Life on the Inside

(A Quantum Destines Side Story)


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Forward: Most of the events in this take place after Chapter 19 of Quantum
Destinies.


xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Fresh meat's coming in!"

Shampoo looked up from the paper she was reading and toward Running Deer.
The girl really needed better manners. She had opened the door to the
Amazon's apartment without knocking and thrust her head in to make the
announcement that new fighters, affectionately referred to as 'fresh meat'
by the denizens of the Arena, had shown up.

"It Monday. The meat should no arrive until Wednesday," Shampoo said. New
fighters to the Imperial Arena always arrived on Wednesday, since their last
fight was usually the Friday before in the Hong Kong Arena, and they needed
time to rest and recover before packing and heading to Japan and the crown
jewel of the Empire's entertainment industry, The Tokyo Imperial Arena,
a.k.a., The Battledome.

The barely visible shoulders of Running Deer shrugged. "Rumor has it the
Director wanted to rush this batch over because of the newest hot commodity
in it."

Shampoo scowled. Ratings had been up and continued to rise since her arrival
at the Arena. She was by far the most popular figure there, surpassing the
previous top draw, Mina Li. Even at the Korean's highest point, which had
long since passed (though the girl retained a solid core of fans that
admired her brutal methods), she was never as famous as Shampoo. There
really wasn't any need to rush someone else up. Not that holding back the
newcomers would be fair once they achieved the required twenty victories
more than defeats needed to move into the Battledome, but a new hot
commodity always ran the risk of upsetting the balance of power in the Arena
if they were strong enough. Currently Shampoo was one of the top fighters in
the ranks, if not the best, and wished to remain that way.

"Coming?" Running Deer asked.

Shampoo nodded. Scoping out the competition was always a good idea. Of late,
she had been more concerned about her rivals currently in the Arena rather
than those that were in the process of advancing to it, and had not paid any
attention to them. Running Deer was different. Far more sensible about such
things, the Apache always seemed to have one ear to the ground, listening
for who might be moving up and if they had any talent. Shampoo was unaware
of any potential rivals moving up, and if there was truly a hot commodity,
it would be best to see them early and try to feel them out.

Both she and Running Deer were dressed casually, just tee shirts and shorts
for lounging about. Shampoo preferred working out in the early evenings. It
was especially true on Mondays, since if the bane of her existence, the
Arena Marketing Division, wanted to do something with her they would usually
schedule it for earlier in the day. While being their poster child was
highly profitable, it was also tiring. But she put up with it. Fame was part
of what it meant to be successful in the Arena. Being the strongest fighter
around was the other part.

She had today off though, and had used it to look over some recipes she had
just received from her old friend, Biff 'Beef' Wellington. He was a former
member of the most famous group of fighters in Arena history, 'The Six
Pack', which included the most famous fighter of them all, Jun Fan Lee.
Beef's own fighting days were long since behind him, and he had gotten fat
(literally) on his successes. On the upside, that meant he knew good food,
and was happy to give the protégé of one of his oldest friends anything he
thought she might be interested in. One of the recipes involving a sausage
casserole looked too irresistible, and she was planning to try it in the
near future. A more careful examination would have to take place later. Work
took precedence over cuisine.

It didn't take long for the pair to make their way to the Arena itself and
head toward the stadium's seating. Even empty, there was a feeling of being
swallowed by some titanic whale out of Biblical text. It was a huge
structure that could seat over 70,000 spectators and felt like nowhere else
Shampoo had ever been. It even made the Hong Kong Arena look small. Her
entire village could fit in it a thousand times over, and there would still
be room for more. Truly it was one of the greatest modern marvels of the
world.

It had to be imposing. Every Friday this became the center of entertainment
for the Empire, with all eyes turning to it and the fights that occurred
there. For decades, the floors of the Battledome had been awash with the
blood of those that competed in life and death struggles there. The masses
responded by selling out the Battledome every time and giving it the highest
ratings on television. Spectators tuned in to live vicariously through the
fighters, imagining themselves down on the Arena floor, doing battle with
their favorite contender and feeling satisfaction when their proxy
triumphed, or heartbreak when they lost.

If only they knew the truth, they wouldn't be so eager to imagine living
through what the fighters had to endure, Shampoo thought with ironic
amusement. Pain was a common enough visitor that it never left for some.
Death was a common enough one as well, though crippling was a far more
frequent fate for those that took their chances for the prize. Those fates
hovered over everything, no matter how hard others tried to ignore it. It
was something that was lived with, or the fighters would go mad.

There were other downsides too. Being watched constantly, and forced to live
by the rules of the Arena, could be trying. There were no guests, only
fighters and maintenance people that ran the Arena, from cooks to guards. It
was as much a prison as it was a roof to live under. While the fighters
could go out in public, there were curfews to observe, and no one could
travel even an hour's journey away. A prison with a furlough program. Since
the majority weren't citizens, their rights were limited. While all of their
needs were taken care of in the living facilities, it wasn't a very
satisfying existence. But then it wasn't supposed to be. It was only
temporary, until the annual tournament took place. After that, the fighters
would have to seek their fortunes elsewhere. A prison with a definite
sentence structure, and no one was kept extra long for bad behavior.

Despite the drawbacks, Shampoo had adapted quiet well. She wagered she was
something of an exception. It wasn't a terrible way of life for someone
raised to respect a warrior's tradition, such as herself, though she could
have done without the controls placed on both her life and her matches. Fame
and respect were hers already, and hopefully citizenship awaited her in the
future. It was her personal life that lacked fulfillment. Even with Running
Deer as a friend, the Amazon wanted something else. She was simply uncertain
as to what that elusive thing was.

Shampoo disregarded such thoughts as being unimportant for the moment. She
and Running Deer had to locate the newcomers and look them over.

It didn't take long to find them once Shampoo and her companion walked out
to one of the upper level seating areas. As Running Deer had guessed, the
group was being given a tour of the Arena in order for them to get a feel
for the place. Shampoo had gone through a similar process, as did every
other fighter when they first arrived. The Director wanted the fighters
settled in when it came time for their first match.

They weren't the first fighters to locate the newcomers. Two tiers below the
girls' perch, a number of men were gathered around a railing and looking
down toward the center pf the floor. It took only a moment to locate the
individual most of them were centered around. Evidently, Tarou and his
cronies also paid attention to events around them, and decided to observe
the newcomers as well.

Shampoo and Running Deer looked over the set of a half dozen fighters on the
floor. It was a larger group than normal. Apparently they were either a good
crop, or the competition had been slacking off in order for so many to move
up at the same time. At a glance, the four men and two girls did not look
outwardly dangerous, but as Shampoo had learned fighting in the dog pits,
the most dangerous ones tended to appear the least intimidating.

"The blonde girl is Park Ji-hyun." Running Deer pointed to a smaller girl.

Probably a Korean, judging by the name. Shampoo picked the girl out and
stared intently. She was quite slender, though even at this distance,
Shampoo could tell her shorter stature hid that fact. Besides that she
appeared unremarkable to the Amazon's eyes. She couldn't sense anything from
the girl, but the newcomer was in a relaxed state and the distance
considerable, so Shampoo's observations didn't mean much. At the moment,
Park remained an enigma.

"What has she done?" Shampoo asked.

"Only shot up through the ranks faster than anyone other than you," Running
Deer said.

"That not so impressive. Probably a bunch of dog meat there now," Shampoo
dismissed.

One of the men among Tarou's group shouted down, "Gonna chew you up and spit
you out, Meat!" It was met with a laugh among the crowd.

Shampoo watched the newcomers closely to see if any of them showed fear or
doubt. By now they'd been through more than a hundred fights, and anyone
making it that far should never be intimidated by such meaningless babble,
not if they belonged there. Watching how the newcomers reacted would give a
hint as to what to expect from them.

Most of them gave nothing more than a casual look in the group's direction
before returning their attention to the person conducting the tour. One of
the men made an obscene gesture toward the shouter. Odds were he had a quick
temper, something he had best learn to curb before it got him into trouble.
It was unwise to make more enemies than friends early in one's life in the
Arena. Truly lone wolves were few, and most fighters had a circle of
friends, or at least alliances going with other fighters to help protect one
another. Those that chose to walk a path alone frequently found themselves
the targets of the more bullying cliques, like Tarou and his lot. While
actual fights off the Arena floor were rare, there were other ways to
ostracize and erode the moral of a fighter who had little more than himself
to rely upon. It was a form of unconventional combat, but so was much in
life.

That was one of the reasons Shampoo considered Running Deer such a blessing.
The two had hit it off the instant they met, and the girl from the North
American Prefecture had helped Shampoo adjust to life in her new home
quickly. While there were others that Shampoo would call acquaintances, and
even more she would call allies, Running Deer was the only one she thought
of as a true friend whom she'd trust anything with. The feelings were mutual
on the Apache's part. The duo were inseparable in most things, including the
occasional brush with trouble. Shampoo wasn't sure how she would have fared
without Running Deer being there to help her.

More invectives were shouted by Tarou's lackeys. "Don't get used to the
place! You're going to end up broken and shipped out soon enough!"

This time it was the Park girl that turned and said, "With cute guys like
you around, I sure hope not!" And blew a kiss toward them.

The group went from trying to look intimidating to preening, each one of
them acting as though the comment was directed solely at them. Even Tarou
smirked and seemed to stare at the girl with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

Now Shampoo began to understand the true nature of Park's threat. While her
fighting skills were undoubtedly good, she had mastered the much more
difficult talent of turning on the charm and combined it with looking
insufferably cute. She knew how to play a crowd and use her looks to her
advantage. Her smaller height only added to the 'cute little girl' effect
she was employing. She knew of men, not unlike the group of wolf whistling
morons below, that were interested in that sort of look. It was something
that Shampoo, with her exotic appearance and taller, more voluptuous build,
couldn't master, and thus not compete against in the same manner. She could
make herself look and sound cute, but not with the ease this girl managed.
She would have had the same problem if she tried to compete against Mina's
dark, vicious beauty, something Shampoo had never bothered with since it was
a significantly smaller portion of the public who were interested in it. The
cute little elfin sprite look was far more popular, and Park had it oozing
out of her pores.

Those concerns were momentarily derailed when Running Deer elbowed Shampoo
in the side. "Hey, look who else dropped by."

Shampoo looked in the direction the Apache indicated. At the same level a
couple of rows over, Mina Li had appeared. Her arms were crossed under her
own, ample bosom, as she stared daggers at the short girl that was flirting
successfully with the crowd of men.

"Looks like the new girl attracted someone's attention she didn't mean to,"
Running Deer said in a warning voice.

Shampoo recognized Mina's glare, it was the same one that was perpetually
directed at her by the Korean. While Mina's hatred of Shampoo was public
knowledge in the sub-culture that made up the Arena, she could do little
more than take verbal jabs at the Amazon due to her martial arts skill,
prominence, popularity, and friends. The same could not be said for fresh
meat just off the boat.

"We better take her aside before she get into trouble," Shampoo agreed.
While she didn't need the sort of competition Park was going to give, no one
deserved the sort of problems Mina could unleash on them.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Despite Shampoo and Running Deer's intentions, it took a couple of hours
before the group's tour was finished and a while longer to locate Park. It
was as they rounded the corner of a junction that they eventually found her
in a little used corridor that connected the weight room with the showers in
a roundabout way. Unfortunately, before the pair could approach, they had to
wait for Park's companion to disappear.

While Park leaned casually against a wall, Tarou stood in front of her,
towering over the girl while he chatted in a far too friendly manner for
someone he had just met. Both of his hands were placed against the wall, one
on each side of Park's head. While not physically trapped, it would require
a bit of maneuvering to get out of his way, something Tarou obviously wanted
to prevent. He was all but openly leering as he looked down at the girl.
Park continued chatted away with Tarou, uncaring of the arms' presence.

With Taoru's attention fully riveted to the new object of his adoration, he
failed to notice either one of the girls as they ducked back out of his
sight.

Running Deer whispered, "It didn't take her long to attract the wrong sort
of attention from the wrong sort of people."

"She seem to have knack for it," Shampoo agreed. "We better get her out of
there before she get into trouble."

Running Deer smirked. "Leave it to me. I'll get rid of him."

Shampoo's eyebrows arched in surprise. Tarou wasn't one to back off easily,
even from someone with Running Deer's prowess. Actually, he would probably
perceive any attempt to make him go away as a challenge and respond
accordingly.

Instead of heading toward Tarou, Running Deer did the opposite, softly
padding up the corridor in the direction she and Shampoo had come. She had
made her way a good distance down the hall when she said in a loud voice,
"Why yes, Mina, I think I did see Tarou somewhere around here. Want me to
help you look for him?"

Shampoo was barely able to suppress her mirth as she heard Tarou quickly
excuse himself from the situation, citing he had to go back and train some
more. His footsteps dwindled in the direction opposite Running Deer's voice.

Once the coast was clear, Shampoo went around the corner and headed toward
Park, who continued staring curiously in the direction Tarou had departed.

The short blonde turned and looked Shampoo over. "Can I help you?"

"Shampoo just here to give advice," she said. "Park not want to mess with
Tarou. Not only is he major sleezeball, but he have very jealous girlfriend
that not afraid to rough up girls that flirt with him."

Park stared at Shampoo innocently. "Really? Who?"

"Mina Li," Shampoo said, which should have sufficed for an explanation. Mina
had a reputation for unpleasantness. A well earned one.

Park pouted. "Oh. Is she pretty mean?"

"Borderline psycho, actually," Shampoo clarified.

"Wow! I didn't know that. Thanks for tipping me off." Park said, bowing
gracefully before the Amazon. "By the way, I didn't catch your name."

Shampoo looked at her in disbelief. Was Park stupid, or had she been hit in
the head one too many times? Everyone knew who she was. "Am Shampoo, warrior
of the Joketsuzoku," she stated proudly.

Park's eyes goggled. "Wow! You're, like, a legend in Hong Kong."

She was a legend in Japan as well. What was with this girl? Didn't she pay
attention to the world around her? "Anyway, Shampoo just here to give you
advice."

Park bowed enthusiastically. "Thank you ever so much. I hope we become great
friends."

For a moment, Shampoo almost responded to the offer of friendship with
acceptance. One could never have too many allies inside the Arena, even
brain dead ones, but there was something Shampoo noticed when Park made the
offer. Something about the girl's gaze that felt... off, for lack of a
better term.

"Shampoo is too, too busy. It probably not a good idea to rely on Shampoo
too much. Park be much better off making friends with other girls who can
help her. But Shampoo is sure we see each other around sometime," she said
in a non-committal way.

"Oh." The answer made Park look crestfallen, then she brightened up again.
"I'm sure we will. You take care."

"You too." Shampoo headed back in the direction she had originally came. As
she turned the corner, she noted that Running Deer had returned and was
waiting for her out of sight.

Disappointment laced the Apache's voice. "That was a bit brusque of you.
Even if she was pretty stupid, she was only trying to be friends."

The Amazon's eyebrows furrowed. "Something feel off about cute girl. Shampoo
is no sure what, but definitely not like it."

Running Deer's mood instantly lightened. "Oh, did it? Well, intuition is a
good thing to listen to. I thought you'd make a good friend, and look how we
turned out."

That made Shampoo smile. "Is good point. Park seems nice. She probably make
many friends before she know it. Let's go back and do something fun."

"Last one there has to buy the other cheesecake," Running Deer began rushing
forward, looking back over her shoulder in challenge to Shampoo.

The Amazon couldn't resist the challenge. Cheesecake, as unhealthy as it was
and murder on her figure, still remained her favorite dessert. She hurried
up her pace until she was alongside the Apache, then the two began their
race in earnest.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"...And then he took me to the park after dinner and we had the most
romantic evening. It was like a piece of heaven." Chiang sighed as she
tossed the towel she had been drying off with onto the bench and pulled an
outfit from her locker.

Shampoo and Running Deer stopped dressing and exchanged private glances with
one another, steam from the baths hiding the unspoken comments from Chiang.

"And how long have you been dating this one?" Running Deer asked.

"Two weeks now, though it feels like an eternity."

The pair made sure they were turned away from Chiang when they rolled their
eyes. While Chiang was a decent fighter, a reliable person, and easy to get
along with, she had a bad tendency to fall hard and fast for every guy she
dated. When the men broke up with her, as they invariably did before long,
the aftermath was twice as ugly. Usually she took her anger out on her next
opponent, winning those fights more often than not. There was a sort of
predictability in that. When she was dating, she lost her matches. When she
was single, she won. Most unusual.

"The sex is great too. And I swear he has a prehensile tongue," she cooed.

The boast irritated Shampoo. Between her mother's rather graphic
descriptions of sex, the talk around the locker rooms, and Ensign Shan's
memories of her night in the Heavenly Pleasures Inn with that rather
appealing Ranma boy, combined to frustrate Shampoo and her lack of a sex
life. It had long since become evident that among the ranks of the fighters
she was in the minority when it came to abstinence. Given the life and death
nature of the fighting circuit, people tended to live fast and free, since
the next fight could be their last, and they wanted to enjoy life to the
fullest. That wasn't to say there were no true lovers or couples, just that
relationships tended to move quickly, like Chiang's. She was just faster
than most.

Chiang came out of her fantasy and focused on her companions. "Are either of
you going out with anyone? Running Deer, weren't you dating that English guy
a while back? The one that hasn't been doing too well of late?"

Shampoo grimaced. Running Deer's relationship with the esteemed Michael
Xavier had started around the same time she and the Apache had become
friends. It had been heated, very heated, as Running Deer had been eager to
share all the lurid details with her new best friend. Shampoo had never
approved of the man, his eye roved too much, including toward her whenever
he thought Running Deer wasn't looking. He wasn't as blatant about his
flirting as Tarou was, but he was essentially cut from the same mold.
Shampoo had tried to warn her friend, but Running Deer showed a nasty streak
at what she perceived as interference in her relationship. Shampoo quickly
learned to butt out, and let things proceed as they would.

Eventually Xavier strayed, Running Deer found out, and ended up broken
hearted. Many a night saw the Apache sleeping over at Shampoo's apartment,
crying in a drunken stupor over how 'disgusting' men were while the Amazon
tried to console her friend. That led to an awkward situation one night when
Running Deer had been deep on her third bottle. As she finished it off, the
Apache loudly declared that she was giving up on 'the blight on humanity
that men are', and promptly decided women were her thing. She proceeded to
jump the surprised Shampoo, pinning her to the ground and planting a very
passionate kiss on her lips while her hands roamed toward intimate areas no
one other than Shampoo had ever touched.

While both the Amazon Shampoo and Ensign Shan were familiar enough with
female exclusive relationships (in the village, where men were a much
smaller minority, it was not unheard of for lonely women to seek relief with
one another, and in the Matriarchy, there was a militant segment of the
population that saw the male of the species as an enemy useful solely for
procreation and rejected relationships with them as being a sign of
impurity), and Shampoo was feeling increasingly frustrated at her
abstinence, she was uncertain if she was interested in that sort of thing,
especially with a friend. Luckily, the groping didn't last as Running Deer
snuggled against Shampoo's bosom and passed out.

Thankfully by the next morning, --after a very hung over Running Deer
awakened and remained next to the toilet, vomiting repeatedly for the better
part of an hour-- she had completely forgotten everything from the night
before, including how she had ended up in Shampoo's apartment. After that
night, Running Deer's attitude steadily improved, especially after she had a
scheduled bout with Xavier and used the opportunity to break several of his
bones. Despite her measure of vengeance, she never broached the subject of
her ex-boyfriend and became snappish when anyone mentioned him.

Now, Chiang had made the mistake of invoking his name. Shampoo braced
herself for the venomous tirade that would be coming.

Running Deer gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "I broke up with him a long
time ago. I haven't thought about him in ages."

Shampoo's jaw nearly dropped. Never had Running Deer been so casual
regarding Xavier. Evidently she really was over him. That was a relief,
assuming Running Deer hadn't forsaken men altogether. That would lead to
problems Shampoo had no desire to deal with.

Chiang pressed on. "Is there someone you have your eye on?"

"Not really," Running Deer responded just a bit too quickly and turned away.

Shampoo noted the way her friend blushed as she returned to dressing.
Apparently someone had caught her eye. The Amazon prayed it wasn't whom she
feared it was. She was certain Running Deer never looked her over. She'd
have noticed if the Apache was trying for more than friendship. She was
certain.

Sensing her subject no longer wished to be interrogated, Chiang switched to
the other person present. "How about you, Shampoo?"

She had been afraid of this. It was her turn to be touchy as she said, "No
man here is strong enough to defeat me."

"Honey, you don't have to marry them to sleep with them," Chiang said with a
knowing grin. "How about that Impie you beat last week? He's pretty
good-looking, and has a nice build. I thought you were checking him out with
more than casual interest that night you defeated him. I thought I'd seen
you looking in on him from time to time."

"Shampoo is not interested in Ryu!" Running Deer snapped.

Shampoo felt the sharp tang of bile rise from her stomach. There was only
one possible reason Running Deer would lash out with that quick, angry
response: she was interested in Shampoo and marking her territory by saying
the Amazon was off limits to others.

Despite having just showered, Shampoo broke out in a sweat. She had no idea
how to deal with the situation. Sure, Running Deer was nice, probably the
best friend Shampoo had ever known, and she was pretty and well built. Men
tended to give more than a passing glance at the Apache warrior, and sales
on her posters and pictures were always healthy. There was nothing wrong
with her, and much that was good. But being involved with a woman?

Besides that basic problem, there were others. Would it be good for their
relationship to change in that way? Shampoo had never considered it. She
didn't want to consider it. It was the sort of complication she didn't need.
She had her plans. Win the tournament and become a citizen. Meet a man that
was strong enough to conquer her body as well as her heart. Make him her
husband. Have several children and live a life of love with one another.
Other women did not figure into that picture. She panicked at the idea of
what she should do with the revelation. Accept or reject? Either way, it
would be problematic.

The Amazon's musings were interrupted as a girl poked her head into the
locker room and shouted, "There's a fight in the weight room! Tarou's
working over the new Impie!"

"Ryu!" Running Deer shouted, living up to her namesake as she bounded out of
the room faster than seemed humanly possible.

Chiang elbowed Shampoo in the ribs. "I guess we know why she was so
insistent you're not interested in Kumon, eh?

"Shampoo knew all the time," the Amazon said with an uncomfortable laugh.

After getting over the shock of her misassumption, Shampoo realized the
locker room had emptied out as the other female fighters went to see what
the commotion was about. Shampoo followed.

Technically, fighting was forbidden among the fighters outside of the
Battledome, the Director preferring his stock remain in peak fighting
condition so that they put on the best show possible for the paying
customers. In reality, fights sometimes occurred when no officials were
around to put disagreements to rest. They were warriors who dealt in the
commodities of pain, sweat, and blood, and that was the way most private
disputes were settled. Despite the prohibited battles, half the security
personnel were former Battledome fighters themselves, being employed in a
field they had some training in. Most turned a blind eye to the fracases,
having lived through the experience themselves.

However, the fighters were always very careful in such forbidden battles,
making certain no permanent or visible damage was done. If either happened,
punishment from above would be swift and severe for anyone that dared to
disrupt the schedule of the fights. The ratings were God, as far as the
Director was concerned, and he God's spokesperson.

Upon arriving, Shampoo saw a crowd had already gathered. They restricted her
view of anything more than two heads alone in the center of the throng,
bobbing back and forth. Shampoo muscled her way through the crowd until she
emerged at the edge of the makeshift circle that had formed to allow the two
men to have the space needed to the resolve their dispute.

Tarou was winning easily, taking his time and picking his shots as he
sneaked repeated jabs into Ryu's mid-section, where an injury wouldn't show.
Each time Ryu tried to fight back, Tarou would evade the attack or block it,
then launch another punch or kick of his own, landing more often than not.

The crowd was clearly backing Tarou, including some that disliked the
violent thug. That wasn't really a surprise. Most of the fighters cared
little for the handful of participants that were already citizens and had
entered the fighting circuit for honor, prestige, money, or lost a challenge
duel, like Ryu had. Sometimes it was the arrogance of the Impie, who
perceived themselves as better than the non-citizens they fought against.
Sometimes it was the envy of the fighters, who didn't like rubbing shoulders
with someone who already had what they wanted, and whose presence threatened
to prevent them from achieving their own goals.

In Ryu's case, it was probably a combination of both, as well as a dose of
him being perceived as an outsider who was thrown in with them, rather than
having earned a spot fighting up through the dog pits. From what Shampoo had
heard from Running Deer (who she now understood had been keeping a closer
eye on Ryu than she realized), he was anti-social to the extreme, and had
made no real attempts to befriend anyone in the Arena. Rumors had circulated
that Tarou had taken a personal dislike to him as well, one that seemed
validated by the current fight. That would only add to the antipathy
directed toward him. Few would openly align themselves against Tarou, like
Shampoo had, and cheering for Ryu would have been seen as the equivalent of
that.

However, there was one among the throng that showed open concern for Ryu's
safety. Shampoo spotted Running Deer along the edge of the circle, shouting
for Ryu to be careful. Again the Amazon forced her way through the crowd so
that she could stand next to her friend.

Just as Shampoo arrived, Ryu took a particularly vicious blow to the stomach
that doubled him over. Running Deer gasped, then made a move to enter the
circle.

Shampoo grabbed her firmly by the shoulder, preventing her from moving
forward. Running Deer shot her a look of anger, as though she would start a
fight herself.

"It go worse on him if you step in now," Shampoo warned.

Reluctantly, Running Deer backed down.

Relief washed over Shampoo at Running Deer's acceptance. There would be
little more damaging to Ryu than rushing in to stop the fight. At the
moment, it was a fair one-on-one battle, and Ryu was in danger of nothing
other than a light beating. In the subculture of the Arena, it was an
honorable way to settle things. For one of the other fighters to intercede
and stop the fight before one of the participants yielded or was defeated
would be seen as a sign of weakness, as well as dishonor, for both the one
losing and the one who interfered. Ryu was better off losing now than
appearing weak before others who disliked him to begin with.

A moment later, someone from the outer edge of the crowd gave a loud "Meow!"
It was quickly joined by others.

Instantly, Tarou stopped fighting and the crowd began to disperse at a
signal that was universally known among the fighters. One of the Director's
pet (in every sense of the word) enforcers, either Ana or Uni, had entered
the room, undoubtedly to check out the cause of the disturbance.

The crowd parted for the Puma model of replicant, the cat ears on the top of
her head and mismatched, vertically slit pupils the only sign of her inhuman
origins. At six feet in height and a muscular, yet feminine build, Uni
(recognizable from her twin only by the fact her left eye was green and
right eye was blue, while Ana's were the opposite) reeked of power, speed,
and a barely restrained eagerness to use both against anyone that angered
her. From Shampoo's understanding, she was a top of the line combat
replicant from the Genom. Rumor had it she and her sister had received
illegal combat enhancements courtesy of their owner, the man simply known as
the Director within the confines of the Arena. Having seen the women take
down unruly fighters on more than one occasion, Shampoo found it easy to
believe. They had swiftly dispatched men three times their size on more than
one occasion. Even Shampoo was not entirely certain she could defeat either
one of them.

While their official position was that of bodyguards to the very important
and influential Director, their true job was security enforcers. They acted
as the eyes and ears for the Director, as well as speaking directly for him
when the need rose. Their word was law as much as his, and none ever
disagreed with them if they didn't want their life in the Arena turned into
Hell.

Uni, flanked by two burly security guards, approached the source of the
disturbance. Today the enforcer was dressed in a khaki-style military
outfit, one with a slit down the center that showed off an impressive amount
of the sides of her large bosom and formed a 'V' of flesh down past her
navel and dangerously low to her loins. The Director liked dressing his
'toys' in risqué clothing that showed off their nearly inhuman attributes,
which added credence to the rumor that they were also programmed with top of
the line sex programs in addition to their combat protocols. It also caused
most of the male fighters to regard them with as much lust as wariness.

"What's going on here?" Uni demanded, combat shock stick in her hand as she
unleashed a glare that was made all the worse by her silt pupils.

Either unable to escape from the fight fast enough, or out of sheer
arrogance, Tarou remained near Ryu, pretending to clean his nails. He leered
at Uni for a moment before pointing to Ryu, who was leaning against a set of
dumbbells, trying to catch his breath. "It's nothing. The Impie dropped a
weight on himself when he was doing reps. He's real clumsy."

Uni looked contemptuously at Tarou, who remained in his relaxed state. She
moved closer to Ryu, regarding him with a close eye. Not satisfied with a
visual inspection, she poked him in the chest with the baton, not using the
electrical function.

Ryu winced, a reaction disproportionate with the light touch of the prod.

"Is what he said true?" Uni asked.

Tarou became more alert as he interjected himself into the conversation. "I
told you-"

"Be silent!" Uni snapped.

Tarou obeyed, making certain he was turned away from the Puma when he
glared.

Ryu shot Tarou an evil look, rubbing his sore chest the entire time. "Yeah,
I dropped a weight and it hit me in the chest. That's all," he said through
gritted teeth.

Shampoo subtly nodded her head in approval. That Ryu wouldn't snitch to the
Arena personnel and keep the matter private would do much to improve his
image to the other fighters.

Uni seemed to accept the explanation. "Very well. But you must be more
careful. You are an Imperial Citizen. If anything untoward were to happen to
you outside of the Arena floor, it would besmirch the reputation of the
Battledome. That's as opposed to-"

She whirled with lighting speed, drawing back her baton even as she spun
around, building up velocity as she lashed out with the stick and struck the
still leaning Tarou in the stomach with her weapon.

He immediately fell to the ground, reflexively curling into a fetal position
to protect his stomach.

"-As opposed to Tarou here, who's so worthless no one would miss him if he
fell down some stairs and broke his neck," Uni said contemptuously. "Do I
make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Ryu said, finally smiling slightly.

"Excellent." Satisfied with the results of her discussion with Ryu, she
leaned over next to Tarou and said softly, "That's why you'll never really
be able to win over the crowds. You have no acting ability whatsoever." She
patted his shoulder affectionately before walking away, guards still
flanking her.

By the time she exited the room, Tarou had managed to regain his vertical
base, though he still held his stomach tenderly. His own minions gathered
around him, Park being one of the first to console him, and Mina being
conspicuous by her absence. They exited the weight room, his entourage
congratulating him on "Putting that Impy piece of shit in his place."
Shampoo noted that in spite of accepting the accolades of the others, he
still shot Ryu a look even more evil than usual. It appeared Tarou was
blaming the Impie for his dressing down. That was going to be even more
trouble than usual.

Most of the remaining people ignored Ryu. Only Running Deer seemed openly
concerned and approached him. Shampoo walked behind, knowing better than to
arrive at his side first.

Some of the "I'm not hurt act" disappeared once Uni had left the room. Ryu
was in obvious pain, clutching his chest and stomach.

Running Deer smiled warmly. "Nice job not snitching to the authorities. And
you put up a good fight." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

He smacked it viciously away. "I don't need your pity!" he snapped.

Despite the fact it was Running Deer who had set him off, Shampoo was
surprised to see him direct an angry glare at her. It didn't last, as he
turned away and stared at the ground.

Instead of reacting tersely to the unwarranted and nasty rebuke, Running
Deer stammered out, "I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend-"

"Save it!" he snapped. He shot one more look at Shampoo, this one more
enigmatic than the last, then hurried off as fast as his pain would allow
him.

Shampoo shot the man a contemptuous glare for his callous treatment of her
friend, who had only wanted to help. Her earlier evaluation of Ryu not being
worth either her pity or concern was only reinforced by his behavior.
Whatever vague feelings of physical attraction she might have felt for him
during their fight were completely gone. Next time, Tarou could beat him to
death for all she cared. Ryu was a jerk, pure and simple.

Running Deer did not seem to share Shampoo's opinion, as she stared
worriedly after him, "I hope he doesn't get into trouble. I'd better keep a
close eye on him and watch his back."

Had it not been for her early, negative experiences in giving Running Deer
advice on men, Shampoo would have been quick to put him down and highlight
all of the bad points Ryu demonstrated. Instead, she remained silent,
shaking her head pitifully for her friend. It was a good thing Shampoo knew
she was more rational than this. If she had her sights set on a man, it
would be someone that was less of a jerk. And if Shampoo tried to comfort
him and he reacted the way Ryu had, she'd be quick to drop him in a
heartbeat. She wouldn't make a fool out of herself setting her sights on a
guy that was obviously not interested in her.

xxxxxxxxxx

Once out of sight of the girls, Ryu smashed his fist into the wall hard
enough to nearly break both masonry and bone. A white fury beyond anything
he had experienced before inflamed his entire being. It wasn't just the
casual beating so easily inflicted on him by that insufferable asshole,
Tarou. No, what enraged him was that it happened in front of her, the only
woman who had ever consumed his thoughts; the Amazon who had gotten lucky
and defeated him, imprisoning him in this hellhole in the first place. That
he lusted after Shampoo more than any girl he had ever met only confounded
the matter. He knew she wanted someone strong, that could tame her wild,
barbarian spirit, and that he was the man destined to do it. But no matter
how hard he tried, he was constantly shown as being weak. He cursed his
luck. He needed her, yet she remained out of reach. It was like a perverse
form of torture.

And then there was that tall girl from the North American Prefecture, that
Running Deer who hung around Shampoo constantly. On those few occasions when
she wasn't around the Amazon, she seemed to be near Ryu, stealing glances at
him when she thought he couldn't see her, but rarely approaching. The few
times she did were spent saying nothing of consequence. Today, she had been
the first at his side, pitying him. What was her story?

In the beginning, he thought she was stalking him, perhaps waiting for an
opportunity to attack when his guard was down, like so many of the foreign
dogs that festered in this pit. Time proved that was not the case. If
anything, it almost seemed she was watching out for him. But that was
impossible. She had no reason to protect him, and every reason to hate him,
like every other fighter in the Arena. He'd figure out her motives. She'd
tip her hand at some point. He just hoped it was soon. There was something
distracting about that curious stare. It made him feel peculiar. If only he
could figure out the meaning behind it. The woman was proving herself a
distraction, one he neither desired or needed.

Ryu's plans were already made when it came to women; they had just been
momentarily delayed. Shampoo would be defeated by his hand and become his
wife, bearing him strong children and cementing the Kumon school of martial
arts as the most powerful in the Empire. From the first time he saw her in a
challenge match on television, casually defeating some gaijin dog that
wasn't worthy to kiss her boots, let alone become her husband, he knew the
Amazon had to be his. All of Ryu's life he had been drawn to the exotic
looks of foreign women over the mundane appearance of Japanese girls. There
was something intoxicating about their unusual bearing and demeanor, even if
they were technically uncivilized people. They interested him in sexual
ways, unlike the girls he had grown up around the majority of his life. Even
the ones at Furinkan Military Academy still lacked something. Although some,
like Sakura, weren't exactly boring. She was like... a buddy, similar to the
guys in the Combat Club he ran. Besides her, the rest might as well not have
existed.

No, it was girls like Shampoo, Running Deer, and even Mina Li, that drew his
eye. Being so close to them, even under these intolerable conditions, only
made it clearer. Yet for all his closeness, he might as well have been a
world away. They had no interest in some 'Impie' that continuously lost to
others. And it could turn out even worse before the ordeal was over. Unable
to pay his way out, he would have to serve his term in the Arena for six
months. His citizenship was no protection. On the floor of the Battledome,
many a citizen that tried to prove their worth fell before a gaijin.
Everyone on the floor was equal in a way that they could never be in
society.

Of late, he did discover something of use to him, a factor he had never
experienced before. For all of the fights in the Combat Club, all the
challengers he had defeated and even gangs he had rumbles with in order to
display his prowess, never did they have the sort of edge even the lowest of
fights in the Arena possessed. Ryu was becoming aware of the brutal air
about this place, as though life and death were one's next door neighbor,
rather than something that happened only to the old and infirm. There was a
sort of viciousness underlying the Battledome, which added to the excitement
and pressure of fighting. Ryu was starting to learn this sort of primitive
urge coming from the reptile portion of his brain. Here, one didn't have to
worry about crippling an opponent, unlike in school. On the floor of the
Arena, one was expected to leave with blood dripping in their wake, either
theirs or their opponents. Sometimes both.

Ryu was taking the lesson to heart. Already he could feel the removal of his
self-imposed limitations while his techniques took on a more dangerous bent.
He was improving, even if it wasn't obvious yet. He'd become dangerous, a
man that could beat fools like Tarou and claim the greatest Amazon in the
Empire as his. It would just  take time.

xxxxxxxxxx

Shampoo felt a headache being brought on by the musack as it blared from the
hidden speaker in the elevator she was taking to the floor her apartment was
on. She tried shutting it out by considering the events from earlier in the
evening. Ryu's brusque rejection of Running Deer had served to depress the
Apache enough that she cancelled the evening they had planned to spend
together. Shampoo shook her head sadly. She would have tried to help matters
move forward by tipping Ryu off to his secret admirer's feelings, save that
she didn't consider the Impy worthy of them. While the Amazon wouldn't stand
in the way, she would not condone the relationship either. Running Deer
could do much better for herself. Shampoo was certain she'd realize it in
time. Until then she would have to wait until her friend came to her senses
and gave up on the guy.

The elevator dinged and the door slid open. Shampoo was so lost in thought
over the problematic situation that the elevator had already closed behind
her when she realized she had gotten off on the wrong floor. It took her a
moment to realize it was the one below her apartment. Apparently she was so
distracted she had pushed the wrong button.

Shampoo was about to head up the stairs when one of the apartment doors
opened. She turned to see who had emerged and was immediately sorry.

Mina Li had exited her apartment, shutting the door behind her. Shampoo
noted the girl was wearing an exotic Chinese-style dress, black silk with
gold trim that hugged her in all the right places and showed off her
'charms', which, among the ranks of the women fighters currently in the
Arena, were second only to Shampoo's own ample bust. It was yet another item
in the long list of things Mina held against her.

Shampoo was hoping to escape before Mina spotted her, but it was too late.
The Korean's eyes narrowed as she spotted the Amazon in the hallway. "What
are you doing here?"

There was no way Shampoo would admit to making a mistake to the bitch. She
was wondering just how to respond when it came to her. "Tarou got beat up by
Uni today."

Mina stuck her nose in the air. "It serves him right for hitting on her, the
idiot."

The Amazon's first impulse was to correct the misassumption, but then
thought better of it. It was Mina's own fault for jumping to conclusions,
and perhaps it would cause problems between the couple. No one deserved
problems more than those two.

"Why tell me?" Mina asked suspiciously.

Shampoo should have known it wouldn't be that simple. As much as she loathed
Mina, she had to admit the girl was smart. "Shampoo thought you might want
to console him."

"He's a big boy and can take care of himself. I have more important matters
to attend," Mina sniffed disdainfully.

Shampoo wondered what that was supposed to mean, then recalled what others
whispered about Mina's nocturnal habits. Once or twice a week, Mina would go
out as an 'escort' for rich and influential men. It was one of the ways
fighters earned extra money, though it was mostly the women that were sought
after. The more attractive they were, the higher the price. It was a sign of
a man's wealth that he could afford to have a beautiful, famous girl on
their arm as they went about town.

Shampoo had never done it herself, she regarded it as beneath her. She made
plenty of money through sales of her merchandise, such as the numerous
posters, clothing, and occasional advertisements she did. They were even
talking about putting out an action figure of her. When Jaddo had first
netted her deal from Ohtani Media Corporation for receiving one half a
percent of the profits, Shampoo had thought it an insult. It wasn't until
afterward, when her popularity began to soar, that she discovered the actual
numbers involved, which nearly made her pass out. Even with what she sent
back home, she was still going to have more than enough money to retire
after the tournament, if she so chose. Beef was already trying to talk her
into investing some of her funds and become a minor partner in some of the
new business ventures he was embarking on. She was giving it serious
consideration. The man had a good head for business, as evidenced by his
wealth, which was the equivalent of many minor members of the nobility. It
was obvious he didn't need her money in his new dealings, and was just
trying to give her a 'cut of the action' since they were friends. She
decided she would take him up on the offer.

None of the other fighters had the cushy deal Shampoo had, and so hiring
themselves out helped raise extra money they would need once their tour on
the circuit was over. For the most part, it really was nothing more than a
way for men to brag about who they could buy. But for some, the 'escort
service' also involved sex. Rumor had it Mina was one of those women. It was
probably true, given that she had overheard Tarou arguing with Mina about it
once.

Shampoo looked pitifully at the Korean. "So Mina has busy night of
prostitution ahead, yes? No spread legs too far apart."

Rather than get angry, or at least bluster, as she often did, Mina instead
smirked and sauntered over to Shampoo, which surprised the Amazon. For just
a moment, the Amazon felt jealous over the very womanly way Mina could move
her hips when she tried.

Mina kept approaching until she stood next to her rival. The Amazon tensed
for a fight, but none ever came.

Contemptuously, Mina said, "So, you think you're so high and mighty because
you're a frigid little thing that's afraid of men, and poor little old me
sleeps with them for some cash, is that it? You naïve little fool. You're as
much a prostitute as I am."

"Shampoo would never sell body for money," she snapped, not liking the air
of superiority Mina possessed. Rarely was her rival this calm, especially
over so brazen an insult.

Mina laughed. "What is it you think we do every week in front of the
television cameras? We don't barter for sex, we prostitute our very lives
for the chance at a piece of paper that forces the Empire into acknowledging
we're human beings. And only one person gets that. The rest get nothing but
a brief touch of fleeting fame and wounds that never heal. We're all
prostitutes, my simplistic little Amazon Princess. I'm just more honest
about it than you are. Oh, and I get paid for it better as well," Mina
taunted.

Shampoo felt her face turn red as she seethed, unable to counter Mina's
contentions. "Shampoo is not a slut!"

"Until someone that's nothing more to you than a name defeats you in that
ring, then you part your legs for them even more quickly than me," Mina
said, laughing. "And you think I'm the foolish one here? I'll know more
about the man I'm with tonight then you'll know about yours on your wedding
night."

Shampoo's hands became fists that shook with her anger, yet all she could do
was turn more red-faced, unable to contradict the girl, despite wanting to
with all her heart.

Despite winning the argument, Mina was unwilling to leave it at that. "I'll
let you in on a little secret, Shampoo-chan." She leaned in close, feigning
a conspiratorial whisper, though it was obvious it was nothing more than
further scorn. "I've been around for a while, and quietly gotten a
reputation for being, how shall I say, forceful with the men I'm escorting.
I do it so well, they can't leave me alone. My clientele are very exclusive,
only the most elite. They pay more than top dollar for my talents. And do
you know what I do to those fat, obnoxious pigs? I get to beat on them, the
spineless bastards. They like it when I tie them up and spank their fat,
flabby asses, making them beg and grovel just for the privilege to lick my
feet."

Shampoo looked at Mina in disgust at the revelation.

Mina just continued smirking. "You don't know how thrilling it is to smack
them around, and have them pay a huge price for it. I have them twisted
around my little finger, begging their beloved Mistress for more. They can't
get enough. I've had many of them try to buy out my contract and serve them
exclusively. They shower me with gifts. Jewels, bonds, credit accounts, and
even a car. Anything and everything anyone would want, and I take them for
everything they'll give. And you know what the funniest thing is? I enjoy
smacking those Impy pigs around so much I'd do it for nothing. They think
they have power over me, but I'm the one in charge. I can leave them
whenever I want without thinking twice, but they can't live without their
Mina. They're the prostitutes, not me. I have real power, which is something
you'll never have, little girl."

Mina turned on her heel and laughed all the way to the elevator.

All Shampoo could do was stand there, hating the Korean more than ever.