Alan and Etia walked out of the arrest and smelled freedom. She went toward her home, and he followed behind her.


    — Can I live at your place? — He asked.


    — Ah, right. — Etia just realized that Alan was homeless. — It shouldn''t be a problem.


    — Thanks.


    This would be the first time he came into a woman''s room. Other than for assassinations, of course.


    — So, any Idea where I could work? Also, I checked your test, and you passed.


    — I don''t know who would employ you. I had a hard time looking for a job, so probably you won''t have it easier.


    They fell silent for a while, and after thinking about it, Alan asked.


    — Do you have MMA here?


    — What''s that?


    — Basically, you fight for money. It doesn''t matter what style you use.


    — Yes, there is something like that.


    They arrived at Etia''s house and entered. It wasn''t expensive-looking, but it had all necessities.


    There were some beer bottles scattered on the floor.


    — Well, you should clean up in here.


    — Sorry. I never thought about it, so it got a little messy.


    — Let''s clean it up. I''m going to help you. — Alan disliked mess. When he was on The Ship, he would clean the areas he used every day. It wasn''t necessary, but it helped alleviate the boredom.


    He made a photo with his eye implant and began cleaning. Etia quickly came to help him.


    <hr>


    — You got the job. — Etia gave Alan his ID card


    — did he tell you when''s the first fight?


    — Its today. Some newbie got into a car accident, so you can fight.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    — Ok. — Alan grabbed her hair and drank a little.


    Surprisingly, it''s easy to get a job if you pick up a bodyguard for your employer with a single hand.


    — My helmet is almost calibrated, so I won''t need you to do everything for me.


    — Don''t worry about it. You''re not bothering me anyway. — Etia was actually happy that someone required her.


    — Anyway, what are we going to do while waiting?


    — We can go for a drink. — Even if zharians discriminate against all that''s different, they still won''t turn a blind eye to profit, so there are no problems with buying alcohol.


    They entered a store next to the fighting arena and bought two bottles of beer. It was made from a wheat-like plant. Sitting on a bench, they started talking.


    — Are you sure you can dominate them? — Etia asked Alan. They have lived together for over a week now, and she could talk fluently in English.


    — Yes. My body is so modified, I could defeat a hatth without a weapon. — A hatth is a creature that looks like a fusion between a T. rex and a hippo.


    Alan was not wrong, since It would be easy for him to win any fight. With triple the strength of a bodybuilder and twice faster reflexes than a normal person, he was undefeatable.


    The progress in body modification was the biggest reason why MMA died down on earth. It was a very big shame for Alan, a diehard fan. But now he could participate himself.


    — I''ll make sure to buy us a better place. —They weren''t a couple, but since they were the only ones who accepted each other, they wanted


    — Good luck. — Etia placed a small kiss on his cheek.


    Actually, the first part of that sentence may change soon enough.


    <hr>


    — On the left side, we have Red eyes. His unusually dark eyes stare into his opponent''s soul. — This was The arena. A place where you can earn a lot of money in a short amount of time.


    — On the right, we have the Intruder. He came from a planet called “Erf” and scared us all. Now he''s going to fight in this arena. — It was also the best place for freaks to work.


    “What the hell is that guy talking about?” Alan didn''t understand much from what the presenter said.


    — Nooooooow! FIGHT! — The announcer screamed, and the audience started cheering for both of the fighters. It was like a ZOO.


    — Sorry, pal, but you''re going down. — Alan''s opponent started running toward him.


    — I don''t understand. — Alan declared.


    Red eyes was getting near the Intruder. He swung his hand, but got hit in the throat, and fell.


    — That was fast! Red eyes didn''t stand a chance! — Alan quickly won and got his money.


    <hr>


    — How did it go? — Etia asked.


    — You didn''t watch me?


    — No. They play the fights on TV one day after they happen.


    — That''s a little greedy of them.


    — Well, anyway. How much did you win? — Etia had sparkles in her eyes. This would probably be the most money she would ever see in her life.


    — I got, 2100 cin. — This was a very sizeable amount of money. — But they stole some for roughing up my enemy, so now I have 50. — That was around two weeks of food.


    — Didn''t you know you will get charged for that?! — She got a little angry at Alan.


    — No. Anyway, I didn''t know you guys have such fragile spines.


    — Ok. — Etia calmed down a little. — You still got five days of my salary in a few minutes.


    — So, want to celebrate our victory? — Alan asked her.


    — Yes. I think it would be a great idea to hold a very small party. — They went to buy some alcohol in the same store they bought some a few hours ago.