Breaking in the New Guy

Shido's movements were nearly entirely shutdown, he couldn't even raise his head to look for the ropes. Hikaru viciously shook his head back and forth in the hold, trying to shake the last bits of consciousness and focus out of him before he could reach his salvation. Within a few seconds Shido had stopped moving, but Hikaru kept applying the sleeper just to be sure.

He unhooked one hand to raise Shido's arm and let it fall, counting him out three times in order to signify a KO and his own victory. After the third attempt, Hikaru smiled with glee and released Shido to sit up, only to find that the guys other arm had fingers resting on the bottom rope. "Oh you've got to be kidding me..." he groaned as he punched the mat in frustration. Stupid kid had gotten a rope break, invalidating Hikarus victory even though he had scored a knockout. The match was still on!

He gritted his teeth together and stood up, dragging Shido back to the center of his mat by his leg. He kicked the newcomer over onto his back and nudged his face with his foot, trying to wake up so they could finish.

Shido was out like a light. The poor kid expended the last of his energy reaching for the ropes. While his struggle to cling to consciousness ended in vain, the good news was he was still in the match!

Or at least it would be good news if he knew. He was dragged to the center of the ring where he laid completely motionless. After having his face nudged one too many times, he swatted Hikaru's foot like it was the snooze button on his alarm clock. Shido groaned as he began to wake up "Uuuuugh, did....did the match end? Did I lose?" He said, as he pulled himself up on all fours and tried to return to his feet.

"Unless you're gonna give up, then no" Hikaru scowled, crossing his arms across his chest. He moved back to lean against the ropes as Shido regained more conscious clarity and tried to make sense of what happened. "I don't know whether I knocked you out or you got the rope break first, so best thing is to null both and keep right on going. That is, if you think you can keep this up...."

Having woken up on the center of the ring, he couldn't use the ropes to help himself up. Shido stumbled once your twice trying to rise to his feet.

Upon doing so, he assumed a grappler's stance and took deep breaths, trying to will himself back into fighting shape. "Nah.....if I go down, I go down fighting.....besides, this is getting fun.....I can't wait to see how strong the rest of your squad is. Hopefully I get to spar with them, sometime, too....."

"That's gonna depend on if you can really impress me or not. You had me going with that kneebar, but then you went full stupid and thought I was going to give you a handshake in the middle of a match" Hikaru replied, resting his hands on his hips now as he tested out his legs. That one knee was still giving him a bit of trouble, but the pain had mostly died down a dull ache now. Shido should have pressed that advantage while he could, Hikaru thought.

"Soon as you're ready, bring it"

Shido rested for a minute and took time to collect his thoughts. "Gotcha. I'll just have to try harder, then."  They both knew he was bluffing, but the kid maintained a look of confidence.

Shido came charging in at Hikaru, the same exact way he did at the start of the match, hoping to goad him into trying to catch him again for a slam type move. Shido would attempt to step off one of Hikaru's knees and swing his leg towards Hikaru's head for an enziguri kick,  hoping to take him by surprise!

Hikaru resets himself quickly into a ready stance when Shido charges boldly into action. He opens up to receive the charge, aiming to grab on, sidestep, and use momentum against him. However, he notices right before Shido's in past his guard that he's tensing up in the wrong places.

Hikaru brings his arms back in to try to guard but by then Shido's plan is already in action. The kid vaults himself up off of Hikaru's thigh and sends a swift kick at his head. Hikaru's arm intercepts the shin but the forefoot finds it's target in the side of his head. Hikaru gets knocked down over onto his side, his head momentarily spinning and a biting headache setting in. He's stunned for the time being, shaking his head to recover.

Shido couldn't tell of his instincts had led him the right way or if he had just gotten lucky, but going with his gut worked out for him this time.

"I need to level the playing field!" He said as he grabbed the same leg he used the kneebar on several moments ago. Shido used the quickest hold he could from this position. Wrapping his legs around Hikaru's shin and wrapping his arms around that aching head, he attempted an STF! "Time to tip the scales!",  he'd go on to say,  should this maneuver be successful. Hopefully working on the same knee he hurt earlier would swing things in his favor!

Hikaru was still a bit woozy when Shido climbed onto his back. He threw his shoulders back to try to shake the guy off, but he was busy getting their legs all tangled into a confusing jumble. Right as Shido brought his hands under Hikaru's chin he started to feel the pain in his knee start right back up again and he howled and howled in pain.

"Fuck the scales!" Hikaru cursed in annoyance, digging his fingers into Shido's hand to try to claw his fingers away and at least counter half of the technique.

"Mffffphh!" Shido gritted his teeth and held back all the bad things he wanted to say. Being clawed at is a violation but there was no ref to call it. The only thing keeping keeping him going right now was that the thought that perhaps Hikaru was taking just as much damage as he was, thus warranting the need to scratch his way to escape.

As he continued to fight through the pain, Shido would attempt to wrap his arm around Hikaru's neck, hoping to attempt an STS (step over sleeper) and return the favor from earlier. Shido only had so much time to work with. It would only be a little while before all the damage he suffered would finally catch up to him. He had to make this advantageous position count while he could!