point. I like that." Leo grinned, dropping her hand. "I have a ring, few blocks from here. I want you to fight for me."
"I lost."
"Yeah," Leo nodded. "You lost this fight."
"Tonight was my only fight. And I lost."
"Everyone loses at some point or another, kid. Don't get stuck on that. Unless you've decided to get out of the game after just one night?"
Hart wanted to say yes, that she was done with this before she even really started, but then what was she supposed to do? Hope she could salvage enough aluminium off the heap to keep the kids alive? Go back to acid bath extractions and burn heaps that choked their lungs and burned their hands?
Leo must have seen the shift in her expression, because he grinned. "That's what I thought."
"But why would you want me?"
"Like I said, kid, you took a lot longer to pin than the bookies were betting on. Farris thought it'd be a two-second fight. But you ran circles around that kid before he knocked you down."
"That doesn't make me a good fighter."
"You're not a good fighter," Leo said bluntly. "But you could be. Look, I'll be straight with you. The ring I got is small time. But I'm looking to move up in the world. And you don't do that by hanging 'round the fence every night hoping a good fighter walks right up to you. You gotta make your own fighters, you understand me?"
"So …?"
"So don't spend your time waiting by the fence and hoping someone like Farris'll bring you in. I want to train you."
Hart crossed her arms, even as her heart leapt. "Okay, so you want fighters on call. But why do you want me ? I'm too small."
"People were cheering for you back there, every time you landed a punch on that guy. And do you know why? Because he was so much bigger than you. People love an underdog. Especially if that underdog can win."
It made sense. If she could actually knock out a guy like Gage, people might root for her. The scrawny kid taking out a champion. She could see the appeal.
Of course, that depended on her actually being able to take someone down.
"You think you can train me so I don't get beat every time?"
"I can train anyone."
Hart gave Leo another once-over. He was rough around the edges but didn't scream 'slime' the way Farris had. And she wasn't going to kid herself; no one else was ever going to give her a chance like this. At best, she would have to hope another jerk like Farris wanted to see her face get smashed in. At worst, she'd have to wait for the swelling to go down and join the other Gutter girls at the fence.
"Okay."
"Yeah?" Leo smiled. "All right. I'll come get you at Checkpoint Two tomorrow. Get you a pass for the Alley, okay?"
Hart's eyes widened. Duncan had a pass, letting him through the checkpoint for every fight. She didn't know a lot of people who had one.
"Yeah, okay. See you in the morning?"
"See you then, kid."
Hart turned to walk away, barely feeling the pain in her jaw and ear.
"Hey, kid?"
She turned, seeing something silver flash through the air. She caught it instinctively, looking down dumbly at the coin in her hand.
"Just to tide you over, yeah?" Leo offered.
Hart blinked up at him. "Why are you doing this?"
Leo's face softened. "I know you probably got someone, or a lot of someones, at home. I've been there. Besides," his cocky smile returned. "Gotta make sure you show up tomorrow, don't I?"
"I'll be there," Hart said, squeezing the coin into her palm until it left an impression in her flesh. "I promise."
Chapter Four
By the time the sun peeked over the squat buildings of the Gutter, Hart was at the fence.
She had barely slept, coming home late, after the kids were already in bed. She let her mother fuss over her face, tears welling up in Vivien's eyes as she dabbed at the blood on Hart's cheek, pressing a cool cloth to the swelling along her jaw.
Hart slept in her mother's bed for the first time in over a decade, lying in the spot that Duncan had left vacant. She didn't want to disturb the kids nestled together on the
"I lost."
"Yeah," Leo nodded. "You lost this fight."
"Tonight was my only fight. And I lost."
"Everyone loses at some point or another, kid. Don't get stuck on that. Unless you've decided to get out of the game after just one night?"
Hart wanted to say yes, that she was done with this before she even really started, but then what was she supposed to do? Hope she could salvage enough aluminium off the heap to keep the kids alive? Go back to acid bath extractions and burn heaps that choked their lungs and burned their hands?
Leo must have seen the shift in her expression, because he grinned. "That's what I thought."
"But why would you want me?"
"Like I said, kid, you took a lot longer to pin than the bookies were betting on. Farris thought it'd be a two-second fight. But you ran circles around that kid before he knocked you down."
"That doesn't make me a good fighter."
"You're not a good fighter," Leo said bluntly. "But you could be. Look, I'll be straight with you. The ring I got is small time. But I'm looking to move up in the world. And you don't do that by hanging 'round the fence every night hoping a good fighter walks right up to you. You gotta make your own fighters, you understand me?"
"So …?"
"So don't spend your time waiting by the fence and hoping someone like Farris'll bring you in. I want to train you."
Hart crossed her arms, even as her heart leapt. "Okay, so you want fighters on call. But why do you want me ? I'm too small."
"People were cheering for you back there, every time you landed a punch on that guy. And do you know why? Because he was so much bigger than you. People love an underdog. Especially if that underdog can win."
It made sense. If she could actually knock out a guy like Gage, people might root for her. The scrawny kid taking out a champion. She could see the appeal.
Of course, that depended on her actually being able to take someone down.
"You think you can train me so I don't get beat every time?"
"I can train anyone."
Hart gave Leo another once-over. He was rough around the edges but didn't scream 'slime' the way Farris had. And she wasn't going to kid herself; no one else was ever going to give her a chance like this. At best, she would have to hope another jerk like Farris wanted to see her face get smashed in. At worst, she'd have to wait for the swelling to go down and join the other Gutter girls at the fence.
"Okay."
"Yeah?" Leo smiled. "All right. I'll come get you at Checkpoint Two tomorrow. Get you a pass for the Alley, okay?"
Hart's eyes widened. Duncan had a pass, letting him through the checkpoint for every fight. She didn't know a lot of people who had one.
"Yeah, okay. See you in the morning?"
"See you then, kid."
Hart turned to walk away, barely feeling the pain in her jaw and ear.
"Hey, kid?"
She turned, seeing something silver flash through the air. She caught it instinctively, looking down dumbly at the coin in her hand.
"Just to tide you over, yeah?" Leo offered.
Hart blinked up at him. "Why are you doing this?"
Leo's face softened. "I know you probably got someone, or a lot of someones, at home. I've been there. Besides," his cocky smile returned. "Gotta make sure you show up tomorrow, don't I?"
"I'll be there," Hart said, squeezing the coin into her palm until it left an impression in her flesh. "I promise."
Chapter Four
By the time the sun peeked over the squat buildings of the Gutter, Hart was at the fence.
She had barely slept, coming home late, after the kids were already in bed. She let her mother fuss over her face, tears welling up in Vivien's eyes as she dabbed at the blood on Hart's cheek, pressing a cool cloth to the swelling along her jaw.
Hart slept in her mother's bed for the first time in over a decade, lying in the spot that Duncan had left vacant. She didn't want to disturb the kids nestled together on the
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