Old Friends, Older Enemies (Kyukaku)

[Pain Killer]

"Hey Adam, you should see this! This guy's doing all the dances from when we were kids up until now!"

The excited female voice came from one Mya Rydell, seated directly in front of the computer her brother had given her for her birthday in an undershirt and shorts, her eyes glued on the dancing man on the screen. Every time the song changed to one she recognized, she'd clap her hands a few times before putting them back in her lap, a big fat grin on her face the whole time. Her brother, however, seemed to be a polar opposite in his mood, scowling as he sat in the middle of the couch behind her, resting his forearms on his jeans. For the past few days, he had been disturbed by the rumour he'd heard prior in the week, information that had involved both his much-despised brother and a certain sidekick.

I suppose I can't really call him a sidekick anymore.

The self-proclaimed Pain Killer let out a dismissive snort, still fairly pissed off at the fact that the kid had succeeded where he himself had failed, taking the School Captain title and making a name for himself. It wasn't the first time the younger man had emerged victorious against the very same obstacles Pain Killer had fallen to, the tournaments giving several examples for the youngest surviving Rydell to stew over. Despite his growing agitation, Adam had done nothing about it so far, as the rumours of a ten thousand dollar bounty being placed on the young man's head had left him hesitant to leave Kyukaku in such a compromising position.

...Fuck it. It's a tune-up fight for him, at least.

Suddenly standing up from his seat, and surprising Mya in the process with the explosive motion, Adam stormed over to the closet, yanking his trenchcoat off the hook and throwing it over his muscle shirt. Mya, however, spun in her chair, concerned with the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"When are you coming back?"

"Later."

With a sigh, Mya rolled her eyes and turned back to the computer. It was obvious her brother was in one of those moods, and she wouldn't get any more information unless she found some way to actually beat it out of him.

"Alright, fine. Have fun."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 20 Minutes Later xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Screeching to a halt, Adam pushed himself out of his car, or his "beat-up piece of crap" as he liked to refer to it, stepping out onto the road in front of the school dormitories. It was still the middle of the day, and Pain Killer could pick out a few small groups of students hanging around the building. He still knew which room Kyukaku lived in from memory, figuring there was no reason for the kid to be moved after he left. Plucking a small rock from the ground nearby, he made his way to the back of the building, taking aim at the centre window on the second floor before chucking the tiny stone at the glass.

"Kyukaku! Get the hell out here!"

Another stone soon found its way to colliding against the glass, making another sharp sound for those inside.

"I'm serious! Say goodbye to Audrey, your friends, whoever else is in there and come down here! You and me have something to settle!"

[Kyukaku]

It was just one of those days.

Kyukaku laid atop his bed with arms folded atop his chest as he gazed upwards, eyes trailing the circular motion of the ceiling fan. He'd lost track of how long he'd been in here, his mind flowing in and out of deep thought. It had been a hell of a month; Kyukaku had been spot on about his time as Captain of Hircine High being yet just another calm before the storm. He couldn't really say he was surprised anymore. His life story had been a tale of severe ups and downs. The only question left to be had was: which downward slope would be the final crash?

Things weren't looking so good now. Sure, he'd been in worse positions before. If there was any upsides, it would be that bein buried alive was only a momentary thing. Having a contract of 10,000 dollars to cripple him? Well, there was really only one way that could end it Kyu's mind. To be frank, he wasn't exactly lookin forward to it either.

Plink!

Kyukaku blinked, snapping out of his current thoughts once more. His head lazily turned to the left, looking at the window from where the noise had originated. He heard a muffled yell from below, one that piqued his usual curiousity, yet not enough to get him to sit up just yet. It would take another--

Plink! Plink!

With a safe assumption that the yelling was for him, Kyukaku slowly sat up, wondering what face would be here to try and collect on the contract this time. Surprised at who's face he saw, he didn't even process the words thrown at him, instead pre-occupied by his own questions.

Adam? What the scruff?

Kyukaku slid his legs over the side of the bed, slipping on his moccasins as he stood up. He grabbed a light khaki jacket to place over his blue T-shirt in the cool winter of California. Soon enough, Kyukaku would ove down the one flight of stairs, exiting the building as a crowd already began to form little by little outside. Kyu gave a brief look to the other faces, not quite comfortable lately in crowds for obvious reasons. Finally, he'd settle his quizzical gaze upon his former roomate, friend, and enemy.

"What, did you lose my number?"

[Pain Killer]

At the sight of Kyukaku's confused face in the window, Pain Killer's eyes visibly darkened in intensity, the eyelids narrowing to slits as soon as the younger boy withdrew from his field of view. The kid didn't even know what he'd done, which made it all the worse. Just looking at him was pissing the self-proclaimed Pain Killer off to no end, causing him to raise his gloved right hand to his eye, his fingers grasping the hair that usually fell in that very position. He needed something, anything to concentrate other than his rising anger and frustration.

To put it simply, he wasn't feeling particularly stable at the moment.

After what seemed like an eternity of driving his palm into his eye and grinding his teeth, but was only just a few minutes, the door exiting the stairwell would burst open, causing the youngest surviving Rydell to suddenly glare in that direction, his hand coming away from his face. Of course, the question posed by the School Captain of Hircine High only served to infuriate Adam further, the fact the kid wasn't even taking him seriously digging at his mind. His right hand twisted, palm downwards as the index finger extended, making it clear exactly who he was talking to as Pain Killer spoke.

"Shut the fuck up, I'm not in the mood for your goddamn jokes. You and I are going to fight, right here, right now."

A small gust of wind accentuated the threatening remark, blowing Pain Killer's hair to his side and making his trenchcoat flow like a cape. He could hear bits and pieces of the gathering crowd, the word "bounty" coming up a few times. The thought hadn't occurred to him that this challenge could be misconstrued in that way, and as such, Adam needed to clear the suspicion, and make sure this moment wasn't tainted with such garbage.

"I'm tired of hearing how good you are. I'm tired of seeing you steal my destiny, my reasons to exist! It's time for us to see which one of us is better, once and for all."

[Kyukaku]

If the finger pointing was enough, the cursing sure was to form a frown upon Kyu's features. Kyukaku's eyes softened, drifting down towards the ground as his hands slipped up into his jean pockets. Listening to those around him and their responses to Adam Rydell's challenge. They seemed to have the same question he did.

Why...?

They've been down this road before. Adam and Kyu had fought over almost everything. School politics, conflicting philosophies, girls (in the form of Adam's sister Mya), the remote, or Adam's test of Kyu's progress. Kyu's thoughts weren't far off from the ones of those around him either. Was Adam here to collect on the bounty too? It didn't make any sense. Adam hated Trent as much as Kyu did, and he never wanted to get involved in the past. Was their friendship, no matter how dysfunctional, that easily discarded?

Adam must have sensed Kyu's misconceptions, or perhaps got tired of Kyukaku's lack of response. Despite the slight respite of knowing Adam wasn't here for Trent, his mind was put little at ease. There was still alot for Kyukaku to cope for without adding Adam's own problems to the mix.

"I'm not interested."

The statement would come coldly, Kyukaku eyes remaining soft and disinterested as they slowly rose to meet Pain Killer's gaze. He'd turn back towards the door, hands still in his pockets. Before he'd begin walking back, he'd turn his head over his shoulder, speaking what he intended to be his final piece.

"I have enough on my plate, Adam. I don't have time to caress your self-delusional ego right now."

[Pain Killer]

If there was one thing that was a true pet peeve of one Adam Rydell, it was being taken lightly. Kyukaku turned his back to him, and at the last few words spat in his direction, Pain Killer's hands curled into fists, clenched so tightly that only the black leather from his fingerless gloves kept his nails from drawing blood from his palms. Nothing was more important than this moment, absolutely nothing, and if the kid couldn't understand that, then the idea would have to be beat into him.

"Stupid kid... Damn stupid kid..."

Muttering angrily to himself, Adam would storm after Hircine's School Captain, catching up rather quickly and reaching him just as he opened the door to enter the building once more. His left hand would shove Kyukaku from the back, driving him into the door and forcing it closed again, and unless he turned back to face the self-proclaimed Pain Killer, the larger male would continue to do so every time he attempted to open the door. If Kyu turned to face his assailant, he would find Adam an arm's length away.

"I don't think you understand. I'm not asking you to fight me. I'm going to beat the living shit out of you regardless of whether you defend yourself or not. If you don't want to get hurt, you'd be better off to defend yourself."

For a split second, Adam would hesitate, giving Kyukaku a moment to process the full implications of what he said, before swinging his right fist in a low uppercut towards Kyu's lower left ribs. His left hand would instinctively pull up towards his chest as he did so, making it easier to defend his upper body as it curled into a loose fist.

Now all that remained was to see if Kyukaku saw the surprise attack coming, and whether he had decided to defend himself at all.

[Kyukaku]

Kyukaku ignored the angry mutterings of Adam, continuing towards the door at an easy pace. The push caught Kyukaku off guard, forcing him to bring up his hands to prevent his face from hitting the door. Kyukaku sighed audibly, taking a step back without turning to face Adam. The second push would be more than expected, though still forcing Kyukaku to react in the same way as before. Taking a deep breath, Kyu turned around this time, hands relaxed at his sides as Adam barked in his face.

"Look, I-"

Kyu's protest would be cut off, the former Hircine High Captain being forced to defend himself from the incoming attack. Kyukaku quickly tucked his left elbow into his ribs bring both hands up. Keeping his left arm tight to his body, his hips would shift to the right, his upper body leaning to the left as his lower left bicep and forearm absorbed the uppercut.

With his high levels of stress causing high levels of agitation, Kyukaku didn't even think about his attack as he reacted aggressively, snapping his right leg around in a quick and low roundhouse to the outside of Pain Killer's left knee. Immediately following, Kyukaku would intend on ducking around PK's left side, preferring on not being caught between the door and the larger man.

[Pain Killer]

Kyukaku's reflexes were as impressive as ever, the young man managing to spot the fist headed towards his side in time to block it. Such a fact didn't deter the youngest surviving Rydell, as his former roommate had always been much faster than himself, and his martial arts training would likely have conditioned him to spot incoming blows more easily. In consolation, however, a blow from a powerhouse like the self-proclaimed Pain Killer could never truly be dismissed, even if glancing or blocked with another body part, as every shot counted. It was doubtful to have any real long term effects, but flexing those particular muscles would be more difficult for the younger man, at the very least.

Capitalizing on a weakened limb, however, had not entered Adam Rydell's mind, though his right fist would unfurl and grasp onto Kyu's elbow. While not trained in a particular art as Hircine's Captain was, Pain Killer's mind had similiarily been conditioned with a reaction to certain stimuli, in this case, the motion of a kick heading below his torso. His legs bent slightly, then propelled him forwards, causing Adam to actually leave the ground as he shot towards his foe, his left hand reaching towards Kyukaku's right shoulder. It was certainly possible for Kyukaku to still strike his leg as Pain Killer dove towards him, but the fact that the limb was no longer supporting the large youth's weight would keep the damage to a minimum.

Instead, Kyukaku would find the impressive bulk of Adam Rydell hurtling towards his stomach and chest, aiming to strike the smaller man with his right shoulder in a fairly brutal tackle. If all went to plan, Adam would slam the boy against the glass door, and unless it were of an unnaturally sturdy construction, send both males smashing through into the hallway within, with the larger male landing atop Kyukaku, pinning him to the ground by the shoulder and holding his elbow with his left and right hands, respectively. Should such a thing take place, Adam would instinctively close his eyes during the actual impact with the door, working to keep any stray glass shards from blinding him.

[Kyukaku]

The punch to arm would indeed cause it to be sore, but not to the point where it would play to any advantage just yet. Adam Rydell wasn't the only one able to build pain tolerance through the years, and while not everyone prided themselves so much to nickname themselves after it, Kyukaku was certainly high up on the list, albeit not as high as his larger enemy friend enemy, before him.

Not much sooner had Kyukaku lift his foot from the ground did Pain Killer come rushing it at him, reacting so quickly that Kyu thought he must've planned to rush from the beginning. With one legged stability and two handholds already established for Pain Killer, there wasn't much hope in prevent a backwards descent. Relaxing his body, Kyukaku's hands reached up for the corresponding lapels on Adam's leather jacket, gripping the material tightly in his fists.

Using the impressive flexibility gained through the years of training in martial arts, the would be kick would pull chamber up, Kyu pulling his knee as close to his chest as he could. As the two bodies would shatter the glass door, Kyukaku's foot would plant itself into the overly large chest of Pain Killer. Using the same backwards momentum, Kyukaku would throw Adam over him in an elementary judo toss, using both his hands and his foot as a leverage point. If Adam attempted to to still hold onto Kyu's arm and shoulder, he'd still find his momentum too strong to stop, resulting in him swinging to land on top of his head, rather than his back farther down the carpetted hallway.

The impact wouldn't be pleasant for either of the two, Kyukaku having gone through the door and Adam landing with an impressive thud. Reluctantly, Kyukaku would get up from the pile of broken glass groaning, being careful not to cut his hands as he pushed himself up. Still, it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been if Adam's weight came down upon him, which would have made the glass dig into his back.

Kyu slipped off his khaki jacket, the back of it torn to shreds as it was. Throwing it to the side, Kyukaku would get into his usual loose karate stance, shaking his limbs and his head to loosen back up. Kyukaku was sore, but damage done had been at a minimum.

The fight was just beggining.

[Pain Killer]

OOC: Shhh. This isn't late at all.

IC:

A brief feeling of satisfaction flowed through the self-proclaimed Pain Killer as he slammed his foe against the glass door, feeling it give way to the force being applied. There was no intention to hold back this fight, friendship or no, and any successful attempt to inflict pain on his opponent was a great thing, indeed. Adam's eyes closed as the two impacted against the door, not wanting shards to blind him, but the feel of Kyukaku's foot on his stomach caused them to open once more in surprise, and a small amount of alarm. Being thrown was never fun, especially to someone who wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such a thing.

On such short notice, there was little the youngest surviving Rydell could do in order to halt the throw in progress, especially considering his lack of experience in being the one thrown. The best his mind could come up with was to roll with the impact, move with the momentum rather than against it in order to lessen any injury he received from hitting the floor. He tucked his head in to his chest, hunching over into the foot placed close to his stomach, and pulled his legs closer to his body. When his back struck the floor, the result would be something akin to a somersault, Pain Killer rolling into a squatting position, his right hand shooting out to palm the floor and keep his balance.

Without missing a beat, Adam stood and spun around to face his smaller rival, a dark and severely angered look distorting his features. A thin trail of blood fell from an almost imperceptible cut underneath his left eye, where one of the many flying glass shards had managed to cut him, though it was so shallow he didn't notice it was there. His hands clenched into fists, palms upward, held at waist level as he spoke angrily once more.

"Well? Are you going to fight me now? Or am I going to have to put you through a wall this time?"

[Kyukaku]

The glass crunching under his feet, Kyukaku shifted his balance in anticipation of Adam's next attack. Pain Killer had gotten more nimble through the years, Kyu not recalling such agility from him in the past. It made sense. Of course Kyukaku wouldn't be the only one to improve throughout the years spent in Varron and Hircine.

"I'm tired of your crap, this time I'm going to put you down!"

Kyukaku clenched his jaw, his index finger popping out of his fist as he directed it down along with his words. He took a few steps to his right, beginning to circle Adam as his anger bubbled. Shooting forward from Adam's left diagnol, Kyukaku came in at the angle, thrusting his right fist straight out. In a crisp punch that would snap out and right back in, Kyukaku aimmed for the lowest ribs on Adam's left side, hitting at the right spot that would crack the bones if left unchecked.

(OOC: Short.)

[Pain Killer]

"That's the spirit!"

A grin made it's way to Pain Killer's face as Kyukaku came closer, a refreshing change from the usual defensive nature of most fighters. Certainly, the younger man had grown more experienced, which made this fight much more entertaining than Adam had originally thought.

Not that he'll ever beat me, though.

The youngest surviving Rydell tracked Kyu with his eyes, not bothering to turn as the smaller man circled him in order to keep facing him. However, this lack of action wasn't borne from a lack of respect for his opponent, but rather, the desire to continue the fight as soon as possible, skipping the usual pattern of each fighter searching for an opening to begin his attack. As if reading his mind, Kyukaku swiftly began his attack, bursting forward to close the distance and get in range.

Not one to be outdone, Pain Killer would meet him halfway.

Driving off his right leg, Adam would propel himself towards his younger foe, stomping his left foot down as he did so in an attempt to slam it down atop Kyukaku's own right foot. It was an old trick, one that Pain Killer had heard Ein used in the past, and one he himself had used months ago against Kazuki. While it would certainly be a plus for his stomp to land, hindering Kyukaku's mobility in the process, the truth was that the stomp took less precedent in Adam's mind as the attack he would launch at the same time. His left fist, which had been clenched down near his waist, would lift upwards in an uppercut towards Kyukaku's stomach, aiming to catch him off guard. This uppercut, coupled with the now shortened distance between the two, would serve to play havoc with Kyukaku's own punch, causing it to strike the self-proclaimed Pain Killer in his bicep, rather than the ribs.

As his uppercut was thrown, Pain Killer would pull his right fist up to his chest, though whether he would attack or defend with it depended on the results of his own assault.

[Kyukaku]

Pain Killer's encouragements only proved to further Kyukaku's aggravation, most likely to the larger man's delight. Kyu knew he was playing into exactly what Adam wanted but once past the point of breaking, he didn't care. At this point, Kyukaku wanted to this fight just as bad as his old roomate. They had two very different styles, motives, and goals. However at the moment, they had the same mindset: beat the hell out of the other one.

Kyu's fist shot out, Adam meeting him with equal force. The larger man slammed his foot on Kyukaku's, something that didn't completely take him by surprise only for the reason he assumed it wasn't a directed attack but rather both of them stepping in the same spot. Regardless, his mobility would be slow for the moment, preventing any immediate retreat as his fist slammed into Adam's bicep. Luckily Kyukaku had the good habit of keeping guard, as his left arm was ready to defend.

As his right arm came back to guard, Adam's left fist came in for an uppercut. Turning his hips slightly to the right, Kyukaku jabbed downwards with his elbow a few inches. Adam's fist would connect with Kyu's elbow, the force from Adam's punch more than enough to damage his fist against the pointy bone. By moving it down just slightly, it would hit before Adam's fist made it to his stomach, saving him that pain. Still, the force would make Kyu's arm go numb for a few moments--hopefully a much smaller consequence than a possible broken fist by Adam.

The moment Kyu's right fist landed in guard, it would snap back out as he turned his hips back to the left, aimming a quick half hook-half uppercut to Adam's exposed left kidney. Upon contact, Kyukaku would attempt to pivot on his pinned right foot, pushing off both feet to slip his foot out and get out of Adam's striking range.

[Pain Killer]

Kyukaku's fist smacked into the self-proclaimed Pain Killer's bicep, striking the over-developed muscle hard. That very muscle would shield Adam from taking more damage than was due, however, and as a result, a dull ache in his arm would be the only hindrance from the blow. However, the blow to the arm would, in fact, save Pain Killer from driving his fist full force into Kyu's elbow, as momentum would be lost from the impact. A sharp pain would be the result from fist meeting elbow, rather than the bonebreaking injury that had potentially been before; annoying, to be sure, but far from significant quite yet.

Rather than allow Hircine's School Captain to retrieve his limb, Pain Killer grasped onto Kyukaku's forearm, his left hand turning so that the thumb was closest to the sky before clamping down on the muscle near the elbow. Limb for limb, he had been slowly removing the smaller boy's defensive options, creating the opportunity he had now to put an end to the feud once and for all.

Ignorant of Kyukaku's intended attack, Adam would suddenly yank on Kyukaku's captured arm, pulling him forward and towards the larger male's left. This act in itself would not stop the fist from being thrown, but would certainly make it more awkward. More importantly, however, it would clear a path for the youngest surviving Rydell's cocked right hand to drive towards Kyukaku's head in a massive punch, intended to knock the younger man's head clean off, despite not being physically possible. Pain Killer would throw all his body weight behind the blow, pushing off his right leg and turning with the attack, which would inadvertantly cause Kyukaku's own target to shift, giving him a glancing blow against Adam's ribs, at best. However, with his arms occupied and his ability to move impaired, Kyukaku would have a hard time avoiding the fist heading his way.

[Kyukaku]

Kyukaku's knuckles hit bicep, hardly a damaging blow when put upon the self-proclaimed Pain Killer. Kyukaku snapped his hand back to guard, intending on an immediate follow up. His thoughts were cut off as Adam gripped his other arm. It was the same strategy he always had, hit and grab. Kyu berated himself for not seeing it coming. He expected this strategy, but for some reason he had been too focused on his other side.

Too much thinking, that was the problem.

Kyu attempted to shut off his mind for the moment, his thoughts clouding his judgements. Letting his body purely react for the moment, Kyukaku relaxed. As Adam would pull him in, Kyukaku leaned his entire upper body back and to his right. Kyu was by no means stronger than Pain Killer, but Adam was attempted a pull and a strike, dividing his body weight into two seperate places, whereas Kyu's all went backwards.

Still, this wouldn't be enough to stop it altogether. Kyukaku pulled up and back with his left arm as well as his left leg rose off the ground. Unable to pivot on his currently trapped right foot, Kyukaku's leg would shoot out in a half stomp--half sidekick aimmed for PK's diaphragm. It would have the usual power to cause severe damage, but it would serve as another leverage point to push Kyukaku's weight away from the larger man. More importantly, Kyu's leg was (barely) longer than Adam's arm reach, moving him just out of range of Adam's immediate punch along with his backwards lean.

Hopefully, all these motions at the same time would sum up to Kyukaku pushing and pulling out of Adam's grab, making it possible to leverage his foot out from Adam's and move just a bit farther out of his reach.

[Pain Killer]

If Kyukaku's problem was too much thinking, the self-proclaimed Pain Killer had never faced a similiar problem. The larger male had thrown himself behind his punch, looking to inflict as much damage as he could in one strike, but as Kyukaku leaned back, the trajectory of his attack would cause it to sail past Kyukaku's face, at where his head used to be moments before, should Pain Killer do nothing to adjust for the new positioning. Furious at the younger man's evasion, and still caught up in the excitement of the moment, Adam Rydell refused to let his opponent off so easily, however, altering the target of a punch while being it was being thrown was impossible, at least for him. Instead, he would need to find a new way to put his rival down.

Rather than give Adam time to think of such a thing, it seemed Kyukaku was determined to go on the offensive, lifting his leg in the same motion. As Pain Killer's eyes had naturally followed Kyukaku's downward motion, the youngest surviving Rydell caught a glimpse of the leg lifting, its intent fairly obvious, even to the dim-witted young man. Large as he was, and still in the motion of completing his failed punch, there was no chance of him dodging the blow before it struck him.

However, in this case, there would be no need to.

While he had never been the sharpest knife in the drawer, Pain Killer had always known the basics of fighting. It was all he'd ever really been any good at, and there had been a few times he had surprised opponents with moments of forethought, as his attitude didn't usually give the impression of a heavy planner, or thinker. When Kyukaku had pulled back to avoid Pain Killer's punch, as well as chamber his leg for his retaliatory attack, Adam had noticed the rather precarious balance the boy now had. The moment the leg was raised back to its fully coiled position, Pain Killer would simply release the hold he had on Kyukaku's forearm. The sudden lack of opposing pressure would cause Kyukaku to throw himself backward as he kicked outwards, the fact that his right foot was still pinned making his upper body fall faster than the lower. Unless he were to protect himself, there was a good chance that Hircine's School Captain would slam the back of his head against the floor.

Of course, the well-timed release would play havoc with Kyukaku's aim with his kick, causing the blow to sail much higher than he had intended. The sheer force of Adam's punch would have left the larger male slightly hunched as the momentum ended, causing Kyu's foot to scrape along Pain Killer's left shoulder, a move made considerably less painful by the leather trenchcoat protecting the flesh underneath. With his own attack now long finished, Adam would pull his right arm back, grabbing Kyukaku's extended left leg above the knee, while his left hand grasped at the ankle, aiming to capture the limb before Kyukaku could manage to pull it back, a feat likely made easier by the fact that the younger man would be forced to either guard his head as he fell, or split his attention protecting his head and his leg, likely failing at both.

[Kyukaku]

The punch whipped past Kyukaku's head, the wind from it moving Kyu's hair. Kyukaku would have felt relief, if he hadn't still been in a rather terrible predicament. Kyu pulled back with all his might, his kick simultaneously leaving from its chambered position. Unforunately, Pain Killer had seen it coming, letting go of his arm altogether and leaving Kyukaku's backward momentum blasting. However, because Kyukaku had originally aimed for a mid-section kick, and his foot was still pinned underneath Adam's foot, it wouldn't stray too far from its target. With his foot pinned, Kyukaku wouldn't be able to shift his hips over high enough to kick that high with his makeshift sidekick.

Instead, Kyukaku's heel would connect somewhere around Adam's left set of ribs. This would most likely cause more damage than Kyukaku originally intended, as he originally planned to pry himself off Adam rather than be cut loose. Still, if Adam reacted quick enough he would still be able to grab ahold of Kyukaku's leg without attention from the smaller fighter, who's thoughts completely went to protecting his head.

Instinctively, Kyu tucked his chin into his chest from years of practiced breakfall, protecting his head from the tiled floor. Depending on how Adam took the kick, the fall would go differently. If Adam's body shifted back from the force, the damage would likely be minimal, though he'd have to move his left foot which would let Kyukaku's right foot slide out from even the slightest shift of footing. If Adam was able to give up no ground, the heel would crack into his ribs, cracking them without moving back with the force.

If Adam moved, Kyukaku would naturally turn to his right, his grabbed leg making his weight fall with a slight twist. His right hand would go down, planting on the floor before his head and holding him up, as his left hand instinctively went to protect his groin. If Adam didn't move, Kyukaku's hands would move to his head as well, clasping around as if doing a sit up as his upperback struck the floor with an uncomfortable thud, Kyu forcing an exhale to prevent the air from having the air knocked out of him.

[Pain Killer]

OOC: Bleh, short.

IC:

Kyukaku's thrust would not go as far off course as Adam had first assumed, it seemed, though overall it would make little difference. Given how Pain Killer would be somewhat hunched over from his failed punch, Kyukaku's foot would glance off of his ribs, negating the normal followthrough and saving Pain Killer from the bone-breaking impact it could have been. Considering how it had been a push, rather than an actual strike, Kyukaku's kick would continue further, catching the side of Pain Killer's stomach before traveling past it, reaching its full extension off to Adam's left.

Despite the leg being in a new position, Adam's plan remained the same, more or less. His left arm would wrap around Kyu's leg, cradling the ankle in his armpit with his forearm underneath the younger man's calf muscle. Pulling back his right hand, Adam stood upright, forcing Kyukaku to extend his captured left leg, while simultaneously taking a step back with his right foot.

"Admit I beat you, or I'll start breaking bones."

As if to prove his point, Pain Killer would throw his right fist in an uppercut at the left side of Kyukaku's left knee, intent on striking the vulnerable side of the joint, rather than the bone protecting it. While this blow may or may not be able to dislocate the joint on its own, it would certainly hurt, and there was no telling if more attacks would follow.

[Kyukaku]

"Agh...!"

Yelling through clenched teeth, Kyukaku vented more out of frustration than pain, refusing to forfeit under any circumstance. Posting his body up by his left hand, Kyukaku's right grabbed ahold of his upper shin of the corresponding leg. In a quick spectacle of dynamic strength, Kyukaku would seemingly sit up as he kick the best he could with his left leg.

Serving as a few purposes, the kick that would be no more than a shake would loosen up the joint a bit after the last punch, while also forcing Adam to readjust his balance even if just slightly. The leg was stronger than the arm, and while Adam's arms were much different in comparison to Kyukaku's, it would still take a bit of readjusting while wrestling with the leg. More importantly however, it would serve as a distraction as Kyukaku pulled with both his right leg at the knee as his right arm pulled on the shin. Even with perfect balance, Adam didn't have the sheer weight to keep Kyukaku's right foot pinned forever, and as such it would slide out as his right knee bent.

Glass under his left palm, Kyukaku would grip the shards in his fist as he flung the towards Adam's face. Likely forcing Adam to close his eyes, be it instinct or not wanting them cut up, Kyukaku would gain the short moment he needed to throw all his balance on his right leg preparing for the upcoming torque. Leaping off his right leg, Kyukaku turned his hips hard to the left, using Adam's own hold as a leverage point as the top of his right foot would be incoming towards the left side of Adam's head in an enzigiri, which stood a good chance of slipping by Adam's notice until already fully in motion.

[Pain Killer]

The fist connected, much to the self-proclaimed Pain Killer's satisfaction. The fact that Kyukaku refused to give up so soon, however, gave the youngest surviving Rydell mixed feelings; on the one hand, he was glad that the kid was determined, but he also needed to learn to quit while he was ahead. The younger man shook his leg, sitting up as he did so, and in order to keep his balance, Adam's left foot would lift off of Kyukaku's captured right, falling to the ground, while his right foot slid forward slightly, bringing them closer together. His right hand, having connected with the punch, would palm the left side of Kyu's knee, giving Pain Killer a better grip on the limb and making it much less likely for the smaller man to be able to simply thrash his way to freedom.

Sliding his left foot back further, Pain Killer caught a glimpse of Kyukaku making a movement with something shiny in his left hand, before it suddenly flew towards him, the intent obvious. he was going to throw glass in his eyes. Naturally, Adam slammed his eyes shut and flinched away from the flying glass, turning his face to his left and down towards his chest, allowing the glass to hit his hair harmlessly. Unfortunately for Kyukaku, Pain Killer had already intended on turning to his left, however, and in the process, finish the job he had started on the smaller man's leg.

Turning on the balls of his feet, Adam turned his body to his left, the hold he currently had on Kyukaku's leg causing pressure on the younger man's knee joint twofold. His left arm, wrapped around the ankle, would pull the leg against his body, while his right hand would push against the side of Kyu's knee, likely to pop the joint out of its socket. While Pain Killer had no real knowledge of the enziguri heading his way, he would end up defending against it unintentionally. Kyukaku's lower shin would strike Pain Killer at the top of his forehead, the larger male having tilted his head down while avoiding the glass, causing a momentary blur of vision. However, the tradeoff would be more than worth it, as there would be no way for Kyukaku to continue the battle with just one leg.

[Kyukaku]

"Gah...!!"

Kyukaku's shin would connect solidly with Adam's forehead, the larger fighter barely escaping from what would have otherwise been a clean knock out. Kyukaku wouldn't be so lucky, the motions against his knee forcing the joint to move in an unnatural way. The result would be a sickening pop as the ex-captain's knee would dislocate, forcing an intense shout of pain as it did so.

Kyukaku would fall on his back, as Pain Killer would probably have dropped the useless limb as the kick connected with his head. His leg still feeling the burning agony of the dislocation, Kyukaku would stomp out his right foot, the thrashing movement of his body feeling a need to lash back out in order to return some of the pain. Kyukaku's heel would aim for the front of Adam's left knee, having just turned his leg towards where he fell during the dislocation.

The momentary blur of Pain Killer's vision would make the attack a blind one to the larger man, almost surely connecting with his knee. Having a good chance of injuring Adam's limb as well, Kyukaku would slide himself backwards on his hands, crawling out of striking distance. Unless immediately attacked, Kyukaku would push himself up against the wall, leaning against it as he spoke through winces of pain.

"Guh...I wonder if...your brother would pay you half the fee for this..." Kyukaku stated coldy with a wincing but nevertheless piercing gaze. He knew Adam wasn't interested in the bounty, but there would be no holding back in his bitterness.

"C'mon! You wanted this fight! Come finish me god dammit!"