10/01/05
Characters: Chun-Li, Charlie, Rock, Kim, Xiangfei
Exhibition Yard
Within the confines of the surrounding wall, much of the inner court is
completely open. Here is where the fighters of Strolheim practice and hone
their fighting skills. Krauser teaches a very harsh method of fighting, and
it is not uncommon for the fighters to draw blood in a normal spar. The dirt
of the fighting ring is stained with such spills, but the fighters seem not
to notice. Off to the side rests a two-story building, presumably the fighter
barracks.
[Exits : Out to Castle ]
The exhibition area is thick with an atmosphere of excitement, the crowds baying
support for either of the arriving teams - or just for a damn good fight. Like
every other bout of this tournament, today's promises to be a spectacular match.
Unlike other high-level tourneys though, there is no cheesy build-up, no
constantly jabbering announcer and no flashy lights. The stage is set simply
through anticipation of the promised warriors. The audience knows what they have
come to see, and nothing more is necessary...
Chun-Li is first to make an appearance, striding through a respectful valley in
the audience with an intense expression upon her face. She looks curiously stern
today - more than simply the stoicism of battle clouding her expression - and
has barely spoken even to her pupil before heading out into the exhibition yard.
Odd, considering the time since she last saw her comrade in arms Charlie.. it
would be forgiveable to say the last for one to expect that she be quite joyous
beneath the usual intensity. A reunion with a friend and a fight without a hint
of bitterness in its chemistry. Only well-respected and honourable warriors
here... but still she frowns, dark brown eyes set in stone as she steps up onto
the central stage.
The Chinese woman pauses then, to lift up one foot at a time and adjust the
blue-and-yellow sneakers upon her feet. On setting her second foot back to the
floor, she strides out towards one edge of the platform and then casts a glance
towards the crowded avenue for the emergence of Rock. She strode out ahead after
offering him brief, and curt, words of encouragement. The last thing in case her
ill mood was not so painfully obvious already.. is that she offers no bow to the
crowd, falling into a neutral stance after her glance pupil-ward. A happy bunny,
she is not.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has started a fight here on the left meter side.
Charlie is next to appear on the battlefield in much the same manner as Chun,
having already performed his prefight ritual. Unlike in training fights, his
boots are off; in this particular case, his jacket has also been shed leaving
only a form-fitting white T-shirt-- he expects nothing less than a terrific
beating from his opponent, and would rather not damage anything sensitive that
he usually keeps in his pocket. His glasses are off, as well-- he is clearly
anticipating a fierce battle today. He gives Chun-Li a single momentary nod as
he enters, but that's it. He's not here to talk, he's here to fight and maybe
teach the students involved a thing or two.
COMBATSYS: Charlie has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
"Okay, teach. Looks like it's go time, huh?" Walking out from the crowd and
pressing his way through the spectators to get to the ring, the second half of
Chun-Li's team arrives without much in the way of fanfare. He looks like he's
just getting ready; even as he walks, he's in the process of pulling his
trademark jacket and riding gloves on. Eventually, though, Rock is 'in position'
standing a few feet to Chun-Li's left. Looping his thumbs through the belt loops
on his pants, Rock spares a moment to size up the competition, before sneering a
little and remarking, mostly to Chun-Li. "Right. So, what's the plan?"
COMBATSYS: Rock has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
The last fighter to make his appearance in the ring is Kim Kaphwan,
national hero in his homeland of Korea and Charlie's 'student'. As he makes his
way into the center of the exhibition yard, a large contigent of fans leap out
of their seats, cheering his arrival - many of them waving around tiny Korean
flags. He stops next to his partner without a word, simply offering the man a
glance and a cheerful nod. Time to see if he learned anything in his short
training session with the former soldier.
COMBATSYS: Kim has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
Chun-Li returns Charlie's nod with the best smile she can muster. It's good to
see the ex-soldier, and there's an unmistakeable crack in her stony glower for a
fleeting moment, a vague expression of warmth passing through. Vague but... warm
enough, though likely her friend can pick up on something very
uncharacteristically wrong. This is no Shadaloo issue. When the smile fades, the
powerful Chinese woman's eyes slide away from Charlie and slip left towards her
student. Her voice when it comes is business-like, clearly the matter of the
fight not forgotten.. perhaps her mood will even fuel her strength, but this
remains to be seen.
"Just do your best, Rock... follow my lead, but use your instincts. I trust you
well enough." A true enough statement. And the heir to Strolheim has proven
himself in her eyes, and then some. There'll be no disappointment in /his/
performance, of that she's certain. Her own is for once in doubt - Chun-Li is
unsure how well she will be able to fight, though the answer is relatively
simple:
She'll fight the best she can.
There's one final gesture before the fight is joined. Turning back towards her
and Rock's two opponents, she brings her hands up to her chest with an audible
clink of those studded bracelets. "Best of luck..." she murmurs, before bending
at the waist into a very exact and formal bow. She may not be paying 'proper'
respect to the audience, but some things cannot be forsaken. While bent, her
gaze takes in Kim with some care. The Korean hero's dojo in Southtown was
something of a breeding ground for her currently downcast nature. It's rather
foolish that they've never crossed paths before, but now they will.
The stage is set. The woman straightens, slips into her stance, and soon after?
It begins.
Chun-Li is wasting no time, breaking her briefly held ready posture to dash
forward directly toward Charlie. She feels she's improved a great deal since
they last fought together, and much like she recently tested Guile, she desires
this match for personal reasons. It is only natural that he should be her
target, and she's setting up to give him a painful welcome as she bends lithely
at the waist, setting the fingers of her right hand to the floor and tumbling
off their pressure. She flips heels over head, and then thrusts those powerful
legs out to either side, spinning into the series of rapid strong kicks so well
known to so many friends and opponents... "SPINNING BIRD KICK!"
But there was one person who wasn't particularly leaping out of her seat for
Kim. Take a wild guess who that would be? Li Xiangfei, the self proclaimed
'Heavenly Hip-Hop Honey' has decided to sneak from her hotel room, despite the
command that she get plenty of rest so he r injuries could heal. NOT TODAY, PAL!
Sitting, accompanied with her bag of various breads, our little Chinese waitress
that could spectates quietly, as it kind of hurts to yell, her eyes sparkling
like a chila having seen santa at the sight of none other than Chun-Li. Watching
this would be the only way to get over her depression, she thinks! No offense to
Kim or Charlie but, "They're both totally screwed!" *chomp*
COMBATSYS: Charlie dodges Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick.
Charlie /doesn't/ notice anything wrong in Chun-Li's demeanor; he's perceptive,
yes, but that perception is usually applied to fighting. He's no expert on
matters of the heart, as much as he'd like to be. He turns to his student, and
gives a quick nod. "Remember what I told you. Vary it up a little-- throw
something at them they don't expect."
As the fight begins, Charlie calls out, "Good luck!" to the battlefield, before
exploding into motion not unlike Chun-Li. He moves hard to the right, narrowly
getting out of the way of her spin-kick-- it'd have caught his jacket, were he
wearing it. That was a close one. "Good form," he interjects quickly, before
retaliating-- if Chun-Li wants to attack him, he'll respond in kind. He takes a
few rapid steps toward Chun-Li, and then swings a leg up and at her-- not as
aesthetically pleasing as her spin-kick, but it gets the job done.
Rock remains in place as Chun-Li and Charlie launch at one another. His jacket
even flutters in the wind kicked up by the power of Chun-Li's Spinning Bird
Kick; but he, himself, remains mostly undisturbed as he takes a few steps
forward, towards Kim, holding both hands up for a moment. "Alright, hold your
horses. Looks like the 'teachers' are going to keep each other occupied. So I
guess it's you and me for now, right? I don't know too much about you, but...
Well, good luck, pal! Reppuken!" Rock starts the fight off swiftly, as his right
palm begins to blaze with purple flame. Whipping his palm before him, the young
Howard propels a wave of chi towards his chosen opponent, clenching his fist in
front of his face as the last remnants of chi bleed from his fingertips.
"Okay... here I come!"
COMBATSYS: Kim blocks Rock's Reppuken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Kim
Gazing across the field of battle at his two opponents, Kim listens
intently to his partner's words of advice as he rolls up the sleeves on his Tae
Kwon Do gi, exposing his well-toned arms. Returning Chun-Li's bow, he's not at
all surprised when she makes the initial move - rushing towards Charlie with the
first attack of the match. Looks like the teachers are going to be squaring off
against eachother, leaving Kim to deal with..
Rock. Taking a few steps towards the young Howard, Kim eyes him up and down
- he knows little of what the child is ccapable of, only that he recieved
training from both Geese -and- Terry, no doubt making him a capable fighter.
"Good luck.." returns the Korean man, even as the wave of chi energy slides
along the floor towards him. Rather than lunge out of the way of the incoming
projectile, Kim takes a rather unexpected course of action, running towards it
and actually stomping a foot -down- onto the reppuken and attempting to jump off
it. The resulting explosion helps to propel him upwards, the TKD champ sailing
high into the air - waiting until he's close to Rock before changing his
trajectory, angling down towards the top of the kid's head with a serious of
brutal stomps as he descends.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Charlie's Step Kick.
Good form? Perhaps.. Chun-Li certainly doesn't feel /handicapped/, not
physically at least, and as she unfolds from her trademark technique and lands
in a tight crouch opposite the incoming Charlie her mental faculties seem to be
reasonable as well. There's so much to think about, but all she can spare is the
fight.. she has to focus, to see only with the eyes of a warrior. Not those of a
woman.
Tensing her fingertips quickly to the floor, she waits until the last possible
instant before rushing to her feet, twisting her tightly clad form to spin
around the very point of Charlie's incoming foot and then duck into a whiplash
pirouette that carries her around to his flank. As she comes to a stop, her
right leg is already lifting high, her arms splaying about for balance with
accustomed perfection before the limb snaps out in a kick aimed for her
comrade's chest. Its purpose is to spin the former soldier around and prepare
him for the machine-gun round of strikes that follow, the woman's leg becoming a
frightening blur as it hammers him head to toe. Another well-known attack..
she's holding nothing back, and her punctuations for each blow are filled with
their usual martial intensity.
"YA! YA! YA! YA!"
COMBATSYS: Charlie blocks Chun-Li's Hyakuretsu Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Kim
Charlie is no slouch; he's seen this technique before, and he readies himself
for it almost immediately. Arms go up to block that first kick, keeping him
from being spun around too hard by the shock of the blow; he continues to move
his arms as fast as they'll go, barely managing to block most of the kicks.
"You're better than the last time I saw you," he continues-- this is good.
Strength is necessary in their line of work.
Charlie launches himself straight forward at Chun-Li, trying to get her on the
defensive; Mr. Nash is not as good on the defensive as he is the offensive, and
to be truly effective he needs to have Chun-Li on the run. He pushes into the
air with a small hop, and raises his knee high, aiming it squarely for the
Strongest Woman In The World's stomach.
COMBATSYS: Rock fails to counter Hishou Kyaku from Kim with Gedan Crack Counter.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Kim
Xiangfei glances a little more closely to the pair-ups this time.. Charlie she
actually doesn't recognize too well, but she nearly chokes on her bread when he
evades the Spinning Bird Kick, "*glrk*!" She shakes a fist in retaliation, then
glances toward Rock, a light blush forming on her cheeks. He's kind of cute!
Rock's quick, but he's not quite fast enough to avoid Kim. Kim's kick hits him
squarely on the shoulder. Rock staggers back, landing on one knee momentarily.
He's not /too/ hurt, but... well, the real damage is probably going to be done
to his pride and his tempo, and not to his body. "... Yep." He comments briefly,
bounding back up to his feet. "You're definitely a Tae Kwon Do /champ/, that's
for sure."
After his foot slams down onto Rock's shoulder from above, the agile Kim
uses the man's body as a point of departure, backflipping away from the man and
landing a short distance from his opponent. His feet have barely touched the
gound before he takes off towards the young Howard yet again - if this were a
friendly match, perhaps he wouldn't be pressing the attack so hard, but this is
a tournament.. and he doesn't want to disappoint Charlie.
Keeping the soldier's advice in the back of his mind at all times, Kim
keeps looking for ways to surprise his opponent with unexpected moves, but he's
not going to force anything. Whatever comes naturally in the flow of the fight
is going to be his course of action, closing the distance between him and Rock
and reaching out with both hands. The TKD champ attempts to grab hold of the
back of the man's jacket and pull it up over his head, hopefully distracting the
kid enough to allow Kim a chance to thrust a powerful knee up into his gut. Not
something he would usually do, but Charlie told him to take advantage of
anything he can get his hands on..
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Charlie's Knee Bazooka.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Kim
If only Charlie knew... the things that have happened during her intended
respite. Revelations: a young girl working for Vega, whose abilities nearly
matched Chun-Li's own. Then a near-crushing of the man she's hunted for all her
adult life, that was cut short only when he fled her punishing legs. And then,
the revenge. A brutal tearing down at the dictator's hand and then a further
encounter with the clawed maniac Balrog, from which the beautiful and deadly
woman now bears a triad of scars stretching the length of her torso. It's been
an eventful time and they have much to catch up on - after the battle. For now,
his only response is another small smile, and a brief glint in the eye of his
opponent as she finishes her relatively ineffective combination.
Chun-Li knew he'd remain so far ahead of her speed. He's seen all these
techniques before, helped her refine them and refine herself. This is no
ordinary battle, much like the one against Guile in distant Seattle... but here,
the tables are turned. She finds herself in Guile's place, throwing her hands to
the centre of her body the instant her leg sets down to the stage. "Nngh!" She
grits her teeth against the force of Charlie's knee, staggering back a short way
before managing another breathless smile. This is taking her mind off things, if
only a little... "I've tried my best," she belatedly replies to his words, then
shoots a glance back across her left shoulder as she takes a voluntary step
back. She's not forgotten her young prodigy.
"We'll talk again later, Charlie. It's good seeing you again." The last sentence
is left on the winds as the Tai Chi mistress lunges away from her friend, taking
two sprinting steps towards the other pair before launching herself into an
arcing leap. Kim may be able to lay another hit upon Rock, but by the time he
does he's got another problem - a knee coming down for the back of his neck,
Chun-Li straightening out in the air and riding the winds down toward the TKD
champ. "Rock!" Her only warning comes a precious half-second before the intended
contact point of her strike... she hopes it's enough to make something of this.
"Good seeing you too," Charlie can't help but say, as he breaks off from Chun-Li
in a similar manner. If she's going to pick on the 'student', it'll be good
practice for Kim. He should probably give her student a chance to deal with
something a little rougher, too.
Scanning the arena in mere moments, Charlie tracks down Rock-- and immediately
begins to run at the less experienced fighter, full force. As he closes the
distance, he takes to the air with another small, angled hop, and /spins/ toward
the younger Howard, with fist outstretched. Assuming he's calculated his path
right, the back of his fist -should- make impact with Rock's face, though any
number of factors might change that.
COMBATSYS: Rock blocks Kim's Sakkyaku Nage.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Kim
COMBATSYS: Charlie successfully hits Rock with Spin Back Knuckle.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Rock 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Kim
So much for the 'two on two' thing. But there are no rules against ganging up
one person -- which is precisely what happens. Rock's quick enough to slide back
and away from Kim, managing to keep his jacket nicely on his shoulders... and
he's fast enough to get his forearms up in time to catch Kim's powerful knee
before it can do severe damage. But, as Kim pushes him back, just barely... Rock
finds himself being socked in the face. And Charlie's punch? Not really
something you want to take.
Head snapped forward by the blow, Rock apparently chomps down on his tongue or
something, because he spits out a mouthful of blood in the process from the
brutality of the attack. Staggered momentarily, Rock's red eyes flash into focus
as he realizes one thing: Chun-Li and Kim are both practically right on top of
him, simultaneously. As the cobwebs shake out, Rock begins to track three
things: Charlie's location (punching him in the back of his head), Kim's
location (kneeing him in the chest), and Chun-Li's location (in mid-air, heading
towards them). The timing, in other words, is just right. Gritting his teeth as
he is surrounded by opponents, Rock clenches both fists above his head, each
palm blazing with purple chi flames... before hammering /both/ straight into the
ground. The result is a torrent of chi bleeding out from every point on his
body, swirling around his person and hopefully catching those right on top of
him -- His opponents -- and leaving Kim stunned and wide open by the time
Chun-Li arrives in a few moments. "Raging... ... STOOOOOOOOOOORM!" -- A
technique all but designed for situations like this, surrounded on all sides. A
technique that seems designed /specifically/ to discourage opponents from doing
so.
COMBATSYS: Kim blocks Rock's Raging Storm.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Kim
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Kim with Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Kim
Ah, the technique that could be called the legacy of the Howard family -
the Raging Storm. Kim was sure he would see it in this fight, but could never
have imagined that it would be utilized so soon by his opponent - perhaps owing
to the absolutely brutal punch that Charlie had just delivered. Whatever the
cause for Rock playing his trump card so quickly, Kim still has the presence of
mind to do whatever he can to lessen the damage caused - backing off a step and
raising his forearms to cover his face as the chi energy rushes up from the
ground below.
Unfortunately, the Storm -did- succeed in allowing Chun-Li's attack to
catch the Korean off-guard. With a grunt of surprise, Kim falls forward as he is
struck in the back of the neck by the Chinese woman's knee, placing two palms on
the floor to stop himself from hitting it face-first. Rather than scramble back
to his feet, Kim instead glances behind him at his second, far more skilled
opponent - he had hoped that her and Charlie would keep eachother busy, but
apparently not. Remaining on his hands and knees, the TKD champ thrusts one foot
backwards, aiming to slam the appendage into Chun-Li's stomach with sickening
force.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Kim's Heavy Kick.
As she flies overhead, garnering a few pleased gasps from her admirers in the
crowd - and perchance a disgruntled face or two at the lack of an upskirt today
- Chun-Li glances downward at the state of Rock. It seems Charlie has beat her
to the chase, though just barely, and Rock is even quicker again with that
impressive chi of his.. not something he demonstrated in their bout, but a
technique she recognises. More like his father than she knew. But it makes
sense, and brings a swell of confidence in the youth despite the minor beating
he's taken so far... this is far from over. Something she knows only too well
now that she catches the hastily defensive Korean with a slamming blow to the
base of his neck. It's a good blow.. a reassurance that her form is not lost.
Feeling the warmth of the dissipating 'Storm, the Chinese woman lands gracefully
from her rebound with the ribbons fluttering in her hair and her fringe
billowing a little in the remaining winds. Her student will be powerful one
day... very powerful. A thought that does not distract her from Kim's vicious
bucking kick, and she springs back with focused calm, before dropping down onto
one palm and thrusting herself forward.
"HYAH!" In keeping with the flurry of famous strikes, this is one Chun-Li is not
alone in using: the Assassin Kick, both her sneakered feet coming forward in a
bone-crunching attempt to topple Kim completely by striking his own mighty legs
from under him.
COMBATSYS: Rock successfully hits Charlie with Raging Storm.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Kim
Charlie /tries/ to move away from the mighty storm Rock puts forward, but it's
little use-- he's too close at this point. The attack tears into him, sending
him back a good distance, and putting a /surprising/ dent into him-- he really
wasn't expecting that from the 'student' ranks. Good, though-- it's nice to see
the 'younger' generation really giving a positive showing.
However, this also proves Rock to be a tremendous threat. As such, Charlie
decides to continue his assault on the younger Howard, rather than moving back
to Chun-Li; pushing forward to close the distance once again, he grabs at Rock,
hoping to get a good, solid hold of him.
COMBATSYS: Charlie successfully hits Rock with Dragon Suplex.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Rock 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Kim
And get that hold he does, clearly. Charlie hangs on tight, and throws the
entirety of his body backward, slamming Rock down on the ground; he follows
through, pushing off with that momentum and landing, feet first, on Rock's other
side.
You page, "Try and leave space for me to get back on Charlie this round
though... at least you can take a couple of Kim's hits. c.c I was gonna switch
again /this/ round, but.. the circumstances weren't exactly right." to Rock.
... Rock is apparently not as tremendous a threat as he initially assumed. The
moment Kim seems to survive the Raging Storm, Rock is already following up, both
of his hands still gleaming with chi as he hurls each one at Kim. "Double...
REPPU--" It's no good, though. He gets caught by Charlie and just... hurled into
the dirt, every part of him that hits the ground being absolutely ruined by the
monster of a man that is Charlie. And then the military guy stomps on his chest,
and the distinct snapping of several ribs can be heard as Rock groans with pain,
before his entire body just... goes limp, as a direct result of that. Rock isn't
staying in this fight much longer.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Kim with Strong Kick.
COMBATSYS: Rock successfully hits Kim with Double Reppuken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Rock 1/------=/=======|=======\====---\1 Kim
Standing back to his feet as Chun-Li bounds out of range of his kick, Kim
soon finds his own legs taken out from under him. The Chinese woman's attack
lands, toppling Kim to the ground - just in time to land on an attack from his
second opponent. The Double Reppuken explodes in a shower of chi energy, sending
the Korean's fallen body flying a few feet away, before striking the ground with
a dull *thud*. Letting out a low groan, the TKD champ nevertheless stumbles back
to a standing position, his battered body swaying back and forth and he attempts
to get his head straight.
He can barely stand up, but with a final burst of energy he summons the
strength to run towards Rock, leveling a quick kick to the side of the man's
knee. If it strikes, it should be enough to throw off the young Howard's
defenses - leaving him opponent to a brutal beating from the Korean man, who
follows up with a series of roundhouses, snap-kicks, jump-kicks, and then
finally finishes it off by leaping high into the air and bringing one leg
crashing down across Rock's shoulder. After completing this combination, Kim
takes on the mannerisms of a puppet who just had his strings cut, his body going
limp as he falls to the floor.
COMBATSYS: Kim has reached second wind!
The hard snap of feet on flesh tells Chun-Li she's succeeded long before any
other indicator, her eyes having already roamed past Kim towards his 'teacher'.
That kick has proven deadly to more than one man, and here it's proved itself
again - with a little help from the Wolf's protg. And when those two purple
streaks hammer home, their passing is joined by the passing of one Chinese
martial artist! She shoves herself up directly onto her feet and dashes past the
fallen TKD fighter to take the fight to more even ground once again.
"KOUKEN!" The cry is already breaking her lips as she runs, hands having flown
to her hip and beginning to glow with a soft blue light before in one smooth
motion they're flung forward, palms out toward Charlie. A golden pinpoint
flares, and Chun-Li's front is lit with the glow as her honed projectile flashes
on towards the ex-soldier with all the speed of a bullet at its disposal. It
might be a moment before she realises Kim is still up and pumping, focused as
she is with her eyes narrowing and feet continuing to tear up the stage directly
behind her chi attack.
COMBATSYS: Charlie overcomes Kikou Ken from Chun-Li with Sonic Break.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Rock 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Kim
Charlie's no slouch by any means-- he knows Chun-Li, and he knows that it's
really no use trying to deal with her attacks by dodging. No, that's a terrible
idea-- the only way to deal with it is to either roll with the pain, or break
through the attack. And in this fight, Charlie's decided, it's time to break
through the attack-- blocking isn't doing too well.
The second he sees the Kikouken charge, he moves back as quickly as possible,
faint aura surrounding his limbs; this isn't perhaps the best lesson for Kim,
given that this is at least a little on the predictable side, but at the moment
it's what works. As the 'fireball' flies, Charlie swings a fist out at full
strength, sending a Sonic Boom out; moments later the other fist swings, and
then both legs come up in a vicious one-two kick, all followed by those same
swirls of light.
COMBATSYS: Rock counters Hou'ou Kyaku from Kim with Joudan Crack Counter.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Rock 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Kim
He's broken. He's battered. But he's not done yet. His ribs? More than a few are
cracked. His mouth? It tastes like he's chewing on an iron bar. His willpower?
Not extinguished. Not yet -- Not a chance. By the time the beaten Rock leans
forward onto his knees, Kim is already coming his way. Spitting to his left and
leaving behind a mouthful of blood, Rock practically snarls as he pushes his
shattered body into motion. Lunging onto his feet, Rock grunts, both arms rising
into the air. "You're good... but I refuse to get stopped here! Sorry, pal...
you can scatter the firewood, but you can't put out the fire!" Two arms snap
upwards, as Rock seizes Kim's first kick with both hands and tugs him straight
down, flipping straight forward with one burst of energy and bringing his foot
down like a hammer on the Taekwondo fighter's shoulder.
Looks like Kim doesn't get the luxury of simply collapsing to the ground
once he finishes his kicking combination, or even pulling it off in the first
place. His initial kick grabbed out of the air, the Korean hero finds himself on
the receiving end of a rather painful kick to the shoulder, knocking him down to
one knee. He's down, but not out - the impact seems to have brought Kim back
into the fight, and rather than simply collapse he summons the strength to force
himself back to his feet. Staring at Rock, he begins to speak.
"You're good, kid. Must be in the blood. Let's hope you make some better
choices than your father did."
That said, Kim turns and dashes -away- from Rock, back towards his teacher
and Chun-Li. He can tell that the Howard kid is on his last legs, but so is he
for that matter.. but before he gets taken out of this fight for good, he's
determined to give Charlie a little bit of help. His long stride carrying him
across the fighting area with swiftness, Kim plants one foot on the ground and
leaps high into the air - coming down towards Chun-Li with another series of
stomps, mimicing his opening attack against Rock.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Charlie's Sonic Break.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Kim's Hishou Kyaku.
If she weren't so intent upon her 'prey', Chun-Li might crack another smile.
Seeing her Kikouken overwhelmed is no regular occurrence - she's even watched it
flash into Vega before he could react with his own glittering energy ball. And
now her eyes behold it being overpowered completely by the assault of her
powerful partner. She's not holding long on this spectacle though, and as those
whiplash streaks tear towards her, they meet only the air and the wide eyes of
the crowd as she /launches/ herself directly upward, executing a spinning triple
somersault into the sky above. It's the kind of moment that will see replays
time and again, though still lacking in what she achieved over her nemesis...
but what happens next only accentuates the spectacle further.
The devastating array of Charlie's energies, and those two final kicks: evaded,
scattered unto nothing. But as she starts to fall back to the floor, tucking her
legs up to enter an aerial crouch, the Chinese warrior is met with the bruised
but exuberant form of Kim Kaphwan. Another 'could be a smile' moment, her deep
brown eyes taking him in sidelong as he thunders in to bat her from the air with
a bicycling assault. Is to be? ...not now, not today. Her glowering manner now
given totally over to focus on the fight, and this alone, Chun-Li spins her body
on an axis, whipping her legs out to aid the momentum as she tumbles /around/
the airborne Tae Kwon Do master. She's back on her descent toward Charlie before
he'll even realise she's gone.
And what a descent she makes it, turning into one final somersault that ends
with what can only be described as a plummet - a guillotining manouevre,
breathtaking in majesty as the woman kicks out one of those legs right in front
of her, the other tucked up underneath her and her arms held out for balance. As
she falls toward the man below, chi begins to flow off the upside of her
extended limb, ripping a gigantic tear in the fabric of the atmosphere... it's a
kick anyone would be proud of, even she. But does it have a remote chance of
striking?
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Charlie with Strong Kick.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\\\ < > /// ]
Rock 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Kim
Xiangfei is just munching on her bread, eyes wide in bewilderment at all the
insanity going on here- And wonders for a moment if any of the spectators can
even follow what's going on in a lot of these attacks. SHE certainly can! And
when Chun-Li so gracefully dodges not only the projectile the overcame the
kikoken as well as Kims flurry of stomps she's moved. Moved to tears, they
streaming down her cheeks like minature waterfalls, "....Mmnnn..Waaaah!! She's
so-- Gllk.." she clutches her throat and wheezes as she chokes on her bread for
a moment, and spits it off to the side, "Woah.. *wheeze* .. That was close."
Charlie moves to the side again, trying desperately to get out of the way of
Chun-Li's violent kick; needless to say, he fails. Her sneaker strikes him
square in the chest, knocking him back and -almost- onto the ground; it's clear
to him, at this point, that he's not going to win by taking the fight, one on
one, to Chun-Li...
So needless to say, he switches tactics once again, doing a quick scan of the
area for Rock. In another oh so familiar, tried and true tactic, Charlie picks
up to super-human speeds, rushing as fast as he possibly can at the younger
Howard... and as he nears, simply sticks his fist out once, for a split second.
Not very elegant by any stretch, or very powerful... but incredibly fast. What
Charlie's hoping is that the heavily injured fighter won't know what hit him.
COMBATSYS: Rock blocks Charlie's Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\\ < > /// ]
Rock 1/----===/=======|===----\-------\0 Kim
Rock knows /exactly/ what is about to hit him. As Chun-Li leaves Kim's Hisou
Kyaku without a target, Rock is rushing into action. Sprinting towards the
Taekwondo ace, Rock has one obstacle in his path on the route to his intended
foe: Charlie, and the humongous power behind his own unique martial art. "You're
going to have to do better than poke me, pal... just because I'm a 'student'
doesn't mean I'm going to let you take me down with something like that!" It's
fast, but Rock... Rock is on the ball. Thrusting his forearms to the side that
Charlie is singing, Rock soaks the blow and just keeps charging forward towards
Kim.
Launching himself at Kim through the air, Rock downright howls as he thrusts
one fist straight ahead as he takes a swing. And, the moment he's about to make
contact, a spout of chi is generated from the tip of Rock's fist, excess energy
streaming over his forearm and bleeding over his shoulder, momentarily taking
the shape of a wing -- an angel's wing. And that might be precisely what Rock
needs right now: A miracle. But rather than waiting for one to happen, it seems
Rock doing everything he can to create his own.
COMBATSYS: Kim dodges Rock's Rage Run Dunk.
And just that like, his target is gone, leaving Kim to land on the ground
lightly, wheeling around to catch sight of his opponent absolutely batter
Charlie with a powerful kick to the chest. His brow furrowing, obviously
displeased with how this fight has turned out so far, the Korean man seems
somewhat relieved when his teacher rushes off to take care of Rock. At least
it'll give Kim the chance to knock Chun down a few pegs before Charlie has to
worry about her.. or so he hopes.
Maintaining his silence in the fight, the TKD champ says nothing as he
takes two long strides towards the Chinese woman. Glancing to the side, he
notices Rock rushing head-long towards him - leaping into the air once again, he
evades the young Howard's attack and flies feet-first towards Chun-Li. Things
may not be looking good, but he can't give up.. he can't ever give up.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Kim's Heavy Kick.
Chun-Li's screaming beast of a kick ploughs onward after it makes contact, to
see the woman land perfectly upon the floor of the stage, her arms shifting to
account for the new solidity underfoot. Her eyes snap onto Charlie and she gives
a curt nod... it signifies the truth in what he said earlier. She's got better.
A lot better, far enough improved that she's feeling more ready to fight
Shadaloo on their own terms more and more with each passing battle. It was no
fluke that saw her defeat Southtown's Hungry Wolf, and this has been no mere
lucky streak either - she's simply sharpened to a deadly point, a weapon ready
to draw the blood it has hungered after for so long.
...as soon as affairs of the heart can be settled, to avoid the bluntness upon
such an edge. The reminder brings about a slight twinge, and it's this that
gives Charlie his time to break away toward Rock. The woman is on his trail, but
by the time she rises and goes to turn her attack upon him once more - to
challenge him, her lips even parting to call such - she finds herself assailed
by that plucky Korean once more. "You're good, Kim!" She gasps out as she ducks
to the side, letting him fly past her. "But my student is a better opponent for
you now..." A put down? It doesn't sound vicious, and it isn't meant in such a
way.. it's simply a statement of fact. This is not a game Kim can play to win
against her, not with their physical difference now - she is unharmed but for
the force of her own exertion, and he?
It's not given any more thought, Chun-Li's words trailing behind her as she
continues towards Charlie, harnessing another flashing handful of chi at her
side. "Come on, Charlie! I've got better, but I'm sure I've not surpassed you
yet - KOUKEN!" Again her palms are thrust forward toward the military warrior,
flashing with a golden pinpoint that continues onward towards his busy form.. it
may not beat him to Rock, but as the blue sheath forms around the gold and the
projectile lances forward it should still provide some distraction.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Charlie with Kikou Ken.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\\ < > //// ]
Rock 1/----===/=======|===----\-------\0 Kim
Charlie tries to get out of the way of the Kikouken this time, having just about
exhausted his options; needless to say, his initial assessment was correct-- it
absolutely fails. Blasted back, Charlie's ribs can be heard cracking; he's
really getting hurt in this fight, and he needs to take a much more aggressive
tone if he expects to pull out a victory. Jumping back toward Chun-Li /again/,
he snaps a leg up as hard as he can, trying to beat her at what is essentially
her own game.
Breathe, Rock. Stay on your feet. Your teammate needs you. Red eyes go in and
out of focus as the blond youth tries to stay in the fight... and, a momentarily
lapse of people trying to beat the crap out of him gives him precisely the
chance he needs to get it together. Rock's vision snaps into full focus as he
fixes his eyes on the target that just evading him in favor of attacking
Chun-Li. "Hey, oyaji..." Huffing and puffing with fatigue, Rock once again runs
full forward and lunges forward through the air, "Didn't you hear the lady?! I'm
your opponent today, and you better not forget me! Crack... SHOOT!" Looks like
Rock is doing something different with the attacks he already has: Ripped
straight from the Book of Terry, Rock's Crack Shoot is aimed right at Kim's
neck, meant solely to take him down with one almost surgical attack.
COMBATSYS: Rock successfully hits Kim with Joudan Crack Counter.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\ < > / ]
Rock 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kim
"I agree, Chun-Li," states Kim simply - Rock -is- a better opponent for
him, there's little doubt of that. "I had hoped you would see fit to let us have
our fight in peace, but I suppose it was not to be." After all, the Chinese
woman came after him first, he's just returning the favour now.. besides, he has
little doubt that Charlie could handle the Howard kid, but no one seems able to
pin Chun-Li down long enough to get a hit in on her.
Of course, he doesn't even get the chance for a final attack on his agile
female opponent, as the almost-forgotten Rock makes his presence known once
again. Well, Kim certainly isn't going to forget Rock after -that- monster of an
attack, the blow striking him in the neck - causing his head to snap to the side
and his body to go limp as he falls, like a rag-doll, to the ground below.
There's to be no third burst of energy for the resilient Korean man.. he's
failed - himself, his teacher, and his country.
COMBATSYS: Kim has left the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li fails to interrupt Heavy Kick from Charlie with Tenshou
Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Chun-Li 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Charlie
[ \\ <|
Rock 1/---====/=======|
Watching Charlie's small leap with a careful eye, the Tai Chi mistress steps
forward to meet his attack, crossing her arms about her chest as if to take the
blow... but at the last instant she spins about to let the kick slam across her
back. It doesn't help. Intending to sink low with the pressure from the booted
foot's application, instead Chun-Li is sent stumbling forward, a shockwave of
pain rocking her body. It's good to see she wasn't wrong, at least... Charlie
still has fight left in him. She hasn't transcended everything she once held in
such high regard - how could she have?
It's a comforting thought, and one that allows her to roll through with the
blow, landing on one outstretched forearm and rolling over the braceleted limb,
coming to in a crouch a short distance away, spinning about to face her partner
with a grin threatening on her lips. "That.. was a good one, Charlie... been
going easy on me?"
Charlie nods, with a wide grin. "Maybe a little," he replies, with a quick
crack of his knuckles... followed by a burst of motion. He slides toward
Chun-Li at high speeds, but the slide is not his attack; as he nears, he
launches himself skyward, feet first, a wave of light tearing through the air
after his feet. "But I can see you're getting sharper. It's time to get
serious."
"Sensei!" As Kim goes down, Rock senses his opportunity. This time, he charges
-- he charges straight ahead and into thhe struggle between Chun-Li and Charlie.
With his first round opponent overcome, this is Rock's time to shine. "You want
to see my best, teach?! Well... looks like you're going to get your wish! Here
goes... the best I have to give! Hey, Travolta... you better not take your
attention off of me!" Rock follows the quick jab at Charlie's hair with
something else: A quick kick, directed towards the military warrior. A fairly
simple kick, too. What's Rock got up his sleeve?
COMBATSYS: Charlie dodges Rock's Deadly Rave Neo.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Charlie's Somersault Shell.
Chun-Li's eyes flash as she watches Charlie prime himself for the next attack,
and she tenses her body in preparation after offering three simple words. "I
can't wait." But she does... and she even glances briefly to Rock, trying to
catch his eye - to assert that the youth stay out of this. It's too late though,
and she sees his assault so nimbly evaded before it can begin in truth.
Leaving her to deal with the planned assault. And when it comes? Well... it's
certainly been a while. Chun-Li faced the variant on this very move only a few
months ago, that practiced by Charlie's friend and pupil, but as she sees the
former soldier lunge forward and hurl himself into that soaring flip-kick she
feels right back in the Vigilante base.
Which is exactly why she's not there to take the strike. Flying back into a
skidding crouch, sneakers shrieking across the stage, Chun-Li glances upward
towards her opponent as he takes to the air. She doesn't have long, but there's
an opening that she plans to use. "HAZAN!" Her cry splits out clear and loud,
ripping across the stage as Chun-Li releases herself like a coiled spring,
lashing out with her left leg and shoving off the floor with quick application
from her right hand. Her foot is aimed for the obvious location - Charlie, and
whilst soaring the woman prepares herself to continue the assault. At the point
of contact, it comes, clouded by a bright burst of chi that explodes off her
toes. "TENSHOU!" She swivels at the hip to bring her right foot around for a
near-identical kick coupled with another burst of chi, "KYAKU!" And then another
from the left, the fighting pair rising into the air further with each.
By the time Chun-Li releases her opponent they'll be surrounded in a dissipating
cloud of blue-white energy, he to fall back to earth in his own way and she...
to flip gracefully down into a three point crouch. At least, that's the plan.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Charlie with Hazan Tenshou Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Charlie
[ \\ <|
Rock 0/-------/------=|
Charlie's seen kicks that are more than just kicks before-- and that's
definitely more than just a kick, in terms of the plan. There's a way people
move that's ever /slightly/ so different than normal before they gear up for the
big shot. He can't help but grin a little, as the kick passes by him.
... unfortunately, this momentary lapse in judgment affords him a split second
less time to see /Chun-Li/ launch toward him. That split second meant
something, too-- while he /tried/ to get out of the way, it just didn't work.
Bones crack and break as Charlie is hit over and over again, both the chi blasts
and kicks taking their toll. It's just flat out too much, even for him, at this
point... and he slumps to the ground, unconscious, and out of the fight.
COMBATSYS: Charlie has left the fight here.
Rock's kick doesn't hit... anything. He misses, fairly wide, and finds himself
the victor of round one. Huh. Go figure. Wrapping his arms around his
mid-section, the wolf cub spits out another mouthful of blood. He's finished
fighting, at least for tonight, with some of the fights he took. "... I guess
that's it, teach. Heh. How'd I do?"
The plan goes just... as planned. Chun-Li feels each of her kicks strike, and
sees her good friend launched away in the other direction to his supposed end
for today - there's something in the way that last blow lands.. the crunch it
makes.. that tells her this is all over. That she and her student have passed
their first round of this tournament. Making her landing after the flip, she
flashes a smile and looks across to Rock instantly, gracing his words with a
slightly wider smile. No mockery there, there's nothing to mock. They were up
against two legends in their own right. And on sliding up to her feet, reaching
up with both hands to tighten her ribbons one at a time, she only has praise for
the cub.
"You did well, Rock.. considering you took all the weight off my hands and let
me concentrate, I'd say we made a pretty great team." Okay, so maybe /some/
mockey, but it's in good humour.. and how many people could even suffer that
many blows from Kim Kaphwan and especially Charlie? After tightening her
ribbons, she moves across to offer Rock a hand. "Put it there, champ-to-be." She
couples the gesture with a wink. Apparently all that ill mood has drifted away
for the time being, the course of the fight having beaten it to the rear of the
woman's mind. Which is just as well. Because now, hopefully... the crowd go
wild!
Rock slaps Chun-Li's hand -- it's a respectful sort of 'low five' gesture,
though. "Yeah. Good work, chief. You're even faster than /I/ though you were.
Now, uh..." Rock realizes, absently, that he still has a few broken ribs. "I
think I should probably limp off to the infirmary and get these taken care of if
you want me to be in any sort of shape for the next round."
"Of course," Chun-Li replies with a nod, lowering her hand with a slightly
raised eyebrow and a glance toward the tagged palm. Not exactly the gesture she
might have intended, but hey.. he's Terry's student, and it's as good a way of
congratulation as any other. "Just make sure you get rested up.. don't worry
about any more training if you're not up to it. We'll manage just fine." Gracing
the youth with another warm smile, she then turns on her heel and makes her way
out across the stage, reaching the centre before bringing her hands up to her
chest. Placing the palms together, she starts the process of bowing graciously
to all four corners of the exhibition yard...
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has left the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Rock has ended the fight here.
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