Chapter Ten: Brawl

The smell really wasn't as bad as Kai had expected.

He wasn't going to lie. There was definitely a persistent stink around him, but it wasn't something he couldn't bear. While he worked at the autoshop, there had been plenty of uncomfortable smells lingering here and there. Jay, on the other hand, was a whole different story.

"We're going to die," he coughed, covering his mouth. Both of his eyes were watering, making it look as if he had been shedding more than a couple of tears. "This is probably the toxic weapon they were talking about. Yup. Our insides are melting, and we're melting, and we're dead."

"We are not dead," Cole sighed, rubbing his forehead and following Zane closely. He shot a look back at Jay, and shook his head. "This isn't the toxic gas. They wouldn't spread it all over their own hideout. Now, can you at least try to act like a thug? You already don't look the part. Don't make it worse by acting like a baby too."

Jay scoffed, raising his eyebrows. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times before finally coming up with words. "Oh, no you didn't."

"Oh yes, I did." Cole rolled his eyes.

"Will you two quit bickering?" Kai stepped past Jay and Cole, walking beside Zane. They were approaching a door, where lights and voices were emanating from. "I hear something."

"That should be the entrance. If my senses serve me right, which they always do, Pythor is delivering quite a speech." Slowly, Zane pushed the door open, leading the others into a big room. Every inch of it was crowded with people dressed more or less like them, but with no regard for personal hygiene.

"-And the city will finally be in our control!" The man known as Pythor paced in front of the crowd, his voice booming throughout every inch of the room. "But it will, of course, not be very safe to attempt to retrieve this toxin. I have arranged an exchange that will take place in two days. More likely than not, those who seek to stop me will be there. I am, of course, expecting those N.I.N.J.A.G.O imbeciles to try and stop me. But this will be different, I can assure you!"

Cheers erupted around the room. Kai shook his head, a half smile on his face. "If only he knew."

"I will allow four people to accompany me," he continued. Whispers and smirks were shared all throughout. "But they will be only the best of the best. . ."

There was a sudden silence. Everyone collectively held their breath, waiting to see what they'd have to do to prove themselves to be the best. Pythor allowed a sly smile to curve his lips upward, elongating the pause between his words.

"They will be those who claim victory. . ." Once again, he paused, before finally shouting his final sentence. "In the Slither Pit!"

Cheers and shouts erupted from the crowd gathered around Pythor. The leader gave a large grin, holding his arms out to his sides and basking in the attention that his followers were giving him. It felt amazing to be on top, to have a group of underlings that practically worshipped him. Pythor thrived on the attention, the rush that being in control seemed to give him.

"Slither Pit?" Jay whispered. He had plastered a large grin on his face, faking excitement, when deep down he was beginning to feel more anxious. "That doesn't sound like a fun, villain bonding activity."

Kai flexed his hands, feeling the thick material of his gloves trying to move in time with his actions. They still needed to be broken in a little more. He hoped they wouldn't always feel so stiff and limiting. The last thing Kai wanted was to be caught off guard when his weapon wasn't responding to him properly. "Whatever it is, it sounds like we're gonna have to take part in it if we want to be at this meeting with Pythor. Besides, I think we're all capable of doing well enough in this Slither Pit to be the four victors."

"Well that's easy for you to say," Cole replied, his arms crossed over his chest. "You have a weapon, Kai. It's probably gonna be a fight. I doubt they're talking about winning a Rock, Paper, Clamp tournament."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Well then, Kai and I will win whatever it is we have to win and foil Pythor's plans." He reached down and patted his leg, feeling his weapon still securely in place. "That way you won't have to worry about anything."

"I am capable of combat without the use of weapons," Zane said, staring at Jay. The former fast food worker waited for him to finish up his statement, but nothing else came.

"Well, that's great then," Kai said, eyes flicking around the room. "It'll be the three of us against Pythor and whoever else wins the Slither Pit."

Cole frowned. Some team building exercise this was turning out to be. Without his weapon, Cole felt like an outsider, a burden. How was he suppose to try and work with his teammates if they ended up going further undercover and he was stuck here in the Serpentine hideout? His father's voice came back to him. Why hadn't he pursued a stable lifestyle? Being a nature guide was rocky enough, no pun intended, but being a spy was turning out to be more difficult and uncertain than Cole could have imagined. Would he really end up being left behind by everyone?

There was a hand squeezing his arm and Cole looked up, shaking himself out of his thoughts. It was Zane, his expression stoic, but the strength of his grip betraying his emotions. Was he. . . nervous? Cole stumbled, finally realizing that he was moving. Or, rather, he was being shoved, along with Zane. The endless ocean of gang members had swept them up as they moved across the hideout. Cole glanced back, trying to find Kai and Jay in the mess, but he'd lost sight of them. His stomach tightened as he nearly tripped again. What were they going to do now?

Struggling to find the others and stay on his feet, Cole followed the massive crowd. They all began to gather around a large, empty metal cage. Ignoring the strange object at the center of the room, the rock climber pushed thugs aside, his eyes shifting. Cole didn't notice how close he was getting to the cage, until Pythor's voice boomed right by his ear.

"Now that we're all gathered here," the leader said, once again tugging on the attention of all his followers. "Can we have some volunteers please? Don't be shy."

One of the men stepped into the cage. He had short, spiky red hair, and sharp canines that glinted in the light each time he spoke. The man seemed to be holding a conversation with himself, as if there were two minds stuck inside the single body. "Ah, looks like Fangtom has decided to step forward. Is it just you today, or is your friend-"

"Both," the man said in a deep voice, then continued in a voice that was much higher. "We shall need both to rip apart any opponent."

"Well, you heard him folks!" Pythor laughed. "Who will step forward and take him, them, on?"

Cole chuckled to himself, feeling sorry for whoever would be forced to take the crazy man on. It truly seemed like he believed there were two different people inside his head. Shaking his head at the strange turn his life had taken, the black haired man forgot to look where he was going.

With one more step, Cole stepped upon a stranger's foot. "Watch where you step!"

"S-" Cole's apology never got very far, as the man shoved him forward roughly, forcing the spy in training through the crowd of people. . .

. . . And straight through the cage's open door.

He quickly jumped to his feet, grey eyes widening as he realized where'd he landed. Cole swiveled around, heading straight for the door. With a smirk, the guy who'd shoved him in pulled the door shut. The lock clicked, and Cole's stomach dropped.

The crowd roared and as Cole slowly backed away from the door, he caught Pythor's eye. The man seemed to look through him, practically ignoring his presence entirely. Cole felt lucky, for now. Pythor knew his opponent by name. Did Pythor know every single one of the people that followed him? If so, Cole was in a bad position. It would only be a matter of time before he was called out. As he continued to look out over the vast crowd, Cole saw Zane. The android seemed to be a little taller than most of the other people around him. He gave Cole a single nod before vanishing among the thugs.

Sharp pain raked across Cole's back. He gasped, falling to a knee from pure shock. What happened? As he slowly rose and turned around, he saw his opponent smirking at him. Brass knuckles adorned the man's hands, embellished with small, ivory spikes. "Do you really think you can defeat us?" the man taunted, almost inaudible over the cheering and chanting of the crowd. "We've been fighting for years," he continued in his higher pitch, "and you don't even look like you've ever brawled in your life."

Cole narrowed his eyes, the warm pain in his back dulling from the sudden adrenaline coursing through him. He could see his blood on one of his opponent's weapons, but tried to ignore it. Climbing mountains, always moving, and having to take care of himself had made Cole strong. Not only physically, but mentally. He was resilient, and he wasn't going to let the lack of a special scythe stop him from winning a fight. "Maybe not," he responded, gluing his grey eyes on to Fangtom's chest. "But I'm still gonna take you down."