Chapter Text
Wood Oak City could be a lot to handle. It often was. At the best of times, it was considered a place of joy, a city of memories just waiting to be made. But typically, people living here took their pursuits of pleasure to the extreme, which naturally gave the city a reputation for being chaotic. People living in this city ran wild, staying at nightclubs from evenings until dawn, stumbling from one bar to the next in drunken frenzies, having such dangerous habits as driving like maniacs, which usually resulted in totaled vehicles—often accompanying an injured pedestrian or several.
Through their continuous, boisterous antics, the city’s residents ensured that Wood Oak would almost never be silent.
But tonight, the only sounds that reached Axel Stone's ears were the sounds of his own Adidas high top sneakers, hitting the pavement with one step after the next.
Much to his satisfaction, the surrounding area was just that empty. No noise, no voices, no nothing.
Especially no fighting.
For however long it lasted, he was going to enjoy it.
He approached a bench under a flickering lamp post. He sat down, crossing his arms.
As he basked in the continued silence, his mind wandered. To this city, and everything it had been through. Everything The Syndicate had put it through, was more like it.
Axel frowned, giving a grunt to no one in particular. If he were being honest with himself, it was more than just The Syndicate. On its own, it was just a criminal organization. A notorious one, to be fair, but those were a dime a dozen. Axel knew that an organization was only as good as the person calling all of the shots.
In the case of The Syndicate—Mr. X.
That was what had caused so much trouble in this city.
The police corruption, the kidnappings, the bombings—they'd all happened because of him.
Axel could at least say that the man was dead now. Gone down in flames along with The Syndicate's Green Leaf District base. But even that didn't mean that everything was magically restored. The Syndicate nearly being responsible for a war with the Lima Nations had cost the U.S its rapport with them. Leaders of the Lima Nations were furious with The Syndicate, deeming the event a "shining example of typical American bloodlust" and things of the sort on the international news.
Predictably, those living in the U.S weren't appreciative of being disparaged so fiercely by the actions of a single crime lord who happened to live in the same country. Especially not those who'd lived in Wood Oak City. They'd been still nursing their own wounds from the ordeal, after all, what with it being the epicenter of the radioactive attack that had claimed the lives of tens of thousands.
From that time onwards, Wood Oak wasn't a friendly place for anyone from any of Lima's twelve Nations. If a person had even the slightest bit of a Spanish-sounding accent or even a name, they wouldn't just get the cold shoulder, they'd be cussed out, spat at, and even sometimes physically assaulted. It usually happened in broad daylight too, right on the streets.
It was a shit show. But there was seemingly nothing that any of them could do about it.
Even without The Syndicate, the city still had its crime problem, too. The Signal Gang and the Red Demon Bikers were still alive and well, their violence filling the void left behind by The Syndicate. According to Adam, there was also the fact that Commissioner Middleton, a holdover from The Syndicate's reign, still held his position at the WOPD—something that almost guaranteed that the city's corrupt police officers would still get off scot free for committing the same crimes they were supposed to be punishing others for.
It all made Axel wonder if there was anything more to the fighting that the city so often saw. Was there something more to the concept of battle? Could there be something beyond creating flaming punches and ki projectiles?
What did it really mean to possess power? What defined true strength?
Contemplating this, Axel made the decision to leave the grid. He'd trekked up the mountainous wilderness just outside the city and set up home in an old cabin shack that had just been rotting away. Immediately upon arriving, the crisp, natural air, and its surrounding landscape had just felt right. Like his new home.
He still made regular trips back down to Wood Oak. Sometimes to restock on living items, and sometimes to simply visit. Going back to his old stomping grounds had never failed to evoke a sense of nostalgia within Axel. The city still wasn't perfect by any stretch, but there were some truly great people and places there that meant alot to Axel even after all of these years. In spite of all of Wood Oak's issues, it was still where he was born and raised. Axel could never truly turn his back on this place when it was the only place he'd truly known from the inside out.
And as crazy as it would have seemed, Mr. X, for all of his ghoulishness, had managed to leave one good thing behind in the form of his son, Yuzo. Axel would have never expected to have such an opinion, but Yuzo wasn't his father. He was a good kid, one who Axel didn't want to leave behind without any guidance after The Syndicate went down for the count.
He and Yuzo bonded, sharing many laughs and heartfelt moments alike. Axel had wound up becoming a sort of surrogate sibling to him. An older brother figure. It wasn't a role that he ever expected to fill—Axel hadn't grown up with a sibling like Adam had—but in Yuzo's times of need, he found himself able to give advice and comfort that he needed. A concern of his was often that it wasn't enough, but Yuzo would always urge him to perish the thoughts, to have more confidence in his mentorship skills.
In fact, Yuzo admired Axel so much that he'd decided to take his family name. For reasons Axel still couldn't fathom, Mr. X hadn't given him one, only a first. So once Yuzo had turned 18, he'd gone and legally added the name "Stone" onto his existing one, thus having a surname for the first time in his life.
Not just any name. Stone. His name.
Over his years of meditation and martial arts training, Axel had become less emotional. No more was he a hot head whose rage could be heard and felt for miles. These days, he was much more stoic. But knowing that he and Yuzo had become just that close, that he viewed the two of them to be family, had actually moved him to tears.
Their bond may have been long solidified before that point, but that gesture had spoken to Axel. They were undeniably family at that moment, and that meant that come hell or high water, he'd need to protect Yuzo, even if he'd learned more than enough from him to protect himself just fine.
Now, he'd come back to the city for a bit of relaxation, a break from his rigorous training. Adam had been able to convince him to give it a rest—if only for one night.
Ever since Axel moved out of the city, he was hesitant to slow down. His daily routine consisted of immediate training sessions after waking up. After several hours of that, he'd spend several hours meditating. Then it was back to training, then more meditation, then sleep.
Axel understood how it could come across as boring or monotonous to others. It certainly wasn't a lifestyle for everyone. Lots of people had careers and hobbies things to dedicate themselves to. Spending most of his waking moments training—be it his mind or his fighting skills—was unorthodox, not to mention intense. Axel saw real value in it, nevertheless, and as such, he'd stuck with it for the past decade.
But, as he'd promised Adam, tonight was going to be a respite. And as dedicated to his spiritual journey as he was, he couldn't help but look forward to a night of good fun and good company. Adam and Blaze were his lifelong friends, and bowling had been one of their many shared pastimes.
Axel pulled out his phone. Not just any phone, but one made by RoboCy. Those phones were completely different from any other type of cell phone. The few buttons they actually had were located on their sides, not the surfaces. Mostly, the devices were touch screen-based, with programs on the screen that one could use by tapping on an icon on the home screen. In concept, it more resembled a miniature computer moreso than a phone, which was unheard of. But being manufactured by RoboCy meant that one shouldn't have been surprised.
They'd evolved from being a simple robotics manufacturer sometime after The Syndicate's defeat. Now, RoboCy had broken into the electronics and even the home appliances markets. Aside from his phone, Axel also owned a RoboCy Computer. They'd both been quite pricey, but he'd had quite a bit of money saved up that Adam and Blaze suggested that he spend on something nice himself that wasn't some sort of video game or console. Axel had always told himself that it was because he'd been getting tired of them nagging him about it, not because he'd eventually found their shiny new products too hard to resist.
The screen on his phone read 7:57, and Adam agreed to pick him up at eight. Not much of a wait left.
Sure enough, he heard the engine of a sports car in the distance. An engine that got louder as it approached.
The car was a yellow Dodge Viper GTS with a black racing stripe across the top. It came to a stop in front of Axel, its window rolling down to reveal the grinning face of Adam Hunter.
"If it ain't the mountain man!" Adam said, tipping his black shades down.
Axel gave a snort, the corner of his lip curling upwards with affection.
Adam unlocked the passenger's door, allowing Axel to open the door and climb in.
"I see you're still rockin' that raggedy lumberjack outfit." Adam said.
"And I see you're still driving this gaudy-ass car." Axel shot back, closing the door.
"Don't like it?" Adam joked, one hand on the wheel. "Fine. You can just walk to L' Devo's."
"Screw that," Axel chuckled, securing his seatbelt. "Stay out on these streets too long and you're bound to run into a Signal. I don't feel like getting harassed by them tonight."
"What I thought!" Adam laughed, patting the dashboard of the car. "Show my baby here some respect!"
Axel gave a smile. Following Wood Oak's Laxine incident in the 1994, Adam had been afforded a promotion, moving onto to the Special Investigation Forces. It was a job that paid a fair bit more than the WOPD ever did, which eventually allowed him to afford a car like this. He'd had it for a few years now, and practically treated it as a child of his. It was a badass car indeed, but Axel found it a bit funny how Adam had gotten it in his two favorite colors. And as his best friend, Axel was obligated to give him a hard time about it.
"Least it sounds like it's been smooth." Axel noted.
"For the most part, yeah," Adam said, pulling off. "Had its engine changed last month."
"A Viper's engine isn't cheap to fix," Axel gave a grimace out of sympathy. "That's money out of the ass you would have had to pay."
"Luckily not," Adam said. "Roach hooked me up pretty nicely."
Axel raised a skeptical eyebrow. Back in the 90's, Roach was a member of the Red Demons, following closely in the footsteps of his older brother, Jack. To his credit, he'd had a decent run, but his luck eventually ran out when he'd been caught and confronted by Adam one night. Because he'd been a friend of Adam's brother, Skate, Adam generously chose to let him off with a warning. Maybe Roach had learned his lesson, or maybe he was just thankful, because Roach had cut his ties with the Demons after that, skipping town to avoid Jack's wrath. Axel had begun to see him around the city again here and there after the fall of The Syndicate, now working the night shift at Ken's Korner Shop as far as he knew.
"He knows his way around these kinds of cars?" Axel questioned.
"All that time spent with the Demons gave him some serious vehicle know-how," Adam explained. "Turns out the kid has a side hustle working on motors. He said he'd look at mine for only a few grand."
"Pretty good discount," Axel hummed. "Guess it's what happens when you let someone off with an ass kicking instead of locking them up."
"The both of us lucked out, didn't we?" Adam smiled, making a turn. "I'm just glad he's staying out of trouble."
Axel gave a tiny nod in agreement. The mention of "trouble" immediately brought to mind Adam's mischievous younger brother.
"Skate doing okay?" Axel asked suddenly.
"Yeah, he's been alright," Adam gave a chuckle. "Still spendin' all his time drinkin’ his ass stupid over at Atlas."
"Hey, kid's enjoying himself," Axel smiled. "He's living life the way he should."
"You say that 'cause you don't have a 17 year old daughter who wants to be just like him." Adam murmured.
Axel tittered to himself, knowing just how much Adam's daughter took after Skate. For better or worse.
"And what's Cherry been up to?" Axel asked, playfully eyeing Adam. "Still playing her music, I hope."
"Yep, sure is." Adam replied, his face entirely straight.
Axel raised an eyebrow at the nature of Adam's response. The subject of his daughter's music always prompted grumbling from him concerning the amount of noise it created throughout his house. Axel was slightly disappointed, given he'd been banking on being able to use it to get a rise out of Adam. Usually, it worked.
"You don't seem too upset about it." Axel noted, a hint of both disappointment and confusion in his voice.
"That's 'cause I don't have to listen to her practice,"Adam smiled. "Her friend Floyd built her this force dome that keeps sound inside. She gets underneath that when she starts playing that guitar, and I don't hear a thing."
"Handy." Axel said, giving a quirk of his head.
According to Adam, Floyd Iraia was someone who'd been taken under the wing of Dr. Gilbert Zan following a construction accident that had tragically resulted in the loss of both his arms. Adam had also even said that Floyd was the son of the S.I.F's Director, Harper Iraia. Axel had yet to meet Floyd himself, but Adam said that he was a kind and softly-spoken young man, one who was practically always over thanks to his close friendship with Cherry.
"Tell me about it!" Adam sighed with relief, turning the wheel again. "I can finally watch the Lakers in peace."
"What about your mom?" Axel asked. "How's she holding up?"
"Eh, you know how it is," Adam's brow furrowed as his tone became slightly somber. "Still dealing with those arthritis pains."
"You said you were thinking about getting her some therapy," Axel said, glancing over at Adam. "What's the story with that?"
"I signed her up at the beginning of this month," Adam's tone changed yet again, becoming somewhat firm. "Got tired of watching her walk around in pain."
"You did the right thing," Axel said. "Your mom's too good of a woman. She deserves to be comfortable."
"More like too stubborn," Adam scoffed. "You got no idea how hard I had to fight her on it. Old bat."
"C'mon man," Axel grinned. "Can't talk about your old lady like that. She's not even here to defend herself."
"You know damn well it's only fair," Adam sniggered. "You've heard her call me and Eddie way worse!"
The two men shared a laugh, with Axel remembering all of the colorful banter that he'd heard Maria Hunter had traded with her two sons. Not even Axel was completely safe from it, with Maria most recently taking a jab at Axel's new choice of lifestyle during his last visit to her residence. Her teasing never failed to bring a smile to his face. If Maria Hunter gave you a hard time, it meant that you were family. And to Axel, that was an honor.
"But enough about me, man," Adam briefly eyed Axel before turning his attention back toward the road. "Let's talk about your loved ones."
"Who?" Axel raised an eyebrow. "You mean Yuzo?"
"Not him!" Adam stopped at a red light, turning to look him in the eye. "I'm talkin' about Blaze. What's the deal between you two?"
Ah. Her.
Axel let out a sigh. He sat back in his seat.
For a long time, Blaze Fielding was Axel's friend and former partner. But following Mr. X's last stand at the Green Leaf District all those years ago, Axel sensed that the two of them could be something else. And due to Blaze's lingering looks, her demeanor's potential to turn flirtatious around him, he had a sneaking suspicion that she felt similarly.
"I'm not gonna make my move just yet." Axel said, turning his gaze toward the passing streets outside.
"Huh?" Adam said. "Why not? Or are you gonna tell me that you still somehow don't know?"
As much as it sounded like he was making excuses, like he was just too nervous to confess to Blaze how he felt, the truth was that Axel genuinely hadn't had some big reason as to why he was so hesitant. At the time of Mr. X's final defeat, he simply hadn't felt like adding a relationship to his life, his feelings for Blaze be damned. Moving into the mountains had made her even less of a priority for him.
Embarking on his personal journey was of much more interest to him than a potential romantic commitment. When the idea first took root, he felt like he'd gained something to truly focus on.
"I've been giving it some thought," Axel continued. "And I think I've gotta know what strength is first. That's what has to happen before a relationship."
"Dude, really?" Adam incredulously remarked, continuing on at the sight of the light's change to green. "That's why you're not gonna take Blaze off the market? You'd really rather waste time on bein' some kinda philosopher?"
Had it been someone he hadn't known for years, Axel would have dismissed the reply as a simple crude remark. But this was Adam, someone that may as well have been a brother. The crass wording of his reply was simply how the two of them were when one of them desperately wanted the other to do what they thought would benefit them most.
Adam hadn't seen the prospect of strength the way Axel did. To Adam, being strong was a simple means to an end. Something that you could use to stop the bad guy—kill him if necessary—so that they couldn't hurt anyone else. As a formerly young, brash fighter, Axel had been the same way. But things had changed now, and that had been alright by Adam. Even if he personally didn't understand the potential in it that Axel now saw, he, as his longtime friend, respected the difference in perspective.
"She's into you, man," Adam continued. "Really into you. But she might not wait around forever."
Adam's warning definitely held a kernel of truth. Blaze was a looker, one that turned heads effortlessly. Axel was fully aware that he was by no means the only attractive guy around, and that Blaze was attractive enough herself to have any man in the city that she wanted.
"If Blaze gets sick of waiting," Axel finally said. "That'll be fine by me. I'll get it. But either way, I feel like I've gotta solve this mystery first. That's my main priority."
Adam gave a scoff, shaking his head.
"You're weird, man," Adam said. "You'd really rather stay in the wilderness fending off bears than wake up next to a woman like Blaze."
"Just how I roll." Axel replied matter-of-factly.
"Then how about I make my move, then?" Adam playfully elbowed Axel, a sly grin creeping onto his lips. "Gets a bit lonely, bein' a single dad and all. . ."
"Like she'd ever go for some chump who wears sunglasses at night." Axel smirked.
"What, and she'd go for a lumberjack who's obsessed with videogames?" Adam chortled back. "Maybe it's not about this big mystery you wanna figure out."
"What would it be, then?" Axel raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe you won't ask because you just don't understand women like I do." Adam surmised.
"You're so wrong," Axel sniggered. "You might not be a noob with women, but I know the meta too. Trust me."
"There you go again with the nerd talk," Adam held up a hand in confusion. "The fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Axel let out a laugh at Adam's exaggerated exasperation. His friends weren't passionately into video games like him, As such, they were ignorant to much of the lingo that surrounded them. Not that it stopped Axel one bit from peppering his speech with it.
Adam made a right turn. Axel could now see L' Devo's in the distance.
"Just focus on getting us to L' Devo's," Axel smiled. "I wanna get to beating you down already."
"Least that was some kinda English," Adam quipped, a competitive grin emerging across his lips. "But you ain't winnin' shit tonight, bro."
Axel would be lying to say that he wasn't immensely enjoying the banter between him and Adam, as he always did. It had been possible for them to talk over the phone, but this kind of face-to-face interaction, this human connection, couldn't be matched.
It made Axel glad that he'd taken Adam's advice and given himself a small break from training. Socializing was. . .nice.
He didn't consider himself a loner, per se—moreso a man who didn't mind spending time in his own company. He considered it a strength, a sign of independence. That trait of his was how he'd managed to stay in the mountains all by himself without going mad from the lack of other human beings to converse with on a daily basis.
But it turned out even a man like him was still human. Which was the whole point. His journey was deeply spiritual, after all, something that would be inherently unable to embark on and engage with if he weren't in touch with his humanity.
So maybe Adam was right. Not that Axel would actually admit it out loud to him.
No matter what you liked to do for fun, L'Devo's had you covered. Bowling, live entertainment, arcade games, dance floors, karaoke, and even a rooftop terrace that was used as a nice smoke spot for those who wanted a good marajuana high. It was a towering venue located in the heart of the city, and it was where everyone came to relax, unwind, and have a good time.
Adam pulled into the parking lot, bringing the Viper to a nice, clean stop, being sure not to get a single scratch on its front bumper. The two of them climbed out of the car, walking through the front doors.
Immediately, Axel's ears were assaulted by a thundering din. People excitedly chattered, music blared, bowling pins clattered together in the distance. To someone new to it, L'Devo's could have easily been too overwhelming, but Axel had spent many a day in this place before, be it while mashing away at the buttons of an arcade game, or drinking the place dry with Adam and Max.
"Hey!"
Over the noise, Axel made out the unmistakable sound of Blaze's voice. He and Adam both turned their heads, seeing her strutting over towards them.
"Yo!" Adam called out, giving a wave.
Axel and Adam walked to meet Blaze, closing the short distance between them.
"Adam!" Blaze called to them with an enormous smile. "Axel!"
Blaze embraced Axel in a tight, friendly hug. Axel hugged back, smiling as he got a noseful of her rosy shampoo.
He'd missed her.
"How have you been?" Blaze pulled away from him, raising her voice slightly over the commotion.
"Can't complain," Axel replied with a smirk. "You?"
"Overworked is what I am," Blaze laughed. "I'm ready for a good time. Hope you're ready to lose."
Blaze shot a glance at Adam.
"Both of you!" Blaze cheekily added.
"Like I told Axel in the car," Adam grinned. "I don't plan on losin' to either of you clowns."
"Hm," Blaze pursed her rosy lips, turning her attention back to Axel. "And what have you got to say to that?"
"I told him that he's delusional if he thinks he's winning against me." Axel replied. "And the same goes for you."
"Both of you talk a big game," Blaze's own grin widened. "Especially considering the fact that I won the last two times we went bowling."
"So you got lucky twice in a row," Adam crossed his arms over his chest. "Whoop-de-doo."
"Fine," Blaze leaned in towards him. "I'll show you how lucky I am!"
With her signature confidence, Blaze turned on her heel and left for the front bowling desk to grab a lane for the three of them. Axel and Adam followed behind. They, along with Blaze, slid their money over to the guy manning the desk, each receiving bowling shoes in return.
"Lane seventeen," Blaze said, indicating with a movement of her head. "All the way back there."
"Wait, hang on." Axel said, looking back.
Without elaborating further, Axel jogged back over to the arcade. He stopped in front of a particular cabinet, his jaw falling slightly agape with awe.
It was a game that had just come out earlier this year. The attract mode sequence played out, depicting Pac-Man of all characters, go-karting against the Super Mario cast.
"Yo, what're you doing?" Adam questioned, dismissively waving at the arcade cabinet. "Forget about this stuff, man, I'm ready to bowl!"
"I know, I know," Axel happily murmured. "I just wanted to take a look, that's all. Yuzo told me that they installed one of these things last time we spoke. Had to see it for myself."
"It's just a Mario Kart game," Adam raised an eyebrow, not particularly impressed. "What's the big deal?"
"It's Mario Kart GP," Axel corrected. "This is one is new. And you can't play on any sort of console."
"So what's so special about this one?" Adam asked.
"Like I said, this one's arcade-only," Axel replied. "Not just that, but it's got Pac-Man in it."
Adam gave the screen his full attention, tilting his head at Pac-Man's placement on the game's title screen.
"Since when do Mario and Pac-Man have anything to do with each other?" Adam furrowed his eyebrows.
"They don't, man," Axel said, his eyes shining with interest. "Namco let Nintendo use Pac-Man as a guest character for this game."
"Guess I could see how that'd be exciting to a video game fan." Adam conceded, giving a sideways nod of his head.
Just then, Blaze came marching over to them. Her red boots were gone, replaced with the bowling shoes.
"What are you guys doing over here?" Blaze demanded.
"Getting sidetracked." Adam sardonically replied, jerking a thumb at Axel.
Blaze took a look at Axel, then the arcade cabinet. She turned back at Axel with an irate expression.
"Come on, Axel!" Blaze stood with her hands on her hips. "We're supposed to be bowling, not playing video games!"
"Keep your shirt on," Axel smirked. "We're gonna bowl. Just had to give this cabinet a look. The game just came out."
"Well, you looked," Blaze said brusquely. "Now let's go."
"Sure, sure." Axel replied.
Blaze turned and headed back towards their lane. Before Adam could follow her, Axel stopped him with a hand on his shouder.
"One more thing." Axel said.
"What now?" Adam asked.
"Let's make tonight interesting," Axel proposed with a grin. "Friendly competition. You and me. Whoever bowls the most points wins."
Adam gave a puzzled look, furrowing his eyebrows at how redundant the request sounded. Then, a look of understanding flashed across his face as he realized that Axel wanted to compare skills purely between the two of them.
"You don't feel bad about leavin' Blaze out of it?" Adam slyly asked.
"She doesn't need to be involved in every little thing that we do," Axel pointed out. "Plus, it's not like she won't be bowling along with us."
"I hear you." Adam nodded slowly.
"So what do you say?" Axel asked, extending a hand for Adam to shake.
Adam grinned. He tilted his head on an upwards angle, clearly pretending to think on it.
"Well it's not interesting until we come up with some sorta prize, am I right?" Adam pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "How 'bout. . .loser buys the winner his first drink of the night?"
The two of them were very competitive with one another, though always in a purely friendly way. Often, Axel felt compelled to best Adam at things they both had some experience in, such as sparring, shooting guns at the range, or street basketball.
And right now, it was bowling. Same shit, different day. And the both of them loved it.
"I could go for a Samuel Adams." Axel grinned.
"So could I," Adam replied. "So you better get ready to order me one that's nice and tall."
Before Axel could even retort, Adam grasped his still-outstretched hand in a firm, powerful shake.
Axel looked Adam in the eye, meeting his friend's cocky grin with a smirk of his own.
"May the best man win." Adam said.
"Damn straight." Axel nodded once.
After shaking on it, the two of them started off towards the bowling alley, finally joining Blaze over at bowling lane seventeen.
"I've put our names in already," Blaze told them. "I'm first up."
Axel looked up at the screen to see that Blaze had indeed put herself first. Adam would be next, then him.
Axel took a seat on one of the plastic seats, removing his sneakers and putting on his bowling shoes.
"Since you two don't seem to believe me when I say I'm the best bowler among us," Blaze smirked. "Watch this."
Blaze grabbed a ball, strolling up to the lane with a sway in her hips. She drew the ball up to her chin, before extending her arm back. She sent the ball flying straight down the center of the lane, knocking all of the pins down.
Blaze gave a sassy flip of her long, brown hair. She jogged back to the bench as the bowling pin cartoon played on the screen.
"You're up, Adam." Blaze grinned, taking a seat.
Adam chortled, standing up to retrieve a ball of his own. He flung it down the lane, knocking all of the pins over save for the seventh.
The lane reset the pins for his second turn. Adam gave a pause in concentration, before rolling the ball. He failed to hit the last pin, the ball veering over into the gutter instead.
"Dammit!" Adam swore, swinging a fist. "So close!"
Axel eyed Adam's score as it appeared onto the screen. Nine pins wasn't a bad start.
"Let me show you how it's done." Axel shot Adam a smirk.
"Show me then, hotshot." Adam playfully fired back.
Before Axel could grab a ball himself, Adam so graciously thrust one at him to take. Axel swiped the ball from Adam and started off towards the edge of the lane.
He narrowed his eyes, focusing as he pulled the ball up to his chin.
It was time to win himself a free beer.