Match of the Millennium

Description: Chet faces down Cody, for the Neo-League championship, in Cody Travers' preferred arena: the prison yard. Cody has the support of the convicts, but Chet has a little trick he learned in the CIA. (Winner: Chet.)

[CODY]
Metro City Municipal Corrections Facility. Located on the outskirts of city where the populace doesn't have to be reminded of the incarcerated, it is Cody's home of some years now. It is a common fact among both inmates and staff that the Metro City brawler is pretty much top dog here; violent incidents have pretty much been eliminated lest troublemakers face his wrath, with plenty of visits to the prison medical wing to attest to this. The staff have also gotten used to Cody's occasional breakouts when the mood strikes him, having accepted the futility of trying to stop him.

Besides, he always comes back.

Chet's Neo League fight is here in this old, foreboding place. Cody hasn't felt like leaving this past month. Longtimers have noted a subtle change in his demeanor. He broods a lot more than usual. But what's on his mind is not something he's sharing. There's always a new fight to take one's mind off troubling ideas, anyway.

Cody waits in the recreation yard: cracked cement, old free weight equipment, a basketball court, surrounded by barbed wire. It's cold out here in February, but he's in his usual garb, not minding the chill at all. He tosses rocks at a wall as he waits.

[CHET]
Chet has already faced the famous Cody Travers once, and he's learned from the past duel they had. Cody's style focuses on the tightness of his upper T, hence why Chet has taken Kapap classes to manipulate Cody's upper body with the push-pull, the triangle, and the one-two directional theory to compliment his already potent CIA-influenced Snake Palm Kung Fu. It's just a matter of using the snake's dance to lure Cody into position, augmented with his basic trained set of combat principles to direct Cody into positions where Chet can strike at his armpits, ribs, and the base of his neck. From there, it's a matter of the solid, devastating blows of Chet's savage kicks to take the defense-stripped Cody into fatigue, then knockout. He'd prefer to fight to disable, rather than kill, since this is business, and damaged merchandise in his intended fighting empire wouldn't look very good.

Prison guards lead Chet into the prison yard, Chet's hands in the white long coat he wears, the trim ends at the bottom ending at mid-thigh above his dancer's slacks. The chill is countered by Chet's omnipresent and tight cashmere sweater, up to his neck, clinging to his swimmer's build, having trained since youth for his job in intelligence. Chet raises his right hand as he hears the hoots of abrasively rude prison inmates, running his fingers through his hair in a deliberately homophobic gesture of flirting with a woman. As the jeers come, now, from the sexually confused, Chet quietly strolls in his crepe-soled dance shoes towards Cody Travers, before comes to a halt in the middle of the arena.

"Hello again, Mister Travers. I'd say you've picked an arena to your particular advantage, haven't you?" A knowing smile comes to his lips as he removes his left hand from his pocket and slips into a limp wristed martial arts form, his palms parallel with the ground and at different elevations, his legs moving into a sidelong position with his torso pivotted along the line from his waist, in a catch form for any incoming attacks, before the fight begins.

"Well then, Cody, let's see if your friends in this little Club Med approve of seeing you bleed. I'm sure your reputation won't sting a bit, will it?"

COMBATSYS: Chet has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Chet             0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Cody has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Cody             0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0             Chet

[CODY]
Cody turns as his opponent makes himself known, the two surrounded by the crowd of prisoners. "It might. If, and that's a big if, you kick my ass, then sure, they'll smell blood in the water. They always do...but I think I want that." He rolls his neck as he does not yet assume a fighting stance. "Been too easy in here. Think it'll be fun if I get 'em riled up good."

Cody then assumes a semi-relaxed stance - sloppy, or sloppy on purpose? - with his fists raised like a boxer, the links of his handcuff chain clinking slightly with each movement. "I forgot who you were until I saw you. Last time you didn't leave much of an impression...didn't get my blood pumping. Right now, I'm hopin', really hopin', you give me something more." He pauses. "You better come at me like you wanna kill me."

With that proclamation out of the way, Cody suddenly throws a punch outwards - generating a miniature tornado generated by his chi, spiralling towards Chet to buffet him.

COMBATSYS: Chet blocks Cody's Tornado Sweep.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Cody             0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0             Chet

[CHET]
Chet shifts a leg forward and turns his body to the side, forearm up, letting the chi tornado split around him. His clothes flapping around him as he grits his teeth from the shock of the chi pulsing through him, a dull pain in his lower body, he steps forward from the sidelong stance and jukes at Cody.

With a quick hop and a twist at the climax of the jump, he lands facing the opposite side from the block to the chi tornado, his arm swinging about with a fist aimed to strike at Cody's chest. The extended knuckle of his thumb is aimed to slam into Cody with the juking turn, leaving his lowered face open to a counter assault.

Chet needs to close into close quarters, so he can begin to dance with the mongoose he is at war with. Cody has already played his hand for a cheap shot with a projectile, leaving the rest of the fight at Chet's advantage, the manipulation of close quarters body language and the telegraphing of the intents of the core build as it pertains to extended limbs and attacks.

COMBATSYS: Cody endures Chet's Fist Pivot Adjust ES.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Cody             0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0             Chet

[CODY]
Cody watches Chet react, taking note of the man's jukes as he deals with the tornado. He lets out a breath through his nostrils when he sees the well dressed man come at him, and when the fist comes...Cody lets himself take it, the strike slamming into his chest at full force. His prison jumpsuit ripples from the impact. "Oogh!" He steps back a bit clutching his chest, the extended thumb like a dagger driving into bone as pain ripples through. Cody wanted a taste...and was not disappointed.

But his decision to simply absorb the hit entirely was calculated so he can retaliate. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a handful of dirt which he flings at Chet's face. This is only to distract him, hopefully, so he doesn't notice Cody winding up a haymaker punch to the side of his head afterwards.

COMBATSYS: Chet blocks Cody's Improvised Punch.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Cody             0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0             Chet

[CHET]
Chet closes his eyes as the dirt hits his face, gritting his teeth and baring them to get sand in his mouth out of reflex. As the haymaker comes at the blinded man, unwilling to open his eyes without the proper hand across his face, Chet turns away from it, but gets glanced across the temple. He stumbles sidelong at the partial connection, wiping off his eyes with his sleeve, and spitting out dirt.

The taste of the prison yard now eminent in his mouth, he dashes forward at Cody. His arm snaps out, as he attempts to grab Cody by the face and jump past him. Should he connect, there's an immediate foot-forward leap past Cody and a lariat slam of Cody's head into the turf.

COMBATSYS: Chet successfully hits Cody with Leaping Lariat Slam.
- Power hit! -

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Cody             1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0             Chet

[CODY]
Cody cricks his neck again after that punch, briefly shaking his hand from the impact. Chet lunges at him, Cody attempts to block this time...but no dice! Chet maneuvers past his defense and grabs his face. The prisoner barely has time to register before he's slammed into the dirt hard enough to kick up a lot of dust and cause some free weights to fall off their racks. Cody lies there, feeling a wet spot grow on the back of his head. Yeah, there's gonna be blood in the yards tonight. Groaning, gaze refocusing, Cody slowly rises, touching the blood collecting in his hair before he turns around to face Chet.

"...not bad," he admits. "Startin' to feel it." Suddenly he's dashing to one of the bench press units, grabbing a length of iron rod and running back towards Chet with his new makeshift weapon in hand. He aims to grab Chet and hurl him to the ground, whereupon he will stand over him and start repeatedly smashing the barbell rod down onto his prone figure. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!"

COMBATSYS: Chet blocks Cody's Secret Work.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Cody             1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0             Chet

[CHET]
Chet rises to his feet with a comfortable, languid push, and a quick turnaround into an observant stance. He sees Cody coming, backpedaling, before he's pushed over and knocked onto his back beneath the brawler. Chet brings his forearms up in an irregular rhthm to knock aside the rod strikes, grimacing and grunting in pain at each solid strike to his arms and head. Shaking from the pain, the pure ecstastic agony of his bones throbbing with such vigorous melancholy, he suddenly catches the rod, in his hand, glaring up at Cody.

Chet pulls towards him, to take Cody off balance as Travers stands above him, before he pushes directly back with the rod, to force Cody away. Before Cody can come back into range, Chet rolls to his feet with a smooth recovery, and he lashes out his left hand for Cody's hair on the side of his head. If there can be a grip, and Chet certainly hopes for a grip, there's a shove downwards, into Chet's rising knee.

COMBATSYS: Cody interrupts Kick Combo from Chet with Rapid Fire.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Cody             0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1             Chet

[CODY]
Cody is surprised by Chet's resilience. He struggles to bring the pipe out of his grip, but is instead shoved away to give Chet some breathing room. He tosses the rod away as he reaches down the neck of his jumpsuit once his opponent is coming at him. Just as Chet reaches for his hair, something glints in the sunlight. A sharpened butter knife, the simplest of shanks, pulled from Cody's person as he powers through the reach of Chet's arm and begins rapidly slicing at him with the blade. Despite the crude weapon, Cody's movements are graceful as he cuts one after the other, even changing up the hand that holds the weapon by tossing it after certain strokes.

[CHET]
Chet makes a wheezing, whining sound as his arm gets caught and the shank sneaks into his personal space. He's sliced left and right, wheeled about with his arm held over Cody Travers' shoulder. He stumbles into Cody, blood flashing out of him and across the dirty pavement in flecks and lines. Finally, he pushes away and stumbles, turning around to lurch away from Cody, holding his guts as he vomits up blood and spit and bile. Bubbles come out of his mouth as the thugs around them shout and hoot, before Chet turns around to face Cody again, charging. He pulls his right hand back, eyes furious, and snaps upwards with a two-fingered uppercut behind Cody's jaw, attempting to catch him on the convulsive nerve for his tongue.

COMBATSYS: Cody endures Chet's Fanged Finger Thrust.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Cody             0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0             Chet

[CODY]
Cody's muscles tighten in anticipation of Chet's next attack. Sweat slowly trickles down his face; despite his lazy expression, his eyes are hard set. They are the eyes of a seasoned brawler used to the grit and the dirt of hardcore street fighting. The wild cackles and jeers of the prisoners are just white noise, completely tuned out. His almost insultingly casual attitude hides the bloodthirsty warrior within. He sees the fist coming. He can feel the wind before the fist even connects. Yet once more, he embraces the hit.

Chet's fingers punch into his jaw...but he will find a hard time penetrating. It's almost like trying to punch through brick. But the nerve is struck and a shock ripples through his jaw. He staggers back, clutching his mouth as pain signals in his tongue scream at him from the nerve damage. He moans, squeezing his eyes shut. They open again, eyes watering from the stinging sensation.

While it begins to subside, and a bruise begins to form on the spot where Chet's fingers dug in, Cody runs right for him. He moves as if he's going to throw out a punch...but suddenly jukes to the left and swings his trailing foot forward to slam it straight into Chet's groin with plenty of force behind it.

COMBATSYS: Chet counters Improvised Kick from Cody with Rising Lever Kick ES.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Cody             0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0             Chet

[CHET]
Chet removes his fingers with a fast flick backwards, his proffered hand retreating and moving up and behind him, all four fingers extended and his thumb bent inwards. Posing in a ready stance, his left arm across his fore and bent inwards, shoulder towards Cody, he waits with his right left behind him, his left leg as a guard.

As Cody comes running at him, Chet smiles, spotting the movement of Cody's other arm to prepare for the kick instead of the eyes and dominant arm signalling the punch.

As Cody comes in with the trailing foot after the juke, Chet spins to dance and face Cody, his right leg sweeping in from the off-position and slicing upwards, the arch along the sole of his narrow shoe slamming across Cody's face and spinning him away.

Chet swivels about after the kick has been performed, moving into a calm, even-handed loose ox position after the kick has been delivered.

[CODY]
"SHIT!" Cody yells as Chet flits past him. The flowing kick strikes him right in the face with a loud WHACK, rocking him to the side as blood flies from his mouth. He rises a little, then falls onto his side in the dirt, groaning. Slowly he gets back up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand while staring calmly at Chet. "You got more bite in you than last time. I'm liking it. But, see...I need more."

Cody then throws his lead leg out as he crouches and slides forward, legs suddenly covered in wind-like chi as he aims to knock Chet off his feet. If successful, and before Chet can hit the ground, Cody immediately follows with a snap kick upwards with his other leg to finish the job. "Take it!"

COMBATSYS: Cody successfully hits Chet with Ruffian Kick EX.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////                          ]
Cody             0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1             Chet

[CHET]
Chet takes a step backwards as Cody flies in with a slide kick and knocks him off his feet, before the snap kick slams into his stomach and kicks him over Cody's head as Travers passes beneath.

Chet lands on his hands and toes, stomach and pelvis hitting the ground to brace, before he spins about and lurches to his feet with a rising knee. He holds his hand up unsteadily, chasing after Cody, with enough time for Cody to recover, before his leg swings out in a rapid, blurring kick into Cody's chest, the foot exploding forward from Chet's precarious stance as he stumbles into the kick.

COMBATSYS: Chet has reached second wind!

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Cody             0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0             Chet

COMBATSYS: Cody fails to interrupt Astral Magnificence Kick from Chet with Bad Stamp.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Cody             1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0             Chet

[CODY]
Cody's head doesn't feel well. His vision occasionally blurs and now a thumping headache is plaguing him. Yeah, those blows might have done a bit more of a number on him than he thought. He sees Chet rushing for him and sluggishly attempts to do the ol' head-stomp onto running opponent move...but he doesn't quite get high enough and as a result eats that kick so hard he is knocked back and lands on the ground again, skidding a few feet and kicking up dirt from his landing. He groans, not yet rising. The prisoners seem to like this quite a bit and cheer louder.

[CHET]
Chet draws his leg back in and brings it back to the ground, spitting blood to the side, as he recovers his senses. As he hears the loud cheers, he looks down at Cody on the ground, and does a long three-step to join him where he lays.

Chet falls atop Cody with a straddle, attempting to grasp his neck and merely choke, his long fingers and soft hands frighteningly strong, like fluid steel.

COMBATSYS: Cody endures Chet's Medium Throw.

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Cody             1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0             Chet

[CODY]
Cody breathes hard, then notices the shadow of Chet standing over him. Before he knows it, he's got the man's well groomed fingers around his neck. Cody...doesn't resist. No, he LETS Chet start to choke him. His breathing hitches and he gasps as Chet's grip tightens on his esophagus. Cody wants to experience this. He wants to know this feeling, now, as consciousness starts to flicker and his eyes begin to roll up. He desires this sensation of drifting away at the mercy of this strange man in a meaningless fight. More, more! Just a little more! Let things drift into unconsciousness.

But alas, there was a fight to finish...and it'd be on his own terms.

Cody's eyes snap open and he shoves Chet with incredible force off of him. A glimpse of the beast behind the lackadaisacal man. He stands, bloody and sweating, red marks around his neck that will surely become bruises. He cracks his knuckles. "You ready to start fightin' for real?" he asks audaciously. He then throws out a spinning hook punch; if it hits, he will follow with a straight jab, a punch to the stomach, a hook to the jaw, a spinning punch...and finishes with a sweeping uppercut that generates a massive tornado right underneath Chet. "Upsy...FINISH! Get outta my face!"

COMBATSYS: Chet blocks Cody's Final Destruction.

[                         \\\\\  < >  /                             ]
Cody             0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0             Chet

[CHET]
Chet backs off with a balanced stagger, before he firms up his guard, hands loose and eyes staring down Cody.

As the charge comes, Chet takes the spinning hook across the jaw, before the straight jab is countered with a palm, the hook to the jaw blocked with a forearm, the spinning punch ducked, before he slaps his hands together and catches the massive uppercut, pushing off it and the huge tornado of chi that rips apart his sweater and jacket.

Suddenly, with an explosion of raw force, his leg explodes outwards, a huge front kick aimed to jam his toe beneath Cody's jaw, right at the spot he had previously jammed with the finger strike into the tongue convulsion.

COMBATSYS: Cody blocks Chet's Grand Dragon Kick.

[                           \\\  < >  /                             ]
Cody             0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0             Chet

[CODY]
Cody, however, while completely winded, is not unaware. When the kick lashes out, Cody consciously moves his head to avoid getting struck in that same nerve spot - instead he absorbs the blow into his armpit. It hurts, and sends another shock running up his arm and neck. He can feel the accumulated damage now beginning to rapidly diminish his energy reserves, and he knows a blackout will follow. It always does.

But still the scrapper stands, trying to finish things off nice and simple by lashing out with a punch to Chet's temple. Nothing fancy, just going where it will hurt the most.

COMBATSYS: Cody can no longer fight.

[                             \  <
Chet             0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Cody successfully hits Chet with Quick Strike.

[                                <
Chet             0/-------/--=====|

[CHET]
The punch strikes Chet in his previously battered temple, and he steps backwards a step, teetering on the brink of collapse as he touches a hand to his head, his vision hazy. He hears the sounds of the prisoners around him as a submerged riot, the low roars and the jeers running together as if he's inside a tunnel.

COMBATSYS: Chet takes no action.

[                           \\\  <
Chet             0/-------/--=====|

COMBATSYS: Chet has reached third wind!

[                           \\\  <
Chet             0/-------/--=====|

[CODY]
Cody, meanwhile, is already collapsed on his face after that punch. The dust around him still settles; the prisoner does not get up.

[CHET]
Chet's mind shakes off the fog, and he returns to cognizance. He lifts his arms at the booing prisoners, grinning a bloody grin. He tosses off his torn jacket and rips off what's left of his red, sliced up cashmere turtleneck, moving out of the prison yard arena with the shanks lashes criss-crossing his lean, medieval poet ideal build.

Log created on 20:13:23 02/04/2019 by Chet, and last modified on 12:59:01 02/05/2019.