Deep breath in then she let it out slowly. She had been backstage so to speak Scorch wasn't a gladiatrix but she shared their locker room. The various slaves had their pens elsewhere though the room she had been in had an assortment of weapons.

She never used her own in these contests. They tended to get damaged and her sword was a family heirloom. She selected one now, a shorter blade, well balanced it was about the length of her forearm and had been designed more for thrusting then slashing.

Since she was not a slave she had been allowed a plasma pistol. She wasn't going to be firing indiscriminately at the audience and it wasn't as if she could not generate a similar ranged attack from her flames but with the pistol she would be able to generate attacks at range without concentrating on anything other then aiming.

The pistol tended to be all but useless. Either her foe was resistant, too quick to target or it was ineffective. Mercer tended to hand pick her opponents and this was something he only occasionally did to prevent her sister from having to endure such a fate. Soon, she hoped to have her free from such a state but fighting was never her strong suit.

She was decent at it, in the arena though she had mixed results. In truth she had no idea what was waiting for her. She left her white trench coat behind wearing white pants and a black shirt. Her holster on her left hip, the sword sheathed on her right she waited for introductions before heading out to the arena. She had some fans, she could hear them cheering though she knew it wasn't for her victory … sometimes she won so she wondered if that was part of the appeal, that it wasn't a forgone conclusion when she stepped into the arena.

Oh, lovely. She had seen the arena configured several different ways in the past one time even battling above water with a creature within it while going from platform to platform above.

This time random portions of the floor were opening and closing though the effect was not evident as she was allowed safe passage to the center of the arena. Either trap doors let something into the arena or some hazard spat out, memorizing a pattern was impossible seeing how it all seemed random.

She was given just a teaser as to what was going to happen though unless for some reason that they were laying with her head. She drew her sword and gun, the gun in her right, the sword in her left. There was nothing left to do but await for whatever creature to be announced. She wondered what it would be this time though unlike the first time she faced those doors she had been experienced in it though this part always had to be the worse, that anticipation and dread.

There was just the darkness, and sound of chains behind the doors to the side of the arena LX was to enter from. The basic restraints were released, while the guards backed away. Sounds in the arena started to grow, the crowd coming all most to a hush whisper. The match had been booked as a surprise round, which meant while the female fighter was known. The actual gladiator they were fighting against was for the most part unknown. This was done for several reasons, but mostly to normally keep "winning" gladiatixes on there toes.

Doors would finally open, and LX would take his steps into the arena. What appeared like gold ornamental armor adorned the beings body, as the lights reflected off the armor. The mannerism in which he walked was both regal and with a sense of honor. He carried no weapons on his person. Instead sleek blade like protrusions came out of the creatures forearms near the elbow, and thigh near it's knees. Its hands looked more like claws. The way it stood across from the woman set in front of him. It spoke that this creature was built for fighting. That it lived for the ole purpose of combat.

The beings head would tilt a bit looking at the woman across from him curiously. He had seen those type of weapons, before and they weren't the ones issued to the standard gladiatrixs. No, this woman had been brought from the outside. "Your not one of the normal fighters they normally set me loose on. Perhaps you will actually prove to be more of a challenge." Lx would take on a more defensive fighting stance, waiting for the woman to make the first move.

It was a bit unnerving hearing the rattling chains behind the arena door. She envisioned something dangerous, something that the arena handlers feared. Blue eyes stared in that direction seeing the arrival of one of the combatants that she had not known.

Armored, she made a mental note to watch out for those knees, certainly a being she did not want to get close too though she never had a real choice in the past. She was relieved that this was not some savage beast, yet intelligence was almost as frightening it was the truly bizarre creatures that seemed more like beasts that got to her more. Odd shapes, alien intelligence, it was hard to gauge just how a slug moved opposed to a humanoid.

But the intelligence could be alien. All she had to go by was the appearance, he seemed to be designed to fight though that could mean he was a sadist, or just an entertainer with skill. There was an unknown factor here that had been just as frightening. Her grip tightened against her weapons as she anticipated combat.

Soon they were sealed in, the floor still opening and closing at random intervals but not yet disclosing their purpose though she would have to be careful of her footing too. Staying at range could be challenging after all.

He spoke. She paused for a moment trying to read into his words, get a feel for him in some way though there was not much to go by. ”Perhaps ...” had been all she said though it started. It seemed simply at first, random eruptions of some sort of goo. It was blue and spat up into the air like a geyser, not only would the area of eruption be dangerous but afterward the goo would ooze out around that spot.

What it did she did not know but it smelled like dough. She didn't know if it burned, held things fast or dissolved clothing, she did not wish to find out. Her opponent took up a defensive posture and she moved about finding it tough to watch him and her footing. There had been no pattern she noted though there was some fortune, a lucky break perhaps.

A geyser erupted between them, she lost sight of him and dashed to her left coming back into view snapping off a quick series of shots though none of them had the benefit of being aimed ones.

“Shit!” She did not have time to aim another section of the floor near her had been opening causing her to make a quick adjustment to evade a future geyser but her eyes left his direction in that instant as she attempted to leap clear.

The arena moved in a sense of chaos to those watching, and those fighting in the area. The floor would open to spew what ever liquid the arena officials had concocted for this fight. The female opened at range firing rounds at her opponent. A raised hand one shot hit the gold wrist band of LX. The woman slowed down, and began to recoil back to avoid the blue geyser. He pounced moving with a seeming agility unlike a human's. Before the female knew it there was just the brief shimmer of gold, and he was all ready with in range. The blade on his elbow dangerously near to her body. He could have had simply tackled the seemingly off balance woman to the floor, but instead he would just give her a simple warning. That he could attack at a moments notice, if she let her guard down. He wouldn't end this not yet, at least not till he saw what this woman was capable of.

It took no effort on his part to deflect that shot. Plasma manipulated with ease on his part. Like being in a bad movie were the bad guy proved just how invulnerable he was. But this was real, though it would soon be a movie as this was being recorded so yeah, maybe it was a bad movie in the making.
give the crowd their moneys worth, that or he particularly enjoyed playing a little.

Her blue eyes widened but just for a moment, not overwhelmed with dread, having been in this sort of situation before. It was as if she should have known better but couldn't hide the brief bout of shock.

If he could get that close so quick then her powers of generating flames and plasma were no good. She could scarcely manage a charge to singe him.

He grip tightened on her sword. It was about the size of one of his forearm blades but he was larger and had greater reach. There was no way around it, this was going to end up at close range. She had to watch out for that slime though since he had not pressed in she was able to recover from yet another trapdoor opening and spewing forth it's contents.

Since range was out of the question she charged straight at him now firing rapidly with her plasma pistol, not because she thought it would harm him, it wouldn't but it was meant to distract him and hopeful impair his vision enough so she could get within his reach to launch an attack going for a thrust against his thigh, hoping to slow him a bit before she could take the fight to a more comfortable range. She hated getting close but she processed a situation fast, there were too many variables, he seemed geared towards close quarter fighting and there was the slime to worry about to.

The things she did for her big sis ...

There was a brief clash of sparks, while the girl had parried the forearm blade with her sword. The two were a decent distance away from each other, before the woman began to charge forward at him. It wasn't exactly unexpected in LX head she would at least panic. His arms folded in front of his chest, one below the other. He was more concerned with protecting his vital spots. The curved nature of the blades on the forearms was the first thing the plasma blast would hit.

Moving out of the way would have been easy, if a jolt of pain didn't course through lx body. The bloody handlers were using his restraints to keep in place. Then he could feel the woman's blade pierce into his thigh. A howl of pain from lx, and the crowd began to go wild. The handlers didn't want this fight to end so soon. They wanted the audience to think the girl had a chance. Lx would try to reach down, making an attempt to grab the girl, before she could pull away from him.

She had some success though he had covered up those vulnerable spots with his arms her sword got results slicing into that leg. Scorch didn't know how serious it was though by the crowd reaction she could gauge that it at least looked or sounded good. She did not have the time to spare on a glance though trying to dart away and take a few quick shots at another angle hoping that the injury impaired him enough so he could not turn in time to meet them.

But her hopes had been dashed as he reached towards her as she tried to get past him. Rather then springing directly back she had tried to pass to his side in an effort to make him turn in hopes she could catch him on an unprotected side.

She had been seized by the collar of the shirt as it had not seemed that he was too picky at what he grabbed though she probably got lucky. Her momentum carried her forward then she halted, jerked back she lost the grip on the pistol that fell to the arena floor.

Just ahead of her the arena floor exploded with that blue goop which she would have been caught in had he not grabbed her though she knew better than to think that he had been saving her from that fate. Pulled back the shirt ripped as she pulled back instinctively.

It had been great with leaving him with a piece of torn cloth in his grasp though not so great with her balance and she fell back right before him to the seat of her pants. It was almost as good as him grabbing her though as he had already shown that he was quick and she was less then two or three feet from him. She knew she wouldn't be able to stand unless he desired it. She still had the sword, a meager comfort though not being so skilled with it this match was all but over.

She tried to scoot back on her butt the sword held up toward him though now with him occupying her full attention she would be unable to see the blue goop smearing parts of the arena floor. Either he would get her or eventually she would stumble into it, it seemed that she was screwed either way ...

The girl was backing away from him, desperately trying to put some space between them. He had seen it countless times before. These women posturing as warriors, only to be turned into spasaming piles of flesh. Lx would look at the torn cloth of the woman's shirt in his hand, before tossing it away. He was getting tired of this game, and there not being a challenge for him. The gold coat tails that came down from his back began to hum and vibrate. The metal would appear to be flexing and bending around the being. He didn't need to step forward, his extensions would do it for him. Four of the six extensions would lash out. Not to strike the woman down, but rather grab her by the wrist and ankles. He knew why the audience was hear, and so he was going to give them what they wanted to see.

He got her before she managed to get far. That metal bent and flexed as if it were clay being reshaped. Her wrist with the sword had been grasped as had been the other and her ankles. The crowd erupting realizing what was going on.

Trying to pull away she grunted adding to her own strength which had been insufficient in getting anywhere. A bit more pressure to her wrist forced the sword from her grasp not that she could have used the weapon in the first place since he now controlled the arm that held the sword.

Damn! She cursed herself, it being effectively over so quick. There was only one thing left for her though she didn't think she would have the time she had not given up straight away, not without a fight at least.

He would note that her eyes went from blue to light brown. Eventually they would become red if she were given enough time to charge up her gift so very doubtful but if this was metal that restrained her she could use a finger tip to channel heat through it. Her flames were common as bursts of fire or if she charged up her attack plasma but she could warm her touch too. But her blasts at their strongest were the equivalent of her pistol and didn't need such a time to charge up.

Nor did it require her concentration so if he struck her or disrupted her in anyway she would have to start over again. Chances were he would not give her the chance now but it was all she had and she was hoping that he wouldn't catch on, it would only work once since the color change of her eyes would give her away.

He began to slowly move towards her. There was no rush now, so there was time to build up the anticipation. Such low and selfish beings who watched instead of hunting down there own toys, but then again it took a special sort to get off on watching. Lx footsteps would stop, seeing the woman bend her finger tips in towards her wrist. What was she planning ? went through his head, before he noticed the shift in her eye color. Then the woman's finger tips began to glow, and went looked like a beam came out of them hitting the metal.

In the metals current flexible shape it didn't take much before a cracking, and then a snapping sound could be heard. Lx quickly realized what the girl had done, and used her own momentum from freeing her hands to slam her into the ground. "So that is why they call you scorch." He would say his universal translator kicking in, before the woman would feel herself swung by the feet. The metal around her legs would let go, sending the woman sailing towards one of the puddles of blue gue on the arena floor. It would be interesting to see what the substance did.

He was taking his time now like a cat toying with a mouse though sometimes the mouse managed to get away. The metal cracked rather then conduct any heat though that was for the best as her own wrist would have been burned too though when snared in a trap a wolf would gnaw off it's own leg. This wasn't life or death and the burn would heal but t never came to that.

She tried to act quickly with one limb free. Trying to snatch up the sword again to lunge her arm out and up at an angle toward him as far as she could manage but she did not get the chance to so much grasp the sword before he turned her world upside down and she went sailing.

Landing was tough, her right shoulder took the brunt of the fall and it was cushioned by the goop that sprayed up into the air and settled back down.

She guessed that it could have been an adhesive and she was right though it's strengthen weakened quickly. It was sticky enough though and he was far too quick to get free of it before he would fall upon her. It was distracting enough to disrupt her focus on further flame generation for two reasons. The first was the distraction in getting free of it though the second had been the flammable nature of the substance. This close to it now she could detect the oily aroma.

Whatever this stuff was it even dissolved cloth albeit slowly. If not for her opponent she could have managed to get free with only a few holes in that cloth.

She glanced up, wide eyed with the wind driven from her. She had not struggled though as she knew that she had nothing that could deal with him given her present state. She swallowed knowing what came next having been both victory and the vanquished a fair number of times.

Lx just watch the woman go sailing across the arena, before she was sent into the bluish goo. The audience seemed to appreciate the turn of events. The woman's clothes began to dissolve albeit slowly, which got the crowd slightly more riled up. Lx noticed something different though. The adhesive only worked on clothing at least until it was dissolved. The thicker the garment the longer it would hold the woman down. The closer he got he also smelled it as well that this goo had been designed to be flammable. There would obviously be ripping if the woman moved, and so she just sat there waiting for her fate.

The crowd went silent when lx stopped his approach. They knew this being had pride and often was not one to please the audience. A warriors pride, but at the same time it made him more cunning and fun to watch due to that animistic unpredictability. There was that familiar hum before the sound of cloth being cut could be heard. The crowd went wild seeing the woman's fully developed breasts, freed from her shirt and undergarment in one feel slice. Oddly enough the next cuts were to allow the woman greater mobility from the goo. That was before sparks flew onto the goo still covering the woman's clothes. The sparking of the metal against each other was precise and intentional. Lx was curious if she could make fire, could she control outside sources. "I suggest you strip, before you burn to death." The girl's clothes were now on fire, but she had the movement to remove them otherwise she risked becoming singed. It would be interesting to see how this woman reacted to her new predicament.

The cut was precise ridding her off her top and bra. Certainly he could smell that scent and knew that he had won. Any fighting would have been fruitless at the time and he had to be aware of that. She had been use to the gawking of the crowd and knew full well what she would have seen had she looked to the large monitors.

What happened next was as much a surprise to her as it was the audience. She was cut free, blue goop launched here and there. Then a spark … he was too precise for it to be anything but deliberate. She was already moving rolling to her left the spark caught on the leg of her pants.

“Shit!” She could only control the flames she generated nor did those flames burn her, not directly any way. Earlier that heat would have gone through the metal harming her just as much had it not shattered.

But she knew the game. It would have been easier to roll about to snuff the flames. But that was not how it was going to end and she would have lost the pants regardless with those precise strikes of his so she hastily removed them adorned in only her boots and black panties.

She was scared but no novice at this. She decided that it was time to play it up more though as she scooted back away from him in the direction of the pistol, it was closer than the sword now though they were both aware that she would never get there. A look of fear on her features as she moved back though she did not scurry, rather she timed it with him matching his pace, freezing when he stopped and easing back when he did.

A slow game, she knew what was expected from failure though she was unuse to being overwhelmed so quickly. She faced the matter of stumbling into more goo too for other then a quick glance toward the pistol she had been watching him as if the crowd no longer existed.

The crowd stopped paused and then cheered seeing the woman forced to remove her pants. Lx could see it in her eyes. She knew this was no longer a fight, but rather had become a show. There movements synchronized to keep the audience in suspense. He could tell this woman with the proper experience would make an excellent fighter, something he didn't think to much about his usual opponents. There was maybe a moment, before Lx was gone from scorches vision, instead he had shown up right next to the plasma pistol, picking it up. He would look it over before pointing it at the woman. "I could see why you would want to use something like this, but it doesn't suit you." He would then palm the pistol crushing it in his hand, before letting the pieces tumble to the ground. "I give you a choice I seldom give the common sow of this arena. Come back to my quarters, or be humiliated in front of all these beings." The crowd had gone silent as if waiting for the woman's answer. It was indeed rare for lx to take some one back to his chambers, but as the victor he got to choose whether the loser was put on display or brought back to his quarters for a more private showing. Though it seemed he was leaving it up to scorch to decide.

She stopped dead as he got to the pistol first reducing it to mere fragments. There was the sword but it would suffer a similar fate. The crowd didn't seem to be in favor of the offered choice though. Some where even egging her on to do something rash, others were playing to her pride and indicating that she shouldn't let him get away with this. All the cheers seemed to turn to jeers but she knew a victor had a choice. Often when it was done someone was banged up pretty bad and given a chance to recover first but not always.

This had been the first time that such an offer had been made to her. This brief bout could serve to wet the appetite of the crowd for the next match. She had her sister to consider too* and what would be done but the arrangement was just fighting the match and not entertaining the crowd.

“Your quarters it is,” she did not move though until he indicated that she could do so. It wouldn't be a surprise for someone to go back on their word or revoke an offer though she felt pretty certain it was a genuine one and there were already enough Vids of her and said arena monster out there that the galaxy would survive if there was one less.





*the thread is set before Vespira gets ownership of Serena