Chapter 14:
Bright lights illuminated the grassy surface below three levels of the silver steel stadium. Video cameras panned across the crowd and the fighting surface in between each match. The view from the second level luxury boxes allowed a view of the entire stadium. The third match between level eight fighters had just concluded and the crowd was growing restless. They were promised a staff master fight the first night of competition. In his mind Connor had hoped he wouldn't be called to fight the first night of the tournament, but deep inside he knew it would be him. The Ukrainian media had a field day with reports of Connor and Maria dancing with the dignitaries at the pre-tournament gala and the crowd had been cheering his name since his arrival was announced.
As the fighting area was cleared a booming deep voice echoed across the stadium. Connor could not understand what it said, but he anxiously watched the colorful giant screen to see if his picture appeared. Another level eight fighter appeared on the screen; he was a local Ukrainian fighter who looked to be a few years older than Connor. The crowd briefly re-energized the ambience until the voice paused. The voice boomed again and Connor's picture flashed on the giant screen. The crowd erupted as quickly as Connor grasped his staff and duffle bag to exit the luxury box.
An escort waited for Connor outside of the box. Maria gently grasped Connor's hand while she quickened her pace. The escort led the couple to an elevator which dropped them to the main floor of the stadium. A group of people parted as Connor's escort paved a path to the fighting surface. The grassy pitch smelled fresh, but the decibel level of the crowd was too loud to admire the only natural element of the facility.
Connor walked Maria to the trainers area in a roped off area on the pitch. Connor took off his warm up pants and jackets to reveal the gift Maria had given him earlier that day. He wasn't sure if anyone would appreciate his uniform, but he was going to wear it with pride throughout the tournament. The short sleeve blue body suit had a replica of the Union Jack emblazoned upon it in diagonal slant. It was the first time since he left England that he felt as though a part of home was with him. He looked at Maria and mouthed the words, "Thank You." She smiled back.
Connor walked out to the fighting pitch with the roar of the crowd behind him. His opponent wore a pair of skin tight black shorts and no shirt. He was an inch or so taller than Connor, but had quite a bit of body fat for a stick fighter. Connor pitied his opponent, knowing that his only chance for victory would be for Connor to completely unravel. With three hours of meditation prior to arriving at the stadium, Connor was confident he could defeat anyone in the tournament. His opponent gave a nod of respect and then charged Connor.
Connor absorbed the charge rather easily and the two fighters began exchanging quick shots with their sticks. Connor could see that he had landed several small shots on his opponent's upper arms, but it wasn't slowing down the Ukrainian. As the exchanges slowed down, Connor spun away from his opponent to examine the damage he had inflicted.
A small sting nagged on Connor's hip, but he shut it out of his mind observing that his opponent had taken several shots on his triceps and shoulders. Connor could see the Ukrainian was favoring his right shoulder and holding his stick at a lower position than when the fight initiated. Connor quickly sprang towards his opponent, catching him off guard. In one swing, Connor knocked the stick out of his opponents hand and braced to put his opponent on his back. Before Connor could pull the trigger to lay his opponent flat, the Ukrainian dropped to both of his knees and waved the judges to call the fight. Connor was declared the winner. The crowd erupted in cheer. Connor humbly lifted his staff above his head saluting the crowd and walked back to the trainers' area. Maria helped Connor put on his warm up jacket and pants and the two exited the fighting pitch.
Cheers of Connor's name echoed in the corridors under and through the stadium. A Ukrainian announcer kept the crowd cheering as if they were calling for an encore. Connor started to walk towards the exit of the stadium when Billy suddenly called his name.
Connor clasped Maria's hand and turned to look at Billy. "Billy...we should be getting back to the hotel for some rest."
"I can't let you go back yet. The crowd wants to see you again. Can we give them another fight?" Billy asked confidently.
Connor dropped and shook his head in disbelief and frustration. Billy was quickly debunking the privilege of fighting once in the first round given to all staff masters in a structured tournament. "Are you really asking me to fight another first round opponent?"
"No Connor! I'd like you to fight one of our fighters who has already qualified for the second round." Billy smirked.
Connor glared at Billy. He didn't know what kind of trick he was up to. "So I'd be fighting someone who fought tonight?" Connor had already viewed several fights prior to his own and none of the fighters were any better than the one he just put into submission.
Billy shifted his head from the left to right very slightly. "I guess you could say that."
Connor's eyes widened. "I think I'd rather take my first round victory and go back to the hotel... Come on Maria."
"I'm not so sure the media will be so eager to give you the freedom you want." Billy pointed to a clamor of journalists and video cameras hounding the private exit of the stadium. Connor knew it would take them quite a while to navigate through the crowd, but was determined not to fall in Billy's trap.
"I'd rather take my chances with them!" Connor walked Maria up to the clamor of media anticipating their exit.
About ten meters from the exit Maria stopped Connor. "Do you think he could be forcing a forfeit?"
"What do you mean?" Connor stopped walking.
"If we leave before the fighting ends tonight and your name is drawn to fight again and you don't report for the fight, you'll forfeit the fight and be knocked out of the tournament." Maria looked worried.
Connor scratched his head. "He can't do that. Andre told me all staff masters have a one fight limit in the first round."
"But what if he starts the second round tonight?" Maria looked more alert than usual.
Connor was beginning to take her seriously, but still doubted the theory. "He can't do that, the first round won't be over until tomorrow night."
"He's already proven he can do whatever he likes." Maria's posture began to cower. "This is his tournament and he'll do anything to run you out."
Connor's adrenaline started to spike as he thought about what Billy might be up to. "You think he came here to warn me against a possible forfeit? He came here to set me up!"
"You've got to start thinking the way he thinks Connor if you really want to take him out. He wants money and fame first, and then he wants to get rid of people." Maria courageously stood her ground. "He will start the second round tonight and we better be here when he does. Let's go back up to the box and wait it out."
Connor looked disapprovingly at Maria and then he stared at the reporters and took a moment to think things through. "We can go back, but if he calls me out to fight again tonight then I will call for him to join me on the pitch!"
Connor felt his face tense up and adrenalin level peak. Maria's face went blank and then her head sunk downward. As Connor led Maria back toward the elevator he saw Billy turn his head and smile at Connor's decision to stay.
The luxury box felt the same as it did when Connor left it to go fight. He looked down at the pitch and could see two level eight fighters resuming the action. With closed eyes and deep breathes Connor slowed his heart rate and suppressed the flow of adrenaline through his body. It didn't take long for him to have a clear head again and to look to Maria for some reassurance.
"I'm sorry he pushes my buttons that way." Connor offered an apology.
"It's understandable Connor, after what he's done to me and to your dad I don't blame you at all." Maria's eyes started to well with tears.
Connor gave Maria a hug
. "I've got to get better control of myself or I will never beat him."
"You don't have to beat him... You just need to humiliate him in front of the Kenshi." Maria cried a laugh. Connor let out a thin smile at Maria's comment. She laughed and he returned her jovial expression.
The first round fights continued for another hour. The crowd had the thrill of watching all three staff masters easily defeat their level eight opponents. A number of level two fighters fought against level seven fighters and the crowd seemed more engaged when those pairings commenced. As the evening wore on, Connor stayed focused on observing the fighting and taking mental notes of the fighters he saw. One level seven fighter from Russia was able to defeat a level two fighter from Kazakhstan. The crowd loved the upset and Connor admired the fighter's courage for withstanding the initial onslaught of the fight.
By the end of night the crowd had transformed themselves from ravenous dogs to tamed kittens. As the announcer seemed to be dismissing everyone from the tournament a video appeared on the giant screen. Connor was shocked to see Andre fighting Shuji in what looked like was an enclosed boat dock.
The screen indicated that Shuji was a level two fighter and that Andre was a level seven fighter. Connor was magnetized to the screen. Connor could tell that Shuji's facial expressions were completely out of character from the way he would normally concentrate on his fighting. Andre on the other hand was acting like a bull in a china shop, charging through whatever stood in his way. The fight was more like a class on defensive techniques by Shuji and how to handle an over aggressive fighter. The defenses however didn't last long enough and Andre ultimately left Shuji bloodied and beaten on the boat dock floor with a convincing knock out.
At the end of the video the crowd surprisingly broke into cheer and the announcer once again baited the crowd. He broke into his introduction tone and Andre's face flashed on the giant screen. The crowd erupted. Andre stoically marched out onto the fighting pitch in the same clothes he was wearing in the video. Connor's stomach sunk. Billy had set him up, but he knew he had a choice. If his name were called he knew he could still walk away. As Andre's stick fighting history was memorialized on the giant screen, the door to Connor's box suddenly opened. Takeo stood at the door with Billy.
"If you don't take this fight, you're friend Shuji dies!" Billy's words cut through Connor's muscular exterior.
Billy held up a video device with Shuji gagged on the floor of the boat dock, still beaten from Andre's fight. Connor looked at Maria. Her face was ghost white. The announcer came on again and Connor's name was called and flashed on the giant screen. The crowd erupted once again. Connor solemnly grabbed his bag and walked to the elevator never taking his eyes off of Billy.
Billy escorted Connor and Maria to the fighting pitch. As they entered, the crowd went ravenous once again. Billy smiled for the cameras, took a microphone from someone, and stood at one end of the pitch. Connor hurried Maria to the trainers' area as Billy started speaking to the crowd, only pausing for translation.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! We have an unprecedented event for you tonight. Your native champion and stick fighting champion has returned from exile to challenge the best in the world. We put him right to the test against a former staff master and now he will fight the fastest rising start in our sport. I give you the main event of the evening and a preview of round two, Andre versus Connor!!!"
Connor could barely hear himself think. Despite the noise, he thought back to the video he watched of himself and knew that no one except for some of the other fighters knew that Andre was Connor's trainer. To the crowd this would be a simple fight of the old guard against the new guard, and they would love only the victor. He also knew that Billy was better connected than he thought. If Billy had the whole truth about Shuji's request of Connor, his hopes of unraveling Billy's relationship with the Kenshi was fading fast. Finally there was the question of Andre. Would he come after Connor the same way he attacked Shuji and what had Billy done to provoke such rage? Connor was about to find out.
Across the pitch Andre checked the grassy surface for traction against his old shoes. Connor approached Andre in his shiny new suit with a humble face. Andre tore off in a mad dash directly toward Connor. Connor quickly took the position of the cat and flung Andre onto the ground utilizing his own momentum. Andre was quickly back on his feet exchanging blows with his former pupil. Connor matched every move and could tell that Andre was tired yet ravenous for victory. As Andre slightly paused to gain a firmer grip on his stick Connor struck his friend on his bad knee bringing him quickly to the ground. Andre writhed in pain on the ground.
Connor cautiously approached his injured friend and quickly met a blow across his face. Andre leaped up from the ground and limped aggressively toward Connor. Connor paced his defenses to match Andre's attack in hopes that he might talk some sense into his friend.
"You need to calm down Andre... I could take you out right now." Connor's voice was strained.
"Zen do it! All I have is gone!" Andre roared.
Connor intensified. "What did Billy do to you?!"
"He vill kill Lena if you not die!" Andre yelled.
Andre accelerated his attack and Connor nearly stumbled backwards onto the ground. By the time he recovered, Andre had swept his leg and was shoving him to the ground. Connor hit the pitch with a thud and Andre gave him two sharp hits on the clavicle to insure that he stayed down before the official called him off.
Connor collected his strength and slowly stood up. The fight resumed and Andre was moving quickly again. Connor deflected several of Andre's blows before his instincts kicked in and he connected a powerful blow to Andre's chin, knocking him to the floor for another point.
Andre stayed down and the official began to count. Connor hoped he would stay down, but the stubborn Ukrainian picked himself up again and charged Connor. Connor saw the opening, clasped his staff at one end with two hands and delivered a knockout blow to his trainer. Andre fell limp to the ground. Connor rushed to his friend and lifted his head. He could barely tell if Andre was breathing. A team of paramedics rushed onto the field as the ravenous crowd grew silent. Connor stayed with Andre as the paramedics carted him off the pitch and into a waiting ambulance. Maria stood ready by the ambulance with Connor's gear and handed it to him as he held the hand of his unconscious friend. Connor thanked her and entered the ambulance with the paramedics. Connor turned to look at Maria as the doors to the ambulance closed. Tears streamed down her face and then Connor felt them race down his cheeks as well.
Staff Master 2 Page 15
