All in a Day's Work by Miles Endeavor, MilesEn@aol.com She trounces him in their match, and then they learn about each other. by Miles Endeavor (continuing to steal other's ideas and run with them because he lacks the talent to come up with his own ideas. I actually wrote this story before the last one I posted, but changed a few things so it now follows chronologically after that last post.) All the standard warnings apply. Don't read if sex and violence may bother you and definitely not if you're under 18. As the virus spread the changes in society continued. The percentage of women "augmented" (as the ones who had the wildly increased strength came to be called) was too small to make sweeping changes, but some profound changes did occur. Overall, men treated women with more respect as they were more often confronted with women far beyond their own physical capabilities. But for many men accepting that they were no longer the toughest thing around was upsetting. Even maddening. But most of these men were shown the error of their ways by women all too happy to display their new abilities. In fact there were nearly as many cases where the augmented woman was the aggressor as the reverse. Being suddenly imbued with that kind of strength and power was intoxicating to many women. Some even saw it as their duty to put the macho men in their place... But for the most part the augmented women realized that their numbers were too low to risk alienating the male population as well as the much more numerous non-augmented women. And they found more acceptable outlets for their new talents and strength... from, Female Power Unleashed by Sheila Edwards Bart Jackson circled the ring trying to buy time to recover. His opponent allowed him the time and circled in the other direction, laughing at his predicament. "Are you hurting, big guy?" she asked facetiously flexing her incredible body. The woman continued to taunt him. "Tired, wimp? We're just getting started!" she laughed at her much bigger opponent. Jackson tried to remain calm and think of a move that could possibly work against this gorgeous powerhouse. His father had always told him the best lessons in life were learned in defeat. Analyze what happened in the loss and do better next time. But there was no lesson in this defeat, not in this mismatch, Bart knew. Well, he hadn't lost yet but he knew that was inevitable. He had fought as hard as he could ever remember but she was just playing with him. The only lesson here was how stupid he was thinking he could possibly compete with one of these amazing women. The worst part was how she tormented and toyed with him. It was bad enough she took him apart so easily, but did she have to rub it in so much? This was Jackson's second match for Raider Productions. In his first he had been similarly trounced by the wrestling instructor at the club - Terri. It was kind of a match and tryout at the same time. She put the big man through his paces for about 30 minutes before putting him away convincingly. Jackson was a veteran of numerous wrestling matches and fights and he had never been overwhelmed so easily and completely as he was in that match. As much as he had steeled himself to be ready for what these women would be able to do he still had a hard time believing it. She was completely able to do anything in the encounter and he was finding it hard to swallow. It boggled his mind to contemplate the power these women possessed. He was packing to leave after his miserable performance in that first match when Terri came in and told him he would be hired for a series of matches if he was interested. He felt a little like a lamb being led to slaughter but the money was too good to pass on - so he signed up. As Jackson entered the ring for his second match the announcer went through some of his qualifications. 6 feet and 5 inches tall, 265 pounds. A former amateur wrestling champion and professional wrestler he was now a successful bounty hunter (successful!?, Bart thought to himself). Bart felt he understood now why they did that. It was all to set up a contrast. Here was this big hulk of a man - with uncounted fight experiences - and this tiny woman was about to trash him completely. It heightened what the men and women who paid for the tapes of the matches liked to see, strong women overwhelming apparently competent and strong men in a physical confrontation. More than ever Bart felt more like a side of beef than a competitor. No one here expected him to win, the only question was how long would he last and how badly would he be hurt. His opponent entered next. God, she was gorgeous, Bart thought as she nimbly jumped over the ropes and landed lightly on her feet. Loni, the announcer said her name was. A 24 year old former cheerleader - she stood 5 feet 6 inches and weighed 152 pounds. Her weight surprised Bart. She looked defined and ripped but she couldn't be much more than 120 pounds at most he thought. Augmented muscle must weigh more he decided as he watched her stretch. Her long brown hair was tied and on her back. She was wearing a one piece outfit with a cutout over the midriff. It exposed her rippling abdominals and well muscled arms and legs. Every muscle was obvious as she moved and flexed for the crowd. Her dark tan set off the muscles even more. She pumped her muscles and smiled at the crowd, promising them a fun time. The crowd seemed like they couldn't get enough of her well tanned, perfect body and kept whistling and cheering for more. She WAS perfect, Bart thought. She had one of those impossibly perfect bodies he had never seen outside of a drawing in a comic book. Until now that is. Defined, hard muscle covered every inch of her body. Huge, round breasts perched high on the plates of muscle pronouncing her femininity loud and clear for anyone who had any doubt. They almost looked too big for her body and drew attention away from the remainder of her muscular body. The muscles were defined beyond belief and of good size. Not huge, but definitely prominent without a trace of a soft spot anywhere, and Bart looked hard for one. Her face was indescribably beautiful with perfect features, dark, smoky eyes a pert nose and full lips. Her expressive face was capable of looking haughty and superior or giggly and mischievous with equal ability. The whole package was that of an incredibly sexy and vibrant woman. At the same time she exuded a sense of sensuality and power. Bart had to clear his mind and focus on the match at hand and remind himself to think of her as the dangerous opponent she was. The combatants approached each other for final instructions. The female ref went over the rules as the two stared further at each other. Most people wouldn't have thought so but Loni found him kind of cute in a rugged way as she looked him up and down. Big, well muscled, with scars indicating the experiences he had seen in his past. His face was not classically handsome, but appealed to her in its ruggedness and strength. His hands were awesome she thought. They were huge - even for his size - and thick calluses stood out like cat's pads amid webs of crevices, old cuts and scars that ran up and down both hands. These are a real man's hands, well-worn rather than worn-out, she thought as she watched him clench and unclench his fists in nervousness. She couldn't wait to feel them on her, AFTER the match that is. She smiled warmly at the thought of what she was going to do to him, both in and out of the ring. To Bart, the smile looked more predatory than friendly, and the feeling of being a lamb appeared again in his head. He forced himself to keep his mind on the match and offered his hand to the gorgeous woman after the instructions were finished. "Good luck!" he told the woman as if she needed any. Loni almost appeared surprised and then took his hand and wished him luck as well. He thanked her knowing that he was going to need it. The match was a blur to Jackson. After circling for a few moments Bart saw the woman wink at him. As he started slightly she attacked, stepping in quickly and tossing him to the mat on his hip. Before he could get up she took him by the arm pulled him up and tossed him over again. And again. And again. She was moving too quickly and with too much force for Jackson to follow. He tried to pull back at her arm and topple her to the mat but she didn't even appear to notice as she yanked him up again and whipped him to the ring ropes. Jackson held on to the ropes and moved away. Loni nodded at his savvy move of holding the ropes. She had been prepared to really let him have it and figured he would be too disoriented to resist after the flips. Don't get TOO overconfident she laughed to herself. It may take two or three minutes to make him give up. The fun was in getting him there, in making the big, proud man scared and tired and sore. And then to really show him what she was capable of. Seeing an opening as she mused, Jackson dove at her legs and quickly lifted her in a single leg take down and dumped her to the mat. Before he could secure a hold she swept him aside and leapt to her feet. Fast, strong and knowledgeable Jackson thought. If she's mean, I am in deep trouble. "No, no, no," the beauty told the man. "Wimpy man can't take me down that easily." And she laughed as she renewed her stalking. I'm in trouble, Jackson thought. Oh well, he breathed aloud and rushed at her. His shoulder collided hard into her midsection like a classic football tackle and Loni took a few steps back before stopping the man's progress. He struggled and strained against her but she would not move any further. He tried lifting to again take her down, but she remained motionless. Feigning a yawn to the crowd as the man struggled she lifted her arms high. And then brought them down hard onto the man's back. The air flew out of him with a "whoof" and he collapsed to the mat as if shot. Loni leapt high into the air and prepared to send her knees into the prostrate man's body. But Jackson managed to roll aside and the woman hit the mat with a thud. He quickly got up and grabbed the woman's right arm and twisted it behind her back. She nodded her approval and with a shrug and a flex of the mighty limb tossed Jackson over her hip as she leaned down to accommodate his body. She looked down at the stunned man. "Nice move," she told him - a smile on her lovely face. "Too bad you're too weak to hold me." As he scrambled away Loni let him back up. And Jackson circled looking for that opening. Loni taunted him, mainly for the benefit of the crowd as she could see it had little effect on the experienced fighter. "I'm going to enjoy taking him," she thought with a smile, as that familiar tingling in her center pronounced itself. The next few minutes were quite similar. Jackson exhausted all his vast wrestling knowledge attempting holds on the beauty. But each time she either blocked the attempt or let him complete the maneuver just to break the hold with a mere shrug of her powerful body. He kept going, desperate to find something that would work as she let him move against her. He knew she was toying with him and breaking him down, letting him tire himself out. She was laughing and taunting him continuously never letting up on him about being weak or slow or whatever she could think of. But Bart was trained to keep going in a fight so he did, buying recovery time and rattling his brain for something that could actually wear down the awesome female. Bart was breathing hard and sweating profusely. Loni on the other hand had only a light sheen of sweat that accentuated her muscles and deep tan in a way appreciated by the crowd. She showed no signs of being winded as she stalked the man again. "Tired?" she asked again. "Whatever from? It's not like you've done anything, wimpy!" As the crowd within earshot laughed, Jackson turned red, but kept his temper. Making his mind up he stepped in and delivered his best right cross into her midsection. Loni made no move to get out of the way. It bounced harmlessly off the muscles of her stomach as both Jackson and Loni anticipated. "Wait - let me tense the muscles this time," she teased as Jackson circled behind her slightly and wrapped his arms around her waist and in a quick move suplexed her hard down to the mat. He heard her air being forced out as she hit the mat hard on her shoulders and back. Some of the other women wrestlers at ringside murmured their appreciation of the move as Jackson quickly followed up grabbing the woman's legs and inverting her body into a Boston Crab hold. The big man leaned back with all his weight and strength focused on the small of the woman's back. He was rewarded as he heard her grunt. "Nice fake out," Loni breathed through clenched teeth. The ref moved in and asked if the woman was going to submit. "Are you kidding, Nicole?" she replied and flexed her legs. She grunted and flexed and strained and for all his weight and leverage and strength the man was pushed back and over by her legs. "Damn," he muttered as he got quickly to his feet. He had that move executed perfectly and it was just a mild annoyance to her. Her strength was incredible and he was beginning to despair that there was nothing he could do to stop her. As she leapt to her feet Jackson ran at her and delivered a nice drop kick to her chest. She fell back to the ropes and rebounded at Jackson who lifted his legs and flipped her over him the other way. She twisted in the air and landed hard on her back. Wincing, she started to get up as Jackson moved in and kicked her hard in the chest with the flat of his boot. He heard her "whoof" of air as he repeated the move three more times in quick succession. He followed up with an elbow smash to her chest. And then pressed her shoulders down for a pin. The beautiful ref reached one when Jackson was suddenly thrown at least four feet into the air by her powerful arms and chest. His eyes bugged in amazement as he crashed back onto the mat. He'd never been thrown like that in his life. Loni jumped to her feet, the look on her face one of amusement and anger at the same time. "Good moves wimpy" she told the amazed man. "Just too bad you don't have enough strength to hold a real woman down. Where you going?" she asked Bart with a laugh as he moved away from her. To someone not familiar with the virus it would have looked laughable. The hulk of a man, backing away and obviously nervous to attack the beautiful woman half his size. But anyone familiar with the virus would know that he was correct to be wary. Bart ran again at her and tried to maneuver her into a body stretch. She simply lifted his body into the air and sent it crashing back down onto the mat. "No, wimpy. I'm done playing with you," she told him. Then she lifted him up again and threw him down, bouncing him off the mat with the force of the blow. Jackson saw stars as she repeated the slam. The next time she lifted him she put him on his feet and threw him into the ropes. As he bounced back at her she stepped in, and using his momentum and her awesome strength she lifted his body up with her right arm and sent it hurtling back into the mat in a vicious choke slam. Jackson bounced off the mat and lay there twitching. My God, what power he thought as he tried to make his pained body move away before she could continue her onslaught. Jackson barely remembered the next few minutes as the dark-haired beauty performed a wrestling lesson with his body. She quickly moved from one move to another as he was wore down further and further. Her strength and technique was irresistible and he knew he could not get away now. He waited in vain for her to make a mistake or slow down. But apparently she had learned not to take him lightly and kept the pace beyond his ability to even register. Finally he was thrown face first onto the mat and he screamed in pain as she stomped his back several times for good measure. She paraded around the ring, flexing and talking with the crowd. Face down on the mat Jackson felt his feet lifted as she whirled him around and sent him flying into the corner. Laughing, she approached the disoriented man and lifted him to his feet. Jackson was nearly out on his feet and Loni slapped him hard across his cheeks several times to revive him. Bart felt the warmth in his face where she slapped him. "I want you awake to feel this wimpy" she told him as she lifted him up and held him overhead. The man watched with amazement at the ease with which she held his weight overhead. She slammed his body brutally on her knee and Jackson screamed shrilly. "Did it hurt?" she whispered in mock concern as she again held the man's body easily aloft and walked around with it - showing off to the crowd. The she slammed it again on her knee and held him there stretching his back across her leg. "Don't worry it's almost over big guy," she told him as he moaned and writhed in pain. She stood over the prostrate man and flexed her immaculate body for the crowd and made a play of fixing her hair. "Can this weak man stand up to me? she asked the crowd, who yelled a loud No! in response. She smiled and stepped back getting a running start and then she leapt into the air and landed her legs across his chest. Whatever air was left in his lungs flew out in a flash. He gasped for air and coughed, no struggle left in him. Loni rubbed her body against the man, relishing in his helplessness. She then encircled the big man's waist with her legs. And she squeezed. Jackson yelled in pain. He had been in too many scissors to count but none had ever felt like this. Usually the scissors was relatively easy to get out of, but her legs were much too powerful to even consider getting out. "I'd suggest you give up now, wimpy," she told him in a low, sexy voice. "No," Bart stubbornly refused. The pressure increased and he grunted again. He felt the steely hardness of her legs and he watched the muscles bunch and bulge with their awesome power. He pushed and pulled at them and pounded them with his fists, all with absolutely no effect. He tried to wedge himself sideways and force his way out but he was unable to even move. Her beautiful legs continued to crush in on him as she smiled at him with a wicked smile. He saw her legs as a python devouring him whole. Her legs were unstoppable to everything he tried, they were twin columns of unbreakable metal irresistibly squeezing until they met, the body between them of no consequence. He shook the image out of his head and rolled and tried every counter he could think of with no success. He was in more pain than he could ever remember but he had to hold out. For several minutes she squeezed the life out of the man. But he never gave in. He groaned and screamed but he wouldn't give. He felt his ribs compress and knew they were close to breaking, but he refused to give up. Even he was not sure why he kept going, but he couldn't give her the satisfaction of his submission. Loni screamed at him to give but the man would not relent even though he knew he could not defeat her. Disgusted, she lifted him to his feet. Bart couldn't stand and as he started to fall Loni stepped in and wrapped her arms on his lower ribs and lifted him off the ground. The power of her arms was unbelievable and Bart screamed in agony. "NO!" "Yes, little man. You wouldn't give in the scissors so now you have to be punished." Her muscles bulged obscenely as she squeezed, her arms barely able to encircle the much bigger man's body. All the gorgeous muscles were flexed to their utmost, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. "I love to make you wimps give up using nothing but the power of my arms," she said into Bart's ear as she squeezed. She squeezed even tighter and the veins leapt out on her arms and she grunted in effort. It seemed like Bart's body compressed in her grip and it became easier for her to get her arms around him as she continued to squeeze even tighter. "Give up - NOW!" she yelled. She shook the man back and forth and put all of her power into the hold. "No man can cope with this, wimp," she told him. "Give up before you get hurt!" Jackson stoically refused and then suddenly as her awesome arms compressed just a little tighter he felt a snap in his side and a blinding white instant of pain. "I GIVE. OH GOD I GIVE!!" he shouted. He dimly remembered Loni dropping him like a sack of potatoes and seeing her have her land lifted in the air by the referee as she waved to the crowd and flexed. She came over and said something to him - a look of concern on her face - but the man couldn't hear her. The pain still rushing in his side, he crawled to his feet (refusing any assistance) and lumbered drunkenly to the locker room area barely seeing the people in the crowd. At the locker room he was met by Sheila, the head of Raider Productions, and the doctor, a good looking, youngish man. The doctor began to poke at his side and Jackson looked at Sheila and saw her huge body resplendent in a tight work out suit. Her muscles were gorgeous and pumped and the sweat poured of her. Wow, she must have been working out he thought dimly as he passed out again. "How is he doc?" he heard Sheila ask as he became aware of his surroundings again. He was half laying half sitting on the examining table in the dressing room. "Can't tell without an x-ray but he has two maybe three cracked ribs. Not broke clean I don't think, just fractured. But he should go to the hospital." "No," Jackson sat up with a wince. "No hospital." He got off the table. "Just tape me up and I'll be on my way." "Doc?" Sheila asked. "Well I wouldn't recommend it, but as long as he'll be here for you to see that he recovers, I guess it will be OK." "Well," Jackson sat back on the examining table and winced as the doctor attended to his damaged side. "About me sticking around, we need to talk about that," he said to Sheila. "Why?" she asked surprised. "Raider is extremely pleased with your matches and we want to train you some more. Is there a problem?" Deep down, the beautiful owner of the gym felt she knew the answer. "Not a problem exactly." Jackson yelped as the doctor tightly wrapped his injury. "You've treated me fairly and the money is unbelievable. I made more from that first match than I can make in a year of tracing. It's just that..."Jackson's voice trailed off. "I understand" Sheila interrupted. "Your first match WAS very popular. For some it takes some getting used to. But we can help and train you so that..." "Train me," Jackson laughed which made him cough and he grabbed his side as the pain renewed. "Oh come on. I've been fighting and training other wrestlers for 20 years and we both know no amount of training will ever make me a match for any of you ladies. That's okay, I can handle that. I just don't think I can handle being called a wimp by women who were in diapers when I was wrestling on the circuit." Jackson waved his hand as Sheila tried to interrupt. "And if this is where you tell me how well I did out there, save it. I know when I am being toyed with. I fought my heart out and my OPPONENT," he emphasized the word with disgust showing how he knew it was never really a contest of any kind, "is probably out working out right now so she can get a good sweat up." Jackson hopped off the table and started to pace. "I've lost a ton of matches before and will no doubt lose many, many more. I can handle losing when I feel I've given it all I have. I just can't pretend that I can have a real match with any of you. When I fight I have to think I have a chance of winning. And here I don't feel that." He circled back and forth, talking more to himself than to the gorgeous woman in the room. "I'm afraid that if I stick around I will become the wimp that little girl kept calling me." He moved closer to Sheila. "We both know why that first match was so popular by the way. Your customers love seeing a big, ugly tough guy like me getting demolished by one of you beautiful ladies. And with me they can see that I'm trying hard but I was just too..." he stopped and looked down in embarrassment. "So don't snow me and pretend it was because of my great wrestling ability or anything," he pointed at Sheila as he talked his voice low and serious. "Okay," Sheila whispered simply. "Just think it over. We're not the ogres you make us out to be." The doctor gave Jackson some medicine for the pain and told him to rest and he shouldn't drive. Sheila assured the doctor someone would give Bart a ride. "I can do it," a musical voice cut in. Loni came in and held her hand out to Jackson. "No hard feelings? I'm glad you're OK." Jackson took the hand mechanically, pumped it once and released. "Yeah, right." She was still wearing the one piece wrestling attire she had on during the match, but her long, dark hair was down and over her shoulders provocatively. God she's achingly beautiful Bart thought and had to remind himself what she had just done to him. She sensed his anger and discomfort. "Hey," she cut in. "I didn't mean to hurt you, and it's not like you didn't know the risks going in." "Yes, I knew the risks," Jackson continued. "But you DID mean to hurt me. You're an incredible wrestler and have strength I can't even conceive of young lady, but if anyone I ever trained treated an opponent with as little respect as you did me I would tan their hide." Jackson gathered up his stuff and prepared to leave the room. "Not that I was really a fit opponent for you, not that any man is." He shook his head and appeared to come back to his senses. "I'll drive myself home thank you," he said deeply and walked out. Loni looked stunned. "Sheila?" she asked, the confusion obvious in her voice. She was used to the men being a little upset, even embarrassed at the outcome of her matches, but then she took them and made them feel better. She made the hurt go away and gave the man pleasure like he had never thought possible. She had intensely looked forward to doing just that with this man, more than with any other opponent she had fought at Raider. Sheila looked seriously at the girl. "You can't call a man like that a wimp for 30 minutes and expect him to take it or like it simply because you're stronger than he is." "I'm sorry, it was just that..." Loni said looking down. "Don't tell me," Sheila replied. Loni looked at the woman expectantly. "Tell HIM!" she emphasized with a slight smile. Loni smiled and ran out the door. The doctor came over to Sheila once the room was clear. "He's right you know. There can't be more than a handful of men in the whole world who are even a challenge to any of you." "I know," Sheila replied gravely. "And the way we seem to respond to training it's only getting worse. The videos are more popular than ever and we treat the guys well, but..." "But the ones with any self respect or desire to compete and actually have a chance to win aren't going to stay around too long," the doctor finished. "Maybe," Sheila answered a serious expression on her face. "Maybe." Loni caught up with Jackson as he was attempting to sit down in the front seat of his car. He was in obvious discomfort. "You sure you don't need any help?" she asked. "You've done enough, thanks," he replied as he collapsed into his seat. He cried out slightly as he tried to put the keys in the ignition. "Okay," the big man relented puffing out his breath in short gasps. "Take me home, but please don't talk to me. Not now." They drove in silence. Loni attempted several times to tell the man she didn't mean the things she had said, that it was just the heat of the moment, the thrill of the competition that brought those things out. Jackson's only reply was to give her directions to his house. After a while the man appeared to go to sleep. Loni moved to rouse him when he started and told her to turn off the highway and go down the next road. As they came up to the old house Loni couldn't help but ask, "You live here?" Jackson laughed quietly. "Welcome to the other side of the tracks. I'd ask you in but it's the maid's day off." With great effort he got out of the car and made his way to the door. Loni hurried out and offered to help him. With reluctance obvious in his gaze he accepted her arm as they went up the steps and he unlocked the door. The house was old and worn, but well kept and clean. The man did not accept disorder. Similarly the furnishing and wall hangings were of older vintage but in decent repair and in good taste. It was a solid, comfortable house Loni thought as she helped Jackson to the couch where he quickly fell asleep. As he dozed, Loni wandered the rooms of the house with a cup of strong coffee she had made. She spent a good deal of time in a room that looked like an office. A computer and desk along the wall was littered with wanted posters and official looking documents. Along the other wall Loni found a series of books, journals and videos. It was like the chronicle of Bart Jackson's life. Newspaper clippings yellowed with age showed his start as a promising football player in high school and college, not quite good enough to make the pros. So he moved to wrestling and rose to some prominence in several professional circuits. The tapes were of his matches, spanning many years. She popped a few in and watched how he moved, remembering some of the moves he had used (or attempted she laughed) on her. His style was straight ahead and no nonsense. Even when breaking the rules he was all business and always treated his opponents with respect. She began to feel bad for how she had acted during the match. "Sorry," she whispered to the monitor. "Trying to delve into my psyche?" Jackson asked behind her. Loni turned around surprised. The man laughed and then winced as the pain in his ribs flared up. "It's all right. What are you still doing here." She offered the man some coffee and he shook his head. "I didn't want to take your car and none of the cab companies seem too interested in coming to this neighborhood." "Yes this area does have its charms." He looked at the beautiful woman. "Sorry about what?" he asked motioning to the tape still playing in the monitor. She turned off the tape and looked at the man deeply. "Sorry about how I treated you during the match. I meant no offense. I know no one who would wrestle with an augmented woman is a wimp, but..." Loni paced a little out of the room trying to find the words. Bart followed her back into the living room. "...well the crowd expects a little entertainment value and it's just that it's..." "So easy for you?" Jackson finished. "Yeah. That's it isn't it? They expect a show and since the man is really never any threat or competition, you add to the excitement by making the guy look like a fool." He walked across the room and sat back down on the couch and was glad to see she didn't object to his last statement. "Well, it must be hard to respect an opponent that is so much weaker than you," Jackson conceded. "Well, don't worry, you'll have one less man to worry about offending. I won't put myself through that spectacle again." "No?" Loni grabbed the big man's hand and looked him in the eyes. "That's too bad, you're an awfully good wrestler." "Please," Jackson groaned shaking her hand loose and walking across the room. "Not you too. I know how good I am. And what I am is pretty good, for a man, but in today's world that doesn't mean much. Kind of like being the tallest midget in a room full of giants." Jackson sat on the edge of the couch and stared off into space. "I gave it everything I had and then some. I couldn't even make you break a sweat." The big man's eyes were rimmed as if he may break into tears. "I'm sorry," Loni whispered coming over and looking Bart in the eyes. "I never meant to make you feel that way. You are strong and tough, I'm just stronger. And it just feels so good to be so strong. Like I could do anything. I am sorry I made myself feel strong by making you feel weak. I can't seem to avoid doing that. I'll try to stop. I'd like to be your friend. Can we be friends?" "I don't know. Maybe you were given too much, too fast. But don't feel sorry for me and that will be a start. Kick my butt but still respect my attempts would be even better," Jackson said with a slight smile. The big man yawned. "Look I can't keep my eyes open. I'll take the couch and you take the bed and I'll drive you to the gym in the morning." Over the next few days, Loni came over to see Bart at least once a day. To see how he was recovering she said, but truth was she was attracted to the big man. His plain speaking and easy manner combined with his rugged appearance really got to her. For his part, he warmed to her slightly but was still distant. Loni felt he was attracted to her and liked her, but part of him still felt she regarded him as a wimp. She wasn't sure how to prove to him otherwise. About a week after the match Loni came in to find Jackson at his computer. "What you doing, Bart?" she asked with a smile on her beautiful face. She was wearing a tight pair of jeans and a cut off, sleeveless white top that really showed off her body. Bart tried hard not to notice. But her splendid muscles seemed to jump out at him in their perfection and her chest jutted out beautifully and almost smacked him in the face as she turned. He had noticed that Loni fed off the attention she got even as she pretended to never notice that anyone even gave her a second glance. He tried not to add to it even though he was driven to distraction every time she moved. Wow, Bart though in his head as he fought to control his growing feelings of lust for the woman. "Going back to work," he answered simply shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah? How did you get started as a bounty hunter, anyway?" "Well," Jackson appeared thoughtful for a moment before he continued, "it's been a long ride. I was supposed to be a great athlete but when I flunked out of college I went into wrestling. My parents were pretty upset about that. I was supposed to support the family by becoming a great pro football player, but the truth is I wasn't that good. And in the end I could barely support myself. I mean wrestling paid the bills but never was the big payday everyone imagined." He pressed the print button and sat back in the chair, smiling ironically up at the beautiful woman standing next to him. "Getting my butt kicked up one side and down the other by you will make me more money than I ever made in the ring before, by far." Loni blushed as he referred to their match, realizing how many times more money she was making for the same match. Jackson continued, "Through my wrestling contacts I got into the bodyguard business. And that was really good for a while. Nice lifestyle, pretty easy work." "What happened?" "Well," he looked at Loni with a bemused expression. "Once the virus hit anyone who could afford a bodyguard would search out an augmented lady to hire. I mean who would you rather have hang out with you? An ugly pug like me or some sexy young thing like you who has three times my strength anyway." Loni had to steel herself not to look away from the man's intense gaze. She wasn't going to allow herself to feel guilty "That must have been difficult," she said simply. "Kinda. It was weird," the big man replied simply. "One day you're at the top of the heap. And the next day you're an also ran. The worst part is that the women replacing me never did any kind of work to get where they were at, they just got infected." He looked around and shook his head as if clearing a memory from his head. "But after a while you get used to getting fired," he mused as he stared straight ahead, unmoving. "The hard part was getting set up to take a fall. My last clients ARRANGED to have an augmented girl meet me in a club and beat the hell out of me." "That's terrible," Loni cut in loudly. "What do you mean they didn't do anything to get where they were?" "Cute little thing, barely out of high school," Jackson continued as if he hadn't even heard her. "I doubt she ever picked up a weight in her life but she was heavily dosed on the virus. She picked a fight with the band and when I tried to remove her she tossed me around, really knocked the crap out of me. She broke my ribs too." Bart looked up and walked across the room where the printer was spitting out a document. "Anyway, the clients got a great big laugh out of it and hired her and fired me as I lay there waiting for the ambulance." He took the sheaf of papers from the printer. "Let's see what we got here." "That must have been awful. I'm sorry," Loni said quietly. "I think I'm beginning to understand you better. But how did you get you into bounty hunting?" "What's to understand? I'm a washed up fighter," Jackson replied putting up a hand at her objections. "Only thing I had ever been good at was being big, and...," he looked up at Loni with a look of embarrassment, "... and fighting. But that little girl showed me that was over so I needed to find something else. I had a friend who had this bounty hunting business. It looked good so I joined in. I've been doing it ever since." Jackson leafed through the papers. "Its not a bad life. I'm my own boss and I get to pretend I'm some sort of great investigator instead of just the freelance collections agent I am." "You're not washed up," Loni tried to console the man. "You're a wonderful fighter, and I bet you're an excellent investigator." "Nice try," Jackson smiled. "But if Sheila is trying to have you get me back to the gym you can stop now. And as for my bounty hunting, compared to my old partner I'm a hack." Jackson sat up suddenly and winced at his still sore ribs reacted to the quick movement. "But things may be looking up." "What's that?" "Something I've been waiting for, for a long time," Jackson replied with a smile. ...and as strong as the augmented women started their potential was even that much greater. The new muscles obtained through the virus appeared to respond much more intensely to exercise than previously. So not only were the women stronger than the men to start, but as they trained the gap widened further. It was estimated that an augmented woman was as strong as the strongest man alive upon infection. With further muscle building the woman could easily become several times (even as much as 4-5 times) stronger than even the largest of men. from, Female Power Unleashed by Sheila Edwards