figure, so short that you could see most of her thighs.
She stood up and clapped politely for the fighter that stood victorious before her. Then she turned her attention to Octavio as he walked up to her.
“ Ms. Zara, Maxwell is here to see you,” Octavio said to her.
“ Maxwell,” she said. “It’s been a long time.”
“ Yeah, it’s been awhile, Lanea.”
The two of them stood awkwardly in front of one another. It was clear that they were familiar with each other but I couldn ’t infer what it was exactly. Maxwell finally broke the awkward silence.
“ Check this out, Lanea,” he said. “I got a new fighter for you. Come here, man.”
He turned toward me and grabbed my arm. I stumbled forward and suddenly found myself standing in front of her. She looked me up and down with her green eyes. There was a smile beginning to creep onto her face from the corner of her mouth.
“ Well,” she said to Maxwell, her eyes still locked upon me. “This is certainly interesting. He doesn’t exactly look like a fighter. He’s too attractive for that.”
She put her gloved hand up to my face and tried to touch it. I pull ed my head away from her and I saw the look of shock on her face.
“ What’s your name, sweetheart?” she asked me.
I didn ’t say anything. I just looked back at her, waiting for the moment to end. I didn’t know what it was exactly. I just didn’t feel comfortable standing next to her. There was something about her. Her demeanor belied a nature that was much more sinister. Despite her attractiveness, I knew that she didn’t have the best of intentions for me or Maxwell.
“ His name’s Homicide,” Maxwell said to her.
“ Homicide?” she exclaimed. “That’s ill-fitting for a man such as yourself. You can do better than that.”
“ Henry,” I said finally. “My name’s Henry.”
“ Henry,” she muttered. “Simple. Plain. But it’s better than Homicide.”
She looked over at Maxwell and winke d at him. He shrugged his shoulders and took a step back. Lanea turned her attention back to me and tilted her head back just a bit so she was looking down her nose at me.
“ So you’re a fighter, Henry?” she asked me. “You think you have what it takes to compete here.”
I didn ’t say anything. Maxwell was doing all of the talking for me.
“ Line’em up,” he said. “Homicide… Henry here will beat’em up. I’ve seen it myself. He can beat anybody you throw at him.”
“ Is that right?” Lanea said. “All right. I’ve got a fighter in the ring right now. What do you say, Henry?”
“ He’ll whoop that guy’s ass is what he says,” Maxwell said to her.
“ Good,” Lanea said. “Step into The Pit when you’re ready.”
Maxwell grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side. I looked at Lanea as s he took a seat back upon her throne. Octavio stood rigidly right next to her.
“ Now listen here, Henry,” he said to me. “You go down in there and beat that dude up. This is nothing different. I’m going to put everything we made so far on you. We’ll get better odds here because nobody knows who you are. You put on a show tonight and you’re going home a rich man, you hear me?”
“ Yeah…”
I looked down and watched as the unconscious man was dragged through an exit. The other fighter was standing there and stretching himself out, patiently waiting for me to join him.
“Yo, Henry,” Maxwell said to me. “Are you listening to me?”
I turned back t o him and nodded. He put his hands on my shoulders and tried to get me to focus.
“ Everything you’ve been doing so far has been leading up to this. I made you a promise. This is your chance.”
I nodded again and Maxwell released me from his grip. He stood over the railing and looked down into the arena. I slowly descended the stairs to get a better look at the man I was about to fight. Then I turned and looked back up at Lanea. She sat there up on her throne while she spoke to an old man
She stood up and clapped politely for the fighter that stood victorious before her. Then she turned her attention to Octavio as he walked up to her.
“ Ms. Zara, Maxwell is here to see you,” Octavio said to her.
“ Maxwell,” she said. “It’s been a long time.”
“ Yeah, it’s been awhile, Lanea.”
The two of them stood awkwardly in front of one another. It was clear that they were familiar with each other but I couldn ’t infer what it was exactly. Maxwell finally broke the awkward silence.
“ Check this out, Lanea,” he said. “I got a new fighter for you. Come here, man.”
He turned toward me and grabbed my arm. I stumbled forward and suddenly found myself standing in front of her. She looked me up and down with her green eyes. There was a smile beginning to creep onto her face from the corner of her mouth.
“ Well,” she said to Maxwell, her eyes still locked upon me. “This is certainly interesting. He doesn’t exactly look like a fighter. He’s too attractive for that.”
She put her gloved hand up to my face and tried to touch it. I pull ed my head away from her and I saw the look of shock on her face.
“ What’s your name, sweetheart?” she asked me.
I didn ’t say anything. I just looked back at her, waiting for the moment to end. I didn’t know what it was exactly. I just didn’t feel comfortable standing next to her. There was something about her. Her demeanor belied a nature that was much more sinister. Despite her attractiveness, I knew that she didn’t have the best of intentions for me or Maxwell.
“ His name’s Homicide,” Maxwell said to her.
“ Homicide?” she exclaimed. “That’s ill-fitting for a man such as yourself. You can do better than that.”
“ Henry,” I said finally. “My name’s Henry.”
“ Henry,” she muttered. “Simple. Plain. But it’s better than Homicide.”
She looked over at Maxwell and winke d at him. He shrugged his shoulders and took a step back. Lanea turned her attention back to me and tilted her head back just a bit so she was looking down her nose at me.
“ So you’re a fighter, Henry?” she asked me. “You think you have what it takes to compete here.”
I didn ’t say anything. Maxwell was doing all of the talking for me.
“ Line’em up,” he said. “Homicide… Henry here will beat’em up. I’ve seen it myself. He can beat anybody you throw at him.”
“ Is that right?” Lanea said. “All right. I’ve got a fighter in the ring right now. What do you say, Henry?”
“ He’ll whoop that guy’s ass is what he says,” Maxwell said to her.
“ Good,” Lanea said. “Step into The Pit when you’re ready.”
Maxwell grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side. I looked at Lanea as s he took a seat back upon her throne. Octavio stood rigidly right next to her.
“ Now listen here, Henry,” he said to me. “You go down in there and beat that dude up. This is nothing different. I’m going to put everything we made so far on you. We’ll get better odds here because nobody knows who you are. You put on a show tonight and you’re going home a rich man, you hear me?”
“ Yeah…”
I looked down and watched as the unconscious man was dragged through an exit. The other fighter was standing there and stretching himself out, patiently waiting for me to join him.
“Yo, Henry,” Maxwell said to me. “Are you listening to me?”
I turned back t o him and nodded. He put his hands on my shoulders and tried to get me to focus.
“ Everything you’ve been doing so far has been leading up to this. I made you a promise. This is your chance.”
I nodded again and Maxwell released me from his grip. He stood over the railing and looked down into the arena. I slowly descended the stairs to get a better look at the man I was about to fight. Then I turned and looked back up at Lanea. She sat there up on her throne while she spoke to an old man
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