Clash of Champions! (Bark)

Simon walked about midtown heading in the direction of Jump Stadium. Recently there had been noise complaints at night, people claiming that they heard the crash of metal against metal over and over again on certain nights. This was just the word on the streets, not enough attention had been gained for it to go to the police or the Titans.

While it might have been a good idea to try and get the Titans involved they were currently very distracted by the DOMA situation. DOMA probably wouldn't get involved either if it turned out to have nothing to do with metahumans, not that it was a smart idea for a superhero to get involved with them anyway.

For that reason Simon was investigating on his own. Instead of flying over he walked there in his normal clothes until he was at the Stadium. He didn't have to look for long before he saw a man with broken cybernetic implants limping away. Simon ran over to him "Hey, are you okay bro?" the man just scowled at him in response "F*** off, bro!" he said, with venom in his voice.

The man with the smashed arm limped off, muttering to himself about freaks and something about a 'champion'. That piqued Simon's interest. He quickly ducked into a side alley and transformed, becoming the Wind Ranger: Verdant Gale!

Simon flew out of the alley and into the stadium looking around and yelling "Hey, champion! Where are you!?!"

Atlas had been busy this evening... But it was more play than true work. His reputation alone as being the "Perfect Machine" attracted many-a-challenger, some fully mechanical, others half-human, some full... all of them falling one by one... The unfortunate ones came out of it awake and intact, scared away by the champion's MASSIVE size and impossible strength! Their dishonor was their worse fate, coming to challenge a being most powerful only to flee when they realized the magnitude of what they were facing.

Others... Well... they obtained an honor... but of a different sort. Those who were weak and didn't know it were left with the scars of their mistakes, their broken bodies shambling out of his arena to find a mechanic of their own... The twisted, dented metal of their arms, heads and bodies would bear the Mark of Atlas, his fist-print, a reminder of how they were never truly a challenge for him. Those that DID make him work for it, however... they received an honor of a different kind. While most of the people who walked into Atlas' arena walked out... there were some that didn't some, who landed meaningful blows on the giant robot, were kept around for his own amusement! Trapped within impenetrable rubber-like balls they resided, deep below Jump Stadium where Atlas poked, prodded and humiliated them daily, remarking on the many... MANY ways they were inferior to someone such as he. They were his trophies, mementos to his victories against them!

It was after one such fight, Atlas putting up his latest prize upon it's stand, did the voice of a NEW challenger call him out by his title, DEMANDING his presence! Atlas stared up at the ceiling above him in annoyance... BEFORE LEAPING UP AND THROUGH IT, landing HEAVILY on the floor of the arena... tracking the voice of the man... or rather, BOY who hovered above him!

"There is but one champion here... and that is Atlas." The machine remarked confidently, gesturing at himself with his thumb. "Are you here to challenge me, Human?"

Pieces of broken scrap, bolts and dented metal scattered the arena grounds, Burn-marks and holes along the stadium-seats indicating a MIGHTY battle had taken place here... but not one scratch lay upon the spotless armor of Atlas! He stood TALL, just out of reach of the high-flying boy, Atlas already calculating and contemplating what kind of challenges this... child might offer him. Initial assumptions indicated... that threat levels... were minimal.

"Perhaps you are lost. The city is in the other direction. Flutter back to the rest of your kind."

Simon flew around the arena, calling out to the so-called champion. For a few seconds he was beginning to believe that this was a huge waste of time and that he was looking in the wrong place. Those thoughts were dashed when the ground broke open and a huge robot burst out of it. Beneath the mask he wore his eyes were bulging in shock, but Atlas would not be able to tell.

The robot introduced itself as Atlas, the fact that it answered to 'champion' was very telling of what kind of person it was. Or rather, what kind of robot. Atlas didn't seem very impressed with Simon and just told him to go away. Simon went down to land on the ground, locking eyes with Atlas, although he had to crane his neck to do so "There's not one champion here, but two! I am a champion of justice; Verdant Gale!" He finished it off with a dramatic pose for effect.

"Listen up, buddy! You're causing problems for people with all your fighting, quit it and get out of here! Who said you could squat here anyway?" While he said all this he was holding the pose from before, which somewhat lessened the threat of his words. That being said, he was ready to act if Atlas initiated combat.

Atlas scoffed at the masked child's declaration, remarking that HE, in his tiny, pathetic shape, was a champion too... OF JUSTICE! Morality was a concept unknown to the machine... at least when it came to true understanding. Justice... Crime... These concepts were flung around in order to hamper one's ability to WIN, in Atlas' estimation, words meant to encourage a debilitating behavior... and discourage liberating ones. The boy might as well had said that he was a champion of human-life-cycle documentation for all he understood. It carried so little weight with Atlas, this child could have carried it himself if he wished... and from the way he walked RIGHT up to the TRUE champion here... he carried his meaningless title with pride!

Leaning back JUST to make eye-contact with the INCREDIBLY tall machine, Simon CALLED Atlas out right then and there, criticizing the Machine as it stared down upon him with hard-eyed bemusement, the being seemingly CHALLENGING his strength-given right to occupy this arena!

"Atlas doesn't need permission to go where he chooses." He declared, his voice booming across the stadium as he SHUTDOWN the little-being's attempt at garnering authority! What this intruder seemed unable to understand... was that he didn't have power here... Where he might've been able to strike fear in pathetic thieves and pickpockets, Atlas was a machine that stood a WORLD over him... literally and figuratively. With just one stomp, he could grind this child into paste. With one blast of his plasma cannon he would leave just another pile of ash for the Mechanic to clean up later... This Verdant Gale held no sway with this mechanical titan.

"Your title holds little sway with me, human.... But if you can defeat me in a fair fight... with no weapons... then I shall leave this place." Atlas' expression lifted into an arrogant grin, knowing that even if he DID intend to hold up his end of the bargain... it was impossible for this creature to even SCRATCH him. He was no machine, he didn't have cybernetic enhancements... Just a human in a suit... Perhaps... he would have another trophy to claim below this night...

Atlas did not seem to want to leave without a fight, which was to be expected honestly. No one that introduced themselves as a champion or spoke in the third person would comply to such a demand so easily. But then this Atlas suggested that they have a fight and he would leave if Simon won. Simon was quite surprised to be hearing this, usually when fights like this happened it was never actually agreed upon beforehand in such a civil manner.

Simon posed with his fists raised, showing his willingness to fight Alright, let's do it then! With that out of the way he would fly towards Atlas at super speed. He flew so that he was level with Atlas' head while cocking his fist back, preparing for a punch. Suddenly, at the last moment, he very suddenly flew down and threw a kick at the back of the robots legs.

The moment "The Verdant Gale" accepted his challenge, Atlas did as he was planning to do from the moment they first met: Lifting his foot quickly over head of the smaller boy as he came at him, fist cocked back in some pathetic attempt at a punch, Atlas would BRING his metal leg DOWN in a stomp, the impact leaving a DEEP crater that stopped only where the earth touched the sub-stadium! Cracks arched across the dry, almost desert-like rocky floor of the abandoned coliseum-like structure, their spread like that of a spider's legs, attempting to reach every corner of it's boundaries. However, as Atlas tugged his foot free of the crater he had created, the Machine's eyes would widen in mild surprise, noticing that his soles were not stained... and the human's body was nowhere to be found!

It was only when Atlas detected a blow of... almost mechanical strength did Atlas realize what the boy had done, his kick STRIKING against the machine's impenetrable golden joint as if he had intended to bring him down! It was a good attempt for a human, his strength surpassing all but 1% of his population for certain... But a mere few tons of force was hardly enough to scuff Atlas' carapace, let ALONE stumble him!

His head would whirl around 180 degrees, looking down upon the young hero with a dark, satisfied grin, his upper-body following suit before his legs turned last! The only mark that would be left with that attack would be upon the boy's leg, a reminder of his arrogance for thinking he could harm Atlas.

"You have more strength than the average human." Atlas remarked, perhaps even the smallest spark of genuine recognition present among the THICK overtones of patrionization. "You would make a fine trophy!" As if to demonstrate his point, the machine would REAR up, his arms looming over his head... before SLAMMING them down in a MASSIVE axehandle, DEVESTATING the space where Gale stood! Even if the boy would escape the wrath of his better, he would witness the devestation wrought by the unfettered power of a superior machine! His raw strength SPLIT the Arena down the middle, the shockwave of his attack parting the earth seemingly down to it's core, the depth of the fissure not immediately apparent, it's length reaching to the end of the Stadium ahead of Atlas.

The most sickeningly smug smirk spread across the (what passed for) lips of Atlas, more than content with his display of strength. Of course, it would take FAR less to finish the Green-Gust... But Atlas was never one to hold back when demonstrating his overt superiority.

Simon's attempted attack struck true, lashing against the back of Atlas' leg with all of his strength. In fact, the massive machine even played into Simon's plan by shifting his weight forward to stomp on the place he was before, making it even easier to topple him. That was the plan anyway. Instead, Simon's leg glanced off of the leg without even budging it. He hadn't even scratched its paint job "What!?!" In his shock he had dropped his 'power ranger voice'.

Simon quickly backed off as Atlas turned around on the spot and gave him a superior smirk. The mechanical monstrosity that was Atlas claimed that he would make a good trophy before swinging down with a massive axehandle. Sensing very obvious danger, Simon flew back into the air to avoid the strike, but the shockwave was powerful enough to send him flying back anyway. He was pelted with chunks of concrete sent flying by the attack, but his wind aura was able to knock those all away without dealing any harm to Simon.

Simon managed to stop himself from hitting a wall by using his powers of flight to resist his momentum. He stared at the damage that Atlas had made in awe "Jeez, I've fought giant monsters less ornery than this guy!" he said, thinking out loud. That being said, he had to have some kind of weakness. Simon only had to find it.

Simon flew over to Atlas and began to fly around him, throwing punches and kicks all over Atlas' body, trying to find a weak point. In respect of the seriousness of his situation Simon gave this barrage of attacks a name "Gale Blitz!!!"

The boy's speed was remarkable, barely slipping free of Atlas' CRUSHING attack and fleeing to the sky... where debris pounded him mercilessly, tearing at his suit and the flesh beneath! The arena was split, the noise shattered the air around them in a massive BOOM... and all that was left was Simon, staring down at the Machine's handiwork in shock! Oh the LOOK on his face when Atlas spotted it... it warmed his central processor to witness such overt surprise! Perhaps NOW he would understand the hopelessness of his situation and concede to impenetrable might... of ATLAS!

...At least to Simon, that adjective seemed to be in dispute. Zipping in EVERY-WHICH direction across and along the machine's massive form, the Verdant Gale punched and kicked the cold, metal carapace of his foe, desperate to bring him down! Atlas simply stood there, his steely, analytical gaze staring, following the boy's movements, memorizing them... attempting to predict his next position of attack!

Meanwhile, Atlas was also starting to struggle staying in one place, the machine having to squat down the slightest bit to center his mass, using an arm to deflect incoming blows as best he could. Heh... Perhaps there was reason to get excited after all! Humans weren't normally a challenge for Atlas... but this one was proving far stronger and more resiliant than ANY he had come across thus far!

As Simon came around to Atlas' front, landing a... surprisingly solid punch across the machine's jaw that actually JERKED his head hard, Atlas' hands would SHOOT up, aiming to grab the boy around his torso! If he managed to grab him, Atlas would hold him comfortably out of reach with one arm... the other rubbing his scuffed-steel jaw... and smirking! If anything, those attacks REALLY got Atlas' circuits flowing!  

"Ah, this is what Atlas expects from his challengers!" The champion laughed, still not taking this seriously. "But now it's my turn." Lightly tossing the Verdant Gale into the air with a flick of his wrist, Atlas would cock back his other fist... and HURL it at his foe, aiming to SLAM him all the way across the massive stadium!

A less optimistic person might believe that Simon's idea wasn't working when they saw each of his blows just glance off the might mechanical body of Atlas. But Simon was a natural optimist, and he believed that his efforts would soon bore fruit. His belief was soon proven to be true when one of his blows actually managed to harm Atlas, rocking the robots chrome dome back in a snap.

Simon developed some slight tunnel vision in his excitement. As he pressed forward to follow up on his attack he felt cold robotic hands grab him around his torso. Atlas would feel Simon's wind aura pushing against his hands, but with his massive grip strength he would be able to clamp down anyway. Simon started thrashing to escape, alarm bells ringing in his mind.

However, Atlas made a relatively poor choice when deciding upon his next action, instead of taking advantage of Simon's inability to move he instead tossed him into the air to set up for this attack. Now back in his element Simon twisted to the side, avoiding the punch so closely that the red scarf that comes with his hero transformation was blown away, and dove down, delivering a stomp to Atlas' face "Did you really think you could get me in the air, IDIOT!?!"

Atlas seemed to be a very prideful robot, so if blows to his body weren't doing damage how about a blow to his ego?

Atlas blinked as the boy started HURLING insults his way, something of a contrast to the seemingly honorable hero he once was before... but the machine didn't dare break his cool... yet. Fore as his punch BARELY missed the young by... his other hand was wound back behind him, digging into the ground with it's fingers... He firmly believed the child would be able to escape his through, witnessing his agility and proficiency with his power as he zoomed all around his massive form... But this, he might not yet expect! WRENCHING his rear-arm forward, Atlas would RIP a massive hunk of stone from the stadium behind him as the boy came DOWN for his stomp, SLAMMING it at him from the side as if SWATTING A FLY! If his move connected, the Verdant Gale would SPLAT against the earth at Atlas' feet, possibly in a kneeling position where he belonged... on his knees, that is.

For a moment, Atlas would do little but observe the child... grinning with pride as his challenger's weakness became apparently, Atlas reaching down to grab the boy, his fingers completely enveloping his tiny body!

If he did NOT connect, the boy's boots would instead glance off of Atlas' sanguine head-plate, the machine instead whirling around to face him... and HURLING the boulder he held at Simon the same way a human might in a "Baseball" game! Strictly the rules stated there would be "no weapons"... but this was no weapon, merely an... environmental hazard! He aimed to catch the boy off guard and abuse his righteousness... a weakness that the hero brought with him when he flew into Atlas' Arena!

Simon delivered a super quick stomp to Atlas' face that did... absolutely nothing. Not that that was too much of a surprise after everything that he had thrown at the robust robot. Simon could tell he was in trouble when he was beginning to run out of his awesome alliterations. Simon saw Atlas' other hand grab a piece of rubble from the ground and immediately flew off to the side to avoid the strike that followed.

However, Atlas followed up on his attack by turning his attack into a throw, hurling the rubble at Simon. Simon was taken off guard by the attack, but with his enhanced reflexes he was able to avoid it quite easily, landing several metres away in a crouch. Atlas kind of got what he wanted, as Simon was on one knee.

Simon got back to his feet and gave Atlas a good look. Then he floated a few feet off the ground until he was level with Atlas' head and began to fly in the other direction. For a few seconds it might have seemed like he was running away, but then he turned around and began to fly back at Atlas at his top speed. He was setting up for his super move, the Gale Kick, which required a run up of five seconds at his top speed to perform. If Atlas moved out of the way or interrupted the attack it wouldn't work, but Atlas had been taking all of Simon's attacks on the chin so far, so it was reasonable to assume he'd do the same now.

Assuming nothing happened, Simon would strike Atlas' face with his full power "Gale Kick!!!"

Atlas was growing impatient with his lack of progress in this battle, with how quick and annoying this boy was becoming. It wasn't like swatting one fly... But a swarm of them, a whole bunch of small, fast-moving targets that were nearly impossible to connect with alone, let alone with a whole group dividing his attention! Atlas's damage, according to his scanners, was still next to negligable, that he could go FAR longer without requiring the aid of his new mechanic... But he needn't play this game... If this boy wasn't going to fight him and simply fly about, pecking at him... Atlas need not treat him as anything more than the glorified insect that he was.

Simon may have been fast... but he was predictable. Nothing about his movements indicated strategy or a bigger-picture of any kind. He simply threw himself at Atlas, hoping to break something... and this time, it seemed it was no different. As Atlas' scanners fell upon the child as he rose up, the machine envisioned the torque of a balista as the boy floated backwards, he the missile in this maneuver. It seemed he COULD hit a little harder, but it required wind-up... Fine. he was level with Atlas's face... He knew where he was going to be and he could guess when... all that mattered now... was the perfect counter-attack.

Simon would charge ahead, like a train into a cliff-side, Atlas keeping his arms down low, his heavy, steely gaze locked upon the boy... before bringing his arm around in a SCYTHING backhand RIGHT when the Verdant Gale got within range! If his blow connected, it would be SEVERAL feet before Simon even got close to his goal, the child potentially being sent skipping along the ground like a stone upon the surface of a lake!

Simon flew forward at his top speed in preparation for his 'Gale Kick', making a loud woosh sound as he did so. However, despite the fact that he was much faster than Atlas, the biggest weakness of his Gale Kick was rearing its head: its predictability. Simon had wrongfully assumed that Atlas would just take the hit, a mistake that would prove to be costly.

Atlas had prepared a well timed counter attack that aimed to smack him right out of the air, probably turning him into a stain in the process. Simon saw the attack coming, but even with his superhuman reflexes he had built up too much momentum to stop in time. He stopped suddenly just in time to avoid taking the attack full on, instead only taking it as a glancing blow. But with Atlas' strength even a glancing blow was no joke.

Simon was sent flying to the side with speed that rivalled his own flight, hitting the ground several metres away with such force that he kept on sliding. He finally stopped half the stadium away from Atlas, lying at the end of a trench that he had made in the ground. His body was curled up as he started coughing, tasting blood in his mouth.

Spoiler:

His wind aura had taken the brunt of the attack, if not for that he would have been killed. But that hit had taken a lot out of him, his flesh wasn't particularly durable like Atlas' was he just had the wind aura to rely on for protection. Because of this the damage he had received, although greatly reduced thanks to his aura, had taken a large toll on him. He hurt all over and even without taking the time to check he could tell that he had broken bones.

The young hero was forced to make a terrible choice. Even in peak condition he had been completely unable to harm Atlas even after landing dozens of attacks. So now that he was injured and housing broken bones there was no way he could take it out. He got up to his feet, which took far longer than it should have thanks to his condition, and looked up at Atlas.

Simon bit his lip, so hard that it started to bleed, wanting to put off swallowing this bitter pill. With a flash of green light Verdant Gale became Simon Camden again as his 'super suit' vanished. If Atlas was observant enough he might notice that without the suit on Simon was a few inches shorter, that is if he cared enough to take notice "I surrender." he said, with his head bowed down.

Simon was making a gamble. The way this fight started it was less like a street fight or a clash between a superhero and villain and more like a duel. With this in mind, he was hoping that the arrogant automaton that was Atlas would accept his surrender, especially if it gave the robot a chance to gloat his victory.  He absolutely hated having to surrender, but would do so if it meant living to fight another day.

Atlas stood over the fallen hero-child with a grin that had no rival in terms of it's smugness, his mechanical form towering over the crater he had SLAMMED the child into. However, he was somewhat disappointed... Disappointed that he was correct. What a glass cannon that had wandered into his arena, how weak he was that he couldn't tolerate a single blow from the mighty Atlas. Indeed, humans were NO match for him... but still, for a moment, he had been hoping that this child had more to him than just speed. What a disappointment.

"Of course you do." Atlas rumbled as the boy conceded the match, an outcome that anyone with any amount of sense could foresee. "No-one defeats Atlas." Still, even with another victory tucked under his belt, the machine couldn't help but feel discontent. Crushing ants didn't have the sort of weight that it used to have, hold the sort of satisfaction that he was used too. Ever since fighting cyborg, feeling his own limits being pushed in each of their battles, Atlas had grown... less and less satisfied with overwhelming victories. Indeed, proving himself he superior being to these creatures had its purpose...

...But where was the fun in it if he could simply run over them?

Was the hero even worth being made into a trophy...? Maybe in the future... when he got stronger. Now...? If only one shot could finish him...? Atlas had no use for him... He would have to be satisfied with his current trophies. Atlas would walk right up to the fallen hero, his mechanical joints clanking against one another as he bent down and scooped up the Verdant Gale in one hand. He was so fragile. So weak. It must have been what Humans felt when they held a rodent in their hands. With the smallest of efforts, he could CRUSH the child to dust in his grip, make it as though he never existed...

...But what purpose would that serve? He had already won.

"Leave my stadium, human. Return when you've grown stronger... if you can." With that, the Machine would flip his palm, dropping Simon to the ground unceremoniously, turning his massive, golden back to the hero as he clomped back towards the Arena underground!

"MECHANIC!" Atlas roared, a spindily, thin, almost skeletal woman hovered out, a anti-gravity pack attached to her back, clothed in what appeared to be a tool-belt and rust-apron. Her expression was one of defeat, condemnation, as if she knew there was no way to escape. After all, this was Atlas... Nobody defeated him.

"REFIT!"

Simon couldn't see Atlas with his head bowed down, but he would bet good money that Atlas had a smug grin on his formidable face. But why shouldn't he? He'd won after all. Simon heard Atlas walk over to him and saw the shadow that his massive hand had cast long before he saw the hand itself. He tried to get away but in his weakened state Atlas had no problem just scooping him up.

For a second Simon thought he would have to transform again so that he could fly away before Atlas crushed him, but then Atlas just told him to leave and come back when he became stronger. Before Simon could muster a response Atlas simply dropped him. Simon hit the ground with a thud "Ugh" Not very heroic.

What happened next made Simon's stomach turn. Atlas yelled out for his mechanic, a starving woman in an apron, to refit him. Simon looked at the woman, then back to Atlas with rage in his eyes. He stepped towards Atlas, but then he was wracked with pain. As badly as he wanted to, he couldn't do anything for the mechanic in this situation "I'll be back." he promised, both to Atlas and the mechanic.

As Simon left, he and Atlas would hear sirens. Their fight had attracted a lot of attention, especially considering how Atlas had split the stadium. Police and DOMA agents were approaching the stadium, getting ready to react to the situation. Luckily for Simon, they were all focused on such a big and flashy threat like Atlas that they paid him no notice as he hobbled away.