23/12/04
Characters: Whip, Clark
Ikari Base
Concealed in the mountains, in a massive clearing of jungle, sits a small
military base...which wouldn't be all that surprising, if not for one thing.
This base flies no flag. They exist on no map, and no government will
actively give information about the paramilitary group that calls this remote
bastion their home--the Ikari Warriors. Though quite small in size, the
expertise of the Ikari Warriors make up for their numbers, by far, making
them one of the most effective fighting forces on the planet. Of course, you
could hardly tell by the appearance of their home.
Built into a jungle clearing, brown soil makes up most of the ground of
the base, with very little grass or assorted vegetation growing within the
base's boundaries, defined by a tall barbed wire fence. Guard towers secure
the location, while a duo of long, paved runways and helipads make it clear
that the Ikari Warriors are quite capable of deploying anywhere in the world.
Anti-aircraft cannons are also visible.
Most of the buildings are humble in construction, and are equally few.
Storerooms can be found all over, but only a few buildings are really
notable. One large pair of barracks--short, squat buildings, green in
color--sit in one area, lined with windows. The largest are a few hangars,
surrounding the runways. Easily larger than standard hangars, they
undoubtedly contain a variety of the tanks and aircraft the Ikaris use for
their various purposes.
The only 'advanced' looking building is the command center. Black in
color, the center is mostly invisible from topside. Built underground, a
series of stairways with exits on the surface are scattered throughout. All
are nondescript, failing to indicate what lays beneath.
[Exits : Hangar, Barracks, Command Center, and Out to
South America ]
The training grounds of the hidden Ikari base are busier than usual today, a
throng of mercenaries teeming about in the retreating rays of the sun. It might
not be long until nightfall but there seems no chance of this place being clear
anytime soon... besides, with training like this who needs to be able to -see-
anyway?!
At the central point of the crowd a wide circle has been left clear, an expanse
of dusty ground decorated with three tall poles arranged in a triangular
formation. Posts to beat on, if you will, though they've been used far more
constructively in the last half hour, and currently pacing the dirt between two
of them is someone who's become quite the little celebrity at the Ikari HQ these
last two weeks; Private Whip. Voodoo coiled expertly in one hand, she's ignoring
the cries and yells erupting around her and instead focusing on a reasonably
buff young merc as he hauls himself up to his feet. Wearing only cargo pants and
a small white t-shirt, it's plain to see the multiple red marks on his arms and
neck... someone's been taking a lashing.
"Aww, man... this isn't over, kid. Let's try that again!" Pulling himself into a
sturdy boxer's stance, the soldier throws a couple of jabs into the air, huffing
a breath with each one. His short hair is sweat-slicked like his shirt, his
posture starting to show the telltale tightness of too much activity in a short
time. Yep.. someone decided to challenge the little girl who supposedly bested
the legendary Ralf Jones a day before... and someone seems to be paying for it!
It's been a rather amusing day. With Christmas approaching, Clark has taken it
upon himself to join the festivities by forgoing the usual cap for a Santa hat.
Sure, normally he wears the hat to block out the golden rays of the sun which
bring back such painful memories for him, but the sky is white now, the air
frosty...and he still has his sunglasses to hold back any phantoms that might
choose to linger in spite of it. This, of course, is a devillish trap that Clark
has arranged here. He's making his usual rounds about the base, wearing this hat
and acting as if nothing were amiss. When soldiers break out in snickers (they
always do, but some can supress it better than others), he'll grin...and have
them drop down and give him fifty. It's not a power trip, as Clark is hardly the
type for that sort of thing, but he knows the sight of his stoic figure stalking
about the base with that hat is enough to wonders for the morale of the troops.
And when they're forced to do pushups, it's all just part of some big joke, with
only the new recruits who haven't fully caught on to Ikari spirit left resenting
it.
Eventually, his wandering takes him out to the training grounds. That's
funny...normally the troops aren't this rowdy unless it's Ralf and him going at
it. Which means? Probably the newcomer, who's managed to singlehandedly earn
some respect for herself with the defeat of Ralf. As he draws closer, his
intuition proves correct, and he pauses a safe distance away to observe the
fight with a smirk. Some of the soldiers see him...and they fight to keep the
laughter down, they really do. The warning has gotten around the base by now,
and they know better than to do it, but it's so hard to *resist*! To their
credit though, they manage. And Clark doesn't miss a beat, instead offering some
advice to the soldier going up against the sly young recruit. "You're playing
right into her hands...look at how excited you are, and then look at her. Very
controlled, even as you dance like a puppet for her." True enough, the
tactician's words are right on their mark.
...well now. Even with the grasp she's getting for the whole Ikari spirit, the
prescence of so much Christmas spirit in the strong and quiet Clark comes as a
little bit of a surprise to Muchiko. As he speaks, her gaze flickers in that
direction just briefly, a smile accompanying the glance. She can't take her
attention off for too long - after all, none of these men are a pushover.. by
normal military standards, they're all possessed of staggering talent. There's
only so many in the world who could stand even ten minutes of this punishment,
-thirty- minutes is quite something elsee.
Still. The hat? It draws a second glance, and a very perceptible widening of
Whip's eyes, another smile tugging her lips upward. She can't quite break out
laughing, but she's definitely bordering on a wide grin before she can fight it
down and tear her attention back to the gung-ho mercenary boxer. She's not too
big on the Christmas thing herself, but neither has she been raised in total
isolation... and the image of Santa Clark brings the amusement rushing forth.
She's not the only one though, and her opponent also takes a second glance.. and
a third, where he lingers wide-eyed, one eye twitching a little, before
guffawing long and hard, dropping his stance completely in the process. "That's-
I- ahahahaha!" Bending at the waist, he slaps his tight stomach a couple of
times before finally straightening, clearing his throat loudly. "Right..
th-thanks, sir!" Hastily assuming a serious expression, he's just in time to be
caught out by the slender assassin girl, who has been surveying him with an
openly amused raised eyebrow for the last few moments.
*ker-rack* The first flash of blue catches him across the left cheek, and with
the second he's firmly bound about the middle, dragged to the floor with a sharp
tug from the other end. Rolling side-over-side, he finds himself with a boot
placed on his stomach and a cheery smile sent down into his dust-ridden eyes.
"You know how I got this good?" Whip chimes helpfully, "By listening to my
superiors, whatever the circumstance. Now..." she leans down, giving another tug
and bringing forth a sharp grunt from the poor man. The newest recruit seems to
be enjoying herself immensely. "Shall I keep you here, or hand you over to Old
Saint Nick?"
Her focus is admirable. The other trick to this exercise of Clark's is to
observe who has the best control over themselves - it might seem like a silly
method, but it works. Not that he's openly using that as his *excuse*, he'll be
the first one to say it's little more than a cheap gag. Unfortunately, Whip's
opponent lacks her kind of focus, and he ends up paying for it.
The poor soldier finds himself regarded by a solemn giant with crossed arms,
albeit an upsidedown and decidedly seasonal one. "As much as Santa is always
looking for more people to work in the coal mines, he's feeling in a generous
mood tonight. So he'll let this one get away with five-hundred for dropping his
guard in the middle of a fight." Lifting his gloved hand to the white-brimmed
edge at his forehead, he takes the time to adjust it briefly. "I'm starting to
think that I should wear this thing on the field."
Once the soldier is admonished, Clark turns his attention back to Whip with a
rather amused grin. "Making a name for yourself around here, I see. And it's
doing much for your modesty." He tilts his head to the left and right, cracking
his neck as he does so. "Think you're ready for the graduation exam? I hear Ralf
needs avenging."
Whip takes her boot from the hapless merc's midriff once judgement has been
passed, setting her foot down with a light creak and straightening up. He's left
to pull Voodoo off himself, though the girl does release enough tension for this
to be done, and when he scampers away with a flustered grin she draws her
beloved weapon back into her hand with a few deft rolls of her wrist. The
soldier disappears into the crowd to much back-slapping and rib-digging by his
buddies... he'll do his 'punishment' with good humour, but his showing won't be
forgotten in the mess tonight. Not by a long shot!
For her part, the NESTS-trained private simply throws a quick salute towards the
man's retreating back, then returns her attention to Clark. "I try, sir! Some of
the men doubted I could pull my weight, so it's only my duty to do this..
wouldn't you say?" She throws out a wink as she says the last, then promptly
turns on her heel and takes a couple of paces away, taking herself outside the
line described by the two wooden poles. Coming to a halt, she looks back over
her shoulder at the Ikari field commander, focusing on him past a neat brunette
sweep. "As for your vengeance, sir, that would be just as due. I accept your
challenge!" With mock-solemnity the girl nods, subsequently letting Voodoo
unravel beside her left flank.
"Let's hope I don't embarrass myself..." She adds quietly, dropping her gaze and
her tone. For all her assumed confidence, she knows full well that Ralf gave her
a few free chances.. she's not losing sight of her position in this
organisation, though even so she is apparently letting Clark take the initiative
in this one, keeping her attention on him but not turning about to face him.
She's also making no move to lift her whip, let alone use it.
COMBATSYS: Whip has started a fight here.
COMBATSYS: Clark has joined the fight here.
And she's wise indeed to let Clark have the first move, a decision likely made
from her observation of his style in the last fight. Santa Clark follows the
Private's example, moving to his own designated area before replying. It's not
polite to speak to one's back after all. Once at the two are in the starting
gates, he lifts a finger to nudge his sunglasses upward and sneaks her a return
wink before letting them fall. "Sounds like a fair arrangement. Just don't let
yourself get overconfident...you're setting a good example, and I'd hate for
them to sneak in a win they didn't earn through their own doing."
And with that, the match begins.
...Not that it comes to blows immediately. Clark just stands there, teasingly
out of range of the girl's namesake, quietly contemplating her. That weapon of
hers will pose the biggest problem if he allows her to keep him at a distance
with it. It would make the most sense to close the distance quickly and keep the
heat on in that case. The decision is made, but not acted on: Clark continues to
stand there in his Santa-capped glory, not giving away his intentions in the
slightest way before he suddenly heaves his weight forward and starts forward
with a run, closing as much distance as he can before he launches himself into
the air for a full-body tackle to close the distance. Time for a hug!
COMBATSYS: Whip dodges Clark's Tackle.
Clark has it down perfectly - for all she may be a newbie in the esteemed Ikari
ranks, Whip is nothing if not aware of limitations; both her own, and those of
her opponents. She possesses a sound, analytical eye and has enough judgement to
know what to call and when... she also knows that this battle is not one she can
hope to waltz through. She may come out on top, but only with a lot of planning
and a little luck. The planning comes in at the time as Clark's own, and as he
asseses her so she sizes up his positioning, and watches his shaded eyes. A
canny tactic that, covering the most readable portion of one's being...
But it won't save him this time, and when finally he moves Whip is already
prepared to deal with a frontal assault, bending at the knees and flicking
Voodoo's coils up around her hand in one accustomed gesture, then springing up
into an acrobatic flap off to one side and.. backward. She's not aiming to
counter immediately, it seems, and she flies over the lunging mercenary to land
a short distance away and a good deal higher in the air. Poised perfectly on the
head of one of those wooden poles.
"I wonder if you've measured me quite that well..." she muses aloud, giving
Clark ample time to recover before making her next move. An eyebrow is raised
down towards him, and a small smile given to take the possible edge from her
words.. she's fairly sure he has, after all. When this is said and done? There's
a sharp, invigorating snap as her weapon is suddenly flicked downward to grip
around the wood a foot below her boots. "HA!" Kicking off from her perch, Whip
bends lithely to enter a brief orbit, hurtling fully around the pole with a
firm, double-handed grip on her namesake... then letting the momentum carry her
towards her superior, both feet held out for a kick to his chest.
A nice use of the scenery, and one she's already been practicing today.. enough
that by the time she arrives, her grip is slackening to allow Voodoo a return to
her hand on recontact with the ground. It all -should- be timed perfectly...
COMBATSYS: Clark blocks Whip's Hook Shot.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Whip
It is "timed perfectly" as it's put, but Whip isn't the only one thinking a few
moves ahead. Both of them knew that if Clark had the first move, he'd have to
charge her. While getting that first hit in would have been nice, it wasn't that
he was so much focussed on. How she'd *react* to his charge was the important.
His adversary proves as unpredictable as he had predicted (there's a brain
bender for you) in her evasive technique, having enough balance to land so
*perfectly* on that beam. Caught by surprise at this turn of events, Clark
doesn't slip his guard but reflexively responds by raising his hands into that
stance Whip had the chance to observe last time during his battle with Ralf: the
one that's ready for anything. Even if she had managed to relocate herself to a
position that he had accounted for as "out of bounds" in his mind, she still has
to attack him somehow.
Expecting her to lash the whip at him, he's only two beats behind his intended
mark when Whip takes to the air with that impressive maneuver, only for her to
find Clark *meeting* her in midair, the appropriate muscles tensed to cushion
her blow as he flips towards her with outstretched arms. "Napaaalm Stretch!", he
vocalizes as he tries to grab her.
COMBATSYS: Whip dodges Clark's Strong Throw.
This is certainly interesting! Both have got their measure, and now it gets more
intense... two elite mercenaries bound for a collision course in mid-air, Whip
still hanging by Voodoo's taut length and Clark moving of his own accord. It
seems like a pretty unavoidable impact, and it is... there's no way the slender
assassin will be running away from this, and with the rate of momentum right now
she's certainly not switching direction completely.
But she CAN try to turn this to her favour, and so as she flies she quickly
releases one hand's grip upon the ergonomic hilt of her weapon. It's not until
the last instant possible that she moves further, not wishing to throw off her
balance and let herself fly directly into the attempted grapple. When she moves
though, the speed is blinding, her fingers closing on Clark's shoulder and
tightening alarmingly, to allow the girl to swing herself at breakneck pace up
out of his clutch in an aerial somersault. A loud snap accompanies this, as
Voodoo reaches its limit, and with a twitch of her other hand the weapon coils
back towards her.
It isn't over there... cannot be over, with a still-airborne girl riding just
above her intended attacker. There's only so much she can do from up here, but
as gravity asserts itself and she begins to fall, she grits her teeth and swings
herself into a second somersaulting motion, this time aiming both boots in quick
succession to catch Clark from the side - aiming to take him below the chin.
Should the tricky blow connect, she'll continue her motion to land in a crouch
below. Flash Kick, eat your heart out!
COMBATSYS: Clark interrupts Heavy Strike from Whip with Super Argentine
Backbreaker.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Whip
Beautiful. That's the only way to describe the way she uses the whip to perform
a maneuver that none other in this situation could, and as Clark's hands extend
towards her she's rewarded with her choice blow. "Nice.", the man allows with a
genuine smile. It's a compliment from Clark! But one that comes with a horrible
price, that smile turning into a mischievous 'gotcha!' grin as he hauls her in
just as the distance betweem them was broadening, engaging in a midair grappling
match with her that ends with her torso trapped between the powerful scissors of
his legs. Struggle as she may, the hold proves unrelenting as Clark comes
straight down to land on his flattened palms, transferring the full unbraced
shock of impact to the smaller girl. It's a tradeoff: she comes away from the
maneuver without rearranged discs, but in exchange her back and toreso are
really going to be feeling the ache in the bunk tonight.
In theory, it was a sound manuever.. in execution, it wasn't too poor either!
Whip simply finds herself outdone, a soft 'huh?' of surprise breaking past her
lips as she's hauled around to dizzying effect and then carried from the air to
the hard ground with force that would prove bone-shattering on a lesser
fighter... *crunch*
Her teeth grit hard, the girl's eyes closing as she fends off the worst of the
shock - that which might put her out of commission - but still feeling the
painful vibration coursing through her slim figure. She's surprisingly tough for
her build though, and as she slivers out of the backbreaker she's fast returning
to form, pushing herself to her feet and taking a few increasingly less wobbly
steps backward, her hand raised and working to recoil Voodoo. "Thanks..." she
offers breathlessly, chest heaving for a few moments now that she comes to a
stop. Then she gives a slight smile, " You were pretty good yourself, sir...
you've really been paying attention."
Dipping her head in a half-nod, half-bow, the assassin seems all set to pause a
while longer when suddenly she's in another blur of motion. This time she drops
to her knees, tossing her right arm out behind her then bringing it forward to
lash her weapon outward in a streaking blue line aimed to catch Clark square in
the chest - it's designed to make him stumble, or even step aside... it won't
matter, as her hand shifts downward to bring another slash down towards his
midriff, to encircle him in a tight coil. And then? A sharp tug will bring him
slamming front-first into the dirt!
COMBATSYS: Whip successfully hits Clark with Boomerang Shot.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Whip
Of course, that next trick is one that's hard to counter without having seen
with your own eyes, and Clark missed out on the opportunity to watch her fight
with Ralf the other day. Coming up from the the backbreaker variant (lucky girl
she is, that scissor slam is usually saved as the last in a succession of
three), he raises his arm to briefly lift the Santa cap off his head before
setting it back down again. He meant to tip his cap actually, but in mid-motion
he remembered that he wasn't wearing it. Whoops.
He dodges the first crack of the whip, but the second successfully entangles and
sends him crashing to the ground with an efficient tug, though his arms and legs
remain unsnared. "Nice trick. Sometimes you have to rely on unpredictable tricks
like those against an observant opponent." Speaking of which, did Whip notice
that went Clark went down, he forsook the opportunity to brace himself against
the ground so that he could throw his weight forward towards her as far as he
could? Here's hoping so, because he suddenly pushes up with his arms and thrusts
his lower body into the air, trying to encircle his captor's neck with his legs
and send her crashing to the ground with a twist of his waist.
COMBATSYS: Whip blocks Clark's Frankensteiner.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Whip
The Santa hat. As Clark goes down from her successful gambit, Whip can't help
but grin and shake her head.. it's interesting that of her two superiors, the
one she'd have marked from appearance as the most 'proper' is actually by far
the more easy-going and humorous. Ralf mixes far more effectively with
testosterone.
Once the sturdy merc has made his fall, Whip's hand twists around and snaps
back, unleashing Voodoo's grip and causing the beloved weapon to return to her
hand, where it lands in its usual perfect coil. Not paying attention to this
action, she instead listens to Clark with her head tipped to one side. "Well, of
course," she answers, not taking her gaze from the man for a second. He must
have something planned... right? "I expect y-!" She's cut off as she hops back
rapidly. Without the distance closed by her last assault, she may have had time
to escape but as it is she finds herself muffled by two strong legs and then
twisted around in the most disorienting way. His technique works wonders like
that.. though at least she's somewhat ready.
Her fall comes, but somewhere during the twisting flip Clark may have noticed
her form going rather limp. She breaks the fall by not allowing herself to act
against it, and though the pain is still cringe-inducing, she's saved the most
devastating effect and when she bounces up from the impact her body is tensed
again... pain is one thing, loss of muscle control another. Whip still posses
the latter, and she shows it by hauling herself into a skidding crouch, the
fingers of one gloved hand skimming the floor to provide balance as she rockets
back with her bounce's momentum. Coming to a halt a few feet away, she sucks in
deep breaths and just watches the powerful man, considering her next move and
regaining her scattered senses.
She has to take her time. Any slip-up greater than that one... could be
regrettable.
COMBATSYS: Whip focuses on her next action.
In the confusion of Whip's retreat, Clark manages to get the slack in the cord
he needs to be able to escape its constricting grip. Of course, Clark isn't the
type to easily lose his cool and charge in at a perceived lapse in the combat.
When Whip backs off to reanalyze the situation, he doesn't persue, instead
coming to an easy stand. Breathe in, breathe out...arms extend and spread
outward, hidden eyes coolly focussed on Whip. Despite not letting on much, he
can still read her: he has her cautious now, wary of taking a powerful hit. He
can use that to his advantage, going for speed instead of power, or attempt to
level that against her, using that caution of his strength to force her into
advantageous positions. Either way, he just flashes his teeth back at her,
standing at the ready. Two can play at this.
COMBATSYS: Clark focuses on his next action.
One...
Whip returns Clark's grin with a rather sly smile of her own, one side of her
mouth turning up and a playful gleam coming into her eye. She knows she's faring
well, but this is a close match that could go either way... her advantages are
paying off as well as can possibly be expected, but on the other hand so are
those of the more experienced fighter. And 'more experienced' is right - she may
be up to par with the length and depth of her training experience, but in the
field she lies at a severe disadvantage. To put it simply - Clark has seen one
hell of a lot more. To do her best and impress, she'll just have to find things
he hasn't seen yet.
Two...
Breathe in, breathe out. The little assassin's air flow is coming steady now,
her concentration and focus restored, her mind ready to push her slowly aching
body into action. But the timing has to be there... and she knows full well that
both warriors are ready. For a fleeting moment she lets the outside world filter
through, the universe outside the fight, and hears the chatter of the Ikari
soldiers all around. More people to impress... she doesn't doubt the cracks
about her age, size and gender will die immensely if she can continue to fare
well here.
Three.
So let's do it. With a short gasp of effort, Whip shoves herself to her feet and
breaks into a low spring straight toward Clark, whip-bearing hand trailing out
behind her. "Haaaa..." she starts a low cry, letting it increase in pitch and
volume as she charges, and not breaking her momentum until the very last... when
Voodoo is brought around in a short-range slash timed to hit Clark just as she
breaks her sprint and starts to move forward at a brisk walk instead.
"NANANANANA!" Now it's unleashed. A looping flurry of lashes that kick the dust
around Whip's feet into a cloudy blizzard, and as she moves forward into Clark
she aims to carry him on into her little private storm!
There was little subtle or clever in her approach or in the technique - instead,
she's hoping to catch him out with this very absence. A berserk assault when he
might have been expecting something a little more intellectual.
COMBATSYS: Clark endures Whip's Sonic Slaughter.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Clark 1/-----==/=======|-------\-------\0 Whip
COMBATSYS: Clark successfully hits Whip with Ultra Argentine Backbreaker.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Whip
What Clark had decided on, ultimately, defeated Whip's cleverly thought out
strategy. Does the hardened Ikari Warrior shy away from the fury of blows? Fight
the fury of the storm and not be drawn in? Hell no. He's trudged through *real*
sandstorms, without a full meal, and completed his mission on the other side.
Which is what he fully intends to do. Gritting his teeth against the cutting
razors of wind, Whip isn't the only one out for a brisk walk on the field as
Clark trudges through it like a true soldier with nerves of steel. Not just any
steel...Clark Steel. Whether she's taken aback by this amazing resolve or
just too slow to react, the Ikari doesn't have the time to take note, bellowing
like a titan as he grabs her by the sides and heaves her straight up into the
air with all of his strength.
Clark lifts a finger to test the air, as per his usual. All of the gathered
soldiers crack grins simultaneously: they know what comes next. Whip comes down,
and Clark raises his arms at the last moment to catch the girl and drive the
ridge of his Santa cap into her back.
"ONE!", the soldiers cheer.
Up into the air once...normally he would have stopped there, but that last move
HURT. If she's going all-out, he's not going to disappoint! Down she goes
again...and Christmas Cheer is driven into her spine once more.
"TWO!"
One last heave and the girl is airborne again, some of the soldiers wondering
whether Clark is being too rough at this point, but the soldier knows best:
she's a tough slip of a girl, and this is only going to make her stronger. Down
she comes, and the last impact isn't any more forgiving than the first two.
"THREE!!"
And with that, Clark simply steps out from beneath her and lets her fall to the
ground, pacing a good fifteen steps away before turning around. He wants to give
the girl a chance to rest after being his second hat for the day. "I see we had
the same thing in mind. Good call, Whip." ...And he didn't even refer to her by
rank! <3
Whip's suspicions are raised a little when she notices Clark's lack of evasive
action.. can she really be playing into his own plan? It's possible... and if
true, she'll be impressed when that realisation comes. Though hardly surprised.
After all - this is an elite organisation. She had to train herself to what she
knew well to be her peak in order to gain entry under such sudden circumstance,
and even then she was only able to scrape past Commander Heidern's scrutiny...
But however much she's trained, once in her self-contained maelstrom she is lost
in activity, feeling her whip's strikes raise line after line upon her
commanding officer's form, sensing the pain he must be experiencing even through
his honed body. Lost as she is though, she's ready to make the best and fastest
exit she can. Something IS up. It's in the air. She knows now that again her own
moves have been outplayed... however. Experience comes into the formula. And
there is no counter for the flawless economy used to haul the slender NESTS
agent into Clark's grip. Helpless and thrown off, three times she is flung
heavenward and three times she comes down...
Pain, pain, PAIN. Ralf showed her his true power during their battle, and now
Clark displays his... this is what she lacks. For all the sting and the welts
she can raise, there is no replacement for such devastating techniques. On
hitting the floor she finally releases the weapon she's been desperately holding
onto and simply.. lies there, using the time she's given to recover her
everything. "Nngh..." she groans lightly, tasting sharp iron in her mouth and
letting the pain flood across her senses. Soon it will numb, but for the moment
it's a fire that has to be waited out. The consuming heat lasts a while, but
when it's over the girl sits up, rubbing her dishevelled head with one hand and
reaching for her beloved with the other.
"I'm not.. done yet..." she says in a hoarse tone, glancing towards Clark and
then getting unsteadily to her feet. A few seconds later, she is gyrating
rhythmically, Voodoo once more at the ready and her wits almost restored. She
was given the time, and she took it. Finally, she offers a much-belated response
to Clark's words, pulling a smile forth from a body still pulsing with
remembered agony. "I know what I'm doing. The problem is... so do you."
COMBATSYS: Whip takes a breather.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Whip
Clark has been taking a breather of his own, of course. That last exchange of
techniques was by no means a leisurely walk in the park, so he's certainly
taking advantage of the same opportunity that he's giving the girl; he just
thunks down onto his rump, legs spread as he gazes down at himself. His flak
jacket fared pretty well for obvious reasons, but he's definately going to be
needing to need a new shirt and pair of jeans.
Once she's back up on her feet, she'll find him smiling, of course. He just nods
his head, standing as he speaks. "I didn't think that you were. Good. You can
still win this one, but you've got to outmaneuver me." Spreading his arms yet
again, he lifts both hands to stylishly adjust his wind-battered Santa cap. "Now
it gets serious."
COMBATSYS: Clark takes a breather.
"Doesn't it, though?" Whip replies quickly with another sly smile, continuing to
sway in her own rhythm for a few more moments... where to go from here?
Something he hasn't seen yet, something he won't be prepared for... is there
anything like that remaining? Maybe. The girl reasons that perhaps it's time to
get acrobatic again, cut her respite short and try something that at any other
time might just come across as insanely crazy. She used the scenery before, and
now...
*ker-rack* That sound again, as her right hand flashes forward and Voodoo's dark
blue tip snares around the wooden pole nearest Clark. Stretched almost to its
limit, it's no task for the assassin to drop to a crouch and then swing herself
up on a wide arc, leaping skyward and using her weapon as an anchor and a
guideline both, to land again atop a narrow place. Not that she lands for long,
one foot only briefly touching to the surface long enough to shove off and gain
a little more momentum. This time Whip flips toward Clark, turning once head
over heels and then releasing Voodoo with a sharp turn of her wrist. As weapon
returns to hand, she enters a near-vertical freefall and aims both booted feet
to catch her powerful CO at his highest point and hammer him down into the
floor. This.. could hurt.
It could also miss entirely.
COMBATSYS: Whip successfully hits Clark with Assassin Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Whip
((COMBATSYS: Clark takes a breather.))
((COMBATSYS: Whip takes a breather.))
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Clark 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Whip
Clark follows her motions with outstretched hands, shifting his stance again as
again as Whip traverses from one acrobatic step to the next...and finally she
makes her attack, coming from directly *above*, which is admittedly one of the
two weak spots to his style: directly above or directly behind comes from spots
that his arms can't as easily react to. He tries to lift his arms to do
something, catch her, hit her, she'll never know, because she stomps his Santa
cap flat and drills him into the ground. ...Oh yeah, that hurt alright.
"Nice...one...", the fallen Ikari comments, little stars dancing across his
vision as he regards her from his vantage point. Time for his trump card? Nah,
his head is swimming too much, his aim would be too far off. Instead he gathers
his will and hauls himself to his feet, persuing the girl with a mighty blow in
hopes of catching her before she can slip out of his reach again.
COMBATSYS: Whip interrupts Flashing Elbow from Clark with Sonic Slaughter.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Clark 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Whip
A satisfying crunch, that of your feet slamming so hard into an opponent's
head... different to the feel of the whip's stroke landing, and perhaps even
more welcome. Even when the opponent is a friend, ally and superior... but then,
does Whip have to feel guilty over such elation when her technical position here
is that of a spy, a double agent? That's something to feel far worse about, and
so she thinks nothing of the surge of quenched sadism as she hops off of her
falling commander's head and lands on the floor in a rising crouch.
"Thanks!" She chirps in response to his praise, sending off a quick wink and
then arc'ing her back, entering a nimble flip that carries her off one raised
hand and back to her feet a short distance away. Just in time to encounter an
elbow slamming in towards her! "Hnk!" She's caught before she can move aside,
but caught in mid-turn, and it adds to her momentum, the girl spinning into a
sidelong twist then a leap... a second spin bringing her fully around to face
Clark once again, dropping to one knee and bringing Voodoo forward in a
lightweight slash to the middle.
It lands, and the Ikari recruit's eyes flash now that she brings her arm back
and then in a sweeping motion to hurl a faster, more painful cut across Clark's
back. This is followed with a sequence of others, all delivered with a nasty
turn of speed, cutting across both arms, both legs, the back again, a diagonal
lash across the torso and then... one last uppercutting sweep timed to place its
crack upon the solid mercenary's chest as Whip stands. It should propel him away
from her and onto his back, where he can pause to feel the welts rise while the
youngster calmly re-coils her precious, and reaches back to tuck it back into
its concealed harness.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Clark 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Whip
There's such a thing as rubbing salt into wounds. There's also such a thing as
creating so many wounds that you can't help but get salty sweat in a good two
thirds of them. This new Ikari Warrior, because a Warrior is what she now
qualifies as without any room for doubt, is decidedly the queen of the latter
category.
Clark shares no such satisfaction when his elbow connects with full force, but
even were that not the case he'd have no time to feel such a sense of elation
before the series of welts lashes across his body from seemingly all angles.
Touch down, leave a welt of red, only to flick away and cut into him again
remorselessly from seemingly random different spot. That final blow connects and
sends Clark sprawling onto his back...unmoving. Breathing heavily. Beaten.
Everyone is staring now. She's beaten BOTH of them? Is she truly that powerful?
"Think fast."
Having played possum long enough to gather his senses enough to have a feel for
depth perception once more, Clark suddenly snaps his arm up...and a gunshot
rings out across the training field.
COMBATSYS: Clark can no longer fight.
COMBATSYS: Clark has left the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Whip dodges Clark's Random Weapon.
Powerful? No... precise, careful, and clever. In the field, it's highly likely
that Whip would be forced to play a distant second to the power wielded by Ralf
and Clark. Her brain is her weapon, whether it be manuevering her into a more
thoughtful course of action or guiding her hand-eye coordination when hurling
around a length of whipcord two or three times her own height. She also thrives
on underestimation. But she's been bested twice already since leaving NESTS HQ,
by one with a better eye and a better brain to guide it.. and by another who
knew how to turn her tricks against her to devastating effect. Two weaknesses
she'll have to look into. The victories here? They aren't notches to her belt,
or points of pride. This is simply proof that she belongs on the squad, belongs
under the command of two heroes and alongside a similarly prodiguous young lady.
But as she lets her hands fall back to her side, there comes the final words
from her superior, and her gaze loses its distance to widen upon his prone,
seasonally decorated form. The instant of realisation comes when it has to, and
with Clark's words ringing in her ears the Ikari recruit drops down low, one
foot kicking up a slew of grainy dust as it shifts to compensate for her
posture. Her chin is almost upon the ground but her eyes remain fixed in place,
watching the big man still while the bullet's passing sound rings in her ears.
"I do." She speaks calmly, purposefully, and then smiles as a hand goes to the
dirt, aiding the girl as she rises. "I think the fastest I can, I do everything
the best I can... sometimes I fail, but sometimes I do very well indeed." With
the last comes a noticeably bright chime to her tone, and though the pain is now
rocketing through her every vein she holds herself straight, beaming with
satisfied contentment. "Thank you, Clark. I think I now know why Commander
Heidern thought I was good enough to fight for you... let's hope we get tested
as a unit before much longer! Meanwhile," pausing, she glances off into the
crowd of soldiers, now faded partially from view in the approaching darkness.
After a moment's consideration, a gloved hand lifts to point out the nearest two
men of low enough rank. "You and you, help Lieutenant Steel to his quarters."
Giving orders already? She only hopes they get obeyed despite her equal rank...
she's given her all today, and then some. In all brutal honesty she -couldn't-
aid Clark herself. Her limbs scream protest at every movement, and her mind
demands a respite. If she can be let off early training tomorrow, it will be
most heartily welcome...
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