[ WP ] `` Who let these guys in the tournament ? They are awful ! ''

When attempting to lose someone the best place to hide is within a crowd, blending in with the other people going about their day. So of course when Thomas saw the crowd of people forming down a side street he did n't think twice about joining them and being led away, far from the murderous glare of the man whose wife he had just slept with ( In his defence she did say she was single... ). 
 
 Heading down into what appeared to be the basement of a pub he could hear the sound of shouting from further ahead. As he rounded the corner he saw a man, bloodied and bruised, get thrown back into a ring of people where another man, slightly less beaten, was ready with a straight jab that sent the man down for the count. 
 
 `` And we have our first winner of our elimination open ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Mr. Steven Lyons'' 
 
 A cheer went up from the ring of onlookers, the victor in the centre having his hand hoisted in the air by a short man who had apparently just been speaking. 
 
 Thomas was n't sure what he had stumbled in on but frankly he did n't want anything else to do with it. He barely had turned and put a foot forward before someone had grabbed his shoulder. Looking up he could see a man much bulkier than himself, clean shaven with scruffy black hair, and a wide grin that stood out more due to the fact that one of his front teeth was missing. 
 
 `` Hey Chris, it looks like we've got a quitter over here!'' The large man exclaimed to the rest of the room. 
 
 At this point the rest of the room's attention was now on Thomas, who squirmed ever so slightly at the amount of people staring. The small, and may it be said, slightly rotund man MCing for the evening gained a devilish smirk on his small pudgy face. 
 
 `` That's not a quitter you've got there, that's our next fighter.'' The small bellowed across the room. As if on queue the room took great delight in manhandling their next contestant until he was smack dab in the middle of them. 
 
 He looked around fearfully, he did n't want to fight anyone here, not so much because he was against fighting but more the fact that most of them looked like they would squash him, literally. 
 
 His fears were interrupted however when more noise erupted from near the doorway and another man was thrust into the centre of the ring. It seems he was n't the only one who had decided they'd seen enough and wanted out early. 
 
 `` Ladies and Gentleman, it seems for our second match we have two men who do n't fully understand how the rules work here, here you do n't get too leave until either the event is over, or you've won a match. Want to leave early? Win your freedom here and now. Hell we've even gone easy on you both.'' By the end the small man was laughing to himself, though was quickly joined by the gathering crowd, interested to see what would happen when you put the equivalents of a rabbit against a mouse. 
 
 Looking at his opponent Thomas could see why he had wanted to leave early, a small frame and a fearful look in his eyes it was clear that much like himself he'd wandered in here unaware of the purpose of this establishment. Now Thomas was n't much better to be fair, slightly stockier due to the manual labour his part time job required he should stand a better chance. 
 
 The only problem was, Thomas had never thrown a punch before. 
 
 Hell he'd never even attempted to, violence was n't something that he was accustomed to, any problems he'd had in the past was sorted out through words like civilised folk. 
 
 `` No time like the present. Fight!'' The small man shouted as he backed into the crowd. 
 
 Thomas looked up from where he'd disappeared ready to move at the slightest of movement, only to see his opponent do the same. They stared at each other waiting for the other to move. At the boos and jeers of the crowd they started to move, slowly circling round each other, neither of them holding up a guard or a fist ready to strike, just... watching. 
 
 The jeers from the crowd got louder as they soon realised that neither men would actually throw the first punch. Cries of'Sissies!','Do something!', and'Punch him!' rang from the circle, one man could be noted turning to the organiser Chris and remarking with some mirth in his voice'Who let these guys in the tournament? They're awful'. 
 
 Eventually one particularly impatient gentleman decided to speed things along, and with an almighty shove Thomas was thrust forward at his opponent. 
 
 Now what he lacked in size, the timid man apparently made up in speed, as he hastily dodged to the side of Thomas' impromptu charge. 
 
 Regaining his bearings, Thomas decided to push his advantage and take a wild swing at his spooked opponent, however it was not quite wild enough and it was once again backed away from. 
 
 Over extended and off balance as he was it was the perfect chance for Thomas' opponent to counter attack with a flurry of punches. Weak and sloppy punches mind, as Thomas realised when one connected with his jaw. Still from never being hit before the shock of getting punched in the face seemed to be a wake up call for Thomas. 
 
 As the next punch came in Thomas stepped aside and grabbed the offending limb, pulling it forward and sending his opponent sprawling onto the floor. This elected a cheer from the crowd as some action was finally happening. Scrambling to his feet the mousey man turned ready to face Thomas once more, yet again without a guard. This came to be his final error as Thomas landed a clean shot to the man's nose, breaking it and causing blood to start trickling down, as he collapsed lifeless to the floor. 
 
 As suddenly as he had disappeared the small man from earlier reappeared grabbing Thomas' hand and raising it in the air. 
 
 `` Well, he may have started off weak but came out with a strong finish, give it up for...'' The small man dragged Thomas closer to whisper in his ear `` What's your name kid?'' 
 
 `` uhh, Thomas'' was the shaky reply, still unsure of what he'd actually done to the smaller man lying prone on the floor. 
 
 `` Give it up for Thomas everyone!'' The announcer shouted as the crowd began to holler and cheer. 
 
 Thomas did n't really think as he walked away from the crowd of people, away from the man who still was unmoving on the floor of the ring of people, up the stairs and out into the fresh air. Once outside however, he looked back at the entranceway of the place he just left, he looked down at the blood that had splattered onto his crinkled white shirt, and he ran. He ran as far from there as he could, wishing never to see that place again.
