Ugh… I’m so bored out of my fucking mind. Jules went somewhere, and Levi was looking for a job. I can’t train today cause my body is too sore. I guess I’ll lay here and complain.
Eli sighed as he lay on the bed, scratching his stomach. He was wearing a wifebeater and shorts.
I don’t even know if I have money left that I stole—borrowed from Jack. I wonder how he doing right now; does he even care if I left? Well, he kicked me out, but regardless.
Jack arrived at the apartment after doing ‘business.’ He throws the wad of cash on the table as he enters his room. He looks at the punching bag. That’s when he saw the first time he saw his little brother finally training.
“Was I too harsh?” Jack looks at his hand, bearing a scar on his palm.
“He tried to kill me, but that wasn’t him. That was some entity. He was definitely using Fixation.”
[Few Years Ago]
“Look, Jackie! It’s your little brother,” Jack ran to his mother, and his eyes widened.
“You have to grow big and strong to protect your little brother,” the father placed his hand on Jack’s shoulder.
“Here, honey, take care of Eli,” the father handed baby Eli to the wife.
“Follow me, Jack,” the father went outside into a training ground.
Their house was huge.
“You ready for your training? You’ll need to protect your little brother,” the father stood in the middle of the training ground.
“But father! I want to play with my little brother! I don’t want to train!” Jack protested.
Jack’s eyes swell up to tears as a smack etched his face.
“No, you will be the head of the family. You need to grow strong and take over the business,” the father took off his glasses and cleaned it.
“I don’t want to, father!” Jack screamed back as tears rolled down his cheeks.
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My father was always a cruel man. I was the eldest son, and because of that. I had to protect my brother. I only knew how to fight. I was about 5 when Eli was born.
[3 Years Later]
“Let’s play, Jack!” Eli waddled to Jack.
“I can’t play with you, Eli. I have to train,” Jack practiced his martial arts in the training ground.
“Awww!” Eli pouts as he waddles away.
Why do I have to do this?
“JACK! What did I tell you about maintaining your Fixation form,” the father punched Jack in the face.
Fixation. The ultimate technique in the Gray family. You have to concentrate and immerse yourself in the environment. You must keep calm at all times, or else it will break.
Fixation brings out your instincts. I practice this every day; I must maintain this form every waking hour of my life. My father’s house is ginormous. My relatives live with me too.
“Wow, Arthur, Jackie sure is strong. Your son has the most potential. Let’s have a friendly spar with my kid,” the brother placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.
“Jack! You’re going to fight Blake! Do NOT disappoint me,” Arthur crossed his arms as he assessed Jack with a critical eye.
Blake approached the training grounds and went into a stance. Blake rushed at Jack.
He’s so slow.
Jack sidestepped out of the way. He shifts his weight, hammering a punch to Blake’s midsection. His hand shot out to grab Blake’s face and smashed it on the ground.
Jack Gray
Strength: A+
Endurance: A
Speed: S
Potential: SSS
Intelligence: B
“Bravo!” Arthur’s brother clapped.
That was the first time I won a battle. I’ve always lost to my father. I only knew how to fight and protect, nothing else.
Jack looked at his knuckles, marked with blood. He looked at his father; there was no smile, no acknowledgment. Jack left the training grounds and went to his room.
On the way, he encountered his mother.
“Mom, why do I have to fight?” Jack tilts his head.
“You have to protect your little brother. You have to take the family business,” the mom looked outside the window, carrying baby Eli.
“Isn’t the family business just running a syndicate?” Jack looked out the window.
The mother stood quiet, cradling Eli.
My mother never did answer. She would only repeat my father’s words. I was about eight when I asked my mother that question.
[2 Years Later]
Arthur hired a tattoo artist. They placed Jack on the chair. The tattoo artist starts piercing Jack’s skin, filling it with ink. After a few hours, Jack’s front and forearms were covered by a tattoo.
Arthur was doing some paperwork until he was interrupted by a relative.
“Arthur! Our rival gang is attacking us!”
“Where’s Eli and Jack?”
“Miss Catherine already took Eli! They don’t know where’s Jack!”
Arthur quickly stands up and grabs a machete. He walks through the house, meeting a few of the rival’s members.
“Get him!”
They lunged at Arthur, carrying knives. In a split second, all of the men were on the floor, sliced. Arthur continued to walk. More, more, and more men poured into the halls, all dying a quick death.
Jack encountered some men.
“Heh, look at this little kid! He must be Arthur’s son. Kill him,” the men lunged at Jack.
Jack dodged their attacks, hammering them to the ground.
So slow and weak. What’s happening?
Jack Gray
Strength: SS
Endurance: S+
Speed: SSS
Potential: SSS
Intelligence: B+
“Look at that little bastard! Kill him!”
Those words were short-lived. Jack continued walking through the halls, his hands inside his pockets. He went to the training grounds. It was pouring.
Dozens of men and relatives are dead on the ground, and the smell of blood stenches the air. Jack saw his mother escaping with Eli until she was stabbed by one of the men, dropping Eli on the floor.
Eli started crying as the man snickered and approached.
I was going to let him die that day. I don’t know what happened.
Jack’s body moved on its own accord.