May 19, 2069

2:52 pm CDT

Inside Flex-a-Lot, Central Olympia

Sonya Grey's Point of View

Alessa is hauling Jayce out of the ring, and Jian is taking his place. He’s struggling to hide his murderous intent, while Annie is, I have no fucking clue.

“Black Scorpion,” Jian says in deep resentment, with Annie holding his waist from behind.

Jian, a teenage Asian boy, wearing black glasses on his face. Black hair covers his eyes, and he’s wearing brown shorts and a blue shirt. He’s maintaining intense eye contact, and I’m staring right back, motherfucker. Nobody intimidates me. I can take his ass, but I’m more worried about the girl.

Annie, a teenage Caucasian girl with a black and red drawstring backpack. Another redhead with extremely long hair covering her eyes is wearing a red tank top and a black skirt. The bitch wants me to try something, based on the disturbing grin she’s giving me.

I don’t know who’s stronger between the two but if shit hits the fan, no, when it hits the fan, I’ll be taking one of them down with me.

“Hey! Leave her alone!” Luke yells as he enters the ring.

No! Don’t stand by me! Go away, Luke! I’ve only known you for a bit, but I can tell that you can’t fight.

“AHAHAHAHA!!” Annie hysterically laughs.

Never in my life have I heard someone silence an entire crowd with laughter. She sounds like a hyena if I’m correct. I need to stay on guard, regardless.

“What’s so funny?” Luke asks in a cautious tone as Annie finishes wilding out.

“What is your name, you devilishly handsome boy?” Annie responds as she chews on her bangs.

“My name is Luke Miller, and I want you two to stop harassing my friend.”

“Fucking idiot,” Jian says in a fit of calm anger as he maintains his gaze on me.

Shit! I’ve been put in check before I knew it. I should’ve left this place with Luke instead of fighting Jayce.

“Wanna hear a funny story, Lukey?” Annie asks with a crazy look in her eyes as she continues to chew on her hair.

“If it means you’ll leave us alone, then sure,” Luke mistakenly complies.

Escape to the safety of Olympus?! How could I be so naïve?! Luke has no choice but to play Annie’s weird-ass game, because who knows what she’ll do if provoked.

Annie’s entire personality just screams “unorthodox” and “unpredictable,” my worst matchups. I can’t formulate a strategy against random attacks. Jian appears to be a more fundamentally based fighter, but I can’t read him either.

Wait, she finally stopped chewing her hair, and now she’s chuckling and doing a ballet performance.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!” She perfectly sings with astonishing movements. “Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky,” she continues with an emphasized shriek on the sky. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!”

What the fuck is wrong with her?

“Luke, I adore you so much that I’ve decided to show you somethin’ close to my heart. Don’t move a muscle,” she says as she kneels and takes off her backpack.

Not good, it’s now or never!

“WOAH!” The crowd explodes once again.

Damn it! Jian blocked my punch!

“Pitiful!” Jian states in disgust.

Move Sonya! Before he…

Fuck! A one-inch punch to my sternum. I, I can’t breathe!

“Leave her alone!” Luke cries out in anger.

Don’t!

“OOH!” The crowd says.

A roundhouse kick to the face by Jian.

“Such rude guests,” Annie pouts with a disappointed look in her eyes.

What did she grab out of her jar?

“It’s just a spider, jerks,” she reveals as she proudly shows off a black widow spider in a glass jar.

I-I can breathe again. Get on your feet.

“Hup!”

And mov-

Damn it! Jian’s got me in a chokehold! Jian is too strong!

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“Stop!” Luke yells out as he stupidly runs to my aid, yet again.

A gunshot?!

“She’s got a biscuit!” The crowd panics.

“The spider was just a prop, but this is the real kicker,” she reveals as she smiles at her revolver.

“Everyone ske-fucking-daddle! Lickety-split!” Annie orders in anger.

Two more shots toward the ceiling.

“Wuh-ho! Hold your horses, pardna!” She commands as she points the gun at Luke. “I’d hate to shoot someone as cute as you, but I won’t hesitate if you get in Jian’s way again. So how about you back up?!”

Damn it! Get off of me, Jian!

“Sigh. Here you go, Jian,” Annie says in a lovestruck tone as she gives Jian her gun.

There’s that feeling again. The cold metal exterior of a gun against my skull. I’m done wondering if this will be it. Now I just wonder when it’ll be it. I’m se-severely… fucked up in the head and clinging to sanity is like walking on a tightrope that continually becomes smaller and smaller and smaller every second.

“What’s your name, Black Scorpion?” Jian asks, as his grip becomes tighter.

“Nunya. Nunya fucking business,” I say.

Yeah, I’m definitely passing out. I’m about to die, and I can only think about making a joke. What’s, what’s wrong with me?

“Annie. Cut her ear,” Jian orders to his partner in crime and she quickly complies.

I don’t even care anymore. Things are becoming black, black? Black Scorpions. Charlotte. Cici. I’m so sorry.

“NO!” Luke helplessly screams out.

“Shhhh! Before I cut you like the cutie pie you are!” Annie threatens, in an annoyed tone.

“Give me your name before I tell her to cut out your eye next,” Jian demands.

“Fine… just, let me go. I want to look you in the face when I tell you. Or, are you not man enough to do that… before you kill me?”

“Ha! Black Scorpions understanding the concept of honor is laughable!” he says as he slowly releases me from his chokehold.

Just need a few seconds. Turn around and.

Spit.

Right in his face.

“My name is Sonya Grey, fuckface.”

Oh shit.

Damn! He’s got me pinned against the ground with an arm lock. I can’t escape!

“You’re one stupid girl, Sonya Grey,” Jian says in too calm of a tone.

Agh! My arm! Fuck! Fuck! My fucking arm! Motherfucker!

“Let’s see if Black Scorpions are bulletproof,” Jian says with killer intent filling his eyes.

Staring down into the barrel of a gun. Another familiar sight.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Go ahead. Do it pussy,” I say.

This is a big gamble, but it’s all I have left.

“I knew you were bitch-made the moment we made eye contact. Your eyes are filled with deep resentment, but I guarantee that you’ve never had to murder someone before. You’ve probably wasted a few undead, but you’re just realizing that it’s not the same as killing a person. You’re thinking, can I actually become a murderer? As much as I hate her, she’s a human being, just like me,” I say.

That’s right. Lean into the barrel, Sonya. Assert dominance and take control.

“I get why you hate me. A Black Scorpion in your capital? I’d be a scared little bitch too, but newsflash, asswipe. I’m not a Black Scorpion anymore. Here’s what I’d do if we were in Scorpia with the roles reversed. I’d take that gun, shove it in your mouth, and watch as the psycho redhead begs for mercy, but I wouldn’t be able to guarantee such a pitiful request, even if I wanted to. The only thing we’re promised in life is death, and for whatever fucked up reason, some people get a second death. I would be the one granting you that death as I unload every single fucking bullet in that six-shooter down your fucking throat. So go ahead and shoot, tough guy. Isn’t that why you came here? To prove to everyone how big of a man you are?” I say.

“Shut your damn mouth!” Y-You, don’t know shit about me!” Jian says as he pushes me down.

Hello again.

Oh. That’s quite a bullet hole next to my left ear.

“I know everything I need to know about you, Jian. Fights aren’t just about physical strength, they’re psychological too, and you just lost.”

“A little teenage girl like you led the Black Scorpion raid that destroyed my home! You scum killed my friends and destroyed everything I loved!” Jian cries out in hatred.

“What’s going on?” A boy with a flattop and white lab coat loudly questions as he enters the gym. “Annie? Jian? What are you guys doing? You know what, I don’t care. Where’s Kiko?”

“I’m right here, Harold!” Kiko reveals as she peeks her head above a machine.

“We’re being called for an emergency meeting inside the capital building. We gotta go because we both know how she can be when she gets mad,” Harold reveals in urgency.

“Emergency meeting? I guess we should go too, Annie. Farrington won’t be there, so it’ll probably be another boring meeting with Dakari,” Jian explains as he finally gets off of me.

“Oh, darn. Just when we’ve reached the best part of this routine. Sigh. Farewell cutie Lukey. I genuinely hope you’ve enjoyed your introduction to Olympia,” Annie says in a creepy tone as she approaches Luke.

You better not.

Bitch. She kissed him on the cheek, and she looked directly at me while doing it. Sigh. Congrats Sonya Grey. You get to live to see another shitty day.

*

“Sonya?!” Luke asks in worry as he rushes over.

“I’m fine,” I say.

“That jerk cheated,” some random boy yells out.

“Shush, Sean. Don’t mind him, but Jian is indeed a jerk,” the announcer girl, Alessa clarifies. “Your… arm, though,” she says with a nasty look on her face.

“Oh, right. My arm,” I say.

Relocation gets easier after the first few times.

Fixed it! Jian is a jerk.

“Heh. That was undoubtedly the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in my life,” a young girl with a cowboy hat and pigtails says. “I’m Teresa Young, by the way. I met Luke earlier, your fists met Ruby, the twins are Rachel and Billy, the pouty one is Drew, and the girl next to him is his little sister Jaliyah.”

“Hi,” I say.

“That was so cool,” Billy compliments.

“Cool? That was so scary, but it was spectacular at the same time!” Rachel says excitedly.

“What about, spectat-cooler?” Ruby says with a grin on her face as she holds her stomach.

“That was so lame,” Drew says with a facepalm.

“Stop hating, big bro,” Jaliyah says with a heartfelt smile on her face.

“Damn it. I missed all the action,” an unfamiliar, and yet… familiar voice says.

“Julie and Vắn Duy,” Teresa says with a grin. “Heh. How long were you two together for this time?”

“Wha?” Julie yelps in shame.

“I’ve already met Sonya,” Duy says as he rubs his neck.

“Really? How?” Teresa asks inquisitively.

“Let’s just say I won’t underestimate women again,” Duy chuckles.

I threw him too hard. So embarrassing…

“Sonya Grey! You think you can just beat my ass without telling me how you did it?” Ruby bitterly asks as she stomps towards me.

“Yeah, and what about my weakness? Tell us, Sonya,” Jayce pleads next.

“You two lack patience,” I say.

“Sonya, please teach us your ways. Please! You’re the baddest badass to ever step foot in this gym!” Jayce desperately begs.

“Um, you’re not as cool as me, and don’t think this means we’ll be best friends or whatever. But if you don’t mind, I would like to have a rematch with you one day. Ruby Redheart can teach herself along the way,” Ruby struggles to say.

Charlotte if that was you who led the Brackettville raid, then that means you’re alive! And yet, I honestly don’t know whether that’s a blessing or a curse. Regardless, Jian’s beating made me realize that I have to get stronger if I want to fulfill the promise we made, but I will never forget you, who I am, or where I came from. My fate is sealed, and nothing will stop me from accomplishing my mission.

“I’d be happy to help,” I say.

“Great, so you’re my band’s security guard, in case you’re uninformed. Duy will be the backup guard, and Luke will be our band promoter,” Ruby quickly explains.

“I just met y’all, but I have the feeling that this is the start of a grand friendship!” Rachel cheers with the utmost happiness.