Like father like son

Dark and violent days, these are the words that defined Hector's recent everyday life, a cycle of unrestrained violence that he used to release his frustrations but led to the decline of his life.

The clouds wept, shedding their tears upon Hector's body, whose counciouness was fading away. His mind began to recall those memories when happiness made presence in his life.

Born and raised in a friendly Italian family with income that afforded them a modest life and occasional small luxuries, his father, a retired military veteran, ran a small martial arts school. His mother, a talented tailor, managed the family's finances with strict discipline.

Military life left deep wounds in Hector's father memories. Having lost his family due to an accident in his youth, he decided to dedicate himself to his country. Years later, he chose returning to his hometown in southern Sicily due to the screams echoing in his head, he found himself in his parent's old house feeling solitude and longing. The light he found in all this darkness and solitude was a young woman that supported his wounds and illuminated him with happiness again.

Going with Hector, In his mind appeared the image of a little brat with a smile that shined brighter than the birthday candles in front of him. Near him stood his father Fabrizzio, a tall man with black hair, clean-shaven, deep blue eyes radiating energy, and a strong body with pronounced muscles. Beside him, a beautiful woman with shoulder-length black hair, his mother Bella, with deep amber eyes. Both had mobile phones recording the smile of their little treasure from different angles.

Hector's memory took him back to those moments when he practiced in the dojo with his father. 'The damn bastard used to beat the crap out of me even though I wasn't even ten'. But something he always told me is to never run of my problems, that doesn't mean I have to face it all alone, as I have them, but I always trust that I will achieve whatever I set my mind to. "Please take care of her" -Said nearly without voice

Moments later, he was in front of his mother. She showed him a big smile while teaching him how to sew and organize the allowance money that she gave him monthly. She always said, 'An organized man is a more attractive man.' '. Although, I never did get a girlfriend, Mom'.

Training since childhood led me to participate in various tournaments. At first, I lost some due to my lack of both interest and discipline. However, a father-son training session with my loving and absolutely not angry at all father resolved this attitude.

In my youth I spent my time with various video games when not training, and the one that brought light to the deep well of boredom within me was Pokémon. By the way, I didnt' have any friends because I was the silent creep kid that beated people, but that didnt' bothered me at all. Over the months, I played most of the games in this franchise, and what captivated me the most was Mega Evolution. But let's leave that for another time, let's continue.

As the years went by, I entered higher-level tournaments and focused on those that truly captured my interest, from Taekwondo, Boxing to Capoeira, I also learned H2H (Hand-to-Hand Combat) from military training with the guidance of my father, but it was absolutely forbidden. Pride and happiness were ever-present at home, Mom was always concerned for my safety, while on the flip side was my father, who trained me harder as I improved.

The problems began to arise as I became more well-known. I was blackmailed to manipulate the matches, either through money, prestige, or threats. Due to my young age, I fell into constant nervousness. My father realized the situation as time passed, noticing it through my performance. The threats stopped some time after I shared with him what was bothering me. When I approached my father and asked, he told me that everything was resolved. Trusting wholeheartedly in my paternal figure, I considered it solved and refocused on my training. I couldn't have been more wrong.

The moonlight illuminated half of my room on an ordinary night. In the early hours, I heard shouts from my mother, screaming for help. When I reached the entrance of the house, I froze, began to gasp, words trapped in my mouth, tears threatening to escape. Before me lay the emaciated body of my father, covered in bruises and cuts.

Minutes later, we found ourselves inside the intensive care unit of the city's general hospital. The doctor and surgeons emerged after operating and assessing my father's condition. We both froze at the words he had just uttered, there was a possibility he might not wake up due to the loss of blood.

Several weeks later, I found myself half-dead in an alley. Let me recap, I had a hint of what had happened because the only grudges our family held were those threats I received in the past. I'm not slow, just because I don't talk much doesn't mean I'm unaware of things. Don't judge me, I was blinded by rage. Finding the person who taught me everything I knew, my father figure, and one of the only two people I love, being beaten because of sports matches killed my last spark of self-control.

I spent the next four days asking acquaintances of my father related to the criminal side of the city, and I came across information about a known group that extorted people for money. Lately, this group boasted about finally getting rid of a 'bothersome piece of crap' that had been causing them trouble. The man in question was beaten by my dad, he gathered people to look for him several days. He recounted that one night, as the man went out to buy groceries, 10 people armed with knives surrounded him.

. . .

Well.

"What happened next!?" you might be wondering. Well, I went and annihilated them, literally. I went with a knife and my knowledge of H2H and took them all down, just like an Overpowered MC from a Wuxia novel. But this isn't a Wuxia, and I am far from Overpowered.

I disregarded any prohibition from my father, blinded by rage, I went after someone with an anger like I was an Snorlax who got his berries stolen. Indeed, I ended up half-dead. What can I say? Even though my father is an ex-military man, age takes its toll. He didn't use anything lethal against them and managed to finish them off, but at the cost of his health. Like father like son, I did the same, but I ended worst.

God I'm so idiot, I got my revenge, but I left my mother alone. "Forgive me for being a piece of shit."