Achara

The woman in the Muay Thai dojo had great skill, tenacity, and strength, and a few days ago, Xavier wasn't confident he could beat her.

But after fighting a group of armed thugs and gaining the Gangster Instincts, she didn't feel like much of an opponent, despite her great capabilities.

Dodging her desperate punches, she was out of breath and has sustained quite a few blows that had made it hard for her to breathe, as he went in for a final kick to the head.

However, just as he was about to strike her head, he stopped himself, displaying unparalleled control.

"You did well to deal me a few blows and last so long against me, but this is my victory," Xavier stated, as he moved his foot away from her face.

If he hadn't stopped himself in time, that blow could have dealt her some serious damage and she was no longer able to block his attacks from the fatigue build-up and all the blows her arms had already sustained.

Falling onto the ground, she felt light-headed after the few blows she had sustained to the head and had a bust lip and bruises all over her arms, but no severe injuries.

Xavier on the other hand, was mostly fine and had a few bruises, but not much and he couldn't help but ask the system, 'Have I gotten stronger?'

{The host has gotten stronger and faster. Although only slightly, the Rapid Recovery has improved your body as a whole while aiding you to recover, while your Gangster Instincts were what improved your reflexes so much.}

Praising the miraculous system, he put his hand out to help her get up.

"No hard feelings, right?"

Grabbing his hand and getting up, her head was lowered, and she felt ashamed.

"Yes, it was a fair fight and you beat me..."

She was clearly very saddened as she continued, "I was trained in combat from a very young age back in Thailand by my mother and came here seeking a better life. As a female, I wasn't accepted and respected for my skills, and I thought that if I came here, I could prove myself and start my own dojo."

"But... I'm clearly not good enough and lost to a kid."

"Not just any kid. The kid that is now your boss," Xavier stated.

"And I can tell you were holding back," he added.

"Same to you."

During their fight, she could have chosen to strike vital areas such as the groan, throat, solar plexus, and eyes, but she stopped herself from doing so, and also didn't follow through with most of her attacks.

Xavier made the most of that and was also the first to attack, having a feeling that she would be a tough opponent and not taking her lightly, in the end coming out on top.

But he had also held himself back, and he was interested in seeing how capable she would be in a life or death battle that she didn't hold back in from the start.

From what he gauged of her, they were of a similar skill level and he only slightly got the edge over her with his reflexes, recklessness, and slight physical advantage.

There was some mutual respect there between the two of them and although she had agreed to work for him if he win, she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

-

"Even though you agreed to the deal, I will give you a chance to refuse my offer. I am forming a powerful gang that crushes all other scummy gangs and creates better lives for all its members," he stated directly.

She didn't know how to react, and at first, thought he was joking, but looking into his eyes, she saw a bright fire burning bright, and just like Connor; she didn't take long to answer.

"Yes, I would like to join you."

"That easy. Does nobody even take time to think before joining a gang and putting their future and freedom at risk?!"

"I don't have much to lose and want to build my reputation as a fighter, as well as earn money for my family in Thailand, so as long as you can help me do those things, I will join you."

"You have proven your combat capabilities, but what's next? And what's the name of this gang, anyway?" she asked.

Thinking on the spot, Xavier answered, "Um... Well... The name of the gang is The Outlaw Gang."

"The Outlaw Gang? That's lame," commented Connor, as he took his shoes off and joined them on the mats.

"It'll do. We aren't bad people, but won't be abiding by the law. I think it fits, and we can build a reputation around it," Xavier retorted.

"Alright, alright. So, what's the plan boss?" the woman asked.

"First of all, don't call me boss, just call me Xavier. Second of all, what's your name?"

"Xavier? That's..."

"An unusual name? I know, but what's yours?" he interrupted.

"My name's Achara."

"Okay, Achara. This is Connor, our other member, and this dojo of yours will be our new base of operations," Xavier decided.

"What?! No, I refuse. This dojo will be a place only for martial arts, and not for your new gang to gather around and hide drugs in!" she yelled.

"You can't refuse. Didn't you just call me boss?!" he yelled in response.

They went back on forth a few times, before they finally reached an agreement.

The dojo could be used as their base, but only after closing hours, and they would also have to help her run the dojo and get students, so that they could earn more money.

She claimed that she had put her life savings into buying and renovating the place, and so far it hadn't yielded any results, so they would have to help her, but they would also share the profits with her.

"Then it's decided. You and I will run the dojo, while Connor keeps working his normal job. Then, after Connor is finished working, he can come here to do some training and help out, then as the boss, I will split the money how I see fit," Xavier summarised.

"Huh?! I agree with the first bit, but as the owner of the dojo, I will split the money."

Once again Achara and Xavier began bickering over how the money would be handled, and eventually reached a mutual agreement just like before.

"We will split the money between us equally, and Connor already has his own money," they both decided, as they flashed him an evil smile.

Connor didn't bother arguing with the two money-hungry fiends, and they were right about him not needing any money from the dojo, so everything seemed to have been decided.

But just as they were wrapping things up, the nerd that had been watching everything from the corner of the dojo suddenly interrupted them.