The Meeting

Reed parked his car at the side of an old building and he alighted from the car. Soon a taxi also stopped and David alighted from it and it drove off.

"We are here," Reed said and walked into the building while David walked closely behind him with his face full of anger more than ever.

He feels like Reed is just delaying the fight but knowing the fight was bound to happen no matter what, his mind calmed down a bit.

Reed led them to a very large and empty space after they had passed through the basement of the building.

"This is the dungeon. Fighters from all over the city come to this place to fight and earn money. It is an underground fighting ring and I own the place"

"Let's begin, I'm sick of your voice," David said removing his shirt.

"Wait, before we begin I want to make a deal with you"

"You're making a deal when you're sure of losing. Are you making a deal, I spare your life"

"If you lose, you'll help me arrange the meeting I have in mind, and if I lose what do you want"

"You want something so trivial for someone who would suffer before winning a fight against me. What I want is for you to quit being the leader of the team and I become the leader"

"As you wish," Reed said with a smile on his face.

Reed attacked David with a blow but David managed to dodge and he sent a kick towards Reed kicking Reed in the stomach.

"You underestimate me, Reed," David said with a smile on his face.

***

Charlotte and Lisa finished arranging the place and preparing for the party and after a while most of their friends they did college with started coming.

Soon their best friends, ones they had been friends with since the Institute, Crystal and Jennifer who are also sisters arrived.

This party was created in the first place for the two, it was just the perfect way to sway both of them into joining the fight against the Institute. They loved a good party and Reed exploited that but Charlotte also needs the party to stay clear of the problems between David and Reed.

Charlotte passed over a small piece of paper to Crystal and Jennifer and they were surprised.

"What is this" they asked.

"It is the address to the place where we are going to have a meeting tomorrow"

"What do you mean"

"We need to attend this meeting guys. Even if you can just attend tomorrow's meeting without actually participating in it, it's okay"

"Fine, we will try and make it," Jennifer said and continued to drink from the glass of whiskey in her hands and dance to the music that was playing.

***

Diana arrived home and met Jeremy seated on the couch deep in thought. She walked closer and touched his shoulder and he flinched.

"What are you thinking about that will make you so deep in thought" she said to him and was about to leave the sitting room when he spoke up.

"Your brother,"

" what? what do you mean by my brother, Jeremy?" Diana asked.

"David came here today to talk to me about joining Reed's team"

"David? Please Jeremy don't joke about something as sensitive as this. David died,"

"He's well and alive baby and he's also in Reed's team"

"Then why didn't you let him stay here? I want to see my brother if he's still alive"

"Don't worry, they have a meeting tomorrow and both of us will attend the meeting"

"That would be wonderful," she replied and Jeremy sighed.

***

" No I don't underestimate you," Reed said and punched David in the stomach continuously.

" I respect you, David" Reed added and wanted to punch David but David blocked the punch and instead kicked Reed in the stomach and Reed went flying into the wall.

This made Reed realize that David was serious and he would take down Reed no matter what. So he needed to end the fight quickly for both of them. None of them need to get any severe injuries.

Reed stood up and dodged a fist aiming for his head and kicked David in the stomach with a very strong kick and David started to vomit blood out of his mouth.

"Do you still want to continue this fight?" Reed asked.

"Hell yeah. I'm not done beating you up. This is just the beginning" David replied as anger overshadowed all his emotions."This fight won't end this easily. I'll make sure I win and disgrace the all-so-powerful Reed"

"Whatever you say. But just know that I won't go easy on you" Reed replied.

He went towards David and punched him in his stomach, then another to his face and another to his chest.

David felt the punches but he could only watch as he was now too weak to fight from that kick Reed gave him.

David fell to the ground and breathed heavily.

"And now you'll hold your end of the deal,"

"Fine, whatever" David replied groaning.

After the fight, Reed picked up his phone and called Nicholas and on the first ring, he picked up.

"What's up"

"I need your help with research"

"I just saved your butt from being a wanted Man and now you want me to help you with some research"

"I know, I know but I can't do this alone"

"Fine, what is it," Nicholas said and Reed told him.

***

It was morning and the day of the meeting. The meeting was set by Reed to take place an hour from now.

Reed put on some dark clothes and a hoodie with a mask covering his face, and then he left his apartment.

He entered his car and headed to where the meeting would take place, the dungeon. Although another side of the house.

He arrived at the house and entered, then he went up the stairs.

He headed straight for the dining room, which was upstairs.

As he entered, he met everyone sitting on different chairs. They were sitting on a long conference table and he just drew a chair and sat on it.

" You're late" someone said who also wore a dark outfit just like Reed and a mask too.

It was Jeremy and Diana sat next to him but David was nowhere to be found.

He could easily tell their faces whether they were wearing masks or not.

Reed counted all of the people there and realized that they weren't complete.

" Where are the others?" he asked.

" They are coming soon" Lisa who was sitting beside him replied.

" Masks off everyone" Reed ordered and everyone removed their masks. Amongst the twelve people that were there only six of them were female, the rest were male.

" The people that sat around were Nicholas, Jeremy, Charlotte, Lisa, Diana, Crystal, Jennifer, a girl named Janice, and two guys Michael and Jacob.

Then the only person Reed has come to trust over the years who was also a doctor from the Institute.

He was the one who helped them escape too, his name was Dr. Sylvester.

"What is our status on your research Nicholas?" Reed asked Nicholas who was seated at the end of the table.

" The government gave the contract to Doctor Stone years ago. So even though it is private and hidden, the government wants the power the Institute wants to offer" he said annoyed.

" Who in the government gave the contract" Reed asked.

" I don't know yet. It might be the mayor, a vice president, a senator, I don't fucking know yet and it annoys me!"

" I understand. Help us find out please" Reed said. "What about you Charlotte, how is the safe house security, is there any way you think you'd be found " he asked.

" No. They aren't any suspicious activity at all but it's hard to keep hiding from the Institute," Charlotte replied.

" Yeah, I know but we'll get through this" Reed said and looked at the other end of the table, facing a man also in black but he would probably be in his mid-forties.

" How about you Dr Sylvester, have you gotten any info on the main headquarters yet,"

" No Reed, even us doctors are limited to some information but something tells me that the institute is still conducting experiments and it is broader than we imagined, it could be tangled up with the black market too, "

" I'm sure it is. It gets more and more complicated, I'll look into it personally. Anyone else with new info"

" No Reed, except the fact that where the hell is my brother" Diana finally spoke up and hit her hands hard on the table.

"I'm right here Sister," David said and came into the room. She was shocked as all the color drained up from her face as if she had seen a ghost, of course, she had seen a ghost, she had thought that he had died when they managed to escape the Institute five years ago. She quickly went towards him and hugged him.

" I thought that you had died," she said as tears ran down her face.

"Me too. I thought you died," he replied.

" Good. It's a nice family reunion but we have the whole day to be with family, okay? Let's round up this meeting first" Reed said.

" You scumbag," Diana said and went towards Reed and gave him an unexpected blow that sent him flying to the wall.

"That felt satisfying," she says out loud.

" That was expected," he said trying to stand up. " Meeting's adjourned everyone, I'll send you all the location of our next meeting," he said as he stood up from the ground then he sighed. " Charlotte the guy that was following you, do you by chance have his picture or anything I could use to find him"

" Yes, I have his picture,"

" Good, I'll need it"

" Meeting's over," he said and wore his mask once again and he left the place.

"Of course, it is you, moron," Diana said and also left with David and Jeremy.