7
I could not hear really what was going on, but I could see the referee was talking to both men who were standing in front of both men. He must have been going over the rules. Apollo looked our way and winked at us and I just gave a smile watching the two. I continued watching seeing Apollo life Ivan's gloves and attempting to touch gloves I assumed, but when Apollo's gloves move to hit Ivan's his gloves remained in place not even moved by Apollo's actions causing a look of mild shock to spread over my brother's face. I was already worried at that moment and the to began to turn from each other.
Ivan looked toward the crowd again, before his eyes fell over our table and he saw me. He looked emotionless and strong. I exhaled hoping if he truly fought my brother, he would not hurt him too much. The bell rang and the two began to take off their robes and put in their mouth guards.
I curled my fingers in my lap and just watched as the two began to dance around the ring. Apollo looked ready and Ivan was watching him calmly. My brother seemed to be moving fast and Ivan was just following him around attempting to throw punches but never fully engaging him. It wasn't too hard to follow both men's bodies around the ring. Apollo now started to throw punches and they were sticking, but Ivan didn't show much pain to it. The two kept moving about the ring, Apollo egging Ivan on who seemed to just attempt to hit him but not fully try to and I was confused by this action. He was waiting.
Apollo was hitting him more and more and for a moment I was unsure if Ivan was really even trying to fight my brother. It wasn't before I heard one of the trainers yelling something that I saw Ivan finally take a violent swing and begin to lay into my brother. My eyes widened and my body convulsed in fear as I watched my brother try and escape his blows, but he wasn't dodging them. He was backed into a corner and my mouth dropped as my hand covered it. It was like seeing a street brawl and this fighting never seemed so real until just now. Ivan threw violent blows that connected into Apollo's sides, his stomach, his face.
My heart was pounding and I have never felt a fear so real. Mary Ann's hand struck mind and gripped it hard for she was just as surprised as me. Ivan got Apollo back into a corner after swinging him across the ring and continued to charge his fist into his face. The bell was ringing violently but Ivan did not stop, the rage in his eyes seeping into his punches.
"What is he doing!" I yelled standing from my seat, the chair almost flipping back. The bell kept ringing to the point Rocky and Dukes was running onto the ring. I could not stand this. I turned and moved from the tables and began to hurry toward the ring.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXHIBITION!" Dukes was yelling. I saw Rocky looking at Ivan who just shook his head at him with a smirk and now I was as close as I could.
"Rocky! Is he okay!" I yelled. He looked over at me with stress in his dark eyes.
"Y-yeah- I don't know!" he called out and by now security was pulling him away and Apollo was moving to sit down and I could see how bloody his face and I winced now being able to fully see him.
"Apollo please!" I called out to him, but he just looked at me panting and exhaling blood through his nose. "Rocky, Rocky don't you let him hurt my brother!"
He needed to stop this fight. He couldn't go on. Not with that beating he just took. I looked at Ivan to see him surrounded by his trainers. I winced and sat back down next to Mary Ann who grabbed my hand quickly. Tears were building in my eyes. Things never got this bad, Apollo was always able to take down an opponent.
Apollo glanced our way as he was preparing to get back up. The look of fear and love in our eyes showed and he just raised his fist to us. I looked at Ivan to see him getting back up in the ring. He looked right at me now and he could see it the fear in my eyes. Don't do this. A tear streamed down my face as we just stared at each other and for a split second I thought I saw remorse, but the bell rang, and all looks of sympathy were gone. Back in his warrior mode, Ivan moved to meet my brother.
The two began to dance around each other, but Apollo was slow and sluggish in his movements. His punches missed and Ivan looked to be just dancing around him as if nothing could stop him. Apollo threw a punch and missed. Ivan began to whale into him again. No matter how far my brother tried to get away, Ivan was there throwing punches. Now everyone was booing and shouting and I think I heard one woman even scream.
"STOP THE FIGHT!" Mary Ann yelled standing from her chair. I was stuck in aww at what was happening. I was used to seeing my brother hurt in the ring, but this, this was pure brutality. I immediately saw a younger version of my brother standing in that ring getting knocked down and I felt everything begin to sink into reality.
I watched the referee attempt to stop Ivan once he got Apollo in the corner, but Ivan threw him off and continued to brutally beat my brother. I stood from my table in utter fear and terror.
"STOP HIM! SOMEBODY STOP HIM!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. That's when it happened. Ivan's fist rammed into my brother's face and this time his arms just flailed and my eyes widened as now he just looked limp as he began to fall toward the ground, but this time it was different. I watched as my brother hit the ground and did not move except for his body jerking a bit
"MY GOD!" Mary Ann screamed and I watched as people ran to the ring flooding it almost immediately and I was just frozen for a split second, before I felt Mary Ann running past me and of course I was right behind her. The entire crowd was in a frenzy as we were trying to fight through them to get to the ring. "LET ME THROUGH APOLLO!"
This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. I forced my way through the crowd the maddening crowd tearing at each other to the point my dress sleeve ripped somehow in the process. I couldn't even see until I smacked dead into the ring itself.
"Apollo!" I screamed. I could hear Rocky demanding an ambulance and I was being pushed by the crowd but I did not move.
"I cannot be defeated." I hear Ivan into a microphone. say and I couldn't see him at first, and I didn't want to. I just wanted to see Apollo. I just wanted to see my brother.
"Rocky where is he!" I screamed for him, but my voice was invisible for all ears as reporters were questioning Rocky.
"Somebody get a doctor in here!" I heard Rocky. "Get that light off him!"
"No!" I screamed wanting to know something, anything about Apollo.
"I defeat all man." Ivan continued and I just felt tear streaming down my face as I made an attempt to climb the ropes to get inside. With the rush I was feeling I managed to get inside.
"Dukes!" I shouted.
"Alicia! Stay back!" Dukes shouted running into me and holding me back.
"Where is he!" I screamed through the crowd.
"Soon I defeat real champion." Ivan said full of breath as if not even tired from this fight. I managed to find Rocky and in his arms was Apollo whose eyes were closed, faced drenched in blood and he was not moving.
"Apollo!" I cried out to him trying to fight Dukes hold to get to him.
"Creed appears to be in very serious condition." I heard a reporter say and I closed my eyes not wanting to believe it.
"And if he dies, he dies." I heard. My head slowly lifted as I felt my heart sink into the ground beneath my heals. He didn't just say that. He didn't just say that! I wanted this to be a dream. I wanted to wake up and everything be okay. I wanted this pain in my stomach to stop. I just wanted it to all stop…
When they pronounced Apollo dead, I just drove away to my lodge and cried. I cried so hard in the darkness of my room. I didn't want to be seen. My phone kept ringing through the entire night into the morning, and so I just took it off the receiver and just cried in the dark. I tore up my room knocking over the dresser and ripping up the sheets and the bed. I wanted to set it on fire. It smelled of everything Ivan and I did nights before and I couldn't believe I had let him in. I did things with him. I ripped up clothes and just sat in the middle of the floor just crying. This was harder just like the horrible moment our mother lost her battle to cancer.
It was five in the morning when I decided to drive back to his home. I couldn't leave Mary Ann alone for much longer. I somehow managed to drive back to his house without any issues although, I didn't remember how I really got there- I don't remember the drive. I parked my car to see familiar family cars in the driveway of the house. I slowly opened the door and got out. I began to walk to the front door only to see it open and Mary Ann come out with wet eyes. I just stared up at her for a moment before we moved and embraced each other crying into one another's shoulders. Rocky and Adrian came out shortly after and embraced us.
Author's Notes
Man this was a rough chapter to type because I get into my feelings with my stuff especially sad stuff. Like dang how is Ivan going to even apologize for this... or will he?
