Hello everyone and welcome back to a new chapter.
I'm very excited to be bringing you folks this chapter as this one has been in the works for months. After a lot of working and building on this story, I'm happy to present you guys the origin story of White Tiger to the Avengers: Infinite Wars universe.
For those who have been following Free Man Writer on Deviantart, he uploaded a cover poster of a future Infinite Wars arc called Homefront which will continue the story of Tony and Earths other heroes as how they handle the absence of the missing Avengers. It will also feature the debuting White Tiger and many other characters into the story. FMW has a lot on his plate when it comes to plans for the future of Infinite Wars and other stories he and Jebest are currently doing and on top of handling so many characters from both MCU and Star Wars alike that he can't simply get around to doing as much he wanted too.
That's where I come in, FMW couldn't cover White Tiger history so he gave the go to write his origin story and how the character will tie into the main story. So White Tiger origin will be Tales of Infinite Wars season 1 finale.
There was an oversight on how I was gonna do this chapter, at first I wanted to do it all and one go but I don't have as much time as I like given how busy I am and such. So I'm gonna divide the origin story into two parts with this chapter being part one. Now I have to backtrack on what I said in previous chapters that I'm only gonna do eight chapters per season and now will end up being nine, at least for this season.
I will preface that the quality isn't top notch and up to FMW and Jebest standards but I hope you guys like what I got. Also there will be Spanish dialogue in the chapter and a translation is at the bottom of the story as I haven't figure how I can put both English and Spanish dialogue together. Please bear with it and hope it doesn't turn you away.
Huge thanks to jesicabavcar for helping me put this chapter together.
Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy.
Queens, New York. Year: 2014
The crowd roared, most of them jumping out of their seats as one of the fighters hit the ground. Both men on the ring were big, but the one that called himself Bone-Saw was downright intimidating. The black and silver wrestling singlet was barely able to contain his powerful muscles, which had veins popping against his skin, making it look like they were about to burst.
The other competitor, who was dressed in white with a tiger-striped motif, got on his hands and knees with difficulty, slowly rising to his feet. Before he could do anything else though, Bone-Saw grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him over in a quick motion. He hooked his other arm across his opponent's upper chest, sending him flying.
"Whoa, what a Clothesline! Lifted Tiger White right off his feet!" one of the commentators exclaimed.
"This is what we were talking about, the raw power that Bone-Saw has displayed in all his matches is unparalleled," the other commentator continued. "What a great night for the Global Wrestling Championship!"
"That's right, Tony. There's a reason why he's been the defending champion for five years straight. For all the viewers out there who are just tuning in, we're witnessing the main event for the GWC World Heavyweight Championship. The Magnificent Tiger White is challenging the veteran Bone-Saw for the title, but it looks like he's in some trouble right now!"
Tiger White stumbled to the corner of the ring, using the ropes as support. Bone-Saw had him trapped now; he made a big swing and punched the Tiger in the gut. He followed up with a right hook, then a jab, then an uppercut. Sagging against the post, Tiger White took a ragged breath in.
A loud laugh rose from the ring as Bone-Saw put his hands on his hips, provoking the other man with a mocking smile. "You think you can challenge me?" he said for the whole arena to hear. "You're a thousand years too early, kitty boy!"
The screams from the people were deafening as they started chanting in an eerie rhythm, "Kill him, kill him, kill him."
"Cabrón," Tiger White spat. He lunged forward with a front kick that caught Bone-Saw by surprise. There were cheers and booing from the crowd as the man stumbled over his feet.
"And Tiger White strikes back!" Tony said, slamming a hand on his table. "Such amazing endurance he has, he's been giving back just as many hits as he's taken, and now Bone-Saw is trying to retaliate."
Over at the rink, Bone-Saw grabbed the Tiger from the back and threw him against the ropes, getting ready to smash him on the canvas again. But Tiger White bounced back and turned slightly, lifting his leg up high and hitting Saw square on the face.
The spectators gasped in unison and watched as the huge man fell flat on the mat.
"Ow! Tiger White superkicks the champion, that's gotta hurt!"
"He's knocked down! This might be it for him if he doesn't get up soon, folks!" the other commentator said excitedly as the crowd got louder.
"Wait, wait, wait, what's Tiger White doing? Is he gonna try to do the Tiger Pounce?"
Indeed, the wrestler was climbing to the top turnbuckle, balancing on the corner of the ring. He jumped high into the middle of the stage, aiming for the fallen fighter. But, just as he was about to finish him off, Bone-Saw rolled out of the way and Tiger White landed face first into the mat. He groaned in pain, clutching his knee while Bone-Saw yelled at the crowd, which was going wild.
"Bone-Saw! Bone-Saw! Bone-Saw!" The roaring went up, people bringing out fake saws to mock-cut their own arms, rooting for their champion to finish the fight.
Bone-Saw stood by his opponent's head and bent to pick him up by the waist, holding him upside down.
"Bone-Saw has him up!" the commentator said with renewed enthusiasm, the hype filling the air around them. "Get ready, folks! Bone Smash Powerbomb!"
After lifting him up slightly higher, Bone-Saw threw Tiger White down, smashing his back against the canvas.
"And he's able to deliver! Oh my goodness! He holds him down and the referee is counting, 3, 2, 1, and it's over! Bone-Saw retains his title!"
The arena exploded. The spectators erupted in chaos, celebrating their champion as he stood on top of Tiger White with his arms up in victory. The referee walked over with the big, golden belt and handed it back to its owner. Bone-Saw yelled, holding the belt for everyone to see.
"I must say, despite his difficulties, Tiger White did a great job. It's a shame that in the end he came up short, but it will be exciting to see how he continues to grow."
-Scene Cut-
The backstage hallways were crawling with people after the fight, staff organising props, tidying up, assisting the fighters; a camera crew following after Bone-Saw; some fans hoping to get a picture.
Among all of them, a guy in a suit was walking around, trying to get someone to help him out.
"Is Hector Ayala here?" he kept asking, but most people were so busy with their tasks that they just ignored him and moved on, and the few that replied said they didn't know.
The man kept walking, looking around for anything that would indicate where the person he was searching for could be. Instead, he saw a man in black pants, a red vest and wristbands that almost knocked him down as he walked out a door.
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention," he apologised immediately.
"That's ok man. Are you good?" the wrestler asked.
"Yes, yes. I'm looking for Hector Ayala, do you know where I can find him?"
"Hector?" he repeated. "Yeah, he's probably in the locker room over there." He pointed to a door at the end of the hall.
The man in the suit smiled, finally he was getting somewhere. He thanked the wrestler and went into the room he'd been directed to. Inside, there were a few more fighters getting changed after the intense night, some were sitting in their stalls, others were going through their stretching routines.
"Hector Ayala?" the man asked out loud. "Is Hector here?"
A guy in the far corner looked over his broad shoulder and raised a hand to grab his attention, then turned back to his locker. He was shoving pieces of black and white clothing into a bag, probably his costume, and glanced at him when the man approached.
His dark curly hair was wet from the showers, falling over his forehead, and his brown skin was glistening with a sheen of water. The man looked tired, but his eyes were friendly as he smiled.
"Hey there. I'm Hector, what can I do for you?"
The man in the suit returned the smile and put out a hand for the wrestler to shake. "The Tiger White himself. It's an honor, sir; that was an amazing performance you did out there."
"Well, I'm glad to see someone still pays attention to me," Hector joked, making the man chuckle.
"I've been a fan for a long time, Mr. Ayala. I'm sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Gabriel Cortes, I'm a promoter for Lucha Star Wrestling. Have you heard of it?"
Hector raised an eyebrow, not sure where this was all going. "Yeah, of course I have."
"My company's anniversary show is coming up in a few months down in Mexico. I've been looking for wrestlers to book for it and I must say, I'm very impressed with your demonstration tonight. The way you handle the ring and the storyline is top notch. How would you feel about being booked for a match in LSW?"
Both of Hector's brows shoot up at that; LSW was one of the biggest wrestling shows outside of the US, it was a huge honor to be chosen for such a big event as their anniversary.
"Thank you so much for your interest in me," he started. "I'm not sure if I can though; my schedule is quite full since there are other wrestling shows that have booked me already." He also had his daughter to think about; she was only seven years old and he wanted to be there to raise her, not to be an absent parent. "I'm really sorry."
Gabriel's shoulders dropped down as he deflated a little, but he composed a quick smile as he reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a small business card.
"Think about it. If you change your mind, please give me a call."
He'd come a long way for this and he wasn't willing to give up so easily. If anything, this was the least he could do.
Bronx, New York
Later that night, back in South Bronx, New York City, Hector was just opening the door to his house when something came barreling towards him, crashing against his middle. He made an 'oompf' sound as the air was partially knocked out of him and looked down into the smiling face of Aya, his daughter.
"Daddy, you're back!"
"Hola, corazón," he smiled, picking her up in a bear hug that made her squeal.
"Easy there, Tiger," a smooth, teasing voice called. "You don't want to make her eyes pop, do you?"
Hector chuckled and dropped a kiss to his daughter's forehead before looking up. His wife was walking towards them, a fond smile on her full lips as she placed her arm around Hector's waist and kissed him on the mouth.
"Holly, you know I could never hurt her, she's too strong! Right, pumpkin?" He ruffled Aya's dark hair, her giggles filling the hall as they walked towards the living room. "Where's everyone else?" he asked his wife.
"Your brother is watching TV on the couch, and your sister and mother are finishing dinner. They've been waiting for you."
As they crossed the threshold, Hector was greeted by the well known sight of his family going about their chores. The room was small, like the rest of the house, but it was theirs and Hector was quite fond of the open plan kitchen and cosy living room. Awilda was helping their mother, Maria, by setting the table as the woman stirred a pot over the hob and, just as Holly had said, Filippo was lounging on the couch with a beer in his hand.
Filippo was the first one to notice them by the door and raised a fist in their direction. "Great match, brother."
Hector smiled, setting Aya on the floor to bump fists with him, "Thanks, man."
"Hector!" Awilda called, bounding towards him to give him a hug. "Congratulations, you were amazing." She squeezed him one last time and went back to her task as he walked over to his mom to kiss her cheek.
"Hola, ma," he greeted her, then sniffed appreciatively. "Huele bien."
"Mijo!" Maria turned to face him and smiled, patting his cheek. She left her hand there as she stared at him with pride. "Que bien que estuviste, eh? Siempre dando lo mejor de ti, tu padre estaría orgulloso."
"Ay ma, no es para tanto," Hector laughed.
"Calla y ve a sentarte, la comida ya está lista." She slapped his hand and shooed him off as they all sat together for dinner.
The table was full, they'd really gone all out to prepare a big meal in celebration for him, and Hector couldn't be more thankful for his life. Maria placed the steaming pot on the table but, before she served any of them, she asked Hector to say their prayers, who obliged happily. He glanced at each of them, his brother, sister, mom, his wife and daughter. They were his reason for living, for getting up every day and doing his best to provide for them, to make them happy.
"Gracias, Señor, por bendecirme con una hermosa familia llena de amor. Gracias por poner comida sobre nuestra mesa y por darnos buena salud. Amén."
They dug in right after that, chatting about each of their days, Aya making them laugh with her antics and ways of saying things with big gestures and wide eyes. Their meals were always like this. Loud. And Hector wouldn't have it any other way.
"Entonces, ¿a dónde vas a llevar a Holly para su aniversario?" Filipe asked.
"¡A México!" Hector said excitedly.
"Hemos reservado para ir en la semana del Festival de México, creo que va a ser una experiencia estupenda," Holly added, smiling widely at her husband.
"¿Qué es el Festival de México?" Aya asked curiously, her head tilted.
Awilda proceeded to explain that the festival was held every year in March and that it was a treat for art lovers, since the city got full of performers. During those times, the streets swarmed with people dancing, music sounded everywhere; they even showcased opera and theatre plays.
"El Festival trae vida a Ciudad de México," Maria chipped in. "Talento y entusiastas del arte se reúnen por dos semanas para disfrutar. Todavía recuerdo cuando Nestor me llevaba allí en nuestros viajes."
"¿Mi abuelo?" Aya asked.
"Si, tu abuelo." Maria looked up, her eyes getting a faraway look. "Nestor siempre me hacía reír."
Everyone went quiet for a second, praying for their dead family member to Rest In Peace. He'd used to be the one to look after all of them, who'd always brought joy with him. He'd also been the one that had inspired Hector to become a pro wrestler. Nestor had started his career in Puerto Rico, where they all came from, and had worked his way up until a spot was offered for him in the States. That's when he'd moved with all his family to New York and, on top of his wrestling job, decided to open a convenience store in the Bronx to help bring an income for his family.
Everything had been looking up when tragedy had struck. Nestor got into an accident during a wrestling match and had been rushed to the hospital. Doctors had done all they could, but it'd been too late. Nestor had passed that same night, leaving Hector, as the elder, to take up the role of man of the house.
"¿Cuánto tiempo se quedarán allí?" Awilda asked, snapping Hector out of his musings.
"Al menos una semana," Holly replied.
A squeak came from the end of the table and everyone turned to look at Aya, with her big, pleading eyes. "¿Puedo ir? Anda mami, ¡prometo portarme bien!"
"Lo siento, cariño," Hector made a face as he patted her head, "pero tú tienes que ir a la escuela y este es un viaje especial para papá y mamá."
"¡No es justo! Yo también quiero ir al Festival," she pouted.
"Mira, ¿qué te parece si te traigo un lindo souvenir, eh?" Hector tried to quell her, before turning to the rest of his family. "Eso me recuerda… ¿Podrían cuidar a Aya mientras no estamos y llevarla a la escuela?"
"Pues claro, eso ni se pregunta, mijo," Maria said.
"Estaremos encantados de tener a nuestra pequeña princesa con nosotros," Awilda added, smiling at Aya.
With the promise of presents and some fun time with her favorite aunt, Aya decided maybe it wasn't so bad to let her parents go alone.
-Scene Cut-
Dinner had long since ended, Aya had finally been subdued and put to sleep, but Hector was still wide awake. He was sitting at the edge of the bed, bent over a stack of old photos as he flicked through them. There was one of him in the wrestling ring, posing with a trophy and a title belt. Another one had him and his wife at the arena, meeting after a match, with Holly smiling at the camera and Hector smiling at her, his arm around her waist. The next one was of them too, but on their first date at the old arcade, both of them completely engrossed with the game they were playing as they jostled each other. Hector snorted when he remembered how much Holly had teased him when she'd absolutely kicked his ass. Then there was one of their wedding day and one of him and Holly at the hospital, holding a recently born Aya with huge smiles on their faces.
"What are you looking at?"
Hector looked up to see Holly stepping out of the bathroom, her shoulder against the door frame and her arms crossed. It didn't matter how many years passed, the sight of Holly always managed to take his breath away and Hector used this chance to slowly take her in.
She was wearing a short nightgown, her long legs on full display as she just stood there. The way she was leaning accentuated the curves of her body, which seemed to flow even though she wasn't moving at all, and her warm almond skin was glowing under the light of the bedside table lamp.
Holly smiled when she noticed Hector's gaze roaming her figure and started making her way towards the bed, straddling Hector's hips to sit on his lap.
"Oh my God, what was I wearing that day?" she laughed when she noticed the pictures.
"What are you talking about? You looked beautiful," Hector assured, nuzzling her nose. He looked into her chocolate eyes, the way her face was framed by those tight, dark curls that he loved so much and smiled. "You always do."
"Ok, Mister, I see what you are doing." Holly smirked playfully and, when Hector raised an eyebrow, she added, "You're just trying to butter me up so we go for the hotel that you want."
Hector laughed, one of those that came from the belly and made your whole body shake. He cupped Holly's cheek and kissed her. "That was absolutely not my intention, but we do need to choose our accomodation. It's the only thing left for the trip."
"I'm just saying, we've been waiting for this for a long time. It's our ten year anniversary. Might as well go all out on it, don't you think?"
"Fine," Hector said, kissing her again, "we'll do as you want. As usual."
After slapping him lightly on the shoulder, Holly put her arms around his neck and leaned in to put her forehead against his. "I can't wait," she sighed. "I'm a bit concerned Aya might get lonely though."
"With Awilda around? That girl is gonna have the time of her life," Hector chuckled. "But, you know, I've been thinking about something."
"Oh?"
"What if she had someone else to stay with her and play with?" Hector hinted, checking if Holly was following what he was trying to say.
"Like a playdate?"
"Something like that." Hector wrapped his arms around Holly's waist, bringing her even closer. "I was thinking more of a little brother or sister."
It took a few seconds. Holly stared at him for a bit, letting the words sink in and, when they did, her smile could have lit up the whole world. "Yes. Oh my God, yes, I would love to. Do you want to?"
"I've been thinking about it for a while now." He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Me too. I just wasn't sure if it was the right time. Maybe we can start trying after we get home from Mexico?"
Happiness coursing through his whole body, Hector smiled and flipped them over so he could lie on top of Holly on the bed, making her squeal and laugh. "After we get back."
-Scene Cut-
Mexico City, Mexico
The Festival was every bit as colourful as Hector'd imagined. The first few days after arriving in Mexico were spent going around town, checking the most popular landmarks and trying new food, but today they were finally going to enjoy the show.
The streets were flooding with people, some dressed casual and others going all out with striking costumes and make up. Music floated in the air and everyone seemed happy; the atmosphere was so lively that it was impossible not to be absorbed by it. Holly had spotted a stall where you could get your make up done and she'd insisted she had to do it, so Hector was left waiting for her to finish.
"How's it going, love?" he asked, feeling happy at just how energetic Holly was, like a small kid.
"You tell me, H." She turned around as the makeup artist stepped away, showing off the traditional Día de Muertos style they had used on her. Hector laughed as she striked a pose and placed his hands on her hips.
"You look amazing, but now I can't kiss you."
"Don't you dare, you'll ruin it!" Holly said with mock horror. Taking his hands, she started walking backwards towards the crowd. "C'mon, let's dance!"
There was nothing Hector could do but follow. He would probably follow her anywhere she wanted to if it meant he could see that smile, watch her carefree self as she closed her eyes and started moving to the beat.
They danced for a long time, following the path the performers were going, stopping only occasionally to look at the stalls strewn all over the city that sold food and souvenirs.
"Oh, look at that cute tiger doll!" Holly said at one of those shops. "It seems rather unusual, don't you think?"
"I thought you already had a tiger at home?" Hector teased. Holly smacked him in the arm, making Hector laugh.
"It could be my lucky charm for when you have a match." She said it calmly, but Hector knew how much she worried about him, how tense she got whenever he got hurt, how much she prayed for him to be safe. After what had happened to his father, he couldn't really blame her.
Just then, people started cheering loudly in front of them, as some of the dancers started a special performance. Holly tugged at his sleeve, pointing in that direction.
"Oh, let's go watch!"
"I thought you wanted to buy this?"
"We'll come back for it later, I don't want to miss the fun."
They went along and enjoyed themselves like they hadn't done in a long time. They didn't get back to the hotel until late that evening, both of them completely exhausted but happy. Finding the stall that had the tiger after they had been strung along by the people had proven impossible, but it had given Hector an idea.
The next morning, they went to watch a theatre play that had been greatly advertised and, after that, decided to go exploring the places they hadn't seen yet.
"Look, there's a market over there. Let's see if we can find something for Aya," Hector proposed, although there was something else he had in mind as well.
"Yeah, that child will be very upset if we don't," Holly rolled her eyes, but there was no real malice in her voice. Rather, she seemed really excited to find something for their daughter.
"Why don't you go over that side and I'll check this side?" Hector tried not to sound suspicious but, by the way Holly was looking at him, with that glint of mirth in her eyes, he wasn't sure he'd succeeded.
"Sure, H," she said, before placing her hands on his chest and leaning in for a kiss. "I'll see you later, yeah?"
She didn't wait for a reply and instead turned around and swayed her way to the far end of the market. Going on his own way, Hector didn't waste a second to start roaming the place. He wanted to find a nice gift for Holly and he probably wouldn't have much time, but he wanted it to be perfect.
There were all sorts of things for sale, jewelry, traditional dolls, flowers, flags, but nothing like what Hector had in mind. He wanted to find a charm that would make Holly feel more at ease, and a symbol that he would always look out for her. It felt sort of poetic to give her something that meant they were both looking out for each other on their anniversary, kinda like taking their vows again. Smiling at that idea, he went from stall to stall, taking mental notes of everything that caught his eye, until he stumbled upon a necklace that seemed to stand out and felt immediately drawn by it.
It had a long silver chain, with two pearly green stones shaped like paws and a tiger head in the middle. Something about it told Hector that this was exactly what he was looking for. He didn't hesitate, he just bought it, asking to get it wrapped in a nice box to present it in.
Feeling content with his choice, he thanked the clerk and was about to head out when he heard gunshots going off all around.
In a second, everything turned to chaos. Hector quickly ducked for cover as people started screaming and running while the shots kept firing, tables were turned and merchandise flew on the floor. He looked one way and the other, his heart beating fast against his ribs and his mind still trying to catch up with what was going on, but he didn't see who was behind all this.
Above all the commotion, a loud scream reached Hector's ears and his blood went cold. Not thinking about it twice, he ran into the mayhem, bumping against people running in the opposite direction.
Please, God, please, please.
He kept repeating that in his head like a prayer, but his brain went numb when he finally reached the scene. There were a few bodies lying down, some shoppers with wounds trying to get away, a fire raging at the side, slowly eating everything in its way.
And in the middle of it all, Holly was standing on shaky legs, holding her stomach as blood spread around her hands, covering her dress in red. Hector's vision tunneled into that moment, just as Holly raised her pained eyes and looked directly at him before falling to the ground.
"Holly!" He sprinted to her side, catching her in the last moment as they both crumbled in a heap. "Holly no, no, no, please." Tears were already streaming down his face, falling on Holly's cheeks as he held her between his legs. She felt heavy in his arms, her weight resting almost completely on him. Desperate, Hector looked around for someone, anyone. "¡Ayuda! ¡Por favor, alguien que me ayude!"
He felt a hand brushing against his jaw and focused on Holly again. Even that small touch seemed to cost her a lot, her arm trembling with the effort. He glanced down at her other hand and was horrified to see how much blood was now drenching her clothes, the stain so dark against her palms that had gone paler than he'd ever seen them.
Cupping her cheek, Hector rubbed his thumb in circles over and over, like that could solve anything, but somehow he couldn't look her in the eyes. "Everything is fine, ok? I'm gonna get help and you're going to be fine."
Holding her hand against his face seemed to be taking up all of her energy, but still Holly smiled weakly. "Take care of Aya, ok?"
"No, no, no, you're ok," Hector said, his voice cracking. He cradled her head carefully, bringing her closer so that he could place his forehead against hers. "Please, Holly, you're ok."
The touch on his cheek disappeared as her arm fell limply at her side, the weight suddenly getting heavier. Hector lifted his head quickly.
"No…No!"
He frantically caressed her face, trying to get a response from her but, when he finally looked into those deep brown eyes that he loved so much, the ones that were always full of joy and that had bewitched him from the first time he'd met her, they were vacantly staring up at the sky.
-Scene Cut-
Bronx, New York
It wasn't raining like in the movies, a few weeks later when they held the funeral. It was sunny, with fluffy clouds sprinkled here and there in tones of pink and orange in the early sunset, and a nice breeze brought the scent of pine needles and grass.
It felt wrong.
Hector was devastated by Holly's death, and it felt wrong that the sun still shined so brightly, that the birds were singing and that everything else kept moving when he was still stuck in that market, holding his wife's lifeless body.
He knew, deep down, that Holly would have preferred it like this, that she would have hated for it to be a gloomy, rainy day. He could almost hear her tutting, telling him to feel the warmth on his skin, to take Aya to a park to play, that he needed to stand tall for her.
That thought was the only thing that gave him strength to stand in front of all the people that had gathered and speak up.
"Holly and I met by chance," he started, voice wet and eyes lined with silver. "She was there at the front row of one of my wrestling shows, looking absolutely stunning. I saw her as soon as I got into the ring and was so distracted that I almost missed the beginning of the match." A few small laughs lifted the mood a bit; Hector himself felt the corner of his mouth tug slightly up at the memory. "She cheered all throughout the match and I tried looking for her after it was over, but I couldn't find her. And then I just bumped into her in one of the halls," Hector chuckled. "I don't know how she snuck there, but Holly had her ways. She started talking about the show and how much she'd enjoyed it and I was so enraptured by her excitement that I asked her out right then." He made a pause, taking a deep breath in. "Through the years, she kept supporting me, gifting me with her cheerfulness and sharing her good heart with me.
"She blessed me with our daughter, Aya, and helped me raise her into a beautiful girl." Hector glanced at where she was now, cuddled against Awilda, crying her eyes out, and his heart broke all over again. "Holly was an amazing woman, who gave us a lot to be thankful for and taught us that life is something to be enjoyed at its fullest. And we will never forget her."
Many people came up to him when the ceremony was over, all with sympathetic faces, to give him their condolences, trying to get him to talk or help in whichever way they could. But all Hector wanted to do was go back home with Aya and mourn on his own.
Everything was made so much worse by the fact that they hadn't caught whoever had started the shootout. All Hector knew was that it had to do with some cartel crossfire, but they wouldn't give him any more information than that, no matter how much he asked.
-Scene Cut-
The house seemed awfully quiet when they got back. His family gave him the space he needed as he carried Aya to her room, tucking her into bed carefully. She'd been having nightmares ever since Hector came back from Mexico and it pained him to see her so tired. She was so small...
"Why did mommy have to go?" Aya asked in a tiny voice.
Breathing in deeply, Hector swallowed his own grief and hugged his daughter, petting her hair. "Sometimes God does things that we don't understand, pumpkin. But never forget that Mom loves you, wherever she is." He leaned back so he could look into her honey eyes, which were so similar to his. "And I love you too, ok?"
Aya sniffed before nodding. "I love you too, Dad. Will you stay until I fall asleep?"
"Of course, mi amor. Sleep well, I'm here." He dropped a kiss on her head. "I'll protect you."
Once she fell asleep, Hector went back to his own room and sat at the end of the bed. Finally alone, he allowed himself to break down into tears once more, great heaving sobs wracking his body. Everything reminded him of Holly. How ironic that it was precisely here when they had planned to expand their family, that they'd looked forward to a bright future that could no longer be.
He cried for who knew how long, memories flashing through his brain until there was nothing left, until he felt empty.
He'd failed her.
All he'd ever wanted was to make Holly happy, to keep her and his family content and safe. The promise that he'd made when he'd bought that tiger necklace seemed like a joke now.
Walking to his nightstand, Hector opened the drawer and grabbed the box that had laid unopened ever since he'd gotten back. He pushed the lid up, tracing a finger down the charm that Holly hadn't even gotten to see. His throat tightened up at the thought that she would never be able to wear it, to laugh off at his antics like he'd hoped she would even though she would have treasured the necklace all the same.
With a pang in his chest, Hector grabbed it and put it around his neck. His head snapped up as soon as he did, a weird feeling going through his body. His hands started shaking and, for a second, Hector thought he was going to be sick. Getting up, he tried to walk to the door but everything started spinning and he felt himself stumbling down, just before everything went black.
-Scene Cut-
When Hector came back to himself, he had no idea what time it was or where he was. He was lying next to a dumpster in an alleyway somewhere in the city, but had no memory of getting there. How long had he been out?
He got up with a groan, rubbing a hand through his pounding head and that's when he noticed the weirdest thing yet. His hair seemed to be covered by something, as were his hands and, now that he felt more awake, he realised the rest of his body was the same.
"¿Qué carajo?"
He lifted his hands in front of his face which were, in fact, covered in some white, leathery gloves. Confused, Hector walked to a window at the end of the alley and, when he stood in front of it, he almost jumped out of his skin.
"¡Madre de Dios!" He stumbled back, getting away from the reflection the glass was throwing at him. What is that?
Walking carefully, as if he was approaching a venomous snake, Hector got closer to the window and inspected himself. He was wearing a sort of white costume that covered him from head to toe, with carved lines in a weird geometrical pattern and dark grey accents. There were also armored shoulder plates and bracers apart from the mask that made him look like something fierce.
How had he gotten into this thing? There were so many questions he had no idea how to answer and, quite frankly, was kind of scared to even try to. What had he been doing before? And where the hell were his clothes?
Peeking out into the deserted street, Hector realised he was a few blocks away from his house, but there was no way he could go back home looking like this. He would scare Aya, something she certainly didn't need right now, and how could he ever explain this to his family?
Instead, he decided to run to Jack's place. He would probably know what to do; out of the two of them, he was the smart one after all.
He was on his way there, passing through a dark street, when he heard some struggling.
"Please, take it!" a frail voice was saying.
Hector stopped at a corner and glanced to the side, where an old man was holding his wallet out to a man that was aiming a gun at him.
"The watch too! Quickly," the robber said.
Hector acted without thinking. His feet moved on their own as he propelled himself forward and pushed the criminal aside, with so much force that the man went flying a few feet back and crashed against a wall. Stopping on his tracks with his hands still half raised, Hector's eyes widened.
He hadn't meant to use so much force; he was pretty sure he'd only applied enough strength to shove the guy slightly, maybe have him fall on his ass, not to outright sweep him off his feet. In fact, he didn't even know he could do something like that.
"Who the f—" the man started to say, but was interrupted when a cop came running towards them.
"Freeze!" he yelled, aiming his own gun.
Only this time, the end of the barrel was aimed at Hector. Surprised, Hector took a step back as he realised that the cop thought he was the mugger. Would they believe him if he tried to explain the situation in his current attire? Not willing to find out, Hector bolted out of there, ignoring the screams that followed after him and hoping that the old man would vouch for him.
"Dios mío, what the hell is going on?"
-Scene Cut-
Jonathan Hart was not a fan of big, exciting nights. Most of his time was spent on his computer, working, learning new things about coding, surfing. It's what he felt comfortable with and where he excelled at, doing those things a lot of people found boring or too hard to understand. Not that he didn't like going out, he enjoyed jogging in the morning, going to his favourite coffee shop or meeting with his friends. Though he hadn't been doing much of the latter lately, what with his best friend going through such a horrible time and all.
He'd known Hector since they were kids, but today at the funeral was the first time that he'd ever seen him so broken. The feeling of helplessness as he watched his friend crying while he said goodbye to his late wife had not left him yet; he'd tried being there for Hector, but he just wanted to be alone, and so Jack could only wait and be there for his friend in whichever way he was needed.
Sighing, Jack went back to his computer to finish some of his work, but had barely sat down when there was a rapid knocking at his door.
He frowned, as he wasn't expecting anyone at that time of night. The pounding got more insistent —and annoying— as the seconds ticked by, so Jack huffed and went to the entrance, almost getting knocked down as soon as the door opened a tiny sliver and a man pushed his way in.
Jack scrambled against the wall, his eyes widening as he took in the figure standing in front of him. He was clad in white, the powerful muscles underneath made evident in such a tight attire, and he looked every bit as menacing as his presence felt.
The man was making frantic, anxious gestures, saying something that Jack was too stunned to understand at the moment.
"What do you want?" Jack asked, trying to sound tough when, in reality, he was thinking of the best way to escape from this situation. If he was fast enough, maybe he could get out of the house and run to the police—
"¡Jack! Maldita sea, Jack, ¡soy yo!"
That snapped Jonathan out of his thoughts, as the words finally sank in. He recognised that voice. "¿Hector? ¿Eres tú?"
"¡Si! I've been telling you that since I walked in, is it hard to hear me with this mask?"
"What the hell man! Are you trying to scare me to death?" Jack said without thinking, and then winced at his choice of words. He continued quickly so that Hector wouldn't dwell on that too much. "I thought you were an intruder or a spy or something."
"Why would someone like that come here?"
Jack waved a dismissive hand. "That doesn't matter, what's more important… Why are you here in the middle of the night wearing that? Is that a new thing for your shows?"
"No amigo, no." Even if Jack couldn't see his face, he could tell how distressed Hector was by the sound of his voice, strained and with a hint of panic. "I need your help."
"What happened? Are you ok? What's going on?" Jack shot one question after the other, concern for his friend taking over. He guided him over to the table, where they both sat down, not before Jack snatched a bottle of whisky and two glasses. "Thought we might need some," he shrugged. "Can you take that mask off? It's creeping me out."
"I… I don't think I can."
Jack frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Yo… yo no sé qué hacer. I was at home, thinking about— thinking about things, when…" Hector gasped and raised his head; Jack could almost picture his raised eyebrows and open mouth. "The necklace. ¡Eso es! Everything was normal but then I put on the necklace and I started feeling ill… It has to be that. It must be an amulet of some sort."
"Dude, you're not making any sense right now." And I'm starting to worry about your mental health, Jack didn't add.
"This thing!" Hector yelled, tugging at a weird jewelry hanging around his neck. When that got him no answer from Jack, he sighed. "Ok, ok, listen. This is going to sound crazy and I know that, but please hear me out."
Jack took in the weird sight in front of him. He had to admit, Hector didn't look deranged, just like a man freaking out. And he'd promised he'd be there for his friend, so he owed this to him. So he simply nodded and took a big gulp of the amber liquid in his glass.
"I bought this necklace for Holly when… when we were in Mexico," he rushed the last bit out, like it physically hurt his throat to say it. "And I was just home and I don't even know why I decided to put it on but, as soon as I did, I started feeling awful. Then I blacked out and woke up in an alley, dressed in this stupid costume."
"Ok…" Jack said cautiously, not sure what to make of that.
"That's not all. After I regained consciousness, I could feel this strength going through my body and I swear I didn't run this fast before."
"So, you're saying that this...amulet gives you powers? Like you're some sort of Captain America or something?" Jack said carefully. He was a science man and, by principle, he usually wouldn't believe something like this without proof. But, after that whole mess in New York with the Avengers and the aliens and whatnot, anything was possible.
"I know what you're thinking, ok?" Hector huffed. "But that's the only thing that would explain it. What am I going to do? I tried to take the mask off but it's not coming out! And whenever I try to so much as touch something, it seems to break in my hands. It took a lot of effort not to tear your door down." He looked at Jack —or at least that was what it seemed like, it was hard to tell with the mask on— and his voice turned pleading. "I can't go back home like this."
Rubbing his forehead, Jack downed the rest of his drink and thumped the glass on the table. "Ok. Why don't you try getting out of that costume first?"
"I told you, I can't—"
"I know, I know," Jack interrupted. "But just try, ok? Focus. Try to remember what it felt like when you put the necklace on. Imagine going back to your normal self."
Hector sighed and sagged in his chair, relaxing his muscles. "Ok, I'll try."
It was quiet for a few minutes, during which Jack felt super awkward just sitting there, as it was hard to tell if Hector was looking at him, if his eyes were open or what the hell he was doing. Nothing happened at first, the ticking of the clock being the only sound, but then, out of nowhere, the room was engulfed in a light that seemed to come from Hector himself.
"Holy fuck!" Blinded, Jack covered his eyes and, when the light subsided and he blinked a few times, Hector was there in his normal clothes, looking at his hands in astonishment.
"I did it!"
"Oh my God. What just— Fuck, fuck, fuck, what was that?"
Hector's brows furrowed. "Why are you so surprised? This is what we were trying to achieve, no?"
"Yeah, but I didn't think it would work!"
If he was honest, Jack wasn't sure what he'd expected when he'd suggested trying that out, but it certainly wasn't for his friend to start glowing like a damn firework. Hector ignored his stunned face and reached over to pour himself some whiskey too.
"Amigo, I need to learn to control this. I can't let this happen again if it puts my family's safety at risk."
"Couldn't you just take off the damn thing?" Jack questioned, pointing at the green necklace.
"I guess, but… I have a feeling that's not how it works. And I'm not willing to leave it to chance."
Already feeling drained, Jack sighed but squared his shoulders. "Ok, I will help you."
-Scene Cut-
For the next few weeks, Hector started training to control this new found power, slowly figuring out exactly what it did and how it worked. Jack devised a workout routine that helped with that, but there was still a lot they didn't understand.
The first thing Hector had to do before they could try anything else, was learn how to control the transformation at will. That alone took him about two weeks and the results were far from perfect, but it was enough for them to move on to other tasks.
Some of them were simple enough: check how fast he could run, how much weight he could lift, how long it took for him to get tired. The response to all of those was shocking. Hector couldn't remember ever being in such good shape; it was a little scary, actually. Not only had he improved considerably when he was in his normal form, but when he was in the 'costume form', the levels of those things reached superhuman capabilities.
Then there were the weird things that, if he was being honest, they'd discovered mostly by pure luck. Like the time they noticed that Hector could use camouflage if he stood still, just because he'd been engrossed in his thoughts and Jack had walked right into him, claiming later that he'd appeared out of nowhere.
Or the time when they discovered that Hector now had something like night vision, because he'd accidentally triggered a transformation in the middle of the night and felt blinded for a second, as if he'd been in a dark room and had suddenly gone out under the sun.
And don't even get him started on how dangerous it had been when they'd discovered the retractable claws. Let's just say he was happy he still had all his body parts intact.
Hector couldn't help but feel like there was stuff that they still didn't know, but he was happy that, at the very least, it seemed to be working out.
But the more they learned, more problems started appearing. Hector couldn't help but remember the promise he'd made when he bought the amulet, the one that he couldn't keep: to protect Holly. If he'd actually worn the necklace back then, could he have saved her?
With everything he heard on the news and the things he saw every day, it seemed stupid not to use his new abilities to help others. If he fought against criminals, it would also mean a safer place for Aya, right?
"Don't," was the first thing Jack said when he'd first mentioned it, one afternoon when they were taking a break from training."Why not?"
"First of all, you still have accidents with the transformations. If you were to do something like this, you don't want your face to be exposed to the police or to the people you want to fight against. And second, you have other priorities. You have your job to think of, you have Aya. Your daughter needs her father, now more than ever."
Hector knew he was right, but something kept tugging at the back of his mind. He could do it. He wanted to. And it didn't have to interfere with his normal day to day life. Also, though he would never admit it, Hector desperately needed something to keep his brain busy at all times to avoid thinking too much. Hell, he was practically invincible with this thing, what could possibly go wrong?
And so, against Jack's advice, he decided to protect the Bronx.
Nothing too big just yet, just going after robbers, pickpockets, thugs ganging up on defenseless people, stuff like that. He chose to go under the name of El Tigre Blanco, which seemed awfully appropriate in more than one way.
News of a vigilante protecting the Bronx spread like wildfire, creating fear among the criminals in the area that didn't want to cross paths with The White Tiger.
Jack didn't say anything, although Hector could tell that he was worried about it. So he decided to bring it up one day when he was going through some fighting drills in his backyard.
"It's not so bad, you know?"
"What is?" Jake asked, feigning disinterest.
Hector rolled his eyes, "You know what I'm talking about. It's been a piece of cake, no one is a real match for me right now. The news say that crime rates have dropped more than in the last five years!"
"Yes, but what happens when you encounter someone stronger than you?" Jake challenged. "What then?"
Hector laughed, feeling like it'd been years since the last time he had. It was nice. "That's not possible! Haven't you noticed how strong I am now?" He flexed his muscles to prove his point, but Jake looked unfazed.
"Do you really think you'll be the only one like you out there?"
The smile dropped from Hector's face. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, not sure how to respond to that. He had thought there would be no match for him. Who could surpass the power of some old, magical amulet? But when Jake said it like that…
He was saved from thinking up an answer when his mother came out through the kitchen door, calling for him.
"Hector, ¿podrías ayudar en la tienda por un rato? Parece que hay mucha gente ahorita."
"Claro, mamá. Déjame terminar este último ejercicio primero e iré."
"Gracias, mijo," she said, then turned to the other man. "¿Cómo van las cosas en Roxxon, Jack?" Maria asked, smiling at Hector's childhood friend. She'd known him for so long that she saw him as her own child too.
"Todo va muy bien, Señora Ayala," Jack smiled. "Bastante aburrido, como siempre. No hay muchas cosas interesantes sobre la industria farmacéutica," he laughed.
Hector finished his last set of pushups and got up with a sigh. "Oof, al fin terminamos. Iré a cambiarme y estaré listo en unos minutos," he told his mom.
"Hijo, espera. ¿Puedes venir un momento?" Maria took him by the arm, guiding Hector closer to the back door.
Hector was instantly on alert at her worried tone. "¿Qué pasa, mamá? ¿Está todo bien?"
His mom sighed, suddenly seeming older than she was. "La tienda está hundida en deudas, mijo," Maria started, cutting to the chase. "Si las cosas siguen así...tal vez tengamos que cerrarla."
"¿Qué?" Hector yelled, but checked himself at his mother's raised eyebrow. Clearing his throat, he started again in a calmer tone. "Mamá, ¿qué estás diciendo? Esa tienda es muy importante para nuestra familia, papá la construyó para nosotros, para que tengamos un futuro. Lo hizo todo con sus propias manos. Significa mucho para la comunidad también, todos saben que aquí pueden encontrar precios justos."
"Lo sé, Hector, pero simplemente no tenemos el dinero para mantenerlo a flote."
"Pues entonces usaré el dinero que he ganado de las peleas para pagar la deuda y ya."
"Ni se te ocurra, ¿me oyes?" Maria crossed her arms and looked at him sternly. "Ese dinero es exclusivamente para cuando mi pequeña Aya vaya a la Universidad. ¿Cómo vas a pagar su educación sino?"
Hector knew she was right, Aya's future was one of the most important things right now. But he couldn't even think about selling a piece of his Dad's legacy just like that. There had to be a way. "Mamá, tenemos que hacer algo."
His mom grabbed his cheeks and made him bend down so that she could place a kiss on his head, just like Hector did to Aya. "Ya pensaremos en algo. Tú no te preocupes, ¿ok?"
Looking into his mother's crinkled, kind eyes, Hector nodded unsurely, agreeing with her for the time being, completely unaware of Filipe walking away from the kitchen with clenched fists.
-Scene Cut-
Over at the police station, Detectives Nathaniel Alexander Byrd and James D'Angelo were at a stalemate.
Byrd was pacing around his office; his gray suit jacket had been draped over the chair after the first two minutes of it and, if his white hair hadn't been so short, it would probably have been completely dishevelled by how often he ran a hand through it.
James, on the other hand, was sitting on a chair, an ankle crossed over his knee and his pristine navy blue suit still in place, watching as his partner kept coming and going. He was a lot younger than him, and perhaps this was the reason why he was still so calm and collected. He hadn't seen the things that Byrd had.
"We can't let him run loose like this," Nathaniel said.
"We have no leads as to where he came from or what his goal is. So far, he seems like your normal, everyday vigilante," James commented as he flipped through some files.
"And that's exactly the problem. He seems fairly innocent now, but we can't let him do our jobs, can we? And what if he's not as good as he says he is?"
"People seem to like him. He's causing quite a buzz among the civilians."
"It doesn't change the fact that we need to figure out what his real motives are." Byrd walked over to the window and leaned his forearm against the glass, looking out at the city below him. "Who the hell is White Tiger?"
-Scene Cut-
Hector stood over the ledge of the building, using his enhanced sense of hearing to make sure no one had noticed him.
It was the first big lead he'd gotten since he'd started patrolling the streets and, if it was true, he was determined to get to the bottom of it. The information had come from a minor drug dealer he'd stumbled upon by chance, who'd claimed there was a drug cartel lab downtown, in an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. He'd said it belonged to a gang called the Nomads.
After what happened to Holly, Hector was not going to let a cartel run amok in his town, and endanger the people of the Bronx.
He was about to leap into action when a sudden image flooded his mind out of nowhere. There wasn't enough information to figure out what it meant, just flashes of fights Hector had no memory of, voices trying to say something and people he'd never met.
It started happening two weeks ago and it was becoming more frequent. First it was dreams that he couldn't remember properly the morning after and that he'd discarded just that —dreams. But then it started happening during the day too, memories that weren't his own, so clear and yet so fast that it was impossible to tell exactly what they meant.
Hector made an effort to focus and keep the images at bay. It would be distracted by them at this time.
Quietly, he snuck inside the warehouse through a top window, landing on the mezzanine with a soft thud. He moved to a place where he could get a good look at the floor below and stood still so that his Camouflage would kick in.
The place was lined with rows and rows of packed goods on wooden crates, taped so thoroughly that it was impossible to tell what was inside. But the smell of chemicals in the area was so strong that it was hurting Hector's sensitive nose. There were a few people covered in protective clothing inspecting something on a couple of tables and a few armed guys watching over them. Then there were two men standing on the side, having what seemed to be a casual conversation.
By the way they were dressed and their body language, Hector could tell that they were the people in charge.
"I just wanted to make sure that the Nomads are still onboard with our plan," one of them was saying. "An important shipment from Chile will be arriving at the docks a week from now. Are you still willing to provide protection?"
Gripping the metal rail harder, Hector listened in with more intent.
"Who do you take us for?" the other man —the leader of the gang, Hector thought— snorted. "We don't go back on our word."
Hector decided he couldn't wait any longer. He couldn't let an opportunity like this slip by.
Jumping over the railing, he landed between the two men and grabbed the first one by the neck, lifting him slightly off the ground. "Why is that shipment so important?" he hissed.
The other men around were too stunned to do anything but, before Hector could get an answer, he was abruptly knocked over by an incredible force. The impact made him let go of the man, who ran for cover and out of sight.
Hector turned to see what had hit him so hard and was met by a huge man, bigger than he'd ever seen —and he worked in wrestling, which was saying something. The man was really tall, with broad chest and arms, and a square jaw that made him look a bit obtuse.
"Ox, get him!" the leader of the Nomads screamed as he escaped too.
"Are you part of the gang too?" Hector asked. "Not too nice of them to leave you on your own, no?"
The Ox laughed, a deep, guttural sound that seemed to reverberate through Hector's bones. "That's none of your concern. You should probably worry more about yourself, kitty cat."
Hector didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, aiming a right hook at the man's face and hitting him square in the jaw.
His eyes snapped up though, when the man didn't even flinch and instead smirked at him before throwing a lazy punch to his stomach. Hector was thrown back and he crashed against one of the crates.
"Carajo," he muttered, grabbing his stomach. What the hell was going on? This dude clearly had superhuman abilities too, if he could stand a punch from White Tiger and then send him flying as though it was nothing.
Jack's words came back to him, like an "I told you so" kind of thing.
Ignoring the pain, Hector got up. He was a fighter after all and he had years of training with fighting strategies. This was not staged though, this was real. He had to be careful.
Before he could take another step though, sirens started wailing outside, the walls of the warehouse tinting in red and blue. Hector and the Ox looked at each other for a second but, as the sound got louder, they both huffed and fled the scene.
Hector was pissed off that he couldn't get more information, but it was enough. There was something cooking in the city and he was not going to sit down and do nothing. He would let these types of people hurt anyone again.
And that's a wrap.
So that was part 1 of White Tiger origin story.
The White Tiger iteration I'm using is Hector Ayala. Given there are so many people who took on the White Tiger mantle, I decided to go with the original White Tiger that was introduced back in 1975.
I updated the character for the modern times as like other MCU characters are modern too so I had the liberty to come up with what to do differently with the character in the modern setting. I chose to make him a wrestler as I'm a wrestling fan myself and putting Bone Saw McGraw play by the late great Macho Man Randy Savage himself was always the plan and hope you guys like his cameo.
Aya Ayala this time around is the daughter of Hector Ayala so who knows what the future will be in store for the father and daughter as the years will go by. At the moment she is only seven years old as of 2014 and will be nine by present day in Infinite Wars.
This origin story may seem to be rush in certain areas but I'm still trying to work on it as best I can and hope to deliver a good story to you guys. Like Holly being killed, it will be explain in the next and who the one responsible.
I chose the year of 2014 as not much else goes on except CA Winter Soldier and Guardians of The Galaxy(but that takes place in space). It was the perfect point in time to introduce another hero after SHIElD fell as the world gonna need heroes to take on the role of being protectors of Earth with SHIElD gone. It also gives Hector enough time to be a hero and by the time he's in Infinite War he'll be an experienced hero by then. He's still learning about his new powers so will see what else he'll learn.
Hector beginning as White Tiger is only getting started as detectives on his is trail, building a reputation as a protector of Bronx, and getting involved with a mysterious group hiring a street gang? You'll have to find out why when Chapter 9 releases.
Anyways, check out the main story Avengers: Infinite Wars by Free Man Writer and Jebest to get the full story and the state of the SW galaxy in the latest chapter. A lot of things are going down and you don't want to miss it. So stay tune.
If any of you have questions, leave a comment and review which is very much appreciated.
Everyone, take care
1. Cabrón: Motherfucker / Bastard
2. Hola, corazón: Hello, sweetheart
3. Hola ma. Huele bien: Hello, mom. It smells good.
4. Mijo! Que bien estuviste, eh? Siempre dando lo mejor de ti, tu padre estaría orgulloso: Honey! (or My son) You did good, eh? You always give it your best, your dad would be proud.
5. Ay ma, no es para tanto: Mom, it's not such a big deal.
6. Calla y ve a sentarte, la comida ya está lista: Shush, sit down, food is ready.
7. Gracias, Señor, por bendecirme con una hermosa familia llena de amor. Gracias por poner comida sobre nuestra mesa y por darnos buena salud. Amén: Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with a beautiful family full of love. Thank you for giving us food for our table and for keeping us healthy. Amen.
8. Entonces, ¿a dónde vas a llevar a Holly para su aniversario?: So, where are you taking Holly for your anniversary?
9. ¡A México!: To Mexico!
10. Hemos reservado para ir en la semana del Festival de México, creo que va a ser una experiencia estupenda: We booked for the week of the Festival de Mexico, I think it will be a great experience.
11. ¿Qué es el Festival de México?: What's the Festival de Mexico?
12. El Festival trae vida a Ciudad de México. Talento y entusiastas del arte se reúnen por dos semanas para disfrutar. Todavía recuerdo cuando Nestor me llevaba allí en nuestros viajes: The Festival brings life to Mexico City. Talent and art enthusiasts get together for two weeks to enjoy it. I still remember when Nestor used to take me there on our trips.
13. ¿Mi abuelo?: My grandfather?
14. Si, tu abuelo. Nestor siempre me hacía reír: Yes, your grandpa. Nestor always managed to make me laugh.
15. ¿Cuánto tiempo se quedarán allí?: How long will you stay there?
16. ¿Puedo ir? Anda mami, ¡prometo portarme bien!: Can I come? C'mon mom, I promise I will behave!
17. Lo siento, cariño, pero tú tienes que ir a la escuela y este es un viaje especial para papá y mamá: I'm sorry, honey, but you have to go to school and this is a special trip for mom and dad.
18. ¡No es justo! Yo también quiero ir al Festival: That's not fair! I wanna go to the Festival too.
19. Mira, ¿qué te parece si te traigo un lindo souvenir, eh? Eso me recuerda… ¿Podrían cuidar a Aya mientras no estamos y llevarla a la escuela?: Look, how about I bring you a nice souvenir, eh? That reminds me… Could you watch over Aya and take her to school while we're not here?
20. ¡Ayuda! ¡Por favor, alguien que me ayude!: Help! Someone please, help me!
21. Mi amor: my love
22. ¿Qué carajo?: What the fuck?
23. ¡Madre de Dios!: Mother of God!
24. Dios mío: My God
25. ¡Jack! Maldita sea, Jack, ¡soy yo!: Jack! Goddamnit, Jack, it's me!
26. ¿Eres tu?: Is that you?
27. Amigo: friend
28. Yo… yo no sé qué hacer: I… I don't know what to do.
29. ¡Eso es!: That's it!
30. Hector, ¿podrías ayudar en la tienda por un rato? Parece que hay mucha gente ahorita: Hector, could you help out at the shop for a bit? Looks like there's a lot of people there now.
31. Claro, mamá. Déjame terminar este último ejercicio primero e iré: Of course, mom. Let me finish this last exercise first and I'll go.
32. Gracias, mijo. ¿Cómo van las cosas en Roxxon, Jack?: Thanks, son. How's everything at Roxxon, Jack?
33. Todo va muy bien, Señora Ayala: Everything's going very well, Ms. Ayala.
34. Bastante aburrido, como siempre. No hay muchas cosas interesantes sobre la industria farmacéutica: Pretty boring, as usual. There's nothing too exciting about the pharmaceutical industry
35. Al fin terminamos. Iré a cambiarme y estaré listo en unos minutos: We're finally finished. I'll go change and I'll be ready in a few minutes.
36. Hijo, espera. ¿Puedes venir un momento?: Son, wait. Can you come here for a minute?
37. ¿Qué pasa, mamá? ¿Está todo bien?: What's up, mom? Is everything alright?
38. La tienda está hundida en deudas, mijo. Si las cosas siguen así...tal vez tengamos que cerrarla: The shop is flooded with debts, son. If things don't improve... we might have to shut it down.
39. Mamá, ¿qué estás diciendo? Esa tienda es muy importante para nuestra familia, papá la construyó para nosotros, para que tengamos un futuro. Lo hizo todo con sus propias manos. Significa mucho para la comunidad también, todos saben que aquí pueden encontrar precios justos: Mom, what are you saying? That store is really important to our family, Dad built it for us, so that we could have a future. He did it with his own hands. It means a lot to the community as well, everyone knows they can find fair prices here.
40. Lo sé, Hector, pero simplemente no tenemos el dinero para mantenerlo a flote: I know, Hector, but we just don't have the money to keep it afloat.
41. Pues entonces usaré el dinero que he ganado de las peleas para pagar la deuda y ya: Well then, I'll use the money I earned from the fights to pay off the debt.
42. Ni se te ocurra, ¿me oyes? Ese dinero es exclusivamente para cuando mi pequeña Aya vaya a la Universidad. ¿Cómo vas a pagar su educación sino?: Don't even think about it, you hear me? That money is exclusively for when my little Aya goes to college. How are you going to pay for her tuition otherwise?
43. Mamá, tenemos que hacer algo: Mom, we gotta do something.
44. Ya pensaremos en algo. Tú no te preocupes, ¿ok?: We'll think of something. Don't worry, ok?
45. Carajo: Fuck