Max's POV-
I thought I had the decision I would stop fighting. That I would leave this life behind and never look back again. Then again, this, fighting, used to be my life and you can't just stop your life and change it so suddenly.
Though I did put this part away and haven't thought of it in a while and I finally thought I could go without fighting, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Fighting is my drug and I'm addicted to it. Once you're in this life there's no turning back, everything that has happened here will soon come back and punch you in the face.
After what happened in the lunch room, I have no doubt that the followed me here, but then again, they may not have. I can only hope they didn't. Not only that, but I bet they are making assumptions of me and my life after that, too. They can assume all they want, but they will never get the whole story unless I tell them. There's the story of her, then there's the one of him.
At one point in my life, the only reason I fought was for her. Then another point in my life, I only fought to get away from him. I haven't thought of him in awhile, I put him in the back of y mind in a locked chest. But her. I think about her every day and she's the reason I locked up all my feelings and emotions and walled up my heart.
I stand in the back of the extremely crowded room. The place smelled of smoke, alcohol, and sweat, all very familiar. I've missed this. I didn't realize how much I did until I walked through the leading here. All the yelling and fighting, I've missed it all so much. And that makes me feel like I should be rotting away in the depths of hell.
Adrenaline coursed through my body just from standing there. I couldn't help but let the devilish smile tug at my lips. I cracked my knuckles and readied myself for my fights. Everyone was surprised to here the return of the Phantom, they all thought I either just quit, which seemed unlikely, or I had been murdered, which seemed like the big one everyone went for. I don't blame them, street fighter just don't quit. It basically unheard of.
I only have two fights tonight. Both newcomers, both people thinking they have a chance at beating me, the ones stupid enough not to do their research first. I'm the underground undefeated champion. Haven't lost a single fight once. Not even in my starting days.
I could easily wipe them out and not waste a breath on any of them, but I came here to get rid of all my pent up rage I've been pushing away. The anger I constantly feel is always there, it never leaves me. My past and the people I've let down are continuously there causing me to blame myself and others.
"Fuck," I whispered to myself.
I'm stupid. Why did I come here? Why did I come back to this? I could have found other ways to get past all this, but I didn't. I can't back out now though. People are expecting me to fight and if I don't fight they are going to know something's up and will most definitely call me out for it, too.
I heard my name get called and everybody started to yell and holler for me, for my return. I balled my hands into fists as I began walking past people, taking in all my surroundings. I spotted a group in the shadows in the back against the wall. I squinted.
Logan?
No, it couldn't be him. It's just somebody who looks like him. He wouldn't follow me here, no, he wouldn't want to see me afterwards either. Right?
I brushed it off, even though it was still a thought in the back of my mind, and continued to walk up to the ring where my opponent was already waiting.
It's a girl. I'm surprised, honestly. I haven't a fellow female fighter in a awhile. After about ten wins in my first year, they all got the idea I was just too tough and most of them stayed away, letting the guys go get their pride bruised for losing to a girl.
She is short, which could be used in her advantage at some points of she knows how to fight, that is. She seemed slightly scared to be here. Her muscles aren't that defined yet meaning she just recently joined the underground chain. This poor girl didn't know who she was up against when she signed up for this fight.
I sighed as I entered the ring, I draped my hoodie over the edge revealing my tight fitting shirt. I usually fought in a tank top and shorts, but I was in too much of a panic to remember the shorts, so here I am, fighting in sweat pants.
I stood in the middle along with the other girl, I looked down at her, only because she was at least seven inches shorted than me. I got into stance with my wrapped hands up ready to defend myself. I ready for the go.
When it was called she through the first punch which I easily blocked. I was never the best on defensive moves, but I had to make it look like she had a chance, only a little. Her posture was bad, but her footing and balance was horrible.
Her foot came flying at me, and I caught it. I gripped her leg and through in backwards making her fall to the ground. I waited for her to get up, this time, it was my turn to strike.
Once she was up, I barely gave her time to ready herself when I through a left hook to her left cheek. She stumbled and cried out a bit. Next I got loser and gabbed her in the side, as she moaned in pain I was quick to send a side kick sending her tumbling to the ground. I wasn't finished though. As she was falling, I hastened the fall by grabbing her head and slamming it to the floor, knocking her unconscious and probably with a concussion.
Many people cheered louder and I couldn't help but feel disappointed in myself.
Logan's POV-
Once inside, all of us stayed in the back, hiding in the shadows, not risking Max seeing any of us. I was nervous and on edge. My mate was about to go up and fight, but there was nothing I could do that wouldn't risk her leaving me.
"Max is about to go up, right?" Jacob asked through the link.
"I think so, but I don't know," I responded.
"It's been awhile since I was here," Kyle murmured out loud as he looked around the place.
"What?" everyone questioned him as once.
"I used to go to the underground street fighting locations to watch a fighter named Phantom fight. She was amazing, the one to beat. She's the champion in these parts. But then one day she just dropped out and stopped showing up. Most people think she was killing, which isn't unlikely," Kyle explained to us, then looked back to the ring.
"Up next is our disappearing, undefeated champion, Phantom!" someone said over a bad quality microphone.
I froze. Max's scent was everywhere, but I could easily make her out as the one walking up to the ring after that was called. She seemed to be preparing herself while surveying her surroundings. Max stopped and her eyes locked onto mine and confusions flashed through them as she stared a second longer before turning away shaking her head.
"Max is Phantom. Of course she would be, why wouldn't she be?" Jacob chided to himself.
I ignored everyone, I was fighting myself from running up there and snatching her away. I wanted nothing more than to go up there and protect her, but for some reason I couldn't move from where I was. I was told she only had two fight tonight. Everybody cheered louder as Max got into the ring and readied herself to fight. Her hoodie hung over the side. I've never seen her without some type of long sleeved top on, so this was the first time I saw all the scars littering her arms and shoulders. They were all different, some jagged, some smooth like a knife.
My blood was boiling by now. I wanted to know who did that to her. I was going to make them suffer.
The girl Max was fighting was such a small girl, and the little information I got off the "Phantom" I knew this poor girl didn't stand a chance. Max started out defensive, but was quick to switch to offense. It was only minutes until the girl was unconscious.
After that though, Max stayed put up there and waited for her next victim. This time, though, a huge guy stumbled up to the ring. He was obviously intoxicated and inexperienced. Max looked to him in disdain and scowled. This fight was shorter than the first one, saying as the opponent couldn't even walk straight, let alone punch. Max sent a kick to his rips sending him to the floor. She took advantage of his position and punched him in the jaw then again to the cheek. She slammed his head to the floor like the previous fight, knocking him out.
I was shocked at her skills in fighting. I wanted to know what drove her to go into this life and become this.
The place went crazy after seeing these fights, the yelled for more, but she just walked off while pulled her hoodie over her head. She gathered her bag and walked out of the place. trying to go unnoticed. I followed behind her to make sure she was going to make it okay. I stayed a far enough distance away so she wouldn't notice me, then I waited at the door for a minute before following out. I heard grunts of pain, then a gasp soon followed by a thud.
I slammed the door open and ran out into the alley frantically looking around hoping Max was the one who made it out. I was wrong. I spotted Max holding tightly onto her side as she rolled over and heaved herself up with one arm. Blood coated her hand as she painfully got up onto two feet. She was swaying on her feet as she shuffled over to the closest wall and rest up against it.
I ran over to her and placed my hand over her's, trying to help stop the blood flow. Her skin was hastily paling, making me feel sick. I could've stopped this. I looked at her face as her eyes opened to look at me.
"I wish you didn't follow me," came her hoarse whisper, then a cough. Blood not dripped down her chin.
"I hope you didn't expect us not to follow you," I stated her. Her eyes drooped closed and I panicked. "Max! Don't close your eyes, keep them on me!"
Her eyes opened lazily. "People don't tell me what to do," she smiled slightly.
"Well, I am. Now don't close your eyes," I demanded.
"At least now I can leave this hell," she mumbled to herself as her head dropped to my should as her body went limp. I caught her in my arms and laid her on the ground resting up against me. I pulled my shirt over my head and pressed that to the wound, hoping it would help in some way.
I heard a car pull up and Geena was driving then Jacob in the front seat. Kyle, Micah, and Hannah jumped out letting me carry Max to the back seat.
"Go! Take her to a hospital, we'll follow behind," Micah yelled and slammed the car door shut.
We reached a hospital that wasn't far away and a ran in with Max still bleeding in my arms. Somebody quickly took her away from me as they ran with her on a gurney. I tried to follow when I was told that I couldn't.
There I stood in the emergency room shirtless and covered in my mate's blood.
~
If I didn't wait this wouldn't have happened. I could have protected her, she wouldn't be here is I was there. I ruined everything.
I sat alone in a waiting room with my head in my hands as they had to do emergency surgery to stop the bleeding. At one point I was given a shirt from someone, but I can't remember. I can't wrap my head around anything at the moment. I don't know how long I was there, but Geena and Jacob went off somewhere.
I felt someone's presence besides me and I turned my head just slightly to see who it was. I sat up, not know how to react.
"Mom..." I whispered.
"I know, baby, it's going to be okay. You may have only just met her, but she is going to pull through," Mom murmured and wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me close to her.
"I could've done something...." I felt tears prick my eyes, threatening to spill.
"No, you couldn't. There was no way around this," she said and kissed the side of my head.
"But if I just-" I was cut off.
"Stop there, if you continue these thoughts you're never going to make it. You have to look positive and hope for the best. Now wipe those tears away and pray for the best." Then she smiled. "You did save her, you did do something. You brought her here."
After hearing that, it made me feel a little bit better, but only by a fractions.
It was a long while before a doctor came. I shot up out of my seat hen he stopped in front of us. His expression blank. I wanted to growl but this was a human hospital.
"She lost a lot of blood and somehow survived that. She is going to need a lot of rest and low stress levels. We tried to contact her family, but there is none, so I'm assuming you're the boyfriend?" he asked and I nodded.
"She lives with us, too," my mom added, making me look at her in shock.
"Follow me and I'll take you to her," he said and began walking towards a hallway and I had to stop myself from running ahead of him.
Max was sleeping soundly, non-moving. It was unnerving in a way, seeing her like this. I was quick to go over to her side and take one of her now cold hands in mine. Shocks and tingles shot up my arm. I took the chair that was beside me and sat next to her, scared to do anything else.
I don't know when she'll be discharged, but it will have to be soon. I can't stay away from the pack for long, but I will wait as long as it takes for Max to heal.
She mumbled incoherently in her sleep and shifted slightly in the bed. I sighed in relief, she was alive and okay. Max was going to make it out of this.
~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hullo Me Giraffes!
Stay Awesome!
Be Crazy!
Love Your Stuffed Animals
"I Would So Use Google If it Would Fucking Work!" ~Me ( 2015)
( I'm going to keep this here as a little thing to remind me of how much a little twat I used to me.)