Uppercut

Uppercut Chapter 9-TheOrphanage

The tournament was a month out and Jack still needed more training. Jack stand in the middle of training room without shoes on. Tucker and the gang all walked in and saw Jack.
"Hey guys what's up?"
Jack said waving at them as they all walked up to him.
"Hey Jack how's it.......why aren't you wearing shoes?"
Loki asks him as Jack looks down at his feet.
"I just like the feel of the ground you know,"
He said as he rubs his feet against the ground. Fighter came walking in eating a pizza,with Woolfers following close behind.
"More pizza aye,did you tip the guy this time?"
Jack asked as Fighter continued to eat the pizza.
"Nope never do never will,now let's focus on the next part of your training,activate that Red thingy you do."
"Red armor,"
"Yeah,yeah whatever just do the thing."
Jack takes a stance "Raaah" he shouts,his left eyes turns and glows red,his right glows red with a firey pattern on it. Fighter pulls out a stop watch and starts the timer.
"Good now sustain that for as possible,once we see how long you sustain it then we'll get work."
Jack sat their for 5 minutes until he lost his breath and fell on one knee gasping for air. Fighter stops the watch and looks at it.
"Five minutes only aye,we'll focus on extending your time in it for now rest and let me know when you get your energy back."
Jack have him a thumbs up and sat on the ground. Fighter sat on top of Woolfers and continued to eat his pizza. Woolfers started walking with Fighter on his back. Jack sat and drank some water and started to regain his stamina.
"Say what are you trying accomplish anyways?"
Jack turned his head and looked upward and saw Loki standing next to him.
"What do you mean?" Jack says catching his breath.
"Training here,talking to us,living here,it takes someone years to develop a core ability yet it toke you a month and a few weeks how? What's your endgame."
Loki said clenching his fist,as Dani walked and put his hand on Loki's shoulder.
"Loki that's enough his reasons are his own."
Loki gets angry and smacks away Dani's hand.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU All YOU AREN'T THE LEAST BIT SUSPICIOUS,HE COULD BE ANYONE FOR ALL WE KNOW!!"
Dani and the other kids are shocked,as Syra watches from afar.
"Hey Leave him alone you bully."
One of the triplets shout at him,Jack stands to his feet and pats her on the head.
"Thank you Ann, Annabelle and Bella,you guys are my favorite group of triplets. Not just because you cook me delicious food."
The three triplets laugh as Jack walked over to Loki who was half his size.
"You got a problem with me right,let's settle it than in the ring. My trainer always says you learn more from a person from their fist than their words."
Loki smudged and walk passed Jack and headed towards the open ring which was 30ft big.
"Fine but don't think I'll hold back just cause your out of breath."
Jack smiles and turns towards the ring and follows him. Jack stood on the right while Loki stood on the left. The ring was made of dirt,Jack kicked the dirt a bit to get a feel of it. Loki pulled out two black batons out his back pocket and took his stance,while Jack just stood and looked at him.
"You sure you want to do this?"
Jack asked him but with no answer Loki ran towards him. Loki jumped in the air and came flying down towards Jack. He swung his baton down at Jack's forehead. Jack swayed to the left and dodge the attack. Loki hit the ground and quickly went for a leg sweep. Jack flip over his leg sweep and spun around in the air,and landed on the other side of the ring facing Loki.
"Tch come on fight back," Loki charged at Jack and unleashed a flurry of attacks. Jack swiftly dodged them all. Jack kept his hands up but never through a punch,instead he relied on his footwork and movement speed. Loki frustration grew he jumped back and put his batons together. He pressed a button and the batons attached and turned into a staff. A slight spark come from the middle,as electricity came out of his staff and covered the weapon in blue electricity.
"What's happening?"
Julies asked
"Right this would be your first time seeing it Julies Loki core's ability," Dani began to speak "Every person is born with a core,however we are also born with electricity in our bodies. An average person has 300 to 400 watts inside them,when a human uses a burst of energy it's possible they can output 2,000 wats. However Loki has a much larger amount watts he carries,at least 75,000 watts with him. He was able to do this by using his core aura to absorb electricity until that became his aura and he could absorb it 75,000 is all he can hold. It's to dangerous to bring it out of his own so he uses the staff a perfect lighting rod."
Loki spun the staff around and took his stance,as Jack slowly calmed his breath.
"You just gonna stand or are you gonna fight?"
Jack said taunting him,Loki became aggravated and charged at Jack now moving much faster. He thrusted the spear towards Jack face. Jack dodge left out from the tip of the spear came a blast of lightning striking the roof. Loki smogs as Jack is taken back but quickly regains his cool.
"What's wrong don't tell me you were aiming for the ceiling?" Jack said still dodging left Loki grunted he stabbed his staff into the ground. He jumped and swung using the staff and side kicked Jack in the gut. Jack went sliding the left but still remains on his feet. Loki flips into the air and aims his staff at Jack.
"Take this LIGHTING STRIKE!!!"
Loki throws his staff at Jack,Jack exhales slightly and his left eye glows red for spilt second as he leaps forward dodging the attack. A huge explosion of lightning came from out of the spear. Jack didn't look back at it though he focused on his opponent. Loki slowly started to fall to the ground. The two meet a few away from the ground. Loki tried to punch Jack,however Jack caught the blow and swatted it away. He grabbed Loki by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in. He hugged Loki and turned his back to the ground taking the hit. A gust of dirt came flying up as everyone covered their eyes.
"Owe I have got to stop falling from high places,you okay?"
Jack asked Loki who quickly broke from his grasp and got off him. Jack stood up as Loki walked back over to his staff.
"Loki let's call it a draw okay? There's no need to fight anymore."
Jack said readjusting his hat.
Loki pulled his staff from out of the ground.
"You one understand his opponents when they fight when their fist are thrown. You haven't thrown one attack."
Loki said as he charges his staff again.
"Wait Loki don't throw it!"
Jack shouted as Loki threw the staff at him fully charged.
"TCH RED ARMOR!!!"
Jack said as his fist collided with the staff.
"How's that you couldn't dodge it this time,you can't even take the power of my st-"
Loki stopped his gloat for he could now see why Jack didn't dodge. Dani,Tucker and the triplets were all behind Jack. If he had dodge they all would have been hit. Jack was trying to use Red armor to block or resist the electric current. It was barely working as he still feel a current going through his body. It was only a matter of time till he couldn't stop it anymore.
"GET OUT THE WAY I CAN'T HOLD IT MUCH LONGR!!"
He shouted to them as they all quickly ran out of the way. Jack trying to hold it back was starting to lose his footing.
"There's no telling how much damage this thing will do I can tell he put his full power into it. If I can somehow absorb the blow I may be able to save the training area." Jack tried but he kept losing his footing.
"It's no good,I'll have to hold it for as long as I can until everyone makes it out."
The electricity from the staff became unstable and started to shot out everywhere. Loki tried to contain as much as he could.
"It's no good I put to much power into it,if I try to absorb it while it's like that I may get fried myself."
"That's quite enough don't you think."
The staff was broken back into two batons,Jack's arm was a burnt but it wasn't to bad. He looked up out of the corner of his eye he saw Fighter who had karate chopped the staff displeasing all the electricity into the ground. Jack red armor disappeared.
"Fighter I didn't mean-"
"Loki." Fighter said cutting him off,
"It's best you head to your room now."
Loki turned and clenched his fist.
"Yes sir,"
Loki ran off without another word. Jack started to fall but Fighter quickly caught him.
"Using Red Armor to block the lighting wasn't a bad idea. I wonder if you could have stopped it at your full power."
Jack smiles and chuckles,
"You and me both."
"I think we should cancel the rest of today's training." Fighter lifted him up and put one his arms over his shoulder.
"Thanks,"
Fighter smiles.
"For saving your life,training you,what you gotta be more specific."
Jack sighs and closes his eyes,
"Never mind."
Fighter took him to Sierra for treatment.
Since Jack's room was still being repaired he stayed upstairs another night.
Jack woke up in the middle of the night. So much has happened. He had just fought Slider 3 days ago.The tournament was only a month out he began to wonder if he was ready. He sat up and looked at the alarm clock. It was 2:35am. Jack sighed and stood up,he grabbed his hat from off the dresser. He put it on along with his jacket. He walked out onto the balcony and looked at the backyard. He jumped over the rails,and onto the grass. He blew and was able to see his breath.
"Winter is almost here I guess,it's starting to get cold."
He zipped up his jacket and put his hood over his head.
"The weather always changes so fast here,once it's winter everything gets cold."
Jack continues to walk through the background brushing his feet along the grow,until he comes across the garden. He walks into the garden,huge hedges surrounded the garden.The hedges were full of flowers,the flowers were all different colors. Blue,purple,green,red,yellow all sorts of colors. As he walked through the garden he could hear someone's voice. Someone was talking in the middle of the garden.
"I brought you some apples. I know they're your favorite."
The boy put down a basket of apples on a tombstone. Jack peaked around the corner,and saw someone standing in front of graves.
"I know I haven't visited you guys in awhile,you see I was getting to know this new guy,his name's Jack he's not a kid but certainly has the mindset of one. He's nice and he puts effort into everything he does,you would've liked him. Anyhow I messed up and hurt him today,but if it wasn't for him I might've hurt everyone else."
Jack tried to see who it was but he couldn't tell.
"I try to protect everyone to make up for my failures,but I'm just not good enough."
eventually he came out from the corner.
"Yo sorry to interrupt,"
he said coming around the corner.
The kid screeched and turned his head,as it turned out to be Loki.
"Oh it's you Loki,what are you doing so late out."
Jack said, waving as he walked towards.
Loki silently embarrassed,as he slowly regained his cool.
"I could ask you the same thing and why aren't you wearing any shoes?"
Loki asked him, pointing at his feet.
Jack looked down, he smiled and chuckled,as he scratched the back of his head.
"Oh that I like the way grass feels under my feet."
He said as he brushed the grass with his right foot.
"Oh okay,um Jack I'm sorry about earlier,"
"Hm oh you mean the thing with the lighting bolt don't beat yourself to much about it. Hey Loki I've never been to this part of the garden before,what is it exactly."
He said he walks closer to him and stands right next to him looking down at the grave. Loki turned towards it as well.
"It's my sister's grave."
He said to Jack looking down at the grave with a smile.
"I see what happened? If you don't mind me asking?"
Loki shook his head as he reached and placed his hand on top of the grave.
"You would find this out eventually. It one of the many reasons I have trust issues. It happened 6 years ago,I was only 6 so was Dani. Tucker and Syra were 8,while my little sis was only 5. Her name was Luna,we were living on the streets before Fighter took us in. He gave us a home,food in our belly and above all he gave us a family. My sister she trusted everyone immediately,I was a bit harder to convince *chuckles*. I guess what everyone loved about her was the joy she brought. No one else knows but every night she'd have nightmares she never told me what of,but every night she crawled into bed with me. I hold her and softly rub the back of her head and let her know it's alright. She'd smile and fall fast because she knew her big brother was there for her."
Loki took his hand off and sat down in front of the grave,Jack sat down next to him.
"Sierra wasn't the only one who'd looked after us,their used to someone else too her sister Envy. She was around every once in awhile."
Loki said as he brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself.
"I don't remember everything from that day,I just remember that the first thing I saw was Sierra and Envy arguing about something. Then I see her stab Sierra as she draws her staff and rushes towards me and Luna. I tried to push Luna out of the way,that was when *he points to a grave on the left side of his sister* Edward jumped in front to save us. He was Syra's older brother she barely spoke us back than now she only ever speaks to Sierra. With no regret she pushes his corpse to the side,I tried to get us away,Sierra grabs Envy from behind and throws her. She tells us to run,this is where my memory gets a little hazy. Envy through her staff at Luna I pushed her out of the way and the stick hit me over my head. I fell to the ground hearing my sister cry out my name. When I woke back up I could hear shouting throughout the entire training. It wasn't shouting I heard,it was screams of sadness,Syra lost her brother,Tucker had a twin and Dani *chuckles* had two older brothers,when I got up I saw Sierra she was beaten up and broken. holding my sister in her arms,tears coming down her face. Her my sister had a special connection she would always call her big sis,whenever she saw her she'd run to her. Sierra would lift her up and the two would smile. When I saw this that's when the tears began to run down my face."
Loki clenched himself starting to shiver,Jack continued to listen as he asked.
"What happened to Envy?"
"Sierra told me Envy lost an arm and her right eye but got away,she left as soon as Fighter returned. She didn't want to be caught,Fighter had this place built for all the children who were killed that day,he's been looking for Envy ever since. I can still remember all their faces,Edward,Tom and Nick,Dani's older brothers,Roger was Tucker's twin,Gray,Tomy,Grace,Sarah and Luna. She took too many from us that day. I couldn't protect them, I still can't. I don't even know what they had to die that day."
Tears began to run down Loki's face as he felt something on top of his head. He looked up and saw Jack put his hand on his head. Jack still looking at the grave stone.
"I have no memories of my past that's why I'm here,Fighter said he could help me with that. Unlike you guys I don't know if I have any family looking for me right now. Say Loki I never got to meet Luna but I think she'd want you to be happy. She'd smile at you,and hm let's see make a funny face. Anything to cheer up her big brother."
Loki began to clench even harder.
"Probably,"
"You and me are kind of alike you want to protect everyone at all coast. Your friends probably feel the same."
Loki looked up at Jack,
"What do you mean?"
"Hm oh,whenever you slack off to be alone Dani is always their to bring you back,Tucker scolds you,the triplets make you food and Syra with the occasional thumbs up. You distance yourself because you think it's for the best. Your friends no your family still wants you around Loki. Nothing that happened that day is on you."
The sun began to rise and the snow began to fall down as well. Loki smiled and hugged Jack with tears running down his face.
"Why do they still want me around,I push them around,make fun of them,and try to leave them behind so why?"
Jack puts one arm around him and hugs him.
"Because their your family and they love you and will never abandon you no matter what."
Loki holds Jack tighter and starts to cry uncontrollably.
A few hours passed as Loki was now sitting next to Jack.
"Say Jack if you don't remember anything how do you know what your name is?"
He asks as Jack takes off his hats and hands it to Loki.
"On the inside it says Jack,I figured whoever made this hat put my name in it. I showed to Charlie and that's what he's called me ever since."
Jack said as Loki exams the hat and give it back
"Interesting."
Loki stood up and brushed the snow off of each grave.
"Come on their probably playing in the snow by now."
When they got back they saw that kids had built a snow fort snow had built up. Tucker and Dani were standing ground. As Tyra and some other kids were all forming up for an attack.
"What do you say Jack,wanna join in?"
Loki asked him,as Jack chuckles
"Of course,let's go get em."
They nodded and made some snowballs,
"LETS GOOO!"
They all shouted charging toward them,snowballs being thrown everywhere.
A few minutes pass when Loki and Dani stand face to face with snow balls in their hands
"Hey Dani I wanted to-"
"Save it," Dani said cutting him off "Its okay man,just remember that when the time comes we'll protect each other"
"Deal."
The two chuckle and throw the snows balls at each other.
"What's goin—"
Sierra said as she was coming outside but was quickly hit in the face by a snowball. As Tucker quickly hid his other snow ball behind his back. Everyone stopped and waited to see what was going to happen. Sierra slowly wiped the snow of her face and smiled. She picked up some snow and shouted,
"BRING IT ON YOU LITTLE BRATS!!!"
She shouted as everyone began to throw snowballs. While they were all playing Fighter took a picture of it.
"Can't wait to show this to wifey." He said putting it in his pocket. A snow ball came flying at him as he quickly smacked it away.
"Okay who has the balls?"
Fighter asked readying a snow,as Jack step towards him.
"What do you say Fighter a little snow ball fight."
Fighter began to walk towards him.
"Well do I eyes deceive me I think I see a deadman walking."
"We'll see about that Fighter."
He said as the two engaged in a snow ball battle.

(Editor note-Hello everyone thank you so much for keeping up with Uppercuts. I wanted to take this moment to explain why this chapter is not titled liked the others. This chapter is titled "The Orphanage", the reason for that is because this chapter is about the children who live Fighter orphanage. As we learn about the terrible tragedy that took place 6 years ago. This chapter is a very emotional one,for me at least. When it came to this scene I always wondered who would be best for Jack interact. Eventually I came to the conclusion that it should be Loki someone who we don't know much about. We see Loki he's a character who likes to create mischief and likes to tackle things on his own. Until Jack tells him he can't handle everything on his own. Thank you all so much for keeping up to date with Uppercut and I hope to see you all in chapter 9 later.)