Description: Lucia comes across Duke making some less-than legal dealings within the heart of Metro's slums. Duke decides to make a point to the law enforcers of Metro by burning Lucia into a crispy critter... but someone unexpected comes in at the last second to throw Duke's plans for a loop. WHO COULD IT BE?! Find out here!!
Even in the beautiful environment of the setting sun, Metro City's slums still reek of something terrible.
The slums of Metro City stand as a constant reminder to the people of the work that still needs to yet be done to fix the great, once greater, city. A haven for the poor and the hungry, the slums also serve a secondary function -- a safe, relatively untouched breeding ground for corruption. The people who live here are desperate. Desperate for food, for money, for clothes. And desperation is nothing more than the start of corruption. While true crime does not occur here -- there is little opportunity or grounds from which to reap -- the slums still serve as a good meeting ground for those who wish to deal in shadier business. And, for those starting from the ground up... it serves as an opportune place to -recruit-.
Desperation tinges the people of the slums, but the day, like most, is rather quiet. Unless one were to truly look in depth, they likely would not find anything amiss. Most people choose not too; the shorter the time they have to spend in the slums, the better. But to those who have no choice to wander the streets here, to hole themselves up in various shelters, they are allowed to play witness to the day-to-day corruption that festers here and spreads outward like a plague.
There wouldn't be much of it to find today, but to the most diligent, there are people distinctly -out of place- dwelling within the slums. Specifically, towards the heart of it, a small group of what could only assumedly be low-class gang members, working on what seems to be some kind of a drug deal -- largely silent save for the small bouts of small talk and annoying chatter, they do their business, making exchanges of materials and money. It seems relatively normal, save for a lone figure that oversees the deal. Looking distinctly out of place, a large man in fine, expensive clothes of crimson and black watches over the dealings, arms crossing over his broad chest in silent contemplation. From his dark skin, to his imposing nature -- to the ugly scar that drags across the entire circumferance of his neck, this man looks to be considerably more important than the others. It's not every day he oversees such petty drug deals, but--
--Duke has never been one to avoid 'manual labor.'
Many have given in, and heavily considered Duke's offer. A chance to provide for their families, or merely the yearning for expensive things to live like everyone else... The reasons vary. But some in this city are still loyal to the mayor. Most of these remember how the slums used to be before he was elected. Now they don't starve. Now they don't scour the streets so desperately for some kind of shelter when it rains, or snows. So when shady characters started showing up, these individuals started placing the calls.
And this brings Lucia to the smellier part of town. She never minded patrolling the area, in all honesty. She's used to the stink of seawater, growing up in an orphanage somewhat near this place. Her eyes are fixed on the man in scarlet and black, and the set of her mouth indicates she's not too pleased with what she sees.
So that's the one who's been making offers, huh? Lucia will have to take him down in public. It's imperative that she succeeds. It's not just about netting a criminal, it's about taking his reputation and crumbling it into dust. If the residents see him go down easy, then there can be little doubt that the same would happen to them if they got mixed up in his gang. "On my mark," she murmurs into the small radio clipped to the lapel of her jacket. "You guys handle the small fry. I'll take down Big Red."
"We're in position, Morgan," she hears the staticky voice respond within the earpiece fitted in her left ear.
"All right. Ready... ... ... MOVE," she hisses sharply, before she swings around the corner with gun raised, pointed directly at Duke with both hands. "Freeze, MCPD! Put your hands up!"
During any hostile takeover, in any sort of business, you can always expect turbulance. The only question is of what variety. In a legitimate business, it's just as simple as lawyers and court dates, legal business that can be taken care of with the signing of one's name on the dotted line. Things of the less than legal variety, well... that's when things get tricky. One has to maneuver carefully to avoid the big waves before they're ultimately tumbled over.
Thus, it's not entirely unexpected. If Duke had wanted to go unnoticed today, odds are he wouldn't have even been here today. But this will be a good way in which to prove a point. Whether he notices the presence of others or not before the ambush is debatable; he makes no motion of it, simply staring out towards the dimming sky with that dark, intimidating gaze. In fact, as his "uninvited guests" arrive, Duke doesn't immediately look towards them -- or her.
'Freeze, MCPD! Put your hands up!' a female voice commands. A small, amused smile slithers across Duke's lips.
He only pauses for a moment after that declaration is made. The gang members look up in shock, before they pull out their weapons and begin to... run. In the opposite direction. Likely due to prior orders -- odds are, they fear Duke more than the MCPD. The tall man doesn't try to halt them as they run off, scurrying past him like rats. Instead, he stares at the woman, and then at the gun... and then, arches a brow.
"You know," he begins; his fingertips of his right hand reach up, pressing against that ugly scar that marks his neck, "... that's not going to work."
He doesn't move at first. His left hand lifts, much like his right, as if in a sign of surrender. "It's too bad," Duke laments, focusing his gaze on Lucia. "I didn't think I was going to have to kill a woman today."
Duke doesn't waste time talking, or trying to negotiate his way out. Only a split second later, Duke -rushes- forward. Moving far faster than a man of his size should be able to move, he becomes little more than a blur of crimson and black. His right hand outstretches, seeking to grasp Lucia by the head before she can fire off a shot. From there? He'll simply twist, and SLAM her into the side of a nearby wall. Simple. Brutal. Efficient.
COMBATSYS: Duke has started a fight here.
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Duke 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Lucia has joined the fight here.
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Duke 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Lucia
COMBATSYS: Lucia blocks Duke's Quick Throw.
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Duke 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Lucia
Duke grabs Lucia's head, and she grabs his arm, gritting her teeth tightly as she angles her body to crash into the wall with a lessened impact. (On the plus side, at least he recognized her as a woman...she's had to deal with Cody's rude 'butch' remarks a little too often lately.)
While she's not badly hurt, Duke did succeed in disarming her. The gun lies dropped in a patch of dust on the broken sidewalk, but it isn't missed. Lucia has better ways of dealing with criminals. Snorting through her nostrils, Lucia shifts her weight and jerks down on Duke's arm while ramming her knee at his elbow. He grabbed her head, and now he must pay the price. Ew. Pimp germs.
COMBATSYS: Duke endures Lucia's Knee Smash.
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Duke 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Lucia
There's always something off about these people who defend Metro City. First Mike Haggar, now this one. Thankfully, Duke has spent too much time in Southtown and serving in the Syndicate to -not- come to expect such things. And while his blow doesn't knock Lucia out as intended -- and in fact she manages to -diffuse- most of the force behind it -- it doesn't leave him too shocked to deal with what comes next.
In fact... Duke is more than amply prepared for it. Lucia swings up with her knee, and the Syndicate lieutenant notices out of the corner of his eye a second before it comes into contact. And though he very likely -could- block it, stop it prematurely... he doesn't. Instead, he allows it to slam into his elbow, the force more than enough to make him release his hold on Lucia and drop her to the ground. He staggers back a single step, grunting --
--and then lifts a single leg into the air. Lucia is grounded, which suits his needs well enough. Only a second -after- she hits the ground, Duke SLAMS his foot into the ground. "GRAAARGH!!" Tremors erupt from the site of the strike, creating a localized, miniature earthquake of sorts. That force ripples out across the ground, seeking to unfoot Lucia as, an instant after, a wave of fire -bursts- forth from Duke's foot in a blazing circle of chi, intent on crashing into Lucia explosively and knocking her straight into that wall once more.
"You'd do well not to -bother- in business that's not your own, girl."
COMBATSYS: Lucia fails to interrupt Seismic Impact from Duke with Knee and Throw.
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Duke 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Lucia
Oh, what's this? Is he trying some sort of dumbass-version of the crane kick? Lucia can't believe people still try that idiocy, twenty years after the movie came out! And maybe then some!
Standing on one leg means he's going to be wildly off-balance, so logic dictates. And that's Lucia's cue to rush the guy and bust the wind out of his gut with a knee aimed at his stomach. She prepares to do just that when his foot comes down a whole lot sooner than she would have liked. Far, FAR too soon. The jarring impact catches Lucia completely off-guard, sending her stumbling backwards. The back of her head cracks against the brick wall, leaving a small dark smear. She winces in pain, grabbing her noggin to steady it. Her vision is a little blurry now.
Sadly, what comes is greatly different than a crane kick of any sort. The vibrations that rock the ground from Duke's stomp are strong enough that dirt from the balconies above them fall down in thin, short-lived veils, before that distinct, burning chi slams the poor policewoman into the wall once again. He says little other than his initial 'warning,' standing tall in the aftermath of his attack and cracking his neck with his right hand, the crack of bones echoing throughout the largely empty area they find themselves in.
"... Hmph," the man known as 'Hell's Executioner' snorts in derision as he takes a look at Lucia, lifting a brow. "... pathetic." One leg pushes Duke forward, his right hand coming out with a blurringly swift hook punch meant to knock Lucia across the jaw with enough force to launch her away from the wall and, if her feeting isn't secure enough, off her feet. "HRAAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Lucia blocks Duke's Quick Punch.
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Duke 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Lucia
"Pathetic?" Lucia repeats, dropping her crossed arms. She doesn't look exactly furious...nor quite pissed off. But there's a little bit of anger there, oh yes. Lucia might not have much pride, but what little she has, she defends. Yeah, she knows she messed up, misjudging that attack for something far more lame. But she intends to make up for lost ground.
Lucia hauls back and slugs a fist straight for the middle of Duke's face. Eat it. "Tch. As if," she growls, shaking out her fingers.
COMBATSYS: Duke fails to interrupt Strong Punch from Lucia with Tall Hammer.
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Duke 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Lucia
And make up she does, if in some small fashion or another. Duke sees the attack coming, and though he -thinks- he can predict the course of the attack... he's proven very suddenly wrong as he rushes -forward- into the assault. Instead of successfully predicting the course of the blow, Duke instead misjudges by an -instant-. And that instant, apparently, is all that Lucia needs.
That fist slams right into Duke's face harshly and, in the same motion, sends him stumbling back a step, and then one more. His right hand slams backwards, impacting against the brick wall -- but overall, he seems more stunned than hurt.
"... hmph. Maybe you'll be more entertaining than I gave you credit for..."
That's better. Lucia's somewhat appeased, evidenced by the subtle relaxing of her brow. But she still doesn't look happy. Entertainment...pff, as if. Does he expect her to jump out of a cake for him? Still, she notes to herself that she'd best be more careful. Those punches look incredibly strong if the damage done to the brick wall is any indication. And he's barely fazed? Yikes.
Lucia's sneakers scuff in the dirt as she adjusts her stance, fists still raised, steely eyes locked on the opponent in front of her. Boring woman that she is, she says nothing in response. Instead, she opts to leap upward, driving a flurry of slanted kicks into his chin with a feral roar.
COMBATSYS: Duke blocks Lucia's Rising Bird Kick.
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Duke 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Lucia
And there she comes again. Having already taken two blows full-on from Lucia, Duke hardly seems to wish to take another. So, as she leaps forward, his legs tense, the muscles of his right arm twitching slightly. The moment those flurry of kicks come in, Duke is prepared to respond, lashing out with his right hand over and over to deflect the blows. The force of the chi and the physical power she puts behind it, though, are enough to send him staggering back a few steps from the momentum, his arm throbbing in momentary pain before he pushes her off and -away- with the final blow.
Intent on simply launching Lucia into the air, from there the man dives straight forward, crashing across the space between them. His right leg lances out knee-first, intent to strike Lucia solidly in the gut before following up with a twist of his body, his left leg swinging down to crash STRAIGHT across the side of Lucia's head. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Lucia blocks Duke's Light Kick.
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Duke 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Lucia
Again Lucia moves to block the assault despite the bruises she sustains in doing so. Her knee rises, and Duke's knee impacts with her shin. It hurts, make no mistake, but Lucia merely utters a soft grunt before she spins around to drive her heel into the side of Duke's head with a swiftly-executed roundhouse kick. "I'm taking you out," she puffs out a breath, sweat beading on her brow as she glares the man down.
COMBATSYS: Duke interrupts Heavy Kick from Lucia with Crack Up.
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Duke 1/-----==/=======|=======\====---\1 Lucia
Taking -him- out?
"I doubt it."
Hell's Executioner states this with a cold sort of matter-of-factness as he feels his technique once more guarded against successfully. Unperturbed, the man continues -forward- through his assault. He is remarkably quick to recover, a fact that Lucia will soon learn as he ducks -low-, her kick only barely grazing the top of his head.
Soon afterwards, Duke slams his right fist -forward-, crashing it into Lucia's sternum to knock the breath from her and stun her. "If Mike Haggar couldn't 'take me out'," he growls low as he follows up with a second punch, slamming it with a resounding CRACK into Lucia's jaw to send her into the air, "... what makes you think -you can-? GRAAAARRRG!!" One more blow, a powerful one to the torso, will send Lucia ROCKETING backwards and -away- from Duke, who soon afterwards straightens and draws his fingertips across his neck.
"... you don't stand a chance."
Oooooo...gghhh... Yeah, that was stupid. Lucia curses beneath her breath as she manages to drag herself up to her feet. And even that's a chore after taking a blow like that. She spoke too soon, got too distracted.
Thumbing the blood from her lip, Lucia decides it would be best for everyone if she just shut up and concentrated on the fight right about now. The policewoman's first step is staggered, but the second strengthens with her resolve. The third quickens, and by the fifth, she's outright charging at Duke, planning to wipe that smirk off of his face. Horrible man!
Without even so much as a 'YAAAAHHHHHHH!', Lucia vaults into the air to drive a flying kick at Duke to knock him back, following closely to follow-up with a triple strike from her sneaker. Her left foot rises sharply, then drops like a hammer to strike the top of his head.
COMBATSYS: Lucia successfully hits Duke with Super Kick Combo.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Duke 1/=======/=======|=------\-------\0 Lucia
Fast. She comes -fast-. Duke isn't expecting Lucia to recover so quickly, especially after a blow as strong as that one. He had, in all honesty, simply believed that she would have collapsed at that point. But apparently, that's not the case. And that tenacity alone is what throws Duke off enough--
--so that what comes next? Takes him -completely- by surprise. There is a moment when the dark eyes of Hell's Executioner snap wide with surprise -- but only for a moment. That expression is soon replaced by a searing look of pain as Lucia begins to kick at him with much more strength than he would have figured her to have. Over and over she slams into him, sending him further and further backward. Blood flings from his lips in thick, dark droplets that splatter against the ground and stain his blonde goatee. And, just as it is about over --
--he gets hammerblow'd by a sneaker. -SLAM-, a crack issues forth unpleasantly from Duke's scalp as that foot bears down, crushing him into the ground. He is -thrust- down to his knees, but not completely floored. Blood oozing down his lip, he pauses to stare at the ground. Fingertips lift, press against his bottom lip... and stare at the blood there. "I..." he starts, lips curling unpleasantly.
"I... am going to kill you..."
COMBATSYS: Duke gains composure.
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Duke 1/-======/=======|=------\-------\0 Lucia
Lucia's gaze is appraising, and brief. "Hm." Her eyes narrow coldly, obviously not liking Duke's reply...or maybe she just doesn't like the fact that he isn't lying face down all compliant-like so she can slap on the cuffs and haul him off to jail.
The punishment is a knee to the face! Ha, take that. Lucia shows no remorse, but no fury, as she drives that heavy blow into the side of Duke's head to knock him over. And out. But he doesn't look like he's quite at that point where he'll drop, so she follows up with an elbow jab aimed at his throat.
COMBATSYS: Duke interrupts Kick And Elbow Combo from Lucia with Minefield.
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Duke 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Lucia
Duke's rage is what fuels him. It's what gives him his power, and it is what keeps him going. Usually, it's a cold, contained sort of rage. Usually. Sometimes, though... sometimes, there are people who just -push the line- and release small portions of that actual, burning rage. And when they do? The results are not pretty.
A fact that Lucia might be soon finding out as Duke remains crouched. That driving knee comes forward, but as it does? The policewoman might note that the intense glow of scarlet chi has begun to constrict around Duke like a coccoon. The field of chi pulsates violent, swirling around him like a constricting storm of power. And the moment that Lucia's foot comes into contact, it touches his that -field-, barely grazing Duke's face--
--before that entire encasing sheathe of chi EXPLODES. As soon as Lucia makes contact, the field ruptures in the wake of a violent surge of power, intent on taking Lucia straight off her feet and knocking her far and away from Duke.
"I hope you don't think I'm joking," he remarks as he comes to a stand, glaring -daggers- at Lucia, "because I am going to kill you."
No, Lucia doesn't think he's kidding. She's also re-evaluating her chances of denying him the opportunity, and right now? It doesn't look good. She's woozy, bleeding, and strangely numb. It must be the adrenaline, she figures, because she knows she's hurting. She sways dangerously, blinking hard to clear the haze from her eyes...unsuccessfully.
Still she remains silent, panting for breath, her limbs trembling as she nears the end of her rope. It wasn't such a bad life, really. And if she has to go, she can't object to going down fighting for the sake of the city. Lucia spits to the side, a glob of scarlet spattering the ground. Her eyes move back to Duke, and she surges forward once more. She drives a fist at Duke's face, but it's predictable, easily dodged... It's also a feint.
She carries herself fully forward, snapping her arm around the back of Duke's waist. Then she hurls herself backwards with a grunt of exertion, to drive Duke's head into the ground.
COMBATSYS: Duke dodges Lucia's German Suplex.
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Duke 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Lucia
A feint, but sadly -- it's a predictable feint. Perhaps, had it been anyone else, the plan would have worked. But Lucia moves enough that Duke, well-versed in such things, can see what is coming soon enough to outmaneuver the cop before she can get a firm hold on him.
The fist swings, and Duke's head tilts to the side, the blow sweeping past. But as Lucia continues to carry herself, Duke continues to -move- with a surprising fluidness for a man of his size, letting the blow breeze right past him and then the snapping arm hit nothing but air. Duke leaps a short distance -backwards- shortly after this, landing with an easy sort of -thud- some distance away. Looking around him, Duke's brows narrow. He sweeps down...
... and picks up a single chunk of rock. His intent is relatively simple, here: reeling backwards, he has every -intention- of driving forward, launching that chunk of rock at Lucia's head like an extraordinarily hard baseball. "GRAAAAAAAAARGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Lucia slows Thrown Object from Duke with Thrown Object.
- Power fail! -
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Duke 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Lucia can no longer fight.
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Duke 1/---====/=======|
Blame Cody.
He always makes it look so easy, the way he handles those stones. Bouncing them easily in his palm, countering powerful strikes with a swift chuck of the rock. He seems to be the master of interrupting attacks, particularly with thrown objects.
But Lucia is still a rookie. She shouldn't have attempted to do the same. She should have attempted to dodge at least, though with her reflexes deadened and sluggish with the damage done on her person, it seemed even more unlikely that she would pull it off. The rock flies wildly, smacking into a stop sign with a hearty CLANG! And Duke's rock impacts Lucia's forehead with a much meatier thud, dropping her instantly into a pile on the ground. No good. Damn it all... Lucia's vision blurs, her world tilted askew, and then her eyes slide shut. She's not unconscious yet, but right now, she's wishing she were.
Not many would willingly set foot in the slums of Metro..not without some kind of purpose in mind. And for one former World Warrior, that purpose was the same as always: Just passing through. One thing he'd noted in all his travels is that no matter what part of the world he found himself in there was never a very horrible difference in the conditions of the poor. Always there were beggars, always there we the despairing, always there we the little girls who bumped into him and spilled their milk down a gutterdrain.
So he's here, wandering without particular cause but not adverse to giving his help to where he sees it needed, be it handing out his winnings to those who need it more or simply offering a humanitarian hand. However, it appears more than his hand may be necessary when he traipses out onto the sight just in time to see a young woman take an unflattering shot to the head!
"Hey!" Normally in a fight the vagabond is not one to interfere, preferring to honor the skills of the individuals participating by playing the part of silent observer to their battle...but in a place like this, such engagements were not usually for the sport. He's not sure what's going on, but he rushes to Lucia's side all the same. Even being dropped into the middle, it's not hard at all for him to tell the state of things by a brief and silent appraisal of both parties. "I don't know your quarrel.." He'll say towards the unknown man, "But this woman is clearly beaten..no need to let thing go further than this." In emphasis of the point, he'll place himself without reservation in the space between the two.
And that's that. As that rock impacts against Lucia's forehead with all the speed and strength that Duke can muster, it's already over; he knows that much. There's no look of sadistic glee in his eyes, though, no psychotic pleasure that he takes from seeing her crash into the floor with a wet sort of thud; while a wonderful way to vent his rage, there is an obvious lack of the maniacal sadism that drives some of Southtown Syndicate's enforcers. Whatever annoyance Lucia has been, he's not killing her because of -that-. While certainly a good reason --
--she's only really going to die to prove a point. And to keep at least one of the annoyances of Metro City out of his hair.
Fire begins to ebb around Duke's fists as he stands up straight. Burning fingertips lift, and clasp together. The heat swells noticeably as this occurs -- apparently, he plans on charring Lucia into ashes. And from the look in his eyes, and the intensity of those flames, it would seem that he is entirely capable of just that. His hands swing upward--
Right before he finds himself stopped. Blinking from the sound of someone else cutting in on his business, dark brown eyes snap off to the side, getting a good look at who it is. Instantly, Duke's eyes narrow, a frown sliding across his features. He knows who -this- person is. A person would have to be a complete moron not to know who the former World Warrior Ryu was. The flames begin to die down around his hands, and Duke considers for a moment. There's a look in his eye, the way he stares at Ryu -- he's judging. The necessity of killing Lucia over the pain it would be to have to deal with a fighter of Ryu's calibre. And while he usually would gladly do so -- and has before, against individuals debatably scarier --with the condition he's in... it's not worth it.
"Hmph," Duke begins, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "It's not worth it." His gaze shifts, to refocus on Lucia's prone form, brows furrowing in thought. "... Don't interfere in my business again, girl. Or I really will finish you off." And with that, he turns to leave, his hands sliding into his pockets as he presents his back to Ryu. The fight is done here. And despite the severity of it all having not gone through...
... his point is made.
COMBATSYS: Duke takes no action.
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Duke 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Duke has ended the fight here.
Duke is right. By overwhelming one of the more prominent police figures in the city, he's probably proved himself in the eyes of those he seeks to recruit. And when Lucia's lucid enough to realize this, she'll be cursing her failure pretty harshly.
All she knows now is that the heat from those flames has ceased to fan her face and dry her lips. She can hear the sound of his shoes crunching over the ground as he moves further away, and the quiet murmur of spectators as they finally start to emerge. Ryu's appearance is remarkable in and of itself, and it inspires courage in those who recognize the warrior.
Lucia, however, has no idea who just stepped in front of her. All she knows is that his timing is fantastic, and that she's extremely grateful that someone prevented her from being turned into a crispy critter. "...thank you..." she wheezes, making no effort to extract herself from the ground just yet. Maybe after a little more strength has ebbed into her body.
Ryu does not budge nor flinch even the slightest in that brief staredown. It's apparent enough that he means to make good on what he says...and apparently, so would Duke had the world-renowned fight not decided to step in when he did. Althought the fighter's body is weakened, the fire he sees burning behind those eyes is not to be underestimated...he's prepared to fight if need be, but the other is clearly just as aware of his present disadvantage and chooses pragmatically.
He'll ignore the throngs of onlookers as they arrive, his attentions now solely on the battered police officer. "Don't worry about it." He offers with a smile, "Can you stand? We should get you to a hospital..I can carry you, if need be.." He'll spare one last look to the departing victor. Had he not arrived when he did..this woman would be dead, of that there was no doubt in the wanderer's mind. He would remember that man's face.
Log created on 20:12:25 07/04/2007 by Duke, and last modified on 01:21:43 07/06/2007.