Description: Oswald makes his Neo League debut against the Human Firecracker Zach Glen in the wreckage of Howard Arena. Victory was in the cards for someone, and Oswald simply had the better hand. (Winner: Oswald)
As if there wasn't enough garbage and debris on the floor to begin with, a single, half-smoked cigarette bounces filter first off the concrete floor. Embers flare up briefly as it lands, a short life before it's snuffed out under the hard sole of a shoe. "What a mess." The seasoned gambler chews on his lip for a moment as he mutters to himself, idly popping his index knuckle under thumb and pressing in. A part of him was forlorn at the fact the arena was damaged so heavily before he would be able to fight in it for the first time - after all a part of him didn't mind the idea of being in the limelight at all.
There's a few steps, the crunch of glass under foot, he's not exactly being stealthy about his presence here, stooping down a bit in a crouch to pick a medium sized chunk of charred concrete in hand, examining the piece. Yea... looked like a bomb. He had done enough work in explosives in his youth - Ireland was not a quiet country back in the 50s - and it wasn't hard to tell. It was crude,but effective device.
Speed dial is such a luxury, one press of a button on the cellphone makes it beep in a little digital melody as it signals out, the conversation that follows is pretty terse.
"Yeah. I haven't found anything yet. It's a mess. There's a piece left somehwere, boy, there's always a piece left. I'll find it. Yeah.... " And the phone is clapped shut, he did have other business to attend to today, anyway...
Zach clambers over a large chunk of rubble. He looks at Oswald slightly confused as he looks around. Wouldn't be the first time he's fought in wreckage. He gains a stable platform, and shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Hi," Glen says with a touch of uncertainty.
"Mn." Oswald stands and tosses the chunk of concrete languidly aside, giving a short nod toward his opponent-to-be as he climbs over one of the piles of rebar-reinforced junk, "Mister Glen. You'll have to forgive my ignorance..."
He offers a short if but gentlemanly bow, one arm tucked into his belly with the other at his side as he greets, "Tournament formatlities are new to me, but I suppose in the long run any formality isn't necessary, after all." He straightens, rather oddly dressed for a fight, immaculate and no doubt expensive suit, matching slacks, probably custom tailored at that, too. Wether or not he is a man of power is debatable, but he probably is well to do financially. These fighting tourneys truly attract all sorts.
Semantics set aside, the issue still had to be addressed.. "Shall we get this started?"
Zach frowns faintly as he pulls his hands free. He brings one fist back by his jaw and extends the other towards Oswald. He is not sure what Oswald is capable of.
"Sure," Zach replies as he gets himself mentally ready for this battle. He is resolved to step up his performance after that fight with Iincyo. That was... frustrating.
COMBATSYS: Zach has started a fight here.
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Zach 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Oswald has joined the fight here.
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Oswald 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zach
This wasn't his usual role, to say the least. It's been quite a while since the last time Oswald fought in a portagonist's role. He's usually the odd man out, the heel, or even the downright unwelcome interloper. There's a slow breath that sinks into him as he turns his stance profile to Zach, squaring shoulders and bringing his arms up in a rather unorthodox stance. One palm, the furthest is up high, the other before him and down at hip level. Fingers splayed, open palm, tense, even toned. His shoulders rise as the breath fills him, and fall as air leaves him in a cleansing, almost meditative way.
"A good. Clean. Fight." eyes narrow as he starts his approach, short yet quick steps, legs launching him into he air as the raised arm arcs down in a race of light, as if something reflected against a glint of steel in his hand...
COMBATSYS: Zach dodges Oswald's Medium Strike.
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Oswald 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zach
Zach's eyes narrow as the light gives him his warning. He leaps up and away, clearing the strokes by mere inches. He flips back, and starts his drop, raising open hands as he does so. He braces his left hand with his right even as he sweeps both hands downward. As if on cue, three sheets of bright purple energy form out of nowhere and drop towards Oswald!
COMBATSYS: Zach successfully hits Oswald with Ka-Psi-Ne Ate.
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Oswald 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Zach
He was fast, it was a good dodge. The quick leap away gives no graze to the razor-edged card swipe that was intended for the young American, but the rebuttal was a little larger than Oswald had come to expect. As his feet find ground and those ripples of energy fly toward him. A foolish moment of hesitation as he tried to make out what this ... sheet was... This wasn't Chi?
What the hell was...
Grim realization arrives too soon as he moves to hop out of the way, but the reaction is too little and far too late, the attack hits him fair and square leaving the sound of scraping along concrete. The attack shifted his weight and now he takes a short trip down the inclined ramp of rubble... For now he still was on his feet.
"Good answer." He admits bedrudginly through a wince, sliding himself back into his familiar fighting stance, launching foward now as Zach arrives from his leap. Oswald is limber and agile despite his age, weaving through and even over rubble in a short-form version of parkour on his approach, and as he closes, one arm coming up before and across his body and giving a hard swipe down, fives a good and hard toss to the same card that was intended for his opponent in his first attack...
COMBATSYS: Zach slows Queen from Oswald with Warning Shot.
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Oswald 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Zach
Zach nods once to Oswald's compliment. He is trying to stay focused on the fight, not the conversation. The card comes screaming in as Zach finishes his landing.
That won't do at all, Zach thinks as he raises a hand and fires off a small sphere of that same energy. The card slashes through in before embedding itself in Zach's shoulder. Glen gives a short yelp before regarding the card. He reaches up and plucks it out of his arm with a slight hiss before looking at the card, then at Oswald. He frowns as he tosses the implement aside and slides into something passing more for jujitsu.
There was fifteen feet or so between the two. Oswald came to a stop just at the hiss, and there was something satisfying about the reaction. Hopefully it was a good payback as far as surprises go.
Ahh, the classic tense moment between two warriors. A single corner of his mouth curls up into a smirk as he lets that moment of adrenal rush sink in. Satisfying. There's a deep breath, hissed through clenched teeth as he lets the fingers squeeze in to tight fists for just a second. Just long enough to ease the tension out. Once he saw both had their balance and wits about them, he gives an encouraging nod to Zach.
"Proceed, Mister Glen."
COMBATSYS: Oswald focuses on his next action.
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Oswald 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Zach
Zach's eyes narrow as Oswald continues to eye him. He decidedly does not care much for being under the microscope. He tenses slightly as his body is wreathed in violet flames that don't really seem to burn anything.
"Careful what you wish for..."
COMBATSYS: Zach gathers his will.
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Oswald 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Zach
"Very.... well." one eye narrows further than the other, head tilting a bit in a gaze of scrutiny at the wreath of violet, giving a slow nod, this time more internalized than to his opponent.
"That's quite an aura." He growls as he approaches in slow and calculated steps at first, "You're the first I've seen with this particular 'energy'. A testament to your warrior's spirit, but possessing it alone isn't enough. Show me how you use it best!" The further he gets through the challenge, the faster and closer he draws near, bringing hands up to reach through the haze of purple. It was a fake out, a feinted punch meant to get him close enough to lock into a grapple, a simple yet effecient judo hip throw on its way...
COMBATSYS: Zach blocks Oswald's Medium Throw.
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Oswald 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Zach
Zach... lets himself get thrown, strangely enough. However, instead of slamming to the concrete and steel, Zach rolls with the throw, stopping in a low crouch as he eyes Oswald.
"Wouldn't really call it a warrior's spirit," Zach replies coolly as he pulls himself upright. Psychic fire wraps around Zach, his body seeming to absorb some of it. Except for that left arm he has tucked by his side. The fires there seems to intensify, solidifying into a sort of anime-looking gauntlet. It is clearly way too large for his arm.
That does not stop him from slamming it into Oswald's chest, however.
COMBATSYS: Oswald blocks Zach's Burst Strike.
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Oswald 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Zach
It was time to change things around. Orthodox attacks weren't going to cut it against Zach, given how his opponent-of-the-day has pretty much vented through most of the stuff the gambler has thrown at him. There's a one-sided shake of his head as he watches Zach roll with the throw and step up... that gauntlet forming ... out of energy?
He wasn't going to be taken by surprise this time, both arms cross up before him and he times a hard breath out with the hit, compressing in with the combined impact of energy and knuckle. There's a slow, harsh groan that escapes the Irishman at the same time, leaving the spot where he took the hit a rather frayed if oddly signed mess.
There's no glib remark this time, though, as he simply shifts his stance forward with his left foot, and brings his right hand forward - reaching straight for Zach's face to palm it - Oswald needed a bigger weapon - and he would use the biggest one available to him: The ground if all goes well... by pushing his head back and slamming it into the concrete...
COMBATSYS: Oswald successfully hits Zach with Strong Throw.
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Oswald 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
Zach tries to move, makes an attempt to dodge. However, he committed heavily to that strike, and now pays the price for it as Oswald slams his face into the rubble. Blood litters the impact site as Zach coughs slightly.
Zach forces the Assassin's hand away before shoving himself to his feet. He sets into stance again, considering his next move. Zach decides that the close game is risky, but could be rewarding as he dashes in. As he closes, more of that purple power cloaks over a dropped shoulder. The shoulder is aimed for Oswald's breadbasket.
But Zach? Zach's a little guy. Can't be more than a buck fifty dripping wet. How much harm could a body charge do?
COMBATSYS: Oswald endures Zach's Blast Bash.
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Oswald 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
Oswald stays mostly still and semi-crouched as Zach bats the arm away and pulls away from the throw and brings himself to his feet. "Tough boy." Oswald's leg slides a bit aside as Zach squares himself and sets forth a charge with shoulder.
The arms come up to block and for a second his stance widens, for that brief moment it looks like he was going to block, but instead the arms open up just as the shoulder presses into them. The full force of the hit is accepted, and through gritted teeth you can almost feel the wind squeeze out from his lungs as he grunts and fights through the pain.
"GOOD!" He intones hard as the rush absorbs into his body, and he tries to find an anchor with his heel as both bodies travel backwards on the cracked and worked concrete, "I want to see MORE!" Both arms snap down and with a little click of mechanics, flicks out two cards, one in each hand. HIs shoulders twist, then his body, sending him into a short but all too violent spin, lashing out with his custom cards like a sudden whirlwind...
COMBATSYS: Oswald successfully hits Zach with Ace.
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Oswald 1/----===/=======|=======\======-\1 Zach
Zach roars as the bladed cards bite deep, shredding clothes and skin with equal ease. Blood litters the wreckage as Zach slumps to the ground, planting his hands to keep from falling on his face. When he looks up at the Irishman, blood and hair litter his face.
"Said... said it before," Zach gasps as he clenches his fist. "Careful what you wish for."
The wave of violent purple energies that blasts forth from Zach's body gives little immediate room for dodging, tearing through the rubble within the twenty-foot area as if it were tissue paper. After the wave passes, Zach is lying on his face, blood pooling in places.
COMBATSYS: Zach can no longer fight.
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Oswald 1/----===/=======|
COMBATSYS: Oswald reflects Storm Flare from Zach with Four Suits.
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Oswald 0/-------/----===|
The spin slash had put a bit of distance between the fighters, but it's still close enough for the energy flare melee that erupts from Zach. "....damn..." the Irishman brings both arms to his front and his body drops into a tight and low crouch. The brewing storm will have to be weathered in a way unique to Oswald's style.
The cards are still pinched between index and middle finger, arms coming up so that the cards are inverted, and for a second they almost seem to shine with a glint of energy. The rush of purple psi erupts forth, and Oswald becomes the stone in the stream, the energy that doesn't flow absorbed into the mystic cards part and ebb about his crouched form.
The old man gains confidence as the seconds tick by and the flow strengthens, pushing up to stand against the raging current of energy, stance pushing forward as if to wedge his presence forcibly into the tangible aura of his opponent. Effort, the grit of teeth, and even the sudden crack of the spectacle's lenses can be seen as he takes the hit...
Then the storm is over, the haze retreats... Oswald stands victorious, head tucked slightly down as the cards flicker with the captured energy from the felled combattant. Both are taken from their finger pinch into a claw like grip, raised parallel to the ground at each side, and single, brief flare of the combined captured energy pulses out... just as the cards wither and corrode, ignited by the flare of psi.
Clatter, clatter... the cards fall to the concrete and a hand reaches up to take the ruined glasses from his face. "Good fight." Another bow, this one deeper, "Lady luck on you, next battle you wage."
Oswald turns about briskly and starts on his way... There was no need to hurt him further. The tournament staff would arrive to assist shortly... right?
They are already rushing in to tend to Zach. He tends to get beat up a lot in these fights.
Log created on 20:38:13 02/26/2008 by Zach, and last modified on 23:17:40 02/26/2008.