The shadow of Big Tex stood tall and reached far; all over the Texas State Fair. And as welcomed a sight as the ol' boy was, so was the competition.
For this was the first year that Propane was allowed into the great grill off- officially that is. It was also the second year Bacon counted as a sauce.
The metal clanging against itself as the grills were put in their place; a section specially reserved for Strickland Propane, banner and all. A spread more than double the height of the assistant manager himself. Hank looked down pleasantly at the majesty before him.
Yep, the Vogner Charking Imperial was an impressive piece of equipment, especially with so many brought together side by side. Elsewhere meat and propane accessories were being unpackaged by Enrique and Joe Jack. Standing nearly aloof beside the assistant manager was the manager himself.
"Boy, I tell ya what Mr. Strickland these charcoal burners ain't gonna know what hit em this year." he said enthusiastically marveling at the setup they had.
"Yeah, that's right whatteva you say ol' Top" Buck said disinterestedly as he fastened his belt. Once it was in its rightful place, he looked to Hank. "Alright, ol Top here's the scoop." he said settling his hands into his pockets "Now propanes the name of the game this year." he smacked and lifted a hand from his pocket to point a finger to Hank "And Strickland Propane's gonna be the winner of that game, ya hear?"
"Oh we won't have to worry about that sir." Hank said amicably, soothing his bosses fear with a calm wave of his hand "With superior grilling fuel and technique we'll prove once and for all that propane is not just equal to charcoal, but the superior product." he said sounding like a spokesperson more than an assistant manager.
"Yeah uh huh" Buck smacked his lips as if unconvinced himself "Well, there's more than one propane name in the game son." Buck said putting the hand back in his pocket before brining it back out "Take a lookie over there." he pointed. Hank followed his bosses finger and was horrified by the sight of another set of grills and the name plastered on them.
"Thatherton!" he exclaimed.
"Yep." Buck said settling the hand back in it's place "It's the lions den alright." he said as Hank looked around, nervously seeing more charcoal than propane here. It was certainly looking like an uphill battle. "And you know Thatherton will spare no expense to upend us." Buck stated and then mumbled " and neither will I."
"What's that sir?" Hank asked turning back to him.
"Nuthin for you to worry about." Buck waved dismissively "I jus' need you to stay here." he pointed from Hank to the ground "Man this post and make sure no one leaves unsatisfied, ya hear?"
"Oh you bet sir" Hank said proudly, pounding a fist into his other open palm "We'll knock the socks off of this fair, you can count on me." his voice swelled with enthusiasm and dedication.
"Alright, well smooth sailin' ol' Top." Buck said turning his back to Hank and walked off with a wave of his hand.
"Uh sir," Hank fumbled in place as Buck walked away from him "but where will you be?" he asked perplexed.
"Never you mind now." Buck turned to point a finger at him "You jus' worry about setting us straight." he said as Hank clicked his heels together pointedly. Right as he did so they heard the violent clanging of metal against itself. Buck looked past Hank as he looked over his shoulder to see the horrifying sight of spatulas, tongs and other accessories littered all over the ground with a mortified and confused Joe jack and Enrique standing between and over them. Donna for her part seemed to be no help at all "Uh huh" Buck let out unsurprised "Start with that." he said before turning off and away from them.
Hank rolled his eyes and sighed before hurrying over to begin his day. And though it started out rocky he could hardly say it was an unproductive one. He stood attentively behind the grill; a platter of delight before him. Sizzling stake, medium rare burgers, links upon links of sausages. All of the quality of a clean burning first rate fuel. He took in a healthy inhale of meat as he stood above it all. He saw a burger in need of attention and pressed on it with his spatula. It sizzled under the pressure, releasing some juices that fizzled into the fire underneath. Hank looked up pleasantly from the grill and saw the many pleasant faces before him. Why, it almost looked like the line stretched all around the fair. He took it as a personal achievement and complement when he saw their eyes and faces light up when they took their first bite from his food.
"Ya'll have a pleasant day now." Hank said as he sent them off with happy expressions and a new perspective on how to prepare their meats. He smiled at himself again before turning his attention to the grill. Sparsely populated due to all the attention he was getting, but he had to make sure it was neither a fluke nor a fad. Not at this fair or any to come. He reached down into his supply cooler and brought out a few more burgers. He set each one bare red and raw against the black rails of the grill. Each one sizzled against the heat, each one sounding distinct; like a note to a song. And the music it made only made Hank smile even more as the red meat darkened beneath him. On a hot hummer day like today, if was the perfect meal to fill empty bellies.
But the sun that radiated down on him was suddenly blocked out over the grill. A lumbering sound came forward as the shadow loomed larger over him.
Hank turned his head upwards to greet his new customer, but faltered at the unruly sight of him. To say he was big was an understatement; he was gigantic! He could even give Big Tex a run for his money. Hank was a tall man himself, yet he had no choice, but to look up at this one who stood an even foot over him. A bright orange jumpsuit clung tightly to his body, which was heavily muscled beyond imagination. Just as imposing as his size was the rest of his look. His wild unkempt blue hair, with three scars running horizontally above each other over his left cheek. There was an animalistic smile and eyes to this one. But that would not deter Hank.
"Hello there sir." Hank began the conversation politely as he would to any customer "Care to try the taste of meat and not heat?" he asked raising his tongs and clicking them as he pointed to the spread between the two. The man smiled in response, his teeth looking more like fangs, exaggerating his already animalistic features.
"Would I ever!?" he bellowed enthusiastically with a deep voice, his mouth beginning to drool at the thought of it. His nose twitched as he sniffed to take in a pleasant whiff "That's propane!"
"You know your fuels," Hank complemented perking up before faltering a bit as he looked his new customer over "Mister uh.."
"Toriko." he answered.
"Hank Hill; assistant manager Strickland Propane." he said before they looked back to the platter together. It seems things have gotten off to a good start. Looking him over again Hank concluded he was a natural athlete and the sport he played was likely football since he was built like a linebacker. "So what'll be your choice?"
"Ahh" Toriko eyed it all greedily" Where to start?" he asked full of delight his eyes darting from side to side taking in all options. Eventually, he settled on one piece of meat "I've always been partial to burgers." he pointed to the one sizzling before him.
"Good choice." Hank said as he reached down with his spatula, but he found he was just too slow for the job. For as he was going to pick it up to serve him, Toriko's meaty hand instead reached right atop the grill and grabbed it right off of it's scorching base. Hank was so guffawed he could only let out a gasped "Bwaa!"
But Toriko was far less concerned, or even stalled by the sensation. His eyes still set on his prize as the beef dangled before him. He didn't seem to chew it, but rather sucked it up as if it was no different that the air you'd breath.
He let out a satisfied "ahh" as he reared his head towards the sky, but when he lowered it back down to the grill it was even more coveting than before.
"Would uh.. you." Hank stammered as he readjusted his glasses, to see if they were on right after what he just saw "Like another?"
"Would I?!" Toriko exclaimed as if it was really a question, his fanaticism both exciting and frightening at the same time for poor Hank. Toriko's eyes and head darted around again at each and all of his choices, his massive hands rubbing together greedily as he drooled at the prospect of what comes next. Eventually, he settled on an answer "Alright." he chuckled before rising back up to his imposing height "I'll take the lot."
"The.. lot?" Hank asked. Toriko merely nodded and crossed his massive forearms over the other; one of which was likely greater than both of Hanks arms and then some.
A bead of sweat went down Hank's head. Buck told him to make sure they came through on this day. And Hank always said 'The customer comes first'. Who was he to say 'no' here of all places?
But this guy...
"Well you uh... must need your proteins." Hank eventually rationalized before layering a plate. A steak then some burgers and pork before setting another stake atop the tower to turn it into some meat lovers sandwich with the steaks as the buns. "And uh.." Hank said trying to steady himself and what he had just laid out. He held the plate delicately with both hands before stretching themselves outwards towards Toriko.
The heat from the grill emulated upwards under his arms as he extended his arms over them at to Toriko who reached out himself and took the offering with one arm.
"Aaahh" Toriko purred again as he took it. He rolled his mouth, motioning his jaw from one side to the other, seemingly dislodging it from its natural position before reaching it down towards the meat platter. Hank could do nothing, but watch the spectacle before him horrifyingly unfold and prepare to do the Heimlich. But Toriko chowed down on it as if it was nothing and he stalled. From behind an exchange of voices from another grill caught Toriko's and subsequently Hank's attention.
A charcoal griller to be sure, one who was initially-and perhaps still was-dismissive of Hank's entry last year. He was confident in his sauce and talent, but whether his current customer was or not, was still to be seen. As for his customer, they could only see his back, but he was just as large if not more so than Toriko. That much could be seen despite the distance away from them. Scars covered his body as he slouched forward in dark colors, his head blocked out by his overbearing shoulders.
"No one else here's got anything on the mix it took my grandpa nineteen years perfecting." the griller boasted confidently yet agreeably.
"Sounds like a crummy mix ta wait so long." the man replied, his voice scratchy and discomforting; like nails against a chalk board. His body looming large as he leered over the grill to glare at the griller.
"You try for yourself." he smiled confidently.
"Or you jussa cocky one?" he growled at him and no doubt snarled at him too. Hank could feel his stare even from all the way over where he was.
"If you tried it, you'd be pretty cocky too." the griller replied. In reply the large customer gave a snort like a horse would. As if that was the last thing he'd want to hear or should be said to him. His body seemed to rattle and his muscles twitched. The man behind the grill cowered at the man before it. But all at once a voice called out that stopped the trembling. It came from Toriko.
"Hey!" he called "Zebra!" he waved.
The man stopped his shaking and reared himself upright, turning his head over his shoulder to see who called out to, what Hank could only assume was his name. His eye settled on Toriko himself. Seemingly forgetting about who and what just had his attention, he turned around and lumbered away from him and towards Hank. The other man behind his grill let out a relieved sigh, but Hank's eyes just went wide in shock as this man made his way over to him.
Like Toriko the ground seemed to quake with each step this man took as he approached them. It continued until he stopped before Toriko where Hank's previous assumption proved true; just as Toriko stood a whole foot over Hank, so did Zebra over him. He took no notice of Hank yet-thankfully as it seemed now- and instead scowled down onto Toriko who looked up mischievously at him.
"Still causing trouble huh?" Toriko asked though he seemed amused by the prospect and not horrified.
"Pah!" Zebra spat "Sunny went an' got himself lost in the rabble." he looked over Toriko at the other crowds "Ain't nuthin here worth eatin."
"Don't sell everyone short yet." Toriko said and the hair on the back of Hanks neck stood up as he felt he knew where this was going next. "Try this out first." Toriko said as he looked down to Hank and the grill, and with a disinterested sneer Zebra did as well. Looking down at him now Hank could see for the first time the left side of his face and with it the inner working of his mouth; teeth, tongue, gums and all. Cut open and exposed to the world.
Hank merely shifted as the two went on with each other.
"Propane?" Zebra read the second half of the banner aloud with skepticism. "Nuthin different than that cocky bastard Thatherton." To Hank, Zebra scorned the good name of Strickland by merely suggesting their quality was similar.
"Whoa hey there." Hank pointed his tongs towards him accusatorily "The man's right. Don't count us out. Whatever taste you crave, Strickland can quench." Zebra's scowl and sneer deepened and he glared down at Hank who did not back down from him. He did not boast before. He would let the results speak for themselves.
"Prove it." Zebra dared.
Now it was Hank who smirked "You bet." he said confidently and layered a new helping of meats "Get ready for the meat and not the heat." he proclaimed as he grilled.
"Jus don't get cocky with me." Zebra said. Seeing and hearing the altercation from before Hank knew better than to reply like the other man did.
"I'll just let the food speak for itself." Hank said as he bent down to grab at some of the steaks and hamburgers.
"Betta have brought more than that Thatherton." Zebra said crossing his arms unimpressed "Cause I ate him outta house and home."
Hanks eyes bugged open daunted by the task before him and the two who lumbered over his grill. But then he remembered
The customer comes first.