Javik was right. There was no way in hell John could take on the Mask in a straight-up fight. He had two options: to make a break for Javik to tag out--impossible with the Mask's speed and power--or to figure out a way to outsmart the guy and drain his Essence reserves. Okay, more like one.<br/><br/>John and the Mask closed in again, pummeling one another in a flurry of fists and boots, churning up the earth between them. For a moment, John thought he could catch the Mask in a cross counter. But even that was beyond reach as the Mask tilted his head away from the blow at an angle beyond human limits. John felt his foe's grip close around his neck, even through the segmented orichalcum plates, cutting the blood flow from his carotid arteries. The Mask lifted John up and laughed.<br/><br/>Above the crater, a pair of Cerberus operatives commented on the fight.<br/><br/>'Boy howdy, Mike, this is shaping up to be one hell of a slobberknocker!'<br/><br/>'Damn right, Steve, though it looks like it's gonna be quick because Mascara de los Inviernos is setting up for his Dark Messiah Choke Sla--Wait a minute, what's this? The Solar's got his legs around the Mask's throat! He's got his legs--Mistica! Mistica! By god, the Solar has landed a Mistica on the Mask!'<br/><br/>John had, indeed, countered the Mask, at least for the moment, swinging his legs onto his enemy's neck and using the momentum and his own weight to knock the big luchador down. Before John could even move, however, he felt the Mask grab his leg and hurl him into a nearby prefabricated cabin with such force that he flew out the other side. As he struggled to regain his senses, John saw a massive shadow loom over him.<br/><br/>'Steamroller! Steamroller!' exclaimed the Cerberus announcers, 'the Mask of Winters is going for a steamroller shot!'<br/><br/>John reached out to his side, shuffling the debris until he found a cluster of mining charges. He hurled the explosives upwards, activating the Lightning Draw Stance as he did so. Sparks danced along his fingers as he quick-drew his pistol and emptied it in the span of a heartbeat. Some of the rounds connected with the plasma explosive charges he'd thrown. Others passed harmlessly through the steamroller's chassis. And still others hit the steamroller's fuel tank.<br/><br/>The crowd roared in disapproval as a miniature star engulfed the Mask of Winters...and then erupted into cheers again as a Soulsteel-armored fist lashed out. The Mask of Winters, utterly unfazed by the explosion, buried his arm up to the elbow as he punched into the ground, just barely missing John's groin.<br/><br/>'Silly boy,' the Mask growled, 'the only thing Mascara de los Inviernos sells is<span style="font-style: italic">merchandise</span>!'<br/><br/>John attempted to somersault away, only to catch a vicious backhand from the Mask to the torso. Damage warnings flickered on his display as the impact hurled him into the air. Desperately, he writhed in mid-air, attempting to get a clear line of fire at the Mask. Slapping a fresh heatsink home, John fired again.<br/><br/>'You missed!' exclaimed Joyeuse incredulously.<br/><br/>'And the Solar whiffs the shot!' yelled one of the commentators. 'Bloody hell, that's some of the worst shooting I've ever see--'<br/><br/>John grinned underneath his faceplate. 'I wasn't aiming for him.'<br/><br/>The inferno rounds detonated the other plasma charges scattered at Mascara's feet, knocking him back and obscuring his vision. He even spared a round to shoot off the valve of a far-off oxygen tank, igniting the gas inside and sending it rocketing towards Black Hole Sun. John took his chance and hurled one of the prefab cabins at the Mask's general direction. Predictably, the Cerberus warrior tore the building to shreds, ripping apart plasteel and ceramics with each blow.<br/><br/>'YOU THINK A BUILDING CAN STOP M--'<br/><br/>And then John's power fist emerged from the floor, connecting with the Mask's chin.<br/><br/>'I AM THE BUILDING!'<br/><br/>'Another hit! A proper hit on the Mask of Winters,' roared Steve the Cerberus Trooper. 'That's made the Mask angry, lads! It looks like a piledri--IT'S A PILEDRIVER! TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER! THIS IS VINTAGE MASK OF WINTERS, LADIES AND GENTLEM--<span style="font-style: italic">BY GOD, HE'S JUST THROWN THE SOLAR ACROSS THE DIG SITE! CRASHING WAVE THROW! BY GOD!</span>'<br/><br/>'Joyeuse,' John grunted through gritted teeth, 'tell me this thing has maneuvering thrusters!'<br/><br/>'Pfft. Of course it does!'<br/><br/>'Port side, one second burst, in the direction my right index finger is pointing!'<br/><br/>Immediately, Joyeuse kicked one of the armor's maneuvering jets into gear, blasting John to starboard at an angle that let him ricochet (painfully) off the side of an upturned Mako IFV. His course took him right towards Javik. The commentators noticed the odd course change as well.<br/><br/>'Wait, what the hell is the Solar doi--'<br/><br/>Javik caught John's outstretched hand and pivoted on his foot, twisting and throwing the Solar towards the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile. Javik rode the momentum, turning all the way to face the incoming Mask of Winters with daiklave raised.<br/><br/>Cerberus' crowd went absolutely nuts at this chain of events. 'Tag team! The Solars have tag teamed! Holy hell, you're seeing this here tonight on Galactimania, boys and girls, the fight of the year right here on pay-per-view!'<br/><br/>The Maiden was lethal, certainly. John had caught a few glimpses of her fighting style and moves--she was no slouch in the combat department. However, she wasn't the Mask of Winters. By comparison, she was still new to the job. Easy pickings. Javik's throw took John into punching range well before the Maiden had time to react. Perfect.<br/><br/>'ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!'