The Rouges

f i f t e e n

Without opening my eyes, I targeted the punching bag I knew was hanging to the left of the mat. My movements changed from slow and controlled to powerful and precise. I could hear the bag protest as my skin connected with it. The connectivity was painful and rough, but I took it in stride. Three months ago I would have felt nothing, but I had gone soft in my time here.

Suddenly, my senses flared and I knew I was no longer the only person in the room. He made no sound, but I knew he was here. I could feel the tension rising in my veins, a need to find release. As my senses opened up, it was like a floodgate. I could feel all of it now, every emotion I had stifled, every desire I had curbed. It was all there.

The suppressed rage I had for the man standing in the shadows, anger for letting myself get caught by The Subversive, repulsion for allowing myself to feel something other than hate for another human being, and fear... Somewhere buried in all of that rage and anger was fear. And I wanted nothing more than to extinguish it.

"I know you're there."

A slow applause echoed from the corner of the room.

"Impressive." Maddox's voice was cold as he stepped from the shadows. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a fighter. You're so... small. Like I could snap you." He circled me like a prowling lion.

"Care to test that theory?" I glared at him. It was a reckless thing to say. I knew that. But my desire to lash out was stronger than my sense of reason at the moment.

His eyes glinted with pleasure in the dark light, but to my disappointment he didn't move.

"You're not scared of a little girl are you?"

That did it.

Stripping off his hoodie, he stepped into the ring and I immediately regretted my carelessness.

Here, we were on even ground. I was not trapped, locked in a shower room where no one could hear me scream. And I wasn't a prisoner any longer that he could torture without punishment. But even with all those things on my side, I was physically no match for him. His huge frame dominated mine. No matter how deadly of a fighter I was, he had a plus point with his bulky frame. My only chance was to be faster.

Maddox's knuckles cracked as he flexed his meat-like hands. Taking my stance I prepared for his advance. The smug smile spreading across his lips sent a fire blazing through my mind and I lashed out first.

To my disappointment he was faster than he looked, but not fast enough. I landed a blow, catching him in the mouth. I grinned as I bounced backwards on the balls of my feet. A fine line of blood trickled down his chin.

Point, Lyra.

I suppressed a grin.

Calmly, he wiped the blood from his lips and grinned at me. His advance came quickly. Each blow was calculated, packing shear force. I didn't have time to fight back. Instead, each movement was focused solely on blocking him. Each time his fists, knees or feet connected with my body, sharp pain flared with the impact, but I kept him at bay. Then there was an opening. A powerful thrust left his flank exposed and I attacked, throwing my elbow into his side. He staggered. I got three more blows in before he could recover. As my leg sprang out to deal a final blow his hands caught my calf. Apparently any sense of honorable fighting was now being thrown out. My body was suddenly airborne. I collided with something hard. My body bent, conforming to the shape of the punching bag before crashing to the floor.

I grimaced in pain as my lungs seized. Through the ringing in my ears I could hear him laughing. Tears burned in my eyes but I pushed them back.

"Ha!" I coughed, rolling to my feet. "The only way you can beat a poor little girl like me is to cheat."

"Cheat? Since when are there ever rules in Tartarus?"

"Tribesman through and through aren't you? Or maybe you are nothing but a born traitor." My head spun as I stood up. "Or better yet, maybe you're just an inadequate spy."

My gut clenched. I had gone too far. I could see something in him snap, the black of his eyes suddenly all consuming.

Moving with ferocity, Maddox ripped off his shirt exposing his bare chest. Tattoos covered every inch of his skin. Images of women burning in flames, skulls drowning in blackness and reapers hoisting dead bodies stared back at me. I recoiled from the pictures imprinted over his muscular chest, but he pressed himself closer. Maddox began to flick the underside of his tongue to me like a lizard—like it was supposed to mean something to me.

"Talented. Can you wipe your own ass too?" I snarled as my skin crawled.

He grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me uncomfortably closer. "Do you see a mark?"

He flicked his tongue at me again. Repulsed, I pushed away shaking my head. "No. What's your point?"

"My point little girl, is that as high and mighty as you think you are, you know nothing. A real Taciturn spy bares only one mark on his body, a black star under his tongue. Which I plainly do not carry."

The woman consumed by the flames writhed as his chest heaved beneath my nose.

"Good for you, so you're not a spy, that still proves nothing. I'm not even sure you actually left on your own. Maybe they kicked you out or maybe the relentless rejections from the women in your own Tribe weren't enough. You had to hear it from all of the others too."

His massive hands flashed out, the long fingers closing easily around my neck. He lifted until I could barely touch the ground, my toes just scraping the black mat.

"I watched the Tribe leader slaughter my only brother to set an example for those who disagreed with him. They slit his throat and skinned him while he was still alive. The Taciturn's leader now wears a vest of my brother's pelt as a reminder to those who think of standing against him." He squeezed tighter causing my vision to swim with blackness.

A hand shot out between us.

Triven was grabbing Maddox's forearm with surprising force, but his voice remained calm.

"Put her down Maddox."

He held me for a moment longer before finally letting go. Reflexively I coughed as the air burned back into my lungs. Triven's hand left a fading white imprint on Maddox's arm. His grasp must have been painful, but Maddox showed no sign of feeling it.

Carefully, I stepped around Triven, squaring my shoulders as I clutched my bruised neck.

I knew I should have felt pity for Maddox, apologized for what I had said. For the first time since we met I actually deserved his outrage. But despite that, I could only manage to return his icy glare.

"That doesn't change anything, I won't pity you." I hissed.

"Good thing I don't believe in pity." His dark eyes glittered as he loomed closer. I could smell his rank breath. A warmth filled me as Triven's chest pressed against my back, his hand on my shoulder ready to pull me away. With an unexpected and erratic laugh Maddox turned away and strode from the room.

That man definitely had a few screws loose.

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I'm going to write more training//fighting scenes in the upcoming chapters!!!

But there is sure a lot of action in the chapter(s) that i'm currently working on.

VOTE//COMMENT//ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!