Neo League 776 - #786: Zach vs Spider

Description: Zach makes his first Neo League showing since his honorable mention two seasons ago, against a somewhat familiar foe. However, he finds the assassin to be a difficult opponent. (Winner: Spider)



On a rooftop in Chinatown, a number of people have gathered, along with cameras and Neo League commentators. A fighting ring is set up on the roof, surrounded by the cheering spectators. The Spider stands in the ring, smoking a cigarette and wearing mirrored aviator shades. He waits for his opponent with a dour look on his grizzled face.

Zach is there, doing some light stretching in place before the fight starts. He seems different from the last time the arms runner met him. Zach's hair is shorter, for starters. However, there seems to be something... different. Something more than the scared young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He bounces once or twice on the balls of his feet, and nods to the referee.

COMBATSYS: Spider has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Spider           0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Zach has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Spider           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Zach


The Spider turns about to face Zach, narrowing his brown eyes behind his shades. "You," he says. He takes a long drag from his cigarette, before flinging it to the side. "I remember you. I guess it's payback time." He grins crookedly, as he raises his knuckles into a guard position.

Zach looks at the older man, with his fancy sunglasses. He frowns a bit. Zach has not been in the circuits all /that/ long, and as far as he knows, he hasn't really worked a grudge with anyone.

"Whatever," Zach says flatly. Bravado is always an acceptable substitute for embarrassment. That odd purple energy flares around Zach, whipping and snapping around him like a cloak tossed about in the non-existant winds...

COMBATSYS: Zach gathers his will.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Spider           0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0             Zach


The Spider grunts as the energy flares around Zach. This is going to be a challenging fight. Nonetheless, it's time to attack. He pulls a knife from his brown bomber jacket, and hisses, "I'm gonna gut you." He jukes forward, attempting to plant the knife into Zach's chest.

COMBATSYS: Zach blocks Spider's City of God.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Spider           0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0             Zach


Zach twists, bringing one arm up to divert the knife. Somehow, he's not surprised by the nearly lethal strike, judging from the stinging sensation running up to his elbows. He growls a bit.

"So much for a good clean fun," he says sarcastically. He takes a quick hop back, and raises his hands high. Three blocks of purple energy shimmer into existance just as Zach envisions them. They seem sleek, almost sharp. He takes a half step forward, dropping his arms as he does so. It looks very judo, really. But the form is not what Spider should concern himself with. No, he should worry more about those blocks that come crashing down on him!

COMBATSYS: Zach successfully hits Spider with Ka-Psi-Ne Ate EX.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Spider           0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0             Zach


The Spider blinks as he looks up. Oh dear. The blocks crash down on him and knock him onto his face, his sunglasses falling off. He thrusts back up to his feet with a press of his hands, showing a lithe flexibility. He raises his guard again, before he rolls diagonally forward, aiming to land by Zach's flank. He then lashes out with a kick, aimed at Zach's ankle.

COMBATSYS: Zach endures Spider's Light Kick.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Spider           0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1             Zach


Zach braces up, allowing the kick to slam into his ankle. He manages to keep his footing, however, as he looks Spider in the eyes. He brings a fist back, violet energy surging around it.

"That all you got?" Zach asks. "DYNAMITE!"

Zach shoves that glowing fist right into Spider's chest. It does not end there, however. Zach follows it up with a surprisingly contained, point blank explosion off of the striking knuckles. "KNUCKLE!"

COMBATSYS: Spider counters Burst Strike from Zach with Star of Zion.
- Power hit! -

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Spider           0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0             Zach


The Spider smirks at Zach as he takes the blow, rising to his feet. As Zach begins to launch the attack, the Spider shouts, "Surprise!" and lashes out with his right fist. He strikes Zach right in the diaphram, knocking him back with a powerful shot. "That fast enough for you?"

Zach staggers back several steps, wincing at the strike. He rubs his chest for a moment, frowning slightly. That.. that was annoying.

"Getting there," Zach says as he thrusts a palm forward. A small ball of psycho power launches from the open palm, right at the assassin. Zach not done yet, clearly. He mayjust be warming up...

COMBATSYS: Spider blocks Zach's Warning Shot.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Spider           1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0             Zach


The Spider's arm swings about and knocks the chi projectile aside, the ball of energy striking a camera and causing it to explode in a burst of flames. The Spider steps forward and attempts to slam his finger into Zach's eye, with a quick hand thrust.

COMBATSYS: Spider successfully hits Zach with Quick Punch.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Spider           1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0             Zach


Zach's head snaps back, and the starting of a bruise is immediately apparent. Zach backs off, sizing Spider up as he tries to catch his breath.

He's running far too hot right now, and it's costing him...

COMBATSYS: Zach gains composure.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Spider           1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0             Zach


The Spider grins jaggedly as Zach backs off, and the Spider begins to open up on the offensive. "Going to fast for you?" the Spider asks, before he rushes forward and attempts to grapple with Zach. If he can get a grip, he then attempts to ram his forehead into Zach's nose, breaking it.

COMBATSYS: Zach fails to interrupt Mark of the Anointed from Spider with Third Stance.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Spider           1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0             Zach


Zach does, in retrospect, something less than brilliant. The grab is fairly obvious. Zach's seen plenty of moves like this before. So he lets himself be grabbed. He still has one hand free, however, which sweeps upward quickly.

However, Spider is quicker than Zach gave him credit for. The spike of psychic energy goes wide behind the assassin. Zach manages to avoid a broken nose by virtue of two things. The first is obvious: there is almost a half a foot of height difference between the two men. The second is less so: Zach had his head down. Normally, this is a huge mistake, but the headbutt catches him square in the forehead.

The psychic fighter crumples under the force of the blow. Will Spider finish him off, or...?

The Spider stands above Zach, looking down at him with a smirk. "Not quite good enough," he notes, before bringing his leg up, then down with a rocket of force, attempting to break Zach in two. As his leg moves, he emits a mighty, "HYAAAH!"

COMBATSYS: Zach dodges Spider's Desert Sun.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Spider           0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0             Zach


Zach's not there when the kick arrives. He avoids the strike completely by rolling to one side. He gets his feet under him pretty quickly, and focuses his energy once more.

The violet power kicks up stones and dust around him, acting much like the wind as Zach brings his hands, cupped, to one hip. His next move seems fairly obvious.

COMBATSYS: Zach gathers his will.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Spider           0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1             Zach


The Spider growls as Zach avoids him. "Luck," the Spider notes, as he balls his hands into fists. "Eat this," he growls, as he attempts to lay an extra hard chop to Zach's jaw. The crowd begins to boo, as he assaults Zach, who hasn't hit back much in the past minute.

COMBATSYS: Zach blocks Spider's Strong Punch.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Spider           0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1             Zach


Spider does exactly what Zach wanted him to do; force the purple haired fighter to break his stance. Zach deftly up a hand to catch the incoming chop. He winces only slightly; the blow stings. He bears it for a moment, grinning slightly.

"No thanks," Zach says as he slaps a palm to the ground. "Doesn't look all that tasty." Purple energy crackles around the assassin, before erupting in a five foot wide column that reaches for the afternoon sky. Sucks to be anyone inside that thing...

COMBATSYS: Zach successfully hits Spider with Burst Stream.

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Spider           1/------=/=======|==-----\-------\0             Zach


The Spider gets blasted backwards by the stream of energy that appears all around him, staggering to the side and falling to a knee. He lowers his head, taking a breath, before looking up at Zach. He squints, before charging at him, attempting to catch him in a reverse headlock and deliver a solid chop to his foe's spine.

COMBATSYS: Spider successfully hits Zach with Masechet.

[                        \\\\\\  < >                                ]
Spider           0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1             Zach


Zach lets out a yell as Spider's attack strikes true. He slumps to the ground, gasping for air as he does so. The energy, that terrible energy that has been around Zach seems to reach a crescendo for the briefest of moments, before stopping.

Zach gets low, before driving a shoulder into Spider's midsection. The impact, if there is any, will drive both fighters into the air, where Zach will spin once before driving a psycho-powered palm directly into Spider's midsection!

COMBATSYS: Zach can no longer fight.

[                        \\\\\\  <
Spider           0/-------/-----==|


COMBATSYS: Spider counters Second Stance EX from Zach with Star of Zion.

[                         \\\\\  <
Spider           0/-------/----===|


As the palm flies out at the Spider's stomach, the Spider catches it by the wrist, before his other hand delivers a punch to Zach's face, knocking him out. The Spider exhales slowly. That was a close fight. He turns about, giving the crowd the finger, before stalking away and lighting up a fresh cigarette.

COMBATSYS: Spider has ended the fight here.


Zach goes down, and stays down. He's out like a light, and medics are already moving to treat him.

Log created on 16:02:07 10/10/2008 by Zach, and last modified on 00:36:56 10/14/2008.