Chapter 18:

Quickness

Morning came all too quickly for Kyksae and all to slowly for Kai. The red head had gotten Kai excited about their 'training' that he promised and thus, could not sleep. Cheerfully, the girl came into the dining room, rolling the wheelchair so happily, she almost ran over Cloud in the process. Kyksae however, looked a bit more than just tired. The dark skinned girl took in a deep breath and smeared on her normal 'happy face' before opening the front door and greeting everyone with the usual smile. She girl had obviously been training, and there was no sign of Steve.

"Good Morning everyone!" She waved and made her way to the backroom, dressing into her normal fighting clothes and heading back out toward the front door. She waved again and headed to her first fight of the day.

"How clever. The Brit thinks he's a man." Alex waved mockingly. Steve's fists clenched. How he longed to knock the crap out of that arrogant American. "Jus' 'cause you think you're too mature," the black man put emphasis on the word to mock him, "to hit me." He laughed. "She's nothing. She'll never be anything. She'll be a whore like her mother." Steve almost growled at the 'man' before him. Anyone who could do something so cruel to their family wouldn't be called a 'man' in Steve's mind. The blonde frowned.

"She'll be more than you. I assure you that."

"Come on, Fox, we both know this isn't about her. And yet you drag her into this like it is." He waved as if a foul stench was in the air. "Now who's the criminal?" He laughed, again, mockingly at the British man.

"After she defeats Christie," he avoided the question calmly, "You're next."

"If. If she defeats the Brazilian babe."

"Count on it." Steve scowled and took deep breaths to keep himself from killing the annoying American. Alex grinned and walked off, leaving Steve fuming. "... Count on it."

Another kick and she was down. Kyksae hit the ground again, rolling to the left, she scrambled up and jumped over the break dancing Brazilian. She aimed a punch and took out the woman's left leg, grabbing it and throwing her a few feet away. Taking stance, she waited for the woman to spring back. Kazuya watched silently and slipped away, leaving the dark girl to fight Christie without further distraction. Waving to the older Japanese man seemed to have become a hobby for the young girl, since she had noticed him watching so many times.

"Listen kiddo" Christie jumped back to her feet and smiled. "Your pretty good for a little girl, but you can try as you might. There's no way you can beat ME." she smiled nicely.

Mira looked at the two and hoped Kyksae would win, because she herself would love to see that man fall, and if he won't she'd take care of it. Cloud and Cid stood beside her as well as Kai, whom was looking at the fight interested, yet had problems controlling her daydreams. Christie ran towards the girl and started to swing her legs everywhere.

Kyksae took stance but the Brazilian quickly kicked her off her own feet. She got up and dodged a few kicks, jumped over a few as a sudden flashback from urban America hit her. She stood dazed for a moment,

"Just like... hopscotch.." A smile spread across her face from ear to ear and before the woman caught her off guard, she jumped, playing 'hopscotch' with the woman's swinging legs. She dodged, jumped, and turned, aiming punches near the woman and mostly hitting hard. The dark skinned girl smiled as if it were a game; she was enjoying this fight. However, the Brazilian didn't smile, she frowned at her opponent. 'How dare that little brat do this' She swung around one more time before doing a back flip, and swinging her arms around.

Kyksae blocked and punched the woman, sending her flying backwards into the crowd of people. Still bouncing and keeping rhythm like a maniac child; the girl threw mock punches in the air, grinning happily. Mira elbowed Steve,

"See what you did? You turned the girl into a meany, you." she smiled as did the other kids.

Another half an hour sped by and the woman had been defeated. Though it took Kyksae a little more than what she planned. Both were worn to the core but the woman was the one that occupied the ground. The only thing that made Kyksae the winner was the determination to stand up. The crowd burst into cheers and the girl went to help the woman up, knowing how hard it was to stand.

"Another down. Your stupid plan won't work, Brit." Steve turned to see Alex watching. All the others had run to Kyksae and Christie. "She'll realize you used her, and she'll think you're no better."

"You should learn to hold your tongue, idiotic American."

"Come on. Hit me. I know you want to. Just one chance... One punch. What does it matter?"

"... I have a family. I intend to keep them." The blonde's voice didn't stutter. His eyes kept lock with the black man's.

"Fine. Keep them. You'll never have fun if you stay in all the time." Alex grinned and strutted off; Steve turned to watch Kyksae and the crowd. He could see Kai cheering, Cid threatening this fat guy not to step on his foot again, and Cloud trying to make a move on Kyksae. Mira stood praising both of the participants in the fight.

"Tomorrow, you'll get your justice, American. Just how you served it to others." Steve's voice darkened and his mind almost broke at the intensity.

Mira smiled at the young girl, handing her a towel, she looked for Steve when she saw him away from the crowd and in deep thought, she looked past him and saw Kai's crush.

"Kai...your teacher is here." she then took Kai and led her out of the crowd towards her teacher.

The crowd eventually died away. Steve wondered if Kyksae had realized she was to fight Alex tomorrow. Certainly, she had to have. Alex was the only reason she agreed to fight in the tournament. Steve was only grateful he wasn't chosen to fight against her before she fought Alex. The blonde watched as Sean walked to his daughter, and as Cid munched on another food of some sort. He watched as Cloud talked briskly and vividly with Kyksae, and how his love, Mira, watched them all as he did. Without this plan, none of that would happen. Cloud wouldn't be able to love a dead Kyksae. Sean would have never met Kai, Kai wouldn't have been shot, Mira would have stayed in Egypt or Britain, and he... He would have never realized how small his problems were to those around the world. Steve would have remained childish and selfish, thinking his problems to be priority. But since when did he take it upon himself to discipline others? Since when was he chosen to punish those who did wrong in his eyes?

Steve scoffed. The damned American was right. The blonde sighed, his guild trip was catching up to him, his mind was arguing with itself, and the image of Kyksae's dead body, cold, lifeless, thin, starved, sent chills down his back. He might not have been authorized to bring punishment to others, but to him, Alexander was too close to his family, too close to Kyksae. Perhaps he was protecting Cloud from being hurt instead of Kyksae. Maybe that was his reason. Things had become too complex since the rounds where he first met Alex, when he was only eighteen years old. The blonde might have not been right in justifying others, but if this was the last 'justification', then heno Kyksae, was going to finish it.