Reyna carefully pulled her jacket closer to herself and looked at Annabeth. The champion was taking a few sips of water. A determined look rested on her face, and she looked ready to go. Annabeth wore her fighting gear and had her belt resting on her shoulder. She looked focused on the fight ahead of her.
Reyna closed her eyes as she felt a pang of fresh anger. The two of them hadn't talked much since Annabeth accused Reyna of injuring her on purpose. Reyna could not focus on that anger now. She had to be supportive of her teammate. And prepared for her own fight.
After a moment, Reyna stood and walked toward Annabeth's side. They met eyes, and the champion stood as well. Reyna spoke, "I would say good luck, but you're going to kick her ass."
"Thank you," Annabeth returned. She nodded to Reyna and then moved her gaze to the side. Reyna followed her eyes and saw Lupa standing at the door. All of their guests had been seated, so the only ones in the locker room were members of the gym.
"Are you ready?" Lupa questioned. Annabeth took a deep breath and stood. She adjusted her belt and walked toward the door. Piper gave Annabeth one last hug, and the champion left the locker room with Lupa.
"Are you sure that you don't want to be out there supporting her?" Piper asked as she looked at Frank. There was a nervous look on her face.
"I do, but I think you're the better choice," Frank answered. He smiled at Piper. "Besides, I'll keep Hazel company."
Hazel had a chair pulled up to watch the television. A popcorn bucket rested near her along with two drinks. She looked at them and gave them a small smile. Piper took a deep breath and looked at Reyna.
"Ready to go out there in support?" Reyna questioned. Piper had a Wolves jacket of her own that clearly defined her as one of the agents. Piper seemed enthusiastic to get it. She quickly nodded. Reyna returned the nod and led her out of the room.
Reyna led Piper down the halls. She already knew the walk like the back of her hand, which allowed her thoughts to drift. Reyna would be out there to support Annabeth, but she would be lying if she said that she wasn't also scouting out her possible opponents.
The two made it toward the cage. Piper moved close to the cage and glanced at Will. She rose up in a cheer as the champion was introduced. Reyna turned her gaze to the side and looked at the crowd. At the front, she could see Annabeth's brothers next to Percy, Sally, and Paul. All of them were cheering as well.
Next to Percy were two empty seats. Kinzie sat in the third seat and seemed to be looking down at an event guide. She looked up and made eye contact with Reyna. A smile came to her face. Reyna practically beamed as she saw Hylla and Nico sit down near Kinzie.
Nico held onto a large bag of popcorn and some hotdogs. Hylla had three drinks that they passed around. Nico passed one of the hot dogs to Paul, who thanked him with a smile. They all seemed to be getting along well.
Reyna moved her gaze back to the two combatants. Annabeth handed her title off to the official and looked at her opponent. The height advantage went to Annabeth, but Arachne had a longer reach. That longer reach allowed her to trap her opponents and catch them in a submission. Annabeth was in the best fighting shape Reyna had seen, though.
Annabeth's youth would allow her body to stay one step ahead of Arachne, but Arachne's mind was her greatest asset. Same for Annabeth. This would be more of a war of the mind than a physical one. Reyna crossed her arms as she watched.
Annabeth bounced up and down slightly. Her ankle was wrapped tightly, and since Arachne knew about it, there was no sense in hiding it. Annabeth's ankle had gotten better, but it was still a target. A nice shiny target. Reyna tried to ignore the guilt that blossomed in her chest.
As the bell rang, Arachne was the first to step forward. There was a look of disdain on her face as she offered her glove. Annabeth touched gloves with her and took a step back as the fight officially began. Both fighters studied each other. Both were creatures of caution.
The first to make a move was Arachne as she stepped forward. Annabeth stepped to the side. The two started to circle each other, inching closer step by step. Arachne lunged first, going right for Annabeth's ankle. The champion avoided the takedown.
Arachne smoothly made it back to her feet, and Annabeth punched forward. It was blocked by Arachne. She wouldn't be dodging as much as blocking as her speed wasn't what it used to be. Not most of the time at least. When Arachne smelled blood, like an injured ankle, she pounced.
As Annabeth punched again, Arachne slipped into her guard and went for another takedown. Annabeth slammed her knee forward, and while it caught flush with Arachne's face, the older woman still took her down. Both hit the ground and immediately fought for positioning.
With Arachne being stunned by the blow, it was easy for Annabeth to squirm away and get back to her feet. As Arachne made it back to her feet, Annabeth assaulted her with kicks and punches. Arachne took a few of the blows, but as Annabeth went to kick her, the champion's leg was grabbed.
This time, Arachne knocked Annabeth to the ground. She tried to mount the champion as the younger woman rolled onto her knees and kept her ankle far away. Reyna frowned as she watched. This didn't make sense.
Annabeth shouldn't have been taken down this easily. Half of their sparring sessions involved takedowns. There was no reason that Annabeth should be off her feet so easily. And to not be able to get up. Reyna watched closely.
Arachne and Annabeth both fought for position once again, but it looked like Annabeth was holding back. She wasn't trying to pull away, and she wasn't trying to trap Arachne into any kind of hold. But, she wasn't panicking either.
Annabeth was testing her opponent.
How the hell had Annabeth gained so much confidence? When she first joined the Wolves, she would not have just allowed Arachne to take her down and test her to see what she would do. To see how easy it would be to get out of each hold and prevent being trapped in it.
There was a bit of strategy in these two. Both fighters were fresh, so Annabeth was testing how easy or hard it was to get out of Arachne's grip when both were at full strength. It would give her a measurement for later in the fight. Reyna watched Annabeth suddenly slip around Arachne, mounting her.
Two punches were landed before Arachne caught her arm and wrestled with her. It was a mass of tangled limbs as the two jockeyed for position. Both fighters looked concentrated, and Annabeth didn't look panicked. She seemed to be in control.
The crowd watched with bated breath as the two fighters tried to find the advantage. No one was crazy enough to take Arachne on in a wrestling match. Unless they were named Annabeth Chase apparently. The woman's height and muscle allowed her to finally roll Arachne onto her back and mount her.
Annabeth delivered two more punches before her arm was grabbed. Two of Arachne's fingers rested along Annabeth's wrist, and as the champion tried to twist her wrist away, Arachne's other hand grabbed her two fingers. It was Annabeth's own momentum that caused a loud pop.
Pain contorted Annabeth's face for a moment, and she responded by catching Arachne with a swift punch to the face. Annabeth tried to squirm free, but Arachne wrapped both legs around her midsection and didn't let her pull away.
The best thing would have been for Annabeth to pry her opponent's hands off. But, the crooked fingers on her right hand would hinder that. Annabeth tried to grab one of Arachne's knees, but her opponent started to wrap an arm around her neck.
Annabeth grabbed Arachne's hand and started to wrench it free. The two struggled with each other as the time started to trickle down. Arachne didn't look like she was expending much energy as she had a position of power, constantly trying to apply pressure to Annabeth's neck in a form of a chokehold.
As the round started to close out, Arachne became much more aggressive in her movements. Annabeth just went on the full defensive, still not losing her composure. As the round expired, Arachne let go of her opponent and stood up.
Annabeth slowly made it to her feet and walked to her corner. Lupa and Will stepped into the cage as Annabeth took a seat. The doctor immediately looked at her fingers.
"That was so stupid," Annabeth chided herself as she looked at her fingers. Lupa studied her in concern.
"Can you still fight?" Will questioned.
"Yes," Annabeth said immediately. "Just tape them together."
Will looked at Lupa, who nodded. The doctor gently grabbed Annabeth's fingers and began to wrap them in tape. Lupa gave Annabeth some water and spoke, "Try to stay out of her grasp this round."
Annabeth nodded. Reyna leaned on the cage and spoke, "You have targets on opposite parts of your body. It's going to be hard to defend."
"You can do this," Piper assured as she looked at Annabeth. The concern in her voice was clear. Annabeth looked at them and nodded. She took another sip of water as Will finished with her hand. The champion stood.
The second round started just as the first did. The champion and challenger circled each other. Annabeth was the first to strike out with a punch again. Arachne blocked it. Annabeth didn't let up as she assaulted Arachne with kicks and punches.
None of the punches came from the hand with the broken fingers. Each kick was calculated to avoid being taken down and putting too much pressure on her injured ankle. Annabeth kicked out again, and without warning, Arachne dipped into her guard. She grabbed Annabeth's leg and knocked her to the ground.
Arachne made it to her knees and grabbed Annabeth's ankle. Before she could trap Annabeth in an ankle lock, the champion twisted onto her side and used her leg strength to kick Arachne in the knee. The challenger fell to her knees but did not loosen her grip.
Arachne jerked the challenger closer to her and pinned her ankle with both knees. Annabeth tried to sit up, only to get punched right in the face. Arachne practically backhanded her with the next blow. Then, she followed it up with a hard punch to the face.
The champion lashed out with a punch of her own that Arachne simply ducked out of the way of. As she did, she twisted Annabeth's ankle and stood, locking her into an ankle lock. Next to Reyna, Piper gasped in shock. Both hands moved to her face.
The crowd seemed to hold their breath as Arachne found her footing, twisting Annabeth's ankle. There was no doubt that the older woman would break the appendage if Annabeth didn't tap. A look of panic crossed Annabeth's face for a small moment as her eyes darted around.
Arachne drove her full weight into Annabeth's leg as she dropped to the ground, fully trapping her in an ankle lock. Arachne had Annabeth's leg trapped between hers and was pushing both of her feet against the champion's hip. Annabeth's ankle was trapped between Arachne's arm and body.
The champion cried out in pain as Arachne's wrist pressed against her Achilles' heel, twisting her ankle. Reyna made eye contact with Annabeth. There was still time. The champion cried out again, and her hand raised. A grin came to the challenger's face.
Followed by a foot right to the jaw. Reyna hadn't even seen Annabeth free her other leg. But the kick almost sounded like a gunshot. It stunned Arachne enough to allow Annabeth to pull Arachne's arm away and free her leg. She pushed herself back and almost scrambled back into the cage wall.
Arachne kicked her hard in the face a moment later. Only Annabeth caught the kick with both hands. She kicked Arachne's legs out from under her and pulled the challenger's leg close. Before Annabeth could imitate the ankle lock, the challenger was scrambling away.
Annabeth made it to her feet and hobbled on her injured ankle. She got into a fighting stance as Arachne carefully stood. The challenger went for her legs again, and Annabeth dodged. She attacked with punches.
Most of Annabeth's focus seemed to be on staying on her feet. Arachne just eyed her ankle like it was a piece of meat, which it no doubt was. A less experienced fighter would be throwing themselves at the champion to finish the fight. Arachne knew better, though. It was only a matter of time until Annabeth was in her web.
Annabeth lashed out with another punch. Instead of dodging it, Arachne grabbed her wrist and twisted it. The other hand wrenched her fingers and pulled her arm close as her legs knocked Annabeth's out from under her.
The champion fell to the knees, but before an arm bar could be fully applied, she bent her elbow to prevent it from being fully captured. Then, she tried to slip inside Arachne's guard. The bell ringing caused both of them to stop.
Annabeth let go of Arachne. The challenger scooted away and studied Annabeth. The two didn't break eye contact as they stood. Annabeth hobbled back to her corner and slowly sat down on the chair Lupa provided. Her head hung as pain appeared on it.
"I can't keep making these mistakes," Annabeth said angrily. She huffed in pain.
"Annabeth, you're doing fine," Piper began.
"You need to keep your ankle guarded," Lupa added. Reyna just looked between the two of them. It looked like she was going to be the bad guy.
"Quit trying to beat Arachne at her own game," Reyna began as she met Annabeth's eyes. "It's not going to work, and you know it. Don't let it be your downfall."
Annabeth studied her eyes and didn't say anything as she took a sip of water. The champion put her mouthguard back in. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna saw Piper glaring at her. Lupa remained silent. Reyna focused back on the fight.
The third round started, and Annabeth held her ground this time. She looked like she wasn't able to put much pressure on her ankle. Her hand had to be aching as well. Reyna didn't know why Annabeth was being so prideful. It would have been smart to keep this as a boxing match and not hand Arachne a fight that catered to her skills.
Arachne slowly approached her opponent. As she got closer, Annabeth threw a punch. It was dodged, but Annabeth kept up the attack. Arachne went after her leg again and was able to catch her as she was off balance. The challenger slammed the champion to the ground.
Annabeth managed to scramble away before she could get grabbed. She made it to her feet and kicked at Arachne. The attack was dodged, and Annabeth tried to keep her away with kicks and punches. As a punch was off target, Arachne went low and slipped into Annabeth's guard again.
The champion was ready this time. She pivoted herself and slammed her knee directly into Arachne's shoulder. There was a loud pop that made Reyna cringe. Dislocated shoulders were the worst. It was exactly what Annabeth needed, though.
Annabeth wrapped one arm around Arachne's waist and picked the older woman over her shoulder. She threw her to the ground and mounted her with brutal punches. As Arachne tried to defend herself, she grabbed Annabeth's bad hand again and twisted her fingers.
Arachne managed to wrestle away slightly, so Annabeth was to the side of her instead of on top. It didn't help as Annabeth jerked Arachne's injured shoulder and then wrapped an arm around her neck. The champion locked in a headlock a moment later. It was quickly turned into a chokehold.
Reyna leaned on the cage, watching the challenger. Arachne's eyes widened. She tried to struggle, but Annabeth kept her full weight on her, pressing Arachne's injured shoulder to the ground.
The challenger tapped moments later.
"YES!" Piper yelled next to Reyna, almost shattering her eardrum. A loud cheer rose up from the crowd. And Lupa had the proudest smile on her face.
Annabeth let go of her opponent as the official tried to step between them. She slowly backed into the cage and used it to stand. Arachne laid on her back and stared at the ceiling. Then, she sat up and put her hand to her shoulder.
Annabeth hobbled forward and offered her hand. Arachne stared at it and stood. A scowl twisted her face, and she shoved past the champion, storming out of the cage. Annabeth shook her head and looked at the official as he handed her belt to her.
The champion took a moment to take in the cheers of the crowd. A smile came to her face as she was officially announced the winner. The crowd cheered even louder. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna saw that a camera was starting to focus on her. She focused back on the champion. This was Annabeth's moment.
Lupa stepped into the cage and helped Annabeth step out. Piper immediately wrapped her in a hug as tightly as she could. Annabeth laughed and hugged her as well, but there was a grimace of pain on her face.
"Good fight," Reyna complimented Annabeth. The champion looked at her and smiled slightly. Reyna smiled back. All she had to do was beat Clarisse, and her next fight would be for Annabeth's title. Reyna could not wait.