Okies, taken a long time to write this. Isn't it just typical that you struggle for a while and then all of a sudden, you are hit with inspiration. Very long chapter, but lots of action that I have tried to space out. And I've got lots of people to thank for their reviews XD
Lav'O'Dolphin: Wow, thank you very much! This is my first step into the forray of writing, fanfiction is sort of passionate practice for other work :) But I've always felt characterisation has been important.
Insane Pirate Dragon: I hope the fight doesn't disappoint. Fight scenes are difficult to write.
Aqua Aussie: I have to doubly thank you, for suggested 'World's Greatest' by R Kelly. Not only have I attempted to write it into this chapter, it has become a personal fave in my music collection :D hugs
Forever Young: I remember reading somewhere in those 'How to Write' books about varying tense and not-so-tense. I just hope it all doesn't seem choppy XD
The submarine groaned in the morning's early light of Saturday, as if protesting to the sun. Its occupants also grumbled, most of them stirring for a few moments before re-shuffling into a comfortable position, and falling asleep once more.
"COME ON! Wake up you lazy bums!" a porpoise broke through the serenity, banging on doors as he cruised through the metal hallways. He even peeked into rooms and shouted abuse at his fellow criminals.
Tooti hardly ever slept, giving him the gaunt expression and piercing eyes that made up his fierce appearance. The Beluga Brothers closely followed him as he entered the mess hall, taking the table furthest away from his troops. Tooti was more a dictator than a leader, and since dolphins were characteristically laid back, no one had dared challenge him about his methods or leadership. He held a subdued disdain for some of his followers, particularly those who were physically superior to him.
A small and heavily scarred hourglass dolphin came into the mess hall, carrying all manner of magazines and newspapers – Playbuoy for those hot-blooded of males, and Surf Special for the acrobatics amongst the company. He finally laid out the selection of tabloids that were ordered in front of Tooti.
His eyes flicked over the front pages of each paper in turn, as he crunched through his morning helping of tuna-toast. A smug grin grew on his beak as he read the headlines - 'RECORD BREAKING MATCH' - 'GREAT WHITE LEGEND' - 'TRIUMPH OVER DISASTER.' Tooti could taste the irony, and he couldn't wait to read tomorrow's headlines after Vincenzio would finally go down in the ring tonight.
'World's Greatest' by R Kelly
I am a mountain
I am a tall tree
Ohhh, I am a swift wind
Sweepin' the country
The Gilami stadium was quiet. Nothing but the hushed hum of the floodlights that had to be constantly lit in the cavernous dark. Most of the employees wouldn't start arriving until two hours before the fight, and the spectators would filter in even later. The floor was clean, nothing like it would be by the end of the evening.
I am a river
Down in the valley
Ohhh, I am a vision
And I can see clearly
A large shark slowly entered the arena, looking around at all the empty rows, recalling the frenzied excitement of the spectators from last year. The cheers. The growls. The foghorns. He could remember the atmosphere perfectly.
If anybody asks u who I am
Just stand up tall look 'em in the Face and say
He sighed heavily, swimming to the ring's edge and clambering through the Flexi-Kelp elastic.
Chorus
I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
Hey, I made it
I'm the worlds greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my backs against the ropes
I can feel it mmm
I'm the worlds greatest
All around him were the memories of a victorious past, and a future to look forward to, made fuzzy by the lighting. Vincenzio could still remember the fight from last year - his disappointment that Mona had to stay at home, then the jubilation of a baby girl waiting for him.
I am a giant
I am an eagle
I am a lion
Down in the jungle
He hovered in the centre of the ring, staring down at the mat and his fractured shadow.
I am a marchin' band
I am the people
I am a helpin' hand
And I am a hero
As he surveyed his theatre, his eyes caught sight of the fighter's banners that were traditionally hung on opposing sides of the cavern. He was by far one of the least vain sharks to have ever graced the Gilami stadium, but he cracked a weak smile as he saw his. He felt it was quite a flattering image. But as he glanced at his opponent's banner, with that bulbous forehead, beady eyes, and smug smirk, he felt a knot in his guts. All he wanted now was retribution.
If anybody asks u who I am
Just stand up tall look 'em in the Face and say
He left the ring with a scowl polluting his face, the need for revenge having consumed his soul since the day Mona had died. He went to the first place where he could punch something and not get into trouble – the locker room.
But by the time he'd got there, his anger had dissipated into doubt, and, worse of all, fear. He'd never really had to be afraid before, he'd always fought with the desire to just be the winner.
Chorus
I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
I made it
Vincenzio passed the Wall of Fame. He'd seen it so many times that he'd never thought to actually stop and look. There on the wall were all of the Heavyweight Champions that had won the prestigious title at the stadium, most of them dolphins or whales until Vincenzio had started competing. He moved from one photograph to the next. And then he reached the blank space for this year's fight.
I'm the worlds greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my backs against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest
He took a deep sigh again, wondering if all this was worth putting his and Bambi's life in danger if anything went wrong. Would any of those great fighters that had gone before him have done anything like this? Would they have taken the dive? Or would they have fought?
"Ack, hold still wills ya!" Frankie grumbled, trying to keep hold of Bambi.
She was nestled in his grasp like a plushie, the pair of them sat in the middle of Gerald's back. But as they glided past recognisable parts of Gilami Reef, Bambi wriggled and squirmed, wanting to be free of Frankie's grip. She had, after all, been cooped up for a five-hour journey.
"I thought you said you could handle her," Don Lino smirked as he looked back at his son.
"I can…she's…just…excited," Frankie struggled to say as he wrestled with the eager pup, finally getting a strong hold of her. "She's stronger than she looks!"
Don Lino chuckled and rolled his eyes. The evening light would afford them a little less suspicion, although a large group of sharks all arriving at once wouldn't be out of place tonight. As Gerald travelled further into Gilami, approaching the Whale-Port, hundreds of sharks dotted the waters like falling autumn leaves. Frankie and Bambi looked around them in awe. Even with a father that was well known in the Mafia, Frankie had never seen so many sharks in one place before.
"Wow. Are they all here for the fight?" Frankie asked.
"Most likely," Don Lino replied a little flatly. He'd seen it all several times before, and was more concerned about the dolphins he also saw littering the waters. Clashes were highly likely in such a charged atmosphere, and he'd warned his guys to be alert.
Regis paced about the locker room, drilling Vincenzio one last time on the new techniques and speed work, trying to make his words heard over the commotion. His team were busy helping him prepare, a small dogshark wrapping his fins, while a leopard shark massaged his shoulders and neck. Finally, Regis fetched his robe and fed it onto his large frame one fin at a time. Red and gold - Vincenzio's colours.
The opposing pilot whale was already sailing down his tunnel as Vincenzio approached his, trying to ignore the flashes of cameras from tunnel-side spectators and media. He took a deep breath, glancing one last time back at his team.
"Well, we have a hot fight on our fins tonight, Jim," came the smooth voice of Larry Merfish, one of the fight's commentators.
"You're telling me Larry," replied Jim Lamprey. "The dolphin's favourite tonight, Bruno Basquez, is certainly a bruiser."
"He looks like a mean one, doesn't he? Oh, and I do believe that Vincenzio Tolini, also known as the 'Great White Dynamo,' is coming down the tunnel as we speak!" Larry turned to his more elongate partner.
"Just look at the crowd. They are loving Vincenzio tonight," Jim said with enthusiasm.
"That they are, Jim. And now both fighters are getting into the ring, and would you look at that! It seems that Bruno and the whole dolphin crowd are taunting Vincenzio over the death of his wife!" Larry sounded appalled.
"Doesn't get any lower than that, Larry," Jim said sternly.
"You said it Jim," replied Larry.
"Just look at the fire in his eyes. Vincenzio is not taking this lightly," Jim added.
The commentators continued to exchange their banter as Vincenzio and Bruno had a staring match across the ring. They disrobed and had their gloves fastened on tight by their coaches. Bruno was fitted with a gum-shield as he listened to his trainer, while Vincenzio was given one last pep talk by his.
The banded sea-snake referee descended from the ceiling, wrapped around the microphone.
"Ladies and gentleman! Welcome to the Heavyweight Championship! Tonight, we have the challenger, Bruno Basquez, representing the dolphins in this corner, in colours of blue and white," the snake motioned his head over to the whale.
The dolphin side of the immense stadium burst into cheer, competing with the jeers and boos of the shark side.
"In the other corner, we have the five-times champion, Vincenzio Tolini, representing the sharks and in colours of red and gold," the referee hissed into the microphone, his voice echoing out over the arena of restless spectators, barely breaking the cheers and chants that now exploded from the shark side.
The referee then called both fighters to the centre.
"Okies, you know the drill. You follow my orders. I tell you to get to a corner, and you do it. Lets keep this a clean match. No biting and no blowhole burns," the referee hissed, focusing mainly on Bruno.
The whale just smirked. They touched gloves as the referee was lifted to a good viewing height just above the ring. From there, he could see perfectly the events that would play out beneath him, and watched as each fighter returned to their corner.
The bell sounded, that single note drifting through the water and rising above all the rabble. For a brief moment, it seemed as if time stood still. The rabid baying of the crowd dulled to almost complete silence. Movement slowing to a crawl as the fighters approached the centre of the ring. They circled each other, each flexing their muscular fins and casting evil glares towards the other. Don Lino and his guys watched expectantly. Frankie had Bambi propped on his head as he struggled to lift her high enough to see the fight.
The moment was shattered.
Bruno struck first. Hard and fast. A right jab, catching Vincenzio off-guard. He suffered a short pummelling to his strong nose, and then ducked backwards, finally evading the mammal.
Tooti smiled smugly from his seat.
Vincenzio dodged Bruno's advances. He landed a devastating punch, splitting Bruno's left eye. The whale wiped the blood from his face, then slammed his bulk into his nemesis. Vincenzio was thrust backwards, and felt his back hit hard against the corner.
The referee hissed for Bruno to withdraw.
No sooner had Vincenzio regained his balance, Bruno tried to land a right hook. But he missed. This was it. Vincenzio dealt a powerful uppercut to Bruno's exposed side, winding him terribly. He knew that if he could just pummel all the air out of the whale, this would be a short fight.
But Bruno unleashed a mighty left jab. Vincenzio shook it off, but felt a nasty thud to his back as the whale slammed into him with his bulbous head.
The referee slithered in just as the bell dinged to signal the end of the first round. He hissed insults at the whale, and then ordered both fighters to their corners.
Air-bubbles were fed into Bruno's blowhole while his 'cut-guy' repaired the damage to his left eye. His coach screeched at him to get this fight over with quickly. On the other side of the ring, Vincenzio's gills worked over time to regain his breath. Regis dabbed a cloth around his face and neck as the young leopard shark blotted the blood away from Vincenzio's nose.
"What are you doing out there, Vin? I thought you said this guy was going to be a pushover," Regis glared, jabbing his tattered fin into Vincenzio's sensitive nose.
"Let ME handle this, Regis. I'm the one fighting," Vincenzio spat back. He knew exactly what Regis was thinking. At that moment, the bell dinged for the second round, and Vincenzio left his coach and manager stunned.
In the midst of the excitable crowd, Tooti sat with an all-knowing grin. Vincenzio hadn't gone down yet, but, judging by his fighting, he soon would. Opposite to the dolphin crime boss was the shark crime boss, who had been watching Vincenzio with concern. He hoped the boxer would rather make an enemy of a dolphin than a Godfather.
The two opponents slowly wore each other down over the course of five rounds. The crowd had grown ever more savage in the electrifying atmosphere. Vincenzio had roused some suspicion at the start of the match, but those suspicions were laid to rest quickly as he started to implement his plan. Tooti's grin had all but disappeared as he watched his prized fighter take hit after hit after hit from the 'Great White Dynamo.'
The bell rang for the sixth, and what would be the final, round. Vincenzio could see that his opponent was tired, but he was full of energy. And full of hatred.
As Bruno missed another jab, Vincenzio unleashed his onslaught.
A vicious uppercut, leaving no time for the whale to recover before he pummelled him into a corner. Bruno was helpless. He couldn't even lift his fins to defend himself as Vincenzio released his pent up anger on this unfortunate whale.
The referee hissed for Vincenzio to stop, but he blatantly ignored the snake.
Just before the final bell rang, Vincenzio brutally hammered his fists into the whale's stomach and sides, waiting until he was hunched over in pain.
The commentator's excited ramblings barely cut through the animosity of the ringside crowd. Even Frankie and Bambi had got so excited to a point where they were shouting and screaming.
Vincenzio floated there, taking deep breaths. He watched the whale struggle to breathe, struggle to even see clearly through swollen eyes. And then, with cruel savagery, Vincenzio thought it was his duty to put this creature out of its misery. He pulled back his right fin. Then released his punch, like pulling the trigger on a shotgun. Vincenzio's fist met Bruno's face with a crunch as he broke the whale's jaw.
The referee slithered down to Bruno's side, and counted him out. He reached ten, and the stadium erupted into a cacophonous mix of cheers, chants, insults to the dolphin side, and foghorns. Vincenzio lifted his aching fins in triumph.
"Ladies and gentleman! For the sixth year running, Vincenzio is the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the ocean!" the referee announced into his microphone, the amplified voice barely breaking the noise of the crowd. The media fish and ardent fans flooded the ring, the flash of cameras illuminating the small space, and the presenters and journalists all hurling questions at the victorious shark. Regis and his team pushed their way through the jostling bodies of fish and sharks alike, tumbling into the tiny amount of personal space that Vincenzio had.
"I'm the guy's manager, direct all questions to me," Regis had to put in quickly before his friend was asked any embarrassing or uncomfortable questions.
The crowd parted momentarily to allow two angel sharks through, as they carried Vincenzio's sixth championship belt. They fastened it around him, one of the sharks winking up to the giant great white. Then the questions started again as the crowd practically engulfed the small angel sharks, shoving them to one side.
The dolphin side of the stadium was filled with angry mutters and disappointed huffs as the crowd filtered out. Tooti didn't linger, he didn't want to look suspicious, and emptied with the crowd, his beluga guards following him. His face was like thunder, the trademark grin of a bottlenose hardly noticeable against that scowl. He stormed into his fighter's locker room, hoping to confront Bruno and finish what Vincenzio had started. But the young pilot whale had been rushed to hospital shortly after being recovered from the ring.
So instead, Tooti took his anger out on Bruno's trainer. He watched with delight as his hench-whales squeezed the life out of the diminutive spinner dolphin. He called them off just before the trainer was about to pass out.
"Save your strength boys. We have a much bigger fish to fry," Tooti said coldly.
The Beluga Brothers dropped the tiny dolphin, leaving him gasping for air. Tooti left the locker room and re-entered the vast cavern. The entire place was empty. Not a single spectator still lurked. The dolphin swam to one side, and gorged himself on air bubbles from one of the vents. He told his guards to do the same. They'd need to stay submerged for as long as possible.
Vincenzio fought off the last few photographers and journalists. Regis and his team ushered them out, the young leopard shark snapping at some fish to get them to clear quicker. As soon as the door clicked shut, Vincenzio fell backwards onto the bench and breathed a huge sigh of relief. He didn't want to admit it, but Bruno had put up a good fight. The tenacious whale had got his nose good. It was still sore to the touch. He'd have a hard time trying to explain to Bambi why she couldn't bash his nose for a while.
"You did it kid. You really did it!" Regis said, the joy hardly containable in his voice. He hovered just above Vincenzio's abdomen, where his sixth and final belt was fastened tightly.
"Yeah, I did," Vincenzio replied, dreamily. He'd closed his eyes, and was just taking in the moment, trying to savour the victory before any of the bad memories soured his good mood. Giving up a life of luxury and fame would be hard at first, but he knew it would be worth it for Bambi.
As Regis recalled and analysed the fight in great detail, Vincenzio unfastened his Heavyweight belt, laying it to one side. The two young members of his team guarded the door like a pair of bookends. Vincenzio loosened his muscles, stretching his fins and rubbing his neck. He then tentatively tapped his nose, flinching as it panged with pain.
There was a knock at the door. But before it could be opened, a beluga whale charged in, flinging the young great white to the side and slamming the door into the young leopard. Vincenzio couldn't move and was squashed against the sickly yellow walls by the beluga. The young great white, in an act of sheer bravery, or stupidity, charged at the beluga, latching onto the fleshy mound where a dorsal fin should be.
The beluga released Vincenzio, but dealt a worse fate on the youngster. He toppled backwards, flattening the shark beneath his great mass. Vincenzio was dazed, but thought quick enough to bolt out of the locker room, hoping the beluga would follow. But he bumped into the beluga's counterpart. He dodged just in time to avoid being flattened again, tumbling to the side as one beluga crashed into the other.
Vincenzio swam to the centre of the stadium cavern, looking about feverishly. It was only a matter of time before the whales would recover themselves and hunt him down. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the silvery shape of Tooti. The dolphin merely smirked back at him, as Vincenzio's rage bubbled over once more and he was ready to make a repeat performance.
He lunged forward, but was stopped abruptly. Both belugas had sneaked up behind him and grabbed his tail. Firmly in their grip, and wriggling for freedom, Vincenzio muttered all sorts of non-repeatable profanities, just glaring at the silver mammal as he swam over.
"I'm going to enjoy watching you die, Vincenzio," the dolphin sneered, patting the shark on the head as if he were a pet. "Okay boys, do your thing."
The Beluga Brothers smirked at each other. They had been looking forward to taking on this immense shark since the night they threatened him. Trying to defend yourself against two belugas was hard. One beluga took a firm grasp of Vincenzio's tail, and whirled him into the spectator stand with a crash. He landed with a gut-wrenching crack to his back. The other beluga was already waiting for him, grabbing him by the waist and squeezing him until he heard another crack. Tooti looked on with sheer delight as he saw his two minions toss Vincenzio around the stadium like a rag doll. He was crashed into the walls, slammed into the floor, bounced off the ring, and head butted until he was bruised. The shark would have put up a great fight against one of the belugas, but against two - not even the champion would stand a chance.
The Beluga Brothers moved in for a double-body slam when they heard an awful squeal from behind them. They turned around slowly to see their boss in the grip of a fierce looking shark. He had one fin wrapped around the dolphin's neck, the other blocking his blowhole.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Don Lino warned the two whales, staring at them with a cold gaze.
Several of Don Lino's guys moved in behind the Beluga Brothers, helping Vincenzio regain his composure. They then formed a circle around the whales, ready to lunge and bite at a moment's notice. Don Lino held the wriggling Tooti firmly in a vice-like grip. He made the dolphin nervous by leaning in close and making sure to flash his sharp white teeth as he spoke.
"I've heard what you did to that poor shark Mona. And, quite frankly, its got me upset. You don't wanna see me upset, do you? DO YOU?" Don Lino shook the dolphin violently when he didn't reply, much to the amusement of his guys, who all chuckled.
Tooti shook his head slowly.
"We're gonna take you on a little trip, and you're gonna behave. Capiche?" Don Lino said menacingly. Tooti nodded, running out of oxygen quite quickly.
All of sudden, the dolphin threw his head back, slamming Don Lino in the face. He fought free of the shark's grip and made a dash for the exit. The Beluga Brothers tried to follow, but were penned in by the mass of sharks. Just as Tooti reached the exit tunnel, two great whites grabbed him from the shadows. He thrashed about in panic as he saw the dark form of Don Lino approach him.
"Do I look like a clown? Because you must have thought I was joking," he said with a toothy smile that made Tooti anxious. The dolphin continued to struggle against his captors, but they held onto him tightly.
"Well, maybe you think this is funny," Don Lino said, as he grabbed one of Tooti's flippers and began to squeeze. Tooti wriggled uncomfortably, flinching as he felt the bones break. "You see, I find that funny."
Without warning, Don Lino pulled hard, dislocating the flipper with an awful crack. Tooti squealed in pain. Even Vincenzio, who hated this dolphin with every fibre in his body, had to wince.
"Alright pop!" shouted Frankie.
Don Lino whirled around to see his son in the spectator stands. He grumbled, swimming up to meet him. "Get them outta here," he told his guys, inclining his head to the Beluga Brothers and Tooti.
"Pop! That was awesome. He was like all 'Arghhh!' and you were like 'Crack, I find that funny,'" Frankie said excitedly as his father's shadow engulfed him. Beside him was Bambi, who had sidled quite close.
"Frankie, I told you to stay where it was safe," Don Lino reprimanded his son.
"I know pop, but it was just too boring," Frankie complained. Bambi nodded her head in agreement.
"That's not the point," Don Lino sighed. "Just…don't tell your mother you saw that," he grimaced.
Just before Tooti and his captors made for the exit, Vincenzio swam upto them, stretching and curling his fins with a grin.
"Do you mind if I do something before he leaves?" he asked with a smile. The two sharks looked to each other and shrugged.
"Sure, why not," one of them replied.
Vincenzio's grin then took on a sinister quality, his ice-blue eyes truly looking soul-less as he looked down on his wife's killer. "I've got something very special for you," he flashed his teeth as he smirked.
He wound his fin back and released a shotgun punch on the dolphin. There was a strange satisfaction as he saw Tooti's head fly to one side, and he only wished he could take on Tooti like he did the pilot whale. The two sharks stared at the fighter, wide-eyed.
"Thanks," he said to them, swimming off without a second glance.
Don Lino and Frankie, and the other sharks for that matter, had watched with astonishment, mostly at Vincenzio's restraint. Had they been in his position, they'd have killed the dolphin there and then. The fighter waited for both the belugas and Tooti to leave the stadium before he swam upto the spectator stands to find Bambi. As he came into sight just beyond Don Lino's form, Bambi rushed from Frankie's side.
"DADDY! DADDY!" she squealed with glee, swimming straight into his fins.
Vincenzio caught his daughter and cuddled her tightly. He was bruised and sore all over, but that didn't matter. He could put up with a bit of pain for a moment with Bambi. She was lifted high, and had raspberries blown on her little tummy, her giggle ringing through the water like beautiful music to Vincenzio. He then cradled her in his immense fins.
"I hope she was no trouble," Vincenzio said, his gaze never actually leaving Bambi as he tickled her.
"No-" Don Lino started.
"No trouble at all," Frankie interrupted over his father.
Vincenzio chuckled. And then he brought his gaze up to meet Don Lino's. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you," he said, a little solemnly. He knew the dangers of enlisting the Godfather's help, and almost feared what favour Don Lino may ask in return.
"I wouldn't worry about it, Vincenzio," Don Lino replied with an honest smile. He was a father too, and would have gone to the ends of the earth to keep his pup safe.
"Boss! They're gettin' restless. Whatcha wanna do wiv da whales?" a long nosed great white shouted from the exit tunnel.
Don Lino groaned a little. "Come on Frankie, time to go," he said to his small pup, starting to swim towards the tunnel. Frankie followed a little reluctantly, waving goodbye to his idol and his best friend. But Bambi whimpered and fidgeted, stretching out her fins as if trying to pull Frankie back.
"Err, Don Lino…does Frankie wanna come to a party?" Vincenzio asked quickly, realising his daughter's distress. "My sister-in-law is throwing a bash at her salon, for Bambi's birthday. Frankie can come if he wants to."
Don Lino looked over his shoulder, then at Frankie. "Well, its upto him really," he smiled.
"Can I pop?" Frankie asked, with pleading eyes.
"Course you can," Don Lino replied. "But behave yourself for Vincenzio."
"I promise I'll be good," Frankie shouted back as he swam to Vincenzio's side. Don Lino was actually quite relieved. He wasn't looking forward to exposing his son to any more mob-business today.
"When you wanna pick him up, we'll be at the Shining Scales Spa, near the centre of the reef. Tell them you're with Saffron," Vincenzio shouted.
They all waved as the mob boss left the stadium. Then Vincenzio, with Bambi cradled in his right fin, took Frankie and lead the way back to the locker room to console a shaken Regis and pick up the last of his things. Frankie looked up at his idol briefly.
"Umm…Mr Vincenzio…I didn't know it was Bambi's birthday today. Does it matter that I haven't got a present for her?" he asked, a little sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it Frankie. I'm sure it means a lot to Bambi that you're just going to be here for her birthday," Vincenzio smiled down at the pup. "Wanna carry my Heavyweight belt for a bit?" he asked as he opened the door to the locker room, grinning as he saw Frankie's excited reaction.