Match of the Millennium

Description: At the stroke of midnight, a stretch of deep, Dark Forest will play host to the NOL's ever-gentle Intelligence officer Hazama and star of films such as Ninja Mime 3 and HWAAAAA!!, Johnny Cage as they look to put on the show of their lives.

[JOHNNY CAGE]
It was a dark and woodsy night. The DARK FOREST - NIGHT is home to well, y'know, darkness and probably who knows how many evil creatures and whatever else kind of supernatural shenanigans that someone may want to stay away from. The shady streaming service already gone live as some expensive footsteps make their approach to this particularly forest flavored location.

"I swear to god, if I ruin my new sneaks out here..."

Johnny Cage's arrival is less bombastic and boisterous than usual as the look on his face is one that seems to be quite annoyed at having to traverse the natural landscape in order to get to the location in which he shall be bustin' some skulls. He's got his phone in hand, GPS fully on screen as he wanders to this semi-clearing that looks like the same spot he saw on his Fight Card.

"Why do I always get the spooky forest? I swear, I'm gonna' have to get a whole new fighting agent. This is getting ridiculous."

Johnny Cage checks the shoulder of his pink leather jacket, brushing it off because branches are gross. Also, because he has to get this and the pink and black track pants back to wardrobe after all this. What? They matched his new black and pink Cage Kicks, okay?!

Now Available at CageKicks.com!

[HAZAMA]
"Oh...! Mr. Cage. It's quite an honor to have you in the first round~"

The voice seems to come from everywhere amidst the clearing, resonating unnaturally through the forest. There's no sense of the speaker, no hint or clue towards his aura. But a branch creaks steadily opposite, perhaps fifteen feet off the ground; and the black-suited figure with green hair and stylish hat seems to be perched casually atop it.

"I'm just here to investigate things about this tournament... I feel strange taking part. Unlike you, I've never been taught properly how to fight... hmm." He steps off, and descends with catlike grace through the air to land on one loafered foot. Seems he can appreciate some good outfits, himself.

"Before we start..." He pulls out a pen and pristine white piece of paper. "Could I have an autograph?" A cheerful sidle over is done, extending both items to take with a beaming smile within his squinting eyes. There's an uncomfortable sense coming from him, but nothing about what he said or did seems to warrant such...

[JOHNNY CAGE]
"Okay, first of all? Nice suit, bro. And that hair? It's not Kermit Green so that makes it pretty tight. Love it."

Even Johnny Cage can offer some complimentary words to his opponent of the night. He's not above being nice when the situation warrants it. Even if just existing should be nice enough for any and all people that are in his presence. He's Johnny Cage after all.

"Uh, whoa. Let's hold off on that. Because uh, my Johnny Hancock on a plain sheet of paper? Lame. I brought some photos with me..." He always does. "... let's kick your ass first and then we'll see about getting you a proper Johnny Cage Autograph." Cage winks because that's one of his things.

As Cage reaches into his jacket pocket and comes out with a pair of black sunglasses with faded pink lenses, he grins. "For the record, I'm kind of undercover myself. So I won't destroy you too badly." The sunglasses are flicked open and he pulls them onto his face with some practiced style because hopefully someone, somewhere is zoomed in on him at this moment.

"Let's dance."

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Johnny Cage      0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Hazama has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0           Hazama

[HAZAMA]
Compared to Johnny Cage, Hazama has no presence at all. It's overwhelmingly Cage-ified, the air within this forest. He just keeps up his wan smile, carefully tucking the piece of paper back into his suit, and flicking up the pen gently in his free hand at the comment. "I appreciate it. Let's have a nice, clean fight. Just for fun!"

And then, Hazama steps forward. Only it seems much too fast, too smooth for someone like him; utterly disorienting, in a way. His thumb flicks off the cap of his pen, beginning to spiral it around his half-gloved hand. One foot raises, feinting a kick; but the actual strike is him snapping forward, trying to stab it right into the back of Cage's shoulder, and step past -- left hand remaining in his pocket throughout the motion. "Here... you can hold this until I get my signature later, Mr. Cage~"

COMBATSYS: Hazama successfully hits Johnny Cage with Quick Strike.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
Johnny Cage narrows his eyes behind those fresh sunglasses, almost grinning when the battle begins. He smoothly slides into a fighting stance just in time to see Hazama coming in with that brutal kick. "You gonna' make this easy, huh?" Cage is just going full cocky body reader and brings his arms in the direction of the kic-- FEINT! FEINT! IT'S A DAMN FEINT!

Shoulder wide open and exposed, Johnny doesn't even get the luxury of dodging now as he's overstepped to block the kick. The pen gets stabbed right into his shoulder and there's a doubly annoyed and pained wince that comes from the superstar. As he spins on his heels to keep Hazama in front of him, he just glances back at the blood oozing around the pen and down the back of the jacket. "Abby's gonna' kill me. Thanks for that." is tossed in Hazama's direction.

"What say we give the people what they want now, hm?" Johnny Cage sprints at his opponent, twisting only to grin at where a camera normally would be. "Me." And then he's sliding right into his extended green glowing leg as he opens things up with one of his famed and gloryhounding SHADOW KICKS!

COMBATSYS: Hazama blocks Johnny Cage's Shadow Kick.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1           Hazama

[HAZAMA]
It was a damnably good feint, really. Everything about it echoed genuine, and the follow-up had little to betray it. As he claimed, there is no 'martial' aspect to this... he's simply unnaturally fast, and has the weight of experience on his side. Reaching down, he draws out a switchblade, and then spins it twice before clacking it open.

"Sorry~ I thought you'd block it." Hazama says apologetically. "But you're right... nobody's interested in seeing /me/ fight..." Skipping backwards, he shifts at the last moment. Bracing himself on his heel, the gleaming metal blade catches the heel of Johnny's imbued kick. It skids Hazama backwards almost a meter, but that slender frame of his seems to absorb the blow entirely, shoving forward to get Johnny a hint off-balance.

"Catch~" Jumping straight up, at the apex of his height, Hazama flicks out his free hand from the pocket it's been hidden in all this time -- hurtling three narrow throwing knives, aiming at Cage's left leg!

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage overcomes Serpent's Kiss from Hazama with Throwing Shades.
- Power hit! -

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
Johnny Cage knows his Shadow Kick better than anyone. Okay, that's maybe a lie. Maybe some of his fans know the intricate details of how his Shadow Kick operates. So even when the kick is blocked and he's shoved forward, Johnny Cage manages to stabilize himself without too much trouble. He makes it look like it's all part of the plan.

"Not bad." Johnny is actually impressed at the blocking of his Shadow Kick. There's even a nod given in Hazama's direction to prove such. "Wait, seriously?!" There's enough time for Cage to realize that there are throwing knives being hurled in his direction! "Dirty pool! But I kinda' like it!"

Cage grins as he spins backwards to get just a little bit of room, reaching up and grabbing his sunglasses off his face. They get thrown like some kind of terrifyingly awesome shuriken at the blades headed in his direction. Granted, these are some CageWear sunglasses so they are stronger than they look. Strong enough to knock those blades off course and maybe even put a little extra stank their aerial trip towards Hazama.

While that's happening, Johnny Cage reaches into his pocket and comes out with an identical pair of shades, putting them on because he wears his sunglasses at night. o/~

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage successfully hits Hazama with Throwing Shades.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1           Hazama

[HAZAMA]
This is the first time Hazama looks surprised, lips pursing and brows going higher. He's in a poor position to respond, and the glasses crack right against his cheek, rebounding off and leaving a neat, red imprint with Cage's proprietary symbol. "..." He lands deftly and tugs out a handkerchief, rubbing at the spot in question fastidiously. "Well, that's an interesting attack..." he admits.

Before slipping forward, both hands going into his pockets. He leads with his left leg, right hefting up like a crane. Holding the position, he then twists with abnormal flexibility, launching out a driving kick down at a thigh, disguising the ultimate direction until the last moment. A second kick flits upwards next, aiming towards Cage's chin. "You move well for an actor. I see, I see!"

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage fails to counter Medium Strike from Hazama with Sweep The Leg.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/--=====|=======\====---\1           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
Johnny Cage is feeling himself. He always is, to be honest. Which is why he's bouncing on his sneakers with some kind of stylish taunting action while Hazama deals with the sunglasses. "What can I say? I'm all style, baby." Johnny Cage even goes so far as to offer a pair of finger guns in Hazama's direction like he's some kind of Hollywood Royalty. Oh wait, he is.

Well, his Royal Cageness finds himself about to get kicked again and this time he's not even falling for it. "Not fallin' for it this time!" Cage drops low and offers a spinning sweep in the direction of Hazama's leg... only to find out that it's no longer there. He doesn't have time to question why his plan didn't work because Hazama's other foot is catching him under the chin and sending him up and backwards in some twisted fate of cruel intentions!

Johnny Cage goes up and backwards, smacking down into the ground hard and tries to shake off the violence of whence has just happened upon him. He groans a little bit, blood spilling from his mouth as he pushes himself back up to a more standing and upright position. "Yeah, what I was saying before? Nevermind." Wince. Pain. Ow.

[HAZAMA]
There's still that small smile from Hazama, as he continues to idly play with the switchblade in his hand. Flicking it open and closed, apparently in no rush. It's a strange combat style to say the least from the tall, green-haired man; he strikes in an unusual, erratic manner, and has far more strength and speed than he should possess. They *hurt*, and even without a proper combat style behind him, he seems to know precisely how to injure someone... and is clearly manipulative and baiting, at the same time.

"Are you getting discouraged...? Come on, now. You're the hero, aren't you? I'm fine being the villain, if you like. Here... maybe this will help me with that role." He then holds up two fingers of his free hand... before dark green portals begin to manifest all around. Snake-headed chains erupt in all directions, beginning to criss-cross over the surroundings and sink into trees, into the ground. In short order, the battlefield is suddenly filled with taut, metallic chains; glowing subtly and unpleasantly. He leaps up to land upon one of the chains, roosting on it like a spider in the middle of a web.

"Here... catch." He feigns flinging a blade, but instead a green chain ripples into being; shooting out straight for Johnny Cage, aiming to impale him in the shoulder and sink in deep with that barbed, serpent-like mouth -- so it can retract violently, and haul Johnny Cage barreling right towards the Fel Serpent as he chuckles lightly...!

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage parries Hazama's Ouroboros!

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
"What? Come on, man. It's called... /acting/." Johnny Cage flashes a grin as the forest finally stops spinning and he gets himself back into his usual fighting position. "We gotta' give them a show, right?" Whether this is actually true or not is kind of up in the air but it does seem like Cage is feeling a bit better after that moment of respite.

And then the special effects kick in and Johnny Cage is watching with a dramatic expression as the forest is turned into a place of chains and pain. Johnny shakes off the disturbed nature on his expression and replaces it with an affable smirk because he's seen worse. Most of which are movies he's in. "This whole Snake Mountain vibe? Weird. But effective. It's kinda' scary. Nicely done." Cage using the greatest weapon he has in his arsenal right now. His mouth.

When that terrifying green chain of impalement comes in his direction, Johnny focuses up and steps in towards it, spinning and shoving his hands at it to send it past his body as he continues to move past it. Just an opportunity to get himself into a better position to try and even up this here fight.

Johnny's body starts to get its own greenish glow as he crosses the path to get closer to Hazama. He leaps up, twirling his body and aiming his foot at the top of Hazama's skull to see if he can't let his patented Flippy Kick take his self-identifying villain back down to the ground!

"Ready for your close-up?"

COMBATSYS: Hazama blocks Johnny Cage's Cliffhanger EX.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1           Hazama

[HAZAMA]
"Oh, yes. I was given one of the rare weapons within the Library. It's well-suited to me, I think, even if I'm not a combat specialist..." Hazama says, matter of factly. The feel of each chain, dark and fel powered, likely sizzles all around within the battlefield he's just manufactured. "Consider it a testament to your own prowess. I don't really LIKE using it...~"

One hand remains in his pocket, the other continuing to spin around the knife, as Cage rushes forward and launches into an overhead kick. His only response is to gesture with his free hand, as two chains shift and orient to criss-cross beneath his heel. The blow hits, and is violently arrested, the sound of constricting and breaking branches echoing all around from it. Apparently that took effort even though he doesn't quite kiss the top of Hazama's hat with his foot. "That was a good kick! There was nothing wrong with it, in and of itself..."

As Johnny Cage disengages to fall towards the ground and land, Hazama drops his right arm, and the chain he's on goes slack. Dropping a couple meters abruptly, it then goes rigid again, launching him right towards Johnny Cage. As they cross paths, he lashes out with a violent pair of swings, trying to slither two cuts right across his chest with a little laugh leaving him...!

"Come on, now! Show me what you can really do, Mr. Hero, or this snake is going to truly bare his fangs~"

COMBATSYS: Hazama issues a challenge!!

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1           Hazama

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage blocks Hazama's Power Strike.

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Johnny Cage      1/-------/=======|=======\=======\1           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
Johnny Cage just looks at all this madness like he's in the middle of a bad movie pitch. He can't even understand how he ended up in the middle of all this. Yet, there's still a half-smirk on his face because despite the odds being in Hazama's favor (at least according to how Cage sees it), he's still managing to get a bit of a fun work out. It's all about the show for Johnny Cage.

"You know what? I'm definitely firing my agent after this. Of course I don't get any cool toys. Just got me John McClane-ing out here. So unfair."

Johnny grins through his fake outrage as Hazama and Chain drop and come at him. He braces for impact, throwing his arms up to protect his chest. The slashes in his direction cut through the arm's of the jacket enough to cut Cage's arms up but he seems to be standing his ground for the most part.

"Oh, coming for my ego, huh? Good tactic. I hate that it works every time." Cage smirks as he goes into his jacket pocket and yanks out a camera. "Say Cheese!" And he aims to snap a photo of Hazama. Or, well, that's just the bonus part. The actual trickery comes with the BLINDING FLASH that comes with the camera usage. Maybe it'll help slow his opponent down some. Geez!

COMBATSYS: Hazama full-parries Johnny Cage's Say Cheese!!

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Johnny Cage      1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2           Hazama

[HAZAMA]
"Oh, yes. It's a fun toy, you could say." The two slashes run lightly, as if a shallow cut was perfectly fine by Hazama's own preference. Of course, there's the problem of trying to Trick a Trickster. Hazama's eyes are always nearly closed, and when the camera comes up, it's a simple matter to finish closing them. The world flashes brightly, illuminating the dark forest and showing the twisted trees, limbs, the sheer number of chains in all directions. And when it drops... Hazama is gone.

A moment later, and he descends upside-down right above Cage, bringing up both of his hands. A green and purple eruption of energy forms in a ring around the erstwhile hero, before a bladed chain attempts to constrict tightly, and catch him by the arms. Flipping forward, he then aims to yank the end of the chain.

If Johnny is caught, he'll be flipped head over heels and then swung through the air, to /slam/ through the side of a tree before impacting the ground... with a tremendous, rattling explosion that sends venomous energy in all directions, billowing like fire out as Hazama continues to chuckle...!

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage catches Hungry Coils EX from Hazama with Mime Time.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Johnny Cage      1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
The camera gets tossed over Cage's shoulder once the flashing stops. Thank goodness for his shades because he didn't have to close his eyes. Sadly, though, he still couldn't keep up with Hazama's movements and therefore has NO earthly idea of where in the holy heck the Trickster went. "Hey, if you better not be able to teleport too! I fought a yellow ninja once that could do that! SO annoying!" And that's when Hazama's arrival becomes apparent.

Johnny Cage looks up and just looks annoyed. "Seriously?!"

When that ring of energy shows up and that bladed chain comes in, Cage does the only thing he knows how to do in this kind of situation. "IT'S MIME TIME!" He doesn't have to shout it but it just kind of goes with the moment. Just go with it.

Johnny throws his hands up and creates an invisible box around himself. The sounds of him being trapped in it can be heard as it seems to stop the chain from getting a grip as well. Cage punches his way through the glass that doesn't exist, there's even a shatter sound effect as his hands reach for that chain and Cage attempts to reversal throw Hazama so that he can give himself a little more room to get back into this here fight.

[HAZAMA]
This is the second time that Hazama is surprised. His eyes actually open to little slits, battled this strange technique actually worked on him. But more than anything... "My, my, my... I was really trying to kill you, there. I can't remember the last time I failed..." He's flung away, but the brief displacement still ends in him landing on another chain, crouching now. He reaches up and adjusts his hat, as gradually wind seems to flow upwards, ruffling his clothing and tie.

"I don't like that very much."

His eyes then snap open once more, and an actual presence is felt within Hazama. Something wild, murderous, chaotic. His hat blows off, hair gradually spiking up and backwards.

"HERE... SURVIVE THIS, THEN!!"

Leaping into the air, Hazama then twists back his right hand, building up that purple and green aura around it. Before landing hard, and striking the ground...

Chains begin to erupt out of the ground. More, and more. Dozens... hundreds... they form and weave together, before a GARGANTUAN SERPENT roars into the air. It burns and seethes with green energy, as it rears straight up and looks down at Johnny Cage, a little morsel down beneath.

And it strikes.

It's massive mouth, big enough to swallow someone hole, attempts to fall upon Johnny Cage. Trees dislodge and go flying in all directions. Dirt ripples up and splits the ground asunder, before a grandiose, absolutely over-CGI'd explosion ripples out like a small bomb, shaking the ground wildly and sending green, shimmering energy flashing in all directions...

"Hahahaha...! Hahaha... ha...!" Hazama gestures as the apocalypse roars past him, before a chain brings him back his hat. He snatches it and shoves it back on his head, and almost immediately begins to calm down... smirk twitching repeatedly, eyes still slit partly open as green fire burns and smolders on the trees and brush surrounding him.

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage blocks Hazama's #Hungry Darkness of 1,000 Souls#.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Johnny Cage      1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh."

It takes Cage a little while to catch up. He's a Hollywood Hunk so he's not the fastest car on the track, y'know. Which is why it takes him a couple of moments of shaking off his Mime Shield to really understand what is going on here. "Oh you son of an expletive." Cage narrows his eyes, very likely too late but still. "This was a trap?!" Johnny Cage looks furious and actually holds out a finger to point annoyedly at Hazama. "Did you just Ackbar me?! Seriously?! Oh ho no. You are so dead!"

While Johnny's down there talking quite a bit of trash, Hazama seems to be gearing up for something that's uh... insane. Johnny Cage only has time to blink as Hazama takes to the air and hits the ground. Chi or Aura or Evil Energy... whatever it is, it causes that explosion of evil chains of death and the unbe-weave-able web of death they create in the form of a GARGANTUAN SERPENT. Cage just stares up at it.

"... Well. Shit."

The serpent's strike is terrifying and as it is unleashed upon Cage his entire jacket is mostly burned from his body. Bruised, burned, singed, and more come from Cage as he tries to stand his ground against this viciously powerful onslaught. There's blood everywhere and the bones in his arms are very likely broken as it seems he's managed to get them up to protect himself- a little- from the power. It comes raining down upon him but when it is all said and done, Johnny Cage is still standing. Kind of. He's wobbly but he's still upright. How? Even he doesn't know.

"Heyo..." Johnny Balboa seems to have entered the fight because he's swaying back and forth on his feet trying to stay upright but his fists are ready to keep fighting. When he should probably call it. "I ain't hear no bell." Johnny Cage holds up one finger. "One more round."

And then he motions for Hazama to Bring It On. This might be a mistake.

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage checks his pager.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Johnny Cage      1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0           Hazama

[HAZAMA]
"...ahahaha! You're like a cockroach!" Hazama says, pressing a palm to his forehead and seeming somewhere between delighted and exasperated. "But you're not going to win just deflecting my attacks... you've not even hit me yet~" He then steps off his current chain, dropping to the ground and landing in a mild crouch. "Still, I can't deny your tenacity. Let's keep playing, shall we? Maybe there'll be a miracle..." There's a darker cadence to this, a sadistic grin, as Hazama reveals he has no intention of going easy. He showed his full hand, and Cage is still standing; now he's going to keep up the momentum, and not give the other man a breather...!

Leaping in a blur, he rebounds off one chain, then another, before zipping before Cage. His free hand comes out, and almost casually flings to the left, then the right. Two rippling, serpentine figures of burning green manifest, both gaping open comical, simplistic mouths to try and sink a bite into Johnny Cage and drive him backwards...!

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage parries Hazama's Venom Sword!

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Johnny Cage      1/---====/=======|==-----\-------\0           Hazama

[JOHNNY CAGE]
Johnny Cage seems to have gotten a bit more serious about this fight in the last couple of moments. He's battered and bruised but it seems to be helping him out or something. Because he's watching Hazama from behind those shades of his and it's looking like he's getting a bit of a better read on this one now.

Y'know, especially since his life might actually be on the line. Oof.

Cage smirks as he watches Hazama blur in his direction, falling for his taunt as he kind of wanted but also didn't want at all. It was totally a bluff tactic that he uses from all those movies he's been in. Usually, there's an opportunity to do something cool afterward but this time? Who knows.

"Snakes? Why'd it have to be snakes?" Indiana Johnny remarks as he spins through the twin serpentine figures, open palms outstretched to shove them aside as he makes a line for Hazama!

"Apollo Creed sends his regards." Johnny quips, rearing his fists back and rushing in with a volley of hook punches aimed to rock Hazama's head back and forth if he can land them. Of course, Johnny's body is already ready to lift off and bring another one of those stylish Flippy Kicks into the mix if his hook punch juggling works right.

And just because he's feelin' a little bit flashy, there's a bit of a Glow to Cage right about now. He can't help it. He's a showoff til the very end.

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage successfully hits Hazama with Caged Rage EX.
- Power hit! -

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Johnny Cage      1/-======/=======|==-----\-------\0           Hazama

[HAZAMA]
"...!"

Hazama's eyes open in surprise once more, before the first blow hits him in the face. The rapid series of assaults afterwards knocks him back and forth, unable to recover before the final backflip hits him right in the chin. Blood spurts out, and Hazama goes spiraling backwards, knocked clean off the ground before hitting the floor a distance away.

His fancy hat slowly drifts down, landing on the ground nearby.

"Hehehe... Hahah... HAHAHA! Pathetic. This is PATHETIC! How's this human still STANDING?!"

Like some kind of strange zombie, the figure then slowly raises up by the heels. He reaches up to press his fist on his own heart, before there's a CRACK. Green energy erupts through Hazama, blowing out of his shoulders and back. His eyes gape, his mouth twists, and he... collapses.

But a second figure remains standing, looking almost identical; only in a far more informal slouch, green hair swept back once more. Instead of a black dress jacket, he has a large yellow trechcoat; the hood drawn up and over his head. His left eye is a dark green, blackness seeping out and covering the rest of his face.

"Enough... I'll crush you like an INSECT... since Hazama's too WEAK too. Hahaha...! You ready to REALLY fight for your life, HUMAN?!"

He brings up a switchblade of his own, as one of the dark, snake-tipped chains coils about his opposite arm. The rush of aura from him is raw, chaotic, and above all, far more dangerous than the man that Johnny Cage had just been facing. Is this even TOURNAMENT LEGAL?!

COMBATSYS: Terumi begins gathering twisted black and green energy around him...!

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Johnny Cage      1/-======/=======|==-----\-------\0           Terumi

[JOHNNY CAGE]
"..."

Johnny Cage takes a moment to realize that this is getting a little out of hand. It's all about the new level of special effects that's happening. Thank goodness his shades are on because he might be freaking out just a bit but the rest of his facial expression is nothing but calm and collected. Somewhere beneath the blood and bruises, that is.

"Let me guess." Johnny Cage probably shouldn't be talking smack but then again it's Johnny Cage. He doesn't know how to not talk smack. It's in his blood. "This isn't even your final form?" Cage grins and repositions himself into his fighting stance once again. "Listen, I've seen anime. I bet I know all your tricks, Dragonbitch Z."

Cage takes a step back and pumps his fists together. There's a sudden clanging and when he peels them back, there are a pair of brass knuckles on each hand. Both of which say CAGE in diamond encrusted letters. "If you're gonna' kill me, you're gonna' have to kill me first!" If Johnny pauses at that line before he just bum rushes Terumi(?!?!) with a flurry of FURIOUS FISTS. Yeah, this is just punching galore. Whatever lands, lands.

COMBATSYS: Terumi dodges Johnny Cage's Say Uncle EX.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Johnny Cage      1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0           Terumi

[HAZAMA]
"...hahaha. It's true. I have one more I can use, if I FEEL like it... would you like to see?" There's a playfulness to it, based entirely on sadism. Terumi then kicks the unconscious Hazama away, causing him to crack through some branches and brush before he lands somewhere potentially safe from the rest of the fight. "But I joined this little game for a reason... to show my STRENGTH... Hazama-kun failed at that, so it falls to /me/ to take over--"

Then Cage is upon him. Fists strike... nothing. Each hit causes his form to billow away like a cloud of ink; there's no feel of resistance, as the opponent apparently shows off he can BECOME INTANGIBLE. What kind of bullshit is Ghost Powers?! The last fierce blow hits him in the face, and it gradually reforms into a briefly black sphere that regrows the yellow hood and shifts back to his grinning face.

"--I wasn't done TALKING." One hand leaves a pocket and gestures. Behind Johnny, a sudden ouroboros chain starts skipping along the ground -- aiming to hit him in the back as it bursts into brilliant black-green scorching chi, intent on sending him hurtling towards the Destroyer. "You have the instincts and the tenacity, human... a shame you are too WEAK!!"

COMBATSYS: Terumi successfully hits Johnny Cage with Beckoning Serpent.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Johnny Cage      1/--=====/=======|=======\==-----\1           Terumi

[JOHNNY CAGE]
"Wait, you're serious? I was just kiddin'! Holy shit, how come I don't get any second or third forms. I swear to god, well maybe not since he's the one that screwed me, this shit is gettin' ridiculous. It used to be the worst I had to fight was a ugly dude with four arms and a ponytail but now I gotta' fight the cast of Naruto the Last Airbender..."

Johnny Cage's spiel is just to try and save some face after the whiff fest of fists that just hit nothing but empty space. Granted, there's no live fans to see this horrible display of punching so that's a relief. He'll have to check his subscriber count when he gets back to the hotel.

... if he survives this.

All this focus on Terumi(?!?!) has him paying absolutely no attention to the chain of death that's behind him and he doesn't know anything until he feels the searing pain of the impact into his back. Cage screams because yeah it effin' hurts but his body is launched with extreme bloody (there's so much blood coming out of Cage's back right now it's insane how is he alive anyway) force that even Johnny's not sure how he's still breathing. However, he does have the time and the momentum to twist his body and try to level off into a stylish Bruce Lee Shout Out: DRAGON KICK!

"KIYAH!"

One day, he's so going to get sued for this.

COMBATSYS: Terumi blocks Johnny Cage's Front Kick.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Johnny Cage      1/--=====/=======|=======\==-----\1           Terumi

[HAZAMA]
There's a brief look of surprise; Terumi had expected the blow to simply ragdoll Cage, and set him up for a brutal follow-through. Instead he's sweeping out a brutal kick, apparently fast and resolute enough that he doesn't have time to phase out of it again. His forearm lifts, catching the kick cleanly. His stance shifts sideways, his center of balance pivots, and he just grimaces heavily. "Insect... know your...!"

Suddenly whirls of black and green energy flow around Terumi, as he leverages his still-superior position to come in low. Stance spread, flowing with the sort of lightning, well-greased talent of a lifetime of murder, his right hand flares open as his left stays tucked in a pocket, yellow jacket billowing around him wildly.

"...PLACE!!" He tries to /slam/ his open palm into Cage's ribs before he can fully land... which, if he succeeds, is probably going to be incredibly unpleasant--!!

COMBATSYS: Johnny Cage counters Snakebite from Terumi with Ball Buster+.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1           Terumi

[JOHNNY CAGE]
Cage is trying his hardest to remain his quippy self during all the pain that's coursing through his body. He's actually trying to keep a brave face on. Maybe he'll earn a god's respect or something. Or maybe he'll just get some more followers. Still, less fun but also an option, he may just get a few more people to show up to his funeral. Closed Casket, of course. Either way, as long as he's got breath in his lungs he's got some banter to spew.

"You know what? You sound just like my ex-wife. Also my ex-agent. They're the same person but you get it, I'm sure."

Cage's quipping keeps him on his toes enough to realize that something serious is headed in his direction. Also, uh, the whole swirling energy and billowing jacket usually means something bad is about to happen and even Johnny Cage doesn't want to get hit with something like that.

"Sorry pal..." Johnny Cage watches as that open palm comes right at him during his descent. He spreads his legs wide dropping faster than normal and ducking underneath that divinely empowered palm strike and landing right on the ground in a signature split. "No more notes from the studio."

While that might not be as badass of a line as Cage believes it to be, he wastes not a single moment before he goes full speed bag on the god's nut region, sending a trifecta of violent punches into them. For some viewers at home there may be some X-Ray abilities here, if you got that kind of smart screen. Either way, Cage leaps up from his split and into the air, spinning and coming back down with a vicious elbow to Terumi's back for some more X-Ray potential bone breaking action.

"Humanity, Bitch!"

Oh Johnny.

[HAZAMA]
"...?!" Terumi looks legitimately surprised by that abrupt, flexible drop of the legs into the splits. Eyes go huge, when he sees where the fighter is aiming for. He wouldn't--

THUNKTHUNKTHUNK.

The result is comical in it's pedestrian mundaneness. Terumi doubles over, hobbling backwards and grasping himself, mouth gaping open with both eyes bulging. For all the long life of this ancient Destroying God, he's not sure anyone has had the gumption, the temerity, to hit him THERE. And it hurts. He can feel pain just fine; ironically, Hazama would have been much less effected.

But the question is... how big of an opening does this make? Not as much as one might hope. Cage would get to probably make another quip and pose, before the world seems to darken. The aura coming off Terumi is utter murder, single green point of light searing through it.

"You're dead...!"

He then shoots forward, veins clearly superimposed in Comic Rage, as both his left and right hand surges and boils with black and green fire. Twisting back, he then lashes out, trying to rake a snake-imbued chi manifestation brutally across Johnny's chest...!

COMBATSYS: Terumi successfully hits Johnny Cage with Serpent's Cursed Sting.

[                                < >  ///////////////               ]
Johnny Cage      0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0           Terumi

It's here that the God descends into nothing but sheer savagery. He slashes, rips, kicks. A knee to the groin, an elbow to the throat, all of it purely brutalizing. Cackling like a madman throughout it, he then twists into a downwards axe-kick that spikes Johnny into the floor... before swishing up both his left and right hands, catching him by the forearms and lifting upright. Each of his limbs ripples into a massive black and green snake, holding up Johnny as he begins to literally /drain his lifeforce./

"Die... die... diediedie!" Pulse after pulse of that horrible, destructive force aims to continually ravage Johnny's very soul, before he twists and hurls him down into the ground, face-first. Then four hard stamps are done to the back of his head and shoulders, before *grinding* his cheek down upon the floor.

"Here's the part where you're at Death's Door..." he whispers, tooed loafer sweeping up Johnny before stepping forward, twisting, and unleashing a brutal, chi-imbued sidekick to send him flying towards one of the thick adjacent trees...!!

[JOHNNY CAGE]
Cage's smug expression lasts just long enough for him to get out another statement. It may be a quip or it may be an attempt at final words. It all kind of just depends on how someone wants to spin this here thing. After all, Johnny Cage did kind of bring this on himself. He can kind of tell by the way he's looking around at the darkness that's taking over the forest. This is not going to end well. For him, anyway.

Sigh. "What, no sequel?"

Johnny Cage takes his final moment to actually just shrug an annoying sitcom kind of way. And that's when the hell scape begins.

The incredibly violent onslaught of savagery is painful enough. Those slashes sending blood everywhere, the skin coming off his body when he's ripped into, the kicks shattering bone with relative ease. Johnny Cage only remains standing out of the sheer fact that he's being obliterated so quickly that his body hasn't had an opportunity to fall quite yet. It takes that brutal axe kick to finally put the superstar into the ground. No typo, the ground actually gets a Johnny Cage style indentation thanks to the power in Terumi's leg.

But a god's wrath can't be that simple, can it?

Cage's body is grabbed and yanked up by those snake arm limbs! Johnny's barely breathing and that becomes even less so as he's drained of almost every single inch of his actual life. If there's a reason he's still alive, it has to be either his soul or his ego. No one will ever really know, to be perfectly honest.

Cage's face cracks when he gets driven back into the ground. His sunglasses finally break into a shattering of pieces. Cage's skull is cracked after one- two- three- four! vicious stomps to the back of his heads. His arms no longer completely attached somehow dangling from his position of being obliterated into the forest (is it even still a forest at this point) floor. His face ruined even more by the grinding viciousness of Terumi at merciful work.

Cage has nothing behind his eyes as he's toe'd up enough to be in perfect line for that chi-imbued kick of soul-shattering brutality that sends (the body of) Johnny Cage off into the distance! The sound of him smacking into a HELL of a lot of trees as he goes is enough to put his continued ability to live on this earth to rest.

F A T A L I T Y . . . ?

[HAZAMA]
That's not enough for Terumi. Not enough at all. He cackles madly and then extends his arms, as multiple portals begin to open all around him. Long, infused ouroboros-chains begin to flash out, one after another, following through the breaking wreckage. They impale where the once-Cage lands, each detonating with a ground-shattering FLASH of black-green energy. He keeps this up for almost ten seconds; turning the entire area he kicked Johnny through into SCORCHED EARTH. Then, panting heavily, all of them retract in tandem... vanishing back into those portals, as a few black-fire burning trees collapse with creaks and pops.

"Haa... haa... so that is why that shitty girl invited you to this tournament... if you can turn that will into something else, you'd be DANGEROUS." He then picks up the hat, and plants it back on his head. "A shame you're DEAD."

There's a sudden warble, a sound like a vaccuum, before Terumi's ghost-shaped body flies back to Hazama. It hits him hard enough to cause a spasm, ending with the hat somewhat off-center atop his head. The Intelligence head frowns, pushing up with a groan to adjust it back into place and peer around.

"...well. I guess that means I move on to the next round, doesn't it~?"

Log created on 19:37:24 07/11/2022 by Hazama, and last modified on 13:46:49 07/19/2022.