Bubbles, Second Arc Part 4: Quarrel

 Part four in the nine part second story of how Bubbles and Maki's relationship began.  Generously written by LFN Park.

If you're looking for the other stories in the series, you can find them by clicking the "Story" tag below this post.

Bubbles, Second Arc

Part 4: Quarrel

Maki paced in her study, arms folded together as her mind raged like a storm. She liked going into situations with careful plans and calm emotions. This let her have the advantage against others, let her control the situation.

Today wasn’t going to work like that.

She turned immediately when the door opened, her eyes blazing as the caramel amazon stepped through. She still wore the sports top and gym shorts, though she’d removed the bloodied tape from her hands.

“What the fuck was that?” Maki growled.

“An education.” Bubbles stepped closer to Maki, looking down at her with a steely visage.

“Don’t be fucking cute. You broke his nose and fucking jaw! Two ribs!  He’s missing three goddamn teeth!” Maki hissed.

“And?” Maki threw up her arms with a cry of frustration.

“And you can’t do that! That’s not teaching, that’s cruelty! That’s sadistic! You were supposed to scare him! Straighten him out! This was not that; this was assault!”

“This is how I was taught.” Bubbles snarled, turning away from the olive woman.

“That’s not a fucking excuse! That isn’t how we do things! And...And besides, that isn’t fucking you!” Maki grabbed Bubbles arm, stepping back in front of her with an angry snarl

“Yes it is. I fight. You know this! I hurt people! It’s what I was taught!” Bubbles found her voice rising as she pulled away from Maki’s grasp.

“No! I know you! You lost control!” Maki growled, jabbing her finger at Bubbles’ chest.

“You know nothing.” Bubbles snarled.

“I know everything you’ve told me about you! I know you have the capacity to be gentle and kind! I see it, I feel it every time we--” Bubbles stepped closer to Maki, glaring down at her with an ugly snarl.

“What are we?! Tell me! We had sex! You saved my life! I’m not your slave! You want me to teach your slaves! What am I to you? Lover? Employee? Slave? Master?” Bubbles spread her arms out as she talked. 

“I’m not your Master! Your last one cast you aside like garbage! He betrayed you.” Maki looked up at the amazon, undaunted by her ugly snarl.

“Shut up.” Bubbles felt her hands clench tightly and turned away from Maki again. 

“No. You beat the shit out of that boy and I want to know why!” Once more the smaller woman moved to the front of Bubbles, her glaring eyes still locked on her cyclopean blue orb.

“It worked, didn’t it? Your house is in order.” Bubbles sneered.

“That’s not the issue! Did he say something? What did he do that made you break his damn face?!” Maki’s voice softened slightly, almost becoming pleading.

“He called me a freak! He made me angry!” Bubbles voice turned vicious behind grit teeth as she flashed back to Antonio’s words in that ring, how it lit that fire in her chest that raged briefly.

“That’s it?” Maki asked incredulously, pressing two fingers against her own forehead.

“Yes.” The small olive woman groaned, rubbing her face in frustration as her mind churned, trying to find the right response.

“You can’t break every person who calls you a freak!” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Shut up.”

“People call others names and say things all the time out of fear! They call me a slut and a whore, but I don’t break their god damn jaws over it! You can’t do that every time someone says something you don’t like! You’ll have to break nearly every person on this god damn island!” Maki gestured to the massive window that overlooked the grounds.

“Maybe I will.” Bubbles growled, turning once again.

“Like hell! You’re better than this! You’re not a fucking savage, Bubbles!” Maki grabbed the giantess’ arm once more, but was surprised when Bubbles turned quickly and bumped Maki a step back with her arm.

“Am I?! You say you see things in me! All these nice things! Maybe you’re wrong. You see things you want to see! You see a broken girl to fix, but maybe I’m not broken! Maybe I AM a monster! I’m not a girl for you to rescue! I’m not Tanya.” Maki’s eyes narrowed furiously, her hands shoving against the taller girl’s chest ineffectually. 

“You shut your mouth.” She snarled, her voice dangerously low.

“No! I’m not her! I survived! I’m not your property! She was, and you couldn’t save her! Why do you think you can save me?”  Maki cried out in frustration and pain, one hand striking Bubbles cheek with a resounding slap as tears blurred the olive woman’s eyes. The larger woman barely reacted, continuing to glare angrily down at Maki.

“And what about Gregory? Did you even try to save him? Or did you simply trust Howard to take care of him like you? That worked out well for both of you, didn’t it?!” Maki cried out, staring defiantly up at the angry giantess. Bubbles eye widened, feeling her words stab and sting worse than the ineffectual slap.

“Fuck you!” Bubbles shoved Maki, knocking her against the back of her couch. 

“Get out!” Maki roared, pointing toward the door as tears streamed down cheeks.

“You act saintly, but you’re not. You’re a slaver, like your father. Like the woman who bought Tanya. Like the one who tortured her!” Bubbles snarled, surprised to find the foul words flowing with ease. Maki shrieked in anger, yanking one of the couch cushions up and tossing it into Bubbles massive chest.

“Get out! Get the fuck out!” She growled. Bubbles gave her a last snarl before throwing the door open and stomping out. Maki stood there, leaning against the couch for a moment. She tried to inhale, take deep breaths to calm the trembling she felt coming over her like a tidal wave. Ultimately, it overtook her. Maki slid down to the floor, cradling her face as she sobbed violently.

Bubbles stomped through the halls, her hands clenching and unclenching unconsciously. She saw others scramble out of her way like she was an oncoming car and felt the fire in her chest start to burn. Unconsciously she found herself in the gym, drawing frightened looks from the others working out amidst the equipment.

She didn’t bother taping her hands up; Bubbles went to the highest strung punching bag, the single one meant for her, and started swinging. She was ignorant of the grunt and growls that came from her as she unleashed that fire in her chest into the bag, jerking it left and right with every blow. In her mind she kept repeating the fight with Maki, the words exchanged sticking and stinging stubbornly. It drove her blows harder and faster into the bag, harsh punches following vicious kicks that continued rocking the bag until Bubbles heard a snapping sound.

The bag suddenly twisted, hanging at an angle as one of the loops on the bag dangled loosely by one of the chains holding it up. She paused for a moment before her assault resumed with an angry roar.

Ultimately Bubbles halted, breathing heavily as it collapsed to the floor, the hanging chain swaying  She knelt down, leaning against the fallen bag as her chest heaved and limbs ached. 

Bubbles looked around, noticing the gym had completely emptied of people. Her mind flashed to the faces in the hallway...the gym when she first entered. Fear had been on all those faces, fear of her and what she could do. She looked down at the bag, realizing her aggression had caused this.

/Everyone looks at me with fear. That’s how they looked at me when I was Titan.../

Her mind flashed back to her last fight in The Bloc. The terrified expression of the other fighters, of the man and woman who’s necks she’d broken in her berserker rage. Her staggered walk back to the small locker, faces full of fear and people backing away from her.

Maki’s olive face came to the forefront. The fearless eyes when she’d stared Bubbles down, the soft smile, and the way she’d touched her hand….her face……

Bubbles felt tears sting the corner of her eye as her mind continued cycling through the last few months. Maki’s constant attention, unwavering support, and gentle hands filled her with more guilt as she realized the sheer evil of the words she’d said to her.

“Why? Why did I say that?” Bubbles whispered to herself, feeling tears slide down her cheek.