"Man, there's no gettin' away from that Harvey guy! Dude's like a heat-seakin' missile with a cam and a mic!" TJ panted, leaning up against the wall after sprinting away from the persistent house cat.
After the team caught their breath, TJ stretched his back and removed his jacket, as the heat of the arena was getting to him. "Alright, let's get outta this stuffy place. Wanna watch the rest of the fights in Rolling Thunder?" The street racer suggested.
"Rolling Thunder? You mean that loud, noisy, brash, offensive monstrosity of a truck?" Panther asked with a questioning glare.
TJ thought about the cat's words, before nodding. "Yep. And it's not just a truck, thesaurus-cat. It's a HUMMER H2. I have no clue why they went out of business though..." The driver pondered, making Fay jump in.
"Because people who drive a HUMMER are just like you?" The spaniel asked with a smirk as she walked off with a bounce in her step.
"Uh, I guess? Hey!"
As thumping music echoed from outside of the arena, the group eventually made their way back to TJ's H2 in the hopes that the media wouldn't be able to stop them for more asinine questions or fans asking for more autographs. Miyu's bruised cheek was healing well, prompting the lynx to remove the ice-pack she was pressing on her cheek. Fay thought otherwise, and re-guided the lynx's ice-pack back to her cheek, where the chilling sensation rattled the cat to her toes. "Uh-uh, that pack is staying on for at least another ten minutes." Fay advised, ignoring the grumbling of her best friend as the crew trekked onward.
Finally arriving at the Hummer, TJ pulled out his keys a pressed a button on the fob, chirping the car to life with it's Xenon 800k lights cutting their way through the darkness. The ground beneath the monstrous truck was illuminated by bright neon, coating the ground around it in a deep blue. TJ hit another button, opening the left side doors of the truck. While the driver's door opened normally, the rear passenger door had a suicide layout, opening backwards.
As TJ climbed into the driver's side and took his seat, the rest of the group climbed into the back of the Hummer and closed the doors, sinking into the fine leather seats with ease. TJ's cars were mainly utilitarian, with seats only he would find comfortable. Interiors would be stripped, backseats removed, and roll-cages were ever present. Rolling Thunder had the exact opposite of those properties. It could haul when needed to, but was decked out enough to be compared to a limo. Seats made of fine leather, a large thirty-two inch flat-screen TV, and a wall of eleven speakers in the trunk made this car a party on wheels.
The rest of the team climbed into the back as the doors closed behind them. While Panther and Miyu opted to move to the far end of what was basically a couch in the back, Fay sat behind TJ's seat, crossing her legs and pulling out her notebook. The driver hit a small button up front, triggering the electric engine with a whine as the air suspension lifted the car off from the ground and to it's standard ride height. A TV slowly began to descend over the center console of the truck, with TJ handing the remote over to Panther. "Ay, if you wanna, the rest of the fights are gonna be on LCSA. I'mma take a nap if that's cool wit y'all." TJ stated, before turning back to Fay as she kept scribbling like a mad dog in her notebook. "Mind if I lean my seat back?" He asked. Fay simply nodded as she pulled her legs a bit back onto the seat.
As the mechanical whir from TJ's reclining seat softly filled the air, it was instantly drowned out by the Lylat Center for Sports and Athletics channel, with cameras rolling inside of the arena they were just in. Miyu snuggled deeper into Panther's chest as the voices of Dean and Scott blared from the sub-woofers in the back.
"What a win! Lyoko Cane has advanced to Lethal Lockdown! He now joins Zane Loche, Skae Rhen, Alicia Cimmaron, Bruno Hartmann, Zarla Kristov, Kerar, Seth Brooks, Eddie McManus, Nail Strafer, Sven Schutz, Miyu Lynx, Tadao Samorin, both Ronfauni twins, Doggo Sanchez, Urena Miyoshi, Claudia O'Carrol, Kargad, and Shira Amorae!" Scott listed off, as the roars from the crowd broke the air in the car.
"Hm, looks like Seth made it. Good for him." Miyu thought, before her smile faded as she noticed one name missing while her eyes remained locked onto the TV. "But I guess Allie didn't make it. That's a shame."
"Next up is Allen Rolle accompanied by his stable of fellow fighters from around the system, the Irrefutable Age!" Dean segued, just as a sleazy rock riff filled the arena and caught Miyu's attention. From one side of the arena walked out a lean and cut leopard, who's long hair flowed down past his shoulders. Wearing elbow pads, knee pads, and black trunks with yellow accents, his body popped as he held a cocky smirk. Beside him were his three teammates all dressed in similar jeans and t-shirts with the Irrefutable Age's logo plastered on them; Dodrick Powers the sneering albino Manx, Lyle O'Shiley the sleazy Manul Cat, and Johnny Bass the prideful Bobcat.
From atop the ramp, the four struck a synchronized pose, sticking up their right index fingers to make an "I", followed by pointing their left index and middle fingers downwards to make and "A". A series of pyro erupted behind the quartet, lighting up the sky as the group walked down to the ring with various sleazy bounces in their steps. "Allen Rolle has traveled the system with his band of rebels here, winning quite a handful of championships and looking to make an example of any fighter that crosses their path to bring forth their Irrefutable Age!" Scott broadcasted, ignoring Dean's exasperated sigh at his line.
As Lyle strummed an air guitar in tune with their song, the rest of the I.A kept walking down to the octagon, striking one more synchronized pose before hopping into the octagon to strike another pose.
(Song: Patriot - CFO$)
Militaristic drums and horns interrupted the I.A, mid-pose, turning their crooked smiles into disgusted frowns as all but Allen exited the octagon. On the opposite side of the arena came Wes Jaeger, already looking pissed off before he even revealed himself to the crowd.
The massive Alsatian hybrid was wearing nothing more than blood red compression shorts that matched his red vision at the moment. Taking in a deep breath, the hybrid ran his fingers over the top of his head and released a savage shout that echoed around the arena, voicing his anger to the heavens above.
"And here comes Lieutenant Weslyian Jaeger, burning a hole into The Irrefutable Age's leader with just his eyes!" Scott announced, watching with nervous curiosity as Wes stomped down to the ring with a flame burning behind his eyes.
Wes quickly entered the ring and began to stare down Allen, who's whole attitude gave him a migraine. As the long haired leopard stared Wes down, a few inaudible taunts were made by Allen, only further pissing the hybrid off.
By the time Wes's music slowly faded away, the bell rang, turning Wes's combat mode on.
Allen wasted no time attempting to work the hybrid up, leaning into him with a pointed finger and cocky grin. Allen's verbal and physical taunts fell on deaf ears, as Wes simply stood in place with his scowl still pasted on his face.
Allen was sick of his taunts not working, and moved in to slap Wes's cheek with as much force as he could muster. The slap echoed around the arena, sending the crowd into a gasping fit. The only one not affected by the attack was Wes, who began to wear his now-turning-red cheek with pride. Allen's scowl grew deeper, shouting a few more obscenities at the massive canine before firing off another slap.
Wes's combat mode finally kicked in, as he grabbed and torqued the incoming hand fully around, letting the sound of crunching bones fill his ears, followed by the pained screams of Allen. The large canine suddenly gripped Allen by his scruff and picked him up, the leopard powerless to do anything except kick the air as he was shoved into the caging of the octagon.
"Listen close, you sorry sack of seagull shit! If you ever think you can mouth off to me like that again, I'll skull*BLEEP* you so hard that your mother*BLEEP*ing kids will feel migraines for the next hundred *BLEEP*ing years!" The massive canine shouted, the censors just barley catching him.
Wes noticed his censoring (somehow), and turned towards the nearest camera pointing towards the two fighters. "Hey! Censor me again, and it's you who's getting the skull-fucking, got it?!" He shouted in a rage, talking to the now-quivering technician watching through the camera.
After the satisfaction of breaking the censor (for the third time) wore off, Wes focused his attention on Allen, who was trying with all of his might to break free of the canine's grip. Wes didn't afford him the opportunity, instead lifting the feline into the air and tossing him clean to the other side of the octagon. Allen bounced off the canvas before he rolled into the cage wall, rattling the chain links keeping it together.
Before the leopard could get back to his feet, his scruff was grabbed and he was hoisted into the air once more. This time, there was no waiting as Allen was tossed across the ring once more, landing on his broken wrist and eliciting another yelp of pain.
Allen made a quick roll to his feet, before lashing out with a superkick. The kick slipped past Wes's guard and struck him clear on his chin with a resounding smack. Wes only scowled through the attack, before gripping both of Allen's legs and slamming him down on his back.
Wasting no time, Wes quickly mounted the dazed leopard and began delivering left hooks after right hooks, each fist leaving new stains of crimson on the mats. By the time the referee could see past the hulking hybrid, Allen was unconscious.
As the bell rang, Wes's fists kept falling, even with the referee pulling on his shoulders. This prompted Allen's teammates to try and intervene. Dodrick was the first one into the ring, shoving his way past the official with fire in his eyes. His fire was a mere spark compared to Wes's inferno, as the massive alsatain/wolf picked the relatively short manx up and slammed him down on Allen's beaten body, only furthering his pain.
Wes quickly followed up with a stomp to Dodrick's head, keeping him out of the competition as Lyle and Johnny entered the cage. The two felines tried in vain to clobber Wes's midsection, only to be picked up by their scruffs as well. Unleashing a feral roar, Wes headbutted Johnny, sending him almost instantly crumpling to the ground with eyes so wide, it was like he saw a ghost.
Turning his attention to Lyle, Wes quickly locked both arms around the cat's waist and tossed him in a beautiful release suplex, dumping the cat on his neck only to be followed up with Lyle letting lose a war cry as he got to his feet in record time. Just as Wes was about to rush the cat, Lyle suddenly crumpled and fell out of the cage, landing on the cold arena flooring just next to the steps.
With all members of the Irrefutable Age groaning in pain or out cold, Wes chuckled as he walked out of the ring, kicking Dodrick in the ribs on the way out just to make sure he would stay down for good measure.
Miyu and Panther were wide-eyed as Wes stomped his way up the ramp and past the cameras on TV, before the two looked towards each other. Miyu could read Panther's worried face like a book, as her uneasy expression turned into a smirk. "Hey, if I gotta fight him, I gotta fight him."
"Gods, I hope you don't." Panther mumbled, looking intimidated by the large hybrid on screen.
With the ring cleared out of unconscious cats, the next two competitors made their way to the octagon. First was Kinsel Lao, the tiger watching with caution as the injured members of the I.A stumbled past him, refusing to look at anyone but themselves. Kinsel was wearing lime green compression shorts along with a rashguard covered in green flames. A techno beat followed him to the ring as he wore a face half of joy and half of concentration.
The announcers were just barley able to recover from Wes's assault in time to catch Kinsel on his way down to the ring. "O-oh, and coming down to the ring now is uh, Kinsel Lao, an experienced striker from the Chongqui Mountain ranges of Northern Eladard." Came the announcement from Scott, who just got his bearings back after Wes's rage.
"Yeah, guy apparently trained with monks for a while in those mountains, so needless to say, Lao's got quite a grasp on the art of fighting." Dean added on as Kinsel gained some more love from the crowd.
As the tiger approached the ring, he quickly bowed before entering the steel structure and jogging around the outskirts, watching out for the blood currently being cleaned off the mats left by Wes's brutal assault.
Once Kinsel's jog was finished, his music died down before another beat took it's place.
(Song: Femme Fatale - CFO$)
On the opposite titantron came a flurry of silhouetted seductive poses, before the name "Scarlet" appeared in bright red script letters. Slowly walking out as if to show off her body on a runway was the vixen in question, who struck another seductive pose atop the ramp.
"And here we have Cynthia "Scarlet" Altruis, ready to mount over this challenge!" Scott announced, making Dean mumble under his breath; "In more ways than one."
A smack from the broadcast booth sounded, followed by a hiss as the cameras conveniently cut away from the booth for a second.
As the cameras cut back to the booth, Dean could be seen with a grimace and rubbing his shoulder as Scott paid him no mind or attention, opting to keep a smile on his lips as he folded his paws on the announcer's table. "From what we here at Strikeforce know, Ms. Altruis has quite an exotic private life to put it gently. How that translates into skill with martial arts, especially up against someone like Lao, has yet to be seen." Scott reported, as Scarlet continued her runway strut to the ring.
With trimmed fur and a catsuit that seemed vacuum sealed right to her body, she seemed to be more akin to a burglar then a fighter. Besides a lack of shoes and gloves, she seemed like she wandered in from a movie set, even as she kept making sultry poses towards the crowd.
With a sweeping bow towards the crowd by the base of the steps, Scarlet whipped her body up into yet another pose, her long hair following with her as camera flash assaulted to vixen.
Scarlet slowly stepped into the ring, eyeing the tiger that had at least a head on her. It didn't seem to bother her, especially as her opponent sized her up like a predator. "So, you are Scarlet, yes?" The tiger asked, making sure his gloves were secured tightly around his hands. The vixen nodded as she arched her back along the cage wall, half to stretch and half to show off her form as more camera flash attacked her.
"You got it, big guy." Scarlet replied with a subtle smirk as she took up a fighting stance and allowed her music to die down.
"Shall we dance?" The vixen invited as the bell rang.
Kinsel huffed as he put his paws up in front of his face and cautiously approached the vixen, keeping his eyes alert as Scarlet assumed a pose of her own. The two circled each other for a bit, before Scarlet began teasing him with a few kicks to make him keep his distance.
The low kicks kept the large feline a bay for a bit, before he suddenly pulled the vixen's leg in after one of her kicks went a bit too high. Tucking the limb under his arm, he quickly closed the gap between the two, pulling her head into his chest and locking her in place.
Kinsel's knee was suddenly planted in Scarlet's stomach, freezing her in place before he broke his clinch and knee'd her one more time. The knee sent her reeling back as she fell to one knee while gasping for air, before suddenly looking up and barring her teeth, much to the shock of the tiger. Someone tanking through a knee that hard, much less two?
The tiger's shock was met back with a fierce kick to the nose, sending him stumbling back. On the defense now, Kinsel could only block his vitals from the now-laser focused vixen.
Scarlet was in full combat mode now, raining down attack after attack on the defending tiger, who was trying to look for cracks in the armor of the vixen. Lashing out with two elbow strikes, Kinsel was able to land a strike right to the side of the vixen's head, stumbling her into the cage mesh.
With Scarlet's back now up against the cage wall, Kinsel attempted to capitalize with a flying knee. His attempt was ill-measured however, as Scarlet ducked just in time for his knee to soar into the mesh, making him yelp in a mixture of shock and pain.
With the ball in her court now, Scarlet got to work assaulting the tiger once more, delivering speedy punches to any part of his body that she could reach. Kinsel was too distracted by the punches however to realize the vixen's ulterior motive.
Almost without missing a beat, Scarlet quickly picked the tiger's injured knee out, making him lose his footing as hell fell to the mats with a loud crash. Refusing to waste any more time, Scarlet quickly mounted the feline and began looking for ways to slip past his guard.
Even with no training in ground-based martial arts, that wasn't the place where Scarlet got her knowledge in this type of position. Kinsel was almost powerless to stop Scarlet from getting to where she wanted to be, as she quickly locked her arms around the tiger's sides and began snaking her body around him. What followed was thirty seconds of rapid position changes, as Scarlet's grip refused to break.
Kinsel was unaware of the fact that this was a ruse, as when he tried to bridge and roll the vulpine, she somehow was able to grab his ankle and slingshot her self backwards, leaving the tiger face-down on the mats.
Scarlet was on his back in an instant, kicking him multiple times in the ribs with her heels to do extra damage. It worked, and the vixen had gotten the tiger weak enough to finally lock in her finisher.
Even when Kinsel attempted a last ditch effort to sandwich the vixen between his back and the mats by standing up and falling backwards, it only made his position worse as Scarlet secured a style of inverted rear-naked choke, threatening to pop his head under her arm as she was able to cut off his breathing and blood flow.
Kinsel scratched and clawed, but it was hopeless. His world was slowly fading underneath the arm of the surly vixen. Scarlet only bit down harder, causing the tiger to choke and sputter. With no other way out and his strength slowly being sapped, Kinsel only had one other option left if he did not want to pass out.
Begrudgingly, Kinsel tapped out on Scarlet's arm, making her break the hold as he began gulping down air. Scarlet, with her victory secured via announcer and music, began striking a series of seductive poses as her music began playing once more.
"And that's all she wrote, Scarlet's moving on to Lethal Lockdown!" Dean exclaimed over the TV as Miyu narrowed her eyes in curiosity.
"Wasn't there a rumor going around that her and Fox are cousins?" Miyu asked with a curious voice, prompting Fay to finally pick her head up from her notebook with a sigh.
"Honestly, who even knows anymore. First they're cousins, then once removed, then by marriage, then ten degrees of separation. I've tried to ask Fox, but he always deflects and heats up under his collar." Fay replied in an annoyed tone.
Panther kept getting an eyeful of the vixen's seductive poses before he focused back to the conversation. "Do you think Krystal would know the answer to this question?"
Miyu shrugged as she kept her eyes on the TV, just as Scarlet whispered something into Kinsel's ear, making the bruised tiger go wide eyed. "I dunno. We could probably ask her to find out, but I also heard rumors that her and Fox got busy with each other." Miyu added.
"What?!" TJ suddenly exclaimed from the driver's seat, just waking up from his nap. "Are you tellin' me that Fox and his cousin did the dirty?!" He followed up, looking back over his seat.
Miyu sighed as her ears unfurled from the sudden noise. "We don't know, it's all just speculation." The lynx replied, attempting to put the debate to bed.
As the group ended the debate about Scarlet's relationship with Fox, the next bout of fighters prepared to enter the ring.
First up was DeArron King, a tough looking lion with his mane pulled back into dreadlocks as he raised his gloved fists into the air with an accompanying roar. "And here comes one DeArron King, golden glove boxer, and gold medal amateur wrestler! Not bad for a cat from Macbeth's slums!" Dean announced, as DeArron really took the golden aspect of his life seriously. Golden MMA gloves, golden boxing trunks, and even a gold tooth complimented his appearance.
"I agree, Dean. This guy looks poised to make it to the finals, and I feel real bad for anyone who has to size this guy up." Scott added as DeArron continued his stomp down to the ring, basking in the glow of the arena.
The light was hitting DeArron at a perfect angle, making his golden fur shimmer and shine in the light. Keeping his spirits high, he quickly raised his arms as high as they could go, feeling like a champion before his fight even started. As DeArron's music faded, another song quickly took it's place.
(Song: Strawberry Moon - CFO$)
From the opposite side of the arena came a gi-clad red panda, with a red handband and pitch-black sunglasses to match. As soon as he was on stage, he immediately began preforming a series of intricate katas, shrieking and shouting with each movement and pose. After striking a final pose, a series of pyrotechnics exploded behind the red panda, showering him in golden lights and sparks.
"And here comes quite an interesting character, Kung Furry!" Scott announced, causing Dean to do an audible spit take of his water bottle beneath the desk.
"Ku-Kung Furry? Really?" Dean asked, trying to keep his chuckling to a minimum as the fighter in question was making his way down to the ring with a fire and passion in his steps.
"Yes Dean, really. From what I hear, he's quite a force to be reckoned with. He's been around the system looking for fights and winning all of them. While he may seem like a stereotype, he has the skills to back it up." Scott replied, just as Kung Furry ascended the steps into the ring.
Look around at the cheering crowd, Kung Furry unleashed another string of katas and shouts, making DeArron roll his eyes as the martial artist's music died out. With his theatrics almost done, Kung Furry noticed DeArron glaring him down, and let a glare cross his sunglasses as he walked up to the lion, paws glued to his belt.
Stopping a few inches away from the lion, the red panda deeply bowed to the lion before letting lose a warrior's shout with a stomp on the mat and hands balled into fists by his sides. "You leave this ring only two ways, DeArron-san. Ichi! With tail between legs. Ni! On stretcher, knock out. What will it be?" Kung Furry asked, only making DeArron chuckle.
"Look bro, I was top've my high school wrestling team, and I've dropped every guy in my boxing club without a sweat. Yer lil' karate ain't a match for me." The lion taunted back as he ran his hands through his dreadlocked mane before taking up a boxer's stance.
A glare crossed Kung Furry's sunglasses as he made sure his belt and headband were tied tight enough, before striking a typical kung fu style pose, glaring down the lion with a smirk as he did. "Anata no yarikata de..." The red panda mumbled under his breath, causing a glare to cross his sunglasses as the bell rang.
DeArron wasted no time in charging the red panda, throwing out two jabs and an uppercut in an attempt to cut the fight short. With the skill and grace of a ballerina, Kung Furry dodged each attack with little to no effort on his part.
The lion snarled and pulled his fist back for a haymaker, only for Kung Furry to deflect the blow to the canvas. The second the lion's fist hit the mat, the red panda ran up his arm and delivered an axe kick to the back of his head along with an accompanying martial arts cry before leaping off his back, all in seemingly one fluid motion.
The lion hit the mat and groaned in pain as he held the back of his head, only to stare daggers at the red panda just landing from his attack, his back turned and paws clasping his black belt. As if to taunt the lion further, Kung Furry slowly turned his head with a slight smirk and another glare crossing over his sunglasses, all the while the crowd cheered him on. The red panda was stealing the spotlight. His spotlight. DeArron snarled as he punched the canvas before getting to his feet quickly.
"Aight, that's it! I ain't playin' no games no more!" DeArron shouted, snarling as he guarded his face with his fists before ducking low and rushing Kung Furry. Once more, each rage-filled haymaker and uppercut was deflected or blocked by the martial artist, only filling the lion with even more rage.
Just as Kung Furry expected another punch, DeArron managed to catch him off guard by locking his arms around the red panda's waist and taking him to the ground in what could only be described as a picture-perfect wrestling takedown. Kung Furry's body bounced off of the canvas, before DeArron was able to mount him and pull his full weight back to knock Kung Furry's sunglasses and pride off his face with a couple of well placed punches. It was a big mistake.
The familiar glare crossed Kung Furry's sunglasses once more as the red panda planted the soles of his feet on the canvas and bucked his hips up, sending the lion in a free-fall towards him, unprepared for the sudden loss of balance. With DeArron's arms away from his face in an attempt to break his fall, that left him wide open to Kung Furry's attacks. In a chorus of high-pitched wails and martial arts cries, Kung Furry's fists lashed out at the lion at lightning speeds, keeping the lion somehow in the sweet spot between falling flat on his face and getting his balance back.
Sucking in all available air, Kung Furry pulled his dominant hand back as he exposed his palm, the hand shaking as if the red panda was attempting to summon flames from the center of his hand. With a final shriek, Kung Furry shot his palm out like a bullet from a gun and struck the lion directly underneath his chin, sending him flying back and prone on the canvas.
With the lion no longer on top of him, Kung Furry kiped up to his feet and struck a pose, eyeing the prone lion from behind his darkened sunglasses. As the referee went to go check on DeArron, the lion shook his head as he pulled himself up, shooing the official away as he snarled in Kung Furry's direction. Releasing a predator's roar, DeArron bolted towards the gi-clad fighter with fire in his eyes. Unfortunately for him, that's exactly what Kung Furry wanted.
DeArron threw out yet another wild haymaker, this one seemingly fueled by all of his built up rage towards not being able to land a single hit. His rage was his downfall, as Kung Furry gripped the lion's wrist and yanked him in. Between over extending his arm for the punch and now Kung Furry dragging it further, the lion yowled as it felt like his arm was being torn from it's socket. The pain only worsened when Kung Furry used the extra momentum to fire off his foot at the same speed as his palm from earlier, this time with the sole of his dominant foot striking the pained lion's jaw, complete with one final warrior's shout.
Kung Furry's kick was so powerful, it knocked, the lion's mouthguard, a few of his sharp canines, his gold tooth, and the lion himself out cold. DeArron hit the mat with a resounding crash, unresponsive to the roar of the crowd or the referee trying to check for any signs of consciousness. Kung Furry held his breath for a few seconds before the bell rang, sending shockwaves of applause throughout the crowd as the red panda performed a celebratory kata.
"The winner of this match, by way of knock-out, Kung Furry!" Came the announcement of the ring announcer, sending Kung Furry into a fit of pure joy.
"YA-HA! Kung Furry wa nanbāwan no sentōkidesu! Watashi no namae ni mōichido kachimashita! WA-TA!" The red panda exclaimed, holding his fists up high before striking a complex martial arts pose as he drank in the energy from the crowd like a vampire.
"Well there you have it folks, Mr. Furry has advanced to Lethal Lockdown, and seems beyond pleased!" Scott announced, making Dean chuckle behind the desk.
"Still can't believe his name's actually Kung Furry..." The cheetah chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, just as Kung Furry ran up the cage wall with an excited shout.
"So Miyu, what is your opinion of this fighter?" Panther asked, making Miyu chuckle as she kept her eyes glued to the screen.
The lynx shrugged for a second before looking back at the jungle cat supporting her body with his. "Well, he seems capable enough. I'm a bit shocked, but I think I can take him." Miyu replied with a confidant grin, making Panther chuckle as the two looked back at the screen.
As Kung Furry's celebration finally ended, the final two fighters began to make their entrances.
(Song: Turn It Up - CFO$)
First up was an energetic husky, bouncing and excited as can be. Dressed in nothing more than a pink sports bra and similar colored shorts, as well as two black forearm compression sleeves, she seemed to be ready for a jog in the park rather than a martial arts competition. The husky kept a smile on her lips, her feet never staying still with every skip and hop. Stopping halfway down to adjust the compression sleeve on her left thigh before continuing her skips.
"And here comes Shelia Spitz, the husky with a never-ending smile and bounce in her step!" Scott announced, her infectious joy rubbing off on both commentators.
"Yeah, I don't know how she'll work her way through this fight considering her opponent, but I'm one-hundred percent in her corner now!" Dean exclaimed, watching as Shelia blew kisses and air hugs to the audience, who couldn't get enough of her.
Just outside of the ring, Kung Furry was bowing out before walking up the ramp, where he encountered the bubbly husky. Kung Furry could only tilt his head in confusion before Sheila's arms secured themselves around his waist for one of her universe-famous hugs, complete with excited squeals and smiles. The martial artist was taken back a bit, especially when his feet left the ground as Shelia's hug hoisted him into the air. "Oh my god you made it! I'm so happy for you, you fluffy butt-kicker! You gotta show me some of those moves next time!" She exclaimed, keeping a wide smile as her tail wagged furiously
The red panda kept a brow quirked as he began to feel a sense of awkwardness creep up on him. "Uh... Arigato, Shelia-san... I shall next time we meet..." Kung Furry replied, his face turning red from embarrassment after Shelia's public display of affection.
As a rock track overcame the speakers, it broke the announcer's attention on Shelia and sent them back into reporting mode. Atop the opposite ramp was a grey jackal clad in gi pants with a black belt and wraps covering his hands and feet. His steely gaze fell on the entire arena, before he raised his brow in confusion at the happy husky currently in the ring. "Oh, and this is Rezo Gramcie, an expert grappler and striker well known for his multiple tricky submission techniques." Scott announced, looking towards Dean with a questioning glare. "Any thoughts on how he'll win this one?" The fox asked, making the cheetah scoff.
"Guy's an expert grappler, all it'll take is for him to lock in one of his crazy submissions and it's over. From his heels hooks to armbars, this guy really know how to bring the hurt, unfortunately for Shelia." Dean explained, eyes locked onto Rezo as he began his walk down to the ring.
Entering the ring, the jackal waved to the crowd and bowed in before looking over Shelia, throwing out air hugs to the crowd. Quirking his brow, Rezo was barley able to react before Shelia enveloped him in a hug and lifted him off the ground, his body preparing for a preemptive attack. The attack never came, as Shelia's tail was wagging in full force, almost generating it's own wind current behind hit.
The bubbly husky let Rezo go, with a smile wide on her lips. "Hi! I'm so excited for this! I hope we have a great fight!" Shelia exclaimed, her eyes bright and starry as Rezo's music began to fade.
The black belt wore a look of confusion, even as the bell rung and Shelia put her paws up, beginning to bounce around on her feet with a smile. "Look, are you sure you know what this is? I won't hold back, and I am going to hurt you." Rezo stated, taking a stance that told years of training.
Shelia only let out a large smile as she kept bouncing around the octagon, her fluffy hair and tail following her as she did. "Of course I know, and watch, I'll prove it right now! HIIIIYAAA-WWWWAAOOOHHHH!" Shelia exclaimed as she started to sprint towards the trained martial artist, only to trip over her own ankle in the middle of her sprint and send herself into a prat fall.
Rezo was unprepared for the bubbly husky's fall, and even more unprepared for her skull as it cracked into his forehead. As soon as Shelia hit the mat, Rezo followed, his eyes glazed over as the ref looked over the pair with wide eyes and and a confused grimace. The arena and commentators fell silent, especially as the ref was struggling to find a conscious expression on Rezo's face as Shelia sat up, rubbing her forehead with a pained expression.
"Owie, my head..." Sheila groaned, lips pushed out in a pout as she tapped her head and kept her legs spread out in front of her. As the husky tended to her injury, the ref suddenly threw up an X with his hands, prompting the bell to ring as the arena slowly cheered for the victorious husky with an air of confusion.
"The winner of the match, and final entrant into Lethal Lockdown, Shelia Spitz!" The ring announcer exclaimed, making Shelia forget about her injury as she bolted upright to a standing position, looking around the ring and listening to the scattered cheers.
"I won?! I WON! YAAAYYYY!" The husky exclaimed, trapping the unlucky referee in a spine-shattering hug as her tail began to wag at speeds approaching mach five.
Shelia's cheery bop reverberated throughout the Hummer before a stage hand tapped on the window, abruptly waking TJ as he rolled down the window. "Hey, Mr Royale wants all fighters that have qualified for Lethal Lockdown in the octagon right away." The lemur ordered, quickly walking away before anyone could question him.
Looking around, the occupants all shrugged and jumped out of the car. As the team walked into the arena, TJ realized that he forgot to lock his car. Pulling out his key fob, he aimed it at the HUMMER and clicked a button. Unfortunately, that button was not to lock the car, but to blast the speakers, something that TJ realized once the lift gate opened. He could only sprint to the care before trap music he was listening to began to explode out the back, setting off multiple car alarms and cracking glass.
TJ quickly dove into his truck and tried disabling the audio as quickly as possible, unable to hear anyone as he began smacking the screen. As the music continued, TJ realized that the car was still on and quickly shut it off, prompting the music to suddenly cut out as the lift gate closed. Breathing a sigh of relief, TJ followed the rest into the arena before locking up his HUMMER properly this time.
The walk to the ring was a brief one, as the team quickly walked over along with other fighters that had qualified. Shelia was ecstatic as the ring was filled with new people, hugging, or at least attempting to hug, everyone who entered the ring.
After a few minutes, the ring was filled with an array of fighters. Some friendly, some less friendly. Glances and glares were traded as the crowd cheered for each combatant. The lights suddenly dimmed as all lights in the arena focused on the stage, as a video began to play on the tron.
(Song: Regality - Jim Johnson)
"Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the commissioner of Strikeforce, Liutas Royale!" The ring announcer exclaimed, his message sending the crowd into a frenzy as a suited lion walked out to the roar of the crowd. Liutas kept a smile wide on his lips as he brushed his full mane out of his face and basked in the glow of the crowd. His two-piece suit was a deep grey with a white dress shirt and yellow tie to complement his looks. His body took a sweeping bow towards the crowd as the cheering refused to let up, filling his soul with joy.
"So, who's the suit?" TJ asked to no one in particular, as crowds of people in the audience were bowing down to the swaggering lion as he walked down to the cage. From a distance, he looked like the mayor of a small town or even a fashion model.
"That's Liutas Royale, he's a former multi-time Strikeforce Champion and now the commissioner of the whole league." Seth answered as Liutas approached the base of the steps, still waving to the crowd. Up close, his sharp and scarred eyes told tales of hundreds of fights, betraying his sharp-dressed swagger. Quickly jogging up the steps, the lion's suede shoes made contact with the canvas as he eyed his crop of fighters with a wide smile.
The lion quickly grabbed a mic from the ring announcer still waiting in the cage as he waited for the cheering to die down. With the cheers at an acceptable level, Liutas's music faded out as he brought the mic up to his lips. "Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and Strikeforce fans of all ages!" The lion roared, prompting an ocean of cheers to wash over him. His voice carried an elegant roar along it, broadcasting his power across the arena.
The cheers died out a few seconds later, prompting Liutas to continue his speech. "I hope you all enjoyed tonight matches as much as I did! Twenty-four fights, and twenty-four winners! If you would all please, a round of applause for those present in this ring!" The lion exclaimed, transferring the ocean of cheers to the rest of the fighters in the cage. While fighters such as Shelia, Kung Furry, and Alicia soaked the verifiable ocean up, other combatants like Nail, Lyoko, and Zarla simply stood in place like statues.
With the cheering subsiding, Liutas brought the mic back up to his lips. "Each of these combatants here have all shown that they are beyond capable in martial arts, but in the next week, this field will be culled from twenty-four to twelve!" The lion announced, as yet another wave of cheering broke out among the fans.
"By tomorrow, you shall all receive your opponents. I wish you all the best of luck in this tournament! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Lethal Lockdown!"
A/N: Took a bit, but here we go! School's starting up in a bit, so it may be a while before another update but I'll try not to keep you guys waiting for too long!