Chapter 5; "Catch Your Breath"
The dojo was buzzing after the qualifier matches. While some were celebrating, others were noticeably downtrodden. Alexia was one of these people. Sitting down in the locker rooms, she was dressed in her street clothes as the cheetah stared down at her blue belt. Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched the belt tighter and dragged her feet back on the tile of the floor, her sneakers squeaking on the tile.
The pain in her face came back, as she instinctively grabbed her head to nurse a bump still throbbing. Despite her giving her all, that Eddie guy was just too fast for her to take down, and she ended up with bumps and bruises all over her body as proof. She couldn't help but feel like a total failure. It hurt to think about, and it hurt even more that she didn't make the cut. Didn't Miyu and Coach teach her almost all there was to it?
The door to the locker room suddenly was swung open by a certain loudmouth hairless ape entering the room, clearly looking for something. "Yo! 'Ey, have you seen a big-ass water bottle layin' around here? Miyu lost it," TJ asked as he looked over the room, waiting for Alexia to respond.
The cheetah sighed before she shook her head in the negative, stuffing her belt into her gear bag. "No, sorry," she simply remarked, before standing up and slinging the bag around her shoulder.
"Oh, a'ight," TJ replied, noticing the cheetah's downed expression. "Hey, you okay?" the kid asked with a concerned voice, putting an arm out to stop Alexia. Brought to a stop by TJ's arm, the cheetah sighed once more as she gently pushed his arm down.
"I'm fine, I've just got a lot on my mind right now. Sorry for being a bother," the cheetah apologized before she continued her walk out of the locker room.
"Um... a'ight. It's okay?" TJ replied with an unsure voice before he shrugged and resumed the search for Miyu's water bottle. After a few minutes of passing by hung up gis and sweaty clothes, the driver located the gallon jug sitting with moisture building upon it. Grabbing the wet jug, TJ quickly power walked out to the main floor of the dojo, before locating Miyu.
In the middle of one of the octagons was Miyu, clad once more in her red gi and throwing out strikes in Panther's direction. The jungle cat had taken up more athletic clothing, wearing a t-shirt and shorts as well as sneakers. Holding up two red gloves, Miyu's fists, feet, elbows, and knees all struck the gloves with surgical precision. Fay was standing off to the side, watching Miyu intently as she kept raining strikes on Panther, who was cheering her on.
With a final sidekick, Miyu managed to push Panther back to the cage wall before pulling her leg back down and bowing to her sparring partner. With some breathing room, Miyu began to pant and heave as she looked desperately around for a source of water. Her salvation was clutched in the gloved hands of TJ, who extended his arm out into the cage from the steps. Crouching down, Miyu yanked the jug and quickly uncapped it before gulping down as much water as she possibly could.
"Y'know, a please an' thank you'd suffice," TJ commented with a smirk, watching as Miyu held up her index finger while chugging as much water as she possibly could. In the background, Panther was subtly shaking the pain out of his hands from Miyu's strikes, hoping no one would notice his pain.
After Miyu finished swallowing her water, she set the jug down and took a seat on the steps. Fay supplied the lynx with a towel, who graciously accepted the item as she wrapped it around her neck.
"I didn't know please and thank you were in your vocab, TJ. Or that you understood them," Miyu chided with a smirk, getting a middle finger as a response.
"So, how's the champ feelin' today?" TJ asked, watching as Miyu shook her head rapidly to wake herself up.
"I'm feeling pretty good. Got my opponent though, Eddie McManus. Aka The Blue Blur. Guy's fast and his kicks are faster. And painful," Miyu explained, staring down Eddie from across the gym. The avian was working a heavy bag, his taped-up talons shoving the bag back as far as it could go, with each slap on the bag echoing through the gym's air.
TJ grimaced as he took notice of the strikes, before looking back at Miyu. "You can take 'em, right?" The driver asked with a voice pleading for the answer to quell his fears.
"And no one can explain why she was there, Josh?! Of all the fighters, Admiral Hatcher was right next to us! I could feel her staring us down!" A female voice exclaimed, catching TJ's attention and interrupting his question as his head was turned towards the noise.
The source of the noise was Jenna Ronfauni, angry as can be as she stomped through the gym, obviously upset. She was wearing her typical gear, a black sports bra and shorts with red accents, along with MMA style fingerless gloves.
"Well, diplomatic immunity works wonders. After the Superiors Immunity Act, she was one of the pardoned. Not much we can do about that," Joshua Ronfauni replied to his twin, trying to calm her down from her enraged state. His attire was similar to his sister, minus the sports bra.
"Ooh, drama! I gotta figure this out. I'll give you guys the 4-1-1 later!" TJ excitedly exclaimed as he rushed off to intercept the twins.
"Look, I'm looking out for you. You're paired up with that psycho, and she absolutely knows you're Howler and I'm Strikira. How do you know she won't come looking for revenge?" Jenna tried to explain as her tirade continued, oblivious to TJ popping up.
"Who's the psycho, mates?" TJ asked in a poor south Fourtunan accent, alerting the tribal wolves to his presence.
The two wolves looked at each other, before suddenly stopping. "It's... Claudia. Claudia O'Carrol. But during the Lylat Wars, she went by Admiral Hatcher. Always wore a mask during her occupation of Fortuna. Josh and I fought back as part of the rebel movement, and we got a glimpse of her face. She knows us, and we know her. And now she's gonna fight Josh." Jenna sighed as she ran her hands back through her hair. "I swear, this whole bloody thing reeks of suspicion," the wolf sighed again, making Josh pipe up.
"Sis, I'll be fine. You worry too much sometimes, you know that?" Josh teased. Jenna only rolled her eyes at her brother, even if she gave a slight smirk.
"I mean, I'm sure he'll be okay. Unless he's goin' up against Miyu, then he's shit outta luck, haha!" TJ commented with a wide smirk and a hop, making the twins trade glares.
"You really do have a loudmouth, don't you?" Jenna rhetorically asked, only making TJ's grin wider as he nodded his head.
"What can I say, people just love my natural charms," the driver replied in a cocky tone, once again causing the twins to look at each other in confusion. At least Claudia wasn't in the gym.
~::::~
Nail's focus couldn't break right now. Matter of fact, it couldn't break for a single second. Each punch connecting with the bag boomed throughout the gym. Nail couldn't care less about the noise he was making. His opponent was the wandering monk, Kargad. A five-hundred-pound eight-foot-tall rhino and he had to break and exploit every kink and crack in the armor of that rhino.
Nail...
With no emotion, Nail delivered a booming kick to the bag, sounding like a cannon shot as his focus refused to be broken. If he was to take down Kargad, he would have to really think outside of the box. He could probably outmaneuver and outlast the rhino as long as his skills remained sharp.
Nail...
Elbow after elbow, followed by a flawless back kick to the bag was enough to knock it to the ground. But it wasn't enough. Raw power wouldn't win the day, but it would help to at least stall for time. As the canine went to go pick up the bag, a sandy-beige foot suddenly stepped onto the bright red bag.
"Nail!"
Looking up, it was Giichi, clad in a bright red gi, tied up with a clean white belt at the waist. His smile couldn't be wider given his current outfit, especially as Nail looked up at him with a confused grimace. "What do you think, huh? I just bought this after your fight last night!" The sand cat exclaimed with a grin, failing to solve Nail's confusion.
"Why are you wearing that?" Nail asked, looking Giichi over like he was inspecting an opponent.
"Remember that staff training session when I was a kid?" Giichi asked. Nail nodded. "Well, I want you to teach me how to fight! You know, hand to hand!" Giichi begged, his wide eyes begging Nail to take him under his wing.
"Are you sure? I know you've grown up since then, but this will be even tougher," the canine warned.
Giichi feverishly nodded as he picked the bag back up. "Oh yeah, I'm ready!" Giichi's excitement could not be contained, and the feline was even able to notice his infectious excitement spread, as his bodyguard's mouth twitched upward ever so slightly.
"Okay, I guess I can pause to teach you a thing or two." Nail's acceptance only made Giichi's grin grow (somehow) wider.
"But no going easy on me like last time!"
"...Right. No going easy."
With Giichi under his wing once more, Nail began his lesson. With the bag reset, Nail stood over the sand cat in a way that would intimidate any other Lylatian into instant submission. "The first thing you need to know about close-quarters combat is your stance. Always have a good base, like you're rooted to the ground. Plant both feet firmly down, bend your knees, and always guard your face. Make sure your rear foot is facing outwards for a better root, as well as mobility." With his instructions delivered with all of the emotion of job interview software, Nail began assuming his pose as Giichi copied him.
"This stance makes sure that you keep both a base as well as the ability for free movement. Like this, I can keep a strong base and quickly move in any direction." Nail began to demonstrate by quickly taking a step forward with his rear foot dragging on the mat to keep contact with the floor, taking a step backward and this time letting his lead foot drag backward to keep contact, then taking steps to the left and right. Giichi copied Nail, taking his steps in tandem with Nail.
"Good, you're getting the hang of it," Nail complimented, making Giichi crack yet another wide grin.
After a few steps, Nail pulled the bag forward as Giichi kept practicing his steps. "Let me be the first to tell you, trying to be flashy with your fighting like..." Nail trailed off as Kung Furry's training began, complete with flashy screeches and attacks. "...that, mostly won't work. Rather than trying to show off, the basics will be all you need to know for now. Front left jab, front right jab, front left kick, front right kick."
Taking his stance in front of the bag, Nail sized up his target as Giichi intently watched. "Since our stances are the same, with our left foot as the leading foot, any attacks from the left side will be our shove attacks. We won't be trying to deal damage with the attacks, but they can still carry a bit of weight." Nail quickly demonstrated by lashing out with his left fist, striking the bag with an audible boom. The attack was lightning fast, as Giichi was barely able to perceive it under his eye. "If that was an opponent, they would have been pushed backward, but the damage dealt would be relatively minimal. Now you give it a try. All you have to do is simply shoot your fist out like you're trying to push someone back."
Giichi obeyed and took up his stance in front of the bag, before throwing out his punch. Compared to Nail's booming fist, Giichi's punch only produced a dull smack on the red bag. It was enough to widen the cat's eyes with glee as he threw out a few more basic jabs. Nail intervened at the tenth punch, motioning for Giichi to stop. The sand cat obeyed, and let Nail take center stage once more.
"A right jab can be seen as more of a hook, and this will be your power punch. Slow, but it will carry weight and power. The power comes from rotating off of your hips and the ball of your rear foot. Watch." Assuming the stance, Nail quickly and violently lashed out with precision and power unseen before, twisting his body just like he described. His fist hit the bag with an even louder thud, managing to cause the bag to wobble back and forth for a bit.
Once more motioning for Giichi to step forward, the sand cat assumed his stance as Nail watched close by. Yet again, while the attack produced little noise or movement, Giichi did well in mimicking his bodyguard's moves. The motion of twisting his hips and the ball of his rear foot became almost second nature to the cat with how many times he was drilling it.
After a few more punches were thrown, Giichi took his mentor's subtle nod to step away as Nail took his place. "Kicks are dangerous and carry a bit of risk, but they can be devastating if landed correctly. First, front left kick. Like the front left jab, it's more to push rather than to damage. So all you do is chamber your leg up, then kick forward. Once you land the kick, chamber your leg back, and reset." The canine began by slowly lifting his left leg up to just above his waistline, before gently kicking the bag and rechambering his leg.
"Rechambering is important because it means that you can strike with another kick soon after." Nail quickly demonstrated the use of rechambering kick by quickly lashing out with a series of roundhouse kicks, before striking the bag with a reverse spinning heel hook. The kicks were powerful enough to topple the bag, leaving Giichi wide-eyed as Nail went to pick up the bag. The canine noticed his VIP's shocked glare, making the sides of his mouth slightly elevate. "Not yet, Giichi. That will come later on. For now, show me the basic front kick."
Giichi nodded, looking up at the bag before assuming his stance. The feline quickly lifted his leg up, only to lose balance the second his leg raised above his waistline. Giichi quickly set his leg back down with a chuckle, looking back at Nail with a child-like smile. Slowly this time, Giichi lifted his leg once more and gently kicked the bag, before setting his foot back down on the mat. The glare he was receiving from his bodyguard told him to do it again. Slightly faster now, Giichi's foot struck the bag with a smack, before he rechambered his leg and followed up with a kick instantly after.
The feline's pride was short-lived, as Giichi soon found himself losing balance. Unable to recover, the sand cat fell on the mats with a yip and a thud. Staring up at the ceiling, Giichi blinked twice before Nail maneuvered into sight, staring down at his V.I.P with a neutral glare and an extended arm waiting to be grabbed. Giichi simply chuckled as he grabbed the grey-furred arm and let it hoist him back to a vertical base before taking up a stance once more.
Giichi lashed out (carefully) with a few more kicks, before he caught Nail moving into position for his final instruction. The sand cat backed off, watching as Nail's monotone voice started up. "Last, right front kick. Just like with the right jab, you're going to use your hips for momentum, but this time, balance off of your left foot. From there, it's all the same. Chamber, kick, rechamber, back to base stance." With a final demonstration, Nail lifted his rear leg up, and performed the kick exactly how he described it with a zero percent margin of error.
The sand cat was able to get the swing of things now, finding himself able to balance on one foot much more easily as he kept practicing. Lashing out with the powerful kick, Giichi's impacts started to make a louder sound now. The sand cat didn't know if it was from Nail teaching him the right technique, or if he was just getting stronger. Either way, he kept his cool and kept training. Giichi quietly chuckled as he remembered how Nail would treat him when he was younger. He'd probably have him practice balancing before jumping straight into it.
As Giichi kept landing his kicks, he decided to throw caution to the wind and start freestyling, adding the jabs he learned in tandem with alternating kicks. Off to the side, Nail watched as his pupil kept assaulting the bag. He noticed the cat's eyes grow starry yet remain focused, memorizing all that he could. While others passing by may have mistaken Nail's glare for boredom, only Giichi was able to notice a tugging on the side of Nail's mouth.
His work completed, Nail grabbed another bag and continued with his training, sticking close to Giichi as the sand cat continued to drill out his simplistic moves. The canine was feeling pretty prideful of Giichi's progress, coming a long way since that staff training session back home. Ever since that talk, the cat took Nail's advice to heart and began to train on his cardio, while sticking to his intelligence as well. Even still, he could understand Giichi's desire to be somewhat like him. He was idolized by the young cat, ever since he was a baby kitten and Nail first began to protect him. He was almost like his superhero.
A loud smack from the left of Nail sounded, jerking the canine's head mid-punch in Giichi's direction. The sand cat stood on one leg with the other leg chambered and an open mouth as his wide eyes were locked on to his now fallen punching bag. Nail was quickly able to piece together what had happened and felt his lips tug to the side slightly more than usual.
~::::~
Kerar was here for two reasons. One, to give the prize money back to his village on Leos. And two, find the pirate captain who slaughtered his family and kept him prisoner. Although he was bound to draw attention, this was a good lead. Many people in this tournament ran in similar enough circles that it was worth his time. At the same time, his bland grey shorts, hand, and foot wraps made him blend right in. Akula said this is what fighters would wear, so this is what he would wear.
The problem the warrior lion was facing now, was who to talk to. His reputation as the Tattooed Fury had to have reached some people in this gym. The lion glanced around at the various fighters before his eyes fell on a green iguana, seeming just as out of place as he was. He had a lost look to him, like a war-scarred puppy. Kerar recognized him as Tadao, the Venomian soldier lost in the jungle for ten years after the Lylat Wars had ended, as well as his future opponent.
A loud, wet bite sounded next to the lion, prompting wide eyes and a sudden turn of Kerar's head. Eating the peach was Jingu Saru, dressed in his vest and loose floral pattered pants, all held to his waist by a leather belt. "What's up, big guy?" The monkey asked with a grin, taking another wet bite of his peach. Kerar rolled his eyes as he began to cast his eyes over the gym once more.
"I'm just scouting the competition. What have you been up to?" The feline asked, folding his arms as his eyes cast wide once more.
The monkey shrugged as he took yet another bite of the peach. "Eh, same old same old. I'm still a little upset you took the spot instead of me. I thought I was the martial artist of the group?" Jin confronted, making Kerar shrug with a smirk.
"Well, you did tell me you liked your naps. You were asleep, I was awake, I saw the poster, and I signed up." Kerar's answer only made Jin scoff, just as the monkey finished his peach.
"Yeah, yeah. But I'm gonna have to show you a thing or ten, then. Fighting hand to hand is a lot different than with that sword or even in a starfighter. There's a whole new level of finesse and skill, big guy." Kerar gave a grunt of agreement and knew what was about to happen. Suddenly ducking, Kerar was able to dodge a kick aimed for his muzzle from Jin. The lion took up a defensive stance, eyeing down the monkey in his own stance as he kept a steely glare. At least Jin no longer had the element of surprise.
"Alright, let's see you follow that act up," Jin taunted, circling his friend with a wise yet loose stance. The monkey was an extremely skilled fighter, yet he always had a laissez-faire attitude no matter what. His smug smirk was an iconoclast to the lion's sturdy and focused glare, ready to strike at a moment's notice. A flurry of punches and kicks were suddenly thrown Kerar's way, complete with kiais at the end of each attack. They only found their impact spots landing on the lion's guarding arms. It seems that he was keeping up with his sparring partner. But Jin wanted to see just how much he had learned.
Grabbing a loose punch, Kerar quickly grabbed Jin's wrist and prepared to flip the monkey on his back. But he forgot about Jin's agility, and once Kerar applied the torque, Jin went with the flow, fully front flipping before landing in a crouch and swinging his leg in a wide arc counter-clockwise. The lion was unable to prevent the attack as his feet were swept out from underneath him. A thud on the mats followed, leaving the lion staring up at the ceiling. The monkey was quick to the mount, forcing Kerar on defense. All he needed was a moment of weakness.
That moment came soon enough, as Kerar threw caution to the wind and penetrated Jin's defense with a punch to the chest. It was enough to break Jin's guard, which meant that he could get out of this position. Pulling both his legs into his chest, Kerar kicked Jin with both feet straight in the chest, sending his friend reeling backward as he got to his feet.
Jin only smirked some more, but it was short-lived as Kerar was suddenly up in his face and sweeping him to the ground in the blink of an eye. Pinned down by his wrists with the rest of Kerar's weight keeping him down, Jin wore wide eyes from how much the lion had improved, meaning he was more than ready. The wide eyes faded into a deep smile as Kerar postured up, sticking his paw out to help Jin back up. "Well then, big guy. I'd say that you're all ready to go!" Jin's glee broke through his lips, infectious enough to spread to the lion, who let a smile cross his lips as well. It slowly faded as he noticed his future opponent training, yet he couldn't shake the feeling as if he was being watched. The lion was unable to detect any malice, but rather a sense of study. Like Tadao took what he saw and was analyzing it without his eyes ever clearly falling on him.
Being stuck in the jungle for over a decade taught Tadao all about caution, watching your prey right until they make one tiny mistake. Once that window opens, the iguana knew to jump at the opportunity with everything he had. He kept drilling on his own bag, watching from the corner of his eye as Kerar talked with the monkey, attempting to find some kind of weakness he could use. Truth be told, the lion had as much of a stone face as he did. But all men make mistakes. All Tadao had to do was bide his time, drilling out what he remembered from his army days and keeping a cool demeanor, even as he felt the lion grow suspicious over him.
~::::~
Entering the gym, Sven Schutz took a deep breath of the musky and sweaty air. The old short-haired Fichinian shepherd had always kept a nice tab on his training, but the constant years of high-stress combat on the front lines had taken a toll on his body. The canine wanted to prove he still had a bit of fire in him, and what better way to prove to these greenhorns here and back at base that he could fight than entering this tournament? Hell, that karate pup last night realized that Sven's foot still carried a mean weight when it almost caved his chest in, followed by a heavy haymaker to his jaw. Turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. Of course, being an old dog, it meant that he wasn't up-to-date on the latest fashion trends. Sven clearly stood out with his dark green polo, belted worker's jeans, work boots, and military rucksack compared to the younger stock, but only someone like Alicia would really care. She was too busy blogging in her latest expensive branded workout gear by the corner of the gym anyway.
Sven steeled his brow as he kept his eyes running over the competition. There were some recognizable faces in the crowd, as well as some foreign ones. The short-haired shepherd was able to positively i.d Lieutenant Weslyian Jaeger and former Captain Hartmann. They both had fiery tempers, but Hartmann was the more laid back of the two, only being set off once his real name was uttered.
Standing among them was quite a specimen. She was a rather large wolf, standing tall above the others. While Wes and Hartmann were not short themselves, it only made the older space dog grumble as he was barely scratching six feet himself. Putting aside the height conundrum, Sven put on a smile as he met up with his military brothers.
"Well well, Captain Schutz! Great to see you, brother!" Hartmann exclaimed, sticking out a gloved hand to shake. Sven returned the shake with grip strength rivaling that of a hydraulic press.
"Likewise, Hartmann. You guys got who you're going up against as well?" the old dog asked. Wes's scoff cut through the air as he shook his wrists loose.
"Eh, mine's not too much of a big deal. I got that Scarlet chick. Figure I can drop her in a minute or two anyhow." Upon hearing that name pass through the large canine's lips, Hartmann immediately froze up, making Wes release a deep belly chuckle as he threw his arm around his comrade's shoulder. "Oh, right! Ain't she yer girlfriend there, Bruno?" Wes teased, making Hartmann both red in anger and embarrassment. "Well, don't worry. I'll go easy on her. Make it so that you can still get nice and dirty with her as a consolation prize."
Of course, riling up his brother in arms was one way to get the juices flowing. Sven simply chuckled as the two engaged in combat. The canine was unable to hide a smile as a red-seeing Hartmann threw a flurry of kicks and punches at a laughing Wes, doing his best to block the attacks.
"Daddy!"
Sven's head turned towards the doors of the gym, where a short-haired shepherd/Doberman mix wearing a mint green polo shirt, blue shorts, green sneakers, and a pink backpack packed to the brim with crayons, paper, and toys was sprinting past the sea of martial artists. The madly grinning little girl was on a direct path to the soldier, who went down on one knee in preparation for the furry missile to hit him head-on.
With a crash and a hug tighter than most division one wrestlers in the gym could dream of, the little canine released a series of excited squeaks and squeals, threatening to break the soldier's back with her love. Sven chuckled as he looked at his daughter, bright-eyed and smiling as he ruffled her head fur and hair with his fist. "There's my little girl!"
Looking at the door again, Sven quirked a brow as he looked back down at the grinning girl, who was still gleefully wrapping her arms around his lower chest. "Honey, where's mommy?"
"She was right behind me! She'll be here soon!"
"Sweetie, what did we say about running ahead?"
"Sorry! But I've missed you so much!"
"I know, but next time, stay by mommy's side, okay? I'm not going anywhere."
Sven received a nod and a salute that threatened to melt his heart, pulling his daughter in even closer for another hug. The little canine was proven correct when her mother walked in through the gym doors, quickly finding Sven at the mercy of their child. Red hair topped the Doberman's head, complimenting her white t-shirt, apple-bottom jeans, and black flats. A smile crossed the Doberman's lips as she approached the soldier, just as the little girl granted him mercy from her hugs. "Did Lizzie here get away from you yet again, Jessica?" Sven's question was met with a scoff and a light hug, as the two canines became conjoined at the waist.
"Unfortunately. It looks like Elizabeth is about to inherit all of your energy, huh?" Jessica's question was met with a low chuckle from Sven, who gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as he looked back towards the innocent little girl.
"That must explain why I'm so damn proud of her."
Jessica rolled her eyes as the duo looked over the child, keeping a watchful pair of eyes over the girl. As Sven kept watching his daughter, Jessica's eyes began to drag across the gym. A worried grimace spread across her face as she laid eyes upon the dangerous environment. Just south of where she was standing, she noticed a cheetah in a gi choking the life out of a tabby cat dressed in a similar outfit, who looked like he really did not want to be there. Shouting drew the Doberman's ears to a red panda with sunglasses and a gi squaring up to a Shiba Inu, who was also wearing sunglasses but wore MMA style trunks and gloves instead of a gi.
"I'm gonna turn your face into an undefined variable!"
"The moon has no intent to cast it's shadow tonight!"
"Your database is about to get indexed!"
"You can not defeat enemy who refuses to submit!"
"I'm about to claim your code repository!"
"You will grovel at my feet for mercy when we engage in combat!"
"I'm gonna mess your active directory groups up!"
Finally, Jessica noticed the two commandos sparring, both now leaking blood as Wes held Hartmann in a guillotine choke. The canine cringed as her eyes fell back onto her daughter, who was now lying down on one of the clean and unused training mats, backpack opened to reveal her mountain of paper as she began doodling the environment around her with her many crayons. "Sven, are you sure that this is the right place for Elizabeth to be? It seems pretty dangerous," the canine worried, making Sven chuckle as he rolled his shoulders.
"Eh, she's a tough cookie. I'm sure that she'll be fine being here. Especially when I'm around." Sven's point was proven quickly as he noticed two gi-clad canine fighters talking to the little girl. The conversation was inaudible to the married couple, but once Elizabeth pointed to her daddy, Sven activated mean mug mode. Crossing his arms, furrowing his brow, widening his stance, and staring knives into the martial artists. Upon viewing the soldier, both martial artists had their tails now firmly tucked and ears flat against their heads as Sven kept staring at them. The two quickly said something to Elizabeth before briskly walking away, making Sven relax his glare and grin. "See? She'll be all good."
"Daddy, daddy! Look what I drew!" Elizabeth came rushing off the mats, her tiny tail wagging at Mach five as she held up a piece of paper. Sven's fatherly smile grew to the edge of his lips as he viewed the picture. It was a crudely drawn Sven holding the Strikeforce Championship over his shoulder while Elizabeth and Jessica stood by cheering him on. Sven couldn't help but smile as he picked his daughter up and gave her a tight hug, the mini canine releasing excited squeaks and squeals all the same as her tail continuously wagged.
Sven's attention could not be pried away from his daughter until he caught a glimpse of blue in the corner of his vision. The canine slowly began to place his daughter on the ground as a smiling blue vulpine approached him, wearing a simple t-shirt and track shorts with a gym bag slung over his shoulder. "Hello! You're Sven Schutz, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh, well it's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Seth, Seth Brooks, and I'm your opponent for the next match!"
Sven was a bit suspicious at this vulpine's cheery attitude. Given the nature of the environment, no way that someone like him was being genuine. Even so, Sven was unable to detect any malice from Seth, who he had just noticed had stuck his hand out for a shake.
There was no real harm in returning the gesture, so Sven gave him a firm commando's handshake. Despite the crushing pressure, Seth's smile refused to fade, making one crop up on the canine's lips. "Well then Seth, I hope you train hard for our fight. Just cause I'm a bit more aged than you greenhorns, doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two."
Seth simply nodded with his trademark grin as Sven let go of the grip, sparing the vulpine from his crushing grip. "That's the plan! I wanna shoot for the top, so I'm gonna train as hard as I can!"
The canine nodded as the blue-dyed vulpine walked off to change into his gear, before resuming his observation of his two military brothers, who seemed to finally enter a stalemate.
With Wes finally gaining some ground on Hartmann, Sven had to satisfy his curiosity about this mysterious tall wolf. Giving a kiss to both Elizabeth and Jessica, he approached the wolf, her eyes locked on the sparring troopers.
"I don't think we've met before," Sven greeted. The tall wolf looked down towards the old dog, whose steely glare met with hers almost instantly. There was a moment of silence between the two, save for the ambiance of the gym, before the wolf spoke up.
"You don't look familiar either. My name is Zarla Kristof, I'm from out of the system. I was doing a stop for a supply run when I found out of this tournament's existence. I decided that I needed a bit of a refresher with my hand-to-hand, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity."
Sven sized the artic wolf up with an impressed glare. From where he was standing, she had to be over seven feet at least and was clad in typical blue MMA attire. The canine could swear that he saw a few cyan cybernetic honeycomb-shaped streaks around the lupine's face, arms, and legs, making him shake his head with a smile. "Y'know, you can't use whatever fancy tech you've got built into you. You gotta fight with your natural parts."
Zarla glared at Sven, before looking around her body with sharp eyes. "I know. I disabled my combat predictors and strength enhancers. I'm fighting on the same base plane as the rest of you."
The canine could detect the superiority and animosity from the lupine but stowed his emotions about the tall wolf's feelings towards herself. "Well then, I'm ready to see just how far you can go with us "base-plainers", Ms. Kristof."
Sven kept a subtle smirk present as he saw Zarla face him from the corner of his eye. Before she could say another word, the two had noticed that Hartmann had pinned Wes down, and was delivering punch after punch to his muzzle. After the sixth punch, Wes caught his fist, quickly bridge and rolled the captain, and pinned him down by his blood-soaked knuckles. The panting was audible between the two, as they both calmed down from the adrenaline of the fight.
"You calm now, soldier? I'm not letting go 'til I know you won't punch me in the back of the head."
"...yeah. Yeah, I'm cool. Can you get off me now?"
Wes pulled Hartmann to his feet while wiping some blood onto his forearms. The larger canine only chuckled as he applied pressure to his nose to stop the bleeding. "Look at that, you can actually throw a punch. And here I thought you were getting soft." Hartmann simply rolled his eyes as Wes tended to himself before the Lieutenant began to eye Sven. "Well, by the time you come back from the lockers, I'll have gotten this little nosebleed under control. We can see just how much CQC you remember there, sir." The two canines saluted each other before Sven took a solo walk to the locker room, ready for this exercise.
~::::~
TJ had filled Miyu in on the drama soon after parting ways with a Ronfaunis, and the lynx didn't seem happy about the report. Miyu recapped how she was on Fortuna during the Lylat Wars and remembered flying over certain strongholds held by Admiral Hatcher, as well as a rebellion being brought on by the Rangers there. Safe to say, things were about to get a whole lot more complicated. Even with another remnant of Andross's army still following the team like a plague, there was training to get to. Of course, being stuck in a dojo for hours on end will drive any antsy teen insane, and TJ needed some fresh air.
Stepping outside, TJ quickly took a seat atop his Skyline's hood and began to gaze up at the sky. Busy pedestrians walked the streets as the blue sky began to turn a beautiful shade of orange. The few clouds in the sky wisped along with the wind, forming delicate shapes in the sky of the setting suns. There was a natural beauty to it, as even someone with as much of a one-track mind as TJ could appreciate.
The driver's sky-gazing was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder, prompting him to turn around. TJ became face to face with a stocky hyena, wearing a full black suit and sunglasses. "Sumimasen, you are Ms. Yamaneko-Lynx's promoter, hai?"
TJ quirked a brow at the accent and grew suspicious as he scoffed. "Maybe, maybe not. What's it to ya?"
"I am an envoy of Itami-san, he sent me here to deliver a message."
TJ narrowed his eyes as he hovered his non-visible hand over his G18c, ready to empty a few shock rounds into this potential attacker. "Oh, really? What, he gonna drop the belt to Miyu an' apologize for bein' such an ass?"
"No, he simply wishes for me to pass on a message. If Miyu makes it to the finals and wins, she should just take the money, and leave Itami-san be. To challenge him for his belt will be a mistake that she, as well as you and anyone who associates with her, will suffer for. I need your answer right now. Will you simply accept the prize, or will you wish to push your luck to the detriment of your health?"
The driver scoffed at this dead-eyed hyena, and hopped off his hood with his hands in his pockets, making sure his left hand had a sturdy grip on his piece. "So, the champ is too scared to come down here on his own? Well that's too bad, was hopin' to openly mock that red-streaked shit-kicker right here, but I guess you can tell 'im yourself. Miyu ain't gonna back down, and she's coming for that crown. So go ahead and tell Swiffer-tail that he better not get lazy, cause Miyu's itchin' to put some hurt on 'im!"
The hyena simply nodded and began to suddenly walk away, dropping TJ's smile into one of awkwardness as he made a dismissive motion with his hands. It was clear that Lecter was feeling threatened by Miyu's resolve, which only worked in her favor. TJ had to deliver the news right now, if not to at least put a smile on Miyu's lips.
Re-entering the gym, TJ quickly found Miyu chatting with both of the commentators from last night and a tabby cat. All three were dressed in the typical martial arts uniforms with white belts, yet the cheetah was the only one who seemed to be wearing a smile with his black belt, while the other two seemed tuckered out. "Yo, what am I walkin' in on?" TJ announced, turning the heads of the trio towards him.
"Oh, hey! Your Miyu's mouthpiece, right?" the cheetah asked.
"So some say."
"Well hey, it's great to meet you. My name's Dean, and you probably recognize this fox here, huh?" Dean suddenly threw his arm around the shoulder of the fox, flipping his ponytail in the process.
"Eh, can't say I do. I mean, I know you two are those commentators from last night."
"Well, you must not watch a lot of hockey. Mr. Scotty Sheppard over here's the captain of the Corneria City Majors! And this tabby over here is Rymden Stekpannan, my tech guy." While the cheetah wore a large grin, Scotty looked a bit more tired while Rymden looked like he wanted to go home and sleep. TJ eyed Dean as the cheetah let go of his friends, before locking eyes with TJ.
"Y'know, you seem kinda familiar."
"You too. I just can't put my finger on it."
There was an awkward silence that lasted for just a bit too long, before the driver broke it up by turning to Miyu. "So! Guess who just paid me a visit outside?"
"I don't know, photographers for Loudmouths Monthly?"
"Funny. Nope, it was a messenger from good ol' Lecter." Miyu's fists clenched at the name. "Dude was too scared himself, so he sent some hyena. Either way, he told me that if you win the tournament an' are currently planning to challenge for the title, Lecter's gonna "make us pay", whatever that means."
"And what did you say?"
"I said you were gonna take the title off him! What else would I 'ave said?"
"Of course Lecter would do something like that," Dean interjected, making all eyes turn towards him. "I held the title two years back, and he did the same thing. Only, he warned me to drop it rather than stop chasing it."
TJ adopted a confused grimace at Dean's response. "So, what? Your sayin' that Lecter's gonna win?"
"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that he's really confident. The guy has a whole villa to himself that he trains at, real old-school. No tech save for training equipment is allowed inside, for fear that people will try to steal his style. He's fully dedicated himself to martial arts."
Miyu simply nodded at the cheetah's information, before looking back down at her gloved hands. The thought of going toe-to-toe with Lecter swirled in her mind as she cracked her knuckles. Maybe she was overestimating him given his swagger style personality. The lynx brought her head back up as she let a determined glare plant itself on her face. "Well, I've got a week till the next fight. If Lecter wants to try and get me to back down, I'll show him just how badly I want his belt."
A/N: Back after a hiatus, sorry for the wait! Some new faces, some old ones, but I can guarantee that the next chapter is where we see these characters finally show off their skills. Until then!
-DeltaERB