Realistic or Modern Great Ganbatte!!!

[Wing06]

Taku opened his mouth to reply to Johnny, but before he could, chants for Bek filled the bar as he and his entourage passed by. "Speak of the devil..." Taku muttered with a chuckle. "No denying his skill," Taku started, pulling out his phone and looking over the tournament rankings, "But his overconfidence will likely be his downfall," He smirked at Johnny, "He's the one to challenge if you want others to start talking about the 'Tiger Shark,' I'm sure he'd be eager for a match given the large audience around right now, so what do you think, Johnny? Want to go fishing?"

Sir loin of beef druidquest

 

[DarKnight36]

"O-oh!!" Min-Ji said in surprise.

The crowd was invested now. A wave of loud oooo's passed through the many people watching on. Then it began.

"Fight!" someone shouted. Others joined in the chorus.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Beat their asses, Chu!"

"Fight, ya pussies!"

From the stairwell the gang members that had gathered around the pool table were beginning to descend. The guard was pointing toward the stage directly at Min-Ji. Panicked, Min-Ji yanked on Musashi's arm violently, almost begging him to leave, "Listen, you old shit, if you don't come with me now I'm gonna just leave you here. See those motherfuckers over there? They're after me and I cant afford to get in a fight so early on, ya hear?" she saw the gangsters weave through the crowd toward them, "C'mon man, I owe you one and I don't wanna see your ass beat on the first night!"

"Do not be concerned," Musashi said, straightening and his demeanor changing. Gone was the drunk, the old man. In his place stood a fighter.

Musashi's eyes bored into Chu as he smiled. "I have much interest in cutting you, but a duel can only be performed properly. I shall remember your face, strong one!"

Musashi turned to the crowd, his stare sweeping through the crowd, causing a hush. Something about the way Musashi now stood, the way his eyes bore into the clubbers - even those quite inebriated felt the knee-jerk response of adrenaline, inspired by that predatory gaze.

Musashi's hand reached inside the bag he'd carried thus far with him, and out came two swords - a katana and wakizashi, both still sheathed. With a practiced swing, he slid them against his left hip, the swords held firm against his side by the sash there. His left hand casually resting on those swords, Musashi strode towards the thugs approaching from upstairs. He stretched his right arm.

"The woman and I shall pass," Musashi proclaimed, his stride not pausing. "Make way or I will make way!"

PiePillager egglover

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Apparently, approaching Bek was a hot take.

"Aw, C'mon, I'm not sayin' I wanna fight him. I wanna see what all the fuss is about." Clearly this approach wasn't working, however, because Rivera seemed to protest and Connor went off to... get chips? Had Donavan forgotten to eat again? Whatever, wasn't important. Either way, the kid came back with what seemed like a cup of... something. Upon further inspection, it was most definitely tequila. Cheap, maybe, but if it's free it's hard to complain.

"Well, suit yourself. I'm gonna go take just the quickest of peeks... what the fuuuuuck...?" Just a bit further away, it seemed there was an entire other commotion going on. How was Donavan missing out on so much action all at the same time? From the looks of it, this wasn't just some dance-off either - there was gonna be blood judging by the enthusiasm of noise. He now found himself with a difficult choice to make: did he witness the great and mighty Bek, and probably mock him in the process? Or did he go check out this new kerfuffle that was beginning to unfold? Either way, somebody was gonna get hurt, and he didn't want to miss out.

"Uh." He snapped back his attention towards his companions. "Change of plans, something's up over this-a-way. Think somebody's gonna get their ass kicked, and I'm not missing that." Donavan started off on a half-jog, before stopping and turning heel. "Oh, and kid, the name's Donavan. You can call me Donnie. Or don't, I don't really care. Thanks for the drink."

With that, he took off, giving the bouncers a passing glance before slipping through the door... being greeted with a woman who seemed familiar separated from the crowd, and possibly the biggest man he had ever seen. And from the looks of it, he was raring to go - some men were coming towards him, and it was definitely about to get ugly. Oh, how he wished he had brought popcorn! Right as he showed up some people were chanting "Chu" - or something. It didn't mean anything to him really.

But that guy... he knew what he came for. And Donavan could not wait to watch.

DarKnight36 PiePillager obscured_light Shotgunpenguin egglover

 

[PiePillager]

"Thank you, boy," Kipsang nodded gratefully, as Connor returned with refreshments. "My name is Edmund Kipsang!" Those familiar with the history of the Great Ganbatte would've heard the name as a mainstay of the tournament since its second iteration. "Now that's refreshing," he informed the others gathered after taking a sip of tequila. "That..that Bek man, you all mentioned. From what I heard, he's kept the paramedics busy tonight. That's what they were saying back at that Nido club anyway..." he sighed, stretching his knees.

"That's probably why no ambulance has been called yet to take care of the poor kid who got shot in the alley. Though, from the sound of it, it seems our illustrious tournament organizers want to 'take care of him' themselves," Kipsang shrugged cheerfully, taking a big sip of his tequila. "The hospital is over that way..." he pointed in one direction...before he paused a moment and pointed in the opposite direction to correct himself. "That way....Now watch...as the police car leaves the alley, it will head the opposite way."

As he spoke, it seemed that one of the officers on the scene had returned to the car, positioning it in front of the alleyway so the victim could be carried into it.

Shotgunpenguin obscured_light

***
"You kiddin' me with this shit?" the thug in sunglasses sneered at Musashi, about to reach into his pocket before one of the others, elbowed him. "Right...part of the esteemed competition," he sighed, relaxing his hand and pointing at Min-Ji. "Listen, fuckhead, I know you think yer all big and bad but there's a hierarchy here that I don't think you're quite aware of...."

The man stepped forward raising both his arms. "We just wanna have a little chat with the girl. That okay? Do what we ask and we'll remember that. Defy us..." As he trailed off, the large bald thug walked over to stand beside him, effortlessly snapping a pool cue in his hands. "Now are ya gonna put down those blades and get a chance at livin' the high life...or do you want a direct road to a living hell?" he asked.

As he spoke, the other thugs walked down to stand beside him. The thin one muttering, "I hope you know what yer doing....we're in enough trouble as is!"

"Yeah, but we get her..." Sunglasses nodded at Min-Ji. "Then all will be forgiven with the boss, trust me." The large bald man didn't talk amongst his cohorts and instead opted to stare down Musashi. Perhaps that was why, he out of all the others realized that the samurai had no intention of backing down.

"Hey...everyone shut up....ain't no reasoning with this one..." the blade man stated. Sunglasses looked at his larger companion briefly before taking a fighting stance along with the rest of his group. All of them ready to bar Musashi and Min-Ji from leaving.


Chu shook his head in disbelief at the club quickly descending into chaos. "What..." His manager, an elderly Japanese man, approached him, cupping a hand to his face and whispering.

"I can't say this wasn't expected, Chuuya. The Ganbatte attracts all sorts. Not everyone is here to enjoy the festivities like us, eh?

"Nah, speak for yourself," Chu brushed him aside. "I'm here to win! We're done over here though..." Chu mentioned, making his way towards the back exit behind the stage. Before he did, he turned to look over his shoulder at the wannabe samurai. "YO, GRAMPS!" he called out to Musashi, his voice bellowing out over the chants and cheers of the now disorderly crowd. "What's your name?"

DarKnight36 egglover BakaTheIdiot

 

[obscured_light]

Rivera nodded in thanks as she took the tequila and downed it in a couple gulps. She needed it to deal with the banger of a first day she was having in the tournament. Bek was nearby, another fight seemed to be starting, and now she was apparently standing next to Kipsang who, from her research, wasn't new to all this. From her skimming of the tournament's history before she had even gotten on the plane, it was noted that he never made it far, not like had when he had taken his first few cracks at it. His placement seemed to go lower and lower with each attempt. The only certainty was that he would make it past the preliminaries and considering how much he reeked of alcohol, Rivera wondered how he even accomplished that.

She turned to watch the cop Kipsang had pointed out but was tempted to follow after Donnie. He may not have liked to start fights but he certainly seemed eager to watch them. At least the ridiculous Idea of going even near Bek had finally left his head.

"Rivera Guerrero," she introduced herself to Connor and Kipsang. The former didn't look to be in his best condition. Rivera doubted most people would be with a shooting close by but she was used to it. "And thanks for the drink. Though, you sure you don't wanna head back to your room, Connor? Rest might do you better but I doubt the night's gonna be this active the whole way through. Then again, if they're this sloppy now, I wouldn't doubt they'd be dumb enough to target another competitor."

She turned to Kipsang, "Unless this is just a regular way competitors get eliminated? I didn't see it in my research but the alcohol definitely makes it sounds like a possible theory."

 

[DarKnight36]

"My name," Musashi called back as he stepped forward, "is Musashi Miyamoto!"

It was over in an instant - later, the thugs could barely describe what happened beyond. "He cut me, I'm sure of it." All of them stated this, despite their bodies proving otherwise. No wounds were found on any of the thugs, yet they could describe in detail the feeling of a blade passing through them.

To the onlookers in the crowd, Musashi's figure hunched and seeming to blur as he sped forward, his arm flashing near faster than the eye could see. He passed through the group of thugs like water, appearing on the other side and returning to his unhurried stride from the stage. Behind him, the thugs collapsed and Musashi folded his arms back into his robes.

 

[PiePillager]

"You are a very tall drink of...tequila...all two of you," Kipsang complimented Rivera with wheezing laughter, his vision wavering as he finished the last of his own glass. "BUT YOU'RE WRONG" he flailed his arms, nearly falling out of his seat. "Firearms are the one weapon not allowed here! Competitors cannot simply smuggle them in -HIC-! This was the doing of the organizers..." he said in a whisper, the loudest whisper one could imagine, but a whisper nonetheless, especially among a crowd of this size. "You know...the Magna Mafia!"

***

"Miyamoto...Musashi?" Fat Chu stood dumbfounded. "Aha....AHAHAHAHA....this joker thinks he's the real deal!" Fat Chu couldn't help but chuckle his laugh causing his round stomach to reverberate.

"The audacity of it all is astounding..." his manager agreed.

"But maybe...he's legit after all," Chu grinned, much to his manager's confusion. Chu pointed to the thugs as they fell to the floor, clutching their bodies, writhing in agony as they clutched at invisible wounds. "Musashi, huh?" Fat Chu pointed a thumb at himself. "Chuuya Kojiro! See you on the battlefield, homie!" he exclaimed, pointing at the samurai.

With that, he and his manager finally left the stage.

 

[egglover]

As Musashi passed through the mafia toward the exit, Min-Ji was not far behind, hopping over those that had threatened to hunt her down just moments before. One of them reached out and grasped her leg, still keeling over on the floor in pain, and stared up at her with angry, bloodshot eyes, "I - I know why you're here!"

Instead of kicking the man away, she simply stared down at him with a curious expression as he continued.

"They all do. 'Cept you forgot one thing..."

"What's that?" Min-Ji asked.

The thug sputtered his words cruelly, "You're just a common whore."

***

Outside, in the cool night air, Min-Ji found her way beside Musashi who seemed to be eyeing off a crowd of people still partying in the street. She slapped his shoulder with gusto and began to laugh, "Man, Musashi, was it? You're wildin'! Absolute madman! I think I pegged you all wrong."

Her laughter died down into a grin, "Ey, thanks for the help tonight. I owe you."

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Connor wasn't sure of what to make of Donovan. He seemed like he was hungry for a fight, and while it was understandable, the recent shooting had somewhat dampened it. But he at least wasn't going to throw himself head-first at the first fighter he found. Hopefully not anyways as he jogged away from the group, straight past a bewildered bouncer and into yet another club. Seriously, how many clubs and bars could one street need?

Shaking his head, he turned as the elderly man introduced himself. His name sounded familiar, but Connor couldn't place where he would have heard it from. He couldn't help but doubt the man's words though. These were the police, of course they would try and take the injured man to the hospital. This thought was quickly proven wrong however, when just as Edmund said the cop car pulled out and drove off in the opposite direction of where he said the hospital was.

"M-maybe they know of a back route, or they're taking a detour. I mean if the ambulances aren't here yet, maybe the roads blocked? There's enough people here to do that."

It was a weak excuse, but it helped him rationalize what he was witnessing. Desperate to change the subject, he turned to the woman who introduced herself as Rivera. Taking a sip of his ginger ale, he nodded slightly as she pointed out how worn he looked.

"Maybe you're right. It's been," Connor stifled a yawn with his free hand and continued, "A long night." If even this random woman could notice, than he was probably looking even worse than he felt. If he got into a fight right now, well he wouldn't be helpless, but with a single loss meaning elimination he didn't want to risk it. Especially if there were fight thirsty guys like Donavan out there who probably wouldn't take no for an answer. Not to mention Rivera's suggestion that whoever had shot that man could still be active had him more than a bit nervous.

His attention was once again drawn back to Edmund as he practicality bent over the side of the bench, yet somehow stay seated. He had already downed the last of his drink, the empty cup glued to his hand as he went explained that guns weren't allowed in the contest.

"Wait, weapons? Are people going to come at me with weapons?" Shaking the thought out of his head, he zoned back in just in time to catch the end of the conversation.

Connor could feel a slight twinge of anger as the old man practically screamed that the shooting that had just taken place was the act of this 'Magna Mafia'. How could a mob organize an event this large and public without anyone in power doing anything to stop it? Surely if this was such well known information the police, or even the government would have stepped in and nabbed this supposed mob by now.

"Okay, enough. Why does everyone keep saying that some sort of mob is in control of the competition?! What would they even gain from doing this?" Connor felt another twinge of pain from his headache, although thankfully it was from his confusion and not the aftereffect of his previous bender.

Mentioned: PiePillager BakaTheIdiot obscured_light

 

[PiePillager]

"You're green as grass, son! -HIC-" Kipsang loudly informed Connor, walking over to a patch of grass, pulling a few blades from it, and blowing it into the air. "What aren't the Magna Mafia controlling these days is the real question! Though I suppose they've been pretty covert unless you know where to look..." Kipsang nearly tripped over himself once more, this time letting himself fall onto the soft bed of grass.

"They've been the puppeteers pulling the strings of the world for a long time now..." he continued, pointing at Connor. "Since I was just a little older than you. As for what they get from running this tournament..." Kipsang smirked. "The same reason they do everything else. Money, prestige...bitches...-HIC-!"

"It's their most profitable venture. It's prestigious! Stupendous! Splendiferous...-HIC-!" Kipsang waved his arms in the air. "However...I think there's bee an alternative motive...for many years now...Do you know what it is?" he asked Rivera and Connor.

obscured_light Shotgunpenguin BakaTheIdiot

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Donavan came to watch a brawl, and unfortunately for him, it appeared he was too late. After some vile exchanges of words, it seemed the competitors parted ways - and now the woman-samurai team was making its way towards him. Once outside, knowing now he definitely wasn't getting a good show out of this, he decided it was time to get back to his compatriots. After all, with a shooter on the loose, perhaps it was a good idea to get back to the hotel - or at the very least, get some strength in numbers. But first...

"It's a shame you didn't go for the throat." He called over to the gigantic swordsman. "Came to see some bloodshed, but whatever."

With that, he departed.

Meanwhile, back in new-kid-square, it seemed they were bound by the enrapturing "story time" so many elders resorted to when it came to getting a point across. He had definitely missed out on some of it, but from what he could gather - Christ, did this kid really not know it was mafia run? At least the gramps was good for setting him straight. Come to think of it, hadn't Donavan seen him somewhere before? A long time ago?

And then came talk of ulterior motives. Sure, the Ganbatte was one hell of a money maker - people clamor from all over the world just to get a taste of what the games had to offer. The old man made some sense, though: something didn't add up. Some sap gets gunned down in the middle of the street and nobody so much as bats an eye? Plus that Bek guy, well within range of the shooting, barely even halts his bender despite the obvious sounds of gunfire? Surely somebody would have said 'Mr. Bek Sir! Somebody's fuckin' dead! We should piss off to a new location!' and yet there he was, off having an excellent time.

Wait.

Wait.

It wasn't enough to just go off on a gut feeling. Not like this. If Bek really was cheating - and he very well could be - he needed hard proof. A literal smoking gun. And for that, Donavan needed patience. Could he trust these kind strangers? Probably. The kid was too stupid to do anything about it, and the old man could barely put one foot in front of the other. Rivera seemed cool enough, at least. He hoped.

"Well grampa, I might not have all the answers but I do have an idea or two about the long game here." He re-emerged into their little circle, before addressing both Connor and Rivera. "Sorry, had to go see a fight apparently not happen. Oh well." Donavan performed a quick shoulder check to make sure that the man in question wasn't nearby - knowing full well he was off partying in another club. "We should probably get outta here. I've got a hunch - and that's all it is right now - that the shooting has something to do with our good ol' pal Bek, and even if it's not right we still got some cheap shot out on the prowl. And as for you, kiddo - isn't it past your bedtime or something? You barely look old enough to hit the bag, let alone another fighter."

He was one to talk, having left his whole family behind just to beat the crap out of some strangers. Had Donavan gotten himself in too deep? He had seen plenty of nasty underground bouts, but for all his violent tendencies nobody actually died during his stretch. Granted the guy technically wasn't dead, but, c'mon, bullet through the cage? Definitely not cool.

Shotgunpenguin obscured_light PiePillager egglover DarKnight36

 

[Wing06]

Taku wandered the streets as the night passed. He'd left Mergo and Johnny at the bar, figuring they were as interested in their things as he was. Meeting two more combatants that didn't immediately start a fight was refreshing. He looked forward to testing them in the ring and hoped they'd all get into the top 40.

 

[obscured_light]

Competitors getting eliminated by gunfire seemed like an obviously wrong assumption but Rivera knew she could never be too sure. Kipsang seemed to be onto something with the Magna Mafia. Rivera hadn't come across their name anywhere in the research she had done into the tournament but if they were as cunning as Kipsang was making them to be, it wasn't a surprise. A superficial glance wouldn't have turned anything up.

Gangs were something Rivera knew. What she didn't know was how different gangs and the mafia were. One was surely more organized though both seemed equally amounts of deadly. Connor didn't seem like he knew much either and while Kipsang posed a question to the two of them, Donavan was the one who answered.

"Connor should probably come with us," Rivera suggested, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know I said you should rest up but, I mean if high profile people are involved in this, might be a little safer hanging with the crowd than sending ya to bed alone."

"After all, can't gun four competitors down, right?" Rivera joked though the possibility wasn't out completely. "Where we gonna go anyway? Hotel? Bar? Might be better if it's more public than private."

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Connor could barely suppress the irritated groan that built in his throat as Kipsang launched into a lecture about this supposed mafia. Like it was possible for a criminal organization to be powerful enough to run everything as he so claimed, but also so hidden that no one could act against them. Not to mention this tournament, the likes of which dwarf any other event of it's kind, would draw attention from all corners of the globe. If they wanted to keep themselves out of the public eye, throwing a lavish and world-wide competition seemed like a shitty way to do it.

The remainder of his tale was interrupted as Donavan returned, although from the sound of it the brawl that he slipped away to watch was over before it could get good. Connor rolled his eyes as he claimed to have some thoughts on the why this mob would bother going to such great lengths to hold this tournament. If this tournament was as profitable as the two were claiming, that alone was probably reason enough to go through with it. The local businesses would also get a huge boost from all of the tourism, which meant they could potentially make half of their yearly earnings in a few weeks.

"Woah, hold on. Sure how he fights is a mystery, but that doesn't mean he's going around shooting competitors. The organizers would be all over him if that were the case." If Bek was really the kind of fighter to resort to attempted murder just to get a leg up, he wouldn't have been invited to be a contestant in the first place. The organizers had to know what kind of a fighter he was, and if he was the type to resort to shooting his opponents he would have never made it in. Not to mention all of their fights would be live-streamed, so unless he was slinking in alleyways waiting for random people to walk through it someone had to have seen something.

Finishing up his chips, he sent a glare towards Donavan for his comment about his age. "I'm twenty years old, jerk. And I've been hitting the bag ever since I could throw a punch." Sure, Connor had completely bailed on his classes in order to compete, and sure his parents were probably going to kill him when he got home, but none of that gave Donavan the right to call him a kid.

Tossing his trash in a nearby bin, he stood and turned to face the group. If they needed a place to go it should probably be somewhere out of the open, a place that they could keep others out of if they needed. Stifling a yawn, a thought came to him. He was obviously tired, and they needed a place where they could talk without worrying about anyone else overhearing. Maybe he should take their advice.

"I don't know where you're all staying, but I'm at that huge fancy hotel." He jerked his thumb in the general direction of the hotel, "Room's huge, big enough for a couple of people if no one minds crashing on the couch. Plus it'd be pretty hard to get in if we lock the door." While Connor didn't exactly like the idea of a bunch of strangers in his room, the security that he would get traveling with a group was enough to push that feeling down. Even if one was kind of a jerk, another seemed like the only liquid he drank the entire night was liquor, and the last one.....

"Well, I guess Rivera's cool. She hasn't called me young or a kid yet, so she's already higher up than the other two."

Mentioned: BakaTheIdiot PiePillager obscured_light

 

[PiePillager]

"So we'll all be roommates then...-hic-!" he took a moment to muse over Connor's suggestion. "While we are all rivals, it is true that there is no need for us to oppose each other so early on in the tournament," Kipsang scratched his chin in thought before his eyes drifted over to Rivera, a slight tinge of red flushing his dark brown cheeks. "Well, I suppose there are other benefits as well! EhehehHEH!" he laughed. "Such as room service! With our GG cards, alcohol is but at the snap of our fingers!"

"-hic- Come to think of it..." Kipsang scratched his chin. "I believe Bek is staying in the same hotel! If you want to throw a punch to his face and question him, you may get your chance!" he wobbled backward towards the hotel in question, laughing and pointing at Donavan, before he fell over a bush.

In the distance, the others could see that Bek's celebratory dance had finished. The cops from before appeared to be in the middle of an argument with him and his entourage. It was inaudible amongst the crowd, but it was clear that Bek had begun to raise his voice, which made the police squirm uncomfortably until they raised a hand to de-escalate the situation and returned to their car. It seemed that the victim had been quickly given medical treatment and hauled into the back of the police vehicle.

Displeased with what appeared to be an interruption to the victory celebration, Bek shook his head in frustration and signaled his followers to head back into the hotel.


Shotgunpenguin obscured_light BakaTheIdiot

 

[DarKnight36]

Musashi strode from the club, satisfied his challenge had been accepted. Now to make his way to the hotel for food and rest.

 

[PiePillager]

As Musashi headed back to the hotel, he might have noticed the police car stationed in front of the club. Normally, this would likely not be of note to him, but he would recognize the figure laying now in the back of the car. The young fighter named Piro who had thought to challenge Musashi at the start of the tournament.

DarKnight36

 

[egglover]

"Woah, hey, where ya goin'?!" Min-Ji followed her new comrade as he completely ignored her previous statements and began to walk down the street. They were both stopped, however, by the police car that drove past slowly, dodging civilians on the street. Min-Ji raised an eyebrow, "Yeesh. Shits going down."

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Before Donavan could protest being roommates, he thought about it for a moment: had he actually scored himself a room? Or did he forget? Normally these kinds of things were left up to Bella - who wasn't here. Damn. Maybe she really did need to come down to Ecuador. Which reminded him that he still needed to give her the details on the day in a proper phone call. Eh, that could wait. He made a mental note to get her a higher cut for her services.

For now, seemed like he was sticking with this crowd.

Rivera was nice enough. She might've been a mystery, but she definitely didn't seem like the kind of girl to figuratively - or literally - stab him in the back come morning. She definitely seemed capable, at least more competent than the kid, and she was sober to boot. Out of everyone he had met so far, Rivera presented the greatest challenge to Donavan. Conveniently, this made it all the better that they weren't rivals... yet.

The kid... well, he was young. Despite the shade he had thrown earlier, Donavan remembered what it was like to be that scrappy fresh 20. Donavan might not have been that much older than him, but what he lacked in age or height he made up in experience: this kid was green, and it showed. Sure, he might know how to box, but this was the Ganbatte, and nobody was playing by the rules in this thing, if tonight was any indication. Still, he had drive, so maybe there was hope for him yet. The underground scene is usually a trial by fire anyway.

Now the old man was an enigma. What was his end goal here? Clearly he'd come to the competition quite a few times, and clearly he had never one. How could he, so soaked in booze? God, even the smell reeked of liquor. Not even the good stuff. Smelled like home. Was he here for the thrill like Donnie was? Did he even know he was competing at all? Who knows. Still, Donavan didn't feel too intimidated yet... though he decided to keep an eye on him so he wouldn't get the rest of the party in trouble.

A street sweeper, a dancer, a drunk, and a greenie.

This group didn't stand a chance.

'But hey,' Donavan thought to himself, 'It'll be fun.'

"Well kiddo, if you're offering then I guess you're stuck with me - er, us. Same difference." The Canadian chuckled. "I didn't exactly sign up to be a babysitter here at the Ganbatte, but it can't hurt. Rivera's right, we're a crowd, and there's strength in numbers. Who knows? You might even learn a thing or two."

And then Kipsang reminded him of something very, very important: Bek was staying in the same hotel. Of course the old man threw a little jab at Donnie - granted, he had it coming - talking about throwing hands. It might not have been a bad idea. The hotel would be crowded with people that weren't just Bek's fans. If he was the cheater - and that was a big if - he wouldn't be stupid enough to do it again in front of hundreds of non-bribed witnesses.

Unless...

"I'll think about it, old man." He grinned. With that, he set off for the hotel. Thankfully, he wasn't so dense that he had forgotten the way, and started his quick stroll towards Connor's room - not too fast though, considering he didn't know the number or have the key. He turned and faced the kid one last time.

"By the way," he paused, thinking of what to say. "Do you know how to sucker punch? Because if not you definitely need to learn. This isn't a ring in the US - nobody's gonna play by the rules in this game."

Shotgunpenguin obscured_light PiePillager

 

[Sir loin of beef]

Taku opened his mouth to reply to Johnny, but before he could, chants for Bek filled the bar as he and his entourage passed by. "Speak of the devil..." Taku muttered with a chuckle. "No denying his skill," Taku started, pulling out his phone and looking over the tournament rankings, "But his overconfidence will likely be his downfall," He smirked at Johnny, "He's the one to challenge if you want others to start talking about the 'Tiger Shark,' I'm sure he'd be eager for a match given the large audience around right now, so what do you think, Johnny? Want to go fishing?"

Sir loin of beef druidquest

"Hmm maybe i will go fishing." Johnny said cockily, he wasnt entirely sure about this though. For several reasons

 

[DarKnight36]

"Indeed," Musashi said, puzzled that Min-Ji was still following him. "I recognize the man in the back of the car. A contestant just like you and I. Perhaps I should free him."

Musashi casually laid a hand on one of his swords and eyed the car. "But I hesitate without further information. One should not step forward with haste, lest one lose their footing."

egglover PiePillager

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

"Old man, you get the couch. Or the floor. Riveria can take the bed if she wants." Man, was this old man really a competitor? It seemed like he only ever had liquor on his mind, and while it wasn't fair to make assumptions in the first twenty minutes of meeting a person, Connor didn't exactly feel bad about making this one.

"Maybe I shouldn't have opened up my room after all." He thought, taking another look at the drunk man, the strange woman, and the brash man. "Guess it's too late to take it back."

Zoning back in, he caught the end of Donavan's question and his warning. Sure, Connor knew that this wasn't going to be the same as fighting in a ring. That was obvious from the get go when he was ambushed by that competitor in the airport. Still, he had managed to get through that without too much trouble, so how much worse could it get?

Shaking his head, he answered Donavan. "You mean dirty boxing? No way. I love boxing too much to resort to that." Dirty boxing, as one could guess by the name, referred to a series of moves that were considered bad-sport in the ring. Ranging from sucker punching when an opponents guard was down, to trapping their arms during a clinch, and even butting and throwing elbows, it was widely frowned upon. There were a few boxers in the history of the ring that used those moves, some of them even went on to be champions in their divisions, but in Connor's book it was downright disgraceful.

"If I'm going to win this, I'm going to do it with my boxing. That's the only way it would mean anything." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he began to walk past Donavan when a loud voice called out from somewhere to his side.

"Oye, mira, es un boleto dorado." Confused, Connor turned to find a group of men approaching them. As soon as he saw their faces he felt a shot of fear, followed by a rush of anger as he recognized the group. They were those assholes who left him at that bath-house and stole his card! "¿Tuviste una buena siesta? Intentamos despertarte pero estabas jodido."

He couldn't understand a damn word they were saying, but them acting like nothing had happened was making his blood boil. "Don't you try and act like nothing happened assholes! You left me passed out at a bath-house, stole my card, and possibly my phone too!" Stomping his way over to the group, Connor practically shoved his chest into the man, although he didn't get knocked back like he had hoped.

"Woah, estás lanzando una gran acusación allí, chico. Me siento herido." The man laughed as he spoke, the other four members of the group following suit as he grabbed Connor's shoulder with his hand. "Pero creo que puedo pasar por alto eso, si me das tu tarjeta. ¿Qué dices?"

Connor gritted his teeth, anger boiling over as he shoved the hand away and stepped back. "I don't know what you're saying, but if you think I'm going anywhere with you you're wrong. Come on asshole, let's go!"

He slipped into his stance, squaring his waist and bringing his arms up in a tight stance. Bobbing side to side, he faced the man down, waiting for him to make the first move. He only realized his mistake after, Donavan's words striking right home as the group slowly spread out, surrounding him and forcing Connor to have his head on a swivel. A punch flew at him from his side forcing him to lean back to avoid being hit. Before he could counter however, he was forced to step back and dodge yet again as another man threw a sloppy hook at his side. These guys were amateurs at best, but with their numbers he was being forced to stay on the defensive. Fighting them in an open area where they could get behind him was a mistake, but he didn't have time to dwell on it as he threw a jab into the cheek of one of his opponents. He couldn't pursue any further, as soon as he brought his fist back it had to be used to deflect a wild haymaker.

This was going to be rough.

Mentioned: PiePillager BakaTheIdiot obscured_light

 

[druidquest]

"All it takes is bait and patience, you know?" Mergo agreed, waving to the Japanese guy's back as he wandered off through the crowd. The bartender Luis was finally moving her way.

Hmm. Bait and patience, huh? She'd been chasing after a lost foreign kid, but with the tournament on, wasn't it possible he was one of the competitors? Mama had mentioned his friends hadn't paid - did that mean he hadn't gotten a girl himself? And the way he'd apparently been in such a rush he'd forgotten his phone...

"Hey Tiger Shark," she spoke up suddenly, holding the kid's phone up to admire the bar's lights reflected in its screen. "How easy do you think it'd be to track down a bunch of locals with a stolen tournament card?" A predatory grin split her face like a scar. "I'd imagine the kind of partying you could do with that would draw some attention."

---

Sir loin of beef Shotgunpenguin

 

[PiePillager]

"Hmm..." Kipsang muttered observing the altercation between Connor and the group of five commence. "Forgot I had this..." he stated, pulling out a flask from the pocket of his gi. Taking a sip, he calmly walked towards Connor and noted. "Your friends do not seem to like you much! But it's getting very late. And I am very much tired...." Kipsang yawned, casually skipping into the air and subtly lifting up his feet so they could touch down and kick off on a nearby palm tree.

With a quick pivot, he spun into the air in something of a flying headbutt, launching one of the assailants backwards before landing on another with a makeshift elbow drop. He kept his wait on the attacker for a second, pressing his elbow down against his spine. Kipsang rested his chin on his fist while the other hand popped open the flask so the old man could drink whatever he'd kept inside. Rum! What a pleasant surprise! He should be careful though. Drink too much of this stuff and he'd get TOO fired up.

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

"Dirty boxing." Ugh. What a terrible word. To call fighting "dirty boxing" implied that there was something unfair about the fight that didn't deserve to be there. Was that even possible? After all, if there was some god or creature of that nature, he certainly gave Donavan two hands - and he planned to use every inch of them to win! The way the kid put it made it sound like Donnie had no honor in a fight. He didn't have any honor, but that's not the point.

The kid would learn in time. In fact, a perfect lesson seemed to be making their way over.

Did Connor know these guys? He certainly seemed pissed off, which was at least a refreshing sight. So, the kid could get legitimately angry - that's good, means he's got some strength under the surface after all. Either way, there were definitely more than the kid could take on in a "fair fight." They might not have been competitors, as Donavan couldn't see any green cards, but if the kid wasn't careful, they were about to be.

Before he could do anything, however, it looked like that Kipsang fellow got in the first blow, taking out one of the hoodlums within seconds. Sweet merciful christ, wasn't this guy in his 50's or something?? The guy was practically a dinosaur - how was he pulling off moves like that? Maybe Donavan really was out of his depth. Still, he couldn't let the old man have all the fun, right?

He turned to Rivera. "Like I said," Donavan grinned, "Never starting it, always finishing it."

He whistled sharply, catching the attention of one attacker - before quickly introducing his face to a vicious sucker punch mentioned earlier. Clearly, that wasn't enough, but it was a good start: his nose bloodied, the slightly lanky hooligan wiped his upper lip before throwing his own blow, missing as Donnie ducked under him. The man was greeted with a brief slap across the face, before experiencing a sharp punch to the stomach, followed by an uppercut. He fell backwards - down, but most certainly not out, already beginning to scramble to his feet as Donavan wiped his newly bloodied knuckle clean, his joints giving that satisfying crack of overwhelming impending violence.

He then began to kick the assailant while he was down - literally - by delivering a sharp kick to the ribs, before turning his attention to the remaining couple of thugs.

"What's the matter?" Donavan grinned. "Scared?"

PiePillager Shotgunpenguin obscured_light