Bubbles, Second Arc: Part 3: Freak (Patreon)

Part three in the nine part second story of how Bubbles and Maki's relationship began.  Generously written by LFN Park.



Bubbles, Second Arc

Part 3: Freak

Bubbles pushed up, driving her body off the floor quickly before dropping back down. She stopped short of her chest touching the cold concrete, a drop of sweat rolling down her nose to the floor below. They would be here soon….She’d dressed like Maki had suggested and felt slight unease at her exposed midriff. She’d felt amused and awkward when Maki had insisted on a picture, then another...and another….Bubbles had even posed...

She increased her pace as she felt older memories wash over her.

She was back in the cold gym in The Bloc years ago, long enough that she remembered being equally as tall as her Master. Bubbles remembered the aching arms and body as he yelled at her to continue the workout even though her muscles refused to cooperate…

She remembered his words...nasty, vicious things that enraged her. Threats against Gregory that forced her to shakily push forward….

Bubbles heard their feet as they entered, a group of eight that she could feel their eyes drawn to her. Tiny gasps registered in her ears as they drew closer, a quiet ripple going through them as she caught mutterings regarding her scars.

She pushed once more, holding her body up on her toes and hands. She drew one hand off the floor and held it behind her back as she resumed her push ups on her single hand. On her fifth she held her body up once more, lifting her opposite leg from the floor and increasing the tension in her core.

Inwardly she delighted as the gathered people’s murmurings fell silent as Bubbles continued her push ups on a single hand and leg, beads of sweat falling to the ground below.

She remembered the feeling of that hard, unforgiving mat as she crashed against it numerous times. She’d scramble back to her feet as her Master yelled instructions, only to be knocked down again as her opponent’s granted her no mercy at her Master’s orders. Eventually she would adapt and surpass and he’d be silent...that didn’t stop the memories of the pain in her limbs and back...swollen hands that refused to close…

Bubbles stood, turning to look at the gathered people. She counted the entirety of Bedivere, her eyes lingering on a girl with straight black hair tied back past her shoulders and a cute button nose on a pale face. Maki had said this was Nora….

Her gaze met the defiant stare of the youngest there; his hair was shorn, more akin to brown fuzz than actual hair on his head. This was Antonio, the boy behind Nora’s prank according to Maki.

“I’m called Bubbles. Once, I was called Titan.” She folded her arms in front of her, gazing over their faces. “Nora. Come here.”

The smaller girl’s eyes widened, swallowing nervously as she stepped forward. Bubbles tilted her head, staring down at her for a moment like a cat eyeing a mouse.

Bubbles hand snaked out, entangling her fingers in Nora’s hair and gripping it painfully tight. Nora squealed as Bubbles lifted her, letting her feet dangle. Her smaller hands grabbed at Bubbles’ wrist, pulling ineffectually against her grip.

“Hold yourself up.” Bubbles growled. Nora kept squealing, tears in her eyes as her hair was pulled taut. She wrapped her arms around Bubbles wrist and pulled, gasping when the stress on her scalp lessened as she raised herself upward.

Bubbles looked out to the others, shocked expressions on their faces minus Antonio, who simply glared at her.

“None of you can stop me. You aren’t strong enough. You’re not skilled enough. Man, woman, irrelevant.” Bubbles arm held up as Nora’s began to quiver after a few moments, the strain of holding her body aloft proving too much. She shrieked as her grip slipped, her hair pulled taut painfully once more.

“Today, I will show self-defense techniques. Things to keep this….” Bubbles lifted Nora higher, eliciting a fresh shriek from her. “From happening.” 

She released her grip abruptly, letting Nora drop to the floor in a heap. Bubbles reached for a water bottle against the wall, but instead picking up a folded paper next to it. As Nora sat up, cradling her scalp, Bubbles unfolded the paper. She let it drift down from her hand onto Nora’s lap, a crude caricature of a smile drawn on it.

Nora gulped, her cheeks blushing furiously as she crumpled the paper up.

“First. You have questions. Ask them.”

“How’d you lose your eye?” Her head swiveled to the voice, hints of anger and resentment in its tone. She locked her gaze with Antonio, her face stoic and expressionless.

“I fought against four others. One had a knife. He took my eye. I killed two, perhaps three. The fourth I incapacitated.” Bubbles stated, watching a look of horror pass between those present.

“What about your cheeks?” Bubbles turned to another boy, older and far more hesitant in his tone.

“I was attacked. Drugged. When I awoke, I was cut. I killed the man.” She watched Nora rise slowly, her shoulders slumped as she took her place back among her team.

“If that’s it? You. Come forward.” She pointed toward Antonio. For a moment he stood there in silence, glaring at her. Bubbles was about to move forward when he finally did, standing on the padded mat.

“You’re the attacker. When I prompt you, attack me.” Bubbles stepped backward, folding her arms behind her back as she addressed the others.

“There are three basic methods I follow: avoid, counter, interrupt. You can avoid the attack. You can counter. You can interrupt. These can flow into each other. Attack.”

Antonio surged forward, swinging his fist for Bubbles midsection. She sidestepped once, letting him go past.

“Again.” She saw an annoyance in his face as she sidestepped his wide swing easily, but this time she drove a fist into his side, pulling it short of breaking anything.

“I avoided. This led to an interrupt. I strike his ribs, hoping to break them. Broken ribs make for difficult breathing. Breath is everything. Without breath, there’s no movement. No movement means death. Attack.”

Bubbles saw him going low, aiming to tackle her with an angry growl. She surprised him, hooking one arm under his as she moved aside. She flipped him over onto his back with a resounding crash, still holding his wrist in one hand.

“I countered. I used his momentum and lack of balance to make him prone. I could mount him, striking his head. I could put my foot to his chest and dislocate his arm. I could crush his windpipe. Get up.” Bubbles looked down at Antonio with a stony glare as he lay groaning on the mat, letting his arm drop to his side.

He growled defiantly, pushing himself back up as he glowered at her.

/She looked at her Master with those same eyes. Sore and battered, blood running through her lips as he looked down at her.

“Get up. We’re not done.”

“I’m tired.” 

“Too bad. Class is in session, and it’s not stopping. You’re the Titan now. Empty your big head, cause I’m going to fill it with what you need to win. You’re a god damn freak, but I’ll turn you into a monster. A champion!”

“Attack.” Bubbles watched him surge towards her, then promptly met his charge. She drove her forearm into his upper chest and shoulder, knocking the breath out of him as he dropped back to the mat.

“I interrupted. Before he could finish, I struck. This caught him unprepared.” She looked at the others, some cringing in sympathy for Antonio. A few were actually watching with what she gathered was interest. One or two were looking at her with something she couldn’t identify….maybe awe, maybe envy? Those individuals confused her.

Bubbles glanced down at the boy, his face contorted as he clutched at his chest. 

“Three methods to defend. Each valid. They can even flow together. Get up.” Bubbles adjusted the sports tape around her hands. Antonio staggered to his feet, an angry grimace darkening his countenance.

“Attack.”

“God damn freak…” She heard him curse at her. Bubbles felt her anger well up at the familiar words, the air filling with a nervous tension as the others gathered cringed at Antonio’s words.

An ugly snarl crossed her face as Antonio came at her again. This time she met him mid stride with her foot slamming into his side with a sickening crack, staggering him as he cried out in agony.

She grabbed his nearly bald head, thrusting it down as she brought her knee upward into his nose, blood spurting across the mat and her caramel flesh. Bubbles growled, her rage taking over as she kept his grip on the boy’s head, holding him up as he staggered.

She drove her fist across his jaw once, then twice, blood pouring from his mouth over the padding and her knuckles before releasing her grip, letting him slump to the floor.

Bubbles glared down at him as time seemed to slow, her mind catching up with her actions. Inwardly she felt panic and fear streak through her; she hadn’t meant for this. The boys face was a mess of blood, and she could see his nose bent at an unnatural angle…

She gulped, turning to the others. They all had looks of horror on their faces, eyes riveted to the unconscious heap that was Antonio. She felt despair start to grip her chest, but remembered Maki’s words; no weakness….

As she looked at them, she felt relief the nerves in her face were damaged...it helped hide the despair she felt inside, as outwardly her face remained stoic and expressionless.

“In a fight, you don’t stop. If you stop, you’re dead. End your opponent.” She pointed to two of the men. “Take him to Margaret.”

She watched them gather up the bleeding boy and carry him from the gym, a crimson trail marking their passage. Inside Bubbles cursed at herself, at her loss of control….

“Now. We move on. There are exercises to build your strength. I will demonstrate, you will copy. Any questions?” She could see they were too terrified to ask anything…

“Let’s begin.”

End Part 3