The Omega's Fist

3. Warmth

Jason’s locker room was an empty shell that perfectly depicts how his life turned out. He knew that his mother would have never approved of this if she was still alive.

She worked hard to provide for him till her last breath, after all.

FLASHBACK ׀ SIX YEARS AGO

“Sir, are you the relative of Ms. Laura Richards?” a nurse asked as she came to him.

“She is my mother.” Jason hardened his expression when he responded. It was still hard for him to process what was going on. “She just died.”

“I need you to sign some documents for her to be transferred to the morgue. No worries. Her insurance had settled your bills. You do not need to pay a dime,” she assured him while holding his hand. “Come, follow me to the administration’s office.”

Jason followed diligently, though he never understood what she said.

“Please sit and wait for your turn, sir. The lady at the counter will call your name.” Then the nurse walked out of the room, leaving him behind.

Jason was still in a daze as he kept replaying everything that happened that morning. Where did he go wrong? He thought long and hard.

“Jason Richards to counter four, please.” No one seemed to have heard the call. Thus, the lady paged again. “Jason Richards to counter—” She wasn’t able to finish when a young man appeared in front of her— it was Jason.

“Why am I even here?” he asked the lady in a lost voice. Nonetheless, the woman behind the counter didn’t even flinch. She had experienced this a thousand times from people who had just lost their relatives. So, she just smiled at him and gave him a pen.

“Sir, we need you to sign some documents for your mother, so we can transfer her to the morgue. Also, sign this insurance claim on her behalf. You are her beneficiary.” The lady slid three documents to the table.

Jason signed all the papers absentmindedly. He was alone, orphaned, and a minor. How was he supposed to survive when he did not even have a penny to live off with. He sulked there on the floor in front of the admin office. He knew he had nowhere else to go.

“Hi boy, you mind stepping aside? I had to sign some documents here too.” A young man, a little older than him, said.

“I’m sorry, sir.” He replied to the young man before he ran off as fast as he could. He knew his life was in danger. Without his mother to protect him, he would be very vulnerable when his heat came.

He kept running until he was back to their apartment. He sulked and ate as many cereals as he could munch.

“What am I going to do now?” He asked himself. Lost, he crawled underneath their kitchen table and cried to sleep.

PRESENT

Jason left the room to get back home. He was tipsy, a bit numb but still with most of his senses intact.

As he closed his locker door, another omega fighter did. Their spaces were in the same complex and floor.

“Hi there. Nice match you had earlier.” The boy complimented him.

Jason just shrugged it off since he thought otherwise. With an uninterested glare, he turned to the guy and checked on his physique. The stranger had a well-built body, almost similar to his.

“Thanks. I’m Jason, and you are?” he asked, trying to be friendly towards the boy. It was the first time that another omega acknowledged him.

The boy grinned and offered his hand. He looks quite enthusiastic and jolly to see Jason as well. “I’m Oscar. It’s nice to meet you.”

Oscar had a black eye and a couple of bandages on his shoulders. His battle-wounds were showing since he was wearing a razorback dry-fit shirt.

“Let me help you. You seemed to be injured badly.” Jason became concerned. He was limping when he walked to the stranger. Oddly, he felt comfortable talking to this boy.

“You should have seen the other guys,” Oscar scratched his head, then they both chuckled. They knew that there had never been an omega to walk out of that eight-cornered ring clean and without blood oozing out of their skins.

“So, where are you off to?” Oscar asked after a while.

“Home.” Jason tilted his head. “And you?” He just couldn’t help but be friendly with the guy. It was as if he had found a brother or something on Oscar. His touch gave him warmth.

“I’m getting back to my pad. My family wants to see me.” Oscar’s tone was dismissive. It was easy to tell that he didn’t like to see his family.

“You’re loaded, huh? So why join the UOFC? Surely you do not need the money and security.” Jason could not help but pry even more.

Oscar went silent. Then a few more seconds and he let go of Jason’s hand.

“See you around. Bye,” Oscar said before tapping his shoulder and leaving him in the hallway.

Jason, on the other hand, just stood there in silence while watching Oscar’s silhouette grow smaller and smaller.