Well it certainly didn't take long to get back on my computer! While you won't be reading this right after I posted the second chapter, I just want to let you know that reading the reviews really got me out of bed to lay down the groundwork for this chapter. Out of all the notification I get, those are the one that I appreciate the most because they give me a chance to see what you enjoy specifically and even tips to better the story. Don't ever hesitate to give feedback, ideas, suggestions, or even criticisms in reviews. If they're reasonable, I'll really appreciate them. I may have final say over what happens, but it would be awesome if an entire group could turn this project into something even greater than I planned.
Now it may be getting boring to see Sai-Fon win all of his fights, but this is a guy who's going to go up against all of the main antagonists as often as Korra, and he can't bend! Sai-Fon will have to be tough to survive later on, but right now his opponents are pretty unprepared for someone like him. Don't worry, his undefeated streak (along with other things) will get broken eventually.
IMPORTANT! I'll respond to any reviews of interest. I'll send a private message normally, but if my response involves things others should know about, I'll respond publicly on my chapters.
Blckwlf4: I have indeed watched Kung Fu Panda 2 and I know exactly what you are talking about. Believe or not, I actually plan on introducing several more original characters, and one of them that can actually make something like for that Sai-Fon. He'll be an inventor based off of a real life scientist. If you want a little sneak peak of the guy, look up Nikola Tesla and it should give you a decent idea of what inspiration I'm drawing from. I mean a guy like that fits perfectly in this time and setting. But I'm not sure the character I created will be up for inventing something used for fighting, he will be pretty pacifistic. Maybe another character will convince him or something.
Alright, enough of that, let's move on to what you came here for!
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"Welcome to the-"
WHAM!
The stadium echoed with the sound of a foot colliding against a man's cranium, leaving the audience stunned as a collective gasp resonated from the stands. Taking the referee's shout as the official commencement of the fight, Sai-Fon literally wasted no seconds before using a running start to leap and drive his foot directly into the center of Mako's forehead. The attack rocked him and forced his upper body in the same direction as Sai-Fon's foot before his lower body followed. Mako flew past an entire zone, briefly tumbling before coming to a stop, lying flat on his stomach.
Everything was silent for just a moment, and it felt to Sai-Fon that time had stopped. The audience, the announcer that was interrupted, Butakha and his acquaintance, the referee, Korra, Mako's teammates, and Mako himself were in complete silence as each felt different emotions from awe, to fear, to just plain surprise. What eventually broke the silence was the ring around the third zone emitting red light and a buzzing sound, indicating that Mako had sent his whole team into the final zone. Finally, time seem to resume. The audience cheered deafeningly, Butakha and his acquaintance lit up like comets, Mako's teammates sprinted to his side, and Mako pushed himself up and let the referee know he was still able to continue.
"Oh, my goodness! Not even a second into to his first fight, chi-blocker Sai-Fon sends Fire Ferret Mako well into the third zone with a nearly unseen kick! What a first impression! The audience is electrified!" The announcer rocketed up from his seat with excitement. The noise from the crowd was still abundant after he spoke, completely taken aback by such a display but now fully embracing this new blood's ability.
"Mako, are you okay?" Bolin reached Mako's side, worried that a strike like that would give a concussion. He tried to put his hand on Mako's shoulder, but it was shaken off.
"I'm fine!" the firebender growled through gritted teeth. "Just don't underestimate him!"
Bolin was still worried about his brother's condition, but he still knew that they a fight to win. He nodded and prepared himself for another onslaught, as did Hasook.
Meanwhile, Sai-Fon advanced to the second zone and returned to his idiosyncratic form shortly after. His eyes were locked on Mako's. The casual observer would see a clear look of determination, but Sai-Fon saw through that. He saw fury, embarrassment, and although well hidden, he did see fear in the eyes of the firebender. That hidden emotion ended all of Sai-Fon's concerns before and during the match. The leader of the pack was cowering to the lone wolf, and that was all Sai-Fon required.
Sai-Fon chose not to repeat his charging kick, the element of surprise now gone. Instead he waited until one of his opponents made a move, and that came in the form of a water whip from Hasook. While the move was simple in concept, Hasook put forth enough energy to have the whip extend well past where Sai-Fon's head would have been had he not ducked. He used the window left by Hasook to sprint towards him, swatting away multiple earth discs and ducking under fire balls as he went.
"Chi-blocker Sai-Fon barrels down towards Fire Ferret Hasook and-Oh! He swats away the discs thrown by Fire Ferret Bolin like pesky flies while Fire Ferret Mako's fireballs don't even touch him!" Hasook attempted to defend himself, but he knew he was too slow when he felt a punch to his chest that caused him to bend over and expel all the air from his lungs and pushed him up off his heels. Sai-Fon followed up with a spinning back fist that crossed over Hasook's face. The now bruised and swelling cheek of the waterbender met the court soon after. Hasook lied there for a couple of seconds before placing his hands firmly on the court and glancing upwards only to see the bottom of a shoe, then total blackness shortly after.
"OOH! I think that, wait a minute...yes the referee has halted the match and...yes! Fire Ferret Hasook has been rendered unconscious by that last stomp! It's all over for him! Knockout!" The cheering that had previously died down was now resurrected. The pro-bending officials carried Hasook off the field, passing his stunned teammates. Bolin displayed clear shock and fear while his brother hid it away behind a fierce glare, but Sai-Fon knew enough. The referee restarted the fight with a quick whistle blow and the two steeled themselves as best as they could.
Hesitant was probably the last word to describe Sai-Fon when it came to fighting. As soon as he figured out that Bolin was closest, the bowl-cut fighter selected him up as his next target. Instead of directly charging, Sai-Fon used his available space to circle around the field, vaulting over and under more projectiles. He stopped when Mako was directly behind Bolin from his perspective so he could attack without worrying about retaliation from the firebender. He quickly dashed inside Bolin's punching range instead of waiting for a strike to counter. Sai-Fon put his hands in front of his own chest and tucked his elbows in before unleashing a flurry of punches, one after the other, striking Bolin's own chest like pistons. After only a few seconds, Bolin had most likely been hit twenty times and his chest felt ready to cave in. As his finisher, Sai-Fon pulled back his right arm and delivered a straight punch square to Bolin's jaw, sending him to the ground.
"What an incredible combination! The referee has halted the fight once more, he's counting. Fire Ferret Bolin is rising...four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Fire Ferret Bolin tried, but he couldn't get to his feet in time! Knockout!"
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Korra was dumbfounded, completely speechless. She still hadn't recovered from the shock of Mako's quick knock down at the start of the fight, but it had been what? One minute? Perhaps two, including the referee stops, and two benders had been knocked out. How can I guy like this, I guy who can't bend, take down professional benders so quickly? This Sai-Fon was difficult to follow as a spectator, let alone as an opponent. His speed was baffling, his attacks were almost blurs. Even her elite trainers didn't hold a candle to what she had seen. All he was using was his fists and feet. Had he even blocked anyone's chi, or was all of that really just sheer brute force? How does a man send another flying thirty feet with one kick?
Korra thought back to the scuffle with the him and the triads. She remembered turning a corner and seeing three men harassing a shop owner and destroying his merchandise. The waterbender ran to knock some sense into the three when they bumped into someone else. She was so close to reaching them but had to stop when the man struck down the thug holding him, and then sent another into a lamp post. Korra felt rather embarrassed that she truly thought someone that could take down three bending gang members wouldn't be able to handle three benders under strict rules.
The water tribe girl felt pity towards Bolin. He was kind enough to bail her out when she was exploring the arena without permission. She'd imagine he would use this victory to try and impress her, his advances being fairly obvious, but a defeat that fast probably destroyed his ego. She considered leaving to spare Bolin the further humiliation of talking to her after that, but she wasn't sure if he might have wanted a sympathetic ear. His teammates didn't seem like jovial people before the fight, and she was certain they would take their anger out on each other. From what she had seen, Bolin didn't deserve that.
'Maybe I'm just being pessimistic. The team has a chance to turn things around.' Korra was brought out her thoughts when she heard a loud buzz.
"And that's round one! Victory going to chi-blocker Sai-Fon! Fire Ferret Mako did a superb job of staying in with his trademark 'calm under pressure' technique, but he couldn't gain any zones alone. Not with Sai-Fon pressuring him like that! Oh, just a moment...I've received news that Fire Ferret Hasook is unable to continue the match! Leaving only the bending brothers, Mako and Bolin."
That announcement only disheartened her further, turning the thought of leaving into a truly serious consideration.
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"Round two is underway! Mako and Bolin are the first to act. They are now the only one's left, but they've learned their lesson. They are not letting up their onslaught and giving Sai-Fon a second to counter. But it looks like Sai-Fon is showing off his acrobatic skills. He is dodging and weaving the attacks like a professional."
Sai-Fon was now on the defense as he avoided the streams of fire and speeding rocks. Simply deflecting them with his hands and feet was becoming more difficult as the brothers were putting all their strength into their attacks, forcing him to resort to ducks, flips, and the occasionally twist. The pressure was on as Sai-Fon found himself taking several steps back until he his back foot bordered the end of the first zone The chi-blocker's face held no signs panic or distraught, though. After a solid minute and a half of the impressive barrage by the two, fatigue was starting to catch up with them. The fire and earth enhanced strikes were becoming less frequent with less force. Sai-Fon was quick to realize this, and charged the moment he saw the opening in Bolin. Bolin saw this and pulled back his fist to launch yet another disc but Sai-Fon was quick to display his superior speed. Just as Bolin released his arm, Sai-Fon used his own to reach inside Bolin's range and swat away the punch. As a result, the disc flew well past Sai-Fon, angled too far to reach him. Sai-Fon then shifted his weight and drove both his fists once more into his chest. The attack knocked him off his feet and laid him flat on his back.
"Oh! Another devastating attack to Bolin! He's been downed once more and I don't think he'll be getting back up. The referee has been called...knockout!"
"It's all up to Mako to get the win for this round. He's utilizing his iconic technique once more, but Sai-Fon seems to be doing the same."
The two were trading blows in Sai-Fon's striking range. Mako seemed to try and punch and kick straight through Sai-Fon, but he was blocking and deflecting them away with relative ease. Fire was passing right next to the non-bender, licking the sides of his head and clothes, but he was still fearless in his pursuit of victory. His attacks had already pushed Mako from the edge of Sai-Fon's first zone to Mako's own.
Sai-Fon could see the sweat drip down Mako's face behind the helmet as they continued their fierce combinations. His eyebrows were furrowed and his gritted teeth were showing, and the swell from the first attack was still evident. Sai-Fon was fairing much better with only a thin layer of sweat and a small bruise on his left cheek from a well-timed counter from Mako.
All he needed was one more opening, just one more. He saw it. One sloppy, ill-timed front kick to try and get some distance between the two. The non-bender side stepped the attack and side kicked the leg still planted on the ground. He lost balance and tumbled backwards, into the second zone. He was quick to return to his feet but was sent back down just as fast after being hit with a double palm strike. He stumbled several feet and another kick to his gut drove him back into the third zone. He rose to his feet again but felt a fist drive into his stomach and almost wanted to vomit. The fist retracted as quickly as it collided. Mako slowly took two more steps backwards as he tried to recuperate from the sudden and devastating barrage. His vision was blurring and darkness threatened to overtake him. His knees were shaking, his ribs felt like they would just collapse inside of him, and even as he attempted to collect his thoughts his eyes started to see nothing but indistinct blurs. He saw one of the blurs move.
"HAAAI!"
A powerful and swift back kick was the final attack and it sent Mako over the edge of the ring, into the cold waters of the stadium.
"Oh, and that is it! Sai-Fon has knocked Mako off the field. That's it! Chi-blocker Sai-Fon is victorious! What a performance! Three benders defeated in under five minutes! I've never seen a greater debut in all my years of announcing!"
Sai-Fon exhaled a sigh of relief and allowed his shoulders to relax. He drank in the positive atmosphere and let the undying cheers of the audience enter his mind. He stood in silence for several moments and then turned on his heel towards the lift.
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Bolin said nothing as he tread up the stairs towards the locker room, supporting a limping and barely recovered Hasook, both heavily bandaged. He could feel the piercing eyes of his brother below him. Perhaps the one thing he dreaded more than his sibling's fury was having to talk to Korra once he reached the locker room. Things had gone completely opposite of what he planned.
'Ah, man. What am I going to say?' he wondered. He finally reached the top and saw...nobody. It looked like Korra had blown him off. Bolin hung his head further and set Hasook down on a bench before sitting right next to him.
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"Hah, hah! Good show boy, good show." Butakha slung his arm around Sai-Fon as soon as he entered the green room. Mei followed short and eagerly hugged his leg. "Well I can tell someone misses you." the director said as he gazed down. "Tell you what, there are still somethings I must tend you, so I'll leave you two alone. I'll return with your winnings." He left without waiting for a response..
The martial artist knelt down and fully embraced the little girl. He looked and saw Mei was in much finer clothing of a light green dress with golden trim, and her face and hair were much cleaner and pleasantly smelled of soap.
"How are you feeling? Did you eat?" For the first time, the bowl cut fighter saw the tiny girl smile.
"Yes, I feel much better, sir!" She nodded with enthusiasm befitting of her age, but the end made Sai-Fon chuckle slightly.
"You don't have to call me sir. You can just call me Sai-Fon." She nodded once more and seemed to have something on her mind.
"Um, Sai-Fon, what's going to happen now?"
The older adolescent put a finger to his chin."Hmm...well right now I'll be meeting with my friends, Hayao and Risa. We're going to talk about what we're going to do with money...and then tomorrow..." Sai-Fon pondered his next few words. He knew he should hand Mei over to the police to get her back into the orphanage, but several thoughts had crossed his mind since they had met. Her bright smile was far more suiting than the shy and scared expression she must have carried for years. Truthfully, he didn't want to leave her alone. Even if it was for her own good, he didn't want Mei to think she had been abandoned once more.
He thought back to his time in the orphanage. It wasn't hellish by any means, and he wasn't all that lonely with the company of his two best friends. But Mei was a different story. He didn't think she had anyone, and if there was one thing that held him together as a child, it was the interactions with people he could call friends. He then thought of the despicable men that forced her and the other children to steal for them. They were beaten to a pulp, but not to death. If they ever ran into her again without him there to protect her, his efforts would be for nothing, and perhaps even worsen her situation.
Then there was the money he had just earned. Just last week, the idea of supporting another human with the wages he and his companions were paid was ludicrous. But with over a thousand yuan and more along the way...
Sai-Fon found enough reason to finish his sentence. It wasn't fully thought out, but the fighter made his decision, working out the consequences later on. "...and then tomorrow we'll both go to the markets for things we'll both need for our new home."
"You mean-?" he nodded with a grin.
"You're welcome to stay with me and my friends for as long as you want." Tears had already begun to escape from her eyes and the hug she gave him put the others to shame. Sai-Fon gleefully returned the hug and lifted her up, allowing her to bury her head in his shoulder. He kept her suspended until the door opened again and he set her back down. Butakha entered, now holding a large stack of bills.
"Here you go, boy! 1,500 yuan total! And I presume we can schedule another appearance two weeks from now?"
"Absolutely." Sai-Fon felt Mei retreat behind him.
"Of course." He pulled out his pocket watch and paused for a moment. "Well, it's getting late and I'm sure the two of you should be off to bed very soon. I'm sure you can show yourselves out. Good night." he said. He tipped his hat and Sai-Fon bowed his head.
"Good night; and thank you." He didn't get a response as Butakha was halfway out the door when he spoke. He stared at the door longer than socially acceptable before moving his sight to Mei. He stood and remained silent, so many thoughts clouded his mind.
'What an eventful day.' was his only coherent thought at the moment.
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A little shorter than normal, but I think it was a good stopping point. That was easily the longest fight scene I have ever written! I think the next chapter will involve no fighting, but I'm still debating on whether or not to further the story or give a flashback chapter, because I feel like Hayao and Risa haven't been given a decent amount of time so far to show any real character. Let me know which you would like to see in reviews, because I could really work with either.
I'm really sorry about updating so slowly, but not only do I really have to take time to make this as well written as I possibly can, there is always a slew of things I always have to address first. This really goes double now as I'm starting numerous studies and projects separate from my normal classes.