> "And now, in circle one we have…" the announcer started. It
>was two people he'd never heard of before.
> *This tournament is getting kinda long…*
> "Look, it's been nice talking, but I've gotta go…" he said to
>Akisame, then jumped out of his seat and out of the tent before
>Akisame could reply.
> *Making too many 'friends' here, 'Danny'*
> The last word in his thought was a mock. He wasn't Danny.
>Danny wouldn't have let Pat die.
> He couldn't think about that now. He shook his head clear and
>ran for downtown.
>
> "Are you sure this is what you're looking for?" the man behind
>the counter asked.
> "Yup…" he answered. "How much?"
> "How much ya got?"
>
> "You want this into this?" the guy asked.
> "Ya, but I want to do it…how much to use your equipment?"
> "How much you got?"
>
> "Oh, this is going to be hard to work with…are you sure you
>don't want another material?" the man asked.
> "Yes, I'm sure. And I need it within the hour."
> "In an hour!" the man shrieked. "Ok, fine, but it'll cost
>extra."
> "No problem. How much?"
> "How much do you have?"
>
> He was finally ready. Ready for his next match. Ready to face
>someone without using those yo-yos.
> *Just in case…*
>
> "How much is this?" he asked.
> "How long?"
> "About ten meters."
> "Ha! How much you got?"
>
> Finally. After two hours he was ready. Had his new 'item',
>and upgraded his last. On top of that, got his coat re-tailored.
>He was finally ready for his next match.
> "Now just to find out who I'm up against…" he muttered to
>himself.
>
> "Jackson. Why don't we send the other to face him?" Sydney
>asked.
> "That's a good idea! If this moxibustion thing is for real,
>then he'll be no problem for the other. He'll finally be out of our
>hair…"
> "But if we do that, and by some fluke he beats him, then all
>our planing will be for nothing," Trent pointed out as he walked
>through the door.
> "I'm willing to take that chance."
>
> "Are you going to challenge anyone?" the judge asked.
> "Yes…"
> "Who?"
> "Noname-san…"
>
> "And for our next fight, Noname-san and his challenger…um…" the
>announcer started to mutter off as he read the card. "Um…M2HK19…"
>The announcer walked off the ring with a puzzled look on his face.
> *Where is he?*
> At center ring was a person dressed all in black, with a hood
>covering his face, and gloves over his hands.
>
> "Hope I'm not too late…" he said to himself as he walked up to
>the tent.
> "…next fight," he could hear the announcers say over the
>speakers, "Noname-san and his challenger…um…" The voice trailed
>off. "Um…M2HK19…"
> He stopped walking.
> "…"
> He was about to say something, but fear paralyzed his voice.
> He walked into the tent, then the ring. In the ring was a man
>about his height, wearing a black jumpsuit of sorts, a black mask,
>black gloves and black shoes with black socks. He couldn't see
>anything but black on the man. If it was a man.
> *M2HK19…*
> He couldn't remember hearing that specimen name before, but
>there were lots of them that he didn't know. It reminded him of
>back in that ring. Fighting those monsters…
> Reminded him of Pat.
> Before he knew what was happening, they were fighting. He
>could tell right away that the other…thing…wasn't there for the
>tournament. He was there to kill him. He could see it in how the
>other fought. How the other stood. How the other breathed.
> "Dad sends his regards…" the thing said. The first thing he'd
>heard him say. Then, while the thought still dwelled in his mind, a
>foot came from almost nowhere and knocked him down. It felt like
>someone just nailed him with a sledgehammer, thanks to the
>moxibustion weakness.
> The other stood over him, his vision going.
> "You're a fool to fight in such a weak state. Pat would have
>been…"
> *Pat!*
> Without a word, he rolled out of the way, jumped up, and pulled
>out his new toy. A two and a half foot sword. The thing felt like
>a ton, but if he was strong, it would have been like holding a tooth
>pick. He made it from the lightest material he could find on such
>short notice.
> "I'm really starting to not like you…" he said as he charged
>forward with the sword.
> *It'll most likely shatter on first contact, but at lest it'll
>wound the…thing…*
> The M2HK19 moved out of the way, but he was expecting that and
>turned the angle of the blade and it cut into the things hip. Sure
>enough, the sword was in two, but blood was dripping on the floor.
> "That's nice…" the thing said, feeling his hip. "Before I kill
>you now, I just want to show you one thing…"
> "What's that?" he asked, reaching into his belt to pull out his
>other toy.
> "This…" the thing said, showing him a handkerchief. Pat's
>handkerchief. The one he put in her grave.
> He was beyond anger now. Pissed, mad, angry…all those where
>understatements. He wanted blood.
> Rage filled his mind, and his mind filled his ears. He
>couldn't hear the crowds. He couldn't hear the things mocks. He
>could only hear how he wanted to rip the things heart out. If it
>had a heart.
> He sent one sailing. His modified yo-yo. It was now made of a
>harder plastic, and had metal tips. On top of that, the string was
>a wire.
> The thing pushed the 'yo-yo' out of the way, but he could tell
>it cut the thing. In one move, he sent the other 'yo-yo' flying out
>to the thing, and had it wrap around the thing's arm.
>The thing shrieked something out, but he couldn't hear. It pulled
>on the wire, and pulled him closer to the thing.
> *Blood. Ribs. Death. Hurt. Heart. Rip. Die.*
> He used the momentum from the pull and ran at the thing,
>falling on it and knocking them both down.
> *Strangle.*
> He took the other 'yo-yo' and wrapped it around the things neck
>and locked it off. He could see blood oozing from where the wire
>was.
> The M2HK19 yelled something out, and grabbed at his neck, then
>pulled out a knife and cut the wire. In doing so, he also cut off
>the mask. Now he could see what this was…
> *Oh shit…*
> It was him. In every sense of the word. The face. It was
>his…and now that he thought about it, the thing also fought like
>him…but one thing was out of place. The thing had blue eyes.
> He stared in disbelief…his mind leaving his ears. Now he could
>hear normally.
> "I was just supposed to kill you, now I'll have to torture
>you!" his other said, getting up and rushing toward him.
> "No…" he said to himself as it came to him. That's why he was
>what he was.
> *No, this can't be happening. I can't be…*
> The thought trailed off. He just laid there and let the other
>punch him. It felt like his ribs were broken. They probably were.
>One punch hit him in the face, and he could feel the glasses break
>and slide off his face.
>
> *What the hell?*
> He just punch the glasses off his other, and now he saw his
>eyes. Black. Black pits. There was no color. Just black pits.
>Suddenly, he saw his other grin, then clench his teeth. Then he
>felt his other kick him off. He landed on the ground on his feet,
>but his side hurt from the kick.
> *I thought this guy was weak?*
> His other ran at him. As his other ran, he could see his left
>eye twitch, then turn a different color. Red. Not a dull red, but
>a bright red, with a certain tint to it. It looked almost like
>blood. All he could see now was his other's eyes. Death and blood.
> Black and red. He was transfixed. Then it hit him…his other's
>left foot to his ribs…and he heard a crack. Then his other was
>picking him up. Something he wasn't supposed to be able to do. His
>other was holding him by his neck. His free hand was punching his
>as hard as he could. It felt like his back was breaking. He hurt
>all over. He could taste blood in his mouth.
> Then it came to him. His other was trying to turn his bones to
>pulp.
> Before he could think anything else, he was dropped.
>
> He didn't know what was happening. He was pounding the pulp
>out of…him…then his arm went weak and he dropped the thing. His arm
>felt like it was broken. He dropped to the ground and clung onto
>his arm.
> His other was on the ground as well, holding his ribs. Then he
>noticed something. His other was outside the ring. Just before he
>blacked out, he saw officials carry his other out of the tent, then
>he smiled as some officials came to his side. He guessed to see if
>he was still alive.
> The last thing he heard before he blacked out was an explosion.
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