The Interstellar Slave

Chapter 11: Almost Unconscious

Geez! Bahala na! Bituin thought resignedly. She didn’t care what was going to happen anymore. She just had to fight to get this whole thing done and over with.

In the corner of her eye, Shanice was all bloody and bruised. The poor Black Canadian woman’s left eye swelled and was barely open. As for Chao, he climbed the bars and back flipped, evading his gigantic opponent’s powerful punch, which slightly bowed the metal bar.

Bituin could not almost believe what she saw. But then she concluded that these people they were up against may have nanobots in their system just like her. That was a theory if she wasn’t mistaken—that these adversaries they faced were actually cyborgs.

She stepped back when her opponent threw a couple of punches aimed at her face. She ducked and moved from left to right as she delivered roundhouse kicks. The woman dodged these and counterattacked with a combination of hand bluffs, a front kick and a back kick. She evaded all these with agility. She moved in fast and elbowed the woman in the face, left and right. The latter groaned after being hit. She spat blood, giving Bituin a now hostile look. Still, she smirked diabolically.

“I didn’t know you have it in you.”

“Where are you from?” Bituin asked curiously, ignoring what the other combatant’s remark.

Her opponent attacked her fast once more, not answering her question.

Powerful blows were thrown back and forth for more minutes. Bituin had no idea how long it was now. She thought it was quiet long.

There isn’t even a break! she thought, seething. She could see how Chao and Shanice were trying to cope. But so far, they could still stand. She had no idea Shanice could fight at all. She thought the woman was just simply a coward, as she voiced out her fears in the black room.

Now Bituin was hit in the stomach, slightly staggering back. She felt the heat of that kick that almost knocked the air out of her lungs. She even held her breath before releasing it and to take in a deep one. Then, she was hit again in the chest, sending her back against the floor with a thud. She groaned a little, trying to endure the pain, cursing in her head.

The opponent rushed to her to pound her with a stomping kick. And yet, she rolled over to evade it, feeling the floor vibrate from her attack. She swept her feet, and the latter fell like a log. The audience opened their mouths now and then, Bituin observed. For sure, eating was what they were doing. Their negative feelings must be good for these evil creatures. How these tasted, Bituin simply couldn’t imagine it. Everything about this whole thing was just twisted!

Bituin dropped an ax kick on her opponents face right after the latter plummeted. She quickly trapped the woman with body when she was astride her. She clipped her enemy’s legs and pounded her face. The latter tried to protect her face by putting her forearms and fists above her face. But she couldn’t escape from Bituin’s attacks. She twisted her body, now facing down, but the seasoned underground fighter caught her neck in a lock. She gagged and choked.

“Don’t worry, just sleep,” she murmured in a low voice.

 She didn’t know exactly what happened, but the woman was able to get away from the chokehold. Now, Bituin found herself on her back and in an armlock. She heard her bone cracked when her opponent broke it.

Bituin felt the pain that made her vision swim. Her elbow bone stuck out, breaking the skin. Blood dripped from the elbow. It was horrible. She remembered when she was kicked in the back that night after her fight. Panic-stricken, she hyperventilated, body shaking slightly. She grunted in pain at the same time. She fought the tears that formed in her eyes, blinking fast.

Oh, God! I’m not going to die here. I’m not!

She felt her opponent’s kicks in her side and back. She was like lowly creature being stomped on by a higher being.

No, no, no! Not my back! Please! her muted plea.

Bituin did her best to roll over, to get away. However, the other woman kept going. She slid across the other end of the hexagonal ring. She groaned, fighting the nausea she was feeling. She coughed and took a hold of a bar to support herself through her good arm. The nanobots already worked on her other wounds and broken bones.

She was able to stand up before the foe came at her. She dodged, still holding the bar for support. Her back ached at the same time, as well as her ribs. She could barely breathe properly.

She ground her teeth, didn’t want to go down easily. She didn’t want to become paraplegic again. If that was possible in spite of the nanobots inside her body. She was still afraid. What if they just stopped working?

She heaved a deep breath. She thought getting away from the enemy at the moment was a wise decision while she healed.

She shook her head, trying to breathe normally and to focus. She had to distract the other combatant. But how?

“How long have you been fighting here, huh?” she asked.

The other woman appeared to dislike having conversations while they had a fight. She didn’t even answer the Fil-Korean’s query. Instead, the fierce woman was on to her again.

“Come on, tell me!” she challenged, backing off fast as much as she could.

They circled the ring. Bituin had to kill time while healing. She tried to feel her ribs and back swaying her body. The pain seemed to be less, which she found comforting. Her fogged brain because of panic cleared.

“Or you’re not human at all, are you?” she guessed.

The woman gave her a shattering look, rushing at her with a knee kick. And yet, Bituin was able to veer off her. The latter ended up knee kicking the bar. She groaned in pain and fell to the floor.

“Now, it’s my turn,” Bituin declared, feeling her elbow healed.

Now that was fast enough.