"Mercer Is Down, I Repeat Mercer is Down," the Ringmaster screamed as I cradled my right arm close to my body.

The girl I was up against was like me, with no name made for herself yet. However, it seemed like today she was planning to change that by beating the shit out of me. And she was doing a really good job at it too, considering the fact that my arm had just popped out of its socket.

I had no leverage on her to enrage her like I had with Cupcake. Her surname not something I could make fun of, plus I didn't know much else about her either. All I really had was brute force and speed but she had that too.

And she was whooping my ass.

The girl in front of me knew my fighting style, having done her homework on me. Add onto the fact that I had gotten a beating by a girl named after a pretty pastry not half an hour ago, well, it all just made things a lot worse.

Before I could react, her fist made contact with my face. The blow knocking me onto my side as I continued to protectively cradle my right arm. The world now sideways as I laid on the mattered floor, watching as my opponent jumped and flipped around the cage.

The crowd went wild for her antics.

"Holy Shit!" the Ringmaster screamed into his mic. "Mercer Took a Hit to The Face. For the First Time Ever, Mercer Took a Hit to The Face!"

I winced at his words as they were true. I had never allowed any of my opponents to hit me in the face before. Not when I had to work at J's Diner, as well as the fact that Dominick would kill both Cole and I if he ever found out that we were still fighting here. And lastly, there was Devon - he would shit a brick if he knew.

Devon thought I just trained at the gym and didn't fight anymore, since I supposedly quit long before they sent me away.

A little white lie, I'd told him for his sake and mine.

Shaking my head, I bit my lip to stop from shouting in pain as I lifted myself up into a sitting position. My vision coated with black and white spots from the intense pain of both my dislocated arm and my face. My shoulder throbbed with pulses of pain as I held it close to me and tried not to move it too much. Working my legs beneath me, I slowly stood to my feet.

The problem with carrying on this fight is that I could use my dislocated arm to do so but at the risk of damaging some nerves. So, the question is, is it worth the risk if I could beat this bitch?

And the answer to that - fuck yes.

I was sure I had a few cracked ribs from my previous fight but I would be damned if any of my injuries were going to stop me. She was definitely not going to get the better of me, and I wasn't going to let her.

Not without a fight to remember.

"Come on Mercers!" Shay shouted. His voice drawing my attention to him as I glanced in his direction to find him staring at me. A pained expression on his face. Grinning at him, I nodded before turning to face my opponent.

King was her name. She was built like me, slim with slight muscular definition. She was much shorter than me though and slightly curvier too. It seemed she had some kind of training like me with an added bit of theatrics thrown in considering her earlier jumps and flips.

I watched as she carried on pleasing the crowd with her flips, kicks and punches when it hit me. Her fighting style was fighting with flare. She loved being in the spotlight, she liked showing off.

At this realisation, I couldn't help the sly smile that formed on my lips as I walked over to her. At the sight of me approaching, she turned to face me with a grin plastered on her face.

It was funny how she thought she was going to win this, sure, I was beat up pretty bad. With cracked ribs, a sore stomach, dislocated shoulder and let's not forget my now swelling eye. But I wasn't about to give up.

"Want more?" she sneered.

Cocking my head to the side, I winked at her. "Is that all you've got, cause I've seen better," I taunted, her eyes widening at my words.

"Don't listen to her," a male shouted from the side-lines.

Ah, someone has been paying attention to my tricks.

Scoffing at me, she lifted her nose. Listening to whoever shouted at her from the side-lines.

Smiling at her, I stepped back before doing a scissor kick. My feet a hair's breadth away from her face. "Was it something like that?" I asked after landing back on my feet.

King stared at me, stunned. She wasn't expecting me to do anything, especially not that, which was really close to her face.

"Wait, maybe it was something like this," I said before running past her and at the cage wall. Running up the side, I pushed off the chain-link fence wall and did a back flip. Landing on my feet, the crowd went wild at the sight of my flexibility and athleticism. Only for me to turn and find King staring back at me with murder in her eyes.

Someone didn't like that I had the spotlight... oops...

She had been showing off for the past few minutes while I had been sitting on the floor in pain. Some of her moves I hadn't tried before, but was sure going to try when I trained again. Hoping to work it into my fighting style to see what good it could do me and if it could give me an edge.

She was athletic and really good at what she was doing but she had a weakness. The need for people's approval and the need to get praise for it. That was her weakness. So, what better way to piss her off than to diss her skills and outshine her. Maybe then, her angry devil will come out and play.

"Don't listen to her," the guy shouted again, his voice slightly drowned out by the crowds screams but still audible.

I cocked my head to look at him but his face was in the shadows, not allowing me to catch a glimpse of him. Shaking off the need to know who he was, I turned to her.

"Don't mess with me," she sneered.

"Oh Child, that's what I'm here to do," I said back, chuckling. "This is a fight after all."

"I said, don't mess with me," she seethed.

"Scissor kicks, back flips and fancy footwork. That's all they taught you? Little fancy twists and twirls," I scoffed, "And you call that fighting?" At my words, she tightened her fists at her sides. Anger shining in her eyes while it showed on her face in the form of a clenched jaw. My words finally affecting her in the way I wanted.

"Mercer is Up to Her Tricks Again!" the Ringmaster spoke up. "Only this Time, Her Opponent is Talking Back!"

I shrugged at his words, seeing as he picked up on my talking being a ruse to get people angry and make mistakes. But it worked didn't it, there was no rule against taunting your opponent into making mistakes before you took them down.

I was just so good at it; they couldn't really blame me for being observant and knowing how fighters ticked.

"You might want some ribbons to twirl while you do your jumps and spins. It would make them so much better," I said with a smirk, "I mean at least it would hide your sloppy technique."

Her eyes widened in shock before rage took over. Her little angry devil finally coming out to play as she threw her fist at my face.

Ducking under her attack, I slammed my fist into her stomach. Her breath knocked clean out of her as it fanned over my face for a second before I stepped away.

"Ooh! And Mercer is Right Back in It with A Punch to The Gut!"

The crowd roared at the fact that things were once again picking up. Looking around, I couldn't help the smirk that formed on my lips at the thought of the good amount of cash I was going to make from this whole debacle.

Though truthfully, this was my fault for taking on three fights in one night.

King came at me and I dodged attack after attack. The more I evaded her, the angrier she got. Her fast punch combos had me bobbing and weaving as if we were playing a game of whack-a-mole. For every time I tried to stand, I had to duck back down before she punched my face.

I moved backwards with each punch combo she sent my way. Not letting up until I had my back against the cage wall. The cool metal bit into my skin as I stood with my back against it while I continued to dodge her attacks.

King had me backed into a corner and I needed to get out before things took a turn. My arm was already hard to protect, so when I saw my opening, I took it - throwing punches at her continuously.

Giving that up, I resorted to kicks since my right arm had been rendered utterly useless.

Having King up on the defence, I pushed her back with a series of fast kicks to her mid-section before sending a crescent kick at her face. The sound of my foot slapping across her face, audible as I landed back on my feet.

Before she could recover, I moved in with a few combination kicks, slamming my attacks into her thighs and knees. Hoping to weaken her there so I could exploit it later if at any point in time the tables turned.

I attacked her with a low roundhouse kick, before coming in with a low side kick. Each of these aimed at her left knee. Each of my attacks were fast and effective, as I made sure that I got in the attack before backing away from her and before she could dare to counter.

Slamming my foot one last time into her knee, I watched as her legs gave in, dropping to her knees. My happiness however was short lived because in the next moment she was back on her feet and coming straight at me. Thinking she was going in for an attack, I blocked but instead she grabbed my right arm.

My dislocated arm.

My eyes widened at the sight before she pulled me forward, and used my momentum to swing her legs up and around my torso. With that she pulled my body down and flipped me onto my back as we landed with a thump. She moved quickly and precisely, as she tugged my dislocated arm up near my head and pulled me into a head lock. Her hands making fast and steady purchase on my body as she held me, her grip like a vice.

My eyes bulged as her grip tightened on me, forcing my arm to scream in pain as I felt my shoulder rubbing against its socket.

"Holy Smokes! King Has Mercer in a Head Lock!" the Ringmaster shouted.

I wanted to roll my eyes at his obvious observation but I was too busy concentrating on not screaming in pain. My mind raced as did my heart, I found myself in a hold where I could barely move and where I was being held down against my own will.

Memories that I would rather have forgotten, rampaged through my mind. Replaying within my head at a time like this.

My mind raced with memories of being worthless, useless, hopeless and most of all defenceless. The night in question came rushing back, when someone had dared to hold me down in an attempt to take advantage of me. That feeling of weakness slowly crept back into my body as King held me down and continued to put pressure on my dislocated arm in hopes of making me scream.

But my mind wasn't on King. It was on that memory. That fateful night when everything changed.

I heard voices around me, I heard the Ringmaster, I heard Shay but none of their words were comprehensible as I lay there with my mind running wild. My mind trapped in the deadly hold of my memories, its grip tightening with each breath that I took.

The pain in my arm disappeared to the back of my mind as my breathing became laboured. My chest tightening as if someone heavy had sat on it. I laid there in her hold, hoping that my body would relax while my chest continued to constrict. My breathing coming out in short uneven breaths, while black spots started to cloud my vision.

Fear started creeping into my veins, as I stared up at nothing. My vision now completely covered with black and white spots. Fear, wrapping its cold hand around my mind and heart as the memories played.

"Hey bitch, you gonna tap," King sneered into my ear. She moved my arm once again, causing my shoulder to rotate. I screamed at the pain, as white-hot pain seared through my arm - making me want to tap.

Clenching my fist at the thought, I looked through my slightly cleared vision to the side-lines where Shay stood. A worried look etched on his face as he looked back at me. Tears pricked at my eyes from the pain that coursed through my arm, while my mind continued to race.

Breathe Leah, just breathe. Think it through and breathe.

Dominick's words came through to me as the pain continued to pulsate through my arm. My mind racing with the fact that I was still pinned down and could do nothing about it. Just like I had been that night.

My breath hitched within my throat as the black and white spots once again clouded my vision. My chest tightening again as the air within my lungs disappeared and my ability to pull in oxygen left me.

Panic set in at what was really happening, as my eyes widened. Of all times to have an attack, I had to have one now while in the middle of a fight. Dominick's words still rang within my mind as I laid there but I couldn't seem to focus on them as darkness started to swirl before my eyes. Slowly pulling me towards it.

"Bitch, tap already," King sneered close to my ear. As she tightened her hold on my body.

At the sound of her voice, it was like something within me awakened as my mind shut off its incessant replay of the past. My chest untightened its hold on my ability to breathe and I finally filled my lungs with some much-needed air.

Focusing on my breathing, I ignored the girl whose hold on my arm changed again. Forcing my shoulder to once again shift, pain ran through my arm. The pain forcing me to bite my lip instead of crying out.

"Tap!" she sneered once more.

With my breathing under control, I glanced around for a way to get out of her hold. My eyes locking onto her knee, the very same knee I had assaulted not so long ago. And without thinking any further, I slammed my knuckle into the soft tissue behind it. Slamming it into her knee repeatedly until I felt her legs weaken around me.

The moment I felt I had some space to move, I twisted my body slightly before ramming my elbow into her thigh. A shout escaped her lips as she completely let go of me, unwrapping her arms and legs from around me as she grabbed hold of her thigh.

Slipping out of her hold, I pulled my dislocated arm close to my body once more before scurrying away across the floor. Once I was a safe distance from her, I stood to my feet again. Waiting for her to recover and get back on her feet.

I wanted a fair fight to the end.

King was back on her feet soon after and I couldn't help but smirk at the sight of her not being able to put weight on her knee. Once she was properly on her feet, I didn't waste time as I attacked, fast and hard. Sending a low kick straight for that same knee.

She stepped back out of the way but I kept moving forward with my kicks. Keeping her on the defence, I kept up with my kicking combination before I finally changed up my attack. With a quick sweep kick, she hit the floor with a thud.

Before she could get up further than that of being on her knees, I was in front of her. Ramming my fist into her face twice before pivoting on my back foot and sending a kick straight through her face.

My kick turned her head to the side as I watched her mouth guard fly from her mouth, followed closely behind by some blood. As I stepped back from her, her eyes slowly rolled back into her head before she dropped forward onto the mat. A clear indication that I had knocked her out.

I stood there breathing heavily as I cradled my arm, staring down at King. My ears rang, as my mind raced in a daze. Glancing up at the cage door, my breath hitched and the next thing I knew. I was falling.

Darkness taking over before I even hit the floor.

* * * * * *

When I came to, the sound of angered voices met my ears. My body was laid out on something hard while my head rested upon something soft. The cool feeling from icepacks seeped into various areas of my body, bringing some sort of relief to it.

Shifting slightly, I turned to see who was in the room with me. My one good eye landing on two figures standing a few paces away from me, their bodies rigid as they stood chest to chest.

One of them was dressed in black jeans, a grey hoodie and combat boots. He stood with his back straight as he towered over the other guy. His build making him appear menacing.

The other guy, wore dark blue jeans, a black hoodie which was open revealing a white t-shirt. He wore blue sneakers and held his hand in a fist at his side as he glared up at the guy.

Both of them had their jaws clenched together, straining themselves to not hit the other as they continued to argue - oblivious to the fact that I was awake.

"I can't believe you fucking let this happen!" Cole lashed out.

"How was I supposed to stop any of it, huh? It was a fight!" Shay countered; his voice just as sharp.

"I don't know. Figure something out!" Cole shrieked, "Look at her," he continued, "That fight was brutal, she could have died."

"Now you're exaggerating," Shay scoffed, his voice deeper than normal as Cole's words struck a chord.

"I don't mean from the panic attack, Shay. I meant in the ring itself. Her opponent could have killed her," Cole said, worry lacing his voice.

"Those fights don't happen anymore," Shay gravely answered.

"You don't know that! You couldn't know that, not after..."

"Watch what you say next, Reagan," Shay said in a deathly cold voice, his body rigid as he stood before Cole.

Cole stepped back at the way Shay spoke, his eyes widening at the use of his surname. A clear warning if you ever heard one. Watching them closely, I wondered what Cole was about to say that set Shay off like that.

"I couldn't predict that she would have an attack," Shay seethed, stepping closer to Cole. "I can't protect her from that as well," he sighed heavily. The threatening stance he had a moment ago, gone from sight and replaced by tiredness.

At his words, I frowned because what he said meant that he was protecting me right now. But from what?

I opened my mouth to make my presence known, but before I could the silence that filled the room was broken by a sudden knock on the door.

Shay rushed to the door and opened it, before walking out and closing it behind him. Obviously having matters of the Warehouse to attend to, for there was no other reason for someone to come get him.

With the door closed, I decided to make my presence known, as I tried to sit up. Pain shot through my body at the movement and an involuntary moan left my lips as I felt my shoulder and stomach throb.

In seconds Cole was in front of me, his face inches from mine as he stared into my eyes. His dusk black gaze filled with concern and worry as he gazed down into my icy blue ones. "Leah?" he breathed.

The sight of my awakened state seemed to come as a shock to him.

"What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" I asked with a grimace, as the pain I was feeling finally registered in my brain and another shot of it went through me.

Note to self: Next time, end the fights as quick and easy as possible before you get seriously hurt.

"Don't joke," Cole said, narrowing his eyes at me. The concern gone and replaced by anger.

"What?"

"This isn't a laughing matter."

"I didn't say it was," I grumbled, wincing in pain as my stomach muscles pulled.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, glancing down at my body and back up again.

"Peachy," I snarkily answered with a wide toothy grin.

"Seriously Leah, how are you feeling?" Cole demanded, giving me a pointed look that said I shouldn't push him anymore than I already have.

"Like a fucking truck hit me, how do you think, Cole?"

Cole flinched a little at my words before he moved closer to me. Placing his shoulder next to my left one, he helped me wrap my arm around his neck before slipping his arm behind me. Slowly helping to lift me up into a sitting position.

My stomach muscles screamed out in protest at the movement, forcing a deep groan to leave my lips.

"You okay?" Cole asked, frozen in place. His eyes whipping over my body to see where it pained as if he could help in some way.

"Perfectly in pain, yes," I answered, as the icepack that had been resting on my eye fell into my lap.

Chuckling at my sarcastic remark, Cole walked over to the freezer where he pulled out another icepack. Handing it to me, he opened his mouth to say something but stopped as the door to our room burst open.

"I could fucking kill him," Shay growled, slamming the door shut. His action caused me to jump and wince in pain.

"Who'd you like to kill and why?" I questioned, wincing again but sighing in relief a moment later as Cole replaced the icepack on my shoulder with a new one. The intense coldness caused a sudden bite like feeling in it before turning to a soothing sensation again my aching joint.

At the sound of my voice, Shay's head snapped in my direction. His eyes wide and in seconds he was in front of me. His eyes roamed over me as they usually did when I finished a fight, only this time it was more intense as he poked and prodded.

"I'm functioning perfectly Shay, stop that!" I snapped, smacking his hand out of the way in irritation.

"What?" he asked, "You're my best fighter, I have to check that you're okay," he continued with a hard look at me, while behind him, I watched as Cole almost choked to death on his own spit.

"Her? Your best fighter, seriously?" Cole asked, incredulously.

"Yeah, I like her more than you," Shay answered with a shrug.

"Oh, so that's how it is then," Cole pushed.

"No, but whatever," Shay commented, shrugging once more as if to shake off the conversation.

With a look at Cole, Shay turned his full attention on me, as he looked me over once more. "You shouldn't use your right arm all that much, let alone at all. The sling will help stop you from doing that, but knowing you, it won't hinder you at all," he explained with a small smile.

Glancing down at the black sling that my right arm comfortably rested in, I flashed Shay a smile as Cole came to drape my hoodie over my shoulders and sat down next to me.

"So, what did the Masters say?" he asked, looking up at Shay expectantly.

"Yeah, and who is it that you want to kill and why?"

Shay looked between the two of us for a second before shaking his head. Grabbing a stool, he brought it over and sat down in front of us with a grim expression.

"We got good news and bad news," he stated, as both Cole and I raised a brow at him. "The good news is that, you weren't charged with a foul..."

"What?" I shrieked. "A foul, what the hell did I do to be charged with a foul in the first place?"

"Like I said, you weren't. King and her trainer called you out on one. The Masters however stuck a pin in that one, so you're cleared. Don't stress," Shay explained.

"Cleared? I could have been banned from the Warehouse for three months Shay!" I snapped.

"And like I said, the Masters didn't allow it," he repeated in a calm voice.

Meeting his gaze, I nodded and motioned for him to continue with whatever else he was supposed to tell us. Since me getting a foul wasn't as alarming to him as it was to me. Even if it wasn't accepted by the Masters.

"The bad news is, the Masters have called your fight a tie and have approved a rematch between you and King," he said next. His voice dropping into something of a growl, as his brow furrowed and anger shone in his brown eyes.

"A tie?" "A rematch?" Cole and I asked in unison.

"How was that a tie?" I asked with a frown.

"I don't know but that's what they decided. So, today's winning amount will be placed down for the rematch. And you will take home double or triple that if you win the rematch," Shay explained with a hard look on his face.

"But I knocked her out!" I shouted.

"I know, but that's not the problem here Leah," Shay commented.

"Then what is?" Cole asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"It's set for a month from now," Shay said and I watched as he clenched his jaw at the mention of the short amount of time.

"What?" Cole shouted, standing to his feet, "Four weeks?"

"Yeah," Shay repeated.

"Are you fucking insane?" Cole cried out, as he narrowed his gaze on Shay.

"No, but I..."

"You what?" Cole shouted, "You accepted a rematch for four weeks from now. How the hell is she supposed to be ready in time?" he carried on, stepping closer to Shay. "If that's how she came out of that fight tonight. How much worse won't it be with a barely healed dislocated shoulder Shay? She barely even got out of this fight intact, I mean she had a panic attack during the damn thing. Did you not see any of that, huh?" Cole pushed, towering over Shay who just stared at him.

"You're being fucking reckless with her!" Cole shouted, "And this time it's with someone else's..."

"Cole!" I screamed, as I swiftly stood to my feet. Grabbing his arm, I made to pull him away from Shay but before I could, he had already spun around to face me.

"What?" he shouted back, "He is putting you in harms way, all so he can make a quick buck, don't you get that."

Cole seethed in front of me, as I stared back at him in shock, my eyes wide. Taking a few seconds to comprehend what he had just said, I turned to Shay only to find him gone from his seat and walking out the door. The sound of it slamming shut, causing me to cringe.

Turning to Cole, he opened his mouth but I held up my hand, "Don't."

He opened his mouth again to say something but the hard look I sent him, made him close it. With one final look at me, he picked up my hoodie and helped me pull it on. Zipping it up for me, he grabbed my duffel bag off the floor and slung it over his shoulder before turning to face me once more.

"Ready to go?" he asked, tentatively.

With a nod at him, Cole sent me a small smile before placing his hand on the small of my back and leading me out of the room and finally out the back of the Warehouse.

Outside, we found Shay with a cigarette between his lips and a lighter in hand. The moment his eyes landed on Cole; his gaze hardened - anger clearly expressed on his face.

"Come to attack me again, have we?" he mumbled around the cigarette.

"I think the cigarette is doing the job for us," I answered back with a small smile, "Nick would kill you if he saw you with that."

"He wouldn't dare," Shay replied, the hard look still on his face as he lit the cigarette and took a drag from it.

"Look, Cole didn't mean..."

"Oh, I meant every damn word," Cole said.

"Cole!"

"It's okay Leah. Cole can think what he likes. I will get your cash and bike to you when I can okay?" Shay said, before taking another drag.

"Okay," I answered in a small voice as I turned to leave.

"For what it's worth," Shay called out, making me stop in my tracks.

"Yeah?"

"I tried to lengthen the time between now and your rematch, believe me. If they had their way, you would have been fighting her a week from now," Shay explained, once he had exhaled the smoke in his lungs.

"That's what I wanted to say earlier when I was so rudely interrupted. So, blame me all you want Cole, but if I hadn't been there. She would be fighting next week and there would be nothing you could do about it."

With that said, Shay turned and walked away from us. Heading towards the front of the Warehouse as he continued to take drags from his cigarette.

I turned to curse Cole out for his idiocy but clearly didn't have to as shame coloured his face. He had been wrong in that situation and unfortunately for him, Shay didn't give him the time to apologize.

But Cole being Cole, he wasn't about to run after him to do so.

So, with Shay gone, Cole and I turned and headed towards his car. Staying silent on our ride back to his house, where I would be staying for the better part of a month. All thanks to the girl named King.

* * * * * *

Oh what a lovely thrilling Chapter that was, wasn't it...?

What do you think about all that happened? About Leah having a panic attack during a fight? What about Cole and Shay's fight?

What do you think is going on there? And what are they protecting Leah from? Hmmm?

Let me know your thoughts and Don't forget to Vote.

- Orlaith