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As the three exited the club, IB used his powers to shield them from the rain and from sight.
"That was a rather exciting and dangerous experience," IB said. He was red all over, not just from their quick escape but also from the alcohol.
Blaze was rather unsteady himself. He was talking in a fairly loud voice, which IB sssshed gently so they would not be noticed. "Almost too much excitement for the day!"
Emily still seemed slightly shaken. It was one thing to go into a situation expecting trouble, and another entirely to have trouble dumped in your lap. "Where else can we go here in the Indigo Zone?"
IB took out his omnicom and began tapping. "Let me pull the research Blaze and I did... Raltvee's specialty drinks are a mix of coffee and alcohol. They can be tasty, but also a shock to the system at first. Mixing an upper and a downer, after all..."
"I think we should try them while we're here," Blaze said. "When in Raltvee..."
Emily nodded. "I think those types of drinks are more likely to be found in pubs or coffee shops, right? Those should have a more savory crowd."
"Maybe not necessarily more savory, but at least less flashy and aggressive," IB agreed. "Says here one good one is the The Coffeehouse. Shall we?"
The three hurried along. It was only 10PM, and they could spare another hour or so.
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The three of them walked away from the clubs towards a row of restaurants. They walked until they saw a sign for a coffee shop called, The Huguenot. They entered a busy scene that felt like a combination of a bar and a breakfast restaurant. One could see two rows of tables with lights hanging over them.
Underneath one of the counters was a pie-safe. The top rows contained pastries, but the bottom rows contained more unusual fare. Emily could recognize soma, which was illegal on Legion World. It was a controversial substance because it can be used to treat depression, but it also makes people lethargic. There were a few other substances, but the script was in a language she did not recognize. Her thoughts were interrupted when the owner approached them with a greeting.
"Welcome to The Huguenot! I am excited that you are here for our grand opening!" He smiled. This explained why there were only a few other customers present so far. He led them to a booth next to a window, which looked out towards one of the canals. The water reflected the lights of the Indigo Zone. Despite being almost completely artificial, it was beautiful.
He handed them the menus, and they were a bit surprised to see a picture of pancakes on the cover. Invisible Brainiac asked, "Can we have the drink menu?"
"The drinks are towards the back of the menu. We serve pancakes during the day. By the way, free beers until 12:00 A.M because it is the grand opening," He explained.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
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"Free beer!" Invisible Brainiac rubbed his hands in glee. "One of my favorite phrases!" He quickly looked over the drinks menu.
"I'm hungry," said Blaze. "Let's order some food too. I know that on Raltvee, food and alcohol make a good taste combination."
Emily pored over her menu. "I've read about their rice pudding, I think it's one of their specialties. Let's try the one with almonds and pluberries?" She then turned to the owner. "Would you be able to recommend some beers?"
With the owner's kindly assistance, they soon had their orders - besides the rice pudding, they asked for the pancakes with various fruit jams, and a sandwich platter which included open-faced sandwiches with various fishes and meats, topped with pickled cabbage, spiced mayonnaise, cheeses and liver pate.
For beer, IB suggested they order 6 bottles and 3 glasses. That way, they could taste 6 different flavors. They ordered two beer-and-coffee combinations, one a mocha and one a vanilla. Another was a peppermint-and-pluberry spiced drink; a fourth was a very sweet-tasting beer from the southern provinces of Raltvee, and the fifth was an Earth Asian-style beer made from rice. The last was the beer from Raltvee's flagship beer producer, Carlsburg.
As they settled down to wait for their orders, the trio marveled at the canal lights outside. Emily checked her watch. "I think Sebastian is probably asleep by now. He has an early start tomorrow."
The diamond district is one of the oldest commercial centers in Raltvee. It became important as a transportation center between Nasger and worlds which had a demand for metals and gemstones. Rough gemstones are often bought by jewelers in Raltvee, which has given rise to a vibrant trade. The Fourth Tower is the home to famous diamantaires, whose numbers have increased due to recent immigration. ~~~~~
Sebastian woke up at 6:00 A.M and made his way to the diamond district. There were a total of four towers in New Chuch's diamond district. He walked into the Third Tower and and got off on the fourth floor. He opened the elevator to be surprised that he was in the hallway of a swimming pool. Sebastian was confused and decided to ask a maid for help.
She said, "You took the wrong door. This is a combination of apartment and office space." He then proceeded to go to the other side of the building. He arrived in the right office and sat down. The Raltveech looked surprised to find he was on time. After exchanging greetings, everyone sat down to discuss the trade.
"I think that this is a very good start. The gentlemen we were supposed to see yesterday never showed up," One of the Raltveech said. After he said that, another man projected a map and they began to discuss the major pitfall to diamond trade between Raltveech and Nasger: piracy. The two powers had periodically been at war; Raltvee would pay privateers to rob Nasgerian trade and vice versa. The result was the growth of actual piracy, which threatens all ships.
"I am sorry I am late!" A voice shouted. Sebastian turned his head towers his door to see his neighbor, Carlos Aguirre, contractor to the Crown. He was the government's representative where he lived.
"Your appointment was yesterday," One of the Raltveech said. A few of the men looked at Carlos with judging eyes. As for his part, Sebastian wished he was invisible.
"I know...but please listen to me...I have finally found El Dorado," He exclaimed.
All the Raltveech laughed. One of them asked, "Now where would this be?"
"It is a planet called Legion World," Carlos answered. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. A few of the Raltveech had never heard of Legion World; they had devoted their lives to the diamond trade and Legion World was not a known source of diamonds. Those that knew of Legion World were perplexed by this statement, as it was a real place and El Dorado was a myth.
"With all due respect to the Crown," Sebastian stated slowly. "Legion World is an inhabited world with it's own government. Nasger does not own the soil."
"No," Carlos smiled. "But Nasgerian businesses (and Raltveech businesses too) can set up offices on that world. You have already got an import office established there. I am sure there is a way." Carlos made it sound easy. In truth, Sebastian knew that there would be laws, permits, and interest groups to deal with. He was not sure if it would be worth the effort.
A few of the Raltveech seemed to agree; as one of them said, "Why should we begin production on Legion World? There are plenty of mines in Nasgerian and Raltveech territory."
"Legion World is far away from the Raltveech-Nasgerian border, which means it can circumvent piracy," Carlos replied. This statement got the interest of Sebastian. Countless ships have lost lives and cargo from the pirates; could this be a good alternative?
"That is an intriguing solution, but you did not answer my question. I will try to speaker clearer. Why should we put more diamonds into circulation and thus risk lowering the value?" The Raltveech repeated.
Sebastian said, "The price of the diamonds could be valued higher than diamonds from Nasger because they are from further away. We may also find diamonds of higher grade and quality."
"Hmm...you pointed out a key question. Do you have any examples present?" The Raltveech asked.
"Of course I do," Carlos Aguirre said. He took out a small box in his coat pocket, laid it on the table, and slowly opened it. Everyone gathered closer to see if this was a real diamond or a fraud.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
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Invisible Brainiac and Blaze lounged lazily in the hotel baths.
"Mmmm, I could fall asleep here," Blaze said as he sank deeper into the hot water in the tub.
"Careful, don't enjoy it too much," IB winked. "You don't want to turn into a prune."
"Hah, and I suppose I shouldn't show off too much either. We've already gotten quite a few stares since we've been in here," Blaze winked.
"We are famous Legionnaires, after all, and unlike on some other planets, homosexuality is quite accepted here on Raltvee," IB said. He scooted over closer to Blaze. "You know, this would be a great place to have a wedding..."
"Hmm, you read my mind. Maybe we should talk about it more..." Blaze said as he leaned in for a kiss.
"Excuse me... you are Legionnaires, are you not?"
IB and Blaze stared crossly at their interruptor. He was a fairly young Raltveech native, about their age. He was fairly good-looking, though certainly not quite in as good shape as the two. "Yes, do you need something?" IB tried to keep his tone pleasant.
"I am Ian Tanada, and it is a distinct pleasure to meet you," the man said as he extended a hand. He also made a show of looking IB and Blaze over from head to foot.
IB pointedly looked back at Ian, who was now appearing quite excited. "Listen, Ian, Blaze and I were hoping for some private time. If you need an autograph, perhaps we could sign it now so we can relax? And if you need non-urgent help, perhaps we could discuss it later. It doesn't appear as though you're in trouble right now."
"Of course, if you are merely enjoying the view, that's something else entirely," Blaze winked. IB elbowed Blaze playfully.
"My apologies, gentlemen. My purpose was twofold - first, I have long admired you both as magnificent specimens of masculinity and heroism, and second, I am connected with the Tournaments and believe I may have an interesting proposition for you," Ian said. "Perhaps later, then, I could take you out to dinner?"
IB and Blaze looked at each other, and the twinkle in Blaze's eye told IB all he knew. Smiling, he turned back to Ian. "Ian, looks like this is your lucky day. We'd like to hear more..."
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It was a genuine diamond, Sebastian thought as he walked out of the meeting room. He walked past rows of identical office doors as he exited the building. The prospect of mining on Legion World is exciting, but I do not know if Legion Worlders have the same mind as Nasgerian and Raltveech businessmen. We are economic powers, but Legion World is entirely different.
As he took the elevator to the first floor he thought about the results of the meeting. I was only able to get an agreement for the industrial diamonds. Aguirre reminded them of how dangerous the border is, so they did not want to risk losing gemstone quality diamonds to pirates.
He walked to the First Tower, which displays some of the most beautiful and valuable diamonds on this side of the galaxy. One can hear the hum of security devices as one enters the area they are kept. There is a rumor in the industry that this place hires elite mercenaries as guards, because it is rare to see security personnel in this area. Sebastian stopped by a diamond whose description read, Replica of the Florentine Diamond, Lost after Terran World War I. It reminded him of the time Aguirre thought he found the Florentine Diamond, and it turned out to be a restaurant. Aguirre was not a bad man, just one that wanted dreams to be real.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" A man said. Sebastian turned to see a stranger standing behind him. He was a Raltveech native, young, and he wore a smile.
"It's not real, it is worthless," Sebastian replied. He was a bit suspicious of this person and hoped that if he was unfriendly he would go away.
"It's still beautiful though," The man replied. "My name is Ian Tanada and I remember you from the Sousa Telecom Tournaments. I'm starting up an entertainment company and would like you to compete in the next Tournament."
"No, I quit when my contract came up three years ago. I made a fortune and decided to use the money to buy a company," Sebastian replied. He worked at Sousa Telecom for five years, that was more than enough. He didn't feel like fighting for money anymore.
"I understand," Ian replied. "But will you at least accept two free tickets to the match? Hal Ferris and Miguel Aligheri are going to be there."
Sebastian paused for a moment. One on hand, these people had their own problems and probably should not be a Tournament. On the other hand, it would be strange for him not to show up and would probably be brought up the next time he was on Nasger.
He said, "I will watch the Tournament." Sebastian accepted the tickets and walked out of the tower. After that, his cell phone rang because Emily wanted to know why he was late to lunch.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
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Invisible Brainiac and Blaze pulled away from their kiss. "We'd better hurry," IB admonished. "Lunch starts in ten minutes."
"Aw, but your powers can get us there in no time at all," Blaze said with a naughty grin.
"Now, now. We can continue this later on," IB smiled as he waved his finger. "Besides, I would have thought our breakfast session with Ian was enough for you."
"Well... It certainly got me interested in having dinner with him like he invited..."
"At the very least, our breakfast meeting frees us of any obligations for dinner. We just have to meet him at the Tournament. Although I think you'd like to challenge him to some wrestling again, no?"
Blaze licked his lips. "Only me? You seem to have enjoyed his company a lot, too."
IB smirked. "What can I say? Ian certainly knew how to make us feel welcome. I think he really enjoyed playing around with the two of us. Now get, we don't want to be late!" IB swatted Blaze playfully as he turned to dress. He noticed a message on his phone. "Emily's looking for us. We'd better scoot."
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Outside a small restaurant in New Church, Emily was waiting by herself at a table for five. Her friend Ruth said she would come late because she was ordering tickets for a Tournament. Emily thought this was a little odd, but did not say anything that could hurt her friends feelings.
"Would you like something to drink, madam?" The waiter asked.
"Yes, I will have a cherry limeade," She replied. It was her favorite summertime beverage.
She did not think anything of it until thirty minutes passed and none of the men shown up. Emily decided to text her friends, and was prepared to order lunch if they did not show up in twenty minutes. She didn't know Invisible Brainiac and Blaze very well, but it was extremely unusual for Sebastian to late.
She saw a taxi pull up next to the restaurant. Out of the taxi came six people, which seemed like a bad (and possibly illegal) idea. She softened her gaze when she realized that two of those people were Invisible Brainiac and Blaze. They quickly ran to Emily's table and apologized for being late. The three of them looked through the menu, which had a variety of fried seafood and sausages served with French fries. The waiter was about to take their orders when they heard the sound of someone running.
Emily turned her head to see Sebastian, and did not know how to react. He looked cute in his suit, though the white color made him look a bit like a marshmallow.
"I apologize for being late," He said. His expression was plain, and Emily could not tell if he was genuinely sorry. However, the waiter was standing right behind her so she did not want to start an argument. She simply nodded and gestured for him to sit down.
"Would you like a couple of minutes, sir?" The waiter asked.
"No,no, I will have this," Sebastian answered. He randomly pointed to an item on the menu and hoped it was something good.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
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As they waited for their orders, Invisible Brainiac again turned to Emily. "I'm really sorry for the delay, Emily. I hope you didn't wait too long. Blaze and I got held up by a local who wanted to invite us to a Tournament."
Sebastian stiffened slightly at that statement.
Emily leaned forward, curiously. "Do you know much about that Tournament? Did you say you'd go watch?"
Blaze looked slightly excited and worried at the same time. "We actually didn't understand his explanation all that much. And he didn't invite us to watch - he invited us to compete!"
"To compete?" Sebastian blurted out, unable to help himself. "I hope you didn't say yes right away. It might be better to watch one of these things first."
"Yes, that's exactly what Blaze and I thought," IB replied. "We told him so, without making any firm commitment. We also asked if we could bring some friends along. Would you like to watch? Do you know anything about these things?"
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Sebastian did not know how to respond to this question. He was not often asked this question, because most Legion Worlders had no knowledge of the Tournaments. If they did they might mention something about Hal Ferris, and think that is all they need to know about the Tournaments. Most people didn't ask where he got his wealth and assumed he inherited all of it from a relative, like most young people with money. He took a deep breath and was ready to begin the explanation. Sebastian does not like telling about his life before the LMB because most of it rumor at best because he started using his powers as soon as he got them.
"I never knew my father, and my mother died of yellow fever when I was five years old. She had the foresight of sending me to a school for boys. She wanted me to be an accountant or engineer, a career that would mean I would not have to worry about money. It was nice place to grow up, but that changed when I turned thirteen," He explained.
"So are your powers inherited? What are your powers anyways?" Blaze asked. He had never seen Sebastian use his powers and assumed he was a street-leveler since he was dating Emily.
Sebastian shrugged, "I can adsorb powers, skills, and memories by touch. I think I inherited my powers from my father. He was a soldier so he could have been in contact with a lot of radiation."
"Radiation does not work that way," Emily said. She did not understand how radiation could give superpowers. It was against conventional physics.
"Do you have any other ideas?" Sebastian asked.
Emily thought for a moment. His mother didn't have any known super-powers so he couldn't have inherited it from her. She died of yellow fever, and yellow fever does not give superpowers either. She replied, "Not yet, your theory is as good as any."
"Anyways, I started noticing that students around me were getting sick, most often after playing sports. The staff just assumed it was another epidemic, but the other kids thought I was a demon and life was not fun. One day when we were playing outside, Mr. Granada was passing through and saw me knock someone out. He had lost a potential Tournament player to a drug cartel, and was desperate for another player. To shorten the story, I joined the old Sousa Telecom because I liked the idea of becoming rich like my mother wanted," He explained.
"Children are treated differently than adults under the contract, so I won't go much into detail on that. You are also not under contract with the old Sousa Telecom," Sebastian said.
Invisible Brainiac said, "So did you ever get a high school education?"
"Yes and no," Sebastian said. "We had classes sometimes, but the situation is similar to that of children in hologram films. Sousa Telecom makes sure we have a diploma after we graduate, but to be honest the work experience is more valuable than the pieces of paper."
"Do a lot of kids in the Tournaments end up turning to alcohol and drugs?" Invisible Brainiac asked. This was a very intriguing topic, though he knew it must be hard for Sebastian to talk about it. He was under contract at one point and may still feel affection for Sousa Telecom.
"Some of them do, but if they do a lot while under contract they end up poor and on the streets. If they do so afterwards, they usually end up either poor or working in the Tournaments again. I have never been fond of alcohol because of my powers, and I had no use for illegal drugs," Sebastian said. He was going to answer honestly, but he didn't want to scare them with horror stories. They were adults and he knew the contracts were different. "Children and adults compete at separate times. All children that compete are orphans, while the adults come from a variety of backgrounds. The most common reasons are for fun, money, and to gain a new life."
The waiter came back with four plates of food. Emily had ordered shrimp with French fries. She was very hungry and began eating right away. Blaze had ordered a sausage with French fries and decided to use his fire powers, so she took it he is not happy at the way it is cooked. Invisible Brainiac had ordered oysters with French fries, while she has no idea what Sebastian had ordered. It seemed like he didn't either.
"Did you sign a contract with Tanada?" Sebastian asked. He poked his fork at the odd looking meat. He never recalled seeing anything like it before. Maybe it was imported from a distant land.
"No, I think we do that at the Tournament," Invisible Brainiac replied.
Emily said, "Let me look at the contract before you sign it." She was a bit worried that her friends were getting over their heads. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Ruth Craig's voice.
She said, "I got us two tickets to the Tournament tonight! Some new company is starting up, so the prices are low." She turned to Sebastian, "I am sorry I could not get you a ticket."
"That is alright, I got invited by Ian Tanada," He replied. Ruth was so happy she looked like she would give him a hug. She had fond memories of watching him in the Tournaments when she was a teenager. Emily on the other hand looked a bit frightened at this idea.
"After lunch, I need to take you all shopping. We can't go to the Tournaments dressed like this!" Ruth announced as she sat down.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
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Invisible Brainiac looked troubled. "You know, when I asked Ian if we could participate in the Tournament as guest fighters without signing any contract or committing to more than one battle, he seemed evasive."
Blaze frowned as he bit into his sausage. "And right after that, he began to undress y-"
IB quickly elbowed Blaze and whispered, "No need to tell them what we've been up to." Luckily, nobody seemed to notice.
"Well, you haven't signed anything yet so you can back out any time you want," Emily replied. "It really would be a good idea to watch and learn first."
"Oh yes, but I'm sure you'll all be happy to participate once you see what it's like," Ruth said brightly. "The Tournament crowd will be thrilled to see LMBers in the heat of battle!"
Ruth was so excited that she didn't see all 4 of her companions had varying degrees of apprehension about stepping into a Tournament.
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Ruth took them to a store where they were forced to try new clothes. Sebastian simply bought a black shirt and black pants. Ruth thought that was kind of a depressive choice for a Tournament, but he ignored her. He didn't care what other people thought about him.
Emily on the other hand choose her outfit carefully. She decided to wear a red dress with a yellow belt, in case she had to go into action. She was grateful that they were going to a Tournament, so costume wouldn't seem out of the ordinary. Sebastian thought this was being a bit paranoid, but she rolled her eyes at him.
"I'm not the one that started wearing face-mask when he fights crime," She required.
He smiled, "You don't want this face recognized by a drug lord, do you?" Emily let the subject drop, and decided to look at some shoes. Sebastian went to check out and saw that Invisible Brainiac and Blaze got new outfits, and that Ruth was carrying a lot of fabric.
"I'm going to design them new outfits to wear after they get a contract," Ruth said. She was very optimistic about the the night's events. They were going to be there in style. ~~~~~ Indigo Zone Stadium, Underneath the Ground
Ian Tanada was surprised at the turnout. He was happy to see that the stadium was at least at seventy-five percent full. When he booked the stadium, they told him he would be lucky if ten people showed up. He decided to look over the events on the schedule:
1. The Stone Giant vs. Bethsheba Type: Pure Brick Type: Elemental (Ice) Statistical Base: 40 Statistical Base: 20 Intelligence Stat: 10 Intelligence Stat: 20 The Stone Giant was a former mercenary from Dormo. That planet was experiencing a lot of political turmoil, so she decided to journey to Raltvee in hopes of making a fortune. She was approaching middle-age, but had no thought of settling down. Bethsheba, on the other hand was an unknown but pressing circumstances forced his hand. It turned out that the two women he previously had scheduled were arrested for drug trafficking. That is why he would have to fill in the statistics by hand.
"Alcohol will be served until 9:00 P.M, and in accordance with Raltveech law it can not be consumed outside of the Indigo Zone... Please make note of all emergency exits at this time..." The announcer said. A few minutes later, Ian felt himself rise to the Raltveech national anthem. He was greeted by one of the next performers, called Five-Wing, who congratulated him on this feat. Ian thought is a bit odd, but brushed it away as he just saw Sebastian Sage a couple of ladies walk-by without any of his staff greeting him, and was about to reprimand them when he saw another influential person enter the arena.
"Miguel Aligheri, how is your father?" He asked. He greeted a man with dark hair and tanned skin. He was wearing a polo shirt with a little angel halo brand on it. Ian noticed the sword by his side and felt a bit uneasy.
"He's still a banker, if that is what you want to know," Miguel replied. He had gone through a lot recently and hoped the dark days were behind him. His recent marriage to Beatriz Lucca had brought much happiness to his life.
Ian was about to ask him where Hal Ferris was, when the match began. The Stone Giant walked in wearing a helmet and he wore gloves. He towered over Bethsheba, whose red and yellow uniform stood out amongst the darkened arena. Both of their faces were inexpressive. The bell rang and the fight began. The Stone Giant reached up to grab Bethsheba, who quickly dodged.
"Coward!" The Stone Giant shouted landed a right-hook on Blaze's chest. She picked up the other woman, but quickly dropped her out of pain. Blaze quickly realized that distance was the key in defeating a pure brick like The Stone Giant. He shot blasts at the Stone Giant who staggered, and knelt down. Bethsheba decided to come closer, but it was a trap because the Stone Giant quickly grabbed her. As the two struggled, Bethsheba grabbed the Stone Giant's hands and froze them in place.
"If she does not strike a blow in five minutes, Bethsheba will win," Sebastian Sage said. Bethsheba was taking no chances and was freezing the ground surrounding the Stone Giant. It was an effective strategy because she kept getting stuck in the ice.
"Three...two...one," The audience cheered. The bell rang again, and the match was over. There are two ways to win a normal Tournament match: one is to wait your opponent out, the other is remove him/her from the field, usually by knocking them out or teleporting them out of the arena. Teleportation of opponents raises many legal and technical issues, and thus the use of it is often banned in matches.
"The next match will be Five-Wing vs. Brainiac Five!" The announcer cheerfully shouted. The schedule showed that Five-Wing was listed as an Elemental (Sound).
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
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"So... Someone can win a watch just by disabling their opponent?" Invisible Brainiac asked. "I mean, if I use my powers to turn invisible, then I can win?"
"It does look like Bethsheba won," Blaze mused. "And all she did was keep the Stone Giant stuck.
"Ssshhh... the next match is about to start!" Ruth said excitedly.
"I'll answer your questions later," Sebastian whispered. "Just watch and observe for now."
"If Brainiac Five uses a forcefield, Five-Wing will have a very hard time winning," Emily added.
The match began with Five-Wing hovering on iridescent wings that looked like they were made of energy. On the opposite side of the field, Brainiac Five's slim figure stood calmly and confidently. He wore loose-fitting clothes, but looked like he had a lot of gadgets.
As the buzzer sounded, Five-Wing quickly hovered backward while sending a large blast of energy at Brainiac Five, who put a shield up. The energy kept him from being knocked back, but apparently the field wasn't soundproof, as he crouched down in pain.
He retaliated by forming fists with his field and aiming them at Five-Wing, who was forced to dodge by flying through the air.
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Sebastian felt a poke on his shoulder and saw his colleague Hal Ferris. It was the first time they had seen each other for awhile. He knew the rumors that Hal Ferris had overdosed on something last summer, and he knew enough about Hal Ferris to believe it might be true. He decided to say, "Hello Hal. Everyone, this is Hal Ferris..."
Ruth squealed, "The Hal Ferris aka Stareyes? You are the greatest Tournament winner in Sousa Telecom history! May I have an autograph?" Hal Ferris slightly smiled and gave her an autograph. The other three people were a bit confused as to who this person was.
"Five-Wing takes a major hit! I think this may be a done match...but what is going on? The floor of the arena is shaking?" The announcer quipped. The people in the audience grabbed onto each other and support structures, and everyone was glad when the shaking stopped. Five-Wing used the distraction to pin Brainiac Five to the ground.
"Cheater!" Brainiac five replied. Ian Tanada decided to declare the match a draw until they could look into the slow motion. It was not unheard of for people to cheat in Tournaments. Hal and Sebastian laughed at this, because it reminded them of old times.
"Forget what they say about drugs and alchohol, most people were fired from Sousa Telecom for cheating," Hal said.
Invisible Brainiac asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what are your powers?"
"I can tap into various types of power and create shapes out of this power," He stated. Hal demonstrated by creating a blue heart. He looked at the group and managed to pick out Blaze.
"It is a pleasure to meet my opponent. I hope you are worthy," Hal said. He extended his hand and Blaze shook it. For his part, he was a little confused because Tanada did not tell them who they would be facing.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are proud to present the Sousa Telecom Five Time Tournament Champion, Stareyes!" He is here as a special guest of honor!" The announcer said. The crowd grew wild as a blue aura grew around Stareyes, and he dramatically flew from the stands into the field.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
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"And our challenger, the new LMBer known as Blaze!"
"It's really MY turn now?" Blaze asked, half in anger and half in surprise. Both he and Invisible Brainiac were glaring at Ian, who spread his hands in apology.
"I apologize, but the tournament schedule for each day is normally fixed only two rounds before, so that competitors do not know who they will be facing. It helps keep things interesting. I must have forgotten to ask someone to inform you."
Blaze muttered under his breath. "If he didn't give such good blowj..."
Invisible Brainiac shushed him in case Emily and Sebastian could hear. "Yes, Ian is good with his tongue. He apologizes well. Now Blaze, I know you were caught by surprise but I'm confident you can handle this battle well. Okay? I believe in you."
Blaze brightened slightly. The couple shared a kiss before Blaze leapt off into the ring, to loud cheers from the crowd. Although his outfit was new, it emulated the color scheme of his LMB costume, and the crowd recognized both his name and the colors.
Stareyes nodded in respect to Blaze and reached out his hand to shake. The two then waited for the bell to ring.
Before Blaze could react, a battering ram struck him in the stomach. Thinking quickly, he used his natural flight powers to propel himself upward. Arching his back, he flew back down and thanked the stars his magical flame gave him heightened defenses. He blasted his flames at Stareyes, who formed a dome to block them.
Stareyes retaliated with a flurry of knives, which Blaze parried and evaded. Turning, he fired several more blasts.
"They look evenly matched," Ruth breathed.
"They are also quite a stunning sight to behold," Ian said approvingly.
"You should know just how stunning Blaze is," IB whispered to Ian.
"And I know how stunning you are too," Ian whispered back.
"This is the first time I've seen Blaze in action," Sebastian mused. "He has been trained well."
"But Hal Ferris' power is more versatile, and I think he has much more actual combat experience," Emily pointed out.
"There is one tactic Blaze and I have been working on that Hal might not have encountered yet, though," IB smiled.
On the arena, Hal Ferris suddenly collapsed to his knees underneath the huge dome he had created. He was sweating profusely and had begun to gasp for breath. Blaze grinned as he alit on top of it. "I don't need to actually create fire to radiate heat. That hot air isn't very pleasant, is it? Now if you'd like to take that down dome, I'll push you off the field. I don't want "
Hal Ferris glared angrily at Blaze and quickly released his blue dome. As Blaze swooped down to pick his opponent up, though, Hal Ferris suddenly created a large paddle to swat Blaze away.
"Oh no, can he react in time?" Ruth gasped.
Suddenly, Hal Ferris yelped in pain. The paddle dissipated just before it could hit Blaze. Blaze grinned. "Sorry I had to give you a hotfoot."
The crowd was going wild. The great Stareyes had not been stalmated in a very long time.
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