Cherry felt very nervous as she was escorted up to Colonel Cutter's office by two flanking guards. She was a fireant in an enemy colony, despite the fact that she had saved the Queen's life from her own people's attack. She was still viewed with reactions that ranged from curiosity to suspicion to outright hatred. Especially since she was born a queen. She had heard that Cutter wanted to talk to her, nothing more. Perhaps this was to be a quiet execution. Maybe this colony was gracious by that much at least, to not make a public show of her death. But yet when she had saved Bala and Delta, he had seemed suprized...and grateful. Still, perhaps they had kept her alive long enough to stabalize them. She had not been put in prison during her short overnight stay here, but in special quarters near the main colony. What could that mean? These fearful thoughts chased each other through her mind until she noticed they were at the door to Cutter's office. Oh no! This was it! She was dead, she knew it! Cherry's normally ruby red markings went pale pink with anxiety as the guards announced her...
Colonel Cutter signaled the guard to hold while he read through the report one
more time, just to make absolutely sure. He needed no reassurance of course,
because he had been there himself, but he still couldn't believe it. A enemy
queen saving his people from her own colony... He just couldn't grasp it. And still,
it was no mere fantasy, it did happen and now he owed his life to this queen,
this - he searched the rapport for her name - this Cherry. No, he wasn't going
to let emotions get in the way of his judgement. She still was the enemy and
in the back of his head, his instincts were on full alarm. There was something
wrong about all this, and he was going to figure it out.
"All right, let her in."
While the two guards escorted her into the room, Cutter studied her quietly.
She was obviously afraid, but even now she had still a certain glow : the glow
of royalty and warrior at the same time. It was something he had never seen
before. As she sat down, he told the guards to wait outside. The two looked at
eachother in amazement and then back at him. But one stern look told them
there was no arguing about it. They left quietly, still not completely
convinced that the colonel had made the right decision. But they followed
orders, and this was all that mattered to him right now. He turned his
attention back to his prisoner, looking at him with a puzzled look on her
face. She was probably as amazed as the guards were. He stood up from behind
his desk and walked towards her, picking up a small blade lying on his desk.
"So," he said, towering over her, firmly holding the blade in his hand, "give
me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right here... spy."
Cherry spooked, then quickly recovered, though she was still pale with fright. The gigantic bas relief of an imposing insect with glittering, solid black eyes on the wall near the desk didn't help her nerves, either. "Sir, with all due respect! How can I be a spy for my people after your colony KILLED them all?" She struggled to control her shaking, from rage or fear, she didn't know which.
She had a good point, and he knew it. Still, he was not showing any of his doubts
towards her. One of the first rules of interrogations : never show your enemy your
emotions, if any. Cutter knew this all to well... He also noticed that she
obviously wasn't about to go without a fight. Well, if she wanted a fight, she was
going to get one.
"So you are telling me that you saved Queen Bala and Seargent Delta's life from your own colony, just because
it felt good?!" And with a powerful blow, he planted the blade into the desk,
right in front of her.
He reminded her of Nightowl, the now presumed dead Colonel of her own previous colony. Just as firey, just as determined, intelligent, yet stubborn. This was a man who she could tell would only listen to reason if he had the upper hand. Her life was at stake, so she would have to shelve her pride for now. She would have to feed his ego. That would be the only way to make him listen. And perhaps then, she could reason with him.
Cherry stood up, to show (if only outwardly) that the knife didn't scare her, and looked Cutter straight in the eye. "Sir, I befriended Bala before the battle with my colony. I stopped being a part of my colony long before that. When I had a chance to compare the two, I saw your colony had honor, which mine lacked. I was abused by not only my three other queen sisters, but by the whole colony for being "inferior". They stripped me of my queen status and made me into a worker. I was beaten, raped, and enslaved by my own people. Is there anything else you'd like to know?" She tilted her head slightly, holding him in her gaze.
"Stating your case, are you?" Cutter repeated silently, while he slowly
headed
back for his desk. For some reason, he would have liked to let Speede take
her
on, just to see how much of a warrior she was. But he couldn't let things
get out
of hand...yet. Know your enemy before you engage in battle. But he still
wasn't
convinced that she actually wàs the enemy. So the best thing he could do for
now
was to find out exactly what she was doing here and why she tolerated all
this.
From his past experience, he knew that royalty didn't quite tolerate this
kind of
interrogation. Off course, if what she was telling was the truth, she was as
much
a queen as any worker ant was. He seated himself and signaled Speede with his
eyes to flank him. Then he let the tension linger for a few more moments,
switching his gaze from her to the knife, still sticking ostentatiously out
of
his desk, almost inviting her to grab it and stab them both. But she probably
knew that this would be a pointless action. Then he slowly picked up the
report
from his desk. "Well then, if you are not here to avenge the death of your
colony, what are you here for? What do you expect me to do? Did you save us
back
there just so I could kill you right here?"
Cherry resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the last repeated sentence. This
was getting real old, REAL fast...
"I wish to serve the colony, Sir." Cherry explained, hoping he would get it
this time. She was hoping this was good diplomacy. "Whatever it is you feel
I've done, my skills as a tracker, medic and warrior would make up for your
loss." She allowed her eyes to shine hopefully.
She was obviously serious about this. An enemy queen working in the Colony...
But then again, she had proven herself quite a warrior in the battle with her
colony. And he could always assign someone to keep a good eye on her. Now if he
only could find a single solution for both problems. "We can always use warriors
with your expertise," he admitted. "But I don't know if a know any unit that would
want to operate with the former queen of ..." Suddenly he got it : he found the
perfect solution. He gave her a tight smile and then turned his head towards
Speede, who's jaw dropped when he saw Cutter's smile. "No, sir, you can't be
serious! We have no need for a ex-queen in our squadron, we..." "On the contrary,
lieutenant, you haven't got a good healer yet and an extra tracker always comes in
handy." Speede glared in Cherry's direction and was about to continue his argument
with the colonel, when Cutter raised his hand and turned back to Cherry. "Tell me,
have you ever heard of Recon 50?"
Feeling relieved that Cutter wasn't going to kill her, Cherry said, "No,
Sir. I don't get out much." she added wryly, smiling ever so slightly.
"Well, I didn't expect you to. Recon 50 is the squadron I reserve for the most...
challanging mission. I bet you'll feel right at home. It contains some of the best
warriors in the air force. But, you don't get in so easily, you'll need to pass a
... test," he told her smiling. "Do you think you're up to the challange?"
Cherry tensed again. "And just what might that be, Sir?" she said cautiously,
glancing at both him and Speede.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough..." he said enigmaticly. "Lieutenant Speede,
inform the guards that they're not needed anymore." Speede headed to the door
and Cutter pulled the dagger out of his desk and hung it on the back wall,
where there was hanging an entire arsenal of weapons of all sizes and forms.
While he was running over them carefully, Speede re-entered and took a position
behind Cherry. "Speede, would you be so kind to escort our guest to the hangar?
You know what to do," he told him without turning around. Speede muttered
something under his breath, but did follow orders and took Cherry by the arm
and headed out the door. Only a few seconds after they left, Cutter took one of
the blades from the wall and headed out the door.
After passing through some darker tunnels, they arrived at the airfield. There,
they headed for a smaller hangar in the back, which had a small training area
next to it.
Cherry knew what was coming, and she couldn't believe it. The Colonel wanted
her to duel with HIM! Was this how they initiated all new recruits, or just
ones from an enemy colony? She also noticed that several spectators were
gathering to watch the show. Well, despite the Colonel's handsome, but
predatorial looks, he had more than fired her up for a duel, accusing her of
being a spy. And this Speede, who the hell did he think HE was? He reminded
her of a huge, long lanky black panther, always crouched to spring and
growling. God help the colony if HE ever became Colonel...
As more ants gathered around their sparring area, Delta and Topper became more and
more puzzled. "What in the Queen's name is going on out there," asked Delta.
"Don't ask me, little buddy," Topper replied, "I can't remember anything from the
last hours.""Of course you can't! You passed out at Chug last night... again."
"I did? Did Cara say anything?"
"Why would she do that, hey? We've all grown accustomed to it. Nobody's shocked
anymore."
At that moment, Blue rushed in through the front door."Look at the new recruit the boss dragged in! It's SHOWTIME!"
Delta and Topper gave each other a quick, questioning look before they followed
Blue out the main door to the sparring area, now already packed with
spectators....
Cherry calmed herself as much as possible, remembering the tactics Runner and her own past experience in the field had taught her. She tried not to remember this guy was next to the Queen as leader of the colony, a veteran of war, AND skilled in both intelligence and battle. He had been trained in organized warfare, she was just a tribal lone wolf. But she wasn't about to let THAT little problem stand in her way. She stood in beginning duel stance, like a coiled spring. She had killed whole squadrons of wasps, praying mantisis, and her own colony's General, she could take on this skinny little brown ant bean...Her antennas crackled in warning, letting the Colonel know her spear and force of personality weren't the ONLY lethal weapons she had.
As the crowd parted, Cutter hovered to his starting position, not letting his gaze
off Cherry. She had already proven herself before, so he knew that this wasn't
going to be like a walk in the park. She fighting for her very survival. If she
lost, she was surely to be banned from the Colony and in spite of Bala and Z's
philosophy, Cutter knew that a single ant couldn't survive long in the wilderness
alone, not even with her experience. He, on the other hand, had his position and
the respect of his troops to defend. So he was not about to give away his victory,
just because he had an odd sence of respect for her. For the moment, his men were
more important then his personal feelings. Probably a leftover from Mandible's old
regime... He shook away this last thought as he softly touched the ground,
bringing his blade in battle position. For a moment, he looked at his blade, one of
his favorite weapons. It was designed by corporal Topper and looked like a normal
spear on one side, but had a vicious blade on the other side, manufactered from
the claws of a praying mantis he slayed. He then shifted his gaze towards her
weapon, which seemed much lighter and not nearly as intimidating as his blade, but
only so to the untrained eye. A real warrior noticed the almost hidden barbs,
which made it a fierce and formidable weapon, probably deadly when used by a
skilled soldier. And as he looked at her getting in a battle stance, he knew that
she was a master with this particular weapon...
Cherry locked Cutter's eyes with her own, sizing him up. Runner had taught her this technique, and so had five years in the wild. She could feel and smell the surge of energy that preceeded an opponent's move, and Cutter had that energy now. Neither of them noticed that the Queen, Z and Bala had joined the crowd to watch, and stood back in the shadows safely out of harm's way. They whispered amongst themselves.
"Isn't that the fire ant who saved Cutter?" Bala said suspiciously to Z. "That's a helluva way to thank her."
Z smirked. "I think the Colonel's having a worse day than usual."
"Language, Bala." the Queen warned her daughter congenially. With a supressed sigh, she explained. "The Colonel feels that he has to test her. I don't know what to make of her myself. He told me that if she loses, she is banished from the colony. If she wins, she'll become a soldier."
"WHAT?" Z and Bala said together.
Cherry was silent as she waited for Cutter to make a move. The whole world seemed to stand still. The harsh arena light fell upon Cutter's well-chiseled face, making it seem even more predatorial. There was a deep orange pinpoint of light in his eyes that bespoke a nature beyond the call of duty waiting to spring. He was no longer Cutter the Colonel, but Cutter the warrior. Beneath the official surface lay a feral creature defending it's home. The same wild instince arose in Cherry in a defensive stance, the pupils of her orange eyes contracting to pinpoints in the light. If she lived, she would defend this colony as though she were it's queen. If she died, at least she would die honorably.
For a few seconds, Cutter ran through possible tactics in his mind. She was
faster and more agile then he was, so he was going to play this on strength and
the element of surprise. She was probably under more pressure then he was, so he
had to find a way to use this against her. He waited a few more seconds before he
leaped at her, as a hunter on a helpless prey. And with one swift motion, he
hacked out at her with the blade on his spear, going straight for her waist...
With a yelp, Cherry blocked him with her own spear as they clashed. She used
all her strength to hold him back, her antennas crackling like mad. She knew
he was stronger than she was, but she had plenty of other tricks to pull to
make up the difference. At least, she hoped. No matter how many insects she
fought, there was always one who had an unexpected move she was never
prepared for. She remembered the soldiers in her own colony. Though their
military had been loosely organized, if at all, they fought mean, and they
fought dirty. Cherry realized that as disciplined as this colony's military
was with it's rules, those rules probably didn't apply to fire ants. As she
held back Cutter, her orange eyes burned into his to show him she was not
afraid.
He pushed on his blade with all his weight, but he realised that this was
futile, because the suprise effect hadn't worked on her. So he withdrew back in to
battle stance and in one smooth motion readied his weapon, this time with the spear
point ready to receive any counter attack. To his surpise, she seemed hardly taken
aback from it.
The crowd unanomously held it's breath for the next move. Blue held back the urge to let out a loud whoop for the Colonel.
Cherry had to find a way to knock this guy down. Now, what could she do about that mean ol' pointed spear? Without thinking, she rushed within three feet of him, then stopped abruptly on her toes, her weapon poised. He growled slightly, and swung at her midsection but Cherry danced away from him. Her wings kept buzzing and she fought the urge to fly up. Their spears clashed so hard that it made sparks fly. The crowd roared.
"GO CUTTER!!!" Blue now blurt out above the noise. Bala winced.
Cherry lost her grip on her spear from Cutter pushing so hard against it and spun around in an involuntary circle. But this served in her favor. When she stopped the turn with her foot, she used the flat end of her spear to whack the Colonel in the tail. But it didn't produce the effect she'd desired, which was to make him stumble and fall down. Instead, he spun around and cut into her leg with the edge of his own spear, producing a scream of pain that turned into a scream of rage. Her antennae crackled in response, and forgetting the spear, she threw her head forward and lashed his face and shoulders with her charged built-in whips. The Colonel wasn't prepared for this and screamed in pain. Cherry bounced back with a look of shock. She hadn't intended to go that far. But the Colonel wasn't down, yet, and neither was she. So she braced for the counterattack.
And she got it.
The Colonel raged forward like a speeding train, and without using her wings, Cherry bounced up into the air and flipped over him. She rolled like a ball then hopped back up behind him, hoping to take him down by suprize. But she was too late. He spun like a top and sliced at her antennas, which were still crackling, barely skimming the top of her head. The electricity backfired down his spear and shocked him, making him draw back with a snarl. This guy really had a predatorial side, Cherry realized. Gone was the cool, authoritative commander and in his place was a snarling, do or die animal. The same was happening to Cherry. She flashed back to the battle with Queen Electra and for a moment, his face became hers. Cherry braced her spear in both hands at opposite ends and blocked Cutter's swift lunges. Hers was a weapon that could bend but not break, but so was his. And for this next move, his strength won over hers.
While Cherry unsuccessfully tried to take him down with a leg swipe from her studded ankle braces, Cutter pushed her down instead, knocking her spear out of the ring in the process. The whole crowd cheered, and some groaned. This didn't look good. "Surrender, fire ant." he said with angry triumph as Cherry lay panting and bleeding at his feet. Speede leaned on his haunches from a high place above the air field and smiled toothily. "Good going, Colonel." he said under his breath.
But Cherry had other plans. She wasn't beaten yet. She leaped up and grabbed the middle of Cutter's spear in both hands and kicked at his calves with her thorned ankle studs. As he tried to push her away, she used her studded wrist bracelets to push into his chest, causing him to lose control of the spear, and his balance. He fell down, with Cherry's foot planted in his stomach and her electric antennae dangling in his face. She kicked the spear out of his grasp and held onto his wrists with clenched fists. "Shall we dance?" she teased unmercifully. The Colonel yelled curses in protest of everything. "I take that as a yes?" The Colonel's wings buzzed just enough to give him leverage, and he rose up slightly to fight her off. But Cherry was relentless. She had him down, she was gonna keep him that way. The crowd was starting to chant something and shake their fists. More than half of them were standing up and leaning forward as though straining to get closer. Cherry kept Cutter's legs pinned with her feet to prevent him from flipping her over. "Give it up, Colonel!" she hissed at him, her eyes flashing down at him. "I've won!" She knew she had to remove her antennas soon or it might kill him. She flipped them back and forced them to stop crackling, but still struggled to keep him pinned with her arms and legs. She couldn't believe how strong he was. But even he was getting tired. He relaxed and lay back, panting and closed his eyes as though he had fainted. But as soon as Cherry stood up, he rose, knocking her to the ground. "You sneaky bastard!" she yelled as she went sprawling. Now it was Cutter's turn to pin her. He grinned evilly down at her as she struggled to get out of his grasp.
"What goes around comes around." he taunted. He shoved her head down by her shoulders and bonked it on the ground twice before she dug her claws into his own shoulders to make him howl in pain. They fought like wild dogs in hand to hand combat. At one point, Cherry rolled over far enough to get to both spears, and giving the Colonel another little shock, she flipped up with one in each hand. "Looking for something, Colonel?" she taunted him, dancing side to side while he stood up shakily to look for an opening. As predicted, he lunged to claim the spears, but she threw one of them at his stomach. Not enough to kill him, but enogh to knock him over. It landed with perfect aim. He fell, clutching the spear and painfully pulled it out as she loomed over him with the other, pointed at his nose. "This is my last offer, Colonel." she said with her voice lowered. "Surrender........now."
Cutter lay back, his wounds and exhaustion really getting to him this time. This woman was insane....and much as he hated to admit it, insanely good. "Ok, Private Cherry, you win." he said weakly. Cherry raised one eyebrow. Private?
The crowd cheered so loud it bounced off the walls. Even after the medics had taken the spent contestants away they kept applauding. Bala and Z watched from the balcony, stunned.
"Wow......"
They shook her heads, then thoughtfully walked away.
Colonel Cutter signaled the guard to hold while he read through the report one
more time, just to make absolutely sure. He needed no reassurance of course,
because he had been there himself, but he still couldn't believe it. A enemy
queen saving his people from her own colony... He just couldn't grasp it. And still,
it was no mere fantasy, it did happen and now he owed his life to this queen,
this - he searched the rapport for her name - this Cherry. No, he wasn't going
to let emotions get in the way of his judgement. She still was the enemy and
in the back of his head, his instincts were on full alarm. There was something
wrong about all this, and he was going to figure it out.
"All right, let her in."
While the two guards escorted her into the room, Cutter studied her quietly.
She was obviously afraid, but even now she had still a certain glow : the glow
of royalty and warrior at the same time. It was something he had never seen
before. As she sat down, he told the guards to wait outside. The two looked at
eachother in amazement and then back at him. But one stern look told them
there was no arguing about it. They left quietly, still not completely
convinced that the colonel had made the right decision. But they followed
orders, and this was all that mattered to him right now. He turned his
attention back to his prisoner, looking at him with a puzzled look on her
face. She was probably as amazed as the guards were. He stood up from behind
his desk and walked towards her, picking up a small blade lying on his desk.
"So," he said, towering over her, firmly holding the blade in his hand, "give
me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right here... spy."
Cherry spooked, then quickly recovered, though she was still pale with fright. The gigantic bas relief of an imposing insect with glittering, solid black eyes on the wall near the desk didn't help her nerves, either. "Sir, with all due respect! How can I be a spy for my people after your colony KILLED them all?" She struggled to control her shaking, from rage or fear, she didn't know which.
She had a good point, and he knew it. Still, he was not showing any of his doubts
towards her. One of the first rules of interrogations : never show your enemy your
emotions, if any. Cutter knew this all to well... He also noticed that she
obviously wasn't about to go without a fight. Well, if she wanted a fight, she was
going to get one.
"So you are telling me that you saved Queen Bala and Seargent Delta's life from your own colony, just because
it felt good?!" And with a powerful blow, he planted the blade into the desk,
right in front of her.
He reminded her of Nightowl, the now presumed dead Colonel of her own previous colony. Just as firey, just as determined, intelligent, yet stubborn. This was a man who she could tell would only listen to reason if he had the upper hand. Her life was at stake, so she would have to shelve her pride for now. She would have to feed his ego. That would be the only way to make him listen. And perhaps then, she could reason with him.
Cherry stood up, to show (if only outwardly) that the knife didn't scare her, and looked Cutter straight in the eye. "Sir, I befriended Bala before the battle with my colony. I stopped being a part of my colony long before that. When I had a chance to compare the two, I saw your colony had honor, which mine lacked. I was abused by not only my three other queen sisters, but by the whole colony for being "inferior". They stripped me of my queen status and made me into a worker. I was beaten, raped, and enslaved by my own people. Is there anything else you'd like to know?" She tilted her head slightly, holding him in her gaze.
"Stating your case, are you?" Cutter repeated silently, while he slowly
headed
back for his desk. For some reason, he would have liked to let Speede take
her
on, just to see how much of a warrior she was. But he couldn't let things
get out
of hand...yet. Know your enemy before you engage in battle. But he still
wasn't
convinced that she actually wàs the enemy. So the best thing he could do for
now
was to find out exactly what she was doing here and why she tolerated all
this.
From his past experience, he knew that royalty didn't quite tolerate this
kind of
interrogation. Off course, if what she was telling was the truth, she was as
much
a queen as any worker ant was. He seated himself and signaled Speede with his
eyes to flank him. Then he let the tension linger for a few more moments,
switching his gaze from her to the knife, still sticking ostentatiously out
of
his desk, almost inviting her to grab it and stab them both. But she probably
knew that this would be a pointless action. Then he slowly picked up the
report
from his desk. "Well then, if you are not here to avenge the death of your
colony, what are you here for? What do you expect me to do? Did you save us
back
there just so I could kill you right here?"
Cherry resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the last repeated sentence. This
was getting real old, REAL fast...
"I wish to serve the colony, Sir." Cherry explained, hoping he would get it
this time. She was hoping this was good diplomacy. "Whatever it is you feel
I've done, my skills as a tracker, medic and warrior would make up for your
loss." She allowed her eyes to shine hopefully.
She was obviously serious about this. An enemy queen working in the Colony...
But then again, she had proven herself quite a warrior in the battle with her
colony. And he could always assign someone to keep a good eye on her. Now if he
only could find a single solution for both problems. "We can always use warriors
with your expertise," he admitted. "But I don't know if a know any unit that would
want to operate with the former queen of ..." Suddenly he got it : he found the
perfect solution. He gave her a tight smile and then turned his head towards
Speede, who's jaw dropped when he saw Cutter's smile. "No, sir, you can't be
serious! We have no need for a ex-queen in our squadron, we..." "On the contrary,
lieutenant, you haven't got a good healer yet and an extra tracker always comes in
handy." Speede glared in Cherry's direction and was about to continue his argument
with the colonel, when Cutter raised his hand and turned back to Cherry. "Tell me,
have you ever heard of Recon 50?"
Feeling relieved that Cutter wasn't going to kill her, Cherry said, "No,
Sir. I don't get out much." she added wryly, smiling ever so slightly.
"Well, I didn't expect you to. Recon 50 is the squadron I reserve for the most...
challanging mission. I bet you'll feel right at home. It contains some of the best
warriors in the air force. But, you don't get in so easily, you'll need to pass a
... test," he told her smiling. "Do you think you're up to the challange?"
Cherry tensed again. "And just what might that be, Sir?" she said cautiously,
glancing at both him and Speede.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough..." he said enigmaticly. "Lieutenant Speede,
inform the guards that they're not needed anymore." Speede headed to the door
and Cutter pulled the dagger out of his desk and hung it on the back wall,
where there was hanging an entire arsenal of weapons of all sizes and forms.
While he was running over them carefully, Speede re-entered and took a position
behind Cherry. "Speede, would you be so kind to escort our guest to the hangar?
You know what to do," he told him without turning around. Speede muttered
something under his breath, but did follow orders and took Cherry by the arm
and headed out the door. Only a few seconds after they left, Cutter took one of
the blades from the wall and headed out the door.
After passing through some darker tunnels, they arrived at the airfield. There,
they headed for a smaller hangar in the back, which had a small training area
next to it.
Cherry knew what was coming, and she couldn't believe it. The Colonel wanted
her to duel with HIM! Was this how they initiated all new recruits, or just
ones from an enemy colony? She also noticed that several spectators were
gathering to watch the show. Well, despite the Colonel's handsome, but
predatorial looks, he had more than fired her up for a duel, accusing her of
being a spy. And this Speede, who the hell did he think HE was? He reminded
her of a huge, long lanky black panther, always crouched to spring and
growling. God help the colony if HE ever became Colonel...
As more ants gathered around their sparring area, Delta and Topper became more and
more puzzled. "What in the Queen's name is going on out there," asked Delta.
"Don't ask me, little buddy," Topper replied, "I can't remember anything from the
last hours.""Of course you can't! You passed out at Chug last night... again."
"I did? Did Cara say anything?"
"Why would she do that, hey? We've all grown accustomed to it. Nobody's shocked
anymore."
At that moment, Blue rushed in through the front door."Look at the new recruit the boss dragged in! It's SHOWTIME!"
Delta and Topper gave each other a quick, questioning look before they followed
Blue out the main door to the sparring area, now already packed with
spectators....
Cherry calmed herself as much as possible, remembering the tactics Runner and her own past experience in the field had taught her. She tried not to remember this guy was next to the Queen as leader of the colony, a veteran of war, AND skilled in both intelligence and battle. He had been trained in organized warfare, she was just a tribal lone wolf. But she wasn't about to let THAT little problem stand in her way. She stood in beginning duel stance, like a coiled spring. She had killed whole squadrons of wasps, praying mantisis, and her own colony's General, she could take on this skinny little brown ant bean...Her antennas crackled in warning, letting the Colonel know her spear and force of personality weren't the ONLY lethal weapons she had.
As the crowd parted, Cutter hovered to his starting position, not letting his gaze
off Cherry. She had already proven herself before, so he knew that this wasn't
going to be like a walk in the park. She fighting for her very survival. If she
lost, she was surely to be banned from the Colony and in spite of Bala and Z's
philosophy, Cutter knew that a single ant couldn't survive long in the wilderness
alone, not even with her experience. He, on the other hand, had his position and
the respect of his troops to defend. So he was not about to give away his victory,
just because he had an odd sence of respect for her. For the moment, his men were
more important then his personal feelings. Probably a leftover from Mandible's old
regime... He shook away this last thought as he softly touched the ground,
bringing his blade in battle position. For a moment, he looked at his blade, one of
his favorite weapons. It was designed by corporal Topper and looked like a normal
spear on one side, but had a vicious blade on the other side, manufactered from
the claws of a praying mantis he slayed. He then shifted his gaze towards her
weapon, which seemed much lighter and not nearly as intimidating as his blade, but
only so to the untrained eye. A real warrior noticed the almost hidden barbs,
which made it a fierce and formidable weapon, probably deadly when used by a
skilled soldier. And as he looked at her getting in a battle stance, he knew that
she was a master with this particular weapon...
Cherry locked Cutter's eyes with her own, sizing him up. Runner had taught her this technique, and so had five years in the wild. She could feel and smell the surge of energy that preceeded an opponent's move, and Cutter had that energy now. Neither of them noticed that the Queen, Z and Bala had joined the crowd to watch, and stood back in the shadows safely out of harm's way. They whispered amongst themselves.
"Isn't that the fire ant who saved Cutter?" Bala said suspiciously to Z. "That's a helluva way to thank her."
Z smirked. "I think the Colonel's having a worse day than usual."
"Language, Bala." the Queen warned her daughter congenially. With a supressed sigh, she explained. "The Colonel feels that he has to test her. I don't know what to make of her myself. He told me that if she loses, she is banished from the colony. If she wins, she'll become a soldier."
"WHAT?" Z and Bala said together.
Cherry was silent as she waited for Cutter to make a move. The whole world seemed to stand still. The harsh arena light fell upon Cutter's well-chiseled face, making it seem even more predatorial. There was a deep orange pinpoint of light in his eyes that bespoke a nature beyond the call of duty waiting to spring. He was no longer Cutter the Colonel, but Cutter the warrior. Beneath the official surface lay a feral creature defending it's home. The same wild instince arose in Cherry in a defensive stance, the pupils of her orange eyes contracting to pinpoints in the light. If she lived, she would defend this colony as though she were it's queen. If she died, at least she would die honorably.
For a few seconds, Cutter ran through possible tactics in his mind. She was
faster and more agile then he was, so he was going to play this on strength and
the element of surprise. She was probably under more pressure then he was, so he
had to find a way to use this against her. He waited a few more seconds before he
leaped at her, as a hunter on a helpless prey. And with one swift motion, he
hacked out at her with the blade on his spear, going straight for her waist...
With a yelp, Cherry blocked him with her own spear as they clashed. She used
all her strength to hold him back, her antennas crackling like mad. She knew
he was stronger than she was, but she had plenty of other tricks to pull to
make up the difference. At least, she hoped. No matter how many insects she
fought, there was always one who had an unexpected move she was never
prepared for. She remembered the soldiers in her own colony. Though their
military had been loosely organized, if at all, they fought mean, and they
fought dirty. Cherry realized that as disciplined as this colony's military
was with it's rules, those rules probably didn't apply to fire ants. As she
held back Cutter, her orange eyes burned into his to show him she was not
afraid.
He pushed on his blade with all his weight, but he realised that this was
futile, because the suprise effect hadn't worked on her. So he withdrew back in to
battle stance and in one smooth motion readied his weapon, this time with the spear
point ready to receive any counter attack. To his surpise, she seemed hardly taken
aback from it.
The crowd unanomously held it's breath for the next move. Blue held back the urge to let out a loud whoop for the Colonel.
Cherry had to find a way to knock this guy down. Now, what could she do about that mean ol' pointed spear? Without thinking, she rushed within three feet of him, then stopped abruptly on her toes, her weapon poised. He growled slightly, and swung at her midsection but Cherry danced away from him. Her wings kept buzzing and she fought the urge to fly up. Their spears clashed so hard that it made sparks fly. The crowd roared.
"GO CUTTER!!!" Blue now blurt out above the noise. Bala winced.
Cherry lost her grip on her spear from Cutter pushing so hard against it and spun around in an involuntary circle. But this served in her favor. When she stopped the turn with her foot, she used the flat end of her spear to whack the Colonel in the tail. But it didn't produce the effect she'd desired, which was to make him stumble and fall down. Instead, he spun around and cut into her leg with the edge of his own spear, producing a scream of pain that turned into a scream of rage. Her antennae crackled in response, and forgetting the spear, she threw her head forward and lashed his face and shoulders with her charged built-in whips. The Colonel wasn't prepared for this and screamed in pain. Cherry bounced back with a look of shock. She hadn't intended to go that far. But the Colonel wasn't down, yet, and neither was she. So she braced for the counterattack.
And she got it.
The Colonel raged forward like a speeding train, and without using her wings, Cherry bounced up into the air and flipped over him. She rolled like a ball then hopped back up behind him, hoping to take him down by suprize. But she was too late. He spun like a top and sliced at her antennas, which were still crackling, barely skimming the top of her head. The electricity backfired down his spear and shocked him, making him draw back with a snarl. This guy really had a predatorial side, Cherry realized. Gone was the cool, authoritative commander and in his place was a snarling, do or die animal. The same was happening to Cherry. She flashed back to the battle with Queen Electra and for a moment, his face became hers. Cherry braced her spear in both hands at opposite ends and blocked Cutter's swift lunges. Hers was a weapon that could bend but not break, but so was his. And for this next move, his strength won over hers.
While Cherry unsuccessfully tried to take him down with a leg swipe from her studded ankle braces, Cutter pushed her down instead, knocking her spear out of the ring in the process. The whole crowd cheered, and some groaned. This didn't look good. "Surrender, fire ant." he said with angry triumph as Cherry lay panting and bleeding at his feet. Speede leaned on his haunches from a high place above the air field and smiled toothily. "Good going, Colonel." he said under his breath.
But Cherry had other plans. She wasn't beaten yet. She leaped up and grabbed the middle of Cutter's spear in both hands and kicked at his calves with her thorned ankle studs. As he tried to push her away, she used her studded wrist bracelets to push into his chest, causing him to lose control of the spear, and his balance. He fell down, with Cherry's foot planted in his stomach and her electric antennae dangling in his face. She kicked the spear out of his grasp and held onto his wrists with clenched fists. "Shall we dance?" she teased unmercifully. The Colonel yelled curses in protest of everything. "I take that as a yes?" The Colonel's wings buzzed just enough to give him leverage, and he rose up slightly to fight her off. But Cherry was relentless. She had him down, she was gonna keep him that way. The crowd was starting to chant something and shake their fists. More than half of them were standing up and leaning forward as though straining to get closer. Cherry kept Cutter's legs pinned with her feet to prevent him from flipping her over. "Give it up, Colonel!" she hissed at him, her eyes flashing down at him. "I've won!" She knew she had to remove her antennas soon or it might kill him. She flipped them back and forced them to stop crackling, but still struggled to keep him pinned with her arms and legs. She couldn't believe how strong he was. But even he was getting tired. He relaxed and lay back, panting and closed his eyes as though he had fainted. But as soon as Cherry stood up, he rose, knocking her to the ground. "You sneaky bastard!" she yelled as she went sprawling. Now it was Cutter's turn to pin her. He grinned evilly down at her as she struggled to get out of his grasp.
"What goes around comes around." he taunted. He shoved her head down by her shoulders and bonked it on the ground twice before she dug her claws into his own shoulders to make him howl in pain. They fought like wild dogs in hand to hand combat. At one point, Cherry rolled over far enough to get to both spears, and giving the Colonel another little shock, she flipped up with one in each hand. "Looking for something, Colonel?" she taunted him, dancing side to side while he stood up shakily to look for an opening. As predicted, he lunged to claim the spears, but she threw one of them at his stomach. Not enough to kill him, but enogh to knock him over. It landed with perfect aim. He fell, clutching the spear and painfully pulled it out as she loomed over him with the other, pointed at his nose. "This is my last offer, Colonel." she said with her voice lowered. "Surrender........now."
Cutter lay back, his wounds and exhaustion really getting to him this time. This woman was insane....and much as he hated to admit it, insanely good. "Ok, Private Cherry, you win." he said weakly. Cherry raised one eyebrow. Private?
The crowd cheered so loud it bounced off the walls. Even after the medics had taken the spent contestants away they kept applauding. Bala and Z watched from the balcony, stunned.
"Wow......"
They shook her heads, then thoughtfully walked away.
