"Maddox, what do you think? Does cereal come first or milk?" Karmin asked from her seat on the bench of the changing room.

Shuffling was audible from within the stall as Maddox changed into his fighting clothes. "Cereal," he replied shortly.

"And that's the correct answer," she said to Rhys who sat across from her.

"No, that's the wrong answer," Rhys rejected. "It's obviously the milk."

"But it makes no sense. You don't know how much milk you need until you pour the cereal in," Karmin fired back. "The cereal is just floating on the top. It messes with the entire cereal to milk ratio. Come on, Maddox. Back me up here."

"No," grumbled Maddox.

Thanks for the help.

Rhys leaned forward onto his legs, stressing the importance of the debate as he moved his hands in a dramatic fashion. "But the cereal gets all soggy and shit. The crunch is where it's at. No one likes mushy Froot Loops," he retorted intuitively.

Before she could reply, Maddox walked out of the stall with a gym bag in his hands, and most importantly, shirtless. The words got stuck in her throat when she took in his lean figure with his toned arms and abs. His muscles weren't firmly defined, but his body type was perfect for moving around in the ring swiftly. As much as she wanted to keep staring – and she really wanted to keep staring – Karmin turned at head away, playing with the polyester material of her shorts.

"Karmin, pass me your bag," called out Maddox.

"Huh?" she asked confusedly, catching the smug look on Rhys's face.

"Your bag," Maddox said slowly, giving her a weird look. "So, I can put it in the locker."

"Oh, right," she muttered, throwing her bag to him as he caught it effortlessly.

Focus, Karmin. Now was not the time to be gawking at Maddox.

Her fight was in less than thirty minutes, right after Maddox's. This was going to be her first time seeing him fight. Karmin was curious to see him in the ring and how he fought. Was he the type that let aggression get to him like Reznikov or the type that stayed calm throughout?

Rhys was there for moral support. Apparently, he showed up to every fight of his. He was surprised to see Karmin when Maddox picked her up. He thought it was funny that she was going to be fighting, and before she had the chance to correct him, Maddox spoke up for her. He said, and she quotes, "Shut up, Rhys."

It wasn't exactly what she was looking for, but that sounded like improvement to her.

The three of them walked out the room, bumping into a set of fighters that were making their way inside. Rhys was muttering into Maddox's ear as she followed behind closely, wrapping her arms around her waist.

The crowd of people separated for Maddox, shaking hands with him as he walked through. He sure was popular.

Just before he swung underneath the velvet ropes, Karmin offered him an encouraging smile. "Good luck."

"My man doesn't need luck," Rhys cheered, smacking Maddox on the back as a sense of rapport.

A smile pulled at his lips as he gave Karmin a curt nod, entering the ring with ease. The voice of the referee boomed through the speakers, feeding the taste of excitement in the club. However, she couldn't focus when she caught the sight of Nadeem Asfour, the man she would be fighting tonight.

She was a lot more worried about this opponent because the way Maddox had described him to her a couple of days ago didn't make her feel any better. He wasn't good with pep talks. But his description didn't do any justice.

Nadeem was not only tall but had muscles the size of watermelons. His large physical structure matched with the murderous stare on his face was daunting. He was giving off Dwayne the Rock Johnson vibes, and all Karmin wanted to do was go hide under a rock the more she looked at him. Compared to her, he was a giant.

She didn't know why the fight club put her up against a man like Nadeem, but Maddox said that it brought in a lot of revenue. Everyone wanted to see a teen girl get beat up by a man that looked like he was on steroids.

Maddox told her that he was slow and messy on his feet due to the amount of muscle on his bones. Since she was tinier, she would have the advantage of speed. Karmin had to channel her inner Sonic this time around. Otherwise, she was going to get her face bashed in.

It was like he could feel her intense gaze on him when Nadeem turned his head towards Karmin, so she quickly returned her stare back to the ring to see the fight had already started.

The man Maddox was up against was about his size, but he was little more on the bulkier side. Maddox was graceful on his feet as he shuffled feet back and forth with his arms protecting his center.

"You ready to lose, Knight?" the man called out, but his voice was more teasing then it was threatening.

Maddox chuckled, the corners of his mouth twitching. "You still owe me books from the last fight when you lost, Joseph." They talked as if they were friends.

She could hear Rhys beside her yelling and screaming, but Karmin couldn't find the words as she eagerly watched Joseph lunge forward, his fist ready to connect with Maddox's face. However, that didn't happen, when he dodged the hit, his knee coming up to strike his opponent in the abdomen.

He doubled over, giving Maddox the time to land a blow on his face. Blood spewed from the man's mouth, staining the clothes of watchers that were too close to the ring. They only cheered louder, jumping on one another in excitement.

"Take him down!" shouted Rhys, thrusting his fist in the air.

Karmin laced her fingers together, anticipatingly observing the brawl as Maddox and Joseph rolled around on the floor, throwing jabs and attempting to gain the upper hand. Red liquid flowed from Maddox's nose as he flipped them over again, swinging his fist, punching the bruised and swollen face of the man.

Maddox stumbled to his feet, dragging the man upwards. Karmin swore she heard him mutter, "Sorry, dude," as he raised his leg, and with all the momentum he could gather, he kneed him in the face. His competitor's eyes rolled back, falling onto his back, unmoving.

Maddox's chest moved up and down as he wiped the blood under his nose. Sweat dripped from his face and abdomen, glistening in the artificial light. His hair was matted to his forehead from the fight, but he pushed it back, causing it to stand up in unruly strands. He looked so good.

Nope, I should be appreciating his fighting skills, not his body.

"That's my boy!" roared Rhys, along with the entirety of the crowd.

Karmin felt her hands clapping, cheers escaping her mouth in enthusiasm when she saw the referee raise his arm in victory. He glanced at her momentarily, his green eyes intensifying the look just to turn his head and help the referee with Joseph.

Joseph began to stir, mutter incomprehensible words as Maddox grabbed him carefully, pulling him to his feet. The fact that he was helping his opponent made it clear as to how caring he really was, even when he looked like he couldn't care less most of the time.

"He's awesome, right?" nudged Rhys, an expression that mirrored similar to a proud father.

Karmin nodded, his infectious smile touching her. The people went crazy for him. He sure was a fan favourite, and his looks definitely helped as certain individuals throughout the crowd gazed at him lovingly.

"You ready for your fight?" Rhys yelled over the commotion as he leaned down.

"I feel like I'm going to leave with a large indent in my face," she retorted, recalling Nadeem's large fists.

Rhys chuckled. "You'd still be gorgeous," he replied.

Karmin rolled her eyes at him, lightly shoving him. He wasn't as bad as she made him out to be. From the last hour, she could tell that him and Maddox had a solid friendship. Rhys was his personal hype-man.

"You're up next," Maddox called out as he came up behind them, but this time around, he wore a hoodie much to her disappointment.

Rhys gave Maddox a bear hug, patting his back. Oh, so he accepted hugs from him and not her? They were going to have to work on that. Instead, her eyes scanned his face to see a fresh bruise on his cheek along with his jaw, and battered hands that held on to a bloody tissue for his nose.

Karmin exhaled shakily, throwing her hair into a ponytail. Her palms began to sweat but she quickly wiped them against the fabric of her fitted tank top. When her name was called, she rolled underneath the rope, hopping on to her feet. She briefly looked back to hear Rhys shouting encouraging words, and Maddox even threw in a thumbs-up.

It felt like the world went quiet as she focused on her breathing. This man might be triple her size, could crush her with his bare hands, and – wait, where was she going with this again? Oh right, she still had a chance of winning. Even if the chance was as small as a marble.

Her senses returned back to the hollering and screaming when she heard the bell ring, signifying the beginning of the fight. Like last time, she put her hands up as they circled one another. Now that she was closer to Nadeem, the size difference was clear as glass. She could even hear distinct laughs from the crowd.

"I saw your fight last week!" Nadeem shouted over the noise.

Karmin faltered when she heard those words. No, she was not going to get into a conversation. The last time she tried, she got sucker-punched in the face.

"You're pretty good!" he complimented as he walked around with ease.

And before Karmin could stop herself, her guard lowered. She couldn't help it. "Aw, that's so sweet of you to say. Thank you," she said, her voice dripping with sincerity. "You seem like a tough dude, but I shouldn't have judged –"

That was when he swung with full force. Karmin's eyes widened in surprise, but with fast reflexes, she swiftly ducked. However, with the sudden movement, it was too late to catch herself and she stumbled back onto the mat.

Nadeem laughed at her as he moved towards her, so she quickly seized the ropes, helping herself up as her heart thumped in erratic beats. Karmin pulled her fist back, her movement messy. The punch landed on his abdomen, but he didn't even flinch. Instead, pain tingled in her fist as she quickly pulled back, rubbing her hand to help soothe the pain. This man was literally carved out of rock.

"Dude, are you on fucking steroids?" Karmin screamed.

She attempted to go for his throat, but Nadeem caught it, squeezing her fist tightly. Karmin's terrified eyes flickered from her entrapped hand to his face. He twisted her arm in a painful angle, causing her to groan in pain. Nadeem grinned at her as he lifted his leg, his foot connecting with her stomach.

The air was knocked out of her as she flew back, her spine hitting the springy velvet ropes. She didn't have the chance to catch her breath as she lurched forward from the push of the ropes, her body moving without her consent.

Nadeem instantly raised his arm to the side just in time for Karmin. His forearm made painful contact with her throat, and from the force, she fell onto her back, her head hitting the hard ground. She grunted in agony as she held on to her throat, attempting to take in deep breaths. Karmin rolled onto her side, dreading Nadeem's next move, and all she wanted to do was give in and tap out, but that was when she saw Maddox's face.

"Get up!" he shouted.

"Come on, Karmin!" inspired Rhys.

The urge to cry was beginning to become prominent, but she pushed it aside. She could cry later. With the strength she could muster, she got on her hand and knees, crawling to the other end of the ring. She was absolutely terrified, but fear wasn't going to do her any good. She couldn't beat him as she did with Natasha. She needed a new plan.

"Use your speed," Maddox directed as he leaned forward in the ring, his fingers biting into the mat, "and aim for his neck."

Karmin nodded frantically, looking back to see Nadeem too busy interacting and hyping up the crowd. How was she going to aim for his neck? He was so tall, but that was when her eyes zeroed in on the long poles on either corner of the ring. She could use them to her advantage.

She stumbled to her feet, her motion sluggish and tired. The movement caught Nadeem's eyes as he turned around, a smug smirk evident on his face. Karmin couldn't play offence quite yet. She needed to play defense until he got tired.

Nadeem sauntered towards her, and she met him in the middle, but this time she was ready. When he swung, she ducked swiftly, and every other time he made the motion to punch, Karmin sidestepped it.

It went on for several minutes with Nadeem going in for a hit and Karmin dodging it. His sharp actions were beginning to overcome with fatigue with the more he moved, and it was exactly what she wanted.

Nadeem moved from punching to kicking, as he tried to dropkick her. This was it. Karmin slid underneath his leg, her body gliding to the velvet ropes. Swiftly, she placed her foot on the metal pole, the material cold underneath her bare feet. She pulled herself up promptly, and when she situated herself on it, she lunged towards him without a second thought.

Karmin hooked a leg around his neck, using all her weight to drag him to the floor. They both fell with a thud, but she didn't remove her leg as she put Nadeem in a chokehold. She tightened her legs around his neck as he clawed at them, twitching underneath her hold.

"Tap out!" she screamed, beginning to feel the fatigue coursing through her body, but Nadeem wasn't doing any better. Karmin was cutting off his air supply, and from his slowing movement, it was clear he had to give up soon.

With one last surge of energy, she toughened her grip, and finally, Nadeem tapped on the ground quickly, unable to take it anymore.

The referee rang the bell, and it was over. Karmin loosened her hold and rolled to her side, sighing in relief. Sweat coated her body as she laid on her back, staring at the lights on the ceiling. This was a close one. She had never felt that type of fear before, except for the day when they learned about her Dad's diagnosis.

Beside her, Nadeem coughed and took deep breaths. "I underestimated you," he choked out.

"Yeah," she sighed, wiping the perspiration off her forehead. "That happens a lot."

She heard people crying out in anger throughout the crowd, and when she turned her head to the side, she saw Maddox and Rhys pushing people to get to her.

"You were amazing!" cheered Rhys when he reached her. "I mean, it was touch and go at first, but you did awesome!"

Karmin chuckled but stopped when her abdomen ached. She was going to be in so much pain for the next couple of days.

"You okay?" Maddox asked quickly.

"I will be if you get me French fries," Karmin whispered cheekily.

***

Author's Note:

Hi!!

Wow, this was a long fight scene! It took me some time, but I think it turned out the way I wanted to!

Until next time - m.k.t