“ENCORE!!”
They always called for encores when Loco fought. It was some thing to watch, the way he let his opponents tire themselves out, blocking and evading their attacks and then, in one unexpected moment, start raining attacks of his own. But most of all, they loved it that he seemed to be always smiling and laughing, even when taking hits. It was like the more he fought, the happier he was.
Loco smiled and grabbed a spectator’s handkerchief, wiping the sweat off his face and throwing it back. The man didn’t seem to mind.
“Bring it on!” Loco roared and the cheering intensified. His seventh opponent of the evening stepped into the ring.
The two men circled each other, eyes locked. His opponent, an immensely built man nicknamed Feather, moved first.
The punch would have made a small hole in a concrete wall. It missed Loco’s face by centimeters, who quickly stepped farther back. Feather came forward and threw another punch, which Loco again evaded and danced away.
Loco was getting bored already. But he knew that people paid a lot of money so they could watch these fights, and wasn’t about to end this one so quickly. He began stealing quick glances around the basement, which was only one of the several venues of the fights.
Sensing a drop in the decibel levels, Loco threw a look at the entrance while dodging a kick to the ribs. What he saw almost made him forget to duck as Feather aimed his next blow.
Twirling out of harm’s way at the last minute, he ran his eyes over a grinning Leone, a bemused Bellona and a shocked Celine.
He fell to the ground to avoid Feather’s swinging fists, then started rolling away as the bigger man tried stamping on his face. As he reached the end of the ring with nowhere to escape, Loco quickly threw both hands forward, palms out and caught the coming foot in his hands. The impact sent waves of pain through his arms, which he ignored and twisted, felling the tree-like man to the ground. Loco was on his feet and hopping before Feather could pick himself up.
Risking another glance at the three new entrants, he deduced what must have happened. Leone, in his enthusiasm to surprise Bellona and Celine, must have offered to take them to a place they had never seen before. He knew it would surprise them to see Loco fighting there, and that it would surprise Loco to see Celine and Bellona. Surprises all around.
As Feather came at Loco with more caution this time, Loco wondered how Leone would react if he had any idea what he had really done.
If only you’d known, buddy, he thought.
As Feather’s fist shot toward him, he stopped hopping and took it fully in the chest. Sound started dropping in the basement as Loco stumbled backward but regained his footing before he could fall. Even Feather was surprised.
A film seemed to fall over Loco’s eyes, and his mind went into flashback.
He was mustering the courage to talk to her the first time when Feather landed another punch in the chest.
He was trying to break her cool, distant demeanor when Feather followed up with a third punch, this time to the stomach, making him bend over.
He was smarting after being told off by her, his attempts at friendly flirting having been rebuffed when Feather grabbed him by the hair and straightened him.
He was finally detecting some warmth in her behaviour when Feather drove his fist into his face. Loco hadn’t tasted his own blood for quite some time now.
He was garnering hope from her warmth, trying to steel himself to ask if she would like to go out with him sometime when Feather drove his knee into Loco’s abdomen. This time, he let Loco fall to the ground.
He was learning from her friends that she was committed to someone else as Feather kicked him in the ribs.
He was discussing her boyfriend with her when Feather grabbed his throat and pulled him to his feet.
“It’s knock-out time,” Feather gasped.
“Gladly,” Loco responded. His hand shot out, palm open and outwards, and the heel of his palm crushed Feather’s nose. The hand quickly folded, and the elbow crashed sideways into Feather’s jaw, breaking it. The other hand followed, the closed fist ramming into the side of Feather’s turned head.
Feather dropped to the ground with a thud that resounded across the silent basement. Loco spat blood from his mouth.
Then he smiled a bloody smile and walked out of the ring before they could call for an encore.
