Chapter 1
The cold ocean air rushes towards me, I see her, standing there. She smiles as she falls off the cliff. I run towards her, trying to catch her, that's when I see it. Down on the rocks, the remains of my child, only an infant. Thrown down by his mother. I stood there staring in disbelief, watching my own wife fall. Watching her join my son, her body makes a sickening thud as it crashes on the rocks. A rock protruded out of her stomach, she was impaled. Dead on impact. "No!" I scream, "No, no, no!!!" I fall on the ground sobbing, wanting to fall. Join them, join my son, my wife. I stood up, ready to jump. I started running towards the edge, I leap off. The cold air starts rushing in my face, the bitter smell of saltwater and blood overflows my nostrils. I smile, knowing this will be my last day. No more pain, no more sorrow. Sweet bliss.
----------------------------------------5 years later-----------------------------------------------
A lone figure stood in his cell. He stood there punching the air, kicking. All alone in his cell. The only noise heard was the sound of the air being torn by his punches and kicks, occasionally a grunt now and then. This was his ritual, he would practice, beat down the air around him. He did this vigorously for about three to four hours a day. He punished himself, for things he did not do. No mercy, to him or to others, no mercy whatsoever.
"Yo, Grizzly. Get your ass up." The prison guard yelled as he beat the gate to his cell. A huge man stood up from his bed slowly. His prison uniform was tattered, stains of blood and other things covered it. "You're a sorry sight, lazy ass," The prison guard said chuckling. Opening the cell door, the warden hit Grizzly in the gut with his club. Grizzly hunched over slightly, the guard took a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Grizzly's wrists. Several other guards helped escort Grizzly to a new room. In that room were about fifty other prisoners, all in the same condition as Grizzly. Grizzly stood straight up, he shook his head to get the hair out of his eyes. The guard started to arrange the prisoners, they all now stood in rows, like some twisted version of the Army. There were now 5 rows, each had ten prisoners standing in a straight line. In the front of the room, a man walked out. He wore an old military uniform. He was in his mid forties, he had white hair in a military buzz cut style. His features were stone, his expression was like ice, it seemed to penetrate into each prisoner's soul.
"My name, is Xegan Actul. I am here, to offer all fifty of you a proposal. You men, are the most hardened criminals in the whole prison. The Neogen corporation is hosting this year's Tournament. As most of you know, the Tournament is a yearly event where people fight to the death. The range of people include businessmen, the janitors, the wealthy, the poor, the insane, the sane, and the criminally convicted. I have chosen all fifty of you to fight in the tournament. If any of you win, you will receive ten million credits, and your slate will be wiped clean. You will be released from the prison, to start again, fresh." Several prisoners grunted in approval, a couple started yelling in celebration. Xegan raised a hand, to silence the inmates. "You will all be tested thoroughly during the next hours, if you are satisfactory, you will be loaded up in a bus and taken to the Tournament for further instructions. Dismissed." Xegan walked out of the room, with a triumphant smile on his face. The prisoners were each taken to separate rooms by people dressed in a strange military uniform. A tall, dark haired woman took Grizzly to a room, inside he was placed on a table. A man dressed in a lab suit joined her. They injected Grizzly with different chemicals, drew blood, and did a full body search. Finally, after a quick interview, a little screen popped up in the wall across from Grizzly. A 3-D model of Grizzly was shown, it that said:
Name: Gabriel
Nickname: Grizzly
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 250 lbs.
Age: 30
Muscle %: 92
Coordination: OK
Speed: Good
Strength: Incredible
Intelligence: Good
Blood Type: A
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Black
The screen whirred, then beeped. Finally a single message was displayed on the screen:
Accepted
"Welcome to the Tournament, Gabriel," The woman said. Gabriel grinned.
"Thank you," He said gruffly. Finally, I can get out of here. I can find out what really happened to them. Five long years, they WILL pay.