Description: Long ago, Rolento Schugerg captured Seth's partner and tortured her for information. After the assassination Heidern, Seth finally gets the green light for an operation he's been planning for a very, very long time. An epic battle.
No explosion announces the presence of the intruder. One moment it's just any other routine patrol day through the dingy interiors of an abandoned oil rig. The next...boots on metal can be heard on all decks along with the shouts of soldiers, sounding the alert of an assault on the facility. Troop after troop files into a lone corridor, never to emerge again. Word slowly begins to creep back through the reinforcements - a man occupies an unflankable corridor, dispatching any who dare challenge him with ruthless ease. The only thing that can be done is force him further back as the unconscious bodies begin to fill the floor, but...at this rate, the facility might just run out of troopers.
The stranger never answers any demands made by the soldiers just out of eyeshot, his only answers coming in the form of mangled bodies as more chance assaulting h is strategic point of defense.
It's almost as if a challenge were being silently issued.
Aggravating indeed; Rolento had only commissioned this simple defunct oil refinery a month ago, and before it might be operational it has come under assault. The repercussions from his assassination of Heidern appear to be more heavy then anticipated, although nothing important -- including this hunk of iron -- has been compromised. Whether Seth knew that Rolento himself would be here or not is questionable, but the USPL activity is definitely well verified by this point. Assuming such to be a detachment of a team, when there's no reports of numbers and only startled cries, or 'lone infiltrator', it's somewhat more ominous. As such the lean figure begins his descent as well, own steel-bottomed feet clanking heavily across the walkway. Quite suddenly the stream of gumbies end, with such abrupt silence that it seems to heighten the rhythmetic and perfectly timed gait. There is a sound of whispering uniform, as all men stand in salute unseen.
And then Rolento Schugerg rounds the corner, his baton held beneath an armpit and scarred visage narrowed opposite. He is immediately scanning the area the cornered opposition dwells, even if such has thus far been useless in apprehending him. It seems that Seth has indeed drawn out the biggest fish in the entire sea. Good fortune or bad? One can guess.
"Reveal yourself immediately." is all that is demanded, heavy tone echoing deep in the metal entrails of the facility.
Far be it from the intruder to cowering in a corner. Rolento's toe nearly brushes the torso of one of the numerous fallen at his feet, and his lone eye reveals the source of the clutter: a well-dressed black man in suspenders stands several feet away, arms raised above his head and clutching the struggling body of his lastest victim, poised to hurl the man at any who would turn the corner and give him challenge. The man's arms indeed tense as if he were a second away from launching the projectile, only for them to hesitate as he identifies the visage of the USPL commander.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were in, Schugerg. Welcome." The body of the soldier is lowered, the victim lurching into sudden activity at a perceived opportunity, only to be mercilessly slammed into the wall beside him. He doesn't move again. "It's been awhile."
The mohawked man smiles grimly, angry eyes taking in the sight of the man who tortured his partner. "I'm here for both business and personal reasons, as you can imagine. I was ordered not to intervene after we recovered Vanessa, but after you assassinated Heidern, I had the fortune of being transferred to your case directly. Lucky you."
The recognition is mutual. This is only the second time they have met, but given the first meeting's connection with Vanessa there's no surprise in the slightest to see the large figure opposite. A cursory glance is given to the myriad fallen soldiers in the cramped area, but no mercy or compassion flickers across his face. "Seth." is mused, tone even and strict. "Confirmation you are affiliated with Ikari. How is the inept soldier Vanessa faring?" Slowly he reaches behind his harness, gripping the base of his baton and drawing it out. With a flourish it's spun before smacking into an open palm, cracking like a whip on the coarse leather. "Your organization's sustained interference has reached unacceptable levels. Vanessa lacked information I desired; But this is an opportunity I cannot pass up." This area is far too narrow. Fighting here would give Seth a tactical advantage. Explosives and evasion are more difficult, and he is a melee fighter who relies on close range. Conducive to such, Rolento yanks out a detonator, and flicks open the top. "We shall engage on my terms, unless you wish to drown with this facility. Asking for your surrender is meaningless... If you are a true man, you would sooner die then lay yourself before me. ...Yet my chance of escape is significantly greater then yours were I to destroy the struts on this building. I do not recommend forcing my hand."
It's not as if Seth wishes to die. Another man might have been cowed by this threat. Allowing himself to be drawn out of his defensive position, to change the terms engagement to ones that favor his adversar, to have the support of his troops as well as that of the helicopter. The fact that the facility itself is rigged with explosives was no surprise either. Were not one familiar with the history of Rolento, they needed to only observe the preparation that went into the assassination of Heidern. No, Seth knows far too well that the alternative being proposed to him is just as dangerous as refusing.
"A swim doesn't sound too bad, actually."
Those words spoken, the unconscious soldier is suddenly hurled forcefully at Rolento, the clang of feet against the corridor's floor echoing down the corridor as the large man comes charging after it. He does not expect to get to the charger before it is set off, but that won't prevent him from trying, or accepting the consequences of failure. It just makes the course of the battleground that much more unpredictable for the both of them, as opposed to explicitly favoring his opponent.
COMBATSYS: Seth has started a fight here.
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Seth 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rolento has joined the fight here.
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Seth 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rolento
COMBATSYS: Rolento dodges Seth's Large Thrown Object.
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Seth 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rolento
Ah. Seth is an admirable opponent. Rolento doesn't appear to have any surprise; A man without fear is more dangerous then any other. After all, he would either risk his life, or risk both men's lives. This facility is already defunct. Merely knowing it exists means it no longer has tactical relevance. But is Rolento truly twisted enough to potentially throw his life away, and that of all his injured and surviving men, merely for a heightened chance at killing Seth?
Beep.
Far below, there's the terrible shudder as the supports detonate. Four, one after another. The men in the hallway behind cry out in surprise, and begin to immediately retreat for the surface. As the man comes towards him, Rolento just snaps out his baton and catches the incoming soldier, smacking him aside with a sound of shattering ribs, to limply slump. The entire building shifts sideways, but Rolento slides smoothly. Lights begin to detonate as power starts wavering. Is Seth as adept in this manner of combat? Questionable.
Advancing with a loud snarl, Rolento lunges out the final distance, whirling his baton and unleashing a vicious overhead kick, trying to bring it down upon Seth's collar and stagger him downwards. "SO BE IT!" is snarled out, with more then a few nuances of shaky sanity beneath the firm conviction.
COMBATSYS: Seth endures Rolento's Mekong Delta.
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Seth 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Rolento
No widening of eyes, no grunt of surprise. The agent would have truly been coming into this naked if he wasn't prepared for Rolento's questionably sane (yet unmistakably brilliant) tactics. Once the supports are taken out, Seth springs to the side of the corridor with firmer footing and stands his ground. It would have been more convenient if the slant of the facility had been in his favor, but so be it. As Rolento comes barreling towards him, his arms spread in preparation to receive the attack, but he does not attempt to snatch the former Beret out of the air. The positioning was clearly wrong for that, the fact that his adversary was taking advantage of that not escaping his attention. No. Instead he grabs the wall and leans back, allowing the kick to connect with his shoulder while trapping his adversary between himself and the slanted floor. His hand immediately shoots out to try and grab the other man by the collar, and if successful, slam his back to the tilted floor and hold him there while delivering several unhurried (yet vicious) punches to the face.
COMBATSYS: Rolento blocks Seth's Combo Throw.
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Seth 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Rolento
The snap out to grasp him is realized immediately, and Rolento goes slack as he hits the side of the wall, absorbing the force rather smoothly and quickly interposing his baton before the barrage of punches. They are met with a series of grunts, each severely bending the worn out weapon. He's in an inferior position now, which is exactly why he wanted to get himself into more tactically sound ground. But he allows something of a smirk. "You are vulnerable." is all he comments, before snapping out the weapon, attempting to catch Seth in the throat. Both feet then lift, trying to plant upon his chest and with a heavy grunt heave him down the hallway, just as the entire oil rig again shifts, suddenly slanting away; In the direction that Seth would be flying, which might both add to his tumble and make it harder to get back to Rolento, who braces a heel upon a door's corner. More lights detonate, and for a few seconds there is nothing but blackness. "In a minute, the power will be out. ...I can get out of this facility in the dark. Can you? Have you memorized the plans to that degree? Can you retrace your steps in this disorientation?! You underestimate me! My strength is not in my fists! It is my intelligence! IT IS MY BRILLIANCE!!" This is said as many limp bodies slide down, careening through the newfound slope with thunks and thuds, potentially annoying but not dangerous.
COMBATSYS: Seth fails to counter Medium Throw from Rolento with Doh-Kuzushi.
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Seth 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Rolento
The blow to the neck is met with a strangled grunt. Strong hands reach out even as feet connect with his chest, seeking, and would grab Rolento by the shoulders and bear him down the corridor with him. Fingernails bite deeply into the man's shirt as he's pushed away, but fail to find enough purchase to keep him from tumbling painfully down the corridor, his frame impacting what was once a wall and a wall and a door, before he finally grabs onto a light fixture and uses it to swing into the safety of a neighboring corridor.
Far above, the self-possessed ranting of Schugerg echoing from above...and punctuated by the bodies of the USPL soldiers as they go tumbling downward. Soldiers who would not have met their end this day, had Rolento not chosen that the advantage was worth the sacrificed. Brilliant, indeed. Brilliant and flawed, but brilliant all the same. At this point Seth would surely have the disadvantage if he were to attempt to climb back up that corridor, harried by attacks from above the entire way. He has no intention of doing so.
Glancing around, Seth paces over to a sturdy looking pipe and wraps his arms around it tightly. One wrist is raised to chin-level, after which he simply grips tightly to it for dear life. "The Siren sings one refrain."
Without warning, the structure rocks as the artillery shell of a distant cruiser impacts the facility, blasting a hole through the top of the corridor. It by no means comes close to hitting Rolento - they have no means of knowing exactly where he is, or hitting with that sort of precision - but it should have the desired effect of sending him tumbling down after the agent.
Expendable, indeed. And such confirms that Seth had more resources at his disposal then anticipated. The vicious impact upon the already precarious structure is met with a vicious jarring, and Rolento does indeed slip and fall. But flipping forward, he rebounds off the wall smoothly and lands upon the adjacent hallway, only a few meters away from Seth. Unexpected!! At this range he's unable to use his ordinance, forcing him to instead capitalize on less then normal tactics. "Hnngh!" His baton flashes through the air with rather impressive force, aiming to impact Seth across the face and send him staggering, and a vicious sidekick will hopefully send him to the ground. Another heavy grating can be heard, and the sound of heavy wires snapping. The lights are all abruptly gone, casting the world into darkness beyond what filters in through the artillery hole. His men can be heard demanding orders and screaming upon his radio, which is flicked off callously with a thumb. "...Do you know now the extent of my war, Seth? Winning by any means necessary. It was my willingness to take any steps for victory that got be dishonorably discharged. I did what had to be done!!"
COMBATSYS: Seth counters Fierce Strike from Rolento with Ashi-Tori.
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Seth 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Rolento
Seth barely has enough time to unwrap himself from the cyllinder's tender embrace when Rolento swiftly arrives from the scene. He was hoping to put the advantage back in his favor, but evening out the playing field is adequate as well. The swift advance of his adversary is met with cautiously, the agent ducking under the baton swing by dropping to one knee. "...You also created as many problems as you solved in doing so. Balance in all things.", is the agents terse reply as the kick sails towards his head. The last sentance proves to be subtley poetic, punctuated with a decisive sweep of his forearm that smashes the other leg aside and destroys the man's balance. At that point the hand that he extends forward is merely extra insurance to see that the one-eyed maniac is firmly slammed into the ground. He's quick to rise, arms sliding into a ready position once more.
The simple deflection and subsequent grounding causes the air to leave Rolento's lungs rather violently, and he impacts the ground like a sack of bricks thereafter, somewhat slow to extricate himself. But he still seems almost savagely intrigued as opposed to anything else, wiping a stream of blood from his lips even as he pears from the cloak of shadows around him. Now the momentum, although a snail's pace, has not stopped. They are beginning to fall towards the ocean as the weakened supports and assisted shell begin the irrevocable destruction of the oil rig. Thankfully he had a sizeable insurance policy on it! Shifting forward, Rolento then suddenly snakes out his baton and attempts to slam it into Seth's stomach, before flexing forward... What he intends to do is slap on a string of grenades, and then forcedly /launch/ Seth right out the hole the artillery made, and there would be an audible *POING* were it to work. Beyond the darkness of these halls, he'd likely regain the advantage with superior mobility and footwork... And the potential to just kick his opponent into the ocean, as well! "Forethought upon forethought is what makes this battle even! Yet who's planning wins in the end is what we shall find out!"
COMBATSYS: Seth counters Fatality Package from Rolento with Doh-Tori-Shichimonsatsu.
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Seth 0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1 Rolento
The words are met with sinister smile, but otherwise silence. The standoff is broken by his adversary - Seth sidesteps the baton and claps his hands to either side of Schugerg, using his weight advantage to wrench the man off his feet and plant him firmly on the now-floor. Unceremoneously dropping his weight on the man, pinning him to the ground with a straddle, the hot breath of an angry black man is felt on the commando's face...followed shortly by a punch.
The metal underneath Rolento's head bent with it.
Another six punches follow, each just as forceful as the last, the surface under his hated adversary's skull a battered crater when his arm is finally numb, after which he clasps his hands to both sides of the man's head and chucks him out the opening with a Judo throw.
Rising to his feet and inhaling deeply, Seth turns to regard the corridor behind him, filling with water at last. The throw was no accident - like it or not, Seth must continue this engagement outdoors if he's to maintain the advantage. In the water, Rolento's slippery nature would doubtless come into play. His goal is accomplished however - he maintained his ground to maximum effect, and eked out what advantage he could.
Steeling himself for sudden assault, the agent walks toward the opening and bounds out, hands in his pockets as descends to land lightly on the surface of the sinking superstructure. His head turns from side to side, cautiously scanning the surroundings for his adversary.
The savage reciprocation is met with a hiss of pain from Rolento, each blow hammering into his frame. He's disturbingly durable for a man of his build by all means, although sheer numbers behind that titanic onslaught mean very little in the end. Hurtling out like a ragdoll, he still manages to twist around and catch himself, quickly sliding down the edge before hitting one of the railings. The ocean has already begun to consume a corner of the oil rig, and a few of Rolento's helicopters can be seen flitting overhead. Almost disbelieving, the torrent of blood coming down the elder man's face is felt, few hacking coughs done as well. "...Inconcievable!" is snarled, before he suddenly somersaults straight upwards, reaching into his harness at the apex. "ABSOLUTELY INCONCIEVABLE!!" And then he suddenly unleashes a veritable shower of grenades, all of which descend with pins spiraling away. They would explode one after another, attempting to catch Seth in a chain reaction that would send him flying towards a catwalk nearby, or hopefully into the blue maw of the tremulous and frothing sea. "You will not succeed in this suicidal mission!! NEGATIVE!"
COMBATSYS: Seth blocks Rolento's Mine Sweeper.
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Seth 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Rolento
Ah, grenades. Not unexpected. Noting the trajectory of the oncoming projectiles, the man dives forward in a roll, tightly compacting his body so as to minimize surface exposure to the nearby explosions.
When Seth rises to his feet once more, he's...surprisingly unscathed for the encounter, doubtless doing little to abate Rolento's frustration.
That's when a small piece of fabric falls to the ground. It's met with a very, very serious scowl by the agent. "I lose more ties that way." Cracking his knuckles, the man begins slowly advancing towards Rolento once more, eyes studying him carefully. One must be careful when dealing with *any* individual who is backed into a corner, but this is not just any individual he's dealing with.
As he draws closer, he swings one foot at the man's knee, seeking to hinder some of that famed mobility.
COMBATSYS: Rolento parries Seth's Light Kick!
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Seth 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Rolento
Oh, there's no look of being unhappy upon Rolento's features. Not in the slightest. Actually there's a disturbing satisfaction as the other man endures the assault and loses a tie, reaching up to his harness and yanking off yet another piece of ordinance. As he flashes forward and sweeps out a kick, the disorientation seems to have worked to his disadvantage. One foot raises, catching it before using Seth's own rather immense physique to vault off, launching himself high into the air. And in the same instant hurling another grenade, which shoots down with incredible speed and attempts to impact the man in the chest, aiming to detonate with enough force to warp and shred armored steel. It would seem he just threw himself into the ocean before he catches a line from one of his helicopters overhead; Dangling from it a few meters away from Seth, and by no means easily accessible now from his rapidly heightening position. He looks intent on turning a forseen disadvantage into an advantage... For while Seth will sink like a stone, Rolento now won't!
COMBATSYS: Seth interrupts Grenadier EX from Rolento with Quick Punch.
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Seth 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Rolento
Seth will sink, and Rolento won't? So it would seem. So it would seem. The man looks surprisingly contemplative as takes one quick step forward and crouches. The grenade detonates behind him, tearing cruelly into his back, but at a cost.
The cost of the assault is that Seth uses the force of the explosion behind him to vault into the air and catch onto the line as well, but not before delivering Rolento an off-center punch to the face for his troubles.
"Hello again."
That was on the bottom of potential outcomes. Rolento is slugged directly in the face before he can manage to defend himself, almost losing hold of the line. The helicopter veers somewhat wildly, before Rolento suddenly sheathes his baton, and snaps out his hand. A gleam of silver can be seen, as his leg shoots out and tries to nail Seth in the face. Such would be accompanied by the wire noosing around his neck, hopefully sending him to a sudden descent from the helicopter. "Ready?" is all that would be mulled out, in suitable ominous fashion...
COMBATSYS: Seth fails to counter Take No Prisoner from Rolento with Doh-Kuzushi.
- Power fail! -
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Seth 1/-----==/=======|=------\-------\0 Rolento
And although Seth might of tried something, it's insufficient beneath that steel boot to the face, and he goes falling. A hook descends from the bottom of the helicopter, and he has just enough time to notch it over before the slack of the falling Ikari affiliate wrenches out. "GO!" is snarled, as Seth would find himself hanging rather helplessly, two meters past the base of the line. The helicopter continues to ascend, as the burbling remains of the offshore oil rig quickly descend. Were he to fall, it'd be into all but open sea, and after a few hundred feet to boot. Unable to hold Seth long, Rolento snaps the wire, hopefully causing him to fall to his death... That would be his preferred end to this engagement, at the very least.
Seth reaps the reward of allowing Rolento to come anywhere near a helicopter! Try as he might to get his hands on the man so that he can chuck him off the helicopter, Rolento gets the best of him in this exchange. Kicked off of the line with the infamous wire around his neck, the velocity of the fall under normal circumstances just would have taken a person's head off and that would have been that. Would have, if the man hadn't wedged a hand under the wire just as he fell, the edge cutting through the black glove and drawing blood as he reaches the end of its slack. A strangled, blood-curdling scream is heard - not that of a pitiful man terrified of dying, but an adrenaline-drunk force of primal nature struggling for its life. Even as his vision begins to blacken with the deprivation of oxygen, he fights on. One hand strangling his own throat to save himself, the other...grabbing ahold of the wire and *hauling*. When Rolento doesn't fall, he hauls AGAIN, and AGAIN, each time drawing himself further up the wire, both hands bleeding freely from the exertion and dying his sleeves red. But onward he goes, until he finally catches ahold of the helicopter line - just in time for Rolento to cut his anchor. The pressure off his neck at last, the contractor savagely rips the material off of his head and begins climbing the rope once more, bloodshot eyes staring up at his prey with unrestrained HATE.
One thing is reflected in each other's eyes at this point; a desire to kill the other, finally and decisively.
But Rolento seems to have no intention of allowing that murder. There's a sinister expression, as he dangles some distance above. One hand, weak and fumbling, grips a grenade and yanks it off. The pin flutters downwards. "...Victory is mine!" is stated, before he merely drops it casually. It pinwheels a couple times, before detonating in a wash of flame and shrapnel within a couple meters of Seth most likely, attempting to resolutely knock him off the line. A few pieces embed within the base of the helicopter, and it sends the rope wildly shaking to such an extent Rolento has to redouble his effort to cling, but it should mark the end of this battle!
COMBATSYS: Seth interrupts Grenadier from Rolento with Irimi-Nadazuki.
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Rolento 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Seth can no longer fight.
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Rolento 0/-------/--=====|
A fiery explosion of shrapnel goes off, and once again, that should have been the conclusion. But before the smoke can clear, a single arm rockets upward from its dusky depths, its sleeve torn to rags but intact and still connected to a heart pumping with venomous malice. There is a single wrench, and down the commando goes. But not alone. Rolento is met in midair by Seth, and at this proximity, in this sort of situation, the USPL Commander is at his mercy. And right now, he is in the least merciful mood he has been in a long time.
In freefall, Seth catches ahold of Rolento's other leg and uses the leverage to force the other man to face downward and away. Only then does he finally wrench those legs apart. With no hesitation, Seth begins to drive his foot REPEATEDLY into the groin of the other man, savagely grinding his heel into Rolento's testicles with EVERY OUNCE OF HATE IN HIS BEING. One. TWO. *THREE*. **FOUR*. ***/FIVE/***
The two finally splash down into the ocean...
And it will be a long time before anyone knows if they survived.
COMBATSYS: Rolento takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Rolento can no longer fight.
Log created on 15:18:13 05/25/2007 by Seth, and last modified on 20:15:51 05/25/2007.