The Backpack

Chapter Four:

The Black Dragons

July, 6th 1980

This was a bad idea; she knew it and yet here she was walking towards the dilapidated warehouse. Not far was the grain terminal, a place she always believed to be haunted. A silo had fallen into the water and another looked as though it were ready to join it. With only the city lights behind it, it looked eerier. She was regretting this.

The waning crescent hanging in the sky didn't provide any light, making this idea even worse. Allison clicked on the flashlight, a large black metal one she swiped from a cop.

"You sure know how to show a gal a good time," Marcy whispered beside her.

"I have that way with girls."

Marcy scoffed.

"Even with this flashlight, I'm still afraid to walk through this grass."

"Grass ain't gonna hurt ya none."

"It's not the grass. It's what's in the grass. I don't want to step on a snake."

Marcy giggled. "Back in Texas, you'd stepped on a rattler by now."

She liked Marcy a lot, but she wasn't a fan of her southern drawl.

"That's not making me feel better," Allison said.

They finally reach a chain-link fence, Marcy almost smacking into it. Allison spotted a cut in the fence and motioned for Marcy to follow. Slipping through, they continued towards the warehouse. Lights and music spilled from the facility. Walking around the side of the building was Lars. She recognized his lanky figure and dark unkempt hair anywhere. Allison relaxed and picked up the pace. It was crazy to think that she was actually happy to see the spaz.

The moment her shoes hit concrete, relief washed over her.

"Ick, there's that guy again!" Marcy hissed.

"Who, Lars? Don't worry, I'll keep him in check."

This didn't seem to make Marcy feel better, but there wasn't much Allison could do about it. Lars was always a thorn in Allison's side. If he wasn't flicking her hair or pinching her rear, he was taunting her. She always had a few sharp words or a fist for him. It didn't seem to be working though. Maybe after tonight when she won this stupid cage match, he'd finally shut his mouth.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Marcy asked.

Allison stopped and turned to face her friend. She saw the concern reflecting in her eyes. "I'm going to show up that creep and maybe he'll finally leave me alone."

Marcy shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "It's just that you don't seem well."

"It was a long walk."

"True but you huffed and puffed the whole way here. What's wrong?"

There was no reason to hide it. "I was sick last winter, and I struggled to recover. Pneumonia spread into my spine, and it really fucked me up. Don't worry, I'm not contagious anymore, but I'm still feeling the effects."

"Allison, you need to be in bed. What are you doing running around town in your condition?"

Allison rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. The doctor said I need to build my strength back up and laying in bed won't help."

Marcy still didn't seem convinced but accepted it anyway. "Okay, but don't take any risks. I don't want my new friend dying one me."

They turned and continued towards the building. At the entrance, a tall and broad-shouldered African American boy stopped them. Allison thought she'd met him before but wasn't sure. He narrowed his eyes at the girls. Marcy shrunk away and hid behind Allison.

"What do you want?" the boy asked.

Before Allison could reply, a heavy arm draped around her. She jumped away and immediately was relieved to see it was Lars. Then she internally cringed at the idea of being relieved to see Lars.

"It's okay, Jeremy. They're with me," Lars said. He turned to wink at the girls who responded with their middle fingers. Lars flinched a little at that. "Anyways, Allison was invited. She's fighting tonight."

Jeremy's gaze flicked to Marcy. "And her?"

"Marcy is my support," Allison said.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "You can't bring someone in just because they're your support."

"It's okay, I'm looking to join, too," Marcy hurriedly explained.

Allison spun around to face her friend. Marcy gave her a look that said, "trust me". She nodded and stayed quiet.

Jeremy gave Lars a nod. "Alright, they're in but you're responsible for them. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Lars said nonchalantly.

The girls followed Lars inside the building. Music blasted their ears, giving Allison a headache. As he led them down the stairs, the music grew louder. To her right were two boys performing tricks on a skating ramp. Close to them was the pool table where a girl who looked to be no older than twelve played with boys twice her size. It shocked Allison to see her. She looked up from her game, saw Allison staring, and glared.

"Check it out," Lars said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Anything you ladies want, we got. Anything you feel like doin', do it. Ya feel me?"

"Got any cigarettes?" Marcy asked.

Lars grinned and held up two cartons. "Regular or menthols?" He gave her a wink before tossing a carton to a girl in a halter top.

All around them kids between the ages of ten to nineteen ran around the building. Some looked to be much older.

Who were all of these kids and who found them? She wanted to know their stories.

The farther they drifted to the back the heavier the smoke got. Allison's eyes, throat, and nose burned with each breath. In the back sitting at a table with a beer in hand was a large broad-shouldered, blond kid or at least she thought it was a kid. His brown eyes narrowed at Lars when they approached the table.

"Who are these people?" he asked in a deep voice.

Lars fidgeted nervously. "Uh, hey there, Hunter. I brought those new recruits for the Black Dragons."

Hunter's eyes flicked from Lars to the girls. He raised a brow at Allison. "You look familiar."

"I… get that a lot." The last thing I want is this weirdo knowing where I live.

"Hmmm… are you here to fight?"

"Yes."

"What about her?" Hunter asked, pointing to Marcy.

"She's here to support me."

Hunter scowled. "Why do you need support?"

Oh great, now I've made myself look weak. "Marcy and I do everything together," she quickly explained.

Hunter was rubbing his chin as he thought over her words. He gave her a nod and rose from his chair, revealing just how large he truly was. Allison's heart leapt in her throat. This man was a beast!

"Follow me," Hunter said.

Allison and Marcy exchanged uncertain glances before deciding to follow him. The crowd parted as Hunter made his way to the caged arena. With each step, her legs felt heavier and her stomach twisted into painful knots.

I can do this. I can do this.

Her opponent stepped into the ring. He was a large muscular man in his early twenties. His long brown hair hung in his face. Seeing her, he grinned and cracked his knuckles as a way of intimidating her. She forced down her fear and shot him a nasty glare.

"You'll be fighting Wolfgang," Hunter said.

Turning to Hunter with her hands on her hips, she said, "That's my opponent? He's twice my size! I thought I was fighting another chick."

"In the real world, you won't always be up against someone your own size. Men will not always hold back on you just because you're a woman. The strong do not always pity the weak. That's why you need to be prepared to take on someone bigger than you because not everyone will show mercy."

She wanted to protest, but she also knew Hunter was right. Without further argument, she walked towards the ring. A light hand came down on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Marcy whispered in her ear.

"I'm sure. Don't worry, I'll be okay."

With that, she stepped inside the cage. Lars shut the door behind her, locking it. Her opponent circled her as though she were prey.

"You scared, girl?" Wolfgang said with a chuckle.

"Stop yappin' and let's do this!" Allison said.

Wolfgang charged forward. Allison jumped to the side and out of his path. He smacked into the chain-link fencing that surrounded them. He spun around, faced her, and gave a snarl. He rushed for her. This time however, she didn't have time to move out of the way. His fist collided with her cheek, sending her sailing back and into the cage. Blood pooled in her mouth, and for a moment, she thought one of her molars was loose.

"Allison!" Marcy cried. She ran towards the cage, and tried reaching inside, but Lars quickly stopped her. "Let go, she needs my help!"

"No, she doesn't. This is her fight. Don't take away her glory," Lars said.

Swallowing down the blood, Allison pushed herself off the chain-links as Wolfgang came running towards her. He smacked into the cage again and gave a frustrated growl. He swung, she dodged and delivered a kick to his shin. Wolfgang stumbled back, Allison swung her fist and connected with his chin. She gave her hand a shake to relieve the pain in her knuckles. He rubbed the side of his face, seemingly unfazed by her blow.

Frustration welled inside of her. Why did I agree to this? Shit, this man is gonna kill me!

Before she had a chance to plan her next move, his fist smashed into her nose, sending her flat on her back. Stars danced across her vision, and pain disoriented her senses. Touching her nose, she winced and saw the blood on her fingers. It was probably broken but she couldn't think about that right now. Somewhere in the crowd, Marcy cried out for her.

Wolfgang loomed over her, a satisfying grin on his face.

"Still think you're one of the men?" Wolfgang asked. He gave a laugh before kicking her hard in the side. "You look good on your back. You should stick to that instead. It's the only thing you'll ever be good at."

She clenched her jaw tight, ignoring the pain surging through it. He readied himself to give her another kick when she rolled out of the way and jumped to her feet. She threw a punch, this time hitting his eye. He cried out and covered his face long enough for her run behind him and delivered a kick to his lower back. Spinning around to face her, Wolfgang scowled. He swung, she dodged, then gave a spin kick to his ribs, making him stumble. Allison kicked him in the side of the knee and landed a blow on his lower stomach.

As adrenaline surged through her, she hardly felt any pain in her hand and legs as she delivered blow after blow to his body. He fell back into the fence; it jiggled and sent a wave through the enclosure. The crowd cheered as Allison struck Wolfgang in the nose, causing blood to pour from his nostrils.

I'm actually getting the upper hand!

As her fist caught his jaw, he brought up his knee, placing a wedge between them. Grabbing her shoulders, Wolfgang threw her off of him with ease. She hit the ground and rolled away from him.

Okay, so maybe I'm not getting the upper hand…

Wolfgang swung and missed Allison by an inch. She lowered herself as he swung at her again. She popped back up and slammed her fist into his cheek. Blood droplets flew from his mouth and speckled the mat.

Allison panted, perspiration beaded on her forehead and temples. She was beginning to feel a throb in her hands and legs and she was certain she pulled a muscle. Dizziness came over her, and her vision blurred.

Panic and frustration rose inside of her. She wanted to win, but that didn't seem possible now. She mentally kicked herself for letting pride get in the way. She should have let herself fully recover but that morning she felt okay. The last time she felt weak was days ago, so she thought she was well enough to fight.

Like a bull seeing red, Wolfgang charged forward, quickly closing in the space between them. Allison tried side stepping, but her knees buckled from the dizziness. His fist collided into her stomach. Falling to the side, she gripped her stomach as she gasped for air. Wolfgang kicked her hard in the side, sending her rolling across the floor.

Gripping the fence, Allison pulled herself up. Sweat dripped down her face and into her eyes. It was getting harder to breathe, but she forced herself to stand straight.

"Allison, you need to tap out," Marcy shouted over the cheering crowd. "You're pale!"

"Yeah, I have to agree with her. You don't look well at all," Lars added.

"I'm fine!" Allison snapped.

Pushing herself off the fence, she charged at Wolfgang, dodged his blow, and delivered a kick to his stomach. He grabbed her ankle and swung her like a bat against the cage. Her head hit one of the poles, sending stars across her vision. The crowd gasped in horror, Marcy and Lars called out to her, and she was suddenly too tired to get up. She closed her eyes and fought the tears that threatened to spill. After all this, she'd failed, and that hurt more than the rising pain in her body.

Her mind screamed at her to get up, to keep going, but her body trembled and her face throbbed and burned. She forced herself onto her hands and knees and tried crawling away from Wolfgang, but he'd caught her easily. With a fistful of hair in his hand, he forced Allison to stand. Her legs wanted to buckle again, but he would allow it. With one final punch to the jaw, Allison's world spun around her and then there was nothing but darkness. The crowd's chanting muffled as she slipped further away.

She'd lost her first match.

When she finally came to, there was a bright light in her face. She waved it away and sat up. Looking around the room, she thought maybe she was in some sort of infirmary.

"Well, she's alive at least," a male voice said.

"But does she need to go to the ER?" Marcy asked.

"I'm fine," Allison groaned.

Talking hurt and she winced as her face throbbed. She reached up and touched it, her nose, jaw, and mouth, wondering which part of her was broken. A boy wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt hovered over her. He was fair-haired and blue eyed. His face was narrow and familiar. The longer she stared, the more she wondered where she knew him from.

"We had to reset your nose while you were unconscious," the boy explained.

"Do I know you?"

He became uncomfortable by her question. Without answering her, he gave her an ice pack. "Uh, I don't think you do. Anyway, how are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "My face hurts."

"Well yeah! It took a pounding," Lars said.

Hearing Lars' voice made her stomach churn. The last person she wanted to hear was him.

"Why did you do it? What did you have to prove?" Marcy asked.

Allison held the ice pack on her face. "I wanted Lars to shut up."

Lars laughed at her answer.

"Oh my, God, Allison. Don't you realize you could have died tonight?" Marcy continued to chide.

She shrugged it off and slid off the cot. "I wanna go home now."

"Can you walk?" the mysterious kid asked.

In the corner, she spotted Hunter and Wolfgang, arms crossed and eying her. Hunter pushed his bulk off the wall and approached her with Wolfgang behind him.

"You fought well," Hunter said with a dip of his head.

She cocked her head. "But… I lost."

Wolfgang was the one to speak next. "You lost, but gave it everything you had. I gotta respect someone like that." He stuck his hand out to her. "I hope to face off with you again someday."

Hesitantly, she took his hand and shook it. It was surprisingly soft.

It was strange seeing him this nice and calm when less than an hour ago he was trying to kill her.

"Yeah, likewise," she said. To be honest, I hope I never see you again.

When the spinning dulled, and it stopped hurting as bad, Allison and Marcy left the clubhouse. This time it was her new friend guiding her along in the dark. When they got into the street, she was relieved.

They were a mile up the road when Allison felt dizzy again. She stumbled and fell. Marcy caught her, but went with her.

"You need a doctor," Marcy said.

"No, what I need is ice cream. Rocky road to be exact."

Marcy shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know what to do with you."

"Eat ice cream with me?"

She was getting dizzy again.

Marcy laughed. "Alright, fine but only if you go straight home afterward."

Allison's head rested on Marcy's shoulder. They sat there in the middle of the street late at night with nothing but the stars above them and empty lots around them.

Maybe things won't be so bad after all…

2013

Mikey's bike rolled up to the chain-link fence surrounding Red Hook. The headlights lit the metal and part of the parking lot beyond. Looking at the tower shrouded in darkness, fear began to prick at his belly. For the hundredth time that night he questioned why he was here.

Truth be told, he didn't know why he was here. There was nothing left that could tell him more about Allison. Still, she had a connection here, even if her mark on this place was long gone.

Taking off his helmet, he scanned the area for anyone prowling around. His research on the place told him that this was a hot spot for the homeless and gangs in the surrounding area. On the plus side, he didn't have to worry about guards or policemen patrolling the building. Reaching into his saddlebags he took out his small duffle bag and withdrew his flashlight. He could really use Donnie's high-tech gear right about now.

After hiding his shell cycle in the tall grass, Mikey slipped on his cloak and jumped the six-foot fence and landed on the other side. He looked back at the gate, proud that he cleared it.

He made his way to the silo, careful not to step on broken glass and other debris. He should have worn his boots, but it was too late now.

When he came upon the entrance, he noticed the large double doors were chained shut. He had a feeling this would happen. Reaching into the duffle bag, he retrieved Donnie's lock picks and went to work. Years of hovering over his nerdy brother had given Mikey a few skills. He heard the click, and the lock was free. The chain slid off the door handles and landed in the dirt.

Mikey pushed on the metal doors. They let out a deep groan that made him cringe. He opened them just enough for his body to slip in. Before he stuck his head in, he took out the asbestos mask and put it on.

Stepping inside, he forced down the fear rising inside him. He wished he came out here in the daylight, but that wasn't possible for someone like him. He moved the flashlight around, looking for any sign of an intruder. So far, nothing.

In the very back of the large building, he saw an upstairs office. Carefully, he made his way to the small room. Twice, he'd almost stepped on broken glass and once, sharp metal scratched his ankle.

I need to be more careful. I'm not exactly up to date on my shots.

He reached the stairs, tested his weight on the first few steps, and proceeded towards the office. The floorboards to the office creaked under his weight, making him cringe. He imagined the floor giving out beneath him and the furniture crushing him as he landed on the concrete below. He pushed the thought out of his head. His imagination always got the better of him.

He reached a desk that was probably there since the 70s. The thick layer of dust brought on his allergies. He suppressed a sneeze before opening the top drawer. There was nothing interesting in here except a crumbling receipt from a pizzeria.

Allison's journal entry didn't go into specific details on what happened here. Only that she brought a friend here, fought someone named Wolfgang, and then lost. There was also another name mentioned that stuck out to him: Hunter Mason. She described him as a hulking figure with blond hair. Somewhere in the deepest part of his mind, an image flashed but he couldn't place his finger on who he was thinking of. It left him feeling frustrated.

Of course, there was a mention of a gang called the Black Dragons. That couldn't be the Purple Dragons could it? At what point did they change their name?

He opened another drawer and found a folder containing documents, but none of the papers proved to be of any worth. As he placed them back, he heard a woman talking outside. The voice was faint but clear. Mikey's heart took off, and he quickly ducked down under the desk. A male voice followed, then the woman's voice raising a little before catching herself and speaking softer again.

Now he was curious. Scared, but curious.

He swiftly, but quietly left the office, wondering who these people were.

Finally, finished this chapter. I wanted more Mikey, but I think I'll save the rest of Mikey's adventures for another chapter as I plan on these being short. I'm sorry for the wait. Writing Allison's fight scene took longer than I thought. I am going to go and back and rewrite the beginning so this chapter makes more sense. Also, I apologize if there are any errors here. ProWritingAid and Grammarly are glitching on FFN. Is anyone else having this issue?

Anyway, I'm on Wattpad as well. You can follow AmateurSketch. I upload all my stories there, including my original work.