Chapter 10
"Hey, I thought that the two of us could train together today," Adam says after Cherry answers the door.
"I'm paired up with Uncle Sammy this morning, maybe some other time?" She starts to close the door.
A day has passed since the two of them properly spoke to one another after Cherry walked in on him and Estel.
"Can I come in, please?" Adam asks, extending one hand to prevent the door from closing.
"Sure, dad". She steps aside for him to enter.
"This place is nice…" He glances around the small dormitory with its own kitchen. Given that Cherry is 16, she was able to have her own space in the complex, all next door to Adam's own apartment.
"Yeah, I like it!" She smiles.
"I see you got your band's poster on the wall and that guitar I got you when you were small is over there…"
"Daddy, why are you really here?" Cherry sighs.
"Don't you think it's about time we talked? We only have three weeks left until we have to fight, anything could happen to us after that. I don't wanna go on like this… and I'm sorry. I'll stop seeing Estel if it makes you happy…"
"No! No you don't have to do that! Mom moved on with her life and is happy and so should you. I like Estel but I just hate all this sneaking around! I feel like I'm always the last person to find out about anything around here!" She frowns.
"I'm sorry you found out the way you did. And so is Estel…." Adam hangs his head in shame.
"Hey dad, do you remember that time you barged into my room when you found Oscar Hendricks climbing out of the window?"
"Oh yeah, I remember him," Adam laughs.
"You know that he still hasn't forgiven me for you taking his phone and kicking his ass live on Instagram…"
"And I'm guessing this is my karma, right?" He smirks.
"Definitely!" Cherry smiles. "You're still known in school as Hunter dad and I'm cool with you and Estel if it puts your mind at ease. Just please never put me through that again!"
"I wont! I love you baby girl," Adam says, placing his arms around her.
"I love you too daddy" she smiles whilst the two of them hug.
"Simulation time!" Floyd enthusiastically announces after the team have finished their physical training sessions during the morning.
"The person who gets eliminated first under simulation has to cook the ThanksGiving Dinner" Sammy challenges.
"Yeah but could you imagine if that person was your brother or Shiva? That would be one wasted turkey!" Floyd jokes.
"Let's just hope that Uncle Max gets eliminated first then…" Cherry quietly says, knowing that he's the best cook out of everyone here.
Each member of the team sits back in their chairs whilst Dr Zan gets round to them one by one to adjust their headsets and arm restraints. This type of training is very new to the group who prepare physically each day to fight. But they also recognise the mental preparation needed too before any battle. Working together like this as a group helps them to understand each other as well as their individual fighting strategies, no matter what case scenario is thrown at them during the simulation.
During each session, new challenges including weapons, enemies and environments are pitted against the fighters who have to react and think quickly in order to work their best as a team. Often Zan will program specific challenges to expose some of their fears and weaknesses so that the team intervenes when one person is at their most vulnerable. Occasionally, he also programs an enemy clone of one of the team, again to train them and test their fighting strategies in the most efficient way.
As soon as the simulation warm up is done, Blaze hastily decides to remove her headset.
"You clocking off again Fielding?" Adam sitting next to her remarks.
"This is pointless and I gotta help Leon with his training…. Oh and I don't know why you keep referring to me as that. You were there when I signed away my last name, remember?"
The two old friends are still at war, even days after their last training session together.
The team still decides to continue their simulation session without her.
"Another headache? I thought your medication was working" Dr Zan queries.
"Yeah well it ain't." Blaze sighs, swiftly making her exit.
"Today's simulation is more difficult than usual. Each of you will face some of your subconscious fears over the next few hours, depending on how far you get. Stay calm and remember to work as a team. And Good luck" the doctor briefs.
The fighters have slowly been getting better and better with each session, reaching higher and more difficult levels in their training every time.
"Whose old fear was that then?" Max shouts to the rest of the group once they are all past level 17.
"It was mine," Cherry shouts back.
"You're afraid of Kangaroos?" He asks.
"No, I hate anything that looks like a clown!" She explains.
They spend the next 20 levels battling through their fears including firepits, being struck down by lightning and futuristic robots.
"This one is my weakness…" Shiva admits to the rest of the team as soon as they reach a different level of the simulation. This time, they find themselves back in Mr X's old office at a time when Shiva was working as his bodyguard. Only two rounds later, the majority of the team starts to become eliminated.
"Shit! I almost had him!" Estel angrily removes her headset.
"I was too slow, that bastard Mr Y is one slippery motherfucker!" Floyd complains.
"Looks like it's just the three of us left now…" Axel comments, ready to fight alongside Shiva and Adam.
"I'm just glad we got past my worst round - I can't stand those whip ladies. They have a way of getting under my skin if you know what I mean," Adam replies.
"Whose fear is this one then?" Shiva asks as they go into the next round. It then becomes too late for anybody to answer his question once the fighting breaks out. A furious clone of Axel immediately attacks them from every angle.
The three guys struggle but eventually, with some perseverance, they end up succeeding past this level.
"The doctor put that one in there for me," Axel answers, addressing Shiva's previous question.
The three of them end up past level 80 with Shiva once again ending as the last man standing until the very end of level 83.
"He's done it again" Axel congratulates their old foe whilst Adam sulks in his chair, annoyed with himself for not getting further.
"Like I said, weapons hinder your fight. It's better to become the weapon" Shiva smirks.
"Well whatever we do, if we fight as a team like this, the syndicate's chances will be slim…. You ok?" Axel asks Adam who is in one of the chairs far away on the other side.
"Yeah. We would have got further though if Blaze had joined in."
"Look, whatever feud you two got going on, find Blaze and fix it once and for all! Don't place me in the middle of it" Axel orders.
He gets up, removing his headset and the electrode stickers from his arms and chest, noticing Leon sat in one of the empty chairs.
"Where's your mom kid?"
"She went to take Charlie for a walk outside after we finished training".
"You wanna have a go on the simulator?" Axel asks, passing over to him a smaller headset.
"OK!" Leon nods.
"But this time I want you to try it by yourself, without me fighting alongside you."
Leon takes a deep breath whilst the machine begins to load up. Axel monitors the boy's progress on the main computer as he battles and uses his powers against a variety of their old enemies. "Try and use more of your electrical chi on the next round, it works well against those fire breathing Bongos" he instructs.
Leon is able to make it all the way to level 20, which is a record for him. It all seems to be going well until the boy's own fear emerges.
Axel immediately removes the headset and the arm and foot restraints whilst Leon catches his breath, appearing to be distressed.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, you weren't ready for that" he says, putting his arms around the boy.
"It was him! That bad guy who wanted to take me away from you…"
"I know. I'm sorry, I should have gone in the simulation with you" Axel apologises feeling guilt whilst still tightly holding onto him.
"Come on, dinner is almost ready, you must be hungry kid…" he says, trying to take Leon's mind off of what he just experienced.
"Yeah…" the boy nods. "Did Uncle Max make ThanksGiving turkey?"
"I believe so.."
"Yes!" To Axel's relief Leon quickly bounces back, now back to his lively self again.
"Right, you two are on washing up duty tonight," Max says to Adam and Blaze.
The pair quietly start to get through the pile of dishes, not saying a word to one another. Plate by plate clashing purposely onto the rack as they avoid any eye contact from one another.
"Could you pass me those gloves?" Blaze asks after 10 minutes.
"You don't need gloves, but here you go" Adam complys.
"I ain't getting any more dry skin on my hands and I just painted my nails!" She replies, snatching the gloves from him.
"Yeah, when you should have been training!" He responds with disapproval.
"What's your problem Adam?! Since when have you been bothered about my training?" She confronts him, slamming the next pile of plates back down on the counter.
"Your son is in danger…"
"You think I don't know that?!" Blaze huffs, placing her hands on her hips whilst squaring up to him, trying not to lose her patience.
"Look, I'm not your enemy, we have enough of those. But I can't stand by and watch you do this!"
"Adam! I can fight. And I'll fight when I want and how I want, got it?" She folds her arms, leaning back to sit on one of the counters.
"No, that's not what I mean".
"Spit it out then, the suspense is killing me…" Blaze sarcastically responds, rolling her eyes.
"Axel is like a brother to me. I'm not gonna stand back and watch you hurt him like that!"
"Hurt him? What the hell are you talking about?!" She shrugs.
"The day Keri upped and left when she took my kids away from me was the day I lost any respect I had left for her. Now I have a son out there who doesn't even recognise his own father. Do you know what that does to a man when you take his kid away? Especially one who is there no matter what!"
"You know, don't you? Estel told you…" Blaze sighs, staring at him annoyed and even more pissed off than earlier.
"Just think about this first before you do something you regret…"
"This is none of your business…I can't believe she told you!" Blaze immediately rushes off, feeling betrayed and shocked. She leaves Adam by himself to finish the rest of the dishes.
"HEY!" Blaze shouts at Estel as soon as she pushes the doors open to the canteen.
"What's up?" The blond fighter frowns whilst casually sitting and having a discussion with Max and Cherry.
"Get up bitch!"
Their jaws drop as soon as Blaze's mood turns into a raging bull in full fight mode.
"What the hell…?"
#PUNCH#
Out of nowhere, Blaze strikes Estel around the jaw.
"You're gonna regret that!" She reacts, wiping the blood away from her bottom lip with her sleeve.
"You shouldn't have opened your mouth!" The brunette sneers.
Estel suddenly catches her off guard, flip kicking Blaze around the face. She briefly stumbles back then runs forward, jump kicking through the air until her boot strikes her friend turned enemy into the chest. Estel immediately falls back, crashing into the table behind her.
"I'm not done with you bitch!" Blaze continues her attack, dragging her colleague up by her braid. Estel counterattacks by backing into Blaze before suplexing the brunette onto her back. But Blaze doesn't give up easily. She kicks up to her feet with an array of kicks and punches that Estel does her best to block. The two of them end up grappling each other, neither one backing down. Whether it's punching, spitting or pulling each other's hair, the others in the canteen watch the volatile fight unfolding and getting worse. Blaze appears to be the one still in attack mode whilst Estel tries to restrain her.
"I don't wanna hurt you…"
"Fuck you Estel! You couldn't keep your mouth shut could you?" Blaze kicks and punches.
"Hey! Hey!" Adam and Axel quickly run into the scuffle as soon as they realize from a distance that this is no friendly fight. Adam manages to quickly pull Estel back who is now red in the face with her hair in a mess, whilst Axel has to lift Blaze back who is still kicking and screaming trying to attack.
"I'm not done with you yet!" She promises.
"I don't wanna fight you, we'll end up hurting the baby!" Estel answers, shouting back at her in front of everyone there. The others in the room stare at each other confused and astonished, unsure if Estel was referring to herself or to Blaze. It quickly becomes obvious by the look on Blaze's face where she immediately falls silent then retreats.
"What is she talking about?...Answer me!" Axel insists, still restraining Blaze with her arms behind her back.
"Get your hands off of me!" She shrugs him off then hastily storms off, leaving him there in shock with the rest of the room in silence.
There is a long pause and the tension in the room could be cut with a knife.
"Just to clarify to everyone here, I'm not…" Estel breaks the silence.
"I know!" Axel snaps, shaking his head. "It explains a lot…" he sighs.
"I'm sorry you had to find out like that" Adam places one hand on his shoulder whilst Axel stares down at the ground, lost for words.
"Can you do me a favour? Go and check on Leon he's still upstairs," He calmly requests.
"Sure man," Adam nods.
Axel can't help but lean against the wall with his hands over his forehead, still unable to process what he just heard.
"I'll go and find her…" Estel insists, feeling guilty about how it all came out.
"No, just stay here. I'll go" Axel replies, breaking another lengthy silence.
Finally after 10 minutes of searching the complex, he finds Blaze sitting by herself on the roof in the dark, staring into the distance.
"What the hell were you thinking back there? Do you really think you're setting a good example?"
"You always seem to have the parental high ground, don't you? She had it coming…"
"Maybe, but you should have been honest with me. I understand why you didn't say anything and it all makes sense now… the food, your mood swings and headaches. I should have figured it out…" He takes a seat on the ground next to her.
"Did you just say you understood why I didn't tell you?"
"You probably don't remember yet but I remember when you first told me you were pregnant with Leon. It was two days before…." he pauses, "Before you were almost killed and put into that coma" he sighs. "I was still in prison but I knew I'd get out and we knew deep down that things were going to be OK. When you told me, it was one of the best moments of my life and we were both so happy…"
"I remember…," Blaze nods, looking down at the ground with guilt on her face.
"But this time it feels different. You didn't tell me because you've been thinking about not going through with it… I know you so well" he takes a deep exhale.
"I'm sorry. And I feel terrible for even thinking about an abortion… I just don't think I can do this. I'm sorry".
He takes her hand as her eyes start to water.
"I know you're scared and I know this isn't the right time for us. Terminating the baby is not what I want, but I get it. Leon is never gonna have a normal life because of his powers and because of the world we live in. You're not considering this for selfish reasons and you're only thinking about what this child would have to go through after seeing what he's gone through. Both of us want to do the right thing. So whatever you decide to do, I'll support you and I'll accept it."
"I'm so sorry…." She immediately puts her arms around him as they to share a well needed comforting hug. Throughout the moment, they both feel and sense one another's pain inside. Neither of them want this, but with the circumstances the way they are, they don't have a choice.
"Come on. It's so cold out here, let's get inside and sleep on it…" Axel suggests.
"Are you both ok? I'm so sorry for how it all came out back there. You trusted me with something important and I told Adam. I'm sorry…." Estel appears, stepping onto the roof while they stand up.
"No. I'm sorry! I'm sorry to both you and Adam. I've been acting like a spoiled brat and I shouldn't have attacked you like that" Blaze apologises.
"It's ok, I've missed a decent bitch fight to be honest", Estel smiles. Both women look at each other with a hint of laughter and relief. Although they stand before one another with cuts on their faces and hair messed up, both of them suddenly feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders.
Just as the three fighters walk back to return to the building, Blaze unexpectedly stops in her tracks, heavily breathing and appearing to be in a lot of pain.
"What's wrong?" Axel asks her, concerned.
She remains standing with her body slowly hunching forward and her hands tightly clutching onto one side of her stomach, in agony and unable to speak.
"Call an ambulance now!" He shouts before placing her arm over his shoulder with his arm around her waist to help Blaze get back inside and out of the cold.
"It's gonna be ok, help is coming…" he tries to stay calm as he sits her down, but she looks up at him shaking her head whilst trying to breathe through the sharp pain and burning going on inside her stomach. "I was wrong. I've changed my mind! I want this baby...But I don't think it's gonna make it..."