Into The Pit

The tattoo on Yuto merely wrapped around his little pinky on his right hand. There was no design, there was no special characteristic, it was only a single circle roughly 4 millimeter in width. It wrapped completely around in a dark grey solid color at the base of his pinky finger.

If the people present didn't know for a fact that the tattoo was an Emperors Activation, they would believe that it was just a normal tattoo. There would be no amount of evidence, convincing, or anything else that could make them believe that this was an Emperor Activation.

Rage and fury.....the blood rushed to Blane's face dying even his eyes a bright red. Blane Stark also known as the King of The Underground could no longer contain his anger. Already it had been a miracle that he had not started punishing as he was known through the Galaxy for his short temper and violence.

Blane reached into his overcoat and pulled out a knife. He turned to his side and stuck the knife into the neck of the man standing beside him. The unlucky man was just a researcher that was hired specifically for the Activation of Yuto.

Blane stared into the eyes of the man who was holding his hands over the blood that was gushing out with a look of desperation as he realized that in moments he would no longer be alive.

As the blood drenched the lab coat of the man the light in his eyes dimmed and he fell over never to stand again.

While the Chief was not afraid of Blane putting the knife into him, he was afraid of what else Blane could do instead.

The underground empire that Blane ruled over had only one rule and it was absolute. No member of the underground could knowingly kill another member of the underground empire. They could rob, steal, cripple and trick but they could not kill no matter the offense. This rule applied to every member of the underground from the lowest thief to the King that ruled them all.

Blane loathed this rule.... he tried to remove the rule but it was impossible. Blane was not the first King of The Underground and as he had stolen it from the previous ruler. Even after stealing the entire empire he couldn't kill the former King as the other members would have punished him.

While members could not directly kill each other, they could indirectly kill them with almost a 100% assurance rate. This single rule that prevented members from killing members generated a new sport within the Underground called The Pits.

The Pits were reserved for those members that broke the rules in such a way that earned them death. The Pits were a fight to the death with all manner of creatures and animals from all over the Universe. With millions upon millions of members of the Underground Empire there were always thousands of members in The Pits fighting for their lives.

Once a member was thrown into The Pits they were as good as dead. In the entire millions of years of history of The Pits there had only been 6 members who earned their way out. Those members fought thousands of battles over years with each battle being a life and death battle to earn their freedom once again.

In order for someone in The Pits to earn their freedom they had to earn the votes from 100 Million watchers who endorse their freedom. For someone in The Pits to earn 100 Million votes would take years and thousands of life and death battles which almost guarantees death once you are put in The Pits.

The Pits viewing area was kept relatively small intentionally and only 100,000 members were allowed to come and watch the pit fights at any given time. Only those members that earned an invitation due to some contribution to the underground empire were invited. In order to reach 100 million total votes was statistically and practically an impossible feat.

The Chief was shaking as he watched Blane remove the knife from the engineer he had murdered. One word from him would result in being sent to The Pit without argument, without hope, without any chance.

"Throw him in The Pit!!!"

As Blane called out all of the blood rushed from the Chief's head and he felt his legs go weak. Over. Life is over. Hope is gone. There is nothing left. Despair instantly set in as the new reality was quickly sinking into the Chief. Just as tears were about to leave his eyes, he heard the voice of an evil angel ring out.

"That waste of a boy has cost me a fortune. The money and resources used on this boy could have bought dozens of planets and he has the weakest Activation in the history of all Activation's!" Blane's words come out of his mouth as if though the anger in his gut could no longer be held down. Saliva and spit was flying everywhere as Blane wasn't feigning any type of civility.

" I should have known that an unknown small world with an unknown candidate would be nothing. At the very least I might be able to make at least a little of my money back betting on him in The Pits."

He added in the part of recovering his money as if to console himself and save face. In truth getting his money back even if he could get every penny would do nothing to ease his frustration and disappointment. Everything he did was to control a true Emperors Candidate. With control over an Emperors Candidate that could compete for the crown he could legitimize his reign as King not just in the Underground but across the Galaxy.

As of just a few hours ago Blane could barely contain the excitement he was feeling. In all of history there had never been an Emperor Candidate that wasn't known and claimed from birth. This unknown planet that had an Emperor Candidate was not just a once in a lifetime miracle it was a once in all time opportunity.

The Chief wasn't sure whether to sigh a breadth of relief or continue to shake in fear. At least this one order was directed at the young boy lying unconscious on the table but that doesn't mean that the next order won't be for him. If his Majesty leaves without throwing him in The Pits then it was time for him to disappear.

.............................

I'm on a hard surface was the first thought that popped into my head waking up. It was cold, uneven, and felt rough against my skin. I tried to open my eyes but it feels like they are glued together. I reach my arm up to wipe away whatever it is and it feels crusty.

After wiping away the gunk in my eyes I can open them and take in the world around me. I can't see anything its dark everywhere my eyes look. I try blinking a few times thinking that perhaps somehow, I'm confused and my eyes are still shut. Nope…its just really dark.

I lift up my right arm and put it out in front of me and it hits a rough hard surface. It sure feels the same as the ground I woke up on. I turn to my left and my hand makes a clacking sound as it hits something. I reach around and feel a smooth metallic like surface. After using my hands to feel all around it I realize its round and roughly 3 CM in size.

Reaching my hand out a little further a new clank sound rings out. It's another metallic like surface. After feeling all around I realize that its shape is exactly the same as the other one. This one is roughly 15 cm from the other one and an idea pops into my head. In order to test it out I extend my hand out further another 15 cm and sure enough a clank rings out.

While I have never personally seen it before I have watched it in cartoons and tv shows…without being able to see it I can only guess but I'm pretty sure that what I am feeling are bars.

Why? Why are there bars? Where am I? There is only one thing for me to do in this case. I take a deep breath and as loud as I can I yell.

"Mommmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!"

Now nothing to do but wait.

Every single time I call out for my mom like this she comes running….it has never failed. I feel like crying but I know mom will be here in a second so all I need to do is be brave.

"hmmm….hmmm…hmhm….hmmm…" while waiting for my mom I start humming like we normally do. I am feeling pretty scared. Mom taught me this from before when I was young. On nights where I couldn't fall asleep because I was scared, she told me to hum this song and think of her. Every time I did, I found that I wasn't afraid anymore.

I've been here humming for a few minutes now and mom still hasn't made it over. It's impossible for her to not have heard me, I yelled as loud as I could.

It has to have been 10-20 minutes now and mom should be here. I have been thinking that there is no reason to be scared but I'm beginning to think mom's not going to show up. I can feel my face warming up as tears start slowly rolling down my cheeks. I just realized that snot is rolling down my nose and my breathing is starting to get heavy again. I'm having trouble feeling my legs but I can tell they are starting to shake as it is getting harder and harder to stand up.

I take 4-5 steps back and start to fall down on my butt however before my butt hits the ground my back slams into the wall. I slowly start sliding down the wall just like the cartoons I saw that I used to make fun of. Slowly but surely my bottom touches the ground…. I pull my legs closer to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs curling up.

She's not coming...…. Why isn't mom coming?

Where am I? I try to think back to how I got here. My memories start to come back. I remember I was playing in the back yard. I was going to play with that remote-control car I was so excited about. I had just got it out and put it on the ground ready to run it around the yard.

Then…. then I was floating.

My heart feels like it's going to explode. I remember I was up in the sky looking down at the house. I cried out to mommy then too. I saw a crescent moon shaped grey thing with a blinding light behind it. I remember a scary voice and then…...

…...something swallowed my right arm while I couldn't move.

The unbearable pain as the needles went into my arm. I reach down and feel my arm and I can't tell where the needles went in.

I remember it swallowed the rest of me while I couldn't move and injected needles into my whole body. I remember the heat flooding through me and then the wiggle inside that felt like worms.

As the memories flooded back the fear and pain rushed back into my mind and body. I don't know where I am or what happened to me but I do know that mom can't find me. As the tears piled up the exhaustion of everything came back. While my arms were wrapped around my legs and I curled into a ball with tears flooding the floor my eye lids became as heavy as boulders. I just want my mommy...

.............................

As I opened my eyes, I realized I fell asleep again. I don't know how long I slept for but I can see the room I am in now.

Looking up to the source of light that now flooded the room about 5 meters above my head is a small hole with bars over it that apparently leads outside. Looking around the room I am in its about 2 meters long and 1 1/2 meters wide. Three sides of the room look like they were dug out of a hill or something as they are clearly dirt. To my front is a handful of metal bars that go from the floor to the ceiling. There is no more doubt that I am in a prison cell....and even with my small size it is just barely big enough for me to move around or lay down.

While I am trying to take in my surroundings with my full memory of last night, I realize that I have been kidnapped. Someone has taken me away from my mom and locked me up here. They probably want to get something for me or at least it's that way in the movies.

While I am starting to piece everything together again a man walks into view on the other side of the bars and stares at me. I can see him shaking his head slowly as if though he is in disbelief. Since everything started this is the first person, I have seen so I call out...

"Exc-use m-e...c..can you t.t.tell me where I-I am?" I somehow get the words out of my mouth. Seeing as this is the first person I have seen I need to ask him but he looks really scary, not to mention he did take me.

He just stares in my direction without really acknowledging my question. Maybe if I ask about mommy he will say something?

"Can y-you t.t.tell m-ee if-f-f my m-m-m-mommy is ok?"

Still no answer from him as he continues to stare in silence. As I am feeling extremely nervous, he reaches to his side and grabs something.

I see it's a short object with a sharp edge it looks like a really dangerous knife. Why does he have a knife in his hand?

His hand slings forward slowly as he releases the knife and it bounces on the floor and stops right in front of my feet. I tilt my head slightly and look at him like he's crazy. He must have understood my confusion as he calls out.

"Pick it up, you're going in next."

He tells me this as a statement with no explanation. Why would someone hand a knife to me? I mean my mom told me I was a big boy now but I'm still only 8. At the end of the day I'm still not allowed to use a knife at home and when I get something for dinner that needs to be cut up mommy does it for me.

I must have stared at him for some time as he quickly got irritated as he repeated.

"I said pick it up...lets go."

After I pick up the knife, he opens the bars and pulls me out by grabbing my arm. He pushes me in front of him and keeps pushing my shoulder forward every time I slow down as I try to take in my surroundings.

"Turn right here." he calls out to me. I think so far that I have seen dozens and dozens of people locked behind bars same as where I was. All of the rooms look the same size as the one I was in and most of the people in them were leaning against the wall on the ground as the room wasn't big enough for them to lay down completely on the ground.

I keep turning left and right as he tells me which direction to go. I have no idea where I am as I keep walking forward. After a few minutes we are standing in front of a huge door. As soon as we get to the door, he walks up to it and with a hammer that was hanging on his side he hits the door 3 times.

After the 3rd hit rings out the side by side doors start to open and cheers flood my ears. Once the doors are fully open, he pushes me on the back again without saying a word.

I step forward and what I see is beyond shocking.

Tens of thousands of people are cheering and screaming and I am standing on the inside of a cage dome as I walk through the door.

I turn and turn trying to take all of it in as I try to figure why I'm in this ring when someone's voice rings out.

"Are you ready to watch the youngest member to ever walk into the cage of The Pit fight to the DEATH!!!!"