*****

They call him the Prowler.

Bloody red eyes slitted, Ryu surveyed his opponent. Unlike the other "treats" Black Hood had thrown at them, this one looked completely human, which seemed to set the agitated audience somewhat at ease. He wore basic punk garb, from the all but decimated clothing to the myriad of chains and patches to the hair bleached shocking blond. Only the pair of brass knuckles seemed strange on him. Although his clothing looked threatening, the Prowler was a humanoid and this was enough to send a rush of relieved sighs throughout the crowd. Ryu knew better. The Prowler was a veteran fighter, much older than he looked and much, much stronger. The Japanese man girded himself and thought of Walker's blood covering the floor of the Ring. Black Hood was allowing its freaks to get smart. He would have to be careful with this one.

"Ready to die, mate?" The Prowler's voice was cocky and sharp with a heavy English accent that the microphones around the Ring carried from one end of the sports complex to the other. He licked his front teeth and grinned openly.

"Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing," Ryu said and the two lunged.

The crowd screamed and howled in bloodthirsty encouragement as the two fought, throwing punches and kicks too fast for the naked eye to catch. Fists and feet landed and were pulled away before the solid thwack of their alighting could even be heard by the crowd.

Snarling, Ryu leapt and grabbed the Prowler by his shoulders, intending to flip back and smash the cocky Englishman head first into the ground, snapping his neck. Instead the Prowler punched out as Ryu was still in the air, slamming a brass-knuckled fist into the larger man's groin. Gasping, the Japanese man lost his grip and allowed himself to be hurled headfirst into the cement wall of the Ring with a resounding crunch.

Casually, the Prowler sauntered to where Ryu lay, staring stupidly, still in a daze, and prodded him with the toe of his boot. "Enjoying yourself, mate?" he asked cheerfully.

Bloody red eyes gazed up at him without an answer.

"Come on," the Prowler pouted. "No fair just lying there! Get up and then I'll get back to killing you. Just listen to 'em out there. The crowd'll love it. All you have to do is be a good boy and die. Is that too much to ask for?"

Ryu looked muzzily up then, his eyes barely registering what stood in front of him. He spat a wad of blood. "You're insane."

Laughing, the Prowler grabbed him by the hair and hauled him to his feet. "Maybe. But that's half the fun, innit?" The laughter grew to cackling as Ryu was held out at arm's length and flung across the Ring.

*****

"What the Hell is he doing?" Nat's voice was shrill.

Gil swallowed thickly. The old man's face was deathly white as he watched Ryu being thrown around the Ring. "Showboating."

Snarling silently, Mira watched as the white-haired punk grabbed Ryu by the wrist and stomped hard on his elbow, snapping it sharply. Bastard! Around her neck, the metal collar heated up as her telekinesis warred against the confines of its circular prison. If he wins, I swear to God I'll kill him myself.

Moaning, Talon sat heavily down and put his head in his hands. "We're going to lose, aren't we?"

"Idiot!" Talon looked up to Zach, who stood over him, skewering the younger man with his eyes. "We're still in the running! Even if Ryu loses, Kari can still tie it up."

The youngest wizard rounded on his older brother. "And then what, Zach? Do we send out Darien and hope he's already perfectly rested or do we hand over Walker and hope his blood will poison the next fighter to death?"

Mira bit back a shriek as Zach struck him.

"Don't ever say that again," he growled. "Ever."

"And if I do?"

"Just remember I outrank you, brother."

"Is that a threat?"

"What do you think?"

Talon suddenly whipped his hands from his sleeves, balling them into fists. "Have at you, then!"

Growling, Zach flipped a short ornamental dagger from his belt. "So be it."

Nat stepped between them, and tiredly put a hand on either man's shoulder. "Children, children, please don't make me separate you."

"Can I help it if he's too damned stubborn to see we've lost?"

"Me? What about you? You're too bloody pessimistic!"

Nat rolled his eyes and spun the warring brothers around to face the glass. "You're both morons. Acting like babies! Besides, Ryu just won."

Immediately the two broke free to look down at giant screen above the Ring. There, the body of a punk Englishman was being cleared from the Ring while Ryu apathetically chewed bits of esophagus out from under his fingernails.

*****