Cassandra sat reading a magazine in the infirmary while the doctors tested Julian. Something about Dark Matinee, where the two leads actually hooked up for real. Both were in relationships though, so that was a shame. She'd have to consult Roxanne on these developments later. The two doctors walked out the door to his room, and Cassandra immediately slammed the magazine on the table.
"How's he doing?" she asked, getting to eye level with the scrawny doctor.
"Well, we've ran some tests, but his opponent's abilities don't seem to be showing any physical effects on him."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning it's more of an illusion he's placed on him. If it hasn't healed at least a little in eighteen hours, call us back."
They left to their next patient, probably the guy with the stabbed eye, and let her in with no issue. Julian was laying in bed, looking at a magazine.
"Your eye's working?" Cassandra asked.
"Nah, the magazine just sounds really interesting." Julian replied, rapidly flapping the pages randomly, then trying to recreate some kind of techno beat with them. It wasn't working. Cassandra held his head and turned it upwards, meeting his eye. As the doctor said, no visible signs of damage.
"So you can't see anything?"
"Well, it's not painful anymore." Julian asked. "Roxanne was the same. Sharp pain, the effects lingered for a bit, then she was good. Lights still coming in, it's just blurry, like a microphone zoomed in a billion times."
"Yeah, I get it." Cassandra nodded as if she ever used a microscope. "What about the glass eye."
"Told them where I got it, and they don't trust it. Won't let me put it in while I'm stuck here. Anyway, you win?"
"Oh, I made Luca my bitch, don't worry about that."
"Oh thank gods." Julian sighed as he flopped back onto his bed. "So who won between the other two?"
"Don't know, actually." Cassandra answered as she turned on the TV. Fiorella and Capri were both about to step into the arena.
"Sorry for the delay, folks!" The announcer yelled out trying to mask his exasperation. "We had to wipe some… gunk… off the floors. But anyway! Fight three! Fiorella vs Capri! Who's winning this one?"
The opponents bowed towards each other, each summoning their weapon of choice. They ran towards each other and clashed their weapons together, before jumping back to assess their opponents. Both silently cursed having not used their full strength, trying to test their opponent with something weaker. Both ran once again. Fiorella dematerialised her axe on the impact, while Capri shrunk her hammer. Again, both cursed not using a heavy hitter when they had the chance.
"Miss Capri, I'd like to propose something, seeing as we're not getting anywhere." Fiorella asked. Axe gone, hands in the air. If Capri wanted to attack, the opportunity just perfectly presented itself.
"I have a great deal of respect for you." Fiorella continued. "Jovial tone, unique fighting style, the way you lead your group of bizarre individuals. So I'd like it if we were to cut the antics, and just fight straightforwardly, I think we'd make a far better performance."
Capri closed her eyes, and began snapping her fingers randomly, before pointing both hands on Fiorella as she opened them.
"Sounds good." She nodded. She grew her hammer until it was twice her size, and Fiorella clashed her axe against it. It was easy for Capri to overpower her, so Fiorella ducked under it and made a beeline straight towards her, summoning her axe. Capri sprang over the axe, standing on it's edge for a brief second, flashing a quick smile before throwing a shrunken hammer directly at Fiorella's nose, which quickly expanded and threw her off balance. Capri punched her in the stomach, caught her hammer in mid-air, and slammed it down on Fiorella's head. Fiorella traded her calm expression for one of severe pain, flopping down on the ground. She wheezed something incoherent, before falling onto the ground.
"And Capri wins!"
Capri pointed towards the audience, before cartwheeling out of the arena. She flipped and perfectly landed on her feet in front of Adebayo.
"Good luck out there, big guy."
Adebayo nodded, responding with a fist bump as Capri sauntered out of the arena.
"Next up, the princess against the tower of Inariu. Willow vs Adebayo! Begin!"
Willow started by spinning her spear, while Adebayo nodded in approval towards her technique. He loudly clapped his hands, and began silently rubbing them together. Willow ran towards him, stopping just in front. One spin of her spear, and she thrust it upwards just before Adebayo could do anything. He grabbed the open spear, picking it up, which allowed Willow to kick him in the face. His only response was to punch her with a charged fist, which shocked her and forced her to drop the spear. She was flung to the edge of the arena. Willow stood as the shockwaves trickled through her skin, standing defiant as Adebayo approached her. He moved his hand for a swipe, only for sensation to return to Willow's arms as the impact was about to be made. She clung to his hand, wrapping around it and refusing to let go. Adebayo fell to his knees and dragged his hands through the clay of the arena. The second he lifted his arm, Willow leapt off it, landing a kick to his face before he could get up. She tried forcing a foot on his head to keep him down, but he quickly burst to his feet, knocking Willow down, picking her up, and throwing her once again to the edge of the arena.
Willow landed awkwardly on her left foot, scrambling to inch her way out of bounds. She succeeded, dashing back towards her spear, which she managed to outrun Adebayo in obtaining. Adebayo rubbed his hands together as he ran towards Willow, who started running towards him. If his hands are stuck together, his balance would be off if someone, perhaps someone incredible and sexy and single in front of many great people, were to knock him over, she'd be almost guaranteed an advantage. So as Adebayo was about to thrust his palm forward, she slid on her knees underneath, spinning her spear so the end hit him in the legs, causing him to stumble over. Willow leapt up, kicking him in the back, forcing him to flop onto the arena, a flash briefly hitting the clay and getting absorbed just as quick. Willow quickly stood over his back, planting the blunt end of her spear into his back.
"So, mister Adebayo. You yield?"
Adebayo tried getting up a couple of times, falling to the floor with each attempt. After a few seconds, he just gave a thumbs up.
"And Willow wins!"