She blinked, trying to look dazed, and Ruby grinned. Their routine was winding down—at this point, the audience thought Hart had at least a sprained ankle and a concussion. They were roaring for her blood, but Hart figured they'd accept her defeat.
She bucked beneath Ruby. The girl kept her pinned easily and delivered one more glancing blow to Hart's head.
Ruby grabbed her jaw and pressed her face down into the mat, stretching her body over her as if to keep her pinned.
Jackal sprang up, calling out the count enthusiastically. The noise of the audience reached cacophonous new heights, and Hart found her head pounding as if she really did have a concussion.
"And our pretty new contender has done the impossible!" Jackal thundered triumphantly. "She has beaten the unbeatable! Please give a round of applause for our new champion—Ruby!"
Ruby crawled off of her, stroking imperceptibly down Hart's side in a gentle touch that made her shiver. She strode over to Jackal's side with a wide grin.
Hart watched from the corner of her eye, pretending to catch her breath and nurse her wounds. Jackal grabbed Ruby's hand, raising it above her head. She stared out into the crowd with a smile on her face, and Hart could see she was actually enjoying the approbation being thrown her way. For the first time that evening, Hart was sure that the grin that spread over Ruby's face was real.
After a moment, when Jackal didn't seem inclined to say anything more, Ruby rose up on her toes, leaning to whisper something in his ear. He grimaced, shooting her an aggrieved look before bringing the microphone back to his lips.
"And don't forget," he bellowed as if he would like to do just that, "for defeating our champion, Ruby has won a bonus of Ten ... Thousand … Dollars!"
The crowd roared.
Triumph looked good on Ruby, even if it was fake. Her skin glowed, glistening with sweat, flushed a pretty pink. Her hair was wild, breaking loose from the slick hold the stylist had tamed it into. Her eyes were bright and her smile was even brighter. Even though she wasn't the usual type for these fights, the crowd was eating her up, shouting out her name.
With a sigh, Hart slithered out of the ring, her movements unremarked upon except by a few die-hard detractors who sneered as she walked past. Now that they'd seen her beaten, her face mashed into the mat, they were done with her. She was yesterday's news.
Hart never thought being discarded could feel so good. She walked out of the arena, into the blissful silence of the changing room, knowing she'd have to wait a little longer to see Ruby, to actually talk to her. She changed mechanically, trying to process the fact that this was her last fight. She thought her career as a fighter had been over before, but unlike her desperate flight from Leo's gym, this was on her own terms.
She grinned; it felt like she had finally taken control of her life. She wasn't going to be pushed around by anyone anymore—not the powerful people of the City or the sleazy men of the Alley or the other girls from the Gutter. Hart knew she was strong, and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her how to live her life ever again.
She wouldn't risk herself for other people's sick enjoyment, and she wouldn't let anyone tell her it was wrong to kiss girls instead of boys.
Hart slid into her own clothes, dropping the horrible spandex unceremoniously to the floor. For the first time in a long time, she felt comfortable in her own skin, proud of who she was.
She turned to look in the full length mirror and smiled. She had been in disguise for so long, first as a boy, and then as whatever fantasy of a girl Jackal was trying to sell. Finally, though, she just looked like Hart. Her hair was tousled with product and sweat, and there were traces of makeup still smeared around her eyes, but that didn't matter.
When Hart left the dressing room, it was without a backwards glance.
*~*~*
Hart pushed open the door to the street, and immediately frowned. There were angry shouts outside the arena, more the usual drunken raucousness that tended to follow a big fight.
At first, Hart couldn't see the source of the trouble, just a knot of people crowded around the door. She recognized the uniforms of the arena security, and after a moment she realized that the angry shouting was coming from someone trying to force their way into the arena.
"You get that idiot organizer out here!" The man bellowed. "I have something to tell him."
The security just shouldered him further back from the door, their faces impassive even as he screamed right into them.
Hart moved further onto the street, heading for the car waiting to take her home. At her movement, the angry man's head swiveled and their eyes locked.
"Shit," Hart muttered.
Kemp growled and lunged for her before she had a chance to react. It was like that horrible night all over again, and Hart froze as senseless terror flooded her. She knew she was safe, knew the security guards were standing right there, but the sight of Kemp bearing down on her made her feel just as vulnerable as she had in the dark of the Alley.
He grabbed her roughly, a vicious grin on his face.
"You." He hauled her towards the door, his nails digging into the skin of her arm. "Get that organizer out here," Kemp snarled at the security again. More and more people were milling around, watching with interest, and Hart felt bile rise in her throat.
Wasn't it enough that Kemp had done this to her before?
"He's going to want to hear how this little tramp has been lying to him," Kemp said, shaking Hart by the arm. The guards looked uncertain, their eyes moving from Hart to Kemp and back again.
"What's the problem here?" Jackal's voice floated out over the din of the crowd, and the security men stepped aside to let him out. Ruby was with him, still in her fighting clothes, and her eyes widened as she spotted Hart and Kemp.
Kemp dug his nails in deeper, and Hart felt the sting as they broke skin, knowing blood would be welling up around his grip. "You're getting played," he told Jackal bluntly.
Jackal looked bemused.
"I came to see the fight tonight to watch this little bitch get her head bashed in. Imagine my surprise when I realized I knew
that
little bitch, too." Kemp pointed angrily at Ruby. "They're playing you. They know each other," Kemp barreled on, gesturing between Hart and Ruby.
Surprise crossed Jackal's face, and he frowned. "You didn't tell me that."
"Nothing to tell," Hart said quickly. "I used to fight at her father's ring, that's all."
"Yeah, and you were pretty cozy from what I remember," Kemp spat. "Always hugging on the sidelines."
The crowd outside had grown, most of the audience from the fight streaming out onto the sidewalk. Everyone was listening and a murmur went up at Kemp's words.
"Yeah, we were friends," Ruby said quickly, her voice hard, her eyes narrowing. "
Before
."
"Before?" Jackal asked.
"She lied to me. To everyone. My dad nearly got arrested because of her," Ruby spat, and another murmur ran through the gathered crowd. Hart dropped her eyes. She knew Ruby was just saying what she had to, but it was all true. She had lied and had put Leo at risk.
"And I—" Ruby shook her head, her expression angry. "I thought she was a
boy
." She crossed her arms. "Who liked me. And then I find out she's making a killing while no one comes to our gym because we let a girl fight. Forgive me for jumping at the chance to knock her down a peg or two."
Jackal flung his arm around Ruby, giving her a comforting squeeze. "That sounds pretty reasonable to me," he said, eyeing Kemp.
Kemp deflated slightly, but still growled, "I know you're up to something."
Jackal grinned at the gathered crowd. "I think this has been quite enough excitement for tonight, don't you all agree?"
The City folk, drunk or not, politely tittered.
"If you want to see more, come back to see Ruby's next fight!" he announced, ever the businessman. The crowd began to disperse, and Hart knew that was her cue. Trying not to look at Ruby, she wrenched her arm from Kemp's lax grasp and headed for the waiting car.
Ruby's words stung. Hart knew she was playing a part, playing the part they had devised together, but Hart
had
lied to her, had deceived her, and even though Ruby said they were fine now, Hart couldn't help but wonder if resentment still stirred beneath the surface. The words had come awfully easily to Ruby's lips.
The car glided through the night, down illuminated City streets. Lights spiraled up into the sky, soaring to impossible heights, carving surreal shapes into the black of night. Yellow and blue and green and gold; everything gave off a different glow and the City practically hummed with the energy that powered it, hungrily consuming, day and night. Hart watched the scenery go past, hoping it was the last time she ever saw it. She was happy to leave the gleaming buildings and their rotten interiors behind.
When they passed through the Alley, Hart hesitated. She was supposed to go straight to Leo's gym, but suddenly she felt unsure.
Watching Ruby win the fight had been amazing; even though it was all choreographed, the triumph looked good on her. Hart worried that it had
felt
good, too. Worried that Ruby would embrace that world—the fights and Jackal and the City—and turn her back on Hart.
Still, when the car turned down Ruby's street, Hart asked the driver to stop. She had made a promise.
Leo's arena was quiet as Hart crept up to it, conscious of how conspicuous she was. She let herself into the gym, flipping on the lights to wait for Ruby to return. Idly, she pushed at one of the punching bags, watching it gently swing.
It seemed like she was alone in the gym for hours. Intellectually, she knew she left the city before Ruby, but the silence of the gym was stifling, and she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. Seeing Kemp again, being grabbed by Kemp again, being nearly exposed by Kemp again, had shaken her. All she could think about now were the ways everything could still go wrong. Until Ruby walked through the door with the money, she was going to be nervous.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Hart heard a noise on the street. Her nerves were frayed and she jumped at the sound, her heart hammering in her throat as the door pushed open.
Ruby and Leo walked in, smiles on their faces.
Hart let out a breath, relaxing slightly at the sight of their matching grins. Ruby held up a small bag, dangling it enticingly in the air.
"Guess what I have?" she laughed.
Hart reached for it with shaking fingers. "Did you check how much was in there?"
"Made Jackal count it out right in front of her. Twice," Leo said, pride evident in his voice.
"I bet he loved that," Hart snorted. Hart held out her hand and Ruby stepped forward, but hesitated. For one awful second Hart felt her stomach sink, but Ruby just frowned.
"Hey," Ruby stepped closer, cupping a hand around the back of Hart's neck and pressing the purse into Hart's grasp. Just like that. Like parting with all that money was nothing. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, fine." She was being ridiculous. She knew Ruby, she trusted Ruby. She just couldn't understand why someone would do so much for someone like her. But, despite what people like Kemp and Jackal said, Hart was starting to think she had underestimated herself. Ruby was smart and beautiful and funny. And she liked Hart. It had to mean something.
"Everything is going to be better now," Ruby said, squeezing the hand still cupped around the purse. "You don't have to fight anymore, and Kemp won't be bothering you."
"You know," Leo said, stepping forward, reminding the girls he was still in the room. Hart flushed, but Ruby didn't pull back from their near-embrace. "Jackal may have let you both go tonight, but he'd have to be an idiot not to be suspicious."
"So? Hart's done with that now."
"Yes," Leo nodded. "But he's going to expect you to fulfill your role as his new champion. When you don't, Kemp's accusations are going to be right at the front of his mind. He'll come looking—for you both."
Hart's stomach sank. Leo was right. As the winner tonight, Ruby was expected to take Hart's place as Jackal's champion. Fighting wasn't a one-off gig, no matter how much money was in the purse.
Hart's gaze drifted back to Ruby. She remembered the elation on Ruby's face as she basked in the admiration of the arena and wondered if that wasn't something the other girl wanted. To be a champion in her own right.
"Hart will be fine," Ruby said quickly. "She's leaving the city. Jackal won't be able to find her."
"What about you?" Hart asked. If Ruby wanted to be a fighter, that was up to her. Hart didn't want to stand in the way of anyone's dreams. But if Ruby went onto the circuit while Hart went into hiding, they'd never see each other again. Hart couldn't very well show up to support Ruby at her fights. She probably couldn't even meet up with her at Leo's gym, not if people like Jackal or Kemp were watching their every move.
She wanted Ruby to be happy; she just wasn't ready to let her go.
"Well," Ruby said, her eyes sliding to her father. She must have liked whatever she saw on Leo's face. A brilliant smile lit up her face as she turned back to Hart. "I hear the countryside is really nice this time of year."
"What?" Hart shook her head when Ruby's face fell. "I mean, really?"
Ruby's smile turned shy. "Yeah. I could help you guys get settled," she suggested. "You know, pick out a place. Get moved in. Get myself out of dodge for a couple of months."
A few months, away from the fights, away from the city and the poverty and the hunger. Out in the country, where there was apparently fresh air and blue skies and green grass. Just Hart, her family, and Ruby. It was the time they had never had, time to get to know each other without anything in the way, no lies and no violence potentially separating them.
"I think that sounds … pretty perfect," Hart said, returning Ruby's smile.
Epilogue
"Is that everything?" Leo asked, surveying the small cottage. Hart looked around with a wry smile. Her family's belongings hadn't seemed like much even in the cramped shack in the Gutter. Here, in their new house, it seemed like even less. "Looks like it."