Description: Ken Masters, head of the Neo League, decides to host a special fight to test out a couple lucky fighters, hoping to see some real promise. Mary and Domino are the picks, and they deliver quite the show. But does Ken see the potential he was hoping for in either of them?
"It's been too long..." Ken muses to himself as he tightens his gloves. He waits in the shadows of the hallway, waiting for his name to be called. While Drake and Mary aren't top fighters, his agent promised they would at the least be able to stand up to him for more than thirty seconds. That's enough for Mr. Masters. A fight with beginners is better than no fight at all. Besides, if they show some promise, he might try and guide them a little. Sometimes the best flowers are the ones you have to nurture.
Finally, the announcer begins to scream and holler. "And in this side: The main man, the reigning Karate Champion of the US... the Rising Dragon of the West... KEN MASTERS!"
He doesn't jog out, merely walking out until he gets to the nice sandy beach. He waves to fans the entire way, getting a good showing as he often does. After all, there are few Street Fighting fans that admit they've never seen a Ken Masters match in person.
Oh, thirty seconds? Mayhaps. She has been know to be able to take some sort of beating, but certainly, she's not the meatiest there is.
When contacted by such an agent, Mary was more than happy to agree to fight this man, Ken. From what she had heard, he was a peer to one .. Ryu. And certainly, that's an important factor in her decision. If he had been someone else, the woman may have decided another.. but this 'test' was more purely for her interest than just Urien's.
When the announcer begins to scream about Ken, the parasol is brought over her shoulder, being spun a bit as she walks forwards, covered in almost a pure white decor, save for the jet black of the parasol. Her head is obscured, to a point, and that would be due to the rather large size of the weapon.
She slowly walks to her end, the announcer reading what has been given. "And on the opposing side, a newcomer to the fighting ring, Mary, quite Contrary!" Of course, she added the 'quite' there. There's no purpose to give them the complete and right name, even if it is already there!
"Charmed I'm sure to see ya'll, an' you too darlin'!" She exclaims to Ken, pulling the umbrella away from her face as she leaps up, dress and all, onto one of the rocks within the Arena.. on the watery side. Small clouds begin to come into existence above her, as well. "Shure'll be fun!" At least she seems optimistic.
Domino would probably be put-off by being called a beginner. He's put in the time! He's had quite a few matches in the Neo League! And if it weren't for a run of.. well.. -something-, Domino would still be ranked pretty darn high. But unfortunately, he -has- been having a run of something. What that something is, he has no idea. Clumsiness? Carelessness? Surely not - Domino tries to treat every fight with respect. Bad luck? Screw that, Domino doesn't even believe in luck. So what then? Just plain not being good enough? That.. well.. if that -is- the case, it can be corrected with more training.
Which, well, would take care of the other possibilities, too. Except luck. But there's no such thing as that anyway, right? Right.
Whatever the case may be, and despite taking a week off from the Neo League, Drake received an invitation to fight Ken Masters. The only thing he had to say to that was, "Oh, snap." It's worth taking a break from training to square off against the guy who -runs- the League. After all, his exploits with Ryu are pretty famous, and the young model has always wanted to see how well they fought fisthand. So he's coming expecting to be impressed.
Which finally brings us to the present. Domino is waiting in the hallway opposite of Ken, robe bound tightly about himself and hood drawn up over his head, waiting to be called in. He hears his teammate's name called, and his expression twists a little. Mary quite contrary? Oh, this'll be.. different, he's sure.
The announcer goes on, "And now entering the arena: from Providence, Rhode Island! Standing at five feet, eleven inches, and weighing in at one hundred and fifty-six pounds! The young professional wrestling supermodel! DOMINO!"
And that's his cue. Domino leaves the hallway, fists lifted into the air. The way the hood hangs on him, everything from the nose up is concealed to the audience - but they're still treated to a bright, high-spirited smile. When he reaches the beach opposite of Ken, he turns a slow circle.. and promptly removes the robe in a single sweeping motion, casting it off to what he hopes will be safety. Now in just a set of fighting gear, he flashes the crowd another smile and fistpump salute. He then finally turns his gaze to Mary, inclining his head friendly-like, then looks to Ken.
Well, there he is.
The real deal.
Domino feigns nonchalance, whisking his right hand through his bangs, followed by giving a thumbs-up to his blond opponent.
Umbrella Little Miss Girly Woman teamed up with Real American Manly Man. It's like if Ken ever teamed up with his wife, which has never happened. Is that a blessing to Ken or a curse? You, the viewer, decide.
Patient as he watches the pair prepare, Ken slides into a fighting stance once the both have appeared. Mary gets a polite nod fo the head with a simple "Ma'am" while Drake gets a confident smirk in response to the nonchalance thumbs up before he gives one of his own. The blond warrior begins the famed bob that is almost a mirror of Ryu's, bouncing on his heels as if his body was eager to take flight. "Glad you both could make it tonight. Now, I want you guys giving me your best. No holding back, no trick too low. You fight to win, because I'll be disappointed if you give me a poor showing... And those here demand nothing less than a good fight!"
COMBATSYS: Ken has started a fight here.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Mary has joined the fight here.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Mary has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Drake has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Mary
Well, that's certainly a fine hello from Ken!
As Masters falls into a stance, Mary twirls the umbrella about, looking upon this legend, and wonders just what she could, truly, do. But that's a fleeting thought as he asks them to put everything into it, and hold nothing back! Well, if that is certainly what he is asking for, that is certainly what she will give.
"None too low? Well golly.. that's all I could ever ask fo' darlin'!" She comments, looking over to Drake for a moment as he seems to be warming up the crowd. Looky there! It's .. well she ain't really good with the extremely friendly folk but she doesn't rain on his parade!
That comes later.
"Get it started then? Gee.. better make it count!" As she, from her position, dashes off the edge of the rock, kicking to another and then coming around to the sand.. but the parasol's J shaped hook unlatches, links of chain sliding out as she swings it around to catch onto Ken as she passes by.. intending to snare him and whip him against the ground!
A quick start, if any!
She is bonnet less, and her skin is rather pale.. and the clouds seem to just be spreading instead of just following her!
"Fine by me," Domino replies to Ken. "Don't need to fight dirty to win, I never hold back in a real fight, and my best is what you're about to get." The humor has drained from the teen's face, looking much more serious and determined. Anyone who really knows anything about Domino should be able to tell he's gone from what people call his "light" side to his "dark" side. Lighthearted and friendly to stern and fierce.
But things seem to be darkening in more than a proverbial sense. Amethyst eyes break away from Ken to shift towards the ceiling, marking the expanding clouds. That's... well, that's precisely what he expected. 'Different'. But it makes no difference to him or the fight right now that he can discern, so his full attention shifts back over to Mr. Masters.
Mary's the first to move, it seems, and Domino is quick to follow her. Seeing her intention to grab Ken, Domino attempts to complement it with a more direct blow. His hands chamber back to his sides, shifting his weight onto his left leg. He then dives into a deep frontal stance on the right leg, both palms rocketing out for Ken's torso in a double palmheel strike. The moment his arms are fully extended, his hands ignite in an explosion of radiant white concussive energy.
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Drake's Whiteout.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Mary's Snare Whip.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Mary
Time for the Ken Magic to begin. The whip of chain slides out and lashes out for Ken, rolling back to avoid the chain. He gets up to his feet to watch Mary move past him, putting a mental flag to be wary of attacks from behind. That's all he really has time before before the dual palms coming flying for him. Masters leaps just enough to avoid the energy laced strike, hopping to be at Drake's side. Ken tries to give 'Domino' a firm shove with one hand, planning on sending the male model of a warrior to the ground.
This all happens in the space of two seconds. Ken's speed is legendary as the two now see.
The audience just gets a shrug from Ken before he looks back to the two. "Okay, let me know when you two are getting serious. That was the warm-up, right?" he says, as if trying give the two an excuse for their attacks not hitting the mark.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Drake with Quick Throw.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Mary
And it turns out that Ken is proving he's got a lot of magic behind his actions, as Mary's chain was mainly put around to check just how fast the man is.
Answer turns out to be 'as fast as you can blink', and Mary's chain slides against the ground, hooking nothing in the end. Watching Ken keep his back to the two, Mary doesn't waste any time. Turning about, she heads straight towards Ken, turning on a curve, intending to try and get him with his attention elsewhere. "Ya'll haven't seen what I have to give yet! Don'tcha worry your head you sweet thin'." She answers. "Sure the crowd'll have just as much fun as we will!"
Running alongside of Ken as he simply sends a firm shove towards Drake, and just might get him! It doesn't look like he might have the chance to avoid, but Mary isn't worried about the other one at this moment. She'll get to see what he can do as well. She keeps moving, however, and this time, dashes in from the side, throwing up sand as she drives towards Ken, her umbrella spinning as she crashes towards him.. and a rather sharp spike at the top.
"Ya'll will enjoy it!" She comments, "Don'tcha worry at all." Hit or miss, she'll slide forwards still, attempting to stay in constant motion.
Oh, Ken's a lot faster than Domino gave credit at first. Faster than him, it seems. At least that movement was.. but.. perhaps it's too early to tell? Nevermind that this thought it occuring to him as he firmly faceplants into the sand, kicking up a tiny cloud around him.
THUD.
Pushing up onto hands and knees first, Domino squints at Ken. Sure.. just getting warmed up. Getting a feel for things. He doesn't vocalize this, however. He holds his tongue, and gets up to his full height. He'll let Mary have the lead for the time being, decidedly lingering just on the fringe to attempt finding an opening to exploit on Ken's style. Optimistic, right?
COMBATSYS: Drake focuses on his next action.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Mary successfully hits Ken with Well Begun Is Half Done.
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Ken 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Mary
Ken attempts to be cocky as Mary tries to sidestep out of the painful move. The sand kicked up by the swift woman sticks to Ken's skin due to the sweat. And as of a second ago, the blood. The spike has found itself in Ken's side, but Ken doesn't seem too annoyed. "Aw well, I suppose that's what I get for taking myself as all that. Guess I'll have to settle for kicking your ass, lady or not."
With that, Ken tries to grab Mary by her outfit's front, intending to roll back with her in tow. Should he get her, he'll tumble back a couple of times before throwing her straight for a tree. Domino is ignored for now, Ken letting him have his time as he tries to put the hurt on the one that is trying to attack him at the moment.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Mary with Jigoku Fuusha.
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Ken 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Mary
Crashing forwards, kicking up sand with th parasol spinning, things actually work out well, with the spike ending up .. into Ken. "Why, darlin', you're just the very pinnacle of a gentleman." She exclaims, right before Ken grabs her outfit.. and he successfully pulls her back in tow, being tumbles a few times before being sent for a tree.
Yet Ken may not realize that Mary actually had used the time to get a little break, she hopes, in his defenses while he assaults her.
The clouds spread out, and while Mary is certainly tossed away, Ken might have to take a close look to notice it's like a fishing reel. She's being thrown away .. and something is moving with her. It's a chain, yet it's leading off from him. Hitting the tree hard, Mary bounces off with a rather painful cry, her white skin and black parasol tumbling. To a stop.. yet she kicks off, and with the clouds beginning to rain down.. and attempts to heft Ken off the ground, spinning the chain about her, and trying to take Ken with it. The rain comes down, harder and harder.. but it's not very healthy. If Ken ends up actually being flung into a tree.. which is the attempt.. he'll be staying still.
And the rain just does horrible things when you stand still, as evidenced by the look of the tree he's being intended to be flung against. The front is .. sort of dissolving. Not a good sign! "By golly you certainly pack a punch .. but it's alright darlin', how about we get to the heart of this matter, teehee!"
It's when Ken flings Mary. That's the moment Domino takes to try and catch him off guard. That time between Mary's subsequent countermeasure and hopefully just as Ken is recuperating from his own maneuver, Domino surges back into the fray, hands lifted and fingers splayed.
The assault this time begins as a grapple attempt more worthy of a professional wrestler. He tries to hook his right arm over Ken's torso, left arm under his legs to sweep him clean off his feet. Once hoisted, Domino drops, aiming to smash Ken's back across an upturned knee. Immediately following, the hands relocate to below his jaw and on his leg, both thrusting down sharply to force a brief, but sharp jolt of pain along the man's spine.
But that's all the time Domino is willing to devote to that submission hold. Mary needs room to work, herself, and he's treating this fight with increased caution.
COMBATSYS: Ken blocks Drake's Star Breaker.
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Ken 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Mary successfully hits Ken with Singing in the Rain.
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Ken 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Drake
> //////////////////// ]
|=======\=------\1 Mary
The power Dragon of the West finds himself in a bit of trouble as he gets lopped right into the tree. He barely has time to realize that he has a line on him before Ken finds himself flying through the air. Getting up with a frown on his face, Ken is unamused with his showing. Clearly he got a good fight. That's nice and all, but he planned on it being a bit more painful for his... Ken stops thinking as he notices that the rain is there AND it's eating through his skin and clothing. He looks over toward Mary, quirking an brow. He doesn't get time to act because Domino is there to grap him up. Ken is hoisted up, but as he is brought down, Ken's hand skillfully lands on the knee, keeping himself up. It hurts his hand a lot to do, but Ken is able to weasel out of the hole after his catch.
"Attacking me is one thing... But attacking my dojo..." Ken states with his attention clearly on Mary. "That means you just got my attention. Prepare yourself!" With that, Ken runs straight for the woman, stopping about five feet from her and giving a powerful kick toward her collarbone. While he's too far for it to land at first, the running force is enough that his foot on the ground slides a bit across the sand so it becomes a true oddity... A sliding kick that hits high.
COMBATSYS: Mary interrupts Ushiro Mawashi-geri from Ken with Cookiedough Creme Banana Cupcake!.
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Ken 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Drake
> /////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Mary
As Ken is returned as well to it, Mary is more or less somewhat alright, standing, swinging the chain about as she lets him realize a bit. Well, Mary certainly is happy with the outcome. With Drake after him also, maybe he'll have to .. oh, no, she still has his attention.
"Oh, darlin'.. I didn't mean to insult your dojo, far from it y'know! It's a marvelous dojo.. oh you mean the weather?" She asks, all innocent like. "Ya'll have to understand.. It just happens. It won't hurt the flowers or nothin'.. but where you are, it'll just be a bit all uncomfy." The chain keeps being swung about slowly, spinning. Spinning.
And then Ken is running right at her. She breathes in and out, white iris' paying close attention to his movements. Oh. So it's .. simply that. Why.. she sees a best option, her only real 'choice'. And just goes for it.
Dashing in, she meets Ken half way, the strike slamming into her collarbone.. but with her momentum, she's actually trying to get struck head on with the assault. And she is. Launched upwards, Ken will realize again .. she got him.
Yanking up, thrown into the air as well, she cries out, enjoying it quite a bit! "Ya'll happy? I'll keep the rain at bay darlin'.. but I gotta have my fun too!" And with him coming up as well, she swings him around, into the clouds as she begins to head groundwards again. The rain is contained in the clouds, chi eating away.. before she pulls him close and drives him straight to the ground.
Whip re-attaching to the parasol, she leaps back away from the sandy area they fell into, red staining the perfect white, and the woman looking just a bit tired.
Glancing to Drake, she smirks a bit to herself. "The darlin' .. sure lives up to his name... damn- ah, darn near knocked me for a loop right there!"
Normally brutal backbreaker combination halted with a hand, Domino is.. a bit stumped. Dagg, but this isn't making a good showing for himself! Whereas the girl.. with apparently way, way more chi than she could ever need, is doing okay for herself. But hey, it's a team effort, so who cares? A fight's a fight, and if Ken lives up to his reputation, he's far from finished!
But.. Domino has to wait his turn now. Ken and Mary are all tangled, so Domino just crouches, waiting for the opportune moment again. And as Ken is slammed towards the ground, he thinks he sees it. Domino leaps for the closest tree, fingers digging in and feet propelling him up the trunk rapidly. Once perched on a high tree limb, Domino thrusts his right fist into the air as a salute to the audience.
And then, Domino flies. He leaps into a double backflip, arching majestically through the air. Following the second rotation, his limbs spread out, pulling his torso taut and firm for impact against Ken in his signature high-flying moonsault - the Darkside Slam - intended to strike Ken just as he lands.
COMBATSYS: Drake successfully hits Ken with Darkside Slam.
- Power hit! -
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Ken 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Drake
> /////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Mary
The powerful King of Fighters winner finds himself thrown about yet again and cast down to the ground. He then gets slammed by Dark in a move that is beyond painful. While Drake gets up, the wounded warrior does as well. He is covered with blood and bruises at this point, but he still seems to have a lot of energy in him. Ken is nothing less than impressive, even as he gets the crud knocked out of him.
"THAT'S IT!" Ken roars as chi explodes from him. Sand bellows out from all angles, perhaps causing Domino and Mary to shield their eyes. The wrestler is closer to Ken... That's not good for the wrestler, that's for sure. Ken gives a serious of powerful roundhouse kicks toward the man, before he goes up into the air to spin in the air still kicking up a storm. Should the man get too close, Drake will find himself under the constant beating of kicks until the climax which Ken simply stops spinning, dropping ten feet in the air. If Drake gets the full storm of Ken's mighty attack, it is unlikely that he will be landing on his feet as well.
The roar of Ken and the blast of sand cause Mary to have to pull back. There's nothing more she can do, in all honestly, as she just can't see when the sand bellows out like that. And Ken is making a bee-line for the wrestler. The wrestler who let her take a wild Ken on for a bit alone.
She doesn't have a trouble with taking care of her own needs before Drake's, that's for certain. "Oh, my, golly you're a fast one!" She calls out, watching Ken just keep kicking and kicking. She's not going to be able to really get through that either.. so she does all she knows at this moment.
"Darlin'! You might want to stay away from the feet!" Laughing to herself, she does everything she can do to not really help Drake, leaning against a tree for a moment to catch her breathe.
Boy does she need to!
COMBATSYS: Mary gains composure.
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Ken 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Drake with Shippuujinrai Kyaku.
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Ken 0/-------/--=====|=======\======-\1 Drake
> ///////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Mary
Domino.. actually hit Ken with the Darkside Slam. Sweet, the timing worked! So as soon as he springs up off the Karate fighter, he thrusts a fist up to the crowd again. Oh yeah, they all saw it. He moonsaulted Ken Mast--
ROAR
ohcrap
Somewhat frozen, arm still in the air, Domino peers over his shoulder to Ken. Good GOD at the chi fluctuations he's feeling at that. It's like staring at Satan. Satan who's angry with YOU.
Then begins the whipping feet. Domino -does- try his best to evade the onslaught, but there's precious little he can actually do about it. He gets just an inch or two away before it hammers into him repeatedly, painfully, until finally blasting him several feet away to land on the sand in a tumble. And Mary's not doing anything to help the situation... which is fine by him. He doesn't mind fighting Ken on his own. But her remarks are definitely a bit on the burning side. Nevermind how miraculous it is that Domino is even pushing himself up to his feet again on shakey, pained limbs.
The look he shoots Mary is simply -icy-. "Great contribution, sug'."
He's not one to usually speak during a fight he's actually paying attention to, but he couldn't withhold his scathing sarcasm this time.
But forget her. Domino was invited to fight Ken, so that's what he's going to do. So despite being put through the martial arts version of a lawnmower, Domino dashes right back in as fast as he can. He keeps low and weaves to the left at first before bluring to the right, springing up to make a sudden, clamping grab for Ken's shoulders...
COMBATSYS: Drake successfully hits Ken with Total Eclipse.
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Ken 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Drake
> ///////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Mary
...With the shoulders grasped, Domino YANKS Ken over to lock his neck between his legs. His arms then lock around Ken's midsection, hoisting him upside-down into what most would recognize as a piledriver position. But the actual maneuver is so much worse than that.
The first phase begins as a crushing, pumping inverted bearhug on Ken's midsection, suspending him in the air. This hold isn't sustained too long - just long enough for the blood to rush to Mr. Masters' head, and for Domino's arms to clench down as tight as he possibly can on the man's midsection. Once that pressure is achieved, it's locked down and sustained.
The good news is, this isn't too long. The bad news is, it's the gentlest part of this finisher technique. Suddenly, Domino is shooting into the air with Ken, rising in a series of forward flips. The two ascend high in the stadium towards the newly-formed clouds, rapidly gaining momentum.. until the two begin to surge back towards the beach. The built-up speed of the flipping motion has the two blurred into a single opaque swirl of motion, increasing steadily until the two strike the sand, momentum coming to a shattering end, backed by the elevation of the jump and their combined bodyweights. All centered on Ken's head.
Following this? Domino hops back from the famous fighter, now panting softly from exertion.
There is a couple seconds of silence as Ken's head is lodged in the sand. He is straight like a pillar before his body falls foward. He lands on his hands and knees though, suggesting that he's not out of this fight yet. Chants of KEN!KEN!KEN! can be heard as slowly the beatened warrior rises. He has sand pouring out of his lush locks, the powerful fighter seemingly down and out. But he will fight. And if he can, he will win.
"I sincerely hope that was the best you can do... Because that's the last move you're gunna make!" Ken roars as he races right for Domino. His fist bursts into flames as he tries to give the male wrestler a powerful uppercut which will carry Ken in the air once more. If it hits Drake, he might fight himself temporarily on fire... But that won't hurt nearly as much as the powerful blow to the chin. Be careful, Mary... This could be you in just a few moments.
As Domino is frozen, and suddenly kicked the hell out of, Mary watches. She just laughs a bit as he's kicked to the ground, and then responds with a 'contribution' talk.
"Ya'll know I can't keep going forever darlin'. It ain't in me anymore.. I danced with him for a few rounds, so ya'll just be happy I kept him that busy." She explains, spinning the parasol. As he manages to actually snag Ken, she watches on, nodding a bit. Oh yes, that seems quite alright. "Ya'll dealing with him now? Least you still have it in you darlin'. Maybe he'll be happy with this performance after all." She claims, pushing off the tree and beginning her walk forwards. Drake's assault is responded to in turn, rather painfully she notes. How expected.
"Oh ya'll probably need some help now! I better get back into this." Especially, she notes.. because Ken crashes to the ground.. only to rise and then rush at Drake. And then .. there comes an uppercut. One of fire.
Airborne and all, Ken makes himself .. a target!
Whipping around the umbrella, she takes aim, firing a spinning bolt from the top of the umbrella. The end is sharp, and it's actually the decoration that most parasol's have .. but she filed these a bit.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Drake with Shoryuken.
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Ken 0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Drake
> ///////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Mary
Domino was actually cocky enough to expect Ken to be finished by the Total Eclipse. That was the real mistake he made there. Underestimation. Mary's arguments are pretty much ignored, as he has a -lot- more important things to deal with when Ken gets right the heck back up.
"Dagg..," Domino exhales weakly. "You got up after -that-..?"
But this may as well be rhetoric. Ken's in motion again, and Domino tries to get out of the way. And this time, the agile blitz-wrestler nearly does evade the onslaught! Unfortunately, 'nearly' isn't enough. Domino's jaw is hammered and he's knocked into the air, covered in chi flames and letting out a sharp, very clearly PAINED cry. The teen arcs through the air before landing on his back, bouncing once from the impact.
And there he lays, body twitching from the combined damaging factors of omgfist and omgchi. But against all sanity and rational logic, Domino slowly pushes himself up onto his elbows... and slowly, weakly pushes himself up to his feet. He's -determined- to make a good, lasting impression here. Ken's one of the greats. If he can prove his mettle against -him-, no one can doubt him! And for crying out loud, the possibility of bringing down KEN MASTERS is enough to drive his body beyond sanity.
Blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, previously pristine body littered with bruises, Domino narrows his amethyst eyes on his target. His target who's bound to've landed by now. And pushing himself to expend the very last of his remaining energy, he leaps into the air at his foe. His body twists over, launching a hard butterfly kick from the right foot aimed for Ken's jaw. The impact serves more purposes than just pain, though. It's intended to send Ken into the air, and serve as a launch point for Domino to follow him up as well. Once reaching the pinnacle of the ascent, Domino's body twists around again, launching a second butterfly kick from the right leg - this time aimed for Ken's torso to blast him away.
But hit or miss, this is it for Domino. He's pushed himself further than he can reasonably handle, and by the time he hits the sand, he collapses in an unmoving heap on his front.
COMBATSYS: Drake can no longer fight.
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Ken 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Drake's Lunar Eclipse.
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Ken 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Mary
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Mary's Medium Shot.
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Ken 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Mary
The powerful kick goes for Ken's face, but he leans back to avoid the powerful combo opener. Drake falls, but Ken trips and falls as well. It looks like that was good move for Ken, because as he slips and falls to the ground, the bolt goes right where his head once was. Noticing that Domino doesn't have anything left in him, it's clear that Mary gets to be the target. Flipping back to his feet, Ken is covered in sweat, sand, and blood as he takes on the other half of this team up.
Domino will rest well knowing that the cries of his fans and the viewers in general are pleased with his showing. This is what they paid for. Pain, drama, and fighting spirit!
"I've shown the people the Shoryuken... a powerful variant of the Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku, but it's time to finish the set..." Ken says as he puts his hands together, summoning blue chi from between his palms, letting them gather and cluster together into a solid ball of awesome. "HADOUKEN!" With a loud cry, Ken unleashes the powerful attack right for Mary.
COMBATSYS: Mary fails to interrupt Hadouken from Ken with Beg Your Pardon.
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Ken 1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0 Mary
And then the shot goes wide. oooh boy.
With Drake out of the fight, Mary is left to deal with Ken on her lonesome, and things are just not looking to good. With Ken mostly wounded, she's, to a point, in a somewhat good situation. But it wouldn't stay that way, that's for sure, because as Ken sends a Hadoken towards her, she .. runs right towards it, opening up the umbrella, and barrels right towards Ken. It's not a very cohesive strategy, but there's very little else she could do in such a situation, considering at what a difference she is fighting between.
Give him a break, and fall back, and the fight is lost in itself.
Bowled backwards, Mary comes to a stop finally, brushing her dress and herself off, tired once more, but still going. "Ya'll really did a number on me and him .. don't think I got much more, but I'll see what ya'll still got.. I know you' got more in ya too, so lets keep going!"
Unfortunately.. she's somewhat sandy now.
"You want to see what I still have?" Ken roars out to Mary as he turns toward her. He's not holding back, he's too tired and hurt to even consider it now. She gets the real deal... And will soon learn why most people try not to give the jovial Ken Masters mad. He isn't mad, but the focus he has on her could be intimating, like a lion about to devour its prey. Her falling to the ground isn't enough. He will win and that's all there is to it.
"I'll take you down just like I took down your friend!" Ken draws back his fist, letting his be sheathed in flames. He then charges down the sand, giving the loud cry that will be sure to make all the people roar with joy (except for those cheering for Mary of course). "SHORYUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Mary with Shoryuken.
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Ken 1/-----==/=======|=======\=======\1 Mary
What he still has is more than she can deal with, honestly, and as he charges, repeating the very same motion again that he performed on Drake. And she is, rather expectedly, struck by it. Trying to bring the parasol up, Mary is unable to before the flaming fist slams into her, launching her away. In the end... she lands alright, bruised, burning a bit, and bloody.. but she stands, tilting to one side.
"Oh my oh my! Y-You've passed the test alright... b-but .. it's not over yet. N-Nope.... y-you just have to do one .. m-moreeeee thing." She mentions, staggering forwards, glee over her face. "I can't .. can't quit without .. without having just a teeny bit more fun!"
The chain, once more, slides out. The rain clouds begin to pour, once more.
And she dashes past him, slower than usual.. wounds and all.. but with an attempt for his arms.
COMBATSYS: Mary can no longer fight.
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Ken 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Ken blocks Mary's Dociousaliexpiisticfagilcalirupes.
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Ken 1/----===/=======|
She just runs past, before the chain slides out, the woman spinning on the slick surface she has landed on, slick from her chi.
The chain, spiralling about, will lash out and grab for Ken, and drag him, water pouring on the ground.. intending on dragging him through it all as she spins around and around.
Of course.. that is the desired end result.
At the end.. Mary staggers over, falling to the ground, dizzy.
Ken Masters gets himself dragged painfully through the chi-rain of death. It doesn't do too much to him, but it eats into the wounds already created. Painful, but not enough to take him out. Slowly, the martial artist gets up, sighting as he does. He is happy (he won, it's hard not to), but his body is aching more than it does most fights. Must be the rain. As he watches Mary fall to the ground, Ken raises his hands to the air, letting the people cheer him on a bit before he moves toward Mary. He offers a hand like the true sport that he is. "Good fight," he offers with his trademark smirk. He'll help Drake as well, but well, ladies first.
COMBATSYS: Ken has ended the fight here.
The rain dissipates, and Mary just ends up staring upwards, white iris' looking at nothing in particular.
When a hand comes into her view, she takes it, albeit lets go rather quickly after brushing herself off. "Ya'll got the fight you wanted, I believe.. but ya'll really do hit like a truck." She's quite happy with what she's learned today, and will be telling every bit she's learned to Urien. Of course she will.
You generally do such a thing.
Brushing herself a bit more, she glances about. "And you have manners.. but darlin', I best be goin' now.. I'm not certain I'll be seein' ya, but that was quite exhilaratin'! Darn near got caught up in it!" She uses the parasol now as a crutch. Staggering, and all.
When the assistance is given to Domino, he gladly takes it and slowly, carefully gets up to his feet. But as soon as he's standing, his hands set to his knees, having a hard time balancing himself now. "Th-thanks.. for the opportunity..," he manages to get out with a weak smile. It's not insincere at all - quite the opposite. But to say Domino is pained is the worst understatement of the century. "It's been an honor.."
"I'm one of the quickest fighters around... For you to hit me with the stuff you did," Ken begins, giving a smirk despite the pain. "You got skill. I'm glad I chose you as one of my spars. I've found that just because you have a name in the fighting circuits means you can hold your own against the big bads. You can't right now, but in a couple of years if you progress..." Ken leads off, letting the wrestler gleam what he wants from Ken's words.
Unknowning of Mary's true intentions for the time being, Ken is more than willing to let her be with a simple nod and a "Take care and thanks again!".
As Ken lets her off, Mary nods, giving a little curtsy. "Take care of yourself darlin'!" She says while walking away, using the umbrella still as a walking stick. All clouds are gone, and the parasol is closed as it's jabbed against the ground as she moves.
Why, it's been a trying day, and nothing is better than a rest after so much work. It was over in a snap, it was! But boy does she enjoy such work still.
Domino peers after Mary as she takes her leave, giving his head a shake. She's a weird one, she is. Her demeanor, the way she talks.. accent aside.
But Ken has his attention once more. And what he says? It's actually a good bit relevant to him. More relevant than normal, anyway, what with him questioning his fighting ability lately. "I mean to progress. N-no doubt about that. I just.. don't plan on takin' too many years in the process. Gotta do good while you look good.. right?" It's an attempt at a joke, however weak. The youth gives a sheepish grin, and he shakes his head. "Gotta train more. I'll be a better challenge for you next time. Promise."
"If you want to get ahead, Domino... The key is to find the best way to learn. Fighting people like me isn't likely your best bet. I know it sounds a little haughty, but I'm too good for you. You need to see what works, what doesn't against your opponent. That's part of finding your unique style and fine tuning it." Ken's offering real advice, but he figures that Drake has earned that much. As usual in this world, fighters share information only when they feel the person is strong enough or good enough to get it. "Find Sakura if you can. She's a powerful fighter, but not quite Ryu's strength. Another fighter would be Mike Bison. He's a sick one from what I hear, but he's a solid fighter. Make sure you fight him in the ring if you want to keep safe though. Keep on fighting, Domino... I'll be watching and expecting a lot from ya."
That said, Ken turns and takes a few steps toward the hallway he arrived in. "Unless you have anything else you want to talk about, I'll be heading off."
Wow. Ken Masters is actually taking the time to give serious advice to Domino. Sure, the young wrestler has something of an ego, but he at least has -some- perspective. This is kind of a big deal, and he's not about to treat it as anything less. This much should be obvious just from the wide-eyed look on the model's face.
At the mention of Sakura, though, Domino flinches a little. Sakura, he's had a few encounters with. Some good, some not so great.
But Mike Bison, he's never met. Maybe he should look that one up? Either way, Ken says he'll be watching and expecting a lot from him? "I'll keep fighting. Too much rides on me staying sharp - can't afford to go weak. So I won't disappoint you," he asserts with a nod.
And just like that, Ken is leaving him there. ..But with a stray comment. "There's a million things I could think of to ask you about, but I can't pin one down. Maybe if I run into you sometime where my head hasn't recently been nearly knocked off."
"Sounds good," Ken offers with a smirk, looking back as Domino offers his commentary. "I'll be around. Just find me and I'll make time. I can't promise it'll be a lot, so make sure you know what you want. I can make time for people like yourself, but sadly, I'm one man that has a business to run, a family to look after, and a nemesis or two to train for." Nemesis? He sounds like he's a freakin' superhero with words like that. But hey, to some people, that's exactly what he is. "Take it easy, Domino..."
And with his final words, the American Warrior wanders off, leaving Domino with thoughts. The agent will be by to ensure Domino is compensated and provided with the free fight from where he was picked up from, but Ken figures that the young man will value the information more... And that's why he holds some hope of Drake making something with his fighting career.
Log created on 16:18:23 06/22/2008 by Drake, and last modified on 23:03:11 06/22/2008.