The Gladiator's Soul chapter 14

 Previous chapter: The Gladiator's Soul chapter 13

They were five, no less. Luckily I knew the address of almost all of them. That night I could hardly sleep a wink, but I did not feel tired. I got up at five in the morning with my blood frozen. Every step I took that day, every breath of air I had, would be for my Hime. For her future, for her freedom… and for my revenge.

I had to catch them unaware in the way to the school. I had to take into account several of them could go together; in such case I would have to separate them before facing each of them, in order to have some possibility of success. Moreover, to avoid rising suspicions, I would have to arrive in class before it started, I could not afford the luxury of being late even one minute. In this way I would get my alibi.

Of course, I had made a plan beforehand. I would lay in wait for each one outside their houses, by order of distance to school. I guessed the ones living further would leave earlier than the ones living closer. All seemed as simple as the advertisements of washing powder on television: ‘you pour a little of this product, and your laundry will be shiny and like new…’

Quietly I got up, had breakfast and dressed in a dark colour. At 6 in the morning I was observing the moon, from my wide-open door. I stared at it wide-eyed, as if murmuring inwards a desperate prayer.

The satellite was the only witness of my ritual: I took the weapon Ulysses lent me, a kind of small baton, and concealed it within my attire. 

The early morning was cold and clear, already threatening with the first frosts. The cool air in my lungs filled me with optimism. Although the world turned into the worst hell, although there were demons like those five, Hime existed. She alone made the whole universe redeem itself and be worthy.

I took a stroll of reconnaissance, going over the whole route through the key points (the houses of the five) up to the school. Fortunately there was nobody. Besides, the cold weather was a wonderful excuse to wear a balaclava. After this loop I arrived the house of the first of them. It was approximately 7 in the morning. 

School started around 9, so I had calculated the first one would leave his house at 8. And so I searched for the best spot to lay an ambush for an hour, waiting with goose flesh and my nerves on edge for the first bully to appear through the fence. It was a single family home, which would ease my duty and prevent other neighbours from seeing me.

….

….

7:58…

7:59…

….

….

The last minute before 8:00 seemed never-ending, the seconds refused to go and remained lingering in the screen of my digital watch.

….

….

A sound of a door. A door was open. A door was closed. Footsteps approaching. The latch of the gate is cranked. The gate opens with the squeal of some dying bird…

Runners, a tracksuit trouser. A sweater. A head, turning as the gate closes. Heartbeats hit my throat, which fought my hermetic mouth over the control of my voice. Still as a statue, with my skin frozen; my body was an igloo of ice,and inside was everything else. I saw his visage sideways as he closed the latch. It was him, without a doubt.

The next seconds (or tenths, who knows?) went by like a momentary dream, one of those you have when you fall asleep on the table after lunch. With the baton in my hand, and without making a sound, I leaped on him, his hand still on the latch. At the same time he turned his face towards me, and I followed the steps my master taught me. Blow with all my might to the solar plexus, or to one side. As he writhed confused I injured his neck before doing the same on one ankle. <<This one will surely be out of circulation for a good while>>, silently I headed jogging to the next house.

Each one would be worse than the previous, I had no doubt about that. As I approached the school the houses were giving way to few-storey buildings, and later to taller ones. Where there were so many neighbours I could have problems... and coincidentally the monster who gave Hime the beating was the last one. But since the first turned out so quick and clean, my spirit had arose. Maybe it was possible, after all.

The second one lived also in a house, but it was attached and had some neighbours living in the next doors. It was around 8:10 when I took the exact location I had planned. Seemingly I felt somewhat more relaxed than the first time, as well as steady. Again: Open the door, open the gate, close the gate... <<Wait. The door wasn't closed...>> Somebody must have been at the door, presumably his mother.

It closed. I quietly approached him from behind and carried out my work. Hard blow in the middle of his back stopping his breathing, and as he fought to catch it back I knocked him off, and injured his knee. Nobody could say I was fighting in a fair or honest fashion, but... <<IF IT'S FOR HIME, IT'S OK>>.

At 8:20 I had arrived the third one's house. Things were changing quite a lot here, there were no longer houses but about 5-storey buildings. Although I had already decided a place where I could lay lurking, the dangers there were many more and worse. Already the sun was appearing in the horizon, there was too much light. A businessman dressed in a suit leaving from here, a well-dressed girl from there... Meanwhile I lied hidden. In this case I did not find a safe place near the doorway so I was staring from a distance.

Now his gate was opening... What a letdown, it was not him, but a labourer. And after that one... <<Bingo!>> I could see my target going out. At this time there was already too many people in the streets, attacking him in public view in such an open place was not an option... So clad in my 'clothes for cold weather' I trailed him from afar. He turned a couple of corners, arrived another doorway and... horror. He had gone to collect another of the bullies. I could not take them on one by one any more... <<can I...?>>

By chance there was a providential void in the street at that instant, and without a second thought, I made a detour to approach him from his back. Hard blow on the nape and two injuries, and left him sitting at the door of some nearby premises, on the side of the other one's doorway. I hid in a door on the other side of it.

In few instants the fourth was leaving from his building. He called his minion: “Hey! Where are you?” Next he looked at the pavement and saw the legs extended in one side. He came closer: “Come on, don't be lazy, buddy... Hey! Are you OK? Is anything wrong...?” Before he could say anything else he was already breathless from my unexpected blow. I injured his neck and knee, whatever could take him away from the school. I left just there the two bodies laying and withdrew through the closest corner, running along a route of little-traffic alleys towards the last house.

<<Four out of five. It's already four out of five...>> I could barely believe it. My watch displayed 8:45, and maybe I would not arrive in time to surprise the last one. I felt somewhat tired from the other four, and my night awake was starting to take its toll on me...

<<... And what if he has already left for school...?>> That was a risk I had to take. I could not rush to school and come back to run into him. That could be more dangerous. <<If I don't catch him today, there'll be more days...>>

I was about to place myself in the previously planned spot, when:

“Aaaahhh!” An old woman fell, just in front of the doorway, and seemed to be seriously injured. Helping her was really risky, but... there was no one else, and... if Hime knew I had not helped her, she would not feel proud of me, all the contrary. Finally I went out of my hideout and helped the lady.

“Are you ok...?”

“Auch, auch, auch... Thank you, youngster. I am already very old and my body is not up to this things...”

…

…

The gate opened.

The gate closed.

A demented, bloodshot glare trained on me. His face was covered except for his eyes, but I felt he could recognize me. The bully who did that to Hime, the worst of all them, there he was gutting me with those piercing pupils, as if seeing even inside of my bones. Smiling with a terrifying face he punched my stomach, the lady and I fell to the ground. He stepped on me, kicked me, following took me, shook me, threw me like a rag... 

Everything was lost already. My strength was failing. I was not strong enough to protect her. Why... why did she have to suffer, such a beautiful being... why... tears murky with rage stained my clothes, the ground, marked the territory of the massacre.

As I was being stripped of my last hopes a thud was heard, and the bully turned back. The lady had hit him with her cane! Without a second thought, he went after her like a blind, enraged gorilla, and drawing strength from... (I will never know where I drew it from) I took my baton and hit him, with all my might, straight on the nape. 

When he came down unconscious there was no longer hatred in me, nor thirst for revenge, nor anything. I felt ashamed by the fact that only the fear of death had overwhelmed me at the end. I was not who she deserved, I was not who could look after her. I injured his body hard and my knees gave in, falling to the ground with tears of impotence.

“Madam, are you ok...?”

“Yes, boy, thanks a lot for protecting me.”

“But I can't... I can't protect anybody.”

And in my mind echoed Ulysses' words: <<You must be cold, ruthless and methodical,, you mustn't get distracted from your target for any reason, or it could cost you dearly>>.

A bitter lesson, matched with a sweeter one. Because I helped the lady the bully had caught me unaware, but but in exchange she had helped me... and as a result, I was now with my body wrecked, full of wounds and bruises. But... <<But... Hime would be proud that I helped the lady...>>

No. Nothing worked. Helping the lady at that moment and place had been an error. I did not seek her being proud of me... whatsoever, I could become the most despicable being in the universe, only for her sake.

It was 8:56, and I was dressed all in black, the balaclava and all messed up. It would be practically impossible not to be deemed suspicious with such an attire.

“Madam...”

“Yes, boy?”

“I need a very important favour.”

The old lady lent me clothes she had from her grandchildren, it was a casual outfit that would come in handy to disguise. Regarding the wounds in my face, she put some plasters on them, and since almost nobody talked to me at school surely I would not be asked what had happened.

When I left her house it was already past 9, I would not arrive in time. I ran with all my body aching, the sweat made my wounds sting even more.

I arrived school panting like a dog, but then inside I walked trying to pretend (as if I arrived late for laziness that day, or something like that...) I went quietly upstairs to my classroom, and when I entered I saw big letters on the blackboard: 'ABSENT TEACHER', and below: 'SELF-STUDY: READ PAGES 35 AND 36 OF THE BOOK'.I thanked god, in a sigh that made some classmates turn back to look at me, and I drew my book from my desk.

The rest of the classes were like always, or so they would had been if I had not been falling asleep for some whiles in them all. Anyway nobody paid attention to me, what played in my favour this time. When classes were over I went home to rest, I did not want anything but to sleep.

Yet Hime would want to see me, she would be worried because of what I told her the previous day, and how I acted. And how was I supposed to meet her, with my face bruised, with my hands full of wounds, drenched with hatred and revenge? I knew nothing... just collapsed on my bed seized by exhaustion. I could not think anymore. Lately I had not seen the butler much... I do not know why that idea came up to my cloudy mind. And following I fell asleep.

I woke up drooling, the pillow wet, and feeling disoriented. A mouth-watering smell floated in the air; my stomach roared, I had eaten nothing since breakfast. I went to the kitchen, and apparently the butler had made lunch. <<It's true, I get the feeling that this butler is here less and less...>>

Without musing longer over that subject I got down to eat like a starving animal. I had dreamed I was an apiarist looking after bees, and I put on some kind of space suit... And suddenly I recalled I had to go to visit Hime... But I could not go, I could not go unless... <<Of course! My dream!>> As soon as I finished eating I passed by a pharmacy and bought rubber gloves. Then by a shop of special work gear, and there I got a special mask for toxic gases and things alike.

I put everything on and entered the hospital in this fashion. I went up to Hime's floor, and the nurses in charge of her froze staring at me:

“Hey! Where do you think you're going?”

“Hello, I'm Kotaro, Hime's friend, and I'm coming to visit her...”

“But... what's with that look? This isn't the proper way to enter a hospital!”

“...”

“Please... I need to go in like this... understand...”

“No way, masks out!”

One of the nurses pulled it off me, and they saw my battered face.

“My god... what happened to you?”

“Please... don't tell her anything... I'm begging you...”

“You have some nerve, such a problem child... Alright, go in with the look you want. We'll play along, but don't mess it up too much.”

“Thanks!” I vowed showing extreme gratitude. In this posture one of the nurses spanked me: “Come on! Go in before I change my mind...” On my injured body that mild slap caused pain, but I concealed it in order not to worry them more and make a real problem.

With the momentum from that slap I reached Hime's room door and opened it. She looked at 'whatever was entering the room' with her eyes wide open, with a bewildered face.

“Help!”

“No, Hime, calm! It's me, Kota!”

“Ehhhh? And what's with that mask...? and with those gloves?”

“The thing is...”

“The thing is... what?”

“The thing is... I've caught a very contagious virus, and I have to use this mask and gloves not to pass it on to anybody.

“Ahhhhh!” She almost ran out of breath... “For real? And you are very sick? You aren't going to recover?”

“Yes, don't worry, the virus just lasts one day.”

<<What a whopper. I don't know if she's going to believe this...>>

The girl looked at me incredulous, winking one eye...

“Emergency...!” The nurses came in, with a perfect timing:

“Emergency! There's a very contagious virus in the city! Boy, don't even think about taking that mask off, we don't want more infected!”

I stood at attention and greeted: “Yes, ma'am!”

We exchanged brief winks before they left the room: “That's the way, soldier!”

Now she did seem to have believed it. We were some time talking, and played some games.

“Ah, by the way...” Hime seemed to remember something.

“Yes...?”

“How did the exam go?”

<<Damn it! I had totally forgotten I told her that about the exam...>> I was dazed and happy spending my time with her, and had lowered my guard.

“The thing is... it was suspended...”

“What? You failed it?”

“No, it was postponed, due to the virus' outbreak.”

“And talking about that virus, is it serious?

“No, nothing to worry about. It just causes some symptoms like, suddenly, you feel an irremediable desire to hug and kiss...”

“How's that?! And you go around hugging and kissing everyone? Even that old teacher you like touching her ass?”

“No, there's a medicine they delivered this morning at school, that quells the symptoms. That's true, it's time to take it...”

I had everything planned beforehand, so I had brought a caramel tablet pretending it was the medicine. I dug it from my pocket so that she saw it, before taking it.

Hime's gaze drifted from side to side, like a bit nervous, and then fixed it on me, as if she could read me like an open book.

“And, apart from those symptoms, it has some more serious one...?”

“No, none else...”

“Then...” She blushed slightly.

“Eh...?”

“Then... don't take it.”

“But, the virus...”

“You can take it when you leave, right?”

“Ah, right...”

“So don't take it now.”

She seemed to have gained confidence, she was not so ashamed. She won, so I put the sweet away back into my pocket.

I do not know if Hime really has the ability to read my thoughts, or what, but I thanked heaven thousands of times for that. Without having to contain my feelings I jumped on her, hugged her really tight and kissed her on the forehead with my mask, next she lifted her head all of a sudden and my kiss landed on her lips.

That looked really comical, kissing her with my mask as if I were some kind of alien, ha, ha, ha... Well, technically, rather than kissing her 'I scrubbed my mask against her face', like a pig seeking truffles, ha, ha, ha...

I could not tell her what had happened that day, but at last... at last she comforted me.

“Why are you crying...?”

“Don't worry, it's just another symptom of the virus I forgot to tell you about...”

It got late, and I had to go.

“Kotarooooo!”

“Yes, ma'am!”

“Don't forget to take the medicine before leaving...”

“At your service!”

I drew the tablet from my pocket, lifted slightly the mask and put it in my mouth.

The girl really had now a good face, and I must say, behind the mask I was the same. When I left the room I thanked the nurses appropriately.

“Not at all, but take care of those injuries.”

The story continues here: The Gladiator's Soul chapter 15