Encounter

"Joey, what are you doing here?" Joey looked behind him only to see Eisha with her same make-up on only a little bit better, It was lighter and complimented her looks. She wore a training suit with a rose pattern over her chest that pressed on her chest.

Her breasts weren't overly large so it was practically flat after she wore it, this was considered lucky for a lot of girls who became warriors. There has been a lot of doctors who focuses on breast reduction surgery, having your breasts pierced and lopped off wasn't fun.

If it wasn't for her normally feminine nature and fascination with Joey, he wouldn't take her as that kind of girls. They were normally tomboys.

"I'm here to pick up something" Joey replied not interested in talking any longer. "That means we can go in together!" Eisha started talking and walking with Joey.

"I heard rumour of an Afterlife happening. I'm scared of making big bets but I need some material and I don't want my families to help. So I am only gonna betting something small and hopefully turn it big." Eisha wrapped her arm around Joey as she started to seem friendly... a little too friendly.

Eisha saw the look on his face then said "Stop acting so stiff and suspicious. We're friends. Plus these are my clothes and I want to hold them." Joey still had his suspicions of Eisha and this just made him more alert.

They walked into the Martial Center when Joey heard someone shout after him "Joey!". Looking over in the direction of the voice just to see Michael.

He couldn't help but think he was a magnet for attracting buffoons.

Michael walked over, he looked at them and a light blush came over his face. Joey knew he misunderstood and said, "She is a friend".

Joey knew he didn't think of her like that, It was still better than saying 'she gave me cheap clothes so I am being nice'.

"I-i see, My bad. I just wanted to say sorry about challenging you for the handle. I only had good intentions, although you wouldn't understand if I explained it. Just be careful" Michael was feeling guilty about bringing him into all the family problems. Of course, he didn't know that Joey had manhandled some of Grisilia's men already.

Joey didn't know what to make of him being this sincere, he was still being suspicious of him being the reason behind his ambush.

"Don't worry about it, we can talk about it anytime" Joey said wanting to know why he challenged him, but that probably didn't matter much.

"WINNER Ceronay!"

A commentator in the Martial Center shouted the stages were all being used with fighting. The atmosphere was like the first time Joey was here but there were a lot more people that we're fighting and people would be betting on each one.

The only persons in the ring would be the fighters and a referee would be at the side. It was unlike the afterlife which just had a single large elevated stage that would rise from the centre. Now it was about 20 - 50 stages with gamble fights.

The research area was turned into a dining area. It was almost like a festival, but for fighters. Tournaments were always looked forward to for people that practised Martial Arts, watching people fight picking up what you could learn especially if they were using the same martial techniques.

It was almost like what Joey was doing but it was more about learning how other people fight. not stealing their styles.

"Like I said before there was an information leak about an Afterlife, so people have turned the Center into a big festival waiting for the match to happen. Although we don't know the fighters yet, It's still bound to be a good night" Eisha started walking around the Martial Center and explained.

"Right now it just random people fighting and gambling. The referees are people hired by the Martial Center, The Afterlife normally happens randomly so I don't know when it will happen. Let's get something to eat" One would think they were dating the way how they walked around. She was a little too comfortable around Joey.

"I know where we can go" Michael who was third-wheeling said. Joey had almost forgotten about his existence before he said this but he was there.

"I have to go somewhere. I'm not here to have fun" Joey tugged his arm away and walked away. He needed to get whatever Stephenson sent for him. He needed to get his sister away from that hospital and under a roof.

He never had time for someone who was going to go home to a warm bed tonight, he planned to follow the agreement between him and Stephenson then get his sister. He didn't even bother copying Martial Arts from the fights, he deemed them too low level.

Eisha and Michael were left shocked by how he left."How do you know Joey? is he like a childhood friend?" Michael asked. He was curious about the relationship between the two seeing how they walked in together.

"No, but we are friends. We met a few days ago and we held each other out" Eisha didn't take any offence to Joey's act when he left the group so abruptly. She thought of Joey as someone who has been through a lot and might not be easy to accept her and have fun.

She just wanted to be there for him as a friend, in her mind, Joey needed to have someone there for him.

"I don't mean to disrespect but he seems too serious and his face seems too serious. Maybe if you really make mean faces too long it will be stuck"

Eisha scoffed at his ignorance of not knowing Joey was an orphan and had to go through a lot "We can wait for him somewhere, maybe he can find us." She walked and Michael dumbly followed her.