Match of the Millennium

Description: Franco Bash (and son) have been given an all expenses paid week long stay in Las Vegas. The only condition? An overnight stay in the infamous Clown Motel. Will they survive the evening, even when an escaped circus performer (played by Taiva) arrives inexplicably in the third act? Find out in this shocking new thriller directed by Rob Zombie.

[FRANCO]
It has been a pretty eventful few months for Franco Bash. Being just an airplane mechanic while balacing the life of being a single parent was already a tall order, but becoming a vigilant on top of that means little time for Franco to rest. Truth be told he doesn't even remember signing up for anything that would send him on a vacation.

More than likely Geese was sick of Franco beating up all his underlings and wanted to get rid of the big man at least for a few days so he rigged things to have SNF to give Franco the vacation for himself and Junior. Of course despite the week long all expense paid trip there was one little catch. One that Franco didn't mind, but Junior was much more iffy on.

"I should have stayed home! You didn't mention anything about a clown motel!" the pre-teen whines. Franco just gives a hearty laugh as he slaps his son on the back. "You worry too much! Nothing is wrong with clowns! They are entertainers!" Not that much scares Franco. What is a clown to a guy that had to fight an gang of vampiric creatures all by himself?

"Just play your Switch until you get tired. I am going to step out and get some ice and maybe a snack!" Junior doesn't seem too keen on being left alone, but after some grumbling he gets to playing his game and Franco goes to roam the halls with ice bucket in hand.

[TAIVA]
Taiva is not in a good mood.

She was in a fantastic mood when she'd heard that she was accepted into a SNF match. She'd been on Earth for a while now but she hadn't exactly been able to get into as many battles as she'd been hoping for when she first arrived, or indeed been lead to expect from her original conversations with street fighters. Originally she'd been mistaken for a Darkstalker, and more recently for some kind of Gear, neither of which endeared her to people. But that was fine. She'd manage.

She was slightly less thrilled when she heard that she'd have to go to a place in the middle of nowhere; Taiva does not know how to drive and is forced to take buses everywhere, which is difficult sometimes because of the aforementioned 'society doesn't like her' problem. But SNFs sometimes take place in weird places, so that was fine too, just a little annoying.

But then she heard about the clown thing, and by this point Taiva was convinced that the SNF matchmakers were just making fun of her.

Taiva bursts out of one of the side rooms in the hall as Franco passes, and she is /not/ wearing a clown costume - partially because she flat-out refused, and partially because they wouldn't have had one that fit her anyway, as she is somewhere over seven and a half feet tall, has four arms, and appears to be mostly muscle. She does have a pointed party hat, awkwardly perched on her head, slightly askew from the row of short horns on top of her head to either side of her mohawk.

"I am VERY ANNOYED," she growls. She's not actually mad at Franco but she's certainly willing to take it out on him; the one thing she has not done is cancel the match, even if she's paying almost no attention to the setup. "I am here to fight, not to be laughed at! I am not a clown!"

But isn't that what an escaped circus performer would say?

[FRANCO]
Franco was just strolling down the hall in some sweatpants and a tanktop on when Taiva bursts through into the hallway to make her presence known. It is hard not for her to get Franco's full attention quickly. She is annoyed and not exactly human. The surprising thing is how well Franco takes it.

"I didn't call you a clown! Unless you work here then I suppose you are. But if you aren't a clown then you do not work here." Sound logic from the big man as he looks to the ice bucket and sets it aside. He then looks around and hmms a bit to himself. "Not much room for a fight. I guess we will have to make do!"

This was a trip sponsored by SNF so he isn't too surprised by ....well....the surprise. Sure he didn't expect a four armed woman in a party hat to burst through a wall, but who is he to say no to a fight?

"Okay! A fight it is!" he declares as he raises his fists and leans forward some, a pose most boxers back as he readies himself and waits to see what Taiva will do.

COMBATSYS: Franco has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Franco           0/-------/-------|

[TAIVA]
"I don't work here! They just told me to come here and do what comes naturally in a stupid outfit!" She skipped the outfit.

Taiva is... let's say not quiet. She has the kind of voice that just seems to be permanently set one step high on the volume knob. She doesn't sound like she's yelling, precisely, but it certainly carries well.

Taiva reaches up. She removes the party hat by the simple method: she pulls it straight up until the string under her chin pops, the knot unable to hold up against the edge of the cheap hat, and then she discards it to the side, already having forgotten about it. A fight it is? Suits her fine.

Taiva almost immediately lunges forward with a wordless roar. It's not quite a stampeding charge, but she certainly rushes, holding the upper pair of arms up to defend her face and chest while her lower pair swing about, striking with sweeping hook punches. Franco, big as he is, is still shorter than Taiva, so the strikes come in about chest-high on him, sweeping blows meant to drive him back, down the hall. There's not a whole lot of room for side-to-side movement, but at least there's some room forward and back as they move down the hall.

COMBATSYS: Taiva has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Franco           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Taiva

COMBATSYS: Franco blocks Taiva's Sweeping Strikes.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Franco           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
Franco isn't exactly a quiet person himself. Much like Taiva he isn't shouting so much there is just a natural boom to his voice when he speeks. It is probably just going to be a long night for the guests in the hotel that were cleared out in advance due to a fight happening here.

Given the size of both competitors the hallway leads to somewhat cramped quarters. It is pretty much move forward or backwards unless walls are to be busted through or doors get kicked in. That is bound to happen, but for now Franco tries to keep it in the hallway. When Taiva comes in he uses his arms to take the brunt of the punishment, but having an opponent with twice as many arms as he is used to is going to be distracting.

It makes him take a few steps back, but it is actually Franco that continues going backwards as he gives a right hook that is in no way going to hit. It is less the hook he looking to strike Taiva, but instead of the blue flame like swath of energy that erupts from his hand and goes sailing right towards Taiva.

COMBATSYS: Franco knocks away Taiva with Meteo Shot.
- Power hit! -

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Franco           0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0            Taiva

[TAIVA]
Taiva can't break Franco's guard fast enough, multiple arms or not - well, she's only using half of them, so perhaps she's not playing to her strengths as much as she can. He backs up, and Taiva moves to follow.

But there's that faint glimmer of chi. Taiva recognizes it, at least in a general sense; her eyes widen slightly, and she starts to sidestep - but they're in a hallway. From her perspective, it's a fairly narrow hallway at that, and she's not right next to a door.

Taiva hits the wall with her left shoulder(s) without enough force to break through it. She turns her body to flatten up against it, but it's too slow and not enough; the meteor ball of chi smacks her in the face, snapping her head sharply to the side and sliding her along the wall with a scraping noise as she tries to catch herself with her elbows and back.

She steps away from the wall after, half-dazzled by the light going off in her eyes and the bruise that will be forming shortly from cheek to jaw to shoulderblade. "A good hit!" she declares, actually grinning. Well, she never claimed to not like fighting.

Unfortunately she's now a little bit far from Franco to do what she'd like to do. She settles for another approach, more careful this time and punctuated with a straight pair of punches (both left fists) as she gets close enough. Now she's being more cautious, and it shows.

COMBATSYS: Franco just-defends Taiva's Quick Smash!!

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Franco           0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
It is hard to tell if the narrow hallway works to Franco's advantage right now. He is big enough that getting around him isn't exactly easy so that makes attacking from behind or the sides isn't going to work. It is either come straight at him with strikes or look to grab him and throw him about.

"I do not want to disappoint! You looked to be in a bad mood and I think not going all out would only have made it worse!" It might also be refreshing to Taiva for the fact Franco hasn't even made a comments about her unique look. He seems more than fine focusing on the task at hand which is those pair of lefts coming his way.

His stance shifts as he brings his left arm about to deflect the pair of blows while his right hand comes upwards for a gut punch as it ignites in reddish flames that he quickly tries to follow up with a overhead shot by his left, but given the size difference it is more aimed at the neck and shoulder of Taiva instead of the top of her head.

COMBATSYS: Taiva blocks Franco's Double Kong.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Franco           0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0            Taiva

[TAIVA]
"It is good that you did not! I want a real street fight like they have on Earth!" Taiva, at least, seems to be enjoying herself. She has noticed that Franco hasn't said anything, which is all to the good - though as far as she's concerned, she's not weird-looking at all. (Or she is, slightly, but for reasons that might not occur to a human.)

Unfortunately (?), she's causing the same problem for Franco that Franco is causing for her; it's very difficult for either of them to simply get past the other. She has to hit him head-on, but he has to do it for her, too. Which means she knows more or less where the next attack is coming from.

Taiva absorbs the impact of the blows with her arms with a grunt, catching them on her limbs instead of letting them strike home. She feels the impact all the way up her arm, especially with the chi involved; Franco can put some real force behind his strikes. But she pushes against it, doing her best to resist -

And she sees an opening, she hopes. Taiva's lower right arm snaps out in an attempt to grab one of Franco's arms and drag him closer to her. That's not especially dangerous in and of itself, but the follow-up is; three simultaneous palm strikes to send him flying down the corridor, away from her, and clearing some distance between the two!

COMBATSYS: Franco just-defends Taiva's Rock Buster ES!!

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Franco           0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
At this point it seems like a bit of a safe guess the floor for the most part must be empty. No one has come out to see what the commotion is, but at the same time people could just be scared it could be some shouty murder clowns in the hallway and are staying where it is safe. Hopefully it is more the former and SNF officials were thinking ahead when putting these two together.

"A street fight? A bit hard to do. We lack a street.....well space more than street, but I will do my best!" It certainly seems he is telling the truth because even when Taiva tries to use all four of her limbs she is having trouble to find a way to get through Franco's defenses. She goes for the grab, but he pulls out of reach which allows him to avoid the followup. For someone so big the man seems to have some moves.

Rearing back he goes for a straight forward punch, but like the first time when he was looking using it to throw that projectile of energy this time it is an attempt to distract Taiva so he could jump forward and slam his knee into Taiva with enough force the two go upwards but night quite going into the cieling. Though the true damage is probably when Franco comes downwards and his foot slams hard into the floor and a shockwave of energy erupts around him that rattles the building and almost makes the floor give away completely. Let the property damage truly begin!

COMBATSYS: Taiva Toughs Out Franco's Guts Dunk!!

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Franco           0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1            Taiva

[TAIVA]
"Is it not still a street fight even if you do it inside?" Taiva isn't entirely sure of the specifics, but that's fine - she's getting what she wanted. She's getting amped up, even if she is on the losing side!

And she is. Taiva isn't sure where the moment turned, but Franco seems to have her measure. He's not blocking her attacks with *ease*, precisely, but he is blocking all of them, and handling them to best advantage to boot. He has some moves, all right. She feels like she's learning already.

Taiva takes the knee to the gut after the feinted projectile with enough force to lift her right off the ground. She's heavy, but not unliftably so, and her broad back slams into the ceiling with enough force to leave a dent under the impact of Franco's knee. She feels the air puff out of her even as she tries to hold it back.

The pair land, Taiva into a shockwave of energy. But this time she doesn't let it drive her back; she reaches forward, into it, *through* it as she tries to lay hands on Franco once again.

No grabbing this time. Taiva simply blows through the defensive barrier, still giving that slightly wild grin as she sweeps two of her arms toward Franco's upper chest and face. She finally uses her feet at the same time, sweeping with a hooking motion, so that between the upper body impact and the foot waiting for him he falls over backwards - or that's the idea, anyway.

And if he does land on his back, Taiva is quick to follow up, leaping after him and landing in a crouch, slamming downward with all four arms, using her very durability as a weapon to get past his guard by (hopefully) just slamming through anything he can put up.

This doesn't exactly do the floor any favours. It creaks ominously.

COMBATSYS: Taiva successfully hits Franco with Painbreaker ES.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Franco           0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
It is hard to tell if Franco was getting overconfident or he just didn't expect Taiva to get through that shockwave when she does. Given how he has taken this fight seriously to this point signs point towards the latter. Taiva finally seems to get through Franco's guard and those heavy strikes slam into him and drive him back.

He is tough, but even he can't stay upright from such power and he does fall back and the floor creaks already on that first impact. It outright feels like it is about to give way when Taiva lands nearby and slams her four arms onto him. If not for the fact he recovers quickly and rolls backwards away from Taiva he probably would have fallen through given how the floor collapses soon afterwards. "Close!" He lets out a sigh of relief though now there is a hole on the floor between them.

It doesn't slow him though. He rushes forward and takes a leap to jump over the hole and hopes he lands lightly enough not to create another on the weakened floor nearby. It puts him close to Taiva as he brings a rising hook punch that erupts with energy around his fist once more to knock her back and then his other arm comes in for a second strike.

COMBATSYS: Taiva blocks Franco's Meteo Tackle.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Franco           0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0            Taiva

[TAIVA]
There is now a hole in the floor. Taiva hopes she doesn't have to pay for it... or she would if she even thought that would be a possibility.

It does stop her advance for a moment, at least, which is all to the good. Equally all to the good is the fact that Franco jumps it instead of her, which works a whole lot better overall; she settles back in a braced position as Franco swings at her, driving his fist at her to push her backwards.

Taiva doesn't really move. This time she's braced in place, and it's a lot closer to hitting a wall than a person; you can break it down but it's not going to be easy. But this wall fights back, as she tries to hook her arms around Franco and then just... literally pick him up.

And then put him down again. Under most circumstances he would end up slammed into the floor, but there's a hole right there and Taiva is not adverse to using the environment to her advantage; she turns, pivots, and then tosses him down the hole, following him down with a jump a moment afterwards. Now they have a new battlefield!

There are too many clowns in this place, Taiva thinks to herself, as she makes the leap.

COMBATSYS: Franco just-defends Taiva's Fling!!

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Franco           0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
It isn't easy to handle Franco's strikes for most people. So the fact Taiva does well to steady herself and barely budge when he strikes makes the big man grin a bit. Not that he gets to say anything afterwards because being in such close quarters finds him being grabbed by her and hefted up with some ease.

He struggles, but then she tosses him through the hole where he goes down to the next floor though he manages to move to land on the ground as gracefully as a man his size can instead of going crashing into it and possibly getting sent into another floor. He honestly forgets how high up his room number was.

He is waiting for Taiva when she lands and she gets little time to prepare herself because he had been winding up for a few moments before coming forward with his arm igniting in flames. A big hook punch aimed right at the side of Taiva's head.

COMBATSYS: Taiva dodges Franco's Golden Bomber.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Franco           0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0            Taiva

[TAIVA]
There's only so many floors in here. Surely they cannot fall forever. Unless this is a truly cursed hotel...

Fortunately, this level's floor holds together for now, even with Franco touching down from the floor above and Taiva hopping down after him. It hasn't been subject to the stresses of combat yet, after all... they'll need to beat up on it a little more to leave another hole.

Franco is ready for Taiva to jump down, but Taiva was expecting Franco to attack when she did - she would, after all, and she credits him as being at least as intelligent as she is. She swings herself with her upper arms rather than dropping straight down, putting herself a few feet further back down the hall and avoiding anything more than the gentlest brush of Franco's fist against her hair.

"This is a good fight after all," she declares - with the SNF matchmakers the way they are, she wasn't expecting it. She's also counting on Franco not expecting what she does next; taking a deep breath through her nose, Taiva holds it for a long moment. Two, three -

Then she exhales a blast of flame! It almost looks like she spits it more than breathes it, a blob of fire that flies together, bound with internal energy like chi; it impacts (either Franco or the wall), spatters, and dies out, but possibly not before it forces him back a step or two or keeps him at bay.

COMBATSYS: Franco blocks Taiva's Fire Breath ES.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Franco           1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
For the first time this fight Franco finds his fist hitting nothing but air for the most part. As far as he knows brushing hair with a fist isn't going to do any damage and he staggers forward a step before regaining his balance. "It is! I feel invigorated! This is the type of vacation I was in need of!" Junior is probably going to argue that point.

He was prepared for whatever Taiva was going to do next. Or he felt like he was. He didn't honestly expect her to breath fire at him. Much like how he surprised her earlier in the fight she catches him off guard. Just not as well as she had hoped. Franco at least gets his arms up to take the brunt of the punishment once more as he is pushed back a few steps.

"I guess I am not the only one with surprises!" He tries to shake off the soreness and he closes in once more. His fist winding up and coming in with a powerful straight that while probably packs the same punch as the previous ones, but also not near as quick.

COMBATSYS: Taiva interrupts Strong Punch from Franco with Shockwave Fist ES.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Franco           1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0            Taiva

[TAIVA]
At least there's no second or third fire breath. It seems to take something out of Taiva, at least enough that she can't rapid-fire the things. Her lungs aren't *that* big.

"Ha ha! It is a good vacation, is it not?" Taiva thumps her chest with one fist. "Let us finish this, then! Show me your best strength!"

Her taunt - is it a taunt? She seems to have meant it - doesn't leave her especially open, because she remains in a combative stance otherwise, and she still has the rest of her hands free. Nor does she overplay her maneuver by continuing to challenge Franco; she expects him to come at her with full force, sooner rather than later.

He goes for a slower attack to force an opening instead. Taiva has previously mostly blocked or absorbed the impact, but this time she strikes into it; two of her hands snap forward, balling into fists and punching so fast that, when they make contact with flesh, they radiate a small shockwave away from the point of impact.

It's enough to keep Franco from getting as solid a hit as he'd like on Taiva, though she didn't get away free; her injuries are starting to add up, her tiger-striped flesh bruised from the repeated impacts and chi bursts. But she's clearly going to keep going as long as she can, because she doesn't fall, forcing herself to stay up and ready! "Come on!!"

[FRANCO]
It was a calculated risk for Franco. He wasn't sure how much Taiva had left i her and he was wearing himself down with the constant energy infused punches. He eases up just a bit in some ways and he pays for it quickly.

His eyes go wide as those two fists slam into him and he can feel bones crack from the impact and the air is knocked out of him. He staggers back and goes down to a knee as he has to catch his breath after that. "R.....right. Give it all I got."

He gets back to his feet and he leans forward. His hands clasping together as he comes down on her head with a double axe-handle blow to knock her loopy. He then steps back then comes in low as energy forms around his fist again, a rumbling as he gives an uppercut to Taiva's jaw and a tornado of energy being released upon impact that rattles the building.

COMBATSYS: Taiva just-defends Franco's Megaton Uppercut!

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Franco           0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0            Taiva

[TAIVA]
Taiva seems to be more battered than tired. Does she even *get* tired? There's at least something left in the tank... or maybe she's just real good at ignoring it.

She expects Franco to come at her and she is not disappointed. That is a seriously mighty blow; if she'd just taken it straight, Taiva is pretty sure she would have been knocked out, either from the axe-handle or the following uppercut. But perhaps she was prepared enough for that - well, she *was* just challenging him to hit her, after all, so it only makes sense that she was ready for it.

Taiva blocks the first blow - it's hard, she feels the impact, but she still manages to hold Franco off so he does not hit her in the head with the axe-handle. She doesn't wait so much as shove him back, interrupting the follow-up strike - not entirely, Franco can still finish it, but Taiva has enough room to maneuver (just barely) to stay out of the way of the great tornado of energy.

She smashes almost as soon as it vanishes, striking through the trailing remnants of chi that aren't built-up enough to actually hurt her; she feels a tingle, but that's all. With a roar, she strikes at Franco, trying to batter him again and again in a reckless display of strength and power. Now she's certainly not holding back, if ever she really was.

COMBATSYS: Taiva successfully hits Franco with Reckless Assault.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Franco           0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
If she ever was holding back Franco wouldn't have ever known. Each hit when he hasn't been able to avoid or stop it has rattled his bones and left him feeling a soreness that will require a nice long ice bath to help soothe. He is a mix of looking a bit worn out and battered himself when makes that attack only to find Taiva quickly evading that uppercut which was the truly dangerous strike of his attack.

Then she impacts against him and sends him into the wall as those strikes from her four arms work at battering him further. He can feel his strength leaving him, but he has some fight left even as the wall has a nice Franco shaped indention in it by the time Taiva is done.

He is too tired to really move away. He instead seems more intent on just pushing forward looking to grash Taiva with one hand as he looks to just start wailing away with his other fist a few times into her torso before attempting to swing her about and throw her to the ground.

COMBATSYS: Taiva endures Franco's Gut Crunch and Slam.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Franco           0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1            Taiva

[TAIVA]
That was, Taiva judges, a good blow on her part. She rolls her shoulder as she prepares for the follow-up; it looks like she's planning to charge and finish slamming Franco right through the wall...

...but she doesn't quite get a chance before he acts. He pushes forward, and she's suddenly on the defensive, sort of. She *should* be on the defensive, but she keeps up the offensive posturing, moving into the blows despite the pain from the repeated impacts against her gut.

She does not go down to the swing. She staggers one step to the side, but she turns the momentum to her advantage by a hooking, sweeping upward punch - she's trying to literally slam Franco straight up with all her strength to launch him, though because of the ceiling there is not a whole lot of room for him to launch. (Unless he goes back through that hole, but they're not in the right place for that.)

But she doesn't just let him fall. Taiva tries to catch, finishing the wrestling slam to the floor and ensuring Franco ends right next to her so she can follow it up in just a moment. "H-raaaah!"

COMBATSYS: Taiva successfully hits Franco with Meteor Buster ES.

[                                < >  //////////                    ]
Franco           1/-----==/=======|=------\-------\0            Taiva

[FRANCO]
He hits hard, but she just won't go down and even worse when he goes to swing her about to take her to the ground he finds himself instead being caught up in a counter attack that hits him hard and with enough force to slam him up in the ceiling and leaving another big Franco dent.

He can feel himself fading at this point. He didn't have much left in him and it seems that blow may have finally been enough to do him in. Still he can focus some what on the form of Taiva as he lands back on the ground nearby with a thud. "Hah...good....fight...."

Then he finds the last of his strength in him to strike back. He won't hold back and if he can summon enough energy for one more attack he is going to damn well attack. He straightens up and his right fist erupts in that fiery red chi once more as it grows in intensity and he brings it down wards in an overhead striking motion, though given how he is falling forward and towards unconciousness combined with Taiva's height it probably is going to hit elsewhere if it connects.

COMBATSYS: Franco can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Taiva blocks Franco's Final Omega Shot.

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

[TAIVA]
"A very good fight!"

Taiva sounds far too cheerful about that, especially given it's technically not over yet; Franco is still, if not in good enough shape to keep fighting for long, at least still upright enough to make one last swing. Which he does, the blazing chi appearing one last time as Taiva spreads her arms, as if accepting it -

She does not accept it. She slams her hands in a double clap in front of her, half-dispersing the incoming chi before she catches the blow. It drives her downward; she ends up on her knees, bracing against Franco's downward strike... until he slumps, sliding off of her braced arm and into unconsciousness.

Taiva is barely a step ahead of that herself - but she is, and she pumps one fist in victory. Though she isn't going to get up for a few moments herself, either...

Log created on 19:24:10 10/17/2018 by Taiva, and last modified on 23:47:55 10/20/2018.