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Post by Alana Cortese on Aug 17, 2020 12:18:12 GMT -5
The Resistors, Kendrick, Darius, Sandra, Jadyn, and Lian were waiting for Noland outside of the stadium. Thanks to Noland's shenanigans, the arena staff had to figure out a way to fill the bottomless pit he made. This bought them enough time to get ready for the final battle: Calvin vs Allen.
"I know I'll be competing against you guys soon, but thanks so much!" Jadyn thanked. She had autographs from Tank and Markus in her scrapbook. "I'm so glad I knew you were gonna be here, Alana. I'd have never thought to bring this. There's so much I have to show you, especially Devin."
"Awww, Devin? How's he doing? Is he still as bad as he was when he was a baby?" Alana inquired.
"Can I go home with one of you guys? I'm gonna be up all night listening to this," Hydranoid complained. Noland finally decided to show up. After being about ten minutes late, he had some explaining to do.
"Yo! Tell me something, Noland and Drago. Do you guys break the barriers on purpose now? I feel like most of us have been very reasonable. Even I have been good today. Explain yourselves," Hydranoid demanded.
"Are you guys okay? You usually Hyper Motion to us. I was worried," Alana expressed. The last statement may be to her detriment, because Jadyn got a cutesy look on her face when she said it.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Aug 17, 2020 12:43:07 GMT -5
"I'm fine. Just had to make sure that bastard gets his. Sorry for being late," Noland reported. As was previously stated, he had a good time speaking with federal age.nts on the phone. Edin did too apparently. Seeing Noland beat Jimmy's ass on national television may have encouraged him to come forward.
"There are some shady people here. Jimmy, Benjamin, Krystal, and Leah. I'm really hoping that Calvin and Dragonus are pure," Drago wished.
"And...uh...yeah, I think people's reaction to my power is funny, Hydranoid. That's why I keep doing it," Noland admitted. "Anyway, what's going on? Am I about to get lectured on breaking barriers and whatnot?"
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Post by Allen Silva on Aug 18, 2020 2:31:31 GMT -5
"You should be," Sandra believed. "Only reason why I won't is because I don't know how much you're holding yourself back as it is. Just go at least one battle without blowing everything up. That's not too much, right? Just one..."
"Well, when Noland puts it that way...I can see why he likes doing that," Allen understood. "For someone like him who trains in offense like he does, blowing things up is oddly satisfying."
"Um, we're not all gathered here so you can tell us how important it is that we win, right?" Gorem wanted to make sure. "Because if it is, I'll just stop you right there. I don't want anymore added pressure. Please and thank you."
"Yeah. I have to agree on that," Allen backed up. "I'm still trying to come to terms that it's me. Gorem and I bet that it was gonna be Noland or Alana. We never expected this. I haven't felt this nervous since I brawled Tank."
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Post by Noland Hardy on Aug 18, 2020 10:40:52 GMT -5
"Huh. I thought it was gonna be Tracy... I wanted it to be her. I thought that would've been the coolest thing ever if she won, especially since she came such a long way to get here," Noland expressed. "Getting rid of Drake that fast was cool too though."
"I'm surprised that you're all like this now to be honest," Lian started. "It's so weird... I still think back to when I first battled Allen. Things were a lot closer between us than they are now. I don't know how much stronger you are right now, Allen, but if what everyone else did is any indication of how strong you'll be, there's no question I'd pick you to do this. It's something about your will to win against any odds. Not that no one else has it, but...yours is special."
"...Couldn't have said that any better myself," Noland approved.
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Post by Tracy White on Aug 18, 2020 11:09:14 GMT -5
Noland's statement made Tracy very happy. She couldn't stop herself from blushing in embarrassment over the flattery. She's very modest about her strength most of the time, so whenever her progress gets mentioned, it gets her excited. This was about Allen though.
"Well, Allen, you and Gorem guessed right, so there's not much we can say," Tracy admitted. "I think Lian covered everything, but in a way that doesn't work up your nerves. Plus, we're saving you from getting mobbed by the press and the audience. Thanks to Noland, you just became the most popular brawler on Earth."
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Post by Allen Silva on Aug 19, 2020 5:21:20 GMT -5
"I did? Me?" Allen asked in shock. More popular than Noland and Calvin? That's something he'd experience in a dream, not real life. Granted, Allen never cared for the spotlight anyway, but now that he has it, it's kinda hard to ignore it.
"This is new territory for us... Assuming we win, we may replace Calvin as the greatest there ever was since our reputation already precedes us," Gorem forecasted.
"..." Allen was clearly going through a mid-life crisis here. What Gorem said was a good deal and all; however, what if he loses? This is something he rarely had to worry about. It was worrying enough when he had to become the main hero when Noland turned evil. Now, he's facing the greatest brawler of all time, and he's the initiator. It was tough to really figure this out...
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Post by Calvin Kuro (World's Collide) on Aug 19, 2020 7:03:58 GMT -5
Calvin wasn't fairing much better than Allen. He just witnessed the Master Blaze, someone who rivals him in popularity, treat Jimmy like a petulant child. And now, he was going to face the Master Blaze's equal, or so they say. It was his daughter making him nervous. Somehow, she understood the threat that the Resistors posed to Calvin. No one could lie to her. They all knew that Allen would be Calvin's strongest opponent to date. So, Calvin had to sit in a quiet room by himself. He cycled through a digital set of cards to pass the time. He failed to notice someone entering the room to speak with him.
"Yo!" DeAngelo announced.
"Hm?" Calvin turned around and saw his rival standing there. "What's up?"
"Just checking on you. Rumi's doing her best to calm your daughter down, but I have to say. I think I'm to blame for it," DeAngelo thought. "I lost to a newcomer who held her own against a Resistor, regardless if Alana held back or not. I'm sorry."
"Nia's reactions are the reasons why I get nervous. She does this whenever the competition is strong," Calvin admitted while ignoring the apology. "I'm just looking at the next battle as a way to have fun. Her, it's like my life is at risk when a strong opponent steps up. Her fear resonates with me somehow. I think this one's a special circumstance though. Her birthday's tomorrow. She made me promise her to win today. She was hoping I'd face a Resistor too. Now that she's fully aware of the possibility of me losing, she's having a breakdown."
"What are you thinking about it though?" DeAngelo wondered.
"Nervous thanks to the kid, but other than that, nothing too deep," Calvin shrugged.
"...I thought you'd be nervous for yourself, like I was when I fought you," DeAngelo replied.
"I have no reason to be nervous the way I see it. I've never overshot myself when it came to where I was at power-wise. I know where I stand. I know that either myself or Allen will win or lose with what we've brought today. I just need to focus on what it'll take for me to fight him with my full potential. Doesn't matter if it's a winning or losing battle against him. I'll still fight the same way: efficiently, tactically, and safely. If it's enough, cool. If not, that's cool too. I'm just excited to see where I stand against the best brawlers. Before, it was just you and a few others, but now, the Resistors want that top spot. I'm not ready to give it up just yet, but if I think about that too hard, it becomes easier to take away."
DeAngelo nodded in acknowledgment of Calvin's view of the situation. "I don't know how you can be so calm about this, but I wish we all could," DeAngelo expressed.
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Post by Allen Silva on Aug 19, 2020 7:37:52 GMT -5
Allen and Gorem were waiting near the arena hallways. It was almost showtime; yet, Allen didn't seem to be all in. Gorem could feel the tension in Allen's body. Something was holding him back.
"What's going on?" Gorem requested to know.
"Am I thinking about this too hard?" Allen wondered. "There have been some strange opponents today... A neighboring country, a military branch, and now heroes are trying to be better than us. Not for the sake of competition either. If we win, we'll definitely be the greatest ever; but, if we lose..."
"It'll be the beginning of the end for the Resistors..." Gorem guessed.
"...Might as well be," Allen sighed. "Maybe I wouldn't think this hard about it if it weren't for those nutcases that everyone else fought. Now I feel like our responsibility is to do more than just win. We have to make sure that none of them can mess with us..."
As Allen said that, he randomly looked up and noticed that someone was listening to him the entire time. "...How long were you standing there?"
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on Aug 21, 2020 6:21:18 GMT -5
"I heard everything," Jenna answered. "I noticed you weren't your usual self from the gathering earlier, so...I thought I'd come down to check on you."
Jenna got a little closer so she's not awkwardly standing far away. "I can't pretend like I know what you're going through... It's a lot to bear. I can see that when I look at you," she understood. "There's still time before the battle... Can we just take a minute and talk through this situation? Please?"
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Post by Allen Silva on Aug 21, 2020 6:52:27 GMT -5
Allen took a deep breath. He now realizes that he brought Jenna into this mess. No matter what he does, she'll never let him weasel his way out of it. He had to give her something.
"I'm sorry... I'm usually better at not giving away what I'm thinking, whether it's good or bad," Allen prefaced. "...I'm just not sure how I should be feeling right now. You heard what I was saying. If any of the others lost to whatever lunatic they were fighting, certain people will become brave and attack us. It didn't hit me at first, but just thinking about what Krystal and Jimmy did, it made me realize: if Noland and Tank lost, the Army and the cops would be all over us."
"What if Calvin is as invincible as people make him out to be? What will happen to my friends if I lose? If any of them has to suffer because I failed to protect them, I don't know if I could forgive myself..."
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on Aug 23, 2020 6:42:05 GMT -5
Jenna was slightly surprised to hear this from Allen. This was a guy who rarely showed when he was under duress. Maybe it took longer for him to see it this way. Maybe he always has, but just never showed it. Maybe he never knew who to show it too? So many questions, but so little time to answer them. He needed a resolution now.
"I don't think you're thinking about this too hard. You have legitimate concerns," Jenna validated. "Is this a first-time occurrence? Have you ever felt this way before?"
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Post by Allen Silva on Aug 23, 2020 8:15:02 GMT -5
"If I was honest with myself, I'd say it started ever since we defeated Baalenoid and got Alana back. But, for some time, I convinced myself that it wasn't important. We saved the world again from the Hurranians, but it's no use. That doesn't make people like you. Not that I was looking for that, but at the very least, none of us should have to worry about being stalked 24/7, kidnapped, or killed. And all some of us have to do for those to happen is prevent an Army General from sniping one of your best friends, protect your privacy, be stronger than everyone else, or - and this is my favorite one - be a different race," Allen expressed.
Allen took a long deep breath after unloading all of that. Then he realized. He basically just complained to Jenna. All she did was ask if the stakes of this battle got to him just now, or if he encountered something like this before.
"...Uh, sorry. I guess I got carried away with that and just rambled on," Allen apologized.
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on Sept 8, 2020 11:39:45 GMT -5
"After putting up with me, you can ramble on all you want," Jenna laughed off. "But, in all seriousness, you're not overthinking at all. You're right to be concerned. It sounds like you've all been through so much. I'm not a Resistor, so it'd be easy for me to ask you not to worry about that. I do want to ask you something though."
"Let's pretend that the battle's over and you lost. What do you think will happen to you or your friends? Who will come after you?"
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Post by Allen Silva on Sept 8, 2020 12:42:02 GMT -5
"To be honest, I have no idea. I lost count of how many people want to see us lose. There's a whole Facebook group dedicated to saying we suck," Allen shrugged. "There's other strong factions as well, but I'm not sure if I'd get in trouble for saying their names in public. I guess the point is...I don't know for sure..."
"...If I may interrupt," Gorem announced to squeeze his way into the conversation. "You remember when the mad doctor threatened us if we lost to Jamal and Tec?"
"How could I forget?" Allen remembered how Dr. Kyuki threatened to use the children from the community center as suicide bombers on American soil. Outside of stopping world domination, that was the most serious threat he somewhat averted. "I felt better knowing what I was up against. Now, I don't have a clue what's coming next."
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on Sept 8, 2020 13:43:44 GMT -5
"You don't know what you're defending against, and trying to figure out what's gonna happen instead of being told what will happen is driving you crazy," Jenna figured. "I know this is easier said than done, and I don't really have a right to say any of this. Don't get yourself worked up. You're only one guy. You can't possibly account for every possibility. From what it sounds like, your friends winning or losing is irrelevant if we're talking about preventing certain outcomes; people will do what they do regardless of the result. That's just how it's gonna be. For all we know, they may have wanted all of you to win."
"I get the vibe that you'd go out of your way to make sure everyone else is taken care of. At least, that's what I felt when you came to see about me. I can't ask you to change any of that, but...I am hoping you can just worry about the opponent in front of you. I don't want you to not do your best or lose because you're focusing on too many things at once..."
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