Blending In
20






Silence.
Complete and utter silence.
The kind of silence that's full of electricity and anticipation. Where one's heart skips a beat and has to throb twice the next time to make up for the missed contraction.
Tonkeshin felt like the bubble of excitement in his stomach crowded out all his other organs. He forced a few deep breaths. Trying not to feel conscious of eyes on him from every angle.
They're not waiting for me to fail. . .they're here to see a good fight. That's all. I can do this, I CAN do this!
Piccolo's ki vibrations were still in the same place. He hadn't moved. Neither had Tonk. They might as well be two statues positioned outside a coliseum. Forever posed for a historic battle.
Then. . .
"Well! It looks as if we have ourselves and old-fashioned stand off!"
The sudden voice clamored in Tonk's ears like church bells. Erasing whatever focus he had. His startled expression gave him away.
Piccolo was instantly in front of him. Tonk followed his instinct and dodged sideways. The blow caught his shoulder, knocking him off-balance. He grabbed the arena floor and spun in a quick sweep. His feet only caught wind as Piccolo leapt away.
"You shouldn't let yourself get distracted so easily," said Piccolo. His raspy voice carried a smirk.
Tonk's lips twitched. "A momentary lapse, I can assure you."
Piccolo appeared right there! The wind of an oncoming punch! Tonk caught the fist and thrust his elbow underneath. He nailed a solid stomach. The blow drove Piccolo back a step. Then he stepped into his opponent for a quick throw.
Piccolo twirled and Tonk found himself flat on his back. The petroleum jelly he'd spread on himself made Piccolo's grip slip just a little. It took the worst away from the impact. Better to have his teeth rattled than his whole body.
He rolled aside just in time to avoid having his ribs smashed in. Another kick from the other side! Lightning fast! Tonk performed a quick backwards somersault to regain a vertical base. Ouch, his side smarted from that one!
"And Ma Jr. remains on the offensive!" wailed the Announcer into his microphone. "Can our first-ever blind competitor keep up?"
Being blind has nothing to do with it! Tonkeshin snarled mentally. He narrowed his eyes. He's just faster than I expected. . .and can anticipate my moves almost before I make them. It's almost like sparring N -
A flash of idea zapped across Tonkeshin's mind. Piccolo charged and he had to let it go.
"WWWWOOWW! Both Ma Jr. and Tonkeshin are exchanging heavy blows! You can feel the floor shaking down here, folks! What a match!" The Announcer shouted against the crowd's cheers.
Tonk caught Piccolo in the jaw with a hard left hook. A swift jab followed, easily blocked. Piccolo kept blocking his attacks as methodically as one might go through a list of names in a phone book. He did seem to have him on the defensive for the moment.
Until Piccolo elbowed him in the gut.
Tonkeshin folded completely over and sank to his knees. Air forced itself from his lungs. He gagged on his own spit.
He's making me tire myself out. Stupid! I need to back off. . .let him take the offensive for awhile. I just hope I can keep up.
"Tonkeshin is down to his knees!" The Announcer stepped closer and whispered, "Ready to give up?"
Tonk snarled, "I'm not that fragile! No! Go away!"
Again Piccolo used the distraction against him. Tonk tumbled away from the stomping feet and kipped up. He re-assumed his fighting stance, waiting.
He felt a faint breeze. Piccolo appeared behind him!
Tonk ducked an on coming chop that would've put him down for the count. He grabbed Piccolo's arm and hauled him over his shoulder, flinging him to the fighting floor. His body hit with a thud.
Piccolo sprang away. Tonk heard him land a few feet to the right. The scent of his sweat left a trail as clear as a flight contrail.
Cheers and shouts erupted from the stands.
"Dude, he's sneaking up on you!" Somebody screamed from way in the back.
Tonk spun towards the voice. Piccolo was right there!
A flurry of kicks, punches and chops came his way. He dodged accordingly. They darted around the ring like dueling wasps, hissing between attacks. The only reason Tonkeshin kept up was his ability to feel the wind of an oncoming strike less than a second before it hit. Even then some still got through. Sometimes he swore Piccolo had six arms because he moved so fast.
"You're. . .not so bad. . .Piccolo." Tonk's words came in spurts between moves.
"Feh."
An uppercut sent Tonk back to the ground. If he could see stars he surely would've right then. He felt like he'd been thrust underwater. Nausea swept by in waves. The ground spun. Sounds took ages to reach him and even longer to make sense. The world threatened to recede completely.
". . .six! Seven! Eight!"
Reality snapped back. Tonk's eyes opened wide and he hauled himself to his feet.
"Tonkeshin is still with us!"
Tonk wiped a trail of coppery blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned. This Tournament was coming out better than he imagined. Way better.
"Let's turn this up a notch, Piccolo."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Piccolo replied, his tone almost mocking.
"Yeah. . ." Tonk licked his thin lips clean of blood, "I'm sure."
A soft chuckle, "Be my guest."
Tonkeshin widened his stance and lowered the walls around his ki. Letting it bubble up from his depths like a geyser. Warmth enveloped him. His clothes whipped against his skin. He relaxed and let it come up on its own.
The energy tightened his muscles a bit like armor. He felt stronger, faster and more aware of his surroundings.
Tonk could sense Piccolo's energy rising as well. His signature had a strange sensation. . .as if three different ki's were mixed into one being.
No time to ponder, Piccolo charged!
Tonk felt the oncoming energy as a prickling on his skin. No way to go but up. Piccolo followed. Tonk twisted around to dive. Nobody home, no, wait, Piccolo went left! Right!
BAM!
He covered his face. Piccolo's fist jarred his wrists. Tonk shoved the heel of one hand into the other Namek's face.
Air. Wait. . .wait. . .aim left!
"Aha!" Tonk chopped sideways. He caught Piccolo's ear. Twice, three times, then Piccolo trapped him in a triple-kick combination that sent him spinning in mid-air.
There was no using gravity's pull for up and down in a ki battle. He was floating on a cushion of antigravity. Without a visual point of reference it felt to him like he was in space. Flipping uncontrollably in a void. Terrifying.
The crowd screamed and cheered from far below. Just the reference point he needed!
Tonk used the sound to distinguish up from down and righted himself. He'd probably flown up a good fifty feet. Sweat dribbled off his forehead. The air felt hot, heavy and humid. Just like on Namek. From his vantage point in the sky he easily picked up the collective scent of sweaty humans and arena food.
Ki vibrations from above.
Tonk feigned unawareness and waited. Counting seconds.
Energy prickle.
Count, count. . .
Five, ten, fifteen. . .
NOW!
Tonkeshin timed it just right. . .by the time he started to backflip Piccolo was beginning to pass him. He brought his feet around as fast as he could.
Ka-SMACK!
And planted them both in the base of Piccolo's spine.
"Urgh!"
THUD!
He followed Piccolo's uncontrolled flight. Caught him by the shirt and drove his knee into the same spot. He groped for a leg to keep him there and aimed a third blow.
"Always weaken one area and keep attacking it. The more painful you make it, the sooner your opponent will submit." Nail used to say. Wise words.
Piccolo wasn't about to let Tonk get away with it. As if he'd read Tonk's mind, he caught his knee at the next kick, yanked him down and planted a fist square in his forehead.
Right on the nerve between his antennae.
The effect was similar to kicking a human in the genitals. Tonk's eyes crossed and he grabbed the affected area with both hands.
He felt Piccolo palm the back of his head. Strong wind. No! Tonk whirled to backhand his opponent across the face. Piccolo drew back, losing speed. Tonk elbowed him in the gut and dove for the safety of the fighting floor, breathing hard.
Piccolo's feet touched down with soft pat-click noises. Tonk heard him puffing a little too.
"So, is that all you've got, Tonkeshin?" Piccolo breathed.
Tonk straightened with a grin, his chest heaving behind his vest. "Are you kidding? I'm just getting warmed up!"

Author's note: Whew! So much action and I'm not even warmed up either! Hehe, I hope this kept you on the edge of your seat for awhile. Just don't lean too far forward and fall off. grin

I've been waiting to write this battle for a long time. It's really a test for my writing skills. I hope I do good See ya in the next chapter!