WHITE DWARF • THE 100

24

An awkward silence fell between them. Cassie wanted to kick herself - here she was again ruining any chances she had of at least making allies. Yet the more she submerged herself in the world of underground fighting, the more she found herself doubting her decision. Could she truly inflict that kind of pain on a person? Could she really make them bleed and bruise and cry out and not even bat an eyelid? 

All she was certain of was that she would do whatever it took to get her dad that medicine he needed. Last night he screamed into the darkest hours of the morning, so badly that the guards came to their door to make sure everything was okay. When they realised that it was because Callum was in a kind of pain they could prevent they just left. 

"You never told me why we were here." Cassie cut the silence off. She didn't turn around to Astrid to address her, but the woman knew there was no one else the teenager could be talking to. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Astrid's signature smirk crawl it's way onto her face. 

"You are a curious one, aren't you?" Astrid waited a beat. Cassie imagined she was waiting for some type of reaction to her comment; when she got nothing from the girl she carried on as if nothing had happened. "Watch how they move. Take note of which is their dominant hand, how they step into a punch or how they swing their body when they go to kick. If you don't observe your opponent and judge their weaknesses there's no point knowing how to throw a good punch."

"Are you saying there's more to fighting than just brutality? That you think about how you can hurt them in the worst way?" The thought made Cassie feel sick. Assessing them and then using their weaknesses against them? It seemed barbaric. Yet she couldn't help admire the brains it must take to make the judgement in under a second. 

Astrid looked almost offended at the statement. "Fighting is so much more than that. It's a way to express yourself, to show the world that you're stronger than it thinks you are. It's thinking about your next move in a second otherwise you get your lights knocked out. It's not just throwing a fist and hoping for the best." 

"Does it really mean that much to you?" 

"It means that much to everyone. For most people here, this is all they have." 

Cassie cringed as a loud thud could be heard from the ring. Thirty seconds later, Aidan declared an end to the fight. Cassie didn't hear much else over that, with the roaring crowd and stampede shoving their way towards the betting booth to reap their rewards. 

The crowd around them had disappeared, leaving the two of them with a clear sight of the ring. Aidan was talking animatedly with the winner, passing him his winnings and sending him on his way. The moment he left the smile on his face fell. He bent down to the woman on the ground, her arm cradling her abdomen. With careful hands, he helped her sit up, bringing her to her feet and guiding her towards the back room. 

"Aidan isn't like the others, is he?" Cassie noted. Her eyes were glued on the swinging door he left behind. She didn't need to see what he was doing to know. He was helping treat her wounds. 

A faint smile grew on Astrid's lips. "No, he's nothing like us." 

"Then why did he let me fight? I told him I would do it for free - I was sure that was the only reason he let me." 

A cackle slipped past Astrid's lips. "Do you seriously think he thought that he would make any money off of you? No, he was trying to protect you. The message got lost in translation, but that's what he wanted. Rough you up a little, make you realise this isn't what you want, then send you on your merry way to live a happy life." 

Questions jumped into her head. "Then why is he letting me fight now?" 

"Your persistent. If you could have been beaten up to the extent that Fabian did, and still want to fight, well he knew there was nothing stopping you. Giving you some training just makes it harder for it to happen again." Astrid shrugged. "Besides, getting trained by me, you're going to become unstoppable. It works well for him too."

Cassie nodded her head, the words not fully processing. All this time she thought that no one cared about her, all the talk Astrid said about all the fighters being heartless was completely wrong. At least Aidan cared enough to make sure she fights safely. Astrid might hold some fondness for her, since she agreed to help, but the nagging in her mind reminded her that Astrid got something from helping her too. 

For now, she would take what she could get. 

"I don't think I've said it yet, but thank you." Cassie gave Astrid a weak smile. "You guys are okay, I guess." 

Astrid huffed a laugh. "I guess you're a tolerable pain in the ass." 

Cassie laughed with her. Of all of the places she thought she would find happiness, she never imagined it to be in a place that thrived off of violence. But when she had been born and raised in a closed off society, maybe a bit of chaos was just what she needed. 

-

hey guys! im sad to say that i haven't written anything else yet - lifes been a bit hectic recently, we're in lockdown here and i broke up with my boyfriend a few days ago so im a little raw lol. i do still have some pre written chapters for this so hopefully i'll write for it soon.

anyways hope you all enjoyed!

-thirdwheelchurchill