Embracing Love and Power
Chapter 10 - The black elite

It had taken Tillie two more days before she finally felt better. Althea had been sitting next to her bed for the past few days. By night Ace had taken over and guarded her. They had talked every night, Ace hadn’t told her about her mother, but he had told her other things. Step by step Tillie began to trust him.

At first Tillie had refused to go outside, but Althea hadn’t stopped asking, so she finally gave in. Althea had helped her in a pair of black jeans and a sweater. Tillie had looked skeptical at Althea. “This sweater isn’t yours, isn’t it?” She asked. A blush appeared on Althea’s face. “No, it’s not.” She replied. “Does he know?” Tillie asked. “Does who know?” she answered innocently. “Althea I don’t like being used.” She said sternly. “Maybe he doesn’t know. But he needs a push in the right direction. I saw the way he was looking at you. He wants to interrogate and test you, but you are not ready for that. He must think of you in a different way.” She said. Tillie rolled her eyes. “I am not here for a romantic getaway.” She replied. Althea giggled at her words.

“So, what’s your plan exactly?” Tillie asked. “I’ll show you around” “And hope nobody notices us?” Tillie looked at Althea with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah basically.” Tillie groaned, she knew it was stupid and she had a gut feeling that they were going to get caught. If they walked into Timber he sure as hell would put her to the test. She didn’t know if she was ready for that. But then again, she was going nuts being here in this little room and listing to Althea’s whining. She needed a good fight to clear her mind. So she finally caved: “Fine, we’ll go.”

The more Tillie sneaked around with Althea the more she became convinced that it was all a bad idea. Althea moved between the containers and behind the training ground to show Tillie around. She felt that her shoulder was still playing up, if she would be cornered she wasn’t sure that she would win.

Tillie and Althea hid next to the training fields as they observed the soldiers. Timber was barking some orders at his men. Even though he looked handsome as hell, Tillie couldn’t help herself but roll her eyes. They were strong, but they could be so much better if they stopped working with their pick order and started working as a the team. Althea sighed loudly beside her. “Do you want to get caught?” Tillie asked her. “How much longer do you want to keep watching them? If I had known you were this boring I had left you in the infirmary.” Tillie grinned at Althea. “Sure princess.” She said with a plain look. “Don’t do that.” Althea was on the brink of crying. “Do what?” Tillie asked. “Everyone treats me like a spoiled princess, unless he is around. Don’t do it too.” “Then don’t act like one, Althea.” “We can always give them a score.” She giggled. “Althea, shut up.” Tillie replied with a smile of her own.

As they stood there watching the soldiers, suddenly someone grabbed Althea by the shoulder. “Princess why are you starring at them when you can have fun with me?” A dirty grin appeared on the man’s face but before he could do anything else, Tillie had grabbed his hand and cracked it behind his back. The man began to scream loudly drawing all attention on them. “Who’s the little princess now? Show some respect.” Tillie hissed between her teeth. Within seconds they were surrounded by soldiers. And Tillie found herself standing face to face with a fuming Timber.

“Are you deaf? Or do you have a death wish?” Timber snarled at Tillie. “I didn’t know I was a prisoner.” Tillie replied with a blank face. She saw that Althea was about to intervene, but she stopped her. “I told you to stay in the infirmary until I would let you out.” Timber said sternly. “Timber it’s my fault, I begged her to come with me.” Althea tried to plead with her brother. But it was as if he was ignoring his sister. “I agreed, I wanted to see what the famous black elite is all about.” Tillie answered as she took a step forward, showing that she wasn’t intimidated by him. “And for the command part you’re not my leader, so no I am not deaf. ” Tillie added oil to his fire.

Tillie studied the man in front of her, he was fuming at this point. She could feel that his authority wasn’t tested much. “What’s your problem?” she asked. “You are” Timber replied. “Boss, take it easy. Remember who she is.” Tillie saw how someone tried to calm him. “Makin, you are right. That’s true, how could I forget she is the famous Breaker.” Timber mocked. A gasp went through the crowd. “Now let’s see if the gossip holds any truth.” He said with a dirty smile on his lips. “No Timber you can’t do that. She isn’t healed completely.” Althea pleaded. It started to annoy Tillie. “Bring it on, or are you too much a coward to fight me?” she replied. Tillie hadn’t backed down she still stood face to face with him.

“I am saving the best for last. At least that’s if you come to me.” Timber replied confidently. A grin appeared on Tillie’s face. “I look forward to kicking your ass.” She replied. “Likewise, but I won’t go easy on you.” “Neither am I” she replied. “Timber stop, this is madness.” Althea hung on the arm of her brother. “You should have thought about that before you dragged her out.” He replied sternly.

“Louis Cavali, Black elite, third squad, step forward.” Timber commanded and the crowd opened up. A young man stepped forward, he had a slender built, but he looked trained. He took a perfect stand “Yes boss.” He said. It almost looked like a puppet show.

Louis stepped in position in front of Tillie. “This is a fair fight, no weapons can be used at any time. The fight is over if one of you surrenders or if one of you dies.” Timber said his voice filled with irony. “And Breaker I want my sweater back.” He added.

“No Timber stop it, this isn’t worth it.” Althea tried one last time. “Have a little fait princess.” Tillie answered with a smirk as she pulled the hoodie over her head, leaving her in a black sports bra. A gasp went through the crowd. Tillie showed off her strong and slender body, her mark on full display. She gathered the sweater and threw it right in Timber’s face. “I believe this is yours, jackass.” She said with a smile.

Timber’s eyes roamed over her body as she took her fighting stance. They swirled over each and every part of her body, following every line of her mark, leaving a strange, burning sensation on Tillie’s body. He wasn’t the only one who looked at her and devoured her with his eyes, but his look was the only one that affected her this much.

“Watch it. You won’t be laughing after this.” He said after finally coming to his senses. Timber pointed to her face, which only made her smirking wider. Tillie noticed how money was exchanged among the crowd, she knew what the odds would be. Nobody would put money on her, boy were they in for a surprise. She raised her fists and waited for the start. “Fight!” Timber commanded and the crowd all cheered for Louis, Althea stood on the side line, holding her breath for the outcome.

Louis opened the fight immediately with a punch towards Tillie’s stomach. She avoided him easily and danced around him. “Are you going to bore us to death by playing chicken?” Timber yelled and the crowd laughed loudly. Tillie just rolled her eyes. “No just making this worth the money.” She answered with a grin. “But if you prefer the short version, I’ll be happy to help.” She winked at him. Timber just laughed at her, fueling Tillie’s temper. With two quick punches and a kick, Louis was down. She strangled him within seconds until he quickly surrendered. The crowd looked shocked at her.

“Who’s next?” Tillie asked Timber confidently. Timber was baffled for a second but he quickly regained his confidence, he hadn’t expected this going so quickly and definitely not ending with her winning. “Robert Vanderbilt, Black elite, second squad, step forward.” Timber called the next candidate. Robert stepped out the crowd with a big grin on his face. This man had the same built as the previous one, only he held more arrogance in his face. “Let me show you your place.” He smirked as a dirty grin covered his face. “Which is?” Tillie asked not the least impressed. “Below me.”

The crowd laughed again, Tillie was furious by the time Timber signaled for the fight to begin. In less than two minutes she knocked Robert out. The crowd fell deathly silent as they watched her, they awaited what their leader would do. Tillie looked at Timber. “When is the real challenge coming?” she asked him defiantly. “You want to play it this way? I’ll step up the game.” He said sternly. “Makin Keller, Black elite, Second in command, Leader of the third squad” A muscular young man stepped forward, he held the same arrogance in his face as Timber. Tillie smiled. His raven black hair and raven black eyes fitted him perfectly, he was almost handsome Tillie thought, well not as handsome as Timber. A smile formed on her lips. She was curious about his strength. If he was Timber’s second in command, the man must be more of a challenge than the previous two.

“Timber enlighten me, how many of your dolls do I have to fight before you stop being a chicken?” Tillie said with a smirk. A small chuckle was heard from the crowd. “Everything around here is built on order and strength, we determine our place by fighting. I am at the top, so the last fight you’ll have is against me. But I doubt you will survive Makin.” He said confidently. Tillie just smiled at the thought if Foreman was right, things would not turn out the way Timber liked it.

Makin was a more skilled fighter than the others she had faced, and jet it wasn’t a challenge either to fight him. “I apologize in advance” Makin said before the fight. “For?” Tillie asked. “Destroying your pretty face.” A nervous laugh escaped from the crowd, Tillie sensed that the atmosphere had changed they weren’t so sure anymore. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll give you a bandage for your broken nose afterwards.” She winked at Makin as she prepared herself.

They moved over the fighting ground swiftly, Tillie quickly discovered a pattern in the punches Makin delivered. Nobleman had pointed out the importance of studying your opponent over and over. After a few moves, Tillie had figured it out. Makin always threw two punches before moving his right feet. She decided to take advantage of that fact. His first punch came which she easily blocked, he tried to land a second one but failed. As he was about to move Tillie kicked his right leg hard, making him to lose balance. Within seconds she had delivered a string of hits, landing each and every one of them.

Makin lay on the ground barley fighting back anymore. She pressed her knee to his throat and looked at him. His nose was broken and dripping from the blood, while she nearly held a scratch. “I surrender” his muffled voice said. Makin didn’t have to say the words twice, Tillie immediately removed her knee and helped him to his feet, as she had done with Louis and Robert. As Timber looked around he noticed that this strange girl had acquired some sympathy during the fights that passed. He had to stop this, he had to put an end to this now before she would win all his soldiers over.

“That’s enough.” Timber yelled. The crowd was silent within seconds. Timber removed his jacket and placed it in the hands of Valen. He took his fighting stand right in front of Tillie. She was starting to get tired with a body that still suffered the effects of the poison and a shoulder that was acting up again. But she wasn’t planning on showing that to him. Tillie knew that she had to let Timber win, but she wasn’t about to make it easy for him.

Valen stepped forward between the two of them. “This is a fair fight, no weapons can be used at any time. The fight is over if one of you surrenders or if one of you is death.” He spoke the same words as Timber. He looked with sympathy at Tillie. “No Timber, don’t do this please. She was just trying to protect me.” Althea was full on crying now. “Althea don’t worry about it, I’ll be fine.” Tillie replied. “I won’t be so sure about that.” Timber said, his face was filled with rage and yet he had an arrogant smirk.

“Let me wipe that arrogant smile of your face. Althea don’t worry about me, just worry about your brother” Tillie said with a smile; Fueled by rage Timber threw the first punch, Tillie moved quickly aside to avoid the punch. Timber took a few steps and stood back in front of her. He aimed again but this time lower, going for her stomach. She blocked the punches with her forearms, when he moved again, Tillie was quick to kick him right on his thigh. A gasp went through the crowd. Timber looked a bit startled at her and she took advantage of his confusion, aiming right at his nose. A loud crack was heard as her fist connected with his nose.

Timber spat blood on the ground as he focused back on the girl in front of him. He was beyond mad, how could such a small girl defeat three of his soldiers, he had started low in selecting them but Makin wasn’t just an ordinary soldier. He had to stop her, she was actually one of the first in a long time that was able to hit him, to surprise him. And he could feel that he did not have the upper hand in this fight.

He had to be sure he would win. He had to do everything in his power to not let her beat him. Tillie threw a couple of lousy punches and he smiled, maybe this would be easy after all. But then with his guard a bit down, she channeled al her force into one swift kick. The impact Timber had from that blow was huge. In all his life, in all his fights he had never felt so much strength. He hadn’t a piece of doubt, the girl in front of him was much stronger than him. He had to think or else he was about to lose this fight and that was the last thing that could happen.

A few punches followed from the girl, but they weren’t as powerful, he could see she was holding back. He started a combination of punches, he had to win, the words ran like a mantra through his head. And then it clicked, he had to aim for her shoulder, which was low and dirty. His punches followed at a high speed, she blocked each and every one until he slammed her full force onto her shoulder. He saw the pain rushing over her face and for a moment he felt sorry for her, he wanted to grab her and hold her close, comfort her against his chest. He felt confused about these feelings, he had never had them for anyone.

Tillie was hurt, she knew she had to surrender, If it were otherwise, she would wipe his ass, but now he had to win. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. She lowered her arms making her defense weaker. Timber delivered a couple more blows and before he knew what had happen she lay on the ground and surrendered.

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