Beyond Gods 22 The Tes

Within the jungle was a large open straw hut with worn down taped up boxing bags hanging from the various pillars. Sweaty s.h.i.+rtless men wearing shorts kicked and punched the bags with vigor. Next to the hut was a boxing ring and within it men were hitting and kicking pads held by older worn down looking men. Outside the ring, on padded floors, men rolled around struggling to get each other into various submissions. These men were clearly grappling.

"HEY!," boomed Guang Hui, "BOY CLIMB OUT OF PIT! I FIND WINNER! COME SEE!"

From a previously unnoticed shed behind the hut, an old muscular black man with white deadlocked hair, came walking towards them with a curious look on his face.

"Is this the boy Guang Hui?," muttered the man looking Johan up and down.

Nodding, Guang Hui yelled, "HE WINNER! GIVE MONEY!"

The black man glanced from Guang Hui to Johan and said, "Boy, who are you and are you going to win me a tournament?"

"I am Johan and I will, I've trained to fight a lot with my friend for the last few years," said Johan without missing a beat. "I am strong."

Johan was confident in his skills after having sparred and grappled with Neil continuously over the last few years and augmenting that with the resources he'd consumed in the underground labyrinth. He was certain he was eons above the average warrior in strength. He held out his hand to shake the black man's hand. The man looked at Johan's hand thoughtfully and ignored it. Johan put his hand down realizing that he'd been ignored.

"Guang Hui has a theory," said the black man, "that all people who climb out of the pit will make marvelous fighters since the last two we got, got our team wins."

"MONEY!," screamed Guang Hui happily.

"A moment," said the black man holding up his finger silencing Guang Hui. "I don't know if you are trying to scam me. You could have found this kid anywhere."

"I lie only once! You know this," said Guang Hui, "This boy real deal! Please Chris, I need money"

The black man who Guang Hui called Chris, hollered, "BEIBER! IN THE RING! TEST THE NEW GUY! HE SAYS HE KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT!"

Everyone seemed to stop their training and to watch Johan curiously. The people in the ring all got out leaving behind a lanky blond haired man in his early twenties. The man had tattoos covering his entire left arm and right forearm, and some on his chest.

Johan placed his bag at the corner of the ring and eagerly hopped in. Without a moment's delay, Johan quickly lunged out at Beiber to strike him.

A strong hand grabbed Johan's shoulder stopping his lunge before it could reach Beiber. Surprised, he looked back to see Chris standing there.

"Wait until I tell you to start," said Chris, "and put this in your mouth and glove up kid. Don't want you to loose teeth unnecessarily."

Chris handed Johan a pair of worn down red mma gloves and a rubber mouth guard.

Johan put the mouth guard into his mouth biting down on it and wore the gloves.

Johan then looked up at Beiber eager to show off his skills only to be met by Beiber's smirking face.

"You are slow," whispered Beiber.

"Alright," said Chris backing away from the two of them. "Start when the buzzer goes off. Remember, no gouging, scratching or small joint manipulation. Winner is decided by points, decisive knockout, or submission."

Johan felt himself break out into a cold sweat as he processed Beiber's comment.

"BZZZZZ!"

The bell rang a second later. Instantaneously, Beiber seemed to disappear from Johan's field of vision. Following this, a barrage of hard punches and kicks sent Johan flying into the ropes as he struggled to block them. He used his arms to cover his face to avoid being knocked out. The kicks and punches blocked or not made him grunt out in pain. They felt like baseball bats being slammed against him. Soon he began to feel like he wouldn't be able to take anymore as his vision began to blur from the pain.

Suddenly, the hits stopped.

Johan looked up to see Beiber backing off with a smirk.

"Are you gonna fight back?," said Beiber dropping his guard mockingly and gesturing for Johan to come at him.

Johan was shocked, it felt as if his time sparring and training with Neil had been a waste. Johan shook his head refusing to believe it.

"I am stronger than this," muttered Johan to himself.

Johan jumped at Beiber throwing a punch at his face with his left hand. Beiber leaned back smoothly, just enough that Johan's punch didn't reach. As Johan pulled his punch back a fist met his face, he realized that Beiber had taken the opportunity to throw his own counter punch. Johan stumbled back to the ropes surprised.

Mockingly, Beiber backed up dancing lightly on his feet waiting for Johan to get his composure together. A revelation hit Johan. Beiber moved too fast for him to see. He didn't have enough time to react to Beiber's strikes. He mentally devised a plan and lunged at Beiber again.

This time Johan threw his left punch at Beiber's face once again and as he expected, Beiber leaned back elegantly just like he did previously making his punch fall short. But this time, rather than fully pulling back his punch, he pulled it back half way as he lunged forward again striking out with the same fist at Beiber's face.

Beiber used his free fist to parry Johan's second jab and smacked him across the head, once again countering him. This caused Johan to loose his balance and fall to his knees shocked.

[d.a.m.nit Neil!,] thought Johan, [what have we been training for all this time!? What should I do!? Help me out!]

Neil did not answer his thoughts and Johan realised that he was alone in this fight.

"GET UP!," yelled Guang Hui from the corner of the ring, "ONLY TWO MINUTE MORE IN ROUND!"

Johan got to his feet frustrated. He hadn't seen Beiber's counter this time either.

Again, Beiber backed off and was dancing lightly on his feet from a distance waiting for Johan to get his composure together. Johan stared at Beiber's smirk and realised that Beiber was playing with him, like a child plays with its food. Johan sweat and panted profusely from exerting himself while Beiber seemed like he was in the middle of a relaxed stroll in the park.

Johan once again lunged at Beiber. This time after after jabbing out twice with his left hand, he swung out with his right hand and deflected Beiber's counter. At that moment, Johan realised that Beiber had been hitting him with a right punch after deflecting his. .h.i.ts all this time. Following his right punch, Johan kicked out with his right leg, swinging it toward's Beiber's rib cage. Beiber smoothly raised his leg, meeting Johan's s.h.i.+n with his s.h.i.+n.

Johan let out a groan, as he felt an electric pain spread through out his leg, and he pulled his leg back.

-- Ø --

Johan awoke to the feeling of his face being slapped. His eyes were closed.

"What happened?," groaned Johan.

"WAKE! WAKE!," yelled a voice.

Groggily, Johan opened his eyes to see Guang Hui face looking down at him with a panicked look in his eyes.

"What happened?," groaned Johan.

"He kick you head," said Guang Hui. "Why you slow? You no get job this way. Fight harder! Chris no give money if you bad! Beiber no strong. He weak. Even I beat him."

Johan groggily got to his feet and saw Beiber leaning against the ropes chatting carefree with some of the other men outside the ring.

"I got this Guang Hui," said Johan pus.h.i.+ng Guang Hui aside. "Let me fight, leave the ring."

Guang Hui glanced back at Johan uncertainly as he climbed out of the ring.

"The boy got up," boomed Chris, "get ready and stop slacking Bieber! One minute left in this round!"

Beiber sprung off the ropes and started prancing around.

"BZZZZ!!!"

The buzzer rang.

Johan watched Beiber closely.

As if mocking Johan, Beiber slowly and theatrically picked his leg off the ground and moved it towards Johan as if goading him. Several men outside the ring started laughing.

Johan froze surprised by this random turn of events.

A voice yelled, "Even moving at that speed you can probably beat this runt!"

Johan felt his head heat up from the man's comment.

Beiber's leg tapped Johan's arm lightly.

Beiber continued to move slowly as he tapped Johan's head, body and feet with a exaggeratedly slow and soft punches and kicks. Johan was stood unmoving as irritation and anger began to consume him. But more than anything, he was frustrated at his inability. Johan realised that compared to Beiber, he was inferior at striking.

"WHAT YOU DOING!," screamed Guang Hui, "FIGHT!"

As Beiber threw out another slow mocking kick. Johan sprung apon him, grabbing Beiber's leg and pus.h.i.+ng a startled Beiber to the floor using a single legged take down.

"If I can't out strike you," growled Johan in Beiber's ear, "I'll submit you on the ground! A striking art's big weakness is a good grappler!"