Fight! ...like you're Gods and Monsters!
23 Oct 2017Jubei Himura
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the main event!”
Spotlights waved about and fireworks burst close to the eighty meter high ceiling on cue. In response, the crowd in the arena exploded into a fury of cheering, shouting, screaming, and applause. People from all over the Pegasi sector were in attendance; sharp suited execs, grizzled mercs, robed cultists, all mingling with the colours and tattoos of the various pirate clans. They came for a show of brutality and strength. Although the event was shorter than expected so far, that’s just what they got.
Sixty people signed up for the tournament and now all but two were eliminated. Most matches lasted between three and five minutes, but these last two fighters finished most of their matches within one minute. Each of the finalists had dominated their respective battles. One through sheer overpowering strength, the other through speedy counters and deadly accuracy.
The announcer surveyed the onlookers with a satisfied smile, taking in all the energy put forth by the rowdy crowd. He was dressed in eccentric colours to draw as much attention as he could. A top hat completed his jovial, almost renaissance inspired outfit that was meant to be a mockery of Imperial style. The announcer took a step forward, raising the microphone to his mouth and his fist to the sky.
“Tonight, on the eve of January nineteenth, thirty-three-oh-three, we are going to witness a battle royale between a modern-day David and Goliath!”
The crowd lit up once again in response to the announcer. He lived for this. There was nothing like having a mass of people following and cheering every word. He was in control, directing the marvellous, intoxicating energy where it was needed.
“The first day hosted the preliminaries. The weak were weeded out to make way for the strong and deserving. On the second day we watched the quarterfinals. What a brutal showing of pure violent magic as we watched the strong warriors beat each other senseless!”
Again the roars and the cheers split the air.
“My friends, there had to be sacrifices to make way for the worthy combatants of the Semi-finals! And from those bloody battles two days ago, come two of the strongest, most brutal, and most efficient fighters the ‘pits have ever seen!”
The holoscreens on either side of the arena’s scoreboard lit up and showed silhouettes of the two finalists. One looked to be an average sized, athletic man. The other was the shape of a large, well muscled hulk.
“In the blue corner: a man seemingly returned from the dead. He has decimated every challenger that was unfortunate enough to face him. Cold, calculating, and animalistic. This fighter has become a favourite for his cat-like counterattack style, often winning with a single blow.
“I present: Hunter Lionheart!”
Again the crowd roared, this time there was chanting of “Hun-ter! Hun-ter!”
Jubei walked out of the blue entrance to a myriad of similar coloured pyrotechnics. It was convenient that no one had figured out that Hunter Lionheart was actually Jubei Himura, an undercover Inquisitor from the Empire. Perhaps it wasn’t just convenience, but that someone decided not to reveal that information to the masses yet. Jubei shook his head to clear his thoughts and started his march toward the ring.
The lights turned and engulfed Jubei in their brilliant beams. Assistants from the stadium had rubbed a type of oil on toned but scarred torso and his muscles and now they shone in the warmth of the spotlights. He raised his arm to shield his good eye against the harsh glare. The green of his loose fitting combat pants appeared washed away in the light, only the deep black of the tabi boots remaining. His hair had gotten longer during his time on the station, brushed back and only parted by the string of his eye patch. On his arms he wore leather vambraces, plated with lightweight duranium.
He jumped down onto the dirt covered center where the fighters waged their battles. As he landed, the blue flash of more fireworks burst in the air, expertly timed by the stage crew. The crowd surged in response and the announcer’s voice sounded once again.
“In the red corner, the mountain of pure muscle, whose sheer strength brought annihilation to his opponents. Every one of his matches was unadulterated brutality mixed with utter dominance. No matter the barrage, this man just shrugged it off and prevailed in every match!
“Ladies and gentlemen, your home-station hero: Stryker Aune!“
A large man strode confidently into the arena showered in a thundering applause and red pyrotechnics. The size of him easily dwarfed Jubei in height and muscle mass. One of his biceps could have been the size of Jubei’s leg. He clenched his fist, swung at the door he entered through and smashed it, throwing the heavy metal remains into the connecting hallway.
The crowed roared in response. Clearly, Stryker knew his audience. He turned slowly and met Jubei’s gaze and glared. There was no response from Jubei but Stryker expected that, his opponent couldn't be intimidated. This display was for the crowd. Stryker made his way to the center, flexing and rubbing his arms as he walked. Spotlights lit up his oiled torso and accentuated his already impressive physique. The men in the crowd marveled at his body with jealousy as their women whooped and whistled.
Stryker climbed nonchalantly into the fighting pit and looked around at the crowds. Usually not one for such theatrics, he was actually a little embarrassed at the mass amount of attention, but today he sucked it up and used it as fuel for his determination. He had to win this. Jubei had to fall.
The large man turned, glaring at Jubei once again and raised his fist in the air to an explosion of of red fireworks.
* * * * *
“He certainly looks the part,” Nicholas said. He watched the display over his shoulder while leaning against the railing of the VIP section. “I might even have reservations about betting on Jubei.”
“You don’t think Stryker will win?”
The former Imperial looked back into the room. There were only a few people who were permitted to use this room. Those few were the executive branch of the Black Omega, Marrakesh Morgan and Deggie DeVerre. Both sat in luxurious chairs and were being served various hors d'oeuvre.
“No, I don’t,” Nicholas replied. “I’ve seen Jubei really fight, back in my Legion days.”
“Enlighten us then,” Marra inquired.
“We had fighting tournaments back in the Legion. Any time Jubei was on station, he was there fighting and enjoying every minute of it. I watched him defeat every Legion member that challenged him. Only our best fighter, Cassius, was able to pose a challenge to him. But when Cassius tried to stop me from leaving, Jubei was able to knock him out with ease.”
“Pegasi fighters don’t fight like fancy-pants Imperials Locke,” Deggie laughed. “You know that personally.”
Nicholas smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, but few people in the galaxy fight like him.”
“That may be, but our man has sufficient motivation,” Marra retorted. “My money’s on Stryker.”
Nicholas snorted and turned back toward the fighting pit. “For his sake, I hope you’re right.”
* * * * *
“Fighters ready?” the announcer shouted to the two men.
“You ready for this, kid?” asked Jubei.
“Just shut up and fight,” Stryker snapped. He clenched his fist and claw, positioning them in front of his face.
“Good. Come at me with everything you got.”
The announcer raised his hand in response to the the men’s words and then threw it down.
“FIGHT!”
Stryker moved forward readying his attack, while Jubei just stood in place and glared. The large man rushed forward, lashing out with his mechanical claw. Jubei raised his left arm and deflected the assault in a shower of sparks from the metal on metal contact. The smaller man started to lower himself, never breaking eye contact or changing his facial expression. He pulled his right hand into position for a brutal forward punch, but that punch never came.
Jubei’s face twisted to shock as Stryker’s left fist made contact with his abdomen. The force of the blow was so great that Jubei was thrown back a few feet, clearly feeling the effects of the hit as he folded his arms over his stomach. Only training and willpower kept Jubei on his feet as he skidded to a stop.
“I’ve watched your matches, ‘Hunter’,” Stryker mocked the name that Jubei was known by. “I told you I’m not a kid. You don’t have to hold back with me.”
Jubei unfolded his arms and rose back to a standing position. He turned toward Stryker with a devilish smile. “Oh? Let’s test that out, shall we?”
The smaller Imperial raised his left leg and stomped it on the ground in a horse straddle stance, holding his right arm to his side and his left tucked in with his fist toward Stryker. Jubei then moved into a standing position with his right arm bent high beside his head and his left was in front of his torso, hands flexed into claws.
The two men stood staring at each other for what seemed like long moments as they each sized up the other. There was a tension in the crowd who patiently waited the few seconds that were actually passing by.
Suddenly the smaller man dashed forward at incredible speed, catching the bigger man by surprise. With no time to block or deflect, Stryker simply flexed his midsection against the onslaught of punches that came. Jubei was working his body, attempting to wear down the muscle. The large man grabbed the aggressive Imperial by the neck and held him in the air, readying a powerful blow with his augmented fist. Jubei quickly gripped Stryker’s wrist, pressing just below the bone and twisted, causing the hulking giant to release. Once free, Jubei spun around the big man’s arm and caught Styker in the chin with a savage upwards kick, causing him to stagger backwards.
Landing lightly on his feet, the nimble Imperial shot toward the giant once again. He jumped in the air and lashed out with a brutal, downwards punch to Stryker’s head. The bodybuilder barely had time to react, but turned to counter the assault. Stryker grabbed Jubei’s arm and twisted around, redirecting the aggression and used it to slam the Imperial to the ground. Stryker had to step back as Jubei twisted his body around, kicking out as he got back to his feet.
His actions are more aggressive and quicker than in the other matches, Stryker mused as Jubei got back into his demonesque fighting stance. Wait? With that speed he should have been able to avoid my attacks, but he’s not. Is he sacrificing defense for offence? If I move a bit quicker, I can use that to my advantage.
Just as Stryker was finishing his thought, Jubei launched at the hulking man once again. Stryker anticipated the attack and thrust his knee out to counter. Just before his knee connected with the smaller Imperial, Jubei dropped to the ground and slid underneath the large man. Quickly getting back to his feet, Jubei unleashed a brutal thrust-kick that sent the giant to the ground once again.
“Come on,” the Imperial muttered under his breath. “Get up, get angry. Prove me right and fight harder!”
Stryker coughed as he attempted to get to his knees but faltered and collapsed on the ground. A scowl formed on Jubei’s face, and he walked toward the fallen Black Omega enforcer. Every step was heavy and deliberate, like a countdown to an impending doom.
Jubei came to stand above Stryker and raised his right hand, his palm turned upward toward the lights. “If this is all you have, if this is all you can muster, then you’ll never take what you deserve. Never achieve any level of greatness. People you wish to protect will die, lives lost because you couldn’t rise up.”
The Imperial clenched his hand into a tight fist. His knuckles turned a ghastly shade of white. “Perhaps the honourable thing to do would be to put you out of your misery.”
Stryker’s instinct was screaming. He could see the malice and disappointment in Jubei’s eye, like a crimson and purple flame flickering with death. Stryker had to move, and had to move now.
Jubei pulled his fist back and brought it thundering down. Sharp pillars of dirt and dust shot into the air as a loud, ominous, boom sounded from the impact. Debris rained down upon the ground, creating a cloud of dust that covered the fighting area. Both Jubei and whatever was left of Stryker were blocked out of sight.
It was suddenly silent in the arena, as everyone in attendance held their breath in anticipation.
* * * * *
Deggie narrowed his eyes, set his jaw, and gripped the arms of his seat tightly. This event was horribly familiar, but the Don of Black Omega couldn’t place it at that moment. Deggie shook his head, regained his composure and sat back down. His face remained as stone while his thoughts were desperately trying to remember the source of his momentary panic.
“Concerned for Stryker?” Nicholas asked in hushed tones.
“No,” the Don replied. “I’ve seen that smash technique somewhere before.”
Nicholas shrugged. “Really? That one’s new to me, and I’ve seen him fight before.”
“Then maybe you don’t know him as well as you think,” Deggie stated coldly. I know I’ve seen that a couple of years ago. Maybe I still have the holofac…
* * * * *
“Hm, good. Now you understand?”
The dust and airborne debris slowly dissipated from the central arena, showing Jubei as he stood facing the crowd beyond the barriers of the fighting pit. His breathing was heavy, as if trying to regain a measure of control. Only his shoulders and chest moved with a smooth, rhythmic nature. After a moment of quiet assessment, he turned to face the one he had spoken to.
The crowd erupted into a spectacular cheer as the dust cleared away from where Stryker knelt. The large man locked eyes with the smaller Imperial as he slowly stood up. His face hardened into one of pure resolve.
“Yeah, I understand,” the enforcer stated as he starting running at the inquisitor.
Jubei returned to his demonic stance. “Show me.”
As Stryker neared, both he and Jubei wound back their right fist. Each caught the other’s punch in the opposing hand, trying to overpower the each other with pure raw strength. Had this happened at the start of the match, Stryker would have easily dominated the smaller man, but the battle had taken its toll on the bodybuilder and he found himself struggling. He only smiled at this eventuality, lifted his head, and brought it crashing down on Jubei’s face.
The impact was so great that the Imperial tumbled backwards and fell to the ground, clearly not prepared for the headbutt. Jubei staggered back to his feet with an excited smile and dashed back toward Stryker, unleashing a fury of punches. The enforcer held his ground, blocking and countering with his own series of attacks.
“Yes, that’s it! More!” Jubei’s voice came to Stryker amidst the chaos. “But I’m not stopping, and you’re running out of gas. What are you going to do Stryker? What can you do?”
The Imperial was right. Stryker felt the strain on his body as the fight continued. Yet at the same time, he was keeping up with Jubei. What was wrong with the battle-hardened veteran? Someone with Jubei’s years of combat experience should know to pace himself to survive the fight, even with that aggressive fighting style. Then it came to Stryker in a brilliant epiphany,
I’m still physically stronger than Jubei. So naturally, I hit harder than he does! Stryker smiled at the new revelation. He may have landed more blows, but I’ve done more damage.
Both men leapt at each other at the same time, leaving visible divots in the ground. The enforcer led the dance with a powerful punch, but Jubei knocked it aside and countered with an inside elbow to the solar plexus. The Imperial then looked up to Stryker’s face and glared. It’s not going to be easy, you’ll have to earn it.
The enforced stared right back at the Imperial and brought a savage double hammer-fist down upon Jubei. I’m not just going to earn it, I’m going to take it from you!
Jubei crumpled to the ground from the hit. A second later he spun his legs around as he performed a kip-up and the two fighters once again exchanged blows. The Imperial continued to skillfully counter a number of Stryker’s attacks. However, as time went on, the hits that the enforcer did manage to connect took their toll on Jubei’s small frame. The Imperial’s movements had slowed slightly and he winced when he blocked the bodybuilder’s punches.
Then came Stryker’s opportunity. The Imperial overcompensated an inside block, leaving his midsection exposed. The enforcer lashed out a vicious front thrust-kick that sent a shocked Jubei back a few feet, clutching his stomach.
I can do this... no, I will do this!
Stryker didn’t hesitate, already racing toward Jubei with his left arm cocked back. He bared his teeth as he thrust his fist forward, connecting with the Imperial’s right cheekbone. The enforcer held his knuckles on Jubei’s face so that the full force of the impact could be felt and savoured. He found himself shouting as he continued with the follow-through, sending the Imperial to the ground.
Jubei allowed himself a slight smile as he struggled to push himself up. However, his arms gave out and he fell to the ground, where he remained still.
“K-O!”
The crowd erupted into a deafening roar. People chanted Stryker’s name as coloured explosions burst above. It was all a little much for the victorious Stryker as he struggled to catch his breath.
Special thanks to Stryker, Marra, and Nicholas for the use of their characters in my story.
And, as usual, many thanks to the lovely Jemine, and the dashing M. Lehman for helping me with editing!