The crowd is going wild. The announcer is saying something and the flashbulbs are going off but you know what? I don't even fucking notice anything. There's absolutely nothing in the world that's breaking my focus.

Yeah, I was a mess at the bar. Downing whiskey like it was fucking water.

But since then, I've taken my body back into fighting shape. Lean. Mean. Ready to dole out punishment and destroy any opponent that is placed in front of me.

I'm glad I didn't fuck that slut from the bar. I'm surprised I even considered it for a moment. Although I tell myself that I didn't so much consider it as I thought about how much I would've wanted to fuck her back in the day.

Before Natalie.

Because today is it. Today is the culmination of everything that happened since the first time I met Natalie.

Today is going to be the day that we destroy and desecrate the past because of the present. Natalie and Logan have destroyed the memory of Sarah.

The woman I love and the person who would most likely be my best friend.

The entire country is watching. The entire world is betting on this fight. It's been a long fucking time coming and no one can stop us from destroying each other. We have been training. I know I have and I can sure as hell bet you that Logan has as well. There is no way he would miss the opportunity to take me out and grab the purse for himself.

I think that the only reason that he ever wanted to defeat me is the purse but I figure that the fringe benefit of finally defeating the one enemy he's had in his entire life has also gotta count for fucking something.

I don't fucking deny he's in love with Natalie and that's also probably an overriding concern of his. Why he does the shit that he does.

But he wants to play with fire if he's trying that shit with me. Trying to destroy Hunter is going to be like trying to push back a steamroller. Because once I fucking start, I don't ever stop.

The bets are enormous. They've overtaken the bookmaking business and given a new take on the entire industry. Logan and I are the toast of Las Vegas.

This fight is simulcast in several different languages across the globe.

I am as ready as I am ever going to be for this.

That's when the announcer says something and the crowd goes even more wild if possible. The level of noise and activity in the arena is deafening and I give myself a moment to let it wash over me.

From the edge of the arena I see the door open and that's when I know it's him. He's entered. He's coming.

Logan.

We are coming to the end of a struggle that we've waged against each other in silence for much of our adult lives.

It ends tonight.

I watch Logan as he stalks down the aisle, with his entourage. He's as ready as he'll ever be. I have no doubt that he's pushed himself as hard as me. Trying to go harder.

Sun Tzu has always said that the only way to defeat your enemy is to understand them. Well, I fucking understand what Logan is thinking right now. He sees me as the threat that he needs to take out. He sees me as the only thing standing in his path between happiness forever and a life of loneliness.

You put a man's back against the wall, and he'll do desperate things.

What Logan doesn't realize that I do is this.

You fuck with me, I'll die before I ever stop trying to defeat you.

He approaches the ring and I watch as his trainer gets him ready. He's got his gloves on and they make sure he's got everything. He nods several times to the questions they're asking him and finally he gets in the ring as the crowd cheers even louder. Everyone in here realizes the fucking historic nature of the shit that's about to go down. No one doubts for a moment that there won't be blood. If one of us dies tonight, it's for the best. Because I guarantee you there won't be much left to live for whoever loses.

The referee is saying something. The standard fucking boilerplate that ref's always say. Give me a clean fight. As many rounds as it takes. The rules.

I've memorized this shit by now.

Logan holds out his glove and I hold out mine and we make contact.

Fuck, why the fuck am I losing focus here?

Because that moment of contact, I wonder if we really need to even go through with this. Do we need to do this? We've been on a path of no return I thought, but there is actually still time to stop this.

Everything we ever had, and everything that we could ever rescue will be destroyed the moment the bell rings and we start swinging at each other.

Because in that moment, nothing in the world can ever make us stop until one of us is defeated.

Whoever wins will find it hollow because most likely the shadow of the vanquished will still cast a light over everything.

Whoever loses will realize that they've lost everything.

In the end, there will be no winners from tonight's fight. Just two losers.

Before we go down that path, we need to be absolutely sure. Because this is quite literally the few seconds before we push the button that launches the nuclear missiles.

I can tell that Logan is contemplating too. He's got that fucking look in his eye.

And that's when the bell rings.

For a moment, a long moment that would be fatal almost in any fight, we remain silent with our guard down as we stare at each other.

My eyes meet his and both of us seem to realize the implicit nature of what we're about to do. Without exchanging any words or even gestures, we realize we've fucking doomed ourselves.

Our guard goes up the next millisecond.

We back away and begin rolling back and forth on the balls of our feet.

It's time to fight.