ExFic 10: Going Underground

“You can’t be serious,” Rion said.

“Oh, I’m serious,” Katrina argued.

Rion and Katrina looked at the webpage again. When Jaime had gone to work and left her laptop computer behind, Katrina had logged onto the MuWiNet (Municiple Wireless Network) and began a search for the local underground fighting championships. Didn’t take her long to find one, and it didn’t take much longer to find one advertising an “Amateur Night” with a hefty amount of prize money.

“Is this for real?” Rion asked. He put a finger to the computer’s touch pad and began investigating the site. “Not a hoax site or something?”

“Nearest I can tell, this thing’s legit,” Katrina explained. “Well, as legit as underground fighting goes. Map Search confirmed that the arena exists, or at least the arena‘s front.”

“So you want us to fight beneath the ground?” Wearwolf inquired, cocking his head to the side in an attempt to understand what the conversation is about.

“No, well, not in that sense, necessarily,” Katrina replied. “By underground, we mean ‘secret.’ The people who run this place don’t want the authorities finding out about it.”

“There’s a good reason for that, you know,” Rion interjected. “This is totally illegal, not to mention dangerous. The people who watch this stuff expect blood, and the promoters aim to deliver. You could get hurt, or killed.” Realizing he forgot something, he added, “Or even arrested!”

“These guys can’t be much worse than Lord Unnecessary Violence,” Katrina said confidently. “And I got by that biker punk all right.”

“That ‘biker punk’ would’ve slapped a control collar on you if Berg hadn’t shown up,” Rion argued. “I’m sure if he was here right now, playing mentor like he said he would, he’d totally agree with me.”

“Well, he’s not, is he?” Katrina pointed out, shutting down the computer and closing it. “If I’m going to be a Chimera Knight, I should prepare with some combat experience, and we need the money, so why not kill two birds with one stone?”

“Because this stone will kill you?” Rion contended. Gesturing emphatically, he added, “And did I mention this is illegal? If the Chimera Knight Academy finds out about it, they’re not going to like it. And we wouldn’t need the money so bad if you could hold a job for two seconds without being fired for insubordination or reckless behavior.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t like any of those jobs, anyway,” Katrina said dismissively.

“You don’t have to like them,” Rion fumed. “You just have work until they pay you. For Lorne sakes, Katrina, we only have to be here for two…”

“You just don’t get it, do you!?” Katrina exploded.

“Get what?” Rion reacted. “That you’re being an idiot? You’re suicidal? That you’re throwing your life away for money?”

“You know what? I don’t have to take this,” Katrina said, throwing her hands up. “I’m an adult now, and I can make my own decisions.”

“So why don’t you start acting like one!?” Rion accused.

Katrina punched Rion. Hard. She sent a right hook across his jaw that nearly knocked him off his feet and left a fist-shaped mark on his cheek. He looked back at her with a bewildered look in his eye.

“You hit me,” Rion said, slowly processing what just happened. “What the Hell? You hit me!”

Katrina’s eyes darted about the scene. She wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened. She didn’t just do that, did she? But there was Rion, cradling a bruise on his cheek. If this argument continued, she was going to beat him senseless. No, she couldn’t do that. Could she? It sure felt like she could. Her blood boiled as if Rion’s voice was the bane of her existence.

No, that was wrong. She couldn’t do that. She didn’t want to. She darted past Rion and out the front door, slamming it shut behind her.

Rion sighed and walked over to the fridge. Going after Katrina now would be pointless. He took some ice from the freezer and put it against his cheek. Even if he wasn’t afraid of what Katrina could do to him right now, she wasn’t in a mood to be communicated with. Hopefully, she’ll clear her head and come back before it becomes a bloody smear.

The sound of whining and scratching drew his attention to the front door. Wearwolf wanted out. Rion figured he either wanted him to go after Katrina or go walkies. Hard to tell, since only Katrina could talk to Wearwolf and, frankly, Rion wasn’t in a mood to do leave.

“I’m not going out,” Rion said flatly. He set the ice down as it became too unbearable to touch. “Just try to use the toilet or something. At least the bathroom will be easier to clean.”

Wearwolf growled under his breath. Would it be too much to just open the door and let him out? Opposable thumbs aside, he didn’t need Rion for anything. But how could he communicate his need to leave the apartment without Katrina to translate?

Wearwolf trotted over to the couch and sniffed it in full view of Rion.

“Oh, no,” Rion said, his eyes widening. “You wouldn’t…”

Wearwolf lifted a leg.

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“Lousy, stupid Rion making lousy, stupid sense,” Katrina muttered under breath as she marched down the street.

“Katrina!”

Katrina turned to see Wearwolf galloping down the street to her.

“Go away,” Katrina said firmly. “I’m a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.”

“I am certain you did not wish to harm Rion,” Wearwolf said. “And I am just as certain that you will not harm me.”

“How can you be so sure?” Katrina asked.

“Because I am a big, scary wolf that could easily eat your face off if provoked,” Wearwolf stated matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, well, I can still run,” Katrina said.

“I’ve caught faster prey,” Wearwolf countered.

“But I can still climb,” Katrina argued. “And I don’t mean trees, neither. I’ll climb up the nearest fire escape and hide out on the roof.”

“Then I shall take the elevator,” Wearwolf said.

“Ha! Elevators don’t go to the roof,” Katrina replied triumphantly. “You’d have to take the stairs, which are usually behind doors. And that’s assuming they let stray, untagged pets into the building. Check and mate.”

“Touché,” Wearwolf commended.

“Bingo,” Katrina accepted.

“You sunk my battleship,” Wearwolf added.

“Yachtzee,” Katrina agreed.

They continued walking along in silence. It was a while before either of them spoke. Wearwolf wanted to make sure Katrina had enough time to cool off.

“Rion had some valid points,” Wearwolf said. “This underground fighting sounds dangerous, and I do not like the idea of you risking your life unnecessarily like this either.”

Katrina sighed and said, “Don’t make me gut you.”

“I am serious, Katrina,” Wearwolf insisted. “There is no sense in fighting battles like this when we can get what we need some other way.”

“Of all people, I thought you would understand,” Katrina said. “I need to do this. Nothing else feels right.”

“I understand that,” Wearwolf said. “All of these small jobs you have been taking do not give you any sort of satisfaction. But no one is asking you to take a permanent position. Right now, all we need to do is get by. It is easier to catch fish in a stream than it is to chase them up a waterfall.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Katrina conceded, shoving her hands into her pockets. “But this is what I want to do, or at least it’s close to it. But I need to know if I can handle this. I mean, if I couldn’t take Lord Unnecessary Violence, how can I handle larger prey? If I can take down at least one guy in that arena, I’ll know I can handle being a Chimera Knight.”

“But if you don’t win, or maybe even if you do, you may never be a Chimera Knight,” Wearwolf rationalized.

Katrina stared off into the distance. Wearwolf had a point. The underground was all risk. The payoff would be good, but would she really be able to enjoy the rewards?

“I thought being a Chimera Knight meant being a hero,” Wearwolf continued. “A champion of justice. Is that not what Chimera Knighthood means to you? Or does it mean beating up bad guys?”

“It’s not like that,” Katrina argued. She put her hands behind her head and stared up at the tops of buildings and lamp posts. It wasn’t like that, was it? She wasn’t so insecure that she needed to beat up people to feel good about herself, right? No. She didn’t go around picking fights before she met Wearwolf, and it certainly wasn’t his influence making her want to fight people now. So maybe she had been a little aggressive at times, even dominative. That doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person. Does it?

“Then what is it like?” Wearwolf demanded. “Fame? Glory? Power? Is that what you want to have? Those things mean nothing, at least to me. When I saw you, I did not think of you as a means to an end. You were not a stepping stone to something greater. You were just a girl alone in the woods and in need of help, and I gave it to you freely. I ask nothing in return but your friendship. Maybe that is not enough for you, but it is more than enough for me.”

“You’re not just a thing to me, you know that,” Katrina said choosing her words carefully. Her arms and her head dropped as she stopped in her tracks. “I just… I just want this so bad, and nothing even comes close. I just don’t want to be some schmoe, you know what I mean?”

“So, what is wrong with being some schmoe?” Wearwolf inquired. He sat down in front of Katrina, looking up into her face. “I do not mind it, as long as we have friends. Katrina, I do not want you to get hurt, but I am certain you will just run off and do it anyway regardless. So I will go with you.”

“You mean it?” Katrina asked, crouching down. “You really want to do this?”

“No,” Wearwolf answered. “But I would sooner die by your side than let you get yourself killed.”

“I don’t know what to say to that,” Katrina admitted with a smirk. She reached over and scratched Wearwolf behind the ear. “Except, thank you.”