Tempest: The Champion

Phase 8, part 3

Maverick is ready to finish the business. If I want to win, I need to be as careful as possible, but also take risks. If I managed to land on his back like a while ago, I know what would I do. I was unfocused back then and made only a Clash point. If I...

Maverick is already close. He swings his atrificial fist at me. I crouch, just enough for his arm to fly right above my head. With a perfect timing, I raise my hands and use his arm like a trapeze. He finishes the swing and I use the kinetic energy to narrow my legs and crush his face with both feet at once.

However, it scores only a Clash point. The battle is not over yet.

...

___|_XX | Tempest | Maverick | XX_|__O

I release his arm and land on his shouders. I turn around and squeeze his neck between my thighs. Then I start to repeatedly punch his head with my fists, hoping to disorient and confuse him. I'm successful. Maverick spins around and tries to grasp me. Unsuccessfully.

After a few hits, a Clash point is scored. I need two more to win.

I continue hitting his head until Maverich changes tactic. He starts to swing his upper body forward and backward like a metal fan on a concert. This is where I feel like falling off. I squeeze his head between my thighs even tighter, but I can already feel them slipping.

Before I fall off, I instinctively grab the fabric of Maverick's mask and hold on to it. But I fall down anyway, with Maverick's mask in my hands. I hit the ground so hard a Clash point is scored.

I realize what I've done. A Champion can be fined for unmasking an anonymous Champion against their will. On the other hand, for the first time, I see Maverick's unmasked head, at least from behind so far. It's nothing interesting, just a short butch cut on a large head.

But there's something so familiar about it...

I jump on my feet and approach Maverick from the front. Some of the wievers boo at me for unmasking my opponent, but that's the last think I care about. Nobody has an idea how personal story is happening here. My heart skips a beat after I see Maverick's real appearance.

Rough, round face, crooked nose, serious dark eyes. And especially dark pigment scars covering half of his face. We stare at each other for a solid minute and the crowd already starts to question what's happening. His expression is unreadable, showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Isaiah..." I gasp.

The truth is what I wanted. And now I have it. The feared Champion infamous for his brutality and ferocity is someone I spent long years with. The only reason I survived the Dead Zone. My friend, protector, partner - and much more. Why is he here? Why did he change so much?

Isaiah used to be fierce, but not brutal. He fought only when necessary. And now? It looks like his dark eyes lost all connection with the person he used to be. All I see is emptiness, suffering and some other things I can't even name. Even though I should be happy to see him again, it's a horrible moment.

Then, when I'm still off guard, he squeezes my head between his hand and bangs it against his knee. I hear a triple buzz as I collapse to the ground. He took a chance and finished me off.

I hear the commentator's voice: "I'm not entirely sure what happened. It seemed like Tempest and Maverick knew each other, like they shared some past. It was... a surprising match. The victory goes to Maverick. I really hope Tempest will explain what happened."

Too bad, man, Tempest won't explain what happened. As soon as I recover from the shock (or all the shocks, to be more specific), I run to Isaiah who's already disappearing in the depths of the arena. "Wait! WAIT!" I shout at him, but he ignores me. What the hell is happening? Did he lose his memory?