Description: Mr.Big barely noses ahead in a grueling standoff with Vanessa, before Yagami finishes both him and Billy Kane off in an inconceivably long string of successes. (Winners: Vitriol)
Seems the lower level's been designated as the location for this special KOF battle -- as it affords the best view, of course! The eager onlookers are parted at regular intervals by the camera crews, all around the circumference of the Duck Pond. A jam band keeps the crowd entertained as they wait for the fighters to enter the ring. Though... the bass player of said band might look a little familiar, if you were even looking off that way.
Most people wouldn't expect the Vitriol team captain to be playing bass in a band, after all, which is probably why he hasn't been mobbed by fans yet -- many caught the familiarity, but just figured it was a clever monopolistic attempt at cosplay. Iori just keeps playing his bass in the meantime, though.
"LAAAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN! The Duck Pond welcomes the world to this very special first round match in The King of Fighters 2005! Our victims tonight will be Vitriol, represented by Iori Yagami and Vanessa, pitted in combat against Team SS, represented by Billy Kane and Mr. Big! IS EVERYONE READY?"
The resultant roar of the crowd would seem to indicate a resounding "yes."
The musical performance doesn't appear to be of much interest to at least one member of the crowd, as Kain R. Heinlein waits near the front of the audience. He's here to see a fight, and that's all that's of concern to him. At least, despite the crowd, he has little trouble with people invading his personal space. Although he's outwardly calm, the fact that this is Geese Howard's team is enough that even without his flames the people around him can almost sense the angry aura around him. He's very much looking forward to seeing Geese's minions get thrashed. As well as seeing just how well Vanessa performs here tonight.
And there she is.
Sitting on the lip of the stage, her usual outfit crisp from the laundromat, is Vanessa, her expression showing little to no overt emotion at the given moment. If anything, despite being RIGHT UP AGAINST the blaring of the speakers-- music that she's not entirely fond of but can certainly deal with-- she's looking pensive, picking occasionally at the edges of her gloves, her eyes scanning the crowd for the members of the other team. With the capricious Ash off somewhere else doing god only knows what, she's not incredibly happy.
Far from it.
Edging away from her given seat, she casts a glance over her shoulder at Iori who, if he catches her gaze, will get a light shrug of her shoulders and a rather unamused expression. While she's had little to drink... she's tempted. Especially once the announcer sounds off with the roster. Two on two? Sounds a lot more doable... even if she's well aware of Big's ease in combat.
Especially against her.
For now, she doesn't notice Kain's presence in the club-- there's so many people watching her that it's difficult to pinpoint just one. Assuming her position on the stage, she waits, wordless.
Geese leads his team into the Duck Pond, presuming that the dance floor will be where the fighting takes place. "I'll be fighting as well," Geese informs the announcer. Strange, he doesn't look dressed for it: He's wearing one of his many business suits that's so expensive it could feed a small third-world village for a week, if sold. He goes onto the floor, looking at the opponents. Iori. Good! Geese has always had a certain interest in him, and smirks.
...It does not last. He sees Vanessa, and laughs. "Wait, they're letting that whining clown into KoF?" He laughs a little more, then he's disappointed. "Big! This is up your alley after all. I won't be fighting until trash like this is removed from the tournament I'm taking back." He walks back off the stage, and goes to find a nice table to sit at. If one isn't empty, he certainly expects someone to give theirs up for him. He'll be paying top dollar for the best drinks this 'dive' (in his eyes) has to offer. Right after insulting Vanessa like it hardly matters.
Billy Kane's present, himself -- and he shows it when Iori's bass abruptly... dies, suddenly making no sound. Seated on top of one of the band's amny amps, Billy cracks a broad smirk, an electric guitar held in his lap. "Man, man... Turn down that noise, spikehead. You've got bigger fish to fry than my poor ears, buddy." To prove his point, Billy, twirling the plug to Iori's guitar, which he yanked out from across the stage... and then plugging it into his own guitar and quickly playing a loud, crunchy riff. Looks like this is more than just a battle of teams; it's a battle of the bands. Sitting up and kicking the amp off the stage, Billy slings his guitar over his front, flipping Iori off before he hops down onto the floor and approaches the combat area.
Resting his red staff over both shoulders and keeping it steady with one hand, the British Bomber leans forward and waggles his fingers, spitting his tongue out at Vanessa and Iori. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't look so down. Look at it this way: You get to take a crack at Bigs. Shame you won't get past me even if you get past him, though..."
Striding proudly through the crowd behind his boss, Mr. Big looks more like a peacock in a parade than a fighter getting ready to enter the first round of the prestigious King of the Fighter's Tournament. His thick black cane clicking against the smooth floor of the Duckpond as he struts, Mr. Big waves and finger-points to the cheering (and jeering) fans. Dressed in his favorite fur-lined overcoat and smart brown vest, Mr, Big suddenly whips off his ever-present pair of sunglasses and hands them to a young female fan, causing the girl to scream with excitement and jam them onto her face, much to the jealousy of her friends. Reaching into his overcoat, Mr. Big smoothly brandishes another pair and places them over his eyes, determined to keep up his image even in the dark dance club.
Bouncing his steps to the beat of the music, Mr. Big begins to turn spin slowly as the Southtown Syndicate duo approaches the dance floor. As he turns his hands are raised into the air, holding his cane aloft. "Oh yeah! Who's your daddy?!" Mr. Big shouts to the crowd. A large group of scantily clad women near the front of the crowd begin to cheer wildly at his question, shouting 'You are Mr. Big!' in well-rehearsed unison.
Completing his 360, Big suddenly stops as he catches sight of Vanessa, the grin falling from his face. "Ginger?!" he asks himself, his exclamation lost in the din of the crowd. Is it possible that Mr. Big didn't even bother to check what team he was up against in the first round?! His gazed locked on Vanessa for the time being, Big either doesn't notice as Iori's bass dies and Billy takes over, or he is just too astounded to care.
As Geese Howard addresses him with the change of plans, a slow smile creeps across the mobster's face. "Oh ho ho!" he exclaims, "This is gunna be fun! I know you've been eager to get your dirty little hands all over Mr. Big again, here's your chance!" he shouts over the crowd as he points to Vanessa. "Me and you baby!"
Ggnngh.
Bad enough that Big is here. But Geese's comment, however flushed out by the music... is at least apparent, if only thanks to -look- that the megalomaniac gives to her. Vanessa's anger, while it has worked to her benefit in the past, won't work well for her this time around. Taking in a deep breath, her eyes scanning over to where Billy is once the comment is called out, she just... shakes her head, her attentions turning back towards her opponent this time around. She has no immediate wish to be humiliated.
Oh, if only Ash had gotten off his ass and decided to -make- it this time around.
"Just remember what I said last time," the redhead replies flatly, her lips pulled back into an obvious sneer as she readies herself at the edge of the dancefloor. There's no taunts of promises to lay him low this time-- not a whit of it. Assuming the usual defensive stance that's common with her, she takes in another long breath, preparing herself for what she's up against. With Iori at her back and Geese straight ahead, she's rueing the sarcastic 'No pressure' phrase all the more in her head.
For now?
Watch and wait.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa focuses on her next action.
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Vanessa 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Iori's fingers keep strumming away for a few notes -- it actually takes him a few moments to realize there's no music accompanying the motions. It's not every day the music dies, after all. Figures, though, that Kane would have to ruin his groove. And once he listens to Kane rumbling through with his own take on the evening's festivities, Iori shrugs mildly, setting his guitar back into its stand. "I'm sure your sister claps for you, but I don't think anyone else did." Even if there were a lot of cries of 'OOOOH' and 'OWNED' passing around the crowd just the same.
But, just to cover the bases, Iori walks up to the lead guitarist and holds out his hand for the guitar. Not being on the best of terms with the Orochi halfbreed, the guitarist pulls his guitar back to him shelteringly. He then seems to have trouble withstanding the punch that slams into his jaw, falling to the stage as Iori takes the guitar and straps it on. "... now, where were we? Oh... right. Vanessa was about to kick Big's ass." On the fourth tap of his boot, the song resumes -- minus one bass.
Kain watches as Geese takes a seat at one of the tables, but makes no move to leave his current spot. He's got little to say to Howard right now. There's plenty of things he might like to say, but there's no need to cause a scene. He's somewhat disappointed that there won't be even a chance of seeing Geese take a beating tonight, though. As for the rest of that team... Kain sneers a bit at Big's entrance, caring little for the flashy manner that the man affects. Billy... Well, Kain doesn't know too much about the man, and he's far enough away from the action that he can't get a good look at anyone's eyes, in order to read them.
As for the other team... Iori, Kain knows about the same amount as Billy... He's physically strong, but other than that? Vanessa's his major interest tonight, as this is going to be a continuation of the tests he's put into place for her and her Ikari Warrior friends. She's shown good signs, so far.
"What you said last time... what you said last time..." Mr. Big repeats as he steps onto the dance floor and crosses his arms over his chest, pretending to tap his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I'm not really sure what you're talking about, Ginger... Was it before or after 'Please, please don't kill my friend Mr. Big'?" Big asks, his voice mocker hers in a humorous falsetto.
As Vanessa takes up her defensive stance, but otherwise remains still, Big uncrosses his arms and takes a few steps towards her, softly bouncing his walking staff against the palm of his left hand, and closing to a normal fighting distance. "Too shy to make the first move?" Big asks as he clucks his tongue admonishingly. "It's okay Ginger, I'll be gentle..." That much being said, Big suddenly shoots his staff foreword, much like a pool cue, the tip flying straight for Vanessa's nose.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa blocks Mr.Big's Medium Strike.
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Vanessa 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Bringing up her arms to deflect the worst of the damage, Vanessa is nonetheless left largely unharmed by the poke at either of the upraised limbs, her expression showing her determination. While she may have outright shrugged this entire fight off to begin with, now? Now they have a fighting chance. Too bad she's not exactly a wonderful tactician. Unmoved by the words or the attack, she just does as she's supposed to.
She runs at him.
Covering the distance with a quick sprint, she snaps upwards in a quick shot towards the man's jaw, intending on laying a swift uppercut on him without compromising her defense. The moment it hits-- or whiffs, as the case may be-- she's quick to edge backwards a few paces, putting some distance between herself and Big for the time being. Still wordless?
Apparently, 'Ginger' has no real interest in carrying on conversation this time around.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big blocks Vanessa's Dash Puncher.
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Vanessa 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Mr. Big frowns as Vanessa deflects his attack, the frowns even deeper when he notices a glaring lack of conversation on her part. "Ah, what's the matter baby? You used to love my pillow talk." Whipping his staff harmlessly to his right side, Mr. Big raises his left arm in front of his face to deflect Vanessa's uppercut on his forearm.
Ouchie, that might leave a bruise, she packs a punch for such a little thing. As Vanessa darts away Mr. Big seems unconcerned. Twisting his staff up behind his head, and letting it rest across his shoulders much like a yoke, Mr. Big grasps both ends of his staff. "It's okay if you want to sulk Ginger, I have more than enough personality for both of us," Big reassures her.
Crouching slightly, Mr. Big suddenly pushes off his right foot, sending himself spiraling off towards Vanessa, the staff laying across his shoulders, threatening to strike anything that comes in the human cyclone's way. Spinning about 8 or 9 times in all, Mr. Big will end his assault by thrusting his staff at Vanessa's gut as he winds out of his attack.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa dodges Mr.Big's Spinning Lancer.
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Vanessa 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
You know what you do in situations like these?
You duck.
Which Vanessa does, edging backwards as quickly as possible without resorting to scurrying on all fours, waiting for the man to come out of the spinning assault. When he -does-, and aims that attack on her, the redhead doesn't let herself hesitate. Having used a good majority of her resolve to get out of that, she's not interested in heavy-hitters-- right now, she's just interested in using every bit of speed she's got to wear him down.
She's still not saying anything to him. So far as she's concerned, there's nothing -to- say to this man that hasn't already been touched upon in one way or another. Thus, using his forward momentum, she darts forwards with a surprising amount of speed, aiming to use her crouching position in such a way that slams her fist against the pimp's gut, hopefully forcing him backwards.
Unless, of course, he somehow manages to skirt to the side.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big blocks Vanessa's Puncher Vision.
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Vanessa 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
As Vanessa snakes in with a punch to his gut, Mr. Big simply raises his knee and brings his elbows down to cover his midsection, much preferring to take the punch on his extremities than his stomach. After all, how would he run his mouth if Vanessa managed to knock the wind out of him? As her punch dashes against his knee, Mr. Big hops back a few feet, putting some distance between the two fighters.
"Ah, you'll have to do better than that Ginger," The Big Man informs her as he turns to the crowd, pointing to a pretty girl and blowing her a kiss. "Come on, let's give these people a show! Did you see how much the cover charge was?!" Besides, Duck puts more water in his shots than alcohol. On the straight and narrow, what a joke. Turning back to Vanessa, Mr. Big waves her foreword, not so much a 'come get some' gesture as an 'hey, I've got a secret'. "Show me that fire Ginger!" Mr. Big pleads.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big focuses on his next action.
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Vanessa 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Were she smart, she'd see what he's doing. But with his back turned to her...
Nn. It -still- looks like a trap, but it's a shot she can't refuse, no matter how hard she tries to pass it up. She can -do- this... it's not impossible. And it never will be. Gritting her teeth, Vanessa straightens again, darting back in for another quick round of not one, not two, but three consecutive punches.
If she's able, her hand will snap out and take hold of the man's shoulder, whipping him around to face her. First and foremost comes a swift left hook along his chest, the blow trailing a fierce shock of amber behind it, the energy meant to slice against him-- while her other fist come up in a similarly fast hit to his jaw, a similarly hued burst of luminescence trailing soon after with the same effect.
Now it's time to ease up again. More paces are taken backwards, her eyes focussed on the man in front of her, her expression as stoic as ever. What... he doesn't seem to be making her mad, isn't calling out any immediate resposes... he's just making her more determined.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big endures Vanessa's Forbidden Eagle.
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Vanessa 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
His gesture is cut short as Vanessa whips him around and sends a couplet of glowing punches at him. Mr. Big's eyes go wide with excitement as the fists close in. "Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" he cries as he makes no move to block or dodge the attack, instead Mr. Big takes the hook on the chin, causing him to take a step back and begin to laugh. "Oh yeah, that stung baby, that stung good. Here, let me return the favor!"
Mr. Big shouts as he takes up his staff in both hands, twisting slightly to separate both halves with a metallic click. Now armed with two short batons, Mr. Big rushes in on Vanessa, ducking his shoulder low and raising his left baton, which he with lash out against Vanessa's jaw with when he closes in. Hit or no, Big will then quickly leap into the air as he drags his right baton foreword in a reverse grip, the end of the stick aimed once more at Vanessa's face, hoping to catch her under the chin, sending her into the air against her will.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa blocks Mr.Big's California Romance.
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Vanessa 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Not this time.
Raising either of her arms instantly, Vanessa's ready for the attack when it comes to her. Skidding back a mere foot at the impact that's taken, she can feel her arms buckle somewhat under the strain of the attack, but it's just fuel to the fire at this point. In spite of the wince that crosses her features, she continues to look largely unharmed by the bout this far-- far less hurt than she did the last time they crossed each other's paths.
You know, come to think of it, it's a little spooky-- Vanessa lapsing to silence? Something -must- be horribly wrong with the universe.
Dusting off her blazer, she watches him carefully for a time, pinpointing the gaps in his own defenses as she takes care to size up her chances. This split-second appraisal is broken instantly by her seizing the front of his shirt and dragging him in, determined to land not one, but -three- punches as quickly as possible. One across the face, another to the gut, the last barreling into his sternum... and finally, a heavy hitting uppercut to the underside of his jaw. As with before...
She merely eases back, watching him, waiting for the response she knows is coming.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big dodges Vanessa's Puncher Weaving.
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Vanessa 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Mr. Big seems a little annoyed as Vanessa shrugs off his California Romance. (Ain't that the truth.) It's either because he's not doing quite so well this time around, or because she's not being her usual surly self. "You know, you're starting to get boring Ginger," he says sadly as she reaches out to draw him close. Ducking his head casually to avoid the first blow to his face, then tearing himself out of her grasp by spinning to her side, Mr.
Big almost seems ready to yawn as his arms lash out at Vanessa's neck, aiming to scissor his batons around her throat and lift her into the air. "I'll have to apologize to the crowd personally after I put you down," Mr. Big remarks glumly. "What a bore." If his sticks manage to lift the redhead into the air, Mr. Big will then spin Vanessa upside-down in a powerbomb-like motion, sending her skull to crack painfully on the dance floor.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa dodges Mr.Big's Million Dollar Buster.
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Vanessa 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
As with the last times:
No dice.
Shying away in what -looks- like a painfully easy dodge, Vanessa's heart is nonetheless pounding against her ribcage as a direct result of the attempt, her breath coming out of her in an audible whuff, though over the din of the crowd and the music, it'd be difficult to hear. Her expression hasn't changed much in spite of this, though her tension speaks worlds of how close that was.
She takes this chance to lay out some serious 'firepower,' however-- even if he practically shrugs off all of her attacks like they were nothing, she's still making it a point to put some serious hurt down on him. Six consecutive blows come out in a fast volley against the large man's face, the redhead attempting to pummel him to the point where he's forced backwards and, potentially, into the crowd.
"Better apologize for you performance first, sweetheart," she says, at long last, though there's no real inflection to her tone of voice. Not even a hint of cockiness. Right now, she's simply focussed. As much as she can be.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big dodges Vanessa's Machine Gun Puncher.
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Vanessa 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Mr.Big says, "We'll see," Mr. Big replies shortly as he dances out of the way of her volley, coming dangerously close to the edge of the dance floor. Mr. Big doesn't seem to have much to say at this point in the fight either. @emit Maybe he's given up all hopes of putting on a good show. Maybe he's started to get nervous. He had no idea that Vanessa could compete on this level. As Vanessa's attacks hit nothing but air, Mr. Big's sticks lash out at her neck once more, attempting to lift her off of the ground exactly like last time. The difference is, instead of slamming her on the ground if he catches her, this time he's going to fling his arms over his head and toss her like a rag doll behind him, sending her flying into the crowd. Hey, she started it."
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big successfully hits Vanessa with High Lift Throw.
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Vanessa 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Kain watches as Vanessa gets caught up in Big's attack, giving her a nice little flight into the crowd, even if it doesn't have quite as much force as the gangster intended... Oh, and it seems she's headed this way. Well, rather than letting himself get bowled over by a flying housewife turned boxer, the blond man holds out his arms, catching her as she comes sailing into him. He glances down at her for a moment, giving her a brief period of time in which to get her bearings before he sets her down. If she's not ready to land on her feet, well, too bad for her. "Not bad, so far. I certainly hope you've got more to show, however."
And... away she goes.
Though she manages to dampen the blow by, surprisingly, -taking hold- of the batons as they work to clasp her like two gigantic chopsticks, Vanessa is nonetheless thrown bodily towards the audience-- and into the waiting arms of Kain himself. Blinking confusedly up at him for a moment or two, she offers a brief smile, chuckling softly as she's let down from the hold. She's certainly far from winded in this case-- and she's got an idea, now that she's here. "Nice catch," she says, very simply, dusting off her blazer. Then?
"S'cuse me!" she says to one of the men standing next to Kain. The moment he turns to look at her, she grabs his beer and shouts "Hey, asshole!" at Big, hurling the bottle straight at his head from this distance. Just as quickly, she's pushing to get back onto the dancefloor, despite the fact tha the guy she stole booze from is livid.
"Hey, I'll buy you another one when this is over!" she shouts back at the preturbed audience member.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big parries Vanessa's Thrown Object!
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Vanessa 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Snatching the beer out of the air with ease, Mr. Big raises the bottle to his lips and drains the tasty beverage in one fell swoop, the amber liquid running down his chin as the crowd cheers him on. "Ahh... that really hit the spot, thanks Ginger." Mr. Big says. "Here, be sure to recycle," he reminds her with a grin as he whips the bottle straight back at her head.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa blocks Mr.Big's Thrown Object EX.
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Vanessa 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Swatting the bottle aside-- though the action causes it to smack against her knuckles in an audible fashion, the smash of the glass against the dancefloor is audible enough to make it obvious that Big's throw was nothing short of 'speedball' quality. Shaking her hand out, Vanessa's expression has gone back to what it's been through most of this-- stoic. Back to concentration; the merriment is over.
For now, she merely watches him, waiting for him to hit her with something worthwhile-- as is, neither of them have been very successful in harming the other, no matter how hard they try. That, however, could change at the drop of a hat... hopefully in her favor.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa focuses on her next action.
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Vanessa 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Cackling loudly as the bottle smashes on the floor, Mr. Big raises his arms to try and get a cheer out of the crowd. "There's nothing like the thrill of the lights and the cheers of the fans, is there Ginger?" Mr. Big asks as he plays it up for the crowd. If there's one thing that Big wants, that he craves, it is for all eyes to be on him. That's painfully obvious from how he carries himself, how he dresses, the cars that he drives and the women that he travels with. Mr. Big is in his element and he's enjoying every moment of it.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big gathers his will.
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Vanessa 1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Mmf.
At this rate, Vanessa's gonna need to step things up. They're wearing each other out at this rate, and she remembers what happened the last time he pulled his wits about him. In spite of her own internal preparations, she knows what she's up against-- and for now, tearing through those defenses is the best option she's got, even if it's just something to wake him up.
Darting back in, she attempts to slam a punch straight across his face-- something that proves itself to be a feint, though dependant on whether or not he sees through it, which could very well be difficult, he may not have enough of a chance to react. The second her right fist is in position, she *snaps* her body back around in a powerful backhand-- if you discount the fact that her hand is still balled up into a fist. It's not as strong a she might be able to make it in some cases, but it's sure as hell something.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big blocks Vanessa's Medium Punch.
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Vanessa 1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Bringing both of his arms up around his face to ward off the first attack, Mr. Big is slightly confused as it never hits. Luckily for the mobster, his other forearm is left in the way of Vanessa's actually attack, saving him from the full effects of the backhand. "You know Ginger... I think the fans are getting bored. What's say we give them some fireworks?" he asks as he slowly raises his batons in front of him.
Vanessa's seen this attack before, so she should have a good idea of what's about to happen as the hair on the heads of the fans closest to the dance floor begins to stand on end curiously. A thick blue arc of electricity crackles into existence and begins to dance from one baton to the other, illuminating Big's face in a faint cobalt glow. "Oh yeah, how's that cyclops of a friend of yours doing? Can he still eat solid food?" Mr. Big asks simply as the arc of electricity grows in intensity. "Tell him hello when you see him in the hospital," Mr. Big requests as he thrusts the sticks towards Vanessa's head. The second her face breaks the contact between his batons, if it does at all, a huge electrical explosion will rock the Duckpond; the epicenter being Vanessa's pretty little head.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big successfully hits Vanessa with MAX Blaster Wave.
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Vanessa 1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0 Mr.Big
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Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Thankfully for her, her pretty little head is out of the way by the time that explosion echoes through the dancefloor. While her movement doesn't take her out of the blast radius, she manages to get clear of the worst of it, grunting audibly at the impact that -is- made. Shaking her head as she gets her equilibrium back, Vanessa merely watches the man in front of her for a second or two, feigning more dizziness than she's actually experiencing.
Taking a couple steps in in a somewhat staggered fashion, the farce holds true until there's a sudden snap of motion. A -second- attempt at railing on him with repeated blows to his head, all six showing quite a bit more determination than she'd exhibited before.
--And then she backs up like she did last time. You know, distance. .c
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big dodges Vanessa's Machine Gun Puncher.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Vanessa 1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Mr. Big's smile fades as Vanessa is /not/ burnt to a crisp by his powerful attack. "What the..." he remarks as she staggers towards him. Well, he's not taking any chances anymore, there's a lot on the line with this fight. Big will never hear the end of it from Billy if he loses against Vanessa, and there's no telling what Geese will do. So when Vanessa sends a volley of punches at his head Big is ready, dancing out of the way of her barrage by spinning to the side. Glancing back at Vanessa who has since created some more distance between the two fighters, Big glares at the woman, losing his light hearted demeanor for the first time since the match began. "I've had enough of this," he says simply as he whips his right baton foreword in a standing uppercut motion, sending a thin trail of firey chi blazing towards Vanessa in it's wake.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big successfully hits Vanessa with Ground Blaster.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Vanessa 1/-======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
The spark of energy does, indeed, hit her. Worse, it -staggers- her.
Faltering considerably as it slams up into her, Vanessa has to catch herself by her hand to avoid falling flat on her back as a direct result, the precarious positioning she's put herself into nothing short of suggestive, though she manages to right herself pretty quickly. Even though she can feel her energy draining, she's unwilling to let this opportunity pass her by.
The split second that she's back on her feet she lashes out her fist in a sudden, sharp arc, which... looks a bit strange, all told. With a sudden, forceful ripple of wind that starts up from the epicenter of the shadowboxed air, a cutting wind bears down on the man, ripping into him if it hits-- if it doesn't, well. The aggravation that she's been trying so hard to keep contained -will- finally show itself with flying colors. Until then, she's doing a beautiful job of keeping herself quiet and remaining as determined as ever.
God, Buddha, Kali-- whoever's listening, pay attention.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa successfully hits Mr.Big with Gaia Gear.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Vanessa 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Mr. Big's eyebrows narrow as he feels a wind pickup around him. Apparently he's not the only one busting out some elemental forces. No, he can't let her win. Summoning all of his will power, Mr. Big attempts to throw his arms up in front of his face to protect him from the vile wind, soon finding that his efforts are wasted as the sheer gale force of the attack quickly throws his arms out to his sides. The sleeves of his favorite coat begin to fray under the pressure of the maelstrom, and more than a few rips appear on his designer slacks. As the wind dies down Mr. Big slowly brings his hands up to his face and glances himself over for damage. Other than his damaged clothing he doesn't appear to be /too/ worse for wear, though it was quite painful. Truth be told, the punch he took on the chin earlier seemed to hurt more than that did.
"You had me scared there Ginger," he informs her stoically as he brings the two halves of his staff together and locks them into a single piece once more. Mr. Big pauses for the slightest second and regards Vanessa, perhaps wanting to make her think for a second about his intentions to distract her from the eminent attack. Quickly lashing out with his staff, Mr. Big attempts to put the butt of his weapon straight into Vanessa's nose. She should be used to having her nose broken, being a boxer and all.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa blocks Mr.Big's Staff Thrust.
[ \\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Vanessa 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
As if.
She knows he won't let up on her until it's all over. As he should know, full damn well, that despite the odds, she's going toe to toe with him for as long as she possibly can. If she has to, she'll do what she can to soften him up all the more for Iori's entrance, but... in the interim, she brings her hands up to block the attack against her, wincing noticably this time around. The pain is starting to get to her, but not so much so that it leaves her staggered.
This in mind... she's not going to let up. If she has to keep coming at him with everything she's got, she will, even if it ends up costing her.
Covering the distnace beween them once again, she goes in for another four-punch attack, hardly making it a point to mix up her attacks. However, in this case, her fists *plow* straight into his gut, one after the other, the sounds of exertion leaving her well before the uppercut comes up to hit him. If any of them do.
"What, you getting upset now that it's obvious that I'm not gonna just lay down and -die-?" she snaps at him, her anger finally breaking through to the surface. If she's anything, she's predictable-- but in this case, her frustration doesn't seem to be coming with too high a price.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big dodges Vanessa's Puncher Weaving.
[ \\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Vanessa 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Mr. Big remains motionless as Vanessa advances on him. He almost seems as if he is going to let her slug him uninhibited, but at the very last second Big steps diagonally to Vanessa's left, taking himself out of the attack's threat range and placing him neatly at her flank. Grasping his staff in his left hand, Mr. Big whips his arm to the side, hoping to catch Vanessa with a blow to the back of her head. Big remains quiet through the whole process. Perhaps it is his time to fall silent.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big successfully hits Vanessa with Medium Strike.
[ \\ < > ////////// ]
Vanessa 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
Marvelous.
The baton smacks her square in the back of the head no matter what Vanessa does to evade, the missed hits causing more aggravation than necessary. She's losing her cool, sure, but for a purpose at this point. Gritting her teeth, she... somehow, manages to NOT go down. Catching herself with her hand again, she's right back to a standing position, her eyes level with Big for the time being.
Seems she's got no interest in letting up on him, as promised.
Snapping a hand out, she works to catch him in a hard... slap. It has a reason, though.
"Going light on me?" she chides him sourly, whether or not it hits him. "-Come on-!" she shouts at him, then. "Knock it off with the fucking fireworks and let's see something worthwhile!"
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big blocks Vanessa's Jab Punch.
[ \\ < > ///////// ]
Vanessa 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
My how the tables have turned. Vanessa showing emotion and actually talking, and the Big Man actually shutting up for once. As the hand flies towards Big's face his expression remains emotionless, raising a hand to brush away the slap. Twirling his staff quickly between his left and right hands, turns his body 90 degrees to Vanessa and lashes out with his weapon once more, this time the staff flying out low to try and catch the woman behind her calf, attempting to trip her to the ground. Mr. Big is no Billy Kane when it comes to staff fighting, that's for sure, but he has a fair amount of skill, that's for sure.
COMBATSYS: Vanessa endures Mr.Big's Medium Strike.
[ < > ///////// ]
Vanessa 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Mr.Big
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
What's funny about it?
She just -stands- there. The fact that he's still going light on her is annoying enough-- what's even MORE annoying about this is the fact that it actually does throw her to the ground, but once again... it's a split second. In spite of the fact that there's no way on earth she can keep going from here on out, the redhead is back on her feet and rushing up against Big without a second thought. Her intention? To -slam- her shoulder against his abdomen and throw him immediately to the ground in some fashion. If that fails, she'll simple stumble, and fall immediately to her knees. If it hits...?
COMBATSYS: Vanessa can no longer fight.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Iori 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Mr.Big
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Billy
COMBATSYS: Vanessa successfully hits Mr.Big with Crazy Puncher.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Iori 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Mr.Big
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Billy
And she's on him.
Pinning him to his ground, Vanessa straddles his chest, a light chuckle departing her lips as she looks down at him. With that, she drawls out "Nothing personal, babe," before her expression turns to one of overt anger, her fists raining down against him at speeds that are difficult to follow, her every ounce of strength pouring into this attack alone without a hint of hesitation on her part. By the time she's midway through the varitable barrage of attacks, there's a noticable shout that's gaining volume, her fists failing to let up for so much as a second.
When she -does- let up, it's to pull her hand back and *SLAM* it into the dead center of his teeth, a harsh grunt leaving her to cap off the whole of the attack. And then? ...Then, she rolls off of him, faltering, and immediately succumbing to her injuries, though far from passing out. She just... won't be moving anytime soon, unless someone's gracious enough to take hold of her and drag her out of the ring.
Mr. Big hardly gives any resistance as Vanessa turns his face into ground chuck. His eyes are open and expressionless as she beats on him, his sunglasses long gone, lost in the gale that was Gaia Gear. As the redhead passes out and slumps against his body Mr. Big slowly returns to life. Thrusting the woman off of him and letting her fall to the floor, Mr. Big slowly stands. Considering the woman for a second or two, Big's tongue works around in his mouth for a moment before spiting a small white tooth on his fallen opponent. Softly placing his foot against her side, Mr. Big grunts as he extends his foot in one hard push as he sends her towards the edge of the dance floor. Cleaning the trash off of the ring Mr. Howard. Turning to face Iori patiently, Mr. Big takes some time to catch his breath and wipe some of the blood away from his face.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big takes a breather.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Iori 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Mr.Big
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Billy
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big takes no action.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Iori 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Mr.Big
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Billy
Of course, Iori's been strumming on his guitar for most of the fight between Vanessa and Big -- but that's not to say he wasn't paying attention. Once Vanessa hops up on the guy, though, he can tell something ain't right. He hands the guitar back to the jam band's lead guitarist, who'd gotten all bandaged up in the meantime. Such a good sport, he is.
Iori hops down off the stage, red trenchcoat fluttering as he falls. "Huh. Didn't save much for me, did you?" First course of business - pulling Vanessa off to safety. Or at least, out of the way so the big boys can tumble. Tucking Vanessa under one arm, he nods back to Big for a moment, giving him a few moments of pause while he brings the woman to a safer location out of the ring. "Pretty damn good out there," he rumbles, before setting her down.
Turning back to Big, he cracks his knuckles and re-enters the ring. "Can see you had a bit of trouble with the 'trash,' there," he comments dryly, shoulders rolling forward as he levels his crimson gaze upon Big. ... Not that there's much time to stare, before Iori suddenly dashes forward, plunging his fingernails in an underhanded grab for Big's stomach. "LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT!"
COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Mr.Big with Sakahagi.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Iori 0/-------/------=|=======\=------\1 Mr.Big
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Billy
And once his talons pierce through, Iori brings his hand up sharply, carving four bloody canyons through Big's torso. Never let it be said that Iori goes easy on his opponents.
Vanessa may be down, but she's not out.
Deposited in said location, which is all she can hope for, she offers a light smile, barely noticing that she's been spat upon in the first place. Nevermind that the tooth, given the jostling, has merrily lodged itself along one of her beltloops. Noting the odd protrusion, she picks at it a little, and procures it... smirking faintly. A momento? He shouldn't have!
"Thanks," she murmurs in response to the halfbreed's sentiments. The, "Go get 'im, tiger," coming only moments before he sets out to dig into the pimp's abdomen, her smile only broadening all the more as the attack lands. While she might be 'tore up' to a noticable degree, she's still awake, and... well, aware. Summoning one of the helpstaff over, the order of "Just bring me a bottle've whiskey," is made, her eyes turning back towards her teammate and her former opponent.
Crying out as deep gouges are torn in his stomach and chest, Mr. Big stumbles back, away from the guitar player. It is obvious that Mr. Big's fighting spirit has left him, it won't be long now. Reaching down to touch his wounds gingerly, Mr. Big straightens and give Iori a level stare. Big is in business mode now. He entered the ring for himself; he will leave it doing the work of the Syndicate.
As Big watches Iori his gaze flashes up to Kain. Big's business here is almost done. Then it's all up to Billy. Hopefully Geese is right about him. His eyes fluttering lightly, Mr. Big seems to all but have forgotten about Iori. Mr. Big appears to be totally self absorbed as he stands in the middle of the ring, though some would argue that this is not odd for him. What is Mr. Big doing? Shouldn't he attack? Isn't there a fight to be won?
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Iori 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 Mr.Big
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Billy
Well, Iori dealt more ruination to the pimp outfit -- that much pleases him, if little else. And he =does= have someone's blood on his hands, so that's good too. But really... it'd be a piss-poor fight if it were left at that alone. Fact of the matter is, Big's still standing. This must be rectified immediately.
But Iori's not going to bother with any of the pleasantries of allowing Mr. Big to just stand there and redouble his defenses. No, that's never been Yagami's style. Instead, the Orochi halfbreed charges on after Big, bringing his outstretched right hand down in a hard diagonal slash across Big's torso, continuing to step forward so that he can follow it up with a punishing backhand to the jaw. Pimp-slapping the pimp, if you will. "GURAAA-GURAAAAAAOH!"
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big endures Iori's Yumebiki.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > / ]
Iori 0/-------/------=|=======\=======\1 Mr.Big
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Billy
Kain watches quietly as Iori pulls Vanessa to safety, giving her a brief smile if she happens to look in his direction. She did quite well, considering her opponent. And now that she's down, it seems Kain is going to get a chance to watch both Iori Yagami and Billy Kane in action, which isn't an unpleasant proposition, even if he cares very little for Billy's master. Still, a fight between two who are known to be quite powerful should be entertaining to watch, and perhaps they'll give some signs of whether or not they've got more than just brawn working for them.
As Iori rushes him, Mr. Big remains motionless. As Iori lashes out diagonally against his chest Big remains motionless. As Iori viciously backhands him, sending his head darting to the side from the impact, Big remains, yet again, motionless. A slow chuckle begins to flow from Mr. Big's throat as he slowly turns his head to meet Iori's gaze. "Ha...ha, ha, ha.... HA, HA, HA, HA!" Mr. Big cackles as his laughter rises in intensity. What is so funny?
Big attempts to hold Iori's gaze a few seconds longer before suddenly glancing down at his batons, which are now held out slightly in front of the mobster, a thick blue arc of electricity sporadically connecting the two. "HAH!" Big yells as he thrusts the batons at Iori's chest. If the arc makes contact with Iori, the electrical arc will explode with a thunderclap and send both fighters skidding away from the impact. The difference is, once Big skids to a halt he will not get back up.
COMBATSYS: Mr.Big can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Billy
COMBATSYS: Iori dodges Mr.Big's MAX Blaster Wave.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Billy
Okay, okay... when someone just, y'know, =doesn't= move through serious attacks like that, it's probably a sign to get the hell outta Dodge. Or maybe just... y'know... DODGE. So there's not a whole lot of time for the Big man to be just staring there laughing before the Orochi halfbreed takes a hint and backs the hell away. Sure, he's delivering a smirk in response to Big... but he knows that had to hurt -somehow- or another. And when those batons get thrust at him, Iori swings his mid-torso back out of the way, and hops backwards to bring himself clear of the sparks crackling forth. It's ridiculously close, but somehow Iori doesn't seem to be scathed -- though there's a few charred marks on his trenchcoat just the same. When Big falls, though... it's Iori's turn to let out a low, rumbling chuckle. Tucking his hands into his pockets and leaning over Big's fallen form, he comments smugly, "... the harder they fall..." ... Just before his gaze sliiiides over to address Billy Kane.
COMBATSYS: Iori takes a breather.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Billy
COMBATSYS: Iori takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Iori 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Billy
Iori's gaze sliiides over to find Billy... and there is no Billy to be found. At some point between Mr. Big's monstrous (and ultimately ineffective) Blaster Wave and his fall from combat, Billy Kane has completely vanished. Which is unfortunate, since he's the only fight remaining on his team in Big's absence. In all of the cardinal directions, there's no sign of the Brit to be found within the confines of the arena. And then, slowly, all eyes turn skywards, towards the rafters, which is where Billy leapt to and is currently falling from with his bo staff clasped in his right hand. "Eyes to the sky, loser!"
Even before Kane hits the ground, he's stabbing straight down with his staff, wielding the weapon like an oversized rapier as he thrusts at the ground (and Iori, coincidentally) in the process. The catch? Even if Billy misses, the end of his staff hits the ground, launching him back up into the air where he can continue the attack. It's like the world's deadliest pogo stick, and every impact is directed right at Yagami's head and shoulders, one after the other, machine gun style. "Surprise!"
COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Billy's Straight Cane Smasher.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Iori 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Billy
Surprise, nothing. When Iori misses him in the first 120-degree scan, and turns his head rapidly through the other 240, only to find nothing -- well, the answer's only obvious. Grimacing, he looks up sharply, just in time to find Billy dropping upon him -- and while dropping to his knees, he doubles up his forearms to accept the staff. Shoving the initial impact off with a feral roar, it's not long before Billy's successive barrage follows -- and is met by Iori rising and backing away slightly, still with his arms as a shield. Growling, he stands and takes it -- but gravity's still got an effect on Billy, after all. And when Iori's backed to a safe distance, he suddenly leaps into the air, his hand carving an flaming purple gash through the hazy Duck Pond atmosphere as he swings a wide arc downward at Billy, calling out, "GUROOOOOOOOAH!" Yeah, Yagami's not really known as a conversationalist.
COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Billy with Tsumagushi.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Iori 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Billy
That flaming hand of Iori's lashes a path across Billy's chest, rending his unprotected torso with one solid slashing motion. Since the stickfighter was already in mid-air, he suddenly finds his aerial path completely screwed up and thrown out of order. He was hoping to land gracefully. That's suddenly not going to happen -- but he'll make due. Soaring through the air and sent right back up to the rafters, Billy seem to be enacting some sort of aerial strategy. Anything to avoid the brunt of Iori's relentless offenses, anyways, and put his opponent on the defensive instead.
At the apex of his flight, Billy's boots find purchase on one of the Pond's metal rafters and the fighter launches himself right back to the ground, whipping his staff around and around and around at impossible speeds. "Remember what I did to you last time, Iori?! Well, this is part two! And this time, I'm gonna kill you! Kill you dead!" Billy's inverted helicopter drops towards Iori like a sack of bricks, promising to cause something ugly when he hits the ground.
COMBATSYS: Iori interrupts Flying Assault Cane from Billy with Yumebiki.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Iori 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Billy
Again, denied... though it's going to be a bit more of a sacrifice on Iori's part, this time. It'd be a gross understatement to say that Iori remembers last time -- in fact, he's been training and fighting a heck of a lot to improve on the holes in his defenses that let Billy dump him in a trashcan and spraypaint the 'No Smoking!' sign on his back. Nah... not happening again. When Billy starts spinning back at Iori, the Orochi halfbreed does what would probably be considered 'suicidal' by most -- he runs straight towards Billy! Lashing out with an overhand slash, he manages to whip through the spinning staff's fury and tag Billy -- sure, the staff makes a hideous-sounding crack as it impacts his arm just a split second later, but he figures it's worth it to break through the stickfighter's defenses. "UURRRAAAGH--" And exploit the opening he does, as that staff rebounds back, sharply jerking his hand in the opposite direction to deliver a backhand at Kane, hoping to knock him out of whatever spin he may have been attempting. "--UUURAAAAAOH!" he howls, corded muscles tensing beneath his red trenchcoat as he plows that backfist into Billy, practically frothing at the way Billy's forced him to get violent so soon in the match.
The tremendous force of Billy's staff hitting Iori's bone is more than he expected -- by charging /towards/ Billy, the impact is actually higher than he'd anticipated. Gritting his teeth as he finds himself backhanded /hard/, the Syndicate fighter lurches hard to the right, his staff flipping off to the edge of the fighting arena, rolling to a halt. Now unarmed and staggered by the force of the blow, Billy seems to be having trouble recovering. And, without a weapon? He's in a bit of troub--oh.
So much for being unarmed. With one smooth thrust of his right arm, Billy all but causes a staff to teleport from his sleeve to his hand, lancing out and aiming to catch Iori just underneath the chin with the tip of the weapon. It's a surprise attack, plain and simple. "Not a bad shot, spikehead... but you're not the only person who's been practicing!" Grasping the staff with both hands, Billy swings up over his head, using his staff and Iori's chin to lift the fighter up and bring him back down head first on the opposite side of him, using all of his weight to augment his messy landing.
COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Billy's Hell Drop.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Iori 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Billy
There's such a thing as luck. Is there also such a thing as too -much- luck? If so, Iori hasn't hit it yet -- for he's got just enough time to snap his arm up, once more taking a staff in the forearm -- if a different one this time. Unfortunately for him, it hits a bit low, and Billy still gets the leverage he needs to swing Iori up and overhead -- but due to the less-than-optimal attack, Iori's also able to snap himself out of the toss before landing. "Practicing what, now? Hitting inanimate objects?" he says upon landing, shaking his head as his trenchcoat settles back to its normally draped position. Spreading his palm, Iori ignites an orchid bloom of flame, smirking faintly. "Seems to be paying off!" he notes, sweeping his hand across the ground, sending the ball of flame rolling across the ground to crash into Billy's feet. Simple -- but Iori can already tell he's getting a bit winded from this battle...
COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Billy with Yami Barai.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Iori 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Billy
This isn't going very well for Billy. Not at all. And that's simply not going to do. He needs to deal some /hurt/, and soon. Iori nails him with his chi flames, and this time Billy is all but bowled over onto his back, lightly scorched. He kicks back onto his feet after an instant, however, and immediately tears off his now-ruined jacket, tossing it off to the side. A few fans grab it hungrily, running off without it to wherever fans run off to. Gritting his teeth, Billy all but growls. "Iori...." Like a wild animal, Kane lurches forward, his staff twisting and twirling around in his hands, trying to snare Iori by the neck with one sudden outward stab. This time, however, if he catches flesh, he's just going to /push/, crushing everything in Iori's jugular if he can only connect solidly enough.
COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Billy's Fishhook Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Iori 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Billy
This could get to be a point of frustration for Billy, but Iori thrusts his shoulder into the blow, instead of his jugular. Given the option, y'know, t's the only right thing to do. "Yes, Kane?" answers Iori with that same smirk from before, keeping his arm held high in case Billy decides to slap him around any further. Seeing that he doesn't, Iori pushes the staff away, stepping forward to plow a hard left cross into Kane's torso. He'd then hop forward, slamming a right-fisted uppercut into Billy's chin, before leaping forward once again to bring both fists crashing down onto his shoulders. That's... if, of course, he gets his way. "UUUURGH! UUUUURAAAAH! UUUURAAAAAAAOH!"
COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Billy with Aoi Hana.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Iori 1/-----==/=======|=======\====---\1 Billy
Well, he's totally getting his ass kicked into the ground. At this rate, he's finished. In fact, he's probably finished /no matter what/, even if the rates change dramatically right away. But that doesn't mean he isn't going to go out as hard as he can. Billy is knocked straight down by the chain of Iori's attacks, but practically claws his ways back to his feet, squeezing his cane tightly in one hand. "... bastard..." is all he can say. He doesn't have the breath to say any more. Or the confidence, at this point. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" And then he does his best to attempt that, lunging forward and sweeping low with his staff and lunging forward, splitting the weapon into three pieces and whipping with both ends in two quick jerks.
COMBATSYS: Iori parries Billy's Fire Dragon Pursuit Cane!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Iori 1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1 Billy
Gritting his teeth as Billy turns loose the catches, or however that staff thing stays together, Iori knows he wants no part of that. In fact... he doesn't even wait for Billy to finish before surging into action. He's... amused, really, by the fact that he's gotten the normally unflappable Kane to start blathering the murderdeathkill rant he expects from common street thugs. But the even sicker part is -- he's been rumbling through Billy with -almost- as much ease. Back to the fight, though, Iori had led off by bringing his knee high -- and once he realizes that his hunch was right and that Billy had attacked low, he brings his other foot high, confirming his leaping dropkick as the correct course of action. Mind, that lack of early committment probably takes some of the fire off the move, but if his two-booted kick to Billy's upper torso lands, it's not really going to matter. "GURAAAAOH!"
COMBATSYS: Billy counters Medium Kick EX from Iori with Ifrit Crisis.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Iori 1/=======/=======|=====--\-------\0 Billy
No time to react. Hardly any time to even /think/. He's been backed into a corner by Iori -- he's on the ropes, and he knows it, and what Iori has cooking with that kick of his is going to conclude Billy's night in an abrupt and uncomfortable fashion. So he doesn't think. He just reacts, and thrusts his staff upwards at the last minute. It's not a thought out block; it's desperation. Sheer desperation. But it works. At least, partly. Billy's staff suffers for his haste: Iori's foot shatters it into a million pieces. But Billy, himself, is unharmed.
Unharmed, and unarmed. And this time, he has no jacket to pull a staff out of. "You bastard! I told you I was going to kill you... and I /keep my promises/!" The first sensation Iori ought to feel is that of a staff thrust into his stomach. It hurts. With one kick, Billy has picked up off the floor the bo staff that he abandoned earlier, snagging it with one hand and jabbing his opponent in the gut with it. After that, he just keeps hitting, laying down countless hits with his weapon, a weapon which eventually bursts into flame -- fire to match Iori's, orange versus purple. Sweeping his opponent again and again, Billy finally finishes off with one 'homerun' style swing, a tremendous gout of flame wrapping around his staff to propel his opponent backwards and away. Once that's done, Billy reassumes his fighting stance. His morale, at least, has been restored.
"Okay," he grunts, torso soaked with his own sweat. "Let's finish this."
Well, it's about damn time. Iori was getting way too cocky for his own good, there, and Billy's response is an overdue dose of reality -- a senseless Singapore-style beating that jars Iori out of whatever groove he may have been in, each whack sending him reeling backwards with a groan of pain. At least he stopped smirking and laughing and such, right? Just before that final swing knocked him flat against the wall of the establishment, spiderwebbing the plaster beneath from the sheer concussive force. Dropping back to the floor, he slumps to his feet, taking a moment to right himself after that dizzying onslaught. "I highly doubt that, Kane..." he responds, spitting a gob of blood onto the floor. "You're tough, but you're no killer," he continues, wiping the blood off his lower lip. Yeah, he felt -that-, to say the least. But it's only a moment before he charges right back at Billy, both hands flaring with orchid blossoms of flame. One gets swept right back at Billy's feet: "YOU..." The second is slung at the same location as Iori advances another step: "... DON'T..." Another pace, and both hands are brought high overhead: "... HAVE..." Just before both fists come crashing down onto the same spot, splitting a minor chasm into the dance floor which ignites with purple flame, a column spewing forth underneath Kane in an attempt to knock him into the wall in kind: "THE CAJONES!" As the torrent of flame whips out, Iori's face pulls taut in a rictus of anger -- maybe, just maybe, this could be the end?
COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Billy with Yami Sugi.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Iori 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Billy
COMBATSYS: Billy takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Iori 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Billy can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Iori 0/-------/-======|
Billy really /doesn't/ have the cajones, and Iori proves it by basically pummeling the British Bodyguard into little more than a pulp. The storm of purple chi hits Billy and practically ignites him, lifting him up off his feet and launching him straight backwards on each column of massive flame. When the inferno is over, Billy is soaring up and back into the crowd, his useless body battered into nothing. He hits the ground and the audience underneath him, leaving the broken and humiliated fighter prone and unconscious on the ground. No snappy comebacks; no last-ditch efforts. Billy is defeated and defeated soundly, and he simply isn't getting back up tonight. The fight, needless to say, is declared over.
Some bodyguard. Even still, as Iori spits more blood onto the wrecked dance floor, he keeps his eyes on Billy. He proved a much more formidable challenge last time... and really, Iori can't help but wonder if this was just a fluke. He was taken down by Yashiro and his teammate Ramon just a week before, after all... so he really has to wonder if Billy had been practicing as much as he said. But the outcome's the same: it looks like Vitriol comes out ahead. As the announcer goes through his schpiel, Iori straightens his spine, tucking his hands into trenchcoat pockets, as he finally breaks his gaze away from Billy, scanning the audience instead for Geese Howard.
Log created by Vanessa, and last modified on 19:25:28 06/04/2005.