9 | Catfight

"King," Pandora called, her eyes focused on the person before her. King paused and turned at his ground to look at her. Despite her unexpressive and cold-blooded gaze, the tone and voice in which she had used to call him expressed a whole lot more. Her eyes flittered away from his for a second. "What really happened back there?"

King cocked a brow. There he was trying to save a conversation with her regarding earlier's discussion till later. He was conscious of making her uncomfortable because of the accusation thrown at her earlier, but it looks like Pandora didn't really care. King looked at her in disbelief. "What happened back there? That's supposed to be my line! You've been odd ever since that conversation earlier—"

"I wasn't talking about what happened today."

King stared at her with knitted brows.

"... I was talking about when we were chased by those werewolves."

"Why do you still ask about that?" King said, lifting a gesturing hand. "You were there. You saw everything that transpired."

"... Is that everything?"

"Of course! What are you pointing at? And why are you like this?"

The two stared at each other for a brief moment, both seeking answers at each other's gazes. Pandora was the one to break contact first. She slightly shook her head and continued to move. "I was just wondering if you had noticed something odd during that moment."

King kept his eyes trained at Pandora. He didn't bite. He stood in front of her and walked in a backward manner. "... You've got something, dpn't you?"

Pandora didn't return her gaze at him. "Not really."

"I don't believe you—"

"Pff—! Bloody fuck!"

Pandora's brows slightly rose, and King jolted when he slammed into someone from behind. His back pricked when something cold seeped through his shirt, and he turned his head, seeing a brunette-haired lad with a beasting expression. His face was already flushed red, but his face even burned darker. And if only the ice-cold water he was drinking earlier was splashed moderately on him, one could have mistaken it for his already sweaty composure. But no, he looked like a wet rat caught by surprise.

King felt something trudged at the back of his mind. The person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember. "H-hey, I'm so—"

"What the fuck!" the guy yelled again. He raised his head, eyes ready to spit fire and threats to the person who bumped into him. But when he saw King, his blue eyes went round.

King placed a hand on his nape. "Look, I didn't mean to—"

"Well, well, if it isn't King," the guy said, a playful smile pressing on his lips. Moments later, King took a sharp intake of breath when the cup containing the leftover cold water was hurled at him, spilling a small amount of fill at his chest. "Fucking look where you are heading at, numbskull."

King pressed his lips together, trying to douse his anger. But his body refused, slowly starting to tremble from the fuse sparking in his system.

"You're like your mama, butting head straight onto something without even thinking. That's why you end up regretting things," the guy said, wiping his face with a cloth in his pocket. "Now, lLook at you, thrown away," he chuckled.

King's eyes went round. His fists did as well.

"You should take this as a lesson and get lost—"

King drew back his right arm. Then wham!

"King!"

King punched the dude on his cheek.

The latter staggered back, seeing stars in his vision. As if being clobbered wasn't enough, he had accidentally bitten his own tongue as well. "Motherf—!"

King threw a punch again. He heard his name being called out, but he was too fixated on the red-haired brat to give a fuck.

King body-slammed the brunette on the ground, pinning the guy under him. He continued to throw his fist down to the other, but then, a painful grunt left his chest, and his body strained when the guy somehow managed to kick on his wound. And then the tide shifted.

With King's defense cracked, the lad was able to grab his collar and hurled him around, switching their positions. Tightening his fist, he became the one sending blows directed to the other.

King crossed his arms in front of him, trying to block all the red-hair's punches. Muscles contracted, and forces were exerted. Grinding his teeth, he stretched both his feet and twisted his legs around the other's thigh to caught him off guard. And it happened, just for a second. But it was enough time for King to deliver a blow onto his stomach.

"Ugh!" grunted the guy. When his arm wobbled, King elbowed it, causing him to crash down to the floor. King then retaliated fast by rolling on top of him. And with a hand pinning the guy below him, King balled his other fist and sent it straight onto the guy's face. He continued, sending blow after blow after blow.

"Oi! Quit it!" someone yelled, but it was static for King. Everything to him was a blur. He only saw red. "I said stop!"

Suddenly, strong arms hooked under King's underarms, pulling him off of the guy below him. King thrashed, but the person had already locked him in his grip.

"King," the man said, his breath blowing on King's ear, "calm down."

A chill slithered down King's body, and in a second, reality doomed back on him. There he was back in his room, people crowding in on both of them.

The guy King thrashed was helped by others, and he glared at King, his gaze looking as if he had wanted to kill him at that very second. King challenged him back. He tried to lunge at him again but wasn't able to arrive a foot closer. He was still being held back by someone, and he could smell and feel the reek of sweat from behind him.

King turned his head, and his eyes went round when he connected gazes with those pair of familiar green eyes. Immediately, he thrashed again, trying to get out of the grip. But it wasn't to attack the brunette-haired again.

Thinking he was still going on about it, Axel kept him on his hold.

"Let go already! I'm already done!" King snapped.

The blondie only knitted his brows, his grip still as firm as before.

"I said let go!" King jabbed his elbow back unconsciously, landing it on Axel's packing stomach. The latter didn't seem fazed by it all. But his grip loosened, and King broke out of his clutches. Axel still kept his eyes trained on King.

"Tss! I'm not going to do anything. Just keep that ratface away."

"That's my line, you bloody turd," the brunette snapped, advancing towards King. However, he didn't reach far since the others held him back.

"Vance, leave."

King turned to look at the person who spoke, and there he saw a familiar face arriving at the scene. His brother, Nyx. He was a bit surprised, caught off guard by the reappearing now-all-changed figures he hadn't seen for years. But what really had him at that time was what Nyx had said. Instead of driving onwards, King's train of thoughts went on reverse. His scowl slowly unfolded, and his eyes went round. "Wait... Vance?"

... Vance?!

King's jaw fell. Now he knew why that punk looked familiar. Vance was this kid who used to follow him all around, going on like he was his real brother just like Nyx. His family also had issues, and maybe that's the reason why they got along so well. When they left the pride, he was only eleven at that time. King could remember his snot-filled face, bawling his eyes out when he begged them badly not to go. He felt miserable, But King couldn't really do anything about it. Heck, he really couldn't do anything at that time at all.

But now, King wondered. Just how exactly in the world... did such a dainty kid turned into a demon?!

King's image of the past dissolved when a provoking sneer pressed on Vance's lips.

"That's right," Vance said. He leaned his face closer and added, "Good to see you back. I'll make sure you enjoy your time." With that said, he straightened up and cruised away, unrestrainedly bumping into King on his way out.

King kept his eyes trained on Vance before he disappeared. Looks like their calculations towards their stay here in Romania were wrong. This place was already starting to really turn into hell.