I sat on the cold table again as Bella fussed over the wounds. She sighed and dabbed the ointment on my skin. She had been quiet but I knew she was pissed.
"You know they found brass knuckles on her." I nodded
"I felt it too." She slapped the table.
"Why didn't you let Rodger cancel the match?" I shrugged.
"It's not like silver can hurt me in the same way it'll hurt you. And it would have upset the crowd and cost me my bet." She sighed.
"Well this is going to scar." She shook her head and placed a few paper stitches to the wound on my leg. "I wish I could close it properly but the shape is designed to be difficult to heal and with the addition of silver…" I nodded.
"I'll just wear longer shorts." There came a knock on the door and I pulled my mask back on and looked around. Bella frowned then walked to the door and pulled it open. The troll from the door was standing there a strange look on it's face.
"For the Banshee…" It handed Bella a letter. We both watched as the Troll began to leave.
"What is it?" Bella turned and gave me the letter.
"Don't know but it smells like Vox…" I nodded and took in the scent before pulling the letter open carefully.
"It's a letter asking me to join his fighting team…" Bella snorted.
"Head hunting you? What nerve." I nodded and frowned.
"You mentioned he's collecting fighters… Does he personally scope out fighters he's interested in?" Bella nodded and applied more stitches to my leg.
"He can be seen ring side watching." I nodded.
"Black suit, green shirt and hair gelled back." She hesitated in placing the last stitch.
"You saw him?" I nodded and she shook her head. "Fuck…" she placed the last stitch then covered it with a clear waterproof dressing. She pulled off her gloves as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "That fucking man… I'll tell Rodger about this but… keep an eye open. If you go to his side to fight… He has some strange rules you need to follow. If you choose to stay with us he'll come after you… not outright. He'll be sneaky about it." I nodded and crumpled the letter then tossed it in the bin.
"No intention of joining him." She slapped me a high five as she turned to leave.
"Good… but…" She stopped herself. "Just keep that fighting spirit of yours ready." I nodded and watched her go. The room fell silent as I gathered my stuff. Slowly I made my way to the locker room then stopped as people I didn't recognize were lurking in the shadows. I slipped back behind the corner. In the quiet of the hallway I could hear the people breathing and one was getting closer. My mind began to race with what I needed to do.
'If I run, they'll hear me. If I stay, they'll find me.' The person was almost at the turn and I held my breath hoping they would stop.
Suddenly my world changed as something clamped over my mouth and I was pulled up and into an air vent. In my horror I felt legs wrapping around my body to keep me still and then something white, long and hairy closed the air vent without making a sound. From my vantage point I could see through the slits in the vent. Someone rounded the corner. It was a burly man in sweatpants and a loose white t-shirt. He sniffed and looked around the hallway then shrugged back to his friends.
I could feel the weight of something above me shift slightly and what felt like a pat tapped on my hip. In the dull dark of the airshaft I tried to get a look at who or what had hold of me. But it moved further back it's head now squarely between my shoulder blades. All I could make out was white fir and two big black eyes that stared unblinking at me.
"What are you doing down here?" a voice called out. My attention went back to the men below. The security for Rodger's section had turned up and were converging on the men in the hall.
"We had business to discuss with one of the fighters that…" He was cut off.
"All business deals are meant to go through the fighters managers." I heard Rodger as he walked into the hallway. "That means you're meant to talk to me first." He stood directly below the air vent. "The fact that you're here means you've trespassed on my territory and are in violation of the agreements set in place by the counsels." I could see the strange men gather and the atmosphere became tense.
"We didn't come to fight…" Rodger held up his hands swiftly.
"I don't give a crap." He sighed. "Since this is your first transgression into my space I'll let you leave unharmed, but if I catch you again…" He smiled evilly. "I won't hesitate to put you down." He waved his hands and the security men forcefully escorted them from the area. Rodger turned and watched them go then looked up and smirked into the air vent.
"Rodger where's…" Bella was cut off as he motioned for silence then he pointed up.
"I'll just go and check the area for anything they might have left…" He smirked and sauntered off towards the locker room. Bella looked around then up and waved.
"You can come down now." I felt the body behind me shift and the white limbs opened the air vent. As I was lowered down to the ground. I felt like a marionet on it's strings then saw the horrified look on Bella's face. I glanced up just in time to see the massive spider flinch away from my sight.
"Is that…" I trailed off as the air vent was closed and a gentle sweeping sound drifted down.
"Souls Sucker…"
"Enoch if you will. He's not fighting at the moment." We turned to see Rodger and he grinned. "Oh, he seems to like you." He chuckled slightly. "Oh well I better go and straighten things out with Vox he held up a small box. "I seem to have broken his camera." He began to walk away then stopped. "I've checked the area and there are no other devices." I nodded and he left.
Bella shuddered and looked back to the air vent then to me and pulled a strand of silk off me. I frowned and looked around as I was covered in long lines of silk.
"Is this what Rodger meant by him liking me?" Bella shrugged and pulled another line of silk away and wrapped it up.
"I have no clue… I don't like spiders at the best of times." I shrugged.
"Spiders never bothered me… massive ones that can eat me alive…" We both shuddered again. I pulled the last of the silk from my skin then began to walk towards the locker room. Bella escorted me to the door then looked around.
"Enoch will be… around…" She looked to the air vents and narrowed her eyes. "So no one will come after you." I nodded and she turned away making a quick getaway as she looked up at the ceiling. Left alone, or at least I hoped, I entered the locker room and placed the ball of silk down on the bench.