Friday Pt 8

"So why are you here?"

Cinder gritted her teeth but smiled at Roman Torchwick. "I thought it would be nice to watch the fights tonight."

Roman took the cigar out of his mouth and blew smoke in her direction. "No."

Cinder growled and her pet did too which pleased her. "And why not?"

Roman looked at her and sighed. "Do you really need me to spell it out for you? You only want to attend because Goldie is fighting tonight. Your big idea is to show off your pet "Red" and upset her? And that's exactly why not. It's not only a bad idea, it's a stupid one!"

He smiled at her pet. "Not that I don't appreciate what you've done to "Red" here." He turned his attention back to Cinder. "But you haven't finished it have you? You chose the option that takes the most time and work so stick to it! What happens if she sees Goldie and your control isn't perfect?"

He stuck his cigar back in his mouth. "Kelly lost us one. You only cared about that one. I put the others to work making us money while having our **** and using them as lures. Now you want to upset one of the worker bees? Just because of your twisted sense of ****? The answer is no. Do your job, learn to like it and make that it's own reward. That's my advice to you."

Cinder is furious! Condesending piece of trash! But this is his show. That's the way the boss wants it... for now. "Fine." She yanks on Puppy's leash and she turns to go but he says, "Stop," rising from his desk and pouring himself a drink as his minions block the door.

She extended her grim arm to bat them away but her hand sliced off as a familiar but different looking mechanical doll bars the way, it's blades out.

Puppy growls in confused anger as it looks very much like one of her "targets" but it's definitely not her. Still she pulls out Cresent Rose and prepares to protect her Mistress. Cinder hisses in pain as her hand regrows and Arthur Watts steps out of the shadows. "My latest model "toy". I haven't come up with a better name yet so I'm calling it "Nicole" for now. You didn't really think I made those mechanical punching bags just for your... pet. Project. Did you Cinder? I suggest you listen to what Roman has to say." He grinned at her. "After all. We both agree on the advice he's about to give you. It'll be... educational for you."

Cinder swallowed. Watts wasn't stupid. He knew his **** was her doing. He'd torn a kingdom apart in his **** for being passed over... he wasn't about to over look being "killed". She nods and looks at Roman.

Roman smiles as he faces the window drink in hand. "See, unlike you, Watts and I have something in common." His voice drops and Watts smiled sinisterly at Cinder. "We both died. And that realization here means we have a second chance. At ****! And do you know what they say the best **** is Cinder?"

She shook her head as he took a drink and puffed his cigar grinning again. "Living well. They say that is the best ****. So we both plan to live and enjoy making that our ****! And the first and most important thing to do in achieving that goal is to keep. On. Living."

Watts grins at Cinder as he pours his own drink and raises it. "And we do that by staying as many moves ahead of our "enemies" as possible. Even if they discover our existence we can ensure our **** by simply staying ahead and ensuring that they can't touch us."

Cinder knew what he was saying. Honestly she knew what they both were saying. They planned to survive right to the end no matter what and that would be their ****. Including Watts **** over her. She swallowed and nodded.

Roman waved his hand and Watts made a similar motion. The minions stepped aside and "Nicole" moved to stand by Watts side.

Cinder looked at Puppy who was still guarding her mistress fiercely and smiled. She snapped her fingers. "Heel". Puppy immediately came to her Mistresses side and followed her out. She smiled and gave her a cookie. "It's not my usual style but I do see their point."

Watts looked at Roman. "By the way I'm fascinated by all the bits of salvage your little operation has discovered! I'm looking forward to getting our hands on those gems."

Roman grinned and raised his glass. "And that's just the start. One person's trash is another's treasure..." he gestured out the window to the underground arena and underworld slums beyond in general, "and I deal in all kinds of trash. To living well on the top of the trash heap!"

Arthur raised his glass. "The best ****!"

They drank.

"Thanks for using the "Proffesor" to help keep this under wraps, by the way." Roman turned back to looking out the window into the arena setup.

Watts nodded. "That's his function. By the way you have seen his latest prediction about the odds of him turning up here sooner rather than later?"

Roman nodded. "I have and he and his AI and dogs have been sniffing around. I already have contingencies in place and even if he does there's little he can do to shut it down and this operation has already more than paid for itself. Worst case scenario we leave it behind."

Watts grins. "Like the lizards tail. That's why you have her here. It's not just the money and the humiliation. She's a potential decoy as well. That's certainly getting a lot of mileage out of one pawn. Bravo, Roman."

Roman tipped his hat. "I really am committed to this new leaf I've- Sorry, we've turned over. You, the others and myself. Living well will be our best **** in this our "second chances".

"I don't really believe in it but good luck tonight, Goldie."

She looked at he cyborg working on her arm. "Thanks, Nebula. You too." She didn't add that they were both in the same boat. Two strikes. They needed to win tonight. Bracket match-up was totally random. Sometimes you were just going to draw bad poorly. Plus acting up counted as a mark. Assaulting the guards or the other talent outside of matches as well as other misbehavior were all counted as marks. Earn three marks and they counted as a "strike". Three strikes and management would find other uses for talents. Getting injured or damaged too greatly and they'd get rid of them rather than pay to have them fixed or healed.

Combat was anything goes as well. As long as you didn't damage the crowds and customers anything went. Which had been good considering that let her use her semblance but it meant those with stronger powers or who were outside her ability to predict trumped her easily. She'd drawn some superwonder lady and she'd beat the tar out of her. That was the other end of things as well. It wasn't just the houses stable of fighters. Other people could enter their characters in as well for a little blood sport. That lady had been one of those. She'd enjoyed it too. Totally wrecked her and her arm clubbing her with it in glee infact.

Management had healed her and her arm was mostly fixed back up but it had been costly and she didn't consent to "using her body" to earn the money back gaining her her third mark and second strike.

The while place reeked of desperation. Those on the top were **** to stay there and those on the bottom were **** not to fall any lower. Which did make the fighting intense.

"Do not lose," Nebula told her. They weren't friends but they were allies in here. The place was part arena and part prison. She'd allied with a clique of cyborgs. "You have to get out of here and find your sister."

She nodded. "You too. If we draw each other..."

Nebula nodded. "No holding back. If I lose, finish me off. It will get you favor with the crowds maybe even erase a strike and I don't want to prostitute too the crowd or end up scrapped for parts... or most likely both."

She swallowed. There had been more than a few that had ended up that way. Apparently some folks had a taste for that sort of thing and worse. She nodded. "Same here. If it's you, don't hold back and if I go down... finish it. Tell the others too."

Nebula nodded. "I will." She stood up from the table and walked away. It was time to get ready. Time to get her game face on.

"Woooo!"

Walt sighed in his "Ichiban" t-shirt he'd won as he helped Blake in her "Banzai" t-shirt out to Silver. "I can't believe you're this much of a lightweight. One drink." He shook his head.

Blake grinned slapping his back. "At least I'm not drunk though!"

Walt nodded. "Yup. Apparently your limit is one or two drinks. I think it's safe to say you shouldn't consume three. Well you've got a little time until you need to sober up. What do you want to do? Walk around the park? Something else?"

Blake nodded. "I want that! I want dancing in the park! You danced with some of the others!"

Walt looked at her skeptically. "Are you even up for dancing?"

Blake narrowed her eyes and flattened her ears as she poked his chest. "I so can dance! And you know it! And my condition is not that bad!" Then she smirked. "Or are you afraid?"

Walt raised an eyebrow. " Afraid of what?"

She giggled. "About what dancing might lead too!"

Walt took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "Like the old joke? No. I'm not afraid. Fine let's go walk around the park and dance and buy you a cup of tea." Walt helps her into Silver and shakes his head. "Can't believe that you are joking about that though..."

She waits for him to climb in before asking, "Why? Because of you and my mother?"

Walt blushed as he started up Silver and looked for a drive-thru to get some coffee and tea. "Yeah... that... just so you know she was-"

Blake sighed. "I know. I know... we had a long talk... about everything. About stuff I never knew and stuff I'm ashamed to say I never thought about before too. I had already decided I needed to grow up thankfully and a lot of that stuff is things "grown up Blake" needed to hear and think about."

Walt nodded but kept quiet saying only, "I think that's a commendable and mature attitude."

Blake smiled. "Thanks... it is wierd though. Is that ok to think that?"

Walt laughed as they pulled into a drive through. "I think that's normal for most children when they think about their parents "doing it" or it was in my time. I never had that issue. They were gone from my life so early. But I had friends and classmates who'd related "icky" and embaressing stories about their folks. My grandparents were well past their prime for that behavior... though considering how lovey dovey they were it would've have surprised me if I had accidentally walked in on something. Thankfully the house is so big and I spent every hour I could outside, even when I was studying if I could help it."

Blake smiles. "They sound sweet!"

Walt chuckled as he pulled up. "They were. Know what you want?"

Blake grins and nods her head but doesn't tell him. Walt waved his hand and she said, "I want to order!"

Walt shook his head but winked as pulled up. "Fine. Large black coffee please."

Blake grinned and nodded. Walt expected her to lean in and shout but she unbuckled her seatbelt and practically crawled over him to lean out his window instead. "Hello! We'd like one large black coffee, one large iced tea, hmmm two doughnuts, one chocolate and one glazed, and an everything bagel with cream cheese and oh how about a..." she started rattling off a long intoxicated order as Walt stared at her ass in his face and shook his head, rolling his eyes. He resolved not to take a picture with it.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Nora Valkyrie Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM and KL-E-O

Will Return In

Friday

Coming Soon]