By the end of the night, they had gathered enough of the same sentiment about Micah that Gordon had thought himself. The guy was an intimidating jerk, but that's as far as the comments went. Penelope had looked into him as well, but nothing had come back. That didn't mean the information wasn't out there. The man had made it quite clear that he was the top dog in these tournaments, if not by skill alone.
After some much needed sleep, the team was up and off to the first day of matches. Unlike most tournaments that hosted only a few combatants at a time, this one was a bit more fast paced. Kayo would be up first in the women's competition, her alias and the names of all the other women posted on a bracket. If Kayo beat her first opponent, she would advance to the next. No breaks. Only fighting through the exhaustion.
"She's got this," Gordon offered plenty of optimism as they watched Kayo square up with her third and final opponent for the day - Kris Bower, the crowd's choice if their cheers were anything to go by. The other two had been alarmingly skilled, but their sister was better.
The fight started and the trio didn't dare breath.
Maintain distance, anticipate the opponent's moves, counter. He knew exactly what she was thinking as she circled the ring, mirroring the woman in front of her. Two steps forward and Kris was trying to get in close to jab. Kayo took a quick side step forward in response as a fist tried to find purchase. Kayo's arm came up to hook around the extended one and Gordon marveled at how quick the security officer could react. A slit second and she was using the fighter's momentum to throw her to the mat. Kris was skilled enough to roll through it and get back to her feet just in time to block a knee jab to her torso.
The crowd was shouting, now, entertained by the skill of both. They were back to their defensive circling, the close contact already making Kayo's opponent wary. The back to back rounds were tiring, even for Kayo, but she grew up with Kyrano's training. Knowing her body and using as little energy to achieve the greatest impact had been drilled into her and subsequently passed onto him in the short time they'd been training. Gordon wasn't surprised when Kris went in for another attack only to miss.
She was on the ground again after a knee collided with her gut, Kayo gripping her wrist behind her and pressing very specific points to keep the woman from getting back up.
And the bell sounded.
The fight was over and Kayo was advancing to tomorrow's events.
"Damn, she makes that look easy," Gordon breathed before cheering the victor. Virgil let out a loud whoop of excitement that made the aquanaut grin. Regardless of the violence, his brother was enjoying himself and the skillset of their sister. In the ring, Kayo wore a grin, as well, laughing a little as she turned to eye her two biggest fans.
"All participants in the men's tournament, please head to your designated arenas," an announcer called as Kayo jumped from the ring to join them. All eyes turned to Gordon and there was more than a little concern on their faces.
"Alright, guess it's my turn," he went to leave when a hand caught his arm. He'd expected to see Virgil, but instead he came face to face with Lady Penelope. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised, but he smiled at the sight of her hesitation.
"Just be careful," because he tended to defy that request on too many occasions.
"I will," and he was off to meet his first opponent.
OoOoOoO
She was nervous even though she knew Gordon had the abilities to take on his first combatant. Kayo had witnessed him shrug off multiple blows and perform disabling maneuvers more times than she could remember in the last few months. They had started his training well before Lady Penelope had requested their assistance in order to build a bit more protection during rescue missions. All of the Tracy boys had gone through it, but the aquanaut had excelled, much to her surprise.
No, it wasn't his abilities that had her worried. It was the responsibility that rested on her shoulders. It was her training that was supposed to keep him safe. If she failed in preparing him, then anything that happened from here would be her fault.
The drawl of the announcer over the speakers pulled Kayo from her thoughts and her eyes lifted to the ring. Two figures entered, one she recognized, the other a threat. Gordon knew exactly where they would be and gave them a bright smile before finding his spot on the mat. Leave it to him to alleviate their worry with one simple gesture.
A shout to their left and she saw Gavin, his hands around his mouth as he called out, "Get'im, Sammy Boy!" He followed it with a long whoop that made Gordon laugh.
Focus, Kayo wanted to yell it at him. This wasn't the time to appreciate a new friend - if that was what the man was. There were so many elements to this sport that she questioned Gavin's motives. A quick glance to Lady Penelope and she could see the same resolve. They would keep an eye on him.
And then the bell sounded.
Five minutes to knock out or the judges would decide.
Gordon's opponent was fast, already charging in to grapple the aquanaut, but he was prepared. A pivot and he was out of the man's grasp. He could have attacked, the man wide open, but Gordon was playing cautious, getting enough space to circle the man who was back up.
The soft tap of their feet on the mat was loud in Kayo's ears, even under the shouts of the crowd and the commentary of the announcers. She was listening to the rhythm. Each step was an opportunity. A beat. A stutter and Gordon was moving, jabbing into his opponent's face, then another into his ribs. A knee from the other man landed on the aquanaut's sternum, but he was already backing away, the blow softened with his retreat.
Another few seconds of dancing, sizing each other up, listening to the beats of their feet, and this time a blow buzzed past Gordon's face, a second striking his jaw. The two tangled together, grappling for leverage as the aquanaut brought a fist into a shoulder blade and a knee into the man's gut. They hit the edge of the cage, bouncing off the links as the hold continued.
Virgil and Penelope took an anxious step forward, but Kayo remained with her eyes glued to Gordon's face. He was intense, focusing on the movements that kept him in place. And then, amber flicked up to meet her gaze, a request sitting in the irises and it took her a moment to decide if she should be angry or impressed. He was asking for permission to use a take down move. She'd explained early on that they weren't to be taken lightly and it appeared he had taken it to heart.
A quick nod and the message was sent.
The reaction was nearly instantaneous as Gordon's fist came up, the side coming down into the crook of the man's neck, sending a pain through his body while temporarily severing his ability to stay standing. As he fell, it was shocking and, for a moment, the crowd didn't register the win. The referee was on top of the downed man, checking his ability to keep going, but it was obvious he wasn't getting back up.
The roar of the crowd came the moment the ref signaled the knockout. None was louder than Virgil's as he jumped with the oddly placed excitement of seeing his little brother take down another human being. Kayo elbowed him into toning it down, Gordon's team supposedly well aware of his skillset. No need making people question why the medic was so excited to see one knockout.
"Sorry," he whispered before pulling back his praise to just clapping.
In the ring, Gordon was helping the dazed man to his feet, giving him a firm pat on the back before he could be escorted from the stage. The aquanaut turned to his sister, eyes bright with energy. First chance to really prove himself and he'd done well. They would continue to work on distancing and countering later, but he could handle himself.
He disappeared from the platform and the trio waited for him to meet back up, but after a few minutes, it appeared something was hindering him. They found out just who it was when they decided to locate the younger Tracy themselves.
"Wha' did I say, Seth! I knew this one would be a challenge," Gavin had his arm over Gordon's shoulders and it appeared he was enjoying the introduction to the red-head's friends.
"Oi, ya say you've only done small competitions?" A stocky, well built man grinned, matching height with the aquanaut.
"Enough of 'em to qualify for this one!" Gordon beamed back. "This is so much cooler than the rings I've been in."
"And they just get cooler," Gavin released him and playfully sent a fist into Seth's shoulder. "Ain't that right?"
"Wait, you're both top tier ranked?" Fake blue eyes widened and Kayo had to keep Virgil from walking into the conversation. Gordon was making "friends" that could provide information. They needed to let him work.
"Friendly competition," Seth chuckled as he hit Gavin back a bit harder. "Gav and I'll be up later tonight. If you make it through your next two matches, you should come see how the big boys fight."
Anyone else might've taken the dig and retaliated, but Gordon simply laughed, "I wouldn't miss it! Just make sure you two don't hold back. I wanna see what I'm gonna be up against."
"Oh ho!" Gavin seemed to feed off physical interactions as he clasped his arm around Gordon's shoulders again, giving the smaller man a shake. "I like this one! Ya better make it that far, now that you've thrown down the challenge and all. Say, after the matches, what say we all get a drink? Not hammered or nothin, that's just irresponsible."
"Sounds great!" But it kind've wasn't. If Gordon made it through his next two matches, she would need to review for the more advanced tiers.
At this point, Lady Penelope stepped in, breaking up the all too apparent bromance that was forming. "Samuel, come along."
Like magic, her voice had broken through and Gordon was quickly extracting himself from Gavin, but not before calling back, "See you two later!"
"You better!" Was shouted back as they separated.
"What was that about?" Virgil was obviously trying to keep the growl out of his question.
"It's called making friends. I know you know what those are, big bro," there was no missing the tease in the aquanaut's voice.
A light laugh had them all turning to the London agent. When she realized she had their attention, she smiled, "I believe Samuel's got the right idea." Penelope continued at their puzzled looks, "Those two are much higher up in the competition. You might just be able to see what they know."
The confidence was enough to plaster a broad grin over the aquanaut's face, "See! I get to go hang out with the cool people and learn some stuff. Double win."
"That's if you win your next two rounds," Kayo clarified. "They know that move now, so watch yourself. It's only going to get more difficult."
That seemed to sober her brother as the smile fell. She hated bringing him down sometimes, but Gordon was his own worst enemy. He was too easily excited, which led to mistakes. Kayo's job was to keep him safe, so bringing him back to earth was important.
"Right," Gordon rolled his shoulders as they stopped in front of the ring where two combatants were circling. The fight was already underway and the men were slamming fists and knees into each other. It was vicious and something Gordon needed to take seriously. He knew that.
Kayo just hoped the lights of fame didn't distract their fish.
OoOoOoO
This fight could've gone better had it not been for the previous one. Gordon was circling his opponent - a man with the bulk of Virgil, but the height of Scott - and he easily felt the throb in his side where his second fight had left a few ribs bruised and possibly cracked. Virgil had iced it once he'd left the ring, the other man having to be carried out after a couple well timed strikes into pressure points.
The mountain in front of him lunged and Gordon leapt to the side, sending a kick into the man's gut, bringing his leg back before the arms could wrap around it. If the blow hurt, the man didn't appear phased.
A fist came out, catching Gordon in the side of his face, sending him stumbling into the fence, but he couldn't stop. He pushed off and spun, finding the figure squaring up again. The taste of metal seeped over his tongue and he fought the urge to spit. His mind was screaming at him to find an opening and take this guy down, but size was suddenly not to his advantage.
Speed was, however, and he jumped away as another attack ensued. Gordon needed to get behind this guy, get out of his strike range and then go for the knockout.
Another swing at his head and he landed a blow into the armpit, earning a sharp growl of pain from his opponent. Dancing away on legs that didn't feel nearly as tired as they should, the aquanaut watched the anger morph into rage.
Get them angry, they'll stop thinking, Kayo's voice filtered in. Well, this guy certainly was upset.
The pounding of feet larger than his echoed through the ring. Only a few minutes left and then it would be up to the judges.
The big man charged, fists barely missing Gordon's nose as he backpedaled - and collided with the fence.
A split second and he dodged, his opponent slamming into the chain length and Gordon couldn't hesitate. He pushed off the mat and threw himself onto the man's back, arms wrapping around his head and chest while legs secured around his torso. There was a moment of disorientation as they flew backwards and Gordon was doing his best just to hang on. They stopped in the center, large fists swinging back to try making contact with the aquanaut. He had the advantage, however, and brought back a fist, launching it into the side of the man's head.
They stumbled back the way they'd come, Gordon's ride spinning so that he found himself wedged into the fence. The fire that tore through his back as the impact hit his ribs almost forced him to relinquish his grip.
Meaty fingers gripped the arm still around the man's chest and Gordon knew he needed to act fast, his legs tightening to keep him in place. His other hand came back up again, poised to hit the pressure point.
And as his hand connected, the larger man's head snapped back, right into Gordon's nose.
His legs lost their hold as he fell, clinging to the chain link to stay upright as pain surged through his head. He was vaguely aware of a rumble under his feet and then the loud cries of the audience. A hand caught his arm and by the support being offered through it, Gordon let himself be led forward. He blinked against the pain blossoming behind his eyes, finding himself at the center of the ring with the referee holding his arm aloft.
That explained the shouts of his name. Blue eyes turned to find his opponent slowly trying to regain consciousness, which also explained the cheers.
And then, standing at the opening to the ring was Virgil, hand outstretched and ready to take care of him. Thankfully, the man holding his arm understood and pushed him in the right direction and Gordon gladly fell into the waiting arms that took him off to deal with the aches in his body.
"Good job, Squirt," his big brother offered as he set him on a bench in one of the locker rooms. Out of the cacophony of the arena, Gordon was able to focus, blinking until his vision cleared.
"Did ah win?" A cloth came up to his chin as something warm dribbled past his lips.
"Yes, now stop moving so I can check you out," the medic lifted one of Gordon's hands to hold the cloth in place. Thumbs moved over his cheeks until they reached the bridge of his nose and he gave a pained hiss. "Shush, it's not broken."
"Feels bro'en," but if he was being honest, with every passing second, he was feeling better, if not a bit giddy with the win. He gave his brother a lopsided grin, "Loo's 'ike 'm goin' out t'night, dough."
The despondent expression on Virgil's face was almost worth the subtle tap to his nose and subsequent needles that followed. Big brother wasn't happy about it, but this was the option they had and Gordon was more than happy to hang out with people who enjoyed beating each other up and talk about his first three victories.
Who knows, it might even be fun.