Match of the Millennium

Description: Steve and Bob have found Mitsuru at a sketchy prison in the heart of Chinatown. The pair splits up, with Steve rioting his way right through the front door. When he encounters the warden, however, it becomes a delicate battle over life and death... for the teenager girl's sake.

[LEE PAI LONG]
Bob and Steve found the trail at the SLeeping Dragon.

Well, near it. It wasn't hard for Bob to find the tournament organizer that Steve talked about. After a little bit of persuasion, and a bit of pummeling against the two goons that guarded him, the organizer spilled the beans. Mitsuru was held at the Sleeping Dragon, where she was to be picked up by a Syndicate agent. John Crawley showed up, had her untied, and promptly began to beat up the girl in a fight. THe girl looked like she was killed in the ensuing beatdown, having been impaled by a statue. John Crawley apparently took her away, and if she wasn't dead, then she would be taken to the only place they know where 'injured' gangsters go in CHinatown. And that's where BOb and Steve found themselves. It was strange, though.

Because when on the trail of criminals and their victims, a prison is counter-intuitive.

The background of the prison was that it was an officially sanctioned Southtown prison, for minimum security facility. This was the place where a majority of the gangsters in Southtown ended up when they ran on the wrong side of the law. It sat in Chinatown, with barbed wire fence high all around the plain exterior of the two-storied facility. It was always crowded; it was hard for prisoners to get in. It was a strange place to find leads from the Sleeping Dragon.

But then again, you'd expect to see the prisoners inside, not outside.

When you see gangsters outside the fence, standing guard towards the entrance, it was pretty easy to guess the real nature of the prison. Mitsuru, having been severely injured, was brought here was what the organizer claimed. Syndicate people who get hurt are brought here. Typically, when they were hurt bad, they were arrested, so it was easy to miss that all of them end up here. The plan Steve got was fairly straight forward: the pair would split up. Getting into the prison wouldn't be hard, in theory. The nature of the prison made that clear. But what would happen is that one would draw attention on one end, while the other would come in on the other. There, they would start hunting down Mitsuru, and get out. And if anybody got in their way?

WEll, don't feel too bad punching out the guards.

[STEVE]
Steve was standing a good few Dozen yards away from the prison considering the best approach. He looked over the concrete gray building and the distinctly un-police like guards. They were obviously wielding pistols on their hips. Steve is a tough Brit, but bullets are a very scary thing. Once he gets surrounded he'd be turned into Swiss Cheese without a second thought. He needs to find a delicate balance between attracting attention and not getting shot. Outstanding

Although they were armed, the guards are placed rather sparsley, at least outside. For now, his main focus will be to get in and cause a ruckus, indoors there are more places to ambush thugs and take cover from the inevitable rain of steel.

The rest of his plan? He will develop that when he gets in. He will trust Bob with the rescue itself, all he has to do is attract attention by yelling very very loudly, doubling as a signal for the overweight investigator

"That's enough thinking, i need to get going." Steve mumbled

One mafioso is watching over the entrance, a simple gate of metal and wire large enough to allow vehicles in, to the side there is a smaller entrance fit for people. and one more is perpetually circling the heavy concrete block of a building. Steve gets as close to the gate as possible by tactically moving between the Chinatown alleys, until he reached a building about 20 yards from the entrance.

The guard was paying little attention and is just trying to get through his shift to get payed, allowing Steve to quickly dash close and knock him out with a quick hook to the temple. For a second he considered bringing the dropped pistol with him, but he decided against it as he quickly padded down the unconcious body and took out a big metal key, which he then used to open the gate to the courtyard. Steve then dashed behind the building's corner. Waiting for the second guard to come around in arm's reach for quick K.O. A flurry of punches promptly pushed the pummeled thug to the ground, that's all for outside. This is where the real challenge comes into play. Steve shuffled closer to the entrance of the actual building as he took a deep breath.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Bob has to have heard that right? He isn't planning on yelling like a child on a tantrum ever again.

Steve opens the door as he hears a drumbeat of footsteps from inside coming his way. Steve finds himelf in a thin concrete hallway as he dashes forward, the room expands into a a larger entrance hall, and half a dozen of thugs are approaching him at a rapid pace, he charges straight at the group, keeping low the ground to reduce the risk of getting shot until he is close enough for their guns te become a inconvience to use. He positions himself in the middle of the tightly-packed group, making them risk shooting eachother as Steve erupts in a wild trance of fists, indiscriminately smashing into stomach's, chins, and faces. And as such, the encounter was over in a flash as Steve comes out victorious with little more then a couple of light bruises.

"Was that seriously all they had to throw at me?"

[LEE PAI LONG]
No, see, this -wasn't- supposed to happen.

The outpost of guards was supposed to deter people. When people come in with fists flying? You are caught flatfooted. For a secure facility, there seemed to be a very -relaxed- response to a person breaking in from the outside. All the while, a strong sense of a lack of guards. Oh, there were some uniforms inside too. The men weren't wearing them; it wasn't even time for an inspection. As Steve knocks down the last round, the way is clear to the actual jailblock. Steve bursts his way in.

It was not all they had to throw at him.

Men begin to pour out of their cells. Going -both- directions, not just towards Steve. Because apparently, in this prison, you don't -bother- to lock them from the outside. From within, the rows -look- like a normal prison; they even have bars. Padded bars, in fact, for safety. But what was clearly supposed to be a underfunded prison was showing far more investment in the well-being of its prisoners. Steve doesn't have to go past the first before he would see the interior of one of the 'long running' guests: a fully furnished cell, with flat-screen TV, cable, streaming, a brand new Playstation, and a fine couch to boot. The toilet even had bamboo walls around it, giving unprecedented privacy. The only lacking matter is short a queen sized mattress, with merely a futon, but the portable massage table opened up seemed to give more than a suitable alternative.

And when did prisons have -women- in questionable outfits running around in a panicked manner.

This prison was more like a hotel, than a place to hold miscreants. As Steve is greeted by a clean dozen men, not one of them a 'prison guard,' a sound rounds through the whole block. "Keep it down out there!" A voice pipes up from the 'central office,' a cell on the upper floor. The cell looked more like a front for one of those Chinese medicine shops, with all kinds of decoration and red lanterns outside. A man emerges, dressed in traditional chinese robes of white and black. Over his face, was a yellow and green monkey mask, done in the stylized Eastern style. His words were curt, as he looked down to the incoming ranks of gangsters, some now even armed with bats and knives as they surge towards the boxer. "I am caring for... caring for a patient..." It's unclear his expression behind the mask. But staring down at Steve, at the already downed mooks around the Englishman, he makes it clear his impression.

The masked man returns back into his cell.

[STEVE]
As Steve actually takes a moment to inspect his surroundings his mindset changes from heroic to thoroughly confused. How is -this- supposed to be a prison!? He however does not have much time to ponder on the current situation as a new squad of mobs come rushing his way, these guys look significantly more dangerous then the facade of guards he had to face seconds ago. Since they have weapons this time, he decides to limit their movement by moving back into the hallway from where he came, making the gang unable to surround him as they need to come through the hallway with a limit of two people at a time. Giving Steve the opportunity to wait until -they- get close instead of the other way around.

One of the knife-wielding mobs lunges towards him as another comes in with a large overhead slam of a bat. Steve dashes to the right and presses his body against the wall while grabbing the wrist of the shanker, dodging the bat and stopping the knife. He then retorts by squeezing the wrist tightly, forcing him to drop the knife. He simultaneously moves closer to he bat-wielder and brings him to his knees with a heavy blow to the liver. As both of the bodyguards are retching in pain, Steve knocks them out with a twofold of quick blows to their heads. He does not give the next pair of mobs a chance to attack as he immediately dashes their way, punching both of them at once and knocking them out.

These foes are certainly more skilled, but still fail to stand against his world-class punches and reflexes. Eventually, Steve went into a purely instinctual sort of trance, dishing out and dodging blows left and right as the bodies piled up in the hallway. If he does not need to think to beat these chumps, why bother? He can save his mind for the truly tough opponents.

After a short minute, Steve came back to reality. A heap of unconscious thugs lying ahead of him throughout the hallway. Steve proceeds to awkwardly stumble through the hallway doing his best not to place his feet on hands or faces. "Sorry" He mumbled a quick apology as he nearly tripped over a head. until eventually, he made it back all the way inside.

"Hey mask, i disposed of those fools, mind answering some questions?" He yelled towards the orientally-decorated office as he moved up towards the red shine of the lanterns.

[LEE PAI LONG]
The interior of the masked man's cell was... different.

Compared to the prisoners, it was both more spartan, and more ornate. There was a simple cot to sleep on, and no television. Instead, everything was stocked with shelves, with an area in the back for surgery and observations. The shelves had things beyond understanding, powders and salves and roots and herbs and animal parts from the kinds of animals that may very well be extinct in the wild at this point. It was a medicine room, not an office. Though there was, at least, a desk in the side, where paperwork was processed, with a few chairs on the other end of the cell as a sort of waiting room.

The masked man himself was standing in front of the bound body of Mitsuru.

The teenager was... different from before. Her arms were tied lightly against a surgical gurney. Her satchel and clothing were in a neat pile outside the plastic curtains of the sterile surgical zone. Her top was naked; a hospital gown was over her lower torso. She was facedown, her back exposed. Her long black hair was cut short, nearly shaved. Thin, long needles were deep in her skin, protruding up. Heated, glass suction cups were positioned intricately around them; they were turning her skin purple. A silver plate sits on the ground, filled with black blood. There was careful stitch work, a fair amount of blood bags. She was stitched up, but a large, nasty stitch was on her back; something had broken through her lung.

It was the kind of injury that left scars.

"You have come for the girl." The man said. "I am Lee Pai Long, the warden of this prison. And this girl has been placed under arrest for vandalism, delinquency, and street fighting. She was injured in transit, and now I am saving her life." He sweeps he robed hand over, briefly showing a flash of claws from under his sleeves as he gestures. "Her humours have been out of balance, and I have never seen such a young lady with an excess of bile..." He shakes his hand a bit, falling into a defensive stance. Chinese Kung Fu. Balancing a shoed heel carefully, as he brings his fists up. "But it's not important. I know why you have come. You will not move the patient. Shaking her neck, adding spinal injuries... no. She is to stay here in my prison, for her safety. ANd you..." He tenses his fingers. "I will invite you to stay and wait for her to recover. Rooms are tight, but I am sure we can open a cell up for you." His held cocks, as he almost laughs at his next joke before it comes.

"For 5-10 years..."

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-------|

[STEVE]
As Steve entered the peculiar workspace he briefly marveled at eccentric decorations and pots, this initial feeling quickly subsided as he looked past the doctor and saw the brutalized girl. His faced wrenched into that of Horror as his stomach sinks. He turns his head around as he puts his elbow in front of his mouth, doing his best not to retch over. After taking a brief moment to recover as the masked freak speaks, all that remains is a deep feeling of guilt and uncertainty. He holds back tears as he does not want to show weakness in front of his opponent, but his body is shaking.

The worst part about this is, the Doctor is right. They can't easily bring her with them as she could die if the medical equipment in her body were to be removed. But for now, Steve has no choice to put aside those thoughts and face the challenge ahead of him, while dearly hoping Bob will arrive. He is the wise one here, he'll know what to do..... right?

As such, Steve silently moves into his orthodox boxing stance and prepares to engage in a clash of blows with his opponent. He cannot afford to lose this time.

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

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
For Lee Pai Long, the same weight.

He knows that heroes come and heroes go; and for one to tear through the prison guards so violently, this was not a hero that would leave without a fight. He did not know about Bob; he only knew about the boxer. He could see the fear, the shaking. The weakness. He could sense it, as he could sense the faintest of medical ailments. He was a doctor. He was precise. He was correct.

And he makes his move.

Lee Pai Long suddenly leaps forward, moving with the sweep of his arms. It is elegant, graceful, smooth. In a flurry of fabric and motion, he was upon Steve. Just fast enough to exist, just slow enough to avoid a sudden reaction. And he brings his left hand down. A single rap of his knuckles, straight towards Steve's head. Not even hard enough to leave nothing more than a lump; but the second limb sweeps around, the gleam comes again: a claw, razor sharp, drawing out with three blades, sweeping to rake across Steve's throat.

All while the mask stares with its fixed smirk.

COMBATSYS: Steve blocks Lee Pai Long's Medium Strike.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Steve

[STEVE]
Steve takes a deep breath

As he does his best to regain his composure, the Doctor moves towards him with a elegant, and almost hypnotizing stike. Steve however sees through this diversion as he senses the true attack coming his way. The gleam of the metal shining in the red light caught his attention. He decides to ignore the inital attack, and focuses fully on stopping the claw. He manages to duck closer to his opponent's body and and put his arm in the way of the Doctor's elbow, he inital hit leaves nothing more then a painful sting as Steve prepares a counter-attack.

Using the close proximity to Lee Pai Long's body, Steve flings a left and right hook towards his chest. His motions are shaky, yet controlled and swift, his actions mostly dictated by his body's muscle memory. After the quick exchange Steve steps back and takes a more defensive "Turtle" stance as he prepares for further assault.

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long dodges Steve's Mix-Up Combo.

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Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
He took the rap, in order to avoid the claw.

As Steve takes the hit, the claw is almost completely negated. A hmph comes from under the mask. Lee was not shocked; the man was already proving himself strong. But he was a chinese master. And this was simply an Englishman, A distraction. As the defensive counter-attack comes, he is already swirling, already moving. The left stepped back, and the right brings the masked man to his side.

And around the turtle, he continues to pick and choose.

The clawed doctor swipes again, another claw precisely at his side. Not a lethal blow, never a lethal blow. He did not care for this man ,but as a man of medicine, he would need to treat him. And with Mitsuru already taking up his time... he had to be academic about this. Already, he was pushing away from Steve, already pulling away. Leaping backwards...

Back towards Mitsuru?

COMBATSYS: Steve instinctively blocks Lee Pai Long's Evasive Strike.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0            Steve

[STEVE]
As the sweeping claw comes in Steve is prepared for the attack. He cannot block a claw with his arm, only stop it. Steve's arm flicks towards the outstretched arm of the doctor, partially stopping it by grabbing the arm halfway through the swing. The sharp edges of the claw aren't completely stopped however, the points slightly dig into Steve's skin as the momentum isn't completely stopped. The doctor slips free from his grip as he moves away from him and towards...... Mitsuru?.

"Get away from her you freak!" Steve's first instinct is to dash forward and continue his assault. But he realizes fighting that close to her unconcious body could be dangerous, besides, she -is- his patient, Steve doubts he would harm her after going through the trouble of keeping her alive. He takes a deep breath as he clears his mind, focusing his attention on making the next blow really count.

COMBATSYS: Steve focuses on his next action.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
Lee lands on the gurney.

His footwork is precise; squared delicately around the half-naked patient. He waits for the boxer's next move. But as he straightens his back, he sees... there isn't. Get away from her. The doctor glances down at Mitsuru. Her body was healing, yes. But the most life threatening factors were dealt with. There is a moan from the girl, which immediately gets the attention of the masked man. Swiftly, he sweeps his hand down.

ANd pulls out a single needle.

Bringing it up, he levels it out before him. The claw was gone. "Acupuncture. Underrated, in the medical world. But Eastern Medicine typically is. You are afraid, I can see your fear. Weakness. Uncertainty. No -confidence!-" He almost sounds disgusted. "You are afraid of hurting her. That you will be so clumsy, that you would break her back. She would never walk again, you know, if you were too rough with her now. As for me..." He bends his knees, letting the hospital gurney groan under the weight. "I know I will not hurt her. I am a professional. And you?"

"A brute."

You couldn't see the grin behind the smirk on the mask. But the tone the man had, you could hear it. The lecturing, the smug airs. "You wouldn't dare come at me. You are alone. And every second that passes, is a second in my favor. Reinforcements will come eventually. You can fight and fight. But the moment you turn your back?" THere is a flick of the wrist. THe needle drives deep in the ground, before Steve's feet. "If you think you are strong enough, precise enough, professional enough? Come, and fight me. If not?" He motions for the chair, staring dead on. "Have a seat."

"And wait for your destiny."

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long calculates his next move.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0            Steve

[STEVE]
Steve is afraid. Afraid of hurting her. Afraid of the terrifying mind games the Doctor his playing with him.

Something about this man deeply unnerved Steve to his core. His manner of speech. The lack of a face to look at and...... another reason he is unable to place a finger on. As he listens to the Masked man's dialogue. His fears are only further confirmed.

What if he hurts Mitsuru?
What if Bob never makes it here?

What if.... -he loses?-

Steve dealt with these emotions in the only way he knew how. Anger. Rage. Fury.

*CRASH* He drives his right fist through a nearby, ornate mirror. The shards of glass quickly digging into his skin as his hands starts dripping blood. Steve *forces* himself to absorb the anger back within him. Not for himself. But for Mitsuru. This is the one moment where he needs to move with absolute precision, more so then any of his previous bouts. Any fall could bring her in danger, any rash movements could hurt her. She has been trough more then enough already.

*Dont listen to him. Block out the sound. Control your emotions*. He recites this in his head like a childish mantra as he slowly steps towards towards Lee with his arms still raised. At least for a little bit, he is able to control himself as he enters an almost serene state. Steve Takes a deep breath. "I will take up your challenge. As a professional. A professional Boxer"

And in a flash, Steve ducks and dashes in a moment of unnatural swiftness, he positions himself in the small gap between Mitsuru's gurney and Lee Pai Long to as he releases a crouching-body blow with his right. The punch leaving a trail of crimson as it moves towards the doctor's Stomach in a swift and precise motion, splattering small drops of blood across the room. As Steve now has his Back towards Mitsuki, his blow puts her in a minimal danger since she does not risk having her own doctor collapse on top of her. Here's hoping Steve won't be the one to fall.

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long blocks Steve's Fox Hunt EX.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
Lee Pai Long has reconnected.

[STEVE]
Steve says, "Anyways, it's high time for me to get some rest. I'll talk to you soon!"

[LEE PAI LONG]
There was a little problem.

For Lee Pai Long, little problems were typically fixed with the same medical precision as his patience. Steve himself was a little problem; despite his entrance Lee Pai Long was confident that he could solve him. After the boxer unleashes his anger into the vanity, the masked man even relaxes a bit. Let the anger out. And have a seat. But there was another little problem, as Steve accepted the challenge.

He was bluffing.

That much was obvious the moment Steve lunges in. Lee Pai Long leaps down, kicking the gurney under his foot to slide Mitsuru out of the way. And yet, it was not reckless. No, it was in total control, with the safety of the patient paramount. He was getting her out of the way of the attack. It wasn't simply Steve who was looking out for her safety, no: Lee Pai Long considered her safety paramount. He had hoped that he could break Steve with his words.

He failed.

With his attention split between his patient and his opponent, there was no slippery evasions now. The doctor hisses in pain as he is forced to bring his claw up. The katal grip gave some defense against the body blow, deflecting it enough to keep the full force from driving into his gut. Instead, he takes a staggering glancing blow, sending him staggering winded backwards. Mitsuru was now behind Steve, and now Mitsuru was between Steve and the exit of the cell. And the doctor?

Cornered, and losing control.

"Stop! You are going to hurt her!" He blurts out as he draws his claw in. The man suddenly began to punch. And punch. And punch. The limbs of the doctor were a blur, as he suddenly unleashes what seems like a hundred punches amongst his snapfire flurry of blows. He was trying to push the pressure back on Steve, to strike pressure points, to disable him, to seize control. And most importantly, begin to rotate around.

To place himself between Steve and the girl again.

COMBATSYS: Steve fails to interrupt Hyakuretsu Ken from Lee Pai Long with Hellfire.

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Lee Pai Long     0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0            Steve

Lee Pai Long has dropped a connection.

[STEVE]
Steve Slipped up. He predicted he'd be able to withstand the assault before attacking with his counterattack, but as he pulled back his his right arm and braced himself for impact. He did not forsee one aspect of his opponents attack.

The pressure points

Within the first few strikes, the doctor struck gold as he managed to hit the pressure point responsible for the shoulder, making Steve's attacking arm fall limply to his side as the blows started flooding in.

Right knee. Torso. Hip. Left Elbow. Each of his limbs and muscles where momentarily shutting down one by one as the doctor was circling around him, the only thing Keeping Steve standing being the continuuing barrage.

Left knee. Left Shoulder. And finally. The solar Plexus.

Steve lost the metaphorical tug of war as Lee was once again positioned between him and Mitsuru.

As that last strike hit, Steve fell limply to the ground as the feeling in his limbs started to slowly creep back in. This kind of attack was not intended to inflict broken bones and bruises, but was a much more terrifying attempt at disabling the body from the inside, inflicting a numbing pain in the process. Funnily enough, this numbness actually helped Steve control his emotions as stumbled back on his feet. His vision was hazy, his hearing distorted, and his body would not allow him to make an attack of his own just yet, all he could do was prepare for the inevitable attack coming his way.

[LEE PAI LONG]
Lee Pai Long has reconnected.

Lee Pai Long has dropped a connection.

Precision, for pain.

Lee Pai Long couldn't break a bone, without leverage. But that wasn't the point of his work. Every strike was like a dagger, a knife. Each punch was a scalpel, carving out the fighting spirit like one would deal with a cancerous tumor. He was pulling Steve apart, without even separating the tissue. And by the time his barrage is done?

Steve was on the floor.

"You are a fool." Lee Pai Long states from behind his mask, as he quickly leaves Steve for a moment, to inspect Mitsuru. A quick once over, and a nod. She was okay, though she was still closer to the exit of the cell. Turning around, Lee brings his hands together within his sleeves, meeting them before him as if he was making a faux bow. Looking down, his haughty tone boiled forth. "What did you expect coming for this girl? Her crimes have been made, her punishment severe. You think you can hide her away from her final shame." Lee Pai Long chortles a moment, before snapping out a single kick, as a henchman would kick a dog in retaliation for making him attack a sand sculpture of his master.

Aimed right for the ribs.

COMBATSYS: Steve blocks Lee Pai Long's Light Kick.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0            Steve

[STEVE]
Steve could move. His insides hurt like hell. But he could move.

Lee's last attack made Steve lose his literal and metaphorical advantage as he was once again between Steve and Mitsuru. It took a while, but the paralyzing effect of the punches finally wore off throughout his entire body and with it, the sharpness of his mind also returned. His calm state of mind standing on shaky legs as the anger started dripping back in due to Lee's cutting words. He stepped to the side and put his arm and shoulder in the trajectory of Lee's leg to significantly damp the inpact. "Punishment? Dont give me that bull."

Steve's arm erupts in a threefold of whip-like strikes with his left, exhaling air with his mouth thrice, synchronized with the blows perfectly while taking a solid step around his opponent. Putting him in a better position to drive the doctor away from his patient. The last hit comes in like the shooting of a bullet, a right straight further enhanced by Steve leaning into the blow and rotating his arm 30 degrees to create a sort of torgue. "Take that!" With every punch he releases some of his frustration while keeping his motions precise.

Steve cannot fully control his rage, but he can still take steps keep Mitsuru out of harms way.

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long fails to interrupt Spitfire Combo from Steve with Kuuten Tsume.

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Lee Pai Long     0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
"Hrmph!"

That was all the interjection that Lee Pai Long could muster, as Steve manages to show his fighting spirit still burning. As his leg is rebuffed, he was turning, twisting... and bringing the claw out. "You know nothing!" Is what he counters again, as he begins to leap straight at Steve, launching head first as his claw sticks out. He was going to drill straight into him, grind straight through him. He was not going to let Steve escape; he was not going to let him slip away. He would finish this, and break his spirit, and make him a permanent decoration within the prison walls. Who knows. Maybe he could even break him so hard, he would be a footman.

And suddenly, a punch.

Three of them, in fact.

The drilling dive is stopped cold, along with dreams of broken boxers crawling the streets of Southtown once more. The doctor is caught in the air by the triple punches; stunned in midair by the barrage. When the fourth punch comes, he is knocked away, slamming his back into his cabinets and shelves. Expensive powders and jars clatter and fall, forming a cloud around the masked man as he groans. "Impossible!" He blurts out.

"Stay down in your place and give up properly!"

[STEVE]
And with that, the advantage tipped back in the favor of the british brawler. The room filling up with the scent of herbs and medical powders as the doctor was slammed in the wall amongst shards of broken glass from his own pots. Steve had no intention to give the doctor room to breath as he dashed back in for a follow-up

Steve ran towards Lee, he leapt up in the air and raised his right arm before slamming it back down with and overhead smash, using the momentum from jumping and falling downwards to heighten the weight of his blow.

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long parries Steve's Burst Hammer!

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Lee Pai Long     0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
Lee Pai Long was barely getting up, when Steve was upon him.

The reaction was swift, and unbecoming. Gripping his hand around a small pouch, he slips aside, letting Steve bring the full force to his shelves. He was already cursing how expensive Steve was being. But not as much as his next play. The mask slips up slightly as Lee turns at Steve's side, as the contents of the pouch find itself on a palm. A dried powder, and then, with a puff, he blows it at Steve's face.

Blasting Black Rhino Horn powder straight at Steve's eyes.

All he needed was the opening. The batch was already ruined. And before there is a moment more, he flips forward, unleashing a prompt bicycle kick to springboard off Steve, and land back between himself and Mitsuru.

Mask back over his lips.

[STEVE]
Steve says, "That is a scary parry. Using the powder like that is a very creative way to play that out"

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long successfully hits Steve with 100 Ren Ashi EX.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Lee Pai Long     0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>---\1            Steve

The black powder entered Steve's eyes and impaired his vision with a very painful sting. The loss of sight threw Steve completely off as his slam hit naught but the wall. Tactics like this?

Dishonorable. Cowardly.

Even though this was a wild "Anything goes" fight, tactics like these further angered Steve This anger was the last push to an explostion of anger. His shaky exterior of calmness shattered when the spinning kick promptly smashed him into the floor with lee landing elegantly behind him. Steve pushed is hurting body to his feet as he prepared to absolutely *ravage* Lee. But with the part of his brain that could still think clearly, he knows Mitsuru's safety is in first priority. That won't stop him from giving his all to firmly plant the masked face into the ground.

Steve rushes a couple of steps with his right arm pulled before firmly planting his feet in front of the doctor, he rotates his upper body slightly to the left as he lets loose a right cross heading straight towards the mask of his foe while still taking care in hitting him from an angle where he wont stumble towards Mitsuru.

COMBATSYS: Steve successfully hits Lee Pai Long with Cross Punch.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Lee Pai Long     1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>-\1            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
Lee Pai Long has reconnected.

Lee Pai Long has dropped a connection.

The one thing shared between Steve and Lee was their priority for Mitsuru's safety.

Naturally, that did little to change the nature of the fight. The masked man was eager to dispatch the boxer. As he lands his kick and makes his landing, he turns to face his opponent. You could almost hear the exasperation in his sigh as Steve, hardly missing a beat, only seemed to get more resolved in tearing apart the doctor. "Please! You have already done 50000 yen in damage for my room alone! You sick minded fool!" Lee twists to evade the punch aimed at his face.

He should have talked less.

The cross comes rioting in from the wrong angle. Lee wanted to try another aggressive dodge, to plant another quick counter. Instead, he ate a fierce, staggering blow straight into his mask. Fortunately, it was wooden, so it didn't shatter. Unfortunately, as seen by the blood now pouring out underneath the painted smirk? It splinters. Lee snarls as he comes staggering back toward Mitsuru. Instinctively, he flips backwards, making a pivot as he leaps over her again. Planting his feet high against the bars of the cell, he immediately launches back, a claw sticking straight out for a rending flyby slash.

Before landing deftly into a roll away.

Lee Pai Long has reconnected.

Lee Pai Long has dropped a connection.

COMBATSYS: Steve blocks Lee Pai Long's Kachou Takashime Geki.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Lee Pai Long     1/----===/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\1            Steve

Lee Pai Long has reconnected.

Lee Pai Long has dropped a connection.

Lee Pai Long has reconnected.

Lee Pai Long has dropped a connection.

[STEVE]
For now, Steve's anger worked in his favor as he nailed his last blow. He can't help but Smirk at Lee complaining about the destruction of his property.

Lees Claw comes slashing once again. As the outstreched arm draws ever closer Steve prepares to knock it off-trajectory. He takes a quick moment to aim, and, before the claw could reach the vunerable places it was aiming for Steve slaps it downwards, causing it to only just scratch the upper skin of his thigh.

"Dont blame me, you insisted on fighting near Mitsuru." After saying this he instantly dashes after the just-landed Lee and attempts to grab him by the shoulders before pushing him towards a mostly intact part of the shelves. Full well intending to get further on the Doctor's nerves by crashing more of his medical materials.

COMBATSYS: Steve successfully hits Lee Pai Long with Quick Throw.
- Power hit! -

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Lee Pai Long     1/--=====/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2            Steve

[LEE PAI LONG]
Lee Pai Long wanted to correct him.

What he wanted was to have Steve broken, and not rip through his shop. He wanted to protect Mitsuru, his patient. And while yes, he could fight outside the shop... telling the thug to leave was beneath him. There was so much he wanted to say.

But he was busy getting thrown.

Getting scooped was one thing. Being slammed? Another. Smashing through his shelves, another burst of powder and perservatives erupts around him. Now, Lee Pai Long was getting mad. Mad, and intoxicated. The line between poison and drug was thin, after all, and as he rises up. he is forced to pull an acupuncture needle from his buttocks, wincing. "Oh, I will place the blame on you. I will place that blame-"

"IN PIECES!"

Lee Pai Long hurls himself at Steve, charging the man with claw out. And he begins to rend and tear, slash and sever, ripping the claw in wild slashes. Kicks come, even open-hand blows. He was striking, striking, trying to drive him back.

Only to stop short, before he knocked Steve into Mitsuru.

"No-!"

COMBATSYS: Steve interrupts Hien Tsume Ranbu from Lee Pai Long with #Eraser#.

[                             \  < >  /////                         ]
Lee Pai Long     1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0            Steve

[STEVE]
What is that fool doing? As the next attack comes in Steve realizes the angle Lee is attacking him from is a risky one. With how he was going on about keeping Mitsuru safe this move was totally unexpected. As the thoughts where racing through his head his body was already preparing to sock the drugged doctor in his face. If he were to dodge, Lee might stumble into his own patient. If he were to block, the risk was great he would be driven back into the gurney. So what remains?

Breaking straight through him.

Steve's right was pulled back as the frenzy of steel came rolling his way. He leaned back, the claw risking to tear through the flesh and cloth. He was not able to stop it, but by carefully moving his body he could prevent the metal from cutting deep enough to kill. After enduring two more strikes, a opportunity opened up. A wide swing. Exposed body. In this moment, Steve lunged forward and sank his fist right into the chest of Lee. Punching the air out of his lungs to create a perfect opportunity for his strongest combination. His ace in the hole. His body seemed to flash a momentary red as he moved in for a champion's K.O.

-Bam-
-Bam-
-Bam-

A trio wide of hooks to the body in a satisfying rhythm. Not particularly fast, but with enough weight behind them to knock out a baby elephant. All in setup for a grand finale. He stepped back and put his right fist behind him before dashing forward, his arm almost dragging across the the ground as he moved it towards Lee like a pendulum, finally swinging it up with a diagonal angle aimed straight towards the chin. An impact with enough power to blow any unfortunate opponent in the air or in this case- the ceiling.

He wont be getting up from that. He -cant- get up from that. Steve would barely be able to take a single well-placed strike, he was bleeding from multiple parts of his body where the claw had managed to rip through his skin. But Steve was still standing, and had to finish what he and Bob started. Speaking of Bob....

Where the hell has he been?

[LEE PAI LONG]
In that moment of hesitation, was the opening.

Steve -explodes- through the stop, smashing straight through every illusion of a defense that Lee Pai Long could keep up. A single stun is what it takes, as he takes a staggering body blow. There is a gasp of pain, as his grip tightens on the claw. It's an opening again, as Steve carves it apart. Three more body blows, and Lee can taste the blood. There is no wind in him, there is only blood and agony. And then, the final star KO comes; a single smash of chin music, knocking Lee up to the ceiling. It is a small miracle he doesn't break through: instead, he craters, smashing flat against the roof. He lands hand, a crude belly flop on the floor of his cell office. There was no way he could get up from that.

He does anyways.

He makes a final attack. It comes fast, and slow: The jostling lurch was automatic, not calculated. And reckless, too reckless. Stumbling up, The doctor flings himself in the air like a salmon breaking from the river. Blind to everything, desperate to attack. The monkey man spins through the air, whirling like a top with his claw out. Spinning, the world revolving. Energy burned on his claws, as he flings himself straight for Steve...

COMBATSYS: Lee Pai Long can no longer fight.

                                  >  /////                         ]
                                  |-------\-------\0            Steve

COMBATSYS: Steve dodges Lee Pai Long's Kachou Hi Mashizume.

                                  >  /////                         ]
                                  |-------\-------\0            Steve

Lee Pai Long sails past Steve, out the cell door, and over the safety railing.

THere is a flumph sound, as he falls to the ground below, followed by an agonized moan.

[STEVE]
Steve took a moment to catch his breath squatting down. He takes a brief moment to look towards the lifeless doctor doctor as he- Oh crap! Lee is spinning towards Steve like a metal beyblade! From his already crouching position Steve awkwardly rolls out of the way, making the dizzying attack go completely wide as Lee promptly flies out of the cell, followed by a heavy thud and moan. Steve stares out at the cell door for a brief moment in disbelief. "Bloody freak".

The boxer stretches his leg to try and get back on his feet but the clumsy roll further opened up his cuts. Only now that the adrenaline is mostly gone does he really feel how much he's hurting. His clothes are stained with red as he realizes he won't be able to get out of here with Mitsuru safely. In other words, he can only hope Bob finds them soon. Except if... Steve digs into his pockets planning to take out his mobile phone. Once his hand grabs the smooth plastic he takes it out to give Bob a call, only to realize the thing was completely busted by one of Lee's attacks.

"Really? Again?"

[LEE PAI LONG]
A din begins to die down, as the fight... this fight, is ultimately over. A wrecked cell office; a broken girl. What was next? What was now? The sounds around were beginning to fall into focus, as there is an explicit lack of... fighting in the air. There is breathing from Mitsuru. Steve's own heartbeat. Cursing, wordless moans from the Chinese fighter outside.

Footsteps.

Someone was running.

No.

People were running towards the cell.

COMBATSYS: Steve has ended the fight here.


[BOB]
Footsteps draw ever closer, closing in on the room where the prisoner was being held. The dim of the fighting serves as a warning call that something is amiss. Steve can likely hear men's voices as they surround the door.

"Hey! What happened here?" calls one. "Back me up, I'm going in," comes another.

But then their conversations are interrupted by the slam of metal against brick, like a gate thrown open. "What the- how did he get in here? Get 'im!"

What follows is the sound of conflict. A man's heavy footfalls, then a meaty thump followed by another, heavier one. Heavier footfalls chase it as someone large closes the gap. Blow echoes after blow, with grunts and gasps, and at least one yelp. Finally, something violently slams into the door a man tumbles through and sprawls across the floor of the lowering levels. He's pursued barely a moment later by the rotund shape of Bob, who immediately looks over at Lee, then up at Steve above.

"Sorry I'm late," Bob says, "I ran into a bit of...'traffic' once I got here." He looks up at the ledge, then tugs up his pants. "I'll be right up.

Bob breaks into a sprint then hits the wall in a run, taking three steps up it before launching himself up and grabbing the railing. The whole catwalk lets loose a pained groan but holds until Bob swings around and lands on the ledge above in a three point stance. He immediately spots Mitsuru.

"Oh, this is not good..." Bob wipes his brow. "...I'll get her packed up to go. ...you going to be okay walking out of here?"

[LEE PAI LONG]
Lee Pai Long has reconnected.

Lee Pai Long has dropped a connection.

[STEVE]
The sound of Bob's scuffle reaches the ears of Steve. Followed by a series of grunts and moans as the voices crying out become ever fewer. Eventually, a single pair of Heavy footsteps approach his direction. Followed by a familiar voice calling out. Steve responds "I certainly took you a while" he breathes out a sigh of relief. "I'm very happy you made it though. I wouldn't have made it out of here alone."

As Bob jumps up, Steve marvels at his surprising speed and flexibility. "Wow" Followed by his response to the question. "I should be fine as long as i dont have to run. That masked bastard really did a number on me."

Steve rises from the small pool of blood that has formed at his feet, prepared to follow Bob out of here.

[BOB]
Bob moves in, stepping closer to Steve to check out his injuries before moving over to Mitsuru. He moves wordlessly, the big man rolling in like a cloud as he looks over the instruments, examines the hoses, weighs his options.

"OK," Bob says, "I think I can get her unhooked from here. Let's get the two of you to a doctor, huh?"

Bob works to get Mitsuru loose and then lifts her up with ease---the man is big, and wide, and carrying even a well-built girl doesn't seem to pose any challenge for someone already used to lugging so much weight around.

The walk out is long, and maybe grueling, but it's manageable. A hard won victory for Steve, but something says things aren't fully over yet when it comes to getting to the bottom of Mitsuru's predicament.

Log created on 11:31:58 01/10/2020 by Lee Pai Long, and last modified on 22:11:30 01/15/2020.