EIGHT YEARS AGO

“ALEX!!” his father boomed from downstairs.

Sixteen-year-old Alex Hunter dropped his headphones on the desk and took a deep breath. He already knew what this was about.

“Alex! Get down here, now!”

He did as he was told.

Alex had always been a straight-A student, but that didn’t mean he could get away with troublesome behavior.

Especially violence.

His parents were waiting for him in the living room. His father stood in the center with his arms folded; cell phone in hand, about to be crushed. His mom stood behind him. Not angry or menacing, just disappointed.

They were both facing a chair that Alex was clearly supposed to take. He passed. He’d rather stand for this.

His father took a deep breath, which did absolutely nothing to calm his nerves. “I just got off the phone with the principal.”

“I figured,” Alex replied softly.

His father did not appreciate the smug tone. “I’m sure you can also figure what it was about?”

“Not a clue,” Alex lied.

His father was about to burst a nerve, when his mom intervened. “Honey, calm down. Let me talk to him.”

“Calm down? It’s the second time this week!”

“It was the same guys,” Alex cut in.

“And that makes it better somehow?”

“It was self-defense, dad. You expect me to not fight back?”

“You hit them first!”

“They were ganging up on Kenny. They destroyed his bike!”

“Then go to the authorities! Complain to the teachers!”

“You’re completely naive if you think that’ll achieve anything.”

“And what did you achieve by punching them in the face, huh? You got yourself expelled!”

Alex suddenly felt numb. Reality hadn’t quite sunk in yet. He had been expelled—the consequence of his own actions.

No more high school. No more martial arts with old man Shiro after school; there was no way his parents were paying for that now. No more anything.

Was it worth it?

“They hurt my friend,” Alex finally said. “I couldn’t just stand by and watch. I did the right thing. But you would never understand!”

Alex turned around and bolted out the house.

“That was a little too harsh, honey,” his mom said.

“It’s the second time this week, Molly. Two of the boys have broken ribs, one of them’s got a fractured jaw. If he keeps this up, he’s going to get himself killed one day. Or… or worse!”

*

Alex walked to Grandpa Shiro’s Comics Store, briskly at first, but then slowing down on the seafront to gaze at the sun set over the ocean, basking in the orange glow.

Grandpa Shiro’s was the only place he could find some peace and quiet, especially on days like today. He wasn’t actually his grandpa. The local kids who grew up learning martial arts from the kind old comic store owner all called him so out of love and respect; upon his own insistence, in his own native tongue: Ojii-san.

But there was no rush. Alex took a seat on a bench nearby, facing the ocean and the orange sun. A few kids played tag on the beach. A father and son played catch. Care free.

Alex clenched his fist as he thought about his future. No Ivy League college was going to accept him now. He’d probably blown his chances for a sports scholarship too.

The high school principal had made a fuss over nothing. Alex wasn’t particularly a big guy. Sure, his martial arts practice had afforded him an athletic physique, but it was nothing compared with someone in professional boxing or MMA. He was 6 ft tall, medium build, some but not a lot of muscle. He knew his punches had power, but not enough to land those spoilt brats in the hospital.

Their injuries may have been exacerbated. Their rich fathers probably paid off a hospital or a small doctor to make the damage seem way worse than it actually was, to compel the principal into making Alex’s punishment more drastic.

Sigh. Whatever. What’s done is done.

If the school wants to defend bullying, then fuck ‘em. I’m glad I’m out.

He got up and resumed walking toward Grandpa Shiro’s comic store, which also doubled as his home. As soon as he turned the corner though, he spotted Officer Langley burst out of his house and stumble over a snow shovel.

“Officer Langley, are you alright?” Alex called out.

“Ohoy,” he shouted as soon as he spotted Alex. “Alex, you fine boy. Can you help me install one of those things that hides what I do on the internet from the government, please?”

“I did that for you last week, Officer Langley. Did you forget already?”

“Oh you did, did you?”

“Yeah. Are you drunk again, Officer Langley?”

“Absolutely not, my boy. Who’s drunk this early in the morning?” He stubbed his toe on a trash can and yelped in pain before declaring, “I’m just high.”

Some police officer, Alex thought. He waved an awkward goodbye and resumed walking.

His mind was still disquiet.

It’s not like they didn’t deserve it. Those guys—no—those bullies… They had it coming.

But his parents will never understand.

Maybe old man Shiro will.

“You look distressed,” said Grandpa Shiro as soon as he opened the door. “Rough day at school?”

“Just like any other,” said Alex, not meeting Grandpa Shiro’s eyes as he stepped inside.

The familiar smell of old and new comic books was welcoming, as always. Alex took a deep breath in, and felt his mind clear of all the worrying and overthinking. The only thing that mattered, for now, was the latest, official English version of Berserk vol. 38, which he’d been waiting on for months now. He quickly began scanning the new arrivals.

“It’s not in yet,” said Grandpa Shiro, knowing what he was looking for. “Delayed. Again.”

“Crap,” said Alex. Absolutely nothing was going his way today.

Alex browsed the shelves absent-mindedly. He was caught up on pretty much every comic and manga he liked, and he had zero interest in trying anything new right now.

Grandpa Shiro wasn’t going to give up that easy though. “Wanna tell me how you got that new one? I’m certain it wasn’t there before,” he said, pointing at his chin.

Alex took a quick look at himself in the mirror above the cash counter. His dark brown hair was a total mess, and his black eyes looked tired; they still had that extremely faint red hue around his pupils—a rare genetic defect, the doctors had said, but nothing of concern because it was never noticeable, unless someone was looking for it.

Alex had developed a subconscious habit to check for it every time he looked in the mirror, believing that one day the defect would simply disappear on its own. No such luck so far.

He found a shallow cut under his chin that he had missed before. It glowed red against his light skin, but it wasn’t bleeding.

“I got into a fight,” Alex told Grandpa Shiro. Even though he didn’t feel like talking about it right now, he knew there was no point trying to defer this conversation. The old man could be annoyingly persistent.

“Again?” asked Grandpa Shiro.

“Again.”

“Why this time?”

Alex studied his face and tone of voice. “You already know!”

Grandpa Shiro chuckled. “Your mom called,” he said. “She knew you were coming here. Asked me to talk some sense into you.”

“And?” Alex asked. “Are you going to?”

He smiled. “Nah. I was thinking we fire up some Mortal Kombat in the back room. Go a few rounds. I kick your ass, again! Then, when I’m finally tired of kicking your ass—,” he paused for dramatic effect, “—we could get back on the Path and continue looking for Ciri. What say you?”

Alex sighed in relief, then smiled. “Yeah. Let’s do that instead.”

They moved to the room at the back of the store, which doubled as both living room and bedroom for Grandpa Shiro. “I don’t need much space,” he’d always say when questioned about why he just wouldn’t buy a bigger place somewhere else. He certainly could afford it.

However, contradicting his declaration of not needing much space, he did cramp a 65-inch OLED TV hooked to a PlayStation 4 in the living/bed room. “No compromises on the important stuff,” he’d tell everyone.

His magician’s kit was sprawled across the couch and table—the cards, the wand, and the bowler hat, among several other “artifacts”—all of which he quickly cleared to make space for them to sit. “Been practicing again?” Alex asked.

Grandpa Shiro looked like he was about to blurt something out prematurely, but instead he simply cleared his throat. “That’s for later. Let’s focus on our duel now, shall we? Or are we eating chicken for dinner?”

Alex smirked and grabbed the controller. “Game on, old man.” He hardly ever won any rounds against Alex. But that didn’t stop him from trash-talking.

“Guess I’m the one doing the ass kicking after all, huh?” said Alex after he beat him three matches in a row. “Ain’t that right, Ojii-san?”

“Don’t call me that out of spite,” said Grandpa Shiro. “It’s a title of respect for your old sensei!”

“Whatever you say, Ojii-san!” said Alex, with more emphasis this time around.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Oh, you brat!” Grandpa Shiro chuckled. “One of these days I’m gonna get you. I’ve been practicing in secret, you know?”

“You’ll need plenty more,” Alex teased.

Grandpa Shiro smiled absent-mindedly, as if he were having the time of his life despite just getting obliterated in Mortal Kombat. “Alex,” he said softly. “My son’s on his way here. His flight from Kyoto lands tomorrow.”

Alex smiled wide. “Ojii-san that’s great news!”

“Yeah,” he said, smiling gently. “He’s bringing his wife and son too.”

“You must be so hyped,” said Alex. “I am so happy for you!”

“Can’t believe it’s been nine long years,” he said. His voice turned heavy. “I’ll finally get to see my grandson… for the first time.”

Alex gently put a hand on his shoulder. “Nothing to be upset about. They’re finally coming, aren’t they?”

“I’m not at all upset.” Grandpa Shiro was smiling, but his eyes turned moist.

“We gotta show them everything you’ve built here,” said Alex. “I bet they’re going to love spending time at the store. I don’t know them personally, but same gene-pool, after all—”

“Alex,” Grandpa Shiro cut him off. His tone was now serious. “Your parents love you. You know that, right?”

Alex stayed silent. After a brief pause, he said, “Yeah. I know they do.”

“I know they often overreact,” continued Grandpa Shiro, “God knows I’ve done the same when it came to my children. But it’s only because they worry about you, Alex. As to why they worry so much, well—” he interrupted his own thought, shook his head, then let out a long sigh. “I know you don’t understand it all right now, but… you will. In time.”

“Okay,” said Alex, nodding and smiling reassuringly.

“Alright enough soy talk,” said Grandpa Shiro. “I’m beating you for sure this time.”

He didn’t, but they had a hell of a time. And without either of them realizing, it was past midnight.

“Oh shoot, look at the time,” said Grandpa Shiro.

“Can I not just stay and game all night? It’s not like I got school tomorrow.”

“Your mother will worry,” Grandpa Shiro said with a firm smile.

“Fine,” said Alex. “See you tomorrow, then.”

Alex walked out of the store, into the dead silence of the night. The street was dark and empty. A thin layer of snow blanketed almost every inch of ground, and thick fog covered the air. The faint light from the street lamps fell woefully short of doing their job.

He was barely a block away from Grandpa Shiro’s comics store when he heard a shrill scream pierce through the silent night, and then get instantly muffled.

Alex’s feet froze. All his senses spiked. His heart began to pound, the hair on the back of his neck rose. Something really terrible was going on.

His instincts pulled him toward the source of the scream, so he followed. In a dark corner across the street, not fully illuminated by the street lamp, he could see three men huddled together, jostling and struggling with something.

From their jackets, and the Harley-Davidson knock-offs that surrounded them, they seemed to be a wannabe biker gang. Confirmed by the tire marks littered across a small patch of ground near them, cleared of snow, which accompanied a strong smell of burnt rubber. They’d been passing time doing burnouts before whatever they were doing right now.

Bunch of thugs, thought Alex. Maybe they’re just bickering over how to split the loot. Perhaps the scream was from one of them, just horsing around.

As he inched closer, he heard them giggling. He then caught a glimpse of a thin, white leg kicking through the huddle, with red heels on the feet.

A woman.

Alex positioned himself a fair distance away from the group and yelled, “Hey!”

A large man with his back still toward Alex said “Shhh!” at something while still laughing hysterically. Another guy turned around and said to Alex, “What’s up guy? What you lookin’ at?”

It was after the guy broke off from the group that Alex was able to see exactly what was going on. A young woman was pinned to the wall, her face and shoulders bruised, and a look of pure terror on her face.

These thugs were about to take advantage of her.

No way Alex was going to let them.

In a swift movement, Alex hurled a stone at the large man whose back was still facing him. It hit him on the neck.

“Yo, what the f—” the large man squealed.

“Step away from her, now!” said Alex, with as much authority as he could muster.

“Yo! What the hell is your problem?” said the first guy to Alex.

“Are you going to let that slide?” asked the third guy to the large man.

The large man swiped his hand behind his neck and observed it. It was red with blood. “No,” he growled.

The large man began walking menacingly toward Alex, but the first guy stopped him. “Relax, big man. We don’t want a repeat of last time, do we? Let me take care of him.”

“Hmpf,” the large man grunted and smirked.

“Hey Miles,” the third guy called out to the first. “He saw us, he’s a witness.”

“I know, I know,” said the first guy. “I know what to do. Relax!”

Alex squinted his eyes to his right to see if all this commotion had woken Officer Langley. He briefly thought of barging through his door and dragging him here himself. But that’ll be too late. The thugs will be gone by then. And the girl would be dead.

The first guy started walking toward Alex now. He slowly removed a long, heavy chain from his jacket. “Dude, all you had to do was walk away.”

Alex clenched his fists.

His heart pumped so much faster than it had in any practice session or high school fight. His fists and nerves felt strangely warm.

The guy swung the chain at Alex, which he easily avoided with a quick duck. From the low angle, Alex landed an upper cut square on the guy’s balls, causing him to drop the chain and hold his crotch.

“Fuck!” the guy squealed in pain. “This motherfucker!”

Alex took a fighting stance. These guys were amateurs. He could easily take them.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?” yelled the first guy as he charged toward Alex, despite in visibly horrific pain.

Alex opened his fists, ready for what’s coming.

The man was about to tackle him. But the second before he connected, Alex bent low again, grabbed him by his jacket, and fixed his leg on his opponent’s groin. With his back on the ground, Alex flung him behind, adding extra power to the throw with his hip and leg. The charging man’s own momentum was used against him, and he went flying, crash landing into a parked car directly behind Alex.

The car’s alarms went off. This should surely wake Langley.

“Hey, hey, hey, this guy is something, eh?” said the third man. “Jerry, take him!”

The big brute nodded and charged at Alex. Alex was barely back on his feet a couple seconds when a gigantic piece of hard meat—the brute’s arm—slammed on his chest like a ton of bricks. If Alex hadn’t reacted in time, it would have definitely cracked a rib.

Shit, thought Alex. This guy is trouble.

It’s not like he couldn’t take him; his fighting technique was non-existent. But he was massive. An entire weight class above Alex.

“You show him, Jerry!” the third guy cheered from the back.

Alex struggled to his feet and presumed his fighting stance once again. The brute named Jerry smirked and walked slowly at him with a menacing look.

Jerry started with a grab this time, but Alex was able to evade effortlessly. He’s strong but he’s slow, thought Alex. When on his side, Alex landed a swift low kick on the brute’s shin which made him drop to his knees and yelp in pain.

It was Alex’s turn to smirk.

Assuming he had a few seconds before Jerry was back on his feet, Alex looked around for something that he could use as a weapon to finish the guy off. There was no point fighting fair in a street fight.

Jerry recovered quicker than Alex anticipated, and was able to land a surprise punch on his chest. Alex, once again reacting quickly, was able to deflect most of the damage. But it still hurt like a bitch.

However, the parry had now opened big brute Jerry for a knockout blow.

Alex curled his fists to move in and finish the job with an elbow jab on his thick skull, when he was suddenly grabbed from behind.

It was the first guy. Apparently crash landing on a car wasn’t enough to take him out.

“Finish him, Jerry!” he shouted, holding onto Alex as if his life depended on it; his mouth spraying spit and blood awfully close to Alex’s ear.

Jerry regained his balance and began to giggle like an overgrown child. He clenched his fist and landed it square on Alex’s cheek. Blood and spit sprayed out of his mouth, and he could see stars. This brute was tough as hell.

Alex’s vision blurred, but he could still see the shape of a giant pull his humungous arm back, prepping a killing blow.

Shit! thought Alex. This is it. If that lands, I’m done for.

Alex felt his body temperature shoot up. His heart was racing even faster than before, which should be impossible. His arms and feet were burning hot, and it felt like his very soul had been set on fire. Any moment now, he was going to raze it all. Reduce his enemies to ash and dust.

A cold gush of wind swooped in from both Alex and Jerry’s blind side. Jerry was tackled with such incredible force that he landed three feet away from his original position. After tasting dirt yet again, Jerry lifted his head to see who or what had hit him, when he was immediately smacked on the back of his head with a thick wooden cane.

Big brute Jerry dropped flat on the ground, unconscious.

“Ojii-san!” Alex called out in celebration.

“You alright, Alex?” asked Grandpa Shiro while Alex was still under the first guy’s tight grab.

Alex bashed the guy’s jaw with the back of his head, which loosened his grip. He then turned around and punched the thug in the gut. The guy fell to his knees, gasping in pain. He was out.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Alex replied to Grandpa Shiro. “A little dazed, that’s all.”

“Well, well, well,” said the third guy, dropping the woman on the ground, her legs now bound with thin but tightly wound rope. “That’s an interesting turn of events. I’ve never seen Jerry lose a fight before. But then, you did do him dirty, didn’t you, old man?”

“Come on, Ojii-san, we can take him!” said Alex.

“No!” said Grandpa Shiro. His face was tense, focused on his opponent. Something was bugging him.

Alex looked at the third guy’s face. The guy wasn’t scared. He was outnumbered two to one, but he was completely unfazed.

“Alex, listen to me,” said Ojii-san. “Dive behind that car when I create an opening, and run to Officer Langley’s.”

“No!” Alex protested. “He’s just one guy, we can take him!”

“Alex, listen to me, for once!” Ojii-san looked dead serious.

Before Alex could utter another word, Ojii-san and the third thug disappeared in a puff of smoke. This was Alex’s cue. Alex dived behind the car as instructed, and ran toward Officer Langley’s house.

“Whaaaaat!” The third guy cackled in maniacal lunacy. “A smoke bomb? Seriously? Are you a fucking ninja or something?”

Alex smirked. That fool had no idea who he was messing with. Alex was confident that he could have taken that guy out by himself. But Ojii-san is on a whole other level. After all, it was Ojii-san who taught Alex everything he knew about fighting.

He banged on the bum officer’s door repeatedly. It may have taken two full minutes for Langley to finally come to the door, still drowsy. How was he asleep through all that commotion was beyond surprising.

“Officer Langley,” said Alex. “There’s a bunch of hooligans assaulting a woman. Come qui—”

BANG!

The deafening sound of a gunshot echoed through the silent night.

Alex’s blood froze.

Nothing seemed to move for a long while. The snowflakes were suspended mid-air, refusing to land. His breath stopped halfway through his wind pipe, refusing to reach his lungs. His eyes were fixed in the direction of the fight, as panic set in.

Then, he blinked.

And time began to flow again.

Alex bolted toward the fight. Langley muttered something inaudible and followed Alex.

He had a gun? That fucker had a gun?

Relax, thought Alex. Ojii-san must have been the one to fire the shot, in self-defense. He must have brought a gun to the fight, concealed within his clothes.

But Ojii-san hated guns, didn’t he?

He must have grabbed the asshole’s gun then!

Alex reached the scene that he had fled just a few moments ago. The woman was nowhere to be seen. Big brute Jerry was still unconscious on the ground, and so was the first guy whom Alex had taken out.

The third guy was collapsed on his back, his head smashed in by something heavy. Like a thick cane.

Alex found the cane lying on the wet ground a few feet away. And right next to it, streaks of blood painted the white snow.

Alex followed the blood trail to find Grandpa Shiro collapsed on the ground with his back against the wall, breathing heavily.

There was a gaping hole above his abdomen. Blood poured out from it, and from his mouth.

“NOOO!” screeched Alex. “OJII-SAN! NO!”

Alex rushed to his side and dropped to his knees. “No! No! NO!”

“Relax, don’t move,” Alex told him. His voice quivered and his hands shook beyond control. “I’ll call the ambulance!” said Alex. “Please don’t move!”

Ojii-san gripped his hand tight. A gentle smile etched his face, as if letting him know that it was okay.

“Let me call the ambulance!” Alex begged. He turned around and shouted, “Langley! Call an ambulance right fucking now!”

He turned to face Ojii-san once again. Tears poured through his eyes, blurring his vision.

“It was my fault,” Alex wept. “This was all my fault!”

Ojii-san shook his head with great difficulty. He moved his lips, attempting to say something, but failing. He finally managed to get the words out in a coarse breath.

“You did the right thing, Alex.”

“No, please no!” Alex wept, as Ojii-san slowly shut his eyes.

*

Officer Langley drove Alex home. The paramedics had already taken Ojii-san’s body away. En route, Officer Langley had called Alex’s parents, informing them of what occurred. His parents were out on the lawn, waiting.

Alex hadn’t uttered a sound throughout the drive home.

His mom gasped looking at his bloodied clothes. His father ran to him as he got out the car and hugged his son.

Alex was dazed. He could barely make out what his father was saying. “Alex, are you okay?”

“Are you okay, Alex?”