By the time everyone arrives at the CC, the bulk of Daniel's volatile emotions have been placed under a firm mask of politeness and kind smiles. He doesn't bother interacting with Jeremy any more than he needs to, even when the Doctor returns to the medical set-up with a pompous smirk, muttering a few jeering comments at Daniel, he remains a stone wall.
He also doesn't bother introducing Jeremy until everyone arrives including all the medical employees, Nurse Hong and the first responders. The group must have noticed that something about him was different than usual despite his attempts to remain casual as both Jay and Taejin of all people were sending him suspicious looks.
"Are you sure you're okay with being here doing this? Especially after last time?" Taejin remarks casually yet quietly to Daniel at one point and the Doctor only smiles.
"Of course, I'll be fine. I'm not a fool" His scathing remark catches Taejin and those who had been trying to listen off guard and Daniel quickly covers his mouth. "Oh God that came out strong, I have no idea what's going on with me and my language today but yes, I will be perfectly fine. I'm not scared to be back, if anything I'm excited to see some action" He quickly retorts and Taejin nods gingerly at the explanation.
"Tch, didn't realise you were a fan of something like this…then again it shouldn't be a surprise that this is your taste in entertainment" Jeremy scoffs somewhere in the background. A couple of people gape at the other Doctor and Daniel takes that as his cue to mention the man.
Clapping his hands together he calls the attention of everyone within the vicinity.
"Alright everyone, gather round for the pre-meeting before the start of the 19th tournament of the CC" He calls and like little ducklings they appear, peering at him with big eyes and large smiles. Despite how tense tournament times were, the excited buzz and atmosphere were never faint. "First I'd like to introduce you all to another Doctor that has come from SNMC that will be helping us throughout the Tournament and only the period of the Tournament should everything go according to plan this time around" he states, a jab at what happened last time and to showcase that he wasn't uncomfortable with what happened at all.
There were a few chuckles here and there at the mention of this.
"Doctor Jeremy Kim" He greets and Jeremy nods as a few people clap for him.
There is no 'we went to the same university' or 'we're friends' speech like last time, just a brief introduction with no further words from either man about the other.
"Just like with the procedure of last time, we will divide the medical set-up into two sections. Patients will come and go to either one of us or if their injuries are determined to not be severe then they will be sent to the waiting room that is across the hall from us. Those who have injuries that require longer care but are not as severe will be sent to the medical room where nurse Jay will be located just like last time. Other, more severe cases that cannot be resolved will be sent to nearby hospitals with our first responders" He gestures to everyone in the room, and everyone nods. "Are there any questions about the procedures or set-up? I have already posted the list of which employees will be with which so there shouldn't be any confusion about where you should be" he adds, and people shake their heads.
"Tch, who died and made you the boss" Jeremy grumbles under his breath but in the quietness of the room it was loud and clear.
Daniel's brow twitches as he turns to the other Doctor.
"Is there anything you'd like to add, Doctor Kim?" He asks sweetly.
Jeremy's mouth twitches as he stares back but eventually, it breaks out into a nasty smile.
"In fact, I do, all high-priority patients that don't need to be sent away should be passed my way" Jeremy announces, pointing to himself. "After all, those patients require immediate and better care therefore it should be offered by the better and more experienced Doctor, don't you think, Doctor Park?" Jeremy asks, spitting out Daniel's title like it was poison on his tongue.
Daniel's hands clench by his side but he nods.
"Of course, with your expertise and experience I am sure you will be fine in taking care of those patients" Daniel nods, smiling but gritting his teeth extra hard.
People look back and forth between the two, unsure of what to say or do.
"Doctor Kim, you don't look all that much older than Doctor Park, if anything you look to be around the same age as Doctor Yu who attended university at the same time as Doctor Park did" Mira pipes up, confused by the sudden animosity.
"Doctor Yu and I did attend the same university at the same time. In fact, I would say he's my best friend" Jeremy puffs his chest at the mention of Collin's.
"Oh! Then you would have also been classmates with Doctor Park!" Someone else calls, remembering that Collin and Daniel were classmates.
Jeremy's face sours.
"I guess we were classmates" Jeremy nods, begrudgingly admitting the fact. "But of course, in terms of doctor status, we are of different classes. One of us is barely reaching the satisfactory line whereas the other is exceeding expectations…wouldn't you say, Doctor Park?" Jeremy jabs at Daniel right in front of the others.
Jeremy was trying so hard to ignite a fight between them, Daniel from the previous year might have caved and laughed it off before running away with his tail between his legs, but currently, Daniel does not.
"Oh, I didn't realise you had been struggling so much recently, Doctor Kim" Daniel gasps, changing what the other man had been trying to imply.
Jeremy's face changes from smug to outraged within a split second.
"Why you little-" "I'm just jesting" Daniel laughs, moving towards him and slinging an arm around the shorter man. "It's just a joke, come on Jeremy, after the joke you just threw, I can't do the same with you? You're so serious all the time" He huffs out, laughing brightly at how uncomfortable the other man was.
"Joke, hah, right" Jeremy scoffs before shrugging Daniel's arm off him. "Whatever, just stay on your side and I'll stay on my side. Don't talk to me" He turns and starts strutting off to his side of the room and Daniel can only shake his head in fake amusement. "Those of you who are working with me get your asses in gear!" He shouts and those who he had assigned rush over.
Daniel feels nothing but pity for them.
"Alright, the rest of you disperse. Last minute checks on everything before getting yourself into your assigned positions" Daniel agrees, and the group reluctantly do so.
"What the hell was all that?" Mira tries to ask and Jay nods along with the question.
"Nothing, just some friendly banter," Daniel tells them.
"Friendly banter?" Mira squeaks out, disbelieving that what she just witnessed was friendly or mutual.
"Yep, Doctor Kim is just a bit rough around the edges. Don't worry about him" He waves off and she nods. He also clasps Jay on the shoulder before sending the nurse on his way to the medical room.
All that remains is Daniel attempting to reassure his other employees and readying himself for the tournament that was going to begin shortly. The piercing gaze he was getting from Taejin didn't seem to help in relieving the pressure though.
"If you want to say something, just say it" Daniel sighed, turning around and crossing his arms as he stared at the First Responder who was quietly watching him. Taejin shifts himself from his position against the wall, walking over to Daniel before leaning in to talk.
"If you need me to get rid of him, just say the word" Taejin huffs and before Daniel could ask what the man was going on about, he discreetly nodded in Jeremy's direction where the Doctor was busy scoffing and insulting a few of the other workers. Isu who was assigned to helping the Doctor was watching on with a look of distaste, as if he wanted nothing to do with the cocky Doctor.
Daniel snorts.
"He's an asshole but I don't want him dead" Daniel replies before nudging Taejin in the stomach. "Thanks though" He huffs, letting out a genuine smile at the words.
Taejin shrugs.
"If you say so, just so you know I don't think a lot of people would be able to stand by and watch if you're disrespected like that any more than you already have been" Taejin remarks. "He's been here for a whole five minutes and I'm pretty sure several of your employees are already plotting his demise."
Daniel wasn't ignorant of the glares and dirty looks a lot of the other employees were sending Jeremy but, in all honesty, there wasn't much that he could do. Sure, he could tell the other Doctor to tone down the attitude and warn him, but Jeremy wasn't the type to listen, and he wouldn't follow the orders from Daniel of all people.
"Just leave him be, how much damage can one guy do in three nights anyway? He'll be gone by the time the Tournament's finished" Daniel waves him off just as the sound of the crowd entering the arena and filling the seats enters the room.
The Tournament would be starting soon.
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"Nervous?" Goo voices aloud as he brushes off some lint that was on his suit pants.
"No"
"Absolutely not"
Both James and Gun answer without so much as a pause. Neither of them looked up from what they were doing either, just finalising some papers and messaging Kouji and Charles about how the Livestream and betting on the website was coming along.
"Oh, okay" Goo nods, humming out the answer as he waits for his fellow Founders to finish before they can head off to the Arena together.
Both men pause.
"Are you nervous?" James inquires instead, shutting off his phone and sending the blonde a confused look. "Why are you nervous? We've done this nearly two dozen times and just because the competitors are mainly first-gen Kings doesn't mean it's going to change the results" The redhead prompts with narrowed eyes.
"They may be Kings but they're also old, past their prime, they have nothing on us" Gun adds firmly and James nods in agreement.
"I'm not nervous!" Goo shouts, standing up from his seat. "I just want to get going already, you two are so slow and I'm practically bouncing off the ceiling at this point. Hurry up!" He shouts.
Gun and James blink in confusion at the blonde before turning to stare at each other. Gun shoots him a confused look whereas James shrugs.
"Oh, COME ON! VAMOS! VAMOS!" Goo calls, suddenly switching to Spanish as if that would get them to move even quicker. Both Gun and James sigh before getting up and following the blonde who was marching onwards without looking back.
The walk to the VIP booth feels repetitive for the trio but still, the excitement never seems to waver, especially on Tournament nights. Once arriving and entering the room Gun takes note of the other occupants who were in the room, the usual faces of Mitsuki, Vivi and Eugene were there but they looked a little less than impressed.
"I bet they're pissed since most of them would have been told not to participate in this tournament" Goo mutters under his breath to the other two before planting a wide smile on his face. "Hey, you three! Why the long faces? It's Tournament night and you all look depressed!" He calls the trio.
"We are not depressed" Mitsuki answers with a glare as she crosses her arms. "We're just questioning why we should be here watching this at all when none of our people were allowed to participate" She grumbles and Goo smirks, having nailed their thought process right in the head.
"That is something I wanted to ask you all" James hums, walking over and sitting down in his usual seat. "How did the first-gen Kings get you guys on board with not participating?" He asks softly, eyeing the three VIPs.
"Intense negotiations" Eugene answers promptly with a sigh. "Terms and agreements that we don't need to discuss with you but there is also the incentive of being able to watch the Kings compete in the CC when none of them have ever even dared to be involved before" The CEO explains, and the concept was an intriguing one.
With the rise of the second generation and the first generation either moving on or going into hiding, the Kings were mostly forgotten by the public. Unless you were a super fan and knew everything about the history of the crews and gangs of Seoul no one really knew what happened to the Kings other than James being involved in defeating them. Their renowned strengths and the fear they cast against the public were nothing but faded memories at this point, legends that whispered through the winds and weren't heard again.
Of course, the Kings had their public images they had built but they were not associated with their past. Meaning that if someone were to go to Seokdu's staffing agency and meet Seokdu they would know the man as the former head of the company, not the former King of Suwon.
Furthermore, ever since they were overthrown, the Kings have made it a habit to not be associated with the CC due to their dislike for the Founders and more specifically James. Of course, there are times when they do have to interact with the fight club such as when their underlings participating or if the police need to be involved, aka Jichang will handle the mess, other than that they tend to stay away.
To have not one but multiple Kings participate in the CC Tournament when they had clearly been trying to stay away, would interest anyone.
"It'll be interesting to see if any of them have progressed or regressed. Whilst they are older than many past and current CC participants, they also hold the most experience" Gun hums out thoughtfully. "Their fights will be worth the watch" He nods at the trio.
"Whatever, as long as there's blood, lots of action and drama I'm down for anything" Vivi grins. Mitsuki sighs from beside her and Eugene's facepalms.
Just before Goo could switch on his microphone to start the tournament the VIP doors open again and in slips Shintaro and the Kojima brothers.
"Apologies for my tardiness, the traffic to get here was atrocious" Shintaro remarks in Korean and Gun clenches his fists at their arrival. How many weeks had it been since Shintaro arrived in Korea? Just how much longer was his uncle going to stay?!
The three men take their seats, comfortably settling in despite the glare that Gun was shooting at them. His anger is only eased as Goo nudges him, sending him a worried look. Letting out a sigh, Gun nods for the blonde to start.
"ALRIGHTTTT! WELCOME TO THE 19TH TOURNAMENT OF THE CC! MAKE SOME NOISSSEEEEEEEE!"
The crowd, as per usual, goes insane. Chanting Goo's name, screaming and crying as the blonde addresses them. The familiar camera smile is on the Founders lips as he investigates the crowd and then up into the camera, his face showing up on the large screens.
"If you're here in person today, welcome! And if you're tuning in through the stream, welcome! If you're returning viewers, it's great to see you all again and if you're new…well, don't let your parents catch you watching us" Goo jokes around.
"Parents? What kind of audience do you think we're bringing in? 12-year-olds?" James chuckles, turning on his mic.
"Well, you never know" Goo shrugs in James' direction before turning back to the crowd. "Although if you are a little brat who decided that you were grown up enough to watch the CC, I got to warn you, there's some heavy and explicit content being shown here so if you can't stomach that then get out of here. Parental guidance is advised" He points out.
"Never in my lifetime did I think I would see you give out a ratings warning" Gun states, turning on his mic as he addresses the other. "Even last time when you introduced us, what is it with your tournament introductions lately? Where's the consistency?" He fires out and Goo shrugs yet again.
"Hey, I'm just trying to change things up and add spice. People will get bored and leave if the start isn't interesting" Goo points out. "But what you said leads me to my next point. Introductions! My name is Joon Goo Kim, and I am one of the Founders and Hosts who will be providing you all with wonderful commentary tonight! For more content from me, you can follow my socials that are appearing right now on the large screen" Against the bottom of the screen, which was still showing Goo's face, his social handles appear.
"What the hell?" Gun grunts, raising a brow at the screen which suddenly pans to him.
"And this grumpy yet positively dashing man is Jong Gun Park" Gun's public socials appear around his face before it eventually cuts to James who is watching on in amusement. "And of course, we have the lovely and enigmatic James Lee."
"When the hell did you have time to organise this with the tech guys?" Gun questions.
"Uh since forever ago, anyways these two men, if you're new here, are my subordinates who will be helping me in co-hosting tonight's tournament" Goo grins.
"Subordinates?" James and Gun question, raising a brow at the blonde who laughs mischievously.
"Well, obviously it must seem like that at this point. I mean, I'm the main one who's always commentating and getting the crowd going, I interact with the fans the most and I'm the one who's most active online. I should be the leader out of the three" He points out with a pout and both James and Gun snort and shake their heads.
"James here makes the majority of the corporate decisions, he's the one communicating with shareholders and making whole business decisions that have been influencing our corporate culture and strategies positively" Gun points to the redhead who nods.
"Gun has been the one that's been shouldering the weight of all the admin things. He engages with different plans and strategies, interacts with a lot of the employees, and oversees the strategic direction of the organisation because of these interactions and feedback" James nods in Gun's direction.
"Ah" Goo huffs. "But I've done a lot too! Maintaining our relationship with the public!" The blonde whines.
James and Gun turn to look at each other, making it seem as if they are debating something before it's James who reaches out and places a comforting hand on Goo's shoulder.
"Goo, we didn't want to have to tell you this in front of so many people but…you are the personality hire" James admits.
Goo gapes.
"The only reason you're here is not that you're strong but because you're sociable and bring the 'vibes' as the kids say these days" Gun adds, nodding along. Crystal had been insisting that we change up some of the things in the CC, starting by making the three Founders seem more sociable and giving them a deeper personality than just menacing figures. Although Gun had protested this at first since their fear was a main factor in keeping the fighters in their places Crystal did make a good point in saying that they still needed to appeal to the people and be in their good graces.
So as Goo dramatically moans to himself, refusing to go on with the commentary like a brat it's James who takes over.
"Whilst we deal with the sudden fallout of our partnership, let's introduce all the contestants for the 19th Crews Corporation Tournament!" James calls out cheerfully as he pats Goo's shoulder placatingly.
People who had been watching the ordeal and had been laughing along now turn to the arena floor as the door opens and enter the participants. It didn't take long before everyone started to notice that something was different about the Tournament, although most should have known there was something off because all the fighter seats on the top floor were filled to the brim with ALL of the fighters, it doesn't click until everyone has walked in.
The numbers have dramatically dropped since the previous time, that much was obvious from the get-go. Next to be realised were the faces, the majority being either standalone fighters without crews or from smaller gangs. Afterwards was the fact that those unknown faces they were seeing looked to be in a much older age group than that for which the CC was known.
Confused murmurs pass through the crowds as they try to identify who the people are. There were a few who seemed to realise but the Founders decided to take pity on them.
"As you may have noticed, the number of participants this time around has decreased immensely" James sighs.
"But worry not, it's not because we're becoming irrelevant. No, this Tournament is special. This time around we have the amazing, the strong and the legendary FIRST GENERATION KIIIINGGGGSSSS! Well most of them anyways" Goo jumps in, having recovered from having his pride destroyed. The cameras pan across the participants, more closely the Kings who were now being eyed nervously by the other competitors.
The Kings themselves looked like they didn't want to stand together but were doing so reluctantly because they were the ones who organised this occasion anyway.
"OH WOW! Look, it's the King of Seongnam and Pyeongtak, Jinyoung Go and Doksu Heo. I haven't seen those guys in years since they were taken out!" Goo chirps, the camera zooming in on the tall man in a suit and glasses as well as another who has much broader shoulders and gruff gruff-looking. "Oh! And even Jaegyeon Na the King of Incheon is here!" He grins.
The crowd goes wild at the sight of the handsome man, with his strategically unbuttoned white button-down, baggy jeans and designer pants. His eye-catching blonde hair and pretty face did nothing to deter the growing fan girls that were slowly overtaking the CC stands and stream. He seemed annoyed by his introduction but passed it off by smiling charmingly at the cameras, his lashes fluttering dramatically.
Cue another round of squeals.
"We also have the former CEO of Seokdu's staffing agency, Mr Seokdu Wang himself who was the King of Suwon" James nods in greeting at the exceptionally large man in a pinstripe suit. The scars on his forehead as well as his eyes and build do well to intimidate a lot of people but there were also quite a few others who were impressed by his appearance. "We also welcome Monk Gongseob Ji who has taken the time to come down from the monastery to participate in the 19th Tournament. Don't let his occupation fool you, he is the former King of Daegu" James warns before both he and Goo get up to bow to him in greeting as the King in question taps his Motak.
The bizarre sight of a Monk of all people being in the CC was baffling to people, some were questioning if this guy really was a Monk, others thought that it was all staged whereas some others looked to be enjoying the diversity.
"Following on, we've had his student come and participate in the CC before, we have the King of Ansan, Taesoo Ma!" The crowd roars at the introduction of Taesoo, having heard and been familiar with the man due to Hudson as well as his 'scandalous' situation with Doctor Park a while back. They all take in his appearance, from his strong build, his eye and shaggy hair and beard.
"Moving on we have the former King of Seoul our very own Senior Inspector, Officer Jichang Kwak" Gun introduces last. "Not only serving our country but also apparently choosing to serve the CC. We thank you for your duty and service" He smirked at the man who was wearing his usual pale suit and fancy glasses rather than his police uniform, he didn't look impressed by his introduction either but didn't react in any other way.
Again, the crowd was surprised at the prospect of an actual police officer participating in the CC and that the officer was the former King of Seoul.
Just as Gun was about to wrap up the introductions, a body stepped out of the entrance and walked calmly through the arena. Others who catch sight of him instinctively move out of his way, others stare in awe or confusion. Those who know him freeze in their spots, staring down from his boots and jeans all the way up to his black leather jacket and cocky smile. Gun doesn't outwardly gape at the man, but he does swiftly turn to his fellow Founders.
"What the fuck is he doing here?!" He hisses, covering his mic as he questions them.
James was staring at the man with wide eyes, blinking several times in confusion.
"I-I thought he was still in Mexico" James whispers.
Both men turned to their final Founder who was grinning ear to ear.
"And of course, we have the current King of Seoul and the current first-born son of Gapryong Kim, GITAEEEEE KIM!" A round of shocked gasps and chatter builds up in the crowd. Whilst one camera pans to Gitae's cocky smirking face another turns upwards to where Jake was sat.
The leader of Big Deal sat stunned in his seat; his eyes wide as he was openly gaping at the sight of a man that was apparently his half-brother that he had no clue about. It looked like his mind was running thousands of kilometres an hour as he attempted to process the fact that one, he had an older brother, and two what this meant for his family.
Looking back down to Gitae he didn't seem all that satisfied with his introduction, subtly grimacing at the announcement of his parentage but the expression on Jake's face seemed more than enough to amuse him.
The majority of the participants for the 19th CC Tournament were here to bring trouble for the Founders, which was something Gun could accept and deal with. Gitae Kim on the other hand, was more than just simple trouble that could be handled, he was the epitome of violence and destruction and if Goo was the one to bring the man into the CC then it was going to be more chaotic than anyone was going to comprehend. James nor Gun could openly voice their concerns, not yet and not now in front of the hundreds of thousands of people and viewers without raising people's worries. So instead of yelling or questioning the blonde, they grin and play along as if they knew that this was meant to happen.
"Now, with the explanation of the tournament, due to its reduced numbers this time around the Tournament trials will return to back the way it was, starting with a free-for-all fight, the last eight remaining will move on to the on-one battles and the winner of those fights will be provided with the opportunity to choice the prize money or to duel one of us" Goo announces clearly and having the tournament revert to what it was before the 18th made it seem like it was a lot easier to understand for the majority of people.
"Just to clarify some other things as some of the contestants are new and have only just returned to the country" James makes sure to jump in. "The use of weapons is prohibited in the first round of the tournament. All ways to eliminate another contestant is to either knock them out or knock them out of bounds or if someone yields. Whilst we at the CC do enjoy a good, bloody fist fight, all attempts of murder are prohibited and the offender will be punished" Despite addressing the entirety of the people, James's gaze never leaves Gitae who snorts and shakes his head but doesn't outwardly protest.
Through Goo's obligatory explanation of the tournament, Gun's eyes turn to the medical set-up area and just faintly he could make out Daniel's figure amongst the bustling people who were busy at work down there. Gun's eyes make out Nurse Hong, Mira who was fussing over something as well as Taejin and his first responders who were also around. Gun's eyes also land on the figure of a second Doctor, one that SNMC had probably sent to assist Daniel but something about the guy looked familiar, he wasn't Doctor Yu, too slim and too small to be the same guy but his appearance wasn't one that Gun hadn't seen before. Ignoring the other Doctor, Gun turns back to Daniel who was working hard and dressed as professionally as always. Daniel, whose face although depicting fatigue looked just as radiant and beautiful as always. Daniel who Gun wanted to reach out to and hold in his arms but couldn't.
"The bets are now available online, so head on over and place your bets on your winners but otherwise, let the tournament BEGIN!" Goo shouts and the sirens go off.
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The introduction that Gitae was Jake's half-brother isn't surprising to Daniel, not when both men looked exactly like each other. Yet, seeing Jake's reaction on the big screen it was obvious to anyone that the man had no clue his father had any other children. The Doctor couldn't help but feel sorry for the gang leader at how betrayed he must have felt, or how his mother was feeling.
Daniel also wonders how his uncle was feeling at the revelation that his ex-crush had another son. Did Jinyoung know about Gitae or was he in the dark just as much as everyone else?
"Alright let's stay diligent!" Daniel shouts as the tournament begins and the shouts of responses he gets in return are comforting.
They all watch in anticipation, waiting to see who will make the first moves or throw the first punch. Currently, most people had scattered the moment the siren sounded, the only group that seemed to remain together were the Kings as well as Gitae who was uttering a few words of greetings towards them. The Kings didn't look very warm or welcoming to Gitae, if anything the air of hostility was so thick that Daniel could taste it from all the way in the medical set-up area.
Jichang breaks off from the group first, approaching Gitae who merely smirks, cocking his head to the side and saying something else that must have been antagonising the officer. Daniel had never seen the usually calm man so pissed off but whoever Gitae was to him, their hatred was personal.
"Wait, the former and the current King of Seoul? Do you think Gitae is the one who overthrew Jichang from his position?" Mira connects the dots and Daniel gapes.
If that was true, then their history with one another was even deeper than Daniel originally thought.
It's Gongseob and Seokdu who pull Jichang away from Gitae, they announce something and Gitae rolls his eyes but nods in agreement. With that, all the Kings, former and current, turn to the other fighters who had been watching and waiting. Faces pale as the King approaches them. It was easy to see that the Kings were in this together and that they planned to win the tournament, so now as they split up and take on the other contestants it sends fear running down their spines.
The first to get out was some poor independent fellow that gets sent flying by Taesoo with just one punch to the jaw, a familiar enough move that everyone has seen Hudson perform but this time with such raw strength it was easy to conclude that the man was the blonde's teacher. Isu moves to collect the poor participant and cart him back to medical, to which Jeremy makes a show of shouting about being the one to receive. He sends a haughty smirk in Daniel's direction about being the first to get a patient, but Daniel can hardly care. Not when he was witnessing history in the making.
Few who were unfortunate enough to draw close to the King's reach were expertly and easily handled, a simple punch there a kick here and they were either out to the world or knocked out. As the patients steadily came in and Daniel had to keep an eye on the patients and an eye on the scenes playing out in the arena, he noticed that the participants who had been wary and scared of the Kings were slowly growing increasingly agitated.
The simple fact of the matter right now in the CC Tournament wasn't who can take out who, everyone knew who was going to move on to the next round. It was obvious that the Kings held the experience and powers against these no-name fighters, had it been more prominent crew members such as Big Deal or Hostel, then perhaps there would have been more interesting brawls or more significant fights. Right now, the tournament was skewed and whilst the first round had always been about weeding out the week it seemed entirely unfair this time around.
Then again, during the 18th Tournament, it had been No.1 dominating everyone else, even against the major crews and their crew leaders. That tournament had been just as skewed but at least the crews came to work together to make it interesting.
"OH, FUCK IT!" Someone shouts. "THIS ISN'T FUCKING FAIR! HOW THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO COMPETE WITH THE KINGS?! THEY'RE GOING TO WIN!" They bemoaned aloud and there was a wave of murmuring agreement from the other contestants.
Jaegyeon Na swiftly throws another guy out of the arena boundaries, scoffing at the words. He was situated closest to the guy and simply called back.
"Hey if you're going to give up just walk over the line and be done with it. We don't need to hear you bitching and crying, just let us win and we'll leave you unscathed" The words were about as mean as they were realistic, the type of talk that most people would hear during Tournament days but that seems to piss them off even more.
"FUCK YOU! YOU MIGHT BE HERE FOR REVENGE BUT I NEED THAT PRIZE MONEY! SCREW YOU ASSHOLES! I'M GONNA FIGHT EVEN IF I DIE TRYING! THERE'S NO WAY I'M GOING HOME EMPTY-HANDED AND NO WAY I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THAT DEAD-END JOB!" He screams before charging at Jaegyeon who stares wide-eyed as the man attempts to tackle him. He struggles to tackle or even push the blonde backwards, but he still tries, pushing and heaving. "YOU THINK YOU CAN WALK IN HERE WITH YOUR EXPENSIVE CLOTHES AND HIGH AND ALMIGHTY ATTITUDE AND WALK ALL OVER US? FUCK YOU! I NEED TO WIN TOO!"
That ignites something in the lowly fighters who were trying to evade and run away from the Kings. As they listen to his words their confidence seems to grow and as if madness had become a disease, they all start charging into the fights one by one.
Someone else joins the crazy fighter, trying to tackle Jaegyeon on the other side.
"I HATE MY BOSS! I'M GOING TO TAKE THE PRIZE MONEY AND LIVE A GOOD LIFE WITHOUT STRESS!"
Someone else jumps on Jaegeyon's back, wrapping their arm around his neck and attempting to choke him.
"IF I DON'T WIN, MY WIFE IS GOING TO LEAVE ME! I NEED THE MONEY!" He cries.
"Huh? What the fuck is going on, get the hell off me you fricken peasants" Jaegeyon throws the guy around his neck off him before kicking down the guys that were holding onto his waist but rather than staying down, they persistently get back up. "What the hell?!" He shouts as they try to attach themselves back onto the blonde.
Jaegyeon's face contorts into an ugly expression.
"Oi, Oi, what are you? Cockroaches? Get off!"
"NO!"
It seemed like it was the same problem with all the other kings as multiple fighters were banding together to try and take them out, jumping and tackling them to hold them down as others attempted to land a hit on the Kings. For a moment, the Kings themselves looked quite shocked at the sudden predicament, having assumed that it would be an easy round, but the CC was full of surprise.
"AND JUST LIKE THAT, THERE IS NOW A REBELLION AGAINST THE KINGS! THIS IS THE BATTLE OF THE COMMONERS VERSUS THE KINGS! WHO WILL PREVAIL AND WIN?!" Goo commentates through the mics and the crowd who had been uninterested in the easy fight beforehand suddenly grow wild. As they chant for the commoners and peasants who were fighting the Kings, their support is voiced loudly and proudly, after all, who doesn't love an underdog story?
This seems to fire up the fighters, both sides included.
The Kings didn't seem all that annoyed if anything some of them were grinning at the prospect of not having a boring fight whereas the commoners were fighting for their lives. Turns out a lot of them competed for more than just a chance at revenge against the Founders.
"They hate their boss? They want to live a life without stress? Their wife is going to leave them? What kind of lives are they all living?" Taejin snorts from somewhere behind Daniel and he can't help but stifle his laugh.
It was all outrageous and crazy that a rebellion was currently happening but then again, history was always repeating itself. Daniel was cleaning the cuts on someone's knees as they were sobbing about fighting hard enough when someone else walked into the medical area.
"There you go, Doctor Park will patch you right up" Taejin states and Daniel turns to see a guy in a black and red tracksuit as well as a cap on his head. He had dark bruises forming against his cheek, his eye was swelling up and there were cuts on his lips and along where his knuckles and palms were.
"Ah, you're the guy that started the rebellion" Daniel perks up.
The guy winces before shrugging.
"Honestly I didn't mean to start shit, I was just pissed because those guys were looking down on us" He huffs as he takes a seat in front of Daniel and allows the Doctor to assess the injuries. "Fuck I am so screwed" The man adds, letting out a groan of defeat and embarrassment.
Daniel chuckles awkwardly, reaching for something to clean the grazes before he can cover them.
"Must be hard having to go back to a dead-end job after announcing to the world how much you hated it" He muses as he cleans the knuckles first.
"Yeah well, I thought by shouting it out like that it might give me a power-up or something. Instead, it gave me an army of useless jerks who were no stronger than me and no closer to winning against the Kings" The guys grumbled before hissing in pain.
Daniel does try to remain gentle, but he also has a line of other patients who also need medical care. Gentleness doesn't work well with trying to be both efficient and fast.
"It was a good effort though, furthermore you made the first round of the Tournament far more interesting than what it could have been so uh, good job" He tries to cheer the guy up and he nods glumly.
They continue in silence, Daniel cleaning and wrapping their hands before tending to his face next. Daniel has seen hundreds upon hundreds of fighters and as much as he prides himself on knowing most by name and fast, he doesn't know all of them. What he does know is that this fighter is one that he has seen before, he's read his file briefly, but he's never made a big enough impression. He was one of the independent guys who didn't belong to any crew that was all he knew.
As Daniel tended to his face with the guy's eyes closed the Doctor could see the faint scowl lines etched into his forehead and between his brows. Without the blood, swelling and bruises the man could be considered quite attractive…in a masculine and sharply defined way. The man opens his eyes, eyes that were exhausted but still burning with a fight in him, he raises a brow.
"What?" He asks. "Is it bad? Did I break my face in the process of trying to break that blonde pretty boy's face?" He questions and Daniel snorts, shaking his head.
"I'm trying to remember your name; I've seen you around, but I feel bad for forgetting your name" Danel answers honestly.
The guy looked a little surprised before snorting.
"I'm not all that important of a character" He states. "But I'm Conner" he greets, and the name does ring a bell.