Natalie
I can’t even look.
Each punch they land, I feel it deep inside my soul… And it’s been jab after jab, a flurry of punches right from the start. The moment the bell signaled the start of the fight, they ran into each other like sharks chasing after blood. Even though Logan’s trying to outmaneuver Hunter, this is probably one of the most vicious fights I’ve ever seen.
They aren’t fighting for a belt, money, or prestige; they’re fighting for honor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they fought to the death. And all this because of me. I had to go and uncover their secrets, putting them on a collision course. If only I hadn’t used that stupid recorder, none of this would be happening right now.
“Oh God,” I whisper to myself, watching as Hunter lands a powerful punch on Logan’s jaw. He takes two awkward steps back, but somehow manages to regain his balance and ducks Hunter’s next punch. He keeps on bobbing his head from side to side, avoiding punch after punch, but he won’t be able to keep up the pace for long. If he doesn’t start fighting back, Hunter’s going to crush him.
This is even worse than what I expected. I thought that watching Logan spar somehow helped me grow indifferent to all the violence, but Hunter is light years away from the men that sparred with Logan. He’s faster, stronger, and he’s fighting with purpose - sure, it might be a misguided purpose, but it’s still propelling him to move forward.
Around me, the crowd is roaring like a wild animal, chanting Logan and Hunter’s names as if we’re all in a battlefield, watching as two champions determine the fate of nations. By the time the bell rings, marking the end of the first round, I’m already covered in a cold sweat. My hair is plastered to my forehead, and I feel beads of sweat making their way down my spine.
“Are you okay?” Michelle asks me, looking at me with a worried expression on her face.
“I’m okay… I think,” I reply, my voice fraught with tension. Oh, I’m far from okay. I’m a mess right now, and we’ve just finished round one—three nerve-wracking minutes full of pain and tension. How the hell am I supposed to watch eleven more rounds of this?
“You don’t look okay,” she protests, the frown on her face deepening the creases on her forehead. “We don’t have to watch this, you know? We can wait for Logan backstage.”
“No.” Pursing my lips, I just shake my head. There’s no way I’m going to hide in my corner while Hunter and Logan fight. It hurts to have to sit here without being able to do anything about it, but I won’t put my tail behind my legs and run like a coward. I’ll stay here to the bitter end, whatever happens.
When the ring sounds again, they don’t even touch gloves. They just swing away, their arms moving so fast all I can see is a blur. It doesn’t even seem they’re trying to punch each other; it’s so much worse than that. Their hands are like spears, striking mercilessly. And to make matters worse, it doesn’t help that Logan is playing even more defensively than usual.
Knowing that Hunter has been misled, he doesn’t want to hurt him unnecessarily… But if he keeps just defending himself and throwing weak punches, soon enough Hunter is going to bounce his head off the canvas. Unlike Logan, Hunter doesn’t seem to be holding back; in fact, he seems to be putting everything he has into this fight. Ah, what am I saying; this isn’t a fight… this is war.
“Holy shit,” Michelle cries out, covering her mouth with one hand as Hunter throws a straight punch, one that breaks through Logan’s defense and crashes against his face. Completely horrified, I watch as Logan’s neck snaps back; for a moment, he looks completely disoriented and stumbles back against the ropes.
Hunter pushes forward, going straight for the kill and throwing punch after punch, connecting them with Logan’s body. There’s a kind of blind rage to the way he moves, his body glistening from the sweat running down his body.
Miraculously, Logan manages to regain his composure and sidesteps Hunter, throwing a heavy punch that connects with his nose. A splatter of blood flies from Hunter’s face and lands on the white canvas, the bright red contrasting with it.
“They’re going to kill each other,” I mumble, completely horrified. “I have to do something!” I cry out, looking at Michelle for support.
“There’s nothing we can do…” she whispers, her unblinking eyes focused on the carnage happening just a few feet away from us. Even though I’m looking at her now, I can still hear the heavy impact of the gloves against their bodies, each punch that lands on its target sending a shiver down my spine.
“There’s gotta be something,” I continue, balling my hands into fists and trying to hold back the tears. If I don’t stop this fight right now, I’m afraid of what might happen. Just look at Hunter; his eyes are glazed, and he’s fighting like a madman. He doesn’t care about titles, records, or anything; he just cares about crushing Logan. I doubt he’ll stop even if the referee tells him to.
Oh, they’re going to kill each other!
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes for a few seconds and try to remain calm. No, I’m not going to let this happen on my watch.
Whatever the cost, I’m going to stop this fight.
“Michelle… Do you know anyone in here?” I ask her, feeling more confident that I’ve felt in months.
“Like what? There are thousands of people in here,” she replies, her expression a bewildered one.
“In the press, I mean,” I insist, and she scratches her chin as she looks away from me.
“I know a few of the guys handling the live coverage, yeah… why?”
“I’ve gotta a favor to ask you.”