Description: The Guardian Kings stage a wild assault on the Black Noah, fired by the Suiryuu's cannons onto the massive carrier's daunting deck. Tenma and Kenji start out strong until Invader and Tenma disappear over the deck. Things quickly go south soon thereafter as Kenji is left to face the Orochi madwoman Mature on his own and gets a taste of undistilled evil.
Due to a few security mishaps as of late, the sea level docking bay for the boats carrying 'R' soldiers to and from the Suiryuu have had a lot more guards placed on duty. After all, it seems the only likely point of entry. If one isn't going to come in via the sea the only other way onto the massive carrier is by air. And... well, anything airborn is likely to just get shot down unless it happens to be person sized and traveling far too fast to get targetted by anti-air flak cannons, that is. That's one way to get on, perhaps. Just not one Rugal would be hard pressed to have predict.
But the deck of the Black Noah is far from empty. Besides the aging, unused jet fighters and the more well maintained choppers covering the impressive surface of the ship, there are a few people milling about. All points of the boat /do/ have to be covered after all. Just in case. How Mature got stuck with Chisel is anyone's guess. Or maybe that's what /he/ should be wondering about. People don't just 'hang' with Rugal's secretaries. Just being in the vicinity of Vice and Mature is enough to chill most men into prudent silence.
But not Chisel. He's trying his luck or tempting fate as he tries to converse with the 'R' lieutenant. The only problem is that he keeps telling her the same story over and over, as if hoping that if he tells it enough she'll believe him and/or be impressed. "So yeah, there I was. Just me and that little squirt and that busted up robot... contraption... thing... And, well, there was this rumble and the wall broke and there was probably, hell, fifty of those pink clad monstrosities. All they kept saying was 'Hello me :)' over and over." The clean shaven solder in 'R' issue black body armor gesticulates wildly. "Now that's when those explosives I had so prudently thought to smash togther came in handy..."
And on and on he goes, trying to convince yet another person of the M0M0 invasion that will be the end of days for all man kind. If he's lucky, Mature won't maul him /too/ bad. With his back toward the Suiryuu, Chisel has no idea there's guests dropping in for a visit. For now, he has eyes only for the beautiful, deadly blond on the chopper platform at his side.
Sometimes, no matter who you are, you just can't seem to catch a break. Not even when you /are/ awesome on two legs, as Tenma Kiryuu happens to be. But, that's how it goes: Some days, you mudwrestle the Swedish bikini team, and some days you get shot out of a chi-powered cannon at an aircraft carrier full of violent psychotics. You win some, you lose some.
Right now then, as poor Chisel is trying to explain about the most adorable threat to human life ever, Tenma has had the good fortune to, thanks to the vagaries of wind other assorted forces, arc right towards this part of the deck alongside his good friend and rather hapless teammate, Kenji. Destiny, serendipity, who knows; what IS clear at this point is that although Chisel's back is turned, there's at least one teenager hurtling towards it with some velocity, a wooden sword held in one hand and a mighty battlecry on his lips. "-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH!!!"
It would be more impressive if you heard the first part.
COMBATSYS: Invader has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Invader 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tenma has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Invader 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
COMBATSYS: Mature has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Mature 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kenji has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Mature 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
Perhaps he amuses her in some subtle way.
As it's said, simple ruffians usually don't have the pleasure of associating with Rugal's finest. Especially this one. While it may (or may not) be the preference of her partner to occaisionally associate with the rank and file for what she herself would deliciously hint at some to the favor of 'the basest of interests,' Mature is possessed of perhaps... what may be considered a slightly more evolved palette of taste, mn? -- Perhaps.
Right now, the woman does not deign to stand before the man's empassioned rant, instead sitting herself primly upon a chair that was entirely too hard for her tastes, folding one leg over the other as she delicately taps a lip with the delicate bone of her index knuckle, taking great care to endure both the physical and mental discomfort with all the poise of a woman whom simply intends to be here.
After all, did she not turn herself from the deck of the so-called 'proleteriat's flagship' to entertain this man's raving? Perhaps there is some greater interest for the woman. -- Perhaps.
"There are greater monstrocities at work than your phantom marionettes, dear boy," she assures simply, after only a moment's more of her unearthly tolerance.
She looks up, just past our dear Chisel's shoulder. She blinks once.
And then her thin, peach-touched lips twist into a amused smile.
After assuring she is not directly in front of the guard, she only continues to listen amiably.
For a moment, he thinks long and hard about the events that led up to this tournament. The desire to be with his friends, the comment that his little sister had made that she would take Kenji's place if he was going to be such a wussy about it. And then his father looking awfully upset when a -kunai- with the information about when he was supposed to get on the ship suddenly plowed into his front door when he was about to leave his nice house in the nice part of town to go to Gedo street.
Such is his life.
Descending at high speed as he continues to wail an echoing, loud "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--" his eyes fix upon the deck that is below them, bringing his legs out below him to land on the heels of his sneakers. Rubber squeals on the deck and the young man slides forward. His footing is found with another distinct noise and he sails, head over heels, right by Tenma, by the guard in the armor, and the super hot blonde-- hey wait-- and tumbles across the deck before landing flat on his back.
"Guohhhhhhh gosh darn dang it ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow--"
Ow.
COMBATSYS: Kenji takes no action.
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Mature 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Invader slows Large Thrown Object from Tenma with Point-Blank Fire.
Glancing Hit
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Mature 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kenji
Chisel shakes his head, "No, you don't understand." So bold as to challenge Mature's dismissal of the danger. But it's for her own good! "If you were there, you'd see what I mean. These things can tear grown men to shreads. It was only my fast thinking that got me out of there alive. Why, I," he continues, reaching over his shoulder to unsling the black combat shotgun holstered there. "Unloaded a few shells right into that thing and it just kept coming. Fortunately, the rest were not quite done. Only half fiends rather than the whole package deal, you know?"
He shakes his head, turning around to aim his shotgun off perpendicular to Mature and himself, pumping the weapon once to rotate a shell into firing position, "This baby can put a whole through most people. But you get an army of M0M0's? No way. Gonna take more than..." Hey, what's that battle cry? As fast as Tenma is flying, sound moves even faster, giving the man a split second warning to turn toward the incoming duo. "What the -"
The late night air is puncutated by the crack of the loud shotgun shell being fired back at Tenma, but Chisel isn't exactly the master marksman some of his peers are and all he ends up doing is taking the wooden sword against his shoulder. "-hell is going on here?!"
And we can add 'almost getting shot with a freaking shotgun' to the reasons why Tenma is not enjoying today. But he doesn't collide with Chisel straight on, instead glancing off of the armored man and hitting the deck at a roll, ending up in a low crouch some distance away. Well, at least he gets more cool points than Kenji on that one. "Tch... So much for avoidin' trouble," the dark-haired teen grouses, quickly sizing up Chisel and Mature. "An armed guard, an' somebody's maiden aunt. No time for layin' around, Ashima!" he calls towards the other Gedo boy, as his teeth sink into the flesh of his thumb, drawing blood.
That bloodied digit is then drawn down the length of the slightly curved wooden practice sword Tenma carries, painting a stripe of red along it... And then he sweeps the weapon through the air, setting it alight with a violent, misty aura of crimson, bloody chi. Still, just because you can size someone up doesn't mean you can tell who the greater threat is with them just standing there; so it's probably no surprise that Tenma goes after Chisel instead of Mature, lunging at the armored man with every intention of treating him to a vicious slash from that chi-empoered bokken. "What does it look like, gramps?! BOATJACKIN'!!" Turnabout is fair play, after all.
"Oh my~."
If one didn't know better, one would think Mature was for a moment genuinely surprised when Tenma falls clear out of the sky and makes a good show of clobbering the bibbling fool with his adorable little stick. It's almost enough to make Mature sing.
"..Such beautiful monstrocities," she reflects sunnily to Chisel.
Of course, he may not be in the best state to respond.
Standing upon shined black heeled boots in the night, with some belated appreciation of simply not having to sit anymore, her dress--made of finest silks--has nary a wrinkle in it as she moves in the dying night, a creature kin to cobras or other venomous serpents, her eyes shining as her thin shadow eclipses Kenji's form.
"Pardon moi," the secretary pronounces elegantly. "Are you familiar with the expression of artistic movement in the form of dance? Shall we?"
An invitation, so deliciously veiled-yet-not it may be.
COMBATSYS: Mature takes no action.
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Mature 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kenji
His eyes, clamped shut, allow him to think of happier things in life. Things that don't smell like the sea, jet fuel, and steel-- or cannons. And then his eyes open, and he gets to look up and up-- to the visage of Mature, dressed to the nines in a situation where it would be more prudent to be wearing armor.
His arms suddenly fold, his chin held between thumb and forefinger. "Why miss, I am quite an excellent dancer."
And then he's up on his feet in an instant, straightening the jacket of his yellow uniform, the light catching his ring and the glint in his eyes. Kenji then narrows his eyes, only all the more curious as to the purpose of a sultry blonde on an aircraft carrier owned by someone that warranted the rickety wooden boat -shooting- him onto it.
Taking a few steps back, Kenji closes his hand into a fist and only lets a grin cross his features, right arm thrusting downward while his sturdily-splinted left hand grabs his wrist. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"
The deck of the aircraft carrier is suddenly alight with the intense, insanely bright blue-white energy that consists of Kenji's chi, ripping up from knuckles to shoulder in a feral blaze of light that trumpets up and out like a geyser at his shoulder. Like in his battle with Luc and the battle with Pas and Marisol, the amount of power-- and light-- is amped up compared to what it was like on their school grounds.
Someone have a pair of sunglasses handy?
COMBATSYS: Kenji gathers his will.
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Mature 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Invader with Fierce Strike.
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Mature 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kenji
Why aren't didn't he hear about this? How come there's no one barking orders about flying fighters storming onto the boat? "How did you even get here, you little punk?" the man barks back, hefting the gun in his arms to point it in Tenma's direction, pumping another shell into the chamber.
The kid isn't wearing a jet pack... and as flighty as fighters can be, there's no way they could jump THIS far. A glance is made toward Mature... but of course she can handle herself against whatever that other kid thinks he's going to pull. That means Chisel just needs to deck the loudmouth. "Nice sword there. Get that at Toys R' Us?" the man laughs a little. It feels almost unfair to unload a shotgun blast in some high school punk's face, but, ah, war is war, and all that.
Tenma's preparations earn him a bit of a confused look though. "You some kind of cutter? You make it all the way over here just to bleed all over the deck?" The man hehs, lowering the gun. He'll punch Tenma's lights out on his ow- OW! The chi laced attack strikes him squarely across the chest with enough force to send him sliding, nearly falling right off the raised chopper platform to the deck a short distance below.
But the 'R' soldier has enough agility to roll up to his feet, dropping the shotgun to the ground, and charge Tenma back. "Okay, that's your one freebie, kid." Nevermind that makes too. He attempts to tackle Tenma to the ground with a shoulder slam before dropping down on top of him. Chisel isn't a big guy as far as soldiers go, but he's still bigger than the Gedo student!
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Invader's Brutal Takedown.
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Mature 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kenji
The brilliant light of Kenji's chi illuminates Tenma from behind, since he's wisely keeping his back to the other Gedo gang member when he's all magnesium flare-y, as the tall, lean young man stands there with an arrogant smirk, watching Chisel roll away and get his footing. No shotgun? Well, that makes Kiryuu feel a little better, but the idea of getting tackled by some guy doesn't really float his boat, either. So he twists, bringing that chi-emanating wooden sword to bear and putting it between himself and the 'R' soldier as the older man hits him shoulder-first, the force sending him tumbling... But he's able, at least, to roll out of the way as Chisel comes down /after/ him.
"Man, I know you been stuck on a boat for a while, but I ain't into seamen," Tenma chides, putting his free hand down - and leaving a bloody smear on the deck in the process - to stop his progress and pivot around, sweeping his sword through the air as he does so. "And for the record, I'm REALLY SICK of the toy sword jokes!!" If it's not those Pacific Resistance snobs, it's some member of a private army; well, he'll show this guy, at least! As the bokken slices through empty air, it leaves a red trail behind it, and from that trail springs forth a crescent of roiling blood, streaking towards Chisel with a bit of haste. "Eat THIS!"
A muted sigh, and Mature finally feels that it's appropriate for her to act. After all, enough is enough. Watching a peon get splattered across the ship is one thing. Her attitude like most things shifts with the wind. Eyes close, and lips are settled into a neutral line. The lights dazzle her, it's true, and she takes pause in an appreciation of power. She recognizes it in all it's glory, and she feels no need to belittle that.
Nevertheless, there's something to be said about subtilities.
"Are you now? What do you favor? Salsa? Swing? I know all the dances," Mature elucidates as she takes her time, as if the already quickening battle was nothing more than a movie she could simply get up and walk away from at any time. "Anything that you could possibly imagine, and maybe more."
Mature doesn't so much walk as she does saunter, ice blue eyes locking on Kenji's form as she starts to circle around. "Listen, do you hear? The sound of a heartbeat drums out a rhythm, and we all march to it. The second that beat halts, we die. And that, my dear, is the dance of life. But here I am, making hackneyed allusions, yes? Nothing more than silly imagery to impress the rubes."
"I can tell," Mature says, shifting her feet, shuffling about the battle with all calmness, "that you a re aboy... no, a young man of action. To respond with anything less would be an insult."
A flash of perfect white teeth, and Mature is upon Kenji in the blink of an eye, her clawlike hand reaching for his face. If she succeeds, she'll pick him up by his face, and hurl him to the ground with an inhuman amount of power. "With this, I grant thee a boon. My compliments and my heartfelt appreciation!"
COMBATSYS: Kenji blocks Mature's Backlash.
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Mature 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Kenji
Before he knows it, Kenji is grasped by the face and lifted into the air-- but the young man is a little quicker to react than she may expect, his wiry frame twisting around in her grasp and grabbing her wrist. Kenji doesn't slam to the ground, but lands hard on his knees, jaw tensing on impact.
"Miss, I barely understood that."
Releasing the wrist that threw him down, the young man's sneakers twist hard against the ground as his knees turn in, pushing up into a squat before hooking his right leg back wide. His fist reels back at Mature-- and then hurtles forward. Perhaps a trick of the light, perhaps just the speed-- but it seems like his arm bends like rubber while his fist rockets dead center at her face, the punch fierce and fast-- and his hand is like getting struck by a slab of granite.
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Invader with Dharmapala.
- Power hit! -
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Mature 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kenji
Awh, jeez. The man should've kept the shotgun he realizes when Tenma sends off the bloody crescent back toward him. Chisel raises his arms to try and weather the attack out, but there's only so much someone like him can do to withstand a blast like that. He doesn't quite get blown off his feet this time, but he's staggering all the same, his armor breastplate cracked, his stance staggered.
"Damn..." he grunts. This kid is a lot tougher than some of those other Jinchuu recruits he's had to face over the last few hours. Tougher such that he decides to be a man and double team Kenji instead! Turning toward the second Gedo student, Chisel unslings two bands of grenades from around his shoulders and pulling a single string, he yanks all their pins out at once. Tough kids like these take more extreme measures, after all.
"Watch it, Miss Mature," the grunt, well, grunts, and then slings the dozon explosive grenades toward Kenji. Rugal will probably frown at the damage that might cause to the deck of the boat. But he's got money, right? The grenades aren't all the same type, is the problem. Some splash small amounts of napalm, others dish out a share of shrapnel, while others spew a bit of acid. "Enjoy!"
Oh... That's probably not good. "Ashima, look out!" Tenma bellows at his currently rather misfortunate teammate, trapped between one half of the world's scariest secretarial pool and a bandolier of active grenades. It's kind of obvious advice, but, you know. Genre conventions. Meanwhile, this leaves Tenma in what might for others be a bit of a pickle; the Gedo swordsman is, however, singleminded enough not to be distracted from his target. Stop one, he thinks to himself, then work with Kenji to take out the other. Simple, straightforward. No more going off half-cocked like he did against Marisol and Pas.
But, at the same time, Tenma is a little irked at the totally underhanded assault on someone who is, though neither of them would say so explicitly, his responsibility. Kenji's part of his team; he brought the guy on this little escapade and furthermore, he knows, the student council secretary probably wouldn't have even joined the tournament were it not for himself and Hakuya. So... He's going to go get a little vengeance upside Chisel's head.
"Hope you didn't like pickin' up chicks, buddy," Tenma says, rushing right at the grunt. "'cause you're about to get a whole lot uglier." And then he swings that chi-charged bokken, two-handed, right at Chisel's face.
Really, really hard.
COMBATSYS: Mature blocks Kenji's Missile Fist.
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Mature 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Kenji
"Comprehension! Comprehension! The key to all things," Mature scolds lightly, her finger wagging as her free hand catches the extended limb casually, fingers clamping like a vise. "It's the ability to absorb and reapply information to different circumstances that delineates sentience. After all, mere repetition of the same actions over and over again in the hope to acheive a different result is the very definition of insanity."
She pauses in thought as she simply pushes the hand away. "Or at least, that's what the Chinese say. Thousands of years of philosophy must count for something, yes?"
The Orochi woman steps around again, light footsteps tapping the deck of her floating home with a practiced gait. "Listen and learn, my young friend. Listen to words, and comprehend them for meaning and maybe, just maybe, you'll begin to understand."
Her hand whips out onc emore, this time to grab the young fighter by the back of his head. "You follow the ninja blindly, and without pause! You are surrounded by sights, but see nothing!" Razor tipped claws from her other hand streak forward to tear into the student's face mercilessly as her voice raises, the thrilling contralto echoing across the ship.
"And in the realm of the blind, the one eyed man is /king/!"
COMBATSYS: Kenji blocks Invader's Disaster Area.
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Mature 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Kenji just-defends Mature's Death Blow!
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Mature 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Kenji
Kenji's eyes narrow as his fist impacts firmly against Mature's presented palm, turned away and the momentum and force carried behind it lost. And then a hand grips him behind the head, just as her hand comes forward to claw him in the face. It looks like his bad day is going to become worse, except for--
Her hand stops?
Kenji's palm is pressed to Mature's with enough force to completely negate what's about to tear chunks of his precious visage away, fingers locked and woven with her own while he smiles and wags the finger thrust out of his bandaged arm. "I'm not here for any ninja--"
Pushing away with a harsh shove, the Gedo student finds himself closer to one of the jets parked on the surface of the deck-- and hears the sing-song ring of pins and grenades rattling and clustering through the air. His glance shifts back to the equipment stored on the deck, and...!
*KA-BOOM*
Engulfed in burning hot whiteness, a cloud of black smoke, and the sound of metal fragments scattering across the deck, Kenji Ashima has disappeared into what looks like a burning death inferno at the foot of one of Rugal Bernstein's jets. There's no sign of him through the flames and heat, no body parts... and no blood, especially.
"I'M HERE FOR MY FRIENDS!!"
A large rolling toolbox bursts out of the flames, covered in shards of metal and burning hot materials, clattering to the deck of the carrier with an excessively loud crash; tools spill and scatter as the young man bursts out of the cloud of smoke and fire. Kenji looks none the worse for wear, clothing scorched and burned with cuts and gashes on his arms and legs. Using the toolbox intended to keep the aircraft repaired as a stepping stool, he vaults into the air with his right arm rearing back hard. "URRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH--!!"
And his hand looks to ensnare Mature by the collar. While still in the air, that insanely bright chi again flares in a sudden burst through his arm, arcing upward and seeking to launch Mature into the air. And if that happens... well, landing is all up to her!
COMBATSYS: Invader dodges Tenma's Deep Strike.
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Mature 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Kenji
No time to watch his explosive present for Kenji be dealt with, Chisel's got a nasty swing coming in for his head. "Heh," he smirks, stepping out of the way as the powerful swing goes wide. "Too bad you can't hit a parked carrier with that sword of yours or else I'd have had to ask you how /you/ manage to get any girls with your mug."
He's done trying to get in close on Tenma though. Big mouth or not, that bloody sword of his packs some umph. Best to stick to what he's at least moderately good at. Running aw-... er, wait, shooting. Yeah, that's it. The man takes a step back, foot slamming down on the butt of his shotgun, flipping the weapon up into the air so that he can grab it and aim the barrel toward the youth.
"Maybe it's time you considered taking a flying leap." His finger slips forward to the second trigger, pressing it lightly, and from the second barrel fires an explosive burst of flaming buckshot - the sort that will catch cloth on fire if too much of it hits. As if that wasn't enough to keep Tenma occupied, Chisel drops the gun back to the deck and squeezes his right wrist, releasing a syringe of a 'R' manufactored Super Soldier drug straight into his blood stream with a quiet hiss.
He may have been on his last legs a moment ago, but a lot of the pain slowing him down is forgotten as he leaps at Tenma, leaving the swordsman little time to react after defending himself from the buckshot before he has a full grown, body armor covered 'R' soldier tackling him. The momentum takes the two of them right off the chopper landing pad, dropping down to the deck some ten feet below... Kenji might just have to hope Tenma is faring okay on his own down there for a bit.
COMBATSYS: Kenji successfully hits Mature with Sky High Rocket.
- Power hit! -
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Mature 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1 Kenji
Although she may appear to be a fragile thing, Mature is no such shrinking violet. The Orochi woman is well equipped to handle an attack, even one that hits cleanly. As the woman is hurled into the air bodily, she twists herself midair like a cat.
Nevertheless, it doesn't keep that energy from taking it's toll. The blonde comes back down to the deck with a bang, a three point landing crouch. Finglers lightly scrape across the deck plating as she remains like that for a moment or two, ice blue eyes assessing Kenji with a slight smile on her face.
"Impressive. Having friends gives you strength. It's a well known fact that every youth fights stronger, their heart surging with passion and emotion. Nonetheless, it's the passion and fury of youth that fails the young the most."
With that, the Orochi is sweeping across the deck like a predatory bird, her skirt flaring out behind her as she charges. "Tell me, my young friend. Will it be friendship forever? Will the ties of the heart bind your soul for eternity? Will each day bleed with the the lifeblood of passion until there is no more determination as to when your life ends and another begins?"
A rapid limb strikes out, her clawed hand seeking purchase on the student, the laquered snow-white nails ripping forth to cut into all too pliable flesh. "Allow me to draw the bright lines that define the rules."
COMBATSYS: Mature successfully hits Kenji with Quick Punch.
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Mature 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Kenji
As Mature fires out of his grasp on the way out to "orbit," Kenji lands with two quick steps and a huff, drawing back his arms as he bleeds from cuts and scrapes from top to bottom, as well as the uncomfortable heat of the grenades and the small fire behind him on the deck. But Rugal's secretary is nimble and strong-- and a clawed hand rakes across his chest as he tries to defend with a tired arm. Staggering and letting a hissed noise of pain out through his teeth, the student council secretary of Gedo High doesn't step back or falter, standing strong and ready.
"FOREVER!! And every time I need to KICK YOUR ASS!" he cries in response, the spirit within him never faltering for a second. Having held his ground, it doesn't take much for him to shift stances, bringing his leg up and looking to issue a stiff kick to Mature's waist, seeking to dole out a little harshness and send her staggering back all the same.
Hey wait, did Kenji Ashima just -curse-?
COMBATSYS: Mature dodges Kenji's Heavy Kick.
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Mature 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Invader 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Kenji
A gentle laugh, and Mature's hand is placed on the thrust leg as she lightly presses, using it as a surface to vault over the boy. "Forever is a long, long time," she muses as she murmurs into his ear on her way past.
"Very few things last forever. A depressingly few things." Heeled boots click lightly onto the deck again, and she brushes away a lock of hair that has coyly fallen out of place.
"So how long will it be? Will you forever screech to the world, professing your stalwart desire to remain a staunch and stout bulwark of friendship? A bastion of strength, borne on the backs of others?"
She steps lively, almost dancing, as she circles the boy. "Certainly, allies strengthen. Your power is evidence of that. But to exhort so loudly? One must wonder..."
"With friends, there is power. Without friends, there is weakness," she murmurs, "But someone that needs others to survive? Needs the power of others to make his heart grow strong?" A single hand lances out to grasp the boy by the chest, the taloned hands pressing down and digging in. Mature's eyes light up as a gentle smile crosses her picture-perfect features. "What if the supply is cut off? Whet then?" As she speaks, she tries to literally crush the student's ribcage with her bare hand.
"Forever is a long, long time."
COMBATSYS: Mature successfully hits Kenji with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Mature 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Tenma
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Invader 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Invader has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Mature 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Tenma
> ////////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Kenji
All her talk is, admittedly, getting to him-- and in the bad way it's intended to. His concentration shaken, it gives Mature the space nessicary to attack Kenji and dig her fingers through his black t-shirt, press on with nails and start to push rather uncomfortably through flesh and blood and grab the student in ways that seem wholly unnatural. "Kg-- gah-- AAAAAAAAAGH!"
Knees weakening and dropping down to one knee in her grasp, the young man coughs and sputters outwhile he grabs onto Mature's wrist with both of his hands, fingers wrenching and pressing into her arm. "Ghh-- nnnnaghh--"
And then his sneaker squeals, his left leg pressing hard while his right leg swivels around to give him an anchor-- an anchor to get ready. "Strength... DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!"
And with that, his arm hooks around to slug Mature in the face as hard as he can. Literally. It may prove somewhat surprising to feel, how that hardened fist hauls forward and tries to plant into the woman's face. While his first punch, denied as it was, could be comperable to a slab of granite, this is more like being hit with a bullet train.
COMBATSYS: Kenji successfully hits Mature with Missile Fist Ashima.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Mature 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Tenma
> ////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Kenji
The fist strikes Mature in the face, slamming into the R agent like a train. Her head kicks back powerfully, her entire body snapping rigid as she's forced to stagger backward. Normally graceful steps are reduced to short motions as she tries to regain some level of composure.
It happens too fast.
The Orochi woman eases gradually, her breathing slowing as she falls back into her state of impossible grace. As powerful as that hit was? It did nowhere near as much as it should have. Not to someone like Mature, anyway.
"Then elicidate," she requests, voice lilting. Slender fingers readjust her collar, pat down her skirt as she tilts her head, raising a gold eyebrow. Bright blue eyes seem to cut like scalpels. "Tell me, my dearest little svant. Inform me as to how power works."
She bolts across the floor, the patter of her feet swallowed by the shrieking sound of her horrible chi blade ripping forth. Bladed hands tear across the student once, across, then once in a vertical slash, and then a final hand thrust to end the child should she finish her sequence of assaults.
COMBATSYS: Mature successfully hits Kenji with Death Row.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Mature 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Tenma
> /////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Kenji
Was it surprising? Even if it didn't hurt as much as it should have, that such a boy could muster up the power to do that. But now that his chest is free and he's able to bleed a little more, the gravity of the situation starts to sink in a little more-- that she's not just out to fight him, but she means to probably -kill- him.
His bandaged arm presses lightly to his chest, the healing limb contained therein managing to apply just enough pressure to not bother either his mending arm or cause too much discomfort to his chest. And then Kenji's introduced to a whole new world of pain-- pain brought on by the slashing 'blades' that tear toward him, ripping up the arm protecting his chest and ripping shreds out of his clothes and torso all the more.
Kenji gasps with wide eyes as he falls back a few good steps, blood dripping quickly and trickling around in a small puddle on the deck of the carrier. Without looking up and jaw tight, the student starts backing away-- and then runs toward the flames on the deck, shielding his mouth and nose with his sleeve as he starts to flee. He springs into the air and lands on the case, disappearing through the licking blaze-- and hoping to keep Mature from immediately following after him. And Tenma!! What happened to Tenma?!
Panic is not what someone in his position should do, but ... he's only a teenager, and this is his first actual 'life or death' situation...
COMBATSYS: Kenji takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Mature 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Tenma
> /////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Kenji
Mature makes no motion to follow. The woman only watches with an impassive eye, her voice silenced for once. The endless barrage of constant words, each seeking purchase to cut deep into the psyche as deeply as her power does. Certainly, her surprise is there. All children 'surprise' her nowadays. Their strength, compassion, and drive. The actual energy they can bring to bear however, is inconsequential.
After all, Mature is the extension of an undead God. Even if she doesn't know that per se, she can feel that she's different, and that alone gives her the kind of unwavering confidence people spend their entire lives seeking.
Her work here is done. No more is needed from her than this, and the blonde 'secretary' turns on her heel. Footsteps make little impression against the crackling, roaring flames as the woman proceeds back up towards the operation center. There are no final words. No gentle mocking from feminine lips. No haughty taunts from her tainted mind.
Instead, she laughs. It's a melodic one, but the subtones are there, a creeping malovence that makes the sound ugly somehow, as it carries over the deck, chasing after the retreating Kenji far better than her feet could ever allow her to.
And then, Mature is gone.
Log created on 22:54:06 10/17/2007 by Mature, and last modified on 06:11:00 10/20/2007.