39
Ianto, wearing a wife beater and old gray sweats, works a bag and eyeballs an entourage that surrounds a ring. Inside, a heavily-muscled fighter with a Mohawk, TICK (30s), is putting a beating on his sparring partner. The submissive nature of the entourage makes it clear that Tick is somebody important.
In the ring, the sparring partner takes a vicious spinning back fist to the chin, goes down in a heap, and doesn't get up. Colt (40s), clearly in charge, throws up his hands as Tick laughs.
"Where do you find these girls?" Tick calls out with bravado, his friends all laughing as they hoot. Clearly all recruits here at the castle for part of their training, they have no idea the Dragon is in the house and he is not pleased to see less than gentlemanly behaviour on display.
Colt climbs into the ring and looks at the fallen fighter. Glances at Tick then says "We got a code red coming up. You gonna kill every guy in the programme?"
"Fenroy. Get me some ice. And call that Puerto Rican kid, the one that fights in the PJ Bottoms. If he's here in 20 minutes, he gets 200 bucks."
"Yo, I'll fight ya." Ianto calls out. "Won't even charge you"
Colt turns around and looks at Ianto. As does Tick, who smiles down at him from inside the ring.
"Do me a favour guy, go back to your bag. We don't need anybody else getting hurt. G'head. Take a walk." Colt laughs as he waves his hand at Ianto, not recognising him out of uniform … the sweatpants a far cry from the tailored suits.
Ianto walks back to his bag. Tick smiles. Looks at Ianto's outfit.
"Yo fella, what happened? You leave your suit at home today?" he calls out to Ianto then laughingly adds "Wash day?"
Ianto stops. Walks back to the ring as Fenroy approaches. "His phone's disconnected. I think he's on the range."
"Then go through the list. Get me Joe Bones." Colt snaps, "I need someone to fight that can take a beating. I am gonna smear this place with blood!"
"All I'm saying is if you need somebody to help you, I'm happy to keep your boy warm for you." Ianto says a final time, pulling his bag closed as Jack enters to watch from the benches along the side of the ring. He sees the dangerous glint in Ianto's eye. Recognises it as one his own hold sometimes. Someone is asking for an education and Jack is interested to see what Ianto does. Owen and Tosh enter, followed by Gwen and Rhys who join Jack, looking from the ring to Ianto who is making a show of getting ready to leave the sparing area. The little one is with Ifan somewhere, so Ianto doesn't care about showing himself.
Colt looks at Tick. "What do you think?"
The Mohawked fighter looks at Ianto. Shrugs. "It's his funeral."
"You ever fought before?" Colt asks.
"Yeah." Ianto snorts "I'm here aren't I?"
Colt studies Ianto. Sees he's serious. Gives in. "This guy sign a waiver?"
"All good." Ianto laughs.
"What's your name?"
"Ianto."
"You get tuned up in here, it's on you, Ianto." Colt sneers as one of the other men slowly gets down from the caged ring his face changing as he looks closer at the man now approaching the cage to talk.
"Sure, no problem." Ianto answers "anyone hurt, they are asking for it."
"Come on in." Colt Boyd waves Ianto into the ring. Tick's entourage starts whispering amongst themselves. Snickering at what lays in wait for Ianto as the fallen sparring partner is helped out of the ring.
A TRAINER tapes Ianto's hands and gives him some MMA gloves. He slips them on, then at the sound of a BUZZER he starts moving toward Tick, who smirks at Ianto's aggression and then starts circling him. Ianto nails him with a front kick to the chest. Tick staggers back and shakes it off.
"Gonna be a hero? Alright" Tick laughs as Ianto cants his head, like a predator. He crouches down, gets serious. He throws a right. Blocked. A leg kick. Blocked.
Ianto snaps his head with a jab. Then he does it again. And again. Then he DECKS HIM with a hard right, sending Tick to the canvas to the shock of his entourage and Colt Boyd.
Fenroy looks up from his post and walks over to the ring. Within moments everyone in the gym stops what they're doing and watches as Ianto grabs the back of Tick's head, hauls it down, and launches knee after knee into his face.
Ianto starts throwing Tick around like a rag doll, striking him with vicious punches and kicks, as Fenroy pulls out his cell phone and starts filming the action. As Colt Boyd screams at Tick to cover up, Ianto shoves him against the ropes and blasts away.
Ianto continues to pound. It's a full-fledged beating going on in there. Finally, he crushes Tick with a vicious left hook and sends him sprawling through the ropes, UNCONSCIOUS.
SILENCE in the gym. What the hell just happened here? The entourage rushes to Tick's aid, but he's out cold. Colt Boyd looks on in disbelief as Ianto walks across the ring and approaches him. "You owe me two hundred bucks."
"Listen here you little fuck, don't know how you…" Colt says then suddenly swings for Ianto in a typical sneak attack.
There will not be a takedown. Ianto ducks a blow, and then levels Colt with a massive and brutal LEFT HOOK. The man's head snaps sideways, his front teeth go flying, and he does a face plant on to the canvas. It's over.
Ianto stands and stretches like he just warmed up and from over by the seat full of stunned watchers Fernroy starts to laugh softly. "Ianto Pendragon Jones. Holly fuck, you are still a scary little animal."
"I do not know who chose this intake but I think we need to let someone know that there are a lot of them going to scrub out before we are done." Ianto replied calmly "And if you will excise me … I am hungry!"
As Ianto left the room Fenroy turned to the stunned recruits and said softly "And now you've met the master of this house. Do NOT fuck with him again. He will kill you with his little finger. That is the Dragon!"
He was back.
