Chapter 28

"Shiva? Can you talk right now?" Adam holds his cell phone close to his ear, slightly shaken from the events that happened less than half an hour ago on Skytrain. He and the others stand outside on the streets amongst dozens of emergency service vehicles during the aftermath of the disaster.

"We don't have long, where are you?" Shiva whispers on his phone as he cautiously peers around the corner.

"We're on the way, a major emergency just happened! How are things over there? Is Sammy with you?"

"He's in the building. He found a way for you and the others to get in! Next to this place is an art gallery. The best way to access the tower is from underground. On the third basement level of this there's a spa adjacent to one part of the gallery. You'll have to explode the wall but Sammy will be on the other side of it to meet you when you get there. I'll already be inside the arena by the time you arrive".

"Good, that works! We should be there in half an hour!"

"I have to go…" Shiva quickly hangs up the phone then bows his head down towards his mop and bucket. The day so far has been a slow burner but an important one. He and Sammy have worked well as a team to hack and manipulate as many surveillance cameras as possible, causing them to loop as well as deactivating any alarm systems in the building.

All of a sudden, Shiva notices Mr Y and his fighters escorting Axel and Blaze through the lobby of the building.

Axel spots Shiva out of the corner of his eye whilst Blaze distracts Mr Y by punching, kicking and constantly shouting at him. "Let me go, you bastard! I hate you!" She screams so that either Shiva or Sammy can follow and track down where they are taking them to be held before the fight.

"Shut up! Just SHUT UP!" Mr Y shouts at Blaze with annoyance as she and Axel are pushed into the same highly secured, soundproof office that Leon was sitting in earlier today.

Ms Y is next to appear through the doorway, sinisterly grinning at the couple with her sword in one hand.

"I have waited a very long time for this moment, ever since you two killed our father".

"Where's Leon!?" Axel gives her a demanding response.

"Your boy is unharmed. But if either of you here try to escape or avoid this fight, I promise he will die. So, which one of you two wishes to take on Thunder first?" She smirks.

"I will," Axel confidently replies. "And when I win, you'll take us to Leon".

"Even better, I'll bring him to you" she smiles, resting the tip of her sword against his neck. "Careful though, you're starting to sound arrogant. Never a good place to be before a fight…" she says, cocking her head to one side.

Mr Y interrupts their conversation. "Your fight begins at 11pm and the crowds have already started to arrive!".

"And how the hell do you expect me to prepare or warm up?" Axel answers, holding up his cuffed wrists.

"Fair is fair I suppose…" Mr Y remarks before one officer reaches forward to uncuff him.

"This room will stay guarded until then. Someone will stop by shortly with fighting gloves, water and anything else you need before the fight then they will come to collect you later. You know what the rules are. Try anything beforehand and this button I got right here on my key will cause the explosive vest around your son to detonate. There's only an hour and a half left before you begin so I'd suggest making the most of it. After all, this will probably be the last time you and Blaze ever see each other again, unless there's an afterlife." Mr Y laughs whilst closing the heavily sealed door, leaving the couple alone.

Blaze frantically looks around, trying to find an escape. "There's no other doors or windows in this room, how the hell…"

"Come here…" Axel answers, reaching out his hand before pulling her towards him. The two of them sit on the couch next to one other. He then softly starts to kiss her.

"What the hell are you doing? We have to get…" she replies.

"Just play along with me…. Right now there are four hidden cameras and bugs all over this room trying to hear us" he whispers in her ear whilst kissing her neck.

"When should I go to the roof to get Leon then?" She whispers back, putting her arms around him pretending not to notice the hidden camera in sight.

"When they take me away..." he continues to kiss her neck. "Once you get him to safety, a chopper will come to the roof. Get out and don't wait for me….."

"But…" she heavily breathes.

"I'll find a way out…"

"As hot as this is, I'm not going all the way with you in this room to cover up our conversation". Blaze replies as she starts to lay down underneath him.

"On my signal, hit me around the face" he whispers on top of her. He then runs one hand up under her skirt.

Instead of hitting him, Blaze decides to knee him in the groin.

"Oww! Shit! You want more kids one day don't you?!" He shouts at her, pretending to be in severe pain as he pulls away from her.

"You should know my boundaries! Plus you got a fight in an hour!" She shakes her head. "Touch me again and I'll be the one killing you tonight!" Blaze shouts.

The two of them give each other the slightest hint of a grin as they sit back down normally, knowing that their little act worked.

#Door knocks#

"It's not like we can answer it…" Blaze shrugs.

The sealed door slowly starts to open with a large stocky man in a white t-shirt and hat waiting at the entrance.

"The boss told me to give you these" Bongo hands over to Axel a plastic bag containing red hand wraps, fighting shorts, water and two protein bars.

"Thanks" Axel nods.

"Make sure you're ready and warmed up in one hour!" He replies before shutting the door.

"I've never really learned to appreciate art before!" Adam says rubbing his chin whilst curiously observing a colourful canvas.

"That's so sad…" Cherry sarcastically remarks.

"This thing right here looks as if my 11 year old decided to get some paint buckets and then throw it all blindfolded onto this canvas… yes I get it!" He can't help but laugh.

"Well I like it," Cherry argues.

"You're just like Sammy, he calls graffiti art! Now that I kinda get, but this…."

"Keep it down, there's at least 20 fighters around that corner" Estel briefs them.

Suddenly some glass smashes in front of them which then bursts into flames.

"How's the leg?" Adam queries.

"I'm good!" Floyd reassures him. The four of them immediately charge forward and ready their fighting stances.

"Look out!" Cherry shouts towards Estel right before another glass bulb bursts into flames. Thanks to the warning, Estel jumps out of the way of it just in time.

"Hey bitch! Why don't you get some of this!" Cherry takes a golden ornament and throws it forward, hitting one lady at the back of her head. As the fighter falls to the ground, her glass flask shatters and bursts into flames, instantly burning her body.

"Hey blondie? Why don't you take some of this!" A punk called Anne shouts at her, this time projecting a glass bulb full of poison. Some of it catches Estel on the arm which burns into her wrist. "I have a name!" Estel angrily barks back then she elbow strikes the lady in the chest. Once the gallery is clear, the team push forward until they reach the third basement level following Shiva's orders.

At first, the large hall appears empty and seems to be some sort of storage facility for the gallery.

"Sammy should be on the other side of that wall right over there!" Adam remarks.

"Hunter! We were wondering when we'd see you again!" Suddenly Rhia steps out from behind a large cargo box with her snake in hand.

"The three of us had such a great night then you decided to bail out on us in the morning without a kiss goodbye!" Beyo frowns at him with sarcasm on her face.

Adam's reaction is to laugh it off as he feels embarrassed in front of Cherry and Estel "that was a long time ago! No hard feelings y'all?" He replies.

"I wouldn't have called last week a long time ago, would you?" Rhia says, cocking her head to one side.

"Ewww dad, really?!" Cherry stares at him with disgust on her face whilst Estel avoids Adam's eye contact.

"Just let us pass and we can all be friends again…" When Adam enthusiastically tries to reason with them, Rhia and Beyo simultaneously encourage their snakes to leap forward with one projecting fire and the other poison.

"What the hell…?" Floyd jumps back in shock.

"Kill them!" Rhia orders.

Cherry is first to somersault forward then kick Beyo in the face whilst Floyd picks up Rhia by the neck and throws her against the wall. As she rises to her feet, she holds her snake in the air then strikes the ground, causing a fire to surround her that burns him. "You're next Hunter!" She promises, eagerly charging towards him with her reptile on fire.

"We don't have to go to war like this…" he paces back with his hands in the air but she ignores him, then continuously kicks her heel into his chest.

"Leave him alone!" Estel comes to Adam's defense as she pulls Rhia back, placing her into a head lock whilst repeatedly punching her face. Suddenly the snake bites her in the arm, causing her to burn as Estel stumbles back.

"Swoooorddd strike!" Adam jumps then strikes his fist into the ground, causing a shock wave of bright yellow energy that explodes in Rhia's face. Floyd also rises to feet to help Cherry who is blocking Beyo. He punches forward his fists, sending a vast amount of volts through her body.

The two women lie on the ground too weak to get up, defeated with their reptiles lifeless.

"You're under arrest!" Adam says as he stamps on Rhia's snake, making sure it is dead. He and Estel cuff their wrists then call for backup.

"Fuck you Hunter!" Rhia spits blood.

"You're the one who chose a war, not me!... Besides, I must have been desperate that night at the bar, a Hunter never makes the same mistake twice!" Adam smirks, shaking his head.

"Ewwwww! Does Uncle Sammy know about your little fling?" Cherry probes him.

"It was just after one stupid night when Sammy, Axel, Max and I went to a bar…" Adam sighs.

"What did I miss out on?!" Floyd interrupts.

"Not much man, in fact only me and Max went back to their apartment. Sammy and Axel were the smart ones, they went home. I made a big mistake there…" Adam shrugs, glancing for a short second towards Estel.

"Don't look at me, what you do on the weekend is your business! But yeah agreed, you're not the smartest out of your friends." She replies before awkwardly walking away.

"This is it!" Floyd excitedly says as the four of them approach the final wall, each ignoring the pain from their battle wounds earlier.

"Sammy can you hear me?!" Adam shouts, holding his ear against the wall.

"Yeah! What took you so long bro?!" They hear his voice echoing back.

"Stand back…"

With power and strength, Floyd punches two large holes into the wall then Estel throws a grenade that breaks it, creating a gap large enough for them to fit through it.

"We have arrived!" Cherry proudly smirks, giving her Uncle an excited hug.

"Damn it's hot in here!" Floyd complains.

"It is a steam room, what did you expect?" Estel replies, folding her arms.

"Sammy! Remember those three hoes that were at that bar last week with Max?"

"Oh yeah, I remember…" Sammy laughs.

"Two of them are in there! We've cuffed them to the radiators, make sure the feds arrest their asses when they arrive. After that, make your way outside and call for the helicopter. Leon is on the roof and needs to get to safety". Adam instructs.

"I'm on it!" Sammy nods. "Be careful, and good luck". He gives his brother a quick hug before skating away.

"You look so hot right now, I know you're gonna beat him!" Diva grins as she finishes securing Max's elbow pads.

"I'm not worried, Axel has too much to lose this time and will buckle under the pressure. Without his power, he's nothing. By midnight, he and Blaze will both be dead and I will be Wood Oak City's greatest ever fighter." Max smirks.

"Your name will go down in history!" She grins whilst massaging his broad shoulders.

"Wait outside for me, I'll be out in five minutes" Max requests.

Once Diva is gone, he kneels down on the ground then he takes his rosary to say one final prayer. He crosses himself then kisses it before rising to his feet, completing his backstage ritual.

"I'm ready to go now" Axel says, fully focused after finishing his warm up before the fight.

"Here, let me do that" Blaze replies as she sits on the ground next to him, wrapping the gloves around his hands.

He stares down at her for a moment, remembering the first time he ever met her. He suddenly feels a deep fear in his gut that he may never see her again.

"What is it?" Blaze frowns as she finishes tying his gloves.

"You're so beautiful".

"Stop it, otherwise I'll have to kick you for real this time" she blushes, avoiding his eye contact.

"I wouldn't care if you did, as long as I'd get to see you again" he replies, staring with regret into her eyes.

"I love you". Blaze hastily throws her arms around him then hugs him tightly.

Less than a minute later, the door knocks.

"It's time to go" Axel sighs, still holding her as the door opens.

"No! There has to be another way!" She tries her best not to let him go.

"Don't wait for me…. I love you too" he replies as Bongo tries to push her away. In doing so, the fighter is caught off guard when Axel breaks his neck.

"You know what to do from here" he says as he pulls out a knife from the fighter's pocket then passes it to her. The two of them drag Bongo's body into the room then they seal the door shut.

"Shiva knows a way out, all the surveillance on this floor is down. You have to go now!" Axel orders as he kisses Blaze on the lips goodbye. The two of them quickly run in separate directions.

Once Axel is at the end of the hallway, two other fighters approach him.

"Where's Bongo?" One asks.

"He had to use the bathroom, he told me to go this way…" Axel shrugs, turning around to make sure Blaze is out of sight and that they haven't spotted her.

"That son of a bitch spends more time in the bathroom than in his bed!" They joke. "Come this way…!" The two fighters dressed in white suits armed with guns push him forward, escorting him to the arena.

The three of them step into a glass elevator containing panoramic views of the city outside. Axel glances up at the dial whilst the floor numbers quickly change one by one. He patiently waits, uncertain at what lies ahead whilst the noise of the crowd becomes louder and louder with every floor they ascend.