Fight Club With lauronica_mars

[countess_karnstein]

After Lara had left the apartment Ella spent the next few hours trying to process everything that had happened in the previous twenty-four. She contemplated the rescue and how she couldn’t leave Lara to the hands of those mind wiping idiots that operated against her rules. Then how Lara couldn’t follow simple instructions and always tested her patience with added frustration. It would have been much easier to wipe out the club and the students effected, blame it on animal attacks or hide the bodies. The security team and clean-up crew were always at the ready to covertly handle the problems she might have but when Ella ordered the students to be saved the silence from her staff was almost deafening.

The vampire Dean known to be uncaring was suddenly sparing lives. The news of this whispered amongst her staff and found its back to the board quicker than intended. Within a couple of days even Mattie had called, wondering if Ella was starting to go soft. Still Ella didn’t back down, she kept her promise to Lara and all lives were saved. Students blissfully unaware of just how much danger lurked around them on the campus.

Within a week Ella made sure that Lara’s friend was safely returned to their dorm. Her vampire subjects posing as students delivered LaF directly to Lara’s room. Meanwhile Ella kept her distance and spent the remainder of her time being extra cold and ruthless to students to compensate for people thinking she had a heart. On one of her particularly bad days she was conversing with a science teacher outside of the department and out the corner of her eye she watched Lara walked across the grass with her friends. In that moment the person talking to her had no idea clue their words were going in and straight out the other side.

She would have contacted Lara sooner but the girl had seen and experienced a lot. Ella thought it was best to give her some space at least to adjust to finding out the supernatural was real and more around her than most people know.

Thankfully towards the end of what felt like the longest of weeks, it was time for their date. Ella had the location and time and no idea what to expect. Instead of her usual smart and expensive looking attire she dressed down to her favourite black leather jacket, grey tight jeans with high rise boots where the heels complimented every step of her walk in the best of ways.

She drove to the location, far away from anyone recognising who she was and after navigating a few streets there was couple of bouncers outside a black matted door between a bar some sort of closed building. It was the only logical place it would be and a simple flirt with the guards got her in without any fee to pay. Inside the metal steps echoed the further down she went, eventually leading to a well lit room where a large overweight man sat picking food out of his teeth.

“Been here before?” He grumbled, barely looking over his computer monitor. Ella was about to answer when he cut her off. “You place a bet, you lose, your problem. You start a fight and its game over. Only fights happen in the ring, outside of that you’re banned sweetcheeks.” There must have been a button the other side of his desk as the metal door to the side opened and noise erupted from the inside. It was as if he opened the door to a metal concert. The music boomed, people were cheering and Ella couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

She wouldn’t have expected that under the streets a venue like this could exist but there had to be at least hundreds of people from ground level all up on different tears and platforms huddled together around this one circular caged ring in the centre. The instant smell of blood filled the air, causing her to look directly into where two women were fighting inside the cage. Both covered in blood and bruises.

In order to curb the cravings and distract herself, Ella did the smart thing and headed for the bar. In between ordering a drink she text Lara. ‘Come find me at the bar? X”

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[lauronica_mars]

The texts Lara had sent Ella in the wake of getting LaF back, and other texts, had been deleted from her phone. After all the reason she had such a poor excuse for a phone was so she couldn't send selfies, and she knew her mother would check her phone when she got home. She'd never pointed out, of course, that she could easily have turned herself into a professional cam girl with that webcam of hers if anyone wanted to watch.

Her text back was fast. "I'm in the dressing rooms with Jack, giving him a pep talk. Tell them that you're Carmilla and you've come to see Jack and they'll let you through." She didn't of course realise that Jack was planning on threatening Ella, in part to check that she could cope and in part because he cared for her.

Laura herself was dressed almost as innocently as possible in a white floaty scoop-necked top and a white miniskirt, sticking out like a sore thumb in this place where black leather was more common than anything white.

[countess_karnstein]

Although wearing black leather Ella stood out, looking much younger and closer to Lara’s age then anyone could say they have ever seen her in a long time. She might be stuck at twenty-five but she could still pass for a student.

Lara sent a message back so fast that Ella had to knocked back her drink. It took a while of shifting through the crowds to locate where the changing rooms were. Every couple of steps crowds would cheer or shout and the noise felt like it was shaking the underground venue. Eventually, Ella made is it to the changing rooms using the name Carmilla to gain her access exactly like Lara had said.

There were a few looks from the crowd as she snuck past like a VIP to behind the scenes. Ella ignored them and proceeded down the dark corridors and towards the locker room. Eventually she heard the familiar voice of Lara alongside a guy’s voice she didn’t recognise. For someone so fearless she felt her stomach flip as the vampire walked into the room. The outfit was complete bait for Ella, so much so she couldn’t stop her fangs sliding into her mouth.

She smirked when Lara’s eyes met her own. That inescapable connection being made but short lived as out of nowhere Ella saw a hand come towards her from the side. On instinct she grabbed it, twisting the person round and shoving them face first and up against the wall. In the weight transfer Ella picked up that it was the guy. She pinned him, arm twisted so far back that snapping it would be effortless from here.

“What. The. Hell?” Ella looked over at Lara. “Friend of yours?” Her answer would decide if this man got to keep his life. Ella was still trying to learn not to kill or brutally hurt anyone that annoyed her. Lara was helping with that.

[lauronica_mars]

"Jack!" The alarm in Lara's tone was more a warning than anything else. "Ella!" And there was reprimand in it both times. "Break! Both of you." Lara was already moving, trying to step between them and then swallowing as she realised Ella might take the ring command the wrong way.

"Jack, you swung first. Please don't attack my girlfriend. Ella, Jack is who we are here to watch. Don't break him before the fight. Or even after."

"Sorry." Jack wasn't struggling and had heard the break command. "I thought you were Ivelisse there. And I've considered a restraining order for her."

[countess_karnstein]

It was lucky for Lara that Ella knew she didn’t mean break his arm because a fraction more and she would have snapped it like a twig. An effortless and skilled break the fighter would have taken a long time to recover from. She let go of Jack without the fear of him trying to take another swing. After the sigh of relief escaped his lips he spent the next few seconds flexing his arm and trying to rorate the pain the brief pain away.

“Should I even ask who that is?” Ella looked blank as if it was a fighter she should know about but when she was reminded what Lara was wearing her thoughts went out the window and the vampire smirked. Ella folded her arms across her chest and made it obvious she was checking the girl out. “Actually I suddenly don’t care.”

Biting her lip, Ella couldn’t even tear her eyes away to ask her question to Jack directly. “When you’re finished in the cage, can I borrow it?”

[lauronica_mars]

Lara opened her mouth to say something, and then her mind processed Ella's request to borrow the cage and understood what her girlfriend was planning. "God... no." Her shiver was visible as was the way the suggestion turned her on. But she wasn't ready for anything remotely like that.

Jack laughed, knowing Lara well enough to read her reaction for what it was. "You get her then? It's about time someone dragged you out of that shell, Lara." He turned to Ella. "But force her into anything she actually doesn't want and I'll do to you everything she won't because she'll protect everyone but herself."

[countess_karnstein]

As far as Ella was concerned Jack didn’t know she was a vampire and a vicious one at that. People had lost their lives for much less than the tone Jack was giving her right now. She wondered if Lara even fathomed how much self-control it was taking her to not kill every person that so much looked at her in the wrong way. But still, she made the effort to curb those urges and not be as ruthless simply because for Lara she was trying. Rescuing her friend LaF was the first step in trying to approach matters in another way. Hopefully another way that wouldn’t make hear appear weak.

“Are you threatening me?” The Dean raised an eyebrow. “Is that any way to speak to someone that nearly broke your arm?” She was quick to temper and if Lara caught it, her right hand balled into a fist in an attempt try and keep herself composed.

In that moment there was the noise of a door opening and from the side a girl entered the room. She had a torn grey tank top, ripped down the middle as if she had been in a fight. Black shorts that complimented her slender figure. It was the combat boots at the bottom that caught Ella’s attention when she entered heavy footed into the room. “The way these two are goin’ at it I’d say you’ve got about ten minutes before ya fight. “She refused to look at Lara on purpose but did to Ella, only out of curiosity. “Collectin’ more fans are we?”

[lauronica_mars]

Jack smiled. "Seven. Pete trained precisely for the full three rounds and doesn't realise what the crowd's giving him or that he's paying for it physically. He'll either win in two or be barely strong enough to defend himself at the start of three."

"Now why does that sound like you're almost quoting someone?" Lara's tone was teasing.

"I wonder." Jack's tone was dry. "Tia you've met Lara before. This is Ella, Lara's girlfriend. And apparently her mirror, even if both of them could compete at straweight. Ella, Tia." He was utterly oblivious to any jealousy in the room - or that Tia was interested in him.

[countess_karnstein]

“Girlfriend huh? Here I was thinkin’ princess was vanilla.” Tia gave Lara a look. It was the sort that hid how surprised and happy she was to hear she had a girlfriend but still hated the fact she felt Lara kept Jack’s attention. She ruffled the back of her frizzy brown hair and tilted her nodded a what’s up at Ella. “Have you been here before?”

The vampire hated that question. Sometimes it meant a connection leading back to the university where she is quickly found out on her identity. Other times it’s a connection to her age. Either way Ella kept calm and her tone was cold. “Never.” She said simply. Tia would have had less attitude from Ella if it wasn’t for the fact she had picked up on her attitude towards Lara. It was moments like this she wondered why she was here standing between a guy who had over protection issues of his friend and some street wise girl who needed an attitude adjustment. It was an odd entrance to a first date.

Ella was about to speak when the noise of the crowd roared behind the door where Tia stood. It was loud enough that Tia vanished for a split second, leaving the three of them wondering what was going on. Ella started to look around the room, curious if there were pictures or any old photographs of fighters. She feared if Jack pushed her she would hurt him so tried to keep her distance.

It wasn’t long before Tia came rushing back into the room. The beam across her face couldn’t be missed. “So much for Emily. You should have seen that!” She bounced across to Jack. “They Lucy hit her so hard swear her eyes rolled back into her skull. Anyway she’s out cold so guess what you’re up next. Get your shit together.” Leaving for the ring she paused to look back over her shoulder. “Oh and don’t lose this one okay? I bet on you to win.” That was the closest to a compliment Tia could give without her heart racing. She didn’t know if Jack would pick up on it but before he could answer she left the room.

“Let me guess, two men enter one man leaves?” Ella asked, for once making a movie reference out loud.

[lauronica_mars]

Jack barked a laugh. "She's dressed as aggressively as a punk at a Southern Baptist service. What ever gave you the idea she was vanilla?" Tia was out of the door before she was able to answer.

"Oh, if both last all five rounds they both leave." Jack shrugged. "Same reason they have rests in boxing. This is about entertainment and we don't want people to drop by running out of gas."

"Five rounds, three minutes each? We used to practice at five and five before you got too good." Lara grinned at Jack, slapping him on the shoulder. "You've got this."

[countess_karnstein]

Ella felt odd being in the locker room, scanning the walls and wondering if Jack picked up on the tension in the room as soon as Tia entered. It was bad enough between her and Jack let alone Tia and him. Lara did well not to snap her at her because Ella would have quite happily removed her tongue if she had stayed about any longer.

She turned around to see Lara giving him a few words of encouragement and Ella noted Jack didn’t look nervous at all. Perhaps he was and she couldn’t see it but from where the vampire stood she didn’t pick up an elevated heartrate above normal.

“Is there a certain place you want to watch Lara? Ella looked through the door Tia walked out of and could tell it was nearly time for Jack to head up to the ring. “The crowd are betting a lot of money on you Jack.”

[lauronica_mars]

Lara smiled. "We've an invitation right to ringside just outside the cage. Best seats in the house."

Jack grinned. "I'm the underdog but everyone wants me to win and Zack to get his face beaten in. And we've been having a war of words over YouTube and Twitter for the past month."

"You ready, Jack? And are you, Ella?" Laura was almost bouncing on her feet as Jack smiled and headed down the corridor.

They would almost be at the ring when Ella would notice the barrier; vampires, werewolves, and a range of other supernatural beings simply could not set foot within the cage. Lara actually could on the other hand; it didn't block witches.

[countess_karnstein]

Ella was staring at the crowd when she heard Lara call her name. It snapped her back into reality, tearing her from her thoughts. “I’m ready.” She smiled back over her shoulder and when she saw how excited Lara was, bouncing on her feet it pulled her away from the door enough to wander over to her. She was beautiful.

“Good luck.” The vampire wished Jack and as much as they didn’t hit off to the best start, she meant it.

When Tia’s voice introduced Zack to the crowd the room came alive with cheer. It roared so loud that Ella felt the ground move as Lara led them towards their spot to watch the match. Jack’s introduction was clearly favoured by Tia but the crowd didn’t mind. As if Zack’s cheer couldn’t be matched Jack earned an equal roar from the crowd. Ella kept looking between the excitement of the cage and Lara’s face. It was an interesting place for a first date but seeing the look of happiness on Lara made it completely worth it and Ella was starting to feel the buzz from the crowd.

The second the two fighters had the cage door locked behind them a dome appeared from the top of the cage and spread down to the arena floor. It was completely transparent so none of the crowd complained. There were also TV screens covering various angles of the match around the room so everyone got those close up shots. Ella noticed a man reach out and touch the barrier only to be blown backwards by a flash of light. Tia saw what had happened and took to the mic.

“As always supernaturals can’t enter the dome. Ya know the rules people.” When the laughter died down from the guy who shocked himself the bell rang and Zack smacked his fists together. He stayed light on his feet with his girlfriend barking orders from behind him. He simply grunted in acknowledgment and focused all his attention onto reshaping Jack’s face. Starting with the first punch he aimed straight for the stomach, intending to break a rib.