Fists of Vengeance – Chapter 2: Embers in the Storm
The underground fight had ended, but the war had just begun.
Arthur sat on the edge of an abandoned rooftop, sweat cooling against his skin. Neon lights flickered below like the pulse of a restless beast. His knuckles, still bloodied from the brawl with Kaine, throbbed with the pain of victory. But something deeper gnawed at him—this wasn't the end. It was only the first step toward dismantling the Serpent Circle… and avenging his father.
A voice broke the silence.
"They've placed a price on your head."
Arthur turned to see Juno, his only true ally left in a city that felt colder by the hour. She wore a hoodie soaked from the drizzle, a tablet glowing in her hands.
"They've called in someone new," she said. "Name's Midas. Real name unknown. Ex-mercenary. Now owns everything from nightclubs to private prisons."
"And what does he want with me?" Arthur asked, standing.
"You. Dead. Or in chains."
Arthur cracked his knuckles. "Let him try."
The Golden Arena
Midas didn't hide in shadows. He ruled from glass towers. His latest message came in the form of a gold-plated invitation delivered to Arthur's hideout.
Inside: coordinates. A time. And one phrase—
"Let's see what Ryker's boy is truly made of."
Arthur and Juno scouted the location: a nightclub transformed into a private fight club. No spectators this time—just a VIP audience of crime lords and investors, watching from behind bulletproof glass.
As Arthur entered, shirtless and bruised but burning with purpose, Midas greeted him from above, a glass of wine in hand.
"Welcome to the stage," he said. "Your father broke bones. Let's see if you break legacy."
Then the real test dropped from the ceiling: a cage, and inside, a beast of a man—Orion, once a world-ranked fighter, now a sold sword.
The cage door slammed shut.
Blood and Fire
Orion charged like a wrecking ball. Arthur sidestepped, barely escaping a blow that dented the steel wall behind him. They danced in a blur of elbows, knees, and bone-snapping tension.
Arthur was fast—but Orion was a monster.
Each time Arthur landed a blow, Orion grunted. Each time Orion connected, Arthur staggered. Blood flowed. Teeth cracked. Every move echoed in Arthur's memory, Ryker's teachings resurfacing:
"Pain is not the enemy. It is the message. Listen to it."
Arthur ducked a wild hook and countered with a brutal spinning elbow. Orion reeled. Arthur didn't stop—five rapid strikes to the pressure points, a knee to the temple, and a final slam into the cage bars.
Orion collapsed. Silence.
Then Midas's voice cut through.
"You pass. But this was never about you."
The screen behind him lit up.
A live feed.
Lance, bound, bloodied, hanging from chains. Behind him: the Serpent Circle's mark, burning on the wall.
Juno gasped. Arthur stepped closer. "Where is he?"
Midas smiled. "Somewhere only ghosts can find."
Redemption or Revenge?
Arthur and Juno sped through the city on a stolen bike. Rain whipped their faces. The warehouse on the screen—it matched a ruin from Ryker's past. A training ground turned trap.
Inside, flames licked the floor. Lance dangled unconscious, the air thick with smoke.
Arthur hesitated. Lance had betrayed him. Handed him over once. But now?
True vengeance… or justice?
Arthur slashed the chains. Lance collapsed, coughing. "They threatened my sister," he gasped. "I didn't know they'd go this far."
Arthur wanted to scream. But instead, he dragged Lance to his feet. "Then earn back your soul. Survive."
The building groaned. Enemies closed in. Arthur fought through them like a blade through water—fluid, fast, final. Fists cracked. Knees shattered. Blood sprayed.
As the last thug fell, Arthur faced Midas again.
No guards. Just them.
Midas pulled a gold-plated knife. Arthur raised his fists.
It ended in seconds.
A feint. A block. One punch to the throat. One to the ribs. One to the heart.
Midas collapsed, gasping in defeat. Arthur bent down and whispered, "Tell your masters—I'm not just Ryker's son. I'm the storm he never saw coming."
The Ashes Speak
By dawn, the building was cinders. Arthur stood in the wreckage as sirens wailed in the distance. Juno walked beside him, eyes scanning the horizon.
"You know this won't stop," she said.
"No," Arthur replied, staring at the rising sun. "But neither will I."
Somewhere far beyond the city lights, the Serpent Circle stirred. The Viper, the one who killed Ryker, watched from the shadows—waiting.
But now, Arthur wasn't just chasing vengeance.
He was becoming it.
[End of Chapter 2]🔥 Next: Chapter 3 — "Serpents in the Shadows" 🔥