I need money. If I can't provide and help mom, she'll work herself to death.
The only memory I would have of her would be the few times she came home to eat a good meal and have a shower.
I'll do whatever it takes.
She was the only one who looked after me back then.
No matter what.
I will repay my debt.
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"Welcome Adonis!" There stood a man.
His body resembled the body of a Greek god.
With dark red hair tied up on the back of his head, and an eyepatch over his right eye.
He sat with his back leaning against the seat, with his arms wrapped around his head.
"H-hey, Michael." The words which were hesitant came from a boy named Adonis
He was a skinny kid, with a white shirt, ripped jeans and with dark hair.
Michael: Say, you want a quick and easy 200 bucks?
The man said.
Adonis: Yeah of course! W-what do I have to do to get it?
Michael: "It's simple, there's a guy at the kids park the block over, kick his ass or get your ass kicked it doesn't matter. All you gotta do is pick a fight and return here."
Adonis was extremely nervous, he had never gotten into a fight before.
However, he had to get as much money as possible so eventually he steadied his resolve and nodded his head.
Adonis: Just the park over, correct?
He had to make sure that he wasn't mistaken, picking a fight with a random person is something completely absurd after all.
However, money was perhaps the most important thing to him right now.
He marched outside of the restaurant seemingly with confidence, a mannerism completely unnatural to Adonis.
He had to pump himself up and become prepared.
He walked over to the park and saw a kid about his age sitting on a swing with a phone up to his ear.
He wore a large hoodie and wore a backwards hat.
Boy: Yeah mom i'll be home soon, ya want me to pick up dinner on the way back?
Adonis prepared himself and walked over to the boy.
Adonis just wanted to get a fight but with his logical brain shut off and fighting was all he had on his mind, Adonis grabbed the boy's phone and tossed it away.
The boy: Hey what the hell-
The boy's sentence was cut short because a right overhand punch was thrust into his face.
The boy fell onto his back and when he got up, he realized his nose was bleeding.
"Oh shit!" Adonis thought to himself, this was the first time he had ever thrown a punch at someone in his entire life.
Adonis felt horrible, he was starting to regret even stepping foot outside the restaurant.
But suddenly, a fist came flying at him as well.
Adonis stepped back, in a state of confusion and anger he started swinging back and in an instant the other boy started swinging back too.
It was a brawl, a brawl that in no way favored Adonis.
His skinny body simply could not match up to the other boy's body, which while not completely overshadowing Adonis, it certainly was bigger.
Punch after punch was getting to Adonis so he had to step back.
He assessed the damage done to him, and the damage done to the other boy.
The other boy's face was clearly hurt, but Adonis was far more injured.
Adonis was angry with how badly he was hurt despite the fact that he was the one who picked the fight.
Adonis tried out a different strategy this time.
He lunged at the boy's hips and somehow was able to push him back and eventually, he lifted him and slammed him into the steps that led to a slide with a great "BAM" noise.
But before the boy could recover Adonis began laying punch after punch into the boy's face and soon enough the boy was covering his face up to block the blows.
Soon enough Adonis punched until he couldn't no more.
He stood up and began to limp his way back to the restaurant until… Suddenly there was a sound, a sound that wasn't familiar to him.
Adonis, who had just been standing up, was suddenly on the ground.
"What the hell? Why am I facing down here?" Is the only thought that could appear in Adonis' mind before the pain set in.
The back of Adonis' head hurt like hell.
He tried standing up but then he felt the back of his head being pressed on, suddenly and forcefully.
Adonis turned his head around but before he could see what was there, his vision became dark and then after that it was clear.
He was being stomped on.
And man did it hurt.
Adonis forced himself up and within a few seconds he was already falling back once more.
The boy had gotten back up, and man, was he pissed.
If looks could kill, Adonis would have been thrown through a jet turbine.
The boy sprinted towards him with a punch lined up, but Adonis ducked and grabbed onto the boy's hip and shoulder.
And almost in vain, he was pressing his body against the boy, vaguely hoping to somehow win the fight.
Adonis's will was depleting, his desire to keep fighting vanished, he was on the verge of tears.
He picked a fight but without accepting responsibility for the consequences.
The boy was punching him and grabbing onto his shirt, ripping it.
Adonis just wanted to leave.
He let go of the boy and tried running but the boy's grip on his shirt was too great and Adonis couldn't escape.
Realizing it was too late to run, Adonis just started swinging. All of the cool fights in the shows he watched as a kid were nothing like reality. Blow after blow, they were being pushed.
Blood was on both of their hands and they both wanted the other to die.
The adrenaline got to them.
"Fuck it, just die."
Thoughts like these ran through both of their minds.
Eventually they ended up near the stair on the slide once more and so Adonis thought to use that against his opponent.
When he got the chance he put his leg behind the boys so that he couldn't step back, and grabbed onto the boy's waist, and made his hands up to his head.
With all of Adonis's might he pressed onto the boy's head and he slammed the boy's head onto one of the stairs.
Just like that, the fight was over.
The other boy was knocked out cold.
In the first few seconds of seeing his victory, he was absolutely relieved.
He had won. But then after a bit he came to the realization that the noises the boy was making after being knocked out, were by no means normal.
Adonis' expectation of the sounds of victory were cheers, or even silence.
However the sounds made by the boy seemed as though they were being made by someone on the brink of death.
Adonis's heart dropped into the bottom of his stomach.
Did he kill someone?
Was he a murderer?
No.
No.
NO… All he did was drop him, right?
If he dies from something like that, did he even deserve to live?
No, don't say something like that.
Adonis hated himself for thinking something like that.
Sure, Adonis wasn't a little kid, but he wasn't an adult either.
He couldn't go to jail for making one mistake right?
Maybe he has a superpower and it is regeneration?
No, he clearly doesn't.
It was getting too painful to think.
Adonis walked back, slowly. He killed a man, for a measly 200 dollars.
Too much was going on, up to this point the worst Adonis had to worry about was how to help his mom financially.
But this?
He was a murderer.
Tears sprouted from Adonis's eyes.
He wanted support.
He needed support.
With that, Adonis ran.
All the way back to the restaurant.
With a limp he walked back in with a torn shirt and blood on his knuckles and face.
He was getting dizzy, and everything was getting blurry.
He wanted to throw up, he wasn't sure if it was because of the beating he took, or because of the crime he was responsible for.
Maybe both.
The man, Michael, let Adonis support himself.
Michael: Hey, it's alright. He isn't dead.
Adonis was confused.
Adonis: B-but you weren't there?
Michael: Don't worry, he isn't dead. Maybe a concussion but you won't be going to jail anytime soon. I will make sure of that. Besides, you won didn't you? Here, You earned it.
Michael slipped two 100 dollar bills into his hand, but with that, came a shock to Adonis's hand.
Adonis: AH- oh… thank you.
He took the 200 dollars and put it into his wallet.
Michael: Head home and get some rest. You deserve it.
Michael said with a gentle smile.
Adonis was absolutely captivated by it.
Adonis's father left before he was born.
Up until a few weeks ago he only had his mother, whom he saw very rarely due to work.
Seeing a true man, smiling at him and congratulating him brought a tear to his eye.
His word was practically law.
Adonis smiled too, and walked home, trying not to attract too much attention.
Well, as little attention you can attract with a torn shirt and blood on your face.
He walked into his home and sat down on the couch.
He thought about the day, then about what would be for dinner, and eventually when the next time he could see his mother was.
He was sleepy, but he needed dinner.
He made a frozen pizza, had his dinner and went to bed, hoping he wouldn't go to jail.
What a day.