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Post by Nyte on Jul 18, 2020 19:06:01 GMT -5
 <img src="http://
<script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>" alt="" style="max-width:100%;">  Name: Kara (Riot) Latham Age: 27 Monster's name: Grimstok
Three days was a rather short window for a tournament entry. Perhaps the hosts didn't want every pilot who had been either fortunate or stupid enough to get the necessary implants screwed into the side of their heads. So many pilots had been hired or bullied into the ring and more often than not they were poorly prepared for the mental strain it took for someone to control their beast effectively. Most companies, who had paid more than a pretty penny for their beasts, went through trials with cheaper monsters, but still. The real thing never compared to the fights in a gym.
A new tournament was, of course, a huge bit of information and competitors scrabbled to submit their entry fees. With a large prize of ten million credits up for grabs it was hard to resist. Hardly anyone paid attention to the disclaimer at the bottom of the entry form stating that the tournament would not have the same standard rules of other rumbles. Who cares if a rule or two is changed when you could retire at the end of it.. if you won.
"Lots of fodder.." Kara, commonly known as Riot, muttered to herself as she watched a line of others wait to put their credits and name down on the list. It was going to be a very, very large tournament. There could be days between rounds where she would get to fight. Not that it mattered to much. It just left time for her to be able to make repairs if they were needed. Fighting at a 100% operation was always preferred. Kara's attention was diverted from the long line outside the box office of the arena when her earpiece began to vibrate gently, telling her she had an incoming call. Reaching up she tapped the button on the side of it with her finger. "Riot here." She answered.
"Riot, we have a bit of a situation." A man spoke into her ear. "The new guy opened the tank."
Kara sighed and closed her eyes. "Alright, seal the chamber. I'll be right there." She replied and pressed the button on the side of her device once more before to end the call. "Well, so much for watching the competition." She muttered to herself and turned away from the arena and towards a car that she had parked just outside and returned home.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 18, 2020 20:01:32 GMT -5
 Aiden 'The Hitman' Ryker
Age: 29
Monster: Cinder“10 Million credits….” A man stood with the flyer in his hand. “Well, well.” He puffed on a cigar. He was a heavier set man with a top hat and a custom suit. “Looks like you might get a chance to pay off a bit more of your credits, Aiden.” The man took a long drag of the cigar before he looked to a man whom leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “Sounds like it’ll be the fight of your life, a true test of your skill.” The man snickered as he unlocked his deck and pulled out a metallic card. Aiden stepped forward from the shadows of the room. He stood just over six feet tall, he was an athletic build. The only troubling thing about his appearance happened to be the scars that ran along the side of his head from the implants. His handler, Mr. Marx, made sure to have the implant put in correctly. Well enough that unless one knew that Aiden was a fighter they would merely suspect the markings to be a scar from his past. Aiden took the chip card into his hand and looked to the flyer. “Every fighter will be putting credits down for this fight.” He spoke as he looked to the colorful design of the page. Mr. Marx chuckled as he puffed a cloud of smoke into Aiden’s face. “Good. Competition. That’ll pay off a tenth of what you owe me boy. Wouldn’t you want to put a good amount of credit down on your account?” He licked his lips and then grinned. “Perhaps you’ll be free of the arena one day and you can return to your measly engineering.” Marx chuckled, his teeth were slightly yellowed from the amount of smoking he’d done over the years. “Go on. Pay up.” He moved and sat at his desk. “Oh. And Aiden.” He looked up just enough to look at the man that stood before him. “You can’t afford to lose. Don’t forget.” Aiden nearly crumpled the paper in his fist as he turned and stepped from the office. He looked to the two body guards that stood outside of Marx’s office. The men had guns, guns that would easily kill anyone whom wished that man harm. He took in a breath as he made his way to the stairwell and he ran down the staircase quickly. “How much did you owe this fucker?” He growled to himself as he pushed the door open. He was referring to his late brother. A man that he hadn’t had much contact with. His brother was involved in the gangs of the city, he made bets on these fights. He lost many bets on these fights. Many of the bets were payable to Mr. Marx. Thus, his brother became highly in debt to the money lord of the city. When his brother was killed in an accident...or not so accident...Mr. Marx quickly found the next of kin. He was known for always getting his payment. Aiden was just finishing his last year of residency. He had a doctorate in engineering. All of it was thrown out the window the moment that Mr. Marx placed him on the list of his fighters. He ripped him from his life and tossed him before the surgeon to implant him with the neural device that would allow him to connect with a monster. From that day forward he became known as Hitman. Mr. Marx would place massive bets on his fights. He would make sure that Aiden was placed against an opponent that everything thought would win. Then out of no where Aiden would crush them. No one knew that Aiden belonged to Marx. That was a well kept secret. Marx didn’t want that information getting out. It would lose him money. Aiden walked up to the event, a sigh came over his lips when he saw the line. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he waited. All the while his eyes moved about the crowd, he looked for opponents that he might know. Ones that he may have faced before. Most seemed to be new comers, rushing to the arena for the lofty amount of money. Though only one could win. He made it to the window and he looked in to the clerk. “Aiden ‘The Hitman’ Ryker?” The clerk grinned wildly. “Damn it’s about to be a crazy venue.” He chuckled as he took Aiden’s credits. “I can’t wait to see you fight. Uh...what’s your monster’s name again man?” “Cinder.” Aiden replied his stoney eyes looked to the young kid. Not even a smile cracked his lips. This was his job. This wasn’t fun for him. It wasn’t an event nor a venue. “Right….right that’s it.” The kid hesitated slightly before he handed the slip. “Well….can’t wait to see you fight man.” “Thanks.” Aiden spoke as he turned, a few of the eyes of the crowd had fallen upon him from the clerk’s excitement. He made his way through the crowd quickly. He glanced up to see a man dressed in black moving after someone. The streets of this city were dangerous. He saw a blade in the hand of the man, it glistened in the light of the streets. His eyes caught the red locks of a woman’s hair just in front of the man. “Hey.” He called out just the man reached forward to grab the woman, his fingertips grazed her shoulder. Aiden quickly gripped the man by his wrist and spun him around, the blade fell from his hand easily. “You mind? It looks like she’s in a hurry.” He spoke as he glared into the man’s eyes. The man looked at his face. “I...uh...” He stared to Aiden. He recognized him. “I was just...uh...” He choked on his words as Aiden gripped his throat. “Going?” Aiden gave a wicked smile to the man before he released him. “You should watch your back downtown you know?” He turned his eyes to look to the woman. She looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t place the name. “Anyway. You looked like you were in a hurry.” He spoke and gave a nod. |
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Post by Nyte on Jul 18, 2020 21:25:07 GMT -5
Kara was just about to slip into the driver seat when she heard someone yell out from the crowd at the arena. She turned just in time to see the man reaching for her, pulling her shoulder away to avoid his grip, and watched the interaction between him and the individual who had interrupted the would be assassination. Kara wasn't startled, but rather amused by the turn of events, and watched as the man who had almost stabbed her walked away and disappeared in the crowd. "Since when does a hit man save people?" She asked as her savior turned his back to her.
No one got as far as Riot did without knowing a face or two. Kara leaned against the side of her car, her foot propped up in the interior of the frame as the door was still open. The earpiece against her face started to buzz again, reminding her of the urgent call she had already received. "Well, I hope you came to sign up for the tournament. I'd love to see you in action first hand." She told him with a smirk and then got into her car without another word. Pulling away in her sleek red car the license plate read "R1OT."
When Kara got home she found her staff in a panic. "Riot, thank god." A bulky man wearing a tank top and cargo pants said with relief as blood ran down the side of his head.
"Jesus Christ, I leave you alone for half an hour and you're bringing the roof down?" Kara replied with an irritated tone and shouldered her way past him and towards a large bulk head door with the sounds of metallic scraping coming from the inside. "Open it." She ordered and stuck her hands in her pockets. "If the new guy isn't dead.. he's fired." She stated as another large man turned the wheel and unlocked the door.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 18, 2020 21:54:16 GMT -5
Aiden looked to the fiery haired woman, a smirk curved up his lips. “Ah, well consider it your lucky day, hm?” He spoke as he glanced over his shoulder to her. His eyes looked to the license plate of her car. “Riot.” He nodded his head. He’d heard of her. He’d never met her. But he’d heard she was something to watch, certainly. He walked through the streets and made his way back into the rather tall business building that housed Mr. Marx’s offices. He climbed the stairs, he preferred the stairs over elevators. Something about elevators had always made him uncomfortable. Though, he looked at it as a conditioning exercise. It kept him in shape, the amount of times he went up and down these stairs each day.
Aiden made it to the top of the stairs and he stepped up to the two guards whom tensed slightly to his arrival. He went to open the door and an arm barred his entrance. “Mr. Marx is in a meeting. You’re not invited.” The brute of a guard spoke. “He said head to the warehouse. Make sure everything is good with your pet.”
Aiden looked to the man with a cold stare. He drew in a long breath before he gave a forced smile. “Of course. Gotta make sure Crimson is ready for the fight tomorrow. Hm.” He shoved the ticket stub into the man’s chest. “Make sure Marx gets this. Huh?” He pat his shoulder before he turned and walked to the stairwell. He glanced to the two guards a moment before he slipped from the building once again. Aiden was nothing more than a money maker to Marx. He brought in the cash with his tactics. His fights were nothing short of gory, mayhem, and destruction. He made his way through the streets. His stone grey eyes looked up to the tall buildings as he made his way through the city. Trash rustled across the street in front of him with a slight breeze. Neon signs advertised every street corner.
“Hey man, lookin for somethin to get you goin?” A man stood on a street corner. He had a twitch to his smile. “I’ve got the good stuff. Just a few credits and you’ll have the night of your life.” He grinned.
Aiden looked to him and then let out a sigh. “Nah.” He spoke before he walked across the street.
“Get your Blue Ale here! The best ale in the system!” An ad drone floated passed him.
Aiden scoffed and walked a bit faster. He’d stay inside if he had the choice. He wasn’t like the other fighters. The ones that won had money. At least after a year or so. If they were successful...they had a car like Riot. They could afford anything they wanted truthfully. Or if they had a wealthy sponsor they could have it all so long as they kept winning. Aiden on the other hand, he had fine clothing provided to him by Marx, but that was about it. He lived in the warehouse district with his creature, unlike most. He walked everywhere. He scraped to get by on what little credits Marx allowed him to have. It kept him close to Marx, which was the point. He couldn’t afford to have his prized possession run off on him. Aiden rounded a corner into the warehouse district.
He walked up to a building and pressed his thumb to the keypad. He then stepped inside. The lights flickered on as he walked in. He glanced around the silent room. In the center a pod was held, it was dark within the pod that was filled with liquid. He stepped up to a control panel and clicked a few buttons upon it. Vitals lit up on the screen before him. A light flickered on within the tank to reveal a strong beast that had thick black scales for skin. Claws. Sharp fangs. A red glow came from the neck and mouth, as well as the eyes. “Hey Crimson.” Aiden stepped up to the container and looked to the beast. “Looking good my friend. We’re going to fight...tomorrow.” He watched bubbles come from the nostrils of the creature as a growl came from within the tube.
**
The next morning Aiden was awakened by the sound of the warehouse doors rolling open, a truck backed into the warehouse to gather Crimson for the tournament. “Get up.” Marx spoke as he kicked the end of the old mattress that lay upon the floor. “Time to fight, Aiden.” Marx set a bag on the bedside table. “I’ve got a lot of money on you.” He spoke with a smirk. “Don’t forget to eat your breakfast.” He chuckled as he stepped from the small room that Aiden had built.
Aiden groaned as he rolled to his side. He sat at the edge of his bed for a long moment before he stood and made his way to the closet. He pulled on his jeans and hightop shoes, his undershirt and his jacket. He then looked in the mirror a moment before he grabbed the brown bag. “Nothing to lose...” He spoke as he reached into the bag and pulled out a breakfast sandwich. He munched upon it as he walked through the streets.
It didn’t take long before he arrived at the venue. He made his way into the tournament by flashing his ticket to the ticket master. A few other fighters spoke their hellos to him and he returned the gesture. Aiden walked into the room that many of the fighters stood in. It overlooked the arena. A fight was set to begin in just a few minutes. Aiden crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as he looked up to the screen. He didn’t recognize the names of the fighters. That is how it would begin. They would save the bigger names for the last fights of the day. He moved to grab a coffee from the bar. He poured it, just a dash of cream and a pinch of sugar. He stirred it and sipped from the paper cup as his eyes looked about the room. He didn’t mingle much with the other fighters. He never did. He wouldn’t be here if he had the choice. Most looked excited for the fight. Some looked focused. He on the other hand looked rather irritated about being there. A chime sounded from the speakers of the room as the first fight began. Aiden looked up to the screen to observe. New monsters, new talent. That was always something he watched for. He had to keep on his toes to maintain his winning streak.
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Post by Nyte on Jul 18, 2020 22:53:39 GMT -5
By the end of the night Kara was out one hired hand, taken away in pieces in a body bag, and another was laid up in the hospital. It might have been dire for other teams but she always had her "employees" sign waivers of liability. If they got hurt or killed on the job.. that was on them. Especially when someone opened the tank without her approval or even being present in the building. Not to mention her lab was a total mess and she was going to have to replace several key pieces of equipment.
The morning brought more positive things. She had gotten up, showered and dressed herself in a halter top, skin tight, black leather suit. Strapped on a pair of black boots with too many buckles, and pulled on a bright red cloak with the emblem of her beast sprayed in black paint upon the back. She drank her coffee and munched on a few pieces of granola on her way to the arena. Once she had parked and entered the fighter's waiting area she smiled and nodded at the few people who looked her way. She was a rather friendly face in comparison to the others. Perhaps her other profession lent her a bit of hospitality that no one else bothered to master. Being nice didn't get you far in this line of work after all.
As she made her way around and to the window where she could see down to the pits she came across the man who had saved her from a nasty bite the night before. "We meet again." She stated softly as she leaned against the glass of the window to his right. Her long red hair tumbling down over her shoulder and framing one side of her face. "Nervous or just looking to scope out the competition?" She asked as she followed his gaze down. "I hear they're making some changes to the line up from the usual." She commented just before the speaker system of the arena crackled to life before the announcer came on.
"Welcome gentlemen, vandals and outcasts! Our sponsors want to thank your for you support and patronage for our little impromptu tournament we have going on for the next month. We've had the small roster number of 560 entries, making it a record turnout for our little games." The crowd down near the pits cheered with excitement. "To help with the staggering number of suckers lined up to fight in the ring we've decided to make a vital change. Everyone will be paired off.. into teams. Teams of two to be exact. That's twice the monsters, blood and gore for all you wholesome folk!" The crowd went crazy once more.
Kara looked down at the ring, dumbfounded. Teams? That wasn't something that happened. Having to worry about one monster trying to tear your innards out was one thing, but two? Then having to count on someone else for backup was even worse. "Fighters! Your partner information has been sent to your comms, please check them now and get acquainted with your new best friend!" Kara looked down at her device, strapped to her forearm under her cloak, and saw that she was being paired with... Hitman?
Looking up at her apparent teammate she furrowed her brow then looked to the registration desk just as the whole crowd of fighters swarmed the handful of receptionists that were braced for the onslaught of questions. "Well.. I seems they really are changing things up." She commented with an exasperated sigh.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 18, 2020 23:19:14 GMT -5
Aiden lifted his eyes as he was approached, he sipped from his coffee. A slight smirk curved up his lips. “Who would have thought that I would run into another fighter….at a tournament? I prefer to watch my future opponents. You never know when a newcomer could possibly dethrone a fighter from a winning streak...I don’t intend on allowing that to happen.” It was more of a response than most got out of him. Her comment caused him to raise a brow slightly, “You’ve heard more than I have.” He spoke but his next question was cut off by the speaker system that made the announcement. He sipped from his coffee as his brows raised slightly. Teams. Well this was certainly going to get interesting.
He lifted his arm and clicked to read through his messages. The first message was from the tournament sponsor, informing him that Riot would be his teammate. He glanced to her with a smirk upon his lips. Then his device buzzed again with another message.
The credits are ours for the taking, Aiden. Carry her through the fights and when you get to the last on make sure she doesn’t make it through. Then we will see our payday.
It was a message from Marx. He frowned slightly. He gave a chuckle and then pat her on the shoulder. “At least you didn’t get paired up with Danger.” He grinned to her. “I’m fairly certain he is on his…..” He seemed to think a moment, tossing around the numbers in his head. “10th? 11Th? Monster. He’s been destroyed so many times I’m surprised he has the money to keep making more. Then again, he’s a billionaire and that is what he wants to do.” He shrugged.
The speakers crackled from above again. “Alright fighters! You have one hour to spend with your new teammate to discuss strategies. Then we shall let the games begin! The last fighter standing will receive 10 million credits!” The crowd went wild. “You have each been assigned a prep room for the remainder of the tournament.”
Aiden looked to Riot as his device buzzed again. “511.” He spoke and nodded to her. “Come on.” He spoke and sipped from his coffee once again. He walked from the room and around the long circular hallway until they reached the room. He scanned in and stepped inside the small room that held a television to watch the fights and beverages. It had a table as well as two recliners for resting. “Well they went all out with the amenities didn’t they?” He scoffed slightly. Aiden then tossed his empty coffee cup into the trash before he turned to Riot. He looked her over slightly, “I’ve heard about you. Hopefully we will make a good pairing.” He spoke as he looked to the television. The crowd was roaring with excitement as the small fights continued. Monsters that the tournament sponsors deemed unworthy of a partner pairing.
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Post by Nyte on Jul 18, 2020 23:38:16 GMT -5
Danger was probably the most accurate name given to any of the fighters. The guy was a walking hazard and even with as much as the crowd loved to watch the blood and gore, taking home blood on their shirts and pants if they were lucky, they often took a step back when he entered the ring. There was a score of fighters asking for him to be removed and banned from competing all together. Money kept him in however. "Well, I mean you may be better than Danger but I have a few others I would have rather been paired up with." She replied as she followed him to their assigned prep room.
The rooms that were being used for prep rooms were obviously not meant to be used for comfort. Though they tried to make them more accommodating. She doubted every room looked the same though. The newer fighters or ones on their way out often got lesser treatment. They didn't earn as much money for those in power so they didn't get good treatment. "I'm flattered that someone with your reputation has heard of me." She said with feigned surprise. "So humbling." She giggled and walked over to the refreshment bar, removed her cloak and tossed it over the back of one of the recliners. "So, if memory serves then you fight with a more brawler type style, correct? Your beast is a bit on the bulkier side."
If they were going to win they needed to have a general idea on how to work together. "Grimstok isn't going to like this." She commented more to herself than to him. Pairing up unwillingly was detrimental in more ways than one. They didn't know how to work together and would have to figure it out rather quickly. Plus they would learn about each other and tactics they probably didn't want shared. It would make things much harder in the future if they were ever pit against one another.
She picked out a beer from the fridge, popped the top off with the provided opener, and sighed before taking a long drink. "I wonder who's bright idea this was." She muttered.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 18, 2020 23:56:53 GMT -5
Aiden looked to her with a bit of a raised eyebrow as she made the comment that she would have picked other fighters over him. It didn’t surprise him. Most knew of him, knew of his fighting. But he wasn’t a golden boy. He wasn’t the front runner. He wasn’t on the posters like some of the fighters. No, he stayed to the shadows and he won the fights that Marx wanted him to. He sat down in the recliner and let out a sigh as she made her next comment. “I pay attention to most of the fighters that come through the tournaments, it’s the best way to stay on top of the upcoming threats that might come my way.”
He glanced to her as she questioned about his fighting style. “Crimson might look like a heavy brawler, but he is much more nimble than most realize.” He spoke as he watched her. “Aw poor Grimstok.” He commented as he stood. “Well for the record I’m not to happy about this either.” He stood before her, his brows tucked together slightly. “Crimson isn’t used to working in a team environment. In fact, he’s never been on a team.” He smirked then, “But, I’m willing to work with you, Riot.” He poured himself another cup of coffee. “In fact, this could be the best thing to happen to both of us. Grimstok, you called your beast.” He leaned against the wall next to her and smirked slightly. “I like it.” He commented and then took a sip of his coffee. “Now, I’ve never seen you fight. So you’ll have to enlighten me on how you handle yourself in the arena.”
Aiden searched her eyes slightly. “As much as I do not want to share my tactics with you, I’ll have to. I’ll be the death of both of our beasts if I choose to hold anything back. I can’t really afford to lose, so you had better keep up.” He took a drink of his coffee. “Crimson is quick, yet he packs a punch. His talons can grasp onto many things, I’ve ripped my competitors limb from limb in just seconds of the fight beginning. But. I was told by the tournament that they do not like to see that. So, I draw the fight out. I make attacks that harm the other beast. Slowly clipping away at my opponent. I may even let them think that they have an advantage over me. When they least expect it I strike.” He took another drink. “Your turn.” He looked to the time. “We don’t have much time, so...”
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Post by Nyte on Jul 19, 2020 0:11:09 GMT -5
Kara listened to him talk and watched his expression and body language for any signs of deceit or malice. He seemed mostly genuine. Unhappy, but no one was going to be happy during this tournament. Well.. at least none of the fighters were. She was sure everyone else would absolutely love it. "Well, good to know you have some mobility." She replied to his description of his movement and tactics. Get in and tear them apart before anyone could do anything about it. That would be difficult to do in this case. Unless she could completely distract the other opponent, which was a possibility.
"Well, though I understand why you've changed the way you kill in the ring I think it might be best to revert back to that type of fighting. Else if we draw it out to much we can let the victory slip through our fingers." She sipped on her beer once more and sat in the other recliner a short ways away from him. "Grimstok is very mobile. Death by a thousand cuts sort of style. Many different limbs that even if she's caught she can still inflict a great deal of damage. She got caught once and simply eviscerated her opponent before they could do anything after grabbing her."
Kara never liked to refer to herself as the beast. They were separate even if they were joined together through the neural link. Kara always felt like the guiding hand rather than the driving force behind Grimstok's strength and speed. "You're not the only one with something to lose you know. So don't worry about us pulling our weight." Kara had her reputation on the line. Not her fighter reputation but her core business. She still built and bred beasts for certain clients. Her services were expensive, but worth it. "I want to see Crimson." She stated and shotgunned the rest of her beer. "Come on. Let's go down and I'll introduce you to Grimstok as well. Get an eye on what we'll be working with."
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 19, 2020 0:31:53 GMT -5
“Death by blades. I like it.” A grin split Aiden’s lips. “Our beasts could work well together.” He commented as he listened to her speak. He then nodded as she stated that he should revert to his old style. “I planned on it. No holds barred at this point. Road rules.” He spoke with a chuckle before he took a sip of his coffee. “With 10 million credits on the line I can guarantee that we are going to see things that we have never seen from our opponents. They will be hungry for a win.”
He liked the sound of Grimstok. He’d never gotten the chance to see her fight, but he could imagine it to be quite entertaining. Though he never really got into the entertainment factor like his brother. In fact he’d all but avoided these arenas until he was dragged into this mess by Mr. Marx. He took in a breath as he thought about how this tournament would go. His eyes moved to her when she spoke that he was not the only one with things to lose. He laughed slightly. If only she knew the weight that rode on his shoulders. Marx would surly kill him if he lost. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if he lost.
“You want to see Crimson?” He smirked then as he stood. “Getting to know our beasts isn’t half a bad idea.” He spoke as he stepped from the room. He set his half empty coffee on the table and walked into the hall. Aiden paused at the elevator. He winkled his nose slightly. “Stairs. It’s faster. Trust me.” He spoke as he went to the stairwell. He made his way down the stairs in a rushed fashion. Aiden turned down the hallway and walked to the back where his beast was kept. It wasn’t kept in the nicer area where the higher paying beasts were kept. No, Marx didn’t want anyone to know that Aiden was his fighter. If he showed that he had money, people would question him. Aiden stepped to the door and scanned into the small room. He flipped on the switch and there was a bubbling from within the tube. “Crimson.” He spoke as he looked up to the tube. A growl came from within the water as the creature moved into sight. “This is going to be our new partner.” Aiden spoke as he glanced to Kara. “Riot.” He spoke, “Meet Crimson.” There was a snarl from within the container. Crimson didn’t take kindly to newcomers.
Aiden let out a slight chuckle, “He’ll uh...warm up to you….or he won’t.” He shrugged. “He hasn’t really had to adapt like this before. But, don’t worry, he listens to me. Unlike some of the beasts.” He smirked slightly as Crimson lowered his head to look at Kara closely. His fangs glistened from within the tube.
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Post by Nyte on Jul 19, 2020 0:49:16 GMT -5
Kara regretted taking the stairs. Of course going down was easier than going up, she would most definitely be taking the elevator back up, but it still wasn't quiet as.. luxurious as simply riding down. Crimson was held in the general warehouse were the cheaper monsters were held. So when they approached the container where the beast was kept she expected something.. well inferior to her own work. What she found was something quite the opposite. She approached the glass of the tube that contained the hulking creature and looked up at the defined muscles, sharp ridges and wickedly curved claws and teeth. She smiled as the creature seemed to take her in as he growled menacingly from within his prison. "Hello darling." She whispered and reached forward to touch the glass with her finger tips. She smiled in an almost loving fashion as she tilted her head slightly to meet the angle Crimson was forced to remain in.
"You didn't tell me you used one of mine." Kara commented. "I don't remember you as a customer though." She told Hitman and glanced back over his shoulder. "Either you stole him or you've got some powerful people backing you." She couldn't remember who had bought Crimson but she remembered all of her beasts very well. They were like her children after all. If children grew up in only six months that is. "Either way.." she sighed and stepped back from the tank. "You've moved up on my preferred partner list. I trust my own work over anyone else's." She admired the beast for a moment longer, still smiling up at him, and then turned to Hitman after a moment of silence. "Let's go meet Grimstok." She finally said.
Grimstock was held on the upper level. Set off to the side and mostly hidden from view the beast in the tank turned immediately as the pair of them approached. Her more narrow head able to snake around more easily even with the extra limbs protruding from her body. There was a soft clicking sound that resonated from within the tank followed by a purring sound. "This is Grimstok. She's a very good judge of character and quick to tell you she doesn't care for you." Kara explained and did a brief glance over the vitals of her beast on the control panel. Everything was green and stable. "She's my baby though. I don't even have to use the neural link to communicate with her. Helps if she's really wild but normally she listens just fine."
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 19, 2020 1:20:36 GMT -5
Aiden watched as she stepped up to the glass. He watched as Crimson growled, but it was not much of a growl of anger. It was more of a greeting. Like the growl that he was normally greeted with. “You make them?” He questioned as he stared to her. He clenched his jaw slightly. Marx wouldn’t like this. He could only imagine he orders he would receive. Though the fact that she couldn’t remember who the buyer was, that worked for him. So long as she didn’t have it somewhere electronic. Though he doubted that Marx would be so stupid as to leave a trail. Especially for a possession that he didn’t want anyone knowing he had. He drew in a breath when she left the subject quickly. “At least you know the Crimson, should bring back fond memories then.” He scoffed slightly as he followed her.
The upper deck. Of course. This was where the cream of the crop was kept. It was where Crimson belonged, yet he was shoved in the dark corners of the lower class holding. Aiden walked in behind Riot his eyes looked about the larger room. He looked to the beast within the tube, she was slender. She even looked agile. He stepped to the glass and gazed up to her. “Nice to meet you Grimstok.” He spoke as he looked over the lines of the creature. The only beast he’d ever been this close to was Crimson...and well his first beast that Marx allowed to be ripped to shreds by pitting him against an opponent that he should have never faced. He turned and looked to Kara as she spoke of how she fought.
“You don’t link?” He questioned, his brows raised slightly. “Are you mad?” He drew his brows together then. “You had better hope that she listens.” He looked to the beast again, he stood next to the glass of the tube. “She is quite the creature though. I’ve never really been this close to another, Crimson is my only beast that I’ve ever linked with. Except for my training beast.” He cleared his throat slightly then before he looked to Kara. “You can call me Aiden, by the way….I’m not much for my nickname that the tournament sponsors have given me. It’s just a name. I’m certain they will change it when they see fit.” He shrugged slightly.
The overhead comms crackled then. “Good evening ladies and gents! The battles will begin shortly. We have a treat for you out the gate. We will have Danger paired with Tyrant.” The crowd could be heard in the wing. “Against Riot paired with The Hitman.” The crowed erupted in excitement.
Aiden looked to Riot then, his jaw clenched. “Let’s hope this works.” He spoke as he led her from the room. Soon enough the crews would take the beasts down to the arena. Music played loudly over the speakers as they made their way to the elevator that would take them up.
“Ah yeah! Riot and Hitman! This is going to be excellent!” The doorman for the elevator chuckled.
Aiden grit his teeth slightly. He didn’t have time to take the stairs. He stepped upon the elevator and gripped onto the handle as the doors closed. They lifted up to the overlook of the stadium. The podiums that placed them over the arena. Aiden stepped out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. He walked forward and the crowd began to roar. “I give you Hitman and Riot!” The announcer spoke loudly.
“Anything else I should know?” Aiden questioned as he took his place on his podium. He glanced to Riot a moment before he placed his hands upon the handles of the podium. He drew in a breath and closed his eyes. Blue lines began to glow on the side of his head from the neural network that had been installed into him. His breathing slowed and his expression relaxed.
A roar came from the arena below as Crimson burst from the holding tube as it was unlocked. He rushed forward with speed and made a few laps around the arena before he came to a stop and snarled. The crowd roared with excitement as the burly beast took charge of the arena.
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Post by Nyte on Jul 19, 2020 1:40:44 GMT -5
Kara laughed when Aiden seemed concerned about her linking process. "No, I link up when we fight. Not so much when we're at home. Grimstok is a gentle giant, when she wants to be." She looked back to Grimstok and smiled in the same loving fashion she had at Crimson. "I made them before I fought in the ring. Grew tired of having my precious beasts torn to pieces by amateurs so I decided only a select few get to employ my services and that I would show the others how to properly handle a beast." She told him. "If you ever want to see more of them, the stages of my work feel free to come by my shop and take a look. You might even learn a thing or two."
As the announcer informed the arena of the first pairing Kara sighed, her shoulder slouching slightly as she groaned upon hearing who their opponents would be. "Well, they didn't give us a very good warm up match now did they?" She complained and then looked back up to Aiden. "First name basis, huh?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Very well. Call me Kara then. I picked Riot myself and refuse to allow them to change it but that's half the fun. Having the judges cringe is part of the fun."
Once they were in the elevator she rolled her shoulders and focused on the neural link that connected her to Grimstok. She could feel the beast's anticipation as her tank was moved to the gates. "Yeah, don't try to play shield to much. You're liable to even more torn up that way." Once they were out on the podium, larger than typical to accommodate both of them, she sat in the stool provided and leaned against the railing as Grimstok rushed out to the arena after Crimson had finished his laps.
Grimstok was thin and nimble looking compared to her partner and she gave a long hiss as a greeting to the hulking beast. Her smaller limbs under her body twitching in anticipation as her tail whipped back and forth. As the crowd roared Grimstok looked up to the hazy view of people around her and gave a low growl before letting loose a shrieking call to her challengers.
The other team waltzed in like they were going to simply crush their enemy. Their brute force was going to be a decent contender, but their over confidence would ultimately be their downfall. Kara smiled as she watched through Grimstok's eyes at the small, weak human bodies of her competitors then down to the large bay doors that opened as their beasts were released into the ring.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Jul 19, 2020 1:59:52 GMT -5
Aiden watched through Crimson’s eyes as Grimstok took the arena. Crimson growled in appreciation as he ran around his teammate. He then glanced up to the humans that waltzed out above. Amateurs. This would be an easy match. Aiden watched as the two monsters too the ring, both were overly braun. They were slow and big. Easy for Crimson to take down, Grimstok should have had an easy time with these opponents as well. The tournament sponsors clearly wanted Danger out of the running early. Crimson leaned forward on all four of his legs, his claws dug into the floor of the arena. He snarled as the announcers called over the intercoms. The words made no difference to him. The only thing that he cared about was the sound of the horn that meant he could rip his opponent limb from limb.
The horn sounded and Crimson rushed forward after Danger’s new monster. It barely had a chance to move before Crimson was on top of it. He slashed into the creature with several blows before he jumped back, blood dripped from his claws as he dodged a slash from his opponent. Crimson snarled as a hit landed on his side. It was then that he was hit on his other side by the other contender. Crimson was thrown against the wall easily by the barreling beast. He growled as his back legs dug into the hips of the creature, his claws dug into the flesh. Crimson let out a might roar as he broke the hold of the creature and he slammed it to its back. His jaws came down on the neck of the beast and in a blood spurting attack he ripped the throat from the monster. He then sliced down the chest and stomach before he turned his attention to the other contender. He’d let Grimstok finish Danger now that the other monster was out of the way.
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Post by Nyte on Jul 20, 2020 22:07:08 GMT -5
Grimstok skittered up along the wall, avoiding the grasp of the smaller of the two brutes they had for opponents. Danger's attention was on Crimson at first and Grimstok's lance-like tail whipped out and buried itself into the flank of the beast, drawing a roar from it, and then dodged another swipe of its limb, the creature almost moving comically slow to her far more nimble body. When it proved difficult to catch Grimstok the beast turned to Crimson and charged forward to slam into her ally's side.
Grimstok dropped from her position on the wall and rushed to help Crimson, but as she ran by Danger's beast grabbed onto one of her hind legs and she was yanked back and off balance. Grimstok screeched then hissed as she twisted around and dug her forelimbs into Danger's shoulders as her smaller limbs beneath her body began to rend the flesh from its bones. The brute wasn't able to do much about her attack until it was too late and she sank one of her sharply tipped appendages into Danger's heart, killing the beast instantly.
Overall the fight lasted maybe a minute and a half. The crowd was silent for a moment before erupting with cheers of excitement. "There you have it folks! Grimstok and Crimson! Seems like we have one of our top contending pairs already!" The announcer called over the speakers. Kara recalled Grimstok back to her tank and then opened her eyes to look up at the crowd as they cheered for the victors. Kara's neon tattoos glowing along her face in smooth spirals and down her arms and legs in a similar fashion in the black light of the ring.
"Well, that went well." She commented to Aiden as she looked across to their competitors who were less than impressed with the performance. Danger had actually thrown his chair over the edge of the ring and managed to hit a service robot as it moved in to clean up the mess their monsters had left in the ring.
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