Title: Untitled

By: Kameka

Rating: PG (for violence)

Disclaimers/spoilers: not mine, yadda yadda. This takes place during episode 2.? "Palindrome." Major spoilers for that episode.

Additional notes: yes, I'm still playing in the fandom, just not a whole lot. I did recently find my Witchblade tapes again, and I'm sure I'll start writing a lot when I watch them. I am still working on both "Essential," "Interconnected," and "The Many Deaths and Humiliations of Jake McCartey" series (although I didn't for a long while) and will post new chapters/stories when they're complete.

This was originally written as a prologue to a longer story. The longer story has been started, was started long ago (I wrote this pretty soon after the end of the season), but I'm not sure if that particular one will be continued or not. I decided to post this as a self-contained snippet, simply to show that I am still around and alive. LOL

As with "Tensions Released," if anybody would like to write a continuation of this snippet .. Go right ahead.

* * * *

Daniel Woo twisted and turned as he dodged yet another flurry of fists and feet. Sweat poured off his body as he blocked a series of blows before landing one in his opponent's face. The room was in shadows outside the makeshift sparring ring at the Spartacus Club. It was just his luck to draw Pagan, the faceless fighter who had already killed at least one person in the ring. He could hear a dull roar in his ears as he continued to dodge and land blows when he could, hoping he could keep Pagan busy until the police came to break up the illegal fighting ring.

He missed a block and felt a sharp pain in his side as fingers gouged into his ribs. Reaching up he shoved at the neckline of the hooded sweatshirt his opponent wore, feeling the pressure lessen. He shoved again, feeling the bone give way beneath his hand.

Pagan backed up, one hand pressed at the broken bone. Fire flashed in familiar green eyes right before the attack began again.

Danny, now tired, decided to finish the fight once and for all. Reaching out, he grabbed the hand coming towards his face and twisted, using Pagan's own body weight to propel the fighter to the other side of the ring. Instead of staying down, the fighter lifted up and rushed at Danny again, a move Danny had anticipated. One hand shot out brutally, catching Pagan's ribs. The bones gave way beneath the pressure and Pagan twisted automatically to catch Danny's face with a fist before falling to the concrete floor.

Rising again, Pagan's head shook in an effort to clear it before starting in again, this time met with Danny's open hand as it connected with the black cloth that concealed the face. Falling backwards and landing with a thud on the concrete, Pagan stayed there a minute.

Danny leaned over as he struggled to breathe, the dull roar in his ears receding as his body received the oxygen it craved. A shout from Jake caused him to look up as Pagan continued the fight, grabbing Danny from behind in a bruising grip. Danny swung his elbow back to strike, hoping the distraction would let him get free. His elbow met a body part and Pagan fell to the floor once more.

Turning, he breathed heavily as he watched the sweat-shirted figure that lay prone on the ground. He wasn't going to turn his back on Pagan again whether the fighter was down or not. Pagan didn't move and Danny moved forward hesitantly. What had his elbow caught?

Reaching down, he felt for a pulse. Feeling nothing, he called frantically for Jake as he began to press Pagan's chest to restart the heart, unmindful of possibly broken ribs. Jake came through the crowd and knelt down next to him, taking over the CPR as Danny removed the sweatshirt and hood to breathe for Pagan, forcing air into the fighter's lungs.

The world shifted as Danny stared into the face of his partner and closest friend, Sara Pezzini.

* End *

Reviews are welcome!