The punches were thrown in quick succession.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three.</span><br/><br/>Fists wrapped in tape as he punched at the air, focused on some phantom and unseen enemy while he waited for the events of the night to begin. It was nothing new, nor anything special. Fighting was what he did now and what he was good at doing. The money was very good and with some practice he had been able to curb his talents and draw the fights out so that he drew more of a crowd. When he was knocking men out left and right with just a single punch, his manger had a hard time finding him fights and there was the claim that he was using enhancers.<br/><br/>If only drugs had been his only issue and not the beast that he held within him. A monster that lurked just behind the shadows of his being and waited for its chance to be set free, the wolf that was now with him ever since that night those years ago. Even to this day he could remember vividly how it looked, smelled and even felt when its fangs sank deep into his flesh. Rending his shoulder nearly completely out of the socket while he continued to punch with his free hand, Jer nearly lost his life that night. Sometimes, he wished that he had. Especially, when he realized what he had become and how much of a monster he truly was.<br/><br/>It was because of this beast that he had to leave his family, had to travel the road and find what he was and figure out how to reverse it. There was no way he would continue to be this…thing, not when there were people who depended on him. Needed him to be there for them, needed him to be human and not rip them to shreds. The fighting was a creative outlet for the seemingly endless amount of rage and power the beast had to offer him. There in the darkest reaches of his soul it dwelled and it contained the power for him to do anything.<br/><br/>This was what was in his mind as he punched at no one, his mind focused on control, on patience and focus. At least it was until, something caught his eye.<br/><br/>More like someone…<br/><br/>A young man, with a pass about his neck that denoted he was one of the VIPS, which meant Jer had to be nice to him. Already, from how he stood and tried to look like he was not interested, the man wanted to talk to Jer, something that he loathed on a deep level, but he would resist it for as long as he could. The VIPs were the ones that really paid their bills, so he had to be nice to them whenever possible.<br/><br/>Even if he would rather just be left alone to fight.<br/><br/>“Get over there,” the gruff voice of his manger broke through his thoughts.<br/><br/>“What?”<br/><br/>“Get over there and smooze with the important folk,” the grizzled man said to the fighter who had already turned his back.<br/><br/>“I don’t smooze with anyone.”<br/><br/>“That could be part of the problem,” the comment thrown out as an easy insult.<br/>“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Jer growled as he turned to loom over the smaller man.<br/><br/>“If you don’t socialize you won’t be anything but a fighter, a monster,” the man’s wise grey eyes stared back at Jer without a hint of fear. “You’re better than that,” then he turned and left.<br/><br/>For a long while he just stood there, looking down at his tapped fists, before he sighed and made his way over to the small group of fighters that had come over to check out the new guests.<br/><br/>“Hey guys! Hope you are looking forward to a fun night!” Jer basically blurted out and regretted allowing his manger to guilt him over to this whole thing in the first place. He was a fighter, yes, but he was not a monster.<br/><br/>Unless there was a full moon out.