The Calm Before The Storm

32: In Motion

Mikey flips through a thick folder, throwing it angrily across the room, when it yielded nothing promising to put Slade away. The papers floated silently to the floor of the run down apartment. "It has to be here". He glances towards the living room where Nate sat facing a laptop, slender fingers gliding across the keyboard swiftly, the space filled with the fast pace clicking. "You getting anything off that?" Mikey asks. Nate stops for a second flexing his stiff fingers. "Haven't done much hacking in awhile, a bit rusty, but I'll be in soon. He has hours of files and footages behind a ton of firewalls and encryption. It's gonna take time". Mikey nods. "Well Julian is in more shit than we are so pick up the pace. You know how fucked up Slade is."

Nate nods silently. They all knew very well how far he'd go to make a point.

Being in the ring this time around was nothing near nostalgic, the fear that lodged itself in Julian's throat was entirely new. The crowd was even wilder than before, an even more increase in bets, more so on Jay than him. His body was thrumming with the possibilities of how this night might end. Hopefully he'd be buying enough time for Nate and Mickey to get hardcore dirt on Slade.

A bell dinged in the thickness of the noise, and without a hesitation, Jay had launched an attack on Julian, which had him completely blindsided, but managing to dodge the incoming attack. Trying to buy himself some time, he skirted around in the ring, dodging a few hits sent his way, some not so much. He was already sporting a nasty bruise on his cheek from the hits he couldn't dodge. Jay was getting obviously pissed at him not fighting back, which made his jabs powered even more by his anger.

Julian throws a punch of his own, which sent Jay reeling back from the impact. Slade was on the outskirts of the ring, arms crossed, his usual smirk plastered on his smug face. Julian didn't want to give him the satisfaction of loosing, but he needed to buy time for Mikey and Nate to uncover his hidden data cache of his crimes. His distraction earned him a punch that left him dazed, his opponent taking the upper hand it gave him, dishing out one attack after another. Each one more damaging than the last. Julian's muscles tensed painfully of having to keep up with the brute attacks, dodging and weaving, blocking and throwing in punches of his own.

Jay matched his speed and even more as he blocked his attacks, looking unfazed, as if he was tending to the most menial of tasks. It took just one second in which Jay got the upper hand, swiping his leg under Julian's, sending him to the floor with a resounding thud. The next second Julian's odds of survival plummeted as the clank of something metallic rang out on the floor. It scraped against the floor as it was lifted up. Jay smacks it against his open palm threateningly. Julian shifted just in time to the weapon smacking hard unto the floor where his head previously was. Scrambling to his feet Julian chances a quick glance at Slade, it was obvious it was he who supplied the weapon.

The odds certainly weren't in his favour.
He now had mere minutes to stall, seconds even.

Jay charged at him once more brandishing his weapon in one hand, he threw a punch which Julian was quick to deflect, failing to notice his second attack until he felt the jagged edges of the metal ripping into his t-shirt, tearing into the soft flesh underneath that gave way as it ripped across.

Palm pressed flat against his abdomen, the blood seeping around his fingers. He winced at the pain that coursed through him, staring at Jay's weapon dripping with thick red blood. The metallic scent filled the air. The crowd thrummed at the prospect of another fight turn deadly, cheering and chanting. This couldn't be the end could it? This wasn't enough time to get what they needed, not enough time to save Isabella from being hurt again by Slade. He needed to buy more time...more time.