A woman wrapped up in bandages walk into a large confinement of concrete. She wasn’t wearing any clothes strangely but had wrapped herself up enough to look like a mummy. I am guessing thats Vex.

A man with bionic arms and legs walked out on the stage from another entrance. He was wearing shorts and a grey shirt with holes here and there that showed off his metal underbelly. But from around the neck up he was mainly flesh but had a few lines of metal to protect the neck and and a terminator like skull poking out of his temple.

Big metal shutters closed in behind both fighters.

I always wonder why they look like idiots?

They just do.

But why do they?

Don’t know.

I mean even their names are weird and they were like that when we were fighting as well. In fact they called us doctor Bight not Mason Bright.

I assume they were talking about it because I am a doctor.

No you became a doctor because you hated people calling you doctor when you weren't a doctor.

They both gave a little bow. There is about 50 meters between each door and the fighters are standing on white X’s that are hard to see on the video but are probably easy to see in real life.

Then a robotic voice calls out “ Vexed Vs machine Boy”

“ Pst” Zoe gives a little giggle. Machine boy? Are they running out of names?

“ Not the best name to show off Vex’s might but it will do for a starter fight.”

“ Hey Noah do you think they make the names five seconds before hand because of not they have no excuse.”

“ Yeah that name was terrible… it’s almost hard to imagine someone putting work into it. They immediately made the character lame.”

Vex made the first move. She launched herself across the ground at a stationary opponent but was flipped and thrown onto her back with a well place counter.

Vex leap back at him using her own head as a battering ram. But was blocked. Still in mid air she twists around and slams her foot into the side of his face. Then with her weight behind it she places her hands on the ground and spins and kicks him in the side however he is able to put up a guard.

Jumping back she lands on her feat but doesn't have time to think as he throws a few light punches at the back of her head.

Remarkable she serves and ducks under them enough to turn around. Jumping back once more she positions herself then steps in and punches him in the stomach but is blocked and receives a blow to the chin leaving her disoriented which allows him to land three good blows. Stumbling back a line of blood pours from her nose and a cut above her right eye forms.

“ Her moves are to straightforward and easily countered.”

“ Yeah. But there was power in that kick look at how he is not charging her despite have the advantage in power.” Noah adds to my words

She inch’s forward and then claps her hands and a torrent of flames over her opponent but he uses it to cover his approach stepping out right next to her with a wide swing at her head.

She tilts to the side and trips him in the process.

He's down on the ground and she wails down on his throat with two heavy punches but is thrown off however her opponent seems to have trouble breathing.

She steps forward and punches him in the stomach strangely ice forms around where her first lands. Then she kicks him in the side and he goes down again leading to three blows to the face before she is thrown off.

She’s not strong enough to keep him where she wants him.

The opponent this time rushes her with a tackle but she jumps over him in a spectacular way. He turns around and swings at her. She sends a light punch to his face that disrupted his movements allowing her to get close and land to blows to the kidney before steeping back she also swings at his head.

When the punch makes contact fire spreads out but he looks almost unfazed by it. However it was just hiding something else. She punches him in the chest and it caves in. Then she does it again with the other hand and he falls back grasping for breath.

She stands over him and waves her hand and two stone pillars shoot up out of the floor and almost crush his head he screams and blood smothers his head.

“BEEEP. The judge has decided Vex as the winner the fight has ended “

The same robotic voice from before speaks.

The blood from the cut above her eye has run down to her shoulder and seems much larger than originally perceived.

“ Her right hand is broken as is her shin.” I commit.

“ What? How I didn’t see that!”

Zoe backs me it “ It's a nice trick what she does with the bandages. Although it clearly needs work as she pushed all the bones in her wrist and shin using it.”

“ Wait what trick? Mason, Zoe what did I miss.”

“ That punch where she caved in the man's chest was nice and her defense is quite impressive.”

“ Guys I feel left out what is she doing?”

“ She has control over her bandages and is moving them not her body. She didn’t move a muscle the entire fight she was being dragged around by the bandages when she was taking a hit she made them absorb the impact and when she was moving she was pulling herself like a puppet… hey Noah you sure she’s a heightened she was relying on her bandages a hole lot in that fight?”

“ Yeah I have seen her without them.” It was Zoe who spoke that.

“ But what do you think about that fight? Mason? You think she's got it in her?”

“ I don’t know… nothing blew me away in that fight. If anything I am impressed that technology has come so far. That machine boy was quite strong for a rookie and he obviously didn’t know what he was doing and was letting the technology fight for him. He stay when he should have attacked and attacked when he should have stayed at first I thought he was just a defensive fighter but now… I would need to see more but it was like she entered the fight without a plan by she was definitely thinking after she took that punch to the face. I don’t know if she was looking down on him or something was on her mind by she wasn’t focused on what was before her until she nearly lost the match. Also her fire was weak and even used against her. The ice was impressive but it also backfired on her because his stomach became jagged she would have cut her hand to shit if she punched their again before the ice was gone. The rock thing at the end… that was pretty cool. She knows how to punch and some might say she knows how to take a punch and keep swinging something her opponent didn’t have and she found that and used it. All together she needs time to grow but she will grow so long as she is watered in experience and proper teaching.”

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“ At least you were paying attention what about you Zoe?”

“ Ahhh yeah… when she punched him in the chest she broke her wrist by tightening her bandages to much and she shin was just weaker then his metal plate which is why it broke. I don’t have anything else to add? Experience is what she needs the most and don’t let her fight above her level for a bit… no she… her go out their to die to a much stronger opponent then her so she learns to pay attention.”

“ Isn’t that a bit harsh.”

“ That is the nature of war. Mason gets it. Also do you want her to be strong or her to be famous.” Zoe said.

“ Why not let her decide?”

“ I am sorry?”

“ The fuck are you on about Mason.”

“ I am saying the next time you see her ask her is she wants to he strong or famous. If she says famous then give her time to learn and if it’s strong then feed her to the wolves.” I said

“ Again isn’t that a bit harsh? Besides she’s an idiot she can barely get out of bed in the morning than make an descrison like that… but yeah she needs more experience I will hold her down for a bit.” Noah said.

She could use some work on her magic as well… its bad. She might not even be cut out for element magic?

Then what type of magic?

Well of the five main types theirs.

Summoning were you call something to you… and before you get confused most summoning magic is about summoning certain things like hell fire and using it in combat then summoning someone or something that's alive. Although the summoning of demons are quite common as well.

Alteration is next. Thats has already been explained and is easy got. Its changing things.

Theory. You use mana to do something that is entirely dependent on your will and the laws of the realm. It is also the one that is most connected to science and is most widely used.

Creation. Your alchemy. You just make shit and somehow it works despite all know magic laws saying it doesn't and shouldn’t work. Oh and I guess the heightened and the blessed count in this one. Well this one is pretty much a big fuck you to all other magic fields.

And finally Soul magic. Necromancy… maybe.

Well that was helpful what do you mean Necromancy maybe?

Well I just don’t know? You have never come in contact with this one and I certainly don’t have a fucking clue what it’s about… oh your mother is a master of this one so we have actively avoided it as well as never encountered it before.

Well if mother is involved that sounds like something we would do I guess.

But Necromancers are a thing and I don’t know what else they would fit into to. Calling back the souls of the death and bending them to your will.

Oh looks like we have guests.

Just then my door was kicked in and a man dripping blood was brought into my house by another. I pointed at the kitchen and went to get some gloves I came back in less than ten seconds but their was already a stand off between the one of the guys who just came in and Noah and Zoe.

“ Who the fuck are you!”

I step in

“ Don’t worry about it now tell me what are his injuries we must get to work.”

He looks at me. Oh it's that guy… Sef name!

Jalapeños!

Sef! Name!

Jax

“ Jax calm man talk me through I lets go over there don’t worry about them.”

I lead Jax over to the guy who has been layed on my operating table. Oddly he is face down. You see because of movies most people put him face up unless his injury is in the back. I turn to jax and grab a pair of scissors which I use to cut the guys shirt off.

“ He was shot in the back. We were driving so then they just started shooting at us.”

Safe if it wasn’t in the back I would had to explain why I didn’t like his suit.

Jax has already calmed down to the point you would think he was watching the weather broadcast. I identify the wound. Its bleeding pretty bad it's in his upper back.

Did you know

The closer the victim is to the shooter, the higher the chance of significant injury. Upper back wounds will typically pass through the lungs, and lower back wounds get the vital organs.

I check for an exit wound and… nope. So what? Smaller round?

Ok first… “ How far away was the shooter?”

“ About two cars back… maybe three.”

“ What gun?”

“ Some small pistol.”

“ Ok so it hit him almost directly, missed the spine and probably the rib but didn’t pass through. The bullet was fired from a smaller gun yeah I could probably do this isn’t that great guy who was shot.”

“ Haha” he gives a nervous laugh.

I hold my hand over the wound less to stop blood and more to stop air from entering.

This guy is fucked.

Really I think I can do it.

No his lung is about to collapse get the needle.

“ Zoe! Hey in the cupboard in my bed room there are some needles and tubes in a box labeled lung yeah can you bring that to me. Thanks.”

I turn the man on his side. Injured side down so gravity will keep his lung from imploding in on it self.

Did you know that when you breathe you push the air into your trachea or windpipe then into your lung. Obviously when there's a hole in said lung the air dose as it pleases and this will collapse the lung in time. So when enough air gathers around the lung it collapses. Well it's more like if there's enough air outside the lung it cannot expand to take in more air. Also lungs bleed and you don’t breath blood. This even has a fancy name its pneumothorax!

This guy is both lucky and unlikely.

Unlikely because he was shot. Lucky because the bullet missed his spine and heart… probability is on his side. Also it was one lung. So that's a plus. Bad thing I have no idea where the bulliet is so not going to cut him open to seek it sorry mister you might have trouble at airport screeners but you will live maybe.

But what concerns me is the blood or lack of it. He's not bleeding much which probably means it’s filling up his lung instead. Our yeah if its blood that stops the lung it’s actually called hemothorax!

The more you know!

So there are three possible outcomes.

1. be bleeds to death.

2. His lung collapsed and he suffocates to death

3. I save his life and get paid.

“ Hey Jax. In that duck tape on the table do you think you could hand that to me. Also thanks Zoe go back to watching I will be there when I am done here.”

Jax hands me the duck tape and I use it to close the wound to stop air coming in. I then lay him on his back and reach into the box labeled lung and take out a large bore needle thats 14 gauge inserted it between the ribs. This is to get rid of the air now outside the lung.

Is it?

Why are asking… am I wrong

No I think your right… maybe.

his is called needle decompression. I take out another needle and poke this one in his arm. It's a powerful painkiller to help this guy chill the fuck out.

“ Hey what was that stuff?”

“ Oh wow your still awake your doing better than I believed you would oh don’t worry it's just a pain killer. Oh yeah what blood type are you. Do you know? I don’t need to know but it might save me some money if you can tell me.”

“ A positive.” Its jax who tells me. Are they bestes how do you know his blood type.

“ Ok A positive it is!”

“ Zoe! Get me the the A + blood bag and that machine labeled lung drainage system.”

I turn back to my poor victim.

“ Am I going to be ok dr?”

“ Its doctor Bight. And yeah the bulliet miss the heart and spine I can’t get it out for you without an scan but you’re not going to die but it’s going to hurt for like a month.”

“ That's good to know.”

“ Oh yeah what's your name?”

“It’s alex”

“ Nice to meet you alex. Well I am going to shove this pipe into your chest amd pump some of the blood out so it doesn't flood the lung. The trick on how to do this is that you need to use the machine to prevent any air from going in its place. Also I might change your bandages with actually bandages later instead of duck tape.”

“ Ahh ok.”

He seem to pale a bit.

Well I will save you the gorey details amd say that all went well and we hooked him up to some more blood so that's good I guess we wait now.

“ So Jax… about me money? The same as last time?”

“ Sure.”

“ I am glad.”

I leave and walk over to the couch and leap on top with my arms spread I am tried only for a foot to catch me and throw me over it onto the floor.

“ Zoe! Why…”

“ Nope I am sleeping here go somewhere else.”

Repeat after me.

Or I could join you.

Say it.

“Or I could join you.”

“ hah keep dreaming.”

“ Wheres Noah?”

“ He went home as soon as those two showed up. She said he would call if he wanted to throw her to the lions.”

“ Hey Zoe aren't you cold?”

“ A little. Why are you going to warm me up. Covered head to toe in someone else’s blood you want to snuggle up with me no thank you.”

“ Yes exactly. Anyway you should take the bed or at least steal a blanket from it.”

You idiot she was giving you the ok if you had a shower first! Why the fuck would you say that! Ahhh fuck you dense mother fucker.

What? Really I didn’t pick up on that at all.

“ Ok I will take the bed but I will give you a blanket before hand. My humbleness is truly amazing.”

Is that humble? Wouldn’t the word be generosity?

Shhhhh she doesn’t know that. Or it made sense in her head but not in words.

Let's go with that.

I stretched and then closed my eyes it was time to sleep.

I was tired. We were tired.

Hahahahaha he’s asleep… so cute.

My precious darling Mason. Tonight was a good night. You seemed like your usual self.

It’s been getting worse.

Don’t worry I will save you before it's to late I won’t let it happen again this time I will win.

Don’t worry Mason.

Its us now.

I love you. And don’t worry because I am always watching you.