Those eyes

Emma Stone

"time heals all wounds" WRONG. time is chasing me with a knife

Xander's seen some shit backstage in the past. Depends on where the circuit's running. But this? Illegal and still out here acting like they're top conditioned. Good. No shot getting in with a buncha wannabes who can't hang. The big ticket he knows is the guy who kills people in the damn octagon. Ain't really making waves with the Bone Man if he's laying low.

Still, he took it in. Caught the looks from the other athletes. Lookin' his way like he's green.

"Okay, big man," he drawled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Bit of that attitude he's been told to keep real down low, but Ty over here's bringing him to the play ring? This might as well be recess. "Like this is your spot? The top dawgs come outta this ring? Kinda looks like a playpen for chumps too big for their britches."

"Hey! Watch your mouth new boy!"

Xander cocked his head. Checking out some of these guys is like deciding which wash out crackhead's been loitering in the Night City alleys. "Yo, old timer. No hate. No hate," he mused, throwing hands up in the air. "Come on dawg. I'm just calling it like I sees it. Without Bonecrusher this ain't exactly looking all that intimidatin'."

Ty just kept his smirk, watching this new meat as he got his bearings. Seems he was feeling comfortable enough already, at least enough to underestimate Ty and the others here. Oh how he loved that, watching the new fighters come in and think they could take anyone around them. Coming in here with any kind of ego like that needed to be handled delicately.

“Now now,” Ty held his hand up to the other fighters, flashing them a grin, “Let him say what he wants. He’s free t’ speak his opinion.”

The other fighters mumbled amongst themselves, but it was more than clear that they were keeping a close eye on Xander. A couple of them even stopped their workout entirely to watch what was going on.

Ty stepped over to the ring, slipping his suit jacket off first, “Looks can be deceiving, kid,” he laid the jacket on a bench before pulling the fingerless gloves off and unbuttoning his shirt. Once they were off, the real silhouette was revealed. Tattoos covered his chest and shoulders, down to his wrists, and up his neck. His muscular build painted a much different look than the stiff he showed up pretending to be.

“This place ain’t some back alley fighting club where people come for a match and leave. Nah,” he turned back to Xander, cracking his knuckles, the words “scrap this” inked across them, “There’s a reason we’re the best. And it ain’t Jus’ cuz’ a Bonecrusher.”

Ty gestured for Xander to come closer, leaning his head to the ring before stepping inside, “Put up or shut up, kid. Cuz it ain’t men who come outta here– it’s monsters. And you gotta learn to handle them.”

@hotpress magazine

📸 ruthless imagery

Velvette ❤️🖤🤍