Description: Three fighters find themselves on the beaches of Majigen, surrounded by high tech lab equipment that unleashes a special gas to energize them. Who will come out on top?
Argo Strange is a feared Dark Hunter amongst those who know of him--at least by the majority of the Darkstalkers that 'live' in this world. Truth be told, most of them aren't as powerful as all that--it's just like the human world, just... uglier in many cases. But even Argo can be overcome, and after his victory at the Park, that's exactly what happened. When he awoke, it was under lock and chain, held for unknown purposes.
Unknown until now, that is, when he's forced and prodded onto the beach by the locust-like guards. The chains and cuffs aren't removed until he's inside the open 'laboratory', which is already starting to affect him in some ways.
He remains silent, glowering at the guards, as if promising each of them that he'll find them, somewhere, sometime, and repay them for this... but he has to wonder, as well, why he was brought out here. Clearly for some sort of experiment, but... what?
COMBATSYS: Argo has started a fight here.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|
Not far off of Argos heels comes Munin, likewise chained and being guided like cattle much to her chagrin. She too does not look any happier to be here. Red lines on her skin around her cuffs show just how much struggling she's been doing to try to get free in the meantime.
Upon arriving, she takes in a breath, and blinks at the faint surge of energy it prompts as she looks over the open labs contents, taking note of the strange and somewhat frightening devices that are set up. Her glowing eyes shift to Argo, sizing him up, not sure either why their here, as she plans for whatever escape she may be able to make, and whatever use he may be in that, if any.
COMBATSYS: Munin has joined the fight here.
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Munin 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Argo
Before all this mess with Majigen started, Johnny Cage, famous actor and skilled martial artist (and sensual lover) was living comfortable in sunny California, away from the troubles on the East Coast. As things seem to get worse, he can't help but feel obligated as a defender of Earthrealm to come and help. At the very least, it would get Nightwolf and Raiden off his case. But they would definitely owe him for this.
Pretty much as soon as he arrived, and the cameras disappeared once he entered the Majigen zones, he was accosted by the locust guards and transported to the beach laboratory for his first fight. "Watch the /hair/, alright?" he complained as they hustled him in. The cuffs came off and Johnny started writing autographs for, well, the two locust guards that escorted him. "Thanks for watching," he says, not even considering the fact these guys may not have seen ANY of his movies. But, hey, EVERYONE who matters has heard of Johnny Cage, right?
He sizes up his two opponents. A girl and some serious lookin' dude with a cross pendant. "Hi, I'm Johnny Cage - yes, THAT Johnny Cage. Pleasure to be here." He claps his hands together. Man, he was pissed about the chains, but something in the air here makes him feel...alive. "Hope you two are ready to get it on, woo!"
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage has joined the fight here.
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Munin 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Johnny Cage
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Argo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Argo has joined the fight here on the top side.
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Argo 0|-------|-------
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Munin 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Johnny Cage
Argo's expression holds absolutely no patience for Mr. Johnny Cage. Whoever he is. Clearly Argo is not a man who 'matters'... but that's fine by him. Both of his opponents get a curious glance--he can certainly tell that they're pretty potent fighters, though neither has the scent of a Darkstalker upon them. So... they're human. Argo is not much for fighting other humans, but there are too many guards to make a break for it.
Just then, all the lab equipment powers up, and a haze starts to fill the air. It doesn't make it hard to see, but... Argo can certainly tell it's affecting him. He clenches his fists. Under this alien sky, on this.. echo... of a beach... it appears he'll have to fight for his life. That he's comfortable with.
"I don't know about you two, but I don't like fighting for the amusement of others." Johnny's probably used to it.
"That doesn't mean I won't do it, though--!"
And he lunges for Johnny. There's no formal start, nothing like that, just suddenly Argo is lunging off his feet and drawing a right hand back, aiming a classic right cross for Johnny's jaw.
A sideglance is given in Johnnys direction by Munin. She does not seem amused by his cocky egocentric-seeming attitude, and Argo just gives off a weird vibe she honestly wants little to do with. Once the chains are off, she starts looking for the best time to make her escape.
Then everything turns on and goes online, and her eyes got a bit wide for a moment as her aggression spikes from the gas....
Any plans of escape are quickly lost in the rush!
Black chi begins to waft off her like dark smoke, surrounding her form in a shadowy haze, with two violet pinpricks of light revealing her place within it. With a quick flick of her wrist, a burst of this shadowy substance flies from her hand towards Argo in an attempt to strike him as he passes towards Johnny!
COMBATSYS: Argo successfully hits Johnny Cage with Aggressive Strike.
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Argo 0|-------|-----==
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Munin 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Johnny Cage
"Uh, /I/ do, hello?" Johnny replies to Argo. He's also here to save people from Darkstalkers, but he figures neither of these people here will buy it.
He isn't quite prepared for Argo's sudden movement. The energizing gas may have something to do with that. He tries to turn his body in tune with the punch, but fails - the hook catches him on the jaw and jerks his head to the side, spit flying from his mouth. POW! He staggers back as Munin makes her move, rubbing his jaw as hot pain pulsates from where Argo's fist landed. He checks; okay, teeth are still good. He didn't want to visit his dentist again.
"Alright, you're about to get CAGED!" he declares, flashing a grin as he kicks his leg out. He suddenly shoots forward at a sharp speed, a green chi aura surrounding his leg like a shadow. He aims to plant the kick in Argo's stomach.
COMBATSYS: Munin successfully hits Argo with Shadow Wave.
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Argo 0|-------|---====
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Munin 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Johnny Cage
COMBATSYS: Argo interrupts Shadow Kick from Johnny Cage with Devil Slasher.
-@- Dazing Hit! -@-
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Argo 1|------=|=======
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Munin 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Johnny Cage
Argo backsteps away from Johnny after his punch lands--but that puts him right in the way of that shadowy wave of power from Munin. It slams him across the back, literally, and that flings him forward--right into the oncoming Johnny. He has to work fast and react fast--and even as he's folding up on that kick, he's yelling, and a burst of his own power lashes out, a solid, thin arc of power that's mostly dark in nature, dark purple shot through with red and blue and black, the arc cutting cleanly through Johnny's chest--not physically--as Argo bounces off that leg and tumbles into the sand.
He's slow to get up, but panting heavily as he does, fists clenched. This is -not- what his power is for. This isn't why he fights. Once he gets out of here... he recognizes the clothing on some of these dudes. He'll find them. He's already swearing it. He'll have to survive, first...
Moving with slow, focused grace, Munin seems overcome by the substance in the air. Usually she isn't this prone to fight without cause.
That being said, she leaps forwards past Argo, who she can see is stunned for the moment and less of a threat. A lance of dark purple chi flicks to life in her hand as she dashes in, aiming a brutally focused palm strike at his abdoman. She speaks no words to join in the others banter, instead focusing on her targets!
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage fails to interrupt Shadow Spike from Munin with Stunt Double.
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Argo 1|------=|=======
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Munin 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Johnny Cage
Johnny has no idea what the hell is going on with this dude, but that tendril of energy looks nasty. Before he can cry out in surprise, the energy lashes through him and nearly makes his heart skip. He clutches his chest and inhales sharply. Damn that hurts! He's also not feeling quite right - he can't tell if it's the haze in the air or the thing he was just hit with. "What the hell, dude?" he exclaims angrily.
Then Munin comes right for him. Seeing her intent, he tries to perform one of his flipping kicks, suddenly doing a summersault with his legs encased in green chi again. Unfortunately, he mis-times it, leaving his back wide open for her palm strike to slam into him, hard. He goes sprawling, his body kicking up sand until he comes to a stop, staring up at the sky. "Yeah yeah, take out the biggest threat first, I know how it goes," he mutters.
Fighting multiple opponents is tricky. Argo's -hurting-, not that he isn't used to that, and he can't just leave Munin to do whatever she pleases. Besides...
She hit him first. Pivoting, his boots carving commas in the sand, he pushes off again, lunging forward, pushing himself off the ground and towards Munin. He's actually aiming to land just a little bit -short- of Munin, faking an axe kick with his right leg, landing--
--and then kicking anyway, a low sweep kick that's quicker than it is strong, something to just destabilize Munin's balance for a moment if it does anything at all.
COMBATSYS: Munin blocks Argo's Light Kick.
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Argo 1|----===|=======
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Munin 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Johnny Cage
Her strike on Cage successful, Munin turns just in time to see Argos kick incoming! With a quick shift of her footing to a more stable position, she brings up an arm to stop the blow, grunting from the impact. Her arm numbs a but from the shock, but otherwise she is none the worse for wear. Glaring daggers at him, her already glowing eyes begin to glow brighter, until suddenly they almost literally explode with a burst of chi, aimed at his face at point blank range without missing a beat!
Cage gets up, brushing sand from his hair. His jaw is bruising, and he can feel his back all out of whack - something to see his chiropractor about later, he thinks. If he can get out of here in one piece. "At least I can't get harassed by psycho bitches out here," he muses aloud while watching Argo and Munin go at it now. Well, you meet all sorts of weirdos in fighting tournaments. Ones run by monsters seem to be no exception.
Johnny takes a moment to catch his breath, focus his chi and generally take a breather to recover...and update his personal vlog.
He takes out his phone and starts recording. "What up, Cageaholics?" He never could settle on a name for his fans. "I am out at pretty much the thick of what I'm calling 'Nega Metro', on a sandy beach that's less on the water and hot chicks, and more on the gloom and desolation. Oh, there's some lab stuff out here that's doing uh, something science-related and it's making me feel PUMPED to be here. I think there's something in the air, literally, haha! Well, I'm in a fight right now with some creepy girl and a dude who looks like he goes to one of those superchurches...you know the type. They're pretty strong though." He holds out the camera to get a clip of the lab equipment and the other two fighters. "I'll update later with how the fight went. See ya!"
With that accomplished, he goes back to channeling his aura.
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage gains composure.
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Argo 1|----===|=======
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Munin 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Johnny Cage
COMBATSYS: Argo blocks Munin's Eyeshadow.
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Argo 1|---====|=======
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Munin 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Johnny Cage
Argo deflects that burst of power from Munin with an upraised fist, shaking the hand out afterwards with a little shake of his head. Huh. He glances over at Cage--doing something self-aggrandizing, as he might have expected from someone who seems so self-absorbed--then looks back at Munin.
Hnh. They're both legitimate threats, no matter what Argo thinks about Cage's personality. But he's toe to toe with Munin, right now... these things can change from minute to minute, second to second, but it won't change just yet. Squaring up, Argo shifts into a boxing stance, snapping out a quick left jab followed by a classic right cross, looking to tag Munin across the jaw.
COMBATSYS: Munin fails to counter Medium Punch from Argo with Combo Grapple.
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Argo 1|-======|=======
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Munin 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Johnny Cage
Though Munin expects the followup, the time it takes her vision to recover from her previous attack slows down her reactions just enough. Her reaction time is just too slow, and Argos use of a fast boxing technique strikes home in a one-two combination that stuns her for a moment as it connects cleanly with her jaw!
Johnny rolls his neck and shoulder, then decides it's time for a little payback on Munin. He waits until Argo is finished with his quick jab combination, then starts channeling chi energy into both palms. They glow green, casting the actor in their light. "I used THIS in 'Massive Strike'!" he boasts. Now two balls of chi are focused in his hands. The first he tosses underhanded at Munin, the projectile trailing a green corona. Just as quickly he throws the second in a straight line, aiming to deliver a ranged one-two punch!
Focusing on one target to the detriment of another is what cost Argo so much in the first place... and so he's vowed to never let himself get that narrowly focused again. Feeling his hand strike Munin's jaw, he's already preparing himself to back off and switch targets--and just in time, too, as he slides out of the way of the incoming green projectiles.
Turning, he looks along that line and nods to himself, then lunges for Johnny, his fists cocked back. He comes in kind of low, leading with his left shoulder--but before he plows into Johnny he plants his feet in the sand, transferring momentum into a low right hook, which transitions itself into a left short uppercut for Johnny's jaw, which itself transitions--again--into a right uppercut intended to blow Johnny's head back further--and expose his throat for a vicious, no-holds-barred chokeslam with both hands, Argo looking to grip Johnny by the throat, turn, and spike him face-first into the sand.
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage successfully hit Munin with Take Two.
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Argo 1|=======|=======
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Munin 1/-======/=======|=======\====---\1 Johnny Cage
Once more recovering just in time to register the attacking incoming, Munin once again is just too slow to react in time! Cages thrown projectiles strike their target dead on, the first hitting square in the chest, and the second in the side of her face, leaving her reeling.
The shadowy chi evaporating off her form seems to thicken drasticly, and when she looks up at Cage, her eyes glow has intensified equally so! With a quick remark of "MY turn.....", her chi seems to come alive, a seeming cloud of dark mist that erupts towards the movie star in a torrent of power. It shapes itself into a series of shadowy spears of solid chi, stabbing at Johnny from multiple angles!
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage blocks Munin's Iron Maiden.
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Argo 1|=======|=======
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Munin 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Johnny Cage
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage counters Fury Combination from Argo with Ball Buster.
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Argo 2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
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Munin 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Johnny Cage
Johnny can tell things are evening out a little. First priority, the chick and her crazy chi powers. Well, scratch that, all three of them had crazy chi powers. The spikes of condensed chi fly across the beach like a swarm of angry hornets. He crosses his arms in an x-pattern, shielding his face and chest (the two most important parts of a Johnny Cage). The spikes embed in the flesh of his arms, legs and stomach, dissipating after doing their damage. Smoke curls from his body. "Aaaah, shit!" he cries. The wounds begin to bleed.
Then Argo comes at him for a quick combination. But Johnny is having none of this. He's serious now that the fight is down to the wire. Unfortunately for the demon hunter, this also means busting out Johnny's most powerful technique...on his genitalia.
Before Argo can even touch him with the first punch, Johnny performs the splits in a...split second, and rams his fist not once, not twice but THREE times into Argo's groin. As the man doubles over, presumably, Johnny jumps up and slams his elbow as hard as he can in the center of Argo's back. "YOU JUST GOT /CAGED/!" he declares.
Argo doesn't crumple like most men would, taking a shot like that to the pills. But he does get flung onto his face when he takes the elbow into his back. And yet... he rises. Slowly. Painfully. There's a light in his eyes--this is not metaphorical. Something is living behind them, and it's starting to come out. To peek from behind the curtain. Of -course- he's hurting. That was a solid set of shots he just took.
But he looks... at most... unamused. When he speaks, his voice is underlaid with something else--an echo, something not quite right, almost more alien than foreign. "Is that... what you consider... fighting? Very well..." Faster than he should be able to move--especially given the punishment he just took--he darts forward at Johnny and flicks his left leg out, a simple, swift front kick. He'll... well, let's be honest. He'll try and kick Johnny right in the balls, right back.
On seeing Cage pull off a nutbuster, Munin can't help but wince. She knows her anatomy, and while she can kinda only guess at how much it hurts on a direct basis, she can imagine a close equivelent for her own anatomy.
However, this doesn't stop her coming up behind Argo as he goes for a counter-attack, and take a short hop followed by a heel kick aimed squarely at his back!
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage blocks Argo's Light Kick.
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Argo 1|---====|=======
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Munin 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Johnny Cage
Johnny keeps a ready stance as Argo recovers from his onslaught. "Don't hate. It's a legit tactic," he says dismissively. This dude seems pretty pissed, though. Johnny's seen that sort of reaction before, though. He's definitely drawn the aggro this time! When Argo tries to harm Johnny's jewels, or 'The Swinging Bachelors' as he likes to call them when he's had a lot to drink and is with lady friends. He turns slightly, taking the kick to his hip instead. He grunts from the impact.
He switches back to Munin, waiting until she's preoccupied with attacking Argo before making his own move. The haze was still keeping him full of energy - he couldn't even stand still, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. He kicks out with his leading foot, propelling himself across the sand again like the SHadow Kick before, but this time his leg is encased in a glowing red chi shadow, and he is moving MUCH faster than before in hopes of blitzing Munin when she least expects it. "HIYAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Munin successfully hits Argo with Aggressive Strike.
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Argo 1|-======|=======
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Munin 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Johnny Cage
Argo smiles. It's not really... a nice smile and certainly not entirely his own. "Hate? Oh no... I just didn't want you to cry foul..." Argo can feel the consciousness slipping away from him. His body's been too abused, too worked over by these two. His control is slipping, not even inch by inch--more like fingerhold by fingerhold. He's fighting for it, but he's fighting a losing battle--on two fronts. And as Munin blindsides him, he loses that fight. Already he's unconscious--but he's still moving. Powered by... something.
It's as if he's just watching--as he reaches to his chest and grabs that heavy silver pendant. Grabs it--and rips it away, the chain splintering and glittering as it flies into pieces. And then...
He -changes-. It's as if something were swelling underneath, ripping out from his skin, as Argo transforms in a matter of two or three seconds from rugged human being to a black-purple-red demon, gnarled of face and even more massive, with broken stubs of wings and terrible, clawed feet and hands, the extremities glowing with hissing, red and purple flame.
The air is split by a demonic roar and the thing that was formerly Argo -lunges- for Cage, clawed talons outstretched--and if he reaches the man, a frenzy of ripping and tearing will occur, a storm of unrestrained violence that would literally tear a lesser man to shreds.
And when it's done, the Argo-thing will fall, and as it does, that thing will fade, returning Argo back to who he was--with that silver pendant clunched tightly in his left hand.
COMBATSYS: Argo can no longer fight.
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Munin 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Johnny Cage
COMBATSYS: Munin fails to counter Eclipse Kick from Johnny Cage with Shadow Strike.
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Munin 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Johnny Cage
As her kick lands, Munin lands a bit wavey. She's beginning to tire, and the effect of the gas is starting to take it's toll on top of things....
Therefore it comes as no suprise that when Cage makes his attempted speedy attack, she catches it far too late! She lurches back, leaving a chi-illusion of herself, and attempts to duck, hoping the image will fake him out, but her duck isn't fast enough, and the kick nails her in the forehead, knocking her off her feet and dazing her for a moment!
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage blocks Argo's Unsealing Hell EX.
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Munin 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Johnny Cage
Johnny isn't quite sure what he's seeing. This guy is...changing? He steps back as Argo seems to now become a giant purple demon. "Are you /kidding/ me dude? You're a demon? What the hell?" He looks at Munin as if expecting an explanation. He sees Argo charging towards him. "Oh no, keep your animal-crazy bullshit away from me!" he demands, but to no avail.
Johnny is set upon by the raging Argo, once again forced to block as he starts getting slashed at by large claws. His whole body gets shredded, cuts appearing on his bare skin, his expensive pants getting torn up. Blood falls onto the sand and is quickly absorbed by the grains. When it ends, Johnny looks like someone sent him through a blender. He breathes hard, and checks his sunglasses...there's a scratch. A goddamn scratch.
He kicks the fallen Argo. "You asshole, those were...ugh, forget it." He takes out a pen and card and writes an autograph for Argo, tossing it onto the man's face. "You're welcome."
Johnny is on his last legs. He turns to face Munin who doesn't look so hot either. "I really wanna punch this Jedah guy in the nuts," he says to her, slightly slurred, weary. He pounds his fists together. One more time! With a yell, he tries to get close to Munin and unleashes a Jeet Kune Do classic: a series of rapid fire jabs to her midsection at close range.
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage can no longer fight.
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Munin 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage successfully hit Munin with Rapid Jabs.
[ <
Munin 1/-----==/=======|
Mr.Cage is right about one thing: Munin is NOT doin so hot. A half-smirk is all he gets in response from her with regard to nut-punching Jedah. She half-dodges, half-falls right into his series of jabs however, and is seemingly bounced around by them. At the end, when he goes down, she isn't far behind. So while he falls one way, she falls the other, dazed, bloodied, unconscious, out of the battle regardless.
COMBATSYS: Munin takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Munin can no longer fight.
Log created on 20:57:15 04/19/2015 by Johnny Cage, and last modified on 23:45:27 04/22/2015.