A cold shiver runs up my back as Felix gently pulls the medical tape off my shoulder, removing the gauze immediately afterwards.

   I squeeze my eyes together as the stale air hits the raw patch of skin on my left shoulder, stinging it.

   Today is now Tuesday, August 23rd. Four days after Ben decided to brand his stupid  gang logo on my shoulder.

   And also the day of my second fight.

  I slowly rotate my left shoulder, feeling the raw skin stretch uncomfortable with each small movement.

  A permanent painful heat seems to radiate off it every hour of each day so far, a annoying itchy sensation mixed in with it.

   Let's just say it's not fun to literally get branded like you're some cattle getting ready for selling.

  My left shoulder slightly jerks, a small hiss leaving my lips as Felix unexpectedly rubs two fingers over the tender area, gently rubbing some soothing cream over it.

  There's a instant short relief from that burning fire that seems to now live on my skin, a cooling sensation taking over.

Felix steps back from his position behind me, and I slide down off the bench into a standing position.

   I'm currently back in that same room I was in for the last fight, alone with Felix after Frances dropped us off before disappearing back out the door.

   I quickly wrap my hands, keeping my face impassive.

   I refuse to let anymore people see how broken I really am.

  Besides, Frances's little 'session' after I passed out the other day during the whole branding thing helps to rain in my emotions. Him having been extra furious after my whole...freakout episode.

   I'd rather not get on his bad side anymore than I already am.

  My eyes flicker towards the door as it opens, Frances walking halfway inside as he holds the door open. "Well, get moving." He grumbles.

   Felix holds my robe up, and I slide my arms in, scrunching my eyes up as the fabric scrapes against my tender shoulder. He helps me into my gloves, lacing them up.

  I walk forward, Felix giving me a small hesitant smile as he follows along behind me.

   We walk out the door, continuing down a small hallway before we're suddenly out in the loud, rambunctious crowd.

   I keep my eyes focused on Frances, trying to calm my racing heart as my mind revolts from all the unnecessary noise.

  Frances slows down, walking only a step ahead of me. "Remember to keep your left shoulder angled away at all times, protect your stomach, your face, and win." He glances back at me, making sure I heard him.

   I give him a curt nod, our steps never pausing.

  Another loud roar chants from the people as the current contestants fight it out in the ring, one of them grunting as he's repeatedly hit in the stomach.

   It's the same ring as last week. Only this time the room seems to be at its full capacity. All the benches look full all around the outskirts of the ring, all those horrible smells wafting up my nose once again.

  Though nothing will ever be worse then the smell of your own flesh burning, melting off. A smell I've witnessed not only once, but twice.

  My heart thuds in my ears as we come to a stop beside the ring, the brand throbbing painfully with each beat.

  I've yet to actually look at it. The thought alone making me want to puke all over again.

  The one guy that's a bloody mess falls to the ground, the other guy still throwing rapid punches at him.

   The sound of a gloved hand repeatedly hitting human flesh mixed with loud cheering sears my brain, the urge to wince with each one falling over me.

  But I don't. I keep my blank eyes focused on the gruesome sight before me, face completely expressionless.

  The guy on top finally stands up after his opponent goes rock still, the announcer - the same one as last week, joining him in the ring to hold his arm up in triumph.

   "And our winner!" He yells, immediately getting a response from the over hyper crowd.

   They get off the mat after a minutes, two guys coming out with a dingy stretcher as they collect the prone body.

   Another person walks out, quickly mopping over the mat as he pretends to clean it off before the next fight.

   My fight.

   I find myself looking around for Ben. I spot him up on the railing that sticks out like a second floor above everyone, standing beside a well dressed man that just screams 'rich' as they each hold a bottle of beer in their hands. Smiles on their faces as they joke about something.

    Probably making a bet or something.

   Frances pushes me forward, signaling it's time for me to move. I pull myself up, making sure I don't scrape my shoulder as I slide between the ropes.

   Felix stands beside me in our corner.

  "Ladies and gents!" The announcer yells, the sound echoing around me. "We're ready for our next round!" The crowd cheers, some standing up as they yell.

   He motions to the other side of the ring, my opponent stepping inside. "Over here we have the Boem gang with their fighter: Cranium!" There's a loud cheer, obviously pointing out that he's one of the crowds favorite fighters.

  Which means he's not new.

  He motions over at me, Felix assisting me in taking off my robe. "And here we have one of our returning winners from last week: The Underdog!" There's a semi-loud applause, mostly getting drowned out by people yelling insults.

   I keep my eyes ahead just like last time, making myself look completely unaffected.

   But that doesn't mean I can't still hear them.

   "What the f-" Someone yells over the rest. "Get rid of that piece of trash and put a real fighter in!"

  I grind my teeth together, flexing my neck as I prepare myself. The announcer motions us to the middle, both of us walking forward.

   We stop on either side of the announcer, and I look over my opponent.

   I feel a spark of surprise as I notice he's not much older than me, maybe eighteen or nineteen. His black hair is styled in a simple buzzcut, his almost impressive body clear of any flaws or scars.

   He waves at the crowd, doing a few poses as he ignores me for the moment. Choosing to woo his fans instead.

   I meet his eyes with my own when he finally looks my way, his height probably two or three inches taller then me. He seems completely confident, a small smirk on his lips as he looks my younger face over.

   Though it seems to slightly fall as he takes in my upper body. My scars.

   "Let the fight begin!" Announcer guy yells, dramatically throwing his hands up as he steps back.

   I keep my weight evenly balanced between both my feet, gloved hands up to protect my face, elbows angled down.

  Instead of coming right at me like the last guy, he begins to circle. I follow his lead, going in my own circle with him. Five feet of space between us.

  I spot his gangs logo on his own left shoulder blade, about half the size of my palm. It looks like a imitation of a bat with its wings out, each slight angle sharp and crude.

    And instead of it being branded onto his skin. It's a simple tattoo. A darker letter C incasing the bat. I guess standing for his fighting name.....Cranium.

   Not that mine's any better.

   He abruptly swings his right arm out in a jab towards my face, my left fist tensing as I deflect it. I immediately parry his second attack towards my stomach with his left fist, throwing my right arm out as he falls forward from his momentum.

   It goes straight across the two foot distance, slamming into his jaw at full force.

  He bounces back with the hit, shrugging it off as he cracks his neck. 

   I step towards him, swinging my right fist up and over in a overhand. He blocks it with the side of his arm, retaliating with a right hook.

   I feel a rib or two literally bend under the pressure as it lands on my left side, the air leaving my lungs for a split second as I bounce out of the way from his follow up.

  Sweat falls down my face, my hair already plastered to my forehead. There's a throbbing ache in my side, my left shoulder stinging from the sweat that's running down over it.

   I look my opponent over again, realizing I probably don't look much different from him. Figuratively speaking.

   Sure he's got that whole cocky, arrogant, 'I'm the winner and I know it' kinda air about him.

   But what if he's using that as his own shield? Like how I'm making myself look completely impassive about everything. A mask.

  I can't help but think that maybe, maybe he's in the same predicament that I am....

  Minus the whole teenage spy thing of course.

  Maybe he's like Felix. Having no choice. No other option that he knows of. Maybe he's got a sick family member and they're using that against him.

   My head suddenly snaps back as I'm hit directly on my left cheek, a bruise surely already growing.

  I turn my middle just in time to avoid a sure hit to the knife wound on my stomach, his glove scraping along behind my back instead.

  I hiss under my breath as it feels like something akin to getting a rug burn, my left elbow blocking his other fist he had aimed for my chest.

   Doubts begin to flicker in my mind, indecision sucking me down. Thoughts repeatedly swirl in my head. All leading to one conclusion.

  Throwing my left arm out in a fake jab, I throw another cross at his chin. He takes the bait, focusing on my left arm as my right sneaks in.

  He steps back from the force as I land yet another punch to his chin, a slightly blue-ish tinge beginning to form around in.

  He throws his own reckless right cross straight for my own chin, his eyes alight with anger. I easily let his hand slide along the outside of my arm, leaving me unharmed.

  My eyes flicker back up at Ben.

  He's standing in front of the railing up on the second floor, hands tightly grasping the railing as he stares down at me. A beer bottle sitting on the railing beside him.

  I let a breath out.

  Pain suddenly ignites in my left shoulder as he lands a solid blow, irritating my seared skin.

  I automatically fold my left shoulder in, momentarily forgetting to defend myself as my brain only registers pain.

  Blood explodes inside my mouth as his gloved fist makes contact with my chin, my tongue getting in the way.

   His eyes glint with a unreadable emotion as he realizes something. Our eyes meeting for another split second.

   He sends a volley of powerful punches, a couple hitting my face and a couple hitting my chest as I fail to parry them.

   I heave for breath, my upper body slouching slightly as I escape his relentless attacks. Feet still moving.

   His own breaths come out labored, feet dragging slightly as blood trickles down his chin.

   I send a couple fast strikes of my own, stepping to his inside. My right fist smacks his nose, his head jerking backwards. My left goes in a uppercut, hitting the bottom of his chin.

   He steps backwards again, retreating back.

   We circle each other once more, the roar of people chanting and screaming hitting my ears more harshly then his punches.

   He reals back, stepping in quickly. I parry his right fist, doing the same with his left. He grunts as he swings out with extra force this time, his hand going out in my blind spot.

   It comes back in with a tremendous amount of strength, lights exploding in my head as it hits my temple.

  My feet fall out from under me, my back smacking the cold mat. Flames seem to sprout throughout my left shoulder as the brand grates against the material, my back sliding a couple inches from the force.

  There's suddenly a weight on my stomach, my hands coming up to guard my face as Cranium sends punch after punch at my face.

  I keep my head firmly back against the mat, trying not to let it bounce up and down. He currently has a leg on each of my sides, sitting on my lower stomach as he bends his upper body down to get more force with each of his hits.

  Almost exactly what happened to that guy before us.

  He grunts as he sends a powerful punch, it breaking through my guard and smacking into my forehead.

   More lights explode behind my eyes, nausea building up somewhere deep within my gut.
 
   My forearms scream in pain as they repeatedly get hit, my pinned body stuck to the ground.

   My guard completely breaks as my arms loosen from the exhaustion of holding them up, my head angling to the side as those punches now hit my face.

  A pain runs down my ear all the way to the inside of my head as he continues to punch, his chest heaving as he forces himself to go on.

  His right arm goes up higher then what he'd been doing, slamming down right on the area between my eye and my ear.

  Stars explode in my vision, chest tightening as I momentarily forget how to breath properly. Darkness meets my eyes even as I blink, panic twisting in my stomach.

Don't tell me I'm blind now....

My body goes limp, my arms falling to my chest. I continue to blink, staring up at the ceiling I can't see.

  Something seems to skip in my mind, the weight abruptly gone without me remembering exactly when it left.

   Blood thunders in my ears, my chest falling and rising rapidly.

   The sound of people yelling suddenly hits my ears, making me wince. A roar seems to echo in my ears, then my vision begins to slowly clear.

   I repeatedly blink, the dark spots growing smaller with each second. I carefully look up at the two pairs of legs that are standing no more than six feet away, the urge to vomit making itself known.

   The announcer dude stands beside Cranium, holding his arm up in the air as the crowd continues their loud celebration.

   Realization dawns on me, chest only tightening as one thought runs through my head.

  I've lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N

   Alex!!! Noooooo!! You've done gone and done it now! 😭 How could you.....lose!? 😢

  Erm, so yes. Alex indeed just lost the fight. Which now means he has to face the wrath of Ben and Frances. 😳

  So I don't have any questions right now. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't comment! ^_^

Next update: Next Week. I've decided that it's been working out where I write a chapter for each of my three books, then I publish them on the same day. (Tuesday or Wednesday) That way there's a update for each of my books weekly.

Warning: The next chapter is going to have a lot of physical abuse in it. So just a warning. (Please don't read it if you can't handle it, or if there's any personal reasons.)

Maggy