The Eyes of Fate (Currently in Rewrite)

Chapter 46

"So what exactly is Fang doing in a junkyard?" Sentinel asked, looking around. They had parked the truck on the outside of the junkyard, and just walked right on in through the unlocked gate.

"Fighting." Oracle growled, clearly still angry at Fang. Her voice softened as she kept speaking. "He used to tell me about this place, where he went and got into fights with like-minded people."

"Fighting?" Ranger asked, incredulous as he checked the action on his pistol, a habit that showed his own irritation. "You mean he came all the way out here just to get into fights? He could have just sparred with us."

"That's the difference, isn't it." Sentinel said. "He's fighting with the people here, but he spars with us."

"Good observation, Sentinel." Oracle patted the top of his head, and he blushed. She chuckled at him, along with the others. "We're probably tougher than just most of the people here, but Fang doesn't want to hurt us, even accidentally."

"So he comes here, where he can hurt people however he wants? That hardly sounds like Fang." Chesyr spoke up.

They started walking deeper into the junkyard, Sentinel in the lead. He kept his eyes peeled for movement as they passed the empty frames of cars and old rusty appliances. In the distance, he  could hear music, faint but definitely there. The was also the sound of a crowd cheering every few moments,  going on for a second before dying down.

"It's not just that." Oracle said from behind him. Right where he knew she'd be, where he'd been taught she'd be. The others were spread out around them, a few feet between each of them so they wouldn't get in each other's way if anything happened. "From what he told me, this is where he used to go as a kid when everything was too much for him. He'd come here and spend the night fighting as a way to calm down."

"He does always say he's most at peace when he's in combat." Vyper this time, his voice coming from the left.

"I know the feeling." Ranger quipped from off to the right.

"Wait, he'd come here as a kid?" Chesyr's appalled voice came from back behind Oracle. "What kind of place let's kids do that?"

"I think we're about to find out." Sentinel answered. He could see how much lighter the area up ahead was. "Looks like we're here."

They came in next to a ring of cars, the headlights all facing forwards. Surrounding the ring was a crowd of people, some of them sitting on the tops of the cars. On the other side Sentinel could see several huge speakers and a couple of bonfires to keep the area well lit. There were several people posted up at what looked like a concession stand set up inside a truck. There was a second crowd of people that were sitting beside it, getting checked out by men wearing white masks with red crosses on them. Looking closer, Sentinel realized that almost everyone was mearing a mask, from cheap medical masks to Halloween and masquerade masks to ornate hand carved ones.

Something happened in the ring, and Sentinel saw the crowd ripple, a loud "oooooh" coming from them. Sentinel exchanged a look with the others, then as one they shouldered their way through to see what was going on.

Fang was in the center of the ring, staring down at a girl on her back beneath him. He was soaked in sweat, his hair plastered to his forehead, but his shoulders were rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he breathed slow and deep. There were four other people laying in the sandy pit, two of whom were unconscious.

"Easy way or hard way?" Fang asked her, raising an eyebrow. One of the other women lying in the pit started slowly getting up, trying to be quiet. Fang didn't give any sign that he'd noticed.

"Fuck you, Fang." The girl spat, getting her hands underneath her so she could get up. "You're lucky you sucker punched me, you fucking f-"

Whatever she was going to say (Sentinel had a pretty good guess what it was) cut off when Fang immediately dropped to a knee and palmed her forehead, slamming the back of her head into the sand. He smiled as he did it again, a vicious thing that showed too many teeth to be friendly. He went to do it again, but instead threw himself backwards just in time to avoid the foot of the other woman who'd gotten up. She looked down at her partner, who looked like she was out for the count, then faced back at Fang.