There was an eternal stench of beer and stale cigarette smoke to the dimly lit room, enough that it would make those who weren't regular patrons of the back alley club gag upon entering. In fact, there was a veritable cloud of second-hand smoke clinging to the ceiling, a testament to how many of the men crowded into the confined area couldn't hold back their habit for the hour or so that they gathered here nearly every night, pushing against each other to get a better view of the fighters contending with each other in the square raised platform in the middle of the room, tattered rope connected to poles in each corner of it the only thing keeping the brawlers from flying out into the crowd.
The bare light bulb dangling on a cable over the ring flickered for a millisecond as one of the fighters, a young shirtless man who had been eagerly showing off the muscles he had packed on his stomach and arms a handful of minutes ago, was slammed heavily into the thin mat, the fall met with a fresh cheer from the attending audience. A spot of fresh crimson blood flew from his mouth on impact, joining many rust brown patches already on the covering as he struggled to get back up to his feet.
He had barely managed to prop himself up with one arm when a fist wrapped with tape lashed out to his jaw, the sheer force of the blow jerking his head to one side as he paused, stunned, before flopping back down the mat, eyes rolling back into his head as he sunk into unconsciousness. Another cheer from the crowd, though mixed with heckling this time. Panting for breath, the woman who had delivered the final blow straightened back up, using both hands to throw back her long blonde hair over her shoulders as a bell rang out, signalling the end of the entertainment.
"And there you have it folks!" A ringside announcer called out, voice ringing louder than the bell he had just used. "The Dragon wins again!" Some were grinning gleefully now that the fight was over, holding their hand out to others who weren't so happy about the outcome, grumbling with sour expressions as they handed over wads of cash to the winners of private bets. Others simply chose to start streaming out the room and up the stairs, intent on getting another drink now that they couldn't keep watching people beat the shit out of each other.
The woman didn't care, leaving her opponent out cold in the ring as she slipped under the rope barrier. Clad in black shorts and a bright orange tank top that was short enough to show off the muscles gleaming with sweat on her midriff, the woman headed straight over to the announcer, not caring about the grime clinging to her, and the streak of blood coming from one corner of her lips. Not when she wanted to get paid and get out of here before some of the more drunk patrons would start to hit on her, as they always tending to do after the match was over. Apparently, the fact that this was a girl who had just knocked unconscious a man taller than her just moments ago never seemed to dissuade them. Worse, some of them seemed to like that.
"Ah, Yang!" The announcer noticed her, turning away from his conversation with an orange haired man in a white suit, who promptly chose this as an opportunity to leave. "Another great fight! Though maybe, you could have dragged it out a bit longer. You know, give the people their money's worth." The announcer was a man in his thirties, with a full head of dark hair that ran from sideburns to beard and moustache without any spots left bare, wearing a white dress shirt, covered with a black vest and bright red tie, and pressed dark pants. A pair of glasses with red lenses hung idly from one gloved hand as he addressed her. "It's hard to keep them coming back when they're only going to get barely more than fifteen minutes of entertainment."
The blonde simply crossed her arms over her chest, amethyst eyes boring into his as she waited, the both of them knowing exactly what she wanted. A little uncomfortable with the cold stare, he coughed into a hand, clearing his throat of dryness before talking again.
"Yeah yeah, I know, your pay for the evening." Reaching into one of his pockets, he pulled out a stack of green bills, a rubber band wrapped several times around the centre to prevent any from slipping out from the rest. Taking it from him, Yang proceeded to flip through the bunch, making sure each that she had been promised from the beginning was accounted for. "Still, you should keep in mind what I said. If you keep finishing up so fast, pretty soon there'll be no one who'll come to watch. And then how am I supposed to pay my reigning champion and the chumps brave or stupid enough to go up against her in the ring?"
"...Hmm, I'll think on it." She eventually responded, giving a shrug of her shoulders along with the answer. The main reason the woman kept on doing this was for the money after all. It was in her best interests to at least compromise to keep the flow of green coming her way, even if she didn't want to spend a moment in this dirty club any longer than she had to.
"Yeah, well, make sure you do that." Trying to make sure it looked like he had authority over the girl who could kick his ass if she felt like it, and had on the night they had first met, the announcer blustered through his order, striding off with a clap to Yang's shoulder as he passed.
There was a groan from the ring behind her as the blonde finished counting up her cash, satisfied that she hadn't been short-changed. Looks like he had learned from the first few attempts he had tried to do so with her. Not wanting to wait around and see if the dumbass she had been sparring with would realise the fight was over now that he was coming round, she bent down to push a hand through a ragged curtain circling the base of the ring, retrieving a long tan trench coat from under it. Making her way towards the stairs up to where the normal, legal, section of the bar was, Yang wrapped the piece of clothing around her, not wanting to deal with lecherous stares coming her way. Junior did hate it when she ended up taking a patron outside to bash his teeth in.
The gentle beeping sound that would repetively echo down the sterile hallway made Yang anxious as she strode down the shining linoleum. It had been some hours since the fight now. Enough for a decent sleep, and to scrub the stench of alcohol and smoke off her skin. Her hair, which could have almost been compared to straw when in the club, was now gleaming like gold, soft curls flowing freely down her back. Her boxing outfit had been changed for a pair of black jeans, a sunflower yellow t-shirt, and a tan jacket over the top of it.
A pair of boots scuffed the floor as she kept on walking past a patch of sunlight painting the tiles cream, coming in through an open door nearby. Under one arm was tucked a small piles of various books, that one could tell were brand new if they looked close enough. Clasped on the opposite side was a bouquet of red roses, their blooms just starting to burst wide as the petals spread out. Lilac eyes counted off the numbers of the white doors she passed by, her mouth moving from a determined line to a gentle smile as she got closer to the one she was looking for.
And there it was. Room 219. With the door left open just enough for Yang to peek through and see a small figure lying in the bed that took up the middle of the room. A book was held open by a pair of pale hands, silver eyes eagerly eating up the text in it as another page was flicked over. Yang's smile grew into a grin, although she had to slightly force it to get so far.
Deciding she was ready to make her entrance, the door flew open, the younger girl in the bed jumping in shock from the sudden motion.
"There's my baby sis!" The blonde called out cheerfully, dumping the books she had been carrying at the foot of the bed in order to envelop the dark haired girl in a giant bear hug. A squeak was heard from the girl as she squeezed tight around her, the open book dropping from her grasp as she tried to struggle out from the strong grip on her.
"Ah, Yang! I can't breathe!" Chuckling, the woman let go, drawing back in order to let the other catch her breath. "Do you really have to do that every time?" The girl whined, noticing that the book she had been so attentive to before had slipped off the bed and onto the floor. Not that she could reach down for it, not with the short distance of movement that the tubes attached to her nostrils allowed her. Instead, the taller of the pair bent down to retrieve it, adding it to the stack that she had brought with her.
"So long as I come to visit every day, I will." Yang promised gleefully, earning a tired sigh. "But hey, I've got you some new books and fresh flowers to make up for it!" The books went onto the nightstand next to her bed, where her sister could easily reach them, the roses replacing a bunch in a vase also on there, the older floral arrangement starting to wilt and die. Those went straight into the bin by the door, Yang dusting her hands as she returned to a stool next to the bed, perching upon it. "How's it been, Ruby? Did they say anything new?"
Maybe it was too much to hope for that the mystery illness had been beaten right into dying off, that they would both be able to return to their small home together soon. Maybe, but that wouldn't stop Yang from hoping each and every day that things would get better. That their medical insurance wouldn't stop giving the majority of the payments needed for the much needed treatments to fight the illness off to the pair to take care of on their own. That she could finally stop having to find methods of earning extra money that weren't exactly approved by the law. When hope was all she had to hang onto, she would cling to it until all chances had been extinguished.
"The nurse said that it looked like the treatments were working well." Ruby answered, a smile pushing her lips up as she reached over for the book she had been reading to put it back onto her lap. "And I haven't felt sick for a good while now!" Holding her hands out in front of her, she pulled her fingers back into her palms to make tight fists that she jerked slightly back to herself as they came together. "They also said, if it manages to keep up like this, maybe I can go home by the end of next month!" There was a gleam to her eyes that Yang hadn't seen for a long time, widening her own grin unconsciously.
"That's great!" The older sister reached out with one hand to swiftly ruffle Ruby's hair, despite the protests that came right on cue. "It's just like I said, isn't it? If we both keep on being strong, we'll get through it all." Even if at the time she had told the younger that, she herself hadn't been so sure that this was something they could get through and then back to normal life.
Yang had worked hard to make sure that she wasn't getting too deeply involved in the underground fight scene that she was using to pay off her sister's medical bills, and for a small apartment that she lived in nearby. But even with that, they might not be so willing to simply let her walk away once Ruby was all better. Their strongest champion in years, the money-maker of Junior's (the announcer at the fight) so-called club, there would be hell to pay when she would announce that she was leaving. But what could they do to her, when they didn't have anyone else who seemed to come close to beating her?
A knock at the door interrupted the close conversation the sisters were having, the blonde looking over to see a nurse with long brunette hair looking nervously in, not at all comfortable with having to interrupt them. Velvet, she recalled the name of the nurse who had been in charge of Ruby for most of the time that she had been in the hospital for since a few months ago. There was some irritation threatening to boil up inside of her at having her precious time with her little sister being barged into, though it simmered down once she noticed the expression on Velvet's face. There was something important she needed to say. And most likely to Yang alone. The blonde turned back to Ruby, the grin on her face never leaving for a second.
"I'll be right back, okay?" Ruffling her sister's hair again before she could get a response, Yang strode out with the sounds of Ruby grumpily fixing her hair behind her as she closed the door behind herself, buying her and the nurse a little privacy. Once it was closed, the grin dropped, her face becoming more solemn. "What's up? Ruby said everything was going well?" She questioned Velvet, tone sliding to becoming defensive.
"Yes, the therapy is working." A timid voice replied, eager to make sure that what she had to say wasn't about that. "...As well as it can on its own." The admittance brought on a raised eyebrow from the taller of them, Yang crossing her arms as she waited.
Velvet paused for a moment, wondering if she could actually go through with telling her this, with how much hardship the pair of sisters had been under just to keep up payments on the hospital bills. Well, there wasn't any other way around it, she needed to know. "The doctors think they have found the cause of the illness now." Yang's eyes shined, and her mouth opened as she went to say something before being cut off once more by the nurse.
"But, to make sure, and then to actually remove the cause if they're right, they need to operate on Ruby." The blonde paused, the realisation of what that meant trickling into her head. On the one hand, it meant there was a chance that her baby sister could be coming home sooner rather than later. But on the other hand, surgeries of any kind never came cheap... and they certainly weren't the sort of thing that their cheapskate insurance would even be willing to entertain the idea of covering for them.
Yang's mouth set into a thin line as it dawned on her. Given how much she earned from each fight she did at Junior's place, it was out of the question to be able to pay for much more than the bills that came each week. And unless she could convince Junior to start running more than one match every couple of days, it would remain that way. Even scrimping and pinching every penny would only go so far, possibly taking years to save up what would be needed as payment for the surgery.
"I'm sorry." The nurse had only to glance at the expression on the older sister's face to realise the dilemma she had delivered onto her. Clasping her hands together tentatively, she shyly directed her gaze to the floor, not knowing what else she could do but apologise. "I wish I could offer better news than this."
"It's alright, it's not your fault." Yang mumbled, unable to pull her chipper mood back up to reassure Velvet. That's right, no one was at fault here. Not unless she could find out who decided that medical treatment should cost so much. Then she would be quite happy to grab their neck and strangle them until she felt better. Silence fell between them, the blonde trying to keep the anger now rising inside of her tucked away, and the nurse not sure what she should do now that the news had been delivered.
"...Well, I should get back to my duties." She eventually excused herself, still not making eye contact as she rushed through the words. "I hope you have a good day." There was a bad aftertaste on her tongue as she said that, however polite she was trying to be. Not wanting to sink herself deeper into the hole she had carved for herself, Velvet scurried off down the hall, to where the nurse's office would be.
Yang leaned against the wall next to the door back to Ruby. A hand by her side tightened into a fist the longer she lingered there, lips curling back into an angry sneer even as she fought to keep it all in. Raising her fist away from the wall, she violently slammed it back into the plaster, the stinging sensation that came to her skin helping to clear her mind and make her focus, even as she pulled the hand out of the indent that she had caused.
Breathing deeply, the blonde counted each inhale and exhale that she made, feeling the helpless rage ebb away with each movement of her lungs. Soon, she was able to drag the earlier smile back onto her face, even if she didn't feel like there was anything to be happy about. Her shoulders, which had tensed up, relaxed and sunk down, the earlier fist that she had made now reaching for the door handle.
It may have looked like Ruby would be stuck in the hospital for ages if they couldn't afford the surgery, but maybe there was a way around. Yang could always ask Junior if he would be willing to give her a loan on the promise that she would eventually do some fights for no money, or there was trying to bet on herself for the matches. Though if she got caught, then her payment would likely get halved as punishment. Not to mention that Junior would probably say no to her request for a loan. But there had to be some way.
Even as the door opened to reveal that Ruby had gone back to reading her book while waiting for Yang, oblivious to the conversation that had happened outside her door, all the older sister could think about was how to find a way to make her better. Even if she had to take on more challengers, there would be no hesitation in jumping on the opportunity for more cash.
It was noon when the cop car pulled up on the curb, icy blue eyes, one with a scar running down through it, peering out the passenger window at all the graffiti alongside the buildings nearest to them, including the one closest that had a neon sign above its door, labelling the place as 'Junior's'. What they saw made them narrow in disgust.
"Ugh. Do we really have to be out here?" A prim voice spoke up inside the car, the owner of it not yet moving to even take off her seat belt, let alone open her door and get out.
"If by that you mean, do you have to do the assignment that was given to you, then yes." A similar, though older voice corrected her. This was the detective who had driven them both to the area, which was known for having an especially high notoriety when it came to illicit activities taking place around its streets. Blonde hair pulled into a tight bun, the driver pushed back a pair of thin oval spectacles on her nose as she pushed her door open. "Now come on, we've got a job to do."
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