From One Cage to Another
by pari106
Disclaimer, etc., found in Chapter One.
A/N: Short…I know. But the fight is coming up in the next chapter. I'm not good at
fight scenes. Any suggestions? Please review this.
Chapter 2
Alec didn't hurry back to the cage right away; instead, he took a moment to study his new
opponent, who'd already taken his place in the arena. This wasn't something a human
would have been able to do…considering the distance between the locker room and the
cage, the bad lighting, and the thick crowd. But with Alec's telescopic eyes none of this
was a real problem.
He watched the man he assumed he would fight next climb the ramp to the cage…
"Oh, great…" Alec muttered.
Another big guy. Where the fuck did they all come from? Alec sighed and rubbed his
weary eyes. Gently. The swelling was already going down, but his face still felt like it
had been run over by a humvee. If he and Neanderthal ever ran into one another in a
back alley somewhere…
Alec focused back in on his opponent. So the guy was big…he was also built better than
any of the other men Alec had fought. He was all muscle and hard facial features…
Then Alec noticed something about the man's behavior. "Well whaddaya know…" he
smirked.
For once, he was going up against a guy who didn't feel the need for theatrics before the
fight. He didn't rabble rouse, he didn't brag…he just stood there. Waiting. Absolutely
calm in the face of the hysterical crowd around him.
Alec wondered if this were a good or a bad thing.
He was tired of the show-offs he'd come up against so far. But this guy didn't just look
calm…he looked tired. He didn't look particularly thrilled to be there. To be completely
honest…he looked disgusted with the fight, the crowd, and everything remotely involved
with it.
"You and me both, buddy," Alec mumbled to himself, before slipping out of the locker
room.
He was tired of show-offs, but he didn't want to fight someone who wasn't going to give
him a real challenge, either. Alec was tired…his face hurt…he just wanted a good bottle
of whiskey and someplace to rest and to heal. But he didn't want an unfair fight.
At this thought, Alec almost smiled. Almost. Up against him, any fight was an unfair
fight.
Too bad he didn't consider this a good thing.
If it weren't for his superior genetics, he'd be dead several times over now. Pity about
those superior genetics.
**** ****
Logan waited in the cage, ignoring the rambunctious crowd around him. While his
opponent was away they'd calmed down somewhat, but now their voices rang out again,
louder than ever, telling Logan that said opponent was returning.
He looked for him in the crowd…he was hard to miss, actually. The spectators parted
before him as he made his way for the arena. At first, Logan had to look twice when he
saw him…
"What the…," he began to mutter under his breath before his words died away altogether.
That *was* the kid he'd seen in the cage earlier…wasn't it?
Logan saw the same blonde hair, the same strong build, the same blank expression…
The one side of the young man's face was as it had been, but the other…the side that had
been a mass of ugly bruises and swelling… The bruises remained. Some of the swelling,
too. But not enough. Not nearly enough for having just left the cage no more than ten
minutes ago…
The feeling of unease that had begun to develop in the pit of Logan's stomach, ever since
he'd seen that kid smile, now began to develop faster. Something was not right.
But it was too late to do anything about it now.
Logan's attention became divided as the fight announcer stepped into the ring, and
directly into his line of vision, blocking his mysterious opponent from view.
And considering the noise level in the bar, nothing the crowd did could be described as
"quieting down". But they did get slightly less loud at this sign that the next fight was
about to begin.
Slightly.
It was enough, though, for the announcer to be heard over the microphone someone
dropped through the ceiling of the cage, introducing him by whatever arbitrary name he'd
given and calling out the physical stats he'd guessed at. He received a few cheers, a few
boos…a few catcalls from some of the female spectators (a fact that made him grin and
shake his head). And then his opponent's introduction began.
"…and weighing in at 177 pounds, and six feet tall…this is his thirteenth, that's right,
ladies and gentlemen, his *thirteenth* consecutive competition. Give it up for your
reigning champion!"
The spectators roared. And then the reason for their fervor stepped around the announcer
to Logan's side. He was actually a bit surprised… Up this close, the kid looked even
*shorter* than he had fighting his last opponent.
Then the young man was holding out a hand to him. Logan's eyebrow raised, but he
shook the proffered hand firmly.
"Good luck," his opponent told him.
"You, too," he returned, smoothly.
He wondered which one of them would need it.
**** ****
Meanwhile, in the crowd…
As Alec and Logan were sizing one another up, someone else was doing some measuring
of his own.
The man stood, still and quiet, on the edge of the rambunctious crowd surrounding the
fight arena. Watching the two men in the cage with dark, perceptive eyes and a stomach
that was slowly starting to settle. He wasn't nearly as nervous about this assignment as
he might once have been; despite his discomfort with being this close to the filthy masses
of Seattle's low-to-no-income populace. He'd come a long way since receiving a
position in Seattle.
And he had a long way to go.
The man knew that his "boss", had he been there in the form of himself rather than a
voice in an earpiece, wouldn't be cowering behind the large, scary-looking biker standing
in front of him. But he couldn't shake the feeling that, at any moment, his reason for
being there would turn a gaze in his direction and give him a very good reason to cower,
indeed.
"So, is that our boy?" the rough voice in his earpeice inquired.
The tiniest shift of the eyes…the quickest glance to make sure no one was watching who
might find his talking to "himself" peculiar…
"That's definitely him, sir," the man replied. Not without a fair amount of awe and
incredulity. Their prey had to be incredibly cocky to chose cage-fighting as his choice in
past time; an activity that would make his unusual abilities stand out like a beacon to
anyone who was looking for them. Especially after what had happened last time. Not
that their quarry hadn't already proven himself to be adequately cocky for such a stunt…
But he had to be fearless, as well. Or, as the man's superior had said time and time again,
just plain stupid. Like all of his "kind".
The voice, that of his superior, laughed, seeming to agree. "Excellent. Return to base,
Otto. I'll lead the team to your location."
Otto nodded sharply, even though he knew the gesture would go unseen.
"Very good, sir."
by pari106
Disclaimer, etc., found in Chapter One.
A/N: Short…I know. But the fight is coming up in the next chapter. I'm not good at
fight scenes. Any suggestions? Please review this.
Chapter 2
Alec didn't hurry back to the cage right away; instead, he took a moment to study his new
opponent, who'd already taken his place in the arena. This wasn't something a human
would have been able to do…considering the distance between the locker room and the
cage, the bad lighting, and the thick crowd. But with Alec's telescopic eyes none of this
was a real problem.
He watched the man he assumed he would fight next climb the ramp to the cage…
"Oh, great…" Alec muttered.
Another big guy. Where the fuck did they all come from? Alec sighed and rubbed his
weary eyes. Gently. The swelling was already going down, but his face still felt like it
had been run over by a humvee. If he and Neanderthal ever ran into one another in a
back alley somewhere…
Alec focused back in on his opponent. So the guy was big…he was also built better than
any of the other men Alec had fought. He was all muscle and hard facial features…
Then Alec noticed something about the man's behavior. "Well whaddaya know…" he
smirked.
For once, he was going up against a guy who didn't feel the need for theatrics before the
fight. He didn't rabble rouse, he didn't brag…he just stood there. Waiting. Absolutely
calm in the face of the hysterical crowd around him.
Alec wondered if this were a good or a bad thing.
He was tired of the show-offs he'd come up against so far. But this guy didn't just look
calm…he looked tired. He didn't look particularly thrilled to be there. To be completely
honest…he looked disgusted with the fight, the crowd, and everything remotely involved
with it.
"You and me both, buddy," Alec mumbled to himself, before slipping out of the locker
room.
He was tired of show-offs, but he didn't want to fight someone who wasn't going to give
him a real challenge, either. Alec was tired…his face hurt…he just wanted a good bottle
of whiskey and someplace to rest and to heal. But he didn't want an unfair fight.
At this thought, Alec almost smiled. Almost. Up against him, any fight was an unfair
fight.
Too bad he didn't consider this a good thing.
If it weren't for his superior genetics, he'd be dead several times over now. Pity about
those superior genetics.
**** ****
Logan waited in the cage, ignoring the rambunctious crowd around him. While his
opponent was away they'd calmed down somewhat, but now their voices rang out again,
louder than ever, telling Logan that said opponent was returning.
He looked for him in the crowd…he was hard to miss, actually. The spectators parted
before him as he made his way for the arena. At first, Logan had to look twice when he
saw him…
"What the…," he began to mutter under his breath before his words died away altogether.
That *was* the kid he'd seen in the cage earlier…wasn't it?
Logan saw the same blonde hair, the same strong build, the same blank expression…
The one side of the young man's face was as it had been, but the other…the side that had
been a mass of ugly bruises and swelling… The bruises remained. Some of the swelling,
too. But not enough. Not nearly enough for having just left the cage no more than ten
minutes ago…
The feeling of unease that had begun to develop in the pit of Logan's stomach, ever since
he'd seen that kid smile, now began to develop faster. Something was not right.
But it was too late to do anything about it now.
Logan's attention became divided as the fight announcer stepped into the ring, and
directly into his line of vision, blocking his mysterious opponent from view.
And considering the noise level in the bar, nothing the crowd did could be described as
"quieting down". But they did get slightly less loud at this sign that the next fight was
about to begin.
Slightly.
It was enough, though, for the announcer to be heard over the microphone someone
dropped through the ceiling of the cage, introducing him by whatever arbitrary name he'd
given and calling out the physical stats he'd guessed at. He received a few cheers, a few
boos…a few catcalls from some of the female spectators (a fact that made him grin and
shake his head). And then his opponent's introduction began.
"…and weighing in at 177 pounds, and six feet tall…this is his thirteenth, that's right,
ladies and gentlemen, his *thirteenth* consecutive competition. Give it up for your
reigning champion!"
The spectators roared. And then the reason for their fervor stepped around the announcer
to Logan's side. He was actually a bit surprised… Up this close, the kid looked even
*shorter* than he had fighting his last opponent.
Then the young man was holding out a hand to him. Logan's eyebrow raised, but he
shook the proffered hand firmly.
"Good luck," his opponent told him.
"You, too," he returned, smoothly.
He wondered which one of them would need it.
**** ****
Meanwhile, in the crowd…
As Alec and Logan were sizing one another up, someone else was doing some measuring
of his own.
The man stood, still and quiet, on the edge of the rambunctious crowd surrounding the
fight arena. Watching the two men in the cage with dark, perceptive eyes and a stomach
that was slowly starting to settle. He wasn't nearly as nervous about this assignment as
he might once have been; despite his discomfort with being this close to the filthy masses
of Seattle's low-to-no-income populace. He'd come a long way since receiving a
position in Seattle.
And he had a long way to go.
The man knew that his "boss", had he been there in the form of himself rather than a
voice in an earpiece, wouldn't be cowering behind the large, scary-looking biker standing
in front of him. But he couldn't shake the feeling that, at any moment, his reason for
being there would turn a gaze in his direction and give him a very good reason to cower,
indeed.
"So, is that our boy?" the rough voice in his earpeice inquired.
The tiniest shift of the eyes…the quickest glance to make sure no one was watching who
might find his talking to "himself" peculiar…
"That's definitely him, sir," the man replied. Not without a fair amount of awe and
incredulity. Their prey had to be incredibly cocky to chose cage-fighting as his choice in
past time; an activity that would make his unusual abilities stand out like a beacon to
anyone who was looking for them. Especially after what had happened last time. Not
that their quarry hadn't already proven himself to be adequately cocky for such a stunt…
But he had to be fearless, as well. Or, as the man's superior had said time and time again,
just plain stupid. Like all of his "kind".
The voice, that of his superior, laughed, seeming to agree. "Excellent. Return to base,
Otto. I'll lead the team to your location."
Otto nodded sharply, even though he knew the gesture would go unseen.
"Very good, sir."