Two Months Later - The Show Arena
There she goes again!
The Psycho rocked him with another dropkick, right in the beak!
Psycho is going in!
Oooh, that slash was close!
The hawk's not giving up so easily!
Look at that combo, that was close!
Hashi is trying to drive her back, look at that kick!
He tagged her with that one!
Oh my! That jab almost knocked her block off!
Too slow! Here comes her counter!
Oh no she's got him running scared now!
She's like some kind of ravenous beast in there!
Definitely living up the Psycho moniker!
Now he's trying to get airborne again folks!
She's got him running scared!
Hashi is trying to get some distance from this bad bunny!
Psycho's not done with him yet though!
That's it! She's snared him good with that rope of hers!
Now she's trying to keep him tied to the ground!
This is crazy! We've seen this rabbit do incredible things folks, but I don't think even she can keep this bird grounded!
Baraki the Raccoon was narrating up a storm trying to describe the mayhem going on in the arena tonight.
The venue was another cage match. Kyuu was facing a medium-sized Red kite hawk by the name of Hashi. Initially, the hawk had the edge due to his natural advantage of flight. His preferred method: dive-bombing on her and striking with his sharp talons, had given her a very rough time. Fortunately, San had been able to devise a strategy that shifted the fight in her favor, flying attacks in such an enclosed environment were generally linear so all she had to do was anticipate his attack and evade. Then once the attack had passed, she would counter from behind in his blind spot. So far it was working and now she was on the offensive.
While a competent fighter, Hashi knew he couldn't risk a drawn-out ground battle with the hellacious Holland Lop. Not when her nimble nature and speed on flat ground outclassed him. Then there was the issue where she practically became something else entirely. It was like another bigger fighter was fighting alongside her, but it clearly was just her.
Seriously what the hell is she? He asked himself as she kept rushing him down.
He needed to take to the air to get some space and devise a different strategy of his own. Kyuu, however, had no intention of allowing this, lassoing his ankle quickly before takeoff. Having tied the rope around her own waist, she intended to anchor him to the ground and pull him back to her. But like many plans, it went awry quickly. After a few strenuous flaps of his wings, the hawk was able to ascend, taking her up with him.
Going up as high as he could go in what was essentially a large birdcage, he dove towards the bars before breaking off at the last moment, causing Kyuu to slam into them. WHAM! The rabbit cursed aloud as she had impacted the cage, crashing into her shoulder.
That's definitely going to bruise, she thought. Any harder and it would have been dislocated. Hashi ascended once more and glided back down with Kyuu in tow, the same plan in mind. WHAM! However, after hitting the bars this time, she grabbed hold intending to anchor him again. He pulled away as hard as he could, but she held on locking her arm between the bars. It was a strain, as she could feel her shoulder almost being torn from its socket, but she held on. Hashi having had enough swooped in to kick her off, but she let go before he could get the chance. The sudden shift of weight pulled down on him caused him to briefly lose control, but eventually, he leveled out. She was too heavy for him to keep this up and every move she made caused severe discomfort in his leg. That was really dicey. He thought to himself.
Just then cunning inspiration struck her. She could use this. Beginning to climb, Kyuu scurried up the rope as best she could, taking extra care to violently jerk the rope as she climbed, making it tighten around his thin featherless ankle. He already had reason to drop her, she was going to speed up the process.
This crazy bucktooth gonna rip my foot off or sprain something, the hawk thought to himself worried. I'm going to give her a one-way ticket to the ground, then I'll finish her off. He glided into the cage once again, but this time clung to it one-handed as he tried to unfasten the rope. However as soon she had got a hold of the bars herself, Kyuu put her plan into motion, jumping off letting weight and gravity handle the rest. Suddenly the hawk was ripped from the cage, no time to get any air under his wings. The hawk shrieked in utter terror as he plummeted to the mat below, frantically flapping his wings to no avail. They both hit the mat hard with a loud thud.
San was gripping the bars like a crazed inmate staring helplessly as Kyuu laid inert on the mat. Shouting his friend's name for her to get back up. "Get up! You ain't going to let some fall do you in! Get up Kyuu! Get up!"
The fall hadn't been that kind to her, but she opened her eyes to the bright light of the arena spotlights, was almost deafened by the loud roar of the crowd as her hearing came back all at once, San's voice barely piercing the noise gave her a jolt. She sat up and inspected her surroundings. How long have I been out?
"THE FIGHT CONTINUES!" The raccoon's voice shouted over the speakers.
Everything clicked in her head, she wasn't done yet. Her opponent was lying on his back, right where she needed him. Kyuu pounced on top of the bird but was met with a swift backhand. The slap knocked her off sending her rolling on her side. The bird was down, but he for sure wasn't out.
"That was clever... using gravity... ergh... like that." He said strained trying to recover. Kyuu on all fours took her time getting back up as she rubbed where his fist had bashed her cheek. The bird stumbled back down onto his palms before righting himself. Damn it. You're going to win this. Toughen up. He thought to himself.
The two had both gotten to their feet and faced each other ready to begin again. The crowd was hyped as the two began to square off. Hashi fixed the crooked headband adorning his head and closed his fists as he readied himself for her assault. Just as before, the Chimera reappeared behind her. Snarling and looking extra pissed off, the towering chimera made its presence known.
Holy crap, it's scarier than last time. He thought. "What have I gotten myself into?" It mimicked her stance and followed her as she began her vicious and savage assault.
"You are mine at this range!" She growled as she ripped through his black undershirt, barely grazing him revealing his chest of brown feathers. Though grounded, his own light frame afforded him the agility to dodge her attacks. The rabbit lunged with a stab, causing the kite to retreat a few steps.
"Come on Kyuu you almost got him!" San ecstatically shouted, shaking the cage with pure excitement. "Keep up the pressure." The lop followed the stab with a slash, but Hashi was able to hook and blocked her arm. This was his chance to shift the rhythm.
"Don't be so sure!" He yelled as he lurched forward with a flying knee. Kyuu's instincts fired into her head to evade, the knee just barely grazing her forehead. The instant he landed he dipped and rolled like a boxer in front of her, his eyes peeking over his guard staring right in her eyes for a brief moment, before swinging a hook into the side of her ribs stunning her throwing off her balance. He dipped again with the same tactic and tagged her again in the side of her breast. She defensively swung one of her daggers causing him to break off and give her some much-needed space, but this was only a brief respite.
Damn it! She screamed to herself taking a few bounces back trying to escape his range, the bird in hot pursuit. Then oddly enough he stopped. The bird sneered at her before bending down and grabbing hold of something. The rope, she quickly realized.
The avian very abruptly yanked her across the ring.
"No, you aren't getting off so light now!" He shouted, hitting her with a lariat.
The rabbit's head bounced off the mat like a ball as she hit the floor.
San cursed to himself on the sidelines. Damn it, we underestimated him. He thought. Kyuu had also forgotten she was still tethered to the bird. Come on Kyuu stand up, don't go out on such an oversight.
Hashi leaped into the air and attempted to impale her with his talons, but Kyuu rolled over just enough to evade. The bird's skinny legs stomped after her in hot pursuit, but Kyuu cut it short by jamming the sole of her Number 9 right into the underside of his beak with a loud thwack. The avian's head shot back violently as blood flew from his maw. By the time he had regained his footing, she had already fixed the previous problem, chopping the rope around her belly.
"You punch pretty hard for a bird...clever too. That was boxing wasn't it, y'know earlier?" She said, mimicking his roll.
"Yeah...we're both full of surprises huh?" He cheekily remarked panting heavily, rubbing under his beak. "Like that omen there behind you. What is that?"
The chimera behind her growled, brandishing her fangs.
"What?" She said, grinning like a demon. "That's what you're facing! That's how hard I'm coming at you now!" She declared as she charged the hawk, zigging and zagging from side to side, trying to randomize her attack vector.
The hawk wasn't slow enough to fall for this though, his keen eyesight fed him enough information to evade and strike her with an outstretched slap as she brushed past him. Temporarily off balance for a brief moment, she pivoted on her heel to leap at him with a cross-cut. He tried to flap backwards trying to get airborne, but Kyuu stomped on the rope still tied to his ankle. He jerked in the air like a kite tied down by a weight, he was going nowhere as far as Kyuu was concerned. Dropping back down, he reached back and flapped his wings as hard as he could; generating a small gust that shoved her backwards. Landing, he rushed forward and launched into a roundhouse kick that she barely was able to sidestep. He followed up with a reverse hook kick that she had to put up a guard to block. His hardened scaly legs bounced off her blades, but the force still knocked her back.
"Damn it...just…go...down…already!" He shouted, continuing his assault of swift kicks. While her defense was waning, Kyuu took time to study the timing of his kicks and decided to risk getting close before he wore her down. He wasn't a slouch on the ground, but he still was not made for this type of fighting. His own feathers slowed him down with wind resistance. If she timed it just right she could... 1...2..kick...1...2..kick.. 1..2..There that's the pattern!
With the time it took for him to strike and re-posture in mind, she rushed him, bobbing and weaving under his kicks, mimicking the very peekaboo style Hashi had used on her earlier. Each maneuver gets her closer and closer. One of his talons managed to scrape the side of her right ear, but it was too little too late. She was finally within range to attack. She lunged forward with her left blade hoping to take his eye, but he was quick enough that all she got was a grazing slash that took some of his plumage and the headband around his head. She pivoted and swung on him with the right blade, narrowly missing him as he hopped back. The bird was getting nervous now; though the freakish beast following her wasn't real, she still fought like one. She was gaining the upper hand again and he needed to get off the ground.
Kyuu, not letting him get airborne again, managed to slashed his right arm, winging him. "Got him now." She thought.
Hashi shrieked in anguish as he cradled his wounded arm. "Aaaahhh! Damn it!"
It was almost deafening to her sensitive ears causing her some pause. She could only imagine how much worse it would be if he actually shouted at the top of his lungs. San was outside the cage shouting "Go for his throat now! Silence him!" San was right, her master had taught her to neutralize a bird's voice, or else be deafened by their high pitch shrieks. In a quick motion, Kyuu ducked down slashing his knee with a reverse grip, causing him to drop, before coming back with all her might with a solid punch to the throat as soon as he dropped down to her level.
"GWEH!" he squawked, clutching his throat as all the air was forced from him.
With the brown bird reeling, Kyuu leaped forward with another cross-cut just barely grazing him across his belly, sending feathers everywhere. Overwhelmed he tripped himself the rope still tangled to his ankle. This was all Kyuu needed to pounce on him. Landing on top of his busted wing, she threw her left dagger and staked his other wing to the ground. With him pinned like this, she had this won.
"Now who was getting off light chicken?" She taunted as he opened his eyes.
"Crap…" He hoarsely uttered.
"Wonder if they'll sell you as chicken?" She said, pressing down her blade to Hashi's throat with a rare sadistic smile forming on her face.
"N-n-no-no-nope! I give up! You won. She won! Call her off! Call her off!" He said as loud as his weak voice could carry.
BWOONG! The fight was called.
"Really?" She asked him, disappointed. "Cheated me out of my kill..."
"And the rabbit wins again folks! What a finish! Looks like the Market got cheated out of some rabbit meat and chicken today! That rabbit's no slouch, but what a coward am I right?!" Baraki commented. The crowd booed and threw all manner of objects at the cage, more disappointed in the poor show of the hawk begging for his life than the rabbit winning yet again.
A hint of anger and embarrassment gleamed in his eye at the insult, but it didn't matter much as her blade handles bashed him upside the head with a loud smack. Lights out.
"That's unconscious I guess." She said. This type of mercy would have to do, given the trouble, she went through trying to take this guy down.
San waited outside the cage with her effects and a bottle of carrot juice. "Phew. That was a headache to watch." He said as he put a cold damp rag up to her swollen eye. Kyuu took the rag from him as he began inspecting her bruised body for more injuries and wrapped up any cuts.
"Damn, I was that bad?" Kyuu said with a slight smile as she slowly pressed the rag.
"No. No-no, it just was really close. We didn't expect him to be that good on the ground. Most birds aren't meant for fighting on land."
"It was arrogant of us to assume." She said sipping from the bottle.
"Then you had me scared for a bit when you fell."
"Yea I was hoping the fall wouldn't have been so bad...but hey, you gotta take risks to succeed."
"Still, the idea you came up with was amazing despite you falling. Yanking him out of the air like that!"
"Yeah once I figured out that he was having trouble flying, I knew I had to take advantage before he could smash me again."
As they walked out of the arena, Kyuu kept looking at San, once they had stopped talking shop about the fight, he had begun acting...odd. Like he was worried about something.
"So... you think the Inarigumi will be in there?" He said trying to straighten out his clothes and fix his woolly hair. He seemed a bit nervous as if he was expecting something bad. It troubled Kyuu, but she was confident it was nothing to worry about.
"No clue. Though I'm not too banged up that I can't handle those wenches." She said tapping the blades stowed in her ears.
"No...that's...um." Dang it...what to say to throw her off. He thought, beginning to panic. He knew where this could go if she found out.
"What? If they start anything, I'll make 'em' regret- wait...wait a minute." Suddenly it all came together. He wants to see them. "Hey!" She shouted
Dang it now she knows for sure. He thought this is going to be a miserable conversation.
"Tell me you're not still thinking about that white fox?" She questioned. Her mouth was ajar from shock when it became clear that was exactly what was on his mind. "You are! Aren't you?"
"No... okay, maybe a little." He said as he sped up trying to avoid talking more about it. It was futile, this was a landmine and he was caught in the blast radius with no escape.
"San! She's a carnivore!"
"She's a nice-looking carnivore."
"Really?" She asked, deadpan. "That's your reasoning? That's why you would even consider her in the first place? Because she's attractive?"
I don't know... she's really pleasant to look at and her fur looks soft and I can just imagine how it would feel nuzzled against my wool." He said with a sigh, mind wandering distantly from where he was. It was dizzying just thinking of her.
Kyuu stared at him dumbfounded. The hell? She was thinking. This crooked fox had him so smitten...what a disgrace.
"At first, I was afraid, but now... I mean... deep under that rough exterior, probably a nice girl once you get to know her. The more I think about her...I feel nice and warm."
"Her teeth are nice too. Nice and sharp. Don't forget that." She said glaring at him.
"Hey! You had a crush on Gouhin-sama! He had sharp teeth!" He said leaning down to point at her face.
The utter contempt on her face from that accusation was fierce, but she couldn't hide her true feelings from the camelid. San was fortunate the rabbit actually respected him or she would have snapped his finger in half for even making such a comment.
Kyuu had indeed idolized the panda growing up, even basing parts of her chimera off of him. San knew she had feelings for him, but he never returned them because he was married and she was much too young for him. She was like a daughter to him and she had to come to terms with that.
"That was a long time ago San!" She said, defending herself.
"Uh-huh, long time ago... yet you still smoke the same brand as him!" San said, narrowing his eyes at her, not buying that claim at all. She was being a hypocrite in his mind.
"It's a good brand! Besides this Priscilla you're fawning over is nothing like Master. He abandoned his urges. That fox is just low-life gumi' scum. They all are, especially that loud-mouthed runt! Oh, and don't forget they sent her to kill me! Who knows what they will do to us when we aren't useful to them anymore?"
"I know...but part of me is wondering what if it could work out? Maybe I can smooth things over with her? We could benefit from it." He paused and said what he really wanted to say. "Look, I just want to know what it would be like to have a girlfriend, alright? I never really had the chance to talk to females."
"And you chose a conniving killer as your first attempt? Do you see the issue here? She's a market gangster! Besides you're talking to me aren't you?" She asked, insulted. "I'm female. What are you trying to say?"
"No, I mean..." He said frowning, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. This was a losing battle for him, she'd never see reason.
"What?!" She asked. "Spit it out Livestock #3!"
He hated when she used the number version to address him.
"Don't call me that!"
"It's your name! She said. "That's what they called us in the tower. The same type of people as this Priscilla that you're fawning over. The ones that had us practically living day by day, just waiting to be chosen and put to sleep."
That was true, that was all they existed for back then. He was aware of this, but he also knew that once they had escaped that life with Mr. Gouhin there was more to people, to carnivores, than what their childhood had taught them. Kyuu didn't get that though. She held onto that hatred of them, and she used that hatred to survive.
"Well you've always been so focused on fighting and you're training, well I never, really wanted to get in the way of that..." He shouted. "And who are you to judge Kyuu? Who are we really? You kill and maim just to make a living and I'm your partner! I...even my hands are stained with blood." He said, his hands shook and his eyes twitched as he thought about that night.
"We're doing it to survive! They do it because they can! They get off on it."
"Don't give me that! Don't you?! You like to fighting." He shouted back towering over her with his hands on his hip. "We could have found work outside of the market or helped Gouhin-sama at his clinic. But no, you chose this, you chose this life and I stuck with you. Just admit it, you are just doing this because you hate Carnivores." He barked at her with his fist clenched. The rabbit was taken aback as the llama stood over her fuming. This was the angriest she had ever seen him. She didn't wish to fight with him, so she took a deep breath, calmed down, and tried to reason with him.
"Okay, San..." She said in a soft tone. "Why is she, of all people, the first girl you want to pursue a relationship with?"
"Well, it's not like I have many options considering where we live! He said.
"What about the grocer from the convenience store? What's her name? The nice sheep girl?"
San shook his head; she was grasping at straws. "Matilda? If you would actually go in more, you'd know she has someone already! Besides she's just being nice to me because that's her job."
She sighed and shook her head, slipping a cig between her lips. She wasn't going to get through to him. He was set on doing this. "San, you are going to get eaten alive by those monsters, mark my words."
"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. I mean haven't asked yet!" He said folding his arms. That was true, he hadn't even approached her yet. She only really shot him flirty looks whenever she was there when they visit Mr. Baraki's office. Each time, his instincts were telling him to forget it. Yet... now he felt compelled to go through with asking her.
"Yet." She pointed out growing tired of this. "Sorry that Moon girl even mentioned her boss' crush on you. I'm going to beat her even harder next time we go at it."
"Look if we see them up there, and she asks me out, don't be surprised if I accept!" He said letting out an exasperated sigh. "Hmph."
"If you end up on their table instead of her bed, don't be surprised when I don't come to save you, because you will be on your own there." She said increasing her pace away from him, intending to end the conversation.
"Kyuu? KYUU!" He shouted as he caught up with her and grabbed her by the arm. "I know the risks."
She winced from her injuries, but still stared at him intensely with her good eye, stubbornly standing by her opinion. "I'm done speaking on the matter San. You're a fool if you pursue a relationship with her."
"You, yourself said you got to take risks to succeed, well I'm willing." He said
"Don't twist my words." She said scowling at him.
"You put your life on the line all the time. If you want to live so dangerously, I should at least get to choose to do so as well. It's only fair." He said.
"Fair? Nothing in this life is fair, San." She said ripping her arm away as she stormed off. "You of all people should know that."