Description: Just when you thought it was safe to turn on the TV, OH SNAP it's a holy war on SNF! (Winner: Nassir)
There were, on the whole, too many similarities between Southtown and America for him to willingly swallow. It didn't take long for him to realize it, only...ten, fifteen minutes clear of the Shank Squad helicopter. They held the same overly materialistic aims, while happily degrading themselves and others for a hollow gain. The streets were littered with billboards for the latest and greatest in useless whim, fast food restaurants choking the life out of cityblocks and loading the populace up like so many cows for the slaughter.
It reminded him of what his homeland would become should his grand crusade--the same one shared by the remainder of the Shank Squad and their leader, Rolento--failed. Crushed under heel by the influence of another country, though from the looks of things Southtown went very willingly.
And then there were the fighters. Oh, dear, the fighters.
It seemed that every other one he met only fought for some empty reasoning...not the sharpening of skill, but the padding of the pocket and the fame Howard Entertainment brought them. Of course, he didn't come to this conclusion by /talking/ to the fighters, no...he simply watched some tapes of old events before signing up. It was exactly the kind of pomp and circumstance Nassir wanted to avoid. He didn't want his name floating around in their circles, he didn't /want/ his style or anything about him to become public knowledge.
So then, why /was/ he even out here? Simple. Holly Wood made him do it. Bastard. Should he win, the money would end up going to Rolento, and the fight itself was supposed to be further training. It was a sacrifice Nassir would...convince himself he was willing to make in order to bring the goal closer to reality. Somehow, this would become a learning experience.
The arabian fighter emerged from what wad turned into a makeshift dressing room--in normal business times, the room would've been known as the Men's bathroom. Dressed not in his normal Shanksquad uniform but a dull black jumpsuit, the youth emerged with a black skimask over the lower half of his face, keeping at least some of his identity secret from those who would end up seeing this on television. His bandoliers and belt from the regular uniform are, however, in place and fully loaded to bear--a wide variety of war implements resting securely in their sheathes, holsters, clips, and so on. Camera crews and audiencemembers created a very wide circle along the walls of the establishment, leaving the middle of the restaurant as clear as it could be, given the fact that the tables weren't moved.
Kai Gabriel didn't know that Li Xiangfei worked here. If she did she would probably attest the seemingly indifference toward their fight given to them to mean the wait staff was lazy. It was likely not far from the truth, but the important part here was that the management wanted to make money and that meant having places for patrons to sit. Besides Gabriel didn't have time to consider the fight or the economic gain and opportunity cost of having twelve tables rather than eleven and what impact that might have on the performance of the fight. She also wasn't going to hold back, so if a table or two was broken with Nassir's head then so be it.
She had arrived early and being a very fresh name in the fighting world - hardly worth notice - she even had to show id on her arrival to prove she was who she said she was. But that didn't phase her, she approved of people following rules and guidelines. As far as outfit went she wasn't going for impressing anyone value. It was a fighting outfit to be sure, short sleeved chinese style shirt that buttoned up one shoulder with little pink sleeves. Good arm movement, her hair meanwhile was in the standard braid behind her back and on her legs she wears a pair of shirts just to her knees which are rather form hugging under a shirt black skirt. Modesty seems to be a concern to her but fighting a bigger one.
And so having arrived early, Gabriel has had a lot of time to consider the grounds, consider her opponent and murmur prayers with her fingers clasped around her symbol. However the time had come for the fight to begin. She gives her opponent a stern look with her dark green eyes. The announcer meanwhile doesn't even have a mike is given the same degree of consideration that an opener for a concert would. The small frys, the warm ups to wet people's appitite for the real shows later on. Most people wouldn't even watch their fight at all. Well Gabriel was going to give it her best.
"Ladies and gentlemen, to start off this week's round of Saturday night fights, we have two freeesh faces, and on this corner. . " yadda yadda yadda. Gabriel is clearly not listening.
"From Justice High, a self proclaimed crrrrrusader of light, and a student of ddrrraaaaaagon Kenpo, miss Kai Gabriel." No real cheer, just some claps.
COMBATSYS: Gabriel has started a fight here.
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Gabriel 0/-------/-------|
On the other hand, Nassir hadn't given his opponent much consideration until the announcer made half of the introductions, the reactions of others making it obvious who the opponent actually /is/. When the fight card read 'Gabriel', he was expecting a man, and didn't prepare himself for the inevitable...which makes it all the more dissettling.
"..." The mask did an excellent job of hiding the slackening of his jaw, though the pop of his brows is unmistakable. "...you are my opponent?" is filtered out through the mask, making it difficult to hear even beyond his clipped and uncomfortable brand of english. "You? Why? Why am I constan...nevermind. I should likely take what small favors in this country that I can. You...at least dress yourself in more than bedroom attire. Modesty. Do you really fight?"
Whereas the major league warriors who would be fighting later today could actually bring the announce team to a halt whenever they felt like speaking, Nassir and Gabriel were indeed unknowns and small fries. The announcer doesn't skip a beat, and therefore his words are even further drowned out. "Hailing from the dunes of Saudi Arabia, Practicing Mixed Martial Arts," Essentually the nicest way possible Nassir could put 'I kill people' on an application form. "Weighing in at 147 pounds..." He was as tall as her, that much he could see...but physically smaller in stature? Ugh. "...Nas-sir Ma-hou-mah!" Some mild clapping to accompany the...surprisingly decent pronounciation of his name.
The 'referee', a pudgy little bridge troll of a man in black pants and a zebrastripe shirt shuffles over to within five feet of the pair, pointing first to Nassir, then to Gabriel. "Alright, I want a clean fight from you two. Both of you received the rules in the locker-room, I don't want to see any funny business. Give us a clean fight, give us a good fight." A half second pause, then, and...
"You can't give it up! Triumph! Or! Die! FIGHT!"
Wasting little time, Nassir's hand brushes along one of his bandoliers, pulling free a small orb and casually tossing it in Gabriel's direction. Seems the collateral damage would be high this fight if the mercenary had anything to say about it.
COMBATSYS: Nassir has joined the fight here.
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Gabriel 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
COMBATSYS: Gabriel blocks Nassir's Scorch the Earth.
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Gabriel 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
She considers her opponent while he speaks to her and completely ignores the announcer who is for all respects just wasting breath with his every word. Prattle and PR, it has nothing to do with this match. Some fight for glory, honor and others fight for money, while Gabriel fights for the light. Whatever that is. "I am one of the Maiden's chosen and I will not surrender." When the orb is taken into his hand and tossed at Gabriel she watches it only for a split second before leaping to one side and shielding her face from the blast. Her blond locks blow along with the fabric of her blouse as it is tugged by the blast, but she doesn't look so bad for wear. A moment of shaking it off and she's standing there stone solid as she was just a moment ago, fixing Nassir with a contemplative look.
"Maiden bless me.. guide my hand.." she considers Nassir a moment longer before saying, "A surprise attack.. ka..?" Her mind was working quickly to figure out just what she was dealing with, or rather whom, but for the time being she seems content to let him make the moves.
COMBATSYS: Gabriel focuses on her next action.
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Gabriel 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
That sounded...disturbingly familiar. Choice of deity aside, Nassir himself would often find himself delivering similar phrases in combat. It was an interesting sidenote, but the young fighter couldn't let the thought distract him now...now, when he had a job to do. He needed to ensure that the prize money would be added to Rolento's coffers, and that would likely require his full attention. Backpedalling a couple of paces, the mercenary flipped onto a table and knelt into a low crouch. She was preparing for something...noteworthy, if he could read her contemplation at all. In turn, Nassir readied himself....hands brushing by more of the explosives orbs, settling onto one of his knives.
"No quarter given. Admirable, even if nothing else."
Hand sliding forward in a fluid motion, The knife goes from holster to hand to whistling through the air, bluish-grey afterimages chronicling the trajectory of the deadly weapon as it flies in for his quarry.
COMBATSYS: Gabriel fails to reflect Horrors of War from Nassir with Mimic.
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Gabriel 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Nassir
When the knife comes, Gabriel watches it with careful consideration, until it is practically in her face at which time she reaches a hand to try grabbing it out of the air. That didn't work so great because well, it's sharp and instead cuts her hand. What is it with knives and the people who use it. Not only that, but the thing keeps moving onward and inward, cutting her rather nicely (or not so nicely). She grits her teeth and draws back just a touch against the pain of having this one nail her so soundly, but doesn't so much as cry out more than that. Already her blouse is a little red from the cut, but this fight is far from over, even if in the meantime she takes a moment to rub a hand across the injury.
A smile registers on Nassir's face, quickly replaced with a deep frown. He had no reason to believe that the woman wasn't trained, but...in the same breath, the idea of beating a woman with potentially lethal force seemed like a spectacularly poor idea. He knew they were technically allowed--Freeman proved as much, along with many other similarly minded fighters--but...was he not above their behaivor?
Pushing off of the table, Nassir goes into a flying somersault towards Gabriel, breaking out of the formation only to deliver a boot...potentially aiming for her face. The boot wouldn't be as lethal, while still driving the point home.
COMBATSYS: Nassir successfully hits Gabriel with Light Kick.
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Gabriel 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Nassir
The kick lands though Gabriel seems in the process of trying to get out of the way. Still it only causes a small stagger and then a grunt of effort. She needed to do something to start evening these odds and she needed to do it now. Her teeth were gritted at this point and with a sudden leap, Gabriel sends herself into the air toward Nassir's head, her knees bent so if she can manage it she'll knee on his shoulders with both legs around his neck and will give a choking squeeze with a cry of "Cooooonfessss!" Then if he's still baring with her at this point she'll throw her weight forward and bring him down to the ground, doing a handstand and flinging him into one of those tables arranged around the room. That was the plan anyway.
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Gabriel's Serpent Strangle.
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Gabriel 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Nassir
'Confess?'
Not wanting to wait around and figure out what, exactly, it is that she's doing, Nassir takes a short diving roll backwards...clearing away from the offending knee and rising into another crouch on the floor. Slowly, things began to make sense, and Nassir could only mentally slap himself for not catching it earlier. The large holy symbol should've made it obvious when he set eyes on her.
<Wilt in the face of the righteous!> Nassir cried, fevered words flying out in an arabian dialect, striking as sharply as any blow he could offer her. Of course, that didn't mean that he wouldn't try: Rolling forward to reclaim lost ground, Nassir pulls out of it where Gabriel was last standing, afterimages following behind him much as they did the knife. Rather than strike out with a knife, Nassir thrusts two fingers up, angling for her waistline...an odd strike that wouldn't cause the same kind of pain as a punch or kick...but if it hit she'd find that out quickly enough.
COMBATSYS: Nassir successfully hits Gabriel with Depravity.
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Gabriel 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Nassir
When this was over, Gabriel was going to get whomever painted the target on her back. But that was going to have to wait. She wasn't about to give up. Actually it had taken her opponent a while to get her here, but as the blow connects and she loses considerable ground and rather finds herself sliding across it for a moment from her own lost balance, it seems as though the fight hasn't hurt her moral. Exhaling with exasperation she gets to her feet and dusts herself off.
"Alright.. The warm up is over.. Now that I know how you like to deal pain and suffering, let us see how you take it." With a quick step, Gabriel tries to position herself next to Nassir with one foot conspicuously positioned behind his ankle so all she needs to do is give him a little shove. Meanwhile her eyes are very disapproving.
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Gabriel's Quick Throw.
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Gabriel 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Nassir
"A man of peace always prepares for war! A man of Allah remains devout and blessed in the eyes of God!"
Rather than evade the rude throw through further shows of acrobatics, Nassir simply lifts his leg up...planting it behind him so that when the shove comes, he does not fall, but twirl around to her flank. From there, things are disturbingly quick, sudden strikes like the diamondback viper underfoot...Nassir driving those same two fingers forward with designs on the softer flesh around her midsection.
COMBATSYS: Gabriel fails to interrupt Quick Throw from Nassir with Serpent Coil.
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Gabriel 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Nassir
She can't seem to hit him when she's on the offensive, so maybe she can when he's on the offensive instead. That would appear to be her thoughts anyway when the attack comes in and she twists her body in what can only be assumed is an attack. Though when she times it the moment's don't seem to work out right as her unwinding torso only catches her off balance more so he can give her a nasty toss into the ground. Ugh. Now this fight wasn't going well. She had thus far managed to land not a single blow. And he was fast enough that she only managed to avoid one (partially) at the beginning. Either she was way out classed or just not on her game today. Either way things would defiantly have to change soon. At any rate she had the ground to keep her company while she thought about that.
Nassir was aware of the attack that Gabriel was initiating, to the point where he had to shift his tactics to avoid being hit--while he could probably afford a poke or two, the last thing he needed to find out was that the girl hit like a mack truck or something. Instead of concluding the strike, Nassir quickly dumps her on the ground...it wasn't what he wanted to do, but it would have to do. Thankfully, the shift in tactics meant he'd be able to take advantage of a downed opponent...and with the hopes of finishing quickly, Nassir did exactly that.
Pulling another grenade off of his bandolier, Nassir doesn't so much toss the object as he does just kinda drop it on her back before skipping back a few feet. This...had the chance to really hurt.
COMBATSYS: Gabriel fails to reflect Scorch the Earth from Nassir with Mimic.
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Gabriel 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Nassir
In response, Gabriel tries to grab the grenade and give it back to Nassir. It would of been so sweet, the rather determined girl attacking in such a manner, but instead it explodes in her hand and she gets sent skidding across the ground. Now her white clothes are rather darkened and she's practically a smoking heap. Still she isn't done yet, even while laying there she seems to be moving and slowing gathering herself back together to stand up and face the man. If you can say nothing else, she at least is giving it her all.. It's just not good enough.
Nassir's head recoiled, not entirely surprised to find the girl trying to get rid of the offending explosive, but more over the fact that it exploded in her hands. Children all over the world lost fingers and hands trying to handle firecrackers, but thankfully somehow the fighting elite proved superior. At least he wouldn't have to worry about some kind of attempted homicide charge, though. It was a comfort he could fall back on if he was forced to do the Saturday Night Fight circuit again.
The thought flits through Nassir's head and is promptly discarded in favor of the fight at hand--and thoughts of finishing it. Running at the fallen girl, Nassir takes a low flip through the air before driving another boot-clad foot out for the rising Gabriel, hoping to knock her right back down.
COMBATSYS: Gabriel blocks Nassir's Light Kick.
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Gabriel 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Nassir
This time she is ready for him and catches the leg on her forearms. She needs to start doing something or there won't be anything left for her to fight for. Her teeth grit and Gabriel stands up with a start, apparently still having a fair bit of energy. Grabbing for his arm, Gabriel attempts to twist it behind his back and hisses in his ear, suddenly less than stoic and now just plain angry, "Holy Maiden deliver this, your lost sheep to the light.. DDEELLLIVVERANCE!" Now, assuming he hasn't dodged the grab, he'll find her hand filling with power as she seems twists his arm then if he's still not gotten away (wormed out with a block) she'll let go of that energy at point blank range into the middle of his back, holding for a moment then letting go to let the blast send him flying. . . That was the plan anyway.
Gabriel's expression meanwhile is one of sheer rage. She's not been a fighter long, but this would get to anyone. her breath is heavy and deep, causing her mouth to stay partially opened, showing her teeth and her eyes are a glare. It' particularly unpleasantly looking when you consider that her hair is mussed in many places.
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Gabriel's Deliverance.
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Gabriel 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Nassir
A noble story told, a grand lesson learned. In the end, isn't that what it's all about...for some, anyways?
Nassir does indeed evade the preliminary grapple, whirling away from the contact and bringing himself to bear. "Yours is a false light meant to lead the masses astray. I cannot stand for it any longer! You would pervert this to your own ignoble aim! Be silent, and fall to the most righteous!" There isn't as much outright anger in his voice as there is in hers, though admittedly he's had little to be frustrated about here beyond the content of her speech.
Rolento would be proud, hopefully...but again, he couldn't overstep himself. He could easily be ruined by doing so. Rolling backwards, Nassir unfurled into a crouch...producing another knife, this one trailed oncemore by the afterimages cast in chi energy.
COMBATSYS: Nassir successfully hits Gabriel with Horrors of War.
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Gabriel 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Nassir
False light? Nassir has certainly made himself an enemy today.Even as she is taking the knife, she hisses words under her breath, "I will.. Kill you.. next time.. I see.. you." But the words are quickly drowned out by a gargle and she crumples on the spot, curled over the wound and for a moment just wimpering. If you thought she was done for though, you'd be somewhat mistake, the girl reaches out with a sudden palm strike and aims it vindictively for his crotch. "By.. the maiden of light.. I condem.. comden.. *cough cough*" Well nevermind, EVERYONE got the idea..
COMBATSYS: Gabriel successfully hits Nassir with Quick Punch.
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Gabriel 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Nassir
And after driving her palm into his crotch, Gabriel stands up, huffing and heaving and glaring with eyes practically red. Wasn't she.. down? A moment ago? Not now she isn't now she's looknig like there is more left in her, just a little.
Ohgodow. Why...why, Merciful God, why?
While Nassir was expecting the final blow, he wasn't expecting it to strike in such a...tender location. The vindictiveness in her eyes and the anger in her voice was enough to tell him that it was done quite on purpose, malicious and spiteful in nature. Sucking in a deep breath, Nassir stands back up to full height...slowly, painfully.
"Will I? Hm. Then it would be prudent of me to ensure this does not happen. Witness the fate of an infidel, and understand your error." Left hand sliding over the holster for his sidearm, Nassir pulls it free, leveling it carefully, taking aim and pulling the trigger. One, Two, Three, Done.
"Good Bye, Gabriel Kai."
COMBATSYS: Nassir successfully hits Gabriel with Semiautomatic Spray.
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Gabriel 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Nassir
This time the religious zealot is dealt a blow she can't shrug off. Though shooting someone, that's a little extreme right? Well her 'goddess' seems less inclined to let her 'crusader of light' go down so easily and stay down. The so easily part well.. Nassir has recieved his divine retribution today for what would of otherwise been considered an easy win. She can punish him much much worse another time. Anyway, the attack is caught by her holy symbol draped around her throat and while it still hurts like hell (bullet proof vests leave broken ribs) it's at least not going to kill her.
"And we have a winner!" exclaims the annoucer while some medical crew go to check on the downed girl.
COMBATSYS: Gabriel takes no action.
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Nassir 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Gabriel can no longer fight.
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Nassir 0/-------/--=====|
And Nassir wondered why arabians had such a difficult time shaking the stereotype. He probably just fed it for a worldwide audience.
Glancing down, Nassir notices the girl still breathing, the subtle rise and fall of her chest betraying her resilience. So he would inevitably end up meeting her again. Figures. At least then it won't be in front of cameras. Kneeling down next to the downed body, Nassir turns his body away from the camera before pulling his mask down. "Know the error of your ways," Nassir begins, voice low and seemingly sincere. "Before it is too late. Accept the love of God into your life and the teachings of the Qu'ran. If you wish another meeting, I will make myself available. On that date, you decide....Heaven or Hell."
Log created by Gabriel, and last modified on 19:26:12 06/29/2005.