Description: Bernstein draws Chun-Li out with the promise of scraps of information pertaining to a vanished despot. Naturally, he's not just interest in talking. It's a rough fight, but Chun-Li decidedly demonstrates just why she's earned the title of World's Strongest Woman.
The invitation to meet would have come across Chun Li's desk anonymously at some point. Its contents simple enough, speaking of a promise of information on the power hungy dictator that has gone missing ever since the collapse of Shadaloo's war front in Thailand. Not many knew of the end of things there. How the warlord faced several powerful fighters at once, each deadly in their own way, and lost. Even fewer know what happened afterward. Leads on him have probably been dead or dying off in the months following his loss.
The letter included a time and a place. The time is evening, the place is a dingy warehouse deep in South Southtown. Windows boarded up, and all doors but one sealed tightly shut. The final letter on the note was '- R'. Chun Li would be well informed enough to know exactly who's calling on her now.
Inside the warehouse is mostly dark, except for a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling high above, illuminating a small section of the large chamber next to what was probably once some kind of supervisor's office when this building was actually in use. The place is quiet though, other than the scurrying of rats in some of the abandanded crates.
It was a quiet lunch that Chun-Li was enjoying at her little hotel room; her little temporary base of operations for now. Her laptop computer was shut down, her cell phone switched off; as far as she knew, the once Interpol agent was cut off from the rest of the world. A feeling that was proven wrong, with the quiet knock upon her door, and note slid beneath. Rugal certainly was well-informed enough to find out where Chun-Li was staying. And he was rather correct about her knowing ~exactly~ who wrote that note. It was a trap. It /should/ be a trap.
Flash forward to now. Trap or not, Chun-Li was stepping up to that self-same warehouse, her brown eyes narrowing as she pauses to survey the outside. She couldn't quite resist knowing what had happened to the man. She... knew that he was alive. She could feel it, like a weight at the bottom of her stomach, souring her meals, stealing her sleep and weighing heavily upon her heart.
She almost hoped he was still alive. If he were dead...
That means she wasn't the one to kill him.
Finding that door that wasn't so tightly sealed, the Strongest Woman in the World pulls it open, and steps into the gloom of the warehouse, pausing a moment for her eyes to adjust. She might have felt compelled to come here, but she certainly did not come unprepared. She was in a simple blue jumpsuit and sneakers, gold stripes down either sides of the pants, and a little embroidered vest adding what modesty it could to her top. Her hair was pulled back into their buns, but no ribbons decorated them. It was what she tended to fight in, minus a few garnishments.
While lacking any murdered relatives for whom he seeks vengeance, Rugal Bernstein is well aware of the way an unfinished score can compel one to take chances they wouldn't otherwise take. Even he has occasionally succumbed to the need to collect on a debt of blood from those whom have crossed his path before. And it is that need that he hopes to play to his advantage now.
Leather soled shoes clack against the floor as Bernstein moves out of the shadows into the small cone of light provided by the barely serviceable illumination. He's dressed much as he always is when leaving his ship. An expensive, definitely gaudy red-orange suit, neatly pressed white dress shirt, and a thin black scarf that hangs open around his neck. His right hand is toying with one end of the scarf, folding it and unfolding it repeatedly like some kind of idle habit. While he is not a toweringly tall man, he carries himself as if he stood well over a foot taller than the young woman.
She came ready to fight, expecting that to be the inevitable outcome when dealing with men like Rugal. And she was right. "Chun Li," comes the deep, Germanic voice from the man who would casually nuke his own land of birth if it would open the door to something useful to him. He doesn't waste any time, cutting straight to the chase. "It seems we have a mutual... problem and I felt it would be worth it to the both of us to resolve it. A certain warlord gone missing... very hard to find now, yes? Lord Vega is not dead though. Your instincts no doubt led you to believe as much, but I can say with certainty that the man who killed your father still lives. And while we worked together in the past, he and I have since gone our... seperate ways." He pauses then, studying her with two unique eyes - his left a dark brown, normal human eye; his right a distinctive, unmistakeable gift of technology, a replacement for one viciously taken from him years ago.
Twisting towards Rugal as he steps out of the shadows, the tension that laces Chun-Li's form is unmistakable as the woman assumes a battle stance. Lips pursed, gazing out of the tops of her brown eyes to meet the unnatural gaze of the man standing taller than her, she was certainly ready to fight at a moment's notice. The... friendlier tone, and the hints Rugal was throwing towards her did nothing to soothe that readiness running through her. To let your guard down around a man such as this was nothing short of suicide.
Still, she understood the necessity of being diplomatic. Falling out of the combat stance she had felt herself leap into at a moment's notice, she draws herself up high... at least as high as her shorter-than-average frame would allow. Her hands fall back to her sides, her left hand curled into a tight fist due to the stance she had assumed earlier, and only a /little/ bit of slack is allowed to enter there.
"A mutual... problem, Mr. Bernstein." Chun-Li says, her voice only carrying a trace of contempt. In her mind, she was warring with the impulse to attack the man right now, for aiding and abetting Vega, for the host of other crimes she was sure that would stick to him, but two things stayed her hand. The least important, the fact that she wasn't sure how solid the evidence she could pull up on the man was, and most important, to say again, he was her only link towards the Shadaloo dictator. "You know where Vega is." she says. It wasn't quite a question.
He continues to regard her with a measured level of passiveness, but there's an undertone to it. It might feel like watching a lion lazily observe the movements of his next prey before leaping to the offense. Chun Li has an incredible reputation as a fighter. Her appearances before the cameras are no small deal. Which makes her another name on his list of people to face, another chance to sate that relentless thirst for battle that burns within the man who would have otherwise collapsed beneath his own apathy.
"Yes... well, that is the problem with large organizations of dubious morality. The more people beneath you, the more difficult it is to keep knowledge where it is supposed to be. You no doubt know of what I speak, having worked for Interpol." There is a faint trace of a smirk beneath his moustache, as if he considers the international agency as just another faction almost no better than his own.
"To say I know exactly where he is now would admittedly be misleading. I do know of a few places, however. Secret bases deep in Thailand. A refuge or two that he had to have retreated back to when all of his other holdings were captured. It is... a very short list. You will find Lord Vega at one of them." His hand reaches into a pocket inside his coat, slipping out a small white square of paper, folded over twice, which he then returns to its pocket. "There is more that I know too..."
Ah yeah, looks like he wants to play games. Figures. The man who would probably be more than happy to babble about any number of crimes he's overseen if he didn't suspect Chun Li might be wired slips his hands into his pants pockets, withdrawing from them black leather, fingerless gloves which he slides on, pulling them taut. It isn't too hard to guess where this is going.
"But to have you come all the way out here and not provide me the pleasure of a fight... well, that would just be an opportunity that I cannot pass up on." Rugal's expression shares a thin trace of a smile, but there's nothing pleasant about it "Come, Chun Li, let me see some of that vaunted strength of yours that I've heard so much about!" He extends his arms out to his sides, arching his back just slightly, as if inviting her to take her best shot, his human eye narrowing as he waits for her next move.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has started a fight here.
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rugal has joined the fight here.
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Rugal 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
The opinion that the master of R had of Interpol was shared by Chun-Li, sadly. Although the woman did strongly believe in the hearts of /some/ of the people that made up the staff of that organization, the top levels, at the very least, were corrupt to the center of their little black hearts. That silent agreement could be read upon her face, as she keeps her gaze level upon Rugal. His was a tone of a predator stalking his prey, hers was the tone of a woman, quite well aware of the undermessage that his body language was speaking, girding herself against the fight to come, unconciously trying to look a bit intimidating, with squared shoulders and that leveled gaze of earlier, as if to ward off the fight to come.
She also could not help feeling that little forbidden thrill in her heart as the challenge is spoken. Rugal was someone she had not had the opprotunity to test herself against, and in spite of the dangers the man posed, the thought of a impromptu fight was one that attracted her, to say the least. She wouldn't be as powerful as she was if she hated fighting, after all; it was senseless violence that she abhored.
Canting her head to the side a little bit, her gaze narrows just a bit further. "Hmm. I would like for you to tell me all you know, Rugal. If we are to be... partners in this little plan, that is necessary, yes?" she says, a pursing to her lips as she falls out of her stand into her fighting stance; feet staggered, right palm held before herself and rigidly, and left hand, curled into a fist, held close to her body.
And then she moves, given the invitation to open the fight. Rapid footfalls upon the scraggy floor of the warehouse, legs bunching up beneath herself before she launches herself up into the air, flipping head over heels as she travels... and at the very apex of her flip, her right foot would hammer downwards. If she were lucky, it would strike the top of Rugal's head.
COMBATSYS: Rugal endures Chun-Li's Tenshin Shuu Kyaku.
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Rugal 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Chun-Li
"All in good time," Bernstein replies to her request for the rest of the information his resources have gleaned. He has a couple advantages over her in the information gathering department, after all. Manpower, money with which to loosen tongues, and the amoral means of extracting information from those who would seek to withhold it. But for right now, that information is held ransom for her cooperation in providing him a good fight. A tyrant like him so rarely finds a fitting challenge these days. Even Wolfgang was found lacking when last they clashed.
When Chun Li comes for him, it appears that he intends to let her deliver that first shot without any attempt to avoid it. Legs brace for the impact, and her heel strikes him right atop his blond-covered head with enough force to bow the man slightly. The pain is impossible to ignore, but what is more important to him is the knowledge that in Chun Li there is definitely an opponent worth fighting... and someone who will certainly be a thorn in Vega's side once provided with the information she no doubt hungers for herself.
As if to not let her get too confident about having landed that attack, however, Rugal is on the offense almost immediately. His attack comes in the form of a flip forward, attempting to deliver an arching summersault kick against the agile young woman, stealing the technique of a famous Tae Kwon Do fighter from Korea. "HAA!" His timing is aggressive, clearly trying to strike before she can recover from such an acrobatic first attack...
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li parries Rugal's Medium Kick!
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Rugal 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Chun-Li
It was becoming rather evident that he had not faced someone such as Chun-Li before. His timing ~was~ exquisite, given boost by the fact that he didn't really reel from the hammer blow to his head. Chun-Li was just too slippery. This time. Still falling earthwards, Chun-Li does a crunch in midair, the foot striking the air where her head had been, (and nearly still was!). This also changes the direction of her fall to a space a little past Rugal's thrusting leg, the Chinese woman barely twisting around in time to land safely upon her back.
An instant, just a ghost of a moment that Rugal can use to compose himself...
And the bundle upon the floor that is Chun-Li explodes upwards in a whirlwind of helicoptering legs, the woman launching herself up off of the ground, and entering a rather quick, inverted spin. With any luck, those kicks would plow into the man as she whirls towards him, the cry of, "SPINNING BIRD KICK!" upon her lips.
COMBATSYS: Rugal blocks Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick EX.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Chun-Li
He struck out aggressively, lending speed and power to balance the nature of the technique. Just enough power to do harm, and just enough speed that he was sure it would connect. But the female fighter not only avoids the dropping leg of Rugal, but retaliates almost instantly as well, catching him in a moment of recovery from Kim's stolen move.
He's swift to get his footing, though, legs coming together to give him the traction he needs as he raises his arm up and blocks the flurry of kicks intent to do him harm. His left arm comes up to lend its strength to his right, "Che," the man grunts as he weathers the rest of the assault. But now he belives her to be open to retaliation and takes the opening he expects to have while she tries to recover from such a tricky manuever.
His right arm swings out after the block, attempting to strike her right in the side of the head, while his left arm comes in lower, palm first, targeting her stomach only a split second later. He is silent this time, slipping into a degree of intensity necessary for combating one such as Chun Li.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Rugal's Medium Punch.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Chun-Li
Recovering from the kick with a final double-footplant upon his crossed arms, she backflips away from him, landing upon her feet not a few feet from him... just to have a pair of swipes aimed at her. The second wasn't as obvious as the first; the first she easily ducks, just in time to see the second gut-punched aimed directly at her face. There wasn't tons she could do about things, she brings her crossed arms up to take the brunt of the punch, the sheet force of it driving her down into a kneel.
Whew. Pausing a moment to recover, Chun-Li releases the heavy breath she did not realize she was holding. But then she was in motion again, springing up from her crouch. The leap takes her up into a forward-flip similar to the one she started this little match with, but with a few caveats; not only was she inverted at the apex of her flip this time, she was much closer. Close enough to attempt to snatch at Rugal's neck, hopefully being up to use that as an anchor point to whirl around him to land upon his shoulders with her hands upon his neck still, the force of which probably causes him to stagger backwards, (if not, she could always deliver a sharp kick to the back of his knee,), and then, when she strikes ground, using the momentum gained by this motion, (and a bit of her considerable strength) to kick him over her head, to land (hopefully badly), a little bit away.
COMBATSYS: Rugal fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Chun-Li with Genocide Cutter.
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Rugal 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Chun-Li
The palm pressing against her arms buys the man a little bit of time when she has to pause to recover... And when she lunges at him before, taking that risk of going airborn a third time, it's then that Bernstein attempts to put a stop to those aerial acrobatics with a punishing attack dreaded by all who have felt it's power in the past. "Genocide-" he growls, his right leg lashing out in an upward kick...
Only to just miss the swift fighter, allowing her to slip past him and get that grip she sought. Caught mid-attack, he is unable to deal with the woman clinging to him now, his arms busy correcting the balance for a kick that wasn't felt, "Gragh," he grunts, his foot coming down on the ground just before getting pulled right off it and sent hurling into one of the wooden crates left derelict when the warehouse was abandoned years ago.
The wood splinters, collapsing easily under the momentum he was hurled with, but that is not enough to slow down the man who immediately begins to get back up, shattered wood falling from off his shoulders as he rises back to his feet. Fast, he muses. She's incredibly fast.
And the motion is successful, ending with Chun-Li flat upon her back, after that Ryu-esque throw. Bringing her hands up to grip the ground above her head, her little embroidered vest flutters as she kicks her legs up, and uses that to kipup to her feet, the woman whirling around. She might have been fast, but from what she could tell of the large Mr. Bernstein... he was certainly resilient. Chun-Li opens her mouth as if to say something, but pauses with a frown. Drawing a breath, she releases that, along with her frown, drawing herself up to a stand where she was, her heels touching each other.
Fluidly, she draws her hands up, holding them in front of herself as if she were cupping something... and when she closes her eyes, and bows her head, it is shown that she is, as a burst of blue light with a yellow core blasts vibrantly into being between her hands. Another breath is drawn, her eyes opening to gaze across the way towards her opponent. Taking a long step forward, she thrusts her hands outwards, wrists locked together as she shouts, "KIKOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Rugal reflects Kikouken EX from Chun-Li with Dark Barrier.
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Rugal 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Chun-Li
Back on his feet, Rugal simply begins to walk toward Chun-Li next with almost a calm gait compared to the frantic, aggressive speed he went after her at first. His leather shoes clacking against the floor with each deliberate step, advancing on her like a being unafraid of anything she can dish out, his mouth tight, his motions very deliberate.
And it is with that new eye, the one he wasn't born with, that he sees the spike in energy as Chun Li focuses her chi into that single point of power and sends it at him. "Ha ha," comes the sharp, amused but hardly friendly laugh as Rugal extends his right hand forward, fingers splayed open, a woosh of air being pushed aside as a swirling disk of miasmic green power intercepts the incoming projectile.
The collision is brief before the tyrant leans a little more into the attack, lending even more strength to the energy that he defended with... and now the young woman is forced to deal with her own incoming attack!
COMBATSYS: Rugal successfully hits Chun-Li with Reflected Kikouken EX.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
Something she obviously didn't quite expect to do. Chun-Li's eyes fly open with surprise as her attack rebounds upon Rugal's little shield, her composure broken, if only for a moment as she tries to lunge to one side to avoid the little ball of pain. She doesn't quite make it, however. The ball slams into her shoulder, sending her lithe body flipping end over end to land painfully upon the warehouse floor. Thankfully, far away from any debris, but the dust that her impact raises is atrocious.
It was with a calm grace that she rises up from the fall, moving a fair bit more slowly than was necessary. By the naked eye, she wouldn't appear ~too~ hurt, so the rising slow was perhaps a ruse. Or she was gathering her strength for an upcoming assault. In any case, she flows into her combat stance once more, brown eyes locking upon Rugal's mismatched ones, a certain focus in them.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li gains composure.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Chun-Li
It's hard to fool the man that just keeps slowly walking forward on the offense. With the aid of the cybernetic eye, he manages to see so much more than anyone could imagine. The longer he watches her, the more he'll know, and the more difficult it will be to stay ahead of him. Muscle movement, body flexability, small little details that he assimilates into his knowledge of this expert fighter.
"A promising beginning for you... I see you have prepared to defeat legends..." he appraises calmly. The transition from calm approach to lunging into an offense again comes swiftly as Bernstein closes the gap between them with great speed, swinging his left foot out toward her shins... though it's primarily a feint for the high axe kick that he follows up with his right leg, bringing it down toward her shoulder, this time using the length of his limbs to keep her a little at bay but also forcing her to keep moving.
COMBATSYS: Rugal successfully hits Chun-Li with Light Kick.
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Rugal 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
Now... ~that~ hurt. Barely any time to gather her composure, and now she had a rather painful foot upon her shoulder. The feint fools her, unfortunately, her dodge to the left putting her in just the right spot for the foot to come crashing down atop her head, driving her down to one knee. You cannot quite keep a girl like Chun-Li down, however. Recovering by rolling to the side, hopefully out of the way of further assaults, she releases a quick breath, and lunges up towards Rugal, hoping to match his offensive with an aggressive stance of her own.
Her foot whirls up, and she begins to kick. Over and over again, with blows aimed towards head, chest, and gut, her cries following each thrust of her foot. "YA YA YA YA YA!" The dreaded Lightning Kicks of Chun-Li!
COMBATSYS: Rugal blocks Chun-Li's Hyakuretsu Kyaku.
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Rugal 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
Little by little he continues to approach, seemingly relentless in his advance. There is a confident determination with the way he seems unafraid to just keep walking forward now after having kicked the powerful woman fighter with a rough hit. But there's more from where that came from, and he seems just about to lash out again with another vicious kick when... Chun Li attempts the same tactic in return with her sweeping, rapid kicks, her foot becoming a blur that very few fighters would even be able to see through.
At first Rugal is cocky, raising his right arm to block the first kick, his left arm to block the other, then again with his right to precisely intercept her foot so that she can't get a clean hit in. But as her speed doesn't slacken as he would have expected, eventually the tyrant of 'R' is forced to simply raise both of his arms in front of him, bunkering down and weathering out the rapid strikes with a grunt, his feet slipping back a little as he loses some of that ground he so slowly gained.
In the end none of the kicks get through, though his coat sleeves are worn threadbare, evidence of the strength of the attack he just weathered. Lowering his arms, he strikes out viciously with a sweeping hook kick with his right leg, aimed for her side... the intent simply to stagger her long enough for him to drive his palm forward, aiming for the base of her neck, right at the coller bone, palm open again. "HA!" His speed variable, as Rugal shifts comfortably from defending to attacking again, this time he's going aggressive.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li just-defends Rugal's Medium Kick!
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Rugal 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
Chun-Li, perhaps at odds with the beating she just took, looks strangely calm as Rugal advances. That kick scythes in, and Chun-Li dances to one side, staying just a step or two ahead of the mighty blow. But then comes the one towards her neck. She doesn't quite move from the spot she has settled in, instead reaching up to touch Rugal's thrusting hand; just touch mind, not anything like a grab, and then guide it to the side, where it strikes not her collar, but the space above her shoulder.
Pushing upwards upon that arm, the Strongest Woman in the World takes a long moment to gather herself, giving Rugal a bit of time to regain his own composure... before she takes a long step forward, and simply -drives- the heel of her palm towards Rugal's chest. To those viewing, it would seem a rather weak blow, but the amount of force she puts behind that simple thrust was rather incredible.
COMBATSYS: Rugal fails to counter Sou Hakkei from Chun-Li with Genocide Cutter EX.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
The skill with which she handles the attack meant to drive her easily into a wall actually elicits a slightly raised eyebrow from the man, his striking arm knocked just so minimally off to the side with just the right amount of pressure. It's an extremely unusal feat for one of his assaults to be handled that precisely and he grunts, having stepped harder into that attack than he should have.
There is an intended follow up, however. He can correct for this. As her hand juts out to strike him, Bernstein lashes out with his foot a second time, the heel of his shoe bearing in towrad her chin... But that punch - the one he thought could be safely ignored, strikes with all the force that is necesssary to stop his vicious counter attack.
There's a grunt as her palm smashes into his chest and Rugal is sent sliding back several feet... still standing, but all of those attacks of hers are starting to add up. She's so very much more the fighter than he expected. And the look of intense concentration that crosses his expression now suggests that he's perfectly happy with the challenge she presents.
COMBATSYS: Rugal has saved the state of this fight.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
If at first you don't succeed... In spite of the impenetrable defense Mr. Bernstein presented against her energy-laced projectile before, Chun-Li had it in mind to try that particular tactic again. The fist strikes his chest, sending him sliding back several feet... and as he slides, her fist was already starting to glow with blue energy caught in her fist. Just a spark, mind. Moving fluidly, she recovers from her punch, and brings her hand back to cup the spark between the palms of both hands.
A breath released, and the ball flares into more powerful being, sending her hair and the edges of her vest rippling in the sudden wind. "Kiiiiii..." she intones, scraping her foot upon the dusty floor of the warehouse, a 'mist' of dust rising around her feet. Stomping her forward foot into the floor, she snaps her hands up, propelling the ball of energy towards him, the serene blue flames on the outskirts of the ball centered with an angrily flickering yellow core. "KOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Rugal with Kikouken.
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Rugal 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
He recognizes the energy signiture of the incoming projectile, of course. In fact, Bernstein almost never has to see another fighter's attack more than once in order to be able to see it coming and knowing almost exactly how it is going to play out. The speed, the power behind it... he can tell it all. But knowing what is coming and being capable of defending against it are two different matters all together.
Lifting his arms after having been dealt a pretty decisive punch, Rugal attempts to ward off the attack with a swipe through the air that would at least diminish the potential damage from the hit. Perhaps it's dealing with all of the persistent peppering of Chun-Li's assault that dulls his timing... or maybe her speed continues to serve her well even in the delivery of her attacks... Whatever it may be, his arm misses crushing into the projectile and the man is struck dead on. This time with enough force to knock him against the warehouse wall behind him.
There is a grunt as he takes a step forward, not leaning on the wall for more than an instant for support... But for a long moment his constant advancing on her comes to a stop as he steadies himself. Her trained eye would be able to tell that while no one hit has done a devestating amoung of damage to the man, the attacks are building up and there might not be a lot more that he can take now. "Your title is well earned, I see," comes the low voice of appraisal.
COMBATSYS: Rugal gains composure.
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Rugal 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
Chun-Li can't quite help the snap of pride that slides along her ego at his words. Her face displayed nothing of that emotion, however, held in a far-too-serious expression, with tight lips and open, intent eyes. Helicoptering her arms around her body as she draws her forward foot back to assume a more relaxed stance, the arms finish their helicoptering in a left fist, held close to her belly, and her outstretched, right arm, crooked at the elbow with the hand held flat and rigid. "And your reputation precedes you." she says, voice sounding calm. "You are... rather strong."
Stronger than her, at any rate. Even the obvious jab that he treated her with had more force behind it than most hard kicks she had weathered. Barring Ryu... but Ryu doesn't quite count. Lunging forward towards the man, she leaps up into the air, snapping her foot out with a cry, and a relatively simple, straightforward jumping kick, aimed to drive the sole of her sneakers into the man's chest.
COMBATSYS: Rugal blocks Chun-Li's Medium Kick.
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Rugal 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Chun-Li
Bernstein takes in her recovery from her attack with a very critical eye. She's still doing fairly strong after all the attacks she's been dishing out and her need to react to his own blows. The young woman is a powerful fighter in every sense of the word. It's a shame that their goals will so rarely be mutual like this one time or he would be eager to try and employ someone like her... and will have to be wary when their paths inevitably cross in a less harmonious manner...
When she comes in with that powerful jump kick of hers, Rugal kicks up with his own foot, giving his arms a break from having to absorb so many of her powerful attacks, intersecting her strike with a raised knee precisely angled as to minimize the impact against him.
The motion isn't purely defensive, however, as he then snaps out his leg from defensive block into a brutally strong snap kick aimed for the woman's chin. The strength behind it will be jarring, to say the least...
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Rugal's Medium Kick.
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Rugal 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Chun-Li
Chun-Li was prepared, evidently. When the foot connects, her teeth grit from the impact of her powerful kick against a ~very~ solid surface, the woman kicking off Rugal in a backflip. The motion was intended to make it very difficult to counterattack her after that kick, and it seems that it did the trick rather well, Chun-Li soaring out of the snap-kick's range.
And then Chun-Li lands. Running her tongue over her parched lips to wet them, she was breathing a bit heavily, but still did certainly seem to be going strong. From the outside look of it, Rugal was faring far better than her, the mountain of a man weathering more of her blows than she had seen anyone, ever. A bit used to having to temper her kicks a bit, to avoid snapping someone like poor Shingo in half, the woman did enjoy the ability to go all out. Which she certainly was doing now. Being beaten in the presence of a man such as Rugal was not a... thrilling thought.
And so, she decides to take a bit of a gamble. Staring thoughtfully at the man, her entire body tenses like a spring. Leaping upwards then, she whirls around in the air, spinning around and around like a slow top... but as soon as that leap took her near Rugal, she would lash her foot out towards the side of the man's head, to kick it in a truck-stopping blow. The problem? The move was so very telegraphed and slow, (relatively).
COMBATSYS: Rugal counters Strong Kick from Chun-Li with Medium Kick.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Chun-Li
It's true that the number of hits Bernstein seems capable of taking defies what almost anyone would expect a human being capable of enduring. Her attacks have added up... in fact, she has already landed more clean hits against him than just about any fighter he has ever faced, including other legendary titans of the fighting world. But a man like Rugal doesn't hang around by being soft and malleable - his body has been tempred by decades of brutal training, honed to be a weapon capable of battling nearly anyone the earth has to throw at him.
And when Chun Li comes in with a kick that would easily shatter brick, the tall tyrant reacts with decisive strike of his own, his right hand shooting up to catch the woman's powerful leg at the ankle with just enough force to push it up even taller, threatening to tip her off balance as her foot clears over the top of his head. He brings his right leg in tightly, snapping it over to his left side while his hand keeps hold of her ankle...
And then finally the reverse-hooking powerful kick snaps out, smashing into his opponent's stomach at the same time he releases her foot. The first strike is meant to stagger... the second strike, from his left leg whirling forward to strike her planted leg's shin intended to sweep her clean off her feet.
Chun-Li knew her little gamble had gone south the instant her foot starts pointing further up towards the ceiling. It would take a little more than that to unbalance her, but her foot was not being released right away, and her torso was swinging downwards... the impossibly tight grip upon her well-muscled shin was released, just in time for that kick to find her belly. She would have fallen away, but as luck had it,she was just in time to have her supporting leg knocked out from under her. That... didn't hurt as much as the hammer-blow to her gut that stole her breath and focus, but it certainly didn't help.
And so, she is forced to take a moment upon the floor, her wits returning to her piece by piece... but as soon as she has enough to take account of her situation, she rolls away, sliding up to an unsteady crouch. Body tensing, she rises slowly from that crouch, lips pursed thoughtfully. Rolling her neck, she again draws her hands before herself, her gaze focusing upon the man before herself, she inclines her head to him in a brief little nod. And then she is in motion again, her fist reaching out to take ahold of the front of his lovely suit, and, at the same time, her right foot lashes out against his right shin in a sharp, jabbish kick, hoping to knock it out from beneath him. Should he be unbalanced in that way, Chun-Li would just give a hard tug in the direction of the lost support, hopefully unbalancing the warrior and sending him toppling to the ground below. Kinda simple, and not entirely her style, but... sticking with her own style might be what dooms her.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Rugal with Quick Throw.
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Rugal 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Chun-Li
Having to constantly fend of the powerful fighter's attacks is starting to wear the man down just as much as getting struck by her so much. When she comes in again, the man, taller by far, attempts to use some of his speed in order to simply avoid the attack all together, snapping back his leg, believing that to be the extent of her attack even as she grabs out for the expensive suit coat. But avoiding the blow to his shin wasn't enough to keep from being yanked right off his feet to the hard floor of the warehouse. Fortunately, without crashing through a crate this time.
That... was unexpected. He thought he was getting the hang of the young woman's style as their match dragged on, but she has pulled off an attack that he didn't expect her to go for at all. "Heh," he grunts, rolling onto his side so that he can push himself up with enough force to leave the ground completely and land back on his feet.
His charge back toward her is with the kind of aggression he demonstrated earlier in their fight, leaning forward, low, hand drawing back before he twists in close and attempts to uppercut the young woman, knuckled fist crashing in toward her chin. He can tell that she's relying heavily on not getting struck by him... a couple decisive blows should finish this incredible challenge for him. "RAAH!" It the first punch hits, there will be a left hook following with blinding speed to deliver a second hit!
COMBATSYS: Rugal successfully hits Chun-Li with Medium Punch.
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Rugal 0/-------/-======|=======\====---\1 Chun-Li
And Rugal's little idea seems to work rather well for him. Chun-Li tenses up as he approaches, her arms lifting to serve as a block against the uppercut... but the attack simply plows through the hasty guard she erects, serving to clip her right beneath the chin and send her flying upwards. The second hook catches the airborne woman, sending her flipping head over heels to one side... where she does find a crate full of something. The crate cracks and splinters, showing a glimpse of the teddy bear cargo it carries, a feeble little fuzzy arm sticking its hand out of the crate.
The Strongest Woman in the World ignores the silent plea, rising up to a stand once more, a bit of blood leaking from the corner of her lip. He hit ~hard~. She just had to hit harder, she thinks. Releasing a quiet breath, Chun centers her gaze upon the man, centering herself internally for the stress that her body would certainly go through in the next few moments.
And Chun-Li charges, moving fast, faster, fastest than her body had gone in the fight before, nearly blinking up beside Rugal, and lifting up her feet to jab a powerful kick right into his gut. Her lightning kicks? Well, they had nothing upon the flurry that follows, jabs to face, gut, and knee blazing out of her, before she switches feet, to pummel him with her other leg. Should she get that far... well, she would twist around, fall into a crouch... and then explode upwards, hoping to carry the man up into the air with her with a series of rising kicks... to finish with a kick downwards, to speed his earthward travels all the quicker.
COMBATSYS: Rugal fails to counter Houyoku Sen from Chun-Li with Scorpion Blow.
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Rugal 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Chun-Li
The fast... insanely fast kick toward his stomach slams into the man. It's stunningly powerful, but not so much that he doesn't lash out with his arm in an attempt to grab the bold young woman by the neck with a growl of determination, thinking that was all there was to her attack. He realizes too late that there's more to it than that... as the rest of her strikes begin to plow into him, his face, stomach, chest, arms, all over his body getting pounded from every direction. There's nothing he can do to keep from getting launched into the air then sent crashing back down to the ground to land with a smashing impact on his back, arms out at his sides...
"Che," he snaps, arm coming up to brush against his mouth as he sits up again... No, even after all that, Bernstein is still capable of getting up. It's almost like nothing will take him down, no matter what the young woman throws at him. At first he starts to come after her immediately, as if even that has yet to slow his assault, but it's as if in his haste to press the attack he failed to realize just how hard he's been struck.
There is a cough, flecks of blood laced spittle coming from his mouth, and he staggers then, one hand coming down to rest against his knee briefly in order to steady himself. "It seems... you have given me the fight I could hope to have at your hands, Chun Li. I will tell you briefly what you should know before you go after Vega, then we will finish this. The man you are looking for... if he is still even a man at this point... will very likely be different from what he was when he last appeared in battle in Thailand's war. He is very close to accomplishing a goal of his that he has sought for decades. Be warned... looking to find him by appearance alone may be insufficient."
And with that, Rugal stands up straighter, a deep breath taken, "Now!" he roars, urging the woman to test her ability to bring this match to its conclusion.
The thrill of victory, the thrill of discovering Vega's current whereabouts lightens Chun-Li's heart, the woman getting a bit of a bounce to her step, in spite of the beating she has suffered. Those emotions, however, are tempered by the rather vague way in which he gives his hint. Chun-Li's lip curls slightly, the flare of anger rippling through her rather evident. A thin line between joy and rage, she supposes. Riding upon the emotional roller coaster she found herself in, her face hardens as she seeks to push that emotion back down, calming it and smoothing it over... and finds herself half-successful. Like a beast chained, that emotion lurks behind the false serenity in her gaze.
"That's... all you have to tell me?" she says, her voice controlled. "Perhaps you really don't know anything, after all." she says, releasing a breath as she hops forward. A forward somersault turns into an inverted leap towards Rugal, her legs stretching out and helicoptering around as she flies towards the man, her legs whirling and gaining speed in the improbable kick. "SPINNING BIRD KICK!"
COMBATSYS: Rugal interrupts Spinning Bird Kick EX from Chun-Li with Scorpion Blow.
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Rugal 1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
COMBATSYS: Rugal can no longer fight.
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Chun-Li 0/-------/---====|
"Be careful what you assume... but you're clearly strong enough for the fight ahead," Rugal replies, his mouth curling into a slight smirk as the woman comes at him again. No attempt to fend her off is made this time as he simply stands there, stepping forward into her attack, her powerful legs crashing against him time and time again, the force of the blows more punishing than even his analytical eye had lead him to believe. But he's not done... QUIT yet, his hand lashing out to grab her leg as it spins around, taking hold of her ankle with a vice like grip that stops the spinning momentum short.
"We both want Lord Vega," he almost spits the title, derision heavy in his belabored voice, "dead... but I don't have to warn you what will happen when we cross again," he growls, blood spilling over his lip as he holds her dangling there upside down. His hand reaches into his suit coat pocket, withdrawing the paper he showed her at the outset. "He will be in one of these bunkers... He won't be moving for a while. The loss in his wartime gambling cost him dearly."
The paper is dropped to the ground and his hand curls into a fist, striking forward with speed into her stomach in order to launch her back while his other hand releases her leg. There is a grunt then, the man dropping to his knee briefly, hand pressing against his leg to keep him upright for a moment. He lacks the strength to go after her again - a fact that fills him with a certain level of incredulity. Strongest Woman in the World indeed.
He doesn't stay for long though, rising back to his feet. "Until then," and turns to walk away. Outside the rotos of a chopper can already be heard winding up, the sleek black craft readying for the flight back out to the ocean, the destination not hard to guess.
@emit
Her kick stopped cold, Chun-Li has enough time to wince before the blows themselves hammer down upon her. She releases a high-pitched shout at the blow, her body tossed away from Rugal like a rag doll's. Somehow... someway... she finds the energy inside of herself to whirl around, and land in a haphazard crouch, however. Panting deeply, the blood traces a trail from lips to chin, to drip upon the ground below, her eyes looking up towards her opponent. But unlike Rugal, she rises to her feet much more quickly, ability to fight still dancing within her heart.
Bringing her hands up, she slaps her fist into the open palm of her other hand, her back ramrod straight. Dipping forward, she bows shallowly to the man, an angry emotion still dancing behind her eyes. Strongest Woman in the World? Perhaps. Rugal was certainly no slouch, and she could recognize the... luck that went into her victory here. Without it... she certainly would not have done so well. She doesn't reply to his words, waiting for the sound of the chopper to fade away, before walking over to the paper, scooping it off of the ground and holding it to her eyes, her eyes narrowing somewhat. The only question in her mind right now, was if she was foolish enough to go alone.
Log created on 19:40:00 08/29/2007 by Rugal, and last modified on 14:54:17 09/01/2007.