Joe Catfight

[Enigma]

The underground training bunker beneath the Pit was supposed to be empty at 2300 hours. Instead, it had become a private arena.

Scarlett stood on one side of the sparring mat, her signature red hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, wearing her black tactical bodysuit. Across from her, Lady Jaye rolled her shoulders, her darker hair loose and wild, dressed in a cropped olive tank top and fatigue pants. The two women had been circling each other for weeks, professional respect slowly curdling into something sharper.

"You've been gunning for my spot on the Alpha Team roster since you got back from that deep cover op," Scarlett said coolly, cracking her knuckles. "Time to settle it."

Lady Jaye smirked, eyes flashing. "Please. You're all flash and fancy karate. I do the real dirty work. Let's see if that pretty face can take a hit."

No referee. No rules except one: first one to submit or stay down for a ten-count loses. Scarlett moved first, lightning fast, launching a spinning kick toward Lady Jaye's midsection. Jaye blocked it with a forearm and immediately drove forward, slamming her shoulder into Scarlett's stomach. The two women crashed to the mat in a tangle of limbs.

They rolled across the padded floor, grappling fiercely. Scarlett's legs scissored around Lady Jaye's waist, squeezing hard. Jaye grunted, elbowing her in the ribs to break the hold, then grabbed a fistful of that famous red ponytail and yanked Scarlett's head back.

"Too pretty for this line of work," Jaye hissed, mounting her.

Scarlett's green eyes blazed. She bucked her hips violently, throwing Lady Jaye off balance, then reversed their positions with a smooth jiu-jitsu sweep. Now on top, Scarlett pinned Jaye's wrists above her head for a moment, their faces inches apart, both breathing hard.

"You talk too much," Scarlett growled, before Lady Jaye headbutted her in the nose.

Blood trickled. The fight turned uglier. They scrambled to their feet and collided again like two wildcats. Lady Jaye grabbed Scarlett's tank strap and ripped it, exposing a flash of skin as they spun. Scarlett answered by hooking her fingers into Jaye's fatigue pants and yanking her forward into a knee strike. Jaye absorbed it with a curse and retaliated by driving Scarlett back against the concrete wall, pressing her body tight against her opponent's.

Their arms locked, muscles straining, breasts heaving against each other as they fought for dominance. Sweat glistened on their skin. Scarlett tried to slip behind for a choke, but Lady Jaye reversed it, slamming her down onto the mat and straddling her chest.

"Give it up, Red," Jaye panted, pinning Scarlett's shoulders.

Scarlett's legs suddenly shot up, locking around Lady Jaye's head in a powerful triangle choke. She twisted hard, rolling them again. The two women tumbled across the floor, legs and arms intertwined, each trying to dominate the other in a chaotic, sweaty mess of grappling and hair-pulling.

Lady Jaye managed to get on top once more, sitting on Scarlett's stomach and pinning one arm. She leaned down, their faces close enough to feel each other's hot breath.

"Say it," Jaye demanded.

Scarlett's free hand shot up, grabbing Jaye's hair and pulling her down into a sudden, fierce kiss, more challenge than affection. The moment left Lady Jaye startled, Scarlett bridged her hips and flipped them over, ending up on top again.

This time she locked in a rear naked choke, her thighs clamped around Lady Jaye's waist like a vice.

Jaye struggled, clawing at Scarlett's arm, but the redhead held firm, whispering against her ear, "Submit."

After ten more seconds of resistance, Lady Jaye slapped the mat twice. Scarlett released her and rolled off, both women collapsing onto their backs, chests rising and falling, bodies marked with bruises and scratches. For a long moment, the only sound was their heavy breathing.

Lady Jaye finally laughed, low and breathless. "...Best two out of three?"

Scarlett turned her head, a small, predatory smile on her lips despite the bloody nose. "You're on."

[Enigma]