Kenneth had authority in the American Martial Arts Association, so he was sure he could turn things around.
"The third thing I want to deal with is a personnel change in the Baltimore Martial Arts Association," Spencer said. "Alex has made great contributions, but he has outgrown his current position. Today's battle proves he's a fearless leader and ready for a bigger role." He looked around at them all. "As of today, Alex no longer holds the post of president. Will is the new president, and Edward and Dennis are his vice presidents."
He paused. "Alex will work as an envoy for the American Martial Arts Association and oversee the arbitrator's office, as well as inspecting the different branches and supervising the presidents of each."
He ignored the astonished gasps and turned to Alex. "You don't have to obey the orders of any branch president or senior member. You report only to me. I know you'll make the right decisions, so you don't have to ask me."
"This is a token of your power," Spencer said, giving Alex a small metal token. "Anyone who doesn't comply will be ejected from the association."
The battle at the Canfield arena ended quietly, and the outside world had no idea what had taken place there. Everything was calm, as though nothing had ever happened.
**
Two days later, Spencer and Alex sat together, Spencer playing his guitar as Alex sipped at his coffee.
Spencer finished playing and put down his guitar, smiling at Alex. "The battle at the arena has shaken the martial arts world, but no one is talking about you. Do you know why?" He took a sip of his coffee as he waited for a reply.
Alex answered, "No, tell me."
"First, Jacob's death was a disgrace to his people," Spencer said. "You killed a master-level warrior who'd been famous for decades, and that brings shame on the Ghosts." He took a sip from his cup before continuing. "So, they have told everyone that before the battle, Jacob was taken ill and died."
Alex rolled his eyes.
"Also, Hugo resents you and doesn't want you to gain fame from the battle," Spencer said. "I've removed him from power, but he still has a lot of influence. And I must admit, despite his behavior, he is extremely good at public relations, so it's easy for him to sway opinions." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I don't want you in the limelight, anyway." He looked at Alex and chuckled. "I don't want you getting a big head. There are many talented people in this community, but in terms of earth-shattering skills, I'm afraid we only have you and the other Alex."
He shook his head. "Unfortunately, the other Alex is young. He has a low-key nature and rarely shows his face, so no one has seen him since he defeated Tyson Slade. I wish you could train with him."
After the battle between Alex and Tyson, videos of the fight had circulated online, but they were of poor quality, and the fighters were blurry and unrecognizable.
A rumor had begun circulating that this Alex and Alex Ambrose were the same person, but most of the community didn't believe it, including Spencer. Louisa and Heidi were among the few who accepted the truth. A few others recognized Alex, but they considered the videos to be fake.
As time had passed, people had stopped watching the videos, and the rumors had dissipated. Alex seldom used the moves showcased in the videos, so there wasn't much evidence to connect the two men.
Alex shook his head. "I'm young. And after a battle, I enjoy keeping a low profile because I never know what new enemies I might have made."
"Yes." Spencer nodded. "You've achieved the level of master at a very young age. No one before you has reached that level so young."
"That's not true," Alex protested, thinking about Georgina. After all this time, he still didn't consider himself her equal.
Spencer didn't bother arguing. "The Ghosts will come after you," he said. "And once the news spreads, others will come, too. No one will want to see you grow even stronger and become a threat to them." He looked directly at Alex. "Your enemies may unite against you, so you need to be ready. Although you're skilled, you don't have enough inner power yet, and you can't afford to make any mistakes."
He sighed. "You need to continue your training and grow stronger. Once your inner power is stable, you'll probably be stronger than I am." He chuckled. "Maybe then I'll be learning from you." He grew serious again. "For now, you don't have to worry about the Ghosts. They won't have the courage to come after you, not after you killed Jacob. Besides, I set the challenge for six months from now, so they'll be busy preparing for that. Their top fighters are young, so they are the Ghosts' future. They won't want to risk losing any of them, so they'll take the time to prepare. You should do the same."
"I understand," Alex said.
"You fought so hard and were so desperate to win this battle," Spencer said. "Are you annoyed at being denied your moment of fame?"
"I don't need fame or glory," Alex said, shrugging. "I want to be a doctor and live happily with my wife, not spend all my time fighting."
After the battle, Alex had been ready to resign as president, but somehow, he was now in an even more prestigious position. A position he was not even interested in.
"You and Alex together will be unstoppable," Spencer said, sighing. "Two master-level warriors. The problem is that no one can find this other Alex, whose battle with Tyson has become the stuff of legend."
Alex smiled to himself. Why was Spencer unable to recognize him as the other Alex? Perhaps his appearance had changed a lot since the battle with Tyson. After all, Debbie was always saying he was more handsome now.
Perhaps his hard-fought battles had all been covered up by those in authority. Alex didn't care. If anything, he preferred it that way because he was tired of fame and didn't want to be a celebrity.