Chapter 74 Trial

Sam's impression of Achara, after meeting her outside the fighting club and sparring against her for himself, was very different from what he was expecting, especially after what he had heard and seen of her in the Wild Dog Fight Club.

And the same could be said for Xavier.

It was quite easy to see that Achara was the Unstoppable Killer even though she would fight with a mask and wasn't wearing the clothes she would fight in, while it was the same with Xavier.

Xavier had those piercing blue eyes that he couldn't get out of his head ever since he had fought against him, which were both frightening and mesmerising.

Meanwhile, Achara had been with him previously in the fight club, and also had a similar frame and the same eyes that he had looked into for a split second, so it was quite clear who she was.

-

After fighting Xavier, Sam asked around about him and the woman he was with, and was surprised by what he heard.

He hadn't even bothered to watch Xavier's previous matches before fighting him and wasn't one that cared much about what went on in the fight club, as long as he got to fight and earned money at the end of it.

But his bout against Xavier was one of the most thrilling he had experienced, and Xavier's third fight after that was one of the first he had actually taken the time to observe.

Hearing that Xavier had fought three tough opponents in one night and won, and finding out that Xavier had broken his wrist not long before facing him, he thought that Xavier was a crazy, combat-obsessed freak.

And that seemed to be the case, but he never expected him to be young and he was far crazier than he expected after hearing his proposal.

As for Achara, he was expecting a fiery individual that was wild, after hearing that she was one of the most ferocious fighters in the fight club that had even killed somebody in one of her fights.

But instead, she appeared to be relatively normal, and was just a passionate fighter that seemed to have learnt to control herself.

Of course, she was still feisty and far from being merely your average person, but they were far from what he expected, and they all surprisingly got along well.

Connor was also weirdly friendly and respectful despite his incredible size and physique, while the other youths were all very polite towards him after seeing what he was capable of.

And in their minds, now there were 4 monsters.

-

It was undeniable that Sam enjoyed training with them and having the lively folk around him, despite them being annoying and a bit over the top at times.

And was considering training in the dojo with them more often, but after hearing what Xavier was pursuing, he was much less eager to do so and was doubting whether the youth sitting before him was sane.

-

"What?!" he exclaimed in shock as soon as Xavier had finished telling him his proposal.

That was the first time that Sam had lost composure and spoken so loudly, and even while he fought Achara, all he had was a smile on his face and he never made much noise.

But Xavier's words appeared to have thrown him off completely.

Taking a deep breath and calming down, his response was unlike what Xavier was expecting.

Connor, Achara, Zack and Karim were relatively easy to recruit, and after a few words and Xavier displaying what he was capable of and how much he believed in himself, they were eager to join him in the gang he was forming.

But after revealing to Sam that he was seeking to unify the criminal underworld in New York under the name of the Outlaw Gang and start by taking over one of the biggest gangs, the Wolf Gang, Xavier thought that he might want a piece of the pie.

If such a thing was possible and he was a part of it from the start, his future would be incredible.

And he sought money and to fight, or so it appeared, so joining him would be perfect for that.

But he plainly and simply rejected, before getting up, not seeming interested in the slightest.

"Wait. At least hear me out," Xavier urged.

He wasn't desperate, and it didn't appear that way either, but Sam was very talented and appeared to have fit in quite well with the others, so failing to recruit him would be a shame.

Stopping, Sam stated plainly, "I'm just not interested in crime. I just want to fight occasionally and live a normal life."

Unlike the others, he didn't have any extreme ambitions and despite his passion for combat, as long as he was relatively comfortable financially, he was satisfied.

And that was understandable and respectable.

But Xavier didn't fully believe that.

What kind of person didn't desire to live a better life?

It was only a matter of persuading him to follow the desires that he was suppressing.

-

"You're telling me that you don't wish for much more money and power? And you like fighting, right? If you join us, not only can you fight in the fight club, but you can spar against us and fight against our enemies. And you wouldn't be fighting in the first place if you were desperate, so how about this?"

"You stay with us for a week and we'll pay you, so it's worth your while, and it's not like you're gonna be fighting in the fight club in the next week in the weakened state you're in. Just think of it as a trial. If you don't wish to stay after a week and after seeing our progress, then leave, but I'm pretty sure you'll stay," proposed Xavier.

Sam had no reason to refuse his proposal, and Xavier was right, he didn't have much to do over the next week and was planning on relaxing anyway.

Sighing, Sam decided to accept, and it was pretty obvious that he was going to.

Despite his blank expression, Xavier could tell that he enjoyed the company of the people he had gathered so far from the slight smiles he would have at times, and he would be a good addition to the gang.

-

"Good, we're glad to have you. Be sure to come to the dojo tomorrow morning and you'll be teaching in the dojo and helping around," Xavier said, as he got up.

"I haven't officially joined. Don't go around thinking you're my boss now," Sam retorted.

Xavier merely smiled and didn't bother arguing with him, knowing that he already had him in his grasp.

Sam left soon after without saying anything else, seemingly deep in thought, and the others followed suit, leaving Achara, who lived behind the dojo.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Xavier said to her as he left with Connor and the others.

"Yeah, see you."

Bidding them farewell, Achara had a smile on her face and felt warmth for the first time since leaving her family back in Thailand, and the others also experienced a similar warmth.

One of comradery and of a new beginning.

-

Dropping Karim, Zack and the others off with Connor, Xavier's mind was racing and although things were on track, they were far from where they needed to be and the more the gang grew, the more dangerous things would become.

Although yet to make a name for themselves, with the members they had, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Xavier, Achara, Connor and Sam alone could take on a large group with ease, but they were still far from being anywhere near as capable as the one-eyed demon and his elite guards.

To reach that level, they still needed time to grow and a lot of experience, but that was exactly what Xavier didn't have a lot of.

Even without the promise he made to his mother about returning to high school after a few months, the Outlaw Gang would start to be targeted by other gangs once they established themselves.

And eventually, if they somehow managed to become large enough to threaten the Wolf Gang, that's when real bloodshed and conflict would occur.

But that was the life that Xavier and the others had signed up for upon joining the Outlaw Gang, and all they could do was face everything that came their way head-on.