THE ULTIMATE STANDER (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twelve

      Day three.

      The fight between Carmel Glasson and Nancy Walter.

      Nancy knocked the dagger off Carmel's hand. She grabbed her throat with one hand, swiped her legs out and threw Carmel down onto the floor. Immediately, Nancy climbed on top of her.
Carmel's eyes were in terror while thrashing underneath Nancy's weight as she tried to reach for her dagger. Nancy let out a scream before tearing at Carmel's face with the use of her own blade. Carmel screamed terribly, and her hand flew up to her bleeding cheek.

      Nancy pinned her down to the floor, while she lifted her other hand which held her weapon. She jabbed the dagger into Carmel's chest. Carmel let out a garbled cry as blood rushed into her throat.
Nancy twisted the blade before she eventually pulled it out. She watched as Carmel's eyes rolled into the back of her head before finally taking her last breath.

      Day four.

      The fight between Saanvi Roy and Merida González.

      Merida lunged directly at Saanvi, hollering at the top of her lungs. The movement actually consisted of a very rapid shuffling motion of the feet, so that she stayed balanced at all times. At the last moment, she drew the sword up over her head and snapped it down toward Saanvi.

      Saanvi brought hers up, rotating it around sideways so that the handle was up high, above and to the right, providing a roof above her. Merida's blow bounced off her roof, and then Saanvi side-stepped to allow her went by and snapped the sword down toward Merida's unprotected shoulder.
However, Merida moved too quickly, and Saanvi's timing was off. The blade cut behind and to the side of Merida. Both ladies wheeled to face each other, backed up, got back into a stance.

      Merida made another attack. This one was pretty straightforward: a quick shuffling approach and then a snapping cut in the direction of Saanvi's ribcage. Saanvi parried it. The next move Merida set up her ear-splitting screech and shuffles toward Saanvi, cutting and snapping her blade. Saanvi parried the attack, turned around, and rendered Merida a cut on both of her legs just above the knees. Merida collapsed to the ground. Saanvi twirled her sword, before thrusting it deep into Merida's stomach.

••••♦••••

      The day I'd been dreading eventually came.

      "Begin!"

      My heart raced to see Mia standing and locking eyes with Joyce. Although she looked undeniably beautiful, the fantasy of any woman except that she was pretty much real, of flesh and blood. Blind, would be not to find something that catches the eyes and don't leave your mouth wide open while staring at Mia shirtless and ready for a fight.

      Mia attacked first. Acting fast and powerful. The speed of her moves took Joyce off guard and she stumbled backwards when Mia landed a punch straight for the chest. Joyce's face changed, anger written all over her face. She retaliated, rushing forward and swinging a powerful right. Mia met her halfway, and lashed out with her own right.

      Her punch was quicker, and it caught her flush. Joyce took it on the mouth, spat out blood, caught Mia and hurled her into dust with such force that a cloud of dust arose. Mia rolled over, gasping for breath, and just rolled from underneath Joyce's driving sneakers as she attempted to leap on her to stamp the life out of her.

      Mia scrambled to her feet, and lunged as she picked her hands out of the dust, butting Joyce in the chest. Joyce jerked up a stiff thumb, trying for Mia's eye. However Mia rolled her head away and swung a left to the wind, and then a driving right hook that ripped Joyce's ear, starting a shower of blood.
Joyce charged again, and caught Mia with two long swings on the head. Mia roared in pain.

      My heart dropped. "You can do it, Mia," I mumbled.

      The two began to slug. Joyce's punches packed terrific power, however were a trifle slower. They battled till the breath gasped in their lungs. Joyce ducked her battered face and began to walk in, stemming the tide of Mia's blows by sheer physical power.

      Mia shifted her attack with lightning speed. She missed a right, and following it in with the weight of her body, she slid her arm around Joyce's neck. She grabbed the wrist with her left hand, and jerked up her feet and sat down hard, trying to snap Joyce's neck.

      As Mia's feet flew up, Joyce hurled her weight forward and to the left, falling with her body half across Mia. It broke the hold, and they rolled free. Mia came to her feet, and Joyce, catlike in her speed, lashed out with a wicked kick for her head.

      Mia rolled away from it and hurled herself at Joyce's one standing leg in a flying tackle. Joyce went down, and as they scrambled up, Mia hit her with a left and right, splitting her right cheek in a bone-deep gash, and pulping her lips.

      Joyce was bloody and battered now, yet she kept coming. Her breath wheezing. Mia stabbed a left into her face, set herself and whipped up a right uppercut to the body.
Joyce gasped. Mia circled, then smashed her in the body with another right, then another and another.

      Joyce's jaw was hanging open now, her face battered and bleeding from a dozen cuts and abrasions. Mia walked in, measured her, then crossed a right to her chin. She followed it up with two thudding, bone-crushing blows, and Joyce reeled. She tried to steady herself, however measured her length in the dust. Mia weaved on her feet.

      "That was beautiful," I said, jabbing the cotton wool soaked in disinfectant onto Mia's facial wounds. We were in the bathroom, attending to her injuries. I had her sitting on the top of the bathroom vanity so that her face was towering above mine, and with me standing in-between her legs. "But I was afraid for a moment. I thought I'd lose you," I added, tossing the used wool into one of the sinks.

      "Hey." She cupped the side of my face, looking deeply into my eyes. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

      "That's not true. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lose you."

      "Shhh." She put a finger to my lips. "I'm tougher than I look."

      Mia leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. I moved in closer, lifting my hand and sliding it to the nape of her neck. Mia's other hand cupped the other side of my cheek, holding my face still as I deepened the kiss, parting her lips. She kissed me as much, hard and deep, while I enjoyed the feeling of heat rushing through my body. When we broke the kiss, Mia leaned her forehead against mine. I smiled, so did she, as we remained in that position.