Scramble under the ring
Pierre was waiting for a train that would take him to school. He spent a bit too long last night talking with Hana-chan, so he was trying to force his only partially awoken mind to come up with an alternative stuff for the kids to do while he has a nap.
-"Cardio is always important… So maybe I'll just tell them to run laps till the bell…"
His French mumbling was interrupted by his ringtone. Slowly, he raised the screen to his eyes. The sight of the Caller ID instantly woke him up.
-"Ippon here. What's going on?"
-"We've received reports of a masked man assaulting people in a boxing gym near your location. He seems to be using a quirk, and you're the closest hero we have, so we'd like you to go there right away. We'll send backup, but it will take some time for them to arrive."
-"Understood, I'm on my way."
Ippon quickly sent a message to Anzu, that he'll be late, put his phone back into his belt holster and broke into a run in the direction of the gym.
-"COME THE FUCK ON, YA BUNCH OF SISSIES! YA SAY YOUSELF FIGHTERS THEN FIGHT!"
A mountain of a man with a luchador mask on his face and a bottle of Corona in his left hand was swinging around a heavy bag with his right, pointing it at terrified people cowering in the corners of the room and behind the ring.
He stepped over one of the unconscious men lying around him on the floor. As he moved, his muscles bulged like coiled ropes. A stench of cheap beer and even cheaper perfume shrouded him as he walked towards a girl with a ponytail and pink boxing gloves that was trying to melt into a wall. He rested the bag on the floor and leaned on it.
-"I come here have a fun brawl but seems THERE NO REAL MAN HERE JUST PUSSIES, so I have fun another road. How bout it? Ya miss real man too, don't ya?"
His Japanese was atrocious. Before he could deafen people permanently with his accent swinging all over the place, the doors to the gym opened and another man entered. His hair was blond, and he was just a bit shorter and less muscular than the man causing trouble, somewhere in the middle between him and the second-biggest person in the room before his entrance. He took off his leather jacket and hung it neatly on a chair near the entrance.
-"O HO HO, WE HAVE NEW CONTENDER! YA LATE TO CLASS! BUT YA SEEM BIGGER THAN THIS SOFTLINGS! LESS SEE WHAT YA MADE OF!"
The man who entered responded calmly as he pulled out a gi jacket from a small bag and started to put it on.
-"I'm called Ippon. I'd like you to cease with the commotion. This is not an age for dojo storming."
His Japanese carried a hint of a French accent. It wasn't on a native level, but was still leagues above the man in front of him.
-"YA JUDO MAN? COME HERE TO WIDE YOUR SKILL? GOOD! YA'LL NEED IT"
-"I see that we won't come to an agreement…"
Ippon tied a black belt around his hips, took a couple steps forward and bowed.
The larger man just smirked and swung the beer bottle from 12 to 6 aiming to smash it on Ippon's head.
The judo master however was prepared. Without even straightening up, he spun around, grabbed his opponent by the wrist and triceps and fell to his knees, executing a perfect drop seoi nage.
The mountain of a man was sent crushing down, but to everyone's surprise, instead of hitting the ground with a loud bang, he fell on the hardwood floor as softly as if it was a mattress. He quickly rolled to his feet. The two men started to circle one another.
"-HA! PRETTY GOOD! But ya gonna try harder. 'Ippon' ya said? I learn that. Ya learn 'Mauler'."
Ippon responded with a simple nod.
For a moment they continued to measure each other, slowly walking in their poses. Then Mauler exploded forward. His variation on Spear was among those that most closely resembled a traditional double leg takedown.
But once again, Ippon faster. In the last moment, he sidestepped and performed an Olympic-gold-worthy uchimata. The speed at which Mauler was moving forward was such that this time he didn't even fall down. Just spun upside down and hit the large glass pane that acted as the gyms front wall.
Once again, everyone stared in shock as the glass didn't even vibrate from the impact. Mauler quickly got back up. He made a few quick circles with his right shoulder.
-"Still not enough, blondie! Show me something more."
He threw a large overhand punch. Ippon weaved out of the way at the last second, his hair shook violently from the force of the blow that missed him by mere centimetres. The onslaught continued for a moment. Sweat gathered on the foreheads of both men.
-"Ha! I wonder how long ya can keep it up!"
-"At least long enough for the backup to arrive."
-"Backup? Come on, blondie! Why ruin fun?!"
It seems that Mauler wasn't happy about the news, as he changed his tactic to push the pace. The last punch was a feint, and instead of trying to knock the head off his opponent, he went to clinch. Ippon responded with the same move, and now they stood in a symmetric single collar tie, trying to feel each other out. They were probing for an opening, but neither found any.
Mauler broke the impasse and tried to go for a double collar. Once again, Ippon was a step ahead. He quickly dropped down and pulled the enemy on himself. One tomoe nage later, Mauler was lying on the floor. This time, however, Ippon rolled with him, landing on top and quickly locking in kata gatame.
Both men struggled, one to escape the hold, one to try and keep it. Their faces turned red with exhaustion. The pressure building up was immense. It seemed as if it could form a diamond if someone put a lump of coal between them. With the force that kept escalating and the man on the bottom being so large that Ippon was barely able to lock his hands around him, Ippon was unable to get the position tight enough for the choke to work. Still, he did seem to hold the position for now. He only needed to keep it till the backup arrives.
And that moment of overconfidence was nearly his doom. With a mighty heave, Mauler sent him flying. In the very last moment, Ippon managed to get a hold of the hand that was pushing him, and seemed to spin in the air. Somehow now it was Ippon who landed on his feet and Mauler was the one who hit a wall.
-"That was close…"
Mauler once again was unaffected by the impact and scrambled to his feet.
-"Ha! I like ya, blondie! Finally, someone strong in this country!"
Both men were breathing heavily. Sweat pooled at their feet. Ippon gave a quick glance towards the entrance.
-"Ya still waiting for ya friends, blondie?"
-"They should be here any minute."
-"Then ya play with them. I go grab more beer. We do this another time."
With a wink. Mauler turned away and ran through the wall, which this time crumbled into pieces under his force as easily as if it was made from paper.
-"You're running away?! Come back here!"
Ippon tried to follow him, but once outside all he saw was the silhouette of Mauler quickly leaping away with a force generated by his legs so massive, the places he jumped from turned into craters.
Knowing that he won't be able to catch up to him, Ippon only sighed, pulled out his phone and went back to the gym while calling an ambulance for the injured.
It's been a long day and Ippon needed to unwind. Straight from the school, he went to his favourite girls bar. He'd go to a cabaret club, but he was a bit short on cash and this option was cheaper.
Sun Court was one of the bars he frequented. It was themed after Versailles, but the Japanese take on it was in Pierre's opinion borderline insulting. Still, it welcomed foreigners, the prices were fair, the girls cute and they liked his accent. Good enough for him.
He entered, took his usual seat and started chatting with the bartender.
-"You look cute in that dress, Cherrie. Blue matches your eyes."
The girl was about to answer, but she got interrupted when a large shadow fell on the counter.
-"Ya mind if I sit here?"
A large man with dark hair and beard pointed at the stool next to Pierre. Frenchman was a bit irritated at his conversation being interrupted, but thought to himself that judging by the stranger's accent, he's probably new in the country. Remembering his own first days in Japan, he nodded.
-"Sure."
-"Thanks. I Bruno. Ya name?"
The large man said and extended a hand.
-"Pierre. Nice to meet you."
He accepted the handshake. It was firm, but not bone crushing.
-"Ya came here often? I new here."
-"From time to time. Why?"
-"We have same taste." He said while ogling the girl behind the bar. "I ask you to show me around."
Pierre considered for a moment, but in the end nodded.
-"Why not. It's better to have a drinking buddy."
-"Thanks. I sure we get along."
Mauler smiled cheerfully.