Fighter Ch. 02

She went forward to the center of the ring with her opponent doing the same. The referee gave his last instructions and the women touched gloves. They separated to go back to their corners. The girl turned to go back, but Anna walked backwards never once taking her eyes off her opponent. She tilted her head and opened her mouth as Marcus put the mouth piece in, speaking to her but she didn't hear it. After two breaths the bell rang and they went at each other.

Anna's opponent actually stunned them as she rushed in with a flurry of punches and kicks. Anna went into defense mode absorbing all the kicks with her legs and blocked and ducked the punches. She then launched a counter, but the girl's defenses were solid. There was a reason she had won two fights by decision, she had an impenetrable wall of defense in front of her. The two kicked and punched each other, but neither got any leverage. Surprisingly, the woman made it through the first round without too much damage. Anna had been caught by two hits, but nothing major. As they went back to their corners Anna was suddenly sore in her left arm. She had blocked a kick and the bruise on her forearm showed loudly. Marcus looked at it and knew it might be serious, but he slathered on some ointment and looked to her. She was still focused and breathing well. He barked instructions to her to get to her left side. Anna heard it but didn't understand and just nodded her head. It was apparent the woman had a solid guard so they decided to go around it. The bell rang and they joined back into battle.

Anna waited and drew the woman into a corner. As she went to leave Anna locked her arms up and shoved her hard. The two slammed into the cage as they began to grapple with each other for control. The girl tilted to the side trying to overbalance Anna, but Anna was ready for it. Coach had drilled her like this many times. She was no stranger to being off balance as Marcus and Coach Riley did that to her constantly. They had also taught her how to break a defense by keeping upright and slipping her hands out of the hold. The girl did just what she was taught to expect and when she saw the opportunity she struck! The woman leaned back and Anna got her right hand loose. Balling her fist Anna shot it out and struck the woman in the face. The impact of the first then second punch rattled her. She tried to move down, but Anna relentlessly struck hard again and again. The five solid punches connected with her face staggered her. Anna pushed on her arm and got her left arm free. She then began to alternate with lefts and rights like a blur. The crowd got to their feet and howled in a blood frenzy. They cheered wildly as Anna rained down punch after punch. The woman was able to get her hands up, but several snuck past her guard and hit her face and neck. She was desperate as she slumped to the ground to get Anna's legs and take her down, and she did! Anna sprawled out but then got her head in a front guillotine and leaned downward. Anna felt it sink in then she twisted to her side and rolled the choke in deep, causing the woman to try to roll back, but instead she over-corrected. It was a fatal mistake as Anna cinched the hold in then cranked back hard. The woman tapped the mat frantically as her face became a fierce crimson as the blood rushed to it.

The crowd was howling and chanting wildly as the bell rang and Anna was pulled off her opponent by the referee. She screamed as she threw her hands up to the sky and rushed the cage. She bounded to the top of it screaming a primal yell of victory. The crowd was madly chanting her name as they saw yet another spectacular finish from the feisty little one. Marcus rushed the ring and she hopped down into his arms. She was in tears. She had won and was going to the next day's finals! He hugged her tight and spoke into her ear of his pride in her. She smiled through the tears as he put on her tee shirt then put a hat with the Gym's logo on her head. She laughed and hugged Christian tight as he complimented her on her victory. She sobbed into her big brother's arms happily. They both competed for coach's attention, but each realized he cared deeply for them both.

The announcement of her victory brought the thunder of four thousand cheering fans to her ears and she was suddenly in tears. She waved to the crowd and was let down so that she could take a few pictures for the blog. Afterwards, she was led to the locker room were Marcus cut the tape then checked her hands and feet. After a few minutes she was met by the doctor who gave her a full work over. The bruises on her arms were minor. The one on her forearm was a simple one to fix. She was given her tampons to use for the remainder of the evening and as she washed in the shower she felt great. She was two wins away from the cup and the shopping trip. She excitedly finished up and left the showers, but she saw that the locker room was empty. She changed into her bra and panties then got into her new pink and red tee shirt with her logo on it. She put on the hat and her yoga pants. She slipped the flip flops on her feet and smiled at her reflection. She pulled her hair through the gap in the adjuster of the hat thinking it made her look cute. Then she walked out of the locker room and saw Marcus sitting with his promoter friend Nick.

"Well now, there she is." Nick said smiling at her. His eyes scanned her form and Anna noted that he seemed to appreciate what he saw. She blushed a bit from the attention she was getting. She was always happy to be complimented by people for her skills, but something in how he greeted her made her a bit uncomfortable.

"Great fight honey. You really took it to them didn't you?" he continued.

She sheepishly nodded her head and looked up to Marcus. He saw she was uncomfortable so he interjected himself into the exchange.

"So, Nick as you can see, she is ready for Mijah. If she wins out tomorrow, it's just proof that the amateur fights are no challenge for her." Marcus said proudly.

His smile showed Anna how he felt and the honesty of it caused her to offer him that pretty smile that he liked so much. Anna wanted nothing more than for Nick to leave so she could hug him and feel the warmth of his smile while in his arms, but obviously, that would have to wait.

"Well a deals a deal Marcus. She won each of them, and in dramatic fashion; back to back to back. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the whole crowd chanting her name." He let his eyes rest on the young lady even as he continued to address Marcus. "Just phenomenal, honey. In six months I'll have the fight ready and the payoff will be substantial." Nick said and his mouth actually watered at the thought of his share of the pot.

Marcus decided to make sure Nick was in his pocket so he smugly smiled and said, "Tell you what Nick. Go ahead and send me your prospect and I'll still work on him. I will only charge half rates."

Nick nodded his head. Half of the normal fees of nearly seven hundred a week for ring training was a very good offer. He stuck his hand out and Marcus shook it. The die was cast, now Anna was going to be up for the most brutal training of her life. Marcus waited for Nick to leave and he looked at her while still leaning against the wall. He held out his arms to her and she rushed into them. He hugged her tight and she sighed into his body.

"Two more fights Anna. The next opponent you have is a girl I'm actually worried about," he began and she looked up at him. "She is fast. Her punches are dangerous and she has a good ground and pound style. We need to figure out how not to get you into that trap."

She bobbed her head. A stand up fighter fighting against a person who could get to the ground and take a person out in short order was always a mismatch. Anna had a good ground game, but she was definitely a stand up fighter. The trick was to get her in a bad position early on to take away her strength on the ground. As she pondered her upcoming fight she felt Marcus ease up off the wall. They broke the hug as he put his arm over her shoulder. He held her that way as they walked to the parking lot.

On the drive back to the hotel he played some easier rock and jazz to help her relax. She bobbed her head to one of his favorite bands as the song played, and as they entered the hotel she still had the lyrics in her head.

Marcus heard her singing and he thought that it was the perfect 'make-up' song by a band called Rev Theory called "The Fire". They had created a truly amazing song and he thought about the main lyrics;

"...is the fire still alive?"

And it made him think of the kiss that Anna had dropped on him earlier. They didn't say much as they walked into the room. Anna flopped on the bed and stretched out as far as her arms and legs would go. She giggled as she then realized her head was off the bed and she was stuck. Marcus walked up and took her flailing hand and hoisted her up. She looked so cute when she was helpless like that. She got up laughing a bit then went to the bathroom.

Marcus saw a bundle on the table and opened it. Inside were three discs. They were labeled with the names of the most likely opponents that Anna would have to go up against. He popped the dvd of the fighter she would face tomorrow into the DVD player and waited for her to come out of the bathroom. When she came out, she gave Marcus a confused look.

"Umm coach. I think I was having a miss signal," her voice was filled with confusion.

"What?" he asked her.

"My period, I thought it was starting today because I was feeling so cramped up. But when I checked there was nothing. I lost it." she said.

He knew of the condition she spoke of. It was common among women athletes to lose their period due to rapid weight loss and higher levels of hormones. He called the sports doctor and in an hour she was confirming that Anna did in fact lose it. He was relieved, but she was more as she wouldn't have to be wrapped tight again. After she left Anna went to take a shower. Marcus sat back and opened his mail. He saw several Emails from the guys at the gym wishing Anna luck. He also found another Email that caused his head to crook. It was from his first wife Nadine. He opened it and she told him she found his name in the papers and wondered if it was the man she knew. He sent a reply, after a bit an IM popped up. It was indeed Nadine. They chatted happily for a few minutes. He found out she had remarried after their marriage was annulled. She told him she did look for him for two years after, but he had gone to Thailand for training and that's the last she'd heard until now.

They spent a good time talking, and even decided to meet up to say hi face to face. They broke off the chat after about ten minutes and Marcus was smiling. He had missed Nadine. He remembered how they'd met at a frat party and he'd gotten the seven minutes of heaven with her. She was so scared and timid when they were locked in the closet, but a spark was lit between them as their lips met. He sat back in his chair and wondered just how well she was doing. He knew she was in pre-med back then, so her time was valuable. The fact that she had eloped with him was testament to how much they'd loved each other. He shook the thoughts from his mind. The past was the past. He still remembered the words her father had for him, none of them were anything less than insulting. Marcus was raised as a very tolerant person. He'd traveled all over the globe and marveled at the diversity of the people of the world. He spoke five languages and had even had relationships with women of many races. The fact that her dad was such a bigot really pained him.

He went back to his mail when he heard the door open and saw Anna walk out in her night shirt. She looked so cute in it. It was a simple red long shirt with the Angry Birds on it. He shook his head and pressed play on the remote. The fight videos of the upcoming opponent came to the screen and Anna watched it intently. She knew the woman she was facing was going to be a monster, but as she saw the woman in action she became truly terrified. The woman won all three of her fights in less than twelve minutes. She was amazing as she spun and twisted on the floor after a simple take down. She watched as the woman got mount up position on her opponent then thundered down blow after blow on her causing the referee stop the fight quick. She scored a nice arm bar submission on her second fight. In her third fight she got into a clinch. As she dropped she brought the girls neck into a vice and choked her out in less than thirty seconds. Anna was amazed as she watched them over and over. The woman was a phenom. She only hoped she could hold her own against her. Anna watched the full video of the woman's first fight and became aware that she was in over her head as she brought a very nice slam and tuck on her opponent.

Marcus caught the fights out of the corner of his eye as he scanned his email and saw that the girl was amazing. But he also saw that her defense was sloppy. He knew that it was her thing to get in and take away the offensive so she didn't need to be on the defense. His mind formulated a good strategy as he saw that she actually played into Anna's strength. He knew Anna was an instinctive fighter. The way she showed that was evident in her slam win over her second opponent. She was very in tune with her body and surroundings. With that thought he got a simple plan in mind. Marcus decided to call it a night for Anna's sake. He waited till the last of the video played then turned it off.

"Get some sleep, honey. We got a long day tomorrow. The fights will be at one and two. The main event will be at seven. So we need to make sure you are good," he said as he patted her arm.

Anna lay back on the bed and curled into a ball. She was ready for tomorrow. Her body did hurt a bit, but it was nothing she wasn't used too after an average day in the gym. She rolled to her back letting out a sigh to the ceiling. In her mind, it was now or never. She didn't care about the shopping trip, she wanted to win, to validate herself as a real fighter. She knew she was a woman, but she wanted to be taken seriously and not like a side show. She remembered the chanting and her smile grew wide.

Marcus was in the bathroom brushing his teeth as he went over the fights in his mind. He knew the upcoming opponent was likely going to be problematic, but he had a plan. He remembered his fight against a similar opponent ten years ago. He beat the man with one shot and it was a memorable encounter. He used a superman punch to get right past his defenses. The man was stunned as the punch hit his face knocking him to the floor. It was in that moment Marcus dropped onto him and pummeled him. He knew Anna could use a similar tactic to her advantage. The superman punch was a useful tool every fighter should learn.

He spit out the toothpaste and gargled some water. Thinking of the events that led up to this caused him to wish that he was a younger man so he could get back in the ring. He longed to try one more time for a run to the title. He knew he had the skills. He had the training, but he just didn't have the "It" factor that all promoters wanted their champs to have. The anger swelled in him as he looked into the mirror to see his angry reflection. He knew it wasn't fair to Anna for him to act like that so he dismissed the thoughts from his mind as he grabbed his towel. He was drying his face when he thought not of his depression, but the way she had straddled his hips and kissed him. He had kissed her before and it had felt great, but that one... that one had rocked him to his core. He looked down at the tent in his boxers. The sight of it made him realize it was going to be an uncomfortable night. He pondered sleeping in the tub to avoid temptation, but he also knew Anna would get upset if he avoided her like that. He sighed as he walked out of the bathroom turning out the lights to the room as he did. He walked silently to the bed, raised the covers and slipped in.

Anna felt his presence behind her and a tingle flushed down her spine like a velvet glove. She shuddered at the thought of him right next to her. She wanted to turn around and hold him again, but wasn't sure if she should. And then she had an epiphany as she recalled the one thing that he had always drilled into her; "seize the moment." He had told her that many times in training. He had even said that to her in that cryptic speech he'd given her before the fights. She looked to the sky and prayed she wasn't going to make a fool of herself and rolled over. What she forgot was the bed was almost as small as her own back at the gym and her arms flopped onto Marcus' chest.

Marcus felt her hands on his chest and held his breath. He knew this was a likely avenue after the moments they'd had. He was scared, scared he was going to make a huge mistake, terrified that she just wanted the experience of being with an older man and then leave him for someone young. But most of all he was terrified of opening up again. Two failures in his life had caused him to become guarded. Yet this feisty young woman had touched him deeply. He couldn't see the little girl that he had saved those years ago, he saw the woman in his bed rolling into him.

Anna felt his breath catch as her hands moved to his chest and the cording of his muscles as his body tensed reflexively. Gently, she ran her hands over his hard muscles causing a low sigh to escape his lips. He tensed even more when he felt her hands trailing over the hard lines of his chest, causing her to shake with this new freedom to explore him. Anna's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, yet the light of the city seeped through the slats of the blinds allowing him to become semi visible. Her hands slowly trailed upwards to his neck.

He looked deeply at Anna. The way her body shook as she touched him was sweet. Her eyes showed her innocence to him. His hands gingerly went up and cradled Anna's smooth face. Her eyes closed as his touch caused a low whimper to come from her throat. She tilted her face into his hands, savoring his touch, the thing she had longed for so badly. Her own hands mirrored his as she felt the stubble of his unshaven face against the palm of her hand. She allowed her fingers to trail down to his neck and she relished the hard muscles that he had even there. She felt him move his head towards hers and she did the same and when their noses met they gently rubbed them together. Her eyes closed tight and she boldly ventured further onwards. Their lips met and she sighed softly as her tongue sought his.

Marcus couldn't believe that her tongue had gone immediately to his, but he accepted it. They kissed softly at first, but that wasn't what she wanted. Anna's moans fell from her lips as her hand moved to his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. It was such a small space and soon Marcus was partially covering her causing her to moan loudly into his mouth as the kiss became even more passionate. Her arms locked behind his neck securing him where she desperately wanted him. Anna had fantasized so many times about this moment. Her little white panties began to get wet as her biggest fantasy was upon her, but this time it was the real thing and not her imagination.

Marcus couldn't believe how hard he was. His mind was split in so many directions. His rational side was enjoying the moment, yet his cautious side screamed at him to stop. His libido was in overdrive being in the arms of a sensuous young woman that desperately desired him. In the end he threw caution to the wind as his left hand slid down her side. She moaned throatily as his hand rubbed along the side of her breast causing her to shudder. His hand trailed further down, slowly, almost teasingly, until he felt the soft skin at the edge of her shirt. He gently lifted it up her body.