Ishaq Al'Aqrab walked through the myriad of streets in Damascus, intent on finding this arena he had heard about from the lowliest of hashish dens. This Shadaloo group was looking for members and required everyone to pass through a gauntlet of fights. He had learned the methods of an assassin, the way of crossbow and daggers. The way of the silent and stealthy kill in the darkness of night and shadow, where the good assignment was one that no one ever knew he was there until he was long gone. This fight would not lend itself well to that sort of ability, but a straight fight was occasionally required.
Coming to the place, he found the arena and made his way to enter as a candidate for recruitment.<|im_end|>
Shadaloo had recruit points all over the world, in every continent and in many countries. The arena was well hidden. In an alley, you'd have to enter a casino from a rear entrance. Mention to the guard there the password, "Shadaloo lives on." He'd take you down a flight of stairs or two, to a room where you are scanned for weapons, after being searched and stripped of weapons, you are then asked to walk through a small passageway which was dark and horrifying. Getting past that, allowed access to a staircase, where more guards, these having the Shadaloo emblem on their clothing, searched you again. Passing the doors, there was a casino-like venue with a giant cage at the center. Women danced naked in front of the shadiest of men, an occasional dead body here and there, and of course, people watching and rooting for their favorites fighting in the cage. To try to get in, you'd have to approach one last guard, whom you could spot because he was dressed in crimson red. You'd have to pay him a fee, and he'd stamp your arm with the mark of Shadaloo. Showing this to whomever the monitor was, you'd be allowed into the cage to fight for a spot.
"Lift the cage upwards!" Yelled a man, dressed in expensive clothing. He was tall, blond, lean and intimidating with how he wore a mask to cover his face. The rumors had gotten around about him. He was undoubtedly Vega, the Spanish Ninja and one of the Four Kings of Shadaloo. It was difficult to ever actually spot any of them, but there he was, in the flesh, and the claw on his arm seemed capable of dicing through bone without any trouble at all.
As the cage rose up, one fighter managed to crawl out into a group of men, who help him get to the back of the casino, the other, remained lifeless on the mat, his neck having been twisted until he was dead. "Get him out of here! Let's go! We have more men to recruit!" Vega barked, spotting a stamp on Ishaq's hand. "Come boy, hurry. You're next up to fight. Try to stay alive and do as I say." He looked around and found another man with a stamp, he matched Ishaq's weight and height nearly perfectly.
People gathered around and started placing bets, laughing and drinking like this was just a common sport.
A bell rung, and the men were left to themselves, the cage didn't come down, so either one could run should he suffer too much pain.
Ishaq's opponent immediately rushed at him and attempted to clock him with a right hook from the get go.<|im_end|>