(Pre-Show) The Dojo

[Strazio Rockwell]

Strazio rubbed his arms as he watched his companions leave the park. Their appearance gave him a new kind of resolve; he had entered Dante's Abyss mostly for his own ends. Now he realized that he wasn't just fighting for himself, but rather for the people of Darkshire. What am I doing wasting time here in the park? Now is not the time to rest, I can do that when I've won he thought while walking towards the exit.

The Dojo was a large domed gym, the likes of which Strazio had never seen. He stared in awe at the multitude of equipment and facilities available to contestants. When he was younger Valerie had trained him in not only magick but in body as well. Strazio's brand of magick was incredibly devastating on the user's body, ripping apart muscles and flesh with every spell. It was due to this strain that he had to be in peak physical condition lest his own magick rip him to shreds. But his body was not the issue, no he was in great physical condition minus the plethora of scar tissue covering his skin. No the issue was the fact taht he hadn't fought without using his magick in almost two years, and needless to say he had become rusty over the years.

Fortunantly for the mage the dojo had facilities perfect for shaking off combat rust. Training robots with various skill levels offered contestants a chance to practice their hand-to-hand combat. Removing his cloak and stepping into the ring Strazio picked the most skilled of the combat robots. He stretched out and clapped his hands together, he was ready to take on anything. The prime held up his fist and crouched low before saying the magic words "begin training!" Immediatly the robot came to life, servos and gears whirred as the robot moved into a combat position.

Its metallic voice called out "Combat protocols engaged, beginning training sequence in 3...2...1"

He didn't even have time to react as a metal fist slipped past his guard and cracked him square in the nose. "Motherfucker!" he exclaimed and instinctively held his bleeding nose. The robot gave its opponent no chance to breath and dashed in, kneeing the poor prime in the gut. Strazio fell to his knees on the mat, spilling blood from his noise across the ground. His body sparked with fury as he started to crawl back to his feet, pissed at the mechanical pugilist. Giving no respite and seeking to end this quickly the bot raised its leg high and delivered a brutal axe kick to Strazio's back, flattening him into the ground. Defeated and in extraordinary pain Strazio gasped out "abort training!" The robot powered down and Strazio curled into a fetal position, holding his aching stomach.

"Fucking, bullshit cheapshot" he groaned and wiped the blood from his mouth. If there was one thing that Strazio had it was tenacity. His entire life he had learned how to pick the pieces up and move forward. Almost reluctantly he crawled back to his feet and raised his fists, ready for another round. If I can't beat this thing, I don't even deserve to be here he mentally coached himself.

"Begin training" he shouted, wiping a bit of the blood from his nose.

"Combat protocols engaged, beginning training sequence in 3...2...1"

Prepared and ready to fight Strazio ducked and dodge the robot's first jab, but was caught by surprise with a wicked uppercut. He stumbled backwards, but did not lose his focus. Another jab and another dodge, Strazio was starting to get the hang of its attacks. Unfortunantly he was still slow and the robot sweeped his legs and he came crashing down. The bot stamped on his arm and he cried out in pain "abort training!" He rolled over onto his head and rubbed his bruised arm. Goddammit he pounded his fist against the mat. Battered and bruised, but not defeated he forced himself back to his feet. He clapped his hands together and did a bit of shadow boxing "begin training you cocksucker."

"Combat protocols engaged, beginning training sequence in 3...2...1"

This time he was pissed off moreso than focused. Energy crackled across his body and created small pock marks on his already scarred arms. He wasn't going to wait for the robot to strike he was going to be on the offensive. The prime dashed across the mat and tackled the robot. They both tumbled onto the floor and Strazio did his best to try and pin the robot's arms. His opponent fought back viciously and eventually managed to reverse the grapple. "Dammit!" Strazio yelled as the training bot began to lay into him. The metal combatant knocked the wind out of Strazio. "Abort...abort training" Strazio was finally able to speak out. The robot stood up and reset, leaving the bloodied prime frustrated and beaten. One more time. Just one more the prime thought, forcing his body to its limit as he stumbled to a standing position.

"Begin training."