"Screw you! I deserved it!"
Kiran was wriggling like a worm trying to escape Hawk's grasp. His teeth clenched, eyes desperate. He attempts to retaliate by sending a barrage of punches, only for none of them to connect.
"I needed it just as much you good for nothing bastard child!"
Hawk slams Kiran onto the ground before getting on top of him, pummeling him down. The metallic smell of blood slowly filled the air with each attack.
The other prisoners watched in silence, too afraid to intervene, too stunned to even do anything. Some probably had a craven desire to bolt out of here.
The prisoner next to me broke his silence with a sigh.
"I'll go handle it—"
Before he could do as much as lift a finger, I press down on his shoulder, prompting him to take a glance over his shoulder. No words were uttered. I only gave him a look. What kind? Even I myself don't know.
I walk towards Kiran's direction, eyes dead set on the man pummeling him down, Hawk. I grit my teeth, forming a fist with both of my hands.
The only noises that echoes in the dining hall were my footsteps, the sound of flesh being hit and the gossiping whispers of the bystanders.
Now right behind Hawk, my shadow loomed over him.
Hawk, upon noticing this, turned to his back. For a moment there, I caught a glimpse of his eyes widening. My knuckles dig into his face, sending him flying away and crashing into a few chairs.
However, nothing can be too simple. Hawk quickly recovers, wiping the blood dripping from his lips. Realization had finally hit me, he was no weakling.
Hawk's face turned a fiery red. His eyes are now like that of a bloodthirsty predator and a vein visibly throbbed in his neck.
My breath hitched. I could feel my knuckles aching. My hands and legs trembled uncontrollably. My heart drummed. But despite that, I took a typical fighting stance, prepared for what's to come.
Hawk blitzes in. Sending a flurry of punches flying at me. One! Two! Three!
I narrowly dodge the first two hits, only for the third to graze me on the cheek.
In my attempt to strike back, a punch from Hawk slips through and connects to my jaw, sending me into a daze. Hawk immediately follows up with a devastating body blow.
My back hunched, an overwhelming sense of breathlessness immediately followed suit.
I couldn't help but barf out the little food I had chowed down before.
Hawk lifts my upper body up. Another body blow connects.
"Khuak!"
My legs give up and I fall face first onto the floor.
Immediately after, Hawk spits on the floor next to me before yelling out.
"You unfair piece of shit storyline!"
He takes a few more heavy breaths. Gaze hovering towards Kiran, still lying on the floor. A reminder for him to get back to business. He sluggishly makes his way to Kiran when suddenly...
"What?..."
Hawk stops abruptly in his tracks. He looks down only to see a hand, wrapped around his heel.
Again, nothing can be too simple.
I pull his heel, causing him to go off balance and tumble.
My legs shook as I attempt to get up. They were simply refusing to listen. In the end I pulled through, now trying to stomp on Hawk.
He rolls on his back, blocking my attack. My eyes widened. He pushes me back.
Once again, Hawk recovers—as quick as before. It's almost as if he has an endless amount of stamina.
"That's absurd..."
I launch a right hook, aiming for his jaw.
Hawk counters, sending a jab to my face. I was staggering but I snap, charging forward and sending a headbutt to his abdomen.
"Thuak!"
He was sent back a few meters away, onto a table. Slumped on the table, he lets out a series of coughs. Hawk's eyes widen, catching a glimpse of the scattered food trays along with a few utensils on the table he's on.
I recover, choosing to stand my ground rather than charging back in.
We lock eyes, a moment of peace filling the dining hall.
Hawk makes the first move, throwing a food tray at me.
My arm moves from reflex, swiping the food tray away before tracing back to where Hawk was but he's no longer there. I instinctively look down. There he was, fork in hand, trying to stab me.
"What the—Hawk!? What kind of speed is this!?"
I snap, sending a knee straight to his face.
He was sent flying yet again. My breath became heavy. I assume the same fighting stance from before, choosing to stay that way for a few seconds. Hawk stayed down. I didn't even realize I had held in my breath in anticipation.
My shoulders loosened and a loud, long sigh of relief escaped my lips.
"Hey! What are you doing!?"
A voice yelled out from the far back.
The owner of this voice walked forth, jostling with the other prisoners on the way to the scene. The man adjusted his hat and his deep black locks cascaded down onto his shoulders.
"Officer he was harming a kid!"
"Zip your mouth! You two will be punished accordingly. This is a prison, not a fighting ring!"
"Officer are you serious!?"
"Misbehave and you get the punishment."
The officer reaches into his pocket, pulling out a chain of sorts, caressing it slowly. The air around him felt different, the chains emitted a black, shadowy aura.
I take one slow step back.
"Cuff."
The chains fly towards me with lightning speed, pulling my arms back and wrapping my lip shut.
"Magic!?"
I try to slip myself out but each time I do, the chains wrap around me even tighter. Like an anaconda catching hold of its prey.
The officer cracks both his knuckles and neck. His face showed no sign of disappointment. Rather, he seems unmoved by the situation.
He walks over to the knocked out Hawk and raises his hand, gesturing for someone to come over.
It wasn't long before a few people in white came. I assume that they are the Under Grove's paramedics of sorts.
Then, the officer gestures towards Kiran who, fortunately is still conscious, slumped on a chair nearby.
The prisoner from before approaches me, food tray in hand.
"I haven't introduced myself, Jean. My name is Jyles Hermin. Pleased to meet you. "
***
A set of clothes the prison tailors gave me felt cool and soft. The fabric itself feels high quality. To my surprise, they said it's a cheap fabric. Not complaining though, it feels luxurious.
By now moonlight was peeking through the barred windows of our prison block's hallway. The other prisoners near me were already knocked out, sleeping comfortably on their bed.
Kiran, Hawk and I were the last prisoners to be to be escorted back to their cell since they had to patch us up at the medical aid room.
I cup my hands together to collect water from the sink, using it to wash away the lingering tang of iron on my lips.
"Bleugh..."
[I'm clocking out. ]
With a yawn, I give her a gentle "Good night."
bzzz bzzz bzzz
My eyelids feel heavy. Even the mere thought of trying to keep my eyes open is a challenge.
"Oh you're back."
I turn my head to the voice's direction. It was Jyles.
"You're not in dream land?"
"Insomnia. Developed it as I got older."
"That's unfortunate."
Prepared to sleep, I sit on the bedside before my back eventually met the soft bedsheets.
"Jean."
I let out a faint "Hmm?" In response.
"What you did back there was commendable. Your action has led me to believe that you might be someone I could trust."
"What? What do you mean by that?"
"Listen carefully. In your prison cell, I planted a trap. If you were to activate it, a number of small needles will pierce through your fingers. Each one of them is poisonous."
"What!?"
My heart dropped and I jump up from my bed with adrenaline pumping through my whole body. I could feel my whole face heating up from Jyles' sudden statement.
Scanning my surroundings, I looked out for anything that looked out of the ordinary—anything that could possibly be the trap.
"Why—what did I do!?"
I hear a faint snort coming from Jyles' direction.
"Alright, that's enough for me to trust you."
My body was still frozen. How do I know if he's only saying that for the sake of calming me down just enough for me to get comfortable in my cell and eventually, set off the trap!?
"You're over complicating this in your head aren't you?"—another snort escapes h Look, it was a test. Rest easy, us prisoners are unable to access each other's cell."
"Then why test me!?"
"Lower your voice. You will wake the others up."
I whisper
"Then why test me?"
"I wanted to see if you were someone they sent to blend in and spy on us."