Description: A bored Shenwoo runs into Grant by accident, and decides to punch him in the back of the head! This was probably not the best idea he's ever had.
It's the dead of night here on the boardwalk, but the gangs don't seem to concern at least one of Southtown's residents tonight; the self-styled 'God of Battle', Shenwoo, would probably enjoy himself if a bunch of local 'toughs' decided to rough him up, anyway. In fact, he's probably done it enough that they don't bother him now... 'Restraint' isn't exactly in the former thug's nature, after all. Standing out as he always does, the tall, lean Shenwoo is nevertheless actually minding his own business, leaning up against the railing of the boardwalk. Winter though it might be, the night's chill doesn't seem to bother the berserker any more than the possibility of gang violence does, as he stands there with his silk shirt open and the sleeves rolled up. His attention is, in fact, focused on the dark sea, his expression unreadable. Is he lost in some deep thoughts about himself and the world around him? Is he thinking back on past regrets?
Actually, he's just trying to remember which coast he's on, and if Shanghai is that way or not. Directions were never his strong suit.
There's a suitably climatic exchange that might help alleviate the newfound boredom of Shenwoo. There's a very short lived sound of battle; A sharp exclaimation muffled by being inside a quaint nearby shop. Then the explosive sound of a yielding organic body striking a much less yielding wall. It shatters out, spilling onto the boardwalk and rolling to a very still stop. It seems to be a thug; And two shapes are running quickly now from the store's back enterance.
From the newfound hole looms the massive shape of the Martyr of Might, donned in an enveloping green hooded poncho. It scarcely hides the thickly built muscles, or raw show of primal ability. Grant walks to the fallen man, kicking him over with a naked foot. He seems to be satisfied, clenching his fists and turning away in a swish of fabric towards the darkness...
Well, hello there! The sounds of violence are very distinctive, especially to someone who's grown up around them... Shenwoo's black eyes turn away from the water, just in time to see the first thug come crashing out onto the boardwalk, one of his brows starting to arch as those other two go running. And then, it seems, there's some mysterious figure emerging from the shop, and boy, his mama must've been glad once she got /him/ out, huh? Shen's broad slash of a mouth pulls into a wide grin at this, and finally the tattooed young man calls attention to himself, leather creaking as he tugs on his gloves, his shoes clomping faintly against the wooden boardwalk. "What, are you supposed to be some kinda superhero?" the fighter calls out, amusedly. "Still... You look like you might be pretty strong." Unless the muscle is all for show, of course... But Shenwoo doubts that's the case, this time.
Pausing for a moment at the sounds, Grant turns his head to observe Shenwoo somewhat offhandedly. And revealing better the demonic red mask that takes up the entirety of his face; Long prongs stretching out, white hair trailing behind. Not so much as a square inch of skin is exposed all the way to his neck. After the analysis continues for a few moments, Grant turns away once more, bringing the hood up over the back of his head. "You are weak. Not worth my time." His back is completely turned towards Shenwoo thusly... And with a sort of certain confidence that might be more insulting then Grant's tone could ever hope, he begins to walk towards the slender alley between the boardwalk stores as if this concluded the business of the pair. Shenwoo's not crazy enough to up and /attack/ the Martyr of Might. ...Is he?
Oh, what's this now? While the mask is certainly, er, /different/, Shenwoo is hardly a stranger to bizarre and bewildering sights. As for the intimidation factor, or the effect of Grant dismissing the self-styled 'God of Battle' outright... Hmph. "Heh," the lean young man laughs, rather than expressing his discontent. After all there are much better ways to express one's discontent, aren't there? But there's something in those dark eyes, a definite hint that he's taken offense at being disrespected like that. So, we come to the question previously mentioned: /Is/ Shenwoo crazy enough to attack the Martyr of Might?
Well, remember... This guy attacked /Vega/.
There's no warning. No call to alert Grant, no attempt at anything resembling fair play. After all, there's no such thing as 'fair' or 'unfair' in a fight, is there? Shenwoo, the slight weighing a bit heavily on his normally carefree mind, just takes a single step forward... And then crosses the distance between himself and the departing man in the blink of an eye, too fast for a normal person, and for once there is no roar of fury from the berserker. Just the sound of rushing air as he launches his beringed left fist outwards, and tries to punch Grant in the back of the head.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has started a fight here.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Grant has joined the fight here.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Grant
COMBATSYS: Grant Toughs Out Shenwoo's Gekiken!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Grant
Instantly Grant turns around, and his poncho flickers open. The edges of his deep blue cape can be seen, both forearms spread and stance solid. The expanse of chiseled flesh bears ancient scars; A lifetime of rough and brutal combat. And rather then Shenwoo striking Grant in the back of the head, he gets a free shot to his face.
The fist impacts the masked martyr, causing a tremendous crash. The ground shudders, cracks appearing on the concrete beneath Grant's exposed feet. But Shenwoo would probably realize something is wrong... There was no real give. It was more akin to punching a steel wall then a living person. It seems in the intermittant time between approach and contact, where most people could not so much as blink, Grant managed to brace himself enough to almost completely nullify the attack.
"..." This is the only response, before Grant strikes out with an open palm. The intent is to grasp Shenwoo atop the head in an iron grip, and then /slam/ him into the ground with every ounce of strength that the avatar of power can manage. If this works, Shenwoo will further be hurled back-first towards the adjacent building before his fist strikes out a second time in an attempt to double him over and knock the wind out of the beserker. Smooth, simple, effective. The God of War should appreciate it.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo blocks Grant's Kyou Chou-Jin.
"Hah!" laughs Shenwoo at the lack of reaction to his attack, and then he... Gets grabbed. And then he gets slammed into the boardwalk, which freakin' hurts, clearly! But the rest of Grant's combination gets no joy at all, the big man's fist striking the wall harmlessly as Shenwoo slips past the strike and... Damn, man, what's he supposed to do against this great big Wall of Dude? Well, Shenwoo's going to have to improvise, which would be why he attempts to grab and /lift/ Grant off the ground - no mean feat, but one the self-styled God of Battle should be able to accomplish - and then smash him as hard as he can into the boardwalk, trying to use the other fighter's mass against him. "GRAAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Grant with Strong Throw.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Grant
The maneuver actually works much as intended. Half-shattering the wall beside himself, Grant was not much prepared to be grasped. Flitting over and then striking into the ground, there's a hiss of pain and leaving breath as the large man's billowing clothing flumps over him. For a moment, Grant simply lays there. But then he gets up in a literal eyeblink, significantly faster then Shenwoo's initial approach. "You fool." he states, grasping his ponco and literally tearing it off. The tattered attire is hurled aside, showing now the full extent of Grant's physique. "Do you have any idea who I am?" He begins to literally quake with energy, the air humming and whirling. "I am the Martyr of Might..." Muscles tense, before bulging. "I am the epitome of raw strength..." His mass seems to grow at least an inch. Deep purple sparks of chi crackle over him, and the force of wind might even affect Shenwoo. "And I shall /break/ you!" The windows of the nearby stores all shatter in tandem, as Grant begins to roar and slither into a much more offensive stance, leaning forward and pulling his arms in close.
COMBATSYS: Grant gathers his will.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Grant
That was the sloppiest throw in the history of the world... But it /worked/. And in working, in gave Shenwoo the only reassurance he needed: He can hurt Grant. He seems quite unmoved throughout the larger man's surprisingly speedy resurgence to his feet, tilting his head to one side with that wolfish, feral grin on his face as he slips into a sort of casual boxing stance. The surprising movement of the air around them does affect Shenwoo, though, his shirt and hair stirring, but the berserker's face remains impassive throughout the impressive display. "Never heard of you," is all Shen says, before he rushes forward at the larger man quite fearlessly, snapping off a quick one-two combination aimed at that freaky damn mask... And if his attacks land he twists around and feints for a kick, before lunging again at Grant and trying to once again lift the titanic fighter, this time one-handed by the throat, in order to try and smash him into another wall. "ORA!!" He likes yelling.
COMBATSYS: Grant blocks Shenwoo's Saikouhou-Geki.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Grant
The Martyr of Might is not quite so easy to throw when he's expecting it. He manages to tense, and although he is slammed into a nearby wall it's significantly more muffled then prior. One massive hand raises to grasp Shenwoo by the wrist, before he attempts to simply squeeze and wrench downwards, a brutal dislocating maneuver intending to bring Shenwoo to his knees. Such would not be voluntary in the slightest; The alternative would be his arm shattering in multiple places and his nerves tearing. He severely underestimated Shenwoo; And his fearless resolve and adamant attacks have done a good job of staggering Grant more then most. But there's no worry as of yet. "I do not parade my expertise around. Those who hear of me are my equal. And you are not." But still, the air of respect is present. He's not dismissing the God anymore; Even if he doesn't as of yet think he's worthy of rubbing elbows with.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo dodges Grant's Strong Throw.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Grant
This time, though, Shenwoo has more time to prepare, and while he's certainly not used to being the 'little guy' in a fight - his League battle with Sagat notwithstanding - it's not as though he isn't going to capitalise on it. Case in point: When Grant reaches to try and grab the brawler from Shanghai by the wrist, that tattooed, tightly muscled forearm simply /is not there/, Shenwoo having used his surprising speed to wrench it out of the way. There's really no indication Shen would be as fast as he is; he hardly seems the type. "I guess you're pretty strong," he allows, because this is the perfect time to be smarmy... And then he thrusts his right foot out in a kick aimed at Grant's midsection, trying to put enough force behind it to shove the Immoveable Object into - and through, if he can manage it - the wall behind him. "GRAAAAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Grant parries Shenwoo's Heavy Kick!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Grant
The incoming foot is literally grabbed by Grant, and is stopped completely dead. The force that was meant to knock him through the wall dissipates just as quickly; It seems to have merely gone through Grant, into the ground, and then into nothing. With that bit of pleasantry aside, Grant strikes out with his right hand to grasp Shenwoo by the front of his shirt. No audible response is given; Instead, he attempts to hurl him over his shoulder in a suitably elaborate way, and literally /through/ the wall that Shenwoo intended to send the Martyr of Might. And much like the God of War's kick, there's plenty of force behind it to manage. "Hnnngh!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo dodges Grant's Ankoku Otoshi EX.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Grant
Letting out an impressed sound, Shenwoo's attack is caught and then he himself is caught... Oh, wait, /nix that part/. Once again Shen proves that a little speed can go a long way, and he drops his upper body back out of the way of the grabbing hand with that surprising speed of his, and he twists on his foot which is presumably still held by the big man, swinging his other foot up at Grant's head to try and kick him in the side and back thereof simultaneously. But how much longer can the berserker's luck hold out?!
COMBATSYS: Grant dodges Shenwoo's Heavy Kick.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1 Grant
Much akin to the original kick, Grant moves with the same speed that Shenwoo displayed. Only he seems to have a good bit more of it; The kick strikes nothing but air, although Shenwoo is no longer held. But then Grant spreads his stance, and plunges his hands into the ground. /Into./ His wrists are now planted into the concrete. And then, he rips out a massive hunk of concrete foundation. With a jutting piece of broken pipe for good measure, spilling water out lazily. His entire body flexing in the motion, Grant then attempts to bash Shenwoo over the head with his makeshift weapon. Multiple times -- until it breaks apart into nothing, at the very least. "HRRRRRRAUGH!!" Looks like Grant's got a beserker's strength as well.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo dodges Grant's Random Weapon.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1 Grant
And when his kick misses, Shenwoo hits the boardwalk and rolls, and holy crap what's Grant doing?! The lean young man is on his feet in a flash, and it's difficult to believe what he's seeing. "Ha ha ha!" he laughs, and it's not really a /malicious/ sound, though it's harsh, almost barking. "You're really an unreasonable kinda guy, huh?" So what's he going to do? A sensible person would get out of the way, but nobody has ever, /ever/ accused Shenwoo of being /sensible/. Instead, he reaches up and catches the incoming concrete in a show of strength, his tightly corded muscles straining visibly, his teeth gritting despite his wild grin. "That's what makes it fun!!" And while he doesn't try to wrench the concrete from the bigger man's grasp... He /does/ shove back on it with sudden, violent force, trying to hit Grant with his own weapon!
COMBATSYS: Grant interrupts Random Weapon from Shenwoo with Random Weapon.
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Shenwoo 1/-----==/=======|=======\=======\1 Grant
The large hunk of concrete is dutifully shoved into Grant's face, smacking him backwards. But then he redoubles his force, and /drives/ the concrete into Shenwoo instead. It's obvious that Grant is multiple times stronger then Shenwoo for all his barbaric displays, and that's probably evident given the shattered rubble around the newfound Shenwoo lump before him. "You think you can overpower me?!" is laughed out, just as amused and just as lacking in malice. "You are an interesting man. A cut above the worthless crop on the street. Yet fighting with nothing but unchecked savagry is not a true style. You must control the demon within to channel it into your fists!"
Oh man, did anybody get the number of that truck? Shenwoo is knocked flat after that, and boy howdy did it hurt. Part of his brain says 'You know, I could really go for a rest here,' but the rest of his brain, the part that remembers the lessons he learned in his difficult childhood, knows that he can't. Can't lie down until you're dead, and if you lie down before then, somebody's liable to /make/ you dead. The pain, Shenwoo knows, is irrelevant. He's suffered a lot, been through plenty of pain in the past, been beaten and shot and stabbed and all manner of things... So rather than just lay there and feel sorry for himself, the self-styled 'God of Battle' sits right up, laughing. He's battered and bruised and a little bloody, but he's laughing. "This is fun," he says happily, getting to his feet and staggering a step, bringing a hand to his head. "But philosophy isn't really my style." It's wrong to consider Shenwoo's fury /unchecked/... He just seems a lot more slapdash than he really is. He gives his head a shake, dusting some of the pulverised concrete off of his black leather pants, and then grins right at Grant. "So then..." Shen suddenly isn't there, instead blurring as he rushes right at Grant, his left fist thrown forward once again, and this time he's surrounded in a shockwave of energy, like some kind of crazy human bullet. "EAT THIS!!"
COMBATSYS: Grant just-defends Shenwoo's Zetsu Gekiken!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|=======\=======\1 Grant
This is truly a spectacular assault. Grant crosses his arms in the split second just prior, and then literally thrusts his chest outwards. His chi explodes outwards at the same instant as the incredible impact of the fist meets it. The surrounding area warbles under the duress; The ground explodes into a line of cracks, and the fragments of stone and glass leap upwards a good meter. However, Grant literally did not move an inch. His stance is solid, arms clenched and body iron. Shenwoo's fist remains against his chest, warbles of deep purple chi flickering throughout the Martyr of Might.
"...There was nothing wrong with that strike." Grant comments idly, before snapping forward and unleashing a vicious strike towards Shenwoo's stomach. The intent is to double him over, and it migrates disturbingly low. Not enough to be an overt crotchshot, but he obviously didn't care. "However, we are on different tiers. For what it is worth, I think you might of survived the training regiments of my childhood..."
COMBATSYS: Grant successfully hits Shenwoo with Ankoku Hebi.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Grant
Damn, man. Shenwoo has seen something like that happen before... Just once. Only from that blond guy with the red eyes, Kain Whatsisface. ...Yeah, Shen is kinda bad with names. So?! "Heh," the lean fighter chuckles, and this time his speed doesn't help him... He can't get out of the way of Grant's attack in time, and instead he does get doubled over by the attack, and that stuff hurts, seriously! He staggers back, coughing once... And then he dashes forward, twisting to try and get inside of Grant's guard and loop an arm around the bigger man's neck to try and lever him over into a sort of piledriver. So far, he's noticed... Straight up hits don't work too well. "RAAAAGH!!" So apparently he's not planning to just lie down yet.
COMBATSYS: Grant parries Shenwoo's Strong Throw!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Grant
Once more the straight up attack doesn't seem to work much either. Grant smoothly steps to the side, and as Shenwoo attempts to grapple the newfound air Grant raises one forearm before dropping it rather hard towards Shenwoo's shoulder. A second blow is unleashed right for his ribs, before the Martyr of Might attempts to shove Shenwoo towards the wall with a flex of force. It seems that he's taken a step back; Almost as if having sport. That doesn't mean he's hitting any weaker, however. "Do you understand our difference now?" Grant asks, idly. "If you want me to end this, say it."
COMBATSYS: Grant successfully hits Shenwoo with Medium Punch EX.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Grant
Caught again, and then pain, pain. Shenwoo doesn't even try to avoid the blows this time, but the power is more than he expected, throwing off his balance. It hurts when he hits the wall, that's for sure... But he practically bounces off of it to go after Grant again, leaping to try and grab the other man by the head... And then smash his own against it as hard as he can. "I AIN'T DONE YET!!" He's getting pretty damn close, though.
COMBATSYS: Grant just-defends Shenwoo's Strong Punch!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Grant
Grant is grasped by the head, and then punched right across the fast. But Shenwoo is exausted, injured badly, and Grant is at his peak. He recovers a moment later, looking back towards Shenwoo with a peculiar countenance. As if he's somehow amused. "You truly are not giving up. Even if defeat is impossible, you will fight to the end. That is admirable." Grant then raises a knee towards Shenwoo's stomach, attempting to double him over with a solid strike. Right between the legs, at that. "Your hard life has made you stronger. I can see the spark within you. Interesting."
COMBATSYS: Grant successfully hits Shenwoo with Light Kick.
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Shenwoo 1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Grant
[OOC] Grant says, "With 3 trigger abilities it sure is."
Once again, Shenwoo's attack is pretty handily stymied by Grant, and the bigger man's counterattack is too quick and sure to be avoided. So, Shenwoo's pretty much done here, and he knows he's outclassed... But where's the fun in life if you don't fight people stronger than you are? Being kicked in the groin sucks, also, but Shen isn't about to complain about it. No such thing as 'fair' or 'unfair' in a fight. He's got enough for at least one last go, he can tell that much... Which is why he kicks off the ground to once again try for that frighteningly fast rushing punch, his lean form surrounded by a shockwave of force. But will he have better results this time?!
COMBATSYS: Grant endures Shenwoo's Zetsu Gekiken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Grant
This time the punch is significantly harder; Grant is struck and doubled over, his breath leaving in a long hiss of air. However, it seems that he's about to do something to end this. He spreads his stance, and begins to rumble with energy. His right foot arches behind, crackling with chi. There might be time for Shenwoo to get out of the way, if he backed off. But he won't, will he? The first upwards arc of vorpal chi erupts outwards, slashing a clean line upon the ground in the arc towards Shenwoo. "MAJIN---ENGETSU-RIN!" Grant's strongest technique!! How will Shenwoo fare---
COMBATSYS: Grant successfully hits Shenwoo with Majin Engetsu-Rin.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Shenwoo 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Grant
And the upwards strike impacts perfectly. Shenwoo is probably in absolutely no state to defend, anyway. The slash impacts Shenwoo right in the neck. And then another is done, across the chest. Again. Again. Each slash is capable of cutting down to bone, but Grant does not cease until he unleashes twelve of them. And then his shoulder flashes towards Shenwoo, ramming him into the wall. Up comes a chi-imbued kick, cracking into his stomach. A final punch right to Shenwoo's face, and then Grant /charges/, blasting Shenwoo through the wall of the building and into the interior of the coffeeshop with a final onslaught. "Hnnnngh!!" It looks like he wasn't lying about being able to outright finish it...
A smart man would stay down now. Even Shenwoo should stay down, right about now; his body has had nearly all it can handle, battered and bruised and bloodied by Grant's attacks, seared by the force of the other man's chi... Really, most people would be /dead/ by now. And for a moment, it seems like even the self-styled 'God of Battle' must be. At least, it does until a violent red light fills the coffee shop into which he was blasted, the floor beneath the berserker cracking and cratering... Before he hurtles out with the last of his strength and speed towards Grant, everything he's got left focused into one last onslaught of attacks with fists, feet, elbows, knees and even his head!
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo can no longer fight.
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Grant 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Grant fails to interrupt Bakuma Assault from Shenwoo with Majin Engetsu-Rin.
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Grant 0/-------/----===|
There was another attempt for the same breaking combination, a single flash of vorpal kick, but heathily enough for Shenwoo that does not take place. He's overcome by those blows, knocked backwards and into the wall, raising up his forearms finally. The final strike causes Grant to double over, stumbling a moment and then strengthening his stance. "Hnnngh..." He seems almost disappointed that he wasn't able to give Shenwoo that parting gift. "You have potential. This is not the last time we will meet..." Grant mulls, before turning and beginning to walk towards the dark alley that he originally wandered. Before Shenwoo decided to punch him in the back of the head, that is -- it probably won't happen this time.
Under other circumstances, Shenwoo might be thinking 'oh wow I can't believe that worked', but fully rational thought returns slowly to the berserker after he vented his rage on the bigger fighter. In fact, by the time Shenwoo is fully back to himself after he went all berserk in truth, Grant is... Pretty much gone! "Geh," he says, stumbling to his feet and lurching away, leaning heavily on whatever vertical surfaces he can find. He really, really shouldn't be walking, but the last thing he wants is to get caught in the aftermath of all /that/. "Ahh," he mutters to himself, grinning despite the pained cough that escapes him. "Now that was fun."
Log created by Shenwoo, and last modified on 15:07:53 02/18/2006.