Realistic or Modern Great Ganbatte!!!

[PiePillager]

"Stop! Stop! I-I can tell you!" "Bek" or Daoud stammered, sitting with his back against the wall on the elevator floor. His cohorts stood, sweat pouring from their faces. Whatever their background was, it was almost immediately clear that they had experienced very little in the way of combat."There is a Bek! I'm just his manager! I have a deal with...with them okay! The tournament, organizers!" he explained his eyes darting around. "I pay them, they pull the curtain over Bek's fights. Make sure nobody is around to witness them!"

"But the money...it's no small amount but it's not always enough! Sometimes they tell me to give warning to nosey kids like you who start poking your nose where it doesn't belong..." as he trailed off, Daoud gave a slight nod to his cohorts...who suddenly charged at the door to tackle Rivera, Donovan, and Connor.

In the midst of the confusion, Daoud hastily crawled out through the corner of the elevator. Certain that his allies wouldn't be able to hold the seasoned fighters for long, he made his way to the nearby staircase instead, sliding down the railing when possible in his attempt to reach a lower floor.

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Of course there was bribery in the Ganbatte. None of that came as a surprise. Further, it made sense that there was so little footage of the real Bek actually fighting, since there was clearly some kind of coverup going on. The only question that remained was why.

Why even bother going through all the trouble of snuffing out the competition when the competitors were already eager to do so? Why have your own fighter in a fighting tournament, that, realistically, probably costs peanuts compared to some of the more "elaborate" operations in "their businesses?" Why bother with Bek at all? Donavan had been puzzling this for the past day now, and it still didn't make any sense. Bek was just some guy. He might've been a fighter, but it's not like he's some prince.

Unless, of course, he was. That would make sense.

Donavan, realistically, had three theories on who exactly Bek was, and more importantly why people were going through so much work just to cover for him. He was obviously cheating, there was no doubt about that - why else would there be actual gunshots and immediately a followed coverup? But why?

Option 1: the Ganbatte randomly picks one unlucky shmuck and rigs the game in their favor. Plausible, but given the other evidence, not very likely. Logistically it would be a challenge, besides, what if the fighter sucked? Nah, too obvious.

Option 2: Bek was on the Ganbatte payroll to make sure nobody actually won. This made the most sense, in his eyes. It might be trivial to grant a wish or give a million bucks, but if you're already splashing out on an event as big as the Ganbatte, why even bother with a winner at all? The organizers were most certainly good for it. There was no way this was just chance, someone, somewhere, specifically picked Bek to kick the competition to the curb.

And option 3... Bek wasn't just on the payroll of the Ganbatte organizers, he is a Ganbatte organizer. Or the son of one. Or a cousin. Nepotism of some sort. Who cares? If he was related to one of the Big Bosses up top, obviously they would do everything in their power to keep him happy. Including being an absolute helicopter parent and a killjoy.

And option 3.5: Donavan watched way too many true crime thrillers. Maybe Rivera was supposed to be the smart one. Actually, yeah, that definitely fits. But does that make Connor, Kipsang, or Donavan the "stupid" one? He wasn't exactly eager to find out.

None of that really seemed to matter though, since before he could open his mouth again, Daoud's groupies had lunged into their little bottleneck. Now these guys definitely weren't bruisers, but they had enough mass to be a problem, so Donavan quickly sidestepped out of the way, pinning one to the wall and meeting his jaw with a quick hook. He wouldn't be down for long, and that skeezy little snake was making a mad dash for an exit.

You're not getting away this time.

"God dammit, we're losing him!" Donnie threw another one of the assailants aside, desperately trying to clear a path, and hurtled his body over the last roadblock to make his way to clear hallways. Before taking off, he barked one final remark to Connor: "Clean house kid, stick with Rivera!" He bolted down the carpeted floors, swinging himself down the stairs with some help of the handrails, pursuing this Daoud with the ferocity of a bloodhound. Now, Donavan wasn't exactly a champion track star, but he could definitely run, and soon found himself gaining on their culprit.

Inching closer and closer by the second. His lungs flooded with oxygen and his heart screaming like a boiler at max pressure, he was running as hard as he possibly could. He could only pray nothing else would get in his way - he might not be able to notice it in time.

PiePillager Shotgunpenguin obscured_light

 

[obscured_light]

Well, notBek's confession wasn't too surprising. Rivera didn't expect the manager bit but it was pretty obvious someone had to be pulling strings. With such a public event, matches held in secret didn't exactly fly under the radar. Of course not everyone was going to investigate. The primary reason being this exact situation.

It was dangerous.

Rivera stepped to the side, sweeping her right leg back, and ducking down to avoid the first man charging at her. He ran past her but she had placed herself in the other guy's path. He reached to grab her but Rivera stepped back over, swaying back down into a crouching position with her hands over her chest, before springing back up and head butting the second guy. He staggered back, cursing her out.

NotBek was running. Donavan was running. Rivera wanted to run too but the small fry were also important. They probably knew as much, or at least something, that notBek knew. So while she was tempted to join the chase for Daoud, Rivera stayed put.

Rivera began swaying from one foot to another. The guy she had headbutted and Donovan's initial target began to pull themselves together, focusing on her.

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Connor was honestly lost as the man practically spilled his guts out to the trio, admitting to bribing the tournament organizers for Bek. None of what the man was saying made any sense to him, especially the part about bribing the organizers. Sure one or two he could understand, boxing has had more than a few scandals about fixed fights and dirty refs, but this was different. The sheer scale of the tournament, in addition to how much money it probably made them, it was insane to imagine everyone of the organizers to be in on it.

He didn't have more time to dwell on it however, as Daoud's entourage surged forward from the cramped elevator, charging the trio. He lost sight of Daoud in the chaos, the man slipping away like a fox as the chaos erupted.

To their credit, Donavan and Rivera reacted much faster than he had. Donavan had already knocked over his attacker, and was booking it after the fleeing man, calling back for the two of them to keep the man's entourage busy. Rivera had also dodged her first attacker, his wild tackle missing as she stepped to the side and squared off against two of the men. Unfortunately for himself, that meant that the man who was aiming for her had found a new target, that being Connor's stomach.

The man struck him with a shoulder, knocking the wind out of his stomach and threatening to knock them both onto the floor. Quickly stepping back, he planted his left leg and pushed back against the charge, the two of them coming to a stop as the man strained to topple him over. From his current position it was difficult to throw a punch with much power, his leg's locked in position to stop the man from pushing him over. He may not have been experienced, but the man had at least a couple inches and more than a few pounds on Connor, which made his desperate tackle all the more effective.

Letting out a grunt, he began to hammer hooks into the man's side, trying to hit a rib and force the man off of him. Blow after blow landed, the man's grip loosening enough that Connor could force his hands against his shoulders and push himself back.

"Need to get some distance, use my legs and get back to-" A sharp, biting pain shocked him out of his thought, the source being his unwrapped hand. The hand that had somehow made it's way into the man's mouth, maybe a desperate attempt to keep him grappled. It had the opposite effect however, as a quick jab with his free hand to the man's cheek freed his hand and himself.

"Ow! Did you fucking bite me?!" Jumping back, he looked at the visible and slightly bloody bite mark on his left hand just below his thumb, anger bubbling up as he clenched it. He wound up a wide left, stepping in with an exaggerated motion. Anyone who had ever been in a fight would have seen it for what it was, an obvious feint to lead into another blow. The man wasn't a fighter however, and as he braced his head Connor shifted his weight to the opposite foot, throwing a full power hook into his unguarded side. The man let out a cry of pain as he collapsed like a sack of bricks, hands clutching at his side. Maybe a liver shot was being petty, but he bit his freaking hand!

"Old man, you picked a shitty time to take a nap. We could really use the backup here!" Turning to Rivera, she was still locked against the two men, while two other members of the group looked torn between staying or going after Donavan. Dashing forward, Connor threw a wild overhead at one of them, forcing them to back up and allowing him to block the hallway to the stairwell. Bobbing on his heels, he brought his hands up and squared against his opponents. He was confident that he and Rivera could handle these guys, but a part of him was worried for Donavan. If that man was running, he may be trying to get to Bek. And if he got to Bek before Donavan could get to him, he wasn't sure if he'd ever leave his side for the rest of the tournament.

Mentioned: PiePillager BakaTheIdiot obscured_light

 

[PiePillager]

"BAAAAHHHH!!!" Kipsang wandered down the hall with a loud yawn. "Can't get a moment's sleep to myself. Kids sure love to make a racket..." he spoke drowsily. He had intended to wake up and hit the hotel lobby for an early morning shot of bourbon, but his plans were disturbed by whatever commotion had erupted outside the room. Approaching the elevator door, he glanced in and saw Rivera and Connor, holding off Bek's entourage. "Morning!" he greeted cheerfully, though notably with less energy than usual.

"Are you two having a match right now?" he asked, his hands folded behind his back, calmly waiting for an answer as he looked from Connor to Rivera.

***

Daoud looked behind himself and nearly tripped in a panic as he saw Donavan rushing after him like a madman. As soon as he reached the ground floor, he practically flew out the door and through the lobby. Daoud was no fighter sure, but he certainly could run. Not nearly fast enough to avoid a trained fighter such as Donavan. However, he was not without a trick up his sleeve and never without a backup plan. As he scrambled outside he rushed around the corner, sure that Donavan was on his tail when he suddenly fell.

His knees collapsed onto the concrete, and he caught himself with his hands. His breath was heavy and he could hear the distant sounds of traffic outside. Doud was in an alley. There'd be no more running here...but the same went for his pursuer if all went according to plan.

 

[obscured_light]

Inexperienced fighters sometimes led to interesting fights. They didn't really have tells like fighters of specific styles often had. They did, however, often have shaky stances. An observation Rivera took advantage of as she ducked down to avoid both fighters swings at her, hands on the ground, one leg sweeping out to knock one of them to the ground. The other guy reached down to grab a fistful of hair to which Rivera responded by grabbing onto his arm, both locked into a struggle to pull the other.

"ArgH, guy wasn't Bek!" Rivera shouted at Kipsang despite him not being that far away. Her opponent lifted a leg to kick her down but she kicked both of her legs out, suddenly dropping onto the ground which caught her attacker off guard. His grip on her released out of surprise and he fell onto her legs as she tried pulling herself away. She tsked. She was sloppy.

"There's bribery going on and Bek is the top cash cow," Rivera tried explaining further as the guy gripped her legs and tried getting up. She adjusted into a crunch position and grabbed onto the sides of the guy's face to slam it into her knees. It wasn't a very forceful hit but it was enough to pull her legs back and kick her assailant in his face. She could see the other guy lunging at her and she tucked in her legs, hands on the floor. Lifting up her core, she raised one leg to kick the second guy straight up in the chin.

"Donavan's following the not Bek. Connor and I are cleaning up his crew," she continued as she pushed herself off the ground, back onto her feet, swaying from leg to leg. "You want to lend a hand or get breakfast?"

 

[Kameron Esters-]

Mohamed stays on the shore of the beach for hours, the wind blowing softly against his back, a serene breeze rolling through the sandy beaches. He remembers every move Bischoul taught him in preparation for the tournament. His breathing is getting smoother and steadier, he is increasing in speed and strength, but he must focus on not running his body dry. His Master told him to focus on every movement of his body, and that's what he's doing. His movements are fluid and intuitive, giving him the ability to maintain his balance and posture, even when he begins to fatigue and falls.

He remains on the beach until the sun begins to descend behind the mountains on the horizon, not wanting to leave until he knew he was at his physical limit. Finally, Mohamed's legs begin to twitch, as if to give way to exhaustion. His arms begin to loosen, and his hands and feet do the same, making a cracking sound as they fall to his sides. He drops to his knees as his body weakens and his eyes close, giving in to his fatigue. Mohamed loses the battle with the waves, letting the waves take him to the shore, where he breathes heavily. He lies on the sand and closes his eyes, trying to will himself to sleep, but he cannot. He can only think about the battles he would need to face for the tournament.

Mohamed opens his eyes to see the daytime sky above. He felt himself slightly moving and realized he was still in the water. He turns his head slightly and from his peripheral and sees he's pretty far off from the beach. Almost half a mile from the shoreline. "Well...I really did over-train. "Thankfully, my muscles seem to have gotten the rest it needed." Mohamed turns himself over and began to swim his way back to the shore. He had to make a break for the beach before he over-exerted himself again.

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

"What-" Connor turned his head to look at Kipsang, a mistake he immediately realized as the two men made a dash to try and break through to the stair-well. Cursing under his breath, he fired off a spread of jabs to keep them at bay, shuffling back slightly. He was confident that he could take the two in a fight, but he was less sure that he could catch both of them if they slipped by. He could definitely catch one of them, you had to have great stamina if you wanted to go past being a 3 round fighter, but the other would be a problem. All it would take was one turned corner, one wrong guess on his part and the other could slip away.

"That pretty much covers it. I'm worried though." The men were slowly approaching, hands held in front of their heads to try and ward off any blows. The first one lashed out with a kick aimed at Connor's legs, forcing him to step back. The second man followed it up with a sloppy straight, the punch impacting against his guard. He answered it with a feinting jab, stepping in and firing off a short uppercut that the man barely dodged. "It sounded like they had someone listening in on our conversation last night. If what you said last night was true, maybe this competition isn't as clean as I thought it was."

"You should go after Donavan. If that guy was running away to get Bek, he may be in real trouble. He didn't look strong, but he slipped out before I even noticed." Connor leaned back, avoiding a wide swing by the first man and firing back with his right fist, striking him directly in the cheek. He staggered back directly into his companion, forcing him to catch him or risk being knocked over. Taking advantage, He lunged forward and planted a fist into the first man's stomach, doubling him over and giving him a clear shot at the second man. He threw a trio of jabs at the man, a dull thud echoing out as his head was forced back. Before he could follow up with another blow, the pounding of footsteps brought his attention to the man he had floored with the liver punch. He was still holding his side, face scrunched in pain, but he was running towards them with his free hand clenched into a fist.

Not willing to risk the man breaking past him, Connor disengaged from the duo in front of him and stepped back, planting his feet and leaning forward. He really hoped that Kipsang would jump in if one of them made it past him, but from the looks of it the old man was more interested in watching than joining in like last night.

Mentioned: PiePillager BakaTheIdiot obscured_light

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Daoud was making a break for the front door, and even with Donavan in hot pursuit it wasn't going to be easy to catch him. A small gathering - a family maybe? - ducked out of the way as he practically dived through the door, rolling on his shoulder and quickly pulling himself back up. He had gained some distance, bolting through a busy street to a nearby alley, before ducking just out of sight. He made his way over as fast as he could, but before he entered the alley, skidded to a stop, remaining just outside in the broad daylight.

This was clearly a trap. Why would this shmuck confine himself to a tight space like this, where he couldn't escape? There was obviously some ploy here, some movie-magic bullshit to get him with his guard down. Maybe some guys were on the roof. Or just inside the neighboring buildings. Or he just had a gun. Or knife. Or Bek.

Bek! That had to be the play. Back himself into a corner and wait for sweet precious Bek to come and save him. If he was out of sight and out of mind, there's no telling what this Bek guy - the real one this time - was capable of. Part of him was absolutely burning inside, chomping at the bit to finally knock this guy down a peg, but in the back of his mind, it was like he could hear Bella's voice from miles upon miles away:

"Donavan, that's a terrible idea. Don't do that."

So he didn't. He stayed just outside, keeping Daoud in his line of sight, waiting for inevitable backup. He smirked over at his target, before breaking into a grin. "I'm not goin' in there," he laughed. "And you can't outrun me if you make a break for it. So we sit at a stalemate. What's the play, hm? Gonna cry for big boy Bek to come save your hide? If he had any balls he'd challenge me in the street as opposed to some cheap little murder scene in the alleys. After all, that was him, right? Last night?"

PiePillager (indirect: obscured_light Shotgunpenguin )

 

[PiePillager]

"Hohoho...This competition was never clean, boy. Despite how it looks on the outside" Kipsang scratched his chin with a guffaw. "Donavan can handle himself, but I suppose I can check in. If the Magna Mafia is checking in on us, we may be in more danger than I imagined. ...but first. I need to get me some breakfast," He noted before leaping up and kicking one of Daoud's compatriots in the stomach to knock them over and give Connor less assailants to handle before hopping down the steps.

***


"Wait, what do you....murder?!" Daoud asked, an eyebrow raised. "Wait do you think..heh....hehhehhehheh!" Daoud slapped his forehead. "OPh, is that what you think? I should tell those suits they have nothing to worry about...you couldn't be further from the truth!" this display of bravado on Daoud's part was only half genuine. In his head, he was calculating his ploy here. He stood to his feet and looked and gave off a smirk.

Raising a hand he revealed he was holding a phone. A number had been dialed but the call ended very quickly. Outside of the alleyway, sirens were heard. Police and paramedics were rushing towards the streets. It seemed the area around the alleyway was being temporarily closed due to emergency roadwork. Daoud smirked to himself. As soon as he entered the alleyway he contacted the personnel he was given permission to use by his contacts within the Mafia. They had arrived on time as per usual. Faster than normal, really, though he paid that no mind.

"You're right you know..." Daoud laughed. "I've really put myself in a bind. I'll have no choice but to call him really. If you really think he caused that murder, you can ask him yourself..." the skinny man laughed before he cupped a hand to his mouth and shouted, "BEK!"

Nothing.

".....BEK!"

Still...just silence.

"Ha...he's still just a child you see..." Daoud shrugged. "You have to call him several times before he decides to listen. Sometimes you have to use his full name!" He cupped a hand to his face again to shout, "You have a new foe! And if you beat him, I promise to double the portions on your next meal, so get on up here....SOBEK!"

More silence. And then...

A rumbling was heard. An echo almost from beneath the ground. It grew closer, louder until the sound finally reached its peak when a sewer lid in the alleyway began to violently rattle and shake until it was tossed up in the air and fell to the ground with a loud KLANG.

A massive 25-foot-long crocodile rapidly crawled out of the sewers, letting loose a low bellow from deep in its gullet. Shaking itself off slightly it looked to Daoud, expectedly. It appeared that this beast...was Bek. Bek saw Daoud stare and point to the open end of the alleyway. Sniffing the air, he turned around in the direction of Donavan, the low rumbling sound growing louder...and Bek began to walk forward towards the fighter, his pace steadily increasing.

"So, kid...do you want to make this bout official...or not?" Daoud raised Bek's GG Card. "Either way, you're in for a rude awakening if you decide to further pursue this course of action."

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Well. This was certainly a twist.

Just when Donavan felt he had him on the ropes, this Daoud character showed him just how little he actually knew. So they weren't involved in that guy's death. That's one less lead to worry about, he supposed, and frankly it wasn't even that big of a deal. People die in rings all the time. Before his older brother decided to become a "family man" he nearly died after having a stroke, which many attributed to the repeat head trauma. Even Donavan himself came close to biting the dust once or twice. Of course, that didn't happen, but the fact that it could happen was always a consideration.

No, he had far more pressing problems than some silly murder cover up. Much more pressing...

Or at least, that's what he was being led to believe. Daoud called and called, Bek this, Bek that, not a single peep. Still, the way behind him became much less crowded, and suddenly that rushing traffic had gone quiet...

Oh dear.

Oh dear.

Bek wasn't a person. And his - its? - name wasn't Bek. What on God's green earth is that?? What manifested before him was none other than the prime suspect, Crocodile Number 1, aka Sobek. Very, very bad news. Now, Donavan had been in his fair share of animal scraps before: he wrestled a deer one time, did a bullfighting gig for like a week, nearly got gored by a Moose many, many times, and even hunted Elk once in a while, but this was definitely the first time he had been tasked with fighting a fucking crocodile. These things weren't even native to Canada! He had never even seen one in person before. No, definitely very bad, and to be avoided at all costs.

Except... just how fast could a crocodile be? Surely he was more agile, and a few well-placed punches to the gullet maybe, or some blunt force trauma to the cranium. Or maybe just a big juicy steak...

What was he thinking? That was a terrible, terrible idea, and in this contemplation he had completely ignored the fact that he was being challenged. It's hard to come to a decision when confronted by a giant toothy abomination of the lord that felt so large it was truly beyond reason. This certainly elevated "Sobek is a beast in the ring" to all new heights.

Would he accept an official challenge? The answer seemed clear.

"Nope."

And just like that, Donavan turned and booked it, running this time not for pursuit, but for his very life. He knew he would have to fight King Croc at some point, but certainly not today. That was semi-final material, at latest.

PiePillager

 

[obscured_light]

Both men crumpled to the ground as Rivera stood over them, debating if she wanted to follow Kipsang. Her stomach was rumbling but she also needed to make sure the guys didn't escape, perhaps even drag them down to the police station.

However, as Rivera grabbed the unconscious men by their collars, she wondered if it was even worth it. The tournament wasn't self contained. The city was involved in its making and it was incredibly difficult to believe there weren't bribed officials or civil servants involved.

"Man..." Rivera sighed, releasing the men and letting them fall to the ground again. The way she puffed her cheeks and even looked annoyed, one could have said she was pouting. Rivera would never admit it though.

"Connor!" she called out, despite the kid not being that far. The guy's cries of pains might have drowned her out though. At least it wasn't two guys, seeing that Kipsang had helped him out. She didn't move to do the same, recognizing that that if Connor could fend off two guys, then dealing with the remaining, tired man wouldn't be too difficult.

"I'm going to go check on Donavan! Come when you can!" she called out as she headed off.

 

[Sir loin of beef]

And where was johnny while all of this was going down? busy in his hotel room having his fill of the local Cuisine and plotting his path to victory in the tournament. In his mind bek was probably the biggest direct threat to his chances of victory, There was also the tournament officials to worry about. If they we're plotting his defeat he'd need to work on how to keep them out of his way. Whacking them wouldn't always work y'know?

@I am open for interaction with anyone

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

"Alright, I'll finish up here."

He called out to Rivera, head barely turning as he faced down his two assailants. She didn't seem the least bit concerned that he couldn't handle it, was it trust or did it not matter at this point. The only thing that they had going for them was their numbers, and while they did tie up Rivera and himself, Donavan had managed to break through after Daoud early on. Daoud may have been slippery, but with all of this corruption and coverups it seemed like Donavan was chomping at the bit to get answers. And judging by how quick he'd been to dash after him, it was unlikely he'd let the man get away if he could help it.

Either way, he should probably try and finish these guys off. Connor stepped in, fist slamming against the chin of one of the men, sending him slowly reeling backwards. Not letting up, a right straight soon followed with a sickening crunch, breaking his nose and sending him flat on his back. The second man let out a yell, a sloppy straight sailing over his head before a shoulder crashed into his. Was he trying to tie him up and buy time for his buddies to recover?

His question was answered as he saw the man's foot pull back, attempting to stomp on his own foot and slow him down. It wasn't a bad choice if he was being honest, a foot injury could outright cripple a boxer's ability to fight. Unfortunately for the man, this wasn't the first time someone had tried that. Right before it connected, Connor pulled his foot back out of the way, stamping it down and sending a fist straight into the man's stomach. He doubled over in pain, face pinched as he fell onto his hands and knees, retching the entire way.

The final man was recovering from Kipsang's kick, slowly getting to his feet. A quick hook sent him back down to the ground, groaning and clutching his side.

"Just stay down. You're not going to beat me, and my friend-" Could he call them friends? Comrades maybe? Ehh, it really didn't matter that much right now "-probably has your boss up against a wall with a few bruised ribs by now." Connor stood over the bodies, a mix of unconscious and writhing, the unsaid threat of more violence hanging in the air.

Mentioned: PiePillager BakaTheIdiot obscured_light

 

[PiePillager]

As Donavan fled, Bek began to give chase only to be stopped by the shrill yelling of Daoud, "Wait! Bek! Stop!" He raised a hand as the crocodile turned back around, abiding by his command. Daoud let out a sigh. If word got out about Bek's true nature, his team would lose the element of surprise. Sure a beast of Bek's size possessed considerable power and shocking agility, but those traits combined with opponents being caught off guard was a surefire path to victory in this tournament.

If Bek exposed himself now, the jig might be up...wait a minute. Daoud's hands ruffled through his hair, his kufi nearly falling to the ground. That kid! He could run his mouth if he got far enough! Daoud scrambled for his pone and quickly dialed one of the numbers from his most recent calls list. "Listen, it's me! I had the cops start another blockade but it wans't enough! Bek's opponent is escaping and he's one of the kids who you told me to warn away!

"I'm failing to understand how this is my problem," a cold voice on the other line responded.

"I...I mean...who's the one supplying the cash to your offshore account?!" Daoud stammered. "We had a deal! A deal I payed good money for! I spoke to those kids as a favor, but I'm not taking care of your problems for you!"

"You wanna watch your tone, huh? Seems to me, you forgot where you lie on the fuckin' food chain here! So I suggest you watch yourself!..." the voice on the other line responded coolly before suddenly exploding with anger. "I'M IN SOME DEEP SHIT RIGHT NOW! Shit you wouldn't wanna be caught up in, but believe me, if you don't take care of this....you will. Me and my crew don't got time for this..."

Daoud fell to his knees, his phone dropping on the ground as the number on the other line hung up. Sweat pouring down his head, he weighed his options as Bek waddled up and nudged Daoud's elbow with his snout. "Bah, I have no food now. Just...let me think!"

Somewhat disappointed, Bek gave what one supposes could be a shrug before he made his way back into the sewers.

On the roof above, observing the proceedings was Kipsang, who was currently lying down and nursing a bottle of rum (his "breakfast"). "Things are starting to get very interesting..." he stated, though his voice lacked any indication of amusement. "Perhaps starting today our little gang should start becoming a bit more proactive in this tournament..."


BakaTheIdiot

 

[obscured_light]

Practically ramming down the door to the alleyway open, Rivera burst into the scene, fists up, body tense. She had expected the two men to be fighting, maybe even a group of men against Donavan. With how shady this whole deal was, it wouldn't have been a surprise if more underhanded tactics were at play. The attempt to outnumber them certainly seemed to be the main tactic opponents were using so far.

There weren't yells or the sound of bodies collapsing to the ground. No smell of iron in the air or the rush of air from a nearly missed swing at her. In fact, Donavan wasn't even there. Just the pretend Bek, Daoud, and in the distance a fleeing Donavan.

Common sense told her that there was probably a reason. There was probably a very serious reason seeing as Donavan didn't seem like the type to run. And as much as she wanted to assume there was a bigger target he was chasing, the biggest target they had right now was standing there, sweating, looking like he was in some deep shit.

It didn't make sense.

"What the hell?" Rivera muttered, annoyed and confused. She turned to Daoud, nodding her head in Donavan's direction. "What did you do?"

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

The last time Donavan had to break out into a sprint like this, he was roughly 15. He had taken a pity date to prom, against virtually everyone's advice, and had just walked him back home. Turns out, his date hadn't exactly specified that he was going to prom, much less with another guy, and the kid's dad was furious. Not even saying a word, the old man grabbed an actual, loaded rifle from the doorway, and pointed it square at Donnie. He got the message loud and clear, and bolted back home not even bothering to look back. He never spoke to the poor kid again, but definitely had a good laugh about it with his brothers once he got home.

This was not that. This was exponentially worse.

Checking his surroundings and rear, making sure he wasn't followed, he spotted Rivera looking on at both him running away and Daoud having a quite heated conversation on the phone - Bek was thankfully gone. That didn't mean he was safe, but he could finally slow down a bit, and ducked away into a little establishment and propped himself against a wall, lungs begging for a break. Maybe he really was safe for now.

Wait a minute.

Bek was nowhere to be seen.

Rivera was out in the open.

Rivera didn't know.

Normally, when confronted with this kind of situation, Donavan would cut his losses and leave his "allies" out to dry. But given the extreme and bizarre circumstances of this evolving Ganbatte, maybe banding together with his little gang was the only way forward. As much as he absolutely despised admitting it to himself, unless he had help, there was probably no way he could take a crocodile alone. Let alone a biggie like Bek. No, he had to warn her, or at least have her back if she tried to do something as stupid as he did.

Looks like he was running again. At least he was getting some steps in.

"Rivera!!!" He hollered over to the fellow fighter, running over as fast as he could. Barely even slowing down, he gripped her wrist and yanked her forcefully into a run, bolting for the hotel. "We gotta go, man!" Unless Bek was magic, there weren't any crawlspaces large enough for him to fit in and hit them there. The hotel might be the one safe spot they had.

"Bek isn't-" He wheezed between gulping breaths. "He's- Bek isn't a person! He's a fucking crocodile! Like, an actual fucking crocodile!" Before coughing out anything else, he had let go of her to brace for a crash with the door, it swinging open violently and leaving a wake of startled patrons in his wake. He finally slowed down, hopefully for good this time, grasping his knees and doubling over. Hardly his most graceful getaway, but he was alive - and apparently that was enough.

"Bek had nothing to do with... uh, the thing. Last night. We got no leads on that. I think." He couldn't even raise his head to look at the competitor, heart pounding out of his chest and throat dry as the desert. "I thought I had him. I was gonna sack him there. Shoulda just kept my mouth shut... I don't know who he was on the phone with, but something ain't right here. Ok, a lot of things, but this thing specifically isn't right."

PiePillager obscured_light Shotgunpenguin

 

[obscured_light]

Rivera was at a loss for words.

She had plenty earlier when she had seen Donavan running back. Mouth open, hand half raised, questions on her tongue, Rivera had been prepared to get the truth out of him. Instead, he got her out of the situation, the urgency in his voice keeping her from protesting even as she watched the door, and their opportunity to confront Daoud, close.

Donavan's words still hadn't sunk in yet. They didn't even make sense. A crocodile. A human crocodile? Like a werewolf? A werewolf crocodile? Well, a were-crodile if anything. Were-crocodile. Were-dile. Hombre crocodilo. It sounded much less ridiculous in Spanish but it was still baffling to say the least. No, but he seemed insistent on the crocodile part. Just as Daoud wasn't Bek, Bek wasn't human according to Donavan.

"Are... you sure...?" she finally asked hesitantly, face scrunched up in doubt. He had to be though. He didn't seem like the type to run over nothing but Rivera had to admit to herself she didn't know Donavan that well. Anything could have also happened in the few minutes him and Daoud were out of sight. Hallucinogenics could be administered in different ways and who was to say a man couldn't hallucinate a giant crocodile?

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

"Ugh, come on, just get through the loo- No don't move while I'm doing this! I don't care if your arm hurts, that's the point, this is to keep you from running away or calling for backup." Connor sighed, running a hand down his face as he stared down at the tangled mass of limbs before him. After Rivera had left, a thought occurred. How was he supposed to keep these guys from running the second his back was turned? They might have jumped them, but it would have left a bad taste in his mouth if he left them with any serious injuries. But it wasn't like he could just leave them either. What if they called for more guys, or even worse for Bek himself to come save them?

"This is just way too much." His hand fell to his hips, fingers gripping onto his belt, when an idea struck him.

And so, he had set upon the arduous effort of stripping all of the men of their belts, and binding their limbs together in a tangled web of expensive leather and obnoxious belt-buckles. It probably wouldn't hold them forever, given enough time and effort one of the belts was bound to snap or break. But, it would hold them for long enough that he could try and find Rivera and Donavan. Or, maybe he'd take Kipsang up on that breakfast. Either option sounded good as he entered into the hotels elevator, hitting the button for the lobby.

"Alright, now all I have to do is track down one or two people in this giant city with absolutely no idea on where they could be. In addition, I may or may not be targeted by more of Bek's men, who may or may not try and kill me. Absolutely killer job you're doing, Connor."

The elevator doors opened with a slight ding, the scene in the lobby being very different from what he was expecting. It looked like there was a commotion by the front door. As he approached, Connor recognized the duo that had seemingly caused the commotion, although he wondered why Donavan looked like he was about to lose it all over the floor.

"Oh hey, you guys are back. Did you catch that guy?" The smile on his face was soon replaced with a look of concern as he got closer and saw the condition Donavan was in. "Oh crap, Donvan you alright? What happened? Oh shit, did you run into Bek? Did you fight? How strong was he, on a scale of one to ten?" Shit, if he ran into Bek than he probably wasn't able to get any answers from that Daoud guy. Which meant they'd have to try and get them from those guys he left upstairs. Unattended, in a hotel hallway in clear view of anyone who passed by, who were probably yelling for help at this very second.

Maybe he should have covered their mouths.

Mentioned: PiePillager BakaTheIdiot obscured_light

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Having finally managed to slow down his pounding heart and bring some actual oxygen into his lungs instead of whatever he was rapidly inhaling before, Donavan could clear his head and start at the beginning. The kid was here too now, which actually lent itself well since now he could just lay everything out.

"OK... OK. Listen. I know it sounds batshit. I know it's not something you hear everyday - or, ever, if you're Canadian - but I need you to really hear me when I say this and I cannot emphasize enough how much I am not joking: 'Bek' is not a person, he's not even a fighter. He is a wild animal. He's a Crocodile, who was apparently trained or just handled by Daoud. Also his full name is Sobek, but that's not really important, so whatever. I'm not one to run from a fight, ever. I mean, numerically speaking, I think I top the four of us right now. I cannot fight a fucking crocodile, not alone." He looked Rivera dead in the eye, then turned to face the kid. "So yeah, I didn't fight him. I booked it. And I woulda kept going, but right now you guys are the best shot I have at staying in this competition. Sobek is a big problem, for all of us, and if we don't do something then you can kiss that prize goodbye. Plus... the old-timer's kinda growing on me."

Donavan was fully standing now, clasping the back of his head to extend his chest out, lending more air to his thought process. His breathing had slowed now, no longer the hasty wheezing of someone running consistently for the past 10 minutes. "Daoud is obviously in the sheets with some mafia boys, otherwise he wouldn't be allowed to cheat this blatantly. All of the cameras weren't there, the streets were completely blocked off, it was like he had some guys just running the set the whole time. Like this whole fucking country is on their payroll. I don't know how deep it goes, but if his word means anything - which it might, I don't know at this point - he didn't have anything to do with the shooting last night. Which makes sense... I mean, he has a crocodile, and a knife, but no guns from what I can see."

Obviously they were having doubts, every reasonable person would. Even Donavan was gaslighting himself into questioning what he saw. "I know it's wild. I know. But I swear, I'm not smart enough to lie about this. I wouldn't run unless I was definitely, absolutely, 1000% sure I was gonna die."

Shotgunpenguin obscured_light PiePillager

 

[obscured_light]

So my impression of him was right.

Rivera was quiet as she processed everything Donavan had told them. His expression and words were honest and insistent which left her with very little room for doubt regardless of how ridiculous the situation seemed. He had proved a worthy ally so far and if what he said had been true, then he had gotten her out of danger. She decided to trust Donavan until he showed her he wasn't worth that trust.

Though his words did have.... interesting implications.

The tournament obviously held secrets but animals being competitors was unexpected. Not only that, but there was a possibility there was more than one. Bek hadn't been the only one who had cameras off during his matches. Or, Sobek rather. Though if there were more crocodiles in their future, it was hard to say.

"Man, this is a lot to process," Rivera admitted out loud, looking a bit exasperated. "I'm assuming animal control is out of the question."

It was meant to be a joke but Rivera's serious expression kind of killed it and made it sound like a serious inquiry.

"I don't think we can trust anyone but each other right now actually," Rivera said, crossing her arms over her chest and raising a fist to put her chin on it. "Until the tournament pits us against each other anyway. Can we form a truce then? Until this... crocodile situation is handled? If we can even figure out how to handle it. I know people have wrestled crocodiles but clearly Sobek's going to take all of us."

Rivera said the last part looking at Donavan, wondering what the crocodile looked like that had caused even him to run.

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

"Well, he's right about one thing. That sounded batshit insane."

Connor was prepared to accept a lot of things that Donavan could have told him. He would have accepted that Donavan ran because the guy had a gun. Completely understandable, especially after what happened to that man last night. He would have accepted him saying that Bek showed up, and that he had to run. That was also understandable. But this? That 'Bek' was not only not a guy, he apparently wasn't even human? That was way outside of what he was willing to accept.

But, as Donavan ran through his story, he could tell that it wasn't just an excuse. A crocodile, an actual fucking crocodile, was somehow competing in the tournament. He wasn't sure if it was the right time to joke about there being a 'secret character', but it was just so out there that it was almost funny. Almost. The fact that this crocodile was currently being handled by a man who had tried to threaten them not an hour ago kind of put a damper on that.

Connor tilted his head, passing Rivera's idea around in his head. "Could be worth a shot. Not sure if they'd even believe us though, but it's better than nothing." Well, they could call them anyway. He was still down a phone, and the idea of purchasing one with a card that was possibly loaded with dirty money didn't exactly sit right with him. "I also have those guys who tried to attack us tied up upstairs. If they're a part of Daoud's crew they may know something."

If they were still there that was. Hopefully they were.

"Yeah, I'd be down for a truce. Even if it's only temporary." He felt better knowing that he didn't have to worry about fighting either of them. To be brutally honest, he didn't quite like his chances if he did have to face off against them. Both of them seemed to have way more experience under their belt, and the way they fought would be difficult for him to deal with. Rivera with her kicks and odd movements, and Donavan with his outright wild fighting. Neither of which fit into his experience as a boxer, at least not in a way that mattered.

"Can't we just, you know, grab some weapons and go after it?" Connor brought his hands up as if he were gripping some sort of spear, jabbing it at some imaginary target. Sure, there have been people who've wrestled and wrangled crocodiles, but he imagined that there were a much bigger number of people who've tried and gotten killed for it. Judging by how spooked Donavan was, they would probably all fall into the latter category. "Not sure how easy it would be to get a gun, but anything would be better than the four of us trying to fight it with our bare hands."

As he says this, Connor turns his head, looking around the hotel lobby.

"Speaking of, either of you two know where Kipsang went to?"

Mentioned: PiePillager BakaTheIdiot obscured_light

 

[PiePillager]

"Out here!" Kipsang shouted out, sitting upon a street light high above the others' heads. With a quick motion, he leaped upwards in a spin. It seemed as if he were about to pull off something impressive...but instead, his foot collided with the metal beneath him, causing him to slip. Luckily, before that little misstep resulted in a catastrophic fall to the ground, his shirt sleeve had gotten snagged onto the end of the street light, leaving Kipsang suspended in the air. Wiggling about, he swung back and forth beforegaining enough momentum to fly forward and land safely on the ground, though his old bones seemed disoriented.

He wobbled too and fro before stepping inside the front doors to greet the rest of the group. This didn't really seem to put a damper on Kipsang's mood as he downed the rest of his rum with his free arm. "Seems like you three have gathered some valuable information," Kipsang hiccuped. "I have some myself. It seems our good friend...." Kipsang pondered to himself for a moment, unable to recall Daoud's name despite it being mentioned moments ago. "The not-Bek. He's not on good terms with his buddies in the mafia. It seems he's tasked with getting rid of us."

Shotgunpenguin obscured_light BakaTheIdiot

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

His little story could have blown over any number of ways, but for Rivera and Connor to just readily accept it was not something he was necessarily prepared for. Maybe he had banded together with a group of suckers, gullible enough to believe anything so outlandish. Not that he was lying. Or maybe, these people really were the only competitors he could trust. There still had to be hundreds of competitors left, legitimate and illegitimate, and as proud as he was of his winning streak, 40 definitely didn't round up to 400. The fact was that Donavan couldn't do this alone.

And the longer it went on, the less he wanted to go at it alone.

"Well... Guess we're a team now. Officially," He straightened himself up, chuckling at the little animal control gag. "We can workshop a name later, heh. Kid's got a point in that we need a plan. I've broken my fair share of bones before, but never on something this big. Failing weapons, we at least some idea of what we've got to work with." Admittedly, Donnie wasn't the most forward-thinking fighter. Often, he would charge into most situations and it would just 'work out' afterwards. Normally, this was thanks to some backroom backstabbing via his handler, but she wasn't here, and wouldn't be here for at least a few more days. At least. "As for the guys upstairs... I mean, I can ruffle a few feathers and break a few noses, but I'm not exactly optimistic we'll learn anything we don't already know. Still, might as well try-"

Guns. An interesting note. At least in most parts of the world, it was pretty difficult to get guns - Switzerland and the United States proved to be an exception, rather than the rule. Even in Lovely Canada, just getting a permit was a slog of legal red tape and bullshittery, and Donavan didn't even own a gun. Granted, he was in Ecuador, and not Canada, but if the lowest common denominator had anything to say about it, the odds of the gang getting something with a high caliber were slim, at best. Maybe a hunting shop. "Uh... Kid, how many times have you been outside the Stars and Stripes? Because at least in O Canada, guns are a bit of a... problem to acquire."

Before he could finish this train of thought, however, Kipsang materialized - again - out of thin air, swinging himself to the ground with the grace of a 15 kilogram dumbbell. At least he was alive. And from the sound of it, managed to snag another bit of info.

Getting rid of us?

He probably shouldn't have been surprised. Good ol' Daoud let far too much of his hand slip and now the gang had some tidbits they definitely weren't supposed to see. Sobek, the mafia, his ties, this guy was clearly in hot water. They could probably use that, but how? "You sure take your sweet time getting outta bed, old timer. You're lucky I like you."

obscured_light PiePillager Shotgunpenguin

 

[obscured_light]

"Could have at least brought us breakfast like I asked," Rivera complained as she rubbed the back of her neck. She gave a small exhale of relief. It was risky banding together with people she had met what, two days ago? How long had it been? Felt like ages to Rivera by this point but time had barely passed. Made her feel like a kid almost since the days had seemed to stretch on for ages when she was a child. Of course, back then she had prayed for time to go faster. Right now, she wanted a small breather of a week or so.

"Would guns even be allowed in the tou-" Rivera stopped, thought it over and shook her head. "I mean if crocodiles are allowed..."

Rivera sighed and turned around, walking off, "I'm going to go check on the guys upstairs then."

If they're still there.