Chapter 35

The bright orange fires that flared all the way up to the ashed sky. The intense heat from the flames was an all too familiar feeling for Axel and he knew exactly where he was. He had previously visited this place several times in the past. He knew that whilst his conscious mind and body in the physical plane was sleeping, his spirit was lingering amongst the volcano that Eru had first told him about.

This time however, was different. Axel was walking amongst the ash on his own where there was no butterfly or spirit guide around to lead him. The only path was forward. Everything behind his steps grew alight and there was nothing to his left and right but fire. Every time previously when he reached the end of this path, a new revelation and a new power of his would unlock. Axel understood that this place he was in was somewhere between life and death, between earth and heaven and at the same time, between earth and hell.

There was no concept of time here and he would only wake up when his path was finished. As Axel approached the end of the path, he could see a door to a familiar cabin, except it was in the middle of a forest. In fact, this was the very same cabin that Axel had built in the woods with his bare hands.

Upon turning the handle of the door, the flames around him immediately dispersed. Instead of the place being its usual empty state, Axel unexpectedly heard voices and the interior of the place appeared different to the cabin he was used to. He could hear plates and cutlery and could even smell roasted turkey coming from a kitchen in the distance. The first voice he recognised was Adam's, his oldest friend. He and his brother Sammy were arguing as they did every Christmas about who got first picks of the meat. Then there was Max sitting merrily with a bottle of beer pouring out stories about his old fights in the ring.

It was strange because Axel could have sworn that he had heard the very same conversation before, yet he was never there. At the same time, something was drawing his attention upstairs. Something darker and colder. Water began to gently drip down the wooden steps to his side, so he decided to follow the trail of where it was coming from. As Axel reached the top of the staircase, he realised he was no longer inside the Hunter residence. It was cold, damp and water was pouring almost everywhere now.

In the distance he could see several masked fighters standing tall in front of a body lying helplessly on the ground. Again, Axel recognised where he was, who the body was, but he couldn't explain how he got there. The masked fighters quickly dispersed in the other direction away from the body lying almost dead amongst her own pool of blood which reflected off the golden knuckle dusters they left on the ground.

"Blaze! Wake up! Wake up now!... You have to wake up and breathe!" Axel knelt down beside her body, holding her close as he moved her hair out of her blood stained face before resuscitating her. "Come on, breathe!" He shouted.

Blaze took a sudden gasp of air as she opened her eyes from the same nightmare she was experiencing. Only this time, she was still sitting on the chair with the blanket over her body that Amira had given her earlier. She could see Axel still hooked up to the life support machine in front of her.

Within seconds however, his heart monitor that regularly bleeped, drastically changed to a constant ring.

Blaze immediately jumped out of her chair screaming. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!"

Without wasting any more precious seconds, she took a risk and reached for the emergency defibrillator. She pressed both panels down against Axel's chest, but no electricity was coming out.

"Shit!... SOMEBODY HELP! HE'S STOPPED BREATHING!"

Blaze tried again and again, but there was still no pulse or electrical charge from the machine.

So she took a deep breath then closed her eyes whilst tightly gripping onto its handles.

Within her own hands, she powered up the device using her own electrical chi. It sparked violently for a couple of seconds before the defibrillator calmed down. "1, 2, 3…." she whispered before pressing its panels once again over Axel's chest.

Blaze instantly fell out of breath from her own energy as Axel's heart monitor finally returned back to its normal state.

"What's going on?" Floyd ran into the lab as fast as he could with the others close behind him.

"He.. he…" At that moment Blaze was breathless, her vision was blurred and her palms were shaking. Floyd recognised straight away what was happening and how she had powered up the machine to save Axel's life.

"It's ok, you got shocked too. Sit down and take a breather, I got this" he suggested.

"Is everything ok?" Sammy was next to run in with Adam close behind him. They could see the defibrillator fallen on the ground whilst Blaze's hands were bleeding.

"Everything is ok now" she nodded, looking exhausted.

"Don't you think we should get him to a hospital?" Sammy shrugged at his brother.

"And risk our asses being arrested or captured?!" Adam argued.

"His life has gotta be worth more than that…"

"Don't you think I've already thought this through? Besides, Dr Zan here has enough resources here to keep him alive. I ain't riskin' anybody else gettin' hurt!"

When the Hunter brothers argued, they really argued. Any little dispute would always quickly escalate due to their clashing personalities.

"But how long do you expect us to stay here?!" Sammy shouted back.

"It ain't safe to go home right now!"

"Will you both please stop arguing?" Floyd intervened.

"Arguing? You ain't seen me argue yet, man!" Sammy scrowled.

Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice speaking at them with a hint of pain, but laughter behind it.

"... you two ain't changed a single bit.." Axel opened his eyes.

"Holy Shit!" Sammy almost lept out of his skin.

"You're awake?!" Adam also stared down at him in shock. The two brothers quickly forgot about their argument, as if it were all just a distant memory. Axel then ripped off the stickers on his arms and chest that were hooked to the life support machine.

"After less than a day, how the hell could you….?" Floyd stared down at the fighter in awe. Not only had Axel pulled out of a coma just minutes after his heart stopped, but he was now trying to get out of bed. "Aaaa…" he stopped himself, clutching onto his chest in pain whilst his head was also dizzy.

"Easy, you need to rest a while longer," Floyd suggested.

"How long have I been out of it?" Axel asked, staring up with annoyance towards the ceiling.

"About 12 hours now,"

"Better than last time I guess…" he replied, remembering the previous time he was in a meditative state at the volcano. On that occasion, it took 3 days for Axel to wake up and regain consciousness.

"This has happened before?" Sammy shrugged confused.

"Hard to explain…"

"Well let's hope that is really the last time your head is out of it!" Adam warned. "You almost died! If Blaze hadn't saved your ass once again! She's been sitting in this room ever since…."

"It's ok, Adam" Blaze interrupted, as her and Axel briefly exchanged glances from across the room.

"Thank you," Axel softly replied.

"It's nothing, we all got each other's backs right? I'm just glad you're ok!" Blaze hesitated for a moment, suddenly avoiding his eye contact as she got up to leave. "Now that everything is almost normal in here, I'll be upstairs if anybody needs me…"

"Wait…" Axel sighed, but she couldn't have left any faster.

"Does this mean you can start training with us?" Sammy asked Axel, however Floyd stepped in to answer.

"No! The doctor has left strict orders. He needs to remain in that bed and on that monitor for at least the next two weeks!"

"Two weeks?!" Axel huffed with disappointment. "We don't have that kind of time to kill. If the Syndicate hasn't struck us back already, they will".

"You're no use to us dead though," Adam shook his head.

"Fine. But you don't start this fight until those two weeks are up, you hear me?"

"I'll be the one making that decision bro. Just focus on recovering," Adam replied before turning away.

"I didn't mean it like that. You don't know what we're up against, I've seen it!" Axel argued.

"And how is that? You've been in the middle of nowhere for the past ten years!"

"I can't explain, just trust me. I don't wanna see you or anyone else here end up like me right now…."

Adam bitterly laughed under his breath, forcing himself to bite his tongue. "If only you knew bro! I'll catch you later, rest up" Adam politely nodded before walking away.

"He's just pissed off because of Estel," Sammy muttered.

"No, I'm pissed because of your lazy ass! Now get up off your ass and get some training done!" Adam shouted in the distance.

"Really? This is the big surprise you and Zan wanted to show us?" Blaze stood disappointed with her arms folded against her leather jacket.

"This is something special! And none of those thugs, not even the Y-Twins have access to anything like this!" Floyd enthusiastically replied, pacing himself around the two holographic keyboards floating mid air.

"I just don't get it. Nothing can ever substitute real physical fighting as training, right Adam?" Blaze answered, staring down at the purple glass pyramid alight in the centre of the room.

"You tell me. You've been training with one of our worst living enemies for the past couple of years…"

"Don't say another word!" She warned.

"Why is there a brain fired up in there?" Sammy enquired.

Dr Zan casually answered his question. "It is a replica of the one I analysed of Mr X",

"Wait you analysed that weirdos brain? Ewww", Cherry was next to show her distaste.

"I conducted a few experiments before the funeral. Then my scientists dug up…"

"Ok, I don't need to hear anymore!" The teenager halted him.

Max was next to voice his opinion. "I have to say I'm with Blaze on this. How are some VR headsets and wires gonna prepare us for the fight ahead?" He shrugged.

"Try it and you'll see!" Floyd grinned as he handed over a headset to Max.

"Ok. But remember I just got outta hospital"

"Even more reason why you should try the simulator…"

"Fine. But if this shit ain't as good as my own VR set, I'm leavin'..." Sammy huffed, snatching the piece of technology out of Floyd's hand.

Just as the others began to sit around the bright glass pyramid, they heard a knock at the door.

"Shit," Adam whispered as he cautiously glanced at the others. "I'll get it…"

"Wait…" Blaze followed him, removing her own headset.

"YOU! You need to leave right now!" Adam angrily snarled at Shiva who was standing in the doorway.

"But Blaze called me…"

"I don't give a fuck! You're standing on my turf now so Imma kick your ass all the way to…"

"STOP!" Blaze ran forward, standing between the two fighters.

In that moment, Adam and Shiva were ready for their own battle.

"Blaze, move!" Adam insisted.

"You heard the man. Seems like Hunter is still holding a grudge against me after all," Shiva raised an eyebrow with his arms tightly folded.

"You bet!"

"Look, why don't the two of you settle this on Dr Zan's simulator thing?"

"Huh?" Shiva frowned.

"We all want the same thing, don't we? Both Axel and Max are already injured and I'm not willing to risk any more of our best fighters, especially you two. So if you wanna get anything off your chest, at least think of the greater good first," Blaze darted her stare between the two of them.

"Ok," Shiva nodded.

"Adam?" Blaze insisted.

"Fine!"

"Great, that's settled then…" as soon as Blaze stepped aside, Adam threw a hard punch forward that knocked Shiva on the chin.

"No, that's not what I meant…shit!" Blaze panicked.

It wasn't long before both men were kicking and punching the shit out of one another outside in the rain.

"I know you're still angry after what happened at City Hall but attacking me is a big mistake!" Shiva warned, ducking from another roundhouse kick. Adam then aggressively swept him down to the ground.

"City Hall? That was nothing! You kidnapped me and almost killed me!"

Shiva was quick to kick back up, "I was following orders!" The fighter shouted as he caught Adam around the jaw with his signature flaming circular kick, causing his bottom lip to bleed.

But this wasn't enough to deter Adam.

"I would have taken your ass a long time ago. You fuckers drugged me, and becuase of you, my kid brother got involved in all this shit!" Adam replied, executing his signature howl fang roundhouse kick. This caught Shiva painfully in the chest as the Kempo fighter stumbled backwards.

"That wasn't my intention!" Shiva counterattacked, elbow striking Adam on his left side.

"Well, I'm gonna finish what I started here and now!" The officer readied his fist which started to emit a green and yellow crystal aura.

Shiva looked on in horror, having underestimated Adam's abilities.

"Swooorrdd Strikkkeee…. "

"FINAL CRASH!" The Kempo fighter somersaulted forward.

There came a blinding white light that emitted for a second as a result of both of their energies. The light finally bursted, throwing the two of them violently back through the air until they came crashing down with Adam falling against a trash can and Shiva toppling aggressively over a car bonnet.

"Oh my God!" The rest of the team looked on in horror as Cherry held one hand over her mouth in disbelief. For a moment, both fighters laid there unconscious on the ground with neither moving nor getting up.

"Daddy!" Cherry rushed over to Adam's aid whilst Floyd paced forward to check on Shiva.

"Don't worry, they're both still alive," Sammy sarcastically remarked, shaking his head with disappointment..

"I ain't finished with you Leon!" Adam snarled as he lifted his head off the ground. Both Cherry and Sammy tried to hold him back but there was no point, he was now too weak to get up anyway.

"No worries Hunter. I'm done and I ain't coming back for your cause!" Shiva was also too weak and injured to rise up to his feet, so Floyd placed one of his arms over his metal shoulder. Both men were bruised and bloody with all of their energy depleted.

"Are you happy now?!" Blaze stood in the middle of the injured party.

"I'll never work with him!" Adam shouted.

"You don't have to!" Shiva snarled.

"I was stupid for ever thinking you moved on and that you had changed", Blaze shook her head at Adam then at Shiva. "You know, tomorrow marks 10 years. 10 whole years since the Syndicate got 1up on me. And you two know exactly what that meant to me to get them back! Adam, you were there from the very beginning, you knew everything and Leon, you saved my life when I had nowhere else to go…."

The two men suddenly found themselves staring down at the floor with guilt on their faces. "We all have our reasons for this fight, but whether you two can get along or not, I don't give a shit anymore. But I remember exactly why I'm here still fighting, and so should you!"

"Blaze, I….I'm…." Sorry was on the tip of Adam's tongue, as it was for Shiva.

She walked away from them and back towards the building, noticing Max sitting in his wheelchair by the doorway and out of the rain.

"You ok?" He asked.

"I'm fine…." Blaze started to frown at him, noticing something was physically wrong. "Max? Are you ok?" She crouched down in front of him.

"What? Yeah! Why?"

"Here, take this handkerchief. Your nose is bleeding and your hands are shaking…." she softly gripped onto his hand.

"I'll be ok. It's probably nerve damage after the concert. I've been gettin' these headaches real bad ever since…"

"Go and get some sleep," Blaze sighed as she stood back up.

She cared about Max and wanted to help him. She also wanted to help Adam and Shiva see sense, but Blaze was so drained emotionally and mentally at that moment that all she could do was close her eyes as soon as she could. Was this all just a dream? It certainly felt like it was. She never thought in a million years that the day would come when the team were reunited, even with a new addition to it. She never believed the day would come when she would see Axel again, or even her sister. But here they were where everyone was under one roof, surrounded by their worst enemies.

Blaze was too exhausted to think anymore about if this was all a dream or just some harsh reality she was in. So she quietly laid on the leather couch then she peacefully closed her eyes.