//------------------------------// // Round Three // Story: Hard As Diamond // by jmj //------------------------------// Stone Soufflé waited for the minute between rounds to take Farnese Hera’s wrist and pull her to the center of the octagon. He stepped towards each judge and held up a single finger as he stated, “One point! One point! One point.”  Farnese protested with the ref but his judgment was final in the matter. Before releasing her to take her mark he warned, “Another late strike and I’ll disqualify you. Keep it clean, Hera.” Diamond watched from behind the center marking. Hera shot her a glance of displeasure but there was something else there as well, respect? Diamond wasn’t sure but fell into her stance as the ref took the center. Diamond had lost the last round but the point deduction for the illegal strike made it a wash. That meant she was down one point, maybe more depending on how the judges had scored the beating she had endured in the first round. She needed all three remaining rounds if she were going to take the fight.  There was no time to play, no time for thoughts beyond the here and now, beyond the fight. Her body ached but she was still moving well, still able to right the last two rounds if she fought smart and fought hard. “Are you ready?” the ref turned to Hera who nodded. “”Are you ready?” Diamond pounded her gloves together and took her traditional form. “Round three, let’s do it!” The ref dropped his hand and Hera toe-tapped her way to the center but paused and extended a glove out to be bumped. Diamond was shocked. After the malice Hera had spouted before and during the match, she was offering a sign of respect? Maybe. More like Hera was apologizing for the illegal strike. The glove was an offering of good faith. Diamond came forward, eyes locked with the Queen of the Gods and tapped her glove solidly with her lead hand. “Unintentional, Tiara. I didn’t mean to throw it so late. I’m going to take you out but not like that,” Farnese said and put her hands up in the Muay Thai stance, left out and up like a cobra preparing to strike, and the right, power hand cupped around her right eyebrow. Her left foot tapped up and down.  “I thought you’d take the easy out and get me disqualified.” “I don’t win like that, Hera. Whatever happened last time, it won’t happen again. Now shut up and let’s settle things here,” Diamond replied. Farnese Hera grinned, “No decisions. One of us goes to sleep. Just like I like it.” She reached out a glove again in a show of respect.  “One of us wakes up as a contender,” Diamond agreed. Once more, she tapped the offered hand. “Ladies, stop congratulating each other and fight,” Stone Soufflé warned. Hera’s lead leg cracked forward just as Diamond expected. She had seen enough of the blitkrieg leg strike and was determined to put an end to it before it reduced her leg to rubbish. Turning her knee outward with the speed of a mongoose, Hera’s shin met Diamond’s and both winced as the bones smacked into each other with terrible force. Diamond grinned, her purple mouthpiece baring at the bigger fighter. Taking the shot to the shin hurt, but it hurt Hera more.  The fighters danced with each other, rolling, feinting, and pumping exploratory hands forward to gauge distance. Diamond was hurting but Hera had wasted a lot of energy trying to finish her so their speed was roughly similar. Diamond stood heavy on her back foot, lending power to her strikes but slowing her forward movement. She was focused on countering Hera when the somewhat lumbering fighter overcommitted. Diamond had seen the lead jab more than she wanted, had felt it even more, but each time was a data download and the file was nearly complete.  Hera came forward again, a push kick caught Diamond squarely in the chest and forced her back a couple steps. Following up, Hera changed levels, tucking her body low and diving forward for Diamond’s thighs.  Remembering the brutal uppercut that had followed the false takedown attempt in the first, Diamond didn’t sprawl, the best defense for takedowns, and chose to fall back to the cage where she pushed her weight back to the fence and spread her legs out in a wide stance. She pushed down on Hera’s head, flattening the red mohawk, and forcing Farnese to carry some of her weight. Hera’s head was to the right of Diamond’s body and the shoulder below was tightly pressed into her thigh. She could feel Farnese’s hands working their way up each of her thighs, searching for one another behind and just under Diamond’s rump. If they locked, Diamond would find herself on the mat very soon.  Crouching to make some space, Diamond dug her right hand down her hip and beneath the more weakly pressed shoulder of the Queen of the Gods. Once her hand came out below the armpit in an underhook, Diamond pushed her other arm across the top and grabbed it with the lower hand, twisting both her arms up and forcing Hera’s arm up and out from behind her where it sought to lock.  Diamond rolled out from the cage, forcing Hera back into it with the underhook. She wanted no part of Hera against the cage, not even when she had an advantageous position. The bigger fighter was drilled far better in clinch fighting thanks to her Muay Thai dominant style.  In one motion, Diamond released the hook, stepped back, and fired a vicious right straight that came just above a break elbow thrown by Hera. It landed solidly on Hera’s forehead and the cut near where her hairline would be if it wasn’t shaved opened up. A quick left jab followed after Hera’s loaded elbow carried her forward. Dancing back a step, Diamond took the center and Farnese chased, pressuring her. That was Hera’s style, pressuring Muay Thai supplemented with incredible BJJ. It was formidable and had wrecked opponents in the past but it wasn’t unbeatable.  Hera’s jab flew forward but Diamond recognized it was masking the leg kick. She tucked her chin and rotated her head so the light punch landed on her right cheek, protecting the damaged side of her face. She twisted her knee out and a bolt of pain shot up her shin as the hard, calloused bone of Hera slammed against it. Hera retrieved the leg but dipped as it came under her. The collision had hurt Hera’s power leg.  The leg kicks would stop.  Diamond ducked forward as Hera blasted a head kick off of the same leg, buying a little time and trying to hide the sudden stability loss with offense. The kick landed on her shoulder but did no damage as Diamond rolled forward with the kick and launched a savage uppercut that caught Hera’s chin, snapping her jaws together. It was a blow that lesser women would have fallen from but Hera’s harrowing gaze remained fixed, clear, and unphased on Diamond. Neither broke their unblinking stare as Diamond hammered a short left body shot followed by a right into Hera’s ribs. Diamond shifted back as Hera attempted to clinch in the Thai style. She waited, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet, baiting out the next attack from Hera. Again Farnese came forward, a front push kick leading that failed to connect as Diamond circled. Farnese blocked a retaliatory right hand and cut Diamond’s motion by hopping to the side, cutting the cage off. She ducked and brought a low jab into Diamond’s abdomen, setting up a right hand but dismissing it, expecting a hook that did not come. Rotating away from Hera, Diamond observed that Hera ducked and powered forward when she wanted to get inside. It was the same movement that led her double leg takedown attempts. A nasty idea crossed her mind and she bounced to the end of her range, snapping off a quick double jab and feinting the right hand.  Because of her boxing stance, Diamond had a slight reach advantage. They actually had the same reach but the more squared kickboxing stance reduced the distance of Hera’s jabbing fist. If only by an inch, Diamond would play on her advantage and lay the trap much like Hera’s leg kicks had baited the head kick late in round two. Becoming more offensive, Diamond fired single jabs with each step of her dance, pistoning her lead arm forward. Hera took the first one cleanly but blocked those that followed. That was fine, get her thinking about the distance. Frustrate her. Hera came forward suddenly, the time wasn’t right for Diamond yet and she bounded away on the balls of her feet. She took a left to the chin and a flashing right body kick slapped into her ribs but movement subsidized any damage despite the impressive, whip-like crack of Hera’s toes against her flesh. She reset and launched another series of jabs, mixing a straight right hand in as the first two strikes pumped into Hera’s cheek. Blood from the open cut on her forehead spilled down into the eye below. Hera wiped at it, clearing her vision from the flow of blood. Diamond tossed another jab into it and Hera attempted to catch Diamond leaning forward with a wide, powerful left hook but the Rich girl slipped it easily. Diamond had the advantage of speed and her fists were more intelligent than Hera’s. She was finding a rhythm and that was good. Farnese was moving in, catching quick left hands and had little answer without that devastating leg kick. Her legs were still in play but her primary offensive weapon was neutralized. Diamond could see the scowl on Hera’s face and recognized that she was growing increasingly frustrated. Even if the woman was tough enough to eat the simple, light punch, she didn’t enjoy it and was losing the round. She just needed a little push. Diamond kept light on her feet, her lead leg was numb around the calf but that meant it no longer hurt and it wasn’t giving out despite the heavy damage it had absorbed. In and out, Diamond went high and low with jabs, sometimes mixing in a right hand. Hera was retaliating with short punches but Diamond's distance management made them miss. She was only in range when her right lashed out but each time she was out of danger when Hera’s strikes came. Diamond stepped in and Hera, flustered, threw another leg kick. Diamond turned her knee out and their shins crashed together again. This time Hera couldn’t mask the damage and she nearly fell when the weight shifted onto her back leg. A grin opened Diamond’s mouth wide and she pointed at the damaged leg. Hera snarled and turned her middle finger up. That’s what she wanted. Get her mad, making mistakes. bait her to charge forward again to get inside the rangey jab.  Hera pivoted her hips and launched a high kick but the motion was slower than before and Diamond rocked back on her heels to avoid it. She reached forward and popped a jab into Hera’s eye and a right to the body that resounded with a hollow thump. Once more, she was out as Hera threw a left hook that whiffed half a foot wide. “Still want to do this on the feet?” Diamond smirked and Hera stepped forward with another push kick that only caught air as Diamond danced around it. The clock read one minute as Diamond glimpsed it. She was winning this round unless something big caught her. Something big was what Hera wanted. She was a powerful woman with long, thick legs. Her biceps were monstrous in comparison to Diamond’s and she wondered what Hera must weigh right now. It was at least five pounds heavier than her. Even if she weren’t as fist focused as Diamond, the power in her hands was enough to knock out anyone in the division.  Diamond could lead the bull but she had to be careful of those horns; she had already tasted Hera’s strength once and it had made her forget where she was. Another jab landed as Hera pressured and Diamond moved away. She was fighting going backward or angling so there wasn’t much weight behind the punches but Hera’s face was reddening from the repeated love taps. Hera pressured, Diamond moved and poked her left fist forward again. Hera went for the body and Diamond traded the shot to land a right hand into Farnese’s forehead. Hera’s eyes shimmered wildly and she snorted angrily. It wasn’t often that she found herself losing a stand-up fight. Diamond knew Hera wanted to knock her out and was refusing to go for another takedown. Irritating her was forcing the larger woman to fight the way Diamond wanted. Almost there…  “Messing you up, Hera. I thought you wanted to take my belt?” Diamond emphasized the word ‘my’ and gave as smug a smile as she could. Hera’s eyes went red and she dropped to one knee as she came forward. It wasn’t a takedown attempt, it was a feint into that horrible uppercut again and Diamond knew it was coming. Farnese had taken the bait and the steel jaws of the trap began to slam together as Diamond reached out to place both hands on the back of the Queen of the Gods’ head.  Farnese turned her hip forward and came up from the fake double leg, her right fist was loaded with everything she had. It was meant to tear Diamond’s smirking head from her neck but something was wrong. Diamond wasn’t sprawling, pushing down on her head and trying to force Hera to the mat with her body weight.   Diamond was leaving the canvas. The back knee came forward and angled up while her hands pulled the back of Farnese’s head forward and down. The jaws of the trap had sprung and slammed home as the flying knee crushed Hera’s nose with a nauseating crack. Farnese Hera’s head jerked back like a slingshot and the force of the blow knocked her backward on legs that bowed and struck out in odd, awkward directions. She couldn’t maintain balance and fell onto her butt hard. Blood spewed from her nostrils and what was left of her nasal bone had pulverized and disseminated around the nasal cavity. One disgusting fragment was lodged half an inch beneath her eye and humped the flesh above it. Diamond pounced, dashing forward and falling upon the injured Queen of the Gods. Going to the ground was usually a poor strategy with Hera but the woman was severely hurt. Diamond stepped over one leg, taking half guard. She tried to step her other leg over the knee to place on the opposite side but Hera wasn’t gone yet.  Farnese denied the transition but took a series of rights and lefts, head jerking from the onslaught as she fought to remain conscious. Blood poured from her shattered nose and each blow sprayed a line of crimson to the mat below.  Hera pressed her head into Diamond’s chest, arms wrapped behind her back and locked so that Diamond couldn’t land heavy shots from top position. The blocks sounded the ten second warning and Diamond fell forward, digging her hand into the armpit of the grounded woman, trying to pry her face from her body so she could land more ground and pound. This was her best chance. She had Hera injured but time was running out. Hera clung like a boa constrictor, even injured her grip was incredibly strong. Diamond worked her hand inside the arm and found space, prying the arm loose. She raised her right hand like a hammer and prepared to smash Hera’s busted nose again but the woman spun quickly, bringing the left hand across and wrapping Diamond’s underhooked arm, hands gripping and rolling to the side, controlling Diamond’s appendage. The beast below was hurt but still dangerous. Even injured as Hera was, Diamond was always in danger on the ground. She had chased a finish but underestimated her opponent. Farnese twisted Diamond’s arm back and rolled with it into a right angle. She was attacking a kimura lock despite the damage and it was going deep. Diamond’s elbow, humerus, and shoulder screamed as the joint lock bent her arm into an upside down ‘L’ shape. It was deep but wasn’t completely in yet. Diamond smashed with her free hand, crashing it into Farnese’s cranium.Farnese’s face was a mask of blood. The bell rang and Stone Soufflé stepped in quickly, “Stop!” Farnese released the hold and stared into Diamond, “Had you, Rich girl. I was taking that arm as a trophy.” “Don’t blow your nose, Hera,” Diamond retorted, still resting on top of the battered woman. “They’ll stop the fight if your eyes swell shut and I’m not done with you, yet.” Diamond rolled to her feet and stood before Hera as she rose. Farnese pressed forward, bumping chest to chest with Diamond. They glowered at one another, trying to intimidate, trying to break, and trying to prove that neither were as hurt as they seemed.  “You can’t hurt me with your pathetic strength, Tiara. I’ll break you next round.” “Tell that to your face, hairdo!” Stone Soufflé pushed between the two of them. “Corners, ladies! Now!” Neither turned away, they made their corners stepping backwards. Only when their respective cornermen blocked line of sight to one another did they blink. Hera had been hurt, Diamond knew. But, Farnese Hera, the Queen of the Gods, was far from finished.