[Just a quick reminder: For those of you who read chapter twenty before the rearrangement, I recommend reading it again—new content has been added.]
- Two Months Later -
Two months later, the courtyard rang with the sharp echo of voices and the stamping of feet. Rows of children stood straight under the fading evening light, their breath misting faintly in the cool air.
Erik was among them, shoulders squared, eyes forward, every sense tuned to the instructor pacing before them.
"Tonight we drill the strikes again." The man barked, his voice hard as iron. He stepped through the line, demonstrating. First a snapping jab, then a brutal hook, then the clean efficiency of a low kick. "Simple, sharp and efficient. No wasted motion. Power comes from discipline."
He turned, hands clasped behind his back. "Pair off. Drill until you can strike as one body."
The students broke into movement, some rushing toward friends, others dragging their feet toward whoever was closest.
Erik had barely turned to choose when an arm landed heavy around his shoulders.
Gao Lei.
The older boy's grip was firm, his smile easy. He raised a hand toward the instructor, who glanced over, then gave a curt nod. "To the side." The man ordered.
The two stepped out of the line, moving toward the edge of the courtyard where the shadows pooled longer.
Gao Lei's grin didn't fade. "Been a while since we trained together, hasn't it Killmonger?" He said lightly, his tone teasing. "Almost like you've been avoiding me." His eyes flickered with a sly gleam. The smile never dropping, though something harder lingered just beneath it. "But that can't be it, right? Surely you wouldn't go out of your way to dodge your friend like that."
He gave Erik's shoulder a little squeeze, chuckling as if the words were nothing more than a joke between brothers. But the weight in his hand, the tilt of his eyes, betrayed the arrogance underneath.
Erik's expression didn't flicker. His eyes stayed calm, cold, unreadable as he answered simply. "No."
The word came flat, without hesitation. To Gao lei watching, it looked like the truth. But inside, Erik knew otherwise. He had been avoiding Gao Lei, and with good reason.
He remembered clearly when he first arrived. The teenager had been one of the first to approach him, smiling wide, volunteering to show him around the headquarters as if it were some kind of favor.
At first, Erik had played along, but it hadn't taken long to see the pattern.
Gao Lei was always circling the most talented kids, pulling them close, speaking with the same easy charm and brotherly warmth. Always trying to build a little circle with himself at the center.
But sincerity? Erik thought, his eyes steady on the boy. That's the one thing he doesn't have.
He'd lived too much, seen too much, to be fooled by cheap smiles and casual talk. In his first life, he'd stared real men in the eye—killers, soldiers, hustlers, liars.
Gao Lei's mask was thin compared to theirs. The arrogance behind his voice, the hunger in the way he moved, it all bled through no matter how carefully he tried to cover it.
He thinks I don't see it. That, I'm just another kid he can put under his wing. But I've lived a lifetime already. It's not that easy to fool me.
Still, Erik didn't expose him. There was no point in it—Not here, not now.
But it wasn't just him, he thought his eyes flicking briefly toward the far side of the courtyard where Feng and Li were partnered.
Feng, Li, Midnight—They weren't buying into Gao Lei's little game either.
He didn't know if they could see through the young guy's mask the same way he did. Or if they simply liked the balance of their small group too much to trade it for his promises.
Either way, the result was the same. And Erik could tell it frustrated the guy.
Slowly... The courtyard filled with the sounds of training.
The sharp crack of fists striking open palms, the rasp of fabric brushing against fabric, the thud of feet shifting across stone.
Instructors barked corrections over the din, their voices cutting like whips. The air grew warmer with effort, bodies moving in unison, rows of students drilling their strikes with mechanical rhythm.
Erik and Gao Lei faced one another. Erik's movements were smooth, deliberate, precise. He didn't rush, didn't force his strikes. He let them flow, every jab and block measured. Controlled.
Gao Lei, on the other hand, pressed harder. His fists snapped forward with heavy force, each block carrying more weight than necessary. There was power behind them, yes.. But also a hunger, an urge to dominate, to show he was superior.
Erik absorbed it, adjusting easily, his parries sharp but unshaken. Finally, he let a small smile crease his lips—just enough to be noticed.
"You don't need to go this hard, y'know ?" He said lightly, voice steady but edged with meaning. "We're drilling, not trying to break bones."
Gao Lei chuckled, puffing out his chest as if the words rolled off him.
"Do I have to go lighter ?" He replied, his grin wide and proud. "I'm not like the rest of you. I've already been out there. First mission, first kill. I'm a full-fledged operative now." He tapped his collarbone meaningfully. "Earned the mark to prove it."
His eyes gleamed, half daring Erik to ask, half expecting admiration.
"The Ten Rings tattoo.. It's more than just ink. It means I've stepped into the real world. Not just training games anymore. I've bled for the cause little brother."
Gao Lei smirked, shaking out his arms as if loosening them after the exchange. "Alright, alright.." He said with a light laugh, his voice dipped in mock humility. "I'll try to hold back a little. Wouldn't want to hurt a friend."
The word friend lingered, wrapped in honey but sharp underneath.
He leaned closer as their fists tapped again, his grin never fading. "That's what we are, you know. Friends. Brothers. We're training in the same place, walking the same path. Out there, that matters. Out there, you need people you can trust to watch your back."
Erik's face remained unreadable, his strikes calm and precise, but Gao Lei kept pressing.
"You don't have to stay locked in your little corner." He continued smoothly, his eyes narrowing just slightly. "Feng, Death Dealer, Midnight. What future do they have outside this courtyard? You could do more. Be more. The Ten Rings rewards strength and vision. You think Master Xu Wenwu cares about loyalty between children? No. He cares about results. About who rises."
He threw another sharp strike, this one faster than necessary, though he pulled it back at the last second with a grin. "Stick close to me, Killmonger I can make sure you rise. When the time comes, you won't be left behind."
Erik parried the next strike with little effort, exhaling through his nose. A sigh slipped out before he could stop it.
How the hell do I tell this guy to fuck off without makin' a scene? He thought, his patience thinning. Gao Lei's words dripped with the same fake charm he'd been spouting since the day they met, and he had heard enough.
He stepped back just enough to reset his stance, his eyes cool, his tone flat. "I'm not interested."
Gao Lei tilted his head, feigning surprise. "Not interested?" His grin faltered for the barest second before returning, broader than ever. "Come on, little brother. Don't be stubborn. You've got talent—more than most here. Wasting it sitting with kids who'll hold you back?" He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "That's not where the future is."
Erik's gaze didn't waver. "I'll choose my own future."
The words were sharp, unadorned, leaving no opening to twist. He didn't raise his voice, didn't snap. He simply delivered them with the same cold certainty he carried into everything.
For a moment, Gao Lei's smile froze, the mask cracking just enough for Erik to see the flash of frustration beneath. Then, just as quickly, the older boy chuckled, pretending to brush it off.
"Suit yourself" He said lightly, though his jaw tightened ever so slightly as they traded the next strike.