A Strong Outsider??(Open)

Base Power Level: 2,498
Weighted Power Level: 624

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The door crashed into the wall causing Hikaru to stop mid-kata and for the healer watching over her to look at Sora.

Silence held for a moment...

"Sora?" the healer prompted expectantly

Hikaru lowered her leg from the kick she had been doing and stood silently, just observing the exchange.

As soon as she was given the all clear on her health, she had immediately started testing out her body's strength. She had been a little stiff, but otherwise had seemed completely healed. However, when she had asked her healer for some training weights, he was very reluctant. It took nearly a whole five minutes of Hikaru just staring at him incessantly for her healer to get so uncomfortable that he relented. However, he insisted that he first get to observe how her body moved with the extra weight before officially letting her keep them.

That’s what Sora had interrupted when he had burst in the door.

Hikaru’s ruined PTO armor and bodysuit had been carefully set beside the bed. She had been given traditional Namekian clothes as a replacement for her ruined suit. It was a deep purple with a red sash, and a brown vest. She still hadn’t gotten accustomed to the odd white scarf wrapped and twisted around her throat, though...

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Word Count: 217
Total Word Count: 217

Base Power Level: 2,498
Weighted Power Level: 624

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Hikaru followed Sora's movements only by turning her head around after him. When he looped in a full circle she just turned the other way to keep him in her sights. She didnt seem to be distrustful, but then again, Hikaru rarely seemed much of anything.

When Sora held out his fist for a bump, Hikaru obliged.

"Hikaru," she took Sora's interruption and subsequent chatter in stride, "And yes."

This was the perfect time to fully test out how healed her body was. Weights and katas were all well and good, but a quick sparring much would be a much better test. 

Her doctor looked between the two of them in exasperation, "But! But-!"

And then he sighed and shook his head knowing it would do him no good to protest. Sora was too excitable and Hikaru was too stuborn.

"Fine, fine. Go spar out back," he waved his hand at them and then began to mutter under his breath, "I fix them up only for them to break all over again. Why do I bother? Oh sure, lets spar, its not like I had my leg crushed a few weeks ago."

He stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The Namekian turned and saw that it was Hikaru. She gave his shoulder a soft squeeze.

"Thank you."

He smiled back at her and then made a shooing motion, "Off with you."

Hikaru then turned back to Sora and gestured with her arm towards the door in a silent 'lead the way' motion.

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Word Count: 255
Total Word Count:472

Base Power Level: 2,498
Weighted Power Level: 624

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Hikaru followed the lively Namekian out back. The two couldn't have been more different. Sora's bright exuberance contrasted fiercely against Hikaru's simple stoicism. What a pair they made.

Sora began his warm up and it was Hikaru's turn to observe him closely. His movements were sharp and compact. While he focused his attacks solely on his punches, his footwork was still strong. He moved with a brisk pace. She could tell that he wouldn't be easy to pen down. He was quick, and he was strong.

Hikaru decided to prepare herself as well. He may not have fought since yesterday, but she hadn't fought in weeks. Hell, she had only been allowed to train and practice her katas a few days ago.

But now was a good a time as any to jump right in and test her body. Her healer had granted her permission and she was going to take the offer given. Hikaru lifted her hands to the weights she wore on her wrists, but then paused when Sora offered to match her level.

She cocked her head at him, "... I can take them off."

Either way would have been fine by her, but she wanted to make sure Sora wanted to proceed with the handicap.

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Word Count: 206
Total Word Count:  678

Base Power Level: 2,498
Weighted Power Level: 624

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Hikaru nodded quietly and then slipped into a fighting stance of her own. She chose one with strong angles and a firm footing. She felt it would match well with her current stiffness, and what she saw of Sora's style. His attacks look powerful. She’d need the stability.

Hikaru extended her fist out to him, another little fist bump.

Then she attacked.

Hikaru launched herself forward at him starting with a backhanded swipe in an attempt to break open his guard. She targeted his chest with a follow up punch, and then carried her momentum forward with a leaping knee strike. It was a sharp 1,2,3 combo that wasted no movement. 

But it was sluggish. The leg she had kicked off from had been the injured one, and so it was still a little weak. The weights also pulled at her limbs harder than she thought. It was one thing to simply wear them, and move with them. It was entirely another trying to genuinely put it into practice.

Hikaru made a mental note to compensate. It was good Sora pulled her into this sparring match. It was the perfect practice she needed. She'd have to thank him...

Hikaru landed firmly, legs bent into a solid stance while she tightened her guard, ready for Sora’s exchange of blows.

All through out her expression never changed. There was no fiery warriors spirit. There was no cold calculation. There was... nothing.

Word Count: 240
Total Word Count: 918

Base Power Level: 2,498
Weighted Power Level: 624

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Sora took the brunt of her attacks before putting his defense back up. Hikaru was surprised. By his stance and warm up, his defense had seemed tighter than that. She hadn’t expected it to break so easily. She frowned internally, he said he was holding back, but by how much?

Suddenly, Sora barked out a sharp “Why” and began to shoot out flickering jabs. What was he doing? He was too f- the first one landed with a sharp smack that tossed Hikaru’s head back, the second one catching her in the gut.

And here she was just thinking about how easily she broke his defense.

Hikaru grunted and managed to bring her defense backup in time to deflect aside the last jab. They were fast, but they were light.

“Why?” Hikaru grunted when she tilted her body to the side to dodge his kick, “What?” She grunted a second time when she jumped up and over his sweeping strike. She flipped over him in an arc and when she landed, brought her hands together, launching a blast of ki from her palms at his exposed back to drive him back and away.

She wanted to see those jabs of his again. Had he really seemed to stretch? Or had that been some trick? Had Hikaru misjudged the distance between them? She needed to see it again.

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Word Count: 227
Total Word Count: 1,145

Base Power Level: 2,498
Weighted Power Level: 624

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Sora matched her flip with his own… or at least half of one. He kept attacking from a handstand!!

He was definitely stretching his arm father than what seemed physically capable. It stretched and lashed at her like a snake. Hikaru was more prepared for his attack this time and managed to deflect the flicker jabs. It helped that they weren’t as precise from such an unorthodox pose, but the fact that he could still throw them at all was crazy impressive.

The Namekian fighter was just full of surprises.

And none of it showed on Hikaru’s face.

However, one of the jabs she deflected had been supposed to miss. It grabbed the ground behind her. Hikaru only managed to get the briefest look behind her before Sora came after her with a head butt.

Hikaru just barely managed to bring her arms up in a cross block in front of his attack.

“Kuh!” Hikaru grunted, the first sound she made outside of conversation.

The headbutt had been so hard that Hikaru had been pushed back. Her stance was so firm that she didn’t stumble, instead her feet dragged along the floor creating two deep grooves. They were parallel lines, like a train track without the center ties.

Her arms ached with a familiar pain. Deep into her bones. They weren’t broken, but the bruises would be deep.

She dropped her hands to her sides and shook them briefly before bringing them back up and falling into stance again like Sora.

“I simply do,” Hikaru answered. Sora’s question was too abstract. What else was there??

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Word Count: 270
Total Word Count: 1415

Base Power Level: 2,498
Weighted Power Level: 624

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Hikaru blinked when Sora dropped his stance, and then after a moment followed suit. Her body straightened and her arms fell away from their protective pose.

“No, I don’t,” Hikaru cocked her head. She was confused at his confusion. Did it matter? She always fought. For as long as she remembered, that was all there was.

She supposed if he had asked her a month ago she would have said that she fought for the Planetary Trade Organization, but that would be because she merely was their soldier. Hikaru had no personal motivation for why she fought. It was just all she knew.

What else was there for her?

Sora started listing possible reasons for why she fought. She supposed they were all good enough reasons. There just wasn’t a specific one for her.

He seemed to give up on the question for now, and then told her that he had a plan.

“Alright,” Hikaru said indicating for him to continue. She stepped closer to him to be in a more casual conversation distance, taking a moment to look back at the parallel lines her feet had dug into the soil. That had been one hell of a blow.

“What is it?”

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Word Count: 203
Total Word Count: 1,618