The Arena

Reno stepped back and admired his work. Giving Cheetah a cruel smile, he said, "Welcome to your new home." He waved his arms around. "The rules here are simple, please me and you will earn rewards, like a blanket to sleep on or an article of clothing, displease me and you will be punished, believe me," he said gravely," you don't want to displease me." He then pointed to a hole in the floor that was about eight inches in diameter. "That is your toilet," pointing to a fire hose that was lying on the floor, he said, "and that is your shower." Reno picked up the nozzle of the hose and The Machine went over and started opening a valve. The hose expanded as it filled with water. Reno then turned on the nozzle and a torrent of cold water that almost knocked Cheetah over began pounding her. Cheetah tried to cower but there was nothing to shield her, she could not reach the wall and there was nothing else within reach, so she knelt down in a ball and tried to protect herself as best she could. "Refreshing, isn't it?" he laughed. Shutting off the water, Reno snickered, "Now don't get in any trouble, we're going to celebrate our victory."

Cheetah laid wet and shivering on the floor for a long time after they left the warehouse. Eventually she got up and looked around. The warehouse was and practically empty. To the far side she saw exercise equipment, much the same as the equipment she was used to training on, including free weights, a nautilus machine and a heavy bag. She also saw a small cot in that area. There was also a walled off area that she assumed might be a real bathroom and shower. There were a few wooden tables in the warehouse but no chairs. There was also what looked to be a tool room, where Reno had wheeled the welding torch before leaving. There were no windows, the only light came from some fluorescent lights mounted to the ceiling.

She tested the limits of her reach, going as far as the chain would allow in all directions and found that even if her hands were not bound behind her back, she would not be able to reach anything. She tried to find a way out of the leather bindings that locked her wrists behind her but they would not give at all. Finding nothing that she could do, Cheetah sat back down on the cold wet cement floor and buried her face in her knees and cried.

Much later Cheetah saw The Machine come back in, she walked slowly to the wall where electrical boxes were mounted, and flipped a switch shutting off the lights, throwing the warehouse into total darkness. Cheetah then heard her lay down on the cot. Eventually Cheetah rolled onto her side and tried to get to sleep.

The next morning Cheetah was awakened by the sound of the nautilus machine. She looked around, momentarily disoriented, trying to remember where she was and how she got there. She rolled into a sitting position and felt her muscles were sore and her joints were stiff. She stood up and tried to stretch. She was cold and hungry. She thought about her circumstances, The Machine was the only way out she could think of, if she could befriend her, gain her confidence, or even turn her against Reno, she might be able to talk her into helping her get free.

"Say, what's your real name?" she called over. The Machine was in the middle of a set of bench presses and never skipped a beat. Cheetah tried again. "I heard you lived in Japan, is that right?" Once more there was no response or even a sign of recognition from The Machine.

Cheetah sat on the floor and watched The Machine's workout routine. She noticed that The Machine exercised with a passion. She went from apparatus to apparatus with barely a breath in between. It seemed to Cheetah that she was trying to channel some unquenchable fury inside of her, using the weights to rid her of some kind of demons. She was dripping with sweat when she finally took a break three hours later. Cheetah decided to try a different approach. "Why are you hooked up with a loser like Reno? You're real champion material, you could do much better than him."

The Machine was sitting on a bench toweling the sweat from her body, she now looked at Cheetah and got up and started walking toward her. Cheetah got up to meet her. The Machine's face was impassive as she faced Cheetah. "Fuck you." She said contemptuously, in a Japanese accent, and then spat in Cheetah's face. She then casually walked to the corner room where Cheetah heard a shower starting a moment later.

"You have to set up a match between me and The Machine!" Jaguar said at dinner. Master set down his fork and looked up to the ceiling. Jaguar had been badgering him all day about ways to get Cheetah back.

"You saw what The Machine did to Cheetah," Master said, "what makes you think the outcome of you fighting her would be any different?"

Jaguar turned to Ruth. "You saw the fight, you must have spotted some kind of weakness, something you could teach me to take advantage of."

Ruth stared into her plate and started thinking, running the match through her head. "I don't know," she said somberly, "I'd have to think about it."

"You can come up with something," Jaguar said trying to encourage her, "you always do."

Master picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "I'm not going to risk losing you to Reno," he said, "I made a big mistake with Cheetah, I'm not going to compound that mistake."

Jaguar pouted and sat back in her chair. "We have to do something, I can only imagine what Reno is doing with her, he's a real bastard."

"Reno has no reason to harm her," Tigress said, waving an ear of corn, which she had been eating, at Jaguar. "If he wants her to fight, she has to be in top shape."

Jaguar laughed humorously, "You don't know Reno," she said looking at Tigress, then rising in her chair, she scanned the rest of the faces at the table, "none of you do. I was with him for three years. I can tell you he's a real psycho. One time he..."

"Jaguar, I'm going to do everything I can," Master interrupted, "but I'm not going to put you back into his hands and that's final. That would not do anyone any good."

Jaguar sat back in her chair again in a huff and folded her arms in front of her. "May I be excused?" she asked, looking down at the table.

Master thought for a moment, he wanted to say something to comfort her, something to reassure her that everything would be OK, but in truth, he couldn't. Things were bad and he didn't know how to make them better. "You may go." He said and Jaguar stomped off to the exercise room.

Cheetah's stomach was rumbling. All she had been given to eat was a bowl of steamed rice, which The Machine placed on the floor in front of her, along with a bowl of water. Since her hands were still bound behind her back, she had to kneel down and use her mouth to eat the rice out of the bowl. Cheetah found that she could bite down on the edge of the water bowl, and lift and tilt it back to make drinking from it manageable.

Toward the evening, Reno and The Machine came into the warehouse. Cheetah could tell that Reno had been drinking and she didn't like the look in his eyes. "Stand up," he said, leering at her hungrily, "let me see that tight little body of yours." Cheetah had been sitting with her head against her knees, she stood up slowly. Reno walked up to her, his eyes devouring her nude body. "Nice titties," he said, reaching out and taking a nipple in each hand and squeezing them. Without thinking, Cheetah swiftly brought her right leg up and kneed him solidly in the crotch, Reno howled and doubled over, as his head came down Cheetah kneed him squarely to the nose. Suddenly Cheetah was yanked backwards as The Machine grabbed the chain attached to her collar and pulled her down. The Machine kicked her in the stomach before going to Reno, helping him up and out of the warehouse.

In retrospect, Cheetah knew she shouldn't have kicked him, she had only made things worse for herself. It had been an act of pure reflex, but she was sure that would make no difference to Reno. She knew she was going to pay dearly and there was nothing she could do about it.

It was much later when Reno and The Machine returned. Reno's nose was bandaged, 'broken no doubt,' Cheetah thought, and he had a pistol in one hand and a whip in the other. "One false move and I'll put a bullet in that worthless skull of yours, got that bitch?" he growled. The Machine, who was carrying a bag, came over to her and undid the bindings holding Cheetah's arms behind her back. As soon as she had them off, she reached into the bag and pulled out a set of shackles, which she fastened to her wrists. She then unlocked the lock that attached the chain to Cheetah's collar and removed it. Reno stood in the distance keeping the pistol trained on her as Cheetah was then led over to a wall that had two rings protruding from it. The Machine had Cheetah face the wall and then attached each of her shackled wrists to a ring, stretching her arms over her head. The Machine then attached additional shackles to Cheetah's ankles and spreading her legs fastened them to rings near the floor.

Reno set the gun down on a table and walked up behind Cheetah. "Now let's see if I can make you a little more cooperative." He hissed into her ear. Cheetah groaned as she felt Reno push two fingers into her pussy. "MMMMM, I think this cunt likes this kind of treatment." He said and he moved his fingers in and out. Cheetah had never felt so violated, she wanted to get away, to crawl somewhere and hide, but she could barely move. She clenched her teeth and balled her fists as he continued probing her. "Enough of your pleasure, it's time for me to have some fun."

Reno withdrew his fingers and stepped back and to the side of Cheetah. Looking over her shoulder, Cheetah saw him roll out the bullwhip. It was about ten feet long, tan in color and had a loop that Reno wrapped around his wrist before grabbing the handle. He took a couple practice swings against the floor. Cheetah heard the whip whizzing through the air and then a tremendous crack as it hit the floor. The sound sent shivers through her body. She began trembling, she knew that pleading for mercy would do absolutely no good so she didn't even try.

Cheetah screwed her eyes shut and awaited the inevitable. She heard the whip whizzing through the air again and then suddenly she felt as though her back exploded. The intensity pain made her scream and her legs buckle, she could not catch her breath and felt as though she would pass out. She felt as though her back was on fire. Tears streamed from her eyes. She could not imagine that pain could be so intense. Then suddenly another strike landed. She cried out as waves of nausea washed over her. The searing pain was making her head swim as her entire body convulsed. The last thing she remembered hearing was The Machine laughing before she passed out.

Cheetah gasped back to consciousness. The scorching pain from her back made her shudder. She opened her eyes to see The Machine in front of her with a cruel grin on her face, waving a bottle of smelling salts under her nose. "Now that we have you warmed up," Reno said from behind her, "we can't have you missing the main event." Cheetah found that she was bent face down over a table. Her arms were fastened to the legs of the table in front of her and her legs were spread and her ankles were fastened to the other table legs. Her back throbbed and felt as if it was on fire and she winced at the pain.

"Get her ready." Reno said and The Machine moved behind Cheetah while pulling something out of her pocket. A moment later, Cheetah felt lubricated fingers pressing into her anus. She tightened up but the fingers kept working their way in. "That'll do," Reno said, "We want to make sure she's still able to feel this." With that he unzipped his pants and stroked his cock for a minute before plunging it into Cheetah's asshole.

Cheetah grunted as he entered. The agony from her back almost drowned out the violation of her ass, which seemed to her as feeling more like pressure than pain. Reno grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back as he fucked her ass. Cheetah began to sob as she tried to endure this assault.

Tensions were rising between Jaguar and everyone else in the house. She was constantly questioning Ruth about fighting techniques to beat The Machine or arguing with Tigress or pleading with Master to set up a match. "Reno tricked you," She said one day when she cornered Master in his study, "why can't we figure out a way of tricking him?"

"That's exactly what he'll be watching for," Master replied wearily. It was a cool night and he was building a fire in the fireplace.

"Then why don't we just steal her back? You know, break her out of wherever she's being kept."

Master shook his head. "It would mean being drummed out of the Arena Association, which if it were just that, I'd do it, but there is also an enforcement entity within the Arena Association. They make sure that the rules are followed and their methods are brutal. I'm afraid Cheetah would be returned to Reno and we would be lucky to keep our lives."

"But Reno didn't follow the rules when he won Cheetah, he used trickery."

"He did trick me," Master admitted, "but he did so within the rules."

"We have to do something!" Jaguar said again, for about the one hundredth time.

Master grimaced and resisted the urge to yell at Jaguar, he knew she was just frustrated and aggravated. Staring into the smoky fire that was just starting to blaze, he said "Next weekend Tigress has a match, Reno will probably be there, I'll talk to him and see if we can work something out."

Jaguar lowered her head and folded her arms in front of her. "Yeah and I'll go out and find a rattlesnake and see if I can work something out with it." She said sarcastically.

"Jaguar..." Master boomed.

"I'm sorry." She said on the edge of tears. "Things are just so hopeless." Master took Jaguar in his arms and hugged her as she wept."

The days dragged on for Cheetah. The chain fastening her to the floor had been shortened so that she could no longer stand up. A two foot long bar had also been secured between the shackles attached to her ankles so that her legs were always spread, and her arms were once again bound behind her. Reno would come in every morning and hose her down and in the evening she would be bent over a table as he raped her, usually anally.

Rice was the only food she was ever given and water was all they gave her to drink. With the lack of exercise and nourishment, she felt herself getting weaker every day. She would watch The Machine workout for hours on end, and despite her best efforts, she never got her to utter another word. Her back still ached but it was getting to a point where the pain was tolerable. She was certain that she never again wanted to be whipped like that and was very careful to not anger Reno.

"Tomorrow's a big day," Reno said brightly, entering the warehouse and walking to Cheetah, "We have to get you ready."

"What's happening tomorrow?" Cheetah asked.

Reno motioned to The Machine and she began unfastening the chain on Cheetah. "There's going to be a catfighting match and we're all going," he said, "one of your old roomies is fighting."

"Jaguar?" Cheetah asked.

Reno's face reddened, it seemed to Cheetah that the very mention of the name 'Jaguar' angered him. "You know, I had a different name for her when she belonged to me, I called her 'Slut', I think that name is more fitting for a little tramp like her, don't you?" Cheetah wanted to scream and swear at him but the pain from her back made her think better of it. She merely looked at him with an icy gaze. Reno's face took on an evil grin. "She'll be going by the name 'Slut' again soon enough."

The Machine led Cheetah to one of the buildings support posts and backing her against it, fastened her collar and leg bar to the post. Cheetah was totally immobile, facing The Machine. "What's going on?" Cheetah asked?

"I told you," Reno said, "we have to get you ready for tomorrow." He nodded to The Machine, who went into a boxers' stance. The Machine reared back and hit Cheetah on her right cheek with a left jab. Cheetah cried out but was defenseless and could not do anything. The machine then pounded her other cheek with a right cross. Cheetah tried to turn her head to protect herself but The Machine connected again and again, pummeling her face till her eyes were swollen shut and her lips were cut and bleeding. "There," Reno said, smiling cruelly "I think that will make you much more presentable, don't you?" Cheetah slumped down against her bindings and whimpered.

The day of Tigress's match, Jaguar was more nervous than Tigress. Master threatened to not let her come unless she promised that while she was there, there would be no outbursts from her or attempts on her part to harm Reno or to free Cheetah if they were in attendance at the match. Jaguar reluctantly agreed.

This was another long trip to an away match and everyone sat in silence during the ride. When they arrived, Master took Tigress to a dressing room and told Ruth to stay with Jaguar while they took their seats in the Arena. Walking in, Jaguar scanned the audience but did not see Reno or Cheetah anywhere. They found seats and sat down. "Remember what you promised," Ruth reminded her, "no outbursts."

"I know." Jaguar replied without looking at her.

A few minutes later Master entered the Arena and after taking a quick look around joined them, taking a seat next to Jaguar, placing her between him and Ruth. "Not here yet?" He asked. Ruth nodded.

Jaguar watched the doors intently as each person entered. The Arena started filling up as more and more spectators came in. Then a gasp went around the room. Reno, whose nose was still bandaged, The Machine and Cheetah came through the door. Cheetah was nude and being led by Reno by a chain attached to her collar, she still had her hands bound behind her and her legs were still shackled with the bar between them, forcing her to shuffle awkwardly. Her face was swollen and she had two black eyes. Red welts striped her back.

"YOU FILTHY BASTARD!" Jaguar screamed and bolted towards Reno. Ruth just barely caught her by her shirt and struggled to control her.

Master grabbed Jaguars arm and pulled her to face him. "Sit down and be quiet or we're leaving."

"But..." Jaguar pleaded.

"No buts, sit down now or we're out of here."

Jaguar struggled to contain herself, staring fiercely at Master. "Sit down now!" he ordered. Without saying a word, Jaguar went back to her seat and sat down in a huff.

Cheetah was placed sitting on the floor while Reno and The Machine took chairs. Jaguar tried to catch her eye but Cheetah kept her head down. Cheetah knew her friends were there, she had heard Jaguar cry out, but she didn't want them to see her like this, she didn't want anyone to see her like this. She felt as though every eye in the Arena was on her. She also knew that if there was anyway Master could free her from this torment, he would do so.

The matches took place, the crowd cheered and booed but Cheetah was oblivious to it all. She didn't even watch when Tigress won her match against a much weaker opponent. After the event was over and the crowd was starting to leave, she heard Master's voice very near to her. "Reno, a word with you if I may." He said.

"Outside," Reno replied and he told The Machine to keep an eye on Cheetah while he was gone. Then he and Master stepped out of the Arena. They were gone for quite a while, when they returned Master knelt in front of Cheetah and told her that he was doing everything he could. Cheetah gave him a weak smile and nodded.

"Did you set up a match?" Jaguar asked as soon as they all got in the car.

Master turned in his seat to face her. "We agreed to get together to talk about setting up a match, nothing more."