Description: Hotaru's Great Plan on going to Thailand in search of a friend or to offer help ends up off to a dubious start as a pair of powerful tanks wait on the shore to greet the landing party. With a tank getting Judo thrown while Hotaru and Frei creating the biggest chibomb ever, Shadaloo might want to rethink their border policy! In the end, our young heroine starts off her first afternoon in Thailand unconscious.
You know what's the greatest victim of Vega's takeover of Thailand?
Tourism.
That's right. The tourist dollar is very important to Thailand. It's a country with many resorts and historical destinations, after all. A nation that spends a great deal on the hospitality industry, all the better to attract foreign visitors - from other parts of Asia, from Europe, from America, from all over. Visitors with /money/.
Of course, when a madman takes over the country... well, that's the sort of thing that kinda /discourages/ tourism, you know? Especially when the borders are sealed, when armed soldiers patrol the jungles, when the only planes landing at airports are Shadaloo-sanctioned flights - policed by the almighty anti-air missile.
But that doesn't mean folks -aren't- coming in to Thailand. They're just not the touristy kind. No. It's another sort of visitor that's coming over these days. The heroic kind, aiming to fight evil, right wrongs, or just settle grudges with a man and a big mighty chin.
That, though, doesn't solve the basic problem of getting /into/ a country, a country that Vega's turned into his own private fortress. It's impossible to just get a passenger flight into Thailand. Going over the land borders from Malaysia and Laos is tricky, with the heavy Shadaloo military presence in the jungle. The Myanmar government isn't letting /anyone/ through - and the ruling junta there is arguably as bad as Shadaloo anyway...
...so what's an action hero to do?
Well. There's always the sea. Thailand's got an awful lot of coastline. A lot of those port towns are pretty deserted these days, anyway, owing to the lack of tourists - most vacationgoers are staying away, or have already fled the country.
And there's always some ferryman willing to make a quick buck.
Hence the setting, today. The sleepy port town of Krabi on the east side of Phuket Bay. Not exactly a bustling metropolis - no, it's only claim to fame is being close to a James Bond location shoot. Once. A rather sad fact they keep mentioning in really cheap tourist fliers. No tourists today, though. Just a hot and humid atmosphere, over a quiet, deserted harbour. No vendors selling their wares. No taxi drivers on the waterfront. Nothing.
It's almost too quiet.
The perfect place for an enterprising ferryman to drop off his cargo of dangerous heroic fighters.
Right?
It was inevitable. First the news of the war breaking out. Then there were the two mystery assailants at the Kyokugen Dojo - the only clue provided was that they had /something/ to do with Thailand. Then there was news about Sakura having gone missing in Thailand, a girl Hotaru has always looked up to as an example of someone with real fighting spirit. Then finally the revelation from a typically annoying NESTs agent that the entire band of degenerates that work for Elle seem to be in Thailand as well and the thought that perhaps her own experience with them in the past might be of use to anyone trying to actually combat the Shadaloo menace.
When Hotaru finally laid it all on the table and explained everything she knew to Ryo, it didn't seem to take much to convince the Kyokugen master to come to Thailand with her. The student somewhat suspected he just wanted to slam some more doors over bratty Shadaloo minions. By herself, Hotaru figured she might be able to help out in small ways, hopefully aiding in the search for the missing Ksaugano girl or something. But with Ryo at her side? Maybe they can make a big difference!
Fortunately, the girl had already done all the work of making it possible to get here. Having asked around, made phone calls, leveraged some connections within the Futaba estate, and pulled money out of her winnings from her recent streak of successes in the fighting circuit, she had mapped out the perfect route to get her and Ryo into Thailand. Bribing the ferryman to make the final connection to the shore of Thailand took a fair amount of financial persuasion, but in the end it looks like the Kyokugen Master and his student are about to make it to land. Not that they're necessarily the only two passangers aboard. Once he was convinced to make the trip, it wasn't difficult to convince him to fit a few more people onto the boat...
After making his contact with Rose in Southtown he ended up finding out about this particular boat heading to Thailand. He didn't find out about who would be traveling with him. It was only by luck that he ended up being on the same boat as Hotaru. And so he's standing next to her with a trio of makeshift soccer balls made of balls of rags wrapped in twine.
Whatever she's doing, Roberto is there saying, "I'm sorry about what happened during that SNF we had together." He knew he was in the wrong for using her as like a soccer ball especially since that same week she jumped in to help him when he was outnumbered. Sure her intentions weren't exactly altruistic when she got involved but he wasn't given a reason to view them as anything else.
Cross, comparatively, just found the first boat into Thailand from Japan--practically the only one, given the current political climate--and stowed away. There wasn't any way she could use agency resources getting in, anyway, since she's not on official business. More than that, she's basically on the opposite of official business, since the company line is to keep clear of the mess in the country for the moment.
And yet, there she is, sprawled out on top of a shipping container. Laying on her side with one elbow propping up her head, watching the rest of the passengers mill about on deck. Despite herself, she's managed to make the entire trip thus far without starting any trouble or even really calling much attention to herself, but when she sees Hotaru wandering by her perch she can't help but poke her head over the side.
"Heeeeey," she calls out, waving down at the familiar girl. "Who's the big guy? Boyfriend, ne, ne?"
"So what you're saying is," everyone's favorite monk asides to Hotaru as he leans against the single mast of the ferry that was to three-hour-tour-a-three-hour-tour them across the sea to Thailand, "that besides Sakura going missing, somebody trashed Yuri's dad's and brother's and also kinda Yuri's dojo and you think they're involved in what's going down in Thailand so you have hired this here thing to get us all into the country so we can Metal Gear our way into the Evil Empire and save everyone and maybe exact revenge and stuff? Right?" He actually said that all in one breath. It's amazing how he does it, with such a small frame.
Standing back up straight and lacing his fingers together, Frei pushes the arc of his arms up in a high stretch. "Well, that's an absolutely perfect plan, and there is no way that anything could ever go wrong with it, ever." Is he being serious?
Ryo was at first against the idea of his student actualy adventuring into dangerous territory like this. But when it came to his attention that Hotaru has done so much effort for them to actualy go there...he could only admire the young girl's persistance and iron will. He evantualy agreed -- after all, if she is that determined to go, he might as well come along to make /sure/ everything goes well.
Plus, he must admit he is curious about thoses annoying women that attacked and trashed the dojo days ago. He's been itching for some kind of revenge, and this is the best opportunity for it!
And apparently, a lot of other people had some beef with them, too.
"...That sound correct."
Nothing, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing could -possibly- go wrong.
Right?
A man in Shadaloo fatigues watches from the docks. Holding a pair of binoculars to his eyes. He peers out into the harbour, watching the ferry heading towards the shore. He tracks the progress of the boat. Studying its lines, its prow, and the broad expanse of deck. It's a small wooden ferry, motor chugging as it crosses the water. Hardly any sort of invasion force...
...save for the individuals standing on said deck. The Shadaloo officer adjusts his binoculars. With a few clicks, the magnification increases. He sweeps the lenses back and forth, considering each of them in turn.
"So," he says, in a low voice, "these fighter scum think they can simply waltz into Lord Vega's domain, hm?"
He snorts.
"Idiots."
The man stands high above the ground. Only his upper body is visible. The rest of him is inside...a large blocky object, covered by canvas tarps. Camoflaging it as just another piece of abandoned cargo, among the crates and containers littering the docks.
It is, though, a rather -large- piece of cargo.
With the faint sound of an idling engine.
There's also the long cylindrical object emerging from the front, looking for all the world like a snub-nosed barrel.
Which is, well. Precisely what it is.
The Shadaloo officer, one Captain Sharrock, clears his throat. And then, in a clipped Scottish accent, he intones, "Fire."
The cannon roars.
Shelling the boat out in the harbour.
Raining explosive fire from the sky.
COMBATSYS: Kraken has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Kraken 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Frei has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Frei
COMBATSYS: Ryo has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Frei
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
COMBATSYS: Roberto has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Frei
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
COMBATSYS: Kraken has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Frei
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
COMBATSYS: Cross has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Frei
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Leviathan has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Frei
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
"Well, it's okay Roberto... I was wondering where those extra bruises came from though..." Hotaru offers with a weak smile to the soccer-fighter before shaking her head, "I guess it's just part of the risks of fighting, right?"
Slowly the might war vessel... er, wooden, open-roof ferry makes its way ever closer. "W-well," Hotaru rests her hand behind her head at Frei's summary, "I wouldn't go so far as to say that we're going to fix everything... But I hope we can help a little bit. There's people fighting back, you know. A resistance group. If we can find them, maybe we can provide a bit of assistance. I never said I had all the answers," she says, sounding a little apologetic. After all, this could end up being the worst idea of her life.
Then the girl tenses just slightly at the sound of a familiar voice. Looking up slowly, her eyes come to rest on Cross. Cheeks tinting a very faint pink, Hotaru shakes her head, explaining quickly, "No! Ryo-sensei is my instructor. He is a master of Kyokugen Karate! And-" And what's that sound?
"Oh sh..." Roberto doesn't even finish the swear word he was going to utter before he's diving for the deck for his makeshift soccer balls. They have the advantage of being more resistant to bursting and also are less expensive. But they have the nagging problem of being extremely susceptible to sinking since they aren't inflated as well as being slightly less predictable as far as touch and kick placement are concerned
Knowing this, Roberto takes one twine and rags soccer ball after another and just punts them towards the docks before diving overboard and swimming to shore as quickly as strong footballer legs can carry him.
"Artillery round," Cross declares rather casually. The young woman's been messing around with the border patrols quite a bit lately, so she's heard the big guns going off numerous times. They were something you learned to ignore. Uh, well, at least when they weren't actually pointed at you...
"Oro?" As the growing whistle of the shell cutting through the air becomes more and more pronounced, Cross pops up to a kneeling position on top of her cargo box and looks up toward the sky, back over her shoulder slightly. Then, she blinks once and grins nervously, "Oh. Well, crap."
Rather than going overboard, she opens the lid of the metal container and leans back, hiding behind it as a sort of shield. The ship's still going to get blasted out of the water, of course, but she figures on riding the shockwave out rather than hopping in the water and getting showered with shrapnel and burning debris. Not especially reasonable, but that's how you know it's her plan!
Houston? We have a problem.
Frei's brow scrunches up as Hotaru talks, as if he's trying to hear some distant sound. Hotaru gets as far as 'Kyokugen Karate' before the monk's green eyes widen and he shouts, "HIT THE DECK!". Hopefully Hotaru will go after him, or maybe that nice blonde guy with the orange gi will grab her, or something, but right now the monk's major concern is not getting asploded by incoming artillery fire. He dives to the deck, hands over his head just like they taught you in kindergarten to protect you from nuclear attack.
Hopefully that will work.
There is quite a few things going on at once right now, so let's chop it all down in an effort to fully demonstrate Ryo's reaction.
First, the hamsters in Ryo's head finnaly stopped running around and he phrased what that ...punk girl just said. "Wa--wait, what!?" The Sakazaki lets out, turning around and pointing at Cross. "She's my student! Do not dare suggest such things!"
Such consternation also makes him become the last to actualy notice that something is going /horribly wrong/. That initial 'BOOM' of the artilery fire was apparently not enough -- it took all that shouting to get him realise to look UP at the incoming firestorm. "...Oh GEEZE!" The Raging Tiger screams out, diving for the ground and lashing out an arm to bring the student's head down, too. First, cover, then, let's see what they can do.
From the shore, the Shadaloo officer who ordered the bombardment smiles. It's a thin-lipped smile, a cruel one. Captain Sharrock looks through his binoculars, relishing in the destruction wrought by his cannon fire. A direct hit on the hapless ferry. And a good number of its passengers overboard.
He lowers his binoculars.
"Forward," Sharrock barks.
And his tank responds.
With a bestial surge, the canvas tarps rip free from their moorings. There is no need for camouflage any longer, no need to remain hidden. A massive powerplant roars to life, sending power to four oversized drive elements. Heavy metal treads dig into the ground, sending the vehicle charging down the docks. Red armor is revealed, the entire tank painted in ominous blood red, emblazoned with Shadaloo insignia.
The Kraken-class tank roars down the docks, heading for the shoreline. As the tank moves, Sharrock continues speaking orders, snapping into his radio headset.
"Kraken-One to all units. Code alpha-two, repeat code alpha-two. Incoming. Kraken-One engaging. Kraken-One engaging. Leviathian-Three, engage with support from special asset. Repeat, Leviathian-Three and asset. All other units stand by, ready op."
Then he turns to his own tank crew, to his gunner and driver.
"Continue fire! I want that ship SUNK!"
The main gun roars again - a less accurate volley, now that the tank is in motion - a second explosive shell heading towards the beleagued ferry. Detonating in a concussive blast.
One second, the boat trip was like any other such voyage any number of tourists might enjoy any day of the year. And then the next minute, Hotaru finds herself being promptly reminded /why/ Thailand is such a hot news item lately. It's a WAR ZONE.
As everyone takes cover in their own ways, she quickly scans the shoreline, gauging the distance remaining to make it to land. At the speed the boat is going, it's probably not going to make it. Not a target this large. And where did that shell come from, anyway? "It came from that dock to the left!" the girl calls out, eyes picking out the remnants of gun powder - dark smoke lingering in the air.
She doesn't see anything else though, as the next instant, Ryo pulls her down below the railing for her own good. "We're no that far out, we can swim to shore." Hotaru states in a hurry. In fact, that might be the only option. Because the ferry driver? He's already jumped overboard. With the money Hotaru paid for this trip, he can buy himself a brand new boat anyway. As long as he gets out of this mess alive.
The craft continues along on autopilot, but the second blast knocks it off course and it begins to veer to the side, slowing down some, becoming quite an easy target. "I think it might be our only chance."
"Affirmitive."
A moment later a small warehouse begins rumbling toward the shore. Or what appears to be a building at first glance. The Leviathan tank is too large to have been easily disguised as cargo, so a quick facade was built over the outside of the massive vehicle, disguising it as an actual building. This quickly falls apart once the tank is in motion, revealing the dark green monstrosity, festooned with guns.
Another volley joins that sent by the Kraken-class, making things even more dire for the poor ferry as the tank rumbles down to meet any survivors of the initial volley. And if one looks closely, one might spot a small figure, dwarfed against the huge machine, clinging to the tank's armor.
It was unsettling, to say the least, being on top of a moving building with various things to make it look more building and less tank, also there was the initial jolt as it started moving. This all made the faint red spec on the top nearly fall off, but luckily there was plenty to hold onto. Not that she knew what any of it was as she fixed the ferry with a broad winning grin and adjusted her shades, their black depths reflecting light.
After the initial shock of motion was passed, the 'asset' leaned on a long stick, it might look like a antenna of some kind, except it was knobby and seemed to sprout hair. . much like.. . a Broom.
"Drat, I wanted to ride the red one," the asset mutters, but hearing her over the noise of the tank itself? Good luck. Still, playing the role as the sole figure on the moving monster, she points forward (as if it cared) and tries to look all powerful. Imposing. . And so on, with red floppy hat shifting in the wind.
COMBATSYS: Naerose has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
The explosion blows the unhinged lid clear off the deck, with Cross perched atop it. The goth girl remains crouched down, holding onto opposing edges of the flat slice of metal as she hurtles through the air. The thought occurs to her, as she espies the tank rolling out from her aerial vantage point, that this may not have been the most terribly well thought-out method of escaping the bombarded ship she could have managed.
The impromptu blast shield and its rider drop to the ocean's surface again after a moment of hangtime, the concussive force of the second blast propelling her outward from the beleaguered vessel at a considerable rate, making the flat sheet of steel skip along the top of the waves. Though she hadn't really planned out this part, Cross is more than willing to roll with it!
"Aha! Thailand or bust, baby! Woo---ooof!" Her brief sojourn into the world of blastwave-surfing ends abruptly when the second tank opens up, sending enough shots blasting up the water around and behind her that she completely loses her balance and goes flying off her 'board'. Maintaining quite a bit of momentum, she bounces off the surface of the sea twice like a skipping stone before disappearing into the water with a splash. The cargo container's unrecognizably damaged lid, however, continues merily on its way to shore, washing up on the waves sent off by the explosions. Godspeed, improvised surfboard.
Oh, hell. It's a little wooden boat! One bombardment is enough; the second is probably going to splinter the stupid thing to matchsticks, and you don't need to be a munitions expert to know that. Seeing Ryo take Hotaru off the side makes Frei feel better; seeing Roberto and... some, uh, girl... heading for the egress means he's free to fend for himself. So he does, by getting up at a crouch and diving into the sea, suddenly wishing he weren't wearing wooden sandals.
Of course, what's the point of having magical fantastic chi powers if you only ever use them to beat the hell out of people? A burst of ice flickers from his fingertips right before he hits the water, creating a flat sheet that he lands on in a crouch. Grinning, he looks at the pier, ready to make another ice stepping stone to expedite his trip.
Then the one he's standing on shatters into so many icicles and he drops into the sea. "God DAMNIT!"
And Roberto he doesn't look back as he continues to swim hard towards the ports churning up water with his powerful legs as he moves closer and closer. Grateful that he had been ignored in favor of sinking the ship. Ok... Not exactly grateful since he is a bit concerned about the well being of the others but he had to be practical. How useful would his soccer balls be if they absorbed water and sank.
It's then he reaches the port dock he slips under it and hides while he catches his breath and prepares to wage war on two big frickin tanks that have made their presence known. "Damn it Rose... You didn't say anything about giant metal monstrosities."
Tanks! It had to be /tanks/! Mind you, it could have been a whole, whole lot worse. It could have been /Giant Mechanised Todohs/. Now, THAT would have been quite horrible and guranteed death for all involved.
"You're right." Ryo lets out, peering overboard and where the rest of thoses other fighters are already abandoning ship, explosions comes down crashing all around, exploding the poor helpless little ferry.
What can Ryo Sakazaki, the heir of the Kyokugen style, can do in theses situations? The only thing that he does, the one that he has trained all his life for: fight!
"Hotaru!" Sakazaki shouts instructions to his little student. "Go with them on the water and get to the shore! Immediatedly! OOOOOHAAAAAAAAA!" Immediatedly, the Invincible Dragon leaps straight up(and through the already pretty broken roof) and lands on the swiss cheesed wood, staring straight up at an incoming artilery shell. Hmmmmph, this is gonna be /tight/.
Waiting at the VERY last moment, Ryo reach down to his feets and RIPS up what was left of the poor little cabine's roof and LEAP up, swinging the damn thing at the shell to make it sail ALLLLL the way back to the expeditioner.
Mind you, that's far from a perfect shot.
COMBATSYS: Kraken endures Ryo's Large Thrown Object.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
The poor wooden ferry wasn't built for this punishment. Certainly not. It's shattered, it's holed. And by now, it's /on fire/. Bits of it are breaking away. And still, Ryo's standing on it?
The Shadaloo tank commander would commend him for his bravery. If he didn't think the move was more -stupid- than anything else.
Reacting on pure instinct, Captain Sharrock drops down into his command cupola, yanking the hatch shut behind him. Just as the section of ferry roof -crashes- into the armour of his tank.
It doesn't seem to slow the vehicle in the slightest.
The crimson bulk of the Kraken rolls closer to the docks. It is visible, now, clearly visible to all the fighters in the sea. It rolls to a halt, parked upon the shore in direct challenge. A hulking mass of armor and weapons, a bulbous turret with missile tubes on either side...and a snub-nosed cannon with an excessively large bore.
That cannon fires again. Opening up once again. A final time. At this range, all it needs is one good shot to destroy the hapless ferry, completely and utterly.
And inflict severe injury on anyone still foolish enough to be standing on it.
Further down the shore from the Kraken the Leviathan rolls into position, easily crushing several large boxes of cargo beneath its treads. The pilot refrains from bringing the tank /too/ close to the waterline, though. The massive bulk of the tank would not fare well if it were to start slipping toward a watery grave.
With Kraken blasting what's left of the ferry into matchsticks, the Leviathan focuses on those who tried to escape to the water. Multiple gun placements swivel into position, spraying bullets at thousands of rounds per minute into the sea. Some are targeting Frei and Cross, but those are just some suppression fire. The bulk of the guns are aimed at one target to start, trying to make sure Roberto never makes it to shore.
COMBATSYS: Roberto just-defends Leviathan's Vulcan Cannon!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
Well Naerose couldn't really see too well who was down there, because she had her shades on and besides with these guns were loud and made her sort of cover her wears and look away a bit. So when the 'asset' see's puffs, splashes and all sorts of smoke, she just sort of figures this was normal for tank to person combat. Actually she hardly saw this as a fight, but rather then do nothing, she decides to pick up a rock as it goes cruising by the top of the tank.
Huh, debris? She shrugs to herself and notices a very impressive display down below. Well that Cuban refugee really was putting on quite a show, but she was going to be the thing that threw him off she was, so she tosses the rock up, catches it and shouts,
"You should of stuck to trying to swim into Florida!" and chucks a rock at his heady-by.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Kraken's Strong Shot.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken successfully hits Ryo with Strong Shot.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> ///////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
That's the problem with worrying about everyone else. Sometimes it means you end up being the last one off an exploding ship. As Ryo goes hopping up to the top, Hotaru takes a quick mental inventory of those who were on the boat a minute ago. Frei and Roberto she knows got off fine. Cross... she heard her voice from somewhere in the air, so she knows she's not on the boat at least.
She can't leave without her bag though. It has maps. Money. Clothes. Leads about finding the resistance movement. Essentials! Hurrying over to the luggage, Hotaru extracts her bag and slips it over her shoulder, glad that unlike her school backpack, this one doesn't have lead weights lining the bottom.
Then she realizes she isn't sure about the driver. What about the driver? A quick survey of what is left of the boat shows him to not be around. Okay! And with a quick run and leap off the deck, Hotaru hits the water as the final shell zeros in on the craft, blissfully unaware how close she just cut it until the actual explosion that follows a split second later.
COMBATSYS: Roberto dodges Naerose's Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> ///////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
The contrails of displaced water created by bullets zipping through the sea around her are a pretty clear indication to Cross that she shouldn't resurface anytime too soon. Though she has a pretty good track record with being shot at, the 30mm rounds seem to be making some /big/ splashes and stirring up quite a bit of water beneath the surface, making her think that they could be just an eentsy bit more dangerous than Cammy's 9mm.
There's not that much further to shore, so she just dives and frog-kicks her way in that direction, marveling at the sounds of hyper-velocity rounds and cannon explosions coming to her through the warping effects of so much moving water. There was something strangely beautiful about the rhythm of it all, and she'd almost want to keep listening if she wasn't rapidly running out of breath.
"Whew! That was my cleanest infiltration yet!" Cross declares proudly as she surfaces, whipping her head back to sling off some of the water soaking down her hair. The copious amounts of skin-tight leather she wears make weird squeaky-squealchy sounds as she pulls herself up onto the dock, staring up--up, way up--toward Leviathan and Naerose, and for once finding herself actually stopping to think about how she's going to launch an attack on something.
"Maybe... I could hit it with a rock?" she muses, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Her eyebrows knit in consternation, and she purses her lips pensively. "... a /big/ rock..."
COMBATSYS: Cross focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> ///////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
Indeed, that was rather passably stupid from Ryo Sakazaki to be still standing under a rain of viciously explosive artilery fire. Bravery, yes, courage, maybe, but stupidity was definetively part of the lot.
But in Ryo's mind, this is more /extreme/ than anything else. He expected the tank to fire at him again, and the Invincible Dragon wished to actualy, you know, /evade/ the hurting. That would be pretty sane thing to do. But the artilery fire crash down and BURNS the Kyokugen Instructor, quite cleanly. On the other hand, this was more or less part of his plan -- namely, jumping and allowing the following explosion to send him flying, soaring high.
REALLY high.
"KUUCHUUUU!" Screams out Ryo Sakazaki while in his highened position, a burst of chi forming in his hand as he pummelts back down to the shore, "KO'OU KEN!" FROOSH! The bright blue fireball is fired down and aimed at one of the large two tanks, aimed at random. Hard to tell from this altitude.
Now, there is the problem of landing from this improvised 'rocket jump'...He knew this tactic he heard from some kids playing videogames was a bad idea in the end.
Like Swamp Thing, or a scene from Jaws, Frei's hand emerges from the water and slaps onto the rung of a dock ladder with a wet *FLUMP* noise. His breath is loud and wet-sounding as he emerges from the ocean, climbing up the ladder one rung at a time and finally slinging himself on the pier, long-tailed headband flapping against his back with the same wet sound. "CHILDREN!" he bellows, completely ignoring any sound rule of infiltration. His FOXHOUND rank is going to be Cannonfodder Tortoise this game, for sure.
Pointing at the tanks, the monk's eyes burn with sudden, fiery determination as he points a hand at them dramatically, his fighting spirit suddenly blowing across the pier in the form of a sudden warm wind. That's right, kids: Frei's battle aura works like a blow dryer as well. Soon he is less damp, and raring to go. "THIS ISN'T 1970s VIETNAM!" Frei bellows at the rider on the tank that he can see, not recognizing Naerose at this distance. "YOU DON'T FISH IN THE BAY WITH 18 INCH SHELLS, YOU JERKS!" Oh, you fool.
COMBATSYS: Frei gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
Roberto is catching his breath under his particular dock, minding his own business when all of a sudden Leviathan lays massive amounts of fire down upon him. What can pretty much be amounted to dumb luck happens. He begins to hear the sounds of shells ripping through the wood above him. He takes a deep breath and braces himself for impact... But it never comes. After the volley is over, the soccer star blinks as looks around surrounded by floating pieces of wood.
In the process of looking around, he finds a rock flying for his head he makes a sudden dive under and instead of hitting him, the rock hits the pieces of wood that were surrounding him. When he comes back up he pulls himself ashore and breaks into a run before he slams a glowing foot right into Leviathan, since both the rock and the shells BOTH came from that particular tank directly or not.
B1.
You sunk my ferry.
The wooden boat that brought the fighters into Thai waters... is now little more than a flaming wreck, shattered and broken, rapidly sinking beneath the waves. Its cargo, however, remains a threat.
And in the command chair of the Kraken-class tank, one Captain Sharrock notes, with disgruntlement, that some of those pathetic rats have /already reached/ the shore. Damn those fighters and their inhuman physical prowess. No human being should be able to swim that fast.
He scans his sensors. He opens his mouth, about to issue orders...
...when the shouting of a waterlogged man reaches his ears, filtering through the tank's external audio pickups.
Sharrock frowns. Leaning forward, he issues new orders to his gunner.
The Kraken sits on the dock, on the concrete portion of the pier - the wooden planks would not be able to take its weight, but the solid ground supports the armoured vehicle well enough. It looms, large and ominous. Not as big as its Leviathan-class counterpart, perhaps. But the Kraken is /taller/, with a bulkier and burlier aspect. The main cannon has a far more dominating presence.
But now, that one big weapon lies silent, smoke curling into the air - the job done, for now.
Towards the rear of the tank's hull, a pair of miniguns - chainguns, in colloquial parlance - spring to life, rotating on swivel mounts.
It is those miniguns that fire, now, spitting round after round. Sweeping back and forth with deadly intent.
Cross is also standing on the docks, by now. She'd be fair game for those guns.
But...
It's /Frei/ that yelled at the tank.
And nobody challenges Shadaloo. Nobody.
COMBATSYS: Leviathan blocks Ryo's Kuuchuu Ko'ou Ken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Leviathan endures Roberto's Thrust Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
Ryo's energy blast crashes into the Leviathan, hitting one of the more heavily armored sections. There's some slight denting to the armor, but no real damage. Meanwhile, Roberto is slightly more pressing, with his proximity to the tank. If he was a /normal/ person it wouldn't be a real issue... but normal people can't put their foot through armor plating.
Unfortunately for Roberto, just puncturing the armor isn't enough to do real damage to a tank. And Roberto's going to have to pull his foot back out before he can do much else without doing some major damage to his ankle... and the Leviathan has weapons which are quite suitable for close range combat. One of the barrels swings downwards and there's an electric hum just moments before a blue laser beam blasts out and sweeps across the spot on which Roberto is standing.
And then comes the boom and the bang and the boom boom boom. Don't rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby, rock the boat. But seriously Naerose nearly falls off the tank and is like woah. The witch picks herself having instantly realized the tank was really unsoft and that the only thing that would of sucked more than falling over on the tank would of been falling over off the tank. What the snap! She looks around, looks over the edge, notices that there is going to be a lot of shooting but in the meantime notices Ryo. Yeah, that big blast of whatchama call it. She probably narrows her eyes behind her shades, but you really can't tell anyway.
"That's my ride!" She shouts, cupping her hands around her mouth and shaking a fist.
"Oh that's it, It's time I give you a fortune telling. . And your fortune is.. . Grim!"
The witch tugs a thread from her broom and unwinds it a long way before casing the pretty much invisible line off the tank toward Ryo.
COMBATSYS: Ryo parries Naerose's Threads of Fate!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Roberto reflects Sweeping Laser from Leviathan with Shining Clutch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kraken 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken successfully hits Frei with Burst Fire.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
The last one into the water and the last one to shore. No fancy stunts, no tricks to propel herself through the air with fearless bravado. Hotaru is just glad to clamber up onto the beach off to the side from the docks. Easy to miss, since she hasn't been much of a factor in the events that have transpired thus far. Whew.
Drenched, her pig-tails droop down her back, no longer their perky selves. With a grunt, the girl shrugs off her travel bag and ditches it behind a bush to be retrieved later. Time to try and get those tanks' attention so that everyone else can get... Hey, who is that over on the tank that Ryo just hit? Is that woman in charge of them? A quick survey is made. So far everyone seems to be making it to shore in their own ways, that's good.
"Ryo-sensei!" the girl calls out as her Kyokugen trainer raining down chi-blast destruction while weaving through projectiles like a crazy man. "Tell me what you want me to do!" Unfortunately, she hasn't gotten to the Kyokugen Anti-Tank tactics portion of her training yet.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru assists Ryo.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
"Eh?" Cross raises one hand to shield her eyes, squinting hard up at the figure on top of the tank. A moment passes before she recognizes her and begins to wave, shouting, "Hey, Hermione! Heeeeey! Down here!" Of course, with the big guns firing all over the place and her ears still ringing from the explosions, it's extremely unlikely that she will be heard, to say the very least.
"Hmph." A moment of this goes by before she gets tired of straining her voice. The punk grrl turns and walks her way over to the intersection approaching the docks, watching the Leviathan very careful. As the tank swivels about to try and mow the surprisingly plucky Roberto down, she braces her fist against the opposite palm and cracks her knuckles, then throws a mighty haymaker at the telephone pole on the corner. The support cracks, and with the pavement already chewed up by the tank treads the entire pole tilts and falls on the tank's turret...
... harmlessly, as it's just a telephone pole. However, it does provide the perfect ramp for Cross to run straight up, not slowly down for a moment as she blitzed toward Naerose and tries to spear her full-tilt, obviously aiming to take the both of them off the top of the tank and way down to the ground below--preferably with her on top of Naerose on impact!
Getting his foot lodged within the armor plating would definitely present a problem. He can't really dodge until he extracts his foot from the machine. Unfortunately, Leviathan isn't allowing him to receive that time. Roberto is then forced to by that time by raising a pair of glowing hands to intercept the beam and then redirect it at the laser gun.
Even if the gun doesn't get damaged it will by the time that he will need to pull his foot out and run to those makeshift soccer balls he had punted to shore earlier and get himself ready for his next attack. "While sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, it's better to be both!"
Despite the altitude (that is quickly becoming lower and lower, I might add.) Ryo Sakazaki seems to be able to hear the scream of his student asking for help and insight. Remaining calm, the Invincible Tiger shall relay such information to the inexperienced Kyokugen pupil. "THAT'S QUITE SIMPLE!" The blond haired man screams to make his voice heard through the wind.
"YOU REMEMBER MARCO'S TRAINING, YES?" He adds in, stopping his question about half way to lash out an forarm out of pure reflex and instinct to that invisible thread of ...whatever that thing is and allow it to wrap around it. "THE WRECKING BALL! NOW, DO THIS, WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE! I WANT TO SEE THINGS EXPLOOOODE!"
With a grunt, Sakazaki PULLS on the thread to give himself a good momentum(and hopefuly THROW the witch upward) and pummels down the remaining metres of the fall with an hefty, "HIEN SHIPPU KYAKU!" aimed directly at that woman. Downward, gravity-helped flying kicks. Thoses are the best.
He thinks that's a woman, anyway. Hard to tell at this altitude, everything look alike!
Gunfire. Oh, right. That's something tanks do. Frei blinks as he hears the *crack* of the bullets, but doesn't necessarily process the SPEED they're travelling at. What he tries to do is get the hell out of the way, diving for partial cover: a shipping container, a support pole for the pier, anything. Which... he realizes, much to his dismay, there are NONE OF. There's a nasty-sounding volley of *thmpthmpthmp* noises as Frei is perforated in an anime way, arms akimbo, until he lands on the deck on his back. And stays there for a long time.
I want us all to think about the good times Frei brought us. His love of hot dogs and a quick turn of phrase endeared him to many. He will be rememered fondly for his wit, his sagacity, and his warm friendliness. Who else would dare to fight an SNF in a Rag Rappy costume? How many people can say they have learned the Hadouken simply by mimicking the Hadouken that other people have mimicked from the original Hadouken? Ultimately, he was a monk, and a man, and a friend. He will be missed.
Except for the fact that he's not dead, but is instead on his feet and, raging, hurling a massive burst of icy chi through the air at the first tank he can see, which doesn't happen to be the one that shot him but that's sort of besides the point. "LET'S SEE YOU DO THAT A SECOND TIME, YOU RAT BASTARDS!" Oh dear.
Inside the Kraken, the massive crimson tank parked on the docks...
Sharrock snorts, his nostrils flaring. His gloved hands wrap around the controls round his command chair, designating targets. It would appear that the Leviathan...and that one fighter on Shadaloo's side...are being swarmed by the enemy. So be it. They can handle it.
They'd better. Else they are worthless to Shadaloo.
The main gun of the Kraken shifts. Swivels. Swings to bear. Pointing out over the water.
There are other victims waiting.
The Kraken's cannon fires, roaring with murderous intent. Aiming at one Hotaru Futaba, even as she works to assist her teacher.
And as the sound from the blast fades... a voice booms from the Kraken's speakers, echoing over the docks, over the bay. An amplified voice, raised to deafening volume. An imperial, commanding voice.
"THIS LAND HAS BEEN CLAIMED BY SHADALOO! SURRENDER OR DIE!"
COMBATSYS: Leviathan blocks Roberto's Reflected Sweeping Laser.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Leviathan endures Frei's Hyoushou Rengeki.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Cross
The Leviathan's laser cannon doesn't explode... but the barrel is left smoking. There are energy feedback limiters in place, of course! The blast of ice which slams into the tanks side, on the other hand, is an issue. It doesn't actually penetrate the armor, but the sudden drop in temperature damages the integrity of the metal armor, making it more brittle and susceptible to further damage.
This makes Frei seem like a somewhat higher priority than Roberto. The tank suddenly backs up and turns with surprising speed (hope you don't get thrown off, Naerose!) then begins charging toward Frei, attempting to grind him down beneath the massive treads.
COMBATSYS: Cross successfully hits Naerose with Trail of Broken Hearts.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Ryo successfully hits Naerose with Hien Shippu Kyaku EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
Huh? Someone is coming up here?
"Hey, how you doing Goth girl? I didn't know you were invited to this party? Eh, my name isn't Her- Oah!" The witch lets out a gasp and a cry when she realizes Cross is currently in the process of tough loving her.
"Uuhgh, you're into the rough stuff h- Waaaa!" cries the witch as she feels her hand with the thread get YANKED and she finds herself barreling through the air. She honestly has NO idea what hit her when Ryo unleashes his destruction on her poor witch self. There isn't time for a witty retort, at least not by the witch herself, some one likely pointed to the figure in red and wondered if team rocket was blasting off, but no, she instead skips across the sandy beach once, twice, three times and then lands in a witch shaped heap, totally and utterly twisted and unresponsive for the time with a could of @^@ shades.
COMBATSYS: Naerose drops her guard to recover.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Kraken's Killing Field.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
Just watching Ryo deal with so many things at the same time is quite an inspiration for his student. But his advice makes a lot of sense. If she just thinks of the large, metal machines of death like Marco's wrecking ball that hangs in the courtyard of the Kyokugen Dojo, it really does seem pretty simple.
She hadn't been able to budge the thing with brute force at the last lesson, but maybe that just means she needs to approach it from a different angle. And it's a different angle that she decides to attempt against the tank nearest to her, the Kraken. Don't think of it like a giant death machine, don't think of it like a giant death machine... she repeats to herself over and over.
The mantra is a lot harder to keep up when the main gun of the thing is suddenly pointing her way though. Okay, stay calm. It's only a tank turret. It's only going to hurt really bad or kill you if you get /hit/. The incoming attack ends up being avoided though, the girl leaning forward and managing to duck under the incoming attack's trajectory. Having escaped that attack, the girl runs up to the side of the tank itself, looking over the complicated machinery with a moment of uncertainty. Deciding the means by which it can move around itself, she swings her foot out in a reverse roundhouse, not striking with her leg but with the swath of blue energy that trails behind it. If she can break the treads, then at least it won't be going anywhere easily in case a hasty retreat is needed!
"Hey," Cross goes along with Naerose for most of the ride, at least until Ryo joins in and makes it a Team Combo effort to drive her down into the sand. The young woman instead ends up looming over the stunned witch, giving her a quick pat on her floppy hat-covered head. "You work for Elle, right?"
The fact that Naerose is dazed doesn't seem to occur to her. Really, who would become incognizant from a tiny thing like that? Herego, she decides to heft her upward by her hat, shaking her a bit. "Hey, heeeey! Attention! Attencion, por favor!"
After not very long she begins to grow impatient, and holds Naerose by the shoulder with one hand while reaching back to start on a series of back-and-forth slaps with the other. The intention is probably to bring her around, but having as little experience with slapping people sane as she does, she's not exactly using a light touch for it.
Roberto spends some time unharassed while he searches for his soccer balls. It doesn't take the soccer star very long before he does so. He takes two of those 'soccer balls' under his arms and begins to move forward again as he dribbles the third one back into somewhat close range. Atleast where he could get to them with some ease.
The star striker drops the two soccer balls and begins to dribble faster as his arm movements become less restricted and then all of a sudden he's right next to Leviathan again and gives it another kick to the same area he had kicked before. This time though, he's not trying penetrate the armor. As a matter of fact, this time he's trying to push the plating inward to do its damage.
COMBATSYS: Frei just-defends Leviathan's Strong Kick!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
And that's ONE witch cannonballed into the oblivion of sand! One!
Recoiling and leaping up from the impact of his flying kick, Ryo Sakazaki lands quite far from the witch, eyes still locked in her direction. Hmmm, that punk girl seems to be handling it now, so perhaps it would be wiser to take care of some more pressing matters.
Such as, gigantic death tanks firing explosives of ultimate doom.
As thus, Sakazaki charges toward the Kraken, where he has heard his student struggling -- and now see -- against the country conquering weapon. "Hotaru!" Ryo cries out, leaps and homes into the Kraken, lashing out a pretty simple kick at the heavy armor plating without flinching. "You are doing very well! Keep hitting it!"
There's a little bit of Saishu in Frei right now. I mean, a tank is trying to run you over. A TANK. IS TRYING. TO RUN. YOU OVER. What the hell do you even DO in that situation? Get the hell out of the way is probably the favorite. Calling in some sort of an airstrike, maybe a distant second and let's face it, not very practical unless you're playing Front Mission 4. Frei is not playing Front Mission 4 (he could, though, you know? It's kind of a neat game) and he's not really the evasive type.
So he doesn't bother.
Setting one foot back, the monk shakes out his arms, braces himself, and BECKONS at Leviathan. "BEHOLD!" he bellows, clearly getting into his element. Someone has watched too much Rambo. And indeed, there is a LINK between fighting spirit, superhuman physicality, and chi. Fighters do it everyday. And while Frei might be lacking in the physicality department he is certainly top notch in the chi department. The pier itself actually starts GLOWING with a brilliant green-gold hue.
Then Frei just... catches the tank. The front ramrods hit his outstretched hands and the resulting counterforce -- a powerful manipulation of earth chi, a.k.a. gravity -- is like driving the thing into the side of a battleship. But Frei's not done. Instead he grips the tank with both hands... and channels that gathering chi into a different element altogether, gripping the front of the Leviathan and unleashing a hellacious blast of electrical energy across the mobile weapon. "EMPEROR PALPATINE AIN'T GOT NOTHING ON ME! AAAAAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!" Frei's lost it.
COMBATSYS: Kraken blocks Ryo's Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken fails to interrupt Kobi Kyaku from Hotaru with Highway To Hell.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
A human foot shouldn't have that much force.
But it does, regardless. Ryo's kick crashes into the side of the Kraken, denting the metal. Jarring the massive mechanical beast.
But it is his student's attack that does far more damage. The tank rumbles, roars. The treads spin, as the great iron monster tries to simply crush the girl - but the behemoth's forward progress is haltered by Hotaru's soul-forged energies, her chi slashing into the drive element, blasting a drive wheel askew.
The entire tank shudders, grinding to a halt.
Once again, the external speakers of the Kraken blast, in a thunderous voice. Now filled with even more rage:
"YOU DARE?! YOU DARE CHALLENGE THE FORCES OF LORD VEGA?! SURRENDER! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!"
COMBATSYS: Leviathan dodges Roberto's Heavy Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Leviathan interrupts Charged Throw from Frei with Runaway Train v2.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\=======\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Naerose blocks Cross' Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\=======\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/---====/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
This pitiful little punk thinks he can stop one of the great tanks of Shadaloo? Oh, to /hell/ with that! The leaping Roberto is ignored is the Leviathan commander slams the tank into high gear. The engine roars and then the tank shoots forward, barreling right over Frei. All thirty six feet out of it. And Roberto finds himself kicking empty air where the massive vehicle once sat.
As the tank comes to a halt the upper portion of it suddenly spins around, turrets facing back in the direction of the enemies. Turning around is for suckers. It's going to take a moment to shift gears and reacquire aim, however.
The first slap strikes home, but after that Naerose tries to snap back into action.. That is to say she catches the slapping from going any farther and stares into that familiar face. Seriously, she was getting a lot of attention from Cross lately. She recounted at least two meetings maybe more. Of all the people she saw in Thailand. A glance is given to the tank and all that is going on there and then she tries to straighten, fix her outfit, her shades, her hat, her head, her jaw, which is totally unscrewed thanks to Ryo.
"Ugh.. Geeze, so wait, what.. Elle?" She makes a face,
"Yeah I mean sort of, she gives me money I guess in exchange for being abused and more abused and sort of left on the way side. You know I don't really wanna talk about that, but hey, what are you doing with them?" She flicks her fingers at the group battling the mammoth tanks,
"I mean. . Is that Ryo Sakazaki? Wow coool. I Should get some pictures, but anyway, I didn't know you hung with a crowd like that Goth Girl."
COMBATSYS: Naerose gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\=======\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
Mission accomplished. The Kraken won't be going anywhere without some field repairs after that chi-infused kick of hers. "Okay, Ryo-sensei!" she calls out as her trusted instructor joins her fight against the red hued tank. Standing right next to it seems like asking to get run over, like a certain monk just demonstrated. Thus it is that the girl hops back a few feet, rolling her arm behind her, her forearm bathed in an aura of blue energy.
"Ya!" she calls out, swinging her hand forward, launching a small shimmering sphere of blue force for the main turret of the tank. Damaging that might keep it from being such a menace anymore. Dealing with the machine would be a lot easier at that point anyway!
Cross's gaze follows Naerose to the massive tank battle, which she had thought well in hand when she last turned her back on it--Roberto and Hotaru seemed more than a match for them by themselves!--but has now gotten a bit out of hand. "Yeah, I owe his girlfriend one, she beat the everloving shit out of me yesterday..." Surprisingly, she says that with sincerity and no hint of malice. To her, it probably makes perfect sense. "Crap!"
The rocker releases Naerose for the moment, but doesn't turn to leave without wagging her index finger toward her like a scolding mother. "You stay here! I have questions to ask you that will be more difficult if you have been run over by a tank and/or exploded! NO EXPLODING!" And with that, she's off.
The Kraken is the one trying to kill Hotaru, and as nice as the other gentlemen seem she doesn't owe them anything, so the Kraken is where she's headed. The tank's already taken a beating, so she just waits until she finds a damaged armor panel and bounds toward it, latching onto the side of the tank and thrusting one hand inside. Though she's never really tested her flames against mechanical objects, she figures the innards will be somewhat prone to overheating, if nothing else.
This is a glorious time, a joyous time for Ryo. He has just witnessed his student ripping up a LARGE part of pain upon a tank. That is a great progress in her training, and shall be dutifuly noted when this mess is all, all over! Namely, increase training into a whole brand new sky!
"Very good, Hotaru! Excellent! Now, stay back and hit it after I'm done with something -- you'll see!" Sakazaki shouts at his diminutive student, landing from his kick and glaring upward at the imposing war machine. Alright, this has gone on far enough -- it's time to get /SERIOUS/.
"REARRRRRRRG!" He screams with rage, leaping up all the way and homing himself to the main battle cannon of the vehicle. He reach out and seek to grab the whole thing with both arms the best he can. "I HOPE FOR YOU THAT THING'S RUST PROOF!" Ryo shouts for the intention of the driver as he pull with ALL his strength to fling the gigantic battletank over his shoulder and THROW it away toward the water.
Roberto just got dodged by a tank. That's all sorts of humiliating right there. I mean how can he go home to face his little brothers and have to tell them that he whiffed a kick on a frickin tank. Well he doesn't have to tell them about that now does he?
It's a good thing that Roberto is a fairly fast runner though because he's able to run down the 'Runaway Train' of a tank. As he begins to catch up, he goes into a run jump, leaping as he attempts to leap up with glowing hands to first burst a hole into the armor plating and then use a combination of his weight and his energy to rip out as big of a chunk of its armor plating as he can on the way down.
Did Frei just get RUN OVER by a tank?
Yes. Yes he did.
At least the WORST part is just the impact, which makes the monk go wide-eyed in shock, then pain as he's slammed UNDER the tank. Fortunately for him, however, Frei is both short and relatively trim, so after the *SMACK* of being, well, hit by a tank (oh the irony) he just sort lays under it in a daze as the shadow drives right the hell over him. "I'm sorry, Mario," he murmurs unintelligbly. "But our Castle is in another Princess."
The problem is that 36 feet is a lot of tank, and Frei is mostly at his senses when he gets back up. Case in point: as the tank passes over him, the monk LEAPS to his feet, turns, and in one smooth (and surprisingly quick) motion, cups his hands at his side and gathers a massive sphere of multicolor chi before turning and hurling it at the retreating Leviathan in a Sakura-like blast of copycat goodness. "NEVER SEEN CADDYSHACK, HAVE YOU, JERKWAD?!"
COMBATSYS: Kraken blocks Hotaru's Kobi Kyaku EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/--=====|=======\=======\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Cross successfully hits Kraken with Poison Girl.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/--=====|=======\=======\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken fails to interrupt Tomoe Nage from Ryo with Heavy Metal.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\=======\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
"YOU WILL BURN," roars an amplified voice, echoing from the Kraken's speakers. The red-armored tank almost visibly shakes with anger, as its commanding officer screams into a microphone. "YOU WILL NOT DEFY SHADALOO!"
But defying Shadaloo seems to be the order of the day.
Armour shatters, flying into shrapnel. Flecks of metal and damaged treads blasting into the air, cleaved apart by Hotaru's chi. Another geyser of flame erupts from the tank's flank, a destructive result for the girl called Cross.
But it's Ryo's attack that has the most...dramatic results. As, with muscles straining, the fighter manages to -LIFT- the immense machine, in defiance of all apparent physics.
And with a great and mighty -heave-, he sends it flying.
Splashing into the harbour, in an almighty plume of water.
COMBATSYS: Leviathan blocks Roberto's Shining Save.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\=======\1 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Leviathan endures Frei's Hadou Souran.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 1/------=/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
It looks for a moment like Roberto's going to manage to break through a weak point in the Leviathan's armor... but then the upper half of the tank suddenly swivels. The commander just saw Ryo /life/ a tank and throw it into the harbor. Priorities have changed yet again. Roberto's kick bounces off a more heavily armored section, while Frei's energy blast actually /does/ manage to blast off a fair sized chunk of armor near the treads.
They'll have to be dealt with in a moment, though, because right now a whole bunch of panels are opening on the tank as it faces Ryo... And then an ungodly number of rockets come shooting out. They just keep coming and coming, intending on turning everything in a wide radius of the Kyokugen fighter into a mass of smoking rubble. Including Hotaru. And then there's /another/ wave of dozens and dozens of rockets to reduce the rubble to even smaller rubble, just to make sure.
COMBATSYS: Leviathan successfully hits Ryo with Heavy Artillery eXecution.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
Cross was being nice, she liked nice, but she also doesn't like getting run over by tanks, wait a minute.
"Hey, Gothy, I'm on the tanks side!" She then grumbles and flings her hand at Ryo.
"Hey! Sagita Minor! Revenge for hitting me into the ground before."
And thus the witch flings a whole peppering of windy little darts at the Sakazaki shoto. Yes, you're a shoto, accept it. Then Naerose tries to take a picture, it'll last longer.
COMBATSYS: Ryo dodges Naerose's Sagita Minor.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Leviathan successfully hits Hotaru with Heavy Artillery eXecution.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
Having her hand buried somewhere in the machinery of the tank, Cross doesn't have much choice but to go along for the ride as Ryo decides to hurl it into the ocean. The poor girl suddenly feels very much out of her depth--in more ways than one--as she tries to recover from the dizziness the sudden unexpected motion causes, blinking the resultant spray of salt water out of her eyes.
Kraken doesn't seem to be slowing down much, so she does the only thing she can think to do from her position: she loops her arms under the cannon and grabs hold, planting her feet apart to either side of the barrel and flexing out every muscle in her legs, back, and arms to try and muscle it out of position so that it can't aim properly at Hotaru. "Hurry up! Find an anti-material rifle, or a rocket launcher, or Angel!"
Of course, bent over like she is her backside is stuck right in front of the gunner's viewing port, but that's just extra credit for this effort.
COMBATSYS: Cross assists Hotaru.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
Well, that's one way to deal with a tank. Hotaru backs up as Ryo asked her to do and watches the mighty Kyokugen Master exercise his great strength to uproot the entire machine into the ocean. Eyes wide at the demonstration of Kyokugen Might, she doesn't even notice the counter attack of the other tank until it's too late to get out of the targetted area.
"Aaah!" the girl cries out, covering her head with her hands as she leans forward and tries to escape from the rocket pelted zone. But explosions aplenty pelt the girl, blasts knocking her off her feet, and at times back into the air only to fall back to the ground and get struck by even more of the carpet bombing attack.
In the end, she's just lucky she didn't get obliterated by a direct hit. Coughing from the smoke and fumes still blanketing the area, the girl gets back to her feet, dislodged dirt that had covered her falling off once she's mobile again.
Okay, that was pretty serious. It's time to do what she can to finish this. "Frei!" she calls out, trying to get the monk's attention. "Help me out with this next one!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru assists Frei.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
Frei actually seems a little surprised that the Leviathan didn't turn around and blast the bejeezus out of him, but apparently it's all for the good. He turns, looking to see how everyone else is doing... just in time to shield his eyes from the hellacious firestorm of the Kraken's Macross-style counterattack. "What the--" And then everything is drowned out, as is vision. It's like staring into a fractal pattern.
When the smoke clears, the monk hears his name and turns, seeing... a battered and bruised Hotaru. Oh right, there are other people fighting here. Right. Okay. Leviathan can bother someone else; Frei has a girl to protect! Mostly because he knows what Jiro's going to do if something bad happens to Hotaru. That in and of itself is good enough. Turning toward Hotaru's nemesis, the Kraken, the monk charges it head-on like an idiot, hopefully grabbing the turret and, swinging up onto it near Cross, pushing his hands in front of the firing surface and just unleashing a massive point-blank blast of flame right down the stupid tube. "HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO EXPLAIN MISSILE BURNS TO HER BOYFRIEND?!" he shouts, before turning and realizing that Cross is there too. "Uh, hi."
"Hmm a change in tactics might be in order." With that Roberto does something that can be considered somewhat foolhardy but considering the situation right now, one can hardly blame him. Here's what he sees:
He sees the fact that he hasn't been doing that well as far as putting a dent in the tank. He sees that Ryo has managed to put some damage on both and hurl one of the tanks into the ocean. Now with Ryo drawing their attention he sees that the most prudent thing for him to do is run interference. "Hey! Ryo! I'll run interference for you. Just focus on bringing the pain!"
It's at this point, Roberto puts on his goalie visor and moves alongside Ryo with a pair of glowing hands ready to put themselves in the way of fire. Hopefully the Invincible Dragon won't feel too insulted by this.
COMBATSYS: Roberto assists Ryo.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> //////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
Now, you have to understand. Ryo Sakazaki has been on the other end of many explosive things before. Shinkuu Hadoukens, Reppukens, even the Triple Haohshokoken of his own father.
Few things, however, can instil more fear and awe than a CLOUD OF ROCKETS. That /explode/.
As such, Sakazaki tried to tank and stand his ground, but the strength of the weapons was far too much for him to bear. "GRAAAAAAAH!" The Invincible Dragon screams out in pain, flying and landing loudly on the beach. "Hrrrmph...not bad. Not bad at all." He mumbles, stumbling back to his feets and offering a brief glance at that football player. No, not insulted! This is a real battle, against a monstruous foe! It's not only HIS battle.
"But it's not explosive enough! HAOH SHO KO KEN!" He cries out, thrusting his arms onward against the Leviathan and releasing a LARGE blast of pure bright blue chi, easily as large as a man.
Against a tank as large than five, at least.
COMBATSYS: Kraken endures Frei's Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Leviathan 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/--=====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
The Kraken is sinking.
That's rather ironic for a tank named after a mythical sea creature.
But Ryo went and threw the tank into the water, after all. So now it's a fair bit from the docks, and slowly sliding beneath the surface.
The fighters don't seem to be willing to let it go down in peace, however. No, they're swarming all over it. Cross has her arms and legs wrapped round the barrel. And Frei's standing by the turret, sending torrential flame down the bore of said cannon.
A low sound emits from within the Kraken. An angry rumbling.
That kind of punishment would probably be enough to destroy any ordinary tank. Enough to cook off the shells inside the turret, consuming it in fire.
But no.
The Kraken is not just a tank. Not merely an armoured vehicle. No. It is a Kraken-class weapons platform. A machine that represents the future of warfare. The Kraken, and its Leviathan counterpart, were designed to dominate the battlefield totally and utterly - and if necessary, even battle top-tier martial artists.
It has long been a truism that military technology is no match for a trained fighter.
These tanks were built to slaughter that sacred cow.
The Kraken, rather abruptly, /stops sinking/. The water beneath it boils. Churns.
Inside the commander's cupola, within the great machine, Captain Sharrock of Shadaloo smiles a thin-lipped smile.
And then, the entire Kraken -jolts-, as it rises from the waves, blasting into the air, wreathed by clouds of steam. It soars, heading to land back upon the shore.
You will believe a tank can fly.
Especially Frei and Cross. They have front-row seats. Clinging to the hull. Of course, said hull is exceedingly /hot/ from the massive release of superheated vapour...
COMBATSYS: Leviathan slows Haoh Sho Ko Ken from Ryo with Sweeping Laser.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Leviathan can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Naerose 1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
When the giant blast of energy comes sailing in, the commander of the Leviathan thinks fast. Swiveling the laser cannons around, he fires a three beam blast toward the incoming attack... and seems to be stopping it. The Haoh Sho Ko Ken slowly loses speed as it presses against the force generated by the tank. But not enough. The barrels of the cannons start to glow red hot, then to white, but still Ryo's attack doesn't slow. Finally it reaches the cannons themselves, and explodes over the front of the tank.
Pieces of armor plating go flying everywhere, and the laser cannons are twisted and bent... but still glowing. Some mechanism has been broken, and can't be shut down. The glow quickly starts spreading to the body of the tank itself. On the Shadaloo comm channels there are shouts of more and more frantic alarm, then some of the hatches on the outside of the tank flip open. Just before the entire massive vehicle explodes. Armor plating bulges outward for a moment, then becomes shrapnel as chunks of burning metal are sent zooming off across the docks at supersonic velocities. One chunk of armor lodges itself several feet into a concrete wall of one of the nearby warehouses. As for the rest... Well, ducking might be a good idea.
Woah, that tank Naerose was on just went. . . She had to totally cover her head with her hat and then, hit the deck! She gets a face full of sand and then stuff flying over her, it makes her outfit a little messy and then when she gets up she realizes, this... sucks.
"Ummm.." She starts and then looks at the sort of sinking sort of not. Cross said something to her about not getting run over or blown up? That girl was weird, she still didn't know her name. . she still didn't really care. Then there is Roberto and Ryo. She looks at the tank being beaten on.
"Adore.. Adure? Azure.. Azure.." Naerose tries to speak French.
She mounts her broom, apparently not wanting to be here when it's just her. The broom responds by picking her up. She's gonna leave in style. . . But charging Ryo, maybe Roberto will et in the way, again. Who knows.
"I am so out of here," She says, it's like they say, know when to run like hell.
COMBATSYS: Ryo dodges Naerose's Maha.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Cross blocks Kraken's Disaster Area.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken successfully hits Frei with Disaster Area.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> /////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Ryo
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
Burn? Cross? Tasteless jokes about neo-nazis aside, that's not a particularly effective plan. The young lady is so accustomed to that sort of pain that, even with the steamed-up metal making contact with her thighs, she's not particularly upset by it. There's some hissing, some sizzling, but nothing compared to some of the things she'd done to herself (accidentally or otherwise) in the past, in terms of real burning.
"This thing's starting to piss me off!" she confers with Frei, while leaning back to hammer on the turret with her fist repeatedly. There are quite a few hollow clangs, but she doesn't much expect to actually penetrate the armor that way. No, this is clearly a job for... a psychotic monk? Eh, sure! Why not?!
"You!" Cross points at Frei, pausing her tank-beating for a moment. "Pop the top off this thing so I can get at the squishy things inside! Like a sardine can!"
One tank down, thanks to Master Ryo's impressive show of power. But the other tank appears to have backup plans to protect against getting water logged. Watching the impressive beast of a machine come flying back to land, Hotaru shakes her head slowly. Resiliant things, but she's seen what Ryo's giantic chi blast did to the other tank. She might not be able to throw a Haoh Sho Ko Ken of her own, but she might be able to deliver just about as much force in another way.
Waiting for the tank to come low enough for her to make the leap up onto the front of it, Hotaru kneels down, gripping the nearest handle she can find to keep herself from getting dislodged by any additional movement. "Okay, Frei, you'll know when!" the girl calls out, ready to put a combination plan in motion.
Gritting her teeth, Hotaru begins to gather up an incredible amount of energy - a manifestation of the power she conceals within her most of the time. A whirlwind of blue, wind-like movement slowly builds up around her, real enough to rustle clothing and buffet hair around. The havoc the sudden surge in energy might play with the electronics of the tank is probably disruptive enough, but it isn't really the entire point of the exercise.
Little by little, Hotaru forces every last bit of her inner power into the air around her, risking pushing herself beyond the point she should safely go. Finally unable to control it anymore, the girl spends the last of her strength compacting all of the chi she had gathered into a single, small, shimmering blue sphere of intense potential energy that hovers briefly in front of her.
Unable to sustain control over it any longer, the girl exhales, slumping forward a little, propping herself up with her hands, hoping Frei, master of chi that he is, will know what to do with it before it gets out of control.
Jesus, that's hot. Shouting in pain, Frei gets the gist of Cross' statement as the burst of steam sears his already gunshot, tank-tenderized skin. Enough is enough. All he wanted to do was help some peasants and maybe save Sakura, and if Hotaru and Ryo ran into the guy that pissed them off so much the better. Right? He didn't sign on for the amusement park reenactment of Dominion Tank Police. Flipping off the turret, he lands on the pier next to Hotaru in a crouch, glancing at her with a nod, reading her intent.
The time has come.
Holding his fist up, his fighting spirit at its peak, the monk starts shouting. The back of his hand glows an intense halo of colors that becomes painful to look at. "In the name of the Undefeated of the East!" The wind picks up. Is this... the power of drama?! "This hand of mine burns with an awesome power! Its burning roar tells us to grasp victory!" The *wind* is resonating with the power both Frei and Hotaru are putting out, now. Waves are pushing AWAY from their point on the dock. Both fighters are natural wellsprings for chi, and this is them working at max effect... it really is a Bad Idea to be in the way of whatever the hell they're planning, this much is obvious.
With a quick turn, Frei grabs the shimmering orb of power Hotaru has made available to him, and the blinding blaze around his hand turns into SHEER WHITE, difficult to look at. "This might not be a Gundam Fight, but IT'S OVER FOR YOU!" Leaping into the air, the monk suddenly spins, and when he gets close to the front of the Kraken, reaches out with the flaring hand. "BAAAAAAAAKURETSU! GOD FINGEEEEERRRRRRRRR!"
Then he opens his palm.
BOOM. The shockwave of combined chi is so ridiculous that we can't even describe it on our measley SFX budget, but suffice it to say, this is OMFG EPIC. You can just barely hear, above the roar of exploding energy, Frei shouting: "HEEEEEAT... END!"
In the aftermatch of the explosion, Ryo Sakazaki is still standing up and proud, bravely weathering the rubbles and other sharpnels from the explosion of the enormous tank. staring at the wreckage and the whole chaos the explosion has caused, the Invincible Dragon slowly shakes his head. Tsk, what a waste...How much was that? Several millions dollars down the drain, now?
Something breaks evantualy the dramatic post-battle staredown. A HEAVY gush of wind screaming just past him! Turning right around to stare at the witch running away, Ryo don't do anything to foil her escape. She's too fast, anyway, and he doubt he could drop her that easily.
So, instead, the elder Sakazaki sibling turn around to stare at the coming of really, really pretty fireworks.
COMBATSYS: Ryo gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken blocks Cross' Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kraken with Ten-shou Ranki.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 1/-----==/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Frei successfully hits Kraken with Fukami Reikai.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
Ducking might be a good idea for those without fast hands like Roberto. He steps up between Ryo his hands glowing as he catches a good portion the shrapnel flying towards the two of them. Eventually the shards of metal are collected into a soccer ball sized piece of metal.
While his attention was drawn away by forming this shrapnel ball he feels the breeze of a witch passing by him. "What!?" he shouts in anger as he sidearms the ball of twisted metal right behind the witch and hoping he can give her nice little parting gift. "Damn witch!!! I swear the next time I see you..."
The ground craters.
Concrete shatters. Cracks forming around the base of the Kraken, as the massive tank is -pounded-. The shockwave ripples out from ground zero, shattering the wooden supports of the docks. The pier itself, the jetty, /cracks/, breaks apart, even as the earth fissures. One entire tread element comes away from the side of the Kraken, metal links flying into the air, drive wheels snapping from axles with a horrible screech of metal.
A terrible, terrible sound, as the tank roars like a wounded beast, like a living thing lashing blindly in its death throes.
Already, the Leviathan, the other tank of this detatchment, is a smoking crater.
And it looks likely that the Kraken is about to follow suit.
Smoke rises from the badly damaged hull, swirling from the battered hulk. A thick acrid stench, rising into the air above the port town.
And then there's a crackle of static.
The sound of the vehicle's external speakers, barely clinging on to life.
A voice speaks, hoarse and rasping, that of the Shadaloo tank commander, a Captain Sharrock. Pain and agony spews from his throat, but the words, the words are clear.
"...you," he hisses, "will die."
And then, quite deliberately, the wounded Kraken /vents steam/, coolant hissing from vents. The entire vehicle shudders wildly, as the power plant spools past the red zone.
One might ask how these tanks work, how any sort of conventionally machine is able to stand up to fighters on the field of battle.
Well, the answer's simple. It's not conventionally powered.
When the inevitable explosion comes, it is a stunning world-shaking shockwave, a hammering force that flattens buildings around the shore.
Catastrophic release, as the fusion containment fails.
COMBATSYS: Kraken successfully hits Kraken with Mass Grave.
[ < > ////////////// ]
Kraken 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
> /////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
> /////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken successfully hits Hotaru with Mass Grave.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> /////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Frei just-defends Kraken's Mass Grave!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Ryo blocks Kraken's Mass Grave.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Naerose 0/-------/-----==|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Roberto successfully hits Naerose with Large Thrown Object.
Glancing Blow
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Naerose 0/-------/----===|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken successfully hits Naerose with Mass Grave.
[ < > ]
Naerose 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> /////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Roberto blocks Kraken's Mass Grave.
[ < > ]
Naerose 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
Well.. Naerose had made it a long long ways away, getting grazed by Roberto's attack and she was totally going to get away, she was like, YES! escape. Then there was an explosion behind her. Her hat totally flutters in front of her and she reaches out to grab it then it hits her, the explosion. . .
. . .
And that was all she wrote. Ding dong the witch was dead.
COMBATSYS: Naerose takes no action.
> ]
|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Naerose can no longer fight.
> ]
|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ///////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Cross
COMBATSYS: Kraken successfully hits Cross with Mass Grave.
> ]
|=======\======-\1 Hotaru
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ////////// ]
|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Cross
We laugh at fusion technology.
For serious. Drama is protecting Frei now. It is an unstoppable force that not even physics can control at this point. He drops back to the dock and lands in crouch just as the shockwave heads his way. The ocean itself is spraying skywards, the land cracking, the PIER is practically done for. We are looking at, like, Fallout 2 levels of destruction here, folks. Head for the Vaults. Sadly, the monk isn't quick enough to protect Hotaru, but at the very least he can make sure he's there to PICK HER UP afterwards. The massive shockwave hammers across the intervening space. But Frei is still hyped up on not only his own power, but Hotaru's as well. His very body is suffused with a white glow. And ain't no nuclear reaction on earth that's gonna cut through that... and indeed, it does not. Steam and debris flow AROUND Frei, his body protected by sheer chi counterforce like a bubble.
When the smoke clears, the monk is perfectly unharmed (except for the gunshots, the burns, and having been run over by a tank). He is holding Hotaru in his hands. All is silent for a moment.
"Right. Who wants margaritas?"
As the paired energy attacks sail toward the tank, Cross pauses hammering on the hull to raise her head for a moment, blinking. "... huhm. Maybe I should have told him to bust it open in a way that wouldn't damage the magnetic containment field," Cross muses to herself, then glances back over her shoulder toward the inbound attack. "Well, shit."
Things /explode/. Hotaru's chi explodes, Frei's attack explodes, the tank explodes. Unfortunately for Cross, she's sort of right there at the epicenter of every single explosion. The only thing that could possibly be good about it is that after she survives the /first/ blast, the momentum's carrying her away from the more fearsome aftershocks. Then again, the follow-up explosions are a lot /bigger/, too, so it's not like she's blasted clear of them. No, more like she's knocked progressively higher and further, sailing through the air with a contrail of smoke trailing behind her as she exits the blast radius.
Eventually, she comes back down to terra firma a few yards away from Hotaru and Frei, hitting the sand like a comet and skidding along several meters. There's a nice trough ripped into the earth where she came down, and a small smoking crater around her; which would be more impressive if it wasn't loose sand that she'd scarred with her impact, but still. The really messed up thing is that she doesn't seem to mind that much. "... I do!"
She gave Frei everything she had to work with for one final, all out assault. It was worth it, to lend her strength to the monk's for him to forge their combined ability into a powerful enough blast to down the mighty Kraken class onslaught vehicle.
But it also means she's completely wasted, unable to even push herself back up to her feet, her body feeling nauseous at the near vacuum of chi left within her. When the area becomes awash with unimaginable levels of destructive force, all she can do is bunker down and dig her hands into the dock to keep from being thrown through the air to who knows where.
By the time the blastwave passes, she's unconcious, prone on the ground, her fingers still tightly dug into a crack between boards in the dock that somehow managed to stay in place while so many other structures fared so far worse. It probably has to do with basically being /behind/ the massively chi-infused, fusion-reaction-immune monk. That's really the only reason she'll even live through the blast to begin with.
Pulling her off the ground once it passes though is hardly a problem, but Hotaru is most definitely not conscious to thank him for it.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ////////// ]
|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Cross
COMBATSYS: Hotaru can no longer fight.
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Ryo
> ////////// ]
|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Cross
This was an explosion beyond all others, both by strength and the sheer energy behind it. Sure, it was a self-destructive one, but Ryo has to admire the progress of technology has aquired in the last decade or so. What's sad, thought, is that it's in the hands of tyrans such as theses punks.
When the smoke clears, Ryo's eyes opens and his arms, used for blocking(as foolish it was!) are lowered. "Grrng...that was...Hotaru!" The Raging Tiger lets out and rushing his way toward...Frei who apparently went to the rescue of his little student.
Well, at least she's just out cold. OR RADIOACTIVE.
"...Sure, I'm down."
COMBATSYS: Ryo has left the fight here.
> ///////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Frei
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////// ]
|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Cross
COMBATSYS: Frei has left the fight here.
> ////////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Roberto
> ////////// ]
|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Cross
The Kraken blows up to smithereeens and the previously untouched goalie brings his hands once again stop the explosion. However, this time, his hands aren't glowing. While up until that point, he hadn't been taking damage, he was still a bit winded from the attacks he was throwing.
Of course the first thing Roberto notices is the the unconscious witch on the ground. The second thing he notices is that broom so he picks that up tosses it to whoever is paying attention, "Here! Make sure she doesn't escape." After that he slings the witch over his shoulder and picks up his shrapnel ball and gets ready to head off. "We need to find some place to lay low and we should probably question her."
COMBATSYS: Roberto has left the fight here.
> ////////// ]
|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Cross
Log created on 19:49:03 06/10/2007 by Hotaru, and last modified on 02:20:04 06/11/2007.