Match of the Millennium

Description: Kenzo Kuroiwa takes on Hawksley Moore under the bridge of Evergreen Park in Sunshine City. It was a brutal fight where a cerebral approach is matched up against an instinctual approach.

[HAWKSLEY]
Ever since he heard the location for his next fight, Hawksley has had the Red Hot Chili Peppers song running around his head. As he arrives at Evergreen Park and makes his way over to the tunnel under the bridge, he has it playing through his bluetooth earphones.

'I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day. Take me to the place I love. Take me all the way.'

It's a song about drug addiction and whilst Sunshine City has its fair share of problems with this, right now, on this beautiful sunny afternoon, the park seems like a pleasant place to spend time.

A dozen or so locals have showed up to watch the action, after hearing about it on the New Fighting Generation broadcast. Hawksley approaches them, happy to chat, sign autographs and take selfies whilst he waits for his opponent to arrive.

He's excited for his match today. Kenzo is a very different kind of fighter to himself. He's smart, intellectual, calculated. Hawksley works on instinct, passion and survival skills. He'd watched the footage from the last round of the former Justice student battling it out with Buck and he'd been impressed. He thought that the Japanese man had it, until towards the end.

Switching his earphones over to a bluetooth speaker, the Irishman sets it down discreetly inside the tunnel and readies up his theme song to play. When the time is right, Go! Fight! Win! by Ash will echo inside the structure's stone walls.

[KENZO]
As Kenzo pulls up in a Ford Mustang Mach-E courtesy of George Eddow Ford Dealership, Kenzo takes a deep breath before striding up to Evergreen Park. It was surprising he would get matched specifically against Hawksley considering his record but even so he still has a job to do.

Kenzo also gives handshakes and high fives as well as signs some autographs however, his following is significantly smaller. People love a winner and Hawksley has been doing so thus far.

After greeting the spectators he moves into the opposite entrance of the tunnel however when he approaches, there is no fanfare. No music. Just a man who looks focused in spite of the fact that his combat specs seem to obscure what his eyes look like.

"If you manage to start a new streak after today, you will have earned it. I don't intend on making it easy for you."

He bows to the official and then bows to Hawksley making sure to keep his combat specs directed to his opponent. As he rises, he takes one more deep breath. It's time to show what he has learned from fighting both Buck and Djamila.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Hawksley has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Kenzo            0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0         Hawksley

[HAWKSLEY]
"I'd be undefeated if Nixie hadn't got the better of me in the final of the tournament" Hawksley laughs, his tone sounding amused rather than resentful."

He mimics the bow given by Kenzo, though his own looks a little awkward, suggesting he's never done such a thing before. "You give it your all, fella. I'm planning to. Whatever happens, I'm sure we'll have ourselves a grand old time."

As his music stops playing, all that's left besides the men's voices are the sounds of the crowd and the birds singing in the trees. As usual, Hawksley is wearing nothing but his battered blue jeans and a pair of white sneakers, giving him a simple yet striking appearance. Stepping up to the smaller man, he leans in to him "Let's get this show on the road."

His next move is one that will be familiar to his fans. Pulling out his slim silver flask from the pocket of his jeans, he takes a satisfying swig then ignites the alcohol with his own chi, before blowing his blazing breath in the direction of Kenzo.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo dodges Hawksley's Hedonism.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Kenzo            0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0         Hawksley

[KENZO]
When Hawksley says 'Let's get the show on the road,' the tech ninja nods in silent agreement. Hawksley goes for his flask and Kenzo strides forward in the beginning of what would be a run if he managed to get past two steps. Instead, on the second step he drops to his knees and leans backwards as he slides under the fire and close to the Irishman's feet.

While the evasion looked flashy, it was practical. He needed to get close, get there quickly, preferably get there relatively unharmed. That knee slide achieved all of those things well.

Kenzo would be a fool if he stayed down low and in ideal position to get his head kicked and so he rises in a spin while hooking the back of Hawksley's leg with the sickle of his kusari-gama in an attempt to trip him while the ninja rises back up to his feet.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley blocks Kenzo's Weapon Trip.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Kenzo            0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0         Hawksley

[HAWKSLEY]
"You're a flexible little fecker, ain't you?" Hawksley praises, admiring the fancy and fluid movements of the tech ninja.

When Kenzo rises, grabbing on to him with the sickle, he feels it sink into the denim fabric that clothes his leg, threatening to tear the trousers. He tenses his calf muscle, to prevent himself from tripping but the action means he's pressed against the weapon, causing him to wince, the pain evident in his dark eyes.

When he can, he will take a step back, before closing in to deliver a left-handed jab into a right cross to try and break open Kenzo's guard. His aim is to throw him off-balance before grabbing his shoulders and pulling him face-first into his rising knee.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley successfully hits Kenzo with Buzzkill.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Kenzo            0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0         Hawksley

[KENZO]
The left-right combo slips right through Kenzo's non-existent guard and it becomes immediately clear that the ninja had originally planned to disengage after the takedown attempt rather than staying up close and personal. After getting stunned by the cross, it was a simple matter to grab a hold of him and smash him face first into the knee sending him reeling.

Kenzo shakes his head, trying to get himself back together before he darts in as he attempts to grab Hawksley by his waist and take to the air. He then tilts himself backwards and attempts to drive the brawler head first into the ground.

"I try to be in most senses of the word."

COMBATSYS: Kenzo successfully hits Hawksley with Izuna Drop.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0         Hawksley

[MINT]
Mint's been in Evergreen Park since about an hour before fight time -- scouting about, mostly. Sunshine City isn't the most hospitable place, after all, and site security is something she's duty-bound as an NFG sponsor to ensure. Even still -- she wasn't actually under the bridge until the fight had gotten underway.

Not to say the mini-Marine hadn't been watching through the lens of a drone camera. An embedded OLED display is just one of the many features bundled into the enormous carbon-fiber and metal gauntlets encasing her forearms and hands. Though she won't need it now, as she's stepping up close to the fight. Especially since the closest audience members tend to make space for someone carrying twin gauntlets, each three to four times the size of a person's head. Bowing her head in thanks, she moves to the front row just in time for the marquee move of the ninja elite.

She doesn't clap -- those metal hands would drown out the rest of the audience's raucous cheering. But she does smile.

[HAWKSLEY]
As the knee meets Kenzo's face, somehow managing to spare his hi-tech specs, Hawksley barely has enough time to catch his breath before the ninja is back on the attack.

He feels himself hoisted into the air by his midsection, briefly enjoying the sensation of flying before coming down to land with a brutal bang.

"Jesus, fella" he groans, rubbing at the crown of his head through his wavy dark locks and then forcing himself to his feet.

He hasn't noticed the arrival of Mint, the metal sponsor on the scene, he's too absorbed in the battle before him.

Trying to regain control of the brawl he grabs at Kenzo, aiming to grapple with him before forcing him into a side headlock. Should he manage this maneuver he will start to punch him repeatedly in the head.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo blocks Hawksley's Submission ES.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0         Hawksley

[KENZO]
Kenzo seeing how this is going to play out, releases the chain from his grip while still holding on to the sickle with the other hand. That now free hand slips through the side headlock keeping the hold from being as secure as it could be otherwise as well as allowing him to deflect a portion of the impacts.

Kenzo, while not exactly securely held, still has to fight his way free of the hold and so he uses the sickle to hook the sickle on the back of Hawksley's shoulder and slides the edge upwards and the uses the weapon to sort of peel the brawler off of him. He doesn't imagine it would be a pleasant sensation should the ninja escape.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley blocks Kenzo's Armed Combo.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0         Hawksley

[HAWKSLEY]
The sickle sinks into Hawksley's exposed skin, scratching the surface of his shoulder and sending a trickle of blood running down his arm. He struggles against the weapon damaging the dermis, letting out a loud cry as he pushes back against the assault.

"You're leaving your mark on me" he murmurs. "That's one way to be sure I remember you."

He bends at the knees, which is when he sees the speaker sitting there on the ground. It's looking innocent, silent of the stirring sounds of the rock music it had previously played. Clasping it in his hand, he curls his fingers around it to get a firm hold, before turning to face Kenzo. He then brings the hand holding it to the side of the other man's head, seeking to smack the speaker into his skull.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley successfully hits Kenzo with Light Random Weapon.
Grazing Hit

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0         Hawksley

[KENZO]
The ninja's eyes trace the path that Hawksley's take and is lead to the speaker on the ground. As the brawler grabs a hold of it, Kenzo can only mouth the word, 'Fuck,' before the Irishman takes that speaker to his head with bad intentions.

To Kenzo's credit, he manages to adjust to the brawler's timing just enough to graze his face, spinning the ninja around. It could've been worse but it sure didn't feel all that great either.

The ninja takes the chain back into his free hand long enough to spin the weighted end of the chain. The chain gets charged with electrical chi and then sends the chain towards Hawksley to wrap it around him before violently pulling him close and then slashing across the stomach with the sickle.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo successfully hits Hawksley with Lightning Snare.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Kenzo            0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1         Hawksley

[HAWKSLEY]
Stopping in the middle of a brawl is not something Hawksley Moore would normally do. He'd never by choice make the decision to take a time out, preferring to keep the action moving wherever possible. Sometimes in life however, you don't have a choice.

The Cork City fighter feels himself jerked towards Kenzo quickly, his frame trembling with the force of the electrical chi. His eyes go wide as he looks directly into the ninja's face, seeking some expression behind the glasses he wears and then he feels the agony of his stomach being slashed.

His hands move quickly to the wound, seeking to stem the blood that is seeping out far faster than the slow stream that stains the length of his arm.

"Feck" is the only word he finds to utter as he leans back against the cool and stable surface of the tunnel, fighting to steady his breathing.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley focuses on his next action.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Kenzo            0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1         Hawksley

[KENZO]
And where normally Kenzo would step back, and assess things he likewise behaves uncharacteristically due to seeing that it didn't work in his fight against Buck. He wanted to keep the action going especially since he had forced the normally aggressive brawler to back off.

Of course the other issue is that the Irishman is too close for Kenzo to maintain pressure with the chained weapon so he quickly coils and swaps to his tessen. The metal fan isn't out for long before it is suddenly electrified with his electric chi and is suddenly jabbed right into the brawler's chest.

Upon drawing the fan back, Kenzo snaps the fan open with a flick of his wrist and holds out between himself and the Cork City brawler

[COCO]
Coco's initial arrival in the park was likely so subtle that no one watching the match even realised that it was happening. She'd just been an ordinary woman walking her dog - er, bearcat, actually - okay, maybe it wasn't that ordinary, but she'd had a reason for remaining discreet as she'd sought out the building that houses the local restroom facilities, a designer sports bag hanging in one of her hands and her yoga trousers held up furtively by the other as the do-rag-wearing binturong followed her inside.

Her emergence and subsequent journey to the bridge is much more overt - freed as her hands are, she's able to jog along to the site in her fresh black tank with 'BLAZE' across the chest in orange lettering and matching hotpants with the same branding emblazoned across the backside. Arriving atop the structure, she looks around in confusion. "I thought the fight was supposed to've started a few minutes ago? Where is everyone?"

She moves up to the wall at the edge of the bridge and leans up against it.

"LUCKY! WHERE ARE YOU??"

Captain Morgan hops up on the wall, chuckling as he peers down over the side curiously.

[DJAMILA]
Djamila, beaten as she is and blind as she is, is having no problem finding the right spot. Once there, she settles. It's harder for Djamila to go unnoticed, as well she has a particular style with her staff and her blindfold. But she does nothing to attract attention away from the fight.

Somewhat as the fight is going on, she seems to be able to follow the fight by sounds. Anyway, if she can fight, she can follow two people fighting. It makes sense in the weirdness of it.

She wants to be there for her teammate even if she kind of needs rest, but she can always use a bit of wind here and there to help heal up, At a particularly good time in the fight for Kenzo. She yells "Come on Kenzo. You got this. I believe in you!" Then she goes quiet again, not making much more noise after that. Maybe when he wins, she will make more noise then.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo successfully hits Hawksley with Lightning Ward.
- Power hit! -

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Kenzo            1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1         Hawksley

[HAWKSLEY]
He can't see her but he can definitely hear her. As Hawksley's hand rests over his stomach wound, he gathers all his strength to call back to Coco. "I'm down here you eejit. In the tunnel."

He can hear Djamila too, but it's the sound of the purple haired woman's plummy and posh voice that reminds him he has to put Team Blaze over the pain he's currently feeling.

He grits his teeth, willing himself to get up, but before he can do so he's zapped again. His naturally tanned skin seems to go visibly paler and he lets out an anguished cry.

"You're a fun fella, Kenzo" he pants. "I don't wanna stop fighting you yet."

He punches his fist against the tunnel floor at full force which ignites the ground around them. As the flames start to spread, they create a ring of fire that surrounds the two scrappers. He'll then aim to deliver a devastating lightning-fast punch to send Kenzo flying through the wall of fire.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley successfully hits Kenzo with Burn Baby Burn.

[                          \\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Kenzo            0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0         Hawksley

[KENZO]
Kenzo doesn't hear Coco or Djamila. Or rather he can't afford to do anything but put what they say into the background and only focus on the opponent in front of him. He had no desire to be the dead weight on his team.

The shocking shinobi hears Hawksley declare that he doesn't want to stop fighting Kenzo yet but that's what almost happens. The fiery circle surrounds the and Kenzo brings up a hastily created energy shield. Not enough to keep said lightning quick punch from connecting but it did take enough off that Kenzo could stand back up again, if barely.

The tech ninja slowly makes his way back up to his feet and he has to make a decision. Press the action and be vulnerable to current condition or hang back and Hawksley dictate the tempo. He decides that he wants to create his opportunity and not wait for it.

The tech ninja moves closer to the brawler with crackling energy audible with every step closer. If the brawler is paying attention, he might see a metal orb about the size of a baseball near his feet and if he's not careful, he might get caught in an electrical burst originating from said orb.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley blocks Kenzo's Pulse Device.

[                          \\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0         Hawksley

[HAWKSLEY]
There's a beaming smile on the Blaze brawler's face as Kenzo gets back up again. It only broadens when the nifty ninja comes for him.

The energy exuding off the teen is incredible and the Irishman can feel himself feeding from it. He does look down at his feet, fascinated by the metal orb but also wary of what it can do. He kicks out at it, his schoolboy soccer skills serving him well as it is soars through the air and is removed from Hawksley's close vicinity. It's still bloody painful, but he's spared a more severe punishment.

Hawksley then slips forward and twists into a left snap elbow to try and throw Kenzo off-balance. Pivoting into a devastating right-handed haymaker, he aims for Kenzo's centre of mass with the intention of knocking him backwards.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo dodges Hawksley's Detonator.

[                          \\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0         Hawksley

[KENZO]
Where there's a beaming smile on Hawksley's face, there's a look of intense concentration on Kenzo's. He had promised he wasn't going to be an easy win at the beginning of this match and he intended to fulfill that promise by not going gentle into that good night.

His pulse device didn't hit cleanly but it did its job do some damage and chip away while he played for time to recover from getting the daylights punched out of him.

The incoming elbow forces the battered ninja to roll under it, and the subsequent haymaker gets sidestepped as the ninja stows his fan and switches back to his kusari-gama.

The suddenly electrified chain begins whirling in a figure 8 pattern as he steps forward to rapidly and repeatedly bash the brawler with the weight as if welcoming mutual destruction with open arms.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley fails to interrupt Whirling Chain Blitz from Kenzo with Numbskull.

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

COMBATSYS: Hawksley can no longer fight.

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

[HAWKSLEY]
Kenzo is in the zone. Hawksley didn't know what to expect from the younger male when he arrived here for their match today. Sure he's seen him in the fight footage, but he didn't feel like he'd got a real read on his personality. The same goes for when they'd crossed paths at the party. Today though he feels like he's got a glimpse of the guy behind the glasses.

Kenzo is a force to be reckoned with and he's earned the Irishman's respect. That doesn't mean he won't fight to the last to beat him however.

The tech ninja dances and dodges himself out of the danger of Hawksley's assault. Once he's secured his safety, he skillfully works his weapon to weigh in to the taller man's defences.

Instinctively the battered brawler makes a grab for his arms with the intention of stopping him in his tracks and gaining some leverage to launch his forehead towards him. Before he can even make contact though, he's slumping slowly downwards, spent from the turmoil he's endured in the tunnel today.

Cruelly or perhaps amusingly, the back of his skull smacks into his own speaker. The very one that he'd viciously used as a weapon on Kenzo earlier.

Perhaps justice has been done by the Justice man proving victorious.

[DJAMILA]
Hawksley is down? Hawksley is out? Kenzo wins! Kenzo wins! Djamila says loudly "Great job, I am so proud of you." Then she tries to start a Kenzo chant from the crowd. "Kenzo! Kenzo! Kenzo!"

[COCO]
By this point, Coco and the Captain have found their way down to watch the last few moments of the match from the audience barricade.

"Come on, Lucky! Oh, blast it!" Coco shouts, pumping her fists at first, then smacking her hands against her head as she sees Hawksley hit the ground. "Come on, get up! You've almost had him!"

It seems that Coco's previous disdain for the Irish boxer may have faded... though, of course, at this point, a win for him would have been a win for her team.

"Come on, let me through! I need to make sure he's okay!" she insists, pushing past the trained medical professionals to run to Hawksley's side and crouch next to him. "Bloody hell, Lucky, you're bleeding all over! You don't half give it your arse, do you?"

[KENZO]
When the Irishman hits the ground, it doesn't register at first. He stares as if expecting the man to rise back to his feet. It isn't until the cheers of his name leak into his consciousness that he realizes that he won.

When that realization hits, so does all of the fatigue and injuries. Adrenaline crashes are brutal. He collapses to his knees, desperately gasping for air.

When he looks up, he sees Mint and Djamila in the audience and then he finally allows himself to smile.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo has ended the fight here.


[MINT]
Mint's been... reserved for most of the battle. Many times past, she's found that if she draws too much attention to herself, it can skew the results of the fight for the worse. But once she sees that the Irishman isn't getting back up, the time for caution is past. She's also quick to join in the chant with Djamila: "Kenzo! Kenzo! Kenzo!" And she also throws up a gauntlet-encased fist skyward.

Team Metal may have advanced on the board -- but Kenzo earned every bit of this victory. And she's more than happy to let him reap the rewards.

Log created on 11:11:28 06/30/2023 by Kenzo, and last modified on 08:13:56 07/02/2023.