Match of the Millennium

Description: Italy plays host to a few military installations for the United States, Camp Darby, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Aviano Air Base, Rota Naval Air Station. These are but a few that reside in the beautiful country of Italy, and what better way is there then for there to be a Tag Team match between the Army and the Navy in the Grand Canals. Representing the Army, Cassie and Leona will look to sink the maritime might of the Navy representatives of Haehyun and Nagase. Will Cassie and Leona manage to sink the mighty battleship of Haehyun and Nagase, or will the Navy representatives prove once and for all that the warriors of the sea are truly unstoppable?

[NAGASE]
The streets of Venice are choked with people at pretty much all times, especially when there's a famed Saturday Night Fight planned for the early evening. No small wonder that tourists seek out gondolas to take advantage of the most serene way to experience the scenic city's ever-present canals.

Fight officials have rented out a row of six waterfront restaurants for the evening. Currently packed full of fight aficionados, each of the restaurants stands to bring in a healthy profit of drink orders. The actual fight locale is the span of concrete, barely wide enough to accomodate a service truck, just outside the restaurants. With the restaurants on one side, and the fenced-off canal on the other, competitors will have plenty of room to throw down without dealing too much damage to the Neoclassical building facades.

But... for the moment, at least one of the fighters is not in location. No check-ins, no call-aheads, no nothing. The location of at least half of the team representing the Navy side of this "Memorial Day" broadcast is nowhere to be found -- unless one knows where to look.

And it just so happens that the right place to look is a hotel room with a sixth-story balcony overlooking the canal-side restaurants. Flame-haired Nagase gnashes her teeth as she adjusts the yellow scarf on her navy-blue sailor-style uniform, tucking it into a bright white ring. Glowering at her reflection, she wrinkles her nose -- one finger reaching up to scratch it. Her trademark glasses are not present, and neither are her garishly oversized gauntlets or boots. She is -not- a happy camper.

The tech-ninja turns aside, picking up her brand-new cellphone. A top of the line model, kitted out with an egregious amount of onboard memory. She tucks it into a hip holster, clicking into position -- and then presses a bluetooth earpiece into her ear.

"I just want you to know, I look absolutely ridiculous," she comments, while walking out to the balcony -- speaking not to her reflection, but to the person on the other end of her VoIP connection. Gripping the railing of her balcony, she leans out, peering out over the crowd at the fight locale. "... Okay, so what the hell do you look like, anyway? I'm on location, basically, just... high up."

[KUM HAEHYUN]
Amidst the crowd below is a giant of an old man standing at what must be eight feel tall. He is dressed in a dark blue overcoat and an admiral's gap, with a sizeable pipe sticking out of his mouth. When the call comes, he steps forward, gently walking so that people part before him rather than risk being bowled over.

Inside the towering man, the much smaller (and more feminine) Kum Haehyun flips a switch on her vocoder and then toggles on the radio.

"I should not be difficult to recognize," Kum Jonryoku says. "Look for the large man in the hat."

And as if on cue, the giant old man steps out onto the weathered stone walkway, his arms crossed behind him almost regally. The pipe puts out a bit of smoke.

[CASSIE]
An important aspect of this whole Memorial Day event was that Cassie Cage was actually active-duty military as part of Special Forces. Basic research suggested that neither person on the Navy side of this event had any service history, and her tag partner was part of some independent paramilitary organization. Much past basic research made findings on all three of them a bit funny, but at this point in the world of professional fighting, pretty much everyone's backstory came up weird.

The more important question for Sergeant Cage right now was why was she the only American military officer taking place in a fight to celebrate an American holiday to remember the sacrifices of American military servicemen? And why was it taking place in Italy?

Still, if the whole event wasn't going to be especially respectful, Cassie was at least going to do her best.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cassie Cage @ccc 0s

For all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country so that we might enjoy a life of comfort and security #MemorialDay #snf #cassiecares

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If she's going to be here to represent the armed forces, then Cage is going to do it right. Rather than wearing some ridiculous camo costume from a party store or slapping on a dress uniform only to have it get damaged in the fight, she's put on her mission gear, which is a lot more protective than the swimsuit she'd had to put on last time. It's also actually got room for all her kit.

[LEONA]
This whole situation felt very, very odd when Leona Heidern considered it. Four individuals fighting to represent U.S. Armed Forces for a United States holiday, only one of which is from the United States or actually served in said Armed Forces. To top it off, the bout is taking place in Italy.

Sometimes people confused Leona.

However strange as an assignment this way, Leona was there to push herself to the limit for her assigned agency. She still felt the embarrassing sting of failing to defeat Johnny Cage. And she continued to feel the ever present, annoying, infuriating itch that traveled up and down just under her skin. An itch she could not scratch, she could not seek a balm for, as she knows she simply is not yet capable of withstanding what it might mean.

At least for this fight, itch aside, she is not wearing a cat costume. No, should the NOL care to follow her up before she leaves Italy, a fight with their agents will only serve as training for the greater mission. As such, she is in uniform as it is. Though the shorts and the jacket top are a degree skimpier than the US regulations allow, it allows for Leona to move more comfortably. And as she recalls one person telling her at some point, as she is Brazilian, it is apparently okay to dress this way.

People confuse Leona at times. It's just practicality.

But at least now she has the chance to meet and approach her partner for this fight. And at least it is the woman that is both American and in Service.

Leona walks along the stone path, looking at the crowds. By now, she's learned to just go to where camera's and people are and look for those that look like they know how to punch people. But something wears on Leona's mind as she steps toward the appointed perimeter of the sortie.

Her partner is also a Cage?

[NAGASE]
Nagase repeats with disbelief, "Large man in the..." Because if the fight were taking place in America (and why wouldn't it?) that sort of description wouldn't set her team partner apart from anyone else. But almost as soon as the words spill out of her mouth, the naval-themed officer comes into view. "... Oh. There you are!"

Nagase steps back from the balcony, tightening the vambraces upon her hands. Clenching and releasing a fist, she squints at the creak of leather -- a far cry from her usual armor. With one final patdown upon her hips and thighs, she takes one more look down at the canalside restaurant, smiling brightly.

In the next moment, she vanishes from the balcony.
The very next instant, she flickers into view alongside Kum Jonryoku.

Her hand reaches up as if to clap a 2-meter-tall man on the shoulder -- at which point she realizes she's off by a half meter. Alarm spreads to her eyes as she looks up to Jonryoku, mouth agape. "Holy crap, you're huge!" Physical dimensions are the sort of things her Battle Disc System would have clued her in on.

She settles for simply tapping him on the elbow instead. "So... who've we got here...?" Self-consciously, she crosses her arms in a fashion similar to Jonryoku's, a fluttering skirt making her suddenly mindful of the light breeze. She may be wearing knee-high stockings with leather shoes, but this is definitely the first time she's been caught sporting a grade "B" zettai ryoiki on camera. If it weren't for fact that she sure could use the cash...

And then she sees Sgt Cage in nice, full-coverage mission gear.
"... Tch. Maybe I should've gone with -that-..." And then she turns to Leona -- the fourth awfully conspicious person in fashion-conscious Venice. She breathes a faint sigh of relief: "Oh, well at least I'm not the -only- one pandering to the fans."

Nagase hops backwards, clapping Kum Jonryoku on the back. For, as far as her eyes can see, and her nonexistent research can show -- he's just a really big dude. "Go get 'em, Tiger. I gotta do something super important first." And that important task is seems to involve her cellphone, her thumbs flying across the screen as she leans against the wall of one of the restaurants. Her earpiece begins to resonate with the rhythmic thrum of some sort.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deadly Ninja Pandas @nagase 0s

@ccc Hey, speaking of ultimate sacrifice, you look -good- for a dead chick! What kind of moisturizer do you use?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sailor-suited ninja's lips curl into a smirk -- and a wink back in Cassie's direction.

COMBATSYS: Nagase has started a fight here in the center.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
Kum Jonryoku gives Nagase a stiff nod in response to the elbow pat, and the clap on the back. "Hrmm," he starts with a sort of low rumble. "If you say so," he answers, stepping forward toward Cassie and Leona as they arrive. The old man remains stoic, even in the sharp contrast of outfits.

"Good day. You must be Sergeant Cage and Miss Heidern. I am Kum Jonryoku, and it is my pleasure." After a momentary pause, Jonryoku strokes his beard. "As a Korean, I am happy to take part in this event, as strange as it is." His eyes move over to where Nagase has seated herself, then back to his two opponents.

"But in any case, it seems I am the first participant for my team." The giant of a man slides his feet further apart, putting his weight onto his knees. He extends one palm in front of him, the other raised up high. ...it looks a bit ridiculous in the uniform.

"Which of you will I be facing first?"

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/-------|
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[CASSIE]
Putting her phone away into a secure pouch, Cage readjusts her sunglasses and gives a quick nod of acknowledgement to Leona as she approaches... and for once it seems as if Cassie doesn't actually have a mouthful of gum as she tries to be a little respectful for the event before the fight.

Perhaps more importantly, Cassie Cage has millions of followers on pretty much every platform she touches. You gotta turn random notifications off or your phone will die in just a few minutes every time you tweet. You also don't follow someone just because you're going to be punching them later, which means that notification is getting lost until after the fight.

Maybe when it's all done, it'll rise up out of the sea of awkward come-ons, virtriolic insults, and unrelated responses attempting to turn people's attention toward someone's hot mixtape on Sound Cloud.

All in all, this means Nagase's wink gets a confused raise of an eyebrow from Cage, especially with her sunglasses in place. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to flirt with her during a fight... hopefully nobody got the wrong idea about her after-fight drinking session with Angel after her last SNF. She's pretty sure she didn't try to make-out with her, but tequila is a hell of a drink.

"That's right, Sergeant Cassandra Cage, Special Forces," she replies, raising a hand in a friendly gesture. "Normally I do these things as R&R off-duty, but I guess I have to come represent." A faintly unpleasant expression crosses her face as she adds, "Somebody must have meant to set this up for Venice Beach, but I've seen some of the stuff they pull, so I'm sort of glad they're not trying to make us fight at Pearl Harbor right now."

Shifting back toward her partner, Cage lowers her voice to a whisper and places a hand on Leona's shoulder, "So... you want first go, or should I? I'm not sure how appropriate it would be for me to speedbag an old guy's sack on TV for a day of respectful remembrance."

[LEONA]
"Pandering?" Leona questions, dead pan, looking toward Sgt. Cage. "Oh, yes, wearing the uniform of the United States Militaries. Understand that I'm not a member of either the Armed Forces or the Naval Forces. It would be insulting to dress like them. So I wore something that allows me freedom of movement in combat."

She nods toward the big man who introduces himself so politely. "I promise to take this as seriously as any mission deserves. Respectful."

This was already a lot of words used, and with a set of talkative opponents and an equally talkative partner, Leona felt it was needed for her to take a moment of concentration to figure out the fighters all around her. She takes up a resting position and listens to Cassie Cage's inquiry. And then comes a hand on her shoulder. Leona's heart thumps. She feels the itch. She sees the blonde man in Japan, his arms work like a drills as they bore against the NOL officer's chest. Leona's hand twitches and sets on an explosive strapped to her waist. How quick and easy and close she is.

No, this is her team mate talking to her. Cage should be treated as an Ikari, not as an enemy combatant. Leona Heidern's eyes stay cold and focused on Cage's. "This is battle, whatever tactics win are the best to use," she answers curtly. "Anything short in unacceptable. Further, it is best if you begin. It will allow me to properly assess our opponents capability if I do not have to focus on direct engagement."

COMBATSYS: Leona has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Leona
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Leona has joined the fight here in the center.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/-------|
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[NAGASE]
If there is one thing Nagase noted when she clapped her hand onto Kum Jonryoku's back, it was how -firm- the surface was; the muscles, perfectly corded and taut. And as her eyes drift away from Sergeant Cage, it won't be long before she's turning to admire the Admiral. Her thumbs dance across the screen, accessing a limited subset of the kind of data her Battle Disc System would -normally- present to her. And data regarding Jonryoku... minimal!

Still, as a faint pink tinge crosses her cheeks as she surveys the silver-haired goliath, she turns towards Leona, answering her partner's queries. And while she peers over the edge of her screen, the mercenary's words are automatically transcribed for later reference.

"Wow, she has -no- chill..." she mumbles, scarcely above a whisper...

And then a very interesting feed comes across her phone -- with a photo of Leona's last opponent. She looks up at Cassie -- and then right back to her phone.
"... wonder if they're related."

Maybe the phone is just a distraction. Or maybe there's better things to watch, like the battle about to unfold. Or the magnificently handsome man's rippling back muscles. "Go get 'er, Admiral! And don't worry, I got your back!" As the SNF staff maneuver into position to kick this fight off, Nagase clasps both her hands together in eager anticipation!

[CASSIE]
Okay, so apparently she's getting teamed up with a potentially autistic solider with no actual ties to any official military organization.

There are times when even Cassie Cage manages to avoid saying things that are immediately on her mind, and the most important part of all of that is to change what you're thinking about before you cause any real problems.

"Yeah, sure, I'll take first, you just... do that whole watching thing for now," Cassie says as she turns around, approaching the giant old guy wearing a ridiculous admiral outfit. With the fight actually getting ready to start, she reaches into another pouch, pulling out a piece of gum and casually unwrapping it as she pops it into her mouth, quickly working it up so that by the time she's face to... chest(?) with the big guy, she's got a bubble going, letting it pop as she rolls her neck.

"Looks like it's you and me, gramps."

COMBATSYS: Cassie has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
The old man remains still like a stone once he sets himself in his fighting stance. His eyes moves briefly to Leona as she speaks, but when Cassie moves forward, his whole focus is on her.

"Hmm," Kum Jonryoku speaks, "I hope that are more gentle with your seniors back home." His muscles tense. "But in any case, let us begin," he says with a mighty clap of his palms. Is it some sign of excitement?

No, because as the old man pulls his palms apart he leaves a barrier of chi between them. With it lingering, he thrusts his palm forward, taking one giant step forward Miss Cage as he smashes his own barrier and turns into a wall-like blast of chi!

COMBATSYS: Cassie blocks Kum Haehyun's Unstoppable Palm.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[CASSIE]
"When they're old enough to need to be treated gentle, then they're probably too old to be stepping up to fight," Cassie retorts bringing both arms up in front of her as the palm strike creates an explosion of energy in front of her, her feet skidding back from the impact of the blow, but most of the force is dispersed harmlessly around her. "Yowch, and with a hit like that, I'm pretty sure you don't need assisted living, but I feel bad for your grandkids when you ask them to explain SnapChat."

There's a flicker of thought in Cassie's eyes, currently hidden behind her shades as she considers going in quick for a nice low blow to help weaken up the old guy, but... Hell, she's out here doing this for Memorial Day of all things, and the guy has to be in his 60s. No reason to make things look bad this early, right?

Instead, Cage goes low. With all that size and age, hopefully he's not that quick on his feet. One hand hits the ground for support, and if someone was expecting a proper sweep, they'd be a bit taken back by the way Cassie's entire body is briefly coated in green energy as she rockets upward in a reverse-dick-kick as if gravity didn't exist.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun Toughs Out Cassie's Assault Phase!

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
"Hmph," the old man seems to begrudingly accept that answer, but he does not back down even as Cassie stops the (allegedly) Unstoppable Palm. "Aha," he muses. "A strong defense. As expected from American special forces." But he has no time to comment further before Cassie is sliding in and then launching upward into him with an inverted dive kick.

When she slams into the old man, it's akin to hitting something made out of iron. Did he even try to block just then? In any case, Kum Jonryoku doesn't flinch, instead shifting out of the blow with a simple backstep. The impact seemed solid enough, but the old man is still trucking as he lifts his leg clear over his head in an imitation of taekwondo's chikyo chagi axe kick. As his leg reaches the apex of the lift, blue and orange chi gathers around, shaping into a sphere of orange around his foot. With it, he smashes downward like a guillotine!

"Oh ho, aiming for weak points early! A valid strategy miss, but I must warn you it is no match for the power of tuning!"

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun knocks away Cassie with Believed Falcon Dive.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[CASSIE]
It's real useful going up isntead of down when you want to get in under your opposition's guard for a surprise hit. When they're a walking wall of... surprisingly tough beef, things don't always work out quite as intended, because you've got to come back down. And seeing as how the big guy apparently didn't care too much about taking the hit, things aren't looking good for Cage as she's coming back down.

Next strategy, hit the ground light, move quick, stay loose so that maybe you can at least cut the edge of things. At the very least Cassie manages the hit the ground part, but as she tries to twist it all into an evasive roll, it's not quite the transition needed and Cage ends up slammed down.

"I guess if you don't think a kick is good enough for tuning, I'm just going to have to up my firepower a bit, huh?" Cassie shoots back as she manages to get back up to her knees, and in a smooth motion, both guns are out from her back, and a rapid series of shots (bright green non-lethals for the sake of the show) come flying out as Cage makes use of her own covering fire to reposition no beneath the old man.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun blocks Cassie's Blood Splat.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
As the guns come out, Kum's eyes widen with surprise. He takes a big step back and brings up his arms, weathering the flurry of incoming shots as they smash against his hardened muscles and tough hide. After several he starts wearing down, but all things considered, he seems to handle the non-lethal slugs remarkably well.

"Tuning is a mysterious power," Kum says thoughtfully, stroking his beard, "but your versatility is to be praised!"

The giant of an old man lowers his stance, focusing his power, which practically seems to bleed off of him for a moment. In that same moment, there seems to be a strange tune in the air as well--whatever that's about.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun retunes the flow of chi! Maximum power output!

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Kum Haehyun      1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[CASSIE]
With a bit more space, Cassie reholsters both guns, keeping a careful eye on the big man, her sunglasses at least helping to disguise the frown as she looks over him making a lot of weird noises. There's something super weird about this dude, aside from the fact that he's wearing a really dorky old-timey outfit.

"Did one of your grandkids tell you that 'tuning' is a thing people do now?" Cassie asks casually, circling back and forth at a distance as she eyes up the opposition for the right approach to take on this. "Cuz people used to do stuff like planking, yeeting, dabbing, tide podding... not tuning." There's a quick pause before she asks, "Do you mean iTunes or something?"

There's not much opportunity given to actually responding as Cage darts in to offer up another bit of versatility in her kit as she comes charging forward only to drop to her knees and slide on the metal plates covering her knees, kicking up a few sparks as she drifts into position for a classi Cage uppercut, right between the legs.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun blocks Cassie's Nut Kracker.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Kum Haehyun      1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
"Hah, no," Kum answers, clapping his hands together. "Tuning is a power unique to the Kum family, an exceptionally rare ability to realign the energies that shape the world and the people in it." He runs his fingers across his moustache, making the outfit look even more ridiculous for a moment.

But in the next moment, the seriousness returns. Cassie slides in low, and Kum Jonryoku shifts his weight to his knees. He interposes his arm in between, catching the uppercut against the taut muscles of his forearm, There's a heavy thump the raw power of Cassie's punch hits Kum's durability body, but then he backstepss once more.

"But you seem like a more practical sort, Sergeant Cage. One who is invested in less metaphysical things. Perhaps I will show you the full power of tuning later for now---"

"Nagase!" Kum calls out, "You may take over for now." He extends his hand for a tag out, waiting for her to do so before stepping to the sidelines.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun has joined the fight here in the center.

                                  >  ///////////////////           ]
                                  |=======\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------
                 [        |||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|---====|=======

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun reboots her systems.

                                  >  ///////////////////           ]
                                  |=======\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|-------
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[NAGASE]
With Nagase's next-level battle AI currently engaged in mission-critical tasks, the Iga-ryuu kunoichi is stuck having to collect data herself. Though, between researching videos of her opponents' fighting, and the backside of the impressively-statured Admiral, the sailor-suited ninja girl has no shortage of impressive sights to gawk at. Even while multitasking her research projects, though, she can't ignore the cries of those who trekked out to Venice in hopes of seeing the "Ninja Girl In Search of Love" leaping into action. Apparently, a second place showing at King of Fighters 2017 counts for something!

She holds up her hands to the crowd, feigning a sign of surrender and mouthing out the words, 'Okay, okay!' as her shoulders lift away from the wall. Of course, the shinobi doesn't exactly want to -advertise- that she's yielding to crowd pressure -- but the will of the crowd is not -exactly- something she has full control of. Nor is her partner, coming to the same conclusion.

Luckily, it seems the two are of similar mind. One might say they were attuned to one another.

By the time Jonryoku's hand is fully extended, it will feel a smack of light pressure from Nagase's downstretched palm, as her blurred form vaults overhead. "You got it, old man!" With the speedy shinobi's soft-soled shoes stepping down onto the sidewalk, her leap is over almost as soon as it began, pleated uniform skirt struggling to keep pace!

"iTunes? Blech -- get with the times, Becky!" But even then the ninjette doesn't stay grounded for long -- already whipping around with a one-two-three punch combo aimed at filling in the gap left by her partner of the day! Nagase's explosive momentum gives every sign that she hopes to drive Cage backward -- and possibly send her tumbling into the canals...!

But that's not her goal at all...!? Rather, as soon as she fires off a third punch, she whips into a backflip kick! Before she can even complete the kick, though, the ninja flickers out of sight...

Only for her to reappear directly behind Cassie, delivering a second backflip kick at the Sergeant from the reverse angle!

COMBATSYS: Nagase has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Nagase           0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

COMBATSYS: Nagase successfully hits Cassie with Assault Mode - Sky Stage.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Nagase           0/-------/------=|=======\=------\1           Cassie
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[CASSIE]
"Do you even know what things mean or do you just shout things out you saw on Twitter?" Cassie retorts, settling back as she steadies herself, putting her best defense forward and actually managing to catch a few of the early hits from the sailor scout, but the teleport catches her clean from behind and sends her reeling forward with a wounded grunt.

"I was trying to troubleshoot an old man's slang, and if you think they're giving him anything more complex than iTunes, then you're delusional." She gets back up to her feet with a grunt, shaking her head as she walks away from the ninja back toward her partner. "Maybe they only gave him a Jitterbug, but if you want to get your panties moist thinking about how to get a boyfriend so old you gotta clear 15 new search bars out of your browser every time you let him touch your shit, be my guest."

Reaching out, she goes for the tag, giving a quick slap to Leona's hand as she slips out of the ring.

COMBATSYS: Cassie has joined the fight here in the center.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Nagase           0/-------/------=|
                 [                |||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|------=|=======
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

COMBATSYS: Cassie pops in a new piece of gum.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Nagase           0/-------/------=|
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-------
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[LEONA]
Leona doesn't really know what either Cassie or Nagase are talking about. She had spending her time deciphering the solid foundation and presence of the older man. He was bigger, clearly directly stronger. As such he would need a more novel method of approach. Though, Cassie's style was certainly novel, it wasn't quite the novel needed in this moment.

And then all of that planning and thought was undone by the reality that this combat situation is a tag battle. One of more fluid approaches and tactical retreats than most of these professional fights. But a combat situation is a combat situation and Leona knows she has to be prepared for anything at a moment's. . .

A slap against her hand. Leona blinks for a moment and looks toward Cassie. "All right," she states in a monotone, nodding as well. And then it's into the breach.

And immediately into a slow and steady crossing step. She doesn't move in with a charge, instead, she locks her steady, cold eyed attention on the young woman across from her. She isn't as talkative an opponent as Nagase had with Sgt. Cage. But Leona Heidern is one that is and has been paying very, very close attention.

COMBATSYS: Leona has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Nagase           0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

COMBATSYS: Leona assesses the tactical situation.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Nagase           0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[NAGASE]
Twisting about in midair, Nagase's shoes touch down upon the side of a lamppost; her fingers curl around it as she flashes a mocking, fat-lipped frown back at her Army opponent. "Oh, hey, was 280 characters too much for an American to handle?" She remains curled upon the lamppost as Cassie fires off her retorts, shrugging faintly. So maybe she's only even here -because- an older man happened to add a Combzi Buddy to his laptop. But that's neither here nor there!

Nagase may be locking her eyes onto the newly-tagged in opponent, but it's pretty clear where she's directing her voice -- even as a coquettish smile flits across her face. "Cassie, sweetie, don't you think you're projecting a wee bit? It's not -my- fault your folks' birds-and-the-bees talk was a cheesy C-grade kung-fu flick."

And then... she waits for Leona to strike.

One second, two second, three.

Nagase frowns at her opponent's steady gaze, and relative stoicism -- the complete contrast to her loquacious partner.

"Well," she says, breaking the silence, "you must be fun at parties."

Nagase lets go of the lamppost, spiraling forward into a front flip. But as soon as one hand crosses the other, she flickers out of view again -- this time, the shadow-stepping ninja reappears just a half-meter above Leona. And both feet, wreathed in flame, trace deadly orange arcs into the air as they scythe down to smash onto Leona's shoulders from above!

"Nin-nin!"

COMBATSYS: Leona blocks Nagase's Medium Kick.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Nagase           0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[LEONA]
Focus, steady, plan and wait. The talkative ones always betray their movements and intent. Let them babble and not take things seriously. It will pay off when they falter and miss their steps. When they can't focus on the mission at hand, she will disrupt them and take victory.

But she had failed against Johnny Cage. He proved to her that it was certainly possible to play a fool and be a far more capable threat. A lesson Leona knew she would have to take to heart when she delved into the nature of the strange blonde man from Japan.

And now she's addressed. Leona's opponent makes it known that she does indeed know that Leona is there. And she acts swiftly. A bright kick, chi energy, noted and considered. Leona's arm flashes with blue sparks, sharpening to a blade to meet the arcing kicks.

Blue and orange flash with the clash of heel and forearm. Sparks and flame flying as Nagase comes down to earth.

In response to one going down, another must go up. Leona twists away from Nagase and flips herself lightly into the air. Turning over in a slow arc, Leona slashes the air with her arms. A brightly colored X made of pure chi force cuts downward toward Nagase as Leona uses the moment to put herself a safe distance away with her turning jump.

And all that with little word or fanfare but huffs and the grunts of exertion. Indeed, Leona Heidern is the most fun at parties.

COMBATSYS: Nagase blocks Leona's I-Slasher.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Nagase           0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[NAGASE]
Nagase normally relies on her advanced AI to keep tabs on the fight for her, allowing her to run her mouth all she cares to. But in this fight... well, she can't afford to let herself fall into that trap. All the better for her to encounter a stoic fighter when she's forced to go back to ninpo basics.

As soon as the kunoichi realizes her kicks won't catch her wary opponent off-guard, she's quick to adapt in mid-flight, shifting her weight away so that her kicking momentum can't become a weapon against her. The fiery clash is buffeted away, earning a respectful nod from the shinobi even as she backflips, landing on her feet a fair distance away as it's now Leona's turn to take flight.

The flame-haired ninja leans forward, throwing her forearm at the oncoming slashes in a well-practiced defense. The problem -- which Nagase acknowledges with a grimace -- is that she's only got a thin sheath of leather and sailor uniform to protect her, rather than her heavily-armored gauntlets. She hisses through tightly-clenched teeth as the searing heat of the chi lances through her arm; hot enough to brand lines into the leather. She staggers backward, shaking the numbness out of her arm as she flashes a tight grin back at her opponent.

She hears the audience around her. And Nagase's mouth hangs open, with every intention of belting out some more snappy repartee.

But she finds herself momentarily speechless. -Again-.
And she grimaces, at that.
Just as nature abhors a vacuum, Nagase just -can't- keep her mouth shut. An eyebrow lifts, her face bearing a lopsided smirk. "Hey, how about those canals, huh?"

And just like that -- Nagase surges forward again, leaping into a quick pirouette before driving downward with a glint of metal. From her sleeve, the ninja has withdrawn a slender kunai -- and she brings it down in a rapid diagonal slash aimed across Leona's thigh, intending to draw blood with a sudden attack. Maybe -abstaining- from teleportation will be its own surprise? "Hyaaaa!"

COMBATSYS: Leona interrupts Aggressive Strike from Nagase with Ground Saber EX.
-*- DEVASTATING HIT! -*-

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Nagase           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[LEONA]
The basics. The foundations of combat that all the tricks, the chi, the styles are built off of. The base concept that to fight is to survive and each attack should disable, disorient, or destroy. Make everything count and every moment a sure one. Leona takes this friendly competition with a stern and steady degree of seriousness. This fight may as well be a life or death struggle in war.

And through it all, that damn itch is making every fiber of Leona's being scream for blood and triumph.

Leona falls back on her rear foot, arm out, measuring, waiting for her opponent to make her next attack. The girl is flashy, specialized, talented. But her talkativeness and her indulgence in flash may be the way in that Leona needs to strike.

A twirl, a turn, yes, an attack with a flourish that Leona comes to expect. When Nagase comes down with her kunai, Leona lashes out.

Rather than draw a blade, Leona's own arm virtually becomes the blade. A burst of chi light once more wreathing her forearm, Leona dashes into Nagase, past the ninja's strike with a violent disregard for her own safety. But in doing so, Leona slashes hard at Nagase's belly.

And it's now that Leona deigns to speak, when striking Nagase. One word, "Careless."

[NAGASE]
While, yes, Nagase may have -hit-, it wasn't with half the impact she'd wanted it to. The look of surprise on her face isn't disappointment though -- but rather, the shock of Leona's chi-enshrouded arm cutting a swath through her torso. The blade cuts as cleanly as one of her own ninjato might -- carelessly left upstairs in her room. The word spoken by Leona was no less accurate than her own counterattack.

Nagase staggers backwards, curling her hand around her torso, even as she watches crimson globs spurt forth between her fingers, tattered shreds of blood-soaked fabric falling to the sidewalk like rags. Her throat whines with a high-pitched keening, barely kept in check by clenched teeth as she directs a seething mix of frustration and rage back upon Leona. And then, with a wince of effort, she claps her hands together -- one thoroughly bloodied, one less so -- and slides them apart. Her body dissolves into a pool of shadow an instant later.

And an instant after that, shadows gather a good twenty feet away. The sudden reappearance of a badly injured Nagase surprises the bejeezus out of an unsuspecting spectator who, wanting no part of this, quickly leaps out of the way!

Once more, her leather-wrapped hand curls around the injured site. But this time, there's a kind of foam that gushes outward -- and from the unpleasant wince on her face, it seems to be stinging. "Tch, everyone gets lucky once! Don't let it go to your head!"

But even as Nagase seems to be treating her wound, it doesn't seem like it's hampering her movements as she paces in a wide, wary circle, keeping her eyes trained firmly upon Leona. Maybe it -was- careless. But even if Leona wasn't intending to offer advice, the kunoichi's not above -taking- said advice as she stares back at the Ikari Warrior. Time to put that research into practice...

COMBATSYS: Nagase calculates her next move.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Nagase           0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[LEONA]
A ninja. Teleporter. Classic and clever. It's a well-worn tactic for a reason. Leona hits the ground with her boots scraping the Venice walkways and the chi enshrouding her arm fading into sparkling motes. Her blue hair bobs when she twists around to find where the voice of her opponent comes clear again.

"Agreed. I won't," she tells Nagase, thankful for the reminder that she shouldn't get cocky. She had been dismissive of Johnny Cage and it had lead to her failure before. She would be remiss to allow it to happen again.

And this time, it appears to Leona that her opponent is taking care to pay attention rather than talk too much. For that, Leona nods in a respectful, thin-lipped way. But once the respect is out of the way, Leona starts to dash and dart. Moving one way, then the next. Tacking left and right as she charges Nagase. She makes a leap into the air like a pouncing jungle cat.

And right at her arc Leona slashes downward, a blazing X shaped pattern slices down toward Nagase, the force of the blast enough to arrest Leona's momentum and change her direction in mid air. Sending the woman summersaulting away!

COMBATSYS: Leona successfully hits Nagase with X-Caliber.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Nagase           1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[NAGASE]
While Nagase was among the best in her clan, she has learned that prodigious talent can only take her so far in the larger scope of professional fighting. In the crucible of combat, humility is a teacher whose advice can not be overstated.

Nagase keeps her hand wrapped about her middle. The gash may be starting to seal shut, but it's a difficult process considering all the motion the ninja is undergoing. And while Leona offers a tacit acknowledgement of the kunoichi's tactics, she's also offering a leaping attack. Nagase's eyes follow Leona into midair, making a quick assessment of the mercenary's movements...

Mindful of her injury, she starts to leap backwards, taking Leona's reach and trajectory into account.. What she did ot count on was the Ikari ripping a blazing X pattern into the air before her. The double stroke slams into Nagase, drawing a cry of pain from the shinobi and knocking her out of the sky! She hits the ground with a tumble, scraping her knees and elbows across the sidewalk. She nearly finds herself flung into the cheering audience, but manages to stop just short of them... and Kum Jonryoku.

WIncing with one eye shut tightly, she pulls herself back up to a crouch, holding out her hand to the side. "Hey, Admiral -- We got someone else here in need of tuning, you up for it?"

COMBATSYS: Nagase has joined the fight here in the center.

                                  >  ////////////////////////      ]
                                  |======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           1|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

COMBATSYS: Nagase gains composure.

                                  >  ////////////////////////      ]
                                  |======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======
                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|----===|=======

[KUM HAEHYUN]
"Of course," Kum Jonryoku says, giving Nagase's hand a firm slap. The giant steps forward with thundering, confident steps even in the face of Leona's strong showing. If anything, he may be eager to get back into the brawl. If so, however, it's hard to tell from his stoic, almost monk-like demeanor.

"Miss Heidern, your cool-headedness serves you well," he rumbles in his deep voice. "But let us see how if it can overcome my tuning, shall we?"

With that statement, Kum shifts into his battle stance, raising one palm before himself. It takes only an instant for a great ball of blue-black chi to forms in his palm, punctuated by the giant taking a deep breath. As the sphere finishes taking shape, the old man exhales, launching the orb toward Leona.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Kum Haehyun      1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun successfully hits Leona with Tuning Ball.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Kum Haehyun      1/---====/=======|=======\=------\1            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[LEONA]
Cool, calm, collected. Leona Heidern remains in her aloof and focused position as she watches and allows her opponent to tag her way out of the situation. Much as part of her wants to go for the throat while indulging in hellacious violence, she has control over that part of herself despite her limited understanding.

A new attack. One coming quickly. She doesn't want to take this one fully on. And she has been observing. She can simply side-step and approach.

And for all her cool confidence, Leona cannot keep herself ahead of the game. Underestimating the attack, unplanned. It catches her and turns her in the air, sending the silent soldier crashing to the cobblestone.

"Damn," she mutters, pushing herself up and hopping to her feet. She analyzes the situation. The size of the man. His capabilities. She considers her words to Cassie. And settled, she nods.

Dashing forward, Leona ducks and weaves. A hand at her belt, she disengages one of the canisters around her waist. Up close, personal, she swings the canister close in toward the giant man. An explosive, one set to go off when it's far too close for comfort.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun Toughs Out Leona's Revolver Spark EX!

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Kum Haehyun      1/=======/=======|-------\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[KUM HAEHYUN]
Kum Jonryoku remains unmoved by the success of his projectile. Perhaps the old man's wizened eyes have seen far too many promising hits turn into catastrophic failures. Maybe it is a well-practiced act to maintain an aura of mystery. It could be he is partly senile.

In any case, he draws one leg back, setting it behind himself to brace against whatever counterattack comes next. When Leona dashes in, she weaves right past his block, getting under the man's long arms as she zeroes in on her target with that explosive cannister. Left without other options, Kum digs in, letting his well-trained physique soak the blow where his block failed. It explodes against his chest, digging into the muscle and leaving a blackened hole in his uniform that exposes his hardened abs underneath.

===

Inside the cybernetic (?) monolith of a man, the much smaller (and female) Korean, Kum Haehyun is rattled in her pilot's chair. "Ughh, explosives," she mutters, suppressing the mute button on her console. "At least she's not as chatty as Miss Cage. Why is she so mean? I thought special forces were supposed to be the strong, silent type." Haehyun sighs, then shakes those thoughts from her head. She grasps her control stick, pushing one of them forward as she re-enables her loudspeaker and filter.

===

"A clever tactic against a hardened target," Kum Jonryoku states in a moment of praise. His foot leaves the ground briefly and then launches straight upward in a rising kick, that blue chi swiftly wrapping around his extended leg as he soars skyward without even backstepping away from Leona's attack.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun successfully hits Leona with Four Tigers Sword.
Grazing Hit

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Kum Haehyun      2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[LEONA]
Leona Heidern lands a distance away from the explosion, having rebounded off of the great old man's chest when the blast goes off. She lands wrong. Her ankle tweaks with a hiss from the silent soldier.

But he takes the blast and continues to come forward. But his kick comes a lightning pace. Leona tries to get out of the way, but her ankle slows her down. The strike doesn't hit full on, but hard enough at her shoulder for Leona to cry out, spin to the side, and lower herself back down.

Wounded, but alive. Once more does Leona's arm burst with chi power. Sharpening to a honed edge. She kicks off on her good leg and much like she did with Nagase, she slashes in an upward arc to slice up into the big man's chest.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun fails to interrupt Moon Slasher from Leona with Believed Four Tigers Sword.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[KUM HAEHYUN]
Kum lands out of the kick with a heavy boom, then immediately transitions back into his fighting stance. When Leona comes at him again, he seems poised and ready to go once more. He drops into a lower stance, pivoting on his heel into a low spinning kick in what's almost a seated lotus position.

But he is too slow. Leona's chi-blade cuts into him sharply, slicing and drawing blood (or something like it) from his side as it bites in.

"S-such precise control of your chi!" the old man wheezes. "Very good!" He says this with a stagger, moving away from Leona with heavy steps.

[LEONA]
Success. Leona had found the crack in the armor. The explosive, the slashing hit. She was starting to piece together the methodology that the heavyweight Korean fought with. Fluid and practiced, his size was a deception in and of itself. But now Leona has caught him. And she knows that she must press the attack to capitalize on the situation.

"Thank you," she responds to the compliments, even as she slips around, moving in a serpentine manner to get in close once more so that she can aim a steady, straight strike right at the spot she had already planted the explosive and cut deep with her chi blade. Focus on the injury, break past the point and through their defenses to breach the opponent. That is Leona's aim.

"You show true strength," she adds, feeling the need to pay compliment with compliment even as she soldiers forward with a killing intent and focus to her striking.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun Toughs Out Leona's Medium Punch!

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Kum Haehyun      1/-------/<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[KUM HAEHYUN]
The old man seems to on the defensive now, Leona's precision and relentless pressure having capitalized on Cassie's early damage to finally put on the ropes. Even so, he may not be out of the fight yet, as he manages to keep his cool about him regardless.

And as Leona goes in for another strike at that weakpoint, something strange happens. There's a rumbling hum, as if someone striking the string on a zither, and Kum's body seems more resilient than it should be. Harder. He turns into Leona's blow with the undamaged side, taking the blow with a heavy thump as her fist smashes into his ribs.

"Hmph!" he pivots against the blow, throwing a heavy palm strike back at Leona's chin. "Relentless, calculated offense. You have been trained well--!" There's another hum of that strange zither noise.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun successfully hits Leona with Medium Punch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Kum Haehyun      1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[LEONA]
Distractions. Focus on combat. Talking. Her ankle. Too much to wrack Leona's brain. Too much to keep her off of her game. She's so focused on getting in the blows. Her fluid, steady and relentless offence keeps her from the defense that she needs to stay a step ahead of the game against a hitter like the big Korean.

And that itch. The terrible itch that seems more frustrated, more infuriated, that her opponent isn't screaming or crying out in pain. Just taking blow by blow as if it were nothing and swinging back.

Leona is off her game. The strike comes and scatters Leona Heidern to the ground. She stands back up, hand to her chest, she drops down to her knee. "I need to recollect," she states in her dull, enforced monotone. And she backs, skip-stepping toward the edge of the fighting area.

A quick tag on Cassie's hand and slipping from the ring. "I apologize for my failure," she states with a bowed head.

COMBATSYS: Leona has joined the fight here in the center.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      1/----===/=======|
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [                   ||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|-======
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

COMBATSYS: Leona gains composure.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      1/----===/=======|
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|-------|=======
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[CASSIE]
As Leona reaches out to tag her, Cassie lets the bubble she's currently working on pop dramaticly before she slips forward again, rolling her shoulders to step right back into things, eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

"You seem real intent on critiquing people's style, always super positive," Cassie says, rolling her gum back into her cheek as she considers the situation. "You sound kind of like you're going for that upbeat art teacher vibe or... doing your best impression of those old masters from the movies who are so boss they can sound cas' while popping you in the face."

And then there's no hesitation, one of Cassie's guns flies out of its holster in her back as she whips off a snap shot at the old guy. "I kinda just like the Indy approach."

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun blocks Cassie's Blood Stain.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      1/---====/=======|
                 [            |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|------=|=======
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[KUM HAEHYUN]
When Leona decides to take a breather, Kum Jonryoku steps back, tucking his right arm into his (now badly damaged) coat. "Certainly," he says with a nod, turning to walk away several paces while the tag-in occurs. By the time Cassie has moved in again, he has turned to face her and resumed his fighting stance.

"...that is the intent. Young fighters should flourish. They have the most work to do, young soldiers especially."

===

"Crap," Haehyun says off mic. "She's not figuring me out, is she? N-no no, I think the persona is just working as intended. Phew." Haehyun taps several buttons on her console, checking some readings. "...Leona really did a number on several systems...this is only gonna get harder."

===

Bullets fly, and the mountainous old man is put on the defensive again. He brings up both arms together for a wider block that he uses to shield his face. The non-lethals ping against it with heavy thumps that look like they'll certainly bruise. One even draws blood.

"...a fine film, to be sure." The old man takes several steps forward, plants his heel firmly, then snaps around with a long, taekwondo style kick that uses his extreme height and reach to cover for the relative lack of movement.

COMBATSYS: Cassie interrupts Medium Kick from Kum Haehyun with Rollin'.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           1|---====|=======
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

COMBATSYS: Cassie has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Kum Haehyun      2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1           Cassie
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======

[CASSIE]
The usefulness of maintaining an edge is always important in a fight, whether it be for entertainment or for your life. Everyone needs to find their own niche to occupy in that regard, whether it be a non-stop assault, carefully avoiding an opponent's attack, or being an unnerving psychopath. Aside from the verbal quips keeping people on edge, the other tool Cassie makes use of that most other fighters don't is firearms.

Not many people are comfortable getting shot at, and even if it's only a few moments where they try to recover from the shock of getting shot at, that's plenty enough time to start positioning yourself. While the old guy is trying to close the distance, Cage has already holstered her pistol and is eyeing the spacing.

"Maybe if it's a Fei Long flick, but it's probably just a rip-off," Cassie retorts, suddenly kicking back as her foot is sheathed in green energy, only needing the point at the moment as she catches the big guy right up in his beard with a somersault kick, aided by a handstand of her own as she comes back out on the other side blowing a bubble and letting it pop clean.

"I still remember the time Johnny had this idea for a flick where he'd play the old asian master, and... you'd be amazed at how long it took for people to realize they'd get crucified for that shit."

[KUM HAEHYUN]
Kum Jonryoku seems to greatly underestimate that positioning when Cassie rolls into his guard using the suppressing fire as cover. His leg is fully extended when Cassie slips in, transitions into the somersault kick, and clonks Kum solidly in the chin. This hit's enough to stagger him backward several steps, forcing him to stop and work his jaw for a moment with his fingers to make sure everything is in working order.

"Good! Those are the kinds of tactics I was expecting!" Jonryoku turns raising his arm to signal Nagase back in. "As for Mister Cage's film ideas--it sounds if you've needed to be the voice of reason on some of his more ... eccentric, ideas."

==="That's a scary thought," Haehyun mumbles to herself, slouching back in her chair with a heavy sigh as she waits for Nagase's tag in.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun has joined the fight here in the center.

                                  >  /////////////                 ]
                                  |=======\====---\1           Cassie
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======
                 [                     ||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun reboots her systems.

                                  >  /////////////                 ]
                                  |=======\====---\1           Cassie
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Nagase           0|-------|=======
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

[NAGASE]
"That's a scary thought --" shouts Nagase as she thunders forward, "-- havin' you call the shots on somethin' other than your Instagram feed!" She gives Kum Jonryoku's hand a hearty slap as she passes. The kunoichi seems to have rested up from the brutal slash she'd sustained, angry red lines testifying to the earlier collision with Leona's chi-borne blade. While her sass is intact, it would definitely seem that she's holding back a bit more than she was at the start of the bout, possibly thanks to her laconic opponent's advice. And possibly due to the need to keep that wound from breaking loose again.

"So yeah, since we're on the topic..." Nagase hops towards Cassie, leaping into a back kick aimed at Cassie's abdomen. "... here's my thoughts on gun violence!" She then wheels around to smash her other foot into Cassie's sternum, aiming to follow up with three more rapid-fire spinning kicks, each successively higher. Her final kick -- punctuated by a burst of flame even her self-declared rival would clap for -- would send her flipping backwards in a gainer -- but by that point, the ninja is fully expecting Cassie to have been knocked off her feat and onto the pavement!

COMBATSYS: Nagase has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Nagase           0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1           Cassie
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

COMBATSYS: Cassie dodges Nagase's Assault Mode - Last Blade.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Nagase           1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1           Cassie
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

[CASSIE]
Great, she's managed to force out the Kung Fu: The Legend Continues mantra guy and now she's stuck back facing down 4chan given form. She's already starting to miss the basic cable rerun sound of the old guy's chatter compared to being spammed at by an internet troll in real life. She'd take a dozen tech-illiterate grandpas over a keyboard warrior edgelord right now.

And the most important part of having to face down a troll like Nagase, you can't let them get to you, so Cassie is already on her toes with that first surge of motion, twisting out of the way of the first kick and giving her enough movement and room to work that she's able to slide under the follow-up by dropping to her knees and then bounding back up as she tries to keep the circle going, never giving the opposition time to get a line on her as she sets up.

"Your thoughts on gun violence are that you're too slow to do anything about it? Great, thanks for your hashtag thoughts and prayers," Cage shoots back as she reaches into her kit and whips out a collapsible baton, extending it as she swings it out to slam Nagase in the side of the head and then bring it back around for a hit from the other side. In an instant, she whips forward in a reverse somersault to follow it up, aiming to clock the ninja on the top of the head while her hands work the entire time, switching out the baton for some firepaper and a lighter as she sets off a small fireball in the troll's face.

All of that merely leads into her falling into the Klassic Cage splits, lining things up perfectly as she launches a between the legs uppercut right under the ninja's sailor skirt in a demonstration of the fact that crotch hits can still work even if you're not dangling eggs and sausage. And then the pistols are out, held by the barrels as she swings them in to clock Nagase on both sides of the head, flipping them around effortlessly in both hands before she unloads a pair of non-lethals at less than point-blank range into the ninja's face, leaving her fully open as Cassie shouts, "Time for the alley-oop, Rambo!"

COMBATSYS: Cassie has joined the fight here in the center.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Nagase           1/-------/=======|
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------
                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Leona            0|-------|--=====
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

[LEONA]
There's a lot of talk going on as fighters switch in and out and combat flies with a mixture of energy and pure physicality. And about a half an armory from Cassie Cage, too. Something that Leona watches with considerable interest. Perhaps this Cage wasn't like the other one. The other one, for all his braggadocio was capable of a great deal of martial arts. While this one, effective as she was, seemed to be the more brutish of the two.

Leona laughs at the juxtaposition. Though it only really shows by the small smile on her face when she sees her teammate's brutal assault.

Rambo. Leona knows that reference from Heidern. That's most likely her cue. And on it, she slips out at a low run. Down low, moving quickly to stay one step ahead of notice. She reaches with a free hand to grip Nagase's wrist. A moment to try and keep her from simply teleporting away for a singular final blow.

Unlike the flamboyant assault from Cage, Heidern only has a very direct thrust of an arm covered in razor sharp chi toward Nagase's chest. The force of which explodes outward in a rain of sparks.

COMBATSYS: Leona has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Nagase           1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

COMBATSYS: Nagase fails to counter Leona Crash from Leona with Trick Spiral and is struck by #RagingCrash from Cassie and Leona.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Nagase           1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

[NAGASE]
Once Nagase unleashed the first in that ballet of pirouetting kicks, she was pretty much committed to delivering at least half of them. Though, to her credit, she manages to snap into her gainer at around the third kick, the toes of her canvas shoes tapping down on the pavement a fair bit away. As the classier Cage follows up, Nagase finds herself a little off-balance, stepping backward with her arms raised in a warding gesture. She might feel a bit of a sting from Cage's new weapons, but the toughened ninjette feels that it would likely be better than the burning chi plasma Leona had brought to the party earlier.

The kunoichi has had to keep reminding herself that she's fighting not just one of these fighters, but two. And each has their own cadence, their own rhythm -- with Cassie going full-offense, while Leona is more of an action-reaction type. Martial artists have been engaging in these sorts of fights for millenia, way before the invention of anything as advanced as her Battle Disc System. This is a challenge -- and Nagase is determined to rise to it... right after these words from her opponent.

As the k-chak of Cassie's collapsible baton is heard, Nagase leaps back... or at least, half of her does. There's -two- Nagases, now, as the ninpo allows her to exist in both locations nearly simultaneously. The ninja behind takes a cartwheel to her right, as the ninja in front takes a cartwheel to her left...

It would seem that, between the two annoying kunoichi, Cassie makes the correct choice. Her swing of the baton is rewarded with a visceral thump to the noggin, forcing the shadow clone to flicker out of existence as Nagase claps her hand to her head, unable to stop herself from voicing, "Owww!"

She staggers sideways, set up for the followup attack. Time and time again, the baton crashes into her, blasting her back. The flashpaper and lighter would just be adding insult to injury though, considering just how brutal the followup attacks would be.

Nagase buckles from the kick that follows up between her legs. And she's left dazed by the rounds from the pistol that follows. There's really not much else to say there that hasn't already been said -- she isn't crazy about gun violence.

Nor is Nagase crazy about Leona grabbing hold of her wrist while blood is streaming down either side of her heavily bruised face. All things considered, the razor's edge of chi slammed into the shinobi's chest is downright -merciful- compared to the symphony of pain delivered by Cassie Cage -- simple, direct, and forceful enough to knock Nagase onto her ass.

And still, Nagase's eyes remain open. Blackness crowds into her vision. And yet...

Sucking in her breath, she vaults back to her feet, driving her fingernails into her palms to keep from blacking out.

No, no sassy comebacks at the moment. Just an oddly out-of-place smirk.

[LEONA]
The effectiveness of Pack Tactics is not lost on Leona. After all, she is one of the Ikari. Ralf, Clark, Faolan, Lita, Heidern. She is familiar with tactical approaches and the execution of squad based assaults.

This was simply a strange, strange version of that. And now Nagase is pushed back, put onto the defensive. And Leona is there to push on to put the final nail to the coffin.

Exhaustion starts to ebb at the itch. To dull the desire for blood and the angry snarls demanding pain. The blood inside of her that want her to lose control in a situation like this. And for a moment, maybe she does.

Closing in once more, Leona's arms cross in front of her. Ducking and weaving like a Dempsey Roll, she closes in and snaps her arms open. A sphere of violent, roiling, raging energy dashes and gnashes in the air, whirling like a vortex and threatening to pull Nagase into it like a bird in a tornado of knives.

COMBATSYS: Leona successfully hits Nagase with Voltaic Launcher.

[                           \\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Nagase           1/-======/=======|======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

[NAGASE]
Nagase is not in the best of places right now. Non-lethal or otherwise, bullets careening across her face really did hurt and she could really use some expert medical attention. She's suffered enough hard hits to the head to practically ruin any judgment she could possibly make.

And to put the icing on the cake, she sees the reserved, quiet girl showing some signs of anger -- if not in her face, then certainly in her -motions-.

Nagase flicks her hands out, and black chi pools outward from them. Traces of energy smear into kanji characters. And she stands strong, even as she can feel the tides of chi ebbing towards Leona, the prelude to a torrent of powerful energy rushing forth.

Nagase attempts to leap backward.
And just as surely, she's drawn right back into the gravity well of the attack.

Nagase shuts her eyes, clamping her jaw shut. The chaotic maelstrom of chi tears at her, shredding her sailor uniform sleeves into ribbons, leaving the remainder in tatters. Pain shoots through every part of the kunoichi's body, her scream still plain to hear even through gritted teeth.

She cannot fall unconscious, not yet.
The gravitational surge draws her in closer.
She struggles against it, waiting out the storm.

And as the blackness crowds in upon her vision, as the whirling, slicing tendrils of the storm falter in intensity -- even in the slightest -- she makes her move.
"NOW!"

The colors of Nagase's outfit -- blaze orange, flesh, and blue fabric -- dissolve into black shadow -- not due to a hand motion, but due to sheer willpower. A flickering shadow-clone of herself appears right in front of Leona, holding that same intense expression.

Her left arm sweeps outward, seeking to snag hold of Leona's wrist and spin her like a top.
Her right hand ignites into flame, bright enough to cast her face into inverse silhouette.

And, if Leona were to spin around, Nagase would latch her blazing arms beneath Leona's, securing her in a hold. And then catapult the both of them high, high into the air -- spinning and smoldering with chi-borne flame all the while.

If this chain of events were allowed to unfold, a thoroughly beaten, bruised, and exhausted Nagase would use the last of her consciousness to deliver a spinning and burning Leona squarely into Kum Jonryoku's awaiting attack, while she herself hits the sidewalk in a crumpling roll.

COMBATSYS: Nagase can no longer fight.

                                  >  /////////////                 ]
                                  |======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------
                 [                  |||||||||||| ]
                 Kum Haehyun      1|=======|=======

[KUM HAEHYUN]
And on cue, Kum Jonryoku inhales sharply, raising his arm, palm upward, in front of his luxurious beard. There he focuses power, that blue orb from before long gone and replaced by a massive, orange orb that's less the size of a beachball and more the size of a a person. It glows like a miniature sun for just a moment before Kum smashes his head forward, headbutting the glowing sphere of chi toward Leona in sync with Nagase's attack. The sphere, once launched, seems to move as if steered by Kum remotely rather than simply aimed. But will Nagase's attack set up the maneuver?

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Kum Haehyun      1/-<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Leona full-parries Nagase and Kum Haehyun's Antipode Maximum Spiral!!

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Kum Haehyun      1/-<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

[LEONA]
Take down the ninja. Take down the old man. One falls, then the other, the nature of an elimination bout. Divide and conquer of a sorts. But while Leona watches to make certain the crafty kunoichi is indeed being torn asunder by the ball of razor sharp and violent chi, she considers the attack that is no doubt about to come.

The mission is not yet complete.

Steady, cold and calculating, the scion of the Heidern Assassination School snaps to attention when Nagase appears before her. A wrist lock, simple enough. The moment Nagase takes the wrist, Leona rolls, flipping over Nagase's arm and torque-ing herself free of the grasp. Her boots landing on the ground with barely a wobble in resistance to her earlier slip up.

But now her attention isn't on Nagase or her tricks. It's on the bright sun light created by Kum. So this was their plan. So shortly after Sgt. Cage called for Leona's assistance, Nagase is calling in her own partner. Tit of Tat. Understandable tactics. But too understandable.

Leona dashes forward, going into the Korean's assault. She's low, nearly at the ground, slithering like a serpent. In her approach, her arm flares to a brilliant blue light.

A twist, a slide on her knees, the bright sun passes over her. Controlled or not, Leona's swift assault keeps the sphere from tracking her in expected patterns.

And eluded, Leona is placed where she needs to. Her arm slashes horizontally like a scythe for Kum Haehyun's midsection. And without waiting, Leona follows the attack with a sharply kicking backflipping boot toward Haehyun's chin as though she could split the man in twain.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun blocks Leona's Gliding Buster EX.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Kum Haehyun      1/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
The empowered tuning ball chases Leona briefly, but as she draws closer to the giant old man, it loses steam. For the great control Kum exerted a moment ago, it seems to be limited. That much chi can only be held in one place for so long before it fades away. IN this moment, Leona is incredibly close with a precise, well-honed attack.

The old man brings up his arm against the blade, redirecting it even as it cleaves into his forearm. His other arm snaps up agains t the boot, taking the shuddering impact without breaking. The snap defense is likewise punctuated with a furrow of his brow.

"It seems the responsibility has fallen to me then," Kum rumbles. "In that case, I will give you a taste of the extent of tuning." His arms slide ot his sides, extended low in a focusing pose. As he does, chi swells around him in a sudden burst. Bright yellow orange palms of chi, ghostly in appearance yet solid and weighty with energy, appear an orbit each hand like two great wheels. A resounding hum echoes across the canal as he focuses his power, drawing Leona close as if by gravity.

And then, without warning, Kum smashes his hand together in a great clap. The countless palms of chi come together as two great clapping hands, each the size of a person.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun knocks away Leona with Enlightened 3000 Palm Strike.
Grazing Hit

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

[LEONA]
The flow of the fight hums in Leona's ears. She's felt the pace and against the ninja, Nagase, it has proven to be the right rhythm at the right moments. But then comes the old man and his talk of 'tuning'. He disrupts the flow. His body a wall of power. Moving against him has been difficult to seemingly ineffective from the first moments of entering the fight.

And now once more he has entered the fray. The second and last obstacle before victory. Leona's assault once more meets an impervious wall, and she's close in when he begins to retaliate. Still, the flow and within the long arms of the old man, allows Leona a moment to consider her position superior and a victory within grasp.

But then comes the old man's attack. His rumbling voice and his many handed chi well force Leona to attempt a desperate dance. And she nearly escapes, nearly. Her final emerging diving roll not quite enough to avoid the clapping hands. And even though she the strike was not in its full, it still tosses Leona aside like a lightweight scrap of a fighter. Sending her tumbling and wounded to the ground.

With deep breath and careful consideration, Leona rises back to her feet. In and out, in and out, she focuses on centering herself and breathing. Beat back the sound of rushing blood in her ears. Beat back the rage of the thing underneath her skin. Beat back the mistakes and the concern. Only live in the fight. Only exist in the moment. Plan and confront and strike not continuously, but whenever is best. Fight like Heidern.

Leona's eyes close briefly, and when they open, she looks over her shoulder to her partner. "Sergeant Cage," she speaks in a steady, flat tone, "I will wear our opponent down to the extent of my ability. So long as you can finish the fight, our mission will be a success." As she sets her sights on the older man, she readies herself, centers herself, for the fight is not over yet.

COMBATSYS: Leona gains composure.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
Kum keeps his hands together following the great clapping palm strike, apparently lingering in a moment of rest and spiritual recovery. For all this talk of tuning, and the great amount of chi power manifested here, it does seem mentally taxing. Perhaps the old man can only manage that much power once? It is unclear.

Leona, however, is still standing. This means that there is still work to do for the old man, especially since his teammate is down while Leona's is waiting in the wings. His brow furrows, he looks at Leona, and then sets himself to make the next move.

And suddenly, he lifts his leg high up over his head, infusing it with chi. Where the previous one seemed super charged and orange, this one is more subdued---a gentle blue. Kum lunges forward with it, turning into a mighty hurricane kick aimed to bowl Leona over!

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun dazes Leona with Falcon Dive!

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0            Leona
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

[LEONA]
Just one more. That's all she needs. Just one more. Only, it doesn't happen. The swirling driving force of the great man leaves the badly battered Leona without a place to run. She hesitates. She moves. The ankle fails. Her moment fails.

The battering hit launches her to the ground. She dashes against the paving stones and nearly into the people who have come to watch. With effort, she tries to pick herself up. But she drops back down.

She closes her eyes. Failure. Failure yet again. As with Johnny Cage. As with Justice. She has given all she had and has proven not good enough.

With one last moment, she reaches for her ear. "I'm sorry," she speaks to the air before flicking her small earring up and toward her opponent.

The small piece of jewelry hovers in the air for a moment before exploding with an air shuddering concussive blast.

COMBATSYS: Leona can no longer fight.

[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/--=====|
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Leona successfully hits Kum Haehyun with Earring Explosive.

[                         \\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      0/-------/=======|
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

[KUM HAEHYUN]
The earring hovers for a moment. Kum quirks a brow. Something is off. It doesn't set quite right. Why did she throw that? Is it a distraction? No, Cassie is still over there. Then why--?

The earring explodes, the giant of an old man taking several steps away from the blast. He grumbles and drops to one knee, planting his palm to keep himself steady. Smoke slowly blows away from him, but he remains standing, battered, bruised, cut, and partly exploded, but still on his feet.

==="Critical systems damage..." Haehyun bites her lip. "This is not good at all." She eyes several new readouts. "...not at all."

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun retunes the flow of chi! Maximum power output!

[                        \\\\\\  <
Kum Haehyun      1/---====/=======|
                 [                 ||||||||||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-------

[CASSIE]
Leona had been putting in work. While Cassie had mostly been able to pepper their opponent's defenses and throw out a few barbs, Leona had done a good job of disassembling the opposition, putting pressure on whatever cracks Cassie had managed to open while sustaining her own disciplined assault. She really doesn't want to imagine running into Leona and the rest of her mercenary band in a jungle ambush, because she's pretty damn certain there's no way out of that without taking some nasty losses.

But nobody can put up with all of that punishment without taking a few hits as you get worn down by the constant demands of combat, and with Leona getting put out of the fight, now all of this is resting on Cassie... up against an old guy that's proven himself tough enough that it's been liking pounding metal or something.

"I gotta be real right now, you're a real slab of beef. Every fancy trick in my playbook doesn't seem to be real good against you," Cage admits as she starts pacing, her miraculously intact sunglasses hiding her eyes as she carefully paces, trying desperately to find something before her mouth stops giving her time to delay. People are very willing to punch you right as you start talking, but most people start to get distracted just enough once you get going that it can buy a few seconds. "And after this fight, once her head stops ringing, your partner would be more than happy to give you a back massage or whatever to get you back up and running, so you got that going for you."

Ah hell, sure she's looking down the barrel of a loaded shotgun aimed straight on, but right now Cassie sure as hell doesn't have all the options she wants, so she comes flying forward, whipping her leg up in a wicked kick aimed for the big guy's jaw, "But first we gotta finish this, so I just gotta hit you a little more!" she shouts as she twists back around, drawing the foot down in a falling motion that should hopefully catch the back of his head while he's knocked silly.

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun interrupts Back Kick from Cassie with Celestial Tuning Ball.
*KNOCKED AWAY*

                 [                         ||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-======

COMBATSYS: Kum Haehyun can no longer fight.

                 [                         ||||| ]
                 Cassie           0|-------|-======

[KUM HAEHYUN]
The old man nods when Cassie arrives--even managing a wry smirk when she makes her comment. "I will take that as a compliment," he says. "I stand by my assessment. You are quite good at what you do; tuning simply makes for a difficult opponent!" Kum's eyes briefly move toward where Nagase was last seen, but he doesn't remove his focus from Cassie fully. That comment goes unanswered.

===

"Gosh," Haehyun thinks to herself. "That would be really awkward. Ughhh, is that what this is going to be like? Maybe this wasn't the best plan for some meetings."

===

But Cassie is closing the distance, moving in to launch into an upward kick. Power lingers, thrumming through Kum Jonryoku as the kick collides with his chin, driving his head back--

--but even as it does, he breathes out a great blue-orange fireball, this one even larger than the last used against Leona. At point blank range, it makes it difficult for Cassie to even move around---the thing is as big as she is, after all!

But that is the last that the old man can manage. He keeps tilting back from Cassie's brutal kick, taking the back kick with a half-turn before falling backwards onto his back with a thunderous crash. He does not rise up again.

[CASSIE]
Okay, so you know that you're stepping into a trap and then the mine explodes... but you take out the mine. That's brave and noble when you do that to clear a path for the rest of your team to successfully make their way to the other side to complete the mission or escape. Less so when you're the last one left on your team and you end up blowing your own leg off.

Honestly, Cassie had been expecting she wasn't going to make it out of this exchange without some pain, she'd just been hoping it was a bit less pain as the force of that giant fireball sends her flying back quite dramaticly. It's enough that most eyes will be too busy watching Cage get sent reeling to notice that Haehyun hits the ground for quite some time.

For her part Cassie is sent reeling perilously close to the edge, catching a post to the back that momentarily keeps her from going over into the canals themselves, both hands taking a firm hold as she struggles to pull herself back up, gritting her teeth as she tries to get back up... until a finger slips, and one-by-one, the rest at hit with needing to hold even more until there's just nothing left to keep her up and she goes tumbling and lands with a splash...

...in one of the docked gondolas, some fresh water lining the bottom of the boat beneath Cassie's back as she stares up at the sky.

"...I hope I managed to put him on his ass, because I'm just gonna chill here for a bit."

COMBATSYS: Cassie checks her phone.


COMBATSYS: Cassie can no longer fight.

Log created on 12:52:41 05/30/2018 by Nagase, and last modified on 12:03:57 06/05/2018.