Return to the Underground P3

Return to the underground

Part 3



    Sounds of grunts and thumps were heard from inside the training hall. Inside, Anne and Meglin panted as they faced each other, fists clenched as they had their eyes locked on each other. Anne winced as she threw a glimpse down on her sides and stomach, which were both heavily bruised from Meglin’s attacks. Like always, her friend focused heavily on giving her opponents painful bruises to slow them down. Meglin on the other hand spat a piece of blood on the floor, her cheek and left eye slightly swollen from the many punches Anne had thrown at her, some of which had apparently also connected with her stomach judging by the bruises. As always, Anne focused entirely on breaking the opponent’s body.

    “As always…you don’t know…when to go down…” Anne stated, panting as she held her fists up in a guard, slightly hunched forward from her hurting stomach. The fact that Meglin knew of her weak spot was proving to become a huge problem for her whenever they sparred.

    “And you’re…as sturdy…as always…” Meglin quickly replied with a weak smile, wincing from the pain in her stomach, panting. While she had landed more blows than her friend, the punches that hit Meglin did quite a toll on her body and her sight had already become slightly hazy.

    Without a warning, Anne then dashed forward and threw two swift jabs at Meglin’s face, only to narrow her eyes as her friend ducked below and hit her with three swift blows to her sides, making her grunt in pain. While Anne was still lightly stunned from the blows, Meglin saw her chance and drove her fist into Anne’s stomach, making the bigger woman gasp in surprise before falling down on her knees, coughing and wheezing.

    Meglin panted and took a few safe steps back as she looked at Anne, feeling her energy slowly draining. At this point, any swift movements took a toll on her body. “Just a few more hits…” she said to herself as she watched Anne stand back up and rub her sore stomach.

    Not attacking this time, Anne put up a guard and simply waited as she began catching her breath, knowing that the spar had come to the point where one mistake would decide the outcome. She was really happy that the two had started sparring in human form, as Meglin would prove even more difficult to handle with her immense speed she possessed while in symbiote form. In fact, she was convinced that Meglin would be the victor this time if they did use that form.

    “It really is…interesting…” Anne said slowly, looking at Meglin with a smile.

    “Huh?”

    “How much you’ve grown… I still remember…when you were just…a weak nobody…but now look at you…” she managed, forcing out a weak chuckle. “You keep…pushing me…to my very limits…”

    “That’s only because you trained me.” Meglin replied with a smile, blushing slightly before she charged forward, picking up speed as she readied herself to finish the fight. To her surprise however, Anne suddenly broke her defensive stance and moved forward before punching her hard in the stomach, using her own speed against her. With wide, surprised eyes, Meglin spat out blood and spit as she felt the knuckles press against her stomach. Just as she was about to be sent flying however, Anne grabbed her by the hair and kept her still before throwing three swift jabs  against her face, getting her revenge for the earlier three punches before letting go of her friend’s hair. With Meglin groggy and dizzy from the jabs, Anne hunched down  before throwing her fist upward, hitting Meglin with a powerful uppercut which sent her flying, knocking her out cold as she hit the floor.

    Anne showed a satisfied smile as she walked over to Meglin and hunched down. “Yup, you’re ready…for the underground. If it takes this long…to beat you…then you will do fine down there…”


    A few days passed and Anne stood outside Meglin’s room, holding her red mask with her prosthetic as she knocked on the door. Once her friend opened, Anne pulled a grey piece of cloth out of her pocket and handed it over to Meglin with a slight chuckle. “I hope you’re ready. I’m going to the underground and as you wished, I’ll bring you with me.”

    Meglin held up the grey piece of cloth in confusion raising her eyebrow. Upon further inspection, she finally realized that it was a mask. “Wait, so you seriously want me to go with you? Oh god, this is great. Now I’m really excited.” she laughed, looking closer at her mask. It was strikingly similar to Anne’s.

    “You can keep your clothes on like that, by the way. What you have now works great for fighting anyways. By the way, I’ve decided on what your alias will be; Hurricane Wolf.”

    “…Fox.” Meglin swiftly said, pouting. “I want to be a fox.”

    “Look, even though your parasite is a-“

    “Fox.”

    “I know, but-“

    “Fox.”

    “…”

    Knowing there was no way to convince her stubborn friend, Anne gave up and started walking. As the two headed out the exit and into the forest, Anne suddenly started humming to herself, obviously eager to get down there. Listening to her humming, Meglin stayed silent as she followed suit. Was she really after just the money or was she still addicted to fighting, Meglin wondered, finding her joyous attitude suspicious. Once they reached the edge of the forest, Anne put on her mask and nodded at Meglin, who then equipped hers.

    “You better prepare yourself, Meg. It might have looked easy as a spectator, but you got to focus and keep your eyes on the opponent one hundred percent of the time. Otherwise things might get ugly.” Anne said as they entered the Lower Grounds, heading towards the bar with a smile on her face. In just a few minutes, she was going to see the full extent of Meglin’s improvement over the past months. Right now, that was more important to her than the money.

    “Are you doubting me?” Meglin said with a tiny smirk as they reached the bar, stopping outside. “With the training you’ve given me-“

    “Correction; The training you’ve given yourself.” Anne laughed, patting her friend on the back. “All I’ve done is spar with you. By sparring, it’s easier to see what you need to work on and you’ve done a great job polishing your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses. Simply put, I just gave you a little push, like I do with everyone I train.”

    With that said, she entered the bar and dragged Meglin with her, not even letting her reply as she looked at the bartender. “Hey Eugene, two Bloody Mary please.” she said with an eager grin before pointing at the door leading to the elevator.

    “Huh, did you bring a pupil with you or something?” Eugene laughed before he eventually moved over to the door and opened the locks, then opened the door with a bow. “I hope she will do as well as you do, Red Valkyrie.”

    Anne couldn’t help but show a smile as she and Meglin entered inside the elevator. “Of course she will. As my pupil, I expect nothing less from her. By the end of the night, you won’t hear of anyone but Hurricane Fox.”

    As the door closed and the two went down, Eugene scratched his head. “Hurricane Fox? Why not Hurricane Wolf…?”

    Once the two reached the underground, Anne placed a hand on Meglin’s shoulder and pushed her forward with a smile. “I’ll make some arrangements now. I know of someone you can fight. “ she said with a light chuckle before she headed over to the bar. Meglin just shrugged as she walked forward, heading for the cage’s entrance.

    With a wide grin plastered on her face, Anne sat down on one of the stools and gave the bartender a look. “Hey… Do you know if Maniac is here?” she asked casually. However, everyone sitting close to her paused and stared. Even the bartender looked shaken by the question. After a moment’s silence, he nodded and pointed at the far end of the bar table. Sitting between four empty seats, a well-built man sat, casually sipping a bottle of liquor before slowly moving his gaze over at Anne. Showing a huge grin, he sat up and walked towards her.

    “Heard someone say my name. Welcome back to the underground, sweetie.” the man said, stopping right beside Anne as he gave her an intimidating look. He moved his hand forward before lightly scratching her chin with a twisted look on his face. “I’m sure your loss still stings, huh?”

    Anne gritted her teeth before pushing his hand away. She could still remember clearly what happened. It was her first match in the underground and she got way too cocky when she chose an opponent. The fight didn’t last long, just a few solid blows to the stomach and face and she was down on the canvas before he choked her out. It was this moment that taught her to never underestimate her opponents.

    “So, I take it you want a rematch?” he said with a wide grin, licking his lips before gently pinching Anne’s cheek.

    With a smile, Anne shook her head and pointed at the cage entrance where Meglin stood. “See that short girl with a mask over there? I want you to fight her. You’re still a regular here, right? I’ve heard rumors that you’re closing in on a fifty win streak here. Then I’m sure that you won’t mind a favorable opponent.”

    Maniac looked at Meglin, then back at Anne. “Oh, you want me to kick her ass? Heh, that’s awfully kind of you.” he said as he walked toward the cage, keeping his eyes on Meglin. “And the rumors are indeed true. Right now…I have 49 straight wins.”

    Anne sat up, but as she started walking, she stopped as the bartender called her name. “Red Valkyrie…why would you sic Maniac on someone like that? Have you forgotten how cruel he can be? That girl won’t even last a second in there.”

    Anne paused for a second before cracking a smile, heading towards the cage. “I wonder…”

    “It’s Hurricane Fox! Fox! Not Wolf!” Meglin yelled glaring at the man standing in front of her. “How hard is it to understand that it’s Fox and not Wolf? Foxes are way superior.”

    “You’re an energetic one.” Maniac snickered, licking his lips before patting her head. “Shall we settle this in the ring? I’m supposed to be fighting you anyways. An acquaintance of me told me to fight you and here I am~ Don’t get scared now.”

    Anne couldn’t help but smile as she saw Maniac walk inside the cage and just as Meglin was about to enter, Anne quickly grabbed her by the shoulder. “Here’s a piece of warning from your trainer. Go all out on this one and show me what you got. That man is the only one who has ever beaten me down here. Oh, and one more thing; the fight starts as soon as the door is locked.”

    Meglin swallowed a lump in her throat as she heard the last part before she then smiled. “Oh, so this guy has beaten you? Looks like I got no choice but to go all out and win then.”

    Anne smiled as she let go of Meglin and saw her friend entering the cage, jumping onto the ring as she kept an eye on her opponent. If there was one thing she had learned from their spars, it was that Meglin could become incredibly stubborn and hard to beat once the odds were against her or if she had a goal. Just with those few words she said, she was positive that Meglin would win the match, knowing that her friend would try her best to show just how strong she had become under Anne’s tutelage.

    As soon as the door was locked, Meglin didn’t even hesitate for a second and dashed forward before driving her knuckles into the man’s sides. Her opponent grunted and reached out to grab her, but she quickly jumped back to a safe distance, looking him dead in the eyes as she gave him a serious look. The man gritted his teeth and ran forward only to be struck by a swift kick to the stomach before Meglin jumped up and span, connecting a strong kick against his jaw.

    As the man hit the canvas, the spectators went dead silent. For them, it was unreal to see one of their undefeated masters lose with such ease. Anne however grinned from ear to ear, proud of her pupil. This was the result she was hoping for.

    Meglin just looked down on the man lying on the canvas before jumping on top of him with her knees first, then wrapped her arms around his neck, choking him mercilessly as she smiled in confidence. There was no way she would let Anne see her lose. With a sudden pull with her arms, she applied even more force onto the man’s neck until he finally lost his consciousness and went limp. Seeing this, Anne hit the cage to gain Meglin’s attention and gave her a thumbs up.

    “Good job, Hurricane Fox! Win four more and I might consider fighting you.” she laughed, turning around as she headed for the bar. “I’ll be waiting.”

    “Four more wins, huh…?” Meglin said to herself as she let go of the man, smiling at the thought of facing Anne again. As the medics picked up the man and carried him out, Meglin stood in the ring and crossed her arms, planning to win four quick matches.

    “One beer.” Anne said with a smile as she sat down on the barstool. This was going to be Meglin’s test of strength. While she personally did not expect her to win five in a row, she knew that her friend would get that far someday. Unaware of the fact that Meglin was still in the ring, Anne smiled as she received her bottle and took a sip. “This will take a while.”


    Time passed and Anne grinned as she finally finished her bottle before looking back at the ring, just in time to see her friend finish off another fighter, panting as she leaned on her knees. “Heh, I wonder if that’s her second or third win…” she chuckled.

    The bartender looked at her and shook his head. “No. That was her fifth win.”

    Anne’s eyes shot open and she spat her drink all over the desk before staring at him. “WHAT?! It’s barely even been half an hour since I sat down here! How the hell can she win four fights in just thirty minutes?!”

    “She’s been efficient.” the man said as he looked at Anne. “She takes advantage of every weakness and opening that her opponent shows before finishing them off with a chokehold. Her technique and speed is really impressive.”

    “Hey An-… Red Valkyrie. I won the five fights now.” Meglin said with a grin as she stood beside Anne, making the older woman jump in her stool. Chuckling, she sat down beside her friend and looked at the bartender. “A pomegranate juice please.”

    As the bartender handed her the juice, she showed a bright smile and took a sip before looking at Anne. “You didn’t expect this, did you? Heh, after all the things you’ve taught me, I’ve learned how to handle myself. I need to thank you for that.”

    Anne just smiled and patted Meglin on the head. “Heh, that’s good. I’m proud of you. Now you can rest a little before we can have our fight. Wouldn’t be fair if I fought a tired pupil.” she laughed. “Once you’re ready, give me a call and I’ll kick your ass~”

    One hour passed and the two smiled as they finally stood in the ring, eyeing each other as they entered their stances. The door was then locked, but none of them moved a muscle. They both waited for the other to attack. Time went by until Anne noticed slight movement from her friend’s body and immediately ran towards her, seeing an opening as she threw a strong punch aimed for the face. To her surprise however, Meglin suddenly stopped her movement and moved her head to the side, dodging the punch before she punched her in the stomach. Anne let out a gasp and doubled over, only for Meglin to punch her in the face, making her stand upright before she dug her knuckles into her sides repeatedly before jumping back to gain distance.

    Anne fell down on one knee and coughed as her body throbbed in pain, wincing when she looked up at Meglin. “Not bad… You really have gotten better at spotting openings…”

    “Thanks, Ana.” Meglin replied with a smile and a slight blush before dashing at Anne. “But I won’t let you get any chance to recover. I will win this time.” she said as she shot her foot forward to perform a kick, only for her eyes to widen once she saw her friend duck below the attack. Not wasting any time, Anne leapt forward and punched Meglin hard in the stomach, making her gasp and stagger backwards as she held her stomach.

    Seeing her chance to continue the assault, Anne rushed forward and stepped down on Meglin’s foot to prevent escape as she started pounding her side with heavy blows, then hunched down and performed a strong uppercut, intending to finish her quickly. However, Meglin managed to hunch down as well, ignoring the immense pain in her sides as she narrowly dodged the uppercut before taking advantage of the big opening to perform an uppercut of her own, driving it into Anne’s diaphragm. Anne’s mouth opened, but she didn’t make a single sound as all air escaped her and fell forward, leaning on Meglin as she coughed violently. With a smirk, Meglin held around Anne and patted her back gently. “That…was close.” she said, still a little winded from the blows to her sides. She was not going to give Anne any time to rest however as she kneed Anne in the stomach before throwing her to the canvas, coughing and gasping for air as she spat blood.

    “D-damn…i-it…” Anne wheezed as she looked down on the canvas, holding her stomach with her prosthetic. As she finally looked up, Meglin was not to be seen and she widened her eyes as she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her neck before pulling her back. Now caught in a chokehold, Anne gasped for air as she kicked her feet frantically, grabbing Meglin’s arms in an attempt to free herself. “L-let…go…ah-…”

    Meglin smiled and tightened the hold, aiming to finish the match. “No. I will win this time…” she said before she suddenly winced from the pain in her sides. The blows Anne hit her with earlier really took a toll on her and before she knew it, Anne took advantage of that slight hesitation, removing the arms before she raised her head and hit Meglin in the face with the back of her head. With Meglin dazed from the blow, Anne grabbed her by the head and threw her into the corner post of the ring before charging forward, aiming to punch her as hard as she could. To her surprise, Meglin swiftly slid slightly downward, avoiding the punch as she shot her foot upward, hitting Anne’s chin with a high kick then followed up by kicking off the post and tackling her to the canvas. Now straddled on top of Anne, Meglin smirked as she started throwing punch after punch at her friend’s face, hoping to knock her out and win. This didn’t prove very effective however as Anne had already managed to raise her arms, blocking the punches with relative ease. As soon as Meglin did one final punch, Anne swiftly grabbed the fist then reached out and grabbed her other hand, pulling them both onto Meglin’s back.

    “Caught you.” Anne said as she wrapped her legs around Meglin’s feet and held around her body before pulling her into a strong bearhug. Meglin let out a loud yelp as Anne squeezed her body, unable to move any of her limbs as the hug got stronger and stronger. She started to tremble as she felt her body slowly giving in, but she gritted her teeth in annoyance. There was no way she would lose like this. Seeing no other way to free herself, Meglin moved her head down and bit Anne’s nose, making the older woman widen her eyes and let go, allowing Meglin to roll off her body and lie beside her.

    The two panted heavily as they lied there for a few moments until they slowly but surely got up on their feet simultaneously. Anne held up her fists and kept her eyes on Meglin. “Let’s…finish this… “ she said slowly with a weak smile. “Whoever’s left standing…wins…”

    Meglin nodded as the two immediately moved towards each other. As soon as they got close, they wasted no time in going on the offense, since it was pretty much anyone’s game to win. Anne gritted her teeth and punched Meglin in the side, only to spit as Meglin retaliated with two punches of her own, pressing her knuckles simultaneously against Anne’s sides. Anne felt like the pain was going to rip her in half, but she bit her lip and swallowed the pain as she kneed Meglin in the stomach, slightly lifting her feet off the ground. She let out a gasp and spat as she held her stomach, doubling over as she staggered backwards, gritting her teeth as Anne ran towards her. They continued to trade blows for a while until Anne suddenly saw a huge opening and proceeded to hit Meglin with four swift jabs to her stomach and chest, making her stumble backwards and into the ropes. Aiming to finish the fight, Anne moved forward and swiftly punched Meglin in the sides, lifting her feet with every blow before punching her in the stomach then followed up with several punches to the face. Meglin’s head rocked back and forth as she was punched, her sight getting blurry as her cheeks and eyes started swelling with blood running down her mouth and nose. Anne wasn’t done however as she reeled her arm back, then drove her fist deep into Meglin’s stomach, making her throw up blood as she was pushed against the ropes, her feet lifted off the ground. As Anne pulled her arm back and Meglin fell down, Anne then lowered her body and performed an uppercut with her prosthetic that connected cleanly with her chin, making the smaller woman’s head rock violently as blood and spit flew, knocking her out cold as she hung limply against the ropes.

    Taking a few steps back, Anne slumped down and panted before lying down on the canvas. “That…was…close…” she managed before hearing the door open. She raised her head and spotted a group of three medics rushing to Meglin, suspecting her to be dead after the immense amounts of blows she suffered, only to breathe out in relief once they realized that she was indeed alive. “Don’t…take…her mask…off…” Anne slowly said, getting up in a sitting position as she leaned her hands on her legs. “She’s…my pupil…so I…can give her…treatment…back home…”

    The medics gave Anne a look before slowly nodded. “Alright, no removal of the mask. However, we will still patch up the rest of her body right now. These bruises are quite gruesome and so are yours. Steve will treat you while the two of us take care of your pupil.”



    Some hours later, far away from the underground, a man sat in front of a monitor, looking at the screen as he scratched his chin.

    “Sir, have you seen the recordings from Area 20? Apparently, their best fighter was beaten by a new-“

    “I know. I just finished watching the recording. Same person was beaten bloody by Red Valkyrie as well. This is interesting… I think we have misjudged her. She is strong after all. I suppose she can take over Maniac’s role.”

    The man behind him showed a nervous smile. “You mean…she’s going to be Area 20’s champion? But that means…”

    “Yeah. As a newly appointed champion, she will have the right to challenge our strongest fighter. Call Eugene and inform him of this. Don’t forget to mention that he must call us if she does want to face our strongest. This might actually become a really interesting fight.”

    “Right, I will do that immediately, sir Yordel. Is there anything else you want?”

    “Yes, bring me a phone. I need to call Aaru… Haven’t talked with him in a long time…”