Chapter 24

"What the hell is he doin'?" Max pessimistically stood next to Adam with his arms crossed as he observed Axel from a distance. He appeared to be in a relaxed state, lying flat on the grass outside as the sun shone through the garden.

Adam blissfully shrugged from the kitchen, "I dunno, some meditation shit that he does every morning for his powers…"

"That ain't the Axel I remember!" Max huffed with disappointment.

"Yeah well, shit happens…"

"Are you two old men complaining about me again?" Axel smirked after he finished.

Max innocently shook his head as he avoided his eye contact "you know us...just the usual!"

"Some things haven't changed then," Axel joked.

The three of them were now sitting inside Adam's kitchen where plans and maps of the concert hall were being drawn out.

"You know the score. We go in, get hold of Washi, take out his bodyguards, then we get the fuck out! Nobody, not even the SIF needs to know about this," Adam briefed.

"I hear ya," Max replied.

"I still think we should also get a hold of those decs. Then we can find out exactly how they're using those sound waves and how much damage they can do" Axel nodded. "Any updates on this Diva chick?" He asked.

"No, not yet…" Adam sighed.

There was a brief pause between the three of them as soon as Cherry rushed into the kitchen.

"Whattt?! I still live here too, you know!" She snapped at them whilst she reached up for the pack of cornflakes.

"You realise we're in a meeting right now?" Her father answered.

"So?" Cherry didn't seem to give a shit as she carelessly started to pour out the milk. Max and Axel sat quietly on the breakfast stools observing the family dispute that was about to unfold.

"And where are you going dressed like that?" Adam raised an eyebrow, noticing Cherry's skimpy attire. It consisted of a low cut yellow crop top, a short black denim skirt and black ankle boots. Her curly red hair was half up and half down and her face was heavy with makeup - not the usual Friday morning look that Cherry often went for.

"I told you last week!" She shook her head, perplexed. "It's our last day of school and my friends and I are going to a concert".

"What concert? With who?!" Adam barked.

"Paige and the others! I told you about it more than a week ago, don't you ever listen to me?! K-Washi has this tour here…."

"What?! No FUCKIN' WAY!"

For a moment, Adam's throat went sinking to his chest and his eyes almost bulged forward out of their sockets with panic.

"But you said…"

"I don't care what I said! You're not going!"

"But that's not fair!" Cherry lost her patience, slamming the bowl of cereal heavily down onto the breakfast counter.

"Well life ain't fair. My decision is final!" Adam insistsed.

"But why can't I…."

"Just tell her the truth…" Axel interrupted, keen not to sit in the middle of their argument or waste any more time.

"I told you man, I don't want parenting advice from you!" Adam angrily pointed a finger at him.

"What's goin' on? What truth?" Cherry frowned.

Adam remained silent, now worked up into a sweat and a sulk. He simply refused to answer her or look in his daughter's direction.

"Uncle Max….? What is he hiding from me?" Cherry started to stare intensely at the wrestler for answers. "Dad said I could go to the concert, I swear…"

"I know, but…" Max sighed with guilt, fixing an awkward gaze back at Adam.

"Cherry, look…." Adam took a deep breath as he tried to compose himself. "This concert you want to go to tonight, it's too dangerous. The police and myself are on high alert…"

"Daddy, how many times do I need to hear a lecture about staying away from drugs, or leaving my drink around, or…"

"No, it's not that. Remember what I told you a long time ago about Mr X and his children?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, the Y-twins are arranging this particular concert. And anyone who's gonna be there is at risk…"

"Risk of what?!" Cherry snapped.

"Being controlled by them, a bomb, anything, I dont know! All I'm saying is, just please, for tonight promise me you'll stay home or go someplace else," Adam pleaded.

"But you don't know that! What about my friends? They bought my ticket, they'll be so pissed…."

"...Cherry? Please, I'm tellin',... No, I'm asking you. Please don't go…."

"Okkkk!" She huffed.

"Thank you sweetheart", Adam calmly replied. "I promise you, when this concert is through I'll take you to any other one you want to go to. VIP backstage passes and everything!"

"Ok daddy," she nodded, trying her best to contain her disappointment.

"That's my girl", Adam gratefully smiled, kissing her on the cheek before she left the kitchen.

"Now, where were we?" He continued.

Shiva cautiously glanced around one of the alleys adjacent to the edge of Chinatown.

"So? Did you get it then?"

In front of him stood a tall, curvaceous blond whom he was all too familiar with.

"Nice to see you again too!" Electra sarcastically replied, handing him a brown envelope. "Half is already there, the other half you'll receive when the job is done!"

"Thanks," Shiva bluntly answered.

"What are you gonna use that money for anyway? You're not really the cash kinda man from what I remember…"

"It's not for me. My sister needs it, so make sure you have the other half ready before midnight!" Shiva instructed.

"Always the good samaritan, weren't you?" Electra smiled. "Aren't you gonna ask what I'm planning to do with K-Washi once you bring him to me?"

"I couldn't care less…" he huffed, folding his arms.

"You know, this little move will bring those spawns down to the dumps back to where they came from! Once those records are leaked, and Washi talks, the whole world is gonna see the truth about what the Y-twins are planning. Why don't you join me huh?" She asked, placing her gloved hand over his chest. "I mean, you want them dead just as much as I do, plus it will get the SIF off my ass…."

Shiva took a deep breath before he answered. "Ellie, I've done a lot of bad things in the past, as have you. And I probably deserve to live sleeping with one eye open. But I've let go of my hate for them and so should you. The past is the past."

Electra pursed her lips with a tight smile as she removed her hand away from his chest.

"Speaking of the past, your old nemesis is back in town after all these years," she grinned.

"Who?!"

"Who do you think?" Electra laughed, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth as she left.

20 minutes later and Shiva cautiously rushed back through the rain. Before reaching the final block prior to his residence, Rudra stood in another dark alleyway, dressed in a black trench coat and hood. She immediately pulled her brother to one side.

"It's done. Take this, and stay safe! And don't ever return here, I'll find you… I promise…" Shiva instructed as he discreetly handed Rudra the envelope. Without saying another word or a goodbye, she took off into the crowded distance with the cash.

Five minutes later, Shiva was home as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. Once he had entered his restaurant, he paced upstairs then quickly kicked off his wet shoes upon arriving home.

"So? Are you gonna tell me the truth or what?"

"Blaze? I didn't expect you to be…"

There she was, standing in front of him, folding her arms and demanding answers.

"What are you talking about?" Shiva frowned.

"I know when you're lying. Rudra - I wanna know what's going on. I just saw you giving her the cash. What kind of trouble is she in and why is she really leaving?"

"You don't wanna know, or get involved with this…" he sighed.

The brunette then stepped forward towards him. "When are you gonna start trusting me huh? We're a team! If one of you is in trouble, you know I'm more than capable of helping!"

"It's not that…" Shiva shook his head.

"Then what is it then?!"

He slowly took a seat on the step in front of her. "Rudra had to leave town because she owes a debt that we can no longer pay off", he explained.

"How much is it? I'm sure we can settle something or deal with whoever is forcing her out!"

Shiva shook his head with regret once again. "It's not one person…"
"Let me guess, the Y-Syndicate, right?" Blaze glared around the room, with anger behind her tone. "I mean, I get it, they're after you because you betrayed them, but what has Rudra got to do with any of this? Besides, you've both successfully hidden from them all this time…"

"Do you really think that for the last 10 years, they haven't shown up here because they couldn't find me? Come on Blaze, they run this whole city!"

"So why didn't they show up to kill you then, huh? Come on, spit it out…"

He took a deep sigh as he stared up at her with guilt in his eyes.

"Because Rudra made them a deal…"

"What deal?" Anxiety started to creep on Blaze's face.

"The twins agreed to leave us alone in exchange for one assignment. An assassination that only Rudra and myself were capable of. But now, enough time has passed and no kill was made, not even close…"

"If it makes shit better, you can turn me in right now!" She held out her hands.

"No Blaze, they never wanted you. The hit was always on Axel! In almost 10 years, we failed to find him…"

"And you're telling me this now?!" Blaze glared at him with horror on her face. "Let me get this straight, all this time, you've been searching for him and you never bothered to tell me?... Is that why you really took me in?"

"No…, I…"

"Wow!" She shook her head with disappointment and tears in her eyes. "I should have known not to trust you, Leon! What did you think that keeping me here, training me, pretending I was safe was your way of capturing Axel? What, were you gonna use me to turn him in? You just used me as bait!

"No! It wasn't like that! I've let go of the past and I wanted nothing to do with that deal after you showed up, I swear to you…!" He stood up, gazing directly into her eyes.

"How can I even believe a word you're saying?"

"I'm not lying to you Blaze, I promise you…"

"You know what? I'm so sick of people's promises. You're a liar and you ain't changed one single bit!" She shook her head, turning away from him. "You were my teacher, my friend. I trusted you and I loved you like a brother…"

"I'm sorry!" Shiva paced forward, trying his best to convince Blaze to believe him. "Think about it, if I wanted you or Axel dead, you would both be in the hands of the Syndicate right now…"

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE HE IS! NOBODY DOES!" Blaze shouted back, swinging out her arms to the side with frustration.

She couldn't help but stand frozen in front of him, feeling betrayed as Shiva kept his silence after learning the truth about Axel's return.

"...I,..." Blaze could barely speak at that moment. "...I don't know what to say to you right now…" She took a deep gulp, then continued to walk away.

"Please stay here, don't go anywhere. I gotta get the rest of that money from Electra after this assignment is done…"

"Electra?!" Blaze distastefully laughed.

"Yeah, she's paying me to kidnap K-Washi tonight. He has information that could bring down the whole Syndicate organisation once and for all…. Wait, where are you going?"

"To clear your debt. It's the right thing to do. After that, I'm leaving and I don't owe you anything."

"No, wait…"

"If anybody is going to bring down the Syndicate, I deserve to. You at least owe me this!" Blaze snarled.

"No, it's too dangerous! I'll call Electra, I'll tell her the whole thing is off. I'll pay her back the money and l'll find another way…"

"Don't even think about trying to stop me, Leon. I'm warning you!" She shook her head with determination in her eyes.

"Blaze, Wait…!"

And just like that, she was out of the door.

Wood Oak City Concert Hall - 8pm.

"So, did daddy let you out of the cage then, huh?" Paige and the others joked with sarcasm as the group of teenage girls stood in line next to each other.

"Shut up!" Cherry frowned, embarrassed.

"Come on, we're only messin' with ya!" The slender blond laughed.

The truth was, they weren't joking. For months now, Cherry had tried her best to fit in and be part of the click that consisted of the most popular girls in her school. They were pretty, bold and had all of the hottest boys in the school running after them like lost puppies. But, her new friends were savvy and they often overstepped the mark with others and with her. Image to them and popularity was everything.

Cherry cautiously glanced around as they reached the entrance of the concert hall, trying her best to avoid any undercover officers or staff who could potentially recognise her.

"Cherry! You blinked again!" Paige tutted, pissed off in her tone as she pouted for another selfie.

"Sorry," the teenager smiled and apologised whilst the group of girls huddled up.

"I have to say, I've always wondered what mystery lies under K-Washi's mask…" one of the girls named Maddison joked.

"Are you sure you're talking about under his mask?" Paige giggled.

"Don't even…." her friend blushed.

"It's not my fault you're still a virgin Maddie!" She then turned towards Cherry. "So, do you think your Uncle Sammy will show up here tonight?"

"Er, why would he….?" Cherry frowned.

"Just curious, that's all. You still have to introduce us…"

"...right", Cherry awkwardly nodded. Ever since she joined the group, Paige would bring up his name from time to time. Cherry couldn't help but wonder why the most popular girl in school ever accepted someone she used to bully and call a nerd. But three months ago, they became good friends and it was bliss. But, deep down, Cherry knew it had to have something to do with her cool, badass, skateboarding uncle Sammy, as it always did….

"Right this way!" One of the bouncers instantly distracted the teen away from her thoughts as he tore off her ticket.

"Didn't they want to see our ID this time?" Cherry whispered to Maddison as they entered the large arena.

"Who cares," she casually shrugged.

"Hey, loosen up a bit will ya?" Paige grinned, discreetly removing a bottle of gin from her handbag for them to share.

It wasn't long until the concert began. To say the crowd went wild was an understatement when their superstar entered the stage. DJ K-Washi stood tall at the centre of the stage and he waited still, until the crowd fell silent. He then casually rose in the air and levitated up to his decks, exciting his audience like never before.

Without saying a word, he began to scratch his first track which proved to be a triumph and exhilarating for them.

Author's Note

I was keen to bring more of Cherry into the story at this stage and more will develop with this in the next chapter, as she is very keen and capable of fighting as you will see soon. I wanted to highlight the rocky relationship between her and her father when really, he doesn't want her involved or part of any of this.

All I'm going to say is the next chapter is action packed and a lot of s*** is about to hit the fan! So I hope you enjoyed this one and I can't wait for you to read what's coming next :-).