The Omega's Fist

8. Fight for survival

THAT TWO-DAY VACATION IN OSCAR’S PLACE was all Jason needed to refresh his mind, body, and soul. He found a reason to continue his journey. After all, life was about experiences, people, and memories.

He had just finished taking a shower, and water was trickling down his well-toned chest and abs. Tonight was his scheduled fight.

He looked at the mirror and checked his wounds and bruises. His black eye looked a lot better, and his wounds were all healed. His wolf genes could be a blessing sometimes. Even though he had not shifted yet, his father’s genes had been helping him cope with the physical abuse. He heals faster than any normal person.

His hair had grown dark roots, too, and it was beginning to show off his natural hair colour. “I needed to go back to Adrian after my fight today. I do not want to look ragged in front of my fans,” he muttered before recording his plan on his to-do list.

He cleaned up, shaved his stubble, and brushed his teeth. After doing his routine, he picked up a white shirt, sweatpants, and a jacket from his closet.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he blurted, “Oh s**t. I am going to be late for the preparation.”

He immediately ran towards the door and pressed the elevator button to the ground floor. He had his private elevator, courtesy of Alpha Garsen. It was for his security.

He took out his phone and dialled his assistant’s number.

Ring … Ring … Ring. . .

“Hello, Jason. How may I help you today?” Cooper answered.

“Cooper, I am running a bit late. Can you make sure that I have everything I need in my locker room? Also, bring me a new set of mouth guards.”

Silence made its excuse on the call.

“Cooper, are you there?”.

“Yes, Jason. I got your requests. I will prepare them, sir. Would you need anything else?” Cooper responded with a trembling voice.

“Can you buy a bouquet of roses? I want to give it to someone.” Jason smiled. He was daydreaming about Oscar. Never did it cross his mind that he would spend his money on flowers one day.

Honk!

“Watch where you are walking, boy!” an old man called his attention just before he finished crossing the busy street. He was too occupied with thoughts that he didn’t notice the car approaching.

“Mr Richards? Are you still there, sir?"

“Yes, sorry about that. Did you get everything I said?”

“Yes, sir. I will prepare them now.” Cooper responded.

“Thank you.” Jason then hung up the call. He hurriedly went down to the subway to catch the earliest train towards the stadium. It was three stops from his current place, and he was nervous he wouldn’t make it in time. Alpha Garsen will be nagging him if that happens.

“To all the passengers, please alight the train. You have thirty seconds before the doors close,” a lady reminded the people at the station.

Jason swiped his card onto the security turnstile and ran towards the train, passing off the people who were walking. He was almost there when he heard the door alarm. It was closing. He pushed himself towards it, blocking the door from closing while using his body as a stopper.

“Please do not block the doors.” Another reminder came from the train’s speaker.

Jason had successfully gotten inside the train. He looked around and saw that it was half empty. He let out a sigh of relief. It was only thirty minutes past three in the afternoon. He will still make it to the stadium on time for the courtesy call.

Jason scanned the cabin to find a handrail or something he could hold on to. The ride was fast, and he arrived at the Fourth Avenue-Ninth station in less than twenty minutes.

He still had plenty of time left. The courtesy call starts at 5 PM, and he already had a head start with Cooper doing the errands for him.

He got off the station. It was damp, and a few corners of that place smelled of piss. The station had seen better days before. Vandals were rampant along the white-tiled walls and stairs.

Jason lifted his hood to his head and walked towards the stadium. It was a block away from the station, and anyone won’t miss its flashy lights and glass-panelled exterior. It was a sore eye for people working on the nearby buildings as it was very reflective when hit by the sun’s rays.

After a few minutes, he arrived at the back entrance of the stadium. It wasn’t as fancy as the audience’s entrance, but it was highly guarded. Two men were waiting by the door, and the moment Jason stepped in, a facial recognition scanner greeted him.

Upon passing the initial checks, he walked into a tunnel that serves as an X-ray scanner. It was designed to automatically lock if it detects any undeclared metal objects.

The ordeal took another ten minutes of Jason’s precious time. After passing the tunnel, he immediately went straight to his locker room to prepare. The stadium was huge, and there were hundreds of locker rooms in one wing. He navigated the crowd of people preparing the ring and everything else for the matches tonight.

The room they assigned for him today had 065 on it. They equipped each door with a biometric scanner. The Committee allows only the fighter, the assistant, and the sponsor inside the rooms. And to make it more secure, they only assign locker rooms to the fighters when they have events. The fighters can only get their locker numbers upon entering the stadium.

Although he had been there hundreds of times, Jason still found the stadium both intriguing and amusing. Thinking of what’s inside his new locker room still excites him— it was the same when he got in there.

Room 065 was well-lit when he entered. There was a mirror on the left side, and beside it was the couch. As always, the seat was made of synthetic leather. The items he requested were already inside, and they were neatly folded and placed inside the dresser.

He grabbed his shorts and a ball protector. The rest can be worn afterwards, he thought. Cooper got inside while he was in the bathroom.

“I am here, Cooper. Just wait a sec.”

“Yes, sir,” his assistant replied with a grin on his face.

Jason stepped out with his white shirt and skin-tight dry-fit shorts. His clothes were hugging his muscles perfectly.

“Are you alright, sir?” Cooper asked.

With his eyebrows furrowed, he turned to his assistant and wondered. “What’s wrong?”

“You were smiling. You never smiled, sir,” Cooper teased him.

“I was just daydreaming. Now let’s get to business. Start wrapping my hands while I hang my clothes.” he ordered, and the boy diligently followed every word he said with no questions asked.

“All done, sir.”

Jason inspected the wrap. It was snug enough for his skin to breathe. “Thank you, you are getting good at doing this.” he complimented Cooper and smiled.

Disbelief flashed on Cooper’s face upon hearing him. Nonetheless, the boy just shrugged his shoulders after a while. “You will be in the second fight, and the winner will advance to the seventh. Are you ready to go?”

“I was born ready for this!” Jason clapped his gloves as he spoke.