Another Piece

Chapter 20

I was a feral animal the entire time I trained. Mr. Imern and I fought more, and we all realized I was better than him. 

I punched him down once more, and helped him up again. Mr. Imern looked disturbed and dusted himself off roughly. He grunted as he tried to gain some dignity back, I glanced around to see it was only us two remaining. Everyone was probably working with the others, and I narrowed my eyes once more, turning back to Mr. Imern. I gestured for him to take another swing at me, and he sighed slowly, pushing his fists to his side.

"Jayden, I need to go see how the others are doing with the other teens." I looked and him and our eyes battled for dominance. I wanted to fight him, and he had to leave, but he'd have to fight me to get out of this damn room. But with one sentence he destroyed me.

"Let me out Jayden, because this is the reason you aren't on that mission." I dug my fingernails into my hands but stepped aside, determined to show him that this was NOT the reason I was being excluded. 

Mr. Imern gave me a sadistic look before leaving the gym, and I almost followed him out, thinking about going home. But I needed to blow off more steam, I needed to pummel more things... Mr. Imern hadn't been enough. 

I prowled over to the dummy hanging from the ceiling, tied to the ceiling by a large chain. 

Without hesitation I plunged my fist into the dummy, rocking it. I punched out again, and again, and again, drowning in my pain. I let my blows rock the dummy, imagining that it was Talon Montgomery, each punch hitting a point where my Grandmother had been cut... His stomach, his neck, his leg, his brow, his nose. Then it was Talia, for stabbing me and leaving me there to be taken by Aisteach, to be beaten up and broken. He'd broken me more than I'd admit, the scars I carried were memory of the pain I'd endured with each blow he'd given me. 

Next the dummy morphed into Maxwell, one of my childhood friends, each blow one for being innocent and happy and ignorant, all three of those I wished I was. Next it was Aisteach himself, avenging myself for what he'd caused me. How dare he hurt and harm me... Keep me back so he could have some of the gang. 

Footsteps behind me caused me to stop, and I looked at the damage I'd done... The dummy had huge dents in it, and I gaped at the dents, knowing how much force it took to do that much damage. I looked down at my unprotected fists and saw blood leaking from quite a few cuts. I basked in the pain I'd caused myself.

"Let me see your hands." I turned to see Mr. Chance, and shook my head. This mans' presence demanded respect, but there was no way I was going to respect another adult... Not after what adults had done to me. Betrayed me, harmed me... Hell, I wasn't going to respect anyone ever again. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't going to respect or trust another human being ever again. 

I shook my head again, and began to walk past him.

"I know your pain." Mr. Chance said as I walked off, and I turned around to look at him, tears in my eyes. His green eyes bored into my own eyes, and I glared at him, and I found myself in another battle for dominance, this one with the leader of the entire gang. My eyes iced over and I glared at Mr. Chance. There was no way he knew my pain...  How dare he suggest so. I stalked towards him and Mr. Chances' eyes softened slightly... That was until my fist was in his face.

He staggered backwards before snarling at me, wiping the blood from his face. He shook his head before saying, "And that was your first mistake, Hayes." 

I shrugged before turning my back on him. Suddenly, I felt pain arcing up my back and, before I realized it, I was on the ground gasping.

I was turned over to look at Mr. Chance who had a proud smirk on his face as he gloated, "Never turn your back on your enemy, Hayes." 

I swept one foot out and took him off his feet. 

I jumped up and looked down at him from a safe distance, "And never stop to gloat in the middle of a fight." Mr. Chance looked at me before snarling.

"Game on, kid." He said as he got up from off his reserved spot on the floor. I smirked at my joke before getting in my low defensive stance. 

I remembered something Drake had said to me a few weeks back, about Mr. Chance...

"He likes to add a tiny bit of flare to his fighting, for instance, he spins and ducks and does little jigs and flicks with his hands to make him look fancier and more elegant, and make his enemy look stupid. It ups his dignity and does the opposite to his opponent."

I smiled... This was a huge advantage. Nevermind, he had watched me train and fight. I guess I had to add a tiny bit of a change into my fighting style which, even I had to admit, was rough. 

I usually always went second, so before he could take his own swing, I darted forward and jabbed Mr. Chance in the stomach, but before I could leap back again, he had me by the waist and was tossing me to the ground. He looked down at me before kicking out at my ribs. I squirmed and he caught me in the chest, and I flew backwards quite a bit. I heaved myself up immediately, not yet ready to admit he was better than me. Mr. Chance was already walking off, done with me, and I flew forwards, grabbing him by the leg and grabbing it from underneath him. 

Mr. Chance yelled out in shock before he jumped up, fists up, glaring at me. His shaded green eyes showed anger at my unfairness. 

"I never said I was done." I snarled, darting forwards and clipping him on the chin as he tried to retort. He let out a warriors' growl as he kicked out. I jumped left to avoid the kick, but ran right into his punch, and I staggered backwards, black spots running across my vision. I ignored them and crashed forwards, tossing a wild punch which he blocked with ease. This angered me more and I punched vigorously. Head, stomach, leg, face, arm, shoulder, chest, face again, side of the head, back, ribs, stomach... Each of my hits were blocked with minimum effort on his part. Rage flooded through my limbs as I feinted left, then forced myself forwards towards the right side of my body, crashing into him. He yelled and grabbed me in an effort to stay on his feet, but we both went down to the matted floor, still punching and kicking at eachother angrily. 

"As my husband, I thought you were much better than this, Kace." I heard an unfamiliar voice, and turned around, and Mr. Chance clipped me on the side of my head and I was thrown halfway across the mats. I grunted and got up slowly, fists up, but a woman was blocking the way.

The woman was blonde, tan, and perfect. Her eyes were a bright blue, and she was tall, but obviously well muscled. She wore a blue shirt that went with her eyes, and her bottom was a black tennis skirt, and I almost scoffed.

"Stop this at once!" Her voice was higher in pitch, and she looked disappointingly at both me and her husband, by my side at the moment. I sighed before turning away.

"Hey! Hayes get back here!" I heard both the high and low pitches combine as both Chances' yelled at me. I guess I truly was aggravating. I wiped a hand along my nose and looked down at the blood and sighed. Looked like I was going to have to see Mrs. Anz... No way in hell was I doing that. I sighed again before turning back towards the two adults who were glaring daggers at my receding form.

"What." The word meant as a question came out as a sort of demand, and I almost winced at my tone of voice.

They ignored it and Mr. Chance spoke first, "Training tomorrow. I'm training you since I'm off for another two weeks from work and it seems you're too good for Mr. Imern and many other adults. I'll put you in your place." My eyes widened at his response.

"B-but what about-"

"The mission?" Mr. Chance finished before I could continue, "Someone else is leading. I'm sure you're familiar with Tangos Carmen?" I nodded slowly. Word had it that he was in league with Mr. Chance... And the leader of another gang that was allied with our own. 

"Yes." I said, instead of nodding.

"He's going to lead that group of teens." I nodded again before walking out of the gym without another word to the couple. 

I wasn't going to stay behind for long. No sir, I was going to get back up from my tomb under my pain and sorrows, otherwise I would die a weakling.