Description: Unsatisified with his current advancement and adjustment, Vega seeks stronger challenges. This one, however - teaches him his limits.
A lot has changed since the last time Vega has approached Billy; He has begun to train non-stop, and the fruits are beginning to blossom. The cohesion of his style is nearly at his peak; which means the only restriction on the King of Fighter is his own physical capabilities, a new obstacle he is having some difficulty overtaking. After all, long has passed the peak of his youth, and the ease of building power are behind him. This clearing has no particular tools or other such items within it; it's simply an open place, free of distractions. He wears denim pants with boots, as well as the white and crimson bandana, but his jacket has been hanged on a dangling branch; the assembled staff whirls and rushes through the air in his freeform manipulation of the weapon against invisible enemies, intermittent dodges and vaults upwards and towards meshed with feints and simple attacks. Finally, he kicks up a rock not much bigger then a fist; before twisting around his weapon, fires it out. Breaking into three pieces, it impacts dead on in a crack of flame, sending smoldering pieces down. Pant. Pant. He's making a lot of noise, but cares little of it.
"You're amazing. Billy Kane, yes?" The man's voice at the edge of the clearing is associated to a steady clap, simple enough to keep time to, a steady, monotonous sort of salutation without emotion behind it. The man's face is thin, pointed, grey hair wavy and eyes pale. His lips are curled in a slight amusement, as if he knew something about the other fighter that the other fighter didn't know himself - but really, what could /that/ be?
He bows theatrically, the unknown offering a greeting of sorts, and then speaks again, full of confidence and assurance. "I'm certain that many people come up and challenge you for one reason or another - a man of your calibur would have to fend off opponents right and left. Worthless lot they were, not a /true/ challenge. Isn't that right?" He's watching with a steady gaze, as if seeking some words to pounce on - tension bristlese from him, radiating out lke a thing alive. Someone's come here looking for a fight. Someone's not leaving until they get it.
"Eh?" Billy sounds vaguely irritated at the interruption, but far from surprised. This isn't a remote location; he could be heard by anyone wandering by, and it's not as if he isn't recognizable. Standing up straight with a pop of the spine, he twists his staff to impact the ground with it and squint towards Vega. There's an unease there, a flicker of perceptive intelligence that snuffs away not long after. Deja vu, more then anything, rampages in the back of his mind. "You don't gotta jack me off for a fight, old man. I've never turned someone down, even if they were an upstart rookie." Billy mulls, spitting to the side with a rather shit eating grin of utter disrespect. Then again, that's just Billy. Knowing who Vega is and what he could do, that never changed until he vanished in a haze of blood and psycho power. "Although you're right. Most are chaff. But I don't... quite remember your face... Think you are somethin'?"
"I certainly hope to be something, someday - I suppose a fight with a legend such as yourself couldn't hurt." He grins then, Billy's crude expression hitting home. He supposes he /was/ laying on the flattery too thick, but it was just to be as different as he could be from his old demeanor. The intense look is gone, pushed away and hidden - he's all sleek movement and simple preperation now. Around his hands, a glow emerges, sullen and dark - much like the fire that Kain uses, purple and blue-black in the clearing's light.
"If you beat me, I'll give you a name. If you don't .. we'll just call this a mystery for another day. Come on!" With that, Vega beckons the man in - this will be a fine test of his powers. After all, Vega was hit hard by Billy before - will Billy still have that strength, having trained for so long, against the Lord of Shadaloo's new form? Who can tell!!!
COMBATSYS: Vega has started a fight here.
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Vega 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Billy has joined the fight here.
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Billy 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vega
It's true, however. There's the hint that something's not as it is. After all, Billy's a King of Fighters. The chances of someone he's never heard of being able to beat him, or even really push him against the ropes, is insignificantly small. One would have to ignore all public events, hone for a lifetime, and decide now, in this mundane cleaning, to throw their all against him. It seems almost laughable... The frown only slightly drops at the scathing fire on the other man's hands. "Hmm..." is all he mulls. Before shooting forward, body low to the ground. One foot slides out, kicking up a haze of sediment and branches, before his staff erupts upwards like a shooting star at a sharp angle – trying to slam Vega upon the face or neck, and hopefully send him airborne. "Bring it on, then!!"
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Billy's Sparrow Drop.
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Billy 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vega
So fast. Vega's pleased by this - it means that Billy will actually be a challenge, going forwards. He's eager to see what the King of Fighters can bring to him, to push him further in his recovery. The split-second timing involved to distract Billy from his effort is critical, and in Vega's mind, things seem to be moving in slow - motion. He raises his foot to hit against Billy's rising strike, using the momentum to throw him backwards, further away from the fighting legend. He lands easily, the effort seemingly nil in regaining his balance. At first glance, at least - his foot does seem to be bent awkwardly, something Billy's eye would be able to catch.
"Alright. Take this!" He doesn't dare use the attacks he led with before, not until Billy's totally committed into the battle - the trained eye /might/ be able to catch and understand the style used, and trace it back to Vega. Instead, he just launches himself forwards with a blistering combination of kicks, aimed low at Billy's knees, a style much like Mhuy Thai, trying to keep the man off-balance with powerful limb-strikes!
COMBATSYS: Billy counters Medium Kick from Vega with Fire Dragon Pursuit Cane.
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Billy 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Vega
Well; that move already proves that Vega's not nearly a simpleton by any standards. Sparrow Drop is his most refined hitting move, so to have it casually thrust away. Who are you? He'd ask this, if he was stupid. ‘I'll give you a name if you beat me.' Huh... this, at least, is now a far cry above the hopeless pursuits of other fighters that throw themselves against a dynasty. But the onslaught of kicks are noticed as somewhat peculiar. "That's rather sloppy, for someone so acrobatic..." is commented. He crouches down, catching one dead on; and in a surge of taut muscles, pushing Vega off balance. Slipping up, during that critical moment of absolute vulnerability he cackles, unleashing his dissected staff upon his upper body in a multiple-hit combo before allowing gravity to take over, whooshing it around into a complete section. "I think you're still playin' around, huh?"
Yeow. An unusual move, something that Billy'd done before to him - Vega overconfident /again/, making old moves, stupid moves - and his eyes narrow dangerously as he's casually rebuffed, chucked away from the man like a broken marionette, landing on the ground with a crash. He rubs at his shoulders, feeling the bruises already start to rise, things he will have to deal with another time. Will he accept now that he's made a mistake, challenged above his level so soon? No, no he will not. He'll adjust, conquer - the way a true man.. no, a true legend should.
"I think.. I've just decided to get serious." With that, he launches back to his feet and in the air. As he forces his body towards Billy, he claws through the air, purple and black energy washing into existence as he literally draws it out of his body and the environment, throwing it down at Billy in an attempt to smother him beneath it. "Try... /this/!"
COMBATSYS: Billy blocks Vega's Psycho Shot.
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Billy 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Vega
"About time. I'm not a man to mess around with." Billy snorts, still derisive and somewhat arrogant. Although the sudden blackness feeling his soul, just by the ambient leeching of Vega, causes that to be wiped clean off his face. As such lashes through the air across him, he whirls up his staff, creating a quick burst of fire; this is enough to significantly dampen it, but the force still blows him backwards a few meters, doubling forward to rest an open hand upon the ground. "...!!" Picking himself up, Billy shakes his head slightly. "The hell was that?! Tch... That wasn't chi, was it?" With that, eyes slit to a line, and he begins to seethe with energy. Both hands grip his staff, a conduit for his own internal powers; boiling to the surface, blackening grass beneath his feet, warping the air in bubbles of heat. Vega can hide his body. Vega can hide his techniques. But the terrible, sadistic, murderously dark and evil psionic energy... is something else entirely.
COMBATSYS: Billy gathers his will.
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Billy 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Vega
"It's an old family technique." Vega lands on the other side of Billy as he begins to prepare himself for what is to come. Vega knows he shouldn't have used a skill that Billy could recognize, but he's intent on crushing the other man into paste, an attempt to smush him into the ground of the clearing much more interesting than trying to hide who and what he is. That little misdirection might be the best that he can offer for 'strategy', but for now, he's got other things to offer Billy.
Things like pain.
Unwilling to give his opponent a second to recover himself, Vega rushes in again. This time, the strikes are speedy, a move that's almost akin to a telport as he attempts to get /behind/ Billy, to wrap him up with his delicate-seeming hands, and to hurl him to the ground with the power that Billy's already half-felt once. "I learned it from a man named Towazu. You should meet him!"
COMBATSYS: Billy endures Vega's Psycho Vanish!
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Billy 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Vega
"Is that so?" Billy comments, before eyes widen as the man appears to just flicker from the face of the earth. Assuredly, he's rapid to twist around; eyes cast to the sky and see nothing, so he must be behind. This proves to be true, and performed at the second prior to impact. One end of his staff digs into the ground as he's hurled; it goes taut; but his shoulders don't quite reach. "Don't..." Suddenly he erupts upwards, trying to kick Vega in the chin on the ascent to stun him. "MAKE ME LAUGH!!" High above, spiraling downwards, is the British rocket; letting loose a loud snarl as one end of his staff snaps down, aiming to hit Vega across the face and /drive/ him into the floor with catastrophic force! To leap backwards thereafter, and hopefully put some room between himself and the other man.
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Billy's Flying Assault Cane.
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Billy 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Vega
"Then take this serious!" Vega's response is eager, his look feral as he sees Billy rush forwards. He's intent on the other man's motions, the subtle shift of his body as he takes his preperations and attacks. He tries to flow with the movements, Vega's body nimbly adjusting to the rushing upward attack, catching a few of the blows on his forearms as he's knocked away. Again, he can't eem to stay in close with Billy, and it's frustrating him - each time he encroaches, Billy slips away with that long staff helping him do so.
"You're not going to be able to stay away forever. It may have worked against the others, but I plan on being very, very close to you indeed." He laughs, and then dashes forwards, sliding his feet forwards. then chambering a punch and whipping it at Billy's face, just a speedy jab with all the force he can muster from the awkward angle. It won't do much damage, by itself - so instead, a blast of purple psi will explode at the same instant..!
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Billy with Jab Punch.
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Billy 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Vega
"I'll fight however I want..." Billy comments, whirling his staff around slightly at the advancing punch. Of course, the blur of speed is caught scarcely, before being crashed into his face with a grimace. He recoils backwards, before rearing back his staff. "...Got a secret though." he comments, and then unleashes his weapon point-blank. It begins to break apart just prior to when it would connect, likely to send Vega careening backwards to the distance he denied him in reaching – before the eruption of napalm-like fire as it retracts to a single piece a heartbeat later though. "Bein' close to me ain't gonna help you any more!!" But this is hard. He's being pressured a hell of a lot more then he's used to. Who is he? He can almost tell. Almost... It's like a hazy mirage in the back of his mind. ...Well, he'll just have to win, then.
COMBATSYS: Billy successfully hits Vega with Blazing Cane Thrust.
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Billy 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Vega
Not to be outdone, Vega's taken the close-in route with Billy. Effort intended to keep the staff out of play, and it's quickly obvious to the lord of Shadaloo that he's not where he needs to be in this fight, as fire whips and explodes around him, knocking him back to the ground, on his back in the clearing, laid out most effectively. Ngh! There's a grunt of pain, and he's slow to recover - very slow.
"You're right. I'm an amateur compared to you. Perhaps I should just.. walk away now." Bah. Like he'd give Billy the satisfaction. No matter how heavily he's hit, Vega is still able and willing to fight, and more than willing to whip his power up into shape. He gets bac to his feet, that glow around him seeming to strengthen, intensify - drawing the pain from the fight into power, into strength - he'll use that annoyance to crush the life out of Kane, to salvage his energy for another time.
COMBATSYS: Vega gathers his will.
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Billy 1/--=====/=======|=======\===----\1 Vega
"I know the weakness of this staff a thousand times better then you might hope to. Unless we're wrestling in a five foot cube, it's not goin' outta play." Billy continues to brag; he probably would be a lot more humble if he knew exactly who he was up against, but that's just not the case. "...yeah, right." is predicted at the energy being shown. Ah, that's chilling. But he still angles down his staff before rushing forward, legs pumping before he thrusts out the tip for his chin; trying to wedge it therein and twist, to cast Vega into a graceful overhead arc to slam hard upon the ground, complete with a snarl. "Come on, old man!! I ain't nearly against the ropes yet, and I can finish you in a flash!!"
COMBATSYS: Billy successfully hits Vega with Fishhook Throw.
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Billy 1/-======/=======|=======\=====--\1 Vega
"Hnngh!" The sound of wood impacting flesh brings a grunt of pain from Vega. His body's launched high, landing in a crashed arc behind Billy, where the man taunts him. He's tasting turf, his fingers digging into the ground and the anger building up in him as he hears Billy rant about how he's losing, how he's not going to be able to succeed. This test is important enough to Vega that he finally damns it all - there will be hell to pay later, but at least Billy Kane won't go to the authorities about Vega being alive again.
Drawing himself to his feet, he forces away the unsteadiness, his body seeming to swell with power. He launches himself into the air, holding himself there for a second or two with the power of his mind. "You wanted my name, Billy Kane. Let me give it to you..!" With that, he launches himself forwards and downwards, a wave of psycho power before him, his hands outstretched in a simple 'superman' pose, trying to run the man over without any further ado. If he hits, he'll get that name screamed into his head with all the 'voice' Vega can muster, akin to a human howling in his ears. He wanted it, he's going to be given it - and everything that that implies.
COMBATSYS: Billy blocks Vega's Final Psycho Crusher'.
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Billy 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0 Vega
"...? If you're this weak, I don't really care." Billy mulls out, still seeming to be in good health relatively. But this is only a light joke. A seriousness swathes over him, almost uncharacteristic. And the moment that he begins to spiral, Billy tastes fear. It's short. But it's genuine. With a snarl however, that does not weaken him; He pushes forward, spiraling his staff in a burst of flame, catching it full on. Challenging the darkness, the hate, the pain, as it seethes past and strokes his mind. The ground around them detonates, hunks of stone and dirt flying upwards as the sky is alight in an amalgamation of purple and fire. Vega won; Billy only survived. Hurtled backwards, grimacing, and collapsing to one knee. "...You're still alive?!" Billy pants, unsteadily getting to his feet. "I'll be damned... You seem a little rusty!" He begins to slowly rotate his weapon, spreading his stance with a laugh. The fear is gone. "Well... let's see if I can send you back to the grave—" Both ends of his weapon again erupt into fire, before the pinwheel morphs into a huge ball. Which is hurled at Vega bodily, trying to impact him dead on, and send him scorching back into the trees. "GO TO HELL!!"
COMBATSYS: Billy successfully hits Vega with Blazing Whirlwind Cane.
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Billy 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Vega
He can taste it. Fear is almost like a drug, an excitement that brings a rush to Vega's form. He willingly gives up that charade, that facade he'd made just to let Billy taste it for that split second. He knows it won't last, the man too much a legend for it. But, he's gotten what he needed. A true assesment of his power, one that shows him how very far he has to climb to regain the power that was his.
As Billy responds, reacts and launches himself into Vega, he attempts to move out of the way - but the fight has gone poorly, and hits rain down on the dictator. Reborn, he's too weak to rebuff the attack, and weathers it .. poorly. At the end, he still stands, still lives - but he's in no shape to continue the fight. Instead, he allows Billy's fight to throw him into the trees, where he vanishes from sight. Checking later will reveal no landing spot, as if he'd vanished...
Like a ghost? Just the echoing laughter in Billy's head that lasts for minutes, hours...
COMBATSYS: Vega takes no action.
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Billy 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Vega can no longer fight.
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Billy 1/-------/=======|
Vega isn't the only one who wanted this kind of test; how he stands against one of the most terrifying monsters in the world, even at the bottom, even at his lowest tier... it was a full win. His training, it seems, hasn't just been for nothing. There's no attempt to pick through the burning forest to find where he is. He's privy to knowledge nobody else might know now. At least, nobody he allowed to live. "Not bad, not bad." is spoken to himself, whether in regards to Vega or Billy not shown. Before realizing he send his ball of fire into the tree containing his dangling jacket. Insult to injury! Lingering, listening to that cacophony dying in the back of his head, he finally turns to leave.
COMBATSYS: Billy has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:18:31 04/11/2008 by Vega, and last modified on 17:46:57 04/12/2008.