Description: Clash of the Titans. A close and chaotic fight between Geese Howard and Ryu. (Winner: Geese)
It's Saturday Night, and as is typically the case on such an evening, Howard Arena is lit up like an electric company's wet dream, with a myriad of cameras set up around the illuminated arena at various angles, all waiting to capture tonight's bout. And what a bout it promises to be... a proverbial clash of the titans. While Geese Howard may not fight in his own event /often/, the big boss' skill is certainly well-known, even legendary. Just as famous and formidable is his adversary tonight, however... instead of facing off against numerous skilled fighters, two masters prepare for the fight. Geese's opponent is none other than the World Warrior.
Ryu climbs the steps on his side of the faux mountaintop that serves as the stage for tonight's fight, bare feet padding lightly on the hard stone as he considers his surroundings. While familiar, the arena itself still gains a passing, considerate glance, the sounds of the packed stands and the announcer's hype mostly ignored, the nomad's mind focused... his attention shifting to the far side, waiting for his opponent. Their last meeting here notwithstanding, Ryu knows better than to underestimate Howard's abilities... and as much as the Ansatsuken master might prefer to have little to do with Geese, it's not going to stop him from fighting to his all. For the moment, he simply tightens the clasps on his sparring gloves, and calmy waits.
Titans would be right. It's hard to tell who's got the edge tonight. Geese lost by an embarassing margin to Ryu once before, but on the other hand, he's fought both Ryu and Ken simultaneously to a standstill, some time ago. It's just too tough to call as far as bets go. Once Ryu is in the arena, Geese comes out after that. He's opted for his usual hakama and gi, instead of the business suit he had on while utterly annihilating KoF security.
And boy is he ever smug about this match, arms folded as he swaggers onto the stone floor. "You're lucky, Ryu! I got tired of putting you up against clowns and has-beens, so now you'll get a real fight! It's just too bad that you're not interested in working for me...such a loss." A loss that apparently isn't causing Geese to lose too much sleep at night. He waits, eyes set on his opponent.
COMBATSYS: Geese has started a fight here.
COMBATSYS: Ryu has joined the fight here.
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Geese 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Ryu
As far as Ryu is concerned, the edge will come to whichever of them manages to hold it... whichever of them manages to sense that rhythm and flow of battle, and ride it out to victory. Of course, it's unlikely to be quite that simple, in this instance... that's what improvisation is for. Ryu's eyes narrow on Howard as the crimeboss arrives, and says what he says. Both the disrespect to other fighters, some of whom the World Warrior respects quite a lot, despite their lack of equal power... and the reminder of Geese's less than appreciated offer, "Not a loss to me." Ryu answers steadily, his dark eyes locked to Howard's. No, the missed opportunity to work for SouthSynd isn't keeping the nomad up at night, either. Big surprise, that.
Ryu isn't overly interested in mincing words with Geese, and he falls silent as the announcer runs down the last bits of his spiel, eyes still focused forward, on his opponent. The Ansatsuken master shifts to a ready stance as the countdown begins, fists clenching before him as he shifts his weight lightly, ready to move. And move he does. As the telltale call of 'Fight!!' goes up, the World Warrior sprints forward nearly instantly, shoving his arms around to his side, and forward in a fluid, sweeping motion that pushes a tremendous rush of fiery red chi to the fore, the conflaguration surging forth from his palms and swirling together in a superheated mass of raw power as the heels of his hands meet before him, projecting the wildly flaring, flame-orbitted sphere in towards Geese's position, starting this off with a bang, and a forceful cry of, "Hadoooouken!!!" In behind that fireball.... comes Ryu, still rushing the SouthSynd boss.
COMBATSYS: Geese fails to slow Shakunetsu Hadouken from Ryu with Double Reppuken.
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Geese 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Ryu
"Oh, but it is your loss! Double..." Geese's left hand pitches upward, a blue chi-crescent forming on the ground as the flames come in. "Reppuken!" A right-handed pitch makes the wave bigger, and it races along the ground...and what should be at least a negation seems to go in Ryu's favor. His focus means his Hadouken was probably formed much better than Geese's lazy Double Reppuken, and the fireball smashes past it with little loss to show for the effort, and goes on to burn Geese. The flames fade almost as quickly as they form, but Geese is knocked back nonetheless, scowling.
Unconcerned with the differing perspective Howard seems to have, Ryu rushes right in behind the blast of flame, looking to capitalize on the forceful gout of chi while Geese's defenses haven't quite recovered, the nomad planting his left foot as he steps in at Howard, bringing his right in further still, accompanied by a forceful fist, his gauntletted right snapping out for Geese's solar plexus, the punch thrown like a straight, but angled downward... intending to drive Howard to his knees, or perhaps worse, the World Warrior focusing the strike with a firm, "Kyaaaah!!!" He's not looking to let up on Geese.... not tonight, probably not ever.
COMBATSYS: Geese fails to counter Sakotsu Wari from Ryu with Chuudan Atemi Nage.
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Geese 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Ryu
Geese has watched Ryu fight plenty of times, but watching versus fighting seems to be a problem. He recognizes the overhead punch, and kneels down, hands brought up to catch the attack. It's not a bad idea, but the angle makes it unusual to deal with; Geese hasn't had much experience against 'down-cuts' like that. It slips just past his defense, striking his chest and knocking him to the ground. To Geese's credit, he is quick to get up. To his discredit, he probably looks pretty stupid right now, talking trash before the match even started and winding up like this.
As Geese falls away, Ryu's stance drops back to defensive, his step shifting to the side as he flanks the crimeboss in a slow, partial arc, clearly waiting to spring again as Howard rights himself from the unintended tumble. Rather than rush right in, however, the World Warrior sweeps his arms around and in, bringing a torrent of blue-white chi to the fore this time, the nigh-instantaneously conjured energies coalescing as he brings his hands together before him, launching a gusting blast of rampantly luminescent blue chi searing a path to the recovering Howard, its hurtling flight echoed by a fervent, "Hadooouken!!!" Trash-talk or no, Ryu isn't here to help Howard save face.
COMBATSYS: Geese overcomes Hadouken from Ryu with Raging Storm.
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Geese 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1 Ryu
While one of them isn't moving in, Geese certainly will be. He's got a plan. Once he's back on his feet, Geese jumps very high, "Raging..." His hands are crossed above his head, and when he lands, that coincides with Ryu's close-up Hadouken. "Storm!" Geese's hands smash into the ground, as a blue cage of chi explodes around him. It devours the Reppuken outright, only diminishing some of the side of the 'cage' that is reaching out to strike Ryu. It was a risky plan, but very well executed on Geese's part...
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Geese's Raging Storm.
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Geese 0/-------/------=|=======\=------\1 Ryu
Ryu's eyes track Geese's sudden ascent, jaw clenching as he senses that upsurge in chi, hears that first incantation of the coming attack. There's no getting out of the way of this one, as far as Ryu can tell, and so he drops low himself, bending a leg in front of him and crossing his arms before chest and face, centering his own impressive inner chi to oppose the raging arcs of Howard's energy that flare up around him, destroying the Hadouken and threatening the same rending to the World Warrior... but an opposing flare of bright blue, and a flexing tensing of corded muscle, announce the technique's less-than-desired effectiveness, Ryu sliding back on his planted knee only a small span as he weathers the assault, and even tries to capitilize on Howard's proximity and momentum, snapping around in his crouch and shooting his left foot outwards along the floor, a quick snap aligned with Howard's shin. Not as flashy as what he's pulled off so far, but undeniably efficient.
COMBATSYS: Geese blocks Ryu's Light Kick.
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Geese 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Ryu
"Hmph!" Geese gets up from his only moderately effective Raging Storm. That could have gone far, far better. Geese's foot moves forward, taking the shin-kick up closer than it could have been, robbing Ryu of some of his momentum while reaching to grab him, and then make an arm-windmilling motion that will bring Ryu up overhead, then throw him far away while Geese follows up by...striking a pose, similar to a 'horse stance', fists coming down by his sides.
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Ryu with Shinkuu Nage.
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Geese 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Ryu
Before he can fully recover from his deflected strike, Ryu finds the impressively quick Howard grabbing for him, and it's all he can do to shove mostly-upright, trying to right his stance and backstep away from the reaching hand, before he's grabbed, brought up and around, and thrown clear, the reunion with the stone not nearly as pleasant as he might have liked. Still, Ryu isn't down for long, shoving upright with both palms to the arena floor, and all but vaulting back to his feet, landing in a horse stance of his own, though his isn't used to strike a pose.... no time for gloating, here. There's a flash, centered on the nomad's cupped hands, which rest with fingers opposingly splayed at his side, "Shiiiinkuuuuuu...."
The fierce incantation is followed by a rush of raw chi, the swirling mass drawing inward, summoning the very air to its rapidly increasing, fearsome power, the nomad's muscles tensing as he focuses more and more energy into the ultimate Hadouken, eyes locked forward, on Geese. The tumultuous vortex tugs at his gi, the tattered edges fluttering as the tails of his headband reach for the center of the mighty orb, that vortex growing in leaps and bounds, before the densely packed, wildly coruscating blast is levelled on Howard, sweeping its all-consuming breadth across the arena with a finalizing, "Hadooooouken!!!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Geese with Shinkuu Hadouken.
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Geese 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Ryu
Geese hesitates upon hearing the word 'Shinkuu.' He is not afraid, but suddenly several whims flash across his mind. Things he could try to do about Ryu's technique. It's not often that a master like Geese falls into this sort of mistake, but he spends several seconds thinking, and when the massive Hadouken is finally on its way, it dashes all of Geese's thoughts. Get out of the way. Try to, at least. Geese's legs bend down and then pump up for another of his powerful jumps, but all this does is cause the Hadouken to strike him in the legs. This causes his landing to be little more than a tumbling roll, which probably made it hurt all the more. Incredibly however, this does take Geese towards Ryu, and after his second of being dazed passes, Geese gets up and swings his arm up high. "Reppuken!" What happens is a rising, but stationary, crescent-wave that should cut into Ryu up close.
COMBATSYS: Ryu fails to interrupt Slash-style Reppuken from Geese with Joudan Sokutou Geri.
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Geese 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Ryu
Ryu holds his ground after the tremendous fireball is loosed, eyes tracking Howard's approach with an intent attention to the details, the possible angles of the counterattack he's sure will follow... then Geese whips out a technique the World Warrior hasn't seen before, and it's one that catches him quite effectively. He tries to shift with the impact, leaning with the rising wave of chi... but it's just too much, and he's overpowered, launched backwards courtesy of Howard's forceful energies, and his own attempt at counteracting the technique, landing hard on his back. Again, however, Ryu doesn't stay down, kicking his legs up towards his torso and using that momentum to backflip right out of the drop, landing a short span away from Geese and once again preparing his defenses, breath coming a little harder as his attention focuses in on his powerful opponent, looking for the opportunity to regain his momentum.
And now the momentum has shifted. How long this will remain so is anyone's guess, but Geese is glad when his wave strikes Ryu down. Ryu can flip out of his fall all he likes; Geese is closing in for the 'kill.' "Double Reppuken!" is the shout, followed by two more upwards pitching motions. A large blue crescent-wave, easily almost as tall as either of the combatants here, is created and zooms along the floor, gouging a wide line through the stone as it streaks towards Ryu. As Ryu did before, Geese is using a chi shot to clear a path for his approach, as the leap towards Ryu after this technique proves. He'll arrive after his Reppuken, but that's all according to plan...
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Ryu with Double Reppuken.
- Power hit! -
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Geese 1/---====/=======|======-\-------\0 Ryu
And clear a path it does... before Ryu can fully sidestep the potent wave, Geese's projected energy slams squarely into the side of Ryu's body, sending him spinning as he stumbles away from the hit, and dropping him to a knee. He very nearly meets the floor once more, but a palm catches him this time, stubbornly refusing to succumb to the undeniably painful blast as his gaze snaps backupwards at the descending Geese. No time to alter the conditions of engagement now, no time to retreat and reassess... instead, he improvises, shoving back to his feet and swinging his arms around, the World Warrior seeking to bring his palms in straight for the landing Howard's chest, releasing the tumultuous flare of blue-white chi that he gathers there point-blank into Geese, the rapidly conjured blast of searing energy focused by a shouted, "Hadooouken!!!!" That one /hurt/... but hell if Ryu's going to let it keep him down.
COMBATSYS: Geese overcomes Hadouken from Ryu with Raging Storm.
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Geese 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Ryu
Geese is regaining his smug ways, as Ryu is struck down so well. "Heh heh heh..." He simply marches forward, hands clasped behind his back. The very moment Ryu's hands go together, Geese's hands come forward and then cross above his own head. "Raging..." "Hadou..." "Storm!" "ken!" Once more, Geese's hands plunge into the stone and create a massive 'chi cage', and once more the Hadouken is essentially eaten up, destroyed. That end of the cage flickers some, losing force as it goes on to lick out at Ryu...
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Ryu with Raging Storm.
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Geese 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Ryu
This time, Ryu's efforts to dull the force of Geese's Raging Storm are nullified by his own gamble made to keep the crimeboss off-kilter... as Howard manages to summon up the expected chi in time to prevent his own strike from hitting home, Ryu is blasted backwards before his arms can fully defend against that tumultuous storm, the raging waves of energy tearing at his form and sending him staggering backwards, blackness threatening to overtake him. However, Ryu doesn't succumb to the unconsciousness that might be expected after a series of hits like that... instead, he stabilizes his stance, focusing forward on Geese as he brings his hands to his side. This time, there's no darkly swirling mass, but instead, a sudden, rampant rush of electrical energy coursing down the World Warrior's arms, crackling into the white-hot sphere suddenly in his grasp from all about, arcing through the air ferociously, "Denjiiiiin..."
The incantation comes in the instants it takes the attack to grow larger, and larger, more and more of the remaining chi Ryu has within him focused into the formidable technique, the rampantly fluctuating blast levelled forward, all but striking out at Geese across the short distance that seperates the two masters, the lightning-crackling fireball bolting for its target, echoed by a determined, deeply intoned, "Hadoooouken!!!!"
COMBATSYS: Geese dodges Ryu's Denjin Hadouken.
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Geese 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Ryu
Geese keeps a cautious eye on Ryu, briefly exhausted from creating a second Raging Storm. 'Denjin'...does not sound good. It really does not sound good. He's seen this one before and he has never liked the results. And right as it goes out, Geese does something risky; he throws himself to the ground, hoping the Denjin Hadouken is, despite its size, small enough that it will go over him.
...Lucky. It does. Just barely. "And now to finish this," Geese charges in, reaching low for Ryu's legs. The plan is to yank them backwards to pull him off guard, and then bring his hands side-by-side and project a quick, wild chi shot at Ryu's chest.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Geese's Chuudan Atemi Nage.
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Geese 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Ryu
Despite the pain he's in at this point in the fight, putting Ryu off his guard is something easier said, than done. As Geese darts under the lightning Hadouken, the World Warrior's eyes narrow... this was /not/ the outcome he was looking for, but the young champion is nothing if not tenacious, something Geese would discover, or perhaps be reminded of, when he manages to only grab one of Ryu's legs, the unbalancing attempt bringing Ryu to a slight stumble, but doing little to keep him from aligning a forearm with the incoming blast of chi, the stinging burst dissipating across his resilient guard, rather than into his chest. Ryu borrows a play from his playbook a moment ago, not sensing the inner reserves in Howard to get out of it in the same way, this time, as the World Warrior shoves his hands forward, point-blank in for the SouthSynd boss' chest, a rampant flash of blue-white energy coalescing in an instant to project a forceful sphere of flaring chi towards Geese's body, the technique focused with stubborn defiance, "Hadooouken!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Geese with Hadouken.
Glancing Blow
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Geese 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Ryu
And now it's down to the final moments of the match. Unlike their last battle, this one is much closer, and clearly both Geese and Ryu are running low on steam. Geese gets his hand-blast off just fine, if not as much of a direct hit as he hoped...but this goes both ways. The Hadouken is too close for Geese to completely evade, but he sidesteps most of it, only part of it striking him in the side. Still enough to hurt, but it's not enough to take Geese down. He presses on, crouching low to kick straight at one of Ryu's feet. Anything to get him down to the ground and finish him off.
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Ryu with Quick Punch.
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Geese 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Ryu
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Ryu just doesn't have the energy left in his thoroughly battered form to get away from that snap-kick in time, and it impacts painfully with his shin, dropping him hard to the unforgiving arena floor, the impact to his knee doing little to dull the pain. Still, he's already pushed himself too far to push past this one, and it's all he can do to shoot his left fist straight out for Geese's chest, or ribs should the crimeboss rise fast enough, a quick slam aimed to anser the shot he just took, and send Geese back as well, the World Warrior's teeth gritted through the pain, as he slumps forward with the momentum of the strike, catching himself on a palm and crouching there, panting. He doesn't seem to have the energy to get back up, by any measure.
COMBATSYS: Ryu can no longer fight.
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Geese 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Geese counters Medium Punch from Ryu with Gedan Atemi Nage.
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Geese 0/-------/----===|
Perfect. Geese has landed the blow he needs, and he knows he can take the victory here. He does rise, halfway, and blocks the punch against an open hand, clenching down on it as his other hand grabs Ryu's arm, then swings another low kick, this one much stronger, to sweep him down. A second kick is delivered to make sure Ryu stays down...and he does.
It's over. Geese stands, hands on his hips, and laughs. He laughs long and hard, even though it was by all measures a very close match; he doesn't have all that much justification to go laughing! "Is that it? For all your talk, is that all the fight you have? I should've expected as much." Adrenaline's going to be wearing off soon...time to go, before pain reminds him that he's got a very limited time-frame in which to mock Ryu without looking stupid. He strides off the steps, down the aisle, and goes backstage.
Now /that/ is enough to keep Ryu down in more than just ability to get up and fight. The twin, powerful kicks lay him out quite effectively, the blackness again slipping in on his vision, and this time, there's little he can do to fight it off. Instead, he just lays rather limply on the stone, bruised and rather bloody. He gave all he had, and is certain he gave Howard one hell of a fight, even if this isn't the result he was looking for, particularly where the SouthSynd boss is concerned. Still, he's not going to let Howard's taunting, half heard as his vision blurs, get to him... he's entirely aware of what Geese wants, and entirely determined to give the crimeboss anything /but/ that. Besides, the answer is a simple yes... that's all the fight he has, this time, Ryu's eyes drifting closed where he lays.
Log created by Ryu, and last modified on 13:37:35 06/25/2005.