Rage (Galactic Cage Fighters)

by K. D. Jones

  Chapter 10

  “Johann and Poland here, live at the opening of the most anticipated circuit for the Galactic Cage Fighters Championships in years. Poland, what has gotten everyone worked up for this circuit?”

  “Well, Johann, this GCFA circuit offers something that has never been offered before. A full human will be fighting.”

  “That is quite different. This will be the first human that has made it to circuit level.”

  “That’s not the only thing that’s got the crowd all abuzz! The human is also a woman.”

  “I don’t think you could have picked a weaker specimen than an human female. What was the GCFA thinking?”

  “I believe the answer to that would be RATINGS. It’s all about the ratings.”

  The two commentators continued with their opening banter. Rachel listened in the holding room where fighters waited until it was time to go out to the cage. Her opponent was in a different holding room. She was nervous.

  “Don’t listen to the commentators. It’s their job to build up suspense. They make things up most of the time. Once, they claimed that me and Zen had a gay relationship. They’re just hoping for a larger viewing audience,” Talon told her.

  Zen snorted. “As if I would be with you. If I were going to be with a male fighter, it would be with Taurus. At least he can hang upside down by his feet. That’s a talent that could be quite interesting.” He wiggled his eyes a Rachel, making her laugh.

  “Why would that be a determining factor?” Alana looked confused.

  Taurus glared at Zen. “If you say anything else I will hang you up by your feet and leave you there.”

  Zen laughed and went to sit down. He wasn’t bothered by the threat in the least. Rachel was grateful for the distraction.

  She looked around, but Rage hadn’t come down yet. Would he get there before she had to go to her first fight? She knew he didn’t want her to fight. But to not come and support her on a big night like this was …

  “Glad to see that you finally made it down, Rage,” Talon greeted him as he stomped into the room.

  “Yeah, sorry it took so long.” He was looking at Rachel when he replied. She gave him an appreciative smile. “You nervous?”

  She nodded her head. She couldn’t find the words to speak. Her throat was really dry. She had fought many times with sparring partners, but to have an audience watching was something new and a little intimidating. What would they think of her?

  “Just remember your training and you’ll be fine,” he reassured her.

  “They’re calling for the human to get in position for her introduction,” Zara called out.

  “It’s Rachel!” she practically growled at the tall amazon woman.

  “If you survive this, human, I will call you by name,” Zara told her without emotion.

  Right, just survive this.

  “This upcoming event is what most of us have been waiting to see: the match between Rachel Starr, the human female from Earth, and Batina, a Sorian halfsie. What odds do you give the little human, Poland?”

  “Well, Johann, I say that the human has less than a thirty percent chance of making it to round two. Sorians are known to be extremely fast. I believe we will see that tonight.”

  “I agree, I expect to see a quick take down.”

  “The fighters are making their way to the cage. Looks like Zara the Amazon is accompanying the human. Probably to ensure she doesn’t back out at the last minute.”

  “Batina is your opponent this evening. She and I have not been on best of terms. She’s all mouth. Ignore everything she says and concentrate on what you have been taught.”

  Rachel looked at Zara with a confused look on her face.

  “What?” Zara asked her angrily.

  “That’s the most helpful you have been since I came to the circuit.”

  Zara sighed. “Concentrate human. If it gets to be too much, withdraw.” She helped Rachel into the cage and closed the door.

  Rachel did a few quick stretches to loosen up her muscles. She could hear the roars of the crowd but didn’t want to look at them and get distracted. She was glad that everything was dark except for the cage itself. Her opponent gave her an evil smile. Let the pain begin.

  Batina was not as tall as Zara but she was a little more muscular. She had short red hair and nearly black eyes. She only looked at Rachel briefly before turning her back on her in disgust and concentrating on the crowd. She raised her arms in the air, getting the audience and the commentators worked up.

  “Ba-ti-na! Ba-ti-na!” the crowd shouted over and over.

  Rachel tried to ignore the crowd, but it was hard. They called out suggestions to Batina of what she should do to the little human. Clearly most of these people were halfsies that hated humans.

  The bell rang out, causing shivers up and down her body. She had to make it to round three, take her opponent down for a count of ten, or withdraw from the match. Unlike the males, the female fighters were given the option to withdraw at any time before, during, or after a match. If she made it to round three tonight, even if she lost the match, she would continue to advance.

  If she didn’t make it to round three, she would be off the circuit and that would put an end to her investigation. She had to get through this match. She made herself picture the faces of each and every one of the young, beautiful women that had disappeared. She was determined to find them.

  “You will die this night, little human,” Batina said to her with an almost masculine sounding voice.

  “We’ll see, halfsie,” Rachel responded, spinning away at the last minute to avoid a kick directed towards her knee. She ignored all the barbs that the Sorian directed towards her. She kept focused on staying out of the center.

  Sorians forced opponents to stand in the center so that they can run around them, causing small wind tunnels to form. The wind tunnels sucked out all of the air surrounding the person in the center, making the opponent lose breath and consciousness. Sometimes, they even died from lack of oxygen.

  Rachel spent most of round one avoiding the center of the cage. She had to keep to the sides instead, close to the bars. The Sorian took every opportunity to push or throw Rachel against the cold, hard metal. She was grateful when the bell rang, calling the end to round one.

  Zara was waiting at her side of the cage. “You need to keep out of her center.”

  “That’s … what I’m … trying to do.” Rachel was taking in as much oxygen as she could. She had had a close call when the other woman managed to start up a small tunnel. Rachel only got out of that when she threw herself up into the air and over the Sorian’s head. Her landing was hard and painful.

  “Try harder, human.”

  The bell went off, signaling the start of round two. She needed to do something and quick. She wasn’t going to make it through another round if the Sorian got her inside another wind tunnel.

  Rachel kept to the outer edge, close against the cage. She attempted to punch the taller woman in the stomach but her swing missed. The Sorian grabbed Rachel’s arm, pulling her and turning her around. She shoved Rachel up against the thick bars. The Sorian then grabbed her hair, pulling her head as far back as she could and slamming her face into the metal bars over and over. Rachel heard a sickening crunch. That would be her nose. That bitch!

  She didn’t know where she found the strength, but she raised her right leg and kicked backwards as hard as she could into the Sorian’s knee. The other woman released Rachel and bent down in pain. She wasted no time. She turned around and attacked the Sorian’s other knee, lifting it up and making the woman fall. She quickly mounted the Sorian, taking her head and slamming it into the mat.

  The Sorian was unprepared to be taken down by a lowly human. Rachel didn’t stop there, she punched the woman in the face over and over, never letting up until the Sorian stopped moving. The referee, which was a robotic arm with a camera attached to it, came over to start the countdown. Ten … nine … eight … seven … six �
�� five … four …

  The commentators finished counting it down. “Three … two … one!” The bell rang out, announcing the end of the match. “Did you see that, Johann? The little human had fire left in her yet. She took the Sorian down, and she was every bit as vicious as a full-on species. I have to say, she has earned respect from everyone here tonight. Rachel Starr, a little human from a small planet in the corner of the universe, has won her first sanctioned fight with a halfsie Sorian. The GCFA must be congratulating themselves on finding this one. What a match.”

  Chapter 11

  Rachel was awake, but she didn’t want to open her eyes yet. She wasn’t in extreme pain anymore. The healers had administered heavy doses of painkillers prior to repairing the damage done to her body, but she wasn’t ready to move yet.

  “You did good, human,” Zara said from beside her.

  Oh, wonderful, the amazon was her bedside nurse. “The name is Rachel,” her voice was really scratchy, but at least it didn’t hurt anymore.

  “Get up off the table, you are healed. Ra … gina.”

  Rachel opened her eyes to glare at Zara. “That is not my name.”

  “I said that I would call you a name, didn’t say it would be the right name.” She laughed as she walked away.

  “How are you feeling?” Talon asked, pushing a strand of her cleaned hair back from her forehead. She was grateful the healers had cleaned her up so at least she didn’t look like a train wreck.

  “I’m good.” She was interrupted by a loud growl coming from the other side of the room. She turned her head and saw Rage coming through the door to the room. He looked pissed. What had she done now?

  “Keep your hands to yourself, Talon, this one is mine.” He came to her other side, glaring at Talon.

  Talon laughed, “We are all aware of the fact. You nearly mowed people down to get to her inside the cage.”

  “You gave them a drama story for sure. They went on and on about how the GCFA Champion was protective of the little human. They are claiming a romance is blossoming.” Zen had to add his two cents in. It was clear that he was enjoyed setting Rage off.

  Rage ignored the room full of people. He only had eyes for Rachel. He knew her body was mostly healed, and was relieved to see the bruises on her soft, silky skin fading. But his beast was roaring to be let loose. He wanted tear apart the Sorian female that dared touch his Rachel. When had she become his?

  “Hi.” She gave him a tired smile.

  He didn’t say anything at first, just reached out to touch her face gently with his large, rough fingers. She leaned into his caress. For someone so big, he surprised her with his soft touch. Who knew he had it in him?

  “Do I look as bad as I feel?” Rachel asked, even though she was feeling much better. She hoped to break the tension.

  “You look beautiful, like a small golden angel,” he reassured her. He turned towards the main healer, Cais, who stood in front of the computer mounted on the wall. “When can she be released?”

  “She’s ready to go now but—” Cais didn’t get to finish what he was saying. Rage bent down and picked Rachel up into his arms.

  “Whoa, what are you doing?” Rachel’s head spun a little from the sudden motion.

  “I’m taking you to my suite, where I can care for you,” he told her as he walked out of the healing facility towards a set of elevators. He ignored the snickers from Zen ant Talon about the Animal caring for a human.

  “But I’m almost completely healed. There’s nothing for you to care for,” she complained.

  “Then I shall simply take advantage of your weakened state and keep you in my bed.” His voice made it clear he was entirely serious.

  He continued holding her as he strolled down the hallway towards the elevators. She blushed when she noticed people giving them odd looks as they passed them by.

  “At least let me walk on my own. Everyone’s watching.”

  “You were injured. I’m simply helping you.”

  “Do you carry all the other fighters back to their rooms when they’ve been injured from a fight?”

  He snorted but continued to hold her when he pushed the button to take them to the floor his suite was on. “Stop being difficult about this, we are nearly there.”

  She stayed quiet the rest of the way to his suite. She had thought he would want to keep their personal relationship private. After all, she was a lowly pure human. He and the other fighters didn’t think much of humans.

  That part really frustrated her. How can they hate humans? It was hypocritical since they were all half or part human, too.

  Talon had taken another set of elevators and arrived before them. He was standing in the hallway when they got off the elevator. He helped open Rage’s door so that he could carry her inside. “Great match, Rachel.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled, feeling proud that she had not only survived her first sanctioned fight, she had won it.

  “You’ll have a couple of days to get ready for your next one in the circuit.”

  “Alpha Region, right?” That was where the first missing girl was last seen. Her name was Lauren Crabtree and she had been traveling on the circuit as a ring girl.

  When the GCFA was questioned by the authorities about Lauren’s disappearance, they had handed over a copy of a resignation letter that Lauren had supposedly written while they were in the Alpha Region. The letter said that she wanted to pursue other things and asked that her final paycheck be sent to her family back on Earth. The problem was, the handwriting didn’t match the handwriting the authorities had on file.

  “Can you stay with her while I go get some of her things to make her more comfortable?” Rage asked. He did not liking the idea of leaving her alone.

  Talon tilted his head at his friend. “Sure, no problem.”

  Rage was almost out the door when he turned back around towards them. “You try anything with her and I will break every bone in your body.” He then stormed out of the room.

  “Wow, you really have him worked up.” Talon stared after Rage, shaking his head.

  Rachel looked down at her hands. “He’s just being a little bit protective”

  “Only a little bit,” Talon agreed, laughing. “So you and Rage?”

  Rachel watched him cautiously. “We’re having fun.”

  Talon looked at her with anger in his eyes. “Is he not good enough for you to have a real relationship with?”

  “No, no! I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant … he never said he was interested in more with me.”

  “What about you? Are you interested in more with him?” He still looked angry for some reason.

  “I don’t know. There are a lot of things that we don’t know about one another. We would need to learn those things before stepping into a serious relationship.”

  “If all you want is nothing more than a good fuck, then you need to be honest and tell him!”

  Was Talon talking about her and Rage, or was he talking about him and Lindy? “I … feel things for him that I have never felt for anyone else. I’m just not sure what it is I feel yet.”

  Talon sighed. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I haven’t been myself since …”

  “Since Lindy left?” she asked, prompting him to speak.

  “I don’t understand why she would just leave me without telling me face to face. Unless …”

  “Unless what?” This was the most she had gotten out of Talon regarding Lindy’s disappearance.

  “Unless she was too embarrassed to show me, a halfsie, to her family.”

  “That’s ridiculous. Any girl would be proud to call you her own.” Rachel reached out a comforting hand and placed it on his. “Besides, almost all of the halfsies I have met hate humans. Maybe she didn’t feel welcome or accepted here.”

  “Not all of us halfsies hate humans. But we do feel bitterness.”

  “Bitterness towards humans for what?”

  “Rachel, how do you think halfsies are made? Do you serio
usly think that Sersan and Esan’s human mother mated willingly with a full on Reptan? Male Reptans are known for their needle-like penises that would tear a human female apart.”

  “Their mother was forced? There are laws against that type of violence!” Rachel was outraged.

  Talon sat beside her and shook his head. “There are plenty of halfsies out there that have come from such forced couplings, and there are a few that come from a mutual loving coupling. What I meant was DNA splicing.”

  As a law enforcer, she knew such things existed, but she had never run across anything like that. “So most of you were made, not conceived the natural way?”

  “Yes, by humans.”

  “How do you know it was humans?” Splicing was supposed to have been outlawed years ago. She remembered her Uncle Ted talking about some cases with his buddies years ago.

  “Humans have the most to gain by splicing the DNA. Full blooded alien species look down on halfsies and consider us weak because of our human halves.” Talon leaned back against the sofa.

  “So a human egg is fertilized and the DNA is spliced to create a mixed species. Who takes care of the babies?” Rachel was horrified. She imagined a whole warehouse full of crying babies with no one to take care of them.

  “Before it was outlawed, corporations would pay for their creations and provide caretakers to watch over their investments. A lot of the halfsies first created were used for the military. Others were bred for slavery.”

  “What happened when DNA splicing was outlawed?”

  “The military and slavers were required to release the halfsies. A lot of them ended up homeless before the government agreed to give them a onetime restitution payment.”

  “That’s horrible. I can see why halfsies hate humans now.”

  Talon closed his eyes. “Not all halfsies hate humans.”

  Rachel reached over to squeeze his hand. “I know.” This was it, she needed to press him to talk. “What happened with you and Lindy?”

  “She left me.”

  “Why?”