Pain Killer vs. Alkaiser

[Dain Gavyns]

Hope Dain's gym isn't getting boring, cuz your back here again. Ever seen the movie "Fight Club"? If not, go rent it before you start, cuz it feels just like that here. The mat's been pulled up. The crowd's tight around you, just ready to see some bloodshed. Oh, and lighting? Dain's got it rigged up, the only light on is from a single, swinging bulb on a wire, right above where you're gonna fight. The crowd's pretty pliable, if you get knocked into 'em, they're gonna move out of your way, the fight can go all over the main floor of the gym, hell, take it outside if you want. Be warned, though, it's pretty late, and the streetlights aren't so great 'round here. Pretty much, if you wanna see, stick to the middle.

Oh, and don't break the light.

[Alkaiser]

The stone ground was stained with dried blood. The air was thick with heat and humidity. Sweat and some poor spectators vomit were the only scents there to greet you when you stepped through that veil of bodies and into the dim light. The bulb flickered every now and again. Some sick bastard had a sense of humor.

"I could just as easily stay out here, in the dark, and wait for my opponent to show himself..."[/i] Steve Barzahd says in his mind, "...but that sorta thing doesn't lend itself well to anybody with a sense of pride."[/i] He recounts his match with Vince, recognizing that he never wants to exhibit the sort of cowardice that he saw in that particular opponent. The word 'draw' still haunted him. Steve marches forward when the next match is scheduled, just like he always has. He stretches, just like he always has. He watches patiently, like he always has.

After his last match, Steve felt like he had turned a corner in the tournament. This place would be his proving ground to himself.

[Pain Killer]

The gym again? Gah. Maybe it'll be another cage...

The thought was somewhat comforting to the youngest living Rydell, as his last fight had finally put an end to the slump he'd been in, in no small part due to the very nature of their surroundings. Kyukaku had certainly given him a run for his money, and Adam could tell that day was fast approaching when the kid would finally get his long-awaited win against the self-proclaimed Pain Killer. But it hadn't happened yet, and that was a fact that filled him with smug satisfaction.

As he walked through the doors of the gym, however, Pain Killer's assumptions were quickly put to rest. Within moments, he was ushered into darkness, forcing him to take a moment to let his eyes adjust to the lack of light. It was easy enough to figure out where he was supposed to go, the single light in the place highlighting the fighting area, though definitely not to the point of being able to see clearly. It was enough, however, for Adam to make his way through the crowd of people (or perhaps more accurately, push those he couldn't see out of the way) until he was underneath the light as well, still clad in his usual attire. In fact, Pain Killer hadn't even bothered to take off his trenchcoat yet. His entrance to the fighting area would be off to Alkaiser's right, Adam stopping once he'd broken through the circle of spectators.

"I remember you."

The words might have come as a bit of a surprise to Pain Killer's opponent, as typically Adam had a tendancy to ignore everything that didn't involve himself, and the two had never met. However, with the youngest surviving Rydell's interest in defeating worthy opponents, he'd taken it upon himself to find out anything interesting about the Pillars of Hircine High. Given the limited light, Adam wouldn't have recognized his opponent by any of his features, but the shock of red hair was still visible.

"You're that fake captain, who was promoted to a Pillar, right?"

Assuming that Alkaiser would admit to Pain Killer's assumptions, the older man would continue.

"Perfect. Now you get to be the latest step in my path to greatness."

Regardless of what Alkaiser said or did, Pain Killer would set out to prepare himself for the imminent battle, pulling back his right foot so that the left side of his body faced the Pillar. His gloved hands would rise, his right fist being placed barely an inch from his jaw, while the left hand was open and left near his left shoulder, the arm bent completely.

Depending on how Alkaiser reacted, Pain Killer was fully prepared to either start them off, or defend against his opponent's assault.

[Alkaiser]

Alkaiser just smiled. A big grin that was good for admitting that Adam had him dead to rights, but one that didn't necessarily confirm his embellishing ways for the world to see. He didn't regret the past stunt in the least...it still had some people fooled even to this day, and it proved to be very successful as a tool for gaining him a good deal of pull within the student population.

Alkaiser recognized his opponent as well. Adam was a lesser legend in the Varronite circles, and had made some stir around Hircine tournaments in more recent times. Had he not been so damned excited to fight this man, Steve probably would've been afraid of the beating he was likely to receive.

"Perfect. Now you get to be the latest step in my path to greatness."

"Hah, well you know what they say: 'watch out for that last step, it's a doosey!'" Alkaiser mockingly replies, in keeping with his opponent's metaphor.

His opponent appeared ready, still wearing his heavy leather trench coat. It was probably pretty good for intimidation in most circumstances, but the thing couldn't be too very easy to move in. Steve would move forward quickly for an attack, more out of habit than anything else. He felt that it left a good impression on the judges that he was pressing the action, and it saved a lot of whining from some of the more inexperienced fighters around.

That bulb sure was bright when contrasted with the darkness of the room. So much so that it burned to look at straight on. Steve's short attention span was getting the best of him as he squinted. He moved past the light, his shadow crossing over Adam's figure. A quick step moved him in range of the man in his shadow, as he sends forward an open palm strike toward PK's left shoulder. His stance has his knees bent slightly, as he stands on the balls of his feet for maneuverability with his left fist cocked at his side. The starting strike was given enough force to disrupt balance, but not a whole lot more.

"Come on Adam, lets see who walks all over who tonite."

[Pain Killer]

Unlike the younger man, Pain Killer's sense of humour rarely showed itself outside of people he knew. As such, when Alkaiser gave his reply, Adam's impassive face fell into a scowl, though possibly unseen in the limited light. He'd already made some assumptions about his opponent, figuring the kid loved attention merely because he dyed his hair, which meant in the larger man's mind that Alkaiser was more likely to make a mistake. However, considering Pain Killer's near-infamous lack of "smarts", any assumptions he made would have a good chance of being less than accurate.

In a move that pleased the youngest Rydell greatly, Alkaiser went straight on the offensive, closing the distance to start his attack. Adam hated those who had a defensive style, as he saw it as cowardly and weak. The darkness made it more difficult to read the attack coming in, and had Pain Killer not been watching Alkaiser come closer, he could very well have missed it. As it was, however, he had indeed seen it, and so, set out to make the younger man pay.

His left hand, still near his shoulder, would sweep to the outside, Adam's torso turning to his left to provide more momentum and power behind the motion. His forearm would strike the inside of Alkaiser's attacking forearm, knocking the strike off course to sail harmlessly to Adam's left. However, Pain Killer's turn was for more than just a deflection, though the darkness might make it much harder to see coming. More importantly, his right fist would currently be heading towards Alkaiser's chin in a straightforward cross, the youngest living Rydell looking to put this one away as soon as possible.

[Alkaiser]

As quickly as Barzahd came at Rydell, he fought right back. A deflection and a counterattack. It wasn't the most original, but decisions rarely came down to creativity points. Still, Alkaiser was ready. You don't elect to attack first without thinking one's own course of action out thoroughly.

When coming in and striking high, Steve was expecting a response from Adam's fists. He had heard that PK wasn't much for kicking, and just the manner in which he approached wouldn't have been a good opportunity to change that reputation. Considering the full seven inch height difference between the two fighters, most people could figure out the obvious move to nullify Rydell's punch. Steve simply continued moving towards Adam, causing his punching power to be severely reduced, if he even modified his fist's flight path to still collide.

As Barzahd continued in, he made his next attack. His left fist, which had been at his side during his previous attempt, could rocket out as soon as he saw movement from his opponent, but he kept it coiled a moment longer. When he felt he was in proper range, he sent a straight punch right for Adam's nose. The nose was a good vulnerable target, but the reason it was chosen in this instance was because it was in the center of the face, meaning that the most movement would be needed to dodge the speeding mass.

If the blow connected, Alkaiser would immediately try to capitalize on any temporary dizziness caused by grabbing his opponent and taking him down to the ground where he would work on some sort of submission. Granted, when Adam's attack hit, there would be pain on his part too, but the steps he had taken would practically guarantee that Rydell would take more damage from this exchange.

[Pain Killer]

OOC: My fault. It's fixed now.

IC:

Adam's mood was quickly improving, his opinion of the Pillar growing by leaps and bounds simply due to his style. Instead of shying away from the blow, he'd moved closer to it, ruining much of the power behind it. Considering it was nearly impossible to change a punch's target once it was thrown, Pain Killer's fist would give barely a glancing blow to Alkaiser's jawline, extending past his head a few inches before the momentum finished.

Alkaiser, it seemed, was not content with simply dodging, and began his own attack, one that came underneath Pain Killer's arm to target his face. At the last moment, Pain Killer caught sight of the fist heading towards him, and instinctively flinched, his face turning away from the attack and being struck in the cheekbone instead. Whether it was for better or worse however, the youngest Rydell was all about aggression, rather than fighting "smart", and instead of backing off, he would simply continue attacking. His right hand, still extended from the cross, would turn so that the thumb was pointing to the ground, before suddenly swiping towards the smaller man's head, the fingers outstretched in a claw-like fashion.

His right hand would grab at the hair on the back of Alkaiser's head, grasping close to the scalp in order to control the skull better, while his left hand pulled back towards his face to grab Alkaiser's left wrist, refusing to let a limb escape unhindered. Without missing a beat, Adam would pull Alkaiser's head down and towards him, lifting his right knee at the same time. Coupled together, the plan was to pull Alkaiser's head into the knee strike, doubling the force.

[Alkaiser]

With the fighters now trading blows, the action was really picking up. Adam's shot glanced off of Steve's chin, causing no lasting effect. The attack from Barzahd, however, caught Pain Killer right on the cheek, yet still yielded little visible result. Steve didn't believe the renowned fighter's resilience until he saw it himself, as Adam barely even winced at the pain. On some level Steve was disturbed by this outcome, although for the time he was shrugging it off, assuming that Adam was just hiding his own reaction.

At the time, there were more pressing issues for the younger fighter, however. A sharp pain on the back of his neck immediately informed him that his hair was being pulled, a risk that on most days he would be willing to take. PK was very dangerous, though, and letting him have that control for very long was a bad idea. When Steve realized the motives of his opponent, he did what he could to compensate for that lack of control.

As the opposing fighter pulled Steve's head toward his own knee, Steve would take the arm now secured in his opponent's grasp and twist it counterclockwise from his own point of view, allowing his elbow to be pointed down. In the same motion, he would curl the arm, putting his own muscles in front of his face as a buffer from the knee. Sure, his arm wouldn't feel too great afterward, but it was better than a broken face. His elbow didn't have to bend far to get his bicep in the way, and PK probably would not be able to resist the extra force while on one foot without losing his balance. Simple, yet effective and precisely timed. That was how it was meant to be.

Then, there was the matter of a counterattack. Although in reality these two things would be happening at approximately the same time, Barzahd thought of them separately. With his free hand, Steve had an opportunity for one shot without having to worry about a block from any of PK's limbs, all tied up with other tasks. Immediately he selects a target, balls that fist tight, and shoves all of the weight he can behind it. Pain Killer's Diaphragm was in danger of being crushed, removing most of the air from his body and rendering him just about useless, if not incapacitated. His fist would fly fast and be mostly hidden behind his own torso, slumped over PK's knee.

It didn't really matter how resilient Adam was, because Steve was determined to take a few match-ending shots of his own if necessary. Standing with this giant of the fighting ring would prove that he was good, but watching the giant fall before him might make him great.

[Pain Killer]

Alkaiser would indeed succeed in pulling his arm to defend his face, as even the hulking Senior would have difficulty overpowering anyone on one leg. However, one problem lay in such a move, one that would occur completely naturally and foil Alkaiser's attack without a conscious effort on Adam's part. When the Pillar pulled his arm closer to himself to block the knee with his elbow, he would bring along Adam's left arm, currently clutching the moving wrist, moving across his chest and placing Pain Killer's forearm in front of his chest and stomach, providing a meaty shield over Alkaiser's target.

As would probably be expected, Pain Killer's right foot would drop to the floor after his blocked attack, as the man was hardly agile enough to perform another kick from such a position. The fact he'd attempted such a move was a miracle in and of itself, and spoke volumes of how serious Pain Killer was taking this fight. His left forearm was somewhat sore, but far from something to worry over, the only real pain he had was in his cheek. However, he intended on fully repaying what had been done to him in spades.

His left hand would suddenly release Alkaiser's wrist, twisting so that the palm faced upwards and becoming a fist as it was thrown in a vicious uppercut towards the younger man's right temple. Adam would twist his upper body with the move, putting as much power as he could muster into the blow, believing that with his hold on Alkaiser's hair and the sudden nature of the attack, there was little the boy could do to evade the strike.

[Alkaiser]

Steve's attack would be indirectly blocked by his own movement, as he unwitting changed his opponents' position for the better. His fist crashed into the forearm of his opponent, probably causing little more than some severe discomfort. Nothing that would stick with Pain Killer.

At this point, the hold his opponent had on his head was trouble, and was getting worse by the second. Every moment that he was held was a moment in which he could be taken for a ride, and thus, as soon as he knew that his last attack had failed he went into action. As Adam's leg was returning to the ground, Barzahd would make his desperate yet calculated move.

With both of his legs planted and his shoulders already down, Steve would explode forward and attempt to get a hold of Adam's stationary leg, looking to tackle his opponent to the ground. Of course, unless his base had already become completely established, chances were Alkaiser didn't need to hook the leg anyways, but it was a good insurance policy nonetheless.

Should Adam be dropped, there would be a great chance that at any moment his grip would be lessened and Alkaiser could free himself, yet should he not be set free there was a high chance that his head would fall right into his previous target, the diaphragm of Rydell. The accidental headbutt would be slightly less devastating, yet much harder to guard against. If Steve were let go, he could go into his ground routine, which was so far unmatched in Hircine. Search for an open appendage and break it; what could be more simple?

Midway through the execution of this move, Steve feels a great slamming pain just south of his temple. It smashes his ear into the side of his head, and he can immediately feel it gash open against his rock solid cranium. Blood and swelling were in his future, but he still strained himself to focus on the events at hand. It wasn't deep pain, but more of a small annoyance. It stung a little, and judges tended to be quick to call fights in favor of the guy that wasn't bleeding from the head.

The fighters were now locked in a game of 'who can make the other guy pay more for his last transgression', and Steve was ready to prove that he could play with the big boys.

[Nathan Branigan]

Nice job Alkaiser. This and Taiku v. Odin were easily the most interesting fights thins round. If I don't start getting better fast then I'm gonna fall way behind you man.

This was a pretty close match, but Pain's grip on your hair gave him a control on the fight that will give him the victory this round. Awesome job guys. Good luck.

[Alkaiser]

OOC: Hmmm...It seems like we're not gonna finish this one up so I'll just say this: Good fight, Adam. You really brought out the best of me on this one, and I think that together we put together a nice little scrap of text here. I look forward to the next one.

[Pain Killer]

OOC: Sorry, I haven't really had time to post lately. You're pretty good, Al, we need to have a rematch sometime. It was fun.