Match of the Millennium

Description: After a pair of competing contractors and their erstwhile comrades conspire to form an unlikely alliance around taking a guard from DOATEC captive, the co-conspirators have found shocking evidence of the company's collaborations with Ultratech. Unfortunately, they may not survive to get the information onto paper. Ultratech is a company that is known for keeping track of every percentage point, and the variance in their shipments did not go unnoticed. Not at all. And now, they've sent someone very familiar with contract work to deal with the unsavory evidence in a very, very plain way.

[GREGORY]
After Bulleta, Gregory, and Velvet Blue had an interesting conversation with the captured DOATEC guard, they found out some interesting things about DOATEC being in bed with Ultratech and how both companies were seeking to capture Darkstalkers. Bulleta and Gregory or the Phantom as media had taken to calling him, had both came to the conclusion that it would make his particular job market oversaturated. It made them and Velvet into strange bedfellows.

While Bulleta is handling things on her end, Gregory and Velvet were to infiltrate an Ultratech warehouse to get some documents and then reconvene with Bulleta once they've both achieved their objectives. The rank and file guards never see it coming. A portal forms above them, another portal forms below them, and then they enter a perpetual fall state before a new portal launches them head first into the ceiling knocking them unconscious where a new portal forms under them that drops them one by one into a pile on the rooftop.

With a path cleared to the offices, a new portal forms and Gregory steps through and waves Velvet through before going to one of the desktop computers to attempt to work his figurative magic on it until he gets the information that he's here for so he can work his literal magic to make an escape.

[VELVET BLUE]
In the meantime, Velvet has seen to both the man's injuries as well as his own--the thick pad-style bandage partially visible through the tooth marks in the black of his suit. Otherwise he looks alright. There is a bit of traces of blood around, of course.

"Interesting ability, I've only tried something like that with mirrors, before," Velvet stepped through shortly after Gregory, blinking as their eyes adjusted to the overhead lights. The darkstalker entertainer's boots clicked against the floor, his tail flicking about behind him. "Have you always had those powers? or are you a sorcerer?" he seemed idly curious, following Gregory along to the computers and poking at another of them. They were probably secured, somehow, which was why it was handy to have Gregory there as well.

[CINDER]
When a corporation grows as large as DOATEC, it can be easy for little things to slip through the cracks. For cogs to spin loose from the great machine, complicating processes all along the line. So it is that certain people exist only to notice these blips in efficiency, and others exist to make them disappear.
It wasn't too terribly long ago that an interruption caused just such a ripple through the corporate machinery. A missing guard, deliveries failed, projects off schedule. And almost immediately after that, sensors within a protected area warn of unknown fluctuations in reality. Little sparks, prone to being ignored. But with things already heating up as they are...Well,
Gregory has about five minutes of time with the computers, layers of security flashing up far beyond what one might expect for such a simple, out of the way location. Passwords, false positives that lead to empty OS full of decoy information...Whoever sit this up is frankly an annoying mixture of playful and competent that is bound to get on anyone's nerves. But the measures do their job, slowing things down, dragging them out until, off in the distance, there comes the rattling clatter of the bay doors being rolled open.
"Knock knock!" calls a relaxed, slightly crackly voice from the main storage area down stairs. The words are immediately followed by slow, almost meandering footsteps clonking over the pavement, an orangish light flooding the space, creeping around shipping containers.

[GREGORY]
"That would be telling."

The Arcane Assassin was not about to give that type of information willy nilly considering he still had a contract on Velvet. He still needed to keep things close to his chest while they were in this temporary alliance.

He sees that orange glow and can feel the ambient temperature beginning to rise. They were about to have company and his gut was telling him that it wasn't the type of company he could dispatch with a simple portal sequence and call it a day. He looks at the computer, filled with decoy information, sighs, then steps away from the desk.

"It looks like something is about to happen. Move away from the computer just in case and remember, you're not allowed to die unless it's by my hand."

[VELVET BLUE]
"Eh, if it helps, and you don't try to skin me, I'll tell you about my little 'accident' here," Velvet grins and reaches up to tug on his own bat-like ears, shrugging a little and peering down as Gregory works through the computer's layers of security. It wasn't that Velvet was bad with computers or machines, being all part darkstalker and magical and such--it was just that he wasn't skilled in defeating software security like this. /That/ was a trick he'd have to try to borrow off a goblin or the like sometime, if he could track one down. And you know, try to get back to Makai sometime for that to be possible.

"Somethin's hot in here, and it's not just me--we got company~" Velvet keeps his voice a bit low, but with a melodic quality to it that one might expect, turning and almost instinctively moving in front of Gregory as he worked, then realizing he probably wouldn't appreciate it. Gregory /was/ a dark hunter after all, to boot.

"Alright--will do--and you keep saying that and it's sorta uncomfortable~ Ah well, guess it's better than Bulleta constantly negging and undressing me with her eyes," Velvet sighs, looking toward the direction of the HEAT. AKA CINDER.

[CINDER]
"Anybody home?" the crackling voice calls again, tone floating somewhere between casually playful and mock concerned. Certainly not the tone one would take when actually concerned with one's safety.
Closer the clonking steps come, shadows shifting upon the walls as the unseen figure passes between smaller crates and larger shipping containers. The temperature rises slowly but steadily as the cheerfully ominous agent approaches, orange glow peaking between gaps in the neatly arranged cargo.
"Jee. Guess all the guards suddenly decided to go on break, and the computer security tripped itself. There's probably no reason for me to check up stairs..."
Pausing for only a moment, the footsteps continue with a quiet clang of something on metal as the cocky stranger sets foot on the first step. Then another, the regular banging of something solid resounding through the warehouse as whatever the creature is climbs its way toward the office with a complete lack of stealth or concern.
Bang, Bang, BANG.
Stopping just beyond the door, the figure goes still and quiet. Stomping crashes of its steps echoing away to nothing, the warehouse beyond the office window is now completely illuminated by a soft orange light though the office door continues to obscure its source. Even some distance away and through a solid wall heat radiates from where the investigating figure stands, currently poised and silent.
FWOOOSH!
The office door disintegrates into flaming fragments beneath a wall of roiling fire, the room's interior flooded with a wave of ash and floating embers as the cause comes hurtling through to confront the trespassers.
"HEEEEEeere's BENNY!"
Though at one point the creature before them might have been a man, that is clearly no longer the case. Bits of blazing plasma swirl and arc around a body of solidified energy, leanly muscled form burning dull orange in the smoky gloom. His head ,shoulders, lower arms, hips and lower legs are coated in what appears to be some form of brown volcanic rock, segmented and rough. Each stony hand sports three fingers and two thumbs, all of which are tipped by vicious curved claws, while the face of his stony head is vaguely skull shaped, formed with the faint impression of clinched teeth and sporting empty eye holes that burn with a brilliant white light. Here and there bits of wire snake through his body, glowing red hot while bits of machinery project red holographic readouts across his form, a single flaming turbine idling silently within the flesh of his back. A monster of man, machine, and something completely other, code name Cinder has arrived to lay down the law. Just, you know, not the legal one.

COMBATSYS: Cinder has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Cinder clicks to acknowledge the terms and conditions of the Corporate Policy.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Cinder [E]       0/-------/-======|

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

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Cinder [E]       0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0          Gregory

[GREGORY]
When the door suddenly goes from one single form to suddenly ash, the mystical killer decides to heed his own advice of getting away from the computer(lowering the risk of it getting caught in the impending fight) by opening a portal in front of him and towards the fiery creature's flank. Stepping through, Gregory has managed to close the distance between himself and Cinder carrying a glowing purple dagger formed out of his energy with wisps of dark purple energy eminating from it.

Once out of that portal, Gregory wastes no time going on the offensive slashing out with that energy dagger that while it does not leave a physical wound, slashes at the aura itself and leaving a wound of a more metaphysical nature in its wake instead. He then takes a step back as the energy dagger is unsummoned.

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

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Cinder [E]       0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0          Gregory
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[VELVET BLUE]
"Ahhhh!" Velvet impulsively shouts when the door comes crashing in, knowing what was coming--but there's a time, and a place. He ducks down to avoid flying chunks of building material and door, and... sparks? Not from metal on metal, but something fiery clashing and thrashing around.

"That was good, it was good delivery--and this place doesn't even have the horrific wallpaper and carpeting," Velvet likely is making a reference back to the Shining and the Overlook Hotel. Alas the environment doesn't quite suit it.

"And I thought *I* was flaming--ahem, anyway, I take it you're not here to fix the heating," Velvet draws his wakizashi, the foot-long short sword from the white lacquered sheath stuffed into his right boot, holding the point downwards.

"Lets go!" Velvet leans forward and runs and jumps toward Cinder, those boots of his suddenly flying up as he twists in the air--both feet going toward the fiery man's chest.

COMBATSYS: Cinder blocks Gregory's Planar Leap - Advance.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Cinder [E]       0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1          Gregory
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue successfully hits Cinder with Quick Strike.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Cinder [E]       0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1          Gregory
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[CINDER]
Stony boots planted amidst the wreckage of the offices single smoldering exit, Cinder cocks his head lazily to the side and examines Velvet from ears to boots. His posture is surprisingly loose and relaxed for a mutated abomination, very comfortable in his non-existent skin.
"Whoah," the flaming creature states, voice remaining light and playful even as his cybernetics flash all sorts of alerts about reality blips and proximity triggers, the boys back at the lab feeding a tactical hud to him complete with advanced combat AI. "Looks like someone got all the Play Dough accessories."
Pot.
Kettle.
Electronic alarms blazing through his brain, the flaming man twists just in time to smack his stony hand into Gregory's wrist, stopping the energy dagger just short of his armored back. Light on his feet, the monster hops away from the portaling warrior and lands on his back foot, flaming rear turned on Velvet for only a moment. But a moment is all the Darkstalker needs, booted feet colliding with his upper shoulders and sending him toppling forward, leaving a trail of crackling flames where he hits the carpet in a slick combat roll that carries him neatly out from between the pair.
Popping neatly back to his feet upon a short burst of flame, Cinder slams his foot against the warehouse wall and uses it to reverse his momentum, bounding up and backward into a twisting flip that brings his right boot sweeping up and over his head, then scything down toward the back of Velvet's skull in a vicious falling axe kick that trails a swath of roaring flame. If the Darkstalker isn't lucky, he's bound to wind up the next Richard Pryor. If he's very unlucky he might be the next Richard Pryor caught face first by a carput full of lingering flame.
"Cheap shots? Really? Come on."

COMBATSYS: Cinder successfully hits Velvet Blue with Crossfire.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Cinder [E]       1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1          Gregory
                                  >  //////////////////            ]
                                  |=======\===----\1      Velvet Blue

[GREGORY]
Gregory's hand is turned aside by the blazing creature before the energy weapon is dismissed. He still wanted to keep at least relatively close to Cinder, at least for now. Gregory continues to pursue, skipping forward as Cinder hops back and into Velvet's boots before the fiery being gets taken off his feet.

Unfortunately, Cinder's path of rolling back to his feet and then heading to Velvet to deliver a burning axe kick down upon the darkstalker moved him far enough away that he can't get there to stop it. He couldn't afford to tire himself out throwing portal magic indiscriminately and possibly delaying their escape until he can catch his breath once more.

While he might not be close enough to stop it, he's close enough to take advantage of Cinder's leg being up in the air by attempting to snatch the grounded foot from under him and drop him on his back

[VELVET BLUE]
The shock and sudden intense pain as the foot comes crashing down on the top and back of Velvet's head leaves him stunned for a several seconds--the fire was the least of his concern. Richard Pryor did indeed light themselves aflame at one point, which he answered on a talk show that he attempted to commit suicide. Really, at this point, the pain is so great that Velvet wishes that was in the cards as he curls and writhes against the floor in the aftermath of the kick--which he tried to fend off, mind. It wasn't as if he just stood there like a doofus and took it, not at all. Rising to his feet, he has to steadily pat out the flames that lick at the tips of some of his hair and the fur ruff around the collar of his suit, before blinking rapidly and trying to regain their equalibrium. It wasn't easy--such a blow would have instantly killed or crippled a non-powered person. But Velvet was literally built different, in a number of ways.

"See? Got 'em right where we want 'em," the blustering is perhaps funnier in a different, non-life or death situation--but this is all part of the entertainer's charms--partly to distract attention as he sidles closer and attempts to return Cinder the favor with a kick of his own--turning and lashing out backwards with one foot to the mid section on him!

COMBATSYS: Cinder dodges Gregory's Medium Throw.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Cinder [E]       1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1          Gregory
                                  >  /////////////////             ]
                                  |=======\==-----\1      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue successfully hits Cinder with Mule Kick.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Cinder [E]       1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1          Gregory
                                  >  /////////////////             ]
                                  |=======\====---\1      Velvet Blue

[CINDER]
There's nothing quite like the feeling of dribbling someone's head off the floor to brighten up the day. And Cinder should know, he's an expert at brightening things.
"OOOH!
A hint of a laugh hiding behind the exhilarated shout, the monster is forced to think fast as Mr. Wizard comes dashing in to capitalize on his weakness, attempting to cut his chatter short and end his fun with a second trip to the ground.
Swaying backward as if he might topple under his own power, Cinder pulls his bracing knee up to his chest while the turbine on his back roars to sudden life, sucking in oxygen and spewing a column of flame into the floor that propels him backward and away from both his opponents, Gregory's hand swiping through the air his stony calf occupied mere moments ago.
"That has GOT to hurt!"
Finishing his playful taunt, the corporate hitman deactivates his booster and brings both boots crashing down into a skidding land, having left yet another long line of fire stretching forth from where he stands to the two would-be burglars. Skullish face plate unable to ape any real emotions, he is forced to do so completely through body language, summoning a blazing ball of solid white plasma into his right palm and tossing it lazily between his hands. Once, twice, three playful juggles before he catches it in his left hand, twists his shoulders, and lobs the ball toward Gregory in a slow underhanded pitch, the brilliantly burning ball arcing through the air toward the wizard assassin's chest.
"Hey mustache. Hold this a second."
Whether Gregory chooses to try and catch the insanely hot ball of energy or not, upon impact with any solid object, whether the man himself, the wall behind him, or anything in between, the softball sized sphere will detonate in a rush of flame and superheated area, shredding any mundane objects that are unfortunate enough to exist nearby.
Unfortunately, all this playing around has drawn the monster's attention off of Velvet. Proximity alerts shouting a, pretty obnoxious warning into his skull, he brings both stony arms sweeping down in an X block that is too slow to catch the performer's incoming heel, boot smashing into his mostly solid middle and sending him skidding backward to crash into a desk. The desk and everything on it are sent crashing over to smash against the ground, while the hitman retains his feet, plasma body having reformed to fill in his shape where the blow had briefly distorted it.
Blazing white eyes consider Velvet for just a moment.
"Sorry," he quips offhandedly, "I like my bat snake gogo dancers well done, not medium rare."

COMBATSYS: Gregory fails to slow Pyrotechnics from Cinder with Dimension Bolt.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Cinder [E]       1/---====/=======|=======\==-----\1          Gregory
                                  >  /////////////////             ]
                                  |=======\====---\1      Velvet Blue

[GREGORY]
Gregory decides that he does not want to hold whatever Cinder is sending his way. Unfortunately, the indirect nature of his portal based attacks which usually work for him when on the offensive works against him in this particular instance when trying to apply them towards a defensive situation. A portal opens up, angled to launch a bolt of purple energy to intercept the fiery projectile. The timing is off and both projectiles never collide. The purple bolt ends up hitting the ground, taking a chunk out of the floor. As for the fireball, it detonates taking the killer wizard off of his feet and leaving a large scorched hole in the side of his assassination clothing.

When the mage gets back up to his feet, he lets out a sharp exhalation that is part annoyance and part effort from getting hit so hard, so suddenly.

After that, he takes stock of damage caused here in the environment. He was grateful that he had the presence of mind to move away from the computers because their adversary has a very destructive fighting style. Collateral damage was an inevitability. The most he could do was mitigate and redirect it.

[VELVET BLUE]
There are times Velvet questions why he goes out at night, or goes on highly dangerous adventures like this. But then he remembers--oh right, the insane human rights violations, among other things. Murders, torture, god knows what else. Despite that he's still managed not to lose his humor or playful disposition. But boy, was it getting a bit strained fighting a guy with rock-like skin who was made of fucking fire.

His boots impacted with Cinder's chest, hard--but the fire man did not have as dramatic a reaction as one might expect, instead powering on the booster on his back and back dashing using it. Vel had time to straighten up and recover from the backwards lunging kick, just in time to see what looked ike a ball of plasma fly towards Gregory.

"Look out!" he had to dive himself to get away from it, feeling the backdraft of heat rush past him, cringing and shutting his eyes as he went stumbling and careening into a wall.

Drawing his short sword up this time, he feints left and right before darting forward with the tip of the blade pointed right toward Cinder's arm this time.

COMBATSYS: Cinder attempts to interrupt Medium Strike from Velvet Blue with Third Degree.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Cinder [E]       1/---====/=======|=======\==-----\1          Gregory
                                  >  /////////////////             ]
                                  |=======\====---\1      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue fails to interrupt Third Degree from Cinder with Beautiful Beast.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Cinder [E]       1/=======/=======|=======\==-----\1          Gregory
                                  >  /////////                     ]
                                  |======-\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[CINDER]
Completely unphased by the rush of heat through the office, and why shouldn't he be, Cinder glances down at the gouge Gregory's bolt left in the floor, bits of carpet and metal supports dented and peeled apart to reveal the metal struts beneath. Concerning, but only slightly so.
"You know, it's really just bad luck you got me."
Completely casual in his taunts, he bounces from the ball of one stony foot to the other, weight impacting with light thumps as he readies himself against Velvet's charge, the arrival of the sword bothering him not at all.
"They could have sent the raptor, or a human. I think maybe you guys would have done better against one of those."
At the last possible moment Cinder bounds forward off of his spring feet to meet Velvet's rush, flat of his mutated hand smacking the sword away as his upper body twists into a lunging elbow from the other arm, aiming to smash the stony surface square into Velvet's nose. From there he flows forward in steady pursuit, comboing into two quick jabs toward the darkstalker's chin and ending with a step into a half crouch, body exploding forward and up into a rising, flaming uppercut that sends superheated plasma blasting forth to hopefully send Velvet into the corner.
"Man I'm Good!" he proclaims to the open air, arms flinging themselves briefly wide even as he twists toward where he last saw the wizard, offering an easy, "Come on Grim, you and me."

[GREGORY]
Bad luck indeed.

Things are not exactly going well for either party but it's especially true for Velvet who just caught a nasty burning uppercut right to the chin. This project right here was an extra curricular project and the assassin has to weigh getting paid for his actual job versus this particular pet project. So even while he hasn't gotten the worst of it, yet, he's already working on an exit strategy. After all, if Velvet buys the farm here, he's not getting paid since professional dignity will not allow him to take credit for someone else killing his contract.

The killer takes a focusing breath as he steps forward, moving himself between Velvet and Cinder and quick casts a rift spell to deliver a smack to the back of Cinder's head while still standing right in front of the mass of fire and rock.

[VELVET BLUE]
"Probably--" Velvet is trying to active stab the man that's on fire--or rather made of rock that's been set ablaze. He wasn't sure what kind of creature Cinder was, but it seemed like some kind of technologically-augmented mutant, of some sort--less a darkstalker, just from how the creature felt. As Velvet moved to stab however, he was interrupted by a huge gout of flame that erupted from Cinder's body--which he in turn tried to activate his own supernatural quickness to avoid--alas it does not save him--blowing Velvet back in a heap as he sails through the air and crashes through a table, looking obviously hurt.

COMBATSYS: Cinder blocks Gregory's Dimensional Reach.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Cinder [E]       2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1          Gregory
                                  >  /////////                     ]
                                  |======-\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[CINDER]
Arms spread wide in the wake of landing that snappy four hit C-C-C-Combo to Velvet's androgynous face, Cinder stares into the void where Gregory's own mug ought to be and lets out a thoughtful, "Huh>"
Proximity alerts screaming, the flaming mutant brings both arms swinging up to cross behind his head, rifted punch smacking into stony forearms rather than his undefended skull. Playing it up all casual-like, the engineered being stretches his back and lets out a long, crackling yawn through a face plate who's expression can not change. Clearly the fight is wearing on him some way, he's taken shots. But damn if he doesn't look ready to keep right on slugging regardless.
"Maybe you should ditch the dead weight." he suggests helpfully to the wizard, "Portal on home and rethink your life choices."
The monster's head tilts, expectant.
"No? Oh well then..."
Arms dropping from their lazy cross behind his neck, Cinder sweeps them forward and down to release a roaring swath of flame between himself and the wizard. For the briefest of moments all is light and heat, the conflagration rising toward the ceiling in a pillar of superheated plasma. The next moment and Cinder is dropping through it from above, clawed right hand reaching toward the shadowed depths of Gregory's hood in an attempt to grab the side of the man's face and spin him into a stagger, forward momentum set to carry him sideways in a stumbling run that might just end with his head impacting the already burning wall with a crashing 'THUD' and a roar of smothering heat.

COMBATSYS: Cinder successfully hits Gregory with Quick Throw.
- Power hit! -

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Cinder [E]       2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1          Gregory
                                  >  /////////                     ]
                                  |======-\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[GREGORY]
Where the head goes, the rest of the body follows. When Cinder grips the hood, Gregory can't resist getting flung bodily, forget stumbling, into a fiery wall. The wizard, already alight in fire right before he slams through the wall into the next room.

A portal then suddenly opens up right behind the burning mutant. Should Cinder allow the wizard to get a hold of him he would get picked up and thrown down into a new portal forming below and falling out of a portal formed above him causing him to be in a perpetual fall state.

While Cinder is dealing with those portals, the portal mage stumbles his way towards Velvet and readies one more portal to beat a hasty retreat.

[VELVET BLUE]
At this point, Velvet has recovered enough from the shock of being hit and burned, thrown backwards into a desk, which likely partially broke it--and staggered up to his booted feet again. It was kind of like the pain you might have felt when you took a spill off your bike when you were 12, though magnified--the kind of pain that is an overload and leaves you shaking, and out of breath and makes you feel like you're about to vomit, until the wave of it passes over you. Somehow, you start to feel like you're still alive again.

He grunted and retrieved his short sword, trying to think over his options, and not wanting to leave Gregory there, he chooses to stay and fight for the moment--trying to find an angle in on Cinder and leaning his body back for another full on front kick at the rocky fiery man's side. He was putting his full energy into it, at least--and although the last blow had taken something out of him, he wasn't going to give up.

COMBATSYS: Cinder blocks Gregory's Terminal Velocity.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Cinder [E]       2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0          Gregory
                                  >  ////////                      ]
                                  |======-\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Cinder dodges Velvet Blue's Heel Kick.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Cinder [E]       2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0          Gregory
                                  >  ////////                      ]
                                  |=======\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[GREGORY]
Had he managed to throw the fire mutant into a perpetual fall, over and over, without a hitch, eventually that lower portal would disappear resulting in the fiery creature slamming into the ground.

[CINDER]
Having sent the wizard packing amidst an explosion of sheet rock and other burning debris, /self turns with an almost lazy saunter to stride toward where the darkstalker is picking himself up and retrieving his sword. Left hand lifting, the air around his mutated digits begins to shimmer with heat, power building toward some grand release...
Right up until he's grabbed from behind.
Letting out a short grunt of surprise, Cinder finds himself flung straight down toward the ground, his attempt to tuck and roll accomplishing nothing as he hits the portal and continues to fall. Tumbling through the air, he drops out of the ceiling, hits the portal a second time, falls out of the ceiling again, and...
Boosters igniting across his hips and back, the flaming monster hurls himself free of the loop on a stream of fire, Velvet's boot swishing through the afterburn as the agent streaks sideways through the air in a partially controlled burn. Tucking up, he smashes hard into the outside wall, denting the sheet rock and causing a few wooden struts beneath to snap, though for the moment the structure manages to hold. Dropping free from the improvised catcher's mitt of a wall, he whips around, plasma already beginning to form in both hands, and re-ignites his boosters to arc through the air toward Velvet.
"You look like the type who enjoys applause. So here, have a flaming ovation!"
Touching down directly in front of the glitzy darkstalker, Cinder pours that final burst of power through his stony hands as he brings both balls of plasma crashing together in a devastating clap, the energies erupting forward in a superheated wave that consumes the spot Velvet is standing, the floor, the ceiling, and much of the wall behind.

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue dodges Cinder's Fission.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Cinder [E]       2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0          Gregory
                                  >  ////////                      ]
                                  |=======\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[GREGORY]
After the wizard watches the fire shrouded mutant jet away from being slammed into the ground. Disappointment gives way to horror as the portal mage realizes that he can't get to the darkstalker in time to intercept the attack. At best, he might be able to yank Velvet away before he gets captured or worse(not being able to collect on the contract because someone else offed him first).

Gregory near simultaneously opens a portal near Velvet angled to the side and downwards, another portal near Velvet's feet and a final portal right below the portal mage. The network of portals results in Gregory dropping into one portal, and launched out of the angled portal as he attempts to yank Velvet Blue into the escape portal near Velvet's feet.

Gregory meant it when he said Velvet was not allowed to die by anyone's hand but his own.

[VELVET BLUE]
Velvet is truly in a lot of pain, but when Cinder activates his jets and begins careening towards him, he has to act, fast. He moves with supernatural speed--looking to be there one moment, and gone the next--putting a hand down that scrapes across the floor to avoid toppling over as he lands in a crouch a good severel feet away.

"Agh... damn, not gonna get away with /that/ again, take me home, Wizard of Oz," in a less life or death situation, Velvet might even have clicked the heels of his boots together after saying that, but now is not this time--he reaches out towards Gregory as he dives for him--catching on and being sucked through the portal he creates nearby!

"Sorry, no encore--eeep!" Velvet yelps as the portal overtakes him, and he is gone.

[CINDER]
There is little Cinder can do to stop Gregory using his portals aside from making the areas where they might appear dangerous by default. A strategy that he has been employing throughout their fight as more and more of the room is consumed in flames, air filling with choking black smoke. The trick is attempting to do so gradually, walling areas off here and there so the trick isn't immediately obvious. The down side of which becomes apparent as yet a few areas remain when the wizard goes leaping through to grab Velvet by the legs, turning the Darkstalker's dashing dodge into a slide that caries both of them clear of the flaming room.
Just before the portal snaps shut the pair of them can see another wall of fire blasting forward to consume them, the raging conflagration scorching away carpet and partially melting the metal struts beneath as the portal winks out of existence.
"Well. I guess they're smarter than they looked." Cinder states to the blazing walls around him, a sweep of his hand sending a fireball smashing through the near forgotten computer which melts instantly away into slag. That done, and the data secured after a fashion, the blazing operative signals base to send out a clean up crew and sends one last pillar of fire tearing out through the ceiling, opening up enough of a hole for him to go jetting out into the sky beyond, streaking through the air like an alien comet.

COMBATSYS: Cinder has left the fight here.

                                  >  ///////////                   ]
                                  |==-----\-------\0          Gregory
                                  >  ////////                      ]
                                  |=======\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Gregory has left the fight here.

                                  >  ////////                      ]
                                  |=======\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue has ended the fight here.

Log created on 19:17:10 02/13/2022 by Cinder, and last modified on 23:55:34 03/09/2022.