Match of Lifetime

Today was the day. At least, Melody hoped today would be the day. In weeks prior Melody Potts, or as many would know her, Rabbit Punch, sent out a specific letter to a well-known hero who was well respected for his strength. She hadn’t heard back from him, though that may have just been because she’s bad with mail. The letter wasn’t the product of her being a fan or her wanting to arrange a team up or partnership. The letter would be a challenge. A sparring match between two heroes. More than anything she wanted to test her strength against the apparent “big leagues” of the hero scene. She wanted to see if she could actually compare to a major league hero and see what she needed to work on. She didn’t want advice, she could gauge that for herself, what she needed was to see for herself. An unrestrained match between two heavy hitters. That’d be the request anyways, whether he would follow those guidelines or even show up at all was entirely up to him.

The event wouldn’t be a public function, though it would be videotaped, more so for Melody’s own purposes. It would not be broadcasted live, what happened to the tape afterwards was another story. The only people in attendance would be a small safety team, the recording crew, the owners of the arena and their family, and her sidekick, Samuel Grayson. He, of course, was in his hero attire and going by Odd, but he insisted on cheering her on. He was good like that, someone who always had her back, to which she was grateful for.

The arena would be large. In a stadium originally built for sports, but had been repurposed as a training ground for empowered people, seeing as how they were on the rise. It’d be in the middle of Connecticut and a good hour from a major city, only having a small town around it. Melody figured the less people around the better, in case things got intense. Around the main field there would be a track and beyond that the stands which most of the onlookers resided in. A few cement blocks had been placed around the rim of the field, acting as a sort barrier to show the edges.

There would be no real rules, no killing of course. No endangering the onlookers or the town. If the fight left the arena it was to be pushed into the opposite direction of the town, into the forest where there was less of a chance for a person to be. Bones broken on purpose and other serious injuries would be looked down upon, but again, not forbidden. This was to gauge strength after all? There could only be so much holding back before it would lose all purpose altogether. Any cheap victories wouldn’t feel good or satisfying. The type of victory which would only be suitable for Mel was an absolute victory, only by pure strength and skill.

As always, she was sure of herself. She believed herself capable and as she waited she paced back and forth on the rim of the field, waiting for her opponent. With her, was Sam, smiling and talking with her about something she was only half paying attention to. She didn’t do it on purpose and he didn’t mind, they both knew each other well and the fact that he was trying still meant a lot to her.

For now, though, all she could do was wait.

“Do you know how many challenges a fuckin’ professional boxer turned hero get a fuckin’ week? A fuckin’ day? Let me say, too fuckin’ many, my deluded friend. If I accepted e’ry fuckin’ one, I’d be fightin’ every day o’ my life! While tha’ sounds fun, I got shit ta do, criminals to fuckin’ chuck off buildin’s. Ya dig? So why is this one different?”

The bespeckled agent in front of him gulped; his employer wasn’t exactly known for the nicest temperament, so he had to choose his words carefully, lest he be tossed out of the nearest window, if he was lucky. Nervously, he looked around the office. It was nice, though without the glamour these high-rises usually have. As his agent, he knew this office was only rented as an address for fans and challengers to send their mail.

”Well, sir …” He began, gulping again as the massive frame of Kubi turned to face him. The office chair he was sitting in was specially designed for him, with reinforced joints (and maybe a touch of magic) to bear his weight and frame. ”This girl is different! She’s a hero, goes by Rabbit Punch. I honestly think it’ll be good for you, get your name out more. As I’ve said, the more public you go with your intentions, the more it’ll draw the criminals out of their hidey holes.”

”Or make ‘em hide deeper.”

The Agent cleared his throat impatiently, daring to take such a tone with his employer.

”As I’ve stated … numerous times, sir, that is statistically unlikely. From the crime scene footage, the man who killed your wife was a serial narcissist and is likely to want to finish the job.”

Kubi snorted in disbelief, but it didn’t take much more cajoling to get him to agree. At the very least, it was like an exhibition match he used to put on for all the school kids, back when he was a boxer.

”Fine. If we doin’ this, we doin’ this my way.”

A chill ran up the agents back; he immediately regretted this decision.

---

He was late, as usual, with no sign of him coming. The cool, crisp air whipped up a breeze, signaling the weather was perfect for a fight, if there was to be one. And on the breeze, a slight tune of rock music. With it came the roar of a motorcycle and the music became more clear; what idiot was blaring “Bad to the Bone” loud enough to be heard from so far away?! Well, it just so happened to be her idiot. The roar of the bike got louder and louder, and suddenly as the music reached it’s crescendo, the motorcycle came flying over the walls of the stadium, landing with a crash and a flattening of the tires. The bike was huge, obviously custom built, but nothing compared to the man astride it. He simply looked too big to be allowed, a fact compounded by the leather outfit he was wearing. While good protection in case of a crash, were the tassels really necessary?

”BAD TO THE BONE!”

He sung along with the chorus off-key enough to send dogs howling, air-strumming along with the music until it faded. A grin on his face, he wiped a tear from his eye.

’Damn, tha’s a good fuckin’ song.”

As if he was going to lift it up, Kubi casually flicked the bike back over the stadium walls, only a distant crash to indicate where it might have landed. It’s fine, it was an old one anyway. Dusting his hands free of that, he turned towards who could only be Rabbit Punch. If the ears didn’t give it away, the lean muscles underneath the custom costume was a dead ringer. His knuckles cracked as he walked up to her, offering one giant, calloused hand.

”Do you know how difficult it fuckin’ is ta time yer entrance ta music? Movies make it look like a fuckin’ breeze, but it ain’t. Anyway, I’d apologize for bein’ late if it weren’t totally worth it.”

She was pretty, in a … rabbit kind of way. Normally animals weren’t his type, but he’d make an exception in this case.

”Tell ya what. Since yer a girl ‘n’ all, why don’ ya take th’ first punch? I won’ block it, I swear.”

The casual grin on his face told her more than enough; he was entirely expecting her to decline or, worse yet, take him up on his offer. As he spoke, he unzipped his jacket, tossing the material to the side and revealing his broad chest. A tattoo spread across his chest of a roaring grizzly, claws reared to attack. On anyone else it would look tacky; on him, it was frankly terrifying.

Melody’s ears flicked at the distant sound of music and the revving of the motorcycle. She had heard about this Kubi before and knew that he could go a bit overboard…but this was absolutely pushing it. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, honestly, she was just surprised this was what a top tier hero would do. Showboating was fine here and there for the camera…but this wasn’t exactly the most public event. Well, there was a camera crew but still. She wouldn’t have even minded that much if it wasn’t all that loud and obnoxious. If he had down something cool like an actual hero landing or something…but this was far from what she expected.

Then came his remarks. Those taunts and jabs. He wasn’t giving her any strand of respect. That didn’t sit well in her gut at all, she could feel a fire build up in her and she was ready to knock this man into next week, or even year. She felt energy surge in her fists, her feet digging into the ground. She was ready to jump in and punch this man right in his goddamn face. She’d try and wipe that dumbass look he had. Ooooooh, how she wanted to, but before she could actually move she felt a hand grasp her shoulder.

She turned and saw Sam, giving her that big dumb smile he had. She let out a breath, looking ever so slightly annoyed. “Yes, I know…treat him with respect. Introduce myself, ya think?”

Sam opened his mouth, “I think-”

Melody cut him off, “Listen. I know, but I really want to punch him. You can see that, right?”

“Rabbit, I was gonna-”

“Yes, I know. But don’t you go lecturing me. I’m your teacher, you’re my sidekick. I appreciate you saying so, and you’re right. I shouldn’t just hop in and do that, but-”

“Hey, wai-”

She put her foot down, “Don’t interrupt me!” She pouted at him, looking both annoyed and flustered, “I’m gonna handle it! But if it’s bothering you so much, then fine…I’ll go play nice at first, then I’ll get to it, alright?”

Sam, sighed. He rubbed the back of his head, still grinning dumbly at her. “Alright, but can I finish what I was going to say?”

“Fine.”

Sam chuckled a bit, then leaned in a bit. “I was gonna say, when you go in for the punch aim for that chin. He freaking has it coming.” He nodded at her, his grin now seeming almost devious, a foreign look for Sam. Melody approved.

She blinked at him at first, then she grinned at him and nodded, that fiery smirk coming back to her face. “Alright, I got it.” She would turn now, looking back to her opponent. He was standing there, looking so punchable. Even Sam thought she shouldn’t give away a free shot. What choice did she honestly have? She had to go in, but of course, boxing 101 you don’t just strike without thought or go in swinging randomly, she had to work her way through it.

She’d raise a hand, taking steps towards him at a steady pace. It looked as if she was greeting him, as if she was going to welcome him. Even her smile seemed welcoming despite its previous annoyance. Once she was a good thirty feet away from him, though, the expression would suddenly change. A narrow, determined look would suddenly shift onto her expression. It looked almost angry, but Mel felt calm in this moment. Her knees were bent down and she’d dart forward at an impressive speed, like a car zooming by. Once she was close enough she’d throw a punch forward, right towards his upper face, looking as if she was aiming for his nose.

But that was just a feint. She was a boxer after all.

The punch would rear back at the last moment, pulling to her side as her form twisted on her feel. She shifted her position and her back leg would swing around. She tried to sidekick the man, aiming right for his chin. In boxing, a hard enough strike to the chin would briefly stun a person. Did something to mess up the motor section of the brain or something, she never really looked into it, she just knew that’s how it worked. The force of her kick would be empowered in addition to the speed, it’d have enough force to break through a brick wall. She suspected that Kubi was more than strong enough to take a hit like that, this was just to gauge him. See how much force she could really put into her swings.

Regardless, whether the kick landed or not, she’d still try and hop back from him, keeping herself low, her knees bent and her fists tight. She was in a defensive stance, but one that allowed movement. Her eyes would be locked on him, provided he had not moved much. She’d open her mouth, sounding proud and motivated as she spoke. “The name’s Rabbit Punch. You better freakin’ take this seriously, you bastard."

There it was. The rage of fire in his eyes he loved so much. It’s why he acted so infuriating, said what he said. A brief conversation with whom he could only assume was her sidekick, the actual words lost to the wind and slight murmuring of the camera crews, and she off. Oh, what a fake smile, and Kubi responded in kind; an absolute viper of a smile, one reeking of sarcastic condescension. It was coming, he knew it, the ever-familiar tingle of a fight creeping into his limbs. His first instinct was to dodge, second was to block the attack he knew was coming; but no, he made a promise.

And to break a promise to such a pretty girl would practically be a sin.

She started with a feint, a practical move and one he would likely do himself, if he cared to ever try; normally he could just brute-force his way through most situations. Oh, she was good too. A normal person would never see the kick coming. Even he could barely pick it out. She was skilled, he had to give her that, each motion controlled and measured so as not to give it away. Regardless, it would have been so easy to dodge, this rabbit chick may as well have been moving in slow motion, but he didn’t. Again he made a promise, and he intended to keep it.

The kick hit like a truck, eddies of wind scurrying around his head, sending his shaggy brown hair flying. He felt the force in his neck, in his face muscles, and then the pain. Like an iron-hot brand, it seared its way straight into his brain, threatening to overwhelm his senses. He hadn’t had a kick like that since he told Masaki she looked fat in those jeans. His jaw tightened, fighting against the irresistible urge to throw his head to help deal with the force; his bones might not thank him later, but his pride certainly would. Yet through all this, his raw, irritating smirk remained. As rabbit chick backed off, he took a moment to rotate his shoulders and rub the spot that she hit. To his surprise, it was tender, and he knew there was going to be a bruise there later.

He hadn’t been bruised in damn near a decade.

”Cute. Let me show ya how a real fuckin’ man does it.”

The bear on his chest seemed to roar with life, tattoo’s glowing bronze. This color extended to his limbs, ending in ripping claws. With a roar, he slammed these hands onto the ground, sending a shockwave of force through the ground. Cracks formed before large swaths of the area ruptured, bits of rock and chunks of earth flying every which way. A plume of dust obscured the area, torn from the ground by the sudden violence. An area easily twenty feet in diameter surrounded them, full of cracked and pitted land. A burst of force erupted from somewhere in the middle of this dust cloud, parting it to reveal the giant of a man once again, wearing what could only be described as a smug smirk. The bear-like armor had faded, leaving only the eyes of his tattoo glowing faintly.

The ground collapsed under his feet as he walked, his massive weight compressing the earth back into the ground. He was unfazed by the uneven ground, only approaching Melody, but with what intent? He was hard to read, the casual stance he took, now ten feet from her, not aggressive nor defensive, a passive counter to her professional boxing stance. He had to admit, he was impressed.

”Gotta say, you’re quite impressive. Despite that, I’ll give ya one more chance t’ give up. I don’t wanna hurt a girl on camera, ya dig?”

Honestly, she had expected that. If a big-league hero went down after a simple kick like that then she would be leagues ahead of them. It was a good. This would actually be a challenge, and while her goal wasn’t necessarily to win, she sure as hell didn’t want to lose to this guy. He was a complete and utter asshole, a prick who was full of himself because he had some powers. It didn’t matter how strong this guy was, she was gonna give him hell for all that annoying bolstering. And if he tried to play it off as some dumb lesson, as if he was trying to teach her something like ‘don’t let others goad you into attacking or acting foolishly’ kind of bullshit she was gonna cuss him out.

Then came more words, more attempts to goad her.  Sexist words at that. But following the words, that’s when the real power came, the real demonstration of what he could. Even standing as far as she was she could feel the force, the pressure of his ability. It was a wild and almost wicked feeling power, at least from her position. Even still she couldn’t back down now. She wouldn’t allow herself to back out so easily. Especially after all that goading and seeing that annoying, taunting smirk of his.

Rabbit Punch let out a good laugh at the man’s question, that determined smirk of hers broadening. “Ha! You don’t need to worry about any of that nonsense. You couldn’t hurt a dandelion.” There was an audible crack from her fists as she rolled fingers, cracking the knuckles, “You should be worried about your own damn image and how much I’m gonna run it through the mud.”

There was a downward force, an almost gravitational pull breaking the ground beneath him. Was it the sheer weight of his ego breaking it? Or was he pulling the energy around him causing the break? She couldn’t be sure. Though, with the energy she had built up…she probably could take any pressure he put down and take about any punch he could throw. Probably. She still had to really measure what this guy could do. But taking pointless hits…she’d still work to dodge, but she wouldn’t gain any ground just standing around.

She lowered herself, one knee bending, the other leg stretching. She placed one hand in front of the other, gripping the ground tightly. She almost looked like a feral animal, even with the perked up rabbit ears. It wasn’t a normal fighting stance, far from a boxing position. She gritted her teeth together, giving a wild sort of grin, though it was filled with determination and fervor. “You know…I almost thought of respectin’ ya! But with all that talk you’re spittin’ out I realize that more than anything…I just wanna kick that ugly, fat ass of yours.”

She seemed to pull back a bit before giving a hard hop to the left, using a small burst of energy to propel her at a quicker speed, trying to get out of his line of sight. As soon as she landed she’d hop again, trying to get to the man’s back, though still remaining outside of that field of energy and shattering rock. Once behind him though she’d launch her attack. In a quick dash forward, provided there were no outside means to stop her. Once in the brunt of the output of the man’s energy she’d hope that her energy shield would be enough to withstand it threw at her. Though her assault wouldn’t take place from behind. She’d simply dart past him, trying to slide between his legs. From there, she’d try and hop up, attempting to give the man a powerful uppercut, emitting enough energy in it to bend and potential break steel. She would up the bar a little further, but still not giving it all she had.

”Y’ got quite th’ mouth on ya, girl. I like that. Hopefully, y’ cin be as smart when yer defeated.”

Of course, Kubi had no intention of actually hitting her; she was a girl, strong or not, and Kubi just couldn’t bring himself to do it, no matter the threat. Restrain? Sure. Grope a little? Probably not, unless she asked for it. With the ferocious expression on her face, that was unlikely … but hey, stranger things have happened. As she got into a ready position, Kubi, too, began to get ready. Not by anything as simple as slipping into a boxing stance or taking his opponent seriously, oh no. Slowly, he began to stretch, working out every muscle, rolling his shoulders, then down his arms and stomach then finally his legs, bending the massive muscles like putty. He was quite flexible for such a large guy.

He had a few options here, but really, he had every plan to just take the hit. Not many things in this world could injure him, y’know; and this led to his confidence and, some would say, arrogance. She was doing something, an odd, feral-like crouch heralding some sort of movement. Kubi wasn’t worried, he never was, but he did feel a bit of anxiety the moment she moved and completely disappeared from sight. That was more worrying than whatever that crouch thing was. Quickly slipping into combat mode, he checked right, left- nothing. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly felt a presence between his legs, and-

The pain hit him like a sledgehammer against an old TV. Were he any less durable, it is incredibly likely that the uppercut would have shattered his skull from jawbone to cranium. As it was, his head flung backwards, the sheer force pushing him back several steps. An unprecedented reaction, especially for the opening stages of a fight. To say Kubi was shocked would be the understatement of the century. Slowly, he lowered his neck, the throbbing only worsening as his neck straightened. A trickle of blood ran down his lip where it had been slammed into his teeth. His tongue darted out to lick it clean off his lips, the salty, coppery taste a familiar one to him. It brought him back to his days running the streets of Hokkaido.

”Well. Looks like y’ got some fuckin’ claws, dontcha?”

His neck cracked as he twisted it, a jolt of pain running down his spine, which he ignored. Ultimately, he had to make a decision; Rabbit Punch was possibly one of the more dangerous foes he’s faced, even though this was supposed to be a friendly brawl. He was gonna have to get a tad bit serious. No more holding back … or at least, not holding back nearly as much. Almost the same instant he came to this conclusion, he slipped into a traditional boxer’s stance; if she knew anything about the sport, his stance suggested he was a Slugger, a style focusing on strong, single punches that often left the opponent open to counterattack. But at the same time, a brown mist swirled around him, his full body this time, quickly solidifying into the fearsome image of a bear superimposed over his body, almost like armor. When he moved, it moved, and he was still visible through the brown creature surrounding him.

”Alright. Rabbit Punch, was it? Fuck, y’ kids ‘re gettin’ less ‘n’ less original as th’ years pass.” He shook his head, the bear repeating the gesture, flapping ears and all. ”Anyway. Rabbit Punch or whatever the fuck y’ go by. What say its time t’ get serious?”

And suddenly, he was off, the ground shattering under his foot as he darted towards her. There was more power now, and speed as well. His strength was doubled, speed tripled. And more importantly, his agility, and by extension reflexes, was tripled as well. While this put him at the upper levels of his Kuma Ikari, it was worth it. His fist whistled as it flew, aiming for the gut of the girl, but he fully expected it to be blocked, deflected, or miss in some way, despite the speed. He’s seen her display, it was still nowhere near as fast as she was. Nah, this was a test. A way to stretch his muscles before the real fight.

Things were heating up now.

As the man’s head went backward Mel decided to hop back, giving him a second to recover. Maybe he wasn’t as tough as she thou-her eyes narrowed at the man as he spoke. Nope. He was plenty tough. She didn’t like him, but she could give credit where it was due. He could take a punch, most would’ve faltered at that. And by the way he spoke to her she knew that she was in for a long haul. She couldn’t take it as easy anymore. She still had a good chunk of her energy left, but…against him it may not last long. She didn’t want to have to rely on her other means of gaining energy, but…if she wanted to win, and she did want to win, at least now she did, she may have to.

Then, it had all happened in an instant. The declare of getting serious which had caused Melody to instinctively hop back again and take a defensive stance. There would be no sign of fear or worry in her expression, not even a slight stir. Solely, she acknowledged the strength of her opponent and that fact alone called for some caution. She, of course, still planned to attack him. There would be no doubt in that, but if she rushed into a guy like this she’d be smacked down to the ground before she’d get another good hit in.

He charged in, throwing a fist forward. He was faster than before and she could tell with that pull back that it’d pack quite the punch. What did that leave her? Dodging? Blocking? A parry? She could’ve done any of those, she had time and the means to, but…wouldn’t he expect that? He did seem to know a good deal about her fighting style. If she wanted to get the upper hand she’d have to try and throw him off his game somehow.

The answer had presented itself to her and…it was a risky one. But the answer also stood for, at least in her mind, what a hero should do. What a hero is. What a hero does. They stand ready to take danger on, not only to defend against it, but to fight against it. Push it back. To be a counter force to it.

That determined fiery gaze came back to her expression, a wild grin replacing that annoyed grimace. She pressed her left leg back and pulled back her fist. When his fist came flying towards her gut she’d throw her right forward, an underhanded strike that would twist forward. Instead of blocking or parrying or even dodging, she slammed her fist against his, the energy surging out of her like a jackhammer. The release of energy would be twice the amount from her last strike, her goal to force the man’s fist back.

Regardless of whether or not her attempt to take on the danger head on was a success the release of energy would be immense, causing a minor shockwave and gust to pick up around them. It would surge out from where they stood and pulsed out towards the stands were the crew filming watched. They all head onto the equipment, stopping it from falling over. One of the men had lost their hat, flying off into the air, only for Sam to open up a portal a catch. He promptly returned it when the gust died down.

However, unbeknownst to the crew, to the heroes, and to anyone else around, there was another set of eyes watching from the stands. The man had a pair of binoculars and was watching with small slit of smile, a devious impressed look about him. He gave a small shake of his head, “Absolute monsters…”

Back at the battlefield, Melody let out a few breaths as she hopped back from him. Her fist was stilling ringing, shaking from that last strike. It was a strange idea, but hopefully it had phased him a little bit. She made a quick hop to the side, keeping the same speed she had been, it wasn’t quite time to really show off how fast she could go. But for the meantime, she was prepping for her second strike, moving around to his back end, trying to get into a blind spot.

Regardless of whether or not she got there, when she was a good few feet away she’d leap back. In the air she brought up a knee to her chest, twirled, and then extended out, attempting to slam it into his side. The twirl would’ve slowed it down a little bit, most likely giving him time to react in some way, though the energy she planned to release it’d be three times the power of the chin shot. Her kicks were always more powerful than her punches.

She didn’t like having to attack so much, it was relentless, but against Kubi she couldn’t let up.

Kubi could laugh. A full-on belly laugh, complete with holding his sides and doubling over. Oh, not out of derision or a desire to mock her, but purely because she was so clever. They were in similar situations, not that either of them knew it, or would admit it if pointed out; physical powerhouses, forced to use their skill and experience in more unique ways to outwit the opponent. Kubi had to admit, it was nice to have to think in a fight for once. Rabbit Punch was everything a hero should be; strong, powerful, assertive. Looks hot as hell in spandex. Hell, Kubi wished he looked that good, he was jealous.

Their fists collided, and were it not for enhanced measures of his Kuma Ikari, Kubi knew that the strength would be enough to break every bone in his hand. Thankfully, Kubi was matching her so far, if barely. This was going to turn into an “unstoppable force meets an immovable object” scenario, and gods be damned, Kubi was loving it. He hoped she found a way to beat his arrogant ass. She almost deserved it by this point. An explosion of pure force cleared the ground of any dust, leaving only the bare stone, and continued to almost topple the filming equipment. That was fine; they were kept intact enough to capture the fierce grin on Kubi’s face.

They matched each other's next movement, hopping back on the balls of their feet (though Melody did it with significantly more grace than the admittedly-lumbering giant did). Kubi’s fist was ringing; she had done a remarkable amount of damage, well done. In fact … cracks had started to form in the bear claw that covered his hand. Quite a bit of power in that tiny fist of hers, then. The cracks in his armor, quite literally in this case, reformed after a bit of a flush, but it left him shaking his hand out. Oh, it was numb. His hand was completely motherfucking numb. This was great.

”So what, ya don’ believe in talkin’ t’ yer opponents? That’s fuckin’ rude, ya know. Here I am, tryin’ ta make conversation, and yer jus’ ignorin’ me.”

Of course, Kubi didn’t really care, he was just messing with her, trying to get in her head, determine what kind of hero she was. See if she was really worth all this effort. Very few people were, but this chick … she was shaping up to be top fuckin’ tier. Lets see if she could keep up the impressive streak. She moved again, streaking away from him at frankly impressive speeds, but Kubi was prepared this time. His own speed was buffed, his reflexes and agility even more so. As the kick was brought down on him, he spun, his arm rising in a right angle to block it. Kicks were, in general, stronger than punches, just by virtue of the leg muscles being denser and stronger the upper body. He didn’t try to block it outright. Rather, his armbar was met at her ankle, quickly sweeping his arm to the right.

The result of this was, of course, to take a great portion of the force out of the kick. If he had taken it full frontal, it would likely have shattered even the bones in his arm, with or without Kuma Ikari. This way, while at the same time pivoting on his left foot, she was entirely diverted, basically pushed to a point past him where her kick was entirely inaffective. Her agility and reflexes were likely enough for her to land on her feet, she fought like a wild fucking animal after all, but it did give Kubi plenty of time to retaliate. He took the time to breathe; a single, deep breath. The world was clear, his target perfectly outlined in front of him.

And his fist flew, the very air swirling, aimed for the very vulnerable ribcage of his opponent.

Melody’s eyes narrowed as the large, bear of a man laughed. She could tell it wasn’t the mocking sort of laugh, but damn if it was not an annoying sound to her. She hated people like this. He was strong, very strong, probably the strongest thing she had ever fought. But he was also an asshole. He wasn’t what she thought he should be. He didn’t seem like a good a hero, more like someone with power trying to flaunt it for attention or for admiration. It was a show to him, at least that’s how she felt. And yes, it was important to be a bit showy as a hero. She did it. Hell, she had merchandise, been on talk shows, interviews, and so forth. But he seemed to lack something she was desperately trying to find in him.

As they collided once more she was sent back a good few feet she let out a few heavy breaths. She felt an intense pain growing in her arms and legs. Was she already running out of juice? The energy she managed to generate acted as a shield against most kinds of damage, but the fact she was feeling pain meant one of two things. Either she was running low on energy, which was hard to tell at the moment due to the intensity of the fight, or he was strong enough to pierce through the barrier and actually damage her. If that was the case her shield would be more of a cushion than a shield and even that wouldn’t last long. If she wanted to beat him she would have to finish this sooner rather than later. It would be a war of attrition and that was one war she wouldn’t be able to win.

She clicked her tongue as she heard him speak, glaring up at the man. “Callin’ me rude means jackshit coming from you.” She shot back, still maintaining her fighting stance. He hadn’t managed to pierce through her yet, he hadn’t goaded her into something dumb. It’d take a lot more than just some simple teasing to get her. The online fan blogs she occasionally read over were much worse, aggravating, and…occasionally creepy. More than often creepy. “She didn’t want to think about it” creepy.

She did in fact land on her feet, but before she could even process what was happening next Kubi was once more upon her. He was fast. Faster than a man his size should be. Just another thing that was aggravating about the man. She saw the sudden fist coming towards her ribs, it was a common shot in boxing, but with his speed at the angle they stood…there was little she could to do prevent damage. She didn’t have time to jump out of the way, not without leaving herself more open. She could try and counter, hit him first to try and push him back, but she didn’t think she could make it in time. Plus, every second she thought about what to do the closer the fist was to hitting her, she had to act.

She moved her arm, then felt a surge of pain shoot up her arm and through her body. She had managed to block some of the impact, barely, but somewhat. An elbow block. Instead of hitting her ribs she managed to mitigate the damage, but still took a good deal of it. That arm was gonna be a bitch to use now. The force of the punch sent her skidding to the side, trails of dust following her feet as she went. While it did hurt, the determined and angry glare never left her expression, acting as if the punch hadn’t done as much damage as he meant. It did, but she was hiding it well.

She wouldn’t waste a moment, pushing off the ground with her feet and charging back in. She pulled back her good arm and sent a empowered fist hurtling towards the man, strengthened by the force at which she kicked off. She had enough power now to stop a hurtling training and send flying back a few feet, she was going all in now. This was a big energy drain nonetheless. She would have to be careful going on like this. She’d only be able to take and give another few hits at this rate, unless she…

The block was well-done, technically perfect in every way. Oh, he knew it hurt, and for that he felt bad about, but there was too much going on for him to care about that right now. Sure, her gender meant he wasn’t going to rip her arms off and beat her senseless with them, but there was something in the back of his mind he hadn’t felt in years; decades, even. A sort of burning heat, but without pain; it was battle lust, pure and simple, brought about by a true challenger. The type of berserker joy that only true warriors ever experienced. It had been a long time since he felt a challenge.

But she had done it.

”Heh. You remind me so fuckin’ much o’ me.”

Dust settled gently on the ground, and Kubi again settled into that too-relaxed stance. As if she wasn’t a challenge. As if he was begging her to hit him. And yet, his eyes never left her, the sharp, dark brown orbs at odds with the joviality and rudeness of the rest of his name; they were deep, and ancient, yet lacked any sort of real human emotions. The eyes of a monster. And a monster he certainly could be. In his youth, he was called many things; The Beast; The Reckoning; a major Asshole. They were true, sure, but they were things he put behind him. Things Masaki put behind him.

He had forgotten the thrill.

”Oh, probably not fuckin’ … 1-to-1.”

She was moving, even as he casually spoke. This was going to be a tough one, something even he would have a hard time tanking; so he had a choice. Three of them, actually. He could dodge, relatively easy simply by sinking more Toshi into his agility, allowing him to react and move out of the way; he could tank it, sinking Toshi into durability and letting her break her fist against his iron skin. Both of those were tempting, but they didn’t quite have the … je na se quis he was looking for.

His knuckles cracked, and in that instant wind whipped out from him, impossibly strong currents from something as small as that. But that was his strength, his pure berserker muscle. Her freight-train like ability was matched, the bear around him growing more defined, each individual hair waving in the wind creating with his movements. She got closer, and closer, ready to strike him down where he stands. She was flying at him now, her natural athleticism and enhanced physical power allowing her to use the ground itself as a springboard. Her power was impressive, Kubi had to admit.

But Kubi stopped her.

He stopped with little more than a raised palm. Oh, it hurt to high heaven, he felt the muscles in his arm first bend, then snap, the shattering sending waves of ice-cold pain down his arm. But still, he didn’t let up. His fingers wrapped around her fist, trapping her in place, and he got closer. Surprisingly, most likely, he wouldn’t smell as ad as one would think. A sort of smokey scent hung around him; though not overwhelming, it would stick in the nostrils long after he pulled away.

”You probably had a hard life, huh? Picked on, fucked with. But yer own pride kept y’ from retaliation’. You thought, since y’ had these powers, it wouldn’t be th’ right thing for y’ t’ use ‘em for personal reasons.” He sounded almost prideful. ”But that ain’ why we’re alike. Yer a fuckin’ powerhouse, bunny girl. Real fuckin’ strong. ‘Nd yet, y’ use your fuckin’ strength t’ fight fer the greater good, and y’ look damn fine doin’ so, if i say so m’self.” He took a quick break from being serious to return to being flirty, but the heavy lines of his face fell back into stone-cold iciness again.

”Y’ need t’ win this fight. Th’ world needs y’ t’ win this fight. But …”

And at this, he let her go, skipping back with a lightness a man his size simply shouldn’t possess.

”You’re awakenin’ in me somethin’ I haven’t felt since before m’ wife died. C’mon, bunny girl. Come and find out why they call me The Beast.”

The bear roared soundlessly around him, and then suddenly he was charging. His first move was simply to slam his shoulder into her; assuming that was something she managed to evade or block, his next few attacks were brutal and relentless, a combo that could shatter steel. A punch at her head, a punch at her gut, a knee to her chest, a backhand to her cheek- a combination of perfectly executed moves, borrowing moves from Boxing, yes, but also an improvised, unique style all his own. Each move made wind rush past her, wind strong enough to bowl over anyone standing too close.

And the entire time, he wore an expression as if he won the lottery.

There were a few moments after the block that she had reeled in the pain. There was no way she could hide it, her face scrunching up, her teeth gritting together, and her form, while steady, it tightened. Still, it had worked and it had given her time to bounce back. This was like any other boxing match, it was impossible not to take some damage and in this case…she wanted to win and she knew that she couldn’t get there without taking a few serious hits. For the time being, however, she would have to take it easy on that arm, try not to strain it, try not to break it. She would save it for a finishing, that or a hard kick, one of the two.

When her punch was thrown and then his…their two forces matched and she could feel the power surge between them like lighting. It coursed and sent back a wave of pressure, no doubt causing the crew that watched and filmed, and Sam who seemed worried now, to go skidding back, some of them nearly falling over, all of them scrambling to keep the equipment from getting damaged. But…as she tried to follow up, she was suddenly stopped. She hadn’t expected that, but…maybe…it had to have hurt him, but she would have to put more into the next hit. She might even have to go on to the next level, which is something she rarely even did.

Then he started speaking again, a notion that made her roll her eyes, clearly annoyed with what he had said. She didn’t think there was anything in him that could remind him of that, outside of being a powerhouse and maybe a bit reckless. He relaxed, which made her even more angry, but…it was a moment for her to thump. She stopped in her tracks, staring at him. Her foot patted against the ground quickly, and…she hoped he didn’t notice, but it began to generate high bits of energy. She wouldn’t waste this chance. Besides…in real life, villains always monologued like this. It was the perfect time to plan…to prepare. Against him, she would have to take every chance she got.

Of course, every word he had said to her was…pretty much wrong on every count. Her powers didn’t develop until early adulthood (even though she was still…an early adult). Her reasons for wanting to be the top, the best, wasn’t really a personal reason…it was only partly for herself, but not from selfishness, she really did wanna be the best hero, and a good hero, one to inspire others. And then there was his flirt, which caused her eyes to flick, her glare strengthening as if what he had just said there had greatly offended her. While it wasn’t actually offensive it did disgust her. This sort of man always had made her stomach churn, just not her type and what little respect she still held for him got a bit smaller.

Then…he did it. He jumped back and challenged her officially. There seemed to be a different weight in those words, there seemed to be something…more there. A secret message? Maybe. It was hard to tell with this man, but either way…it did strike something in her. She now felt even more determined to win this fight and, deep down in her, she knew that she couldn’t hold it back anymore, just like he wasn’t gonna be holding back anymore. This fight was surely about to get a whole lot more interesting and something in her gut told her that the people watching were gonna have a real rough time in a few moments.

Before he had reached her, something in her had changed. The orange energy around her ears, tails, hands, and feet had suddenly flared up, a wispy energy now rising from them. Her eyes also shifted, they seemed to blaze and glow, they were more intense and wilder. She lowered herself, pulling one fist back to her side and resting the other on the ground, knees bent, body forward, and ready to lunge at him. The energy within her flared up, the amount she was generating was far greater than what it had been before. It was her signature move, Rabid Rabbit, now full in effect, the blood coursing and moving through her body now generating energy for her.

The first punch that was aimed for her shoulder was easily dodged, ducking just leaving a few inches between her and the fist, then punch to the head was then blocked when she rose a fist to guard. She could feel the tremendous force behind it, and as force collided with force it almost sounded like thunder to her. The third strike found purchase, landing directly into her gut, but she would use that sudden force to jump back and dodge the sudden knee coming for her. The pain in her gut and fist were rising, but for now she ignored it, only showing the trace amounts of pain in her expression, sneering slightly at the man.

It was her turn now. She wouldn’t have jumped back for more than a moment. Using a vast amount of energy she suddenly lunged forward, her leg rising up to her chest, and for a moment it looked like she was going to spin kick him in the head, but in the next she was ducked down on the ground and propelled forward, aiming to behind him, hoping to be faster than he could keep up with, moving almost as fast as a bullet. From this position she would finish that spin kick, trying to send it crashing into his side, aiming for the ribs, using more than enough force to break steel just as his hits had been producing. Though, she wouldn’t remain there for long, kicking back, and then to the side, trying to get to his front, hoping to catch as he would turn to catch her. She would slam her fist forward, aiming to strike his gut to get him to reel down, still moving at those incredible speeds, though the punch would then be followed up with an uppercut hoping he had lurched forward slightly and exposed the chin, and regardless of if he did or not, still going for it. Her other hand, as she traded blows, would keep a defensive stance, ready to react when needed. She could make her strikes feel like he was getting bombarded with missiles, but for now she’d stick to steel breaking strikes.

With every motion and move she made against him her mind also worked to keep two other factors present. One, what was he gonna do next? What moves would he try and how would he react? How could she react and dodge or block or take the hits? And two…how much energy she was using and how close she was to passing out. At this rate and the amount she was using…she’d have to finish this fast, she’d have to go for weak points and knock out strikes. Chin, back of the head, and anywhere else she could find to take the behemoth down.

”Oh, we’re only jus’ beginnin’.”

The ground around them was destroyed, shattered, broken beyond recognition. The sheer force they were both letting off, like whirlwinds around their body, inspired the camera crew to take several big steps back lest their equipment gets ruined. Chunks of rocks the size of Kubi’s fist were flying around, only to shatter into infinitesimal pieces as they slammed against their hardened skin. Though they were vastly different in appearance, size, and personality, in this they were twins. Both sheathed in coats of energy, animals reflected in their appearance; hers a rabbit, his a bear. Both wearing matching grins, enjoying this violent outcome.

His quick combo hurt her, he could tell, though he doubted it did any lasting damage. There was a look of muted pain on her face, a twisted snarl as his fist hit her. Kubi didn’t have much time to rejoice, however; the pain didn't stop her, and faster than he could blink or react, she darted forward, her foot - carrying enough power to shatter steel and break a normal man - slammed against his rib cage. His shirt stood no chance, the shredded tatters falling off his body, leaving him clad only in jeans. The twisting tattoos on his dark skin were glowing, the image of a bear on his chest prominent even in the daylight. Despite the force at which she kicked him, and the ground shattering underneath his feet, he didn’t move.

Her second blow took him in the gut, but again he didn’t move, wind lashing around him and tearing the ground up further. And just as her blow to his chin was about to hit him, his hand seemed to teleport, blocking it. Though he thought he felt a finger break, matching the pain in his ribs and gut, he made no indication, merely grinning with a wild-eyed malice not unlike that seen in the eyes of a lion before he’s about to devour a gazelle. This time, he was moved, his foot rising from the ground an inch before he slammed it back down, his weight and strength carrying it effortlessly to the bedrock below. This was the final straw for the carefully-curated coliseum floor, and it began to collapse, the sheer force of this single action destroying the floor for hundreds of feet around him.

Amid this destruction, a mad cackle began, rising and falling with the breath of the man. A loud explosion as he clapped his hands, and the dust blew outwards from him. The energy surrounded him was different now, the bear pitch black and gleaming, the carapace of a beetle. His lips were bared in a horrendous facsimile of a smile and he fixed his bloodthirsty eyes on his opponent. Then, very carefully, very pointedly, he spat a globule of blood onto the ground.

”Suppose its time t’ take th’ kid gloves off.”

And at that, he punched. Despite being several feet away with no hope of reaching, he punched. And the dirt still floating in air collided with the air, and the air collided with itself, and a huge shockwave, hundreds of feet long, blasted forwards. Even if Melody dodged, the wave of force would ruffle her hair. In tune with his fists, it blasted effortlessly through the arena walls, reducing it to rubble. Like a runaway train, Kubi was on her again; a flurry of blows, aimed at her ribs, her cheeks, her legs, at breakneck speed, each one carrying that wave of force that left not only the ground around them destroyed, but the arena itself, rocks flying hundreds of feets away only to be dashed into rubble against the ground. The walls were no longer standing, the floor reduced a dozen feet to the bedrock below. And the entire time set to the soundtrack of his maniacal laughter, as if he lost it.

But then, suddenly, he stopped.

As if he gained a sense of himself, he stopped dead in his tracks; there wasn’t a lick of regret in his eyes, but more of dawning realization. With a sigh that spoke of a sudden realization, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a cigar, lighting it with a bronze flame that appeared in his hand. He took a deep puff, breathing in the smoke, then blew it out towards the sky, watching it wind its way through the clouds.

”Right. I’m done. I concede. Ya win, girly. Ya made me realize something. I get th’ feelin’ we’ll be seeing each other again. Lets hope you bring yer A-game this time.”

Without so much as a backwards glance, he walked away, kicking away the rubble he had created himself and rapidly disappearing into the distance.

This was not the fight that Melody had signed up for.

Yes, she wanted to fight the big guy. She wanted to fight one of the top heroes to prove her own metal. But now…now the situation was processing for her. What was happening around them and how dangerous a real fight between them would be. The ground itself was shattering as they clashed and if this had been a public area…how much destruction would this actually have caused…who would’ve been hurt by this conflict. Of course, in a situation like that, how much destruction would’ve be wrought if someone as strong as the Grizzly was just ignored. There didn’t seem to be a clear winner in that case. Even if she beat the man now, would it be a victory if she couldn’t protect everything around her?

That was the doubt that had begun to spring into her mind, even as they fought, though not once did it actually touch her eyes. That fire was still burning, the metal was still there. She couldn’t relent now, not after everything they were going through. If he gave him a moment, a moment for anything, that would be it. She had to keep her focus on keeping herself safe, the energy flowing, and making sure she could do enough damage to actually take him down so she could come out of this in one piece. She still had everything to prove too, but as her eyes darted back she caught glimpses of the sidelines.

Thank heavens Sam was there, as it seemed as though he was holding down the fort. Literally. Portals were open all around them, his arms and legs through, holding things down the best he could. A few more portals were open as cover for the other bystanders who had been watching them. They were safe, at least for the most part. Maybe that’s where her strength had come from, how she really got this far. Someone to watch her back. There had always been someone there with her, it was never just her alone. She was strong, hell…she may have been one of the strongest actually, but…

She had to put it out of her mind.

She was still fighting, still going, and she wasn’t sure when this was gonna end. The flurry of furious blows came, all aimed at different parts of her. Through the storm of strikes she managed to block and deflect a few, though of course some got through, mainly to her rubs. Even as she worked on that defense, though, she managed to keep up! She was exerting all of her force, giving it everything she had and expending as much energy as she needed to make sure each of those hits hit like a freight train, trying to match the Grizzly’s power.

Not once did she seem to relent in those powerful blows, now seeming to have an endless stream of that energy she poured into her attacks. To an onlooker, each hit may have looked as though it was wreathed in brilliant red flames. She felt, though, through these dire hits she was close. She needed one last hit, one last clean strike in a vital and she was sure she could take him down. But…so did he, if she took one or two good hits full on that’d be it, the match would be his.

It was just in those last moments that she heard it. That laughter, the sounds that hinted at madness or something more sinister and it was in those last moments those strikes of hers stopped and instead all of her power was put into defense, now easily blocking and dodging from them now that her focus was solely on defense. This seemed even more wrong, more like something…something was wrong with her peer. But before she could even get an inkling as to what was going on, the flurries stopped and so did…so did he.

The bastard…

That bastard surrendered. For a moment, in that silence that followed, Mel just stood there dumbfounded and wondered if this was a trick, a defensive stance still taken, still ready if there was one last strike planned. But no…no, not even a side comment or some disgusting remark. He just jumped away and out of sight. It was over and now…now she didn’t want to feel.

She stood there for what seemed like hours, though she soon realized it had only been seconds. From behind she felt to arms wrap around her, shocking her from the daze. It was Sam, hugging her from behind. Slowly, she felt herself smile and shake her head.

“Yeah…yeah, I’m alright…”

And slowly he let go, but he didn’t say anything, looking in the same direction as her.

And she went on, “Yeah, I’m worried too.”