The silence was so absolute, the sound of bone shards hitting the floor could be heard all the way at the back of the crowd.

Unlike with Kobe, this upset drew no cheers. They barely understood what had just happened, they weren’t even sure if Vorelando had really won.

“This is a farce, Clark already had him beat!”

“Yeah!”

The crowd whipped up into a frenzy, angrily shouting out a million different objections to Vorelando’s apparent victory. If Kobe was style, Vorelando was substance, he’d won but no one was happy about it, not even himself.

“What do you want from me? I won didn’t I?”

The crowd did not hear him and continued to pelt him with insults and missiles. He jumped up to the top of the cage and squeezed through the bars, then he grabbed the terrified announcer by the throat.

“QUIET.”

Everyone in the arena shut themselves up instantly. This was no normal man they were watching and they felt that.

“Did anyone hear him declare a victor?” Vorelando said as he presented Wuffer to the crowd.

“I dare any of you to tell me they did.”

Silence.

“Go on then.”

He shook Wuffer’s body to indicate what he should do.

“Garg… I cahnt…aghh”

“Oh right.”

He dropped Wuffer onto the bars with a clang. He gasped for air and felt at his nearly crushed throat. He looked upwards only to be met with Vorelando’s furious, expectant stare.

“Ladies and… gentlemen… your winner… Vorelando Jones…”

The silence continued even after the announcement.

“Anyone want to disagree with that? That one guy from earlier sure sounded like he would. Where is he, huh? Where are you now, coward.”

“Vo!”

Vorelando’s head cracked around without his body moving an inch. Emerging from the locker rooms was Kobe Steakhouse.

“Get off the goddamn cage.”

Kobe hopped up to the roof of the cage and started walking towards Vorelando.

“I don’t see why I-“

Bang. Knee to the face, hands in the pockets. Kobe struck so fast that no one comprehended what had happened until a couple of moments after. Kobe slung his unconscious friend over his shoulder and smiled at the crowd.

“Sorry about that folks, my friend here isn’t the most well-adjusted person around, doesn’t know when he’s overstayed his welcome.”

Kobe turned heel and floated off the cage to the crowd with Vorelando, carrying him to the locker rooms. All the while the crowd’s noise level grew behind him.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!”

Even if Crackremento had lost its wonder kids of vore, it had gained a new one that would resonate with its people more than they ever had.

***

“Wake up.”

Kobe slapped Vorelando across the face and sure enough, he woke.

“Kobe… where am I?”

“You’re in the locker room, dumb ass. I ain’t carrying you back to your house.”

Suddenly Cayenne burst into the room with tears flowing down her face and ran towards Vorelando.

“Cayen-“

She slapped him straight across the face.

“What the hell was that Vorelando??? You ruined Kobe’s whole flow. No one’s going to be talking about him now, they’re only going to be talking about the scene you caused.”

“Well then I’m sorry I won.”

“I’m happy you won, it’s the stuff afterwards that I didn’t like. Besides, where did you even learn to-“

“Cayenne.” Kobe cut her off. “Drop that.”

Cayenne wanted to say something back but she decided to drop it. Kobe’s day had already been ruined enough.

“Now get out, the locker room is for registered vorers only.”

“Well what about him then?” she said, pointing at Vorelando.

“Where the hell else do you expect me to put him? Now go on, scram.”

He slapped her on the ass and sent her on her way.

As soon as Cayenne had left the room, Vorelando spoke up.

“Kobe… why did you stop her?”

“If you want to tell us about it, you will. I ain’t gonna pry into your secrets.”

“I don’t deserve to keep secrets anymore…”

“It’s not about what you do or don’t deserve Vo.”

“The-“

“You were dead wrong. Berry lost, he didn’t deserve anything after that, he knew that as well as anyone. You don’t get into vore for the respect after all. But you weren’t wrong to fight for him, not because he deserved it but because he was your friend.”

Kobe stood over Vorelando’s slouched figure and extended his arm. The two clasped hands and Kobe pulled Vorelando to his feet.

“We’re friends, aren’t we Vo?”

Any anger left over from the match disappeared from Vorelando’s mind in an instant.

“Of course we are man, till the day we die.”

The two shared a quick embrace that was broken up by the sound of an angry mob banging on the door.

“Now, we have to find a way to get you out of here.”

“I believe I can help with that.”

A man appeared seemingly out of nowhere and spoke to the two of them.

“Who the hell are you?” Vorelando asked.

“That’s Vorge Mendes, the most successful vore agent this side of the Mississippi.”

“Nice to meet you again Mr. Steakhouse, great match out there tonight.”

He schmoozed his way over to Vorelando and put his hands on his shoulders like an ‘uncle’.

“And don’t let him undersell me Vorelando, I’m the most successful vore agent either side of the Mississippi.”

“Look, can you get us out of here or not?”

“Well of course I can but I wanna be upfront with you. The only reason I wanna get you outta this mess is to get you into a whole lot of a bigger one.” He said to Vorelando.

“What are you suggesting.”

“Kid, after that match there isn’t a single college in this country that wouldn’t offer you a scholarship to compete in college vore. I’ve never seen anything like what you just did! The vore scene is competitive, people are willing to sell an arm and a leg to take a chance on people with half your potential.”

“So what you’re saying is…”

“You let me help you get onto a college program and then, when you make it to the pros, I wanna be the guy who negotiates your contract.”

“Deal, but you better get us the hell out of here first.”

“What?!” Kobe exclaimed.

“I didn’t think it would be this easy either,” Vorge replied.

“Why are you agreeing to this Vo? There’s no way you-“

“You said you wouldn’t make me talk.”

Kobe stared at him incredulously.

“I have my reasons Kobe.”

“Fine, I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

Vorge scuttered around behind the two of them, throwing his arms over their shoulders and bringing the three of their faces together.

“The two of you have bright futures ahead of you. You could go anywhere in this world! It’s my job to lead you to the most profitable part of it!”

He looked at both of them with a big grin on his face and they responded with forced smiles of their own.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, he let them go.

*bang*

The door to the locker room creaked, the mob was about to break in.

“So how are you planning to-“

Vorelando was shut up as Vorge lifted up one of the floor tiles revealing a secret passage.

“I never attend a vore match without building one of these beforehand. I’m never losing one of my clients to a mob ever again.”

He pointed towards the hole in the ground.

“Now get in the hole, we’re wasting money making time!”

The three of them rushed down the narrow flight of stairs underneath the locker room, with Kobe closing the entrance over just as the mob broke their way in.