Description: Shenwoo and Rock Howard have got rage in a... Volcano?! Well, on the side of one, really. Punches, served with a side of MAGMA. Also: A surprise appearance by Rock's possibly less crazy uncle. All this and more, inside! (Winner: Shenwoo)
Rock has learned that his father is always going to schedule him in the most difficult places on the planet to have a fight. Why couldn't he just take on this guy in Howard Arena or any of the other five hundred public, subway-accessible, airport-friendly locations on the planet? Why's it gotta be at the base of a remote volcano. That is active. It literally took Rock two days of negotiations to find a helicopter pilot crazy enough to take him from the capitol city out to here /and/ be on call to come back and pick him up once he was knocked unconscious or something.
Arriving first, Rock clutches the strut of the chopper as the contracted pilot makes a few passes of the volcano. There are steady pulses of magma shooting up into the air from the brooding mountain face. The thing looks like it's a few seconds away from releasing and flooding the jungle surrounding it with the red abyss of it's lava flow. "Take me down there!" Rock yells over the wind, motioning at a relatively flat segment of ashen rock towards the foot of the volcanic incline.
With a shrug, the pilot brings Rock in. Howard waits until they're about two dozen yards up before he jumps free of the helicopter. He hits the ground in a force-absorbing roll, like he did this kind of thing every day, and rises back up. Reaching into his red jacket, he pulls out a magnesium flare, snaps it open, and lobs it down the volcano. That should attract his opponent eventually, he figures.
Really, the WHERE of it is totally irrelevant, to one of the scheduled participants in this little fracas. They could schedule Shenwoo to fight on a train, in a plane, aboard a boat or atop a goat, and the Shanghai-born brawler probably wouldn't read past who he was fighting. This, then, is what has brought him to the side of a FREAKING VOLCANO, to engage in mighty battle.
The self-styled 'God of Battle', however, travelled by terribly mundane means to the site of his SNF bout, having hired a jeep and driver (both money and threats of severe physical violence secured Shen's transit, as it turns out most drivers actually like having their kneecaps) to bring him through the jungle and up to the highly dangerous environs of the volcano. For his part, the former street thug couldn't be less concerned, lounging in the passenger seat of the jeep with his feet resting atop the windshield, crossed at the ankles, and his fingers laced together behind his head, designer sunglasses concealing his eyes as he enjoys the open air and a lovely drive through nigh-impassible countryside towards a veritable no man's land that might explode at any moment and wipe out all life in the area.
You know, good TV.
Eventually, Rock's flare is sighted, and the jeep comes trundling up, Shenwoo disembaring with a casual laziness that hides his building excitement. A fight, a fight! Against somebody he knows must be strong, no less! None of this fighting groups of random nobodies this time. He stretches as he gets to his feet, before turning and giving the jeep a sharp kick. "Don't go anywhere, I'll have this done in half a sec," he says to the rather terrified driver, loud enough to be heard by Rock, and any other onlookers. Like the SNF cameras... There's always cameras, no matter where you go. Probably hidden for maximum realism and minimum equipment damage courtesy of lunatics who can punch tanks in half.
Rock watches the jeep's approach with his own degree of indifference; arms crossed over his jacketed chest and black t-shirt. He isn't so much annoyed by the proximity to imminent doom the volcano represents so much as the hassle of getting out here. Especially if it ends up not being a good fight, against a man who will put it all on the line and push him to his limits. He does this to get stronger; to win, yes, but the real value is getting stronger. He's heard good things about his opponent's skills in the past.
"Yeah, yeah," he says, with an obvious roll of his eyes, when Shenwoo disembarks. "And I'd better call the medievac chopper now because you're gonna beat me so bad, right? Hang on." Howard pulls out a cellphone, flips it open, and starts pantomining the entry of a few numbers. "Hello? Costa Rica Emergency Recovery? This is Rock Howard, and the God of Battle," Rock does his research, "Is going to flatten me in the next two seconds so you'd better send the helicopter now, okay? Hang on, I got another call--"
Rock holds up a finger towards Shenwoo. "Hello? Wait, who is this? Ohhhh. It's Leilani? I must have misdialed. Yeah, I remember our 'date' last week. And yeah, I remember the night after, too. Oh, please, don't say that. Mr. Big might hear you and get jealous. Ha, ha, yeah, the God of Battle is right here. Yeah? Okay, I'll make sure I knock out at least one tooth. For you. Yeah, text me those pictures. Thanks, later."
Rock snaps the phone closed and focuses back on Shenwoo. "I guess this is where I say that I'm going to knock your head around so hard you're gonna have to call me in the morning?" Rock Howard's getting better at trash talk, but he's got a few decades to go until he's got Geese's trademark crushing taunts down right. "So come on, tough guy. What're you waiting for?"
COMBATSYS: Rock has started a fight here.
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Rock 0/-------/-------|
Tugging his leather gloves tighter as he steps away from the jeep and towards Rock, it's not really clear /what/ the taller blond man thinks of the red-eyed fighter's taunts. Shenwoo also hasn't the foggiest idea what Rock is talking about after the first fake phonecall, so he just stands there and takes off his sunglasses, pocketing the things. His dark eyes are alight with manic glee, at the prospect of a good ol' fashioned throwdown, his broad slash of a mouth pulling into a wide, wolfish grin. Oh yes, he's going to have some fun here.
"Oh, sorry," Shen says, punching his fists together. "I thought you mighta had another call to make, I know how you schoolgirls get 'bout that sort of thing." Briefly, the berserker slips into his casual boxing stance, leading with his right fist... "But since it looks like you're finished..." he continues, a light scraping sound following the slow movement forward of his leading foot. "...Let's GO!!" This shout accompanies the sudden change on Shenwoo's part from 'standing there' to 'rushing at Rock at full speed', the brawler's unbuttoned shirt trailing behind him as he pulls his left fist back... And then thrusts it forward, turning his motion into a distinctive rushing punch, aimed right at Rock's face. "GRAAAAH!!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has joined the fight here.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rock
A volcano. Really, he would have to have a talk with his addle-brained half-brother about the choice of location, but nothing as simple as the possibility of an exploding volcano would halt today's little field trip.
As Rock's helicopter moved away from the volcano, a second larger helicopter could be seen approaching the area. Though there might be some on ground-level attentive enough to catch sight of it, they would be too far away to notice the fact that the side of said vehicle is emblazoned with the crest of the german noble house of Strolheim. Inside was a small group of people; the driver, two elderly men dressed in rather formal-looking tuxedos, and a monster of a purple-haired man, clad in full battle armor: pure gold in color and shining with only the slightest glint of the sun reflecting off it. The Earl of Strolheim, and the lord of those that accompanied him on this trip, Wolfgang Krauser, has decided to get himself a front-row seat for the fight.
The chopper starts to lower down towards where the fight has started, blades whipping about and sending up dust and leaves all over the place, hindering the vision of those that aren't careful enough to block their eyes. It stops roughly a dozen feet from the ground, and the door slides open. Any protests of the next action made by the two elderly gentlemen are drowned out by the motor as Krauser moves to the open door, and simply jumps out of the helicopter. He descends quickly, hitting the ground hard enough to cause it to crater and spider-web out several feet in all directions. He lands in a crouch, then slowly rises back up to his feet before a careful glance is taken first to Shenwoo, then to Rock.
"Not the most pleasant place for a fight, is it, nephew?"
COMBATSYS: Rock blocks Shenwoo's Gekiken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rock
Here we go! Rock loves that momentary period of complete anticipation in those dim seconds before a full-blown fight is about to erupt. It's when your hair is standing up on your neck, every muscle in your body is poised and tensed, uncertain of how they'll be tested in the ensuing moments. It's when you really can feel alive; the world is laid bare with opportunity and it's just you and the guy across from you.
"Yes!" Rock yells to Shenwoo's cry, echoing the other teenager's sentiment. They're teenagers. They love to fight. Taking a slow step back as Shenwoo breaks into a run, Rock's already picked up on the momentary flash of a boxing style. He got his ass pounded fairly recently by Dudley so he's been working on ways to counteract that sort of punch-based physical technique. This will be a great test.
Shenwoo's fist comes whistling in towards Howard's face. At the last moment, his jaw clenches and he sends his own forearm shooting upward to drive the knuckles up with a solid connection right below the wrist. The full extension of the thrust still grazes his blond hair. Too close. This guy is fast. Rock's gonna have to be careful. But he's not really thinking about that, because as he stands there, still with his forearm raised to about eye-level, his own pair of red eyes swivel towards the golden-clad manchild who just plummeted down from another helicopter.
There's a brief moment of hestitation. Then a blink. And then a, "Uncle Krauser?! I'm a little bit--" Rock's eyes lock back onto Shenwoo as he pulls his arm back down, bringing the other hand bristling forward to try and palm thrust straight through the kid's chest. "--Busy here!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo endures Rock's Medium Punch.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Rock
"Heh," chuckles Shenwoo as his rushing punch is blocked, not even a slight hint of annoyance escaping him. Oh no, in fact, he sounds quite /happy/ that the smaller blond fighter was able to defend that. "Make sure this is fun, okay?!" the possibly crazy young man says, pulling back from where he impacted with Rock's forearm, which is right about when Krauser of all people shows up. Straightening up, and looking a bit nonplussed by the sudden appearance of a spectator, Shen glances back over his shoulder at the Earl of Strolheim. "You look familiar," he says, though he can't quite place the man; of course, Shenwoo has /been/ to Strolheim, and participated in a tournament there even, but that was a while ago. He lives in the now!
Also, he gets punched right in the chest.
Rock's palm striking him calls the self-styled God of Battle's attention back to the fight at hand, as he stumbles back half a step and turns his dark eyes back towards his opponent. "Oh," says Shen. "You're still here?" Suddenly, with frightening speed, the berserker's left hand rushes out towards Rock, seeking to grab him by the throat. If he manages that, then he'll lift the other fighter up off the ground and choke the bejeezus out of him, leather creaking as his fist clenches on Rock's esophagus, before tossing him towards the ground. "Ha ha ha ha!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Rock with Kyakuten Touchi.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Rock
Indeed, that initial strike of Shenwoo's was fast. Krauser's eyes follow the fist as it comes in, along with Rock's initial defense. Little notes are being taken inside his head as he just watches the way that Rock moves, defensive and offensive, and his arms fold across that massive golden breastplate. "I will still be here when you have finished, Rock." A low chuckle rumbles in the German's throat, then Shenwoo addresses him. To that, he turns his head towards the berserker. "How very perceptive." Again, a slight grin pulls at his lips before he takes a step back and away, seperating himself from the ongoing fight. A look is given to the cameras, then; that would mean that Geese would see this, at some point, and know that he was here.
Eh. Geese was no immediate worry. Instead, Krauser simply withdraws to just before the front lines of the crowd, standing towards the back and allowing the fight to continue unhindered.
Rock's eyes bug out as he finds Shenwoo's hand closing around his throat. He claws at the other fighter's hand as the fingers clasp down and kicks at his arm to try and get a foothold to push off of. There is no yield. The fingers clasp tighter, forcing him to audibly gasp as the air escapes out of his throat. By the time Shenwood releases him, casting him down like a spent Fourth of July Sparkler, Rock's vision had started to blurr. He hits the ashen 'pavement' on his back, thirsting for air.
A gloved palm slaps the sediment, frustrating ringing as Rock gulps in a gallon of air. He's not going to go down like a little bitch in front of his incredibly austentatious and overdressed Uncle. The guy is one of the few pieces of family he has who doesn't appear to be entirely insane. Kain is borderline, but Krauser's just... Different. In the Howard lineage, it's saying something if you're not a bloodthirsty, murdering, psychopath.
Pushing himelf up with one hand, Howard gets back up to his feet. He coughs, clearing the lumb in his throat, and swipes a hand across his forehead. "Okay," he says, with a little more formality to his voice. "I guess I underestimated you. Point proven. Now--"
Rock's toes curl into the rock as his right hand's fingertips curl. "--I hope you're ready!" With an upward cutting motion, he snaps his arm forward and a swirling sheer of bluish white chi energy tears from it -- buckling forward through the stone of hardened magma like a plow through a field of corn. "REPPUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo endures Rock's Reppuken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Rock
Ahh, that's the ol' pepper. Shenwoo feels pretty good about himself as he tosses Rock to the ground, grinning wildly as the smaller fighter gets to his feet. He doesn't even try to stop the younger fighter from doing so, quite content to give Rock the time he needs to get his footing and respond with an attack of his own... Which he does with some gusto. A Reppuken is hurled his way, and Shen is far more familiar with these things than he has any desire to be, but that doesn't mean he's afraid of it - quite the contrary. A sane man would try to avoid it, or stop it, or block it. Shenwoo, instead, runs right through it.
"Too WEAK!!" bellows the God of Battle, wisps of bluish energy clinging to his form as he careens forward, off-balance and completely uncaring of that particular fact. "Weren't you, like, champ or something?! With crap like this?!" Once again, Shen reaches out, this time aiming to catch Rock by the hair so he can't get away as the berserker throws himself forward, using all of his weight and momentum to lunge headfirst at the shorter blond's face. HEADBUTT! "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
COMBATSYS: Rock counters Strong Punch from Shenwoo with Gedan Crack Counter.
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Shenwoo 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Rock
Rock has pretty good experience with these crazy motherf'ers that will just run through a Reppuken and keep on coming. They're like Abrams Tanks that somebody strapped a rocket booster onto. They just barrel straight forward, swallowing all the pain and punishment positioned in their way, and then they crash into you while on fire or something until you end up bouncing through four cement walls. Not that Rock is bitter about that.
What he is, however, is prepared this time. When he realizes, just over the hazy rim of the glowing chi bullet, that Shenwoo is going to blitzkrieg through it -- he braces himself. One foot plants and the other shifts forward, adopting his father's favored fighting stance as he waits for the freak to blast through the resulting Reppuken explosion. It comes, blanketing the volcano in a brief pulse of bluish white light, and Shenwoo is doing a Yamazaki on him. Rock's ready.
With a hardening jaw and narrowed eyes, one of his hands slices forward to intercept Shenwoo's own, bound for his hair. Twisting it down to yank Shenwoo off-balance, Rock shifts all his momentum and performs a tightly contained forward flip. And with it, he sends his leg floating outward, the back of his heel spiking down with his rotation in a variation of one of the Legendary Wolf's more famous techniques. Steel heel spiking in the improvised axe-kick, Rock hits ground smooth, performs a backwards roll, and ends up staring at the results from a three-point crouch.
"Yeah," he says, breaking a thin grin. "I was the champ. And this is child's play, Shenwoo."
Truthfully? Shenwoo saw that one going differently in his head. His haphazard headbutt is dealt with quite handily, and the brawler is struck by Rock's counterattack, the flipping axe kick smashing into his shoulder, driving him down into a low crouch. But Shen catches himself before he can actually collapse fully to the ground, his head down, face shadowed by the fall of his dirty blond hair. And then his shoulders start shaking. "Khh..." he breathes out, a rather indistinct noise, before he throws his head back, laughing out loud. "Ha ha ha ha ha haha!!!" the berserker's laugh is harsh and coarse, but there's nothing malicious about it. In fact, he sounds pretty happy.
"That was great! Ha ha ha! I was worried you were gonna suck, but now I know something." Just what it is Shenwoo knows isn't immediately apparent, as he gets a bit shakily to his feet, weight shifting back and forth, mirth still clearly painted on his face. "Hn... Ha ha ha... Oh man." For just a moment, he rears back, pulling his left fist all the way back. "I know I don't have to hold back to make this fun!!" Like a spring being released from full tension, Shenwoo throws himself at Rock, moving so fast his tall, lean form blurs and almost disappears from conventional sight. His shirt, his hair, and his wallet chain all trail behind him as he throws his left fist forward in a repeat of his earler rushing punch... But the speed this time is orders of magnitude more than before. A shockwave of pure force surrounds him, centred on his striking fist, adding still more power to the titantic punch... "SHYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
COMBATSYS: Rock counters Zetsu! Gekiken from Shenwoo with Joudan Crack Counter.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Rock
Rock's eyes widen when Shenwoo starts berserker laughing. The last time he saw something like that, Yamazaki was prepping to stab him nearly to death in the middle of Howard Arena. It was the same night he lost his SNF Title Belt. It wasn't a good day. He still can hear that freakshow's cackling when he turns a corner in Southtown or looks into his all-black boxer brief drawer.
This puts Rock on defensive alert. He's at Defcon 1 anytime someone starts battle cackling. But he's the lion here and Shenwoo is the hyena. He's protecting his turf from the invader, in a sense, and that gives him the edge. An edge he needs because he's completely not prepared for how fast the other fighter is on him. And he's definitely not prepared by how much faster the guy's fist is moving this time.
"Geezu--" Rock starts to say before pure instinct does the rest. He doesn't so much as calculate his reaction as let trained muscles and nerves take over. He's got over a decade of training under one of the harshest masters in the universe burned into them. That work, terrible as it was, pays off. Again Rock's forearm moves to intercept the rushing punch. And again it connects, only this time a spasming surge of bluish chi accompanies the inflection point of rising forearm to thrusting fist.
From there, Rock pivots forward, moving his body low and beneath Shenwoo's extended arm. He tucks his arm towards his ribs and drives one of his elbow's square into the other fighter's chest. It isn't so much painful as used to drive him back and put space back between them. Holding his extended elbow in place for a few seconds in the aftermath, chi smoke rises from Rock's body as he breathes deeply in and out.
Quite to his surprise, Shenwoo's terrifyingly fast attack is... Stopped entirely, as his punch is deflected and then he gets elbowed right in the chest. Conventional physics having long since thrown up its hands at a world full of crazy powerful fighters, Shenwoo's forward momentum is entirely dissipated, and he staggers back from the blow to his chest, dark eyes wide with shock. Oh, it's not the first time that attack's been dealt with, but it IS the first time it's been defeated quite like that.
So, for a moment, Shenwoo is pretty much thoroughly bemused.
As he gets his footing back, the shock and confusion slowly fade from Shen's face, that wide grin reasserting itself. "Heh... Yeah, this /is/ fun," he says, straightening up with his right hand resting akimbo at his hip. His left comes up, extended towards Rock, as he beckons the younger fighter on with his fingers. "C'mon, don't just stand over there, huh? Good defense, but how 'bout your offence? Unless, of course... You're scared?" It might not be the most cogent taunt ever, but it might just do its work. Also, today is a red letter day... Shenwoo is being strategic! Kind of.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo gains composure.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Rock
The fight, so far, has provided ample notes for the German nobleman regarding his nephew's fighting style. Both the strikes and counter-strikes have been duely noted under Krauser's eyes, and the occasional low chuckle passes his lips as he watches actions and reactions. Shenwoo, however, is proving to be a bit of a disappointing watch. Other than the one choke, earlier in the match, it seems that things have been fairly one-sided. Arms remain folded passively across his chest, and he taps one foot patiently while watching the back and forth between the two youths. Then the taunt from Shenwoo, and Krauser cannot help but laugh aloud before his volume drops back down. "Scared? The boy will show no fear. Perhaps you should spend more time worrying about yourself, 'God of Battle', over pondering your opponent's mental well-being." Said in a half-spoken, half-mumbled voice, it was more of an amused comment to himself, though it's certainly possible either of the two involved may have heard him.
Rock would agree that a good fight is fun, but the manic glee that Shenwoo shows towards punching and kicking is worrisome. It's making Rock squint, and when Rock Howard squints, world's end! People die! Things explode! Speaking of explosions, the volcano to his side is starting to rumble. It's getting really close to erupting. You can tell because it just belched out a fireball of magma. The spire of swirling heat crashes down into the ground between Rock and Shenwoo and rolls down the hill some more, like an errant comet.
Rock tracks it down the slope of the volcano for a few seconds, stops, and twists his red eyes back to Shenwoo. He can feel Krauser's eyes like bullets in the back of his head. The offense challenge is laid. Krauser will be paying particularly close attention to what Rock does here. He can't disappoint the man.
"Alright," he says back to Shenwoo, genially enough. "You want the lightning, I'll give you the thunder." The volcano rumbles again here, jettisoning another series of fireballs. It, apparently, doesn't appreciate Rock's bad sense of humor. It's a very testy and high-brow volcano. But swallowing a steeling breath, Rock waits another two ticks of the clock...
...And then runs forward just as the stone boulder, about basketball sized, of molten magma comes bounding down the face of the volcano. With a cry, Howard leaps forward and intercepts it on it's crossing pattern. His foot slams into it in the air, driving it forward and towards Shenwoo!
COMBATSYS: Rock successfully hits Shenwoo with Random Weapon.
- Power hit! -
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Rock
"HEY!!" Shenwoo shouts, turning towards Krauser. "Shut up! Spectators should just spectate!" Yeah. So there! Friggin' Germans, always butting in to other people's business. He almost doesn't notice the volcano shuddering underfoot. And he almost doesn't notice Rock kicking a boulder his way... Which proves to be a mistake. Turning at the last possible moment, Shen tries to get out of the way of the thing, but he waited too long. He trips a bit, and gets quite handily run over by the boulder, borne down to the ground underfoot, the impact sending up a shower of ash and pulverised rock, obscuring the end result of the attack.
Surely, nobody could survive so much DUST.
Except, of course, that they always do; in short order, Shenwoo is actually erupting forth from the cloud of dust and ash, seemingly unaffected by it, running at Rock and then leaping himself into the air, twisting around to stretch out one long, leather-clad leg in a jump kick aimed right for Rock's face. "NOT ENOUGH YET, JUNIOR!!" he bellows. But yes, Shenwoo is jump kicking. He's the worst boxer /ever/.
"And fighters should just fight, rather than shouting comments at spectators." A brief comment, at best, from Krauser. Shenwoo has learned enough of a lesson regarding what happens when you get distracted when Rock runs him over with a redirected boulder. With a slow shake of his head, he resumes his idle spectating, lounging back amongst Geese Howard's camera crews, who maintain a slight bit of paranoia at having the Lord of Strolheim, and someone they know their boss isn't particularly fond of, so close by.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Rock with Heavy Kick.
- Power hit! -
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Rock
Junior?! Shenwoo is one year older than Rock! Such indignity! Such insolence! Such a big foot flying into his face! With a bonecrunching crack, Shenwoo's foot slams across Rock's face. Back and to the left, Rock's head goes, Shenwoo sailing past him as he stumbles backward from the impact point. It's a solid three or four backtracks before he's regaining his footing, heel digging into the ashen floor.
Rock stands there for a second, a gloved hand rubbing at his jaw. He can taste copper in the back of his mouth. That one drew blood. Good. He likes when things are interesting. He's glad that Shenwoo isn't all talk. "I thought you were a boxer?" Howard asks through a rueful grin, lowering his hands and readopting his Hakyokusaken stance.
It's a rhetorical question, though, because Rock isn't waiting for an answer. He agrees. It hasn't been enough yet. And he's going to fix that problem. As more and more magma boulders start bouncing down the side of the volcano in preparation for the big eruption, Rock breaks into a run straight forward. He's going to rely on karma to keep him from getting sideswiped by one of the bigger balls of fire.
Coming in on Shenwoo, Rock doesn't slow down. He blitzes right into the man's vicinity and slams his heels into the ground. Grinding forward, he power slides on the flats of his feet straight towards the man. And the moment he's within Shenwoo's armspan, his eyes widen. His hands flex, extend, and he slams them down towards the ground.
Immediately, everything goes white. Chi blossoms out and around Rock in a maelstrom of spinning energy; a radial shockwave up and out of blistering power. The ground around the fighter cracks and craters, dirt and stone shooting outward with the suddenly spiking explosion of energy. The volcano rumbles because it likes the sound of a Raging Storm.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo dodges Rock's Raging Storm'.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Rock
Ahhh... Satisfying. Shenwoo drops to the ground after his kick, landing easily on his feet, despite the stirrings of the mountain underneath. As it happens, he's also glad that worked, because a completely one-sided fight, either way, tends to be kind of boring. It's the clash of strength against strength that excites Shen, and while he's been known to fight people vastly more powerful than himself on a whim, it's still more fun for him when he doesn't just get walked all over. "Tch," he mutters, at Rock's question. "Why ignore a weapon nature gave me?" the brawler wonders, brushing a gloved hand through his dirty blond hair. And then, as rocks and fire begin to rain down on them, Rock comes right for him.
The Raging Storm is something Shenwoo has seen before as well, on at least two occasions from Geese Howard himself. And, if there's anything that the beserker has learned about it, it's how to not get hit. Kicking off with one foot as Rock slams his hands down, the tall, lean fighter barely avoids getting hit with the eruption of chi; though it seems reckless and haphazard, his timing is impeccable. But could it just be pure chance?
Whatever the cause, Shenwoo comes out unscathed, and as soon as it looks clear enough, he steps in again to attack Rock. His right fist launches out in a short, underhand punch from the waist; were Rock standing up, it'd probably catch him in the kidneys or elsewhere in the vitals. As it is? He's probably gonna get punched in the mouth! "ORA!!"
COMBATSYS: Rock blocks Shenwoo's Quick Punch.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Rock
Rock raises his eyes just in time to see the results of the Raging Storm. It is not very often than a man is able to avoid his father's ultimate technique. He can't remember the last time he saw it happen. That makes Shenwoo something special. That makes, all appearances to the contrary, Shenwoo among an elite list of people. It also makes Rock wear his shock on his brow -- mouth half open, eyes wide, smoking twirls of residual chi rising from his red jacketed frame.
It's only at the last second that it registers that Shenwoo is trying to punch him in the face. From his lowered position, Rock falls back and shifts his shoulder up, swallowing the knuckles against his upper-arm. The force of the impact drives him back, his body tilting until he's rolling backwards onto his back. He goes with it.
Howard shoots a foot out towards Shenwoo's chest, trying to swallow him with his backwards roll, and kick-toss him over his head. Maybe he'll meet a magma ball in the process.
COMBATSYS: Rock successfully hits Shenwoo with Quick Throw.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Rock
"Hah," laughs Shenwoo sharply, glad to see that Rock still has enough left in him to block that punch. Unfortunately, because he chose to express this amusment, he's unable to get out of the way of Rock's foot in time, and instead he gets caught up in that roll back, flung trough the air and crashing, rather hard, into the ground further up the mountain. Unfortunately for Rock, he doesn't meet his doom from some magma ball or something. Instead, looking rather the worse for wear, the self-styled 'God of Battle' pushes himself up to his feet.
That said, there ARE balls of magma headed right towards him, and it's no small matter when Shen hears one coming from behind him. Turning around, the brawler catches it with his gloved hands, the smell of cooking leather filling the air, as he whirls around and chucks the boulder right at Rock, as hard as he can manage it. "Here!!" he shouts. "Why don't you play with... THIS!!"
COMBATSYS: Rock fails to slow Large Thrown Object from Shenwoo with Double Reppuken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Rock
Rock likes to play. He also likes to use Double Reppukkens to blow up giant balls of hardening magma. He'll have to train with his Uncle Krauser on this skill some more in the future, though, because when Rock realizes what Shenwoo is doing he takes two strong steps forward. First his right hand tucks towards his side, fingers half-curling and they form a cupping claw. Then his left mirrors the movements, and he swipes them forward through the air, one after another, missiles of chi shooting forward.
The slam into the wad of melted rock and explode into a furious fussilade of glowing energy. The twin Reppukens do their job well; splitting and detonating the meteor. What they don't do, however, is deflect the shrapnel from that split projectile. One large shard of cooling stone comes spinning out of the explosion.
Rock can only stare with widening eyes as the shard of stone slams into his gut. It shoots the air straight out of his lungs, buckling him forward and over, until his knees touch the stone floor. Wind gone, body pinging with pain, Rock grinds his knuckles against the ground at his side.
"Turnabout is fair," he mutters, mostly to himself, so that Krauser can't here.
"Ah, son of a /bitch/," mutters Shenwoo, whose gloves have now been burnt clean through at the palms. Oh well, they did their duty, right? Taking a moment, he pulls off the heavy metal rings he wears, stuffing them in his pocket, before divesting himself of the ruined gloves, tossing them aside. Of course, Shen does this fully aware of the fact that Rock almost just unleashed some really nasty pain through the boulder he threw at the other guy. The rings, then, go back into place, one on the middle finger of each hand.
Anyway, what about Rock? The red-eyed fighter got hit in the head with a piece of rock, which is probably karma or something, and to Shenwoo he's not looking too good, though the same could be said of the Shanghai-born berserker. They're both showing the wear and tear of battle, by this point, but Shen's expression of manic glee returns with full force now that he's dealt with the mess that were his gloves.
Not wanting to give Rock the chance to properly recover, the berserker suddenly rushes forward again, and as he gets close Shenwoo clasps his hands together in an axehandle position, swinging his fists in a wide arc upwards, aimed right at the staggered and winded Rock's face, hoping to knock him right on his back. "WE'RE NOT DONE YET!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Rock with Fukuko-Geki.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Rock
Rock's head rises just as Shenwoo makes another war cry. He's right. They aren't done yet. But Rock is locking his eyes on the berserking half-Chinese kid just as one of those axe-handle slams is coming his way with pain written on each knuckle. Slamming into his jaw, it completely barrels Rock over from his knees onto his back. He skids back from Shenwoo a good dozen feet due to the incline of the volcano face.
This is unacceptable, Rock thinks, his mind repeating the words in the tone of his father. He remembers those sessions, in the secluded confines of his father's rooftop dojo, in the underground training facilities of Howard Arena, or beneath Geese's favorite waterfall just outside of Southtown. It didn't matter where they trained or sparred, it was always unacceptable. It was never enough. The angst boils and buoys, it brings rage to Rock's mind just thinking about it. He always did his best and it was never enough!
He'll show them all.
"That the best you can do!? Pathetic!" Rock calls, emulating his father, as he slams a hand against his knee. He uses it to hoist himself to a full stance, his red jacket torn into a series of clinging shards, his black t-shirt half-distintegrated from battle. He doesn't care that Krauser is watching and taking notes. He's going to end this the right way. He's going to end this with the thunderous cry of not the man he wishes he could be, but the man he probably will become.
Again, Rock takes a step forward. Again, his arms flex. Again, his eyes line onto Shenwoo. And again, he cries, "DOUBLE REPPUKEN!" as the two shears of bristling, burning, energy explode forward. The ashen stone of the volcano face yields to their approach, the tunneling slices of energy grinding stone and cinder apart as they cut against the grain of the volcanic downfall.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo dodges Rock's Double Reppuken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
Rising to his toes in the followthrough to his upwards axehandle, Shenwoo settles back onto his footing as Rock goes skidding downwards. Grinning wolfishly down at the red-eyed fighter, the berserker once again beckons Rock onwards. "C'mon, show me how it's done, then!" he calls back with a laugh in his voice, given over almost entirely to the pure unbridled joy of fighting a challenging opponent. Can one ever feel more alive than at a time like this? Shenwoo would argue not. He's ready, and waiting, for whatever Rock might bring to bear.
The windlike energy tears towards him, and Shenwoo does what Shenwoos do best, he starts running towards it. This time though, his plan is not to go /through/ the blast, but rather to go /over/ it, using the advantage of higher ground to leap in a slow arc while the energy passes under him, his body inverting in midair to land a bit awkwardly, his back facing Rock and his feet skidding down the side of the volcano... Until Shen suddenly whirls around into another rushing punch, this time aiming to bury his fist right in Rock's gut. "IT'S OVER!!"
COMBATSYS: Rock counters Gekiken from Shenwoo with Gedan Crack Counter.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Shenwoo 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Rock
Fighting past the red line is why people live. It's when new fighters are born, they say. Rock Howard is doing it. Dim awareness lets him know that the twin Reppukens are not going to incinerate Shenwoo in their awesome fury. Dim awareness also tells him that this guy is going to land that insane leap over them, he's going to charge down this mountain, and he's going to bury a meteor into your face. There's no way you can avoid that from happening at this point.
What you can do is stay angry. Anger is the fumes of Rock's gasoline. It's all he's got left in his tank. Once that adrenaline fades, it's just going to be vapor. He's going to have nothing left; nothing to harness to keep fighting. It's imperative that he stays angry. Like the Hulk!
Shenwoo's doing his best green monster impersonation when Rock Howard starts firing his cylinders again. He recognizes this rushing punch from before. He's had good success blocking it, but now, he thinks he knows how to take it down an even more disasterous avenue for his opponent. Swinging his leg back and opening himself up, Rock waits until Shenwoo's fist is passing just inside his arm's reach to take an aggressive step /forward/.
The fist slams into Rock's chest, burying itself painfully against his fractured ribs. But it brings Howard just close enough that he can slash his right elbow straight across Shenwoo's jaw, pivot, and then drive it further forward. It's a sudden variation, weaker, from one of his more famous techniques. But Rock learned a long time ago you need to be able to improvise to survive.
Falling back in the wake of the countering strike, Rock braces a knee against the ground, breathing terribly ragged breathes. He almost hopes one of the magma boulders bouncing by hits him soon so he doesn't have to eat another Shenwoo haymaker. It'd probably hurt less.
Weaker, maybe, but it's powerful enough in its own way; Shenwoo is stopped again by Rock's impressive defensive abilities, and in the process he takes a more than merely solid hit, staggering back. His legs are weak, his breathing is laboured, a faint sheen of sweat is visible on his face, his bare chest and tattooed forearms. But only a fool would think that the self-styled 'God of Battle' is going to give up. "Y'know something... You're good," the berserker says, his tone unusually sincere and solemn. He means it! Rock sure knows how to keep things interesting, and to force Shen to try his best... Which is exactly what the taller blond wanted out of the whole thing. Winning is nice, sure, but ultimately it's a secondary concern.
"But..." continues Shenwoo, forcing himself to stand up straight through sheer stubbornness, before taking a few wobbling steps towards Rock. "The thing of it is..." Pushing himself up with one foot, he almost leaps off the ground, raising his left hand up, pulling it back. "...I'M BETTER!!" the'God of Battle' bellows, once more lashing out with fist and shockwave. It's kind of a modified version though, aimed downwards at the grounded Rock; because it's true, one has to improvise to survive.
COMBATSYS: Rock fails to counter Zetsu! Gekiken from Shenwoo with Joudan Crack Counter.
[ \\\\ <
Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Rock can no longer fight.
[ \\\\ <
Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|
Today, Shenwoo is better. Today, his improvisation is enough. The stronger and hardest of the series of Gekiken punches lands it's mark -- finally. There's a terrible popping noise as it slams into Rock's jaw, sending his head snapping back at the neck, his toes lifting clear off the ground as he's send shooting back from the shockwave-like whiplash of fist to bone. He's going to feel that one on his jaw for a few weeks whenever he eats cereal.
Rock lands something like ten yards away from where he got clobbering timed. He skids to a calming, soothing stop, his back against the warm stone of the volcano -- heated as it is by the currents of steadily erupting lava running beneath the crust. He doesn't get back up. He's out. The helicopter above is already starting a circling pattern lower, trying to dodge fireballs of heat in the process.
One large, meaty German hand lifts, thusly waving off the appoaching helicopter that's starting its descent to pick up its passenger. It takes a few attempts before the pilot finally does ascend again. Perhaps it's the fireballs causing him to leave, or perhaps it's Krauser himself, but whatever the reason is, the pilot is all too happy to abandon this location. The nobleman walks from his previous lounging spot, then, following the trail that Rock's body left on the ground over to where he finally ended up. "A good fight, on both sides. Too much talking, but such is the way of youth." Krauser crouches down for a moment, then grabs ahold of one of Rock's arms. He hoists his nephew up, then tosses him over one shoulder before standing once again. Once he's carrying Rock, he looks over towards Shenwoo again. "You fight well, noisy God of Battle. If you ever desire a true fight, then travel to Strolheim Castle." The hand that isn't supporting Rock's carcass lifts to flag down the circling Strolheim copter, which starts to descend towards the Earl and his relative. "Both myself and Rock will await you there."
That certainly did the trick, didn't it? Shenwoo stumbles back a few feet off the recoil of his last Zetsu! Gekiken, the only one to do what he'd hoped it would, and shortly thereafter ends up sitting on his duff, trying to catch his breath. "Hah... Hah..." the berserker breathes out, almost not noticing that Krauser is even still present until the German speaks up again. Shen's dark eyes turn to look at the large man as he picks up his nephew, and - silently at first - he listens to what the Earl of Strolheim has to say. Of course, he doesn't stay silent for long.
"Strolheim Castle, huh?" Shen repeats, musingly. That /does/ sound familiar. He'll figure it out later, of course, but at the moment he's not too concerned with recalling where he's heard that before. "Don't worry, Gramps," he says to Krauser, forcing himself to get up to his feet, taking his sunglasses - miraculously, still intact - from his pocket and slipping them over his eyes, aiming to project as much strength and lack of concern as he can at the moment. "I'll be sure to take you up on that." And then, he starts to move away, towards his jeep. The driver of which was smart enough not to leave... Though after that fight, Shen probably would've forgotten all about it had the guy left.
The helicopter touches down, and the door slides open. The two elderly gentlemen inside have already prepared a resting place for the unconcious Rock, and the pilot is waving Krauser inside. Even though none of them would abandon the Strolheim lord, that doesn't change the fact that they're not exactly easy-going about the exploding volcano.
Shenwoo's final comments are given an amused chuckle, then the German noble turns and strides towards the vehicle. He leans in and passes the knocked-out teenager to the two old men, who start to work at both tending to wounds and preparing for the flight. Krauser climbs in afterwards, and the door slides shut before the helicopter takes off, taking to the sky before the crazy Central American volcano gods decide to unleash their wrath once more.
Log created on 16:04:37 07/07/2007 by Shenwoo, and last modified on 05:38:07 07/10/2007.