28/01/04

Characters: Terry_Bogard, Rock_Howard, Fayt, Jack_Karrde

*THE ARENA*

The arena is lit by moonlight, cold air blowing across the duty ground. In the
very centre of the area stands Terry, wearing just t-shirt and jeans, his boots
and jacket thrown in a pile beside the entrance. He is standing in a simple
stance, arms held with fingers lightly splayed in front of him, poised on the
balls of his feet. His eyes are closed, strands of blonde flicking across his
face as the winds shift his hair endlessly... his ki is a barely detectable
flicker, nothing but the merest hint of his prescence. To some, though, it would
be enough to give him away.

And to others it's very noticeable, namely when you grew up around said ki and
you've got the blood of a blood rival running through your veins.  Rock walks
into the arena and he watches Terry from a distance.

And then it is there, the full power of Terry's aura bringing light to the arena
as it flares off around his broad shoulders, the man spinning and executing a
powerful uppercut before relaxing once more. Or.. starting to relax. Then
suddenly he drops from his stance, tearing his eyes open and turning to face the
entrance. He smirks, running a hand through his hair, "Huh.. hey, Rock. You
could sense me?"

Rock nods slowly, "Yeah, a little...then again I think I'm kind of a weird
exception."

Terry shakes his head as he heads over, sitting down next to his boots, which he
starts to pull on as he talks. "No... if I had this technique right then I
wouldn't even register with you. I'm close though, I can tell that..." he sighs,
quickly tying off his laces before standing up, retrieving his jacket as he does
so.

Rock says, "I will say one thing, it was weird when suddenly I felt your ki
almost disappear completely, but I could still feel it, I was worried you got
attacked by the Gevauden's again."

Terry chuckles, hauling on his heavy bomber jacket and straightening out the
collar. "Not for a few days. Careful what you say though, huh?" He winks, "Don't
wanna jinx me." With that he brushes past Rock and out the door, heading across
the road towards the Usual.

*CENTER OF NEOTOKYO*

Rock stretches as he crosses the road following Terry, "I've...been thinking
about what you said last night...I'm just not sure when I should...try releasing
my power."

Fayt wanders into the area, looking somewhat worn out. "Eh..."

Terry smiles and gives a light shrug, "Whenever you feel ready. Just don't leave
it too long... far as I can tell it's like.. there's two people inside you and
each wants to dominate. I don't really wanna know which one would win, but it
ain't easy to stop myself guessing the answer, and the answer isn't good." He
nods to Fayt as the young mage comes down the road, "Hey, Fayt."

Rock gives a slight wave to Fayt as he nods to Terry, "Yeah...ok."

Fayt gives a small wave to Terry and Rock "Hello..."

Terry shrugs again, kicking off from the wall and turning towards the door,
"Well, shall w-" Without warning he staggers to the side, landing on one knee
before tucking into a roll. He comes up a couple of metres from the mouth of the
alleyway, one gloved hand clutching at his side, blood trickling from between
the fingers. "...the hell?"

Rock blinks and looks around, "You OK?"

Fayt blinks at Terry, then slowly looks around the area, "oh..."

A laughs sounds from the darkness. It is the laugh of a true maniac, filled with
an utter contempt for life and a madness that is frightening in its intensity.
"Worse than hell, Terry Bogard." A snarl, barbaric and every bit as frightening
as the laugh, "Your worst nightmare." And from the darkness steps Ryuji
Yamazaki, a barbed combat knife hanging loosely from one hand. He leans back
against the alley wall, sneering over at the wounded fighter. Then he glances at
Rock, "Unfortunately he'll be fine. For now. This blade is not poisoned." He
hefts the knife, flicking it hilt over blade to land in his palm once more. The
light in his eyes is.. murderous.

Rock narrows his eyes at Yamazaki, "Oh. You...great." he sighs then stops his
hands suddenly clench and his eyes close, then Rock shakes his head to try and
clear it, "What the hell do you want Ryuji?" Rock's attitude seems to have
gotten a bit more...menacing as well after that, but nothing too extreme.

Terry smirks, "Funny. Last I checked you didn't figure into anyone's nightmares.
You're just a goddamn nutcase, Yamazaki." Dropping the hand from his side, he
pushes himself to his feet with a quiet hmph. There is a rip in his white
t-shirt, from which blood is slowly flowing. He glances at Rock and nods
slightly. "I think I can answer that... he's come to finish what we started all
those years ago." He winces as he finishes straightening up, firing a short
burst of ki into his wound, soothing it. Then he grins crookedly, looking at
Yamazaki, "Am I right?"

Yamazaki grins, baring his teeth in a crazy mockery of friendliness. "Heh.. for
once, Bogard, you are. Rock Howard, traitor of your father's blood." He points
his knife at Rock, snarling again, "Stand aside. This is not your fight!"
Suddenly the manner drops, Yamazaki appearing friendly - or a mockery of
friendly - once more as he looks back to Terry. "It's been a long time, has it
not? Ready for me?" As he waits for an answer, he slowly lifts the blade to his
lips, running his tongue across the barbed edge, corners of his mouth still
turned up in a smile.

Fayt blinks at Yamazaki then looks over at Terry "uh... friend of yours?"

Rock glares at Yamazaki, and small blue flames of Ki seem to flash in his eyes,
"I'd say more like one of his biggest rivals...and an asshole too boot."

Terry slowly shakes his head, reaching down to tighten his gloves one at a time.
"Fayt - what Rock said. And yeah," he looks up, nodding to the man as the
knife's edge lances across his tongue. "I'm ready for you. You'd better hope
you've learned some new tricks as well, or this is gonna be over pretty quickly.
But, uh.. before we go.. did Kain send you or is this gonna piss him off almost
as much as it's pissing me off right now?"

Yamazaki tucks his left hand into the pocket of his trousers, closing around
something he stores in there, as the other flicks the knife into the air. As it
falls level with his side, he catches it and dangles it idly in that position.
Giving a sharp shrug before he speaks, sneering at Terry with lips sticky and
red-smeared with his blood. "I no longer work for Heinlein. We had a small..
misunderstanding." He pauses, slightly raising one eyebrow, "As for new tricks..
maybe I've been holding out on you?"

Fayt just quietly watches frowning slightly, "Hmmm..."

Terry looks at Yamazaki in silence for one long moment. Then he laughs, tossing
his head back, "Sure. Like you could bluff your way to scaring me." He looks the
other man up and down slowly, raising an eyebrow and giving a mocking smile as
he asks, "So why no show at our last meeting? I was looking forward to-" he
stops talking, eyes darting over to where Fayt stands, "Fayt! Move!" From an
alley on the other side of the UR, a black shape streaks forward, light glinting
on metal as it heads for the mage.

Fayt looks behind him, and quickly breaks into a run away from the newcomer. "Oh
gods!"

Whatever the shape is, it is fast. Metal claws lance out into the air where Fayt
stood a moment before and the shadow stops in its tracks, revealing a humanoid
figure clad in a simple suit of loose black cloth, covering every inch of flesh
on its body. At the ankles and wrists the suit is rucked up around tightly wound
bandages, greying and spattered with gore. On its hands is a pair of
half-gauntlets that cover the back of the hand and the fingers - leaving the
palms exposed. From each finger extends a four-inch metal talon. The thing's
face is covered by a smoothly textured black mask, strapped on tightly to its
head. Where eyes should be there are only glowing red slits. Terry smirks,
motioning Rock to move towards the thing, "Gevauden. Very nice, Yamazaki, but
that ain't gonna save ya.."

Rock smirks and unzips the cuffs of his jacket and tightens his gloves,
"...Terry...If anything goes wrong, I'm sorry in advance."  He closes his eyes
and concentrates then he kicks off the ground towards the Gevauden Ki trailing
in his wake as his elbow is pressed forwards to slam into the stomach of the
masked er..man and then deliver a palm to the face with his other hand, Ki wings
extending for a moment.

Yamazaki watches Rock lunge towards the G-Unit, then snorts violently, sneering
over at Terry. "Last time my vengeance was delayed by a certain stupid young
girl. She'll pay for it. But you'll pay first, because you'll pay now!" He seems
not to move, the hand apparently remaining in his pocket the whole time, but
movement flickers in the air in front of him, a slightly curved trail of
darkness that comes from his left side, tearing out towards the blonde fighter's
chest.

The Gevauden falls back into a stance, one arm held behind, the other lancing
out in front to intercept Rock's elbow with its lower arm. As flesh connects
with flesh, the arm held behind suddenly swings around, talons lashing out at
Rock's arm as his palm comes around, flying on course towards the thing's face.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a comet! It's a ship on re-entry! No wait, it's just
something that's on fire! It cruises swiftly towards the center

Fayt stops running, turning back to face the G-unit "Crap. Uh... well, I only
have one thing for this..." he starts rubbing his hands together... pausing for
a moment to look up "The hell?"

Terry is ready for that, and catches the whip-like tendril on his left wrist,
angling his arm to deflect most of the damage. Unaware of the disruption from
above, he takes one step towards Yamazaki before spinning full circle and
thrusting one fist forward, aura blazing around him as he lunges in towards the
mad criminal, the extended arm glowing with power. "BURN KNUCKLE!"

Rock suddenly lets out a snicker which is unlike him as his Ki flares and fires
straight forwards into the creature's face...or that was the plan as his arm
gets diverted to the side by the claw, Rock grits his teeth, "Ha! You think
that's gonna help ya?" he tears his arm free from the claws, blue ki
occasionally flickering around his body.  He ignores the disturbance in the air
and swipes one arm "Double" then the next, "Reppouken!" and the twin Ki blasts
ripple across the ground towards the Gevauden.

The Gevauden gurgles with something approaching insane glee as it's claws tear
flesh, the thing taking a step back immediately afterwards and preparing for the
next assault. It comes, but rather differently to expectations. The first
Reppuken slams into the creature's left leg as it tries to dart away, spinning
around and landing on it's side in the gutter, leaving the second to break the
leg entirely, a grisly snapping sound ending its usefulness as a limb.

Annnnd in comes that flaming thingy! It's gonna hit hard for sure! BUT, about 1
inch from impacting, the flames disperse, and there, on a single toe is Gemini,
landing with an emphatic >DING!<

Yamazaki moves effortlessly, sliding around behind Terry as he shoots past, his
blow meeting only the hard stone wall of the alley previously occupied by the
criminal who, for his part, remains in the exact same position he was in before
- knife held at his right, left hand thrust  into his pocket. However, before he
can make any further move his attention is diverted by Gemini's sudden
appearance, "What?" he snarls, looking towards the flames as they disperse.

Fayt keeps rubbing his hands together, they start to glow red, he glances at the
unit for a moment .oO(No, don't stop, keep charging...) then blinks at Gemini
"Uh... you here to try and kill us too?"

Rock continues to snicker, and stalks towards the fallen Gevauden, "Ah, now look
whose hurt." he kicks the thing so that it's laying on it's back and then plants
his knee on it's chest, and grabs one arm in a vice hold and wrenches it in an
attempt to dislocate the shoulder from the socket.

The Gevauden's red eyes flare up as Rock does that... pain mixing with..
pleasure? It writhes on the floor as the arm is well and truly dislocated, from
the mask a hiss that is somehow scarily akin to a pleased chuckle. But before it
can enjoy itself too much, the other arm comes up with claws firing off in a
vicious stab at Rock's thigh.

Rock grit his teeth against the pain and winds up both hands and slams them into
the creatures face repeatedly.

Terry's eyes shoot to the side then close as his ki-shrouded fist slams into the
wall, shattering through the brickwork and sending mortar tumbling to the floor
below. Recovering quickly he spins around, opening his eyes and immediately
raising his guard to defend whatever attack Yamazaki had planned... he is met
only with a spurt of some clear liquid as the criminal tears his attention from
Gemini, quickly digging deep in his pocket and pulling out an unmarked canister
which he cracks open and flicks towards the fighter. With a grin he then lowers
his hand, letting the object fall to the floor as he thrusts the hand back into
his pocket. Slowly he raises his knife, beckoning Terry on with the point. "Now
to work."

The Gevauden is set to tear the claws upwards, splitting muscle and possibly
even bone, when Rock's first double-fisted smash impacts on the ebony mask, the
surface cracking before the next few punches shatter it completely, chunks of
black material falling away from the bloody human face below. All life drains
from the creature as the mask falls away, claws slipping smoothly from Rock's
flesh and falling to the street with a light clatter.

Fayt sweatdrops at Gemini "Uh... no..." in the mean time, Fayt stops rubbing his
hands together as they both burst into flame, odd though, Fayt doesn't seem
fazed by it. "Ah, ready."

Rock continues pummelling even after the mask is shattered for a few more
moments before he slumps gasping and then realizes what's happened and the leaps
off the dead thing and leans against the wall gasping wild eyed.

Gemini exclaims, "Oh, zo you deed not... VERY VEL! I vill continue to search for
my mozere! Onward, mon amis!" he says as he zips into the usual!

Ready Fayt had better be... because from the alleyways around the center of
NeoTokyo emerge a whole host of those black-garbed, masked creatures. All are
dressed in the same manner, but their shapes and sizes vary immensely... though
it is obvious that all are trained fighters. Either way, it would appear the
'good guys' are outnumbered, and by no small amount...

Terry runs a hand through his hair quickly, dislodging several droplets of the
mysterious fluid. Lowering the hand to his nose, he takes a small sniff - eyes
widening instantly. "You piece of trash.." he murmurs, before lunging forwards
and hurling a left hook towards the criminal's stomach. Yamazaki moves quickly,
his blade cutting across and down towards the extended fist... but Terry has
thought this through, and actually pulls the blow at the last second, spinning
away to the right and falling into a crouch with his right fist slamming down
into the floor. "POWER WAVE!" The customary wave of red-gold ki fires off
towards Yamazaki, cracking the surface of the road as it travels.

Fayt slowly looks around the area. "Eh... well, here goes." he turns to face the
largest group of G's, pulls his fists back and "Fireball!" he quickly strikes
both fists together,  the flames on his hands suddenly shooting off towards the
group in a single ball of flame.

The flames strike dry clothing and, in some cases, dried up, dead flesh. There
is an eruption of heat and energy as chunks of mask scatter across the street,
and several bodies are thrown out into the night air, tumbling head over heel
before landing in twisted heaps on the floor. Others land on the floor, masks
intact, but rolling frantically as they try to put out the flames which now
scorch their flesh.. desensitized to an extent, but not to -this- extent.

Yamazaki takes one step back, turning to face Terry with a manic grin splitting
his face as the wave of energy rips past him and dissipates a few yards along
the street. The grin falters as the fireball is hurled at his Gevauden, the
man's eyes widening and a dark cry splitting his lips. Terry nods to himself, a
smile touching his lips as he straightens up facing his opponent, wincing as the
heat and scent of scorched flesh washes across him. (What the hell was that?)
Outwardly he remains quite calm. "If all you're gonna do is dodge, this isn't
gonna go anywhere. Fayt! Rock!" He calls back over his shoulder, not looking to
discern the source of that explosion.. he can feel that his friends are still
alive and well, and that is enough. "We should move this elsewhere... don't feel
obliged to come, I won't drag you into this. And.." he glances at his opponent,
"I doubt Yamazaki will either." Then he extends one gloved hand, beckoning the
other man on as he turns away. "C'mon." And with that he spins and drops into a
half-crouch, dashing up the road to the north, eyes taking in the destruction
and the renewed mass of Gevauden as he runs past. "Holy shit..." he breathes,
step faltering briefly.

Rock snaps out of his delirium and realizes that some more of the Gevauden are
apparently waking up, "Great, just great."

Fayt watches Terry zoom off, then at the Gevauden, then down at his own hands.
"Too late for choosing..." he glances at rock "You coming?" then runs off
towards the north.

Rock nods, "Hell yeah!"

*HEISINONEI HIGHWAY*

Terry thunders up the road, eventually skidding to a halt at the edge of the
highway, just as his lungs begin to give out. He turns to look for the others,
gasping for breath, eyes briefly scanning the road leading back to center, where
dark shapes are gradually becoming a great deal larger. "Okay.. if I run much
further, I'm gonna start suffering. We can wait here.. you guys okay?"

Rock runs after the other two and skids to a halt gasping for breath but not
looking to bad, "Yeah...should...be...fine...Just wish I had my freakin' bike
sometimes." nervous chuckle.

Fayt runs into the area and comes to a halt. "Well enough, not dead yet anyway."

The dark shapes finally catch up to the group, Yamazaki dashing headlong at the
front of his dark army... their red eyes flaring to life again as they come near
their targets. Claws, retracted for the journey, begin to extend - all of them,
almost simultaneously, with an ominously loud metallic *shing*. At a rough
count, there are maybe three dozen Gevauden Units currently heading towards
Terry, Rock and Fayt, more apparently having joined the madman on his journey
north.

Rock twitches, "Hope you have a plan..." he looks to Terry and then the shapes.

Terry curses and falls back into a loose stance, fists held clenched about him,
bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Rock, with me. When we hit them, I'll take
left and loop back to Yamazaki, you take right. Fayt.." he looks at the wizard,
"Stay back here, prepare whatever the hell you did just now, and if any get too
close yell and I'll break off to come help you out. Worst comes to worst, take
to the mountain." He nods towards the Mountain of Power, looming across the
highway.

Fayt frowns, giving a small nod "Ok... I'll try but I can't guarantee It'll work
again..."

Rock nods slowly, "Alright...let's hope this works."  he snaps into his own
stance and concentrates this time he's gotta control it...

The Gevauden split into three groups, the two largest heading left and right,
and of about equal size. The smaller stays with Yamazaki as he pulls his knife
from between his teeth, dashing headlong towards Terry.. mad eyes focussed on
the blonde fighter, and most likely very little else. Terry takes a deep breath,
golden ki shimmering around his shoulders as he grins weakly at Rock. "Y'know..
now would be a damn good time to go ballistic. Fayt?" He glances over his
shoulder and nods, "Good luck. Stay sharp, and don't go gettin' killed on me
okay?" He turns back to face front, the Gevauden now beginning to get
dangerously close. "Let's go..." he hits the road, legs kicking up dirt as he
thunders forward, hoping Rock is right beside him... then halfway to meeting the
group slipping into a roll to the left and coming up with ki blazing around both
fists as he clashes with the leftmost group.

Rock closes his eyes and then begins to run following Terry, only running to the
right his body shifting to reappear in the midst of the group, he hops into the
air and slams one Gevauden in the face his ki wings flaring, as it stumbles back
he turns to another and lances out with a roundhouse to the face, blue ki begins
flickering around his body again and his eyes visibly seem to ooze the ki
energy, "Come on! Is that the best you can do!?" he kicks it in the face again
before turning to another.

Fayt immediately gets to work on his next spell, quickly rubbing his hands
together; he looks around at the Gevauden in the area. "Hmm...."

As Rock causes havoc on his side, Terry is just breaking through, smashing aside
the first two G-Units. One takes a hefty blow to the face and falls lifeless,
mask shattering into the night air.. the other is bashed sidelong into another,
the two falling down in a tangle of limbs. Then Terry is in their midst, hair
whipping around his face as he dodges half a dozen taloned slashes. (Crap..
there's too many, and as soon as Yamazaki reaches me my hands are tied... wait,
of course!) Suddenly he grins, stopping in the midst of the Gevauden and raising
his arms to the sky. Golden ki ripples up both limbs, taking on a reddish tint
before being launched into the air, a pillar of ki-energy firing off around the
fighter.. causing little damage to the surrounding Gevauden but making them stop
their attacks for a moment. (JACK! Get down here!) As soon as the ki is
released, Terry drops down into a crouch, then barrels forward, shouldering
aside the Gevauden in front of him as he smashes his way through to where
Yamazaki is busily doing the same. "You're mine, Bogard!"

Speaking of Rock... behind him as he spins away, one of the Gevauden struggles
through its comrades and raises one hand. There are no talons sprouting from
this one, but in the palm a globe of red ki flickers into life, quickly growing
and blazing with energy as the G-Unit lunges towards Rock, thrusting the palm
out towards the young martial artist's back.

Rock senses the attack and suddenly blurs out of sight reappearing behind the
G-unit, "Looking for me?" he hops up and does a jumping side kick to it's back
before he lands and turns to strike another one in the face, ignoring it for the
moment his blue ki now flaring much brighter and more frequently.

Well Terry, looks like your prayers were answered as a part of the skies seem to
churn and roil and a volley of energy blasts go screaming at the G-Units with a
vengeance with all the force of X-Wing laser cannons.  Enter the Phoenix as Jack
pulls a Neo and dives from the cloud back and lands on TOP of one of the G-Units
feet first and to the face.

Fayt keeps working on a second fireball, his hands starting to glow red.  He
grins a bit as Jack arrives. "Just hold them off a bit longer..."

Yamazaki snarls with rage, spitting as he screams out, "Out of my way, you dead
idiots!" His muscular arms bat unresisting fiends away, not causing any real
damage to their masks but letting them know he means business. As he senses
Terry nearing him, he roars to the heavens, raising his knife and hurling it
into the back of the next Gevauden, sending the creature tumbling aside. As it
does so, the criminal jumps past it, pulling a small black tube from his pocket.
He flicks his thumb across the top, and then twists round with his index finger
just as a blue flame flares out of the lighter's end. "BURN!" he cackles as he
flips the lighter end over end towards the oncoming blonde fighter. His cackling
is cut short as Jack arrives, the gurgling cries of frazzled Gevauden alerting
him to a new threat. Yamazaki's head whips around, mad eyes narrowing as he sees
the half-phoenix, pieces of mask shattering around his feet as he lands on the
G-Unit's face.

Vaulting off the face of the fallen G-Unit before it even falls the half Phoenix
twists in mid air, his fists lashing out the catch a couple more in the face. 
Okay, someone needs to ban him from watching any more movies.

Terry takes a claw in his side as he shoves past the next creature, eyes coming
to rest on Yamazaki, and a fraction of a second later on the lighter as it soars
towards him. Distracted by the pain in his side, he barely manages to lift one
gloved hand - batting away the lighter, the blue flames lashing across his wrist
but disaster averted as they fail to reach his gas-soaked hair. He steps forward
into the empty space in front of Yamazaki, following his opponent's gaze to
Jack. A grin touches his lips even as he rubs at the charred flesh of his arm.
(Now we've got the ace, you bastard...) his eyes flick back to Yamazaki as he
thinks the last, flaring with renewed will to fight.

Rock is in the midst of one group of the Gevauden's striking them down, his body
flaring with blue ki at every strike, eyes burning, his wings seem to be almost
permanent parts of his body as his ki is under constant use, he loses track of
the one Gevauden that can fire it's ki blast as he continues to strike others
down.

The Gevauden attacked by Jack both go down, though one had the good sense to
dodge, flipping upwards and only taking the fist to it's throat. It falls down
onto the floor, in pain but alive and quickly rolling forward to lash at the
phoenix with five taloned claws. Rock, meanwhile, has another ki-blast to
contend with, the creature he prevented from launching it last time having
flipped up and over, coming down towards the young fighter with the blast ready
and aimed for his left shoulder.

Upon landing Jack senses the attack and parries it with relative ease and
counters with a good old fist right to the face.  At the same time his lashes
out with a high sidekick to smack another one right in the kisser.

Yamazaki steps forward, fist curling and uncurling rapidly at his side. "Or
maybe fried wolf isn't on the menu today.." he sneers, "But... let's up the
stakes. I would do -anything- to destroy you, Bogard. And Kain, in his infinite
wisdom, has dismissed me and therefore given me free reign." He rolls up the
sleeve on his left arm. "Prepare yourself."

Jack succeeded with that kick, the thing's mask exploding into shards, and
nailing the next Gevauden in the shoulder. Two others, however, lunge for the
phoenix, both converging on him at once and from totally opposite directions,
talons extending to strike at his left shoulder and right hip respectively.

Fayt stops rubbing his hands as once again they light up in flames, which slow
start to creep up his arms. Shuddering a moment he calls out "Guys, it's read!
Someone clear out so I can fire this thing!"

Rock turns too late, the ki blast striking his shoulder, but not after he fires
a Ki blast from his hand at the G-unit that decided to irritate him.

Sensing the attack in advance Jack leaps up and twists yet again, letting the
attacks flash past as his elbow goes at the one to one side and his knee go for
another.  Of course he ain't afraid of no fireball, never has been.

Terry laughs and springs forward, "No, prepare -your-self Yamazaki! BURN
KNUCKLE!" He again extends his fist, red-gold ki blazing around it and lighting
up the area around the two combatants. The blow takes the distracted criminal in
the chest, and as Terry lands he immediately whips a kick into the man, the
double impact tossing Yamazaki like a ragdoll into the crowd of Gevauden behind
him. As they scatter, Terry runs forward and leaps, drawing back a fist and
preparing to bring it down on his opponent's skull.

Jack's Gevauden both stumble, one rolling away towards where Terry and Yamazaki
are battling, the other righting itself and springing upwards with a gurgling
cry, both palms thrust forward and glowing with red ki as it comes in for the
approach on Jack. If the phoenix failed to dodge, both blasts would take him in
the chest.

Rock's opponent flies back through the air, the same way it sprang from,
thundering into the dirt of the road, mask taking a healthy crack but not
breaking entirely. The other Gevauden around Rock all spring at once, four sets
of talons bearing down on the young man.

Landing yet again Jack knows he doesn't have time to dodge but there is ONE
thing he can do.  Sheathing his right arm in his energy he swings it like it was
a good old Louisville Slugger and literally BATS the two blasts away.  HEY
YAMAZAKI, SPECIAL DELIVERY!!!

Terry hears Fayt at the last moment and stops, letting the ki fall from his arm
with a gasp. "Shit... FAYT! OVER HERE!" He lands in a crouch, then springs away
from the momentarily stunned Yamazaki, rolling away through the gathered
Gevauden and coming up, breathless, near Fayt. "Now!"

Rock grips his shoulder and sprawls backwards, he yelped in pain but then his ki
flairs again and he quickly gets to his feet looking around at the remaining
Gevauden's, "Come on! Try and kill me you pieces of shit! You can do better than
that!" he crossed his arms in front of him his ki flaring very brightly almost
like ethereal flames as he then slammed them into the ground, "RAGING A STORM!"
and then the energy erupted in a tearing vortex around him.

And around Rock, Gevauden are literally sent soaring up into the air, arcing
down into the dirt of the road. Of the seven or eight sent up by his 'Raging
Storm' attack, four lose their masks entirely, the others breaking limbs and
gaining cracks in their own life-giving Units. The scene is quickly becoming one
of utter chaos, and there is more to come...

Fayt nods, the flames having spread to his elbows. "Fireball!" he slaps both his
fists together, sending a ball of flame towards where Terry directed it.

And the flames converge, slamming into Yamazaki and the ground around him at the
same moment as the two ki blasts sent that way by Jack. The criminal leaps to
his feet in time for this, and becomes a silhouette against the raging energies
as the explosion goes off, red ki combining with Fayt's 'Fireball' to create a
blinding display of light... the energy and heat is terrifying. Yamazaki stands
silhouetted amidst all of this, arms outspread, and mouth locked in a crazy grin
as his skin cooks, clothing tearing and burning away. Around him, most of the
remaining Gevauden, all but half a dozen of them, are hurled across the highway,
trailing burning black cloth and chunks of mask.

Jack looks at Yamazaki as he goes crispy critter, "Anyone up for fried Dragon?"
he asks as he flashes a cocky grin.

The remaining Gevauden are now gathered mainly around Jack, momentarily stunned
into inaction by the display of power around their 'leader'. After Jack flashes
his grin, however, two of them dash forward, one attempting to knock him to the
floor with a shoulder barge as the other leaps past, slashing a talon at his
left upper arm.

Rock stands slowly and cracks his knuckles then walks over to the ki blaster
from earlier and kicks its mask in dispatching it completely.  He then looks for
anymore around him.

Terry gets to his feet, grinning at Fayt. "Shit, but you've come a long way..."
he says breathlessly, patting the mage on the shoulder before running forward as
the effects of the explosion wear off. He stops at the edge of the blaze; smoke
obscuring the view of Yamazaki... but his aura is still there. "You have got..."
Terry gasps, "...To be kidding me."

Two more are on Rock, talons ready as they rush at him... side by side, both
pairs of red eyes shimmering between darkness and light, cracks in their black
masks. They split off to either side, each jumping in and slashing at Rock, as
if they were mentally linked.

Jack narrows his eyes at Terry, "Might I have the honor of finishing this
bastard off finally?" he asks with a slight grin on his face.

Rock singles one out and suddenly he flips up and over performing a crack
counter to one of them, as his foot connects with its face he twists his body in
midair to avoid the other one's swipe.

Fayt shudders and quickly pat his arms out. "Oh gods that hurts..."

Jack smirks a bit as they make their charge and leaping away from the charging
one he fires off a palm at that one's face and the slashing one's attack is
caught and with a nice application of strength is pulled right into Jack's other
fist.

As the figure of Yamazaki begins to take shape, Terry straightens up from where
he was peering into the smoke. He gives a complex shrug that sends his jacket
tumbling to the street behind him. Then he nods to Jack, "I don't think this'll
be that easy.. it'd be too convenient." Looking towards the clearing smog again.
"Because your bloodline always did know how to make the really tough bastards.
You're still alive then... and I believe, before all this, you were saying
something?" He smirks at the criminal, who stands bloody and burnt but very much
alive.. the murderous glint still in his eyes. "What've you and your ancestor
got planned for me?" He glances left and right briefly, "For us?"

The other Gevauden's life is suddenly cut short, as it spins to face Rock the
mask cracks away... the creature falling in a quivering ball to the floor,
something keeping it alive.

Yamazaki smirks, blood trickling from both corners of his mouth. Without a word
he reaches over to his left arm, placing his hand below the rolled up sleeve,
which is now burnt and tattered. There is a sense of growing power as his
fingers tighten on his lower arm, black tendrils flickering around them before
they dig deep with a horrifying wet squelch. Quickly turning his grimace of pain
into a broad toothy grin, he looks across to Terry with bloodshot eyes bulging
from their sockets. "I'm sure Orochi will be glad to hear you remember him!" he
snaps out, spittle flecking his lips, voice strained and distant. "Perhaps you
can tell him yourself, because, Bogard, your part in this little show is over. I
was not lying when I said I would do anything." He moves his fingers about
inside his arm, black tendrils now flickering around both his lower arms as he
makes several quick snapping movements, quickening the flow of blood from his
gaping wounds. "The time has come!"

Rock narrows his eyes at it and bends down gripping the unit by the head and
lifting it up to face him sneering at it.

The human face of the G-Unit stares into Rock's eyes, saliva flecking the
thing's lips, mouth opening and closing rapidly as it struggles to find long
forgotten words... eyes dribbling blood as they look over Rock's shoulder..
towards Yamazaki.

Rock stares the human in the eyes, "Speak now or I'm going to really make it
hurt." seems the power locked inside Rock's brought that alternate personality
out again, the way Rock stands and the inflection in his voice is different.

Both go down, masks falling away as they collapse limply to the floor... only
one of the masks was broken, however, in the first strike by Jack. The other was
hit, but not broken. None the less, the thing now writhes limply on the ground,
much in the manner of the one held up by Rock... who still cannot find words. It
seems incapable of speech, but VERY capable of terror.

Terry's heart starts thumping painfully in his chest. "Yamazaki, what the hell
are you doing? This couldn't be...." A hand suddenly flies to his head as power
surges through the air, black tendrils now lancing out across Yamazaki's hands
and face, even tearing at the ragged hems of his clothing. Rallying his senses,
Terry dashes forward towards the crazed villain, hand outstretched towards him.
"You idiot! You'll achieve NOTHING!!"

Black ki-energy suddenly explodes from inside Ryuji Yamazaki, filling the area
around him and Terry with a sudden blackness. Shining from within the darkness,
figure high-lighted by some unseen light source is Yamazaki. Blood flows from
his wounded arm onto the ground, spattering and running into small cracks on the
currently invisible road. His grin only widens, saliva trickling from the corner
of his mouth and bubbling up around his bared teeth. With a sudden jerking
movement he flings his face heavenwards, screaming with unchecked glee,
"Ancestor! Source of my blood!! COME TO ME AND WREAK VENGEANCE ON MY FOE!!"

Jack looks at the writhing G-Unit and for one moment he's torn.  But looking at
Yamazaki he narrows his eyes, "Damn.." and he looks at the other ones around
him.  "Oh..hell yeah.." he says as he calls forth his power in the form of a
shockwave of energy to smash into the G-Units around him with all the force of a
freight train going flat out.

Rock hmmphs and readies to snap the creature's neck and put it out of it's
misery when he senses Yamazaki's Orochi blood activate and turns to see both
Yamazaki and Terry engulfed in black Ki.  he throws the man aside and stalks
towards the black sphere.

Fayt pales where he's standing. "..."

The Units, all stunned and terrified.. some others now beginning to writhe in
the throes of their terror.. are sent flying into the night by Jack's attack,
masks breaking away and arcs of blood soaring after the dark figures as they
fall, lifeless, to the floor.

As Terry reaches out to grip Yamazaki, and hopefully pull him back to reality,
something stops him. He cries out and drops to his knees, skidding to a halt
just in front of the crazed man and looking up at the skies as they split open,
darkness becoming yet darker as something detaches itself from the ugly black
rent and soars down towards the street below. The blonde fighter can do nothing
but stare in amazement and fear as the black shape soars down towards him... it
is a dragon. Huge and apparently composed of shadows, maw opening in a dread
scream as its scales burn with black fire.

And that's about the time a beam of smiting fire is goes to slam into Orochi. 
The source Jack Karrde, but it's not him. His eyes are glowing solid gold and
raw energy is pouring from his body.

The dragon is sent into a slow spin, roaring in pain and anger as it veers away
from Terry before whipping up into the night sky with black ichor dripping from
the rent in his side. The huge black abomination that is Orochi carves up into
the night air, roaring again - this time in challenge, a challenge to the only
one there with the power to damage him... the black globe around the two
fighters below moves with Orochi, following his form into the skies.

Yamazaki, meanwhile, drops to his knees opposite the dumbstruck Terry, breath
coming in crazy arrhythmic gasps as he stares at the fighter's upturned face.
The criminal's eyes bulge, red veins flickering across them the pupils dark as
the night and darker, twin globes of pure evil. Without warning both his hands
lash out to grip Terry, fingers curling into claws, half of them still dripping
blood but every one wreathed in tendrils of darkness... power throbbing at their
tips. And Terry snaps back to reality, eyes tearing themselves from the skies to
meet the sight of Yamazaki's energy wrapped fingers. "You...!" Whatever he was
going to say is cut off short as both hands wrap around his throat. He lifts his
own hands to try and break the grip, mouth locked in a grimace of pain as the
black energy burrows deep inside him... a cancer spreading in his body, and held
fast by the inspired fear of the black dragon he is unable to fight back.

For a moment Jack is quiet, no words being said then he himself meets the
challenge as the energy he's putting out forms around him like a cocoon of
golden light.  Uh...this could be bad.

Rock shivers watching as Orochi carves it's way through the air he closes his
eyes, "Hmmph."

Fayt, barely able to cope with the current events, looks like he could drop at a
moment's notice. The fact that his arms are burned up to the elbows isn't
helping either. "..."

And now the night sky is split by a screech of righteous fury as the cocoon
shatters and from it emerges a Phoenix bird.  Uh...HIT THE DECK!!  Taking wing
the eternal firebird (and badass) goes to meet the dark dragon.  PLACE YOUR
BETS!!!

Terry is still held fast by Ryuji Yamazaki, the two crouched facing one another
on the highway. Yamazaki's body and clothing is torn to shreds and badly burnt.
Terry shows no outward signs of injury but his body is being torn apart from
inside.. literally.. as black ki flails around in there, whips of power lashing
out at vital organs. Utter darkness starts to pour from Yamazaki, engulfing the
two in a visually impenetrable barrier. Meanwhile, up above, the dragon form of
the legendary Orochi wheels in the skies to face Jack's phoenix form, roaring
out a vicious challenge into the night sky, black ki like Yamazaki's but larger
and substantially more powerful, coming off the creature's wings and tail in
whips of pure power, cutting through the clouds themselves.

Screeching out an answering challenge the Phoenix opens it's own beak and a
blast of energy erupts from it to smash into Orochi's already wounded side. 
Looks like Jack already drew first blood.

Fayt just nods, as the Phoenix flies off, a small smile crossing his face.
"Yeah, that'll do." he then drops to the floor like a sack of bricks *thud!* x_x

Rock steps to the edge of Yamazaki's sphere of black ki and narrows his eyes at
it, and then looks to Terry, from deep within some good seeps through and he
extends his hands, blue ki flaring attempting to neutralize Ryuji's attack, he
closes his eyes and his wings spread wide not disappearing this time as he opens
his eyes, "Ryuji! Let my mentor go!" he swipes his arms performing his double
reppuken, only this time it tears the ground as it moves.

Milly Falcon blinks in with Raven and she looks up, "..Uh oh.."

Raven teleports in with Falcon and gets a view. "Absolutely lovely." she mutters
as she charges up her electric ability in both hands, and draws both her guns,
and charges at Yamikazi.  "LET HIM GO!!!! NOW!!!" She levels her weapons at
Yamazaki.

The rent in Orochi's side seems to film over, the wound repairing even as the
next attack slams into it, re-opening the wound and sending black fluid towards
the ground, scattering in the air and falling like rain to the highway below.
Orochi shrugs this wound off and thunders in towards the side of the phoenix,
black maw opening, teeth of pure ebony glinting as they aim to tear into Jack's
golden wing, ripping and tearing away if successful.

Nice move Orochi.  But Jack has a fighter pilot's instincts (Ask Raven), turning
on a wing the firebird dives down below the attack and pulls off a inside loop
to come up underneath Orochi giving him full clean shots at the underside of the
dark god.  With another cry the Phoenix doesn't fire off the energy shot it
fired off right off the bat but unleashes glowing blade of energy right at the
dragon THEN firing off the energy beam attack.

Yamazaki and Terry are lost in an invisible barrier of darkness. As Rock's
'Reppuken' comes into contact with said barrier, the blue ki is swallowed up, no
sound accompanying this.. it just disappeared. A cry of pain and rage shoots out
from within the darkness, Terry's it would seem as the cancer inside him
retracts suddenly with one last assault. The barrier falls away, revealing the
two still crouched... but both Terry's hands now rest on Yamazaki's chest... the
criminal's face locked in a pained grimace as golden ki pours into his body from
the blonde fighter's glowing palms. Terry is in a bad way, blood pouring from
mouth, nose and even ears, body quivering from the damage done internally.

Rock at the lowering of the field Rock's wings disappear and he slumps forwards
gasping for breath hands on knees, he closes his eyes feeling the welling up
inside, his ki trying to free itself and take control, and he fights it back
slumping to the ground even further.

But Orochi has another weapon. His tail, gleaming with dark scales that taper
into deadly points, lashes out at the moment the blade of energy is released. As
the tail comes around for the phoenix's face, more blood rains down from Orochi,
the dragon turning lithely in the air to snap at Jack's other wing.

Raven looks back and forth between everyone. "Frack..." she mutters.  She keeps
the situation with Jack and the dragon in the corner of her eye, and her main
focus is on Terry and company.  She keeps her guns trained on Yamazaki, just in
case.

With a cry of pain the tail cuts into the Eternal Firebird's face, causing it to
lose altitude - letting Orochi snap at empty air.  Bringing itself around again
the man inside the bird starts gathering his power.  Orochi's taken a few hits
and so has he.  Now it's time to throw down like there was no tomorrow.

Terry grunts, blood spattering out of his mouth to fleck Yamazaki's cheek. The
two stare into each other's eyes, now both filled with a desperation to win...
both with the desire to kill their opponent. Terry's mouth flies open again, a
roar of pure hatred as he throws as much as he can into his palms, injecting a
heart-stopping burst of ki-energy into the criminal's heart.

The two black globes that are Orochi's eyes narrow on the phoenix as the dragon
pushes itself through the air, air darkening around him yet further as he powers
up to meet Jack's next challenge... everything taking place in the skies now
surrounded by a void, a void of pure power that would consume any mere mortal
daring to venture near. And Orochi waits, meters from Jack, no attack coming
from the black god, but the combined power of phoenix and dragon would now be
scarily awesome, striking a majestic fear into the hearts of those below.

Raven flinches and her guns drop to the ground.  She shakes her head like
someone just smacked her with a lead pipe.  Her psi-link with Jack is letting
her feel his pain.  In that instant, she realizes what she can do to help.  She
sits cross-legged on the ground, places a palm on each knee, and releases her
mind into the Astral Plane.  Once there, she opens up the mental link to allow
as much of Jack's pain as possible to flow into her body without her feeling
it... for now...

And from the Phoenix it begins. This is a god he's facing, not some hopped up
bad guy in metal armor, some nut on drugs.  But a GOD!  For most people this
would be an impossible battle, the odds a million to one.  He's gonna enjoy
beating the odds one more time.  As the power within reaches it's crescendo the
bird gives forth one mighty cry and unleashes the power in the form of ITSELF? 
It's turning its power in on itself and DIVES at Orochi like a comet hurled by
the gods of old.  Head on Collision at 12 o'clock.

Yamazaki's head is hurled back, blood flying from nose and mouth out into the
night air as his nemesis' power thunders into his heart. "DAMN YOU!" he roars,
whipping his head back around as if not having taken that last blow. "I WILL
KILL YOU!" His hands tighten their grip on the other man's throat and he hauls
him to his feet... Terry in too much pain and too drained to resist. Yamazaki
viciously spits into the blonde fighter's face as he holds him up by the
neckline of his t-shirt. "You're mine, Bogard." He snarls, saliva bubbling at
the corners of his mouth and eyes gleaming wildly. He draws one arm back,
wreathed in shadowy black ki, claw-like fingers curling into a tight fist.

Rock collapses to his knees slowly, his hands gripping at each other as his ki
surfaces, fighting against his will to control it, and this time it hurts.  Rock
is fighting and internal battle now and when the ki subsides he shivers eyes
closed and gasping for breath, and then he senses the threat to Terry and his
eyes snap open, glaring Rock stands and charges Yamazaki.

Raven gets an strange twisted look on her face.... which is odd, because at the
moment she has no control over her body, being in the Astral plane.  It looks
like she's in pain, but it looks like is confused, yet she also looks like
neither.

And the black god waits. Orochi looks towards Jack as the phoenix thunders
towards him, black ki lancing out in tendrils into the night... somehow darker
-again- than the void occupied by the battliing beasts of legend. Some of these
tendrils snake out to try and grip the firebird, others just flailing at the
air... but the dragon barely moves, wings just slowly beating.

Terry gasps for breath, flinching as the red-streaked saliva impacts on his
flesh. Tearing his gaze away from those mad eyes, his attention flickers instead
to Yamazaki's outstretched arm. "Isn't that a.." he coughs, blood spraying out
across the criminal's black shirt, "A pretty dull way to end this?" He meets
Yamazaki's gaze, letting a confident grin touch his lips despite his beaten
state. "After all we've been through?" At his side, one gloved fist curls open,
a wisp of golden ki escaping from the palm before the fist clenches once more.
Something flashes in Terry's eyes and he glances at Rock, willing him to remain
still, calm, not to let the beast out... not yet.

If the Phoenix were capable of speech it'd say "SUCKER!!!" and as the tendrils
snag it the power is released in the form of a blast of raw power focused into a
beam of annihilating energy that goes screaming at the dragon God.  Can we say
'ASHES OF THE PHOENIX FULL POWER!!!"

Rock stops looking to be barely restraining himself but he slowly nods to Terry.
And then there's the flash of light in the sky and Rock throws a hand in front
of his face.

Orochi is suddenly consumed by the full raging energy of Jack Karrde, black maw
opening as the beast is silhouetted in the skies, until now totally black but
now lit by the true power of the phoenix. Energy almost as pure, and almost as
powerful, thunders out of it's mouth towards the oncoming phoenix... the death
cry of the black god as his body begins to shake and tear under the Ashes'
power.

Yamazaki's mouth opens wide in a feral snarl, spurred on as he feels his
master's power showing its full force, baring his teeth. "You presume.. to tell
-me-.. what to DO?!?" With a cry of rage hiss arm lashes out, other hand keeping
a tight grip on his nemesis' collar as the blow thunders towards his face.
"DIE!" Terry's head is thrown to the side, Yamazaki's black ki whipping across
his cheek just after the fist... tearing open a wide, bloody gash. "Ugh..." he
closes his eyes, gasping for breath before he speaks again, voice steadily
growing in volume from a mere whisper to a cry, "But this... isn't over... you
bastard!" Whipping his head back around, reacting in kind to the power he can
feel soaring from Jack, taking hope from the actions of his friend in the skies
above, Terry flings up his left hand, finding his reserves of strength long
enough to thrust the palm up into Yamazaki's stomach, releasing a burst of
golden energy as he stares into the face of his opponent.

And Orochi's attack slams into the Phoenix as he forms it's wings into a shield
of what power it can scrap together. Combined with Raven's ring the power seems
to be holding, but only for a moment. But Jack as usual changes the rules of the
game as he falls inwards into his human side.  Using the one trick he's loathe
the use.  Light and Darkness. Good and Evil.  All are one.  Tapping into the
reserves of his unbreakable will he goes to take the dark energy hammering him
and change it to light with all he's got.  All he's got to do is stand firm.

Raven's body sits rigid as her energy is tapped to help Jack in the battle. 
Meanwhile, on the Astral Plane, a completely different scenario is taking place.
Not a battle, but more of a conversation of sorts, seemingly oblivious to the
violence on the physical side of the world.

Orochi's final, hideous cry of rage keeps going... the dragon god attempting,
with all the will he can muster on this strange world, to stand firm against
this power of light. Darkness continues to pour from his maw, either feeding or
tearing into Jack depending on his ability to adapt the power to his own uses..
the god's form wavering and flickering in the skies, it's black hold on the
night starting to dribble away, stars once more becoming visible in the void.

And through it all, the Phoenix stands firm.  The light within blazing as Jack
becomes the black hole that takes in Orochi's power and burns it away with his
pure fire.  He's saved Raven from Darkness.  Saved Hotaru.  He's done it all but
he's never done one thing...saved himself.  But now he does as he accepts the
one thing he's never wanted...his destiny.

With his arm still extended, Yamazaki's view of that side of Terry is obscured
completely. His eyes widen, bulging out as the palm slams into his stomach.
Blood explodes from his mouth, a black and red sludge that spatters across both
men, but he does not move an inch, eyes still fixed on Terry and arm still
extended from the blow he just dealt. Suddenly he laughs, latching both hands
onto the blonde fighter's collar and violently shoving him away. "YOU'RE WRONG,
WOLF! IT WAS OVER BEFORE IT EVEN BEGAN!" As he screams these words, one hand
reaches behind him, unhooking the hand cannon holstered there and bringing it
around with a triumphant grin. In the skies, Orochi's form starts to return to
solidity, the two related by blood each drawing power from the other as they
make their final bid to defeat their enemies.

With this newfound solidity, the black god.. the legend that is Orochi.. screams
anew, high-pitched shriek splitting the night and stealing hope from the hearts
of mortals, and then launches himself at Jack - barrelling forward through the
night even as his hold begins to slip upon it - the last bid to destroy this
strange new foe, every last ounce of power Orochi can pull together streaming
into his dragonene form as it thunders towards his enemy.

Terry telling him to stay still be damned, at the drawing of the gun Rock runs
in and attempts to strike Ryuji's arm as hard as he can to divert the shot.

With a screech the Phoenix flies at Orochi.  Blazing like a newborn star as it
goes to bring light to darkness with all the force of will he can bring to bear.
And his will is the one thing that is NEVER broken.  He's loved and lost. 
Fought and been beaten.  But through it all he never gives up the fight.  With a
cry of defiance the phoenix let's the power explode from him in the form of a
blast of red, gold, and white energy.

As Rock soars towards Yamazaki, whiplike tendrils of black ki lance out to grip
the young fighter, going for every one of his limbs and seeking to bring him
tumbling to the ground. The criminal grins maniacally, at the height of his
powers and determined not to lose, gun remaining fixed on Terry who, with no
strength left to resist. He is flung back by Yamazaki, stumbling over his own
feet and spinning around to face the cement of the road behind him just as he
impacts into it. His grunt of pain is muffled, but his discomfort is well
illustrated by the blood that flies from his mouth and nose, spattering out
across the highway. His face is pale now, so much blood lost in such a short
time, and for a moment he is totally still, gasping what he can into his lungs
before pushing himself to his knees, hair hanging across his face as he stares
wide-eyed at the ground below. "Rock." He manages to snarl, not aware of the
situation outside of him, everything a blur outside of himself as he tries to
focus. "Don't interfere... even if you can.... if... if Yamazaki... wants it
like this... he'll have it. Just," he coughs, more blood dribbling from his body
out of his mouth. "Just... believe in me.... Just do that."

Rock grit his teeth and struggles against the black tendrils and then hears
Terry's words and opens his mouth to object...only to shut it and nod.

And the black god's maw snaps shut, dark spheres of eyes widening as Jack's
power is unleashed... the dark grip on the skies fading completely. Hope, for
Orochi, was never something he could rely on. He is a god, and what gods needs
hope - who would -dare- to attempt to vanquish a true god? Even Kusanagi tried
and failed.. surely it cannot end here, in the skies above an alien city in
another world?

Raven's body flashes brightly, her entire person surrounded by her electrical
power for a few moments, and when it fades away, Raven is awake.  She seems
fine.  She's injury-less.  She's breathing (always a plus). She stands up and
stretches as she looks around and rakes her fingers through her dark purple
hair.... um... purple... okaaaayyyy.... she looks around for another moment
before grinning, and manifests (?) a lawn chair and a bag of popcorn.  She takes
a seat and sits to enjoy the entertainment.

Well, Jack isn't Kusanagi.  He's Jack Karrde and that becomes obvious as the
phoenix let's loose one final burst of energy from its maw at the dying Orochi. 
With the impact of the blast the night for one moment becomes day as Orochi's
form is torn asunder by the raw power of the Phoenix.

Given the current antics, Fayt should probably be happy he's not all here at the
moment. x_x

Yamazaki stares down the barrel of the gun he now trains on the back of his
fallen opponent. "This'll be one sweet moment. For all your power, deep down
you're as human as the next sorry smear of dirt. And this..." He looks at Rock
and grins, baring his teeth as he contemplates the moment of satisfaction he is
about to experience, "This traitor cannot help you. It's time to end this." With
his thumb he reaches up to flick off the safety catch. "Prepare yourself, Terry
Bogard." The dull click made by that movement echoes like thunder around Terry's
skull, prompting an angry shudder from the defeated martial artist. His hands
clutch desperately at the ground, nails cracking and splintering on the hard
paving stones. Blood drips slowly from his face, eyes tearing over as he waits
for the last precious moment of life. (This isn't how it ends.. this can't be
how it ends! Rock... I have your support but Andy... dad... and most of all,
Mei... I know you guys are out there, please lend me your strength. I have to do
this. I have to end this like I should have done so many years ago.) But then
Orochi is ripped apart... Yamazaki snarls, glaring at the night sky even as his
finger starts to close on the trigger. "NO! NO! YOU WILL NOT DEPRIVE ME OF MY
VENGEANCE, PHOENIX!!!" And the explosion comes, muzzle flare blazing out into
the night air and the sound following shortly after, a sound to rock the heavens
as a single bullet flies from the muzzle of the gun. "I TOLD YOU-" the
triumphant cry ripping from Yamazaki's lips before the shot has even gone off,
tearing his eyes from his dying ancestor to glare wildly at Terry. "IT'S OVER!"

Raven grins and perches on the lawn chair. "WOW!! The action!!" she puts the
back of her hand against her forehead and bends her back a little. "The
/drama/!!"  she sits cross-legged on the chair and munches on some popcorn.
"Someone should be filming this!!"

And from the skies comes the Phoenix in a suicide dive.  As it dives it starts
to glow and shrink in size until there is only Jack Karrde.  A very pissed OFF
Jack Karrde.

Raven smiles and bounces in her seat. "OOOHH!! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!"

(I have to do this... and I WILL DO THIS!) A blazing light surrounds Terry, with
an intensity to match the events that just unfolded in the skies above... a
concentration of pure energy, spiralling shades of gold whipping out around the
blonde fighter as his head jerks up, sensing Yamazaki's finger on the trigger.
His left hand clenches from its position on the ground, forming a little 'o' at
the centre. Something vague shimmers inside it, an aura so intense as to be
invisible to the eye, and with what seems like a horrible slowness Terry's right
hand comes across, closing around something that lies just above the ground even
as the bullet soars towards him. And hope shines out as he flows back up to his
feet, movement impossibly lithe and quick as he spins around. There is a
metallic 'shing' and his right hand comes away from the left, the burning aura
around the fighter coalescing into the form of a blade, forged from brilliant
white-gold energies and flickering in his gloved hand. The shining edge of the
katana slices through the night air, cutting a path in front of Terry before his
movements stop. He stands, legs planted firmly on the ground, left arm flung out
to one side and the right held out in front of him, clutching the hilt of the
ki-forged katana he holds perfectly horizontal, blade gleaming, the tip angled
towards his opponent's right shoulder. Two vague tinkling crescendos can be
heard, the sounds made by the two halves of the bullet as they fall to the
pavement. A confident smirk flickers to life on Terry's lips, his sapphire blue
gaze alighting on Yamazaki, "I told you," he pauses, bringing the energy katana
around in front of him, his left hand joining the right in locking around the
glowing hilt. He settles back on his heels, chest rising and falling smoothly as
he stares across the street at his would-be killer, "That this wasn't over."

Appearing behind Yamazaki is Jack Karrde, hair unbound and dancing in the ki
driven wind.  "But now..it may just end." the man speaks as he looks at Rock and
Terry, "And guess who'll be on the losing end."

Raven grins wildly. "And suspense too!! This just /screams/ blockbuster!!"

The gun falls from Yamazaki's fingers as his nerves fail him... his source of
strength is gone, and he is left with what he was able to store during the
battle between Jack and Orochi. With a scream of rage, black and red gushing
from every orifice, he rushes forward. "I WILL NOT BE DEPRIVED OF THIS MOMENT!!"
Black ki drifts around him then, whips of power instantly lancing out in every
direction, settling to the ground rather than attacking.. incoherent shapes
becoming humanoid and rising to their feet. The last traces of Orochi on this
world, aside from the madman now rushing towards Terry like a demon from the
depths of hell.

Terry's eyes flash, a smile touching his lips as Jack appears.. but he remains
calm, standing in the same stance he just adopted and waiting for his opponent
to rush him, ready to counter-attack - if the Orochi-blooded madman even makes
it close enough.

Jack just watches Yamazaki.  He knows Terry is going to finish this but he's
still waiting.

Raven keeps munching on the popcorn, watching...

Rock now freed watches as well knowing full well now that Terry didn't need his
help.

The strands of ki detach from Yamazaki's person, flicking out into the air
before attaching to the numerous beings that have sprung up... their humanoid
shaping complete, black tendrils no longer but dark abominations, manifestations
of the criminal's murderous intent. As he nears Terry they all move at once,
firing off towards the nearest person with shadowy tendril-like arms
outstretched... and the moment they move to strike their targets is the moment
Yamazaki launches himself forward with one last cry of rage. And it is the last,
as the blonde fighter deftly sidesteps, sending the broken man's flailing arms,
wreathed in black ki, shooting past him harmlessly. "It's over..." he says
quietly, as the energy katana in his gloved hands is brought around in a
graceful arc, slicing up into Yamazaki's over-extended body. The humanoid
ki-shapes flicker away to nothing, dissipating into the night air, and a second
later Terry releases the ki-blade, allowing it to fade similarly into
non-existence. The Orochi-blooded criminal falls, folding into a foetal ball at
the edge of the highway, lying in a pool of his own blood.. red but streaked
with nasty strands of black, his death grunt pitifully small, a hollow sound in
the silence that follows.

Rock stands silent as he zips his cuffs shut looking at Terry.

Jack looks at Terry and Rock, "Yes it is." he says as he calls forth two orbs of
healing energy and he sends them at the two.  "And you two look like hell." he
adds in with a smirk.  Of course he has a nice slash down the side of his face. 
With a glance at Raven he holds out a hand to her.

Rock thanks the powers that be for the healing energy silently and lets out a
breath, "Well...it certainly was."

Raven hops up out of the lawn chair, and it and the popcorn just kinda poof out
of existence.  She leaps up into Jack's arm and kisses side of his face where
the slash is.  Healing energy flows into him from her.

Terry's wounds get the better of him. Without another word he slumps first to
his knees, then onto his side... face scraping against the road's surface,
tearing further the bloody gash in his cheek. But he longer cares, everything he
had has either been expelled into the air, into Yamazaki's body, or otherwise
torn from him by the man's powers... he'll be unconscious for a while.

Jack slipping a arm around Raven he looks at Terry, "We better get him to the
cabin guys." he points at as he looks at the two, "Where's Fayt?"

Raven hovers over to Terry, then kneels down next to him.  She looks into his
face for a long moment.  "He'll be fine." she tucks away a strand of hair behind
her ear.  "He needs rest.  Lots of it."

Rock says, "Uuuuh.....I don't know where he is." he looks around for Fayt.

Fayt's slumped in a heap off to the side, still somewhat pale, with burns
running up both arms.

Jack points at Fayt, "There he is." he sighs, "Rock..we get Terry.  Falcon can
get Fayt out of here." Wait...did he say Falcon?  RUN ROCK RUN!!!

Raven stands and hovers again, and then looks at Fayt, and does the hovering
thing over to him too.  She runs a finger up each one of the burns, and if Fayt
can feel anything, he should feel a cooling, healing sensation up each arm.

Rock blinks, "FALCON?!" and bolt!

Jack walks over to Terry and gives him a burst of his energy to allow him to
wake up and get mobile.

Too late Rock.  The instant you turn to run for it there she is.  "Hiya lover
boy."

Rock jaw drop, "Uh...eh heheheheheheh...Hi Milly...uh..."

Raven picks up Fayt, rather easily, and joins the rest of the group. "He needs
rest too.  Tons."

Milly Falcon says, "..We can 'play' later.  Let's get everyone someplace they
can heal." and her eyes go half lidded as she licks her lips, "Then...we can
talk."

Rock says, "Uh...right..." inch inch inch.

Jack says, "..I gathered.  I'm giving Terry a bit of the energy I absorbed from
Orochi to recharge his batteries enough so we don't have to carry him all the
way to the house." and he looks at Rock and Falcon, "Rock..you know she'll track
you down."

Rock slumps, ah thanks for the reminder Jack, "Uh...right of course uh...heh." 
Ooooooy.... "Well uh let's get Terry home and Fayt wherever it is...to bring
him...yeah."

Terry eyes slowly flicker open as that power is injected into him. "Ugh.... holy
shit...." he coughs, more blood trickling out - as if he hasn't lost enough -
then slowly tries to push himself up, entire body shaking with the effort.

Raven lays Fayt down on air, and he hovers in the prone position. She grins.
"Who needs hospital equipment?" *krsh* "Thank you for flying Air Raven, the time
is now inconsequential, and our destination is Health City where it's nice and
bright, and not to mention frackin' warm....."

Jack keeps feeding the power to Terry, coupled with a bit of healing energy.

Terry manages to struggle to his feet, nodding to Jack, "Okay, man... o..kay.
That's enough, just..concentrate on yourself a bit, huh?" He gives a -very- weak
grin, "You did one hell of a lot more than me.. back there. Don't play the
goddamn hero all the time..." he laughs, then winces and stops, putting a hand
to his chest. "Ugh... gods.... Health City sounds nice.." he gasps, nodding to
Raven, attempting to grin but in far too much pain..having been flayed apart
from inside.

Raven laughs and hover-skips to Terry. "It is!! Aaaannnnddd if you're a good
boy, you get peanuts on the flight!! Can't guarantee an in-flight movie,
though..."

Rock offers Terry a shoulder to lean on if he needs it, "Well still you beat the
living crap out Yamazaki."

Jack says, "..Listen, let's head to my cabin and I'm fine Terry." grant the
slash has faded to a scar he shrugs, "And what's wrong with playing hero?" he
nods at Raven, "The rewards ARE worth it y'know."

Raven does a handstand, then summons up a mini tornado. "That, Jack... all
depends on your perspective..." she releases the arms and lets the
mini-whirlwind carry her upside down.

Terry nods to Jack, a soft smile on his bloody lips, "Yeah, they are." Looking
to Raven, he chuckles lightly, "Peanuts, huh? I'll be good then.." he smirks,
lifting his hand from his chest to wipe the blood that trickles from the edge of
his mouth, ignoring the torrent that pours freely from his cheek, and from the
knife-slash on his right side.

Jack looks at Terry and Rock, "Uh guys..you were down here while I was fighting
dragon boy.  Did she bump her head or something?"

Rock says, "Uh...not that I remember."

Raven giggles as her free flowing purple mess of hair tickles her nose

Jack blinks, "Purple?" and he groans, "Oh...crap.."

Terry raises an eyebrow wearily, blinking a few times before he looks at Jack
with a limp shrug. "I'd like to hope so.... for sanity's sake. But.. huh...
sanity might not be an option." He blinks again, "What's wrong with purple?"

Rock blinks slowly, "Why is it I'm gonna regret knowing the answer to this?"

Jack says, "Her hair was originally white."

Raven says, "EEEHHHH!!! Wrong! It was /originally/ black with purple streaks. 
During my many progressions, it fluxed in purple black and metallic silver
streaks.  Now it's all purple.  King sized candy bar to whoever can guess
whyyy!!!"

Jack asks, "..You've gone insane?"

Raven blinks and arches an eyebrow, then twists so that she lands on her feet,
and dismisses the whirlwind. "Nope.  Actually, I kind of find that insulting,
sweetheart..."

Rock blinks, "I don't know, and I never think I will..or understand."

Terry closes his eyes, wrapping an arm around his stomach and bending at the
waist, face aimed at the ground as he takes deep breaths, trying to keep himself
conscious. "Sounds.. about... right.... Jack...." he murmurs through the dull
throb in his brain.

Raven places her hands on her hips and looks at Terry. "You're no help...."

Jack says, "..Okay..why Raven?" and he looks at Terry, "Rock..get him home."

Rock nods and goes over to help Terry.

Raven shakes her head and grins. "It's no fun if I just outright tell you..."

Jack asks, "..Raven.  I'm tired..hurting..and just want to rest.  Okay..give me
a clue.  The god in you has left you alone finally?"

Raven shakes her head again. "Nope... Have you ever heard the saying about truth
being a three edged sword?"

Terry groans, "Fun, she says...." he shakes his head, sweat-soaked hair dragging
limply across his bloody face. He keeps his eyes closed, swallowing back the
sickness that threatens to overwhelm him as the dull thump increases in volume.

Rock walks over to Terry and this time acts as a support to help lead him on,
"Come on Terry..."

Jack says, "..Falcon..teleport us out of here." and like that they're gone.

    Source: geocities.com/terrybgoode/logs/terry

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