Kovac has a minion!

Kremzeek the Anglerpup

Xander gave a small groan as he turned onto a no exit street. "A cul-de-sac? I thought we wanted a through way." he muttered to his wife in the passenger seat.

Sadie smiled. "This is a quiet street, there's a park a block away, the school is four blocks away and a bus stop right at the corner by the lights."

"If you say so." He rumbled looking carefully at the houses. "These are rich big fancy homes. This one has a manicured lawn with Lawn ornaments. Is this house even in our price range?"

"It's at the top of our price range, we can talk them down I'm sure." She assured watching the numbers as they drove down to the end of the street, slowly following the curb and back up the street.

"Maybe talk them down.. I think that house takes up two lots." Xander grumbled about a huge two story three car garage at the end.

"This one is sitting on two acres."

"In the middle of the city?" He shook his head "what is wrong with it that it’s so low in price?" he asked pulling up to the curb in front of some overgrown hedges; they loomed halfway onto the sidewalk.

"Our agent Don said it's a fixer upper with poor interior taste." She smirked getting out of the car.

turning off the engine, Xander sighed looking at the hedge hiding the rest of the house and yard. "in other words run down and ugly." he muttered getting out and following his wife up the walk.

They both stopped at the bumper of their agents car in the drive way.

"Ugly is not on the outside." Sadie gapped in awe at the huge home before them.

The brown brick home sat upon a single car garage with the basement slipping into the uneven terrain. A huge bay window over looked the driveway above that a moderate sized window with stain glass depicting the solar system.

The grass and hedges over took most of the walkway and driveway, over grown. A small mouse bounded out of the tall grass then back in.

The brick walkway wound its way around the garage to the hill up three stairs a large landing and then up five more to a small covered porch and the modest blinding red front door.

"The garage doors are cream like the upper siding on the top story, why would the door be such a blinding red that has nothing out here to match?" Sadie hummed standing to the side so their agent could unlock the door.

"It goes with the interior decor." The agent sighed. "Look, Sadie I am sorry when I tried to tell you how this place looks. It will need some.... paint." he swung open the door.

"....paint?.. Don, I think someone threw a paint grenade in here." Sadie gawked as she stepped into the bright pink foyer with orange shag carpet greeting them. The stairs up also covered in the horrid carpeting.

"Is... is that carpet on the wall of the stairwell?" Xander asked gapping in amazement. "Who puts carpet on the wall?"

"I tried to warn you. It's been on the market for a year with no one wanting to invest in this place." Don stated stepping aside to let them both move farther inside the home.

"The kitchen is lime green and yellow." Xander couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This... this is the poster child of someone colorblind and on drugs decorating a home!" Waving his arms around at the kitchen he paused looking up. "The ceiling is painted yellow too!"

"Okay look past the paint.... and the wallpaper." Sadie sighed staring into the family room or maybe the breakfast nook? She wasn't sure. The floor was tiled alternating between black and white with zebra stripe wallpaper. "The entire wall is windows with French doors to the deck and look a pool! a shed!"

"A pool?" Xander moved from the kitchen to the animal print on chess board room. "So it does, I think that is the pool surrounded by all that over grown grass. Do you think that shed is decorated as badly as the house?"

"I can honestly say it isn't. The shed is not painted at all. Just bare wood and spiders inside." Don smirked.

"That is a lot of yard, even with the pool." Sadie hummed. "Is the complete forest ours?" she asked curiously looking at the shaggy trees and unkempt grass.

"Fully fenced in thanks to the neighbors around you. None of the fences encroach onto the property either." Don encouraged.

"Okay so far I am liking this yard." Xander turned around and eyed the house critically. "Not so much inside."

"there is one powder room down here, one roughed in bathroom down stairs, and two full bathrooms upstairs." Don said reading the listing paper.

"I want to go down stairs." Xander stated. "and hope it isn't as psychedelic as up here."

"The basement door is right there, under the staircase." Don pointed as the larger man walked by and opened the door. Trying the light switch, he frowned as it clicked and only one bulb at the bottom of the stairs illuminated. Clomping down the steps he got to the bottom and was disappointed. The huge basement looked to be the same size as the home minus the garage and unfinished with cement brick walls and unpainted four by fours.

The roughed in bathroom was behind him about where he figured the kitchen was. Turning he put his foot on the bottom step when he noticed daylight at the back wall. Taking his foot off the step, he rounded the stair case to the door, it was 3/4 the height of a normal door. Opening it up he ducked through stepping outside and under part of the deck. "This will do nicely." He grinned backing in and shutting the door.

Sadie meanwhile made her way through the black and white room to the powder room of turquoise, into a living area of sorts done in leopard print with that plush orange carpet, across the foyer again and into a smaller front room with the bay window. "Nice view." she sighed looking out at the driveway, the street and the hedges. One hedge ran up along side the drive way separating the home from the neighbors driveway and the other along the front of the home over hanging the sidewalk. Turning she tried to ignore the dark blue wallpaper with dolphins on it. Slipping into the next room she found herself in something resembling cheap paneling and click together imitation tongue and groove floors.

"It's the dinning room." Don offered. "The kitchen is through those swinging doors."

"Swinging doors with port hole windows. Just like a restaurant." Sadie smirked weakly. peering into the kitchen she turned. "What's upstairs?"

"Two baths and three bedrooms." Don stated letting Sadie go by him and up the orange carpeted staircase the pink walls following her up onto the next story and the hallway. "Oh look, the carpet turns to lime green shag. Charming." she sighed coughing. "Ugh what is that smell?"

Sniffing Don frowned. "I'll see that the owners clear out the dead rodents before the house is sold."

"Great. Is there an attic?"

"There is. It's a cold zone with a sturdy floor and possibly you can stand up in it. Not sure about your husband." Don shrugged.

"Oh is there an access?" Sadie asked looking at the very dated bathroom.

"The string in the middle of the hall here." Don pointed up.

Sadie blanched at that. "oh." Nodding she peeked into the purple bedroom. The Teal bedroom and at the top of the stairs a narrow blue bedroom. "Back to the dolphin wallpaper." she hummed. "no closet in this room?"

"The old owners used it as a storage room." Don said.

"Looks nice and cozy for a nursery or a sewing room." Sadie hummed heading to the master room. She opened the door and froze. The sun poured in to the room from a curve of windows that surrounded the sitting area, the king size bed tucked against the wall faced a large screen tv set. The white carpet and cream walls muted the rest of the crazy house colors. The ceiling fan hummed as it turned casting the light from five crystal shape bulbs across the room. She walked with ample room to the other side where the walk in closet sat with rows of shelving and a built in dresser with room to dress inside the closet. She couldn't help herself, she twirled inside that closet and pranced out opening the next door, to find another closet exactly the same. Giddy she opened the next door and gasp in awe. The master ensuite was a spa of luxury. The soaker jacuzzi tub, the sit in shower, two sinks and a toilet with room around it and the TP dispenser right near by. She realized the whole bathroom was in lavender with white subway tiles.

"I’m in love." She sighed dreamily ignoring the large window above the tub. That was going to go. Quickly. She headed out of the second bedroom door and back into the hallway. Crossing the hall she paused. "Is this another bed room?" Looking at the strange angles of it done in the simple cream walls but with orange shag green carpet.

"This is actually called the Master waiting room. I'm not sure how they used it, but it would make a great forth bedroom, or even a nursery." Don supplied.

"Much nicer than that little room on the end." she agreed. "What’s the room sizes?"

"I'll have to check the sheet downstairs. Up here is about 900 square feet, same with downstairs and the basement. the garage is listed separately.

"it's strange the garage doesn't have a door into the house." Sadie hummed moving back into the hall with a sigh.

"The garage is a bit odd. It is above the basements grade and below the first level grade. It doesn't line up enough for a door to go in or out of." Don said walking down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Maybe it'll be a future renovation to get a door from the garage to the basement." Sadie hummed.

"I signed it." Xander grinned waving to the offer form.

"You didn't go upstairs." Sadie blinked confused.

"Do I need to?" He hummed.

"NO!" She laughed signing her name as well. "We'll take it!"

Don laughed. "Are you going to counter the price?"

"Don. the place is a steal at this price for this size in this neighborhood. It is fine!" Xander chuckled.

Don shrugged. “Congratulations. You bought a house.”

Sadie squealed. "SOLD!" Hugging her husband excitedly.” Get the down payment check.” She giggled.

Xander passed the six-figure check to Don.

"Just... get the dead rodents from the attic." Sadie pleaded. "Please."

"I'll see to it." He pulled out his phone and called in the deal to his office.

"Baby we bought a house!" Xander spun Sadie around. The two giddy with the fact they made the biggest purchase in their lives.

"I’m lightheaded, excited. Let's go and celebrate!" Sadie giggled as she danced out the front door.

Xander watched her with a smile on his face. "I saw the house had a full home inspection and is up to code."

"The paperwork is all here." Don passed the envelope to Xander. "Congratulations Mr. Kovac, you have yourself a house."

"Thank you." taking the envelope he headed out of the home looking back at the red door. "I am going to need a lot of paint." he muttered heading down the brick steps.

"We're going to need a lot of yard tools too." Sadie smiled taking his hand as they giddily strolled to their car.

The crowd roared his name. Chanting.

“KOVAC! KOVAC! KOVAC!”

The lights blinding above producing more heat mingled with that of the bodies packed in the bleachers of the arena.

The stench of body odor, the metallic tang of blood filtered the air, lingering with the stale rot of cigarettes, pot and various alcohols.

This wasn’t the regulated Mixed Martial Arts Championship. This was far grittier, the underground pit fights. Anything but weapons went.

Kovac thrived in this arena.

“Reigning Champion! 300th fight! Is this the night the Kovac falls!?” The announcer bellowed over the screaming crowd of rabid fans.

“The Contender! All the way from Brimstone! BLOOD STONE!!” The announcer introduced the brawny contender.

Kovac sized up his opponent. He had heard about the wiry Blood Stone. A sneak, not a cheat. No. None of them past the 200th battle cheated. Blood Stone was going to be a hard challenge.

The man jumped around, gloved fists banging together as he jeered at the crowd in a mix of boos and cheers.

Kovac smirked. Fixing his mouth guard. Yes truly a fight worth fighting.

**

After the punches. Kicks. Counts and rebounds.

**

Kovac stood over the dazed Blood Stone who wasn’t getting back up this fight.

“WINNER!!!” The referee announced, holding Kovac’s gloved arm. “KOVAC!! THE KING!!!”

The crowd went wild.

Breathing hard. Xander Kovac knew he had no choice. He wretched his hand from the ref and grabbed the Mic.

The unexpected moves shocked the Ref, who relented both.

Spitting out the mouth guard Kovac grinned. Ignoring the blood dribbling from his swollen lips. “I Thank you! MY Fellow Fans, and fellow Critics. This was a good fight! A fair fight! I had almost expected to lose.” Glancing down at Blood Stone who was being dragged off the floor by the medics. “Unfortunately, the Brimstone legend didn’t hold up to fabled glory.”

The crowd roared in laughter.

“This. Is my last fight.” Kovac announced.

“What?” Confusion entered the crowd’s energy.

“IF I had announced my last fight, no one would be able to breath in here.” Kovac chuckled. “You all witnessed the Kings Final Knockout. I am still standing. Glory is mine!”

The crowd went wild.

The Ref gawked in confusion. Then started to clap. The crowd joining. Clapping. Cheering. Standing they roared with admiration.

“At 30 years old. The longest reigning pit fighter at Three hundred and one fights. King KOVAC! Has Retired!”

Kovac, sweaty, bloody, in nothing more than tight gym short, exited the ring. Strolled down the steps and through the tunnel.

“KING! KING! KING!” Roaring behind him, becoming a faint echo as he headed to the medic station under the stands. Away from the crowds.

“Check my heart. I am still hearing my pulse beating fast.” Kovac demanded as he sat down.

The three medics hurried to tend to the new wounds. Making sure nothing was broken.

“You are still riding high, in normal ranges for you. I am not hearing anything abnormal.” Hess frowned as he hooked up the blood pressure and pulse machines to Kovac. “Uncle. Is this really your last fight?”

“I’m 30. I just bought a house and have two young boys. I am done Hess.” Kovac nodded.

“I want an X-Ray on your chest.” Hess ordered as one of the medics hurried off to set the machine up.

Hours later. Showered in clean clothes, with a clean bill of health and a sore wrist from all the autographs including one for Blood Stone.
Xander Kovac left the underground arena behind him. Shedding his title KING and all the glory that came with is.

“Don’t get in the car.” A voice hissed low from behind him.

“Are you really mugging me?” Xander sighed annoyed.

“No. I want to offer you a job.” The voice insisted.

Xander turned confused. Expecting a gun. Not the burly man in a business suit chewing a cigar. “What kind of job?” Xander asked.

“The kind you turned down while fighting.” The man smirked. “My name is Dune. You can call me Big D.”

“Dwayne Dune?” Xander shook the offered hand. “You own this place.”

“I do. Took half your cut too. Now you can earn that back.” Dune smirked around the cigar.

“I’m listening.” Xander smiled, following the man into the dark limo.

Profile: Thundercracker | text art | Background by Thundercracker | Stories: Thundercracker |