SERENITY

CHAPTER 13

**Simon.

I see some fans heading towards the players. This is not a good sign! I turn my gaze back to the field. Mermaids from all directions pass through the security bars towards the center of it. The guards around the perimeter try to stop them but it's hopeless, there are too many of them and too few of them. I can hear them calling for backup on their radios but I'm sure help won't get there before it gets bad enough. I scan the field with my eyes and see a Santopian player pushing Daniel who runs into Carlo. As soon as they collide, I can see the surprise on his face as he wasn't expecting it. He pushes him lightly and steadies him on his feet, once he's sure Daniel is okay he goes towards his opponent, and punches him in the face with all his might. I feel the agony as I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. In the end, the guy doesn't seem to be too bothered. A few seconds later he punches him back and I see his nose bleeding. There is a slight pause from both of them as Carlo's blood flows from his nose to his lips. He laughs nervously, licks it and spits it ostentatiously in front of him. That's it! I get up abruptly and head towards the field with some others. My mind is clouded. I hear Cornelia yelling something behind me, but I don't even turn to look at her. I need to get to him as quickly as possible. I push with strength whoever is in front of me in order to clear the way. As soon as I reach the bottom of the stands, I cross the railing and finally find myself inside the field. I swim as fast as I can and reach the spot where the man who punched Carlo is. His back is turned and he doesn't see me coming towards him. I grab him by the shoulder with so much force that my fingers are just barely digging into his skin, and I force him towards me. He looks at me in surprise. Before he can react, I collect as much saliva as I have in my mouth and spit it furiously in his face. As the first shock succeeds the second, I punch him in the stomach with all my strength. Some strands of my hair are escaping and falling on my forehead. I quickly put them away and get ready for a second punch. He's not particularly bothered again, but he's weaker than before. Before he can make a move to come towards me, I get up and punch him in the same spot on his stomach. I see him folding himself in two and growling. I grab him by the hair and lift him up to look at me,

-You'll remember this for a long time, I say through my teeth as I breathe heavily.

I give him another punch to the face this time and release him, pushing his head to fall forward hard. He falls down and puts his face in his hands. I look at him for a while longer but I don't see him get up. I smile gleefully and look around to find Carlo. As soon as I spot him, I head towards him. Just before I get next to him I see someone, probably a Santopia player judging by the colours on his face, coming towards him. He has seen him and is waiting for him to get closer so he can hit him. He doesn't see me coming from his side, as all his attention is on Carlo, and I easily manage to get my hands under his and bend them backwards so that I can immobilize him. He lets out a cry of surprise and looks at me.

-Now you're fucked!, I whistle in his ear.

-Fuck you!, he retorts.

I tighten my grip even more to the point where he could marginally break his arms. The guy keeps cursing and yelling. I look at Carlo and motion for him to come closer. He gives me a crooked smile and I smile back. I process him for a moment with my eyes and I can tell that getting blood in his face is something that makes him even more beautiful. His black hair falls to the right and left of his face, wet with sweat, and there is a darkness in his black eyes that I am seeing for the first time, but for some reason it seems familiar. I've seen this darkness somewhere before. I'm a little surprised when I feel the jolt in my hands from the punch Carlos threw at the guy. I guess I was a little distracted with my thoughts. After a while I feel a second jolt, and a third, and a fourth. I continue to hold him a little longer while he beats him with all the rage and fury he has in him, but I see that the jolts won't stop coming so after a few minutes I let him fall down. He falls straight down as soon as I untangle my hands from his and doesn't move at all. Carlos stops abruptly and looks at me in surprise.

-You'll kill him if you go on, I tell him calmly.

He thinks about it for a moment and shrugs casually. I laugh softly at his indifference and he smiles too.

-I think it's time to go, I'm tired of beating up useless pieces of shit that can't beat me, he says and approaches me.

-Come on, I say, you were well beaten before.

-That was just for the adrenaline.

He winks at me and takes my hand, pulls me gently and I start swimming with him towards the exit. I look at our joined hands as if hypnotized. We're not supposed to get along, but when the rest of the group isn't in front I see another Carlo, a tender Carlo. Tender to me.