Max ♕
________________

Three hours ago

My dad used to say that the monster in him was the same one living in me. But as I got older, I realized that wasn't quite true. His monster was evil, the kind that only reared its head to hurt the people he loved.

Mine protects them.

Fueled by adrenaline, I rise to my feet and channel every ounce of strength into my clenched fist. It crashes into the nearest face with an explosive impact, sending a shockwave of pain through my arm, but it works. The path clears, inch by hard-fought inch, as I push forward, fueled by the thought of finding Alyssa and Kino.

To call tonight a fuck-up is a massive understatement, which wouldn't be so bad if it only impacted me, but now it affects them, the two people I'd tried to protect. And the worst part? They did it for me.

Alyssa being here surprises me the most. In fact, I'd go as far as to say she's the last person I'd expected to see, but somehow, despite all the shit I put her through, she showed up tonight in some misguided attempt to save me, which means deep down, she still cares.

The thought should make me happy, but it doesn't. It makes me fucking sick. You're a sinking ship, her dad had said, and she's tethered herself to you. I guess he was right, 'cause now we're both drowning, but I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to her.

Desperate to find her, my fist connects with an unsuspecting face, sending adrenaline through my veins. The impact reverberates through my arm, momentarily numbing the pain, and then I'm in beast mode, shoving people left and right as I scan the surrounding crowd for her head of golden hair.

The problem is the place is dark as hell, and my eye is so swollen I can barely see anything but a blur of shoving figures. When a hand grabs my arm, I swing my fists, ready to fight off the hazy intruder, before realizing it's Kino.

Maybe it's the head injury, but I don't think I've ever been so damn happy to see him. And then it hits me he's here, and she's not. Fuck. "Where is she?"

"She's with Khalil," he shouts, grabbing my arm. "He'll make sure she gets home. Come on."

I switch to big brother mode, about to grab Kino's arm when he bats me away to hook an arm around my waist, helping me to hobble through the crowd. The pain is pretty unbearable by this point, a reminder of my sheer stupidity, but there's nothing I can do about it now. The only thing that matters is getting the fuck out of here in one piece.

Each step is met with resistance as bodies collide in every direction. My muscles are aching, and it's a whirlwind of flailing limbs and heated exchanges, like trying to carve a path through hell. If Kino weren't here, practically holding me up, I'd have fallen already.

As it stands, we're starting to make leeway when the sirens sound. Looking down at my watch, I know we've got about ten minutes before the cops arrive. That should be a good thing, but if we're still here when they show up, it won't matter that Kino only came to protect me. He'll go down with the rest of us.

Even the idea of it fucking angers me. Kino, the only thing my father got right, in jail? Not a chance. I straighten a little, ignoring the shooting pain in my ribs, and use my shoulder to shove our way through.

"We're nearly there," Kino shouts when I start flagging. I nod as if everything is fine, but a familiar metallic taste in my mouth reminds me it's not. I force myself to swallow it, feeling the heat in my face as the nausea kicks in, sending me stumbling.

Kino grabs me harder, and I can hear him puffing and panting as he struggles to hold my weight, but there's nothing I can do to help. Right now, it's taking everything I have to stay upright.

My only comfort, the one thing getting me through this hellhole, is knowing that Alyssa is with Khalil. He might be an asshole at times, but I know he'll protect her with everything he has because that's the type of person he is. He's had my back for as long as I can remember, and I'm counting on that now.

We're almost at the door when a gunshot rings out. Panic erupts, and people scatter in every direction, trampling over one another in the chaos. Kino desperately tries to support me, but the sheer force of the crowd makes it hard for him to keep us on our feet.

"You go," I shout, pushing him off me, "I'll follow behind."

His eyes darken, and I feel his hand dig harder into my side. "I'm not leaving you."

Agitated, I'm about to argue when his expression shifts, and just like that, I realize there's no convincing him. I might look like Dad tonight, but with that fierce, protective look in his eye, he looks just like Mom.

"Alright," I relent, leaning against him, "stay close."

He nods and weaves us through the crowd, narrowly evading punches and twisting me through the tiniest gaps. My strained muscles protest, but I push through the pain, the urgency of our escape eclipsing any pain. Sweat drips down my forehead, mingling with blood and god knows what else, burning my eyes.

In the back of my head, I feel the pressing dread of what these injuries will mean for my upcoming fight. I'd expected to be in and out tonight, a couple bruises here and there, but nothing I can't recover from. It's this part, thrown around by a feral mob, that's knocked me for six. Now winning my fight? Not likely.

Still, I can't think about that now. I focus on what's in front of me, ignoring the hands that claw on my back and keeping my eyes on the prize: the little green sign that reads Exit.

We're almost there, moments from freedom, when a body slips before me. I blink through the haze, just about able to recognize some kid I thought two years ago in the cage, only a lot has changed about him since then. He's taller, for one, almost surpassing me in height and size, not to mention covered in metal. I take in his lip ring, three barbed wires that knit through his mouth before exiting his cheek. Jesus.

"Remember me?" he shouts.

I do, but only because I struck him so hard in our first round of fighting that he never got back up. Everyone labeled him the sleeper after that, and he disappeared from the circuit before clearly trying for a comeback.

"The Sleeper," I say, which probably wasn't wise, but at this point, I'm so out of it I can barely keep my eyes open.

The guy's face distorts until the metal in his mouth becomes taut. He steps forward, and just as I'm bracing myself, Kino gives him a hard right hook that sends him flying.

I find myself grinning, so impressed by his form that when I feel my lip split, I don't even care. All of Dad's lessons, all mine, have paid off. That kid can hit.

It's the last thing I think before all hell breaks loose. Punches fly in all directions, chaos engulfing the room. The cops are closing in, and it feels like we're fighting through a horde of zombies desperately trying to reach the door. As one person falls, another takes their place, an unyielding wave of delinquents.

A fist catches my stomach, and a searing pain travels down my side as I hunch over. I watch Kino rise in front of me, shoving people back as I fight to stand up, and the truth hits me like a ton of bricks. He's no longer the little brother in need of my protection. Right now, he's protecting me.

Snaking an arm around me, Kino continues for the exit. I can't remember the last time I felt this bad physically - in fact, I can. It was the last time I fought here, when I was young, stupid, and desperate for money. Clearly, despite wanting to believe otherwise, not a lot has changed, but it will. Alyssa's parents might be right about me being no good, but if tonight has shown me anything, it's that I'm determined to prove them wrong.

Another punch lands, this time on Kino, and the second I see blood, I lose it. The crowd recoils in the face of my fury, stumbling and scattering as I bulldoze through. But as I look behind me, still reeling from this newfound energy, all I see is Kino falling.

Panic sets in at his half-conscious face. With my hand stretched behind me, I grab him by his collar and fight to pull him with me, determined to get him out of here.

Even if it kills me.

A/N

Comment a heart if you want the next chapter! ❤️