Saturday, January 18th, 2014 - 8:30 PM PST - The Basement of Some Gang Hangout Place - Nope City, Denial

Most people would be at least a little bit rattled stepping into a cage fight with two guys ready to beat the shit out of you. Especially if one of them has a probably motive to kill ya. I'm so fucking glad I'm not most people, for the record.

The two guys stay on their side of the cage, obviously waiting for Tough Guy to tell them when to start. I smile back at both of them, maintaining eye contact on Jorge's friend. Out the corner of my eye I see the Cholo isn't sweating my reaction too much; he probably figures me for some sorta tough guy wannabe who's too proud to show how fucking freaked he is. However, my accomplice last night stares right back at me with fire in his eyes. Too bad I can see that it's raining in his irises. I put up my fists, breaking eye contact with him to look back at Tough Guy. The crowd's yelling for him to let it start, but he looks like he wants to savor this moment just a bit longer.

"Wipe that fucking smile off your face."

Instead, I do the exact opposite. Taking orders from this piece of shit wasn't on my to do list, not now. Not ever. He chuckles, before shouting over the crowd: "Fight!"

That's when I got a fist to the side of the head from Cholo. It knocks me to the floor and makes the crowd erupt in laughter, mocking my inability to recognize the bullshit I should've expected from these two. The Accomplice stands where he stood the whole time, frozen. Hands locked in a fighting stance, though if I were to get up and go after him, I doubt he'd actually fight back. First order of business however, dealing with Cholo.

That would be harder, if he didn't take the time to pander to the crowd, thinking he knocked me out. I shove the palms of my hands against the mat and push myself off, back to my knees. His back is turned. Payback, hopefully. Getting back to my feet, vision slightly blurry from the hit, I stumble for a few steps before straightening myself out. The crowd gasps, and sensing danger, Cholo turns around as I pull my hand back. Oh well, now he can see my face as I break his. I throw a punch, but he beats me to it, shoving his fist into my stomach, doubling me over. Almost as if on instinct, he throws a knee that hits me mainly in the nose and drops me back onto the cold, hard mat. Once more, the crowd cheers and after delivering a kick to my ribs, he goes right back to pandering to the crowd like an idiot.

Blood's leaking out of my nose. Running down my face and as I sit up, falling off me and landing on the mat, staining the blue mat purple. I stand up again, much more out of it than the first time, wobbling around the place before grabbing onto the cage wall. I shake myself out of the daze and turn around, exploding off the wall in a frantic dash towards the expecting Cholo, who's waiting with his arms raised, waiting for me.

What he wasn't expecting was a swift kick to the balls. Hey, if he's willing to go for the cheap shots, he better be willing to take one too. His eyes bulge out of their sockets almost, and he drops to his knees clutching his nads. Half of the crowd is laughing hysterically, the others wide eyed in shock and disgust. I fall into the Cholo trap of paying attention to the people not in the cage searching through the sea of faces for the mamasita I was eyeing before I even knew this was a thing. No luck. Oh well.

I push him onto the ground and just as I'm throw a punch, I feel finger wrap around my fist. The fingers pull me up off of him and spin me around. The Accomplice. I smile as he hesitates.

I throw a punch that connects with his jaw and...

...Does nothing. He doesn't even stagger backwards. Instead, he headbutts me. I do stumble back and that's when he lunges in like a tiger spotting a weakened gazelle. He tackles me to the ground and kneels over me, slamming his fist down on the side of my face over and over. Another source of blood; the gash he opened on my cheek.

Then I move my head slightly to the left and his hand slams against the mat. He mutters a string of profanity under his breath, shaking his now hurting hand around to alleviate the pain. I shove him odd me and get right back to my feet, wiping some of the blood onto my knuckles. The fire looks to have died and he stares at me pleadingly. Begging for the slightest hint of mercy that he still thinks he's going to get.

No man, you made your bed.

You're going to lie in it.

I rush in, one punch to the bridge of the nose.

He stumbles back. Guard up, now. Cholo's getting back to his feet, too. Not important right now. I throw a left jab that he blocks but in turn leaves him open for a right to the body. I don't take that opportunity because I'm an idiot I have a plan. He throws a right jab at me, which I dodge. I come back in with a series of lefts and rights to the head, hoping one of them decides to land. I get lucky. The last of my series hits him on the left cheek. He stumbles right, where I meet him with an elbow to the mouth, busting his lip open.

Shit, Cholo. I spin around on my heel, arm stretched out. Nope, just out of range, but he grabs onto my wrist and tosses me to the ground. The Accomplice and him take turns kicking me in the ribs and throwing (donkey) punches to the back of my head. Then it all went black.

"Stop the fight!" I hear from Tough Guy as the two clear off me and the sound of the crowd reaches a deafening point. "Like I guessed; our new friend did get his ass kicked."

Silence. I sit up, room spinning around me. Black dots dance in the corners of my eyes.

"But, I guess he could've done worse." Wow, that's the nicest thing he's said about me. Now I know what a cliche feels like!

"Now, I want all of you to welcome the newest member of the [GANG NAME EXPUNGED], [DATA EXPUNGED]!"

The crowd erupts in cheers, and even Cholo's clapping for me. The Accomplice isn't, however. His cold glare dismisses me as he walks out of the cage.

"Get yourself cleaned up, asshole!"

Well, okay. I stand up, trying to regain my bearings. Cholo comes over and helps me out of the cage, up the stairs, and to the de facto doctor of this gang. Little Miss Barely Legal.

Fuck yeah.