“Thanks for covering for me, man.” Yao’s voice sounded desperate and frantic. A sense of calm came over his eyes as he put his hand on Apollo’s shoulders. Apollo wearing a red Chicago Bulls hoodie looked at him with a cocky smile. Apollo looked at Yao’s other arm in a sling. Despite that, his friend was in good spirits, if not frantic. He was in a blue hockey jersey and denim shorts. Black socks. Basic everyday wear. His hair was combed for once
“Who else could you call that is as good as me?” Apollo pulled his hood down and gave him a side hug.
The street corner light gave way to the dark alley they would go down. Los Angeles had many streets that belonged to gangs, corrupt executives, and the like. But this street wasn’t like the others.
“Yeah, yeah, says the guy who retired from street fighting.”
“Well, when no one can beat you, what else is there to do? Plus, I got to stay clean so I don’t go back to that Juvie wanna be facility.
“Right, as if the rest of us don’t have to worry about that. Get over yourself.” Yao retorted.
“What? I can turn right around and let you lose your money.” Apollo stops halfway in the alley. The smell of garbage, urine, and rat feces lingered in the air. The light faded from the post as he looked down to see a bouncer sitting by a steel door.
Yao shuffled in front of Apollo and pressed his finger into Apollo’s chest. The desperation came back as their eyes met
“Bruh, you know what would happen to me if I don’t fight. Nike won’t just hurt me. She’ll hurt my family. You know she’s the reason the other gangs don’t be messing with the local areas.”
Apollo took a deep breath and started walking toward the bouncer. The heavyset man surprisingly jumped up from his position and crossed his arms. He wore a suit that made him look out of place. The sign above the door had neon blue and white lettering: “Ice Palace (working name). ” He smelled of beer and food that was somehow more disgusting than the previous smells. His belly didn’t cooperate with the tight shirt and jacket, which hung over, showing off the bottom of a large tattoo.
“What do you want?” the bouncer stepped towards Apollo, looking for a fight. Yao, with his one healed hand, stepped in front to stop the behemoth.
“Relax, Bo, he’s with me. He’s taking my place tonight.”
Bo spat toward Apollo’s feet and stepped aside to open the door. “He don’t look like much. You are better off forfeiting.”
“I’m sure that’s what your mom said when she saw you,” Apollo smirked as he walked by. Yao gave Bo a one-armed shrug and a look pleading not to do anything.
The heavy door slammed behind them as they turned the corner into the main pit of the building. The place was packed like most night bars. People of all ages were here, both underage and elderly. Women were dancing, and men were trying to dance. People were falling on the pretty glass floor. The waitresses wore tight Eskimo-style mini-dresses that didn’t cover much. The waiters were in icy blue jackets with blue bow ties, white shirts, and black pants.
The smell of cologne and perfume made up for the odors outside. Some smell sweet like honey, and others are bitter. The club had a figure skating theme.
“Is Miho working for Nike now?” Apollo yelled over the booming hip-hop music of Glorilla’s What you know about me?”
Yao bent over to yell back. “Not work. She lost the fight, and her family had to give up the club to Nike. You know, we like how street racers take the cars when they win.”
“Sucks for her, but she’s cold bitch, probably deserve it.” Apollo moved around two patrons dancing. A tall, lean boy about Apollo’s age: he had a blond high-top haircut like the nineties. He wasn’t wearing much, a blue crop top with short sleeves that hung off his left shoulder and a rather large blue navel piercing. Blue-washed shorts that stop below his cheeks, daisy dukes. Apollo’s mom used to tell him about fast girls in her time. The guy also had blue and white asymmetrical stockings on. Blue pumps completed his look. Throwing his hands on he knees as he tried to twerk the butt he didnt’ have. The guy’s friend was a girl around the same age. They essentially wore the same thing, but it looked way better on her, Apollo thought to himself.
“Yeah, well, Nike’s been clearing house since you retired. Well, since a lot of the fighters retire. Nike’s crew made it so either you fight for them or “
“Die?” Apollo cut him off, “Well, I guess it had to happen eventually.”
“What do you mean?” Yao questioned
They made their way over to another part of the bar. Another dance floor had everyone crowded around, cheering. In the middle of the floor was a boy who made Apollo stop in his tracks and clench his fists.
The boy looked like an offensive lineman on a football team. Black, with a faded hairline. He had on wire-thin glasses. A full goatee. His muscles looked like they were trying to grow more. Which contrasts with his volleyball uniform from school.
“What’s he doing here?” Apollo sneered under his breath. Heat coming from his skin.
Yao grabbed Apollo by the shoulder as quickly as he could. “Don’t lose it here, this is supposed to be a normal fight.”
“Answer me.”
“I don’t know who he is. Why does it matter? A chump, a chump, and I need you to win this fight, bro.”
In the corner was a luxurious setup—an icy blue couch with diamond-like armrests. A woman in a black business suit with a yellow tie smoked a cigar in the middle. Next to her was the club owner, a man in a blue suit, black tie on a powder blue collared shirt. He was a heavyset man who seemed to be in fear of his life. Next to him was an asian girl in an icy blue figure skating dress. The dress had a plunging neckline revealing most of her upper and mid-torso, but not that Apollo minded. Her hair covered one of her eyes and was cut in a bob-like style. Cute, dangerous. Miho was like Apollo and Yao, one of the street fighters in the parts that gangs like Bloods, Crips, or MS-13 wouldn’t step in. Apollo never fought Miho, but he heard she was one of the deadlier fighters.
“Because that’s the jerk who stole Tishan from me.”
Yao jerked his face back to the floor and studied the boy who was pacing back and forth and looking at the time on the wall. Yao grabbed Apollo by the arm with his good arm to drag him through the crowd and pulled out the memento showing he was tonight’s fighter.
“Look, I dont’ care if that was the pope and he smacked your mother and beat yo dad’s ass. You got to get on the floor before I’m disqualified.”
“But…”
“But Nothing, if he the guy, then you have more of a reason to kick his ass.”
The two managed to make it to the floor. The clock had one minute left, but they stopped it. The crowd roared as Yao and Apollo looked around.
“Shades, is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” Apollo said, his words burning the air. He took a deep sigh and took out a pair of Rayban glasses with orange and yellow trim and a flaming design. Placing them on his face. Yao scours the audience. The crowd chants, “Fight, fight, fight!”
“Almost didn’t recognize you without them. How’s Tishan? Oh, that right you wouldn’t know because shes my bitch now.”
The woman on the couch motioned to the floor. The owner got up and introduced himself.
“Welcome to the Ice Palace. I’m Iceberg, and tonight we have Myers vs Yao’s replacement…” He looked at Apollo.
“Apollo”
“Apollo! There is no territory being fought tonight, just a good old-fashioned cyborg-on-cyborg violence.”
Two men dressed like actual Eskimos ran on the floor. One scanned Myers, while the other scanned Apollo. Both scanners belted out.
“Organism confirmed. Biological synthetic robot.” The guys disappeared as the dance floor raised off the ground about five feet and looked like a boxing ring without the ropes.
“Who knew, a cocky geeky wimp like you was a robot. You’re not worth my time. Do yourself a favor and leave.”
“The use of talismans is allowed,” Iceberg belted as he backed up. Alternating sky blue and Carolina blue lights shone upward, while the ceiling light cast a spotlight of white and sea blue; the rest of the ceiling lights dimmed to darken the room.
A grin was on Myers’s face as he yawned. His eyes transitioned to black as the blue symbol glowed. He cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
“So, Shades, what’s it going to be?”
Apollo stepped forward into the spotlight. He matched Myers’ grin with one of his own. He used a single finger to tilt his glasses slightly down on the bridge of his nose and lean forward so Myers could see his eyes. Mimicking Myers, his eyes turned red and orange.
“You know what they say about playing with fire?”
Myers was grinning more. “Fire, huh, let me guess. I’m going to get burned? That’s lame. I’m water, and you are at a disadvantage, and there is no way you have more experience than me. I always wanted to knock those ridiculous glasses off your face.”
“Naw, I wasnt’ going to use that line, I’ll save it for when I beat your ass.” Apollo smiled, pushing the glasses back up.
