Sitting in my bed I hear the bitch in a box over the intercom, my door unlocked shortly after. When I get up and open the door I see Waynes already there and I looked at him un pleasingly.

This guy is like a fucking dog.

While he shows me the way to the arena we talk.

"So, what happens if I decide to skip the match?"

"You can if the person who is challenging you is above your rank like Red is. You just can't turn away a challenge if the person is below you in rank. That way people can try and move up anytime they want... but if you want to skip it the warden has to okay it. And knowing Red she would just find you in a hall somewhere and fight you then. In fact, I think the only reason she stopped before is that she knew this was an option. If it's taken off the table, then anythings fair game to her."

"I figured it would be something like that." Guess I'll just have to go as planned then.

"Also, usually their arent a lot of people watching a match, but since it's Red. You'll have people watching from both the disciplinary and main wing."

"What about the penitentiary wing?"

"If they have good enough behavior they can watch a recording of it, the rest will just get it by ear. We're only allowed out of the wing for official matches, that's the only way to rank up after all so they can't take that from us... well, y'all."

"Got it."

"This is only your second day here, awake, but she's no joke man. You could really get hurt in there if you don't use your ability. I know, I know, you don't have one. I don't know why you're hiding it but If the reason doesn't mean more to you than your ability to walk, then I would use your ability."

Turning to Wayne, "I have a plan."

"You do? What--"

We passed through an opening and I saw a huge raised platform that looked to be made out of concrete. It was rough looking and had cracks in it like an old sidewalk. It's the size of a small outdoor skate park, it seemed too big for one on one matches. Standing in the middle of it was Red-lips looking slightly different than before.

She's wearing pants that aren't ripped into shorts, and they're baggy, but with her normal shirt. She didn't do that because I was looking at her... no, can't be.

Looking past her I see the stands that surround the arena. They were packed.

"How can there be this many people? They all have abilities?"

"Oh, yeah, pretty much. Although some abilities can be counted as barely qualifying. I know this one guy, he was in the penitentiary wing for a while and he couldn't get out because he was so weak. All he could do was see stuff, like sounds and smells. It was weird, always felt like he wasn't looking at you but something that was on you or around you."

The intercom resonated throughout the arena, "Both participants are here, the match will now commence once both parties have entered the platform. Gun, please make your way to the platform."

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I hate that bitch.

As I walk towards the platform I could hear the people talking, and shouting.

"That shrimps going to fight Red?"

"Yeah, what was she thinking. He doesn't look strong at all!"

"I heard he's a max, and he just got here."

"You mean they put him straight into the max?"

"Damn, what kind of ability does he have?"

"It doesn't matter, I heard Red tossed him around just like Wayne."

"Man, I can't believe she has the balls to do that to another max!"

"What is he doing?"

"It looks like he's taking off those bandages on his arms, haha, he must have just had them on for show!"

"Look at him trying to be cool!"

"Oh my god, that is disgusting, look at his arm!"

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck!"

After taking off the bandages I step up to the platform while lifting up my shirt and taking it off. The bruises had ripened from my fight with those twins, the wounds on my arms still looked fresh because of the dried blood that covered them. My body was on the thinner side but what little mass I had was all muscle. Red-lips looked at me in shock, the terror of her curiosity trying to find out how I could have gotten so many injures, was written all over her face. Now we stood in the 'ring' together, twenty feet separating us. She wasn't the only one in shock, the whole place quieted down as they stared at my battered, frail-looking body.

It only served to make one voice stand out even more, "You may now begin."

I took off sprinting as best I could despite the pain of my burning thighs when they rubbed together. Red-lips face went from shock to anger in no time flat.

I guess she doesn't care about my injuries that much after all? Or maybe it's just the fact that I took the first attack that has pissed her off. Doesn't change my plan either way.

She quickly moves in closing the distance faster than me, ending up in front of me in no time. Her right arm whips back and comes flying at me.

Her punch doesn't seem to have any skill behind it. Just purely instinctual. It connects with my stomach sending me flying backward. I tumble a few times before coming to a stop, shaking and convulsing. Red-lips looks down at her right arm in confusion while I continue rolling around. The sounds I was making gave the impression I was dying... or I hoped.

"I knew this wasn't going to be a good one!"

"What happened! That guy looked half dead when he stepped into the ring?"

"This is bullshit! He didn't even use an ability!"

"Yeah, and he's supposed to be a max!"

"Why the hell did Red want to fight him in the first place?"

Perfect!

Just before the fist had hit me I grabbed her forearm, using it to push off of and jumping into the air to lessen the blow while also breathing out as it made impact. Because of those first two factors along with the innate force of her blow, it threw me back quite a distance without doing me much damage. So I was currently rolling around on the ground trying to act as if my body was shutting down from the punch.

I didn't have to "act" too much because without my bandages my arms hurt just touching the ground while rolling across it agitated my bruises.