Description: Vega has sent a helicopter to introduce Kyo to his destiny. Sakura and Kurow are there for damage control. Kyo isn't on the chopper when it arrives, but rather Rose, Chizuru, and Cammy. Kyo's actually taken burrowing lessons from Bugs Bunny. Really. And Iori Yagami is there to ensure Kyo doesn't die.
There is a cliff. It's majestic, don't you think?
This cliff is set aside for a special purpose, a special reason - this cliff is set to provide a backdrop for the most epic fight Vega has ever had. At least, so he thinks. This fight may be something far different - and in the end, it may just be the last gasp of someone who can never truly be surprised trudging towards a destiny they know they face.
Vega is a psychic. One of the strongest in the world, now. Each step along the way has been slowly building towards a peak, a finale that is going to be the culmination of Vega's rise to power, and his attempt to make a mark on the world. That's why he has chosen this location to deliver Kyo Kusanagi. This is where he will give Kyo his offer, this is where he will explain just what he is going to do to the rest of the world once things are through. This is where he will prove, once and for all, that he has the right and the power to make a difference, to mold the weak world in his image.
He has not come alone - no, he's told two of his most trusted to come with him. He has lost those he trusted before, knowing they would defect from him but allowing it to happen all the same. It's inconsequential. They are here because time says they must be here. What they do has happened before, whether they can change that, well - that's their own cross and burden to bear. His voice is quiet, muted and muffled by what is ready to happen.
"When he comes, do not be surprised by anything you may see. You are both Shadaloo - and you will meet the challenge ahead with pride and strength."
Cammy
Sakura is here because she wants to give Vega every chance of fulfilling his hopes and dreams. She may be privy to those plans -- the psychic bond between her and Lord Vega is a connection only she and the other Dolls can even hope to understand. But she, like a true, faithful servant, would never betray him.
In other words, Kasugano wouldn't miss this for the world. Kurow's own brainwashing may have lured Sakura's core psyche out of hiding, but it still plays second fiddle to the Doll programming. Vega's presence is one that can shove all else aside, his sheer force of will something that simply can =not= be denied.
The Ansatsuken-trained Doll simply nods back to Vega, watching. She may not know =what's= coming... but Vega does, and that's enough. The young woman glances over to Kurow for a moment, before turning back to watch... wherever Vega is. Her reply is short, and crisp. "Affirmative."
One of Vega's most trusted, lately, probably shouldn't be. Kurow had once held dreams of taking over Shadaloo, of someday pulling the rug out from under Lord Vega and taking all that the man had for his own... but now, he wonders, what's the point? All of Shadaloo's assets are so intimately tied to the Shadaloo lord himself that it seems fruitless. On the other hand... there's always a chance of being able to catch some shards of the cracking monolith, especially if Vega bites off more than he can chew against the young man with the flames. That's why he arrives at the appointed place, at the appointed time.
If there's one thing Kurow Kirishima is good at, it's faking it, though. When Lord Vega addresses him, he salutes crisply, with all the apparent firmness of someone who's in with Shadaloo for the long haul, even to the bitter end -- which may, in itself, be the tiniest bit suspicious. "Yes, sir," he says. "Kyo Kusanagi is quite the fighter, sir. I wish you the best of luck." He then glances back to Sakura, then to Vega... and all he can do, for now, is wait. He closes his eyes for the shortest moment, trying to envision the fight between Lord Vega and Kusanagi, trying to see just where each of them will falter or succeed.
If there's one thing Chizuru does, it's look out for the people with her.
Although she is not quite stubborn enough to stop Kyo from fighting anyone - that would be rather useless, and partially eliminate the point of working with Kyo - she is certainly not going to let him walk into what she feels is an ambush without support.
That would be why she's here, her and some others who would come along in the helicopter. Chizuru does not know where Kyo is. She hopes that he hasn't gotten himself in trouble by showing up early, and she hopes that whatever is on the other side is not beyond their combined skills.
The helicopter is still approaching. It will land soon, and then it's time; in the meantime, the group has a few moments to prepare. Chizuru is doing so by sitting very still, almost meditating.
It's been a hard time for Cammy. Though she was freed from Shadaloo's mind control, the weight of unlocked memories is a lot to absorb in only a week. She's some close to losing it a few times, and only having more stable people to anchor her has really kept her together. But at least she has a new focus - the Dolls. She wants... no, /needs/ to free them. New or old, it doesn't matter to her. Even Vega's defeat isn't nearly as important to her. Perhaps its a vestige of her old programming, but she doesn't care one bit.
Unfortunately, right now that means confronting Vega himself.
There's a fear of a repeat performance, of course. Last time she came to face him, he brainwashed her again. But something's different this time. This time she remembers her time as the Killer Bee, and more importantly, this time... she has allies. Calling them friends may be a stretch, but she trusts them, and that's enough.
And though she trusts Guile... he has a daughter. And a wife. She knows this from when she was a Killer Bee. And she can't let him risk that, even if he wants to. She's the Zero Doll. She doesn't have anybody quite like that. Friends, yes. Loved ones, not quite. The note she left to him before hooking up with Chizuru and Rose at least says that much. She knows she might not be able to count on him after another stunt like this, but she just has to swallow it down and keep her eyes on her goal.
Cammy leans up near the helicopter door, arms folded over herself as she waits. Her tie and cap have been thrown out, and a Shadaloo soldier's pants and jacket have been added to her ensemble. But she looks down. Even though this is what where she knows she needs to go, what she needs to do, she isn't happy about it. She's sad, even. After all she's been through, all she's starting to work past... she just heads from battle to battle. Is she really that much more different than the Killer Bee? Has she just changed sides instead? These sorts of thoughts run through her head, but go nowhere, leaving her feeling lost even when she knows exactly where she's headed.
Rose is riding as well. She has not put on any ear covering - she seems, of all things, to be writing something down, rather than meditating.
Of course, she WAS doing that - she seems to have finished. She tugs the several sheets off the small pad of stationary, folding them in half and leaning back to tuck them behind the helicopter's chair. Good enough, she thinks, before breathing in through her nose, and out through her mouth.
She lifts her voice to be audible over the roar of the rotors. "So," she says, pushing the thoughts of fear of what may come after this battle aside, "let us do our best, mmm?" And then her head turns, looking out the window towards the jungle for a long moment.
For Vega, the helicopter is a speck in the distance, but rapidly closing. He waits impassivley as it starts to circle, to prepare for landing. The open sides would probably allow himself easy access to look into the helicopter, to spoil the surprise that he is supposed to see. But, he knows how he is supposed to play this, and he knows that fighting fate at this moment is a waste of time. There are better battles to fight, better times to claw at the threads of battle that cling to him and force him towards that slow end he sees coming. His voice is a growl, harsh.
"They've arrived. Sakura, Kurow - engage when you are attacked. Show Shadaloo does not listen well to trickery."
That hint given, he brings his arms up, and walks towards the helicopter, his voice booming out for the people within. "Kyo Kusanagi! Welcome to Thailand, and I am pleased that you could join us on such short notice. I am looking forwards to testing your skill!" With fate staring him straight into the face - he turns towards the open side of the helicopter, and the betrayal and ambush that awaits.
Though really, is it an ambush if he /knows/ what is going to happen, and has warned people of it?
Sakura... was not expecting anyone but Kyo to be in that helicopter. Didn't the chopper people have their orders? Shouldn't they FOLLOW their orders?
Haha, yeah, if people followed their orders, Shadaloo wouldn't be in the current state that it is now. That's the sort of cold cynicism sets in as the young Doll looks up at the chopper, noticing three female forms that aren't Team ESAKA waiting inside. Frowning, she nods back to her master, quietly responding, "Yes, Lord Vega."
At which point, she takes a few steps away from Vega, giving the big man some room. You just can't be cautious enough around the Shadaloo dictator, considering his mood as of late.
... and it appears Kusanagi has decided to skip out, or perhaps been preempted -- whatever the case, it's something that Kurow certainly wasn't expecting that. The youth looks to Vega, knowing that he has a plan, even if it may not be the best one -- it's unlikely he'll be able to meet this challenge, though, in Kurow's eyes.
The youth glances to Sakura, again, then up toward the plane with the female forms. He knows a little about what lies inside -- he recognizes each of their silhouettes, and knows that they're likely to make an exceptional team. They're quite complementary, after all. He reaches into his pockts, then pulls his hands back out, claws at the ready. "Understood," he affirms, taking a step away from Vega.
The helicopter does not land. Chizuru asked it not to, so that it wouldn't be destroyed or damaged during the fight. It does, however, hover not very high up, close enough for a rope to be thrown down, or - more likely given who's on it - the passengers to jump down. "It's time," Chizuru says to the others.
Chizuru jumps. She lands lightly despite the distance, rising up from her crouching position and clearing out of the way so that other jumpers do not simply land on her back or head. Perhaps surprisingly, she does not immediately attack after her leap - she's waiting for support, because charging in wildly can get her killed, and she is still taking the measure of the people Vega brought with him.
Meanwhile, some distance away, in a hidden base - not immediately close, but not too far away - something is occuring! Actually, several somethings occur daily there, it is a place where people live, but we are looking at Something Specific. This something is, deep within the base, a man. He is bald, Chinese, and tattooed - not a common sight, He's known in the base - Chao, a biker thug with a strange command of his smokelike chi and a minion serving - either Kurow or Vega, it's never clear which actually holds his loyalty. (It's Kurow - the being that is playing at being Chao has been watching current events. Vega is far too unstable to be useful as a dupe - and likely to die soon, or at least lose much power. Kurow - now, a relationship with Kurow could pay dividends for some time.)
'Chao' is loitering deep in the base, waiting...for now. Waiting for something he is sure will come - the sounds of battle. Twelve, the being that /is/ Chao, is certain that a battle will come. He has read the political signs, and seen the way fights have gone...and he's known that Kyo was called out. And when that distraction comes, he will be ready.
Rose can recognize the rough outline of Sakura, but pushes it aside. She cannot worry about that now. Guilt and agony can come later. Is not Cammy here? There is always hope.
She leaps out as well, although her landing is more ballet-like - one hand uplifted, the scarf wrapped around it. She looks towards Vega and his "friends," and she has little straightening to do. She makes no comments, although she does reach up to push a lock of hair behind her ear, and then glance up - towards those who might follow.
Cammy steps around to look out of the door. She takes a deep breath, and then steps out, her pigtails fluttering under the helicopter's wake. She takes one last deep breath. Enough brooding for now. It's go time.
Bobbing forward, she falls out of the helicopter, flipping once before she touches down lightly. She eyes the figures before her. "Kurow...", she sighs, almost sounding dissapointed. "I warned you, but I guess crap just keeps floating the to the top, huh?", she says, lifting her chin a little.
Then, her attention moves to Vega. Though a storm rages under her surface, she's trying to stay 'cool', not show any fear or hesitation. For once in the past week, she needs to be a Doll again, not Cammy with all her doubts and fears. "The Dolls. Where are they?" It's almost useless to ask, but she /has/ to. Maybe he'll let something out in his arrogance... she can only hope. Because if he's sharp enough to try and use them /against/ her, she has no idea what she'll do.
Chizuru. Rose. Cammy.
No Kyo Kusanagi.
Just as he'd seen. Just as he'd prepared for. Just, in the end, as was fated to happen. The future is coming quickly now, and Vega's brilliant white eyes narrow in rage, quickly clamped off into control, to fuel his own abilities. Now is not the time to lose that delicate balance he has, to go fully into raving madness. No, there is still more to play out before that happens.
His comments are turned towards the one who left the greatness of Shadaloo, the one who chose to leave his side for an uncertain destiny - his Killer Bee, Cammy. "They are no concern of yours, Cammy. They are the Killer Bee's sisters - not yours." His voice is strained, as he shuts off anything further that may be said - now is not the time. Instead, he just roars out a challenge twoards the trio, and engages. Engages with fury and strength, purple psychopower rising up in a wave seven feet high and raging towards them all.
"COME THEN! SHOW ME MY DESTINY!"
This could be problematic, Kasugano realizes. The Doll programming has access to all of her memories -- even the subconscious. It knows that Rose could very well threaten its existence, purge it from existence. It knows that Rose is someone to be avoided at all costs someone who has, albeit very small, a connection to the former Sakura's existence. And Kurow told her to run from anyone who can unmake the person she's become now.
Likewise, Cammy... is a problem herself! She was freed from Vega's control not long before -- and even still, memories of training with the Zero Doll are still somewhat fresh in her mind.
The choice, then is clear -- Kasugano walks towards Chizuru. Charging in wildly can get =her= killed as well, after all... which is why the Ansatsuken-trained Doll keeps to a steady, wary pace as she approaches the Yata heiress.
"This deception is unwelcome. Vega called for a match with Kyo Kusanagi, in good faith, and yet you three appear poised to defy his wishes." All the Doll wants is some answers, really -- and if they can deliver them quietly and patiently, maybe Lord Vega won't have to be so angry.
Like Sakura, Kurow has a sudden, extremely difficult decision to make. He knows that Cammy wants to tear him to shreds, after the words they'd exchanged. He remembers his battle with Chizuru, and knows that while they're nearly matched, she's got an edge on him. Rose, though... Rose is a threat to what he wants, /and/ is perhaps his most even match among the three (by his own estimations).
He moves toward her, specifically, but likewise doesn't just charge in -- Kurow, after all, never quite goes into a full-on charge. "... well," he says, looking the silent woman in the eyes, taking slow, even breaths. "It's been quite some time since the last time we exchanged blows, hasn't it?" he asks of her, off-handedly. "I suppose it's better this way -- if Kusanagi had showed up, I wouldn't have anything to do." He leaves the Killer Bee to Vega, letting him handle the woman who's now (again) leaving Shadaloo behind.
"We expected that it would not be a fair fight," Chizuru says. She doesn't really care what Sakura thinks of her; if she's manipulative or controlling. It doesn't really matter. What matters more is trying to snap Sakura out of it, but Chizuru doubts she can manage what she did with Cammy twice - and that was at least mostly Megumi. "His deception and tyranny is also unwelcome."
Chizuru's eyes flick over sideways, toward Cammy. She doesn't want to just leave her for Vega, but... An aura surrounds Chizuru, briefly, as the wave of Psycho Power comes - enough to shield herself, not enough to send it back toward Vega. If it was aimed specifically at her, it would have gotten through; as is, the blast wave can be stopped.
Rose's attention turns towards Kurow, and she says to him in a calm voice, "I hope that I shall make up for your lack of entertainment, young man," which might very well be sarcasm, if in a rather gentle tone.
She doesn't move to attack Kurow, not when that wave of Psycho Power is heading towards her. She breathes in as she turns, facing towards it - the scarf around her arm seems to glow for one moment before she snaps it around in a sweeping arc.
It hits! Part of the wave detaches - twisting around - it loses impetus, the color seeming to flicker into the lighter pastels of Soul Power, but that's not the real point. The REAL point is that it's now heading towards Kurow!
As the fight begins outside, some of the noise filters into the depths. After all - fighters, even without shouting attack names, are hardly quiet, with their manifesting chi. Even Twelve, a master of stealth, cannot be called a quiet fighter when he must use chi.
It is not so /loud/, perhaps, but it is enough. 'Chao' waves a hand to the guards. "You guys go watch Lord Vega kick some ass. I'll make sure no rats go into the doc's lab." Of course /Chao/ could not be planning to break into the lab. Certainly not. Not Chao, who is a thug with no intellect, who has fought and lost for Shadaloo in these dark days.
Not Chao, who is certainly not bright enough to be a successful double agent.
As the wake of power comes at her, Cammy raises her arms. She doesn't have any special ability to shield herself, and though her gauntlets keep her from being hit in the face, the rest of her is hit hard. Squinting a little in the wake of Vega's power, Cammy grits her teeth, her jacket and pants shredding as she slides back with the impact. She may hate him, but all her body wants to do is run. Though the Killer Bee programming is gone, the personality of Vega's foremost assassin is still there in fragments, and the fear she has at defying her master is profound. But... if she runs now, he'll always be the master. This is about more than simply vengeance or justice. It's pride, pure, and simple, that keeps her from falling, despite the pain and burns.
Catching her breath, Cammy says, "I'm not the only one who needs to wake up... they're not your slaves to just use! I'll wake them up!" She glares up at her former lord, meeting his blazing eyes with her own blue irises. "And destiny? Are you really that stupid? You made every mistake that got you here... and this is your last one!..."
And she charges at Vega. It's predictable, really. Flight or fight... not that there's much of a real decision, at this point. She weaves from side to side, and then spins, trying to twirl around Vega in a pirouette before lashing out with her power-wreathed backhand, trying to catch him from the back or the side faster than he can turn. Power against power, she can't win... she can just hope her speed and manueverability keep her alive.
Blather, blather.
People talk and complain, try to make small talk at this important moment - it doesn't matter, none of it. It's all predestined, certain to happen, no matter what. Sakura and Kurow are moving to meet their individual fates without that knowledge, the luckier they are. Vega, well - he knows that Cammy has duty and pride that drive her to her own destiny - and with the power he's given and invested in her twice over, she must /know/ what is to come. Perhaps, just perhaps, it will make her overjudge. And then, well.. He'll strike.
here's a heavy *CRAK* as Cammy's bracer catches Vega behind the neck, but the Shadaloo Lord does not seem to move under it's intense effort. Will triumphs over energy, after all - and his drive to change 'what must be' is strong enough to push away the pain - for a minute, at least. "They are not yours, either. You want to change /their/ destiny when you worry about your own, Cammy. Let them go - they, much like the ones who fight you today - are /mine/!" Growling under his breath, he starts to try to match her in speed, purple-fisted swipes in a series of hooks and uppercuts aimed at the girl, trying to test her skills.
After all, she still has to make him proud.
Sakura's at least remotely aware of what Rose is up to -- it's hard -not- to, with the tides of energy washing around. Perhaps it's a good thing she wasn't threatened by that first one, before she'd started to close in on Chizuru.
Perhaps Kasugano should consider herself lucky that she wasn't attacked by the Yata heiress. Her Doll programming doesn't believe in luck, though -- in Vega she trusts. He did give the order to engage -- when attacked.
It could be claimed that rules are made to be bent -- the =group= has challenged Vega's authority, even if Chizuru, specifically, had =not=.
It's with that in mind that the Doll charges in, aiming to make the most of her initiative as she slams a metal-clad fist at Chizuru. It's not something that can be deflected quite so easily -- just brute, concussive force meant to knock the mistress of illusions down where she stands. "Haaah!"
Kirishima gives his all in trying to get out of the way of the forceful wave of Soul Power, and while his attempts are not completely in vain, the force of Rose's soul still strikes him, washing over his side. The willful youth is, perhaps, not as harmed as many would be, but Rose's immense strength does give him more than a little pause. Using the split second of time he thinks he has where Rose won't be ready to press the assault, he checks up on Vega and Sakura for a second -- just as expected, he thinks, before turning his attention back to Rose.
His attention goes back to Rose again, the wounds from last night's scuffle with Hyo still fresh and hurting, keeping him from talking too much. Kurow advances in toward Rose full-speed just as Sakura advances on Chizuru, and likewise goes for a hard, forceful strike. He doesn't use his claws, though -- instead, he aims a hard jumping kick for her chest, then tries to stomp repeatedly with alternating feet before finally kicking off of her.
Raw strength works well on Chizuru...when it hits.
Sakura does not hit solidly, because Chizuru was ready to defend herself as soon as the Doll stepped forward, and was already in motion. The punch clips her shoulder as she turns, causing her to turn further, standing almost sideways to Sakura.
The new position lets Chizuru step to her right, putting her behind Sakura, and let her try to use the momentum of her strike against her; Chizuru ducks low and performs an arm sweep to the back of Sakura's knees, letting her other hand guide her over until she falls. She says nothing, preferring to let Sakura start a conversation - if in fact there is any.
While agile, Rose is not quite as agile as Chizuru - and reflecting that wave was not easy. Vega HAS gotten stronger, and while his own imminent collapse might be reassuring to some, Rose cannot really bring herself to be thrilled about it.
The foot hits her in the chest and she looks pained, staggering back under the force of the Kirishima boy's kick. "Just - a moment," she says, perhaps to herself, before those stomps are replaced with a kick-off...
She leaps after him, aiming to slam an arm into his midsection in midair. This would not be terribly remarkable if it wasn't for the pastel-shaded light that blossoms from her arm (and possibly into Kurow's tender, precious, pain-feeling nervous system!?) - followed by a sudden slam towards the ground.
"Perhaps you should leave, young man," she tells him while still in mid-air.
Despite the weight of her armguards, Cammy manages to get them up in time, for what it's worth. However, breaking a dispersed wave with the metal bands is one thing, but taking Vega's direct assault is another. Her arms are battered hard, and the guards start to genuinely /break/, cracking before one gives with a smashing sound as loud as a gunshot. They've been cracked and scorched endless times, but under the series of blows, one shatters, and she actually loses her balance, stumbling back. Pain shoots through the affected arm, and she throws a foot back to drop into a crouch rather than simply fall. Pieces of metal fall to the rocks below, and there's a momentary pause as she recovers. But it's only a moment.
"You took everything from them... I'm just going to give it back!"
And with that, she jumps towards him... but it's a clear miss, just off to the side. Instead, she reaches out for his cape, trying to use it to whip around him and restrict his movements before kicking off his chest in a drop kick. Like all the 'old model' Dolls, her style depends on attacking from strange angles, from reducing her opponent's ability to defend. At the very least, she hopes to bounce away, and make it hard for the monster to retaliate.
The guards rush off, always willing to see their idol fight and win. That's a downside to hero-worshipping loyalists, isn't it? They assume everyone else in their group is so loya. They assume that 'Chao' is far too dumb to want anything in the lab.
They're wrong. As soon as they are out of sight, the 'Chao' persona drops, the Chinese man's face becoming blank of all emotion. He looks at the fingerprint reader and lock that are on said door - good...but not good enough, as he focuses on the print on the reader, places his own thumb on it...and shifts the thumb to match the print. The lock clicks, and the door opens.
Twelve smiles, stepping in.
Smashing Cammy's bracers was no small feat - Vega's fingers are bloodied, mussed and broken in ways that will take time to heal. But such is the way when you're preparing an attempt to steal away fate and crush it under your heel. Everything comes down to one moment in time, one piece of fate that he has to hope falls the way he wants to. That moment is rushing in, and he /knows/ it's just about...
<<Now!>>
Vega doesn't move when Cammy goes for his cape - he knows what she will do, her training still enough of the Doll's training that he can prepare for the motions that will come. Unpredictable angles are only unpredictable as long as the person doesn't have intimate familiarity with the style. As she goes and twists his cape, it rips - cut previously by Vega, just for this move. If it holds, he'll be able to throw her off - and with her out of the picture, well.. He'll be able to crush her, then join the others to overpower them.
The tear shouldn't have worked - but hearing it lifts his spirits. His eyes open wide in shock and pleasure, and he crows out his jubilant victory far too early. But he's /changed/ what would happen. And as he rises up, sidestepping the attempted kick from Cammy, he speaks harshly. "I've changed it - and no matter what, no force on earth will stop me now!!!" Hands glowing with psychopower, he brings them down on the spot where Cammy will land - intent on crushing her as hard as he can, every iota of force he posesses thrown into this single, solitary moment.
A tremor shakes the earth, the precursor to a pillar of flame which suddenly jets out from the ground, like a small volcano, between the former Zero doll and her ex-master. The eruption seems to halt the Shadaloo dictator right in his tracks, resisting his attack and maybe even pushing him back a little. A second passes, at which point the flames begin to wash away in the wind, gradually revealing the body of Kyo Kusanagi, defiantly blocking what might have been the killing blow.
A cursory glance at the erstwhile World Warrior champion reveals that whatever happened to him between the finals and this exact moment in time has left him quite worse for wear: His clothes are battered, particularly his jacket and white t-shirt, which are litter more than tatters, leaving his upper body bare. Cuts, bruises, and dried blood are everywhere. Only Rose and Chizuru, with their unusually-keen senses, may realize that this is the result of days of battling Iori Yagami underneath the ground.
It is, after all, a blood feud.
Kyo stands there in front of Cammy White with trembling legs balanced on each side of the smoking hole he just created in the ground, and both arms held up above his head, tenuously resisting the crazed Vega's brute force. "Nngh..." Kyo mouths, his guard beginning to be pushed back. The result of his own depleted strength matched against the Shadaloo overlord's out-of-control power is quite evident; the boy can barely hold his ground. Still, as the last fiery embers swirling around Kyo's body fade away, the scion of the flames smiles. He glances backwards for a brief second, meeting eyes with Cammy while smirking confidently, then looks back to Vega.
"Don't look so surprised. I heard you earlier... and if you wanna talk about destinies, I've got one too!"
There are very few fighters of this caliber that Sakura has -not- faced before, due to the rather questionable judgments of the Saturday Night Fight scheduling team. She hasn't fought Chizuru before, though -- and has only the most basic understanding of her style. Seeing isn't everything, =especially= with this mistress of illusions.
Accordingly, she really doesn't know what's coming here. She's remotely satisfied with a glancing blow, but much less so with having her knees buckled out from beneath her, falling to the ground with an unenviable whump. Shaken by the sound of a Sudden Impact from the direction of her Lord Vega, she looks up to see what it is -- and finds it to be the man of the hour, the one they were expecting. "Mmm," she notes meaningfully.
But she's still got a job to do -- keep them from interfering. Grimacing, the girl throws her weight to one side, using her shoulder as a pivot point so that she can whirl around with a wide sweeping kick, aimed at knocking Chizuru's legs out from under her in kind. "Hrrrrrraaaah!"
This time, Rose's strike is a little more direct; Kurow finds once again that when he overcommits he is summarily punished, and tonight is no different -- as Kyo bursts up from the ground, Kurow takes the arm to the midsection hard, growling under his breath as the blossom of energy flings him into the ground with incredible force. A small crater is left behind, though nothing in comparison to the enormous hole left by Kusanagi's sudden show of force.
"... I'll give it a little thought," he says, still not quite deterred by Rose's Soul Power -- he's faced it before, and he isn't quite willing to give up in the face of it so easily. As such, the youth keeps his guard up and his offensive strong, knowing that if he can keep Rose on the defensive she likely can't succeed. Advancing in again and likely dooming himself to yet another crushing blow from that power, Kurow springs toward Rose and strikes out at her with swing after swing of his claws.
Chizuru rolls when she hits the ground; she's easy to drop but it's hard to actually cause her much of a problem by doing so, and she picks herself up easily and with no apparant injury aside from the initial drop.
Kyo's sudden arrival is surprising, but in a good way. Chizuru smiles to herself, just a little, as he bashes his way out of the ground, and she doesn't even need to give him any direction - he's already near Vega, and able to give Cammy a hand when he inevitably begins to punch him. "Rose," she calls over her shoulder, then glances back at Sakura - what do I do with her, she wants to know.
She does not leave Sakura alone, though; Chizuru steps forward, swinging her arm vertically with a swirl of her weighted sleeve as she tries to push the Antatsuken user to the ground.
Rose raises her arm as Kurow makes his dash forwards, blocking most of his strikes on the empowered piece of cloth. She is pushed back a few paces, however, eyes flicking over towards Kyo Kusanagi's explosive entrance. Then she looks back at Kurow with a faint smile. "Will you?"
One more step back to give her room to raise the scarf again, eyes widening as she cries out, "I think you lie!" She whips it around again -- this time more like a whip than a reflecting surface, the glowing fabric likely to sear against Kurow's body even if the Soul Power leaves little or no visible mark!
More noise from outside? Twelve is glad. The guards he has sent to watch have appeared just in time to see Kyo, and gasp. What the heck, is Vega in /trouble/? They can't help, they're puny humans! PUNY HUMANS!
Twelve himself doesn't care what the cause is, as he steps through the lab in the shape of Chao, scanning the area suspiciously. Traps? No...Vega is arrogant. Getting to the lab alive and getting in means one is safe, yes? But...it pays to be safe.
The G-Project monster begins shuffling through papers.
A normal person would be grateful for the assistance. Perhaps even awestruck. Cammy's certainly surprised for a moment, staring, and then frowns. After all, it was her pride that was keeping her going, and it just got a swift kick in the head.
She gets up, but she's not going to admonish Kyo yet. There's no time for a wacky, mangaesque punishment right now. Maybe in the 4koma later.
Rising, Cammy throws off the cape sticking to her, and rubs her head. "... Kyo.", she says, looking sideways to him slightly. "Don't get in my way." She raises her arms. "And... thanks."
The failure of her last battle against Vega was going it alone, and though she wishes her power was enough to take on her former master, she'll probably lose on her own. But with help, maybe they can bring down the lord of Shadaloo once and for all.
And, so, rather than go back on the offensive, she quietly tries to read Vega. She was designed to understand how people fight, how they move. It's time to put that to use in a different way, though. Looking to Kyo, she waits for him to make his move... and braces to time her own offensive at the same time, and compliment his attack.
Cammy isn't the only one without time to react in a manner unbefitting their stature and poise. Vega is caught flatfooted by the sudden appearrance of one Kyo Kusanagi - he /didn't/ see this happening, /couldn't/ see this happening. Much like trying to crush Cammy and succeeding in changing what would happen, this is just crazy uncertainty - fate rearing it's ugly head at the last moment. His power is spent on battering Kusanagi's defense, that crossed arm block subjected to waves and waves of psychopower, only to be blunted and turned aside as Vega staggers backwards. Not beaten, no - but more wary now, the tides having turned again.
"Your destiny pales to mine. I am /not/ willing to lose this that I have struggled so hard for!" He pulls his hands back, and just turns away from Cammy, facing Kusanagi instead. This is what he wanted, after all. A weakened, battered Kyo Kusanagi to beat up, so he could then proclaim himself 'World Warrior'. It's his to take, if he can. Hands blazing with psychopower, he aims at Kyo's body, trying to rock the 'destiny-laden' one off.
There's something to be said for sticking to one's original plan of action. In Sakura's case, that something is usually 'To heck with that!' With Kyo now allowing Vega to complete his primary =stated= objective, Kasugano makes the decision to change her target.
This would follow 'getting up' on the order of operations, though. After her kick fells Chizuru, she leaps back to her feet, at much the same time Chizuru does. Her eyes snap to Chizuru's first -- cold, robotic, she sees her opponents as a series of constantly-changing variables, not as 'people' per se. And Chizuru -- while certainly -offensive- in the sense that she's here at all -- didn't swing the first blow. With that in mind, Kasugano starts to move towards Kusanagi, only to be met with a weighted sleeve. Irritably, she raises her stainless-steel bracer, barely able to deflect the blow away from her arm. Yes, she really can block every once in a while!
"'scuse me. Priority has changed," she explains, leaping away from Chizuru, twisting into a somersault at the Kusanagi scion. Surrounded by a purple aura, the spinning girl stops spinning at the apex of her leap, channeling the bulk of her Psycho Power at... Cammy! "Shinkuu... HADOOOOOOUKEN!" Vega's already beat down the Zero Doll once before, after all -- he's got better things to do, in Kasugano's estimation!
Kyo manages to fend off the warlord's first attack, if not just barely. As soon as Vega withdraws his fists the scion of the flames' arms drop to his sides weakly, forearms scorched by the sheer amount of psycho power unloaded onto them. Strangely, despite this desperate-looking situation, with a bloodied Kyo staring down an enraged and fully-powered Lord Vega, instead of preparing himself for the next volley of attacks, Kusanagi turns around and points at Cammy.
"Shut up! The one getting rescued doesn't get to complain!"
Of course, it's debatable whether or not Cammy really needed rescuing in the first place, don't tell Kyo that, though. He turns back to address the threat of Vega, and for his trouble becomes little more than a meat shield for Cammy; the psycho-powered criminal lays into the flame-wielding World Warrior, who defends this strike much less adeptly than the last. That is to say, he goes tumbling backwards, head-over-heels, past Cammy, coming to a rest in a heap.
Moments later, Kyo springs to his feet, glaring at Vega over the cheap shot, but his fierce look is interrupted as he doubles over, coughing out a good amount of blood. It appears Vega managed to do some internal damage with that last one, and it leaves Kyo staggered, and gasping for air. "Dammit... I guess I spoke too soon..." Kyo chokes out while wiping the blood from his mouth. He might have made a dramatic rescue, but with everyone else on the battlefield now occupied, who's going to rescue Kyo?
As the scarf comes in, Kurow extends the claws on his hand to a length more like a shortsword's, and with a quick movement, tries to bat away the empowered scarf... but a better idea comes to mind, as he sees the tides of battle turning. Unlike Vega, he does not think this is his destiny, does not have the investment in proving himself the strongest -- he's only here for one reason, and even that looks as though it's... tenuous at best. What Kurow uses to his advantage here is not his training, not his adeptness at commandeering the moves of others, not any of the advantages one would often consider fightworthy.
It is his ability to act that sees use here. Kirishima takes the strike as though it had hit something far more vital, making it appear as though the wounds from the night before have been aggravated more by her strike than they actually are -- and crumples under the blow, rolling to one side, down for the count. His breathing is intentionally more labored than it should be, and by all /appearances/, he's given Rose a clear path to aiding in the assault on Vega.
Vexing. Chizuru needs to disable Sakura without hurting her badly, and ideally without letting her simply run by and destroy Kyo or anyone else she's with.
She charges Sakura. Twice, in fact; one is illusion, and one is the real Chizuru, but they look identical except for being mirrored copies of each other. Both of them strike at once, finally not just mirroring each other; one strikes forward, in a sweeping strike, while the other tries to smash Sakura out of her Shinkuu Hadouken and back down in a leaping attack.
The one that remained on the ground flickers out after a few moments more.
Who will rescue Kyo? Hm.
Rose raises an eyebrow at Kurow as he steps back and collapses, weighing the question of whether or not this was a great blow - a sign of Kirishima's weakness - or else... no, she thinks, no time to even worry about this.
She raises her head and breathes in. This may be it, she thinks; it was good, while it lasts. Hopefully Alma will not squander the money or the residuals on good times, fast living, and handsome men.
She raises the scarf up with a snap, the cloth assuming a nearly vertical position as she narrows her eyes. It coils down towards her arm, wrapping around it before she leans forwards, lunging now towards Vega -- and hopefully, caught up in destiny, in pronouncements, in fulminations and furies, he will have forgotten the key idea: Watch your flanks.
The cloth erupts outwards during the dash, forming a spiralling form not unlike a drill. Rose does not hold back in the dash, either; if her /arm/ ends up harming him, so much the better.
While Cammy isn't running the Doll operating system anymore, she does retain the distinct analytic qualities it has. As such, her eyes shift towards Sakura's blast rocketing towards her... and she opts /not/ to let it connect, leaping back high into the air before landing into a double backflip, and then as it starts to dissipate, catches the wave of chi on her remaining armguard with a wince. Her evasion makes it hard for her to aid Kyo, or counterattack Sakura, and she's reluctant to push her body well past superhuman on Sakura alone. That'll burn her out quick, and she doesn't have that option in a fight like this.
"I really don't want to be the one to fight you.", she says with a small pout, and shakes out the recently struck arm. "You're just being used, so... I don't need to acknowledge your 'intent'." And with that, she starts walking toward Vega again, only keeping a slight glance towards Sakura.
Papers...papers...Twelve searches through the papers, his hands shifting around them. They are interesting - but only some are Psi-related. Those, Twelve seperates, placing them in a pile. Once the pile is reasonably large, Twelve examines the lab itself. Machinery. No - he won't destroy it. Destroytng it would be pointless.
However, the papers - those he will not leave. Twelve opens his jacket - Chao's jacket - and lifts his shirt. The skin below ripples faintly, turning pure white - the white that skin never gets, even in albinos.
Then, with his free hand, he lifts the papers, placing them on the white spot - which caves inwards, accepting the papers and flowing around them. Twelve never needs to carry containers.
Meanwhile, the pair of guards are trying to figure out who's winning, and if they should be cheering.
Where was he?
Righting a wrong. Got it. Vega was righting the wrong that was the damned cocky Kusanagi showing up and harshing his mellow, making him have to /fight/ for the right to proclaim himself the winner of this 'real' fight - ignoring, for the moment, that the two he'd brought with them are tightly contested in titanic struggles of their own. No, sorry - this is where Ego gets the better of him, and he starts to work towards his own, private goal - the one that drives him more than anything else. Respect. Power. The world /must/ know.
He is Vega. He is surpreme.
He steps back from the half-battered Kusanagi, and bursts into .. well, it's not flame. It's psychopower, purple and black and full of wild anger and rage, focused down into as much raw force as Vega can do. He starts towards Kusanagi, raising himself up off the ground as he speaks, hovering in air by force of will. ".. I am tired of this. This fight.. this battle, and your lives... are /over/." With that, he starts to rush towards Kusanagi, Rose and Cammy - if they want to fight him, to attack him, he'll take their attacks head on - no matter how it breaks bones, shatters teeth, no matter the cost, as long as it ends with his psycho-flame wreathed body crushing them.
"FINAL... PSYCHO... CRUSHAAAA!"
"GWWWOOOOOOOOOOAAAAGH!"
As Vega bears down upon the gathered host, a dark shape flits through the air directly towards him with an unmistakable shriek. Broken, battered, but still alive after his titanic battle with Kyo in the tunnel systems beneath Thailand, Iori Yagami presumably comes to ensure that his rival stays alive for that fated moment. Fulfilling his bargain with Chizuru doesn't even begin to enter the equation.
Face set grimly, the heir of Yagami slams directly into the dictator bristling with power. He can feel the pain in the back of his skull even before he comes into contact with the corrosive evil energy -- such is the power of Vega that it hurts to be near him, to feel the dark thoughts bordering so close to your own mind. So much pain; but pain that Iori has felt before. It's almost nostalgic.
"You can't--... I won't--... die--... YOU--...!!"
It was a bad idea doing this. Then again, its how this has always been. You just force yourself to take the first step, and then the rest is fated no matter if you want it to be or not. In this case, Iori is definitely having second thoughts -- there's so much Psycho Power that he can't even string together a coherent sentence.
But that's fate. Iori slams into Vega, enough of his mind left that his hands miraculously find purchase around the much larger man's throat. With a bloodcurdling shriek that belongs more to an animal than a man, the redhead slams his feet into the ground and, somehow, stops all of Vega's forward momentum. Iori's arms break, his ribs shatter, and he feels like he's going to disintegrate at any moment, but he holds Vega.
The purple flames start immediately, slamming into the dictator's Psycho Power. It's not enough to keep him -- there's just too much for even the Orochi-enhanced Yagami fire to deal with. For a moment, it looks like the gambit is a failure and Iori has caused his own demise by shattering his own aura with so much cursed flames, but then a flicker of crimson twines through the fire. Not a lot, just enough to question if it is there or not.
It's enough to keep him standing. Iori tosses his head back and screams, blood spraying from his open mouth and streaming from his eyes. It is the true power of the Ya Sakazuki that is invoked here, freezing Vega to the ground and locking his limbs. But it's tearing Iori apart inside -- it's not going to hold forever.
Sakura attacked Cammy... and Cammy didn't want to fight back. That's fair. Sakura broke off her attack with Chizuru, and Chizuru wasn't done yet. That, too, is fair! Kasugano is a bit overly focused on making her Psycho-Powered Hadouken land that she'd temporarily forgotten about Chizuru. She certainly didn't expect the Yata heir to multiply -- which she only notices out the corner of her eye. But it's too late to respond, suspended in the air as she is... just long enough for Chizuru to swat her out of the sky.
Something else she catches out of the corner of her eye, though, is Vega launching his ultimate of ultimate attacks.
And it being made utterly useless by =yet another interloper=. She was told to stop the intruders: this would definitely be filed under Failed Missions.
Rage floods her features as the girl flies towards the ground. Her shoulder hits first, resulting in a rather nasty fall as she twists head over heels. ... But at least =part= of that fall was controlled, as Sakura is rolling with that momentum, right back to her feet.
"DO NOT INTERRUPT LORD VEGA!!!" Howling with rage, the Shadaloo Doll is rushing out to slam Iori in the back with one of her patented Shou'ou Ken uppercuts, sheathed with a blaze of her own Psycho Power. Sure, that means she'll willingly be caught in the wake of the remainder of the energies from Vega's Final Psycho Crusher. She doesn't =care= that the energy is strong enough to sear her soul, bring her ever-closer to unconsciousness. She =has= to stop Iori -- he's =already= harshed on Vega's big day more than enough! "JUST STOP IT ALL RIGHT NOW!"
The sudden arrival of Iori is a surprise, although vaguely expected; where Kyo is, Iori will soon follow, even if neither one is about to admit it. Chizuru's lips purse as she takes in the situation, a process that only takes perhaps half a second.
She protects herself first of all, but she also attempts to simultaneously protect Sakura - it wouldn't do to have her killed before she can be cured - and restrain her, trying to grab ahold of Sakura before she gets to Iori, hold her - and then put up her reflecting shield on the far side of her, where Chizuru's arms cross over the Doll. It's the best idea she can think of, poor as it is, but she doesn't have enough time to come up with anything brighter.
His papers acquired, Twelve slips back into the mindset of 'Chao' as he exits the lab, shifting from 'spy' to 'biker thug.' He'll have to check in with Kurow later and ask who they're working for - with the sound of the combat, it's unlikely, Twelve thinks, for Vega to win...but possible. The man is...powerful. Twelve is unsure.
He slips away, heading off to report to his fell masters. Or maybe fel masters. We're not sure, look, it's Urien, okay?
/Damn it/. Why can't people just leave other people alone? This was /Vega's/ fight to win, and it's been taken from him /again/. A second time, a second interloper - except this time, he's not pleased to see the interloper at all. In fact, he's quite irate - which just brings him all the more anger and rage to use at the party. The lack of air, however - that might just be a problem.
Struggling against the force of will that is Iori Yagami is difficult - but it is something he can overcome, given time. At the very least, Iori's own rage and boundless pissed-offedness will eventually give Vega something to grab hold of as purchase. The damage the man has taken, well - that should also factor in. Kyo's just beyond Iori, and immortality of a sort just beyond that. Victory is still in his grip, if he can just make himself /move/...
As he fights those crimson flames, his mouth opens to form words - not audible, but with Yagami so near, he can probably make them out. They're about his mother, and they aren't very nice. And they're saying that what is about to come as soon as he breaks this hold can't be undone by anyone as /weak/ as he is.
And then he moves an inch forwards. Towards Kyo.
Rose is at this point not quite understanding where all these people are coming from. However, events are coming to a head and she has to do her role, however it may end up. She calls over to Chizuru, "Thank you!" with a slightly forced smile - and then slides her scarf down, bunching it up in one hand and tossing it, under-hand, towards Cammy.
She steps forwards, towards Yagami. Her eyes narrow at the flame, and she does not speak. She does, however, think: she thinks with great power, and in the end it is perhaps no different from speech itself. 'Just a moment,' she sends, as she reaches out with both hands towards Vega's left arm - closer to her, if only marginally.
'I beg your pardon,' she concludes, hands grasping his forearm like a fat ham as she crouches down. 'But, it was my role to restrain you?' And then her hands blaze with turquoise-blue and sunlight-yellow light, and she twists her entire body, putting all her force into overloading Vega's formidable mind and brain /just/ as she puts all the force of her body against his burly, but less than enormous, elbow.
It is tactical, of course. The physical pain should throw off his concentration, allowing the pouring-in energy to dampen whatever unholy flame burns inside the dictator. She hopes, at least; her eyes close, and she is not sure if she will open them again.
Though Kurow is playing at being unconscious, he still watches Lord Vega's destined fight unfold. He watches every crushing strike exchanged, every vicious blow -- and then he sees Sakura attack Iori in spite of the fearsome wave of Psycho Power coming down on the area. 'Intervene, you're still capable,' part of him says. 'She's important -- but she's Vega's plaything, barely accessible to you, loyal but not as loyal as that power he's given her makes her to him -- but for once you did everything right, hit every note with a master's grasp on pitch and tone, on the perfect target -- and now you're getting too invested in her -- just /do/ something, just pick something and /do/ it --'
Fortunately, Kurow is saved from having to make an immediate choice by Chizuru Kagura. This does put her in the arms of the heroes, does snatch her away, but she's not particularly likely to /die/, which is the important part. Even if they put her back together, he thinks he'd still have /something/ -- he didn't simply work with the Doll, after all, but tried to work with what lay beneath. He could tell that /part/ of that, at least, was somehow touched... and that's what lets him decide to go back to watching, pretending to be so weakened by the power of Rose's soul.
As Cammy sees Sakura charge, her heart is torn. Seeing somebody like that... she knows exactly how it feels, and how easily it comes. But thankfully, she sees Chizuru moving after. Good. She didn't want to try and meet Sakura's attack with one of her own, and taking the punch just to stop Sakura's advance is, to say the least, a terrible tactical option at this moment.
Particularly with a Vega that's determined to murder them all. As the scarf is thrown to her, she blinks in surprise, but it isn't long before she comes up with an inspired idea. Letting the scarf whip out behind her through the air, she closes her eyes for a moment. Many fighters seek to overcome the limitations of the human body, but advanced Doll training is a bit different. Instead, they /force/ the limitations, and to hell with the consquences.
Gathering her focus, she then practically vanishes, lashing out with a flying kick towards Vega in a blur. As she does so, she skids, and blinks out of existence again, lashing past Vega again and again with a flurry of kicks as she bounces past him like a human missle about a half-dozen times a fraction of a second. But the attack is two-fold - with each pass, she tries to whip the scarf around tighter. It may not be much, but with Vega weakened, it might be enough. Finally, she skids to a halt in a crouch, breathing heavily as her body protests loudly against her superhuman speed.
Point one: Sakura has felt all of useless this past week. She was unable to defend the prison from a massive onslaught from all sides. She was unable to keep control of the water treatment plant away from Guile and his Vigilantes. And right now... she's done very little to assist Vega in his plan to completely demolish the World Warrior finalist. She can't even stop =one= of the interlopers from interrupting the Shadaloo dictator's plans.
Some may say that Sakura sets her goals a bit too high. Really... she just wants to impress people. To exceed everyone else's expectations by a longshot, to never accept anything less than a complete success. And she's failed in those endeavors. She's failed Lord Vega, failed Kurow. (Even if the little faker's just sitting over there watching!) And even when it would be a relatively simple task to nail Iori in the back... she's stopped from even doing that much, as Chizuru grabs onto her, holding her back. Tears well up in her eyes as Rose sweeps in and puts a stop to the dictator's rush. "No!" she gasps, reaching out with her hand...
... At which point the upsurge of chi rushing not only =around= but =through= her sends chills rushing down her spine. Being hit by a Psycho Crusher would unquestionably hurt, but having the ebbing waves of Psycho Power she's =already attuned to= be rended inoperative all of a sudden by a sudden shielding wave of Yata power -- with Sakura herself in the midst of that awesome power -- is a little much. Not to mention the conflicting energies of Rose's power -- or Sakura's =own= dosage of Psycho Power.
Add one (1) emotional backlash. Stir well, serves one (1) unconscious Shadaloo Doll. Unconsciousness is sudden, the potent backwash from Chizuru's defensive measure sweeping Sakura's eyes shut, her body falling limp in the Yata heiress' arms. Sakura... has had more than even her body can handle.
His strength utterly sapped from days of relentless fighting against his arch-rival, Kyo can't do much but just stand, half-doubled over with one arm weakly held to his stomach, and watch while Vega barrels towards the assembled heroes in a swirling mass of fiery psycho power. "-Shit!" He exclaims. Although he'd never admit it, his instincts are searching for a way, any way, to save Chizuru, Rose, Cammy, and hell, even Sakura from Vega's path of destruction. He can hardly move, but perhaps he can just use his body to shield the others...
Kyo doesn't get the opportunity to put this desperate plan into action. Instead Iori Yagami leaps in front of the bullet and, despite being as depleted as Kyo is, manages to completely stop the mad Shadaloo warlord, dead in his tracks. "Crazy son of a-" is all the scion of the flames manages to say as he watches the purple energies of Vega and Yagami become a hellish maelstrom of power, twin auras of incomprehensible power clashing together in the most spectacular of sights. It looks like a supernova.
Despite the spectacle, Kyo has fought Iori long enough to see the subtle signs, the little glimpses of weakness. He can see, clear as day, that his arch-rival won't be able to hold on for very much longer. Kyo is the closest to the pair, he needs to act, now. He needs to MOVE.
A step forward. One of his ribs gives away, causing another spurt of blood to come coughing out of his mouth. He ignores it. Another step forward. Vision tinted in red now. One more. He's starting to run, and it feels as though his body is moving by itself. More steps. Copper taste in mouth. He can't even feel his legs as his stride reaches his apex. It's almost like he's falling towards Iori and Vega, rather than running. Blacking out. His fist, wreathed in what fire he has left, is cocked back behind his ear as he leaps the remaining distance.
Just before impact, there is a moment where it seems like the flaming auras from both Kusanagi and Yagami's bodies change to a blindingly pure red-orange hue. Followed by a mushroom cloud explosion.
Just when he'd thought he was making headway. Just when he thought he was breaking Yagami down into small pieces that he could then use to force-feed Kyo his inevitable, doomed loss - he loses. He /loses/. There's an upswing as Rose wraps his arm, the Shadaloo Lord's fingers just inches away from where Kyo would be if he wasn't /moving/. They're pulled back and away, and he's suddenly battered and pummeled by Cammy's giant boot of doom, rocked left and right while still held up in the remnants of Iori's grip. Even that, no, even that he could withstand and survive. Were it not for that blasted /Kusanagi flame/.
He's caught up in the explosion, and in the end, well - Iori's left holding a tattered red cape. The shoulder bits are down below, cracked and broken on the ground. Of the dictator, there is no sign. But really, that much power must have simply destroyed the man. Right? Right?
That's how these things work!
The flames die down as the Psycho Power does. Iori has been at ground zero all this time, and it shows. Blood covers his arms, chest, and even his face. He's covered in cuts and gashes, and his rasping, irregular breathing indicates he's probably got a bone sticking into his lung. Yeah, that hurts.
Nevertheless, he's standing. His arms hang limp at his sides, and it doesn't look like the redhead is going to be walking anywhere anytime soon, but hell if he's going to fall over before Kyo does. Iori does allow himself to hunch over, letting blood drip from his face to the ground.
"I hate you so goddamn much, Kusanagi," is the first thing out of his mouth.
Rose opens her eyes. She wasn't expecting that.
"What...?" she says, looking around, reaching up to touch her face for a moment. It seems to be there, she thinks. I appear intact. She can feel her fingers seem to buzz, as if she'd touched near a live wire; they're a bit numb.
She looks over to Iori, and decides to be sharp. He stole her beer; he can adapt. "Yagami," she says, possibly distracting him from eating Kyo. "I am visible, yes?"
Maybe she got hit in the head by Kurow.
Cammy stands up unsteadily. She came out well compared to her compariots, only getting a bit knocked around by Vega and Sakura. But she pushes herself to get that last word via food at. " She looks to Rose and Chizuru, and starts to walk towards the spot where Vega went boom.
"Is it really... over?" It seems too easy, even with the force arrayed against Vega. Then, with a startled realization, she frowns and looks around, "... Kurow?"
Standing mere feet away from Yagami is Kyo, in a similar state. Even his trademark headband has been ripped off as a result of the hellacious battle, and clad only in his pants, shoes, and gloves (which, miraculously, are completed unscathed), the full extent of his injuries are on full display.
"I haven't forgot about you ditching us on the plane, Yagami." Kyo says, his speech coming in halted fragments as he takes breaks to gasp for sweet sweet air, "I'm going to pay you back for that... as soon as I... catch my breath."
Both men are nearly unconscious, the only thing that keeping them on their feet? Falling would mean losing, and neither of these men have never been willing to admit defeat to the other.
"Yeah," Iori spits, prompting another spray of blood. "You..." he nods at Rose. "And you..." a nod at Chizuru, tending to Sakura. "And Ms. Goddamn Psycho Swimsuit over yonder." He pointedly neglects to mention Kyo, but glares at him so hard.
"I kinda wish you'd all just die, but I guess chinface biting the dust is good enough for one day."
Kirishima is not a fool. He remembered what Cammy said to him last time they met -- the next time they met in Thailand, it would have far more murderous intent behind it. Needless to say, the only thing left on the ground where the apparently-fallen Kirishima ninja once lay is a few shreds of dark fabric and a vague unsettling feeling. If there's one thing Kurow Kirishima is adept at when the chips are down, it's making an escape at just the right moment.
"Gone, of course." She looks over to Yagami, and walks past him and Kyo. "Well, if you want it, come at me already. Otherwise... shut up.", she says over her shoulder at the the redhead. Then, picking up the scarf, she bundles it up, and hands it towards Rose. "Here. Thanks."
She's confused, relieved, and worried all at the same time. Is he really dead? Will she ever know? Can she move on? Too many questions, but... she'll have to go on, one step at a time.
Rose is relieved. She is not dead. "He is not dead," she reports almost immediately, before looking up to Cammy. "But... I believe that his power is broken, for now."
She looks to the young men. "We should..." She trails off, folding her arms as she sees them standing there, on the verge of fury once more. They have been fighting for so long; she can virtually smell the fury, the outrage, the sheer antithesis that they represented to each other.
She turns her head, accepting the scarf from Cammy with a slight smile. "Thank you," she says, raising a hand. Light glitters around it, and she makes a peculiar motion in midair, as if stroking the side of a cat, or a particularly friendly dog.
Kyo and Iori may experience the disconcerting sensation of something /soothing their heads/. Will it be enough to curb the legendary flame? Rose does not know, but she hopes it can make them go to sleep for a minute so they can call back the chopper.
"Rghhgrhhh," Iori growls, throaty and guttural. He puts a hand to his forehead, smearing blood upon it as he tries to right himself. It hurts like hell to even move his arm, but by god he's going to jab a finger at Cammy. "FINE! Right after I get done..."
With terrifying purpose, Iori wrenches his head to the side to glare at Rose. He's experienced with stuff inside his head -- in fact, Rose might feel something groping around in there that is much larger and terrifying than Vega, though considering the close brush with death it may be exaggerated.
"...KUSANAGI! THIS ENDS NOW!"
It's not as dramatic as last time. Iori forces one foot in front of the other, stomping purposefully towards Kyo with his fists blazing purple.
Kyo remarks off-hand to Cammy as the girl passes, "Nice pigtails, have we met?" She just walks by. He shrugs helplessly. At Rose's strange lightshow Kusanagi just makes a strange face at the gypsy. She should know that waving a scarf does practically nothing to deter the progress of a 1800-year-old rivalry.
And so, when Yagami barks out his challenge, Kyo is all-too-willing to comply; He just grins with the trademark shit-eatingly cocky smile that always drives Iori insane without fail. "I was waiting for you to say that, Yagami. It took you a long time to catch your breath... don't tell me you've run out of gas already." He taunts, adopting a mock-dissapointed tone of voice.
World Warrior final bout? Not a problem. Rogue Shadaloo attack helicopter trying to gun him down? Why not. Bloody, epic showdown with the leader of Shadaloo and it's remnants? Bring it on.
All these things are secondary, mere distractions to Kyo and Iori's never-ending personal war.
Apparently getting his second wind now, Kyo spreads his feet apart and raises his fists, which have now become wreathed in crimson bloodline flame. "LET'S GO, YAGAMI!"
As Iori approaches, Kyo takes a step forwards...
Iori takes a swipe at Kyo, and then promptly falls over.
Kyo collapses on the ground next to Iori.
Rose decides to claim that was her intention, later.
God that thing was creepy. She looks to Cammy and asks her, wearily, "Help me move them?"
Cammy sighs. "I thought I had to deal with enough freaks in Shadaloo.", she says, hanging her head slightly. She goes to heft up Kyo - she's not eager to lug the guy around that threatened her life, after all. Despite her slim frame, her strength is more than enough to lug the champion around... it's just pretty tiring at this point.
"So... um... I'll need to talk to you later." She flushes a little at carrying the half-naked guy around, trying to find a good position. In her arms seems to do better than over her shoulder, at any rate. "I have some things to ask you."
"Of course," Rose says, with a glance downwards. "I - will do whatever I can."
She doesn't speak further, instead moving over to crouch and hoist up Iori... which does not go exactly as planned, although that may be because of the strength of his sweaty manliness. After this, she looks up towards the direction where the helicopter headed, and where, HOPEFULLY, it will come back from.
Cammy taps her ear. She hadn't thrown away that Shadaloo communicator, but she probably will within the hour. But for now... "Yeah, Helicopter #36XH, come back for extraction, or I will hunt you down and..." She pauses, and then says, "They'll be coming back." She sighs, and looks over to the redhead. "We don't really have to rescue him, do we?..." She then adds more quietly, "... kidding."
As Rose picks Iori up, another rib cracks. He mutters something about an ocean of blood but seems to be still unconscious.
Log created on 20:38:52 07/06/2007 by Vega, and last modified on 23:38:24 07/07/2007.