Fisticuffs Fundraiser! (IC)

[Cyroa]

These two were both rather heavy on the antics, but it was all in good fun he supposed. Dark Star floated down quickly, bathing Grim in rejuvinating radiation. Her mental exhaustion he could do little for but at least he could take care of the physical aspect. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the victor, Jack Of Blades!" He let the crowd do their cheering while he made sure Grim was alright. He figured her mental rest would come as soon as she joined Colt in the seats.

[Gizmo]

Once Dark Star and the medics had confirmed that Grim was alright, Jack leaped up on one of the ring's posts and bowed with an exaggerated flourish. "People are always telling me I'm exhausting to be around," he cried into the audience, "but I had no idea! How about another round of applause for the always lovely Grimalkin?" The crowd's boisterous clamour redoubled. Jack placed a hand to the side of his mouth as though about to whisper, but continued to shout to he heard clearly. "Don't worry, we'll show her the recording when she wakes up!" With a final bow, the swashbuckler hopped down from the ring and unstrung his gloves. Retrieving his coat along the way, he made his way over to the medical station, standing nonchalantly nearby until Colt arrived to retrieve their teammate. Grim's energies seemed fine now that the cosmic referee has done his work, but he felt obligated to keep an eye on her anyway.

[Geez3r]

Atlas was one of the first of the many to deliver a standing ovation to the two competitors. His thunderous applause being loud enough to practically be heard over the rest of the crowd. After nearly a minute of non-stop applause, Atlas started a chant. "GRIM. JACK. GRIM. JACK." It built slowly until the whole stadium was roaring "GRIM. JACK. GRIM. JACK."

It cemented the fact in everyone's mind that they had just witnessed a battle between equals.

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum was cheering with the rest of the crowd when Grim hit the mat. She too seemed a little perplexed, hesitating a moment, before nodding to Ace over the roar of the crowd, "I think so. Still that was one hell of match!"

The energy of so many people rumbled in her chest. Suddenly the evening came back into focus and she realized the match was really over. Which meant that her match with Atlas was up very shortly. But for the moment, none of that mattered. After Grim was a given a clean bill of health, she joined Atlas in the chant and standing ovation for both competitors.

"GRIM! JACK! GRIM! JACK!"

[quotemyname]

Colt was there to receive Grim's body when pulled her down off the mat on a stretcher. Despite Dark Star's healing, the poor girl was still sound asleep. He gave the medics a motion to stop and lifted her up off the stretcher.

One of the medics attempted to stop him, "Sir, I don't think that..."

"Oh I reckon she's just sleepin'. She'll be fine, there ain't no need fer that thing." Colt held the fey beauty in his arms and lifted her up so he could whisper in her ear. "Come'on now, Grim. Reckon ya outta wake up, so's ya c'n hear'em cheerin' fer ya."

[Heritage]

"Come'on now, Grim. Reckon ya outta wake up, so's ya c'n hear'em cheerin' fer ya."

The unconscious shapeshifter looks impossibly tiny cradled in Colt's arms; at the sound of his voice, her eyes slowly open, and a big sleepy smile blooms across her face.

"Did I hit 'im? I think I hit 'im right before I blacked out."

She adjusts herself a little, allowing a soft robe to spread over her small frame.

"There, that's better! Oh hey, cheering!" She giggles and waves at the crowd. "Yay, us! Fight's over and we're not dead! Yay! Oh man, I need a Gatorade, stat!"

[quotemyname]

Colt simply smiled and looked down at the shapeshifter. He smiled, and brushed a hair out of her face. "Yea, ya got'em. Much ta his chagrin."

"Now how bout let's get'cha that there drink?" He asked, walking back to their seats and flagging down the drinks man once more.

[Gizmo]

With Grim awake and in capable hands, Jack slipped away towards the stands. Tossing his gloves to the side of the ring as he passed, the swashbuckler donned his greatcoat and walked calmly to where the other participants were seated. Plopping down on a chair, he placed his feet on the back of the seat in front of him and folded his hands over his stomach. "So," he drawled laconically, "I miss anything good?" Despite his relaxed demeanor, Jack pointedly made sure to keep a reasonable distance between himself and Fulcrum. The heroine's Terminus emissions had evened out, but they were still higher than when the exhibition had begun. Ramps up when she gets excited, maybe? he considered. If that's the case, not sure how good an idea having her actually fight is...

[angrydurf]

"Well fought." Ace congratulated Jack as he joined them in the stands. The young swordsman had shown not only a rapier wit and skill at battle but a degree of showmanship Ace had feared lost in this generation of Heroes.

In response to his question Ace laughed lightly and replied, "Well there was the worlds shortest dance marathon, but what they lacked in endurance they more than matched in vigor."

[Dariusprime]

After a good, roaring ovation for the fighters, Fulcrum settled back into her seat and offered a bill to the vendor, "Do you have any Rocky Road?" After a few moments of searching, she presented a pint of Rocky Road and spoon to Grim. As for herself, she opted for another bag of peanuts and a water, plus another bottle for Atlas. Settling back down, "Order what you want. I've got this round," she offered.

Since the next bout was about to begin, her snacks were left for a post fight treat. For the moment, she leaned back in her chair, trying her best to stay relaxed. Not like she was fighting for a belt or anything. "Nice fighting there, Jack," she complemented neutrally. Her inflection gave away how impressed she was by his abilities.

[Gizmo]

"Thanks, I think it went well," Jack replied nonchalantly. His laconic demeanor seemed genuine, rather than an ironic affectation. The bout had burned off a considerable amount of the manic energy he'd displayed earlier in the evening, and had left his need for a fight sated for the moment. As much as he enjoyed playing to the crowd, Jack wasn't particularly concerned with praise; the competition itself was the pay-off for the swashbuckler. Of course, it helps that I won, he mused. Still, the general malaise which had plagued him since the demonic invasion had lifted, if only temporarily. He idly made plans for a quick patrol after the final match.

[quotemyname]

"Ya done good there, jack!" Colt said as he patted him on the back. Colt continued sitting with Grim on his lap, simply relaxing. "Just don't go beatin' on ma girl no more, ya hear?" Colt supplied a good natured smile and a wink along with the comment.

"Now, about that next round. What'cha got in that there box?" Colt selected another drink and more peanuts. If ever there was a box of cowboy food, he might have found it. It only seemed to be missing the horribly fat filled meat products he enjoyed.

[Gizmo]

Jack let out a short burst of laughter. "Oh man, most awkward congratulations ever," he grinned. He gave the cowboy and his exhausted companion a wry look. "At least I didn't hit her in the face!" The swashbuckler gestured emphatically, reenacting the bout with his hands. "The whole time, she doesn't even try for a body shot," he explained to the other participants. Jack indicated his bandanna mask. "I gotta start padding this thing."

Taking his feet down from the back of the chair in front of him, the swordsman turned to regard Atlas and Fulcrum. "You two ready for this? Got a game plan, little mental preparation?" Jack mimed bobbing and weaving while tossing out a few quick jabs.

[Geez3r]

Atlas had started to distance himself from the others. He was trying to get him game face on for the match. He still wasn't sure on how he should be going about doing this. Normally he just punched things until they stopped moving around so much and he was pretty sure he didn't want to employ that tactic here. One reason being that he wasn't entirely sure it would work. He absent mindedly thanks Fulcrum for the new bottle of water, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. He was lacing up his blue gloves before the match, one of the match officials helping him out.

[Heritage]

"At least I didn't hit her in the face!" The swashbuckler gestured emphatically, reenacting the bout with his hands. "The whole time, she doesn't even try for a body shot,"

Happily devouring her Rocky Road between swigs of Gatorade (what a combo!), Grim pauses to cock an eyebrow and wag her spoon at the avuncular swordsman.

"Hey, I threw two punches at your gut, buddy boy, they just didn't connect; I only started going for your face when you wouldn't shut the &*$% up!"

For a second she gets a tad flushed in the face and a bit of edge creeps into her voice, but then she shakes her head apologetically. "Sorry, sorry, I'm alright, it's just...you have no idea how annoying that was! I'm guessing you don't have older brothers or sisters? Anywho, if 'annoying' could be measured somehow, like on the 'kiloputz' scale? You were way off the charts, bro!"

She gives Colt a chocolatey kiss and then turns back to look at the last two competitors. "So, you guys; should we start digging foxholes or something? Building forts out of bleacher seats? I'm kinda expecting the heavens to shake."

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum nodded, "Maybe," she replied nonchalantly to both Jack's and Grim's questions, "Maybe Atlas and I discussed and planned this beforehand all professional wrestling style. Maybe we're going to Power Bomb the place." The wry smile of course suggested otherwise.

Game face really didn't do her mood justice. She looked as excited as a lazy cat, a marked difference from her excitement a moment ago. Which probably was her game face after all. Whatever game plan she, or they, had, wasn't forthcoming. Judging from her earlier comments, she must had both a game plan and prep strategy. As she herself said, Atlas was very big, and even if he pulled his punches, things could be interesting.

When an official approached her, she began lacing up her gloves as well. Standing up, she rolled her fingers inside the gloves and threw a quick combo of jabs. For her size she really was pretty fast. A quick stationary jog and stretches later, she was ready to roll.

"Ready to do this, Atlas?"

[Gizmo]

Jack gave Grim a look of exaggerated surprise. "You mean you were actually trying with those punches?" The swashbuckler raised his hands to fend off a renewed assault. "I kid, I kid. Believe me, I know exactly how annoying I am; which really makes it worse, doesn't it? It's my little sister I've got to watch out for. You've met El- uh, Jill. Hermanita's got chops; just as snarky as me and twice as smart. Growing up with her's given me a pretty unfair advantage when it comes to the banter." Though he played it off, Jack cursed himself for slipping up. In this crowded space, in front of so many cameras, he couldn't afford to give up any clue to his civilian identity or his family. Brooding inwardly, outwardly he gave Fulcrum and Atlas a half grin. "Try not to wreck the place, huh?"

[Geez3r]

There was a buzz in the arena as the announcer stepped into the ring for a third and final time. The last match had been a real pulse-pounder, but after sizing up the competitors for this bout, this match looked like it was going to be a good old fashioned slug fest.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that it is now time for our main event. We would like to take a moment to thank the good people at Astro Labs for reinforcing this ring in order to accommodate our next fighters. So hold onto your seats for what can truthfully be called the biggest boxing match ever seen.

Our first competitor is now making her way to the ring. The Majestic Madam. The Caped Crusader. The Glamorous Giantess. Here for you this very evening, I give you FUUUUULLLLLL-CRUUUUUUUUMMMM!!!

And her opponent: The Hammer and Sickle of Justice. The Red Russian Rampage. The Gigaton Guardian. I give you, the one, the only: ATLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSS!!!"

The roar of the crowd practically shakes the building.

[quotemyname]

"If'n they ain't shakin' the heavens, it'll certainly be the rafters." Colt remarked, "Just try'n keep't ta the ring, ya two. I ain't lookin' ta clean up after ya if'n ya know what'a mean." Colt said with a smile.

He took one finger and ran it on the inside of Grim's bucket of ice cream. He plopped it into his mouth and licked it clean. "Mmm. Reckon this's good stuff, honey, thanks!" He gave her a wink, and a kiss.

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded and resumed his place. This time however, he extended his own power outward and around the ring. He coalesced the energy into a field that should help reinforce the ring and keep any accidental damage from spreading beyond the ring's borders. These two were ridiculously strong and, while they were heroes and would certainly do their best to keep their activities from risking civilians, Dark Star didn't feel the need to take the chance.

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum gave Jack a strange, piercing look, like she was trying to remember something. Before she could collect her thoughts, the announcer introduced her. Whatever was bouncing around her head was lost as she rolled.

The first competitor in this super heavyweight bout tops the scales at...am I reading this right...575 lbs! That's a whole lot of fighter there, Bill.

Right you are. Not only is Fulcrum super size, but she is also a trained boxer. Rumor has it she frequents a small West End establishment named Dana's Gym. That level of superhuman strength combined with technical skill and athleticism should be real challenge for our next competitor.

She'll need everything she'd got to take on Atlas. Weighing in at...

A wide grin plastered across her face, Fulcrum waved at the crowds before running for the ring. She leaped vertically and balanced on a corner post by one foot. Time to really work up the crowd. Arms thrust high into the arm, she rotated slowly, seemingly in defiance of gravity, and back flipped from the top rung with a resounding thud. A quick round of shadowboxing and she bounced around, warming up.

Once introductions were completed, she stepped up and waited for Dark Star and Atlas, ready to tap gloves and get this party started!

[Geez3r]

"Weighing in at... well actually we don't know folks, our scales didn't actually go that high. We're guess somewhere between a Civic and a F-150."

Besides the competitor who was an actual boxer, Atlas probably looked the most like an actual boxer, red skin aside. He was fighting in normal boxing trucks and gloves, and that was about it. He usually tore through his own clothing when he was fighting, especially when he cocked a fist or got decked himself, so he figured charity bout or not, the same thing was going to happen. He figured the gloves too were just for show. They would probably only last 2, maybe 3 punches or blocks before they were in tatters.

Dark Star probably had the same thing in mind as he brought up the force field. This gave Atlas an idea. He wasn't as good with words as Jack, nor as sharp, but he did have a bigger mouth. Atlas stood in the corner of the ring, facing the crowd and took a monstrously deep breath. He then bellowed a guttural roar that lasted nearly a full 30 seconds, and was loud enough to cause ripples in the force field Dark Star had created. Throwing his hands in the air, Atlas turning back around and walked the length of one side of the ring. When he made eye contact with Fulcrum, he shot her a wink and smile; he wanted to show her she hadn't misjudged him, he was just getting the crowd riled up.

He got to the center of the ring to touch gloves. "Let's do zis." he said as they touched gloves and he backed off a few steps. He kept his guard up and circled his opponent carefully... and that was pretty much it. Atlas preferred to study his opponents before going blow to blow with them, he just usually didn't have that luxury. Show me what you got.

[quotemyname]

"Showwoman, an' Showbeast." Colt quipped. "Reckon we're gonna have ourselves a good fight now. I just hope that force field holds!"

[Gizmo]

Jack sat up straight as the announcer's voices filtered through the roar of the crowd. Dana's...? The gym was near his neighbourhood and firmly in the area he considered the core of his 'territory'. He'd even taught a couple of youth fencing courses there one summer, before the Interceptors had begun providing him with a steady pay cheque. It was a nice enough facility, but he couldn't imagine anyone making the trip from elsewhere in the city for anything but sentimental reasons. For the first time that evening Jack tried to focus on Fulcrum's face rather than her unsettling energy emissions. What's your deal, Paula Bunyan?

His narrowed eyes sprang back open as Atlas roared. Ruskie's got some pipes. Dark Star's force field sounded like dulcimers and chimes to the swordman's energy sense; the red man's bellow transformed it into a rippling kaleidoscope of tingling colours as Jack's mundane hearing was overwhelmed. "Got a little showman in him," he noted approvingly.

[Dariusprime]

The appearance of the force field brought a smile to Fulcrum's face. The field was certainly something new to add to her experiences. Idly she wondered how much it could withstand. Things aren't going to get that rough. Atlas' antics, although momentarily distracting, required every bit of willpower to keep from laughing. Which part was funnier, that he went for a Primal Scream or that his roar rippled the force field, she couldn't quite decide. Get under the surface and Atlas was a very complex fellow indeed.

After touching gloves, Mona brought up her guard, face set and ready, and circled along with Atlas. She deliberately stayed well inside his reach and within her own as well. Ring control and aggression became her calling card, and she kept close to him, trying to back him around the ring. Still she was cautious. The big ones that sized up their opponents were among the most difficult. Once they got your number, one good swing and lights out.

Rare was the opponent that actually outclassed Fulcrum in physical ability. Most competitors could simply be thrown around, but she never lulled on her training by resorting to raw power. She wasn't a brawler. Besides, opening herself to his counter attack was suicide. No, fighting Atlas required a thoroughly different style. Thankfully her trainer considered her a good all-around puncher, and judging from the ring size versus their reach, she had concluded that pressure fighting was the best strategy. Time to get started.

She backed off suddenly and changed her guard, mimicking the 19th century pose Atlas had struck in the locker rooms. That was followed up by some fancy footwork, dancing back-and-forth, side-to-side. She continued circling, hamming it up, and just as quickly as she started, she suddenly unloaded a quick series of jabs from up close. None of them connected by a mile, but that didn't really bother her. How he responded, now that she was watching.