The Black Swan Behind (Beauty of Fire)

129 Jack and Marcel’ Weakness

Although the hospital doctors had tried their best, basically, their mother was too late to get the treatment. Jack and Marcel were too late to bring their mother for treatment so the cancer had already become malignant.

Jack felt very sorry because he only dared to appear in front of his mother at the last second before the full of warmth woman left them all for good. Even, Jack had told his mother and grandmother before that he would fight and make them happy. But he had broken the promise in the middle of the way. Instead of being happy, he made his mother go away with a broken heart.

It really hurt when we are too late to keep our promise. The most torturous thing is a sense of regret.

The death of their mother made Marcel fall in pain. The reason was that since kid, he was very close and spoiled to his mother. Since his mother left, Marcel had become an introverted guy. He always closed himself in sadness to everyone. Usually, when times were tough, he had Jack to cheer him up. But Jack had no more time for him and they had to pretend they weren’t in a family relationship anymore.

Marcel, who had lost his mother when he was in high school, made him a strange guy at school. He never spoke to anyone, was always gloomy, and isolated himself from the world. All the kids thought he was an unsociable freak. With his fat body, he often got mocked by his classmates. In fact, it was not that Marcel didn’t want to lose weight, but it was his job as a wrestler that forced him to stay fat in order to attract the audience. Marcel felt his life was completely ruined. He could only continue to hope in his brother’s plan which at some point would succeed.

Jack knew his brother was suffering. He knew that Marcel’s life was so hard that his character changed. A talkative, cheerful boy had now become gloomy and closed. Even though Marcel had turned into an introverted guy, he still believed that his younger brother could still stand up straight, because, Jack himself was also trying desperately to launch his plan.

What Marcel didn’t know was that, over the past few years, Jack had been secretly inciting many members of Apollo to defect with him. The first to become Jack’s right-hand man was Kenny Brown. It turned out that actually, Kenny also held a grudge against Viggo who had hurt his father several years ago. Jack was clever to make Viggo like him and make him his confidant. The chairman even entrusted the location of his treasure space to Jack.

One day, right after Marcel received his graduation letter, he saw his brother waiting for him alone in the garden behind the school which was overgrown with pine trees. Seeing Jack, Marcel felt awkward himself because they had not spoken for too long time. Even if they passed each other at work, Marcel had to bow to his own brother because of his status as Viggo Fisher’s right-hand man.

Jack smiled slightly. Between happy and sad to see his little brother had grown tall for the past few years, but escaped from his attention. He looked at Marcel intently, “How are you doing?”

.....

Marcel nodded once with a downcast face, “Fine,”

“What about grandma?” Jack asked again in a low voice. Marcel just nodded.

Jack sighed softly, “Sorry for making you wait too long. Sorry that I just sat still, watching you suffer alone.”

Marcel lifted his head and looked at his brother, “You don’t need to apologize. I can deal with this.” he answered. The current Marcel was the same as his older brother three years ago. At that time, Jack was able to make big decisions with courage. He was a strong man. Because of that, Marcel didn’t want to lose from him. He was also an adult and he had to be strong.

“My plan has worked.”

“What?” Marcel furrowed his brow. He looked at Jack seriously.

Jack nodded, “All this time, I’ve been building my own group of defectors behind Viggo. Now, I’ve gathered enough members. It’s time to take that damn old man down.” Then, he walked up to Marcel with a smile and patted his brother’s neck, “After this, everything will change, Marcel. We don’t have to pretend anymore. Our families will be back together and all the people of Redvalley won’t be in misery anymore.”

Marcel couldn’t hide the excitement in his heart. Finally, their struggle for about six years would pay off. Their dream to eradicate crime and have a peaceful life would come true. Marcel was relieved because for the past six years, despite the constant trials, his faith in Jack’s plan had never faded. Even though he saw Jack as if he had turned into a stranger, he still clung to their brothers’ ties.

“So, what’s your plan? What’s my job on this mission?” Marcel asked enthusiastically.

“I’ll knock out Viggo. Maybe, I’d get into a fight with him. After that, I’ll take over Apollo. I’ll destroy all the dirty business in Bluevalley. That way, there will be only Redvalley in Handway City.” He explained, then, looked at Marcel intently, “I’m not going to involve you more in this, Marcel. You just need to do your job as usual and don’t come near us no matter what.”

Hearing the last explanation from his brother, Marcel immediately pushed Jack’s hand away in anger, “Then what the use of me? Do you still think that I am weak?”

Jack shook his head, “No, Marcel. Precisely because I see you are very strong now. The most important thing you have to protect is grandma, because Viggo knows which family I come from.”

“What?!” Marcel was surprised to hear that.

Jack nodded, “I know, it turns out that Viggo has been looking for our background information for a long time. He knows that we are the kids from Redvalley. That’s why I decided to leave the house, as if leaving our family. But I’m not sure yet if Viggo has one hundred percent trust in me at this moment. I’m afraid he’ll hurt grandma when I start attacking him.”

Marcel fell silent, trying to digest and control his shock. All this time, he didn’t know that Apollo had known their identities. If so, that meant their grandmother was in danger.

“Marcel. I believe you can protect Grandma. You can protect everyone in Redvalley. We share our duties. Remember, we are a pair of legs.” Jack said.

Finally Marcel nodded in understanding, “You have to promise it will work.”

“This is our last chance, I will not waste it,” Jack answered.

**

In Apollo’s group was actually an enemy under the blanket. He had already prepared an attack plan against Viggo Fisher along with all his defectors’ men. But what he didn’t know, exactly one day before the attack, it turned out that Viggo had received news about the plan of his right-hand man.

That late day, Marcel was preparing to fight as usual. In the dressing room filled with fighters, he was the only one who knew of the chaos that was to come.

Marcel was named the strongest fighter in Paradise Cave since Ron Smith got out of that place. Because he had become an undefeated senior fighter, Marcel got a lot of preferential treatment there. Marcel could roam freely in Paradise Cave, drinking and eating whatever was sold there for free. And Marcel would use his privilege to help his brother’s final mission. Well.. even though Jack had said that he didn’t need to do anything, of course, Marcel wouldn’t be staying quiet.

Marcel already knew every Apollo’s men who had joined Jack’s side. Therefore, he asked a bar waiter to prepare several barrels of cold beer to distribute to the members on duty. Marcel gave an alibi that the bonus from ticket sales that always ran out because of him was finally paid, so he thought about treating people at the bar.

Secretly, Marcel put crushed sleeping pills at the random dose in one of the beer barrels that would be distributed to the Apollo men. He did not care whether the act would have side effects on those who drank it. He was just in a hurry and couldn’t accept the risk that his brother would fail, because this was their only chance. The Viggo Fisher’s men who drank the beer should have lost their consciousness in the next hour or two.

“In a good mood today?”

Marcel turned his body backwards when he heard a male voice that made his heart skip a beat. He smiled before bowing respectfully, “Chairman,”

“You are the best fighter here. But I never seem to talk to you. I even forgot that you are Red’s younger brother. You guys are great men.” Viggo said with a sip of the large cigar he had just lit.

Marcel lowered his head again, “Thank you, Chairman,”

“Sometimes I think, if you two get together, maybe you’d be even better than me. That’s why it took me so long to think about whether Red deserves to be my confidant or not.”

Marcel shook his head, “We have gone our separate ways.”

Viggo nodded, “Of course. That’s because you’re all grown up.”

Marcel smiled faintly then nodded again respectfully, “I’ll excuse myself, then.” he said before walking away after getting a nod from Viggo.

“The more mature a person is, the shrewder his brain will be.” Viggo’s words made Marcel stop his footsteps. Slowly, he glanced behind his back, where Viggo was standing casually there. “You forgot that I’m more mature than you two.” he smiled.

Marcel’s eyes widened. At that instant, he ran towards the exit of Paradise Cave. He didn’t know where his brother was, but he knew where he had to go. Viggo already knew their plan. That meant, he knew what was most important to the Douglas brothers. Viggo must be targeting their grandma!