Closed.

[xl a c e lx]

While the fight raged on, the entrance to the bar would slip quietly open and in strode the tangerine-tinted young woman from the night before. Those flat ears had picked up the various grunting and crunching of the spar from the street.

Though, she would have entered regardless of the activity. In her wanderings that day, Mara had spotted a few neon signs proudly inviting patrons to the Lion's Den. She had not been pleased to see her idea stolen and utilized without her involvement.

Frowning grimly, the supple young girl passed directly through the bar area with little regard to any possible habitants. Her distressed denim and contrasting fluorescent attire had been traded for a worn, navy and grey flannel shirt, belted neatly under her chest, and slim black jeans. She still bobbed along to the subdued rhythm of those headphones. Her footsteps carried her to the observation level where she could lean against the low wall and watch the fight below. Mossy green eyes glittered with a dark satisfaction with each blow. She tapped one foot behind her, occasionally letting it rub against the back of the adjacent leg before it resumed bouncing, and trailed her tongue over her lips, moistening them.

Mara would not root for either party with howls and hollers like the common, vulgar hordes that usually crowded these establishments. She would only tilt her head and press her lips together faintly.

[Cataclysmic Redemption]

[Looks like Brian has a meal after the fight. XD]

[xl a c e lx]

[ Pffft, ******** that. D; ]

[Cataclysmic Redemption]

[Whatever.

You know you want to be a nice, yummy, meal, for Brian. x] <3]

[Jailbait KB]

They always reappear behind you.

That was Ken's rule-of-thumb for people vanishing. They always chose to appear behind you in order to try and get the jump on you. Like Sabretooth in Origins would say, you're predictable.

Without bothering to look behind him, Ken twisted to the right and lifted his right arm. Tucking it close to his chest as his torso twisted, he fed a tight elbow right into Brian's face. Hoping this would not the bone-clad figure back, he'd continue to turn, cementing his right foot to the floor and lifting his left to deliver a kick at Brian's right side. The top of his foot and ankle was aimed to slam into the rib area, his foot coming alight with an explosive blast of ki energy that would hopefully send his assailant flying.

It was then that one would notice a steam was beginning to envelope the soldier, an aura of golden light starting to silhouette his form in contrast to the darkly armored warrior. His hair, normally short and straight, though tangled with sweat and grime, would begin to take on a celestial hue brighter and more vibrant than its typical state.

[Cataclysmic Redemption]

A elbow would crash into Brian's face. It didn't hurt, but he caught Brian off guard, which would send him stumbling a bit. Then a kick was fired toward his side, powered by some kind of energy. Which would also come in contact with Brian. Which would indeed send him flying across the area. Probably crashing somewhere in the dirt, and sliding across it in a dramatic fashion. The explosion was the only thing that actually hurt. Brian didn't feel any of the force from Ken, only the energy he produced.

"Ugh..."

Something would happen though. When Ken hit Brian, of course his body reacted slightly. Producing spikes, and hopefully hurting Ken too. Spikes bursting from his face, and side. Hopefully penetrating his skin on both accounts.

[xl a c e lx]

Mara's expression would react, almost imperceptibly, as the apex of a limb was brought brutally into the other's face. She seemed to flinch, but also lean her body forward over the balcony with growing interest.

Below, the tall figure that had received the blow seemed to be growing appendages before her eyes. She squinted, then lifted a brow in intrigue as she realized the nature of the spikes. Well, that was something.

[Jailbait KB]

Ken's combat boots did some damage soaking, the plates at the bottom of his shin barring some damage. Still, it was like having nails pierce the skin. Not deeply enough to render the foot useless, but deeply enough that as his foot hit the dirt a shudder of pain ran up his spine. His knee twitched slightly, and a cursory glance to his elbow showed that the elbow pads had blocked him from losing the sensitive joint.

"Y'know, that porcupine s**t is really annoying." He said, watching Brian get up.

Then it happened, he lifted his arms and actually lifted off the ground in a moment of sheer power. From the waist up his blue jumpsuit tore apart, threads ripping away from one another and being consumed in the aura around him. It took only a second, the metal plates of his armor even being drawn apart like heated cheese before dissipating entirely. There was light emanating from his open mouth and from his eyes, the arena suddenly bathed with that heavenly glow.

Then he fell, his feet hitting the dirt and causing a ripple of dust and loose dirt to explode outwards. His skin took on a strange tint, his pupils and irises having given way to the whites of his eyes. There was a completely insane smile on his face, the smile of a man that had given himself over entirely to power. This power was his own, his birthright, something he had endured countless pains for. It was evident by the massive and varying scars across his exposed chest that he had indeed suffered greatly.

His suffering, his will to live, this was the source of his power. Unlike Brian whose gift had been given cheaply, Ken had worked day in and day out, sacrificed. One got what they paid for.

He pushed forwards then, an invisible spectre to those watching. His speed made him a blur when he could be seen, his form static and incomprehensible. There was a line of gouged earth where he'd moved, the arena torn apart by the sheer force of his assault. Brian's superior senses would register him as a man rocketing in to close the distance, coming in close to his left side and delivering a right fist up and under his arm, aiming for the ribs. Unlike the previous attacks that had radiated ki, he seemed now to only be covered completely in it. That was not his purpose though. His purpose was to ram his arm right through the monster and PUNCH HIM IN HALF.

As for the previous wounds? It almost seemed as though his skin was comprised of muscles, each of them flexing to keep the wounds shut. They weren't healed, but the bleeding would stop and evidence of them was hard to spot. In fact, the flexing muscles across his body gave him an almost stony appearance, like a golem made of flesh. His veins were thick and ropey across his body where they stood out, his entire form an emblem of unrelenting rage, and the seething power of hatred.

He was an animal, unbridled and raw.

[Cataclysmic Redemption]

It was apparent that Brian had given up all hope, and let Ken do what he pleased. There was nothing he could possibly do against this man. Ken out matched Brian by far, and it was showing. Then Ken came toward him, and launched a fist. Which hit directly where it aimed.

Crack!

The blow cracked his Carapace, and pieces of bone fell toward the ground. But it was healed almost instantly. Sealing the wound, and covering his flesh. Brian cringed just from the sound of the blow. It hurt and it stung. The Carapace was a part of him. A very big part.

Time for a counter attack. If Brian could even think about it. Soon it happend. Brian launched his fist toward Ken, and one giant of a spike would launch toward Ken. Mainly his chest, and throat. Maybe it would even puncture his throat, and hopefully kill him. If not Brian was in for another beat down. Probably worse then the past one.

[Jailbait KB]

KRRRLK!

There was an eruption of blood from his chest and throat as the dark spikes rammed themselves into his pale flesh, tearing it open. The dark liquid spurted from his neck where the spike had clipped him, a relative geyser of blood shooting forth in pulsing squirts. Luckily, the blow had only nicked the artery on one side and had managed to avoid hitting his trachea or esophagus.

The other spike was buried in his chest, sticking out clearly through his back. Blood poured both from the front and the back of the man, his lips going blue as shock tried to set in. If it was managing to in the strictest of medical senses, it didn't seem to be overtly hindering him. Sure, at this point Ken was logically dying... but... ******** that, he'd fistfight God when he was done with Brian.

"Hah... hah... hah!" He laughed and huffed simultaneously, his labored breathing gurgling through the bubbling blood on his lips. Each little laugh caused spittle and blood to fleck the monstrosity before him, each labored breath causing more of the blood pooling in his lungs to be brought up to the open air.

His right hand lifted, pieces of the bone armor stuck there falling to the floor. His left hand reached up and gripped Brian by the clavicle, forming a solid hold on the enemy. His right which had lifted went up past the arm that had impaled him, his fingers gluing themselves to the skull even as the thumb pressed into the flat expanse of bone where the eyes should have been. He pushed with enough force to shatter the armor, his body becoming cold as the negative energy drained him. He was flirting with death now, he could feel it.

"RAAAAAHHH!!!"

He sought to drive his thumb into Brian's eye socket, through his armor and into his skull. It was there that with one hand he would lift the head, the other holding the body down by the shoulder area. With a phenomenal show of strength, the bleeding, dying man attempted to lift Brian's skull and spine right out of his body, detaching the pieces from the rest of the bone armor to showcase them high in the air for the crowd to see.

******** death. I'll punch death in the face after I'm done with God.

[Cataclysmic Redemption]

Blood was shot out and on Brian. Then Ken was basically spraying blood on him, while talking/laughing. Anytime he opened his mouth more blood was poured out and probably launching toward him. Maybe ending up in his mouth. Hopefully it did indeed squirt in there. And it did. Tasting the sweet liquid, Brian went crazy for it. It tasted like pure ecstasy. Then Ken gripped his face, apparently Ken was trying to remove his head, and spine. Which would work, but then again... The Carapace connected Brian's body, and protected it.

So it wouldn't work. It would of if Brian wasn't protected by the Carapace. But he was. So Ken was basically tugging on a object that wouldn't move. Quickly reaching with both of his hands, Brian grabbed on the hole his spike created. With both hands, he began tugging on it. From both sides. Pulling outward, and hopefully removing his top half from his bottom. If his force wouldn't work, the spikes would. Sprouting from both hands and arms. Shooting directly through the small amount of flesh that was keeping Ken held together.

[xl a c e lx]

What a truly disgusting scene. What with the frothing of blood from gaping wounds, spraying into the air like a demented fountain, spikes tearing into flesh like the jaws of some hellish beast, eye jelly and bones crunching..

Mara was loving every second of it. She leaned so far over the wall one might have expected her to go tumbling into the arena. Her generally expressionless mouth was twisted into a sneer, those large eyes wider still and fixed on the deliciously gruesome horrors.

Maybe she wouldn't hold a grudge against the establishment, if it could provide fine entertainment like this.

[Jailbait KB]

A little bit of blood would find its way to Brian. Like, spoonfuls maybe. In any case...

Brian could rip into Ken's chest as much as he'd like. The hole was probably still full of spike, unless Brian made it recede. If he did, there would be much more blood pouring out on account of the spike keeping the veins and whatnot shut. There wasn't much Ken could do to avoid the black hands grasping at his skin and attempting to pry him apart, besides perhaps ignore them and lean closer. His gaze dared the armored man to try it.

In the meantime however, he was still going to pull that ******** head off. With the general rules of armor, mobility came at the cost of 'chinks' in the armor, or spots of less protection. If Brian had many plates of bone across his body for example acting like scales, he'd have full mobility but each of them would only by held together by whatever held them together. In this case that might be muscles or simply bones, though the precedent had been set that Ken's strength could overcome the fortitude of the bones themselves.

That being said, if the spine wasn't tearing free and coming up, the skull would be detaching itself from the spine. The brain stem would remain intact of course ( though exposed ) but the majority of the brain would be contained in the skull, which was of course the least protected area of the man. Logically, an exoskeleton covering the skull only added another layer of bone armor overtop of a very small amount of skin and flesh, before the actual skull itself.

Regardless, the fact remained that the carapace stemmed from the spine area, and the spine area was not particularly well attached to the head. By tearing the skull off of the spine, the wrapping tendrils of bone could only maintain their tentative grasp on the skull by the plates that were in the neck area. These would be the ones that would give way when he pulled on them, allowing him to remove the head.

[Cataclysmic Redemption]

Brian kept tearing at the flesh. Of course he pulled the spike from his chest, before entering it again. So even more blood would be pouring from his body. Probably causing a giant puddle below them. Ripping and tearing at the man's chest. Ken was still pulling on Brian's head. Which wasn't good, in the very least. What would Brian do? Pull some crazy a** s**t.

Brian's body would react once again. Wherever Ken had a grip on Brian, spikes would launch out. Rather big ones, not just small ones. Hopefully breaking his grasp and maybe even penetrating his skin once again. Which would cause more blood. Actually it would penetrate his skin, and probably make his hand stuck there. Which would be good, and bad. It was a lose/lose situation.

"Ramming speed!"

Brian shouted. Moving his feet forward. Hopefully making him and Ken move. Brian was acting like a linebacker. Pushing the heavy object across the field. If he did indeed move Ken, Brian would pick up his speed. Forcing Ken backward and probably into the nearest wall. If there was a wall, or cage like thing. Which would be a good thing. If they did indeed crash into a wall, Brian would create more spikes, and attempt to ram into the man.

[Schwarz Spiegel]

Lionel was in the kitchen.

The scent of singed meat product wafted throughout the Den.