Chapter 68 He just wanted to do a round of training 

The next morning, he came into class and Eddie, Leo, Lina and Lisa were there, staring at him. He yawned with tiredness and walked towards his seat. Halfway there, he was intercepted by Eddie, who looked him over from head to toe.

"Alta, where have you been?" came from him.

He yawned again. "Yes, I left my cell phone at home, my aunt took it from me after training."

"Two days? Alta Sarge has been spinning his wheels."

"My mom forgot to tell him. So where is he and the rest?" He looked around.

"Well, Sarge isn't coming today. Apparently he has to do some official business. We've been given work assignments," came from Leo. 

"Oh, paperwork, about the registry office." He went to Sarge's table and collected notes.

"Ah... Prepare internship..." He put the note in his pocket and turned to the door.

"Where are you going?" 

"To get a Pepsi and then to training."

" Speaking of training, where do you always go? Uthe laughed at a guy who hangs out in the dojos here on the island. "

Luke had to think about who Uthe was, then he remembered that she had been the biggest martial arts nerd and a member of the newspaper club back in the day.

"With the holos, I don't have a dojo Eddie. Only martial arts holos." 

"What? Do you know how expensive the facility is?" 

Luke looked at him.

"Nah, I've got the family pass. " 

He left, hurried to the nearest store, grabbed a drink and hurried on to the holo facility.

Went in, changed and since he had more time than usual. Started warming up in the fitness area. Where he ran alongside soldiers and lifted weights while sweating. 

Afterwards he shuffled, already sweaty, to his usual holofield. He entered his training plan at the terminal. He found this practical, as the seniors reacted to incorrect postures. So he went through the basics he had noticed at the tournaments that he had weakened here. He struggled for 1 ½ hours. He squatted, bent over and breathed to lower his heart rate. Then he did yoga exercises and cursed himself inwardly for it.

He stood up and went to the console for the combat exercises. When he heard a nervous cough. Luke looked to the source, saw Uthe, next to her martial artist like something out of a picture book. Inwardly, he groaned.

"Let me guess, Eddie or Leo?"

" Ehh, it was Eddie who said you'd fucked off to training. Instead of going to Burger World with him and the others." 

Luke grinned.

"Burger World's not really my thing. So what do you want with an appendix?" 

His friend looked at him.

"I want to fight you."

" Against me? "

" Yes. Uthe said you've been doing this for a while and in their close combat training against ..."

" Ha... they let me win, for my ego and yeah. But the club wasn't popular and the coach was an alcoholic. I don't know if it's worth it for you. Eddie told me that Uthe's friend is a celebrity here on the island." He grinned.

Uthe's friend laughed.

"We watched you earlier, the basics. Yeah, I've won tournaments here on the island, and before the second escape, on the mainland too." 

Luke fell silent and looked at the terminal. He really didn't feel like it.

"I just want to see how good you are, that's all, I didn't know the facility here offered anything like this."

"Well, it's more cobbled together. Holo simulated, well okay. But before I do anything. You're not using Uthe for a fight, are you?"

He laughed and gave Uthe a kiss on the cheek.

"No. My old man would kick my ass. Uthe's too good for me. "

" Alright, but I need to organize a referee."

" Can't Holo do that?" asked Uthe.

" Hhmm, yes, but don't interfere. " He went to his things, squatted down, took out his cell phone. Scrolled through the list. Then pressed April's number. 

"Hello Aunt April," he began when she answered.

"Luke school?" came from her.

"Sarge has the day off."

"Hhmm. Liz said she had to take him to the office stallions. so what's up?"

"Uh... I need a referee for a competition." 

"And then you call me?" 

"Well..."

"I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up.

He threw the cell phone with his things.

"The referee will be there in ten minutes. You can get changed." 

Uthe's friend nodded and went into the changing room. Uthe looked after him, then at Luke, who was drinking water.

After 8 minutes he came back in a nice gi.

April arrived with Ethean both in BDU quickly.

"So competition?" she began. He pointed to Ethean's boyfriend. 

She looked at him, then at Luke.

"Luke, Ethean can get you better ones." 

He groaned.

" April ... I'm not a supermarket. " 

" He just won't give up, and they talk too much in my class ..." 

April looked at him, then at Uthe's friend.

"Alright." She walked to the center of the holomat.

"Then both of you to me. "

Luke approached. 

"No talking outside, alright?" She looked to Uthe. Silence nodded.

Her boyfriend looked at April.

"Why?" he asked.

"Hey Ethaen! When did you start showing up in the holo? " came from Danny, who came closer in his tracksuit, Mei at his side, giggling. 

April groaned.

" and already too late..." 

" What? I'm at training, I was supposed to take April to the restaurant. But Curly Head called."

Luke looked at him.

"She showed me a photo. " He laughed.

"Let's make it quick." 

April nodded.

"Wait a minute, why?" came from Uthe's friend.

"So it doesn't become more." came from Luke. 

"Okay..." 

"Ready?" came from April.

They both nodded. She gave the signal to start. Luke wanted to make it quick, so he chose the short route and knocked Uthe's friend straight down. Uthe screamed and came running. Luke looked down at him. Danny came running up and checked him out.

"He's okay, he'll be fine. " He looked at Luke.

Luke winced as he heard Lee's laughter, he looked to Mei who was whispering to him.

"Holy shit..." 

Mei came closer, grinning, Lee following, a slick Asian man beside him.

"Luke, you could have taken your time." she began.

"I'd rather not, last time I had to listen to what I did wrong. " 

Mei grinned.

Lee put a paw on her shoulder.

"Actually, I was going to have my best fighter take on Mei, but Mei told me."

Uthe's friend came to, straightened up jerkily and looked around in confusion.

"What was that?"

Danny patted his head.

"Boy, Luke blew your mind. "

Lee laughed. 

 Uthe put her arms around him.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

He stood up.

" I don't understand, I mean, I know every face here on the island and in the States."

April looked at him, then at Luke.

" He's been traveling more in Europe, the East and Asia. "

"So he's in a dojo?"

April looked at Luke.

" What?"

" Nothing, you must have started something."

"Yeah, I don't know, Tes always said she was always coming up with something new to annoy the guys there. " 

He could feel Lee's hand getting heavier.

"Now!" 

Luke groaned.

"Fine by me... " He looked at Uthe and her boyfriend. 

"I'm sorry."

Mei smiled. Looked at Uthe.

"Consider it an honor to have been beaten by the current champion in Asia."

Uthe froze.

"He..." she began. 

Mei nodded.

"I've seen the trophy and his mother has shown me videos. Pure shitshow," her eyes lit up. 

"Don't remind me, they gave me their numbers at the end..." 

Danny led them both to the side, Luke was now facing the Asian man who was staring at him. The start signal came and he attacked quickly and Luke hated the fighting technique this one was using and he also hated his cocky smirk. 

So he turned and launched his counterattack. He ignored the blows, kicked harder, punched harder and faster. His opponent became a silhouette in his field of vision, carrying out his movements. He was about to strike when he was stopped.

"Luke!" it sounded from Mei. 

He blinked; it was she who was holding him. He looked over her shoulder. He had beaten his opponent bloody.

"Luke!" came from her again.

He looked at her.

"Yes, I hear you." came from him.

" Good. You apologize to him."

" For what?" 

She scowled at him. " You're apologizing to him."

"It's all right," he approached Asaiten, who had straightened up with difficulty. 

He held out his hand to him. He looked at him questioningly. Then took his hand.

"You really deserve the title," he said and left. 

Luke didn't pick anything up. Went to his things. Everyone left chattering, only Uthe and his friend were still there. He took off his wet T-shirt, grabbed a fresh one.

"Shit, where did the bruises come from?"

He looked down at himself.

"Oh, from the tournament. I took a few knocks. Don't tell the others."

Uthe looked at him.

"Why Luke? Why shouldn't the others know you're good with it?"

Luke pulled on a fresh t-shirt.

" Hhhmm " he looked at her.

"Uthe, your friend, wanted to see how good he was. Others would do the same and not everyone is like him. My uncle dragged one of his people here just to see how good he is. "

He opened a can of Pepsi. 

"Don't tell the others."

" But . " 

" I say your friend has " 

" Ts, Ts, Ts, Mei says you've already started training, " came from Tes.

Luke sighed and sipped his can.

" True, until he interrupted me and then Lee. " 

"I know, I saw the video of what she was doing. You really flattened a squad 1?" 

Luke looked at her questioningly.

"Did I..." 

She gave him a scrutinizing look, glanced at Uthe and her boyfriend and walked up to them, smiling.

"Oh, Uthe, McRodey as a friend. How did you two meet?"

She looked at Tes with irritation.

"I needed a job and I'm employed by his father at the dojo."

"I see. So the junior of the former district champion could no longer stand by you."

"No. It's not like that. I've known Jeremy since he was little... "

Tes grinned. 

" Give my best regards to your master. "

Jeremy looked at her questioningly.

"Just tell him that you've met Tes, then he'll be better able to cope with your loss."

"And how do you know my father?"

"Ask your mother." 

He looked at her, reached into his sports bag, took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Mom? Nope. I called dad. Mom, what do you think?" 

Tes grinned. He rubbed his nose.

Luke emptied the can, shuffled to the garbage can and threw it in. Uthe appeared beside him.

"Seriously, now. Why don't you want the others to know how good you are? And does Saskia even know that?" 

"Well, she doesn't care about any of that. As long as it has nothing to do with fashion. But I want to have my peace and quiet in the few hours a day when I'm in class. After class, I get snogged by Tes or someone else. "

"Okay, I respect that and why does this woman know Jeremy's parents?"

Luke looked at Tes, who was talking on Jeremy's cell phone.

"She said she's been bugging the martial arts world since my aunts were little. Sponsors a lot and stuff. Probably because of that." 

Jeremy came over. Uthe looked at him worriedly.

"What did she say?"

" That I should have asked my father before the fight. "

" Huh? Why?" 

" He keeps lists of all the tournaments, it's his hobby since he's no longer allowed to compete. "

"And you know that because?" 

Jeremy sighed.

"Because my mother and father asked me on the phone what would happen if I competed against Tes current protégé. And then all I heard was. That I would lose and he laughed when he saw the video. "

He looked at Luke. 

" I'm supposed to invite you to our dojo for normal training." 

" Thanks, I'll come over."

They left and Tes started training with him.