Description: While the studio proper is overrun, between both forcing out the enemy and attempting to gain entry, someone needs to help protect and usher out the people within. International vigilante of justice / pop star finds herself in the rather unfortunate position of providing a wall of defense for the workers within the the News Studio's crew lounge as they make a panicked exit. The only way into that lounge through conventional means? Through the prop room, that Athena has so valiantly taken up as her proverbial line-in-the-sand. And who must the tiny but brave Athena provide a wall against? ... The mountain of muscle, the former Emperor of Muay Thai, Sagat, and his companion, the Doll Aprile. The odds are overwhelming, even for a defiant young woman like Athena... but perhaps, just perhaps, she is not alone...?!
BREAKING NEWS: The news is under siege!
More specifically, the studios of Southtown Broadcasting Company has come under the vicious assault of the combined forces of NESTS and Shadaloo in one of many concentrated attacks on Howard Enterprises-owned businesses across the city. While violence reigns throughout the city, the most prominent pillars of billowing smoke come from the immense broadcasting studio -- and with the fabled (and fabulous) Turk Gridiron's broadcast so publically interrupted, the most well-known source of chaos in the city.
Of course, it's not just the life of Turk Gridiron that is at stake here today (though he might as well be the most important one, let's be honest). The crews of the Southtown News Network have desperately been scrambling to make their escape from the building proper, desperately rushing from the crew room to the nearest exit. But any thoughts of escape are dashed in a single moment at the sound of one single, deafening boom. The source?
A room away from the crew area, the doors of the prop room blow apart with the force of a singularly mighty strike. The light from the outside hallway is blotted out by the figure that stands just outside the frame, so tall that he must duck down simply to enter the room proper. The massive man's bandaged hands curl into fists; a cycloptic gaze focuses on the doors beyond leading to the crew room. The mountain of a man frowns as he steps inward.
"Hrnnn. This is pathetic," Sagat, the former Emperor of Muay Thai declares. Distantly, he looks behind him towards his accompanying 'comrade' with an expression of mild contempt.
"... Let's get this over with."
And all while Sagat blasts his way through the studio, driving forward and deeper into the building, there's a far smaller and much more waif figure following the man. Silent and merely observing, the Fifth Doll seems far out of place with the medic rut sack on her back and a med kit held in hand. Even more out of place is the slight smile that hangs off Aprile's lips--if anything, the woman seems almost as if she's enjoying herself.
"Sir," the woman pipes up from behind the proverbial mountain of meat, going so far as to daintily step around from behind Sagat and stand at his side. "We've made considerable headway thus far." Looking forward, she observes with a distant gaze the chaos through the dim haze of drywall dust hanging in the air. "Lord Vega will be pleased. Your might is, as always, fearsome and impressive."
Stepping forward with a shockingly polite and friendly smile on her face, the waif Doll lifts her gloved hands and claps them a few times, attempting to flee the studio any way they can.
"Ah. Ahh, excuse me? Excuse me, everyone," she offers, still grinning. "If you would all please not make such a mess. We're trying to occupy the premises, and this has become a hostage situation, so." She shrugs. "If you don't comply, we'll be forced to take more excessive, potentially lethal measures. Thank you." The Doll bows at the waist.
Cloistered away in the prop room that's the only space left between Sagat, his companion, and the crew room in which people are still trying to evacuate, Athena grits her teeth and checks behind her yet again with her senses to try to gauge how many are still within. The young singer's been rushing all over town ever since the attacks started, trying to lend help wherever her senses told her she might be needed most, but now she's starting to think she might have gotten herself into something she can't handle by herself.
Again, the girl glances behind her, planning an escape route through the crew room... if the invaders just outside even let her leave. She'll hold them off long enough for the crew to get out, then try to get out herself. Whatever fear she might be feeling, however, has to take a back seat to sheer necessity right now. She can feel them standing just outside. The doors won't be long for this world--
When Sagat and Aprile step within, it'll be to find a very unlikely-looking defender. A slight girl, not even half Sagat's size, stands barring the way to the crew room, her violet eyes narrowed up at the two intruders. "I won't be allowing you to take any hostages here," she declares in her clear, calm voice, psionic power already flickering brightly around her wrists. "Nor will I be letting you take your 'excessive measures.' I'll only warn you once."
Sagat doesn't even look back towards Aprile as she addresses him; he grunts once in response, his single, coldly angry eye staring forward. When she continues to speak, he frowns. 'Lord Vega will be pleased,' she says.
"... Stop talking," is Sagat's simple response.
Lumbering forward, Sagat only pauses roughly halfway through the prop room. As Aprile claps her hands and begins to bow, the former Emperor holds up a single, thick hand, as if gesturing for her to stop. The reason should soon become clear: they have a slight impediment. Sagat looks down slowly. A girl. A little girl standing between him and the other room, between him and those civilians. He knows who it is; he knows her power. But in this situation... she doesn't have a chance. In another life, he might feel pity. Now, he just feels disgust.
"Girl," Sagat grates out unpleasantly, "there is a line between bravery and stupidity." Now would be the time for speaches, or gloating. But... none come. The giant man's hands unflex as he takes a single step forward, staring straight down at the lone defender.
It is then that his right leg snaps /out/ with phenomenal force and speed, aiming to drive a snap kick into the side of Athena's head to, quite simply, /bat/ her out of the way, like some sort of angry tiger.
"Getting in my way is the latter."
COMBATSYS: Sagat has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Invader2 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Zach
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Aprile has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Invader2 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Aprile
> ///////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\0 Zach
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Athena has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Athena 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Aprile
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Invader2 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Zach
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Sagat
Though told to stop speaking by her 'superior,' the Fifth Doll just offers the faintest of chuckles and shrugs her shoulders in response. She's busy trying to negotiate with the 'hostages,' after all, and that is a feat of sorts. They're so scared and fearful and--
"Huh?" Blinking once, Aprile notes the hand lifted her way. A moment after her green eyes blink again, drifting beyond the mountain of Muay Thai meat and muscle. Beyond the Emperor stands...a girl? But not just any girl--that air about her, the power within her. It's--
"Um, please miss," the Doll offers, tipping her head forward a touch as she peers up at the girl from the tops of her eyes. "Don't get in mister Sagat's way. He's quite a force to be reckoned with- -you're only going to get hur--"
Too late. Sagat attacks.
"Well, I warned," Aprile sighs. Leaving Sagat to handle Athena, the Fifth Doll turns her attentions back onto the frightened studio workers, lips twitching a bit and offering an out of place grin. "Let that be a warning to you all, okay? Now if you please just follow orders, we'll all get out of this in one piece. Understood?"
COMBATSYS: Aprile takes no action.
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Athena 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Aprile
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Invader2 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Zach
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Athena blocks Sagat's Light Kick.
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Athena 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Aprile
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Invader2 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Zach
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Sagat
Athena just looks steadily up at Sagat. Whatever she's really feeling beneath that tranquil, calm surface, externally she displays no sign of trepidation or fear. "There is no line," she disagrees, her stance opening and strengthening into a fighting stance even as Sagat steps forward. "Not in this situation." Even if it is stupid, even if it is foolish... it's what must be done. And it's the brave thing to do: Athena won't stop believing that.
Perhaps, by Aprile's manner of speaking, she expected the girl to simply be flattened. Even a young woman of her talents couldn't possibly stand up against the Emperor of Muay Thai, could she? Her best bet would just be to get out of the way and hope he isn't angry enough to follow--
--except she doesn't move. Instead, she -catches- the kick in her dimunitive hands, her entire small frame shaken and driven to one side by the force... but the girl herself remaining largely unharmed beyond the initial shock. "Keep evacuating!" she snaps at the workers without bothering to turn her head, her grasp still latched down on Sagat with surprising tenacity.
Quickly, the grip turns into something else. The girl's grasp nails down, her stance opening and twisting, as all that psionic power translates down into her hands to first deliver a potent psionic shock... and then, to assist her in her attempted -throw- of the Emperor back towards the door through which he came.
Off to one side, a pile of assorted costume parts shuffle, then are still. Shuffle. Shuffle.
\ t A voice boom throughout the prop room, echoing and sourceless. "What manner of person sinks so low as to attack a news station?" Slowly, the pile rises, taking a vaguely humanoid form. It's hard to see who exactly it is underneath the heap of miscellaneous items, including but not limited to a feather boa, a fur coat, and a comically large cowboy hat. Who can this mysterious person be?
The voice continues, "Striking at the source of truth, cutting off the voice the people need to hear...even lowly creatures like this...this /schoolgirl/," and the word is said with surprising venom, "know that such a thing cannot be forgiven."
The mound shambles forward, bringing a pale white opera mask into sharp focus. "For all the people of this station...and most of all, for Turk Gridiron, man among men, hero among newscasters, I will see to it that your foul advance is halted!"
Then Dr. Tran leaps out from behind a rack of assorted suits on the other side of the room to deliver a wicked jumpkick to what he is desperately hoping is the back of Aprile's head and not, say, the front of it. Mostly because if his diversion didn't work then that five bucks he paid to get that intern to do his thing was a /complete waste./
COMBATSYS: Tran has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Tran 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Aprile
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Athena 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Sagat with Super Psychic Throw.
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Tran 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Aprile
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Athena 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Sagat
There's no response from Sagat as he drives his leg forward; there's nothing more than a condescending sort of distaste in his features for Athena's words. When she catches the blow, it's not entirely unexpected, either. Athena Asamiya is hardly an unknown, especially those forced to listen to Vega's screeching monologues on a daily basis. He simply frowns all the deeper, and looks down.
"Hmp--"
Before he can even finish the grunt, the mountain of a man known as Sagat is blasted back, literally /thrown/ off his feet with the sudden expenditure of power. That energy -- Psycho Power. It figures. The man's smoking body flips through the air just in time to land on his heels, digging into the ground and /slamming/ his hands against the frame of the door, coming to a skidding halt. He snarls, like some sort of angry tiger, lips peeling back as he looks upward... just in time to see the entrance of Dr. Tran.
Or is it?!
"... What is this nonsense."
Sagat stares blankly, for a long moment, as Tran suddenly makes his appearance. Hairless brow twitching vaguely, the former Emperor looks almost bewildered for a moment... before that look dissolves into contemputous anger. "Do you think this is a game?"
Suddenly, Sagat is BARRELING forward with surprising speed for a man his size, seeking to grasp -- /tightly/ -- onto Athena's shoulders with both hands in a painful grip, hunched over and snarling. From there, he will simply drive his knee into her midsection, before doing the same with the other, attempting to finish it all off with one crushing roundhouse kick to the chest to launch her off her feet and into a nearby cardboard cutout of the illustrious Turk Gridiron.
"This foolishness ends /now./"
COMBATSYS: Aprile blocks Tran's Strong Kick.
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Tran 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Aprile
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Athena 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Sagat
"Huh?"
A voice erupts through the room, despite the exchange between pop sensation Athena and the fallen Emperor of Muay Thai. Left to her own, the Doll just blinks her green eyes curiously, gaze wandering freely about the room with obvious confusion. Who was that? Where was the voice coming from? And who on earth is dumb enough to make such a bold speech in the presence of Shadaloo elite?
Finally her gaze settles on the shrouded figure, eyes squinting as she tries to peer past the layers of costuming hanging from the figure. It moves, closing in on the three--particularly Aprile, who observes with that look of confusion still hanging on her youthful features. But her confusion dissipates, giving way to a look of muted annoyance.
"As I said, this is a hostage situation and a fragile situation. If you insist on being difficult, I will unfortunately have to result to drastic measures. I don't want that--"
Then the figure moves, a snapping kick aimed for the back of her head. Immediately the girl pivots on her booted heel, swinging her gloved arm up. The blow strikes the large gauntlet-like affair, a clang echoing from the device before she stumbles back with a breathy exhale. Certainly the assault was not anticipated.
"Right then. Engaging hostile," the Doll offers, the smile on her face dropping immediately. The med kit she'd carried before is suddenly dropped to the floor as she crouches near it. Opening it wide, she withdraws anything but medical gear; instead, a collapsible baton is produced, taken into her hand before a button is pressed. With a hiss the baton extends, roughly a foot, before she lunges in, swinging the baton twice at Tran before heaving a booted foot up and delivering a kick aimed for the Doctor's stomach to kick the man back and away from her. Aprile is certain Sagat can handle himself for now.
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Athena with Tiger Rage.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Tran 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Aprile
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Athena 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Sagat
Athena has only a moment to be glad that -someone- appears to be on her side. Sagat only -gives- her one moment before he's abruptly lunged back forwards, clawing out for her in a grip she would do well not to be snared by.
The girl tries to get out of the way, tensing, a flicker of power heralding her attempt to simply port herself out of harm's way. But she's instants too slow. Expecting to be thrown when his hands crush her shoulders, the girl braces in entirely the wrong way: she's totally unprepared for the physical assault, both knees slamming into her before she can tense and protect her midsection, the breath crushed out of her in two decisive blows before she's blasted back into the cutout.
It takes her a while to get up, but she does: her long violet hair trailing raggedly through the devastated cutout as she regains her feet and her breath. Panting out a thin stream of blood, the girl just grits her teeth and-- despite that show of power-- still refuses to move.
Still too winded to even speak-- though defiance still gleams in her eyes-- Athena saves her energy instead for gathering her psionic power once more. With a forwards thrust of her hands, she discharges a swift blast of Psycho Power back at Sagat, perhaps hoping to deter him at least somewhat with the brilliant ball of force.
COMBATSYS: Tran blocks Aprile's Terminal Sedation.
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Tran 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Athena 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Sagat
Well, crap. Dr. Tran was sort of hoping that he would just kick the little girl and she would fall down, utterly vanquished, and then he could do...something else. The plan is hasty and poorly put together and really less of a plan than a kind of vague outline of general intent.
But as Athena is roundhouse kicked through Turk Gridiron himself, Tran is filled with new resolve, a burning need to defend his favorite TV personality. Failure is so not an option that it is impossible to even write it in on the margins of the test.
Dr. Tran, international man of mystery, secret agent, sometimes superhero, and five time self-proclaimed world champion of the Dr. Tran Invitational Tournament, deals with Aprile's assault the only way he knows how; by staying back and trying not to let her nail him in the sensitive parts and shouting. It works out pretty well, as he takes the baton thwacks bare-handed, crouching down and crossing his arms to take the force of the kick without budging.
"Come on, you VILE HARLOT!" Tran lunges in, reaching to grab the doll by the neck. "Give up or I won't show any mercy!" Then he tosses upward and delivers a spinkick at her face. It's hard to be so hard, but Dr. Tran has to do it.
For Turk.
COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Sagat with Psycho Ball.
- Power hit! -
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Tran 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Athena 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Sagat
And deter she does.
With that brutal, smashing assault, Sagat stands up fully. But he doesn't stay in that imposing posture for long. No, Sagat isn't a stupid man -- and he has long lost much of his arrogance to assume even the most diminutive of people could be downed so easily. So instead, the former Emperor of Muay Thai turns, his single eye focused on the collapsed form of Athena. He pushes off of his right foot, starting off in a mad and powerful rush towards the young woman. His right hand curls tightly into a powerful fist. He leaps--
--right into that surging ball of Psycho Power.
"GRAGH!"
With one deafening CHOOM, the psychic energy discharges in an explosion at the moment of impact, knocking the airborne Sagat straight through the air, crashing into a sign reading 'OLLIE WILLIAMS' BLACCUWEATHER FORECAST' with the rending of cardboard and a mighty /whud/ of impact. His torso scorched completely, Sagat paws at the gaping scar at his chest as smoke rises from the old wound, courtesy of Athena's assault. He looks up. Teeth gritting, the burned and damaged man claws his way back to his feet...
... But he doesn't attack.
"You... have made a mistake," the former Emperor pants out as slowly, golden chi ebbs around him in subtle movements, power gathering to him as his eye's iris almost seems to fade out from the exertion.
"And now you are dead."
COMBATSYS: Sagat gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Athena 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Tran successfully hits Aprile with Dr. Tran's Summer Splash.
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Tran 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Athena 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Sagat
The Doll, on the other hand, lashes out, despite the guard Tran places against her assaults. Letting her foot collide into his folded arms, she simply steps back, a wary glance cast upon the so-called 'Doctor' as he shouts. Harlot?
"Negative," the Doll drolly replies. "I am a Shadaloo Doll. My business here--"
Grabbed suddenly by the neck, a soft 'grrk' escapes the woman's lips as she's tossed upwards before spinning kick'd away in the face. Her lanky form flies, crashing into a wall, where impact forms a halo-like crack in the drywall. From there, the girl falls in a momentary heap.
Then, swiftly, the Doll rolls forward and hops onto her booted feet, baton secured in hand. A glance is briefly spared, eyeing Sagat's condition carefully before she turns her attentions back onto Tran. "My business here is to aid Mister Sagat in capturing this studio. If you choose to resist, you and this girl--" A finger is pointed toward Athena. "Will suffer. This is my final warning."
To emphasize the point, Aprile moves, red locks bobbing in the air as she wields her baton and swings wide, attempting to slam it nastily into the side of Tran's skull.
COMBATSYS: Tran fails to interrupt Crushing Strike from Aprile with Dr. Tran Bites the Bullet.
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Tran 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Athena 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Sagat
"A doll, huh?" A frown crosses Dr. Tran's face. "I guess there's no point in telling you why that's impossible!" He can't back down here. He /mustn't./
What he can do is grin like a shitbag and wag his finger. "Anyway, choose what you're saying more carefully, if I didn't know better I'd say you were just some kind of...well." Dr. Tran stops talking and makes a little motion with his fingers that almost certainly means something dirty, just not the dirty something that he thinks it means.
Perhaps he should have spent less time on that and more on making sure that he doesn't get the shit beaten out of him, because his reaction is slowed when Aprile just hauls off and clubs him in the brain. He barely even has time to start to turn about for his brilliant plan that cannot fail except it has and now he's on the ground and everything is way more blurry than it should be and it's kind of hard to do simple things like 'thinking' or 'standing'.
Not one to let that stop him, Dr. Tran attempts both anyway. By the look of him as he struggles to his feet, groaning, neither is going very well.
A few minutes of reprieve bought, Athena doubles over slightly with a grimace: her long hair sliding over a shoulder as she braces herself to remain upright despite the pain shooting through her midsection. She watches Sagat carefully and warily, seriously not looking forward to being struck by the man again, trying her best to regain her mobility before the Emperor chooses to go on the warpath once more.
A quick glance is shot towards Aprile and Tran, spared while Sagat is dragging himself back up to his feet. So far, Tran seems OK-- he's getting back up, at least-- but nonetheless, Athena keeps half an eye on him even as her attention routes back to Sagat: a grave threat if ever there was one.
"Oh, I don't know," Athena replies, a sardonic tone almost reminiscent of Kyo Kusanagi starting to sneak into her voice. Into the way she cuts a rather crooked, bloody smile. "It's a little early for me to be dying," she finishes, even as a soft psionic glow starts to emanate from her person: the restorative energies attempting to repair some of the terrible damage dealt.
"I don't understand," is Aprile's response as she begins her charge, bringing her weapon up from her side. The baton whistles harshly through the air, cutting a mean path toward the so-called doctor before it lands a nasty blow. He's grounded, forced from his feet by the strength of the delivered strike while Aprile stands her ground, her face devoid of any emotion and quite serious.
But she's not TOO focused. Glancing over a shoulder briefly, the Fifth Doll glances at Sagat, surveying the man's status carefully and that aura of Athena's, before turning her attentions back on Tran. Green eyes hood sharply, her jaw squared and tight as she calculates her options. Judging by his struggle to his feet, he won't stand down from the Shadaloo Doll. "Very well then. Your answer is clear."
Pushing off a booted heel, the redheaded Doll charges forward once again, the baton held tightly in her grasp as she seeks to slam the end of her weapon into his gut, a stunning blow before she swings it once more, to slam it against his head. It concludes simply with a pivot of her wiry form, a leg raising up as she attempts to deliver a spinning hook kick at the opposite side of his head.
Energy continues to bubble around Sagat in a subtle haze as he stands up tall, muscles rippling with the shift in posture. He looks down on Athena with a look that is completely bereft of passion. This is not his idea of glory. Beating on small children and their debatably mentally challenged doctor allies. No. This is not what he wanted.
But one must crawl up on a staircase of bodies and humiliation to reach the peak once more.
"Hrn. You are too arrogant for someone so young," Sagat notes idly as his entire body lowers, his muscles tensing as if in preparation to pounce.
"That is the path to a swift end."
He rushes forward at this point, driving his point home elbow-first as he summons up a sudden RUSH of speed. Moving like a runaway train, the Muay Thai mountain seeks to drive that elbow straight into Athena's face with tremendous, merciless force, sparing absolutely no expense or consideration for his own defenses. "HRAGH!"
COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Athena with Healing Aura.
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Tran 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Aprile
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Athena 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Athena blocks Sagat's Aggressive Strike.
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Tran 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Athena 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Sagat
"I don't know," Athena muses, even as her own stance opens and braces in preparation for Sagat's lunge. She isn't sure anymore that even -she- is fast enough to get out of the way of Sagat when he strikes-- for such a big man, he's incredibly fast-- and so she's trying to play a more conservative game. "It could also be the path to getting pretty far." I mean, has anyone seen Kyo Kusanagi? Then again, it's debatable whether Kyo has really 'gotten far.' In fighting maybe, but in sch--
But it seems the time for Kyo-like snarking is over. Athena reacts on a hairtrigger as Sagat lunges, throwing her hands forwards to smack into Sagat's oncoming elbow. Unable to simply catch the attack, as some fighters with greater strength would be able to do, Athena simply deflects the man's strike upwards away from her face, retreating a step or two with reddened, stinging hands and shaking arms.
"I won't let you pass," she repeats, her eyes hardening, her petite jaw setting, before her slight body lights with Psycho Power. Psi whirring around her like hail in the form of bullet-like projectiles of force, the girl-- still dangerously close to Sagat, and not retreating as would be wise-- holds her ground and sends that storm of psionic power ripping straight towards the Emperor in a bid to blast him back.
COMBATSYS: Tran dodges Aprile's Code Blue.
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Tran 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Sagat
"Of course you don't...ugh." Giving his head a shake to clear it, Tran finds himself relatively unconcussed. Probably. Self-diagnosis is never easy, especially when a brainwashed child soldier is intent on making sure the damage goes deeper.
"Whoops, once is enough, sorry." Tran sways to the side past the baton, ducking under its follow-up. "No matter what some people might think, my noggin's not very hard at all." The American superstar hops backward, letting that last kick so sweeping right by his nose.
"Speaking of hard, why don't you do something...about..." Tran turns to look over at Athena and Sagat, with a focus on the massive wave of energy going from the former to the latter. "Nevermind." He'll just...he'll just keep going over here. And feel maybe a little bit less of a man.
So Dr. Tran, his morale a constant roller coaster ride, decides that maybe he'll just stand back for a minute. Gather himself. Gather some time. Gather some chi. Gather some confidence? Probably less likely than the chi.
COMBATSYS: Tran gathers his will.
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Tran 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Sagat with Shining Crystal Bit.
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Tran 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
Glaring unpleasantly at Athena as he makes his lunge, Sagat can already tell that there is something amiss. There is a distant tingling in the back of his mind, a sensation he has contributed time and time again to a force that he has found so completely and utterly abhorrent. He's felt it countless times under the weight of Vega's bloated and sickening wrath, and from a multitude of others.
Psycho Power.
The second his blow connects the former Emperor of Muay Thai seeks to retreat backwards as swiftly as possible, his elbow swinging back around to his side as his entire body braces for what he knows to be an inevitability. He expects that surging, crackling Psycho Power --
--But not nearly as fast as it comes.
Psi bullets into his torso with relentless power, engulfing him in a rain of pellet-like energy that, while inconsequential nuisances of their own, add up to phenomenal levels of damage that rends into his body and mind with explosion after tremendous explosion. He lets out an almost beastial roar, reaching out as if to stop Athena by simply choking the life out of her -- but before he can, that psychic energy envelopes and simply /blasts/ him backwards like little more than a glorified ragdoll, sending him literally /SMASHING/ through a nearby wall. Concrete and rubble spray everywhere, dust kicks up all around. There is a muted moment where everything is tense. Did she do it? Did she--
"TIGER!!"
The voice is booming and ENRAGED as from the debris, Sagat LAUNCHES forward, driving himself at Athena knee first to /smash/ it into her sternum and launch her into the air, where he follows by slamming his /other/ knee into her diminutive form with unparalleled ferocity. He is angry now.
And someone is going to pay for it.
Tilting her head only slightly in response to Tran's grief, the Doll merely flows with her strikes, despite the obvious lack of connection. Far from bothered or fussed, she plants her foot down on the ground once more before she springs back and assumes a wary, defensive sort of stance. She watches, waiting.
At least until a sudden surge of Psycho Power erupts from Athena, bathing the studio in energy. The summoned spheres blast at Sagat, to which the Doll responds with a sharp gasp. A quick, cursory glance is given back to Tran before she merely shakes her head and simply ignores the man, even as he gathers some confidence and chi. Her priorities have shifted.
"Don't worry," the woman offers her reluctant teammate, moving quickly as can be toward the man. Neglecting her own well-being for the time, she will draw in as close as possible and make direct contact with her hands when the moment presents itself, her form shimmering with psychic energies--energies which transfer from her body to Sagat's, to infuse the man and mend the wounds taken from Athena's mighty assault.
"Hold still a second, sir!"
COMBATSYS: Athena dodges Sagat's Tiger Crush.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/-------|=======\======-\1 Sagat
Panting out an exhausted breath, Athena stumbles back a pace or two as she watches tensely in that moment where everything is still. Could she have knocked him out? If she did, it would buy so much time. Together, she and Tran could probably take Aprile out too, and they'd be able to use the time to evacuate just about everyone. Then they could make their own getawa--
Athena doesn't even have time to finish the thought. Her eyes flying wide as Sagat LUNGES out of the wreckage, the girl barely even has time to react. Her power kicks in instantly, the girl seeming to turn on a dime and vanish straight into thin air with a pulse of Psycho Power. In a demonstration of a true teleport, the singer reappears again some distance from Sagat, having narrowly avoided his assault.
Her eyes switch to Aprile instantly as the woman rushes forward to aid her companion. Athena knows what she's doing-- the energies resonate with her own-- and it narrows her eyes as she tries to decide which would be more prudent to attack. Perhaps thinking that switching targets at this stage would unnecessarily draw things out, especially since Aprile still seems in decent health, when the girl lunges, it's for Sagat once more.
Thrusting a hand forwards, the young idol manifests a series of glittering, disklike shields along a horizontal plane-- one slated to cut right -through- Sagat, should he not get out of the way or defend himself. It seems Athena is intent on heaping punishment until Sagat can properly be taken out of the picture...
She's just...man. Athena is just chumping the old Emperor. It may not actually be the case, but to Dr. Tran's considerably less-skilled eye, it is cold hard scientific fact.
Really, that's all the more reason to not let Aprile over there just traipse over and play pretty miss nursemaid on the man's scarred old ass. "Wh-hey! Hey!" Dr. Tran takes a step forward, hesitant, on account of how he doesn't want to get in between Athena and Sagat. "Don't just go running off like that, we're...we were...gah!" Truly, Dr. Tran can't find the words to express what a dick move that is.
Well, two can play at that game! Not...not the game of healing, exactly, but the game of interference. Tran could play that first game, but then he would have to grope an internationally known fighter and pop idol in a news station. Also girls are grody.
So instead, Dr. Tran turns his attention on Sagat, trying to slip in behind the gigantic man while Athena attacks him from the front and Aprile unattacks him from somewhere else. It's tricky, since the man is a mountain of meat, but Dr. Tran may yet be up to the challenge!
Reaching around the Muay Thai master's side, the stupendous Doctor Richard Tran attempts to hip-bump the man straight off of his feet and into a coat rack. And then again into a giant novelty lightswitch. And then again into a 1/32 scale replica of the Millenium Falcon that was used one time for a shocking Star Wars behind the scenes exlusive and then ignored in a corner until now because scale replicas are for dorks.
COMBATSYS: Aprile successfully hits Sagat with Healing Care.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/-------|=======\======-\1 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Sagat blocks Athena's Round Psycho Reflector.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Sagat dodges Tran's Dr. Tran's Peanut Butter Hula Quest EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
Reluctant does not even begin to describe it.
His knee slicing through empty air, Sagat is left stunned for a brief moment. Surprise quickly fades, though; he's faced this, too. Psychics. They disgust him. All of them.
Including the one trundling towards him now.
Landing, Sagat can only offer a baleful glare as he sweeps around to face the reappearing Athena. His fists curling, he prepares to strike-- except that before he can, Aprile is suddenly within his view, swiftly advancing on him. For a moment he grows confused. "What are you--"
And then those hands touch against him. The former Emperor blinks. His eye narrows into a dangerous slant. He feels minor wounds beginning to repair... and his lips curl back in disgust.
"You DARE interfere in my FIGHT!?"
The thunderous bellow is complimented nicely as the Muay Thai Emperor's hand swings down, aiming to backhand Aprile /clear/ out of his way. "Go /away/, runt. You have tainted my batt--"
Once more he is interrupted, this time by the pressed assault of Athena; as the pop idol strikes with those glistening, sparkling shields of Psycho Power, the man /thrusts/ his mighty forearms upwards, intercepting the energy with nothing more than raw, furious strength. The energy cuts through arms, leaving gashes across heavy muscle that burn throughout his entire body. The force alone is enough to shoot him straight /backwards./ Yet, he still stands, his frown deep--
--and only deeper as Tran suddenly appears before him. Single eye widening, the mountain of manliness is met with the amazingly American Dr. Tran as he attempts to quite literally hip bump him into oblivion. Legs tensing, Sagat TIGER LEAPS /just/ out of the way, letting Tran hip-bump the coat rack. As for Sagat? He lands /straight/ into the Millenium Falcon replica, crushing into it with a mighty roar, momentarily distracted as he decimates classic sci-fi memorabilia in his attempted recovery.
COMBATSYS: Aprile just-defends Sagat's Medium Punch!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
"No, I am trying to mend your wounds," the woman explains. "I am attempting to keep you capable of performing as optimally as possible." She seems puzzled by his sudden bellow and anger, her head tilting somewhat to one side. "But if you insi--"
Seconds later a massive hand cuts through the air, attempting to strike her in the face. Instead, Aprile lifts the baton and intercepts, the length of metal glowing dimly with psychic power to dampen the blow considerably. That could have been terrible...
"Focus on the others, not me!" she insists with a soft huff, perhaps stepping out of line briefly with her demands. Regardless, the Doll moves, stepping away from Sagat as he handles both Athena AND Tran. Seeing this as her opportunity, the redhead moves in as quickly as possible, collapsing her weapon down before she swings a leg out. Carried by her momentum and now glowing with dim violet energy, she intends to strike Train in the chest with her booted foot while her body sharply ascends upwards.
"CANNON SPIKE!"
Athena only gets a moment to be bemused when Sagat seems to turn on his companion. And pleasant as she is, she's almost disappointed when the Doll seems to deftly handle the strike. In-fighting would have been a great help right now, weakening them both so that she and Tran could hold them off long enough for everyone to escape...
But, well, beggars can't be choosers. The girl isn't about to let her guard down over potential squabbling between Sagat and Aprile. It's why she's quick to notice when Aprile goes abruptly for Tran, and-- casting a glance at Sagat to make sure he's still busy extracting himself-- the girl momentarily diverts her course.
She throws herself into a quick run to close the distance, skimming lightly over the ground. "Watch out!" she warns Tran, moments before she lunges, tries to drive a palm strike directly into Aprile's side to knock her back, and then-- if successful-- presses forwards into a high spinkick for the other's shoulder to knock her back.
COMBATSYS: Aprile successfully hits Tran with Cannon Spike.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
And...whoops! Sagat escapes from Tran like a springing gazelle, frail and tender and innocent. Never one to let failure get him down (except when it does), Dr. Tran retains a good show of a cocky attitude.
"Hey, come on, you big lugface." He waves his hand dismissively in the direction of Athena and Aprile, not even bothering to look over at them.
This is a /terrible/ mistake.
"Let the girls play and you and I can HORGGGGGGGGG" HORGGGGGGGGGGG, of course, is the sound Dr. Tran makes after someone kicks him in the head with psychic powers, sending him spiralling upward into the air. His body traces a graceful arc, his eyes blanked out as he has completely checked out for the time being.
He lands hard on a shelf full of real fake replica nails, now with authentic sharpness action; it would probably hurt more if Tran wasn't clearly already at the limit of how much pain a human body can feel. He raises an arm, feebly, and chokes out, "I...hate..." He trails off into a groan, for the moment content to simply recline in this relatively comfortable pile of pointy objects.
COMBATSYS: Dr. Tran drops his guard to recover.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Aprile just-defends Athena's Combo Attack!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
At this point, it is no longer a matter of the objective.
This is a matter of pride.
Sagat looks only mildly irritated as Aprile manages to all but nullify his assault, massive fist smashing against baton with the clang of metal. He considers her words, and snorts once.
"Do not intrude on my battle again, girl, or I will put up with having to explain to Vega why one of his precious dolls has become nothing more than a bloody smear on the wall." Turning, Sagat seeks to face Athena fully -- only to find the woman chasing after /Aprile/ instead of /him./ His fingers curl. His lips pull back in distaste, distaste that rapidly degenerates into rage as flashes of orange chi flare around him.
"Athena Asamiya," he breathes out... and then LUNGES at her, aiming to drive his fist into the side of her head just as she attempts that palm strike.
"I AM YOUR OPPONENT!"
Her body carried in that sharp, upwards curve, Aprile twists at the apex of her ascent, drawing her legs around as she flips midair before falling gracefully to the ground. Peering forward, she observes Tran's painful flight and ultimate crash, landing into shelving and wall with a wet thud. Wincing lightly, the Fifth Doll offers an almost sheepish smile before she turns around--
And catches sight of Athena blazing right at her.
Blinking visibly, the redheaded Doll swings her baton upwards, the length of collapsible steel surging with psionic power to dampen the blow. Intercepting the palm strike, she pushes against Athena's palm, spacing herself from the Idol and missing the high kick aimed for her shoulder. Once distanced, Aprile exhales. Unfortunately, she has no real time to respond to Sagat's chiding--she was assaulted, after all!
"Scary," the girl remarks, before glancing back to Tran. "Hey, wait." He's resting?
"This is no time to lay down on the job!"
Holding her baton at her side, Aprile rushes forward, intent on closing in on the lounging doctor before swinging her weapon forward, then up--before bringing it sharply down, right atop his cranium.
COMBATSYS: Tran blocks Aprile's Fierce Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Athena with Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Sagat
Momentary concern flickers over Athena's face as Tran is sent flying, but she can't afford to let the emotion linger too long; she has to focus on the fight, has to focus on buying as much time as possible. But her diversionary attempt is caught almost easily by Aprile, dismissed with that baton and a quick opening of distance between them. Left slightly off-balance by Aprile's push, she's totally open for Sagat when he comes roaring back at her.
She only really perceives his voice as an indistinct roar before his strike crashes into her fragile body, her attempt to avoid the punishing attack fruitless. Hitting the far wall, the girl coughs blood and grits her teeth. She can't slow down now...
And yet, it's inevitable. The damage has been done in a mere few hits from the Emperor: her usual quickness is gone. But with characteristic tenacity, the young woman presses on, psi forming around her arms again as she gathers her strength. Pushing off from the wall, she throws herself -back- at Sagat with suicidal courage, that psi coalescing before her outstretched hands to form a gleaming shield that she tries to slam dead-on into Sagat's face.
Dr. Tran lets his eyes slip shut for a moment. It would be nice to just rest for a while; this is a pair of monsters that he has to deal with, really. However, even if he could allow himself to do that, even if he could just ABANDON his sacred mission here, there's the small matter of the doll that doesn't seem to want to leave him alone.
"Story of my life, really." Tran's eyes pop open just in time to see the baton coming down. His reaction is somewhat odd; he simply tilts his head forward, letting it smack down firmly on top of it. There's a loud CLANK sort of noise. Tran winces in pain, but he doesn't seem /too/ bent out of shape.
"Jeez, you really are just merciless, aren't you?" Tran scrambles to his feet and rubs at his head. "Something tells me that trying to outlast you won't work, so..." He takes a step back, and steam begins to rise off of his body. "I guess I'm going to have to get desperate."
COMBATSYS: Tran switches his Mindset.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Athena 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Sagat blocks Athena's Shield Psycho Reflector.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Athena 0/-------/--=====|=======\====---\1 Sagat
Massive body crashing into Athena like a train -- possibly one that caters specifically to pain -- Sagat looms high like a tower of a man, his single eye gleaming in the general darkness of the prop room. His hands clench, unclench, his lips pulling into a deep scowl.
"It is time to end this farce."
Athena seems to concur, as the woman launches herself bodily at Sagat like a shot. The man's eye widens, noticing the distinct tingle of that psi before it manifests -- a slight benefit of working with a megalomaniac who uses that vile energy. Snapping his thick right arm to the side, Sagat grips something, swings it /around/--
--and Athena meets a clothing rack head-on instead of Sagat's slightly more vulnerable face.
Energy crackles upon the moment of impact as Sagat uses the rack as a buffer, /ramming/ it into that shield of energy. The resultant explosion of force snaps the metal bar of the rack clean in two, and sends Sagat reeling backwards, arms smoking... but still standing.
And still ready to fight.
"TIGUH!"
The booming roar ushers in a sudden surge of speed from Sagat as the former Emperor smoothly transitions from defense to counter-offensive. Leaping from the ground with far more speed than a man his size should be capable of, the one-eyed man becomes like a blur, shadowy after images following in his wake as he rams himself into Athena knee-first, intent to deliver a mighty blow to her abdomen. This will be followed by a second knee strike, with his other knee, before he drops down, body tense--
"TIGUH!"
And launches upwards, to uppercut the woman in the jaw--
"/TIGUH/!!"
--and again, in the distinctive motions of that mighty Tiger Uppercut, in a fashion of overkill that only bears one name.
Chances are, if she went easy on Tran, Sagat would kill her. Worse yet, Vega. Naturally, there's a bit of risk involved there, and she can't afford it. So she presses the assault, despite Tran's movement forward to intercept the cracking blow. She blinks a bit, taken aback by his gesture, but swiftly recovers. Recoiling back, she holds the baton at her side as he speaks.
And then, steam. Tilting her head curiously, Aprile seems genuinely perplexed by the energy he draws forth, eyes hooding slightly. He's trying to outlast her? "I warned you, but you were given a chance to comply. No matter. We'll end this soon enough..."
So while Tran steams up, Aprile lets her legs part, spread shoulders width wide as she squares her stance. Baton held at her side, the redhead Doll just offers a tiny smile as Psycho Power begins to ripple along her body, a dim haze of violent energy consuming her.
COMBATSYS: Aprile gathers her will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Aprile
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Athena 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Sagat
COMBATSYS: Sagat knocks away Athena with Tiger Genocide EX+!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Aprile
[ < > ///////// ]
Athena 1/-======/=======|=------\-------\0 Sagat
Once she feels herself meet a rack instead of her intended target, Athena tries to spring away. She makes it a short distance, but it's not nearly enough to give her room to maneuver when Sagat comes roaring back fowards in a blur of furious tiger rage. Whatever feeble defense she tries to put up is ripped through like paper, the savage Emperor of Muay Thai breaking her in half over his paired knee strikes before he snaps her in two the -other- way with those uppercuts...
The young woman is nearly insensible by the time she reaches the apex of her arc, her eyes starting to unfocus in that way that bespeaks critical, life-threatening damage. And yet, some lingering wisp of spirit within her refuses to let her just hit the floor without one last salvo.
The girl's body glows suddenly with psionic force, Psycho Power piercing out of her unconscious frame... put on autopilot by that last shred of will within the girl's spirit. Though the energy is not under conscious direction, that doesn't seem to matter. It moves as if with a mind of its own, spinning towards Sagat, knitting itself midair into ripping bullets of intangible force.
Even as Athena hits the ground, unmoving and unconscious, that energy continues single-mindedly on its course. If its owner has to fall... it's intent on taking Sagat right along with her to keep her company.
COMBATSYS: Athena can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Tran 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Aprile
> ///////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Sagat
So it's a stand-off of sorts. It can't last, of course. Dr. Tran's not the type of guy to let it last. At least, not here, not now. He's right about to burst into motion, but then...then Athena gets completely /wrecked./ That might be the worst thing he's seen all day, from a variety of standpoints.
On the one hand, without Athena here, Dr. Tran is completely boned. On the other hand, maybe he's only a little bit completely boned. It's hard to say, and until he knows for sure, Dr. Tran will preserve the spark of hope that remains to him!
"It won't last very long, that's for sure." Dr. Tran's face begins to be swallowed by the aura of steam around him. "One of us is going to end up hurt." What Dr. Tran isn't mentioning is that it's probably going to be him.
"HRAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Leaping forward, Dr. Tran goes horizontal and begins to spin, feet-first toward Aprile. Steam condenses around his shoes, leaving trails in the air as he careens toward her. One way or another, there /will/ be an explosion when he comes into contact with something. Or, ideally, someone. (the someone is aprile)
COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Sagat with Shining Crystal Bit.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Aprile
> / ]
|=====--\-------\0 Sagat
Landing smoothly after that second uppercut, the impact of Sagat's feet against the floor is heavy, the ground around him shaking momentarily. From a crouch, he comes into a stand, panting -- blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"As I said--"
And then Sagat's mind is perforated with bullets of Psycho Power.
It's like a moment frozen in time; Sagat's expression is dumbfounded as that psychic energy rips outward and /through/ Sagat's body. His single eye strains, widened as far as it can be; his clenched hands relax, open, stretch out, as if reaching.
"Gnhh-- no--!"
And then the moment of time ends, and the former Emperor of Muay Thai Sagat is blasted straight through a nearby wall, to land in an unconscious, smoking heap several rooms off to the shrieking of men and women alike. One of them stops, peers.
"... hey, is that Vin Diesel?! He's gotten a bit old--"
"Gnrhf..."
COMBATSYS: Sagat takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Aprile
COMBATSYS: Sagat can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Tran 0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Aprile
COMBATSYS: Aprile blocks Tran's Fierce Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Tran 1/-------/=======|=======\======-\1 Aprile
Just when things seemed to be going well for the Shadaloo duo--
As Sagat is struck and ultimately sent flying, Aprile's expression fades quickly into a look of disbelief, green eyes wide as she swivels her head around and follows his flight. A sharp frown quickly crosses her lips thereafter, eyes darting to the now- unconscious Athena. Her power is strong. Lord Vega would probably take interest in her...
But first things first. Glancing back to Tran as he continues to steam up, the Psycho Power-laced Doll just offers a stern glare in response. "I'll see to it that it is you," she promises, watching as he suddenly flies at her with a chi-laced steaming foot. She swings her arms up, shielding her body from the blow...but the burst is jarring, sending her staggering several steps before she catches herself upon a desk.
"Very well," she remarks, eyes narrowing. Her body still surging with energy, the Doll paces forward a step...before she suddenly spirals through the air, a human drill covered in energy as she attempts to slam into Tran. But it doesn't stop there--if she connects, she'll let her body sharply arc upwards once more, spiking into the man's chest and body with a cry of "SPIN DRIVE SMASHER!"
COMBATSYS: Tran reflects Spin Drive Smasher from Aprile with -Q- is for Dr. Tran.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Tran 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Aprile
Rebounding off of Aprile in a glorious explosion of steam, Dr. Tran lands low in a crouch. Chi trails off behind him, so dense that it's practically a solid object. He slowly straightens, watching his Shadaloo-affiliated opponent. "You're confident." His voice is low, even.
The radical Dr. Tran, hero to all the world's news-related professionals, takes a step forward, raising an arm in preparation. Aprile's assault comes, as she transforms into a twisting tornado of pain.
"I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HATE ABOUT YOUR KIND THE MOST!" Slamming his fists downward into the floor, chi rushes out from underneath him, rising up and twisting about him in a solid, 360 degree wall. When Aprile comes into contact with it, she'll find that it doesn't give way; more than that, it pushes back, both expanding and forcing her own energy back toward her, repelling her.
It clears a moment later, revealing Dr. Tran, the chi around him considerably thinner now, still looking pretty pissed off. "Show some respect, girl!"
She doesn't care what Tran thinks of her--all Aprile can think about now is keeping her edge and taking the opponent out. Then she can tend to business as usual. It's pretty simple, really.
Unfortunately, Tran stamps all over her ambitions. Yelling, the man slams his hands down as she beelines for him legs-first. But just when she is about to connect walls of energy slice upwards, intercepting her Psi-laced blow and expelling her backwards, the energy from Tran's assault mingling with her energy and causing her immense pain. She flies several feet before she stops--but only because she hits a wall and partially lodges into it.
Groaning, she pulls herself from the wall, staggering clumsily with her baton in hand. Dizzy and dazed, Aprile finds herself in a world of pain...which isn't good. "Operation...c-compromised," she murmurs aloud, glancing warily toward Tran, before shifting her eyes toward the hole in the wall Sagat made. "Shifting priorities. Recovering Sagat."
Jolting to life, Aprile suddenly breaks off and away, leaving Tran and his anger (and steam) behind as she blazes through the hole in the wall, following after the felled Shadaloo agent. Her work here, as far as she's concerned, is done. The fight is no more. Tran has defended his beloved Turk.
COMBATSYS: Aprile has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Tran 0/-------/-------|
O-oh. Dr. Tran watches Aprile leave, his aura gradually vanishing entirely. She...she showed some respect. Maybe more than he's actually due? The doctor's brows furrow and he crosses his arms, mulling it over.
"Well, I'm not going to complain." Tran looks about him, at the widespread destruction in the prop room. At Athena's limp form. He should.../probably/ do something about that. Probably.
Moving over and throwing the door he and Athena were defending open, Dr. Tran shouts to anyone who'll listen, "Hey! Someone come here and take care of this chick, she's hurt!" He pauses. "An an international super-idol! Opportunity of a lifetime here, people!" His duty done, Dr. Tran gets the hell out of here; he's done his part here, and he has other things to accomplish, besides. No more getting sidetracked!
Dr. Tran, AWAY!
COMBATSYS: Tran has ended the fight here.
Log created on 20:24:53 03/17/2009 by Aprile, and last modified on 20:15:44 03/26/2009.