$Things on my end are going to be a little different from now on.  I no
longer have a job, I've got a fairly easy class load this semester, and
I've got this itch to finish my backlog and stay current on fics.  I'm
still running short on spare time until I fix my car and go to the last
of the summer's weddings (Am I the _only_ person who isn't getting
hitched?), but from now on it's C&C from me.

	And boy do I have a lot to catch up on.  Yeesh.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, how do you think you'll do today?"

"I'll win, just like last week, and the week before that, and every
other
time."

"I wish I had your confidence."

	$Jaddo: Yeah, but try carrying around that ego.

"Ha! Jaddo keeps telling me I'm cocky instead of confident," Shampoo
informed her companion, fellow arena fighter Chingmy Hark. The young
Amazon
rested her hand on the shorter girl's shoulder and gave it a reassuring
shake in an effort to bolster her friend's courage for her upcoming
match
tonight.

Having such a person to talk to, and even help comfort, showed Shampoo

	$Not to mention the readers.

 how
far she had come in the month since her first televised fight and
subsequent
move into the fighters' dorms. Not only had she been victorious in each
of
her matches since then, often winning convincingly and bringing the
crowd to
her side, but much to her delight she had managed to make the friends
she
had so desperately wanted. Just as Jaddo had told her, she had found a
'clique' to belong to. The one that she fit in best was obvious, and
they
had accepted her with open arms. While it was true that the six people
that
composed their clique were what might be termed odd,

	$Figures.  She'd fit right in with the freaks.

 that mattered little to
Shampoo. She had found adapting to their idiosyncrasies surprisingly
easy,
once she learned about them. The young warrior did tend to spend most of
her
time with Chingmy, who was probably the most normal of the lot. She was
just
a touch on the manic depressive side. Well, more like a foot over rather
than a touch, but she was still the most normal of the group. Currently,
Chingmy was operating on the depressive side, making Shampoo careful not
to
let it affect her own mood.

	$That's the bad thing about having depressed friends.  They tend to
bring you down.

The only real drawback to Shampoo's new group of friends became obvious
after the first few weeks; it was unlikely that any of them would be
moving
on to the Imperial Arena. For the most part, they were saps. Once it
became
evident they would never move up from the local arena, they would either
return to their homelands or stay and find a job in Hong Kong. Most
would
probably do the latter, since making it to this level of the fighting
circuit were more than enough credentials to carve out a living in any
number of physically-oriented jobs, the majority of which would pay well
for
a fighter of their caliber.

	$Like what?  Bouncer?  Thug?  Maybe even a Goon?

 Still, it saddened Shampoo to think that, after
the eight months or so it took to accumulate enough victories to advance
to
the big Arena, she would probably never see any of them again.

	$Hey, Jaddo still sees Beef.  Lots of him, in fact.

Pushing such melancholy thoughts aside, Shampoo decided to live in the
moment and enjoy her current company. The future was for later. "Your
opponent is only Kei Long. He's not very good. As long as you don't get
sloppy, you'll beat him."

The reassurance seemed to bolster Chingmy's determination. "You're
right. I
just have to stay focused. You always give me good advice. Thanks,
Shampoo."

	$Not much advice.  I'd be wanting something like 'When he throws a
right jab, step to the left and kick him in the nads, he falls for it
every time.'

"You're welcome."

Chingmy tensed up slightly. "But how do you think you'll do against
Crippler? He broke another fighter's leg last week. It was a compound
fracture. That makes five out of the last seven opponents he's broken at
least one limb on."

	$Heh, I just got a Bloodsport flashback.

"I've seen him fight. Unless he's got a move he's been hiding for a
special
occasion, I can take him in less ten minutes. I could probably do it in
under five, but I'm thinking of giving back some of what he dishes out.
It'll take me a while to do it right since I'm not used to acting like a
legbreaker."

"It'd serve him right for hurting people like that. We get pounded on
enough
without guys like him going out of their way to permanently hurt
others,"
Chingmy huffed.

 A voice from behind the girls declared, "Hardly a sign of nobility,
it's
true. No doubt the mortal cur is destined for Hades fiery realm for his
transgressions. Apollo shall put in a word to mighty Zeus on the matter
when
next we meet."

Neither girl turned at the declaration. It was only as a large hand fell
on
each of their shoulders that both women let out a mutually tired sigh
and
reacted.

"Apollo, knock it off," Shampoo gently swatted the hand from her
shoulder.
Chingmy responded by moving from under it, rather than removing the
offending appendage by actually forcing herself to touch it.

Shampoo turned to confront their speaker, one of the more notable
members of
their clique. He was a Greek, tall and swarthy-skinned, with a fiery
halo of

	$Should greek be capitalised here?

curly golden hair that fell in a mane to his neck, helping to highlight
his
finely chiseled looks. Only his nose shattered the image of what would
have
been an otherwise very handsome face to admire. It was rather long, and
reminded Shampoo of a bird's beak with the way it hooked on the end.
That
feature alone bordered on making his face appear comical. His physical
form
was impressive, being one of the taller fighters at six foot, two inches
and
slightly over two hundred and seventy pounds in weight. His personality
was
nice. He was always well meaning, helpful towards others and thoughtful,
a
pleasant enough fellow in general.

Apollo held his hand up to his brow in understanding. "Ah, no doubt you
once
again are leery of drawing too close to divinity and being burned by He
Who
Is The God of Light and Truth. Fear not, you may bask in my presence as
any
other worshipers would. Apollo is not so thoughtless so as to ignore
your
mortal frailties."

	$I don't get it, what's his quirk?  He's greek, so I'd suspect some
sort of deviant sexuality, but I know it's wrong to stereotype.

Well, pleasant enough save for one minor identity problem. Upon first
meeting him and hearing his claim that he was a god, Shampoo had assumed
it
was all part of his act to get fans to cheer for him. It was only after
several conversations with the other fighters that she learned he was
serious in his declarations. No one knew if it was the result from
having
been hit in the head too many times and the act became a genuine
delusion,
or if he had always been that way.

	$Or, if Zeus really was the practical joker and he was.

"We are not your worshippers, stupid," Shampoo informed him in a tired
voice
that projected tolerance rather than any anger.

	$Shampoo is Taoist, dummy!

"Ah, Apollo sees you still maintain that conflict with your own belief
system and the One True Way. Have no fears. Regardless of how misguided
you
are in believing there is any power beyond that of Olympus, I am not
vengeful. I shall forgive you for your ignorance when the day of
judgment is
upon you."

	$Shampoo:  Just as we forgive you of your ignorance now.  Isn't it
great to be friends?

"You're too kind," Shampoo said dryly.

Seeking to change the subject, Chingmy asked, "Who are you fighting
today?"

"A mere mortal hardly worth my effort. A warrior reminiscent of my own
sister, Artemis, insofar as she is ugly, ill-tempered, and enjoys the
company of other women. Her name is Donna Cheng, or something. It
matters
little. I shall go easy on her."

	$Heh heh heh.  *shakes head*   Although...  Hmm.  This poses an
interesting question.  We all know what a SI is, so what's this?  IBA
(Inserted by another)?

"Fifteen minutes?" Chingmy asked Shampoo.

Shampoo shook her head. "It won't last ten."

"Want to bet fifteen thousand yen on it?"

"Done."

A broad grin split Apollo's face. He directed it towards Shampoo. "Ah,
to
see you have such faith in my abilities pleases me to no end. For you, I
shall endeavor to end the match quickly, though it is my wont to stretch
things out for the benefit of my legions of adoring worshippers."

Shampoo shook her head. "You don't get it. We're not betting on how long
it
takes for you to win. We're betting on how long it takes for you to
lose."

"What?!"

This time it was Chingmy's turn to place her hand on Apollo's shoulder.
"I
have faith in you and your abilities. I'm sure you'll last at least ten
minutes."

The soothing effect of the compliment was lost on Apollo. "Surely this
is a
poor jest on your part. Apollo is a god, while Donna is naught but a
mere
mortal."

	$Well, at least he believes in himself.  Wouldn't want to blaspheme,
now would we?

Shampoo said, "If you're such a great and mighty god, why is your record
five and twenty?"

Apollo's gaze went from anger directed at Shampoo to proudly pointing to
the
skies. "Undoubtedly it is the result of my father, Zeus, limiting my
immortal might so that I might learn humility among you mortals."

"It's not working," Shampoo informed him with a smile. However, a rumble
from her stomach ended further teasing. "I'm going down to the cafeteria
to
grab something to eat. You guys coming along?"

Chingmy held her hands up. "No way. I'm too nervous. I'd just hurl it
back
up."

"I have chosen to fast and pray all day to my father to grant me victory
in
my upcoming match."

	$As I recall, Zeus helps those that don't piss him off.  He also helps
himself to anything that moves and catches his eye.

A bit disappointed by their refusal, Shampoo still bid them both good
luck
in their matches and headed towards the cafeteria. Even a light workout,
such as she had this morning, tended to give her a healthy appetite. As
she
entered the cafeteria, she saw that it was more than halfway full.
Usually
at this time of day it was much closer to being filled to capacity for
lunch. Obviously Chingmy and Apollo were not the only ones who had
decided
to skip a meal on a fight night.

As Shampoo went down the line, she picked through the various offerings
on
display, taking only the handful that caught her interest. Much of what
was
offered was self-serve, allowing people to take whatever bowls or plates
of
the diverse foods that were available. Today it was more basic fare that
Shampoo cared little for. Still, she was hungry enough to eat tree bark,
so
she took a couple plates.

As she looked her selections over, she found that not one of the dishes
was
remotely appealing. It was as she fingered a gray substance that was
some
sort of mystery meat (the mystery being if it was actually some kind of
meat) she felt a pang of sorrow that she didn't have time to eat at
Beef's.
There was always great food there, and since she had made such a
favorable
impression, there was never any charge for her meals.

	$The perks of picking on Jaddo.

 She had offered to pay
at first, but Beef would not hear of it, stating in no uncertain terms
that
her company was payment enough. Despite his size, he could be a very
charming talker. Shampoo could understand how he might still be able to
charm women with such sincerely delivered flattery, despite his
impressive
girth.

	$That and his belly probably isn't the only thing that got bigger over
the years.

When she and Beef had free evenings, they would frequently spend hours
talking about many diverse topics. They ranged from what the rest of the
Empire was like, to the finer points of arena fighting, to the best of
all,
Jaddo's most embarrassing moments. There  were a surprisingly numerous
amount, even if they took place in his younger days. The discussions
were
always enjoyable and the food the best she ever had outside of a home
cooked
meal. The only reason she did not dine there all the time was that she
tended to consume a bit much, as in about two times the amount of food
she
usually ate. It was a dangerous hobby since she had to be cautious about
increasing her waistline. Unlike an enlarged bust, that sort of size
increase would not make her more popular with the crowds. Currently, her
legion of fans was doubling with nearly every fight. If her popularity
continued to increase at its current rate, she would be the arena's top
draw
in a month, surpassing even the more established trio of hot
commodities:
the twins and Snakebite. But, as both Jaddo and Beef had warned her, she
could lose it all in a single fight. The crowds were that fickle. So as
much
as she enjoyed the cuisine, she refrained from eating at Beef's more
than
three times a week, with one of the occasions always being a celebration
of
her victory.

As Shampoo pondered her future in the arena, and whether or not the gray
substance on her tray had moved, she arrived at the end of the line
where
the desserts were kept. As usual, there was little in the way of
selection.
As Shampoo was well aware, the arena wanted their fighters healthy and
in
good enough shape to provide an outstanding show, and fattening desserts
were not the way to better health. Still, there were always a few items
offered for those that had a sweeter palate and could control it, so the
arena indulged those fighters with a small selection.

It was just as Shampoo was ready to leave that she spotted it, hidden
behind
a sign identifying the no-fat chocolate pudding: the last piece of
cheesecake. It was drowned in a thick coating of strawberries that
pulled
her eyes until they were fixated on the yellow-hued substance. It was
unbelievable that one would be left this late in the lunch period, even
with
the sign positioned in front of it. But there it was, in all of its
high-calorie glory. Shampoo's hands were around the plate and in a
heartbeat
it ended up on her tray. The last one was hers!

	$Such simple pleasures.  I mean, it's not like it's chocolate or
anything.

Shampoo's mouth began salivating like a Pavlovian dog in anticipation of
the
treat. There was a day right after she had moved into the dorms that she
had
arrived early to the cafeteria. On that day there were still a few
pieces
present, and she sampled the odd looking cake lathered in the red fruit.
>From the first bite she was addicted to its divine taste. It was unlike
anything she had ever tried before or had since. From that day onward
she
had tried to get to the cafeteria early enough to get more of the
dessert,
but Jaddo usually worked her late, and it was a favorite of the majority
of
fighters, despite the decided lack of nutrition it possessed. She had
managed all of two other pieces during the rest of her stay. And now she
had
managed to get her hands on some a fourth time, and on a fight day.
Truly
this was a good omen.

Now in an uplifted mood, Shampoo happily made her way to the seating
area,
trying to locate an open place near anyone she was on good terms with,
so
she could engage in some idle conversation while she ate. However, none
of
her closer friends were present, and the few people she knew well enough
to
dine with were either almost finished or closely embroiled in
conversations
with others. Not wishing to intrude on anyone, Shampoo sat down alone
and
began to eat her food quickly, saving the dessert for last. After her
appetite was sated, she could take her time and enjoy the best of the
lot.

	$Fool.  I can tell that's a bad idea already.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pink peeked from the cover of two potted plants at her target. A cruel
smile
played across her lips as she stared at Shampoo. The day for vengeance
had
finally arrived. For a month, Pink had bided her time, waiting for the
proper moment to strike at the rancid little piece of filth that had
tried
to seduce her Thomas. And to compound her crime, the bimbo had lashed
out at
Pink's twin sister in an effort to get back at her for the crime of
protecting what was hers. That was unforgivable.

When they were still young children, Pink's mother had made her promise
to
look after her younger (even if it was only by five minutes) sister. Her
mother had always thought Pink was the more level-headed of the two,

	$Thus confirming her feeblemindedness, or possible insanity.

 and it
was her responsibility to look after her little sister. It was an
obligation
Pink took seriously. Admittedly, Link was a poor listener when it came
to
taking the sound advice Pink gave her, but she tried the best she could;
they were twins and she could do no less. And anyone who had the
audacity to
dare harm Link, like Shampoo had, had better watch out, for holy
retribution
would be visited upon them. Just like it was about to now.

Right after the ambush upon Link had taken place, Pink had considered
simply
beating the hell out of the upstart Joketsuzoku for her transgressions.
But
after seeing Shampoo in action, and how easily she defeated her
opponents,
it was decided that a more cautious course had to be taken. Besides,
after
the incident involving the last person Pink had taken care of for
humiliating her sister, Tetsuo had made it clear to both of them that
they
were to engage in no more fights outside of the actual battles in the
arena,
or else there would be severe punishments. Since getting on the wrong
side
of the man who controlled their fights in the arena fell under the
category
of a 'bad idea', she and Link had obeyed. Everything had been fine until
Shampoo came along. Since there was no way the Amazon could be allowed
to
get away with her blatant insults to Pink, that meant a more subtle
approach
to revenge would have to take place. That left Pink hovering in the
background, waiting for an opportunity to gain vengeance in a more
roundabout way.

	$Heh.  I'm getting some hilarious mental images out of this, almost
like watching the anime.  Very nice job.

Now she had a plan. A very good one. It was guaranteed to work due to
its
simplicity. Shampoo had a match with a brute called 'Crippler,' one that
she
would probably win due to her unquestionably superior skills. However,
if by
chance she ate something that was laced with a slow-acting sedative, one
that would make her groggy around match time, the results would
undoubtedly
be different. Shampoo would learn the price of harming Link, and if a
few of
her limbs happened to break during the process, well, it would simply
serve
to reinforce the lesson all the better.

Seeing Shampoo sitting alone, the final touches of the plan quickly
coalesced in Pink's mind. Silently, she sneaked to a table halfway
across
the cafeteria from Shampoo. Seated there was a friend of Pink's, Gin
Kwong,
who was busy eating a hearty meal that was composed of some tasteless
looking gray goo, that Gin seemed to enjoy. Pink sneaked up behind the
girl

	$gray goo that she seemed to enjoy.  I think.  Pfeh, I finally find a
grammar comment I and flub it.

and tapped her on the shoulder, keeping a low profile so Shampoo
wouldn't
see her.

"What?" Gin asked Pink, obviously startled, then irritated, at the
interruption.

"I need you to do me a favor."

A low growl escaped Gin's lips. "The last time I did you a favor, I kept
getting hit on by butch girls for a month because everyone thought I was
a
lesbian."

	$'Donna' strikes again, eh?

"You're not?"

Gin was barely able to refrain from slugging Pink. "Of course not!"

"But you were so good at acting like one. Maybe you should consider it."

	$Heh.  Nice dialog.  Very typical of your style.

Gin knew she should leave. This was going to get her into trouble again.
Pink... or was it Link she was talking to? She could never tell them
apart,
not that it mattered since they were both complete idiots. But she
persevered and found the resolve to hear out whichever twin it was.
"What do
you want?"

"I need you to get Shampoo to leave her seat and come over here. But
wait
until I get close to her table and give you a signal."

Gin cringed. "Are you crazy? If you do something to her and she finds
out
I'm involved, I'll get my ass kicked. She's tough. Probably tougher than
you."

"She's overrated. I can take her. Now just do as I say. She'll never
know.
And even if she does, she won't be in any shape to do anything about it.
Not
after tonight."

Reluctantly nodding to the giggling Pink, Gin agreed to the plan. After
all,
if anything went wrong, she could claim ignorance later. And there was
some
obscure chance someone might even believe her, and she wouldn't end up
beaten within an inch of her life.

Gin waited until Pink was in position, then gave a shout at Shampoo. The
lavendar-haired girl looked up from eating and stared curiously at her.
As
further encouragement, Gin waved her over. After a moment's hesitation,
Shampoo rose from her seat and walked over and said, "Yes?"

For a moment, Gin was speechless. She hadn't thought about what to say.

	$The best laid plans...

 "I
uh, just wanted, umm, to wish you good luck for your fight tonight."
Weak.
It was weak. Shampoo was going to realize Gin was acting suspiciously
and
beat the truth out of her. It was the way her luck ran. She knew she
shouldn't have listened to a word Pink (or was it Link) had said.

"Thanks," Shampoo said with a glowing smile. "I hope you have good luck
in
your next fight too."

"Oh, thank you so very much!" Gin said just a touch too emphatically.

Shampoo gave a nervous smile and walked back to her seat. That Gin girl
was
definitely an odd one, even by Shampoo's standards.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pink smiled to herself as she exited the cafeteria. It had worked to
perfection. Once Shampoo had left her seat, Pink had sneaked over and
poured
some of the red liquid sedative on top of the cheesecake. Luckily the
colors
were similar enough that, unless one was looking for it, the foreign
substance would go undetected. It might make the strawberry topping
slightly
tangy, but not enough to drown out the taste of the cheesecake. Within
three
hours, right before the match, the effects would start to kick in.
Shampoo
was going to be nothing but meat after tonight, and she had only herself
to
blame. Still, the bimbo had never stood a chance in any case. After all,
she
was nothing but a pair of tits and a bunch of air in between the ears.
She
didn't have one tenth the brains, skill, or cunning of Pink. She had
been
hopelessly outclassed from the beginning.

	$It was indeed a Good Plan.

Pink was so busy congratulating herself that she failed to notice Link
enter
the cafeteria just as she was leaving. The newly arrived Link briefly
considered gaining her sister's attention, but then decided against it.
It
was obvious Pink was lost in her own little world, and Link felt
reluctant
to enter it. Her sister was such a ditz, sometimes. There was no telling
what stupid thoughts were running through Pink's head.

With a sigh, Link looked over what little food had yet to be picked
over.
She made a face at all of it, barely choosing a thing. In this case it
was
literally a 'thing' since she had no idea what the gray substance being
offered was. It vaguely resembled some kind of meat by texture and
smell,
but Link would not have bet a single yen on that.

It wasn't fair. She had a match tonight, and they had nothing decent to
eat.
Sometimes it seemed like there was never any good food on match days.
Perhaps it was some sort of conspiracy to make the fighters meaner for
the
crowd since they had been forced to consume rotten food that most
starving
dogs would not venture near.

Irritated, Link continued cursing her luck as she tried to find an open
table to sit down. As her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for someone to
sit
next to so she could complain, they eventually focused on her most hated
nemesis. Link's eyebrow twitched as she recalled for the five hundred
and
tenth time the beating that Shampoo had administered to her. Worse than
the
physical pain, she had ruined Link's chance to date Komimasa since he
thought he'd been stood up and still refused to speak to her even a
month
later. One of these days Link would get revenge. She was just waiting
for
the right moment. Then Shampoo would be sorry. Oh, how she would be
sorry.

	$Shampoo: Sorry. I thought you were your sister.

What anger Link felt towards Shampoo doubled when she spotted the piece
of
cheesecake sitting on her tray. How dare that violent bitch get her
hands on
the only decent piece of food being offered today! She wasn't worthy of
the
honor. Cheesecake was Link's favorite food. She would have subsisted
exclusively on it if it was possible. But to see Shampoo with an
untouched
piece of the yellow substance sitting on her tray while Link had none
was
too much for her to take. She had to have it at any price. A plan
quickly
formed in her mind.

	$It, too, was a Good Plan.

 She set her tray down at a table, then went over to
where one of her friends sat.

Gin nearly jumped out of her seat when she felt the hand settle on her
shoulder. "Don't do that! I'm eating."

"Shhh," Link softly intoned. "I need you to do me a favor. I'm going to
leave. After I've worked my way near Shampoo, I'll need you to call her
over
here."

"What?! Again?!" Gin said in barely restrained anger.

Link was about to ask what Gin meant by that, but reconsidered. Details
were
unimportant now. "Hey, I've done you favors. Remember when I set you up
with
Masamoto?"

"He dumped me in the middle of our date and went out with another woman
he
met during it," Gin said acidly.

"What about Ruffero? He was handsome, gentle, understanding-"

"-previously a woman," Gin finished for her.

"Right. So if you don't help me out, I'll set you up with another
loser."

	$Again.  This stuff's great.

Gin let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll do this for you if you promise to leave
me
alone from now on."

"Done!" Link headed off to maneuver closer to Shampoo's table, making
sure
to stay out of sight.

Again Gin called Shampoo over. Shampoo looked at her, then back at down
at
the cheesecake on her tray. Reluctantly she rose to her feet and went
over
to Gin again.

"Yes?" There was just a touch of impatience in Shampoo's voice.

Once more Gin was taken momentarily aback, having not thought things
through
again. "I uh, just wanted to wish you a good fight."

"You already did that."

"Oh, well, I mean it this time."

"I... see," Shampoo lied. And she had thought Apollo was weird. She
turned
away and headed back for her seat. It was for the best to get some
distance
between her and the strange girl before she tried something funny.
Besides,
she had heard Gin was a lesbian, and the girl might be trying to hit on
her
in some weird fashion.

	$The awkwardness of a crush.  How sweet.

xxxxxxxxxxx

As Link exited the cafeteria with her purloined goods safely in hand,
she
heard a hated voice boom, "WHERE'S MY CHEESECAKE?!" Playing it safe, she
hurried away, just in case someone had witnessed the theft and Shampoo
came
after her. Once satisfied she was safe from Amazonian vengeance, Link
took a
huge bite from the stolen dessert. It tasted even more heavenly since it
had
been formerly Shampoo's. The rest of the food she had left behind could
go
to hell. This was all she needed.

An ever-widening smile on her face, Link took another bite as she headed
back to her room to allow her food time to digest and to get ready for
her
fight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pink listened as the crowd shook the dome in their approval at her
boyfriend's victory. Snakebite had drawn a middle card bout against a
newcomer named Kwok who had won several of his matches in impressive
fashion. There was speculation that Kwok might even become rated as an
impact player, if not a commodity outright, but her wonderful Thomas had
put
an end to that speculation by handling the newbie like he would any
other
sap. Perhaps with a little more seasoning Kwok might make it to impact
player, but Pink doubted it; he lacked the killer instinct needed to get
beyond Hong Kong. No, she wagered his best bet would be to drop out and
getting a job somewhere locally before taking a permanent injury.

Snakebite approached the fighters' area where Pink was waiting for him.
He
made his way past several clusters of his fellow fighters who had
gathered
to either wait for their matches, their friend's matches, or take notes
on
their potential future opposition. As Snakebite arrived next to Pink,
she
greeted the triumphant warrior with a towel and a kiss.

"Nice work," Pink cheerfully attached herself to his arm and pulled him
to
as quiet a place as she could manage in the crowded area.

Snakebite gave her a beaming smile. "Yeah. Sap had a few good moves, but
nothing compared to me. Still, he's got potential. With the right kind
of
training, I bet he could move up to the Impy Arena. Hope he doesn't get
it
until after I've won it all, though."

"Until one of us wins it all," Pink corrected. Her Thomas still had a
bad
tendency to forget she was after the same prize he was, and that she had
taken him once already. While it might have been true that Thomas had
worked
hard to improve since then, so had she. One of the first rules learned
in
the dog pits was that only the slow and the defeated never got better.
It
would be a hard fought duel, but she harbored no doubts who would come
out
on top by the end.

Realizing his gaffe, Snakebite slipped an arm affectionately around her
waist. "Since we both finished early tonight, why don't we head back to
my
room? You know how riled up I get after a little tangle."

Pink evaded the attempted nibble on her ear, and slipped out of his
grasp.

	$ear and slipped

"Not just yet. I want to watch the next fight."

"I thought your sister didn't fight until the match after that."

"That's right. The next fight involves that little tramp." Pink pointed
toward the far side of the waiting area where Shampoo stood next to the
ever
depressive Chingmy and the weirdo who thought he was a god. For some
reason,
Shampoo looked quite irritated as she handed her shorter friend what
appeared to be a considerable amount of money.

	$Ah, so he did last fifteen before 'Donna' took him down.

 It was probably for some
twisted sexual favor or something equally depraved, Pink was certain.

"Oh, does it now?"

Pink saw his eyes light up and gave Snakebite a warning glare. "That
hussy
beat up my sister and came on to you. I want to see her get hers."

"Now, now. How many times do I have to tell you, you just have to accept
the
fact that women have the same great taste you do and find me attractive?
Naturally they're going to try to compete for my attention?" Seeing the
statement did not have the desired effect he was going for, Snakebite
quickly added. "Of course what they don't realize is that someone
already
has my complete attention."

He unleashed his most winning smile and gently cradled her chin upward
so
she was looking him in the eye.

After a moment, the hard look she had been giving softened, though she
still
removed herself from his grip a second time. There was steel in her
voice as
she said, "But it's different when it comes to her. She's a slut. I hear
she's been sleeping with her trainer."

"All the more reason for her to hit on me. Have you ever seen that guy?
He's
old and ugly. I'm surprised she hasn't tried harder to seduce me."

Pink was about to unleash another biting comment when a newcomer caught
her
attention. He was a Chinese man, about twenty, and decidedly
unremarkable in
appearance. He wore black robes with white pants that could be seen
poking
out the bottom.

"At last. I was afraid he'd never get here," Pink muttered under her
breath.
Louder, she said, "Hey, Crippler!" and waved at him.

"Don't call him over!" Snakebite hissed. "He's a complete asshole."

It was too late as Crippler cheerfully waved back and joined them. "Hey
there, you two."

Snakebite opened the conversation by asking, "Break the legs on any
small
animals today?"

	$Always a good opener.  He's smoother than I thought.

"Nah, been a slow day."

The answer unnerved Snakebite, largely in part because he was fairly
certain
Crippler seemed to take the question seriously.

Pink said, "I heard that you were fighting Shampoo tonight."

"And that it's going to be a massacre," Snakebite added, his smirk
informing
all but one who he thought would end up massacred.

The one who missed it said, "Nah, that ain't going to happen. I'm going
easy
on her."

"What?!" Pink was barely able to restrain herself from grabbing Crippler
by
the neck and shaking him like a rag doll as she watched her plans
unraveling.

Crippler smiled lasciviously at Pink. "You've got to remember what's at
stake. After I beat her, I'm going to be married to that hot little
number.
You see, the way I got it figured, I'll keep her around until I win the
big
tournament and become a citizen. Then I'll marry some rich chick for her
money and make her my first wife. I might pick up a third later on when
I
get bored with Shampoo, but that's going to be at least a decade by my
reckoning. She looks like she'd be a real wildcat in the sack." Crippler
gave off a nasally laugh at his long term life plan.

Thinking quickly, Pink said, "I'm surprised you're taking Shampoo's
comments
so calmly. I guess it shows how well you can control your temper. Or
that
she was right and you can't argue with it."

Crippler's eyebrows rose quizzically. "What comments?"

"You mean you didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Yeah, what?" Snakebite said, every bit as interested as Crippler.

Pink dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Well, you didn't
hear
this from me, but I overheard her say she'd never be satisfied marrying
you,
since you have the personality of a dead fish and that your hurting
people
is a sign of overcompensation for having such a tiny prick."

"What?!"

Snakebite let out a low whistle. "I'm impressed she could figure you out
so
easily. And as we both know, anyone who's taken a shower with you can
certainly vouch for the last part, Tiny. Sounds like Shampoo's just as
good
a judge of character as she is attractive." Snakebite smiled as he
hooked
his little finger and waved it in front of Crippler.

	$Cute.

"Shut up, tumbleweed, or I'll cripple you next!" Crippler looked across
the
room at Shampoo, shooting her a look that promised pain and suffering
would
soon be dropping by and making their acquaintance. "That bitch is dead,"
Crippler mumbled to himself as he stomped toward the fighting area, the
look
of blood in his eyes.

"Break a leg, and maybe an arm or neck while you're at it," Pink said
cheerfully.

	$I'm sure he will.

It was just as Crippler headed towards the battle floor that Link
finally
managed to make her way to the waiting area. It had taken her nearly
half an
hour to summon the strength to head out in anticipation for her upcoming
match. Seeing the end of Crippler's diatribe, she walked to where her
sister
and Snakebite waited. "What was that all about?" she asked through a
yawn.

"Not much. Just a case of long postponed justice about to be meted out,"
Pink informed her.

Snakebite shook his head. "It doesn't matter how pissed Tiny is; she's
going
to walk right over him."

"Want to bet?" Pink asked.

"Sure," Snakebite said. "If I win, I get to wear the chaps tonight."

	$Heheh.  I like.

Pink made a face at that. "I hate those things. The leather always
chafes
me."

"If you don't want to..." Snakebite trailed off, leaving the 'you're
chicken
if you don't accept' clear in what was unsaid.

Pink relented. "All right. But if I win, you have to wear the bridle
instead."

"Fine."

"And make horsy noises."

"It's a deal."

	$But no spurs.

"You two are the most disgusting couple I have ever met," Link said,
failing
to stifle another yawn.

	$Prude.

Pink ignored her sister's comments as she watched Shampoo move to the
combat
area and be introduced to the cheering crowd. The fans were in for a
disappointment. In a few short minutes, Shampoo was going to look like a
broken little doll. The drug should already be working its magic. In her
current state, the Amazon would be lucky to last a minute against an
enraged
Crippler. Pink had to laugh. Tricking the stupid bimbo had been easy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can't believe how easily that bimbo tricked me!"

Pink was barely able to keep from cursing in agreement with her
bedridden
sister's condemnation. Unlucky Link had fared poorly against her
opponent's
fists and was injured badly enough that she would be unable to fight for
at
least a week, according to the doctors. The next time Pink fought Ka
Shin,
she would even the score, but the majority of her rage would be reserved
for
the one that was truly responsible for the whole situation.

	$Or not, as the case may be.

"You believe me when I tell you she drugged me, don't you, Sis?"

	<snip>


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pink allowed herself a satisfied smile as she observed her handiwork. It
had
taken months for another opportunity for revenge to present itself, but
soon
it would all be worth the patience she had shown. Severing through the
support columns and weakening the floor underneath was sheer genius.

The actual execution of the plan had gone off without a single
complication.
All Pink had needed was a set of stolen coveralls, the proper tools that
had
been 'temporarily requisitioned' from the arena's maintenance staff, a
few
strategic smudges of grease on her face to hide her identity from the
casual
observer, and the attitude that she knew what she was doing. In many
ways,
the last was the most important part of the deception. It was remarkable
what one could get away with when acting in an assured manner. Few
people
felt inclined to question someone like that for fear that the answers
were
obvious and the inquirer would look foolish as a result. Most would not
think twice of a stranger's presence under such circumstance,

	$such a circumstance, or such circumstances,

 naturally
assuming the workperson belonged there and was doing work that needed
completing.

And so it had worked out for Pink. She had arrived directly underneath
Shampoo's ground level room. It was a little used section of the massive
arena that was full of storage containers of some kind. Judging by the
thickness of dust everything in the room had accumulated, it was
unlikely
that anyone had been down here since the time when Jun Fan Li was still
fighting his way through Hong Kong. It assured Pink the privacy she
needed.



Determining she would have some measure of peace, the work went quickly,
cutting through and sabotaging all of the supports. Once Pink heard the
sound of the ceiling straining from the weight that was currently
resting
above it, she halted her work. Judging by the noises it was making, all
it
would take was Shampoo's additional weight to push her floor past its
limit.

	$It'd have been funnier if she had gotten carried away and toppled it
in on herself.

Then the big-chested bimbo would unexpectedly plummet through the floor,
about twenty feet or so, to the unyielding concrete below. Perhaps Pink
would get lucky and the rest of the ceiling would collapse after she had
fallen, injuring Shampoo grievously and bringing her fighting career to
an
impromptu end.

Within a matter of hours, once Shampoo was finished with her usual
afternoon
workout, the impudent, sneaky, little tramp would be little more than a

	$I don't think little works in the flow.  Suggest removing it.

minor footnote in the annals of arena history, leaving Pink to once
again
assert herself as the dominant force in Hong Kong. And the best part of
all
was no one could blame her for the unfortunate 'accident.' She had
covered
her tracks too well this time.

Singing a pleasant tune to herself, Pink sneaked back to return the
stolen
items before they were missed and to change back into her normal
clothes,
insuring no one would be the wiser. And to top things off, she had a
date
with Thomas, just to make things perfect.

It was great to be alive.

Pink was still pleased with herself when she finally returned to her
room to
prepare for her upcoming date. As she entered, she noticed that she had
a
visitor that had let herself in the room. "What are you doing here, Sis,
and
why are you wearing my dress?"

Turning away from the mirror she had been admiring herself in, Link
said.
"Sorry about that. A water pipe broke in my room and got everything wet.
I
came by to ask if I could borrow a dress, but you weren't here, so I
helped
myself. Hey, is that grease on your face?"

Pink's hand reflexively shot up to her cheek, trying to locate the
offending
smudge. A smile unconsciously crept across her countenance. "I was out.
Just
out."

The mischievous smile and the terse answer Pink used were easily
recognizable to Link. It meant her sister had done something she
regarded as
sneaky, but was in reality incredibly stupid. Link refrained from
mentioning
this since she needed a favor from her twin. "Anyway, I just wanted to
borrow this dress. I know it's your favorite, but I have a hot date and
want
to look my best."

The mentioning of a date reminded Pink she had to prepare for one as
well.
She went over to her dresser and began to change. "Who's it with?"

"Liang Shen. He's one of the sales reps for Mirakodo Chemicals. He's one
of
their top sales people and has a real future with the company. He's not
the
best guy in the world to look at, but he's classy."

"He's not gay, like the last one you thought was interested in you, is
he?"

"No!" Link gnashed her teeth together in anger over that stupid fiasco.
Miraki was a charming, handsome, and debonair man that anything female
would
have swooned over.

	$Chicks dig guys that don't dig chicks.

 How was Link to know he had only asked her out to talk to
her about one of the male fighters Miraki was interested in? He had
certainly paid for leading her on by having a couple of his teeth
knocked
out of his head.

Pushing the bitter memories aside, Link said, "Anyway, I'm going to wear
this one to really impress him for our first date."

"I wouldn't wear that if I were you," Pink cautioned.

Link looked down at the cherry-red outfit she was wearing and examined
it
closely. "Why? Is there a tear or a stain on it?"

"No. It just looks bad on you," Pink said matter-of-factly.

Link just stared in confusion at her sister. "This is your favorite
dress.
You love it, and everyone thinks you look great in it."

"That's right. I don't think it really works on you, though."

"But we're identical twins."

"So?"

"We look exactly the same in it!"

"I'm telling you, it's a bad idea. Just ask anyone."

Link's eye began twitching. Just as she was about to unleash a diatribe
on
her sister's stupidity, there came a knock on the door.

"Hey, honey, it's me."

Both girls immediately recognized the voice of Snakebite. From where she
was
continuing to change, Pink said, "Come on in."

As Snakebite opened the door and stepped into the room, Link realized
that
with where Pink was changing and the position of the open door, his true
sweetheart was blocked from his view. The only person he saw was Link,
standing in the middle of her sister's room, wearing her sister's
favorite
dress.

So justice did exist in the world.

Link was barely able to suppress sinister laughter. Instead, she posed
sexily and gave Snakebite an enticing look rather than the contemptuous
one
she reserved exclusively for him. "Hello, Thomas. It's so wonderful of
you
to drop by."

	$Well hell, she blew it right there.

Snakebite said, "Hey there, Link. I hate to break this to you, but you
look
like crap in that dress. You ought to try something else."

	<snip>

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"...and then the damn floor came out from under me. I landed on my leg
bad.
The doctors say I was lucky that, after that fall, and with all of that
concrete landing on me, all I suffered was a simple fracture. Still, I'm
going to be out for at least a month, and it's all that bitch, Shampoo's
fault. Everyone else thinks I'm nuts, but I'm telling you her
unreasonable
hated of me is so great, that when she found out I was being temporarily
assigned to her room, she went ballistic and tried to have me killed by
sabotaging her floor. You believe me, don't you Sis?"

	$Heh, and here I figured Pink would have gotten the wrong room.

"It's just the sort of set up she would lay for you, the tricky bitch!"
Pink
bristled at the sight of her sister, bedridden and with a cast on her
leg.
Again, Pink did not bother her sister with the details as to her being
the
one to actually sabotage Shampoo's floor.

	$Of course not.

 It was obvious somehow the bitch
had ferreted out the trap and set up Link to take the fall, literally.

	$The truly funny thing is that she doesn't follow this through to the
obvious concluion that Shampoo is smarter than she is.

 How
Shampoo must have despised Pink and lusted after her Thomas to lash out
at
Link instead of directly at her true rival. Oh, how Shampoo would pay
for
her sins, especially by using Pink as a tool in all of these insidious
plans
of revenge against Link. All Pink needed was to wait for the right
opportunity and come up with another plan, this one would be foolproof
for
sure. She would see to it personally...

	$But not next part, unfortunately.  How long do we have to wait for the
big fight?  And when does Shampoo fight Snakebite?

	Anyway, amusing chapter, nice dialog, very very few mistakes (Try to
make a few more so I have something to do, okay?)  Not much in the way
of plot that I saw, just building up the rivalry.

	And now it's off to the next part, which I'm about halfway through
with.


-Ragun


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