Doomed By Mr. Billionaire's Betrayal

Gabriel stood in the underground combat dance arena and watched his crew as they practiced by challenging each other into dance battles that involved artistic wrestling, with the fight dancers performing dance moves as they threw their opponents, the members of his crew were all in top shape. The Power, an annual tournament they had won seven consecutive times was around the corner and even though he was never worried, he still kept raising the notch at their practice sessions until they were practically their own competition.

The fight arena was his get away from the obligations that awaited him at home as the only don of one of New York's most wealthy billionaires. He always felt the pressure, the silent stares, he knew everyone was wondering if he really had the 'Di Marco' in his blood since he was adopted and he also knew his parents and his many relations secretly wished he had been their blood instead of a mere adopted son and so because of that he strove for perfection, carrying out all his assignments with a ruthlessness that was almost singular to him. He ruthlessly cut down opponents and contemporaries and he was not known for leniency when he was crossed, he had no stomach for men who could not man up and face the consequences of their actions. It was what he would do if it were him. It was simple, if you miscalculated enough to step on the wrong toes you should be ready to dance to the beat of their tune, yet all that was left behind as soon as he stepped into the fight arena, his family name, the wealth and connections the responsibilities. Here it was just him and his talented crew members and the only consequence one could face here was eviction from the crew. He was reluctant to try out new members - to make the game more challenging, he had always brought in one new member and evicted another old one few weeks before the tournament but this year he just didn't want to deal with a new face, not because he was of the challenge but rather because even though he wouldn't care to admit it, he had bonded with the crew and didn't want to evict anyone of them.

"Gabe you've been turning down people who come for try outs with us this season." Bryan his assistant and the closest thing he had to a best friend said from behind him as the rest of the crew finished for the day and got ready to go home.

"Well then," Bryan continued. "Aren't you going to keep up with your tradition this season?"

Gabriel shrugged. "We'll see - come lets fight..... dance style of cause and please try to beat me."

Bryan laughed. They both knew that it was close to impossible to beat Gabriel in combat dance. He signaled to the Latin American musicians are who were already parking up gear to let them know they had to play for one more match then he got on the ring and did that - tried to beat Gabriel.

When Maya got discharged, she acted as if on auto. Her feet's moved on their own accord, her mind was far a away, in a world where there was room only for beat and rhythm. Gradually, she numbed the pain with her mind, killed her ability to feel until she felt nothing at all. She needed to get to the hide out she had stumbled upon once on her way home, she had to get there. Something in her told her she would not be accepted, would still not be understood but that was the only place she could be herself.

The dance arena was really a building that spilled out into the open. Within the building, she could see two dancers ....... battling, she had no better word. Their half naked bodies moved so rhythmically, their bones could be made of water and yet they fought she watched them exchange kicks that had to have hurt, yet they did it all to the beat of the music some Latin Americans were playing.

It didn't take long for her to notice the better fighter. They were both good but the blond stood out. Entranced, she watched the flow of his muscles as he performed feats she could only dream of. He seemed to be toying with his opponent, drawing him out then schooling him but his movements belied his expression, when she got a glimpse of his face, she saw anger, a bored kind of anger. He seemed angry with his opponent like he expected more, wanted more. She sucked in a breath and decided to get closer then for one brief moment, he threw his opponent down with a kick and whirled around to face her. Their eyes connected and he gave a slight shake of his head. Before she could even understand what he meant or convince herself that she hadn't imagined it, he was facing his opponent once more.

Maya drew stares as she got closer and especially from two burly looking men she was sure were bouncers. Looking around, she noticed she was the only woman there and the men around were either picking up belongings here and there and heading out or staring at her with lust written all over their faces. For the first time in her life, Maya felt a new kind of fear, one she had never known before.

Afraid to turn her back, she backtracked out of the arena and headed home as the tears blinded her eyes. Rachel, the policewoman had told her she could stay at her place till the police were through with her own house - but she didn't want that. Her father had always been cruel to her, tortured her at will but when he was not doing that, was left alone. Free to live inside her own head. She didn't want the policewoman's pity, the stares she knew she would get. The subtle offers for a session with a psychologist. She didn't want that, she had been strong for so long - had been strong all her life but she had a sickening fear that if she accepted the smallest hospitality, read meaning into the briefest kind gesture to her, she was going to crack and they would be no one but her left to pick up the pieces of her life when she had to be strong again to survive her father. So she avoided people's pity and people in general, she had to be strong.

Maya walked through the traffic, crossing the road at a green light, unsure even where to go. She wasn't sure the police were through with her house and she most definitely could not go back to the hospital - well not unless she got hit by a car. Hopefully, she would be blessed enough not to wake up.

Maya was still fantasizing about how blissful it would be to close her eyes once and for all when it clicked. She didn't even border to hide the smile that broke out across her face. She had not been accepted at the arena because she was a woman. If she were a man or even a boy, a lean masked boy, no one would even so much as glance her way. With renewed hope, she dug her hand into her pocket and fished out Rachel's number, she could endure her pity if only for the chance of getting accepted in the arena.