A/N: Hello! Please keep in mind this is an A/B/O (Omegaverse) BakuDeku fanfic. However, it's still mainly a plot driven story with plenty of world building and a slow build up to their relationship. There is a short description of the omegaverse dynamics in the story, but if this is your first time reading this genre I definitely recommend looking it up. In this AU, people have animal traits instead of quirks. (for example, Izuku has rabbit ears and a tail). More information will be provided in the text. 3

Don't hesitate to ask any questions!

_

Izuku Midoriya stretched backwards against his office chair until the knot between his shoulders released with a satisfying pop. In front of him sat a sizable stack of paperwork pertaining to the cases he and his colleagues had cleared up over the past few days. Normally, Izuku would delight in the rhythmic sorting of files, but today his fluffy ears swiveled around the room at the slightest sound and any sudden movements had him bracing to bound from his seat. Something was setting his fur on end, but he hadn't the faintest clue what it could be. Maybe his nerves were finally catching up with him. It'd only been a few weeks since he'd graduated from UA academy, but his outstanding marks in school and close ties to the chief had led to him inheriting the title of detective at "Almight Police Station". It was an incredible honor, especially for an omega prey species, but it wasn't a job without difficulty. Mostly because he lived in constant fear of somebody finding out he cheated to be there.

Izuku had won the genetic lottery in the absolute worst way possible.

Hybrid society consisted of roughly 70% betas--or hybrids who lacked scent glands and the ability to reproduce with alphas or omegas. With moderate physical abilities and intelligence, they were the backbone of the working class. Then there were the alphas, who dominated society with only making up 25% of the population. Alpha individuals were aggressive, strong, and often assumed roles of leadership. Their command could send any beta or omega hybrid to their knees, which made arguing against them nearly impossible. The remaining 5% was the group Izuku belonged to: omegas. With meak body types, the ability to bear offspring no matter the gender, and pheromones which acted as a strong aphrodisiac to alphas, they were often treated as 2nd class citizens whose only role in society was to serve. Omegas had a heat cycle each month that included heightened pheromones, increased libido, and a strong desire to build a nest. These cycles triggered a similar effect in Alphas called rut which include symptoms such as agitation, increased territorial tendencies, and the drive to hump anything with a heartbeat. They also suffered the burning drive to mark any omega as their own--by biting a permanent scar into the scent glands by their neck.

Hybrid humans were the product of a set of genetic experiments in the fairly recent past. In fact, many older individuals didn't display any animal traits or pheromone glands at all. The benefit of being a hybrid was upgraded physical abilities attributed to their animal counterpart. In Izuku's case, he had fluffy fur instead of hair, short bunny ears that poked out of his head which could hear exceptionally well, a round tail, heightened running speed, and sharp eyesight.

Luckily for Izuku, he'd also never had an estrous cycle. To most people this would be devastating because it meant he likely couldn't bear offspring. However, he couldn't be happier with his lack of hormones since it allowed him to convince those around him that he was a beta. Keeping his status as a natural born omega secret was the only way he could lead the life he dreamed. Both UA academy and the police station would've rejected him without second thought due to the stigma around his secondary gender. Coming out as an omega would also undoubtedly spark the interest of countless courting alphas and anybody who wished to make a profit in the black market. He'd be forced to accept an alpha's mark or suffer the fate of the rampant omega trade. Luckily, his mentor and the chief of police Almight had been able to fudge some paperwork, so to everyone's knowledge he'd been born beta. The lion hybrid was the pinnacle of peace and strength for the entire country, but it seemed he was also the only one who believed in equality among the genders. Throughout all of Izuku's years learning at UA academy he'd only ever told Almight and one other hybrid about his secret. He'd worked his tail off to get this far, so he wasn't about to let baseless discrimination ruin his effort.

The door to his office clicked open, startling the rabbit from his seat.

"Hey Izuku, I need you for a moment." A figure with hooded, bloodshot eyes framed by pitch black hair peered through the crack in the door frame. His gaze flicked over Izuku's defensive position. "...was I interrupting something?"

"No!" Izuku squeaked, "Come on in Mr. Aizawa."

The scruffy badger hybrid stepped into the room, shut the door, and lazily leaned against it.

"I see you've still got a sizable pile of documents on your desk, but this is a matter that requires urgent attention." Aizawa held out a manilla envelope to the rabbit hybrid. "I need you to look into this case. It's on an illegal alpha fighting ring. Word on the street says contestants are brought in and forced to fight to the death. We've been able to link several missing person cases to it, but we haven't been able to crack the building yet. Security is incredibly tight."

Izuku took the envelope from Aizawa and pulled out its contents. As he skimmed through the papers, one detail caught his eye, "It says here that only high status alphas and betas are seen entering... but omega pheromones can be detected from up to half a block away."

"There are suspicions that it's an omega trafficking outlet as well." Aizawa said cooly. "Listen, I'm not one to dance around the truth. We need you in this case because you have an unprecedented resistance to pheromones. Any other alpha or beta who steps in there is going to lose their mind."

Izuku's eyes widened. They were going to send him--a complete newbie-- into a minefield? Sure, he'd dreamt of having such an important job, but now that the time had come it felt a bit daunting. What would a place like that look like? Would people recognize him? Could he put on a convincing act? Aizawa cut his unintelligible mumbling off. "I see that look on your face--but don't worry, I'm not forcing this on you. The department can find another workaround to gather inside information--"

"I'll do it." Izuku stated.

The badger hybrid's face didn't show a hint of shock. He gave a brisk nod and reached behind him for the door handle. "Study everything in those files and meet me in my office when you're ready."

It hadn't been more than an hour before Izuku found himself pacing in front of Aizawa's office.

He'd always been a quick learner, so memorizing the case details hadn't been too much trouble. The only problem was, now that he knew all of the intricacies, he was really beginning to doubt his abilities. The glaring issue was that Izuku had forgotten to take into account his status as an omega when he agreed upon the task. Sure, he wasn't really affected by pheromones--but he couldn't help but remember back to high school when an alpha came close to triggering a reaction within him. Time has passed since then. He'd certainly matured. But what if one of the alphas in there triggered the same result? He'd be a fresh steak dangling in front of starving wolves.

But he'd already agreed to the task and Izuku was a man of his word. Besides, if he couldn't do this, did he deserve the title of detective to begin with?

"Get the hell in here Midoriya, I can smell your anxiety through the keyhole." Aizawa's muffled voice sounded through the wall.

The bunny hybrid's face turned scorching as he fumbled with the latch and flung the door open. He found the badger lounging at his desk with a single lamp illuminating the room.

Aizawa fixed him with a piercing glare, "I already told you that I'm not forcing you to do this. I'm choosing somebody else. Just leave the envelope on the stool to your left." He dismissively waived a hand and returned to his work.

"I said I'd do it." Izuku insisted. "Tell me what the plan is."

Aizawa's eye didn't leave his papers. "These aren't your everyday hybrids, they'll smell your fear before you reach the entrance."

"I can control it." The rabbit hybrid insisted. He slowed his breathing and relaxed his features to prove the point. Aizawa didn't seem impressed.

"There's one more detail about the case that I'm sure you noticed. Only predator species of hybrids are allowed inside--except in a few instances."

"When prey hybrids are brought in to fight." Izuku concluded. The words felt heavy leaving his mouth. It was sick what the fight ring was doing. They'd bring in prey species hybrids from the street and have them go tooth and claw against predators in an inescapable cage match. Obviously, the prey never won. The frequenters to the ring believed prey and predators should have the same relationship as their wild counterparts. The hunters and the hunted. It was a taboo belief throughout normal society, but considering the subtle discrimination all prey hybrids were subjected to everyday, Izuku wasn't surprised there was a market for it. Prey lives were being spent for gruesome entertainment.

Izuku drew a long breath and continued, "I know you wouldn't have asked me to do this if you didn't have a suitable plan, Aizawa."

The badger hybrid nodded. "I've got methods to conceal your identity as a prey species. It'll still prove to be difficult to get you past security, but I think I've found something that will do the trick." He reached under his desk and dug through a couple drawers. When his hand came back up it held a dark rectangular paper between two fingers. Aizawa beckoned for Izuku to have a look. "This is their business card." The badger explained. He placed it in the light so Izuku could see. The paper was navy blue with minimalist silver writing on it. The only information it contained was a strange word and number typed neatly in the middle.

OVERHAUL

(XXX)XXX-XXXX

"It's obvious they don't just let new people in at the door. An informant of ours received this card from one of the Ring's ambassadors. If you call and mention this keyword they'll set you up a meeting to survey you. It's a precaution to stop people like us from getting in. A true testimony to the amount of security surrounding this place." Izuku opened his mouth to ask a question, but Aizawa held up a hand to stop him. "Luckily for you, we've got that part covered. All they do at that meeting is a background check and pheromone swab. Since the meeting area isn't saturated with omega pheromones, we sent in one of our alpha detectives to get it done." The badger hybrid pulled another object from his desk and shoved it into Izuku's hands. "We received this today."

Izuku flipped the object around until light hit the laminated surface. It was a lanyard which displayed a strange symbol, a set of numbers and the words "Alpha Otter" across the top in bold ink. He assumed the alpha detective must've been an otter hybrid. It looked like the ticket he scanned to get onto the subway every day.

"So I'm assuming they use this as a sort of ID to get in?" The rabbit hybrid asked.

"Yeah." Aizawa confirmed. "You shouldn't have any issue gaining entrance with this as long as we can get your disguise right. Fortunately, most people entering the ring prefer to keep their identity secret, so a hat and coat should hide your rabbit traits well and make you blend right in."

"What about pheromones?" Izuku wondered. "I definitely don't smell like an alpha predator."

"We're going to lace your clothes with the Otter's pheromones, but I think it's overkill. In a place like that it'll be hard to smell somebody specific anyways." The badger explained.

Izuku ran everything over in his head. The plan seemed decent enough. He'd be able to sneak in as a patron and survey the layout so the police force could plan a raid.

"When do I go?" The rabbit asked.

A faint smile twitched Aizawa's lips.

"Tomorrow at 9, if you're up for it."

The city was unnervingly quiet on this side of town. The air hung heavy and carried the stench of burnt rubber and stale cigarette smoke. Despite it being a Friday night, only a few pedestrians clustered around the shabby shops and restaurants. Their eyes seemed to bore into the back of Izuku's head as he passed them on the street. The rabbit hybrid wrapped his fingers tightly around his hot chocolate. Considering the atmosphere of this place, he felt a little silly for carrying the sweet treat. Aizawa had instructed him to wait at a bus stop one street down from the Ring, but on his way snow had begun filtering through the clouds and melting against his skin. He just couldn't help himself when he'd passed the coffee shop with its soft orange glow and irresistible smell. What better way was there to relieve stress?

He winced when he accidentally stepped into a slush puddle and ice cold water soaked his shoe. It was mid-spring so the rabbit hybrid hadn't exactly dressed for such wintry weather. He reached the meet-up bench just as the wind began to pick up. The rabbit sunk into the seat and sat in silence, sipping his drink to keep his warmth up. It wasn't long until crunching footsteps approached the bus stop.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Aizawa wore a loosely wound scarf over a thick winter parka and carried a large shopping bag slung over his shoulder.

"I haven't been out for long." Izuku mumbled.

The badger sized up Izuku's hoodie, shorts and sneaker combo, then his eyes rested on the hot chocolate in the rabbit's hands. His eyebrows lifted questioningly, but he said nothing.

He patted the cargo on his side. "This is the pheromone coat, as promised. And a hat to hide your ears." He chucked the shopping bag and Izuku caught it unceremoniously. The rabbit hybrid pulled each garment out and inspected them before tugging them on over his clothes. Aizawa had given him an ugly black fedora and matching patched up trench coat. The hat pinned his ears uncomfortably tight against his head while the low quality material of the coat scratched his skin. They reeked of sardine oil and river water but, as usual, the pheromones had no effect on him.

"If you expect luxury don't join the police force," The badger hybrid laughed to himself. "There's a panic button sewn into the pocket of the trench coat that will allow you to verbally communicate with me should you run into trouble, but of course as a detective the expectation is you'll be in and out without notice. Once you're inside, nobody will be able to help you, so leave at the slightest hint of suspicion." The badger's expression softened. "I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of sending a newbie in, but your immunity to pheromones is crucial to this job. Besides, I saw you in training. You're exceptional when you want to be."

Izuku beamed at his superior's praise.

"Don't worry, I've got this." He breathed. The assurance was more for himself than the badger.

"Well then, let's get to it." Aizawa continued down the snow swept street and Izuku bounced up to follow. Only one or two of the lights were in working order, so the farther they drew away from the shops the closer the shadows grew. Izuku's half-finished hot chocolate suddenly grew unappetizing, so he chucked it into an overflowing trash can along the way.

After a few minutes of trekking, the badger hybrid slowed. "This is as far as I can take you. The omega pheromones are already coating this place." His nose wrinkled. Aizawa dug through his pocket and pulled out the lanyard from earlier. "Look for a building with an old bar sign out front. You'll have to enter and descend a flight of stairs before you'll see the real entrance. Just make sure you keep this visible when you go in and you shouldn't have any trouble." The badger hung the lanyard around Izuku's neck and stepped away. "Please, don't do anything reckless--"

"And leave at the first hint of danger." The rabbit hybrid finished. He gave a faint smile. "Sensing trouble is what we prey animals do best!" Izuku hopped backwards down the street waving his goodbye. "See you soon Aizawa!" Then he turned and marched forward towards the unknown.

The building was exactly what he'd expected. The owners had made no attempt to remodel the outside, so it blended perfectly in with every other abandoned structure along the trash strewn road. The bunny probably would've missed it had Aizawa not told him to search for the bar sign which hung by one hinge above a shattered glass doorway. As far as the atmosphere went, he could cut the humidity in the air with a knife. The musk of alphas swirled around with the sweet smell of omegas and clung to his nose like tar. Luckily, he felt nothing despite the variety of pheromones in the air which gave him a slight confidence boost. He crunched past the doorway and walked towards the back of the room where the stairway led into pitch blackness.

He tried not to overthink his decisions as he stepped down the polished boards. A few steps down the stairway took a hard right and faint red light glowed through the darkness. He rounded the corner to see a neon red sign with the words "Omega Heaven" lit up in neon letters. He cringed at the insinuation. A thick purple curtain hung over the hallway with lines of light seeping through the edges.

Before nervousness could take hold, Izuku pushed past the veil and came nose-to-chest with a suit-clad bouncer. The hulking hybrid eyed Izuku through his tinted glasses. Before the rabbit hybrid could react, the bouncer grabbed the lanyard around his neck. The greenette squeaked in surprise. The bouncer flashed a look from the lanyard back to Izuku's face. He then leaned close and sniffed the air. Just when the rabbit hybrid thought he'd be called out on his bluff, the bouncer rolled back and scanned the ID with some type of hand held device. Seconds ticked by. Izuku stood awkwardly as the device rang a series of tones until finally beeping a confirmation. With a muffled grunt, the bouncer shuffled out of the way to let Izuku pass.

The rabbit hybrid's eyes shrank from the sudden influx of light. The room was small, sterile white, and had a windowless steel door at the far end. It contained nothing besides a foldable table where another bouncer sat playing solitaire. Two large fangs poked out of his enlarged jaw and scars where ears should've been topped his shaved head. There was only one way to go, so Izuku stepped over and tugged at the steel door.

Blaring music and flashing lights flooded the room. It was so surprising that Izuku nearly lost his grip on the handle. Any prey animal would've bolted at the sudden stimuli, but thanks to his years of practice, Izuku managed to conceal his initial jump and smoothly slide into the club.

Any odor he'd been able to detect outside was nothing compared to the toxic concoction stirred up in the room of gyrating bodies. It appeared this first room was a strip club of sorts. Green and pink lights reflected off every surface and cast the crowd in a dazzling array. There was a central dance floor where patrons ground against each other to an ear-blasting beat. A bar off to the side held every type of alcohol he could imagine. A few raised platforms had professional dancers contorting around poles as onlookers cheered. From their curvy body types and soft features Izuku knew they had to be omegas. He took a mental note of everything as he meandered through the crowd--making sure to avoid the thick of it and keep his gaze off the dancers. A curtained doorway behind the bar was labeled "guest rooms" and Izuku's stomach turned at the thought of what existed beyond. The air was uncomfortably hot and bodies jostled him at every turn--hands groping him in places a little too personal for his comfort. He craned his neck to see through the passing figures for a way to get to the room where the fight ring would be located.

"Where are you so determined to be, cutie?" Hands suddenly grabbed Izuku's arm and yanked him down to face a blonde girl sporting a pair of messy buns and small round ears. She wore a giant smile which glowed in the purple fluorescent light and highlighted sharp fangs. The obvious alpha leaned in and buried her nose into his neck. "~Mmm you smell sweet--almost like an omega. I don't usually go for alphas, but you're so adorable I might just make an exception. I smell fish. Are you an otter? I'm a ferret hybrid. We'd make such cute babies!" She rattled on, barely giving herself an opportunity to breath through the flood of words.

Izuku managed to pull back enough to meet her yellow gaze. "I'm not interested in anything like...that at the moment." He yelled over the music. "But would you happen to know where I can find the Ring?"

The ferret girl's eyes widened when he mentioned the word, but another hybrid came up behind her and tapped her shoulder, "Hey Toga, I thought I told you not to run off? We're not here to schmooze with these freaks."

Toga pulled away from Izuku's arm and turned to face her partner. He was a tall hybrid with fluffy black fur and matching fox ears. Gruesome scars held together with staples circled his body. Izuku hoped that it was makeup, but the way the ribbed texture caught the light made that theory sickeningly doubtful. The two argued for a while, but their conversation cut off when Izuku merged back into the crowd. That blonde girl had gotten far too close for comfort. He silently reminded himself to be more physically assertive if somebody were to grab him like that again.

By the time Izuku found the stairway leading down to the Ring he thought his skull would explode with each bass boom. Rabbit ears were the most sensitive of all the hybrids. It took all his willpower not to cry in relief when he'd crawled into the quiet corridor. None of the passing hybrids in the dimly lit path seemed to pay any heed to him as he crouched down on a step to calm down. Izuku's ears cramped against his head and he desperately wanted to tear off the hat to let the circulation flow, but he reminded himself that his job was nearly over. Just one more place to go. With a deep breath, he gathered himself and continued down towards the distant rumbling of the Ring.

When Izuku first saw the Ring he knew the police were far over their heads. Stadium stands big enough to host a basketball game surrounded by a spacious circular cage where two bodies swirled in a deadly dance. Bright stage lights trained solely on the fighting figures, offering a detailed view of the carnage while concealing the faces of the hundreds of howling spectators in the stands. Izuku realized that there was no way all those hybrids entered through the front of the building. There had to be another entrance--or another escape if the police were to raid. The entire city police force would have trouble controlling a crowd half this size. Izuku slowly began analyzing the place for weaknesses or areas that they could use to their advantage. The rabbit hybrid did his best to avert his gaze from the brutal slaughter at the center of the stadium as he scanned the arena--but the desperate howls from a fellow prey hybrid claimed his attention. It became painfully clear that one of the fighters was toying with the other, biting off fingers and toes and raking with sharp claws just to watch his prey struggle to get away. It drove the audience into a frenzy every time fresh blood painted the ground. The prey hybrid would limp away just to be knocked down and dragged back. When the announcer called the winner, a team of hybrids opened the cage and collected the scattered remains. Izuku's stomach twisted into knots. Then he realised he wasn't paying attention to where he was going--a little too late. A passing hybrid's elbow connected squarely with Izuku's forehead and sent him tumbling to the ground. When he blinked his eyes open the entire row was gawking at him. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment at his clumsiness--but then he realized their gazes seemed a little too focused on something slightly above his head. His hand flew up to meet soft fur.

His hat was gone.

Strong arms wrenched him backwards and hoisted him into the air by his arms.

"How'd you escape?"

Hot breath blasted the back of Izuku's neck as the mysterious hybrid pulled him closer. More hybrids clambered out of their seats to hungrily form a circle around him. Fear paralyzed his limbs and he knew they could smell it.

Just when he thought they'd all pounce on him at once, he was hoisted above the crowd and whisked away. The dazzling lights and sudden movement sent his vision spinning. The shouts of the crowd grew muffled when his captor took a turn that brought them under the stands. Cigar butts and dirt rained down from above, but his captor didn't seem to care. As soon as he got his barings, Izuku put his training to use. He slammed an elbow down into his captor's back and pushed off him in the same motion. The hybrid staggered with a grunt and Izuku rolled to his feet out of his grasp. Through the streams of light coming through the stands Izuku got a good look at the hulking figure. He wore a similar outfit to the bouncers at the entrance, the only difference being a red bandana covering half his face. Thick scales ran down the sides of his head and disappeared under his collar. Izuku crouched into a defensive stance.

"Let's not get too hasty." A voice cooed from behind him. The rabbit hybrid spun around to see another man with a smaller frame and sharp features. He wore a plague doctor mask over the bottom half of his face, a glossy fur coat, and black gloves stretched half way up his forearms. Alpha pheromones cut through the smell of the arena and assaulted Izuku's nose. A burning sensation leapt over the rabbit's scent glands--triggering a panic that struck deep into his core.

A pure alpha predator.

Izuku had only met one other in his life. The only alpha he'd ever been affected by: Bakugo Katsuki.

Pure alpha predators were the product of a fleeting set of experiments that laced an increased amount of animal DNA with the human genome. Most of the resulting hybrids were a grotesque mixture of animal and man with little conscious thought and only basic primal instincts. However, a set few individuals acquired pheromones more potent than ever before and near inhuman levels of strength. The scientists behind the experiment were paid by alpha elitists who believed predator alphas should rule everything indisputably. It seemed they had just perfected their recipe when the police put an end to their morally corrupt escapades. The alpha standing before him was one of the successful ones.

The omega felt his knees start to buckle. A fog began to infiltrate his thoughts and demand absolute submission.

"There's no point in resisting, little rabbit." The plague masked man scathed. Izuku saw the alpha's eyes flash to look behind him, but the thought barely registered through his trance. He was lost in the yellow Irises glowing in the dim light. When strong arms gripped him again he didn't react.

His thoughts didn't return to him until he was violently thrown into a dark room and the harsh click of a lock popped the film around his mind. Izuku swore and kicked out in frustration. The cement space was pitch black and saturated with the pungent smell of fear. Izuku staggered around and felt every square inch for an exit of some kind, but the walls were hard and seamless. He scolded himself over and over for being so useless. How could he let himself be controlled so easily? He had to fix his mistake and find a way out of here. He racked his brain, but every plan he could imagine fell flat. Just when he thought he'd exhausted every option, he suddenly remembered the emergency button in his pocket. He reached down and pressed the small circle.

"Hello? Aizawa?" Izuku whispered. He wasn't sure how closely they'd be monitoring his cell, so he didn't risk being too loud.

"What's w-ng?" The badger's voice was mostly static.

Izuku wasn't sure when somebody would come back for him, so he decided to relay only the most important details that would help the police along with the case instead of explaining his current situation.

"The Club has two floors. The first one deals with omega trafficking while the second is a fight ring. There are way more people than we thought--like, thousands of them. T-There has to be another entrance that we're not aware of--"

"H#llo? Iz-ku?" Aizawa's voice cut through again. The rabbit hybrid's heart constricted. Aizawa couldn't hear him. Izuku would disappear down here without providing any information to the case. His life as a detective would be short and meaningless. Countless omegas and prey hybrids would continue to suffer because he couldn't do the one job he promised.

"Aizawa?? Can you hear me?!" Izuku's voice was no more than a whisper, but he didn't dare go louder.

Nothing but static.

After a few more attempts to contact Aizawa, Izuku threw the coat on the ground and smashed the microphone under his boot. He couldn't risk somebody figuring out his ties to the police force. While the constant ring of the speaker had been irritating, the silence felt lonelier. Izuku eventually found himself wound tight into a ball against the wall. For the first time in years, burning tears streamed down his face. He sat for what felt like hours, contemplating how he could've let things slip so far.

The door creaked open.

"You're up now." A gravelly voice jeered. Izuku's gaze didn't leave the floor. He didn't didn't care to think what the hybrid meant by that statement.

Footsteps thundered across the room. Izuku's head was suddenly yanked back by his hair and something cool latched around his throat. He was forced to meet his captor's eyes as the hulking figure grinned down at him. "Try to run and this will send you to the floor." The hybrid smacked Izuku's head as he pulled away and the rabbit barely managed to catch himself before hitting the ground. He reached towards his neck and his fingers grazed cold metal. A collar. Judging by the hybrid's description it must have the capacity to hurt him in some way.

"Follow me." The mysterious hybrid demanded. He didn't wait for Izuku to respond before prowling out into the stands. Izuku sprinted after him, fearing retribution from his electronic shackle.

After being in the quiet dark for so long the stadium was a complete sensory overload. Harsh lights reduced his vision to speckled blobs and his ears--now free from their hat confinement--throbbed with each exclamation from the crowd. He blindly followed the smudge of his captor across the walkway. It wasn't until the pattern of a chain link fence came into focus did he realize what was happening.

"Everybody meet the next challenger to the Ring!" The announcer blared.