Darkest Before Dawn

Proving Grounds

Damon walked along the streets of Westside under the blanket of the night sky. A few people remained on the streets, including junkies, prostitutes, and armed guards. Up ahead, past the decaying structures, was a sign that pointed towards The Thorn. He had heard about it for months and now summoned the courage to enter. The entrance was a manhole cover that led underground. Before he entered, he looked behind him.

Inside the Thorn was a crowd of shady characters who were cheering. In a pit below, there was a fight between two men. One of them was a muscular man, and the other appeared to be a raggedy drug addict. Damon made his way to the front and placed his hands on the fence that surrounded the pit. The cheering grew louder as the fight went on. While the crowd mindlessly cheered and begged for blood, Damon watched the fight, studying the larger man. The addict stood no chance as the muscular man pummeled him into the ground. Then, a few armed guards dragged him away as the muscular man gloated to the crowd. Damon looked upward at the platform and saw a woman in leather armor with short red hair. He assumed it was Red Lucy, the owner. Damon knew why he was there and that was to fight. He needed to prove himself.

Red Lucy made her way to the fighting pit with another fighter alongside her. He had long hair and tattoos covered his body. Red Lucy looked among the crowd.

"Who dares to step into the pit?" She announced to the crowd.

The crowd fell silent. Then, Damon pushed his way to the front and held up a wad of cash.

"I'm in," he said.

Red Lucy nodded. Damon was now in the pit, standing in front of his opponent. He had taken off his coat and only had on a tank top, jeans, and combat boots. He noticed the tattoos on his opponent's chest. One of them was a two-headed bear. The crowd cheered as the fight began. The two fighters circled each other. Damon threw the first punch, but the man moved out of the way. He quickly threw another one, but the man grabbed his arm and swung him into the fence. He tried to kick Damon, but he rolled out of the way. As he rolled, he went over dirt, blood, and teeth. The man tried another kick, but Damon grabbed his leg and struck him with a few elbows to his face. The man grabbed his throat and held him up. Damon gasped for air. Then, he struck the man with a knee to the face. The man threw him down and spit out blood. Damon was on one knee, trying to catch his breath. The man quickly ran towards him, but Damon kicked him in the face. As the man stumbled back, Damon delivered a series of punches to his stomach. The man fell on his hands and knees. Damon locked him in a sleeper hold until he fell unconscious.

The crowd cheered as a guard next to Red Lucy rang the bell. Damon was now in front of her with his coat slung over his shoulder. There were two guards standing behind her.

"You fight well," she complimented.

"Thanks."

"Here's your reward."

Red Lucy handed him a wad of cash, bigger than the one he had before.

"If you're ever looking for work, I can make it worth your while," she proposed.

"I appreciate the offer, but not right now."

"Well, come see me if you change your mind. My jobs always pay well."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Damon made his way back to the Casa Madrid. He leaned against the wall outside of his room and counted the cash he received. Red Lucy's offer was tempting, but he felt he needed to protect Dawn. There was also a secret he kept from her. Eventually, they would make it to Junktown and she would find out. Telling her about his true identity made him nervous and his friendship with her could be broken. As he was about to open the door, he thought of an excuse as to why he was out and then realized he didn't really need one. He walked in and locked the door. Dawn was still asleep. He saw the bourbon on the desk which had been consumed. Then, he laid in bed, listening to the silence around him.