Match of the Millennium

Description: The Women's Team fights to secure their place in this year's tournament against the team that consigned them to the tiebreaker round.

[BULLETA]
Mai and Makoto worked their asses off to earn the Women's Team another chance in the King of Fighters.

Meanwhile, B.B. mostly just...

... it's hard to say /what/, exactly, B.B. Hood spent her time on, but she certainly never registered a tiebreaker bout. At least she made sure to check in and send inspiring gifs whenever one of the other women won.

At least she volunteered to take point on making the most of their opportunity, to give Mai and Makoto all the time they could possibly get to rest.

She's settling in her corner following a muted entrance through the crowd, deep red hood drawn and back turned towards the opposite side of the--

It's not really a ring, is it? Too many cones and right angles, not enough ropes. The minimalistic combat space is set all the way inside the tunnel, a hasty renovation meant to lend this first round tournament match a unique (for the well-used arena) atmosphere while subtly pushing the capabilities of the camera equipment. Harsh, white-gold light blasts long shadows across tile and asphault, courtesy of towering rigs set up around the perimeter. Drones - easily half a dozen, if not more - buzz through halogen air in chorus with glass eyes and more trained intently upon each fighter.

[B.B. HOOD (<3: 100%):]
[HEIGHT: 149.86 CM]
[WEIGHT: 97.98 KG]
[RECORD: 7-3-0]
[Pro Circuit Red Champion (0 Defenses)]
[FIGHTING STYLE: Undefined/Self-Taught?]
[FAVORITE WEAPON(S): Weighted Satchel; Knives; Hidden Missiles]

[[Scan/Click] [HERE] for 15% off on B.B. HOOD merchandise!]

The hood forms the peak of a knee-length cloak. The back's solid, red with a black trim and split from the lower third of her spine onwards; the front sweeps out to either side with sharp-angled framing around her sternum, enough to leave the white strip running down the center of a black dress button-down visible. Black slacks with white pinstripes disappear into mid-calf boots the same red as her cloak, accentuated with pointed gold tips. Black suspenders disappear beneath the red microskirt wrapped around the slacks, securing them. Chunky gold buckles and flappy black belts with pointed told tips dangle down the front of the skirt, serving no apparent purpose beyond speaking to the young woman's attention to detail.

Of course, as long as her back is turned and her cloak's draped over her, those details don't serve much of a purpose. This is where the split in the cloak comes in: unusual though it may be for B.B., it'd be tough to mix one of her favorite accessories with the plush, brown cherry, black-striped detail gently swaying from her waist without it.

She's hugging a bright red satchel to her chest in both arms, eyes nearly shut as she slooooowly breathes in and out to ensure she's settled. She didn't give herself the luxury of lurking in the crowd to watch her opponent, this time, which means bringing the perpetually nervous girl's pre-fight rituals into view.

This /includes/ the shivers visibly rippling through her now and again.

There's a healthy crowd, half-seated in folding chairs, half-standing; it may be a brawl in the middle of a Jersey tunnel, but it's a /tournament/ brawl in the middle of a Jersey tunenl, and that means plenty of eyes.

[AURORA]
Conversely, the opposition for whom the young trembling fighter awaits to make their appearance has spent all of their time buried in the milling throngs of people. While a few glimpses of the figure in question may have been stolen here and there as bodies shifted in the packed tunnel, there has not been any opportunities to get a good assessment of the sort of person who she will face today.

This difficulty has not come about due to the shyness of the other team's members, nor from a desire to remain stealthy and subtle, to spy upon their foes and glean information. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the elusive individual has been completely surrounded ever since their arrival due to an eagerness to mingle with the fans.

Aurora hands a small notebook back to the young man who had offered it to her only a few moments ago, a previously blank page now adorned with the elegant flowing script of her signature. The offering is accompanied by a dazzling smile and a wink that makes the teenager blush as he takes back his autograph book and mumbles something under his breath before being absorbed by the crowd as others step forward with a deluge of requests for similar trophies.

Though a newcomer to the fighting circuit, it is little wonder that the young woman's popularity has been swift to rise. Attractive, upbeat, and friendly, Aurora swept through the lower ranks of Europe's tournament scene out of nowhere earning accolades and upsetting local speculators with the swiftness and ferocity of a typhoon. That she should so quickly find herself on the world stage by receiving an invitation to the grandest of all fighting championships has only further accelerated her growing notoriety.

Surrounded by miniature sea of fans eager for selfies and a chance to speak with the rising star, it is only when the judges bellow a quick warning that the match is to begin soon that she manages to extricate herself from the throng and step into the open.

As it turns out, Aurora is the opposite of her opponent in more manners that merely personality. Where the young Bulleta is dressed like something out of a old fairytale, her clothing conservative and almost entirely without visible skin, the young woman that strides confidently into the open looks like someone that just walked out of a cosplay convention. A tight-fitting halter top made of what appears to be some sort of latex-like material wraps her upper torso like a second skin, the material a bright glossy red in color. A large heart-shaped gap in the fabric is centered directly on top of her cleavage leaving plenty of her pale skin on display in an overt attempt to draw attention to her ample bosom. Only a few inches lower the top terminates in a sharp peak that leaves her entire midriff exposed, revealing the smooth surface of her well-toned abdomen. An equally tight pair of pants cling to her long legs, their assymetrical design and stragetically placed heart-shaped decorations likewise quite eye-catching.

A shock of hot pink hair radiates outwards from her head in a fluffy explosion of color giving it a wild windswept look whose manufactured design is betrayed only by the underlying order to the chaos that makes it look quite appealing. Thin strips of white fabric adorn her neck and left arm, each neatly clasped by a small pink heart-shaped pin, a design which is repeated on her cheek in the form of a small tattoo. Aurora's age is difficult to place, her delicately rounded face with its wide doe-like red eyes and her excessively cheerful demeanor giving off a rather youthful vibe.

The flamboyant young woman strides into the open circle, giving a few last waves and grins over her shoulder as she emerges from the crowd. Her attention quickly shifts to the opposite side of the circle, eyes locking on the figure of the small nervous blonde clutching her satchel. Aurora blinks at that a couple of times, the gears almost audibly grinding in her head as she stares with obvious confusion. That certainly wasn't what she expected when she imagined a world-class fighter who had managed to make it through the qualifiers. Then again, she has looked in the mirror recently, so she can't really throw stones on that particular issue.

Putting on a bright friendly smile, Aurora starts to make her way across the arena towards her opponent at a casual gait, crossing the small stretch of asphalt set aside for their match with her long strides in a handful of seconds. Resting her hands on her hips, she turns that dazzling charm towards Bulleta, flashing a hint of pearly white teeth that almost seem to glitter in the bright artificial light.

"Hey there! I guess you're my first opponent today, huh?"

A hand is extended towards the small blonde, a thick yellow glove covering it all the way up to the elbow. Aurora holds it out, basking the teenager in the radiance of her cheerfulness which almost seems to wash out from her like a palpable aura.

"I'm Aurora! It's nice to meet you."

[BULLETA]
"My name," the shuddering blonde murmurs in reply, "is B.B. Hood."

Ears. There are furred, pointed ears poking at the hood, the same brown as her tail. It's a relatively minor detail, but an important one:

Seeing them means that, suddenly, Aurora sees B.B.'s face...

... and a glimpse of B.B.'s face comes with a knee driving towards Aurora's gut, free of charge.

The smaller woman looks about five seconds removed from a crying jag, right down to puffy, freshly dried eyes and and reddened, freshly slapped cheeks.

"And I'm sorry," barely rises above fabric fluttering through the air, "but I can't let you stop me...!"

COMBATSYS: Bulleta has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Aurora has joined the fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Aurora blocks Bulleta's Surprise & Hop.

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

[AURORA]
Up close, the unusual details of the small blonde's extra bits comes into focus. It catches Aurora's attention but she tries not to stare, assuming it must be part of a costume or some such. Her experience with Dark Stalkers is limited to rumors at this point - well, it was until her cheerful and somewhat bland looking partner revealed himself to be none other than a vampire lord of the Makai.

As the hand is extended towards her diminuitive opponent, the flamboyant teenager pauses, her eyes widening for a moment as if sensing something she hadn't before. Rather than accept the friendly offer of introduction, Bulleta's knee snaps up without apparent warning, attempting to go for a cheap shot as the opening move to their bout.

Rather than be caught off-guard, Aurora's extending hand shifts mid-motion, slamming down to catch the insidious strike with her palm, stopping it short. There is a moment of silence as the crowd inhales in unison at the unexpected start to the match but it is just as quickly replaced with a roar of cheers upon realizing that the fight has started with a bit of drama.

Still clutching Bulleta's knee, Aurora's previously innocent and cheerful smile slowly twists into something far more sinister and menacing. Her lip peels back at one corner, flashing her teeth again, but instead of a friendly gesture her expression all but exudes menace and amusement.

"Hmph. You almost managed to fool me. I imagine plenty of people have ben taken in by that little act of yours," she whispers, keeping her voice low enough not to be overheard. "I certainly hope you were counting on it to save you."

Holding up her unoccupied fist, she clenches it into a tight ball as shimmering neon pink energy starts to engulf it. The light builds steadily in power for a second or two and then Aurora leaps backwards, disengaging from the clash. The retreat is but a feint for a moment later she lunges forward once again, blitzing forward in a flash of shimmering energy as she rams the glowing knuckles towards Bulleta's gut in a single powerful punch.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Aurora's Lovely Flash.

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

[BULLETA]
"I'm not proud of it," B.B. Hood whispers, taut and downcast, /just/ loud enough to be heard through the red mask wrapped around the lower half of her face.

"... but I'm barely-- I just--"

Before she can explain, Aurora's gone. Blue eyes flick across the space between them, settling on the glowing girl's feet for a beat--

"I-- I-I-- don't have a /choice/, Aurora, because it's-- i-it's--"

The ominously growing glow around Aurora's fist screamed obnoxiously destructive beam; the hard stop and shuffling feet promised something a little more personal. Now that the satchel's the only thing between her fist and B.B. Hood's stomach -- now that it's /trapped/ there by shimmering pressure and driving the wind from B.B.'s body -- the blonde sounds strained.

"-- if I don't lie,"

Not too strained to slip her free hand into one of the pockets facing her, so at least she's got that.

"-- i-if-- if I don't /hurt/ people-- what else am I supposed to DO?"

*KRAK!*

That and a sawed-off shotgun aimed at the center of Aurora's mass.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Aurora with Medium Strike.
- Power hit! -

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

[AURORA]
The small girl's plaintive attempt to excuse her behavior falls of deaf ears. All of the previous friendliness and cheerful energy that her opponent once possessed at a distance seems to have morphed, quite suddenly, into an aura of haughty malice. She drives her fist hard into the large satchel, the glowing power around her knuckles twinkling with the eye-searing neon of her energy as she tries to drive Bulleta onto the back foot.

And though the sob story does little to dissuade Aurora from her onslaught, it does distract her long enough for a brief moment of sleight of hand. Too late, she spots the Hunter's hand reaching for one of the many pockets lining the container. Eyes going wide, she braces herself, realizing there is no time to avoid whatever might be coming but the raw power of the deadly close range weapon is more than her hasty shift to the defensive can manage.

A faint nimbus of neon light engulfs Aurora moments before the shotgun barks its leaden retort. The teenager's voice echos through the tunnel in a cry of pain and outrage as the cloud of pellets slams into her shield at point blank range. She staggers backwards, teetering onto her heels for a moment, but rather than be laid out by something that should have taken a fist-sized chunk out of her side the young warrior seems only briefly stunned by the ferocious strike.

"You... little...!"

Aurora coughs, spattering her lips with a few speckles of blood as she clutches her side. Her lips pull back into an almost feral snarl, revealing that her once pristine teeth are likewise stained with her own vitae. Though she might have survived such a deadly strike, it clearly wasn't without cost.

Clenching her fist into a ball of quiver rage, the dazzling energy explodes around her hand once more and she lunges forward with another flash of motion. There is no hint of subtley or grace in her action this time. In fact, she almost seems to have no technique at all, only raw power, speed, and fury. The glowing mallet of her small gloved fist crashes across the space where Bulleta stands as she closes the gap, attempting to clobber the perfidious blonde with a shimmering haymaker.

COMBATSYS: Aurora successfully hits Bulleta with Heart Breaker EX.

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

[BULLETA]
The gun flies until it crashes into a tunnel wall.

B.B. Hood does not. Instead, she staggers forward through a full three-sixty with the arc of Aurora's blow, then collapses face-first to the asphault, where she pants fast and shallow. She's quick - give or take a few beats spent trying to catch her breath - to plant her hands on the ground and push up, but standing's another matter.

Standing takes time, precious seconds and fractions thereof sent to scatter on the wind like so much smoke. Her eyes rapidly widen, shrink, then flutter in the hopes of scattering the stars.

The smoke is not a simile. The stars are figurative, but time spent struggling to stand really /does/ translate into plumes of red smoke blossoming all around her 'til she's lost in a scarlet field.

There are probably more guns. If Aurora were to watch the playback later, here is where a lower third would tell her that B.B. Hood's most used firearm has been the uzi, and the odds of her having brought one today are 64%, given the Miracle Rookies' higher seed and the storage space projected to be provided by the satchel.

/Probably/, but after the last couple pellets hit the ground, a burning roar too big for most barrels rumbles through the air.

The smile might be tough to make out as it flies, but it's still plenty capable of spreading warmth and explosive cheer, should it make contact.

COMBATSYS: Aurora fails to reflect Smiling Missile from Bulleta with Dazzling Aegis EX.
- Power fail! -
~ Cruel hit! ~

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Bulleta          1/-======/=======|=======\-------\1           Aurora

[AURORA]
Unlike the Hunter, Aurora is not the sort of person who does extensive research on her opponents. In many ways, she is more akin to the wandering soul Ryu, merely traveling from place to place in search of fresh experiences and new opponents to challenge. There is, of course, an underlying objective behind her nomad lifestyle but her participation in the tournaments and street fights is more of a hobby than a career.

As such, the flashy young teen seems to be completely at a loss when it comes to what sorts of tricks Bulleta is hiding up her sleeves, but figurative and literal. She's never dealt with anyone who used modern weapons before and even her enhanced physical prowess is only barely able to keep up with the raw destructive force they possess. On top of that, the seething dark emotions boiling up inside of her - a gift from the vampire lord imparted after his dramatic revelation - intermingled with the sadistic malice lurking behind the facade of the young blonde have left her in something of a frenzy.

Aurora smirks with malicious glee upon sending the little whelp reeling, reveling in the aftermath of the pain that flows out into the air like a perfume. With dangerous intent, she begins to stalk after Bulleta, but slows when the thick red smoke starts to fill the air around her. Cautiously, she takes up a defensive stance, eyes narrowing as she prepares to ward off whatever trick the girl might be planning.

The screaming roar of the missile tearing its way out of the thick haze is met with a look of wide-eyed shock. Aurora stares in disbelief, taking an instictive step backwards as her mein of dark rage is momentarily broken. However, she recovers quickly, and once more draws her fist back to strike as glowing energy flares to life around her.

Shockingly, she does not attempt to evade the explosive projectile. With a cry of defiance, she swings her arm around in another wild strike, belting the projectile square on its conical nose as it flies into range. The neon power flares as it makes contact with the missile, engulfing it with a field of sparkling energy. The impact sends the missile pinwheeling to the side as its rocket engines fight for control over its trajectory and for a moment it seems as if the deadly shot has been deflected. However, it's wild bucking dance through the air takes an unexpected final shift at the last moment and with a spurt of red flame the missile dives into the ground just a short foot behind the girl, detonating just as she turns her attention back to the Hunter.

A wave of sound and fire washes over Aurora from behind. Her vision swims as the raw concussive force slams into her like a brick wall sending her sprawling onto her face in an unceremonious heap some five feet away from where she was standing. Pain lances into her back, a thousand tiny agonizing needles dancing across her skin as the majority of the shrapnel bounces off her latent defenses, allowing only a few of the larger chunks to penetrate and embed themselves into her flesh. Caught completely off-guard, she merely lies on the road, wincing in terrible pain she fights to clear her swimming vision.

[BULLETA]
There's no sign of a launcher when B.B. Hood emerges-- /marches/-- out of smoke cover; just that satchel swaying back and forth at her side, cutting incresingly long arcs through the air.

"Just stay down," she suggests, soft and doleful.

"It'll hurt less if you stay down," barely rises above the steadily building rush of disturbed air.

How much blood will it take until she /listens/, the blonde wonders, as if Aurora's a particularly bitter coffee in need of just the right amount of sweetener.

"I don't wanna have to hurt you..."

Which doesn't do a thing to keep one of those pendulous arcs from sweeping all the way up her back, over her head, and down towards Aurora's spine like a wicker-dyed hammer, but they're nice words, aren't they?

COMBATSYS: Aurora endures Bulleta's Shyness & Strike.
~ Cruel hit! ~

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Bulleta          1/=======/=======|=======\====---\1           Aurora

[AURORA]
For a few seconds, it looks as if the explosion has scored a telling blow. Aurora lets out a soft grunt from her position on the ground, eyes squeezed tightly shut against the ringing in her ears and the stinging pain radiating from a dozen tiny lacerations. It isn't the first time she's been hurt badly but she certainly did not come to the tournament expecting an encounter of this nature.

This fight has been something far more dangerous and aggressive than what she's previously experienced in her short career. In the small professional fighting circuits where she's made her name, no one ever wielded weapons of actual warfare. The talent of those who pitted themselves against her in mock combat was formidable but none possessed the ability to land strikes equivalent in force to the blast of a shotgun or the explosion of a freaking missile at point blank.

The young woman's chest heaves with labored breaths as she tries to sort through the storm of chaotic emotions swirling through the air around her as dozens if not hundreds of people lend their voices to the storm. Cheers and encouragement. Jeers and mockery. Pity. Anger. Fear. Hope. Lust. Kindness. It churns like a maelstrom around her, raw emotional energy that only she can sense and feel.

Energy that she can use.

As the Hunter draws close, still feigning words of insincere regret from behind her mask of veiled innocence, Aurora reaches out and takes hold of that power. Her eyes snap open, the crimson hue of her irises aglow with the tell-tale neon pink of deadly psycho energy. With a wordless cry, the empath channels the sea of emotions surging around her, siphoning strength from the presence of those around her as she rises to meet what was surely meant to be a final blow.

The large satchel comes crashing down upon the wild-eyed warrior as she lunges forward, abandoning all pretense of self-preservation in favor of pure aggression. With an audible thud, it impacts against her shoulder, it contents leading a heavy and brutal force to the swing. However, her sudden shift was enough to divert the strike away from smashing her back, leaving the small girl completely exposed as Aurora attempts to tackle her to the ground with a ferocious dive.

COMBATSYS: Aurora keeps on fighting!

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

COMBATSYS: Bulleta full-parries Aurora's Overdrive Heart!!

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

[BULLETA]
Empathic talents give Aurora an edge in catching the blonde's deception, but for one critical angle. The terrible ache in Aurora's shoulder offers a hint; so, too, did the sheer density of the satchel, hard and unyielding and deeply resonant on contact...

... but when Aurora lunges, B.B. rolls with the impact. The first revolution leaves them neutral: Aurora up, B.B. down; ditto the second, the third... it might be challenging for someone in the throes of an emotional storm to register the moment when relentless pressure locks around her midsection with any precision, but after the third go 'round, it ought to be abundantly clear that something's /wrong/.

The fourth turn ends with Aurora on her back while B.B. Hood jams the satchel against her face, against those ominously glowing eyes in the hopes of averting disaster, at which point the deceit's plain as day: despite her size, the blonde wields /crushing/ strength as easily as she does that satchel-- the one that was /thundering/ against the ground with each revolution thanks to her desire to keep the grapple moving instead of anchored in place by her arsenal.

"I don't /want/ to," she whispers, leaning in close enough that she and Aurora are the only ones to hear the sudden drop in her register, "but I /will/."

One of her hands leaves the satchel. A split-second later, a box cutter's gleaming towards Aurora's throat for a brutally brisk horizontal cut.

COMBATSYS: Aurora Toughs Out Bulleta's Smile & Slice EX!

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

[AURORA]
As the two young women go tumbling across the hard pavement, Aurora is forced to fight not only for dominance in the clinch but to control her own spiraling emotional state. She has let loose in such a manner as this only once before and the devastation was so great that she had vowed to maintain strict control over her abilities so that it might never happen again. Of course, the vampire's foul touch had corrupted her heroic spirit with its twisted energies, poisoning her soul and rendering her more susceptible to the darker impulses lying dormant in her psyche.

With every passing moment that control slips alittle further. In her moment of anger, she had hoped to catch the tricky little blonde off-guard, tackle her to the ground and pummel her into submission before she could properly realize her mistake. Instead, Aurora finds herself engaging in a battle of pure technique as the two warriors grapple on even footing, a contest in which her inexperience clearly becomes evident.

After several wild revolutions, the contest comes to an end with a clear victor. Bulleta sits astride her wounded opponent, smothering her with the bulk of the bag and its arsenal of hidden weaponry. Her strength proves to be greater than anticipated and even in her empowered state Aurora struggles to dislodge the Hunter and her greater leverage. The whispered warning would be ominous enough on its own but the empath's senses detect the sudden surge in killing intent as clearly as if the knife in her hand were glowing.

Shifting her focus away from trying to hoist Bulleta off her, Aurora's arms snap upwards as they reignite to catch the girl's arm as she flicks her deadly weapon in a single cut meant to end the fight in a most decisive manner. At the last possible second, she succeeds. Fingers with the strength of forged steel snap shut around the Hunter's wrist, stopping her swing cold even as the sharp edge kisses the surface of its prey's neck.

For a frightening instant the weapon is locked in place, both fighters engaging in a new contest of power and skill. A thin red line rises up around the cold steel as blood trickles into the fresh wound and down Aurora's neck. She does her best not to move, daring not even to breath lest the slightest shift bring more of that cutting edge into range. Silence fills the air as the crowd watches on in breathless anticipation of what will happen next.

With a final surge of defiance, Aurora reaches out to that swirling tempest of energy around her again. This time she doesn't bother to restrain herself. This was supposed to be a contest of skill and willpower, a demonstration of one's mastery over their talents for the entertainment of the onlookers. But this girl... whatever motive drove her to enter this tournament it was certainly not one that embraced the spirit of sportsmanship and friendly competition. This bitch is trying to kill her! No more holding back.

There is a brief moment of warning and nothing more. The air around Aurora changes, crackling with visible displays of etheral static as her aura expands. The brilliant pink fire coating her hands spreads out to engulf her entire body and then, with a wordless bellow of dark fury, the teenager simply explodes.

A raging bonfire of psycho power detonates in a blossom of light and sound that knocks every single member of the onlooking crowd off their feet as a shockwave radiates out in all directions, the narrow tunnel focusing the kinetic energy into a compressed wave of raw force. At the heart of blast, Aurora's soul burns with the intensity of all the emotional energy she had inhaled, her body a living avatar of blazing and brilliant psycho power. The fires rage wild and uncontrolled for several seconds, fueled by the fear, pain, and hatred pulled to the fore by Demitri's unholy mark in that brief moment of panic.

And then with the same suddeness, the light and searing colors fade away, seeping back into Aurora as if someone flipped the switch on a vacuum. Completely spent, the young woman slumps back onto the pavement, her eyes slowly fluttering shut as the light burning behind them gutters and fades back to normal.

COMBATSYS: Aurora can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Aurora's Soul Dynamite.

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

[BULLETA]
The only thing between B.B. and the psychic explosion pushing her ever higher into the air is the satchel.

That goddamned, improbably weighted satchel, in all its plain, brown glory. Deep, metallic bass rumbles through the tunnel as terrible force clashes with stubborn engineering. Buckles rattle, straps smack--

-- and when the blonde finally lands several yards from Aurora's body, it's maddeningly intact. B.B.'s hood's been blown backwards, and she's slow to start moving again after a hard landing leaves her crumpled on her back; the boxcutter's long gone, and several smoke pellets dislodged mid-flight fall from their spiraling trails.

The satchel, though? Good as new.

When she finally forces herself upright, it's just to slump forward and stiffly pull her limbs in tight as she shudders, pants, and all but /forces/ herself to keep an eye roving around the tunnel for signs of Aurora's teammate.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta awaits the next challenger.

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

[ELENA]
"Wow!"

After a few moments of stunned silence, as the intial shock of the sudden miniature psi-bomb slowly wears off, a single voice echoes through the tunnel to pierce the quiet. That one word does little justice to the sentiment of seeing the angry empath cut loose but in lieu of any other more eloquent statements it serves well enough to sum up the general feelings of the onlookers, as evidenced by the many nods and mutters of agreement that ripple through the crowd.

A lone figure pushes themselves off the pavement, the selfsame individual in possession of the voice. A tall slender young woman with skin the color of mocha and hair as white as snow casually flips to her feet and clears the smattering of scattered bodies strewn across the tunnel, loping gracefully between them like an antelope taking long bounding strides across the plains. She rushes over to where the fallen Aurora lies, kneeling down to scoop the girl up in her arms carefully.

"You really cut loose with that one, huh. Looks like you're all done for now. Don't worry, you did great! But leave the rest to me, okay?"

A pair of paramedics, easily identified by their white uniforms and the large medical kit carried between them, rush over to the scene only a few short moments behind the lanky newcomer. She gives them a nod and hands Aurora over to their care then turns to face the quivering lump on the floor.

"Hello? Are you still fighting today?"

Elena takes a couple of strides towards the Hunter but doesn't draw close enough that she can be sucker punched. She's already seen the sorts of dirty tricks this girl is willing to employ and while she might be one of the friendliest and most trusting inviduals on the planet that doesn't make her foolish or careless. Instead, she lowers her stance a little, hunching over as she starts to sway gently from side to side. She could just launch herself at the girl, technically the fight is still on, but that doesn't seem particularly sporting. Even if her opponent is underhanded, that doesn't mean she has to stoop to that level.

As impossible as it might seem, Bulleta's new opponent is wearing even less than her previous one. Now that she's out in the open, it's easy to get a good look at the woman who she'll be facing next. Elena is dressed in her traditional African tribal attire which looks more like a bathing suit than anything. Thin strips of white fabric encircle her chest and an equally minimalistic bottom leaves little to the imagination. Several bands of colorful cloth encircle her biceps and legs, along with golden rings at the wrists and ankles. She wears no shoes either, apparently unafraid of stepping on whatever detrius might be lying on the road.

"If you're still in the game, come on and get up! It's time for us to dance!"

COMBATSYS: Elena has joined the fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Elena focuses on her next action.

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

[BULLETA]
"Un--"

"Until I /can't/," quietly ripples from B.B. Hood's mouth.

A blood-red flutter gives Elena a moment's warning before there's a shower of lead screaming her towards her-- /beyond/ her, /above/ her, threatening to tear through flesh and glass alike as an uzi seems to buck against her control in a light-shattering, tunnel-spraying furor. A brisk roll's left her a couple feet closer to Elena than she was before the chaos began to unfold.

COMBATSYS: Elena blocks Bulleta's Quick Strike.

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

[ELENA]
Elena's lips twist up into a broad smile at the response, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She's about to respond with a jovial bit of encouragement but the bark of the deadly firearm rudely interrupts, forcing her to react in a hurry.

"Woah! Watch it, there's people around!"

Rather than retreat, the tall tribeswoman hurls herself towards Bulleta, intercepting her wild roll in an attempt to wrestle the gun out of her grip. Her wariness proves to be instrumental in this attempt for had she been caught off guard there would have been little chance to close the gap quick enough to avoid the danger. As it is, Elena collides with careless Hunter and wraps her long fingers around the small girl's arms forcing them into a close combat grapple.

In the chaos of the moment, the uzi's wild spraying gunfire manages to come frighteningly close to ventilating Elena's torso. She only barely manages to twist to the side as she wrestles for control over the weapon, hissing sharply as a near miss tears a bloody red line across one of her arms.

Not particularly eager to risk another such injury, she suddenly lurches to the side and snaps one of her long legs out, driving the heel of her foot towards Bulleta's gut in an attempt to double her over. From there, it will be easy to hoist the girl up and toss her across the arena with her powerful leg. Hopefully a good jolt will snap the kid out of her frenzy and make her realize that such dangerous attacks aren't in the spirit of the contest!

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Elena's Leg Hook EX.

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

[BULLETA]
It looks more dangerous than it is. Not to Elena, necessarily - B.B. is definitely trying to shoot Elena wherever she can - but the audience...?

They've only got stray ricochets to worry about. After a brisk, rising arc brings a few shards of glass raining down, her finger slips from the trigger-- just in time for Elena to wrestle her for it.

After a vicious blow to the head and a hard fall, another bout of grappling poses enough of a distraction that B.B.'s caught off-guard by the kick hooking into her gut; the pain's enough to get her mind moving at the right speed, though, and while Elena's able to hurl her without much of a fight, she keeps on flipping until she's crouched a couple feet away. Another rising burst goes completely wide of Elena right afterwards, darkening the tunnel further, then the gun clatters to the ground and the satchel reverberates against her hip.

"S-sorry!" she exclaims, lunging at the taller woman. "It's-- it's always so much more /powerful/ than I--!"

The sentiment's punctuated with a sharp and sudden turn that directs the satchel towards one of Elena's knees, of course.

COMBATSYS: Elena dodges Bulleta's Tricky Basket.

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

[ELENA]
Upon successfully tossing her opponent aside, Elena whirls around to keep the dangerous little teenager in sight, certain that allowing her guard down for even a moment will result in some sort of foul play. Normally, she'd be happy to give her opponents the benefit of the doubt - after all, this is supposed to be a fun competition of sorts - but despite her constant apologies and apparent timidness, Bulleta has proven she can't be trusted.

It proves to be the right choice to remain vigilant for no sooner than she has been cast aside the Hunter rises aggressively, charging once more into the fray with more empty words to distract from the powerful swing of her satchel. Elena isn't falling for it, however. The tall African girl takes a quick hop-step backwards as the heavy bag whistles through the air, no doubt with enough power and weight behind it to have easily crippled her should it connect.

"Your spirit doesn't match your words. You should release the darkness in your heart, it's much more fun to be happy!"

Grinning broadly, Elena weaves from side to side for a moment in a steady dance-like step then lunges again, this time moving back into striking distance with a sudden elegant forward flip. One of her long legs swings out as she comes down, the bare heel of her foot slamming towards Bulleta's hooded cranium like a hammer.

COMBATSYS: Elena successfully hits Bulleta with Mallet Smash.

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

[BULLETA]
"Wh-- what do I have to be /happy/ about??"

The heel to the head didn't help any. She's reeling on her feet after having had to scramble just to make it back to them.

"No parents-- EVERYONE at school hates me, I-- I have to do THIS, just to-- to--"

B.B.'s knees slowly buckle as she sputters through her dismay, but she catches herself once the record begins to skip. Swallowing a lump, she pushes a hand back through her hair, pausing when she hits the band with the ears attached. Her fingers start to curl-- halt-- curl--

-- dismay twists her lips--

-- blue eyes fall, contrite and calculating--

-- and when she inevitably lunges, she's gripping the band so the ears frame her fist, ready to be driven into an unsuspecting belly.

... or, as it soon turns out, the space a couple feet to the right of an unsuspecting belly.

A frustrated groan leaves her lips afterwards, but she doesn't hesitate to grip the satchel's top handle for a rising swing towards the Kenyan capoeirista's gut.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Elena with Crushing Strike.
Glancing Blow

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

[ELENA]
Elena rebounds from her acrobatic assault with leonine grace, dropping into a low crouch that makes the matter of regaining her posture as simple shift of her weight. She takes a cautious step backwards, her feet sliding across the pavement as if on cushions of air, and resumes the constant shuffle of her dance-like fighting stance.

"Maybe the problem is your attitude, yeah? If you want positive energy you have to give positive energy!"

While she feels a pang of empathy for Bulleta's claims, she doesn't allow it to distract her. If true, then that is unfortunate, but everyone has their own struggles to overcome and the middle of a tournament is not the place to have a therapy session. Someone strong enough to make it to the world stage would know that so she can only assume that these are more smoke screens meant to throw her off guard. A fairly despicable tactic but she doesn't have time to talk some sense into the girl at the moment, barring a few quick words of wisdom passed on from her elders.

Bulleta's sudden lunge is once more met with a prepared opponent. Elena side steps the wild swing, bending like a reed in the wind as the heavy satchel sweeps another dangerous arc through the air. Unfortunately, the momentum is a little too fast for her to avoid it completely and the heavy bag clips her on the hips, sending a sharp pang of agony through her leg.

Wincing, the capoerista rolls with the blow, spinning around to deliver a quick counter strike in the form of a sideway kick. With her balance tilted, it would be foolish to try and press forward at the moment. Instead she tries to widen the gap between them, driving her heel towards the Hunter's chest to use as a spring board as she retreats.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta dodges Elena's Evasive Kick.

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

[BULLETA]
A quick turn to the side puts a couple precious inches between herself and Elena's heel, and when the taller woman proceeds to retreat afterwards, B.B.'s right on her heels, charging--

-- slipping on shattered glass and asphault--

-- stumbling towards Elena. Shrieking and wheeling her arms around does nothing to stop her from falling; the knife that appears at the last moment is similarly unhelpful in staving off embarrassment, but on the up side, it /is/, in its desperate clutch between B.B.'s hands, pointed directly towards one of Elena's ankles.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Elena with Stumble & Blade.
- Power hit! -

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

[ELENA]
While she has been watchful for deceit and underhanded tactics thus far, the wild pinwheeling storm of limbs that comes at Elena even as she tries to regain a proper stance manages to finally overcome her defenses. The knife sinks its wicked tip into the tall girl's leg, biting deep into the flesh. A yelp of pain accompanies the small spray of blood as the weapon is yanked free and the older girl crumples backwards as her leg gives out under the strain.

Yet even in the face of this disastrous blunder, Elena manages to retain her calm. Gritting her teeth against the pain as she tumbles backwards, she lowers her arms to catch herself on her palms rather than go sprawling into the street. Her long legs whip sideways with the new anchor to guide them and she turns the tumble into a sudden attack. Her hips gyrate as she sweeps both limbs out like whipping tails, swinging them in a barrage of strikes at Bulleta's legs in an attempt to take the girl off her feet.

Hopefully, she won't be expecting an immediate counter strike after such an effective strike of her own. Once she's got the smaller girl on the ground, the advantage should be hers, at least for a few moments.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Elena's Lynx Tail EX.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Elena            1/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Bulleta

[BULLETA]
Hitting the ground drives the wind from B.B. Hood's lungs, but she rolls right through the fall-- sideways at first, then straight in, unwilling to give Elena those valuable moments.

Instead of standing - not only is her back screaming at her right now, her legs are stinging - she keeps herself low and snaps her right leg out in a scything strike meant to end with her heel grinding along the other woman's freshly dug wound. Her hands, meanwhile, remain braced on the ground while she tries to catch her breath.

COMBATSYS: Elena blocks Bulleta's Light Kick.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Elena            1/------</<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Bulleta

[ELENA]
Elena's strange posture makes targeting a specific point on her body all but impossible. Her legs continue to fulcrum around as she pivots about the pillar provided by her arms allowing her to easily swing the injured foot up and over the hasty kick, intercepting it with her other leg instead. The impact is strong enough that it disrupts her rythm and the dancer gracefully rolls backwards onto her feet, landing in a crouch like a cat preparing to pounce.

"I think it's time. I can feel the beat! Allow me to honor you with a demonstration of my Brave Dance!"

The well-toned muscles along Elena's legs ripple slightly as she tenses, the lingering pain marring her face bleeding away as she bares her teeth in a wide grin. Like an uncoiling spring, the tall girl explodes forward into a quick lunge. Her leg snaps up as she slams into Bulleta's space, driving the hard surface of her knee towards the small girl's side in an attempt to scrape her up off the pavement and lift her into the air.

What follows after is a veritable hurricane of grace and skill. Elena spins in a blinding circle as her legs lash out in rapid kicks. First they come in high, barraging her opponent in an attempt to dizzy her and knock her off balance. Follow that is another display of capoeria's signature ground-raking leg sweeps but this time the lithe fighter blends the strike into yet another, swinging her trailing leg up to slam Bulleta in the chin from below in order to launch her up into the air. Should that effort be successful, the two of them will rise in a tornado of kicks until the final blow knocks them apart.

Hit or miss, Elena's trip back to the ground occurs with her body oriented upside-down. Rather than crash headfirst into the pavement, however, she almost casually extends her arms over her head, catching herself lightly. Displaying precisely just how well toned her core muscles are, the teenager pushes herself back up into the air, balancing her body on one arm as she splays the other as well as her legs apart in a moment of revelry, letting out a happy cheer at the thrill of her flashy display.

COMBATSYS: Elena successfully hits Bulleta with Brave Dance.

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

[BULLETA]
B.B.'s so overcome with honor that all she does is curl up with her satchel and shiver after coming down from the dizzying heights of a dance with Elena.

Time--

B.B.'s is running out. This is her third fall in the space of a few minutes and this one came with a whiplash-snap, driving her skull into the street. Rolling over is a painstaking struggle; forcing her arms to /listen/, her hands to clutch--

-- her eyes to focus rather than swim, to narrow on the woman vanishing into encroaching darkness.

It's time--

The blonde grits her teeth and fights to roll a little bit further-- and then to sit up, satchel hugged to her chest all the while. A zipper slides here; a buckle's loosened there; fingers tremble all around; blood trickles from both nostrils and the corner of her mouth...

/It's Time/.

Time to secure the satchel across her chest and slide her hand through a parted zipper.

Time to /squeeze/.

Time for flames to roar and smoke to spiral from a hidden aperture on bottom of the satchel.

Time to smile, and smile, and smile, and /smile/ through a volley of sheer, explosive joy. Each new burst of cheer drives B.B. Hood a couple feet further back-- a few inches further to the ground--

-- until it's time to collapse, knees first, face second; the satchel crashes shortly afterwards.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta can no longer fight.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Elena            0/-------/----<<<|

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Elena with #The Killing Time#.

[                                <
Elena            1/--=====/=======|

[ELENA]
Time enough for one last trick, it seems.

Elena remains perched on a single arm, exulting in the rush of adrenaline and joy that always comes from putting her skills on display. She had worked long and hard to perfect her arts under the careful tutelage of her elders. Every time she dazzled a crowd or impressed a fellow fighter it was a like a badge of honor that she offered up to the spirits of her ancestors.

Having landed a perfect strike against the twisted little Hunter, Elena allowed herself to get lost in that brief moment of excitement and it proves to be her downfall. Her eyes snap wide as the first explosion of gunpowder alerts her to the final threat of the match, understanding blossoming in her mind with dreadful clarity. In a desperate bid to avoid her fate, the teenager hurls herself sideways, tumbling into a cat-like crouch.

The first of the deadly rockets misses her by inches. A sharp roaring sound rips past her ear like an angry snake causing her to flinch instinctively, scrambling sidewides in a panic. The next few missile likewise tear through the air all around her, filling the air with a cacophony of terrible sound, and with each passing moment it becomes harder and harder to avoid the storm of ordance being poured out.

Inevitably, she cannot avoid them all. An explosion tears the pavement up only a few feet to her side sending Elena sprawling into a heap. The next lands on the opposite side, spraying her with shards of painful shrapnel and scorching her skin with searing heat. Another blast detonates nearby and then another and another until a wall of smoke and smouldering heat engulfs the fallen dancer.

Once the firestorm has finally abated, the thick haze of smoke is cleared away by officials as they wade into arena to survey the aftermath. Both combatants lie upon the ground, their battle having left each covered in ash and bruises. It's clear that neither of them will be engaging in any further violence this day. But, with the fall of their second champion, that marks the end of the tournament round for the Miracle Rookies.

Log created on 17:59:35 08/02/2019 by Bulleta, and last modified on 15:12:31 08/12/2019.