Match of the Millennium

Description: Eight has been whittled down to two. Two fighters of very different styles shall face off in the Neo-League finals. First there is Fumiko Abe who handily took down Chet who had perhaps one of the best performances in Neo-League this season. Fumiko did one better than last season and proved once again she is a fighter to keep your eyes on. Even if she loses she has proving to be staple in the league and not one to mess with. She lost in the Semi-Finals last year after a tough match and she is facing a very similar opponent this time in the finals. On the other side of things there is Abigail. Due to circumstances last year he was disqualified along with his opponent, but this year he has made sure that won't happen again. Given he beat Mike Bison in the regular season many think Abigail is last season's uncrowned champion. Now he has just one more fight to go, but it won't be an easy one.

[FUMIKO]
An invitation, plane tickets, and up front payment sit on a stool in a white walled studio space somewhere in Southtown. Double-sized, expensive rental space for artists in space-strapped Japan. A sign of Fumiko Abe's success in her world. The woman herself, in paint stained sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, hair tied in a safe and clean bun, chews on her thumb while she appraises her work with all the steel-eyed intensity she has facing down vicious opposition. Staring into the unblinking, furious, raging eyes of Abigail.

Though in this case, it's merely a cardboard approximation stood against a large canvas splattered with a fan of colors. A stencil, coated in paint and surrounded by the corpses of slain spray cans, keeping a sketch underneath clean and pristine for the second portion of the project.

While Fumiko inks thick lines, occasionally flitting her attention to an endless replay of Abigail's fight against B.B. Hood, her mind drifts to the power of her opponent. Beaten all comers. Taken down Mike Bison, the man who defeated her last time. He did not win the previous League due to technicality. This time he was coming to collect. And this time he would be collected on Fumiko's head.

Thick lines give way to thin as Fumiko climbs a ladder to match the life size portrait of the Canadian Killer. She thinks on her own performance. For all her placing, she finds she cannot consider this League a better showing of her skills. Perhaps the competition was better, perhaps she is just preternaturally lucky in opponents, but second place is not one she feels she deserves. Robert Richards beat her, and even a young girl like Mitsuru lost only due to the favor of judges. Where does that place the erstwhile second in the Neo League world? With a sigh, she slides down the ladder and steps back to view the piece, popping the top of a can of coffee. She faces down the monster. She knows this will not be something she walks away from, but she cannot allow herself to be so frail as to not face the coming battle.

Doubt of her skill lead her down this path. It would not dissuade her again.

Back in the present, Fumiko Abe sits in a green room, her hair tied back, her gloves and wrist guards strapped tight, sneakers snug. Swords polished and honed. She drinks a can of coffee and looks at herself in the mirror. She feels distant, numb, and ready. The din of the crowd a distant thought, the ones here for this. She is a performer, an artist, and a demonstrator. Today she demonstrates in the finals. She will showcase her determination.

The green room door opens, the noise of the crowd floods her ears. Somewhere in the distance, her name is called, music picked by some producer begins to play. Classical, traditional, not normally what Fumiko would consider her preference, but it isn't her care. She steps out into the arena. She faces the wall of sound from the crowd, faces the blinding lights of the overhead rigging. She walks forward to the ring. A roped square. A platform for all to see, cameras or otherwise. But forward Fumiko Abe walks.

Into battle. Into destiny.

[ABIGAIL]
For Abigail, things are far more..well..simplistic. That's one possible word to describe him. It's not about destiny or divine right or purpose. All he can simply do is keep moving forward and to do so at high speeds with maximum horsepower. For him, Neo League started off as a simple exercise. A way to keep the fighting spirit and urge to crush things alive inbetween his modding efforts and car repair obligations. For those in Mad Gear closest to him or employed by him, it was a great way for him to have a means to vent his rage from time to time as opposed to on him. And thus life moved on.

But now the thrill of a championship has bit him and the chance to once again be on the world stage has made itself apparent. Abigail very rarely goes in reverse. It's full throttle and full speed ahead.

..Mostly. That last battle with B.B. hood did shake him just a touch. He needs no remidner of all the terrible things Mad Gear did when under more direct control by Belger and not the disparate group of colorful thugs and Metro City denizens that it mostly is at present. He was there. One of Belger's Chiefs, hence his current nickname as 'Chief' down at his shop. But that was the first time anyone had actually weaponized the past against him and despite his bravado from before..it hasn't completel left his thoughts.

But the race must go on an when Fumiko is making her approach to the ring, Abigail is already there, having literally stepped over the ropes to begin thundering towards the center of the ring while rolling boulder sized shoulders as he moves. This same ring has supported the likes of Titanic Tim and eyes are stil forced to bulge out at the sight of Abigail as he trundles forward with a shape that would dwarf even the giant British wrestler.

"Hmm..Ergh. is this another little girl? I'm about t'have the worst reputation in the world.." he grumbles as he squints his eyes at the approaching Fumiko. But the he remembers that some of his worst losses have been to even smaller individuals and so he grunts and turns..lifting both of ins industrial pillar like arms over his head and bellowing out an arena shaking roar to the crowd as they continue to hype up.

[FUMIKO]
The ground shakes as the Goliath nears. The crowd roars. The lights dim and brighten, focusing on the favored competitor. The might of Abigail is evident as Abigail climbs into the ring, filling much of it by his simple and total existence. A true giant, that is what stands before Fumiko Abe. A living mountain of man. She considers the near future, her fingers locking around the hilt of her blade.

And she bows to her opponent. Slow and steady and with dignity. "I am honored to face you," she tells him, straightening back up. "Who walks from here is the champion, who does not has been beaten only by the best. I hope that I may show you respect here in giving you a worthy challenge of your time."

She steadies, breath even, eyes straight, her opponent standing before her. The crowd's cheers begin to die and dim as they wait with ever increasing tension the starting of the match. The lights lower, only the two in the ring to be seen for the darkening arena. Only two to settle for the title of Neo League Champion, and the promise of the honor of facing the host himself, Antonov.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Abigail has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Abigail          0/-------/-------|>------\-------\0           Fumiko

[ABIGAIL]
"Hmm.." rumbles Abigail as he places both hands on his waist and rocks back and forth like an mildly agitated gorilla. He listens, considering Fumiko for a long while and studying her as she speaks while also taking note of her sword. "Hn.. figures. Then again that last girl was pulling out rocket launchers and missiles and junk.."

He rubs his jaw, emitting a dull rumble like an idling monster truck.. and then he snaps his fingers as Fumiko finishes.

"Alright then! I'll give you what you're asking for! Don't disappoint me! If you think you have the horsepower then put the pedal to the floor and show me what you got!"

At the end of all that he slams both fists together. Producing a loud thunderous *BOOM* at the impact that shakes the entire ring. "Let's put it into full throttle!!"

All the car puns. This is only the beginning. And with that...they're off!

And with that, the goliath takes no time to actually get going.

He dashes forward - though maybe trundling half jog is better. Each step pounds against the ground with a thunderous *BOOM* as he rumbles with increasing volume, "Vroom, Vroom, VROOM, VROOM!!!" in time with each footfall as the ground shakes more and more. His approach is unstoppable as well. Even attempting to get in hsi way to deflect him risks being tread right over..

But it ends up being mostly a momentum build as at the last second he twists at the hip, exposing his monsterous biillboard wide back to the crowd, and then swinging forward with a straight punch that distorts the very air with the force of its incoming blast.

COMBATSYS: Abigail successfully hits Fumiko with Dynamite Punch.
- Power hit! -

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Abigail          0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\-------\1           Fumiko

[FUMIKO]
Abigail vroom, Abigail crash. The air sucked into the void left by Abigail's fist is thunderous as the clap of his hand against Fumiko's entire torso. She has little chance to move, to clear the way, the blast hurls her back and into the ropes of the wrestling ring.

The ropes stretch, strain, hold their tether in a desperate bid to maintain some semblance of structure. And they do what many taut things do when pressure is applied, they snap back. Battered, shown clear the strength of her opponent, Fumiko has just enough time to attempt to recover her senses and ready her blade as she's sent back like a cannon shot toward Abigail.

As she flies back, she takes her blade and strikes with a harsh, cutting flash of steel and strength. Her control of herself, even in the air, twisting her angles to try and mount the best of possible positions so that she can keep herself in the match. She is facing down her direct opposite, and she knows that, and much as she respects the power, she is quick to feel the heat of his strength.

COMBATSYS: Abigail blocks Fumiko's Positioned Strike EX.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Abigail          0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\-------\1           Fumiko

[ABIGAIL]
The white hot flash of Fumiko's blade meets the implausibly dense flesh and hardened physique of Abigail as the behemoth drops back into a more defensive guard against the incoming strike. A welt appears along the broad length of his upraised tree trunk of a forearm but Abigail barely blinks, weathering the blow and seemingly unperturbed about the assault.

"Hey..not bad!" he grunts in acknowledgement of the swordswoman agressive attack against him, ". But you're gonna need more horsepower to go along with that fine tuned engine!"

With that, Abigail lunges forward, spinning his gigantic body around in a full on three sixty degree twist, led in by that same monster forarm with intention on battering it into FUmiko..and then following it up with a thunderous uppercut as his unstoppable momentum spins him across the ring.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko blocks Abigail's Abi Twist.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Abigail          0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1           Fumiko

[FUMIKO]
Such power. This was beyond Mike Bison. She could see what was coming and all she could do was to weather the storm.

With naught but her scabbard, Fumiko deflects the direct angle of the uppercut. The shear magnitude of the blow was more than enough to rattle bones and steal air from her lungs, but it wasn't as fatal a blow as it could be. The might of Abigail's twisting upper was more than enough to send Fumiko hurtling upward. But it would not be the first time she found herself airborne.

Once her descent begins, both hands take the hilt of a blade. She turns herself, eyes fury and focus as she careens down toward the behemoth. With a cry of pride and the rage boiling under her skin, Fumiko swings a wave of steel down toward Abigail. The force, for a moment, seems to arrest her downward descent.

COMBATSYS: Abigail Toughs Out Fumiko's Goryo's Wrath!

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Abigail          0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1           Fumiko

[ABIGAIL]
Indeed, Abigail seems to literally barrel and crush his way through the sword strike. A shockwave rippling through the air as the blade catches hold of his body and then skids along it, cutting through his Mad Gear skullprint tank top and leaving a visible welt along the expanse of his monsterous torso.

"KABOOM!" his his verbal response as he leaps, rising up into the air even as FUmiko finishes her descent. It seems impossible but he literally goes into a full on flip, turning upside down and then righting himself again as he descends towards the landing swordswoman with both of his fists pisotning downward in a hammer like strike.

COMBATSYS: Abigail successfully hits Fumiko with Giant Flip.
- Power hit! -

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Abigail          0/-------/-======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2           Fumiko

[FUMIKO]
The crash is deafening. Silence fills the arena. Signs now show just how much Abigail has outclassed his opponents in the Neo League. His fists comes down. And leave a battered, disheveled, blooded opponent laying akimbo on the ring.

"I am not. Yet. Done," she coughs, sputtering really, as she pulls herself back to her feet. "It has been enlightening to know there are people like you in this world. Thank you for your demonstration." Words more breathed than said as she staggers in place.

She closes her eyes, her white hair cascades down about her face, hanging near her waist at its length. "I apologize for the weakness I have shown today," she tells him, solemn and saddened at her display.

Her eyes open, and she strides toward Abigail as though walking to the maw of hell itself. But with her step comes a slash of a sword, fluid, singular, she is practically resheathing the blade by the time the sound of the cut can be heard.

COMBATSYS: Abigail Toughs Out Fumiko's Under A Setting Sun!

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Abigail          1/-------/=======|>>>>---\-------\0           Fumiko

[ABIGAIL]
"That's right! You might have a great engine but you need to put the pedal to the floor and push it over the redline if you want to keep up!" declares Abigail after rolling to his feet. He seems to be encouraging her, urging her on in his own particular way and he beckons with both of his huge hands and then gives a finger gun salute as she makes her way at him.

His eyes then widen as the air distorts and slashes with the speed of thought. He's no time to block or even consider thinking and instead his body just reacts on instict and pure bulk. His huge torso pushes out as his mass leans forward and his physique seems to harden and endure to such durability and immensity..it's like he's simply forgotton how to be cut down properly. The slash drags its way across his torso, ripping through the remains of his Mad Gear skullprint shirt, and bursting past it with a welted wound on Abigails expansive pectorals - but the giant keeps on coming.

His chest fills up FUmiko's vision, barreling down on her like the front end of a semi truck and with comparable force where such things are considered in the world of fighters. "KABOOM!!"

COMBATSYS: Abigail successfully hits Fumiko with Hungabee.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Abigail          1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>----\1           Fumiko

[FUMIKO]
Too much muscle. Too much force. Run down in the center of the ring. Slammed, stamped, crushed underneath the pressing power of Abigail's Engine of Destruction.

Compared to those past. Compared to others she has faced. Abigail is something of a different dimension. In that moment, as she lay, she wonders if the thing that took Kenji's life was some unstoppable beast like Abigail. She wonders if, even if she had been there, even if she had fought with everything, that whatever it was would have simply cut them down together.

She wishes, she deeply craves a reality where that is the case and she doesn't have to live with another moment of wonder.

She can't feel anything at this moment, body stiff and battered, aching with each breath. Abigail has won. She is nothing against him. And she couldn't be happier. She could not have asked for a greater favor than she had gotten from the Canadian.

A click. The scabbard of her long blade being used to lift her to her shaking feet, Fumiko has tears running down her face and a broad smile of relief.

"Do me the honor of overcoming Antonov," she asks, wincing as she pushes to her feet and once more takes her fighting stance. "I can see the outcome, but I will not disrespect you by quitting when I yet may fight."

She dashes forward, her draw is quick, a cascade of petals made of harmless chi flutters into the air. An explosion of gentle color and a slice of steel before the woman behind the blade falls to the ground, her sword clattering into silence.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko can no longer fight.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Abigail          1/-----==/=======|

COMBATSYS: Abigail just-defends Fumiko's Scattered Petals!

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Abigail          1/-----==/=======|

[ABIGAIL]
Abigail barelyb blinks. The attack rushes against him in a flurry of petals and a blast of wind but the behemoth is like a sequioa being battered by a butterknife in that instant and the blade slides against him and past him as Fumiko collapses to the ground just beyond him.

He sneers, but..a rare moment of self awareness and respect for his opponent who was nothing but respectful to him the entire fight urges him to restrain the usual cutting remarks he tosses at those who fail to bring him down. Instead he rumbles, "Good job! You weren't able to win the race though but those sharp bursts of speed are sure to get you over the finish line if you back it up with some staying power!"

He crouches low over her as he speaks, looking her over some and rumbles, "You're not all show and no go. Work on getting that horsepower raised and we can talk again!"

With that he turns and begins stalking out of the ring..raising a huge arm and flexing a buick sized bicep to the roars of the crowd before stepping over the ring ropes and jumping into the darkness of the rest of the arena.

COMBATSYS: Abigail has ended the fight here.

Log created on 10:04:50 03/06/2019 by Fumiko, and last modified on 19:43:35 03/13/2019.