Loving the fight

23♦

23

♦𝕭𝖑𝖆𝖐𝖊♦

As soon as my feet step out of the locker room I see them. 

Two guys walk through the door after getting checked in. One covered in tattoos, the other in a suit.

 I know from the moment I land eyes on them that these are some of the guys Dean was trying to warn me about. It's not the tattoos that cover this man's body, or the fact that the other guy is wearing a crisp suit to a dirt pit under a warehouse. 

It's something else. A dark energy follows them like a cult of vicious demons. The guy covered in tattoos smirks when he sees me. 

I'm grateful that Cash convinced Rose to stay in the locker room to draw while I warm up.

 "Ah, so you must be the champ from last year?" He eyes me up and down like he's a hunter and I'm the prey. 

"Don't let it get to your head. You've never fought a real man before, but don't worry. The crowd won't judge you too harshly when you cry after I break your nose."

 I can't help but notice the choice of tattoos he's gone with. A clear theme of death covers every inch of his exposed body. The ones of his face stick out the most, they make it look like his flesh is already decaying off his skull. 

"I'll make sure to reach back out to you after I find a real man to fight." I see his nose twitch in anger. 

It might not be the best idea to be pissing this guy off before our match, but I couldn't give a damn at the moment.

 "I'll see you in the cage." I'll beat the shit out of him later, no need to waste anymore of my time here trying to insult him. 

"Well that could have gone worse." Ace shrugs. 

"Yeah, it probably could have gone better though." What the fuck was Dean thinking getting these guys to be here this year?

 I know he brought them here to fight, I get that. But these guys are staying until the season is over or they are out of the running. These guys could stir up more trouble than this town has ever seen and it would be Dean's doing. 

"Alright, let's get you warmed up." Ace throws me my wraps and starts getting his gear on.

⇼♢⇼♢⇼♢⇼♢⇼

"He looks scary." Is the first thing Rose says once she sees who my opponent is tonight. 

"I know, baby. But I have this, so don't worry about me." I learned from my brief conversation with him that he definitely has some arrogance about him. 

It's something I can use to my advantage tonight. "Just stay here with the guys and I'll be back here in a bit." 

She bits her lip as the crowd starts to chant for me. "Ok, I love you." She wraps her pencil stained hands around my waist making my heart sting. 

"And I love you." Grabbing her face gently I dip down and place a kiss on her forehead then step away. I have to make it back out of that cage for her. 

"Knock em out." Ace grits as he walks with me the last few steps to the cage. 

"I will."

 The announcer sees me waiting at the gate and starts getting the crowd even more hyped. The cage door is opened and I step through. 

My ears start buzzing as soon as I feel the familiar slight give of the cage floor. 

I walk to my side of the cage slowly, cracking my neck and loosening up my shoulder muscles as I go.