A Second Chance

Part 21 - Guess I won't keep our promise

I sighed.

This was another day where my parents favored my sister over me.

Today was my birthday, yet they couldn't celebrate or wish me a "happy birthday." Instead, they headed to a recreation center with my sister because her friend was having a birthday party there, and the entire family was invited.

This scenario wasn't new, but it felt just as bad as the first time they did it. All I ever received were punishments for the slightest mistakes, both physical and mental.

Maybe it was out of love - who knows?

Or perhaps it wasn't love at all; maybe I was just a scapegoat for them to vent out their anger, pain, and darkest thoughts. Think of it like breaking a glass or slamming a door when you're angry, except I'm the glass or door. 

Wait, why am I even thinking about this?

I need to focus and get back to studying.

There's a math test tomorrow... if I fail, there will be punishments right in front of me. If I succeed, maybe I'll finally gain my parents' attention. Perhaps they'll choose me over my sister once and for all.

Deep down, I just wanted equal treatment with my sister, but given how she was treated compared to me, I hoped at least to make her understand my struggles.

"Whatever," I sighed. "I better get back to work; this test's gonna be hard,"

...

"I've seen your past," Ripper smiled. "Blur should've recruited your sister, not you,"

"Shut up and fight,"

He came at me swinging his hammer, but I dodged and countered with a roundhouse kick. He blocked it with his hammer, flipped it into a handstand, and kicked me back.

Ripper, believe it or not... mastered the art of putting up a fight, even without his hammer. He mastered capoeira, an old martial art developed by African slaves. They might not have worked against guns and swords back then, but it's a powerhouse in today's world. 

Ripper pulled a cartwheel that I moved out of the way. 

"Gotcha,"

He switched to a screwdriver kick that hit me in the stomach. 

"Oof!"

He was about to land another kick to my face, but I blocked it with my right hand. 

I moved back and he tried to do another screwdriver, but I grabbed his leg, pulling him in, and landing a solid punch on his face. 

Then, I hit him with a hard sidekick straight to his core, pushing him back and leaving him catching his breath.

"You're done, Ripper," I said.

"Really itching to win, huh?" Ripper asked. "What's the deal?"

"Huh?" I responded, confused.

"If you wanted out of The Vipers, you could've bolted earlier, right?" Ripper questioned. "So why now?"

...

"Why jump into this fight. You could be enjoying a free life instead of risking it for no apparent reason."

"You really think I did this for no reason?"

"What's this 'reason' then? Surely, it can't be you realized what we are doing's 'wrong'."