Description: A coordinated assault on the facility where Shadaloo is keeping its highest-profile political prisoner means lots and lots of fighting! No "famous" prisoners are kept in the south wing of the prison, but it's nonetheless Sakura's and Seven Day agent Miercoles' job to stop the Shooting Stars from thwarting the rescue attempt upstairs!
Prisons. Every place has 'em. Some are more heavily fortified than others. And some have more distinguised prisoners than others.
This would be one of the pretty heavily fortified ones with a pretty distinguished prisoner inside. And ... as such, it requires regular inspections. Which would be why one of Vega's most trusted agents is here to check up on the place.
She's been here for a few minutes already, scoping the place out with a clipboard. She walks down from the upper floor, scratching off a few of the checkboxes. Boring, boring work, and as she's been spending more time impersonating 'herself', shes' even showing it with a mild look of disgust on her face. "If you'd wanted a place to demoralize your opponents, this is definitely the place for it," she muses aloud to no one in particular.
As far as the task of inspecting the prison, Miercoles is perhaps not the most diligent person who could have been chosen. The very fact that there's an inspection going on is enough to keep the staff on their toes, and the Seven Days member doesn't care to inspect much more deeply than that. If there's anything glaringly wrong he'll certainly make note of it. But other than that? There's plenty of things he'd much rather be doing than inspecting the floor to which Sakura descends.
"Can't believe I've got to waste my time out here." He finishes writing something on his own clipboard, then slips the pen into one of his many pockets, removes and folds the piece of paper, then does likewise with it. The clipboard is casually tossed toward a nearby guard, who fumbles with it for a few moments before managing to get a decent grip on it. "You're running this place well enough, I suppose. Just... keep doing what you're doing." Whatever that actually is.
Ah, more prison hijinks. The last one went well enough for the Thailand resistance. For the Shooting Stars, it couldn't have gone better. But in that situation, their objective was direct and obvious. Simplistic, even. Though there's rarely anything 'simple' about taking out a tank.
But here they are, the Shooting Stars aiding the Thailand liberation cause with little notion of reward. Or personal safety. Today's flavor? Infiltration and extraction. Very, very different from what they've been doing. But not something Drake is too adverse towards.
Leading the team in from the entrance, Drake moves to the wall just before the closest corridor. His steps are taken with great patience and care, doing his best to remain stealthy. Albeit this is the first time his life has literally depended on it. He eases up to the corner of the wall and tilts his head over to take a gander down its length. Both Sakura and Miercoles are spotted, along with the soldiers present. Wait.. Sakura? He recognizes her... though she looks really different. What's -she- doing here?
Drake eases back to conceal himself fully again, and he waves a hand to his female companions. "Some guards and two people that stand out. One's Sakura," he says, voice hushed to a hopefully inaudible tone. "Get yourselves ready. Stealth isn't gonna be an option for much longer. Don't see much cover to use and hide behind thattaway, and we're short on Bond-esque gadgetry."
Stealth? Because infiltrating a prison in Thailand in a bikini top and cargo pants is extremely stealthy? No matter! The punk rock princess simply follows behind the leader of the Shooting Stars. Taking out the tank was one thing. Heck, even taking out Kurow was one thing. Infiltration is another matter entirely and in an indoor setting where it's very difficult to tell who is friend or foe, she doubts things are going to go well.
Yes, Arika is heavily pessimistic about this mission.
Then again, she was pessimistic about saving the communications tower as well, and that worked out well enough in the end, right? Other than the fact that herself and the rest of the Stars were seriously injured and out of commission for a few days...
Oh well. It's all for the greater good, right?
The fact that Drake happens to know one of the 'guards' causes her to raise her brow, but she simply gives him another nod and begins to stretch as quietly as she can.
Eva could have asked that the last mission with the tank be the last one. But with the resounding victory the Stars had against a.... well, AN ACTUAL TANK, the young girl was not one to get in the way of confidence. Besides, if this succeeds, Thailand's successful overthrow of Shadaloo may become a real thing. At least Eva's not dressed in a bikini top and cargo pants, but, then again, getting Eva to wear a bikini to the *beach* would be a rare thing. Instead, she's got an old army jacket on, camo pants, boots, a black tank top, and a green hankerchief covering her hair and head.
This seems a little different from the others. It may not be as simple as defeating a tank and running in with the tide of soldiers. This will require something... more delicate. And it's not looking good when Eva looks at Drake. "...?" Sakura? That one fighter who disappeared a few weeks ago? It was a reasonable enough guess that she may have come here, but on Shadaloo's side? From what Eva's seen of her on the TV, she seemed more likely to be helping *them*.
.... Maybe Ryuujin *was* right. This could all be a trap of sorts, luring people like the Stars here. Her voice is soft, barely making it to her companions' ears. "... Remember... if things look bad, we should pull back. .... I don't know what sort of convincing they did to convince someone like her to help them, but I'd rather not find out." However, it may not be an option once things get started.
It's unlikely that the Shooting Stars would have stopped to watch the SNF where Sakura had outed herself as a proud employee of Shadaloo Enterprises, Inc, nor the Turk and Macy show afterwards. But it is, nonetheless, news! Sakura's been relegated to helping out the Shadaloo forces in the meantime, augmenting the tanks here and there lest they run into trouble.
Like with these Shooting Stars folks. Sakura's met Drake, and is only peripherally aware of the others' reputations.
But she doesn't hear them... yet. Miercoles is there being surly, anyway. She's still not sure why they had to come together -- Vega's the psychic one, really. Once she sees him remove the checklist and toss the clipboard at the guard, she does the same to another guard. It looked fun!
"Let's check out of here then," the Doll notes to Miercoles, walking past him, past the guards and whatnot, past the cells.
At which point... something sounds off to her. Maybe she heard the Shooting Stars... or maybe she senses them some other way. Like their shadows. In any case, she'd have to walk =past= them to get out, so it's just outside their strike range that she stops, hand raised to Miercoles, glancing around.
"Perhaps the motivations for our coming here were twofold, Mr. Miercoles." Her voice is no longer that of a schoolgirl ... but the voice of a trained assassin, level and calculating. She can't quite tell what's going on yet... but that's why she's paused, feet spread shoulder-width apart, and her purple aura flaring.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Sakura gathers her will.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|
It's not that Miercoles is lazy... He just doesn't like doing work that he considers to be beneath him. And given his abundance of self worth, that's quite a few tasks. Dealing with enemies of Lord Vega, though... That's certainly not beneath him. When Sakura's tone of voice changes, Miercoles is quick to react. He hasn't yet ascertained just what the threat is, but he's not going to just stand around blinking.
A similar purple aura flares up around the hispanic youth, legs tensing in preparation for quick movement. He nods to one of the guards, then makes a gesture with his hand. But not in the direction of Sakura and whatever she may have noticed. He directs the man back in the direction of the cells. The Seven Days agent knows precisely what the priorities are here. /Then/ he turns his attention fully to Sakura. "What's wrong?"
COMBATSYS: Miercoles has joined the fight here.
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Miercoles 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Miercoles gathers his will.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Sakura
Drake exhales a sigh at Eva. "Priorities," he replies quietly. "And remember. Keep your determination up. Look how far we've come."
Something's wrong, though. Maybe it's the atmosphere in the room? Maybe it's the voices he hears down the hall? Whatever it means, the time to act is now.
"I'm going after Sakura," Drake says softly. "This... doesn't seem like her at all." Not from where he met her. She was too kind then. Too nice. Much too decent a person to involve herself on Vega's side. Whereas Katelynn's involvement didn't surprise him in the slightest bit, Sakura's... has blown his mind.
"Something's up. It's go time. Move, Stars."
And Drake rounds the corner in time to almost come face to face with Sakura. Except she's swallowed in a purple aura. Drake halts instantly, blinking dark amethyst eyes at her. New look, new attitude, new -everything, it appears. Drake doesn't assume his stance, but he's quickly taking into account the metal gear strapped to her appendages. Assessing the situation by what degree he can.
Nevertheless, this is not taking up his full attention. Something's got to be wrong here. "Sakura..," Drake starts, voice softened to what he hopes is a soothing level. "What are you doing? Siding with that lunatic? Doesn't seem like you..."
COMBATSYS: Drake has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Drake
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Drake focuses on his next action.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Drake
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Eva has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Drake
COMBATSYS: Arika has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
You know those tiny hairs on the back of your neck? The ones that tend to rise up during a particularly chilling scene in a horror movie? Well, that's something that the diva is experiencing at the moment. Before eyes settle upon those below again, before hearing Drake's words, she's already stopping what she's doing and setting herself up in a defensive stance.
At the call to move, Arika isn't certain what to do. Holding back for a moment, she keeps her eyes on Drake. Why does she have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach?
Oh. Right. They're in the heart of the enemies lair, and it's just the three of them. No chance for backup this time unless they start springing some of the inmates.
But what's this? Drake... isn't attacking? He's... chatting? Nice as can be, idle conversation? This is the enemy for crying out loud! How can he just waste time asking her questions? This is -WAR-.
Forcing herself to remain calm, she clenches her fists at her sides and motions to Eva to follow her. Their leader may want to play nice, but the punk rock princess isn't about to wind up broken and hurting again because of that.
Dangit!
She'd stick with Drake, per normal, but she's irritated now. Just because he -knows- this girl, he's going to hold back? Arrgh! Fine. If she winds up flanked, she can handle it. Maybe it'll keep them from ganging up on her teammates.
Rushing past Sakura, she swings her clenched fist up toward Miercoles face. Unclenching her other fist, she sends the palm straight at him, chi flaring around it in a bright purple hue. Right, like it's going to do any sort of damage to him when there's a purple aura surrounding him? Eh. She's got to try though, right?
Yeah. TV signals aren't that good here right now, and the last thing Eva wants to do here is watch TV. She's listened to the ham radio for information, but those are extremely unlikely to be broadcasting matches.
As Drake dismisses her slight objections, Eva looks at Drake worriedly. She tries to open her mouth to speak, to say something, but realizes, as their quiet time has come crashing to a halt, that there's nothing she *could* say. Not without causing unneccesary conflict in the face of something they've just commited to. No one will care how many battles you've won here. All that matters is that you lose *once*, and then it's all over. If they decide she's not worth whatever process they used to 'convince' Sakura, they'll just kill her. Or something even worse. Grasping the pendant hanging around her neck, Eva mentally goes over a prayer in her mind as Drake and Arika move forward. For now, she'll shadow Drake, choosing to prepare herself rather than rush in blindly.
This will be a long battle. It's best Eva take it slow.
COMBATSYS: Eva focuses on her next action.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Arika's Diva Allegro.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
Sakura's intuition was right -- an intution accessed only by lowering the barrier between her core personality and the cold, precise programming imparted to every Doll. But apparently the Doll programming doesn't really obey telltale signs like the tiny hairs on the back of one's necks. No... Sakura can sense that there =were= people here, on some subconscious level.
And then they make their appearance. Drake makes an appeal to the girl's reason. She doesn't buy it. She's never been one to listen to good advice, the first go-round, either.
"So I'm told," is her clipped response. It's clipped... because Arika's trying to rush past her and slam her fist into her associate's face. She's kinda against that -- the intermingling of her personality with the Doll programming has resurrected some small portion of her ego, after all -- and letting someone get past her would be a slight to that. Even if she is talking, and somewhat distracted by Drake.
Which would be why Sakura suddenly rushes backwards, her form a blur as she places herself between Arika and Miercoles. Yes, this means she's going to take the punch -- but it'll be meeting an open palm. The followup flare of chi will be matched with another open palm.
"No unauthorized visitors allowed, I'm afraid," comes the Taiyo graduate's reply. She's already a bit more weary than she'd like to be, but that's to be expected.
Expected if she's going to move forward to headbutt Arika.
One would hope this buys Miercoles and Drake the second or two they'd need to figure out the answers to their own questions.
There's people here who aren't supposed to be here. That answers Miercoles' question perfectly well. "You people just don't learn, do you? Guess we're just going to have to beat it into your thick skulls!" The aura of purple Psycho Power surrounding the young man suddenly winks out, and then a moment later he himself vanishes in a flash of purple and dark red.
Miercoles blurs right past Sakura and Arika, assuming Sakura can handle herself. He's more interested in shutting up the pretty boy. He's talking too much, and he's annoyingly handsome. Not that you could get Miercoles to admit that Drake might be /better/ looking... But he's good looking enough to be an affront to the Seven Days agent's ego. Perhaps a Psycho Power wrapped fist to the face followed by a shoulder charge will help fix that. And that's just what Miercoles has in mind, blurring back into view as he lashes out with his right fist.
COMBATSYS: Drake dodges Miercoles' Shooting Crusher.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
"Sakura!," Drake snaps, trying to get her attention to center on him again. But it seems like it isn't working right now. She apparently has the presence of mind to intercept Arika's would-be charging strike in a grapple.
But before Drake can do anything more with it, he spies the maroon-suited male flying towards him. Drake's right foot swiftly sets behind the left, stance adjusting itself, and his body twists back to allow the fist to whiz past him. But nevertheless, this guy he'll deal with in a minute. He knows how Sakura fights... he thinks. Or at least he knows what kind of punishment she can dish out, after having fought her in a what-might-have-been Neo League match. Arika's in need of help, and he has the high hopes that subduing the girl might let him talk some sense into her.
So rather than immediately launch a counter attack on his assailant, he leaps for the wall adjacent to Sakura. He hasn't trained his wall-work too extensively, so rather than scampering up its side, he simply springs backwards. Body twists low through the air in a lazy backflip motion, aiming to collide squarely with Sakura's upside-down to bear her against the floor in a moonsault. Hopefully it's timed well enough to help Arika keep from getting hurt, to boot.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Arika with Fierce Punch.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Arika
Not surprising when Sakura jumps in front of her attack. Wouldn't the diva do the same for Drake?
Surprising, though is how much Sakura's head -hurts-. LORD. What the Hell? Is the chick's head filled with rocks or something? Dazed and confused, Arika is forced back several steps, and gives her head a shake as she tries to keep her focus in the fight.
Glaring at Sakura, she snorts. See what happens when her teammates stop to smell the roses? They should have showed a unified front, and though Arika may not be tactically minded, she -knew- that engaging the enemy in idle banter was pointless.
Taking another moment to snap out of it, she rubs her tender forehead and then sends herself in a spiral spin toward Sakura. As she comes out of it, her foot is lashing out in a quick roundhouse toward her opponent's face, hoping to either connect it before Drake manages to bring her down or to knock her back if he misses.
It seems Sakura is firmly convinced that she has not errored in her judgement. Unfortunately for the Stars, it means they will have to face her, alongside one of the Seven Days.
If there's one thing Eva's learned, focusing her attack alongside her companions can be a good way of wearing an enemy down quickly, even if it risks opening up the field to said enemy's own comrade. So when Drake and Arika target Sakura, Eva does the same. "I apologize," she says softly as she loosens the coat off her shoulders, exposing the slowly healing remains of claw marks up and down her arms. They may be recongizable as Kurow's own work if Sakura were to glance, but whether or not she does is beyond the matter at hand.
Timing her attack to come after Drake and Arika's in order to further compliment their team assault, Eva wraps the coat's sleeves around both hands and attempts to loop it around Sakura's head like a fishing net. If she succeeds, she'll jerk Sakura towards her in a twist of the fabric, sending her on her way back with a roundhouse kick to the middle of Sakura's body, be it behind, the side, or the front, all while reclaiming her jacket by letting go of one sleeve.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Drake's Darkside Slam.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Rhythmic Roundhouse.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Eva successfully hits Sakura with Black Hook.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
For the past three weeks or so, Sakura has gotten into an extraordinary number of fights with people who want her to come back to Southtown. People who know her, people who want to see her back healthy and whole.
It doesn't seem that the Shooting Stars are those people, because they're triple-teaming her. Sakura actually handles them with considerable aplomb -- Drake's moonsault is neatly blocked as the young woman raises her stainless-steel gauntlets, a rather loud *clank* resounding throughout the cells. Arika's high roundhouse misses as the Shadaloo agent swerves back sharply afterward, pulling her head just out of range.
If it weren't for the coordinated attack, that might be the end of it -- but Eva's there to loop a coat around her head, tug her aside, and kick her out of the way with a roundhouse. Sakura's hits the floor with a thud! Oof!
A rumbling erupts upstairs -- a rather sizable detonation of C4 had been triggered, from the sound of things. The explosion is followed immediately thereafter by alarm klaxons, making for a very annoying aural experience. Sounds like someone else is beginning a coordinated assault at the exact same time. "Miercoles, other formidable personnel are in place upstairs. Please continue to assist me." It doesn't seem that she has a more direct response for any of the three Shooting Stars in particular -- all she knows is attacking is probably a good thing! Which would be why she focuses on the one =furthest= from her -- the one who knows her the most, and thus stands the best chance of screwing with her psychological game. Gritting her teeth from the pain, she doesn't bother shouting it -- but she does curl her hands to one side, flinging them forward for a ball of chi that Drake ought to know well -- despite it being a rather nasty fusion of purple and black.
Really now, how rude. It's like Miercoles isn't even here! Sure, from a rational standpoint that just means that it will be easier for him to get out of this fight with a minimal amount of damage taken... But he has a pretty big ego, and being ignored doesn't suit him well. "You guys made a mistake coming here!"
The agent races up behind the Shooting Stars, reaching out toward Eva, since she was the last to move forward. If he manages to wrap his arms around her waist she'll find herself yanked up off the ground and then slammed down in a suplex. Bad enough, but then there's the eruption of Psycho Power which engulfs her head on impact, and the fact that it's followed up by a second impact and explosion before she's tossed aside.
COMBATSYS: Drake parries Sakura's Medium Psydouken!
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
'Bonk'.
An adventure in forcefield ramming.
It may as well be, for those blasted metal gauntlets on Sakura's arms. To say the wallowing and writhing a wrestler does after missing an aerial or high-risk manuever is all show isn't precisely true. Just look at Drake. He's not got an audience to perform for, and he doesn't look bright -or- shiny after his torso has impacted her metal plates. It's like wrestling an effing robot.
Nevertheless, Drake handles the rebound with an excellent display of finely honed acrobatic finesse. He flips in the opposite direction after the impact, twisting through the air to land in a crouch. But that's about where the obvious pain from slamming into metal is evidenced. Teeth grit, eyes are narrowed, and his arms are looped around his torso. He can't even bring himself back up to his feet just yet. It's really taking all of his composure just to not topple over and wriggle like a worm baking in the sun.
But then motivation strikes him like so many hadoukens. He analyzes her movements and recognizes it instantly - that blasted projectile business of hers. As it comes his way, he opts to dive himself the rest of the way down, except to slide beneath the blast even as it develops. The very moment it becomes independant from her hands, Drake shoots up to his full height, and his arms lash out to loop around her waist. While this might look as though he's trying to 'seduce' her to the side of good, it's not so much. His arms, in fact, squeeze along her body, crushing the smaller female against him. In particular, he attempts to compress her abdomen against his firm six-packed abs to both prevent her from drawing breath and causing large amounts of damage.
Though for the duration of the bearhug, Drake attempts to reach her again. "C'mon, Sakura! This isn't the way you were before! The girl I met would never do this. She was... sweet."
Psh. Arika was aiming for Miercoles first, but Sakura jumped in the way! The diva would've tried to concentrate on him, but when Sakura lashed back out at her, it determined the course of action she had to take.
Rolling her eyes as Drake flirts with the Shadaloo Doll, Arika is half tempted to smack him upside the head and tell him to fight but she's really trying to focus here. The hand that -would- have been aimed at the leader of the Shooting Stars, is instead aimed toward Sakura's face. To do this, she's got to actually move in a manner that coincides with Drake's attack, because otherwise it's not going to work. Once she's shifted into the position she desires to be in, she sends the heel of her palm toward the side of Sakura's nose in an attempt to crack it, break it, or otherwise damage it.
COMBATSYS: Eva dodges Miercoles' Double Psychoplex.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
Well, Sakura, it's best to blame it on the circumstances. The idea that someone even more powerful and more willing to do well in the name of Shadaloo (no tanning beds needed) might come through a door someplace and quickly made mincemeat of them all powers Eva's motivation. Besides, the girl figures, they could just drag her unconscious body out of here and try to learn the truth behind Sakura's willingness to... well, not be her usual self. She's iconic enough that Eva, who has trouble trying to assemble the names of millions of fighters that she doesn't know personally to their respective faces, knows that this isn't her.
Not unless Sakura's built a candid stage presence to hide the truth. But that can't be right, can it? Can it?
These thoughts aren't enough to distract Eva from nimbly dodging Miercoles's grab like a bowing dancer, disengaging the young man to move towards Sakura. "It appears we're not the only ones here. You'd better run while you can, sir." Grunting, she runs forward towards the overloaded(?) young girl, wheeling her foot around in a sharp kick, toes first, towards the girl's abdomen. There's a look of empathy on Eva's own face as she commits the action, whether it connects or not, a wrinkling of the brow that shows that she's acting against her subconscious nature. However, her mind knows and reasons that, if Eva does not commit herself towards downing the young fighter, a worse fate may befall Sakura if she fell into the hands of someone who does not wish to make sure she stays alive. Damn it, Arika, that's a sensitive place to hit!
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Drake's Blackout EX.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Quick Punch.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Eva
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Medium Kick from Eva with Shou'ou Ken.
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Miercoles 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Eva
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Sakura 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
True... without coordination from Drake, Arika's attack probably =wouldn't= land. Which is why Sakura astutely decides to simply not be there when Drake tries to latch onto her, nor when Arika aims to punch her in the nose. Sure, she'd noticed that Drake more or less went through her Psycho-Powered Hadouken... but she doesn't have the luxury of commenting on that as she herself is in the midst of throwing herself into a rapid tumble to the side.
Of course, when she rises to her feet, mouth open to comment to Drake -- Eva's RIGHT THERE trying to kick her in the tummy.
Kasugano grits her teeth, widens her stance, and waits for impact. When Eva's knee cracks into her side, Kasugano launches forward. Her Shou'ou Ken -- a rushing uppercut punch that ends with Sakura launching into the air -- has had a horrible track record lately... but for some reason her Psycho Power infusion seems to have helped those odds, allowing her to ram her fist, sheathed with that terrible black-veined and purple energy, to slam right into her aggressor's chin in the midst of her kick.
Flying into the air for a moment, she spins about and turns to face Drake, sticking a finger at him. "You three seem to know much about me. But where's the justice in triple-teaming someone you don't intend to kill?" Her voice is cold, mechanical -- whatever emotional routines she'd allowed herself to emulate have been blocked out for the moment.
These Shooting Stars are pretty slippery. And they're making Miercoles look like a bit of a fool. It certainly doesn't look good to have them slipping away from his attacks while Sakura is left to deal with the assault. He's never going to live it down if there winds up being a report that says he just sort of stood around while Sakura dealt with everything.
The hispanic youth gives a low growl, waves of purple Psycho Power rising off of him as he clenches his hands into fists. Oh, he'll show them. One of these three is going to be unlucky enough to face the full force of his power, and then he'll show them. He'll show them all! But particularly the one unlucky enough to be his next target.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
Drake misses his grab on the girl, effectively hugging on the air. Awwh. He doesn't look like he's terribly pleased with this, though. He turns in time to see Eva decked by Sakura, and his teeth grit. That had to be painful. In a terrible, terrible way. But when Sakura poses her question, Drake is quick to respond, his attention focused almost completely on the tanned femme.
"You've got it all wrong, Sakura," Drake says, using her name again to try and give her that mental shock that'll hopefully wear her evil resolve down. His smooth voice is composed - soft and gentle in tone. "I.. -we-.. are trying to bring you down so you don't get -yourself- killed. The Thailand forces aren't going to kill a girl who's not fighting. I guarantee it."
Drake rushes in towards her again, closing the distance to lead yet another assault. Thie time he closes in at her side, right arm going to hook over her stomach, left arm making to tuck under her legs to hoist her up into a cradled position. If caught, he drops to a kneel, smashing her back over the upturned one in a backbreaker.
"So quit fighting! Just lay down and let us help you."
Apparently Sakura thinks it is a sensitive place for Arika to be aiming for too, as she simply dodges right out of the way. It's infuriating really, but did she expect any less from one of Vega's own trained soldiers? Quickly twisting out of the way, she sets herself up in a defensive stance again so she can take account of everything else that is happening in the fight.
Sakura's words ring in the diva's ears though, causing her to scoff quietly. "Who says that ain't the intention?" Picking up from the other two that this one shouldn't be acting as she is, it's an easy to make assumption. Oh, sure. The Shooting Stars are supposed to be the good guys in all of this. Should be rescuing people. Should be setting things right. But the one thing her teammates may have forgotten is that this is a -war-. That changes things for the diva, since she's well aware that not -everyone- is going to make it out of Thailand alive, and she'd rather not be a casualty.
Despite what Drake says, that's her mindset. Bringing someone down so they don't get themselves killed? Right. Maybe that's what the team as a whole will wind up doing, but Arika? She's looking out for herself (and Drake) first.
Charging forward, Arika twists her body to the side and angles her shoulder up toward the Doll's midsection. That's until she sees Drake moving in to hoist the girl up. Well Hell. That goes and messes things up for her, and she's got to think fast so as not to waste her momentum.
At the very last second she cartwheels and sends a bicycle kick to Sakura's body (held or unheld at this point). The right leg comes down first, followed by the left and if she manages to get away unscathed, she'll simply land in a crouch on the ground.
The fist hits home, sending Eva flying backwards through the air and against a wall, leaving a dent as the young girl slides down to the ground with a grunt. And she stays there, unable to move just yet, until she slowly stands up, coughing and wheezing from pain and the blood that drips down her face from her mouth and nose. Ow. Ow. Ow. Aspirin. Please.
But the idea of 'justice', which is what Sakura is accusing all of them of lacking, makes the girl's hackles rise. She's not that much of a 'crusader for justice' as some are; Eva's just very sympathetic towards the plight of others. And having had to see such plights up close, the girl is ready to let loose with a verbal assault. And she's certainly ready to aim low.
"And how is what Shadaloo doing here justice, then? Entire villages are mowed down, complete with men, women and children. How is that justice?" Wiping the blood streaming from her nose and mouth, Eva continues, those light blue eyes burning like ice on a summer sidewalk as she looks directly at the more experienced fighter. "Do you think many of those people can fight back against a *tank*? A *tank*, Sakura! What justice is in *that*?! Or do they not deserve justice, in that little world view Shadaloo convinced you of?! Or would you prefer everyone become little minions underneath Shadaloo, including every man, woman, and child? Children, Sakura. I bet they'd make *wonderful* killers for Shadaloo, wouldn't they?!" Eva's hitting low, but it may be the only way to test if Sakura has any weak points that any of them could exploit. At this point, however, she's assuming, drawing only from the matches she's happened to have seen and assumptions on Sakura's very character. She seemed spirited, didn't she? The type who'd care about things like this, right?
Eva'll have to commit to that gamble. Stumbling upwards, she walks towards Sakura, then scrambles into a run, throwing her elbow back to throw a heavy, but clumsy punch at Sakura. Powerful, but slow. "People look up to you! Give them something to look up *to*!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Eva's Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Heavy Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Drake's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
Lay down and help. Right. "Tanks are incapable of =hitting= me, let alone killing me." To Sakura, Drake's argument has no meaning. And really... if he were trying to sweet-talk her when she =wasn't= riddled with Psycho Power and Doll programming and Kurow's blasted music... well, it'd probably =still= meet resistance. She dissed Benimaru, after all.
Well... whatever it is that Drake's trying to pull the girl into... it doesn't work. He manages to grab onto her stomach, before the agile Shadaloo agent twists right out of his grasp. Her boots hit the ground, and she leaps free, leaving Arika and Eva to kick and punch, respectively, at empty air.
"You're asking me to lie down and not be killed. Shadaloo has been asking the people of this nation, not to lie down, but to join us, to share our love with the rest of the world. It's not much different." Clear thinking, analytical... Kasugano is =definitely= not herself.
But she also has no compunctions against slamming a thrust kick right at Arika's abdomen, just to keep the physical conversation going. She raises her voice, though, as she's directing her words to another party. "Do you plan on making yourself useful today, Mr Miercoles?"
The purple power flaring up around Miercoles starts to die down, but doesn't go away completely. He's pissed off, and he's starting to bleed off power as he draws on more than he actually needs. It's probably going to end up costing him in the long run, but right now he doesn't really care. A quick flick of his eyes across the combatants lets Miercoles choose his target, and he settles on Drake.
With an angry cry the young Seven Days agent shoots forward, Psycho Power flaring up around his fist as he attempts to drive it viciously into Drake's chest. But that's only the beginning...
COMBATSYS: Drake dodges Miercoles' Psycho - Combination.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Arika
Drake fails to follow through with the backbreaker attempt on Sakura, but he falls to the knelt position anyhow. "Arika!," he chastises. He'll have to have a chat with his teammate later, apparently. She seems almost kill -crazy-. And that's a problem.
"Love!? Is that what you call this? Think about what you just said. Do these people deserve murder? Is murder ever an act of love?," he demands, growing a bit frustrated. His talking seems to be getting nowhere, after all. "If that's the way you think, then why should -you- be spared from death when you're so liberal in murdering innocents?"
He has more to say. But at about that time, Miercoles is letting out an angry cry. Drake's dark eyes lock onto the approaching Shadaloo agent. The moment the fist powers towards Drake, he leaps aside from his crouched position, dodging the fist completely. Drake's boots hit the wall, and he springs from it in the opposite direction towards Sakura, right fist extended in a flying haymaker.
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Sakura's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Arika
Hands drop down toward her abdomen to stop the kick from hitting her so drastically. Catching it with her wrists, she winces and then turns to Drake. "What?!? This -is- a war, last I checked." She's not exactly kill crazy, but she -is- survival crazy. If killing some of these Shadalosers is the only way she'll get home safely, then so be it.
"Brainwashing people is -not- love," Arika says through gritted teeth. "Forcing people to your way of thinking isn't -love-." As someone who's recently allowed herself to trust again, and find that she actually -can- care for someone without them leaving her, she's fairly certain she's got a right to say such things. "Shadaloo wouldn't know what love was if it jumped up and bit'em on the nose."
Drake springs toward Sakura with his right fist, and so Arika skirts to the girl's side to try and hold her in place so the hit can make its mark. As the leader of the Stars comes by (whether he connects with his punch or not) she makes a grab for Sakura's arm and tries to pull her down to the ground with a sharp arm wrench.
The more Eva speaks and associates with Sakura, the more scared she becomes inside. Will this person be the sort she'd be if she was captured? Eva cannot certainly count of whatever mental reserves she has to withstand whatever sorts of convincing Shadaloo may do to her. To lose her reasoning, her goals, her wants, wishes, and needs? She'd probably show no glimmer of the person she once was, unlike Sakura, who still seems recongizable enough for Drake to reason with her.
It also appears that Eva seems to be in the middle position of this drama between Arika and Drake, whether she realizes it or not. The girl wishes to help, but she also wishes to survive. However, for her, it means pulling out with your friends if things get bad, not fighting to the death. .... well, alright, the Kurow battle was a fluke. "... We'll leave wars to soldiers and generals," Eva says softly to Arika as she stands aside her, though she does not chance a look at the young woman right now. "For now, our priority is helping others... and making sure we stay in one piece while doing so."
"Have you been to the villages ravaged by the war, in the countryside, Sakura?" She furrows her brow. "If there is love, it is a harsh type. They only want to live life and provide for their families; I say that they have a right to choose, and to not have that decision get made fo-" Miercoles jumps in, cutting the girl off as he goes for Drake. In a pure defensive reaction to his assault on Drake, whether it hits or misses, Eva lets fly her own attack, running towards him and jumping into the air, circling her legs out wide in a single brutual spin before landing.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Strong Punch from Drake with Shou'ou Ken.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/=======/=======|=======\=------\1 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Arika
Kasugano shakes her head slightly at the three Shooting Stars. "It's apparent you three lack the motivation to continue this discussion rationally." Sakura's been over this before with other folks -- she's never advocated killing, herself, and she's fought =against= Shadaloo every time the subject's come up. Besides, all the wounds have been non-fatal. The fact of the matter, as she sees it, is that people are provided for =after= the fighting and bloodshed is over. They may not =like= being unified under one leader's rule -- a leader Sakura considers wise and benevolent -- but they'll get used to it, in her clouded mind! Eva's the only one even close to understanding Sakura's message, from her viewpoint... but it's a moot point now, as the young woman has her own problems. And Sakura, hers.
Kasugano might not know =exactly= what's up, but she can tell Arika's closing in on her from the side, and Drake's moving up from his position. Frowning slightly, she holds her position until the very last instant -- at which point she swerves sharply to the side, neatly pulling her arm away from Arika's grapple attempt. She'll need that arm, and more importantly its steel bracing, to deflect Drake's mad, do-or-die haymaker. "Overcommitted," she comments, continuing her steps to the side as Drake's momentum carries him forward, and her arm with it.
She makes excellent use of the other arm, though -- with a flare of dense purple Psycho Power, the Ansatsuken-trained Doll uppercuts sharply into the wrestler's torso, her rising punch more than powerful enough to knock him completely out of his flight -- and possibly into the ceiling as well.
Ryu would likely be proud of the Shoryuken, if, y'know, Sakura weren't totally out of her mind at the moment!
A quiet 'tch' escapes Miercoles as Drake slips away from him once more. Fine then... If the pretty boy won't stand still, he'll just have to focus his attention back to the ladies for a while. He quickly shifts his weight, turning without even pausing to slow down from his failed charge toward Drake. He reorients himself toward Arika then comes up from behind the young woman.
He's hoping she'll be late to notice his presence, but even if she does react to him Miercoles doesn't intend to slow down. He leaps into the air to finish closing the distance between them and Psycho Power flares up around his foot as the young man attempts to sweep a kick into the side of Arika's head.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles blocks Eva's Luna Mezza.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/------=|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Sakura 1/=======/=======|=======\=------\1 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Arika
A quiet 'tch' escapes Miercoles as Drake slips away from him once more. Fine then... If the pretty boy won't stand still, he'll just have to focus his attention back to the ladies for a while. He quickly shifts his weight, turning without even pausing to slow down from his failed charge toward Drake. He reorients himself toward Arika then comes up from behind the young woman, flinging out one of his arms as Eva's legs come spinning in at him. The impact pushes him slightly to one side, but it's not enough to slow him down for more than a fraction of a second.
He's hoping she'll be late to notice his presence, but even if she does react to him Miercoles doesn't intend to slow down. He leaps into the air to finish closing the distance between them and Psycho Power flares up around his foot as the young man attempts to sweep a kick into the side of Arika's head.
Hitting the ceiling, indeed. Drake slams against it with a yelp, and he drops back to the floor in a crouch, growling. That.. -hurt-. It has to be that new whatever it is she has going on around her. Sure, those metal gauntlets aren't helping things much... but enough's enough. Sakura's gone delusional and chosen the wrong side. She won't cooperate or rationalize, so be it. He's finished screwing around.
Drake pushes himself back to his feet, decidedly wasting no more breath on the girl. He instead dashes back in towards her, hands chambering at his sides. The moment he closes in, both hands rocket out in a double palmheel strike aimed for her midsection. The moment his arms are fully extended, his hands ignite in a dazzling white flash of concussive energy.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles successfully hits Arika with Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/=======/=======|=======\=------\1 Drake
> /////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
"DRAKE!" The cry comes the moment Sakura sends him toward the ceiling. As such, the punk rock princess is distracted and though she catches Meircoles foot coming at her from the side, she's unable to move out of the way in time. Though the kick is rather hard and causes her to stagger back against the wall, all she does is spit out, "Liked you a 'ell of a lot better when you were mindin' you're own business." Subconsciously raising her hand to the side of her head where the kick hit, she frowns. Hurt a lot more than a kick should have, she figures.
Time to try and refocus on things though. Drake takes point again, so the diva slips around to the side. Movements are quick, and she's nearly running the length it takes her to get to Sakura. Jumping in the air she twists her body once and attempts to slam her hip into Sakura's back and knock her directly into Drake's attack.
Slim black boots hit the ground as the spin is over, momentum causing their heels to squeak against slick concrete. It seems that Drake has forgone talking, so Eva will follow suit. Whatever Sakura did to her, she just did to Drake, and Eva's just not sure if her body could take another one of those attacks. It's best to focus on her until she's down, *then* focus on Sakura's companion.
The coat comes into play again, Eva using her companion's focus on Sakura to her own advantage. Waiting for the two to finish, Eva then strikes, attempting to loop the jacket over the brainwashed youth's head once more. If it connects, instead of sending Sakura on her way with a sharp kick, Eva will jerk the jacket downward, presenting Sakura's face to the Star's knee, which will smash into the girl's face three times before Eva tugs the jacket away from Sakura's head to hopefully leave her disorientated enough to not attack back immediately.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Drake's Whiteout.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> /////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Eva's Sfumato Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> /////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Sakura with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> /////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
So they're back to ignoring Miercoles? Fair enough! It's tricky fighting people who coordinate their attacks anywhere near as well as the Shooting Stars... so Sakura feels she's doing well enough, considering.
But this is no time to pat oneself on the back -- Drake's closing in with his fists. Simple enough -- throw her steel armguard into the blow, squinting her eyes for the burst of light. It hurts, sure, but not as much as it could have! But while she's temporarily blinded, Arika chooses that moment to slam her hip into Sakura's back -- something she wasn't =quite= prepared for! While she's stumbling forward, Eva is able to wrap that coat about her head... but Sakura's regained some of her wits by that point, and scrambles out of the entrapping garment's path before those knees can slam home.
Still... there's only so much she can take of this. Arika's =angry= at her now, and it's causing undesired instability between her Doll psyche and the Kurow-encouraged mental state. It's... making =her= mad, really. And that'd be why Kasugano whips out with a quick spin kick, aimed at bowling the Punk Rock Diva right over before Drake can save her! "Hrrraaaa!"
There's no way Miercoles is going to let Sakura get all the glory out of this. No way at all. There's something to be said for coming out of a fight with barely a scratch on you, but if you really want people to believe you were out there kicking ass you need at least a few bruises to show off. For the moment, though, Miercoles will just have to settle for trying to dish out the damage.
People keep turning their backs on Miercoles, and that's a pretty open invitation for an attack. This time he turns his sights back on Eva. Dealing with that jacket seems like it should be fairly awkward... Perhaps she'll be vulnerable while she's recovering from a swing of the garment? Miercoles dashes up behind Eva, crossing the space between them in a blur. When he comes to a halt both of his hands are clasped together up in the air, burning with Psycho Power as he slams down a double handed strike aimed at the back of Eva's neck.
Drake strikes those metallic gauntlets with his palms. It probably would've actually hurt -him- had he struck with closed fists. Nevertheless, it was not how the Star leader intended that attack to go. Frigging girl seems somehow -tougher- than she was earlier. Again he acredits this to the weird aura she's developed.
Undeterred by this and observing Sakura's movements, Drake attempts to capitalize on her distraction - her attack on Arika. He ducks in at her side, right arm attempting to grab ahold of the girl's unused leg while she kicks, and his left hand makes a grab for her neck. If caught, he hoists her up across his shoulders akin to a torture rack submission hold. And while he yanks fiercely on the leg and neck to arch her into the hold, it lasts only a couple seconds. Because then, he simply hops into the air and drops back, aiming to slam her back squarely against the floor.
And if it should hit, Drake simply releases her and rolls forward to raise back to his feet.
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Sakura's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> /////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Arika is, truthfully -beyond- angry at this point. She's sick and tired of the war, she's sick and tired of Thailand, and quite frankly she wants to go home without being carried out in a bodybag. This girl, associated with Shadaloo and those that are continually harming the innocent people of Thailand, is preventing her from doing so.
That being said, while the diva is keeping a close eye on Drake, she not only spots the quick kick coming toward her, but she manages to get the heck out of the way of it. Ducking under the foot, she shoots her arms up in the off chance that she's not quick enough. Drake is spied moving in and she weaves out of the way so she can attempt to time her attack with his.
Chambering her hands at her sides she spins in place for a few rotations. Then she swings her right arm out as though throwing a discus and aims it for Sakura's head. Hopefully it will hit whether or not Drake manages to lift the girl up or not.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles successfully hits Eva with Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|=======\======-\1 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> //////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
There's no offense meant in Eva's ignoring of Miercoles. She learned her lesson with Kurow: *always* focus on the strongest opponent, or else said opponent will make mincemeat of you. The stitches in Eva's back attest to this.
However, in using this strategy, it means turning your back occasionally to the other enemy. Miercoles's hits may not be landing as much as Sakura's, but when they do, they're *powerful*. "*Grkt*," Eva's eyelids fly open as she crumples helplessly to the ground underneath the weight of Miercoles's Psycho-powered fists. Fumbling to the side before the agent can land immediately land another blow on her pained body, Eva forces her body to stand on its feet, collecting her wits once more. Coughing, bile and spit fly out of her mouth into her hand, along with the pink froth of blood mixed with saliva.
".... gotta make this one count, looks like..." she mumbles to herself underneath her breath. Eva's not sure how long she'll last. She does, however, think she can attempt to make a lasting blow on one of them, and, despite Miercoles's insistance on the fight coming to him, Eva's going to stay the course. Ice blue eyes set on Sakura, coming out of their glazed state, watching for another opening. When it comes, she seizes it with the utmost urgency, grabbing her jacket in one hand and rushing at Sakura. "Chiaro..." Blue light runs like veins down and around the clasped jacket, flaming to life as Eva prepares to semi-literally throw the gauntlet at the young fighter. "-Scuro!" The jacket is swung against Sakura and swung again, the soaked chi making any possible brush with it a brush of dire pain as Eva keeps stroking the air in front of Sakura with it. No fist will come into contact with Sakura as this goes on; if it is, it's an intentional brush of knuckles, not even enough to bruise a cheek.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Drake's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> //////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> //////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
COMBATSYS: Eva successfully hits Sakura with Chiaroscuro.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Sakura 1/--=====/=======|=======\==-----\1 Drake
> //////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Tougher than she was before? Maybe so... Sakura sure seems to =think= she is. But perhaps it's more because her pride isn't on the line -- there's no need to put on an elaborate show for the audience now, so she can shine even more, perhaps.
Or maybe that's just Ryu talking.
Regardless, Kasugano doesn't seem deterred by the three fighters trying to dogpile her, any more. It's something she's come to expect, at least. She's already said her peace on the issue, after all.
She is a bit confused by Arika's whirling about in place though. Where in the world did she learn =that= technique? Nonplussed, the Ansatsuken-trained Doll leaps back and out of the way of both that and Drake's attacks, landing a fair distance from the wall.
Just in time to completely forget abotu Eva's strike from the side -- what's with that jacket anyway? The Shadaloo agent tries to jump again, but the jacket's reach is a bit longer --enough for the chi wrapped up in it to smack into the girl, battering her quite heavily to the side. She cries out in pain, three or four times... but it's something she's quite consciously suppressing at the moment!
Still... as much as she's been focusing on the ladies who keep getting in her face, Kasugano really can't ignore the male model. Staggering back from Eva's attack, the girl slams her hands forward, foregoing the usual charge-up procedure to try and catch Drake completely unawares with a sudden burst of Psycho Power. "HADOUKEN!"
Tougher than she was before? Maybe so... Sakura sure seems to =think= she is. But perhaps it's more because her pride isn't on the line -- there's no need to put on an elaborate show for the audience now, so she can shine even more, perhaps.
Or maybe that's just Ryu talking.
Regardless, Kasugano doesn't seem deterred by the three fighters trying to dogpile her, any more. It's something she's come to expect, at least. She's already said her peace on the issue, after all.
She is a bit confused by Arika's whirling about in place though. Where in the world did she learn =that= technique? Nonplussed, the Ansatsuken-trained Doll leaps back and out of the way of both that and Drake's attacks, landing a fair distance from the wall.
Just in time to completely forget abotu Eva's strike from the side -- what's with that jacket anyway? The Shadaloo agent tries to jump again, but the jacket's reach is a bit longer --enough for the chi wrapped up in it to smack into the girl, battering her quite heavily to the side. She cries out in pain, three or four times... but it's something she's quite consciously suppressing at the moment!
Still... as much as she's been focusing on the ladies who keep getting in her face, Kasugano really can't ignore the male model. Staggering back from Eva's attack, the girl hammers one simple fist forward at Drake's face -- hoping to discourage him from trying to toss her again! "HAAA!"
Well, now Miercoles has drawn blood. And of course, when you see weakness that means its time to move in for the kill. Eva's not completely disabled yet, but she's still focused on Sakura. She may be running toward Kasugano, but Miercoles is no slouch when it comes to moving swiftly. He charges up at Eva from behind again, but this time he reaches out in an attempt to wrap his arms around her torso. If he manages to snare the girl he then leans back in an attempt to yank her up off her feet and suplex her into the floor with an explosive blast of Psycho Power on impact.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Drake with Fierce Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Drake
> //////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Drake blinks. Not only has he failed to get a good grip on the girl, but she's just leapt clean away. Eva's managed to catch her, though, and that brings a smile to Drake's face. For as much as he was wanting to go easy on her, she's given them no choice. -And- she's been beating up his teammates. And him. This calls for disciplinary action, really. Even if her thinking's messed up for whatever reason.
But then her fist has found its way to his face. Surprisingly quickly... and hard enough to floor him. Drake lays there in a daze for a couple seconds, mind reeling.
OH.
NO.
SHE.
DIDN'T.
Drake growls angrily and kips up to his feet, hands clenching into white-knuckled fists. After trying to reason with her and everything.. she just hauls off and strikes him right in the face. That's going to leave quite a sizable bruise, as well. To say Drake is displeased is an understatement. He rushes towards the girl in question, hands lashing out to attempt to grab her forcefully by the shoulders...
...And if those shoulders are grabbed, Drake jerks the girl forward and downwards, locking her neck between his legs. His arms then hook around her stomach to hoist her up into piledrive position. The first phase of the Total Eclipse begins, his arms tightening to crush the girl's abdomen excruciatingly for several seconds while holding her suspended to allow the blood to rush to her head.
After those painfully long seconds, the angered model begins phase two of the Total Eclipse. He leaps into the air - albeit much lower than normal for this manuever due to the ceiling height - and instantly pulls into a series of forward flips. By the time the jump is on the descent, the flipping motion sees the two fighters blurred together in an opaque swirl of motion right up until the full momentum, coupled with their combined bodyweight, comes crashing down against the girl's head at the finale of the personalized piledriver.
-That- technique is a simple discus punch; more commonly used as a forearm attack or clothesline. As for where she's learned it? Boning up on professional wrestling matches so that she might actually be able to best the team leader in a surprising manner during their next training session.
Guess it's not so much of a surprise any more, but maybe he was too distracted to actually see the flubbed att--
Apparently he -is- distracted. Hearing the fist smash into his face, Arika narrows her eyes. Knowing that he's going to be highly irritated by it, she backs away a few steps. After clearing the way for his attack she begins to prepare one of her own. On the off chance Drake happens to miss his grab of the Shadaloo girl, she's got her fist prepared to slam into Sakura's face, followed by another slam with the energy imbued heel of her palm slamming against the upper chest area just below the neck. If he hits, the attack will come as soon as Sakura attempts to make her next move.
COMBATSYS: Eva dodges Miercoles' Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Thank god Eva's true profession does not require you to look your best. In fact, if you came to a gallery opening wearing your flannel pajamas and hair that sticks out a million different directions, it'd be considered a quirk, rather than a career-ending move. In fact, people may consider that a reason to love you all the more.
And boy, does Eva have injuries. People who have thought her to be 'pretty in a classic way' would probably not say so now. Eva just looks *raw*, between the sunburnt skin, the bug bites, the mud, the rashes from brushing against certain plants.... oh yeah and the stuff she's gotten in battle.
Unfortunately for Miercoles, his bloodlust will not be sated immediately. As tired as Eva is from her outburst, she slips out of his arms' reach like an alert deer thwarting the wolf just before teeth hit hide. She flashes a vague look at Miercoles, eyes wide, then, almost mechanically, she goes back to Sakura. It goes against her nature to team up on someone, but Miercoles is certainly making sure that karma gets a bite at her.
Throwing her body down into a kneel on one foot, Eva swings the other around to attempt to hook around Sakura's ankle. If she succeeds, she'll pull her foot backwards, attempting to make Sakura's ability to dodge Arika's attack more difficult.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Diva Allegro.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Drake's Total Eclipse.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Eva's Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Somehow... it's as if the world is telling Sakura to stick with Shadaloo, because she's been gifted with extraordinary luck in this fight. When Drake reaches in for her shoulders, the young woman's just quick enough to lean back, bringing those shoulders -- and the rest of her -- just out of his reach. When Arika follows up with a series of two vicious strikes, Kasugano starts to duck -- but then she sees Eva's foot swinging towards her. She shifts into a monkeylike evasion, planting one hand on the ground just long enough for her to roll off to the side. How she did that... is a mystery! Especially considering she hadn't been able to reliably dodge attacks in a Saturday Night Fight for quite some time!
But all good things must come to an end, even a series of attacks that =should= have taken the Shadaloo Doll down. She's definitely winded, panting despite her Doll-programming-enforced control. She gives Miercoles a brief glance, before curling her hand into a fist. She whirls it around to strike Arika...
But goes =way= overboard in the process, as it was nothing more than a feint for a rather vicious kick to the ribs. "HYAAA!"
With his trouble hitting the members of this team, Miercoles is more than a little angry. But he can be angry and on the move at the same time, so he's not just going to stop and stew in his rage. He just keeps going when Eva moves out of the way, bringing himself across the fight with a duck and a roll to keep from getting in between Sakura and their opponents.
Miercoles finally pops out of his roll on the opposite side of the fight from where he started, skidding to a stop before kicking off the ground to launch himself back in toward the fight. Psycho Power engulfs Miercoles' right hand as he attempts to drive a punch into the side of Drake's face, angling his fist to get the most impact out of the heavy gold ring on his middle finger.
COMBATSYS: Drake parries Miercoles' Medium Punch!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> ////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Drake's fingertips nearly graze Sakura's shoulders, amethyst eyes ablaze. But she moves out of the way, and just... goes right past him. Absurd! Maybe trying to talk sense into her -was- a waste of time. He starts to close in on the distracted Sakura again, except for... one problem.
He catches sight of Miercoles coming in from the side.
Drake is a blur of tense motion, body twisting aside with his left hand shooting out to deflect and grab ahold of Miercoles' wrist to wrench the arm aside.
"Watch the face, peon!"
Drake is fuming. His right hand grabs for Miercoles' hip, muscles tensing as he makes an attempt to benchpress the Shadaloo agent directly over his head. And as soon as Miercoles is set there, Drake shouts, "HUAH!," and flings him directly at Sakura. Sure, Drake isn't taken much with feats of spastic strength, but when the opportunity presents itself and he's right angry, what'cha gon' do.
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Sakura's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> //////////// ]
|=======\====---\1 Arika
Hands come down once more to slow the force of Sakura's kick. Damn, but her ribs are going to be bruised after all of this. The foot manages to graze the two lowest ribs and nearly cause the diva to double over.
Instead, she withstands the pain and shoots a glare of daggers at Sakura. Not -literally- of course, but that -would- be a very interesting energy move. Regardless of that fact, she watches as Drake makes a grab for the male and clears the way again; juuuuust in case he slips up and she winds up getting a body thrown against her.
Not her idea of fun.
But Arika is reaching a breaking point nonetheless. Since she's moved out of the way of the throw, she situates herself behind Sakura and attempts to lock the other female up in a half-nelson hold. Should she be successful in this, she pulls Sakura's arm across her face whilst locking her own hands about the girl's neck. From there, she'll attempt to lift the girl skywards and spin her in a rapid motion before abruptly stopping and just -lobbing- the girl's body to the ground like a football after a touchdown; the whole attempt is that she's attempting to use Sakura's -head- as the spiked ball.
Perhaps it is. However, many are at their most brutual when their morals are pushed to the wayside, or manipulated so that they work with such a mindset. Eva would probably be a lot worse if she didn't feel sympathy for Sakura's position. After all, Eva figures, it couldn't have been as simple as Shadaloo asking her very nicely for her help. Maybe they tortured her, or something else? Maybe something to do with that weird purple power many of the agents the Stars have encountered had.
No matter. What is certain is that, if Sakura gets her way, Eva will be in Shadaloo's hands, alongside her two friends. And there's no telling *what* will happen then, not even death. Waiting once again as Drake attempts to throw his appropriated missile at Sakura and Arika's slam. She's still winded, Eva is, but her regular attacks are no less carefully handled. Sliding in, Eva swings her foot around at Sakura in a kick to the chin, the toes of her foot attempting to hit the girl's chin like a blunt knife.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles dodges Drake's Large Thrown Object EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> //////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Punk Rock Breakdown.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> //////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Eva's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> //////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
Well... Sakura =could= have been in for a world of hurt if Miercoles was picked up and lobbed at her, like Drake had intended... but no. This means that the Shadaloo agent has some leeway in front, if she can just get out of Eva's way -- and she does so by leaping to the side, effectively strafing just out of the woman's path!
But really... this battle's just getting insane, now! "How much more can you really hope to do here?" she taunts, smirking just so faintly like evil people ought to! Sakura then slams her hands forward, dispensing totally with the usual build-up as she tries to knock Arika right out of frame with a sudden blossom of Psycho Power. "HAA!"
This time Miercoles /does/ come to a stop, and rather suddenly at that. Some quick backpedalling takes him out of the range of Drake's grasp and saves both Sakura and himself from some potential trouble. He doesn't hang back, though, seeing this as an opportunity. Drake probably wasn't expecting this! "You should mind your manners when talking to your betters, punk."
Miercoles sneers at Drake as he launches forward, his body moving in a blur of Psycho Power as he throws a punch aimed square at the middle of Drake's face, golden ring on a collision course for the wrestler's nose.
COMBATSYS: Drake dodges Miercoles' Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> //////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
Drake fails to hoist up Miercoles, but it doesn't distract him at all. If this fluttering gnat wasn't hurled off, he'll just keep swinging. "You tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night, weakling," Drake chides.
And since Miercoles wasn't hurled, his punch comes as no surprise. The agile wrestler weaves beneath the fist cleanly and emerges in a spin, bringing him in close to Sakura again. He attempts to manuever in behind her back and goes to loop his arms beneath hers. If successful, his hands then link behind her neck, and sharp pressure is applied - both drawing her shoulders back and forcing her neck forward to cut off her air in a sleeper hold. Sakura has more than worn on his nerves this fight.
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Sakura's Medium Psydouken EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> //////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
So, what's the point of this fight again? To break someone out of this Hell hole and give the troops of Thailand a little bit of boosted morale? Arika is fairly certain that someone on the inside of these 'missions' is attempting to set the Shooting Stars up for failure. Obviously things are stacked in the Shadalosers favor. What is sad to the diva about the whole thing is, is that this girl... who obviously is more powerful, and obviously doesn't need the help, thinks she needs backup.
Sore loser?
Not really. It just proves her point. Vega's Shadaloo takes this as a war. They're not afraid to damage innocent people or ruin lives in their quest for domination over the country. They're not afraid to send trained soldiers to destroy people.
Just means the little people like herself and her team have to give it their all in an attempt to help the indigenous people of this country regain what is rightfully theirs.
"Y'know what, Sakura? I don't rightly care if 'e knows you know. Don't rightly care if you can be saved or not. You really ain't worth it." And as she talks, she totally disregards the blossom of energy that's sent in her direction.
Spinning back around to face the girl, she snarls. That's right. The pretty punk rock princess actually snarls. Bouncing from foot to foot, she glances at first Drake, then Eva. Hopefully they'll be able to take Sakura down. If not, she's going to have to rely on these two to get her out of her because the only way she's stopping is when she's unconscious now.
Cue Arika rage. Something that Eva at least will know well from their fight with Marise and Kurow.
Pirouetting in a full circle, she stops her momentum by swinging her foot out toward Sakura in a sharp roundhouse kick toward her face. Normally, she'd aim for legs or torso but she's irritated. Can anyone blame her?
va can't say that she agrees with Arika's points, but she can intervene when Sakura's down, and quickly direct Arika to Miercoles. Arika's at her best when she's in a rage, and what's Eva to argue with an ace up their sleeve? Looking at Sakura blankly, the girl replies, "... We have no clue until we try."
And try Eva does, the past injuries seeming to slowly glide off her the more she stays moving and away from any blows Sakura or Miercoles give her. Attempting to launch another kick, Eva tries to make up for Sakura's nimble dodges and blocks by attempting to throw a quicker- if much weaker, kick, this time using her heel as the striking object.
COMBATSYS: Drake successfully hits Sakura with Quick Throw.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> /////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Eva successfully hits Sakura with Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> /////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Rhythmic Roundhouse from Arika with Satori Ichiban.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> ]
|=======\=------\1 Arika
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Drake
> ]
|=======\=------\1 Arika
Sakura's not really at the point where =reason= matters to her. She can't lose the argument, because she really doesn't even =see= the argument. The 'point' as it were... need not be made.
But it's made just the same, in the sense of =all three= of the Shooting Stars managing to get their respective hits in. Drake's able to grab her from behind while she's busy throwing Hadoukens at Arika, cutting off her airflow, and setting her right up for Eva to slam a kick right into her stomach. Pain! Suffering! ... But really, the Doll's been more or less asking for it all fight.
Sounds of fighting rock the prison, upstairs, and in the next wing over... it's far from the =only= battle taking place this evening. But it =is= a fairly pivotal one just the same -- as if Sakura and Miercoles are allowed to head upstairs, all could be lost.
But... when Arika comes in for the roundhouse, Kasugano just shakes her head. Sure -- Drake's still got her.
But she's also a bit =stronger= than him, in her current state. Kasugano rolls =with= the roundhouse, using the force of the Punk Rock Diva's kick to help her =out= of Drake's pull.
And =also= allowing her to whirl a spin kick into Arika just after breaking free. Her foot glows a bright purple as she spins about for one, two, three, =four= times before finally slamming a roundhouse of her own into Arika. Mercifully, she aims for the torso and not the face -- Sakura, with her own bruises and bloody nose should be so lucky.
Panting, she hisses through clenched teeth, balling her fists up. She's... quite clearly angry, her Doll controls only barely keeping her in check, at this point. Words? None at the moment!
Miercoles is a member of Shadaloo's elite Seven Days unit and this... this /nobody/ is talking down to him like this!? As if he didn't already have enough to be angry about. He's rather satisfied by the response Sakura gives to Arika's anger, but it doesn't do much to diminish his own. After all, Drake's the one who's really gotten him pissed off. Fine, no punches to the face then, that doesn't seem to be working.
But the face is what he's going to aim for. It will have the most immediate and visceral impact short of managing to cause some major organ damage. Major organ damage would also be quite acceptable, but that's a bit more difficult to pull off. Miercoles' hand dips into one of the numerous pouches attached to his outfit and withdraws a throwing knife. With an angry snarl he hurls the bladed projectile in the direction of Drake's head.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles successfully hits Drake with Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Drake
> ]
|=======\=------\1 Arika
Drake smirks at the coordinated attacks... but then Sakura, with more strength than Drake expected, just breaks out of his hold. The surprise of this is enough to distract Drake long enough to have his cheek sliced by the knife.
OW.
Drake grits his teeth and shoots a glare over his shoulder to Miercoles. "I'll be coming for YOU soon..."
Drake's right livid at this point. He'd go and have it out with the other target, but for two things niggling at his mind. One, Sakura's apparently STILL STANDING. Beyond all senses of logic, she's still up. Surely she's not been made -this- powerful by Vega. This is madness. They actually -might- have to kill her to put her down. But at this point? He's starting to see it as an unavoidable casualty of war. Or, rather, when it comes to Sakura's life or one of his teammates'? His team wins.
But on that note, his team is hurting. And badly. It's a miracle even -he's- still standing, with all the punishment he's endured. It can be assumed that he's only standing by merit of adrenaline now. But can he retreat? No. They came here for a reason, and he has every intention to see it through.
So that's what he'll do.
With Sakura's back still turned to him, he just makes a grab for her stomach to lock her back against him. And if caught, he hoists the girl up and over to smash her head squarely against the ground in a German suplex. And from there (if it should hit), he releases her and raises back to his feet.
Sounds from the rest of the prison are ignored. Why? Well, Arika is greeted with a near life threatening roundhouse kick. Not only does it slam her away from Sakura, but it sends her against a nearby wall and with an audible cracking, it manages to break at least four of her ribs.
Clutching her torso, the diva flies into a rage. Anger is the only thing keeping her going at this point, her body just about having had enough. Lord knows what kind of internal injuries she's suffering, or just what kind of additional damage she's about to do to herself because of this.
At this point, she doesn't care. She trusts her teammates to get her out of here should anything serious happen. Even if she hadn't begun to trust Eva, she -knows- Drake will make sure she gets out of here. He's promised.
The rage brings her to Sakura, where she attempts to scoot in behind the girl. She's -also- working on sheer adrenaline as her leg tries to reach around the front of Sakura's body so as to lock her in place. An arm snakes out to wrap around Sakura's head, and the other reaches down to make a harshly clawed grab to the girl's side. The whole thing is an attempt to push Sakura down to the floor where someone can just stomp on her face, or whatever else anyone wants to do.
Whether successful or not, Arika is going to attempt to find a a nice wall to lean against to catch her breath before the pain starts to overcome her.
COMBATSYS: Arika can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Drake
Ow. Ow. Eva winces *twice* as both teammates go down, Arika especially. As soon as Arika shows signs of trying to withdraw, Eva steps in, placing herself between the diva and further harm should it come. It's hopeless, really. But she can't retreat. It just doesn't feel *right*. Something holds her at bay, something...
Like the explosions. Brushing by Drake and placing a roughened hand on his shoulder as the tide of battle shifts, she ushers a few words of hope into his ear. ".... I think I got it. We just have to outlast the battles everywhere else. Even if we lose here, the bigger battle will be won. They're here, not helping their comrades. That strains them. However, whatever you decide.... I'll do." Giving him a pained smile, she turns to Miercoles and Sakura, letting out a war cry as she charges into the fray once more.
Chi surges down her arms as Eva runs forward; crossing them over her head and torso as she hunches down, Eva attempts to rush directly into Sakura like a bull into a matador.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Sakura with Dominant Diva.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\ < > /////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Drake
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Eva's Cerulean Bullet.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
[ \\\ < > /////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Drake
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Strong Throw from Drake with Small Psydouken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
> ]
|=======\====---\1 Drake
COMBATSYS: Sakura can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
> ]
|=======\====---\1 Drake
While it seems Drake and Arika are a bit overcome by emotion, it seems Eva's got the situation fully in hand here. The princess isn't in this castle -- Fio's one wing over. And the hero of last year's coup against the corrupt Thai government is upstairs -- Guile and Soma are fighting to save him. But... by keeping Sakura and Miercoles occupied, the Shooting Stars have managed to buy valuable time for the resistance forces to liberate these very powerful assets to the Thailand resistance.
... Not to mention, fostered an everloving hatred for Sakura's complete inability to accept when she's beaten, either with or without the Doll programming. Kasugano pivots to the side, playing the part of the matador to Eva's bull charge... but that also plants her right into Drake's grasp.
... Kinda. The girl's somewhat ready for him, twisting out of his grasp as she pivots to the side, plowing her open palm right into his chest, and firing off a rather hasty Psycho-Powered Hadouken.
At which point, Arika is able to totally waylay the Shadaloo doll, dealing the final crushing blow by slamming her to the ground. Kicks? Sure, go for it -- if you can get past Miercoles! ... But the former Southtown Sweetheart is finally, unquestionably, KO'ed at this point, battered and bruised well beyond her usual limits. Will you still hate her tomorrow, Shooting Stars?
Well, this is unfortunate. Miercoles might get a chewing out for allowing Sakura to take this much damage. Assuming that there's going to be anybody with the time to give said chewing out... Things are going a bit worse than the Seven Days agent knows. Right here, though, he's still in pretty good shape. And there's only one of his opponents who still seems to be in any real condition to continue the fight.
Cracking his knuckles, Miercoles begins to advance on Eva. "Should have just run away, chica. Standing up against Shadaloo is just asking for pain!" Pain which Miercoles is happy to deliver. He lunges toward Eva, Psycho Power flaring up around his fist as he attempts to drive a right hook into Eva's side just below her ribcage.
"Gaaack!," cries Drake with the sudden shock of pain from whatever the heck kind of energy that was. It's not like chi - chi he knows. It's -different-. And unfortunately, it's what he's been encountering constantly throughout all of Thailand! It hammers into Drake, blowing him back against the floor to almost tumble clean over again, skidding along his shoulders backwards.
There he lays, completely prone, eyes shut, bleeding in a spot or two, and just trying to stay conscious. This venture has gone... badly. But Drake can go on! Or, well, it would probably be healthier to just lay there and let that be the end of it for him, but Drake is the extremely devoted, doggedly persistant sort. Fingers twitch a couple times, and the model rolls over onto his front to slowly push himself back to his feet. Amethyst eyes open to survey his surroundings, and he takes note that Sakura's down. -Finally-. He can't really tell whether she's alive or dead right now, though. Just that she's no longer fighting. Good enough for him. Preferrable, even, but just what cost did his caution have? Ugh. Next, Drake spies Arika slouched against the wall, also no longer fighting. Aw, man.. Arika looks hurt. Definitely not how this was supposed to go.
But Miercoles' words catch Drake's attention. "Pain!?," he demands, sounding a bit haggard and worn down. This small burst of energy is really betraying the condition he's really in.
"You want pain?! C'mon boy, let's wrassle!"
Said this way deliberately to attain that oh-holy-crap factor.
Drake rushes towards Miercoles, ignoring the searing pain each movement shocks through him. He makes a grab for Miercoles' shoulders, likely just a moment after Miercoles delivers his attack. If caught, he jerks the agent downwards and forward, locking his neck between his legs. Drake's arms then grapple around Miercoles' midsection, hoisting him into the air... then CRUSH severely along his abdomen in a punishing inverted bearhug that lasts several seconds. He then pushes his body to its limit, flipping as high in the corridor as possible. The flipping motion continues to gain momentum until, by the time they're descending, the two fighters have blurred together in an opaque vortex of motion. The personalized piledriver comes to a devastating end when their combined bodyweight joins with their flipping's momentum to drive Miercoles' head through the floor.
COMBATSYS: Drake can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Eva
COMBATSYS: Miercoles successfully hits Eva with Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Eva
"Drake!" Eva takes her eyes off Miercoles momentairely to glare at the struggling wrestler. "Don't! Stay down! You'll make your injuries wors-" The charged fist connects just below Eva's ribcage, causing an unsettling cough of blood to come from Eva's mouth as she's driven back onto the ground. Forcing herself to get up, bright eyes struggle to focus as Eva watches Drake attempt to land a crushing move on the Shadaloo agent.
The girl takes a moment to wipe the blood from her mouth on her upper arm, the action doing more to smear it than to actually wipe it off. But the girl's resolve to continue is *clear*. "I *will* stand by my actions." Because running away would be worse, at this point. Eva *wants* to believe, beyond all doubt, that she, Arika, and Drake are not the only ones here, and that, if she holds out, they'll come to wipe out the rest of the resistance. She *won't* become a useless martyr for anyone's cause, even her own! She'll hold on, even if it means only buying a few more seconds of time!
COMBATSYS: Eva gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Eva
COMBATSYS: Miercoles dodges Drake's Total Eclipse.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Eva
For a moment it looks like Drake is going to manage to grab Miercoles... but then the agent vanishes in a flash of purple, coming back into view a few feet to the side as Drake goes flying on past him. Miercoles favors the wrestler with a brief smirk, then turns his attention back toward Eva. "You can stand by whatever you want... But how long can you keep standing?" The Hispanic youth grins, then leaps toward Eva.
This time Miercoles aims a bit higher, throwing a Psycho Powered uppercut at Eva's jaw. He throws his entire weight behind the blow in an attempt to send her flying with explosive force. "You can't possibly win!"
Drake grabs! Or.. he doesn't! Drake grapples purple, instead. Yeah, purple. The essence of purple. Drake's wearied, exhausted mind at first considers that maybe he grappled him so hard, the guy just exploded. But... no? He catches sight of Miercoles through the corner of his eye.
Drake's charge brings him to the wall, smacking his outstretched hands into it. He then slouches a little at Eva's beration... and he starts to feel himself overcome with the weight of his wounds. "M-man... that was... messed... up..." Drake then just drops back, landing supine, unable to maintain consciousness.
COMBATSYS: Eva blocks Miercoles' Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Miercoles 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Eva
"You did well... I'll take things from here." Those are the words Drake hears as darkness takes him over. "... I'll see you later." It may turn out to be a lie, but... no use taking away a man's right to fall into a coma in peace.
The punch this time is blocked, Miercoles's uppercut planting itself painfully instead into Eva's arms, seeding the beginnings of a purple and blue blossom of a bruise. ".... This long." Her body is tired, and it may be impossible to last another round, but Eva will certainly try to keep going. "... You think it was all about winning...? You can't seem to see the forest for the trees."
Or, possibly, Eva's jacket, which loops through the air in an attempt to hook around Miercoles's head.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles interrupts Camera Obscura from Eva with Twister Spike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Miercoles 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Eva
A jacket? Really now. What does Miercoles possibly have to fear from that? Well, maybe more than he might think. But he doesn't give Eva a chance to use it to its best effect. The jacket comes swinging down, but at the same time Miercoles' arm comes shooting up. A spike of Psycho Power shoots up from his arm, blasting past the jacket and into Eva's face.
The jacket does manage to briefly snare Miercoles, but Eva has more important things to deal with. He quickly ducks down, slipping free from the jacket before hopping back and away from Eva. "Just like I told you. You all made a big mistake by coming here." Now he's feeling good. Miercoles smirks at the Shooting Star member, taking a moment to crack his neck. He's doing just fine, while everybody else is on the ground. Exactly the way he'd expect it to turn out. Of course, Eva might not be /quite/ done yet...
Eva's body shakes as the arm connects, her eyes opening wide and then, like clouds passing over a clear sky, becoming faded and blurred. The jacket, even if it connects, is slack enough for Miercoles to slip away. Still standing, she crumples slightly, almost as if she was to crumple to the ground like a loose-limbed doll. And yet....
".... It isn't... It's not over yet!" Unexpectedly, Eva bursts into a run with that last bit of vigor left within her and leaps into the air in front of Miercoles.
She's *flying*. Well, alright, maybe not that, but *close*. The girl's body twists itself into vicious spin as her legs extend wide, those two black boots becoming like two sledgehammers fueled by momentum as she attempts to twirl directly into Miercoles's body.
COMBATSYS: Eva can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Miercoles 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Eva successfully hits Miercoles with Luna Piena.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Miercoles 0/-------/=======|
Miercoles leaps back as Eva leaps forward... But he's not quite fast enough. The fact that they're both in motion when Eva's feet collide with him helps to reduce the force of the impact to the Seven Days agent's torso, however. He slides back a short distance further before coming to a stop, then reaching up to dismissively brush some dust from the front of his clothing. "Trash."
Pulling a walkie-talkie out of one of his pouches, Miercoles pushes the talk button. "This is Miercoles. Assault repelled in the south section of the prison. Some friendly casualties. Send secondary forces to secure the scene, I'm going to investigate the situation in the rest of the building. Over." After clicking off the walkie talkie, Miercoles looks at the fallen Shooting Stars and Sakura. He'll wait a few moments for at least one prison guard to show up, then he's off to investigate and perhaps help in fighting elsewhere.
COMBATSYS: Miercoles has ended the fight here.
When Eva lands, she lands in a complete collapse, meeting the ground with little to no resistance. That was as far as she could go, it seems, leaving Miercoles to stand the winner as he had so predicted.
However, when he speaks into the intercom, no one answers. At least, at first. "Agent Miercoles; it is imperitive that you retreat to Corridor 32-C. Take as many of your fallen comrades as possible. The general has been freed by another party of invaders, along with his squadron, and it is not safe to be where you are currently. Please fall back to said coordinates; we will need your help to hold them off."
As silence and order dominates this part of cell block, its two guardians having done their part to properly guard it against the few who dared to tresspass into it, the other blocks have not done so well. The running of freed prisoners and the shouting of both guards and and the resistance become a louder and clearer feature, before a tidal wave of people spill into this particular block of the prison. With the general Sonthi Boontaratglin being freed elsewhere in the prison, his soldiers have taken it upon themselves to overtake the rest of the building, their force growing as more and more able-bodied prisoners come in to fight back against their oppressors, while sicker and weaker ones are carted away to safety.
Log created on 21:21:01 06/30/2007 by Sakura, and last modified on 00:27:16 07/08/2007.