Private Finished Can Plants Get Lost?

"He's a friend. He thought he was interested in the whole underground shebang so I thought I'd bring him to check it out," Kalvin explained. The man's frown held tightly to his face. "Look, he pissed someone off earlier. I couldn't leave him out there alone while I took my winnings. Besides, you'll never see his face in here again," Kal added.

The man's stare shifted from Kal to Carmin a few times. Then, he gave a sigh and shook his head. "It's still a little early to be taking your winnings, Bate," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall to his right.

"I know. It's just this once. I need to get this kid home soon," Kalvin explained. The man laughed in amusement but he moved to open a drawer behind the desk. "That is pretty twisted," he said with a chuckle as he pulled out a small, brown envelope. He held it out and Kal took the envelope. He opened it and did a quick count of the bills inside it before he shoved them back in. He then nodded at the man and led Carmin out to the door, back into the hallway. Soon, they're outside of the establishment and in the back of the building that also stood guarded.

"I guess you do. I'll walk to you the school. I need to get back to my dorm anyway," Kalvin said. He led the way that went to the main road. As they walked, he pulled on the jacket and the cap, hiding his beaten-up face from the other late-night strollers on the street. Even though there were only very few people milling about, he still kept his head down like he didn't want to be caught strolling through town at night.

He glanced at Carmin who was walking in step with him. "You said you owe me one. Pay it back by keeping quiet. I don't suppose I need to ask you not to tell anyone about what you just found in there," he said in a low voice so as not to disturb the buildings around them. "Even if nobody will believe you, it's still against the rules of the club to share any information about it... even for accidental audience members. I mean you can do whatever you want but I'm telling you, that man who owns it has ways of knowing who spoke to who. You don't want him on your bad side, even if he thinks your just a kid."

Kal had been picking on the split eyebrow when Carmin called his name. He glanced at the shorter boy then shrugged. "I only met the... flowerless you for a short while. You were... how should I put it? You were jollier and had less restraint over your, er, thoughts," he answered.

Kalvin shoved his hands into his pockets to stop himself from picking on fresh wounds. He pulled his jacket collar up and tighter around his neck. The adrenaline will begin to wear off and he's sure that he'll be feeling the chill of the evening later. "To be honest, I thought you were either crazy or drunk. You were certainly acting like one when I first found you," Kal added. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small bottle of water and chugged its contents.

Kal shrugged as they passed the dark, quiet streets. "Well, initially, I wasn't even going to fight yet so I guess it was good timing I did when I did. I guess you're pretty lucky, considering everything," he said. "He didn't hit you or anything, did he?"

It wasn't that he still didn't believe that Carmin was actually an adult. However, it was hard to see him as anything more than a child. And if this child-man got hurt trying to get out of that situation, Kalvin might just give the snake man from earlier a good smack the next time he saw him. He loved fighting, sure, and beating people up. But he didn't like it when people targeted those who were obviously weaker than them. If it was anything, it was cowardice.

Kalvin shook his head. "If he's a typical patron, he wouldn't have bothered starting a fight there. Fights only happen in the ring," he said. "If he started something with you and you fought back, he'd be forced to go inside the ring. And people would've seen how low he would've been to pick a fight with a kid... Or at least with someone who definitely looks like a kid."

Kalvin paused as he went closer to a trash can on the street. He threw his little bottle of water away. He still needed more water. He knew there was some sort of vending machine by the school so he figured he'd have to hold out till then. When he got back in step next to Carmin, he thought about the question. "Usually, I really wouldn't be in good shape to last another fight. But tonight had a really nice Twist. Fighting with no powers is where I shine best," he said, a genuine smile softening his face. "If that guy challenged me to a fight in the ring, I would've been able to take him down... though, I guess the fight would have had a different Twist then, then it'll suck because it's unlikely they'll use the same one."