Dudley - The Curious Case of Kid Sagat.

Description: On the streets of Southtown, Dudley comes across a terrified young man dressed as the hero of Thailand, Sagat. The reason for the lad's fear soon becomes painfully obvious, and as any gentlman would, Dudley steps forwards to place himself between the vengeful Adon and the innocent child. Fisticuffs ensue, and Dudley schools Adon in what it means to fight... LIKE A GENTLEMAN.



Southtown.

5:15 PM

The streets of Downtown Southtown are bustling with the rush hour traffic. Naturally, being Southtown, the foot traffic exceeds what comes from the cars. Amongst this traffic, however, is a forgotten, though not wholly ignored face.

Sagat.

The little boy trudges through the crowd, holding himself. Shivering, the boy looks at the ground, the only gazes he receiving from the occassional salaryman who find his appearance unusual. Taken from his orphanage in Thailand, the boy was dressed in blue boxers, and bore a deep scar across his chest. Shaven completely bald, one of his eyes was covered with an eyepatch. The other is swollen and red, all the tears having been cried out. Feet dragging, the little boy whines briefly as he holds his stomach, a growling sound emitting from the depths. He was hungry. The tears began to surge back. He was alone.

And he was still looking for him.

Dudley is out in Southtown, as he often is these days. Japan is still the home of fighting, even if he himself prefers to tour Europe as much as possible.

When he sees the puffy-eyed child, the boxer can't help but involve himself. Walking slowly towards the bald child, he makes sure that every step is measured and even. No matter how he might try to present himself, Dudley is a fairly big man, and that can be threatening to a child, even if he is a warm-hearted soul.

"Hello there young man."

Getting down on one knee, Dudley looks the boy in the ... eye. "That's a very impressive costume you have there." He says, all warmth and good humor rolling off the Heavyweight Champion in waves. "Where are your parents? Shall we find them together?"

The boy freezes as the strange, mustached man emerges from the crowd, all his attention fixed on himself. He noticable flinches, and looks around, acting much more like a frightened animal than a frightened boy. But there was something .

"THERE YOU ARE!"

The crowd seems almost flung apart as Adon erupts from the crowd. The emperor is dressed not in crude Muay Thai boxers, but a less-than-fine suit. It was, in fact, his back up suit, as a certain Korean made nasty work of his hand-crafted, Urien provided suit. He is STILL pissy about that. As he is pissy now. Looking at the child with a monstrous sneer, the Emperor of Muay Thai lunges low. "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE SH-"

And Adon stops.

The little boy had suddenly repositioned himself, dashing to the legs of some massive man, and hiding behind them. Adon slowly lets his gazes rise up to the massive, British Boxer before him, before looking down again. Sagat clings to dear life to Dudley, trembling in complete terror of the man that had arrived. Adon clicks his tongue briefly, before looking back at Dudley, his smile just as wide as ever.

It was time for the JAGGA DIPLOMACY

"AH! BYSTANDER! I! ADON! THE EMPEROR OF MUAY THAI! Am OVERJOYED at your ACT of HELPFULNESS in finding my WARD! YES! This is my WARD! I had adopted him from his HOME in THAILAND, his parents had DIED in the war! SUCH A TERRIBLE LOSS! I plan on SHOWING HIM the WORLD, and BRING AWARENESS of the PLIGHT in THAILAND!" Adon keeps smiling, the lies leaking through his teeth. "His NAME is SAGAT! A SENTIMENTAL NAME, I ASSURE YOU! He was just FRIGHTENED by seeing a BIG CITY like this for the first time, and I was COMPLETELY HEARTBROKEN when he ran off! So let me just TAKE HIM BACK and we can be ON OUR WAY!" Adon reaches down for Dudley's leg, attempting to tear him off.

Sagat shakes his head, clinging on tighter.

Ye Gods, it is as though Adon's voice is made of screaming cats.

Dudley straightens himself up, and when he is done, he is looking Adon square in the eye. People sometimes assume that Dudley is a stupid man; either because he is a boxer, because he is large, or because he is rich. None of these qualities are renowned for inspiring common sense on their own. But Dudley is surprisingly wise.

And Adon is transparent like a window.

"I know you, Sir. You do not need to shout."

One gloved hand deftly moves the child behind him, and Dudley stands completely impassive in the face of the screaming Muay Thai Emperor. "You will excuse me if, knowing your reputation, I remain skeptical of your story." Squaring up, Dudley makes it perfectly plain that he will not be allowing Adon to go past him.

"I think you should leave. You're frightening the boy. Show some dignity, for *shame*. This is not behavior fitting..."

And his eye ~glints~.

"Of a Gentleman."

He is protecting him.

Adon looks at the man's gloved hands as he holds himself up with the complete elegance of a gentleman. Those gloves. That presence. This man was clearly a boxer, and from the looks of it, an actively competitive one. What use did he have with this boy? Was he... Damn! He fell for the boy! The Emperor clenches his fist, considering whether it would be worth it to punch the boxer in the face right now, and then seize the boy and run off.
But Adon's own eye glints.

"The BOY is my LEGAL WARD! I am LEGALLY REQUIRED to TAKE CARE OF HIM! You are, in fact, KIDNAPPING HIM right now! HARDLY the ACT of a GENTLEMAN to take SMALL CHILDREN for YOURSELF!" If Adon wasn't making a scene before, he was certainly doing it now. "PERHAPS we should SETTLE this MATTER like GENTLEMAN. If you have HEARD of my REPUTATION, then you must KNOW that I! ADON! THE EMPEROR OF MUAY THAI! Am in fact the GREATEST WORLD WARRIOR in the ART of MUAY THAI! OH! Let me explain! It is LIKE YOUR EUROPEAN BOXING, but with KICKS! I am certain you BARELY UNDERSTAND ANYTHING beneath the WAIST!"

Adon was trying to draw out the man.

"But I am getting OFF TOPIC! YES! If you DESIRE the CHILD so much, then let us make a BARGIN! If you DEFEAT ME in a FAIR FIGHT with your PATHETIC BOXING TECHNIQUE, then I will let you DO what you wish with the CHILD! But if I win..." Adon looks down at the boy, who flinches, hiding his face behind Dudley's calf. The Emperor's smile grows even wider, and he looks up to Dudley. "Then he is MINE!"

"Do we have a deal?"

Dudley is the very picture of a gentleman. From his straight back, to his curled moustache, to...

*POW!*

His utter unwillingness to listen to garbage.

Dudley's fist flies out straight and true in a devastating hook punch, aiming to crash straight into Adon's jaw and send the would-be Emperor of Muay Thai stumbling backwards and crashing into the ground, whilst Dudley himself will remain standing strong, true, and utterly implacable.

"I will not play games with a child's life."

The rumble from Dudley is entirely calm, but unnervingly resolute. He does not leave it there, either. "However, if it is what it takes to teach your foul mouth the meaning of respect. I, Dudley."

"SHALL KNOCK YOU DOWN."

And both fists are raised up strongly in a firm and powerful guard, ready to take the inevitable backlash which will come from trying to strike such a prideful and arrogant man.

COMBATSYS: Dudley has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Dudley           0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Adon has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Dudley           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Adon


COMBATSYS: Adon parries Dudley's Hook Punch!

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Dudley           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Adon


Dudley was dealing with a boor. A classless boor that, unlike a proper thug, was shaped into the position of a king. Or as the Muay Thai community called him, an actual god amongst the rest of Muay Thai. A status that was not gained out of bloodline, or grace, or any sense of the word gentleman. It came from brutal martial training, and in the case of Adon, an opportunistic victory over his better. But in spite of all that, there was one gruesome fact about Adon.

He was talented.

As the sucker punch is unleashed, Adon's only surprise is that it came from the MAN, not himself. But that smile from the Emperor just burned outward, the smugness boiling out. The Emperor had gotten a rise out of the boxer. And when he made them angry, he made them reckless. When the punch comes flying, Adon throws out his own hands, and seems to roll with the punch. Effortlessly parrying the strike, he hurls himself over the boxer as he drops his guard. He had fought Bison before; and he knew how to deal with the boxers somewhat. Avoid frontal assaults, and make sure to try and catch them on the flanks. Screeching, the Emperor almost laughs out his response to Dudley.
"THE EMPEROR DOES NOT PLAY GAMES!"

Using the parry to build his momentum, the Emperor flips over Dudley, attempting to grab his shoulders. Should he get a firm grip, he will land on his own feet, and build towards leverage. With a pivot, he will try to hurl Dudley right into the crowd, and towards a nearby fire hydrant. He didn't think he could hurl the man far enough way to make way with the child. But should he successfully throw the man, for a brief moment....

The child will be his.

COMBATSYS: Dudley fails to interrupt Jaguar Carry EX from Adon with Jab Punch.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Dudley           0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0             Adon


Dudley braces his shoulders, and leans forwards as Adon comes in at him. His fist is moving upwards, but... truth be told, he had been expecting Adon to try and kick him. That is, after all, what Muay Thai is all about. What he was not expecting was Adon to grab his shoulders, and use it for a throw.

With a grunt, Dudley impacts the fire hydrant, and the heavy metal is crushed underneath his bulk. The large man does not stay down for long, though. Getting up swiftly, it will take more than that to put him on his back for good!

"You play nothing but games, Sir." Dudley says, with the same, calm, measured dignity that he had exuded from the moment he started speaking. "Or do you expect me to believe that a coward and a braggard such as yourself is capable of understanding what it is to fight in a just, fair fashion?"

Hmph!

Adon looms over the child briefly, glaring at him. "Sagat... you ran away from me. That is a PUNISHING offense, you STUPID BOY!" Before he can get to the punishing, Dudley rises up, approaching him. The Emperor scowls, looking at the boxer as he points a finger to the crowd. "Get out of the WAY SAGAT! I will DEAL with you LATER!" The small boy flees to he legs of a nearby woman, who crouches down and holds the boy, watching the fight in awe.

Adon, however, looks at Dudley with an air of self-indulgent swagger. "FAIR?! Oh, I am sorry, I should have considered how UNFAIR it is that you are FORCED to use an IDIOT TECHNIQUE like BOXING against a TRULY POWERFUL ART like MUAY THAI! Maybe I should let you run away for 10 years, so you can learn a PROPER MARTIAL ART!" Adon leaps through the air, driving straight for Dudley before... dropping to the ground short of the boxer. Ducking low, he tumbles to the side a bit, before unleashing a sweeping low kick, attempting to trip the boxer to the ground. If successful, he will rise up, and finish the assault with a powerful axe kick before the bigger man can rise.

A blow that would kill lesser men.

COMBATSYS: Dudley interrupts Strong Kick from Adon with Cross Counter.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Dudley           0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0             Adon


The impressive thing about Dudley is not merely his skill with boxing, but his ability to read his opponent. Adon is a man who thrives on his own ego; Dudley can see that. He can also see the speed with which the man is coming at him. It is a dangerous combination, to be a skilled fighter AND be so unfettered and undisciplined. It is rare that Dudley has to deal with someone quite so unhinged.

He stands firm, and though Adon's leg smashes into his lower shins... he does not move at all. In fact, that glimmer in his eye is back, and it is as Adon is likely just starting to realize that Dudley has not been downed, but he is coming back up regardless, that the big man moves.

"CROSS!"

And his fist *PLOUGHS* into Adon's side, smashing the lither warrior to the side and demonstrating that boxing, for all it may an art associated with thuggish behavior thanks to that cursed Michael Bison, is NOT something to be underestimated!

"COUNTER!"

Dudley is left standing tall and proud, his glove knocking against his lips as he waits for Adon to get back up, quite certain that he won't be dissuaded by a single blow.

"Boxing, Sir, is a gentlemanly art. I have known noble practicioners of Muay Thai, but frankly, you make the entire affair seem like an exercise in offensive screaming. Do you intend to win by deafening me?"

Adon underestimated Dudley.

Big, Brutish, Boxing. He should have been easily outsmarted by that clever attack, and then quickly subdued by the follow-through. But Dudley refused to budge, and he responded with a powerful counter-punch right as the Emperor was rising. Adon stumbles, a look of daze over him. When he comes to... the words reach his ears.

An insult.

The Emperor grins, charging back towards Dudley. "GENTLEMANLY? You are nothing more than CATTLE! Weighed in by BROODING PHSYCIANS, sent to BEAT HEADS with one another until one falls down! Your BUILD is even more SUITED for CUTS of STEAK than REAL BOXING! Since I BORE YOU with my MEANINGFUL CHATTER, let me SHOW YOU just how STRONG my MUAY THAI IS!"

Throwing himself at the Boxer, Adon seems to attempt to roll over him, forcing what is known in both Muay Thai and Boxing as a 'clinch.' What comes next may be no surprise to Dudley. Should Adon force the clinch, the Emperor will begin to slam his knee into the boxer's leg, stomach, and groin. He will just unleash the knee again and again, until one of them breaks the clinch. A dirty move in boxing, and a downright brutal one in Muay Thai.

But the Emperor had been insulted again.

COMBATSYS: Adon successfully hits Dudley with Jaguar Slam.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Dudley           1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0             Adon


Dudley's guard fails him when Adon comes in close again. Truth be told, he had been expecting Adon to come in high and retreat, rather than try to outmuscle him. He had also not been expecting Adon to be so *good* at outmuscling him. Each blow hammers into him and sends him stumbling backwards. It really is a very powerful set of blows; a testament to Adon's brutal skill.

When it passes, Dudley cracks his neck. Stepping back a few paces, he recovers his guard, and rolls his shoulder back. Well. There's no shame in admitting that your opponent has gotten the upper hand.

"You're a talented fighter." He concedes, "But talent and strength mean nothing when used selfishly. What do you even want with the boy? He is *clearly* terrified of you. Why, it is almost as if you intend to beat the lad!"

COMBATSYS: Dudley gains composure.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Dudley           0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0             Adon


Adon begins to howl with laughter as again and again, he unleashes those powerful knee strikes. "KYA HA HA!" When Dudley finally breaks away, for a moment, Adon is left exposed. But Dudley does not exploit the opening. And to that, the Emperor licks his lips. He had... momentum.

He had the upper hand.

When Dudley concedes to him, Adon cannot help but puff out his chest, looking down on the taller fighter. And with his statement about the boy... he simply sneers wickedly. "Of COURSE I mean to BEAT HIM! He ran away from me when KIM KAPHWAN assaulted me at the AIRPORT! The poor misguided fool, like you, believe that this BOY deserves anything less than a SAVAGE BEATING for ACTING LIKE SAGAT!!"

"WHY! HE DROPPED MY BAGS!"

The Emperor shakes his head, before dropping his puffed-up presence and back into his defensive stance. "What use is TALENT and STRENGTH when you do not USE IT for yourself? POWER should never be WASTED on the WEAK! Do you not agree? The PURSUIT of STRONGER and STRONGER OPPONENTS only BEST PROVES just how STRONG you TRULY AM!" The Emperor finally launches forward, leading with a blazing, flying knee. Aiming it for the center of his opponent, he will let the impact stun the boxer. Should he make contact, he won't break away; instead, he will raise back an arm, and smash his elbow hard into the skull of his opponent.

No class whatsoever.

COMBATSYS: Dudley blocks Adon's Fierce Punch.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Dudley           1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0             Adon


Dudley is silent throughout Adon's rant. He has met men like Adon before, of course. He knows well the lure that power has on men like him. The notion that their victory in the ring somehow makes them superior human beings. It is something that Dudley has never been able to think himself. After all, he is no better than his friends; and most of them would flee screaming from the first sign of combat. The ability to inflict violence does not make a man better than his fellow man.

Both gloves come up and catch the knee, and as he rises upwards with it, they crash into the descending elbow, too. It is only after he has defended himself that Dudley speaks, his calm recovered, a slow nod coming from the large man.

"Being able to throw a kick does not make you great." He says, seriously. "Just as all my titles and belts do not make me great. What makes a man great, is the strength of his character and his willingness to help his fellow man."

And suddenly, Dudley is in Adon't guard. There's surprising speed when he needs there to be, like right now, and it all comes surging out of him in a burst which has his fist leading the way in a brutal forwards-lunging series of blows. Dozens upon dozens thrown out in a matter of seconds, along with a swirling, bursting wind-like energy which adds a powerful ripping, tearing quality to the assault. Dudley moves slowly, but when he attempts to retake the offensive, it is as though he is an avalanche of unstoppable fists.

"MACHINEGUN BLOW!"

COMBATSYS: Dudley successfully hits Adon with Machinegun Blow.
- Power hit! -

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Dudley           1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1             Adon


Adon is caught, the guard of the boxer finally springing him down. Adon cursed his stupidity; while he at first thought by doing a mid-high combo would throw off the boxer enough; in kept things to his side of the fight. By catching both the kick and the overhead elbow drop, the man's guard was almost certainly pushed to the limits. The Emperor was mulling how he could best exploit this.

Unfortunately, Dudley was in his guard.

"WHAAAAT?" Came the cry as Dudley suddenly grew a burst of power and speed. While Bison would be best described as a Brawler, or even an in-fighter, Dudley came off more as a Puncher, a skilled boxer that emphasizes a combination of technique and power. The Emperor attempts to bring his guard inwards, but Dudley was too far in. Instead, the Emperor allows his body to tighten up, flexing hard against the oncoming flurry of punches. Dudley may find his blows striking true, but it would be akin to punching a marble statue rather than flesh and bone. The Emperor, bracing against the free fury, grimaces, groaning at the pain. And finally, finds an escape, flying through the air, tumbling into the crowd....

And grabbing one of the salarymen.

A startled-looking clerk gasps, confused at the Emperor. Adon, surged up, his body still tight, he torso heavily bruised. Grabbing the man by the arm, he rushes towards Dudley, in a deft, fluid movement, hurls the man at Dudley, forcing the innocent into his circle. A distraction. Adon wanted to psyche him out, to get inside his head. To make him lose his focus on the fight as he dealt with a non-combatant rushing at him. As Dudley settled with that man... the Emperor was working towards the flank of the boxer, leaping through the air in a bounding leap. Foot raised high, it begins to burn with chi energy as the Emperor closes in, ready to unleash a burning flying axe kick right into the skull of the boxer.

"JAGGA KEEK!"

COMBATSYS: Dudley interrupts Jaguar Kick from Adon with Rocket Upper.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Dudley           0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1             Adon


Dudley has a great deal of experience fighting men who like to 'fight dirty'. It is one of those unfortunate things that the world seems to like to throw at you when you are a gentleman. What use is faith, if you aren't tested? A similar principle applies, and as Adon lands on the salaryman, Dudley is already guessing what is going to happen next. His lips purse, and he shakes his head just the smallest amount.

Catching the salaryman, he sets the man carefully down, and as the Emperor of Muay Thai brings his burning foot in and around at Dudley, the large man is already bringing his own fist, a brilliant gust of wind brought flaring up with it. The kick meets his uppercut, and for a moment, the two blows clash.

Dudley HAS received legitimate criticism for being too reliant on his uppercuts. Whilst he practices a variety of punches, it is these which generally win the day for him. He has also been criticized for being too staid; not a man prone to sudden bursts of inspiration, Dudley attempts to make the fight work as he wishes it to. Like a conductor building a fine symphony.

If this is his symphony, then this is his climax. The blow smashes through Adon's assault and sends the Muay Thai master into the air. No sooner has he touched the ground, than Dudley is rising again, his fist rising up in a second hurricane-like blow. Adon even has time to appreciate the view (for what gentleman would deny a fellow that?) before he is met by the third, and final, elegant punch.

When he lands, Dudley turns back towards Adon, looking over his shoulder. "If you respect strength, then, Sir, perhaps it is time to leave with your pride intact?"

No.

NO.

"NOOOOOO!!!"

Adon finds his drop kick caught by the boxer, catching him off-balanced. The salaryman feint was easily suppressed. And then comes the roaring uppercut. The gust of wind with the punch only serves to tear into the Emperor more. Adon soars through the air, before landing in a heap on the ground, unmoving. A cheer comes from within the crowd.

The Little Sagat throwing a fist up for the British Boxer.

Adon eventually opens his eyes with a start, recovering with a renewed rage. Rising up, he adjusts his jaw, which doesn't seem to be responding properly. Dudley offers to let Adon leave with his pride. The Emperor, considers this briefly, and announces his opinion on the matter.

"NEVER"

The Emperor launches himself forward towards Dudley, unleashing a flurry of kicks, punches, and hooks, the rage boiling from within. "NEVER! I AM ADON! THE EMPEROR OF MUAY THAI! A LIVING GOD! I WILL NEVER SUBMIT TO WEAKER ARTS! MUAY THAI IS EVER STRONG! AND YOU! ARE! NOT! STRONG!!!!!" With those last words, Adon will unleash a powerful thrust with his knee, attempting to knock Dudley into the air. If successful, he will follow up with another, and unleash a flipping heel kick directing Dudley to... the boy himself. He was going to make sure Dudley, when given a choice between landing safely or landing to ensure the boy's safety, he would make him choice the later. And when he lands.... he will finish off the combo with a stomp on his mustached head.

Cackling the entire time.

COMBATSYS: Dudley dodges Adon's Jaguar Thousand.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Dudley           0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0             Adon


Dudley seems to have got Adon's measure, now. Having broken his momentum, the huge boxer moves swiftly as Adon comes in for him, and throughout the initial flurry of kicks, punches and hooks, Dudley ducks, dodges and weaves. For a man who is so big, he displays a tremendous amount of agility. He almost seems to be a maestro, leading Adon on to where he wants the next attack to come, only to move around to the side at the last possible second.

The words roll off him and leave him entirely unconcerned. Of all the things one might acuse Dudley of being, insecure is not one of them. He most certainly does not care that Adon thinks he is weak. He is a man entirely at peace with his own ability and the strength which he can draw from them.

The knee thrust meets empty air, and Dudley's fist is being drawn back as Adon is given a few moments to realize that. There's just the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. A living god, eh? Dudley doesn't seem to think much of that claim.

"Good grief man."

"Keep it classy."

And with that burning refutation of everything Adon has said, Dudley comes forwards with a single, smooth motion. His fist leads the way, of course, and aims to smash the blow powerfully into Adon's jaw. He has no more interest in prolonguing this. Men like Adon never learn, but he can at least try to finish it swiftly, and take the young Sagat somewhere safe.

COMBATSYS: Adon interrupts Medium Punch from Dudley with Jaguar Throw.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Dudley           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0             Adon


The Emperor was not DONE yet.

The effortless dodges of the boxer only gained a shriek of frustration from the Emperor. He was in Dudley's circle, he was at Dudley's mercy for the pacing. As the knee thrust fails to connect, Adon watches with ever burning anger. The grin wasn't gone though. Despite the ever growing desperation, it was becoming very clear that the emperor's spirit was not breaking, and was growing only more furious and wild. He would not let Dudley have that child, not without a true fight. And as Dudley unleashes a smooth, KO blow... The Emperor seems to recoil briefly...

And the Jaguar pounces.

Adon hurls himself through the fist, hurls himself into Dudley like a crazed wild cat. Flailing and Twisting, the Emperor seems to be making a desperate interruption until he wraps his hands around the boxer's neck. Seizing it tightly, the Emperor's feet hit the ground, The punch had left its mark, but Adon's eyes spoke something else. He didn't care if he was hit. He didn't care if he had no class. There was only one thing he cared about. "I AM ADON!" The Emperor hisses to the gentleman.

"I NEED NO CLASS"

With that, he chucks the massive man by his neck, flinging the heavier man across the street into a lamppost. Struggling to remain on his feet, Adon was clearly on the end of his ropes.

But The Emperor was not DONE yet.

Dudley finds himself traveling through the air. It was not the expected outcome of the attack, that much is definitely for certain. Say what you like about Adon, the Muay Thai prodigy is definitely persistent. No class indeed. That much is becoming painfully apparent.

Dudley dents the lamppost pretty badly. He can see that Adon is on his last legs; there's pain written all over the angry man's posture. But, Dudley is not the sort of man to rush these things. He's already given him one chance to go home with no hard feelings, and a second to take his loss with dignity and poise. In both cases, Adon has roundly refused to see reason.

Indeed, it leads a man to think of a cornered animal; no doubt, Adon is at his most dangerous. But there is a *child's* life on the line in this. Dudley can not afford to make any more mistakes. He will not underestimate Adon a second time.

"You might not need it, Sir." Dudley says, meeting the Emperor of Muay Thai's eye with a cool, level gaze. "But it costs a man nothing, and without it, well. It doesn't matter how strong you are. You're a joke. And not." He pauses for emphasis. "A very funny one."

COMBATSYS: Dudley focuses on his next action.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Dudley           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0             Adon


He should have been broken by now. He shouldn't have kept up his grace, and his dignity. He should have lost his composure by now. But instead, he kept up that chivalry, despite being wrapped around a lamp post. As with that, the Emperor leers, gritting his teeth in frustration. Adon was always his most dangerous the closer he was to losing.

And he was dangerously close.
"CEASE YOUR EMPTY PLATITUDES!" Came the scream from Adon, ripping at the air before him. "You DARE call me a JOKE? I AM THE GOD OF MUAY THAI! When you insult me, you INSULT my ENTIRE NATION! My ENTIRE MARTIAL ART! You claim to be a gentlemen? To that, I LAUGH! I MEWL! I CACKLE LIKE SO MANY HENS! KYA HA HA! You are nothing more than a sophisticated moron, and I am THROUGH with your SOPHOMORIC SIMPERING!" Running through the air, the Emperor leaps with a mighty bound, aiming squarely a kick with the power to plow through the Boxer. Adon knew that Dudley had to be close. And because of that, he would give it all in this one attack, crying out at the top of his lungs.

"JAGGA TOOTH!"

COMBATSYS: Dudley interrupts Jaguar Tooth from Adon with Slipping Jab.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  //                            ]
Dudley           0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0             Adon


Perhaps most awfully of all, Dudley listens to what Adon has to say. It is as though he is genuinely interested in what Adon is talking about; like this is something he is going to be considering at length later. It isn't, of course. Adon's rant is not interesting in the least, but it is bad form to make a man feel like he is wasting his breath. If Dudley can listen to his friends talk about stocks and shares for hours on end, he can listen to Adon try to talk himself up for a few seconds.

It is all for nothing in the end. Adon leaps in at him with bone-crushing force, and Dudley comes forwards to meet him head on. The boxer slides, and his jab catches Adon in the chest as Adon's knees smash into him. Dudley just makes a light grunt, and then stands firm as the Emperor of Muay Thai drops.

There's no more words from him, he still looks... interested. Is Adon going to get up again?

Charge makes contact for only a second, and only a moment. When Dudley makes the jab, all the strength from the emperors limb escapes him. Adon was pushed below the line, he was past him limit. Gasping for air, the Emperor hits the ground, his smile knocked from him. Struggling to breath, Adon writhes on the ground, and slowly grows limp, falling into darkness.

And in the end, he meant nothing.

A flicker of white-hot rage boils forth from the Emperor's heart. It is a glimmer of light, a spark of passion that was beyond simply winning or losing. The purpose was ultimately to destroy Dudley, to make him lose, at any cost. To grind his nose in the asphalt. Adon scrambles up, drunkenly, stumbling towards the Boxer. "JJJJJJJAAAAAAGGAAAAAAAA" Was the scream as the Emperor uses the last of his strength to leap out against the British Boxer, to bring him down to the ground, and smash his face. To ruin it. To make it bleed. To ruin it. But before he can reach the boxer, a cry come from the crowd, from the little boy.

"Look out!"

COMBATSYS: Adon can no longer fight.

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


COMBATSYS: Dudley interrupts Jaguar Stab from Adon with Cross Counter.

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Dudley           1/-------/=======|


Dudley turns away from Adon when he believes that the arrogant man is done. It isn't the first such man Dudley has dealt with in his career, and he is certain that it will not be the last, either. The important thing here, as ever, is that the child is protected. There will be no beatings administered this evenin--

Wait look out?!

Reacting on pure instinct, Dudley suddenly whirls around, and as Adon smashes into him, the large man stands his ground. His fist, however, keeps going. The ultimate reposte; the final word in far too many of Dudley's debates.

He doesn't even say the words, instead, the little boy does. Recognizing the iconic attack for what it is, his young voice calls out, overjoyed;

"Cross counter!"

And Dudley smiles. Having smashed Adon into the dirt a second time, he reaches into his pocket, and produces a lovely rose. A deep breath is taken, and he sighs. "Come on, young man." He says, "Lets get you some tea, and you can tell me all about what this dreadful man has done."

And without a second thought, he discards the rose onto the downed Muay Thai warrior, to take charge of this poor abused young ward.

COMBATSYS: Dudley has ended the fight here.


An ambush from behind. The lowest of lows. And Adon would have had it too, if it wasn't for that damned child. The Emperor launches through the air, nearly making contact with the boxing gentleman. However, the Emperor does not. Not fully, at least. Dudley smashes the face of the Emperor, knocking him clean out.

KO.

Adon laid on the ground, alone. In the dark. Surrounded by the locals of Southtown. Soon, the boy would find a safe home. Soon, Adon would wake up again. He would never find young Sagat again. But when he came to, one thing was clear.

Someone would pay.

Log created on 13:01:47 03/25/2012 by Dudley, and last modified on 06:42:12 03/26/2012.