VBL

Javier is slowly falling asleep in his last class of the day. French. While a few students share Javier’s disinterest in the language, most of the students are taking notes. Until the last bell finally rings. Javier throws his books in his bag and storms past his fellow classmates.

“Watch it Javier, so help me god if you knocked me over!” one female classmate calls out.

“Sorry, Samantha. I was just to smitten by your beauty.” Javier jokes.

“Yeah right. Bite me.”

“Later!” Javier yells while running out of the classroom door and into the hallway.

With Javier’s head start he has the hallway to himself for at least 6 seconds before the wave of students begin to flock down. Everyone else shoves themselves through the crowded hallway to get to their buses. Javier is the first to burst through the exiting double doors and jumps down the 4-step staircase. Javier doesn’t usually take the back exit, especially since the front exit was close to the VBL HQ but today, he wanted to take the scenic route.

Javier inner thoughts: I should see what the girls are doing.

Javier texts Nora and Faith, to see if they were going to the VBL HQ today. Javier walks down the cracked sidewalk. Nature showing signs of taking back what was there before. Today was rather humid but a constant breeze was blowing through the street Javier was walking. Nora was the first to text back. It reads ‘Sorry, can’t today. I have to help my dad re-paint the garage. He said he hates the color.’ Javier texts back ‘okay, no worries.’ Just then Faith texts back. It says ‘Way to tired. Going home to take a nap. I’ll link up tomorrow.’ Javier copies and pastes his text from Nora and sends it to Faith. After walking a few feet down, the sidewalk Javier takes his phone back out and texts Remy, asking him the same thing as the girls. Then places his phone back in his pocket.

**

The usual mixed crowd is in the front yard of the HQ building. Javier walks in, happy to feel the AC on full blast as usual. Instead of looking at the “Need a match list” (A digital list on the VBL app that anyone can join. After leaving your VBL username, anyone can message you about whether or not they accept your challenge and what training room to meet in.) he walked over to the booths that are found on the west side of the building. Javier walked over to the only open booth left. Taking his phone out and slouching back into the seat. Until –

“I mean sure, there’s going to be a few competitors worth my time, but I’m confident that I can blast past those nematodes. I’ll be the VBL champion in no time, you just wait!”

Javier inner thoughts: Just some nobody talking shit. I don’t hear anyone talking with him, so he’s probably talking on the phone.

“Who? Who’s Javier King? Oh! That joker that only uses gauntlets! Naw, he’ll be light work for sure. I won’t even have to take off my jacket. Like that guy is so ass, that he has to triple wipe!”

Javier almost does a double take, making sure he heard what he heard. He slams his phone on the table and hoists himself up over the booth divider. In the other booth sits a young black teenager wearing an alternative greaser outfit. His black leather biker jacket, accompanied by ripped, grey jeans, and black boots. A few gauges on his left ear and a prominent pompadour. The teenager immediately notices Javier.

“Ayo my man! What was all that about me being triple wiped ass?!” Javier confronts.

“Whoa, no way! Speak of the devil.” The teenager says, while still talking on the phone. “No not you, Javier just showed up behind me. I’ll call you back.” The teenager ends the call.

“So, care to elaborate?” Javier reiterates.

“Sure, I think you’re fighting style is boring. There’s no flair.” The teenager informs.

“Boring?!” Javier

“Yeah, boring. Where’s the individuality?”

“Individuality? Martial arts were constructed on practicality, idiota.” Javier retorts.

“Then why don’t more people create their own modern styles?” the teenager asks.

“I don’t know what you’re implying, and I don’t care. Just keep my name out your mouth until you’re ready to back it up!” Javier demands.

While the two teenagers go back and forth, a few younger kids walk up to see what the commotion is. Some pull their phones out, ready for things to escalate. Javier is the first to realize this.

“Look there’s only one way to settle this, nameless.” Javier says while hopping off the booth, with his hands in his pockets.

The black teenager finally begins to notice the growing crowd around them and understands Javier’s motives.

“You’re right. Real men put their money where their mouth is. VBL?”

“VBL. By the way, I’d like to know the person I’m about to wipe the floor with.” Javier pronounces.

“Maximillion Skyking. Call me Max. After you call me victorious.” Max says while whipping out a comb and brushing his hair back.

**

Inside training room 3, Javier and Maximillion are picking their builds. Javier glances over at Max.

Javier inner thoughts: What’s with this guy? He talks about my fighting style, but I’ve never seen him at the HQ before. I wonder what weapons he’ll use. He seems like the sword type but I’m catching a real gauntlet vibe from him. He definitely seems like he prefers hand to hand.

Max doesn’t glance over to Javier while picking out his build. Instead, he smiles confidently, and he walks over to his pod.

“How long have you been playing?” Javier probes.

“You can learn everything you need to know about a man through a fight.” Max says.

Javier nods his head. Somehow that was all he needed to hear. He finished his build and walks over to his pod. There’s a feeling that Javier can’t shake. He’s been feeling it ever since he agreed to the match with Max. Looking at the empty couch makes him realize that in a short time, he’s been friends with Nora and Faith, he’s grown accustomed to being around them. He enjoys it. He misses them. He sees Max’s pod door closing. Javier shakes his head, snapping him out of his deep thoughts.

Javier inner thoughts: Focus.

_______________________________________________________________________

Javier build:

Atk:00

Def:

Spd: 0

Titan gauntlets

Health boost

Wall

Maximillion build:

Atk: 000

Def:

Spd:

Titan gauntlets

Speed boost

Wall

**

The location is City Square. The noise of the map comes before the all the lights and view of the cityscape. Distant sirens, and cars honking at each other help make up the sound of the map. Javier takes a deep breath and centers himself. While Max does a warmup routine that includes him bouncing from side to side (Think of either a boxer or Goku in Dragon ball Super Broly). When he takes his fighting stance his gauntlets materialize around his hands. Javier walks closer to Max until he’s 3 ft from him.

“I hope you prove to not be a waste of time.” Javier taunts Max.

Javier takes his own fighting stance, allowing his gauntlets to morph around his hands as he then touches his gauntlet to Max’s (Raid 2 style). Both competitors looking for each other “tell” (Reading the body language of an opponent in order to make an educated guess on their next move)

A beat.

Max makes the first move with an attempt at a left, right two-piece combo. Which Javier effortlessly deflects, and then counters with a foot sweep. As Max falls on the hard cemented street, he hoists himself backward to perform a back flip to his feet. Javier doesn’t pursue, instead choosing to retake his previous stance, and patiently await his foe. Maximillion acknowledges this and walks over, retaking his own stance.

A beat.

Javier tries a swift kick to Max’s calf but is parried by Max lifting his targeted foot. Max then uses the split-second Javier takes to regains his balance in order to deliver a devastating German Supplex. The force of which cracks the street under Javier’s head. Max lets go of Javier, which leaves Javier to direct a break-dancing kick to Max, but he dodges and sidesteps to Javier’s right side. The NPC’s surrounding the police perimeter and react to the fight. Some NPCs cover their mouth, while others begin cheering.

Javier locks his hands together and reels back a powerful hammer fist. Slamming Max’s face directly into the concrete. Following that by grabbing the teenager by his jacket and pants, and then tossing him into the window of a nearby jewelry business. Right before Max smashes through the window, he bounces off the invisible wall and once again down to the fall (The map limits). Javier doesn’t waste time, and sprints directly toward Max.

Max’s inner thoughts: Still so boring.

Javier sends a roundhouse kick, which Max dodges and then –

“Titan Hammer!” Maximillion screams.

Although Javier possesses a faster than most response time, he simply wasn’t expecting this attack and overcommitted to his own. The special attack hits Javier in his guard dead on. Sending Javier flying a few feet off the ground. Max jumps backward, back onto the invisible wall again and sent himself flying toward Javier. Positioning himself just right in order to deliver a devastating RKO.

The sheer force of this RKO creates a large crack in the floor that reaches out to the other cracks. The tension builds, until the ground inevitably gives out beneath them. Both teens fall into the shadows. Eventually falling into the murky waters that flow through the dark sewers. Both combatants jump to opposing sides of the sewer. The sunlight shining through the hole in the ground.

“I hope there’s more to you than that, mi amor” Max taunts while mimicking a Spanish accent and the motion of brushing his pompadour while winking at Javier.

“You had my interest, but now you have my attention. So then, let’s go wild!” Javier takes a boxer’s stance.