One Vs. All: Round 2

     The lone man continued his journey without hesitation, crossing an arid desert where only heat and sand resided. In the distance, he spotted an eccentric character, coming from the opposite way. The character wore a large hat that cast a shadow over his shoulders. As the distance between them closed, more could be seen of this bizarre character. His hat was a Stockman hat with an oversized brim and a large feather tucked in it. He also wore a tan shawl that hid any more discerning features. When the two crossed paths, mere inches past each other, time stood still.
     "Huh... Thought you'd be taller..."
     Time continued and the bizarre man pulled a pistol from his side and aimed it at the lone man's head in an instant. Though, as he pulled the trigger, the lone man dodged by tilting his head. In response, he backhanded the air as he spun around, creating a gigantic gust of wind, mimicking a sandstorm that went on for several seconds. Once the wind and sand settled, the bizarre man was several yards away having a coughing fit, his hat missing.
     "Ugh... Damn, that's one way to introduce yourself." The lone man glared at the bizarre man, executing him with his stare. The bizarre man laughed it off. "You may not be what I expected physically, but that stare tells me all I need to know." He flung off his shawl, revealing the weapons he had beneath. A steel magnum pistol on his side matching the one in his hand and a bizarre blade on his back. At the same time, his hat floated back down, landing on his head. The lone man would have rolled his eyes, but he was annoyed by the man's earlier attempt. He crossed his arms as he stared the man down.
     "You got quite the price on yo head," he drew his second pistol, "and I've never been one to disappoint." He repeatedly fired at the lone man, while the lone man stood still. Somehow none of the bullets touched him, simply vanishing. By the end of the thunder of gunfire, an eerie stillness fell between the two. Only the wind dared to stir. The lone man uncrossed his arms, holding his fists out. When he opened them, crumpled bullets silently cascaded into the sand.
     "Good thing that was only a test..." the bizarre bounty hunter (BBH) commented while reloading. The lone man continued to glare at him. "Now the fun begins!" BBH darted forward and the two clashed, arm to arm. BBH then brought a gun between them, angling upward at the lone man, and pulled the trigger. This ammo was slightly slower than the bullets, but was far more deadly. The lone man dodged again and BBH went into a flurry of strikes and swings with gunfire interwoven. The lone man gritted his teeth as he dodged BBH's seemingly endless onslaught. He planted his feet into the sand and decided to face the ammo. A smile grew on BBH's face. He continuously fired at the lone man and the lone man observed the ammo as he dodged it. His eyes widened from a glare realizing what the ammo was: compressed water. BBH's smile grew wider.
     "Guess there's no point in holding back further," he commented gleefully. He stopped firing, spun his pistols in his hands, and holstered them. This time the lone man rolled his eyes. BBH smirked and drew the sword that was on his back. With it in plain view, you could see that it was a violet, rifle gunblade. The lone man clenched his fists.
     "Twas pleasure meeting you," BBH stared down the sight of his weapon, "and it will be a pleasure calling you in." BBH fired, the shot being much more powerful and accurate than the pistols. BBH repeatedly fired his sniper shots while the lone man dodged them, weaving closer with each shot. BBH abandoned firing at him and charged forward. He skillfully and rapidly swung at the lone man. The lone man continued to dodge his attacks. BBH grit his teeth and added waves of water to his swings. The lone man matched BBH's ability, still dodging all attacks. BBH grew frustrated and added gunfire into the mix. The lone man then swept his legs, knocking him down. From the ground, he fired consecutively at the lone man. The lone man leapt a distance away and BBH jumped up.
     The lone man's expression hardly changed the entire fight and that was one of the things that irritated BBH. "Enough, dag nabit!" BBH shouted, "I'm ending this here!" BBH then did a dance with his blade, moisture thickening in the air, becoming streams around him. "Hydro-Dance: Encore!" He swung his blade, all the streams merging to form a mighty wave. The lone man stood his ground. His eyes eased and a slight smirk crossed his face. The wave crashed upon the lone man, causing him to vanish from sight. BBH gained a huge grin on his face at the thought of his victory.
     Though, the wave then exploded into mist with the lone man completely dry.
     "How?!"
     The lone man darted toward BBH before he could react and uppercutted him. His neck snapped back as he was launched into the air. The lone man watched as his body rose and fell to the ground. On impact, the sand dulled the thud and made a simple poof. He walked over to the corpse and knelt for a moment. He then buried the body in the sand and walked away. As he walked away, BBH's hat floated onto the ground over the resting spot.

Control

Controlling a situation to control the outcome. Though all you can control is how negative the outcome will be.

Controlling a living being to make someone or something you want. Though all that controls is how violent the break free will be.

Controlling an environment to make an "ideal". Though, all you control is how stagnant the environment will be.

Controlling your self to be your best self. Though all you control is how destructive your outburst will be.

Though this is where the difference between mastery and control takes place.

Mastery is learning and understanding something to work along with it.

Control is manipulating and restraining it for your purpose.

Control in itself is an ironic concept. The more you try to control something, the more negatively it will turn out.

The only route to your best outcome,

to what you want,

to your ideal:

Is to release.

Re-lease

Exaggerated Story

     I stood on sandy shores at the precipice of thunderous waves, admiring nature's beauty. I noticed something disturbing the waves. It held my attention, placing a foothold in my mind. When I could no longer ignore its call, I trudged through the powerful waves after it. I was repeatedly pummeled by the ferocious waves, having to halt my march to withstand the assault. More than once, I lost sight of my objective. When I did reach my bounty, my first attempt to retrieve it was fruitless. I knew the bounty would require more might, and I knew just where to get some.
     Once the next wave hit, I let it wash over me and my bounty, sweeping away the sand that buried it, making it easy to pull it from its sandy sheathe. I got a clear look at my reward: a blood-crimson stone with accents of black. The colors combined with its porous texture hinted its volcanic past. It's beauty hypnotized me while its power enticed me. A smile stretched across my face, seeing my worthwhile bounty. I rejoiced as I carried it with me back to my home, adding it to my repertoire of powerful objects.