Fight Against Fate: Chapter 9

Alec had managed to hobble his way out of the hospital bed. His chest ached really bad from where he’d been hit by the staff. That thing was more solid than he had figured. He touched his forehead where he had been hit as well and winced. He touched the bandage wrapped around his forehead.

He looked at his arm and saw the weights still wrapped around his arms underneath the gauntlets he wore. If he thought walking with the weights before was rough doing it now was something else entirely. But for what it was worth he had started getting used to them. Except in the match when Lee was faster than him.

As he walked down the street in the night he shut his eyes tightly feeling his guilt welling inside him. “You were right Felix. I was an idiot. Really really dumb. Could have won. Maybe. I don’t know. Beyond that, the risk wasn’t worth it.”

Putting both his hands on his head he groaned and wandered his way forward. He tried to get his way down the street but his legs felt like cement. He could still hear the dull roar of the tournament. Hear the crowd. Heard Lee’s staff on his sword and shield. “I gotta find Lee. Apologize to him. That was our chance for a real fight and I threw it away.”

As he walked he looked up and paused. He stared ahead and froze. His arms fell to his sides and Dio looked at him. Dio stopped as he stared back at him, shaking his head. “It really is just a day for reliving the past isn’t it?”

“The hell are you doing out here?” Alec asked trying to sound tough. But looking the way he did that wasn’t going to happen easily. He raised his eyebrow at Dio’s shoulder but didn’t say anything.

“I’m walking. Isn’t that obvious. Or did you get hit too hard?”

“Shut up.”

“It was really impressive in the tournament. You’ve gotten better since the last time we met in the arena,” he chuckled folding his arms. “Except you know. You still don’t listen to people smarter than you.”

“What like you?”

“Like Felix.”

That hit him like a slap to the face. He flinched, looking down at the ground and then turned to glare at his self-imposed rival.

Dio shook his head, staring at him for a long moment. He looked like crap. How he was walking right now was just proof of his stubbornness. But that made sense knowing him. He remembered when he saw Alec last. Saw him properly.

They were kids. Dio had spent the last few months defending Alec from the bullies and adults. Alec’s fate had been discovered before then and Dio was still young. “You know I was the one who told you the story of the Hero of Roxa.”

“I remember. It was after a bad fight with some kids older than me. If it hadn’t been for you I’d have been beat up worse than I was.”

“We got beat up bad that time, didn’t we?”

Alec smiled, “Yeah. We did. Fighting teenagers.”

“It was your fault,” Dio smirked. “If it weren’t for Felix we wouldn’t have made it to classes the next day.”

They laughed together and for a moment it was like nothing had changed. Like they were back to being kids getting into fights together or against each other. And they would always help each other limp back home to get scolded by Felix. Alec smiled at Dio but it didn’t last because the memories after that time came back to him.

“I made it out of the tournament you know,” he said finally.

“I do,” Dio told him. “I saw you.”

“I got this far. Fate be damned. I’m going to get to the end of the tournament and then I’m going to beat you. And I’ll take the armor of the War God.”

Dio looked toward the sky and laughed, “You’ve been saying crazy things since we were kids. And you’ve been proving it even longer. I’ll see you in the tournament Alec. And I’ll beat you like I always do.”

Dio continued walking down the street at that point, passing him by. Alec felt like he wanted to say more but in reality, he didn’t have more to add. He let it go, not even turning to watch him. Instead he kept going walking down the street. He still felt guilty but he felt a fire inside him.

He walked toward the fountain and saw Felix sitting on the edge of it. He was leaning back, his eyes closed and looking toward the sky. Alec walked toward him slowly and stood in front of him. When Felix opened his eyes Alec went down to his knees closing his eyes. “You were right Felix. I was. An idiot. And thinking too hard. And being up my own ass. A lot of stuff. I should have listened to you.”

Felix nodded slowly in agreement, “You should have.”

“And I’m going to. We have a week left until the real tournament, right? What kind of training do we have until then coach?”

Felix looked at him incredulously and laughed. “Really? What makes you think I’m gonna keep training you even after all this? Not listening to your coach is criminal.”

Rolling his eyes Alec sighed, “I promise. I’ll listen. Whatever the order. Whatever the call is going to be. I’m jumping. Cause let’s face it. There’s no way I win this tournament without your help.”

“Finally, you say something I can whole heartedly agree with,” Felix got up and walked to his side and pulled him up to his feet. “Even after all this you’re still wearing the weights.”

“Well I figured that you telling me to take them off was a one-time only thing, right?”

Felix made a sound brushing his hands across his face, “You’re insane you know, that right?”

“I gotta be insane to be a fate less trying to defy fate and be something right?”

“The next Hero of Roxa right?”

Alec pumped his fists in the air, “The next Hero of Roxa!”

Stepping forward they finally hugged each other tightly. They held on long and Alec closed his eyes tightly as he squeezed him. “Thanks Felix.”

“Always Alec.”