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05 | The Underground: part two

My uncle took me with him to his home in France. That's where I met Dean, my cousin—the bane of my existence.

After a month of struggling in silence, I finally caved. I told Jake what had been slowly killing me for years: my brother was alive, and my mother had been killed.

He made me a promise that day: he would find the bastard responsible for my mother's death and help me search for my brother. And in the process, he'd train me, forge me into something unrecognizable—something indestructible, a weapon.

And now, I was back. Back to the place where I grew up. The place I swore I'd never return to.

I was done running.

I snap back from my thoughts as my vision started to clear.

I could see the crowd full of people.

Some were applauding and whistling, excited about the fight, while the ones closer to the cage, looked like they were trying to climb the damn thing.

The adrenaline rushing through me made it seem as if I was living an out-of-body experience.

Like I wasn't really here.

But I knew better.

I knew where I was and what I had just done.

Fighting is all I've ever known. What's kept me alive for so long. 

Growing up, I hated it. Hated the violence.

I was a geek and into comic books shit, until I realized no superhero was gonna come and save me. I only had myself and my brother.

And then...there was only me.

Living on the streets taught me one harsh truth: circumstances like that don't allow you to be soft. To show mercy or kindness. You weren't gonna get it from others, so why would you give it?

So I learned how to fight. To protect myself. To survive. I never gave up, no matter how many times I was kicked to the ground. 

I pulled myself back up and forged myself into the man I am today.

It feels like a lifetime ago.

That is why I quite like the name my cousin chose for me.

The Predator.

Because I was no one's prey. I was the hunter. I taught myself how to read people. Anticipate their thoughts, their moves. How to be patient. Attentive to everything and strike before they could even realize what was happening.

From a scared little kid, I became untouchable.

I was cold. Calculated. Focused. Ruthless.

I didn't let anything or anyone distract me.

I had no friends and no need for them, except for my cousin, Dean. And sometimes Chris. But with Dean was different. I couldn't exactly get rid of him. Even if most of the time I wanted to.

He was family. And I didn't have much of that. So I took what I could get. And even though sometimes I wished I could gag him, which he would enjoy and make sure I wouldn't hear the end of it till I was dead and buried, I would do anything for that psycho.