The name is Notch. I’m a fighter. A street fighter. My mother died while giving birth to me and my father isn’t around. I’ve been to more foster homes than I care to count or remember with each one being worse than the last. I never had many friends. They either got bullied while hanging with me or steered clear in fear of getting jumped along with me. All that’s not relevant though, at least not to me. All my life I’ve had to fight, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
I like being a fighter. I like knocking the lights outta someone’s skull. The way their bodies drop on the floor, the loud thuds, the comatose, the bruised faces and the busted lips. More importantly, I like the smell of blood. I like the feel of it on my knuckles as I pound someone beyond recognition. Seeing people being carried out on a stretcher because of me kicking their ass is the best way to spend the night. Kids on the street call me a savage, adults call me an uncanny delinquent, police and other authorities call me Notch, which is how I got the name. “That kid, he always seems to take it up a notch.” I heard one officer say as I was handcuffed in the back of a police car one time. He walked over and opened the door and asked if I had a name and I told him no. The word ‘notch’ popped up in my head for some reason and I told him to call me Notch and so he did. He said it was a fitting name for a kid whose violent streak takes a turn for the worst each time around.
Right now, I’m in another street fight. This time it’s a lumberjack match. Delinquents and petty criminals surround me and the poor sap facing me. My fists are itching and my dick is getting hard from all the tension building up. I look that bastard in the eye and see fear in his soul. On the surface he looks resolved. Ready to fight. But deep down, I know he’s scared. If it were just me and him he’d shit his pants because he knows I’m gonna kill him. My fists are clenched so tight my palms are bleeding. My muscles wound so tight they’re stuck that way. Some hot broad walks to the middle of the fighting circle and starts talking some bullshit about how she wants a clean fight, no low blows, killing is not allowed, etc. I know the rules. I’ve been here before.
The broad gives the cue and the match begins. I crack my neck and various bones in my body to loosen up. The guy across from me does the same trying to please the crowd. They know what I’m about but this guy’s a rookie. I can smell it on him. I take one step forward and he hesitates. I smirk and rush him with blinding speed, and before he could take his stance and defend, I palm his face and knee him in the gut then got him in a suplex.
His back bounces off the floor and the wind leaves his chest, but I’m not done with him yet. I walk up and kick him in the ribs and he rolls over and clutches his side. I stop short and wait for him to get up because I know his tactic. He’s waiting for me to get close so he can take my legs out and make it a ground game. I’m not falling for it. He rolls over and slowly gets up then faces me and takes his fighting stance. The kid’s tough, I’ll give him that. If he couldn’t take that much I’d be disappointed.
The fight continues and he’s not bad. He dodges some of my jabs and elbows and I almost get hit with a couple hooks. He has basic fighting skills but nothing spectacular. I leave my pocket open on purpose and he takes the bait. He ducks in and tries for an uppercut and, just before his fist connects with my chin, when he’s focused solely on completing the attack, I slide left and hit him with an uppercut on my own. His stomach is butter soft. He has no core at all. He retches upon hitting the floor and vomits his lunch. “Ughh my lunch!” someone in the crowd imitates his vomiting and his friends and the circle laugh. I look down at this pathetic weakling and walk away. They announced me the winner before I even leave the circle.
I go to the makeshift office to collect my money. Papers, boxes of papers, a sofa, and a desk are all that inhabit it. The guy sits behind it with a lamp lit on the right corner, counting the pile of money. If I had to guess I’d say about fifty thousand is on that table, maybe more. There are no twenties, fives, tens, or ones. Only fifties and hundreds. I walk up to the desk and think about how I can just knock his ass out and take all the cash, but then I’d have to fight my way out. Not that I mind doing that, that would be a lovely scenario because that weakling didn’t satisfy me. I think better of it because it’s too much work and I don’t really care about cash like that. As long as I get to knock at least one head off I suppose. The guy counts off five grand and hands it to me and I leave. No questions asked, just a simple transaction.
When I get to my house the landlord is at my door with her hand out and I hand her the five grand to cover me for the next six months. She counts the money, smirks, and goes about her business. I shake my head and think about what a leech she is. Aside from that, she’s good people. I found her through flyers and word of mouth when I was looking for an apartment. I don’t know her name and never bother to ask for it. The only way I know her is her face.
I go in the house and there’s this girl sitting on my sofa in front of the tv. I don’t know her, but she holds down the fort while I’m gone and she doesn’t steal anything so I let her stay. I walk by the kitchen where dishes are all about the table, sink, and counter. I go down the short hallway and turn left into my room where everything’s a fucking mess. Clothes, condoms, bandages, jewelry, and some shit I don’t even remember getting strewn about like a fucking hurricane hit the place.
My bed is covered in blood-stained shirts and pants from my previous fights. I hear the tv turn off and the window open and close meaning the girl left. She’s kinda like a cat-woman, sneaking in and leaving silently into the night. There were a couple times she got into trouble and I decided to be a good Samaritan and help out. She stole some money from some guys you don’t wanna steal money from. The guys that’d have you and your family sleeping with the fishes in less than forty-eight hours. Her past is irrelevant to me.
Anyway, we met through crisis a couple more times and she followed me home one night and spend the night. Since I recognized her I didn’t care. I only have one rule: don’t eat all the goddamn food. That’s it. Otherwise, anything goes. Seriously, I don’t give a shit. Besides, no one is stupid enough to steal from me, and if they are, they better hope I don’t see them. I don’t even bother taking off my clothes and I just plop on the bed and go to sleep.
I feel a fist connect with my face and my eyes open. I sigh and look around. I’m in some undisclosed location tied to a chair in nothing but my tank top, pants, and boots. Pipes surround the place and it appears I’m underground. I look up and see a gate and people stepping on it as they walk by. The moon is full and the ambiance is golden yellow as the streetlights illuminate the place.
There’s only one way out.
Well, there are two if you count the sewer pipe behind me that leads to who knows where. A couple rough looking guys are posted up, three on either side. They all appear to be over six feet tall. They’re wearing black suits and shades, which is stupid because it’s the middle of the night. They have gold watches on their left wrists, guns tucked in the back and if I had to guess, I’d say two were Hispanic, one was white, one black and one Asian. Seems they wanted to increase diversity. Another guy is behind me, palming my head and moving it around in a circle like he’s not gonna lose that arm later.
“What the fuck do you want, Wendell?” I sigh.
“So, you do remember my name,” he slapped me in the back of the head, “Notch.” He continues. “You know someone I need to find. A certain little bitch that keeps getting in the way of my affairs.”
“So what?” I say. “Find her yourself.”
He slaps me in the back of the head again, “don’t fuck with me Notch! That little—” he pauses, “that little wretch stole from me and I won’t stand for it! She possesses something of extraordinary value, and I want it back.”
“And?” I ask. “What does that have to do with me?”
I feel him about to slap me again but this time he thinks better of it. He finally realizes who he’s fucking with. “Since you know her, you should have the best chance of finding her and retrieving what she’s stolen from me.”
“Seems like you’re not gonna leave me alone until this shit is settled.” I sigh. “What did she steal?”
“So, you’re finally playing ball.” Wendell lays a hand on my shoulder like we’re buddies, when really, I’m gonna kick his ass later. “She stole a ruby from me.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s not an ordinary ruby, Notch.” Wendell begins. “This ruby is not red but crimson. The color of blood. It is said to have extraordinary properties that grant unique and even supernatural powers to the one who holds it. It is called the Blood Ruby.”
“Two questions.” I start. “One, what the fuck do you mean by ‘extraordinary properties’? Two, you’re powerful enough as it is so what do you want with it?”
“Fair questions.” Wendell chuckles. “One, I’m only relaying what I was told. Nothing more. And two, I’m not the one who wants it.” He pauses again. “The one who hired me does.”
“Yeah, I don’t care about any of that.” I reply. “So, how much you gonna pay me for this?”
“You get to live.” Wendell replies. “That’s more than enough for a worthless urchin like you.”
“You do know who the fuck you’re talking to, right?” I ask. “If someone hit you on the head, I’ll be happy to knock some fucking sense back into you.”
“Your brutish tactics don’t work one me.” Wendell says, standing behind me. “You see these men here? They are all highly trained and highly skilled. Your brutish, street-fighting style won’t lay a hand on me, let alone one of them.”
“Wanna bet on that?”
I break the rope and all the guards pull out their weapons with split second timing. Guns don’t scare me in the least. In all the times I’ve had one pointed at me, never once did anyone have the guts to pull the trigger. I crack my neck and various parts of my body. They put their guns away and took fighting stances. I guess Wendell just gave them the cue to rough me up the old-fashioned way. I walk up and a guard attacks with a straight right. I wait until the last moment and catch his fist and squeeze.
He falls to his knees instantly and tries to pull his hand away but my grip is too strong. I kick him in the chest and he goes flying into the wall twenty feet from me. The other guys look on but don’t seem fazed. They attack all at once and I take them out with a left uppercut to the gut, a straight right, a body slam, a back kick, and a roundhouse kick for the last guy. It was simple, for all their skills and training they’re still weaklings. I feel Wendell coming behind me for a sneak attack and I turn and punch him in the gut. He retches upon hitting the ground and vomits then I walk out the door.
Turns out I was in the basement of a warehouse not far from my place. I live on the edge of the city where all the boating docks and large warehouses. I walk three blocks into the city and enter my apartment building. I walk toward my door and find it open. I enter and see the tv’s on and there’s something on the coffee table wrapped in a black cloth. I turn and close the door behind me and walk up to it then pick it up.
The black cloth unwraps itself and reveals the crimson ruby Wendell was going on about. It tingles in my hand. I have a feeling that if I try to touch it with my bare hands something bad would happen so I don’t do it. The ruby starts floating in the air and lighting up the room. Within ten seconds the whole place is blood red, and I’m seeing silhouettes of people being killed. Heads being chopped off, swords thrusting through guts, people being sliced in half. It’s epic. I’ve never seen anything like it outside a horror movie, and even now I find those dull and sometimes corny.
The ruby starts shapeshifting, taking on a new form or some shit. Like one of those animals in the movies that morph into a person. The ruby starts bubbling and the smell of blood fills the air. The aroma is intoxicating and I feel myself getting riled up. My fists instinctually clench and a mountain of resolve and bloodlust begins to take over me. I’m nearly frothing at the mouth at what might happen next and I’m ready for it, even if I don’t know what it is. But I do know one thing, whatever happens next there’s gonna be some killing involved. And I’m down for that any day.
The bubbles take the form of a woman. A hot one at that. The blood turns to a radiant brown and she reveals herself to be some goddess of a woman. Her eyes are crimson and her body slender like a model. Her skin Hershey bar brown and her hair jet black. She has a button nose and full, luscious lips. She wears a velvet dress that covers her entire body and she doesn’t have any shoes on. Her feet and nails are well manicured, not a flaw on them.
Basically, she’s perfect. Too good for someone like me.
When she touches the ground, a pressure reverberates throughout the building, better yet, when I look out the window, I see a red aura washing over the entire city. I look back at her and she’s looking me dead in the eye with a resolve I’ve never felt from any living being. Her gaze penetrates deep into my soul and beckons my inner desire for fighting. It’s almost like she’s speaking a language only I understand, and she isn’t even saying a word. Her mouth never moves once.
“You possess the blood of a warrior.” She says at last. “Such exquisite resolve and bloodlust.”
“I can say the same about you, lady.” I reply. “You’ve got me pretty riled up. I can’t even unclench my fists.”
“You’re not frightened?” She asks. “Unusual.”
“Well, you ain’t exactly usual yourself, are you.” I crack my neck and start loosening up my body, possibly for the fight of my life. I haven’t been this excited since my first fight. “So, what are we doing? We throwing down or what?”
“Please,” She says carelessly. “I’d kill you without lifting a finger.”
“Wanna bet on that?”
She looks me in the face with that penetrating gaze and I glare right back at her. I don’t back down to anybody, no matter who it is. God himself could come down from the heavens with overwhelming power and I’d still challenge him. It’s in my blood to fight. I’m a warrior. We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity. Her gaze starts to crack. First with confusion and then irritation. She’s probably someone who’s used to getting her way, which is probably why she has that look on her face. I smirk because I know that she realizes the shit she’s trying to pull doesn’t work on me. I’m a fucking warrior and I fear nothing. Absolutely nothing. Finally, she relents and sighs.
“What’s your name, warrior?”
“Notch.” I reply. What’s yours?”
“My real name is too long to pronounce,” She starts, “plus I forgot it ages ago. You can just call me ruby, since it is the stone I emerged from.”
“Alright Ruby,” I say. “What now? We gonna fight or are you gonna get the fuck out?” I add. “I don’t have all night.”
She chuckles, “You’re a warrior indeed. All you ever think about is fighting. Well, if you want to fight so much, how about I take you to a place where you can fight to your hearts content?”
She snaps her fingers and suddenly I’m in a dark room. I hear rumbling and sounds of a crowd cheering. A rhythmic stomping shakes the ground under me. Suddenly I notice I have a sword and shield in my hand, and my body feels heavier as I realize I have on armor. A long hallway with large, wooden doors with steel handles, about a hundred or so feet way, is before me. I walk down the hallway with more confidence than I’ve ever had in my life. There was no nervousness, no hesitation, no apprehension. I was completely still in mind and body. I feel at home here. I get to the wooden doors and am met by two guards with spears and gold armor. I stop and wait until they open the door, and I hear the crowd fall silent and someone begin to speak.
“It is a great pleasure for me, Primus, to present the 44th annual Gladiator Games.” The crowd cheers then falls silent again. “This year, we have a special warrior. A warrior that hails from two-thousand years into the future. He goes by the name of Notch, but you may all refer to him as Nauticus: Warrior of the Red Seas. His resolve and bloodlust are said to be the most exquisite and delight full. Prepare yourselves for possibly the greatest bloodbath, the likes of which you’ve never seen. Why, I even feel his resolve from here and the doors are closed off. Just imagine what’ll happen if I let him out right now, before all the preparations are made.” The crowd roars at the prospect of me throwing down and killing people. I have to say at this point, so am I. “I’ve just received word from the Games’ coordinator that all preparations are ready. Now! I present to you, Nauticus: Warrior of the Red Seas!”
The crowd jumps from their seats as I walk into the coliseum. It’s all roman-style. A gladiator ring. The sun beams down on my armor and it’s burning me up. I hear chants of “Nau-ti-cus! Nau-ti-cus!” reverberate through the arena. I look up at the middle of the thing where nobility and emperors usually sit and saw that guy, Primus, with a satisfied look on his face. I knew it was him because he had that look about him. That guy that likes to give people orders and talk tough without ever putting his money where his mouth is. I hate guys like that. I really do. Maybe I’ll kick his ass if I meet him up close, but for now I’ll focus on who they got as my first opponent. Even though all this is strange and I should be asking all sorts of questions about what they fuck is going on, but the thing is. . . I don’t give a shit. Instinct has completely taken over. All I wanna do is fight and nothing is gonna stop me. The crowd’s cheering has died down but I can still hear chants of “Nau-ti-cus!” throughout the arena.
“Have I lied to you, people of Rome? Is his resolve and bloodlust exquisite or what!?” Primus says as the crowd cheers. “I won’t keep you waiting any longer, as you, and Nauticus, are ready to receive the first opponent.” He pauses and extends both his arms outward as he says, “I present to you Gregorus: Ogre of the Black Swamp!”
I turn my attention to the doors opposite as they open slowly and something burst through it. The crowd erupts as some fucking beast, big, black with an ugly mug that looks like a Halloween mask. He has very few teeth in his mouth and scaly skin. His ears are long and pointy and his head looks like a dull pencil point. His body is large and wide like one of those strongman bodybuilders. He carries a pickaxe and only wears a loincloth and shoulder pad. He looks at me and laughs.
“This is the weakling you’ve chosen to fight me?!” He looks to the stands. “Primus! Your games have gone on too long! It seems like you’re running out of worthy contestants.”
“I’m surprised the word contestant is in your vocab, bud.” I say to myself.
“Look!” I say to the ogre. “Are we gonna do this or not? I don’t have all day.”
The ogre ignores me and continues talking to Primus. I look at my shield and aim for his head. I hold it like a frisbee and fling it without hesitation. Just when it was about to get to his head, he tilts left, narrowly avoiding decapitation.
“Be careful what you wish for, weakling.” The Ogre says gravely. “For I will show no mercy on you.”
He turns to me and I look him in the eye and smirk, “if you did I’d be disappointed.” I reply. “Maybe this time I can go all out.”
“You say that like you have some sort of power.” He replies. “You wouldn’t even fill me up if I had you for breakfast!”
“No.” I retort. “But I can fill you with holes and scars like you wouldn’t believe.”
“Is that so?” He’s turned to me fully and we’re now having a stare-down.
“Such animosity! Such thirst for blood!” Primus says to amp the crowd up. “The fighting hasn’t even started and already we’re on the edge of our seats!”
The guards close the doors behind me and what’s left of the doors behind the Ogre. I crack my neck and various parts of my body and he does the same. We’re in perfect sync. Our eyes never leave each other as we circle around the ring. It’s a vast ring but that’s irrelevant now. All I can think about is killing this bastard in front of me. Resolve and blood lust fill my body to the boiling point. I’m licking my lips and sucking my teeth.
My dick gets hard at the prospect of seeing his lifeless body on the ground and my foot stomped through his chest. Then I think about cutting off that stupid, pencil-point head off and punting it out of the arena. I can tell the ogre is thinking of doing the same to me, but that’s what makes this even more fun. A fight to the death with a real monster. All the pussies from back home were getting boring anyway.
“The two warriors circle each other for what will be the greatest battle we’ll ever witness! A warrior from the future and a warrior from the present moment! How, shall we ask, has combat either improved or degenerated over two thousand years? We shall find out right now. . .” He put his arm up and paused for dramatic effect. The crowd literally at the edge of their seats and I at my absolute boiling point. I can barely contain myself I’m so excited, the opportunity to go all out. To give it everything I got is here at last! I love it! “as the fight. . .Begins!”
“Notch one.” I smile as the Ogre and I charge each other.
II
This ogre is a tough bastard. His name is Gregorus, I think, don’t give a shit to remember. Our weapons connect with enough force to create a spark and we get to throwing down. He’s not half bad for a pencil-head, the force behind his blows have conviction and resolve. I can tell he’s confident in his fighting abilities. But so am I. Our weapons keep connecting in a contest of brute strength and force, we’re neck and neck but, of course, I’m not using my full strength yet.
“Not bad, weakling.” Gregorus says as we’re both trying to push the other back. “You might prove an adequate warm-up.”
“I was gonna say the same about you,” I reply with a smirk, “I’m only on Notch one.”
“I’d ask what you mean, but you won’t live long enough to explain!” He grunts as he puts all his strength into pushing me back about five feet.
The crowd cheers as we complete our little scuffle. They have no idea what I have in store for this bastard. Primus is looking from the stands with a self-satisfied look on his face, that look a set-up man has when his plan goes well. I still wanna kick his ass when I get my hands on him. The people are jumping up from their seats, there are a few spectators who are not impressed with this little warm-up we’re having and rightly so. They know we’re just stretching out and are waiting for the real fight to start.
Gregorus and I charge each other and fight just a little harder than before, I try to get in his pocket and thrust him through the gut but he protects his interior well. Every advance I made is either deflected or pushed back. Gregorus charges at me and tries to overwhelm me with absolute strength but it doesn’t work. All his moves are predictable: downward slam, swing left, swing right, spin around into a batter’s swing with his pickaxe, and a strong, right backhand. The slam, swings, and backhands, along with some punches in between, are all the moves in his arsenal. He has a very basic, street-brawler fighting style, a lot like me, except mine is a bit more sophisticated and calculated.
“Is running all you can do, weakling!?” He stays on the offensive, attacking as if he has limitless stamina. “You’re really trying my patience!”
“I can do a lot more than that, pencil-head.” I reply as I dodge his downward slam with his pickaxe. The impact made the arena tremble and some of the audience members fell over. “So, seems like you’re not all talk.” I reply as I turn to him. “My turn.”
I charge at him swiftly and he prepares to counter my attack. I get to within inches of him and flash left. I watch his eyes and discover they can keep up with me, so I flash in various directions to try and confuse him. He waits patiently as I run circles around him, which shows this isn’t his first fight, that he’s dealt with quicker opponents before. Then, a moment reveals itself. When I flash behind him and his eyes try to follow me, right when he turns his head to the side I flash to, he can’t see me at all. He has his back completely turned to me.
When I flash around someone in a fight I’m not trying to confuse them, even though that’s what happens at times. What I try to do is find an opening. Anything, a blind spot, a weak area, or just anything that can slow them down. In this case I found two things: although his eyes can keep up, his head movements can’t, and, he lacks sensory perception which is crucial in battle. Without that, you’re dead before you step on the battle field. But if that’s true, I thought, how did he catch the shield I tried to throw at his head earlier? Then the answer came to me, he happened to turn as the shield was nearing his head and he caught it by pure reflex, which is probably what he relies on to make up for his lack of perception. Hm, I thought, I can use this.
I stop and charge straight for the back of his neck but something’s off. He’s just standing there, as if he’s waiting for me to get closer. Then a flash. When I get to him, at the very last moment, he elbows me in the chest dead on. I’m launched into the air and he spikes me with his pickaxe and slams me to the ground. My left arm is chopped off. The flash lasted for a split second, but I halt my attack and vault over him and hop back a couple feet and we’re back at square one.
“Hmph.” Gregorus chuckles. “So, you’re not completely stupid.” He adds. “That makes things interesting.”
So that opening was a feint, I thought. There’s more to this ogre than I give him credit for. “Seems it’s time to turn things up a notch.”
“Are you sure you want those to be your last words, weakling?” Gergorus swings his pickaxe, cracks his neck, and takes his stance. “If so, I’ll end this now so I can make the midday feast.”
Gregorus charges at me and I at him. When we get to within inches of each other, time slows down. There’s a moment in battle where the senses heighten to the supernatural. The crowd and their cheers, the beaming sun, the dust being swept up because of our fighting, and the impressions of the overseers fade from existence. All one sees is his opponent and all his opponent sees is him. It’s as if you’re in another time zone. Your thoughts are racing a million miles a minute, you’re thinking of attacks, counterattacks, circumstantial interference from outside forces, and most importantly. . . death.
Death is the most potent thing on the mind because you’re literally staring it in the face. The grim reaper looms over you like an overcast shadow, prepared to envelop you in its cold embrace should you make a mistake, and even though that would normally scare the shit out of someone, you’re calm. Your heart beats slowly and the inner voice rambling in your head is tuned out as the decisive blow is about to be struck.
Gregorus and I bring our weapons back in perfect sync. Everything seems to occur in slow motion as we both plant our dominant foot, tighten our grip, and push off for max momentum. At that precise moment, when we both pushed off, everything sped up tremendously. It was like warp speed. The next thing I know my right arm, sword in hand, is in the air and my head is facing the ground, half looking at the floor, half looking at the crowd. A moment which is only thirty seconds, but feels like five minutes, passes and I hear a thud.
I look at my sword and I see black blood dripping off the end and making its way down like spilt water. Suddenly, I start having trouble breathing. Sweat starts dripping down my face and the sun’s heat begins to feel more intense. My arm gets weak and I plunge the sword into the ground and use it for support as I try to pick myself up, which isn’t easy. A pain comes from nowhere and starts killing me, I look down at my abdomen and I see blood leaking out. Seems like he got me too, I thought. That ogre wasn’t half bad, almost went to Notch Two. My legs give out from under me and I pass out.
III
I wake up on top of my coffee table feeling weak. I have a splitting headache as I look to the right to see my tv on. I look to my left and see Little Miss Catgirl curled up and watching whatever is on there, completely unfazed. I try to sit up but my body won’t let me. My head plops back on the table and all my muscles relax involuntarily; I’m completely paralyzed. Suddenly, the girl starts to get blurry and fades, it’s like she’s been turned to sand and the wind is blowing her away. Then, the whole house starts to get blurry and turns sand-like, fading from existence like grains washing over fallen empires from the past. Everything is black as the coffee table and I are the only things in existence until the coffee table fades from under me and I’m just floating. None of this scares me, I’ve had nightmares that were worse. In fact, this reminds me of the one I have every night:
The room is all black with a single beam of light in the middle. I emerge from the darkness and step into the spotlight and look up. I already know what’s gonna happen but I can’t help looking. I know I’m gonna see that woman on the hospital bed giving birth. I know I’m gonna see blood splattering all over the place as a maniacal doctor gives her the worst C-section ever witnessed. He practically saws her in half.
The doctor opens her stomach like a lid and picks the baby up, ripping off the umbilical cord. The doctor takes off his right glove while holding the baby in hand, and his right hand glows red. Blood red. He hovers his hand over the baby’s face and body and it begins to glow red. Babies usually cry when they’re born but this one is quiet.
Too quiet.
The baby opens its eyes and they glow red. Blood red. The baby looks up at the doctor and the doctor places two fingers on the baby’s tiny chest, over its heart. He exhales deeply and his fingers start glowing orange as they burrow their way in. The baby doesn’t scream, doesn’t cry, in fact, the baby seems to be at perfect ease. It closes its eyes and breathes normally. The doctor removes his fingers and left no hole of wound of any sort. It was like the baby was never touched. The doctor walked the baby up to a window and opened it. A gust of wind powerful enough to knock over a grown man blows into the room. The doctor extends his arms, baby in hand, out of the window and lets it go without hesitation.
IV
Suddenly, I open my eyes to the white ceiling in my apartment. Cuts, scratches, and stripped paint all over from the wild parties I used to throw when I first moved in. My back aches, my legs hurt, and there’s an annoying crick in my neck as I struggle to pick myself up. All I can manage to do is sit up when I see Ruby standing over me with her hands on her hips like a dominatrix about to give me a spanking.
“Enjoy your trip?” She asks with a smirk on her face. “You look terrible.”
“Fuck you.” I say back as I turn over and struggle to pick myself up. “What the hell was all that?”
“I just sent you back in time a few thousand years, nothing special.” She replies. “It seems you have some skill after all, I expected Gregorus to have your ass over a fire.”
“Well, if you wanna kill me, you’re gonna have to get someone a lot stronger than that.” I say as I get on my feet and turn to face her. “I just barely got outta Notch One with that guy.”
“Notch One?” She asks with a raised eyebrow. “Elaborate.”
I check my abdomen to see if I’m still bleeding. The wound is healed and leaves a more or less gnarly scar across my stomach, another reminder to keep my guard up.
“I said elaborate.” She says with a fierce tone and an intense stare, one that would burn through an ordinary man.
I return the intensity in my stare and we have another face-off. Her eyes glow a luminous blood red and reveal the gruesome deaths of thousands of men before me. Heads being chopped off, limbs being torn apart, organs being ripped out and eaten like sirloin steak. Something tells me this lady is serious, and that this is one fight I don’t wanna start.
“It means I can control my strength.” I say finally. “Nothing special.”
“There’s more to that.” She flips her hair with no hands and grills me.
I sigh and roll my eyes, “Since I was born I’ve been a bit stronger than others. At age three I could pick up a motorcycle with one hand. At age five, I could pick up cars and at age seven I was able to stop buses. All with my bare hands. When I was ten, I got into my first fight. A bunch of sixth graders were bullying some kid and I stepped in and helped, the kid being picked on ran and left me hanging so I had to fight them myself. At that time, I’d learned to hold back, but not a lot. I punched one kid in the chest and his left lung collapsed and he had to be taken to the hospital. I dislocated another kids’ jaw and he had to get surgery, and so on. I didn’t get arrested since I was a kid living in a foster home but I did have to transfer schools.”
“Continue.” She says still grilling me.
“Middle school was no different. I could control my strength to some degree but it still wasn’t much. They put me in special education for behavioral issues but that didn’t solve anything. There was this gang of kids in my class that thought they ran shit and picked on everyone else. They tried to pick on me and I punched one of them in the stomach and made him throw up his breakfast. The other kids took a step back, but one still thought he could take me until I grabbed him by the neck and choke-slammed him. The other kids ran away.
“Shit took a turn for the worst in high school. Freshmen year was alright, until Freshmen Friday. A couple senior thought it’d be funny to bump into me in the hallway ever period and make threatening gestures with their hands saying I’m dead meat. I let it slide. After school let out, when I was heading home, the seniors followed me so I led them to the park just behind the school. I threw off my bag and turned around. I asked them were we throwing down or what, they threw their stuff down too and we got to it. I knocked every one of them out with one hit, no contest. I reached into one of their pockets and took out a cellphone and called the ambulance then left the scene. They didn’t bother me after that.
“I got kicked out the foster home and had to get it myself, so I started robbing robbers. Taking from innocent people ain’t my thing. Gangsters, mob bosses, criminals, thieves, didn’t matter. I robbed them all. One time I got arrested after a gang fight I got into. Well, more like an eight on one but you get the picture. Dislocated jaws, broken arms and legs, collapsed lungs, paralysis from the waist down, you name it. I gave’em every injury in the book and not a scratch on me. My arresting officer was someone I knew well, since I got arrested every other weekend for some stupid fight. He said I always know how to take it up a notch, and then I got to thinking “Notch” was a good name for me so I told him to call me that from now on and he did.”
I shrug my shoulders, “That’s the story lady, what else you want?”
“That’s your life story, yes.” She takes her eyes off me and puts a hand on her chin and gets to thinking. “But that still doesn’t explain your strength.” She looks back at me. “Show me. Show me your full strength.”
“Hell no.” I say flatly. “I’d blow out the wall and half the building if I did that.”
“What’s your point?” She asks.
“Point is, lady,” I reply, “I live here. And if I wanna keep living here, that means keeping the building intact.”
“If the location bothers you that can be easily solved.” She snaps her fingers and suddenly we’re in the mountains surrounded by nothing but rocks and a blue, cloudy sky. “Is this better?”
“Yeah, sure. . .” I look around in pure amazement. How the fuck did she do that? I think.
“So,” I ask, “How exactly do you want me to show my full strength?”
“Simple.” She snaps her fingers again and suddenly a giant boulder is right in front of me. If I had to guess, I’d say this thing was about twenty feet high and eighteen to nineteen feet wide. “Smash that with your fist.”
I look at the boulder, “That’s it?”
“Depends on what you show me.” She gives me that intense, spartan stare again.
“Alright,” I sigh, “give me a sec will ya?” I add. “I haven’t unleashed in a while.”
“Take all the time you need.” She says. “I’ve got all day.”
I face the boulder and take a few steps back to evaluate it. Seems like Notch One will do, I think to myself. I take a deep breath and clench my fist; the veins in my arms start to protrude slightly and I can feel the burn slowly coming on. I pull my fist back and let it rip on the boulder. It slides back about five feet and there’s not a scratch on it.
“What the hell. . .?” I say to myself as I hear her laughing from the sideline. “That rock should be in pieces.” I look to her. “What the hell’s going on here?”
“Maybe you should be asking yourself that.” She continues laughing. “That boulder is made of a special material, and will only break when a certain amount of force is applied.” She continues, now giggling. “Seems you’ve yet to turn it up a notch, or is your dial already at its maximum?”
Now she’s getting annoying. I turn from her and walk up to the boulder. Let’s see this rock handle Notch Two, I think to myself. I clench my fist tighter and my veins protrude even more, at this point they’re full-on varicose. “Notch Two” I say as I punch the boulder again and it goes flying about ten feet this time.
“What the fuck?!” I say aloud. “No rock’s that strong.”
“I told you,” She says from a few feet behind me, “that’s no ordinary rock.” She adds. “I can see how you might’ve defeated Gregorus, but if you’re going to be my warrior you’ll have to be much stronger than your current state.” I felt the heat of her stare on the back of my neck. “And I know you have more strength than that, don’t you?”
“First off, what the hell are you talking about?” I ask. “Who said I was gonna be your warrior or whatever-the-fuck? I answer to no one.”
“That’s adorable.” She says off-handedly. “You think you’re calling the shots. Well, we’ll just have to sort that attitude of yours out later, won’t we? Now hurry up and smash that rock, we’ve got business to attend to.”
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from meeting this woman so far, it’s that arguing with her is a waste of time and fighting her is suicide. I turn to the boulder for a third time and take a long, deep breath and say, “Notch Three” as I charge it with supernatural speed, a soundwave letting off behind me. I pull my fist back and let it rip when I get within inches of the boulder and this time, it doesn’t slide back. Instead, a hand is holding my fist and it’s sizzling from the force I put behind the punch.
“So,” a voice coming from the rock says, “you’ve decided to get serious, Notch.”
I pull my fist from the rock’s hand and leap back a few feet as it transforms into a rock monster of some sort. If I had to guess, it stands at about eight to ten feet tall. It has the body of an endomorph with broad shoulders, a potbelly, muscular arms and legs. His body is brown and his face looks like that of a human, except his eyebrows look like a cliffside, his mouth like the bottom of a cliff and the shape of his head an angular circle.
“This is what she meant when she said it wasn’t an ordinary rock.” I say to myself. “If it took Notch Three just to wake him up, seems I do have to take it up.”
My left hand starts tingling a little bit at the prospect of having a real fight. One look at this rock guy and I know he’s not a weakling like that ogre. I smirk as I start cracking the joints in my hands and a flame is awoken within me. I start stretching out as I expect to get a real warm-up for once in my life. I notice Ruby with a self-satisfied look on her face from the sidelines but that’s irrelevant now. Even so, if she keeps picking opponents like this one I just might consider being her warrior or whatever.
“So, you’re no ordinary rock.” I say. “Got a name.”
“My name is Axl” The rock responds. “it is my pleasure to break you in front of the lady Ruby.”
“Break me?” I say back. “That’s a good one. Everyone that’s said that is in the hospital.”
“Good,” He says, “at least you’ll have company when I send you there.”
Ruby appears between us and looks us both in the eye, “Alright boys, I want a smashing good fight! The more bloodshed the better. I want to see you two really going at it. Leave no part of the body unscarred, no limb untorn, and, if one of you can manage to kill the other that would be fantastic, as I can only have one warrior.”
“With pleasure, lady Ruby.” Axl says.
“So, it’s that type of fight. Alright then.” I smile devilishly.
She reappears on the sidelines and says, “Alright boys, let the fighting begin!”
V
I close my eyes and take a deep breath and relax all my muscles as I take my stance. Axl does the same. We size each other up with our eyes, looking for any openings to exploit and gain a quick advantage but that proves to be a stalemate. He has no openings. His stance is solid, his defense looks perfect and his demeanor shows he’s been in his fair share of fights. . .and has won many of them. I look him straight in the eye as he searches for openings in my stance, but, as he squints his eyes slightly, to the point of being unnoticeable, I sense he can’t find any openings either. The wind blows occasionally and the tension between us rises; Ruby waits patiently with a smirk on her face and her legs crossed and arms folded. I can sense she’s aware of the stalemate Axl and I are in, if she weren’t, she would’ve told us to get on with the match. I inch my foot forward slightly, deepening and widening my stance and Axl’s eyes glance to catch my movement. So, a burst of speed won’t work on him, eh? Guess I have to turn it up a notch. I pick my left heel up so I’m on the ball of my foot ready to push off at a moment’s notice as Axl crouches lower into his stance, strengthening his defense.
So, that’s how he wants to play it. Fine.
I smirk and push off as hard as I can, flashing at him with a burst of speed. His fist comes up just as fast and aims for my face but I sidestep left, flex the muscles in my legs and push off toward his left abdomen. I charge up my fist a couple notches and land a preemptive strike. My fist gets stuck in his abdomen and I struggle to pull it out. Next thing I know, his hand is around my waist and he’s picking me up like I’m an action figure. He spins me around like a hola-hoop and slams me to the ground.
My body bounces up from the impact as he lets me go then grabs me again and flings me into the air. The force of his throw was so great the wind pulled my face back the higher I went. Then, I hear a rumbling sound through the wind, like a rocket ship about to blast off. I manage to turn my head and look down and Axl is flying up with me.
Damn it! I can feel the air getting thinner and my ascent getting slower, and, before I can gain control and alter my momentum, Axl grabs hold of me and we’re diving head first toward the earth. I’m pissed more than anything as I’m about to have my head cracked open and there’s little to nothing I can do about. . .or so I thought.
When the air becomes thicker and I can breathe again, I take a deep breath and clench my fist. I concentrate on all the inner strength I possess but never use. I make up my mind that this is killed or be killed, that there are no rules, no limits, that this opponent is not like the weaklings I can snap like twigs if I take it up even one notch. This opponent I can go all out against. This opponent. . .I can truly destroy.
My eyes open and I flex to break his hold. I flip my body over so I’m feet first toward the earth and I grab his stomach with one hand. I turn and throw him over my shoulder and send him plummeting toward the earth where he makes a large crater in the ground and I land like a black cat. Quiet and Stealthy.
I can feel the power I’ve locked up coursing through me, happy to be released after so many years of suppression. It’s almost overwhelming. Almost. I’ve gone all out a few times in the past in areas where no one was around. I’d make huge craters in the ground with my punches and stomps, much like the crater in front of me. I fold my arms as I feel the cocky, arrogant, and self-satisfied smile come across my face. When I go all out like this, nothing can stop me. Nothing. I chuckle as I crack my neck and walk toward the edge of the crater but stop short, as I sense Axl is waiting for a surprise attack. A surprise attack? Ridiculous.
“Get out that crater asswipe, I know you’re there.” I say as I listen to the quiet rumble beneath the ground. I follow the sound around and around as he tries to confuse me on where he’ll pop up.
Give me a fucking break. The quiet rumble goes on for another minute or so until he pops up directly behind me. I don’t flinch as I elbow him in the stomach. That stops him dead in his tracks. His body slumps over my shoulder and I grab his neck and throw him over. He lays there like the pile of rocks he is and I walk over to him slowly. He rolls over and tries to push himself up off the ground while holding his stomach. When he gets to one knee he crumbles some earth and tries to throw some dust in my face but I close my eyes just in time.
When I’m in this powered up state, all my senses are supernaturally sharp so this distraction of his doesn’t work. I sense the punch coming directly to my face and I catch his fist and squeeze. He grunts in pain and I cut the air with my free arm and the dust blows away. I open my eye and look down on him while he holds his stomach and I grind his rocky hand. It’s almost like I’m sparking a fire so I make a game out of it. I grind and roll his hand and his face scrunches up in all sorts of silly ways.
He looks like one of those gag anime characters who starts out serious but turns out to be as foolish as the rest of them. I get bored and I grab his neck with my other hand and let go of his hand. I pull his face close to mine and look him in the eyes. What I saw wasn’t fear, dread, or any other emotion that signifies uncertainty and doubt. What I saw. . .was acceptance. He knows he’s going to die. No way around it.
I decide to finish the job and pull his head from his body and throw it at Ruby, who’s been sitting quietly on the side this whole time. She catches the head effortlessly and gives me an approving smirk. I clench my fist and punch down on the rest of his body and it disintegrates on contact. I turn my head to her and we stare each other down. The intensity of our gazes could stop a war mid-course and draw everyone’s attention. In this powered up state I feel no fear (not that I ever felt fear aside from first meeting Ruby), in fact, I feel invincible. My fighting sense is tingling and the need to see who’s stronger becomes more pressing and urgent.
She sits there, all high and mighty like a divine goddess who reigns supreme. “I dare you,” that’s what the look in her eyes is saying. “I. Fucking. Dare. You.”, and of course, I walk over to her slowly, the same way I did Axl. The look in her eyes doesn’t change and neither does her position atop the rock. She sits there as calm as ever, as if simply enjoying the weather of a perfect day. I stop when I get to within an inch of her, never breaking eye contact from the moment I looked at her. We stare at each other for what seems an eternity but I finally say,
“Is this what you were looking for?” I ask. “Lady Ruby?”
She smirks and chuckles slightly, “Yes.” Her teeth show as she smiles, “This is exactly what I’m looking for.” She continues. “You’ll make a fine warrior, Notch. A fine warrior indeed.” She adds as she gets up and circles me.
“What’s to stop me from killing you right now?” I ask. “It’d be easy.”
“Oh?” She responds. “If that were the case then why haven’t you?”
“Don’t ask me questions you know the answer to,” I pause, “Mom.”
She stops circling me and rests her arm on my shoulder, “So you knew?” She asks.
“Just a guess.” I say. “When I powered up I felt a connection with you, a relation of sorts.”
“Oh, do tell.” What I say gets her attention. “Describe this relation.”
“It was a bunch of feelings.” I say. “Love, affection, neediness. A bunch of stuff I’d never felt in my life. All of it just came from nowhere.”
“You’re holding back, Notch.” Ruby says. “Come on, talk to your dear mother.”
“There’s nothing dear about you, Lady.”
“Aww, and just when I thought we were getting somewhere.” She hugs me. “Mother and son reconnecting after all these years.”
“Bullshit.” I shrug her off me and power down. “Can’t connect to someone who never existed.”
“Then what was it that you just described?” She asks with a smirk on her face. “A fluke? A result of your releasing your power?” I turn from her to walk away. “Or, have you always felt like this whenever you released your power?”
I stop in my tracks. She’s sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.
“That’s it, isn’t it.” That connection you felt upon releasing your power, that need for love and affection, and care from another being. That’s how you always feel when you release, isn’t it? That’s why you’ve suppressed your strength for as long as you have.
“You don’t care about breaking people too easy. You’re a fighter by blood. A warrior. You thrive in war and conflict. You find joy in fighting. It’s the only thing that makes you feel alive, doesn’t it? You know I’m right, because momma knows best, doesn’t she?” She adds. “And what about that dream you keep having? The one where the doctor throws the baby out the window?”
I turn my head to where only one eye is on her. I want to say something, but nothing comes to mind.
“How do I know about that? I’m glad you ask, Notch.” She flashes right up to me and her mouth is near my ear and she whispers, “because I’m the one that implanted it in your mind.”
As soon as she says that my eyes open and I’m staring at the ceiling. I sit up and my entire body is sore for some reason. I hear footsteps and I look up to find guns pointed at me. Six of them to be exact. I sigh and remain still as the guys make a clearing and another asshole in a suit emerges from my bathroom, drying his hands with my towel like he owns the place. That slicked back blonde hair, that long, aquiline nose, thin lips, big ears and droopy blue eyes, and a self-satisfied smirk that makes me want to punch his head off, literally. It was Wendell.
“So,” Wendell says, “I heard you’ve unlocked the Blood Ruby.”
VI
“What the fuck do you want?” I ask. “Besides that damn ruby.”
One guy cocks his gun and points it closer to my face like I won’t take it and shove it up his ass, “You know I don’t give a shit about that gun, right? And I’ll shove it up your ass if you don’t get it out my face.”
Another guy comes from nowhere and puts his foot on my chest, pressing me to the ground, “Shut up asswipe!”
“Or what princess?” I ask. “You gonna shoot me? Fuck off!”
“Enough!” Wendell shouts. “We don’t have time for this. Where’s the ruby?”
“You mean Lady Ruby.” I say. “Turns out the Ruby is a woman, and that woman’s my mother.”
One guy grabs me by the collar and hits me on the head with the butt of the gun and my head smacks against the floor, “Keep joking around asshole! Only reason you’re alive is ‘cause boss says so.”
“Only reason you’re alive, is ‘cause I haven’t decided to kill you yet.” I reply. “You hit like a bitch.”
He was about to hit me again when Wendell put his hand up then the guy pauses. I look the guy straight in the eye, letting him know his ass is mine when I decide to get up. I look to Wendell and he has an intrigued look on his face. I know I shouldn’t have said that shit, but fuck it, who cares. Hell, I’d pay him to get her off my hands anyway. Besides a deadbeat mom she’s also a bitch.
“Your mother you say,” He raised his eyebrow, “elaborate.”
“Better if I show you.” I say as I grab the guards leg that was on my chest and flung him across the room through the window. The rest of his guards lunged for me, when they could’ve just shot me, and yank me up. After that, I elbow two of them simultaneously and cross-punch the other two and bodies are flying all over the place. Wendell casually sidesteps the bodies as they fly past him and has a look of mild disappointment, but, I know he expected that outcome. How could he not? It happened last time.
Just then, the room took on this red glow. Like those colored lights in a night club or something, except the color carries an aura. A certain energy with it. Bloodlust. While Wendell’s guards are getting up, they look around as a look of fear takes over their faces. Wendell, on the other hand, is perfectly composed. Like he’s actually been in a fight before. The whole time I’ve known Wendell he’s never gotten his hands dirty. For nobody. And every time I try to get my hands on that skinny, giraffe neck of his, a thousand guards come from nowhere and, though I appreciate the exercise, annoys the shit outta me because every time I kick their asses they keep coming back, and I have to hold myself back from killing every single one of them. Every time. Suddenly, a classy and slender figure appears on top of my kitchen table with legs crossed and arms folded like she was doing something important when she was probably fucking some Greek warrior from a thousand years ago. The bloodlust clears and her face is revealed. I look to Wendell and he’s visibly stunned.
“Wendell. Ruby. Ruby. Wendell.” I introduce the two. “There’s your damn ruby, take it if you can.”
“So, that’s why they call it the Blood Ruby.” Wendell says. “It is the prison of the Blood Goddess.”
“So, you know who I am do you?” She asks. “Well, good. Saves me the trouble of introducing myself.” She looks to me. “Who’s your friend love?”
“One, not my friend. Two, don’t call me that. Three, he’s here to take you somewhere.” I say. “Go with him; don’t go with him. Just get the fuck outta my house.” I look to Wendell. “And take that trash with you.” Pointing to his guards.
“I’m heading out.” I say. “Be gone when I get back.”
Ruby flashes to the door and blocks my way, “And where do you think you’re going?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Do you really want to defy me?” She asks in a stern voice.
“Fuck you!”
She backhands me I fly across the room, out the window, and land across the street. I feel like my body is a magnet to the ground, and it’s not long before she’s standing over me and picking me up with one hand like a household object that dropped on the floor.
“You listen here, Boy!” She’s furious. “You’ll watch how you talk to me. I am your mother! Disrespect will not be tolerated under any circumstances.” She pulled me to an inch of her face. “Do you understand me?!”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” I sighed heavily as my back is still killing me.
“Yes, Ma’am!” She said.
I hocked and spit the blood in my mouth to the floor and reluctantly say, “Yes Ma’am.”
She drops me and I land on my back. My whole body is stiff and I can only move it a little. Instead of my back, everything aches like hell. I see her flip her hair with no hands while they remain on her hips. I look across the street and Wendell and his guards are coming out the front door. I don’t know where I threw the other guard that was with them but he’s probably dead. Who cares? Anyway, they all run over with Wendell leading the rear, not getting his hands dirty as usual. Ruby turns to them, hands still on their hips and, I hate to say it, but I agree with her body language. It says, ‘you just seen me slap someone across the room, out the window and across the street and you still think you can take me?’ I roll over to my right and struggle to pick myself up. When I do, my body feels like cement is weighing it down. Step by step I trudge toward a fence to lean on and when I get to it, it’s like relief after a headache. Sweet bliss.
“You just sort yourself out there, love.” She says. “I’ll clean up this rubbish.”
“Yeah, sure.” I say while slumped on the fence barely keeping myself up.
“Your son is a piece of work, Blood Goddess.” Wendell says. But you, might prove to be more so.”
“That so?” She replies. “I’m surprised you’ve been alive long as you have. Figured he would’ve killed you a long time ago. Oh wait, he’s soft” She glances at me briefly.
I’d tell her to fuck off, but seeing what happened I decide to keep quiet. I could give her a heads up about Wendell’s specialty but, like I said, I’ll keep quiet and let her clean up the trash.
“Anything you want to tell me, love?” She asks. “He has an ability, doesn’t he?”
“What are you talkin’ about?” I ask coyly.
“You still haven’t learned?” She glances at me. “Guess I’ll just have to sort you out again, won’t I?”
I roll my eyes then sigh, “He can summon guards.” I say. “They call him Wendell: Man of a Thousand Guards. I know, corny name but it gets to the point. Only way to beat Wendell, is to beat Wendell.”
“So, he’s a creator, is he?” She sighs. “I always hate dealing with them.”
She takes a deep breath and the sky starts to turn red. A dark red aura surrounds her body and she walks slowly toward them. Wendell seems unfazed but I can tell he’s terrified. Types like him are good at putting up a front and concealing their true feelings. You gotta look guys like Wendell in the eye to see what they’re really thinking. More guards start emerging out of the woodwork, cracking their necks and knuckles like they’re about to do something. Surprisingly, they are.
They manifest a type of rope from their hands and it has a blue aura surrounding it. I see chains, hemp ropes, regular ropes, whips, links, you name it they had it. I look over to Wendell and his eyes are a deep sky blue and the same color aura is surrounding his hands as e raises them up and energy strings emerge from his fingertips. This is the first time I’ve seen power like this from Wendell and I have to say I’m not impressed. So, not only can he summon a thousand guards but he’s a puppet master too. Please!
They surround her and she glances from side to side without moving her head. She makes sure to lock onto the real Wendell as she waits patiently for them to make the first move. My body still feels like a ton of titanium and the pressure from her energy isn’t helping either. I’m down to one knee and sinking lower toward the ground and I’m having trouble breathing. My vision is starting to get blurry as the tension between Ruby and Wendell rises. I want to see how this turns out but keeping my eyes open is becoming a mission. I hear something to the left of me but I can barely move my head to see what it is and suddenly I’m being carried off to higher ground.
All I see are black, laced-up heels and leather tights rapidly moving up the side of a building, carrying me along like a rag doll. I’m thrown to the roof like a bag of supplies and land on my back. Hard. My breathing gets better and my vision is clearing up. I roll over to my stomach and try to push myself up but to no avail. My arms still feel like jelly and my legs are gone. It’s like I’m paralyzed from the waist down but at the same time not paralyzed. I can still move them, but the time I’m having in trying to is ridiculous.
I try to look up and see the toe of those leathery, laced-to-the-top heels and then the tight ass and camel toe imprint as she bends down to address me. I already know it’s the cat woman that sometimes stays in my apartment. Those boots are unmistakable. She grabs me by the shoulders and drags me to the edge of the roof so I can see the fight. When she props me on the ledge, I see Wendell getting the upper hand on Ruby.
She’s wrapped to the teeth in chains, ropes, links, whips, and the like. The thing is though, she doesn’t seem fazed. In fact, the sky is still red which means nothing happened. Don’t tell me he’s stupid enough to think he can take her like that. . .it’s Wendell so he probably is. I can’t see her body in detail but something’s telling me she’s annoyed. The ropes restricting her disappear into thin are and she flashes toward Wendell, who, being the bitch he is, summons six guards to get in her way while he tries to find the back way out. I lose track of Wendell and Ruby, but I can still sense her.
Suddenly, I hear a bunch of crashing, banging, screaming, ripping, tearing, and other sounds that usually fill me with joy, but not this time. It annoys me not knowing who’s getting their ass kicked but I can’t move to go see the action. Suddenly, a body erupts from a wall and goes flying a couple hundred feet in the direction where the fight started. I try to focus my vision and I can just barely make out Wendell, all bloody and his suit dirty. Hm, guess we know who won. I see Ruby walking elegantly through the wall in the distance as if going on a stroll through the park. Wendell isn’t looking so good, he can’t pick himself up and, from what I can see, his legs are shot and can barely move. Like mine except worse. A lot worse.
I look back to see if cat woman is still there but it seems she left a while ago. I look back to the fight and see Ruby holding Wendell by the neck, choking him to death. His legs shake in that way when not enough oxygen is getting to the body, his hands are wrapped around her wrists trying to pull away but no dice. She has a vice grip on that giraffe neck of his. She pulls him to an inch of her face, same way she did me and, from the look of it, asks him something. I don’t know what they’re talking about but Wendell is singing like a canary, probably telling her who he works for.
One day and she’s already giving him the squeeze and beating the shit outta me. Gotta give it to her, she’s good. The next thing I see is Wendell’s neck snap and his body go up in dark red flames. All the guards turn to blue dust and get lost in the wind. I see her shoulders rise and fall which means she’s taking a deep breath and the sky reverts to its original color and the stars come back out. I roll myself off the ledge of the roof and lean against it. I’m starting to regain feeling in my arms and legs and my body is beginning to get lighter. I don’t know what the hell that lady did to me, but goddamn she packs a wallop! I test my legs and they become more mobile.
Before long, I can stand on my own two feet and that cement feeling is gone. I hear a gust of wind and don’t even bother to look to my right because I know she’s there with her legs crossed and arms folded like she’s somebody. I look anyway because her gaze feels like the sun on a summer day.
“You enjoy the show, love?” She asks with blood red eyes. “Not my best work but I got the job done.”
“Considering I missed half of it.” I say as I turn away to jump off the building.
“Aww, did you want to see mommy’s moves?” She asks in a condescending tone. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind next time.”
“Whatever.” I say as I jump off the building.
“You can’t change the fact I’m your mum, dear!” She says while I’m falling. “Together forever, and all that!”
VII
A couple of days pass with no sign of Ruby or the cat woman. I go back to my daily routine of looking for underground scouters paying cash to street fighters and sometimes I get hits sometimes I don’t but hey, the fuck you gonna do? I’m outside on the docks looking out at the river and the warehouse guys receiving shipments of who knows what, trucks going in and out and guys sitting on top shipment containers eating pizzeria pizza, buffalo wings and drinking either Coke or Pepsi. The cranes been operating since eight this morning and still going. Every couple hours or so guys switch shifts and whatnot. I can see all this because I’m sitting on top the very crane I’m talking about. It’s a spot I like to chill because no one can find me here, not that it would matter. The night is calm and the stars are out, my hands are a bit limp from punching some walls earlier but that’ll sort itself out.
The gentle breeze feels like heaven and I finally get some peace and quiet with all the bullshit that recently went on. I don’t know where either Ruby or that cat woman is but I hope they stay gone. Especially Ruby. I push those two out my head and just look at the night sky and contemplate life. Just ‘cause I’m a street fighter don’t mean I’m stupid, I just like to knock people out is all. I reach into my pocket and take out that Cuban cigar I been saving for a couple years. I won it at some street fight three years ago along with a fifty-thousand-dollar cash prize, back when they had tournaments in abandoned buildings. You’d probably be surprised to hear this but, the tournaments were run by mob bosses back then. That’s how they scouted out guys strong enough to be bodyguards.
The winners got cash and a job while the losers. . .well, you know that phrase with the fishes. I reach in my other pocket and take out my lighter, which I also won in some street fight, and light the cigar and take a pull and exhale. Sweet bliss. The aroma kinda reminds me of roasted nuts they sell in the city. That sweet smell hugging your nostrils and breaking into your nervous system. An hour passes and I smoke the whole cigar. My body feels lighter and stress-free. I’m totally relaxed as I lay back and stretch out and just look up. It isn’t long before my eyes start to get heavy and I knock out.
I wake up in a dark room with red and black interior. I look down and find myself covered in velvet sheets in a queen size bed, candles lit all over the place like I’m in a Roman/Greek love story or something. I look at my arms and find myself covered in some type of armor and silky material. I fling the covers off me and prop myself on the side of the bed and try to figure out where I am. Everything’s so dim it’s hard to tell what’s even in this place but I make out a door. I’m about to get up and go to it but it opens before I get the chance and an elegant looking silhouette walks in. I can’t make it out at first but when it steps into the light, it’s none other than Ruby.
“Just when I thought I was rid of you.” I say.
“Whatever gave you that idea, love?” She asks rhetorically. “Anyway, I have a job for you. Someone I need you to eliminate.”
“I get paid for this?” I ask. “I don’t care if you are my mother, there’s no free lunch.”
“You’ll be handsomely compensated. Not to worry.”
“Alright.” I sigh. “Who’s the target.”
“The target,” She pauses, “Is your father.”
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