25 Combat Cage

𝙉𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 "𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧", 𝙊𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙖 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮

City center. Here, in the parking lot of the largest shopping area, some kind of event is being held. It is so hidden that even the police and the government are not aware of what is happening in this place. So to speak, a blind spot in the middle of the urban landscape.

"Underground masquerade". Secret fighting tournaments that pit self-confident dilettantes against each other and take bets from spectators. Anyone can participate in the battle. Only need is volunteers who decide to go up to the octagon and test themselves. And all of this is, of course, illegal. With this place came a large number of missing and the same number of missing people. But today this club will end.

«So I was right, and you want me and my guys with shileds to run over there and pack up the bad guys?» the detective asked, taking out a pack of cigarettes.

Detective Tanuma is a kind and very intelligent person. Small in stature and not particularly developed physique. He is dressed in a light coat and on his head is an old cap. Wrinkles on the face, stubble on the chin. This man looked more like some drunk person than a high-ranking detective, but that was his thing.

« No. It doesn't make sense. These people...their real operations are online. And a special betting site, like its staff, are just disposable, easily removable dummies.» - Professional Hero 0'Clock answered him.

O'clock. A tall and well built man. His suit only emphasized the outlines of his muscles. He was wearing a yellow bodysuit with a red tint. Lines of red enveloped his body.The upper part of the face was hidden by a trump helmet, and the eye holes were replaced with lenses. His deep voice, slender figure and calmness made it clear that this man could lead people. The image of a wonderful leader and an intelligent person was created.

«Wait a minute… It is you asked me to bring a small army here.» - Tanuma said, lighting a cigarette and inhaling it, « You can't just say that it doesn't make any sense.»

« My current goal is not the event itself. Some fighters take doping and quirk-enhancing drugs. I've been chasing the drug side of this case, and now I'm going to get some proof,» O'Clock explained.

The two were on the third floor of one of the apartments whose balcony overlooked the shopping center nearby. The rapid response group that Tanuma had brought dispersed to positions and transmitted some information among themselves .

«And what you need from us is a…» the detective raised an eyebrow.

« Reliable escape routes, yes. I can dig deeper knowing I have reinforcements to get me out.» O'Clock sighed. «So I'm glad you're here.»

The detective was amused by the actions of his old friend O'Clock. O'Clock was a man with a high sense of justice. If he sees a problem somewhere, he will try to eliminate it by all possible means. If he believes that he is right, then it is almost impossible to convince him. Also, for the most part, O'Clock works exclusively alone, as he believes that assistants, aka sidekicks, will only "twist underfoot" and interfere with his activities.

And now, to see how he asks for help in the form of a large number of people, makes him laugh. Do not think bad about Tanava. He does not scoff and does not reproach, but quite the opposite. He is pleased that his friend may have begun to develop the idea of ​​a team. It is likely that this is not so, but these are just his thoughts.

« Yeah, no problem. » the detective grinned, showing a thumbs up in confirmation. « I wanted to ask... What's with... The five O'Clock shado»

The hero slyly grinned and answered his friend in an even voice, «Gotta look the part.»

« HM? Which part is that? » Tanama turned to his friend asking for an answer, but he was no longer there, in his place there was only a spot of dust. The detective laughed and pulled out his phone. « Tanama here, new order, we are waiting. » - '«Accepted» was heard in the receiver.

***

𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙬𝙖𝙮.

A huge room that could accommodate a large number of people. An unimaginable crowd, dressed in masks of various types, shouted in one beat, supporting the fighters in the octagon. There, inside, there was a fierce battle between two fighters.The whole case was commented on by a man in a suit and a simple eye mask, who is also a judge and a jury. Being behind a cage so that he could safely continue talking.

« Dress code? Masks for everyone ! Because we are nobody! And no one is really here! This is the same no man's land from which dreams are born!» shouting more and more into the microphone, the judge said. With every word he said, the crowd only grew stronger and stronger. Screams, flashes, drinks and food. All this height was happening in this place, there was great freedom, because this is a place where the government itself does not see you.

« We have deadly tricks! »- one of the fighters used his quirk and huge animal claws instantly grew in him, without waiting for anything he went on a frontal attack, trying to cut his opponent, which he failed, as he dodged.

« Cruel weapons! » - the second fighter, dodging, took out a large iron bottle and hit it on the opponent's jaw, which made a very unpleasant sound of breaking bones. A moment later, embers of fire went through his hands, as soon as his blow was ready, he hit the other fighter with all his strength, stunning him. « And even quirks! No restrictions, everything is possible with us! The only rule is no rules! After all, this is ... An underground masquerade! »

And as soon as he said that, the whole crowd roared. Their scream was so loud that it could deafen anyone. There was no end to the fun of people, hats, things, cameras and much more flew into the air.

« And the winner of the match will be our ... Drunk Lee! Let's congratulate him and move on to the next match!» the referee/host/jury shouted while actively moving and standing in different positions. «Now it's our new fighters!»

He abruptly turned to one of the exits, exposing and pointing with his finger with a clear movement of his hand, a moment later, all the lighting of the scene was concentrated in the indicated place, making the appearance of a new person more epic and tragic.

«He has been here not for the first time and has won many battles, an experienced fighter and an insurmountable mountain that demolishes everything in its path, to your attention… Rockhead!»

This guy could only be called a "living block". His entire body except for his face was covered with stones. Starting from the legs and ending with the hair, everything is hidden under the stone cover. The brown color of the stones gave the impression of resilience, and the cracks in the body made it clear that he had not been a novice in his field for a long time. The upper part of the face, that is, the eyes, were not hidden. His mouth was surrounded by a stone, the shape of the stone on it resembled a battle shield (like Optimus from the Transformers). He had three ridges on the top of his head, a large one in the middle and small ones on the sides. So to speak, he was a "mountain of muscles."

He looked at everyone and, succumbing to the general impulse of the people, spread his arms wide and shouted: "NAAAAAA!" He slowly walked towards the octagon waving his hand and greeting his fans. that just climbing up there would be too easy for him, so he crouched down and a second later he jumped high into the center of the cage (octagon).From his landing, a strong push went through the bottom, which was felt even behind the cage. His strength was so great. He walked to the right corner and crossed his arms, waiting for his weak opponent to arrive.

«And now let's greet his today's opponent!» This is his first fight today, but I would not underestimate him, because this man has a strong aura. He is as skilled as a praying mantis, as perceptive as an eagle, and as quick as a cheetah. He's a bladed swordsman... he's Jax»! - the presenter voiced, inviting Jaximus to the stage, to the battle, and the crowd supported him. For the most part, the presentation of the fighters depends on the mood of this presenter, since he did not like the little snooks who told him what to do, but this man ...

He likes it. Before the fight, he talked to him, since it's his job, and the first experience with Jaximus was very pleasant. This is the first time on his account when a fighter respected him and treated him correctly and pleasantly. From the politeness of such a person, the presenter wanted to present him only in the best possible light, which, he believes, he succeeded. And the fact remains, people here liked it.

A tall man in a dark blue robe appeared on the stage, his costume somewhat resembled that of a monk. His face was hidden by a dark mask with six holes through which light somehow passed and lit them blue. From the end of his robe, a special bandage departed that grabbed his hood without letting him fall. He was also wearing baggy pants and sandals on his feet. His shoes were similar to Geta, that is, Japanese wooden sandals in the shape of a bench, the same for both feet.Behind him was a long Bo pole, and his hands were free. He nodded to the people and ran to the octagon, climbed the stairs and stood on his corner.

"Now that our fighters are ready, let's get started… Let there be a fight!"

***

As soon as the gong sounded, Rocky immediately ran towards Jax, sticking out his right hand to strike and take him down with one blow. Jaximus reached back and drew his pole and also ran at his enemy, but not to strike. He ducked, skillfully avoiding the blow. His combat experience and skill contributed to this.

Jax's opponent was a fighter relying on his brute strength and fury. These movements, and their looseness, gave a clearer view of this fighter for Jax. He did not have the precision and grace that is inherent in warriors with experience. Jax determined that this fighter was self-taught. Not only does he not use technology, but he is only addicted to his quirk.

The entire body was hidden behind a stone, covering all of his weak points, but one can easily see where he is weak and vulnerable at the moment. Those were his eyes. They are not hidden from him, and Jaxi saw his frown change to irritation and anger slowly set in. Rockhead couldn't hit Jax, as he dodged absolutely all the blows. He will have to resort to a different tactic, as his initial "finish with one blow" has failed miserably.

Jax did not like being brutish , he put his Bo in front of him, which helped to keep his distance and could stun the enemy with enough force, after which it was just a matter of dealing enough damage to win. This was a common thing with simple opponents who are very easy to read and predict their actions. Jax realizes he won't even need that.

His opponent is a walking stone.The weight of this living boulder was not evenly distributed, and its speed left much to be desired. His advantage was only in his brute strength and durability, and in other aspects, he was no match for Jax.

Rockhead decided to use his surroundings, since waving his hands against such a master did not bring any benefit. He raised his arms high and tried to slam them into the ring as soon as possible, hoping for a powerful enough push that could slow Jax down just a little, giving him at least some head start.

To his shock, he couldn't do it, because the second his hands were about to hit the floor, Jax caught Bo's pole in a lightning motion and tugged, throwing off his balance. Stone immediately fell and closing his eyes from the blow. When he opened them, Jax's pole was in front of his face.

Rocky peered at the end of the pole and, to his horror, found inside a small point made of pure steel and ready to go through his unprotected part of the face like a knife through butter. He shifted his gaze to Jax, expecting a taunt or a threat. But she just shook her head weakly, as if giving him a "Please, stop" sign. Rockhead wanted to get up and continue the fight, but he stopped and began to analyze his very short fight and "put on the scales" his chances against Jax.

He was told more than once in his life: "There is strength, but you dont use your brains"

Yes, it's true that he thinks little about his actions. He is one of those people who, if you put a barrier in front of them, he will definitely try to destroy it and He will not come up with a plan and solve this problem with little effort.He relies on strength and on his mighty hands, and not on his head. But despite all this, it cannot be called stupid. Not at all, his thought process rises to a new level precisely in battle. Even for that, you need someone to kick his ass well, like at the present time. He used to underestimate his opponents, which played a cruel joke on him, and after today, he will stop doing this… Since this is not an isolated incident in his battles.

And now, lying under the pole ready to finish him off, he began to reason. His speed and Jax's speed are two different things. If it is equal to a train, then Jax is an electromagnetic train. He just couldn't maneuver the way he did. He deftly dodged his blows, while inflicting his own. And he did it all the time twisting his pole over his head.

In pure physical strength, Rocky was definitely stronger, Jax himself confirms this, not only with words, but with his skill. If Jax were stronger, then he wouldn't have to dodge the oncoming fists, but just stand and take hits, ignoring him like a bug.

And finally skill. Rockhead was "from the streets" and comprehended the art of combat himself. He did not resort to techniques, did not study with anyone and did not want to. But he could tell who was in front of him. Even he could understand that his opponent was a "master of all masters." Not only did his stance speak of grace and refinement, but also the simple movements of his hands. From the way he held the pole to the way he moved it. All these thoughts passed into his head, and now, seeing it all, he decided to finish.

"Argh… I give up!" he shouted into the crowd.

Although the battle did not last long, it was still a spectacle. Everyone liked this stuffing and this mess, and therefore they roared in joy and pleasure.

The referee announced the victory of Jax, and the people supported him.

Returning to the ring, Rockhead was still lying on the floor, frowning and mumbling a furious "Damn! " He looked at his opponent, who extended his hands to help him. He said in a kind voice:

«Imagine if I had a real weapon!»

«You fought well...» Jax head turned and he twisted his arm, Stone knew what he wanted.

« Takawa.» he told him his name.

«Yes, that's right, Takawa-san, HA-HA-HA.» Jaximus laughed out loud.

They got up and walked together to the break room, having a pleasant dialogue, before that Jaximus heard the next fighters "The Rapper" and "The Ripper"

***

Jax was standing in the corridor when the fighters arrived, the match was already over after them, it surprisingly lasted as short as his fight.

The first person to enter was a tall man with stubble on his face. He was wearing a special military uniform, if Jax is not mistaken, it is a special forces field uniform. The hair is covered with a bandana, and the face is visible. A briefcase slung over the shoulder, as well as a knife on the belt. Next to him was a second man. A very tall guy with a wrestling mask on (aalthough, he is so far from Victor's height).

His long and large hands were bandaged, and brass knuckles were worn over them. He was actively waving his arms, saying something to the person in front. Jaximus was able to pick up something about " Power of real man".

Jax walked up to them and was about to greet them, but the big man saw him and waved his hand.

« Oh, look! It's this "Master" with his stick ! Hey, dude ! » the big man shouted happily.

Jax was greatly amused by his attitude towards him. Another person would have thought that this guy was saying something nasty, wanting to be rude and humiliating, but there was no such thing in his voice. Rather, he wanted to say hello in a friendly way and congratulate him on his victory, which Jax approves of.

«Damn it, even though I like a full swing on my fists, but the way you fought with this stick was cool man.» The masked man grinned broadly.

« HAHAHA, thanks for the compliment! Unfortunately , I missed your fight, but I'm sure it was incredible.» - Jax's own smirk appeared under the mask, « "The Rapper " if I'm not mistaken. » - in response, receiving active nods, Kalistrat looked at the second person, and he looked askance at him.

«Are you a Grandmaster by any chance?»

« Oh, you know who I am? » Kalistrat smiled.

« Military Geek, why YOU know him and I don't? Why? » Rubbing his chin with his hand, the Destroyer asked his most tormenting question.

« Do not know such a person ... » - but he was interrupted by some kind of push throughout the hall and the corridor in which they were all. The push was followed by noise, it came from the main hall, from the stands (if you can call them that). The three of them looked at each other, and the Destroyer raised an eyebrow questioningly.« What's happening?»

«It's better for us to find out. »Ripper aka Military Gwek commanded and headed straight for the exit from the corridor, and the two followed him.

As soon as they got out, they saw an interesting thing: a young girl with a tiger mask on her head (judging by the school uniform) fought with everyone present. Each person showed a keen desire to fight with her, and fuck understand why, either to touch the girl, or pride. Whatever it was, this girl relentlessly punched out her fists right and left, with each throw more and more enthusiastic. "Tiger-Rabbit" she shouted into the arena, although it was drowned out by the screams of the crowd and the loud falls of people from the octagon.

« Yes, I look here and without us the party is in full swing. » - said Military Geek, looking back at the two, he turned to the big man, « Don't you want to join? »

« Ah, this is not a deadly fight, and besides, this chicks will not understand our peasant philosophy ...»

«I must admit, this girl has a fighting spirit that is ready to fight at any second, but her movements are rough, there is something to strive for. » Jaximus reasoned, already seeing a lot in this girl.

« Do you want to take on a student, Jaximus-san?»

asked the "Geek" respectfully.

« Heh, I had a lot of them, and I don't think that she will accept me as her sensei, and she has her own teachers. I'm sure she's at the local Heroics school, she won't need my help. » Kalistrat reasoned.

After Jax's words, some kind of steam or visible gas began to appear near them, several people abruptly put on gas masks, and some hid. A van drove up, people in doctor's coats got out.

«Smoke? What's this?»

« Gas.»

And after that, something very strange began to happen. All over the area, people who were not protected from the gas began to howl in pain. It was as if their own quirks had gone berserk, mutated. Altering and becoming a more dangerous and creepy form of primordial quirks.

So, in one of the people, the whole body began to exfoliate, turning green and becoming viscous, becoming some kind of walking slurry. Another person abruptly began to increase in size, his entire body began to be covered with stone and take on the rough outlines of the body. Another turned into a wooden monster.

Jax and the "Geek" immediately saw the problem and hurried to stand behind a barrier that would help to hide from the gas, the Rapper was also with them. They hid and began to examine the others when they remembered the culprit of the early massacre. She climbed onto the cage and did not understand what was happening, suddenly, next to her, a hand appeared right out of thin air and slowly reached out to the young fighter.

« Little girl, at twelve o'clock!» Jax shouted and rushed from his seat like the "Geek". Kalistrat jumped high, took out his Bo pole and hit his hand with all his might.

The hand shook sharply, and then abruptly returned to the wormhole from which it crawled out.

He returned to the hiding place and was pleased when he saw that the Fan had brought the girl to a safe distance from the gas. This guy timed his movements correctly, he was able to see the problem too.

« What?! What the hell is going on?!» the girl screamed.

The schoolgirl did not have time to ask something else, as the "Geek" took out a card on which "Full Hero License" was written in even handwriting. He asked in a professional tone.

« As a qualified high-speed hero "O-Clock", I ask you to help me. Rabbit… judging by your uniform, I can tell that you are from the hero school in Hiroshima… »

« Um, my school doesn't need to know about this... I'll help in any way I can!»

While this girl and the Destroyer were figuring out which was better, "Kick Power" or "Fist Power", Jax and O-Clock turned towards the hall, where people who had once mutated for some reason returned to normal.

« This fog and hand. They seem to withdraw people's quirks , don't you think, O-Clock-san? » Jax asked, leaning on his pole.

« I don't have any other guesses, Jaximus-san, the gas initially came from the roof… Who is this?»

sharply turning towards the new man who came out from around the corner. This guy was wearing a black sweatshirt, his face was hidden by a hood, his hands were in his pockets. He was turned in their direction, and Jax's intuition told him that this man had not come to help them.

«This guy seems to be their "lock" that won't let us out, so there is also security, but this gas is preventing us…» Jaximus reasoned, rubbing his mask, and waiting for his own thoughts from O-Clock, but he was not found there.He didn't have a chance to ask, because blinking, the Hero was already standing in front of him holding several gas masks in his hands. He handed one to him and two others.

« Put it on, I stole a couple. »

« And that gas is a mess, right? »

« I won't breathe this gas, no-no-no »

Jax himself opened the mouth of his mask (he had such an opportunity) and put on a gas mask.

« I guess so…» all three turned to Jax,

«All the doors here are emergency and at the moment they are locked, so the only way out of here is the entrance for cars. Based on the layout of the building, the only thing they're going to try to stop us with is a partition wall and a few guards. The entrance itself is on the opposite side, 30 meters from here ... We will have to break through this crowd of mutated ones. » Jax gave a clear plan in such a short time.

« Hey, this old man is smart, he quickly came up with it. » - hitting his new friend in the side said the girl.

« Definitely! » The Rapper smiled broadly under his mask.

« HA-HA-HA, I did not think that somebody would call me "Old" but thanks for the compliment. » The joy in Kalistrat's voice was clear.

«One thing worries me, so you have to be a little careful, I will support you, be ready at any moment.» - adjusting his glove, he asked, - «Any questions?»

«Yes, there is one…» The Destroyer pointed to the crowd, « All those who went on a rampage there, it's okay if I… I hit them…»

- ... From the foot.

- ... Savory fist?

O-Clock looked at them disapprovingly - « Most of them are civilians drugged without asking ... Be careful with them.»

"Alright then, let's go!" - and after this command, everybody started from their seats, heading for the exit.

Jax was ahead of the others, leading them along. He stunned people with his pole with very subtle and strong movements. He knew human anatomy very well, so he memorized the exact location of vulnerable points on the human body. This knowledge was perfectly suited to the current situation. Although quirks changed people's bodies, there was still a gap in the body. As it was said, he calmed people down with little damage, and our couple ...

— NGGHAAAAAA!

– HAAAAA!

They used their power without lowering it absolutely for humans, as if no warning had been given to them. These two disobeyed the hero, but they did a great job. They perfectly described "Two morons is a force, without the brains, but it's cool", no matter how ridiculous it sounded. Of these actions of theirs, Jax would remind them, especially with this young lady.

While they fought, wormholes appeared everywhere from which an arm crawled out, but she could not do anything further, as the pole hit them very quickly, causing them to instantly disappear. Whoever these hands belong to will definitely hurt.

At this rate, they were able to reach the exit. In front of them were two guards and a guy in a sweatshirt with a hood over his head. The Rapper moved the guards out of the way and turned to the guy in the sweatshirt, who got into a fighting stance.

« Are you some kind of martial artist?! My man! Looking for a fight, come on! You and me to death!» - already sending him several of her huge fists.To his surprise, the guy was able to deftly dodge his blows, and in one quick movement he hit himself. The force was enormous, it pushed back a man of the same size as the Destroyer very far. — AAAAAA

« What the hell have you done to my friend, huh?!» the schoolgirl shouted as she jumped towards the guy, doing somersaults and preparing a powerful kick. She did not have time to finish the move, as the guy's knee hit earlier, which, due to the same huge force, was thrown towards the Rapper .

Both of the guy's arms extended sharply and reached out to the two, wanting to tear them apart, but were stopped by an obstacle.

A barrier in the form of Jax and O-Clock.

Jax swiped at specific points in his hand, breaking and deforming it.

O-Clock had a dagger in his hand, he made stab wounds on the second hand at superhuman speed.

Earlier, when this guy delivered his own blows to Rapper and Tiger-Rabbit, his arm and leg were not left without damage. After contact, they were in the blood and the bones in them were accurately broken. Jax is betting that the kid's nervous system is not all right, or it's a quirk with pain nulling. The ability at first sight is very strong, but also with its own problems, but now that's not the point.

«Old man! »

« Military Geek! »

Jax and O-Clock locked eyes, the hero nodded. Jax understood the sign and jumped away from him. The hero wanted to fight this villain himself, and Jax is not the one who will spoil the desires of a person. In an emergency, he will support him, but for now he will help the rest of their group.

He approached the lying friends and helped them up.

"Rapper-kun, help O-Clock-san, but wait for his signal, and I will help Tiger-Rabbit get to the exit.» -

«Okay, I get it ! I'm gonna beat his ass, let's fucking gooo! »shouted the Rapper, and happily ran

« Hey?! And why should I run away, I can easily take this dude!» the schoolgirl protested.

« This is for you kid, this is not in your league, and judging by his ability, we need help, we need to call my old friend… Kizaru.»

« Wait...What?! Kizaru?! Are you a friend of Kizaru?! Well, which one is huge, three meters tall, with such long and strong legs that they can crush metal like paper ?! » - the schoolgirl's eyes sparkled and she began to tremble, from a possible meeting. Kizaru was her idol, she liked everything about him. From his attitude towards villains, to his signature moves. How well does she know all Kizaru's kicking moves, her favorite is "Rankyaku: Kinsetsu-sei" and more...

« Yes, it is him. And now we need to go!»

- Running through the crowd, he began to pick up speed, and the schoolgirl, with endless enthusiasm, used the heads of these people as steps and, starting from them, passed through the thick

After walking a few meters, Jax turned around and saw a huge, fleshy hand coming towards them. The size was so large that the room could not contain it and it destroyed the walls. Jax wanted to stop and figure it out himself, but suddenly the movement of his hand stopped and it came back. Following the trail, Jax saw the Rapper who entered into a skirmish.

The schoolgirl was ahead of him, close to the exit. He abruptly took out a special walkie-talkie from his pocket, "Tiger-Rabbit!" - she turned to him and he threw the radio set to her with all his strength - « Catch!» She successfully caught that

« This radio set is connected to Kizaru, at the exit, turn it on and say these words: " Jax call for help!" "and read the coordinates written on the radio,» he called to the girl.

She nodded her head enthusiastically. — and headed for the exit.

Finally jumping out into the street, she quickly turned on the radio and said in a very cheerful voice: « This is Miruko who's gonna be hero soon, a friend of Jax. Jax call for help, I send the coordinates ********.»

In a moment, the radio set gave an answer, and what Miruko heard, she will forever remember, she will not lie if she says that this will be the best moment in her life. From the walkie-talkie came the lazy voice of her idol, the fastest, tallest and coolest person ...

— This is Kizaru, I'll be there soon, Miruko "who's gonna be hero soon"