Hello there everyone, how's it going?  Well then, here is a new story that I'm writing, and I hope that you all enjoy it!  The story was inspired and recommended to me by my Dearly Beloved girlfriend Inori! I hope that you all enjoy this new story, and I hope you follow it and comment on it!  Oh, and by the way, I may not be able to post that often since my internet will be disconnected soon. (My internet wasn't working these weeks so I was on my IPad, but for now I'll try to post as many chapters as I can.)  Enjoy the story everyone!

 

Prologue: One Goal

 

Muffled cheering can be heard from the locker rooms.  Cheers of fans waiting for their hero to emerge and face his next opponent.  He’s been the talk of the city for months now, claiming that he’s one of the most incredible underdogs in boxing.  He’s one of the only rookies in the sport who’s managed to keep an undefeated winning streak, and critics and sports professionals alike have been dazzled by his abilities.  And now, as the crowd pleads for him, he’s ready to face his next opponent.  And so, the young boxer makes his way to the ring, and as he walks down, the lights of the stadium blind him, but after he’s able to adjust his vision, he sees the legions of fans, screaming his name. He smirks and waves to the crowd and strikes a battle pose, and then he heads towards the ring, ready for a fight.

 

And so, with the match about to begin, commentators Nick Brandon and George Smith aim to excite the crowd before the big fight.  Nick looks at George reassuringly, and George starts off the hype: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our exclusive live boxing match of Markus Dominic versus Lance Storm!”  This is a battle that everyone has been waiting for, a match some say, that’s once in a lifetime, isn’t that right Nick?”  Nick smiles and waves his arm excitedly at the crowd and says: “That’s right George, and who would have thought that the rookie Markus Dominic would rise above the ranks and face off against one of the industry giants?”  George nods in agreement and fixes his tie.  “How right you are Nick, it’s a surprising fact to us all.  He came out of nowhere just eight months ago, and just look at him now, with his legions of fans and his skills to back him up.  He’s unstoppable!”

 

They both nod in agreement, and the fans roar of excitement.  “Well, it seems that the crowd is hyped for this match, don’t you think so Nick?”  Nick nods and looks excited himself.  “That’s correct George! And now, ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the match!”  As they continue discussing the latest news in sports events, Markus looks eagerly at his opponent Lance, and Markus’ coach, Mr. Craig, looks at him with a concerned look on his face.  Markus then looks at Mr. Craig, and his smirk fades into a frown.  “Hey, why the long face?” he asks.  Mr. Craig sighs and says: “Look Markus, we both know how talented you are, but Lance is a tough customer, and trust me when I say that it’s bad for you to fight him!”  Markus rolls his eyes and says: “Stop being so overprotective, your worse than my parents. Look, I know the risks that came along with this, but I’m prepared for whatever happens.  You just worry about keeping me up to speed and stitching me up when I get down, okay?”  Mr. Craig nods reluctantly, and Markus’ smirk comes back to his face, and he turns around to face the crowd and wave at them and get them even more excited for the match.  Mr. Craig then thinks to himself: “That boy.  I fear that one day he’s going to get beat down hard, and he may not get back up.  Why is it that those in youth must be so reckless?”  He then goes to the side of the ring and looks onward to the fighters.

 

Markus heads over to Lance, and he nods at him and then the referee makes his way to the ring, and he starts going over the rules.  Markus just ignores him. “Yeah, yeah, we get it already.  You don’t have to constantly be mentioning the rules you know…”

 

Then, when the referee finishes, he rings the bell, and the match begins.  Lance looks at Markus with no show of concern or intimidation in his face.  “Well kid, you made good to get this far, but every rookie must have his first loss.”  Markus laughs and says: “Ha, you wish!”  And then the match begins, and Markus quickly performs a jab to Lance’s jaw, then followed by an uppercut and then he strikes his ribs.  Nick and George marvel at his abilities.  “Unbelievable!  He’s one fast fighter, I mean, the match just started and he’s already taking care of Lance!  Just incredible!  Can you believe this Nick?”  Nick follows up while cheering on for Markus.  “I know how you feel George!  It’s hard to believe that a rookie could have such skill!”  The crowd goes wild as Markus keeps dishing out punishing blows to Lance.  Markus concentrates fully on his opponent, and he immerses himself in the match, drawing out all noise and distraction and only focusing on his target.  And with just the right timing, Markus delivers a fatal jab to Lance’s jaw and he smirks, as he sees Lance’s body falling to the mat.

 

The crowd stands up in anticipation, and Nick and George are awe struck.  Then the referee starts the count.  Markus smirks and lays back on the ropes, relaxing as everyone is cheering his name.  “This is incredible George, just five minutes into the match and he already decimated Lance!”, Nick says in bewildered amazement.  When the referee reaches the count of ten, he declares that the match is over and that Markus is the winner.  Everyone roars of approval as the referee raises his arm.  Nick and George stand up and clap their hands, and they have quite the smiles on their faces.  “Wow Nick, that was quite the spectacular show!  That was truly amazing!”  Nick smiles and pats George’s shoulder and replies: “We only see these kinds of things every once in a lifetime.  This kid’s going to the hall of fame for sure!  He’s elevated his winning streak to 18-0!  Just incredible!”  Markus smirks and makes his way out of the ring and towards the locker room, along with Mr. Craig.

 

“What did I tell you Craig?  I told you I would own that chump.” Markus says with a smirk on his face.  Mr. Craig smiles and shakes his head. “Boy, you have some unnatural luck, you keep coming out of these matches like if they were nothing but rag dolls.” Markus laughs and says: “It’s not luck Craig, it’s skill, and besides, I learned it all from the best coach around.”  Mr. Craig smiles and nods in agreement and then he fetches his keys.  “Okay sunshine, I’m going to rev up the truck, so pack up and let’s go home.  Oh, and by the way, someone’s expecting you.” Mr. Craig says.  Markus raises an eyebrow, but before he can ask, he hears a familiar voice: “Oh come on now Markus, did you already forget me?”  And out of the hallway comes a beautiful woman with green eyes and curly hazel hair perfectly flowing to her shoulders, with quite the features and attractive face.  Markus smiles and says: “I’d never forget you, sweetheart.  Come here.”  They smile and kiss each other, just the kind of kiss you’d see in romantic movies.  The woman smiles and says: “You won again.”

----------------------------

 

A man’s goal becomes his obsession.  As he gains more fame, his values disappear.  Will he awaken before it’s too late?  Or will reality crumble before his very eyes?  Stay tuned for Chapter One: “The Next Step.”

 

Chapter Ten: A Summer Day

 

   The next day, Markus is hard at work tidying up everything in his home.  He smiles as he works, knowing that he has a daughter to take care of.  He frequently thinks of Mr. Craig and Keera, and he lets those thoughts give him strength throughout most of the morning.  As he cleans the bookshelves, he finds an old book, one he had thought was lost forever.  He smiles and looks through the pages: a scrapbook of his childhood memories with Mr. Craig and Keera.  He smiles as he goes through the pages, remembering the good times, and then, after looking through the photos, he cleans the cover and back cover of the scrapbook, making sure to clear off all the dust, and he places the scrapbook carefully back to the bookshelf.

 

   As he continues to clean the house and tidy things up, he keeps uncovering things and trinkets from his childhood and teenage years, and he smiles every time he finds such mementos.  Then he sees a photo of himself with Keera.  The photo was taken during their one year anniversary as a couple.  He smiles and reminisces the moment.

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7uohBpxDbQ

   It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and it was the last day of the summer fair.  Keera was holding Markus’ hand as they went through the crowd, and she was eager to show Markus something which she clearly wanted.  Markus simply smiled and followed her.  As soon as they reach a throwing dart game, she points towards a giant teddy bear hanging near the cashier’s reception table.  The old man smiled and offered Markus a chance to play for the prize.  Markus smiled and threw the first dart, and it didn’t land on the target. He then shot the second, and nothing happened either.  Once he threw the third, it hit the target, and Markus won the prize for her.  She smiled and hugged him, and they went to the docks, and they gazed towards the beautiful sunset.

 

   Then, Keera looked at Markus, and he looked at her and kept her gaze, and she smiled and hugged her teddy bear.  “Markus, I want you to promise me something.”  Markus nodded, holding her hand.  “Sure sweetie, anything you want.  What is it?”  She smiles and looks towards the sunset, and she holds the teddy bear tightly to her, as if she let go of it, she would lose something vital.  “Markus…whatever happens in our lives, whatever happens, don’t ever change.  Always be how you are now.  Kind and hardworking, dedicated to those you love.”  Markus smiled and touched her face and kissed her gently.  “I promise that no matter what happens, I’ll always be me.  You can count on that.”  They both smiled and looked onwards to the sunset.

 

   After the fair closed, they walked towards Keera’s home, and they laughed and talked and enjoyed the early night scenery.  When they arrived to her house, Angelica greeted them warmly and offered Markus to stay for a while and eat dinner and have some coffee.  He shyly accepted and went inside, and they all enjoyed a wonderful time together.  And before going to sleep, Keera went to Markus and kissed him sweetly and appreciatively, and then she ran upstairs with her teddy bear.  Markus smiled and he said goodbye to Angelica, and as he went outside the house, he jumped of joy and raised his fist in the air, happy and in love.

(End Song Here.)

 

   Markus smiles as he cherishes that memory, and so continues cleaning the house, eager to welcome Michaela to it.  “Just think of all the things she and I can do!  We can play together, we can have so much fun, and we can watch your favorite shows!” Markus happily says to himself, and then he looks out the window and sees the beautiful summer afternoon, looking up at the sky and smiling, a smile of hope and reassurance, a smile that indicates things will turn out for the best from now on.  With that, he goes here and there in the house, cleaning up as he goes.

…

 

   Meanwhile, down by the city, the crowd is bustling with activity, as summer sales for the stores and other places are in full steam.  Denzel walks through the crowd, unimpressed by the discounts and laughing at the people going way over their head over just two or three dollars less that they spend.  He goes towards a nearby Burger King and orders a Whopper Jr. and some Chicken Tenders, and after waiting for his order, he sits down and helps himself to his lunch.  Just as he’s enjoying himself, he sees one of the boss’s lackeys running towards him.  A new recruit from the looks of it, and not very discreet or subtle.

 

   The young man heads inside, panting and catching his breath, and everyone inside looks at him, puzzled, but then they pay it no mind and continue on with their meals.  Before the young man says anything, Denzel simply raises his hand and urges him to sit.  “There had better be a good reason that your interrupting my meal.  I know that you’re a new recruit, but my God, couldn’t you be a bit more subtle?”  The young man relaxes and says: “Sorry about that.  It’s just that it’s urgent, and I had to come as quickly as I could.”  Denzel examines the young man. “Well, out with it, what’s so important that your preventing me from taking a bite out of my Whopper Jr.?”

 

   The young man shows his some photos of a man, and then he immediately recognizes the man and then he examines the photos closely, and then he confirms that it is indeed the man he had recognized.  “So you’re telling me that Markus is alive?  I thought he’d never wake up from that coma.”  The young man nods and says: “Well, that’s just it, it must have been some sort of miracle!  But he doesn’t seem to keen on going back to boxing.”

 

   Denzel then sighs and raises his hand so he can finish eating his lunch and then he looks at the young man.  “So, you’re telling me that the boss wants me to tail him, even if he’s not going back to boxing?  He wants me to spy on him, just out of apparent curiosity?”  The young man nods, speechless and impressed with Denzel’s assessment of the situation. Denzel nods.  “I see.  Well, tell the boss that next time, he should send someone with a little more mystery.  I mean seriously, I would have preferred that.  But thanks for the info nonetheless.”  The young man quickly stutters and he prevents Denzel from exiting.  “Wait, please! C-can I be your apprentice?”  Denzel raises his eyebrow.  “Are you serious?”  The young man nods.  “You’re the boss’s top man, and I want to learn everything there is to learn of this business!”  Denzel examines the man anew.  “Kid, your too young for this…you should go to college and study for something that’ll give you a good future.  Don’t be a fish in an ocean filled with sharks.”  The young man stays silent.  Denzel then sighs.  “All right, come with me.”  

 

   They go out of Burger King and head towards the commercial district of the city, and the young man looks around in awe, while Denzel simply walks by.  The young man pats Denzel’s shoulder.  “Wow, this city is amazing!”  Denzel looks back at him.  “You mean to say this is your first time here?”  The young man nods.  “Yes.  How did you know?”  Denzel smiles.  “Oh, it’s just a lucky guess.  By the way, what’s your name?”  The young man clears his throat.  “Oh yes, my name’s Joshua.  Joshua Robinson.”  Denzel shakes Joshua’s hand.  “Okay, nice to meet you Joshua, now come on, let’s keep going.”

 

   Joshua then runs, trying to keep up with Denzel.  To point it out, Denzel is a pretty fast walker, and he can disorient people quite easily.  Joshua catches his breath and then he goes to Denzel’s side.  “So, where are we headed?”  Denzel looks around, trying to find a certain store.  “Well, before I get to the spying on Markus business, there’s something important I have to take care of.  Something of top priority.”  Joshua looks at Denzel curiously.  “And what would that be?”

 

   “Oh, you’ll see.” Denzel says.  “Ah, here we go, found the place.”  They go towards a Zale’s Jewelry Store, and Joshua looks puzzled.  “Oh I get it, there’s some secret underground base where you meet up with your friends, is that right?”  Denzel looks at Joshua and then laughs.  “Ha, are you serious?  We’re criminals Joshua, but we’re not super secret agents.  Good God, you watch too much movies.”  Joshua then crosses his arms.  “Then what are we doing in a jewelry store?  Denzel ignores him and goes inside, and then after a few minutes he comes outside and shows Joshua a silver ring embedded with diamonds.  “What a beauty, don’t you think?”  Joshua then smiles.  “Ah, I get it.  Your buying a ring for your girlfriend!”  Denzel nods.  “And bingo was his name-o.  Now come on, I have to take this to my girl before we start our Markus business.”  With that, they disappear into the crowd.

-----------------------

Now, Denzel is aware of Markus’ welfare, and now Markus’ life may be in danger.  What events will transpire, and what will be in store for Markus, and the new future he intends to make?  Stay tuned for Chapter Eleven: “Going To The Beach.”

Okay, here's the next chapter!  Enjoy!

 

Chapter Eleven: Going To The Beach

 

   The sun rises slowly as a new day begins.  Markus, who had stayed up all night cleaning the house, lay sleeping on the couch, comfortably nestled in sleep’s comforting embrace.  The sun rises and the first beams of sunlight pierce through the living room window, and after a few minutes, Markus opens his eyes slowly, rubbing them and slowly sitting up.  “Hmm, today’s Tuesday isn’t it?” he says to himself.  He smiles and he takes a shower then eats breakfast and then heads straight to Angelica’s house.

 

   Upon arriving, he knocks on the door and waits patiently for Angelica to open it, and when he knocks on the door again, he surprisingly finds that Michaela is the one who speaks.  “Who is it?”  Markus smiles: “It’s me, your daddy.”  Then he hears her giggle of excitement and she opens the door and then runs to Markus and hugs him tight, and he returns the embrace.  “You know, that’s a very smart thing you did, asking who it was before opening the door.  Did grandma teach you that?”  Michaela nods cheerfully, and then she looks at him curiously.  “Were you looking for grandma?” Markus nods.  “No, actually, I came looking for you, but I do need your grandma for a moment, so can you tell her to come down please?”  Michaela nods and quickly heads upstairs, and Markus smiles, thinking of how energetic and cheerful she is.

 

   After a few minutes, Angelica comes down the stairs, half asleep.  She yawns and stretches her arms wide and then she smiles.  “Why good morning Markus, what can I do for you?”  Markus smiles and looks at Michaela then back to Angelica.  “Good morning Angelica.  I’m sorry for waking you up so early in the morning, but I wanted to ask if I could take Michaela with me to the beach today, if it’s not a problem.”  Angelica nods.  “Of course you can take her. Wait right here while I get her toys and some sun screen for you both.”  Markus nods and sits on a bench on the porch.

 

   Markus then notices that Michaela is just standing there, looking at Markus like if he was some rare exhibit in a museum.  He smiles and pats her head gently.  “Aren’t you going to help grandma look for your toys?”  Michaela nods.  “No, it’s all right.  Grandma knows how to find my toys all by herself.”  Markus smiles.  “Your quite the smart little girl aren’t you?”  Michaela nods in a proud way, boasting her self confidence.  “Just like me when I was a kid.” Markus says to himself as he looks at Michaela.  Then she goes over to him and sits by his side and then she puts his hand behind his head and gives him a tiny daisy.  “There you go daddy.  I got it for you.”  Markus smiles.  “Thank you sweetie, I appreciate it.”  They smile and then Angelica comes out and gives them a box with Michaela’s toys and sun screen and Capri Sun pouches and little snacks.  “Make sure to put on some extra sun screen, the sun looks like it’s going to be really hot today.”  Markus and Michaela nod and wave goodbye, and Michaela holds Markus’ hand, and they start walking through the city.  She looks at the city excitedly and she smiles and points at different billboards and curious looking things, and Markus enjoys himself as he sees his daughter enjoying everything that surrounds her. “She truly knows how to appreciate everything that’s around her, big or small.  Hmph, I wish I had some of that spirit.” he says to himself as they keep on walking.

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKmSABf9_tw

   About half an hour later, they arrive at the beach, and it’s already surprisingly full despite of it being nine thirty in the morning.  Michaela instantly runs, urging Markus to follow, and they find a nice spot in the shadows of the palm trees, where they can relax and be protected by the sun’s rays.  They put the sun screen on each other and then she sits on the sand and gets her shovel and bucket out and she starts playing with the sand and making a sand castle.  Markus smiles and looks at her as she shows so much concentration and focus on the tiny sand castle.

 

   She keeps on going until she finishes, and then a look of sadness can be seen on her face.  Markus then quickly heads over to Michaela and hugs her.  “What’s wrong sweetie?  Your castle looks so good, you really put your all in it!”  She nodded in disapproval and pointed towards the other sand castles the other kids were making.  “The ones the other kids are making are much bigger and better.  Mine is so small and it’s barely noticeable…”  Markus nods and smiles and then reassuringly stands up.  “Michaela, it doesn’t matter how big or small your castle is, as long as you had fun making it, that’s all that matters.  It’s not the size of it that matters, what matters is the hard work you put into it.  You see, it’s something that my old man taught me.  To always keep on going and trying my best in life, no matter what.”  Michaela then smiles and tugs at Markus’ shoulder.  “You know daddy, you speak like an old man.  Are you sure you’re not old?” At that, Markus starts laughing, and then they both laugh for a few minutes.  “No sweetie, I’m not old, but thanks for the compliment.”

 

   Then Markus sees the beautiful ocean ahead of them, and then he gently punches Michaela’s shoulder.  “Hey Michaela, first one into the water gets to drink all the Capri Sun pouches!”  Michaela nods.  “Challenge accepted daddy!  Your going down old man!”  Markus smiles and looks at her, seeing as how she has the same fire and spark that he had.  “On your mark, get set, go!”  They start running, and they both laugh as they run, and the people around them smile, as they witness that heartwarming moment between father and daughter.  Michaela quickly runs and beats Markus, and she tumbles in the water, laughing and feeling the waves.  Markus then splashes in as well, and she smiles and splashes his face.  “Ha, I beat you daddy!  Now all the Capri Sun pouches are mine!”  Markus smiles.  “Yep.  Fair and square kiddo.”

 

   For the rest of the day, Markus and Michaela played in the water, they made more sand castles, they explored the beach and looked at crabs and sea urchins and other tiny sea creatures, and before they knew it, time had flown by so fast that the sun was setting already.  After a long day of fun under the sun, they went towards their spot and Michaela gave a Capri Sun pouch to Markus.  “That’s for playing with me on the beach.  Enjoy your reward daddy!”  Markus smiles.  “Thank you very much.” and he took a sip of the Capri Sun and they both looked towards the sunset, and Michaela leaned into Markus’ shoulder, as they both looked to the horizon, as if something were to come out of the water.  Then Michaela tugs at Markus’ arm and then she looks at him shyly.  “Daddy…can I ask you a question?”  Markus nods.  “Sure sweetie, anything, what is it?”  Michaela stands up and she walks towards one of the palm trees and puts her arms behind her back and she leans back to the palm tree and kicks the sand while looking down.

 

   “Can you…can you tell me what mommy was like?”  At that, Markus feels tears form in his eyes, and he smiles and looks away for some moments and then he looks at Michaela again.  “Sweetie, your mom was such a wonderful and amazing person.  She was brave, strong, smart and kind, just like you.  She was funny, and she was also stubborn at times, but only because she wanted me to be safe.  I remember that she would always be by my side whenever I got in trouble.  She was always there to take care of me.”  Unable to hold back his tears, he starts crying, unable to sweep away this wave of emotion flowing inside him.

 

   Seeing him cry, Michaela starts crying as well, and she goes to him and hugs him.  “Mommy was a good person, wasn’t she daddy?”  Markus stutters while crying. “Yes.  Yes she was.”  They both hug each other while crying, and they cried for a long time, and after a while, they wiped off their tears.  Markus smiled.  “Come on sweetie, let’s go to Angelica’s house.  I’ll keep telling you more about mommy as we go.”  She nods and smiles, and they both head towards Angelica’s house.

 

   As they walk towards Angelica’s house, Markus thinks of everything that’s happened in his life, about how much Mr. Craig and Keera meant to him.  He thinks of all the rough times and good times that he went through with them, and he thinks of everything that has led him to this moment.  He can think of no other reason to keep on going.  He knows that his purpose now is to raise Michaela with great love and care, just like Keera would have wanted.  “Keera my love.  I may have become a failure, but now, I’ll set things right, because I’ll raise the one thing I did right.  Our beautiful daughter Michaela.”  And with that, he smiles reassuringly and continues to tell the story of Keera to Michaela.

(End Song Here.)

---------------------------

Their bond growing ever closer, Markus and Michaela approach life with hopeful eyes, determined to cherish the moments they have together.  What else will life have in store for them?  Find out in Chapter Twelve: “Denzel And Joshua.”

Chapter Twelve: Denzel And Joshua

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dM2qCCg6GE

   It’s eleven thirty at night, and Denzel smiles as he sits on the grass alongside his girlfriend, Mika, the counter girl whom he had met three years ago when he went to visit Brutus Thompson’s manager.  She smiles and looks at the ring that he gave her, and she laid back on the grass, and she pointed towards the stars.  “Isn’t it beautiful Denzel?  Isn’t it beautiful how all the stars blanket the night sky?”  Denzel looks up and smiles.  “Sure is a wonderful sight indeed.”  They enjoy the peaceful night as they continue to point up at stars and constellations, and all is well and calm.

 

   Mika smiles and sits up and leans next to Denzel, and she holds his hand.  “Denzel…can I ask you something?”  Denzel nods.  “Sure, anything, what is it?”  Mika smiles and stands up.  “Promise me that you’ll always stay with me, and that you’ll always love me and protect me.”  Denzel smiles and stands up and hugs her from behind and kisses her neck gently.  “Of course honey.  Always, I promise.”  They smile and kiss each other tenderly, and then, all of a sudden, Denzel hears the sound of leaves moving and being crushed.  He then stands in front of Mika protectively.  “Stay behind me.” 

 

   He cautiously goes towards the trees, pinpointing the source of whatever made the leaves move.  It sure as heck isn’t the wind since there’s barely any.  He then puts his finger to his mouth, signaling Mika to stay silent.  She nods and then, after three seconds, he jumps at whatever rustled the leaves and then he raises his fist but then he sees that it’s Joshua.  “Please, don’t hit me, it’s just me!”  Denzel then looks at Joshua and rolls his eyes, irritated, and he punches Joshua in the gut.  “Next time don’t come up on me like that you idiot, especially when I’m here with my girlfriend!”  Joshua nods apologetically and he stands up. 

(End Song Here.)

 

   "Sorry about that you two, I really am, I didn’t mean to startle you!”  Denzel simply rolls his eyes and waves his hand dismissively at Joshua.  “Just get to your point already.”  Joshua nods and he sits where Denzel and Mika were sitting.

 

   “Well you see, the boss sent me here because he wants you to start tailing Markus starting tomorrow.  Apparently a few of our guys picked up some movement from him, and he’s being going here and there with a little girl.  She might be his daughter.”  Denzel sighs and then he scratches his head.  “I still don’t get why the boss wants his head.  He already ended the chump’s boxing career, so what’s the point of following him now?”  Joshua nods in response.  “I’m not sure.  Whatever reasons the boss has, he’s keeping them to himself, he literally hasn’t told anyone his reasons for wanting Markus to be taken out so bad.”  Denzel sighs.  “All right, tomorrow you come with me and we’ll get working on this.”  He looks towards Mika, and she looks at him with a frown on her face.  “Denzel, I thought you wouldn’t have to work on things like these for a while now, you told me so yourself…”  Denzel sighs.  “I know sweetie.  But don’t worry, I’ll do this as fast as I can and we can get back to our plans, okay?”  She nods and smiles.  “Okay.  But if you don’t fulfill your promise, I’ll kick your ass!”  Denzel smirks.  “You bet.”

 

…

 

   The next morning, Denzel wakes up and prepares himself for work, and he kisses Mika’s forehead as she sleeps peacefully.  “I’ll be back babe.  Just you wait.” and with that, he leaves.  As he goes outside, he sees Joshua leaning his back on a black Mercedes.  “Huh, impressive, for a rookie, you have quite the taste in cars.”  Joshua laughs.  “It’s not even mine, I borrowed it from my cousin!”  Denzel rolls his eyes.  “You know Joshua, you should have at least lied and told me the car was yours.  Now any self respect I had for you is gone.”  Joshua looks down. “I’m sorry…”  Denzel laughs and pats Joshua’s shoulder.  “Oh come on, relax would you?  Good God, you’re such a softie.  Come on and let’s go already.”  With that, Joshua smiles of relief and they get going.

 

   While Joshua drives, Denzel looks out the window, admiring the landscape and yawning, still feeling tired.  “So, where’s our first stop on our “Markus quest?” he says reluctantly.  Joshua keeps on driving.  “Well, the boss said that we should keep a close eye on the commercial district of the city, and also on the nearby neighborhoods.  If we spot him, we take him down.”  Denzel then looks at Joshua.  “And what about the girl, what’s her part in this?”  Joshua shrugs.  “Not a clue.  The boss made no mention of her.”  Denzel then puts his hands together.  “All right, so let’s make this clear.  Since the boss made no mention of the girl, we only go after Markus, the girl doesn’t have to get involved in this, am I clear?”  Joshua nods silently in agreement.

 

   After a few hours, they’re in the city, and they head towards the commercial district, cautious and with a watchful way, trying to spot Markus from in the crowds of citizens.  Joshua searches diligently and devotedly like what someone would consider a true spy.  When he looks back towards Denzel, he finds that Denzel isn’t even following him, and so he begins to search for Denzel within the crowds.  “Denzel!  Denzel, where are you?”  Then he sees Denzel near a restaurant, happily helping himself to some early food.  “What are you doing?  This isn’t the time for eating!”  Denzel turns around to face Joshua and he talks while chewing his food.  “Well, seeing as how you prevented me from having breakfast, and since it’s near lunch time, I decided to eat some brunch.  You can’t go on searching for targets on an empty stomach you know.”  Joshua looks at him in disbelief.  “Why are you so lazy Denzel?”  Denzel smirks.  “Why are you so uptight Joshua?  I swear, not even my girlfriend is uptight.”

 

   Joshua starts to say something but then stops as he spots Markus going into the supermarket.  “Denzel, we have him, he just entered the-“  Denzel stops him short.  “I know, I know, he’s in the supermarket, I have my eyes on him, come on, let’s go.”  Joshua nods and they head inside, and while Joshua acts shifty Denzel simply walks by past the customers as if he were just an ordinary citizen like them.  Joshua then heads over and whispers to Denzel.  “What are you doing?”  Denzel simply point a finger out to Joshua and says in a low voice.  “Rule number one.  If you’re going to be working for the boss and doing these types of gigs, then you have to act like a normal person, because that way your discreet and you avoid getting in trouble with the cops.”  Joshua nods in agreement and then cuts loose and relaxes and acts like any of the people inside would.

 

   And so their search takes them all the way inside the supermarket, as they go through the aisles and the maze of people, trying to spot Markus again.  While Joshua looks in the dairy products aisle, Denzel stops by the canned meats aisle and he spots one of his favorite meats of all time: Corned Beef.  “Come to papa.” he says happily to himself, and then he spots Markus and then heads over to him, casually and normally, and then he drops one of the Corned Beef cans on purpose.  “Oh, I’m sorry about that.”  Markus then picks up the can and gives it back to him.  “It’s no problem sir, accidents happen all the time.”

 

   Denzel then sees Joshua from the corner of his eye, and with a gesture of his hand he urges Joshua to stay away.  “So, it’s been a hot summer huh?”  Markus nods.  “Sure has been.  But, I have to thank God I can even feel the heat.”  Denzel nods.  “And why is that?”  Markus turns around and looks at Denzel.  “Well, you see, three years ago, I was in a boxing match and I got knocked out and into a comatose state, and so the doctors thought I would never wake up.  But thankfully, I did, but I lost two people that I cared about the most…my old man Mr. Craig and my true love Keera.”  Denzel then scratches his head, feeling remorse for having asked the question.  “Sorry to hear that.  I shouldn’t have asked, it’s none of my business…”  Markus waves his hand dismissively.  “Nah, it’s okay, not to worry.  Besides, at least I have one ray of happiness shining down on me: my daughter Michaela.”  Denzel nods.  “Well that’s good to know.  Wait, did you say you were in a boxing match?  Are you by any chance Markus Dominic?” Markus nods.  “Yes, that’s me.”  Denzel then makes an impressed gesture on his face.  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m a huge fan of yours.”  Markus smiles and turns around.  “Thanks.  Well, I’ll be seeing you around.  What’s your name?”  Denzel examines his Corned Beef cans.  “Oh, it’s Denzel.”  Markus then waves him goodbye.  “Right, see you around Denzel.”

 

   After Markus is out of sight, Joshua heads over to Denzel, clearly irritated that Denzel clearly let him go.  “What are you, crazy?  Don’t you realize you just let him pass right under your nose!?”  Denzel nods.  “That was my intention genius.  Now that I know him, I can become his friend, and just when he’s most unaware, I’ll clip his wings, so to speak.”  Joshua nods in agreement.  “Oh, I see now, that’s very clever.”  Denzel smirks.  “Yes it is.”

--------------------------

Denzel now seeks to gain Markus’ trust.  Will he succeed, or will Markus spot his deception and take every cautionary method possible.  Find out in Chapter Thirteen: “The Start Of A Beautiful Friendship.”

Chapter Thirteen: The Start Of A Beautiful Friendship

 

   Denzel heads out of the supermarket along with Joshua, clearly satisfied with the results of his little conversation with Markus, and then he heads over to the car and waits for Joshua to catch up.  Joshua looks at him curiously, wondering what he’ll do next.  “So, what now, what’s the plan?”  Denzel smiles.  “Simple.  I go for a little visit.”  Joshua then exclaims.  “But won’t he find it strange that you know where he lives?”  Denzel rolls his eyes.  “Just shut up and watch.  You’ll see.”  And with that, Joshua drives the car silently, a few distances away from Markus, who’s walking his way home.  Markus doesn’t seem to notice, which suits them just fine.

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9H-iY8QuIw

   Markus walks along the sidewalk, thinking of what plans to make for him and Michaela, and then he looks at his watch and he notices that it’s twelve o clock midday.  He then keeps on walking, and after a few minutes, he arrives to his home, and then he notices Denzel and then waves.  The car stops and then Markus smiles.  “Well, will you look who it is?  How are you Denzel?”  Denzel then raises his fist in a friendly way.  “Hey there Markus, wow, is this your house?”  Markus nods.  “As a matter of fact, it is.”  Denzel takes his time to eye the house.  “Wow, what a beauty.  Hey, can you help us out?  The thing is that me and my nephew Joshua here are looking for our Aunt Rita’s house, and we were wondering if she lives here?”  Markus nods in disagreement.  “Sorry, there’s no Rita here.  Hey, why don’t you come inside?”  Denzel shakes his head.  “Oh, no, we wouldn’t want to take a minute of your time.”  Markus then waves his hand dismissively.  “Oh come on, I insist.”  Denzel then smiles.  “All right, if you say so.  Come on Joshua.”  And with that, Markus goes inside, and Denzel and Joshua stay outside for a few moments.

 

   Joshua looks at Denzel with a face of disbelief.  “Wow Denzel, you’re really clever.  I would have never thought of anything like that.”  Denzel nods and smirks. “Always a pleasure to show off to the new recruits, I find it entertaining.”  They smile and then they head inside, where Markus is in the kitchen. “Would you guys like some coffee?  I’m making some right now.”  Denzel and Joshua nod.  “Sure, don’t mind if I do.” Denzel says cheerfully as he sits down on a chair in the dining room.

 

   Joshua observes the house discreetly, noticing how simple it is, and how clean and tidied up it is, and then he turns his attention to Denzel and Markus, and Markus sits down to catch his breath.  “You know, I have to say, walking under the hot summer sun sure burns out some calories doesn’t it?”  Denzel nods.  “Sure does my friend, sure does.  So, from the looks of it you’re the type of person that likes to keep his house all neat and shiny.”  Markus looks around and nods.  “Yes, indeed.  And now that I have a beautiful little daughter to take care of, now I can be able to get my life back on track, because I tell you, it wasn’t easy back then when I was a boxer.  I was too stubborn and ignorant, and well, for being so blind, my stubbornness and ignorance cost me dearly.  But now, I can set things right by raising my little daughter Michaela.  I want to make sure she doesn’t go through the same pain I did.”  Denzel and Joshua both stay silent, for they have no words to respond to what they just heard.  It’s clear to them that Markus is a good man, but nonetheless, that doesn’t matter in their boss’s eyes.  It’s sad really, to think how criminals would hunt down people like this.

(End Son Here.)

 

   Markus then proceeds to serve them coffee, and they drink it patiently and they talk for a few hours about the state of things and about sports and other simple things.  Then, before they know it, it’s already four o clock, and Denzel heads for the door.  “Wow, will you look at how times flies.  Well, it’s been nice talking to you Markus, but Joshua and I have to get going now, otherwise Aunt Rita will worry sick about us.”  Markus then waves goodbye.  “Okay, you take care now.  If you ever want to stop by, you know where to find me.”  Denzel waves goodbye.  “You know Markus, this looks like the start of a beautiful friendship!” he says, and then he and Joshua head to the car and then they leave the neighborhood.

 

   Joshua thinks heavily upon everything that happened. That long conversation with Markus really got to him, and he felt guilty for being ordered to follow him around.  Noticing his discomfort, Denzel steps in and he pats Joshua’s shoulder.

 

   “Look, I know what you’re thinking kid, and you’re not the only one who’s thinking it.  I too saw a broken man in his eyes, but he’s determined to raises his kid after all he’s been through.  It’s a shame we have to take him out sooner or later, because that’s what the boss will probably want.  I really don’t see why the boss has such an obsession with this guy, but we know better than to ask him, now don’t we?”  Joshua nods silently as he keeps on driving, still thinking on what possible reasons their boss would be so interested in Markus in the first place.  But after a while he lets the thought drift by, as he drives off towards the city with Denzel.

 

…

 

   Back at Markus’ house, Markus is fast asleep in the couch, tired from going to the grocery store and coming all the way back.  He had been organizing the kitchen cabinets and made sure that all of them were full.  He bought at least two months worth of food.  He lay there asleep on the couch, relaxing after a tiring day.  Then, his thoughts started to swirl and coalesce, until he found himself on a crystalline beach, with a beautiful shore and sand that is so white that it you stare at it for too long you could go blind.  Markus wades into his dream, thinking of where it might take him.  He then sees Keera in the distance, as she stretches out her hand, smiling warmly.  Markus looks away, ashamed because of all the pain he had caused her.  “Keera…I’m sorry.”

 

   She simply walks over to him and touches his face, a reassuring touch that assures him that everything is all right.  Markus starts to say something but stops, for he can’t find any words to say to his true love.  He finds it odd that she doesn’t speak, and as if she had read his mind, she nods in disapproval, a sign that she doesn’t speak.  Markus looks up at the sky.  “Keera…I want to give our daughter Michaela a good future…but I don’t know where to start.  What should I do?”  Keera points towards the distant horizon, where the waves of the crystalline ocean crash gently on a polished slab of stone.  He stares at what she pointed, and he finds himself puzzled, not knowing what this means.  But before he can make out any meaning to it, he finds himself abruptly awake, and he opens his eyes, and in a blur, he’s brought back to reality.  “What was that all about?” he said to himself.

 

   Still thinking about the dream, he tries to make sense of what it means, but after a while he just dismisses the thought and then heads upstairs and takes a shower.  Then he smiles. “I’ll take Michaela to the museum tomorrow!” he said to himself, and nods in agreement.  Then he takes a shower and soon after he goes to his bedroom, ready for a long and good night’s rest.

 

   Suddenly, Markus finds himself dreaming again, only this time he dreams that he’s in a boxing ring, but that the stadium is empty, save for one spot, where a person can be seen sitting, and watching, as if waiting for something to happen.  Markus again questions what the heck is going on, and he doesn’t know if these are just hallucinations or if they are things that he’s being warned of.  For whatever reason, he seems at unease.  Then he notices the person standing in the distance is none other than Mr. Craig!  Markus smiles and heads over to hug him, but when he approaches him, he goes right through him.  “What is this?” Markus says to himself, but then he realizes the obvious.  “Right…a ghost from my past.  What, you can’t speak either?”

 

   Mr. Craig nods in approval and then he starts to walk off towards the exit of the stadium, and he bids goodbye with the tip of his hat, and Markus starts to run towards him.  “Wait!  Old man, please wait!”  He keeps on running, but he finds the pathway to Mr. Craig stretching out and becoming longer, and Mr. Craig keeps getting out of reach.  Before Markus can shout Mr. Craig’s name, again he is abruptly brought awake, this time by his alarm clock.  “Damn.  Stupid clock, I set it the wrong time.”  He then sighs and puts the alarm clock for seven o clock in the morning, and then he lays his head on his pillow, looking up at the ceiling.  “What are these dreams I’m having?  What do they mean?”  With that, he slowly finds himself closing his eyes until he’s sound asleep again.

------------------

 

And so Denzel has now officially met Markus up close and personally, and now Markus finds himself having strange dreams.  What could they mean?  Do they hold any hidden truth?  Next time: Chapter Fourteen: “A Close Call.”

I had to read the last 3 chapters all at once because I forgot to check

I really liked the Witches House Music song and ch. 13 was great!

I had to read the last 3 chapters all at once because I forgot to check

I really liked the Witches House Music song and ch. 13 was great!

Thank you, I'm glad you liked the chapters!

o-o soooo longggg Big Bro... But im reading it all *reads*

Thanks for your comments everyone!  Okay, so here's the next chapter!  I hope that you all enjoy yourselves, and don't forget to comment and tell me what you think!

 

Chapter Fourteen: A Close Call

 

   The alarm clock blares and Markus abruptly wakes up, a bit startled, but then he realized that the alarm clock was right beside him.  He turns off the alarm and rubs his eyes and looks out towards the morning rays of the sun.  “Today is a new day.” he says to himself, and he smiles and heads down to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast, but to his surprise, he finds Angelica and Michaela in the kitchen, making breakfast.  He smiles and Michaela notices that he’s in the kitchen and she runs towards him and hugs him.  “Daddy, you’re awake!  You’re such a sleepyhead!”  Markus chuckles.  “Haha, yes, that I am.”  He then looks at Angelica and nods appreciatively.  Then he looks to the skillet and sees that Angelica is cooking pancakes.  “Mmm, pancakes.  Thanks Angelica.”  She smiles and nods.  “Don’t mention it.”

 

   Michaela then sits on the floor and plays with her toys, and Markus takes a look and notices that they aren’t girl’s toys.  He then sits down with Michaela and looks at her curiously.  “Sweetie, aren’t these toys for boys?”  She nods and smiles.  “I don’t like girl toys, they’re boring, the only things they have are tiny purses and hair combs.  Hair combs for crying out loud!  But these toys are better because they have swords and guns and lots of other cool stuff!  See, look at this!  It’s Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker, and they’re fighting to the death!  Luke doesn’t know that Darth Vader is his father, and it’ll be a fight to the finish!  Mowahahaha!”  Markus laughs and admires Michaela’s wide imagination, and he pats her head and then stands up.  Then Angelica serves herself and to them the pancakes and they happily eat breakfast and enjoy each other’s company.

 

   Then Markus goes to wash the dishes while Angelica and Michaela go to the living room, and he washes the dishes happily, but then he looks out the kitchen window and notices something strange.  He narrows his eyes and he notices that some strange men in black suits are looking towards this house.  Whether they noticed him or not is clearly unknown, but Markus is sure that they definitely aren’t friendly.  But he simply keeps on washing the dishes, paying it no mind and ignoring those strange men that are looking at his house.

 

   After washing a few dishes, he looks up again and then he notices that one of them has a grenade and ready to launch, and Markus opens his eyes wide and runs out of the kitchen and heads to the living room, and after a matter of seconds, the kitchen explodes.  Instantly, Angelica and Michaela panic, but Markus quickly motions them to stay quite.  He heads over to them and then he opens the secret door to the basement.  “Head down here, and don’t come back up until I say so, okay? “  Angelic and Michaela nod, and Michaela makes an emotional cute face and she raises her fists in the air.  “Don’t worry daddy, if they come through here, I’ll protect grandma!”  Markus smiles and nods and then closes the door and makes his way near the kitchen and then he hides behind the wall leading to it, and he hears footsteps.  So he was right in assuming that the men were indeed looking at this house, of that much was clear.  He patiently waits for one of them to come through the hallway so he can dispatch him, and then he sees the shadow of one of the strange men and he prepares to attack.  The second the man shows his face, Markus punches the man’s face and makes him bleed through his nose, making him fall to the ground instantly.

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSK1bOIh15o

   The other two men are then aware that Markus is behind the wall, and they start to shoot through the wall, but Markus luckily runs out of the way and he picks up the unconscious man as a human shield and he moves around the house, trying to catch the other two men off guard.  The other men keep on shooting, but then stop when they don’t see any blood on the floor.  They slowly head towards the hallway, and then they see Markus and shoot, but Markus uses his human shield and then throws the dead body towards one of the other men, and then he quickly pounces on the remaining man and he disarms him of his gun and starts punching him brutally on the face, smashing his face right into his skull.

 

   Markus then looks around to make sure that there aren’t more of the men, and then he checks the other one who’s unconscious, and then he grabs the remaining man by his shirt collar and then he angrily looks at him.  “Who the hell sent you?  Who the hell sent you to do this!?”  The man says nothing and simply laughs and then spits on Markus’ face, and Markus then punches the man in the rib and then grabs him just a tad bit harder.  “I asked you a question.  I expect you to answer it.”  The man simply nods in disapproval and spits on Markus’ face again.  Having had enough of this, Markus takes a nearby kitchen knife then stabs it right into the man’s genitals, and the man screams in agonizing pain, while Markus’ face is emotionless.  “I asked you a question…now answer.” And with that, he digs the knife deeper into the man’s severed genitals.

 

   “Okay, okay, I’ll talk!  The boss sent me!  He sent me to take you out!”  Markus narrows his eyes.  “And what’s the name of your boss?”  The man nods in disapproval.  “That’s the thing man, I don’t know his name.  He’s never revealed his name to anyone, but they call him the Crimson Shadow.”  Markus then drifts away into his thoughts.  “Crimson Shadow…where have I heard that before…?”  He quickly dismisses the thought and then he looks at the man.  “Thank you for telling me this, you were a great help.” And with that, he take out the knife from the man’s genitals and then he slits his throat, and then he slaps the unconscious man awake, and then he pins him to the wall and grabs him by the throat.  “Now you listen and you listen good, send a message to this Crimson Shadow for me.  Tell him that if he dares to mess with me or my family again, I’m going to hunt him down.  This is the only warning I’ll give him.  So get your ass moving before I decide to kill you.”

(End Song Here.)

 

    He lets go of the man and the man runs desperately to his car and leaves, while the other neighbors look towards Markus house, worried about what happened.  Markus stays silent and looks at the destroyed kitchen.  It’s a complete wreck, and he gets infuriated by all this.  Why those men attacked him, he had yet to know, and this mysterious Crimson Shadow wants him dead, but for some reason he can’t decipher why that is.  He doesn’t box anymore, so he doesn’t pose any importance of that stature anymore.  And yet, this all still troubles him.  Shaking off his thoughts, he heads towards the basement and tells Angelica and Michaela to get out and then he talks to them both in a low voice.  “Both of you need to get back to your home.  I’m afraid you won’t be safe if you come to this house.  The thugs weren’t able to see you, so at least they don’t know who you are, so go quickly, I’ll let you know when things have quieted down.”  Angelica nods.  “All right, thank you Markus.”  And Michaela says: “Be safe daddy!”

 

   Markus smiles and hugs them both and they both leave, and then he thinks to himself: “If I hadn’t noticed that those guys were going to attack this house, Angelica and Michaela might be in the hospital right now.  This was way too dangerously close.  I need to get answers, and I need to get them now.”  He first thinks of calling the police, but he quickly dismisses the thought and instead he takes a shower and changes his clothes, and then he heads off towards the city.  Once there, he heads to a construction worker and asks him if he can fix up the kitchen, and he pays him the money on the spot, and the construction workers head over to Markus’ house while Markus wades around in the crowd, seeing if he can spot anyone suspicious.

 

   So far he finds nothing of particular interest or suspicion, as he only sees crowds of people going about their daily lives.  He keeps on walking and then he stops by and sees a news report on a nearby TV.  “Tonight, we’ll tell you the story of Markus Dominic, a rookie boxer who rose to fame and won a place in our hearts.  A man who fought to the very end.”  He laughs to himself as he hears this, seeing how hollow and selfish he was back then.  He then sees a boy by the age of ten approach him, and then he smiles.  “You’re the boxing man aren’t you!?  Can I have your autograph?”  Markus smiles and pats the boy’s head, and then he signs the boy’s notebook and then asks. “What’s your name, son?”  The boy cheerfully replies: “Craig, sir!”  At that, Markus feels as though the world has frozen, and he feels a trace of warmth make its way through him, and he smiles and signs Craig’s notebook.  “Take care Craig.”  Craig looks at his notebook happily.  “Thank you mister, goodbye!”  

 

   He waves goodbye and Markus waves back and then he thinks to himself about Mr. Craig, and of how much he misses him.  “Old man…if only you were here.  You’d know just what to say.”  He looks up to the clear blue sky and then he smiles and keeps on walking.  Even though Mr. Craig is gone, and that Keera is gone, they’re still both in his heart, and as long as he lives, their love will burn strongly in his heart, and he’ll never forget them.  With that, he renews his resolve and continues wading through the crowd, searching for anyone suspicious he can ask about the Crimson Shadow.

-----------------------

 

Now realizing that he’s still being hunted, Markus decides that it’s high time he becomes the hunter.  Will he find the answers he seeks?  Stay tuned for Chapter Fifteen: “A Fight In The Bar.”

Nice choice of song, again! The last paragraph was sad How many chapters do you plan on writing?

Nice choice of song, again! The last paragraph was sad How many chapters do you plan on writing?

Thank you for the comment, and well, to answer your question, I plan to write 50 chapters, as I did with my other two stories The Keyblade War and Seeing The World With Brand New Eyes.  That's like my trademark as a writer here, all my stories are 50 chapters each.

Thank you for the comment, and well, to answer your question, I plan to write 50 chapters, as I did with my other two stories The Keyblade War and Seeing The World With Brand New Eyes.  That's like my trademark as a writer here, all my stories are 50 chapters each.

Wow that's great I look forward to reading more!

Wow that's great I look forward to reading more!

Thank you!!!!!

OMG! This is an amazingly awesome story so far! Keep going! And I love what a gentle and protective foather Markus is to Michaela.

 

P.S. Sorry I haven't been commenting lately. I was on vacation for two weeks and I literally just found this story a couple of hours ago.

OMG! This is an amazingly awesome story so far! Keep going! And I love what a gentle and protective foather Markus is to Michaela. P.S. Sorry I haven't been commenting lately. I was on vacation for two weeks and I literally just found this story a couple of hours ago.

Thank you! I'll try to post chapters as soon ad I'm able to get Internet on my laptop. (I'm currently on my IPad since my Internet was disconnected.)

Hey everyone, good news!  Since I can come online here for a bit while I'm on my break on college, I can post chapters of my story!  Ladies and gentlemen, after the long delay, here's Chapter Fifteen!  I'll try my best to post chapters daily! ^_^

 

Chapter Fifteen: A Fight In The Bar

 

  The afternoon sun burns high in the sky, and the crowds of citizens make their way quickly to their destinations, desperate to get out of the punishing rays of the sun.  Markus walks along with the citizens, keeping a close eye for anyone suspicious or anyone who might look remotely similar to the people that attacked him in his house.  He continues to walk casually, window shopping and sitting on benches, and he even buys himself a burrito to stave off his hunger.  After a while, he sees someone in a tuxedo enter a nearby bar called “Heavenly Angels.”

 

  He looks around to see if there was anyone else accompanying the man in the tuxedo he saw, and when he sees there’s no one else around, he quickly proceeds to enter the bar, and when he enters, he sees gangs of thugs laughing and drinking beer and gambling, and in the far end of the bar, strippers are pleasing the men’s horny fetishes.  Markus shakes his head in disgust and suddenly a young woman, probably around her mid twenties, smiles at him.  “Hello sir, would you like to have a drink?”  Markus looks at her for a long time, noticing in an instant that she’s not the type of girl that likes doing this kind of line of work.

 

 

  Markus then waves his hand dismissively.  “No thanks, I’ll just have some cold water.”  She nods and then she asks nervously.  “And…is there any fetish you want me to satisfy?”  Markus looks at the girl with sympathy and he gives her five hundred dollars.  “Look kid, I know that you don’t want to be in this mess, so just take the money and call it a day.  At least that way you won’t have to be forced to get involved with these bastards.”  The girl looks at him in shock.  “N-no, I can’t accept this!”  Markus nods.  “Just take it, and if your boss asks, you gave me a blowjob.  He won’t pester you by then.”  She nods. “Thank you so much!  By the way, my name is Katrina.”  Markus smiles.  “The name’s Markus.”  With that, she smiles and goes away to clean the storage room.

 

  After a while, Markus gets his glass of water, and then he notices a few men in tuxedos huddling together on one of the tables, and so now he decides, is the moment to dive in.  He stands up and walks over to the table, and one of the men looks at him seriously, indicating Markus to mind his own business, but Markus won’t have any of it.  He then speaks out loud.  “You people…you work for the Crimson Shadow, don’t you?”  When he says this, the other men start laughing, and one of them, a tall and pale looking man, takes off his glasses and looks at Markus.  “Tell me something young man.  Do you seek a death wish?  Do you even know what that name symbolizes?”  Markus smirks.  “Well, to me it symbolizes a cheap asshole who sends people after me and threatens the lives of the people I love.”  The pale looking man stands up enraged and grabs Markus by the collar of his shirt.  “Do not speak of my brother that way!  You are in the presence of the Omni Shadow, second in command of our gang, the Shadow Men.”  Markus laughs.  “Wow, you really need to get new names.  I mean seriously, this all sounds like video game stuff to me.”  Omni Shadow growls.  “How dare you!?  What the devil is your business here!?  Why do you seek my brother!?”

 

  Markus nods.  “Well, since your kind enough to ask, I’m looking for that bastard because thanks to his men, they almost cost me the lives of my daughter and her grandmother.”  Omni Shadow laughs.  “Ha, well isn’t that just…wait a moment!  I remember you!  Your Markus Dominic, you were that famous boxer that my brother sent to take out!”  Markus then puts his hand on his chin.  “I see.  So he was the one who sent someone to take me out…wait, Brutus Thompson!  Are you telling me Brutus Thompson is one of you?”  Omni Shadow chuckles.  “Well, look at who’s the clever egg!  Yes Markus, my brother sent for Brutus to take you out, and we thought you dead, but apparently you’re here.  But at least your boxing career is over.”  Markus clenches his fists.  “But now I have a new reason to fight.  My daughter, and you’re not going to endanger her life on my watch!”

 

  Omni Shadow simply scoffs and mocks Markus, and the other men laugh as well, enjoying the moment, and then Markus pulls up a chair and sits down as if he was one of them, and then he pounds his fist to the table.  “Now listen here, if you don’t tell me where he is…I’ll kill every single one of your men to get to him.  That includes you Omni Shadow!” Omni Shadow cringes his teeth when he hears this, and the other men are about to attack when Omni Shadow raises his hand dismissively.  “No guys, don’t kill him.  He’s a fun one, of that we can be sure.”

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0M5D5OA-d4

  At the corner of his eye, he notices that Katrina is heading for their table, ready to clean it, and one of the men starts flirting with her.  “Damn girl, you have a nice ass.  Mm, this is why I love this place.  They make you dress in skimpy outfits for our enjoyment, isn’t that right guys?”  The other men laugh in agreement, and Katrina simply stays silent and starts cleaning the table when one of the men slaps her ass and molests her.  “Oh damn, she’s a hot one!” one of the men says, and at that, Markus takes a nearby bottle of beer and bashes it on the man’s head, causing him to fall dead to the floor, and the others quickly jump after Markus, but Markus luckily dodges their attacks.  He then heads over to Katrina.  “Get behind me…I’m going to get you out of this hellhole.”  Katrina simply nods and stays silent and stays behind Markus, and Omni Shadow starts to say something but Markus quickly goes behind him and cracks his neck, causing him to fall lifeless to the floor.  The other men then start to take out their guns and shoot, and Markus quickly holds Katrina’s hand and they run for cover as the rest of the people of the bar scream and run in a panicked frenzy.

 

  Katrina blushes as she sees Markus holding her hand, and then she screams.  “Look out!”  Markus then looks to where she’s pointing, and one of the men shoots, and Markus quickly jumps for cover along with Katrina.  He then sees a nearby gun and starts shooting down the men, and then he heads out in the open and he smirks.  “Now then, if this Crimson Shadow is as fearful as you all think he is, because, practically, in my opinion, his brother was crap, let’s see how you all fight me with your bare fists!”  The men fall for his taunt and they drop their guns and they head all out towards Markus, and Markus simply jabs them and delivers devastating uppercuts, taking them out one by one, and he flings some of them over the stairs, and then he kicks a man right in the groin and sends him reeling to the ground.  Katrina looks at Markus’ fighting skills.  “It’s really him!” she says to himself.

 

  A few other men come from the upper floor and they notice their friends, some unconscious, some dead, and they quickly follow Markus, and Markus simply continues his strategy and then he throws one of them through the window and then he punches one of them right in the nose, causing the man to bleed, and then he cracks his neck.  Soon, all the men are defeated, and the other customers and strippers look in shock and fear, and the boss of the establishment comes out, but Markus quickly gets away with Katrina before he can see their faces.

(End Song Here.)

 

  Once outside, they keep running for considerable minutes until they’re safely far away enough from harm, and they sit on a nearby bench to catch their breath.  Katrina then quickly heads inside a nearby store’s bathroom so she can change her clothes.  Once she comes out, she sits besides Markus and looks at him shyly.  She then looks down.  “What you did back there…thanks.  But…why did you help me?”  Markus looks at her and then he looks to the sky.  “You looked like you were suffering, plus, just by looking at you I can tell you’re not the kind of girl that likes doing this kind of stuff.”  She nods.  “The only reason I was doing it was because I needed money for an apartment…since my family doesn’t care about me.  So I had to something, you know?”

 

  Markus looks at her for a few seconds and then thinks about what she just said.  “She’s abandoned…”he thinks to himself, saddened to know of this girl’s condition.  He then looks at her.  “Look, I live alone, and my house has a few rooms, so you can stay there as long as you want as long as you keep yourself safe and get a more decent job.”  Katrina’s eyes suddenly shine, a glint of happiness emanating from her.  “You really mean it?  B-but you barely know me!”  Markus smiles.  “I don’t need to know someone to help them.  Helping a person in need is good, isn’t it?”  She smiles and nods, and then Markus looks around and then stands up.  “Come on, we need to go now.”  She then stands up and smiles and they go quickly, making sure that no one follows them, and they enter the crowd of citizens.

---------------------

With no answers to guide him yet, Markus continues on his search, and now finds respite, hoping to resolve things soon so that no one else gets hurt..  Now, young Katrina accompanies him.  What will happen next?  Find out in Chapter Sixteen: “A Simple Wish.”

Edited September 3, 201312 yr by Sesshomaru

Awesome chapter. Just one question: How is Markus going to explain Katrina living with him to Michaela and her grandma?

Awesome chapter. Just one question: How is Markus going to explain Katrina living with him to Michaela and her grandma?

You'll have to wait and see what happens, that is all I'll say at the moment.

Okay, here's another chapter!  Enjoy everyone! ^_^

 

Chapter Sixteen:  A Simple Wish

 

  They arrive shortly afterwards to Markus’ house, and Markus heads inside and he heads up to take a shower.  “Help yourself to food, there’s leftovers on the fridge, I’ll cook something later though, but if you’re hungry, eat the leftovers.”  Katrina nods.  “Okay, will do, thanks.”  He nods and then he heads up to the bathroom to take a shower, while Katrina explores the house, and she notices the kitchen that, from her perspective, must have been recently fixed.  She curiously looks at everything inside the house, down to the last detail.  She hears her stomach growl and she decides to eat first before exploring the house, and so she smiles and then she heads over to the fridge and sees the leftovers and then heats them in the microwave and then she starts eating.  After a few minutes she feels stuffed.  Then she continues exploring Markus’ house, making sure not to touch anything.

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaR1K_wIxo0

  After a while, she notices a picture of Markus along with two other people.  She stays silent as she watches the photo, looking at how happy they were.  Just as she’s about it, she stops cold at hearing Markus’ voice.  “That was my girlfriend, Keera.  We were going to get married and have kids…and that old man there was Mr. Craig, he raised me since I was little.”  She stays at a considerable distance from the photo, respecting it’s meaning and it’s privacy to its owner.  She then trails off and then asks: “What happened to them?” Markus looks towards the living room, as if he was trying to remember something.  “They died.  Mr. Craig by a heart attack, and Keera at child birth.”  Katrina then looks down.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have asked…”  Markus smiles.  “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

 

  They both stay silent for a while, and then Katrina sits down on the couch.  “So, uh, you said you have a daughter?”  Markus nods.  “Yes.  Her names Michaela, she’s a little sweetheart.  I found out about her existence a few weeks ago.  I’ve been taking care of her ever since, but now since there are people after me, it’s better that she stays with her grandma until its safe.”  Katrina opens her eyes wide.  “Wow.  You must be a really good father…at least you care for your child…”

 

  Noticing her sudden change in behavior, Markus sits down in front of her and looks at her for a while, and then he leans back.  “Look Katrina, I know you’ve been through a lot, but if I’m going to help you, I need to understand your situation more clearly.  So if it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me how exactly you ended up in that bar and why your parents don’t care about you?”  Katrina looks down shyly and puts her hands together and plays with her thumbs, feeling a little nervous, but knowing that Markus has good intentions.  She then draws a deep breath and sighs.  “Well, you see, my story is a sad and pathetic one, and God knows why I’m even here considering what I’ve been through.  Since you saved my ass back there, I’d figure the least I could do is tell you about myself.”  Markus nods and looks at her, urging her to start her story.  She then spaces out.  “You see, my childhood was normal, everything was fine, there were no problems between me and my parents, everything was perfect.  You could say it was like one of those family movies where everything is perfect…Mom was such a wonderful person, and Dad was always hardworking and just.”

 

  “As the years went by, Mom and Dad started drifting away from each other.  I didn’t understand it back then, but now I see that it was because of the stupid economy and the constant job firing and job hunting.  They were so stressed with finding work that they barely spent time together.  A few years passed, and they started to ignore me.  At first I didn’t give it much thought, but then, every time I would get a good grade in a test or I would do something to make them proud, they wouldn’t even give me the time of day.  I then realized that my parents were drifting away from me too. One day, when I was on my way to school, one of the bullies followed me, and I ignored him at first, but then he started chasing me down an alley, and then he started to touch my body.  He said dirty things to me, and he wanted to rape me…and then I saw Mom and Dad across the street and I screamed out to them, and they looked at me, but didn’t even try to stop the guy from raping me.  I was heartbroken, I was destroyed, and angered.  And with that, I beat up the guy and ran away, and that’s when I felt most alone.”

 

  “Then I thought to myself that I had to make a choice.  Either I would continue down this road and my parents wouldn’t acknowledge me at all, or leave home and fight for my life.  And so I decided to run away, and I did.  I tried to get jobs everywhere I could, but no one would give me jobs.  Even the nicest people couldn’t hire me because they were already full on employees.  And so I had no choice but to work in the bar, because the manager thought I had a nice body…and so I worked there and avoided trouble and avoided perverts.  Markus…if you hadn’t come along…I don’t know where I would be right now.  Thank you so much.  I…I just want to be part of a real family.  It’s a simple wish really…”  Before Markus can say anything, Katrina hugs him and she cries, and Markus returns the embrace and rubs her back.  “It’s okay Katrina, I’m here.  There’s no need to run anymore.

(End Song Here.)

 

  She pulls away from the hug and smiles and nods and looks at him, and then she asks: “So, um, why were you in the bar?”  Markus then stands up and peeks out the window to make sure no one is listening.  “Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I was a boxer three years back-“ She then claps her hands.  “I knew it!  I knew that I’d seen you somewhere before!  I’d seen your fights, you were really good!”  Markus nods and then he sits down again.  “Well, as you know, my final match was with Brutus Thompson, but that match was a set up.  Because apparently there’s this mystery person called Crimson Shadow who wants me dead, but I don’t understand why.  I don’t know who the hell he is, so I’m searching for answers.  Because as long as he’s hunting me down, my daughter won’t be safe.”

 

  Katrina nods and then she rubs her head.  “Wow, it’s amazing huh?  Nowadays everybody’s hunting someone down.  But you know, I did hear some rumors about him during my time at work.  Apparently he’s one of the most dangerous crime lords in the city, and he has quite an influence in the underground, so I understand how he was able to get to Brutus.  All right then, I’ll help you!”  Markus looks at her in shock and then places his arms in front of her, urging her to stop.  “Oh no you don’t, this is too dangerous, I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”  Katrina nods in disapproval.  “No, don’t  you see!?  I can help you with this!  Please trust me, I won’t be a drag!  Just please let me tag along!  Please, please, please, please, please!!!”

 

  Markus looks at her and can’t help but admire her cheerful disposition, and considering all she’s been through, she just wants to be useful.  Markus nods in approval.  “All right, but  you have to promise me that if anything happens, you don’t get yourself in harm’s way.”  Katrina happily nods.  “Okay, you got it Markus!  I won’t let you down!”  Markus then goes to the kitchen.  “Okay then, I’m going to cook some Rice with Corned Beef, do you want some?”  Katrina sits down eagerly on a chair in the dining room.  “Yes please.  I love your cooking.  I took a nibble from the leftovers and I really liked how the food tasted!”  Markus chuckles.  “Ha, from the looks of it you took giant bites instead of nibbles.”  Katrina giggles.  “Oh shut up you.”

 

…

 

  Meanwhile, Joshua and Denzel are in the mall, although Joshua would prefer to be somewhere else by now.  Denzel looks through the stores, getting this and that here and there.  Eventually they end up in GameStop.  Joshua groans and whispers to Denzel:  “Um, not to be in a rush or anything, but what the heck are we even doing here?  Shouldn’t we be following Markus around so we can get more info for the boss?”  Denzel simply pats Joshua’s shoulder.  “We’ll get to that my friend, but first, I need to get myself a copy of Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance.”  Joshua looks at Denzel.  “Kingdom what now?  What’s that all about?”  Denzel rolls his eyes.  “Only the best video game series around!  And Dream Drop Distance is the latest game in the series!  Geez, aren’t you supposed to be up to speed on this kind of stuff, don’t tell me you never played this game?”  Joshua looks at Denzel seriously.  “No, I have not.  Denzel opens his mouth wide.  “You, my friend, are now dead to me.  I shall not speak to you for the remainder of the week.”  Joshua then sighs.  “Seriously…?

---------------------

 

Markus and Katrina now set out to investigate the identity of the Crimson Shadow.  What awaits them is unknown for now.  What possible things might happen to them?  Find out in Chapter Seventeen: “Searching For Answers.”

Great chapter. And what a back-story for Katrina. Keep going.

Thank you for the comments, they mean a lot to me!  Without any further ado, here's the next chapter!

 

Chapter Seventeen: Searching For Answers

 

  The next day, early in the morning, Markus and Katrina eat at a nearby restaurant, for they have no time to be dawdling in the house.  Markus ate calmly as Katrina ate pancakes to her heart’s content, as if she had never eaten before.  Markus then drinks a cup of coffee and pays the tip to the waitress and then he leans close, as if to not let anyone else know what he’s going to say.  “Okay Katrina, where do we have to go first?”  Katrina looks around to check and see that there are no eavesdroppers, and then she stoops her head low.  “First, we have to head towards the far east side of town, that’s where I hear that most of the criminals gather up, and it’s a very dangerous neighborhood over there.”

 

  Markus nods.  “Ah, I see.  By any chance did you ever hear anything about the Crimson Shadow in your time at work?”  Katrina clasped her hands together.  “Only rumors, nothing more.  The funny thing is that almost anytime that he would be mentioned, everybody in the bar would get nervous, even the toughest looking ones.  Some people say he controls most of the criminal activity in the city, and he has quite the reputation among the lowlifes.  He’s feared and respected, but mostly feared.”  Markus then looks out the window as he sees the pedestrians and cars passing by, and then he shifts his gaze towards Katrina, this time looking into her eyes, and for a moment feeling amazed, but then he looks away.  “We need to find someone that knows him really well.”

 

  At that, Katrina snaps her fingers, as if she had remembered something that she had forgotten in a long time.  She then finishes eating the last piece of her pancake and then she cleans her mouth.  “I know just the guy!  And I know where he tends to be!”  Markus raises his eyebrow.  “I see.  Then lead me to him.”  She nods cheerfully and they both head out from the restaurant and make their way outside to the welcoming and warm morning breeze.  Markus enjoys the scenery and then hears Katrina calling out to him.  “Hey, don’t get your head in the clouds!  Come on!”  He then shakes his head.  “Uh, right, I’m coming!”  With that, he quickly heads over to Katrina and follows her.

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3hSouDW1P8

  Two hours pass and they find themselves in the city’s business district, the workers and citizens passing by each other in a rush hour.  Markus then heads over to Katrina, to make sure he doesn’t lose himself in the crowd. “So, who are we looking for again?”  Katrina looks back at him.  “A guy who was a common customer in the bar, but he was very respectful.  He’s married, so he doesn’t really flirt with other women.”  Markus then shrugs.  “Well, for a criminal, he’s a nice one then, to be sure.”  Katrina nods.  “There’s more to people than how they seem.  Not all criminals are the same.  Some enter that way of life because they have don’t have a choice or because they’re born in it.  It’s sad really.”  Markus thinks deeply upon hearing Katrina’s words, and says nothing, and with that, they continue on their way.  A few more minutes pass, and they find themselves in the district’s plaza, where kiosks offering various foods and comic booths are abound.  Then she spots the man in the distance, although Markus isn’t able to get a clear look at him.  She waves at him and holds Markus’ hand, and they head over to the man.  When they finally get close to the man, Markus opens his eyes wide as he realizes who the man is.  “Denzel!?”

 

  Denzel stands frozen in place, and Joshua, who was seeing the events from behind one of the comic book kiosks, quickly hid his head in a comic book.  Katrina seems puzzled at all this, as Markus and Denzel stare at each other silently, as if they’re having an inner duel.  Denzel finally brakes the silence with a sigh.  “Wow.  You got me.  I would’ve never seen it coming.  Yeah, I’m following you around.  Boss’s orders.”  Markus clenches his fists and grabs Denzel by the collar of his shirt and pulls him close, and Katrina gasps and starts to say something, but Denzel stops her.  “It’s all right sis, let me handle this.”  Markus’ jaw drops.  “Sister!?”  He then sets himself apart from Denzel and then takes a deep breath, and then he glares at Denzel.  “Your hunting me down, I understand that, but if that’s the case, then why did the other men try to kill me while I was with my daughter!?”  Denzel waves his hand dismissively.  “They didn’t know, okay?  And look, I’m sorry that your family’s involved in this, but there’s nothing I can do, I’m not the one pulling the strings.”

 

  Markus looks away, irritated and angered, and then he quickly glances over at Katrina then shifts his gaze back to Denzel.  “Then go to your damn boss and tell him that if he wants me, then he’ll get me, but tell him that my daughter has nothing to do with this!”  Denzel looks down sadly.  “I wish it were that easy…but that’s not how it works.  The boss doesn’t care for casualties, he takes down a target, and all those close to him.  I’m sorry.  There’s nothing I can do.”  Markus then feels uneasy and nervous, and then he shakes his head.  “So if your hunting me down, then why are you being so easy on me?”  Denzel nods.  “I know you’re a good person Markus.  I know what you’re going through, trust me, I’ve been through it too.”  Markus then growls angrily.  “You don’t know what I’m going through, don’t pretend to know me…”

 

  Denzel looks at Markus seriously.  “You’ve lost people you care about, and I know that it’s something extremely rough to go through, believe me, I know how it feels like.”  Markus turns away and then he looks up to the sky, suddenly feeling as if he’s lost in this wide world.  “I don’t need your sympathy…”he says.

 

  Katrina, seeing that things aren’t going well, decides to intervene.  “Guys, look, I know that all this is troublesome, and Markus, I know that this is hard for you to sink in, but please bear with me.  My brother works for the Crimson Shadow, but he’s not a bad person.  My brother can help you.”  Markus stays silent and then he looks at Katrina.  “Why should I trust you?  You knew of all this and you didn’t tell me a thing…what makes you think I can trust you?”  Katrina looks at him.  “Then why did you save me that day?  Why did you take me away from that bar?”  Markus stays silent, and Denzel places his hand on Katrina’s shoulder reassuringly.  “Look Markus, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my sister, and for that, I owe you.  So I’ll help you in any way I can.”  Markus’s expression softens and then he crosses his arms and closes his eyes.  “And what about your buddy hiding behind the comic book kiosk?”  Denzel smirks.  “You have sharp eyes my friend.  Don’t worry, he’s a rookie, and he’s easily taken care of.  I’m his “mentor” so he’s supposed to do what I tell him too anyway.”  Denzel stretches out his hand for a handshake, and Markus slowly and reluctantly shakes Denzel’s hand, and Katrina sighs of relief and smiles.

(End Song Here.)

 

  Denzel then buys a hamburger and he nods.  “All right, let’s get down to business.”  Joshua comes from the comic book kiosk and then he exclaims to Denzel: “Are you an idiot?  He found you out, and your just okay with it?”  Denzel pats Joshua’s head.  “Change of plans padawan Joshua.  Now we’re going to help Markus.”  Joshua’s jaw drops.  “But won’t the boss kill us!?” Denzel shakes his head.  “My sister’s free, so I don’t have to follow that douche’s orders anymore.”  Markus then looks at Denzel.  “Wait, that’s right, if she’s your sister, why didn’t you free her?”  Denzel keeps walking.  “Because if I tried to free her, the boss’s men would have killed her, so I couldn’t get away with it.  But since you came to the picture, things have changed.”  At that, Markus thinks to himself: “He was working for the Crimson Shadow all this time to protect her sister?”

 

  Standing deep in thought, he’s brought back to reality by Katrina, who waves at him.  Markus quickly follows, and Denzel looks at Katrina.  “Are you sure this guy’s all right?  I mean look at him, he dazes off like my dog does when he sees a squirrel.”  Katrina giggles.  “Don’t worry Denzel, he’s all right.  I know that he’s more than capable.”  With that, they head out of the business district and head over to the more calm and lush country side of the city, and they make their way to a big house surrounded by nature.  “Welcome to my humble home.” Denzel says as he knocks on the door and Mika receives Denzel with open arms and she smiles happily.  “Denzel honey, I’m so glad your back!  And it’s good to see you too Katrina and Joshua!  Oh, and I see you brought a guest.”  Mika smiles and welcomes them to the house and she goes on to cook some dinner in the kitchen while Denzel and the others sit down in the dining room.

 

  Markus thinks fondly of Keera as he sees Mika and Denzel happily embracing each other and loving each other.  He thinks of the life he could have shared with Keera if he hadn’t been so selfish.  He then remembers what Katrina had told him earlier: “Not all criminals are bad.  Some enter that type of life because they have no choice, or because they’re born in it.”  With that, Markus enters deep in thought, thinking of everything that has happened till now.

 

-----------------

Denzel and Joshua how now allied themselves with Markus, as his search for the Crimson Shadow continues.  As Markus thinks of how his life could have been, he sees a new life of possibilities lying before him.  Stay tuned for Chapter Eighteen: “A Different Point Of View.”

Edited September 9, 201312 yr by Sesshomaru

Great chapter, and what a surprise: Katrina is Denzel's sister! And he's just working for the Crimson Shadow to protect his sister. What a great brother. Please keep going.

Edited September 9, 201312 yr by Keyblade101

Chapter Eighteen: A Different Point Of View

 

  After a satisfyingly delicious dinner, everyone goes to sleep, everyone except Markus, who stays outside the porch, wide awake, lost in his thoughts.  He almost falls asleep when he suddenly hears footsteps and he quickly gets on his feet.  “Whoa, easy there Rambo, it’s just me.” Denzel says as he sits down beside Markus.  Denzel looks at him for a while, as if examining him and then he looks up to the full moon.  “Beautiful night, isn’t it?”  Markus nods in silence, and then Denzel glares at him.  “Look, I know that you’re in a rut, and I know that you still don’t trust me, but hey, you want to get to the Crimson Shadow, you need a man who knows his place from top to bottom.”  At that, Markus looks at Denzel and then he asks: “Tell me something Denzel.  Tell me why you worked for the Crimson Shadow.  Tell me the whole story.”  Denzel nods.  “Okay, I don’t see why not after all.”

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvNh7hZnfXg

  With that, Denzel stands up and his gaze stays focused on the moon, and then he leans back on a wooden pillar of the porch and then he crosses his arms.  “You see, back when I was a little boy, my parents died during a robbery.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Back then Katrina was just a two year old, and she didn’t know any better, so I did what any big brother would do.  I protected her.  So at midnight, when we’re all sleeping, snug and comfy in our beds, I suddenly hear the door crash down, and when I take a peek through the stairs I see about five robbers, turning the living room upside down.  Mom and Dad had heard the ruckus and he told me and Katrina to hide in the closet and to stay there until they said so.  And so I did, but instead of the robbers going away, they killed my parents.  I heard the gunshots.  Twenty gunshots in total, to make sure they wouldn’t make it to the hospital alive.  After that, the world got bleak for me.”

 

  “Katrina was crying endlessly, and I didn’t know what to do.  I decided I had to do something to make sure my sister was safe, and so, we ran away.  We went through the streets, we went through hell, and no one even bothered to help us, not even the police, who are supposed to be the “shining example of justice.”  We had to survive by our own wits.  As the years passed, I raised my sister on my own, and we had each other’s backs.  We may not have gone to school, but we were unusually smart for our age.  We did things without anyone’s help, without anyone’s approval.  And then came that day…”

 

  “My sister and I were in the marketplace, and I remember that there was a basket full of food and I decided to ask the person if he could spare some food for us.  He just laughed and rolled his eyes and went on his way.  I was so angry because that selfish jerk wouldn’t even spare a bit of food, and in blind anger, I simply ran up to him, beat him up and took the basket, and I ran with my sister, trying to outrun the guy as fast as we could.  But then a lot more people started chasing us until we were pinned on an alleyway, with no way to get out.  That’s when he came along.  The Crimson Shadow came and shot at the ground to make the people panic and run away, and then he looked at us, and then he told us to follow him.  From that moment on, my sister and I worked for the Crimson Shadow, as payment for him having saved our lives.  I thought it was the least I could have done.”

 

  “During the years, I was trained by the Crimson Shadow himself, he would teach me self defense, vital combat tactics and killing methods.  Before I knew it, I was his top man, his most seasoned warrior.  Then I asked him if I could let my sister go, so that she could have a better life than this.  He disagreed, and instead he sent her to work in a bar full of perverts and assholes.  That’s when I realized how much of a heartless bastard he was.  He didn’t take my sister’s feelings in consideration.  I never wanted my sister to live in a life of crime.  Hell, I’d have killed everyone there to make my point, but if I even tried to make a move, they’d kill my sister, and I couldn’t let that happen.  So I reluctantly worked for him, angered by my own mistake for having followed him that day in the alley.  I figured that I’d be able to protect my sister if I visited the bar every day, and at least that worked.  That’s until you came along.”

 

  “I was in the business district, minding my own business when I received a call on my cell phone.  When I picked up the phone, I heard my sister talking happily, saying that she’d finally been freed.  She was overjoyed.  At that moment I was so happy, I didn’t know what to think.  She told me that she was in your house, and then that’s when I realized that I too had been freed.  And then you guys found me earlier today, and well, you know the rest.  Look, I know that you don’t trust me and all, but thank you for saving my sister.”  With that, Denzel leaves without a word before Markus can even say anything, leaving him alone with his thoughts again.  Markus simply sat there, thinking about all he heard just now, thinking of the hell that Denzel and Katrina went through.

 

 

 

  And then that’s when Markus found to his surprise that his thoughts shifted to Katrina.  He thought deeply of how they’d met, and about how innocent and frail she seemed.  But after hearing what Denzel just said, she was stronger than he ever would have thought.  He suddenly felt his heart beating faster, and then he shook his head in disbelief.  “No, I can’t be having feelings for her…I’m still just getting to know her.” he thinks to himself, trying to stop thinking about Katrina, but the thoughts keep coming into his head, and he can’t help but feel lost.  Then he suddenly feels afraid.  “Even if she and I were to be together, I couldn’t be able to go through with it.  I lost Keera…and losing Katrina would just destroy me more than I already am.  I don’t want to have to go through the same soul crushing experience as before.” he whispers to himself, and then he suddenly finds himself crying, thinking of Keera, and thinking about how things had gone so wrong.

 

  But then he regained his composure, as he remembered that he had the most important reason of all to fight: his daughter Michaela.  He would make sure that these bastards would never dare to hurt his family again, and that he would ensure his daughter had a peaceful and wonderful childhood.  He kept repeating this to himself, giving himself even more determination to face the task at hand.  He knew that Michaela would be safe with Angelica while he took care of this whole situation.  But he needs the situation to be solved fast, before more lives are lost because of him.  He stands up and then looks at the full moon, and gazing upon the stars, losing himself in his thoughts and feeling peaceful and filled with renewed resolve.  Then he heard some footsteps again, but this time it was Katrina who came out to check on him. 

 

  The minute he saw her, Markus quickly turned around and walked towards her.  “Um, is something wrong Katrina?”  She nods and puts her hair back.  “No, nothing’s wrong.  I just noticed that you were out here alone.  I thought you’d like some company.”  Markus nods.  “Well, I was just going to go inside, but if you want, we can stay out here.”  She simply smiled, and she sat down beside him.  “Your brother came down here a few minutes ago, and he told me the story about you two.  I’m sorry you had to go through such pain and suffering.”  Katrina nods.  “It’s been hard for us, but we’ve been able to pull through.  And thanks to you, me and Denzel are free now.  Markus…I know that you put on a brave face, but deep inside your heart, your still scarred over the loss of your true love and your father figure.”

 

  At that, Markus stays silent, and he looks down, and Katrina touches his face, and she meets his gaze and they stay looking at each other for quite a while.  “Markus…you need to understand that things are different now.  Things aren’t the same as in the past.  I know that you’re doing this for your daughter, but I know that deep inside your also doing this to avenge your losses.  You need to be strong Markus, you need to live on in their memory, you can’t cloud your mind with thoughts of revenge.  I bet they wouldn’t have wanted that.”  Markus, trying to say something, simply stays silent and Katrina stands up.  “Well Markus, I’m off to sleep.  Tomorrow’s a busy day, so you should get some rest too.  Good night.”  With that, she leaves and Markus stays there, paralyzed, as he still feels the touch of her hand on his face.  The mesmerizing beauty of her eyes, and that’s when he confirmed it.  “Looks like I’m in love…”he says to himself.

 

  With that, he heads inside the house and sits on the couch, and then he thinks of Katrina again.  If he could actually have a future with her, would things be all right?  All he can think of is the fear of losing her, and it makes him uneasy.  But he fights his uneasiness with his resolve, and then he finds that he’s falling asleep, and before he knows it, his eyes shut completely, and he enters sleeps comforting embrace.

(End Song Here.)

-----------------

 

After hearing Denzel’s story, Markus now sees the situation more clearly.  Now he finds himself falling in love with Katrina, but is it a love that is destined to be, or a love that’s doomed to fail like his previous experience?  Markus lets that all aside for a moment, as he has one thing on his mind: The Crimson Shadow.  Be prepared for Chapter Nineteen: “Work To Be Done.”

Chapter Nineteen: Work To Be Done

 

  The next morning, Markus wakes up to the sound of the television.  He then rubs his eyes and notices that Denzel is watching what appears to be an anime, while Joshua looks bored and quite displeased.  “You’ll see now Joshua, this is the part where Inuyasha unleashes his full power!” Denzel says excitedly.  Joshua rolls his eyes, and then when he notices that Markus is awake, he nods.  “Morning Markus, looks like you had a good night’s rest.”  Denzel looks at Markus and smiles.  “Well hey there Rambo, welcome back to the world of the living.  For a moment there I thought you died in your sleep.”  Markus chuckles and then he looks around.  “Where are the girls?”  Denzel yawns.  “They’re making breakfast in the kitchen.  So then Markus, are you familiar with this anime?”  Markus looks at the TV screen and notices the half demon Inuyasha battling hordes of demons.  “Oh yeah, I love that anime, that’s where Sesshomaru is, right?”  Denzel jumps excitedly.  “Exactly!”  Joshua sighs in disappointment.  “I think I’m the one that’s going to die in here.”  After a few minutes they hear Mika and Katrina call them to eat breakfast, and they do so, and after enjoying their breakfast, they head outside.  Mika looks at Denzel and holds his hand. “Be careful out there hon.”  Denzel nods.  “Always my darling.”  With that, they kiss each other lovingly and then they head off for the city.

 

  Markus looks out the window of the car and he asks: “Where do we head to first?”  Denzel pulls out a map of the city marked with numerous gray spots.  “Okay, so the Crimson Shadow is quite the sneaky guy as you may assume, so here in this map are all his hideouts, so we’d have to check the closest ones in our area first.”  Markus looks at him.  “And how do you know he’s near?”  Denzel shrugs.  “Well, he’s after you, so I assume he might be hanging around.”  Markus nods.  “Good point.  Let’s go then.”  Joshua starts the car and then he starts driving.  “Well guys, be sure to keep a sharp eye out while I do the driving.”

 

  And so, they set out for the nearby town, making sure to keep their eye out for any suspicious looking activity, and searching the suburbs to see if they can find one of the Crimson Shadow’s hideouts.  Their search takes them to midday, and they end up in a practically abandoned cul de sac, and Denzel spots one of the hideouts marked in the map.  “Okay, this is where we get off.” With that, Markus and Denzel get off the car, and Denzel looks back towards Joshua and Katrina.  “Okay guys, I need you two to stay here with the car, and if anything happens, be sure to let us know.”  They both nod in agreement and Markus and Denzel head inside the hideout, but to their surprise, it’s also abandoned, although just recently.  “Damn, it looks like they expected us…”  Denzel examines a nearby table.  “Not likely.  The boss would always move around frequently to make sure that anyone looking for him would never find him.  That’s why there are so many spots on the map.  The boss had given it to me, saying that if I didn’t find him in one hideout, I’d search the next.  It’s a complicated way of staying hidden, but an effective one.  So, what does the boss want with you anyway?  Are you two old friends or something?”  Markus nods in disagreement.  “I wish I knew.  I don’t even know who he is, so I have no idea why he’s obsessed with having me dead.  I just can’t put my finger around all of this.”

 

  They keep on searching the hideout, making sure that no stone’s left unturned.  They check all the desks and cabinets and anything that might hold something regarding the Crimson Shadow.  Markus then spots something in particular, and he sees what appears to be a throwing knife, and he takes it in his hand and examines it and then he shows it to Denzel.  “Is that familiar to you?”  Denzel takes the knife from Markus and examines it and then he throws it across the room until it reaches a wooden circle.  “Oh, I know this.  The boss’s favorite throwing knife, he’d always use this instead of playing with darts.  I wonder why he’d leave this here.”  Markus keeps on searching to see if he can find anything else that can be of use, but their search leaves them with little else.

 

  Markus looks up to the ceiling and notices a faded out poster of what seemed to be some big event. Markus looks at it and thinks deeply, and then he turns around and faces Denzel.  “So, do you know if the Crimson Shadow was in a different line of work before becoming a master criminal?”  Denzel thinks for a long time and then he nods.  “Not that I can say, but I remember that he once told me something, but I can’t seem to remember it well.  All I know is that he got into a life of crime because of greed and a hunger for power.  And when a man wants money and power, you know he’ll do anything to get it, no matter who stands in his way.  So you can imagine the kind of person he is.”  Markus nods.  “I see.” and then he looks at the throwing knife again.  He then takes it off the wooden circle and puts it in his pocket.

 

  “Hey, over here, I found something!” Denzel shouts and Markus runs quickly to him, and Denzel hands him over a map with clear red lines indicating a designated location.  “Well, it looks like we’ve saved ourselves loads of time, because this is where the boss is going next.”  Markus then looks at the map closely and notices that it’s in the upper east side of the city.  “That’s just a few blocks after the stadium…why would he go near there?”  Denzel shrugs.  “The heck if I know.  Look, the sooner we head over there, the sooner we get this done with and we go home, and I get to keep watching Inuyasha, so let’s get going.”  Markus nods and they both head outside and wave towards Joshua to start the car so they can leave.

 

(Start Song Here.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA4lu6zBmg8

  Not even a second after the car starts, gunshots can be heard dangerously close to their location.  Markus then looks up and notices a few people in tuxedos, no doubt the Crimson Shadow’s henchmen, and Denzel screams: “Run for it!”  And with that, they both head out for the car, and when they get in, Joshua quickly puts his feet on the gas and they storm out of there, with the henchmen far behind.  Markus looks back and then he looks at the map they had recovered.  “It looks like they were expecting us.  It looks like your boss isn’t as dumb as I thought he was.”  Denzel laughs.  “Ha, and you just notice that now?  Look, the faster we get to the hideout, the faster we can get the beat down on him.  All right Joshua, take us near the stadium in the city!”  Joshua nods.  “Right away!” and they quickly head over to the city.  All the while, Markus thinks of his daughter Michaela, and he wishes that no one would be looking for him so he could focus all his attention on her.  He wishes there was nothing else to worry about, and that he could raise her without any worries.  But ensuring her safety is his top priority right now, and he’ll see this done, for Michaela’s sake.  “I need to do this, no matter what.” he says to himself.

 

  After a few minutes, they head arrive at the city and they pass through the stadium, and they head a few blocks more until they find a dark alley, and through the alley, they can see a considerably big and ominous building looming about. Markus and Denzel look at each other and nod in unison, and Joshua and Katrina stay with the car in case an emergency pops out.  They both start walking through the narrow alley, making their way to the Crimson Shadow’s hideout, and Markus takes a deep breath.  “So, anything I should expect from your boss?  Any surprises I should know about?”  Denzel nods in disagreement.  “Unfortunately, that’s one of the boss’s greatest talents, he changes things up every time so no one can ever catch him.  He’s a sly fox, and not like Sly the Raccoon from Sly Cooper.”  Markus glares at Denzel.  “Why must you mention video game characters?”  Denzel chuckles.  “It’s an old habit of mine, so get used to it.”

 

  They proceed to make their way to the other side of the alley, and they notice that a big wide parking lot lies outside the hideout, and Markus and Denzel cautiously make their way through, making sure that no one surrounds them.  Denzel heads over to Markus and whispers: “No matter what happens, we stick together.  The guys have a nasty habit of making sudden ambushes.”  Markus silently nods in agreement, and they head over through the parking lot, and surprisingly they don’t find any opposition, and they head through the front door, and they notice, that just like the other hideout they had visited, it’s empty.  But this time they maintain a sharp eye out in their surroundings, making sure that there aren’t any attackers hiding in the shadows.  When they see the coast is clear, they keep on exploring the other rooms, hoping to find any trace of the Crimson Shadow.

 

  No sooner than they make their way to the second floor that they encounter a few of his henchmen, and they run towards them, ready to attack, but the Crimson Shadow raises his hand and commands them to stop.  Markus looks up, trying to see the Crimson Shadow’s face, but he only remains in the shadows, but Markus can feel that he’s smiling.  “So, you’ve found me Markus.  Impressive, ha, and look what else I dragged in.  My once loyal top man is now a traitor.  But no matter, I already have what I wish.  We must attend to business now.  All right men, you can leave me alone with them.” he says, and with that the henchmen step back and go deeper into the hideout, and the Crimson Shadow makes his way to Markus and Denzel, but then Markus notices that he has a hockey mask on him, to conceal his face.  Then the Crimson Shadow raises his fists up and laughs.  “Now the, show me what your made of.”

(End Song Here.)

-------------------

 

Markus and Denzel have finally found the Crimson Shadow, but have they found more that they bargained for?  What will happen next, what did the Crimson Shadow mean when he said “show me what your made of?”  Find out in Chapter Twenty: “Markus vs. The Crimson Shadow.”

Oh, hey, Sesshomaru, welcome back! Nice job!

Oh, hey, Sesshomaru, welcome back! Nice job!

Thanks very much!