Tales From New Jump City

6. Revelations Are Revealed And Sacrifices Are Made

Ronaldo started coughing from all the dust created from his impact into the stage as he lied on the cracked ground. His entire body ached, the iron taste of blood fresh in his mouth from the hook that was still tugging on the inside of his cheek. Ronaldo carefully tried removing the hook from his cheek, but managed to cut his cheek more when the barb exited, causing more fresh blood to spill down his cheek and a fresh sharp pain to send shockwaves throughout his body. He slowly started trying to get up, his body aching from his fight with Thubbins, the gang, and being hurtled into the stage. He was in no condition to get into another fight. He had to get out of there.

"Shouldn't we, like help him or somethin?" Emi asked Hector, who had a panicked expression on his face. He put his hand towards his face and clutched his bald head.

"Shit shit shit shit shit." He repeated to himself. "This ain't good. She's way too strong for us to take on." They both looked on contemplating what to do. Emi looked over at the booth through the glass wall and saw Marcus and Gustavo eating mashed potatoes and steak.

"Ugh," she sighed.

Down below on the arena, Ronaldo started to move more

"Trying to leave so soon Ronnie?" Ryohsi sneered as she threw a ball of metal netting that unfolded itself in the air, revealing a weighted metal fishing net, which entrapped Ronaldo.

"I hate that nickname," Ronaldo said, struggling to get out from under the netting, though he couldn't will his exhausted muscles to free himself.

"Looks like you've gotten weaker Ronnie-kun," Ryoshi smiled. "How disappointing. After I came all this way to see you? Don't you miss me?"

"Hell, the fuck I do!" Ronaldo responded. Ryoshi walked over to Ronaldo.

"Oh come on Ronaldo", Ryoshi said before kicking him in the face. Ronaldo spit out some more blood. "What about all that lovely time we spent together before you ghosted my ass!"

Hector lifted his head from his hand and looked at Emi. They both exchanged puzzled looks. Emi opened her mouth to speak. "What did she just say?" Cynthia continued to speak down to Ronaldo.

"I thought you'd come back, but you just ran like always. Not a word. What did I ever do?" Ronaldo looked up at her with a bloodied face through the weighted net.

"You're insane! You broke my favorite ramen chef's fingers!" Ryoshi just shrugged.

"It was way too hot," she began. "It was dangerous. He should've warned us."

"It's ramen!" Ronaldo exclaimed. "They have to boil the broth! It's always served hot! You're just unreasona-" His words were cut off by Cynthia Ryoshi stomping on his head, further cracking the arena. Ronaldo's body went still. The blow had clearly knocked him out.

"Shit!" Hector and Emi both said in unison.

"Ryoshi lifted her shoe from the top of Ronaldo's head, his face planted into the cracked arena stadium. As she did this, Ryoshi lifted her left hand and parted her a strand of her hair that was in front of her face behind her ear. "Ronaldo", she said softly and calmly. "This is only a taste of the pain you put me through." She walked away from him towards the center of the arena. "But I have other things to take care of." She looked at all the attendees in the audience, from regular students to gang members pointed her fishing pole at everyone as she addressed them.

"Listen up!" She shouted. "This school is my turf now! And we're gonna have some changes!" There were some stirrings in the crowd after this declaration.

"First Thubbins, now this fishing pole chick?"

"This is more eventful than the tennis hockey brawl we got last week."