She had to fight back. She had to try something... Anything... Just anything that can work and rescue her from this situation she was in...
As the woman closed in, Shuyin did the only thing she could think of, she swung, a wild, desperate punch with all her fear and anger behind it.
Her fist suddenly connected with the woman's jaw.
The impact sent shock waves up Shuyin's arm as pain exploded in her knuckles.
For one brief moment, the arena fell silent. She had actually swung a punch at her?
The massive woman's head had barely moved, Shuyin's punch was like a cat's scratch.
She stood there, absorbing the hit like it was nothing more than a mosquito bite. Then slowly, deliberately, she turned her face back to Shuyin.
Her terrible smile widened gazing at her sinisterly.
"That's it?" she growled. "That's all you got, princess?"
The crowd exploded into jeers and laughter mocking her...
"She's dead!"
"Nice try, rich girl!"
"Should've kept running!"
Shuyin's brief spark of courage immediately died, like a deflated balloon. Her hand throbbed painfully.
She'd put everything into that punch and it had done nothing. Less than nothing.
The woman's expression changed from amusement to cold fury.
"It's my turn now."
The woman hit her like a truck. A massive fist connected with Shuyin's stomach, driving all the air from her lungs.
Shuyin doubled over, gasping, and immediately another blow came, a fist to the side of her head that sent her sprawling to the concrete.
The impact was jarring. Pain exploded across her body. The rough concrete scraped her skin raw.
"GET UP!" the crowd screamed.
"GET UP AND FIGHT!"
Shuyin tried to push herself up, but a boot connected with her ribs. The crack was audible even over the cheering noise. Pain shot through her chest, white-hot and blinding.
She curled into a ball instinctively, trying to protect her head and stomach. But it was useless in front of this woman she had angered.
Another kick came in. This one to her back. She felt something break, maybe it was another rib.
The woman grabbed a handful of Shuyin's hair and yanked her up. Shuyin screamed, her scalp burning. She tried to grab the woman's arms, tried to fight back, but she had no strength, no training, no idea what to do.
A sudden fist connected with her face, and her nose crunched. Blood poured down her face, hot and metallic-tasting.
She received another punch, and her lip split open.
And another one made her eye swell shut immediately.
The woman threw her down again and Shuyin's body hit the concrete hard, her head bouncing off the stained floor.
The world was spinning. Everything was pain and noise and blood.
She tried to crawl away, her hands scrabbling weakly at the concrete, but the woman stomped on her outstretched hand, and you could hear bones cracking.
Shuyin's scream was raw and animalistic.... Full of anguish..
"FINISH HER! FINISH HER! FINISH HER!"
The woman grabbed Shuyin by her orange jumpsuit and lifted her up like she weighed nothing. For a moment, Shuyin hung there, dazed, barely conscious.
Then the woman slammed her down onto the concrete with brutal force.
Everything went white with pain.
Shuyin couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and couldn't see properly through her swollen, blood-filled eyes.
The crowd's roar sounded distant now, muffled, like she was underwater.
She felt more blows landing, on her sides, her legs, her arms, but they felt farther and farther away now. The pain was everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Then, suddenly, it stopped, and all that was left was silence. Or maybe she just couldn't hear anything anymore.
Rough hands grabbed her. The hood was shoved back over her head. She was being dragged, her feet trailing uselessly behind her, scraping across concrete.
She couldn't fight, couldn't resist and her body was broken.
Time became meaningless.
There was only pain and darkness and the feeling of being moved through space.
Then she suddenly fell.
Her body hit the hard floor, the cell floor. She lay there in a crumpled heap, unable to move, barely able to breathe.
Each breath sent knives through her broken ribs.
The cell door clanged shut, and you could hear footsteps receding; the guards were leaving after dumping her off.
Then... She could hear other sounds. Movement of people getting up.
"Jesus..." That was Razor's voice, shocked.
"They really did a number on her." Blade's voice, was quieter.
"Shit." Tank's heavy footsteps approached her helpless body.
"This is bad. This is really bad."
Shuyin couldn't open her eyes, one was swollen completely shut, and the other barely worked. But she could hear them moving around her.
"Why'd they take her to the pit?" Razor asked. "She just got here. She didn't register to fight."