The friend of the enemy of my... habitual rapist

The blows slammed into Cardia, rattling her, setting her up to take all of Rika's hook. "Gah... oh..." She squeaked, hissing through her teeth. Cardia let her head tilt to the side to try to guide the blood pouring from her forehead away from her eyes. She left out a soft moan but hadn't yet given in. "I know just as much as you," she hissed, strained. Do I? Her mind was still foggy of the fight just a few minutes ago. Man, I hope that crack in the mirror wasn't ALL me... Oh... shit, I hope I wasn't the one who undressed me.

Rika's last mutter caught Cardia's attention only because it wasn't a furious, half crazed growl like everything else Cardia had heard from her in the past five minutes. The word 'Sarah' resembled some of the dull, scrambled memories in Cardia's mind. Wait... Sarah... Sarah... yeah, I must have... Wait, I did... say something about Sarah... 'Big Sis?'

Cardia continued to try to remember what had happened before she had the crap beat out of her, but trying to remember that was more painful than simply taking what Rika was simply dishing out now... Of course, at this rate, she'd be here all day. Cardia's attitude and animosity was getting hard to keep up, but it definitely did not want to fade away. "Whatever, just... keep hitting me. That way you'll prove me wrong!"

"You think I like her having to come to my rescue everytime?" she growled. She wasn't even listening to Cardia anymore, too lost in her own grievences. She sent another right hook hurtling into Cardia's breast. "You think I like being the target when people want to get to her?" This time sent a punch into Cardia's face, her voice rising in tone. "You think I want a reputation as Sarah's shadow!? Well I don't!!!" She started unloading punch after punch into Cardia's stomach then, not stopping, not letting up in the slightest.

"Ahh!" Cardia grimaced as her breast took a blow, then reeled as her face took another. The swinging that last punch started her on reminded her that the numbness in her arms was disguising exorbitant amounts of pain.

Cardia remained helpless against the flurry of punches Rika was throwing at her, "You... think I CARE?!" She growled, "Ah-ah... SHIT!" She exclaimed in pain, "Go chain her up and tell her!"

"I won't be! I'll get stronger and stronger!" Rika kept shouting, her fists mercilessly slamming against Cardia's helpless body, each one growing stronger and stronger as time went on. "I'll get so strong people will know not to mess with me, not just because I'm Sarah's friend! I won't be like that! I won't be a burden on her anymore!! AHHHH!!!"" After that loud declaration Rika unloaded punches with all she had into Cardia's tenderized flesh. All the stress, all the anger, all the shame she had felt since arriving in the AFW was released in that one devastating beating.

After awhile Rika's punches would slow, her breathing becoming laboured, until she would finally fall forward, utterly spent. She latched her arms around Cardia's body before she could fall over. "W-Wow," she whispered while panting. "That felt....so good." Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Cardia. "I-I'm so sorry."

About now it clicked in Cardia's head that Rika wasn't really talking to her. Of course, she was HITTING her as though she was.

Cardia huffed and grunted with each blow, shutting her eyes tight, trying to ignore the pain, but it quickly began to overwhelm her. "Ah... S-s... stop.." She whispered, far quieter than even the vicious thuds of Rika's abuse. Her head began lilting slightly, rocking with every blow. She let out soft whimpers even after Rika began to slow and stop. She sputtered softly, a bit of blood escaping her lips, mixing with sweat, tears of pain, and the blood from her forehead. Cardia looked every bit the mess she was. She didn't even seem to respond to Rika, simply taking sharp, short, labored breaths, her eyes wide, staring at apparently nothing in particular.

Rika was so lost in her rage she was now only realizing what she had done to the person she vented her anger. Rika had beaten people before, but not beyond the point where they were totally helpless. Seeing what she had done to poor Cardia honestly scared her a little bit.

THe young brawler quickly went to unchain Cardia, standing on a becnh to get to the restraints holding up her arms. Rika would undo them, and when Cardia fell, which she probably would in the state she was in, Rika would quickly make to catch her and hold her up. "Hey, snap out of it!" Rika would say, and made to lay Cardia done on the bench.

When released, Cardia stumbled forward, her arms flopping loosely, falling to her knees for a second, long enough for Rika to catch her. Cardia whimpered softly as she blinked a few times, seeming to regain awareness. Looking around slowly, her eyes suddenly locked onto Rika and shoot wide. "Ah!" Cardia attempted to scramble away, making it as far as rolling off of the bench and slamming into the gym floor, her arms buckling completely, unable to support even lifting her weight up. Quickly, she would roll onto her back, panting heavily, raising her hands up to try to shield herself from Rika, "L-leave me alone! You win. Okay? Just... just stop!" Cardia yelled frantically.

Rika's eyes widened and her heart dropped with guilt as Cardia scrambled in fear to get away from her. She didn't want this. "Wait! It's okay, really! I'm not gonna hurt you," Rika assured, rasing her arms before her in a gesture of peace. "I'm...I'm real sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you so badly. It's just....what you said made me snap. You have to understand."

Cardia panted heavily, her head rolling a bit as dizziness once again overtook her. Her arm fell weakly to her face, rubbing some of the blood off before it fell to the ground. She furrowed her brow at Rika, not quite sure what to make of what she was saying. Her memory of the fight was returning but she could make no sense of Rika's words. She scowled as she remembered how it began, "Are you talking about when... I practically humiliated myself in... prostrating to you so I would be friendly and unthreatening and you wouldn't kick me in the crotch... you remember, that was right before you kicked me in the crotch!" She growled out.

She laid back on the ground with a tired huff, facing up at the ceiling, not trying to look at Rika. She was too exhausted and her arms and midriff hurt way too much to prop herself up, "Enough lies, bullshit, mind games, whatever... Just leave me alone, you psychopath. I don't have... anything to give you."

Looking back Rika did fly off the handle a little to a girl who only wanted her help. Her hatred of Lukretia trumped anything Cardia had to say when she came to her, and she just wanted to smash her face in. She certainly accomplished that, and as guilty as she felt about it, it really did make her feel better. "I know, and I'm really sorry," Rika said sincerly. "I guess I was more angry than I thought I was. But that doesn't make it alright. You're not that slut Lukretia, I shouldn't have taken my anger about her out on you." Meekly Rika offered Cardia a hand to stand up.