Tell me... do you bleed? (Kellar v Darkthorne #1)

[人間ダイナマイト Jon Kellar]

"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it." 
- Moliere

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Sean: I still don't think this is a good idea...

Kellar: You never do.

Sean backs off as Kellar goes for a knee into his kickpads, then turns and delivers and outside middle kick. 

Sean: You're tearing up the MMA world, why go back to wres...aargh!

Kellar looks for a roundhouse kick, which Sean narrowly avoids... by gracefully turning and falling onto his arse.

Kellar: What are you doing? You're supposed to block!

Sean tears away the velcro and throws the kickpads to one side, exiting the ring.

Sean: Because your stupidity is making it somewhat hard for me to concentrate on the damn sequence and I read somewhere that getting kicked in the head is bad for your health.

As Sean grabs a water bottle from a nearby bench and takes a drink, Kellar walks over to the ropes and leans outwards towards him.

Kellar: Sean... what is your problem with this? Did you see the number of zeros at the end of that cheque Peterson offered me? One match Sean, all those zeros.

Sean: This isn't about the money Jon, don't lie to me.

Kellar turns his back and starts stretching his neck and rolling his shoulders, loosening up.

Kellar: Part of it is...

Sean: You'd make better money from three 5 minute rounds in the Budokan than twenty minutes in the ring for NJFC...

Kellar turns back towards his coach and sarcastically bows his head and extends his arms outwards.

Kellar: So why I am I doing it all knowing Sean... do enlighten me...

Sean: I don't know... do you miss the four sided ring?

Kellar shrugs.

Kellar: That's part of it...

Sean: Okay, so what's the rest?

Kellar: Hey Roberta...

Over in the corner, a tall redhead with a fierce, focused expression and black MMA combat gear looks up from punching the heavy bag. She takes a swig of water as she stares across at Kellar

Kellar: My human kickpad's letting me down, you want to spar for a bit?

Sean: Stop avoiding the question...

Roberta spits in a nearby bucket, then makes her way over to the ring. She speaks with a thick East London accent.

Roberta: Sure... I'll put you on your arse Kellar...

Kellar: Promises promises...

Sean: Roberta, don't enable him...

Roberta: Sean, don't get in my way... I owe him a beating...

Sean steps aside, lowering the second rope as he does so and allowing Roberta to enter the ring. Kellar, meanwhile, straps on his sparring helmet and throws another to Roberta.

Kellar: Okay, Darkthorne is a kick boxer so if you could focus on...

Kellar is cut off by Roberta's fist clattering headlong into his face, he staggers back into the corner, then staggers back out licking the inside of his mouth.

Kellar: Um... OW!

Roberta: Here's how it works Kellar, I hit you, you try and block and dodge me. If you succeed, you win, if you don't, I get to hurt you.

She throws another punch which Kellar sidesteps, throwing a right hook of his own, then following up with a middle kick that Roberta manages to shift away from.

Kellar: Okay... but I get to hit back...

Roberta: Wouldn't have it any other way...

Sean: I'm not dropping this Jon... what is your obsession with being challenged.

A left jab catches Kellar just above his eye.

Kellar: Can we not do this now?

Sean: I think now's the perfect time.

Two more jabs follow which Kellar is able to slip. He lands two quick lefts and a right hook to send Roberta away.

Kellar: Look Sean, I'm approaching 40 and there's a lot of up and comers out there looking to make their mark. Peterson offered me Darkthorne, I like his work, I want to take him on. It really is that simple.

Sean: You couldn't fancy taking on someone who weighs less than a small car...

Kellar slips a roundhouse kick and gets Roberta in a rear waist lock before peeling away into the corner.

Kellar: When did you get so negative Sean?

Kellar takes another jab, and another, Roberta has him pinned in the corner.

Roberta: I think your minder don't want you to get hurt, pretty boy...

Kellar shrugs his shoulders and nails Roberta with three jabs to the head, then sweeps her legs out from underneath her. She launches at him in a rage and takes Kellar to the ground, slamming her fists into his head. Kellar quickly rolls his hips and follows up with hammer fists as Sean rolls into the ring and pulls the two of them apart.

Sean: ENOUGH!!!

Sean pulls Kellar away as Roberta screeches and rushes at Kellar. The latter raises his fist for a superman punch, but Sean gets between the two of them.

Sean: You're done, Roberta... either go do some cardio or hit the showers, I don't care which...

Roberta smiles and holds out her hand, which Kellar accepts.

Roberta: Good session pretty boy, we'll make a real fighter of you yet...

Kellar: Thanks Roberta...

Roberta steps out of the ring and makes her way over to the cardio area, where another member of the team waits for her.

Sean: You know, when you said you wanted to assemble the best trainers in the world to help you become an MMA competitor, there were about three candidates better qualified than her to be a sparring coach, and I'm pretty sure that all of them didn't have an intense desire to cave your head in.

Kellar: So you remind me after every spar session...

Kellar shrugs, Sean shakes his head.

Sean: Psychiatrists could write volumes about what goes on in your head...

Kellar: Sean, I signed up for Collision Course because I wanted to face John Pariah... I've agreed to this match because I want to fight Eric Darkthorne. Is that really so surprising to you?

Sean: No... I just don't understand why. You're making good money from MMA.

Kellar: But I'm not signed to any particular federation, I'm just an attraction. Nobody's going to let me be the face of their company, but they like they way I fight and I bring in the numbers. People like to see me fight.

Sean: Which explains why NJFC are interested in you, but what do you get out of this? I mean before Tag Team Tropolis you at least had Darkthorne's unbeaten streak to go for, but now there's not even that.

Kellar: Exactly... so what's he's really made of?

Sean: Come again?

Kellar: Momentum's a wonderful thing Sean, it bring with it confidence and intimidation, but what happens when that momentum stops? What happens when a 300lbs monster realises he's not unstoppable. What happens, when a Hellgod bleeds?

Sean: I don't know...

Kellar: Exactly... and that's what Peterson wants to find out. He wants to know if he's the real deal, and he knows what I can do in that ring. He wants to test Darkthorne against me and see what comes out the other side.

Sean: Okay, right now, I see everything that Peterson stands to gain from this, I see absolutely nothing you gain from going up against Darkthorne.

Kellar: Same reason I have a violent borderline psychotic East End bare knuckle brawling champion as my sparring coach...

Kellar smiles.

Kellar: I like a challenge...