"Excuse me," says Albany with a smile, as she yanks the metal chair out from under the mutated spectator. Running back to the ring, she slides the chair under the ropes before lifting herself over. Meanwhile, the reptilian woman elbows Jessica once more in the ribs, breaking her chokehold and sending her tumbling backwards onto the mat. Standing above her, the massive woman lifts her right foot, and wastes no time in stomping it down towards Jessica's face. Having retrieved her weapon, Albany rushes towards the combatants, when the world around her seems to slow to a crawl in the heat of the moment. "
Not gonna make it," she thinks, as the booted heel of the enemy nears its target. In that instant, a decision is made in Albany's mind. "
You owe me, Jess..."
The chair in Albany's hands connects with a satisfying sound, as metal, bone, and cartilage sing in harmony. The reptilian woman falls to the ground, her broken nose releasing a stream of bright blood onto the worn and stained mat. Stumbling backwards as though she herself had been struck, Albany lets her weapon fall from her grasp, as blood begins to flow from her nostrils as well. The large woman's partner enters the ring, and rushes towards Albany, who is struggling to keep her balance. Though she is smaller than her compatriot, and lacks her reptilian features, she is equally ferocious, and has imitation scales painted on her pallid skin. Without hesitation, she leaps towards Albany and kicks her in the chest, knocking her down.
"Beautiful," remarks the commentator through a tired laugh, as the referee tries in vain to restore order in the ring. Pushing him aside, the painted woman kicks Albany in the stomach. Slowly standing while nursing her ribs, Jessica lifts the chair off of the mat and cracks it into the back of the attacker's head. The crowd goes wild, jumping from their seats and throwing their refreshments into the air as they begin fighting amongst themselves, a custom that is often observed when the rules are so flagrantly broken in a match. "Every week..." mutters the commentator, as someone steals his freshly opened bottle of beer and tosses it into the ring, hitting the referee in the shin. Looking up at the window of the owner's office, the commentator sees a red light begin to glow.
"Well, looks like that's it for tonight folks. Try to duck outta here before security starts crackin' skulls, and I'll see ya'll tomorrow. And remember, stay hungry," he says, before disappearing amidst the chaos.
A drunk mutant picks up the commentator's now vacant microphone, and shouts "Star dogs!" before a stool flies into his head, causing the speakers around the ring to let out a shriek as both the mutant and the microphone tumble to the floor.
---------------------
"You morons crack me up," laughs the owner, looking up at a reflection of the sisters as he fixes his greased hair in his bronze mirror. As his gaze falls upon Albany, she shudders. Ever since a former champion had put a blade to his face, leaving a pink scar down his forehead and cheek, the lids of the owner's left eye had become severely drooped, giving him an unnerving leer.
"Look, I'm sorry," replies Jessica, as she moves the bag of ice on her ribs up to her bruised eye. "We just... got caught up in the heat, you know?"
The owner shrugs as he runs a brown plastic comb through his hair. "Sure. I get it. Hell, carnage like that every now and then isn't so bad. People love it. But I've got three problems right now."
"Yeah?" asks Jessica, shifting in her seat.
"Yeah," replies the owner. "The first is that you aren't the one who should be apologizing to me." Having said that, he fixes his gaze back on Albany.
"Hey," says Jessica, lowering the ice, "we both messed up, alright? She wasn't the only one swinging that chair."
"No," replies the owner, "but she's the one that brought it into the ring, without my say so, bringing me to my second problem, which I'll elaborate on once your sister gives me an apology."
"I'm sorry," says Albany sheepishly, looking to the side.
"Thank you," replies the owner amicably. "Now, my second problem is that I had the misfortune of being brought up in a backwater sinkhole, and the only thing that's gonna get me to Caesataea is if I come up in the world. And I intend to do just that. But it's hard to get respect when my dogs don't obey. Do you understand?"
"We were just giving the crowd what they wanted," mutters Jessica.
"Forget the crowd," replies the owner in a commanding voice, glaring at Jessica. "You answer to me. I make the matches. I call the shots. I decide who gets crippled, how, and when. And I decide who lives and who dies. The next time you give your opponents so much as a nosebleed without my say so, then you will be the one that dies."
"Speaking of nosebleeds, how's 'ole Mattilda doing?" asks Jessica in an undaunted voice.
The owner stares at her for a moment, before laughing through his nose. "She was halfway to Potter's Hill when we took her outta the ring. Now she's all the way."
"Better her than me. You saw that drop, near the end," replies Jessica, looking hard at the owner. "Bet you had a good long talk with those lizards about 'who lives and who dies' before the match."
The owner flashes her a telling smile, before shrugging innocently. "Hey, you shouldn't have sucker punched her sister in that bar two nights ago. Not my fault that you have a way of inspiring grudges in people. But now, we come to my third problem. Matty and Sis were big draws. The freaks out there ate those scales up. Now, Matty is pushing up glow-weeds, and Sis is vomiting blood all over one of the sawbones' beds. And that's what happens when you don't obey me. I lose my big draws."
"I'm really, really sorry," says Albany in a sincere voice. "It was my fault. I'll make it up to you."
"How?" asks the owner.
Albany shrugs. "You were looking for someone to fight those Tumor Hounds you rounded up, right? I'll do it."
The owner laughs. "Forget the Tumor Hounds. You two are out of here for a week. And when you come back, you'll get half rations till you show me you're worth more than that."
"Hell with that!" yells Jessica.
Before she can go on a tirade, the owner silences her by raising a hand. "One more word, and you won't come back at all. I know you two came up from the Rulies, same as me. You're used to fighting half melted clowns in some two bit rodeo on the bottom of the toilet of society. But now, you're on the rim, and you can go even higher if you just follow my orders. The suits in the Royal League already think I'm a joke. I have to clean this place up, show them I'm serious, if we're ever gonna get registered on the circuit, and you jokers putting chairs in faces makes it that much harder for me. So get out of here. Cool off. And when you come back, follow the rules, and follow my lead. You do that, and maybe I'll save a chair for you when I get to the top."
---------------------
"We're licked," says Albany, walking alongside her sister with her hands in the pockets of her jacket. As they push their way through the doors, a warm radiation-tinged breeze greets them.
Jessica takes in a deep breath of metallic air, looking up at the perpetually cloudy sky as thick drops of muddy rain begin to patter on the sidewalk. "We'll make do, like always."
After looking down in thought for a moment, Albany says "I really am sorry, you know. I just..."
Jessica smiles and shakes her head. "I know. I saw. And I'm glad you're always looking out for me. That means a whole hell of a lot more to me than rations. How's your head, by the way?"
"Fine," lies Albany. In truth, her head hadn't stopped churning and ringing since she had used her ability.
Though unconvinced, Jessica nods. "You wanna sit down?"
"No," answers Albany. "Really, I'm fine. In fact, I'm feeling kinda restless. We should go do something. You know, to clear our heads."
"Alright," replies Jessica, humoring her. "What'd you have in mind?"
A. Get some drinks at a bar.
B. Check out the wares in the marketplace.
C. Head to the outskirts and try to win some quick resources in an anything-goes back alley fight.
D. Head to the theater, and watch a play (or maybe even a movie, if the projector isn't acting up again).