Tony Chiodo's Story

He glanced to the TV to check the time.

11.56 P.M.

It was only five minutes until show-time. This was the moment where reality set in for most fighters, where they realized they were minutes away from being locked in a colosseum with another person. Someone who'd be trying their damnedest to kill them. Most people would be scared shitless right now--at least if they were sane. Luckily Tony wasn't most people, and anyone who enjoyed fighting as much as he didn't likely wasn't too sane either.

As the reigning champion of the city's fighting underground, he was more than familiar with all of this. It was already his fifth title defense after beating the former champion a few months prior.

"Alright champ, you know the deal. Same as the last one." said his head coach while placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's time."

Tony nodded his head before heading to the door, his coach and the other members of the walkout party following close behind. When he stepped from the back rooms, his ears rang with the buzz of nearly one-hundred-thousand eager fans erupting into a fit of feverish outcry.

The approach to the arena square was a long one. Tony used every available moment to put on a show for the crowd. They adored him, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than the adulation they showered him with. He gave every member of his posse a quick hug and kiss on the forehead before entering the arena square. The crowd received one final bow before the champion moved to his corner.

All eyes fell upon the challenger as they entered.

Nihli wasn't known to fight. She was a referee, of sorts. Well-known, but rarely ever did she fight.

Now, coming into the arena, the crowd silenced, unsure of what to think. This same woman they had seen many times, and this same woman had caused ordinary humans to defeat world destroyers in a fist fight. A simple, bloody fist fight.

If she could do that, what could she do with her own power?

Flagpole held high, with the golden Libra's scales blowing in the wind, the tip sharpened, The Equalizer, a woman small in comparison to the man she faced, beamed to her opponent, wearing naught but leather armor, long hair braided tightly around her head.

"Hello," she purred. "It's been a long time since I've been in a fight. Don't plan on going easy on you."

A pernicious smirk stretched across Tony's face as the announcer began to recite the rules of engagement for he and the other fighter.

"Hey baby, I won't mess that pretty face of yours up too bad." he taunted, "Maybe I can get your number afterward if you're not feeling to bad about the loss."

Behind the fighter's toothy grin lurked another, his other half; the one who helped make the show. Imperceptible, the Kamplust sat idly within his its hoist, waiting eagerly for the ensuing conflict to begin.

So long...so...hungry....

The deafening screech of the Wailing Beetle was like music to the spirit's ears. Soon it would be fed. Tony traversed the distance between Nihli and himself with considerable haste, starting things off with a right cross. Although he was well out of the range for melee attack, the passenger residing within him took control of the matter. The Kamplust's ethereal form surrounds Tony as his punch nears full extension, sending an over-sized ghost-fist to impact the woman's dome.

"If you can beat me, perhaps I will give into the offer. But that seems unlikely," the woman announced boldly, spinning the haft of the game flag in her hand. As the fight began, and he advanced upon her, a frighteningly devilish smile spread across her face. Her lust for battle yearned to be sated, too.

She leaned back and raised the pole to her right as the punch came, thinking she had easily avoided the attack. Little had she realized the full effect of the punch until it had hit the haft of her weapon, sending her rolling into the ground. There was something akin to laughter among the roar of the crowd. Forget fighting... she was better off a referee!

But rising to her feet with blood dripping from her busted lip was a woman who couldn't hear the laughter. She spun the flag and grinned through the blood.

"Good. Now we can start the fight. Equalize."

A shimmer shot outward from the Flagpole, which dug itself into the ground. The shimmer surrounded the two fighters and spanned the whole arena.

Tony would feel it trying to reject his powers, reject his otherworldly abilities, perhaps even that voice in his head.

The first blow landed sucessfully much to Tony's pleasure. He could already feel his little helper stirring with excitement now that things had been kicked off. The Kamplust couldn't lose in this situation. Since it fed off the pain and injuries of others, it was going to get what it desired one way or another this day.

A single brow was quirked in response to the sudden change in the surrounding space. He felt...weaker, or at least like he was becoming so. This didn't fly with the spirit that dwelled within. So long as there was a fight, it would continue to grow in strength, thereby further resisting the woman's ability.

"Expect more of those as the fight progresses, love." he smiled.

"I welcome it!" she laughed, sinking into a low stance as she felt a lift in her own strength. He may have been able to resist some of his own handicap, but every will of her power that he resisted only boosted her to his level.

"My turn, right?" She took no hesitation in her advance, charging him head-on, before dipping low to the ground before the impact, faking out, attempting to follow up quickly with a knee to his solar plexus.

Tony couldn't recall the last time he had to evade in hand-to-hand combat. He preferred bearing the brunt of attacks with his ethereal guardian as a tank, and today would be no different. After vanishing inside the host body, the specter acted as an additional layer of defense for his abdomen.

To no avail. Tony stumbled backward, gripping his torso in pain after Nihli's strike landed. What was happening? Even on an empty stomach the Kamplust's defense would have left her with a shattered kneecap.

"I'm liking you already!" he fired back, sweeping one hand through the air in an attempt to backhand her. Even in its weakened state, the enlarged hand possessed enough strength to send her tumbling across the hard arena floor.

With their strength close to matching, the Equalizer didn't go tumbling as she threw up an arm to defend against the man's attack, but she did go sliding. She retaliated with a punch of her own; an uppercut for his chin.

Light feet and quick reflexes allowed Tony to pivot just outside of the punch's path before it landed. He followed up by sending a three hit combination to her now exposed side. It was their third engagement and he was beginning to see how Nihil's power worked.

"I can feel myself getting stronger, yet you're somehow keeping up with me." Tony noted. "Is your strength increasing as mine does?"

Nihli pulled back swiftly after her punch, retreating into a firm stance with her fists up and taking the blows of the punches. He was quick, and she matched it. That wasn't the Equalizer's power. This was Nihli's own training showing.

"Well, if I can't take you down to my level," she began, cantering around him. "I have to raise up to yours!"

She advanced brutally and dropped for a leg sweep, one hand supporting her from below with a strength that she surprised herself with.

Nihli pulled back swiftly after her punch, retreating into a firm stance with her fists up and taking the blows of the punches. He was quick, and she matched it. That wasn't the Equalizer's power. This was Nihli's own training showing.

"Well, if I can't take you down to my level," she began, cantering around him. "I have to raise up to yours!"

She advanced brutally and dropped for a leg sweep, one hand supporting her from below with a strength that she surprised herself with.

Although the woman's power forcibly placed their powers on equal footing, there was one thing that he had that would ultimately lead to him being the victor, and that was experience. The dozen or so fights under his belt granted him with a degree of familiarity that he doubted she could match.

"That's a nice trick, but a boost in power won't be enough to beat me." he fired back.

When Nihli's leg whirled around to sweep his legs from under him, Tony advanced, sending the top of his size twelve boot straight for her ribs. All the while the air buzzed with the elated roars of the spectating crowd.

Nihli only just managed to cringed as Tony's boot came down on her ribs, and once she hit the ground she saw stars. A grunt was pushed out of her lungs, and her hands came up to clasp around her torso as her legs scrambled to back her up.

With his opponent downed, Tony took a moment to do what every good champion should: showboat. He bowed to the crowd, striking a few poses here and there.

"You put up a good effort love, but I think you bit off a little more than you could chew." Zygomaticus muscles tighten to pull his lips into a smirk. He pulls his fist back in preparation for the finishing blow, causing the same hulking apparition from before to manifest behind him as his fist flares forward in a punch.

With the rest of the strength she had left, the Equalizer pushed off from her feet and arched one hand behind her, effectively, and clumsily, doing a handstand backwards that landed her on her feet away from the punch. Pain flared up in her ribs as she landed, tearing another groan from her lips, but she struggled to keep her focus on her opponent, wavering on her feet.

"You're resilient, I'll give you that." said Tony. He could hear the shouts of everyone in his corner, telling him to finish it. It wasn't hard to tell that she was in trouble. "No one will think any less of you if you yield. Plus, it'll save you from more injuries."

The expression on Nihli's face seemed defiant at first. She grit her teeth in a snarl at the idea of forfeiting. A painful reminder in her ribs softened her expression. She loosened her fists and lifted one hand into the air. The flag floated over and landed into her palm.

"More than anything else, the Equalizer must recognize her own limits and know there is no shame in defeat. I hereby forfeit this match. You are the victor," she announced, giving him a smirk. "Congratulations."

He didn't think the arena could get any noisier, but he was proven wrong once he was announced as the winner. The champion took a moment to bow to the four sides of the ring before walking over to his opponent. If she didn't object, Tony would take her hand and raise it into the air.

"You did great." he leaned over, practically shouting in her ear. "You doing anything after this? We always hit up the city strip after a win."

Nihli's eyes widened a bit as her hand was raised up, but she kept the grin through the pain. She'd been through worse. "After this? I think a short trip to the hospital would be great, but I'm completely free after."

"The nearest hospital isn't far, I could run you over there if you'd like." he said, holding up the keys to his car. "I don't think you're fit to drive in your condition."