Planet X Vulcan

Cato Kuper

He knelt near the bed, lowering his face to kiss the little boys forehead.

" I love you, bhai. " he whispered to the small boy. The little boy could only give him a tear stricken smile in return. Cato smiled back at his little brother, hoping he wouldn't start crying.
He stood up, and with a reluctant heave, exited the room and closed the door. When the door thudded shut, he closed his eyes, forcing the tears back down. Taking deep breaths, he calmed himself. Stop it Cato. You will come back. He walked back to his room, stepping along the earthen walls and finding the only other door in their underground 'apartment'. He opened the wooden door, -which he had made himself- and stepped in. Opening his box that he kept under the bed, he picked up the first pair of shorts he could find. He changed into the boxers, pulling a pant over it , and put on a hoodie. Pulling the hood over his head he headed out of his room and went to the kitchen to eat something before he left. Opening the cupboards, he took an egg and a sandwich, and washed it down with some milk.
Then he headed out the front door, ducking his head. He emerged from the bunker and took a breath to calm himself. It was an important fight today. Today his fight would be with a Maldove. The higher class. Shaking himself, he started jogging. He slowly increased his pace to a steady run. He ran by the small shops and stores, and shivered as a cold mist set in. He navigated through the fog with ease. At the last few yards, he sped up to a sprint. That's when he spotted his destination, and steered towards it. He stopped at the entrance, and stood before two guards, heavily muscled and dark skinned. He knew about the guns they kept hidden somewhere.

" Welcome, Kuper. Good luck today. I'm betting on you. " one of them said with a wink.

" Thanks, man. " he replied. They let him in. Behind them was a steel door, leading to the famous Soul Space Arena. That only the boxing crowd knew about. He could hear the heavy music blaring, and the crowd screaming as the current fight was at its climax. He opened the door, and kept his head down as he entered. The music and smells hit him, but he was used to it. It was warm inside, and he pushed through the mass of people, trying to get to the back.

When he finally made it all the way to the end, he was gasping for air. He reached the dark doors at the back and entered, glad to get away from the crowd. He staggered in, and pulled his hoodie off, getting ready for the fight. He was in the middle of strapping on his gloves when the door opened. He whipped around, worried one of the fans found the door to his room.

" I'm glad you could make it, Cato. " his boss said as he stepped into the room.

" I didn't have a choice. " Cato replied, talking about his brother waiting at home for him.

" I knew you would never disappoint me! " the boss beamed and swooped in for a hug. He crushed Cato awkwardly, and Cato gagged at his smell. The owners buttons were pressing into Cato's bare chest, before he pulled away.

" Thanks for that. " Cato said.
The boss gave flashed him a smile, and left the room.
Jesus Christ.
Cato shifted his feet nervously, his heart about to burst. The muffled smells and screams of the crowd were still coming from the door. The screams and echoes died down after the winner of the previous fight was announced. The announcer took the mic.
" WELCOME!! WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! " he bellowed. Loud cheers erupted from the already cranked up audience. The door to Cato's room shook, almost as loudly as his heart beat.

" WHOOOOSE READY?! " the announcer yelled again in the weird way that boxing announcers do. The screams were extremely loud, even through the door.

" This is the MOST epic battle that's about to go down TONIGHT!! Now let me introduce...... THE DEFENDER!! "
The screams rattled through again, and Cato was dying with panic.

" A LEGEND OF THE LEGENDS!! "
This was it. This was Cato's cue to make his way to the ring. He took one last breath and opened the doors. The smells and screams bombarded him with a new wave of nausea. This is MY turf, he thought, trying to encourage himself. No one can beat me here. No one has ever before.

'But no one has threatened you before either.... ' the voice in his head said.

Ignoring it, he edged along the back wall, trying to go as fast as he possibly could through the jammed up crowd. Then, in a few seconds, he came face to face with the catwalk. The small walkway lit up with green fire on either side as he walked towards the ring. The announcer was just finishing his introduction.

" - TO MEET....... CATO KUPER!!! " he screamed into the mic. If it was possible to make the crowd go any crazier, this was it. Men and women cheered his name alike. He put on a brave face and stepped into the rings spotlight. The announcer took Cato's hand and lifted in the air and the crowd lost it. Then Cato was directed to his corner of the ring, and he was left alone, out of the spotlight, to collect his thoughts and calm his beating heart.

" NOW...... TO MEET THE CHALLENGER!!!! " half the crowd cheered, while the other half 'booed'.
A few minutes passed, but no one came. The crowd broke out in hushed whispers. Cato held his breath, praying the fight would be canceled.

" THE CHALLENGER!" the announcer called again.

This time the ground shook. Cato stumbled. He looked up. Standing at the other end of the catwalk, was a tall silhouette, the details nearly impossible to make out. Cato squinted. The giant took another step forward. The ground rumbled. Cato could feel the butterflies in his stomach turn into dragons and scorch his lungs. The man moved quickly, and easily scaled the 6 foot rope rings. The crowd was silent for the first time. The man came into the spotlight, and Cato could finally see his opponent. His face was squared and bruised, scars cutting through his face. His hair was thin strands of wet black hair. His body was huge. That's an understatement. He was two men across, and huge. Cato gulped. He'd never fought a Maldove. They were a ruthless clan of men, their lives dedicated to boxing. They lived on the outskirts of the Dump. The Maldove walked to his own corner, and watched Cato, interested. Cato immediately felt uncomfortable, his heart hammering on his chest. The announcer was stating the rules of the game, but Cato didn't hear. His mind was somewhere else, his heart beating fast. The crowd was silent.
The announcer raised his mic, and uttered one word that jarred Cato back to reality.

" Begin. "