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The Champion

By Cris Fireheart / Ken Anderson

Chapter 14 – A Change of Plans, Part 2 of 2

Author's note: This story contains scenes of extreme violence, profanity, drug and alcohol use, sale, and abuse, and some sexual situations. Reader discretion is DEFINITELY advised. That being said, if none of that bothers you, then enjoy!

As ever, any comments, watches, faves, or votes are well appreciated!

The fight is about to begin. Only, instead of Ted Fender taking on Ken Markus, Victor has been chosen to demonstrate his talents! Can the old Fox complete his task before he gets fatally injured? Will Markus emerge victorious? And what will happen to our Middleweight Champion? Will Connor be returned safely, or will there be another surprise that the new alliance will have to deal with? And what exactly is going on between James and Victor? You're just gonna have to read on to find out. I put some work into this one, so enjoy it. I enjoyed writing it.

For those who know how I like a soundtrack to certain chapters, the song for this two part entry can be found here:

https://youtu.be/sxQXnRhHJQ8?si=7\_JwAzyzaZxUYiXT

Messiah, by Dead Celebrity Status.

--C

Harbor City Docks, Ringside

“ A SILVER?!" came a startled yell from one of the older canine soldiers.

“That's impossible!" The Shepherd growled, as he quickly took a defensive posture, calling a few of his men to his side. “You're all supposed to be DEAD!"

Victor, ignoring their reaction to his introduction, let out a heavy sigh of relief as he took a few seconds to stretch out the muscles in his arms and legs. As he twisted his head to pop the joints in his neck, he released a long, a calming breath, before shifting his gaze to face the group of 'powerful' furs still standing before him.

“Sorry, boys," he answered with a sly grin forming across his aging muzzle. “I'm happy to disappoint you. It turns out that there still remains ONE Silver left to carry on the family trade..."

Iggy Rhah and the shaken Shepherd suddenly shifted their attentions beyond Victor, towards James, who stood confidently next to each of his partners with a smug, ear-to-ear grin stretched across his face as he reached out a hand to retrieve one of the liquor bottles from Jimmy Fender, before taking a long drink and passing it along to Ricky.

“You-- HOW?! WHEN?!" Iggy nearly exploded. “You could've hired ANY fighter in this city to send into the ring tonight, and you chose to go out and find a fucking relic like a SILVER?! Where did-- what the hell are you even paying him for this?! HEY You, FOX! If you're willing to step aside; I and my associates will gladly pay you double, no, triple whatever he's offering you!"

“I'm not for sale," Came Victor's deadpanned response, accentuated with a sad shake of his head. “Not anymore. I've been working for Mr. Clayton exclusively out of my own choice for the last few years, and even then, between all of you, I can honestly say that there is NOTHING you could offer me that would change my mind."

“This is a serious change to the agreement," The Golden Retriever spoke out in a growl above his comrades, “Nevertheless, gods damn it, we all agreed to allow it! So, let it be known that James Clayton and his alliance has substituted his original fighter, Ted Edwards, for Victor 'Two Moons' Silver!"

“That's a damned DEATH SENTENCE!" The pit bull roared out in anger, as he struggled to keep his legs from shaking inside of his starched and pressed dress pants. “If we lose this match..."

“Then you'll all be giving us anything and everything that we might ask for as a prize!" Came the shout from James, “And that does NOT include the safe return of Connor Oliver, or the inevitable shit-kicking that all of you are long overdue for. For that matter, if a SINGLE patch of fur is harmed on that Fox's head before this fight is concluded, I swear on my mate's departed soul that you can all look forward to sleeping with one eye open from this moment on. After all, my good friend over here happens to be quite the expert in a particular set of skills, as you're all familiar with..."

Victor couldn't help the wide, toothy grin spreading across his gray muzzle as the older fox began to feel the ends of his fur starting to tingle and stand on end as his mind and body started to prepare itself for the imminent release of the waves of adrenaline that he'd once known so well.

“I truly hope that you all intend to honor your word." He let out as a slurred growl, before straightening his posture and squaring up directly with Marcus in the center of the octagon. The rat, while he seemed to appear somewhat unperturbed by this development, easily met the fox's stern gaze with his own, before giving a subtle nod of his head, a silent acknowledgment of respect for an opponent that he couldn't help but admit was worthy.

“If I have to die here tonight..." Markus whispered, so only Victor could hear him, “I want you to know. I don't regret a single fuckin' thing I ever did; not even once... And you should know, it's almost gettin' me HARD, knowing that I might get killed by a LEGEND..."

“LEGENDS often disappoint, when compared to reality and the truth," Victor offered nonchalantly in rebuttal. “However, tonight; just for you, Mr. Markus, I'll grant you the honor of showing you the difference, between a killer who mauls his victims like a wild beast, and a professional, who was raised from birth to perfect the art of killing..."

“We'll see," came the rat's response through gritted teeth. “But I think there's one thing you've seem to have forgotten about, old man."

“Oh? Please, do enlighten me."

Markus raised a paw and pointed towards Victor's sharpened claws.

“Steeled claws are considered a weapon. It wouldn't be a FAIR fight if I didn't have a weapon myself, now, wouldn't it?"

The older Fox simply shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head once more. “So be it. Arm yourself however you like. It makes no difference to me, and it will make no difference in the end..."

Letting out a sneer towards Victor, his gaze filled with a mixture of hatred and contempt, Markus turned around and approached one of the Canine soldiers who stood nearby. After a few seconds of hushed conversation between the rat and the members of the Council, the four heads of the Canine Families nodded unanimously in a silent agreement, and Markus was handed a black-painted, military-issue Ka-Bar combat knife, a weapon that the rat was already intimately familiar with.

Tossing the heavy fighting knife between his paws, Markus nodded his head in approval, as he spun around and walked back to face Victor in the center of the ring.

“I'll be using this," he announced to nobody in particular, holding up the heavy knife so that the crowd and the others present could all see it as well. “Is that alright with you, Old Fox?!"

Once again, Victor let out a disappointed sigh, before shaking his head and offering the rat an indifferent shrug of his shoulders.

“As I said a moment ago, what you choose to arm yourself with makes no difference to me. The end result of this duel will still be the same."

“Pretty strong words, for a guy who's gotta be in his sixties, at least!" Markus responded with a toothy smirk, “Still, I'm lookin' forward to finding out if the famous 'Silver Cult' is all it's been talked up to be!"

Victor's muzzle suddenly contorted itself into a snarl of disgust as he straightened up his posture and met the rat's cocky gaze with his own. “I said it once before, when I introduced myself. I HATE having to repeat my words, but for your sake, I'll say it again: 'Garbage like you has no right to speak to me!'"

Turning his eyes towards Iggy Rhah and leaders of the Canine Council, the old Fox offered a toothy smirk as he shook his head towards the gate on their side of the ring.

“I believe it's time for you 'gentlemen,' and I use that term loosely, to take your leave and find your seats. Otherwise, I might 'accidentally' injure you and your bodyguards after I've dealt with taking out this... trash that you've left in front of me."

The gang leaders wasted little time in heeding his not-so-thinly veiled threat, as they slowly made their exit from the octagon, followed closely by their henchmen, some of whom turned to look towards Victor as they led their bosses towards their chosen seats. After the last of them had left, with one of their thugs closing the gate behind them, Victor finally felt safe enough to turn around and approach his own group of bosses and supporters.

“Don't worry, Mr. Davis," He spoke softly, offering a kind smile to the young man, who still stood paralyzed, with both fists tightly clenched. “Tonight, I, Victor 'Two Moons' Silver, swear on the honor of my clan, that not only will I return your mate safely to you, but that I will give you a show of blood and skill, the likes of which none of you have ever seen... and may likely never see again. James?"

“What is it, Vic?"

“When it's done... Please don't turn me away."

“...Why would I do that?! We've been living and working together for over four years now; you and I--"

“Please... Just promise me that you won't treat me any differently after you see what I... can do. You're the only person currently alive who knows about all of the different sides to me, from my past to my years in your service. I-- I don't know what I would do if--"

James silenced Victor with a firm hand wrapped around his muzzle. Raising his other arm, he gave the signal for the others to begin leaving the octagon through their own gate. When he was sure that most of the others had made their way out of earshot, he released Victor's muzzle and leaned in close to whisper into the Fox's left ear.

“...Victor?" He breathed quietly, in a tone he'd rarely used in over a decade, “There's nothing that you could do, and you've done plenty for me over the years, that would make me think any less of you. As I've always said, you are way too valuable to me. I won't let you go, and I won't let you die, and you know why." The man pulled away from Victor's ear, but not before sneaking a quick kiss onto the side of the older Fox's muzzle.

“Because I love you, too." He whispered, offering the gray Fox a thin smile, before stepping away and raising his arms up high, to address the crowd.

“Now, show us all what it means to be a fuckin' SILVER!" he shouted, drawing cheers and jeers from the crowd as he made his way to the gate and stepped out of the octagon, with Lenny closing and locking the fence behind him as they made their way towards their chosen seats.

Victor smiled and gave a subtle nod towards James as the man took his place on one of the ringside seats. Marco and Jake sat to his left and right, ready to defend him should anything happen, with the Fenders seated to Marco's left, and Lenny, Rory, and Henry seated to Jake's right. All of them were looking up to him with expressions of determination written across their faces and muzzles, silently wishing him luck as they prepared themselves for the bloodbath which would soon be coming next.

Marco gave Victor a final nod of his head, which the Fox returned, before finally turning around to face his opponent once more, who stood waiting in the center of the octagon. With an almost ethereal sense of calm, Victor casually began to walk towards him, until the pair were nearly face-to-face.

“Alright, then, old man," Markus sneered as he gripped his knife tightly in his left paw. “It's time to put up or shut u--!"

The rat had no time to finish his sentence as Victor's forehead suddenly snapped forwards, crashing into the rat's muzzle and causing Markus to stumble backwards a few steps as a trickle of blood immediately began to drip from his thin snout.

“Are you DEAF, or perhaps mentally disabled?!" came Victor's growled rebuttal, as he slowly began to walk towards his opponent once more. “I've already told you; GARBAGE like you does NOT deserve to speak to me!"

“FUCK YOU, motherfucker!" Markus yelled as he barely managed to pull himself together. Growling through gritted teeth, he took a fighting stance and began to slash and thrust with his knife, aiming for Victor's vital points, while the Fox seemed to dodge and sidestep each blow almost effortlessly, as he continued to slowly walk towards the rat, closing the distance between them step-by-step. Markus suddenly found himself on the defensive, having to shift himself backwards and to the side in order to match each of the Fox's advancements, as he struggled to keep out of Victor's reach. At the same time, he kept his senses heightened, searching desperately for an opening in his opponent's approach.

Suddenly, the rat's eyes caught a slight shift in Victor's movement. “THERE!" his mind screamed as he instantly shifted his stance once again and readied himself to attack.

Darting forward with his well-honed military precision, Markus brought his knife downwards in a diagonal slash, aiming for the vulnerable muscles in Victor's upper arm and chest. The knife curved through the air with deadly intent. However, just before the blade could make contact with flesh, he once again felt a sudden shift in Victor's movements.

In barely a fraction of a second, the old Fox had quickly twisted his body out of the way of the slash, and Markus was instantly forced to grit his teeth in pain as a sudden searing sensation quickly made its way up to his brain from his lower back. Turning his head around in an attempt to inspect the damage, he was greeted by Victor's wide, toothy grin as the Fox pulled back his right paw, his steel-coated claws now completely covered in the rat's blood.

“FUCK!" Markus screamed as he gritted his teeth against the intense pain of his new wound.

“That was your right kidney," Victor explained as the rat quickly backed away and the two of them began to circle one another and take up fighting positions once again.

“I've been told that the pain is particularly exquisite. Would you care for another taste?"

“I'ma get you back for that one, you old prick," Markus snarled as he reversed the knife in his left paw and readied himself for another attack. “I guess it's gonna be FOX for dinner tonight!"

With a loud yell of rage, the skinny rat, running purely on anger and adrenaline, quickly rushed forward and closed the distance between them, surprising even Victor as the older Fox suddenly found himself staring directly into the rat's psychotic gaze, a toothy, bloodstained grin crossed over his muzzle as he quickly pulled his head back in a feint, while lashing out towards Victor's chest with his blade. Victor gritted his teeth in pain as he felt the knife slip past his defenses, leaving a pair of bloody slashes across his pectoral muscles as he quickly sidestepped and lashed out with his right paw, landing four deep cuts across the side of the rat's muzzle with his razor-sharp claws.

“AWW! Fuck, that shit hurts!" Markus grumbled as he skipped backwards a few feet, before raising his free paw and pressing it to the side of his face, tracing the bleeding wounds across his cheek. One of the claws had barely missed his left eye.

Victor, breathing heavily, took a second to look down at his chest, at the brand-new pair of slashes which almost formed a lopsided 'X' across his body. Chuckling slightly, he shook his head in disappointment as he stood up straight once again, meeting Markus' eyes with his own; a sly grin of excitement drawn from one corner of his muzzle.

“Well, that was unexpected," he noted, his voice still eerily calm, “But I won't be making that mistake again. Now... I believe it's my turn!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Victor pushed off on his feet towards his opponent, his paws spread wide as his claws glinted in the harsh lights which shone from above them. Markus, sensing the Fox's murderous intent, quickly steadied himself into a defensive position as he prepared to fend off the coming assault. Just before Victor could connect, he raised up his knife and made ready to cut at the Fox's paws.

Suddenly, Victor was no longer rushing towards him. In an instant, he'd quickly strafed around to the rat's side, where he delivered a pair of painful cuts to his lower back, followed by a heavy thrust of his left paw deep into Markus' other kidney, causing the rat to unleash a scream of pure anguish as the intense pain brought him down to his knees. Crossing back in front of him, Victor quickly dug the claws of his right paw into the rat's left wrist, forcing him to drop his knife, which he made sure to kick towards the other side of the octagon, before releasing his grip and backing away, taking note of how the new wounds on Markus' arm, along with those which covered the rest of his body, began to steadily drip blood onto the mat beneath their feet.

Sneering through his teeth, with blood dripping from his muzzle, Kenneth Markus raised his head to look Victor in the eyes as the older Fox stood calmly above him, his claws still extended as he silently offered the rat a chance to give voice to his final words.

“I guess it wasn't my night," Markus let out with a forced laugh, coughing slightly as the blood began to work its was out through his muzzle.

“It never was," Victor shook his head as he looked down at the pathetic sight before him. Leaning his muzzle in closer, he whispered into the rat's ear, “When you get to hell, be sure to tell my family who sent you there. I'm sure they'll show you a good time."

With that, Victor reared back his right paw, before lunging forward with a powerful thrust, driving his claws deep into the rat's body, just below the rib cage. A strangled gurgle passed from Markus' lips as Victor continued to dig around inside of his chest cavity, before his ears suddenly perked up, and he let out a slight grunt as he found what he was searching for. With a loud snarl, the old Fox suddenly ripped his blood-covered paw out from the rat's chest, holding up what he'd retrieved so that Markus could see it one last time.

The rat's eyes went wide as he gazed upon the sight of his own barely-beating heart, which had been torn cleanly from his chest. His muzzle opened in an attempt to say something, but he was quickly silenced as Victor took hold of his lower jaw with his free paw, and used his other to jam the organ forcefully down the rat's throat. Markus let out a series of choking gags as he twitched on his knees, before falling forward onto the mat below.

The killer had been killed. The Interstate Cannibal was dead.

Letting out a heavy sigh as he raised his blood-smeared muzzle up towards the lights, Victor drew in a deep breath, before slowly stepping towards the opposing end of the octagon. Lowering his muzzle to stare down at Iggy Rhah and the heads of the Council, he noticeably tilted his head to one side slightly as he took in the sight and smell of the fear which was wafting off of them in waves.

“The boy. Release him to me. NOW."

It wasn't a request. As the four heads of the Council exchanged worried looks, the Doberman who'd been watching over Connor simply stood up from his seat, pulling the Fox up with him as he began to walk them both towards the octagon.

“Dmitri! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" came the shout from the Pit bull, who'd risen to his feet in alarm.

“What should be done," The Doberman responded, as he produced a switchblade from one of his pockets, and quickly used it to cut away Connor's bindings. As the Fox was busy desperately pulling away the duct tape, he stepped forward and unlatched the gate leading into the ring. Connor gave the taller dog a questionable look as he pulled open the gate, and nodded towards Victor.

“Your people won the death match as per the agreement. You're free to go..." He turned to face the bloodied form of Victor as Connor quickly stepped into the ring and kept a wide berth from the older gray fox, as he made his way towards the gate on the opposite side.

“You really are a Silver. While I can't speak for my fellow associates, I, for one, would rather not risk your anger, even if you are old enough to be my father. My Family will honor its word to you and your alliance. You may all consider us as a neutral party. As a sign of faith..."

The large Doberman suddenly raised a paw, and his soldiers wasted no time in surrounding Iggy Rhah and the few henchmen he'd chosen to bring along with him.

“I'll offer you your enemy."

“We'll gladly take Rhah, along with all of his soldiers," came the shout of acknowledgment from James as he pulled open the other gate, allowing Connor to jump down the short series of steps, before heading directly up to Ricky, who threw his arms around the fox and pulled himself close to his chest. Turning his gaze back to the ring, the young man met Victor's eyes, and gave the older fox a single nod, which was duly returned. He now owed an old killer a favor. And, as anybody who knew him could easily testify, Ricky always kept his word.

However, now that Connor had been returned, and the fight had concluded, there was still one last issue to be addressed.

“You feeling alright there, Damien?" James grinned as the Lion emerged from the ring, followed by a good half-dozen of his soldiers.

“Feeling like I definitely should've seen that dick move coming," he muttered in response, as he nodded towards Rory and his sons, who refused to meet his gaze as they turned their heads to face elsewhere. “So... You've done it, old friend. You won. You've got your Champion back, and you've got me offered up on a silver platter. What happens now?"

“You don't remember? Before you left my house the other night, I told you that you and I would be speaking again. And I wasn't referring to this fight. I also told you earlier, that when it happens, you should be ready to run. After all, you are still one of my oldest friends, and your sons and brother-in-law have all agreed to be my partners in this new venture."

James reached out to retrieve a fresh bottle of vodka from Ted Fender as Victor slowly started to make his way out of the ring, covered in blood and gritting his teeth as he attempted to hide the severity of his pain. Heaving a sigh, James offered the old Fox a warm smile as he motioned for Victor to hold out his blood-stained paws. Removing the cap from the bottle, James began to gently pour the liquor over Victor's claws, as the Fox began to rub away the blood and gore which had collected on them during the fight. Seeing this, Marco walked up from behind them and offered Victor a thick silk handkerchief, taken from his own suit pocket.

“That was... indescribable. After seeing that... I now know why my father always warned me to never cross a Silver. Take this, and clean your claws, 'Two-moons.' And know that what is about to happen next is well-deserved..."

Looking to James, Marco gave a slight tilt of his head as he motioned towards the other end of the ring. There, they both spotted Robert, who was positioned strategically at the bar on the other side of the octagon, who raised a bottle of beer and offered a slight nod as he confirmed that their backup forces were properly in place.

“On our signal, just start walking towards the exit," James explained to them all as he handed Victor back his hoodie, which the old Fox threw on over his bloody chest. “We may have won the fight tonight, but there's still the matter of a little payback..."

“You told your boys to leave the Council heads alive, right?" he motioned towards Marco as the wolf gave a curt nod of his head.

“I did. And I also specifically gave instructions that at least two of them were to be taken captive. As I said on the way earlier, I have some things to say to those sons of bitches,"

“Good. You can have them taken to my estate. We'll 'talk' to them there. As it is, we're done here. Give the signal."

As the group turned to make their way back through the crowd, heading for the main entrance, Marco took a second to turn back around to face the other heads of the Canine Council, before giving them a slight smile and raising up his middle claw, high enough so that they could all see it, along with the blood-red wolf's head tattooed on the back of his right paw.

The reaction was almost instantaneous.

_ The gamblers and other members of the crowd suddenly began to scream and stampede towards the warehouse's numerous exits as the deafening sounds of gunfire began to permeate the air, and fill the atmosphere with the smell of burnt flesh and cordite. _Nobody was paying enough attention to notice the large group of weary-looking humans and furs, led by an older man who was strolling nonchalantly with a smile on his face, calmly stepping out into the humid Texas air as the repetitive cacophony of gunshots continued to sing out into the hot summer night.

_ Nobody noticed that the older fox had silently made his way to the man's side, and that the two of them had shared a joint smile as they continued to lead their group back to where their vehicles had been parked._

Revenge had been taken. Justice had been served. All that was left was to handle the next steps.

It was time for a change in the hierarchy of power in Harbor City. And it would begin with the chaos that had been sown on this night...

---End Chapter 14---

Well, there's the climactic confrontation, everyone! We're NOW officially at the halfway point! What happens from here will be leading up to the eventual conclusion of this book; but don't worry, I'm nowhere near done yet. Gimme 15 more chapters at least, for this one. And I have another book planned as well! Until next time, enjoy my particular blend of violence, romance, and noir!

--C.