Veterans of a Certain Kind of Hell(552ers/Open)

[Tobias Ross]

Kicking down his kickstand for his Harley, Tobias yawned as the bike rumbled down to nothing as the key was removed. Looking about and seeing the wreckage of the area, he stared at the broken down bar that he had once frequented when he visited California. Shaking his head, Tobias fell into the memory of the last time he had visited it.

A Couple Years Ago

Stretching out his arms as he yawned and feeling the joints in his back pop as they shifted, he stood and got off his motorcycle as a rumble sounded out into the air from his stomach. Smiling as he rubbed his belly in an attempt to placate it, Tobias walked into the bar in front of him and place himself at a table to await a waiter. A few minutes goes by before a waitress comes up and begins to flirt with him as he orders.

Unfortunately for her, the only thoughts on his mind at that moment was to get a cheeseburger and fries with a nice cold beer. Smiling at her as she left to place his order, Tobias leaned back in his seat and pulled out an old ring that was around his neck. Taking off his fedora and placing it on the table, he pulls off the neck and looks down at it. It was all he had left of his old stomping grounds, Public High School #552. Tobias had a great many memories there and scars from the battles that took place in that school in New York. The world around him faded as he lost himself in the memories of the old days.

As the waitress came back, she dropped the food right in front of him and startled him out of his daze. She walked away angry and he remembered where he was at and chuckled to himself before grabbing the beer.

Present

Come on, Tobias. Live in the present, not the past.

Looking around and realizing his actual surrounding, Tobias leaned against his motorcycle while staring at the burned out bar. Since money was worthless and the area was crappy, he would have to find someplace to hole up for a bit. The bar had been a great place once. The ring bounced against his chest as he pulled out a cigarette from its crumpled pack and was placed in his lips. He didn't light it right away as he looked around at the ruins around him and shook his head in disbelief. The destruction was great and he had not expected it to be this bad in California. Tobias strikes a match and lights the cigarette as he watches the area. His return to California wasn't going the way he had expected.

[Marcus Prasad]

It was a nice day for a ride in Long beach. The sun was shining (Wasen't it always? Well, if you don't count the ash clouds)
And the birds were chirping!
The relatively brave ones anyway. Brave enough to risk being used as target practise by a passing patrol.
Straddling his metallic green Softail custom, Marcus had run off the beaten track and pulled roaring into the more decrepit part of the city, just bordering along Barker territory.

A small personal Fuck you from the man to the man himself.
(A Personal in joke. Marcus sometimes refers to Barker as 'The man Himself' mockingly)

The area looked just like a warzone. Nothing he hadn't seen before in his travels from New York City to California. It never got easy though. He kept seeing the life the city block used to have and it saddened him to see it look so broken. Almost like the personification of the peoples will.

'Welp. Not for long if I have anything to say about it.'
A pleasent thought, but hopefully no simple false bravado.
Marcus was and will always be a passionate man. He took the destruction that Barker dealt to the world personally. He liked the world, especialy after seeing so much of it before the Great Fall. He hated the idea of it all being dust and ash.

'Well, well well. What do we have here?'
As he screamed down an empty street, past buildings pockmarked with bullet holes and gaping wounds, the man had spotted a burnt out building. Small, mabey a diner or a bar.
Actualy it wasen't so much the building, more of what was parked infront of it that caught his eye.

Marcus would have been heard long before he peeled around the corner and into the sight of the man smoking at his bike. It couldnt be helped, Harleys were made to be loud.
Driving past the husk of the bar, Marcus spun his bike around and came back, slowing down as he approached before pulling up beside the parked Harley.

With an almost boyish grin, he would pull his riding goggles up onto his forehead.


"Dude. Sick bike! Is that an Evo Sportster? Hows the engine? Did you build it yourself? Mines a custom job. Tweaked the brakes, the engine and the suspension. Nice paint job by the way!"
Again, Marcus was nothing if not a Passionate man.

[Tobias Ross]

Turning slightly toward the speaker, Tobias slowly blinked as he took another drag from his cigarette as the person approached. Exhaling the smoke from his mouth and waiting for a moment when he could get in a word, Tobias decided that he wouldn't speak if he wasn't going to get a word in. He simply wanted to be left alone in peace and not have to be interrupted on his journey further into California. There was a house within Orange County that had once been family owned and now it was in his name. If anything happened to it, his ire would grow.

Slowly unclasping the knife at back of his belt, Tobias drew it fluidly by reaching behind him to the base of his back and flipped it into the air over his shoulder to land hilt first into the same hand. Spinning it till the tips of his fingers gripped the edge of the blade, Tobias quickly threw the knife to bury itself to the hilt just shy of the front tire of the intruder's Harley.

The message was clear, Tobias thought. Back off, You are intruding. Here be dragons. Whichever one the fool came to, it didn't matter. The threat was implied and staring the person right in the face. If he didn't leave, he would pissing off the monster standing before him. Tobias couldn't help but be territorial. It was in his nature as well as having a great pride.

His pride had gotten him into many battles and fights that he needed not take, but his pride had made him strong. His strength had lessened from what it once was, but he still retained his intelligence and wisdom gained from such.

[Marcus Prasad]

Before anyone even had a chance to blink, Marcus was nose to nose with the stranger, eyes on fire, lips pulled back in a snarl as a low wet growl gumbled dangerously from his chest as his fists clenched and quivered. It took almost all of his tremendous willpower not to flatten the cocky fuck right then and there. NOBODY threatened his bike.

Matching the mans glare, unflinching, he took a slow deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down enough to speak coherently.
"Well. Here's me trying to be friendly and you had to go do a thing like that."
Speaking with a quiet voice that was sharpened to an edge.
The stranger was fronting, that much was obvious. Trying to intimidate Marcus with hard eyes and body language. Problem was, Marcus didn't scare easy. The fact that he had been spoiling for a fight over the last few weeks didn't help none either.

Besides, He wasen't about to back down from a trumped up biker thug with a bad attitude who THREW A KNIFE AT HIS PRECIOUS SOFTAIL CUSTOM!
God knows he was about as prideful as the next guy.
With his stance loud and clear, it was now a matter of seeing if the stranger was willing to escalate things into a good ol round of fisticuffs. Marcus would simply stand there, Eyeballing the man. Daring him to make the first move.

[Tobias Ross]

The intruder had been warned and ignored the gesture by going even further down the rabbit hole. Inhaling on the cigarette once more slowly and considering his options, Tobias settled on the one that seemed most appropriate. He didn't know the capabilities of the intruder other than being fast on his feet and exhibiting an animal like savagery side that was similar to his own. This person may be walking down the path he once did. None of that really mattered though.

Fifty percent should be fine to start off with. Let's see what he is capable of. He shows a great pride, but he has stepped up against a monster.

Blinking slowly, Tobias readied himself and as soon as his eyes began to open he sidestepped around his opponent to arrive at his left side in less time than it takes to blink. The full movement took him around the right side and circular around the back to the left side of the person facing him. Using the speed and spin to enhance his next fluid movement, Tobias leapt up lightly in the air and sent a knee at his opponent's chest. The force would be enough to push the person back a few feet if he blocked.

During the entire time, his hands never left the pants pockets where he had them. As much as he hated to handicap himself, Tobias needed to see where he stood and his pride wouldn't allow him to not show an upstart their place. He was purposely insulting the person by not using his hands.

[Marcus Prasad]

Well, looks like he didn't have to wait too terribly long for this party to get started. Marcus appreciated that. If that staring contest went on any longer he wouldn't be able to stop himself from Testing out how strong his opponents chin was with a nice solid right hook. That always ended the fight far too quickly for his liking.

The man's opening gambit was fast. VERY fast. Competent......

Predictable.
It would have caught any amatuer fighter off guard easily and Marcus was anything but. As the man jinked to his left, Marcus responded by stepping forward with his left foot and pivoting to his right off the balls of his feet so that in one fluid motion, the man was facing behind himself, already in his combat stance with fists up like a boxer, cocked, locked and ready to go by the time his opponent had turned to face what he most likely thought would be his back.

Off the balls of his feet, Marcus sprung forward to meet the man as he went airborn with outstretched arms, Cancelling out his opponents forward momentum with his own, reaching around the mans waist with one arm and behind his outstretched knee with the other to perform a ground shattering suplex.

If the man was as strong as Marcus believed him to be, this would HURT, but not damage too much. Knock the wind clean out of him for sure. Mabey even smarten him up into taking him alittle more seriously.
If everything went off without a hitch, he would release the stranger and push himself up into the air with a grunt into a roll that would put him back on his feet, facing his opponent as he continued to bounce off the balls of his feet, that adrenaline rush making his nerves tingle and the world seem so much more REAL!

[Tobias Ross]

As Tobias hit the ground and the intruder sprang away, he smiled and took in the last drag of the cigarette as he laid on the ground. He was still on his back for the next few moments as he exhaled the last bit of smoke and flicked the cigarette away with his tongue. Blinking slowly as he casually got up and dusted himself off. The slam into the ground had stung, but nothing more than that. Pulling his hand out of his pocket with the mint box in it, Tobias opened it and put a couple in his mouth before returning his hands back to his pockets.

Turning his head to the side at a wierd angle, cracks and pops came from his neck as he loosened up his body. It was still a bit stiff from the long drive. It wasn't going to help him that he was tired as well. Driving straight from Chicago to California straight wasn't an easy ride. Rotating his shoulders till they popped and his muscles felt loose, he never took his eyes off his opponent. Doing so would be an insult to someone who had been able to avoid the attack that would easily destroy an amateur opponent. This one in front of him wasn't that, but something was familiar about the person in front of him. Tobias couldn't place it though he knew it would take more of the fight till he did figure it out.

Noticing that his necklace with his Shadow Pillar ring from 552 was out, Tobias smiled fondly for a moment as he tucked it back under his shirt and motioned for the person to attack him.

I will stay at fifty percent, but I will fight him a bit more seriously. No need yet for revealing my hand or my true style.

Tucking his hand back into his pocket, Tobias relaxed his body and waited.

[Marcus Prasad]

'Huh. Figured he'd be alittle more aggressive after being shown up like that.'
A cool customer, Marcus could deal. He always did prefer to have the roles reversed though. It gave him the initiative to counter anything a more impatient fighter would throw at him. Fortunatly since he had nothing else to do today, and (more importantly) nothing to prove, he could afford to be patient.

Reaching back and locking his hands together behind his back, Marcus stretched, bending his arms back with a yawn and a series of pops and cracks.
"Oh common man."
He taunted disdainfully.
"Flick a knife, get knocked on your head and your done huh?"

Popping his neck with a slow left to right stretch, Marcus slipped out of his stance and crossed his arms. His guard was most definatly still up. If his opponent so much as twitched, He would be ready.
"Guess you don't put much stock in your personal space if your gonna give it up that easily."
The mans words were just as dangerous as his fists when it came down to it. Here, he was taunting, goading and pricking the other mans pride in the hopes that he would strike and be undone.

If he didn't, then the fight was essentialy over. Marcus wouldn't initiate. Why bother? So far the score was 1:0 in his favor. Thus putting him in the dominant position. He showed his strength and got off with a clean hit and no responce.

If the stranger wanted to continue this little game, Law of the jungle dictates he attack or be seen as weak.

In his mind. Marcus had already won.

[Tobias Ross]

Mood Music:

Grinning slightly, Tobias pointed to the ground near his opponent's feet and turned to the side. The fighter had moved next to the knife he had thrown into the ground earlier. This was his area right now and he had no intention of giving it up yet. Besides, sometimes it was better to not show all your cards or the pocket aces in your sleeves just yet. By the laws of the street and jungle he was in the losing side right now, but he had no intention of caring for such.

A monster only feeds when it needs to and defends it territory from all intruders. Though this monster was outside of its area, it would still defend its personal area. The way monsters stayed alive was being more cunning and intelligent than those around it, especially the humans and hunters seeking it out. The danger zone for the intruder was back in place and he was outside of it once again. Predators could understand space and would only intrude to feed in necessary. Humans had forgotten and abandoned such things, though a few rediscovered it and embraced it fully.

Keeping one eye on his opponent as he waited, Tobias keep himself indifferent toward everything yet having all of his senses on high alert as he watched for any movement from the person near him. He would keep only using the amount of skill or power with this opponent if he pressed any further, though it had been driven from his space. In that regards, Tobias won. Long ago he would have given in to such prattling and let his ego drive him past reason, yet he was an evolving fighter. He could change quickly if needed.

Tobias felt no urge to prolong this fight nor seek a victory. If he set an appearance of weakness, then he could use that to his advantage. That idea was currently being toyed with in his mind as he waited and watched.

If you want to fight me, then approach. If not leave me be, child. This is NOT a fight you want. But will you recognize that or still attempt to draw out this fight into the massacre it will be?

[Marcus Prasad]

Seemed like the man had enough. Marcus felt somewhat dissapointed, almost cheated. His blood sang from inside his veins, screaming for more violence. It was such a stunning contrast; The smile, the twinkle in his eye, the easy laugh and goofy behavior and little did anyone know that under the surface, a monster was chained. A Berserker who wanted nothing more than to revel in combat. An adrenaline addict who thirsted for the thrill of fighting.

Just like the man before him, a life where survival was NOT manditory had left Marcus with his animal brain, the part that governed his most primal instincts, far more developed than the average person. The man before him was holding back, and that was SERIOUSLY irritating his pride. He was still putting on airs of superiority, but made no move to continue the fight.

'He wants to be a pussy then? Fuck it, fine.'

Marcus arched an eyebrow as the other man pointed to his feet. Oh right! The knife.
Tucking the front of his shoe under the blade handle, Marcus sent it upwards with a flick of his foot and deftly caught it. He examined the weapon. It was impressive. Utilitarian yeah, but a knife had to be sharp, not pretty. He tested the weight, passing it between both hands, playing with it between his fingers like a trick coin.

Now the question was, give it back? Or keep it?
Marcus was SEVERLY tempted to go with the latter option. More for adding insult to injury than for keeping a trophy.
'Mabey back in high school, but I like to think I've grown since then.'

With an almost imperceptable flick of his wrist, Marcus sent the blade spinning back at it's original owner. If the other man wasent fast enough, the blade would embed itself into his right eye. Marcus had a good and practised hand when it came to throwing things. Deadly things. You're probably wondering why he didnt keep knives on him then? The answer my friend? Marcus ALWAYS prefered using his fists and feet and nothing more.
Now began the game where Marcus would test this mans boundries and ferret out what he could and could not get away with before the fight would begin anew.

It was also a gesture that said plain and simple:
'I am in control here.'

"So who are you anyway? I thought I saw A Public High school Emblem on that ring around your neck. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was from number five five two am I right?"
He asked as his eyes locked onto the other mans. Almost daring him not to answer. Daring him to do anything less than what Marcus specificaly asked.

[Tobias Ross]

OOC: Sorry about it taking an extra day. I am not lying when I say this. My friends came into the library and kidnapped me from the computer and took me to a beer tasting event to help me unwind from all the crap that has been going on in my life. Love my friends. lol

IC:

Tobias watched the person in front of him take a hold of the knife at his feet and examine it. Turning away and not caring about the intruder since he was outside the danger zone, Tobias moved back toward his motorcycle with the intention on leaving. the only thing that stopped him was the part of his mind that warned him of an attack and he immediately pushed off with his left foot to do a side hop to the side. Looking to his left with just his eyes, he saw his knife at the exact area where his head had been. Almost as if in slow motion, Tobias saw it near and catch on the ring that hung on his necklace which had come out of his shirt with the movement.The chain snapped and broke away cleanly as the knife and ring flew away from him to land a few feet from his motorcycle.

As the fool chatted and demanded answers from him, Tobias watched as his ring rolled and bounced on the broken pavement before coming to rest next to a fallen sign. His anger sparked at the disrespect this insignificant fool had dared show to the monster who had been about to let leave intact and alive. Now, the person seemed to want this fight more than he valued living. That ring was something Tobias had made himself for himself from steel and etched the title of Shadow Pillar on the inside of it. Though his fury began to build and grow as the beast inside called to shed the civility and humanity that kept it chained, he fought against it and sighed. The fight would continue since the fool wished it. Tobias closed his eyes and prayed for the safety of his opponent who seemed to know about 552.

Taking his black biker gloves from his back right pocket, Tobias slowly put them on and looked straight at his opponent. He wished that the fool would get the hint and leave, for his life was forfeit should he stay any longer. The monster was about to feed and it was beginning to get the craving for the flesh of the intruder in front of him.

[Marcus Prasad]

{OOC} Would have joined ya for beer tasting if I could have man! That sounded like alot of fun {OOC}

'Well that definatly lit a fire under his ass.'
Well good. Mabey now Marcus could get his chance to beat into the other mans skull that putting on airs and acting like a self indulgent shit wasen't the best way to escape a Marriage of Fists to face. Our Pony tailed hero wanted nothing more than to show exactly where the other guy could shove his passive agressive bullshit.

Marcus smirked as the ring bounced along the ground.
'Thats what you get for turning your back on me compadre'
He thought as he tracked the rings movement with his eyes. It was a nifty looking peice, his suspisions confirmed as he spotted the PHS#552 emblem.
'Leave it to us assholes to go right to the ground zero of trouble.'
Unfortunatly the Shadow pillar engraving was too small for even his eyes to see.

His smirk never leaving his face, Marcus took a more relaxed stance, body angled, hands ready at his sides.

He then reached out and gestured to the ring, exactly in the same way the man had gestured to the knife Marcus had thrown just moments ago.
Oh yes, the man could be an absolute shit when he wanted to be.

[Tobias Ross]

Unbuttoning his shirt and slipping out of it after removing his hat, Tobias opened the side bags to deposits all of the items into it. In it went his sunglasses along with the bandanna from underneath the fedora. Inside of the bag was the Earth Dragon's belt that he had taken from him during the fight. It was his now and he had vowed to never wear it. Quickly taking off his undershirt, Tobias covered it to remove the temptation of wearing it. He would never rely on anything other than his own power. That is were true power came from. Tobias was honoring his next meal with the truth of what he faced. No restrictions anymore and no delays. This would be brutal and messy, something he didn't want all over his nice clothes.

Cracking his shoulders again by rotating them, Tobias let the intent to kill roll off him and spread out as he opened his mouth with a slight smile. His fangs briefly showed as he took a step and he vanished from view as his foot touched down on the ground. It was a move he learned while fighting against his long time rival James. Both of them had developed the speed and ability to move faster than the eye could track by fighting continually against one another. It was just the start of the true move though. A brief blast of his full speed and tuning it back down to about eighty-five to ninety percent. He would land in front of his opponent and send attacks at the vital areas of his opponent with his hands. The monster in him wanted to be feral and Tobias was more than obliging. A growl was what announced his presence before his attack.

The attacks would all be from his hands and coming from the front, though they would be coming from alternate angles and different speeds between the 85 and 90 percent range. He needed to move this fight into the next stage and this was the warm up for it. Though animistic and baring his fangs, Tobias was calculating and his mind was working independently as his body attacked. Feral fighting was something that he had used back in 552 and if this person was a student from his time frame, then it would be known or should strike up a familiarity in the person's mind. If not, then his true fighting form that would come next would. It was the one that landed him his old position and kept him in the top fighters of 552.

Survive this and with my true style of fighting I will reward you, Fool from 552. The monster shall feast on you.

[Marcus Prasad]

'Incoming assault will be feral, but experianced.'

Marcus had seen the dissapearing act before. Chrynos immediatly sprang to mind as he brought his arms up to defend himself. His opponent was moving so fast that his eyes couldn't process, Like skipping frames of animation. All the man saw was a blur of motion comming straight for him.

His feral grin quickly became a frown of concentration as he deflected and blocked the hurricane of blows the stranger was throwing at him. The man was FAST. Trying to duck and weave around the strikes was out of the question. Marcus was going to have to pick his openings carefully. After all, he was tough but he wouldn't be able to soak up this kind of punishment indefinatly. Already some of them were breaking through his defence. Hurting him, disrupting his rythme.

After being forced back under the punishing barrage, Marcus finaly found his opening. Knocking one of the strangers fist aside, He would surge forward and go for the clinch, wrapping his arms around his opponents upper torso. His grip like a steel vice, he then began to deliver savage knee strikes to his opponents body before breaking the clinch and follow with an unexpected right hook to the other mans jaw, then a left elbow to the eye.

With the initiative back in Marcus' favor, he would continue the punishment with another volley of Left and right hooks, uppercuts and elbow bashes to his opponents face and chest, hoping to keep the pressure on before putting the final exclaimation mark with a roundhouse kick to the inner thigh and a spinning side kick to the guts.

Marcus' style was simple, brutal and violent. He didn't need to get fancy here like he had to when he was younger. It felt good to be the brawler he always knew he was.

[Tobias Ross]

His movements rapid and filled with animistic fury, a small part of his mind noted that several of the attacks were landing on his foe even though the rest were being deflected. One punch was sent at too low of a mixture of speed with power and his left arm was knocked aside, leaving him open to a counter-attack.

Shit! That was around seventy-five percent. I pulled that one too much. Here comes his attack. Well, it would be boring if I killed him without it being a true battle.

As the arms wrapped around his side, Tobias snarled and sucked in air to expand his chest to counteract a bear hug should it come. As the knee strikes slammed into him, he felt air being knocked out of him with each strike that hit. The sudden release and hook that hit him in the face were calculated moves that broke his rhythm. Tucking his head and face inward, Tobias protected his eye by taking the hit on his hard head.

Move it! This is the chance he was working toward. Time for a flurry of attacks.

Jumping back, Tobias felt the wind of a near miss from the punch sent toward him. It was now his turn on the defensive and the prey had some powerful fangs. Tobias swayed back and got his arms up in the way to block the hits, but he could feel power of the punches every time they struck. They were hard and it was causing him pain.

The problem was that Tobias had a great deal of patience and it won through. There was a final attack to the combo and one that was easily avoided. The problem was that Tobias needed to take the attack to kick-start his plan. Putting his hands at the strike point and imitating a catcher's mitt using his hands, Tobias caught the kick by the heel and absorbed the force through his arms and legs. Letting go and quicky leaping back out of range of his foe, Tobias dropped his stance and letting out his intent to kill.

Limit reached. It has been awhile since someone has gotten to see this. His reward comes now and the monster will now feast. No more playing.

With his arms at his side and his head lifted in the air, Tobias exhaled and felt right into his true fighting style. The beast took a back seat in the fight and giggled gleefully since it knew what was to happen. Tilting his head to the side and looking at his opponent through half closed eyes, Tobias began to walk toward his next victim with his arms at his side. The movements were fluid and his motions seemed to have no wasted movement whatsoever as he approached. He lifted an arm in a blink of an eye and motioned for his opponent to continue.

Things were going to be different now. This is what made his scary at 552 and what attracted people to come to learn at his side. If the fool didn't realize who he faced now, he wouldn't get the chance after the fight to know. If no attacks would be forthcoming from his opponent, Tobias would start his attack with the very move that failed at the onset of the fight. There would be differences this time. It would be at full power and speed instead of only a portion of the whole. The other difference would be that he would actually finish the combo. The knee would be but a part of the attack. Attacks would rain down on his opponents upper torso and head from his hands. If any of the attacks hit or his knee, the attacks could potentially send his opponent stumbling away from him or knocked off his feet. If not, so much the better.