Born Into Kombat

Chapter Nine - Meeting

Images of previous fights ran through my mind as we drove to meet these people in hiding. I remembered being made into a weapon and making that my career. Were these people like us? Was there some new form of fighter? I wondered if people still did Elements or if there was some kind of modern style of fighting. Was Johnny a trainer? Was Chutar teaching these people how to do her flips and shit?

Liu leaned closer to me and whispered, "We're old. We're the old crowd coming back. These kids are going to kick our asses."

"Speak for yourself," I chuckled. But he was right. I'm in my thirties. I just had a baby. There's no way I can just jump back into being the Queen of Outworld; the Black Fox.

Kenshi, in the row behind me in Johnny's SUV, tapped my shoulder. "You're going to be fine. Just keep your cool."

"What do you mean?"

I turned to look at him and he was smirking.

What do you know?

Oh, nothing.

I glared at him, but he wouldn't budge. We sat there in a silent battle of wits before I finally turned to face forward. Whatever he was up to I knew I wouldn't like it. Maybe it was someone Johnny has been training. God, I hope it's not his daughter. She doesn't like me. And she's a firecracker.

We drove for three hours, not stopping once, until Johnny finally pulled into a parking lot outside of what looked like an old abandoned bar. I raised a brow at the shambled outside. The walls were practically falling apart, the roof looked to have holes in it. In the dirty windows you could see it was boarded up on the inside, so you couldn't look it. One of the windows had a bullet hole.

"Oh this is wonderful," I commented.

"We're kind of limited, you know, being hunted people." Johnny smirked.

We all climbed out of the SUV and began to walk up to it. Kenshi cleared his throat. We turned and saw him standing at the back of the car.

"Seeing as we didn't stop along the way, and I'm sure he's too chicken to come out by himself, maybe we should let the poor thing out of the trunk."

Confused, I shook my head and began to ask him what he was talking about. But I didn't have to. He opened the hatch of the trunk and out climbed, of all people, my son. Kent stood behind Kenshi with his head hung low. Rage filled my veins. When the fuck did he get in the car? Why didn't Kenshi tell me? And how the hell didn't I notice! I've been so wrapped up in our journey that I didn't even hear his thoughts or anything. I can't believe this. I can't...well, I can believe Kenshi didn't tell me. He's a little shit.

"I heard that," Kenshi said.

"Good! What the fuck do you think you're doing, Kent? Why were you in the trunk?" I demanded.

"Well," Kent shrugged sheepishly. "I knew you wouldn't let me come, but I really want to see what you guys are doing. I want to watch you fight. And, I don't know, I thought maybe I could learn a couple things." He quickly looked up and added, "Not to fight! But just to...know it."

"No," Liu answered for me, stepping forward. He walked over and grabbed Kent by the scruff of his shirt. "Absolutely not, you are going to get back in this car. You are going to wait and do as you are told. If you don't, so help me, you will never see sunlight again. We will home school you. You won't have a single friend and you'll never play another video game."

Kenshi hissed, "Ooh, harsh, Dad."

Liu glared at him. "You knew he was here the whole time. You get in the car, you drive him home."