The match was over sooner than they had expected, 82 hadn't stood a chance against the smaller boy. And 28 was reminded by the pit in his stomach that he was up next. Rinzlo confirmed this when he barked an order for 28 and 78 to step onto the mat after 82 had been taken away. 28 was nervous as he readied himself. 'I don't want to hurt her, but I can't hold back either. Rinzlo would know and then we'd both get hell.' 28 watched her as she took her stance, lithe as a cat. 'I have to win, sorry Seventy-eight.' Rinzlo's growl signaled the beginning of their match. The pair paced around, feeling each other out. Both of them were reluctant to make the first move. 'What's her game?' 28 puzzled as she paced, matching his strides with her own. 'Why doesn't she attack? Surely she's not scared.' 28 decided that if she was frightened he had to capitalize on that advantage before it was gone. He rushed in, determined to land the first blow. He planted his foot and pivoted as he brought his right leg up, turning his hip and throwing his leg into a horizontal strike. His shin would cut through like butter and as he threw his right arm back his left came up to shield his face. Just like they had practiced. And as he threw the attack he realized, he had misjudged her entirely. 78 moved quickly, stepping away from the power of his attack and catching his leg. 28 was left unbalanced and defenseless as she twisted her hips, lifting 28 up and over her head before slamming him bodily into the floor. His world flashed red before his eyes as the air fled his lungs and his head spun. Before he could regain himself she was upon him. He felt the weight of her body as she planted herself on his chest and just as his vision cleared he saw her fist shooting towards his head. There was no time to react. The blow sent his world spinning again; he felt it on his cheek, hard. Groggily he tried to bring an arm up to shield his face but it was slapped away and he was greeted with another blow, this one in the mouth. He tasted blood. 'Not like this, not like this.' 28 threw his hips, setting her off balance for a moment. And a moment was all he needed. Desperately, he wrapped his arms around her hips and tossed his weight, hefting her off of him. 28 scrambled away and to his feet frantically. She was winning and she knew it. His vision restored, he could see her mischievous green eyes taunting him, a smirk playing at her lips. 'This mustn't register on an emotional level, I would have done the same. If I get in my own head now then I'm done for.' 28 spat blood and licked his split lip, it stung but nothing more. 'And I still have my teeth.' 78 stood waiting, her stance was strong and any emotion or confidence had fled her face. She was ready. 'Fuck.' He mirrored her stance and the two began to pace once more. 'If I make the first move again, I'll probably find myself on my ass with her pounding my face in before I can react. I need her to make a mistake, or I need to make her make a mistake.' He stopped pacing. She stopped. 28 made to rush in again, this time leading with a right handed jab, her hands came up to catch the attack. Just as he thought. 28 threw back his right arm and instead mirrored the same kick from before, hitting 78 squarely in the ribs. Something cracked and she was thrown through the air, landing on the other side of the mat. 'Might have overdone that one.' She groaned as she began to get to her feet. 28 dashed at her again, practically flying across the mat, and just as she was struggling to her feet he planted his knee into her face with all of the momentum he had gained. She went sprawling and 28 stumbled past her, trying to steady his footing. He turned to look at her and saw that a welt was forming on her forehead where he had struck her. 'Why doesn't Rinzlo call it? She isn't moving.' He cast his gaze towards the older man and found nothing in his eyes, absolutely nothing. From that total apathy came two words.
"Finish her."
78 began to stir once more. 28 knew that so long as she was conscious, Rinzlo wouldn't stop the fight. Her eyes fluttered open as he was moving in to finish the job and she quickly rolled away and to her feet. 78 was clutching her side, almost doubled over in pain, and she was visibly pissed off. 'Shit, I need to end this.' 28 began circling around to her left side, she attempted to keep pace with his movements but her injury was slowing her down. 28 moved in for the kill, she wasn't circling fast enough to protect her injured side and he was going to capitalize on that. Just as he was within range and bringing his arm back to deliver the devastating blow she tucked down bringing her right fist slamming into his exposed knee and grimacing through the pain. 28's knee popped and his leg gave away. As he fell she landed a powerful upwards kick to his stomach, sending him flying through the air. He lay there for a few moments, his lungs devoid of air. As they struggled to fill he saw 78 hesitate, saw Rinzlo egging her on as she shook her head, ordering her with that cold look on his face. As 28 rose to his knees, gasping for breath, she moved in. 78 attempted to replicate the upward kick but 28 was ready and he caught her leg. Reaching down 78 grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head into her captured knee. His nose crunched and blood splattered across the mat. 28 released her, falling onto his back. She mounted him once more and rained a torrent of blows down one him, it was all he could do to cover his head. But he could feel her tiring, her attacks slowing. 'There!' He shot his elbow up into her cracked ribs and she screamed. Hands grasped his throat, pinning his head down against the bloodied mat. As his lungs screamed for air and his vision dimmed he sank blow after blow into her side. Her grip released and air flooded back into his lungs. Coughing, he shoved her off of him. They both crawled away from each other. The battle would be decided by who recovered faster. 28 began to rise to his feet when a foot planted itself into his back and forced him to the ground with a thud. A weight settled onto his back and strong fingers grasped his hair. They yanked his head back and slammed it into the ground. Then again. And again. All he could see was red, all he could taste was blood, all he could hear was the thumping of his heart in his ears. Eventually the slamming stopped and he lay there in a pool of his own blood, choking on it. The weight vanished and his hair fell loose from the fingers' grasp. 28 struggled to lift his head and the last thing he saw was those sad, tear filled green eyes and the bottom of a foot plummeting towards his head.