LadyStoneheart23- Oh?
Legion- And that is a conversation for another day.
LadyStoneheart23- Little steps.
Legion- Little steps indeed. You did good today. Smile. Hold your head high and fuck them all.
LadyStoneheart23- I’m glad you messaged me.
Legion- I’m glad I found you. Goodbye, little warrior.
I had a secret.
His name was Legion.
And slowly but surely, I could feel myself starting to open up to him; to the idea of him. He made me feel hopeful for a new day. Excited about when our next chat would be. And gave me butterflies just by reading or whispering his name.
He was my secret.
Just for me.
Only me.
I’d waited long enough.
I was tired of living in the shadows.
Every dog has its day and mine was about to get wild. I bloody loved it.
The police weren’t pursuing my case, and after a quick chat to Pat Murphy on the phone the night before, I was itching to get back. Pat said he could offer me fights, pay me really good money too. I wanted that. I missed the adrenaline rush and the high I got from boxing. Getting casual work on the building sites went someway to channelling my pent-up aggression, lifting the heavy bricks and shit, but it wasn’t enough. I needed that raw, electric buzz of energy. The shouts from the crowd. The feeling that nobody, not one fucker in this town had beaten me. Life might’ve kicked my ass when I was a kid, but now I was the one taking it by the balls and showing everyone who was boss.
I followed Ryan to the old waterworks across town. The place had been bought by a local building contractor and they’d already started cleaning out the place. Good job. The last time we were here, scoping it out for one of our parties, it smelt like shit, and anyone stepping their foot through the front door would’ve been knee deep in it too.
Not today though.
The floors had been cleared, plastered over, and there was stuff lying around; scaffolding and materials from the builders. The fencing around the place warned trespassers to stay out. There was danger on the premises. Advertising that was like waving a red rag in front of a bull for the likes of us.
Danger?
We lived for it.
I watched Ryan pick his way through the rubble, and tentatively, so as not to alert him to my presence, I followed him. When he came to the open warehouse area at the back of the works he stopped, and I heard him greet Finn and Zak like they were visiting dignitaries and he wanted to make a good impression. I should’ve known they’d be here. Well, at least my resurrection would be an epic one. Finn had got the prelude, now it was show time.
“The new flooring is gonna make it easier to set up in here,” Zak said, keenly looking around and probably picturing himself as the fucking king residing over proceedings from his decks.
Don’t get too comfortable, mate. I’m back now.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I stepped forward to make myself known and started to do a slow clap of my hands. All three of them spun around, and surprise, surprise, not one of them looked pleased to see me. Well, Finn looked slightly less pissed off, but he was still frowning.
“The fuck?” Ryan spat, crossing his arms over his chest and giving me an evil glare. He stood with his legs wide in a predatory stance, obviously feeling cocky and ready to face off.
Bring it on, fuckers.
“Pleased to see me?” I laughed. “You all look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“A ghost that should’ve stayed dead,” Ryan sneered and eyeballed me like a motherfucker. Didn’t he know that even in death I’d still wanna be heard? I was going nowhere.
“Ryan, let’s hear him out, okay?” Zak cut in, patting Ryan on the chest.