fandomhigh | Tournament, Danger Shop, Day 2

Tournament, Danger Shop, Day 2

Tyler	The Nemesis side of the Danger Shop Coliseum might have seemed brighter this morning, with the record of five wins and three losses the day before. The judges were again at their podium, and Tyler poured soda into a conspicuously logoed cup before talking. "I don't see why we have to go through a whole day more of this," he said idly. "We're just kicking their asses. I feel embarrassed for them."
Deathstroke	"It's not over yet, Durden," Deathstroke replied, ignoring the lounging like a pro. He had his own match today. Hopefully it would be better than yesterday
Tyler	"You're saying you think there's going to be any challenge for our side?" Tyler asked, lighting a cigarette. "Unless somebody wants to lose." Which was, in truth, always a possibility with him. You learned stuff when you lost.
Ghanima	"If it's a challenge you're looking for, perhaps Miss Watson would be happy to enlighten you," Ghanima replied dryly. "Either of them. Nemesis is only ahead by two, and we have two more days to go."
Tyler	"And thank you, Paula," Tyler shrugged, leaning forward to read the list of events. "Looks like I'm up first, so I'll rejoin this fascinating conversation in a few." He pushed back, gulped some more soda, and headed to the competitors' locker room.
Deathstroke	Slade watched him go, not saying anything to the contrary. Once Tyler was gone, he looked at Ghanima out of the corner of his eye. "Interesting that you don't have an opponent like either of us."
Ghanima	Ghanima rolled her eyes and looked over at her remaining co-judge. "Is he always this annoying, or does he just hate women that much?" "I have no opponent because I have no nemesis," she replied, looking out at the rest of the Danger Shop. "Despite what some would-be challengers might think, I have only ever had one. Myself."
Deathstroke	Slade hummed thoughtfully. "As for Durden... he can explain himself. I'm not his keeper." That was totally a yes on the annoying part.
Ghanima	That was totally a yes on the annoying part, and Ghani smirked. "And you?" she asked, tapping the list before her. "What's your stake in all this? Forgive my presumption, but you don't seem to approve of the tournament." The tau whispered at her for a moment, and Ghani tilted her head to consider him. "You're a professional, not a fanatic."
Deathstroke	"Exactly. I'm a professional."
Ghanima	Hired, then. Ghanima did, actually, respect that. "Then let's get your professional opinion on this one," she said, smiling as she lifted her hand. "Time to make Durden earn his keep."

[OOC: OCD up!]

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"I can't imagine how that could make any difference," Anakin retorted, blue blade coming to life with a familiar snap-hiss.

Vader's cloak rippled with the speed behind his first attack--a lightsaber shot straight at Anakin's head. "I'm the one who let Luke die."

Huh. Turned out it did make a difference.

Anakin's blood ran cold as he raised his lightsaber to parry, reflexes lightning fast. "You son of a bitch."

"I had expected more creativity in insults from you," Vader said, beginning to pick up the pace as the lightsabers sparked and crackled against each other.

They were both experts in Form V lightsaber combat, and the blows rained down fast and heavy.

"Insulting family has never ended well."

"You killed my son," Anakin spat, keeping a throttle hold on his temper as he felt the kinetic energy building around them.

It had been a long, long time since he'd been allowed to really let loose.

He ignored for the moment the voice in his head that said he'd only been able to defeat Sith Lords by tapping into his rage. He knew Darth Vader like he knew himself--all the strengths and all the vulnerabilities.

The Force was with him, and he had all of his limbs. In a sheer battle of strength, he would win.

...he hoped.

"I killed a lot of people," Vader replied. "It's what I do. You will be just an interesting footnote."

His lightsaber flashed out three times: at Anakin's forehead, arm, and across his chest.

Anakin blocked them at the second Vader attacked, becoming a mirror image of what Vader had done.

He gave the Sith Lord a feral smile. "This is where the fun begins," he said.

For two minutes...five minutes...seven minutes...the only difference in the stroke and counterstroke was who stood on the right and who on the left.

It was a deadly dance performed by two of the best who'd ever been. Ones who--and it was obvious to anyone watching the performance--knew each other's moves far, far too well.

Lightsaber blades moved in a blur and then as one both shot their left hands out, drawing on the power of the Force to knock the other backwards.

"I'm more powerful than you," Anakin gritted, sweat beginning to fall in his eyes as he pushed with the Force and his lightsaber, trying to get Vader to fall back. "I don't need to rely on a respirator to breathe. I have all of my original parts."

"And I have the Dark Side," Vader replied, drawing on his rage to find just an additional bit of strength.

He used it to rip a huge piece of machinery off of the wall and toss it at Anakin.

He was done letting the Jedi set the rhythm.

Anakin tucked himself up into a flip and used the Force to propel him up and over the deadly projectile.

"Temper, temper," he scolded, then aimed his lightsaber blade at the joint between Vader's helmet and shoulder, then the respirator box, then his left knee, trusting in his superior speed to make up for Vader's longer reach.

Vader moved more fluidly than it looked like he should be able to, given all the mechanics, but he wasn't able to miss all of the blows.

The helmet and respirator box remained untouched, but at the expense of his knee, which he wasn't able to move out of the way quite fast enough.

It let out a puff of smoke and the acrid smell of burnt electronics as Anakin's lightsaber almost cut through the entire limb.

He growled and moved to return the favor.

Anakin hissed and recoiled backwards to avoid the swinging blade, feeling the heat of it singing his eyebrows before it left glancing blows on his chest, shoulder and legs.

He was going to need a new outfit. One with gaping holes, exposing newly burnt skin, was hardly dignified.

But at least he still had all of his parts intact. He wasn't sure how long that would last.

Vader was realizing that his mobility was now severely limited with the use of only one leg.

But there was more than mobility in a duel between Force-users.

His hand flashed out and a rain of debris began falling onto Anakin.

Under his helmet, he smirked in triumph. Rocks fall, everybody dies.

Anakin hit the ground, covering his head and using the Force to protect himself from the biggest and sharpest bits.

He paused for a moment as the rubble settled, gathering his energy, the stood up with a roar and Force-tossed the entire mess back at Vader and stalked towards him, lightsaber out and ready, just waiting for an opening.

Vader fought from tipping over--how undignified would that have been, really--as the rain of debris hit him.

He was protected from the worst of it by the helmet, but his robes were now sliced down to show some of the very little flesh he still possessed. His respirator was making some very discouraging rasping sounds.

He leaned back into the giant pile of rubble and used it for leverage to face Anakin's incoming assault, slashing his lightsaber out at Anakin's right hand as Anakin returned the favor.

Anakin cried out in pain as Vader's lightsaber bit into his arm--he twisted at the last possible second to avoid losing the hand entirely--and pulled back on his assault.

"You can't defeat me without tapping into your rage," Vader wheezed, moving slowly towards Anakin. "It's why the Jedi were so easily defeated. You're the last of an extinct religion because you wouldn't do what must be done. Embrace the dark. Save your precious island."

His lightsaber flashed out towards Anakin's chest. "Or will you be too late yet again?"

The blood dripping into Anakin's eyes from a gash across his forehead was making it difficult to see.

He was tired, and hurt, and pissed off. It would be far too easy to reach into that little dark spot that was always there and just end this. After all, the Jedi in Jaina's day seem to be able to flit back and forth across the line separating light from dark.

The dark was powerful, and seductive, and always there.

But closing in on him was the living reminder of what he became when he made that choice.

"I'm a father, and a husband, and a Jedi," he gasped, taking Vader's lightsaber blade across his chest so he could get in close, "and I'm not giving that up again to become you."

His blade flashed across Vader's right hand, then he gave the Sith a telekinetic shove.

Vader's lightsaber--and the hand holding it--spun away as he flew across the room, landing with a crash against a wall.

He didn't get up.

Anakin used a few Force-assisted leaps to cross the distance between them, then placed his foot on Vader's respirator box and his lightsaber blade under Vader's helmet.

"It's over," he panted.

He never wanted a fight with himself to be so literal again.

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Tournament, Danger Shop, Day 2

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Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader

Re: For the Participants - Anakin Skywalker vs, Darth Vader