From Bullets To Billions

Reece cracked his neck, then his knuckles, then his neck again, this time just for the intimidation factor. His broad frame rippled with muscle, and the faded scar etched above his right eyebrow gave him that unmistakable street-beast aesthetic.

Most could guess how he got it, probably from using his head a little too much.

Across from him, Jay stood still. He rolled his shoulders, taking deep, slow breaths as he carefully sized up the opponent in front of him.

He wasn't a trained fighter. Not like Joe, who had studied boxing and treated the art like a craft. Jay had never stepped foot in a dojo or even cared to. Fighting wasn't something he dreamed of mastering. It was just… something that came naturally. When pushed, he pushed back. When cornered, he wrestled his way out.

But today was different.

This wasn't some schoolyard scrap or last-minute tussle.

This time, he was facing someone who matched him in size, in power, maybe even in grit.

"Bring it!" Reece roared, his arms stretched wide like he was about to tear down the cage itself.

"I'm ready," Jay muttered.

And like his nickname promised, Rhino didn't walk, he charged. Head down, shoulders squared, feet slamming against the concrete like a war drum.

For a big guy, Reece was fast. Shockingly fast.

Jay's instincts screamed dodge, and he moved, just in time to avoid a full-body collision. But not clean enough.

Rhino's shoulder clipped his ribs hard, sending Jay stumbling back until his spine slammed into the basketball cage. The jarring impact ran straight through his bones.

Reece grinned, wolf-like and cocky. "You're lighter than I thought. Might break you by accident."

Jay scowled. "You're talking a lot for a fight that just started."

He spread his arms, shifting into a stance as he began to circle the cage.

Then, boom. Reece came charging again with the same wild momentum.

But this time, Jay ducked more smoothly, slipping past the brute force and wrapping both arms around Reece's biceps from behind, locking on tight.

"You think this is enough to stop me?" Reece growled.

With sheer strength, Reece swung his body upward, breaking Jay's grip, and in one brutal motion, slammed the back of his skull into Jay's face.

A thunderous crack.

Jay's vision exploded in white. He staggered, dazed, blood from a freshly split lip trickling down his chin.

"Told you," Reece said, tapping his forehead with a smirk. "Reinforced skull. It's not just a nickname."

The other students watching from behind the fence exchanged looks, their excitement turning into unease.

"I thought that was just a joke," Aki said, eyes wide.

"Who knows?" Mayson replied. "With all the rumors about that guy, any of them could be true. But yeah... it would explain how thick that head is."

"Does that even matter?" Joe asked. "Jay can't get a grip on him. I've never seen this happen before."

"It's okay…" Max said calmly. "Jay will win."

Jay blinked hard, trying to clear the stars from his eyes, but even through the pain, he was smiling.

"Really?" Jay muttered, wiping the blood from his lip. "Fighting with your head's your style? Then maybe I should've stuck to mine from the start."

Reece barreled forward again, head first for another skull-breaking impact.

But Jay didn't dodge.

He braced.

At the last second, just before impact, Jay swung both arms downward in a powerful arc, catching Reece's back with the force of a collapsing wave. It forced Reece's upper body down, his head slammed into his own stomach.

The impact was brutal, and the crowd collectively winced in pain.

Everyone could almost feel the wind knocked out of Reece, as if their own lungs were being crushed.

But Jay wasn't done.

He locked his arms underneath Reece, tightening his grip around his midsection. Muscles straining, heart pounding, Jay began to lift.

"Get off me!" Reece barked, twisting and thrashing, trying to throw him off.

But Jay held on. He shifted his grip, found better leverage, and in that second, his mind wasn't on the fight anymore. It was on her.

Emily.

Back home, probably eating toast with too much jam. Waiting for her big brother who always promised just one more job.

Jay wasn't fighting for pride.

He was fighting for a home. For her medicine.

And for Max, the guy who cleared his debt, who took a chance on him, who promised to cover Emily's bills so Jay could be by her side.

Somewhere beyond the metal cage, Jay knew Max was watching.

He clenched tighter. Then, with a roar, he lifted Reece completely off the ground. His feet dangled in the air like he weighed nothing at all.

"This is gonna hurt," Jay warned.

"I'm Rhino! I don't go down!"

Jay didn't respond.

He only thought of Emily's tiny pink backpack. The chipped blue bowl she used every morning. Her warm smile when he came home, even with black eyes and swollen cheeks.

He lifted Reece higher, and then slammed him with all his strength into the cold, hard concrete.

The thud echoed like thunder.

Reece's arms flopped to the sides, limp. He wasn't getting up.

The damage was done.

And though his heavy build and reinforced skull might've saved him from serious injury, he was out cold. He'd need a few checkups, but he wouldn't be standing again any time soon.

"I told you, there was nothing to worry about," Max said, grinning. "That guy… Jay's like a real-life Hercules. Pulling off something like that?"

Exactly what Max had envisioned for this event was unfolding.

Jay returned to his position, bruised but standing tall. Another clean victory for the Billion Bloodline.

So far, the only loss had been Mayson, and even that had been a close one.

"This event's already over, right?" Print said, arms crossed. "The Billion guys have racked up so many wins. They could just wear Rick down one by one, injure him if nothing else… then Max comes in to clean up."

Erik laughed beside him. "Is that what you'd do?" he asked. "Can't you tell what kind of guy Max is? He'd never do something like that."

He looked out toward the cage.

"No way in hell he's gonna play it safe. He's here to prove something. To show everyone the true power of Billion Bloodline, so strong no one would even think about messing with them."

Right then, Max stepped into view, wearing his signature black jacket.

His moment had come. It was time to finish what they started.