Chapter 23

She needed more information.

After the incident with Jason, Alley had figured it was best to move on than to pressure the kid to see what he could do. She wanted to see his abilities first hand, yet with the way Genus has described his mood, it would be a long while before that happened. Instead, Knuckle overheard Alley speaking aloud about getting information about the Neo Heroes. Two who were not considered executives however are part of their legions became something of interest. "One is known as a fighter in an underground cyborg fight club." She said aloud.

Knuckle was just outside the door as she described the man aloud but wanted details about this place. "We could send someone, however, no one here is merely 30 percent cyborg…"

Knuckle however smirked. "I can fake it." He said with a smile.

There was something Knuckle learned about himself. He can create a piece of equipment that can mask his cyborg parts by focusing someone to scan mainly his head. Once they scan his face, the rest of his body appears organic. "Thanks to that creepy chick for the idea…" he muttered. He made a black, metal mask for the situation. He dressed in rugged clothing and did some good old fashion snooping.

It took him one night to find the underground league. It took him a mere hour to get into it.

With his mask on, he entered the abandoned underground emergency shelter. He found the desk where a punk was taking names and bets. He approached with caution. "Hey… I hear this is the place to earn some good scratch." Knuckle said.

The guy peered up at him, bionic eye and all. 'Ah, that's how they tell' Knuckle thought.

"Name"

"First time, you need a nick name or actual name?"

"Whatever you want to be called."

Knuckle smirked. "C3P0."

The guy paused as he glared up at him. "What the hell kind of name is that!" he demanded.

"Sort of a play on words. I hit people hard enough they see three people. Get it? C3P0?" he asked and smirked.

"Cute. Look man, I don't know where you got your info from, but we're a serious…"

The guy shut up as Knuckle dropped a stack of cash. "That's a million there… is it enough?"

He smirked and stood up from his chair. "My brother!" he laughed and shook his hand. "Okay, rules are simple, your name is called, you enter the cage. You win, you get your money back and a share of the profits. You lose… well… you are going to lose more than your money got it? Your opponent can harvest you for parts. You feeling me?"

"Yeah, I feel ya." Knuckle said. He looked about and saw a lot of people with cyborg enhancements. "So you got to be 30% cyborg to stand a chance huh?"

"No one is stupid enough to go beyond that. You are crazy if you do, not a lot of people can handle that kind of metal in their systems. But you're cool… just from what I have seen, it's your head that has the hardware huh?"

"It's all I need to enhance according to my old man, apparently I didn't upgrade enough!"

"Well walk around, get a feel for the place and be ready for when your name is called… it won't be long. After all, it's been a while since we got fresh meat in here."

Knuckle nodded as he made his way in. He walked about but took in the sights and sounds of it all. Guys showing off their upgrades, others selling parts for last minute fights. He froze as he saw one fighter get harvested from his opponent. "NO, NOT MY LEG, PLEASE NOT MY LEG!" he begged, but that limb came right off, sparks and all as people laughed aloud and cheered to the spectacle. The victor proudly displayed his prize as he held the limb over his head and shouting aloud.

"Hey fresh meat!" one guy called.

Knuckle turned and saw a big strong guy. Bigger than himself yet the upgrades he had was beyond 30%. He was a massive big guy, but nowhere near the same size as Darkshine… then again Darkshine wasn't black either…

"Name is C3P0." Knuckle said. "You are?"

The guy smirked. "You'll know soon enough!"

The lights dimmed. "We got a treat tonight for all you fighters. We got fresh meat!" Called the announcer.

'Guess they don't get many new people around here' Knuckle thought.

"C3P0, your début is now!" The fight cage lit up. Knuckle approached it with caution as the people began to hoot and holler at him.

"You're scrap boy!"

"You're going to lose more than your money tonight!"

"Cheery…" Knuckle thought.

He stepped into the cage, when the crowd started to grow wild. "And your opponent tonight. Our traditional greeter… our gracious host… Obsidian Thunder!"

The crowds cheered aloud as the big guy Knuckle just met earlier came into the fight cage. He took off his shirt and revealed his arms covered in robotic equipment. Knuckle shrugged and took off his shirt. He kept his mask on and stood at the ready.

"HAHA FLESHY!" someone shouted.

"You're gonna die!"

"Nice welcoming committee…" Knuckle muttered.

"Rules are simple new boy, last five minutes against our gracious host. You do, you win. However, you get knocked out, he gets your money and whatever parts he wants off of you. No take backs! Now, everyone, call your bets!"

Stacks of cash went up into the air, Knuckle already pegged they were betting against him, so he has to make this fight look good. When the money was collected they called for the fighter to prepare. "Hey… just so you know I want to know something… if I win, you tell me stuff I wanna know about, I may spare harvesting you…"

Thunder laughed. "YOU Spare me?! Don't get ahead of yourself boy!"

"FIGHTERS READY!" the announcer called. "FIGHT!"

Knuckle's hands went up, Thunder didn't take a fighting position since he wasn't going to take the battle seriously. "You ain't he first to come here, looking to take away some of the green I roll in each and every night. So tell you what… I'll only take one of your eyes as my reward. Huh? Sounds good?"

"Less yack, more smack!" Knuckle called. He decided to make the first move, charging in with his fist balled up, he attempted his first strike, but Thunder caught it with ease.

"Saw that coming a mile away!" he laughed. However that smile quickly vanished as he found his arm was still getting pushed back. Thunder tried to crush his hand, but didn't see the look of pain on Knuckle's face. "Wh… what are you doing!?"

"Testing your limit…" Knuckle pulled away, but got his right hand ready to strike!

SMASH

One shot across the face and Thunder stumbled.

Suddenly the whole place went silent. Thunder spat out the blood from his mouth before glaring at Knuckle. "You're going to get it now boy!" He tried to get up and charge him. Yet Knuckle was able to stop him dead in his tracks! He forced Thunder up, and one more shot across his face sent him into the cage.

The guy was stumbling, trying to regain his footing, but Knuckle could tell by the look in his eyes, he was nearly knocked stupid. He began to take his time with him. Knuckle forced him up on to his feet before letting a few more punches fly. He shattered the robotics on his arms, and then he shattered the eye piece Thunder possessed.

He was a bloody mess after it all. The time was called as Obsidian Thunder didn't get up again.

"TIME 1 MINUTE… 5 SECONDS…" The cage door opened, the other fighters froze as Knuckle walked out. He went right to the desk and smiled.

"My money… and my cut." He demanded.

The guy trembled as he bought out the stacks of cash. They even offered him a bag to carry it all in. When he got his money, Knuckle watched as Thunder was carried out of the cage. "Whoa… hey… I want my share!" he warned.

The look of fear in the man's eyes said it all. If anything, he will now tell Knuckle whatever he wanted to know. "Wait, please! Can… can we make a deal!?"

Knuckle approached him oddly, looking him over until he stared into his face. "I kept that one implant in your eye undamaged for a reason… you got a quite place to talk, just the two of us. I'll consider leaving it where it is…"

#

It was a lavish room.

The finest leather furniture, drinks, and food available. Knuckle sat rather comfortably in the leather chair, drinking a very high ended wine as Thunder sat nervously across from him. "Is… is everything to your liking sir?"

"It is, rather impressed with this room. Now then… what I want…"

"Anything!"

Knuckle leaned in. "I want to know more about a fighter who has since become a Neo Hero. Koko…"

Thunder froze. "Koko? That's all you want to know?"

He nodded. "I want to know what made him become a Neo Hero. Rumor has it that he was so strong, no one wanted to fight him… come to think of it, the more I look at you, the more I see the resemblance…"

Thunder sighed. "He is my brother…" he muttered. "Little bro got a little too big for his britches. No one fought him not because he was too strong, it was because he was my little bro! They figured if he lost, I go after them. Partly true. But still, little bro is strong, I believe he is stronger than me, and took his enhancements a little too far, but still…"

"Why become a Neo hero when this was easy money?"

"You have to ask him." Thunder explained. "Look man, I don't want any trouble from you… please… I beg of you… don't come back here. We can't afford to pay you after every fight. Not to mention, you weren't here to fight… you didn't jump right in to harvest me!"

Knuckle laughed. "That's true, I just wanted some information. Besides. I don't like these sorts of fights to begin with. Not to mention seeing someone get harvested after losing, it doesn't sit well with me. I won't come back to fight, but if I need information. I'll return… if information isn't given to me willingly… then I'll enter the cage again… and won't stop even if it means I take every piece of scrap from you and your fighters… sounds fair?"

Thunder nodded fearfully.

"Good, I'll come back another time." Knuckle picked up his bag of money and walked out.

Sometimes, this sort of Intel gathering can pay off!

Yet as Knuckle began to head back home, he paused for a moment. "The Neo Heroes… most I have seen have cyborg parts, but Koko only has 30% cybernetic parts… He wasn't made an executive despite his fight experience and power… makes me wonder what is really going on…"