Homecoming (Celerous)

His full power? Did that mean that Fukushu was capable of more than he'd shown Celerous earlier? It was something to consider, especially since Cel was about to fight the man. That was going to drastically change how he approached this battle. He probably couldn't rely on power alone. So, he'd have to use his wits. Cel wasn't all that worried, really. Ma had made sure that he was ready for a good old fashioned brawl.

As Fukushu closed in, Celerous stood still, eyes raking the Heran's form. It seemed like the man was going to attempt a physical strike, as opposed to a ki blast. Or, closing in like this could be a faint. Cel let out a slow breath, and then Fukushu's palm was almost upon him. Then, Celerous disappeared, flashing out of existence and leaving the space he once occupied empty. Fukushu's first blow missed him entirely, as did the following uppercut.

Thank Kami they did. He could feel the power behind the man's attacks. It was nothing to balk at. It was a wonder Striker had survived fighting the Heran.

Celerous reappeared behind his opponent, striking at Fukushu's back with a hand with fingers outstretched like talons.

Celerous' attack struck, though not where he wanted it too. Fukushu's arms were like corded steel, and though he managed to do a little damage to the Heran, it may as well have been nothing more than a couple of scratches. Cel had expected this, though. Fukushu's power was greater than his own, at least at the moment. Plus, with just how built and durable the man was, Cel figured his only chance of winning this was through a battle of attrition.

That meant playing defensively, but that was fine by him. He fought better that way anyhow.

"Thanks," Celerous nodded at his green opponent, "gotta admit, I thought that would do more damage. You're tougher than I thought, and that's saying something."

Fukushu took off in the direction of the trees, and Celerous followed, making sure to keep a few feet of distance between them. The man taunted him to attack, asking if that punch was all the power he had, but Cel didn't fall for the bait. Moving in on Fukushu now would put him right in the kill zone, where the man could break him open with his greater strength. No, like he'd already resolved, he'd have to play on the defensive in this fight.

"I have a few more tricks up my sleeve," Celerous confirmed, "but you haven't quite pushed me to the point of needing them yet."

Celerous weaved through trees, being careful of the roots, which did hinder his speed somewhat. That was concerning: all it took was one stumble for Fukushu to break his guard. He'd have to walk the tightrope that was awareness and swiftness. Hoping that the gnarled undergrowth would hinder the Heran as much as it was hindering him, Celerous took another clawed jab at the man, and then tried to leap away from his reach.

This time, his blow struck true. Blood spewed as his finger tips pierced Fukushu's skin, but Celerous wasn't arrogant enough to think that he could start laying a beatdown on the Heran. So as the man found himself smashed against the back of a tree, Cel let himself stop a few feet away from him, keeping a close eye on his movements as best he could. It wouldn't do to start slacking now; Fukushu was far from down and out.

The man tore his top off, tossing it to the way side, and Celerous supposed that was actually a pretty good idea. He didn't want to tear another flannel. But trying to take his shirt off now was sure to provoke an attack from the green man, so with an internal sigh, he opted to ruin yet more of his clothes. He supposed that he could always buy more.

Celerous was about to move in, and try and bait Fukushu into an attack that he could counter, when the man decided to just uproot an entire tree and huck it at him. Celerous dashed to the side, but underestimated the reach the branches had. While he avoided being speared, or smashed, by the trunk, half a dozen thick branches still caught him. He went tumbling to the ground in a mess of shattered wood and torn up dirt. He bounced off of more than one rock, and one gnarled root. All the while, Fukushu just stood on top of the hucked log, as if he were riding a scooter.

The young hybrid decided that he was done with the forest.

With a gutteral shout, Celerous let his power flare. What remained of the tree shattered under his strength, and Celerous took to the air, floating above the trees to await Fukushu's next move.

Fukushu seemed to pick up on his plan pretty quickly. Not that Celerous was trying to hide it though; it was pretty obvious that he was trying to move this fight to the skies. Cel was certain that he'd stand a better chance at dodging the Heran in the air, as opposed to down in the twisted roots below. Plus, up here, his opponent didn't have any trees to huck at him. The young hybrid could do without getting a thousand little splinters, thank you very much.

"I said I was a farmer," Celerous allowed himself a small smirk, "didn't say I couldn't fight worth a damn."

He tried to keep his martial arts, much like his Saiyan heritage, as much of a secret as he could. But that facade was useless now.

Figuring it was time to stop doddling around, Celerous let out a sigh, and began to gather the ki in his body into throat. He forced his aura to rage around him, as his power expanded beyond his normal limit. He drew in a Heavenly Breath, arching backwards as he did so. It filled his lungs, burning hot like fire, almost searing him from the inside out. The power inside made his esophagus glow white, clearly visible beneath his skin, especially at night.

Fukushu rushed him, arms out presumably to grab him. Celerous didn't give him the chance. With a mighty roar that echoed throughout the forest below, Celerous expelled the power from his lungs. White fire spewed from his mouth like a raging inferno, lighting up the night sky. The true power of his mother's Dragon Style, the Heavenly Breath, was sent Fukushu's way. Celerous didn't know how much damage it could really do to the Heran, but his intent was simply to stop Fukushu in his tracks.

Dealing actual damage could come later, once he was no longer on the back foot.

His attack struck true, a white wave of unstable energy engulfing the Heran. Once the energy dispersed, and the night dimmed once more, Celerous was left looking at a very injured Fukushu. His attack had done far more damage than he'd intended, leaving Fukushu with serious burns on his body. Cel was half tempted to call the fight there, so as to avoid injuring the man any further. He knew, though, that the warrior would refuse a ceasefire. This battle would go on until one of them was unconscious, or surrendered.

He doubted that Fukushu, prideful warrior that he was, would surrender.

The Heran dipped down suddenly, and Celerous worried for a moment that he was planning some sort of attack. Once he disappeared beneath the waters though, the young hybrid understood what he was up to. Water would soothe his burns. It worked out for Celerous too: he was winded from that last attack, being forced to fire it off so quick. Fukushu cleaning his wounds gave him time to collect hit breath.

Fukushu returned from his dip, and had a few choice words for Celerous.

"I'm no warrior, Fukushu," Celerous shook his head, "I haven't seen near as much battle as you have, I reckon. But my parents spent their youth as mercenaries, fighting out in space. And they passed on everything they knew to me. I guess I just picked it up a little better than I thought."

It was then that the Heran rushed him with a ferocity Celerous had yet to see from the man. He started lashing out with kicks, punches, elbows- you name it. Cel, still far from recovered from expending so much energy, was put on the back foot once again. He'd manage to block two or three blows, only for a fourth to catch him in the gut, or upside the head. All the while, he was forced backwards, and downwards.

Fukushu was trying to put him back on the ground. Celerous would just have to wait for an opening, and make sure that didn't happen.

Fukushu just kept on laying into him, pushing him closer and closer to the ground. He wasn't all that far above the river, now. He started to get a little of his momentum back, catching more of the Heran's blows before they made it through. One or two of them made it through, but Celerous held his position in the air with clenched teeth. He refused to be pushed down any further; he wouldn't concede the advantage he had in the air.

Fukushu started running his mouth, which Celerous found he was awfully good at. He clenched his teeth harder, and forced himself not to let the green man's words anger him. Anger would only lead him to be irrational, and that was when he would truly lose his hold over this fight.

"Never said they were helpless," Celerous said between gasps, "they just didn't want to raise a child in space. Wanted to give me a peaceful life."

An uppercut flew past his head, Celerous narrowly tucking away from it, before attempting to deliver a gut punch to Fukushu.

"My father died to give me that life. I won't toss it aside just for your sob story!"

Fukushu taunted him some more, and although rage built in Cel's heart, he refused to let it out. He wouldn't give the Heran what he wanted: that would be tantamount to losing. When the green man came in with a dropkick, Celerous tensed all the muscles in his body. The leg came down, and Cel caught it on his forearm. The sheer force sent shockwaves through him, disturbing the river below, and making his arm numb.

But Celerous didn't budge.

"I don't understand why you need to resort to such personal attacks," Celerous stared Fukushu in the eyes, unflinching, "all they do is reveal the cracks in your own ego. You're ashamed that you're losing to this "momma's boy." A farmer, besting a warrior."