Battle Against the Greatest

I walked through the city and back to the ally way. I came to the door and used the small orange and black disk to open the door. It slid open like it always does. I rode the elevator back to the other level and once I got out, everything stopped. Whatever anyone was doing they stopped where they were and just stared.

"Slade!" Someone called out. It was Shaun. He and Master stepped out from the crowd to greet me. "You're back."

"Yup. I've finally returned." I said.

"The prodigal son returns." A man stepped out of another room. He was taller than my Master and much stronger. I couldn't see his face, he was wareing the mask. It was Master Kinchi. "Welcome back, Slade. Too bad you won't be staying long. You disobeyed direct orders from the Highest Masked council in the world. You are here by expelled!"

"Not yet." I said. "According to the Masked order, a Masked cannot be expelled unless it is proven that he is no longer capable of going into battle. In other words, I have to be beaten in a fight."

"Very wise, Slade." Master Kinchi replied. "But I get to chose your opponent. And I say that you have to dual against me."

The entire room gasped and fell silent in an instant. But I only smiled. "Fine. If I have to, I will defeat you. When is the match to be held?"

"In five minutes, no weapons other than the steel pole, no special ability such as your water controlling ability, and no allies. A one-on-one hand-to-hand fight." Master Kinchi said.

I grinned. "Good."

I practiced really fast in the training room for my upcoming match. I was training against Shaun with the steel pole.

I swung the pole down on him, but this he easily blocked. Then I swung the other end up from below. This he once again blocked. I knocked Shaun on both sides of the face with the top end of the staff in about three seconds, stunning him. I hit him in the side with the end of the staff and he bent to that side. I then hit him in the back of the knees with one swift strike. He fell to his knees and I placed the blunt end of the staff against his neck.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked.

"Not bad at all. Almost perfect." Master said. He had been sitting there watching us. "I am very impressed, Slade. Who taught you how to do that?"

"None other than the True Master." I replied.

"If you three are done, I'd like to get on with getting rid of Slade now." Master Kinchi said, as he stepped into the room.

We went to a special arena, which was designed like a boxing ring. Of coarse there was no soft mat on the bottom, only the regular floor with water and heat pipes running beneath it.

Master Kinchi and I stepped into the ring. Both of us were in our particular rank uniform, him in his master uniform and mask and I in my warrior uniform. "You're going to need a new mask after I'm done with you." I said.

"I hope you've appreciated that warrior uniform, because you won't be wearing it for much longer." He replied.

Every Masked I knew, and about a million I didn't, where here to watch. This was probably the match of the millennium, nothing like this had ever happened, as far as I knew, in the entire history of the Masked.

Master stepped up to the side of the ring and said, "This match will determine if Warrior Slade will still be allowed to stay in the Masked. His opponent is council member, Master Kinchi. Let the match begin!"

A bell rang and I raced at Kinchi. When I got close, I jumped in the air and aimed a powerful kick at his face. Kinchi grabbed my ankle right as I was about to hit him, and he threw me to the ropes. I bounced of the ropes and was propelled back at Kinchi. As I was pushed back, Master Kinchi held out his arm and hit me in the face. That 'clothes line' hit me down to the ground on my back. As I lay there, I could hear the rush of the water under the floor.

"Still so confident you can win?" Kinchi asked. He thrust a fist at my face, a fist that could've easily broken my nose. But I rolled out of the way and his fist slammed into the concrete, creating a small crater in the floor.

I stood up and pulled out my metal fighting stick. I ran at Kinchi again, using the pole like a spear. Kinchi jumped back just as the end of my staff jabbed into the small crater. Master Kinchi stood up and popped his knuckles. "You missed, Slade. Now I see why you're only a Warrior, you never listen."

"Now I see why you're a Master, you really underestimate your opponent." I said with a smile. "I wasn't aiming for you." I pulled the staff out of the hole and steam began to pour out. I knelt down and brushed the ruble away, sitting there was a damaged hot water pipe; steam was spraying out. I grabbed the pipe and broke it all the way off. Steam gushed out like water and filled the room like white smoke. Master Kinchi was looking back and forth for me, but nobody could see anything. "This was my whole plan from the start." I said. "I knew that if I could rupture the water line, then I could fill the room with steam and make it impossible to see."

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. But now you can't see either. And I can attack from sound alone." Master Kinchi said.

"I don't need sight or sound." I said. I closed my eyes and shut out all sound. I concentrated only on the skills I learned from the Cave Guardian. Yes, the steam disappeared. Everything went away. But I could tell exactly where Kinchi was.

I threw the staff like it was a spear. It disappeared in the steam, but I heard it slam against something and I also heard Kinchi's grunt. I jumped into the air and this time hit Kinchi in the face with my steel-toed boot. I swung a fist at his stomach, but he grabbed my fist and bent it backward, cracking it. He delivered a powerful punch to my face and I fell back. When I opened my eyes I saw my fighting pole stuck in the ground right by my head. "You are good, I'll give you that. But not good enough!" Master Kinchi said. I grabbed my stick and wrenched it out of the ground. But before I could use it, Kinchi had grabbed the cuff of my uniform and was holding me in the air. "Say good bye."

I wasn't going to let myself be defeated so easily. As he held me there, I jabbed my knee foreword and hit him hard in the groin. He cried out in pain, dropped me, and doubled over. "Good bye." I said. I held the steel rod over his head and swung it down in a strong down stroke. I hit him in the back of the head and he fell splayed out on the ground. I placed one foot on is back and the end of my staff against his neck. "I win."

The crowed started to applause. Everyone clapped. Especially my Master and Shaun. Master held out his arms and the applauding ceased. "I match is over! Slade is the victor. He will continue to be a Masked Warrior." The crowed cheered when they heard this. My greatest victory ever.