Description: Alex shows just how mighty he is when fighting on his own turf in this charity event held at, of all places, a strip club! Will Hotaru's embarassment get the best of her?! Will Shinobu beat everyone!? The answers lay within!! (Winners: Alex and Hotaru)
This is probably No Place For A Lady. Thus the name of the fight. The Spearment is a popular joint in the slums. Tired working men, most of whom want to get drunk, come here, sooner or later. Alex has a bit of an advantage; he doesn't go to the club (sets a bad example for Patricia), but this is his hood, and everybody -- /everybody/ -- knows him. He's already here, enjoying a drink (of water) while he waits for the others to arrive. He's in the midsts of chatting with the patrons, sitting in a stool at his corner of the cordoned-off fight arena. Someone made a rude comment about Patricia -- a slender, dark-haired girl sitting in the audience with a big, gruff, older-looking man who seems to be made mostly out of mustache. They are still unconscious, and the incident seems to have set the stage for tonight. Everyone is on their best behavior. (Alex became aware that Shinobu and Hotaru were young girls, and told his neighbors that impolite comments would not be tolerated) but heckling will be unavoidable in the end.
Alex says, "'what the hell is going on there'"
Of course, a teacher at Seijyun might say "Shinobu's a nice girl, but she really needs to be more of a lady. This fighting thing is all well in good, but in her case, it's entirely out of hand." Well, nobody's going to prove them wrong today, but Shinobu is wearing her white summer dress and straw hat, so at least she's not dressing the part of the tomboy today.
Hopping off a bus as it stops nearby, she walks in with a big grin on her face. She's happy enough about the fight to ignore the surroundings... it's been awhile since she did a bit of SNF, after all. Walking in, she gets some odd looks as she moves towards the bar. "I wonder which guy it is...", she says to herself, wandering through the place as she peers from guy to guy. At least she'll recognize Hotaru when she shows.
A special match - the proceeds going to charity? That sounds right up Hotaru's ally and at first she was very much looking forward to the fight ahead. She had some trepidation about facing Shinobu in a match, as the fellow Seiyjun student had already once demonstrated that she could trounce her soundly. But try, try again goes the saying and Hotaru isn't going to back out of her chance at trying to make up for her dubious record in SNF fights. Besides, getting paired up with a couple of fighters that are a tier or so above her shows that in spite her shortcomings, she must still be deemed a fighter worth sticking into matches.
But then Hotaru gets delivered to the scene of the fight and her composure takes a bit of a beating. She's supposed to fight /where/? Who's funny idea was this? She fumes quietly, trying to clear her mind of the distraction this would be. By the time she steps out of the back rooms to come out front, she's at least managed to calm herself down, trying to put aside thoughts of the audience. After all, they're here to see her fight, right? She can do that!
Perhaps reacting strongly in the opposite direction, the young Kenpo artist and Kyokugen student has donned a Chinese-styled long coat that hangs down to her knees over her regular fighting attire. She would admit it's kind of silly, but the thought of the audience she's likely to have made her self-concious enough to cover up even more than her already normally conservative fighting attire.
She knows who her partner is. Alex has made quite the name for himself of late and she picks him out easily enough. Stopping next to the stool where he is waiting during the pre-fight minutes, Hotaru clasps her hands behind her back, "It is an honor to fight at your side, Alex. I've watched all of your recent matches. I'll do my best to keep up with you!"
The Spearmint Strip Club, a typically bustling location in the heart of Metro City's slums is no less populated today -- if not a little bit more quiet and reserved, relatively speaking. It's an odd thing, to not see hordes of men jeering and cheering loudly amidst a haze of smoke and the everpresent scent of alcohol overpowering the club. While the hollaring hasn't completetly halted, it is much more in check than usual -- and why? It might have something to do with Alex. It might also have something to do with the fact that god knows how many cameras have been set up in the club today, circling over a preset and cleared off area. The camera crew and the other tech support that join them are all adorned with a single, unmistakable badge: Saturday Night Fight crew. A charity fight at a strip club.
Will wonders never cease.
Still, as the fighters arrive, everything is relatively hushed. Clark has been here for some time now, waiting at the bar; he's decided to put back a few drinks before the fight itself, but with a constitution like his, it really doesn't impair him in the slightest. So, he sits at a bar stool now, leaning back against the counter as he waits for the last two to arrive; donned in his typical, unmistakable attire of hat and shades, and that distinct blue combat best, Clark watches as Shinobu arrives -- whom he figures to be his teammate. Especially considering that the next girl to come goes straight for Alex.
So, with a simple nod to himself, Clark pushes himself off his seat, slides hands into his pockets, and gives Shinobu a single nod as he approaches. "Clark Steel," He greets simply, offering an easy, nonchalant smile, "Shinobu, right? Do your best." Well.
5tThis should be interesting.
Alex hops off his stool and promptly hurls it into the crowd. The big, gruff-looking guy in the audience catches it. He is, coincidentally, Alex's old man. It's not often that his fights happen here, after all, and everybody is taking it seriously. Alex, especially, is taking the charity implications seriously. This is, after all, his neighborhood.
"S'up, kiddo," he says, to Hotaru. "Any of these yutzes give you a rough time--" He jerks a thumb at the audience. "I'll make sure they hear about it." Alex is dressed in fatigues and a grey muscle-shirt. "Anyways, I guess you know me. I don't know you, but I do now. Just give it your all, kid. Girl like you in a place like this and a fight like this--You've gotta have moxy. Make sure everybody knows it," he remarks, before taking a few steps forward into the ring. His eyes fall on Clark almost immediately. "Finally--" he says. "I've been waiting for this fight."
Looking over to Hotaru as she arrives, Shinobu blinks and then turns to Clark with an "Oh!" She puts a hand to her hat, and grins. "Don't worry about that!" She looks away to the other pair, and then swings her arms before stopping in realization. "Um... are you... oh, Clark, fight!", she says, trying to make an effort to remember the name.
Folding her hands behind her head, she looks to the other pair. "Ah, Hotaru's really fast... and she's good at dealing with glowy attacks." She looks over to Clark. "But I guess you're not that kinda fighter, huh?", she says with a grin. "I don't know anything about this other guy, though!"
The pig-tailed fighter watches Alex as he gets ready for the fight, leaning her head to the side thoughtfully. There's something about how his posture, his demeanor. This fight means a lot to him, she can tell. At his encouragement, she seems to perk up a little, nodding her head as she clenches her fist with determination. "I will," she states with confidence, glancing at the nearby men who seem to be keeping it down for the moment. Alex's threats seem to have tempered things to a degree.
She pauses a moment as if considering something while Alex steps into the ring. She can't fight to the best of her ability with this coat on - it would make her normally acrobatic style somewhat clumsy in comparison. With the confidence imbued by Alex's words, she lifts her hand and unstraps the buckles at her neck and torso and shrugs it off, the blue garmet falling to the floor at her feet. She's never felt weird fighting in her normal outfit before and there's no reason to start now.
The coat discarded, Hotaru steps into the ring as well, standing a few feet to the side and slightly behind Alex. She's willing to follow the lead of the more seasoned fighter. Exhaling, she turns her side toward the other side of the ring, one arm forward, ready for deflecting and striking.
Behind his shades, Clark arches a brow at Shinobu and her relatively ditzy behavior. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Clark pulls his hands from his pockets, "...Yeah, they both look like good fighters." And though his tone is good natured, it's about all that Clark really offers in terms of his thoughts. He's not one for words, after all; his thoughts on the situation remain to himself as he makes his way forward towards the ring.
Of course, he knows well enough about all the fighters, having seen them on SNF. Being an Ikari, it's his job to stay informed. As Alex approaches and hurls that stool, Clark looks to who catches it, and frowns a little -- thoughtfully. "... huh." He speaks quietly, rubbing the back of his head before he simply rolls his neck, and focuses back on Hotaru and Alex. "You have, eh?" The Ikari asks as he lifts his gloved hand, tugging that leather more securely over his fingers. "Then I hope I don't disappoint you." A pause. Clark looks back to Shinobu, and tilts his head.
"You ready?"
COMBATSYS: Clark has started a fight here on the right meter side.
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Clark
Alex holds out his arm to Hotaru, all the way -- and flashes a thumbs up. All it takes is a little bit of a push to make a talented fighter into a good one. Then, with one simple motion, as though he were prying a leaf from a tree, Alex grabs his shirt with both hands and tears it apart, throwing the scraps off to the side. There's a cheer from the crowd. This is, surely, his home-field. A moment later he ties up his hair with a headband he pulls from the back pocket of his fatigues. "I never got to fight my old man in his prime," Alex says, now, to Clark. "You're not some cookie-cutter--" Clark's style is, after all, his own, uniquely. "--And I haven't had a good fight for weeks. A parade of pretty boys and glory-hounds. So--Let's do this."
COMBATSYS: Alex has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Alex 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Clark
Shinobu nods to Clark, and then wanders towards the others. "Hi, Hotaru!", she calls out, waving broadly. She folds her ahnds behind herself patiently, looking between Alex and Hotaru before answering Clark. "Of course!" She lifts the brow of her hat, saluting her opponents with it.
Then, she loosens her hands, bringing them up slightly but not into a full fighting stance. Almost ready. "Sorry about last time, Hotaru! Push yourself harder this time, okay?", she says, holding up her fist in challenge. "I wanna see if you can beat me again!"
COMBATSYS: Shinobu has joined the fight here.
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Shinobu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Clark
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Shinobu has left the fight here.
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Alex 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Clark
COMBATSYS: Shinobu has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Alex 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shinobu
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Clark
The final seconds before this match gets underway. Hotaru feels her heart pounding, the adrenaline of another big time fight getting her excited. At Shinobu's words, Hotaru nods her head in the direction of the girl, managing a smile. Though pushing herself into the fellow student's attacks harder than last time doesn't sound appealing at all. "All right," she replies loudly back to the girl.
To Alex, however, Hotaru confides, "She's really strong... I might need some help." It's hard to admit that, but it's best to keep her teammate apprised of the truth. Anything less could jeopardize the match for the both of them. She breaths in deeply then exhales, doing her best to not focus on the audience lest she get distracted fretting about something less important than this.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shinobu
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Alex 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Clark
Well, it seems like everyone's just about read to get started. Clark prepares by simply doing some warm up stretches, adjusting his cap to pull it a little more securely over his head. He looks over the audience, the camera crew, and then his opponents, sizing the two of them up. As Alex speaks, Clark offers a calm smile, "Alright then. Let's get this thing started." Apparently -- Clark is ready. And as soon as he's sure that everyone else is?
He makes a dash, straight for Alex.
Rushing across the space between himself and the other man, Clark seeks to start this fight out simply enough; with a single, straightforward motion, Clark will seek to wrap his arms securely around Alex, getting him into a grapple. If it succeeds, he'll pull up, and then allow himself to drop /backwards/ -- intending to drive Alex's head into the ground with a simple, direct, but fairly /fast/, suplex.
COMBATSYS: Clark successfully hits Alex with Medium Throw.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Alex 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Clark
Alex tightens his headband, before nodding without looking to Hotaru. "Same with him--and maybe so will I. So I'm gonna need to count on you, kid," he says, his expression and demeanor taciturn and serious. "Just remember--Keep fighting. No skill and no secret techniques'll ever change the fact that the winner is the one who fights longer," Alex says, mere split-seconds before Clark collides with him and takes him into the ground. Alex hits the floor but seems almost unaffected as he tumbles back onto his feet, his expression still stark and serious.
"There we go--" he says, while still tumbling after the suplex. Once his boot finds purchase, he hurls himself at Clark, trying to drive his knee into the Ikari Warrior and drive him through the air and down into the dirt, picking up breakneck speed and momentum from his sheer mass.
It's hats versus hairs day, it seems. Shinobu pats herself on the head, and then looks over to the group of men, waving cheerfully. Then, she turns to Hotaru. "Get ready!", she exclaims, dashing forward towards her. But as she does so, she trips on the long skirt of her dress, falling forward..."
"Waaaaa!", she exclaims as she goes from falling to flying forward, with her head set to crash right into Hotaru's chest. She spins a bit as she flies, apparently having gotten rather good airtime out of her mistake. It certainly /looks/ accidental, but one might wonder if one were to watch the replay.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Hotaru with Monkey Mistake.
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Hotaru 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Alex 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Clark
She's ready all right, but she has no idea for /what/. Hotaru braces herself as Shinobu comes at her. She's been kicked and punched by the girl enough to know better than to underestimte both the speed and strength of her attacks. But she isn't ready to cope with the stumbling non-attack that ends up coming her way.
Lifting her arms to try and fend off Shinobu, she ends up getting knocked backward all the same, her feet sliding across the floor. Frowning, she brushes at the front of her vest, looking a little annoyed that she was struck by such a clumsy attack. She really should be used to it by now, it happens all the time against Joe too...
But small mistakes shouldn't stop her from retaliating. Ignoring the embarrassing failure to react correctly right off the bat, Hotaru sprints forward, attempting to grab hold of Shinobu by the arms. If she gets a tight enough grip, she'll dish out a series of kicks to her shin, knee, stomach, and chest before finishing with a roundhouse to the chin and releasing the other girl's arm to let her fall where she may.
COMBATSYS: Alex successfully hits Clark with Air Stampede.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Clark
Well see, Clark sees the attack coming. But seeing and being able to respond in time seem to be too entirely different things. Despite the fact that Clark attempts to mount a defense to Alex's assault, he's rather roughly kneed and then thrust /straight/ into the ground below, landing with an unpleasant smash into the ground. He skids once, bounces, and then rolls to a stop, exhaling gruffly and shaking his head. "... ow." See, now that hurt. But he doesn't really show it all too clearly. Beyond the narrowed eyes that his shades cover, he picks himself up normally, dusts himself off, and then... makes a dash for Alex.
Once again, Clark goes for a grapple. This time, though? He aims to grasp Alex by the shoulders, and then... just TOSS him straight up into the air. If it succeeds, Alex will go airborne, and Clark drops to one knee, intercepting the other large man back-first onto his powerful knee with an unpleasant cracking sound before he tosses Alex off and to the side. "HUP!"
COMBATSYS: Alex blocks Clark's Arabian Burglary Backbreaker.
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Hotaru 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Clark
Alex has a few seconds after he delivers Clark unto the dirt to lift up his eyes and check in on Hotaru's progress. This fight isn't just about winning, it's about a young fighter in a big venue. "Kid!" he yells. "It ain't about how much it hurts, it's about how fast you get back up--" And then the crowd hoots with amusement, because Alex is airborne. Very airborne. Apparently, Alex's friends are just as amused by his asskicking. They're getting charity either which way. However, Alex has other plans. Straightening out in mid-air, Alex starts to re-orient himself as he descends, turning himself from a valuable target to a dangerous cannonball--
And it's little surprise, then, that he tucks his arms together and alters his descent, seizing the opportunity to bring a harsh drop kick to Clark's glasses. Astute fighters might spot -- there's a similarity in their fighting styles. It's not the same, but it's almost as though they have a common ancestor, somewhere. Like second cousins, once removed. It's making for an interesting collision, physically and literally.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu blocks Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Clark
It hasn't been long since Hotaru's series of kicks rocked Shinobu like a hurricane, and so she's able to mount a partial defense, at least. The first two kicks land before Shinobu ducks down, yanking out of Hotaru's grasp and rolling back. "Ah, that was close!", she says as she comes back to her feet.
Then, she hops forward, letting her fist lead as she tries to smack into Hotaru - "Wa!", quickly following it up with a shoulder ram, not unlike that of her former Chinese teammate. "TAI!", she kiais loudly, trying to follow in after Hotaru should she happen to avoid the first attack. Though she was clumsy at first, she's refined a little, blending some actual martial arts in with her brawling.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Hotaru with Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Clark
Having Shinobu pull free from her attack causes Hotaru stumble forward a little, her arm trailing after the girl that's managed to escape the worst of it. This unfortunately leaves her an easy target for the incoming slam. Shinobu strikes her right in the face with her shoulder and Hotaru is sent reeling backward, arms flailing to try and salvage her balance in time to keep from dropping to the ground.
She manages to keep her footing, but just barely, looking like she's about ready to topple over. Lifting her hand, she dabs at her lip, feeling the cut there now. Yup, Shinobu still hits really hard. She needs to pick up her own speed to be able to keep up with that.
Probably hoping to buy herself a little bit of time, she rolls her arm back, a blue aura washing over her the skin of her forearm and hand as she charges a small sphere of force. When it's ready, she sends the shimmering blue projectile back at the girl. "Ya!"
COMBATSYS: Alex successfully hits Clark with Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Clark
Well that was unpleasant. Clark attempts to duck out of the way of Alex's dropping kick, intending a roll -- but it doesn't exactly go off as planned. Instead, his head twists, and he's hit in the side of the face, struck against the side of his shades. Strangely enough, they don't break; his face seems more damaged than those classic, untouchable sunglasses as he goes knocking backwards with an unfortunate amount of pain, growling out something before he lands in a heap. The sunglasses? They're made of baddudeium. Really. Unbreakable because of sheer cool.
Regardless, though, Clark is quickly back up and onto his feet, rolling his head and giving a stare at Alex. Slowly, Clark sheds his vest, sweat rolling down the front of his face. This kid hits hard -- with only two blows he's already hit Clark harder than a lot of people. So... Steel decides to test just how tough the man is. And how? Well...
... He makes a run. With a single leap, he sheds his vest completely, letting it drift to the ground as he lands RIGHT behind Alex. His intent is to simply GRASP the other man by his sides, nice and firmly, and heft him into the air. And if it succeeds...
COMBATSYS: Alex Toughs Out Clark's Ultra Argentine Backbreaker!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Alex 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Clark
Alex hits the ground on his feet, dropping into a crouch. He stands at about the same time that Clark does, wiping the sweat from his own brow, and staring at his opponent with sharp eyes. When Clark comes forth, Alex reaches forward to /meet/ his opponent's charge, trying his own strength against Clark's, going head to head with his foe and providing enough resistance to make Clark's recovery a difficult proposition despite his success.
And, despite Alex's resistance and his counter-charge, despite the initial trouble, Alex is summarily launched into the air with one mighty thrust, letting him fly airborne for a brief moment. Clark's legs tense, and in that very moment, when the other man is descending, he lands... straight on the top of Clark's skull, back-first. There is a crack, before Clark LAUNCHES the other man upwards again, straight through the air. From there, Alex will land unpleasantly on Clark's skull once more, introducing his spine into hard, thick bone before Clark grasps the man by leg and shoulder... and just DRIVES his back into his knee, before throwing him off and into the ground. "HUP!" Still -- the fact that Alex took all that and charged INTO it, probably does not bode well for Clark Steel.
Alex's back hits Clark's knee, and the would-be soldier rolls right off and lands. On his feet. Despite the brutal injury that must have been inflicted by such an assault, Alex stands right back up, his vitality apparently undiminished. Some would call this impossible. Some would call this madness. Alex doesn't call it anything, pressing his hands to the floor like a sprinter about to take off.
"Hey, kid!" he calls out, to Hotaru. "Hold tight for a little while longer--I've got big plans for you!" he adds, before surging into Clark, his elbow flashing golden with chi as he repeatedly flashes and strikes at his opponent -- a technique borrowed from the US Military and inserted into Alex's bastardized street-fighting, each blow intended to hammer into Clark and deliver him unto dizziness.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu dodges Hotaru's Hakki Shou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Clark
Shinobu yeeks, leaning of the way of Hotaru's attack, letting it travel into one of the tables behind, shattering. Flailing for a moment, Shinobu almost loses her balance, but then straightens back up. "Ah, it's been awhile since I saw that!", she exclaims, and then ducks, glancing over to Alex as she does so. After watching Alex for a moment, she mirrors his motion, running forward past him in almost an eerie mimicry of his movement. She moves faster, more aggressively than before... with less regard for her own safety.
At the end of the run, she pounces at Hotaru, looking to use her weight to slam the other girl to the floor and bounce away. She's shifted from sophisticated to football tackle, it seems, taking a hint from their older fighting partners.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Hotaru with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Clark
Lowering her arm, Hotaru winces a little as the blue aura fades from around her hand. She's feeling the burn from the effort it takes for her to chuck the little thing and seeing it fly right by Shinobu is a bit disheartening.
But she should spend less time worrying about that and more time worrying about the incoming tackle from the other girl. She tries to move to the side, but doesn't manage to pull it off, Shinobu knocking her to the ground as Hotaru was between steps.
She lands into a roll, coming back up on her feet, taking Alex's words to heart. He told her to hang in there a little longer, and she's going to do her best to try. Raising her arms to the ready position, it looks like she's going to bunker down for a second.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Alex 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Clark
COMBATSYS: Alex successfully hits Clark with Boomerang Raid.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Alex 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Clark
Ow. Alex takes Clark's assault like a man, and so Clark attempts to do the same -- but the other man is just too damn fast. He's struck over and over again by a series of hammering elbow blows, Clark is ultimately knocked straight into the air by the final assault, soaring unpleasantly through the air as blood flies from his mouth. Thankfully, the shades, the hat? They're all in tact. But Clark has never, ever, been beaten so quickly and so senselessly by another person who should, supposedly, be somewhere in his tier. But, does it bother him?
Not by much. And despite the fact that he may be out of this fight now, he's not completely out of it that he can't make one, final strike. He does the only thing he can; with his current strength as it is, all Clark can do is land, feet first, against a side of the wall, and then ROCKET himself at Alex. Normally, he's not in the habit of repeat performances. But, if at first it doesn't succeed -- try one last time before you're knocked out of a fight.
So, Clark lands, in a crouch, right in front of Alex. He seeks to grapple, to toss. Launch Alex STRAIGHT into the air, and perform another dual-backbreakers with his thick skull, impacting Alex once, and then twice, before bringing him down to his knee one more time and throw him to the side. And, regardless of success or failure... Clark falls on his ass immediately afterward, heaving a sigh. That... was slightly embarassing.
COMBATSYS: Clark can no longer fight.
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Hotaru 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Clark successfully hits Alex with Ultra Argentine Backbreaker.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/--=====|
"... wait, aren't you do--" Alex is surprised when Clark gets back up. He didn't expect that. It shouldn't be plausible. But Alex isn't the only tough customer. "--jeez!" he calls out, before getting aunched straight up, unable to mount a defense before Clark breaks his back rather soundly. Not literally, but--well, Alex rolls over at about the same time Clark does, and doesn't even so much as recover. Instead, he rolls over until he can sit, and sort of sits splayed out on the floor. He raises his hand to signal to the referee that he's still up and moving and in the fight.
"Hey, kid!" He cups his hands to his mouth, and calls out to Hotaru. "You've gotta be faster than her! Take your time! One punch that lands is worth a thousand ones that miss!" He waits, and watches, and turns to the fallen Clark. "Hey, you alright?"
In the audience, Tom, Alex's mentor, is gone, staring into a TV set off ring-side.
COMBATSYS: Alex gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/----===|
Shinobu glances over to Clark, looking shocked. "Ehhhhh?!", she exclaims, and then looks to Alex. "Man, you don't have time to be all... talky!", she declares, holding up her fist in challenge. Turning away from Hotaru, she bursts towards the street fighter.
Ducking a little as she runs, she slows a bit before stomping into a stop, and throws out a swift punch. It stops short for a split-second, as if it might be a feint at first. But then she completes the last inch of the punch, getting all of the power into a turn of her knuckles. Watching movies inspired her to do it - but it was Fei Long that helped her complete it.
Having got her breath back, Hotaru chances a glance toward the conclusion of the exchange of brutal, spine crushing attacks between Alex and Clark. She can't even imagine what those two men are putting through each other. The constitution to weather something like that and not leave this fight shattered for good is awe inspiring.
As Alex manages to get back up after Clark's sequence of attacks, Hotaru looks visibly impressed. That's some fighter! At his encouragement, she nods, her expression shifting to become more serious, her blue eyes locking back on Shinobu. The odds are against the sun-dress wearing girl now, but Hotaru also knows from experience that she's incredibly tough.
"Yosh. You can do it," she whispers to herself before leaning forward into a sprint after the other girl. She'll leap once near, attempting to jump onto Shinobu's back almost like a monkey, her hands over her shoulders, her feet into the small of her back. If she manages to get hold, she'll simply drop backwards, pulling the other student off her feet to send her flying over her shoulder.
"Hey!" Alex says, reaching up to catch Shinobu's punch and turn it aside with the palm of his hand. It's like hitting a brick wall, even if Alex's clearly felt the strength of the blow. "Kid--Don't think there's no chance in Hell I'm gonna team up on a girl like you, but I like my fights fair. He only partly gets up onto his haunches. "And, kid? If I were you, I'd keep my eyes on your opponent--"
"--She's about to kick your ass," he adds, shoving her fist and the rest of her back into the fight. Not unlike a doting lion throwing prey to the younger cubs; Alex is keeping out of this one that Hotaru might take her own go at it. "Hey. Hotaru--You want my help, just ask for it. But you don't need it. Get me?"
COMBATSYS: Alex blocks Shinobu's Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Alex drops his guard to recover.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Shinobu dodges Hotaru's Ten Ranku-Tou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/---====|
Shinobu backs off, raising her arms in a defensive gesture as she gives Alex a good glare. "Mr. Headband... you think I'm gonna let you sit here and get ready to kick my butt when we're done?", she says, pouting as she sways back, and then spins on her heel, ducking under Hotaru to burst towards Alex again, and grins as she gets closely, a mad glint in her eye as her hat flies off. "And this /is/ fair!"
Pulling her left fist back, she lashes out at Alex again, this time unleashing a full flurry on the guy. "Ya, ya-", she starts with a pair of punches, and then bursts into a blurred fan of strikes aimed at the older fighter. "Yayayayayaya!", she kiais rapidly, advancing as she attacks. Daring, at least, if not necessarily wise.
Flying right past Shinobu, Hotaru slides to a stop, spinning around on one foot to look back toward the other girl as she decides to press the attack on Alex all the same. Not that she can really blame her. Hotaru has proven to be even more ineffective at touching Shinobu than their last fight, as if the hat wearing girl picked up enough about her ability out of their last encounter to completely make her a non-issue now.
She grits her teeth, clenching her hands. She isn't quite angry, but frustrated would be safe to say. She can feel the people in the audience beginning to wonder if she has any idea what she's even doing if she can't even seem to attack the strong hitting girl she's paired up against.
Shaking her head, she tries to focus once again on the fight rather than thinking about other people's expectations. Sprinting forward as Shinobu goes after Alex again, Hotaru attempts to come up behind her and push her over her leg into a simple trip down to the ground. Maybe that will get her attention back on her!
COMBATSYS: Alex endures Shinobu's Rumble Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/-======|
"If that's how you wanna play it, kid?!" Alex springs to his feet in one movement. By the time Shinobu is on top of him and in a position to strike, Alex is literally loming over her. Her punches lash across his chest, but don't seem to hit him as hard as they perhaps could, and neither of these things prevent Alex from reaching out in the middle of her explosive assault to pick Shinobu up and toss her across the arena, towards Hotaru's oncoming attack. Last time, he gave her a light push. This time, it's... an impact.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu blocks Alex's Body Slam.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Shinobu with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/=======|
Sure, Shinobu gets snagged by Alex with a "Waa!", and gets thrown back, but somehow, she manages to get her feet underneath her with an audible *WHAM!", her sandals blowing out under the pressure of the throw. And then, Hotaru trips her back down, and Shinobu crashes down on her butt, wincing. "Atatata...", she says, clearly in pain as she rises on bare feet. However, she grins happily, apparently all too glad to be pressed on both sides. "This is more like it!"
Pouncing forward, she lands on her hands, pulling up in a handstand as she does an inverted spin kick at Alex, whipping both legs around as a mist starts to whirl and rise about her... whipping up her chi like a cyclone. It's a desperate act to try and force him down so she can turn back to Hotaru without having to worry about Alex breathing down her neck when she's done. Of course, after that last pair of blows, it might be surprising if she lasts that long at all...
Taking a couple steps back after having successfully knocked Shinobu over, Hotaru slips back into a ready stance. Now that she's had a chance to get her breath back and shake off the pain of the other girl's initial assault, she's feeling a lot more calm. As she gets ignored again, she frowns a little. She can guess at the logic Shinobu is using to pick her targets and on some level she feels bad to persist in double-teaming her.
But it's clear that if she was just focusing on Hotaru, Alex would've left her alone for a while. So in the end, the pig-tailed girl figures she's chosing to fight the battle this way, and all she can do is honor her wishes.
As Shinobu goes after Alex once more, Hotaru comes in behind her, at less than breakneck speed this time, due to the total mess that would result if she was to go flying right by Shinobu into Alex. Once in range, she slides to a stop before shooting her foot out into a quick, high snap kick, aiming for Shinobu's back. Hardly a strong blow, mostly something to try and get her attention again.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Alex with The 37th Chamber.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\\ <
Alex 1/-----==/=======|
As the attack lands, Shinobu carries Alex up in a vortex of kicks and flowing chi, up to the ceiling where she turns and /slugs/ him with an upside-down, midair haymaker as she launches him away... before crashing down herself on the ground on her own back, trying to spring up in time to defend!
"Nice--" Alex says, getting up from a hasty trip to the ground. It hurt. He's been hit harder, but that was rough. Still, Alex gets into a ready stance quickly enough, signaling to Hotaru with his hand. It's go time, by the looks of it -- because Alex launches forward, grabbing at Shinobu and repeatedly, mercilessly attempting to headbutt her in the face, grabbing her and repeatedly driving that noggin of his forward, leaving her ripe for the picking by the lioness cub.
COMBATSYS: Alex successfully hits Shinobu with Stungun Headbutt.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Shinobu dodges Hotaru's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/-------|
Shinobu tries to bump Alex's arms aside, but... well, she's not quite strong enough to manage it, and gets repeatedly headbutted. Only the well-known hardness of her head keeps her from going unconscious right then and there, and so she stumbles away. As she bobs back and forth, she turns and wobbles to the left, avoiding Hotaru's attack seemingly more by chance than skill.
Shimmying, Shinobu seems to regain some self-awareness, and then smacks her cheeks to focus. She looks over to Hotaru, and says, "Oh... ah, I'll get to you, I hope!", she says apolgetically, and then backs off, bouncing on her feet as she comes to a stop. Shadow boxing for a moment, she throws an uppercut, holding her fist in the air before yanking it down. There's a burst of unseen energy, and her skirt swirls with her gathering power.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu gathers her will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/-------|
By the time her foot actually strikes out, Hotaru's heart wasn't really in the attack anymore. Watching Shinobu pummel Alex up into the air and back down, the girl shakes her head, smiling grimly. She /told/ him Shinobu was tough, guess he's getting to find out about that right now the hard way.
And when he grabs hold of Shinobu and begins head butting her repeatedly, Shinobu demonstrates just how tough she is by managing to stay on her feet after something like that. As the other girl begins to draw upon her inner power again, Hotaru decides to not risk trying to let her get away with it for too long. Charging forward, she presses her attack by trying to grab hold of Shinobu's arm to gain the leverage she'll need to just sort've run right up the front of the girl and leap off her shoulders into a backflip.
By the time Hotaru makes a run at it, Alex is back up on his feet. He begins to steady himself and then takes off like a shot at her, his intentions clear: To drill his knee into her torso while he runs, shoving her backwards and giving her something harsh and brutal to deal with on top of Hotaru's own agenda. It's inelegant, but it's effective -- either as an attack, or as interference for Hotaru.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu blocks Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Shinobu
[ \\\\\\ <
Alex 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Shinobu counters Strong Kick from Alex with Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Shinobu
[ \\ <
Alex 0/-------/-----==|
Shinobu's flanked on both sides, and she's looking about ready to fall down - and as Hotaru comes to run up her, Shinobu manages to turn to the side in mid-grab. Catching some kicks. she breaks free just as Alex comes at her.
As the knee comes in, Shinobu slams a palm against it as hard as she can to divert it, immediately bringing her other fist around, smashing into the side of that very same knee with an inelegant, but very fast hook before the leg falls. Dirty, certainly, but effective. She whips around rapidly, looking in both directions quickly, like somebody watching a tennis match... and looks a bit dizzy, to boot.
Following through with her backflip, Hotaru comes back down into a landing, watching as Shinobu handles Alex pretty solidly. The girl's expression is neutral as she shakes her head slowly. If her fellow student was able to fend off their combined attacks, it doesn't seem promising to Hotaru now.
Still, she has to do her best. And also hope that her opponent is on her last legs. It's all she can do at this point. Breathing in, Hotaru sprints forward again, leaping at Shinobu from behind as she tries to hook her arm around the back of her neck and pull Shinobu down to the ground with her weight. Maybe she's figuring that if she just gets her down once, the other girl won't have the strength to get up again.
Alex gets punched for his efforts, and straight in the face. His head snaps hard to the side. "Ouch," he grunts, before coming back about to jab her in the shoulder, perhaps not realizing the depth of his injury and abuse--
COMBATSYS: Alex can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Shinobu
--Because he hits the ground on a knee a moment later, visibly dizzy. "... you take it from here, kiddo," he says, cleary surprised by Shinobu's ability; he had clearly underestimated her, to his detriment, and he drops a second later.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu dodges Hotaru's Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Shinobu
COMBATSYS: Alex successfully hits Shinobu with Jab Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Shinobu
Shinobu turns towards Hotaru, trying to backpedal away from her grasping fingers, and then is surprised as Alex manages to nail in the shoulder, and hard. She stumbles forward, gasping for breath at this point. She usually gauges herself, keeps from pressing herself too much - but taking Alex down took a lot out of her. After a moment, she gets a single breath - which may be all she needs.
Turning to Hotaru, she throws out her left fist in a "Ya, yayayayayayaa!", in her signature flurry of punches. But that's not all, as she readies her right fist in the middle of the barrage, and follows it up with another "Yayayayayayaya!", trying to throw Hotaru further off balance with a second flurry, and then, finally, goes all out with both punches, rushing at her with the last strength in her legs "YAYAAYAYAYA!", she shouts, finishing the last of her rapid-fire kiais before she falls to her knees, barely holding herself up with one hand.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Shinobu's Dragon Entry.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
Finding that Shinobu managed to avoid her attack again, Hotaru blinks, sliding to a stop. It seems Alex's punch landed pretty hard and that might be all there is left to this fight.
As Shinobu turns around to clobber her, Hotaru raises her arms and just weathers out the attack, taking each of the blows on her forearms, hissing at the pain she feels in spite not taking the full blows. Shinobu's final twin punch sends Hotaru reeling backward, her block broken through by the pressure the other girl kept on her.
But in the end, she stays standing, rubbing her arms worriedly as she looks over the other three fighters, making sure that no one is getting back up at this point. In truth, she feels a little sheepish at being the last one standing, with how ineffective she was at trying to actually connect with anything. But that's part of what a team is about, she supposes. Even if she wasn't much of a power hitter for this fight, at least she managed to keep Shinobu distracted long enough for Alex inflict the pain necessary to carry their team to victory. It's with a bow of respect that she gestures toward the other three fighters, the official announcements nothing more than a blur in her mind as she then goes over to collect her coat from the ringside and drape it over her shoulder.
She offers a wave to the audience before leaving. Given the local, they were all pretty decent actually. Must be Alex's influence in this neighborhood!
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has ended the fight here.
By the time Alex comes to, Hotaru is... long gone. So much for that. "I guess I won," he grunts, sitting himself upright and limping towards his end of the corner. He confers with Tom and Patricia for a few moments--before he looks back at Clark. There's more discussion, and then Alex hikes over, limping, to wherever Clark is. "Hey. You awake, pal?"
Shinobu collapses after her attack, crashing down before trying to stand up. "Ah, stupid body.", she says, trying to struggle back to her feet. It's the medics, though, that carry her off. Well, at least she didn't eat crow by getting a resounding defeat. She waves as she's carried off, almost bored at the routine of having others deal with her injuries. Not that she isn't grateful...
Despite just how hard Alex hit Clark, the blows themselves didn't do enough to knock Clark out -- not by a long-shot. He's just barely exhausted himself from the entire ordeal. Enough so that he has been sitting towards the back, watching the remainder of the fight. "... huh. That kid is kind of strange," He remarks of Shinobu, watching her effectively take Alex out of the fight and nearly do the same to Hotaru. Shaded eyes rotate over in the aftermath as the others depart -- save for one.
Looking upwards, Clark regards Alex with an arched brow, head tilting to the side. "Yep, pretty sure I'm awake. You're pretty damn tough. Alex, right?" He pauses, looking towards the crowds where Alex's old man is. "... I think I know your dad." Or at least -- know OF him.
"Yeah, it's Alex." Alex sits down near Clark, looking back at his old man. "You probably do." Tom probably occupies a number of old photographs with Heidern, even if he predates both of them. He's in his late fifties, now, but damned if he doesn't look like he could give Jesus a run for his money in a fight.
"You maybe didn't hear." He jerks his chin at Tom. "About an hour ago Shadaloo announced that they'd overthrown the Thai government. You know much about those guys?" Shadaloo, that is.
Probably, even if Clark came in after Alex's father was a part of the Ikari. Still, Clark hardly lingers on it, instead silently considering Alex's words. Stoic man though he may appear to be, it's not out of rudeness; Clark's just thinking. Shadaloo. Does he know much about Shadaloo?
"Not as much as I wish I did," Odds are, there's a report waiting for him about all of this. Probably will get it when he gets back to where he's staying -- hell, they probably left Clark a message on his phone. Still, brows furrow in thought as Clark's arms fold over his lap, head twisting to consider the other man, "One of the largest criminal factions in the world. They clash a lot with the Syndicate. As far as I know, they're led by a man named 'Vega.'" And by all accounts, 'Vega' is a scary individual. "They're good at being secretive, though. Damn good."
"Yeah. They're rough customers," Alex says, before holding up a piece of paper with a phone number on it. "If I had my way, I'd just fight all day and take care of my family. But there's a guy I know who wouldn't just stand around while something like that was going on, so--I'm not gonna, either. Not for this, anyways," he says. "You're the only guy -- or guys, I guess -- I know fr this. Anyways, yu hiring?"
Taking a look at the paper, Clark takes into consideration the phone number, nodding once. Commiting it to memory, he folds up the paper and then lifts back up onto his feet with only a grunt of effort, his right hand meeting his pantspocket. "I'm sure we could make some room." He says with a smile, rubbing the back of my head. "We'll get in contact with you within twenty four hours. I have to contact base and discuss all of this Shadaloo business with the others." Specifically Ralf. With Heidern gone, he's become something of their makeshift commanding officer. "We'll need all the help we can get. Trust me; we'll be in contact soon."
But, with this news, Clark knows he has things to do -- a lot of things. So, offering a nod to Alex, Clark adjusts his cap, swoops down to pick up his vest... and will make his way out. Time to get back to base and get started for some smackdown.
"Good," Alex says, climbing to his feet with a little bit of a limp. He's still hurt reasonably bad. "We'll talk. I wouldn't have done this if you didn't turn out to be a damn fine fighter." Something about Alex's tone suggests that he equates good fighters with good men, and that a "good fighter" isn't just a skilled one, to Alex. "You take care. Thanks for helping bring some money into this place. It needs it."
Log created on 16:57:31 06/02/2007 by Clark, and last modified on 19:36:22 06/07/2007.