❝𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋❞ - 𝐚𝐱𝐞𝐥 𝐤𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜

03

TW: abuse

-🥋-

chapter three

MADDIE

Looking in the locker room, I strap my captains headband over my forehead, looking at the texts from Sam.

Mr. LaRusso was here this morning for our first event, now he's vanished, leaving Sam with nothing to go off about where he is. I agreed to look around the building for her, just so I could get away from the rest of the team.

I want to hit Demetri more and more every day. I sigh in the mirror, adjusting the headband before leaving, trying the black belt on my gi. I run my hands over my neck, squeezing tightly as I walk around the building, looking in each room.

As soon as the belt it strapped around my waist, and my hair is tied up out of my face, I know a fight is coming. My body can feel it. It blocks everything else out, becoming harsher and something nothing can get through to. It becomes brutal, mean, and I hate the feeling. This is how Silver fucked me over. He taught me to block out any emotion that wasn't anger. Even now, it all channels out as soon as my gi comes on.

It's more anger than an eighteen year old should be feeling.

It's anger at everything. My teammates, my old sensei's, myself. I completely shut down and become cold as soon as the matches start. I'm trying to hold it off as long as possible by avoiding the mats completely. I like feeling like myself and hate feeling like the person I do on the mats.

As soon as the Sekai Taikai finishes, win or loose, I'll be thankful it's over. I don't need to fight anymore unless I choose to.

My hands move up to my neck, finding their place around my throat and squeezing. It helps me manage it, I don't know why, but it does. Running my hands over my neck until half the fog in my head clears and I can think.

Daniel isn't inside the building, I've checked every room. The entrance to the event is just ahead of me, my pace slowing down. I snap my head to my right as thudding comes from the room beside me. I didn't check this room.

Instead of seeing Daniel, I see Axel and his sensei training. I watch as he's swift to duck the blows his sensei takes at him, thinking there was nothing wrong with what he was doing.

"What are you doing wrong?" Sensei Wolf asks him. I frown as I watch. There was nothing wrong with that he was doing.

As Axel doesn't answer, Wolf send an unexpected blow towards the side of his head. I blink in shock as the sound of the punch echo's through the small hallway. Wolf sends another punch which Axel dodges. I watch in horror as Wolf throws his punching glove onto the floor, bringing his fist up to Axel's head.

My insides fill with dread as blow after blow is delivered to the side of the boys head until he's hunched over, body shaking. For somebody so big and powerful on the mats, he looked so small and vulnerable. Terrified almost.

He glances at Wolf before his eyes find mine. His face drops slightly. I don't know if it's in relief somebody saw what happened, or embarrassment somebody saw what happened.

"You're wasting my time. Eyes here, focus," Wolf snaps as Axel keeps his eyes trained on me.

I pull my eyes away from the door, knowing i should yell at his sensei, do something to help him. I walk until I'm out of view of the door, before letting out the breath I kept contained.