Cover Graphics by: @_jinniecutie
"I'm not going to say that I will take a bullet for you because that's too cliche," he said while gazing deeply in her eyes, "Instead, I'm going to put a bullet through the heads of anyone who attempts to kill you."...
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The girl lightly kicked the can that was littering the dirty floors of the dark and abandoned subway tunnel. Walking alone in the eerie place in the middle of the night did not seem to faze her at all. Crimson jumped slightly when a rat's screech echoed throughout the cemented surface of the place. She aimlessly ambled on top of the train tracks while whistling a random tune. Hands tucked inside her favourite hoodie that concealed her face, she pulled out a packet of gum before popping one in her mouth.
From the distance, she could already see the small metal door resting beside the graffitis that filled the wall. Crimson kicked the door open, not even bothering to take her hands out of her pockets. Beyond the door were a flight of stairs that led down to the dark and narrow hallway. She fished a black mouth mask from her pocket and carefully wore it while walking. Turning left when she reached the end of the hallway, Crimson was greeted by a buff man in his late 30s who greeted her with a smile.
"Up for another Show-Off tonight?" he asked while opening the door he was standing in front of. Crimson replied with a single nod of her head. She usually comes in this place once in a week which is why the man seemed friendly to her to the point where he doesn't even ask her for her pass. The 'pass' was a small red card that has a stamped symbol on it given to those who frequently visits the place. She was given one, years ago which means that it is normal for everyone from the Underground to know her.
"Well then, welcome back to the Underground," then he opened the door.
When Crimson walked farther inside, the music got louder and louder and soon she could clearly hear the shouts of the crowd. The place she was in was lit up by the neon lights that decorated the place. Crimson always find the need to cover her eyes everytime she goes here. One look and a person would think that the Underground is a club but it is far from it. In the middle was a tall platform surrounded by metal railings that made it look like a cage. Crimson smiled at the thought of standing inside it later on.
A Show-Off is an Underground tradition wherein two people are left inside the cage to fight each other in any way they prefer. To determine the winner, one fighter is supposed to find and get the flag hidden by their opponent. They could hide it wherever they want as long as it stays with them and it's not literally inside their bodies. The twist is that the fighters can have their own weapon of choice except for firearms. It was all for fun at first, until it became popular and the leader used it as a way to earn money so they could finally give prizes to the winners.
"There's my girl," she heard a woman spoke from afar. The person approached her with a smile before saying, "I knew you would come. So, get ready because there's just two more Show-Offs before yours. Good luck, Crimson," Amor said before pushing her through the curtains at the side of the room. Amor is currently the leader of the Underground and also the one who manages the Show-Offs. She was one of the few people that Crimson could tolerate and could last a minute without receiving a punch in the face when with her.
