One

Stay light on your toes. Don't let your eyes wander, stay on target. You are as light as a feather, solid as a rock. This piece of crap will go down, just one better left hook, and he's done.

This is a mantra that Maya tells herself whenever she nears the end of the fight. When she can taste the sweet victory dripping down her face, seeping from her skin. The gutsy man in front of her is heaving as he sums her up, fists shaking as he tries to hold them up, the last remaining ounce of strength dwindling in his body.

While Maya still has the strength of a bull and the energy of the energizer bunny raging through her, just by letting him exhaust himself. The moment she saw this bear of a man step into the ring, she knew it was only a matter of time before he fell. The way he boasted his size and strength, proud that he thinks he will be the first to beat up a girl and be rewarded for it.

Not many guys can say they've been able to enter the fighting ring with a girl, Maya has always been a special case. Fighting is how she made is through college, after all.

And what is currently helping keep her mom alive. Maya was abandoned by her birth mother as a newborn, spent her toddler years and early childhood being rejected by most families because she was too outspoken and defiant, never the soft spoken and obedient child a parent wanted to adopt.

Until the day her mother came to the orphanage, saying she didn't want someone young but someone who could still provide her companionship and help as she gets older. The woman had recently lost both her children and husband in a terrible car accident, remaining as the only one who survived, she wasn't left without permanent and prolonged health concerns, and the ability to bear children was taken from her.

Unable to move on from her lost husband and give birth to another child, she turned to adoption, and the instant she heard about a child who had been rejected so many times due to her behavior and attitude, she knew this child just needed to be loved and shown what true loyalty and family is like. Having been abandoned and rejected so many times, Maya never thought she could find someone to truly trust and rely on, she never knew the feeling of love or affection, until her mother entered her life.

Through their bond, they each were able to find what they were looking for. Peace and acceptance. Maya was willing to do anything for her mother from that day on, she owed the woman her life.

When Maya turned 15, her mother's health started to decline, and she was constantly getting sick and in need of hospitalization. She couldn't afford for Maya to go to college and could barely afford the medical bills building up. Maya decided to put her fighting skills to good use, after her mother scraped their savings to put her through five years of karate and kickboxing.

She met a man named Griffin Hamza, an Arabic club owner from overseas, who moved into town to monopolize the club scene and use it to disguise and hide his illegal underground fight rings. Like the movie Fight Club, anyone who competes in the fight rings must not speak about it outside the fight ring, and only those personally invited get to participate and watch.

She was discovered by Griffin when he attended a karate championship and beat a guy twice her size, using the technique she picked up; exhaust your opponent. Most of the fighters who enter the ring with her take one look at her and think the fight is over. They assume she is weak because she is scrawny, they don't expect her to have the adrenaline she keeps inside her.

She lets them throw a few punches, waits until they get frustrated than finally gives them a little taste to make them lash out more, exerting their strength with anger. Once they're nice and tired, she takes the first strike and unleashes all the pent-up energy and rage she has been holding onto since the day her mother left her to fend for herself. Constantly teased and bullied for her commoner background and the fact that even her own mother didn't want her.

None of it mattered the moment she stepped into that ring. She was no longer Maya Reign, the poor abandoned and unwanted orphan girl.

In the ring, she is untouchable, invincible. There isn't any opponent she can't take or any challenge she can't face head on. It's how she has survived and it's how she is going to continue surviving. She is the only rock her mother must lean on, and vice versa. Everything she has done is to help them survive in this cruel world where the number in your bank account and how many businesses have your name on it, defines who you really are as a person, your worth as a human being.

"Are we fighting, or dancing? Come on little girl, hit me! Give me your best shot," the bear-man in front of her drawled, her voice slow and weak. It's clear he is at his limits, but he won't let her see that.

"Little girl? You still stepped into the ring with this little girl and have been for a solid 20 minutes now. What happened to blowing me out of the water? We've been dancing for quite a while now."

This angers him even more, and he lunges, but his footing is sloppy, and his steps staggered. It doesn't take much for Maya to duck him, getting a firm hold on his chest with her forearm, then up – and down he goes.

The floor rattles with the weight of the bear man slamming down against it, Maya is almost concerned he'll go right through the stage. But it holds and back up he gets, still looking ready to fight but his eyes are unfocused and blurry.

Just a few more good hits to the head and legs, don't do too much damage. We just want to knock him out, not kill him.

He lunges again, this time with his foot trying to sweep her out. She narrowly jumps and dodges his foot, taking the opening he has left to slam her left foot into his side, kicking him just below the ribs and next to the kidney, a soft spot that when just even tapped the wrong way, can send a man flying to his knees.

The man groans and crouches on one knee to catch his breath, but Maya doesn't give him the chance. She rams her knee into his stomach and knocks the wind out of him, then slams his elbow down on the back of him, effectively knocking him out the moment his head bounces off the stage.

The crowd erupts when they see his body go limp and her arm is raised, and she is declared the winner. It is a scene that has happened thousands of times at this point, but for some reason today feels different. Ever since she stepped into the ring, she has felt a foreboding feeling, and assumed it was due to the bear man she just fought.

But it was like fighting a garden snake with him, all fight but no bite.

If it wasn't him, then why does she still feel like this?

"Maya, get over here!" she hears the booming voice of Griffin, hollering at her from the VIP section on the top floor of the overlook room, a spot built specifically for Griffin to sit on his throne and watch as the chaos unfolds in front of him.

"You did well today, kid, here's your cut. Think you got another fight in you tomorrow night? I had a fighter back out last minute, disappeared right before his debut, I need someone to fill in for him."

"What kind of pay are we talking? I still have to pay off the medical bill for my mom from last month, will it be enough to cover 5,000?"

Griffin snorts in disbelief. "Just how sick is this mother of yours? 5 grand is a lot, kid. I can see what I can do, put on a good performance and let them dance a little, we can get bids higher. Make it seem like you're gonna throw the fight, then take them at the last minute. You should know how this works by now, Maya, you've been my star girl for long enough."

He winks at her, sending chills down her spine, but she grits her teeth and smiles.

"I'm well aware of how the Basement is run, that's how I also know this isn't some pussy fight, a lot of people are betting on this newcomer of yours, yet they'll be getting me instead. You don't think I'm not aware of the chances of those bets flipping? Give me permission to run the fight the way I want tomorrow night, and you've got yourself a deal – oh, and I get more than 30% this time, I want 40."

"What makes you think you can make it worth my while?" he asks.

Maya raises a brow and gives him a mischievous smile. "You've known me long enough, aren't you curious enough to find out what I can do in this situation on my own? Trust me, when have I ever let you down before? Just remember who keeps making you the most money, and we shouldn't have any problems."

She rushes out before he can say another word, running over to the hospital so she can finally pay off the interest of her last loan. Griffin has offered her many times to loan her money, and it will just be taken out from the fights she wins.

But she isn't that dumb, she knows to never borrow anything from a man like Griffin. With a man like that, you want to make sure both sides are either equal, or they always need you. In this case, the relationship between Maya and Griffin is almost equal on both side; she needs money for her mother, and he just loves to make money. Maya isn't his best fighter, but she is the only girl in his fight ring.

Not only is Maya capable and strong, but she is quite the looker too, with chestnut brown hair and golden eyes, her body is huskier and more built than most girls, but that doesn't stop her chest from getting bigger and her curves from coming out. Maya believes she is the only girl at the age of 25 that doesn't want to look as sexy and curvaceous as she does.

No one takes her seriously, and she had to work her ass off to be recognized as even a decent fighter in the Basement, what the patrons of the underground club call it. The Basement is never in the same place, and it always moves. There are also 3 sectors to the Basement; the first one is the fight ring, where both people and animals are involved in the fight rings, then there is the auction house where all the cities stolen valuables and goods go to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Lastly, but certainly not the least, there is the slave trade.

Human traffickers that come from all around the world, capturing the rarest beauties and talents to be sold to whoever has use for them, or likes their looks. If it wasn't for Griffin, Maya could have almost ended up as one of them. He makes sure to keep her far away from the dealings of the auction house or slave trade, never allowing any of their patrons or presidents to come and watch her fight, keeping her out of the spotlight.

She always assumed this was a small way to protect her, but in truth she has always been nothing more than a trump card to him. He knows there could be more made from her fighting, than selling her off once for a large sum, he can make tons more over time if she keeps fighting for him, allowing him to take a 70% cut while she only gets 30%.

It was always more than enough for her. She fights to feel something, and forget who she is, but also to help her mother. Other than that, she has no care or use for money, and if anything, she despises it. Money turns those who aren't greedy, into greedy monsters and those who already are into demons. Nothing good ever comes from the responsibility of being wealthy, everyone treats wealth as key to doing anything you want and getting away with it.

Never having to work for yourself or answer for anything, to anyone. Yeah, sounds luxurious to some, but not her. There are other ways to achieve that goal without becoming overcome with greed.

The lights are off when she gets home, telling her she stayed out too late, and her mother has already gone to bed. Slipping in through the front door, she checks the pill casing to make sure her mother remembered to take her medicine and checked the dishwasher to see if she ate anything before going to bed.

"What are you doing, my child?"

Maya jumps at the sudden sound of her mother's voice, turning to see her leaning against the wall at the end of the hall, her eyes still bright, telling her she stayed up waiting for her.

"Mom, why aren't you in bed? You should be getting as much rest as you can, you had a high fever just this morning."

Her mother smiles gently at her. "Who is the adult in this situation? You're always taking care of me, child."

"Stop calling me a child, I already turned 25 this year, I've been an adult for quite some time now." Maya pouts and sticks her tongue out childishly, disproving her point but it earns a laugh from her mother, which is more than enough for her.

"Yes, you were grown up before I even came along. That's why I wish sometimes you would relax and enjoy your life a little, go on a date or hang out with a friend. I never see you doing anything other than working at that diner. I know the tips and pay are good, and I will always appreciate the income until I can get back to work, but you don't have to work yourself so hard."

Maya bites her lip, the guilt building inside her. Working at a diner was the best excuse she could come up with to explain the large sum of money she kept coming home with, explaining to her mother it's a fancy one where tons of rich people dine and leave large tips, and mostly dine in large groups as well so the bills always come out higher.

But she hates feeding into her mother's false hope that she will ever be able to return to work. Maya knows deep down her mother has already accepted that she will have a weak and fragile body, permanently tying her to the inside of the house.

At the same time, she doesn't have the heart to take that hope away from her, knowing it's one of the few things keeping her mother going.

Despite checking on her mother and seeing that she is doing well, the eerie feeling that has been following her all night is still clinging to her, more desperately than before.

The next morning, she felt better but couldn't shake the feeling all together, going about her day as she normally would, making sure her mother's medication is arranged for the day and in plain sight, so she doesn't forget it. She also prepares a nutritious breakfast for her and sets it in the fridge to be reheated when her mother wakes up, a note telling her where it is left on the table.

Once her morning routine is done, she heads out to see Griffin about the fight he mentioned yesterday. She was in such a rush to get out of there and get home, she didn't get any details or the location of the fight this time. It's usually given out 2 days in advance, but since she is a last-minute filler, she had no need to know.

If you aren't fighting and you aren't betting, the location will never be disclosed to you. Griffin doesn't care to have some pansies come in to watch a fight, only to get splattered in blood and go running home, it's a major risk that way.

This way, he keeps a close circle of friends and an even tighter circle of guests that he allows to attend his fights. If anyone betrays him, it won't be hard to find the source with the few people he confides in.

"Maya, I didn't expect to see you so soon. You ran away yesterday before I could give you the details of the fight, I assumed you were backing out." Griffin gives her a sly smile as he welcomes her.

"Why would you ever assume that? Have I once backed out of a fight?"

Griffin grunts. "When are you going to volunteer to work upstairs? With your looks and figure, you know you can make a lot. Paired with your fighting, you could make a decent income for you and your sick mother, yet you choose to abuse your body every day instead."

"Because I'm well aware of what is required from your hostesses upstairs, and I won't take part in any of that."

"You're my best fighter, Maya. I would never put you in a position where you would want to leave and stop making me money," Griffin says with a laugh. That's right, at the end of the day he only cares about what would make him the most money, it's only natural that he would expect others to want to do the same.

He doesn't understand how much a bed at the community hospital for even one night with treatment costs. She must schedule at least two fights and win them both to earn enough.

"You know where to find me if you ever change your mind, I'm always here to help you, my dear Maya." Griffin reaches out to stroke her face, but she cringes out of reach. He laughs it off but she sees the vein pop out the side of his face in frustration.

"I'm going to get ready for the fight," she says and excuses herself.

Although the man she is fighting tonight is twice her size and more muscle than anything else, she is confident that means she can probably tire him out easily and then go in for the final few blows to knock him out. She has learned over the years the exact weak points on a person's body to make them collapse when they are already at the brink of exhaustion, without having to require much effort from herself, being too small and weak to take them down physically.

Just as she suspects, a half hour into the fight with her dodging his blows and angering him, another thing she finds he is quick to which only aids her plan. When someone is fighting angry, they mind as well be fighting blind, while rage can cloud a person's vision and judgement, making their moves sloppy and slugged.

Another half hour in and the man is enraged at Maya for continuously dodging his blows but landing none herself. She almost wants to laugh at the fact that no one has figured out her tactic yet, stupefied over the fact that she is a small and fragile looking girl from the moment they step into the ring.

She has yet to meet a man in the ring who looks at her with the respect she deserves and fights her with it as well. So far, the only men she has fought assume that it won't take much to take her down and go right for the kill instead of trying to feel out her fight style and tactics, like a real fighter does.

When she first started off fighting, she did the same thing herself, always wanting to prove to those bullies that she wasn't just some weak girl to be underestimated, but at the time she was. She was weak and stupid, two things that don't mix for obvious reasons.

Once he starts teetering, she knows she has to make her move before the window of opportunity closes. One swift kick to the back of the knee brings him down kneeling, disoriented from losing his footing, he leaves his face and chest exposed to keep himself up. She uses all the force she has in her legs to bring her knee up to collide with the bridge of his nose – instant knock out. The ring shakes as his body collapses on the ground, with it all of Maya's energy as she falls to the ground with him, barely gulping back breaths.

"Our undefeated champion, Maya Reign!" Her arm is lifted in the air like it itself is made of nothing but air, before she is whisked away by Griffin and his men to rest upstairs.

"You did well tonight, Maya, though I know I don't need to tell you that. You've come a long way from the scrawny and scared little orphan I found all those years ago."

"You didn't expect me to stay the same now, did you? Or else you wouldn't have wasted so much time on me."

Griffin lets out one of his rooms shattering laugh and claps Maya on the back, nearly knocking the remaining wind out of her. "Get out of here, kid. You did good, here's your cut."

Once the stack of cash is in her hands, she is out the door before getting her jacket on, not wanting to spend another minute in that place. The club upstairs is still in full swing despite it being 2 o'clock in the morning and almost closing time. She grabs a quick shot of baijiu behind the counter, hoping the bartender won't notice her this time and scold her.

"Is there anyone here? Hello!" she hears a patron screaming above her, meaning they can't see her crouched behind the bar just yet. Wanting to make and escape before they direct their anger towards her, she gets down on her knees and starts crawling towards the opposite end of the bar.

"Do you think you're invisible?" A man calls out.

Maya looks above her and right into the most terrifying eyes she has never seen. The man had a more or less permanent scowl on his face and murder in his eyes.

"I, uh, I don't-"

"Stop crawling around on the ground and get me a drink already!"

Maya takes a deep breath and stands up, taking time to brush off the dirt and filth she is now covered in, before turning to the patron and flashing her best fake smile, she says through gritted teeth; "My apologies, sir, but I don't actually work behind the bar. The bartender over there can help you-"

"Do you have any idea who you are speaking too? I don't wait for anyone."

She tries her best not to laugh in this man's face. For someone like her, it doesn't matter what your status is or how many zeroes you have in your bank account; we're all human. Nothing we're born with is set in stone, nothing in life is ever owed to us.

"Well, I'm asking you to wait, so clearly, I have no idea who you are. That also doesn't change the fact that I don't work here, so if you'll excuse me…"

The expression of the man changes into a smirk. "So, you don't work here. Then why are you crawling around behind the bar?"

Shit. He has a valid point.

"I don't work behind the bar, and I'm off shift at this very moment. I'm just grabbing my things and a drink of water before leaving," she says and holds up the clear liquid of the baijiu in her glass.

"A rather small glass for a drink of water." He motions to the shot glass in her hand.

Then, the man snatches the shot glass out of her hand and downs it in one gulp, his face instantly turning sour. "That's not water! You're trying to steal from the bar aren't you?"

She can't let the get out of control and draw attention to herself. Maya just wanted to get her after work drink and peacefully leave. That seems to be too much to ask this time, whatever kind of night this man is having, it isn't a good one and she has the good graces of being the one person he vents his anger off too.

Before he has the chance to cause a bigger scene, she reaches for what she hopes really is water in a jug next to her and throws it at the man, making her daring escape.

I am so dead tomorrow.