SNF 2014.12 - SNF: Out in the Cold

Description: Urien and Sol go head to head; and Urien manages to press Sol enough to get a true glimpse of his inner power. << Winner: Urien >>



The smell of dust and ash is thick here, admist the bones of what was once a thriving if not terribly attractive town. The ruins of countless shabby structures lie in broken heaps atop each other, callously blasted, pulled, and battered down to make way for the sake of the pride of its home country. Such shanty-towns are a blight on the honor of any country, a dark stain that speaks volumes more about the priorities of its citizens and leadership than any political goodwill campaign might be able to cover up. It had to go.

Wind ripples through the rugged canyons of sheet metal and crumbled concrete blocks in a viscious whipping frenzy that kicks up clouds of osbcuring dirt, blasting away at any who dare to intrude upon this empty graveyard of former civilization. A single flame sparks to life in the desolate wastes, flickering and stuttering wildly in the angry tempest, but its light stands firm for several seconds in stark defiance of this challenge.

Sol lifts the tip of his flaming thumb up to his mouth pressing the brilliant red wisp of magic to the fresh cigarette that hangs loosely from his lips. It crackles and glows into hot embers in mere moments and the towering man casually shakes his hand out in the air, letting the fire die out. Warm, stinging smoke fills his throat as he drags on the butt, a sensation that is both uncomfortable and pleasantly familiar, like many of the things in his life these days.

The mercenary slides his hand into the pocket of his loose white jeans and casts her gaze out on the wasteland that spreads before him. The monumental structure of the freshly built Colliseum looms over the mountains of garbage in the distance, a monument to the battles being fought here for the sake of Human greed and a lust for bloody entertainment built upon the lives of the weak and downtrodden. A sickening thought.

If the invitation to this place hadn't been so damn lucrative he'd never have set foot here, but the ugly truth is that he needs money. Lots of it. The past year hadn't been kind to his expense accounts. Perhaps one of his many enemies had gone out of their way to make sure other hunters got all the good contracts or maybe his reputation was starting to catch up. Either way, he's barely been making ends meet after the required investments into his research and network of contacts.

So, Sol waits, with the heavy weight of Fireseal resting on his shoulder and the comfort of the smoke in his lungs warding off the chill.

Sol Badguy; a silly name, but an interesting individual. When it comes to coming dozens of conflicting sources, the Illuminati has some of the best resources available. Which makes Urien furious to find that this information is coming up conflicting even afterwards. "It's those fucking brains." he growls, looking over the report of vagueness and turnabout, only confirming the man is otherworldly strong. It's ignited in a spark of lightning within the waiting area for the huge man, before he slugs the suited figure who delivered it so hard his sunglasses fly off and he crumples. "Tell them if they keep getting in my way, they'll end up on my shelf." One of the downsides of being in the shadow and military branch is they can intercept anything they desire. And it's actually rare enough to be suspicious... What are they hiding? That just makes Sol all the more intriguing.
Seen opposite through the dust is Urien as he carelessly approaches. Dressed in his standard tan suit, he has one hand within his pocket while the other tugs at the knot of his tie. He's grinning like a wildman at the person opposite, looking Sol up and down with the appraising gaze of a hunter. A monolithic figure of nearly seven feet, he's built like the all-time champion of Mr. Universe, clear even through the tailored outfit that likely costs at least five figures.
"Mr. Sol Badguy, I presume? You're a difficult man to track down. And a difficult man to get information on. But I think I know enough to take a guess at your situation." Coming to a stop about ten meters opposite, the blonde-haired Greek observes with his smirk unabated. "You made some powerful people unhappy. They want your head. You sell your strength to whoever fits, to finance your own prerogative. Something like that?" He can smell the stink of the brains on Sol somewhere, in the way the rumors were spread. Damn political worms. "It just so happens the money I have is limitless. And in whatever you want. Circulated cash. Gold. Diamonds. Bonds. Goddamn live turkeys. I think we could have a mutually beneficial fling... before either you leave, or I backstab you. Got your attention...?"

"Well, shit..."

Sol turns his gaze towards the approaching man in a casual fashion, showing neither surprise nor worry at being called out by name. While he doesn't go around advertising to the world, there's bound to be a few people out there who know his deal. That this wall of muscle and arrogance happens to be one of them just clues the merc in that he's probably the one who called him out to this forsaken place.

"Guess you got me all figured out," he growls in a low voice that resembles loose rocks being ground together. "Next, you'll be telling me what I had for breakfast this morning."

Piercing eyes that rest somewhere between brown and dark orange languidly peer at Urien from beneath the thick metal headband on the mercenary's forehead giving him a quick once over. From his expression, he's not terribly impressed by the expensive suit, the fancy tie, or the imperious manner of speech.

Sol shifts his stance, resting on his other leg, and takes another puff of his cigarette with deliberate slowness. "...get to the damn point."

"Nah. I got the cover of the book figured out. What's inside... those secrets upon secrets... that's what I'd like to know. But something tells me I'm not gonna. Whether I beat you bloody or not. Heh. That's fine. We've all got our little hidden quirks. It's what makes life interesting." As for what Sol had for breakfast, Urien makes an educated guess. "Beer and a cigarette. That's what a real man would have." His stance is casual, but there's a sense of incredible power within him. Not anything like a Gear, but as if the primal soul of the very earth beneath was resonating through his veins. It is currently sleeping, but for how long is the question of the day.
"Point's done. Work for me. Get lots of money. I'll give you anything you want in this world. Money. Women. Facilities. Tech. Information. Just ask. I'm not interested in prying into who you are. You got enough people doing that. I want something, and you'd help me get it. To rule the world. Be the emperor. It's not as impossible as you think." Not when the Illuminati has been planting world leaders for the last century. The only reason there isn't a World President is the fact they like to put people to war with one another so much. That could easily change.
"So. Name a price. I'll eat my suit if I can't grant it...!!"

Sol grunts. Great, another megalomaniac. Why's he always get stuck with this type? Power, ofcourse. The greedy are attracted to power and his, wild and untamed, is like a burning flame to which the moths flock. They want to be near it, want to possess it for their own - but in the end it's always going to end the same. Someone's getting burned.

"...not interested."

The cigarette burns down a little further and Sol exhales through his nose, sending twin jets of wispy gray smoke into the air. The heavy weight of the angular blade makes a loud crash as he throws it down into the ground at his feet, driving it tip-first into the piles of metal and stone. The mercenary's thick arms flex slightly as he rolls his shoulders, one after another, earning several loud pops for his effort.

"I only do contract work. No extended tours. Not interested in your political bullshit."

COMBATSYS: Urien has started a fight here.

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Urien            0/-------/------=|


COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy has joined the fight here.

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Urien            0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0       Sol Badguy


"Then sign a fucking contract." Urien states, shrugging his shoulders and throwing up his arms. "If you like what you see, sign it again after. What've you got to lose? Well. Maybe I shouldn't say that. Something tells me the answer is 'quite a lot'." A slow crack of the neck follows, before Urien takes a step forward. His muscles bulge, and he suddenly surges with energy. "Well... no matter... save it for after. Honestly, first and foremost, I came here to play...!!"
Each step, Urien's weight increases. Sinking deeper into the dirt, before the growing ripple of his clothing causes it to succumb, ripping to shreds and then blasting in all directions, leaving naught but a battle thong. Fingers flex as the rush of chi billows out to saturate the surroundings, as his skin slowly ripples bronze, flowing out across his body like armor. His face, hands and feet are the last to change, hair turning stark white as he grins even more savagely opposite, standing in a loose stance not far from Sol.
"I'm sick of small fries. Most dangerous mercenary alive my ass. Why don't you prove it? Take me down, and I'll give you twenty grand. Fail, and you sign a contract. How's that for an offer?!"
And then he's rushing forward, slamming down his heel and then wickedly throwing his weight forward. A clenched fist launched at Sol's face, accelerating it with a ripple of magnetic force in an attempt to slam home directly into his chin with a knuckle!!

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy fails to interrupt Fierce Punch from Urien with Wild Throw.

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Urien            0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0       Sol Badguy


The mercenary just frowns and shakes his head. Persistant as always. They always are. Well, that's fine with him. He could use a little work out.

"...don't blame me for what happens."

When the fist comes flying at his face, Sol responds with a gruff grunt and lifts a hand to catch the massive fist on the flat of his palm, intending to simply stop it with a contest of raw strength. He hadn't counted on the extra weight that Urien's strange transformation granted him.

"Hrmn?!"

The heavy fist crashes into his hand and bullies it aside, continuing onwards to slam into this side of his head like a mallet. Sol lets out a short cry of surprise and staggers backwards several steps but he regains his balance before falling over.

"Hmph," he says after a moment, spitting a bit of blood onto the ground. "Guess you aren't all talk. This should be fun."

"Oh!" Urien states, slamming his other foot forward and bracing himself. He can feel the thrum from the feedback of hitting the other man; and he's still standing?! This is a delightful first. Urien almost never gets to face someone on his own level... and now and then, he just rawly desires testing his strength. And winning, of course. Picking on the weak he'll never get sick of, to say the least. "You took the words right out of my mouth. Don't let me down either, boy." Suddenly snapping his legs apart, Urien brings up both of his arms, surging with electricity before a mote of blackness expands rapidly into a heavy ball, roaring with earthen and storm chi in tandem. "CRUSH!!" he roars, before suddenly firing off a rapidly spiraling orb, densely heavy with gravity. Aiming for it to slam into Sol's chest, trying to stagger him backwards with even more raw force than before!

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy blocks Urien's Charged Metallic Sphere.

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Urien            0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0       Sol Badguy


Boy? Heh, if this guy is even half his age, Sol would eat his own shorts. One of the 'blessings' of being a biological weapon is that he doesn't age. In truth, the mercenary around a hundred years old but even he can't remember exactly how old he is. His memories of before the experiment are little more than static. Sometimes they come through, like an image on an old fashioned tv that's having its antennae adjusted, but never for long and none of them reveal things he cares too much about; glimpses of a life no longer his.

Regardless, being mistaken for a man in his youth tends to make people underestimate him, which is just fine with Sol. Let them pay the price for their ignorant assumptions. No skin off his back. When the orb of gravity explodes his way, the merc rushes a couple of steps forward, snatching the discarded Fireseal from its place in the dirt. He snaps it up infront of him, warding off the crushing void with his own magic. The pressure pushes him back several feet and strains his muscles as Sol fights with the primal energies of nature itself but in the end it is he who stands firm.

"...my turn."

Flipping the blade into a reverse grip in his left hand, Sol takes a step forward and swings it down at the ground. Brilliant scarlet flames explode upon contact with the metal junkheap and a dozen lances of exploding fire ripple across the ground towards Urien, searing the terrain into slag as they ferociously devour everything they touch.

"Gun Flame!"

COMBATSYS: Urien blocks Sol Badguy's Gun Flame.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0       Sol Badguy


There's no doubt Urien's young. Early twenties, at the most. Of course, it's apparent that his own granted strength is anything but minute. Sol might be thoroughly sealed, but there's still not a large number of people in the world who can slug him good, or hope to stand against him. Although to think that Urien's ignorance will end there is giving him far too much credit!
"GOOD!! EXCELLENT!! YOU STOPPED IT!!" Rushing forward, Urien lowers his shoulder before thrusting forward, his armored frame impacting the fire. The sheath of chi does much to abate the flames as he all but juggernauts through it, laughing like a madman as he leaps into the air towards Sol. One foot lances straight upwards, before descending in a savage axekick towards Sol's shoulder, trying to drive him to his knees even as he makes to land with an immense weight in point-blank range. His fighting style is strange... although much of him is wasted movement, his actual attacks have a flawless ferocity to them, as if he's using moves ingrained into them with a lifetime. Twenty two years of secret techniques, to be precise...

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy interrupts Medium Kick from Urien with Volcanic Viper.

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Urien            1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0       Sol Badguy


Well, most people usually jump /before/ getting hit by the flames but the end result is the same here. Urien's powerful chi apparently defends him from the worst of the magic but it slows him down enough that his next move is all but broadcast in giant glowing neon letters around him to an experienced fighter like Sol.

"...hmph. Gotcha."

The merc grins to himself as he clenches his right hand into a fist. The magic flows through him in a surge of raw familiar power, building in his chest before exploding violently around his blade as the muscled-bound brawler throws himself into a rising upwards strike.

"Volcanic... VIPER!"

An umbrella of crimson erupts infront of Sol catching the Illuminati square in the middle of his jumping kick. The heavy weight of Urien's foot brushes against the hunter's side but without proper momentum behind it all it does is sting a little. Both men rocket into the sky, Urien riding the edge of the flaming explosion while Sol seems to be propelled by it.

The fire dies out after a second or two, leaving both of them hanging in mid air as gravity begins to reassert itself. Sol spins a little flourish at the peak of their jump but quickly turns to face his opponent once again, intending not to make the same mistake of giving him an easy shot again.

The sudden rush of flame impacts Urien like a ton of bricks. His eyes bug out, and the force of it is sufficient to even send a man of his velocity and weight hurtling backwards. Stunned for a moment, he snaps back to motion, curling up and then landing heavily on his heels, skidding away. His front is smoldering and smoking, skin blackened heavily. But with a lethargic motion he rises, brushing at his front. "I felt that... just a little, though." Laughing to himself, he then bursts into a run once more, heels slamming into the ground. "But... if you keep hitting me like that... you just might HAVE A SHOT!!" And then he twists, throwing his entire weight into a savage short hook right towards Sol's midsection, before twisting his other arm for another, this one aimed for the side of his temple. Looks like a savage offensive is the name of the game where the Treacherous Disciple is concerned...!!

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy just-defends Urien's Strong Punch!

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Urien            1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0       Sol Badguy


Urien hits like he's made out of rocks or metal. He's already proven that once and Sol isn't keen on being on the receiving end of any more of those heavy punches. When he drops to the ground once more the mercenary goes into what looks like a relaxed posture, sword hanging down by his side and free hand resting on his thigh as if he were merely preparing to lean back against the nearest pile of trash and chill out.

Nothing could be less true, however. As with his apparent age, Sol's casual disregard for convential combat is deceptive. He doesn't look like he's even bothered to prepare for the devastating blow that is coming his way but when Urien draws close enough to swing his fists, the mercenary is already moving.

Nearly a century of combat has honed the man, if he can even still be called that, into a living respository of martial experience and combat knowledge. He's the first of his kind, a living weapon, and even someone born with the kinds of gifts that Urien possesses can't easily overcome the advantage that experience brings with it. Sol twists to the side, almost lazily stepping around the gut punch that Urien leads in. The move shifts his center away from the follow up strike and the merc easily bats it aside with his own meaty arm.

"...keep hitting. Right, you're the boss."

Bringing Fireseal up in a sweeping under-cut from his side, Sol drives the rectangular blade at Urien's ribs. As he does so, the bounty hunter takes a step to the side, already moving to make himself a harder target.

COMBATSYS: Urien blocks Sol Badguy's Random Strike.

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Urien            1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0       Sol Badguy


Twenty-two years of raw drills and training and enhancements do quite a lot, but fighting experience is the one thing Urien lacks, especially against strong opponents. He has a strange mix of the feel of a master with the feel of a novice, the most dangerous moments being when he strikes. But that also makes him predictable, and a man of Sol's cunning can manage such things with ease by now. Urien might be one of a blur of people like himself... self-absorbed, short burning fires in the constellation of the world. "Hahaha... I want you even more now..." Urien states when he's deflected, before bringing up his own forearm. The blade strikes it hard, but the sound is indeed like metal on metal, scratching but not quite piercing him. Struggling in a battle of power to repel it, Urien then strikes out with his left hand, aiming to grasp Sol by the front of his shirt before leaning back with his head, aiming to deposit a brutal headbutt right to his face. "I don't want anyone but the strong working for me... and you are already a cut above even that curvy ninja girl!!"

COMBATSYS: Urien successfully hits Sol Badguy with Combo Grapple.

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Urien            1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1       Sol Badguy


Despite his preparation, Urien manages to catch the merc by the lapel of his jacket. The chi-hardened forehead strikes slams hard against Sol's face but he manages to turn his head downwards at the last second, catching the attack on the metal headband wrapped around it.

The impact is still extremely unpleasant. Sol staggers backwards, grunting through gritted teeth as his ears ring. Damnit, that needs to stop. Staying up close with this guy is proving more dangerous than with most people. Time to step up his game.

As before, Sol recoils from the blow but doesn't fall. Almost before he's taken two steps backwards to catch himself the man is moving again, bringing his blade up and over in a massive sweeping strike as he steps forward to extend his reach far enough for the squat blade to come crashing down on Urien from above.

COMBATSYS: Urien interrupts Crushing Strike from Sol Badguy with #Aegis Onslaught#.

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Urien            0/-------/-------|=======\=====--\1       Sol Badguy


So Sol is still refusing to go down...? In a way, Urien feels that the first one to fall is the one who loses. This man is by far the most durable he's battled, since he had the final spar in front of Gill with those wretched brains watching -- the only time he has ever stood before them, and if they know what's smart for their glass housings, the last. "Let's kick it up a notch... AEGIS...!!"
Suddenly Urien's body hardens immensely, the heavy blade striking and ricocheting off in a spray of sparks; it doesn't appear to have inflicted any visible damage. And while the mercenary is vulnerable from that strike, a flickering square shield suddenly erupts into being. "REFLECTOR!!" Sol is hit dead on, and would be horribly electrocuted with paralyzing force. A moment later Urien rushes forward with his shoulder, slamming into the man center-mass, suddenly beginning to tear into the man as the shield keeps him locked into place; leaping up into a headbutt, flipping into a downwards knee strike, firing off a point-blank blast of metallic energy, before gripping the other man and hefting him upwards. The wall dissipates in a crack just as Urien falls down into a sit, slamming Sol back first upon the dirt with a snarl. "HAHAHAHA!!!"

Well, he certainly wasn't expecting that.

Sol's muscles tense as he brings the blade down like a guillotine on top of the mostly naked man of bronze, flexing with effort as he tries to dig down through the armored hide to strike at something soft underneath.

The wall of electrical energy plows into him dead on with little more than moments to react to the bizzare assault. As one of the secret techniques of a shadowy organization, even Sol's vast repository of knowledge can do little to prepare him for the attack. Lightning floods into his body, shorting out his nerves and rendering him completely helpless against what follows after.

Sol goes on a rollercoaster of pain, his flesh screaming in agony at every blow. The attacks send pounding shockwaves through the mercenary's hardened frame, tearing into him with reckless abandon until finally the large man is driven onto his back with an unpleasant crunch.

"Gwah!"

Sol finally lets out a cry of anguish as the air is driven from his lungs. He lies there in the dirt for a few moments, arms twitching as the last of the electrical sparks dissipate around him in sharp pops of fleeting light. However, despite the savage attack, the man rises yet again. Smoke rises from his body in thin gray tendrils where the electricity burned the custom leather of his stylized jacket.

Sol frowns at that and pauses, leaning on his blade for support as he rises, still on one knee. Damnit, that's an expensive jacket. One more expense.

"...putting that on your bill."

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy gains composure.

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Urien            0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1       Sol Badguy


"Hahaha... the last person that endured that was kneeling before me, defeated... you're not so simple, are you?" Urien states, breathing heavily. He slowly smears blood away from the side of his lips, rolling his shoulder. "Well... if you've got a bill, that means you've gotta be /working/ for me!!" Leaping forward, he then swings his body once more into a sharp blow, aiming to bring his elbow down upon the side of Sol's head. "Eh?! Or have you not had enough yet?!"

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy blocks Urien's Medium Punch.

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Urien            0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1       Sol Badguy


Sol tilts his head back, smirking openly like a jackass at the Illuminati bigwig. Still on his knee, he has to look up pretty far to see Urien's face which throws the ragged bangs of his wild hair into the gesture making it look even more punkish.

"Just getting warmed up!"

The mercenary pushes to his feet, meeting the falling elbow with the side of his blade. The two forces clash for a moment, muscles straining against each other, but Sol manages to drive the abnormally heavy man back and takes the brief moment he has to gather the hidden power lurking within.

It's only a glimpse, a tiny sliver of the potential that he would have if he fully embraced his destiny as the greatest of the Gears. The monster that sleeps inside of Sol Badguy could ruin entire nations without much effort but that isn't what he wants to be. It's not that the power itself is evil - power is just power. It is the lack of control that makes it useless to him outside of small doses. That small dose should be enough.

Throwing his head back, Sol lets out a gutteral roar and the air around him grows thick with a sudden surge of potent energy. Red light flashes violently to life in a seething aura around the man and for the briefest of moments the silhouette of something bestial and monsterous takes his place. But just as quickly the vision is gone and Sol comes rushing towards the Treacherous Discipline brimming with fresh speed and power.

Sol leaps through the air, his right fist drawing back as he bears down on the towering Olympian figure. Terrible fire erupts to encompass his fist, crackling with intense heat that is tangible even from a distance. The mercenary brings that power down on Urien from above, driving his fist at the other man's head and as he does so the fires at his command explode into a bolt of blazing red turning Sol's fist into a meteor of destruction.

COMBATSYS: Urien just-defends Sol Badguy's Bandit Bringer!!

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Urien            0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1       Sol Badguy


Another loud laugh leaves Urien, nearly manic, at the response from Sol. "Good... I'd not have it any other way!!" Ramping up the weight of his leading elbow, sinking his naked toes into the soil, Urien battles with the raw brawn of Sol as best he can, gritting his teeth before being repelled. Excellent...! Although the upper hand he's gained thus far is not about to be relinquished without a fight. But Urien is a fiercely intelligent man. A proper scientist through and through, despite all that he seems and how he acts. This energy... it doesn't feel like any he's sensed before, had quaking in his bones. The strange superimposition is not lost upon him either. The sense of a slumbering juxtaposition... it is added to the innumerable questions of Sol. His response is somewhat overkill. "AEGIS REFLECTOR!!" Suddenly a wall erupts into being in front of him, and the fist slams upon it. Crackling and sparkling, the fires and force stress it enough that it nearly collapses, before forcing Sol backwards. "...!!" Urien spits to the side, before kicking forward once more. "Well... THAT was interesting... is there a story behind that attack...?!" Leaping forward, one knee leads, aiming to strike into Sol and stagger him away before twisting into a sharp backhand aimed at his upper body.

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy blocks Urien's Aggressive Strike.

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Urien            0/-------/-------|=======\=====--\1       Sol Badguy


Sol's blazing fist battles it out with the barrier but in the end he's unable to pierce. Wasting no more energy on a futile gesture of stubbornness, the merc pushes away from the powerful defense and drops to his feet with an inhuman grace that belies his bulky body.

"...sorry, I don't do bedtime stories."

The knee is caught on the man's blade as he once again displays his skill at warding off the powerful strikes. Sol ducks underneath the backhand and it hits thin air producing a loud whoosh that ruffling his spikey hair. The motion continues, turning from a dodge into a sudden explosion of forward momentum.

Fire erupts behind the mercenary and he slams towards Urien as if thrown by jet-like afterburners, driving his shoulder into the broad man in an attempt to carry him along for the ride. After a few seconds, he pushes him away and spins bringing the Fireseal, alive with fresh burning magic, up in a scarlet blossom of searing fire.

"Graaaand Viper!"

COMBATSYS: Urien blocks Sol Badguy's Grand Viper.

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Urien            0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1       Sol Badguy


"Such a shame... I bet you'd have such /fascinating/ things to show me..." Urien states with a laugh. Deflected by the blade, Urien drops to the ground in a three-point crouch, only for him to exclaim with a nearly audible ! at the sudden charge. Impacted head on, Urien's heels dig into the ground and rip up a brutal furrow, pressing back into the other man. "CRUSH!!" he suddenly snarls, suddenly snapping up his arm and pressing his palm into his elbow, the moment that he's hauled backwards aiming to fire a point-blank blast of rapidly coalescing metallic chi straight into Sol's chest with the intention of striking him backwards before Urien thumps down unsteady, flames rolling over his frame; one now blackened all over the bronzed flesh, along with a number of cuts. "Hahaha... does my Iron Body impress you...?! My defenses are unbreachable!!"

COMBATSYS: Urien successfully hits Sol Badguy with Intercepting Metallic Sphere.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|=======\=======\1       Sol Badguy


Unable to bail out of his upwards strike fast enough, Sol is caught in midair by the downwards gravity blast. It slams into him dead on bearing the struggling mercenary to the ground and once more forcing him to his knees.

Sol grunts in pain, the sweat of effort and injuries beading down the side of his face. This fight has not at all gone how he would have expected. The fact that people like this man exist, men who can challenge him in his current state and drive him to the brink are all the more evidence that he's not ready to deal with the real threat that lurks behind the scenes yet. Even after nearly a century of preparation, he's still got progress to make. Damnit.

Rising to his feet, Sol grinds his teeth together and spits on the ground once more. Damn the odds, he's not done fighting yet. This man's strange defenses might be keeping him at bay but he'll be damned if he lets this upstart punk make a mockery out of him so easily.

"This your invincible, do you? Heh. Let's find out!"

The same swell of incredible power rises up around the man again but this time it doesn't stop at just being noticable - it's a outright hurricane. Sol crouches as the energy gathers within him, hunching over as if barely able to contain something. With a fierce battlecry, Sol unleashes the gathering magic and the world seems to explode around him. Countless lances of fire blast out of the mounds of metal and junk around him and as he leaps into the air they swell up alongside him as if drawn to him like a magnet.

Fireseal hums with raw power, scintillating red lighting crackling about its metallic form, and as he brings it up at the body of the who would be Emperor of the World all of that fire converges onto Urien in a single piercing lance of crimson destruction.

Sol lands hard on the ground behind his target, crumpling into a weakened heap as the magic leaves his body. He could draw more if he wanted to, drink deeply of the tantilizing energies that lay just beyond his fingertips. The thought always occurs to him when he calls up on the power of the Gear sleeping inside but just like every other time he ignores and the magic slips back into dormancy leaving him hunched and breathing heavily.

COMBATSYS: Urien Toughs Out Sol Badguy's Napalm Death!

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Urien            0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0       Sol Badguy


"C'mon... haven't you seen it yet...? You won't defeat me with this half-hearted effort!! I felt your fangs, if just for a second. Why don't you bare them at me again?!" Urien states, panting heavily as sweat rolls down his form. Attrition is striking him as well, if in a different direction than Sol being physically worn down.
Almost immediately Urien regrets his decision. The face of the power makes him feel insignificant. It's similar to when he was facing Gill; like some grand monster, one using only a fraction of his talent. Gill had purposefully let Urien do well enough to be spared... and that travesty more than any other is one he will never forgive. "You..." Urien states, suddenly stamping down and leaning forward. His density doubles, then doubles again, as he draws in the power of the earth. Above, whirling clouds form with crackles of thunder. "ARE YOU FUCKING MOCKING ME?! EH?!"
The explosion destroys the surroundings, kicking up a great wall of dust. But without any hesitation, Urien's bursting through it; kicking a large hunk of stone distractingly up towards Sol's face, he hurtles forward without warning thereafter, aiming to slam his shoulder upon his midsection a moment later with the intention of sending him hurtling backwards. "If you have this kind of strength... why are you not using it?! How dare you... do you think I'm that far beneath you? DO YOU?! As if I'll let it take me down!!"

COMBATSYS: Urien successfully hits Sol Badguy with Chariot Tackle.
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////                          ]
Urien            1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0       Sol Badguy


The rock hits the flagging mercenary dead in the cheek even before he tumbles to the ground, turning the somewhat controlled fall into a messy flop. Sol pushes up to one knee just in time for the enraged Urien to come flying at him yet again, apparently tough enough that even a touch of the Gear's real strength isn't enough to put him down this time.

Sol attempts to lift his blade to ward off the strike but the momentary weakness as his body adjusts to the retreating magic and the heavy pressure in his mind is too much and he goes rolling across the further ruined landscape. The thick man's body bounces a couple of times as he tumbles down an incline but after a few moments the heavy blade of Fireseal digs into the wreckage and he skids to a screeching halt.

Gritting his teeth against the pain of being struck repeatedly by someone who apparently can control their density to the point that its like being hit by an anvil, Sol drags himself slowly to his feet and grunts.

"...you paid me for a fight, you got one. I'm not in the habit of killing potential employers."

A hand roots around in his pants pocket and he withdraws a rumpled pack of cigarettes from which he retrieves and lights a fresh smoke, casual as you please. He takes a long drag from the butt in silence then shrugs and turns away beginning the long march back to where he left his ride on the far side of the Destruction Zone.

"...we're done here. You know where to leave my payment."

COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy takes no action.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Urien            1/-------/=======|


COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy can no longer fight.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Urien            1/-------/=======|


A touch. Urien doesn't understand much about Sol, but he knows perhaps far better than most just how strong he really is. It makes the full power of the Illuminati seem like nothing. And there's few things in life as infuriating to the insecure man as that. "...ah?" A single vein throbs in the side of Urien's head. "...Kill me... so you think you'd kill me..." He knows it's true, making the laugh somewhat more empty. "Whatever... mangy dog...!! I said you'd get the money if you won. If you aren't interested in working for me... then go back to hell for all I care!" Twisting away, Urien begins to march in the opposite direction, still smoking from the last assault. Sol bears investigating of his own accord. But pressing things now... well. All he'd manage is to unlock that inner demon. And he's fairly certain discovering what that is would be the last thing he did in his scientific life...!!

COMBATSYS: Urien has ended the fight here.

Log created on 21:08:32 12/13/2014 by Urien, and last modified on 01:54:29 12/14/2014.