He'd seen brutality in his life, but he'd rarely seen a sight more stomach churning then the one he witnessed now.

Christ he'd been in more cage fights then he could remember, but this was different.

This guy was all about pain and injury!

He watched him, his back to the crowd, lounging against the cold metal of the cage, giving no heed to the shouting and jeering as the crowd roared their encouragement...baying for blood.

He knew from experience they were here for the kill, stomping their feet as they pressed together impatiently awaiting another challenger.

Well, he'd challenge his dominance alright. He wasn't about to let some common street thug walk away with all the glory.

This was his backyard, and no one handled business better than he did. Enough of the appetizers...time to bring on the main course!

He dodged the flames pouring from the oil drums and the smell of fire and gasoline mixed with sweat assaulted his nostrils as he pressed his way through the cheering mob. Accepting the occasional slap on the back as he forged his way forward, their seething hatred cradling him as he mounted the cage. Ignoring the warning that was slowly building in his head.

The cheering died away the moment he stepped through the gate; the last sound he heard was the sickening clunk as it closed behind him. He lost track of the crowd, he lost track of everything, a new sensation was slowly taking over, drowning out all else save one.

Loneliness...

Suddenly being in that cage felt like the loneliest place on earth...trapped and alone, just him and this guy who looked like he wanted to separate his head from his body.

Now he knew what a caged animal felt like!

He saw the bruising on his back, and without hesitating aimed a viscous kick to his kidney area, sending him hurtling into the wire of the cage as he watched him try to turn to face the assault. Taking full advantage of the moment, he swung a fist into his face and felt bone crunch on bone as he followed it through with a left hook, a little wider than the first, raw determination seeping into every blow.

There was a brief moment of satisfaction in hearing the thud several feet away, yet it was short-lived.

Instantly he saw the other man straining to stand, one knee poised on the floor as he balanced himself. He didn't think it possible that any human being could withstand such a damaging blow. It was new to him, as was the determined savagery of the sideways look aimed his way.

Grabbing the wires for extra leverage, he slammed his knee forcefully into his ribs, delivering a rattling blow before he had the chance to stand. A satisfied grin appeared as he saw the other man's body arch, the force of the blow lifting him from the floor only to connect with a booted foot which would, if not break his ribs, leave him severely winded and in pain.

He stepped backed, triumphant, shuffling from one foot to the other, ready to receive the crowd's adulation, sadistically imagining the agony which must now be surging through the man he had beaten into the floor.

He took his eyes off the crowd for a mere second to inspect the damage to his hand. Hearing a low growl, he turned his head just in time to catch the look of sculpted menace aimed directly at him as, unbelievably, the other man tried gain his feet.

He saw the punch coming, but it was already too late. It hurtled towards him; he met the blow with a punch of his own at the same time the other was moving in.

Bam! It felt like a head-on collision, the bitter taste of the first impact.

The vibrations shot up his arm and down his spine. He felt a bone crushing pain and wondered if his knuckles had broke, seconds before another blow struck his solar plexus.

He folded like he'd been sliced through with a dagger. He tried to raise his arms, but the force of the blow disorientated him, causing him to fall back, his head hitting the metal of the cage.

The violent passion seeping from the crowd seemed to echo all around him, reaching the highest pitch of enthusiasm as he clumsily tried to gain his feet. He felt the movement of cold metal as he used the wire as leverage to pull himself upright, and realized for the first time how many had gathered around its edge. They were so close he could smell the beer and smoke emanating from them as they danced around the cage, rattling on the wire, roaring their approval.

He staggered to his feet, breathing heavily, a glint of determination returning as the man in front of him growled,

"Come on, tough guy; give me all you've got!"

Straining, he tried to pull himself up to full height, watching as the other man paced, bare-chested, looking every inch the predator. Through the savage exterior he could see his inner rage, and hesitated slightly. The sudden realization hit him... "This guy was an animal, and one just as confident pacing in a cage as he was stalking in the forest"

He'd come against brute force before, but this was different!

Normally, he would hammer an opponent with as much as he could throw and watch them crumble under the barrage. He always knew when his opponent was hurt, he could see it in his eyes. But mostly he could see it in his actions.

Yet, in the midst of the deafening crowd, the man before him looked untouched...savage...primal.

He was finding it increasingly more difficult to quieten the clamour of doubts that were now raging in his head. Summoning every ounce of strength he possessed, he launched himself forward, landing a solid punch square in the face of his opponent. He reeled back in agony as a white hot pain reverberated up his arm; even his defensive moves involved some measure of 'attack.'

He watched him heave himself up to full height and square his shoulders, only to shake himself of dirt, like a dog. He heard bone pop as he ominously flexed his neck and shoulder muscles, a hint of smouldering aggression in the eyes.

He saw his opponent lunge forward powerfully. He felt the fist connect with his face, but before he had time to react, he felt his head snap back violently as the other man head-butted him with extreme force. He felt an explosion of pain behind his left eye and the right side of his body suddenly felt weak. A tingling sensation was building in the fingers of his right hand and it felt like his ear drums were going to burst from the sound of rushing blood. The force of the blow sent him exploding into the air with such force that it seemed to have stopped time. Everything was moving with a treacly slowness, the sounds of the cheering crowd seemed to be muffled reflections of echo waves as he tried to focus.

The crowd became a nameless sea of faces, one merging into the next as he was suddenly assaulted by a wave of nausea. Blood ran down the back of his nose and into his throat. He tried desperately to cough, but couldn't; somewhere in the haze of his surroundings he barely registered his cough reflex was lost.

Spiralling through the air, devoid of all senses but pain, no longer knowing up from down, groping desperately in a vain attempt to hold on to something, anything. The pressure to breath built up in his chest, the erratic pounding of his heart echoing like a torrent of trip hammer beats, his eyes bulging madly in the sockets against the pain. Unable to sustain any coherent thought, he succumbed to the blackness, falling heavily onto the hard cold floor of the cage with a sickening thud as his head bounced off the surface.

He heard muffled voices, and the sound of a scraping boot as his eyes closed, the pain wrapping around him like a cloak. Somewhere in the distance he heard a vague sound, like a body being dragged across the floor, but the darkness calling him was too welcoming to be ignored...