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PF: Chapter 12
🕑 Added 2022-08-15 01:05:16 +0000 UTC“You’re alive, Chen!” Hina declared when Chen entered the gym of the arena, his bag on his back.
Chen raised his eyebrows, dazed.
“I thought they kidnapped you.” Hina walked to Chin and hugged him, lifting him. She was making drama over nothing. Chen patted the short girl when she pulled him down, and he pushed her a bit so he could stand up.
“I didn’t miss a match, did I?” Chen wondered. He’d made sure to check the date, and his pro-bending match should be today.
“Where have you been?” Mira asked, eyelids shaking.
Chen turned his eyes to the right side, and he thought of where has he been. He’d fought underground, got blackmailed by a triad, and he’d destroyed them the next day, before spending money and buying a new house.
“I was in Republic City. Working, and doing my stuff.”
“The chief said that you didn’t show up all these days,” Mira replied, looking at Chen suspiciously.
Thinking that changing the topic was the best thing to do now, Chen replied. “Oh, very well. Look who’s been stalking me for the last few days. Did you check if I attended work for every day I didn’t show up?”
Hina walked behind Mira and whispered. “He got us — No, you.”
Mira had a slight blush when she turned and hissed. “Just stop with your comments, will you?”
“If you are wondering, I’ve been solving some financial troubles. I ended up missing a day, and I missed another since I got this.”
Chen took off his shirt, turning and showing the patch on his back.
The girls winced when they saw that.
“What happened?”
“Are you okay?” Mira put her hand on his back, carefully moving her finger around it.
“I’m fine, for now.” Chen sighed. “I hurt myself when training. I couldn’t attend the training since I couldn’t move for a few days.” He then placed the training equipment.
“That’s so bad,” Mira said with sympathy in her voice. “If only we knew your address, I would’ve visited you and taken care of you.”
“That’s right,” Hina said. “Though, I wouldn’t advise you to count on me. I'm only good with cooking.”
Chen sighed and patted the two girls on their heads. “Enough with talking, let’s just practise a bit. We have a match tonight, remember.”
“Are you in good condition to fight?” Mira asked.
“Yes, I’m feeling better,” Chen replied.
“Okay, I’ll get slow.”
Chen stood up opposite the two girls. In the last days, usually, he would try to take on two of them. Mira jabbed. One of the disks behind her flew at Chen, who made two fingers and slashed upward. A compressed small arc of flame flew out of his fingers, cutting the disk in half.
“Wow, that’s a good move. You can create a sharp arc.” Mira said.
“It’s nothing much,” Hina said. “I’ve heard that, during Aang’s time, Azula cut a house’s wall in two with her firebending. But never thought it was possible, try water.” She then jabbed a water stream at him.
Chen jumped slightly to the left. “Sorry, I just took a shower and I’m not willing to take another.” He then jabbed a fire stream at her, which forced her to roll on the ground.
[Firebending +exp]
The training continued while the teammates chatted. Chen did his best while ignoring the experience sound. At any rate, after tonight's match, he will level up his skills.
He may be targeted by the equalists, and he needed to consider how to spend his experience points.
Better be safe than sorry.
-x-X-x-
With a cocky smirk, Chen jogged in his place. He was moving like a boxer from modern earth. Looking at his foe, he said. “Come on.”
Their foes had a strong fighting spirit in their eyes.
Tonight's match will determine their ranking. If they win, they will guarantee a seat at the tournament. If not, there are two couple rounds the next week.
“Very well, whoever wins will have a bright future. Will we see Chen and his ruthless style? Or will the Knockouts break his knockout streak?”
The only reason Chen smiled was the name of his foes. It’s Knockouts. Chen usually would win his fights by knockout. He couldn’t help but think of the irony now that the commentary mentioned the name of his opponents.
Just as soon as the referee permitted them to start, Chen started attacking the firebender, sending two quick punches. The opposite firebender could only send one fire stream while Chen sent two. One of them was compressed. The first two shots annihilated each other, but the last shot was strong enough to explode on the girl’s chest, sending her flipping across the ring. Just as she rolled, Chen kicked a small fire stream. Before the girl could even stand up, she was blasted out of the ring and to the water.
The match continued, and his other teammates seemed to fight equally against the other benders. Not wasting time, Chen assisted them. Before round’s time was over, he knocked out the two.
[+5000 exp]
[+5500 accumulated exp]
[Firebending up to level 13 - Novice Grand Master - (1000/20.000)]
[Associated skill upgraded]
[+ Associated skills ……]
“The Knockouts were knocked out! And the winner is the Earthquakes!” the commentary yelled.
As usual, the audience started clapping when Chen took off his helmet. The girls, as usual, hugged and jumped.
Thinking that this year may be the last year he will pro-bend, Chen didn’t stop them when hugged him and jumped. He just turned his head and jumped for some time.
Seeing that they didn’t leave him, he said. “Alright, you are 2 seconds away from becoming my friends with benefits.”
“One.. Two... Three… four?” Chen opened his eyes widely when they didn’t leave him. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around them and he turned his face to the audience. He hugged them closely.
At the pro-benders entrance, he saw a chubby muscled man showing a blue-eyed woman the arena. She was tanned, had long black hair and an innocent face of a teenage tourist.
“The Avatar?” Chen muttered.
It seems that the canon began. Although he believed that it was not his business, he knew that the Equalists will ruin the finals. Destroying them would be the best thing to do. However, that wasn’t his job. Well, he can always find a way to approach the Avatar and tell her that the satomobile owner is conspiring with the anti-bending movement.
However, the anti-bending movement hadn’t done anything criminal yet, other than hacking the radio.
Chen sighed. When he turned, he saw Mira glaring at him. She then glared in the direction he was looking at.
“Just after declaring us as friends with benefits, you are looking for someone else. Guess you are the player type who gets bored after achieving their goal” Mira said, her tone mixed between disappointment and sarcasm.
Not able to clear her intent, Chen stared at her eyes. “You’re serious?”
“You’ll never find out.” She stopped hugging him, turned, and walked. Chen put his hand on his Chen. Since 70% of his goal had been achieved, he didn’t mind having fun. He looked at the athlete girl’s curvy bubble butt.
“I’m for it if you need someone.” Hina lifted her hand.
Mira heard her teammate and kicked her to the side.
“Ouch. I was just kidding.” Hina extended her tongue.
'No, you were not.'
The three of them then left.
As they went to the lobby, a man in a businessman suit was waiting for them.
This is Butakha, the owner of the business of the pro-bending. He was waiting for them, as usual, after the match to give them their gaining. Both the winner and the loser will earn money in the arena as long as they do a good performance. The higher their wins, the higher they’d get paid.
Butakha smiled and he said. “Here are your earnings, around twelve thousand.” He put the pink papers in their hands. The girls’ eyes shone.
They looked at each other.
Mira said, “We are finally gonna move out of that crappy appeasement.”
“Yep,” Hina said. “Too bad I didn’t find a rich man to marry me.”
“Keep dreaming,” Mira said.
Chen stared at Butakha. “By the way, how much are the fees for the tournament.”
Since he’d guaranteed a spot, he didn’t find it necessary to participate next week.
Butakha joined his hands together and smiled. “Come on Mister Chen. Don’t tell me you’re in hurry, or are you not going to play the next weeks. The audience loves you.”
“Tell them that I need a break.” Chen yawned.
Sighing, Butakah said. “It’s 30.000 Yuan.”
While the girls froze for a second, disappointment on their faces, Chen reached for his bag and threw 30 thousand to the pro-bending business owner.
“Didn’t you say that you just solved financial troubles,” Mira said. “In that case, you shouldn’t pay alone, we should share with you.”
She took the cash from their gains and placed it all in Chen’s hand. Chen shrugged and placed it inside his bag.
“I’ll pay you later.”
“Just forget it,” Chen said. “By the way, you were always curious about my address”
“Yep.”
“I’m gonna invite you to a party.”
With sarcasm, Hina said. “It’s finally happening.”
Mira, although said nothing, gulped her saliva. “Your house.”
“Come on, it’s just an apartment. Let’s have some drinks.” Chen smiled at them. It was one of the few times when he meant that smile.
He didn’t find harm in inviting them to his place. They’d hugged him for a long time despite his warning: “You’re two seconds away from becoming my friends with benefit.”
Well, inviting them may lead to some entertainment. It was related to his mental health.
“Let’s just buy some wine and head out,” Chen said.
Chen walked out with his team. On his way, his eyes turned as he passed by the Fire Ferrets team, settling on Korra’s. She looked at him, and he looked forward. He decided it was not the proper time to start the conversation. He needed to push the Equalists to her so that they would stay out of his way.
