Odin VS. Alkaiser

[king]

"and in this second ring we have Odin, are returning champion, against Alkaiser, new to our tournament scene. Who will end up on top? Only time will tell.....and time is running out on your chances to cash in onthis blood shed. Remember, the betting booths are closing now! Will you take chump change for the easy win, or are you betting that David will take down Goliath!"

The bell rang, starting the match.

[Odin Reeves]

The semi-finals; one step away from the pinnacle of this event, the final round to determine the winner and over all best Hircine has to offer. That’s how some saw it, but Odin’s views were a bit different. He saw the semi-finals as one more chance to test his style of fighting. It was just another fight on route to the best this city had to offer, the strongest contestant to give him a thorough challenge. He needed to feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He wished for the excitement of battle to wash over him, coating him in the essence of combat. He wanted allot knowing he couldn’t let anyone stand in his way.

After his quick knockout victory of the young wanna-be warrior Odin did indeed leave the basement of the gymnasium. He was dressed in a tracksuit – covering his boxing shorts – as he strolled the streets of San Francisco. He knew that having the right amount of sleep was essential to winning, but he also knew that too much sleep would only deprive him of his full potential inside the ring. So he walked down the street and turned into a Subway, ordered 2 foot-long cold-cut trio’s on Italian herb and cheese, asked for lettuce, tomato’s, and pickles, then sat down and enjoyed a small sum of his usual lunch. He saved half of the second sub sandwich, wrapped it up and asked for a bag before leaving. He strolled back down the street and slipped inside the gymnasium heading down into the basement. By this time the fights had finished, the crowds had left, and only tournament staff was around fixing the settings of the ‘stadium’, turning it from four rings into two. Odin crept off toward the back, away from the majority of the noise and lay down in the corner in between a locker and the solid concrete wall. His eyes slowly began to drift down, his head began to nod, and so he started to nod off into a quick catnap.

The catnap lasted longer then anticipated, but due to his early round knock-out and the fact that he had chosen not to travel far before returning left him with a little over three and a half hours to prepare before the next round began. He unwrapped his sub sandwich, ate the 6 inches left, and then tossed out the wrapped before removing his track pants. His warm-up began, extensive at first, push-ups, sits ups, jumping jacks, and forceful pushes against the wall. This took forty-five minutes, which left him with just over two hours to keep himself hydrated and warm before the match. This was the easy part.

At the one-hour mark, better known as 2:30am Odin sat down with his back parallel with the wall, though a few inches away. His legs were crossed, his eyes shut. He wasn’t trying to catch another catnap, just preparing himself for the round blocking him from his greatest challenge. He blocked out everything, the thought of going to the finals, which opponent might be his, or the reputation behind him. He even blocked out thoughts of Tiao despite wanting to cave his skull in. When he opened his eyes the basement was packed, so many spectators, so few fighters. He stood up, loosened his muscles once more, drank another half-bottle of water, then made his way out through the crowd and into the ring, ready for Kurtz opening statements before the early morning match would begin.

[Alkaiser]

(OOC: I hope nobody minds, but I took a page out of Taiku's book and did a little outside-thread prep as well. Here's the link.)

--The Night Before--

The clock buzzes over a red glow, the numbers in the darkness displaying '2:00am.' Just like the morning before a figure jumps up in the shadows to click the off switch, hopefully sparing his roommates an early rising time, and just like the morning before, that silhouette is unsuccessful, receiving scolding from his weary friends. Bathroom rituals, early breakfast, sliding out the door...all on top of only six hours of sleep. There's slightly less pep in Alkaiser's step this morning, but in the hour he has before his fight, he hopes to eliminate that.

Upon arrival to the fighting grounds, Steve is once again surprised by how many are up this early to see such a spectacle. He shrugs it off, and proceeds directly to the main table to check in. There were only four spots on the clipboard...he was one of the big dogs now. He moves on to his ring...bigger than yesterday's once again. If his opponent was anywhere around, he certainly was not noticed. Barzahd commits himself to his pre-fight rituals, stretching every muscle, bar none. He dashes across the ring with a smile on his face...one that is only taken from being proven right. He was sluggish yesterday afternoon. Even with the bigger ring though, his time barely extended at all. It was just after that when he saw his opponent across the ring. "Odin..."

The opposing fighter was slightly taller than Steve, he noted, as well as appearing to have a weight advantage. "Stay away from his fists, and watch the ground game..." Steve echoes Taru's advice to himself. He begins to feel a great deal of exhilaration rush through his veins, as he hears Kurtz announce his name, comparing him to the fabled David, who toppled the menace Goliath. He looks through confident eyes at his opponent, just as the bell rings. Alkaiser darts across the ring, ready to claim the right to kick off the action himself. "3.6 seconds...not bad..."

As Barzahd swoops in towards his Goliath, his movements appear as those that would lead up to a momentous leg kick with his right, attacking just above Odin's left knee. Steve's stops just fractions of a second before arrival, standing on the balls of his feet. Instead of throwing that kick, he sends a speeding right elbow swiftly towards Odin, targeting the general area of the right side of his neck. His left hand lies in wait, curled next to the left side of his torso. His head remains forward, keeping his eyes on the opposing fighter the whole time.

"Forgive my rudeness, but I'm sure you've already heard my name."

[Odin Reeves]

‘Aw hell. Not another child. How many times do I have to embarrass myself before getting an actual fighter?’

Odin’s thoughts were that of anger as he stared across the ring at a freshman student. Now he wasn’t the one to judge a book by it’s cover, but he had just faced another youngster no more then twelve hours before, that ended in such an early knockout that it wasn’t even funny. He knew he had not only broken the kids jaw, but at least fractured his arm as well considering the kid had been stupid enough to block a straight armed strike instead of deflect it. Nevertheless, his opponent had made it through two others, so either he was extremely lucky, or gifted in one-way or another. Only time would tell.

The time had fast approached as the bell rung and his opponent stepped forward. Odin didn’t really have the time to prepare himself to the full extent, but was easily able to step forward with his left leg while bringing his hands up into guard. It was here that he noted the lack of experience held by his opponent. His charge was obscure, showing nothing of true technique or actual understanding of anything other then a run. Then the boy stopped on a dime, ruining his previously gained momentum. If he had wanted to go into a rally of strikes back and forth then he could’ve simply shuffled in. If he wanted to quickly move into an exchange then he could’ve shuffled faster with stutter steps. This, this was just stupid given the fact that he didn’t have an open range of land to build up speed and take it down. He was trapped within the four sides of the ring, caged with the tiger.

As his opponent began to throw out his right arm in attempts to strike him Odin would already be retracting his left arm from his technique. The boy had run straight into Odin’s predictable and simplistic opening move, usually used on offense but just as handy on defense: A jab. The boy had run in close enough to do an elbow strike toward the head of a taller opponent, leaving himself well within Odin’s reach, leaving a good nine plus inches in Odin’s reach to push back with on the front hand punch. While it would be unlikely for Odin to succeed in a knockout with his jab, despite the force added by his opponents forward rush, it would definitely rock him, leaving him completely open for the heat-seeking right hand. Like any of his normal 1-2 combinations Odin’s right fist would come overtop, then angle downward as much as necessary to strike downward on the side of his opponent’s jaw. If the kid had begun to stumble backward or drop to his arse then Odin’s right foot would step forward, allowing him to track the failing individual and deliver the final blow.

[Alkaiser]

As Barzahd arrives and plants his stance on his toes, he notices movement in a form that did not surprise him in the least. "Knowledge is power," comes to his mind, as he scouts the simple jab thrown by his opponent in a normally opportune situation. Reeves did have great hand speed, but no matter how fast you are, if your opponent knows what is coming, you'll never hit them. "Thanks again, Taru..."

It is at this point that Steve is glad he chose to plant his feet in this stance, which allowed him to easily shift his momentum in whichever direction he chooses. Barzahd elects to duck under and to the left side of the punch, still following his elbow, now redirected for Odin's left side, just near his kidney. As Barzahd lowers himself, his stance widens and his shoulders square off, but his left hand remains coiled in a fist by his left side and he remains on his toes. Odin's punch goes flying past the right side of his head, just above his shoulder.

Although there wasn't an extremely large amount of force behind this attack, it was still enough to take a little spunk out of Odin, as well as giving Alkaiser a bit of flinching time. If a shot lands in the kidney, it's short term effects equate to internal pain, and longer-term effects include a loss of energy and relative nausea. "Here's the first step towards toppling a giant...target the weak spots..."

[Odin Reeves]

It was over; the fate of this match was set. Odin would be triumphant simply because his opponent limited his only given advantage by planting his feet. Doing this took away from any spring that would be in his step, limiting his movement, pivoting, only to increase his power. The only downside to this was that he was choosing to fight power with power, something no one should try against Odin.

Reversing the roles of the match Odin snapped his hand back, much faster then it would take for his opponent to move into an assault after ducking. It was simple muscle memory of one limb on Odin’s part, for his opponent it was the entire body. Anyone watching would easily see who held the speed advantage there. As the smaller, lighter, but stupider fighter moved in to attack Odin pushed backward from the ball of his front foot, sliding back quickly with one purpose: Going far enough to avoid the elbow strike. He didn’t have to go far seeing as the elbow was a short-armed technique to begin with and he naturally had the reach advantage over his opponent. The moment the balls of his feet touched the ground during the retreat he pushed forward, unleashing himself as though he was a tiger laying in wait of his prey. A mistake was made, and now it was time to dine.

Instinctual reflexes led Odin as he pushed forward. His hips turned over, his left shoulder dropped down as his body torqued over. He was lined up perfectly and the height was perfect for this one-shot knock out. His opponent had gone through the trouble to place himself in a wide stance, slowing his body, and then he was leaning forward in more of a crouch then anything. It was too easy for the experienced veteran of boxing to capitalize, and he did. His right fist snapped out, heading downward to strike his opponent square on the top of the nose. His knuckles would push through the cartilage, smashing through until the nose was completely broken. The sheer force of his technique would result in a knockout from even the toughest of fighters, and even if this boy did manage to remain conscious he’d be to dazed and laying on his back to defend himself. Odin’s ruthless, brick-like-hands would rain down, proving his dominance once again.

It was his opponent’s moves that were his downfall; evading one more brought him into another. Odin’s animalistic power and instincts played a part, but it was the little boy trying to play fighter that was his own demise.

[Alkaiser]

The bigger fighter hops back, dodging Alkaiser's swing. Although it was effective, it wasn't anything special. Still, the distance Odin created proved to be a problem for the young warrior. "Shit...This is troublesome..." Steve thinks to himself, peering over his right shoulder at his opponent.

Alkaiser could not stay where he was. If Odin had distance on top of his superior position, he could build momentum and end Barzahd where he stood. Steve opts to get out of the line of fire with a temporary shift in position. As his elbow motion nears it's completion, his right leg lifts, devoting a little more to the movement. After a moment he finds himself following the appendage down to the ground, rolling on his shoulder to Odin's right side as he rockets straight outward, lead by his fist, from the side of the ring.

Such a move left the bigger fighter horribly over-extended. He was trying too hard for a knockout too soon. Although it was true that Barzahd had not given him enough credit thus far, Steve decides that his movements need to be a bit more calculated in the future. As his roll is completed, Steve tries to play his speed as an advantage in the fight as Odin had been doing.

At the end of the roll, Barzahd's legs contract like a spring being compacted against the floor. Alkaiser uses the tension to lunge once again towards the bigger man, looking for his back. With the speed he had built up, Steve planned to secure his arms around the bigger man's stomach, and couple his momentum with a subtle leg sweep and a bit of hip leverage to drop the man on his head, landing somewhere around his head and shoulder blades. Such a throw was a Judo basic, which Steve could execute quickly, fluidly, and with virtually no thought. After the throw Steve would let go and quickly reestablish the distance between the two, as he does not believe that a ground fight would end well for himself.

[Odin Reeves]

Odin’s right fist was like a piston pumping outward, chambered and only able to travel a certain distance before having to return. He didn’t overextend his arm, lean to far forward, or throw wildly. His punch was calculated, instinctual, and precise beyond what he had shown much of before. Yet it seemed the luck, combined with some ability, lead to a shoulder roll from the smaller of the two, only the younger mans mind was to far off in fantasy. He didn’t seem to realize that by the time that his feet reached the canvas that Odin’s fist would be retracted, and that he’d be pivoting over on his left foot to look at the fighter. The spring forward was nicely performed, but it would quickly lead to his downfall. Odin’s instincts were running at top speed, as were his reflexes and strikes.

Having turned on the ball of his left foot in order to face his rolling opponent caused Odin to be set up on the balls of his feet. While compared to smaller, lighter fighters his agility was laughable it was still maximized by this simple movement, a soft bounced. His heels were above the surface of the canvas, the balls of his feet built up with callous making them rough. He felt no pain in shuffling barefoot across the ring, dragging his feet was nothing but a light burn. It was also a reason why he could pivot so effortlessly without losing his balance or performing it at the speed of a slug. Indeed he did pivot, on his front foot in fact, all while snapping out his left fist with a close-bodied hook. You see, his right foot pushed back, pivoting his entire body over and moving his torso from his opponent’s grasp. It also gave him the perfect position to snap his fist out into the side of his lunging opponent’s jaw. His timing could be off by a small bit, that was obvious, but the key action was Odin’s brick sized fist crashing into the side of his opponent’s face. Such a strike could easily lead to different situations, and depending on what happened he’d act accordingly to maintain the upper hand.

[Alkaiser]

As Steve made his way to his feet and closed in on his opponent, all he would find was a fist hurling straight towards his face. A massive, power-driven, educated fist. Odin did indeed know how to throw a punch, and Steve was beginning to feel dumb for allowing himself to get so close to those deadly fists so many times. This time Alkaiser had just run out of luck. The fist was coming very fast, at a troublesome angle. All the young fighter could do was shift his head as far as he could and turn in to force the blow to glance as smoothly as possible.

As his feet grind to a halt, Barzahd leans back into what almost looks like a bad limbo pose. His head goes to the right side, causing the blow to cut across his left cheek towards the back of his head. His body is slightly brought along with the punch, which had a good enough amount of force behind it to keep on going past the back of his ear. The skin of Alkaiser's face slices into a small gash that goes just under his eye and across his cheekbone. His left eye shuts tightly, scrunching hard to alleviate some of the sting. He couldn't just let this guy get away with socking him though.

In moving with the motion of the fist, Steve notices a slight opening in Odin's movements. The hook that was just thrown was now directly in front of him. Alkaiser's arms now snap up, the left attaching a grip on the wrist of his opponent, and the right latching onto his arm, palm on the outside of Reeves' elbow. Barzahd grips the appendage with all his might, now forcing the thumb of his right hand into the inner elbow of the larger man, keeping it in a bent position. The young fighter proceeds to pull down on the wrist, while pushing up and across Odin's body with his own arm, forcing him to turn with the arm or risk having his shoulder dislocated. This sort of move also tends to have a negative effect on the recieving fighter's balance, which is always a good thing to manipulate should the opportunity arise.

Steve looks over the struggling appendages, As the arm of Reeves blocks off most of Alkaiser's face. He now attempts to pull in a circular motion around his own body, swinging his opponent down to the ground face first. The small grappler tenses up his legs in case they should need to spring into action to prevent anything from Odin. "That didn't feel too good...I think I'll need to try harder to avoid those in the future."

[Odin Reeves]

His knuckle grazed smoothly over his opponent’s left check, slicing through the soft skin like a knife through butter. It seemed this boy didn’t have much experience in receiving face shots since he had been so easily cut, but that didn’t matter. The boy’s head was turned to the side, his attention driven away from Odin’s arsenal. It was time to strike with his other fist, his power hand, which remained cocked and ready in front of his chest.

He had, in fact, dropped his guard during his pivoting counter punch. He didn’t need to worry about his opponent striking him with an unseen attack as his opponent was still recovering. Looping his left arm inward after the strike he found it caught by the younger man, but it didn’t matter. Odin’s body was in a momentum for a combination to sprout, and his arms were too strong to be subjected to stationary holds by the smaller fighter. He swung his arm inward, closer to his midsection then his face as he made the smaller fighter drop his guard. Being so content on holding Odin’s arm he only opened himself up for another strike, a more direct strike.

Pushing off the ball of his back foot Odin leaned forward slightly, throwing his right fist out without a need to draw it back. It was just unleashed. The power came from his technique and speed, his technique combining the majority of his mass into his punch as he threw it without mercy toward his opponent previously struck face. Whether the kid was rocked or not from the prior strike Odin didn’t know, nor did he worry about it. He saw the opening, threw his punch just like he always would, and would go from there.

[Alkaiser]

Odin's left arm was now safely in Steve's possession, but his right was still fair game. The bigger man had been cocky the entire fight about his strength advantage though, and the younger Barzahd was getting tired of it. "I'm not as weak as you think..." he announces in his mind, as the bigger man elects to ignore the hold that the freshman had secured on him. A right fist comes swinging at him, quickly near his abdomen.

The response was simple...use what you have. What did Steve have? An arm.

With his hold on the appendage, he could right angle it at will, due to the leverage he had with his right hand on the elbow, using his thumb on the inside as a focal point. With the joint bent, Steve could force it upward and to his left, while drawing the wrist down and to the right, twisting the arm forward and causing Odin to either turn with it or have it pop. Since the right arm of Reeves had to swing across his own body to connect with Alkaiser at all, this turn would cause Odin to be unable to reach the smaller fighter. His own body was being used as a shield for his opponent.

Steve's next thought is to go on an offensive of sorts. With his new angle at the bigger man, he has a few more options that he can select from. He opts to target another joint, the back of Odin's left knee, for his maneuver. A kick to the back of the knee would cause the bigger fighter to topple, or at least lose balance long enough for another move, whether it be a lock, a strike, or something completely different.

[Odin Reeves]

[As told in a PM by Kurtz, I'm posting in accordance to my defensive actions being taken out of context by my opponent. Here is the resulting post.]

There is allotting of theories on what should work, what could work, and if something was truly possible. Should the stronger of the two fighters momentum be ignored because of fresh hold? Is a fresh hold without a strong reinforced grip strong enough to move an arm that’s coated in sweat and moving the other way? In Odin’s case, his body was more resilient then most, and his strength unrivalled when compared to others his weight, and some above.

Hooking his left arm was smart for multiple reasons, it was a crisper punch, easier to throw his opponent off guard, but more importantly in this situation was because it returned his arm to his guard, and in this case it was near his waist. Anyone who’s ever trained or fought with Odin knows of his upper body strength, the fact that it seems limitless at times, and when brought against the smaller, younger fighter this seemed to be another period in time when his strength would prevail. Odin’s left arm was close to his body, bent inward not at his opponent’s command, but his own. His upper body rotated to his left, fighting against the pull of one close-bodied limb as his right fist not only being thrown, but also striking cleanly. The ending result was one that many could predict. The younger fighter would be forced to relinquish his grip, or have it torn from him as he proceeded backwards. He’d find himself lying face up in the center of the ring, whether or not he was conscious Odin didn’t care to presume, but would stand ready should the kid decided to get up for round two.

[king]

I'm tired, so I'm going to be blunt.

Odin wins, finish by tuesday