Description: Returning from yet another one of her mysterious disappearances, the famed Eternal Goddess of the world fighting circuit has returned and announced her plans to take part in the new King of Fighters tournament. Who will step up to the challenge of impressing this martial arts diva and earn a place on her team?
Southtown, Japan. A glorious center of modern industry and bustling metropolis filled to the brim with almost everything the first world has to offer from the latest electronics and fashion designs to towering skyscrapers and designer cars. People are no exception from this equation. The streets are filled with masses of moving bodies flowing in tight groups along the geometric grids of the city's architecture.
From high above these groups share a striking resemblence to colonies of ants or perhaps clusters of tiny germs flowing together in single-minded determination to reach some eventual destination. Up there the individual entities are indistinguishable from one another and have no life or personality of their own, mere cogs in the giant unfeeling machine that is existence.
Which is why Ingrid prefers to be down on the ground. Though the towering skylines offer wonderful views of this beautiful country, it is people that truly captivate her attention. Nature is a wonder for certain but it rarely changes and she's never been able to estalish a bond with the trees and mountains in the same way she can do so with other humans. Perhaps there is some bias involved in this preference or it might be a mere failing of hers on some part but regardless she has always enjoyed being around the warmth of human contact and today is no different.
What is different about today is the setting. Having pulled yet another of her famous disappearing acts for the last year or so, Ingrid's return to the fighting circuit just in time for the up-coming King of Fighters tournament has drawn a great deal of attention. Many wondered who would be fortunate enough to have the world-class warrior join their team but instead she unleashed yet another surprise by announcing tryouts for a team of her own. This is a landmark occassion as the mysterious girl known as the 'Eternal Goddess' has never once participated in any team-based events before, and as such, the crowd that has gathered to witness the initial tryouts it quite sizable.
Set amid one of the many parks that are scattered throughout Southtown, the locale provides plenty of open space for would-be specators to lounge about and intermingle. The air is abuzz with the dull roar of conversation and merryment as fans of the sport share their thoughts on the possibilities. A large ring akin to those used by wrestling organizations stands tall as the centerpiece of the event in one of the open fields. The Goddess is seated to one side at a long table atop a raised dias which gives her a commanding view of the small arena. In addition to her usual elegant attire, she sports a large over-ear headset which carries her voice over the droning din of noise via several large speakers spread out through the park. On both sides of her is seated a well-dressed man, each with their own headset and big made-for-television smiles, though they pale in comparison to the radiant joy that Ingrid possesses.
"Welcome, one and all," she begins, standing up to better be seen, and the crowd immediately breaks out into a deafening chorus of cheers. She holds her arms up over her head with both palms facing outwards to signal for silence and the noise eventually dims down again. "Today marks my official return to the world fighting circuit! I know you, my loyal fans, have been patiently awaiting this day and I thank you all for your continued praise and support!" Another round of cheers. "Today is also a very special day because today I will be opening the floor to any applicant who wishes to fight at my side as a member of my team for the King of Fighters tournament!"
Ingrid's hands light up with a sudden burst of golden energy and she spreads her fingers out sending several thin streams of sparkling motes into the air like fireworks. This ofcourse sets off the crowd again. Ingrid gives them the chance to hoot and holler to their content before lowering her hands and moving on.
"I know most of you would be delighted beyond measure to stand at my side but please remember that while this is a sport it can be a dangerous one. As such I request that only those with the appropriate skills step forward as participants. Thank you all and let the games begin!"
Ingrid spends a bit of time waving and blowing kisses to the crowd before taking her seat again. As if on cue, the two announcers seated at the table with her begin to speak and rattle off the terms of the day's event while enchanging the usual sorts of banter and punditry one can expect. Those interested are directed to another desk at the bottom of the fighting arena where a register can get them set up with the necessary paperwork and formalities.
Name:Smith, John
Occupation: Doctor
Fighting Experience: Amateur boxing and wrestling
Fan status: THE BIGGEST FAN!!!
Having taken a moment to quietly fill out the application, 'John Smith' steps forward to the front of the line and hands it , and other required documentation, across the desk to the overly chirpy staff.
John is a big man. Easily over six feet tall and muscular, with shaggy brown hair and dark eyes. His face is as American as his name would suggest, with strong features dusted with dark brown stubble, and a fair complexion. In fact, he looks a lot like a certain assassin of the Miyama clan, but with darker hair, darker eyes, and no ugly scar running across his face.
Wearing a casual dark blue blazer over a buttoned white shirt and black slacks, the big doctor looks far too snazzily dressed and casual for someone entering a fighting tournament. However, his faint smile of pleasure seems completely genuine as he files out of the line and peers up toward where Ingrid basks in the glory of her fans.
If 'John Smith' is attempting to blend into the crowd, Reya Romero is doing the exact opposite. With a look of black and neon lights straight out of an 80s dreamscape, the Miami detective has been drawing eyes to her since she pulled into the parking lot in a bright red Ferrari. With one hand on her hip and the precise, heel-clicking walk of a runway model, she makes her way right to the event tables and slaps down a form filled out in electric blue ink.
Name: Neon
Occupation: Law Enforcement
Fighting Experience: Law Enforcement
Fan Status: She's got style, that's what matters.
The suited Japanese man sitting behind the desk in front of her is so clearly overwhelmed that she's got time to look slowly across the entire event setup and come back around to him before he remembers his job and hands her a numbered lanyard featuring an idol shot of Ingrid herself on the backing card. "Uhhh, applicants need to stay in the arena area until their number is called," he practically mumbles.
Neon takes the lanyard loop with two fingers, giving it a quick twirl before slipping it around her neck. With a practiced motion, she grips her sunglasses with one hand, pinky extended upward and whips them off her face with a clean motion, giving the intimidated man a quick wink. "Thanks, I got it from here, babe."
Despite her warnings, a great crowd of people surges forward to swamp the registration desk. Not expecting such an onslaught, the lone receptionist works quickly to hand out paperwork and numbers for a solid half an hour before everything is sorted. When the last of the contesants has finally returned to the ede of the crowd he turns and gives a thumbs up to Ingrid who nods and stands once more.
"Alright, everyone, looks like it's time to have some fun!"
Her voice echoes throughout the park over the speakers as a fresh swell of cheers rises up to clash in a cacophany of audial assault. Protected from having her ears ruptured by the thick headset, Ingrid soaks up the vibrant energy of the crowd like a sponge and waves like a celebrity until the stack of applicants is brought up and set down on the table next to her. She clears her throat into the microphone which comes out with the force of a shotgun blast through the massively amped speakers and looks at the first couple of names on the list.
"Okay, this is how it's going to work! Applicants will be paired off to participate in single combat here in the arena. If you manage to impress me enough, you might have a shot of being my partner in the King of Fighters tournament!" She pauses for a moment to flip a hand through her hair in an exaggerated manner. "Remember - it's nice to win but I want to see a good show! Now, let's see what you've got..."
Ingrid dramatically raises a hand into the air and unleashes a dazzling streak of glittering gold light. When the light fades away she's holding two of the registration cards between her fingers.
"John Smith and Neon!"
John Smith and Neon.
The announcement finds Dr. Smith standing in the shadow of the stage , sipping quietly from a bottle of water and smiling patiently as a puppyish Red-headed boy beside him excitedly explains his grand strategy for winning Ingrid's eternal love. NO matter that John hasn't contributed a word to the conversation for the past 35 minutes. His little friend seems to be handling it all by himself.
"That sounds like it could work." Dr. Smith agrees amiably, his deep voice carrying just a hint of a Midwestern twang. As he speaks he mentally flips back to check what the boy had been rambling about. Something to do with drugged chocolates? "And pretty illegal." The Doctor tacks on, clapping one big hand onto the boy's shoulder and dropping his half-finished water into his jacket pocket, "Maybe just try the Karate thing you were talking about earlier."
Leaving the boy behind to reflect upon his increasingly unhealthy obsession, John strolls confidently through the milling crowd to plant one black loafer atop the first step of the ring. Mounting them with a little wave to the eternal goddess upon the stage, he pauses at the top to slide off his jacket. Folding this over the corner of the ring, he calmly rolls up the sleeves of his button down shirt, revealing hair-dusted forearms thick with muscle.
His air one of gentlemanly politeness and sophistication, Dr. John Smith dips through the stretched ropes and stands ready in his corner, one big forearm resting casually atop the turnbuckle. As he waits he scans the crowd with calm brown eyes, searching for his oncoming opponent...
It's never hard to see just where Neon is.
During the waiting period, an imaginary wall of empty space forms around the woman. The same sense of unease that many feel around a tower police officer in full uniform with a bullet proof vest seems to come about people near Detective Romero once she's settled into business mode.
Combined with the fact that she's literally lit up like a walking billboard, it shouldn't take more than a glance to realize just who in the crowd might be called "Neon."
The instant she takes her first step, the glowing lights coming from her being to change, shifting through all manner of brilliant colors in swirling patterns of interleaved light. Even her lips don't stay static through it all. She moves like leopard stalking its prey, with all the brilliance of a peacock seeking a mate.
Ignoring the lights, she offers no show or spectacle, simply climbing the steps with a steady pace and slinking between the ropes to take a path straight toward the center of the ring. As she does, the erratic patterns on her jacket begin to come together, wrenching and grinding until they finally squeeze out the words:
KING
OF
FIGHTERS
Reaching the center, she plants a hand on "John Smith's" shoulder and takes a slow pass all the way around him before drawing back to proper fighting distance, letting a glowing fingernail trace up his neck and jawline, bristling his stubble.
"If you wanted to blend in, you shouldn't have chosen 'John Smith,' babe. So dull it wraps back around to 'Person of Interest,'" Neon offers in her husky voice as she pulls herself into a fighting stance.
Ingrid remains standing as the the owners of the two names she called out take their place in the ring. Despite his rather boring and clearly fake name, John Smith gets an interested look from the small woman and she places a lone finger aside her cheek while tilting her head to the side.
"Well, well - quite a specimen we have here!" She glances at the paperwork again. "A doctor, huh? What on earth could you need all those muscles for? Oh well, atleast this should be an interesting sight. Maybe we'll see some impromptu chiroprachty today!"
Neon's entrance is much less subtle despite her calm demeanor. Ingrid almost does a double-take at the shifting lights dancing across the policewoman's jacket. "Oh wow! I've heard of having a billboard chest but this is going kind of overboard don't you think? I guess everyone needs a gimmick."
She whistles at the overt display of feminine charm and fans herself while blushing a little. "Is it me or did it just get hot out here? Let's keep it PG-13, kids!"
With both contestants now in the ring, Ingrid nods at the referee to get things started and takes her seat again. A man in the typical black and white stripes of an official moderator climbs into the ring and motions the two fighters to their corners. When both have properly seperated and look ready he holds a hand up and pauses dramatically.
"FIGHT," Ingrid calls cheerfully and the crowd immediately fills the air with deafening noise yet agian.
"So." John replies, the words rumbling out with quiet confidence and a faint upward tic of his expressive lips, "I suppose that makes you the interested party?" His dark brown eyes track the slinky officer as she clicks back to her side of the ring and falls into a ready stance.
He winks.
Doctor Smith's own posture remains loose and relaxed, the stance of a man chatting amicably among office chums. He doesn't look prepared for what Neon's got. Not even a little.
Strolling forward to take up position across from the brightly glowing woman, John lifts his left hand to his hair and runs his thick fingers through the neatly combed shag. He still hasn't lost that damn little smile of his. Clearly he's just a fighting fan who is way in over his head.
Or, that would be the clear picture, if Neon's cop instincts weren't flashing all sorts of warning signs. His wrists are too thick for anything but a professional fighter. The build under his clothes too hard, not showy enough for body building. And his left eye...It isn't dilating to shut out the light she is throwing off, while his right clearly is.
Not everything is on the up and up with Doctor John.
"FIGHT!"
John doesn't move.
COMBATSYS: Noboru has started a fight here.
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Noboru 0/-------/-======|
The moment Neon enters a ready stance, there is more than simply light from her jacket filling up the arena. To most people, it would be easy to assume that the faint shimmering that catches the eye is nothing more than a trick of the light caused by being so close to such bright lights that never seem to stay steady for long enough to allow the eyes to adjust.
If someone were more keenly aware, or perhaps standing from far enough away, it would be clear that as Neon gives her fists a few faint squeezes, there are thin walls of faint light forming around the ring. Appearing and disappearing in a flash, not lasting long enough to get a clear look or even seeming to hold any pattern of meaning.
Beyond even those distractions, the teasing nature that Neon had shown in her previous interactions doesn't show itself on her face. One look at her eyes, if someone got a clear shot at them through her sunglasses, shows the hardened expression of a soldier going into battle.
And then Ingrid's voice breaks through.
With no sense of hesitation, Neon throws an arm up, a single glowing fingernail extended as she points just to the side of John Smith. In a flash, a line of purple light runs down the arm of her jacket and then a single beam of energy flies out as the arena is filled with walls of energy, all coming into a shimmering existance at the same moment as they surround the so-called Doctor. The beam hits one of the walls, bouncing off and then richochetting to another, and another. In a flash the beam moves rapidly through all the area around Dr. Smith, leaving little room to move.
COMBATSYS: Neon has joined the fight here.
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Noboru 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Neon
COMBATSYS: Noboru Toughs Out Neon's Starlight Passion!
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Noboru 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Neon
Little room to move, if you don't want to get hit.
Just before Neon begins her attack, the dark-haired doctor shifts his attention off to her left, his oddly inert left eye seeming to stare straight at her. perhaps he is gauging the ropes behind her, hoping to build some sort of strategy?
Or maybe he's secretly a mystic shinobi with the gift to see the flow of energies both internal, and external...
Nah.
Regardless, as the walls snap into place and the beam begins to bounce between them, John lashes out with a fist. The punch is fast and hard, exploding the shield in front of him out in a spray of chi fragments. Stepping into that gap, he takes the full brunt of Neon's laser show directly to his left ribs. The flashy chi burns a neat hole in the side of his shirt, but the big man powers right on through.
Black loafers pounding a steady beat against the springy surface of the ring, he closes the gap with Neon in three quick strides. As he moves, the 'Doctor' curls his left hand into a hard half-fist. Twisting his shoulder forward, he launches a hard blow aimed for the beautiful Cop's stomach, attempting to hammer right on through and impact the liver beneath.
COMBATSYS: Neon blocks Noboru's Blunt Force Trauma.
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Noboru 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Neon
Almost as expected.
There was no way that Dr. Smith was quite what he'd attempted to portray himself as. The glaringly bland name was a the spark that lit the tinder laid by his massive frame.
But Neon hadn't been entirely correct, she'd assumed he would be capable of defending himself, but she hadn't prepared for him to simply barrel on through after she'd attempted to keep him occupied with trying to read her beam attack. With that mass of muscles barreling down on her, Neon is left to plant her feet and hold ready for the hit. As Smith's fist comes flying at her gut, both hands move down and form a bowl a good few inches ahead of her stomach to absorb the majority of the force.
And despite the size of her heels, she barely even rocks back. The only real reaction is a faint hiss of air as she winces while pausing to inspect her now red palms. Probably not the best time to try to throw a punch.
"If you wanted to look boring, you sure got off to the wrong start," the detective offers as she grins, taking a deep breath and suddenly all of the lights across her body seem to double in brightness. There's no hope of seeing her eyes through the brilliance of her sunglasses, which eclipse all the features of her face except for the light of her lightstick, distinctly parting in a grin as she launches into a new assault.
Possibly attempting to take advantage of the distraction of her lights, Neon lashes out with a quick, violent, twisting kick that sees her make a full turn before aiming to plant the sharp heel of her boot into Doctor Smith's throat.
COMBATSYS: Noboru dodges Neon's Roundhouse Kick.
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Noboru 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Neon
While John would like to respond immediately, trading flirty banter with the luminous Lovely before him must wait until after he's avoided a spiked heel to the larynx. Good eye narrowed against the sudden blaze of light radiating from Neon's outfit, the good doctor notes the shadow of her approaching foot just in time. His right hand snaps upward and slaps the bottom of her ankle, deflecting the kick up and over the top of his head.
"Don't you ladies like a bit of excitement now and again?" John replies, that faint smile still lingering on his lips as he follows Neon's kick in, stepping even closer to his now blazingly bright opponent. "Excitement, and back rubs. Let's see about making you a happy woman." Those last words are deep and relaxed, though the hand that descends toward the small of Neon's back is anything but relaxing.
The fingers of Dr. John's left hand drive hard toward the small of Neon's back, attempting to dig in to either side of her spine. If he can get the strike, he will squeeze and lift her off of his feet with the force of one hand's fingertips alone, pressing her briefly into his front as if in a passionate embrace, before hurling the chi-empowered woman up and over his head with casual strength.
COMBATSYS: Neon interrupts Acupressure from Noboru with Combo Throw.
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Noboru 0/-------/-======|=======\=====--\1 Neon
Just how fast can a man of such size possibly be?
Detective Romero has had to face all manner of unusually strong opponents in her position as part of a special task force to deal with rogue fighters. While she wasn't entirely expecting Doctor Smith to be light on his feet, she's at least prepared enough for the eventuality that she's not taken off guard.
And that's all the difference between failure and success with what comes next. She isn't able to intercept Smith before those giant hands clamp down around her shoulders, but she works through the pain and slams the heel of her boot down on his foot and twists, aiming for just enough momentary pain to weaken the grip as her opposing arm twists up and catches around the 'doctor's' neck and she leverages all the force she can manage as she slams her hips backward and bends, flipping the giant up and over to end up flat on his back in the middle of the ring.
"You got ahead of yourself, doc, you have to take a girl out and show her a good time before you get too handsy."
Whether it be due to pain or some ulterior motive, Dr. Smith's grip does indeed loosen as the sharp heel of Neon's boot drives through the soft leather of his casual black loafer. Beneath her looping arm she can feel muscles tense then relax along the big man's neck as he throws himself forward into the throw. Flipping once through the air, his back smashes hard into the springing matt, the entire ring shaking as he unfolds explosively into an effortless kipup from his shoulders to his feet.
"No funny business on the first date?" The big man rumbles back, stretching out his shoulders as he turns slowly about to face her, "I can deal with that."
The brutish doctor winks again before his right fist explodes up from his side, feet moving in a quick half step as he attempts to drive his palm hard into the blond's left temple.
COMBATSYS: Neon blocks Noboru's Medium Punch.
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Noboru 0/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Neon
"Oh my, this doctor's quite the spry one."
Ingrid leans forward to rest her elbows on the table and props her chin up in her upturned palms as she watches with an enigmatic smile while the two combatants exchange blows. The doctor is moving a lot faster than most people expected but the Eternal Goddess doesn't look too taken off-guard by this turn of events.
The crowd cheers as Neon reverses the deadly looking grab with some quick foot work and Ingrid can't help but grin as well. "Never underestimate a lady in heels, boys."
It's hardly the ideal angle, but as Smith comes at her again, Neon's arm flies up to intercept, catching the palm strike out on her forearm, adjusting for the blow only by setting one foot further back and twisting to lessen some of the force of the blow without actually being forced back.
It certainly doesn't seem like her choice of footwear actually does much to give her trouble keeping her footing.
"It's a good policy," Neon retorts as she settles back faintly to reposition herself, dropping out of the proper fighting stance for a moment to slink a slow arc around Doctor Smith's position, "It depends on how much I'm enjoying the date."
And like a switch is flipped, the playful tone is lost as she flies right back into the fight, clearly aiming to make the change in pace work to her advantage as she continue the arc and tries to come in from behind, slipping one arm around Doctor Smith's neck as the other clenches up to finish the brace. All of the force comes together on his windpipe, and potentially cutting off his half of the witty repartee as the air fills with the faint outline of phantom walls and the intensity of her glow starts to fade.
COMBATSYS: Noboru interrupts Choke Hold from Neon with Precordial Thump.
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Noboru 1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Neon
"So," John begins, retreating a step back after Neon's effortless thwart of his palm strike, "Do you want to get a couple drinks once we're through?" There is still nothing about the man that suggests he might be in a fight, his grin faintly playful and shaggy head tilted to one side. Like her, he seems to be able to flip the aggression on and off at the drop of a hat.
He pauses then, standing still and patient as Neon circles him. The two of them look not unlike a bear being harried by an oddly flashy and retro-fashioned wolf.
He is still looking away when Neon pounces. At first it appears as if she will meet no resistance. her forearm circles around his throat, palm braced for the heave backward that might shut this confident man up, at least for a while. But as soon as the lock is set, the big man throws his upper body violently forward. There is enough explosive force behind the motion that it appears he might be attempting to headbutt himself in the knees.
The maneuver flips Neon neatly up and over his head, dropping her to the ground in front of him without much actual damage. The pain comes a split second later, when his right fist streaks down from above to hammer into her chest. With a bony 'THNK', his stone-hard knuckles impact the exact center of her sternum, then retract as he straightens from his stoop and takes a single step back.
Doctor John is starting to gain a casual windblown look. his brown hair is slightly tangled, outfit a bit askew and white shirt still smoking from beneath the left arm.
And just like that, Neon has been taken off her feet for the first time in this fight. The solid blow to her chest momentarily knocking the wind out of her, but she still reacts as if on instinct, fueled by some internal energy that keeps her going, rolling off to the side to give herself plenty of room before she pushes herself up to her feet.
After all of that, her hair is a mess, sticking up as if she'd just gotten up from a rough night's sleep, yet it only serves to enhance the out of place 80s style she wears, her chest heaving while she catches her breath in a moment.
"Maybe if you know any good clubs in the neighborhood I'd give it a shot," a quick pause, her right hand drifting behind her back as she adds, "winner pays?"
There's just enough time offered for the self-proclaimed doctor to respond before Neon rushes back in, the bright colors she wears becoming a mix of orange and greens as a pair of handcuffs appear in her hands just as she gets close enough to attempt to sweep one leg in behind John's while her left hand slams into her chest, the motion aiming to send both of them down to the mat with her landing on top.
If all goes as planned, seconds after impact the sound of cuffs clenching tight on Doctor Smith's wrists should fill the air.
COMBATSYS: Noboru blocks Neon's Midnight Rendezvous.
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Noboru 1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Neon
"Sounds like a date." John replies casually, having hung back and waited with idle good humor while she caught her breath. He does not wink, nor does his smile grow as she charges him. he simply watches, his oddly unchanging left eye turned slightly toward her.
Neon's leg sweeps neatly around his own, but as her palm swings up to slam into his chest, his own intercepts it. Hard, thick fingers close around hers and halt the motion dead, her jerking leg unable to uproot the unusually large doctor's seemingly casual stance. By all laws of physics what he is doing shouldn't be possible.
The super perceptive might notice that the toes of John's black loafers have busted. Through the splits, toes clad in black socks have dug themselves into the springy top of the ring, rooting the man in place like a tree.
"Up you go now." John murmurs as he releases Neon's hand, his yet unused fist flashing up to try and pound a stunning blow into the side of her skull. That being done he reaches forward to grab her full on by the face, big palm smothering and dark, while his other drops in an attempt to get a firm hold of her thigh.
If that grip can be obtained, Neon will find herself becoming briefly weightless as she is swung up, up into the air with effortless ease. There she will hang, poised above Dr. Smith's head in both meaty palms, before he steps forward and kneels, bringing her crashing down spine-first onto his upraised knee. After that it would be a simple matter to hurl her away into the corner and calmly regain his feet.
COMBATSYS: Noboru successfully hits Neon with Chiropractic Therapy.
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Noboru 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Neon
It's not a good position to be in.
Under the circumstances, all she could hope for would be the opportunity to hold back that first big punch, and both arms start to move in an effort to intercept, the faint glimmer of a barrier forming between them...
...but it's too little too late.
With her bell rung, Neon stumbles faintly before she's grabbed and hauled up off her feet and brouht down hard on the massive doctor's knee before being tossed aside, looking uncomfortably limp as she hits the ground, the lights on her jacket going dead as she appears down for the count.
And then her fingernails start to glow red. Slowly trailing patterns run up her arms, forming what appear to be simple straight lines running in parallel until they converge at her core and suddenly each blips green, taking the iconic look of an EKG monitor showing life. Pushing back up to her feet, the glow reach first her lips and then finally her sunglasses.
"My back hasn't hurt this bad since the last time I had to stay over in a crappy motel," Neon quips as she brushes some of her hair back into place. "You're going to upset the crowd performing an operation like that in public, Doctor Smith. Let's see if we can lighten the mood."
Raising both hands into the air, suddenly the air around John is filled with dozens of tiny pannels of chi, faintly glimmering until Neon begins to trail her fingers along, firing a relentless barrage of glowing beams from her fingers. Each each beam hits a panel, the panel lights up with whichever color it had been at the time. Purples, pinks, blues, greens, reds, oranges, all filling the air around Dr. John as they come from all directions around him in a glorious display of light.
COMBATSYS: Neon successfully hits Noboru with Light Up The Night.
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Noboru 0/-------/------=|>>>>---\-------\0 Neon
A cry of shock and empathetic pain ripples through the crowd as the doctor performs some entirely unprofessional spine readjustment on Neon. Ingrid can't help but wince herself, one eye squeezing closed as she half turns her face away in a momentary grimace. That had to hurt.
Things were certainly turning out differently than she had expected. While it was likely that she had garnered the respect of atleast a few competant fighters during her illustrious career, she hadn't be really expecting anyone of true calibur to take up the offer of joining her team. Not that she needs the help really. Winning the King of Fighters tournament would be an amusing outcome but her goals are a bit more important than some fleeting claim to fame. She had been planning to just grab the first couple of shmucks who could still stand after the matches to act as stand-ins for the necessary roster slots giving her an excuse to be present at the various tournament proceedings even if she was eliminated. This, however, is proving to be a far more entertaining choice.
"Well, well, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have some honest-to-goodness talent on display right out of the gate! What an unexpected turn! And judging by all the flirting going on this might be the beginning of something a little more interesting!"
Ingrid tilts her head at the sudden array of flashing light panels mentally processing the sight then grins. "Now it looks like they've moved from Twister to Simon. I guess next will be a rousing round of Monopoly?"
The good Doctor's eyes are calm and expectant as he studies Neon's limp form from his spot in the center of the ring. Only once she starts to throb with life does he offer up another little grin.
"You're tough enough to take it." John replies as little blips of energy begin to appear around him. These blips multiply at an alarming rate, until he is completely trapped within a glittering cage of chi. His little grin turns rueful as he realizes just what sort of situation he's gotten himself into.
Lifting his left forearm to guard his eyes, the big doctor hunches his shoulders and braces himself just before the reflected beams begin to converge. The very perceptive might note a faint flaring of chi from within the man. A tiny spark of clear force within the storm of color.
And then he is completely enveloped within the multi-colored explosions of impacting beams.
...
The fog of chi takes a moment to fade away. Blinking Afterimages hang in the sky, and the smell of burnt fabric is thick in the air. But through all of this, the slump-shouldered form of the doctor stands, left arm still raised before his face.
John's shirt and the lower legs of his pants have been completely burned away. This leaves him standing in a pair of black slack capris. Little puddles of ash slide from his shoulders to patter around his charred loafers, which have somehow managed to survive mostly in tact. The socks were not so lucky.
Lowering his guarding arm, the big man gives his shoulders a roll, steam rising up from his now bare chest. Without all the clothes in the way two things become incredibly obvious. First, his natural hair color is more of a golden brown, judging by the man carpet stretched across his chest. Second, he has way more scars than a doctor should ever have. Slashes, tears, even a healed puncture wound that seems to have once gone completely through his body.
"Hrrm." The 'Doctor' rumbles thoughtfully to himself, giving his now bare torso a single downward glance before stepping forward through the smoke to approach Neon.
He does not move quickly, but there is a certain stalking certainty about him now. As he closes in he steps out of his loafers, battered bare feet treading silently across the ring as he comes in with a single, blistering straight. His entire body seems to be centered behind the half-fisted blow, shoulder rotating and wind displaced with an audible 'FWOOO!'.
This is not the flirting man Neon was conversing with moments before.
COMBATSYS: Neon blocks Noboru's Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Noboru 0/-------/----===|>>>>---\-------\0 Neon
As a new man steps out of Doctor Smith's shoes (or at least the remains of them), Neon shows no signs of surprise or concern, although it is quite hard to read expressions behind those sunglasses from any reasonable distance. If the flirting is over, Detective Romero seems content to focus on the actual fight instead of trying to put on any sort of show.
And then the giant man comes charging in.
Once more both arms lift in front of her, a shimmer of light coming into clear existance just above the glowing lights on the arms of her jacket. As the fist comes crashing down, it first encounters the resistance of that tiny wall, shattering it before it even makes contact with Reya's arms with a thump.
And still Neon grins, the lights reforming against her forearms as more walls pull in all around the false doctor. One of the walls glows brighter than the rest, coming into firm existance directly behind the mystery man in what should be his blind spot as Neon charges forward, her first punch aiming to slam John Doe full force into the wall and leave him trapped for a rapid series of violent body blows, the wall of energy cracking behind him with each punch until it snaps into a million pieces with one final gut punch.
COMBATSYS: Noboru interrupts Street Desire from Neon with Spinal Tap.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Noboru 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Neon
Even as his initial strike hammers into Neon's crossed block, Noboru is pulling back and bracing himself, the darker died hair on his arms rippling as muscles flex beneath his fair skin.
he is much more intimidating without the snazzy clothes and smile. With his expression impassive and dark eyes alert, he looks much more like a killer than any doctor Neon has scene.
And when her retaliation comes, she can see just how he operates. Abs as hard as stone brace for the initial impact, the impressive force behind her fist not even budging him as his toes brace against the mat. As she attempts to follow through, his right hand darts past her left ear and iron fingers clamp around the back of her head.
Spinning in place, Noboru whips Neon through the air, bashing her face-first into her own shield and smashing it into pieces. And before she can recover from the abrupt violence, the big man jerks upward on the back of her head, straightening her posture for a spine-rattling palm strike directly to the center of her back.
Releasing the grip on Neon's head, the assassin takes a step back and stares at her,waiting to see if the shock of spinal tampering will be enough to topple her, or if she will try to struggle on through the pain.
It's hard to get back up.
Neon's body is screaming in pain from everything that it's been put through, but it moves on training now. A body that has been trained to keep on fighting until every civilian life is safe. A body that has to protect every other officer in the line of fire. A body that wants to fight until the threat is under control.
As Neon forces herself back to her feet, the arena once more fills with dozens of walls of energy, summoned by the last vestigates of Officer Romero's fighting energy. Acting on pure brute strength, she surges forward, lashing out to take hold of the unnamed man by the arm and use the simplest of primative techniques.
Every last ounce of strength is pressed into swinging the giant of a man through as many of those walls as she can, letting the chi explode around him into hundreds of jagged pieces. She swings until her body simply gives out on her, legs pitching her forward as her grip loosens and she hits the mat.
And her lights go out.
COMBATSYS: Neon can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Noboru 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Neon successfully hits Noboru with Burning Kiss.
[ \\ <
Noboru 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Noboru takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Noboru can no longer fight.
Though he would never show it, nor admit to it, Noboru's body does have a hard limit. There's only so much he can put it through before it shuts down completely.
It is now that he's reached that limit.
As his skin turns ever redder from the intense burst of chi he weathered mere moments ago, and splotchy bruises begin to form across his abdomen, neck, and back, the hulking 'Doctor' watches Neon stagger back upright on those spiky heels of hers.
He does not say anything, but when she turns to face him he bows his shaggy head in respect. She has proven herself to be a stalwart defender of justice. But it is time for them to make an end of this.
Stepping forward, he goes to meet her, when out of nowhere a wall materializes right in front of him and he clonks his forehead into it before he can stop. Lifting his hand, he goes to smash right through this as he has those before it, but as his fist hammers through, Neon comes charging in beneath it and grabs him behind the elbow. Though he has the size and strength advantage, there's nothing he can do about leverage once his freakishly strong toes have left the mat, and he is whipped through the air like a wrecking ball.
Shields shatter under his weight as he is flung around and around by the adrenalin-charged woman. Riotous lights burst around him until, when finally her fingers slacken, he tumbles free across the ring and slams head-first into the turnbuckle. As the ring shakes and trembles from the impact, the big man reaches up to run deft fingers across the top of his head, probing his split scalp with careful interest. He is far too dizzy to stand for the moment, and multiple deep bruises have began forming all over his now dark red skin. it will take him at least a couple of minutes to stand after a brutal maneuver like that one. Still though, he has a faint, rueful expression on his stoic face.
%Another wave of gasps and cheers erupts from the audience as both combatants tear into each other only to go down in a blaze of glory. Ingrid quickly hops to her feet and blows a small whistle to bring the match to a close before anyone gets their skull split open. Freaking nutjobs, this was a sparring contest not a blood sport.
Climbing over the table, she leaps gracefully into the ring and lands light as a feather with a short burst of golden sparkles. She motions hurriedly behind her back to the referee who climbs back into the ring along with a pair of paramedics who move to attend to the fallen fighters.
"What a match!" Ingrid turns her brilliant smile to the crowd in an attempt to distract them. "It was a back and forth battle the whole way but in the end neither of our brave contestants was able to claim a decisive victory. However, that doesn't mean they didn't put on a good show! Infact, I'm so impressed that I'm willing to extend my invitation to not one - but BOTH of these gladiators!"
She turns her head to peer at the facedown Neon and then over towards the doctor's addled expression and rolls her eyes with a soft sigh. "Ahem - I'm sure they'll be delighted to accept!"
Log created on 14:08:43 05/20/2016 by Ingrid, and last modified on 10:37:47 05/21/2016.