The Figure in the Alley

"It's so hot..." Dash mumbled after Devon dragged him to buy ice cream.

"Stop complaining. You train in worse conditions without Mr. Kim noticing, and your parents giving you permission. Do you dare to complain now that you're walking a bit under the sun?" Devon looked at Dash and shook her head as they searched for a shady spot to sit.

During this day they took as a break before the opening of the Sakura Bushido Dojo, Dash felt excited that many more students were about to venture into what was the true pinnacle of martial arts and competitive spirit within this place.

Things hadn't been exciting since winning the tournament with Devon, so Dash needed to do some other things besides training to distract himself. It's not like technology was very advanced now to find ways to pass the time.

Moreover, Dash's goal was to make the most of his body, so he needed to try to spend the days he took off from training as a way to take advantage of things he could now do that he hadn't done before.

"Should we adopt a cat to live in the Dojo?" Dash looked at Devon while biting his chocolate popsicle and asked her.

"Cats shed a lot of fur. If you're not willing to take care of it all day, it's better not to adopt a pet. I hate that everyone has the right to adopt pets; not everyone is prepared to be responsible."

Upon hearing those words from Devon, Dash sighed and said, "But that way, fewer pets would be adopted, and more would be killed. What do you think would be better in some specific cases?"

Devon thought about it and was momentarily without an answer. It was true that animals that were not adopted were killed because they couldn't find a home. It might sound cruel, but that's the harsh reality. Nowadays, people prefer a purebred cat without considering that many animals are waiting to be adopted before a decision is made to end their lives.

When Devon pondered this question, she didn't know what to answer. She didn't want to sound insensitive, but sometimes, death for pets that would suffer more is the best option in every way.

"It's a difficult issue, isn't it?" Dash smiled slightly and, as someone who had touched on death, said, "Dogs and cats are not animals that can survive in nature. They survive thanks to humans who take care of them, and for that reason, they cannot be left free."

Devon learned something new today; if it were a debate topic, it would clarify many things and leave others unclear. But they weren't debating now; they were having a simple conversation to pass the time.

"Tomorrow the Dojo opens. Do you want a nickname? Black Widow would suit you fantastically, and they could call me the Dragon Warrior once I win the tournament in China," Dash said as he stretched and walked back.

"That sounds very cheesy..." Devon muttered as she followed Dash, who was getting farther away.

While both walked through the quiet streets near a supermarket, Dash, from the corner of his eye, noticed a figure that had been following him for some time, and this worried him a little.

Dash's lively gaze dimmed, replaced by a more serious one where jokes were not allowed.

If he was being followed, it might not be by good people since he hadn't made enemies who remembered him. Well, no one with the capabilities to send someone to harm him. Even the idea of something like that is unlikely, but to be sure, he had to do something.

"Don't you want a burger before we go back?" Dash asked with his usual emotionally charged look so that Devon wouldn't suspect anything.

"Are you treating?" Devon didn't have much money with her, so to avoid spending what was left for the taxi, she asked Dash with a slightly interested look.

"Of course, take a hundred dollars, order the combos while I go to the bathroom," Dash said as he disappeared from his friend's sight.

Devon didn't notice anything strange and ran to the line to order burgers at the restaurant inside the mall.

Meanwhile, Dash, who had been aware of who was following him, disappeared from his field of vision, and suddenly, he sat on a bench when he saw that figure passing by in a hurry.

"What does that man want?"

When Dash looked at the man who had been following him, he discovered that it was the Sensei of Kuskre Karate, the same Sensei as Marcus and Silva, who had hit him in the forehead illegally and with hatred.

"Can I help you, sir?" Dash, who had seen a couple of police officers walking not far from him, approached the man calmly and asked.

Santiago was surprised, turned around, and said, "You're smarter than I thought; that will make things easier..."

"I would like to know more about what you're thinking, but I'm not interested in any of your business, so if you stop bothering me and my friend, I won't tell the police over there that you've been following me and my friend as a thank you."

Even if it were a city, Dash wouldn't trust anyone he hadn't interacted with before. But as he didn't want to create any scandal, he wanted to end things through conversation.

"I just wanted to give you something. This is my business card... Let's say I'm a fight trainer as well as a Karate master. Now that I've closed the Dojo, I'll focus on one job, but before I go, I wanted to give you this business card in case someday in the future, you want to fight and, by the way, earn money. Don't forget to call me." Santiago handed Dash a metal card before leaving.

"How are you sure I'll call you in a few years?" Dash asked, looking at the card Santiago had left.

"Everything in life changes; maybe you won't, but if you do, we could both make a lot of money," Santiago said as he waved his hand and walked away.

Looking at the card in his hand, Dash wanted to throw it away since it was obviously related to illegal fights, but without thinking much about it, he decided to keep it and return to Devon before she noticed that something was wrong.

"What a strange man..." Dash murmured, a bit confused.

What he didn't know was that Santiago had chosen him just to have something in the future. If Dash keeps entering, he knows perfectly when a man would become a predator.