Gifts

Earth, Chicago December 24th, 2017

In a dark room, a young man with long messy black hair was tossing and turning in bed. Suddenly he sits up, sweat covered his body, as he was trying to catch his breath he tried to shake off his thoughts.

He stood slowly stood up his black hair falling down to his shoulders, taking off his sweat soaked shirt revealing a well-toned body standing tall at 180cm (5ft 11in) filled with scars.

He staggered toward the bathroom and washed his face. Looking into the mirror he sees a familiar yet sadistic face with red eyes smirking at him.

"Finn my boy, what's got you so down? You excited to taste blood?" The man in the mirror said mockingly.

"Shut up Red." Finn retorted.

"You think we are different?! We are one and the same!" The man in the mirror seethed with anger and broke the mirror. Leaving Finn with a bloody hand and a broken mirror.

Covering his hand with a bandage, Finn ties his hair back into a loose ponytail, grabs his black hooded jacket and his grey scarf, and walks downstairs.

The moment Finn steps on the first floor he could see a bunch of people shadow boxing, hitting sandbags, jumping rope and a tired looking Angelo talking to a man with a suit.

Angelo was getting bored discussing with lawyers trying to buy out his gym to make room for a hotel development. Spotting Finn out the corner of his eye, he gets a brilliant idea.

"Finn! Come here." Angelo screamed. The man in the suit looked behind him and saw a young man with amazing aquamarine eyes but a horrible face walking towards them.

Introducing Finn to Mr. Jones, the man in the suit, Angelo proposed an idea. "Mr. Jones how about this, you get in the ring with my boy here and if you can hit him once I will agree to your deal."

Hearing this proposition Mr. Jones' face light up thinking hitting this big kid once, sure the kid's got a scary face but looking closer he looks exhausted. He thought this would be a steal. Mr. Jones hurriedly agreed.

Angelo smirked and yelled, "Oy make some room we got a match here!" The gym mates looked over and saw a man in a suit get on the ring, and everyone figured out what was going on and felt sorry for the guy.

"Hey who's fighting this time?"

"You think Angelo's fighting?"

"Ohhh its Finn, the prodigal son. Someone get a bucket of water ready!"

Listening to all the talking and joking Finn stands calmly on the ring collecting his thoughts and put his hands in his pockets, looking over at Mr. Jones who is struggling to put on his gloves.

"Alright ready?" Angelo asked.

"Wait what about him?" Mr. Jones questioned.

"Don't worry about him. Worry about if you don't hit him you have to leave empty handed." Angelo replied.

Ding!

At the sound of the bell, a very determined Mr. Jones rushes towards the defenseless Finn launching a right hook. Finn moves to the side at the last second barely dodging the punch. Mr. Jones goes on the offensive flailing his arms left and right without a care in the world, while Finn bobs and weaves through every punch completely relaxed.

"Man I never do get tired of watching Finn work."

"Hahahaha! He is my boy after all, plus he is a genius at fighting, he can see your move before you can make them." Angelo bragged.

"Too bad, the kid's a pacifist. Never wanting to hurt another soul, such a shame."

Angelo softened at that comment. After finding Finn at that alley 6 years ago, he raised Finn like the son he always wanted. Training him like a boxer so he could protect himself and win a belt that he never could.

Finding out that Finn didn't want to fight was understandable, but Angelo was still sad after Finn's dominate stand on being a pacifist. Nevertheless Finn still stuck to Angelo's training and became the perfect fighter in Angelo's eyes.

Thud!

Finn proceeded to pick up the exhausted body in front of him and sat him up against the corner of the ring.

"I'm sorry man, but please leave when you feel better." Finn apologized to Mr. Jones and walked over to Angelo.

"Why do you keep dragging me into your schemes. You know I don't like fighting." Finn said.

"Oh come on, it was barely a fight. You didn't even touch him." Angelo smirked. "Hey catch."

Finn caught a small horizontal wrapped container barely big enough to fight a toothbrush.

"What is it?" Finn asked as he unwrapped the box.

"It's your present/ birthday gift for this year." Angelo said. Finn opened up the small container and found a necklace with 2 golden boxing gloves.

"Thank you." Finn said as he hugged Angelo.

"Soooo.. where is my gift?" Angelo raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you didn't get me anything."

"No. I got you something." Finn said mysteriously.

"Well what is it?" Angelo asked. "Wait don't tell me its another fish. I already killed the last two you gave me. Or another plant cause that cactus was asking to get a stomping."

Finn facepalmed and said, "No you big bear." Finn steeled himself and made his decision. "I'm gonna take home a belt."

"No." Angelo's eyes sparkled and started to tear up. "But you said you hate fighting."

"I've been thinking about it for a while plus, after all these years of you taking care of me and my terrible gifts. I had to give you something amazing." Finn smiled.

"Hahahahaha!" Angelo laughed and gave Finn a bear hug. "Well lets get to it. What's your weight? Welterweight? Middleweight? Doesn't matter cause you're gonna win them all! Hahahahahahaha!"

***

Earth, Russia December 24th, 2017

On a snowy yard next to a huge mansion. You could see a little 6 year old kid the brightest blue eyes and the chubbiest of cheeks walking along the snow.

Noticing movement out the corner of his eye Adam waddled over in his layered clothes to find a small wolf buried in the snow. Adam picked up the little guy and ran home.

"Mama! Mama! Look this puppy was out buried in the snow all alone." Adam said to his mother, who was talking on the phone.

"Can we take care of him?" With his beautiful big blue eyes staring straight into his mother's soul.

Anna looked at her son and gave in to his cute little face. "Sure honey, but remember to take him to a hospital soon ok? And take it to your Aunt Diana." Adam nodded focused on the little animal.

"That's my little hero." Anna kissed her son on the forehead and continued with an irritating phone call.

"No I will not come in tomorrow. Are you kidding me?" Anna berated the person on the phone.

"It is your responsibility as a representative of the UN to settle these matters. It will only take a day at most." The person on the phone informed.

"Fine." Anna hanged up and grab a bottle of wine pouring herself a glass. Diana walked in the kitchen with a wet blouse and saw Anna drowning her sorrows in alcohol.

"You know you're son is crazy weird right? Trying to save that little wolf." Diana said.

"I know he brought in a rabbit last week." Anna lamented. "He wants to be a hero and save the world just like me apparently."

"You.." Diana stifled a laugh, "Save the world? Ahahahhaha."

Anna's eye twitched. "That's what I tell him every time there is a meeting." Sighing Anna said. "And now I have to 'save the world' tomorrow."

"Oooo...Tough break girl. I'll take care of the little guy tomorrow if you need me to." Diana proposed.

"Thanks Diana." Anna said sitting on a couch.

"Hey don't worry about it just focus on saving the world." Diana winked. "And you better get him one hell of a gift."

***

In the dark corner of space a shadow of a being was coming into the light.

"Well lets see if we can't have some fun now. Let's begin." The shadow smiled mischievously.