College Catfighting World Cup Semifinals - USA vs. China

[Astrakhan]

Hey there! It's been a while since I posted my last story to the site, not exactly by design, but life got in the way. Recently, I got an idea for a new catfight story universe I decided to explore - a world where catfighting is a legitimate sport, with collegiate leagues and international competitions. If people like it, I might make further stories in this setting. Until then, enjoy the first series!

The Rules of Varsity Catfighting

• Matches are fought between two teams of three fighters each.
• At the beginning of each round, the captains of each team decide which fighter from their team will participate in the round. The winner of a coin toss picks first.
• Fights take place on a set of 16x16 foot blue mats set on the ground.
• Fighters must wear bikinis. No footwear or protective padding is allowed.
• Rounds have no set time limit. Rounds go until one fighter is knocked out or submits. Referees can stop a round due to disqualification or injury.
• All fights are no-holds-barred. Traditional catfighting tactics, including hair-pulling and scratching, are legal. Fighters may be disqualified due to outside interference, the use of foreign objects, doping violations, or at the discretion of a referee.
• When one fighter loses a round, they are considered eliminated from the match, and the opposing team wins that round.
• There is a two-minute break between each round. At the end of the break, the team captains meet again to decide the next fighters from their team.
• The winning team is determined by the winner of two out of three rounds.

---

Taylor Kensington didn't know why she was still staring at the rules list.

It wasn't like she didn't know it all already. She'd been captain of the UC Davis varsity catfighting team for the last two years now. This was far from her first rodeo. And it wasn't like catfighting was hard to understand, either - just nine rules. That was less than traditional boxing; enough to fit on a single page of the little booklet the athletic commission had provided each of them. Apparently, that had been by design - early proponents of catfighting as a legitimate martial art had wanted to emphasize its naturalistic philosophy, not needing a lot of complex rules in order to function. The distillation of feminine combat, they'd called it. Something that could be easily understood. Something that wouldn't lose its identity in going pro.

But those nine rules left a lot of gaps. A lot of empty space in between the lines where things could go wrong. Where the unexpected could happen. And now that Taylor had made it further than she ever had in her career as a catfighter, the competition was only going to get steeper. That meant it was all the more important now that things didn't go wrong.

Things had been good enough so far, she told herself. They had to be, in order for the team to have made it as far as they had. First they'd all had to qualify for the varsity league - proving themselves the best out of the UC Davis student body. Then they'd had to prove themselves as the best team in the state of California in order to make it to the state level. Then the best on the west coast to win the regionals. Then the best in the country to win the nationals. Already, they had four accomplishments under their collective belt, accomplishments that any catfighting team could only dream of. Now they were in the College Catfighting World Cup - the annual international tournament; the highest level of competition for varsity catfighting.

And they'd made it all the way to the semifinals. There were only four teams left. UC Davis would be representing Team USA, and in just a few short moments they'd be going up against Team China from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Tomorrow, on the other side of the Pacific, Team Japan would be on their home turf against the visiting Team France. And then, next week would see the final round against the two winning teams.

If the team pulled through, Taylor told herself, they'd win it all - for their school, their country, and for themselves. But at this point, anything could happen. And all it took was one thing to go wrong for the whole streak to be derailed.

Taking in a deep breath, Taylor set the booklet back in her bag, pulling her red track jacket tighter over the snug-fitting white bikini she'd wear to the mats. She straightened herself to her feet, looking into the mirror.

It almost seemed too perfect that she would wind up as team captain for UC Davis. In her senior year at 21, Taylor looked all the world like the image of the California beauty - 5'6, with blonde hair that hung to her freckled shoulders, ocean-blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin that spoke to the many summer weekends she'd spent on the beach back home. Her build was a fit one, with a flat stomach and toned thighs honed from her track team career in high school, while her DD cup chest had been the envy of more than a few classmates growing up. Right now, though, no matter how much she tried to calm her nerves - no matter how many mental drills she ran herself through, or how many times she told herself she'd guided her team through enough victories to land them a place in contention for the trophy - she couldn't tame the twitch in her left eyelid, or the way her teeth tightened around her lower lip. After all, any opponents they'd have left to face had been through just as much. They were just as ready. And anything could still happen.

"Hey, Taylor!" came a voice from the bench behind her. "C'mon, are you gonna just stare at yourself or what?"

That voice broke Taylor out of her thoughts. With a sigh, she turned to face the source of the sound. Nicole Davenport's grinning face greeted her, a sparkle in her amber eyes. She leaned forward in her seat, her open jacket parting a little wider to reveal the black string bikini she wore underneath. A sophomore, Nicole was the youngest of the team at 19, which had led to Taylor coming to see her as something of a little sister - perhaps an apt comparison, because she could be just as annoying as one on the best of days.

In her own words, Nikki was a 5'2 little ball of chaos. She might not have had the same sort of strategic mind as Taylor, but what she lacked in discipline she more than made up in energy. She struggled to sit still - even here in the locker rooms, she kicked her bare legs idly in the air, the smirk never falling from her face. But that was what made her unpredictable on the mats. Nicole was the kind of fighter who could strike from any direction before her opponent knew what hit her, and she'd already be three moves ahead of them by the time they caught up. Her wavy brown hair cascaded down to her shoulder blades. Her figure was straight-cut - her arms and legs slender, and her bust a modest B cup. She had the physique of a runner, and the endurance of one too, able to take a blow and bounce back like it was nothing. The only thing about her was that she would not shut up.

"No, I'm fine. Just...thinking," Taylor muttered.

"Yeah, yeah, thinking. Got it," came Nikki's teasing response as she stuck her tongue out in Taylor's direction. "You could stand to get laid some time. I swear, sometimes you stare at yourself more than Chloe does."

"Hey, I heard that!" came the response from the other girl seated on the bench at Nikki's side. Coming in slightly shorter than Taylor at 5'5, 21-year-old Chloe Stern looked almost more like a model than a fighter. At a D cup, her breasts were smaller than the captain's, but she had a curvy physique, with wide hips and thighs. Her blue eyes sparkled when the light hit them, and her pale skin stood in sharp contrast to her black hair, now tied in a ponytail. Chloe knew it, too. She'd always been the first to complain about the bruises on her face after a round, and she never missed an opportunity to play to the crowds, which might've explained why she had more followers on social media than anyone else on the team. Of course, it probably didn't hurt that she was posting something to some site or another at least five times on a slow day. Something she was doing just now, her thumbs rattling away at the touchscreen of her phone even when they were three minutes to go time.

Chloe, Taylor mused to herself, probably looked like a girl out of the worst nightmares of every detractor professional catfighting faced in its early years. It hadn't been without controversy that the world had accepted catfighting as a combat sport worth taking seriously. Even in Taylor's parents' generation, it was still considered the purview of fetishists - the thought that catfighting could ever go mainstream would've sounded downright laughable. But with the rise of sex positivity in the popular consciousness, a group of catfight video producers had come together with a bold proposal - to establish a league, with championships and televised competitions - for catfighting.

Some had argued that catfighting couldn't truly be called a martial art. It relied on fighting dirty, they argued - there could be no place for hair-pulling, scratching, and biting when every other combat sport had banned such tactics on principle. But proponents of the new wave in catfighting argued that, because such moves had been part and parcel of the catfight for centuries, they would only be expected here. What would've been ruled as a bid for unfair leverage in wrestling was just standard procedure in catfighting, and it was just as much a winning strategy to defend against such tactics as it was to utilize them. Those who didn't want to face such manuevers in a competitive setting were advised to try another sport. No one complained about chops in karate, after all.

Other critics claimed it was demeaning to women to treat catfighting with the same gravitas as more traditional fighting styles, like boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts. But a counter-argument arose that, in fact, catfighting represented something unique as a distinctly feminine fighting style - something to be celebrated, rather than a source of shame. While other female martial artists were well respected in their fields, those were fields that had historically been the purview of men. But catfighting was something that had been all their own from the beginning - a show of strength and endurance as womanly as it was hard-hitting. Catfighting came to be viewed as an expression of feminine strength, not as something petty and embarrassing.

As it happened, the unique qualities of catfighting allowed it to establish a niche among other combat sports, and viewers flocked to the newly established professional leagues. It didn't take long for sponsors to see the potential viewership that came with the combination of athletic action and sex appeal, and they too threw themselves behind the movement. Soon, the first professional catfighting league was followed by its own competitors and spinoffs - most notably, when colleges across the country, and then the world, began adding catfighting to their roster of intramural and varsity sports, adopting a team format from collegiate wrestling. That had been the genesis of the College Catfight Championships, and the World Cup the three girls now found themselves in the thick of.

"C'mon, Chloe!" Nicole interjected, playfully butting her elbow against her teammate's ribs. "You don't think we get the memo yet? You're hot, we know."

"Nicole." Taylor's voice cut in, measured and serious. "Save the claws for our opponents." As much as Chloe's good looks preceded her, Taylor knew she was more than a pretty face. Her curvy physique hid a core of solid muscle - Chloe had been a swimmer before she'd jumped ship to catfighting, and she had the endurance to prove it. She wasn't afraid to play mind games with her opponents either, letting them underestimate her only to lull them into a false sense of security before she struck. There was a reason she'd made it this far into the tournament.

"Yeah, hold on, guys, just a second," Chloe cut in. Holding the phone higher to look down on her from above, the dark-haired girl framed herself in the shot - seated on the bench, her legs cocked out to the side beneath her, displaying the teal bikini bottoms peering out from beneath her track jacket. She flashed a grin and a peace sign at the camera as the flash went off with a snap, then typed up a caption - getting ready to kick china's ASS tonite - before hitting submit. Only then did she tuck her phone into her jacket pocket, looking back up at Taylor.

Drawing in a deep breath, the blonde looked between her two teammates. Her fists clenched at her sides. For the briefest of moments, a twinge of doubt cut into her thoughts. Was this really what she was doing? Going into the most pitched match of her life to date with - as the captain of Team Ireland had put it in the quarterfinals - "a gremlin and a camgirl" on her side?

But no matter what her teammates might have been like, Taylor reminded herself, she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. They'd all come this far. If they were going to make the finals, they were going to do it together.

"I don't want anyone to forget," Taylor addressed the team, "we've faced some stiff competition to get to this point. But whatever we've dealt with in the past, that's nothing compared to what's ahead of us now. Team China has been through as many challenges and opponents as we have. They've survived everything that's been thrown at us. We need to be ready to step up our game if we want to beat them. But if we do..."

Taylor closed her eyes, sucking in a breath again. She could already visualize it - the silver-plated cup she'd seen gleaming under the lights on the TV, sitting in the trophy case of the UC Davis athletics department. If she could just sink her shot now, then the trials and tribulations she'd been through up to this point would be all worth it. It would be their framed photo up on the wall; their names on the plaque proclaiming them this year's champions. Just two more matches to go. And if they won, they'd win it all.

"...Then we're best in the world." Even saying those words sent a chill running down her spine.

Nikki pumped a fist in the air, already cheering at the thought. She put her hand in the middle of their circle. Chloe laid her palm on top of her hand, and then Taylor set hers on top of that. When they all threw their hands into the air, it was with a single, unanimous cheer - one word that had carried them through all of this, reminding them that even if they were on the world stage now, it was because they'd worked their way up from where they started:

"AGGIES!"

A knock came on the door to the locker room, giving the girls their cue to go on. They didn't need it. They were already headed out the door.

[MikeHales67]

Nice to see you back. Look forward to more.

[Astrakhan]

The lights in the arena were so bright, Taylor winced as soon as she stepped out from the locker room. The seats were packed to capacity, and the voices all joined in a single uproar of cheers. In the center of it all, though, were the blue mats spread over the floor. Some things, Taylor noted, hadn't changed - even after catfighting had gone mainstream, it hadn't forgotten its roots.

The girls filed into their bench, situated at one end of the mats. Directly across from them, the members of Team China were already seated, each clad in their red track jackets over bikinis. For a few short seconds, none of them said a word, watching the Americans with a steely-eyed glare. One of the girls whispered something to her teammate, and while Taylor didn't hear a single word, it still twisted something in the pit of her stomach. Barely even a minute ago, she'd been hyping up her team about how this was the greatest challenge they'd faced, and how they'd need to fight their hardest. But the girls from Shanghai hardly even seemed to consider them a threat.

Nicole leaned a little closer, sticking her tongue out teasingly toward the opposing team. Taylor was quick to cut her off, kicking her in the leg. The last thing they needed was more trouble.

"The match between Team USA and Team China is about to begin," the referee explained. "Team captains Taylor Kensington and Shi Lin, please come to the mats."

Taylor could feel her heart flutter in her chest as she pushed herself up from the bench, taking a step forward. Across from her, China's team captain - a lean girl with her sleek black hair tied into a ponytail - rose from the bench. Lin's expression never wavered as she strode toward Taylor - not until she stopped just a few feet in front of her, and her eyebrows sank into a glare. The blonde could feel her gaze on her, looking straight through her. The match hadn't even begun, but already the Chinese fighters were sizing her up - seeing what it would take to make her break.

The referee produced a coin. "Call?"

"Heads," Taylor called first. The words came to her throat automatically, without any thought. She needed to assert her presence. If she could beat Lin to the call, she'd have made a claim that she had a reason to be here. That itself was a victory, however small.

The ref tossed the coin into the air, clapping it on the back of his hand as it came down. "Heads," he confirmed.

Taylor glanced back in the direction of her teammates. "Chloe," she said.

"All RIGHT!" Chloe cheered from the bench. She didn't skip a beat - she sprung to her feet, unzipping her jacket and letting it fall from her shoulders to reveal her curvy physique lightly clad in a teal bikini. The crowd cheered and cameras flashed, which only made her grin wider. She winked at the three Chinese girls, then produced her phone from her jacket pocket before she went sauntering toward the mats, her hips swaying with every step. Along the way, she held her phone up to snap a photo of herself mid-stride, attaching it to a private text to her boyfriend. dont forget who's fighting 4 u <3 she wrote beneath it.

Chloe took point on the mats, her hands on her hips as she bathed in the cheers and chants of "USA! USA!" that came down from the crowd. Lin's eyes narrowed on her with a look of disgust even Taylor could feel before she made her call: "Xiaoling."

The girl who rose from the Shanghai bench wasn't the tallest - she was about an inch shorter than Chloe at 5'4 - but her body was one of tensely-coiled muscle, rippling visibly beneath her golden-brown skin as she moved. She tossed off her jacket, revealing a navy blue bikini underneath. Taylor couldn't make out an ounce of fat on her body; her stomach was flat, with the contours of her abs faintly visible, and her C cup breasts rose in a swell above. Her black hair was cropped into a straight bob that just brushed her shoulders - short enough, Taylor noted, to make it harder to grab. There were no theatrics in how she strode confidently toward the ring, stopping in front of Chloe with her hands on her hips as she stared her right in the eye. If Chloe was built like a model, Xiaoling was built like a fighter. That was who she was up against.

"Cute show," Xiaoling spoke in accented English, her voice low and biting. "But it's not going to save you, selfie girl."

Chloe smirked, refusing to be intimidated. "Just try me," she said, flexing her fingers into a clawing motion. "Selfie girl's gonna kick your ass."

Lin shot Taylor a smug grin one last time before she stepped off the mat and returned to the bench. Taylor lingered a few seconds longer, but soon she did the same. That left Chloe and Xiaoling, eyes locked on one another as the seconds before the clash ticked down. Both were tense. Neither could so much as blink.

Then, the bell rang. The match was on.

The two girls didn't wait a moment from the sound of the bell. They rushed at one another, hands immediately shooting for each other's hair. Fingers knotted deep in each other's tresses as they began to turn in a circle, yanking one another in one direction and then the other. They hissed and groaned under their breath from the piercing pain shooting through their scalps, but they kept at it nonetheless - neither girl was willing to concede ground to the other for long.

Chloe was the first one to break the stalemate. Letting go of Xiaoling's hair with one hand, she swung a few slaps along the Chinese girl's side, each one landing with the sound of a wet smack against bare skin. The crowd broke out into cheers at the sight, and those cheers were echoed from their teammates, who cried out from both benches, each of them trying to drown out the other with their support.

Letting out a low growl through her clenched teeth, Xiaoling brought her hands up to Chloe's shoulders and shoved - a sharp, forceful shove that caused the American girl to stumble back a step. Chloe's free hand flew wildly through the air, but her other hand remained in Xiaoling's hair - her fingers contorted tighter, pulling harder at the Chinese fighter's raven strands. Xiaoling teetered forward, but she dug her heels into the blue mats beneath her feet - and her nails curled inward, biting down into the skin of Chloe's shoulders as she pushed her again. Chloe let out a pained grunt as she went stumbling back, releasing her foe in the process.

Now the two girls faced each other across the mats. Hands on their knees, they leaned inward, eyes narrowing on one another with focused, predatory stares. Both huffed and panted for breath - Xiaoling tossed her head, flicking a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes - but with this much on the line, it was going to take more than that to keep them down for long.

"Heh..." A smile played across Chloe's face. "You don't like it, do ya? That you're gonna have your ass kicked by a selfie girl?"

Xiaoling's hand clenched into an angry fist - just before she lunged closer. Her arm swung wide, aiming a punch clean across Chloe's cheek. But Chloe was ready for that. She veered backward, her ponytail cutting through the air as she swerved away in a quick motion, right before her hand shot up to grab Xiaoling's wrist. Then, she pulled forward, using her opponent's momentum to draw her in closer!

It was a well-played reversal that won Chloe cheers - a chant of "USA! USA!" broke out from the crowd, while Nicole threw two fists in the air with a call of "Yeeeeah, Chloe!" Across the mat, Lin shot a glare toward the slim brunette. The match still wasn't over - and Lin still had faith in her team to win it.

Xiaoling's bare feet went gliding a few inches across the mat as Chloe yanked her toward her. Then she took a few stumbled steps forward. But she wouldn't fall - with her free hand, she once again reached out to grab at Chloe's hair, gripping her scalp and giving it a sharp pull forward. The girl winced, her eyes squeezing shut to quell tears of pain as her body buckled inward toward Xiaoling. Chloe's other hand shot out to grab hold of Xiaoling's bicep, bracing herself - but her leg kicked out in the space beneath them, hooking the Chinese girl around her ankle.

Before Xiaoling knew what was happening, Chloe pulled that leg inward - taking her footing out from under her, and with it, her center of balance. She fell forward, right as Chloe rolled her hips to try and flip her onto her back!

The two of them hit the mat with the slap of sweat-dampened skin - Xiaoling on the bottom, and Chloe laying atop her. The Californian's hands shot out for her opponent's shoulders to try and hold them in place, but in those few seconds, Xiaoling had already reached in behind her, grabbing her hair from behind and giving it a sharp two-handed tug.

"Gah-!" Chloe let out a gasp, reeling back from Xiaoling for a few short seconds as her head was dragged backward, her chin turned skyward. Those seconds were all the Chinese fighter needed. Glaring at her opponent from below, Xiaoling shoved her palm straight into Chloe's face and raked her nails across her cheeks!

A piercing yelp cut through the air. Taylor winced all the way from her bench. Red welts traced the path of Xiaoling's nails across Chloe's face, leaving a stinging sensation in their wake. Against the pain, Chloe couldn't focus. Clutching at her face, she rolled onto her back, and Xiaoling followed, clamoring on top of the fallen girl. Now she was straddling her waist; her hips rolled as she tried to push her weight down on top of Chloe from above.

Xiaoling spat at the ground in disgust. "Dirty Měiguórén," she hissed. Chloe looked back up at her with a glare, one eye clenched in a wince, but Xiaoling met that with a slap straight across her cheek, knocking Chloe's head back down to the mat. A cheer went up from the Chinese team's bench at the sight of their fighter dominating the competition.

But Taylor only leaned in closer, her eyes never straying from the action. "Come on, Chloe," she muttered under her breath. Her fists clenched tighter - but still, she had to hold onto hope. If she knew one thing about Chloe Stern, it was this: Chloe might've been vain, and she might've been a bit of a showoff, but she would never go out that easily.

"That all you got?" Xiaoling began to lean down over Chloe. Her hands gripped the Californian's wrists, pinning them above her head. The referee leaned in closer, watching the girls for any signs of submission or waning stamina - but Chloe had none to spare. She turned back toward Xiaoling, her eyes on her with a piercing glare. Then, she struck.

She jerked her hips once, then twice - and little by little, Xiaoling's balance began to waver. She started to teeter. Then, Chloe managed to jerk a hand free from underneath her pin. Her nails curled inward, and she dug them into the skin of Xiaoling's bare midsection, raking them down her side!

Xiaoling's head reeled back as she cried out in pain. With another buck, Chloe managed to upend Xiaoling, sending her toppling onto her side. The two landed face to face as they rolled to their sides, their legs kicking and tangling beneath them until Chloe managed to scissor one of Xiaoling's thighs between her own. She rolled her weight over, getting on top of Xiaoling, only for the Chinese girl to flip them just a moment later - and there the two of them toppled across the mats in a tangle of writhing limbs.

"Bitch!" Chloe's hands went for Xiaoling' cropped hair, grabbing on and yanking it from side to side. In response, Xiaoling's fingers dug into Chloe's scalp. The two girls were locked in a duel of mutual hair-pulling as they toppled across the mats, rolling one way and then the other; every time one girl looked like she was going to secure the pin, her rival sent her rolling the other way.

"C'mon, Chloe!" Taylor called out from the bench. "You got this!"

"Make her sorry!" Lin called from her team's side.

Even as the pain of Xiaoling's grip was biting into her scalp, Chloe never let go. It felt like her skin was on fire - her face reddened under the strain, and the veins in her neck stretched taut beneath her skin. But she knew she owed it to her team to win this! Reeling back hard at the back of Xiaoling's skull, she tried to lift her head higher, releasing her opponent's hair with one hand to throw a few stinging slaps at her side. Xiaoling's leg kicked out from beneath her, flailing in the air, as Chloe rolled on top. The Chinese fighter slammed her knee against Chloe's side, driving air from her lungs with a hiss from behind her clenched teeth. But Chloe retaliated by grabbing hold of Xiaoling's thigh, raking her nails down the skin in a blow that drove a pained growl from the girl.

Tears budded in Xiaoling's eyes, but she gnashed her teeth - the last thing she needed, she told herself, was to let this weak foreign slut see her cry. She shoved her body forward, her chest and shoulders mashing against Chloe's own as she tried to force her back. At first, Chloe remained firm - but then, Xiaoling's fingers dug into the skin of Chloe's back, clawing along her spine as she bucked her hips hard again.

"Ow! Fuck! Cheap slut!" Chloe snapped. The two toppled over onto their sides. Then, again clutching each other's hair in a mutual two-fisted grip, they rose - half climbing to higher ground, half dragging their opponents up with them. They pulled each other up to their knees, hands still locked in each other's hair, up until Xiaoling broke one hand free and hammered Chloe right in the gut with a blow of her fist.

Chloe coughed, falling forward as she clutched her stomach. Xiaoling watched her with a smirk, brushing aside some torn strands of hair away from her eyes. "Soft girls like you," she began, "are going to crumple against a good hit." She sucked in a breath, sitting straighter to pull her toned stomach taut - as if comparing herself against Chloe's curvier frame. From the sidelines, Lin's stony expression turned to a devilish smirk as she looked back at Taylor.

But Taylor's hope didn't waver. She knew Chloe was tougher than she looked - years of competitive swimming had honed her endurance and given her a powerful core. The sympathetic groans of Chloe's supporters could be heard from the crowd, but already, the girl was pushing herself back up straighter. Her shoulders heaved in and out with every breath she took. Her brow dripped with sweat, and the scratch marks bloomed across her cheek. Chloe's ponytail had completely dissolved under Xiaoling's relentless hair-pulling, and her hair now fell loose across her shoulders. But even still, when she looked up at her rival, it was with a smirk. "You think I'm soft, huh?"

Chloe's elbow struck out before Xiaoling knew what was happening. Suddenly, the blow slammed right into her jaw, causing her nerves to explode in a numb pain as her head cracked to the side. Then, right when the Chinese fighter looked back at her, Chloe grabbed for her face, her nails raking across her eyes. Xiaoling let out a pained wail, bringing her hands up to shield her watering eyes - which left her chest completely unguarded.

"I see ya like showing off," Chloe teased. The fans were already cheering louder and louder with each hit Chloe landed, and now their cheers had reached a fever pitch as she grabbed the shoulder strap of Xiaoling's bikini top. She pulled back hard, causing the fabric to dig into Xiaoling's skin - right before it tore free with the sound of a rrrrip, causing the girl's breasts to spill free.

"THAT A GIRL, CHLOE!" Nicole roared from the bench.

Chloe's grin grew even wider as cameras flashed all around her, spinning Xiaoling's top in her hand before she tossed it aside. "Now that's making the highlight reel," she teased - the honey dripping from her voice did nothing to dull the blow that was aimed right for Xiaoling's heart.

Xiaoling looked back up then. Her face flushed red, and her fist slammed into the mat at her side in frustration as her other arm instinctively moved to cover herself. But Xiaoling wasn't fast enough to preserve her modesty. Undeterred, Chloe's hand swung out again, connecting across Xiaoling's bare breasts with a sharp backhand that caused them to bounce. The Californian giggled at the sound of her opponent's surprised yelp. "What's the matter?" she teased, winking in Xiaoling's direction. "They're not even worth seeing, next to these," she added, thrusting out her own chest.

The redness rose in Xiaoling's face - but Chloe would realize too late that wasn't from shame. No, the only thing that fueled Xiaoling now was righteous indignation. "Really, now?" Xiaoling's voice cut back. "Only one way to be sure."

In a flash, the Chinese girl threw herself forward like a torpedo. Chloe let out a yelp, lifting her arms to defend herself - but she was a moment too late. The full weight of Xiaoling's body plowed into her, flattening her back against the mats. One of Xiaoling's hands grabbed hard at Chloe's hair, pulling her head downward and to the side in a yank that drew a yelp from her lungs. Her other hand snagged right in the middle of Chloe's top. With the sound of a sharp rrrip, Xiaoling tore straight through the fabric, causing it to burst open.

The crowd cheered as Chloe's full breasts sprung loose, her nipples stiffening as the cool air brushed over her skin. Her face flushed hot as the redness spread across her cheeks - but Xiaoling wasn't looking to humiliate, but rather to expose a weak spot she could target. Ducking her head lower, her teeth snapped around the soft flesh of Chloe's breast, biting down hard!

Chloe's back arched up from the ground as her body recoiled from sheer pain. Shrieking, she flailed blindly, bucking up and down as her legs flailed in the air. But Xiaoling's thighs slipped up to Chloe's waist, her legs locking in against her sides to anchor herself as she held on, riding through every lurch and lunge of her opponent's body. One hand twisted deeper into Chloe's hair, torquing its roots. With the other, the Chinese girl balled a fist and swung it again and again into her opponent's side. Every blow caused Chloe's pale flesh to ripple against the impact, and every blow caused another wave of pain to shoot along her nerves.

"Come on, Chloe!! Fight it!" Nikki hollered from the bench, cupping her hands to her mouth. But Taylor could only watch silently, teeth locked in a wince. From what little she'd seen of the Shanghai team's performance, she knew exactly how merciless Han Xiaoling could be. She'd seen how she had demolished a girl from South Africa in under a minute early in the tournament. And now, Chloe was experiencing that ferocity firsthand.

Chloe's heart was pounding in her chest. Trapped beneath Xiaoling, she knew this was the last chance she had to turn things around for her team. Her legs kicked in the air, and her hips bucked with the determination of a dying animal. Her palms pressed against Xiaoling's flat stomach from below, trying to push her off. When the girl wouldn't budge, her fingers curled inward to claw at her hips. Xiaoling hissed from the sensation, but she wouldn't stop - hoisting Chloe's head higher by the hair, she hurled a jab straight for the Californian's face, her knuckles meeting Chloe's nose with a resounding crack.

Gasping, Chloe fell backward, her arms falling flat around her as she went slack. Xiaoling pushed herself higher, now straddling her opponent's chest as she scrambled up her body. She released her hair, but now her fists were flying left and right, bludgeoning across Chloe's face. Every time a punch landed, Chloe felt a stinging pain erupt from her skull, and her head was whipped from side to side - every time her head lurched in one direction, it was sent right into the path of another oncoming punch.

Little by little, Chloe's motions began to slow. Her muscles began to slacken, and her struggles dwindled. For her teammates on the bench, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Taylor could practically feel the color draining away from her face as her jaw hung slack. The thud, thud, thud of Xiaoling's fist against Chloe's face felt like the ticking of a metronome - rhythmic, measured, almost too predictable. But Xiaoling never let up.

Then, everything stopped. Chloe took one last gasp, and all her muscles went slack at once, her body sinking against the mats. As Chloe finally went still under the relentless assault, the referee hovered over her fallen form. He watched as her chest wearily rose and fell, but that was the only motion she showed - her eyes had gone glassy and vacant, and her body limp. Xiaoling was already raising another fist, but the referee held up a hand and gave the signal, and the bell rang.

Chloe was knocked out. Team China had taken the first victory.

"Hmph," Xiaoling muttered one last time as she pushed herself off of the unconscious Chloe, climbing to her feet. She took one step away before looking down at her fallen foe with a sneer of disdain. "Fat whore," she muttered.

Then, her eyes drifted to the phone Chloe had carried to the mats with her, now lying just beside their edge. Her hand snatched for it, the screen flicking open to the conversation Chloe had been having with her boyfriend - the same one she had sent her selfie on the way to the mats. Xiaoling rolled her eyes at the cloying tone of their messages. She only half-understood the English text, but she knew enough. If this girl thought she could act like a big shot, Xiaoling would set the matter straight. She'd make sure everyone knew where she really belonged.

Bending down, Xiaoling grabbed the waistband of Chloe's bikini bottoms and yanked them down, peeling them off her body. Chloe's legs fell slack against the mats, but she still didn't stir. Then, Xiaoling turned on the camera, focusing it on the view of Chloe's battered, lifeless body - limp, naked, and plastered against the mats by her own sweat. She snapped a photo, sending it in another text to her boyfriend.

"This is a place for real fighters, selfie girl," she hissed, before throwing the phone down and marching back to her team's bench.

[Astrakhan]

Taylor didn't know how much time had passed since the paramedics had loaded Chloe's naked body onto a stretcher, carrying her back toward her team's bench. Logically, it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. And yet, it felt like an eternity that she'd sat there, her body rigid, her eyes glued on the spot where her teammate had been a moment ago. Even after the mats had cleared, she didn't want to look away. Their presence lingered.

This was what Team China was capable of. This was what she was up against.

"Ughhh..." Slowly, Chloe began to stir, bringing her hand to her temples to rub at her head. She sat up as the strength returned to her, and her fingers moved to brush some loose and sweaty strands of hair out of her eyes. "I lost, didn't I?" she at last conceded.

Taylor's response was nothing more than a sigh as she tossed Chloe a towel to cover herself. Wrapping her body in the cloth, she lifted herself onto the bench. Nikki passed her a water bottle, and she took a drink from it slowly.

"Alright," Taylor spoke at last. "We need to be careful here. But as long as we can win the next two rounds, we can still win this. We need to figure out who's-"

"Me," Nicole called, not waiting a moment. "Me next."

Taylor spun around to face her. That was typical Nicole, all right - jump first, ask questions later. Sometimes that worked. Sometimes, it only landed them in hot water - and after Shanghai's showing in the first round, Taylor knew their team couldn't afford to be anywhere near hot water. "Nikki, let's talk about this first-"

But the brunette just shook her head. "I mean it, Tay. I'm going next. I'm not gonna let these Shanghai bitches do Chloe dirty like that."

Taylor lingered on that thought for a few seconds. An objection began to crawl up her throat, but it died midway through. She knew Nicole Davenport. She knew that as flippant as she could be, when she made up her mind, she meant it. There was no talking her down now - and, she had to admit, there was one shameful thought in the back of her mind.

If Nicole went next, it meant Taylor wouldn't have to. If she won, that would buy the captain more time to think through what she'd do in the final round. And if she lost...well, at least Taylor wouldn't have to bear the burden of losing it all.

"Round Two is about to begin," the referee's voice cut in, mercifully dragging Taylor away from her thoughts. "Team captains Taylor Kensington and Shi Lin, please come to the mats."

This time, the grin on Lin's face lingered just a little longer as she looked Taylor right in the eye. This time, it was Lin who called heads, but the coin came down tails. Taylor's pick came out just as naturally as breathing. "Nicole."

"Whoop!" Nicole cheered. She lunged to her feet, whipping her jacket off with one swift motion. Now in her black bikini, her skin gleamed in the lights overhead. With her hair billowing behind her, she barreled toward the mats in a sprint, not the least bit concerned about saving her energy. Even when she came to a stop, she bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet, shaking out her arms.

Lin's voice was as collected as ever. "Baizhi."

Taylor's eyes flashed toward Team China's bench. Right beside Xiaoling, still grinning triumphantly from her victory, another girl rose. The sight made Taylor's eyebrow raise curiously. Lin's pick didn't seem like she could be any more different than Nicole if she tried. Every motion Baizhi made was one of composed grace as she lifted herself to her feet, letting her jacket slip to the bench behind her. Her jet-black hair, long and straight, stood in stark contrast to her alabaster skin, on full display beneath her purple bikini. Baizhi looked down on Nikki from her height of 5'6, with long legs and a graceful slope to her hips, her curves continuing up to her body to her B cup bust in a line as unbroken as an ocean wave. Even as she walked to the mats, her motions were careful and measured, and her flat expression never broke. Watching her, Taylor could only think one thing - was Lin trying to make a point that Baizhi's composure could triumph over Nicole's chaos?

As the captains stepped off the mats, Nicole giggled to herself, leaning in a little closer to her foe. "Oh, you're going down, princess," she said. Baizhi said nothing.

The bell rang. And not a second passed before Baizhi's hand snapped out in the space between them, breaking the silence with a sharp crack across Nikki's cheek. The American girl veered to the side, sputtering as she started to teeter off course. But Baizhi lunged on that opening. She shoved her hand back into Nicole's face, fingers curled to rake her over the eyes!

A shrill scream split the air as Nikki reeled back, her hands flying for Baizhi's arm. The brunette's nails raked down the pale skin of her opponent's bicep, fighting to break the hold. All the while, Lin looked over, her eyes catching Taylor's with a catlike glint as the corners of her lips played ever so slightly into a smile. Taylor understood then. Baizhi might've looked like a proper lady. But she fought dirty.

As Nikki thrashed from side to side in a desperate bid to struggle free, Baizhi's knee snapped upward, cutting through the space between them like a flash of lightning. Before Nicole had a chance to respond, the knee had caught her right between the legs. Her knees knocked, and a numbing pain shot through her body as her feet slowly began to drift apart.

Then, Baizhi's knee came up a second time. Its target was higher this time - striking into Nicole's unprotected abdomen. With a wheeze, the Californian doubled over forward. Baizhi shoved at her shoulders with a thrust of her whole body, knocking the dazed Nicole flat onto her back.

"Pathetic." Flicking the hair out of her eyes, Baizhi moved closer, hands still on her hips. She lifted one foot, prepared to stab her heel straight downward into Nikki's gut - but it was at that point that Nicole rolled all her weight to the side, throwing herself out of the way! Baizhi's foot was already in motion, and it was too late to stop herself. Her foot struck the mats just as Nikki rose to her knees at her side, beaming with triumph.

"Missed me," she teased. In a lunge, Nicole threw herself forward, her shoulder aimed for Baizhi's side. She tackled her in a well-placed pounce, the crowd bursting into cheers as the two girls hit the ground. Baizhi's legs kicked out, latching into place around Nicole's ribs. She squeezed them tighter, narrowing the space more and more to compress the brunette's sides in her grasp.

Nikki's teeth ground together in a grimace. She struggled wildly, throwing her head from side to side and whipping her hair to and fro as she went. Any air she took into her lungs felt hot and stifling against the pressure - and yet, she held on. "Let...go, skank!"

"Make me," Baizhi hissed, her voice cutting underneath a breath. She only squeezed her legs tighter in a vice around Nicole's ribs.

"Is that a challenge?" Nikki barked. Her hands shot upward, her nails scrabbling for the smooth skin of Baizhi's thighs. The Chinese fighter let out a squeal as Nicole clawed stinging welts across her skin, but retaliated by reaching down to grab Nicole's hair in both hands, yanking it upward hard. The brunette tossed and turned in her grasp - until she suddenly leaned in to bite down hard on Baizhi's thigh!

That was too much for the Shanghai girl to handle. Letting out a scream, she released her grip on Nicole's waist, kicking her away. Nikki went tumbling across the mats, only to stop and right herself a few feet away. There, she picked herself up onto her hands and knees - panting, shaking out her mussed hair, but still looking back at Baizhi with an unbroken grin. "Not good enough," she teased.

Baizhi let out a snort through her nose as she rose on her knees, stopping only to rub at the red marks on her thigh. "You fight like an alley cat."

"And you hit like my grandma," Nicole continued. In unison, the girls pushed themselves back upright, their bare feet tracing a circle in the surface of the mats as they strafed around one another. Nicole dove closer, only to jump back a few feet afterward, dodging Baizhi's hand as it snatched out at the air. Taking advantage of the feint, she caught her foe by the wrist, using it to pull her a step closer before her free hand latched onto Baizhi's hair and yanked it downward from behind.

"USA! USA!" the crowd chanted. Taylor smiled just a little - for as chaotic as Nikki's style could be, she knew how to use her unpredictability to her advantage. Baizhi had taken the bait, and now Nicole had struck back.

Of course, it wasn't long before Baizhi retaliated. She jerked back her arm, twisting her wrist free of Nikki's grasp, and grabbed for her hair with two hands, giving it a sharp twist to the side that bent the brunette over at the waist. Nicole teetered, but her heels dug deeper into the mat to try and steady herself before she yanked her opponent's hair back in the other direction, twisting Baizhi to the other side. With her free hand, she swung a slap against the Chinese girl's ribs, landing with the sound of a smack.

Still tugging at each other's hair, the two girls turned in a circle. Baizhi let one hand off Nicole's hair to drag her nails down the Californian's bare back, biting into the skin. "Fuck-!" Nicole cried - but she struck a moment later, throwing herself into her opponent with a full body check. She drove her weight against her foe, their sweat-slick skin meeting with the sound of a wet thud. Baizhi stumbled a step back against the force, but she didn't fall.

Still smacking wherever she could, Nikki connected a hard slap across Baizhi's rear, drawing a yelp from the Chinese fighter that caused Nicole to giggle under her breath. "What, ya like that?~"

Baizhi's brow furrowed as she fixed a white-hot glare back at Nicole. She twisted her hand tighter in the brunette's hair, forcing her head up to look into her eyes. "You talk too much," she barked. Then, her other hand grabbed the back of Nicole's bikini bottom, giving it a hard jerk upward that drove the fabric firmly against the contours of her groin!

Nicole gasped, and her eyes watered as a sharp pain shot through her lower body. The black fabric of her bottoms was pulled between her cheeks, drawing a few wolf-whistles from the crowd as she continued to writhe and wriggle in Baizhi's grasp. She grabbed hold of the Chinese girl's hair with both hands now and pulled backward, bending her spine into a C-shaped arc as she tried to drag her down, but Baizhi hissed through her clenched teeth at her. "Chāngfù!" she snapped. "I'll tear these right off of you!"

"Shut it, bitch!" Nikki shouted back. Her knee kicked up, striking for Baizhi's knee. A thud rang out, and a ripple traveled up Baizhi's leg as the impact threw the Shanghai fighter off her balance. She went toppling over, the two girls falling to their sides as they both yanked aggressively at each other's hair. Nicole threw her weight over to try and roll on top of her foe, but Baizhi twisted her hips to the side, bringing them both down on their sides again. Their legs kicked and tangled beneath them as they went rolling across the mats. Hair slipped through their fingers, torn free from each other's scalps and falling around them to litter the ground. But when their grips gave way, they'd only go after each other's bare skin, clawing and raking at whatever flesh they could find as they continued to roll in a tangle of flailing limbs.

"YOU SHOW HER, NIKKI!" Chloe called from the sidelines.

"Fight, Baizhi! Make her cry!" Lin shot back.

Nikki bit at her lip, feeling three burning trails erupt along her thigh as Baizhi dragged her nails down her skin. But she shook herself, refusing to give in that easily. Not when victory was at stake. If she lost here, then Team USA was out of the tournament. She owed this victory to her team, and she owed it to Chloe!

"Who's fighting like an alley cat now?" Nicole snapped back. She reached for the cup of Baizhi's bikini top, yanking the fabric downward. The fabric slithered down her pale frame, causing one breast to pop free. That was all Nicole needed - her hand shot upward, grabbing hold of Baizhi's breast and squeezing it with all her might!

At once, the Chinese girl fell back, throwing her head back with a howl of pain. Undeterred, Nicole rolled atop her, her fingers only sinking even deeper into the soft flesh of Baizhi's modest bosom. It was her turn to straddle her opponent now, perching atop her midsection and slinging her thighs around Baizhi's waist. "Give up!" she roared.

"Keep fighting, Baizhi!" Xiaoling called from the sidelines. "Don't give in!" Tears of pain were welling up in Baizhi's eyes, but she slammed her feet against the mats, her toes curling into the vinyl. Her hips bucked once, then twice, jostling Nicole around. Then her fist shot out, slamming into the brunette's belly. Nikki let out a cough as she fell forward, the air knocked from her lungs. Seconds later, Baizhi's head swung upward, her forehead slamming into the crown of Nicole's skull. The sound of a crack resounded through the arena as the Californian rolled to the side, clutching at her temples.

Panting for breath, Baizhi sat up straight. She brushed the sweat away from her face before pulling the cup of her top back up to cover her breast. Then she cast her gaze across the mat at where Nicole had fallen - now, she was lying on her face, clutching at her temples. The Chinese girl rolled up onto her hands and knees. Slowly but surely, she began to crawl closer. The claw marks Nicole had traced across her body were starkly visible beneath the lights, rising red and angry from her pale skin. They still stung whenever she moved; she hissed and cursed under her breath as she clawed her way across the mat. But she didn't stop. Not now.

Nicole was starting to pick herself back up, pressing her hands and knees against the mat beneath her - but by then it was already too late. Baizhi alighted on her knees behind her, grasping her hair in her hands. With a sharp yank, she pulled upward, hauling Nikki along with her as she rose to her feet. The Californian brunette howled from the pressure on her scalp - only for her voice to be cut short a moment later, when Baizhi's arm snapped across her throat in a chokehold.

Nicole's voice gave way to a hoarse, choked wheeze as Baizhi pulled her backward, the sweat on her back sticking her skin against the Chinese fighter's own. She tried to twist her head from one side to the other, her legs flailing through the air in wild kicks, but Baizhi's grip refused to budge. Even still, in between hoarse gasps and half-muffled groans, Nikki still got a few words through. "Fucking...slut! Let...go-!"

Baizhi would only meet that by pulling Nicole in closer against her chest. "Say that again?" she hissed into Nicole's ear. The brunette's face was growing redder from the pressure and the lack of air, and her hair was plastered across her face with sweat.

Bringing up her free hand, Baizhi cupped Nicole's breast. The faint brush of her fingertips against Nikki's skin was the only warning she'd receive before those fingers clamped down, squeezing her breast hard. At once, Nicole threw her head backward, and a shrill scream echoed through the air.

"Tap out. Now," Baizhi hissed, leaning closer into Nicole's ear. "Or I'll make it worse."

From her team's bench, Xiaoling cheered, throwing two fists in the air. Lin crossed her arms, leaning back in her seat with a smug grin. In her head, she already had this won. Baizhi had Nicole in her ironclad grip, and there was no way the American fighter could struggle free. Either she'd tap out, or go limp in Baizhi's grasp. Either way, she'd win. Either way, the Californians would be defeated.

Chloe cried out at the top of her lungs, urging for Nicole to keep up the fight. But her words were little more than a dull roar to Taylor, who was fully consumed in her thoughts. The blonde gripped tightly at the rim of the bench as she leaned in closer. She didn't want to take her eyes off the action for a second. Nicole's screams were growing softer as Baizhi strangled the air from her lungs, and her face was flushing a deeper and deeper red. This was it. Taylor knew this was it. If Nicole didn't turn things around now, they were sunk. And yet...she still had faith in Nicole to pull out another surprise.

And at the last moment, Nicole delivered.

The expression on Baizhi's face never wavered as she stared daggers at Nikki, waiting for the moment her strength would fail her. But then, the Californian's head snapped straight backward. In a flash, she slammed the back of her skull right against Baizhi's nose! A loud crack echoed through the arena. Letting out a groan, Baizhi stumbled back a few steps, her grip on Nicole's throat beginning to slip. It didn't give way entirely, but it did clear precious room - enough for Nicole to gulp down a gasp of air. And from there, she grabbed for Baizhi's arm where it encircled her throat - pulling it up and sinking her teeth right into the girl's wrist.

A shriek split the air - enough to make even the roaring crowd go silent for a few short seconds in shock at what they were witnessing. Baizhi jerked her arm back, frantically rubbing at the bite mark that bloomed along her forearm. Nicole twisted free, turning to face her foe. Looking on at it all, Taylor smiled wider, sitting straighter in her seat. A lesser girl would've surely been too winded to keep fighting at this point. But not Nicole Davenport.

"Wow," Nikki huffed in between pants. "You even taste like a cheap hooker."

With a surge of energy she shouldn't have been capable of, Nikki lunged. Her hands flew for Baizhi's shoulders, her nails digging into skin as the two girls went crashing into the mat. A resurgent cheer of "USA! USA!" went up at the sight of Nicole's triumphant comeback.

Barely a few seconds had passed from the moment Nicole landed that Baizhi's legs kicked out in the air, her body bucking and writhing beneath her. Her legs tangled around Nikki's own, while her nails lashed out to snatch at her sides, her back, her hair - anything she could attack. Nicole responded in turn, and the two went rolling. The cheers around them rose to a fever pitch from the crowd and their teammates alike. Both Taylor and Lin knew that this was the home stretch. It was anyone's game now - but whoever emerged on top would win it all. And for Team USA, that might be all they needed to tip the odds!

They went to their sides again. Nikki's nails cut a path across Baizhi's cheek. In response, the Chinese girl raked her toenails along Nicole's bare leg, leaving red trails in their wake. Nicole yelped, but she gave her hips a sharp buck, kicking her legs up and tangling them around one of Baizhi's own. With a flip of her hips, she hurled Baizhi into the mat, clamoring on top of her. Only a second later, she threw her fist straight down, punching Baizhi directly in her breast. The impact was strong enough to make the girl's breast pop out of her top, and she fell back flat against the mat with a thump as the air was knocked from her lungs with a sputtered cough.

For a moment, they were silent - Nicole's back and shoulders heaving as she took in slow, hoarse breaths. Baizhi attempted to reach up and grab at her from below - but she was a moment too late. Nicole's hands grabbed for her wrists, slamming them down against the mat beside her head.

"You're finished," the brunette barked in between pants. "Admit it. You lost."

"Liar," Baizhi hissed. She tried to twist her body, rolling from side to side beneath Nicole, but it was no use. The American girl rolled her hips with her. She leaned in closer, pressing her wrists down harder as her slim body ground into Baizhi's own. When Baizhi tried to buck her hips again, Nicole brought her knee up higher, pressing it down against her stomach with enough force to squeeze the air from her lungs in a hoarse gasp.

"Say it, bitch!" Nikki snapped. She shifted her grip to hold both of Baizhi's wrists beneath one hand now, using her other hand to squeeze and claw at the girl's face - her fingers clasping around her cheeks; her nails digging into her skin. A searing pain jolted through Baizhi's body, causing her to rock and spasm as she cried out. She tried to buck again, but Nicole wouldn't move. The grin grew wider and wider across her face. She knew it. Baizhi was done for.

Lin watched it all, her body stiffening, biting at her lower lip. It was the first time, Taylor noted, that she'd seen this sort of response from the Chinese captain. A smirk began to cross Taylor's face at the sight. Lin could be rattled. She still had doubts. Beneath her stoic façade...Shi Lin was just as vulnerable as she was.

And at last, the inevitable happened. Baizhi's voice wavered. The bile burned in her throat just from comprehending the words she was about to say - but she knew she had no choice. "Fine...I give!"

The bell rang then. Nikki jumped up off of Baizhi, lifting two fists in the air with a cheer. All around her, cheers and cries of "USA! USA!" sounded.

"HELL YEAH, NIKKI!" Chloe shouted, jumping up from her seat so forcefully it made her towel slip dangerously low.

But it was Taylor who grinned the widest as her teammate strode confidently back toward the bench, waving her hand and pumping her fist to the tune of the crowd's cheers. Taylor knew there was only one more round to go. And now...she felt like she just might have a chance.

[Astrakhan]

Taylor's foot drummed against the arena floor, her eyes fixed on the scoreboard overhead.

1-1. Team USA and Team China were at a stalemate going into the final round.

That meant the outcome of this fight would determine everything.

If Taylor won this, that meant she would win it all. But if she lost, then it would be her that damned her team to failure. As the last remaining member of her team, she was the tiebreaker. She was the one who would decide everything. Taylor could feel every ounce of that burden's weight pressing down on her shoulders. Whether or not UC Davis made it to the finals - that would all rest on her.

Her eyes drifted back to Shanghai's bench. Xiaoling and Baizhi were both huddled close around Lin, hanging off their team captain's shoulders as they whispered advice in her ears that Taylor wouldn't have made out even if she knew a single word of Mandarin. The blonde's gaze lingered a little longer on Lin. The two teams were down to their captains now. They were out of options for combatants - their only choice was to pit Taylor and Lin against each other.

"Okay, c'mon, c'mon," Nicole said, the grin still wide across her face as she bumped her shoulder against Taylor's own. "Did you see the look on her face when I-"

"Not now, Nikki. I need to focus," Taylor grumbled.

Chloe looked over to her with a nod of her head. "Yeah. It's between you and her, right?"

Taylor bit at her tongue. She wished she had been paying closer attention to what Team China was doing earlier n the tournament. But there were too many things to keep track of - classes, training, travel arrangements. She looked down at her phone, idly scrolling through a few clips of Shi Lin's highlights earlier in the tournament.

The quarterfinals - Lin lying perpendicular across the back of some poor Russian girl, her teeth buried in the flesh of her shoulder as she pinned her screaming opponent's wrist behind her back. The regionals, where she'd faced off against a team from Hong Kong, grabbing her opponent by the hair and hurling her face-first into the mats with a yank that swept her right off her feet. Every one of them made Taylor's stomach tighten.

For a team captain, Lin had taken an unusually proactive role in this tournament. Most captains sent their teammates out first, to reduce the risk that they'd suffer an injury that would impair their judgment in later picks. Lin, though, had volunteered herself for the first and second rounds of several of her matches - making a strong showing right out of the gate. It had actually been a surprise that she'd waited this long to take part in the semifinals. What did that mean, Taylor asked herself? Did she think so little of the Americans that she didn't want to get her hands dirty with them? Or, perhaps - was she more cautious about Taylor's team than she had let on?

The sound of the referee's voice fell like the blade of a guillotine - a cold inevitability that Taylor had waited for with apprehension. When she heard it, she sucked in a gulp.

"The final round is about to begin. Team captains Taylor Kensington and Shi Lin, please come to the mats."

The two girls rose from their benches and approached each other at the center of the mats. Taylor could hear the cheers coming from Chloe and Nicole behind her, the persistent chants of "USA! USA!" that followed her, but she didn't pay the noise any heed. Her eyes were locked on the young woman walking toward her in careful strides - her fellow team captain; the final member of Team China. Her opponent. Shi Lin.

That was all that mattered. She was all that mattered.

The two girls stopped before each other. Taylor didn't think she had blinked a single time since she had risen from the bench. Only inches apart, she could feel Lin's breath against her skin, and the pounding of her own heart against the walls of her chest. But she swallowed a gulp, squeezing her fists so tightly at her sides as to dig the nails into her palms. There was no room for nervousness here.

"As the last remaining members of your teams," the referee explained, "the two of you must participate in the final round. This is your last call to forfeit the match. Are you both ready to proceed?"

Lin's response was automatic - a nod, her eyes never leaving Taylor's. "I'm ready."

Taylor let out a long, deep sigh, hoping to whatever gods heard her that Lin wouldn't notice just how long it took her to summon that same courage her opponent had shown. "Ready," she huffed.

Lin unzipped her track jacket and tossed it to the floor just outside the mats. Her frame was trim and athletic, on full display in her red bikini. At 5'7, she ever so slightly edged out Taylor in height, and her arms and legs were long, yet taut and toned. Her C cup bust was held tightly in her bikini top, which fit the contours of her body so snugly it could've been painted on. Her waist was trim - not as built as Xiaoling's had been, but svelte and aerodynamic. Lin's whole body was built for speed. But Taylor knew just as well that she could hit hard when she wanted to.

The Chinese fighter shook her head from side to side, her ponytail trailing behind her head with each motion. "You're staring," she said flatly.

Taylor drew in a gulp. Now Lin was on to her - how she was assessing her; how she was weighing her chances. Her teeth ground together at the thought of how closely she was being scrutinized - she asked herself if she'd already shown too much weakness; if she'd already exposed herself. Nevertheless, she unzipped her own jacket and passed it over to the referee. The cool air against her bare skin made the hairs raise across the back of her neck. This wasn't Taylor's first catfight by any stretch of the imagination. She'd been through this all before. And yet, now, standing before Lin in nothing but a white bikini, she'd never truly felt so exposed.

Lin's lips curled into a smile just seconds before the bell rang.

A CRACK ran through the air. Lin's foot had whipped into motion in the span of mere milliseconds. She'd opened the match with a hard kick square in the center of Taylor's knee. The blonde heard the noise before she felt it - but then, the white-hot pain erupted through her leg. She tried to clench her teeth to stifle the scream, but it was no use; she dropped to one knee, clutching at her leg as she hit the mat with a loud cry. First mistake, she admitted to herself. She'd let Lin hit her.

Lin was already in motion. As soon as Taylor had fallen, the Chinese girl's hand had already shot out to tangle in her hair, grabbing at her scalp and torquing her head backward. Taylor had no choice but to stare up at Lin as she loomed over her from above - eye to eye, locked onto the blonde with a piercing glare.

No, Taylor told herself. It couldn't be this way. If she wanted her team to stand a chance, she couldn't let Lin get to her. She had to fight!

The Californian's hand cracked out through the air, landing against Lin's thigh with the sound of a slap. She could feel the girl's muscles beneath her palm - taut, solid. But not enough to fully absorb the impact. Lin hissed from the pain, her body tensing up. Taylor followed that up with another slap, and another, each one making Lin slowly stumble backward. It was working. She was hurting her.

Still, she reached to grab for Taylor's hair with her other hand, dragging her upward to carry her back to her feet. With her fingers knotted in Taylor's hair, Lin jerked the American fighter closer, their chests and shoulders bumping against each other's.

"Your girls are tough," Lin hissed under her breath, her voice low enough for only them to hear. "But not good enough to make the finals." She twisted her hair tighter, just to punctuate that statement.

Taylor winced as she felt the sting in her scalp. But she huffed with defiance, shoving her body closer and driving her chest hard against Lin's own. "You wanna pull hair, bitch?" she snapped. "Two can play that game!" One hand snapped outward, grabbing hold of Lin's silky black hair and pulling hard. The Chinese girl grunted - and that grunt gave way to a hateful hiss as Taylor curled her fingers into claws, raking her nails against Lin's hip with her other hand.

"Biǎozǐ!" Lin cursed under her breath. She released Taylor's hair with one hand, only to shove that hand into her face and rake her nails across the blonde's cheeks. Taylor's cry of pain was muffled into Lin's palm, but she wouldn't let that pain stop her. If she wanted to survive - to win - she had to let it fuel her. She had to rise above it - beyond it.

Taylor grabbed for Lin's hair with her other hand - this time, grasping her by the dangling ponytail instead of by the scalp. Using it for leverage, she dragged the girl's head to the side as hard as she could, hauling on her hair with both hands. One of Lin's bare feet slipped from the mats, causing her to fall to one knee as her nails frantically clawed and scraped down Taylor's arm.

"Keep at it, Tay!" Chloe called from the sidelines. "You got her!"

Whatever encouragement Taylor was getting from her teammates, she barely registered it. All she could focus on was the rush of blood running past her ears as she leaned into her double-fisted grip on Lin's hair. The Chinese girl still had one hand dug into her own scalp, and the harder Taylor pulled, the more Lin yanked her forward, threatening to send her toppling off her center of balance. Taylor was bent forward at the waist, leaning closer and closer toward her foe with every inch Lin pulled her inward.

At last, Lin kicked out with one leg, this time striking for Taylor's ankle. At last, the American fell forward, her feet sliding out from beneath her as she toppled toward her foe. But it didn't matter to Taylor any more - if she was going to fall, then so be it! Let her fall!

The two girls crashed into one another amidst a roar of cheers. Taylor lay on top of Lin for only a few seconds before the Chinese girl thrust her hips upward, knocking her over to the side as she rolled to reverse the positions. Their legs kicked at one another in a whirlwind beneath them - thighs battering thighs, knees locking around knees, feet paddling at the air. Lin threw an arm behind Taylor's back and dug her nails into her skin. Taylor howled from the pain, but that pain lingered for only a moment. Adrenaline was driving her onward. She had to keep going. She had to win!

The two rolled across the mats in a whirling tangle of limbs, grabbing and slapping at each other at every turn. As they fell onto their sides, face to face, it was only for a few short seconds that the action ground to a halt - Lin's fingers snagging Taylor's hair and holding her head firm, dragging it forward until her forehead ground into the American's own.

The air between them was hot and stifling; Taylor's face was red and dripped with sweat from the exertion. When Lin's eyes met hers, her brow furrowed, and the fire in her eyes blazed white-hot with rage. The smug condescension Taylor had seen on Lin's face through the other matches was gone. Now, there was only anger - anger that Taylor would dare to stand in her way.

"I'm warning you, biǎo," Lin spat. "You haven't even seen the worst of what I can do to you."

But a steely defiance flashed behind Taylor's eyes as she snorted a gout of hot air. "That true?" she taunted. "Then bring it. This is pussy shit!"

Before Lin could say anything more, Taylor lunged. She swung her head forward - slamming it right into Lin's own forehead with the sound of a loud clunk. Gasping, the Chinese fighter went toppling backward, her body falling limp and her limbs flailing behind her. Cheers and chants of "USA! USA!" broke out. Taylor didn't care. She wasn't here to bask in the glory. That could wait until she'd won.

Taylor rolled forward with the motion - but Lin had already shoved herself back up onto one shoulder. Now, they faced one another on their sides once again. The Shanghai girl lunged closer - this time, her fingers hooked underneath the strap of Taylor's bikini top and yanking it hard. The fabric was pulled tight against Taylor's tanned skin, biting into it hard enough to leave a red mark. One of Taylor's eyes narrowed into a wince, but she only leaned into the motion, her nails raking along Lin's ribs. Then, her legs kicked out, hooking her knees around one of Lin's own. Scissoring the joint, Taylor rolled the two of them further, scrambling atop her foe.

Lin was forced to release Taylor's top, which snapped back against her skin with the sound of a smack. The blonde hissed under her breath - "Skank," she muttered, more to reassure herself the pain hadn't gone unavenged than to truly get under her rival's skin. She leaned further forward, bringing her knees up beneath her to pin down Lin's hips. Now, she was leaning down on top of Lin, using her weight to compress the girl's stomach flat.

"YOU GOT THIS, TAYLOR!" Nikki cried from the sidelines, bouncing wildly up and down.

Lin growled with fury, bucking her hips into the air to try and jostle Taylor's position on top of her. The blonde leaned down, pressing her palms against the mat to try and steady herself against her opponent's frantic thrashing, but it was too late. Taylor was already destabilized, and Lin struck at the moment of weakness. She drew back a fist, hurling it straight into the side of Taylor's breast! A meaty WAP shot through the air - the sound of flesh meeting flesh.

The blonde let out a squeal as she reeled to the side, her hands instinctively shooting to clutch at her chest to try and dull the pain that shot along her side. Lin's hand once again grabbed the strap of Taylor's bikini top and pulled at it hard. The fabric strained, one cup peeling away from the American girl's breast, until Taylor's breast popped out from the side, dangling in the air.

"Fat cow!" Lin spat, throwing another fist right at the side of Taylor's bare breast. The American cried out as she whipped backward, her exposed breast jiggling from the motion. Lin's next punch was aimed further toward midline, impacting against Taylor's sternum and knocking her flat on her back as she was bowled backward.

Taylor landed against the mat with a thump, and Lin pushed herself back up onto a seated position to follow her. She wasted no time in going for Taylor's hair again - before the Californian could even rise from her back, Lin's fingers were clawing at the blonde strands, tangling them around her knuckles as she pulled her forward. But Taylor rose onto her knees with the motion, grabbing for Lin's hair, as the two girls were locked into another duel. Lin's teeth were clenched in a grimace, a wild flash alighting in her eye as she jerked Taylor's head hard to the side. But Taylor would only meet every yank with one of her own. No concessions. No blow left unavenged.

"Chāngfù bitch!" Lin snapped in between pants, cursing at once in Chinese and English. "You...really think...you're winning!?" She spat angrily in Taylor's direction. Her steely composure had shattered against the wall of resistance Taylor had put up. Now, there was only rage - rage, and the single-minded urge to crush; to dominate.

And that was a rage Taylor's heart burned just as hot with. "Yeah, slut, I am!" she barked. She gave one sharp tug at Lin's hair with all her might - pulling back with such force that she tore a clump of black hair straight out of the girl's scalp. Lin fell backward with a bestial roar, ripping her head free of Taylor's fingers. The elastic holding her ponytail snapped, leaving her raven hair to fall loose in a tangled curtain around her shoulders.

As soon as Lin teetered backward, Taylor lunged - throwing herself straight on top of her and tackling her back against the mats. The crowd erupted into a roar of cheers as Taylor landed atop her foe. But she had only thrown herself right into Lin's clutches. No sooner had Taylor fallen on top of her that the Chinese girl whipped her legs up in the air, locking her thighs around Taylor's waist in a tight bodyscissor.

The blonde hissed under her breath, feeling the air burn hot in her lungs as Lin's legs compressed her sides like a vise. She threw slaps and punches all up and down the Shanghai captain's legs, but Lin wouldn't budge. She only leaned forward - taking Taylor's shoulder in her teeth and biting down hard!

"Kill the bitch!" Xiaoling roared from the Chinese team's bench.

"Fight it, Taylor!" Chloe called back.

Taylor's eyes watered as she felt Lin's teeth break through her skin. She wanted to scream in pain - but she couldn't. Deep down, she knew she had to keep fighting; that she couldn't submit! She was this close to making it to the finals; she had to give it everything she could!

Growling in defiance, Taylor rammed an elbow straight down against Lin's thigh, drilling the point downward into the muscle. Lin started to waver, but she didn't let go. That was fine. That was enough.

Taylor's hips bucked, and she threw her weight over, rolling the two girls onto their sides. She shoved her hand into the narrow space between them, planting her palm directly in the center of Lin's cleavage. Her nails dug against her sternum with an ironclad grip, and she shoved Lin hard - the muscles in her arm shook and strained, and even then she fought to push harder!

The Californian couldn't hold it in any more - she howled in pain as Lin's teeth scraped along her shoulder, the Chinese fighter holding on as long as she could. But with another shove, and a deeper squeeze at Lin's sternum, Taylor was able to at last force Lin off of her, breaking the lock by force!

The crowd took a collective gasp at the sight of Taylor's escape - breaking through the pressure by sheer force of will alone. Now she and Lin were on their sides, face to face, panting for air. Lin's legs were still tangled around Taylor's waist. That was fine. That wouldn't stop her. The Californian's grip dropped lower - this time, taking hold of the band of Lin's bikini top. Driven by adrenaline, she yanked it back with enough force to snap the band in one swift jerk. The torn garment fluttered to the mats beneath them as Lin's breasts hung free.

The Chinese girl didn't even flinch. She was beyond modesty at this point - all she cared about was winning. But humiliation wasn't what was on Taylor's mind. Now her hands shot to grab for Lin's exposed breasts with both hands, digging her nails deep into the soft flesh. Pain erupted through Lin's nerves as Taylor viciously mauled at her breasts - squeezing, clawing, and twisting at them every way she could. She couldn't let go - her chances depended on it!

Lin recoiled, crying out as she twisted away from Taylor's grasp. As Taylor bucked her hips another time, her legs fell free from around the blonde's midsection. Taylor wasn't done with her, though - as long as she had Lin in her grip, she was going to take advantage of every bit of it. She clawed at Lin's nipples, pinching them in between her nails!

"NǙ YĀO!" Lin shrieked, convulsing wildly from the pain. Her body twisted and shook, her legs flailing beneath her. Her hands flew for Taylor's already-askew top, ripping it straight off before she grabbed at the American's breasts in return. Now their mutual duel continued - this time, savagely pulling and clawing each other's breasts. Their eyes watered, and their throats ran raw with screams. But neither girl dared to let go now. Not when they knew they were dealing just as much damage to their rival!

In the midst of it all, Lin raised her leg into the space between them and planted her foot flat against Taylor's stomach. Her toes curled, her nails stabbing into Taylor's midsection before she shoved her backward with a short thrust.

"Whore!" Taylor snapped, her fingers only digging harder into Lin's breasts. She pulled at them as she was pushed back little by little, stretching them so far as to cause the Chinese captain to cry out in pain from the sensation alone. But Lin sent another short stomp into Taylor's gut, finally driving the blonde away.

For a time, the two girls lay there - both topless, hair in disarray, flat against the mat on their sides. Their limbs lay splayed around them, their bare chests rising and falling with every heaving breath they took as they fought to suck air back into their lungs. Both of them were too battered to move - but both looked at one another with nothing less than a burning hatred in their eyes. Only one of them was going to emerge from this victorious. Only one of them could make the finals. And neither would dare to settle for second place.

Taylor was the first to find the strength she needed to rise. She rolled up onto her knees, then planted her hands against the mat, pushing herself to her feet. Lin followed a few seconds behind her. The Chinese fighter wobbled uneasily on her footing, bringing a hand up to wipe her chin. "You're insane," she hissed, her voice low and choked as she locked eyes on Taylor.

"Maybe," came the blonde's huffed response. "But maybe I'm just enough of a crazy bitch to beat you."

Lowering her head, Lin charged straight toward Taylor. This time, though, the Californian dug her heels against the mats, bending at the knees to steady her stance. She knew that Lin was quick - but that didn't matter as long as she could absorb whatever she threw at her.

As she came close, Lin threw herself for her, tackling her whole body against Taylor. But at that same moment, Taylor threw herself forward, her shoulder driving right into Lin's chest. The two girls went down like a pair of toppled trees, both of them collapsing to the mat.

Lin's arms shot out, latching onto Taylor about her waist. Her nails pinched at the Californian's tanned skin just above the level of her waistband, scrabbling for purchase. Taylor didn't slow down - the rush of adrenaline had left her numb to the pain at this point. Her own arms locked around Lin's sides, and her nails clawed along the Chinese girl's bare back. Their legs kicked and tangled again as they went rolling - this time, arms locked around one another. Their bare sweaty skin was pressed tightly together, the heat of exertion and raw aggression radiating between them wherever they touched. Neither fighter was willing to let their opponent go far. If they kept each other close, then they both had nowhere to hide - nowhere that was safe.

As Taylor rolled on top of Lin again, she shoved down against her with her full weight, her breasts mushrooming against Lin's own. The Shanghai captain's teeth pulled taut in a grimace as she felt Taylor hold her down. "Get *off* me, mǔzhū," she snapped, the contempt stinging in her voice. But Taylor wouldn't budge, leaning in closer in an attempt to crush Lin under her body weight alone.

With a louder hiss, Lin reached up, grabbing hold of Taylor's hair to pull her head higher upward. She looked up at her from below with a grimace, her sweat-slick hair falling wildly across her face. The smug, composed girl who had stared tauntingly at Taylor from the sidelines was gone. Now, she was fighting a demon of pure rage. But Taylor was every bit as driven.

"You're so tough?" Taylor sneered. "Make me."

She lifted an elbow, slamming it straight down against Lin's sternum. Already sore from where Taylor had clawed at it earlier, the dead center of her chest radiated with a stinging pain. One hand dropped from Taylor's hair, flopping at Lin's side. The Chinese girl attempted to pull harder at Taylor's scalp with the hand still knotted in her hair, but Taylor only met that with a low growl, shaking her head with enough force to make Lin release her. Her other arm hit the mat with a thump. Now, the Shanghai captain was laid on her back, her arms limp at her sides. The time was right for Taylor to strike.

Taylor lunged forward - crawling forward over Lin's chest until she sat straddling her, her knees pressing down against the girl's biceps. The blonde's chest heaved up and down with every hoarse breath she took. A drop of sweat rolled off the swell of her breast, dropping down onto Lin's cheek. Raising her hands, Lin clawed at Taylor's thighs, but Taylor powered through it, gritting her teeth tighter. Taking hold of Lin's wrists, she slammed them down against the mat beside her.

"Get off," Lin repeated. But her voice was growing hoarser - more strained; more choked. Taylor lifted her hips higher in the air, slamming them back down against Lin's chest to flatten her breasts against her ribs. The Chinese fighter bellowed in pain, and her body shuddered as she fell heavy and limp against the mats. Her legs cut through the air, kicking toward Taylor's direction - but Taylor simply leaned forward, staying just out of reach. No matter how many times Lin tried, her blows never landed. Soon, her legs fell still too, her muscles burning from exertion as she went limp beneath her foe.

"Tap, bitch," Taylor hissed. "You're done."

"Gǔn dàn," came Lin's sneered response.

"Don't know what that means," Taylor huffed, "but I don't think it's 'I give.'" She lifted her hips again, driving them straight down into her opponent's chest. Again, Lin let out a wheeze under the pressure, falling flat against the mat. "You wanna say that again?"

Lin's teeth clenched in a snarl, and her eyes squeezed shut. Her whole body burned. But she knew that Taylor was right. No matter how hard she had tried to fight back, no matter how she'd tried everything in her power to shake Taylor off of her - it was no use. She was out of options. And the only thing she could do was to concede.

"Fuck," Lin hissed under her breath, in English. Something she'd picked up from one of her many opponents, Taylor surmised. "Fine. I give." The words tasted like bile in her throat - but it was the only thing left.

"That's better," Taylor said with a smirk. The bell rang. The match was over.

"Team USA wins the match, and progresses to the finals!"

The whole arena erupted into cheers. A chorus of voices whooped "USA! USA! USA!" even before Taylor had gotten off of her opponent. She rose to unsteady feet at first, her balance wavering and threatening to give out. She had to stop and take in a few gasps for breath. But only a few seconds passed before she stopped, and she smiled, lifting her head higher.

She'd done it. She'd won.

No. They'd won.

Taylor turned back to the bench, but her teammates wouldn't wait for her. Nicole and Chloe jumped from their seats, running over and pulling their team captain into a tight group hug.

"You were amazing!" Nikki cried.

"Hell yeah you were!" Chloe cut back, nodding her head with a grin on her face.

"Heh...thanks, guys," Taylor said, nodding as her two teammates walked her back toward the bench. She glanced over her shoulder for just a moment, watching Xiaoling and Baizhi lift Lin to her feet - just as winded, the Chinese captain could barely move on her own. Every step she took was laden down with fatigue.

As the match faded into the distance, the adrenaline began to die down, and Taylor could feel the fatigue creep back into her - her muscles growing sore, and her stance wavering. She hissed as she felt the throbbing pain in her breasts where Lin had mauled at them, and she brought her hand up to cup her chest to try and dull the sensation.

But when she looked back up at her teammates, she smiled, nonetheless. They'd done it. And no matter what it took to get there...Taylor wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world.

One more match to go, she thought to herself. And if we win, then we're the best in the world.

[Edududu]

What a great series! Love the world you constructed and how you handled the fights, and looking foward to see where they go! The fast turnaround of the chapters was also really appreciated lol.

If you don't mind a suggestion, I would really enjoy it if for further stories in this universe we got to see more then just the official matches, like scuffles between members of the same team or unsanctioned fights outside of the ring.

[Astrakhan]

What a great series! Love the world you constructed and how you handled the fights, and looking foward to see where they go! The fast turnaround of the chapters was also really appreciated lol.

If you don't mind a suggestion, I would really enjoy it if for further stories in this universe we got to see more then just the official matches, like scuffles between members of the same team or unsanctioned fights outside of the ring.

Thanks! I wrote the full story before I started posting it so I could serialize it a day at a time. Build suspense and keep the momentum going.

This one was really more of a proof of concept to see if people would like the concept and if it had potential, but I'm really happy to see how well it's been received. I've really come to like the characters and we'll definitely be seeing them, and this universe, again. Team China in particular was originally intended as a group of one-off antagonists for this story, but they turned out to be so fun to write I definitely want to do more with them. Thanks for the suggestion, it's a good one!

[Astrakhan]