"What if I join you guys in fun?"
Hendrick Brasco, the most respected figure in the Underworld, walked towards David who was still sleeping in a sitting position leaning against a tree trunk and holding the head of Ainsley who was lying next to him.
David opened his eyes spontaneously, looking back at Hendrick without the slightest expression.
Ainsley could feel the extremely intimidating aura of a Hendrick Brasco. Even though the man was just walking with a normal stride, smiling at David and Ainsley.
Now Hendrick has stood before the two of them. Ainsley turned to David, he was still staring straight at Hendrick without showing the slightest expression.
Without warning, David threw a sideways kick at Hendrick's feet, the lightning-fast movement stopped with his foot being stomped so hard by Hendrick, causing David to groan in pain. "Aaakhh! ... "
Ainsley looked alternately at David and Hendrick, causing Hendrick to turn his head towards her. "What are you waiting for? Not interested in joining us having some fun?"
With a hint of doubt still lingering in her heart, Ainsley got up and threw a swing with her right hand, hoping to hit Hendrick's balancing nerve in the ear.
"Aa-akhhh! ..." Ainsley groaned as Hendrick grabbed his wrist very hard.
"Damn you old man!" shouted David who pushed Hendrick's leg off his shin and rose. Throwing three consecutive blows to Hendrick's lower abdomen and ending with an uppercut[1] that hit Hendrick's lower jaw, sending him staggering a few steps back.
Thanks to a counter-attack from David that Hendrick failed to anticipate, he released his grip on Ainsley's wrist.
David did not pause for Hendrick to regain his balance. Without further ado, David continued to attack Hendrick.
The first two punches and one kick landed on Hendrick's body, but when Hendrick managed to grab David's right fist as he tried to continue his combination of punches, Hendrick smiled broadly.
"As usual, you never give your opponent a chance for even a second." said Hendrick who instead received further attacks from David.
Ainsley was stunned to see the two men who were fighting empty handed.
Several times David managed to land punches on Hendrick's body, while Hendrick only landed his attacks occasionally on David.
Was David's move too fast for Hendrick to anticipate?
Or is it that the big boss of the mafia who is most feared and respected is giving in to David because he is his adopted son?
Anyone who heard that David still hadn't beaten Hendrick would have thought that the rumors were made up.
The proof is that every three to four strokes David is only rewarded with one stroke by Hendrick.
Looks like Ainsley's existence isn't needed here. She couldn't possibly interfere with the battle between the two terrifying figures.
Just the thought of Ainsley being between the two gave her chills.
David kicks Hendrick in the stomach with his footsteps, while Hendrick lands a straight jab that hits David's chest.
The two of them took several steps back as a result of receiving the attack.
However, there is something on Ainsley's mind. Why is it David who looks so overwhelmed? Hadn't it been Hendrick who had been busy receiving a combination of attacks from David?
Someone suddenly stood behind Ainsley. The presence was sudden, like a ghost suddenly emerging from the darkness.
"Thinking of something?"
Ainsley turned her head to the side, surprised by the presence of one of the high-ranking members of the Hendrick Brasco mafia syndicate who was standing one step nearby.
Steve Stiffler, the man David recently broke his record by shooting the most people in the head in one night.
"You must be confused by the state of David being pressed like that. Want to bet with me? David won't last more than five more shots from Hendrick."
Ainsley shook her head. Not that she believed that David could survive any more than that, or even believed that David would win against Hendrick Brasco, the mafia boss and adoptive father. But Ainsley just didn't want to bet anything with anyone.
She doesn't have anything to bet on.
All the clothes in the wardrobe were gifts from David who sometimes brought new clothes for Ainsley after returning from missions.
Ainsley is penniless because she has never done any assignment from Hendrick Brasco. The last time she was on a mission with David, it ended up being a battlefield that made David go crazy and slaughtered four mafia groups alone.
"Lemme tell you one thing. Even though the battle looks really fierce, there is quite a difference between the two."
Steve pulled a box of cigarettes from the pocket of his pants, sandwiched the cigarette between his upper and lower lips. Lighted the lighter in his hand to burn the tip of the nicotine stick so he could enjoy the smoke of his pleasure.
Steve's expression as he exhaled the smoke of pleasure through his breath looked like he was feeling the calming sensation of the morphine he was hooking on.
"The difference is in their fighting style. David is the type of fighter who will not give his opponent the slightest chance, making him an automatic firearm who keeps attacking his opponent repeatedly."
Steve again blew nicotine fumes into the air. "Very brutal, but less deadly."
Steve's words made Ainsley frown. If David's class of attack alone is less deadly, then what about her who hasn't even been able to land a single hit on David so far?
"It's different from Hendrick. Even though he looks like he is being pressed by David, what he actually does is much different from what he looks like. If you pay close attention to him, every shot that Hendrick throws can never be blocked or avoided by David. And more importantly, the body. David always flinched every time he received a hit from Hendrick. "
Hearing Steve's explanation made Ainsley round her eyes perfectly.
Now she understands the reason why David looks overwhelmed instead of Hendrick, who is still calm and stable from the start of the fight.
Hendrick was not unable to counterattack David, but he was waiting for the right time to attack David back. And every attack that he flies is always targeting David's weak point.
For example, Hendrcik's punch lands on David's left shoulder now.
People will wonder why Hendrick didn't aim for more vital parts like David's gut and neck, instead he aimed for his left shoulder.
Previously, David had made two consecutive combinations with his left hand. It must have made the nerves and blood vessels running through the joint of his left shoulder compressed by the surrounding muscles which had been contracted as a result of throwing punches on the opponent.
Hendrick was eyeing when the nerves and blood vessels in that section had not had time to regenerate itself to return to normal conditions. Of course, one hard punch in that area was enough to make David gasp from the pain that was quite excruciating.
Steve also smiled broadly. "If David's fighting style is like an automatic firearm that will continue to bombard his opponent until he runs out of bullets, Hendrick's fighting style can be compared to a sniper rifle-type weapon. Only one single shot can take down one to two lives at a time."
Bam! ...
Hendrcik retreated several steps due to his gut receiving a hard hit from David. The big mafia boss was now kneeling on one leg and coughing, a few drops of fresh blood coming out of his mouth.
Both Ainsley and Steve opened their eyes as wide as possible.
This was the first time someone could make Hendrcik kneel like that in a one-on-one fight with bare hands.
David, who usually kept attacking his opponent when he was off guard like that, was silent. David was silent as his strength was running out after nearly thirty-four minutes of fierce fighting with Hendrick.
Even Steve was still silent, trying to believe what was right before his eyes.
But their gazes of disbelief were shattered as David staggered sideways and was now lying on the ground blindfolded.
David was no longer strong enough to continue the fight. He's really at his limit. Hendrick, who was still kneeling on one leg, laughed in a very sinister tone.
The big mafia boss laughed broadly while glaring at the ground. He was really pleased with the progress that David was making.
Steve rushed over to David to check if his pulse was still throbbing. Steve's deep sigh and sudden calm expression indicated that David was still alive. But it seemed like he wouldn't be able to do anything for the next week apart from lying in bed.
Hendrick was back on his feet and walking away from the battlefield. Earlier he had turned to Ainsley and smiled. "Please take care of David for the next few days."
Ainsley nodded without daring to say anything until the big boss of the mafia who was most feared was out of sight of her sight.
***
Author's Note:
[1] Uppercut : The uppercut (formerly known as the undercut; sometimes also referred to as the upper) is a punch used in boxing that travels along a vertical line at the opponent's chin or solar plexus. It is, along with the cross, one of the two main punches that count in the statistics as power punches.
Uppercuts are useful when thrown at close range, because they are considered to cause more damage. Additionally, it is likely that a boxer would miss if the uppercut is thrown when the opponents are apart. Uppercuts usually do more damage when landed to the chin, but they can also cause damage when thrown to the body (particularly the solar plexus) or when landing on the nose or eyes.
The punch moves as its name implies: it usually initiates from the attacker's belly, making an upward motion that resembles a pirate's hook in shape, before landing on the opponent's face or body. In a conventional boxing combination, it is the second punch thrown, after the jab, but it can either initiate or finish a combination.
When performing an uppercut, the attacker should stay close to the target, so as to prevent the opponent from detecting that the punch is coming, and countering with a straight punch. An uppercut from the outside also loses some of its power because the arm is no longer bent at the elbow and cannot effectively transfer the total body's force in the upward movement.