“Annihilator, Annihilator, Annihilator!” Some chant.
“Heron, Heron, Heron!” The other side chants.
It’s rowdy and louder than normal, and when I see who’s fighting, it makes sense. A scrawny guy (by my standards at least, fuck, get that kid a burger) is crouching on someone, hitting them over and over. I can’t see who they’re fighting, but my interest is piqued.
With a ‘fuck you’ look to my stupid brother, I push through the crowd to get to the front.
It’s shoulder-to-shoulder, and the people I hit out of the way don’t like that I’m pushing past them, but that’s not my problem.
Getting closer, I push the other patrons aside to make room for my big frame, they take one look at me and move willingly.
It feels like that magnetic, polarizing energy I felt the other night.I have to see who’s there. My attention goes to who is fighting.
My stomach drops as fear completely overtakes my entire body for the first time in a long time.
It’s Roxie.
Wait, is it?
My heart is beating faster, drowning everything else out.This can’t be real. This…can’t be real.I shake my head, blink quickly,to try and change the image so I can see who it actually is. Why does my mind play these tricks on me? Why is it so fucking cruel?
But when I open my eyes again, the female fighter is still Roxie.
It’s her. In the flesh.Real.
What the fuck?—
No. No, that can’t be her.
But my chest caves in as I realize itis–my legs already moving, and my mind is scrambling to catch up. I have to get to her,I have to?—
Roxie’s crumpled on the ground, and she’s not fighting anymore. Her arms are curled in, like her body hasn’t quite discovered that she’s unconscious. Like some part of her is still trying to shield herself even while her world’s gone dark.
Blood streaks down from her nose, her face is wrecked; swollen, cut, bruised. Her eyes… Christ, her eyes. I can’t even see them through the mess. It’s obvious this hasn’t been her first fight tonight.
I take a sharp inhale and clench my teeth.Who the fuck is with her? I’m going to fucking kill them.
Her beautiful raven black hair is braided back in a way that makes me feel like she’s some Viking warrior princess who never let anyone see her flinch.
She’s not getting up.
And that bastard… He’s still fucking hitting her.
I don’t even think. I just see red.
How fuckingdarehe touch her.
How dare the world put her in front of melike thisafter six years. Like my worst fucking nightmare brought to life.
I break through the first layer of people and grab the guy who’s on her. He looks pissed that someone, anyone, dared to interrupt him as he was winning, but then the asshole sees it’sme.The widening of fear in his eyes is satisfying, satisfying and empowering, but it only pisses me off more.
The scrawny fucker doesn’t have a chance against the force of my hit.
One punch and he’s falling back against the dirt floor, eyes closed and arms splayed out as he’s knocked unconscious. I want to let out my aggression on him,how fucking dare he hit her like that, especially when it was clear as day that she was already out cold.But Roxie needs help.
“Cariño?” I say quietly, falling to my knees and checking her over as best I can. “Baby, come on.” I shake her gently, trying to wake her up.
She needs to get out of here. She needs a doctor. Looking around, I don’t see anyone coming forward to argue with me for voiding her fight. Did she come with no backup? Fuck.
