Description:
Muay Thai Kickboxing versus Ansatsuken, round 17832632. FIGHT!
Alright, so it's probably not that cut and dry. In all reality, Tony was something of a satellite character in the Sagat/Ryu saga...though it was still something Tony was mildly involved in. That was the power behind the rivalry, the ability to suck in countless others and make it transcend two legendary fighters.
It is that involvement that made the recent turn of events something of a difficult one for Tony. Ryu, Ken, Sakura...in the end, Tony had little problem with them as people, though their choice of style made them instant adversaries, outright enemies over the slightest of transgressions both real and imagined. Even when Sagat and Ryu were dead and gone, the rivalry could travel through the styles, infecting those next in line, and generations away.
The generations of Muay Thai and Ansatsuken fighters beyond him were of little concern to Tony. They would exist, and they would fight with the styles taught to them. They would do so to the utmost of their ability, and carry on the proud legacy of both disciplines. However, there was a point that connected those future unnamed generations to the current players. Each time Ryu and Sagat clashed, it helped to temper their spirits, hone their styles, and further their efforts. What does not kill us, makes us stronger. It was true in Ryu and Sagat...and it seemed true thus far in Sakura and Tony. Sakura was improving, and any hell Tony could visit upon her seemed to merely serve as a springboard to advancement. Tony, in turn, was learning quite a bit about what he was made of, the strength of his being. It was this that drove Tony 'across the lines' and into Ken's figurative arms: He needed all the tempering he could get before the fight that could very well end his career.
It was this that made Tony start a line of correspondence with Mr. Masters.
It was this that made him pack himself onto a Seattlebound plane.
It was this that put him here, in the middle of Ken's arena floor, awaiting the arrival of the Red-Gi'd Ansatsuken warrior. The ball, as it were, was in his court.
For all his talk, for all his pride, Ken Masters is still a nice guy. He talks the talk similar to Geese, but his manner of dealing with people in action differs greatly. Geese would fight someone lesser than him to boost his pride. While Ken might enjoy winning, he doesn't have that exact same mentality. It's how Howie and he see eye to eye... But yet why Ken hates his guts so.
But that rivalry is a little more under the rug than that of the popular Ryu and Sagat. Ken really hasn't fought Sagat, but considering how Ryu pastes him, Ken figures he won't fight him unless given a good reason. He might be Tony's teacher, but Sagat seems to have reached the peak of his fighting potential, or close. Tony? Well, the jury is out on that, which is why he is willing to do this at all.
Walking into the ring and making his way toward the rocks in the water, he has... a laddle in his hand. "Hey, Tony, what's up?"
...'Howie'. Hah. Imagine Geese's reaction if Tony ever called him 'Howie'. He'd probably be thrown out of a Geese Tower window or something. That was how he dealt with everything. In practice, Tony had trouble working up the will to do much more than nod in Geeses' general direction whenever he spoke: Geese paid the bills, Geese booked his fights, Geese apparently killed fighters well beyond his ability for fun and profit. Geese was one bad mutha funk.
That, thankfully, had little to do with anything right now. Geese couldn't be further from Tony's mind, not with everything else going on. Training in overdrive for this one fight...though if he managed to win this one, he'd likely start approaching all of his fights with the same kind of intensity of focus. He was doing well so far, and while his limbs were weary he felt damnably good about himself for it.
Things, they might be coming together nicely.
Offering Ken a brief wave in greeting, Tony's eyes dropped down to the ladle. "I never thought of that water as being drinkable, what with everything that goes on in there." Pausing briefly, Tony's mind slipped back to his last few fights in the arena...brutal things, to say the least. Bloodying, punishing affairs.
"I want to thank you for making the time to see me. I know this is short notice, and you've got a lot on your plate with this league thing and whatever else you happen to do." Another pause, then...this one merely for breath.
"I've fought a lot of people during my career, people of all shapes and sizes, all differing ability levels. You are simultaneously one of the most frustrating and punishing ones I've ever had rattle my jaw out of alignment. That's why I want to spar with you, shape up my game a bit more."
"I can respect that... Which is why I'm letting you fight me right now. Let me tell you, if you have that mindset, it makes you a hella lot better than some of your peers. You know, the ones with the sticks up their butt. Just because I offer a few pointers as they fight me, they get all pissy. Either way, you want me to fight all out, or hold back," Ken replies, merely taking the laddle to scoop up the water and pour it over the rocks. What the heck is he doing? Making it more interesting. Tony DID want to shape up his game, this might be a good way to do it. Ryu would be proud. Or something. Ken might not be fighting with all he has anyway... But that fight with Vega still weighs heavily on his mind, even if he's not one to share or show it.
"Fight in whatever manner suits you," Tony replies, eyes dropping back down to Ken's...activity. He wasn't aware of him being the spiritual type, which lead Tony down to the more pragmatic viewpoint: The water would make the rocks slippery, an additional challenge belonging to the Red Arena. "I'd -prefer- it if you went all out, though. I may not be on your speed yet, but babying me doesn't do much good either."
Strong words, though we'll see how well they hold together during the actual sparring. Tony's temper was always something that plagued him, and while he was making advancements in regards to holding his composure together it could all come tumbling down if (im)properly prodded.
Lightly taped on both hands and feet, Tony came prepared for a fight--it wasn't like he came all the way down for a game of beer pong, after all. His fighting trunks(Black with Red trim, for what it's worth) merely drove the point home--though he wasn't jumping the gun on things quite yet. At bare minimum, he'd be respectful...let the older warrior finish doing whatever it was that he was doing.
Ken CAN be spiritual. It just takes someone really shaking him down to his roots. While he is a fighter known for his flair, the core remains solid and true. Either way, Tony is right, it is solely to make things interesting. He continues on, getting most of the stones in the center before he puts the laddle in the water. Someone other than him will get it, but well, that's because he knowns the place. Of course, Ken is wearing his usual gi, but that's no surprise at all. "Come at me when you're ready," Ken offers with a confident smirk, folding his arms and just waiting.
COMBATSYS: Ken has started a fight here.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tony has joined the fight here.
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Tony 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Ken
"Alright, then." Offering a brief nod of acknowledgement to the fighting millionaire, Tony's eyes flit down to the stones one last time before focusing in on his task at hand. It was 'Go Time'.
Bonus Round: Fight!
Now, of course Tony was trying to be at least reasonably respectful, trying to at least seem reverent where appropriate. Mimicry, after all, is one of the first steps towards an actual understanding...and Tony was willing to acknowledge that he could use some of that in his life. However, the difference between being respectful and just idling around wasn't exactly divied by a razorthin line. Sagat taught him to be aggressive, to press an advantage when one existed...and that was something that Tony took to heart.
The rocks might be a problem, certainly...but they didn't have to become a bigger one due to the constant harping in the back of his head, noting their presence and overadjusting for them. The less time he spent dawdling around on them, the better--that's how he'd conquer this particular challenge. With that in mind, Tony's only on the stones for a moment before launching into an attack--surging forward and bringing a foot high with the hopes of driving it into Ken's chest. The end result isn't exactly the most damning front kick in the cosmos, but it's something.
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Tony's Medium Kick.
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Tony 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Ken
Ken weaves his body to the side, his arms actually unfolding as he sees that Tony is just a 'little' too slow, but enough that he had to move the arms to avoid getting a painful hit to them. "I see that you HAVE gotten faster. I had to work for that one. Maybe this fight WILL be different than last time," Ken points out as he gives a simple punch to Tony's shoulder. It's a swift one, clearly doing it to see how fast and durable the Student of Sagat is.
Ken might just be impressed with Tony... But he isn't saying much until the end of the fight. After all, most people are nice and respectful at the beginning when fighting Ken, it's after the third or fourth dodge that frustrations rise and Ken finds out what sort of person they really are under the strain.
COMBATSYS: Tony endures Ken's Jab Punch.
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Tony 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Ken
Well, hey...he's got at least three more dodges to go then, right?
His front kick catching little more than air and maaaaybe a rogue strand of Gi, Tony knew well enough that Ken was a slippery fish to say the absolute least. He'd need to do something particularly special to ensure scored hits, maybe even creative. Maybe.
Ken's jab ends up landing flush against Tony's shoulder--the blow made even more solid due to the way Tony ended up taking it: Leaning into the blow instead of defending it in a more traditional manner. The lean wasn't exactly for naught, though: If he could keep Ken's attention on the offending jab, he might not notice the hooked elbow coming in for his midsection on the opposite side. It was a gamble of sorts, one that could pay off well if it worked properly.
If.
COMBATSYS: Tony successfully hits Ken with Medium Punch.
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Tony 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Ken
Ken hits true and Tony's trap works... Mostly because Ken figured that he would be fast enough to dodge. But the blow... hits true. "What the..." Ken replies as he holds the hit side, merely shocked for a second before he shakes his head. At least he recovered his footing before slipping and falling into the water. "Good," he offers with a confident smirk. With that, he axe-kicks for Tony's jaw, hoping to bring down the leg onto Tony's right shoulder.
Clearly, Ken has decided to raise it up a notch.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Tony with Inazuma Kakato Wari.
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Tony 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Ken
Bam! Ken has clearly kicked it up a notch. If only Emeril posessed these powers, he'd be some kind of chef-god. Tony is quick to pull himself back, quick to work on delivering his next strike...but Ken proves to be considerably quicker, pistoning the axe-kick downwards and bringing Tony low. To the studious eye, Tony did begin some kind of defensive maneuver...but again, speed is Ken's domain. Certainly, he would make Edge seem like a slug in comparison, which is why Tony was here to begin with.
Quick to rise back to his feet, Tony did his best to ignore the blow: He was still conscious, he could still see Ken, he could still fight, and preserverence would carry him through. Another kick is sent out, this one sweeping around from the side and aiming for Ken's midsection...almost the same spot that the elbow found.
COMBATSYS: Ken blocks Tony's Light Kick.
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Tony 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Ken
While some would just take it easy after doing one of their 'moves', Ken rarely does, going with that amazing energy that always keeps him going much longer than his peers. To defend himself, the American Karate Champ swings out his arm to block the kick. While he was taking risks before, Tony earned the full fight, so he isn't taking foolish risks. Right after the kick, Ken replies with one of his own, though it is much more powerful, Ken leaning back and as he lets out the chest level kick, the force of it carries him forward, sliding a few inches on the wet stone undernether him. "Nice moves so far," he points out, clearly hoping the compliment will further encourage Tony to give him a good fight.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Tony with Ushiro Mawashi-geri.
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Tony 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Ken
...Dang.
Thus far, Tony was having a bit of a time dealing with Ken's offensive display--crisp kicks that were simply leaving the Muay Thai Panther in the unenviable position of needing to play catchup. Somewhere in the back of his mind, baser instincts demanded that he start lashing out with the heavier side of his offensive abilities, engage Ken in a shootout until one of them hit the ground.
Tony preferred going with instinct more often than not, but he could tell the difference between his instincts serving as a boon and his instincts serving as distraction. In this particular case, he happened to know which was which. Diligence and preserverence would carry him through. The thrust kick knocked Tony off-balance oncemore, sending him down onto the rocks. Hands splashed into the water, though it was a momentary thing before he made his way back up to his feet. He wouldn't allow himself to give in, not yet. Fist tightening in tune with his face, Tony threw another hook in towards Ken's midsection, rather obviously looking to soften that area up. Of course, Ken always had the option of defending...but he hoped to at least make him pay for it.
COMBATSYS: Tony successfully hits Ken with Medium Punch.
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Tony 1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0 Ken
Ken is getting the 'lead' again, but there is no surprise there. He IS the better fighter. Still Tony has vastly improved since the last time, when Ken could ignore him without a second thought. And it hasn't been years. Just months. Perhaps there IS a load of promise within the person.
The punch seems easily enough to dodge... That is until he gets hit right in the gut with the punch. What the... This is actually hurting a bit! "Clearly I am going to have to raise the bar even FURTHER soon, you do know that right?" Ken replies, as he gives a powerful punch right for Tony's face.
COMBATSYS: Tony counters Fierce Punch from Ken with Panther Ambush.
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Tony 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Ken
The cry is quick to fill the arena--crystal clear, booming bass voice helping to emphasize and articulate the two syllables. It's about the only warning Ken would receive before Tony simply wasn't there to eat fist anymore. While speed was most assuredly Ken's domain, Tony was occasionally pushing the borders on what he could and could not do. Given the right kind of stimuli, adrenaline and willpower could push the comparatively young man to excel where he could not before.
"AAAAMMMMBUUUUSSSSSH!"
A blur of motion, muscle, and trunks, Tony drives himself upwards, the force of the movement carrying Tony upwards before the extended knee caught Ken just below the chin. Rather than come immeadiately back into contact with the ground, Tony's ascension continues--pushing past Ken and continuing another few feet before gravity reclaimed the Muay Thai Panther.
Ken blinks as his attack misses, but that is all he has time to do before the knee crashes into his chest. Ken is actually knocked off his feet by the attack, getting send into the water. "Right then... Time to kick it up a bit farther!" he cries out, not even bothering to get back onto the stone despite the waist deep water.
Clearly someone is being treated as a peer now. Putting his hands together, he summons the fighting chi and gathers it between his palms. Tony should know the move by know... The trick is if he can dodge it. "Hadouken!" he cries out, letting out the small blue ball right for Tony. Regardless if the Ambush was one of his better moves, Ken is clearly taking it as 'par for the course' not. Well, at least this is what Tony wanted.
COMBATSYS: Tony blocks Ken's Hadouken.
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Tony 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Ken
Dodging it was more or less out of the question--even if Tony was one of the faster fighters on the circuit, the stone bridge ensured that only the most acrobatic of dodges would actually stand a chance at success. Rather than risk it all and end up prematurely taking a lengthy dip courtesy the Hadouken express, Tony went with the old standby.
Bringing his forearms up to a middling guard, the Muay Thai disciple braced himself for what he expected would be a fairly egregious blow anyways. While Tony wasn't exactly disappointed in Ken's output...he could easily remember a time when the Hadouken spelled doom for him.
The difference? Preserverence, self-belief, determination. The mere fact that he was -hitting- Ken was a testament to it, even if he never landed another blow. Shaking the sudden burning sensation out of his forearms, Tony took to the skies oncemore...not bothering to wait until Ken made his way out of the water. Once his jump sends him to within kicking distance, Tony's leg snaps out...looking to catch Ken across the side of his head. Would it pay off? He'd know in just a few moments...
COMBATSYS: Tony successfully hits Ken with Light Kick.
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Tony 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Ken
Ken gets clocked in the head. How... what... These are the thoughts that go through his mind as his head is whipped to the side by the force of the kick. Not really that painful, but it is adding up. Ken just reaches out to try and grab Tony by the shirt. Should he get it, he'll throw him to the side, but not before using a roundhouse kick to try and help him on his way. There is no bar to raise now... And it seems like Tony is either lucky, much better than before, or some of both. "You really did train much harder than before," Ken points out, regardless how the attack turns out.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Tony with Tsukami Nage.
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Tony 1/------=/=======|=======\===----\1 Ken
Alright! The change in strategies, the shift in demeanor...it was paying off for him, and Tony simply couldn't ignore it. He'd found his stride--that, or he truly was just lucky, but who wants to hear their accomplishments attributed to nothing more than luck anyways? Unfortunate, then, that his brief victory came at a fairly severe cost.
The lightest spray of crimson floats through the air, painting a somewhat picturesque arc as physics has it's way with Tony's bodily fluids. Head snapping at an odd angle as the kick fades into memory, Tony finds himself going for a ride on top of it...insult to injury as it were. Dunked in the pool, Tony emerges quickly--not wanting to fill his lungs with water, one could surmise. The fight was certainly taking it's toll on Tony, though now it was readily obvious. Bruises were starting to swell, and the cut was slightly visible. He hurt...but even if he went down, he could say he did so with pride.
Wasn't that worth the trip to Seattle?
Those thoughts were for later, though. For now, he was still up...he could still fight, and until that changed he most assuredly would. Though the water slowed him somewhat, Tony moved forward, dropping his guard in order to reach out for the upperbody of the Ansatsuken warrior--specifically the top of his neck. Should that portion be successful, Tony interlaces his fingers and pulls him into knee range, holding the head still while two knees rammed upwards in rapid succession.
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Tony's Clinch Maneuvers.
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Tony 1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Ken
While attacking is slowed in the water... So is dodging. Still, Ken just slips out of Tony's hold, his eyes quickly training themselves back onto Tony. He gives a smirk still, despite the bit of blood that has begun to fall from the corner of his lip from where he got punched a bit earlier in the fight. Defintely a better fighter, but not quite to the point where he is consistant. He's getting there though. Merely making his way toward Tony, he lowers himself, not to bow before him, but to crouch so that he can leap from the water, his fist blazing with fire as soon as it leaves the water as he gives a famed cry. Tony should feel honored... For he earned getting a Rising Dragon Uppercut in this fight. "Shoryuken!" he gives with a proud cry as he leaps two feet into the air.
COMBATSYS: Tony counters Shoryuken from Ken with Panther Ambush.
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Tony 0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1 Ken
Honored.
A deriviative of Honor.
That's something Tony hadn't felt in a while. It was reaching the point where Tony was starting to associate other things--satiating baser urges, enveloping himself in atrocity, and other equally unpleasant doings--with what used to be honor. Fill the void with other things, and blind yourself to the fact that the void was growing bigger. Stuff it with distractions. Money. Cars. Women. Pay it homage, sacrifice others to it. Like a smoker's cancer, Tony paid the price--almost forgot what honor tasted like.
Maybe pushing himself like this was the kind of therapy he needed. Certainly, he felt better for it, even as he was on the verge of falling over. There was still a fight going on, and Tony needed to react to it.
"PANTHURR AAMMMMBUSSSH!"
The triumphiant call accompanies a sudden lurch, Tony coiling low mere moments after Ken makes it brutally obvious just what card he was about to play. Letting Ken rocket overhead, Tony held his ground even as the chi-charged fist made the water uncomfortably hot. He had to wait until time was right...
...and then strike. Exploding out of the water mere seconds after Ken, Tony was guided upwards in a similar rising motion...though where Ken is lead by his rising uppercut, Tony is lead by the rising knee. The result is...similar, perhaps, catching Ken in the midsection with what Tony could only hope was enough force to disrupt him.
Cars, women (or woman, in Ken's case), money. Ken has this things. He doesn't put them above his fighting, though Eliza as a person IS more important to him. That's what splits Ken from most fighters. He IS skilled, he is strong, and he is swift... He just doesn't put fighting first. Why? He has too much, his ways are too much into the world and in the end, it is a hobby, a passion... But not his life. Still, there is that potential, and that potential and love is seen in what he does, and how he fight. Of course, this is not shown right now.
The counter works like a charm, Ken Masters taking a fall after getting hit with the rising knee. He falls on his back into the water, where he is gone for a couple of seconds. He soon rises up, like a monster in a Godzilla movie, the water pouring about his powerful yet beaten frame. There is something different though... The water's surface rippling... But in a way that it is moving away from Ken. It's like he is vibrating or moving to stir up the water, but there is no sign that he is doing so. He looks to Tony, and he just offers one passage that will be sure to make Tony cringe.
"Kid gloves are off now."
Twin medics already spring into action, having been on the sidelines and waiting for the fight to end. They figure that Ken might go overboard and fear as they make their way into the ring.
Ken moves toward Tony to attack, but saying 'quick' is too vast an understandment. There is a visable wake in the water as he comes right up to Tony, and when he does, that's when the magic happens. Bursting out of the water, Ken does another uppercut. This time though, the water shoots out in all directions from him, most of it superheated from Ken's powerful attack, which causes a pillar of fire to come out of the water. It is much smaller and weaker than usual, but the rising steam that is created is more than enough to make up for the lack of red hot flair. Rising to the heavens, this time five feet high, Ken gives the might name to this attack. "Shoryuken Reppa!!!"
Ken doesn't like it when people mess up his favorite move.
COMBATSYS: Tony counters Shouryuu Reppa from Ken with Chokehold.
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Tony 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Ken
Ken's warning is heeded by all, it would seem: The Medics, most assuredly. The end was coming, just as the prophecies decreed. Tony made note of it as well, and could virtually smell it on the humid air--the water did help in that regard, Tony was surprised to discover. That, and once it had a second to cool the water was surprisingly sauna/hottub like. If he weren't fighting, he'd probably get a kick out of it.
Chi expressions for everyday living. Ikea could market it, or something.
In any event, it's most likely only a matter of time before Ken realizes that he's carrying a tad too much weight into the air with him...the kind of weight that could only be another human body--and in this particular case, a fairly heavy one. How Tony moved quickly enough to go from standing in the water to virtually facehugging Ken is something for review tapes, but through some serious force of will he manages to do exactly that. Wrapping his arms around the neck of the Ansatsuken warrior, Tony's eyes widen as the bloom of fiery chi ignites the air around them...and Ken manages to surge out of the water despite his weight. A feat of strength, most assuredly.
Thankfully, Tony isn't scorched by the flames or hit with enough force to dislodge him, so the air-guilitine chokehold is held for at least a few seconds, until they start their descent back into the pool.
Ken just blinks a few times in shock... Part of him is enraged. How the hell is a guy like TONY giving him a good fight. Did he sell his soul to Satan? Did he get a bionic arm? Or is this some new clone of him? Ken has no idea. Either way, he just ignores the pain of the chokehold, just punching Tony in the face with a no-nonsense punch. Clearly flair has failed. Time to go back to basics.
COMBATSYS: Tony blocks Ken's Jab Punch.
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Tony 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Ken
It certainly would be something of a disappointment on Tony's end if his recent turn of events came due to some kind of unwitting deal with the devil or somesuch craziness. It would be something of a revelation to discover that Tony was actually T9999, NESTS project gone horribly awry yet kept around for observation. He might be inclined to actually become angrier, go into cursing tirades over the slightest urge to do so, and in general cycle through fits of self-loathing.
We're going to hope neither of those events come to pass. Both would be...intensely bad.
In any event...basics. That's something we can deal with without much in the way of problem, right? Right. Realizing that Ken was preparing some kind of counterassault, Tony braces himself--tightening his abs and waiting for the -pop- that signified Ken's return. Hopefully he could withstand it, but if not he had nothing to be ashamed of.
-pop-. In the face, no less. Gut check time...was he still up?
Chokehold slackening, Tony stood to full height and moved back a half pace, seemingly staggered...though the purpose of the adjustment becomes painstakingly clear when Tony's leg lashes out yet again, looking to score a blow in the patch of midsection he was trying to work over earlier. Maybe some of that work will pay off now.
COMBATSYS: Tony successfully hits Ken with Medium Punch.
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Tony 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Ken
Ken gets belted in the gut again with the leg. Man, he is REALLY on his last legs. There isn't much he can do now, but he gives a swift roundhouse kick in response. There is no lead up or pause, Ken knowing that the more time he gives Tony to prepare, the more time he has to block or even... Counter. This is insanity! Has the fight with Vega really thrown him that far off his game? Seems so.
COMBATSYS: Tony counters Light Kick from Ken with Chokehold.
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Tony 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Ken
It was entirely plausible. I mean, hey--Vega is disgusting, and leaves horrible mental images to deal with, like...Lord Buttchin x Lolisquad 2k6.
Now, isn't that an image you didn't want floating around? Yeah, I thought so.
Of course, Tony had no way of knowing the kind of horrors Ken might've been subjected to. All he knew was that he was still standing, and still fighting. He couldn't give it up, couldn't let himself go out with a whimper. He had to go for broke...go for the jugular. Stepping forward, Tony ducked low so that the roundhouse would go overhead, they sprang back up to full height. Oncemore, those battle-hardened, rough forearms of his slithered around Ken's throat, squeezing for all they were worth in a maneuver that came close to resembling the sleeperhold of pro wrestling fame. It would simultaneously limit Ken and give Tony a moment's reprieve...something he could use right about now, but at the same time felt somewhat bad over--this was damnably close, he could almost taste blood in the air.
Ken gets grabbed by the neck again, the area starting to get a firm bruise. When Eliza asks where he got so pounded, he doesn't even know what he'll say. He isn't even sure if he can win this fight. This is enraging to Ken. Tony is taking him to school right now, making him give everything he has. But why... WHY?
Seeing as his punches haven't been getting him anywhere, Ken just grabs the arm, trying to roll back with it and use his foot to push Tony, hopefully sending him for a ride as well as getting that hand off his neck. After all, while getting wet is bad... At least when he gets up after the throw he'll be able to breath, unless Tony holds on like some sort of fricking pitbull, which isn't that unlikely at this point.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Tony with Jigoku-guruma.
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Tony 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Ken
Earlier in Tony's career, Tony did exactly that--for what seemed like a full on minute, Tony rode Ryu around, putting him in a scintillating variety of chokes the entire way. Of course, Tony ended up losing that particular battle, but it might've spoke volumes about the level of dogged preseverence Tony was capable of.
Such is his preseverence here--though it was only a matter of time before Ken finally put Tony down. Going for a ride courtesy Ken's Judo-esque throw, Tony creates a large splash in the water, kicking up and displacing no small amount of the still-warm water in the process. Certainly, it had to be something of a disappointment for Ken to see Tony merely shoot back out of the water, hands extended and coming in quick for his face. Going past Ken's head in order to loop around, should Tony happen to have his way he'll end up delivering the pair of clinch knees that eluded him earlier in the bout.
Win, Lose, or Draw...that's the end for Tony, body slouching over in the water...luck alone giving him the gift of keeping head above water.
COMBATSYS: Tony can no longer fight.
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Ken 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Ken just-defends Tony's Clinch Maneuvers!
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Ken 0/-------/---====|
Ken merely gets up and when he sees Tony charge, he gives a simple "no" in response. Not one of fear, but of determination. Ken doesn't lose to people like Tony. It's a mean, perhaps cruel mental statement, but it is stuff like that motivates Ken to put his hands out in front of him, catching the knees in his hands and pushing them away as Tony's move is just too slow. The energy he does from this perfect defense allows him to be quick enough to catch Tony as soon as he falls into the water, the medics right there to help take him toward the locker room to get treated. "Nice fight... You ARE a much better fighter than the last we tangled." Ken thinks he knows how to defeat Tony the next time around without it being so close, but well, he will have to wait and see. Either way, he turns to start limping off, clearly brushing off the medics. He doesn't want to get treated... In the end, he just wants to get home, cleaned up, and spend some time alone. While after most fights, he would just snuggle with Eliza and be conformed in his skills as a man and a fighter... Tonight, he knows that would do little to ease his concerns in general.
"..."
There's no reply at first, surprise registering through his system as his attack is so expertly dismissed. That was the Ken he remembered facing in his very first fight against him, the insurmountable Ansatsuken warrior, complete with Ironclad defense. Today...while Ken felt as though he was off-balance, Tony couldn't help but shake the feeling of pride.
Pride...and complete physical shutdown. Tony was tired beyond belief, hurting, and in no shape to refuse the treatment being offered. "Thank you," Tony manages to choke out, words coming slowly...but heartfelt nonetheless.
"Thank you."
Log created by Tony, and last modified on 16:38:01 12/15/2005.