No Pain: Book 1

Chapter 6: Najee

            I work the bag harder than I have in while. My fists scraping against the leather with each hit. Star's fine I swing my leg out, keep your leg straight I order myself as my leg smacks into the bag. She's fine, she's strong I remind myself hitting the bag with two jabs a straight and stepping out for a flying kick. My knee burrows into the bag and makes it jump back.

You can do better Thierry slips into the front of my mind. He grabs my hands and pummels them into the bag.

You're gonna have to work harder than that if you want to forget a girl like Star. Thierry's bitter about the whole thing.

"It's what's best for her." I remind him allowing him to get some anger out on the bag.

"You're just too weak to do what really needs to be done." Thierry's anger catapults him into control. "You really want to keep Star safe?" Thierry lands four solid kicks into the bag "kill the person threatening her." Thierry thrusts his elbow into the bag.

"That means Marco." He slams his fist into the bag "that means the Idios." He throws his arm out and knocks the bag aside as it come back toward us. "That means Keller and Kader too if they threaten her." Thierry places our hand against the bag to still it when one of the newbies steps up to a bag a few rows down.

"You," Thierry snaps "name and defect." He turns to the kid. The kid jumps, he's one of the older recruits fifteen, he also one of the slower ones.

"Jackson." He stammers "ACTN3." He glances around, he doesn't know my abnormality but he knows the team I'm on.

"Spare with me." Thierry goes to the kid. The kid nods reluctantly.

"What are you doing?" I snap at Thierry realizing too late I had taken control of our mouth.

"You'll see." Thierry pushes me back but I don't make it hard for him.

"Let's see how fast that defect makes you." Thierry lunges at Jackson without warning. Jackson jumps back, our hand just missing his wrist. Jackson smiles, over confident already.

"You fast where you come from?" Thierry asks. Jackson nods "the fastest."

"That's good, if you're fast enough your opponent can't touch you," Thierry throws out a few punches, a kick but Jackson dodges them easily. His reflexes are amazing, it's the only thing he has going for him at this point.

What are you doing? I ask Thierry again. you don't teach.

"But, what happens if someone gets their hands on you?" Thierry lunges at Jackson again. Jackson easily avoids him, Thierry's foot comes up to trip Jackson but Jackson moves just in time. His muscles contract faster than any other ACNT3 that I'd ever seen, it's why he was recruited.

"Nice." Thierry laughs "really nice." He even claps for Jackson. Jackson smiles, maybe imagining being part of our team.

"Thanks." Jackson smiles at us.

"You think you have what it takes to be on my team?" Thierry asks, hemhides his thoughts from me.

"I'm pretty good." Jackson says feeling more confident after Thierry's praise. Our arm snaps forward and grabs Jackson's hair. Jackson lets out a yelp, his hands already grabbing at our hand.

"You think you have what it takes to take Star's place?" Thierry growls.

"Of course not, I-I-" Jackson hangs from our hand confused.

"Then why were you talking about it to your friends?" Thierry growls "you think Star got where she was because she 'lucked out', because we gave her more attention?" Thierry's anger spreads throughout all of us. Thierry throws Jackson into the mats.

"She got extra attention because she deserved it." Thierry reaches for the knife on our belt.

"Thierry, stop it!" I yell grabbing control and flinging the knife across the room.

Stay out of it! Thierry yells at me. I yank him back and shove him down.

"Get out of here, Jackson."

Thierry slams against my boundaries he deserves what he gets Thierry growls trying to take back control.

"You can't just go around hurting anyone that says something you don't like." I yell at him, my voice filling the room.

"If it's about Star I can!" Thierry snatches control back "we should go and find her, we should be with her."

"She's safe where she is." I grab at my head, pressing down on it trying to hold it together.

"No, she's not she's looking for us and you're leaving her to fail." Thierry grabs at control again. I back into the wall and dig my fingers into my skull.

"John will take her away, he'll keeper her safe." I don't believe a single word I'm saying and Thierry knows it. Pushing my back into the wall, I let myself slide to the floor

Go out there and bring her home Thierry's fighting for control so he can do it himself.

"You're being selfish. If we bring her home she's dead." I press the heel of my hands into my temples.

You're a coward. Star would never have left any of you guys behind like that.

Thierry isn't wrong.