It was like the world around us just disappeared. What had Simon just said? Did he mean the same Keith that had been at my parents' lake house? The guy that Ash had messed around with, broken up with, punched in the face? It couldn't be true. It simply couldn't be. All color had washed away from Ash's face when I looked at him. Jesus, he mustn't blame himself for this.

"W-what the hell are you s-saying?" he stuttered and seemed to struggle for air. "Did you say Keith?"

He clutched the bar counter and I rushed to him and placed my arm around his shoulders to keep him from fainting. Simon nodded quietly and watched Ash with a worried look on his face. Ash closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against my shoulder.

"This is not your fault," I whispered to him. "You get it? This is not your fault. Let's just get this motherfucker now."

He grabbed my sweater tight and let out a long groan, like he was in pain. Then he lifted his head at last and took a deep breath. His gaze was like steel, the conviction so deep that it was almost frightening. He looked at Simon and nodded.

"Let's get him," he said fervently. "Where did you see him last?"

"He went out for a smoke," Simon replied and smashed his fist in his palm.

It was cold and dark as we got out into the street outside the club. Ash had been holding my hand in a tight grip all the way out, but now he released me and seemed to ready himself for the assault. That Keith was the perpetrator had made me shellshocked at first, but after the initial realization I had calmed down just because I knew that Ash had already smacked him down one time. But now as the confrontation was imminent, I got afraid again. Not that Keith would be a match for Ash, but I got scared that Ash was so angry that he wouldn't be able to stop until something awful happened.

I noticed Keith further into the alley where he stood leaned against the wall smoking, talking to another guy. Simon grabbed Ash's arm and held him back a little.

"You just tell me when you want my help, ok?" he said in a low voice. "But he's all yours now."

Ash gave a quick nod without taking his eyes off Keith and I could see his jaws clenching. He slowly started to walk towards where Keith was, and it seemed like he struggled to restrain himself from just rushing up to him. Simon and I followed a few steps behind. When Keith discovered us, he gave us a superior smile and crossed his arms over his chest. Ash snarled at the other guy to walk away, and the guy just shrugged and headed towards the club again.

"Damn, you took your sweet time to find me," Keith grinned maliciously. "Thought your brother would come crying right away, but I guess not."

Something flashed in Ash's eyes, and he swung his fist at Keith, but Keith had anticipated it and ducked away. But Ash lunged himself at him and got hold of his collar and landed a knee hard in his stomach.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Ash growled while Keith was struggling to catch his breath. "Are you targeting my brother just because you're too scared to face me? Look at me!"

Keith looked up at Ash, defiance in his eyes, and a chill ran down my spine when I saw him smile. There wasn't a speck of remorse in his eyes. He tried to headbutt Ash but only managed to hit his chest and Ash smashed his fist right across his nose.

"If you can't have one brother, you get the other," Keith spluttered, and blood ran down his nose into his mouth. "So I guess your brother needs to blame you for it."

An almost animalistic roar came from Ash, and he threw Keith into the wall with full force and pressed his face into the bricks, skin scraping against the hard surface. I noticed that I was holding my breath. Keith didn't stop smiling. Why the hell didn't he stop smiling?

"So now you wanna be close to me, huh?" Keith just continued. "I guess I'll just have to fuck your brother more often then."

"Shut up," Ash hissed and punched Keith over the mouth again. "If you touch him again, I'll kill you, you get that?"

Keith didn't seem to care at all what Ash was saying, instead he tried to put his arms around Ash and leaned his bloodied face up to kiss him. Ash headbutted him full force and Keith staggered backwards, and Ash kicked him in the chest, making him fall with his back onto the wet asphalt. Then Ash nodded at Simon. Simon approached them and whispered something to Ash, who smiled murderously.

Keith tried to get to his feet again, but Ash got to him and pressed his shoulders down and crouched down at his head and stared down at him. Simon started to calmly unbutton Keith's pants and then he pulled them down to his knees. What were they doing? Had Ash been serious in saying that he would cut Keith's balls off? At least Keith wasn't smiling anymore. Simon pulled a knife and a thick rubber band out of his pocket. He smacked the rubber band at Keith's crotch and grinned as Keith grunted in pain.

"Ever seen Fight Club?" Ash said in a chilling tone to Keith.

"What? No, what the hell are you talking about?" Keith hissed and fought to get free.

"Well, that's lucky," Simon smirked.

Then he grabbed Keith's ball-sack roughly and started to wind the rubber band around it, until it was tightly knotted.

"W-what the fuck are you doing?" Keith said and all his arrogance was long gone.

Ash cocked his head and slapped Keith on the cheek.

"The rubber band is there to prevent you from bleeding so damn much when we cut your balls off, Keith."

Simon held up the knife to Keith, making the blade glint in the light of the streetlights. Keith's eyes had become large, and he desperately tried to tear himself loose, but he was stuck as Ash held his arms and Simon pinned his legs under his knees. Simon lowered the knife towards Keith's crotch and placed the edge against his balls.

"No, no, no, no!" Keith wailed, in utter terror now and I could see urine running between his legs.

He had wet himself in fear. I had never seen anything like it, and I stood there almost paralyzed.

"Now that is just cringeworthy, Keith," Simon teased and shook his head.

Ash pressed down Keith's head to the ground with a hand on his throat.

"You're going to leave me and my brother alone, you get that?" he growled menacingly.

Tears ran down Keith's beat-up face and he sobbed and hickuped uncontrollably as he tried to nod.

"I wanna hear you say it, you bastard."

"I-I promise, p-please... I p-promise..."

Right then Simon pressed the knife even harder against his balls, Keith screamed in pure panic, but Simon just slit the rubber band, making it snap free from the ball-sack. He grinned at Keith and tossed the remnants of the rubber band at his face.

"What the fuck are you screaming for? Get outta here, before we change our minds."

Ash and Simon got up, letting go of Keith. He crawled to his feet and started running into the alley, away from us. I drew a long breath and felt the tension in my body slowly fade away. There was no trace of pity for Keith in me, but the whole situation had been just crazy. Ash looked positively ecstatic and high fived Simon and then pulled me into such an intense embrace that I lost my footing. He kissed me loudly and spun me around until I was practically dizzy. I grinned at him, I simply couldn't get over how his mood had changed, this must have been cathartic for him at the least and I was so happy for him.

"Damn, that felt good," he rejoiced. "We make a good team, Simon."

Simon nodded laughing and put away his knife again. I suddenly felt a surge of joy, almost like Ash had infected me with his own happiness and I wanted to do something, anything. Something fun. I didn't care one bit that we had work tomorrow, my mind was bubbling with energy.

"We should celebrate," I suggested.

"We're just outside a club," Simon remarked with a sly smile.

"I'm not in the mood to go in there again," Ash said. "Can't stand a crowd right now. How about we just go to our place and drink beer and play video games? You up for it, Simon?"

Something pinched my heart when I heard him utter the words 'our place'. It just sounded so natural when he said it. I took his hand and entwined my fingers with his. Beer and games sounded like an awesome celebration.

"Yeah, why not?" Simon smiled.

***

There is a reference to the movie Fight Club in this chapter (and title). If you by any chance haven't seen it, go see it. . Go-go-go. ^o^