Gods of Arena
Bad Moon Rising

Kang stared blankly at the screen. His face stared back at him on the left side. On the right side, the beep had stopped on another fighter. He didn't recognize that one... like many of the faces on the screen. "Are you alright, Kang?", Romeo asked, as he walked up to him. "You look like you are scared of this one"

He wasn't scared. He wasn't even thinking of the fight. "Who's that guy?"

"You don't know him?", Romeo asked, wondering. "He's a top-tier bully. There's no way you don't know him... except you locked yourself in the room, throughout last week"

"I have to admit I don't know many of those faces", Kang replied. "Where is Dan?"

"The Larger Figures came to pick him up again. They found a gun under his bed"

"Did he really have a gun?"

"No. They put it there themselves", Romeo replied. "Come on, let's leave here... That guy must believe you are weak now. However way you won your first fight, do it again" "Stop talking like I'm scared", Kang said and smiled. "The fights seem a lot of fun lately. I will kick his ass"

****

Dennis walked in and closed the door behind him. Dan looked up, slowly. It's the same man he expected. "I know that look. It's one of disappointment"

"You need to believe me. The real killer is out there, still roaming freely", Dan pleaded.

"Do I really care? We have you already, don't we?", Dennis replied, smiling mischievously. "No one needs to search around when all we actually need is a scapegoat"

Dan's face dropped. Pleading with the masked idiot was a waste of time. "You don't care", he muttered. "You know I didn't do this but you don't really care who did it"

"Looks like you're finally learning", Dennis said and pulled off his mask. "So let's talk about what is NOT going to save you. The moment I walked in, I sensed you didn't want to see me. Not just that, there is someone you really wanted to see... isn't there?"

"Where are you driving at?"

"She's not going to walk through that door because seeing you was illegal in the first place", Dennis said in whispers. "I don't want to expose her.... Since she's not going to interfere in this case"

Dan smiled disappointedly. "I know your face. We've met, haven't we?... That's why you had the mask"

"I can't recall... if you can't recall, then it never happened"

"Leave Ana out of this. What do you want with me?"

"Sincerely, someone just had to bear the cross", Dennis said, stepping closer. "You could just confess your sin and make the process faster"

"I'm not going to-"

Dennis punched his face. That was about the tenth hit he had received since he got there. His face was sore already. "You can choose to resist till I break you.... The result is certain"

Dan gritted his teeth, pulling his hand from the cuffs which clung tightly to his wrists. He had gotten weak already. He couldn't even use his Shin Zhu.

"So King wants to know who committed the crime", Dennis continued. "I wanted to tape your confession but it's really needless. I'll just deliver your head to him"

The door opened, suddenly. Their eyes darted at Ana's face, as she brought her head in. "King wants to see the killer"

"Oh... alright", Dennis said and glanced at Dan, wearing an unsatisfied smile. "Looks like it's your lucky day"

"I didn't do this, Ana. You know it"

"Don't say a word", she replied, pulling him with her. She was careful not to make an eye contact with him. They were heading to King. Dan probably didn't know the horror ahead of him. She had had multiple interactions with King on many occasions, mostly uncomfortable, but he rarely demanded to see her... whenever he did, it was never a good omen. She had to get prepared for every meeting. Her uncle had ordered her to keep her peace. They didn't have a choice anyway. They weren't in control.

They walked into King's lair and she pulled him forward. "This is him", she said. "He is Dan; one of our best fighters in the Arena"

"I didn't ask you to speak", King replied bluntly. "I know who Dan is. I am a big fan myself"

She had said that to probably get his mercy. The best fighters were able to get a lot of money out of the pockets of the Gamblers. King definitely wouldn't want to lose one. "I was just saying-"

"Quiet!", King said and stood up. His eyes were fixed on Dan. There was no anger in it. Dan glanced at his face for a second. That was the first time they were actually meeting. The look on King's face was a confusing one. You'd never expect to get that look from a fellow man. The last time Dan ever saw that look, it was on his own face and he was staring at Ana.

"I didn't do it"

"Quiet, again", King muttered. "Don't kill the feeling... You can't Imagine what I felt, staring at that body again and again. It would be priceless to the Gamblers... but I'm not going to share it. I wonder what I was thinking when I gave the likes of you out so cheaply."

He clapped and three soldiers walked in immediately. They seized Dan and pushed him into a cage, forcing him on his knees. They tied his limbs, making him unable to stand up. "Fuck!...", Dan shook his body violently. "What are you going to do to me?!"

"That tug", he muttered, silently and seductively. "That's the spirit"

"What are you going to do to him?", Ana asked.

"It's not your business. You can leave now", he replied and watched her walk towards the door. "I am excited for tomorrow's match. How about you?"

She swallowed. "Everyone is excited"

"Yes. The Gamblers are so eager to watch him fight again", King said. "I hope you are not pissed if he wins again. He will make me a lot more money than most of the top-tiers"

"Enjoy your day, King", she replied, without looking back, and walked out.

****

He still wasn't thinking about the fight... but there was a need for some preparation anyway. His opponent had a lot of hype already. It was late. The lights would soon go off. He grabbed the nylon and counted the pills in it. There was just six left. "It's just bonus life, right?", he muttered and poured all six into his mouth.

He vomited it immediately, pouring the six pills on the ground. He spat. "Fuck!". He reached for a bottle of water by the nightstand and took a gulp, bending down to pick the pills. "You're not going anywhere".

He poured the six pills back in his mouth and swallowed them with another gulp of water. The lights went off, immediately. He stood up and fell on his bed, covering himself with his blanket and expecting another motivational dream that definitely won't happen.

....

His eyes blinked open... well, he was very sure his eyes were open. He raised his hands and touched the wall, gently. He couldn't see anything at all. It was as dark as the black color. He touched his eyes gently. "What is happening to me?", he muttered.

He could feel his strands of hair on his face. His hair was never that long... was it?

A door opened. He could feel every slight noise and movement. That was totally unusual. A man stood at the door, staring at him. He could sense a level of familiarity. He definitely knew who it was, though he couldn't see the face. "I didn't believe the Bad Moon Rising would still be alive after ten years without air, food or water..... The Medium warned about this. I should have listened"

He turned slowly and looked towards the door. He couldn't see it but he was pretty sure where the door was. "Who are you?", he asked and took a step closer. He didn't need an answer from him. The light wind was pretty clear. "The Shin Zhu God"

"I almost thought you had forgotten me", the man replied, stepping closer to him. His voice was slightly changed. He sounded more like he was awed. "The Medium predicted this. The Bad Moon Rising will gouge out his eyes never to see evil again... then he will become the evil he strives to avoid"

"I know you..... You killed her. You made me this. You made me a monster"

The man shook his head. "No. You made yourself a monster... as long as you live, the future of humanity is threatened"

The man pulled out a sword and swung it at him. He bent backwards, avoiding the hit. He could hear the swing sharply. He could feel the heat from the blades. He could feel the strength of the man before him. He was really strong. "You are not going to kill me like you killed her"

"Sorry, Kang. It's you against a million souls", the man replied and pushed his palm forward, throwing a wave against Kang.

Kang saw it coming. He pushed back, throwing the man against the wall. "You don't stand a chance against me"

The man stood up and clenched his fist tightly. The earth grumbled beneath Kang's feet. He could feel the walls cracking and the concrete above them would probably fall upon them in no time. "I will always be the Shin Zhu God", the man said in an hoarse voice, as huge stones rose up in the air around Kang.

The stones darted at him swiftly and Kang raised a finger, turning all of them into sand immediately. "I will always be your Nemesis", he replied, as he walked directly to the Shin Zhu God, holding him up by the throat. "You are no god" A stick sprung out of the ground beneath the man, still held by the neck up in the air. "Kill me and a thousand versions of me will return for your head"

The stick grew further, piercing into the man's anus with it's sharp edge and forcing it's way up. The stick grew taller and went further up into the man's body. "I will be waiting for a thousand versions of you", Kang replied and left the man, hanging up there on the stick. The stick grew further, forcing it's way up till it shot out of his mouth, holding a large intestine at it's tip.