"If you hang up you'll never see your family again."
"The police are already on the case. I don't have to participate in these stupid games to get what I want. I'm not getting involved in whatever you have to offer."
A dark chuckle made my...
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I examined myself in the mirror and attempted to psyche myself up for the fight.
"I need to prove to these people that I can take care of myself."
But could I? Training sessions and fights at school were never fatal. All of this was.
"You don't have to do this," Lacey said from my door.
"I think I do. I need to prove to everyone here that I can take care of myself." I tightened my ponytail and approached the door.
"Alex doesn't know their strength, which is helpful when they're doing their job. But you've never fought them. You may get hurt."
I ignored her statement as I made my way to the basement.
"Good luck." She called as she sat with the rest of the group. Mike held a bag of popcorn in his hand and cheered when he saw me.
"Do I have a fan in the crowd?" I laughed.
"No, I'm just excited to see Alex destroy you."
"Ouch."
"Okay, guys, be nice. Let's have some faith in her." Henry chuckled. I ducked under the ropes and sized Alex up.
"You ready to nurse a few bruises?" Alex teased.
"Depends. You ready to be humiliated in front of your friends?" I bluffed. I knew I was going to regret this severely.
But they did not need to know that.
"Alright, we'll do one round. No headshots." Henry announced.
"That's all I need." Alex snarked.
"That's how long you'll be able to last." I shot back as we assumed our positions. Alex threw a jab towards my left side that I blocked.
"They step before they throw a punch."
They took another step towards me before throwing a punch towards my left side again. I blocked the hit and danced around Alex, looking for a window.
"C'mon, stop toying with each other." Mike threw popcorn at the ring.
"There."
I felt my fist collide with Alex's stomach, causing them to stumble back. They took the opportunity to knee my stomach, causing me to see stars and taste my breakfast.
"There we go." Jamie laughed.
Alex aimed to kick the back of my knee, causing me to step back and throw another punch. This time Alex caught my fist and sent me flying into a barrier.
"Get up!" Lacey yelled.
I did so, ignoring the ache in my hip. Once Alex was close enough, I swept their leg out from under them and climbed onto them once they were down. I threw punch after punch into their stomach and tried to lock them into an armbar. My unsuccessful armbar left me in a non-lethal chokehold.
