“I can’t believe I did that…”

  Gaile stared out the window from Kane’s truck as they departed from the gym’s parking lot, dreadful country music clawing at her eardrums. Some time had passed since their fight and subsequent ‘adventure’ in the locker room, yet she could not get rid of those flushed cheeks. Not only had she fought a high-ranked Diamond League member, the fox had somehow managed to get laid as well! Her once pristine virginity had been shed away and presented to a man she had only just met… A kind man. A handsome man. In fact, he was quite the hunk, what with those chiseled abs, attractive jawline and mesmerizing red eyes which matched that luscious blue fur and hair-... She shook those thoughts away and raised a hand over her eyes, lips quivering. She was a slut, wasn’t she? This was the kind of woman she knew her parents hated, Archibald especially - she had been forced to listen to him rant about some women who “slept themselves to the top” as he called it and now she finally understood what it meant. Gaile had fucked a high-ranked Diamond Leaguer so clearly she would be granted preferential treatment from him in return for more sex from now on. Added with the fact she lost her opportunity to hear more about Emily and the failure was clear as day…

  Kane threw a glance at the fox as he stopped by an intersection. “You’ve been uncharacteristically silent for a while now.”

  There it is. Now he was trying to get her attention so he could tell her how good the sex was so she’d have a reason to do it more often. An obvious but effective power play to be used against someone like her, an objectively weaker individual with a transparent goal to reach the top.

  “Oh.” He snapped a finger and pointed at her. “You must be hungry right? I bet you must be after such an intense workout.”

  …Huh?

  Hungry? Yeah, she was a bit hungry after all that. No, scratch that, she was starving! But why would he bring up food at all? In fact, he didn’t even mention anything about sex! Even after she had been shameless enough to ask him to have sex with her, the wolf didn’t even bother to comment on it. Could it be that she was inferior at sex too??

  “If you’re hungry I know a good place to eat. They’ve got some super meaty hamburgers that’s to die for.” Kane said with a light chuckle. “Pure beef patties with crispy strips of bacon and homemade buns, and they also have this special dressing that’s so good they had to keep the recipe secret.”

  Before she knew it, Gaile was drooling. The fox lowered her hand to wipe her lips, then rubbed a few teardrops away before turning her head. Kane had an unreadable expression on his face - it didn’t look like worry, nor did he seem happy. After a few seconds of staring he began to lift the corners of his mouth into a somewhat bland smile, as if there was no real thought hiding behind those eyes. Just a basic smile…and a cute one at that.

  “I… I also know a place…” she answered, hesitant. “There’s a convenience store a few blocks away, they have this turkey sandwich I really like…”

  He raised a brow. “Not the burger type, huh?” he said with a smile. “But sure, we can stop by there. Is it one of those pre-packaged things?”

  The fox nodded. “Yeah. I’m not too hungry, but-” Her stomach growled something fierce and Gaile’s face turned bright pink as she froze.

  Kane burst into laughed, almost banging the back of his head against the seat’s headrest. “It seems like your body disagrees with you. There’s no shame in admitting you’re hungry. Hell, I’m feeling quite hungry too!” The wolf winked at her before entering the road. “Might try out that turkey sandwich you like so much.”

  “Th-they’re not THAT good… You shouldn’t get your hopes up…” The fennec fox looked away with a pout. “I’m sure you’ve had all sorts of good food.”

  “Oh absolutely. My ‘ma makes this amazing chicken pot pie that I swear I could eat in full if it weren’t for my old man being an even bigger eater than me.” he said with a dreamy look on his face. “And whenever my old man gets lucky with the hunt, which isn’t often mind you, there’s some very tender venison on the menu for weeks!”

  Oh crap, that sounded delicious! “Wow, your mom sounds like a really good cook…”

  “Good? Oh boy, she makes the kind of food that’d make Michelin chefs blush, I tell you.” He gave the steering wheel a slap and laughed. “Honestly, the food those bigwigs in the combat industry feed us is overhyped to hell and back. Homemade trumps all, full stop.”

  Thinking back, Gaile did treasure the weekends and holidays when she ate her parents’ food. “My mom makes a really delicious turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s always my highlight of the year.”

  There was a brief pause, then Kane showed a smirk. “I bet your win against Topola makes for some solid competition, no?”

  The fox took a moment to think it over, but shook her head. “No, not really… It was the biggest win of my career, but my parents’ food is just… I don’t know how to describe it.”

  “Tastes like love, I’d say. I feel much the same way.” he said with a warm look in his eyes. “The warmth I feel when I eat with family will always surpass whatever achievements I make in the ring. One should never lose sight of one’s origins, though I’ve come to terms with the fact I’m somewhat of an oddity in that sense.”

  She tilted her head, confused. “Oddity? Isn’t it normal to value family? I always saw that as this natural thing.”

  “I thought the same thing a long time ago, but then I joined Diamond League.” he said with a huff. “It was such a bummer honestly, all those talented individuals being so set on themselves they miss the forest for the trees. And then there’s Emily who-...” He cut himself off and cleared his throat. “Anyway, where was this store again?”

  Gaile blinked and her ears perked up as she pointed to the side. “Ah! Turn right from here.”

  “Got it.” The wolf slowed down and swapped lanes.

  It wasn’t until they parked ouside the store that it dawned on Gaile just how misguided her worries were. There was not a single mention of their sex nor of anything else that bothered the fox, it was just…a normal conversation. She was beginning to feel ashamed that she was in such a fuzz to begin with, Kane was a very kind and down to earth soul who never fit the bill of an exploitative type. The embarrassed fennec fumbled with the door’s handle in a hurry to get out, only to yelp as she fell out to hang by the seatbelt, having forgotten to take it off.

  “Haha, you must be HUNGRY hungry, huh?” Kane snickered as she gave the light fox a gentle pull back and unlatched her seatbelt with a click. “You can go ahead of me, I’ll be there in a bit.”

  “O-okay.” Gaile wasted no time in rushing out the door, too overcome by embarrassment to even think of closing the door.

  The wolf smiled and leaned against his seat, then buried his face in both hands. “How does someone so adorable exist?! I’ve only known her for a week and I already wanna protect her with my life!”

  It took Kane more than five minutes to cool down and by the time he left Darlene to enter the store, the wolf found his newfound friend by the magazine rack. Gaile looked almost hypnotized as her eyes were fixated on an article and when he leaned over to take a peak, he grimaced - Daily Brawler. Good lord, people still read those dumb tabloids? Though the low angle made it impossible for him to read the exact letters, Kane could tell by the pictures that it was related to Gaile’s match against Topola. Judging by the glistening look in her eyes, it was clear the contents weren’t of the optimistic kind.

  “Interesting read?” he asked.

  Gaile jolted and almost dropped the magazine. “Ah! Yeah. It’s very, umm…enlightening… Gosh, I had no idea I was so lucky in that match.”

  The wolf raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Lucky. Interesting choice of words.” He held out his hand. “Can I see?”

  The hesitant fox handed him the magazine and he studied the text with narrowed eyes. As he feared, the article dismantled every single piece of credit that belonged to Gaile, instead attributing it to Topola making a mistake - one paragraph even dared to call the match finale a ‘stroke of bad luck’ that caused the shark to tap. Though the writer’s name didn’t ring any bells, Kane wouldn’t be surprised if they were a relative or good friend of Topola judging by how lopsided their argumentation was. His professional insight told him that the shark did do a fair deal of misjudgements which gave Gaile an opening, but on the flipside it was the fennec’s quick thinking that allowed her to exploit those moments in the first place. Every fighter worth their salt knew that mistakes were inevitable in a sport revolving around split-second decisions and he would have no trouble listing the many times he himself failed to capitalize on those. In short…

  He held the magazine on either end with both hands before tearing it in half from the spine down. “Don’t read this crap. It’s bad for you.” he said with a huff.

  “Ah! What are you doing?!” the fox cried out as she scrambled to grab the fluttering scraps of paper. “It was really informative-”

  “If you want to be misled, sure. Take it from someone who actually stands in the ring,” He looked down on her with a calm look in his eyes, “that article was just a processed word salad - zero substance.”

  The fox stared at Kane, ears flicking. “Wait, but the mistakes I did that fight-”

  “-were compensated for by your quick thinking, a concept that article failed to even entertain.” he retorted. “You made mistakes but so did Topola. And you capitalized on her mistakes better than she did.”

  “Really?!” Gaile’s tail wagged as she looked up at him with starry eyes. “You really think so?!”

  God, she was so cute… “I wouldn’t have said so otherwise. Point is, these things?” He pointed a thumb at the magazine rack. “Vast majority are just sensationalist baloney to catch your attention, the substance is minimal at best.”

  “B-but, I learn a lot from them…” the fox replied with a pout. “They’re really informative.”

  That gave Kane an idea and he smiled. “Well, if you really want information then…”

  “Excuse me.”

  Kane raised his head and turned to look at the clerk standing by the store counter, a scruffy terrier with tired, baggy eyes. He threw a glance at the magazine’s scraps and sighed - right, the damages.

  The tired dog leaned a cheek against his palm. “You gonna pay for that? Though on second thought…” He eyed the wolf’s flannel shirt and ragged pants, “do you even have any money?”

  With an annoyed side-eyed glance, Kane dug a hand into his pocket as he approached the counter. “Say, do you still have those turkey sandwiches?”

  The clerk raised a brow. “There’s one left, yeah.”

  Kane pulled out his wallet. “How much?”

  “It’s five fifty-nine, but the magazine-”

  He pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet and placed it on the counter before the surprised clerk’s eyes. “Keep the change, consider it a tip for your trouble.”

  Gaile watched the wolf turn with the sandwich in hand before fumbling her hands as he gave it to her. “Ah-, thank you… I’ll pay you back-”

  “My treat.” he said with a wink before leaving the store with long steps. “We can chat some more in the car while we eat.”

  “But you didn’t get anything-”

  Kane stopped in his tracks. “...There might still be some left in the car.”

  She saw him resume walking and though the fox was puzzled at first, she followed along with sandwich in hand as she climbed into the truck. The wolf opened its glove box and pulled out a handful of white tissue papers which he placed on Gaile’s lap before rummaging around while she made an even spread by her legs. Like he had suspected, Kane found a transparent plastic bag with some strips of dried meat which he wasted no time biting into, his sharp teeth digging into the fibrous food before tearing it apart with a jerk of his head. His father’s dried deer meat had once again come in clutch as he chewed with half-lidded eyes of satisfaction, then threw a glance at the fox. Gaile bit into her sandwich with a gleam in her eyes, fluffy tail wagging against the seat while she savored its flavors with gleeful innocence.

  Suddenly, Gaile paused. “Actually, something’s been on my mind for a while now.” she said. “You said the reason you called so late today was because of poor connection, but that doesn’t explain why it didn’t take until twelve for you to go somewhere with better coverage.”

  The wolf swallowed in a hurry and coughed while banging his chest. “Ah, well, you see…umm…”

  She squinted at him. “...Are you one of those heavy sleeper types?”

  A single bead of sweat trickled down his cheek and he flashed a stiff smile. “Hah, haha, of course nooot.” he replied, not at all keen on letting her know his father had spent close to an hour waking him. “I just forgot to set a specific time, thought you’d call me or something when you were ready.”

  She gave him a deadpan look. “But how could you expect me to call if your connection is as bad as you said?”

  Kane paused. “Err…” His eyes traveled back and forth as if he was looking for something. “Umm…” He put both hands together and inhaled, then relaxed his shoulders while looking her straight in the eye. “Say, would you like to know about my history with Emily?”

  There was a brief glimmer in her eye but it dulled as soon as it came. “Are you mocking me? I lost our match, remember? I don’t have the right.”

  “But as the winner, I can technically veto our agreement and choose to tell you after all.” he said with a wink.

  Gaile took a moment to consider it as she took another bite of her sandwich, sapphire eyes gazing forward. “Mm.” She swallowed and looked at him with a cute pout. “You’re only suggesting this because you feel bad for me, aren’t you?”

  “N-no, of course not!” Kane blurted out with both hands raised in defense. “I just believe you deserve to know since you fought so well and all. I can tell you’ve been working hard.”

  Her eyes lit up like fireworks at New Years. “Really?!”

  “I never lie about this. Though, I think I see what you’re getting at, it probably feels insulting to have this handed to you for ‘free’ as it may.” He snapped his finger and pointed at her. “So how about this; beat me in rock, paper, scissors and I’ll tell you the full story.”

  Though hesitant at first, the fox took the bait hook line and sinker. “You’re on!!”

  Kane flashed a proud smile and flexed his fingers as he fixed his sharp crimson eyes at the fennec fox’ hand. The fact she was so easy to bait into this was nothing short of endearing. He watched her place the sandwich on her lap and when the two raised their closed fist to make the usual chant, Kane threw his fist down alongside hers and opened it flat - he picked paper and Gaile…rock. The pout she made was adorable and he held up three fingers to show their contest was a best out of three, then smiled as she brandished an almost childlike smile in return. They raised their fists, made the call and he brought it down without a change, meeting her open hand with a rock. With the two now locked in a tie, they raised their fists again and chanted before throwing down - in this crucial moment, his attentive eyes noticed signs of her going for paper and with him having already fixed a motion towards scissors, Kane forced his hand shut at the very last moment! The wolf’s rock met Gaile’s paper and she wasted no time grabbing the clenched fist in glee before pulling back.

  “Yes! Yes yes yes! I won! Hah! Take that!” she blurted out before shrinking into her seat just as fast. “Ah, sorry, got a bit heated there, haha…”

  “Nah, you beat me fair and square, I can take it.” Kane laughed before opening and closing his fist - the wolf almost pulled a muscle with that forced closure. “Well, I’m a man of my word, so I’ll give you what you’ve wanted.”

  The fox nodded with eyes wide like saucers. “Wait, so…you’ll tell me right now? Here?”

  He raised a brow. “Well, yeah…? I mean, we both agreed to-...”

  “H-hold up one moment-” She bent over to grab her bag, almost knocking the sandwich over in the process before pulling out a pen and notebook. “Okay! Ready!”

  Kane chuckled and leaned against his seat to get comfortable before staring at the car’s roof. “Well, it all began a few months after I joined Diamond League…”

  —------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Endless chatter bounced off the walls of Diamond League’s mess hall as Kane sat by his table, prodding at a sliced meatball piece with his fork. Even though the wolf had gone out of his way to arrive late for lunch, that didn’t hinder the crowd, if anything some might have shared the same line of thought. Nevertheless, he still got to claim a lone table in the corner. His attention trailed to the many members of Diamond League occupying the space, crimson eyes locking on a few in particular. He glanced at Damion Grant, a red fox from the organization’s boxing division who still wouldn’t shut up about his most recent win against a higher-ranked member - and for the umpteenth time he omitted the fact that said opponent had just returned from a severe ligament injury in his right leg. There was also Chantelle DiMera, a brown bunny from the wrestling division who wouldn’t stop talking big about her leg techniques which, while impressive, was a far cry from the “elite level” she described them as. Seeing all those inflated egos gathering in the same place days and weeks in succession was suffocating and the wolf found himself staring down at the plate again.

  “...The meat’s dry.” he murmured.

  A female voice groaned. “Are you too good for the food that’s served to you, Kane?”

  Kane’s ears flicked and he looked up to see a very familiar cheetah. Dressed in red trunks and a loose white shirt with a blue diamond emblazoned on the left side of her chest, Emily Chase lowered a plate of what looked like a beef wellington alongside a potato and carrot mash with red wine sauce on top. Kane had met her once before when he was carded in a preliminary match the night she had been placed as the main event, though they never got any further than a simple exchange of names. His mind returned to the present and he stared at the feline’s meal with a slow blink before looking at the wall-mounted clock ticking above the mess hall’s entrance - what sort of person eats a full serving of beef wellington half past one? When he took his eyes off the time, the wolf was met with a sharp glare coming from her teal, twitching eyes.

  “You got a problem?” she growled. “You can leave your seat at any time.”

  He forced a smile. “Oh, haha, there’s no problem at all. Though, not to seem all high and mighty or anything, but I kinda sat here first.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah? Well, I’ve been a member for far longer than you.” The feline spun a fork between her fingers. “And it’ll stay that way. Most losers leave once they realize they’re out of their depth.”

  “I’ve gathered as much, the competition here is fierce. Everyone wants the same thing.” His eyes trailed down to his food and he put a meatball in his mouth. “Kind of exhausting really.”

  “Tch.” Emily stuck a fork in her food and cut a slice before dipping it into the mash. “If a little competition is too much for you then I’ll give you two-, no, one month before you drop.” She stuck the food in her mouth and continued talking mid-chew. “Diamond League’s no place for weaklings.”

  Kane nodded and stuck his fork into a piece of potato. “I think I should be fine then. I’m rather confident in my ability, you see.”

  She raised a brow. “...And there it is.”

  “There is what?”

  She cut another piece of her meal and resumed eating. “Everyone says the same thing, yet they end up falling all the same. Usually by hand.”

  The wolf’s lips curled into a dry smile. “Or legs.”

  “Huh?”

  He leaned to the side of the table and gestured at her legs. “You know, since you tend to finish fights with your legs I figured it’d be a funny-...and you’re not laughing.”

  Emily stared at him with dull eyes, not even chewing her food. “Jokes are supposed to be funny, dumbass.”

  “Hey now, that’s not very nice to say.” he replied with a pout. “I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit, heard you’ve been in a bit of a slump recently so-”

  She swallowed her piece and slammed a fist into the table. “IT’S NOT A SLUMP!!” she snapped. “Those idiots just got lucky is all!”

  Kane gave her an incredulous stare. “I don’t think five straight losses can be attributed to luck. Look, every pro fighter has their off days, but I’m sure you’ll bounce-”

  “Not. another. word.” She pressed a claw against the table and began to rake the surface, leaving a very clear line. “I know your type and I’m more than aware of what you’re doing.”

  “...Huh?”

  “Oh come on, did you really think I wouldn’t notice?” The cheetah sheathed the fork between her index and middle finger before sliding out to remove the table’s fragments from its tips. “It’s obvious you’re the typical goody-two-shoes who wants to act all nice so you can earn favors from the top brass.”

  Kane was dumbfounded. Not because he was found out, the wolf was nowhere near the type he was accused of being, but because of just how asinine the thought was to begin with - here he was trying to give the cheetah some grace and he was hit with…this. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and stayed silent for a moment to gather his thoughts as he took another bite of his food, mind swirling while the meat was chewed. Why did the fighters he respected always turn out to be arrogant assholes with sticks up their asses?

  “I can assure you I’m not that guy, Emily.” And even if he was, she wouldn’t have been his first bet - though he had no intention of voicing that particular line of thought. “What is your deal, anyway? Your situation isn’t THAT bad.”

  “Bullshit.” she spat. “Ever since that stupid bunny humiliated me, I’ve been plagued by horrible luck and lost matches I had no business losing…”

  The wolf shrugged. “So a slump.”

  “Say it again and watch what happens.”

  “What, slump-?”

  Emily didn’t miss a beat and swiped her hand across the table to send his plate of food crashing on the floor. “I warned you.”

  “Hey, what gives?” Kane uttered with a huff as he bent over to grab a piece of the broken plate. “That food was still perfectly edible…”

  “You got on my nerves, so it’s your fault.” she gave a nonchalant shrug and continued eating as if nothing happened. “Since the food’s edible then it should be no problem eating off the floor.”

  An audible sigh left his lips and he walked past the table with a sour look before fetching a bucket broom, then returned to scoop up the mess with slow motions of his hand. He threw a glance at Emily who was still eating and narrowed his eyes before directing them back at his work without a word. Once he had scooped everything into the bucket, Kane saw her lean back against the chair with a pleased sigh - the cheetah’s meal was only halfway finished yet she already seemed more than content.

  Emily’s teal eyes drifted in his direction. “...You’re still staring. You got the hots for me or something?”

  “Not at all.” he replied. “Just wondering why you’re so mean-spirited when I did nothing to you.”

  “Well boo-fucking-hoo. It’s your fault for being annoying.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped her lips. “If you’re so desperate for niceties then go fetch me a drink or something.”

  The wolf stayed in his hunched position for a moment, blinking slowly. “...Excuse me?”

  Emily rolled her eyes. “I know you heard me, or are those ears of yours just for show?”

  After a brief pause, he shook his head and straightened up. “Looks like the rumors about you weren’t unfounded after all.”

  “...What rumors?”

  He sighed. “It’s nothing.” The canine started walking away with the bucket and broom in hand. “Just forget I said anything. I’ll be out of your hair.”

  “Hey!” She shot up from her chair so fast it was knocked over. “I asked you a question, so you better answer me right now!”

  Kane continued walking. “I already answered your question Emily.”

  She gritted her sharp teeth. “And I won’t be satisfied with just that! What the hell has people been saying about me, Kane?!”

  He paused in front of the exit for a brief moment. “You’ll hear if you listen closely. People gossip and I just so happened to overhear it, though not by choice mind you. Never been a fan of drama, honestly, it’s way too much of a hassle.”

  By this point Emily’s eyes were twitching and she bared her sharp teeth with narrowed malevolent eyes. “Kane…I’m not interested in playing any of your games. If you don’t spill it this instant…”

  “Alright, alright, jeez.” The wolf scratched the back of his head and huffed. “People’s been saying you’re washed up and no longer deserving of the elite status. Not my words of course, a few losses here and there won’t void any of your achie-”

  Kane’s crimson eyes shot open and he dropped his tools in an instant to raise both arms in a cross guard as Emily shot towards him at blinding speeds. He didn’t even get the opportunity to take a single step when her foot zoomed past his side and slammed into the door, tearing it off its hinges with a deafening bang - even though Kane managed to raise a guard, that kick would have pulverized his stomach if she had intended to hit him. The canine’s lips curved into a trembling smile and sweat trickled down his brow, heart pounding and eyes quivering. Emily’s violent outburst aligned with the rumors of her getting overly aggressive when things didn’t go in her favor and the wolf wanted nothing more than to get out of her sight.

  “...I’ll meet you in the ring…” Emily growled.

  “Huh, what? Hey, wait a second-...” He waved his arms defensively. “Like I was saying, I’m not the one who said those things-”

  The cheetah rolled her eyes. “You think I’m stupid? I KNOW you didn’t say that.”

  “Then why-...?”

  “I need to let off steam and you look durable.” She walked out the exit and stepped over the broken door with both hands in her pockets. “One hour in MMA Hall Seven. If you don’t come, I'll break your balls with a bat.”

  It was just words, but her tone followed by the mental imagery was enough to make him close his thighs with a wince. “...Something tells me she’ll actually do it if I don’t go along with it…” He threw his head back with a sigh of resignation. “Why does the people here have to be so complicated…?”

  When Kane went to prepare himself for the ongoing fight, a well-dressed white pygmy hamster with a long beard stopped to look down on the door. “Not again...” He removed his glasses and wiped them with a cloth. “I really should have another talk with her, things cannot continue like this.” The old hamster tapped the door with his foot and adjusted his red tie. “We already lost both Horndales, I really don’t want to let go of yet another star so soon.” He turned to look at the many fighters staring at the entrance and watched them all scurry to their seats. “Tch, our ratings might plummet at this rate if I don’t do something.”

  One hour passed and Kane uttered a heavy sigh as he leaned his hand against the dull grey frame of a tall mirror. Dressed in nothing but red shorts and with his appendages wrapped in silver tape, the wolf’s tail hung low as he was more or less dreading what would come next. Kane enjoyed a good fight just as much as the next guy, but everything just felt…wrong. Under more normal circumstances he would have been delighted to face such a formidable opponent and to a certain extent he still was, but this felt more like him being used to sate the cheetah’s personal desires rather than being a genuine spar. He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head. No, he had to make the best out of this - this shouldn’t get the better of him.

  Within the ring, a clear mind was paramount.

  When he left the locker room and approached the caged sparring ring, the wolf couldn’t help but notice the cheetah standing there already dressed in a red top and shorts. “I’m sorry if I kept you waiting, Emily.” he said with a casual smile. “Had to psyche myself up, it’s not every day I get to fight someone of your esteem.”

  “Yeah, you’re very lucky.” Emily growled while tapping her taped foot against the canvas. “Not many rookies get the privilege of facing me this early.”

  He blinked. “Well, wouldn’t exactly call myself a-”

  “Are you gonna step into the ring or what?” The tapping got faster. “You’re taking forever.”

  (“Does cheetahs perceive time differently or something?”) Kane thought as he climbed the steps and entered through the cage door. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t realize I was walking slowly.”

  “No one does.” Emily looked at him with disdain. “And that will bite you in the ass very soon.”

  Kane watched as Emily placed a hand on her hip and raised her knee, tail swaying with anticipation. She held up a hand and flexed her fingers one by one while smirking at the wolf as her teal eyes seared holes into his soul - between the two of them, she fancied herself the hunter and Kane the prey. Those sharp eyes and even sharper teeth were on full display as she lifted her leg higher, past the head and straight upwards in a 180 degree angle. The cheetah moved her foot in a sideways arch as if drawing a half moon and upon it touching the canvas she hunched forward with narrowed eyes. Her fur bristled and Kane felt a tingle in his spine as their eyes met, prompting the wolf to shift his footing while a singular bead of sweat trickled down his forehead before coming to a halt against the wolf’s lashes. The air was suffocating and he narrowed his crimson eyes, maintaining eye contact while watching for any telltale signs of an advance. She was sure to start with-

  A sudden salty sting hit Kane’s eye and Emily shot forward like a missile before thrusting her foot against what would have been the wolf’s diaphragm - instead, he used his foot adjustment to slide in a backwards arc akin to that of a door being opened, avoiding the strike in its entirety. Nevertheless, the gust that brushed against his fur accompanied by the few thin blue strands descending towards the canvas told him all he needed to know. One hundredth of a second later and he would have taken an enormous amount of damage!

  Emily blinked for a moment before her teal eyes drifted to his new position. “Haah?!” She spun on her heel and used the momentum of her miss to swing a high kick at his head. “How did you predict my attack?!”

  The wolf raised his arm and blocked the kick with his forearm. “Ngh-! With all due respect, Emily.” he started. “You start every match this way, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if someone predicts it.”

  She pulled back with a bend in her knee as she stood on one leg. “So what?! It works!” The feline ground her jagged teeth together. “Some rookie shouldn’t be able to predict such an advanced pattern!”

  “I’ve been fighting for-... Oh c’mon.” A tiny vein formed on his forehead and for a brief moment he bared his teeth before backpedaling to evade another kick that was thrust towards his gut. “Woah-!”

  Emily used the forward momentum of her thrust to propel herself towards the evasive wolf before unleashing a Roundhouse Kick aimed for the side of his head. “I’ll show you what I do to cocky rookies!”

  Kane ducked and did a couple hops backwards to distance himself, then stepped away from the cage wall just in time to see Emily hammer a kick into the rustling metal with enough force to shake its very foundation. He attempted to advance with an outstretched arm ready to catch her, but the cheetah twisted her upper body to slam the back of her fist against his wrist and caught it before using that very same turning motion to swing a swift kick at his side. The wolf raised his leg and though he was successful in intercepting her attack, a single tug of his arm followed - with only one leg to stand on he lost his balance and fell face first into a 180 degree kick that catapulted his head to the atmosphere. His red mouthguard popped into view while a mixture of saliva and sweat clouded the surrounding air, though the canine’s straightened body soon took on a C-shape when Emily’s knee plummeted into his solid abs. With bloodshot eyes, Kane opened his mouth with a hollow gasp and raised both arms in an instinctual guard, though it proved too little too late as he took a Roundhouse Kick to the jaw which not only launched the taller male off his feet, it also left his body spinning in several consecutive revolutions before hitting the canvas with a thud that echoed throughout the empty hall.

  “See the difference in class yet? This is how it feels to fight someone at the top.” Emily said before spitting on the mat. “I can tell this wasn’t enough to knock you out, so don’t you dare play possum with me.” She began to stretch her legs with a bored look on her face. “Many other rookies tried that with me, so I beat them all to a pulp.” The cheetah placed a hand on her hip and returned her attention to Kane. “So stop wasting time on useless shit, I’m not done with you just yet.”

  Kane uttered a weak groan and pushed his hands against the canvas with slow, steady breaths. “Trust me… I’m not playing possum.” the wolf huffed as he sat to rub his sore jaw. “You just hit very hard. Ow…”

  “Seriously? Whining already? Don’t be such a wimp, you mutt!” Emily snapped. “Here I am offering precious time to recover from the goodness of my heart and this is how you repay me? By being a little brat?”

  “Excuse me?” Kane winced and rose with a grunt. “I didn’t mean it like- WOAH!”

  The wolf arched his spine just enough to avoid a kick as it zoomed past from above and grazed the tip of his nose. He hadn’t even been given the grace to finish his sentence before Emily resumed the match, but the canine kept his head cool and used his backwards leaning motion to perform a handstand, then added some torque as he swung his legs in a diagonal angle at Emily’s legs. The cheetah’s agility was well-documented and thus Kane had made up his mind to thrust his foot into her gut the moment she’d evade his sweeping motion with a predictable jump-...

  “Amateur.”

  Emily’s right leg crashed into his incoming shin and the wolf’s eyes shot wide open in an instant! His calculated attack had been shut down with a singular kick from the cheetah and while he clutched his throbbing leg in agony, she just scoffed. She gave him light kicks to the hip that left it stinging and when he reached a hand down to protect himself, she caught it. Her grip strength was nothing to write home about and he quickly pulled back, but the cheetah used that abrupt motion to carry herself forward before slamming a knee into his face. The blow was softened by Kane’s other hand which he had raised in the nick of time, though this in turn also pressed the wolf’s knuckles against his nose and jolted his head back with a spray of sweat. He fell back with a grunt but turned to catch the canvas with his numbing hand before using the leverage to sweep at Emily’s legs. This time the cheetah was caught unawares and yelped as her stubborn opponent swept the feline off her feet with a thud - she landed on her ass and winced, then uttered a cry of surprise when Kane made his advance. Emily reached her hands out in a scrambled effort to push him away, but this only resulted in the canine catching her wrists before leaning in to lock her down. However, the cheetah had no interest in just letting him have his way as she shot both knees into his abdomen and lifted the gasping wolf in the air to fly overhead. The abrupt strike made him let go of the feline’s wrists and he rolled on the canvas before clutching his searing gut with heavy groans. He tried to hurry himself up, but Emily had already risen and planted a foot upon his head, pressing the canine’s face against the canvas. She rubbed a sole against his hair and lifted it when he attempted to grab at her, then stomped down on his head one last time.

  Kane laid on the mat for a moment, panting with hazy eyes. Though blurred, he could still make out the visage of Emily standing just a few paces away without any of the urgency expected of a fighter her level. She would have had plenty of opportunities to finish him off already…

  She didn’t view him as a fellow fighter at all, huh? Worse yet, it didn’t seem like he was even viewed as a person at all, just some object to toy with and throw away.

  He wanted to punch the ground and cuss her out, to reprimand the cheetah for her gross behavior, for being yet another reminder of how fame twisted the minds of fighters he otherwise respected. But he couldn’t - rather, he refused to take that route. Kane shook his head and forced a smile as he endured the pain. The wolf couldn’t blind himself to the adrenaline pumping in his veins nor the intense beating of his roused heart, he was already enjoying the thrill and no amount of heartless dehumanization would rob him of that. He rose to his feet with controlled breaths and returned to his stance, half-lidded eyes focused on nothing but the all too infuriating feline before him.

  “Getting your ass kicked so badly, yet you’re smiling.” She scrunched her snout in disgust. “You’re a glutton for punishment, huh?”

  His smile persisted. “I get that sometimes…”

  There was a brief pause, then Emily bared her claws. “Well, then I’ll spill your blood all over the canvas and see how you like it!”

  “Please don’t.” He dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. “The cleaning staff already got more than enough work on their hands…as is.”

  “Oh don’t you get all smarmy with me, mutt…” the cheetah growled.

  “Smarmy?” He blinked. “Whatever do you mean?”

  It was almost tragic how quick she was to rile up. “Stop that!”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop being smart with me!”

  “I have no clue what you’re talking about…but if I WERE to be doing as you claim,” He shrugged, “then I suggest you probably shouldn’t let yourself get angered by it.”

  The feline cracked her knuckles with a vein popping on her forehead. “Yeah, I really hate people like you…”

  “You seem to hate many things honestly.” Kane sighed. “I’d recommend yoga and a nice blend of tea. Chamomile sounds good, no?”

  Emily shot towards him without a sound and thrust a kick at his head, but the wolf’s sharp senses allowed him to react in time by swatting the foot aside with a swift flick of his wrist. The cheetah gritted her teeth as she was thrown off balance and spun to strike him with a backhand that, while fast in execution, was well within the wolf’s expectations - he caught the wrist, kicked her standing leg, turned his hip and slammed the cheetah to the canvas with a heavy throw! Before her body could even stop bouncing off the mat, Kane had already moved down to wrap both thighs around the base of her arm and got ready to force her into a tight Armbar when she kicked both feet against the canvas, catapulting her flexible lower half in midair. After using the momentum to slip out of his grip, she did a backwards roll and clutched her arm with a scowl before charging in to swing a kick at the canine who did a backwards roll onto his feet. She uttered an audible “tch” and maintained their close distance with skillful footwork while unleashing an erratic combination of kicks that utilized swings and thrusts in quick succession. Each time Kane considered catching a kick, the angle would trip him up and force the wolf to either block or dodge instead as he was locked into a defensive position with minimal breathing room. The mounting duress wrought by the persistent offensive forced him to throw a backwards glance at the cage wall, though that brief shift in attention was spotted by the cheetah who lifted her leg for a kick. Kane jolted on instinct and raised both arms to guard his face before a foot was thrust into his diaphragm which then lifted to thrust at his snout mid-gasp.

  While the wolf stumbled from the swift one-two kick combination, Emily used that opportunity to swing a kick into the side of his knee. “Where did your wit go, huh? Not so snarky anymore, are you?!” As he dropped on one knee, she slammed another kick into his shoulder. “You’re really all talk at the end of the day-” Her words were cut off as the wolf shot towards the feline in a sudden advance to grab her, but the nimble cheetah arched back and touched the canvas before clamping both thighs around his neck. “Reckless dumbass!” She lifted his body off the ground and slammed him into the canvas with a grunt before squeezing him with a tight Headscissor. “I can’t believe you actually thought that would work. Holy shit you’re dense!”

  A brilliant move, spoiled by a venomous tongue. The respect he had for the cheetah was dropping like water through a sifter and though he managed to avoid rewarding her with his sounds of discomfort, the wolf couldn’t help but feel the frustration well up from within. He felt those strong legs squeeze his neck and a raspy wheeze was soon forced out of the canine’s mouth as he grasped at her thighs - this level of toned muscle density could only be attained through unforgiving hard work… The sensation made the man grit his teeth and he put more muscle into separating those legs, yet even with his strength it was an immense trial to overcome as he groaned. Sweat poured while he pressed his fingers against the cheetah’s strong thighs, muscles tensing to their limit as the wolf began to create space for himself to slip out and for a moment he believed it to be a success. However, just as he was about to pull himself out through the gap, Emily bent a leg and hooked it around his neck before locking the foot beneath her knee to trap him in a tight Figure Four Headlock, robbing him of breathing room once again.

  The canine’s eyes were bloodshot and strained, staring wide at the ceiling with a foggy haze while he kicked at the canvas, though the fight’s intensity and persistent rush of adrenaline soon caused a bulge to grow down below. His cheeks were flushed as his growing member pushed against the fabric - in all honesty, this wasn’t the worst way to go. While he held onto Emily’s ankle with gritted teeth, Kane could hear a faint “give up” leave her lips followed by an even tighter leg’s embrace that forced out a gasp and an even tighter pressure in his shorts. The wolf didn’t consider himself the type to never give up, he knew better than to prolong a losing battle and didn’t possess any qualms about tapping out in the face of an unwinnable situation. Why risk imminent injury when you could just humbly admit defeat and try another day?

  He REALLY didn’t want to give Emily that satisfaction, however.

  Kane held onto the cheetah’s leg and ran a thumb over the ankle before it came to a halt once he located her tendon. With the digit hovering above the tissue, he pressed it at full force and winced as Emily's sharp scream bounced off of the arena walls in an echo of agony before she released him. He rolled away and got on all fours to look at the feline’s hands rubbing the sore ankle with sharp teeth grinding against one another - his knowledge of pressure points sure came in handy today. The wolf seized the opportunity and approached like a predator pouncing on its wounded prey, ready to give her a taste of her own medicine and take her down-

  *THUMP!*

  Not even a second had passed since the wolf closed the distance, yet he already found a fist pressing against his solar plexus and pushing upward. The cheetah was no expert at punching, but even weaker blows would have its damage multiplied so long as it struck clean - and she did. She had launched from the mat with an unexpected Uppercut that froze Kane stiff as his mouthguard popped out with a string of spittle dancing in the air. A cocksure smile was painted all over Emily’s face as she leaned in to grind against the wolf’s abdomen, prompting more of those wounded sounds to leave his lips. The moment he managed to back away with a groan, Emily reeled her arm back with a toothy grin and swung a swift Haymaker aimed for the snout, but her adversary leaned his side just enough to let the fist graze his cheek - it made a shallow cut in his skin but the unfazed canine advanced and threw his fist in a beautiful upward curve straight into her gut. Her cheeks puffed up, teal eyes sizzling from the abrupt shot of pain as the Uppercut dug until her toned abdomen and lifted the feline off her feet. Emily’s lips quivered for a moment before opening as though they were wrenched apart by sheer force, releasing a torrent of spit that splattered on the canvas before she made contact with the ground again. Although she had landed on her feet, the cheetah was forced to double over and clutch her stomach as she teetered backwards with uneven steps, sweat pouring while hoarse wheezes blanketed the caged ring.

  Even with his current advantage, Kane made his advance with careful steps towards the bent cheetah and tensed his left leg. “No hard feelings, Emily…” He swung a kick towards her side before pulling back - like clockwork, the feline threw herself at him. “You really like this pattern, huh…?” he said before letting himself drop upon impact, then grabbed an arm and pulled the cheetah down into a Triangle Choke. “I hope you don’t mind…that I take your breath away.”

  Emily swiped at the wolf with strained gasps before making an attempt to lift him - to the surprise of no one but her, it failed. “Tch… Get off me…you fucking mutt…”

  “What if I don’t wanna?” the wolf replied before pulling harder.

  To make matters worse for the cheetah, her position forced her to stare and even feel his bulge press against her. “Fucking pervert… You’re getting off on this…”

  “It’s just adrenaline… Intense workouts has that effect on most men…” he insisted. “Believe me, I’m not that kinda guy…”

  “Liar…”

  “I’m really not.”

  The walls were closing in on her as she struggled to breathe. “Hah…hah…fuck… Let go!”

  At first it seemed like he was considering it before letting a casual “Nah.” leave his lips.

  The cheetah kept grasping at his legs and attempted to reach his hand, but proved to be futile. “Huff… Damn it!!”

  Not a word left his mouth this time, instead raising a brow with a cheeky yet tired smile.

  She felt lightheaded and strength was leaking like a deflated balloon. (“No… I can’t lose…not to HIM!”)

  She got a firm grip on his thigh and squeezed, sharp claws digging into his skin before she forced her head to turn…then bit down on his closest leg! Or rather, that is what she would have done if not for the fact her mouthguard got in the way. A disgruntled murmur rumbled from the cheetah and though the act made Kane wary of her intent, she dislodged her mouthguard with some swift tongue movements and spat it right between his eyes before he could so much as consider any retaliatory actions. Teeth bared, she turned again and chomped down on the leg without a moment’s hesitation while digging her claws into the other leg, causing the wolf to howl in pain before releasing her with a deep frown.

  “Hey, what gives?!” he snapped. “That’s against the rules.”

  The cheetah forced herself to stand and spat on the floor. “Don’t be such a baby… It’s not that deep…”

  He gave her a deadpan stare. “No, really, biting and clawing is explicitly ille-”

  “Then how’s THIS for illegal?!”

  She shot towards the wolf which prompted him to raise his guard again, making sure his stance allowed for a swift defense of his legs, face and abdomen alike. The male was fully prepared to not only protect against any and all attacks, but also to counter whatever she’d throw his way-

  Not once did he ever consider that his groin would be her next victim…

  A harsh kick shot upward and smacked him between the legs, sending immeasurable jolts of pain coursing through the core of his being as he straightened up like a nail before curling up in a fetal position on the mat within the same second. Tears were squeezing out the corner of his eyes as he clutched his jewels with hoarse gasps and whimpers - this was the first time anyone had ever kicked him in the balls, much less a professional kicker like Emily. It felt as though his balls had been cracked open like walnuts and an overpowering sensation of nausea violated the mind without rest. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to cry, but more than anything else he was desperate to breathe. Thoughts became a faint memory as he lay on the canvas, too occupied by pain to even recognize that Emily was present to watch his writhing with a devilish smile, nor did he register that she had the male lay on his back.

  “Oh look, the puppy’s still hard. Go figure.” Emily hovered a foot over his hands and stepped on them, adding more pressure to his groin. “You’re no different from the other men I’ve beaten… Bunch of trash they are.” She began to grind, forcing out audible groans. “To think you even entertained the thought of beating me…” She gave his groin an additional stomp to make him jolt. “Piece of shit…!”

  By the time she pulled back, Kane had finally begun to regain control of his senses again as he rolled on his stomach, one hand clutching his jewels while one forearm rested on the mat. A familiar moist sensation could be felt on his hand down below and after a brief double take the wolf realized that he had suffered a release in the midst of his agonized stupor! The inner linings of his shorts were sticky and he blushed again before taking a quick glance at the smirking cheetah. No, he couldn’t bare his anger at her, that was exactly what she wanted from him and he refused to give it to her! Instead he closed his eyes and started thinking, traveling back to the simpler times of life, to the moments he found most amusing, to the pranks he played as a kid and the frankly out-of-pocket comments his dad would make on occasion.

  Soon enough he managed to make himself smile again.

  “God… Okay… You got me there…” Kane said as he got on all fours. “Got me really good even…”

  Emily blinked and just like that, her smile faded away like a puddle beneath a scorching sun. “Tch.”

  “What? You mad I can still fight…?” He straightened up and did a couple light hops, though soon stopped when he felt the intense ache in his balls. “I’ve been told I’m quite hardy.”

  Her eyes traveled down to the stain in his shorts and scoffed. “Oh you were hard alright. Who stains their pants in the middle of a fight?”

  “Woah now.” He held up a defensive hand. “It’s not just me. You’d be surprised how common it is.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Great, so all men are sick masochists who like being kicked in the balls…”

  He balled his fist and raised an index finger. “In all fairness, it IS a form of stimulation.” The wolf bent his finger at her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if women reacted similarly to the same stimuli.”

  “Oh don’t you fucking dare-!” Emily snapped, thighs closing shut on instinct. “If you so much as touch me I will-”

  An angry vein knotted on his forehead, but the wolf managed to restrain himself with a deep exhale. “No, no, I would never do such a thing without consent, it was just a hypothetical-”

  “Like hell it is! I bet you’re already undressing me with your eyes.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “No offense, you’re not really my type anyway.”

  “Haaah?! Oh I’m so gonna knock your teeth out!”

  “Wh-... I wasn’t even trying to insult-”

  Emily charged forth and leapt in midair to perform a Roundhouse Kick aimed for the side of his head, though a prompt duck resulted in her foot only slicing through the air. She made contact with the ground and spun around on the spot to swing another kick into his side, but Kane deflected it with a well-timed push of his raised arm. The cheetah was not done however and used that push to fuel a spin in the opposite direction which propelled a Heel Kick that came for his exposed side. Kane’s eye twitched and he motioned to angle his arm for a block, but just when it was about to connect Emily gave her leg a lift and sent the kick barreling into his face! A loud smacking sound echoed in the ring as the wolf’s head snapped sideways in a cloud of saliva and sweat, mouthguard popping into view while his large body leaned like a felled tree - not even a moment later, Kane’s eyes flared to life and he used the falling motion to swing his log-like leg into an unsuspecting cheetah’s midsection, earning an audible gasp. Having already taken a heavy blow at the same spot prior, Emily staggered back with a strained cough and doubled over again with sweat pouring, mouth agape like a fish on land. When she then saw him close the distance, the feline threw a desperate kick on instinct which he promptly caught in his palm before lifting her with a grunt, causing a yelp to slip as she flew through the air and hit the ground with a loud bang.

  Her body bounced off of the mat and saliva flew as the breath was knocked out of her lungs, teal eyes quivering from the sharp pain spreading across the spine. She felt another hand grab her ankle and after blinking a couple times to shake off the blur, the horrifying visage of Kane positioning his leg alongside hers came into view. He may have been a Diamond League freshman, but even Emily knew of Kane’s grappling prowess - and he was setting up for a painful joint lock! Overcome by a cocktail of dread and fear, she kicked her free leg for dear life and struck not only the side of his shin, but one of the wolf’s wrists as well. Even in this poor position, her kicks possessed an incredible weight and Kane was forced to release her with a grunt as he stumbled back.

  “Hah…hah…haha…” Emily scrambled to her feet and pointed at him. “You know what…? I’m tired of your bullshit…” She took a couple steps further back. “Once this is over, you’ll be nothing but a puddle of blood on the floor!!”

  Kane’s lips curled into a sly grin. “And you will be liable for first-degree murder.”

  It didn’t even take a second before an angry vein festered on her forehead. “I told you…” Her muscular legs tensed up. “Don’t…” She leaned forward, “you dare…” Her sharp eyes met his, “GET SMARMY WITH ME!!!”

  It didn’t even register with Kane that the cheetah had moved until she disappeared from his line of sight, followed by an immediate metallic rattle coming from the cage’s steel frames. He spun around on the spot only to hear the same sound come from behind, then from his left, his right, then from behind yet again. At first the wolf could only catch a faint glimpse of red and yellow smears traveling in the air as his sensitive ears were bombarded with an unholy noise - it sounded like someone were banging pots and pans and rustling aluminium foils right next to his head! Sensory overload notwithstanding, Kane recognized this move as Emily’s second finishing move, the Chase Finale. She would bounce off of the cage and gather enough speed to deliver a final crushing blow, the kind that not even the sturdiest of fighters could endure head-on. Last he heard, the cheetah had stopped using this move after Anne Horndale thwarted it during a spar just weeks prior to her departure from Diamond League. It appeared he had fallen so deep into her shit list that she was willing to bring this move back.

  “Alright then…” He took a deep breath and steeled himself before letting out a controlled exhale. (“Steady now, this move has a blatant weakness.”)

  The rustling metal echoed in the arena, its persistent noise making it sound as though it came from every direction at once. Kane kept his sensitive ears perked to catch the cadence, taking note of the faint frequencies and slight gaps between each reverberation in the air. Through that he began to identify the timing of her movement and as his eyes began to track it, Kane caught more glimpses of the blur which soon began to take a more recognizable shape. While his crimson eyes darted to and fro, the wolf kept both feet planted on the ground before raising both arms in an open-palm stance while doing another slow exhale… In the blink of an eye, the canine’s hands shot up at head-level as a pair of incredibly heavy feet slammed into his palms! A harsh grunt slipped as Kane’s feet slid against the canvas, leaving a long trail of claw marks until he hit the cage wall - his palms were throbbing and he felt numb, but the canine still caught on to the foot.

  “Wha-...?!” Emily stood there on one leg, flabbergasted. “HUH?!”

  He forced a smile and gave the foot a squeeze. “They didn’t let me in here…for no reason.”

  The cheetah was livid! “Don’t give me that bullshit!! Plenty more experienced fighters fell to this!!” Her teal eyes glared daggers at him. “You must be cheating somehow!!”

  “Cheating? Oh no, it’s just that experience doesn’t always decide the outcome. Every fighter’s different, wouldn’t you agree?” he said with a wink. “Besides, this special move of yours is very linear. No offense.”

  He grabbed her ankle with his other arm and spun around to twist her leg, forcing the cheetah to lose her balance before being slammed into the canvas with a Dragon Whip. While she was still stunned by the impact, Kane trapped her leg between both thighs and wrenched the ankle to perform an Achilles Lock that forced an unearthly scream to erupt from her very soul itself. She writhed in agony and fought the urge to give in as she clenched her eyes and mouth shut - the last time Emily shed tears was when she lost to that wretched sheep…but never again. Her sharp claws raked against the canvas as she stifled the urge to scream, teeth clamped together like a beartrap while her eyes threw a malevolent stare at Kane burning with unbridled rage. No matter how much it hurt, she wouldn’t give up, she wouldn’t tap out to some rookie that only just joined…

  But it hurt so much… Her leg suffered a hellfire of suffering that burned in a perpetual cycle.

  She lifted her hand and opened it, palm pointed at the canvas…

  She closed it into a fist and punched the mat!

  “No! No! I won’t lose! I can’t lose!! Mrrgh-...fuck! Let me go you piece of shit!! Let me go let me go let me go let me gooo!!!”

  Kane winced as he felt her desperate struggle. “C’mon Emily, just tap out and save yourself the pain. You’ll have a chance again next time-”

  “No- ghk… Fuck youuu!!”

  (“Woah, she’s not tapping out? Shit, but if she continues to resist then I might risk tearing something…”) Kane gritted his teeth. (“I’m not about to injure someone just because I don’t like them, soo…”) He did a slight turn to have Emily lean on her side, then released his grip and sat up before throwing himself behind the cheetah. “I’m sorry, but this is over…” he muttered as he wrapped an arm around her neck and held it in place for a Rear Naked Choke. “You’re an incredible fighter, Emily. Just…please be more nice moving forward.”

  Emily let out hoarse gasps as she tried to wriggle free, but no matter how much she tried to move, her leg remained locked tight and his muscular arm refused to budge. Vision blurred at a rapid pace and her mind began to swim while stars flickered into view - she stretched an arm out as if reaching for something, but she grasped at nothing but air. Second passed and the hand flopped on the canvas as she passed out, succumbing to the chokehold. Kane let go and laid the unconscious cheetah on her back before sitting down with laborious breaths - pain was finally catching up to him while he stared at the teeth and claw marks she had left on his form, a mark of her disgraceful behavior. His nuts and hands were aching something fierce too.

  “Well… That could have gone better…”

  Moments later, Emily woke up and jolted into a sitting position before grasping at her searing leg with a wince. “Fuck… This hurts so bad… When I get my hands on that bitch…” She froze in place when she caught a glimpse of Kane sitting on his knees beside her. “Ah.”

  “You alright there?” the polite wolf asked. “I fear I might have maintained that Achilles Lock for too long, but I let go before we could risk any serious injuries.”

  “What, you want a prize for being nice or something? Don’t patronize me!” She showed him a middle finger. “This fight doesn’t count, you just got lucky! And you cheated!”

  “That’s bold coming from the biter who kicked me in the groin.”

  “Bitch, don’t be such a crybaby. A little bite hurts no one, and besides you deserved being kicked in the balls.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll make sure to have you kicked out for cheating. I’ve got connections.”

  He gave her a deadpan stare. “For real? You’re pulling that card too? Come on.”

  “Oh I’m being ‘for real’. You’ll regret ever crossing paths with me!”

  “Yeah, no.”

  He could tell that any more time spent with the cheetah would get him nowhere and frustration boiled deep within the crevices of his soul. If he wasn’t careful, there was a very real risk that the wolf would lash out in genuine rage and thus, borne from an abundance of caution, he stood up and left the ring without any further words. The cheetah was still yelling at him as he unlocked the cage door, but he refused to look back at the miserable sight - an amazing and gifted fighter, reduced to a shadow of her former self by virtue of excessive hubris.

  Another victim of Diamond League.

  While Emily was still screaming at her former opponent from the cage, Thrawnes stood in the arena’s doorway with narrowed eyes. “I was right to trust my instincts with that wolf, but Emily is…” He rubbed the bridge of his nose and grabbed his glasses. “This is happening far too often, we need to have a talk after this.” After giving his glasses a good wipe, the pygmy hamster put them back on and returned his attention to the ring. “Hopefully she’ll mellow out once we…once we…” The rodent blinked as she was nowhere to be seen. “Damn it, always in such a hurry. Now where would she head off to?”

  Meanwhile in the locker room, Kane did a stretch before lifting his leg to inspect the damage in earnest. From the looks of it, the cheetah’s teeth hadn’t gone too deep and aside from some shallow bleeding there was no real harm done, something that also seemed to apply for the claw marks as well. The full brunt of damage he’d received came from Emily’s legs which had left him aching all over, most of all his groin - who in their right mind would target a young man’s holy parts like that in an inconsequential spar?? Kane’s mental questioning would soon have to wait however as the sudden appearance of a familiar foot kicked his locker door shut with a metallic crunch! With heavy breaths and sweat trickling down her brows, Emily glared at the wolf with a killer’s stare before reaching out to grab him by the throat, but he caught the wrist before she could reach him.

  “Woah hey, what are you doing-?”

  “Don’t you fucking ignore me, bastard!” she snapped. “Are you deaf?! I was calling for you but you just kept walking away like a coward!”

  “Look, I was just trying to separate myself to de-escalate the situation.” Kane explained with a huff. “We finished our match, tensions were high and so I left. Wouldn’t want there to be any bad blood between us, you know?”

  “‘Bad blood’? Bitch, you cheated in our match and you expect there to be no ‘bad blood’?!” She reached out her other arm, but that was caught as well. “Fuck-! Let go of me!”

  “Only if you promise to calm down. This stuff isn’t good for your blood pressure Emily.”

  “I’ll give you blood pressure!”

  Kane saw her foot fly upward and jumped back just in time to save his groin a second kick. “Hey, careful! You almost kicked my-”

  “That was the idea, dumbass!!”

  “These are important to me.”

  “And so is my career!”

  “Well, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t put my balls on the proverbial chopping block for the sake of your career.”

  “EVERYTHING’S on the chopping block! If it means I can maintain my status, I’d gladly tear out-”

  The sound of a door closing brought Emily’s speech to a halt. “That’s enough of that.” Thrawnes said before approaching the pair with a slow stride. “I apologize for Thunderclap’s behavior, it’s unbecoming of the Diamond League. Let it be said that we take preservation of our fighters’ health very seriously.” He bowed his head to Kane and threw a glance at Emily. “Emily.” He watched the cheetah cross her arms and look away like some spoiled brat. “Emily.” he said in a stern tone, prompting a jolt out of the feline. “Apologize.” When the disgruntled woman rolled her eyes and mumbled an unintelligible ‘apology’, he grabbed her hand. “...Excuse us.”

  He led the cheetah out of the locker room and walked her down the hallway without uttering a single word, leaving only the rapid sound of light feet tapping alongside hers. Emily’s heartbeat grew in intensity for every passing minute and it only got worse when none of her inquires were answered by the much shorter man - in fact, none of what she said resulted in a physical response, no turn of the head, no glances, not even the tiniest of ear twitches. The mounting pressure was so great that she was even starting to feel anxious. Her chest tightened and she chewed on her lip while glancing at the walls as they walked, noting the occasional paintings but not absorbing their contents. Everything felt like a blur and soon it became difficult to breathe properly. She fiddled her clawed fingers with unease as a trail of sweat trailed behind the cheetah until finally, they stopped outside her boss’ quarters.

  The door opened and she was let inside the massive room by Thrawnes to gaze upon the fine interior. A beige wall-to-wall carpet covered the floor and at the far end was a wide mahogany table packed with paperwork and a large black monitor - tall windows gazed upon the table from behind, all draped with navy blue silk curtains. Three cushioned chairs were facing the table and after taking a couple further steps inside she spotted a row of identical chairs lining each wall beside the entrance. The wall above his entrance door had a massive monitor attached which almost spanned the entire wall size and two sets of portraits had been hung on the two furthermost walls. To the left there was a portrait of a handsome black panther boxer with flowing silver hair in one and the other featured a rugged hulking brown bear with a massive body comparable to a one by one lego piece. To the right was the portrait of an all too familiar sheep, the loathsome Anne Horndale as she flexed her muscles…and the second featured herself, cheetah in the flesh, beautiful from every angle with her confidence painted on the canvas with utmost perfection. Yet, looking at that picture now almost made the feline feel small by comparison…

  Thrawnes approached the desk and rounded it before climbing a smooth wooden stepping stool before sitting down on his comically large red swiveling chair. “Sit.”

  The cheetah did as told and put both hands on her lap. “Thrawnes, I…”

  “Emily ‘Thunderclap’ Chase.” Just uttering that name made her jolt. “What is the Diamond League?”

  “The Diamond League…?”

  His face was stern. “I won’t repeat myself.”

  She swallowed a lump in her throat. “It’s the world’s most esteemed combat organization, hosting the best of the best.”

  “In layman terms, yes.” He drummed the armrest. “Anything else?”

  “Oh, err… It’s always searching for new talent to grow and pulls a ton of viewers to its events.” Her eyes moved to and fro, unfocused. “The best fighters of the world gather to fight in those events and-”

  “Diamond League,” he started, “is excellence. It’s a collective of those who push their bodies to surpass one’s perceived limits. Combat sports are but a tool to awaken these latent abilities and bring out the best of us.”

  “R-right…”

  He pointed at Anne’s portrait. “Anne Horndale. What made her excellent?”

  Emily stayed silent.

  “Oh don’t pretend you don’t know, the two of you fought many times.” He narrowed his eyes. “Ignore your petty feelings and answer the question.”

  The cheetah grinded her teeth and looked down. “Her…intellect and ability to adapt.”

  “Yes. Anything else?”

  “Her great strength.”

  “Wrong.” He snapped his finger and pointed at the sheep’s metal limbs. “She grew up with nothing, clawed herself through the slums and lost two limbs…but didn’t stop.” The pygmy hamster glared at Emily. “She climbed to the top and became one of our history’s greatest members, a beautiful story of perseverance.”

  Emily blinked. “What does this have to do with-...”

  He pointed at the bear. “Boarus Carr. What made him excellent?”

  “Umm…” The cheetah took her time, thinking - who was that bear again? “He’s very strong…and I think one of our best wrestlers? Oh, and he was the leader of the team during the tournament against…” She let a growl slip, “GROWTH…”

  “An indomitable will, a body that endures any hit and a big personality that drags everyone in like a black hole. He’s the oldest son of six and became a wrestler to feed his family after his parents’ passing.” Thrawnes said. “He has an unbroken heart and inspires all who see him, he is a symbol of warmth that makes you forget about life’s burdens.”

  “Okay…?”

  Then, his finger lingered on Emily’s portrait and circled in curiosity. “Now you… What used to make you excellent?”

  Used to??

  “Hey, I’m still excellent! I know things haven’t been going like intended but I swear-”

  “Answer the question.”

  Fear encroached on her mind and she trembled in her comfortable seat. “I’ve got incredible talent for fighting and broke a lot of international records in the ring. All of the world’s top ten fastest knockouts belong to me and I’ve been declared a prodigy in the ring.”

  “And?”

  “And…and… Hmm…? Umm…” Wait, why was she drawing blanks about HERSELF? “What the fuck… Err, I’m…”

  “That’s right, your brand of excellence doesn’t come from your upbringing or anything of that sort. No, you’re raw talent incarnate.” Thrawnes leaned back on his chair. “In all my years of studying combat sports, you were something special. Average upbringing, nothing notable storywise, but your ability? Your physique? It’s incredible.”

  She nodded. “Right, can’t say I had any tragic backstory, just a very fucking obnoxious little brother and some annoying classmates growing up but that’s it.”

  “Then I’m sure you also understand the gravity of this portrait.” the hamster noted.

  “...Huh?”

  “Out of every single star that Diamond League has produced, YOU were the big highlight. One in a million, billion even. You had the talent and physique, but rather than resting on your laurels you worked hard and polished that gem of yours.” He looked up at a massive chandelier decked in diamonds and other expensive gemstones. “You became our undisputed champion in the Freefighting Division at the age of 22 and maintained that position…and now you’ve lost it…”

  “Because she cheated!” Emily snapped. “That stupid yellow dragon used dirty tricks to win! It was just a fluke!”

  “Sera Thornfeld did not cheat. We have the recordings.” Thrawnes narrowed his eyes at the cheetah. “Ever since our bout against GROWTH, you have been sloppy. More aggressive and spiteful. You make mistakes you otherwise wouldn’t. Make no mistake, Sera did not defeat you in that title match.”

  “What do you-...?”

  “You defeated yourself.” he said with a sigh. “You let past losses consume you even though such things are part and parcel for any self-respecting career fighter. Had you just acknowledged these losses and moved on, chances are you’d have become an all-time champion of our organization. Now, moving on…” He leaned forward and folded his fingers. “How does Diamond League grow?”

  “By acquiring other orgs and scouting members, right?”

  “Correct. Many powerful members were acquired through absorbing other organizations through legal means, all of which clash and polish one another through facing fellow elite fighters.” he said before raising a brow. “Of course, this also means those who fail to meet our standards are sifted out.”

  Her blood ran cold. “Hold up, wait a second! You can’t possibly be implying that you’re letting me go! You just said I’m one of a kind!”

  “And that is also what makes this so difficult for me. I can overlook the losses, the petty outbursts and even some property damage…” He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, “but attacking fellow members is something I just cannot ignore. I covered for you once and that was it, but now you did it again.”

  “But he cheated-”

  The hamster’s tiny fist banged into the wood and froze the cheetah in her tracks. “For God’s sake Emily, when will you stop digging for excuses and just own up to your mistakes?! You’ve had plenty of opportunities to correct your path, we’ve talked about this in length before yet you always circle back to petty spite.”

  Her lips began to quiver and she stared at him with glistening eyes. “Okay, okay, look, just give me one last chance, I’ll be better. I’ll-”

  “Today was your last chance.” he spoke in a stern, icy tone. “I saw the fight and the way you conducted yourself. My intent was to offer you one last chance, but you threw it all away when you attacked him.”

  “No, no, no! You can’t do this to me! I’m one of your biggest stars, you can’t just throw me aside just because of some unimportant rookie!” she cried out before stepping off her chair. “Diamond League is everything for me! Without it-...”

  “If you fail to see your own worth outside of Diamond League then you never belonged to begin with.” Thrawnes said with a deep frown. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have taken your glory for granted.”

  The cheetah slapped both hands against the table. “Thrawnes, please! You’re making a big mistake! I could be your greatest champion! More than Anne, more than Amanda, anyone!”

  “And you were on that path before you burned it all down.” He pushed a red button on the table. “I’d like to have some personnel sent to my office. I want the portrait of Emily Chase removed today.”

  Faced with the inevitability of her fate, Emily’s legs gave in and she stumbled into her seat with a vacant look in her eyes. “Everything… I’m losing everything…all because of that mu-”

  “Don’t even dare finish that sentence.” Thrawnes spat. “Thanks to you, I’ve lost yet another wonderful fighter.” After a brief pause, he nodded his head at her. “You may leave. Pack your belongings and be out before tomorrow or I’ll call security.” He saw Emily open her mouth to speak and threw the cheetah a deep glare. “Out.”

  News of Emily’s firing spread like wildfire in no time flat, even reaching Kane’s ears while he took his time recuperating. The cause was not a leak nor public announcement, but rather members and staff witnessing the cheetah’s complete meltdown on headquarter grounds. Her screams could be heard throughout the hallways and by the time Emily had finished packing up, almost everyone in Diamond League was aware of the ejection as they lined the building’s lobby to watch her exit. Kane, against his better judgement, was also present - it was more an act of guilt than anything as he felt responsible for this outcome.

  When Emily entered the lobby wearing grey shorts and a hoodie covering most of her face, she let out a disgruntled huff upon seeing the amount of members gathered there. “Tch, bunch of vultures came to gather for the funeral…” She tightened the grip on her suitcase and paused. “None of you know it yet, but this will be the death of the organization! You’ve just lost your greatest star!!”

  “Nah, that’s Roxy!”

  “Pablo!”

  “Boarus!”

  “Meliane!!”

  “Sera!”

  The cheers and jeers only served to add more kindling to the fire as the cheetah stomped her feet. “Fuck you guys! I’ve defeated em all bar Pablo, but that’s only because he’s too big of a pussy to leave the boxing ring! The true apex of combat, the ace you all wanted to represent Diamond League, was me! There will never be another Emily Chase!!”

  “And thank God for that!”

  “Yeah, good riddance!”

  “Sucks to suck!”

  Seeing the commotion escalate was beginning to weigh on Kane something fierce. (“In the end they all eat each other like usual… Not even Emily deserves to be treated like this-...”)

  “Ah!” Emily caught note of the wolf and pointed at him. “This is all your fault Kane! You’ve ruined my fucking life!” she screamed before trashing about as security arrived to drag her out. “If I ever see you again I’ll skin you alive! You hear me?! You’re done!! I won’t rest until you, Anne and GROWTH are all six feet down under!!”

  By the time she had been evicted from the property, Kane’s shoulders sank and he let out a sigh. “...I should probably sign a restraining order on her, shouldn’t I…?”

  —------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  “-and that is my experience with Emily Chase of Diamond League fame.” Kane’s eyes stayed fixed on Gaile’s. “I hope this explains why I’m less than enthusiastic when she’s the subject matter.”

  Gaile sat there with pen in hand, its tip resting against the notebook mid-paragraph - the fox had been so drawn in she forgot to write halfway in. “I…wow… So that’s my idol behind closed doors…”

  “Yeeaaah…sorry about that…” The wolf rubbed the back of his head. “Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to tell you about it, I didn’t want to destroy the pleasant image you had of her.”

  “No, no, don’t apologize. I wanted this, it’s just…hmm…” She tapped the pen against her notebook and resumed writing. “There’s a lot to unpack here… I mean, we’re talking about the woman who inspired me to commit, to become a fighter for real.”

  The wolf’s chest began to knot - yeah, this was a huge mistake. “Look, maybe she’s…err…been on good behavior since then.”

  Gaile shook her head. “Hmm, no, I don’t think so… This whole thing explains why she was never picked up by any other big organizations. I always found it fishy, any sensible combat org would have jumped on the opportunity to pick her up.” She started writing more notes. “There must have been internal meetings…she got blacklisted.”

  Kane was beginning to feel awkward and shifted in his seat. “Yeah, that makes sense. I haven’t heard anything about her since then, truth be told.”

  Those words seemed to catch Gaile’s attention as her ears perked up. “You haven’t? Then Emily must be…” Her blue eyes gleamed with interest. “Yes, she’s gotta be!”

  “Gotta be what?”

  “Ah, nothing, nothing!” She waved her hand in a defensive manner and lifted her notebook. “I’m just glad you told me this, it means a lot to me.”

  “So…your impression on her isn’t ruined?”

  “Oh it took a BIG dent. But…” She showed a somber smile as she looked down on her notes. “Even if she is a bad person at the end of the day, I just cannot deny my admiration for her skills. Seeing her fight is very inspiring to me, so I’ll just…separate the art from the artist as they say.”

  Her smile and gentle eyes left Kane’s heart pounding and he struggled to stay still. “I…yeah, I agree she’s very skilled. If I had fought her a couple months earlier she would have throttled me.”

  Gaile nodded and closed her notebook. “Now!” She put the book away and grabbed her sandwich. “Let’s continue eating~!”

  Kane couldn’t help but chuckle seeing the little fox chow down on her sandwich like some feral beast, a stark contrast to the adorable little thing she normally was. She paused mid-bite and lifted her eyes to meet his before blushing as she straightened up and ate in a more ‘normal’ manner - the sudden shift was too much and the wolf snickered just as he took a bite out of his jerky. Though the pair were two busy eating to talk, they would take turns glancing at the other in silence while country songs played in the car. That was, at least, until a romantic ballad played and the two blushed before looking at one another at the same time. Kane’s lips curled into a sheepish smile and he reached out a hand to turn the music off, then leaned back with lowered shoulders.

  After some more time had passed, Gaile swallowed the last of her sandwich and wiped her lips with a napkin. “By the way Kane, I’ve been wondering…”

  “Hmm?”

  “Just what did you do before you started fighting? I know you entered the scene in your early twenties, so what did you do before then?”

  He showed a wry smirk. “Nothing escapes your attention, huh? Yeah, you’re right, I did something entirely different at first.” The wolf looked up at the ceiling in thought. “I used to be an accountant for a major consultancy firm.”

  “...Eh…?” The slackjawed fox soon shook her head and leaned in. “That’s a big jump. Did you work out during that time to let off steam or something?”

  “Nope, zero interest in training nor fighting. Then I had a VERY bad day with everything going straight to hell and the resident workplace bully went a bit too far.” He raised his fist. “So I punched him. Lost my job but man did that feel good.”

  Gaile blinked. “You…punched him? Just like that?”

  “In my defense, I had a very bad day. I don’t punch people on the regular outside the ring.” he said with both hands raised in defense. “Anyhow, that moment gave me the idea of punching people professionally and now here I am.”

  “So…you didn’t start training as a fighter until after you hit twenty…and you’re already in Diamond League. Wow.” She looked down with an uneasy smile, almost seeming ashamed. “Must be nice…”

  “I was blessed with many coincidences to be fair.” Kane said with a dry chuckle before giving the fox a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t let the good fortune of others distract you, I can tell you’re a hard worker with good potential.”

  The canine perked up on the spot. “R-really??”

  God why did she have to be so cute?! “I’ve got good eyes.” he said with a wink. “Just continue working hard and you’ll be rewarded in the end. Now…” The wolf turned to look at her with a gentle smile. “Would you like me to drive you home?”

  “Ah- Sure, if it’s no trouble for you of course.”

  “It never is.”

  The fox leaned against the door to watch the block drift by as Kane drove, mind swirling with an absolute overload of information. She had learned more about the idol she so adored, the internal mood within the coveted Diamond League…and about Kane himself. Gaile took a moment to stare at the handsome wolf while his gaze remained fixed on the road and blushed before looking out again. She had started fighting before he had, yet his climb to greatness far surpassed hers - just what exactly was it that caused such a vast divide? A difference in talent? Genetics? The difference in gender? Or maybe, just maybe, her slow growth meant that she was never meant to step into the ring at all…?

  She shook her head. No, she couldn’t allow such thoughts to bring her down, not when such an esteemed fighter had declared his belief in her ability. She knew what had to be done. The fennec went to grab her notebook and opened it, sapphire eyes scanning the still-fresh text.

  “Find Anne Horndale and you’ll find Emily.”

  If she wanted to better herself and take her next step forward, she needed to face her idol.