by Indra Frost
Greg’s gaze was locked on the two men in the ring. He knew full well that nothing was explained to the vampire. I'm not even sure why Greg was here. He didn't usually sit in when they were testing the new recruits, instead making them prove themselves to the other fighters. He was a lazy asshole and would do anything he could to get out of doing paperwork.
This gym was unlike any other; it was a “Supes only” gym.
To get in, you had to win a fight, or you needed to last more than five minutes in the ring without getting knocked out or pinned. And Greg didn’t pull his punches; he always set the prospective member up with his toughest fighters.
Hairy was a son of a bitch, literally, but he was a tough fighter. In fact, he was one of the best fighters in the gym. He was faster than he looked, and his shifter side gave him strength. Only a few people had managed to take him to the ground. He took his stance on one end of the ring, his face gleeful as he looked at the Vampire. He was planning to win, and he wasn't going to take it easy on the vampire.
The bell rang out, announcing the start of the match.
Hairy didn’t waste time; he immediately threw a punch, aiming for the vampire’s nose... and missed.
The vampire moved so fast he almost seemed to teleport from one spot to another. He dodged the attack, and nailed Hairy in the stomach. The wolf shifter shook it off, hardly fazed. He was confident that he would be able to beat the vampire, but he would need to catch him to have a chance at beating him. He didn’t have the speed to match the vampire on the best of days, and this one almost seemed to be faster than most.
Some shifters were able to pull on their abilities when in human form, but Hairy had never been one of them. It was one of the reasons I thought he was as vicious as he was.
Shifters were faster and stronger than the average human, and even more so when they were able to pull on their animal side. Shifting in the practice rings was illegal, but tapping into their other abilities was not.
Hairy wasn't able to pull on those abilities and was left with barely more than his human strength. It made him a more vicious and capable fighter, but I also thought it was what had made him so angry. He was losing his touch, what it meant to be a shifter, and it made him angry.
I pulled on my own abilities, watching as the vampire seemed to slow down. In reality, I was just hyper focused, but I was able to see what was happening. I watched with interest as the fight intensified. I watched the vampire, noting the techniques and maneuvers he was using. But then I realized something.
These moves were familiar to me.
I looked to the vampire one more time to be certain, but I was sure. The vampire and the angel had the same skills. They were the same maneuvers, and the same routine. My eyes flicked up to the angel, then back to the vampire as I tried to think of what I should do, if anything.
The second time I looked at the angel, it was to find him watching me. Something flickered across his face when I looked at the vampire again, and I paused, not sure what to expect from him now that I had made the connection between them.
The angel's face grew determined, and the look unnerved me. So I wasn’t going to stick around to find out what it might mean.
The angel stood, his focus intent as he started to come toward me.
My eyes flicked to Greg who was, thankfully, watching the fight. A new fear taking hold, I kept pace with the angel, keeping the same amount of space between us as I backed away.
The fight ended with Hairy on the ground, out cold. They may have used the same maneuvers, but the vampire’s execution was much more vicious than the angels. If the angel hadn’t been moving towards me, I would have been able to take satisfaction in seeing Hairy taken out.
As soon as Hairy went down, people started to shout. Some in disbelief, others cheering on the new vamp. There wasn't a way in hell Greg would be able to kick him out after that. This guy had just taken out his top fighter.
I took advantage of the uproar caused by Hairy’s defeat and made my way out the front door. The angel didn’t seem to want to run after me and draw attention to himself, so with a final glance over my shoulder, I pushed out onto the sidewalk and headed down the street.
I was tired, and worried about what the angel was going to do. What he thought that I knew. The vampire was with him, and there was a third person that had helped the angel break in last night. I could take the night to try to figure something out, then deal with it tomorrow.
This coming week was one of those rare weeks that we didn’t have to fight. Well, that I didn't have to go to the basement to get my daily beatings, anyway.
Four times a year, Greg took a week off to go down below. Transporting back and forth from Hell took a lot of power, especially for a lesser demon like Greg, but it was something he did every year. I didn't know what he did down there, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
Demons could only come earth side through a Hell Gate or by being summoned. The witches banded together about a decade ago to close the last remaining Hell Gate. The demons that came through had been set on destruction, and none of the more powerful ones had bothered to police them. It had almost started a Supe war, and I couldn’t blame the witches at all. It meant, however, that Greg and the other demons were working with a witch, or a demon of higher power was taking him back and forth.
Someone came around the corner too fast, and I wasn’t able to stop myself from hitting him in time. We collided and I wind-milled, backing up to keep myself upright.
I was surprised at the amount of force with which we hit, but I was more surprised when the man I bumped into didn’t go down. The power I felt coming from him, and the odd fluctuation of his aura meant he was a Supe. And a magic user at that.
I needed to be cautious around him. It wouldn’t be good to let my guard down with everything that seemed to be happening.
“Sorry, didn’t see you there.” I held up my hands in apology, taking a step back as he looked at me.
The tall man adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, examining me. I didn't recognize his face, but his eyes lit up as we looked at each other, and he gave me a small smile.
“Oh, no, that was my fault. I had my head in the clouds,” he sounded like he was embarrassed, but there was an almost excited look in his eyes.
Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it. He didn't look familiar, so I wasn't sure where I knew him from, but the feeling was odd, like déjà vu.
I wasn’t sure what was going on, but there was suddenly an abundance of attractive men in this part of town.
I squinted at him with suspicion, the sun glinting off his hair which was almost bronze in color. His green eyes were shining with magic, and vitality. Like he was excited to see me.
First it was the angel, then that vamp, and now this magic user. I couldn't tell exactly what he was, but the amount of magic he was throwing off let me know he was powerful. It was coming off him in waves so potent I didn’t even have to dip into my abilities to feel it.
He was thinner than the other two men, but that didn’t mean anything. He could still be dangerous. It was instinct, and I wasn’t sure what it was that was making me think he was with them.
I backed up, moving around him to continue on my way. It wouldn’t be good to get caught standing out here when I was trying to get away from the angel.
“Well, sorry again,” I called out as I walked around him at a faster pace.
There was something about him that was making me wary. He was too happy to see me, so he must have been up to something.
“Nice to meet you!” He laughed at me, but I didn't know why.
I only got a few blocks away before something felt off.
I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, or where the feeling was coming from. It was a feeling like being watched, but more than that. I stopped and looked around, trying to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from. Nervous, I ducked into the alley to my right. Then, I focused on trying to see if I could sense what was
sending up a warning flare in my mind.
There was magic emanating from my hip where that magic user had hit me. I frowned, lifting the offending garment to see a shining rune embedded in the fabric near the hem of my t-shirt.
Anger heated my blood when I saw the small spell rune, the signature of the magic bringing back my memory of last night. This explained why he had felt familiar to me; this was the same magic I had felt last night. This was the same magic that had surrounded the angel as he broke into Greg’s office, and the same magic coming from the man in the alley when I had left. It was the same person as last night. And now he had cast a spell and placed it on my shirt.
That was why he was laughing at me, mocking me. He must have thought I was an idiot for not recognizing him. Then, I hadn't noticed when he had cast a spell directly on me.
I growled my anger at the mark, knowing I wouldn’t be able to remove it without repercussions. Most magic users could feel it when their spell was broken or tampered with. I wasn’t sure I was even supposed to be able to notice it.
I would either have to destroy my shirt and rip the spell out, or I'd have to get rid of it completely. Reluctantly I decided on option two, it was better to be safe than sorry, and I was wearing a tank top under it anyway.
I stepped further into the alley, taking the shirt off and throwing it in the trash bin. It sucked to lose one of the few pieces of clothing that I had, but it was better than the magic user finding out where I lived.
I didn’t know what was happening, or what those men wanted from me, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for them to get it.
I took my time going home. I was tired, and I wanted to get there quickly, but I took a different route with random twists and turns in case I was still being followed. The place I slept wasn't much, but for right now, it was safe enough. I could rest there, and make a plan to protect myself tomorrow.
I made it back to the warehouse as it was starting to get dark. The air had a bite to it as the nights were starting to get colder, and I shivered as I started up the stairs. When I made it to my floor, it was only to find someone else laying on my pile of blankets in the corner.
I walked over to them, intent on making them regret ever touching my things, but stopped short once I realized who it was.
Short, blonde hair poked out every which way from under the blanket. The soft-looking strands were barely darker than the pillow they were resting on. The blanket was pulled up high enough that I couldn’t see her face, but I knew who it was.
Lucy must have needed somewhere safe to rest. She only came here when her pimp, or one of her Johns, got too violent. She was my friend, as much of one as I had, and I allowed her to stay when she needed to.
I had tried to confront her about her pimp and his temper, but she denied that it was as bad as it was.
'He’s not a bad person, really! He cares about me. He’s just going through some stuff.' She would make excuses for him all the time, but I knew what was going on. Even if she wasn’t ready to accept it.
She wasn’t under a contract, her pimp didn’t own her soul, but she was trapped in her own way. Held captive by the hope of what she wanted to happen, instead of what I knew would happen as soon as she was no longer valuable to him.
I sighed, not wanting to wake her. Instead, I snuck to the other corner and rolled out my spare blanket. I didn’t have anything else to cushion the floor, so I laid on the cold cement, wearing nothing but my tank top and holey sweats. The thin blanket fought against the heat stealing ground, trying to keep me warm.
It wasn't working.
Tossing and turning, I wasn’t able to get comfortable, but I wouldn’t wake Lucy. She didn’t get to sleep much. And with her here, at least I knew she was safe. There weren't many people I cared about, and none that cared about me. But she was one of the few I liked, and because of that I considered her mine to protect. She thought it was silly anytime I brought it up, so I kept those feelings to myself.
I had met Lucy a couple of years ago when she was out with a John. He had been getting too violent, and she wasn't able to get away on her own. Usually I minded my own business, but she had needed help, and I wasn't able to leave her there when I knew I could help her.
A few weeks after that incident she found me in one of the alleys close to the gym. I used to stay close because I didn’t have anywhere else to go, but I had been attacked nightly. There were a lot of businesses around, which meant people wanted the prime spot that I was taking. Having to fight to earn the right to sleep every night was exhausting. Especially when I was already injured due to the illegal underground fights.
In return for my help, she had shown me this warehouse district. She used to turn tricks out here when some of the factories were still in business, but the last one had gone bankrupt a few years ago, leaving this area a dead zone. It was the perfect place for someone like me.
Lucy brought me here, and since no one else had claimed this building, I took the best spot I could find. After I claimed it, I had ruthlessly defended it. It hadn't taken long for the other squatters to realize what a bad idea it was to try and mess with me. Unlike the alley, I had laid claim to this place, and I would defend what was mine.
I gave up on trying to get comfortable on the cold ground, knowing it wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I forced myself to lay there with my eyes closed, hoping I would become too tired to stay awake.
I hoped sleep came fast, because it was going to be painful until then.
Something warm pressed against my back, and I turned to look over my shoulder.
Lucy gave me a tired smile as she cuddled up to me, bringing more blankets with her as she did so. Getting closer until she was spooning me from behind.
It was a bit uncomfortable for me, as I wasn't used to physical contact that didn't bring pain, but she had done this a time or two when she wanted comfort. I settled back down, letting our body heat mix and bring comfort to her, and bring warmth to me
It was times like this when I thought that, maybe, just maybe, she wasn't strictly using me for protection and a place to lay her head. It was a stupid thought, I knew, but I wasn't going to push her away.
Her breathing deepened as she tucked her head near my neck, her breath a moist and uncomfortable as she warmed her nose in my hair. Listening to her breath, and finally almost warm myself, I finally fell asleep, wondering what the world would have in store for me when I woke up.
I woke to movement behind me , and I tensed, waiting for an attack. But a soft hand pushed my hair away from my face, and I looked up to see Lucy looking down at me, a smile on her face. Lucy wasn’t much older than me, but the way she lived her life had aged her well beyond her years.
“I’m heading out, sweetie. He’ll be better now, and I should be with him.”
I wasn't exactly sure who she was referring to, but I assumed it was her pimp.
I only nodded, not wanting to open my mouth for fear of what might come out.
I didn’t want her to go back to him, to allow him to do those horrible things to her, but she wasn’t ready to listen. She wasn’t ready to leave him. He had her convinced that he loved her. That he was going to change and leave this life of crime and beatings behind, falling madly in love with her. Even if deep down she knew the terrible truth; he was going to keep using her until she was useless to him, or she ended up dead. There would be no happy ending for her when it came to him.
That feeling of impending doom was getting closer, the weight heavy in my chest. Instead of mentioning my concerns, however, I sat up and brushed a kiss against her cheek. I used my angelic magic to heal her the slightest bit, but it would only be enough to help her get through the night.
She raised a brow at me, but didn’t argue. She knew better than that by now. Just like she wouldn’t leave her pimp, I wouldn’t stop helping her in the small ways that I could.
Lucy was always tired. Her job left her body damaged and her soul broken. I wasn’t a full angel, so I couldn�
��t do much, but I always offered her what little healing power I had. It made me feel better about letting her leave.
She smiled and gave me a hug before turning to leave. I wasn’t sure how she felt about me; our relationship was odd, but I knew that I cared about her. So, I watched her walk down the stairs, hoping she would visit again soon. Because then at least I would know she was still alive.
She was my best friend in the world, my only friend, and I valued the time we were able to spend together. Even if it was only us sleeping next to each other. It may have been unconventional, and we may not have had a normal relationship, but it was mine.
Once she had disappeared down the stairs, I stood and stretched before I looked around. The moon was high in the sky, letting me know I hadn’t slept for very long. Now that I was awake though, I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep anytime soon, not while I was worrying about this feeling of impending doom.
I didn’t sleep as much as most people, the feeling of being left open and vulnerable was not a pleasant one. I had learned down in Hell not to let my guard down, and if I ever fell into a deep enough sleep that it should happen, I had regretted it.
So, instead, I fixed up my living area, making my bed and folding the extra blanket, tucking it back into its spot along the wall. It didn’t take me long, so, with nothing better to do, I dressed and headed out.
I needed to try and get a job while Greg was in Hell. I would have to be sneaky so he didn’t find out about it, but I needed a way to earn money. I was running out of clothes, and the shirt that I had to get rid of last night was a favorite of mine.
Greg didn’t provide me with clothes or a place to live, and the meals he provided were sporadic at best. I was left to fend for myself, which led to scavenging behind restaurants to get what I needed. The only thing Greg provided was a place for me to train. I was required to be at the gym because that’s where he spent the most time, but he considered my practice as more of a show for the other fighters. He would never consider me as anything other than a punching bag that would earn him money. I took advantage and trained every day; ironically, he was helping me get strong enough that I may be able to make my move against him.