2/13 Game: Crime Does Pay

[Starfish]

Timeline: Feb. 19th


Darren: "Big crowd, huh babe?" Darren whispered to Selene as they 'mingled' "times like this I really wish I wasn't immune to your telepathy, we'll just have to be extra careful."

Selene: Selene's dress that night might have been out of place for the rundown neighbourhood they found themselves in, but fit right in with the crowd of people they joined at the entrance to the nondescript warehouse. FIt in with most of them, anyway. The audience was definitely mixed.

Selene: ""Indeed," she whispered back, keeping her arm hooked into Darren's as they made their way to the door. "And a quite interesting one, too. I'm tempted to liberate the one or other shiny bauble, you know?"

Pietro: Pietro cast his eyes around the place from the bar area, certainly was a deceptive building. He took in some of the faces in the crowd, trying to see if there was anyone he recognised here yet.

Darren: "So long as you don't get caught," Darren gave her a dazzeling smile before running his hand slightly self conciously through his dark but slightly silver streaked hair, "you know, compared to some here I feel kinda mundane, it's an odd feeling."

Hepzibah: Hepzibah was in full Jessica mode. Her appeareance was fully human. She wished she had a tail to swish to get rid of some of her anxiety. Hector is going to kill me... "Kyle, are you absolutely sure you want to do this??" She asked quietly.

Kyle: Kyle was leaning agains teh wire mesh of the cage watchign the people inside fight. He cringed each time someone didn't move fast enough to block or just plain lost a tooth. but other than that, it kind of looked fun. "Uh-huh," he nodded with a wide grin.

Jay: Jay was in slightly battered jeans, ripped at the knees, glass of something alcoholic in hand as he watched the crowds, trying to ignore the appreciative glances over his wings. He felt like shit still, but it felt so good to be out. He just hoped he could do something to help.

Selene: "Don't worry, love," Selene replied, smirking at Darren. "I'll make sure to turn heads for both of us." Her dark outfit might have been borderline scandalous at other places, but then and there it actually was one of the tamer ones. They passed a group of abnormally large bouncers on the way inside.

Pietro: Pietro picked up his drink and moved into the crowd, listening for anything that might warrent attention.

Jay: He'd spotted someone who looked suspiciously like Kyle at the ring, along with a girl he recognised as Hepzibah in full human, and decided to hang back. He didn't feel like being grilled yet.

Darren: Darren squeezed Selene's arm with his own, "Oh you always do ... you know I feel kinda short without my hair even though this guy's like 6'3", bizare huh?" He nodded when he spotted the couple next to thr ring, "Oh look Pussy-"must. not. laugh. mustnot! "it's Jess and Kevin."

Hepzibah: Hepz's green eyes were wide as she watched on with Kyle. "Alright, then," she sighed dejectedly. "Just watch yourself, ok Fido?" She put her hand on his shoulder, then adjusted her insanely expensive dress and fur coat. Fur coat was kind of ironic if she thought about... which she didn't.

Selene: Selene's gaze scanned the crowd once they were inside, noting where the others had already taken their place. She avoided looking at them too long, since no one had to know they actually belonged together. "Ah yes, how exciting," she replied, putting on a fake grin. "I knew they wouldn't want to miss this spectacle."

Jay: Jay sipped his drink, rolling an aching shoulder. The flight had been short and easy, but he'd still been in pain and breathless when he landed, the alcohol as much to ease his throat as to take the edge off his nerves. He eyed the fighters currently in the ring.

Darren: Why did she let me make her an ID in that name? I must be insane, there's no way I can do this without having hysterics ... why did I think this was a good idea again? Because I'm a moron, that's why.

JohnnyDee: Johnny was silently sliding through the crowd, nothing else than just another member of the audience in a trenchcoat. Hopefully there would be a few spectacular fighters in tonight's brawl.

Pietro: Pietro positioned himself near a crowd of loud and chatty individuals and settled against the wall.

Kyle: "Uh-huh," Kyle just nodded again, only half listening to Hepz by then, still watching the guy with hte metal hands pummel the green lizard guy.

Darren: Darren patted the wallet in his jacket's breast pocket that contained the money Farouk had given them, "The real question is, do we trust Kevin's skill enough to bet on him when he goes in, hmm?"

Jay: Jay had to admit, it was nice to mix with humans and not run the risk of being beaten the shit out of. He vaguely remembered a couple of regulars at the poker tables discussing something like this, though they'd stopped when they realised he was there.

Selene: "Oh, don't worry, honey," Selene said sweetly, giving Darren a winning smile. "Believe me when I say that he has some unbelievable moves." She basically dragged him over to the other two. "Let's say hello to them, shall we, baby?"

Darren: "Sure thing, sweetums," Darren smiled, despite the internal hackles rising at the mental images that brought up.

Kyle: Kyle cringed again, the lizard guy just wouldn't give up. "Who you think will win?" Kyle asked Hepz.

Hepzibah: Hepz looked about, spotting a few other student and making eye contact with Darren and Selene. Sel's dress was even more scandalous than hers. Stopping herself from giving Kyle a kiss on the temple, she squeezed his shoulder instead. She was there as his 'sponsor' - "You, Fido. I think you will win." She smiled and hoped she sounded convincing.

Jay: Jay coughed, then sniffed thickly. At least he didn't need to give an excuse why he wasn't fighting yet, if it got that far. But he had to do something. He'd been out of the loop way too long. He rolled his shoulder, carefully extending one wing and then the other and tucking them close again.

Sailor_Soldier: The sailor soldier girl skipped happily through the crowd, dragging a heavy baseball bat behind that scratched over the ground quite loudly.

Selene: "Hello, lovelies," Selene said, flashing a grin at Hepz and Kyle as she swayed over, Darren in tow. "What a pleasant surprise to see you tonight."

Kyle: "Huh? What? Oh, no, umm, I mean with these guys." Kyle said, looking at Hepz and seeing her attention wasn't on the fight. He turned to look what she was looking at and suddenly saw Selene and Darren right behind him. "Hi." he grinned.

Darren: A flash of red caught his eye and Darren looked over, face falling as he did so, "Oh no ..."

Pietro: Pietro sighed inwardly and wondered where Monet was. She was doing a fine job of 'keeping an eye' on him from where ever the hell she'd hidden herself. He managed not to roll his eyes.

Darren: He pressed a quick kiss to Selene's temple, "Excuse me a moment ladies," and made his way over to where he'd spotted his very sick roomie ... what the fuck did Jay think he was doing here!?

Sailor_Soldier: Quite a few heads turned around as she passed in her short violet skirt and with gently bouncing giant bows on her. She answered the confused looks with a bright smile that wasn't the slightest bit dimned by the feathery mask she was wearing.

Jay: Jay took another mouthful of drink, before checking his ponytail, wincing at a punch in the cage. Well...this was going to be interesting. He swallowed, taking another drink to hide the wince at his throat.

Hepzibah: "So, when do you think this show is going to get on the road?" The sooner this got started the sooner they could go home. The sight of a bobbing bow made even Hepz stare and she'd seen it all.

Kyle: "I signed up for the next fight. Kevin." he added the name to make sure they knew he didn't use the wrong one. He almost had..

Selene: "Of course, love," Selene casually waved a hand at Darren, immediately replacing his arm with Hepz'. "We can keep ourselves entertained, no?" She gave Hepz a suggestive smile. "So, did you come to watch the fights? Or did you plan to bet some money on your dashing champion here?"

Darren: "... Good lord ..." Darren muttered as the manga girl skipped past with the bat, "It's Gogo Yubari ... or something ..."

Selene: "Really?" Selene grinned at Kyle, before glancing over at the ring, where a guy just went down, blood spurting from his mouth. "Better be careful then. It's a big, chaotic free for all in there."

Jay: Jay stared at the...skippy thing. Well...this was an all-comers, right...?

Hepzibah: "Ky - Kevin here is under my sponsorship - so my money is on him." She managed a smile back at Sel. She didn't look at the cage.

Darren: Anyways, he made his way over to Jay, his friend looked glanced at him but didn't recognise him, obviously and he gave the winged mutant a glassy smile since there were other people regarding Jay with interest, "Good evening."

Pietro: Pietro caught sight of the girl with the bows and raised an eyebrow as she dragged her bat through the crowd. That was... different...

Jay: Jay blinked as he was spoken to directly, before remembering his manners and inclining his head. "Evenin'." Smart, middle-aged businessman, well-dressed. "Can Ah help y'all?" His voice was a little hoarse from the flight, still. Stay calm.

Kyle: Kevin blinked at the two girls chatting in front of him, and then heard someone yell behind him. When he turned he saw one guy, with shiny fists, call for help. The lizard guy was announced as a winner. And then somone called his name.

Darren: "I was wondering if perhaps I might have a word?" Darren gave him a nod.

Jay: Oshit. Don't tell me Ah scored already. Jay nodded again, smiling a little thinly. He wished he could hide his accent, but he didn't want to risk his voice - he was better, but not cured, after all. "After you."

Selene: "Go break some bones," Selene said cheerfully, waving her fingers at Kyle. "And don't go easy on them, will you? We're here for excitement," As she snuggled closer to Hepz, she scanned their surroundings for anyone who might take an interest in them. "Oh, we so have to bet some money on him, no," she told the other girl.

Darren: Darren lead them over to a relitivly seculded corner, hoping like hell that the girls kept themselves out of trouble while he wasn't around, be rounding on Jay and reverting to his normal voice as he hissed angrily, "The fuck do you think you're doing, man!?"

Jay: Jay blinked at the man for a second, the voice not quite- "Darren?" He hissed suddenly, wings flaring a little. "Dat you? Fuckin' hell, you had me fooled dere." He grinned, stalling.

Hepzibah: Hepz leaned forward in one piece and whispered in Kyle's ear. "Come back in one piece, Fido." She kiss his temple and patted his shoulder

Kevin: "Yo! I'm Kevin, over here!" Keving called as he shifted past people, making his way to the entrance of hte cage. He got the drill of no killing or serious injuries. He just had to fight, make it look good, and not to die.

Kevin: Kevin snorted and laughed and stepped into the ring. The lizard guy wasn't up for another round, so somone else was coming in to challenge him.

Darren: "Who else is it gonna be? Sure as hell ain't the virgin Mary," Darren growled, "you gotta call me Alex when I'm like this though, and why the hell're you here? You're fucking sick remember?"

JohnnyDee: Johnny looked into the ring. The lizzard guy hadn't been that interesting, but the next boy...he had charisma...

Jay: "Like Ah could forget, seein' as everyone's tellin' me dat." Jay snorted, then coughed. "Seriously, though, man. Ah'm just here t' watch. Nothin' else. Ah'm sick of sittin' at home." He took another drink, glancing to the ring. "Head's up, Kyle's in." He said quietly.

Eddie: "Out of the way!!!", yelled a black clad male from the crowd, unbeknownly shoving Pietro as he advanced to the ring.

Selene: Selene reached for a hidden pouch underneath her dress and pulled out a roll of money. The stressed guy handling the bets was hard to miss on his pedestal, trying to keep up with what was going on around him. "Ten grand on the adorable furball," she called, tossing him the money, He caught the money and stared at her, then nodded eagerly.

Pietro: Ow... Pietro nearly spilled his drink as he was shoved aside.

Selene: Well, that should have earned her some attention, Selene thought, feeling a lot of faces turn her direction.

Kevin: Kevin raised his arms and enjoyed the cheering from the people. He turned to look who was up against him. "Come on! Who's it gonna be?"

Darren: "What? He is? Shit, I'm meant to be putting a big bet on him ... where's the bookie?" Darren scanned the crowd, "I'm gonna kick your ass for this later, you over-grown pigeon," he swore, making his way over to where the bets were being taken, ahh, and there was Eddie, right on time.

Pietro: He straightened up again and looked at the ring. Oh look. Kyle. Now he was interested.

Eddie: The male turned to hear some applause from his small crowd of two girls he was previously flirting with. "Come ON, bitches! Shout me!!!", he laughed, climbing up somewhere higher. "Cas! Cas! Cas!", he began chanting with a clap.

Jay: Jay snorted, then ducked back into the crowd, letting it take him up to the cage, feeling the itch to put on a bet. Fuck, should he...? No, no, no risking it. There was always other times.s

Darren: Darren made his way to the front of the crowd, "And I'll put ten grand on whoever challenges him," he tossed the money over, "small change I know, but it should make the stakes interesting huh?" he winked at the man before making his way back over to Selene and Hepz.

Eddie: "Someone get me in that ring!", Eddie called, leaping down and flexing his arms. "I owe ten shots EACH to those girls over there!!", he smirked cockilly, pointing at the two scantilly clad ladies he was with.

Selene: "Welcome back, babe," Selene greeted Darren, giving him a smirk. "So you bet against our fighter? Now that should be exciting."

Jay: Jay chewed his lip as he watched the bookie. Fuck it. He finally caved and slid through the crowd, his wings making people step back. "Grand on the fuzzball, and two hundred outside on the guy in d' gimp suit." He tossed the money and got a grin and a slip back.

Pietro: Pietro's eyebrows rose briefly when he realised who it was that was making all the noise. Oh good God....

Darren: "Makes life interesting," Darren smirked, wrapping an arm around Selene's waist, "you should know I like defying you by now?"

Eddie: Eddie looked at his selected dress; a black, tight t-shirt on, matching trousers and leather fingerless gloves - not exactly 'Vin Desil', but hey.

Hepzibah: "Sel, Darren... is it just me or is Kyle acting..." She tried to think of the word. "Non-Kyle-like."

JohnnyDee: Johnny curiously stepped closer to Darren and his small crowd. "You are sponsoring this guy?"

Kevin: "Dude, you gonna fight or just stand there!" Kevin yelled from inside the cage at the idiot in black.

Darren: Darren made quick 'hush' motions at Hepz as they were approached, "Oh yes, our little Kevin was quite the find," he smiled carefully at the man.

Hepzibah: Hepz zipped it as the stranger approached. She looked over him with her eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't like the smell of him.

Eddie: Eddie helped himself into the ring, forming his right arm into its 'scythe' look for an instant, and back again. "Hey, haven't we...?", Eddie shook his head. "Nah, come on, let's make it good!", he taunted.

Selene: "And you should know I'm not interested in pushovers," Selene replied, snuggling her body against Darren's. "Such games are my favourite ones." She grinned, before nipping at his lower lip.

Darren: Gaaaah! Jay!? Are you betting as well!? "Now, now my dear, not in public," he patted Selene on the ass.

Pietro: Pietro made his way back over to the bar to get another drink.

Jay: Jay retreated back, eyeing up the two students as he finished his drink, before heading back to the bar past Darren and co, wanting another drink. Whoever won, he made money. Best kind of bet. He positioned himself where he could hear Darren and the other guy chat, watching the cage.

Eddie: "Listen, 'fodder'...", Eddie taunted again. "Need to beat you up kinda quick, yeah? Got girls waiting on me.", he winked and took a quick stretch.

JohnnyDee: He looked over into the ring. "The other guy seems quite capable too..."

Kevin: "Dude, you gotta have that look at, that doesn't look healthy," Kevin joked, and then heard the 'referee' outside the cage yell Fight at the same time the cage's door closed.

Selene: "Why not?" Selene crooned, turning her head towards the stranger that had approached them. "That makes it only more exciting." She looked the guy up and down, remembering to keep that suggestive smirk on her lips.

Eddie: "Alright!", Eddie roared, rushing forward with a lunging right punch.

Hepzibah: Watching Darren and Selene, Hepzibah wished feverently that Hector was here. Maybe he had been right all along. Maybe she shouldn't have come. What was she going to do if Kyle did get hurt. Regardless, it was too late now as Eddie and Kyle/Kevin went at it. She stood back, and watched - calm on the outside, bundle of nerves on the inside.

Darren: "Allow me to introduce ourselves, my name is Mercer, Alexander Mercer, this here is our good friend Jessica and this is my fiance ... Pussy," he managed to keep a straight face. He did it!

Kevin: Kevin ducked out of the way, practically feeling the rush of air from the guy's swing. Dude was fast. Let's see if he was strong. Kyle hoved with his shoulder and elbowed the guy in the stomach.

Hepzibah: Hepz tore her eyes away from the cage long enough to to smile and offer her slender hand in introduction. "How do you do?" she smiled emptily.

Eddie: Eddie mocked a wince, grinning to the side at his opponent and managing to hiss the words; "Nice try.", he grabbed Kyle's arm, spinning him around and repeating another punch to his opponent's face.

JohnnyDee: Darren received a knowing smile. "I guess in a place like this one we should jsut ignore 'names'." Then he looked back into the ring. "Interested in a little side bet?" He had to try and gauge this cash-cow.

Jay: Jay was just taking a drink as he heard Darren give his fake name, and snorted as he tried not to spray drink. Unfortunately he heard him give Selene's and the resulting coughing fit nearly made him inhale the alcohol.

Darren: "Would depend on the nature of the bet, and might I inquire as to what your ... alias is then, my friend?"

Selene: Selene extended her hand towards the other guy, slightly cocking her head. "Pleased to meet you," she said, her tongue quickly flicking across her lips before the smirk returned. "That's my stage name, of course."

JohnnyDee: "Call me...Dee. Also, I was thinking a nice, straight amount...fifty thousand?"

Jay: Jay managed to stop coughing, clearing his throat, eyes on the cage as he kept a - heh - pokerface at the size of the bet. Take it. Take it. Dat's your cue, Daz, take d' bet. Plus...that was sweet money, for this 'Dee' guy.

JohnnyDee: He shook Selene's hand. "Of course."

Kevin: "You hit like a girl." Kevin managed to say as he palmed the guy in the face. Maybe a little bit of claws would be good. Sure it might be unfair, but hey, blood always makes bloodsports intersting.

Darren: Darren put his head to the side and gave him a knowing smile, "Indeed, I'm sure we could ... stretch to that," ohmyGODFaroukisgonnakillme "what would we be betting on? That's a lot of money to wager on ... brutes likes these," he waved his hand to encompass the ring before them.

JohnnyDee: Johnny put a hand to his chin and smiled at the fight going on. "I say...Your Kevin loses?" 'Mercer' had passed the first test, very good.

Selene: While she counted on the distraction provided by her barely concealed cleavage, Selene cautiously began to probe the mind of this Mr. Dee. Barely past the surface, she encountered an unusually strong resistance. For a supposedly mundane, anyway. She swiftly pulled back her senses, not daring to risk revealing her presence.

Darren: Darren gave Dee a smirk and pressed a kiss to Selene's bare shoulder, "What do you think then, dear? Think the mutt is worth that much? I believe you have the majority of our cash."

Eddie: Eddie leapt back a meter or so, his face now slightly clawed. "Fuckin' 'Cats'! God!", he laughed to himself, "Step it up a notch then?", he grinned, transforming his body first into a tangle of tendrils, and then into a streamlined black and white figure. "Let's dance, 'Bagpuss'!"

JohnnyDee: Dee's eye twitched for a second, but then his smile just returned to his face. "I always stuck to the belief that one has to trust their investion."

Kevin: Kevin cocked his head side to side, neck making cracking sounds, "Bring it!" He snarled as he jumped at his competitor.

Selene: Selene cocked her head and put on a thoughtful expression. "Why not," she eventually stated, smiling at Dee, then turned to Darren. "If we lose, I can always make you earn the money back." She reached into the hidden pouch and pulled out the rest of their cash.

JohnnyDee: "Oh no, no need to wave around wads of money." He waved his hand at her. "We are all gentlemen in here...and ladies, obviously."

Hepzibah: "Count me in too," Hepz smiled and produced a wad of bills. "50 on Kevin." She held out the money without blinking an eye. the money she'd gotten for her necklace had been good for something after all.

Darren: Darren laughed, "My fine lady is the keeper of the purse, and bad things happen if I try to gain access to her garter without permission, and I'm afraid for places such like this we only deal in cash for ... obvious reasons, Mr. Dee."

JohnnyDee: Seems like I've got the perfect little crowd for this...

Pietro: Pietro wondered if sitting at the bar was the best way to get information, but at the moment he didn't care. There were still a few groups hovering close by though...

JohnnyDee: "I completely understand, Mister Mercer. We'll see how this fight turns out then."

Eddie: Eddie leapt at his opponent, raising his left arm and releasing a stream of tendrils to ensnare him. He then raised his right for a swinging hook as his captured enemy approached.

Jay: Jay scratched a stubbled cheek, half-listening in on the conversation, half-studying the pair in the ring. He did have money riding on this, after all. And the worst he would lose was two hundred, unless a complete fluke happened...even then, he'd make up with the odds...

Hepzibah: Get him Kyle!! Hepz clenched her fists slightly and leaned foreward a bit as Eddie swung at him.

Kevin: Kevin got it right in the kisser. He landed on his back and shook his head. "RRRWHAt the fuck is this shit?!" He yelled trying to get the stuff off him.

Selene: "What can I say," Selene began, leaning back against Darren's chest. "My love enjoys to misbehave. Then again, so do I." She smiled, glancing towards the ring. "As long as we're getting an intense show, money only adds a bit of extra excitement."

Eddie: Eddie laughed, his voice somewhat distorted. He leapt on top of his prey and flexed his arms, allowing bone to coat his fists. "I appreciate this, now stay down!", he roared, beginning an ambidexterous punch-barrage.

Darren: Jesus Christ Eddie, go easy on him for fucks sake ...

Pietro: Pietro watched Eddie beating on Kyle. Hadn't anyone explained the rules to him?

Jay: Jay winced as Kyle was pummeled, before two girls came over - the same two Eddie had been hitting on, he thought - and smiled at him, standing a little closer then he was really comfortable with and smiling winningly at him. "Uh...hi?"

JohnnyDee: "Seems like your trust was a bit misplaced after all?"

Kevin: Kevin got the beating of his life, well, as far as he could remember, but from what he could gather, this was probably number one on the top punching list.

Hepzibah: "Never." Hepz fairly growled at Dee.

Sailor_Soldier: The sailor soldier girl stepped closer to the ring and gave the ongoing fight an interested look.

Eddie: Eddie ceased, standing up and leaving his enemy on the floor. The coat of tendrils receeded from his face as he yelled to the crowd. "Alright! Come on!!! Woooooah!!"

Darren: "I'm sure Kevin will pull though," Darren appluded polietly as the crowd cheered Eddie, "the boy he's up against is quite impressive though, don't you think?"

JohnnyDee: "He is a bit of a show-off..." I have to remember him.

Jay: Jay smirked, applauding hard despite the girls trying to chat him up. Wow...odds were against the guy. "Oh man...Ah'm rich." At that, one of the girls leant into him and giggled, and the other reached out to run fingers through the feathers of a wing. "Um."

Darren: "The crowd seem to love it though, showmanship and all that, putting on a spectacle ..."

Eddie: Eddie took the time to wave at his two floosies. "Drinks on me, babes!", he called with a laugh, turning to see his opponent on the ground. "Come on, 'furry', get up! I'm sure you got more fight in ya!"

Selene: Selene was glad it wasn't her money they were risking, even though she would have loved to pocket some of the winnings. "Oh yes, quite impressive," Selene agreed, squirming in Darren's embrace as she watched the fight. "Such a brutish display of strength and violence." Her voice indicated she meant that purely as a compliment.

Kevin: There was bleading and bruises and maybe a broken bone somewhere, but those went to the back of Kevin's mind as he felt his body heal. He opened his eyes. "My turn." He twisted around and launched himself at him.

JohnnyDee: "Oh, he's up again!" Now THIS was a nice fight...too bad this wasn't the main tournament.

Hepzibah: Come on Kyle! Get up!! She was fighting hard to keep her on feral in place as it clawed at the 'doors' in her mind. She wanted to shift so badly it hurt. She laughed out loud when Kyle came up off the mat swining. "That's my Fido!!" she grinned

Darren: "Told you," Darren didn't bother trying to not sound smug.

Jay: The 'two floosies' cheered at the ring, though didn't leave Jay's side. Fuck. "Um, ladies, please, Ah'm...uh...Ah'm si-" He tried to extract himself from the pair, completely missing Kyle's comeback.

Eddie: Eddie smiled half a grin at 'Kyle's' new-found vigour, but miscalculated; he caught the enraged mutant, but fell onto his back. "Unexpected!", he hissed, tendrils coating his face again.

Darren: ((Inconceiveable!!))

Kevin: Kevin snarled as he pulled the guy from the floor up to the side of hte cage, and then yanked the guy over his head, smashing him back down on the floor.

Jay: Jay caught sight of the move out of the corner of his eyes and winced. Well, still making a good wad of money... "Look, ladies, Ah'm a little busy here, an' Ah ain' feelin' all dat well. No, Ah dunno if Ah'll be fightin'. Hey- stop touchin' d' wings!"

Kevin: "Let's get this shit off you." Keving growled as he clawed at the guy, bits of black goo splattering the stage.

Pietro: Pietro heard Jay and looked over. Seemed he was having some trouble. Maybe he should start wearing tops?

Darren: Darren spared a quick glance in Jay's direction ... and snorted at what he saw, Ha! Serves you right for sneaking in!

Selene: Selene followed the fight intently, a fingernail tucked between her teeth. She barely had to fake that excitement. "Perhaps our money wasn't so badly spent, after all."

Eddie: "Haha! Fuck!", laughed Eddie as he impacted the ground. This was awesome! Ever since that whole 'NYC' episode, fighting seemed more like in a videogame; the more he felt his powers, the easier it seemed not to be afraid of pain. Ed just laughed as the tendrils collapsed at the rending claw's force.

JohnnyDee: Careful that no one would notice, Johnny motioned one of his goons towards the ring. Both of them would get an invitation...given they'd both survive.

Jay: Jay wished, not for the first time, he could wear tops as he finally managed to get the girls to leave him alone, watching them drift to the cage. He breathed a sigh of relief, going back to the fight.

Eddie: This was, however, starting to cause a problem - Eddie felt his body wanting to receed into its animorphous state. He tried to get his assailant off, to no avail; this guy was not gonna let him go.

Jay: ...Then he noticed one of them twirling a red feather between her fingers, giving him a coy expression from behind black hair. He groaned.

Kevin: "What the hell is this crap?!" Kyle yelled again as held the guy down and swiped over him, more bits of black coming off, but not showing anyone underneath.

Hepzibah: Hepz forgot about everyone else as she watched the cage. This wasn't supposed to be a fight to the death. When were they going to call the fight to a close?? It was obvious they were both good figthters. How much longer where they going to have to fight? If nothing else, she wanted to get back home before Hector did. She still hadn't decided if she was going to come clean with him or not.

Eddie: "Damnit! For the lov-...", Eddie paused, feeling his body colapse. "You win, 'fuzzy'!", he spat, allowing his body to fall apart - he needed to heal, and throwing the fight was the only way he'd have a chance to. Eddie became a puddle, seeping away from his attacker like sentient tar across the floor.

JohnnyDee: As the crowd began to cheer for Kevin, Dee started to applaud too. "What a nice fight!"

Pietro: Pietro put down his drink to applaud for Kyle. Had to hand it to the guy for persistance.

Jay: Aww, damnit. He hadn't made as much money as he hoped. Still, Jay applauded along with the crowd, before making his way past Darren and the others to collect his winnings. There was already a crowd there. "Wow, four thou?" He muttered, accepting the wad and slipping it into his jeans. There would be booze tonight!

Darren: "Entertaining certainly," Darren nodded, applauding as well, "and it would seem you owe us some money, Mr. Dee."

Eddie: Eddie's body re-formed, he stayed lieing down on the cage floor, somewhat exausted at the healing process and clothes torn all to pieces. He looked over at the victor. "Nice job..!", he managed to pant.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah grinned from ear to ear, letting a quiet sigh of relief escape. "So, Mr. Dee... you still doubt out little Kevin in there?"

Darren: OH HOLY FUCKING SHIT WE'RE GONNA BE SO RICH!

Kevin: Kevin stood, shaking off a couple more gooey blackness from his claws, "Urgh, I feel so dirty now. Oh hey, I won. Yeah! Whoo!" He yelled, raising his arms. his victory was shortlived as he was called out of the cage for the next fight.

Selene: "Oh, absolutely," Selene remarked, flashing a grin as she clapped her hands. "Enjoyable, and profitable."

JohnnyDee: "It seems so, indeed." He apllauded some more. "Would you be interested in another bet, though? Double or nothing?" Now to find out HOW rich exactly those people were.

Selene: Selene could already picture the platinum piercing needles she'd buy from the money they had won.

Darren: "Perhaps? What would be the wager?"

Jay: Jay came away, counting his money - small earnings, compared to everyone else - and bought himself another drink, once again listening in on the group, eyes on the cage to gauge the next opponents. There was no way he was going to fight unless someone asked, not feeling like this.

Eddie: Eddie managed to stagger up, feeling his strength coming back - Damn he could go for another match! He made his way out of the cage and back to his two girls, shrugging and laughing at his state. "Less to take off, though?", he remarked, much to their enjoyment and, hopefully, intent.

Sailor_Soldier: The girl walked towards the now open cage, slowly, the bat still dragging on the ground. Before Kevin could get out, she already had entered and now stood there, her bat pointing at him. It was a challenge.

Eddie: Eddie stayed out of the newcomer's way. She seemed...strange. He shuddered as they passed.

JohnnyDee: "I say she wins?" He pointed at the very loudly dressed girl in the ring with Kevin. They didn#t know she already had been invited to the tournament...

Kevin: Kevin stopped in his tracks, a little confused on the chearleader with the baseball bat. "Hey, is this a joke, this halftime or somthing?" He asked.

Darren: Darren shrugged, what choice did they have though, "And I say Kevin will, double or nothing indeed."

Pietro: Pietro looked to the ring with mild interest as the girl with all the bows challenged Kyle. He ordered another drink.

Hepzibah: Hepz thought about it for a moment then shook her head. "Thank you Mr. Dee. But the secret to gambling is to stop while you are ahead. If you please..." she motioned for her winnings. "I still have places to be tonight. Although this has been a lovely time," she lied easily.

Selene: Selene watched the girl that had entered the ring, slightly tilting her head. "Certainly; why not," she said, smirking slightly. "How could be say no after such an impressive performance."

Darren: "Well, it's your call Jessica," Darren smiled at her, "will you stay long enough to see how your 'Fido' does?"

JohnnyDee: "Are you sure? It seems like you would have good chances."

Jay: Jay rubbed his throat, considering the girl even as he coughed into a tissue. Confident, if weird...mmm. He drifted over to the bookie. "Thousand on both, all-round." He paused. "Yeah." He took his slip and drifted off. He could always make a second bet during the match..

Darren: We are so totally gonna loose all our money here ... this has 'shifty' written all over it. Darren thought morosly to himself, all that money ... all gone ...

Selene: "If you don't take him with you, we might," Selene told Hepz, smiling wryly at the girl.

Kevin: "No really, am I supposed to fight this?" Kyle yelled over to the referee who just smiled and shrugged, and then closed the gate and yelled 'FIght!'.

Hepzibah: "My chances are excellent. I promise you will get your money's worth." She nodded. "All right. Double or nothing." She smiled all the while thinking, I am so FUCKING dead when Hector finds out! There was no way she was going to beat him home now.

Selene: She looked back at the ring. With Kevin's altered personality, it was impossible to predict how the fight would go. But for some reason, Selene could already see those platinum needles pop away into nothingness.

Sailor_Soldier: She gave Kevin a big bright smile and just kept on pointing at him.

Kevin: "Sorry, this will probably hurt." Kyle apologized to the competition and started to advance at her.

JohnnyDee: "Excellent!" Those people would get an invite as well...or. their money would...

Sailor_Soldier: The girl just kept on smiling and then made the 'victory" sign on top.

Eddie: Eddie kindly thanked his blonde-haired 'groupie' for his fresh Budweiser and looked to the fight. "Aww man, I'm gonna look like such a bitch if he dosen't win this...", he joked. No way she'd beat him.

Jay: Jay wiped his face, sniffing again, occasionally catching sight of the girl with his feather and trying to supress a shudder.

Pietro: Wow this girl's come right out of a cartoon.... Pietro sipped his drink.

Hepzibah: Don't get cocky Kyle.... Hepz shifted on her high heels slightly. Damn these shoes were torture devices!!

Kevin: Kevin snarled and was about to leap at her, but suddenly stopped swiped at his ear as he suddenly heard a buzzing noise, and worse, a stinging right inside his ear, "Fuck, fuck damn it!"

Sailor_Soldier: Seizing her chance, her smile suddenly grew grim and she swung her bat...smashing it right into Kevin's head.

Jay: Jay sipped his drink, deciding that it was a good thing he bet outside. He fingered a twenty-dollar bill as he watched, considering.

Darren: Darren frowned, "What on earth?"

Kevin: Things went black, and he could have sworn he felt the floor hit his face as he went for a lie down.

Selene: Selene arched her eyebrow as she first witnessed Kyle act weirdly mid-swing, then get a baseball bat straight against his head.

Eddie: Eddie looked away from the fight to his dark haired girl. "What you got there?", he asked, tracing the red feather in her hand. "What the-? Jay?", he looked around as the crowd uproared at something in the ring, he spotted the crimson angel from a mile away. "Jay? Jaaayyy!!!", he shouted over the crowd.

Hepzibah: Hepz's breath caught in her throat as she watched Kyle hit the mat. Oh God... Kyle! Get up!! The money was the last thing on her mind at the moment.

Sailor_Soldier: She walked over to the fallen boy, quite sure he was out for good. Then she kneeled down, patted his head, and gave him a small kiss on the forehead, revealing a set of snow white panties with strawberries on them while at it.

JohnnyDee: "Now, THAT was a surprise!"

Pietro: Pietro stood up straighter as Kyle went down. Not good! Then turned and just about resisted the impulse to facepalm as Eddie started yelling for Jay across the room.

Darren: Darren had to really fight down the urge to facepalm, must. not. look. disapointed .... Oh my God all my beautiful money ...

Sailor_Soldier: And then she got up again and walked...no, skipped out of the now open cage.

Jay: Jay blinked at the yell as Kyle went down- oh hell no, the idiot! He covered his face with his hand before ignoring it and heading to the bookie. And forgetting about it when he saw the wad of money. "...Y've gotta be kiddin' me..." He murmured, taking it.

Darren: He gave a casual shrug, "Ah well, all's fair in love and war hmmm?"

Selene: "That's a bit unexpected, no?" Selene blinked at the fallen Kyle, who looked like he was quite comfortable with the thought of taking a nap in the middle of the ring. There went her piercing and tattoo parlor.

Pietro: Pietro tried to catch Eddie's eye with a glare without being to obvious. Knock it off you idiot!

Darren: Wow, his voice didn't wobble at all, "Though I must admit, that was hardly a high octane clash."

JohnnyDee: "Indeed, indeed." He rubbed his hands together, for a quick moment frowning at the outburst from across the room. "Now, about the money..."

Jay: "...Oh man..." He muttered weakly, looking at the number written on the band with his number on. Ten thousand dollars. Ten thousand. Dollars. It was the most he'd ever made. Looked like odds had been off the girl.

Hepzibah: Reaching out, Hepzibah took Selene arm and squeezed it. What were they supposed to do now?? They couldn't just leave him lying there on the mat.

Eddie: Eddie approached Jay with his two girls. "Hey!", he poked his friend. "Wassup? The girls here said they noticed you there, lookin' all very manly!", he laughed somewhat violently.

Eddie: "Shi-hi-hit!", Eddie grinned, looking at Jay's wad. "Quite a streak tonight?"

Jay: Jay looked up to see Eddie and blinked, immediately shoving the money into his jeans. "Yeah well, it's want Raphael does best, ain't it?" He grinned widely, emphasising the name he pulled out of the air.

JohnnyDee: He took 'Mercer# to the side, and his voice started to get low. "I would gladly forget about the money. Those are just peanuts for men of our...circles after all, right?

Selene: "Yes, I would have expected at least a more impressive show," Selene agreed, frowning as Kyle was carrying out of the ring. "That went a bit too quickly, no? There was hardly any violence or suspense." She sighed theatrically. "I'm bored now."

Jay: He nearly winced at it, but someone had called him it the other day and...well, it worked, right?

Darren: Darren gave Dee a smile, "Oh? Well that is true Mr. Dee," he glanced back at the ring, "I must admit we came here hopeing for ... somewhat bigger stakes ..."

Eddie: Eddie looked at Jay bemused, shaking his head. "Oho, Raph! Sorry, mate - got you mixed up for some other geezer, obviously!", he said, covering his back. "Anyway, Alicia here seems facinated by your chest, as am I!"

Darren: "Ten, twenty-five, it's chump change after all when all's said and done."

JohnnyDee: "Yes, I figured as much..." ka-CHING!!! "So, I am organizing something a bit bigger than this, very soon. Would you be interested to join me and some friends?"

Selene: Selene noticed Dee and Darren talking, frowning at them as she put a hand on her hip. "Oh, definitely," she agreed. "We could have gone to the horse races to have the same thrill." She raised an eyebrow at Dee's words. "Oh, really? Say, will that be... more exciting?"

Darren: YES! Darren smiled urbanly at the man, "I think I would be quite interested, as will my two lady friends. Pussy esspecially enjoys a real show, very high maintanance that one."

Jay: Jay resisted the urge to squirm. "Well, she already pulled a feather." He smirked, altering his voice just a little, dropping the New Orleans/Georgian drawl. It scraped his throat, but was good so far. "Could I get you guys a drink to celebrate my success?"

Selene: "What can I say," Selene commented, smirking again. "I enjoy it if things get messy."

JohnnyDee: "It will be the most exciting thing since World War Two...and far more bloody."

Hepzibah: Hepz looked about at Darren and Sel. She faked a smile, trying to keep one eye on Kyle as he was carried away

Darren: "Well I think that's sold us," Darren laughed.

Eddie: Eddie smiled as the two girls nodded. "That's a yes then! And also...Briget, Alicia and I were all wondering if you wanted to...join us later?", he prompted, gently kicking Jay's shin eagerly.

JohnnyDee: "You will be more than satisfied, trust me." With that he gave his new friends an apologetic smile. "But now, I have to take care of a few things of my own, if you don't mind?"

Hepzibah: "Oh, of course not. When can we collect Kevin?" She kept her smile firmly in place.

Selene: "Of course not," Selene said, snuggling against Darren against. "We have our own business to take care of." She glanced towards Kyle.

Kevin: Kevin blinked, scratching his head and looking about. He was lying against the wall. "Did I win?" he asked a little confused.

Darren: "Of course, pleasure doing buisness with you."

Jay: Jay pretended to consider it for a moment, taking a drink. "Ah...I probably shouldn't." He morphed his voice slowly, very slowly, as he spoke. "Ill, you understand. Though I'd be happy at a later date, I'm sure." He coughed, then smiled. Throat was burning, but he had an upper-class English accent. Score!

Hepzibah: Hepz went to Kyle. "You think you can stand??" she asked quietly.

Selene: Selene waited until the Dee was out of hearing range, before turning to Kyle. "Yes, you did," she said. "The other guy went down like a pansy."

JohnnyDee: "Just ask security to bring you to your friend. They will gladly help. Anyway, bye." He waved and vanished into the crowd again.

Darren: Oh my God ... we got to keep the money .... WE GOT TO KEEP THE MONEY! Darren had to fight down the urge to whoop.

Kevin: "Yeah, yeah, I can stand," Kevin said, wobbling a bit before standing still.

Eddie: Eddie cut his eyes at Jay, shrugging at 'Alicia'. "Too bad, sweetheart - I'll try and get this here angel out of heaven for ya another time.", Eddie took the girls by the hips. "Right! If we can have these last drinks, we'll be off, sir!", he winked at Jay. "Buisness to attend, huh?"

Hepzibah: Hepz slipped her arm around Kyle to steady him. "Come on, Fido - lets go home." She was more worried than ever now. If this had been the regular matches....

Selene: Selene immediately leaned close to Darren. "Does that mean we're rich now," she whispered excitedly.

Jay: "Indeed." Jay smirked, though a hand twitched as he fought the urge to smack the boy one. "Some other time." He turned, heading to the bar and Darren's group.

Pietro: Pietro watched Eddie with the two girls out of the corner of his eye. Someone had to talk to him about what 'under cover' meant.

Darren: "Yes ... yes it does ... we'll need to give Farouk back the money he gave us originally though ... how good are you at lying?" He asked, after checking that Kyle was okay.

Kyle: "Um...wait, err, when is this gonna start again? Shouldn't I be fighting someone?"

Hepzibah: "He cancelled the bet? Why would he do that?" Hepz frowned. She was still in a shit load of trouble. No matter what now.

Selene: "I invented entirely new forms of lying still unknown to the shadiest of scoundrels," Selene replied, giving Darren a determined look. Then she flashed a grin. "Who ever said crime doesn't pay?"

Eddie: Eddie got his drinks and began wondering off with his two 'concubines', waving once at Jay with a 'Thank you' mouthed to him. "Onwards to fun!", he laughed at the top of his voice, thinking it best to enjoy the night now - the hangover'd kill him in the morning.

Darren: "'Cos he offered us the chance to bet even bigger money in the real games, we've all just been invited! We did it!" Darren hissed in triumph, "Come on, let's get out of here quick."

Hepzibah: "Kyle?? How hard did she hit you??" She looked at him worriedly, petting over his head gently.

Jay: Jay stood at the bar behind Darren. "I just made ten thousand dollars on one bet." He said behind him quietly, still in his English accent. Far enoguh removed that no one will trace it to the winged hick. "I'll see you back at the school."

Darren: "You sound like a gimp man, see you back there," Darren muttered over his sholder, "and I still need to kick your ass-" Wait ... how much?

Selene: Selene looked around, seeing how Eddie took off with two girls and the others gathering near them. "I'd say we can call this a successful mission," she said, hooking her arm into Darren's once more. "You know, I'm now definitely in the mood to properly celebrate."

Jay: Jay just grinned, then coughed hard, pushing off the bar. Ugh. At least his throat wasn't burning any more. "An educated, down on his luck gimp. See you then." He nodded to him, shoved his hands in his pockets and headed off, smiling.

Darren: "Me too, plus we're all dressed up still," Darren started to lead them out of the warehouse, "how's Kevin doing Jess?"

Jay: As soon as he was outside (and to the 'oooh's of some of the normals trickling out) Jay took off, gaining altitude quickly and catching a thermal off the top of the warehouse, locking his wings and gliding towards the school. That had been amazing.

Hepzibah: "I'm not sure...going to get Kevin home. See you all later." Hepz frowned worriedly still as she started to lead Kyle away. "Mind if I take the car?"

Darren: "Yeah? Well if you're sure I was gonna take you both out for dinner ... and sure you can take the car."

Selene: "See you later," Selene said, waving a hand at Hepz and Kyle. "No worries there. We can take a cab. I doubt we're going home just yet." She grinned.

Hepzibah: "Thanks," she held out her free hand for the keys. "You all have fun. I'll see you later - if I'm still breathing when Hec find out where I've been..."

Pietro: Pietro decided, in the interests of seeing what other kinds of folks were about, to remain behind a little longer and listen in on some more conversations.

Darren: "Drive safe Hepz," Darren waved her off, the turn to Selene and grinned, "Hell no! We're gonna hit the fanciest, most expensive resurant in town and then the clubs!"

Darren: Once they turned the corner and were out of sight of anyone who might notice Darren shifted back to his usual form, "Ahh ... much better ..."

Selene: "That sounds delightful," Selene agreed and smirked, looking Darren up and down. "I hope my performance as Bond Girl was satisfactory."

Darren: "It was Galore-ious," Darren kissed her before gathering her up in his arms and jetting off into the night sky.

[Edited on 14-2-10 by Starfish]