Match of the Millennium

Description: In this early King of Fighters match, The Women's Team fights vs Team Cat's Out of the Bag! It's a ninja demonstration with a lot of misdirection as Bulleta puts her tricky skills to good use!

[MAKI]
It's that time of year again, where the King of Fighters tournament is happening again. Once again, fighters are teaming up with whoever they can to prove that they are the best fighters in the world. Some are entering for personal glory, some are entering for the prize, and some are just entering because they have their own personal reasons. Everyone has their reasons, and those are what motivate them to fight in such a difficult and grueling competition that not everyone is guaranteed to come out on top in. It's where the best of the best show just how truly good they are.

Here in Las Vegas, the lights are bright and the crowds are gathering to see the King of Fighters spectacle that has made it here to the glamorous part of the city. Some people are just here to enjoy the sight, even eating hot dogs and drinking soda or whatever they prefer to consume during entertainment events of this nature. Some might be drinking something a little more adult oriented. And some might be conducting some gambling behind the scenes.

Whatever the reason they're here, or whatever they're doing, there's plenty of people here to watch the big competition that's about to get underway here. One team is simply known as the Women's Team, which, naturally, consists of a group of women fighting. While the other goes by a less orthodox name known as The Cat's Out Of The Bag.

Wait, say what??

Indeed, one of the teams is given the title of a familiar expression about letting a secret out. The team has been founded by the Darkstalker Felicia, a cat-woman herself, and another member is Makoto Nanaya, who appears to be part feline herself. But neither of these women are taking the fighting scene just yet. Rather, it's a face who may be familiar to those who are from Metro City and, while she's not entirely of the feline species herself, her reflexes are equivalent to that of a feline, meaning it seems somewhat fitting that she's a member of the group. Or it could be that she had to take what she could get, but she's not going to tell you that.

Who is this person, you ask?

Why it's none other than Maki Genryuusai, the heroine of Metro City and aspirant to become the next grandmaster of the Bushin-Ryuu style of ninjitsu. With her tonfa in hand and her blonde hair tied up in its usual style, the kunoichi can be seen warming up before the fight, even going as far as to balance on her tonfa for a few seconds to demonstrate her balance and strength. After that, she jumps to her feet and twirls her tonfa a few times before looking to the crowd that has gathered.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Maki says in a firm voice. "I am Maki Genryuusai. Today, I will be taking part in a battle for this great tournament. However, I will also be showing off the style of the Bushin-Ryuu ninjitsu art. I hope that after this fight is over, regardless of how it turns out, you will have an idea of how the style of ninjitsu truly works and have a better understanding of the way a ninja actually fights." She smiles a little. "I hope you enjoy this demonstration."

[BULLETA]
SOME TIME AGO
THE WOMEN'S TEXT

<bb> jsyk
<bb> i might get a little erratic when it's go time
<bb> just go with it
<bb> trust me! i'm a professional

NOW

The youngest Woman is nowhere to be seen. The girl known as B.B. Hood has built a solid record for herself in just over a year of active competition: a near win in a title match over the ostensible host of this year's King of Fighters; a string of SNF and Neo-League victories only broken by the mountain called Abigail and an unsanctioned, barely televised Midnight Channel bout with the werewolf Gallon; a Pro belt that matches her favorite color...

... and yet, she's milling around the edges of the crowd, a layer back with a virgin strawberry daiquiri-- doing her best to hide, but visible to a perceptive eye. Wide blue eyes are glued to Maki, heroine of her home town and master of ninjutsu. The blood's fled from moon-kissed skin, leaving her dangerously pallid; her best attempts at dragging her breathing into a stable rhythm produce rapid, jagged bursts of air. Ice rattles incessantly in a hand that won't stop shaking.

At least she's /dressed/ for the fight, however 'ready' she may actually be: shoulder-length blonde's been pulled into a low ponytail and teased for volume; a red mask with gold trim is secured around the lower half of her face, covering her nose and mouth; red denim with more gold trim and shiny, matching buttons comprises the bulk of her actual outfit, from the shoulder straps down to the skirt that hangs much longer in the front and back than the sides; underneath, there's a plain white blouse. A red sash with twin kaleidoscopes of gold butterflies embroidered at its ends is secured around her waist. A red satchel made from /something's/ scales hangs at her side.

Maki is confident, and confidence is good for B.B.... but there's no telling just yet how big a wrench the kunoichi's training will throw into the little red Woman's gameplan. Speed seems a given, and the footage the blonde's managed to squeeze in between travel and whatever she does when she's not cowering on the sidelines also seems to back that assumption up.

B.B. Hood lets the other, smiling woman linger out there on her own for a while after finishing her introduction, just to see how she takes it... but the ring is inevitable. Eventually, a loud slurp sounds from the audience, followed by a quavering, "A-aah..."

... and out she comes, wringing the satchel's straps and /trying/ not to look like she's on the verge of panicking, scurrying up to the nearest high spot, and zip-lining out of what's sure to be a painful outing against a fighter who outmatches her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I..."

She closes her eyes tightly for a moment, breathes in slowly...

"... this is," she exhales, much more quietly, "this-- /god/, this is /King of Fighters/, get it-- c-c'mon, Bea..."

Then, as she opens her eyes back up and forces them to Maki's, "My name is B.B. Hood," comes out at normal, if fearful levels, "and I promise I'll do my best not to ruin your demo."

[MAKOTO NANAYA]
Makoto Nanaya is here!

She's off to one side because she's not a lead combatant, near Mai. Makoto is wearing her long jacket, though the bottom half is unzipped, revealing part of her stomach and her skirt (if skirt is the correct word), as well as high stockings and boots. The colours are different, though; the normal orange look is red, trimmed with gold around the cuffed sleeves and the lower part of the jacket. It's hard to tell if she's changed her top at all, besides the fact that it still doesn't cover her stomach.

Also, despite VILE SLANDER, she is not feline. That's very much a squirrel tail. (It looks a lot like an Indian palm squirrel's, honestly, if with slightly different colour choices.)

"YEAH! Go Bea!" Makoto is not very familiar with B.B. Hood. If she was, she might not be cheering quite as loudly.

[MAI]
Mai Shiranui is just on deck for this fight, but she's super interested to see the outcome. After all, that other girl is a ninja like her... so this is a ninja demonstration!

Mai is on the sidelines in the fight. Her usual ninja gear also has a gold trim now around the edges, adding a little dazzle to the proceedings of the team. She's also insisted on some body glitter. It's important to sparkle under the lights.

Mai has an uncharacteristic amount of focus on the battle in front of them. No matter what happens, she can learn more from another ninja this way, right?

Poor B. B. looks... so nervous, doesn't she? But Mai cheers along with Makoto. "You've got this!"

[MAKI]
So Makoto's not a feline. Big deal. Then again, she's also not part of the team. Maki makes mistakes, so sue her!

Watching B.B. Hood make her introduction makes Maki smile a little more, noticing just how nervous she seems being put on the spot like that. Maki herself was like that a while back too, but she learned to get over her fears and become a more confident woman. Then again, martial arts do help improve your self-esteem and confidence as well, so there's always that as well. But nevertheless, Maki watches B.B. Hood make her short speech and she nods as soon as she finishes it. "Well, I'm sure this will be a good demonstration, win or lose."

But then the smile seems to fade a little as she adds, "Not to mention, I've often heard that big things do come in small packages, so I'd like to see what you're packing, young lady." She nods a little, chuckling, befoe her smile completely fades. "But enough chattering I'm afraid. We're here to fight and I will say that I stand ready to fight wtih you!" The blonde haired kunoichi jumps up and down a few times to get her blood flowing a little more as she prepares to battle this young lady who seems lacking in confidence, but could easily have a lot of great skill within her. "May the best fighter win!"

COMBATSYS: Bulleta has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Maki has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Maki             0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0          Bulleta

Then the signal to begin is given, and Maki wastes no time in getting underway with going on the offensive with B.B. Hood. "Prepare yourself, young lady! Because us ninjas are faster than the human eye! Keep focused and maybe you'll learn something!" Maki appears to approach B.B. Hood like she's walking, but then suddenly she pushes off of her feet and does a somersault into the air, intending to land behind B.B. Hood in a swift motion. Once she lands, her next action is to try to kick out at B.B. Hood's legs and try to trip her up a little.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Maki's Light Kick.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Maki             0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0          Bulleta

[BULLETA]
B.B. Hood keeps focused.

Intently, unerringly focused.

The tiny Woman panics when her opponent just-- /vanishes/. She really /is/ fast-- and /clever/, too! There's no telling /where/

(behind. probably behind. it's always behind; /she'd/ probably do behind, too)

the Genryuusai scion might've ended up. Luckily, panic leads to frantic pivoting; frantic pivoting sends the satchel on her shoulder swaying and swishing beside her; pivoting and swaying and swishing places the satchel right between Maki's leg and B.B.'s at the moment of truth.

The satchel is /hard/-- and /heavy/. Maki's strike gives it just enough added momentum to smack painfully against B.B Hood's leg after all, but it quickly falls into slight, idle movement right afterwards. The smaller blonde stumbles a couple steps away at the impact, lets that knee buckle for a moment, then straightens up with a shuddering sigh.

Mostly, she learns that Maki's not /entirely/ bullshitting about that human eye thing.

"I-I'll do my best!" she sputters in response. Her leg's briskly bent up and kicked out a couple of times to force some feeling back into it, and when it hits the ground she's /lunging/ towards Maki. Another pivot - this time with arms snapping up and out - brings the satchel /hurtling/ towards the kunoichi rib cage at crushing velocities.

COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Bulleta's Surprise & Hop.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Maki             0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1          Bulleta

[MAKI]
When Maki sees that B.B. Hood took the kick to her leg and was shaking it out a little, she shakes her head a little. "I hope I didn't hurt her too hard," She whispers to herself before looking to see that the girl seems to have recovered with little effort. "Seems you're better than I thought," Maki says with a slight smile. "I guess I shouldn't underestimate you after all." A quick nod affirms what Maki is saying to her. "Now come on, let me see what you're capable of, young lady!" It should be noted that Maki hasn't referred to Hood as a little girl or anything like that, since apparently she wishes to be a bit respectful to her opponent. Not to mention, she's called a few opponents 'little girl' and regretted it in many ways.

Watching as the girl comes at her, Maki watches as she suddenly comes at her and attempts to hit her with the satchel she's carrying. It's aimed right at her rib cage, and Maki has been hit there enough times to know that it's not a pleasant feeling to have to deal with, especially in the middle of a battle. However, that's not going to happen right now, since Maki's speed is more than enough to get her to jump back just in the nick of time to avoid being caught by the satchel, meaning that B.B. Hood's attack gets nothing but air.

"Well, that was a clever trick," Maki comments to her opponent. "Unfortunately, when dealing with a ninja, you have to learn to hit fast so that we can't see it coming." A wink is given with that last remark. "I know I shouldn't have given that bit of information away, but even the best of the best have been caught off-guard here and there, so don't think you've got much of an advantage over me." With that, the ninja returns to her standard fighting stance. "But don't let your guard down either, because I haven't even gotten warmed up yet!" Another twirl of the tonfa as if to emphasize this point.

"Now then, shall we continue?" Maki asks as she rushes towards B.B. Hood and attempts to grab her by the shoulders. If Maki gets a good enough grip on the girl, she plans to deliver a simple, but effective, over-the-shoulder throw to emphasize her fighting skills.

COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Bulleta with Quick Throw.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Maki             0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1          Bulleta

[MAI]
Mai looks a little sour as she watches Maki narrate the demo. She pouts, and leans over to mention to Makoto. "She's ninja-splaining."

[MAKOTO NANAYA]
"Well, she's allowed, right?" Makoto says back, just as quietly. "I mean, she's a ninja and B.B. Hood isn't."

She pauses. "Probably?" she adds, a little uncertainly.

[BULLETA]
B.B. Hood hits the ground hard enough to leave her prone. The daiquiri splatters over the sidewalk and audience after flying from her hand.

Maki's-- /really/ confident. Unlike /her/ ninja in red, the urban kunoichi seems inclined to let her confidence /blare/ through taunting words and gestures rather than merely shine through the way she fights and works the crowd-- works /her/. Mai fought like a woman who spent years honing her craft and wanted to share it with the world for the sheer joy of it; Maki fights like this hypothetical comparison woman too, only with a need to make /sure/ everyone knows how good she is.

"G-god... if you haven't even..." she pants, astonished. Rolling to her belly, she tucks her head low so her face is at least a /little/ hidden when she raises her freshly freed hand to tug the mask down. Panting gives way to a few ragged coughs, then she hastens to yank the mask back into place.

"I-- I knew," she breathes, scratching at the ground on her way towards bracing on her hands and knees, "that I'd have to fight all kinds of s-strong, /talented/ people, b-but god-- /god/, Maki..."

Another push brings her to her feet... for all of one tilting, flailing second, which she spends tottering in Maki's direction before stumbling back to her knees. She must've taken a /nasty/ blow to the back of the head for her balance to be so badly shot...!

B.B. Hood's not the /only/ one with a problem, though.

Her almost drunken approach threatens to bring her within reach of Maki, and when she falls...?

Maki want to watch her legs when the smaller blonde falls-- to take care that her flailing limbs don't make contact. If she /doesn't/...? Well.

/That'll/ raise the question of where the razor tucked between her fingers came from-- the one she means to cut a swift and ugly line down Maki's calf and ankle with. The street was cleaned up especially for the fight, but garbage has a way of finding its way back to wherever it isn't wanted, as the cigarette butt and plastic stirring straws stuck in B.B.'s hair can attest to.

/Wherever/ it came from, it's skating across the concrete after B.B. hits the ground again.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Maki with Evasive Strike.
Glancing Blow

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Maki             0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1          Bulleta

[MAKI]
Sometimes Maki doesn't even realize her own speed or strength, which is why sometimes she finds herself questioning if she's even a fair match for her opponents. But it seems this young lady has plenty of skill within her. A reason why you don't underestimate someone based on their size, or their perceived skill, or anything else like that. Still, the thought of throwing a young lady like her to the ground. It doesn't quite seem right, but if the organizers of the King of Fighters tournament had something to say about it, then odds are they would've done something in advance. Nonetheless, Maki returns to her fighting stance, eager to see what B.B. Hood is capable of doing next.

"You're putting up a good fight, even if you haven't hit me yet," Maki comments. "I think you've got some true potential in you." She watches and waits for the girl to get back up, but it seems she's having some trouble. Maki would offer to help her up, but that's not the point of this fight. Hey, even the best fighters have a sense of honor and decency... for the most part anyway. "What else can you do?"

Then B.B. Hood seems to stagger forwards at Maki, and then she falls over. This causes Maki to jump back a little, but it's not quite in the nick of time... and that was not a pun in any way based on what happens next. As soon as Maki lands, she feels a small pain in her leg. She looks down and sees that she has a small cut on her leg and goes wide-eyed for a moment before looking at B.B. Hood with a slightly questioning look, although it's definitely got suspicion within it too. "Did you just do that to me? How did you manage to draw blood?" She then looks and notices that razor going across the ground, and it's here that a scowl forms on the ninja's face. "So, you want to fight dirty in a tournament like this?" Maki then grits her teeth a little.

It's here that Maki points her tonfa at B.B. Hood and says, "If you're going to fight with a weapon, then you should fight with a real weapon like this." With that, Maki takes off towards B.B. Hood, intent on giving her a taste of how to use a 'real' weapon by swinging it at the side of the girl's head. "Let this be your latest lesson!"

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Maki's Quick Strike.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Maki             0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1          Bulleta

[BULLETA]
Letting one's confidence undo themselves is one of the core premises of Bulleta's fighting style, but it's different with fighters. Monsters are /monsters/; yes, there's a hint of 'person' in them - usually, there is - but it's not so common to meet one capable of running on more than (super)natural advantages and sheer instinct. This isn't to say that steel-rending claws and animalistic fury aren't dangerous, even lethal; the pretty picnic dress she wears when there aren't cameras everywhere is armored for a reason.

But it's /different/.

A confident fighter tends to be confident for a /reason/. Even the blowhards whose mouths outstrip their martial ability know /something/ about how to fight, and what it means to be in one. Once a battle-honed intellect locks onto her, the dance of blood and masks gets exponentially more complicated.

"A-aah..."

More /demanding/, at times.

"I-- it was--- aah..."

Hunched on her knees, B.B. Hood's trembling, now. The hand that held the razor's clenched and cradled in the other.

"S-someone-- aah, someone must've /tossed/ it..."

Sucking in a deep breath helps her steady the tremors, then she twists to make sure she's facing Maki fully when she opens her hand to display a cut along her palm. Fresh red pearls bloom and trickle down pale flesh; a little subtle pressure against her wrist ensures a steady flow.

"It was an /acci--/ ahhh!"

Blue eyes get saucer-wide when Maki charges. The distance doesn't give her /much/ time, but it's enough to snatch the satchel's straps in her unbloodied hand and give it a wild, upward swing meant to intersect with the tonfa's angle. Righteous fury vibrates through resilient scales until it's sinking into B.B.'s bones and muscle, eliciting another gasp of pain. When the satchel hits the ground - hard enough to send a resounding *THMP!* across Fremont Street - the blonde rolls a few feet backwards and finally leaves her knees.

There's wobbling along the way; a dazed look in her eye and a sore shoulder slouching lower than the other... but she makes it.

Maki's /so/ eager to teach, and B.B. Hood is a polite little thing. What choice does she have but to give the master her full attention?

Panting, Bulleta runs her eyes deliberately over every inch of the kunoichi, hoping to learn as much as she can about the woman's style and the woman herself from the way she moves, down to the last detail; looking for the right threads to pull to help Maki undo herself.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta sizes up her target.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Maki             0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1          Bulleta

[MAKI]
"I'm sorry, young lady, but I am definitely not buying your excuse!" Maki says with a scowl. "I don't know just who you truly are or why you did what you did, but I will have you know that I do not look kindly upon dirty tactics like that." She hmmphs. "In fact, I definitely think that if there's any lessons to be given right now, it should be in etiquette!" She shakes her head as she watches B.B. Hood go tumbling a little before she gets back up. "The only good thing is that I made sure to not underestimate you, and it seems I made a good choice in that."

Stepping back a little with caution, Maki watches as B.B. Hood gets herself onto her feet, albeit wobbling a little bit. The smile on Maki's face is no longer there, but instead a sharp scowl that indicates Maki's really feeling something is not right here. Whatever this girl is up to, and whatever she's got hidden up her sleeve (and possibly in other places,) Maki doesn't like it one bit. "Any more dirty tricks like that and then you're going to see me when I'm really mad!" She narrows her eyes a little.

Maki stands idly, staring at B.B. Hood and waiting for her to make a move, but nothing seems to happen. Instead, she seems more intent on keeping an eye on Maki, almost like she's watching every move she makes, every breath she takes, you know the drill. It's almost like she's got the same idea Maki does, but Maki isn't here for a staring match. She's here to fight, and if B.B. Hood is really good at sizing up her opponent, she might have a chance against Maki. But there's no guarantee of that.

"OK, if you want to stare at me, then go right ahead," Maki comments somewhat sarcastically as she gets closer to B.B. Hood, stopping a little short for some reason. "But you're going to be staring at my foot in a second if you don't look out!" She's not being sarcastic either; she drops down onto the ground, balancing on the tip of her tonfa(!) and then begins to spin around like a human whirlwind with her leg outstretched. What will B.B. Hood do now?

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Maki's Bushin Senpuu Kyaku.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Maki             0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1          Bulleta

[BULLETA]
B.B. Hood's brow gets increasingly furrowed as Maki scowls and screams. She flicks bemused eyes between the blood that's trickling to her wrist and the ninja hurling accusations her way; her head shaking gets increasingly swift.

"A-are you-- why would I-- /how/ could I--?!" she sputters.

Mad is good. Mad is obfuscating; mad plus confident equals haste-- /carelessness/, if she's lucky.

"I didn't even MEAN to--," the staring girl murmurs, "-- is--"

B.B. freezes; her eyes widen.

"... is /that/ why you're-- because you're worried it won't-- it won't /look/ good if s-some stupid, clumsy loser manages toaaah!"

The approach could've been faster, but that matters less when acrobatics, long limbs, and explosive movement mean she's got to deal with a red whirlwind come almost out of the blue.

(Almost.)

The first blow solidly connects with the satchel to stagger her back a step; each that follows pushes her further back until she's out of Maki's reach, panting and sore and sagging that much further on the side that's taken most of the defensive abuse thus far.

"Y-- you... haah... you just-- you came to give these people a sh-show-- and you're so fast, and /skilled/, and-- you're gonna be a /grandmaster/, one day, a-and-- some stupid /GIRL/ made you bleed without even /trying/, it's-- i-it's--" B.B. Hood shudders and dares a look down at her feet to make plain how bad she feels for the poor Genryuusai scion.

"I'm sorry, I'll-- I'll do better," she whispers. "I promise."

Desperate to keep her word, B.B. runs a couple of steps then /lunges/ after Maki, hoping to drive a knee into the other woman's gut while she's recovering from her athletic assault. It's fairly quick, but more than that, there's a degree of raw, blunt force behind the strike that belies the small stature of the woman throwing it.

**EDIT: Replace last paragraph with:

Desperate to keep her word, B.B. runs a couple of steps then /lunges/ after Maki, hoping to slam her satchel into the other woman's gut while she's recovering from her athletic assault. It's fairly quick, but more than that, there's a degree of raw, blunt force behind the strike that belies the small stature of the woman throwing it.

because bulleta forgot which PL3 is which earlier

COMBATSYS: Maki blocks Bulleta's Tricky Basket.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Maki             0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1          Bulleta

[MAI]
"Being a good ninja is really a lot about the art of misdirection," Mai observes from the sidelines. It's mostly to herself, but she's been watching Bulleta's career and moves with a lot of interest. Still, she's not sure how things are going here, so she is ready to jump in if she has to.

[MAKI]
"It's more than just a show," Maki comments as she gets back onto her feet. "It's a battle of skills and wits." She seems to no longer be yelling, but she's still not happy either. "It's a lot of things at once. That's why a lot of people enter the King of Fighters tournament; To achieve their personal goals in a public environment!" That last sentence could easily be stricken in a court of law on account of that it's merely a personal opinion of Maki's and not a fact, but this isn't a court of law. It's a lot of things at once, just like Maki said. And while Maki would consider the girl's words compliments in a normal setting, it's obvious that she's got something else up her sleeve, so she's not exactly accepting of her words.

"Calling yourself stupid is not called for either," Maki adds, not showing any sarcasm either. "It's no use beating yourself up mentally about anything or you're never going to get anywhere." Whether or not B.B. Hood actually feels bad for Maki doesn't matter at all, since Maki doesn't care how her opponent feels about her. "Do your best, that's all anyone can ask for," Maki replies to her latest words, softening a little, but still remaining planted in her fighting stance, since she still doesn't know for sure what B.B. Hood is capable of. "I still want to see what you can do."

It seems Maki is going to get her wish granted, though, since as soon as she speaks, B.B. Hood comes at her and doesn't hold back in her attempt to strike Maki at all, as she brings up a knee aimed at Maki's stomach. Normally, Maki would try to avoid the incoming attack, but B.B. Hood has taken the initiative in coming after Maki before she's fully focused again, giving her no time to avoid the attack. This leads Maki to tighten her stomach muscles and absorb the kick from B.B. Hood, wincing a little from the impact but otherwise seeming unfazed from the whole thing.

"I have to hand it to you there," Maki says with a slight smile. "You caught me off-guard there and got me good. Sure, I defended against your hit, but you definitely have potential." Her smile fades after a moment though. "But can you keep up with it? That's a question which I hope you can answer for me with your skill!" With that, Maki attempts to grab B.B. Hood and, if successful, drive her tonfa into her side, before throwing her down.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta full-parries Maki's Armed Combo!!

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Maki             0/-------/----===|=======\=======\1          Bulleta

[BULLETA]
Maki grabs B.B. Hood; B.B. Hood grabs Maki right back. There are two key differences, though:

1.) B.B.'s got more free hands than Maki does. One snaps around the bicep gripping her; the other seizes Maki's tonfa-wielding forearm. Conveniently, this brings us right back to:

2.) B.B. Hood is /strong/. Not 'for her size', or '... her age'; the shy girl totes a satchel that *THOOM!*s and *THNK!*s when it hits the ground like it's just another bag. Her hands squeeze like little vices and Maki's tonfa hovers inches from the smaller woman's side, stuck.

Maybe she's some kind of prodigy; maybe she just keeps a rigorous workout schedule. Whatever the reason, the result is the same:

"I," she exhales, staring up at Maki with big eyes and clenched teeth, "I'll /try/, I--" She starts shuffling left, tracing a circle and dragging the kunoichi with her. "I-I'm sorry, I know I /shouldn't/ be so-- so /hard/ on myself..."

She keeps shuffling-- circling. Her grip gradually lightens with each revolution, but the speed ramps up too; each passing second melts their surroundings into more of a screaming, neon blur.

"I-it's not like I've /never/ won anything, it's just-- this is SUCH a big stage, and /you/... YOU are /such/ a talented woman, and what've /I/ got...? Some tutorials I saw; some stuff I found; /luck/... I've got a /belt/, but I only /won/ it because the other girl was hungover-- she didn't even /care/ about fighting for it...! And when I think about defending it..."

Screaming neon begins to fade into howling wind. A few paper trays and plastic cups tumble around them; cigarette butts and programs lift a couple feet off of the ground.

Maki can feel the shudder when B.B. softly admits, "What if I meet someone serious, like /you/...? What if all my flailing just-- what if it just makes them /mad/...? What if they get HURT? Everyone takes all this so /seriously/, and I just-- I just need to be able to /eat/, you know? I've gotta keep a roof over my head, and-- a-and..."

As loud as the wind gets -- as softly as B.B's voice runs -- the two never clash; the storm's eye is just for she and Maki, and not even the storm itself can intrude.

"... it's just-- it's so /hard/, it's-- there's nobody but /me/, a-and..."

And if Maki doesn't slip away in time, looking down and sniffling becomes letting go so she can wipe a few tears from her eyes.

Nevermind that 'letting go' means 'letting Maki race straight up into the air until the cyclone whipping around them fades'. Maki's a professional; she can probably handle plummeting to the ground at high speeds.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Maki with Sentimental Typhoon EX.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Maki             0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Bulleta

[MAKI]
Maki thinks she's got the upper-hand, but apparently this young lady is quicker than she imagined. It's enough to catch Maki off-guard and make her feel like hse's got butterfingers... and not the candy bar either. "Well played," Maki comments with a hint of sarcasm as she pulls back a little, just enough to keep an eye on her opponent. "It seems you might be getting the hang of this."

After a moment, Maki replies, "It takes time to get used to it." This is in response to the girl being hard on herself. "And I do appreciate the compliments, I really do. But now is not the time for things like that." She adjusts her tonfa a little to make sure her grip is more steadily in her hand. "Still, this is very interesting, I will admit that but..."

Maki trails off as the winds begin to howl, and she widens her eyes a little. "oh-oh..." She comments, half-sarcastically as while she wasn't entirely expecting something like this, it's not exactly unexpected either since she's seen quite a lot of strange things in her fights, some more unusual than others. After the surprise wears off, though, Maki grips her tonfa tighter and stares at B.B. Hood. "It seems you've got a few more tricks up your sleeves that I wasn't expecting!" She plants her feet into the ground and watches carefully, looking for a moment to try to evade what's coming, just like a true ninja would.

Unfortunately, the winds are not blowing in Maki's favor, as before she knows what's happened, she's caught up by the winds and starts going into the air. Apparently, all those tears and sniffles were mostly for show as they have lead to something far more dangerous... and quite painful too, as Maki finds herself going up-up-up, into the air, before hitting the ground with a loud noise as she struggles to land properly, but ends up incorrectly landing. She winds up in a fetal position briefly, before getting to one knee and gasping for air a little. "Wha... what the?"

Maki gets to her feet, dusting herself off and gasping for air a little as she grits her teeth through the pain that she's feeling, before glaring at B.B. Hood. "OK, it's obvious that you're definitely hiding a LOT more than even I could anticipate. So no more Miss Nice Maki from here on out!" She jumps on top of a nearby car and then proceeds to leap directly at B.B. Hood with her foot outstretched as she flies at her like a missile. "Eat this!"

COMBATSYS: Bulleta full-parries Maki's Hassou Kyaku!!

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Maki             0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Bulleta

[BULLETA]
B.B. Hood's hiding all /kinds/ of things. Maki's already experienced a couple, between the razor blade and the rigorously honed muscle.

"J-just--"

The blonde swallows, blinks rapidly, and tries not to stare /quite/ so big; her cheeks just about match her mask, now.

"-- just lucky, I guess..."

Bulleta's eyes fly over Maki's form in search of tells: shaking legs, a wavering stance, blank eyes... anything to suggest that the kunoichi took her landing on the head. The satchel at her side starts to weave back and forth, as if caught in a sudden breeze-- or /gust/, perhaps, given its weight.

"Y-you're-- you're being so /patient/, I--!"

B.B.'s eyes widen for a beat, then she swallows again and they shrink.

Maki's still well enough to jump on cars, and at /her/; in the Huntress' professional opinion, this means she has plenty of room left for head trauma. Maki's /lethally/ quick; pressing this narrow opening by stealing her balance is, next to just going right for a tendon or artery, Bulleta's best bet at slowing her down-- /grounding/ her.

The satchel graduates from swaying to circling at B.B. Hood's side; similar to her footwork seconds ago, there's a steady transition from deliberate circles--

"--don'tkillmedon'tkillmethankyouforbeingnicepleasebe--!"

-- to a red blur whirling beside the sputtering blonde. Maki's sneaker passes the smaller woman's cheek by inches, but it /does/ pass; twisting and wrenching her body away from Maki's guarantees it, leaving her in an awkward three-point stance.

The satchel /screams/ above her head. Bulleta allows herself a split-second to close her eyes and exhale a grateful profanity beneath her breath before fixing her aim to Maki and charging after the flying ninja--

-- being /pulled/, damn near, by that satchel when its straps abruptly snap taut and its weight drags her right along with it. She's destined for another awkward landing - face-first against the pavement, this time - but the satchel...?

Its terminal arc is poised /just/ right for a collision with Maki's skull, if she isn't careful.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Maki with Shyness & Strike EX.
- Power hit! -

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Maki             1/--=====/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Bulleta

[MAKI]
B.B. Hood is hiding quite a bit, but Maki doesn't know that. All Maki knows is that the girl is loaded for bear in some form or other, while Maki herself is depending on her ninja skills to get her through this fight. Unfortunately, it's not until she finishes her kick that Maki realizes that she hit nothing but air when she attempted to show off her favorite attack to the girl. As she starts to slow down, Maki is thinking to herself, "I absolutely HATE it when I miss with that attack! It's my personal favorite and--"

Maki's thoughts are cut off by a sudden satchel to her skull. And it's not just any satchel either it seems, but rather a satchel that is heavy enough to leave an impression on Maki's skull and knock her to the ground. Unfortunately, the spinning momentum causes her to tumble onto the ground several times with her body wanting to go this way and that, leaving her twisting and sprawling once she finally stops moving on the ground while she attempts to figure out which way is up.

Once that finally happens, Maki begins to rub at her skull with her free hand, hissing as she finds the spot where B.B. Hood managed to strike her and realizing that touching that spot only increases the pain, a fact Maki apparently forgot in the moment. "Ow!" She grunts, gritting her teeth and breathing extra sharply as she looks at B.B. Hood, no longer considering her a potential student, or even a little girl. Instead, Maki has now apparently lost her temper and is considering her a small-but-dangerous target as she glares.

"All right, it appears I was still slightly underestimating you there," Maki says as she rubs at the spot on her head in an attempt to try to massage the pain away, but it's no use and she hisses again. "It's obvious that you're not the little girl you appear to be, but something else that I have no idea about, nor do I want to even TRY to comprehend it!" The blonde haired ninja approaches quickly. "I'm going to make you regret messing with me!"

As soon as she's close enough, Maki attempts to strike at B.B. Hood's side with her tonfa, but it's not just any strike with her tonfa. Instead, Maki is taking a forward step forward to give herself a little extra momentum in her strike. The increase in momentum should increase the power of the impact, and possibly teach B.B. Hood not to mess with Maki but to show her true colors!

COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Bulleta with Genkou.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Maki             1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Bulleta

[BULLETA]
Bulleta knows that look. There comes a time in many of her fights when blood and coincidences mount too high, and that /look/ is never far behind.

Up until now, she's mostly enjoyed the benefits of being a relative unknown, if one who's seen some success: her opponents tend to be taken in for a spell before that nigh inevitable look, giving her time to whittle them down before things get truly serious. Fighting in a tournament of this magnitude, however, naturally means a bigger stage, a larger audience-- and opponents with all the reason in the world to pay close attention to her fights. How does one keep a secret under those circumstances...?

"Wh-- d'you think I'm wearing-- wearing /un/lifts?!" a bewildered B.B. Hood sputters a beat after being called out. The pause is necessary; it wouldn't do for the smile hidden beneath her mask to leak into a surprised girl's outburst.

Bulleta's got a few ideas for answering that all-important question, but they're simmering in the back of her mind just now; that /look/, that wounded glare eager to scour away the lies swirling around her means that she, too, can get serious. The blades don't have to be a /surprise/ to draw blood.

"Look, I'm /sorr--/"

The satchel's swinging into Maki's arc as she closes in, but the tonfa scrapes past it to sink against B.B. Hood's ribs, crumpling her towards her knees instantly. Her right arm snaps in around her body as a grimace overtakes her features. Tears well in the corners of her eyes; the beginnings of a scream rush out before being bitten off.

"Aah-- a-aaghh--" she groans between ragged breaths, "-- g-god, I'm-- I'm s-/sorry/ for getting in the way of your sh-/show/..."

Slowly, quakingly, she pushes herself up to her feet. Her eyes fix upon Maki and narrow 'til they're blue razors.

"... but I can't-- c-/can't/ let you beat me... no matter /how/ mad you get!"

Running is /painful/, but she forces herself to do it anyway. Every breath cuts deep; she doesn't /think/ her ribs are cracked, but this is at least fifty percent because thinking it wouldn't do her much good right now. She tilts and weaves from side to side until she's within a few feet of Maki; /then/ she just veers towards the other woman's right--

"If you're going to fight your hardest, then I will too--!"

-- only to plant her feet when they're side by side. Crouching low, her upper body - /especially/ her neck - lashes a few feet back then lurches /violently/ forward, all in the hopes of whipping her ponytail across the ninja's body. /This/ close, Maki might be able to make out metallic glints woven in amongst teased blonde tresses.

Wherever that /first/ razor came from, it would seem that she's got plenty more of them, broken into easily concealed bits to better accessorize.

COMBATSYS: Maki parries Bulleta's Medium Strike!

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Maki             1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Bulleta

[P-BODY]
TIMES UP.

The judge steps in from the sidelines, a whiskery man with a whiskey shot or two. Bearing a pair of mutton chops as well, he holds up a palm. "TIME'S UP." He then makes a pause. The pause continues.

"WINNER."

He stares, and then glances at Bulleta.

"BEE BEE HOOD."

The judge gives a hearty bow.

"NEXT ROUND"

[BULLETA]
No blood--!

B.B. Hood jerks her head-- then the rest of herself towards the deft kunoichi. Her right hand floats towards her sash--

'WINNER.'

B.B.'s eyes snap towards the judge. Her fingers creep past butterfly-sprayed fabric. Their eyes meet--

-- he says her name--

-- no blood.

Not yet.

On a dime, she registers the jubilant shock one would expect of a girl who just eked out another lucky win against a strong opponent. Blue eyes snap towards Maki, and her hand leaves her sash so she can yank the mask down far enough to mouth a quick, 'I'M SORRY!' to the kunoichi, paired with a hapless shrug.

She wastes little time after that in turning towards the sidelines, where her next opponent waits-- little time in pulling the mask back where it belongs, too.

No blood.

Not /yet/.

Blue eyes lock onto a blue mane. A beat of silent accounting later, they briskly take in the /rest/ of the catwoman.

Bulleta slashes a wide, pearly arc beneath the darkness of the mask as her gaze settles upon Felicia's face.

A beat later, she's tentatively raising one hand and waving while her other arm curls around her ribs.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta awaits the next challenger.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|

[FELICIA]
Vegas! Neon flashing lights! Tons of partying, alcohol, vice--and uh, a KOF Tournament! Felicia admittedly would much rather be here to do a show than for a tournament, but she's got a goal here, darnit! And there's now way she's going to chicken out!

Felicia hops down from a nearby rooftop, in full Catwoman form--naturally this is a thrill for the onlookers, we're sure--swinging around a streetlight as she descends. While she meant for it to look like she's swinging down a fire house pole, like in Ghostbusters, it almost comes off looking like strange furry woman descending wooden dancing pole. WHOOPS.

"Woo, looks like Maki did her best, now it's time for me to do the same, nyah!" Of course, she's ignoring the fact she's facing down BULLETA, who has done some serious violence to her in the past. That is put aside for right now--she can't let herself be distracted!

"Lets do this!"

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

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Bulleta full-parries Felicia's Rolling Scratch!!

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0          Felicia

[BULLETA]
"Maki tried /hard/," B.B. Hood agrees, "to make her master proud-- to make /herself/ proud--!"

Blue hair and white fur become a rolling engine of claw and fang after Felicia's flashy descent. The catwoman rolls quickly enough to kick up dust in her wake--

-- dust which mingles with the white plumes billowing up around Bulleta, cloaking her--

-- shrouding--

"I just hope," whispers from behind Felicia, "that /we/ won't let her down by making a-- a /mockery/ of all her hard work--!"

-- behind? Behind-- and receding quickly. Wherever Felicia's claws landed, B.B. Hood isn't there; what the catwoman finds instead is small--

-- metallic--

-- round--

-- and blinking brilliantly, ominously red.

COMBATSYS: Felicia dodges Bulleta's Malice & Mine EX.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Oof--" Felicia winds up from her bounding, somersaulting roll with a red light blinking in her face. That's not an alarm clock! With one large white furred foot she kicks the mind skittering down the street away from herself (and the crowd) while doing a backflip away as it goes off with a WHUMP, somehow managing to escape sharpnel.

"You and me both sister--" Felicia then engages on Bulleta again, bringing her right foot up to deliver a snap kick against the red-hooded girl's shoulder or head, hopefully before she could be shot again!

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Bulleta with Light Kick.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0          Felicia

[BULLETA]
B.B. Hood twists with the blow against her shoulder, grimacing. Her knees buckle and bring her towards the ground, but a deftly cast hand gives her just enough support to avoid going all the way down.

Inhuman ears might catch the soft *paff!*s of more smoke pellets detonating after tumbling to the ground.

Felicia, too, is fast-- of /course/ she's fast; catpeople /tend/ to be. Not only that, but unlike Maki, she sports senses well beyond hers-- senses powerful enough to bring a semblance of balance to a smoke-filled battlefield, if she cares to listen to them.

It's imperative, then, that those senses be considered just as deadly as her claws or reflexes.

The blonde doesn't respond; it's bad enough that she can't entirely mute the scrape of sneakers across pavement. She just concentrates on trying to smack the other woman's stomach--

On leaving her a /gift/, a little metal tube with enough adhesive to catch in white fur--

If B.B. succeeds, the /next/ airy detonation ought to stand out plainly, a split-second before werebear mace seeks to sear Felicia's eyes, nose, and throat.

COMBATSYS: Felicia blocks Bulleta's Medium Strike.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
It's a good thing Felicia doesn't need sneakers, not in this form, anyway--god knows what's littered on that pavement after all the fighting. Shards of metal, broken glass? Sometimes it really /did/ pay to be a werecat!

That is until you're hosed down with werebear mace. Ow. Felicia winds up blocking it with her arms before it splashes into her eyes, but she still winds up breathing some of it in--which is pretty painful and distracting, to say the least. Partly to escape the fumes, and to close distance with her attacker, Felicia rolls forward again--this time attempting to collide with the darkhunter and come out into a strong uppercut!

Never let your guard down with a werecat!

COMBATSYS: Bulleta dodges Felicia's Rolling Buckler.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0          Felicia

[BULLETA]
Briefly, camera lenses catch the rebreather fastened around B.B. Hood's mask where the mask - now pulled down to hang from her neck - once sat through white whorls.

That should be two down, since Felicia managed to block her eyes. /Should/ be; fingers crossed. The catwoman rolls in, prompting a sharp inhale through the rebreather and the brief cessation of calculations--!

More pellets hit the ground, and B.B. Hood's feet are a second behind them, a foot or so from Felicia's impact point. This time, it's red smoke, for variety - and team branding - purposes.

Two down--

-- focus. Focus, Bulleta-- don't /play/ with it, /focus/--

Following another deep breath, she hurtles across the short gap between them, only to stumble after just those few steps. 'Stumble'-- jerk, abruptly, towards the catwoman's left, box cutter extended for passing taste of blood.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Felicia with Stumble & Blade.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
As Felicia passes by, the short thin blade /slices/ through her shoulder and side, a long strand of blood issuing out of the wound before she winces--finally feeling it, and drawing around to try and meet Bulleta head on after the two pass eachother.

"Wait, what the--OH SHI--" Felicia finally releases what happened as she looks down, the long slash in her side SPEWING BLOOD before it begins to subside to a trickle down her right side and waist.

"So you like blades--" Felicia grins as she brings both clawed hands up and prepares to bring them down on Bulleta's torso, like nails down a chalkboard!

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Felicia's Aggressive Strike.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0          Felicia

[BULLETA]
The red satchel dutifully dangling by B.B. Hood's side clashes with those wicked talons. Its surface is unharmed; B.B. Hood, on the other hand, has to bear the pain of absorbing the force behind Felicia's claws in her wrist and shoulder, and after going as long as she did with Maki... the aches are catching up with her. That arm hangs low and slack for a couple seconds after the two fighters disengage, and the blonde steals a precious moment of space by twirling back from the catwoman.

"I-- I like /whatever/ I have to use to win, even... even if it's not what the /other/ fighters would do-- what they'd /approve/ of..." she stammers out amidst gasps for air.

Another pellet bounces along the ground; gold smoke blooms.

"B-besides, it's only fair, right...? You're-- I-- I mean, /look/ at you...! Those /claws/, they're..."

Fear, /panic/ are beginning to creep into the girl's voice, spiking its pitch even higher and speeding it along until she catches herself, swallows a deep pull of recycled air, then shudders through a sigh.

"I-- I don't even wanna /imagine/ what they'd /do/ to me if..."

She lets the thought hang for a split-second before slicing through it with a forward charge that ends in a slide, meant to fire her through the space between Felicia's feet. The moment she takes her knees, she whips her whole body around in an effort to lash her ponytail - and the many little bits of razor sharp metal woven throughout it - across Felicia's calves and ankles.

COMBATSYS: Felicia interrupts Crushing Strike from Bulleta with Toy Touch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\==-----\1          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"I know, that's what I do!" Felicia is not cowed by the girl's seemingly anxious, desperate tone of voice or antics--she's run into her before and knows her too well by this point, so she doesn't hesitate in trying to drive her claws down hard.

"They'd do THIS--" Felicia merely responds, as the hair woven with razorblades slides into her legs--blood flies--but Felicia is able to whip herself around and roundhouse Bulleta hard, then bring her heel down on her, HARD.

The cat lady still winds up doubling over and having to roll away blood, of course, but she's not going out with a damn good attempt!

[BULLETA]
Thanks to Felicia's reflexes, /both/ women are reeling. The catwoman's got blood to staunch; B.B. Hood, on the other hand, trembles from the ground, laid out on her belly and trying to reduce the number of 'stalkers swimming before contact lens-shielded eyes.

"Th-that's..."

The blonde groans, shudders, and hacks through whatever was supposed to come out, leaving a few flecks of blood on the pavement.

"... why... wh-why-- no matter what you-- or anyone /else/ might think, I-- I /can't/ hold back... even if it scares me!"

She doesn't quite stand, but she /does/ spring towards Felicia, blade extended as if they're now engaged in a vicious game of leapfrog-- only instead of trying to /hurdle/ the catwoman, she just wants to jam a box cutter into her thigh.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Felicia with Beautiful Memory.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /                             ]
Bulleta          0/-------/--<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

She doesn't quite stand yet because she's hoping for a little support; when she feels metal sink through flesh until it /can't/ anymore, she knows she's got it.

/Then/ B.B. Hood stands, one hand wrapped around the box cutter -- wiggling it around within its new home -- while her other hand claws against Felicia's body for purchase. Slowly, /painfully/, she hauls herself to her feet; when she can't reach it any longer, she just lets the blade go in favor of scaling the catwoman the rest of the way.

There are, after all, /more/ blades.

"This is going to be bad," she then whispers. Warns, doing her level best not to smile through it.

With her next breath, another blade from-- /somewhere/-- on the blonde girl's person slashes across Felicia's chest, again and again-- a dozen times, easily, slicing through smoke and flesh with equal ease. This one's an actual /knife/, a kabar with a long blade the color of the night sky, forged and tempered for life and death. The weapon eventually seems to slip from B.B.'s grasp and clatter across pavement, leaving her unarmed and signaling an end--

-- a break-- in her onslaught, a momentary caesura broken by the sudden *BOOOOOOOM!* of the concussion bomb B.B. slaps against Felicia's belly before rolling away. The shockwave's still fresh when the smaller woman darts back in to drop another explosive at the Darkstalker's feet; this one's much brighter than it is noisy, filling the smoky street with a snow-white flare... but the violent wave of pressure's just the same. The next one thunders; then it's back to bright...

... soon enough, she's out of explosives, and-- hauling Felicia up above her head, limbs shaking with the effort of hefting someone larger than herself after suffering as much damage as she has to her arms and shoulders.

Felicia gets a briskly hissed, "Sorry--!" before B.B. Hood hurls her out of the smoke. The blonde then hits her knees and doubles over, panting desperately.

[FELICIA]
It isn't every day one gets a concussion grenade to the chest, most people only have the luxury of experincing such a thing once--and that's usually the last time. But not for a werecat.

"Huuurrr--" Felicia is propelled back, her body very much convulsing in shock. She's able to muster superhuman fortitude and willpower to keep moving even now, her midsection shredded, she emerges like some ruined specter out of the smoke and haze of the flare.

She's able to muster one last inhalation of breath before she curls her toes, making purchase in the street again as her claws tear up chunks of gravel from the asphault, wreathing herself in a rainbow of chi energy. She launches herself rolled in a ball right toward Bulleta--the chi around her exploding like a bomb!

And then stillness.

COMBATSYS: Felicia can no longer fight.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Bulleta          0/-------/--<<<<<|

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Bulleta with Dancing Flash.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  <
Bulleta          0/-------/--<<<<<|

[BULLETA]
The satchel could survive the kind of energy Felicia's putting out, but /B.B./...?

Dodging's her best bet if she doesn't want to end up in a sling... but trickling blood, hard falls, and aching joints conspire against even that much. The blonde's a step too late in picking herself up and flinging herself aside, and she pays for it with explosive force crashing against the lower half of her body, launching /her/ out of the smoke cover as well. Unlike Felicia, she doesn't stop until she's somewhere in the crowd, shallowly breathing and surrounded by hastily parted onlookers.

A second passes...

... three...

... five...

... and then slowly, quakingly, a single thumb rises.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta has ended the fight here.

Log created on 21:45:12 06/06/2019 by Mai, and last modified on 21:45:41 06/16/2019.