Shift

14 years later

It had once been a shoe factory, or so she had been told. During the Great Depression its owners had gone bankrupt and abandoned the place. Filthy and falling apart in various places, it really should have been razed years ago. But bureaucratic red tape had left the place undisturbed for decades, and for that Stella was glad. The Hollow, as it was called, was like her second home. 

Broken glass covered the pavement wherever there weren't weeds sprouting. The only sign of the place's true purpose was a small string of lights that led down a dank, cobweb-covered stairwell into the basement of the building. Stella smiled when she saw the familiar old door with posters and flyers tacked all over it. Above it was a sign that read "Fight at your own risk". She walked inside. 

The entire basement had been refurbished into an illegal bar. It was a very popular hangout for mutants with its cage-fighting and energetic atmosphere. There was no police squad in New York brave enough to go looking for a bunch of drunk mutants itching for a fight, so the establishment had remained undisturbed for years. Already it was beginning to fill up with people. Stella joined the crowd at the bar closest to the cage. 

Today was the biggest match of the month. Many fighters would enter the cage to take on each other in an all-out no-holds-barred brawl. The last fighter left standing would win a sizable cash prize.  She didn't really need the money, but she loved the thrill she got in the cage. It was of the few things that kept her going. 

A redheaded guy appeared next to her, grinning broadly. "You're going to dinner with me afterwards, right?" Stella smirked and threw him a mischievous glance. "Depends on how horribly you do this time, Justin. Can't be seen with someone who's covered in bruises, you know. People will talk."  Justin's grin grew even wider. "Well we'll just have to see, won't we?" He winked at her and sauntered away, whistling.

When she entered the cage, there were already at least thirty other fighters lined up around the walls. The crowd in the bar was in a frenzy. They wanted to see blood, and Stella was sure they would get their wish. 

The announcer picked up the microphone. "Welcome to another night of mayhem at the Hollow!  Fighters, medical services are standing by, but please try not to kill each other, as we're running out of places to dump the bodies. Remember to place your bets at the nearest counter. Now let the chaos begin!"

All at once the room became a scene of utter chaos as the combatants threw themselves at each other. Dodging an electric blast, Stella ran up the wall of the cage, shifting into the form of a huge black cat as she did so. Back-flipping off the top, she hurled herself downwards, colliding with a speedster in midair. She picked herself up and zoomed around the cage, building up momentum until she slammed into a group of fighters and sent them flying. She weaved in and out of the mess of people sprawled across the floor. The medics sure were having a hard time keeping up tonight. 

A fireball hit her shoulder, and she fell down. Before she could get back up a mob had been pile on top of her. Gritting her teeth, she clawed her way through before she could stand up again in her human form.   She jumped clear of the group. 

Someone hit her from behind but she jumped clear and twisted around, grabbing her attacker and throwing them to the ground.  Before they could stand she had kicked their kneecap and run off again. 

She was suddenly engulfed in a mass of flames and smoke and fell to her knees. Shifting into a tiger form, she tried to slink out but was again attacked by several fighters at once.  The blood was pounding in her ears and she could hear the crowd roaring over the cackling of the flames. 

She continued to wrestle with the last of her opponents. She could feel their breath hot on her neck. Grinning wickedly, she quickly flipped her opponent over and pinned them before stomping brutally on their arm. Fighting dirty was common in the cage, and she felt no qualms about using it to her advantage. Especially when she realized she had been fighting Justin. Yeah, he wouldn't be getting that second date any time soon. Not that she was sure he would want it now. 

After collecting her winnings, she wandered over to the bar and ordered a drink. She soon became lost in her thoughts, not paying attention to the commotion that was going on around her. She wasn't at all fazed when a fight broke out and someone was sent flying into the rafters, bringing down chunks of old wood into the center of the room and earning a few peeved shouts from the proprietor. She barely noticed when someone took the stool next to her and ordered a round of beers.  Musing and nursing her lager, it took her several moments to realize when the stranger beside her attempted to get her attention. She looked up and studied him curiously.

He had a scruffy beard and dark hair styled back in a way she had never seen before. With black jeans, jacket, and muddy combat boots, he blended right in with the shadows and smoky atmosphere of the bar. Kite would have frowned in disgust and called him sleazy, but Stella found him oddly fascinating. 

"You're a mutant, aren't you?" His voice was deep and husky, like that of a chronic smoker, but not unpleasant. Stella found the question a bit odd as a pickup line, but she shrugged it off.  "Most people here are. Why?" "Just curious. That was a great fight tonight. I'm Logan, by the way." "My name's Stella. You new here?" 

"Yeah, heard about this place from a friend and figured I should check it out. I thought the cops had shut down most of the fighting rings in this part of the city." Stella smirked. "They wouldn't touch this place even if they could find it, we have that sort of reputation you know." 

Logan's brow furrowed. "They can't find it? I thought they were developing a program to hunt down mutants." Stella set down her glass and grinned at him. "Believe it or not, I've managed to develop a device that can mask a mutant's presence completely. When I installed a bigger version in this place, it became practically invisible. It's a haven for all sorts of people now."

Stella chuckled a bit when Logan's eyes widened. She grinned wickedly and winked at him. "There's another tournament tomorrow night. You should enter it." She tossed a few bills on the counter and disappeared into the crowd. She liked to keep people wondering, and she had an appointment to keep. Logan stared after her, both intrigued and bewildered by the strange girl he had just met. He had a feeling something was up with her, and whatever it was, it was just getting started.