Description: Strolheim, round two. Team Vengeance 2.0 squares off against Malpractice in a fight that's...very unlucky for the former! Still, Rock and Chun-Li put up quite a fight against the seemingly mismatched team who, despite their obvious lack of any real...coordination and cooperation with one another seem effective. (Winners: Hotaru, Tran, Luc, Vince) Alternate Title: Reactions hate Rock.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
COMBATSYS: Luc has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Luc 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vince has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/------=|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rock has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rock
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Luc 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tran has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/------=|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
Round one required the unlikely team of Doctor Tran's to earn entry into the castle proper. Staged on a draw bridge now ruined by the match that took place, the four fighters barely managed to squeak out a victory against the impressive team of Gen and his two students. A harrowingly close fight but it bought them their ticket into round 2.
Which appears to be staged in a surprisingly modern infirmiry within the castle proper. Staffed and well equipped, the center of the room has been cleared of medical equipment, beds, I.V. machines, and shelves, leaving a prestine, white-tiled floor on which to do battle. Castle medical staff are even on hand, situated around the edge of the room. With years of experience in stitching up and fixing broken Strolheim students, they'll be right there to tend to injured fighters.
For Hotaru Futaba, that isn't paticularly great solace. At least she doesn't expect to be facing ancient Chinese assassins this round. Well. Unless Chun-Li has both aged and significantly changed her outlook on fighting. Then she might have to worry about someone threatening to kill her with a touch again.
And so she stands, the teen fighter waiting on one side of the brightly lit, mostly white facility, trying to keep herself focused on the fight ahead instead of wandering through any number of distracting thoughts. Such as her teammates. Will Tran show up sober this time? Is Luc going to rip on her favorite fighting attire again and leave her feeling all self-conscious? Is Vince going to ride in on a /horse/? These are things she can't help but wonder as the seconds tick by and any moments of silence are occupied by the emotionless chirp and beep of various medical monitoring devices that really should be unplugged since they're not hooked up to anyone. Yet.
Rock Howard gets to the Castle Infirmary early, like usual, for tournament fights. He isn't Terry Bogard -- when he has the option, he prefers to allow himself the time to get mentally prepared so he can put his best effort into cracking skulls and bashing bones. Hardly a location he would have chosen to do internationally acclaimed street fighting, the Infirmary is kind of condensed and full of dangerous objects someone could use to hurt him. He casts a red, dubious, gaze particularly at a pair of defibrillator paddles mounted on the wall.
"I'll try and be more professional this time," Rock tells Chun-Li. "It was just weird to fight Terry like that -- I didn't know how to react. But these guys, tonight?" He cracks a cocky, and probably infuriating for the more mature Chun-Li, grin. "I'm gonna smoke them like medicinal marijuana." A pause. "I said that only because we're in an infirmary, not because I know what that would be like."
And then a few awkward seconds pass as Rock and Hotaru stand there waiting for the rest of the fighters arrival. Finally, with a tremendous gulp of air, Rock tightens his black leather gloves and then waves at Hotaru. "Um ... Hi Hotaru."
Fortunately, Chun-Li remains very much in her later twenties and carries herself with a friendly demeanor. She's not some aged Chinese assassin...yet.
She was just TRAINED by one.
After the first round of Strolheim, Chun-Li decided to duck low for a while and keep out of sight--for good reason, what with Vega being in the tournament and all. She had to bide her time carefully, and wait. It wasn't precisely the right venue to exact vengeance, but if the opportunity presented itself, there would be no hesitating, she told herself.
But today, in the lavish infirmary of Strolheim's castle, she's all smiles in her qipao attire. Arriving shortly after her designated teammate, Chun-Li greets the young man, but hesitates slightly as he offers to be 'more professional.'
"Don't apologize!" she chimes, cheerfully. "You were fine--you did very well, in fact. I was very impressed. We make a good team, I think. Just do your best and give your all, that's all I ask. This time around, we can win it, I think." Pausing, she offers a nod of her head and yet another smile before she regards the others present...
Which consists mostly of Hotaru! Giving the Kenpo fighter a bright smile, the Tai Chi Mistress bows politely to the girl before she offers a friendly wave. "Good to see you again, Hotaru. And good to see you've made it past the first rounds. I was hoping we'd get a chance to fight. Good luck to you and your teammates, okay?"
As if arriving on a horse was anything but awesome! It's a castle! It's medieval! It's.. well, it's like Vince's dream come true for something like this. And he was all hyped up about his dramatic entrance. But for this? No way. He wouldn't be riding a horse around indoors. That's just silly!
Instead, he simply enters the area through the door like anyone else - outdated attire notwithstanding. Hotaru is immediately spied, and the young noble ventures to stand right beside her. "I didn't have the chance before now, but good work seeing us through earlier," he offers, soft voice lilted with just a hint of a french accent. "And the same to the other guy... but I hear it was you who ensured the triumph."
This merits a bright smile.
And then the competition is studied. First Rock, then Chun-Li. He's heard of both in a roundabouts way, and nothing he's heard has lent to a particular feeling that this will be easy. But he remains cordial all the same. His right hand lifts to pinch the edge of his hat, tipping it gallantly.
Dr. Tran, world-renowned doctor, teacher, and general kicker of ass, is not drunk at all. Not in the slightest. He's particularly clean all around today; freshly shaven, pants ironed, just well-groomed in general.
Don't take a bet on how long it'll last. A good indication is the bottle of beer that he's tossing up and down, over and over, as he enters the infirmary, riiiight about on time, give or take. This is because a real man is punctual, except when he's Dr. Tran and he doesn't want to. Then it's ok.
"Hey." Waving his free hand to get Hotaru's attention, he continues. "Kid's right, you fought a good fight. We gonna see a repeat carry, or are you gonna choke?" Catching his beer firmly, Tran moves to sit on a paper-covered examination bed...thing...that has been pushed against the wall, fidgeting lightly with the bottle. "I mean, if you can handle it, let me know so I don't have to bother."
"What the hell kind of moron puts a fight in a goddamn infirmary? This is the stupidest set up I've ever seen in my /whole life,/ and I know /stupid./"
It is with this bold -- and loud -- proclamation that Luc Schroedinger makes himself known, stampeding into the infirmary with a generally unpleasant scowl scrawled across his features. Various bandages are still wrapped around his arm and, unseen, around his torso from the last fight. Old men with Dying Old Man diseases apparently hit far harder than even Luc guessed.
It all just helps to make the German even more irritable when he staggers into the infirmary, brushing aside any attempts at greeting or otherwise as he deigns to instead find a convenient wall on which to lean against. Green eyes narrow to slits, focusing on Hotaru with a deep frown -- which only grows deeper as Vince arrives and starts talking.
"Blah, blah, blah. No one wants to hear your touchy-feely bullshit, okay? Instead of congratulating people, how about you try to get your head out of your ass?" Luc's attention quickly shifts, though, bored as he is; he looks towards Chun-Li, and then Rock. He looks all the more unhappy.
"Oh, /great,/" he drawls in annoyance. "We have to fight a prissy old woman and a /drugged out albino/? This is gonna be boring as /hell./"
And he'll just keep on complaining from there.
When Rock finally greets Hotaru, the Kenpo artist is just staring back at him, expression some kind of mixture between ruffled, offended, and, well, a little jealous. There's a lot to be jealous of Rock. Barely older than her and he's easily the better fighter. Is it training? Is there more she could be doing to catch up with the talented prodigy? But that isn't the real reason she's jealous. It's who he's teamed up with. It should be her fighting alongside the most amazing martial artist she's ever had the honor to fight in person. Her and Chun-Li, taking on all challengers. Not the gifted but arrogant teen standing across from her.
But as Chun-Li smiles her way, Hotaru's expression becomes immediately brighter, more cheerful, the girl straightening up a little and nodding back toward the Tai Chi master. "Thank you. This is a real honor." she replies, bowing her head politely back toward the woman. She shifts her focus to Vince and immediately looks just a little sheepish, "Everyone's contributions mattered. I couldn't-" She's cut off as Tran enters the infirmary and offers something that might be construed as a compliment if it wasn't also attached to the challenge that either she has to agree that she doesn't need Tran's help or she has to admit that she's going to choke. "I'm... not sure how to answer that." she admits after a moment, tone muted. "So how about you don't sit it out. Might matter."
Which works out fine, because as Luc comes in, there's an all new headache to pay attention to. Turning around to eye the Pacific High student, the girl catches sight of his frown. Oh boy. Here it comes. By the time he finishes, Hotaru simply sighs, unfolding her arms to rest her hands against the sides of her head. "That's taking our opponents a bit too lightly." she mutters. Well, Luc /did/ hang in there in the last match, so the boy's got talent to go with the brash attitude... Slowly she narrows one eye, glancing back and forth between Rock and Luc. Nope. Don't /look/ related.
Taking in a deep breath, she closes her eyes, exhaling slowly. Here they go again. Time for the un-team to show what they can do. Or not. It's hard to say with this rabble. Slowly she opens her eyes, turning her right shoulder forward, slipping her feet a little bit apart, adopting a ready stance from which to begin. And then she's off. "Here goes..."
She targets Rock first. Maybe he deserves a good smack to start with. She starts fast but slides to a stop in a lower stance, arms out at her sides, feet slipping a little further apart as she adjusts her center of balance to give her greater striking power. That forward momentum gets translated into a single lunging palm strike with her right, attempting to jam the heal of her palm into his sternum with enough force to potentially shove him backward a little. "YA!"
COMBATSYS: Rock fails to counter Medium Punch from Hotaru with Gedan Crack Counter.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/------=|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
Rock gestures with his hand at Luc. "Look at this fu -- " The Strolheim PA suddenly crackles, announcing that their fight has started and spectators can watch it on closed circuit channel 14, thankfully saving audiences from Rock's profanity. "--ing guy. Is he for real or --"
WHAM.
Rock half-turns to see Hotaru coming at him out of the corner of his eye, tries to get his defense up, and then eats a palm right into the center of his chest. Booted feet flying off the floor, Howard slams through a collection of stacked gurneys and into the wall of the infimary. The noise is tremendous, like someone dropping a bunch of pots and pans on a hardwood floor.
Crawling out of the wreckage, Rock rubs his back. "Man," he says, squinting his red eyes at Hotaru. "Say hi to a girl and she just punches you in the chest. Like Terry says, I'll never understand women."
With everyone's arrival, Chun-Li's smile grows brighter and brighter. Two on four? These are some pretty steep odds, she wagers, so it'll be tough--but that's what makes it fun. And that's what a tournament is about, right? To test yourself and, more importantly, have fun in the process. For now, all ulterior motives, whatever they secretly may be, are put aside. She'll enjoy it!
"Oh, no need to offer thanks," she replies to the Kenpo artist, still grinning. "It's always an enjoyment to face off against you, miss Futaba. I'm eager to see how far you've come since last we met. I heard about your last round exploits--that was very impressive!" She bested Gen, in the end, and that's no easy feat. She knows that well.
A few waves are exchanged, a few smiles and nods to the others. But then, Luc.
One would think she'd take offense to the young German's words. But this is Chun-Li. And it takes a lot of effort to really get under the woman's skin. So her reply?
"You are so adorable!" she replies cheerfully, giving the young angry German a small wave of her fingers. "I'm sure we'll have lots of fun together. I promise I won't let my old age slow this fight down a bit!"
Giving the other fighters a collective bow, she seems patient to wait things out until someone else makes first move--and Hotaru does! So, with her going for Howard's son, Chun-Li sighs lightly and sags her shoulders. "Guess it's time!"
Drawing a sharp breath in, the woman's eyes fix on none other than--Tran?! Yes, Chun-Li kicks off with a hop and a step, making a swift jog toward the doctor before she suddenly snaps a leg upwards, to deliver a swift but stinging kick right into the man's gut. "YAA!"
Vince, berated by Luc, gives the German a blatantly annoyed look. "Charming," he comments. "Focus that energy into some attacks, and we'll get through this faster."
Normally, Luc's behavior would call for sound reprimandation from the noble - but not today. Today, he has to work with him. So he'll just deal with it and proceed... after Hotaru's example.
Vince's eyes narrow on the male of the opposing team, and he dashes in after her. As he clears the distance, he quickly draws the rapier from its sheath. The length of steel comes alive, enveloping itself with a vortex of swirling gray energy.
Where Hotaru stopped her advance is where Vince takes to the air, cape flaring out behind him. As he descends towards Rock, he thrusts his blade out towards his chest in a deep stab. The energy funnels before it, sharpening into a lance to create the entry wound for the blade itself.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Tran with Light Kick.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/------=|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
Tran shuts up for a while, in part because someone is being even more loud and obnoxious than him, and in part because aside from that small German blip on the radar, things are getting kind of nauseating in here. Oh miss Chun-Li, you're so...strong~<3
Retch.
It's too much for Dr. Tran to take, so for the moment he completely ignores everyone. He thought he was going to be able to get a little bit further than this, but, well. No plan survives first contact with the enemy. Resting his hand on top of the bottle, Tran neatly pop the cap off, faint trails of steam rising up from under his fingertips.
He's about to apply his sorely needed medicine, but then suddenly there's a strongest woman in the world come a knockin'. "Wh- H-GWUH" Though he tries to raise an arm to spare himself some pain, it's too little and too late. Tran gets his ass knocked back into the wall, his frosty beverage sent flying out of his hand to crash and shatter.
Gritting his teeth in a mixture of fury and pain, Tran clenches his fist, where so short a time ago there was a delicious treat that makes life livable. "It can never be easy, can it?" Punching against the wall, it takes only a moment for Tran to propel himself forward in a predatory pounce at Chun-Li, trying to bear her down to the ground so that he can jump off of her (planting a foot square in her whatever is handy) and then land again. On her. For the second time. "I needed that, god damn it!"
Rubbing the back of his neck irritably, Luc just glares at Vince and Hotaru as they speak up. It's debatable whether he's even listening, considering he proceeds to yawn, and scratch the inside of his ear in an idle gesture.
"Man, whatever Frenchy," he remarks blandly. "Maybe you do something to impress me and I won't think you're such a useless assho--"
But Luc's words are cut off as Hotaru suddenly blazes into the fight, rushing towards Rock like a bat out of hell. Luc's frown shifts to a grin, hands clenching tight as black and blue flames begin to surge up around them.
"That's more like it...!" Green eyes shift from Rock to Chun-Li -- conveniently, just as the Chinese woman speaks. "How about you stop gushing over your little girlfriend and start--"
And then she calls him adorable. Luc pauses. He squints. He frowns.
"'Adorable'? What the hell does that mean?! Are you HITTING on me, you freak?!"
A second later, Luc /lunges/ forward, fire pushing his body forward in one tremendous leap. His right leg juts outward, black-blue chi twisting around that appendage like a corkscrew as he aims to kick Chun-Li /right/ in the face, accompanied by the release of that pent-up chi in one booming explosion, all while screaming one thing:
"I'M NOT INTERESTED IN LADIES, YOU PEDO FREAK!"
It sounded better in his head.
Hotaru's hand is drawn back, the girl having conserved her momentum to avoid over committing and getting caught off guard. "Hi Rock." she answers back with a faint grin as she returns to her guarded stance, one shoulder toward him. Now the fight has started and so much else ceases to matter. Luc's taunting while looking vaguely ill. Tran's desperate attempt to get a drink cancelled by a punishing kick...
She almost feels bad for Chun-Li for a moment, having to deal with Tran and Luc. But this is the second match /she's/ had to endure with those two, so she can't feel too bad. Besides, knowing how the veteran fighter can handle herself, she should probably feel bad for those guys anyway. Bringing her arms up, she waits for a moment, realizing Vince has charged into the fight with Rock with her. "Just need to stay focused," she whispers to herself. Easier said than done with this crowd.
Stepping around him to let the sword user launch his attack, she decides to test Rock's reflexes by attempting to attack him as well. Both hands go for the young man's wrists as she seeks to get a tight enough hold to pull him forward, off balance, and draw him over her shoulder to drop him to the ground on the other side with a classic judo-like slam. Staying in close to Rock bears certain risks, but Vince might provide enough distraction to keep the Howard youth occupied!
COMBATSYS: Rock blocks Hotaru's Medium Throw.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/------=|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rock blocks Vince's Venteuse.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/------=|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
Rock Howard does not believe in using weapons to fight in sanctioned events. He thinks it is a cop out, despite a lot of really successful fighters using knives, claws, swords, nun-chucks, and lead pipes with wide degrees of success. So when Vince draws a sword and comes at him like some sort of ancient warrior who wore armor and carried swords around -- what were they called? -- Howard's generally genial expression darkens.
Thinking fast, Rock kicks on of the scattered gurney's into the air, grabs it with both hands like Jackie Chan, and uses it to swallow the thrusting sword with a tremendous clang of metals. The chi explosion swooshes past him, tousling his magnificently cool blond hair, as he tosses the gurney to the side in a pivoting heel turn. A turn that brings him face to face with Hotaru, where he slams his hands out to knock her grappling attempt to the side. The Futaba girl receives an up close view of the assholish Howard grin, before --
"Fierce Punch!" Rock yells, inexplicably, as he swings his right fist like a hammer towards Hotaru's forehead, his totally sweet leather coat flourishing behind him.
COMBATSYS: Tran successfully hits Chun-Li with Dr. Tran's Summer Splash.
- Power hit! -
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Vince 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/------=|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Luc's Tyrant Strike.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
No matter how hard Luc tries, he won't crack Chun-Li. She's too nice a person to be remotely phased by the angry German's yelling and frothing. If anything, his cries make her laugh lightly, a hand covering her lips. "Hitting on you? Oh, no. I was just stating the obvious, that's all!" Because, well, he's so angry and spiteful it really IS adorable in its own little way. She might even pinch his cheek at some point!
But for now, she has two attacks to deal with. Being assaulted after kicking the crap out of Tran, the woman backs up a bit as he recovers. For now, however, the woman is distracted by none other than Luc, who comes flying in like a flaming, German bullet of rage. She turns, regarding the young man with a bright smile before lifting her arms up, cushioning the blow and ensuing explosion on her forearms.
"That was pretty good!" she chimes, "You kind of scar--"
Suddenly she's struck from behind, pounced like some animal's prey before Tran hops up and kicks her in the back before pouncing her again. Her back pops, a loud 'OOF' escaping the woman's lungs before she's left to her own devices. Slowly, she rises.
"G-goodness, I wasn't expecting t-that," she replies with a lopsided grin, eyes fixed on Tran before, briefly, she looks toward Rock. "Doing okay, Rock?" she calls...before she snaps her attentions back onto Tran and seeks to unleash a barrage of jackhammer-like kicks into the truck of his body, each strike lightning-fast and fierce. "YA YA YA!!"
Though the onslaught is deflected, Vince flows with the contraption put in the way to spin over and land gracefully on his feet. Though he's too far to intervene on time for Hotaru, he means to keep the pressure on the other boy. Hopefully with their combined efforts, he won't be able to mount any sort of effective offense.
Vince leaps into the air towards Rock and... withholds his blade this time. Instead, he twists over in the air and snaps off a firm kick aimed for the side of his head. Though he may not be a 'martial artist', he obviously bears the finesse and training to use more than just blades - and those legs are pretty streamlined and toned.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Tran with Hyakuretsu Kyaku.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/-----==|
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
Truly, Dr. Tran is irresitable to the ladies. As Chun-Li rises after his awe-inspiring assault, the doctor gives her space. Although his face is an angry one (lion face! grrr!), he's more than a little taken aback by the fact that, well. That he hit her at all, honestly. Isn't Chun-li supposed to be mind-bogglingly strong? Agile? Didn't she once leap an entire con-
And then she's attacking him again and he realizes that yes, yes she is in fact as good as everyone says. The painful way. Not all of her kicks even connect because after the first couple, Tran's small frame has been blasted right back into the wall. Something cracks, and spoilers: it's not the wall.
Groaning, Tran barely catches himself before he collapses. It's a rough stagger, but his feet are still under him, and that's the important thing. Even if...even if he doesn't really want to get all back up in Chun's grill just yet. "Keep her busy, knucklehead!" And then Tran slumps back, sighs, and relaxes. Maybe a little too hard, as he's quickly enveloped by a gentle, slow-forming cloud of steam that rises all around him. How can one man chillax so hard!?
Foot impacts against a powerful guard as Luc briefly clashes with the Strongest Woman in the World, eyes alight with joy at the reaction. She put a guard up in time -- and doesn't look all that worse off for it. "HAH! You're pretty strong, HUH?!"
Chi crackles and ripples as it is all unleashed in a single explosion; the blowback knocks Luc backwards through the air again, flipping to hit the ground in a kneel. His feet drag against the smooth flooring with the screech of rubber soles against marble, teeth gritting together in a wide grin. He lands just in time to see Chun-Li just pummel Tran into a fine paste, staring blandly at Tran as he impacts against the wall.
"... dumbass."
Getting back onto his feet, Luc lifts his right hand, still burning with black-blue chi. Tran speaks and he lifts one flaming middle finger in response. That's what Luc thinks about /that./ "Why is everyone I have to fight with..."
Again, Luc lunges. Completely reckless and with no regard to his own safety, Luc strains his body past its own normal limits, cocking his right hand back.
"... SO FUCKING USELESS?!"
The German's right hand surges forward at that point, black flames extending just past his grasp as he attempts to /grip/ Chun-Li by the face and, well... just engulf her head in a sudden gout of head. "HIT ME ALREADY, OKAY?!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Rock's Fierce Punch.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/-----==|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
Not caught so off guard this time, Rock's defenses hold up a lot better under the dual assault of Hotaru and Vince. Finding her attempt to get a tight hold of his near arm rebuffed, the smaller combatant immediately recoils, taking no chances in defending herself from whatever might come next.
Fortunately, the young man declares the nature of his attack before dishing it out, and the pig-tailed fighter reacts accordingly, drawing her arms up, crossing them in a bracing stance over the center of her face, keeping her forehead safe from painful skull crackings! The force is enough to stagger her, sending her stumbling back just a little, a soft gasp escaping her lips. She might not have gotten struck cleanly, but the fended off strike is a good warning all the same of how careful she needs to be watching for Rock's hits.
By the time she's lowered her arms to see what's going on, however, she's already stepping forward to close the ground between her and Geese's boy. Tran seems to be doing a good job of tanking Chun-Li's hits, offering perhaps a repeat performance of being able to keep Gen's attention for so long, so a bit more time leaving him to deal with the Tai Chi master with charming Luc to help!
Twisting into a strong reverse roundhouse, the girl kicks from low to high, aiming to plant a hell of a mule kick into Rock's chest. "KYA!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Rock with En Bi Kyaku.
- Power hit! -
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Vince 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Rock fails to interrupt Light Kick from Vince with Rising Tackle.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Rock
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Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/-----==|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
"I hate weaponeers!" Rock yells back to Chun-Li. He's never been good at dealing with weapon artists and he's never been good at fighting two opponents at once. Hotaru's given him a run for his money without any help before, so this is particularly difficult. It is then with little surprise when his fist is swallowed by the girl's defense. He always thought she was a better fighter than Gato, who he met when he was training with Grant...
Rock shakes those dark thoughts from his mind, focusing on the moment and the fight at hand. He wants to with the Strolheim Tournament this year -- he's tired of being a runner up. And he wants to show Krauser that he's improved and is living up to his legacy. He doesn't do a good job!!
Streamlined and toned legs (!?) do a good job of clipping Rock in the jaw. Some spit goes flying as his head snaps back from the impact -- and right into Hotaru's excellent teamwork. Her roundhouse flattens Howard; hitting him hard right on the side of his torso. Senting into a full cartwheel, Rock lands against the infirmary floor hard on his side, skidding across the smooth sanitary tile flooring.
"Unggh," he groans, rolling over and clawing himself back to both feet. "You've gotten really tough, Hotaru, since last time. I hope Gato hasn't been teaching you any Dark Karate, that crap is too dangerous and will mess you up."
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Luc's Wutend Stob.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
Whether that knocked the stuffing out of poor Tran or not, Chun-Li is far too distracted by four opponents moving around to offer any real concern for his well-being. Well, not true; casting a glance to the man, she offers an apologetic smile of sorts before she turns, leaving him to his own devices. Right now, Luc has her attention.
"Because you're not giving them credit, I think!" comes her cheerful reply, as Luc ignites with chi and launches forward. His movements are swift, she'll give him that. But it's not overwhelming enough to catch her off her senses; snapping a hand up, she intercepts the flaming grip by the wrist, chi lashing against her bare arm and hand, causing her to flinch lightly before she gently tugs and pulls Luc to the side.
"Temper, temper," she lightly teases, giving him a quick pat on the head. Right now, Rock needs help! "We'll get a chance to play again more later. Be patient, okay??"
Dashing into action, Chun-Li zips past Luc, leaving behind he and Tran in favor of aiding her teammate. She charges swiftly, seeking to sneak up behind Vince before she snaps a leg up and around, a quick, nasty roundhouse kick aimed for the temple! "YAA!"
COMBATSYS: Vince blocks Chun-Li's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
The effective teamwork warrants a brief pause from Vince to nod briskly in Hotaru's direction. Much better! If he keeps this up with the team, the LaRose family and Rose Dansant will finally have the honor and glory it deserves! So he can't let up now!
Which is about when Chun-Li tries to ensure he does just that. She pops up behind him, but Vince reacts in an instant to her kick. The blade is drawn up, flat edge intersecting with his forearm to make an X. The impact is enough to push the swordsman back a couple steps with a grunt, but he settles into his stance immediately thereafter.
"Je suis desolee, Mademoiselle," he replies, voice kept light, but with a certain edge to it. "We shall dance soon, but not now."
No, for now? For now, he feels the need to press the assault on Rock with Hotaru, to eliminate the more intimidating of the threats as quickly as possible. It's battlefield tactics, really - a way in which the LaRose are educated.
Thus, Vince ducks low and weaves around Chun-Li and Hotaru to flank Rock as he is. The elegant rapier is drawn back to his left shoulder, then slashed out at the man's torso with a prominent, "HAH!"
Though trailing in the sword's wake is a paper thin sheet of gray energy. Paper thin and razor sharp, expanding and slicing out after the blade's completed its crescent.
COMBATSYS: Tran successfully hits Tran with Dr. Tran Sets Them Straight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
And as for Tran, he's just happy enough to be left alone for the moment, to get a chance to recover from the sound yet entirely expected drubbing that he's been on the receiving end of. It's not surprising event- just another aspect of Krauser's big prank on the doctor and, really, the rest of his team. Not that he cares nearly so much about them.
The steam cloud around Dr. Tran thickens, his form hazy and indistinct as it rolls outward. It is assuredly moving frantically, however, constant motion detectable. At one point, he takes a step to the side, reaching an arm out of the cloud to slam a cabinet door open, rummaging around inside briefly before retreating once more with a handful of bottles and gauze.
And then, mere moments later, POOF! Voila! Dr. Tran emerges fully from the cloud, a new man with a sour expression on his mouth and a careful hand on his ribs! "God, I'm going to swell up like I swallowed a melon whole, no, a whole crate of melons, I know it." Starting a wary, measured pace toward Chun-Li, he continues, "Do you even know how many ribs you fractured?" Clearly not enough, considering Tran's still running his mouth.
"Now keep your eyes on me, woman! These kids aren't jack!" Bold words, accompanied by a bold attack! On Chun's rear. Rather literally, as Tran hops forward, drawing a leg back, and tries to kick her tuckus like a football.
Once again deflected, Luc doesn't /really/ seem to care about that -- no, if anything, that's promising. She's keeping up a solid guard even as Luc hammers away, which means she's much better than Luc thinks any crazy perverted pedophillic woman should be (his words). Chi lashes out wildly, even as Schroedinger is gripped and tugged roughly towards the right. He staggers bodily, green eyes narrowing. He's not upset that Chun-Li is deflecting his assaults--
--he's upset because she hasn't /hit/ him yet.
"You wanna ignore me, you jackass?!" roars Luc as he recovers himself, sliding his feet along the ground. His hands clench tight, fingernails digging into his palms as he lowers himself. "All you keep doing is flouncing around with those fat legs and fighting people who don't matter, when you should be HITTING ME!!"
Luc lurches backwards, his right hand curling in at his side; and then, with a sudden forward /snap/, he pistons forward with one fist, aiming to drive it into Chun-Li's stomach the very second that Tran aims to kick some ass.
"I'LL SHOW YOU PATIENT! ... ... AND NOT BEING IT!! HRAAGH!"
Hotaru's foot snaps back down to the floor following the swift, punishing kick, the momentum of the motion bringing her back around to face Rock directly - or at least where he was before she kicked him off his feet! Correcting her stance to bring her back to facing him, arms raised, the blue eyed girl doesn't immediately pursue him. At first she's watching out for Vince. Not that she can save him, but if he gets hit hard, she might need to watch out for an attack coming her way next!
As the swordsman defends himself and goes back on the offense, however, she shifts her attention back to Rock, eyes narrowing just a little as he speaks. While at fist his observation started to draw a trace of a smile from her lips, when he brings up her brother, she hesitates, struck by a flood of memories from a year gone by. Thoughts of Gato learning from that monster of a man, taking lessons from the Martyr of Might himself. She shakes her head in response, "No."
Clearing her thoughts, she returns to her ready stance, arms raised, bouncing lightly on her toes, "I haven't seen him for over a year now." No training from the estranged brother, that's for sure. "What about you? Did you learn the same things he was practicing?" With the commotion going on around her - Tran with his steaming up half the infimiry and Luc constantly trying to provoke the other fighters into wanting to just beat him up instead of anyone else, it's hard enough to focus on anything for long.
And in a moment, she turns, deciding to test herself against Chun-Li for a moment. A forward leap heralds a swift snap kick, aiming to catch the woman in the upper back with just enough force to spring backward herself and land back on her feet!
COMBATSYS: Rock blocks Vince's Sweeping Breeze.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
"Come on!" Rock exclaims at Vince with mock indignation. "You know I don't speak Spanish."
Howard doesn't like that Vince uses a rapier or that he talks French to his partner. Actually he, like most of the world, just doesn't like French people. There was once this French pirate chick with huge cans who followed him around a bit when he was younger. It was creepy and unsettling and she scared him because she was a woman.
"People are always trying to teach me crap," Rock responds to Hotaru, squinting at Vince as the kid keeps on living. "But I've always learned best by teaching /myself/. Like --"
Rock wills some invisible chi from his aura, small storm of energy warping off his arms as he does the only thing a human being can do against a guy trying to stab you -- block it with your forearms? Some blood draws from the muslce near his elbow, forcing Rock to grunt with pain, but he pushes past it. He wants to show the Futaba daughter what he means about teaching himself how to fight. Forget Geese, Krauser, Grant, Kain, and even Terry. Rock taught himself this move when he was twelve years old.
With a roar of energy, Howard suddenly explodes onto the offensive with Vince. With the other guy right there from his sword attack, Rock just has to take two impossibly fast steps towards him. A swirl of blue-white chi surrounds his body as he funnels it onto his arm, suddenly launching a variation of Terry Bogard's Burn Knuckle right at the poor guy. With a whistling snap-crack like a whip, Rock tries to drive his fist right into and through Vince's chest, while pivoting to add insult to injury by then smashing his chi-swirling elbow into the guy's sternum.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Tran's Heavy Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Luc's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Chun-Li with Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
Her kick stopped, Chun-Li offers a light grin, Vince's words barely audible to the woman amidst the flurry and flutter of noise around them. She instead offers a sheepish shrug and bows her head, tipping it politely before she takes a few steps back. She'll let Rock handle the youth--for now she'll focus on helping the young man!
Unfortunately, it draws almost everyone's attention! Blinking as Tran, Luc AND Hotaru suddenly converge upon her, the woman breathes a sharp breath in and waits. Patience...patience...there!
First she whips aside, Tran's kick whistling past her before she whips around and snaps aside again, Luc's fiery fist narrowly missing her. Unfortunately, third time isn't the charm; Hotaru's leaping snap-kick lands, a loud grunt escaping the Tai Chi Mistress' lips before she staggers back, shaking her head a bit.
"N-not yet," she offers, glancing to Luc. "You're not ready yet!"
Instead, she sets her eyes again on Tran, because he politely asked! Hopping back, she gives herself distance before she jolts forward, giving her body momentum before she hops and flips forward. Landing in a brief handstand, her legs split vertically, one foot forward, one foot back, before she shoves off of her arms. Whipping her body around, she attempts to drive a heel HARD into Tran's shoulder, just like he asked her to! "YAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Rock successfully hits Vince with Hard Edge.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
W-wait! Where'd his teammate go!? Vince, just after recovering from his swift slash, realizes that the tandem assault he thought he was working.. well.. wasn't there! His attempt left him completely open, a weakness he'd hoped Hotaru would cover with a continued barrage. It was.. a miscommunication. If there can even be a miscommunication without any actual words.
Oh, but Vince pays for it dearly.
Rock's fist hammers into Vince with a sick CRUNCH, causing his icy blues to widen. He's knocked off his feet, and he hits the ground solidly, tumbling head over heels until he comes to a halt facedown.
Vince.. doesn't think he's ever actually been hit like that before. But despite all rational logic, he pushes himself to hands and knees again, head hanging. "C-can't.. stop.. now...," rasps the swordsman. "Must.. prevail.." He's overcome with a thick cough momentarily, and a smattering of red smacks the floor under him.
He eyes this... but forces himself back up onto his feet, regardless. Every inch of his body now screams in pain, and it's a great strain to even enter the fencing stance again. But he does so, regardless. It's just really a good thing that this is an infirmary - he'll be needing medical attention after this. ...But -afterwards-. For now, he must succeed.
Seeing everyone flock to Chun-Li lends Vince the impression that she must be the one to eliminate for now. Tactics ebbing and flowing like the river... but that's the way it has to be, apparently.
His left hand raises into the air.
Suddenly, a roaring tornado blasts up from the floor beneath Chun-Li, meant to rip and shred the woman viciously while also driving her up to the ceiling.
If caught, Vince leaps over the other fighters in her proximity to enter the tornado along with her - though unlike her, the winds do not shear him. He growls quietly as he enters striking distance, forcing the agonizing pain out of his mind to deliver the pride of Rose Dansant. His right arm suddenly blurs out of existence, save for stray flickerings of silver under the bright lights. But Chun-Li should be able to attest that his arm hasn't vanished - nor has the sword. The blade is, in fact, stabbing repeatedly all over the woman's body, ranging from legs to collar. The number of the strikes are beyond reasonable counting, and the intensity increases with each stroke until there is one final, vicious stab aimed for her midsection to drive her out of the tornado and against the floor again.
And soon after, Vince drifts through the tornado to land with a wince on his boots, cape fluttering behind him.
COMBATSYS: Tran blocks Chun-Li's Sen'en Shuu.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
And dang, all of a sudden it's like everybody is screaming and coverging on Chun-li and there's blood everywhere and and and... Well, there's really not that much screaming. And barely any blood at all.
But not for Chun's lack of trying, as the leggy woman basically flings her feet at the good doctor. He raises a hand to intercept as fast as he can - it just happens to be fast enough, this time. It doesn't keep his arm from smacking into the rest of him, rocking Tran to the side a step. Plenty of pain, there...luckily, pain is practically Dr. Tran's middle name. Richard Pain Train. Er, Tran.
"God, do you ever stop yelling, kid? Learn to keep a lid on it, christ." One can only assume who Tran is talking to, since he's looking straight ahead at Chun-Li because if he turns his head for a second she might wraps his organs around his spine, with a dainty woman's touch. Or straight up knock his head off. Unpleasant.
The only real, acceptable plan is to have his head knock her off before then. Knock her off what? It's a mystery, but his forehead is very straightforward. Straight forward into hers, ideally.
Luc seems oblivious to everything happening around him; the dramatic surge of chi and power from Vince is only noted by Luc's innate control over his own chi, and is otherwise ignored. Tran's words, similarly, fall on deaf ears; the Real American Hero might as well not even exist. Even as his pistoning punch hits nothing but air, Luc barks out a condescending laugh, waiting for the counter to come.
It never does. Instead, Luc is left standing by himself, staring vacantly at nothing as, in a blur of blue, the Chinese woman swirls -past- him and towards the jolly good doctor. Luc turns, and stares. Beyond the bandages, his body is completely unmarred.
And he doesn't look particularly happy.
Hands clench and unclench as Luc stares upon Chun-Li with an increasingly unhappy stare. Black-blue flames rise up from his arms, his shoulders; up from the ground in a chaotic writhing tango of fire. And in a single, rare moment...
... Luc Schroedinger does not charge off blindly into the mass of fighters.
His teammates all converge on Chun-Li and, as if to just defy them, he stands still. He continues to stare, his right brow twitching as his fingers clench so tightly blood is drawn from his palm.
"... Gonna kill you..."
It's probably not a good thing.
COMBATSYS: Luc focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Rock has ended the fight here.
Her quick jump kick connecting, Hotaru spring backs to landing roughly where she had leaped from, whirling around to face Rock as he speaks, anticipating, perhaps, a lead in into a demonstration against /her/. As it turns out, Vince's aggressive positioning works against him worse, however, as Geese's boy dishes out one of his more well known techniques with punishing success. The results speak for themselves as the swordsman suffers a crushing strike and the teen fighter glances back toward Rock with a certain look of appreciation.
Her faint smile doesn't fade, however, as she pauses moving for only a moment. "You dodged the question," she notes with a slight nod. The question of whether he learned or studied what her older brother was doing, that is. "But no one can doubt your ability." She glances over her shoulder toward Chun-Li, marvelling for a moment at how well composed the woman seems to be in spite all the commotion, taunting, and yelling going on around her. She must know a lot more about being able to achieve a certain level of zen in the midst of combat than most fighters she knows, Hotaru decides with a shake of her head.
With how everyone is presently attacking, she decides to keep pressure on Rock, which leads to her quickly turning her focus back to the blonde young man. Judging the distance between them for a brief moment, the pig-tailed combatant drops into a lower stance once again, arms out at her sides, right foot forward, left foot supporting her.
A quick pause is taken to center her thoughts before she acts, springing forward into an upward flip, aiming to land on his shoulders with a quick hand stand. Should she manage to land, she'll quickly turn around by swapping her hands, thus lining the agile fighter up for dropping down behind Rock and planting both of her feet into his upperback in an attempt to knock him forward while she simply springs back and away to land cleanly!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li parries Tran's Strong Punch!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Vince successfully hits Chun-Li with LaRose Storm.
- Power hit! -
>>> Punitive Hit!!! <<<
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|
With a glance cast aside to Luc as he froths before growing eerily calm, the woman does little more than offer the kid a smile and a light wink, as if adding fuel to the proverbial fire. He's staying back for now, so that's good--at least she thinks. It gives her one less angry and violent person coming in to punch, kick or maim her. A quick breath escapes her lips.
For now, she has but two, though Tran remains the only real perceived and immediate threat. He comes in while yelling at the German boy, his words drawing a playful smile across thin lips. "He's young," she explains with a soft chuckle. "Let him be angry. Besides, he might wear himself out and fall asleep!" Suddenly, though, Tran shoots forward to slam his head into hers. So what does Chun-Li do?
Why, she lifts a hand up while leaning back, catching Tran's forehead in her palm gently before redirecting it aside and preventing it from slamming into her skull. "Oh, not on the first date," she teases. "I'm just not that kind of gir--!"
Unfortunately, chatting with Tran was a big mistake. Underneath a tornado of energy roars up, catching her briefly despite her attempts to shield against. Moments after she's being repeatedly stabbed by Vince as he leaps up and in, the strikes relentless before, finally, one strike stabs her abdomen fiercely and sends her slamming into the floor with a groan. For the moment the woman doesn't move. Then, slowly, she pushes herself up with a smile.
Getting back onto her feet, the woman shakily begins to move, her movement slow at first. But, soon enough, they grow swifter; steps pick up, her pace a jog before she sprints forward. Several feet from Vince the woman suddenly throws her body forward, head over heels as she literally inverts midair and twists. Fingers briefly grace the floor, giving her a bit of balance before she whips forward like a helicopter of legs, aimed right for the swordsman!
"SPINNING BIRD KIIIICK!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Rock with Ten Ranku-Tou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
"The power of the Dark Karate Techniques aren't something to kid around about!" Rock Howard declares back to Hotaru. He remembers training with Grant; it was a dark time in his life. Terry Bogard was no where to be found; there was no calming influence to his anger and resentment towards his father. Memories of his mother swirled, like a pounding and pulsing drum -- a dark twisting ugliness inside of him that he cannot help but embrace. At times, it is almost like Geese Howard had her killed just to make Rock into something stronger and more sinister.
Rock shakes his hands out, only in time to realize that while he lost himself in thought, Hotaru took advantage. And she's right there, flipping over his god damn head to hit him in the back of his god damn shoulders. He stumbles forward and slams into the hard tile floor with his face, skidding some due to the frictionless surface. He's lucky he didn't lose any teeth from that. "Nngh," he grunts, pushing himself up. "That was a good --" he spits some blood. "A good shot."
"But I'm not done yet! You guys better get ready because I'm just getting /started/!" Rock's chi then explodes around him into a visible storm of blue-white energy. He makes a drastic decision, swiveling on his heel to come about facing ... Doctor Tran!? There is a roar, a bunch of pounding feet, and then Howard descends on the poor doctor like some sort of sudden carnivore.
He unleashes his father's best technique, pummeling at Tran with a series of right and left hands. Kicks follow, a tremendous momentum of perfectly choreographed techniques that transition and build a rhythm of fighting few can master. It all culminates with Rock slamming his feet into the ground, locking his palms together like some Street Fighter character, and thrusting them straight out towards Tran -- a tremendous column of chi energy bursting like a cement roller straight towards the dude.
COMBATSYS: Rock successfully hits Tran with Deadly Rave Neo.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
And with no effort at all, Dr. Tran finds his face redirected, stumbling forward a few steps with the surprising lack of resistance in front of him. It's just as well, because when she's enveloped by that looming pillar of whirling energy, Tran doesn't want to be anywhere near her.
The doctor whistles, impressed a little despite himself. That was pretty good. Really draws a man's attention. Maybe this kid isn't a total waste, after all. But he probably is.
Abruptly, Tran shakes his head, reminded that he's in the middle of a fight when Chun-Li gets back up (big surprise, really) and goes after Vince. The doctor doesn't give the...eccentric teen much of a chance, so clearly it's up to him to save the day and do his best to continue to keep Chun's attention on him.
"So what kind of girl are you? The kind who picks on kids? Poor...angry kid, poor...horse kid." Tran makes a quick note: learn their names for future reference. Or remember, if they already told him. "Look, all I'm"
And then, as is so often the case, Dr. Tran is interrupted while he's talking by someone beating the shit out of him. Today, it's Rock, having taken him completely by surprise. Usually it's more of a long, drawn-out affair than this, but the doctor isn't letting that prevent him from trying to talk in the minute spaces between every strike. It's like a machine gun of "I-I-I-I-I-I-I-" that's finally finished when Rock just blows him away.
Tran goes skidding backward on the smooth floor of the medical center, crashing into the wall again. To his credit, he remains standing after the impact. With a quick cough and fury in his eyes, Tran finally manages to speak up, a little weakly because of the beating he just took. "I was /trying/ to /talk./"
Taking a step forward, he looks at Rock and lifts a hand, pointing a shaking finger to the red-eyed young man. "It's goddamn RUDE to INTERRUPT." For the moment, however, he takes no further action, instead watching to see exactly how Rock will respond to these accusations of being a punk kid.
COMBATSYS: Tran focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Vince with Spinning Bird Kick EX.
[ \\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Vince 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=======\=====--\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|
After wobbly a little, the raging tornado dies out behind him. Vince faulters just a little, and starts to adjust himself... when Chun-Li does likewise. That's really a testament to her ability to survive, Vince thinks. Not a lot of people could live through that, considering he was giving it his very best.
Unfortunately, she not only survived it, but is zipping right back at him long before he can manage to mount any defensive measure. The feet slam into him repeatedly, each strike feeling as though it's going to rip his head clean off. Finally, his footing is lost completely, and the young noble is blasted away. He hits the tiled floor hard, tumbling over and winding up a bundle in his own cape.
He remains down, much like Chun-Li after his assault. But also like Chun-Li, he starts to move again. Eyes squeeze shut against the blaring pain, teeth gritting. He unravels himself from the folds of cloth bound about him to set on hands and knees.
The initial round of the Strolheim tournament was his team's to claim for victory... but that's not where it can end. Not a chance. Vince's family is depending on him - the honor of Rose Dansant is on the line. If he can overcome these obstacles, his family and their swordplay will finally receive the glory they deserve! And for the sake of those things just and good, he has to persevere as a beacon!
He's been told he puts far too much stock into these things... but Vince cannot allow his journey to end here.
There's another cough, and another smattering of red strikes the floor. A couple seconds afterwards, wind inexplicably begins to pick up through the infirmary - far more than any draft should reasonably be able to accomplish. The winds intensify steadily... and his head lifts.
Icy blue eyes no longer, but pure steaming icy blue light. Though there are no pupils by which to track what they're locked onto, the tilt of the head should be indicative enough: Chun-Li.
As if the sweeping winds have given him the strength to pull through the extreme physical beating he's endured, Vince surges forth like a wild animal. The distance between Chun-Li and himself closes rapidly, and Vince's left hand thrusts into the air.
In an instant, the tornado has sprang back to life beneath the woman, raging high into the air to rip and tear at her. Vince, with newfound fury, leaps in after her, sword arm bluring out of vision once more to eviscerate her. Once again, far too many to keep track of the number, and far too fast for the untrained eye to follow, the combination comes to a shattering halt with that finalizing stab to the midsection meant to drive her back out and against the ground.
Only this time, Vince doesn't drift out after her. He simply lowers back down to the floor in the eye of the tornado, cape flaring wildly around him.
Luc is standing still. It's an extraordinarily rare moment in which he does not simply charge in to headbutt everything within sight of him. Breathing slowly, he almost seems as if he's calming himself -- except for the fact that those flames grow more and more violent with each and every passing moment, wrapping around Luc securely in a pulsing storm of deep blues and black.
"I..." he says slowly, even as the battle continues to wage around him. He seems oblivious.
"... hate..." Chun-Li whirls off like a helicopter at Vince in the wake of his brutal assault, and Luc's eyes crack open, focusing with a seething amount of hatred upon Chun-Li. It's probably not that healthy, for him to hold so much contempt for someone he's just met. But telling him that would probably just make him madder.
"... stupid... /prissy/..." Vince is caught up in the veritable, rotational storm of legs, pummeled brutally. Yet he carries on despite it, valiantly. Luc doesn't really care. He doesn't like Vince that much either. Or Hotaru, or Tran. Vince leaps towards Chun-Li in a sudden surge of motion--
"... cocky... worthless... /GIRLS/!" All of that chi suddenly /rushes/ downward, all concentrating to a single point at Luc's fist. His hand glowing a blindingly bright violet, Luc roars incomprehensibly and LEAPS through the air in a blurring surge of motion. In a single instant, the very /second/ that Vince closes the distance with Chun-Li, Luc is there, hand punching into the ground with so much force that marble cracks and shatters beneath the blow. It would be debatable if he even notices Vince, save for one shrill cry:
"AND I HATE THE FRENCH, TOO!! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
All that energy is released. Four lines of energy pulse out in a cross section across the ground, each exploding outwards into massive walls of black, blue and violet chi. As Luc continues to yell with blind rage as those walls rotate, faster and faster, intent to catch up both Vince and Chun-Li within their depths and just whirl them around within the burning, dome-like storm of chi that Luc creates -- before all of it simply /explodes/ with one mighty battle cry:
"/FUCK YOU/!!"
Kicking off of Rock's shoulder, Hotaru lands on her feet a short ways off, whirling around to face him directly, hands raised to the ready in case she needs to defend herself from any more rampaging fierce punches. His words left their mark, however, and her expression dims slightly at the thought of her brother drawn so strongly into pursuing power at any cost. She hesitates a moment, thinking of her own experiences with techniques best left untouched. The temptation to use them in spite empty wins they provided.
She shakes her head, snapping out of it, when Rock whirls around to tear into Tran. She knows all about that technique - having been on the wrong end of it last year. She almost covers her eyes, wincing at the punishing assault the team's captain weathers, but in a fight like this, there's little time for that. She glances toward Vince after he falls prey to Chun-Li's signiture technique, and marvels, just a little, that he's back on his feet after that.
Then there's Luc's rampage. After having already endured one fight on his team, she's surprised that he's somehow managed to reach an all new tier of berserk. A slight frown and mutter, "That guy's got issues..." marks her quiet reply to the enraged charge he launches at the Tai Chi master with. Shaking her head slowly, Hotaru turns back toward Rock. "I'm glad you were able to resist what my brother was not."
With all the attacks flying Chun-Li's way, Hotaru exhales softly, getting her mind back into the fight that seems, for the moment, to be just her and Rock. Crouching slightly before springing into the air into a graceful forward flip, she takes to the air. An adjustment of her trajectory at the apex of her arc takes her into a knee first dive down toward Rock's shoulder where she'll try to kick him hard enough to power a back flip away from him after impact.
COMBATSYS: Rock fails to counter Rengeki Shuu from Hotaru with Joudan Crack Counter.
[ \\\\\ < > ////// ]
Vince 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=======\=====--\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Rock is pretty exhausted after kicking Doctor Tran sixteen different times in a three second window. Wouldn't you be? Exhaling, he rolls his shoulders and straightens his back, feeling like this fight is finally back on track. That drunk dude is probably KO'd, he can take Hotaru down with a few strong kicks to the forehead, and Chun-Li surely can handle a few adolescent punks trying to make names for --
Rock looks up into the air. The flourescent lights of the infirmary blind his vision for a few precise seconds. All he can make out is this black /blob/ descending towards him. Before his vision can clear, the loud CRACK of his jaw snapping as Hotaru's leg crushes against his face reverberates down the hallway.
Rock is knocked off his feet in a full crooked flip from the impact. He smacks his back hard into the floor, the tile cracking some from the impact. He probably will need to get some wiring put in to keep the fractures running up the side of his face in check tomorrow. What else is new?
"-- Thinks," he groans, trying to move. "-- she so -- ngggh -- so tough?"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Vince's LaRose Storm.
[ \\\\\ < > ////// ]
Vince 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=======\=====--\1 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Chun-Li with Demiurge Trigger.
[ \\\\\ < > ////// ]
Vince 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Delivering a decisively painful blow with her infamously powerful legs, Chun-Li's kicks strike true, battering the French swordsman senseless before, finally, her legs relent and she lands on her hands. Letting her body whip around, her legs lower and touch ground, her body repositioned properly once more. He's left alone for now; other people catch the Chinese woman's attention as she rises properly once more. Namely, Luc.
Before she can even SPEAK the two youths are once again converging in the poor Tai Chi Master, brown eyes wide before they sharply narrow. The surge of Chi from before is noted and, with a swift, deft leap and spin, the woman withdraws her body from harm's way. A tornado of energy surges upwards once more, but this time Chun-Li isn't caught within.
That doesn't spare her from the sheer force of Luc's attack, however. It's big and loud, like the young German from which the energy came, catching Chun-Li at its center. Ignited in the energy, she struggles desperately to shield against, but to no avail. The result?
She's blasted back and into the nearest wall. Things aren't looking good for her team. She's letting Rock down, and she'd promised they would win!
"L...let me ...h-help you, R-rock," she manages, pulling herself free of the wall as she staggers forward. Shaking her head out, the woman tries to focus...before she suddenly bolts forward. Her intentions are clear as she narrows in on Hotaru: to unleash a series of rapid blows with her leg...followed by a switchup and another series of kicks with her opposite leg...before she switches up again, doing the same thing with the leg from before, before she finally switches up one last time, to deliver a sharp, high-angled high kick right to Hotaru's jaw!
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Vince with Demiurge Trigger.
[ < > ////// ]
Vince 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
No Chun-Li? Well... that's.. a pretty big let-down. Vince put everything he had into that! But in a strange, semi-hypnotic kind of way. Vince even seems disoriented when the tornado dies, and the glaring lights dim in his eyes. Unfortunately, that's what Luc needs to hit VINCE!?
All he really has time for is hearing the racism from Luc, then the chi blast. It hits him, and it hits him hard. Hard enough to blast him off his feet with a sharp cry of pain.
He hits the floor heavily, tumbling over and landing on hands and knees. He knows there's nothing more he can do at this point. That was enough to push him over the edge... and he -hates- Luc for it. "-IDIOT-!," seethes the noble between his teeth. His eyes are burning.. but not in such a literal, dramatic manner as earlier. "We will triumph.. -despite- you.."
Vince weakly lifts his rapier.. to slide it into its sheath. The right hand dips down to his belt, retrieving a rosette. His icy blues lock onto Chun-Li while she's apparently distracted. "..For you."
The arm thrusts out, and with a flick of the wrist, the rosette blade is blazing through the air on course with her torso. From there, he just crumples onto the floor. He's been beaten up quite enough, and definitely needs some medical attention.
COMBATSYS: Vince can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Perhaps some members of the strangely named Team Malpractice have more similarities than they care to admit. Even as Luc goes blasting off in a rage after being ignored, Dr. Tran, already in a foul temper, finds his dander rising for a similar reason. Rock's not even paying attention to him anymore. Doesn't he know that Tran's about to lay the hurting down upon him?
The only recourse is to beat his ass until he can't feel feelings anymore. Dr. Tran is just the man to do it, to. He takes a step forward, still feeling a little shaky, but good enough to keep going, and throws his arm out to one side. Steam blasts out in a line from his arm, swirling and tightening until it forms into a long, thin cylinder of chi, grasped tightly in his hand. Then he makes another one, practically a mirror image of the other.
And then Hotaru cleans Rock's clock before Tran can even do anything. Tran opens his mouth, a tiny, strangled gasp of anger floating out. He points one stick at her, too angry for words. Then he points at a stick at Rock's fallen, but still moving form. Insistantly.
Quivering with indignant rage, Tran throws his arms up, his steamy constructs wavering for a moment, before he finally decides what to do. Chun-Li is here again - she's convenient, and by god, Dr. Tran needs to hit someone right now. His chi poles split into three each, like ludicrously long claws, and then the most American doctor to ever live begins to whirl around, arms outstretched, trying to catch the opposing master in a twisting storm of chi lashes.
Dark energies continue to whip around Luc Schroedinger's body as that complete outpouring of all his rage starts to finally die off. Violet, black and blue chi crackles around his bruised and split knuckles, tracing paths up the lengths of his arms. He breathes in heavy; every time it feels like his lungs are on fire, choking the very oxygen from him.
Kneeling on the ground as Vince and Chun-Li go blasting back, Luc heaves several more dry gasps, before those gasps become interspersed with coughing fits of laughter. Fingertips scraping against shattered marble, Luc slowly pushes himself back on his feet, his green eyes now dull and focusing only vaguely on Chun-Li. "... so there," he finishes off succinctly, giving the woman one decided middle finger before turning his attention elsewhere. Because wit is not his strong suit.
As Vince shouts at him, Luc seems oblivious, scratching the inside of his ear. He coughs, spitting saliva and blood off to the side -- the blood a result of completely overworking his systems more than anything else. He frowns, and looks towards Vince with those bored, almost glazed-over eyes. "Dumbass," he grunts.
"We'll 'triumph'... despite you... being worthless. Get... haah... it straight."
With a gradual roll of his neck, Luc turns his focus elsewhere -- back to Chun-Li. Frowning, he lowers his body... and then -launches- himself at the woman, his entire body still struggling to move even as he forces it too. Muscles strain, and some verge on tearing -- he doesn't care. He just drives himself forward, rears his head back, and wordlessly drives it forward -- to simply headbutt the hell out of Chun-Li.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Hotaru with Houyoku Sen.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/-======/=======|
In the midst of her attack, she gasps as feels something give way... And that something just so happens to be Rock's jaw beneath her knee! Having sent the young man back to the ground, she springs out of the attack to land a few meters off, rising back up to standing, looking back toward the young man with a startled expression. If she were the vindictive sort, she might feel some grim satisfaction for the strikes in light of how he had pulverized her the last time they fought. But as it stands, she simply feels the need to lay off Rock all together to see if he's still going to be in the fight after something like that!
Besides, she has other things to worry about as Chun-Li turns to bail him out with a crushing storm of kicks. Even from the range she secured, the attack comes on furiously fast and in spite her attempts to slip free, she's caught by the entirety of it. The blurring speed leaves each strike almost impossible to distinguish from the prior as the featherweight finds herself battered by one hit after other. Each kick amounts to what a fairly seasoned fighter could muster - to be struck by all of them in such short order nearly takes the fight entirely out of the teenaged fighter. She's already crumpling when the final kick slams into her jaw from beneath, driving her clean off her feet and back down to the floor several yards away, where she slides to a stop on her back, seeing nothing but stars.
Curling up, she rolls onto her side, one hand planting to support herself as she coughs fiercely. To her knees, she wobbles, one hand at her mouth, her other still propping herself up, trembling as the sheer punishment she just weathered starts to take its toll. Using the support of a surgical cart right next to her, she starts to get up to her feet, only to stumble and fall back to her knees where she lands back on the floor, gasping for breath.
Squinting her eyes as her vision swims, she looks just about ready to tumble forward. It takes a long moment as her ability to see stabilizes, but at last the young fighter manages to push herself back up to standing, right hand resting against her throbbing jaw. Hanging back, she stays quiet, utilizing the cart to keep her balance as she catches her breath.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
Rock Bruce Willis staggers to his feet finally, and subsequently, stumbles away from the conflict and into a stretcher. He bangs into it and skids, hanging onto it, into the wall. Falling back, he tilts into a position leaning against the wall, his palms pushing against the castle stone to support himself and keep from falling down.
Some coughing causes him to taste some crimson in his throat. That doesn't bode well for his internal bleeding. But hell if he's just going to give in and collapse on the /floor/ like some little bitch. Like Jiro or something.
"Best -- *hackhack* -- you can do!?" he demands from half an infimary away from anyone, while holding himself along with one arm and clutching his chest with the other. Real tough. Real big man.
COMBATSYS: Rock gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Vince's Sudden Fling.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Tran's Vote Dr. Tran For President.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Chun-Li with Medium Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Luc 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
When the proverbial dust clears, Chun-Li looks a bit apologetic, her almond-brown gaze settling on Hotaru as she crumples from the horrid attack. Bowing her head gently, she offers a small smile, whether the Kenpo fighter can see it or not. She didn't meant to hurt her so badly, but...this is a fight and she does have a teammate...
But, once again, three-fourths of the party converge on Chun-Li, drawing a mildly surprised expression before her shoulders sag. Her attentions are initially drawn by Vince, as he draws out a blade and slings it toward the woman. "I'll have to pass," she playfully replies, letting her body whip aside as the sharp edge whizzes past, to lodge itself in the distant wall. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite end there.
Tran comes soon after, raging as he throws his arms into the air. Immediately the woman's gaze shoots to the man, the energy splitting into a claw-like form before he thrusts them outwards, attempting to lash the woman. She moves almost instantly; dropping low, she quickly rolls and hops to her feet, grinning lightly as she wags a finger at the doctor.
Unfortunately, she doesn't quite see the sudden jump of Luc from behind her. Just as he leaps and attempts to headbutt her she turns around, his forehead meeting hers in a painful burst that sends the woman staggering back and away, her balance and footing daring to fail her. She wants to pass out now, but...she can't! She still has a little fight left in her..!
Shaking her head out, she decides it's now or never. Charging forward with all she has left in her, Chun-Li charges right at Tran before she suddenly drops low, just in front of the doctor. Like a chambered bullet her body fires upwards, body rotating around as she swings a leg around to kick the man in the face. It's meant to knock Tran skywards; because if it hits she'll follow him up, swinging her body over and over, delivering kick after kick after kick; ten times total before she relents, to let him fall freely, along with herself. And once she hits down, Chun-Li crumples to the floor, unable to fight further.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Tran blocks Chun-Li's Hazan Tenshou Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/=======/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
Dr. Tran is not a happy man. While there is certainly emotion evident on his face, it quickly moves from 'completely consumed by rage' to 'feelin' kinda nauseous'. Too much spinning, not enough actual hitting. If only the world's strongest woman were an actual strong-woman, huge and bulky and man-faced and easy to tag.
But no, as Tran winds down, nothing to show for his efforts save perhaps a slight greenish cast to his features, Chun-Li's off dodging and ducking and getting smashed in the head. Well...well that's OK, then. Tran pauses a moment, wondering where his thunder be at, but then he gets the chance to get it back when he finds himself the target of yes, you guessed it, more kicks. The doctor is certain as he sees her incoming that he's not going to be fast enough, that it's another tall order of ass-kicking on the his plate, but somehow, he still manages to interpose an arm in between his face and her foot. It's enough to keep his head from shattering like a melon, but it still sends him into the air, where he barely fends off kick after kick, each still driving him up until the final one comes, after which Tran feels totally spent.
He lands hard, flat on his butt, and it takes him a few seconds to even start to move again. Pushing himself toward the wall again, he presses against it to wedge himself into a standing position. "That's it, I'm done." He looks from Luc to Hotaru, then to Rock, then closes his eyes. "You two can handle it from here, right? I've done my part, and god damn I could use a break after that shit."
COMBATSYS: Tran takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/=======/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
The crack of impact is a satisfying sensation for Luc as his head whips back from the resulting impact. Staggering backwards, his heavy breathing once more resumes, rasping out desperately for oxygen between bursts of laughter -- all of which is cut off in a surge of wet, hacking coughs. Curling in on himself slightly, the German student feels like he's on the verge of throwing up--
--but that just makes him grin all the more.
Green eyes swiveling upwards, he stares pointedly to the fallen Chun-Li, and then to Tran as he drawls on. The young man just squints at the doctor with a considerably deep frown, wiping blood from his lips. "So what, your contribution is getting the shit beat out of you?" he asks with an unpleasant tone. Pivoting on his heel, he stares pointedly at the recovering Rock. His frown deepens.
"Maaaan," he mutters slowly between breathes. Dipping low, he picks up a piece of shattered marble, throwing it up into the air over and over. "This is gonna be boring."
And, with that said, Luc hurls the small chunk of debris at Rock to just bean the young man, all while shouting: "HIT ME, YOU PALE FREAK!!"
By the time her own vision has cleared, Hotaru is treated to a sight of Luc exploding into Chun-Li's back with a vicious punch. Given the pressure of dealing with so many opponents at once, the teenaged fighter can't help but be reminded of the woman's remarkable skill and composure in such a hectic fight. Not to mention how /hard/ her team makes it for anyone to stay calm! But it looks like for all her ability, the match is approaching its end, the veteran fighter attempting to dish out the last of what she's able against Tran.
And, managing to muster a defense against it, he... bows out? The pig-tailed fighter blinks then smiles faintly, shaking her head. He really did tank a lot of hits throughout the match. Maybe he's feeling it worse than he's letting on. Now that she's back on her feet, however, the girl is getting a second wind of strength, not so ready to collapse as she was moments ago. "All rig-" She closes her mouth as Luc continues with his insulting rampage, this time toward Rock. There's really no point in trying to get a word in edgewise with the loud Pacific student around. "You really are the biggest jerk I've ever seen!" she raises her voice in order to be heard.
But there's a fight to finish, and she doesn't hold back, whirling toward Rock and charging for the young man. Sprinting into range, she leaps into a small flurry of windmilling strikes in order to try and get through his guard. A second leap leads into a second set of them before, given the chance, she touches down and attempts to bowl him over by slamming her shoulder into his chest to knock Rock away!
COMBATSYS: Rock dodges Luc's Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Tran 1/=======/=======|===----\-------\0 Rock
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Rock fails to counter Ten-ren-ge EX from Hotaru with Joudan Crack Counter.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Tran 1/=======/=======|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Rock can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Tran 1/=======/=======|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Rock Howard isn't sure how to deal with people throwing slabs of marble at him. He squints at the big chunk of stone as it spins through the air at him; willing his chi forward to do the only thing a normal human being can do when faced with such a predicament... He tries to punch it into pieces. Stepping forward, Rock swings his fist towards the block of stone, foolishly thinking Rock's bone beats real rock. Fortunately, fate conspires.
Rock hits a small puddle of his own blood, his booted heel losing its footing. Skidding forward, Rock falls onto his back -- the slam of marble whistling overhead and hitting the far wall. "Ha! Use your fist next time, pussy --"
Rock gets rata-tat-tatted by a series of windmill strikes. His body, from behind, looks like he is getting shot up by a Tommy Gun. When Hotaru's shoulder finally impacts with his chest, his eyes explode open and he shoots back from the impact. He hits the ground five feet from the girl, rolls two full times, and then skids to a halt on the broken ground. A helpful IV drip tips over and hits him in the face; at least he'll be near the fluids he'll need for the five day stay in the hospital.
Fuck you, Krauser.
Upon hearing Luc's remark, Tran's expression brightens just a bit. "Hey, you figured it out! It's like you're not as dumb as you look! Or act! Or are!" And then it's gone, the merriness replaced by wearyness as Rock gets quickly taken out of comission. Under his breath, he mutters to himself, "Why did it have to be this team? And why oh why do we keep winning?"
Pushing himself off the wall, Tran walks awkwardly to the door. He doesn't need Krauser's inferior brand of medicine, no matter how fancy and modern it may be! "Good job team, hit the showers, whatever, I don't really care. I need a drink."
COMBATSYS: Tran has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Luc 0/-------/----===|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
"Go to hell, midget," is Luc's cheerful reply to Tran's pep talk, spitting to the side once more as he stares at the fallen Rock. His eyes roll over to Chun-Li. Then to Hotaru. Then to himself. He notes the complete lack of injuries on his person; the soreness, and the feeling of torn muscles, are all self-inflicted with his own recklessness.
"... Fucking /worthless/," he decides. Luc Schroedinger is not happy.
Abruptly, the German pivots on his heel, and begins to slowly stalk off, hands shoving into his pockets. He'll shove past Hotaru, on his way to the nearest garbage can.
He is going to to have a victory puking.
An angry victory puking.
COMBATSYS: Luc has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Landing out of her rising shoulder slam, Hotaru slides to a stop in a three point crouch a few yards later. She's still for a moment, exhaling softly, taking in another breath as she tries to listen carefully for any indications that the fight is still going on. But all she gets to hear, instead, are Luc and Tran's exchange. The pig-tailed combatant stands up slowly, turning around just in time to have Luc shove his way through her.
Hurt as she is, the girl ends up falling right back down into a seated position with a grimace. "Ow." There's nothing else spoken then as he storms off. Given what she's observed, there's really no point in telling him what she thinks! Shaking her head, she slowly gets back up to her feet, turns back toward Rock and Chun-Li, offers a bow, then slips off quietly. It looks like she's doomed to another round with this crazy team!
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has ended the fight here.
Log created on 20:04:15 12/07/2008 by Chun-Li, and last modified on 04:34:29 12/14/2008.