Walking on the ground floor that is covered completely in dirt just for the arena it was solid and hard. It reminded her of the gladiator days. Looking down soon they would be coming in one by one. The rules were simple. This was all a test for Gage. Nico and Dimitri title as Dons of their countries would not be effected rather they win or lose. Angelo however seeing as his reign was actually ending left it up to the fight which was a right the Dons also had. The older ones loved the fact if they had no real heir they would put themselves in the trail and should thy get beaten fairly than they would happily and graciously hand over their spot. It was like a retirement thing for them. Even if they left they knew their men and more would be in good hands. It was a straight combat fight, no weapons allowed your only tool is your very own body. You fight until your body gives up or you black out. Simple as that.
If you have been discovered to have used weapons your consequences were severe it didn't matter if you were the opponent or the contender. The Don would have a few options available to you. Either all the Dons present get to beat or torture you. You give up your title for breaking the rules. Which is like insulting the Don as much as slapping him across the face. Everyone promises and swears to go by the rules of the ring if you cheat you're a liar and no one lies to the Don. You could face death as in the tester could beat you until you are no longer breathing. So many other creative thoughts could come across is head there really was no telling what could happen but to say you would come out in one piece was not an option. Only thing left to do right now is to see what fate will unfold and hope for the best.
Looking around the room the Don's and some of their men were in there with him. Gage chose to be left alone he wanted a clear head. He needs his family away from him. Well for the most part Angelo was there with his newly found uncles, but they were giving him his space. It was like a side room they all were stretching and warming up in. "Relax my friend it is not so bad. I have done this many times. Mainly for the fun." Nico told him in his thick accent with a wink. "I believe it. I wish you luck." Gage told him as he stuck out his hand to shake it. Nico looked down at it and him for a few minutes until he lowered his hand.
"I see it now. I see why she choose you. I see why you do all this. Tess. You know she." Nico seemed to be struggling for the words to come out. "I have known that woman for many years. We have bled, sweated and cried. Well I cried side by side many years. She is truly something amazing and I did my best to show her the best in me, alas it was not what she needed in her future journey. I come here now and see you. I see you and her. The mess you make with each other. This is what she needs. That is real love my friend. The mess you make and clean up together makes everything grow into things you never saw coming to make you both better. She would not have that with me for I would have just caved to anything she wanted. I am happy for you. I wish you well." Nico told him yanking him into a hug than smacking his shoulder to walk away to join his men who were also smiling at him as they helped him warm up.
"You know that man can be one of the few things that drives me crazy but he is insanely smart and strong." Angelo told him standing right behind him. "How you doing kid?" "You know what I'm actually alright. I'm a lot more ready for this than I thought I would be. I guess I just really want to get to certain parts." Gage answered glaring at Dimitri who was already throwing darts in his eyes.
"Yeah, I can understand that." Angelo nodded after following Gage's view than to look back at him still standing there arms cross. "I have no doubt you will come out of this with flying colors. You just need to remember to harness the hatred you feeling in a positive way. Don't let it cloud your vision and take over. Let it fuel you not control you." "I remember Angelo." Gage told him with a smile. "Look I know I haven't been handling everything the best way I could have. I know I should have stepped up sooner, been a better man and controlled myself better when everything feel into place. I'm sorry I wasn't the man she deserved to have by her. I just want you to know that I will never make that mistake again. I mean I will still fuck up, maybe even a lot, with no doubt in my mind but I will be better about handling it. I've learned and suffered through my lessons and I will never drag your daughter through anything like that ever again." Stepping closer to Angelo to where he was in front of him.
"One of the worst mistakes I did was letting you take your approval of my claim back. I should have fought you for it than and there. I was stupid and blind. I can see everything so clearly now though Don Alderman and I will never let her go again once she accepts my claim back for her. I just was hoping that when she does you would find it in yourself to be able to approve me again and I swear to you I will never disappoint or let either one of you down ever again." The whole room was silent watching intently. Angelo men smirking to themselves they loved the man standing in front of their boss. Gage to them reminded them of what real men were like back in their day. To go straight to someone and handle business with them. To be man enough to fix the problem.
"I've always liked you Gage. That hasn't stopped or changed in anyway. Hell honestly I see you as a son more than anything." Angelo told him loud enough for only Gage to hear making them both smile slightly. Angelo got a little louder as he spoke next. "I tell you what though kid. You beat me you get my title as Don of America and my approval once again. It would be interesting to see a man in this entire world beat me and take two things from no man walking this Earth has ever been able to do. Good luck kid." Angelo gave him a hug and walked away.
"It's custom and tradition before the trail starts for the opponents to come speak together as a form of natural respect. Even if you can't stand the other person. It is done because if by some miracle you do win you will be apart of the bigger picture and we will still have to deal with each other as Dons so things must be how you say civil. So opponents come and speak to each other as a fresh start. I think we can both agree there is no real respect here for either of us. You don't belong in this world Gage. It has nothing to do with you being book smart or lack of other languages or even how this side of the world actually operates. It has nothing to do with your social class or family. You just don't belong here Gage. This was never your life. You were never raised or trained for this. This is life changing. You will never be who you are again. Its forever changing you in ways you may never be ready for. Other people in this world depend on you in ways you could never imagine. You have how you say a big heart. A heart of gold, no? What makes you think you can do what we do and still keep yourself? The things we see. The messes we cleanup is something you can never unsee. You see things that make you want to set the world on fire and hate humanity. See and do things that tare the soul piece by piece. Little by little. It is why it is so easy for people like us to turn it off, especially after so long." Dimitri asked him stepping closer to him.
"You don't have to do all this. You can still have a white picket fence, your first born free to be whatever they want to be. Keep them safe from all this what is it you call us soul-less monsters. The reason people don't come out at night. You can still keep your hands and sins cleaner than they will be on this side of the fence. Can you stand and live with yourself for killing another human being? I don't think you can be the man she needs you to be. You don't have the strength in you. You proved that already when you walked out on her. You don't deserve another chance with her. You will resent her later down this road as you change from what this life does to you. I don't say this to disrespect you I say this because it is truth. Not many people get a choice to become a part of these. You have been given many chances to have a clean out no one in this world can say that but a handful of people who earned it. You don't belong here Gage. You don't deserve her." Gage was looking him in the eye.
Taking steps until he was nose to nose with him. "Let's not go on running your mouth about shit you know nothing about. You and your biased opinion. You aint nothing but a stereo type piece of shit. You know that? You have no idea what I can really handle and put myself through, oh but my brotha you bout find out. I'm not the only who made a mistake with her few days back. You made it a point to go behind her back and do the one thing she told you not to do. You were supposed to be her friend and you stabbed her in the heart and the back. On her birthday no less. You think you really deserve her either. You shady as man. Look I understand what your saying and for the most part I see where you coming from because some of it is real truth but the rest of that noise. You need to start wiping your mouth better because it seems you got some shit falling off."
You seem to forget I've been working with your ass and it is no question over between us who the smart one really is. You know nothing about what kind of man I really am but boy you going to learn today. I will never back down off of MY woman for anyone especially not some jealous ass little boy who is dying in the friend zone. Yeah don't even act like I don't see you drowning it. You didn't have me tied up and down tell me her story for my benefit bro. You did that because you was jealous and couldn't take the thought that she was in love with me. You waited until she had my ring on her finger to pull some fucked up shit. You still doing it man. You need to start understanding her as well as you think you do. You are the one who doesn't deserve her. You are the one who doesn't get her. If she wanted to be with you dude she would have a hell of a long time ago right?"
"Yet here you stand still like a bitch in heat barking up her tree. You are the one who will never be the man she needs. You don't even have a clue on what that is. I know her soul inside and out better than anyone here. IT WAS ME she showed her real self to. IT WAS ME who showed what real emotion is like. IT WAS ME who got her to stay with one man. IT WAS ONLY ME who got her to say yes. IT WILL BE ME AND ONLY ME who will be left standing today claiming what is and has always been mine. If you don't like them facts you can shove it straight up your sorry ass because I really don't give a flying fuck what you think, want or feel. I'm not leaving EVER!" Gage told him as they were as close as they could get face to face. Smirking to him with a wink Dimitri stepped back. "We'll see."
"Come on kid, Nico and everyone is ready." Eddie told him. Walking into sight to see Nico getting his hands wrapped up by another man only to have another one walk up to him. The crowd going nuts in excitement to what was about to start. Walking to the three men they all nodded. Gage this is Don Mateo Lopez Don of Spain." The man nodded as he was wrapping Nico's hands up. "This tall drink of dark water is the main head Don of Africa. There are many Dons in Africa but he sees them all for Angelo. Don Dumi Jelani. Boys meet Gage Brooks the future King." Nico winked to him. "We shall see won't we. Got to say no one ever saw you coming." Mateo shook his hands.
"The man is darker than I am. Ain't no one see him coming." Dumi told them as he wrapped Gage's hands as they all laughed hard. "Gage we are going to be over seeing your fight here tonight. You will get two new Dons to watch fight. I know all about your little scuffle lets say with Dimitri so Angelo pulled two Dons who have no problem with either one of you so its fair. You will come out and get your hands re-wrapped before each fight by another Don in front of your opponent to make sure neither of you carry any weapons on to this area." Dumi told him. "Our purpose of being here is to make sure you are only using your body. No one else comes in to disturb your fight you be amazed how many times it almost happens. Also in case you guys need medical attention, or if one of you gets knocked out but the other person isn't stopping we pull the other one off. While the other one gets restrain and taken to get punished. Understood?" Mateo asked him in a calm and informative voice. Only to have Gage nod to him.
"Tonight we have the last trail of Gage Brooks. May tonight all men fight with honor, valor and integrity. Good luck Mr. Brooks. You will need it as you face the devil himself. Should you beat him you will be the first man world wide to do so." Turning back to the crowd. "Tonight we be making history with a whole new legend or witnessing another failed attempt to come take a place that is unattainable only by two others who have been able to claim it as theirs!" Dumi roared as the whole football filled sized room underground roared up with him. " Gage the opponents you face tonight get pulled as you go. So right now they are pulling to see who goes next it's completely random. Whenever you two are ready." Mateo told them as he walked to one side and Dumi went far to the other. Lifting their fist to bump each other stepping a few steps back staring at each other. Trail started.
Moving around in slow steps circling with each other getting a feel for the others steps, movements and body they quickly studied each other. Nico came at him out of nowhere. A fist barely missing his jaw. It was apparent he was aiming for his temple but Nico was missing some height to even come close to Gage. Stepping back Gage stayed n the defense side stepping last minute or turning his body with each attack from both swinging arms and legs of Nico. Nico managed to trip him a few times as he tucked and rolled before Nico could continue his assault. Nico was fast and quick hitting Gage he did manage to get him in the face. The ribs with a strong quick that knocked the air out of him. The crowd went wild as Nico speared Gage into a wall. Gage finally decided to go on the offensive after learning what he needed to.
Picking Nico up he threw him clear across a few feet in the arena. The crowd went silent in shock. Gage quickly walked up to him grabbed him by the neck and threw him back a few more feet until he was in the center the crowd was speechless. Once Gage was back on Nico as it took everything in him to stand. His ribs were damaged from the fall and landing on them. The air knocked out of him from the impact as well. By the time Nico stood up and turned around Gage fist went right to the right side of Nicos head knocking him out instantly. Once both Dons deemed Nico unfit they claimed Gage as the winner.
The whole room was silent. When Gage bent down to pick up Nico and help him out of the arena to the Doctors on the side where they happily took him. The whole place went up in cheer and roaring. Gage stood proud looking around until his eyes went to Tessenia. She meet his eyes with intensity he felt into his core. She was emotionless in the outside. Looking into her eyes he felt everything she was feeling down to his soul. What she would have gave to be able to go down there and take him away from this. Knowing this was all her fault.
He could feel the guilt roll off her in waves. Wanting to take that emotional hurt from her. Deep down they both knew the only way to live happily in their lives together was to do this. His whole world and future was sitting there looking down on him and he would be dammed if he let anyone come in between them and the beautiful life they would create together. Turning he sees two new dons with wraps in their hands. Remembering the next fighter is chosen randomly he looked a few feet behind him. Looking back to Tessa to see her eyes fixated on the one he couldn't see yet. Looking back to him the hurt in her eyes was a clear guess who it was. Looking up to see who was behind them he felt a little disappointed knowing this would have to happen. This is it.