Chapter 7 The Fight

• I chuckled and said, “Don't act tough. even the most powerful hero will die someday.”
• The man saw that I wasn't intimidated, and immediately got angry.
• “You little punk, trying to act tough?”
• Without hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped me across the face.
• He was fast, and the hit was solid, but I purposely didn't dodge.
• A crisp “smack” echoed through the arcade, drawing the attention of nearby players.
• Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, but the guy, seeing that I didn't even try to avoid it, boasted proudly, “You little brat, you need a beating to behave! Go ask around. Who in this area hasn't heard of me, Lionel? You've got some nerve to mess with me!”
• I wiped the blood from my mouth, and instead of getting angry, I smiled coldly. To be honest, I might not be as good at fighting as some trained fighters, but I have one thing that I think I'm pretty good at—taking a beating.
• Back when I was in prison, before I met Tigre, I was often picked on and beaten up by different gangs, but I endured it each time.
• Compared to those prison beatings, this slap from Lionel was nothing.
• I looked around at the people watching and said with a grin, “Everyone saw that, right? He hit me first!”
• I didn't dodge on purpose because I wanted him to strike first. After all, I had just been released today, and I wasn't planning to get thrown back in right away.
• But now that he had made the first move, I had a reason to fight back.
• “Lionel, right? Do you know my name?” I asked with a playful smile.
• Seeing me smile, Lionel gave me a strange look.
• “You're still smiling? Did I slap you stupid?”
• I kept grinning and said, “Lionel, remember this: My name's Mortar.”
• With that, I grabbed a handful of game tokens and hurled them at Lionel's face. Caught off guard, he yelped in pain and cursed at me.
• But I wasn't done yet. I grabbed his collar with one hand, and with the other, I balled up my fist and smashed it into his nose.
• Crack!
• The sound was unmistakable—Lionel's nose started gushing blood. I figured I had probably broken it.
• Lionel clutched his nose, swearing through his pain, “You son of a... I'm going to kill you!”
• As soon as the words left his mouth, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade, aiming to stab me.
• Just then, a loud voice boomed from across the room, “Lionel! Don't start any trouble here! If you want to fight, take it outside!”
• I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall, stocky man about six feet tall with a buzz cut walking toward us, his hands in his pockets.
• Lionel glanced at the man and grumbled, “Gavin, this punk did this to me. I can't just let it go!”
• It was clear that Lionel wasn't afraid of Gavin Warren, but there was a hint of negotiation in his tone.
• Gavin, with his sharp brows and prominent features, frowned and said, “I told you—settle your beef outside. This place is under my watch. If you cause trouble here, don't blame me for getting rough! And besides, you're in your thirties, and you're fighting with a kid over game tokens? Don't you feel embarrassed?”
• Lionel shot a glance at Gavin but didn't argue. Instead, he pointed his switchblade at me and yelled, “You little punk, come outside if you've got guts!”
• “You think I'm scared of you?” I snapped back, the anger flaring up in me. I followed Lionel out of the arcade.
• As soon as we were outside, Lionel wasted no time and lunged at me with the knife.
• “F*ck you!” he cursed as he swung the blade.
• I wasn't fazed. Smiling, I sidestepped his attack, grabbed his ear, and twisted hard.
• Then, I slipped my arm under his armpit, lifted him up, and slammed him onto the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.
• The knife went flying from his hand, and I kicked it further away before planting my foot on his mouth. I glared down at him coldly and said, “Stop trying to act tough, or I'll beat you again. If you don't like it, come find me at Saint Riveria Spa. The name's Theros Skye! Scram!”
• I let go of his face and gave him one more kick. Lionel scrambled to his feet, staring at me with hatred in his eyes. “That was impressive, but just wait!”
• After mouthing off, Lionel turned and fled. As I turned around, I noticed Gavin standing at the arcade door, grinning at me.
• When our eyes met, Gavin walked over, still with his hands in his pockets.
• “Not bad, you can handle yourself. Have you trained?” he asked.
• I shook my head. “Nope. After getting beaten up enough times, you just learn how to fight back.”
• Gavin chuckled and sized me up. “Theros Skye, huh? That's a good name. So, you work for Mr. Hackett, right?”
• “You know Mr. Hackett?” I asked, curious.
• Gavin didn't answer. Instead, he patted me on the shoulder with a smile and said, “Okay, man, head on back. If you want to play again, just drop by. Next time's on me. Just mention my name at the counter.”