NFC Wildcard Opening Round Match; "Wendigo" Wendy Hathale Vs JJ Watson
"BEGIN!"
Wendy's eyes narrowed, and she cracked her knuckles in anticipation, sighing.
"Alright, we're both clearly freaks of nature. How do you wanna do this?"
JJ's smile widens, and he leans down, leering at her.
"You think we can just tear each other apart without issue, don't you?" He chuckles and licks his lips. "You haven't realised yet that this isn't YOUR home, little one." He looks to what I can only assume is an invisible camera only JJ can see and flashes a far too perfect grin, mechanical in its nature. "The poor girl is so clueless, folks! But don't you worry, JJ can remedy that stupidity!"
He laughs, shaking his head and slapping his forehead, repeatedly shouting "STUPID!" as his laughter grows more guttural, more manic. He drops to a knee and howls with glee.
"My goodness, my first true contest in a LONG time and it's against a little girl who reminds me SO much of my dear audience back home. It's almost ironic, I can't get away from them how hard I try! I may as well say "HONEY, I'M HOME! DID YA GET ME ANOTHER FAILURE?"
He laughs harder, getting off his feet to lunge at Wendy and pin her down, still laughing as his drool coats her head and mask. I felt sick watching it.
Wendy, to her credit, was unperturbed.
"Man, you ever been told how much of a fuckin' creep you are? You reek of chemicals, look like a dollar store horror mannequin reject and talk in such a creepy way that even the local pervert wouldn't touch you. But most of all…" She pushes him off with great force and sends the laughing, drooling JJ smacking the canvas before he rights himself to stare at her. In that time, she darts forward and in an instant is across the side of the pit, clutching an ear in her hand and throwing it to the ground as JJ continues howling with laughter, white fluid and pus trickling out of his ear.
"You're fucking disgusting, JJ." She quips, turning back around and extending her fingers. I'm staggered, but I proceed with enthusiasm.
"This truly is a blink and you'll miss it bout, fight fans! Wendy Hathale clears half the pit in a split second and takes JJ's ear with her! Curious that she doesn't go to taste it though…"
"Not at all, if you consider that JJ isn't human." Nelle replied, searching the contents page of her book for a particular entry, flicking through the pages until she stopped under "I". A detailed diagram of a spectral shape that shifts at will to scare townspeople laid bare for me to see. "He's an Ikaggen, a very special kind of trickster god that can shapeshifter into many things to enact his cruelty. But his most common appearance…" She trails off as JJ splayed out on all fours and began twitching while he laughed.
His back hunched up and snapped, stretching out to form the long neck and thorax, a bulky abdomen housing an extra pair of spindly legs with gnarled hooks across the length of them. The front hands reaching up and bending forwards to form the raptorial saw-like weaponry as his skin darkens and the carapace shimmers under the lights, piercing silver antenna split out of his head as the hair recedes and gives way to grotesque bulging eyes. The jaw crunching, splitting and gnashing as mandibles rapidly replace the perfect teeth. He gurgles as his laughter gives way to hisses and growls.
"You are not in The Hotel just as I am not Beneath The Static, we are both vulnerable to the unyielding jaws of death. I am not willing to risk such a thing in front of a live audience, young one. I will tear you to pieces and show the world what lies beneath the static."
He lunges forward and takes a swipe at her with his hooked claws, slicing the inside of her thigh as she darts back and ripping the skin, flecks of black blood coating the hooks as he chuckles, his body remaining still.
Wendy landed as her leg gave out, looking at it expectantly, hoping it would fix itself. Instead, the blood continued to trail around her until she ripped away the torn fabric and wrapped it around her.
If she was scared, she damn sure didn't show it.
"Well, I guess you're truthful about something, JJ." She said, breathing a little heavy from the blood-loss, steadying herself as she rose to her feet. "Y'know, we get cable in the Hotel Inertia, I'm aware of who you are and what you do… pickin' on teenagers for your own amusement. You really THAT much of an attention whore that you can't stay away? They'll grow up and come back stronger, you know. When you pick on someone your own size, you're always gonna lose."
JJ didn't respond, swaying ever so slightly like a brittle leaf caught in a mild breeze. He was waiting to strike. Wendy pulled off her sweater and threw it aside, showing a thin stomach that almost caved in, binding wrapping her chest and ribcages, old wounds and scars littering her body.
"This is the result of countless fights, feedings and gruelling fights. Some at home with my "adopted family", others with The Order of the 13th floor alongside my friends, the ones this fuckin' tournament ripped me away from at our crisis moment. You think YOU scare me? You think the idea of being torn up and actually dying scares me?" She laughs, it's hollow and bitter, like she's remembering the bright side of a vicious beating is the unconscious state she'll fall into when the pain gets too much.
"You have NO fuckin' idea. I'd be so happy to go to sleep and never wake up, to have that ceaseless hunger stop for just one day. Do you know what that kind of hunger does to someone? It makes an ordinary person angry on the first day, delirious on the second and manic by the third. Now take what I am and multiply that number by thousands."
Wendy takes off her mask and shows the gritted teeth biting on her lower lip so much that she's torn through the flesh, blood coating her chin as the teeth grow more spiked and the jaw grows larger, her eyes blackening and skin greying. She grows taller and the features of a once beautiful woman give way to a horrifying creature known for its insatiable lust for flesh.
Crouching down like a sprinter at the starting line, she stares down her opponent like a piece of meat.
"So just imagine what that's gonna do to you now I've let loose, JJ."
I can't believe my eyes. In that moment, the reality of the situation hit me like a freight train and I feel the innate fear of being a small fish in an ocean filled with sharks. I can't let my composure falter, not with Alduin's gaze bearing down on me. I take a long drink of water and tumble headfirst into my adrenaline.
"AMAZING! Wendigo Wendy living up to her name as she assumes a more terrifying form! This fight looks to be heading to its climax folks, expect blood and guts galore!"
I was right. Within 20 seconds, it was over.
Wendy leaves great dents in the canvas as she tears forward, JJ swipes at her in the instant she comes into his range, his front forearm hooking into her flesh and pulling her in. She pushes forward, the skin tearing with the force of her movement and an ungodly shriek emitting from her as she bites into the offending arm and pulls up with her jaws, tearing it free while her right hand slices into JJ's eye, the nails going straight through the soft flesh and pulling at the socket until it's wrenched completely free.
She casts it aside and lets the wailing JJ Watson stumble away, leaking that same fluid addled with a horrid chemical stench.
Losing strength, he begins forming back into himself; the eye closing up and his suit tattered as he gripped the stump. Wendy watches him for a moment, bits of JJ's mantis-arm still in between her teeth that she spits out as she stares him down. He's breathing heavily as she walks closer, every step impactful.
"Well, folks… It seems I underestimated this young woman's ability to let go. I thought she'd be like my hardcore audience and just cave under the pressure of mortality…" He looks up, that perfect skin cracking around the edges. "But I'll tell you something, this will make for great publicity!"
She kicks him square in the gut and he's sent into the air with a wheeze. As he falls down, she catches the back of his neck in her jaws with a sickening crunch, his body twitching in the air as he gasps.
"Looks like… my time at the NFC… is up. But, Wendigo Wendy… I made you see what you fear. What lies Beneath The Static… Death itself."
He snaps his fingers and the lights go out across the venue, obscuring us for a moment. When they turn on, Wendy is kneeling on the ground in her normal form, exhausted and her mask firmly back on.
"A stunning turn of events! Right as Wendigo Wendy had JJ in her jaws. He pulls a fast one and escapes out of the back door! But, I think we can all agree that while Wendy had some scrapes, it's absolutely her fight to win!"
I look to Alduin who is seething with rage, but concedes the fight is over and awards Wendy the victory.
"Wendy Hathale advances, we will announce the remaining participants at the end of the interval, but each has been told of their inclusion already. The tournament will recommence in 3 hours. Rest up, you'll fuckin' need it!"
-
Alduin storms off to the back, leaving Wendy still struggling to get up as the crowd disperses. I debate going down there to help, but a surprising hand is offered to help her up.
Eustace De Kolta holds out a red-gloved hand, his curled smile betraying his keen and curious eyes.
The guy gave off the sort of vibe one would expect from an old creepy man on public transport.
"You had quite the ordeal, Miss Hathale. I knew you had something special in you, I just wasn't aware of how unique you truly are…" His voice was like silk, every syllable softly declared and hanging in the air, Wendy looked up before slapping his hand away, struggling to her feet.
"I know what you are and what you do, De Kolta. A single handshake from you and I could end up in that nightmare fuel Pokemon satchel you keep with you. No thanks." She walks towards him and despite being a solid foot shorter, gets in his face and stares up at him. "You come near me, I'll pull a disappearing act of my own on your jugular. Understand?" He shows his teeth as he grins and backs away, bowing deeply.
"I look forward to seeing your future matches and I do hope you succeed. It would be most fortuitous if we were to meet in the pit. I think you'd play well with my menagerie." He stands and watches her as she leaves, an open door leading into the main lobby of the arena now available. Before I can process everything, his gaze locks onto me and I see something I never expected.
The smile immediately dips into a low, sinister grimace.
He looks at me with a hunger and a hatred I have never seen before."Hey, Sal." A voice calls behind me. I turn to see Nora in an orange and white hoodie, the hood turned up and a warm smile beaming at me, immediately disarming my sense of anxiety. When I turn back, Eustace is gone.
"Oh, hi! Nora Zayne, you were fantastic in your bout! I knew Pencak Silat was deadly but man… who'd of thought it'd be used so well against monsters, huh?" I stood up and felt my knees buckle, the adrenaline wearing off and hunger overtaking me. Before I even hit the floor, Nora caught me.
"Easy big guy, I gotcha. Let's get you some food and talk, kay? You coming along, Nelle?" Her informal nature was so unexpected from a woman I'd just seen decimate something Asia fears across the continent, but I felt myself just naturally going with it. Nelle looked and immediately busied herself with the compendium.
"Oh! Uhh.. no, no. I have far too much work to do, research for the wildcard entrants and whatnot. Oh and there's that uh.. that thing I have to attend to. Gotta speak to Alduin too about something… I'll catch you in a couple hours to go over notes, kay Sal?" She looked awkward and hurried herself past us as Nora stared incredulously.
"Huh… well, that was a bit odd. But no matter, let's go get some grub. I'm sure you have questions, right?" I just nodded as she took me by the arm and kept me steady as we barrelled past the denizens of the audience still debating "who would win" scenarios, old champions and other nightmarish spectres. The upper ring was sprawling and hard to navigate, I had no idea how Nora was so familiar with it. As we descended to the middle floor where the vendors and entertainment was situated, we passed a bar serving strange drinks with a multitude of bottles, a beautiful Bernese mountain dog barking at the window, his big fluffy face licking at the glass until a man pulled him away.
"He's cute, can we stop there?" I asked. "Feelin' kinda thirsty… maybe they have an adrenaline drink?" She looked back, a tad confused, but didn't stop as we made a beeline for the fighters only cafeteria.
"What bar?" She asked. I looked again, but in its place stood a donut stand, a surly older man dishing them out by the dozen with a multitude of sprinkles. My mouth agape, she chuckles. "Hey since you'r so eager, I'll make you a deal; I make it through the semis, you can buy me a drink." She winked, and I felt my stomach knot up.
Couldn't tell you if it was the hunger or butterflies, but motormouth was very much silent for a little bit.
"You're wondering why I'm taking an interest in you, right?" She called over the booming sound of the crowd and pumping metal music, I nodded. "You showed a support in me when you called my fight and when I had to defend you... Well, I looked up and thought you were cute. Got a thing for the nerdy ones."
"But that's not all, is there?" I asked, my head pounding as I did so. Maybe it was the music? She looked back and flashed a cheeky grin.
"Nope, but that's a story for another day. We gotta eat and you've got more interesting questions for all of us." She laughed as we watched a fighter far too drunk for his own good challenging a still-eating Miroslav Zanaya to a fight.
One side punch later, the guy was on his ass and vomiting.
"All of us? What do you mean?"
"The fighters! You've gotta meet and interview 'em ahead of the semifinals and wildcard, don't ya?" I shrugged, and she laughed again. "Man, you really are clueless, Nelle wasn't kidding. You're doing part of her job, too. I'm doing you a favour by bringing you with me."
We passed a betting table showing the odds for the semifinals and wildcard, Eustace and Wendy respectively being the odds on favourites to win. Nora and Landry Eavy being the biggest underdogs.
Whatever was lurking in the booth and taking slips from paying customers, it had tendrils and shimmering red eyes. I didn't dare stare too long as we passed it.
Down one more flight of stairs and we were in the employee section housing the nightmares, fighters and various services like medical stations, prep rooms and the like. One long hallway to our left was all that stood between us and some glorious smelling food. As we got halfway down, however, Nora pushed me to the wall and put a hand over my mouth, her slightly taller frame covering me as someone walked past.
I looked to her and was about to protest, but the look on her face screamed danger. Her brow was furrowed. The calm and kind demeanour she'd showed was replaced with an instinct to protect.
As I followed her gaze, I saw why.
It was like watching a great black swarm that undulated into the visage of a human man with long horns. A cloak of hungry, vivacious locusts that jostled and crawled for position. The sound rippled through my ears, my eardrums threatening to burst and my skull screaming for breath as it neared.
When the locusts parted, a skull with an elongated back that stretched out horizontally peered down at Nora, the arms on the back of the thick spine pulling at a sheathed sword on its torso. The smell of rot was so powerful that I felt my vision blur.
"You realise that by coming back here, you've sealed your fate and thus our deal must be concluded." It spoke in a thousand voices at once, the boom of so many souls screaming for relief and joy and ecstasy. A bead of sweat ran down Nora's forehead as she tried to find the words.
"I'm aware of our arrangement and what it means to return. But I ask that you wait until my time in the tournament has concluded." The locusts hissed, and the cloak revealed more of this abomination; the shimmering black armour clad in gold, the powerful arms on the shoulder blades, the hoofed feet and a worn down, blackened and cracked NFC Belt.
It turned its head to me and I felt the looming shadow of death put its hands around my throat in a way I can only describe as seeing an oncoming car and veering out of harm's way, but amplified 100 fold. A sensation that your life could end with one false move.
This creature was half a meter away from me and we both know it could crush me in an instant. Fear doesn't begin to describe how I felt in that moment. He spoke again, silencing her.
"I will decide when such a contest must be undertaken. Be it now, during your next bout or when you are nearing death at the hands of Alduin IF you somehow survive your next two bouts… I will add you to the chorus where you shall remain." The locusts covered him again, and he walked away, humming. "You should have stayed forgotten, it would have been better for all."
As he walked away and into the darkness, both I and Nora collapsed against the wall in a heap. It took a good couple of minutes to regain thought, and I'm man enough to admit I was shaking.
"What… what the hell was that?" I breathed. Nora wiped the sweat from her head and stood up, clenching her fist.
"That was someone I made a deal with when I was last here. He offered me a fight I was not supposed to refuse. The penalty for leaving meant he could challenge me anytime, anywhere, and under his rules. If he beats me… well, you've seen what happens." She walks with me expediently to the end of the hallway where the other fighters are waiting. Suddenly, all the terrifying and skilled talent we've seen in the tournament ebbs away, just for a moment. She continues, the noise and ruckus of the semifinalists drowned out by the mixture of fear and anger in her voice.
"Where Alduin rules the openweight division and anyone can compete, making her the queen of the NFC... He rules the nightmare division with an iron fist. Only the most terrifying of creatures compete for that prize and the promise of something... more."
She swallowed and turned to me, genuine terror in her eyes.
"That was Abaddon. The NFC's Abyss Champion. And he's coming for me."