Description: In China, Hotaru and Birdie must put aside their common differences to fight a common foe--the enigmatic and cold soldier of the Ikari, Heidern. Will they do precisely that, or will their rocky past be their downfall!? (Winners: Birdie and Hotaru)
In Shanghai, there's a large circus, but not just any circus, the Circus World of Shanghai. A large stadium devoted so that many can partake in the pleasure of these death defying acts, humor, and fun for the entire family.
Todays event is anything but. The front and center row stolen from the box office from the very Saturday Night Fight crew, cameras and lighting equipment take up most of the front row, sprawling over into the walkways and other such, making it almost impossible to get by.
Still, center stage. There's a ring master. Always there to help the show move along. With the many different props and death defying acts around, almost anything on this stage may be used to help and hinder the fighters own goals. There are no clowns, save for those in the audience that bought the cheap seats.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Now for the main act you've been waiting for! SATURDAYYY NIGHT LIVEEE!" He calls as he hurls his hat into the air and begins to walk off at a rather brisk pace.
From the right side of the stage comes a towering man, a monolith of epic proportions. The man known as Birdie slowly makes his way to center ring, carefully kicking and avoiding different set ups there. If this wasn't already degrading enough, fighting on a circus stage, who or what could make this any more difficult?
Off to the circus again. Hotaru seems to fight at them a lot. So much in fact that she's even developed her own entrance for just such occasions. As the combatants get introduced and her turn arrives, a spotlight is directed upward to a small platform that the Kenpo artist is standing on, her hands gripping a trapeze bar.
Taking a deep breath, the girl leaps off of the platform, swinging down about halfway via suspended bar before flipping forward to grasp another bar hanging idly. The momentum carries her into another swing that gets her close enough to a tall, verticle metal pole. Letting go of the second trapeze bar, Hotaru's hands grip around the pole and the girl's body spins around the bar until she slides all the way down to the level of the floor and hops off. The pig-tailed acrobat takes a bow toward the audience then turns and bows toward the Ring Master as he shoves a mic in front of her face, asking her how she was feeling about tonight's fight.
Face a bit flustered from the demanding entrance, Hotaru smiles at the question all the same, one hand coming up to rest behind her head. "Whew! I'm not sure I know enough about it to really say. I-" She wasn't given much information ahead, unfortunately. A common trick with the SNF officials who seem to adore putting her in the ring with the most unlikely of allies. And tonight is no different.
The Ring Master gestures toward Birdie with an exaggerated wave of his hand, introducing the mammoth of a man as the small girl's partner for tonight. The color drains from Hotaru's face as blue eyes stare at her teammage. "-... him? He- I- No- But-" Eager to get on with the violence rather than showcasing a stammering, surprised girl, the entertainer gives Hotaru a firm pat in the back, sending her stumbling toward Birdie.
Center stage is the center of attention: thousands upon thousands of eyes look down at the illuminated ring, and the eccentrically-clad ringmaster at its center. Surrounding the ring, cameras and SNF crews have been set up to catch every minute and second of the fight soon to be. He proudly announces the fight to the waiting crowd, his hat tossed into the air high above. It gets the crowd roaring. When Birdie arrives they cheer. When Hotaru literally acrobats her way into the center ring, they roar with equal fervor.
Aside, the Circus manager is wringing his hands greedily. This was definitely worth the effort.
A mic shoved in her face, the girl seems flustered. But that gives Heidern perfect chance to make a discreet arrival. Unlike Birdie or Hotaru, he draws no attention to himself; instead, the old, one-eyed soldier briskly marches through the ring, his form clad in uniform and an olive-green trenchcoat. It's nothing flashy, but then, the Ikari doesn't want to bring attention to himself.
Not yet, anyway.
However, a SNF official notices him and, with a direction of his hands, tries to encourage the two other fighters - his opponents - together. "Are you all ready?" he asks, looking to Heidern.
The old man nods once, his features expressionless and cold.
Uneasy, those eyes go to Hotaru and Birdie.
"And you two..?"
Birdie looks about. He has no idea what's going on except for that there's a fight he has to be at, and it's on this stage, right here, right now. But then something flutters from above, on th platform. He looks up, missing the performer by seconds, attempting to catch up and follow her with his eyes. And he manages to. So much that he doesn't see Heidern.
Infact, as Hotaru comes down from the entrance to rest, that's the first time Birdie notices the likeness. "You." He grunts, the large black man states as he slowly moves towards her, his vest lightly tapping against his chest each time he moves. "What the hell do you think you're doing here chick-a-dee. Don't tell me you're my opponent. Better yet. Don't say it at all. Lets just get this over with." Birdie states, probably not even questioning about it.
He moves to get into position until he finally notices Heidern. "Hey, bloke! Get out of the bloody stage! I've gotta beat up this girl here that those finks at the SNF area set me up against." Birdie says once more, pointing quite obviously towards Hotaru.
Not even looking towards Heidern, he turns to look toards the SNF official. "Yeah. We're ready. Lets get this over with, Chick-a-dee." He grunts as he hulks down, his massive hands grabbing at the air slowly, contracting and then doing it again. "I might even damn enjoy this, this time."
He doesn't even known about Heidern yet. This is going to be pretty messy.
COMBATSYS: Birdie has started a fight here on the right meter side.
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Birdie
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Heidern has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Heidern 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
Hotaru isn't so flustered as to have no clue what's going on. Having already heard the Ring Master describe Birdie as her unlikely partner for this fight, she notices Heidern's less than attention-grabbing entrance in spite himself. That's their opponent? He looks to be military. Kind of like Rolento. Probably good that she doesn't ask him if they're with the same outfit or anything.
But the massive hulk of muscle seems pretty fixated on getting back at her for a couple of fights as well as a Neo League match that didn't go his way, and Hotaru's attention is drawn back to him quickly, both hands raised, palms forward. "B-but we're not against each other!" Hotaru protests. The poor kid is like the size of his arm practically and her eyes widen as he keeps clenching and unclenching that hand of his. Last time she got lucky in that he never got a hold of her. If he's determined to make up for all of their prior run-ins this very moment though, she might not luck out again.
"That's our opponent! And stop calling me Chick-a-dee!" she insists, gesticulating wildly in Heidern's direction. She knows he probably won't stop. But she has to try! The crowd seems to be eating this up, people leaning forward in their seats with anticipation as they wait to see if the pair is even going to be able to work together in the /slightest/ in this fight.
With Birdie approaching, it's all the young fighter can do to slowly back away. Not that she isn't capable of defending herself... or at least trying to, but she's been caught more off guard than she realized. Backstep. Backstep. Backing right into the spot Heidern arrived in eventually, Hotaru freezes. Oops. Glancing up and over her shoulder at the tall, trench coated soldier, the girl finds herself sandwiched between two people that easily dwarf her in size. She really needs to rethink this whole Weekly Mauling that presently represents her career path. Gulp. Hopefully her father and brother will be proud!
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Heidern 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
Somehow, an old one-eyed guy happened to wander into the ring. At least where Birdie is concerned. So he shouldn't be surprised that, when Birdie speaks to Heidern directly, there is a cursory look of vague uncertainty and mild insult. He knows this guy - he's seen him and read once or twice about him in reports. Particularly the recent involvement of Jinchuu.
Dry lips pull into an emotionless smirk.
Hotaru, on the other hand, draws his attention as she tries to correct matters, but he offers her little comfort. That solitary blue eye, as cold as eye, simply gazes at her, watching as she's unfortunately approached by her teammate. Clearly, this man didn't reach the pre-fight dossier. It draws a quiet sigh from the old man, his head shaking slowly.
Whether or not Birdie is aware of who is opponent is by the time Hotaru corrects him, it may very well be too late. In a blur of blacks and olive green, the man is moving swiftly toward the pair, shedding his long coat in the process and casting it aside. It may cue the pair in, as the crowd begins to scream with delight. The fight has begun..!
And Heidern seems intent on snaring Birdie by the collar, hefting him up high before turning and slamming him back first against the ground while he darkly comments, "You should listen to the girl."
COMBATSYS: Birdie blocks Heidern's Medium Throw.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
Birdie stops for a moment as Hotaru looks at him for a moment. And says that simple phrase. 'We're not against each other'. There is where Biride's reality cracks for something else entirely. He has to work with her? That's THEIR opponent? Well, Birdie can deal with fighting the woman, but fighting that other guy there? The military revolt looking guy? Well, sure, maybe. But it takes a moment or two for this to really register.
"And I'm still not going to call you chikadee." Birdie states rather powerfully. It's just not going to happen. He's going to call it to her and every other female he meets for the rest of time. You know, it's just the way things happen. And her movements? Telling him to look? It's a damn trick. He can feel it. He just keeps her pinned between him and the stranger.
And then the stranger does come. By the time Birdie does look, it seems already late. Hotaru was right. The military man god rid of his coat, his everything. And now he's trying to teach the larger man a lesson. Well, Birdie'll teach you! After he's lifted into the air by the collar?! HEY WAIT A MINUTE. Birdie grabs a hold of Heidern's arms as he hurls him towards the ground, bracing himself as he falls. Luckily he makes his way into a roll before getting back up, right near Hotaru.
Still pained by the strength behind the throw, he just looks down towards the little girl. "Alright." He grunts. "You're right. We gotta work together."
So the massive man actually reaches for Hotaru, before hurling her right towards Heidern. She can deal with him herself for the moment. "Then GO GET HIM, CHICK-A-DEE!"
COMBATSYS: Birdie assists Hotaru.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
Yeah, you tell him, Heidern! Wait, that's supposed to be the guy she's fighting alongside. And he's the only thing that stands between her and whatever this opponent of theirs can /dish out/. And if the officials saw fit to pit both her AND the mountain of muscle against Heidern, that means what he can dish out is /probably/ significant!
Hotaru shakes her head, clearing her mind quickly and getting her head into the fight. It looks like for the moment misunderstandings have been resolved by means of brute force and Birdie clearly knows who his opponent is supposed to be. Right? Right. RIGHT?!
The Kenpo artist is forced to re-evaluate that assertion as she gets easily hefted right off her feet. "Hey! Put me down, I told you, we're-" And then she's sent flying off in the direction of the veteran warrior, a veritable pig-tailed missile. Hotaru has a moment to think about her lot in life. It seems like she ends up in these situations a lot. Ralf threw her at Joe not too many weeks ago. It seems to be her lot in life.
There's really nothing much she can do about it now though besides try to make the best of it. The Futaba Projectile attempts to use her airborn speed to latch a tight grip on both of Heidern's arms, swinging her legs in forward to stomp against his chest. If she ends up securing the landing, the girl will stomp right up the front of the soldier with a sequence of subsequent rapid kicks, before backflipping away to try and gain a bit of ground and catch her breath.
COMBATSYS: Heidern endures Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
Thin black eyebrows loft ever so slightly in response, as Birdie takes the hit and rolls easily enough with it. The soldier isn't one to linger; instead, he simply steps back, giving the large Brit his room and distance. Those eyes never once leave him or the tiny, pigtailed Kenpo artist. Then, the unthinkable happens:
Birdie picks up Hotaru and throws her right at the Ikari.
Well, maybe it's not too terribly unthinkable, but it catches the old soldier slightly off his guard. Rather than avoid the blow, the old man is snared by the arms and stomped repeatedly up the front of his chest before she releases him. Well, almost.
Rather than get away scott free, Heidern moves immediately after her. His intent? To lash out, and snare the tiny girl by her arms...
COMBATSYS: Hotaru parries Heidern's Lead Belcher!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
Somehow Birdie knew that Hotaru would be the perfect Birdie-To-Heidern anti-Heidern weapon. At this time. It all has to boil down to the fact that Birdie is actually a genius behind a monolith like thug. Still, if it seperates the man from Birdie, more the better. For now, the giant Thug doesn't seem like he's going to let Heidern have anywhere to actually rest.
Removing the chain from his left hand, Birdie snatches it with his right, looking directly towards Heidern as he moves. As he's busy, Birdie attempts to sneak up one him.
At least, the chain attempts to sneak up on him. He's hoping the bouncy long haired warrior would be more than enough to keep him busy. Hurling the chain forward with a "Eyyahhhh!" Birdie attempts to snake it along the ground and around Heidern's legs. If this is truely the case, he's going to aim to use it to his advantage.
By pulling quickly, and attempting to use him as a mace against a hobby horse!
Hotaru is remarkably comfortable when airborn, capable of twisting her small body around for last second adjustments as the course of the fight dictates as being necessary. And with Heidern coming at her, it's absolutely, unquestionably necessary. His hand comes out for her while she's in the midst of a backflip - upside down, legs up in the air...
But the agile martial artist seems aware enough of the situation to react at the last moment. In the last second before his hand would have grasped her arm, Hotaru manages to twitch her limb just enough that his grip misses, close enough to brush against skin but not to get a hold of anything.
And then she retaliates, fingers coming down on the end of his uniformed sleeve as she gets a weak but sufficient grip of her own with her left hand. Her right arm, however, is bathed with a brilliant blue aura as the girl begins to draw upon chi manipulation techniques earlier in the fight than she usually does.
In the same moment her feet touch down on the ground, Hotaru swings her right arm forward, discharging a blast of churning, blue energy - pure force, it strikes neither as hot nor cold before it will splash apart and dissipate. "YA!" This close range, the time to react is precious little. Already she has released his cuff with her left hand and is starting to twist away, attempting to gain a bit of ground.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Heidern with Hakki Shou EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Heidern counters Bandit Chain from Birdie with Killing Bringer.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
Those keen gloved hands...grasp nothing.
Instead, there's a feel of air against his sleeve, as she withdraws her hand from his grasp. She's doubtlessly faster than he gives her credit for. Her tiny, lithe figure works to her advantage, it seems. The corners of dry lips dare to pull into some form of a smile, as she retaliates swiftly - too swift. Though he tries to block, that burst of blue aimed for his chest. It impacts and bursts, staggering the soldier, but inconveniences him at best.
He smirks again. Two versus one? He prefers one on one, really. There is more honor there - where skill is concerned, that is. But, ah, he digresses.
If there's one thing that's difficult to do, it's catch Heidern by surprise by means of stealth. So, as Birdie sneaks up behind the old soldier, those keen ears - despite his age - catch the faintest chime of steel. So, the moment he seeks to lash him around the throat...the man twists rather suddenly. In an instant, he and Birdie are face to face.
There are no kind words, nor are there smirks or frowns. Instead, the Ikari grabs Birdie by his arm and shoves him forward, before he throws him upwards, into the air. High, in fact, despite Birdie's bulk. However, as he descends, Heidern swiftly slides beneath him and, with a sudden thrust of his arm upwards, those long, dangerous digits lodge into his back. Immediately, his arm erupts with a strange red aura, the power surging through Birdie before he's tossed aside, and Heidern rises to full height.
Still, he says not a word.
Birdie is just obliterated by the shot. Something he thought would have been so easy to get on, especially with a Hotaru in front, was not at all. Instead, it was hard. Very hard. In fact, he didn't even get the man. The heavy links clatter amongst the ground instead of on Heidern. The first think that should set Birdie off. But no. He's got a thick skull.
So when Heidern comes after him, it's really a surprise. At least to Birdie. Instead, he's right infront of him. Being shoved, hurled into the air and then being stabbed in the back with the chi, well, Birdie really though he had more energy in him. But now? He's contect to let Hotaru do all the work.
"What in the bloomin' ell was that?!" Birdie cries, breathing heavily as he bleeds from his back. Slowly getting to his feet, he just tries to draw a bead on him.
"Alright you bloody bastard, come over 'ere. I can damn take it. Try that again." Birdie says between gasps for breath. The man just gets into a better position, coiling the chain up again.
COMBATSYS: Birdie focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
Finally back on her feet, and now able to back away just a little from Heidern, Hotaru has a chance to catch her breath after a very grueling, face paced opening to the fight. Folks are definitely getting their money's worth out of this one. There's nothing she can do but stare as Heidern dishes out a very distressing helping of pain on poor Birdie, the girl left to watch as he stabs the brute in the back with his BARE HAND. What kind of attack is /that/?
But Birdie isn't going down from that lone, the large fighter managing to get to his feet all the same. Now it's up to the Kenpo artist to strike again while Birdie just works on ticking the soldier off with taunts. The one-eyed fighter doesn't strike her as the type likely to get thrown off his game by a bunch of big talk, and of course such impolite speach is hardly a part of her arsenal anyway.
Right. Okay! Breathing in, the girl charges back into the frey, knowing full well that she isn't going to surprise Heidern by any means, but maybe she can weave around his defenses all the same.
Both of the girl's hands are darting out for his right arm as she side-steps then drops to the side, attempting to pull Heidern down and over her shoulder with a simple but remarkably effective Judo-like slam. "HA!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Heidern with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Birdie
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
"Brutal efficiency," the soldier replies simply, his words cold and emotionless - much like the expression on his face. Even as he's goaded on by the British thug, Heidern maintains that impassive expression. Is he impressed? Unlikely; then again, it takes a LOT to crack that apathetic visage. It's nothing personal. Really.
Hotaru's on the move again, and Heidern seems ready to deal with her, until Birdie comes. Frowning slightly, the soldier attempts to simply weave aside and dismiss her attack, but the tiny girl is too damn tiny. Snared, he's thrown over her shoulder, hitting back first against the ring. He blinks that single eye once.
Then, rather suddenly, he thrusts a heel outwards, attempting to peg the tiny Kenpo fighter hard in the sternum before he attempts to rise to his feet.
And the one time he really wants it... the British thug is passed up entirely for Hotaru. You can already manage hoe well that's going to happen. "So you're going to come at me when I tell you not too... and then you're going to go after her when I want it, huh?!" Brdie grunts as he watches Heidern for just enough. Making no attempts to outweve him, he attempts to capatalize on something entirely different.
His size. If he's not going to accept the taunt and go after Birdie, Birdie's making a house call. If he's able to, through his own power or by snaring Heidern through Hotaru's own, he's going to latch onto the man with his huge hands before simply tossing him up and over, attempting to drive him into a post for the upper circus stage.
Birdie as always has a terrible grin on his face, with perfectly white teeth. That you just want to break oh so much.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Heidern's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
That kick toward her sternum would have had enough force behind it to really knock the girl silly and maybe even break a bone or two. But Hotaru is quick on her feet, at least for the immediate moment. And also very tiny, which helps. The heel of Heidern's boot shoots past the girl as she weaves to the side, having to over-react just to get out of the way, literally losing some of the balance and poise that she had been demonstrating thus far as she flails her arms and stumbles to safety.
Whew. From her new perspective, she can see that Birdie is going in for another attack and Hotaru is forced to figure out how to help the big lug out a little. She could try to contend with the soldier in close again, but with the somewhat clumsy evasion on her part she's certain that running back in will prove to be far less effective this time.
The circus ring is studied quickly as the fast thinking girl looks for alternatives to a suicidal charge. "Hnn." Darting to the side the young fighter collects Heidern's discarded coat up into her arms and bundles it up quickly. Holding it over her head, she exhales a little. It feels a bit like foul play to go at the veteran fighter like this, but it might help give Birdie the break he needs... much to her chagrin.
Hurling the bundled up coat with an overhead toss, she aims to peg Heidern in the side of the head with it, hoping to provide a distraction. It might be seconds too late to help Birdie right /now/, mind...
COMBATSYS: Hotaru assists Birdie.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Heidern fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Birdie with Moon Slasher.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Hotaru
Another miss, and though most would be upset or perhaps livid at this point, the one-eyed man just seems without emotion. Instead, he swings his legs and hops up to his feet once again, long fingers adjusting the garments nestled upon his lanky form. When that blue eye lifts, it fixes on the large man and narrows. Is he getting mad?
"Most people do not welcome pain with open arms," he states.
"I believe I'm doing you a favor. But, if you insist." He'll oblige.
So, when Birdie comes in, he attempts to drop low and thrust his arm out behind him, rigid and stiff. Already, traces of blue-white energy dance along his fingers, coalescing and swelling. But just as he seeks to rise up and tense his entire body, to counterattack the thug. ..his coat blinds him, thrown by the tiny girl. As result, Heidern is tossed like a doll and introduced (blindly) to a post above.
When he descends, however, he lands on his feet, ever the feline. Swiftly, his hand snatches his coat and tosses it aside, cold, chiseled features still as stern (and emotionless) as ever before.
As Heidern moves to counter Birdie, well, Birdie moves to counter Heidern. Not too much, but just enough. He really thinks he knows what's coming. And it would have came. "Yeah... but I'm not like everybody else." Birdie sneers. A thug is a thug is a thug. Born on the principle to fight and win, he lives it. Even to many's dismay.
"If you wanna do me a favor, bub, you can put in some good words to Rugal for me. He's a nice guy. Maybe for some one else. I'm looking for work, bloke." He says, only to notice a bit late when the man drops low beneath him, the energy dancing, beginning. Aw hell, Birdie thinks, this is gonna really hurt. But then out of nowhere, a wadded up coat strikes him in the end... which allows him to be thrown.
Birdie almost stops for a moment to look at Hotaru. "Uh..." The thug doesn't answer at first, "Thanks..." He mutters before chasing after the thrown Heidern. Attempting to pick the man right off from his feet, Birdie lets loose a quick ram towards the man, heavy foot fall after foot fall as he lowers his own secret weapon, his hair at him.
From there, if he pins him against one of the hoops the lions jump through, Birdie will fire off a multitude of punches that could only be described as falling mountains. No special moves here. Just pure brutality.
Birdie says, "Eyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
For the moment Hotaru is off to the side, left to her own. The thrown coat does its job, it seems, as Birdie is spared what would have been a brutal retaliation. Hotaru has the most torn looks on her face. Sparing Birdie is good for her match. But absolutely terrible for the big lug getting what he's no doubt owed from his life of crime and thuggery!
She's quiet as her partner banties words back and forth with the veteran fighter, not really wanting to draw more attention to herself if she can help it. If Birdie wants to be the one to absurb the brunt of their opponent's attacks, the fragile girl is going to be the last one to argue.
"Welcome," she mutters begrudgling as Birdie thanks her for her split second assistence. But then the large man is going after Heidern, trying to take advantage of his recovery with a vicious sequence of strikes. Breathing in, Hotaru charges back into the mix again. But Birdie is between her and Heidern... She's stomped up the large man's back as an attack before, but this time the girl's stomps are light as she literally runs up the massive back of her partner before taking to the air over him, trying to come down on Heidern with a swift but packed spin kick.
If she connects, she'll follow up with another spin kick as she lands, using the momentum from her aerial whirl to give it a bit more power. "KYA!"
COMBATSYS: Heidern endures Hotaru's Heavy Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Birdie
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Heidern blocks Birdie's The Birdie MAX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Birdie
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Hotaru
If there's one way to truly, TRULY get a rise out of Heidern, well.
Birdie's hit the nail on the proverbial head. Hard.
The moment the British thug mentions Bernstein's name, that blue eye widens briefly before it hoods, a cold, dangerous expression darkening his weathered features. Beneath that calm, infinitely patient facade, fires of hatred and disgust rise, churning and burning within. Behind dry lips, the man's jaw tenses considerably - so tight, in fact, the man swears he can see red.
He remains deathly silent for some time, watching Birdie and Birdie alone as he stands there. Even as Hotaru swings her body at him, the man just DOESN'T move. Her kicks strike, but the tiny Kenpo girl...is of no concern right now. Heidern has one thought on his mind.
And it isn't a good one.
The incoming "horn" is intercepted by the man's gloved hands. It cuts him and he bleeds, but the soldier remains frighteningly calm. "You want me to put a good word in with Rugal for you?" he asks, words laced with venom.
"I will send him word. A warning."
And he gives it. ..by suddenly leaping up above Birdie, descending upon him hands first. Should it touch, those hands will dig fiercely into his throat, while the Ikari swings himself repeatedly around Birdie's throat. Like a helicopter blade, his viciousness and sheer anger barely contained. Likely, were he a lesser man, Birdie may very well lose his head.
COMBATSYS: Birdie endures Heidern's Neck Rolling Slashes.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Heidern 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Birdie
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Hotaru
Birdie's not a lesser man! He's a completely giant thug like freak that, for one reason or another, has a knack for destroying things, and then he has a knack for being destroyed. One or the other. And here, well, he's self combusting.
As soon as he gets rise out of the man he seems to grin, if only for a moment, the shit eaters grin. But then the man just takes it. All of it, every little bit of it. Hotaru whacks into him, to no avail. Birdie even rammed him and all he got was grabbed. This is most distressing.
"Yeah. I want you to put a word in with him. He's a nice man that Bernstein. You just have to meet him right." And this is about where Birdie's throat gets slashed into ribbons. As Heidern leaps upon his neck, he digs and digs and digs. Birdie fights against it, already feeling that something awful is taking place. His neck bleeds, the thick skin being torn into pieces one blow after the next. It hurts. It hurts a lot. You could only imagine what Birdie is feeling. He can't even yell out in pain. Heidern is just there.
But he works through, watcfhing him swing aroung, before hunkering down as he passes once, attempting to just grab a hold of the man with his arms and hair piece, and dig it into him in turn, to gore, and perhaps even lift him up and over.
Birdie really has a way of 'making friends'. Which is to say, he gets under everyone's skin and makes them want to tear him to shreads, even someone as cold and collected as Heidern. Hotaru knows the feeling. She's been on the receiving end of the man's effective needling. And now he seems to have provoked a personal nerve with the one-eyed soldier.
Hotaru's kicks didn't really seem to phase him a whole lot there either, her foot striking out unopposed only to feel like she was trying to kick a brick wall. The girl's foot lowers and she's left to watch Heidern dish out a bloody, shreading attack against Birdie's neck, only to marvel as her partner in this bout just keeps coming back for more. He's a meat miracle! How she supposed to follow something like that up without just looking silly?
The kicks didn't phase him, but maybe she can connect with something else. "I'm not so sure it's a good idea to provoke him like that," she mutters, though doubts Birdie is going to pay any attention. That grin on his face just suggests that he's /enjoying/ it. Breathing in, the tiny fighter jumps at Heidern again, this time attempting to plant her hands against his shoulders and flip up into a handstand. If she pulls it off, she takes only a split second to swap shoulders and turn around, dropping down behind him to plant both of her feet into his upper back while her hands shift around to gripping the top of his forehead, pulling his neck back a little.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Heidern with Ten Ranku-Tou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Heidern 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Birdie successfully hits Heidern with Bull Spike.
[ \\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Heidern 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Hotaru
Hopefully Birdie catches on about now that Heidern and Rugal have a past that, frankly, drives the man to want to see the crimelord dead and six feet under. Right now, as he spins on Birdie's throat, he can only think of one thing: murdering the likes of Bernstein with his bare hands. That day will come. He just has to get stronger.
That day WILL come. But now he has to focus.
Swinging off the Brit's throat, the man lands in a low crouch, that solitary eye hooded. Right now, his thoughts are still swimming, fixed on the comment Birdie made. Is he thrown off his game? Probably so - but that doesn't mean he gives up. No, he will persevere as best he can.
Distracted, both fighters get their hands on him. First he's gored by the hair-horn on Birdie's head, before he's grabbed by Hotaru and kicked and climbed upon and over. Staggering slightly, the soldier is winded, shoulders sagging as he favors his right. Crouched low, his hand hangs loose at his side.
Then, almost suddenly, his arm tenses. A surge of blue erupts along the length of his arm, heralding the start of something bad.
It becomes crystal-clear when he suddenly cuts the arm through the air in a circular fashion. Erupting from it is a huge, furious burst of circular-shaped blue energy which expands and intends on cutting into both fighters, with Heidern at its center.
COMBATSYS: Birdie endures Heidern's Clearing Moon Slasher.
[ \\\\\\ < > ]
Heidern 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Birdie
> //////////////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Hotaru
Well. Birdie certainly learned his lesson, by god he did! By which he means that he'll never talk about Rugal there around the man again. He should have listened to Hotaru. Shoulda woulda coulda, but he didn't. Instead, he decided to egg the man on, with much terrible results.
Blue euprts from the length of his arm, cutting through around him into everything. Birdie included. He attempts to literally jump over it, forward, towards the man, but it catches him mid way. Breaking upon the cutting blue energy that rips into him, he forces himself through it, tumbling over himself in a terrible progression. Why wouldn't he just sit down? The world may never know.
But as he's deposited infront of Heidern, he stumbles forward, head and hair piece aimed right towards the man's head. If it manages to hit, to stun, the chain would be used to help out, grabbing a hold of him before hurling him into the air... only to pulls down powerfully... with Birdie falling back with it.
But that's only if the head butt gets off at all. Otherwise, he's got no leeway.
COMBATSYS: Birdie can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Hotaru fails to reflect Clearing Moon Slasher from Heidern with Kobi Kyaku EX.
[ \\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Hotaru
Hopping down after her brief wrenching of Heidern's neck, Hotaru is back on the ground... just in time to realize that the man's arms are charging up with a remarkable amount of chi on a magnitude the girl hasn't seen often. Unaware of even which direction she could hope to find refuge from the incoming blast, the girl attempts an alternative defense instead, testing her own chi manipulation against Heidern's.
A swift kick out, from low to high, provides her with an ample enough wave of chi to attempt to defend herself with. She's been able to completely nullify incredible attacks on pure energy manipulation before, but when push comes to shove, Heidern's assault crashes right through the girl's barrier, tearing into her at waist level and sending her tumbling backward, head over heels before she comes to a rest several yards away. It's one thing when a man can pack that kind of punch with a concentrated energy assault. But to send it out in such a wide wave? Hotaru is just glad she didn't get a focused strike of it, to put it mildly.
"Ugh..." Hotaru groans, both of her hands planting against the circus ring floor as she pushes herself back up, left hand pressing against her stomach where both cloth and skin were torn by the circular chi wave from Heidern. On her feet again, she has time to see that Birdie isn't pulling through this one... but that doesn't mean he isn't going down swinging.
COMBATSYS: Birdie successfully hits Heidern with Bull Revenger.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ < > /////////////////// ]
Heidern 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Hotaru
It wasn't his all, but he has given enough.
Leaving the two fighters to recover, Heidern himself seems on his last limb, barely clutching to his resolve to push himself this fight. And yet his expression remains ever stern and unyielding, his single blue eye hooded as his gaze shifts between both fighters. They've put up a good fight, and the odds were against him. However.
It's only practice.
He offers no apologies to either; none. This is a fight, and they knew what they got into. So, instead, the Ikari commander watches, as Birdie makes a last ditch effort to strike the man down. It's sluggish. It's predictable. It's easy to avoid. Right?
Wrong. Clearly, Heidern's calculations, like before, are off. Instead, he's stunned, hurled into the air before he's dragged back down to the earth. Harsh is the impact between his back and the dusty circus ring. But he doesn't seem remotely agonized. Instead, teeth clench. The soldier gets up with seemingly little trouble. Inside, he aches and hurts. They've done a number on him, but damned if the old Ikari will express it.
Instead, that one good eye fixes on Hotaru.
"You've done well," he offers her. "But humor me, at least once."
And with that, he drives a cold, unforgiving line, zeroing in on Hotaru as he closes in...
COMBATSYS: Heidern can no longer fight.
> /////////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Hotaru stops Killing Bringer from Heidern with Kobi Kyaku EX.
> /////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Hotaru
Back on her feet, Hotaru has plenty of time to catch her breath as Birdie tears into Heidern with a savage beating that she... knows from unfortunate first hand experience. Only, the veteran soldier is able to weather the attack about a hundred times better than she did, managing to get back up in a situation where she would not have been able to. Considering everything he's been through the fact that he's still up and advancing on her has the girl pretty much convinced that she's been pitted against some kind of immortal and someone thought it might be funny to not mention that minor detail to her.
The business between the Ikari warrior and Birdie might have been concluded, but it looks like he still wants to chat with her a bit. Falling back on the defense that didn't work out so hot last time she tried it, Hotaru falls back to a more rooted yet solid defense over an evasive one. Another kick like the one attempted moments ago, creates a wall of chi roughly her height.
Coming out of the kick, she slams her foot down, leaning forward, hands pressed against the wall of chi as she channels even more of her strength into it. The energy shimmers, becoming more of a wall than a blast, translucent but still somewhat reflective in nature, giving Hotaru the chance to look back at Heidern from the other side.
Her jaw is tight lipped, her eyes reflecting the determination she has in maintaining that barrier that failed last time. If Heidern intends to get at the tiny fighter, he's going to have to plow through her barrier to do it or wait for her to lose her strength and drop it out of necessity.
Much to his surprise, Hotaru is made of much sterner stuff than he'd initially wagered.
Though he comes in, his arm aglow with a red haze of chi, and though he swiftly thrusts his arm forward, attempting to pierce through her defenses - and likely her body...she stops him in his tracks. Between them, and intercepting that hand, a barrier of glowing blue chi is erected, and the girl supports herself to keep it up. Briefly, Heidern fights against the barrier.
But soon - mere seconds after peering down at the tiny girl's face - he relents.
Recoiling, the man's arm withdraws, the glow gone as it falls to his side. Looking down at the tiny girl, he looks upon her face without feelings or sympathies, all but looking through here, were she a window. But that one eye of his focused.
"You did good," he remarks. "I am impressed."
Short and simple, the soldier turns and makes his way in the opposite direction. Officials and others alike are shrugged off and ignored. He has but one intention - to leave. And no one will stop him. The fight is over, and Hotaru remains standing, her team victorious. As for Heidern?
He simply returns to the shadows from whence he came.
Log created on 23:03:30 11/16/2007 by Heidern, and last modified on 10:01:59 11/18/2007.