I noticed the second Thaddeus saw me. He froze just after entering the room. I kept my expression blank, but I was sure my eyes gave away my rage. He only paused for a moment, but it was enough for me to see the fear in him, before he straightened up and with clenched fists followed the other initiates to stand in front of the ring.
I too decided it was time to move, and pushed up from the ground to go join the rest. Archie who hadn't spotted me upon entering gave a nod in greeting and Kali wished me good luck, but I didn't respond as my eyes were fixed firmly on the ring, waiting.
Sure enough Four began his address "Today, Persie and Thaddeus will fight, then Leuke and Michael and after lunch Jackson and Zane. Can the first match please step into the ring." I didn't rush up like I wanted to, but forced myself to tune out all the other passing sounds and tried to remember the feel of the crackling fire that had saved me from an icy grave.
I stood in the ring, opposite Thaddeus and was oddly calm. I didn't let my mind wander from the fire. I didn't analyse his posture or let myself ponder what he was thinking. Yesterday I would have, Yesterday I would have been going over every fight I'd seen Thaddeus have, but not now. Not today.
"Begin." The familiar word brought a sense of peace, I was glad to be able to hear it another time.
Thaddeus reacted first, his fish flying towards my collar. I turned my body sideways causing him to tottle forwards, his own motion betraying him. Not wasting a moment, I brought the point of my elbow straight across his cheek. It caused him to take a dive into the mat, but I didn't follow him down.
Yesterday I would have but now I was angry and hurt and I wanted him to feel what I felt. I didn't want the match to be over quickly, I wanted to drag out his pain and I intended to do just that. I prowled around him and let spitting words fly as Thaddeus wiped the blood from his face and struggled to regain his footing "Awh, do you need a hand up?"
He responded to the jab with a snarl and threw his shoulders into my stomach shoving me to the ground. I was vaguely aware of the complete silence in the room, the watches having realised something else was happening besides the match.
I thrust my knee upwards aiming for a tender area and was rewarded by his howel of pain and momentary distraction which I used to shoot from under him in between his legs and stand up again to deliver a kick square on his tailbone, I followed it immediately with three rapid hits to his lower neck and finally his face when he turned to try to defend himself.
He managed to turn himself around fully during my onslaught of hits and landed one right in my gut. I dropped to the ground, he tried to repeat the action but I clenched onto the arm as it swung out and dug my nails deep into his skin to keep my grip tight.
He tried to use the other arm, aiming for my head but I was already moving, darting behind him, his arm still clenched in mine I twisted it up his back and pushed my back muscles into an upwards movement of his arm. It was a submission hold but I didn't pause in it long enough to let him concede. I doubted he would have anyway, but I never gave him the chance. Shoving the arm all the way up until a sharp crack sounded and a scream pierced the air.
He fell flat, one arm hanging off the edge of the mats, his fingers digging into them with his other hand pressed against his aching groin, I let the current power rush heat my words. "You know, I find this kind of fitting actually." I detangled myself and bent down, spitting the words that had been repeating in my head for the last few hours, "You. Hanging on with you fingertips- " I emphasised the word by straightening up and letting my heel come crashing down onto the aforementioned flesh, another snapping sound filled the air and he let out a strangled cry, this one sounding far closer to the ones I had made, more a sob than a moan, and full of fear, "-begging to be let up-"
