull her punch and stop short.

Instead of hammering her target in the gut, Ciara shoved her knuckles into Sarah's abs firmly enough, stating only one word to make her point. "Bam."
She looked up and locked eyes with the Queen of Brawl, hoping that if they couldn't get along, they'd at least come to an understanding.

"Sample of how hot'n'heavy this is gonna get, Sarah. Wanna do this here with no ropes and plenty of machinery? The moment we take it off the mats is the moment someone gets fucked up BAD. I came here so we could beat the shit out of each other, not so we could kill each other." Changing her fist into an open hand, Ciara disengaged from Sarah and shoved her lightly away, hopefully not enough to further antagonize the Queen of Brawl.

Wondering if she'd made a point of her own skill, Ciara continued. "I realize you hate wankers trying to push you around, but the ring's for your sake and mine. Your choice, Sarah."

Rarely were Sarah's movements telegraphed by an opponant like that, so she was surprised when Ciara suddenly caught her arm in a vice-like grip, trapping her in place. Sarah didn't try to get away, not that she could when Ciara suddenly sent a punch of her own hurtling directly into her stomach. With her free arm, Sarah sent yet another fist sailing for Ciara's face.

And at the same time Ciara's punch stopped short of her gut, Sarah's punch stopped just short of her nose.

Sarah smirked at the girl befoe her. "Bam bam," she said back.

Rika's jaw dropped at the sight before her, staring in awe at the two women in their frozen position that had happened in an instant. Sarah wrenched her arm free and stepped back from the Ciara, sneering at her. "I once fought in the middle of traffic, bitch. You think I give a shit if we duke it out here?" In fact, Sarah was already thinking of ways she could use the workout machines to her advantage. But then she shrugged dismisively. "But if you're gonna whine about it, I guess we'll do it your way." She gestured to one of the training rings and smiled. "Lead the way."