Joker

22. Oops I learned MMA

Aki got home to the not so homey sight of Arjun and Emi tongue wrestling. He rolled his eyes "Is oxygen an optional thing with you two?"

"Hey, you ditched me early I needed some way to occupy my time." Arjun pulled away while Emi flashed Aki the finger. He looked at Aki with concern "Is Ayu okay? Why'd he go home early? What was the emergency?"

Aki explained everything. Arjun frowned "That's it? I should teach him how throw a proper one-two so that his opponent just passes out."

"Nakul won't allow it." Aki warned "Either way. I needed to ask you something. Did you actually go through with that thing?"

"What thing?" Arjun asked.

"The faking Joker and Reaper's face reveal." Aki said "I got a call from Nakul asking me if I had a chest tattoo and the colour of my eyes. Did you really do it?"

"Of course I did." Arjun rolled his eyes as if his actions were obvious "I tricked a dude in security into thinking two idiots I need to kill were us. He definitely took pictures. I also decided to have a drink with him and send him home to his girlfriend in hopes he'd sell us out drunk. And he did it looks like! Now the FBI will be after two guys who are already ashes."

"So when we go to Mumbai as ourselves Nakul won't suspect us."

"Exactly." Arjun smiled "I know my brother well. He is going to make sure it is indeed Joker and Reaper according to him. He's seen you as Joker right? So he knows Joker's build. Gene is very much your height and approx. figure so Nakul will have no reason to believe it isn't Joker. He'll also try polygraphing Walt and when he sees Walt was telling the truth he's gonna buy it too."

Why do I feel bad that Nakul will think everything I've done was done by someone else? Aki nodded "Either way. What do you want for dinner? I'm treating."

"I want pizza but you're eating a salad and lots of protein." Arjun said.

"Does fried chicken count as protein?" Aki said as he texted Nakul asking if Auntie and Uncle would be okay with pizza and chicken.

"I guess. I just need you to gain a bit more weight. At least a kilo or two more." Arjun shrugged "You'll end up building muscle definitely these three months so come up with an excuse about gyms or something if my brother asks."

"I don't want to be all buff though." Aki frowned.

"Not buff idiot. I know how assassins need to be. You'll be like the way you were as a teen." Arjun clarified.

Aki nodded "I can live with that."

Emi spoke "I accepted the invite by the way. They'll be expecting Joker there."

Aki nodded again "I'll be there. I'm going to just go shower now."

"Before dinner?" Emi frowned "You okay?"

"No just sweaty." Aki smiled slightly. He went to the bathroom and showered. His body was starting to ache after the day's work. Arjun had gotten him started by sticking him in the ring with a bunch of his fighter friends. Aki managed to hold his own although he was rusty so he got hit a lot too. The bruise on his forehead was the result of an unfortunate headbutt.

His torso had a huge bruise on the side and on his abdomen. His legs felt sore too. His arms were killing him. His back hurt too from the flying knee strike he took there. Arjun had instructed his opponents not to go easy on Aki despite it being his first time in a fight in months. Aki was almost grateful when the school called. He counted out five bruises on the front, two on the right side and three in the back. I'll try to make sure Nakul doesn't take my clothes off today. I don't think he will though, we already had fun last night. I'll come up with some excuse.