<! Encounter #2 >

<! Or Who Punched My Lights Out? Oof, Oof, Oof, Oof >

<! A Fraternal Beating >

<! By Mongoose750 (mongoose750@yahoo.com) >

I told you already woman, it is over! Devon Hayes said to his now ex-girlfriend of two and a half months, Sallie Mae Jenkins. Devon was a junior (for the second time), and a reserve basketball player (another word for bench warmer) at a college in the Midwestern United States. He had yet to declare a major, but if he declared an unofficial one, it would be in dating, deflowering, and dropping women underclassmen.

The case in point, Sallie Mae (like the student loan company) was a freshman and a library science major. She had always loved books and reading, and had always wanted to have a career where she could be around them. Unlike the stereotypical librarian type, she had plenty of good friends and a healthy social life.

She stood 5'5", had a thin build with shoulder length blonde hair, and with her wire frame glasses, had looks that many would describe as cute. Add a pleasant personality to the mix, and the result was a woman who had no problems getting dates with nice men. Unfortunately, that was the kind of woman that Devon was looking for.

Devon was black, 6'4", and had a typical basketball players build with some of the talent, but none of the ambition. The basketball coach normally would have thrown him off the team long ago for his lack of drive among other things, but his major players needed partners to scrimmage with, so Devon stayed on. In turn, Devon used his semi-celebrity status to take easy classes, get others to do his homework, and to get dates (at least women who dont know about him yet) so he could add another notch to his bedpost.

Devon and several other men at the fraternity house where he resided (normally basketball players lived at the basketball dorm, but because of being in the coachs doghouse, for poor conduct, Devon was sent to the nearby frat house until he straightened up.), had a hobby, a contest of sorts. The goal of the contest was to see how many women they could bed by the time they graduated.

The rules of the game were simple; no rape (which took care of any possible legal concerns), the targets had to be freshmen or sophomore women (juniors and seniors would be too wise and experienced at that point to become willing victims), and if someone became pregnant, the guy was on his own. To prove to others that the affairs were legitimate, the encounters were to take place at the frat house, where the thin walls of the bedrooms would communicate to the others that another conquest was made.

Devon was tied for first place with the fraternity president when he met Sallie Mae. To him, she was the perfect victim; cute, sweet, and unsuspecting. After all the wining and dining that led to their night of passion, three days later, Devon used his standard break-up line on Sallie Mae, and as expected, the freshman was crying, begging, and pleading, thinking that she did something wrong to ruin the relationship. Devon ignored her pleas for another chance.

But what about that night we shared? Sallie Mae asked.

It was nice, it was special, but Im afraid it wont work between us, he lied.

After sleeping with so many women, Devon could barely keep straight who was who if it wasnt for writing their names down for recording purposes. He was right, however, in saying it wouldnt work. To Devon, books were paperweights and coasters to put drinks on. Reading was what you did when looking at sports scores and ESPN - the Magazine.

Im sorry, he said with fake sorrow, but I need you to go.

Seeing that nothing else could be done, Sallie Mae turned and left Devons room. As she walked down the stairs, it was obvious to onlookers that she was sad. However, the faces she saw had smirks like something was funny.

Looks like ole D bagged another one, one man said to another as he drank his beer.

Sallie Mae was puzzled as to what that meant, but at the moment, she wanted the company and comfort of friends as she walked out the door.

*****

Around dinnertime later that evening at the school cafeteria, Sallie Mae told a group of her closest friends what happened earlier that day. The responses ranged from shock to sympathy to utter rage when they found out what Devon done to her. That rage was further intensified when it was found out that Sallie Mae was the latest pawn in a contest, thanks to a friend who just recently found out the information shortly after the damage was done.

Normally a pleasant person, Sallie Mae was very angry and wanted vengeance on Devon and the rest of the fraternity who participated in that sick game. Unfortunately, being only a freshman at the time, she had no idea how to go about it, so she had to settle with hoping one of his next schemes would backfire and hurt him instead of the next girl he took to bed.

*****

The following day at lunchtime, Sallie Mae was sitting at a table, eating her lunch alone. Thinking about the whole situation she was involved in, she came to the conclusion that no matter what, she needed to continue her studies. The pain would go away eventually, and she would learn to look out for men like Devon, but still, she would like to make him pay for what he did, not only to her, but to all the other women he took advantage of.

As she finished her sandwich and started to eat one of the vegetables on her tray, two women, both about 5'9" in height, came by and sat across from her. One woman had a medium complexion with sharply defined eyebrows and Nordic features while the other had more of a dark complexion, possibly of Indian (India) decent. Both had athletic builds, and that was all Sallie Mae could determine of the two ladies. They both wore black hooded sweatshirts with the hood fitted tightly around their faces, black sweat pants, and no shoes. At the time, Sallie Mae didnt think anything of it. Probably a new style around campus, she thought.

Are you Sallie Mae Jenkins? The woman with the fairer complexion asked.

Yes, Sallie Mae said.

Hello, Im Sif, and this is my friend, Mina.

Hi there, Mina said.

Nice to meet you, Sallie Mae said, but Im afraid this isnt the best time for me to meet new people right now.

We heard about what happened to you, Mina said.

This stopped Sallie Mae in her tracks. News travels fast. Did they get you too? She said.

No, but we know other women they took advantage of, Sif said.

This game has been going on for quite a while, Mina said.

Pity nothing can be done about it, Sallie Mae said.

We understand you would like to get them back, Sif said.

I would love to, but I dont think theres anything I can do.

Sif leaned over the table to speak to Sallie Mae in a more hushed tone. What if I told you we knew of an excellent way you could pay Devon and the others back for what they done to you and others before you? she said.

I would love to hear it, Sallie Mae said. What does this plan consist of?

Encountering Devon personally and making him pay for what hes done, Mina said, now leaned over the top of the table along with her friend. It would end with giving him a painful lesson hell never forget.

How are you going to do this? Do you two know some people on the football team wholl get him? Sallie Mae asked, a little confused.

No, and thats the genius of our plan, Sif said. His lesson would come from somebody hed never expect.

And who would that be?

Mina looked at Sallie Mae and winked. You, she said.

Me? What are you talking about?

My friend and I belong to a group who believes strongly in the empowerment of women, and their proper treatment as equals, not as servants or some sex toy in the hands of men like Devon and his like, Sif said.

Sallie Mae eyed them suspiciously. Youre not one of those man-hating, lesbian groups on campus, are you? Because if you are, Ill tell you right now I dont plan to-

Sif raised up her hands. No, no, we're not one of them. Like you, we enjoy the company of a man, although we have some who like women, and thats their right and privilege, she said.

It would take quite a while to explain all of what were about, Mina said, but Im sure you have other classes you need to get to. What were asking today is this, if youre interested in revenge on Devon, meet us at the front of your dorm at six oclock tonight. Well explain it all to you then. Can you make it?

Sallie Mae thought for a moment. I cant stay out too long, I have studying and a little bit of homework to do tonight, she said.

Our group strongly encourages continuing with your studies, Sif said. We wont keep you out long. Just consider what we have to offer, and then you can make the choice to take it or leave it, though I believe youll take it when you discover what we can provide.

Okay, Ill meet you later on today. What do I have to lose?

Mina grinned as her and Sif got up to leave. The question you should ask yourself is how much do you want to gain?

*****

Sallie Mae stood outside her dorm, and as soon as six oclock rolled around, the two ladies drove up and waved to her. They were still in their black sweat outfits, and were rather excited about Sallie Mae coming to join them.

So where are we going? Sallie Mae asked as she got into the car.

The Ford gym on the other side of town, Mina said. That should give us time to fill you in on some information about our group.

As they drove to the gym, Sif and Mina filled Sallie Mae in on the details of what their group stood for and their general purpose, as well as how large their membership was.

Finally they arrived at the gym. As Sallie Mae got out of the car, she was interested, but still a little wary.

This isnt one of those groups where Im supposed to hate my parents and sacrifice everything I own to somebody, is it? she said.

Sif and Mina laughed. No, its nothing like that. I visit my parents on holidays and over the summer, so I know thats not true. I still go out with my friends who arent members of our group, Sif said. Besides, our group has enough resources of its own without having to rely on poor college students.

Mina grasped the door handle, paused, and looked at Sallie Mae.

We just want you to know, Sallie Mae, that were offering you to join us of your own free will. If this is not to your liking, you have the choice to refuse. We wont think less of you nor deny our friendship to you. Ill tell you right now that Sif and I would love to have you join us, but that choice is yours, she said.

Thank you, Sallie Mae said.

Mina opened the door and let Sallie Mae and Sif in. Inside the gym, scattered throughout the gym floor were women lifting weights, performing strenuous exercises, and practicing various martial arts forms. The women ranged in size, shape, age, and ethnic group. Sallie Mae was fascinated with the sight, but there were three things that stood out to her.

Does anybody in this group wear shoes? She asked.

Not if we can help it, Sif joked. Our leader found that most women like going barefoot anyway, so she encourages us to exercise that freedom. You should try it sometime. After a week or so, youll forget that you even own shoes. Anyway, its not mandatory, so dont feel pressured to pull your Nikes off.

Heres a little bit of trivia for you, Mina said. You know who primarily designs womens dress shoes? Men. Theyre the ones responsible for creating those three-inch stiletto heels that are bad for your arches and hurt your feet by the end of the day.

I thought your group didnt hate men, Sallie Mae said, giving Mina a quizzical look.

No, we love men. Theyre great people, but lousy shoe designers, she said.

After all three women laughed at the joke, Sallie Mae asked another question.

Does everybody in the group lift weights and do karate?

To give you a short answer, yes, Sif said. In our group, we believe that physical fitness and mental fitness should not be isolated from each other. On the contrary, they should be together. Here, we participate in mind-body fitness, to define what were doing. The problem with people in this country is that they consider exercise and the gaining of knowledge two separate things. For example, you have athletes or jocks at school who put themselves in good physical shape, but are very poor academically. On the other end, you have your honor students who are at the top of their class academically, but are near the bottom of the barrel physically. According to the philosophy the oriental cultures in China and Japan practice, they believe that for maximum health and potential, the body should be balanced, and the martial arts is a way of doing just that. If you hang with us, Sallie Mae, you wont be encouraged to study, because you already do enough of that already. However, you will be encouraged to work out on a regular basis; as a matter of fact, that will be essential for your plan of revenge against Devon anyway. In a minute, well locate the head physical trainer for the gym, and she can tell you more. Whew!

Okay, I have one more question, Sallie Mae said.

Not a problem, Mina said. What is it?

Am I seeing things, or are half of these women bald?

Mina and Sif looked at each other. Well, she was going to find out sooner or later, Mina said.

In one quick movement, both women pulled down their hoods to reveal to Sallie Mae their clean-shaven heads. As they predicted, Sallie Mae was shocked.

I, I am not doing that! Sallie Mae said.

Nor do you have to, Mina said. Let me explain first, please hear me out. Theres only a few of us who do this. As you can see, theres only about half the women here who decided to do this.

But why?

Inner beauty. Our leader encouraged us to have men accept us for what we are inside, not for what we look like. However, it was taken a step further. There was this one woman who had beautiful, long black hair. Unfortunately, the only men who approached her were those who only saw the superficial beauty she had on the outside, while those who saw how beautiful she was inside were too intimidated to approach her because of the attention she received from the other men. So in a radical move one day, she stood in front of the mirror and cut her hair. All her hair. She thought if people cant see past her hair, then she doesnt need to meet them. I imagine you can guess the reaction the next day was similar to yours. But in time, others accepted her for the person she was inside.

So what happened to her?

Shes married with four kids, and the owner of a growing business in northern Michigan. She isnt bald anymore, but she wears a buzz cut.

The original reason Mina and I did this because of a bet. We lost, and had to shave our heads and be bald for a week. At the end of the week, we found we liked it, and kept it that way. Theres quite a few advantages too, Sif said.

Like what? Sallie Mae said, skeptically.

Getting ready. Do you know how much time it takes to wash your hair in the morning?

Yeah, I do, Sallie Mae moaned.

I can get up, jump in the shower, throw on my clothes, and be out the door in 30 minutes.

But what about your other friends and parents? What about dates?

My good friends accept me, no problem. If they have an issue with it, its their loss. As far as my parents go, I let my hair grow for three weeks before I see them. There are your more radical ones who go boldly before the world bald headed, but I dont want to give my mom a heart attack, and have my dad think I joined the Moonies or something. They are doing wonderful things with wigs these days, so I always keep a few around just in case. That gives me the freedom to be a blonde, brunette, or redhead if I desire.

Dates arent a problem, Mina said. There are actually some guys who love bald-headed women. Others take it in stride. My boyfriend tells me he can always spot me in a crowd.

Your boyfriend doesnt mind? Sallie Mae asked.

Nope. Besides, I love those warm tingles I get when he rubs my head, Mina giggled.

There are also other guys who are, uh, convinced to go out with you, Sif said.

Convinced? Sallie Mae said.

Yes, for lack of a better term. Well explain that later.

Just then, a black woman walked by the three. She had skin the color of cocoa stretched over her 6'1" slim frame. Her outfit was decked out in red; a red leotard with spaghetti straps and a red wrap around skirt. Unlike Sif and Mina, she had her short black hair tied up in two ponytails with red ribbon on each side. Her fingernails and toenails were painted bright red. They almost seemed to glow as she strode across the gym floor.

Hey Cece! Sif called out to her.

Cece stopped in her tracks, and gave all three women a big warm smile with bright white teeth.

Hello my honeys, how are you doing? Cece said with a slight Jamaican lilt to her voice. Sif, Mina, its good to see you. Whos the new lady?

This is Sallie Mae, Cece, Mina said. Shes thinking of joining us.

Hello, Sallie Mae said timidly.

Hello, Cece said as she gave Sallie Mae a warm embrace. I bet you have a hundred questions to ask, like what are these bald chicks doing here? I promise you; all your questions will be answered, if these two havent took care of them already. First, I have a little business to take care of. You can come with me if you like.

As the three women followed Cece, Sallie Mae whispered to Sif, If your idea of taking my revenge on Devon is beating him up, you must be kidding. I mean, hes a tall basketball player!

Hes a joke who poses as a basketball player. And youll be surprised at what youll able to do, Sif replied. Cece can show you, shes a great teacher."

They walked to Cece's office, where another woman, olive-skinned, bald, and clad in a purple tank top and navy blue sweat pants was waiting. She had a stern expression and was leaning against a desk, staring down at her toes, until Cece arrived, then her expression lightened up a little. The reason for the woman's distress was seated at the other end of the room. He was a 6'2" man who seemed almost as wide as he was tall. He brushed his brown hair away from his face, displaying an arrogant expression.

"Wait a minute, isn't that Doug Hanley, defensive back for the football team?" Sallie Mae asked Mina in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," Mina said. "He also has a reputation for being a bully and doing anything he wants on campus. If he's here, it can't be good news."

Sallie Mae's gaze went from the football player to the woman who was waiting for Cece. She couldn't help but notice the woman's muscular frame. She was about the same height as Sallie Mae, but she didn't look like someone to be messed with.

"You see that woman?" Mina said to Sallie Mae in a similar hushed tone. "You hang with us, and that could be you, plus the hair."

Sallie Mae started to give Mina a skeptical look when Cece spoke to the waiting woman.

"Hey Sabra, what's up?" Cece asked.

"I found him," Sabra said, pointing to Doug, "Spray painting derogatory messages on the wall facing towards town."

"What did he write?"

"They are words I do not care to repeat in public nor anywhere else, Cece. They insult our womanhood and purpose. If you like, I can take you to the wall where he wrote this garbage."

"That won't be necessary. If you won't repeat what we wrote, then I take your word for it." Cece turned to Doug. "Mr. Hanley, is it? According to Sabra, she saw you spray painting on the wall of the gym. Is that true?"

"Yeah, I did it. What are you going to do about it?" Doug said with a sneer.

"For one thing, I can have you arrested for trespassing, and defacing private property."

"Go right ahead, I'll be free in no time." Doug came from a well-to-do family, where his father is a popular attorney in town.

"Why did you write such things on the wall?"

"Well, isn't it true?"

"Isn't what true?"

Doug then repeated what he wrote on the wall. All the women in the office (except Sabra who read it firsthand) were shocked and disgusted.

"Mr. Hanley, I don't think there's a bar of soap big enough to wash all those words from your mouth. Didn't your mother teach you better manners than that?" Cece said.

"My mother ain't nothing, and it's not like you could put a bar of soap in my mouth anyway."

Cece suddenly turned to the others and nodded her head. Everyone except for the two parties in particular went outside the door, Sif guiding a confused Sallie Mae to the front window of the office.

"Why are we out here?" Sallie Mae said.

"Now we get to watch some fun," Sabra said.

"Fun? You mean, you mean she's going to fight him?"

"Yeah. Watch carefully, you haven't seen anything like it. By the way, my name's Sabra. Please excuse my manners."

"I'm Sallie Mae, and it's no problem," she replied as she briefly shook Sabra's hand, and then turned to the window to watch the fireworks.

Cece folded her arms and looked at Doug. "I don't know which is worse, Mr. Hanley, your disregard for other people's property, your disregard for women in general, or your ignorance of what women can do," she said.

"Is that why you sent the others out of the office? You're going to teach me a lesson?" Doug said.

"Mr. Hanley, I'll make a deal with you. If you can go out this door, you're a free man. If I stop you from leaving the office, then you're to show up tomorrow first thing and clean your graffiti off the wall. Do we have a deal?"

"Sure. Maybe I'll stick around awhile and give your black butt a spanking, done by a real man."

"My man, Harry, is more a man than you could ever hope to be. Let's go." Cece stood in front of the door, arms folded.

Doug charged forward toward Cece the same way he attacked offensive linemen and running backs. If Cece was a quarterback on the opposing team, his ploy may have worked. However, instead of resisting, Cece yielded with the attack as she placed her foot on Doug's belly and fell backwards. Using Doug's momentum, and some of her own strength, she threw Doug over her. The massive football player landed hard on his back.

Cece wasn't finished yet. She wrapped both legs around Doug's neck, and performed a figure-four leg scissors. She pulled on her right foot, tightening the hold, and pressing the right calf against Doug's throat. The man struggled frantically against the choke, but his struggles were useless, actually becoming counterproductive. The more he struggled, the less air he had to work with. After he eventually blacked out, Cece released her legs, allowing Doug to slump to the floor. She gave another nod to the four women, and they came back in the office.

"Sabra, when this useless slug wakes up, tell him that I expect him here in the morning to clean the wall. If he doesn't comply, let me know and I'll personally go to his dorm room and get him," Cece said.

"I sure will, Cece," Sabra said. "I love seeing you in action."

"Yes, that was really something," Sallie Mae said. "I didn't think it was possible."

"You'd be surprised what's 'possible'," Cece said. "With a little bit of training, you'll be able to do the same thing."

"For those who join for the first time, we do require intensive weight training and martial arts training," Sif said. "This will take about a year. You'll still have plenty of time to socialize and do homework, but you will be pushed to your limits and beyond. In the end, though, you'll love the new you, and you'll be able to pay Devon back for all that he's done to you. Sabra here has only been here a year, and look at her."

Sabra, laughing, gave a double biceps pose.

"Did you say I would learn a martial art?" Sallie Mae asked.

"Yes, we offer several," Cece said. "You'll get a general overview with all of them, then you will receive extensive training in a primary or core martial art. Later on, you can excel in another discipline if you like."

Sallie Mae looked out the office window and saw a woman in a powder blue unitard delivering high kicks into a heavy bag. "What martial art is she doing?" She asked.

"Oh, that's Tae Kwon Do, Mina said. "It offers a lot of kicks. That's fun to learn."

Sallie Mae had visions of kicking Devon in the face. "Okay, I'll do it, sign me up, I'll join you guys. Where's the forms?"

Cece laughed and held up her hands. "All that is not necessary. A simple 'yes' will do."

Sif and Mina each gave Sallie Mae a hug. "Welcome to our group, Sallie Mae," Sif said. "During your training, and your planning, just remember that Mina and I will be in your corner and support you every step of the way."

*****

The next twelve months seemed to go by like quicksilver for Sallie Mae. Her regular routine consisted of attending her classes, doing her homework, then traveling to the gym to lift weights on one day, learning Tae Kwon Do the next. She would have the weekends off to recuperate or to go out with friends. During the summer, the sessions became even more intensive. Sallie Mae took a few summer school courses so she could stay on campus to continue her workouts.

She found in Cece a gentle but firm instructor who guided her through her instruction. As one who was encouraged to give a hundred percent to her studies, she did the same with her physical instruction. Sif and Mina would take a break from their own individual workouts to give her regular encouragement.

When her old friends or family saw her, they told her that there was something different about her, but they couldnt put a finger on it. The physical changes they started noticing right away when her body started showing muscle tone where they never saw it before. In fact, men started finding her more attractive than before, and Sallie Mae found herself trying to pencil in a date or two in her rather busy schedule. But there was something intangible that was evident to all who knew her. She seemed more confident, more sure of herself. Though she wasnt one to be very doubtful about her abilities and talents, she seemed to have this aura that said that she was willing to take on the world.

As the semester ended, summer began, and the fall semester started, Sallie Mae was still continuing her regular program. The time spent in the gym gave her plenty of time to think of plans to pay Devon back for what he did to her, what he did to other women in the past, and what he plans to do with other unsuspecting victims. She started to become a little antsy as to when she can start on her path of revenge. She also realized that shell be ready when Cece says shes ready. She honored that, but it didnt necessarily make the waiting any easier.

Then one day when autumn had briefly started, Sallie Mae was performing one of her katas when Cece came by. Sallie Mae was normally a patient person, but this time her anxiousness had got the best of her when she blurted out to Cece when well she be ready.

This time, Cece gave her a different answer than usual. Youll know if youre ready, then she clapped her hands. Suddenly, six women came and surrounded Sallie Mae.

Whats this? Sallie Mae asked.

To find out if youre ready, Cece said.

That was the only warning Sallie Mae received as one of the women charged forward to attack. The next few minutes, which seemed like an eternity to Sallie Mae, was filled with kicks, punches, blocks, holds, and throws as she took on all her attackers. When the smoke cleared, Sallie Mae was applying a standing arm bar on her last opponent when Cece clapped her hands again. Sallie Mae let go, and returned the bow that each one of them gave her.

Congratulations, Sallie Mae, you are now officially ready, Cece said. The group applauded.

Mina and Sif, who were watching from a distance so they wouldnt be a distraction, ran over and gave Sallie Mae a big hug. Sallie Mae felt like she aced the final exam in one of her more difficult classes.

This is great, now you get to pick a name, Sif said.

Pick a name? Sallie Mae said.

Yes, after we passed this phase of our training we have the choice to pick a new name for ourselves, like a new nickname, if you will, Sif said. For example, my real name is Susan, but I decided to go by Sif, who according to Norse mythology is Thors wife. This way I dont get confused with a certain kickboxer who has the same name.

After they finished laughing at Sifs joke, Mina said, As for myself, Mina is my given name, and I didnt see a reason to change it. Again, its not a mandatory thing.

Sallie Mae thought for a moment. You know, my dad always called me his little tiger, for reasons I have yet to figure out. I think thats the name Ill choose, Little Tiger.

Cece came forward and placed her hand on Sallie Maes shoulder. Once again, congratulations, Little Tiger.

*****

Later that evening, the three women sat at a booth at a nearby restaurant. Mina and Sif both had their hoods down, exposing their shaven heads. Such a sight had turned heads at first, but over time, it became as regular a sight as first dates and fans coming in after the big game. Besides, theyre paying customers like everyone else, the manager thought, so whats the big deal?

Sallie Mae/Little Tiger propped her bare feet on the seat in front of her. I admit I didnt know what was going on when I was surrounded by all those people, she said. Then one of them attacked me, and Im not sure what happened; I reacted like Ive been doing those things my whole life.

Well you were fantastic, Mina said. I wish you couldve saw yourself out there.

Its the way thats supposed to work, like its second nature, Sif said. It freaked me out when it happened to me too.

So did you two join this group for the same reasons I did? Little Tiger asked.

Yeah, almost the same thing happened to me, Sif said. Except the man made me part of his own personal harem. When I found out his undying love for me was shared with five other women, I was very angry, or I should say we were very angry. One day a woman came to Mina and I and gave us the same offer we gave you. She said the same thing to the five other women. All but one accepted.

What happened next?

One day, six months later, we all showed up on his doorstep. He tried to make a break for it, but we caught him and beat the living daylights out of him. When he recovered, he dropped his classes, quit school, and went home. Of course our warning that we would do much worse to him if he tried that stunt again may have had something to do with it. Pity, I wanted to practice more of my new jiu-jitsu skills that I learned.

In my case, I just tagged along, Mina said. I liked what they had to say, and I liked their training program. I didnt need to show some guy the error of their ways, but I had about 30 to 50 pounds on my body that didnt need to be there. I got to learn Tae Kwon Do like yourself.

Wow, Little Tiger said.

We can give you a truckload of success stories, but what I would like to know what plans you have for Mr. Devon, Sif said, smiling as she rested her chin on her hands.

How did you two hear about what happened to me?

It turns out the frat boys are not shy about their little contest. As a matter of fact, theyre rather loud. It didnt take any time at all for news of Devons latest conquest to hit the grapevine. The story was scattered halfway around the campus by the time you returned to your dorm room. Like it or not, youre almost a household word. Another thing to beat Devon for.

Enough suspense, I want to know how youre going to get Devon, Little Tiger, Mina laughed, slamming her fist down on the table for mock emphasis.

While I was working out over the last year, I thought of all these crazy ways of going into that frat house. Then I realized that the most effective way is to go into the front door, Little Tiger said. Ill just go up to his room, beat him, then come back out.

Sounds good, but wont you be recognized? I heard the guys are always on the lookout for old flames who want to cause trouble. Youll need a disguise, Mina said.

Little Tiger stopped and looked at the two women. She can wear her contacts instead of her wire-rim glasses, but wouldnt be enough. Shes buff now, more muscular than the skinny freshman she was a year ago, but that wouldnt do the trick either. Then she looked at the faces of Sif and Mina, and got her answer.

All right, Ill do it, she said.

Do what? Sif asked, confused.

To do what you two have done, she said, pointing to her own head. I need your razor, clippers, hedge clippers, whatever you two use to cut your hair off.

Sallie - I mean Little Tiger, are you sure you want to do this? Sif said.

For the rest of my life, no, but for one night, sure. Besides, itll grow back in a few weeks.

*****

While all colleges and universities consider themselves places of higher learning, there are some that get pegged with the horrifying title of party school, a title thats not earned by the educational quality of that particular institution, but by the students and student organizations who have a wish to see the fun of their college years through a haze of alcohol, and other things. This particular school has not made the top ten lists of party schools, but the frat house where Devon resided seem to try their best. Almost every other weekend, and on some occasions every other day, there was always some type of party there. The only reason that they didnt have parties every weekend was that it took about a week to clean up from the last party, plus the campus police has tried to catch them in the act of performing numerous offenses for the last few years, but with no success. So the wild parties continued to go on, this particular weekend being no exception.

At a clump of trees about five minutes walking distance away from the frat house, Sif, Mina, and Little Tiger stand huddled around, discussing any final strategy that came to mind. Sif and Mina were dressed in their usual black sweat outfits, while Little Tiger was dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt with a zipper. Underneath the sweatshirt was a white tank top, and completing the outfit was black stirrup tights. Like the other two, Little Tiger had her hood on as well.

Are you sure you dont want us to go with you? Mina said. We can give you backup in case something happens.

No, I need to do this alone, Little Tiger said. Besides, I have my cell phone in my pocket in case I need to give you two a quick signal.

Like we said, were with you every step of the way, Sif said. If you need a hand, ring our phones once, and well come running.

Thank you both, for everything, Little Tiger said. Ill meet you both here at this tree after Im through.

She gave both women a hug, and started walking toward her target. On her walk toward the fraternity house, Little Tiger concentrated on her surroundings of that fall evening to help her focus; the barrenness of the trees, the crunch of the fallen leaves beneath her bare feet, and the coolness of the autumn breeze against her face.

As she came closer to the house, the surroundings changed. The barren trees changed to the houses on the schools fraternity row. The grass and fallen leaves underfoot soon became sidewalk, pavement, and an occasional beer can, bottle, or a cardboard carton where they came from. She still felt the cool breeze, but it now carried with it the smell or alcohol, cigarette smoke, and who knows what else. The quiet of the night was disrupted by the sound of people trying to make themselves heard over the constant bass beat and loud guitars on the frat houses stereo.

Little Tiger took all this in as she arrived, and asked herself why she was even here a year ago. I thought I was in love, she answered herself. Well, she knew why she was there now as she headed toward the front steps.

The fraternity had a custom they exercised at every party, and that was to select an underclassmen to act as lookout. The job was simple, really; all he had to do was sit outside on the front porch, greet everyone who came in, and sound the alarm if he saw anything suspicious, like anyone with a badge, a gun, or somebodys parents. As a reward for this thankless task, he received brownie points with the senior frat members, and a constant supply of beer to drink while hes working. So it was little wonder that the man was already half-sloshed by the time Little Tiger got there.

Hey good lookin, wheres your shoes? The lookout, a freshman, said.

I left them at home, Little Tiger said in a calm voice. Wasnt going to need them.

You left them at home? Oh, I see, you plan on staying a while. Cool!

Yeah, I have some business to take care of.

Youre going to take care of business? Cool!

Yeah, that might take me a while.

Cool! Well come on in and make yourself at home. Its always good to make yourself comfortable while youre taking care of business.

Little Tiger smiled to herself as she walked in the door. As drunk as he was, she couldve told him the true nature of her business, and he still wouldve said Cool! That was the only conversation she had with anybody as she moved wraithlike through the crowd, up the stairs, and towards Devons room. People were too busy drinking, flirting, making out, dancing, or doing anything else to notice her, which was the way she wanted it for the moment.

As she approached the door to Devons room, she almost followed her manners and knocked on the door. A couple of sources had told her that he found another woman to conquer for the contest. She contemplated kicking the door in, but she settled instead for turning the doorknob and coming in. Theyll be plenty of time for kicking.

She opened the door and walked in. The woman who Devon was wooing was an attractive looking brunette with long hair who stood about the same height, and was about as petite as Little Tiger used to be. She sure likes his women dainty, Little Tiger thought to herself as the woman gave her a shocked look for spoiling this 'special moment' in her life. Devon on the other hand, took the interruption in stride.

The restroom is at the end of the hall, he said, never taking his eyes off his date.

No, this is where I need to be, Little Tiger said as she looked over the dorm room. It was still as messy as before.

For the first time, Devon looked up at the intruder. One of the unwritten (or more precisely, unmentioned, since none of the rules were written down) rules were for none of the conquests to be easy women. Part of the excitement behind the game was the thrill of the hunt, and if you found someone wholl strip for anyone at the drop of a hat, your victory would be won, but whats the point? That must be who this woman is, Devon reasoned. Maybe after he finishes with this one, he can have her for desert. Her voice sounded familiar though.

Where you need to be? Im here to spend some time with my lady, he said. Maybe you have me confused with someone else.

Nope, youre Devon Alexander Hayes, a senior for the next year or two anyway. Your major, if you ever chose one, is undecided. You originally came here on a basketball scholarship, and despite barely showing up for class and not doing homework, you miraculously have good grades every semester.

This time, the brunette came to Devons aid. Devon is a smart man and a good basketball player. Hes going to be on the starting lineup this year, she said.

Let me guess, Little Tiger said, as soon as his knee heals up, hell be the starting forward when the season starts. Of course what you didnt know is Devon has been in the coachs doghouse for the last couple of years now. Have you ever wondered why hes here at a frat house instead of the basketball players dormitory?

Theyre working on his room.

Oh, thats a new one. Thats the most original line hes given in the last three years. Tell me, when you two are alone, does he call you honey butter?

The woman had another shocked expression on her face and turned to Devon. Devon, who is this woman? She said.

I dont know, he said, but I want you out of my room now!

Im not leaving yet, Little Tiger said, moving her neck around to get it nice and loose, then doing a few small stretches on the rest of her body. We have some things to discuss.

Like what?

Like its about time for you and your friends to stop playing this sick game of yours.

What is she talking about, Devon? The brunette said.

What Im talking about is Devon and his frat buddies here are involved in a little contest. The goal is how many freshmen and sophomore women they can sleep with before they graduate. Devon here is one of the leaders; of course since hes not graduating anytime soon, no one may ever beat him.

Thats a lie! The woman exploded.

Really? Tell me, in the brief time youve been with Devon, how many times have you heard the warnings and rumors about him? Well, the truth is, theyre all true.

How do you know so much?

He did the same thing to me last year.

The brunette turned to Devon. Is this true, Devon?

No! He said. I dont know what shes talking about. You said you know me. Who are you?

Devon noticed the face looked familiar, but without the glasses she wore before, and the hood over her head, he was having a harder time trying to recognize her.

My old name doesnt matter. My new name is Little Tiger, and your name is mud when I finish with you, Little Tiger said, bouncing on the toes of her feet.

You come here to beat me up?

No, I come here to break you. Then after I finish with you, Ill take care of your frat friends who play this game. Lets do it.

Listen baby, let me get this crazy woman out of my room, then well get back to business, okay? Devon said to the brunette. The brunette however, had a doubtful look on her face, as if pondering the things Little Tiger just said.

Devon advanced on Little Tiger. You come in my room and say a lot of stuff, Im going to sock you upside the head you crazy-

Little Tiger yelled Ha! as she snapped a front kick with her left foot into Devons mid-section. As he bent over, she delivered a roundhouse kick with her right foot against his head, sending him tumbling to the ground. She bounced around Devons fallen form.

Get up boy, Im not anywhere near finished with you, Little Tiger said. I need to give you a few things to remember me by.

Devon got up, shaking off the effects of the kick delivered to his head. The suave, cool persona of the fa###de hes shown to all the ladies was gone. Instead, there rose a man shouting various vulgarities and calling Little Tiger names shes never been called before. The female warrior regarded him with contempt.

Such language coming from a gentlemen, Little Tiger said with mock sympathy. And a year ago I thought you were one of the coolest men on the planet. Nothing like a kick in the head to reveal the real you, huh?

Devon roared and charged the woman again, his right fist cocked. As he swung his fist, Little Tiger blocked the punch, and delivered a straight jab directly into his face. Devon was surprised by the force of the blow, and then realized that his nose was bleeding. He put his hands to his nose in disbelief. He also realized two seconds too late that he left himself open. The next sight he saw was the white sole of Little Tigers left foot speeding towards his face. Then for him the whole world turned upside down as he fell backwards over a coffee table, and landed hard on the ground again.

Im much stronger than I look. Im no longer the petite little thing you used to manipulate. Your nose should be good and bloody now, lets see about the rest of you.

Devon got ready to shout something back, then realized he had blood running down his throat from his nose that was now broken. He got up to charge her again, making sure to guard his face from any further damage. The brunette he was trying to seduce was long forgotten at this point; he wanted to hurt this woman for what she did to his face.

After Devon got up and faced off with Little Tiger a little more cautiously now, the female fighter advanced and swung a low sweeping kick at his right knee. He howled with the sudden pain of the impact she delivered. He feebly tried to back up as Little Tiger fired off more kicks to his chest. She swung another kick at his head, but this time, Devon was able to duck. The foot hit the thin wall of the dorm, making a hole in the wall. Devon did a double take when he realized that the wall couldve been his head. For Little Tiger, the miss was intentional. She wanted to intimidate Devon further, and she was curious if she could knock a hole through the walls of the dorm room. In fact, the blow didnt go unnoticed. The fraternity president and a date of his just happened to be in the next room. They were in their acts of passion when they were startled by the blow. The fight had two more spectators as the frat president and his date were peeping through the hole to see what was happening. The sight was not a welcome one.

Devon was now backing up, trying to get away from those sledgehammer kicks this woman has been doing. His nose was broken, and his knee was injured. He dove for the coffee table to use as a shield or a weapon or both when Little Tiger fired a kick to his left thigh. Devon felt the pain, but that wasnt enough to stop him from grabbing the table; however, the ax kick that Little Tiger landed on the back of his neck was. The blow sent his forehead on a collision course with the table. He staggered back from the table, again leaving himself open to three side kicks to his chest, followed by a spinning back kick to his ribs. The basketball player realized with horror that what was solid on his body before wasnt solid anymore. In his pain, he looked up one last time as Little Tiger sent a spinning back kick to his jaw. He ricocheted off the wall and fell to the floor, out cold.

Little Tiger walked over and prodded Devons body with her toes. When she saw he was going to be out for a while, she looked up. The brunette was sitting on the couch the whole time in disbelief and horror. She wasnt sure what was coming next.

Whats your name? Little Tiger asked.

A-Ashley, she said.

Well Ashley, I recommend that you leave this place soon. Whats going to happen next will not be very pretty.

Little Tiger walked out of Devons room and started down the hall. As she expected, the frat president and a few of his fellow officers appeared in the hall in front of her. Five people in all, good.

This is a party, and we dont appreciate guests coming by and beating up on our residents, the president said, trying to sound diplomatic.

He got what was coming to him, Little Tiger said. Im just surprised nobody has done it sooner.

The president wanted to ask what that was about, but he thought better of it. The quicker he can settle this, the better off things will be without making a major commotion.

Im afraid Ill have to ask you to leave, the president said, very much so.

Little Tiger folded her arms. Make me, she said.

*****

The party went on as fraternity parties normally do, with laughing, drinking, dancing, and the usual stuff. So when a woman screamed in terror, it caught a lot of attention. However, it didnt catch as much attention as what came after it, one of the fraternity officers rolling down the steps. He rolled off the last step, bounced against a wall, and lay there, still and moaning. What came next were two other fraternity officers running down the steps in sheer terror, one of them yelling for a cell phone to call the police. If those two sights didnt catch everybodys attention, this did; a 55 woman with a black hooded sweatshirt, white tank top, black stirrup tights, no shoes, and no hair came walking down the stairs with the look of a predator. She surveyed the scene and grinned. She especially liked it when people looked at her and asked each other "who is that?" She knew her disguise would work. Everyone would recognize sweet, petite, little ole' blonde-haired Sallie Mae Jenkins, mild-mannered college student and another ex-girlfriend of Devon, but nobody knew ruthless, powerful, vengeful, bald-headed Little Tiger. After she finished with this place, she had plans to stay at Sif and Mina's dorm room, then don the wig she bought earlier that resembled her exact hair style, and wear that for a couple of weeks until her hair grew back.

She saw the two remaining officers on the floor trying to make their escape to safety while she was standing midway on the stairway, and decided to try something. She climbed on top of the railing and timed her leap, landing her directly on top of the two frat officers.

One of the officers, a stocky man who was the treasurer, landed on the floor hard, his head hitting the floor even harder, dazing him and putting a big bruise on his forehead. The other officer, the sergeant of arms, was a tall (5'10"), skinny man who was sent to the floor not as hard, but as he got up, he was hammered by Little Tigers jackhammer punches to the chest and face. She ended her medley of destruction with a left snap kick to the jaw, then cocked her leg and waited. Two seconds later, the man slowly fell down on his face with a thud.

S-stop her, the treasurer said weakly.

Like most crowds, the reactions were as varied as the people who were there. A lot of them stood in stunned silence, except for those who were at the outer fringes asking the others what was going on. Others found it as fine entertainment. Its not everyday you see a woman beat up a fraternity all by herself. While many of the men were excited by this, the women were either watching in admiration, scorn (mainly because of her haircut), or in some way sympathetic to the feminine warriors cause. Some guessed she was beating the frats up because of that stupid contest, even though they werent sure how she would be connected. Served them right, they thought.

However the other frat members, especially those recruited by the frat presidents girlfriend (whos beau was lying on the hallway floor out cold from one of Little Tigers roundhouse kicks. She was also the woman who screamed when one of those same kicks sent the fraternitys secretary flying down the stairs) fought their way through the crowd to confront the woman. Others considered helping, but thought better of it. One man went forward, but his girlfriend nearly dislocated his arm yanking him back. In another part of the room, two ladies were encouraging their boyfriends to help out. The two men looked at each other, then looked at Little Tiger punching out another victim, then told their dates to go stop her themselves. Realizing the foolishness of their idea, they thought it might be a good idea to call it a night and leave the party.

Meantime, Little Tiger could be heard saying Ha! as she threw a man into a duet of would be attackers. After the flying man threw the two men off balance, she proceeded to punch and kick them into submission. She paused for a moment, checking the trio if they would be any more trouble, when suddenly she received a tap on the shoulder. Little Tiger spun, her leg up and cocked, then barely stopped herself when she saw it was Ashley.

What are you doing, girl, I almost kicked your head off! she said.

Theres more coming, Ashley said. You may want to go out the back door before they get here. She meekly pointed in the direction of the back door.

Im almost finished here, and when I leave, it will be through the front door. Why are you still here?

I didnt drive tonight, and I live on the other side of the campus.

Little Tiger sighed, and then said, Go and wait for me by the front door. Ill take you home.

The conversation took a moment, but it was enough time to distract Little Tiger as a meaty black hand grabbed her left wrist as she turned back around. The hand belonged to Big Jim Williams, a big man of six feet and nearly 300 pounds. Although he wasnt an athlete, he was known for his brute strength and popularly known on the campus, particularly around the fraternities even though he didnt belong to one. Also, everybody (including himself) considered him a ladies man.

I got your arm, girl, what do you think about that? Big Jim said in a low rumbling, but somewhat tipsy voice. He started squeezing her hand.

In response, instead of doing her first reaction of throwing a punch or kick, Little Tiger took Big Jims hand with her right and did a simple aikido maneuver. Done slowly, theres mild discomfort that makes the opponent drop the hold. Done harder, the move becomes more painful to the opponent. Done quickly and abruptly, the move becomes

Big Jim crumbled to his knees holding his wrist. What alcohol there was that clouded his mind was burned away from the sudden intense pain.

I just broke your wrist, boy, what do you think about that? Little Tiger said.

She beat up Big Jim! A man yelled from the crowd.

Anybody else who thought of taking on Little Tiger at that point had second thoughts about doing it. The little woman had just taken down an opponent who was much larger than she. The only exception was a half-drunk junior who tried to take care of the problem with a baseball bat.

After he delivered two bad swings that were more in danger of hurting the crowd than Little Tiger, the young Amazon grabbed his wrists, then jumped up and locked her legs around his neck in a flying head scissors. The man quickly lost his grip on the bat as his back hit the floor. She considered choking him out, but instead delivered a couple of blows with the heel of her topmost foot to his face, and a final one to his throat.

The man rolled on the floor holding his throat, then his eyes widened in terror as he saw Little Tiger rise above him with the baseball bat. She had the urge to place her foot on his face and smother him for a while, but she decided against it.

She looked around at the crowd before her. Most were silent, some spoke in hushed whispers to either each other or on their cell phones, telling the other people on the campus what had happened on that night. By morning, the event will have become a campus legend. A legend of how a bald-headed woman came by and beat up most of the members of a major fraternity on campus. The mysterious thing is by morning, nobody but a select few will know who did it.

Little Tiger turned her back on her downed foe and headed toward the front door, holding the baseball bat by her left side. The crowd parted like the Red Sea to let her by. As she approached the front doorway, she tossed the bat aside; the sound of it landing against the hardwood floor almost seemed deafening in the quiet house. She glanced to her right, and saw Ashley standing there, looking a little nervous.

Lets go, she said, and walked out the door, putting her hood back on as she done so.

As they walked out onto the front porch, the lookout was still there, a little more smashed than he was before, oblivious to what just happened, and nearly ready to fall off the porch railing he was sitting on.

Hey honey, did you take care of business? He said.

Yep, business has been taken care of, Little Tiger said as she and Ashley went down the steps.

Cool! You all come back now, ya hear? He laughed at his own remark as the two walked towards the woods.

As they left the hardness of the sidewalk and pavement, and entered the softer ground and fallen leaves, Ashley asked, Where are you parked?

Were parked on the other side of the clearing, Little Tiger said.

We?

Yes, I have some friends Id like you to meet. They helped change my life.

Did they teach you how to fight?

Not directly, but yeah. Theyll explain everything.

When the two women reached the tree designated as a meeting place, Sif and Mina ran out of the shadows and gave Little Tiger a big hug.

How did it go? Sif asked.

It went great! Little Tiger said, giggling, reverting back from an angel of vengeance to a normal college student. I went in there and started kicking some butt.

You mustve kicked a lot of butt, you were gone for a while, Mina said.

Yeah, I kicked a few, especially a certain basketball player who may need some medical attention before he participates in that contest again. Ill tell you all about it, but I want something to eat. Kicking butt can make you hungry.

No problem, Mina said. Hey, whos your new friend?

Oh Im sorry. This is Ashley, and she was going to be another notch on Devons bedpost before I arrived.

Hi, Ashley said meekly.

She didnt drive tonight, so she was wondering if we could drop her off at her dorm.

Sure, Sif said, Ashley, you dont mind if we eat first, do you?

No, I think Im kind of hungry. Devon and I went straight to his place. He said we would eat afterwards, Ashley said.

That man didnt have food on his mind.

Well it doesnt matter. Itll be Jell-O and pudding for him for a while, Little Tiger said.

As the four walked toward the car, Sif and Mina told Ashley a brief overview of their group and what they practice.

Youre not one of those man-hating, lesbian groups on campus, are you? Ashley asked.

All three women laughed. No, its nothing like that, Sif said. We love men, except for those who use people, like Devon.

Whats the name of your group? Ashley asked again as they got in the car.

Little Tiger smacked her right palm against her forehead, the only blow she received that evening.

I cant believe it! Ive been with you guys a little over a year, and I never asked what the name of the group is, she said.

Well thats no problem, Mina replied. The name of our group is The Daughters of-

[Apologies to the Baja Men for twisting their lyrics in the title.]

For suggestions or ideas, send e-mail to shrewsberry@juno.com