Match of the Millennium

Description: Kelly challenges her older brother to see how far she has come before she gets ready to leave for the world at large.

[KELLY]
It's a bright, cheerful midday in Bastion ovillage. Birds are out, trees are blowing in the soft breeze that fills the area. The villagers are out and about in the daily bustle, as the warriors continue to train in their arts of choice.

It is a pair of the latter, for that very purpose, that are off in a nearby clearing, doing warmups before sparring begins.

For her part, Kelly is both excited and a little terrified. She's been training hard for the past two years. Now, on the cusp of her departure, she takes on one of the people she has looked up to the most in her life in the very area he specializes in. Even if it IS only sparring, it's still a bit..... surreal.

Finished with her warmups, Kelly grins at her older brother as she hops up and down a few times "Ready to go. Waitin on you slowpoke!". The nerves in her arms and face pulse with blue light through her skin for a moment as she focuses her power, and her eyes glow for a brief moment as well, a sort of psionic 'warmup' all it's own. She's as ready as she is gonna get!

[ARANHA]
"Slow poke?"

With that, the said older brother flips from the tree he was sitting in and lands in front of his sister in a crouch. A slight smirk appears on his face as he rises back to standing position.

"If I recall correctly, I wasn't the one who needed someone to knock on doors like po-po just to get up."

Sure he could've used his second story man skills to get in but he respected his sister's privacy. So instead, he woke her and any Darkstalkers around who happened to have sensitive hearing up.

As for this moment, it was surreal that someone he spent protecting in this world and apparently in another was taking their first steps towards not needing his protection any longer. It was a proud moment but it was also a scary moment for him.

"C'mon, Kel. Let's see what you've got."

His sister should recognize this movement. The ginga, capoeira's stance and dance where all of capoeira's attacks and evasions start and end.

COMBATSYS: Aranha has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aranha           0/-------/-======|

COMBATSYS: Kelly has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Aranha           0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0            Kelly

[KELLY]
With a smirk and a nod, Kelly assumes a relaxed Tai Chi stance, one leg forward other leg bent and beneath her, with both arms out and ready!

With a shout, she lunges forwards with blurring speed, stopping just short of Aranha and striking at him with an open palm! At the same moment of impact, her hand emits a glowing burst of psionic energy coupled with the impact!

COMBATSYS: Aranha blocks Kelly's Cobra Strike.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Aranha           0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0            Kelly

[ARANHA]
The dancing spider watches as the other biologically modified member of his family darts in. She's fast but the capoeirista maintains his poise as defends while still maintaining the dance of his martial art. As his feet move into the squared position, he hooks his hand around the forearm and deflects the palm strike to the side. The psionic burst grazes him while the actual palm strike doesn't quite make contact.

His foot then steps back from that squared up stance but doesn't touch the ground for long before he lifts it back up as he spins, delivering an outside crescent kick from that rear leg. He wants to see how she handles the basics before he goes at her with the more advanced aspects of his style.

COMBATSYS: Aranha successfully hits Kelly with Spin Kick.
- Power hit! -

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Aranha           0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0            Kelly

[KELLY]
Proof that training and REAL combat are nothing alike, as prepared as Kelly is, it's just further proof that she has much to learn.

She is totally caught off guard by the initial speed going from zero to 60, as it were. The kick takes her in the side of the head cleanly, snapping her head sideways sharply and dropping her almost to her knees from suprise. The only sound she makes is a soft whimper of pain. As she stands up, however, she has an expression of rage as she dashes in. A punch to the stomach is followed up with a grab at Aranhas harm. With a quick twist she tries to flip him to the ground, and to finish things off a sharp kick at his potentially downed form.

A burst of energy punctuates the initial strike, as well as the kick at the end. No punches are pulled!

COMBATSYS: Aranha dodges Kelly's Hammer Strike.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Aranha           0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0            Kelly

Hit or miss, once the attack finishes Kelly steps back, running a hand through her hair and trying to regain her cool. Judging by her expression there is more to it, but she keeps going with the match for the time being.....

[ARANHA]
Aranha recognized that look on her face. He had seen that look of rage on her face before when their parents beat her. Back then though it was before she had power, and he knew that was only a matter of time before she blew up. It was one of the reasons he ran interference on as many of Kelly's beatings as he could. To delay that day when the powder keg blew up. Well that and he didn't like seeing her abused period.

Now that Kelly has this power and a little bit of training, it becomes a different ball game. Aranha can see the way the muscles tense up as push off, he can see the way her body is preparing to twist to put everything into each attack. He decides to move. That psionic punch catches nothing but air as he spins away from it, her fingertips just barely brushes his forearm as he pulls his arm out of the way and he dances himself out of either of their kicking range.

He runs up a tree and then leaps with blue glowing hands reaching out to grab her. Unlike his sister, his blue glowing is chi and if he should get a hold of her, he'll push out a burst of chi before curling up and shoving her away with his feet as he flips off of her.

COMBATSYS: Kelly fails to deflect Hunting Season from Aranha with Repulsion.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Aranha           0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Kelly

[KELLY]
As the momentary rage subsides, Kelly is visibly in awe for a moment. She's watched Aranha fight before on TV, sometimes in the crowd when able, but never firsthand against him. To see him defy gravity seemingly is somewhat intimidating

She mentally 'OHSHITS!' as she realizes this time SHE is the opponent! Her hands come up, aglow with bluish-white energy, as she tries to ward him off, but is just a moment too slow! He impacts her cleanly, and she goes skidding along the grass, dazed for a moment but otherwise not seriously hurt.

[ARANHA]
As the Dancing Spider touches back down on the ground, he mentally debates with himself as to how to continue this fight. Does he continue to press so that he gives his sister a good idea as to how a real opponent is going to press her once she actually starts fighting in the leagues or does he let her get back up so that she can get her mind together.

He won't forgive himself for sending her out there inadequately prepared. He reaches across his body and down to the ground with his hand providing the balancing point as he flips over and brings a heel down upon her while he lands in a crouched position. An unorthodox attack but would ideally get across the idea that you can't stop or else there's going to be a follow up.

COMBATSYS: Kelly blocks Aranha's Heel Kick.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Aranha           0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1            Kelly

[KELLY]
Aranha is both wise and foolish in this attack. Wise in trying to prepare her and treat her as an opponent would. Foolish in that it IS kinda expected that you attack the opponent when they are knocked down! Just as the kick comes down, her arm comes up, nerves glowing through her skin, absorbing the substantial impact less harmfully than a clean hit would have inflicted!

She grins from the ground, despite some bleeding from the corner of her mouth, and the glow of her nerves and eyes brighten and sustain their glow as she moves in for the attack! She fakes a palm strike at his head, swapping instead to the elbow last minute, before moving past, ducking down into a flip, and doing a leaping kick, attempting to strike Aranha in the head once again with a heel as she goes in a crescent kick of her own! The whole momentum of the attack sends her sailing past him, and she does a forward shoulder roll to her feet a short distance away, locking onto Aranha with blazing eyes and a slightly feral grin!

COMBATSYS: Kelly successfully hits Aranha with Dead Man's Hand.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Aranha           0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0            Kelly

[ARANHA]
Aranha had seen her practicing it so he was not surprised that it came out. What does surprise him is the on the fly modifications to what he would consider if not his signature than a secondary signature move, turning it into a hybrid of his Dead Man's Hand and his Bad Beat. The elbow sends him stumbling right into the subsequent kick and then to the ground.

As he gets up, a smile appears on his face. He realizes that hers emphasizes the energy while his is more focused on the physical mechanics of the move and his energy is more like additional flavor.

He also feels like that was a call out and so he has to respond in kind trap or no trap. He brings a sweeping palm strike across her jaw using the momentum to turn his back to her for just a moment before flipping forwards as he swings his heel upwards to connect with her chin and upon landing turning to face his sister.

COMBATSYS: Aranha successfully hits Kelly with Dead Man's Hand.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Aranha           1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0            Kelly

[KELLY]
Wao! He closed fast!

Despite what she has seen, faster than she expected.

The strike to the jaw sets it up, dazing her momentarily. The followup is completely unseen coming, and takes her upside the head, snapping her head back and sending her flying. In a panic, she EXPLODES with a burst of energy that expels from her body in a wave of psionic energy with herself as the epicenter!

COMBATSYS: Kelly can no longer fight.

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

Hit or miss, she falls backwards, momentarily blacking out from the impact.

COMBATSYS: Kelly successfully hits Aranha with Nova.

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

[ARANHA]
Aranha, out of concern for his sister is caught so flatfooted, he doesn't even make a move to avoid the panicked burst of psionic energy. The energy hits him in the chest and sends him flying into a tree before he slides to a seated position against it.

After a few moments of recovery, he rises to his feet, hoists her up into a fireman's carry and moves towards the tree creatures with their healing energy.

"You've got potential, Kel."

[KELLY]
On his shoulder, Kelly groans as consciousness returns and her eyes start to refocus "I'm amazed Ryu even stood a chance!". She relaxes everything, letting the tension pass, despite the large pain in her chin. That REEEALLY hurt! "So different..... watching you fight for years versus being IN the fight...... are all battles like this?

[ARANHA]
As he carries her towards those tree creatures near the borders of the village he's quiet. Or at least he is until Kelly speaks up.

"Fighting Ryu Hayabusa is a lot different from watching him on TV. It was like I couldn't move away from him or keep him from getting through my guard. He's really good."

As for the second question it's a while before he answers it. Thoughts of fight clubs and in particular Grant. He thinks of Mortal Kombat and his fights with Daniel, Scarlet Dahlia, and Zach.

"Sometimes it can be more brutal."

[KELLY]
As proximity of the trees is reached, the bruising and damage slowly begins to recover. Kelly meanwhile ponders on this.... "I know. I remember.......".

She doesn't finish that sentence. She knows he knows the rest.

"The old saying about how different it is to be in the middle of a forest compared to looking at it from above and at a distance comes to mind". She looks down at her hand, the nerves glowing faintly through the skin for a moment "Of course, it's also the fact it's you. Seeing you fight for years, then being your opponent...... wow. As intense as training has been, it's got NOTHING on something like the real thing with no holds barred".

[ARANHA]
"No."

He says it to cut through the I know comment. There were some things that were never televised and he never talked about beyond letting her know that he killed Tessitore.

"No. You don't know."

In that moment he remembers the tournament and seeeing announcements of the deaths of those fighting for Earthrealm. Knowing that people were fighting for keeps. Sure, some of those dead returned. But the stakes were high and the blood and gore were real.

"Remember when Nightwolf made the announcement that there was a tournament and that only those in the village who he felt he could hang with him would be allowed to participate? I was one of the few allowed. Me, Johnny Cage, Hayabusa showed up but he wasn't given any matches and I have suspicions about that... Anyway we were gone for months but at that tournament, people were playing for keeps. One of my team mates in this King of Fighters tournament was one of those /killed./ I killed Tessitore there and she was trying to kill me. She was playing Russian Roulette with her vials and I'm lucky I only got this..." He points to his glowing blue eyes before continuing. "Instead of some type of deadly neurotoxin or poison or plague. I had her former lover go after me who was supposed to be all law and order. Come after me because he turned his back on what he was here for which was making sure there was an Earth to save all for the sake of bringing back Dr. Unethical Experiments."

He pauses. That was a lot to take in and he wants to make sure she has time to process it. If she's going to be in this world, she needs to understand what that entails. He needs to make sure that she's not going into it thinking that it's all about prize fighting. He needs to make her understand that now she's even more of a target because she can fight.

"I'm not trying to scare you off. I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into."

[KELLY]
Kellys eyes get a bit wide as Aranha tells his tale.

She looks a bit crestfallen "I know some of it already.... what i could pry out of the villagers. No one would tell me anything, until finally someone slipped up when i pushed for details. Let me tell you, i was walking the floors for a long time once i found out.....". She shakes her head ".... I KNOW your not trying to scare me off, and.... i know that this has it's unpleasant sides. I could die doing this. Neither of us is any REAL stranger to death and violence. Could *I* take a life right now the way i am? Probably not! I never knew if we would....." she sniffs. Emotion overwhelming a bit "..... if it would go to far one day. I know enough to know the risks, and what i might one day have to do". Her nerves begin to glow under her skin again as she glares abruptly ".... and damnit i'm NOT" she smacks the ground with her fist, which generates a small burst of psionic energy harmlessly "going to let anyone else down again!".

She catches herself at this point.... whatever rant or thought was in her head halted as she wipes her eyes "Sorry.....

[ARANHA]
"The only let downs in our family, are our parents."

He wasn't going to add himself to that list because he didn't really feel like having that argument with his sister right now. He's pretty sure she knows he's thinking it though. As long as he doesn't give voice to those thoughts the argument can't happen, right?

Instead he chooses to change the subject. "They actually have an easier time patching you up when you're still."

Aranha's body stitches itself back together at an amazing rate. The combination of the trees and his mild healing factor eventually take care of his injuries. And in the meanwhile, he sits in companionable silence until Kelly's fully healed herself.

Log created on 20:18:46 08/24/2017 by Aranha, and last modified on 10:30:11 08/25/2017.