Match of the Millennium

Description: Geese Howard battles Adelheid! Is it true that Geese is losing his edge in his age? If so, is Adelheid, Rugal's proud heir, the one who can claim victory over him?

[GEESE]
Participants came to World Warrior for many reasons. Some have sought fortune and fame, others came in search of power. Still others came here for the challenge of facing the best the world has to offer. Geese Howard? Geese came to challenge on man: Wolfgang Krauser.

His strength called into question, Geese has been seemingly best by enemies on all sides. Several recent defeats have done little to curb his arrogance, however, but his loss to Jubei--that mysterious cat, of all things--has left him irate. He is determined to make his way through the losers bracket and have a second chance at claiming glory.

And so he waits in the courtyard for his opponent to arrive. He stands in his red-gold hakama and white gi, arms folded across his chest. The son of Rugal Bernstein? Perhaps this will prove interesting.

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid, for his own part, had come to this tournament not so much for fame or glory or wealth. Those things are trivial, at best. He came to win his father's respect. And he has, he believes, managed some small modicum of that. All that is left now is to send his message to the world. He is a Bernstein. He is strong. Rugal is not the only one that should be feared. His line bears the same proud strength and aptitude as he does.

But, of course, in his first showing of the tournament proper, he had been left bested by the psychic powers of a pop idol. It was, perhaps, a fault of his own. He had been lenient with her. He had coached her. He, in the end, did not possess his father's ruthless disposition, even if he did possess the same kind of prowess.

So here he is. In the loser's bracket. Facing off against the legendary Geese Howard, of all people.

"I am surprised to see you here," Adelheid's soft, almost lyrical voice calls out from the shadow of the corridor from which he now emerges. "Geese Howard. Once the terror of South Town, who held it with an iron grip for decades. Is Krauser not ken to you?"

There are two faint pinpricks of alizarin light in the shadows where Adelheid's head would be. From the tenebrous embrace of the shadows, the lithesome fighter steps, clad in his battle gear. Mirror polished bombat boots in the style of German tankers adorn his feet, leather straps wound around them in triplicate. His slacks are formal, tuxedo slacks with a sharp crease pressed into them, and tucked into the boots. A thin golden belt winds around his waist, from which a matching chain dangles to circle each of his narrow hips. Leather belts wrap around his midsection, creating the look of a formal cumerbund, but have just a flair for the theatrical. Or the fetish. One or the other. From those straps, he has fastened a pair of suspenders, which stretch up his svelte upper body, clad in a form fitting black bodysuit, and over his shoulders.

And finally, his countenance is revealed. A soft, tapered chin, and pliant, Cupid's Bow lips that appear almost glossy and rosepetal pink in hue. Skin like cream, smooth and pale. Ruby earings dangle loosely from his earlobes. His nose is pert, slightly pointed and upturned at the end. Those twin pools of crimson light fade as he leaves the shadows, replaced with those bloody hued eyes giving a cool, but not cruel stare at the aging fighter.

"Is this some horrible twist of fate? Or are you frightened of what might happen if you face Krauser?"

[GEESE]
"Heh," Geese's laugh is clipped short and a subdued smirk crosses his face. "First a cat and now another barking dog," Geese keeps his arms crossed, giving Adelheid only a brief look before closing his eyes once more. "Did you just come here snapping at your father's heels, or do you actually think you can win?"

Geese looks up at Adelheid, his eyes moving in appraisal. "Either way it's of no consequence. I will not be denied my bout with Krauser." The crime boss rolls his neck, tugging his bracers into place and adjusting his gi.

"Let's see what you have to offer. Hopefully it's not just a cheap imitation of your father's skills."

Geese uncrosses his arms, beckoning Adelheid with a curl of his fingers.

"Come on."

COMBATSYS: Geese has started a fight here. You cannot escape wrong death.

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

COMBATSYS: Geese takes no action.

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

COMBATSYS: Adelheid has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Adelheid         0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Geese

[ADELHEID]
"I have not come here to win. That is surely the fate laid out before my father. I came here only to test myself, and to grow stronger," Adelheid replies, seeming not at all perturbed by the abrasive nature of the infamously ill tempered Geese. He simply reaches down, tugging up one of his fingerless gauntlets, tightening them around his forearms, and adjusting the brass plated reinforcement that resides on the back. The sigil for 'R', in the shape of a shield, with an R inside of it, with a red backing.

"My style is very much akin to my father's. After all, it was he who has taught me from birth. It may be a pale imitation to some, but it is enough to master your own trademark techniques."

That being said, Adelheid's smile returns to his lips, and he does something, perhaps, unthinkable. He bows. One arm folded across his midsection, the other arm extended out to his side with a flourish, he bows at the waist, and closes his eyes. "I thank you for the honor of this match, Geese Howard. I can only hope that, because of my influence, you will be able to find alternative means to face Krauser on your own terms."

With that Adelheid... sort of shifts. His speed is uncanny, and in a flash of movement, he's on Geese, having closed the distance between them. He does, after all, know well that the game of being a distance away from Geese invites one to attempt to weather his Reppuken attacks.

His leg draws back, his knee bending to lift his heel up. A sort of shimmering whirlwind appears briefly around his foot, before it breaks with a sudden burst. As he kicks, that booted foot swings low, with an arcing scythe of trailing energy behind it that is clearly chi, infused with the cutting properties of gale force winds. That low, swiping kick was meant to unbalance the crimelord, and set him up as the follow through sweeps another crescent moon shaped blade of nearly two-dimensional ki up and over Adel's head, only to shoot back down with a crushing force against his opponent's shoulder. That's the plan, at least.

COMBATSYS: Geese blocks Adelheid's A. Kunst Zwei.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0            Geese

[GEESE]
Geese listens as Adelheid provides his rebuttal. He sneers, slides his feet, and readjusts his stance wordlessly at first.

"Hah!" Geese barks. "Don't think you can defeat me by merely copying my techniques. It will take far more than that."

Geese does not return the bow, not after the shift to it from the slight. "Such unwarranted arrogance! Perhaps our match will at least be decent exercise!"

But then Adelheid is on the move, and even Geese must acknowledge his speed. The heel sweeps low, and Geese's knees bend. He meets the blow by stepping into it to soften the block and keep his footing. When the overhead kick comes, Geese is already braced and he catches the blow heavily against his forearm.

"Hmph."

Geese's palm snaps forward suddenly with a flash of his own speed. Wind-like chi swirls into it in only an instant before the vacuum ball explodes outward in conjunction with Geese's thrust. He drives the palm toward Adelheid's midsection, aiming to drive the young man back from him once more.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid instinctively blocks Geese's Explosion Ball.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Adelheid         0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0            Geese

[ADELHEID]
It might seem like Geese has the young Bernstein at a disadvantage. It may seem, in fact, like the elder fighter is going to deliver a potentially fetal blow right at the start of the match, as he seeks to drive that ball of condensed, gale force winds directly into Adelheid's tender, seemingly undefended stomach.

But yet, at the last moment, Adel seems to operate on autopilot, and his wrist sweeps out, meeting Geese's own and deflecting it to the side at the last moment. This leaves Adel barely worse for wear as a result.

With a grace not unlike the panther that stalks at his sister's side, Adelheid spins on the balls of his feet, so that his back is facing his opponent. This might seem to be presenting a disadvantage, and there is, perhaps, the opportunity for Geese to capitalize on it. However, it is just a precursor, as Adelheid snaps downward, at the same time that he rockets a kick back and up, creating a shimmering straight pillar of that slicing, wind-based chi, and attempting to drive his boot into the soft, gooey underside of Geese's chin, where it meets his throat.

COMBATSYS: Geese counters A. Kunst Eins from Adelheid with Chuudan Atemi Nage.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Adelheid         0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0            Geese

[GEESE]
Geese exhales, his brow furrowing as his palm slips past Adelheid's stomach with barely a graze. The wind chi disperses as it passes into open air. As it does, the crimelord snaps his fist slows, scattering the last bits of energy and pulling back to reposition.

And when Adelheid shows his back, Geese does not pounce on the perceived opening. Arrogant as he is, Howard seems to appreciate that Adelheid would not be here without skill. He may not be on Rugal's level yet, but the young man is certainly formidable. The rocket kick proves this to be true as the opening is closed and the wind-slicing blow races toward Geese's exposed throat.

The next movement is instantaneous. Geese's hand snaps up in a blur and he catches Adelheid's leg against calloused, well-muscled forearm. Geese maintains the block for barely a second before sliding his arm across Bernstein's leg and then clutch the young man's leg in a vice-like grip. Howard's other hand grabs for Adelheid's side, taking hold for only a moment...

Because in another moment Geese executes a sweeping, circular throw in the vein of aikido and aimed at tossing his opponent across the courtyard.

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid knows enough of Geese to know that the man's personal development of martial arts relies heavily on the stylings and techniques of Aikido masters. So when he feels that grip on his leg, there is only a single, unsurprised moment, where inwardly, he simply declares "...shit..." before he's drawn into the man's grasp.

At least he didn't get a "predictabo" thrown at him. That's something, right?

He's swept up and tossed aside like a ragdoll, landing hard on his back. He barely takes the time to register the pain, giving a single cry out. No, Adelheid is immediately spinning on his shoulders, legs akimbo, and spiraling into a push off the ground and onto his feet. As he spins back around to face his opponent, Adelheid lunges forward, his gauntleted hand lashing out to seek out Geese's throat. If he is successful, those spindly, delicate fingers of alabaster, tipped with long nails that look to be made of polished glass, bite deep, deep, deep into the flesh, as if he were trying to crush Geese's windpipe.

He'll rush past him, dragging the larger man along at breakneck speeds towards the nearest wall where he'll kindly deposit Geese into a freshly made crater created by the man's own back.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Geese with G. Drucken.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1            Geese

[GEESE]
Geese choose his predictabos well. They too are a formidable tool in his arsenal.

Geese, meanwhile, rolls his neck. There are a scarce few seconds before Adelheid recovers. The younger man launches at Geese, reaching for his throat to drive and definitively drive the man into a nearby wall. Geese moves to counter, planting his bicep against Adelheid's vice-like grip. Even so, young Bernstein manages to drive Geese back several feet before Howard readjusts his footing and rebraces himself against further movement.

"Hm," Geese grunts. "Is this your strength?"

The Syndicate boss suddenly pushes back, sweeping his arm forward and aimed at Adelheid's throat. If he takes hold, he hoists the man off the ground and slams him down hard onto the stone of the courtyard in a single, sweeping hip throw.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid blocks Geese's Power Throw.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Adelheid         0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1            Geese

[ADELHEID]
He wants to see Adelheid's strength? Fine.

As Geese lashes out to try to claim Adelheid's throat, the Bernstein heir lifts his chin. Certainly, the crushing grip is painful. It feels like his larynx might just be crushed under Geese's might. But, the young fighter's ruby eyes glare defiantly, and he reaches up, grasping the South Town Syndicate leader's wrist and wrenching it free before he's lifted up and slammed.

"No."

It's his reply to the question of his strength. The black clad fighter suddenly bursts forth from the earth, carried aloft by a sudden eruption of turbulent winds. His knee rises, with the effort meant to take Geese's jaw and send him reeling back, before his foot follows suit, sending a splitting high front kick to try to keep that momentum going forward. Lastly, provided he manages to strike his foe with the first two, he finishes off with one sideways snapping kick as he comes to a land. This snapping kick, however, is not intended to be a strike, but rather a means for Adel to capture Geese with the inside curve of his knee. He'll twist, wrenching the older man down as he takes to a knee. This essentially will serve to smash Geese's face into the floor.

It will also look suspiciously like a move performed by one Lee Chaolan.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Geese with G. Springen.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Adelheid         1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1            Geese

[GEESE]
Geese looks upon Adelheid with disdain as he lifts him into the air. As the two's eyes meet, Geese sees his defiance. His resistance against Geese's might. The crimelord snarls.

But then he knee strikes him in the jaw, staggering him back enough to make an opening for a front kick that leaves the older man's ears ringing. The last hit connects, taking Geese off the ground and then back down in a knee press with a heavy crack.

But in a moment, Geese is back on his feet and wiping blood from his jaw and nose with a dismissive swipe of his hand.

"Good!" Geese barks. "That's what I expected from the son of Rugal!" Geese flicks his wrist, scattering blood on the grass. " You might prove a worthy match yet."

But then Geese sweeps forward. The atmosphere gets heavy, as if a storm is brewing. His hand snaps forward like a cobra, his palm aimed for Adelheid's solar plexus. If he connects, Geese uses it as the lynchpin of a throw, reaching forward to loop his other arm under Adelheid's armpit and hoist the man up in a smooth motion.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid attempts to reflect Raimei Gouha Nage from Geese with G. Kreis+.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1            Geese

COMBATSYS: Geese reverses G. Kreis+ from Adelheid with Oni Hanmon.

[                         \\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Adelheid         0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0            Geese

The energy continues to surge, the air heavy with static as Geese reaches for the overhead throw. As he makes contact, lightning crashes and thunder rolls, Geese's chi briefly so immense it seems to call a bolt from the blue that fills the air with the smell of ozone!

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid's ruby eyes flash with a brilliant glow as Geese steps forward, and he immediately feels the strange change in the pressure about them. His upper lip curls in a way that would have made The King go green with envy, and he ducks, trying to evade that grasping hand of the grappling fighter.

His slender form leaps upwards, just as the crack of thunder splits the sound barrier and very nearly the eardrums of both the fighters. His leg sweeps up in an arc, with a blazing streak of wind chi trailing behind it to form a crescent moon shaped scar in the very fabric of reality. The lightning strikes where it may, and that bolt of heavenly blue fire descends from the sky, right into the ring of chi that Adelheid had formed, and redirecting it in Geese's direction, in the hopes that all of nature's own fury would be directed at the proper source. Geese.

[GEESE]
Geese's eyes narrow as Adelheid surges with power. The thunder from the throw seems to come early, crashes down even before Howard has the chance to throw Adelheid to the ground. Instead, the bolt crashes against the G. Kreis, the scythe of chi slashing and directing the bolt in a tremendous display of speed, power, and skill. The bolt redirects toward Geese, threatening to smash into its source.

But then Geese weaves, going low as the bolt crashes over his head, passing close enough to make his hair stand on end. Geese's arm snaps up through the wake of cutter, his fingers like steel as he reaches for a vice-grip of Adelheid's face. Once he has it, Geese powers forward, lifting the young man entirely over his head before driving him down onto the ground head first.

[ADELHEID]
It all happens so fast that there's a good chance that even the cameras cannot keep up with the movements that play out before their unblinking, silently judging eyes. It all literally happens in the span of time it takes for a bolt of lightning to come crashing down, in fact. So is it any wonder that Adelheid is left reeling, unsure of what just happened when he winds up face first on the ground?

Everything hurts. He can barely move a muscle. One moment, he was in this fight and now... now he feels like he cannot muster the will to even stand. His fingers twitch. His broken mouth parts, bubbling forth some blood as an unintelligible sound escapes him. Is it... laughter?

"Hrkh...Heh heh he-hrkh-heh.." Adelheid chuckles, as he pushes himself up to a sitting position. "There he...hrkh.... is. Ge-hrkh...Geese Howard. He's...hrkh... finally... awakened again."

One red eye peers at the crime lord, it's counterpart swollen shut to the point where it looks like a tomato has grown in his socket. Lips that are swollen and split split open wide with a mad grin, exposing his blood stained teeth grinding tight together in a strained rictus. "BUT I'M NOT DOWN YET!"

Adelheid suddenly pushes himself off of the ground into a backwards flip. His foot ignites with that now familiar burst of shearing winds, and as he flips, it sends off a wave the slices through the dirt, churning up chunks of debris and earth as it gouges deep and races at Geese with the speed and fury of a missile.

"REPPUKEN!!!"

COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Geese with G. Kicken.
- Power hit! -

[                          \\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Adelheid         0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0            Geese

[GEESE]
Geese moves back smoothly after the face-throw. For a man without Adelheid's training, Geese's Oni Hanmon would have likely proved debilitating, if not fatal. Adelheid's defiant rise to challenge Geese again is enough in itself to make Howard take notice.

"Then you are not a complete disappointment," Geese says with a smirk.

But his arrogance is clipped when Adelheid's hurls his signature technique back toward him. He is aware of Rugal's use of the move, but to see Adelheid toss it with such ease seems to catch Geese off-guard. Perhaps, on some level, it is a reminder of his own son--even if Geese considers the boy a failure.

The Reppuken punches Geese, smashing against his legs and staggering him back with a mighty hit. Geese leans forward in its wake, catching himself by shifting his balance to avoid being bowled over entirely. The smirk from a moment ago is replaced by a snarl, his teeth bared.

"Arrogant fool!" Geese bellows, surging forward toward Adelheid. He throws a sharp blow toward Adelheid's abdomen, Geese bending forward into the hit to throw his power into it. He follows with a double palm strike when he shifts to the other hit and maintains that low stance. From there, Geese shifts once more, aiming to hook Adelheid under the armpit and shoulder throw him back to the ground.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid parries Geese's Combo Throw!

[                          \\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Adelheid         0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0            Geese

[ADELHEID]
When Geese comes in at him as he does, Adelheid seems to have found his footing in this fight once more. Perhaps it's just a renewed sense of vigor, bolstered by the fact that he actually really hurt Geese with his own trademark maneuver. Perhaps the boy simply has far more tenacity than he might outwardly seem to have. Regardless, here he is, back in the fight.

The blow to his stomach is swatted aside, and the open double palm strike is met with Adelheid's own in a mirror movement, so essentially the two fighters give each other ten. Instead of being hooked, though, Adelheid pushes Geese and himself apart, giving just enough distance to avoid being caught up in the older fighter's proximity, and his deadly grappling techniques.

"People keep saying that!"

He shouts as he pushes forwqard, throwing a right hook at Geese's jaw with those reinforced knuckles.

COMBATSYS: Geese counters Medium Punch EX from Adelheid with Gedan Atemi Nage.

[                                < >  /////////////////             ]
Adelheid         1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0            Geese

[GEESE]
Geese finds Adelheid meeting each of his blows in turn, intercepting the hits with mirrors of each blow. Once again, Geese should be impressed by Adelheid's precision in imitating such high-level martial arts. Also once again, Geese refuses to yield much praise. The man is notoriously arrogant and severe.

"Not bad," Geese says, thumbing his nose when they separate. He slides on his sandals, shifting his stance. Adelheid closes the gap in an instant with a fast punch thrown right toward Geese's chin. The blow comes inches from driving into the older man's jaw and likely liberating a tooth--when the Syndicate boss snaps to attention, catching Adelheid's fist by clutching his wrist from underneath.

"Predictabo!" Geese barks, pulling Bernstein forward. He plants his other hand solidly against the man's stomach, then throws him solidly with a sweeping judo throw.

[ADELHEID]
Adel is yanked forward into the blow, doubling over Geese's fist and then being swept up into his perfected Judo style throw. Slamming to the earth, Adelheid's eyes flash with a bright crimson light. Without a moment's hesitation, Adelheid is back on his feet, and rushing at Geese like a bolt of lightning, his face contorted in a rictus of agonizing madness.

One hand reaches out, grasping at the older crime lord's throat, with bubbling, carmine and ebony chi surrounding it, corroding everything it touches. Should that hand find its purchase on flesh, it will burn and wither under his vicelike grip, and Adelheid will rush forward, pulling Geese along for the ride to slam him against a nearby wall. The slam is accompanied by a pillar of that same corrupt, unholy power, erupting from the ground with the wails of the dead and the damned. The distinct image of a screaming skull rises through it, before it flashes away, and Adelheid will try to slam Geese's head again, and again, and again, as a sound caught somewhere between a growl and laughter bubbles up from within.

Successful or not, after this last attack, Adelheid's broken and beaten body cannot sustain the fight any longer. Muscles turn to rubber, bones to jelly. He slumps to the ground, as blissful unconsciousness takes hold.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Geese blocks Adelheid's G. Sklaven.

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

[GEESE]
Geese stands, almost ready to gesture for Adelheid to try again when the young Bernstein is already upon him in an instant. It puts Geese on the defensive, forcing him to cross his arms for an X-block to intercept the blow. Adelheid's fingers dig into the flesh of Geese's forearm and the crimson energy starts to corrode the skin, eating away it.

The two slam into the wall as Adelheid unleashes blow after blow upon Geese. Even so, the Syndicate leader weathers the storm, enduring the assault like a mountain and shifting his block to meet each blow as it comes. When the assault ends and Adelheid slumps, Geese raises back to his full height, stepping out of the crater on the wall almost casually. Blood drips from his battered arms, but he stands unconquered, raising his arms to cross them over his chest.

"Natural talent and imitation...but you lack the hatred you need to grasp true power...tch!" Geese walks back toward the castle.

"Merely testing his strength in a place like this..."

COMBATSYS: Geese has ended the fight here.

Log created on 18:30:01 03/09/2018 by Geese, and last modified on 01:52:02 03/19/2018.