Chapter 8

Once you do it, there's no turning back. Have you ever tried it? It's not hard. All you have to do is pull really hard. Wait until it snaps. Sometimes they squirm though. Those ones, they aren't too pleasurable to watch. I mean. It's not pleasurable anyways. To watch or do, I mean. Sometimes, it makes me sick. Makes me want to cry. Sometimes, I've had enough. Sometimes. But there's no turning back. Not now. There will never be an end. Have you ever tried it?

I have.

It's not something you should enjoy. It's not something that I enjoy, either. But I have to do it. If I don't, there's always trouble. Trouble around every single corner. It seems to follow me, that much is true. It appears as though I'm not blessed. These aren't good times we share. Tell me. Have you ever held a barrel to a man's head? Have you ever been asked to pull that trigger? Have you ever watched their life trickle out from between the fractures? Or see their eyes roll back into their heads?

No?

Well. Consider yourself lucky.

If I don't do it, no one else will. Trouble is always brewing. Do I like it?

Never.

How could you even think such a thing? I'm not some blood crazed fiend. I'm just here. Merely for business. For the money, maybe. That's what some people think. I don't do it for the thrill, that's for sure. Who could enjoy such a thing. Not I. But you have to do what you have to do.

Survival is the only thing that matters in this world. If you don't fight, you won't survive. Maybe that's what they're doing. Fighting. To survive. Maybe. Or maybe they really are just that cruel. Don't they feel anything? I don't know. I'm not supposed to ask those questions. To get attached is to be weak. There can never be any allowance like that. No give. No take. Just business.

Strictly business.

That's why I'm here. Hammer of the gun.

Don't take things personally. I can't. If I did, I would be in a hospital right now. Funny how that works, isn't it. It doesn't matter, though. So don't think too much on it. Just go on your way. I'll be here, still. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Business is business. And there's nothing that can stop it.

If I don't do it, no one else will.

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"I see, I see. Your situation sure is a complicated one, Miss Kaioh." Alexander Von Toff. He was a skinny man, a bit older. His head was completely bare, his eyebrows thick with grey. Wrinkles crinkled around his eyes from smiling, or maybe frowning. Perhaps worry. Which ever, they were still present. Dressed sharply in a black suit, he held his cigar idly in his hand. His glittering brown eyes were sunk deep into his skull, his skin still not yet sagging with his unknown age. All she had to know was that he was old. And his family was older. Their presence in the Ring was necessary, as well as prominent. Founders.

Old money.

She had to be careful around him. He was competition. And she didn't want to ruin a perfectly good alliance.

Michiru nodded her head, those soft locks bouncing lightly around her face. A polite smile rested against her lips as she extended the paper work towards the seated man. He grabbed them, his knuckles gnarled and twisted. Veins bulged out of his skin, the blue making his skin look ghastly. He was strong. There was nothing fragile or weak about him. But he sure reminded her of a skeleton. Sometimes, she wondered just how much he really ate.

"It would pull you out of our debt, should you do this for the company. Our shipment is to be out by dawn. Granted, it's already nightfall, you can see the haste that we need to make." There were no windows in the room. Or any, really, in the establishment. Didn't want to draw attention. But from the opening and closing of a door, one could see that the outside was completely bathed in black.

"I understand." He nodded his head, his eyes lightly dancing over the pages. Slowly, he brought a finger to his lips and pulled. Michiru glanced out the large window that over looked the pit, her stomach turning just a little. What was going on down there? Quietly, so as not to disturb the man's thoughts, she moved towards the tint. Her eyes fell upon that…that. Insufferable young man. And he was with a dancer. A dancer. Wow. Okay. So, she thought maybe he had a little bit more taste than that.

Apparently, she was wrong.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, her blood boiled, her fists balling just in the slightest. A lady should never show outward signs of aggression, she reminded herself. But she knew her eyes were storming. Her heart beat madly in her chest. Why should she care? This was none of her concern. Shaking her head, she tried to look away, but she found that she couldn't.

"What's so interesting down there, Miss Kaioh? Someone hold your interest?" Mr. Von Toff made his way to her side, his hand snaking around her wrist. Just as their eyes locked. She blinked passively and looked to him. He was not a stupid man. No. He looked down at the people milling all about. Many were boozing, having a few laughs. But only one set of fierce emerald eyes were fixed up. He let a small smirk fit onto his face as he pulled Michiru away.

"Ah, I see. It's that boy," he mused, his voice thick with the irony. He was just a dog. Sooner or later, he would lose. And sooner or later, he would die. Just like the rest of them. There was no rescue for his type. The older man shook his head, chuckling just in the slightest.

She felt her cheeks get a little warm, but reminded herself that she was here for business. Not for casual conversations. If she were to be having these conversations, that would be wasting time. And as the saying goes 'Time is money.' Besides, the gamblers were chomping at the bit. They wanted to see more blood. Heh. It never ceased to amaze her. Not even in the slightest. This place. These people. They were all gonners. They just didn't know it yet. There was no redemption for them. There was no redemption for her. They were as guilty as she was.

"What is your decision, Mr. Von Toff? I fear I cannot stay for too long, for the crowd grows restless," she commented. They really were. Already, someone had been in a fight near the bar. There were going to be more and more the longer she was away. More until it all became just one huge massive brawl. And that would cost thousands of dollars in damages.

"Oh, sit down, Miss Kaioh. Stay a while! I promise I do not bite," he flashed her a toothy grin as he motioned to a chair that sat next to his own. She shook her head. Not even he knew the important role that she played. No one did. That's how it worked. See but not be seen. That's how it always was. This underhanded business. Sneaky sneaky.

"I'm afraid I cannot, sir. If it's too much to ask at the moment, then you can come find me after the turn of the hour. Until then, Mr. Von Toff." She nodded her head politely before she moved towards the door. The body guard looked down at her, his face grim. She smiled up at him, hoping to not set him off. He was a crazy one. But. At least he was quiet. He opened the door for her and she stepped out grateful to be out of his presence.

She was pretty sure that he had started to say something as she left, but the rumble and roar of the crowd had drowned everything out. It was sort of charming. The way that the muddled and mixed voices came and closed in around your ear drums. It was loud, but it wasn't painfully so. Just enough so that when you talked to someone, you had to lean in real close like. And it was even better when you were trying to ignore someone. You could just pretend like you didn't hear them and run along your merry way. And they wouldn't know the difference. Especially if you played that old "Oh, I didn't hear you. You know how loud it gets in here," card. It worked every time.

Slowly, her smile turned into a smug smirk, just at that thought. Okay, so, she had her faults. Who could really blame her? With practiced haste, the blue haired youth made her way back up to her booth, unscathed for the most part. A few drunkards had managed to slam into her and send her off balance, but it wasn't anything that was particularly unusual. Of course, some of them thought it would be fun to try and grab at her, but she would just walk on by. It happens. All the time. It used to bother her. But not so much anymore. She had lived this way for too long to really care.

There was nothing there that really mattered.

"My apologies, gents! But I'm back, and I hope you're ready for the next round, because I think that it's about time to bring them out!" It was automatic. Easy. Quick. That's how it had always been.

Her thoughts fell upon that scrapper. Those eyes. Piercing. Furious. Trapped. No. Nothing at all.

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Where had the night gone?

What had happened?

Everything boiled down to nothing. No where.

It couldn't have simply dissolved, could it?

Haruka looked down at her hands. She had heard those words. Countless times in her head. Echoing. Pulling. Prompting. It was like a prayer. Granted, it wasn't a very nice one, it was still there. But really. Once you kill once, it isn't so hard to do again. Sometimes, she had to take a few deep breaths before she came out of that door. But once her feet hit the sand, her mind went blank.

You or him.

It would always haunt her. She was pretty sure that there was no way she would ever be able to sleep again. Her conscience was heavy. Laden with the guilt. It made her stomach turn. But she couldn't let that get in the way of her fighting. It only took one fraction of a mistake. That's all. And the tides would turn faster than you could blink your eyes. She had felt her face slammed into the floor many times that evening. In fact, Haruka was severely concerned whether or not her brains were leaking out of her nose yet. It sure had bled enough.

Luckily, her smile was still in tact. She had no missing teeth. She sure couldn't say that for the man that laid before her. She had packed him a good one. Made his mouth cave. She looked down at her clenched fist. Bite marks. His mouth had been open when she had delivered that blow. Blood soaked her white. Well. She wondered if that was going to be a problem. It wasn't exactly white to begin with, it had been a little dirty, but now there was blood all over it. She would have to ask about it later. Would that mean she couldn't fight anymore? Her white wasn't white. How ironic.

Right.

Her mind was drawn back into the present. The crowd was screaming and yelling, people were standing in their seats, jumping up and down excitedly. See, now they were a little more willing to bet on her. After all she had done that night. Fourth man tonight she had beat down. Those who had bet on her the first time sure were making a lot. And those who were now betting on her, were still making a lot. Glad they had such confidence in her.

Everything sounded like it was underwater. Warbely. There was no distinction between the announcers words, or the yells that echoed all around her. In a distorted reality they seemed to dwell. Twisting. Turning. Wretched. She hated it. No. Haruka abruptly shook her head to rid her thoughts of such things. Focus on the moment. The present. That's all that mattered. Hard emerald eyes looked down at the bloody man, his chest rising and falling with the strain of breathing. Sooner or later, she would be told to ease that endeavor. Probably sooner. Automatically, her fingers worked at the knot. With a blank face, she pulled the white from around his arm.

The crowd was going wild. The announcer was speaking in excited tones. Too bad she couldn't quite make it all out. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Everything was so confusing here. What was she doing? What you have to. Right. It's what she had to do. That's it. Eventually, she would get used to the idea. She hadn't even realized it. Those words.

Her eyes opened and she was already walking down that cold hallway. The only registered sound was the tap of her shoes against the hard ground. Tap tap tap tap. She looked at her hands. A piece of a tooth laid rooted deep into her knuckle. It was painful. Actually. Everything was painful, really. Her body was sore, bruised and beaten. What sort of place was this? She was smaller. Light weight. And they were pitting her against men three times her size. Talk about drawing the short end of the stick. She may be tall, but Haruka wasn't all that beefy. A sigh passed her lips. She wasn't even really thinking. Everything was just passing by her in a blur. The main room was stuffy. Packed. Warm. Too warm. Colors zipped by her as she made her way towards one of those metal doors.

Money.

Right. She couldn't leave without her money.

What was she doing again?

She looked to the right. Then to the left. It was dark. Cool. Damp. Oh. She was outside. Okay, that made more sense. Closing her eyes, she really just wanted to lay down and sleep. Her stomach twisted. How could she think of such a thing. Not after what. Not…Her shoulders shook, her face drained of all color. She felt as though she could be sick. Placing her palm flat against the cool surface of the building she felt as though she was going to lose the contents of her stomach.

Something flicked out of the corner of her eye. A light swung methodically in the wind, a long shadow dancing in its wake. Shwack! What was that sound? Warily, the young blonde made her way towards the corner. The sound of a scuffle caught her ears. Slowly, she peeked around the corner. Wide shoulders. Dark hair. Average height. She could almost touch the seam upon his jacket. That white jacket. Her eyes widened.

"No. No no, Mr. K. Please. It was an accident, I-I-I s-s-swear!" A voice pleaded. The man moved to the side. Kneeling upon the concrete was a younger looking man. His red hair was stuck to his face, sweat glistening off of his sickly white skin. His right eye was swollen shut, a beautiful black and blue bruise beginning to appear. Haruka could see the slits under his lip where he had bitten through that meaty flesh. Blood snaked down his chin to land upon his chest. The thick liquid stained the ground beneath. He was crying. Pleading.

A soft voice drifted over the scene. "And there he goes, circling around Jeff. Will he be able to do it folks? I'm not so sure. James looks likes he's seen better days. I'm starting to doubt him." The announcer. Even through the walls, Haruka couldn't escape that voice. If she would have looked closer, she would have seen that there was definitely a small window right next to her ankle. One of the very few. But that didn't really matter. What did matter was the scene that was unfolding before her.

The pleading man watched as the other circled around behind him. His face was dark with shadow. Too bad, Haruka could pick out that white suit anywhere. Mr. White leaned in close, his hand snaking around the other mans neck. "An accident or not, Holds. It doesn't really matter. You've caused me quite a bit of trouble." His other hand fell upon his shoulder. His knuckles turned white, Holds wincing in pain. She should do something. But. This wasn't her problem. Right. She should walk away.

"B-bu-but, t-they were r-r-r-resi-resisting. B-b-broke their own damn limbs!" Something flashed in Mr. White's eyes. Haruka feared no man. But. That look. It was dark enough to make even her skin crawl.

"Broke their own limbs? BROKE THEIR OWN LIMBS?!" He yelled. Without warning, Mr. White kicked at the man's femur. Off balance, the man tumbled forward. Mr. White turned his back and began to walk towards something. His hand gripped it and pulled it to his shoulder. He was out of the swinging light, though, so Haruka could not quite tell what he had grabbed.

"So. If I pushed YOU down a fucking flight of stairs, would that mean you broke your own damn limbs?" He was back in the ring of light. Resting on his shoulder was a long wooden handle. A huge hammer head was situated at the top of it. Used to break up concrete. Or to drive heavy posts into the ground. A sludge hammer. Weighing roughly ten to thirteen pounds. Holds didn't look up at Mr. White as he spoke. What was he supposed to say? He whimpered a little. His head shook a little. He just wanted to go home.

It went up. Haruka's eyes widened. Se could feel the snap reverberate in her lungs. She could feel the broken blood vessels. She could taste his scream. Her heart stopped for a moment. Mr. White shouldered the hammer again. Shattered into a million pieces, Holds held his shoulder. Writhing in pain. Agony. He wanted to throw up. "You didn't answer my question, Holds." White with pain, the younger man turned to look up at Mr. White. His lips trembled as he searched for words. But he couldn't find any. None would come. It hurt to breathe.

She should help him.

No. This was none of her business.

"What a blow! Shattering his bones, Jeff begins to circle again. He sure is cocky today, isn't he?" The voice danced in the silence. Before it was covered up by Mr. White again.

"You are worthless to me. Look at the injuries you've inflicted upon yourself, Holds. How are you supposed to work? I guess we'll have to just…let you go. For the betterment of the company, I regret to inform you that you are no longer needed here." A cruel smile lighted his lips. The absolute terror that washed over the mans face was heartbreaking. The head of the hammer suddenly came down again, this time smashing right into his leg. He let out another yowl. Bone. Sinew. Flesh. It was all being torn and bloodied. Broken. Blunt force trauma. Only takes six pounds of pressure to break through human skin.

"Kaioh, please please give me another chance. Please. It won't happen again I promise!" He was talking fast. Almost incoherently. Through his pain, he made to grab at those white slacks. But Mr. White moved back. He didn't want to get his suit all dirty. Discarding the hammer a long revolver was now pointed at the mans head. He stepped back a few feet. He really didn't want to get blood on his suit. That shit never comes out.

"I know it won't." The shot hissed through the air, the shock making Haruka jump. The smell of a freshly fired bullet invaded her nose and mouth. Holds stopped squirming. Blood pooled from beneath his limp head. Right between the eyes. The exit wound was gaping. She couldn't stare at it. Too much matter. Too much tissue. She couldn't take it anymore. It was still pulsing. Her stomach twisted. She turned back, stumbling the way that she had come a few minutes before. Her hand was clamped tightly over her mouth. The horror of the situation finally had hit her. She was a killer. Working for another killer. How ironic. If it wasn't such a serious situation, she would have laughed. Of course. She would have laughed at a lot of things, had life not given her lemons. Her shoulders hunched forward, her free hand placed flat against the cool surface of the alley wall. A light drizzle was beginning to fall. Her head spun. Her insides squirmed. She was going to lose it. She was. No. No. She took a deep calming breath. Closing her eyes, she tried to get herself back in control. No, she was fine. There was nothing wrong. Everything was okay. Nothing had happened. This was all just a dream. And in the morning, she would just laugh it off.

She could still feel the way that first time. The twist. The snap. No. Her eyes closed even tighter. She wasn't born to kill. She wasn't a killer. But. Slowly, she took another deep breath. She had to leave. This was not making the situation any better. She had to leave. With a new found resolve, the young woman walked back inside. Her face was white, her shoulders shook, and she looked like she had just seen a ghost. But she had to do this. In order to get what they needed. Detachment was key. She nodded her head. Closing her eyes, she stood in the warmth for a moment.

Once she was certain that she could move and not look like a mental patient, she made her way back down. The bouts were almost over. Only one more fight. That's all she had to live through. She took a deep breath. That would be five fights. Two hundred dollars. Wow. That was a lot of money. She could just see it now. She would go home and they would have a nice little house. Where she would pay the rent and her mother would be safe. Her father wouldn't have to worry. And it would be happy. But the truth of the matter was. Blood money never made anyone happy. Ever. Her jaw tightened at the realization. She had just stumbled into something bad. Something. Really. Bad. Mr. White. He was not a man you should ever want to meet. Ever.

Too bad she realized it too late.

She looked at that white door. She looked down at her bloodied cloth. This was who she was, now. There was no turning back. How had she gotten here exactly? This place now felt like home. And it had only been a single night. But she had been doing this forever. And all she wanted, was for it to stop.

The door opened. For the last time that night. She didn't even look at her opponent. She didn't hear the crowd. She didn't hear the announcer. Everything was quiet around her. But chaos had taken hold in her head. Screams. Feelings. Everything. And it was that fraction of a mistake that got her into the mess. Before she could even realize it, Haruka was stumbling back towards her door. His hand was clasped tightly around the collar of her shirt. The tear made her eyes widen. What was going on? Oh yeah. She was fighting. How long had she been fighting?

She looked at the man. His face didn't appear to be bloody. So, she figured, it wasn't that long. She really wanted to go home. She didn't have the patience for this tonight. Right now. Confused. Tired. Angry. Haruka rammed her shoulder into the mans stomach. Damn him. He had just ripped her only shirt. What was she supposed to do now. He fell to the ground, his eyes wide. Winded. On his knees, she delivered a swift heel drop to the back of his neck. His eyes widened. Spit flew from his mouth. He gave a gurgled "Ack!" She wanted this to be over. Haruka wasn't even sure how long she had been in there. The announcer wasn't speaking. The crowd wasn't talking. Well. Maybe she was just imagining things. In one movement, she ripped the cloth from around the mans ankle. She didn't even wait for the prayer.

Grabbing his jaw, the young woman pulled. Her eyes were dull. Her face was blank. And with one last jerk, the man that she knew not was laying on the ground dead. She was done. Through. She didn't have to be back here for a while. She threw the white back at the man. Heh. Her shirt was rather useless too. Without thinking, she took that off as well and tossed it aside. She didn't care. What was there to see. Nothing. She had an undershirt. Wrenching open the door, she shoved her arms into her coat and made her way back up to the office.

She wanted her money. But before she could even get out of the stairwell that led down to the pit, Michiru was standing in front of her. Her eyes were wild, her breath was short. She must have ran. Haruka raised an eyebrow, her eyes still blank. She shook. The girl was too close for comfort. With every step she took back, Michiru took one forward. Until her back hit the wall. What was this girls problem?

Wait. What had happened? Had she done something wrong?

She tried to remember the fight. But couldn't. At all. It was all so confusing. Jumbled. Wrong.

The girl leaned in close, her face only inches away from her own. Her eyes were wide. Haruka continued to stare down at her. "Out of my--"

"You're a woman?" Michiru's voice was flabbergasted and shaking.

Wait. What? How did. Haruka looked down at her chest, then shrugged. Oh yeah. Shirt. Haha. Right. She stared back at Michiru, locked in a battle. Somehow. She felt she was going to lose.

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AN: Okay. Before anyone says it. The last fight was MEANT to be crazy confusing. Even I'm confused. Haha. So. Don't worry about it. If you hadn't guess, yet, I tend to write along the lines of the characters perspective. Haruka was confused and jumbled. So. That's why I wrote it like that. Okay. Anyways. HUZZAH. Done an hour before the end of work. That means I'm not going to get killed. Heart. I'm really really sorry about the late update, guys. I've just been so busy, lately. This weekend, we had all of my nieces and nephews over and it was my sisters birthday, so. Yeah. And. Well. My life has been going fine, for those of you that are interested. But school is approaching, so I'm starting to get a little stressed. (PS: There are these two moths that are sitting inside of the laundry room and I'm afraid to go in there because they might eat my face off, so someone needs to come over here and KILL THEM BEFORE I DIE.) Okay. Now that that's out of my system. On to replies!

Swinging Cloud - Hahaha. Kit. Cameo will happen eventually. Just makes me die laughing when I think about it. Hahaaaaaa.

CoOkiE86 - Well, I know this chapter is a little confusing, but I hope it wasn't too bad.

T. - Riiiight. Haha. Well, I'm glad some things finally made sense to you. That's always a plus. I hope that more things are going to start making sense to you, now that I sort of just gave you something to pick at. BUAHA. I think you'll be sort of pleased with a part of this chapter. Heart.

Petiyaka - Patience, young one. Patience. Haha.

Okay. I'm tired. And I need to go scrub some bathroom floors for my grandma. And my stupid dog is barking like mad, so I'm going to go before I pass out or something. Do something productive. Woo!

See you all next week!