MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Damon stepped into the shower, letting the hot water run down his back, his laughter still echoing in his head.

The way they had turned on him, chanting, booing, throwing things, it was all so predictable. Cocky when they thought they had something, furious when it all crumbled. It never failed to amuse him.

But if he was being honest?

That knockout... it wasn't exactly what he had planned.

He expected Darion to drop, of course he did. He had seen the opening, timed it perfectly, and let the shot go at the exact right moment.

But he hadn't expected that.

The way Darion's body shut down mid-air, the way he crashed like a broken doll before even completing the knee, it was different.

Damon smirked to himself, shaking his head as he lathered his hair. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Fastest knockout in the tournament.

And he hadn't even thrown first.

Damon stepped out of the locker room, fresh clothes on, feeling relaxed. The adrenaline from the fight was still there, but the tension in his body had melted away under the hot shower.

But the moment he stepped into the hallway, he noticed something off.

Svetlana stood there, arms crossed, her weight shifted to one side.

She wasn't yelling. She wasn't even scowling. But the energy she gave off? It was different.

Damon blinked, caught off guard. He had never seen her mad. Annoyed? Sure. Teasing? Of course. But this? This was new.

He approached her cautiously. "Hey… what's wrong?"

Svetlana sighed through her nose, her jaw tightening before she finally spoke. "What the hell were you doing out there?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Winning?"

"Don't," she cut him off, her voice sharp. "Don't play dumb. You know what I mean."

Damon tilted his head, confused for a second, until it clicked. The crowd. The taunting. The water bottle. The laughing.

"Oh," he exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "That."

"Yes. That." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you out of your mind? You were provoking an entire stadium full of angry fans. Do you know how stupid that was?"

Damon smirked. "Oh, come on, what were they gonna do? Climb the cage and fight me?"

Svetlana didn't laugh. She didn't even smile.

"No, but they could have gotten violent. You're not just some guy in a gym fight, Damon. You're a face now. That means people don't just cheer or boo, they react. You know how passionate these crowds are. You could've started a riot out there!"

Damon frowned slightly. "I doubt it would've gone that far—"

"Do you?" She challenged, stepping closer. "You don't think some drunk idiots in the crowd could've decided to throw more than a water bottle? You don't think some moron might try something outside the arena? Think, Damon!"

He went quiet.

Because she wasn't wrong.

He had been reckless. He just hadn't cared in the moment. It was too much fun seeing the crowd break when their guy got shut down in literal seconds.

But Svetlana wasn't thinking about his fun. She was thinking about what happened after.

After the cameras shut off. After security wasn't watching every corner. After he was just Damon Cross walking out of an arena.

He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "Alright. I hear you."

She stared at him for a second, as if making sure he really did.

Then she let out a breath, rubbing her temples. "Just… don't do that again, okay?"

Damon smirked. "No promises."

Her glare returned instantly.

"Okay, fine, fine," he chuckled, holding his hands up. "I'll be smarter about it."

Svetlana didn't look entirely convinced, but she sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly.

"Good." She stepped past him, giving him a small shove as she walked. "Now, let's get out of here before you actually start a riot."

Damon and Svetlana made their way back to the team, the noise of the arena still faintly audible even from behind the thick walls of the backstage area.

Security had been extra tight escorting them, making sure no overzealous English fans tried anything.

Damon, still amused by the chaos he caused, let out a low chuckle. "Man, they really lost their minds out there."

Svetlana, however, was still not impressed. "Yeah, and you almost made it worse."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, what could a couple of angry fans do?"

Svetlana shot him a glare. "Damon, I swear—"

Before she could finish, they stepped into the team's designated lounge. Victor was already waiting, arms crossed, shaking his head with an amused expression.

"Ah, the troublemaker arrives," Victor said, pushing off the wall. "Here, this is for you."

He handed Damon a neatly folded piece of paper. Damon took it, confused, unfolding it as he scanned the text. His expression shifted from curiosity to pure irritation.

Penalty Notice: Inciting Crowd Disturbance — $10,000 Fine

Damon stared at the paper in disbelief, his brows furrowing as he read the fine details. "Ten thousand dollars, for what? Laughing? Climbing the cage? The water bottle didn't even hit him!"

Victor stood with his arms crossed, looking as relaxed as ever. "Well, technically, inciting the crowd."

Damon scoffed. "Inciting? What, was I supposed to apologize for winning?"

Victor chuckled. "No, but maybe not laughing in their faces would've helped."

Svetlana, still walking beside Damon, gave him a pointed look. "Told you."

Damon ignored her, looking back at Victor. "This is ridiculous. Nobody got hurt, nobody stormed the cage, and I did my job." He held up the paper again. "So why the hell is it ten grand?"

Victor shrugged. "Because they can."

Damon exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "And if I don't pay?"

Victor smirked. "Then I get fined too, which means I take it out of your next pay as a 'stupidity tax.'"

Damon shot him a deadpan look. "You're rich. You don't even need to manage me."

Victor grinned. "Nope. But I enjoy watching you suffer."

Svetlana sighed, rubbing her temples. "You do realize next time they might not just fine you, right? What if they suspend you? What if they actually dock your pay?"

Damon huffed but knew she had a point. Still, he wasn't going to let this ruin his mood. He smirked at her. "Alright, alright. Next time, I'll laugh before they throw something."