Lucas shuffled out back to the stage, barely any time to prepare himself since his last fight. He choked down a whimper, certain he would not achieve a third streak of dumb luck as the darkness of the backstage area gave way to the lights of the arena.
His expression changed as the audience came into view. Like a buzzing swarm, rising in force as Lucas got closer and closer to the stage.
"LU-CAS! LU-CAS! LU-CAS! LU-CAS!"
They were chanting his name! His actual name! And they weren't even adding "sucks" at the end of it. Despite his trepidation, a small smile spread on Lucas' face. Being the underdog wasn't all bad sometimes. His smile disappeared as the fight had already begun, his opponent flying towards him.
From the stage opposite Lucas, Justin came sprinting, and when he approached his spot, he threw a wide-arced kick trailed by bright blue energy. He hunched down, throwing out a sweeping kick followed by the same energy - spinning in a complete circle as he rose to his feet with an uppercut. Then Justin threw out three punches, the last being a rhythm hammer. He dropped into stance, steam coming out of his arms as he looked at Lucas, then said:
”Well, aren’t you refreshing,” Justin started,
”My last opponents were an alien robot and a superhero.”Lucas was a flurry of airbrushed colour as he haphazardly threw himself to the floor, thinking Justin’s elaborate entrance was a precursor to his assault rather than merely playing to the amped up crowd. He shuffled awkwardly back to his feet, covered in dust - which didn't help the shabby appearance of his torn shirt from the last fight - thankful that, for the moment, he hadn’t been beaten to a pulp.
"M-my last opponents had a heart attack and a psychic space out, r-respectively." Lucas replied, shakily panting. He spared a glance at Justin's high tech augmentations. They didn't look particularly comfortable, for Justin or whomever they might strike.
"D-don't suppose those run on b-batteries?" He asked. Uneven tone making clear it wasn't meant as an insult or even really a joke. Lucas was scrambling internally for some kind of way to win this, not hopeful there'd be another deus ex machina to save him this time.
”... Smartass.” Justin replied with a roll of his eyes. He didn’t drop his stance or seem fazed by this kid.
”Well, your lucky streak ends today, pal. I’m not going easy on you.” ".... BEGIN!"
Justin threw a few jabs at the air (and only the air) as a spectacle as he said,
”Now then…” He started,
”... You going to give im’ a show?”Lucas, weakly, raised his fists in a "stance" of his own. Justin seemed more concerned with playing to the crowd so far, that was good, right? That was something he could use? He wasn't sure what Justin was thinking, Lucas barely even knew what
he was supposed to be thinking. His father was many things, fighting instructor was not among them.
"I'm, uh, gonna..." His eyes darted around. The fireball hadn't went down well against Izzy, most of his fundamentals were trained poorly, he couldn't even walk in a straight line sometimes without wobbling. Could he really "give them a show"? His eyes darted back towards Justin.
Then he ran.
Somehow, this caused another cheer from the crowd, as though all part of the grand strategy from an unorthodox competitor and not the fleeing of a kid scared out of his wits while trying not to get a ring out loss.
The more confident Nomad just bounced off his back foot and propelled himself forward directly at Lucas. However, Justin dropped down and slid across the stage, attempting to knock Lucas’ feet from under him.
Lucas, keenly-developed sense on when he was about to get messed up, felt the pressure in the air as Justin screamed towards him - proving that his cybernetics were indeed not just for show. He dared not look back at what was almost certainly a devastating strike and thus wasn't too sure if Justin was coming in high or low. So, naturally, his mile-a-second danger senses propelled him towards the only course of action he felt avaliable.
Stopping his momentum for a split second, Lucas threw himself off to the side. Thudding and rolling against the ground in a particularly painful landing, but one that still let his motion roll him tgro8gh back to his feet - albeit with a few knocks to the senses. He caught the briefest glance of Justin sliding low, having narrowly avoided shattering his shins or something equally painful.
Justin came to a sliding stop and quickly placed both hands on the ground - he used a blast of sound to put him on his feet. He firmly placed his feet down as he pointed a hand at Lucas and fired a blue ball of energy at Lucas.
Lucas watched the blazing blue ball surge towards him like a deer in headlights. His hands frantically raised, glowing with a blue of their own as he attempted to summon forth a Millergoken. It hadn't been much use against Isabella, but perhaps-
Lucas hands fizzled, failing to call forth much of anything on account of his fear and confusion. All he could do was cross his arms the second before the fireball collided into him with a blast - cloud of smoke swirling around where the boy had just stood. Lucas bounced painfully against the floor at the impact, arms singed and shirt moving from battered to completely ruined. He winced, wishing he didn't have the Miller Gene of being inexplicably resistant to getting knocked out. He looked up at the shadow of Justin, past the dissipating smoke cloud.
”C-C'mon man, c-can't we work s-s-somethin’ out” He pleaded to Justin, he hadn't even wanted to be here in the first place much less this far in.
Justin’s shadow walked through the smoke cloud casually as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his advanced cybernetics. He looked up at Lucas, then said,
”Then forfeit.” He calmly said.
”I don’t know how you got this far, but you’re not cut out for this Nomad stuff… it’s serious, bub.”"I-..." Lucas breathed hard.
"I can't!" He settled, unsurely.
"M-Miller's never quit!"His hand glowed as he awaited Justin getting closer and closer and closer. When he felt comfortable within range, the terrified kid shot to his feet with a blast of light from his hands. Hoping to blind and disorient, assuming this dude didn't have scanners or something hidden away...
FLASHMAN'S SIGHT STOPPER!
The flash of light blinded Justin… and for a second he could see a horrible image; a brief flash of Abel in a black sling mankini - still wearing his helmet of course - and blood came out of his eyes. He loudly yelped as he covered his eyes.
Lucas' eyes also closed, shouting a decidedly less intimidating "Ahhhhh!" As he charged forward with his arms raised, blinded tightly out of sheer panic. Hoping he was, at the very least, running in the right direction. An onslaught of his - singularly unimpressive - Millergokens flew from his hands and collided into Justin.
WHOLE LOTTA NOTHIN’!
By the time that horrible psychic damage of an attack resided, Lucas was already in Justin’s face, and he didn’t have any time to react before he was launched backwards and crashed into the wall… when the smoke cleared, Justin was on his back in the rubble.
”.... AAAAAAAAAAAND JUSTIN HAGGAR FALTERS BEFORE THE SLEEPING TIIIGER!!”
The announcer shouted.
Lucas’ runaway train-like momentum halted as his eyes fluttered back open. Surrounded by smoke and debris. He gave an unsure glance at his hands, surprised by the destruction he'd wrought.
”Uh.., d-did I win?” He stuttered, uncertainly.
The announcer lady looked between Justin in the rubble, and Lucas. Before sarcastically saying,
“... Yes, really! He won!”
Instead of the stunned disbelief that accompanied his previous two wins, the crowd were already on their feet. As if having never doubted the destructive force of their conquering hero.
"LU-CAS! LU-CAS! LU-CAS! LU-CAS!"
With the slightest smidge of additional confidence, Lucas held his hands up to his (almost certainly ironic) fanbase. His smile didn't quite reach his terrified eyes however and his hasty exit made it clear he anticipated Justin to rise up and beat the shit out of him at any moment.
