12.

As it goes ... there is nothing to fear but fear itself ... confidence however can defer fear, at least a certain amount of it. Confrontations too, confront fear and a certain amount will also evaporate ...

A challenger is about to get a second shot at the cookie. A second championship match has come his way as he has the opportunity once again to take on champion Paul Malone. Their previous encounter was such that a rematch was inevitable so long as both men are fit and healthy. Malone, well, he still defies the advice offered to him. This is just another fight for him, and he is sure that lightning will not strike twice. His opponent surely will not repeat or better his previous performance.

It doesn't matter if people around Malone do say that he is not the same man who fought so hard last time round to just about remain undefeated. He himself is underestimating the damage done onto himself and cannot see that he is not what he once was or even recently was. For in between the last fight and this, it is as if an age has come and gone. Whether or not any or all concerned want to accept such or if Paul Malone wants to accept such, he is not functioning at one hundred percent capacity.

His opponent may have been undefeated prior to that previous fight though Paul most definitely feels that his own ability is still a step above that of the challenger. His opponent just had one of those fights last time out, that's it. All boxers have at least one fight like that within them and even if that were true Paul himself still is nowhere near to being on top of his own game and nowhere as close to his best as he believes that he is.

There is the injury from the last time out and even if that had not been incurred then Paul would still be in the latter moments of his own career. Deep down inside there must be doubts. There must be at least a little part of him that knows the truth and he just does not want to admit it. Positions of being favourite and underdog are definitely reversed from the previous fight.

She has arrived without a ticket or an invite and at a time where what is occurring is happening in the present day. Previously she had been briefly brought forward in time to see what she must see rather than witnessing another vision. The fact that she does not have a ticket or invite does not matter. She knows she needs to be here, and her presence goes unquestioned.

Her own confidence, and perhaps power, sees her straight through via a participant's entrance into a venue packed to the rafters and yeah she had known just where to enter, not in through the main arena but indeed back via where competitors, associates and anyone one else in putting such an event together would enter and gather.

With that confidence she has claimed, she walks down a long dull grey corridor and there is that sound she heard once before, the sound of a gathering. A gladiatorial arena waits. Moving down the corridor Majella turns into a room on the right about halfway down.

He is there within a training room receiving the once over by a medical person. For a few seconds she stands unnoticed until ...

'Miss, you cannot be here' speaks a venue related official.

Paul sees her and before Majella can verbally react to being seen, he speaks.

'No wait ... leave her be', he signals for her to come near. 'I have seen you before, haven't I?'

'In a way you have, yes.'

De ja vu can be a heck of thing.

'There is a reason why you are here tonight, right? Tell me, why are you here?'

'I am here to tell you that if this fight occurs you will be defeated in the sixth round and the damage that will come your way in this fight will leave you without your sight. You will be left blind; you are being seen now by event medical staff, surely you have you own doctors too. I am sure they have offered you warnings. They have their misgivings. So, the simple thing now is that you have them declare you unfit to fight.'

'Can't do that' responds Malone strangely feeling calm, so calm it is as if he can tell that the girl before him is speaking the truth, for he has seen this moment before, not quite like she has, for him it feels as if this moment has previously come to him in a dream and this moment is almost like seeing a ghost but not completely realizing such until the moment has come to pass.

Present security has heard enough, and two members begin to move towards this girl to escort her away. She has already turned away of her own accord and Paul Malone signals these men to leave her be so leave her be they do. Malone moves up off a table he had been sitting on during his physical examination, he searches the room, turns and throws looks towards his manager, then to his trainer and then to the medical staff.

'Fight is off' he simply declares.

Paul Malone retires unbeaten, undamaged and with his sight fully intact. Majella does not hang around and Paul does not see her leave. Sure, she had vacated the room even before the decision to call off the fight had been declared. She moves, making her way out towards and then through the crowd withing the main auditorium with the intention to vacate the building. Still some distance from an exit she spies the second half of her own personal mission.

How odd it is that she felt compelled to come this way instead of attempting to leave the building the way she came in. Maybe it is not odd at all; something is directing her, guiding her. He is there, nowhere near the boxing ring but well up in the stands with a seat right on an aisle. No, it is not Darkness she sees though Darkness may well be a guide in this moment for the 'he' she spies is the piece of thrash from the asylum, he who had his way with her on numerous occasions, the big man in white without the white on this occasion.

Behind him are a bunch of misfits, intoxicated misfits who have yet to even think about slowing down the effect's alcohol is having on their ever increasing intoxication levels. Four of them, each with shot glasses. Tequila is the choice to move things along and at that the drinks are set alight. With the messing and the in-ring delay that is going on there is some pushing and shoving, and one lit drink then a second are unintentionally spilt and thrown over he who is in front. The unintentional part may only appear to be that.

The speed the flame takes him is unnatural and the crowd quickly parts. He flails around in a panic and the flames engulf him all the more. His screams alone are painful. The stench of burning flesh quickly fills the immediate area. The damage is done before any aid moves in or can move in. Majella simply smiles then moves on. A horrible individual has been set ablaze in a large ball of fire. Comeuppance has been paid due.

It could be thought that she could have done something to prevent the blaze and chose not to interfere; she may even in some capacity have had some control over the flames.

Time moves on. An eighteenth birthday comes around as does a Ball not long thereafter. Her navy-dark blue bell-bottomed strapless dress having been chosen and altered by biological sister Lisa who has no idea of what significance this ball is to hold for Majella. There are eight other sisters awaiting her presence. Any and all answers she wants, or needs will eventually come in due time and this, all of this, only appears to be a kind of ending when in fact it is only just the beginning ...

***

Quarter past eight in the morning on New Year's Day 2018, Samuel Fontaine and Christopher Furlong sit across a small table from one another. Chris is not quite sure why he is here. Due to circumstance and experience Chris is very much out of tune with the rest of the world and also due to circumstance and experience he is very much in tune with the world or at least some part of it.

While some businesses will not open on this day and others operate on limited hours, this particular café the two men have come to be in is open taking advantage of the fact that many are celebrating the change of year and that quite a few of those celebrating will be looking for a bite to eat.

'Lovely stuff this' Chris says, still digging through what he has before him which has been all on Sammy while oblivious to why it is, he is actually here.

'Enjoy it, my friend, you deserve it.'

Friend? Chris wonders. It is starting to click for him now. This fellow before him knows something. 'You say you are a Fontaine ...?'

'Yes, Samuel Fontaine as I mentioned to you when we met.'

'And your mother is Estelle Fontaine?'

'Yes ...'

'Aw hell, so you know what is happening, you know what is coming? You are a Magpie, aren't you? I bet you are ...'

'I guess I am, and I do know what is coming though I will need your help.'

'Good, we've only got a few months 'till it all really kicks off. Tell you what too ... she must not go through the gates ... she must not go through the gates ... for that would bring disaster ...'

***

Elsewhere ...