Description: LLK: Shadaloo lays claim to the YFCC, a newly-minted jewel in Geese Howard's crown. Will the defenders continue to fight when they know that staying helps prop up a tin-plated dictator?
"It's time. You have your orders."
So far, things had gone mostly to plan. Weeks of preperation, surveillane, and the deciding moment on where and when Vega would make /his/ appearrance had been found by watching.. last week's Saturday Night Fights. After all, where better to strike than a spot where Geese Howard had just recently laid his claim, with a gold-plated shovel. Shiny and gleaming, admired by many yet destined to be quickly tarnished when any 'dirty' work was done.
Much like Geese Howard himself.
With Vega is his Right Hand, Sagat. His Left Hook, Bison. He looks down from their vantage point in his VTOL, the plane hovering high overhead the YFCC, that symbol that Vega means to tarnish, to taint - to make his. Eyes glance towards his minions, and then he speaks. "Tonight - we take Geese Howard's new toy. Tomorrow, we take his tower, then his life."
With that, Vega steps out into the night sky, and falls. A hundred feet or more, he lands with a cloud of dust, asphalt churned underneath his boots and fist, crouched for only a second as he raises himself up. There's a moment to adjust his cape - to finalize that last bit of dramatic flair... and then he begins to walk forwards, towards the doors.
Aside from the one Neo League fight Bison partook of--the beating of Heavy D!--the Raging Buffalo has been oddly silent. Even those at his casino in Vegas haven't seen him. The big man not being in attendance at his own casino is unheard of--except to those who know him best. Oh yes. Bison has a /job/ to do.
The big man is decked out in black--black hooded sweatshirt thing, left open, black gloves, black boxer's trunks, black boots. Stark black. Of course, Bison's Shadaloo affiliations have long been 'known', one of the worst-kept 'secrets' ever. This time, however, it's baldly obvious; the back of his hooded sweatshirt bears the silver death's-head logo of Shadaloo. He doesn't look back, though he does wait for the 'copter to lower another twenty feet before he leaps. No parachute--a man like him doesn't need it. His landing is much the same as Vega's, crouched, a cloud of dust rising up, before he too rises, and assumes the formation, walking behind and to one side of his boss. The light in his cruel, small eyes is one of ferocious, vicious anticipation. He's been looking forward to this for a week and a half.
And he is gonna have himself a /good time/ tonight. It'll be a battle for the ages. An amazing battle. And in the end, Bison is sure, Shadaloo will be victorious.
The concrete sidewalk doesn't take kindly to Sagat's landing. The dust of powderized cement explodes into a small cloud around the point of impact as the titan of a man completes his descent. Whatever his lot in life may be at this time; whatever compunctions he has with following the leader of Shadaloo into battle once again, the formidable kick boxer has his assignment and with the determined, controlled gait from which he steps off of the spiderweb-cracked concrete, there seems to be no reluctance in going forward with this.
Standing taller than not just Bison and Vega, but damn near taller than any other fighter known to the world, the one eyed man glares forward grimly. An unpleasant task lays ahead - crushing defenders of a Youth Center? Is this what it takes to get to where he wants? Bison's eagerness and Vega's confidence don't seem shared by the silent giant as he moves forward. Vega does not walk alone in this undertaking, though his right hand man may not share his vision of the future to come of it.
Dressed in black sweat pants, black T-Shirt, with matching hoodie-styled jacket, only the man's feet are bare. For a brief moment he bows his head. The time for second thoughts is past. This is a moment of action and to that end he is committed. His fists clench at his side with a creaking of the white tape wrapped around his hands, his body tensing up for the fight ahead. Where Vega leads, he will follow. For now.
COMBATSYS: Vega has started a fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: M.Bison has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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|-------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Sagat has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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|-------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Kyo has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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|-------\-------\0 Vega
The streets in front of the YFCC are usually packed, bustling with traffic and pedestrians, humming with life and energy. Such is not the case tonight: those streets are now a warzone, their very pavement turned into rocky crags as the result of bombs and other, more unconventional weaponry. Staccato echoes of gunfire and explosions reverberate through the valleys of skyscrapers. Makeshift battlements and fortifications are already sprouting up, everywhere. Yet for all this chaos and destruction, the Young Fighters Community Center stands there like an oasis, virtually untouched.
That may soon change, perhaps as quickly as in the next few minutes, but not if Maxima has anything to do with it.
He stands, motionless, a few dozen meters from the YFCC's front door. Anybody who wants to get in will have to go through him. Onboard omputer systems keep him constantly informed of the changing battlefield conditions, and his heads-up display is a virtual cornucopia of news feeds, remote camera windows, weather conditions, and status updates. This same system also blares out an alarm klaxon in his head, warning of the three Shadaloo fighters' approach. Not that he needs it.
Maxima tosses an armored, quite-unconcious NESTS trooper that he was palming by the head to the side, where he joins the rest of his defeated comrades in a large man-pile, then tilts his head to address the leader of Shadaloo and his cronies. His AI is already presenting him with data files on the three opponents in front of him, the news isn't fantastic and confirms what he already suspected, that the top fighters would be sent to take over, or destroy, the YFCC. Sometimes he hates being right.
"Hi there guys," Maxima says, conversationally.
COMBATSYS: Maxima has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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|-------\-------\0 Vega
Marco had arrived at the Young Fighter's Community Center a little while before Maxima got back from his mysterious meeting with the additional muscle the cyborg thought they'd need in the possible fight to come. The Kyokugen Instructor hadn't ever bothered checking the YFCC out before now, after all, why should he? The Kyokugen Dojo is surely much better suited to instructing the next generation of fighters than this community center; though it doesn't have a cafeteria.
"You know..." Marco says casually, his deep bass voice rumbling in between slurps of the turtle soup that he bought from the cafeteria for dinner, "...we probably don't really need anyone else to help protect this place anyway..." Marco advises, seated on top of a trash can behind Maxima as he eats. "I mean, it'd take a lot of these armored guys to get past the two of us..." he continues, pointing at the pile of bodies lying around the cyborg with his bowl of delicious soup. The Brazilian hadn't even set his bowl down when the two took out that last attack.
"This might not be as bad as we-" the rest of Marco's famous last words are suddenly cut off by the sound of three bombs dropping right in front of the YFCC defenders. Bombs that Maxima had seen a lot time coming. Walking, talking, Shadaloo bombs. "Uh... these guys friends of yours Max?" Marco asks cautiously. If these guys are the help Maxima sought out then things just got even easier.
So, Southtown is under siege. Didn't this happen over in Metro a while back? There's bad guys all over the place, and have been for hours now, and don't think that Kyo Kusanagi isn't /severely annoyed/ that Whip and Robbie the Robot were both right about this particular turn of events.
Lucky for him, Kyo was eating at a Wendy's by his house when the whole thing went pear-shaped, and suddenly there were soldiers, their appearance followed shortly thereafter by violence and screaming. Though, contrary to what the invading NESTSaloo troops were probably expecting, they were the ones doing all the screaming.
Kyo didn't even get to finish his Baconator, much less his Frosty. This upgrades his annoyance still further. On the upside, Team Bad Guys will get some valuable data on the flammability of their troops and their equipment.
Spoiler: It's distressingly high.
Anyway, the net result of this is that the Kusanagi heir hopped onto his motorbike, without even bothering to put on his helmet. Blatant disregard for laws written for his own safety, that's how you make a World Warrior. That motorcycle is currently speeding towards the YFCC, though whether anyone can hear it coming over the chaos of the war currently raging across Southtown is questionable.
Don't worry though, guys; Kyo is also speeding.
"I'm going to be generous. Stand down, walk away, and you live. This building is what I require, not another set of bloodied and broken bodies before me. However..." Vega eyes the pair standing with their pile of minions. In the end, he didn't really /care/ either way. Leaving them broken and unconcious woudl certainly help were Geese to attempt to shore up his defenses afterwards. He offers a shark's predatory smile as he eyes the pair standing before the YFCC. "I certainly would feel no guilt for crushing you under my heel."
That said, he glances to either side. His minions are nearby, his fists curled into tight balls, that dark purple and blue aura he carries with him everywhere slowly starting to form around his fists. His voice is cold, cool and collected as he lays down his terms - and when he's done, well, he takes another step forwards, as if to prepare to move past.
"This is your... final decision."
Bison knows his job right now--look menacing. And he manages, oh does he manage. Silent, but with rage building already, it's as if there's a dark red mist emanating from under the hood that seems to cast his entire face in shadow, save for the gleam of the teeth bared in a snarl, and the glitter of his dark, cruel eyes. Of course, Vega is doing the talking, as he should; Bison is the hired help.
He stands at Vega's left, the only sound from him harsh, deep breathing, rasping in the night air, and the creak of leather as he flexes his fingers--the leather of his boxing gloves responding by expressing their tension and stress. This pair of gloves...
Bison doesn't expect them to last the night. With his head hunched forward, his broad shoulders rising and falling with each breath, all he has to do to look menacing is to live. He is the dark promise of nearly uncontrollable violence--he's visited the YFCC once before, and fought K' there--he's not unknown to these walls. He almost wants to say something--but it's not his place. Not yet. When the violence begins... that's when he'll speak. With fists and with harsh words.
The holdouts in front of the Youth Center are observed with silence by the monsterous man standing with Vega. The bad news is - this trio of power out front is not the only force to be striking the YFCC at this time... All the same, it would be hard to argue that they weren't the largest menace in terms of combined threat however. The two defenders are stared at as powerful, tree-like arms fold in front of the titan among men. Were this a sanctioned fight, he would be interested in seeing them in action, in challenging himself against the styles of other renown combatants.
But this isn't a match. It's an invasion. And such thoughts have no place in this new world of Southtown violence. Get lost or get crushed - those are the options presented by the ever so generous Lord Vega. He expects resistance. But with just the two of them here, it might not even get interesting. Drawing up his arms, one leg bends at the knee, as the man assumes the beginnings of a ready stance. Vega's patience will run out fast. A battle seems inevitable now...
Maxima honestly doesn't give a damn about the fact that by defending the YFCC he is, essentially, defending Geese's holdings. Alma, Hotaru, and everyone else at the YFCC have been extraordinarily kind to Maxima and K', it might be the closest thing to having a home, and a family, that they've ever had. He's not about to just roll over and let some lunatic hopped-up on psycho power ruin all that.
He continues scanning the three Shadaloo fighters, categorizing possible weakness. Bad news: There aren't many, and combined with the fact that his ace in the hole is fashionably late, isn't going to make this easy at all. "Pretty generous of you..." Maxima mutters, while spreading his stance a little. He then adds, "You're in front of me, the Community Center is behind me. Do the math."
That probably seals the deal. His computer immediately goes into battle mode, lighting up the three targets in front of him with targeting reticles and combat data.
COMBATSYS: Maxima calculates his next move.
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sagat
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Vega
A frown grows on Marco's face as he listens to the words exchanged by the two fighters in front of him, causing his fu-manchu to droop sadly. "Nope. I guess they're not friends," the Kyokugen Instructor mutters darkly as he slides off of the trash can, his bowl of turtle soup still clutched in his meaty left hand for the time being. Squinting through the darkness at the darkly trio of Shadaloo elite, a glimmer of recognition fires in the Brazilian's brain. He's heard of these guys before... and they're pretty heavy dudes.
"That goes for me too," Marco rumbles as he lifts the bowl to his mouth and drains the rest of the oh so tasty soup. "Whatever you're plans are for this Community Center, they involve trying to go through us first," he adds as he flings the empty bowl at Vega's feet, splattering leftover soup all over as it clatters to the ground. Talking big comes easy to the Brazilian, but he can't help but wonder just how he got himself roped into defending the YFCC in the first place. OH RIGHT. Maxima. Thanks buddy.
COMBATSYS: Marco has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Marco 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Marco takes no action.
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Marco 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vega
By now, the sound of a small engine is probably audible. It sure SOUNDS like a motorcycle, one of those fibreglass and titanium racing jobbies, our old buddy Doppler turning the sound into something akin to a sewing machine with delusions of grandeur. If anything is absolutely certain, though, it's that the source of the noise is getting closer.
Really, really quickly.
So, as Maxima and Marco show their heroic defiance in the face of three of the most elite bad guys on the entire planet, some jackhole has to ruin the entire moment by racing onto the scene on a crotch rocket, skidding to a stop not overly far away in a squealing cacaphony of burning, protesting tires and kicked-up asphalt, putting down the kickstand before stepping off of the rather expensive looking deathtrap of a vehicle. The driver brushes a hand through his hair to get it out of his face, and - rather infuriatingly to most onlookers - his hair manages to fall back into exactly the right amount of intentional disarray.
The jackhole in question is, naturally, Kyo Kusanagi.
"What's up, assholes!" Kyo calls out cheerily, lifting a hand in greeting from where he stands /behind/ Vega and his two rather burly henchmen. The the Shadaloo dictator making no attempt to hide himself with disguises today, Kyo is able to identify Vega straight off - as if the cronies weren't a dead giveaway all on their own - and for a moment he wonders if he really /can/ predict the future.
Well, whatever.
"Hey, Larry and Curly. You two chuckleheads get lost while I'm feeling generous," Kyo directs to Sagat and Bison, having apparently forgotten or just generally neglected to acknowledge the presence of Maxima or Marco, whoever the latter is. "I need to have some words with Moe there. He owes me a Baconator."
And a /goddamn Frosty/.
COMBATSYS: Kyo focuses on his next action.
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Marco 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vega
All for one, and all to die. Fair enough. Vega is less than upset by this 'stunning' relevation. Instead, he simply offers them a shrug. His hands are brought up, that violent purple and blue aura of his twisted, dark soul comes to bear. "As you wish. If this is the case, prepare for your fight to be a short o-"
He hears the motorcycle before he sees it - but see it he does, his head craning away from Maxima and Marco, instead to focus on the newomer. Kusanagi. Of course, whenever there's a way to be annoying, the man seems to find it. Vega's ire already growing, it just extends all the more, refocusing on the target that has just made itself known to him. Oh, Vega does not like Kyo Kusanagi. He likes him so very little. Possibly more so for the fact that he's using a Three Stooges joke, a joke that Vega doesn't /get/.
"Words? I have precious few of them for you, Kusanagi. Bison, Sagat - choose your targets. This one is mine." With that, Vega rushes forwards, his hand coming up and around at a quick strike, attempting to grab the annoying man. If he can get his hands on Kyo, well.. he'll intoduce him to a Psycho-Powered throw, to chuck the man towards his 'compatriots'.
One gets the sense that Bison is flipping Kyo off, even though he hasn't pointed a hand at Kusanagi. No, wait--there it is. He's lifted a gloved hand to his mouth, pulled the laces loose, pulled the glove off... and there it is, a big black fist extending a big black middle finger, right at Kyo. Then, of course, Vega speaks, telling him and Sagat to choose their targets.
Bison isn't the kind of man to go 'yes boss', but this is exactly what he does... of course battles are fluid. Targets may be chosen and exchanged and flipped around. But for now... for the moment... Bison casts his gaze over Maxima and Marco. Doesn't know either of 'em. Both punks in his mind. Defying Shadaloo? That's about as smart as letting Balrog do some reconstructive surgery...
Bison looks over at the tall form of Sagat, then back to the opponents. He tugs his glove back on, flexing his fingers... then chooses. "You," he says, as he focuses in on Marco. The move is swift, surprisingly precise... it would be elegant if it weren't so violent, Bison crossing the 'arena' in a flash, feinting a right straight--but instead planting his right foot and firing a /left/ straight instead.
Sagat is patient. He wants Vega to succeed because in so doing, /he/ succeeds. But the actual work of getting there reminds him of why he broke away from Shadaloo in the first place over a year ago. A grumbling grunt escapes his lips at the words exchanged. The taunts, the provocations, the warnings and ultimatums... it wears on the giant fighter. He's ready to get this over with.
At last Vega gives the word to do so and Sagat lifts his hands, dropping the hood back off of his bald cranium. A black eyepatch angles across his face, a permanent reminder of fight from so long ago. Bison? He seems to have his pick already in mind as he charges forward, fists at the ready. That leaves the calmer man who was here to begin with. A single eye settles on the enhanced human being. "Heh." If anyone confuses Sagat's lack of depth perception as a reason to take him lightly, they'll be taught otherwise in extremely short order.
"Let's skip the math, shall we." He strides forward, his long limbs allowing him to span the distance between him and the NESTS experiment faster than one might expect from a man of his stature. And once he's close? He uses that style he has spent his life dedicated to mastering. Leading with a knee for Maxima's chest, the man will complete the rapid yet punishing kick by snapping his shin up into Maxima's temple. Performed swiftly and then retracted just as precisely, the man leaves almost no opening in his defenses in the process!
COMBATSYS: Maxima blocks Sagat's Medium Kick.
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Marco 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vega
Rotten kid, showing up late and making him worry. Still, the big Canadian has to breathe a little easier once Kyo does show up to challenge Vega, the guy Maxima was (and still is) most worried about. He figures this will lead to everyone pairing up, and thus keeps a close eye on both Sagat and Bison, waiting for one of them to make a move.
Even with his attention split between two fighters, the cyborg puts up an admirable defense against Sagat's attack, blocking the knee with one massive opened palm, and the shin with a deft raised forearm. The massive Canadian shudders a bit under the force of the blow, but otherwise doesn't budge; Sagat may be one of the few fighter taller than Maxima, but with a 183-pound weight advantage over the Emperor of Muay Thay he's not just going to be pushed around!
The arm he used to block the upper portion of Sagat's kick swiftly extends out towards Sagat's throat while he springs up off the ground to close the distance that was created by that freakishly long leg. He'll attempt to take Sagat a short distance up into the air with him before tossing him towards one of the craters that were created by the Shadaloo warriors rough landings.
COMBATSYS: Marco blocks M.Bison's Dash Straight.
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Marco 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vega
Raising his thickly muscled forearm in front of his face as what is the first of probably many punches to come from Bison flies straight toward his head, Marco manages to catch the brutal fist on his arm, though the force of the impact sends his bare feet skidding backward in across the pavement as he launches him backwards. "Damn," Marco replies simply, his mouth turned down in a slight frown as he marvels at the power in that simple punch. "This guy in the cape is your boss, huh?" Marco asks as he shakes his forearm methodically.
"So what are you his butler or something?" he adds with a wry grin. Taking a few quick steps to start his momentum in the boxer's direction, the Karate instructor then leaps into the air and extends his legs in front of him, sending the large Brazilian foot soaring straight at Bison's chest in the form of your standard karate kick meant to send the other black man stumbling back out onto the street from where they came.
COMBATSYS: Kyo fails to counter Psycho Fall from Vega with Nue Tsumi.
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Marco 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Vega
Did... Did Mike Bison just flip him off?
"Awww, did you learn that all by /yourself/?" Kyo wonders of the boxer, in full-on babytalk voice. "Good for you! Who's a big boy? You are! Yes, you are!" But alas, his ongoing stream of abuse and generally being a jackass is interrupted by the fact that he's gone and gotten himself ol' Vega's full attention, which is both good and bad.
While it's true, Vega puts the 'mega' back in 'megalomaniac', it's also true that the Psycho Powered dictator is no slouch in the interpersonal violence department. The psion rushes Kyo, who reaches out in an attempt to catch that incoming hand... Which unfortunately proves to put him in /exactly/ the wrong position, getting himself caught and thrown with the assistance of all that corrupted psychic energy. Kyo is unceremoniously tossed in the direction of Maxima and Macro, hitting the sidewalk and rolling to a halt at the doors of the YFCC, and for just a moment, the World Warrior stops, and frowns up at the sky.
But it's a bare half-heartbeat of a delay, before Kyo is back up on his feet again, dusting himself off. "Man, I almost felt that. Been eating your Wheaties? Or is the usual diet of babies and your own reprocessed urine?"
Hey, it's a fair question.
"I never expected you to be Howard's whipping boy, Kusanagi."
Oh, Vega will enjoy this /ever/ so much. Ever, ever so much. Standing tall, he watches his minions engage the enemy, brutish power and skill only momentarily blunted by stalwart defenses. Slowly, he begins to march towards Kyo, ignoring Maxima and Marco for the time being. Only for now, though.
Vega brings his hands up and around, the heavy arc of energy around his limbs focused, more concrete than before. He grins in a dark fashion, rictus grin of eager anticipation. He then presses forwards, a double-fisted axe-handle punch aimed at Kyo's neck, to knock him to the ground /again/ should it connect!
COMBATSYS: Sagat blocks Maxima's Blitz Cannon.
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Marco 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: M.Bison Toughs Out Marco's Ko-Sen Kyaku!
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Marco 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Vega
It's true. Bison does only two things well, and punching is the other one. The fist impacts against Marco's forearm, and the block repulses Bison a little--that is, it forces him to take a step back. That's fine, though, because it gives him, combined with the impact's effect on Marco, enough time to prepare for the return attack.
"Ain't it obvious, kid? I bust shit up for 'im. He's the boss. You ain't gonna find /no one/ that can do the shit he do." By the time these words have actually left Bison's mouth, Marco is, well, flying at him with a chi-charged kick to the chest. Bison's eyes flash, and...
He thrusts his body forward, taking the blow and blunting some of it--and leaving him free to act while Marco's still recovering. Bison acts quickly--grabbing for the still-airborne Marco, seeking to wrap him up with an arm--while rushing forward--to slam him bodily into a nearby light pole... and thereupon pummel the man's body with a few short, vicious punches.
His breath, hot and sour, smelling of whiskey and halitosis, washes over Marco. "You chose the wrong damn side!!"
Sagat's style, as brutal and punishing as it may be on those who find themselves on the receiving end of his kicks, is not without its defensive options. When Maxima surges forward, his vise-like hand gets a tight grip on the trunk-like throat of the Shadaloo employed fighter, but beyond a crushing hold, he won't get that chance to launch the towering man into the air as both of Sagat's arms are immediately put to use bashing Maxima's arm in order to free himself.
Still, the effort involved leaves him having to exhale afterward, having a better measure of the kind of fighter he's up against in the man. His kicks - the likes of which would powderize stone, didn't carge right through his chosen target as he would have anticipated. "Hmph," comes the grunt of acknowledgement, but he says nothing more. Beligerant shouting is Bison's job. Psychological warfare may be Vega's. He's just here to crush obsticles and move forward as intended. Even this show of crushing Geese's recently 'aquired' YFCC holds little luster for Sagat.
"You should have left." he mutters as he takes another step backward, dropping his exceptional height down to a surprisingly low crouch, demonstrating flexibility to go along with that stature of his. "Abandon searching for hope. There is none to be found in Southtown." A surge of violently bright, orange chi courses over his limbs as his arms are drawn back out to his side, his teeth gritted. "But you continue to defy reason and stay all the same..."
He slams his fists forward, calling upon that spirit the clawed beast that has at times lain dormant within. "So be destroyed!!" The blast that pours off his arms is a surge of fire-like chi burning through the distance between him and Maxima, ripping just over the ground as his attacks against the cybernetically enhanced man take a different direction.
COMBATSYS: Maxima endures Sagat's Low Tiger Shot.
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Marco 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: M.Bison successfully hits Marco with Improvised Grapple.
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Marco 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Kyo effortlessly blocks Vega's Medium Punch.
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Marco 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Vega
Marco's mighty kyokugen jumpkick does about as much to Bison as a small girl punching a fully grown man. Even worse, the Kyokugen Bear is plucked out of the air before he can recover from his kick and he is slammed bodily into a light pole, bending the structure backwards about 15 degrees. Worse still, the boxer tenderizes the burly Kyokugenite with a few quick, yet painful punches. Bust shit up for him? Yeah. It's starting to become obvious.
"Hnng..." Marco replies as logically as he can to Mike's question. Reaching toward the American's dark hoodie with his right hand just as Bison finishes with him, Marco swings his thick Kyokugen head forward to try and catch the boxer with his own patented Kyokugen Headbutt. No, it is not incidental. The judges shall deduct a point from Marco's score card.
As soon as he lands on the ground, Maxima charges straight ahead, massive boots churning up the already-ruined asphalt as he barrels towards Sagat in an attempt to close the distance before his opponent can get off another attack. The emperor of muay thai proves to be a little quicker, and gets off his Tiger Shot technique a few meters before Maxima reaches him.
The projectile washes over the cyborg's shins, blasting a hole in those gaudy leather pants to reveal that he is actually made out of RAW BACON! No wait, it's some kind of metal alloy. The attack is sufficiently powerful enough to cause Maxima's determined charge turn into an awkward stumble. When you weigh close to a half a ton, graceful balancing isn't exactly your strong suit, so Maxima has to change his angle of attack.
Instead of stumbling right into what is sure to be another nasty kick, he suddenly activates the compressed-air vents in his feet, sending him rocketing into the air with an accompanying cloud of debris. "BUNKAAAAAAAAAAAH...." The boost takes him a hundred feet into the sky, and at the apex of his jump he tucks himself into a tight ball, becoming a living cannonball as gravity takes effect, sending him spinning downwards at terminal velocity, hopefully right on Sagat's big chrome dome. "BUSTAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Man, I couldn't give less of a damn," Kyo says, with a shrug, on the whole 'Geese Howard' front. "But this little impromptu invasion interrupted my dinner, and you and the rest of the Teen Girl Squad just happened to be the first batch of suckers I ran across." It's not... Entirely true, but it suits Kyo well enough. Fact is, innocent people will get hurt if NESTSaloo has their way, and though he won't admit it aloud, that bothers the Kusanagi heir.
The megalomaniac's evil grin is met with a dubious look from the World Warrior champ, who just brings up a hand and /stops/ that axe-handle strike dead. It hurts, sure, stinging up along Kyo's arm and burning a bit with that tainted Psycho Power, but Kyo doesn't look particularly inconvenienced. "Save the gentle caresses for the afterparty with your girlfriends, Britney," Kyo chides Vega in response, before lashing out in turn, with frightening speed.
Kyo's free hand swings for Vega's face, flames trailing behind the motion of his fist, a small explosion set to erupt forth at the point of impact; if he can manage to land that first strike, then his next move is to step in, swinging his other fist /up/ in a short, fiery uppercut, putting a little space between himself and the crazy dictator man... Just long enough for him to shove his foot into Vega's face. "Hua-!!"
COMBATSYS: Kyo successfully hits Vega with Aragami.
> Determined Hit! <
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Marco 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: M.Bison fails to interrupt Kyokugen Zu-Tsuki from Marco with Uppercut Punch.
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Sagat interrupts Bunker Buster from Maxima with Tiger Crush EX.
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Vega
"So you work for him as a tool, because you have nothing better to do? At least Kane gets paid." Vega rashly speaks, his voice angry, his tone fierce. Rigid posture as his hands batter at Kyo's arms, blunted strike still having the force of Vega's will behind it. That's ... something, at least.
He's overcommited to the attack, though - instead of being able to easily eel out of the way of Kyo's quick attack, Vega finds himself on the receiving end of it, Kusanagi flames batter and blaze around him, knocking him a foot away - far enough that Kyo's own foot can get good purchase in his face. "Hnn!"
Two steps back, staggered - and that's all. Vega recovers amazingly quickly, the Shadaloo Head brushing off what must have seriously hurt, with little more than a grunt. "If that's all you have to bring to this debacle, Kusanagi, you'd best leave to your meal now - or your last one will be unfufilled." With that, Vega lurches back forwards, already blazing bright with power, throwing himself towards Kyo with fists outstretched. Around him, a haze of power so bright as to light the street. "PSYCHO... CRUSHAAA!"
Every time Bison fight someone... he underestimates them. In this case, he pays for it; his already ugly mug is crushed by Marco's headbutt, causing the big boxer to stumble back, his response forgotten. Of course, the combination of pain /and/ injury... well... what do you expect?
It pisses him off. He reaches up, touching his split lower lip, and his lips curl. It's a smile, but an ugly one, and smiles are only another way of baring one's teeth. "Huh. Heheheh... aight kid... so you got somethin'... good. I was 'bout to get bored. What's that you do? Some pussyass karate?" Yeah, he at leat recognizes other fighting styles! Way To Go, Bison!
"Sheeit... you gotta learn a real fightin' style... that crap is just for pansy-asses. That what you are? A pansy-ass?" Nevermind that Takuma could, likely, beat the hell out of Bison... it's not like his mind works like that, anyways. He's just trying to rile Marco up. It isn't some tactical thing... it's just.. the way he is. Crude, rude, and not particularly witty.
His warning issued, Sagat draws his arms back, risidual chi flaring from off his forearms as the powerful attack finishes running its course. Already his fists clench, his legs tensing, as he readies for what retaliation Maxima may be looking to bring to bear. "Hm..." Maxima is not going to be deterred by talk. So be it. He feels nothing for them. If they are no going to get out of the way of the encrouching doom, they have chosen their fate.
Expecting a direct attack, the powerful man turns to the side, ready to put his shoulder into Maxima's counter offensive before launching into one of his more devasating techniques... But as Maxima takes to the air, Sagat is forced to adjust, lifting his face to the night sky to observe the trajectory. So then. It is to be a collision of force. Just his kind of fight.
He goes low, tensing his body as the human comet comes crashing down into his upper back and left shoulder. It goes as planned and though the damage soaked as a result is intense, he has weathered worse. "TIGER!" the titan roars, throwing his body into a counter attack, driving his right knee up into Maxima's face before the other can hope to recover from his high speed landing. The upward momentum is followed by his left knee in almost the same course, for a second, crushing blow before Sagat will come to land a few yards later.
Smoke rises up from the charred portion of his black sweatshirt. Clawing his fingers into the fabric, he removes the ruined garmet all together, casting it aside before turning back around to face Maxima, returning swiftly to his ready position. No mercy is to be found in his expression. Reserved as his tone may be, the champion fighter is not going to be holding back in the slightest.
COMBATSYS: Vega knocks away Kyo with Psycho Crusher!
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Vega
Maxima gets batted back up into the air like a pinball, but manages to regain his bearings and flip himself around so that he lands in a three-point stance,some distance away from his foe. He has really got to find out why everyone feels so compelled to charge straight at him when he's careening towards them like a goddamn human meteor.
His focus on Sagat is momentarily broken when the energy from Vega's Psycho Crusher bathes the battlefield in indigo light. He only watches for a moment, to see Kyo get nailed, before turning back to Sagat, trying to get his head back in the fight even as his computer flashes a discouragingly-low "Probability of victory" statistic on his HUD. Perhaps a contingency plan is in order here...
COMBATSYS: Maxima calculates his next move.
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Vega
Wiping the blood of his forehead with the sleeve of his brown gi, Marco makes a mental note to burn it afterwards. There's no telling what diseases Bison has collected all of these years. "My style is Kyokugen Karate. I think you were thinking of Todoh-ryuu Kobojutsu," the Kyokugen Bear replies with a satisfied grin. "And what sort of 'real' fighting style did you have in mind? Boxing?" Marco asks as he lunges toward Bison with greater speed than his burly form would suggest.
"Sorry, but I can use my feet for more than just walking." Dropping into a slide as the Brazilian nears the his northern cousin, Marco attempts to grab the boxer around the ankle and twist him to the ground, if he's able to topple the top heavy fighter over, the Karate instructor will finish off the throw by lifting his large foot into the air and dropping his heel on Bison's ugly mug.
This can't end well.
Sure, Kyo feels pretty okay about getting some solid hits in on Vega there, but what he wasn't anticipating was the Shadaloo dictator's followup. As the madman glows with that evil psionic energy, the Kusanagi heir pulls back - slowed, unfortunately, because he was similarly overcommited to his own attack - and tries to get his arms in the way, to deflect the brunt of the incoming pain and general not-goodness, but Vega simply blasts right through Kyo's guard, impacting with the former SNF champion and sending him flying back int--Okay, /through/ the doors of the YFCC. Any chaos going on within is pretty much a secondary concern to the Kusanagi heir at /best/ by now, because, uh.
Ow.
For a long moment, there's no response from Kyo whatsoever, and it seems like maybe Vega was able to defeat him with that powerful attack; until, that is, the shattered glass from Kyo's flight through the front doors begins to rattle, and a sudden burst of flame swells up, power radiating out from it as Kyo pushes himself up into a crouch, and then to his feet, enveloped in a raging torrent of the sacred Kusanagi flames.
"Well," says Kyo, his voice a bit strained at the moment. "Since the alternative is letting /you/ do whatever you want, I guess so. How 'bout that, huh? You're just such a complete douche that I'd rather work 'with' Geese Howard than just step out of your way. I mean, come on, you're attacking a /community center/. For /kids/. Don't you have any pride at all? You're like a bunch of retarded A-Team villains."
COMBATSYS: Kyo gathers his will.
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Sagat
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Kyo 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Vega
Will he /ever/ shut up?
Of course not. Kyo Kusanagi would never, never shut up. Vega knows this - he's been through it before, and more than likely, he'll be through it /again/. There's a certain frustration, weariness as Vega begins to walk past the other four combatants. He's beyond them, now. He's only interested in Kusanagi, lapdog to Geese Howard. And irritatingly, frustratingly, annoying.
"Then I'm sure he'll pay you well in the end. Or not, since after I crush you and this place, he's next." No more talk, no matter how much Kyo tries to bait Vega into speaking. No, this time he just meets power with power. He throws himself forwards, his hands going for Kyo's legs, to lift him up and throw him down and away, further into the YFCC. This has gone on long, long enough. Vega does not care for it any longer, no, no he does not.
COMBATSYS: M.Bison blocks Marco's Improvised Grapple.
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Marco 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Sagat
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Kyo 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Vega
Oh, he gets grabbed, and toppled. But Bison rolls with the impact, and when he's in position to be stomped, Marco instead finds his foot impacting one of Bison's gloved hands. "Uh-uh. All that crap's for pansies," he replies, contemptously shoving Marco's foot away. That foot smells like blue cheese, what the hell, Marco.
"AIN'T NOTHIN' MANLY ABOUT IT!!" Unlike Bison, of course, who is ALL MAN, ALL THE TIME, BABY. And he intends to prove it, of course, as he's immediately on Marco, fighting just like the bison that is his namesake, charging almost head first.
In fact, that's what he's ultimately attempting--as he rushes Marco down, he jabs with his right hand, then swings his left--elbow, that is--straight for Marco's temple, and finally, he does his own headbutt, shouting some wordless, roaring, angry sound. This is the height of Bison's eloquence--enjoy it. At least it's mostly televisable even without a seven-second delay. That's pretty rare.
By the time Maxima has collected himself, Sagat is ready to kick him again the moment he getsback into range of his formidable range. But the half-man holds back, recalibrating his equations, no doubt figuring alternative vectors of attack. Forming a strategy to contend with the three monsters that have come to crash this center. The words being bantied about mean nothing to him now. Deaf to Kyo's observation about the nature of this strike and indifferent to the plight of anyone that is to be found on the inside once this wall of defense is broken.
But it is a /youth/ center. There might still be children inside. There is no glory in that, no victory should they be harmed in the crossfire. Even if they aren't of his native homeland, there are still limits the titan is willing to go to in furthering Vega's goals. He falters for a moment, holding his ground, mouth curled into a deep scowl. No. He committed himself to this. He'll see it through to the end.
"We're not here for the children. You should evacuate them before we claim this building as our own." Hands tighten, body tensing into a more defensive posture. Energy begins to build around him - invisible but sensed all the same by anyone able to do so. He can't lose his will now. Not with the stakes Vega has put on the line.
COMBATSYS: Sagat gathers his will.
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Sagat
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Kyo 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Kyo interrupts Strong Throw from Vega with 182 Shiki.
*KNOCKED AWAY*
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Sagat
[ \\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kyo 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Kyo can no longer fight.
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Marco 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Marco fails to counter Fierce Punch from M.Bison with Gedan Harai.
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Marco 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
"Who said anything about getting paid?" Kyo wonders, dubiously. He's barely standing, as it is, having taken a vicious strike from Vega already. "Saving a bunch of kids from you and the Pedobear Twins," the World Warrior continues, positively brimming with mock sincerity, "is payment enough." Look how falsely earnest he looks right now! He could bottle that sarcasm and sell it, probably make a mint.
Of course, Vega's just... Not that chatty.
It's clear to Kyo that he's bitten off a bit more than he can chew tonight, but it's not like he's going to lie down and die. As Vega grabs for him, Kyo twists backwards, gathering circular momentum; chi whirls around him, tracing a circle on the ground, and even as the mad dictator of Shadaloo snatches Kyo by the legs, the World Warrior champion springs forward out of his odd stance, colliding full-on with Vega fist-first, a thunderous explosion of sacred Kusanagi flames erupting right against the twisted psychic's face.
The ensuing blast likely sends both of them flying in opposite directions, Kyo speeded on by the abortive attempt by Vega to throw him that way in the first place; the difference is, this time, Kyo doesn't get back up, vanishing into the interior.
Looks like Maxima and Marco might be in a bit of a... Situation.
Commence the staredown: EYEPATCH VS. SIDEBURN. WHO WILL SURVIVE?
Maxima cracks a little smirk at Sagat's suggestion, "Yeah? There isn't too many places for those kids to go now that you and your pals have turned this town into a warzone, buddy. I think we'll take our chances." His eyes narrow at the Muay Thai fighter, and inside, his onboard computer works itself into overdrive trying to find some kind of weakness, or even just a small opening, in Sagat's defenses. The eruption of power that is Kyo Kusanagi's 182 Shiki technique might as well be a starting gun for the cyborg; it's unlikely that Sagat's going to be distracted by Kyo going off like a nuclear bomb, but it can't hurt.
Maxima engages the compressed air boosters in his legs again, this time modulating the thrust so that he cruises just off the ground, once again hurling himself directly at Sagat, regardless of the the possible consequences. He just needs to get close enough to put his hands on this tall sucker...
A slight smirk plays on Marco's lips as Bison charges at him. All according to plan! The large Brazilian crouches slightly as first punch closes in on his face; the karate instructor is ready to deflect the blow and counterattack when... "GEESE?!" Marco bellows as his ears pick up Howard's name bandied about for the first time in the fight when he wasn't busy getting to know a light post. The jab tags him right in the melon, then the elbow to his temple, and finally Bison's own brutal headbutt sends Marco crashing to the ground.
"What..." Marco groans as he rolls into a crouch. "What the hell is going on here Maxima?" he growls, the savage pain in his head not helping his temper any. "Did you TRICK me into fighting for that bastard?!" Marco bellows in Maxima's direction as he grapples with the huge man in the eyepatch. "I'm sittin here getting my ASS kicked in on Howard's behalf while these guys aren't even here for the kids? Do you have any idea what Geese has done to the Sakazaki family?! To my dojo?!" Rodriguez roars, seething with rage. A new red targeting reticle MAY have just appeared on Maxima's visual scanner.
COMBATSYS: Sagat auto-guards Maxima's Maxima Lift!
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Marco 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
In this brief reprieve to contemplate and observe, Sagat experiences a moment of absolute clarity. Vega and Kyo clash in an explosive exchange that leaves the defenders down one man even if the Lord of Shadaloo took his lumps in the process. Bison and Marco collide and in the end it seems that at last words have gotten through to at least one of the men trying to hold their ground here. The defenses are falling apart, the center will fall, victory is assured at this point. From a position this deep in the city, their assault on Geese's stronghold will be much easier to accomplish...
His one eye shifts back toward Maxima as the man, having had a chance to decide on his next course of action, charges forward. The moment Sagat acts, he moves as a blur of motion, shifting his consirable mass faster than anyone would likely expect as he reaches out for the Muay Thai fighter. Both of Sagat's arms crash down to knock Maxima's hands aside, leaving himself completely unharmed...
And in one continuous motion, both taped hands go for Maxima's shoulders, seeking to land a punishingly strong grip there, before bringing his right knee up into the other's chest. If he succeeds, he follows with his left knee. Then his right again. Then finishes with a roundhouse kick to drive the partially metal man backward. "By now you have to know exactly what your chances are!" His voice a tiger's roar.
"HEY, PANSY! WHERE YOU LOOKIN'! I'M RIGHT HERE!!!" That is Bison's roar, and while it isn't as majestic as a tiger's roar, it is quite loud enough. The YFCC has to know that forces are coming in from outside, now. Marco is... well, Marco is looking away. He might be angry at Maxima, it's true, feeling tricked and betrayed. But Bison doesn't give a good god damn.
The Raging Buffalo /has/ his target and he intends to smash it. The big man turns away, winding his body like a spring, and then the unleashes all that power, lunging for Marco, his right arm still coiled, that massive limb extending in a rushing straight punch aimed for Marco's head.
"YOU GONNA EAT IT NOW! HAHAHAH! FINAL!!!!!!" Okay, not really /final/, but if it hits, it could be final enough to take Marco out of this fight. And that's what Bison's been paid to do. He may be stupid, but he's not a dweeb; he works for /money/, not prestige or fame or infamy or anything lke that.
COMBATSYS: Marco blocks M.Bison's Turn Punch Final.
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Marco 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Maxima with Tiger Rage.
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Marco 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|=======\====---\1 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
Oof. That's a long combo. There's a series of loud clanging noises as Sagat tunes Maxima up with his knees, the final blow sending Maxima spiraling backwards and into the side of an abandoned car. The vehicle is completely totaled, turning it into a nice recliner seat for the big cyborg. "Guh..." Yeah. Definitely time for that contingency plan.
If things weren't bad enough, Marco picks NOW of all times to voice his displeasure in the fact that he is defending, even in the most indirect fashion, for Geese Howard. Even more unbelievable is that he for some reason is actually listening to what the Shadaloo soldiers have to say. They don't exactly ooze trustworthyness. So here we have a rare moment of Maxima actually pissed off: he pivots his head towards the Kyokugen teacher and barks with uncharacteristic anger, "RODRIGUEZ!! FOCUS! We don't have time for this! Get the Kusanagi kid, we're getting out of here!" Maxima isn't a fool, and he knows when it's time to regroup and make a tactical retreat, especially when not doing so could be deadly, and even then there are fates worse than death: Marco could get captured and made into a Doll, for instance.
All he can hope for is that they, along with the fighters inside the YFCC, have stalled the combined NESTS/Shadaloo assault for long enough for everyone to escape. Now he just needs an exit strategy... and he thinks he sees one, about a hundred feet up in the air. "MARCO! THE PLANE!" he calls out, hoping to have a little extra firepower here. Regardless of the Kyokugen fighter's decision, he goes ahead and places a hand on either side of his jacket, spreading it open Superman-style, not that a thin layer of leather could stop what he has planned: The armor plating around his chest blossom open, revealing the LARGE HADRON COLLIDER. <mx-II final cannon online> chirps his computer's AI while he slides his targeting reticle over the hovering Shadaloo VTOL craft. <3...2...1>
A wide beam of crackling, pure energy spews forth from Maxima's chest and lances the VTOL through it's engine section, resulting in a hellish explosion. The ship groans and shudders, starting to dip in the sky down towards the street in front of the YFCC as it loses power and stability. Hoping that it nails Sagat and Bison, who are located conveniently underneath the craft, and nothing else, may be wistful thinking, but it's a risk he's willing to take. Hopefully Marco pitches in to make the drop happen all that much quicker. In any event the cyber-canuck is hightailing it out of there as fast as his godforsaken metal body can take him.
Okay. Who is trying to compete with Marco's roaring. Right. The boxer. Cocking his head back toward Bison, the Kyokugen Fighter's rage is forced to be put on pause for a moment as the huge boxing glove threatens to fill his vision yet again. "Not again dammit," the Bear growls as he throws an elbow in the way of the punch, deflecting it, but not without a jarring shot of pain up his arm. Screw buffalo, that man hits like a truck.
Spinning back towards Maxima, the true focus of his anger at this point, Marco's face contorts into a scowl as orders are shouted his way. "...FINE!" Marco replies after giving the situation some thought. He really doesn't like the situation that he's been put in right now, but this doesn't really seem like the time to resolve it. Maxima is right about one thing, it's time to get out of here, the YCFF be damned. If the kids want some place to hang out and learn to fight the Kyokugen Dojo is right outside the city!
Dashing back toward the YFCC entrance, Marco scoops up the Kusanagi kid and throws him over his shoulder.
"WAIT WHAT PLANE?" Marco shouts just as Maxima unleashes a HUGE laser beam from his chest. "Oh... THAT plane!" The VTOL starts to list and fall towards the fighters, but it still seems that there is power yet in the engines as it struggles to stay aloft. "Damn... it's going to hit the building!" Marco yells into the wind as the plane jilts and shudders through the air. Sighing as he BRIEFLY considers how many new students he could get if the YFCC was destroyed, the Kyokugen Instructor drops Kyo to the ground like a sack of turtles (for soup).
"HAAAAAAOH..." Marco intones as he draws forth a huge amount of chi. "SHOOOOOKOOKEN!" he bellows, throwing his hands to the heavens and launching a humungous ball of chi, easily larger than the man launching the attack himself, nearly straight upward on an impact course with the falling aircraft. "Please don't miss!" Marco whispers breathlessly as he scoops up the Scion of Flame and takes off running after Maxima as fast as his thickly muscled legs can carry him, with Kyo flopping on his shoulder like a drunken prom date. Luckily for Marco and the rest of the people that still might be in the YFCC, the huge Haoh Sho Ko Ken smashes in to the VTOL's other set of engines with a huge explosion of shrapnel and flame and the aircraft falls from the sky like the giant metal rock that it now is.
COMBATSYS: Maxima successfully hits Sagat with MX-II Final Cannon.
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Marco 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 M.Bison
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Maxima 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: M.Bison fails to interrupt Haoh Sho Ko Ken from Marco with Gigaton Blow+.
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Marco 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 M.Bison
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
Khushnood Butt says, "Rufus has way more style than Chang."
The defense is undone. The men have stalled effectively. Perhaps the youth center is empty now and the occupation can complete without any more useless battle. Sagat draws his leg back, slamming his foot to the ground. He doesn't pursue Maxima futher. If Vega orders him to do such, then he would do so to the best of his ability. But the tall fighter isn't enjoying this nearly as much as the ruthless boxer along for the run.
He is silent as Maxima begins to recalibrate his plans according to this rapidly evolving catastrophy. The Kyokugen instructor receives merely a brief, one-eyed glance as he too seems to have to struggle with what side he really is on in this entire mess. It's a decision many will have to make in the days ahead, as the truth behind Geese Howard becomes more and more public. Those who fight against the occupation force will have to chose their priorities carefully... Protect the city alongside the likes of the Southtown Syndicate or let it fall to the occupying forces of NESTS and Shadaloo.
As Maxima opens his chest-cannon, Sagat braces, preparing his defenses to ward off what he anticipates to be coming next. He anticipates wrong as the blast goes up at an angle instead of toward him. In the next instant the Muay Thai fighter finds the airborn vehicle becoming decidedly /less/ so as it descends out of the sky. An attempt is made to leap free before the crash but when the explosion detonates, he and Bison are among those caught in the conflagaration.
It takes several seconds before the man punches and kicks his way free of the burning, twisted metal, harmed some but not downed. With the trio of defiance gone, however, his work seems done for now. A slow, grumbling exhale is his only acknowledgement. Vega will likely be heading inside shortly... The dictator claiming his first triumph.
COMBATSYS: Sagat takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Marco 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 M.Bison
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Maxima 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Sagat has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Marco 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 M.Bison
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Maxima 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Maxima has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Marco 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 M.Bison
> ////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Vega
The plane! Shit! Vega /hates/ replacing those things. They're goddamn expensive and impossible to fix. Unfortunately, even if he were to have gotten to the VTOL in time to save 'his' engine, Sagat's engine would have blown... so it's a moot point, though he tries anyways. Unfortunately, Bison is not faster than chi--he gets to the engine just a fraction of a second after the Haoh Sho Ko Ken impacts it.
The ensuing explosion hurls Bison back to the concrete, where he lands with a loud THUD--breaking the concrete. His eyes widen as he sees a large, jagged-edged chunk of fuselage spinning down at him, moving almost lazily, like a leaf in a gentle summer breeze.
Bison has no interest in finding out just how heavy that piece of metal is, so he starts rolling, then pushes to his feet, just in time to see Maxima and Marco beat their retreat. He shouts something, but it's not audible above the sounds of explosions, klaxons, and the like. Bison looks at Sagat and grins a wolfish grin.
"Time to see what the pirzes are, buddyboy," the black man says, striding forward, aiming to get into the gates, past them. Hell. He don't know why this building's so goddamn important, but they won, right? And there are always spoils for the winners.
"Fair enough." Vega watches, rather dispassionate as his VTOL is destroyed. He pulls himself from the crater that he'd been forced into, the result of Kyo Kusanagi's rather intense interruption. However, he still stands, and while he may be battered and bruised, he's gotten that which he wants at the moment. For now, that anger is sated. For now, he can be magnanimous.
"Sagat. See that any inside that wish it are given safe passage out. If they struggle or fight, take them down and then throw them out. The locale is what I desire, the symbol all I need this evening." With that, Vega throws wide the door - entering the formerly impassible doors, the defenders scattered and the night rapidly closing in on any and all within. In the end, this has been a good night...
Log created on 20:50:24 02/20/2009 by Vega, and last modified on 02:46:05 02/25/2009.