[color=palegreen]"Oh don't be like that, I'm a fan! A fan!"[/color] He said, moving to the front of the heavily muscled contestant, blocking his way forward.
Their eyes met and Duke adopted a hurt look, dripping with sarcasm.
[color=palegreen]"I just wanted to have a chat with you, one former loser to another."[/color] He said, smiling. [color=palegreen]"I'm here to help, not make money off you."[/color]

The lanky teen took a sip of his drink before making his pitch.
[color=palegreen]"You clearly know [i]of[/i] me, but you might not know that I've seen more of Midnight than anyone here, besides the bartender. And I'll give to you straight, your side of the bracket is full of tough customers. Real hard hitting talent out there tonight."[/color]
Duke's smile morphed into a sly grin as he slid to the other side of the beefy student, putting a 'reassuring' hand on his shoulder.
[color=palegreen]"Now, I know someone as strong as you prooooobably doesn't need help from little old me, but I could run some... interference for you. You know, just to even the odds a little. I mean, I don't think you need it. But..."[/color]
He shot a pointed look at the broken table across the room.
[color=palegreen]"We both know how it feels to be on the other end, don't we?"[/color]

Before the other teen could reply, Duke slapped him on the shoulder.
[color=palegreen]"Think it over, ok?"[/color] Duke said, smiling innocently. [color=palegreen]"I'll be cheering for you."[/color]
He quickly backed up into the crowd, swiftly disappearing into the throng. 

If anyone had been curious as to why Duke was often slighted as a rat, here was a clear example - flitting back and forth with danger, snatching the cheese, and scampering away at the first sign of danger. There were some in the crowd who knew of him, of his activities, and his habits in Midnight. Normal onlookers probably wouldn't know what to think, but the veterans knew. Were they disgusted by the rat's scurryings? Or were they disappointed that he got to the dark horse first? Everyone wanted to be there for the birth of a new legend, after all, and some wanted to be a bigger part of it. However, the rat in question hadn't been thinking about this.

Duke didn't have all the clues, and he was no detective. But he had good instincts, and something stank. It was as if he would smell the brimstone at any moment, and all he would need to do was turn around and see the devil on their shoulder. He had pretended to play that role, just to see what kind of reaction would spring. He had not expected to detect a hint of guilt, or something like it. It warranted further investigation.

The rat flitted through the crowd, scurrying with a clear destination in mind. Duke was heading to where the other student had fallen. If he remembered correctly, both of the participants had some kind of relationship, so they would probably know something. He could only hope that someone else hadn't gotten to them before he did.

[@KillamriX88]