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Saturday dawned obscenely cheerful and sunny. At least that's how Kris saw it. He worried as he gathered up his stuff for the gym if his father had found the disassembled gun on his dresser yet and what kind of punishment it was going to mean for him.

Edmond must have been just as preoccupied as his son about something, as he didn't mention the gun when they got into the car and he pulled out, heading for the gym. He kept glancing at Kris and shaking his head, nearly running a red light from not paying enough attention to the road. They made it to the gym with no more mishaps but Kris couldn't help clutching fearfully at the arm rest on the door and the handle of his gym bag.

The mouse girl who was usually on duty when they came, quickly checked them in and as his father turned away put her hand over his and deliberately winked at him. He had no idea what to make of that, since she'd never done it before. He kept looking back over his shoulder at her as he followed the older Coon to the changing room.

He knew better than to dawdle in here, quickly stripping down and putting on the only piece of protective gear that his father would allow, an athletic cup, before he pulled on a pair of shorts and a loose tank top. The older male was a few moments longer then he was so Kris grabbed the cloth that Edmond usually wound around his wrists and hands, to start applying it himself. He couldn't help the trembling in his hands or the horrible sinking feeling in his stomach, but he could at least act like he was being brave if he was going to have to face that Bull again.

His father nodded in approval of his preparations and took over wrapping the cloth so that it was tight but not too tight, tucking the loose end into the last few wraps to hold it in place. He did the same with Kris' other hand, making sure that the wrap was as even as he could before he shoved Kris away and picked up the strips that would wrap around his own hands. They headed out into the gym proper, Kris in the lead as Edmond would have just pushed him out anyway if he tried to stay back. The older make was preoccupied with wrapping his own hands as they arrived at the ring.

There was a bout going on right now so they had to wait on the side lines as a Rabbit and a German Shepherd took turns swiping at each other. Kris was too worked up to follow what they were doing, but it took them all over the ring from one side to the other in furious bouts of motions.

Duke came up beside him and rested his large meaty arm over the boy's shoulder. "I see you're ready for another round." For a moment Kris was terrified he would say something to Edmond about the night before, but the dog just leaned in and whispered into his ear, "I hope you slept well." Which was really a nasty comment since he could likely tell by looking at Kris that the boy hadn't slept well at all, he'd been up most of the night tossing and turning and trying to figure out how to solve these horrendous problems of his.

Duke chuckled and lifted his free hand to point at the Bull waiting across the ring from them with a nasty smile on his lips. "Seems like someone's eager for a rematch." That got the Raccoon's full and undivided attention centered on the bulky male, who seeing the fear in his eyes, slammed his fist into his other hand and ground it in there with all his might to make his arm muscles stand out more.

The Shepherd went down with the Rabbit still standing and the crowd around the ring started cheering. The Rabbit helped the dog up and they shook hands before both exiting the ring in opposite directions. Before anyone else could take the ring Edmond was pushing Kris into it and the Bull was moving to join him. The grip on his arm was painful but he didn't resist it as he was shoved toward the ropes.

His shoulders slumped as he pulled himself to his feet looking down at his father and the large Mastiff, but there was no help there, so he turned and took a deep breath squaring his shoulders. Long before he was ready the on staff referee started the match and he found himself once again trying to figure out how to effectively block this brute while at the same time finding a way to strike back at him.

He managed to get in a few hits on the large Bull before he was totally overpowered and could only hold his hands up on either side of his head trying to reduce the damage that those pounding blows were doing to him. He twisted away once getting off the ropes only to find himself cornered once more as the Bull hammered him as if he was a seasoned fighter. There was a pause in the punishment and he made the mistake of lowering his hands for just a second to see what the Bull was doing, in that moment he caught a full force punch to the side of his head and went down seeing stars.

He vaguely heard his father screaming at him to get up and take it like a man. He shoved his hands against the matting but only managed to lift himself a few inches before he fell back gasping in pain. His hands went to his nose to try to stem the flow of blood but it was useless, he lie there whimpering and holding his nose, not even aware of the cut he'd taken over his eye.

The referee called the match and suddenly there were four gentle hands on him, and familiar scents around him that soothed him even if he couldn't seem them from the blood that was running into his eyes. This was not his father and the dog, they were never this gentle with him, this cautious not to hurt him after he'd been beaten down. He found himself pulled from the ring and cradled against a strong masculine chest and another familiar and soothing scent. How could they be here? It must be his imagination, or a fevered dream of rescue.

* * * * *

Venn found it hard to sleep Friday night, and was up well before dawn on Saturday already pounding down the wooded running path he maintained around his estate. Usually running soothed him, calmed his nerves, the steady feel of his feet hitting the ground, the satisfying burn of working muscles, but today it did nothing to calm the rage he felt at finding out what Kris' father was doing to the boy.

When Kerris had asked him and Mitsuda to lunch on Friday he hadn't known what to expect, it was the first time either he or the Rabbit had met the Fox's mate. Lunch had started out pleasantly enough; with jovial talk about the various things that they all had in common, but it had quickly taken a turn that threw the horse for a loop. Apparently Audio had overheard a conversation between Marcus and the Raccoon which he'd then told his father's about.

Both he and the Rabbit had been horrified to hear that the boy was being subjected to what amounted to weekly beatings. It was Mitsuda that broke the silence when the two Foxes had finished telling them about the conversation. "While this sounds horrifying, we have to consider that sometimes boys exaggerate. It is possible his father has enrolled him in MMA training and Kris is unhappy with it. However," he held up a hand before Kerris could go off on him, "I, like you, tend to think that it bears investigation. Do we know which Gym they go to?" There followed a strategy meeting worthy of the best battle plans.

All this flitted through Venn's mind as he ran, dodging low hanging limbs and vaulting obstacles in his path with the ease of familiarity. He'd been hard pressed not to tell the boy what had come of that lunch, when Kris had asked him if he'd come up in the conversation. He'd wanted so badly to wrap his arms around the boy and never let him go but that would never do, teachers just didn't abduct their students, and there was no point in worrying the boy more than he already was about the upcoming visit to the gym.

The four men had agreed that the other boys on the swim team could well do with the same lesson that Kris was about to get, picking on someone smaller and weaker than yourself was not honorable. So it was decided that he would pick up Mitsuda and Marcus, while Kerris and Mythic would take Audio to pick up Desmond. They only excluded the girls due to the gym's strict no female policy.

After a quick shower, and without even taking the time to dry his mane, Venn threw his workout clothing into a duffle bag and headed for his car. Mitsuda was close to Marcus so they didn't have time for much private conversation; however Mitsuda made one thing clear to him, "I'm Mr. Mitsuda at school, today I'm just Kasador."

The only response Venn could offer at that point was to nod and say, "Then I'm Venn. I have one question Kasador." The flame colored buck nodded his head once to indicate that Venn should ask it. "If they challenge our sexuality how do you want to handle it? I mean Kerris and Mythic, the can kiss each other being mated and all, but us..." He left it hanging there giving the Rabbit a chance to mull over the implied suggestion.

The corner of the Rabbit's lips turned up in a slight smile and he chuckled dryly. "Well as it is in the interest of rescuing one of our mutual students, I don't think a kiss would be out of place."

They pulled up in front of the cat's house only to find that Marcus was on time for a chance, hurrying out the door with his own duffle in his hand to clamber into the backseat. "Where are we going Coach? And who's the Rabbit?" He hung over the center of the back seat until Venn's cold look made him pull back and buckle up properly.

"This is Mr. Mitsuda another teacher at the school. I told you, we're going to a gym today to get you boys acquainted with the various equipment and types of exercises that you can do to strengthen your bodies to be better swimmers." The young cat kept up a steady line of chatter which Venn mostly ignored allowing Kasador to field his questions and keep him entertained until they pulled into the parking lot at the gym. The Fox's car was already there, the four occupants standing at the door to the gym waiting for them.

It was a little before 7 am, Venn having found out by the simple expedient of calling the gym that the Blackwood's usually came in around a quarter after 7 every Saturday. The group entered the gym, Mythic walking a little ahead to meet the pretty little mouse girl at the front desk, apparently the no females only applied to members not staff.

As they had agreed, each of the adults paid for a membership to the gym with the three boys being first time guests and not requiring membership. Once they had all secured their membership cards the men and boys headed for the locker room to change. Venn noted almost absently that each of them seemed to have their own color and coordinated both their clothing and the cloth tape that would protect their hands from some of the impact when... no if they had to follow through with the plan.

When the emerged from the changing room, their guide was waiting and took them through a brief five minute tour of the facilities then let them scatter to explore whatever drew the boys' interest. Kerris and Audio were examining a leg trainer, Mythic and Desmond were checking out the treadmills, and Marcus lead him and Kasador to the barbells.

Venn was busy explaining how the weights worked and why it wasn't a good idea to just start piling on weight when the cat didn't know how much he could actually handle at first, and didn't see the Raccoons enter the gym. However Kasador tapped him on the shoulder and nodded in the direction of the ring when he spotted the boy standing there. His interruption caught Marcus' attention and the cat stiffened his eyes widening as he realized what gym this must be. He looked from one of the teachers to the other and swallowed hard. "Uh... I... ummm..." He searched for words to tell the Coach at least what was going on without betraying Kris' confidence.

Venn rested a hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled slightly. "It's alright Marcus, that's part of why we picked this gym." The three of them slowly migrated toward the MMA ring collecting the Foxes and the rat terrier as they went. There was a bout going on right now, a Rabbit and a German Shepherd. The Rabbit was in good condition, and had the Shepherd down and out fairly quickly. In a show of good sportsmanship they shook hands and exited the ring. A large Bull immediately pushed his way into the vacated ring, as the older Raccoon forced Kris to enter as well.

It took all of Venn's self composure not to walk over there and punch the smug look off the elder coon's face but he had to see what was happening before he could condemn the man. At first it looked like a training match, the boy slowly gaining some confidence as he made a few hits on the Bull. He was moving well, keeping his hands up to avoid some of the more serious blows that could have really hurt, but then the Bull forced him into a corner and started pounding on his ribs with fast little jabs.

Venn heard the low growl to his left and knew Kerris was as upset about what they were watching as he was. However Mythic seemed nearly as calm as Kasador, hold a hand on his mates shoulder to keep him from interrupting.

The boy managed to get out of the ropes and made another solid connection with a right hook to the Bull's jaw, this only seemed to enrage the larger man and he came at the boy all out. Still Kris seemed to be doing well keeping his hands up in the blocking position, though the lack of a helmet worried Venn as it mean that all it would take is one stray... the boys hands dropped and the Bull hit him with a full strength punch to the side of his muzzle. Kris went down like a stone, for a heartbeat there was silence in the gym. Then the referee started counting while the older Raccoon was screaming at the boy to get up and take it like a man.

That was more than Venn could take, he headed for the ring with Kerris only a step behind him, the two of them entering and just by the force of their presence forcing the Bull back against the ropes. Just on the edge of his awareness he heard Mythic confronting the older Raccoon, but right now his focus was on making sure the kit was all right.

He was bleeding from a cut over his eye and his nose, but that could be stopped readily enough. Venn's hands slid down the boy's chest and sides checking for broken or bruised ribs, when he didn't find any significant damage he nodded to Kerris and the two of them carefully moved the boy to the edge of the ring. Kasador was there to catch him as they slid him under the bottom rope, Venn jumping down to help support the boy to where the other boys were waiting out of the way.

But this time Mythic's voice was able to be heard over the silence in the rest of the gym. "If you're so intent on watching someone be beaten today, then we'll give you the chance to watch it. There are four of us; we'll take any one who wants to join us in the ring." He indicated the other three adults in their group just as they planed.

The Raccoon snorted and shook his head. "Why would any of us want to fight a bunch of fags? You'd likely just get off on it."

Kerris stood up in the ring, the sole possessor of it now and loudly called, "If you're afraid that a bunch of fags can beat you then don't take us up on the challenge."

The Bull who was now outside the ring on the far side of the room pointed at Venn and clearly said, "That's no gay man, he's too manly to be a tail raiser." There was the challenge that he and Kasador had been discussing in the car.

Venn looked at the Rabbit, caught the slight nod and turned to face the Bull. "Would you take a demonstration as verification?" This confused the Bull for a moment but he nodded not sure what Venn could possibly mean by that.

Letting Marcus support the slowly recovering Kris, Venn took a step away from the boys and put his hand behind Kasador's neck pulling the Rabbit in toward him. It was hesitant at first, just a brush of horse lips against bunny lips, but they both knew that it would never be enough to convince the skeptics in the room. Venn took another half step and slid his free arm around Kasador's torso pulling the buck in firmly against his chest and tilting his muzzle to allow for better access. The Rabbit's lips parted under his questioning tongue and he let out a soft nicker as his tongue dipped into... blackberries?

The Rabbit unquestioningly tasted like blackberries. His tongue sought out the source of the taste but was unable to find it, though the Rabbit seemed equally interested in assisting his endeavors, his tongue pressing back and toying with the horses as their bodies pressed firmly together. There was an uproar around them as the mostly straight group of males protested this display of homosexuality in their midst. The Rabbit was the first to disengage, slowly drawing back, until he could look into Venn's eyes. "Remind me to explore that at a later date in more detail will you?" He sounded a little husky and out of breath.

The Bull was the first to voice his anger at the display. "You don't belong here any of you." He pointed at the four men then narrowed his eyes as he counted the boys. "Oh good god, you brought your little boy toys with you! You freaks need to get out of here before we take those boys from you and teach you what real men are like!"

There was a grumbling ascent to this assertion that had Venn's back up, but he didn't get a chance to comment, none of the adult's did, Audio jumped up from his seat beside Desmond and went running at the Bull screaming at the top of his lungs. "Don't you ever say things like that about my _fathers_again!" Thankfully Kerris managed to get through the ropes and grab the little Fennec before he reached the Bull. The Fox grabbed his son and wrapped his arms around the smaller todd holding him and soothing him as best he could.

Venn took a few steps forward and opened his mouth only to have Marcus' dry laughter catch the attention of the whole room. "You think these adult men are messing with us sexually? You don't know anything about honor! Three of them are teachers at the school; their job is to protect us boys, unlike you here.

"You seem to think it's all right to beat the shit out of a boy in the name of training. I've never seen anything like the cowardice displayed here, when a grown ass man," his eyes flicked over the Bull and then dismissed him out of hand, "thinks hitting little boys is appropriate and the rest of you," he didn't leave out a single one of the other men in the gym, "do nothing to stop it.

"You want to see what a real man is like? A real man has the courage to stop injustice when he sees it, to comfort someone in pain, to soothe the fears from a kit, and still have the presence of mind to kick the ass of anyone who's stupid enough to think that deliberately hurting kids is acceptable." He stepped forward and placed a hand on Venn's shoulder. "A real man is like the Coach here. If these men say they'll prove they're right through combat I'd believe them. In fact if I was a coward like you I'd be running for the hills right now."

Marcus' little speech seemed to have a profound affect on all of the men gathered around, some of them looked ashamed of themselves others were enraged, but Venn and his fellow conspirators all felt proud of the boy, if could see the right from the wrong in this situation than they had taught him well. There was a shifting in the crowd and a face that Venn hadn't expected appeared and walked over to join them.

"Coach O'Brien's never messed wit' no kits. He's a good man. A good Coach. Ain't that right Desmond?" Coach McGee put his arm around the Rat Terrier's shoulders and gave the lad a squeeze. "Ya all know me here and ya know I ain't no pervert, no fag neither, but I ain't goin' stand by and let some kid get beat up no more." The large cheetah pulled his shoulders back and glared at the assembled men. "I say iffn' ya'll got a problem wit' my friends here then ya got a problem wit' me."

Kasador placed his hand on McGee's shoulder then raised his voice. "The challenge still stands, if you gentlemen want someone to beat on pick on someone your own size." Kerris whispered something to the now calm Audio who went back to stand by Mythic and hold his hand as the ex-military Fox got back into the ring.

A low voiced conversation was had on the far side of the ring and the white Rabbit that had just dispatched the German Shepherd pushed his way to the front of the gathered men. "I never could let a challenge stand. I'll have a go if you're up for it." He wriggled his way into the ring and stood up to face the green clad Fox. "Maybe I'll even teach you a thing or two."

Kerris didn't say a word, simply held out his hand to shake the Rabbit's. He frowned slightly when the Rabbit looked at his hand then fell into a fighting stance without shaking it. The Fox threw it off with a shrug of his shoulders and nodded to the referee signaling his readiness.

"You can do it Dad!" Came from the small Fennec who, along with Mythic, moved up to the edge of the ring.

The match started with the Rabbit kicking at the Fox, using his powerful legs to try to knock Kerris off balance. The Fox however seemed to anticipate the attack and simply blocked with a raised leg so his shin deflected the blow. Not discouraged in the least the Rabbit turned the rebound into another kick, higher this time aiming for the Fox's ribs. Again he was deflected as Kerris' arm came down and his forearm caught the blow. The Rabbit backed off for a moment regarding the stoic Fox with a new respect in his eyes.

His next attack launched him from the floor directly at the Fox's midsection, using his powerful legs to propel him into what should have been a collision of monumental proportions, but the Fox sidestepped at the last moment and brought his knee up into the Rabbit's unprotected stomach. Again and again the two clashed together, every time the Fox sustained little to no damage while the Rabbit was taking a brutal and relentless beating at his hands.

Finally the Rabbit went in for the kill; he wound up and sent a kick for the Fox's head. It looked like it would connect right up until Kerris' hand wrapped around his ankle and he stepped into the Rabbit's body. Two fast punches, one to his solar plexus and one to the underside of his jaw and the Rabbit went down.

It was eerie in a way, the Rabbit made all kinds of little grunts and gasps while the fight was going on but Kerris was silent, not even the sound of his breath becoming audible, even at the end when the Rabbit lay in a crumpled heap at his feet. The entire gym was silent for a few moments until the referee checked the Rabbit and declared Kerris the winner.

The Fox had turned from the center of the ring and was about to exit when the Rabbit tapped him on the shoulder. Kerris looked back, then slowly turned to face the Rabbit. He looked a little startled when the Rabbit held his hand out to him, but after a moments hesitation he took the offered hand and shook once, before the two men turned and went their own way.

The moment the ring was emptied the older Blackwood was in it. "Come on horse; show me what you've got." He backed up into the center of the ring flexing his muscles, but before Venn had a chance to take him up on the challenge, Mythic was in the ring with him.

"Oh no, you're going to fight me Mr. Blackwood." The Fox gave a slow stretch extending his black wrapped hands over his head for a moment. "I've wanted a piece of you since you scared my son and niece the other day."

The Raccoon looked Mythic over derisively and snorted. "If you think you can take me little man you're welcome to try." He didn't even bother offering the Fox his hand just nodded to the referee and took up a traditional boxer's stance. Mythic growled softly at the lack of proper respect and narrowed his eyes, nodding to the referee as well.

The Raccoon had no real finesse; he advanced on Mythic with a swagger that made him look overconfident and egotistical. It also made the openings in his defenses obvious to anyone watching, however Mythic doesn't take the offered opening, holding back and waiting for the right moment.

Venn saw several openings in the Raccoon's defense any one of which would be enough to end the bout in a few moments but Mythic took his time, letting the Raccoon grow even more bold and brash about his attacks, even if Mythic was blocking every one of them. It was aggravating to watch the Fox being pushed around the ring like that, even more so when the older male started to boast. "You see, fags like you are all cowards. Not an aggressive bone in your bodies." He punched out once more aiming for Mythic's face since the Fox had dropped his guard in just that moment.

It happened so fast that if you hadn't been paying close attention you might have missed it. Mythic grabbed the Raccoon's wrist and twisted, the Raccoon went to his knees just in time to have the Fox's knee brought up hard against the underside of his muzzle and then his foot smashed into the Raccoon's sternum. Mythic let go and the Raccoon fell forward landing on his hands and knees as the Fox danced back out of his reach.

The Raccoon growled, wiped his muzzle and shoved himself to his feet glaring at the dancing Fox. "You'll pay for that fag!" He rushed the Fox, trying to take him off guard. Without waiting for Mythic to give him an opening the Raccoon slammed several punches at the Fox, seeming not to care if they connected or were blocked as he backed his slightly smaller opponent toward a corner.

Mythic waited, letting the Raccoon tire himself and push him around the ring, but as he felt the ropes against his back he smiled nastily, dropped his guard, to wrap his arms around the upper rope and started to kick at Edmond. The first kick the Raccoon deflected, but the second connected with the side of his face. Once the Raccoon went down Mythic unwound his arms and again danced back out of the Raccoon's reach. "Had enough?" He asked, seeming barely out of breath.

The older Raccoon spat blood, wiping at his nose with the back of a paw and after seeing the blood on his wrap glaring up at the younger Fox. "You fucking wish!" He struggled to his feet, pulling himself up by grabbing the ropes. Once he had stopped swaying he advanced on the Fox again, being more cautious this time but still not protecting himself as fully as he could be. He tried a punch only to have Mythic block it and kick him in the ribs, before dancing out of his reach again.

That became the new pattern; the Fox waited for the Raccoon to get to his feet then battered him back down again over and over. It wasn't so much a fight anymore as a consensual beating. Stubbornly the Raccoon refused to admit defeat, even when his face was battered and bleeding, his body barely able to stumble around the ring he kept coming back for more.

Finally Kerris yelled out, "Enough!" holding the trembling Audio's shoulders as the boy buries his face against his father's chest. "Mythic, it's enough."

There was silence in the gym once more as the Fox turned from the Raccoon, contempt written large on his face. With an enraged howl the Raccoon tried one last time to best his opponent, launching himself at the Fox's unprotected back. Mythic was faster! He spun in place and his foot met the Fox's headlong charge halting it abruptly as it connected with his chest. The Raccoon looked startled for a moment, then went down for good this time.

The referee called it and Mythic left the ring looking rather upset with himself for stretching the beating out as long as he did but Kerris has an arm around his shoulder whispering soothing words as both he and Audio hug him.

A movement to Venn's right caught his attention in time to see Kasador sliding into the ring. The buck stood proudly looking at the assembled men. "Who's next? Or have you had your fill of beating on the fags?" The flame colored bunny was wearing white that left little to the imagination, clinging to his body in a way that disguised nothing and smoothed out his fur to make it seem as if he was nearly naked. Even after watching Mythic beat the Raccoon to a bloody mess there were a few grumbling voices in response to Kas' challenging words. But it was a large black Mastiff that took him up on it.

He was large for his species, boasting broad shoulders and very well defined muscles. He made the Rabbit look small in comparison but Kasador didn't flinch when he took his place opposite the bunny. They both reached out their hands at the same time and shook in a gentlemanly manner. They parted and nodded their readiness to the referee, as the bell rang they started to circle each other warily.

The dog made the first move, a tentative kick to see what the buck would do. It was blocked easily enough, so he tried a punch. The Rabbit grabbed his wrist turned and heaved, in a moment the dog was airborne, flying over the Rabbit's head to come crashing down on his back. The Rabbit let go and backed away waiting, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

The large dog seemed dazed, lying there long enough that the referee started his count down before pulling himself to his feet once more. "Shit!" His smile faded into a look of concentration as he sized up the smaller Rabbit. Taking a deep breath he tried again, a punch followed by a kick this time that was meant to meet the Rabbit's ribs. It didn't land, instead he found himself being dragged around by his foot and slammed into the ropes to bounce back and have his arm caught, as he was directed forcefully into the matting head first.

The Rabbit picked himself up off his ass and backed away, once more regarding the large dog levelly. Again the Mastiff took a while to gather his wits about him and again the referee started his count down before the dog hauled himself up onto hands and knees before clambering to his feet once more. There was a moments hesitation before he started circling with the Rabbit again, a flicker of respect in his eyes that Venn couldn't help noticing.

Again the Mastiff attacked, this time aiming a blow for the Rabbit's chest. Both Kasador's hands wrapped around the dog's wrist and he fell back pulling the overbalanced male off his feet and helping him up through the air with two feet to his chest. The dog landed on his back once more the air knocked out of him.

On his feet again the Rabbit looked curiously at the mastiff and politely asked, "Concede?"

The large black dog blinked a few times then nodded slowly. "Concede." He must not have been seeing straight since when the Rabbit extended a hand to help him up he reached for it three times before he connected. Kasador wordlessly helped him to his feet and held onto his hand and arm until he stopped wobbling so much. When the dog could see straight again he shook the Rabbits hand and staggered his way to the ropes to get out of the ring.

Having not taken a single hit Kasador slide from the ring easily, nodding once to Venn. The horse knew who he wanted to fight, that damned Bull, the one that was hitting Kris and getting such enjoyment out of it. As he headed for the ring he purposefully winked at the Bull. Once in it he flicked his tail, flagging it with his back to the Bull as an added enticement. It worked. The Bull let out an enraged bellow and dove for the ring blowing hot breaths out his nostrils as he joined the Stallion.

They didn't bother with the handshake, the Bull because he didn't want to touch the horse and the Stallion because he didn't think he could restrain himself from hurting the Bull before the match officially started. They both gave the tiger referee a nod and the bell went off.

Venn held his ground waiting for the Bull to come to him; he was loose and yet at the same time tense, the optimal combination for the coming confrontation. The Bull on the other hand didn't waste any time advancing, lowering his head and charging at the object of his ire. The tip of his sharpened horns gleamed in the light as he advanced on the Stallion, but Venn simply side stepped and let the Bull run head long into the post that held the ropes in place. It was padded of course but the enraged Bovine had built up a fair head of steam before he came to an abrupt halt against the metal cored pole. There was a resounding clanging and the Bull fell over backward in slow motion.

The referee looked as shocked as some of the members of the gym at the abrupt seeming end to the match, but the Bull was made of hardy stuff, he snorted and shook his head a few times hauling himself back to his feet and wobbling while he tried to regain his balance. Now that the initial rage was burned off he turned on Venn and cautiously started circling the horse. The Stallion obliged, moving smoothly around the ring with his dancing partner. A few feints and they both knew that the other wasn't going to make any rash moves, (any more in the Bull's case). Finally the Bull lost patience with the slow circling and closed on Venn but this time he kept his head up and focused more on using his fists than his horns.

Venn easily evaded most of the blows but caught a wild swing on the shoulder making him whinny before he returned the volley with a few well placed blows from his own fists. The Bull blocked but just barely, taking a shot to the shoulder from Venn's fist and another to the belly when the horse raised his knee suddenly. The combatants backed away from each other, the Bull now breathing heavily while Venn had hardly broken a sweat.

A few more times they clashed and traded blows but the initial run in with the pole was having an affect on the Bovine, making his movements slow and less sure than they should be. He was dropping his guard little by little, something that Venn noticed but ignored for the time being. He let the Bull get in a few more hits, no where near solid enough to put the experienced military man out, before he started returning the jabs in earnest.

It was a replay of what Mythic had done to the Raccoon. The horse chased the Bull around the ring, jabbing and kicking into any opening in the Bovine's defenses. He took his time about it; much like the Bull had done to the boy, waiting till he opened up then pounding on him full force, working his frustration at not being able to keep Kris from him by turning him into a walking punching bag. It seemed to go on and on, the Bull losing more and more concentration as they went. Yet still the Stallion seemed relentless. He began punctuating his hits and kicks with words.

"You like hitting little boys?" A punch to the unprotected left rib cage, "What real men are too much for you?" His knee came up into the Bulls gut making him stagger backward. "Where's your courage now?" He brought the gasping face down hard on his uprising knee. The Bull went to his knees and the referee put himself between the two men making Venn back off.

Now the horse was breathing heavily, his barrel working like a bellows as it sought to keep enough air circulating through his veins to compensate for the growing muscle strain. It felt good to Venn, the burn in his muscles and the knowledge that he was teaching this lout a lesson about picking on more helpless opponents.

The referee backed away from the Bull as the large male struggled to his feet once more. "You think it's funny? Beating on someone who isn't as well trained as you?" The Bull spat blood, raising his eyes to the Stallions so Venn was forced to look at the broken muzzle bridge that his last move had given the Bull.

The horse snorted and took a step forward menacingly. "You've no right to talk! You were beating on a 14 year old kid! On that had no training at all and you were going full out on him!" His fists clenched and he had to force himself not to pound that ignorant face a few more times.

It took a few moments for his comments to penetrate the Bull's thick skull but he could see the dawning of that idea, saw the Bulls eyes flick to Kris then to the older Raccoon, saw the realization of what he'd been doing to a child roll through his consciousness. "But... His father said... He's so big!" For a moment Venn almost felt sorry for the Bovine, but then he glanced at Kris and any sympathy for the Bull vanished.

Venn recaptured the Bulls undivided attention by grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him in close till he could smell the Bull's breath. "Perhaps next time you'll be a little more careful who you pick as a sparking partner and maybe get all the details before you agree to beat the shit out of someone." He shoved the Bull away from himself, suddenly tired of this whole thing, and left the ring.

Between them Venn and Kasador helped the limping Raccoon kit into the changing room, with Mythic and Kerris corralling the other three boys with the help of Coach McGee. The last glimpse he had of the Bull, he was still standing in the ring with blood dripping down off his muzzle and a confused look on his face.

They didn't bother changing, just grabbed their stuff from the lockers, including Kris' things and headed as a group toward the exit. The older Raccoon burst through the door behind them. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't waltz in here and just take my son! That's kidnapping and I'll call the cops on you. I don't want him around you Fags!"

Venn just didn't have the self control left to deal with the elder Blackwood and was turning to lay him out when Kasador's hand landed on his shoulder. The Rabbit calmly stepped between the group and Kris' father simply using his bulk to keep the older male from reaching the boy. "Mr. Blackwood I would like nothing more than to have you call the police.

"First: what you've done here, having a minor beaten in a public place should be enough to have you up on charges of Child endangerment at the least and outright abuse at the best.

"Second: Vincent O'Brien is a consultant for our local constabulary and I'd love to see who they believed, him or you.

"Third: the child is in no condition to make a cognizant decision of his own right now so his coach, teacher and one of the administrators at the school he attends are making the decisions for him.

"And last but not least his mother is waiting for him to be delivered into her keeping with us as her agents. So unless you feel like a long drawn out legal battle I suggest you let us take your son to his mother since I believe it is her weekend to spend with him is it not?"

In the face of that calmly reasoned out set of arguments the elder Raccoon went pale under his skin, turned on his heel and marched right back out of the changing room into the gym proper.

With the last of the obstacles cleared the group left the gym, walking slowly past the reception desk and a small mouse girl who came out from behind her counter and kissed Kris on the cheek, whispering, "See I knew you would be alright." Which made the boy blush as he was escorted painfully from the building.