CHAPTER 1: RISING FROM THE ASHES
The stands were filled with roars of approval at the spectacle on the court, drowning out even the sounds of heavy afternoon traffic. It was no basketball game they were watching though, but a bloody three-way street fight between 3 youngsters, all of them under 18. In the past half hour though, it has become a 2 on 1, and it was clear who was winning; the guy facing off the other two. Almost everyone in the crowd was cheering loudly, watching seriously or crying out for blood, except for a very slight boy in baggy clothing. He merely sat there watching noncommittally.
The boy who was the focus of everyone was very tall, with large arms and legs, long black hair tied in a ponytail, and a face looking no older than 12. He was also very handsome boy, and would clearly grow into a handsome man, but his serious face made his looks somewhat somber, and much older than he really is. He wore a simple large T-shirt and jeans, both XXL, but seemingly tight on him. His clothes were dusty, but nothing like the other two boys in the ring with him. Their shirts were now ripped and torn here and there, and splattered with blood, mostly their own. His face was also markedly clear of bruises and cuts, the other two hardly scratched him after all, even together. Most amazing was the fact that he still breathed evenly, and the other two were already panting.
The large boy suddenly held out his fists, making the other two back off and cringe in fear, then seemed to give them two thumbs up. As they wondered about this, he flipped them downwards, a clear sign of disdain. Those betting on him laughed and cheered loudly, and the two boys’ cheeks burned in shame. Not wanting to be shown off by this younger upstart, they decided to take one final shot at him. They ran at him from both sides, one suddenly sliding and trying to trip him, the other jumping high and tried to take his head off with a vicious kick. The large boy lifted one leg, and crushed the foot of the one trying to trip him, while he let the other kick him without even flinching, and grabbed his face in a vice-like grip. The boy on the ground screamed in pain, and the large boy finished him off with a kick to the head, almost breaking his neck and knocking him out immediately. The other one rained punches and kicks on the large boy, but none seemed to affect him. He let go of his grip, and pushed the boy away, then landed a roundhouse blow to the side of his head, making him spin like a top. He then followed up with a shoulder charge, knocking him against the fence of the court. As his opponent leaned on the fence and trying to figure out what hit him, the large boy kicked him between the legs, making him double over and squeak in pain, and all the men watching shared a moment of sympathy for him. ‘P, please…no more…” he managed to croak as the large boy walked towards him again. Without a shred of mercy, he was kicked to the ground and stomped on the stomach repeatedly, then for good measure, the large boy kicked him between the legs again, this time so hard that he skidded across the court on his back, most likely impotent now for the rest of his life.
When the boy didn’t bother getting up for 20 seconds, a voice suddenly came on the speaker “And there you have it folks! The winner! Our very own kid of steel! Bradleeeeeeeyyyy Quarterknight!!!!” All those betting on Bradley went insane with joy, the kid has just won them a great deal of money by defeating the former favorite contenders for the finals. He literally breezed through the roster since he started just a few weeks ago, and he still haven’t slowed down. Only one other matched him in speed of advancement, though so far none would bet on him as much as they would on Bradley.
His number one rival was in the stands, calmly watching the match since it started, and observed Bradley’s every move. Unlike Bradley, he was a very slight boy, and despite the fact that he wasn’t homely, his looks were nothing special. He had very messy hair, a mocking grin, and a devil-may-care attitude, but his eyes were very intense and intelligent, seemingly out of place on such a young boy. He wore a very baggy T-shirt and a loose pair of slacks, making him look even smaller than he really is. Those who are observant however, would notice an aura that said there was more than meets the eye about him. Instead of looking amazed or intimidated, he merely smirked arrogantly and stood up to walk away. “As I expected, just a brute with no sense of strategy…” he said just loud enough for those around him to hear.
Suddenly a huge hand grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him to come face-to-face with a very ugly and unwashed face. ‘What’s that you say about our star, huh, you little twerp?! He’s gonna take the championship in the next few weeks! Just what can you do?!” Several other thugs closed in on him, preventing the rest of the crowd from interfering. Calmly the boy replied, “Why, I can kick his ass before he does, thus ruining his chances and blowing off all your money down the drain. Thus, you would stop revering him as a champ and then try to go after him AND me for making you lose all that money, when you’re the one at fault for betting that much in the first place” The thug holding him lost his temper and tried to smash him to the ground. ‘You damned arrogant twerp!” The boy instantly gripped the thug’s arm with his leg, and latched his hands on the guy’s thumb, twisting it painfully. As he let go, the boy did a double back kick to his face, jumped off, and landed lightly on his feet 10 steps down. The thug landed face first on the stone steps, smashing his nose and breaking a few yellowed teeth in the process. Seeing further disrespect for him, the rest of the thugs came at the boy, who casually picked up a beer bottle and said “Now who left this here, someone could get seriously hurt..” he threw it near the closest thug’s foot and as he expected, it created a drunkards domino. They all collapsed into each other and rolled all the way down the stone steps. “….like that” the boy finished with an arrogant grin.
Then someone said ‘Hey, isn’t that….”
“Yeah, it’s that other new star. The kid who always manages to cheat his way in a fight..” someone else answered.
“What’s his name again? I think it started with an ‘R’..”
“It’s Randall….Randall
Randy sneered right back, and irritatedly replied “That’s Randall to you, Bradley. Even the bums on
“I look like I want to, asshole?”
“No idea, you always look like you got a monkey up your ass. I never do know what you’re thinking”
“Well at least it’s better than looking half asleep and like a total moron all day long!”
“It’s called diversion, you moron. Don’t you know it’s a ninja’s most frightening weapon?”
“You saying you’re a ninja? More like a moron to me!”
“I’m as good as one…that’s what counts”
Suddenly Bradley shakes his head. “Hey, we’re getting totally out of topic here! And you haven’t even answered my question!” The crowd fell silent when the verbal insults started flying around, but it was clear who was winning at the moment. Bradley seemed to sense that he seemed to be the loser here, and quickly tried to rally with a good rejoinder. “Spying on your opponent IS low after all, would be a shame if you didn’t benefit at all from it!”
Randy already saw through it, however, but still he replied “Yeah, well I guess I did, since I’ve seen through your fighting style…” he suddenly sneered arrogantly as he went on “….then again, you’re not much more than a brute, relying on your power and endurance rather than skill. It might have been a wasted trip after all”
Bradley snapped at this and said “If that’s what you think, you little runt, why don’t you come down here, and we’ll see how YOUR fighting style stands up to mine”
“After you just had a grueling battle? Just what kind of fool would bet on a match like that?”
“Ha! It’s a grueling battle on YOUR level, pipsqueak. All my fans know I can take any number of pipsqueaks like that all day long. What’s another pipsqueak?”
“But our match is scheduled in another 3 weeks, after we’ve beaten our next opponents. Won’t this little tussle affect our rankings, as well as betting placements?”
This stopped Bradley for a moment, and the crowd wasn’t as impatient for Randy’s blood anymore. Supporting your champion was important, but making sure he makes you money is even more important. Unexpectedly, the large boy smiled at this, as if he was expecting it. “So how’s this? This’ll be a no strings attached match; it’ll be like a preview to the finals. Loser gets to keep his standing, but needs to relinquish all his current prize money. You up for it, shorty?” He knew that Randy couldn’t refuse the challenge, after speaking so brazenly upon discovery, but he also knew of the other boy’s obsession with money. It would not be so easy for him to bet all his hard-earned money on the table.
To his surprise however, Randy only shouted “Hey guys, is this alright with you?! I don’t want to lose my standing AND money by technicalities later!” In response to this, the organizers finally announced “We have discussed this between ourselves, and decided that this match will be allowed! Both contestants are responsible for the injuries they might sustain, however, and we will not delay even a second of the matches in the next two weeks! That said…place your bets folks! These are our two finest prize fighters here in this arena!”
At this the formerly silent crowd bustled into activity once more, rushing to the nearest bookie to place bets on Bradley, though a few true gamblers put theirs on Randy. They’ve seen him pull the impossible before, and really want to see him pull it off on Bradley. Betting on street fights is illegal, street fighting too was illegal; on paper anyway. The truth was that it was a new sort of occupation for the homeless street children. Instead of going out and stealing or peddling drugs, they spend their youth trying to bash out the brains of other youths in arenas all over the city. It wasn’t a great job, but at least it didn’t harm society, or at least the upper classes, and the kids get a great street rep and even have clubs organized in their honor. In other words, it was like being a pro wrestler or boxer in the underworld, much better than being a gang member, and a lot less risk. If, of course, you discount all the death threats and gang bangs that follow after you beat someone else’s champion. Then again, that happens to real professional fighters too. All in all, despite the profits it brought the low lives who lived in the city, it proved to be a salvation to quite a few of the street kids. Many of them are recruited by professional trainers and even masters. If they survived the matches through luck or skill, they would be the top choice. Losers were not necessarily unwanted, but total losers are. And neither of these boys intended to lose. They didn’t care about their standings in the match, or about the offers they could receive from the assembled masters and trainers. They had a severe problem with each other, and being boys, there was only one way to settle it; beating the crap out of each other. Bradley waited in the ring, and beckoned at Randy to come and join him. Not wanting to disappoint, the smaller boy ran down the remaining stone steps, jumped to the steel chain link fence, grabbed the top with his hand, and vaulted himself over.
He landed lightly on his feet, but didn’t take a stance, or at least it seemed that way. His whole body was already tensing for the battle about to come. He grinned confidently, but he knew that he was in deep trouble. Bradley wasn’t even half as angry as he showed himself to be, it was merely a ruse to get him in this ring right now. The large boy knew that if he was allowed another two weeks, Randy would have been able to predict and counter any move he made. By forcing the slight boy to make a move right away, though, he had the home field advantage as well as the added bonus of having his blood up just after a fight while Randy would need to adjust himself to the rhythm first.
Grinning smugly as he saw comprehension dawning on the slight boy, he charged, and let loose with a powerful left hook aimed at Randy’s face. Randy stepped back from the attack, and he followed up with several jabs, much faster than his bulky frame should allow. Randy danced around each punch, evading them at the last second, the confident grin never leaving his face, not even when Bradley followed up with a clothesline. He leaned his body back and caught the large boy’s arm with both hands, making it drag him on the asphalt, and place him in a strategic location; Bradley’s blind side. As Bradley turned and tried to attack him again, he already landed three kicks to the large boy’s shin, waist, and chest. Before he could be countered, he used the momentum from his last attack to propel himself away from his opponent. The crowd went silent at the display. High level skill was not THAT uncommon in these sort of matches, but these two were well known as street kids, and the kind of skill they were showing rivaled those who have already underwent severe training. Nobody knew who to cheer for at the moment, though some eagerly changed their bets to Randy. The masters, however, knew better.
Randy’s grin already left his face, getting replaced by grim determination. Despite scoring the first blow, the slight boy knew that he didn’t even manage to make Bradley feel them. It was just a test, and he didn’t expect Bradley to feel much anyway, but now he realized he was a little deeper than he intended to be. Bradley also saw that Randy wasn’t as reckless as he showed himself to be. He hardly underestimated any opponents, and would have retreated whether or not Bradley felt the attack. Both now knew that he faced an accomplished opponent, and eased themselves into more practical stances. Bradley with his fists held before his face, and close to his chest, a typical boxing stance, while Randy weighted himself evenly on both feet and parted them in equal distance from his body. He also crouched low, and extended one arm before his body, and the other tucked at his waist, a good stance to use both hands and legs. Bradley started first, this time with much faster jabs that almost blurred Randy’s vision, then followed them up with a vicious straight right hand. Randy kept moving backwards to avoid the jabs, then spun to the outside of Bradley’s guard and kicked his waist as hard as he could. Bradley threw a lariat at his head, and he kicked the larger boy’s kneecap to push himself away, then hopped forward to kick Bradley in the face. The blow knocked the large boy’s head back, and managed to stop him for a few minutes. Randy used those minutes to catch his breath and formulate a plan. Bradley really needed just one good hit to end this match, while his attacks still weren’t doing anything to the large boy. It occurred to him now how to strike, as Bradley got on the move again. He charge forward as well, barely avoiding each attack, and then, showing great timing, he struck hard at Bradley’s solar plexus just as the large boy inhaled while preparing for a punch. He drove out the air from Bradley’s lungs, and for the first time, the large boy felt his attack. Before his opponent could retaliate or block, he followed up with strikes to shoulder and leg joints, trying to soften the large boy up. Too late when he realized it was a trap, and he got a headbutt for his troubles. His vision exploded in lights, but he managed to keep enough wits to do a few backflips just in time to avoid incoming punches and kicks. Bradley wasn’t about to let up his advantage though, and kept coming at him, raining blow after blow on the slight boy’s guard. Seeing the opening, he used his signature move, fast jabs followed by a strong right. He put so much force behind it, that it might just break bones or cave a skull in. He seriously wanted to take off the slight boy’s head. Randy grinned as it was finally time for him to counter attack. He bent his body to dodge the punch, and kept bending until his hands touched the ground. He put his whole body weight on his hands, and bent his knees as well, then sprang upwards and kicked both legs into Bradley's throat with all the force he could muster. Unfortunately for him, the large boy had pretty good reflexes, and slammed a hand down on his stomach as his kick landed.
Both boys were unable to get up for a moment; Randy from puking out his guts, while Bradley gasped desperately for air. When they were done, they rose on shaky legs, determined to see this through. They charged each other once more, now going at it with all their skill and power. neither wished to back down, even if the chance was offered. All the masters were intent on this match now. There was no question that these boys had great potential, but it was clear to them that one of them was going to be crippled for life after this match. The fight has taken a life of it's own, and neither of them would stop before the other was completely destroyed. All of them, that is, except for one. Unlike the other spectators, he chose to watch from the entrances' shadow despite having paid the entrance fees. Also unlike the other spectators, he wore a dark blue cloak that shrouded his features. It is even impossible to tell if he was a young man or an old one. Until he spoke, that is..."Heh, such an interesting pair of punks! They can fight this well with a minimum of instruction, I can't wait to see how they'll grow once I get MY hands on them" He looked at his watch and said "Crap, I'm late for my next job...." Looking back at the boys one last time he added ".........and heal quickly boys....I'm coming for you soon"
The fight wore on through the whole morning and even part of the afternoon. The crowd was made of plenty of street people and hardened criminals as well as martial arts masters. All of them though, were wincing visibly by now each time there was a sound of fist or kick striking flesh. The two boys were now severely battered, their faces and bodies hardly recognizable any more. Randy 's face was covered with purple and blue bruises, and his arms were shaking badly, a result of blocking too many of Bradley's direct hits. Bradley had a broken nose, and it was bleeding slowly. His face was covered in bruises shaped like footprints, a testament to just HOW hard Randy could actually kick. They were both breathing hard now, the result of already giving everything they had. Randy had used every trick and ounce of skill he had, while Bradley managed to hang on only because of his durability and power. They were still going at it, but much slower now, their injuries making it hard to even stand. Seeing that the fight would either end with a draw, or rather double permanent KO, the crowd quickly asked for their money back and left, even the masters. A crippled apprentice wasn't that attractive to anyone. The boys actually kept going until a full hour after everybody left. Finally they both collapsed from exhaustion, too tired to finish the other off.
"Puff, puff........had........enough yet?...."
"You.....pant.........wish, blockhead....I'm just.....huff, huff.............catching my breath...."
"Me...too, you bastard....just give me....a minute"
A minute passed, then two, then half an hour, but neither of them were getting up.
"........................okay.....maybe we should take a rain check on this one"
"Right...sayy, two weeks later?
"Sure...make sure nobody kills you in the meantime, you little twerp"
"You too, you block-headed musclebound idiot"
The sun has already gone down by the time they could get up again. Both of them stood on shaky legs, took one look at each other, then turned around and walked the other way.
Randy waited until he turned around the next bend, then started chuckling. The fight went MUCH better than he expected. The truth was that he's been approached by some people to lose to Bradley. Since the large boy had a better standing than him, however, the money offered was very low. They were just paying him off on the VERY small possibility that he could beat the large boy with his tricks. "Heh, what an idiot! I just wanted to raise the money those guys would pay me to lose!" he said to himself as he kept walking home. Despite his injuries, he was feeling very good, the prospect of being paid a huge amount of money rejuvenating him faster than any medicine. As he walked, he thought of what he would do with the money. "First i gotta get a good bed, then the roof needs fixing, the walls need some repainting too...." Screwing up his face, he went on "I guess the guys deserve better food too, so I'll hire a new cook, and some new clothes too!" Suddenly he realized that it was already dark. "Oh crap! I'd better get home soon or they'll close the gates on me!" Totally forgetting that he's badly injured, he ran the rest of the way. The keeper of his current orphanage was a very caring but strict old man. He was a grandfather figure to them all, and being street kids who were mostly abandoned since they were babies, he was the only family they had. He started the orphanage with his own money, being a well-off pensioner, but despite his efforts and his kindness, he could only provide the most basic of cares for the children, like 3 square meals per day, clothes that are not too torn or shabby, a relatively warm bed, and primary school level education. Things like toys, or even a television was beyond his ability to provide, and he could do little better than chicken once a week, and bland bread and stew for every other day. He even had to teach them himself, since no teacher was left available to do pro bono work at his orphanage. All the ones sent were shot within a week, two at best. The gangs controlling the area didn't exactly want the orphans to get off the streets. They needed new blood all the time, and who better to recruit than a starving street kid? He felt glad when he saw that he was just one corner away from home. it was close, but he would make it just in time for dinner; or so he thought.
Instead of a relatively warm, but worn out-looking orphanage filled with street kids about his age, he saw only a flaming ruin before his eyes. His home for 12 years was completely destroyed, and the cause was milling around the courtyard, torching what was left of the place. They looked like apes covered in red fur, and had long, muscular arms that ended with sharp claws. On their backs were small, leathery wings that looked like a bat's, and their eyes and mouth glowed with an inner flame. Fury rose up within him, and he charged at the nearest creature. It didn't even look at him as it swatted him as if he was nothing more than a fly buzzing around it's head. The blow knocked him across the courtyard and slammed him hard against the walls surrounding the orphanage. The air was pushed out of his lungs, and he hit the ground with an "Oof!" of pain and surprise. His stomach started to heave again, but he managed to keep it under control until he saw what he landed on. It was a partially eaten corpse, but one unlike any he has seen before. This corpse had it's flesh melted, and then consumed from the middle and head first, and from the lack of innards, it was safe to assume that the predator responsible ate it's intestines and brain first. The eyeballs were also gone, but there were claw marks instead of bite marks around the eye sockets, indication that they were gouged instead of eaten away at. And from the way the mouth was contorted in pain, and blood oozing from some wounds,it was clear he was eaten while he was still alive. Randy lost it right there, and laughter rose from the creatures gathering at the other side of the courtyard. They seemed to be quite full, since only one bothered getting up and walk towards him.It clearly wasn't hungry either, but was just up for a little game of cat and mouse with the only meat still alive and trying to kick, as a little after dinner entertainment. It stalked him slowly, confident of being able to counter any resistance Randy might offer. What happened next though, was totally unexpected. Randy slowly rose to his feet, his features obscured by his wild hair. As he did, a cold gust suddenly blew from nowhere, and the surroundings seemed to darken around him. The wind carried with it the echoes of a whisper, and the stronger it blew, so did the voices get louder. The demon hesitated, as if in fear, then it looked at it's leering companions and decided to take it's chances with the seemingly harmless boy. Randy raised his head and was about to raise an arm as well, when a bolt of lightning suddenly struck the creature. Totally surprised, the boy seemed to come out of a trance and looked for the source of the bolt as it didn't come from the sky, but from directly behind him. Just a few feet away, the figure that watched the match between him and Bradley stood, electricity crackling from a palm it held outward. It threw off the hooded cloak, and it was revealed to be a young man, no older than his early twenties, with closely cropped hair, intense, intelligent eyes, and a lean, muscular body. He wore very casual clothing, but ones that are practical for combat; loose T-shirt and jeans, and sport shoes. He calmly stepped forward, and the apes now shuddered in fear. Randy didn't understand it at first, but as the young man stepped closer, he felt it as well; an overwhelming presence that demanded fear and awe. One thing became abundantly clear to him; this man was far more dangerous than the creatures who just destroyed and ate everyone he's known since childhood. Randy tensed again and prepared to defend himself as the young man got closer, but he merely stared hard at the boy and said "If you want to stay alive, boy, then stay out of my way!" His wits failed him and he couldn't find a retort to throw back.
The young man fearlessly walked up to the other creatures, and they looked at each other, then launched themselves at him in desperation and fear. With great ease, it seemed, he dodged every claw and fang coming his way. The beasts hurt each other more than they did him, as he kept moving among them. Sensing that this tactic was futile, they scattered and breathed fire at the young man. The fireballs collided and produced a huge explosion. The beasts were ecstatic when nothing moved in the flames, but one suddenly shrieked in pain as a hand exploded from it's chest.
