Odessa’s POV
I followed the route I used the first day I came here and went into the underground arena.
As usual it was packed and noisy, today seemed to be so important since there was this much crowd.
I went to the secret seat I found the first day I was here and when I looked into the ring it was like my heart stopped beating in my chest.
I stood rooted to the spot, my fingers gripping the metal railing so tightly they hurt.
The cheers around me sounded distant and muffled.
All I could see was the cage and Rune.
His black hoodie was soaked in blood, clinging to his body.
A deep cut above his eyebrow continued to bleed, running down the side of his face and dripping onto the canvas beneath him.
He was bloodied and beaten up.
How was he still standing?
The two men facing him looked just as exhausted, but unlike Rune they had each other and he was alone.
The crowd around me roared.
“Finish him!”
“Take him down!”
“He’s slowing down!”
I looked around in disbelief.
Why were they cheering?
Didn’t they realize he was getting hurt?
The giant of the two charged first.
Rune barely managed to duck.
The second fighter came from the side at the exact same moment.
A fist slammed into Rune’s ribs and he stumbled.
“No” I whispered.
Another punch hit his jaw and his head snapped sideways.
My heart lurched painfully.
He wasn’t blocking the attacks anymore.
The two men attacked one after another, giving him no chance to recover.
Someone beside me laughed.
“He’s done for this time, three against one, he should just Tap out.”
“No,” another man replied confidently.
“Watch him.”
I couldn’t.
Every punch they landed felt like it was hitting me instead.
The larger fighter grabbed Rune by the shoulder and drove his knee into his stomach.
Rune doubled over then another blow struck the back of his neck.
He dropped onto one knee.
The entire arena exploded with excitement.
“GET UP!”
“COME ON, RUNE!”
“IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?”
The referee stepped closer, watching carefully.
My breathing became uneven.
Get up… Please… Get up.
Rune stayed motionless for a second.
Then he laughed, the maniac actually laughed.
The sound was low and rough, but I heard it.
The giant frowned.
“You’ve finally lost your mind.”
Rune slowly wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his glove.
“Are you finished?”
The man’s face twisted with rage.
He swung wildly and Rune moved so fast I almost missed it.
He slipped underneath the punch and his fist drove into the man’s ribs repeatedly.
The giant staggered backwards and before he could recover.
Rune spun and drove his elbow into the side of his head.
The man crashed to the canvas.
The crowd erupted.
“ONE LEFT!”
I stared at him in shock, He actually did it but there was still one more.
The last fighter looked at his unconscious teammate before turning back to Rune.
His confidence had disappeared.
Rune stood in the center of the cage, breathing heavily.
Blood dripped steadily from his fingertips.
His chest rose and fell with each painful breath.
Even from where I stood I could see him swaying.
He was exhausted and looked like he was half conscious.
The last fighter circled him cautiously.
Then he attacked.
A flurry of punches came one after another.
Rune blocked the first and the second.
The third slipped through and split his lip even further.
I flinched and the fighter followed with a kick.
Rune caught his leg and then Rune yanked him forward.
The man stumbled and Rune’s forehead slammed into his nose.
A sickening crack echoed through the arena.
The man cried out but Rune didn’t stop, he gave him a sharp hook and an uppercut with a high knee to the stomach.
The fighter collapsed onto both knees, the entire arena was on its feet now cheering, it felt like I was slowly going deaf.
“FINISH HIM!”
“RUNE!”
“RUNE!”
“RUNE!”
The chanting echoed off the walls.
Rune looked down at the man and then Rune threw one final punch.
It landed cleanly.
The fighter hit the floor without making another sound.
Silence.
For one heartbeat the arena fell completely still.
The referee rushed forward, checked the unconscious fighter, then grabbed Rune’s wrist and lifted it high into the air.
“WINNER!”
The crowd erupted into cheers and money rained into the cage.
People screamed and cheered, but i couldn’t.
I couldn’t even breathe.
Rune didn’t react.
He remained standing there with his head lowered.
Blood continued to drip from his chin onto the floor.
He looked tired.
The referee was saying something to him and a medic climbed into the cage.
Someone reached for his shoulder.
Rune didn’t move.
He looked as though he couldn’t even hear them anymore.
My chest tightened painfully.
Without thinking about it, I pushed past the people standing in front of me. This story is hosted at g.com.
“Excuse me!”
They barely moved.
“Move!”
Someone complained as I shoved them but I didn’t care.
I squeezed between them until I was standing right against the cage.
Rune still hadn’t looked up.
Tears blurred my vision.
Why was nobody helping him?
Why was everyone just watching?
Before I realized what I was doing I shouted with everything I had.
“RUNE!!”
The word echoed across the arena and Rune’s head lifted slowly.
Through the blood covering his face his eyes searched the crowd.
Then they found me and for a moment everything else disappeared.
His bloody eyes widened ever so slightly and he didn’t wait for the referee or the medic.
He didn’t even wait for the cage door to be fully opened, he shoved past them all and started running toward me.
He stopped right in front of me and for a second…
Neither of us spoke, up close, he looked even worse.
Blood ran down the side of his face from a cut above his eyebrow.
His lip was split, one side of his jaw was already beginning to bruise, and his knuckles were scraped raw.
His black shirt was torn in several places, stained with sweat and blood.
My chest tightened.
“Rune.”
He looked at me with tired eyes.
“What are you doing here?” He said
I stared at him in disbelief.
“That’s the first thing you’re going to ask me?”
“What are you doing here?” he repeated, sounding even colder.
“I came to find you.” I said
His jaw tightened.
“You shouldn’t have.”
Before I could answer, he grabbed my wrist.
“Come with me.”
“W-what?”
“I said come.”
He pulled me through the noisy crowd, everyone moved aside the moment they saw him.
Some congratulated him and others tried to stop him.
“Rune!
Great fight!”
“You need the medic!”
“Vincent wants to see you”
“Move.” He said
Everyone stepped aside and he didn’t slow down until we reached a narrow hallway behind the arena.
At the end was a door marked LOCKER ROOM.
He pushed it open.
The room was empty except for a long bench, a few metal lockers and a sink stained with old water.
The noise from the arena became distant once the door shut behind us.
Rune finally let go of my wrist.
“What now?” he asked.
I blinked.
“What do you mean, what now?”
“You found me.”
He shrugged weakly.
“You’ve seen enough.”
“You think I’m just going to leave?” I asked
“Yes you should.”
“No I’m not leaving.”
He sighed.
“You’re stubborn pinky.”
“I learned from the best.”
He scoffed.
“I doubt that.”
I looked around until I spotted a white first-aid box sitting on a shelf.
Without asking, I walked over and grabbed it.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
I placed it on the bench.
“Sit.”
“I’m fine.”
I stared at him.
He was swaying and blood was literally dripping onto the floor.
“You’re kidding.” I said
“I said I’m fine.”
“You can barely stand!”
“I’m standing.”
“Barely!”
He rolled his eyes.
“You’re just being dramatic.”
“And you’re bleeding!”
“So?”
“So?”
I almost laughed.
“No, explain something to me.
Is bleeding to death one of your hobbies?”
He looked completely unimpressed.
“You talk too much.”
“And you fight too much.”
He turned toward the door.
“I’m leaving.”
I stepped in front of him.
“No, you’re not.”
“Move aside.”
“No.”
“Odessa move.”
“No.”
He looked down at me.
“You’ve got five seconds.”
“I don’t care if you’ve got five hundred.”
For a long moment, neither of us moved.
Finally he let out a long, tired sigh.
“You’re such a nuisance.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
He walked past me and dropped heavily onto the wooden bench.
“Happy?”
“Not yet.”
I opened the first-aid kit.
“You’ll make me happy when you stop bleeding.”
I soaked a piece of cotton with antiseptic.
“Look at me.”
He didn’t.
“Rune.” I called him but he ignored me, with an irritated sigh, I stepped between his knees so he couldn’t avoid me.
His eyes slowly lifted to mine.
“Satisfied?” He said
“Not even close.”
I gently brushed the blood away from the cut on his eyebrow.
He was so handosme up close, I sighed.
Focus Odessa he’s literally bleeding out on you.
The moment the antiseptic touched the wound , he hissed in pain.
“Tch.”
“Oh, so you can feel pain.”
“I never said I couldn’t.”
“You fought three people without flinching or giving up”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“They were trying to knock me unconscious.”
“And I’m trying to stop you from getting an infection.”
“I preferred them and you’re not a nurse.”
I glared at him.
“You’re impossible to deal with and I am a nurse.”
He stared at me in amusement
“Really” he said
I laughed ” A Nurse in spirit” I said and he rolled his eyes
I cleaned the cut carefully before reaching for a bandage.
My fingers brushed his forehead.
His skin was surprisingly warm.
“You have a fever,” I murmured.
“No nurse Odessa i don’t.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
I placed the back of my hand against his neck.
He immediately grabbed my wrist.
“I said don’t touch me.”
His voice had changed and it wasn’t teasing anymore.
I slowly pulled my hand back.
“Fine.”
Silence filled the room and I reached for his hand instead.
His knuckles were split open, fresh blood stained the tape wrapped around them.
My stomach twisted.
“Does this happen every time?”
He didn’t answer.
I carefully began unwrapping the tape.
He suddenly snatched his hand away.
“I said stop.”
I frowned.
“They’re still bleeding.”
“I don’t care.”
“Well, I do.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
His words landed like a slap and I stared at him.
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t need your pity Odessa.”
“Pity?”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“What way?”
“Like I’m something broken.”
I slowly stood up “I’ve spent the last ten minutes trying to help you.”
“I never asked for your help.”
“No.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You just dragged me all the way in here for no reason?”
“I dragged you in here because you were standing in everyone’s way.”
I froze.
“What?”
“You wanted to see me and now you’ve seen me so now you can leave.”
The room became quiet and something inside my chest cracked.
“I was worried about you.”
“I didn’t ask you to worry.”
“I watched three grown men beat you half to death!”
“And I still won.”
“That’s not the point!”
“It is to me.”
He stood up slowly despite the obvious pain he was in.
His expression was unreadable.
“My life isn’t your responsibility, Pinky.”
I swallowed hard.
“I know that.”
“Then stop acting like it is.”
I looked down at the bandages still clutched in my hands and scoffed then I slammed the first-aid kit shut.
“I don’t think you know how pathetic you are.” I told him and i shoved the kit back onto the shelf with more force than necessary.
The douchebag can clean his wounds himself
“You know what?” I asked
He said nothing.
“The next time you decide to get yourself beaten up” I picked up his bloodstained hand wrap and dropped it onto his chest.
“Patch yourself up.”
I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.
“I won’t make that mistake of caring for you again.”
I turned on my heel and marched toward the door.
“Odessa.” He whispered
I stopped for the briefest second but I didn’t turn around.
The next moment, I pulled the door open and walked out, letting it slam shut behind me.
I refused to let him see the tears gathering in my eyes.