Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Instead of the gang fight that he had imagined, he was witnessing something that reminded him of a scene from a sci-fi movie. Two incredible creatures were exchanging terrific blows on the dirt floor of the creaking barn. One had the appearance of a giant tiger, with gigantic fangs and sheets of jointed metal draped over it like a suit of armor. Its tail was strangely crooked and multijointed, and it was wielded like a powerful weapon. The whole thing was the size of a compact car, but it was the other creature that held his eye longer.
The other one possessed the body of what struck him as a fox and human hybrid, with the body and fur of a fox, but the overall physique and movement of a human being. It was covered in golden yellow fur with white tipped ears, tail, feet, and hands, with a completely white stomach. Violet armguards adorned it's forearms and identical guards covered it's legs below the knee, each one bearing a yinyang symbol.
The two continued to fight even as he inspected them; apparently they were too absorbed in their battle to take immediate notice of him. A lull in the fighting occurred as the fox leapt backwards to a higher point in the barn. As it leapt, it noticed Matt and stared at him with brilliant blue eyes. It landed on a high beam in the rafters, but it's eyes kept flitting back between Matt and it's opponent.
Suddenly the tiger froze and began to deeply sniff the air. Matt cringed and began to slink back behind the door, but it was too late. The tiger had seen him.
Without wasting any time, the beast leapt at him, claws extended. Matt's adrenaline kicked in and he dove out of the way, the tiger flying out the door and skidding on the dirt. Matt quickly ducked in the barn and threw the door shut, fumbling with the lock and latch.
He almost got the door locked, but just before the lock slipped through the latch the door exploded in a shower of splinters. The tiger leapt through the destroyed doorway to crash into Matt, knocking him onto the ground.
The beast stood over him, it's tail twitching slightly and a snarl upon it's face. Black lips curled back on yellowed teeth, and dilated pupils seemed to bore into Matt, communicating a silent message of triumph. The tiger roared once and threw it's head back, preparing to issue the final bite.
Before Matt could realize what he was doing, his knife was out of his pocket and in his hand. A flick of the wrist and shining steel briefly gleamed in his eyes. Then he shifted his arm and plunged the four inches of metal into the belly of the monster over him.
The giant cat loosed a pain-soaked cry, reflex making it streak for a place of safety away from the source of the pain. It ran to a corner of the barn and turned around, teeth bared and growling lowly. It's gaze was one of a mortally wounded animal, a combination of fear, anger, and remorse.
Matt, now up from the ground and standing in the middle of the room, matched the tiger's stare. Determined to win, the tiger mounted one last charge at Matt, in spite of it's wounded condition. Matt gulped and gripped his knife harder, readying himself for the attack.
At the last second before the tiger hit him, the beast was thrown to the side from a devastating kick from the yellow fox. Matt watched the tiger slam into a wall and get up slowly, back legs shaking ever-so-slightly. He faced his opponents with a sneer on his face, and Matt nearly jumped when he heard the tiger speak.
"Fools." it uttered with a dry, tired laugh. Then it yelled in a rumbling voice, "ARMORED TIGER TAIL!"
Matt, surprised enough with the sudden vocalization of his foe, was shocked even more to see the tail of the beast changing. It seemed to grow twice as long as before, and the joints had become more pronounced. As it waved through the air, Matt heard a low humming sound, as one hears when he swings a willow branch through the air. He realized with grim despair that the tail was probably as solid as a baseball bat.
Then the tail came swishing through the air at Matt and the fox. They each dove out of the way, rolling to safe ground just in time. Behind them the tail hit the ground with a deep thud, kicking up dust and leaving an imprint in the ground. Matt's assumption had been correct; the tail was as hard as steel.
Of the two of them, the tiger seemed to think of the fox as more of a threat, and so it sent the tail chasing after its golden prey. The blue-eyed fox leapt high to the rafters again, but to no avail; still the tail gave chase.
But suddenly the fox turned, flipping into the air and over the tail. It began to fall thirty feet to the tiger below, crossing its arms across its chest as it did. Matt was shocked once more as he heard a distinctly female voice erupt from the throat of the fox.
"Diamond Storm!" The cry signaled the flight of a multitude of razor bright shards of light. They streaked towards the tiger with impressive speed, and Matt couldn't help cheering as each one found its mark in a hail of light and brilliance. The fox dropped to the ground, and she (he assumed) and Matt cautiously waited for the cloud of dust from the attack to settle.
When it did, Matt felt his spirits drop.
There stood the tiger, still very much alive. Matt didn't understand how it could be so until he saw the scores of pockmarks in the armor sheeting over the tiger's back. The armor must have been too thick for the shards to penetrate.
The beast roared and charged the vixen. Surprised but still alert, she leapt high to avoid his charge, only to be blindsided by the tail. She crashed to the ground with a low gasp. Matt saw the tiger begin to close in as the fox struggled to regain breath. It's claws were unsheathed, and a victorious look was once again present in it's eyes.
"No!" Matt cried, sensing the defeat of his newfound ally. He looked frantically about him for something, anything...
There! A piece of thrice-folded rebar was propped against a ceiling support post. Matt reached over and snatched the length of metal. It was a little shorter than a hockey stick, and it had blunt metal studs running all the way down one side.
Without a second thought he ran to his giant enemy and swung with all his force, aiming at the vulnerable tendons near the heel of it's hind leg. The metal connected violently, with a brutal snap resounding upon impact. The tiger grunted and emitted a sharp yelp, turning quickly toward Matt with all intention of ending the boy's life once and for all.
