Heavy, bruise-colored clouds hung in the sky above the docks. The waters of the ocean below mirrored their iron grey face, tossing and churning as curtains of silver rain sluiced down. The sea thrashed against the rusty hulls of a few boats moored to the docks, bobbing them up and down. The docks themselves were deserted, not a car or pedestrian to be seen. Except one. 
A navy blue suv drove slowly down one of the streets between the warehouses that lined up just beyond the docks. Its lights were on against the dim greyness of the day, the clouds and pouring rain blocking out most of the afternoon sunlight. The suv parked outside one of the warehouses, one slightly smaller than the rest of the buildings around it and shut off. 
Behind the wheel of the suv, Konu Vanistok sighed and laid his head back onto the headrest. He stared at the creme colored roof of the car, listening to the rain hammering the top of the car and windshield. The suv shifted slightly as the wind buffeted it and whistled around its edges. The badger blinked, his eyes stinging and rimmed with red, bloodshot from lack of sleep. The soft radio played dimly in his ears, some song he didn’t know coming to an end as he listened to the rain outside. The radio station’s announcer came on. 
“And in local news, the police still have no leads in the gruesome murder of Desmond Thorne. The otter was found dead in his apartment last Wednesday by his landlord. The police investigators believe it was a gang related murder, though Desmond’s family says that he had no connections whatsoever to anyone unwholesome or dangerous. However, a friend of Thorne’s, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims that Thorne had been dating someone that made them uneasy. None of Thorne’s family knew of this person. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, the police have not released the alleged significant other’s name or species, but they urge them to come forward with any information that they may have regarding Thorne’s brutal murder--” 
Konu leaned forward and jabbed the volume knob of the radio, turning the report off in mid-sentence. He growled softly, turning his head to look toward the passenger seat, and the steel case that sat on it. Konu reached out, stroking his fingers across the smooth metal at the top before grabbing its handle. He lifted the heavy case and brought it to his lap. It was about the size of a large suitcase, but contained something far different from clothes or toiletries. Konu pushed his seat back enough to open the case. He flipped the latches on the sides and dialed the combination into the lock. It clicked and the case opened a little on its own on springed hinges. 
The badger hooked his thumbs under the lid and lifted it until it rested against the steering wheel. The interior of the case was lined with black foam, with two indents cut into it. These indents were filled with two guns. Konu ran his fingers over the first and larger of the two. It was a shotgun, made to look as though it were sawed off, but in fact had been manufactured shorter on purpose. Its black steel barrels were smooth and well-cared for, the dark, reddish wood of its grip worn from use. Along the grip where the palm would rest, the word ‘Vandal’ was carved in raised letters. 
Konu wrapped his hand around the shotgun’s handle and lifted it from its slot in the case. Its weight was familiar to him as a part of his own body and with practiced ease he flicked the chamber open. It was empty now, and Konu flipped it closed again before placing Vandal back into its place. 
The badger’s hand slipped down to the second weapon, this one a silver revolver. It was large, the barrel alone measuring six and a half inches long. The handle was black and rubberized and along the top of the barrel the word ‘Outlaw’ was etched in filigreed letters. As before he took hold of the handle and pulled Outlaw from its slot. He spun it once over his finger, a trick he had picked up mostly for show, and then flipped the bullet chamber out with his thumb. It too was unloaded, the empty chamber devoid of the .44 magnum ammunition that was meant to fill it. 
Replacing Outlaw, Konu sighed and shut the case with a snap, but didn’t relock the combination. He pushed open the car door and stepped out into the deluge of icy rain, bringing the case with him. The wind buffeted him, moving even his bulky frame with its fury. Konu jogged away from the suv toward a rust covered door set beneath an awning in the warehouse he had parked in front of. He was soaked even in the short time it took him to get under the awning. Konu raised his free hand and banged on the door with his knuckles, the metal booming hollowly under the blows. 
A moment passed, a heartbeat, before the door was jerked open on screeching hinges. Konu found himself face to muzzle with an assault rifle. The wolf at the other end of it was dressed in black and wore a kevlar vest. 
“Who’re you?” The lupine snarled intimidatingly. Konu gritted his teeth. 
“Konu Vanistok. Sal is expecting me.” the badger growled back gruffly, feeling the rain water seeping through his fur and seeking his skin. 
The wolf narrowed his amber eyes as though squinting alone would allow him to detect any falsehood in the badger’s words. He stepped aside, somewhat reluctantly. Konu stepped inside. The interior of the abandoned warehouse was far from empty. Rows of weapons, guns,  rifles, grenades, knives, stood on shelves and hung from peg-hook walls like a shop. More guards like the wolf patrolled between the shelves, even though they were the only ones who seemed to be present. 
As Konu started to proceed, the wolf put a hand on his chest. “Hold up. You got weapons to declare?” he rumbled. 
“Just what’s in this case.” Konu snapped back, shoving the wolf’s arm off his chest and making the lupine snarl. Konu ignored him and kept walking. 
The badger’s bootsteps echoed off the walls and ceiling as he made his way through the shelves of weapons toward the rear of the warehouse. Some of the patrolling guards he recognized, others, like the wolf at the door, he did not. One guard he did recognize stood at a door in the back wall, holding an assault rifle like all the rest were. He was a wolverine. 
Konu walked up to the guard at the door and nodded in greeting. “Rufus. I’m here to see Sal. He’s expecting me.” 
The wolverine smirked, his craggy face splitting to show teeth. “Yeah, I know. I was expecting more of a show at the door with Aaron covering it. He’s new.” 
“He’s gonna get himself killed if he doesn’t learn the regulars.” Konu grunted, shaking his head. Rufus stepped aside. 
“Go on in.” he said, smiling a little wider at Konu’s words. Konu pulled the door handle and the door squeaked open. “Thanks, Rufus.” he said, disappearing inside. 
Beyond the door there was a flight of stairs. Konu walked up them slowly, one hand on the rusty metal bannister. There was a small landing and then the stairs doubled back on themselves another flight before Konu reached a second door with another guard standing in front of it. The door was painted, but it was peeling, revealing yet more rusty metal beneath. A sign beside it read ‘Office: No Unauthorized Entry’. 
Konu nodded at the guard as he had Rufus, glad it was another that he recognized. He was in no mood to deal with more overzealous newbies. “Robert.” 
Robert was a large rottweiler, dressed and armed the same as all the other guards had been. “Konu. Sal’s inside. He’s waiting for you.” he said, stepping aside to let Konu open the door. 

The office was sparsely decorated. The chipped and cracked white walls and stained green carpet clashed with the ochre colored file cabinets and fake wooden bookshelves that had been set up in it. A large metal metal desk took up the center of the room, with a computer on its surface. Behind it was a large window with several broken panes, and Salvador Levalle. 
The ferret sat in a black, faux leather computer chair that was missing a chunk out of its upper right corner near where the ferret’s head rested. He looked up as Konu walked in. 
“There you are. I was beginning to think you’d lied to me about coming today.” Sal said in a voice like oiled silk. His eyes were pale steel gray, and they looked Konu over like he was searching for something. 
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Sal. I was...delayed.” Konu grunted, walking toward the desk. He sat the steel case upon it. 
“I’m sure you were.” Sall commented offhandedly, reaching out to pull the case toward him without asking permission to do so. He flicked the latches and opened the case, immediately reaching in and grabbing Vandal out of it. He ran his fingers over the shotgun almost as lovingly as Kony had, raising it to his eye and looking down the barrels. 
“Ah, still beautiful as the day I made her.” He said, flicking the barrels open as Konu had. “What did you need me to do, eh? She looks in fine condition. Or is the problem with Outlaw? Hammer sticking again?” Sal put Vandal down and took up Outlaw, going over the revolver just the same as he had Vandal, with attention and care. 
“The guns are perfect, Sal. Just like always. There’s nothing wrong with either of them.” Konu said simply. 
“Then why are you here? I have work to do. You know I’m not the social type.” Sal frowned, placing the guns back into the case and pushing it toward Konu. “If that’s all you’re here for you can tip the guards on the way out for taking up my and their time.” 
Konu pushed the case back toward Sal. “I’m here to return the guns to you, Sal.” 
The ferret blinked, nonplussed. “You’re retiring!” he exclaimed softly. 
“In a manner of speaking. I won’t be needing the guns anymore. I don’t want just anyone picking them up, they deserve to go back to the master who made them.” Konu explained, looking away from Sal toward the window behind him. It looked out over the warehouse floor below. 
“What are you doing or where are you going that a man like you doesn’t need guns, Konu?” Sal said immediately, his steely grey eyes narrowing slightly. 
“I’ve already wasted enough of your valuable time, Sal.” Konu replied, turning around and heading toward the door. 
“Don’t ignore me, Konu. I asked you a question!” Sal snapped, standing up. “You know I don’t brook insolence from my men, and I sure as FUCK am not going to brook it from you.” 
Konu kept silent and reached for the door handle, only to have the door open for him. He was expecting Robert to be checking on Sal’s raised voice but someone he wasn’t expecting stepped into the room. 
The rhino was taller than Konu. He wore a pair of camo pants and a white tank top covered his broad chest. His bare left arm had a spiky black tribal tattoo circling its bicep. Konu blinked as the rhino looked at him. 
“You took so long getting here, Konu, that you are cutting into the time I had scheduled for a business meeting with Mr. Carthage.” Sal said from behind the badger, his voice still tight with irritation. 
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Konu.” Carthage rumbled, his eyes boring into Konu’s own. Konu growled softly. 
“I was just leaving, Ryan.” Konu snapped, attempting to step around the rhino. Carthage shifted just enough to stop him. 
“What’s the rush? You’ve obviously pissed Sal off already. I’d like to know why.” Carthage said, folding his arms. 
Konu gritted his teeth. “No offense, Ryan, but none of your business.” he growled. 
“The fucker is trying to give his guns back without telling me why.” Sal said, lifting the steel case on his desk as an example. Carthage’s eyes flicked back onto Konu’s face. “Interesting. Why would you not need weapons anymore, Konu?” 
Konu shot a look of poison over his shoulder at Sal. “I just don’t. Move, Carthage.” the badger snarled, trying again to move around the rhino. Carthage’s hand shot out and shoved the badger’s shoulder, knocking him back a couple of inches. 
“He said he’s ‘retiring’.” Sal provided again as Konu glared daggers at Carthage. 
“Retiring? Preposterous. Men like us don’t ‘retire’ until we’re dead.” the rhino grunted, shaking his horned head. “Are you planning to die, Konu?” 
A stiffness came over Konu’s neck and shoulders and his hands balled into fists. “This is none of either of your concern.” Konu growled, his dark eyes burning as he looked at Sal and Carthage in turn. “Get out of my way!” he shot back at Carthage, moving forward as though he intended to push the rhino aside. 
Carthage’s hand shot out again but it wasn’t a push this time. The rhino’s fist smacked across Konu’s jaw, turning his head and reversing his momentum enough that Konu staggered. The badger snarled. He lunged toward Carthage, fist upraised as blood ran down his chin. 
“Stop! Stop, goddamnit!” Sal yelled from his desk. Konu paused in his attack as Carthage prepared to take the blow. “I just put this fucking office back together after the last time a client got uppity in here. I will NOT do it again.” He got out of his chair and pointed at the chunk missing from his chair. “You see that? Fucker tried to blow my head off with a shotgun he had stuffed down the back of his pants, because the dumbass I had on the door didn’t frisk him. I’m in no mood for this macho bullshit.” 
“Then get out of my way, Carthage.” Konu growled, his voice shaking with anger as he struggled to lower his fist. The rhino didn’t budge. 
“I heard about Desmond on the radio.” Carthage said in the space after Konu growled at him. “My contact inside the police department says they are looking for you, Konu. They think you killed him.” 
Konu was so taken aback he didn’t say anything. Sal sat back down in his chair so hard it squeaked even under the weight of his wiry body. “Who the fuck is Desmond?” Sal groused irritably. Carthage looked at the ferret over Konu’s shoulder. 
“His mate. The otter everyone has been talking about on the news, the one that got skinned and disemboweled in his apartment.” the rhino explained. 
“Shut UP, Carthage.” Konu snarled, again trying to get past the rhino and again receiving another punch for his efforts. Konu barely flinched this time, and his own hand snapped out this time and clocked Carthage in the nose. The rhino’s head snapped back, but he didn’t move except to look back down at Konu with blood dripping from his left nostril. 
“I said STOP THAT!” Sal roared. “Am I gonna have to get my men in here to tie you both down?” 
Konu ran the back of his wrist across his mouth, smearing away the blood. The sting in his split lip hardly registered over his anger. 
“Did you kill Desmond?” Carthage asked calmly. 
“FUCK YOU!” Konu yelled, cocking his hand back for another blow. Sal slammed his hands down on his desk and shot out of his chair. “You throw one more punch, Konu, and I’m going to have you tied to a chair and shot up with so much fucking truth serum you’ll be spilling your crushes from third grade!” 
Konu growled, his head whipping around to stare at Sal with a murderous glint. Shaking, he dropped his fist. “Of course...I did not...kill Desmond.” He said with all the restraint that he could muster. 
“Then I would expect you to need your guns to take care of whoever did.” Carthage said, causing Konu’s head to snap back toward him, fixing him with that same smoldering glare. He didn’t speak, his jaw clenched tight enough to make his teeth creak and the muscles along his neck stand out in stark relief against his fur. 
“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” he rumbled at last, his eyes glaring into Carthage’s own like he was trying to burn holes through the back of the rhino’s skull. “They were fucking SPOTLESS! Not a goddamn HAIR left behind that wasn’t mine or Desmond’s. There’s no fucking trace of who did it.” 
Carthage’s face remained impassive. “I see. So robbed of your revenge you’re going to kill yourself instead.” the rhino shook his head. “Coward.” 
Konu’s entire body went rigid as steel as he fought the urge to attack Carthage again. His face was a mask of rage. “What do you know about it? NOTHING! You’ve never had anyone who means anything to you, no one who even comes close to being what Desmond was to me!” 
Sal’s voice washed over Konu from behind. “So what if he hasn’t? He’s still right. You are a coward.” 
Konu’s entire body went slack all at once. He turned around and stared at Sal, his dark eyes like chips of obsidian glass. “You are lucky I don’t have those guns on me, Sal.” he said quietly. Sal just smirked. “Real scary, Konu.”  
Behind Konu, Carthage opened the office door and stepped out into the hallway. Konu heard him tell Robert to take a hike. Robert argued. Sal called past Konu, addressing Robert. “Go ahead, leave, Robert. It’s alright.” 
Konu turned around, thinking that he was finally being allowed to leave. He strode through the door only to find Carthage blocking the staircase now.
“There is too much fire and fight in you, Konu, to snuff it out by your own hand.” Carthage stated simply. “Your rage and pain have no place to go without the outlet of vengeance and you’re burning yourself up with it. I have a better answer than that.” 
“I don’t need your advice, Carthage.” Konu growled. “I’ve had enough. Unless you want to fight me here and now and try to put an end to me yourself, move.” 
“While I would relish the chance to test your fury myself, Konu, that is not what I’m implying.” Carthage said, raising a hand in a calming gesture. “Do you know anything about the League of Warring Titans?” 
Konu blinked. “No, and why should I care to?” 
“Because I’m offering you a chance to reclaim your life. The League is a secret group of fighters who convene once or twice a month. Our next fight is in tomorrow at this address.” Carthage pulled out his phone and typed on it for a moment. Konu’s phone buzzed in his pocket. “Go, the entrance fee for an unknown is ten-thousand dollars. I know you can afford that. Fight there, at least once. If the fire and rage in your heart is not quelled, then whatever you choose to do with it is your own affair. Let it consume you, if you wish. But prove to me you’re not a coward by giving yourself a second chance before you burn.” 
“Move, Carthage.” Konu spat. And this time the rhino relented. He stepped aside. Konu immediately stormed past him and down the stairs and out of sight. Carthage turned and went back into Sal’s office. 

----

Konu slammed the car door so hard that the window cracked as he climbed back into his suv. The waves of angry heat pouring off of him immediately began to fog the windshield even though he was freshly soaked from the frigid rain. He slammed his fists onto the rim of the steering wheel, snarling with rage. How dare they? Konu knew both Carthage and Sal well enough to count them among his friends, but neither had ever done anything remotely close to what they had just done. Konu’s blood boiled. His breath sucked in and out like the snorts of an angry bull. There was so much anger, so much boiling ire inside him that he wanted to scream, wanted to tear into them both and pound all of his rage into them to exorcise it from himself. 
Konu twisted his keys into the ignition and threw the car into reverse, stomping on the gas. The suv revved loudly and shot backwards so fast it almost crashed into the row of warehouses behind it. Konu wrenched the car into drive and screeched off, the suv flying down the deserted lanes along the docks. Heedless of the pouring rain, Konu swerved down the streets, his anger still surging inside of him. He felt like a bomb ready to explode, every muscle in his body tensed like a spring. His hands were white-knuckled on the steering wheel. 

Konu drove until the sky steadily darkened into nightfall, and the rain still poured. He left the docks district and roared through traffic, somehow avoiding attracting a police officer even though he hoped for the confrontation with one. He drove until he left the city entirely and ended up on a deserted stretch of highway that was surrounded by woods on either side. Other than the lights of his suv, the darkness was nearly complete. 
The longer the badger drove, the more his rage started to ebb even though he tried to hold onto it with both hands. He wanted that fire to remain, the anger and fury filling his chest and burning like a brazier in his belly. But like any fire it started to go out, and eventually Konu was left with the empty, cold void that he had been trapped in since last Wednesday. 
The suv slowed down and eventually pulled off the road onto the shoulder and came to a stop. Konu turned off the engine and let the night’s darkness envelope the car. With his anger gone he felt like he was drowning. He had felt like he was drowning for days now, the void in his chest seemingly filled with icy water. In the darkness he covered his head with his hands and groaned, leaning forward until his face hit the top of the steering wheel. The rain slamming the car pounded in his ears. Having someone to be angry at had felt good, and now that his anger was gone he was left with nothing but stark reality. 
In the dark he reached for the glove compartment, the small light inside of it suddenly shining out into the dark interior of the car. Even without it, though, Konu would have found what he was looking for. 
The glock was heavy and cold in his hand as he gripped its handle and pulled it from the glove box. He laid it on his lap, with his hand still around it, and his head thudded back onto the seat once more. In the darkness his mind replayed the scene that had haunted him for days. He could still see the bone, the blood, the scattered organs as though he were beholding them for the first time. The skin nailed to the wall. 
Konu’s heart ached like a fist was wrapped around it, slowly crushing it. Frustration seeped like venom into his veins alongside the grief. Konu had searched to the extent of his ability to find whoever had done it, but he had come up with nothing. For the first time in his life, Konu did not know who his enemy was, nor how to find him. For him, that was an alien sensation. His entire career had been centered around finding his enemies and ending them, whether for himself or for the one who was paying him. For him to be unable to do it now, when he had been so personally attacked, filled him with a sense of impotence that he could hardly bare. His mate would go unavenged, and Konu’s heart couldn’t take the shame. 
The cold barrel of the glock pressed against the badger’s temple. The badger’s finger pushed the safety off and touched the trigger. His arm tensed and he screwed his eyes shut tightly. In the darkness behind his eyelids, Carthage’s stern face flashed in front of his eyes. “Coward.” 
Konu’s eyes snapped open but there was no difference between the darkness inside his mind or the darkness inside the car. Carthage’s image remained. Sal’s taunting voice accompanied it now. “You are a coward.” 
“Goddamnit!” Konu snarled, slamming his hands back down on the steering wheel so hard that the gun went off and shot a hole in the windshield. Konu’s ears rung from the discharge so close, as he panted with emotion. He stared into the darkness, listening to the rain falling on the car and dripping through the bullet hole onto his dash. 
Konu sat like that for a long time, his mind revolving over the conflicting feelings he had burning inside of him. He struggled to deal with the shame he was feeling over the loss of his mate, but there was a new sense of shame growing alongside it, that of looking weak in front of Carthage. It competed for his attention and it tore the decision to end his life in two directions. 
The badger eventually let out a long breath and his hand went to the console on the driver’s side door. He rolled the passenger side window down and with a grunt, threw the glock out it and into the woods alongside the road. He rolled up the window and sat there in the rain-filled darkness. His head was aching now, throbbing with the emotions and the confliction that he was feeling. A sense of exhaustion welled up over him, the days without sleep catching up with him at last. 
The badger climbed over into the back seat of his suv and lowered the back seats down.  There was a sleeping bag in the back and he unrolled it and laid on it, spread out in the back of his suv. He was too tired to resist sleep anymore. Even though his mind was still roiling with thoughts and emotions, his body was too exhausted anymore to care. Sleep washed over him like a heavy blanket and he knew nothing else except its embrace. 

Konu awoke the next morning sometime just before dawn. The car was cold, but the rain had stopped sometime during the night. He sat up, his head feeling like a block of iron on his shoulders. He scooted back until his back was against the backside of the driver’s seat, one leg bent at the knee with his foot on the floor, the other stretched out in front of him. He sat there in the quiet watching the semi-dark sky lighten around him. His stomach growled loudly and he realized he hadn’t eaten in days. Near the back door of the car there was a mostly full pallet of water bottles and a small black knapsack. 
Konu leaned forward enough to stretch out and grab the knapsack, along with a bottle of water from the pallet. He opened the flap of the knapsack and dug into it. There were military rations inside, some energy bars and, at the bottom, a couple of cans of tuna and some Spam. Konu pulled out an energy bar and a can of tuna which was packed in oil, along with a small camping knife that had a spoon and a fork attached to it. Konu sat back into his spot against the driver’s seat and opened the water bottle first, draining about half of it in a long series of gulps. His stomach did flip-flops at the sudden introduction of liquid after being empty for so long. 
Picking up the energy bar, Konu tore it open and bit into it, chewing slowly. As he ate, his mind drifted over everything he had been through in the last week. So much passed through his brain that it was hard to believe it had all been reality and not just some horrible nightmare. Finishing his energy bar, the badger sighed heavily and stared out the rear window of the suv. The sky had lightened enough to be a light silver color, instead of the steely grey they had been the day before. The car was wet, the rain hadn’t been stopped for very long. Konu watched the water droplets stretch themselves into rivulets as they ran down the window. 
The badger took another gulp of water from the bottle and then flipped out the fork on the camping knife. He pulled the lid off of the tuna can and began to eat. He thought about his encounter with Sal and Carthage yesterday. He remembered the anger that he had felt but he didn’t feel it. Instead he just felt emptiness. He had been so set on killing himself that morning, and now he didn’t know what to do. He felt the path of his unknown future in front of him and felt weary at the prospect of trudging it. 
Suddenly the memory of Carthage telling him about the League of Warring Titans surfaced in his mind. Yesterday he had cared so little about it as to forget almost as soon as Carthage had told him. Now it floated back to his conscious memory like a message in a bottle. Konu set his half empty can of tuna aside and dug into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. There on his text messages was the little icon indicating he had a new one. Konu opened it, finding the address that Carthage had sent to him along with the words, “Share with no one.” 
Konu had a general idea where the address was, but he wasn’t entirely sure he intended to go. An underground fighting league sounded more like a movie plot than something that would actually exist, and even he wasn’t sure he felt much like fighting now. Ten-thousand dollars was a lot of money to pay for a street brawl with some rough thug who thought he knew how to fight. Even as he thought that, however, he knew that Carthage wouldn’t have suggested it if it were something below his notice. 
Konu put his phone aside for the moment and picked his food back up, taking another bite. His hunger now was more important that a brawl ring in the future. He finished the can of tuna and put the knapsack back where it had been, and crawled back into the front seat. Konu started his suv and got back onto the road. There was very little traffic, so he drove over the grassy median and went back toward the city. 

By the time Konu got back to town, the sun was already well up into the sky. Even he hadn’t realized just how far he had driven in his anger. He pulled over into a gas station and got out to use the restroom. 
Coming out of the bathroom, Konu’s stomach complained again. The energy bar and the tuna hadn’t been nearly enough. He headed toward the gas station’s door, stepping inside. It was a cool autumn day and the interior was warm against the badger’s fur. He walked up and down the shelves, trying to find something that looked appetizing among the bags of chips and candy bars. Nothing sugary, fuck that. Chips didn’t sound good either. Nor did the coffee that sat burning on the hotplate in the back of the station. Eventually he settled on a small bag of beef jerky. He paid the cashier and left, walking back to his car and tearing the jerky open. The smell of it made his stomach churn. He grabbed a piece and put it in his mouth as he climbed into his suv. It was good, even though he didn’t feel like chewing and swallowing it. He ate the meager meal  in his car and then crumbled the plastic bag up and tossed it into the back seat. His stomach still groused at him for more. 
Sighing, Konu looked around at the nearby restaurants and fast food joints, but none of it sounded good to him. His body was fighting with his emotional state to get the nourishment that the badger needed. He drove on, looking for other places to eat that might spark his interest. Konu never did find anywhere the sounded good to him. Instead he found a parking lot and slept more in the back of his car. When he awoke, it was getting into the late afternoon. His mouth was dry, so he opened another bottle of water and drained several gulps out of it before getting back into the driver’s seat. 
Ignoring his stomach, Konu reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone again. He opened the text from Carthage and reread the text with the address. As he did, the phone vibrated in his hand again as another message from the rhino popped up. 
“They start at sundown, if you’re still alive. Delete these messages.” it read. Konu grunted softly as he memorized the address and deleted the messages. 
“Fuck it.” He said to himself as he started his car. “If I’m not going to die I might as well fuck up someone else’s day instead.” 

The address was far enough away that the sun was starting to turn the sky pink when Konu parked his car. He knew enough about secrecy not to park his car right in front of where the fights were being held. He got out of his car, planning to walk the remaining mile or so left. As the sun was going down, the day was getting cooler, the autumn wind ruffling Konu’s fur and chilling his skin. The clouds had started to break up during the afternoon, and patches of orange and reddish sky were starting to show through them. 
As Konu walked, a voice suddenly called out to him from somewhere. “Hey, you! Badger in the black jeans!” 
Konu looked around, spotting who had shouted. There was a white food truck parked across the street from him and just ahead. A large white ram was hanging out of the open side window of the truck, waving vigorously in his direction. 
“Yeah! You, come! Come here.” He called again, waving encouragingly and bobbing his curly horned head. Konu grunted slightly in annoyance. He really didn’t feel like dealing with a pushy food vendor right then. 
“Come on! Don’t be shy. Yes! Come!” The ram cajoled, flashing large white teeth at Konu. Still his arms flapped as he waved. Konu sighed in resignation and crossed the street. 
“Good! Good, you come. I see you a mile away, my friend. You so down in dumps! Here, try this, it will make you feel better. I promise!” the ram turned away from the window for all of a second before coming back with a kabob in his hand. He thrust it toward Konu, making the chunks of meat and vegetables on its length jostle worryingly. 
“I’m not--” Konu started, only to have the ram lean out the window and grab his arm, forcing the kebab into his fingers. Konu had to grasp it to keep the ram from dropping the food all over his boots. 
“Eat! Yes! First one is free. You feel better, eat!” the ram said enthusiastically, making goading motions with his hands so vigorously his paper hat between his horns nearly fell off. 
Konu frowned and looked at the kebab. It was beef and had several sections of zucchini and onion skewered at intervals along its length with the meat. The smell of it and the others inside the food truck made Konu’s stomach grumble madly with hunger. He remembered how the beef jerky had tasted and decided to take a bite, mostly just to appease the ram. 
The badger sank his teeth into the first chunk of beef at the tip and pulled it, and the hunk of onion next to it off the skewer. Despite his mood, the food was delicious, and he found himself automatically taking another bite. 
“There now! You see? Is good. My kebabs make anyone feel better, guaranteed!” the ram announced proudly, slapping his broad chubby stomach with a shovel-like hand. Konu was on his third bite as he looked up at the ram and couldn’t help a small smile at his joviality. 
“It is good.” He admitted to the ram as he finished the kebab. The ram took the skewer from Konu and started to reach for another but Konu held up his hand. 
“I appreciate it, and I’ll pay you for that one since you gave it to me, but I’m not hungry enough for more.” He said, as nicely as he could. He started to reach for his wallet but it was the ram’s turn to speak up. 
“No, no pay. First time free, remember? You’ll be back, I promise.” The ram said with the same big smile on his face that nearly reached his ears. Konu pushed his wallet back into his pocket. 
“Yeah, well, thanks for the food.” He said, waving slightly to the ram as he turned away. 
“Goodbye, my friend. The next time you down in dumps remember Atreo, the Kebab King!” the ram called after him, waving just as vigorously as he had when Konu first saw him. 

As much as Konu didn’t want to admit it, he did feel better with something substantial in his stomach. Without the constant nag of his belly growling he was able to focus more on what he was about to do. 
Konu came at last to the address that Carthage had given him. The building was squat and wide, made of brick. Many of the windows were broken out and it appeared to be an old abandoned manufacturing plant. The door that he came to, the one that faced the street, was even rustier than the door to Sal’s warehouse, the bulb in the socket above it smashed. In the address that Carthage had given him, he had specified that it was the door he was looking for, the one with the smashed bulb. It would be unlocked. 
Konu walked up the short stoop that led up to the door and placed his hand on the rough, oxidizing metal and pushed. The door’s hinges squealed loudly. Konu was expecting it to open up to the interior of the factory but instead he found himself in a small dusty office that was empty except for a desk and a lion that sat behind it. There was a door behind him, flanked by two tough looking canines, one some mix of mutt and the other a bloodhound. As Konu stepped in they pulled pistols from their belts. 
“This is a restricted area. No one is allowed in.” The lion behind the desk said smoothly, looking over a pair of square glasses at Konu. 
“I’m here to fight in the League of Warring Titans.” Konu said, as the door behind him screeched and shut with a bang. A third guard was standing behind it, and the grizzly bear had shut the door with his hand. 
“If you know that name, you must have been told by a member. You have the entrance fee, then? If you don’t, and you know about this place, then we’ll have to kill you.” the lion said, adjusting the tie that was cinched around his neck. His green eyes glimmered in the light of a single bulb hanging from its wires above the desk. 
“I do. I’m going to reach into my pocket and get my wallet.” Konu stated, raising his paws slowly. He knew better than to make any sudden moves with three guns trained on him now. 
“No. Sully, get his wallet.” The lion said curtly, and Konu felt the grizzly bear stuff his hand into his back pocket where the lump of his wallet lay against his jeans. The bear tossed it over Konu’s shoulder where it landed open in front of the lion on the desk. 
The suited feline reached out and picked up Konu’s wallet, flicking through the cards and information inside it. “Hmm, American Express, Mastercard, Visa...A lot of credit. We don’t take credit. You got enough actual cash on your debit card, Mr...” the lion drew the word out as he pulled Konu’s bank card out of his wallet and read the name on it. “...Newman, is it?” 
Konu smirked as the lion spoke the fake name that he used. “Yeah, yeah I do.” Konu grunted as the bear pushed the muzzle of his gun against the back of his head. “You better.” he heard the ursine growl near his ear. 
Konu swallowed a growl of his own. He hated thugs. At that moment he would have loved to have taught the bear a little respect. 
The lion picked up a cellphone from the top of the desk in front of him. It had a card swiping accessory attached to the top of it, and he swiped Konu’s bank card crisply. 
“It cleared. Let him in.” the lion said, sticking the bank card back into Konu’s wallet. “Good fortune to you, Mr. Newman. May you have as much skill as you do money. For your own sake.” 
Konu caught his wallet as the lion tossed it toward him. Silently, Konu walked away from the bear at his back toward the door flanked by the dogs. The stared at him like wolves eyeing an injured deer as he walked past them and opened the door. 
The badger blinked as the sunlight caught him off guard. He found himself standing on a small landing with banister and a courtyard sprawling in front of him. The factory was larger than it had originally looked. Its brick walls encircled the courtyard on all sides, hiding it entirely from the street outside. The courtyard was far from empty, however. 
A crowd of people were gathered around a large concrete square at the middle of the courtyard. A fence had been erected around the square that looked newer than any of the other metal in the factory. It actually glinted in the setting sun’s light. Beyond the fence was patchy grass that looked recently mowed where the crowd stood. 
Konu jumped as a voice beside him suddenly spoke. “Yer gonna need a name. Nobody uses real names here.” 
The badger turned his head to see a large warthog standing beside him holding a clipboard and pen. He had been so surprised by the group of people that he hadn’t seen him. 
“You’re new. I can tell. You’re gonna need a name.” The warthog reiterated with a note of irritation in his voice. 
“What do you mean, ‘a name’?” Konu grunted, staring at the warthog. Carthage had mentioned nothing about this. He wasn’t expecting to give a name at all, just to fight. 
The warthog let out a long-suffering sigh and looked at Konu like he was stupid. “Everybody here uses names. Like uh...stage names and shit. You can pick whatever you want, but I’m encouraged to tell you to choose something with a little dignity. The crowd likes it more.” 
Konu furrowed his brows. “Is this a fighting ring or a fuckin’ wrestling exhibition? Do I need to choose a theme song too and some pyrotechnics?” 
“Fuck you, wiseass. Just pick a fuckin’ name and stop wasting my goddamn time before I tell William to sic his guards on you.” the warthog snapped, gesturing back toward the door Konu had come through. 
“Fine.” Konu wracked his brain trying to come up with a name. After a few seconds one popped into his head that he felt was fitting enough. 
“Ares.” 
“Fuckin’ finally. Spell it.” The warthog snorted, looking down at his board and picking up the pen. 
Konu spoke as slowly and clearly as he could, as though to a child. “A...R...E...S.” the warthog looked back up at him. 
“I’m gonna look forward to seeing you get that smartass mouth punched down your throat. The prefight area is through there.” He jabbed his pen toward another door down the stairs and across the courtyard. “Wait there until you’re called.” 
Konu nodded and pushed past the warthog brusquely, heading down the stairs and across the stretch of lawn to the door he had indicated. Konu pulled it open and stepped inside. He found himself inside an old locker room that had been provided originally for the factory workers. The men that filled the locker room now looked nothing like the average joes and working men that had filled it years ago. The badger cast his gaze around, taking them in one by one. Every one of them seemed to be threatening in some way. Scars, tattoos, even a couple of missing digits and eyes were apparent among the burly fighters that sat and stood around the locker room. 
Konu headed toward a spot that seemed open enough, a bench that only had one other fighter sitting on it, a tattooed kangaroo who was busy wrapping his hands with tape. As Konu sat down, the kangaroo looked up at him. 
“New guy, huh? Haven’t seen ya around here before.” The kangaroo said, biting off the end of the tape and pushing it down on his wrist. He flexed his long fingers. 
“Yeah.” Konu grunted, turning to look at the kangaroo. The boomer was of the red variety of kangaroo. He was tall and shirtless, his torso and arms covered with various tattoos. He had on a pair of loose sparring pants on his rangy legs, his large feet bare on the tile floor. 
“Ya’ll go on last once the established fighters go. Won’t earn much money if ya win, either. But it ain’t really about that, ya know.” the kangaroo said, smirking. “Name’s Bacchus.” he offered Konu his hand, to shake. Konu shook it. 
“Uh...Ares, I guess.” He said, feeling strange under the assumed monicker. The kangaroo’s eyebrows flickered upwards toward his long ears. 
“Ares, huh? Ambitious name! I like it.” He flashed white teeth at Konu in a wide grin. “He’s a little tip, Ares. The crowd likes a show. Even if yer gettin’ yer ass handed to ya on a silver platter, try an’ make it look good. Ya might get invited back, if yer not pushin’ up daisies or disfigured too bad, that is.” 
Konu nodded slowly, slightly taken aback by the boomers words. “Are there no rules in these fights?” 
“Nah. That’s why it’s all secret, dude. It’s kinda frowned upon to kill yer opponents, and it’ll make it hard for ya to get opponents willing to pair off with ya, but it happens. There ain’t no safety nets here. So keep yer eyes peeled, eh?” Bacchus explained with a roguish wink. 
“Ares will do just fine.” a familiar voice said behind Konu. The badger turned around and found himself looking up at Carthage looking down at him, leaning against one of the lockers. The kangaroo spoke before Konu had a chance. 
“Ah, Ajax, there ya are. I was wonderin’ where ya went. It’s about showtime.” he said, standing up to clap the rhino on the shoulder. 
Carthage was wearing a pair of fingerless leather gloves and was shirtless like Bacchus was, the rhino’s broad chest and firm stomach placed on display. He was wearing the same camo pants from the day before. A pair of heavy combat boots were on his feet. 
“I had some business to take care of before the fight.” Carthage grunted, flexing his hands inside the leather gloves. 
“I’m sure ya did. Oh, hey, Ares, this here’s Ajax. He’s on my team. Ajax, Ares.” Bacchus said, gesturing toward the badger. Konu and Carthage nodded to one another. 
“Now we just gotta wait for Tank to show up.” said the kangaroo as he sat back down on the bench. As if on cue, a very large Texas Longhorn bull stomped around the corner. The bovine was massive, even slightly taller than Carthage. His hide was a mottled black and white and he wore a black tank top over his barrel chest. He had a loose pair of red shorts around his waist that reached his knees. His signature horns had been cropped closer to his head and covered with steel caps. In a typical bull fashion he had an iron ring through his nose. 
“Ah, there he is now.” Bacchus chuckled, looking up at the huge bovine. “We were gettin’ worried Tank. Thought you mighta still been sleepin’ one off.” 
The bull snorted, grinning. “Pfft. I’m ainta light-weight like youse, Bacchus. I c’n hold mah booze.” His voice was deep as a thunderstorm but it’s tone was playful and teasing. 
“Yeah, I know ya can. Ya hold it with both fuckin’ hands. That ain’t what I mean. It knocks ya on yer ass better than any of these guys ever could.” Bacchus retorted, matching the bull’s grin. 
“Aw, fuck yew, Bacchus.” the bull laughed, putting his wide hands on his hips. He looked around the kangaroo and spotted Konu sitting on the bench. 
“Ain’t nevah seen him before.” He grunted, pointing a thick finger at Konu. Bacchus  looked around at Konu for a second and then back at Tank. 
“Yeah, that’s Ares. He’s new. Just came in a little while ago.” said Bacchus. Tank nodded, running his hand across his bristly chin. 
“Ah, newbie eh? Hope I don’t haveta ruin ya career earleh, Ares. Ya never know what tha draw’s gonna be.” the bull chuckled darkly, shaking his gargantuan head. 
“You know they don’t pair newbies with veterans unless we run short.” Said Bacchus, stretching out his long legs. “I doubt any of us will end up paired off against Ares tonight.” 
“Luckeh for him.” Tank added with a crack of his knuckles and a leer. Bacchus shook his head, chuckling. 
“Way to make friends, Tank.” he laughed. 

The door to the locker room opened then, and the warthog pushed his head around the jamb. “Alright, we’re about to start. I need Taranis and Hephaestus to the ring for the first fight.” He said, withdrawing. A german shepherd and a wolf both stood up and headed toward the door. 
As they left, Bacchus turned to Konu and pointed up toward one corner of the locker room where a flat screen tv was mounted. “Ya’ll be able to see the fight up there. We get a direct feed in here. Oughta be a good one. Taranis and Hephaestus have a pretty nasty history. Crowd loves to watch ‘em go at each other.” 
Konu looked up at the screen as the other fighters all moved toward it to watch the fight. The screen was blank for a few more minutes and then suddenly it sprang to life all at once. The camera must have been mounted on the upper portions of the fence surrounding the concrete plaza in the middle of the courtyard. Konu could see the wolf and the dog facing each other near the center of it, with the crowd pressing against the chain link fencing eagerly. 
Bacchus had been right, the fight was a good one. Both the wolf and the german shepherd were skilled fighters, and they traded the upper hand several times before the wolf, Hephaestus came out the victor. The crowd cheered and even some of the fighters in the locker room gave applause as the lupine strutted out of the ring and two burly great danes dragged the  severely beaten german shepherd out of the ring. 
In pairs the fighters began to be called out, the warthog appearing after each match to call the next fighters into the ring. They were some of the most brutal brawls that Konu had ever seen, even with his considerable experience. Eventually Bacchus was called, going up against a polar bear who was called Iku-Turso, after a malevolent water monster in Finnish mythology. 
Konu watched raptly, eager to see how Bacchus performed. It was immediately apparent that Iku-Turso was the stronger of the two, and much larger than Bacchus. The bear’s charging attacks and roaring assaults would have been devastating...if they had been able to land. The kangaroo proved himself to be the faster and more agile of the pairing and he used it to his advantage at every turn. He dodged and counter attacked the massive bear, using his long legs, arms and tail to strike at Iku-Turso everywhere his guard went down. 
Konu heard Carthage grunt beside him. “Pathetic. Iku-Turso only knows one strategy.” Konu had to agree. It was hardly a surprise when Bacchus finally landed a stunning kick to Iku-Turso’s temple and the bear crashed to the ring floor like a ton of bricks, his purple tongue lolling out. Even through the camera feed, Konu could see Bacchus smirking. 
Carthage was called next and put up against a malamute who called himself Apollo. Konu watched that fight with interest as well, though he was pretty sure what the outcome would be. The malamute fought well enough, getting in a few good blows against the rhino but in the end he was no match for Carthage’s raw power and fury. The rhino ended up choking Apollo out with a sleeper hold that the malamute had no chance of escaping from. The crowd cheered as Carthage dropped the unconscious dog like sack of potatoes and raised his arms, reveling in the roars of the onlookers. 
The locker room became more and more empty as the night progressed, the losing fighters being dragged away to be seen to by medics and the winners joining the crowd to watch the fight live. Tank went up against a bison named Ngen. Konu watched the fight only half interested this time, his eyes moving among the small group of fighters left in the locker room. There was only four fighters left in the room, including Konu, so he knew that one of them was going to be his opponent. He tried to size them all up and get a feel for how they might fight, so he’d have somewhat of an edge when it came time to square off. 
Konu looked up just in time to see Tank deliver a crushing haymaker to the bison and put him down. Again the crowd burst out into wild cheering as the bull made a theatrical bow with his foot on the defeated bison’s neck. He had to help the two great danes drag Ngen out of the ring, the bison was so heavy and huge. Konu felt his heart start to beat quicker and his stomach buzz with nerves. The locker room door opened. 
“I need Ogun and Vulcan next.” The warthog announced. Konu’s heart fell a little when his name wasn’t called, but he now knew who his opponent would be. 
As Ogun, a tiger, and Vulcan, a rangy coyote, left the locker room, Konu and his opponent to be eyed each other. The badger’s adversary was a black and white pitbull with ice blue eyes. His short haired hide was crisscrossed with pinkish scars and he was missing his left ear. His build was similar to Konu’s and they were of similar height. The pitbull was a little more ripped than Konu was, the canine’s body rippling with muscles that seemed to be carved from granite. He was wearing a pair of black shorts and a white tanktop, his paws wrapped like Bacchus’s had been. Konu was just in his street clothes, a pair of black jeans and a dark green flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. 
Konu hardly noticed the fight between the tiger and the coyote. The pitbull seemed determined to try and intimidate Konu by staring him down. Konu returned his gaze without flinching, the badger’s dark eyes meeting the pitbull’s cool ice blue glare steadily. Before Konu knew it, he heard the locker room door open again. 
“Ares and Nergal, you’re next. Last bout of the night. Make it good.” the warthog called. The pitbull immediately strode forward, growling as he passed Konu, “Yeah, make it good, Newbie. I’ve been bored.” 
Konu followed the canine out of the locker room and across the lawn toward the ring. Two large lights shown down on the concrete plaza, illuminating it against the fallen night. The crowd watched the last two fighters of the night make their way toward them. Konu felt the adrenaline begin to pour into his veins, heating his blood and sharpening his senses. A few cheers for Nergal rang out from those who knew him, but mostly the crowd was silent as they eyed the badger they had never seen before. 
The two great danes that had been clearing the ring were standing in front of the large gate in the chain link fencing around the concrete plaza. They pulled the gate open as the two fighters approached and shut it behind them, putting a padlock on the latch. There would be no escape until a winner was declared. 
Konu walked to the middle of the ring and faced Nergal. The crowd had gone silent as they all focused on watching how the matched started. Konu again found himself locking eyes with the pitbull as the two of them faced off at last. Nergal raised his fists and bent his knees, taking a ready stance. Konu raked his eyes over the pitbull’s form, looking for any weaknesses or misplaced weight. The stance was perfect. Nergal obviously knew what he was doing. 
The badger raised his own hands and got ready. As soon as Konu readied himself, Nergal exploded forward, his legs pushing him into a powerful forward rush. Konu was surprised for only a second by the suddenness of the attack. Nergal’s first punch flew over Konu’s head as the badger ducked under it. He started to side step toward Nergal’s open flank but the dog spun, pivoting and backhanding Konu across the jaw with his opposite hand. The blow was strong, but nowhere near fully powered. It had been meant only to stop Konu from getting inside Nergal’s guard. Konu felt his teeth clack together as the fist struck him, the blow snapping across his face like a whip crack. Nergal was fast. Before Konu could recover he had shifted himself again and brought his knee up hard, slamming it into the badger’s gut. 
Konu felt the wind escape his mouth in a rush as the pitbull’s knee pounded into his midsection like a sledgehammer. He doubled over, only to have Nergal’s fist slam into the side of his head. This was a real blow, and Konu saw patches of color as he was slung off his feet by the power of it, landing hard on the concrete. 
Nergal stepped away, walking toward the center of the ring again. He spat on the ground, making a shrugging gesture at the crowd as though he were apologizing for Konu’s lack of performance. A few cheers went up in response. 
Konu shook his head, willing his eyes to come back into focus as he got his arms and legs under him again. He pulled himself up onto his hands and knees, tasting blood in his mouth. His ears were still ringing. He forced himself to stand up, the ring and crowd blurry for a moment until he blinked and brought them into focus. Nergal noticed him back on his feet and turned away from the crowd, his face split into a mocking grin. “I told you to make it good.” he said, shaking his head. As Konu stared at the sneering pitbull’s face he felt a spark of anger hit his gut. 
With a snarl, Konu launched himself toward Nergal. It was the pitbull’s turn to be surprised as Konu closed the gap between them far faster than he had expected. Konu slammed his shoulder into Nergal’s chest, body slamming him with all the momentum he could muster from the short charge. Nergal grunted, staggering back as the badger’s considerable weight struck him like a cannon ball. Konu’s hand snapped out, grabbing the pitbull’s trailing wrist and he jerked hard. He pulled Nergal toward himself and braced, throwing the dog over his back and shoulder and slamming him onto the concrete like a ragdoll. 
Nergal’s back slammed the concrete with a sickening slap, and the breath left him in a great grunting whoosh. A gasp went up from the crowd. Nergal was shaking his head, trying to clear the cobwebs that the badger’s slam had brought into his brain. His vision cleared just in time to see and recognize Konu’s boot hovering over his abdomen a moment before it slammed down. Nergal rolled and Konu’s stomp struck the concrete instead. The pitbull got to his feet swiftly and attacked Konu’s side, the badger unable to move away as his leg recovered from slamming the ground instead of the dog’s soft belly. 
The pitbull knocked Konu’s arm aside and swung his fist in a hammer blow straight at Konu’s solar plexus. Konu grunted as the blow rocketed into him, pain radiating outward along his ribs and into his back. Nergal threw another punch, this one knifing into the badger’s kidney. The badger snarled, swinging his arm down viciously enough that Nergal had to jump back to avoid being brained. Konu turned to face him, panting. His chest was on fire, and it hurt to breathe. Nergal was still grinning. Konu narrowed his eyes. He grit his teeth. 
Nergal ran in again, but Konu had been expecting his attack. The badger launched his fist forward just as Nergal was entering his range, catching the pitbull off guard. With his momentum, there was no way he could dodge the strike, and Konu’s punch smashed into his nose like a thrown brick. The dog yelped as his upper body snapped backwards and his legs flew out from under him, his momentum suddenly reversed. Blood and slobber flew from his face around Konu’s fist and he slammed down onto the concrete hard, his skull striking it. 
In a heartbeat, Nergal felt Konu on top of him. He squirmed but was too dazed to struggle as he felt the badger’s arms wrap around his midsection. Nergal yelped, his head swirling as he felt the startling sensation of being lifted bodily off the ground. Konu’s thick arms locked around Nergal’s back, his fist gripping his opposite wrist. Konu started to squeeze. Nergal’s eyes went wide as he felt the badger’s arms tighten into steely bands around his waist and lower back, the knot of the badger’s fist digging directly into Nergal’s lower spine. The dog’s back arched, bent like a straining bow as he was subjected to the massive pressure. 
Nergal howled as his back cracked and popped like firecrackers. He scrabbled, trying to get some leverage to use against the badger squeezing him. Konu’s pressure on his back kept his arms from mustering enough strength, and his flailing blows just glanced off of Konu’s head as the badger tucked it against the pitbull’s own body. 
Nergal’s hand went toward his waist. His fingers dug against Konu’s forearms, trying to pry them off of him. When that failed, they pushed down into what little of the waistband of his shorts stuck out above them. Nergal snarled and raised his hand high. The crowd cried out. Konu still had his head pressed against Nergal’s body. He didn’t see the knife that the pitbull had torn from the lining of his shorts, but he felt it slash down across the back of his neck. 
Konu growled, his head reflexively pulling away from the sudden sharp pain. It exposed the top of his head and loosened his arms enough that Nergal began to slash down at Konu’s head, cutting him three times quickly across the head and face. Konu gasped as the pain shot through him, and the smell of his blood flooded his nostrils. Konu’s eyes widened as memories rushed unbidden into his mind. 
The smell of blood and gore, the sight of twisted bone in the afternoon sunlight. The limp, bloody skin hanging nailed to the wall of the apartment. Desmond’s destroyed body hovered in front of Konu’s eyes like a wraith. He saw it all again as though it were the first time, as the pain of the cuts and the smell of the blood brought it to the forefront. How much pain and fear had Desmond endured at the hands of his murderer? How much worse had the pain been for him, the cuts and the skinning? The faceless monster that had taken him from Konu was still at large, and the thought twisted Konu’s entire being up with rage. He bellowed and threw Nergal across the ring. 
Konu stood like a statue in the middle of the ring, his head bowed. Blood dripped down Konu’s face and neck in rivulets. The cuts had been shallow, but there was little between Konu’s skull and the blade but flesh. They had cut deeply enough that the badger was bleeding profusely and Konu’s right ear hung on only by a scrap of skin. The crowd was yelling, booing and hissing. Nergal got to his feet slowly, one hand clasping his lower back, the other still holding the knife. 
Konu watched him, feeling the pain of the cuts and the blood running down his face. The great danes made no move to intervene, and he instinctively knew that while the crowd reacted poorly, Nergal had broken no rules. Nergal smirked, even as he panted and winced from the pain in his back. He knew it was a matter of time now, as the badger lost blood from the bleeding wounds he would weaken. Konu knew it too. 
The badger would not give Nergal a chance to plan his next attack. He roared and charged Nergal down. The pitbull braced and met Konu’s attack with the knife, as Konu knew he would. As Nergal slashed out with the knife, Konu leaned back just enough to avoid it and then caught the pitbull’s arm. He pushed in, his other hand snapping out and closing on Nergal’s throat like a vice. Nergal gagged, his other hand coming up to grab Konu’s wrist and try to pry his hand off his neck. Konu kept pushing until Nergal slammed up against the fence, making it rattle and shake. Nergal choked, retching as the badger’s fingers isolated his trachea and pinched down on it, blocking off his airway. 
The pitbull’s eyes were wide and bloodshot, straining from the pressure on his neck. His other arm wormed in Konu’s grip, trying frantically to bring the knife into play, but Konu’s grip was too tight. Konu’s dark eyes bored into Nergal’s as they had before the fight, but now they seared all the hotter. In Nergal’s eyes, Konu saw fear. All at once everything he had been feeling since Desmond had been killed, all the pain, the grief, the emptiness, all the misplaced rage and anger ignited like a bomb inside Konu. The frustration of being unable to find Desmond’s murderer flared alongside it and for now, Konu had someone to exorcise it into. 
Konu’s other hand left Nergal’s knife arm. The pitbull had no time to wield it, however, as that same hand crashed up between his legs and latched onto his manhood. Konu jerked upwards, lifting Nergal above his head with no more effort than he would a chair. The pitbull squirmed and kicked as he was lifted by his neck and genitals, the pain of it nearly causing him to black out. With a bellowing yell, Konu swung Nergal down with all his strength and slammed the pitbull onto the concrete with the force of a meteor. The pitbull’s head hit the ground with a sound like a watermelon splattering. 
The crowd was silent. Konu stood over the pitbull, his entire body heaving with exertion. He stared down at Nergal, into the pitbull’s open eyes. There was nothing in them, the fight, the arrogance, it was all gone. Blood began to pool around the back of the pitbull’s head. Nergal was dead. 
Konu looked around slowly, seeing so many wide eyes staring back at him. A familiar face materialized out of the crowd as Carthage shoved his way to the front. He nodded at Konu and Konu nodded back. 
The great danes entered the ring slowly behind Konu, approaching the bleeding badger carefully in case his rage had not subsided. Konu looked at them, but remained still as they knelt to confirm Nergal was dead. Konu turned away then and walked toward the open gate. Bacchus, Carthage and Tank were all standing just outside of it, each of them watching Konu approach. 
As Konu left the ring, Bacchus stepped forward. “The medics are this way.” He said, pointing and gesturing for Konu to follow him. The badger complied, still feeling the eyes of the crowd staring at him. 
The medics were in what would have been the nurse’s station for the factory workers when the factory was open. There was a table set up in the middle of the room and the medics, a fox and a slender jackal, had Konu sit down upon it. They set about stitching the open cuts on Konu’s head and neck, and reattaching his nearly severed ear. The badger stoically endured it, his eyes on the floor between his boots. 
When they had finished, Bacchus motioned for them to leave the room. They obeyed, since the fights were over and there were no more fighters to tend to. Carthage leaned against one wall as Bacchus pulled up a stool and perched on it across from Konu. 
“I’ve never seen anything like that.” He said. Konu looked up at him but didn’t speak. “I’ve been in this thing since nearly the beginning of it. I’ve seen a lot of things, seen a lot of fighters come and go. What I saw out there was...unbelievable. Nergal has never lost a fight. When I heard ya were going up against him, I thought for sure we were going to see a massacre.” 
“That wasn’t a massacre. That was an execution.” Tank grunted from near the door, the bull’s arms folded over his chest. 
“Damn right it was.” Bacchus agreed. “Before you went on, Ajax filled us in on what happened to you last week. Your mate. He said he encouraged you to come here because you were going to kill yourself.” 
. Konu grunted. “Yeah. I was.” 
“Was? Past tense?” Bacchus said, glancing toward Carthage over his shoulder. Konu nodded slowly. 
“Ajax was right.” Konu admitted, fixing the rhino with his stare as he spoke. “My grief, my anger and frustration were eating me alive. There was no outlet for it. It was burning me up and I felt like I couldn’t deal with it. The only solution I could think of since I couldn’t avenge Desmond was to kill myself.” 
The badger paused, and took a deep breath. “I see more clearly now. I’m rid of the blind anger, the mindless rage. The grief and the emptiness are still there, but...I know what I’m going to do with my future now. I can’t give up on finding who murdered Desmond. I’m ashamed that I almost failed him in that. I won’t do it again.” As Konu spoke he felt the frustration he had been enduring reforge itself into resolve. 
“If yer gonna go after a murderer that’s so good at his job that he doesn’t leave a trace, yer gonna need to be in top form.” said Bacchus, meeting Konu’s eyes. “What I saw out there was incredible, but it could have been even better. You’re too emotional and it gets the better of you, makes you drop your guard. You’re going to have to get that under control before you even think about tracking the murderer down. We can help you with that.” Bacchus pointed to his chest and gestured around to Tank and Carthage. “See, we’re part of a four man team called a Brotherhood, here in the League. We’re short a man, got himself offed in the matches last month. To keep fighting without having to pay the ten-thousand dollar entry fee, ya need to be sponsored. Which means having a Brotherhood induct ya. I’m offering to induct ya. You train with us, and you’ll be in top form to take on the murderer. Ain’t no better place to learn how to fight for real than the League.” 
Konu listened quietly. Obviously Carthage had not told Bacchus everything about him.  The kangaroo obviously thought Konu was just a skilled brawler. Konu smirked. “I was just having an off night.” He said wryly. 
“And what if ya have an ‘off night’ when ya finally track down the bastard who killed yer mate, huh? Ya gonna let him get away with it because ya were down in the dumps or distracted. Or he pisses ya off? Trust me, if what I heard he did to Desmond is true, he ain’t gonna have no problem doin’ it to ya too if ya let him getcha.” Bacchus persisted. 
Konu looked at Carthage, at Tank and then at Bacchus in turn. These men were men like him. They knew what it was to fight and fight to the death if they needed to. They were offering him a place among them, a place where he could let his nature out, to hone his skills with worthy opponents. They wanted him there, and for the first time since Desmond died, Konu didn’t feel entirely alone. 
Bacchus put out his hand. “Is it a deal?” Konu looked at the kangaroo’s hand for a moment, then he took it in his own and shook it. “A deal.” He grunted. 
Bacchus grinned wide. “Good! The crowd was too stunned to cheer for ya this time, Ares, but next time they’ll be chanting yer name for sure!” 
Tank unfolded his arms and reached for the door. “I’m hittin’ the showah. Welcome aboard, Ares.” He said to Konu before he stepped outside. Bacchus got up and followed him. “Me too. You oughta join us, Ares, you look like you could use a shower.” Bacchus grinned and left. Carthage pushed himself off the wall and closed the door quietly, turning to face Konu. 
“You did well out there, tonight.” He said, as Konu stood up from the table. Konu nodded. “Thanks. I wouldn’t have been here if not for you. You saved my life.” 
Carthage smirked. “Well don’t get too misty eyed over it, Konu. My motives were not entirely altruistic.” The rhino admitted, “You see, that pitbull you killed, he’s the right hand man of a powerful target that I’ve been contracted to kill. The head of his security. The business I was taking care of before the fight was to bribe the warthog to pair you with him. I had a strong inkling that you might take care of him for me and make my job just a little easier. I’m glad you proved me right in that.” 
Konu stared back at Carthage. For a heartbeat neither of them said anything. Then Konu laughed, shaking his head. “You’re a bastard, Carthage.” 
The rhino smiled. “I know.”