CHAPTER NINE
の残酷な乱闘!誰がチャンピオンになるのだろうか?
A Brutal Brawl! Who Will Become the Champion?
Some days you feel it. A sensation enters your head and lets you know that the day is gonna end up bad.
This was one of those days for Nick and Chops. Both woke up with that foreboding darkness hanging in the back of their mind…
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…"ugh. Pathetic." He remarked as he walked down the street with his book owner. The experiment had a blue nose, with yellow markings on his muscular, smooth body. He had a large white jaw and white gloves on his hands, and yellow tips on his small, red antennae. He looked very capable and rather heroic. "I don't get it. Why are there so many WEAKLINGS fighting to be champion? That idiotic Blowhard didn't put up much of a fight at all…" He admitted to his book owner, a gray-haired man wearing glasses. The man looked rather serious and he frowned slightly, his moustache quivering.
"Don't get whiny, Ace. What do you want?" He asked in a distinctly Jewish tone.
"What did you say Hegel?" Ace muttered.
"I'm asking what you want." His book owner Hegel remarked. "You've been like this a lot lately. Even WHEN you win you're so unsatisfied and irritated. It's like…you aren't getting what you want and you're whining about it like a little kid." He said, putting a cigar in his mouth and lighting it up.
Ace crossed his arms as they got into Hegel's car and Hegel started the engine. "PFFT. You don't get it, I always feel this way. But when I take strong guys and crush 'em into little pieces, I feel LOADS better." He bragged, grinning evilly.
"So that's what you want?"
"There's nothing that I WANT." Ace repeated, this time a bit more angrily.
RRR-REEEE!
The car came to a stop. Hegel tossed the cigar away and slowly grinned at Ace.
"Well then how about we try fighting strong people?" He said simply.
Ace's eyelids opened more widely. "…what do you mean?"
"There have been rumors…words whispered that those who go to Hawaii to fight experiments don't come back…"
Ace smirked. "Well…up for a tropical vacation, Hegel?"
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…
…Chopsuey was lying on his back, looking at the clouds. He had a long piece of grass in his mouth and was just…looking at the shapes.
"Hmm." He thought to himself. "It's so peaceful here."
Sometimes it was good for him to just sit back and relax…
BONK!
"OW!"
Chopsuey groaned and got up, looking to his right. The ever-annoying Myrtle Edmonds was with her posse, looking at Chopsuey like he was…well, a mutt.
"Get lost, you freaky talking dog!" Myrtle said, throwing another rock that bounced off his head.
"Yeaaah!" The girls all said in agreement.
"Owwww." Chopsuey moaned, rubbing his head. "I'm trying to relax, can't you leave me alone for-"
BONK!
"Quit it!" Chops yelled. "I mean it, EDMONDS!"
Then a sharp whistle made them all jump. The girls turned around just in time to see Ace smirking evilly at them.
"…hello…" He said coldly.
They shrieked and ran. Chopsuey stood up, dusting himself off. He recognized Ace. "Ace, what are YOU doing here?" He muttered. "If it's for a stupid fight again…"
"Oh you're gonna fight me and like it, Chopsuey." Ace said. "Because if you don't…well, I'll just follow you to your house and force your book master to fight me. Or maybe I'll go to those kid's houses and deal with them first…"
Chopsuey's eyes turned to shining black steel as he glared furiously at Ace, who smiled. "Ahhh…THAT'S the Chopsuey I remember. I knew you'd be a good challenge. You have three hours. Meet me by the foot of the volcano. If you don't, well…"
With that, Ace walked off. Clenching his fist, Chopsuey raced backwards, running for home…
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…"…so that's it." Chopsuey said. "We have to meet him in 2 and a half hours. And…he's strong, Nick. REALLY strong." He frowned. "He always was, ever since I first met him…"
"You know him from your lab days?" Nick asked, looking concerned.
"Yeah…Experiment 262 was made by Jumba to be strong enough to take down any other experiment that might rebel against him…he has this weird idea that truly "good" guys are people who are incredibly strong. Jumba eventually got so scared of him that he turned him back into a pod…I can't believe he lucked out and ended up in the contest." Chopsuey explained. "But…we can't just run away. Not when other people might get endangered."
Nick smiled. "THAT'S the Chops I've come to know and love! Don't worry about fighting him…we've been preparing for the day when we'd have to face a strong opponent. We have to keep moving forward if we're going to make it to the top!"
"Right." Chopsuey said, nodding. "Should we get going?"
"Yeah!" Nick said. "Let's do this thing!"
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…"So you say that he was being picked on by little girls?"
"Yeah, he's gotten kind of weak." Ace laughed. "Though…" He smirked. "He flashed some good eyes at me…"
He still has it, Ace thought. That inner drive, that kind of strength that makes me shiver with some unknown pleasure when I think about it…
They approached the large tourist center at the bottom of the volcano and walked inside. Instantly some punkish teens looked up, frowning angrily.
"Hey, get the hell outta here!" The first shouted.
"Yeah, this is OUR turf!"
"Hmph. Sh-tty humans…get lost!" Ace growled, clenching his fists and holding them up as they glowed.
"Bannou!" Hegel read out.
BA-BOOOOM! A huge, circular blast of energy sent them flying back. Instantly they scrambled to their feet and took off, running like mad out the door. Ace turned to face a girl who was quivering with fear before them.
"What are YOU still doing here?" He growled. "Get out."
"But they're…they're still…" The woman muttered in fear, gesturing upward.
"Hmph. Fine. I'll BLAST you out. Hegel?" Ace raised his hands.
"Bannou!"
"ADVERSOR!"
Before Ace knew it, his attack was reflected back at him by a huge, glowing shield! He jumped back just in time as the shield dropped down to reveal Chopsuey and his book owner standing there.
Or rather, Chopsuey was facing them. The kid was talking to the girl.
"Please, my…my friends are on the second floor…help them!" She begged.
"Don't worry." Nick said gently. "I will."
"Both of us!" Chopsuey insisted.
Hegel smiled. "Treating humans with such kindness." He remarked as the girl ran out the door. "You've got guts."
"You must be pretty confident. Either that…or you underestimate my true POWER." Ace said.
"You're ridiculously powerful, I get that. But I've been preparing…" Nick gave Ace a look filled with a kind of burning hot desire. "To deal with foes like you."
"So he's going to take this seriously…good." Hegel thought.
"So you'll really fight me? Alright then…let's see if you've got enough strength to defeat me!" Ace said, getting into a fighting pose. "BRING IT OOOONNN!"
"IADEO-IEDO!"
"BANNOU!"
Ace's circular spell raced towards the two fists…who SHATTERED his spell and sent him flying back a few feet. "HA! We did it, we hit…" Nick began.
Then he saw Ace stand up, wiping some blood free from his mouth.
"So…you've got some good spells…this will be interesting." He remarked in a frightening tone.
"BANNOU!" Hegel roared out.
Ace thrust both hands forward and this time Hegel's more passionate shout created an even LARGER circular attack rushed forward, transforming into a cutting edge…
"Adversor!" Nick said, trying to stay cool. They could knock this back! The glowing shield popped up as Ace grinned.
"Clever little human!" He remarked, rushing forward. He twirled through the air, dodging the rebound that was sent back at him and raised his fist.
"BURYOKU!" Hegel yelled. Ace's fist became emblazed with a slicing buzzsaw of energy. He slammed it into the shield and it cut right through, making it fall to pieces, much to Nick's shock.
"Now GIMME YOUR BOOK!" Ace yelled, reaching for Nick's neck…
THA-WHOMP!
Chopsuey had delivered a headbutt to Ace, and the two sent sailing through the air. Ace smirked as he pushed Chopsuey back. "You've got guts…"
Then he noticed Nick was running for the stairs. "HEY! This isn't over until I say it's over!" He shouted, grabbing Chopsuey by his arm and throwing him at Nick.
Nick whipped around, hearing Ace's shout, and grabbed onto Chopsuey, throwing him up the stairs. "Go, quick! Help the people who are up there!" He yelled as Chopsuey landed on his face, barreling through a door to find some frightened school girls.
"Please don't eat us!" The first begged.
"Yeah, we're all skin and bones!" The second insisted.
"I'm not eating you, I'm SAVING you!" Chopsuey mumbled as he rubbed his head and stood up.
Nick began running up the stairs. Hegel rubbed his chin. "Hmm…"
"That coward let his experiment escape?!" Ace hissed.
"No…it seems there are still some people on the second floor. He sent that experiment up there to make sure they got out of the building." Hegel explained.
"Hmph. What idiots. What makes them think this is the time for that?" Ace sneered, rolling his eyes.
"Perhaps THAT is their "strength"." Hegel mused, rubbing his chin.
Ace, however, just snarled in a pitiless fashion. "Hmph! How naïve! TOO naïve! That sort of strength borderlines on the verge of hope…" He spat on the ground. "They're only pissing me off even more!" He howled.
"Then prove it! Crush them with your superior strength!" Hegel remarked.
"You don't gotta tell ME twice." Ace laughed, clapping his "booted" feet together. Suddenly tiny jets appeared from beneath, and he rose up higher, higher into the air! He headed RIGHT for the second floor…
"He can FLY?!?" Nick shouted. "This guy's too friggin' unpredictable!" Nick yelled as he continued to race up the stairs, even though he was only halfway up.
Ace crashed through the second floor wall and stood up, dusting himself off and smiling coldly as Chopsuey stood in front of the humans, arms outstretched.
"Hmph. Those humans can't help you beat me." Ace taunted, waving a finger in the air. He began to advance slowly…
"IADEO-IEDO!" Nick cried out.
BA-BOOM! The fist blast struck Ace right in the face and he slumped to the ground, bleeding from both nostrils. Nick had finally reached the top of the steps and now kicked the window down. "Quick, take the girls out through here!" He insisted.
"If you think for one minute I'd let you ESCAPE!!!-" Ace began, jumping forward…
But he was stopped in mid-air not by a punch or a kick or a headbutt but by eyes. One girl in each hand, Chopsuey's wasn't able to do anything, but Nick had stepped in front of Ace and was giving him a look of pure and utter FORCE, a glare that had the strength of a missile. Ace found his body quivering, unable to move…
"Chops…" Nick whispered.
Chops nodded and leapt out the window, down to the ground, then deposited the girls carefully. "You're safe now. Quick, get going." He insisted. As the girls ran off, he yelled up at the window. "NICK, THEY'RE ALRIGHT NOW!"
Inside the second floor room, Nick was curled up slightly, stomach battered, face bruised, blood flowing down his forehead…yet even now he was trying to stand back up. Ace cracked his knuckles. "Hmph. Damn human…all it takes is just a couple of punches and you're STILL trying to act like a tough little s—t?"
"Sh…shut it…you're the one who's full of it…" Nick said quietly, eyes glaring at Ace.
"You really wanna die that badly, huh?!" Ace growled, holding his fist up.
"NIIIIICK!" Chopsuey howled, leaping through the second floor window and SLAMMING into Ace. Ace was knocked back down from the top of the second floor to the ground below. He stood back up quickly, dusting himself off as Hegel approached him.
"Hmm. They've got quite a bit of fight in them." Hegel remarked.
"What they HAVE is one foot in the grave. The human's already taken three punches." Ace told him, cracking his neck.
"Is that so?" Hegel mused. "So…he's not knocked out yet? That's a first…" He thought to himself.
Up on the second floor, Nick grit his teeth as he stood up, blood oozing down his forehead. "Nick, you're…you're covered in blood." His partner said softly, sadly, placing his hand on his partner's shoulder.
"I know, but…we've…done well, haven't we? The girls are safe…" Nick said. "You're…going to become somebody…who'll be a GOOD champion…and now that the girls can't be hurt…all that's left…"
He stood back up, even though his body felt as if it was on fire. "Is to kick his shiny red ass!"
Hegel watched as Nick and Chopsuey approached the big opening that had been knocked down in the wall at the second floor. "The human took a beating from you and he's still standing…"
Ace frowned. Those eyes…that look he'd had…
"Let's get serious." He said softly. "I'm gonna crush these guys for REAL!" he roared, getting into a fighting pose.
"Right then!" Hegel took ahold of Ace by the leg. "ZENNOU!"
Ace began to spin rapidly around like a gigantic red top! They quickly rose up through the air, right towards Nick and Chopsuey.
"Quick, this way!" Chopsuey yelled, running to the right with Nick following right afer.
Unfortunately this didn't work out too well. While still spinning, Ace KICKED off the roof and deflected himself, and now he and Hegel were spinning after Chops and Nick once again!
"YAARRRGHH!" Nick yelled. "These guys are WAY too unpredict-"
KA-THWACKA-THWACKA-THWACKA!
Nick and Chops were forcibly knocked to the ground, groaning in pain. Ace resumed his normal fighting stance and smirked as he leapt into the air, fist raised. "Don't tell me you're giving up already? It's too soon to be knocked down!" He laughed.
Chops jumped forward, getting into his own fighting stance, but Ace just smirked. "HA! As if you could really defend against me!" He crowed, slamming his fists left and right, left and right.
THWAMP! Chops grabbed ahold of Ace's arm with his right arm. "HA!"
"Crafty, aren't you?" Ace remarked, raising his other fist.
"CHOPS! IADEO!" Nick yelled.
Chops flung his fist at Ace's face…but the fist blast skimmed by his cheek, only giving a cut. Ace growled angrily. "Trying to knock me off balance? Try THIS!"
He flung Chops at Nick and the two collided hard. Hegel read out another spell! "Bannou!"
BA-BOOM! The floor beneath Nick and Chops turned to rubble and they fell down…down…
"Now you're open to MY attack!" Ace yelled, his entire body glowing brightly. "CHIKARAZUKU!" Hegel announced, and Ace thrust his fists together. The moment they collided, a large, swirling wave of golden energy went whizzing right at our heroes, a twister of pure power!
"Please let this work!" Nick thought, tucking the book under his shirt and clinging tightly to Chopsuey, he kicked off a piece of rubble that was falling along with them. "Please let it be enough to just BARELY escape or…"
THA-WHOOOOM!
…there was dust everywhere. The building was trashed. Only rubble seemed to be left. Ace stood there, arms folded, panting angrily. Hegel stood by him, frowning slightly.
"So you didn't get what you wanted?" He asked quietly.
Ace was quiet, not even looking up from the large cloud of dust before them. Hegel sighed and scratched his cheek, thinking back to the first day he'd met Ace…
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…"So, Ace…" Hegel had said, walking back and forth, holding Ace's brilliant red book before him. "This fight will determine who the greatest of your creator's experiments are?"
"Yeah." Ace said. "I simply have to defeat every enemy that comes before me and I'll win."
Hegel blinked, then looked out of the corner of his eyes at Ace. "Hmph." He said, smirking. "Is that REALLY all it takes?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ace asked, looking confused.
"Oy, who knows? Think it over yourself." Hegel muttered. "Well…let's get going, then…"
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"Ha-HA! My first victory…what a weakling. At this rate, I'll be the champ in no time!"
…
"What? You're giving up ALREADY? You b—tard. Are you even going to TRY and put up a fight?"
…
"Forgive YOU?! Don't mess with me you weak b—tard! How can someone as weak as you have been in the running?!?"
Hegel wasn't the only one thinking. Ace stood there, mind clouded with troubled thoughts. "Something IS missing." He thought. "Even when I win I'm not satisfied. Those that are the strongest are those that are right, yet even though I've proven time and time again that I'm strong, I do not feel settled…I thought fighting against these two would be different, there seemed to be something…something in them that wasn't in the oth-"
Suddenly his mind drifted back to Nick's glare, and in that moment, he heard a cough and his eyes went wide as he saw the shapes coming out of the dust cloud!
"So…it's not over yet." Ace said, a big smirk on his face. This was more like it.
"We're…gonna…win…" Nick muttered as he stood before them, holding up his book even as blood dripped down from his cheek and arms onto the ground. "WE'RE GONNA WIIIIIIN!"
"YEAH!" Chopsuey howled, clenching his clawed fists.
"KIMAIRAAAAA!" Nick screamed as Chopsuey's body convulsed madly, calling forth a brilliant emerald beast who's lion-like head roared as it shot forth, aiming to obliterate their foe.
"They have a spell like THIS?!" Hegel shouted. He quickly raised his own book. "SANGUN!"
Ace raised his hands up, and a glowing gold and red emblem that reminded Nick of the standard of the "Justice League" appeared. Ace groaned in pain as the aura beast pressed down harder and harder on the shield with it's jaws, and the ground around Ace and his book keeper began to crack into rubble…
"AAARRRRRR!!!" Ace howled…
THA-WHOOOOOOM!
The beast's jaws slammed shut. With a mighty explosion, dust was blown everywhere and…
"HA…how do you…like that…you…monster…" Nick gasped as he hit the ground, unable to stand. "Even…you…should…"
Then his eyes went wide.
Ace stood there, blood pouring down from his shoulders and arms, legs scratched up, blood trickling from his mouth.
"Not…yet…" He whispered. "My anger's…still…boiling over…"
"How on Earth?" Nick thought. "He took our ultimate spell and is still standing?! What…what's WITH this guy?!"
"How boring. Is that all you have?" Ace asked, spitting out some blood.
"I can't…cast any more spells." Nick thought to himself. "D-Darn it…"
"Hmph…" Ace frowned. He had thought they'd been different from the rest, but…
"Let's end it." He raised his fists.
"BANNOU!"
The attack whooshed through the air…and Chopsuey raced in front of Nick, arms held up, blocking the attack from hitting his partner with a grunt. "You blocked it with your bare hands?!" Ace gasped. He growled and raised his fist up, jumping forward. "STUPID IDIOT, DON'T YOU GET IT?!? YOU'VE-"
"OUOOOOOO!!!" Chopsuey howled, jumping through the air, eyes steely and blazing like before. Ace found himself paralyzed…he couldn't move…
"How can he stop me like this?!" Ace thought just before Chopsuey's punch sent him to the ground.
"…Chopsuey…you've…gotta…run…" Nick whispered as Chopsuey walked back to Nick.
"Nick, relax, I'm…I'm not leaving you here!" Chopsuey said, picking Nick up and resting him against a flat-enough piece of rubble.
"You…little…HAND OVER YOUR BOOK QUIETLY!" Ace hollered, fist raised as he leapt through the air…
"I WON'T LET YOU PAAAAASSSSS!" Chopsuey screamed as he stretched out his arms…
It was as if thunderbolts struck the ground around them. Nobody moved. All of time was frozen in the area as a static force buzzed around them.
"He…stopped…my hand again! What is it about his…his eyes?!" Ace muttered as he looked into the coal-black eyes of Chopsuey, seeing the fierce blaze within. "Why…do those eyes frighten me?!"
"Hmm…" Hegel stepped forward. "This is as far as we go." He said. Before Ace could protest, he raised a finger and pointed at Chopsuey. "Chopsuey, right? Tell me…what kind of champion do you wish to become?"
"I…will become…a GOOD champion." Chopsuey panted. "One who's fair and understanding…who will return to my father…and convince him that such fights like this are unjust!"
"A road of kindness is a difficult road. But it explains why you helped those humans escape before. However, being considerate of others can make you irrational…knowing that, will you still fight?" Hegel asked.
"I'd rather die than…become a champion…that would allow innocents to suffer!" Chopsuey said harshly, almost spitting at them.
"And Ace? What of you? For a hoodlum, just beating down every enemy in front of you is fine, but that's not a very worthy path for someone who thinks himself a servant of true justice." Hegel said. "And I think you know deep down that the might you have right now could never make right…that's why you can't bring yourself to strike them…these warriors with passionate resolve in their eyes." Hegel said, an amused expression on his face.
"D-d-don't screw with me!" Ace yelled, slamming his fist into the ground with a growl. "Are you saying I'm afraid of this naïve little duo!?!"
"What kind of champion will you become then?" Hegel asked.
"…I…will become a strong champion…" Ace said, clenching his fist so tightly he almost popped his knuckles out of his torn and tattered gloves. "A strong champion that has absolute power…" He turned to Hegel, a blaze in his eyes. "THE STRONGEST CHAMPION WHO WILL NEVER SUBMIT TO ANY OTHER POWER!" He roared.
A champion who would never, ever give in to the will of anyone else…interesting, Nick thought.
"Alright, fine, 621..we'll let you go for now! We'll see what sort of champion deserves to stay around…time will tell if our drives succeed…but don't you forget we could have burnt your book to cinders right now!" Ace growled, pointing at Nick.
"See you around." Hegel said. "And get stronger…you're an interesting pair."
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…"So…perhaps I need to think more about strategy. I can't just keep beating down every opponent that's in front of me like a hood." Ace mused. "I'll need to practice!" He thought out loud. "One thing's for sure, this fight's gotten a lot more interesting now that I met those guys…I hope they get stronger so I can meet them and beat them when they're at their best!"
"Looks like you've finally gotten what you wanted." Hegel said happily. "I'm looking forward to seeing them again too."
Author's Note:
It was a nice little twist, turning the one "good guy" experiment into something of a bad guy, but I made it work. Review! Oh, and enjoy this preview:
Nick: I don't know who she is, but she's begging for our help!
Chopsuey: Kim Possible is her name, right?
Kim: Yeah, but even this sort of thing is impossible without help!
Chopsuey: You must really love your partner...
Kim: I WON'T let them take 623 away from me!
Nick: It's a race to save a forbidden love on the next Alternate Fate: Fantasy!
