He walks out through the door. He didn't mean to turn back again. But he did.
Through the dusty glass of the door, he sees Keiran standing in the same place as he was before. Not an inch moved. He was fifteen for fuck's sake. Alice felt himself starring back for a second longer before walking away from the guilt he felt for putting the kid in between an adult's matter.
He walked without knowing where he was going. He had nowhere to go, not back to the pub or the old man. He put his hands in his pockets of his jacket, head strung low.
He couldn't go back to Marcie and tell him he didn't get shit on Mitch. Marcie would dispose of him faster than a bullet that was being shot somewhere in the alley. He couldn't dissapoint him.
The skies were pitch black now. Stars were a rare sight in here. It was almost always just smoke and dust.
11:10pm
What was he to do now?
Alice walked blindly, he gave up thinking. His feet take him to the path he was most familiar with. The way to the fight club. It took a few corners and tricky passages to get there, he knew the path all too well now. How many times had he went there and got beat up when he fought with people who were bigger than him. But he had earned his way there too.
He makes his way to the place as a few minutes passed. Broken neon lights strung up on the entrance of the club. The club was illuminated by the flickering red lights which hung high on the ceilings. Blood splattered across the walls and gang graffiti drawn all over it. It smelled like rust and hell.
He walks in, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, eyes tired. He didn't seem like he came to fight tonight. He was already beat up from last night. The fight didn't end up in his favor. A nasty bruise remained on his cheek as a reminder of yesterday's defeat.
People noticed him as he walks in, he heard whispers and cackles from the guys mocking him for losing last night. He clenches his hands into fists in his pockets, his face remained stoic despite all the emotions he was letting to get to his head. The ring felt empty to him as he stood by the side, watching as two suicidal idiots swing sloppy fists at each other, barely standing anymore. But neither of them gave up. They couldn't. Giving up wasn't on the table. You could bleed, burn and break, but not quit.
"Alice."
He felt his heart drop.
The one voice he had hoped he wouldn't hear today. His gaze remained stuck to the ground, eyes widened in cold fear as the atmosphere around him became heavy in an instant.
Marcie breathed out a string of smoke from the cigarette he held between his lips.
He wasn't supposed to be in town for a week! He wasn't supposed to be here. Alice continued to stare down, feeling ever fibre in his body telling him to run.
Marcie had a kind of air around him which made people lower their heads when they saw him. His dark brown hair was slicked back, his eyes glinted with a dead expression on his face. He walked to Alice, dropping the cigarette at his feet, crushing it out.
"Don't stay dumb when you still got your tongue."
Alice lifted his head to look at him, his body expected strikes. His neck tightened visibly as he felt the back of his throat burn.
"Mitch hasn't been around his home in days, his brother doesn't know anything either-" Oh he knew that.
"I didn't ask you to give me his excuses."
"I.." His voice trailed off. He knew he couldn't give anything to save his ass from getting beat now. The crowd around them started to stare.
"You're useless to me if you can't do you're asked to." He reaches out a hand towards him, grabbing Alice by his jacket. "I liked you cause you were good with your fists. Until last night.You slipped up."
Alice remained silent, what could he say when he knew he couldn't make up bullshit now. He felt the grip tighten on him as he's suddenly dragged and yanked into the ring. The two fighters from earlier stops, Marcie leans by the rail, folding up his white sleeves as he spares a mocking glance at him. "I can't let you go so easily. Therefore, a chance for you to make it up to me."
Alice stands up from the rough ground, he knew he was in for it now. He strips his jacket off as he tosses it to the side, the previous fighters limping their way out of the ring.
"Don't dissapoint me again." Marcie nods to one of the bystanders, a man who was almost the same size as Alice. Just a tad bit taller and bulkier with short hair.
Without hesitation, he walked into the ring as he stood infront of Alice. Both of them waited. Alice couldn't waste away this chance. He needed to win, even if it meant to die for it.
Then the bell rang. Steel on steel.
Alice meets with a sudden strike to his cheek. He falls back onto the ground, taking a moment to snap out of the adrenaline rushing to his body. He pushes himself off the ground.
Marcie watched the fight uninterested. He only kept his eyes on Alice. Not the fight.
People cheered and put their bets on either fighters.
Getting back on his feet, he sees another fist come through. He puts his arms up for defense but-crack- his face took the impact. His nose bled heavily, he screams out in pain.
Marcie grins, finally putting his bet on one of the two.
The impact should've knocked him out. He staggered on his feet, the other man didn't let down. He lunges again, determined to wipe him out this time.
Alice felt his eyes close for a brief moment before lunging back at him.
He slams in, driving him right onto the ground while taking multiple hard blows to his sides. He didn't let up either.
When the moment opened, he lands the strike that ended it all.
It was hard and final.
And all it took was one.
The hit sent the guy twitching, clutching onto his neck as his eyes widened, bloodshot.
It was clear who had won. The bell rang with unexpected cheers from the crowd.
Alice gets up, standing over the body that was starting to go limp.
Marcie climbs in the ring, walking straight to Alice as he reaches out his hand towards him.
Alice frowns, turning to him unsteady on his feet when he feels his vision darken.
Marcie catches him against his body as he falls onto him with a soft thud.
"You did better than I expected." Alice hears these faint words before getting knocked out himself. The adrenaline had died down, leaving him in a bloody mess with broken ribs and a bloody face. The other man was dragged out of the ring, his body limp. Was he dead? Or was he just knocked out? No one bothered to care.
The brutal side of the fight club.
There were no rules on how to play here.