Chapter 19:

Liberi Fatali

Breathing was hard. Inhale. Exhale. The roaring crowd seemed larger than the one from the day before. Alex entered the fighting area that had been roped off earlier due to increased chances of injuries in the audience. Kyksae felt a light brush at her side, but stepping forward, the feeling floated away. Stepping into the arena, Kyksae's eyes lit up like green fire, her face melted into a blasphemy of hate, screwing up her almost extremely girlish features. The strong, chiseled muscles beneath her skin rippled to the surface as she took her stance.

The beast of hatred that stood before its host's father was not the sweet girl Steve had found. She was no longer scared. No longer merciful. Alex spat at her feet, and then taking stance, the fight began.

Bringing a right hook to his side, she quickly switched and crushed his jaw bone with her left. Stumbling backwards, Alex blocked her next attacks and almost gutted her with a right fisted punch to the stomach. Kyksae surprisingly didn't budge. Again and again he punched her, making only bruises and sometimes cutting skin. Kyksae blocked and caught one of his fists in hers. Another punch from the free hand, and she had them both caught in her fists. He grumbled and pushed on the small girl that seemed as though she was a mountain in the harsh wind.

Alex knew she was weaker than he was, and she knew it too. He pushed on her with is weight, earning a bearing of teeth and a growl from the teenager. Alex fought her strength, knowing he was stronger, but ignorant as to why he was loosing. Quickly, before she detected, he shifted his weight and brought his leg up, kicking her in her knee and sending her to the ground. Kyksae fell with a thud, and scrambled to get back up from the cheap shot. She growled and rolled to the left, avoiding another kick from the older American.

Steve bit his lip and grinded his fingernails into the gloves he wore, trying not to interfere with the fight. Alex was always a cheater. Why hadn't Steve prepared Kyksae for that?

'Because she already knew it.' Steve took a deep breath and yelled,

"Come on! Kyksae! Let's go! Get up champ! You can do this! You know you can mate!"

Kyksae's arms shook with wear as she tried to push herself back up from the ground. Alex, however, wasn't about to let her get up. He kicked her in the stomach and making her fall to the ground once more. She managed to dodge the other kicks by rolling to the side and scrambling to her feet. Cloud gritted his teeth and shot a look at his father.

"She's gonna die! Get her out!" Steve shook his head at his son's plea.

"Kyksae, you gotta fight at his level!" The girl, pushing herself up again, didn't look up.

"No.. I can't do that. I will not. I am better. I am better… I am better!" Screaming like a rabid beast, the girl pushed herself up and stumbling just a little, she flung herself at her opponent, socking him punch after punch. Alex was the next to fall, and the older wouldn't get up. He laid there for a moment, bathed in sweat and blood.

"Get up." Kyksae's voice was deep and threatening, something strange to hear. "I said GET UP!" She waited, taking step after step, never speeding up, never slowing down, making her way to her father. "GET UP BASTARD!" Grabbing him by the shirt she picked him up and flung him into the ropes. He coughed and landed with a thud on the ground.

"You.. You win."

"…."

"I said you win. Now leave me alone."

"Get out." Kyksae shook with anger; her face was hidden beneath her ebony bangs, and that crescent scar around her left eye. Her muscles were no longer tense and chiseled. She began to shake violently. "Get out of my ring!" Screaming at the top of her lungs, the girl stunned the whole crowd. But the black American did as she said, climbing through the ropes, he stepped out and left her to her glory. Kyksae turned, seeing the face that held those blue and green eyes, she lowered her head to the ground. She had won, but .. why did it feel so…. The crowd erupted in gasps and shrieks. Kyksae turned to see what was going on, only to see Alex convulsing on the ground. Her eyes widened and she ran, jumping over the ropes and skidding down on the hard asphalt to her father's side.

"What.. What the- Call an ambulance! Hurry!" She panicked, taking the bleeding, Alex in her arms. She rocked back and forth, still harboring hatred and concern all at once. Looking around, she glanced at the man seeing sunglasses and black hair, and scarred skin. Her vision blurred just as her father began to grow cold in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes and splashed down on the black man she held.

"Dad! DAD!" She moved his head, and shook him, "no… No.. pleeaasee…" She choked on the tears and her throat suddenly became dry, the sky no longer shined as bright to her, sirens and blurred people made her paranoid. "DADDY!" She screamed, sobbing, holding the once arrogant dead man in her arms. "My ring.. my ring… my ring… my…." She rocked back and forth, sobbing, crying over this man who had killed her mother and attempted to kill her.

That was all she had fought for. Revenge against the man that was her own father, and now, with her revenge complete, she had nothing left but Cloud. And at that moment, Cloud felt like a completely different reality.

Steve stared in shock at the Americans. He had never imagined it would end up like this. Or maybe he did in a different way. He had imagined Alex dying an old age. He had imagined himself being the victor over the American in the world championships. He had imagined …. He had imagined life in a different way. But he had forgotten the world wasn't perfect. The battle between Britain and America would always be there. Always.