"Yes, we have to keep our prize pets well fed," the waiter responded. "I shall return later to retrieve the dish. Is there anything I can get for you, sir?"
"No, but if you don't mind me asking, where do you get meat like this? I find it hard to believe they send you fresh meat at regular intervals."
The waiter gave a slight grin as he turned away. "Even in death the competitors serve a purpose."
Chapter 16
Scarface walked down the concrete alley, seeing the caged door before him. A sense of longing came over him as he recognized the purpose of the portal. Outside, the people cheered for action, and that only fed the raptor's exhilaration.
At once, the gate opened and Scarface entered, hearing the announcer declare his name. This arena was different from The Pit, where Scarface had fought before. Blood stained the walls and claw marks of a thousand battles scarred the edges of the arena. There were no obstacles, just an open area. Two competitors entered and only one exited.
The door at the opposite side of the stadium opened and Scarface hissed in anticipation of his opponent. Like lightning, a black and yellow serpent appeared. It glared at the raptor with unblinking eyes and spread its hood, making it appear to have tripled the size of its head. Metallic spikes, either forged afterward or bred into the creature's genetics, lined the hood and added to the fierce appearance.
Scarface was wary, but excited. The serpent was more than three times his length and clearly faster. However, Scarface had a mission. This creature was only an obstacle. He had overcome every obstacle in his life so far. This was no different.
The raptor lunged, testing the speed and reflexes of his adversary. The serpent quickly dodged and countered, Scarface barely able to avoid the creature's giant fangs. The serpent went on the offensive, working Scarface into a corner amidst the approving cries of the spectators.
The cold concrete greeted Scarface as he backed into the wall. But retreat was not his intent. The serpent flexed its muscles, giving Scarface the cue to leap away. Matching his opponent's speed, the raptor leapt up and forward as the strike came. Unable to stop, the serpent crashed into the wall and gave a shriek of surprise and pain.
The spectators cheered as Scarface lunged at the rear of the serpent. The tail moved quickly out of Scarface's striking range and coiled next to the serpent's head. A quick flex and the tip of the tail separated into three steel segments. Like a whip, the tail lashed out at Scarface.
Using the best of his abilities, Scarface judged the timing of each strike perfectly. Finding the opportune moment, he lashed out and caught the tail just behind the steel spines. He bit hard and twisted, snapping the weapon from its owner's body. The serpent shrieked and recoiled its tail, spreading the menacing hood ever farther.
With boosted confidence, Scarface crouched low and hissed a challenge of his own. The serpent snapped its head forward and a green liquid escaped its toothed maw. The raptor dodged and looked as the venom struck the concrete and began to smoke and sizzle. With the new danger present, Scarface once again became wary. He knew there was a time for action and a time for caution. Unsure of this new development, he chose caution.
Twice more did the serpent spit its acidic venom, and twice more did Scarface dodge. The serpent lunged forward again, but this time the venom only made it halfway to its intended target. The toxin could only be produced in set quantities, and now it had run out. Seeing his opportunity, Scarface leapt forward and latched on to the opposing creature’s neck with his jaws. The serpent shrieked but did not retreat. Instead, it threw its coils around the attacking raptor and began to squeeze.
Scarface could feel the death grip tightening around him, yet he refused to surrender. With every pound of pressure given to his body, he dug his talons deeper into his prey. For several moments there appeared to be little more than muscle spasms from either contender and the spectators watched as a pool of blood formed below their entertainment.
****
Trevor watched, sweating profusely as the serpent squeezed. If he lost Scarface, he would lose everything. The silence in the arena became unbearable as spectators began wondering who had won, or if both had been killed and they would lose their money regardless.
A stirring in the pile of flesh drew anxious gasps. Trevor gripped the railing as he watched. From between the folds of the serpent's coils, Scarface emerged and drew a victory cry. The raptor removed himself from his fallen victim amongst cries of joy or sorrow as bets had either been won or lost.
Trevor fell into his seat relieved when something caught his eye in the arena. Scarface had leaned over to one side, removed a small ivory-colored object from his side, and dropped it from his jaws.
"Well done," said Don as he approached Trevor with a stack of money. "It would appear that your raptor will serve well here after all."
"I want a medical team to run a diagnostic on Scarface," Trevor said.
"Oh, of course. Only the best for our entertainment."
Trevor was about to respond when sudden shouts drew his attention back to the arena. Scarface was staggering, a white froth forming in his mouth. A sudden realization hit Trevor.
"The serpent was able to get a fang into Scarface," came Trevor's words with a hint of dread. "There's venom in his system!"
Don began shouting orders as medical crews arrived in time to see the raptor buckle over and begin convulsing. Scarface was placed onto a stretcher as people drew blood samples and injected an I.V. into the creature's arm. One ran to collect the broken piece of Fang as other men dressed in black began to hose down the arena and remove the dead serpent.
The spectators settled down as the animals were removed. They cared nothing for the aftermath of the fight. For all they cared, after the fight was over and money was exchanged, the creature could die. Scarface had won, even if in the aftermath he died. They only sat anxiously and awaited the announcement on what the next contenders would be.
Chapter 17
"How is he?" Trevor asked as he watched through the operating window. Three doctors surrounded the unconscious raptor, taking notes and adjusting knobs to various instruments.
"It is hard to tell," said Korey Hook, the chief medical technician. "We are still analyzing the venom from the serpent. That is the thing with these genetic mutations. It could be a simple neurotoxin or it could be dissolving the raptor's tissue as we speak. It could be a simple enzyme or it could be a combination never seen in nature."
"So in other words you have no idea." Trevor swore under his breath and turned his attention to a computer console. "I might as well see if any new bounties popped up while I'm waiting. I hate staying in one place for too long."
"There is one thing," the technician said as he flipped through a few digital readouts. "Scarface appears to be having an unusual amount of REM readings."
"Rapid eye movement? You mean he's dreaming?"
"Either that, or he’s suffering from an effect of the venom. Either way, his immune system seems to have been kicked into overdrive. The tests are still preliminary, but I've never seen anything like this in a naturally born creature before. You've found quite the prize."
Trevor moved his attention from the computer to the viewing glass. He could see slight movement under the raptor's eyelids and then noticed the slight flexing and relaxing of the fingers and toes of the beast. He had heard that in times of induced stress one comes face to face with their inner demons as a type of manifestation of the ailment. If this were true, he could only imagine what Scarface's demons were like.
"I'm going out for a bit," Trevor told Korey. "I want updates as soon as his condition changes, either better or worse."
"Sir, we couldn't possibly-"
The technician was caught mid sentence as Trevor lashed out and began digging pressure into the scientist's neck with his thumb. "Now you listen to me," he scowled. "Part of my special training in the Khepri Military was interrogati
on techniques, namely torture. You will contact me. Otherwise, all of your limbs will be numb before you hit the floor. Do you understand?"
Korey, unable to speak, managed a slow nod. With that, Trevor released the man, who fell gasping to the ground.
"I have ways of getting whatever information I need. You're just lucky Scarface is unconscious right now. I haven't taken him out on a bounty hunt yet, and I am certain he will not be as kind. If you’ve seen what he’s capable of, as I have, you’ll be wise not to deny me."
Korey only watched as Trevor exited the room. He quickly grabbed his research and turned his attention to the workers behind the glass. "I want to know the moment that creature's condition changes," he said. "No excuses."
The doctors nodded and returned to working on the raptor. The technician glanced through the information he had, comparing it to notes from genetic experiments he examined in the past.
"I don't know what happened to you or where you came from," the technician muttered. "But I have never seen a creature like you before."
****
The next battle was well under way as Trevor took his seat to watch. A two-headed creature that looked like it had been modified from a raptor species like Scarface was dodging attacks from something that had the appearance of a gorilla crossed with a lizard.
Cheers erupted as the gorilla creature lifted its opponent high off the ground before throwing it across the arena. Trevor watched quietly, not caring which one won the match.
"Impressive creature you have there," someone said from behind Trevor. "Not often we get something that wasn't bred in a lab."
Trevor turned to see a man sitting behind him wearing a brown leather duster, a wide hat partially obscuring his face. "So did you win or lose the betting on my dinosaur?" Trevor asked.
The man laughed. "What kind of a fool do you take me for? Placing bets on the first round with unknown contenders? That's how a lot of these idiots lose their fortunes. I analyze each opponent for the first couple of rounds, taking it all in. Then I can gauge which has the best chance based on body type, attack, defense, and tactics."
"So how many bets have paid off?"
The man looked from under his hat, revealing blue eyes and three parallel scars running across the right side of his face. "If there's one thing I've learned in my experience, it's never to let anyone know how much you're worth. My winnings are my business."
An eruption of cheers signaled that the fight was over. Trevor gazed into the pit to find the gorilla lizard beating its chest and howling in triumph over its two-headed competitor. Groups of people either sat down in defeat or went to the tables to collect their winnings. A moment later, the noise died down into quiet conversations as the workers began the process of readying the arena once again.
"Well, you certainly know your way around, stranger," said Trevor. "What do you go by in case I need some advice?"
The man tipped his hat. "You can call me Simon. And if there's anything for us in the future, I'll contact you."
"Simon, then."
"You know, I bring up your raptor for a reason. You see, I had my own encounter with one a few years ago."
****
"Incredible," Korey said as he looked through the microscope. "Absolutely incredible."
On the slide below the lens, a sample of Scarface's blood glowed red from the light underneath. The technician pulled away and rubbed his eyes, the intense staring beginning to take its toll on his vision. Deciding to take a break, he pressed a button that lit up a monitor on the far side of the wall. While he preferred witnessing events in the microverse with his own eyes, digital projections offered an acceptable alternative.
The monitor showed several red blood cells, along with a high number of white cells and invading proteins of the serpent venom. While the venom itself was awe inspiring, the raptor's reaction to it was even more so.
Pulling out a recording device, Korey pressed a button and began speaking. "Further analysis of the subject known as Scarface has proven to be quite beneficial. The initial reaction of the venom overwhelmed the subject's system and caused a near fatal encounter. The venom itself seems to be evolving; changing itself as the body begins to produce antibodies. But Scarface's immune system appears to be evolving just as rapidly, if not more so."
The technician faced the monitor and the venom soon began overtaking the blood cells, turning the sample black. "What is more interesting is that soon after a blood sample is taken, the venom overwhelms the cells and destroys them. Yet the victim itself seems to be recovering. I have reason to believe the creature's will to live may be a contributing factor, and once a sample of flesh is taken from the host it is cut off from said factor. Never before have I seen an animal such as this. With the evolving antibodies, if successfully harvested, I could revolutionize the medical field."
Looking in at the sleeping raptor the technician noticed the vital signs had begun to stabilize, further causing him to believe his hypothesis on the creature's will. "I will have to devise something soon in order to gain access to the antibodies. At this rate the creature will soon recover and the evolving antibodies will be lost."
Switching off the recorder, Korey made his way toward the glass. On the opposite side, he could see the steady breathing and telltale signs of rapid eye movement. The technician leaned in closer and rubbed his chin as he thought aloud.
"What is it about you that makes you fight so hard to survive? If you could only tell about who you are and what dreams you have..."
Chapter 18
Scarface's eyes twitched rapidly in his venom-induced coma. His mind tried to move his body but failed, only managing to send repeating images of the raptor's most trying times in his life. The Black Dragon training facility. Before that, the Khepri military. The times he was beaten down and stricken, leaving bruises on his body.
Even further back, the venom worked to send his fears and frustrations to the surface. The burned raptor that rejected him, giving the young raptor the scars along the left side of his face, and all the pain after that. Then the humans. The humans who took his family from him. His brothers and sisters were gone because of them. His parents were dead because of them. All his pain was because of them!
Scarface awoke with a jolt, writhing and screaming. His restraints did nothing to withhold the full fury of the raptor. Those binds that did not give way were torn from the table, leaving leather straps bound to the raptor's arms and legs. This caused the memory of the binds the Black Dragon had used to restrain him to surface, giving even more fuel to his fury.
Doctors rushed in with sedatives and anesthetics, but upon seeing them Scarface unleashed moves and techniques that had long become second nature to him. The drugs that did manage to be injected were overpowered by the surges of adrenaline in the raptor's system, and all who raised a hand against him were stricken down.
Induced into a blind fury, Scarface attacked and dismembered everything in his sight. Living entities and inanimate objects alike were treated with equal rage. Once everything in the room was destroyed, Scarface searched frantically for another target. He was nowhere near finished. His rage had been suppressed for far too long. Now it was erupting in full force.
On the opposite side of the glass wall, Korey Hook stared in a mixture of wonder and horror. Never could he have imagined anything to be so powerful. He found the creature's movements awe inspiring, even to the point where it stared at the glass, then beyond it, as if the fire in Scarface's eyes were enough to melt the barrier between them.
Scarface shrieked, charging the glass and landing with the full weight of an enraged beast. The window shattered, sending sprays of glass in all directions. Before Korey could react consciously, he found himself on his back. His left arm was in the raptor's maw. Dismembered, being severed just above the elbow.
Korey could not feel the pain as he reached over to where his arm was once attached, a cold sweat
pouring over his body. He could not move, his nerves frozen and eyes locked on the bloodthirsty gaze of the godlike creature before him.
Scarface was about to go in for the kill when the doorway opened. A technician entered, at first unaware of the carnage around him. Upon seeing the scene laid out in the lab, realization came too slowly as Scarface plowed through. The impact to the man's chest was enough to kill him instantly.
Korey forced his way to his feet, ignoring the pain that crept from where his arm once was. He could not help but smile as he listened to the screams down the hall, madness creeping into him as he thought of what his future now held.
This was his purpose now. The raptor had shown him how powerful nature itself could be. Before he worked here, the technician had been developing prosthetic limbs. His arm could easily be replaced. Then he would go to the home world of this creature. His smile spread wider as he thought of how he could improve on such a divine beast.
****
Trevor was unable to sleep. He spent hours turning in bed before opting to take a stroll in the hallways. The majority of the guests had retired, their rooms darkened. It took some time, but eventually Trevor found himself in the main sitting area. He was about to sit down when he noticed a dark figure down the hall.
Feeling uneasy, the bounty hunter stood to leave but found the other exit blocked by a second figure dressed in the same black style. He did not have to think hard to know who these men were. He also knew there would be more. The Black Dragon had found him.