Description: Amidst the impenetrable forests of Linhai, taken to task by a mysterious voice, four warriors cut off from civilization face death, each in their own way. One denies it; one trembles at it; one is an innocent; one has killed before (though sometimes he forgets). Is a true warrior prepared to take life? As one by one they succumb to murderous intent, what will the judgment upon them be? Be they callow or misguided, still let them not be misunderstood: there is something beyond good and evil, some primal and vital power, in their will to live. The blood that strews the ground is proof. (Winners: Street Prophets)
People can speculate many things about the goings on around Taizhou City, where it concerns the supposedly dead Ryouhara. Is that the latest development? It's impossible to guess the man and even harder to follow, late or otherwise. Eagle has already made his mind on the matter of what all this is, and by golly he will surely be making the most of it. Even when the city itself is hard to make the 'most of' when you are given mysterious instructions by dodgy people and have to deal with some of the vulgar ruffians here and there. But those smiling faces, insincere or coerced as they may be, are just enough to stave outright complaint and rebellion from at least this one man when he, his partner, and presumably some other people are asked to head to a remote area.
An old shrine is the only landmark to be found deep within the forests of the Linhai region - seemingly undisturbed and untouched by whatever sort of madness may be going on in this part of the world. Even in this evening hour, the crickets are uncharacterfully silent. Every slight movement, every /noise/, is one to be viewed with suspicion.
The only suspicion Eagle himself bothers to pay is in whether or not this young girl can actually work with him. He's already had a time with those color-coordinated free-falling barbarians. Why, his leg is still a touch sore. He moves with a visible limp but maintains a stiff enough upper lip through his personal inconvenience. Presumably, this is the next venue.
"Now then," he says out loud as he withdraws his PDA with a practiced flourish. This is the place, they are to receive further instruction, but yet... no signal? Curious! Perhaps he was given a defect. Could they not even spare him a working PDA? He fiddles with it a little more instead of doing something sensible like asking his partner if theirs is working (which, at this place, wouldn't be).
Wing Xiaoping no longer feels ready for anything.
This is a new feeling, and it has yet to truly creep up on her. She's calm as she ascends the mountain path, the even somewhat stern cast to her girlish face not betraying how unsettled she is at her core. Sweat at her brow remains from the workout she got this morning, and she's grateful for how her earlier sparring has woken her up: she didn't sleep well last night, despite being used to the streets. This town is strange, too strange. Somehow it's worse than the hellfire she passed through to get here, though Aranha was right, she reminds herself, when he said he was grateful for the lack of explosions. She's used to crime, but-- she can't fathom what exactly it is she feels about this place. It's not as though there's /no/ crime--
It's that some crime is taking place on a vaster scale than she can comprehend.
Not that this offends her sensibilities, per se. But while the prospect of being ordered around by nameless voices would normally send her into a childish rage -- and if you'd seen her punching ninja vending machines earlier, you'd understand -- some subtle shift in her otherwise straight-forward psyche allows her to endure. Whoever is in charge here, she's going to prove herself-- prove that she's the toughest, the meanest, an original gangster. But the only reason she'd think to do something like, say, obey authority, is because of the peculiar nature of the fear in this place. Like any bully, Wing hates fear -- when it's not directed at her. But fear seems to permeate the air here, it seems to be everywhere. She doesn't know what to do about that, let alone how to articulate it.
And so she obeys, until things here become clearer.
As she was out all night, exploring the town, she's yet to meet her teammate / roommate (yikes), so when she reaches the shrine she glances about with a curious eye for whoever is to be joining her. Her signature hoodie replaced for once by a white and black jumpsuit, sleek enough to be all too unflattering, Wing's unusual serious cast makes her look even more prepared for battle than when she's foaming at the mouth. And such preparation is evidenced when her eyes are drawn immediately to the four glittering javelins arrayed in the center of the area.
She doesn't even check her PDA. She's staring at the weapons.
"Hey, what the fuck is this!?"
Ah, there's her usual charm.
Seishirou has arrived.
Javelins? In a place like this? This is a strange kind of fight that Yuri's going to be dealing with indeed. But nonetheless, she's willing to accept it and embrace it... well, hold off the embrace part. But Yuri's eager to find out who her partner is. She's also eager to get her PDA working, as she fiddles with it, grinning all the same. "I wonder what it's capable of doing?" She wonders to herself.
SOME TIME AGO
Cody Travers falls into the ocean, when his boat sinks. It sucks.
SOME TIME AGO
Cody Travers slumps onto a bench set up for people waiting to catch a boat on one of Linhai's riverways. He is soaking wet, and reeks so strongly of salt that a slug a few blocks away just up and dies for seemingly no reason. He's so tired; he can't recall the last time he took his medication, or the last time he ate, or the last time, he, uh... slept.
He figures, after a few moments, that he'll fix that last one the hell right now. His chin slumps onto his chest, his entire upper body sags, and his eyes close...
... and then his phone rings.
Wait, what?
Cody's eyes open after a few moments, his brow furrowing in confusion, and he digs a PDA - which, of course, because this is something vaguely resembling the future, is also a phone - out of his pocket. It is dripping wet, too, but seems to work fine, judging by how it is ringing. Also, there is a starfish stuck to its screen.
Frowning, Cody plucks the starfish off of the phone, tosses it into the river - where it is fated to die a terrible death, probably - and answers the phone.
"Hello?"
NOW
Cody Travers is not exactly a small dude, but apparently he can move pretty quietly when he wants to; the 'camera' cuts away from Wing to the javelins, and when it cuts back to Wing, Cody is standing next to her, frowning thoughtfully. He has, for the most part, dried off... but he still smells pretty strongly of salt.
There's a word for those things, Cody's sure, but fuck if he can remember what it is. "S'like... a trident," he explains to Wing. "But there's only one. So it's... ... a one... dent."
This guy must be stoned out of his fucking mind.
Those javelins are striking, yes. They clash horribly with the rest of the setting. For a place that might come as close to 'serene' as this war zone may (which goes neck and neck with 'creepy'). That they are the most notable feature here once all of them gather may prove most telling, while Eagle quietly scrutinizes the other (significantly more foul-mouthed) young girl and a very confused man he is sure he recognizes. A man reputed for being a touch rowdy as much as he has been elusive as of late. He must have been moonlighting in stand-up lately, enough to get a 'hmph' sort of chuckle from the man who calls himself Eagle, even a moment later after Wing's exclamation nearly makes him jump. There are, overall, far more polite ways to announce your presence! But after that skydiving incident, perhaps he is hoping for too much?
"You'll have to excuse me for the interruption," a voice echoes through multiple hidden speakers with an apology. "But I had to assign you a match of my own. You see, I am looking for associates willing to work for the good of China. But first, I need to be sure that you have the ability to do what it takes." What could this possibly mean?
"Before you are four steel javelins, take them in your hands. You see, it is imperative that we do not leave any potential witnesses to report this to Ryouhara's forces."
Somehow, the javelins take an eerie gleam from the few sources of illumination to be had around the shrine.
"I believe the term... is 'death match.'"
For such a grave (and vague) message, Eagle steps up to the javelins. Even working with a limp, he approaches without hesitation. This is all a show, no doubt. Or so he chooses to believe even after that near death experience not long before, which he has simply written off as the result of dealing with reckless amateurs. (Reckless amateurs whom displayed amazing coordinated assaults and talents whom showed him what for, but reckless amateurs all the same, the worst kind of amaterus!)
"Gentlemen." Eagle clears his throat as he withdraws his choice of javelin with a firm, strong tug of his left hand - the one posted in the western-most direction - and gives it a rudimentary spin to test its weight for later. The use of the word 'gentlemen' is merely a formality, as two of them are ladies and the last one is... well... hardly gentle. (Plenty of 'man' to be had there, though.)
He gestures with the javelin like he would with his usual escrima sticks towards the ground - though it is unlikely he might be using it extensively as he would the usual means of entertaining violence! "Shall we, then?"
COMBATSYS: Eagle has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Yuri has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Cody has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Wing has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle takes no action.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Wing
And thus is Wing's question answered.
"A one-dent, huh? I guess that would make sense-- aahhh!"
The tiny girl jumps in shock, double-taking rapidly, eyes widened as she stares up at the reeking blond, her jaw slack. "C, Cody Travers, right?" she manages, uncharacteristically shaken, before her usual brashness reasserts itself. "Man, it's bad for your health, sneaking up on me--"
And then Wing's question is answered-- more thoroughly.
"D-D-D..."
Death match.
"Oh, shit, no."
How hard, exactly, does an original gangster have to be? Hard enough to kill? Is that, too, part of the heart of the game? It's a question that has never been posed to Wing except in her wild fantasies, where there are no consequences. And it may be one she's not prepared to answer.
But she doesn't feel she has to, when all that she sees is Eagle stepping forward to take his choice of weapon. A tremble goes up her spine; she doesn't even hear his words. Here's what she was waiting for: the opportunity to prove herself. Here she is, facing death.
The man's got a weapon in his hands...
"Oh, fuck!"
She's tearing forward all at once, gathering chi into her fist.
"Teammate!" she shouts. "Don't let them get their hands on those!"
If they can grab all the javelins first--
It's too late to stop Eagle, but she might have time to stop Yuri. Thrusting out her fist, Wing emits a storm of power, gale-force winds whipping out of the chi she channels directly into the air around her, sweeping up dirt and leaves as it rages toward the goofily-grinning girl.
"URRRAAHHHH!"
Then they can kill those two whenever they like, right?
Her real urge, of course, is left unthought. For if she gets all the weapons--
Maybe nobody has to die...
...and they can all go back to posturing, like normal people.
COMBATSYS: Yuri reflects Dragonforce from Wing with Saiha.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Wing
Has the fight already started? Apparently, Yuri really needs to stop daydreaming and start preparing herself for the fighting. She puts her PDA away, and then looks to Wing, who apparently has come up with the bright idea of starting things off with a sudden projectile attack. This doesn't look good, since Wing's projectile looks to be very dangerous looking and could really hurt Yuri.
But then Yuri suddenly brings up an aura around her fists and then raises them at the right moment to bring up an energy shield, which does more than just absorb that projectile. It actually protects Yuri while sending the projectile back at Wing. "Nyaah, nyaah, you can't hurt me!" Yuri yells as she gives Wing a raspberry.
Cody might not be capable of a whole lot, these days, but taking orders is something he can definitely do. So when Wing calls out her demand, Cody grunts to the affirmative, and begins... strolling casually towards the pile of javelins, as if he was not about to engage in a fight to the death. He steps calmly up to the array of javelins, and picks one up with each hand.
Then he realizes that he has two hands, and there are three javelins, and spends a moment frowning down at the third one. After far too long, he works out that he can tuck one javelin under his arm, and does so, kneeling down and reaching to pick up the third. Does this guy even realize what 'death match' means?
Believe it or not, he does, and he's even having a bit of a philosophical quandary because of it. Sure, he's beaten the shit out of guys before, but he's never /killed/ a guy...
SOME TIME AGO
Cody Travers uppercuts Belger out of a plate glass window at the top of a skyscraper. He plummets to his explosive, gory death.
NOW
Well, okay, but that doesn't count, That guy had kidnapped Jessica. But other than that guy, he's never-
SOME TIME AGO
Cody Travers savagely breaks Bald Bill's leg by stomping on his knee so hard it bends into a forty degree angle, and smashes his head against the wall of a subway car speeding by. He holds it there until the fat little fucker stops moving.
NOW
Well, that doesn't count either, that was just a heat of the moment sort of deal, and besides, he was fine, his skull is made of like-
SOME TIME AGO
Cody Travers just straight up stabs Two-P in the heart, and does not even give a shit.
NOW
Et tu, flashback?
COMBATSYS: Cody takes no action.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Wing
[OOC] Eagle says, "A+."
[OOC] Wing says, "superb"
Eagle's partner and, ultiamtely (and perhaps unfortunately) his lifeline for this warzone does live up to her appearance. Perky, energetic, childish, honestly, he could swear she's been acting like she was sixteen for years if his memory served. But, she is better than some of the people he's had to work with lately. He passes a curious glance over to the shell-shocked young lady who seems to be having performance anxiety. 'Death Match' is just a grossly exaggerated fancy term they use to add a dash of excitement and danger in these modern times.
He's just ready to turn up his nose, shake his head, and spout out the usual one-liner they love (a love which is mutual on his part), but he is stopped mid-nose turn when Mr. Travers over there decides to pick up all /three/ of the remaining javelins. Just one is a slight bother to carry in one arm, but no, Cody goes and picks up three.
While the Kyokugen Princess and Queen of the Streets go face-to-face with their own bright and flashy chi lights, Eagle turns his free hand over to the two-armed (well, three-armed, he has been armed thrice) thug.
"Now now," he chides, "I do believe those are for everyone. If you would kindly allow me to hand one to my accomplice for the evening..."
Maybe if Cody's feeling charitable, Eagle looks like he could probably carry all three of them in his chest or some such. It's not like a man's chest is ever occupied with anything!
COMBATSYS: Eagle takes no action.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Wing blocks Yuri's Reflected Dragonforce.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Wing
Truly, Wing outdoes herself.
"Aaaghh... gghhh..."
Shocked and dismayed, to say the least, by this recent turn of events, the Queen of the Streets almost entirely forgets the dire straits they are all in when Yuri up and blows a big fat raspberry at her, gazing at the bubbly girl's visage in awe through her cross-armed block. It's absolutely incredible, and utterly intolerable. "What... you... brainless... what..." Wing is so practiced at taunting people for being stupid when they are not, in fact, being stupid that she cannot seem to deal with behavior that may genuinely be ridiculous. Obviously, unlike Eagle, Wing is taking this situation very seriously indeed. The warzone she passed through could not allow her otherwise.
But speaking of Eagle--
"...Wh... What!?"
Normally, once Wing starts to get this pissed, nothing can pierce through. She's notorious, to say the least, for that kind of behavior. Which makes her pause, and turn toward the flamboyant fighter, all the more exceptional.
"Are you crazy!?" she shouts, her voice warbling as she bubbles over with anxiety. "Why, so you can kill us!? You think this is a /joke/?" Now she's sputtering, spit flying from her thin lips. "You think all the fire and the bombs and the, the crazy shit outside the walls of this town is a /show/?" Her eyes are so wide they look as though they might pop out. "D, damn, I don't even-- if that's-- fuck!!"
And thus concluded, Wing--
--drum roll please--
--actually does not attack Yuri, despite her taunt.
Instead Wing's berserk rage, heavily spiced with real terror, turns abruptly on that man facing her teammate, who Wing throws herself toward with abandon, seemingly heedless of the deadly weapon in Eagle's hands. "Aaaaaaahhhh!"
Enough talk. It's time for flying headbutts.
Preferably to Eagle's face.
Yuri watches in awe as her projectile is blocked by Wing. OK, so it wasn't really her projectile, but rather one reflected back at Wing. Nonetheless, it seems that Wing is really up on her game today, so it seems that Yuri's gonna have to be up on her game as well if she wants to keep going strong in this fight. But then she watches as she goes for Eagle with a swift headbutt, and that's when she decides to try to get Wing while she's more vulnerable. Granted, Wing is a bit of a dirty fighter, so Yuri intends to clean her up a little.
"Ready or not, here I come," Yuri yells as she rushes at Wing, attempting to deliver a swift flying kick into Wing's side. If she's not careful, she might find the sole of Yuri's sneaker hitting her side really hard!
"Huh?" Cody asks, looking up at Eagle as he lifts the third javelin off the ground. "Oh. Okay." And... that's that; he shifts his grip on his javelins a little, and then extends one to offer it to Eagle.
Before he actually can, Wing comes shrieking in from behind him and throws herself at Eagle. For a brief moment, Cody looks surprised... and then he realizes that he is, in fact, supposed to be fighting these guys.
To the death.
As established by all those flashbacks.
With a helpless shrug, Cody withdraws his half-offered javelin and turns away from Eagle to face Yuri, squinting at her as she leapas into a flying kick. He shifts his grip on the javelin he was going to give to Eagle, and then...
... well, technically, he /does/ give the thing to Yuri. He just gives it to her point-first, by throwing it at her like he was Steve Carell.
COMBATSYS: Eagle blocks Wing's Strong Punch.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Wing
Eagle's unfazed, initially, by Wing's exclamations. Maybe that's just a part of her image these days or some such. Who knows with half these people any more? He gives an approving nod when Cody motions to toss away a javelin, unable to spare it any further scrutiny that it's a straight-up hurl with the business end facing the wrong way for a polite exchange.
No, because when he lowers his gesturing hand, it accidentally intercepts Wing's rushing headbutt. It stings a wee bit for the effort, enough for Eagle to wave his hand with a wince and momentarily breaking with any image of being in control of an unrehearsed performance with a quick scowl.
That is when he realizes that yes, she does seem worried. Unassured. He will have to give her theory some credence, they've been rotten about organizing their routines thus far. It's like Ryouhara spent all his budget doing that fancy announcement and then had too little money to oversee who he'd need to fill in the rest!! (Isn't Eagle himself familiar with this!)
There is one way to alleviate her worries, in his mind.
He turns the javelin sideways and thrusts the weapon towards Wing forcefully. More forcefully than he truly intends, but they have a /show/ that must go on.
"Here." Is all he offers with a brief nod. Perhaps Cody there will be charitable enough to hand him his spare in a moment?
COMBATSYS: Eagle successfully hits Wing with Random Weapon.
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Yuri 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Wing
COMBATSYS: Wing endures Yuri's Light Kick.
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Yuri 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Oh, jeez, wow, that's, argh--
Wing turns to face the leaping Yuri at precisely the least appropriate time to do so. Maybe if she had been paying more attention to Eagle, she'd understand a little better what he was going for; she'd at least have been able to catch the javelin before it, uhh, well--
"You fucking /stabbed/ me!!"
She's clutching the javelin in her trembling hands as a thin trickle of blood pools out from her midriff. The wound is certainly more superficial than it could be; Eagle was clearly not putting all his force into the blow. But the cut is a deep reminder, if anyone needed one, that these javelins are, in fact, not toys-- that these are deadly weapons we are dealing with. Wing's young face is pale with shock-- and then with fury, as Yuri's foot, unnoticed, thumps solidly against the side of her head.
"Aaaarrgghhh!"
Once again, she fails to notice a javelin (this time, Cody's javelin, being thrown at Yuri), but fortunately for her backside, she instinctively pivots at a different angle, toward the girl that's just kicked her. What is a girl to do when stabbed with a javelin? Become consumed with mindless fury, of course. Forgetting the weapon in her hand, Wing again uses the weapon she's most comfortable with: ignoring her throbbing wound, she lunges at Yuri before the girl can even touch ground, aiming to headbutt /her/ instead, a sheath of chi glimmering about the Queen's forehead in this most more aggressive display.
Dear possible demise:
"Gaaarrggghahhh!!"
Sincerely, Wing.
COMBATSYS: Wing successfully hits Yuri with Taiga Style.
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Yuri 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Wing
COMBATSYS: Yuri reflects Large Thrown Object from Cody with Saiha.
?!? Weird Hit! ?!?
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Yuri 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Wing
How does Yuri Sakazaki do it? She attempts to defend against not one, but TWO attacks at the same time! First, there's the issue of Wing coming at her again, and unfortunately, her defense just isn't up to par with Wing's offensive abilities. As a result, she gets hit hard and goes staggering backwards, and right into the path of the incoming javelin from Cody. But she regains her stance just in the nick of time to give Cody a taste of what she did to Wing just a moment ago.
"No way!" She yells as she brings up her energy deflecting technique once again, sending the javelin back at Cody. "You can't do that to me! Don't you know throwing things like that is gonna get you hurt?" She asks, sticking her tongue out again. Then she drops to one knee to catch her breath after that hit from Wing.
COMBATSYS: Yuri successfully hits Cody with Reflected Large Thrown Object.
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Yuri 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Well, /that's/ not supposed to happen.
Cody's javelin comes flying right back at him, and plunges right into his chest. It doesn't penetrate enough to actually stick; after a moment its weight pulls it out of his torso, and it flops to the ground at his feet, leaving only a slowly spreading red stain on his shirt as evidence of its passage.
Cody looks down at the javelin, frowns, looks up at Yuri, continues frowning, looks down at the javelin again, and frowns even deeper. Finally, he lifts his eyes to Yuri again, and begins advancing, moving at a casual walk like he was the terminator, a javelin held in each hand.
Cody's initial attempt at using the weapon proves much more... /correct/ than this one; javelins are /supposed/ to be thrown. They're /not/ supposed to be used like they were a God damn switch... which is what Cody does, whipping one of the weapons around to just slap the tip across Yuri's face.
That exclamation catches more than just a raised eyebrow from Eagle. It gets both! A mere formality in trying to hand her the weapon turns into a bloody cut - even if the damage appears superficial, there is the blood. Oh, for crying out loud, they actually made these sharp enough to pierce flesh that deep? (Eagle does have notably powerful thrusting strength in the fighting world - it may have ultimately been far more /him/ in the equation.)
Wing, unfortunately, speeds off before he could politely offer to pull the thing out as Yuri sends her javelin back towards Cody and promptly gets it lodged in his chest.
With a loud exhale, he wordlessly withdraws his trademark escrima sticks from parts unseen, spinning them between his fingers in order to keep appearances and his own spirit up in the whole matter. It would do nobody here any good if the appearance was given that he simply didn't have this segment of whatever show under control. This is just another matter of gross negligence on the part of these people organizing this thing! Honestly, it's like Ryouhara doesn't think out any part of it that isn't about him leaving cryptic statements the masses as a whole appear to dig! Some of these people should be fired!!
Eagle has to lean back when Cody swings the javelin towards Yuri's face, as he himself is dangerously close to that swing arc and would rather like to avoid having another deep, painful scar across his face (the rugged appeal aside, it does ache something fierce in changing weather).
It does give him a clear shot to reach out and try to poke a stick under Cody's armpit (of the arm swinging said javelin) in hopes of getting him to drop it.
What on earth is actually going on here?
Look, Wing knows it's an odd moment for a time-out or whatever but: 'for the good of China'? Something something 'Ryouhara's forces'? Are they being asked to kill each other /not/ by the mysterious figures in charge of this tournament -- and responsible for the devastation -- but by some other force entirely? More importantly, is this a force that is going to give Wing money and power and respect if she kills somebody? Because she was pretty confident this Ryouhara guy was going to give her money and power and respect once she wins this tournament.
Somewhere along the line, she got that impression.
It's just in the brief moment between headbutting Eagle and headbutting Yuri that this quandary begins to sink in a little; when Yuri sinks to her knees and Wing, sweating and gasping for breath, clutching at her wound, has a brief intrusion of conscious thought. Because, you know, it's a valid question, right? She's very confident about what it means to be an original gangster -- it's whatever she happens to be -- but she finds herself, in this situation-- well, less confident.
And then Eagle strides toward her teammate, and it all blinks away.
"Eeaaayyahhh!"
First, she and Travers need to /not die/.
Then, when her enemies beg for mercy, she can decide.
She lunges into a sliding kick, seeking, with an artful Liuhe Quan twist, to tangle her legs in Eagle's own and trip him with a swift sweep, possibly fouling up his attempt to impede her teammate.
COMBATSYS: Yuri blocks Cody's Random Weapon.
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Yuri 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Wing
That hurt, but not as bad as it could have been had it actually hit Yuri. As it is, the fighting cutie manages to get her defensive stance up just in time to block the incoming strike from Cody, leaving her with a large cut on her forearms, but nothing too serious... at least not for the time being. Nonetheless, Yuri's not thrilled about being hit by Cody, and she intends to make that point known.
"All right, if that's how you wanna play, then that's fine with me!" Yuri yells out, before bringing one of her fists back and then sends a blast of energy at Cody.
COMBATSYS: Cody endures Eagle's Medium Strike.
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Yuri 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Wing
COMBATSYS: Yuri successfully hits Cody with Ko'ou Ken.
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Yuri 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Apparently, Cody's strange, stoner-like mannerisms apply to his combat style, as well; he doesn't even react when Eagle's stick cracks into his armpit. As in - literally - he doesn't react. There's no spasm that opens his hand, no grunt of pain or even of irritation. The only indication that he's even been hit is that he turns to face Eagle and draws his javelin-club back for another strike.
And then Yuri's Ko'ou Ken crashes into his side and sends him flying through the air, to land in a smoking heap some ten feet away, the javelins stil clutched in his hands. For several moments, he doesn't move...
... and then he sits up, all of a sudden, and rolls his shoulders. His movements seem somehow more fluid; like he was exhausted moments before, and now he feels fine. "Much better!" he says gleefully, rolling his neck with a series of audible pops.
Calmly, Cody climbs to his feet, and glances down at the javelins in his hand. After a moment, he shrugs, tosses them onto the ground, and reaches into a pocket, withdrawing a small black object. It reveals itself as a switchblade when Cody... well, switches it, and a... a blade pops out.
"Much, much better," the blonde agrees, turning his attention back to Yuri, Eagle, and, somewhere back there, Wing. He takes a casual step forward, and then another, and then breaks into a jog... and then, all of a sudden, he's sprinting towards his opponents, knife held in front of him in a backhanded grip.
It's all a very high-octane and dynamic approach for what is basically just an attempt to stab Eagle in the kidney.
COMBATSYS: Wing successfully hits Eagle with Light Kick.
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Yuri 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle endures Cody's Tokushu Koudou!
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Yuri 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Well, you know, it's kind of an awkward thing all-around, dealing with items that are purely fatal in nature and intention. But, audiences aren't all for merciful displays of not fighting to some sort of stylistic and beautiful victory. This place is not very well lit - not only should it give the notion that this isn't quite an ideal place for a set if it's difficult to catch sight of /dramatic fighting angles/ and /gorgeous outfits/.
But even with these handicaps, the actual fighting experience of Eagle shows - in hindsight, as the case may be if there ends up being any recording in which to derive hindsight from - is in theory very sound. Wing has his attention when she screams and throws herself at him (please, he would think in more carefully plotted performances as a wisecrack for the audience, I'm a little claustrophobic among the lovely ladies), his idea for getting out of the way with as little stress to his injured leg as possible is to simply raise said leg and strike an evocative, teasing pose.
He never gets to the evocative, teasing pose because Wing shows her stuff via not going for so much a strike as a /clutch/, leveraging him into a clumsy stumble that sees him throwing his side up against the encroaching Cody's blade. He's as much surprised about the sensation of pain and the resulting cringe as much as he is realizing Cody's come onto him quicker than he'd anticipate!
All but brushed up against the burned-out brawler, he 'politely' tries to lean on him for support as long as it takes for him to simply regain balance and attempt to shove him over onto the ground, where he'd follow up with both his sticks down against Cody's back. It might give him - in the best scenario, this being Cody and all - a moment to pin him down and catch his breath while he's got himself a decent stab wound to match Wing's.
Assuming, of course, he is granted such a reprieve. (His expectations of finding such a concept within these walls is, nonetheless, rather unrealistic!)
Holy shit.
Wing isn't swift enough to protect her teammate -- but her assistance does, in the end, serve an equally meritorious purpose: tangling up Eagle sufficiently so as to expose him to Cody's counter-attack. And what a counter-attack. The last thing the young Queen expected was for her impromptu ally to spite the weapon in his hands and withdraw an entirely different foreign object-- one that, presumably, he has been carrying on him all this time, and is clearly more comfortable with.
"Damn!!"
Motherfucker just got stabbed!
In Wing's voice is an unmistakable tone of respect and approval.
Now /that's/ hard.
For whatever reason, her blond compatriot's eerily withdrawn behavior has not only failed to disturb her but does nothing to mitigate her absolute appreciation for how 'hard' Cody clearly is. Not that she has any doubts about her own credibility as an original gangster. But, you know, Thug Life can't be the same for everybody-- and she'll respect the fact that this guy has probably been around the block once or twice more than she has. At the very least, it's extremely satisfying to have a kindred spirit -- yes, a kindred spirit -- on her side.
So much more legit than those Triad posers back in Hong Kong.
Whatever disturbance she felt a moment ago at the bizarre and deadly mission they've been tasked with has now been firmly abolished, and not just in the heat of the moment and the need for self-preservation: her morale skyrockets as soon as Cody pulls out his knife. That's how it's done; that's the name of the game. And so it is with a renewed burst of feet that Wing rolls to her feet and turns away from the man she's tripped, currently occupied with being stabbed, to face Yuri, seeking to prevent her from sneaking up on Cody.
"Hrraaahhh!"
Aggressively she hurls herself at the other girl, aiming to shoulder-check the Kyokugen student and unbalance her even as Wing coils into a crouch, eyes flashing.
"You irritating--"
Whereupon she thrusts both palms out, in an explosive blow to the abdomen.
"BRAT!"
COMBATSYS: Yuri dodges Wing's Strong Punch.
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Yuri 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Cody
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Eagle 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Shoulder-checking? Is this hockey or something? Yuri's apparently not too big on being checked out right now (and no, not in that manner, you perverts!) Instead, she'd rather stay in this fight for as long as possible. So when Wing comes at Yuri with a shoulder check, Yuri ducks down and twists sideways to avoid being hit by that incoming shoulder. But Yuri's not done just yet.
"You missed me, but now it's my turn!" Yuri says as she attempts to grab onto Wing and then press her feet into her stomach, before flipping over and pushing Wing away with her feet in midair. If it succeeds, she'll even add a little taunt after she lands.
COMBATSYS: Eagle successfully hits Cody with Chest Blow.
- Power hit! -
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-
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Yuri 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Cody has seen a great many reactions to being stabbed before; most of them involve screaming, and almost as many involve uncontrollable sobbing. Only once, however, has he ever been embraced immediately following stabbing someone in the stomach, and as such Eagle's reaction - even colored as it is by the fact that Wing is clutching him - catches him off guard.
"Whoa guy," Cody says instantly, recoiling (futilely) away from Eagle as he slumps against him. "I ain't some kinda fag, so don't-- hey-- fuck!!" His sentence, as evidenced, quickly devolves into yelps when Eagle turns his brief grasp for support into a shove. Cody twists as he falls, and collapses onto his stomach with a grunt as the wind is knocked out of his lungs.
Before the American can even begin to speak again, Eagle jams his sticks directly into Cody's kidneys, thoroughly interrupting an attempt by the prone blonde to climb to his feet, and eliciting a strangled cry of pain from him.
He will be peeing blood for weeks.
But, in the more immediate term, this just means he's pinned down... a fact that he corrects by doing what he does best: ignoring the fact that a man is holding him down with little baton things and standing up anyways. This has the side effect of jamming the sticks even further into his kidneys, as he strains against them and climbs up onto all fours, but, well, they're probably already dead forever, what's a little more punishment going to hurt?
Once he's up onto all fours, he manages to twist around and lunge clumsily at Eagle, swinging his fist up for the man's abdomen. He savagely twists his forearm just as his arm reaches full extension, and an instant later, a ten-foot tall whirlwind laced with thin lines of blue energy erupts into being in front of Cody, threatening to fully engulf Eagle and send him flying away.
COMBATSYS: Eagle counters Criminal Upper from Cody with Canterbury Blue.
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Yuri 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Wing
When you're stabbed in the goddamn side/stomach (you could make a case for either) you probably need a good strong shoulder to stand on too!! Or to throw down and keep pinned down long enough to draw some breath and think of some sort of witty riposte instead of doing something sensible like clutching your wound. (Red is a fetching color on Eagle, he won't be denying this fact any time soon.)
"Now now, just a... just a," Eagle can't really get through the entire sentence, one eye squeezed shut as he realizes that, for the love of God, that was not a kind cut! Cody manages to break the pin with little effort. With Eagle's somewhat hunched-over posture, this puts him in an equally clumsy backward stumble, lowering an elbow around where the wound is happily regurgitating precious body fluids.
With the other arm raised above, he spins the escrima stick fast enough to introduce a pleasant breeze for all the good it would do anyone in a high-stress situation involving people with the desire to get these four people to try and kill their opposing team for real (and not dramatic tension, though there is plenty of that to be had), the less healthy leg raised.
Cody swing comes up fast with no grace or, to use harsher language, fucking around. Cody is a man whose fists, feet, rocks, knives, and other assorted Random Weapons (and in a few cases, Random Weapon!s) have felled men far larger than he. Eagle is too busy attempting to nurse his wound with one elbow to actually stick a stick in front of him to try and catch the fist if he actually missed the thrust. Cody's shot to the gut seems all but assured--
Putting his foot forward with such force a twig underneath his foot snaps loudly enough to echo through the forest, the formerly twirling stick's end catches - and stops - Cody's fist outright, a half-formed breeze washing over the back of Eagle's head as he faces away. He is conflicted between whether or not he enjoys the windblown look... or dislikes how much it just messed up his hair! The arm that struck forth shudders visibly, enough to make one wonder if he might lose his grip on his stick - which has developed a prominent crack running up its shaft. Any moment later, or any more powerful a strike, Cody might have split the whole goddamn stick into a million splinters and blew them all up in the man's face.
"You were... saying?" Eagle works up the breath to politely enquire further.
COMBATSYS: Wing dodges Yuri's Medium Throw.
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Yuri 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Oh, my god.
"You-- what-- SHUT UP!"
Now Wing has an all-new distraction.
Contorting her body like a falling cat -- or a tiger, perhaps, one of the six animals of Liuhe Quan -- the pint-sized thugette twists narrowly away from Yuri's grip, just barely managing to avoid the counter-attack even after having put her all into that powerful strike. Managing to get away after overextending herself like that is something of an achievement, but it's little comfort to Wing herself, who ends up in push-up position-- looking up with unbridled fury in her eyes.
"Do you-- why are you-- ANNOUNCING EVERYTHING!?"
Forget morale. Who needs morale when you're a berserker?
"AaaaaaAAAAAHHH!"
This time, Wing doesn't forget her weapon.
She doesn't really remember it, either. But she fumbled it during her last attack, and here it is by her side, and as she rises she simply plucks it up unthinkingly and, with a bloodcurling cry, attempts to slash it brutally in a diagonal sweep down Yuri's chest, the Queen of the Streets once more hurling herself relentlessly into the attack.
"WHO ARE YOU!?" she howls, wild-eyed and utterly lost to reason.
COMBATSYS: Yuri fails to interrupt Random Weapon from Wing with Saiha.
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Yuri 1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Wing
Yuri's cursing to herself as she fails to employ her favorite type of throwing technique, but now this girl is questioning as to who she is? Wing doesn't know who this is? "I'm Yuri Sakazaki, daughter of Takuma, founder of the Kyokugen Karate style! It's the most awesome style that more people should try!" She scowls angrily, shaking a fist at Wing. "You should know that by now! Kyokugen is the best!"
Yuri tries to avoid the incoming attack, but she fails to reflect the incoming sharp attack, and she finds herself getting cut and dropping to the ground. She cries out, though it's more like actual crying than being in pain. "That wasn't fair! Why does this always happen to me?!" Yuri bawls, before she continues her crying as she tries to get back up.
When Eagle's stick and Cody's fist meet, there is a second loud *CRACK* - even louder than the poor twig Eagle just obliterated - as the bones in several of Cody's fingers decide they don't give a shit anymore and just sort of explode. The still-kneeling Cody grits his teeth in pain, but doesn't cry out this time; all of a sudden, the pain in his hand - and the rest of him - doesn't seem nearly as bad.
The reason why becomes obvious - at least to him - when he tries to respond to Eagle's inquiry. "I was /sayin'/ that you... you..." Cody's statement almost immediately runs out of steam, and his eyes suddenly drift out of focus; a moment later, the man's hand drops away from where it was locked with Eagle's stick, and he slumps sideways like he's drunk, or perhaps like he's... well, dying.
"Fuck," Cody groans, maneuvering clumsily onto all fours again. "Fuck... fuck... /fuck/..." His heartbeat pounds faster and faster in his ears, and his breath comes faster and faster; within moments, he's hyperventilating. Another second or two, and the man suddenly lets out a bestial roar, rocks up onto his knees again, and swats an arm furiously at Eagle, trying to simply bat the man away from him.
After the swing is thrown, Cody collapses to all fours again, and lifts his non-shattered hand to slam it against the ground, hard enough to make a little crater in the dirt. Slowly, the still-growing red stain on his shirt, from where Yuri stabbed him with his own javelin, begins to turn - of all colors - neon, luminescent green.
Another instant, and Cody /again/ rocks back up onto his knees, and tears his shirt off like he is 'Roid Rage Hulk Hogan, with another roar. His veins stand out prominently on his neck and chest - they, too, are glowing green. So are his eyes, which he always thinks is kind of weird in hindsight. Are his eyes full of blood?
Man, that'd be nasty.
COMBATSYS: Cody successfully hits Eagle with Medium Strike.
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Yuri 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Wing
"You were saying..." Eagle relaxes his posture some, attempting to bring just a touch of good humor to offset the nagging bloody stain on his expensive shirt, "fuck four times? Hm." His look is contemplative even as Cody has a nervous breakdown, a dismissive grunt at all this. Yuri over there is busy pissing and moaning over something or another while that other girl is screaming her lungs out and a part of him just begins to wonder - can this all be salvaged? This whole affair broke down pretty quickly once everyone saw what those javelin things were capable of.
Cody's roar breaks him out of contemplation, only able to put up a token raised arm to an arm swat far more powerful than what he can have to muster. His arm gets twisted in such an awkward way that the stick in the respective hand not only pokes himself in the heart (ouch), Eagle outright ends up backhanding himself in the face. Both blows carried over whatever initial force Cody's swing had rather well, one must say.
It's enough to make the older gent tumble back painfully (oh great, now that wound of his is going to get infected in contact with all that dirt), ending in a seated position where he can watch Cody's transformation from an ordinary down-on-his-luck bum into... hm!
The sight is so interesting that Eagle, foolishly, leaves both his sticks lowered (one arm is still trying to stop the bleeding to not much effect because he simply won't let the stick go). The glow in his veins and eyes, hm, how does he do that? He's like a one-man light show! Missing the subtle cues of just how much individual danger he's in now (subtle things such as roaring like a hellbeast and stripping himself), he leans a little closer as if to see what, exactly, this man has managed.
"I don't know about you ladies," Eagle starts in a calm tone occasionally punctured with a wince, "but this gentleman has clearly... come to put on a show."
COMBATSYS: Eagle focuses on his next action.
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Yuri 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Wing
Unbelievable.
"Are... you... CRYING?"
Wing almost drops her javelin, she's so appalled.
"I can't even look at you!!"
Kyokugen? Right, whatever. The Queen of the Streets follows through on her words, turning away from Yuri in utter and complete disgust. It is disgust, of course, that could revert to foam-flecked fury at any moment, but it is disgust nevertheless -- and that turn allows her to see Cody's transformation in all its glory. She really does drop her javelin this time.
"Aiiyaaa--"
Man, who needs a knife when you're the Incredible Hulk?
"Uh, yeah," she replies to Eagle, double-taking almost immediately as she realizes she's agreed with her other, almost-as-irritating adversary, causing her face to assume yet another mask of rage. "I mean-- shut up, you fuckin' clown!" Jeez, this guy doesn't have a clue! "There's no show! He's gonna--"
And ignoring her sobbing foe, she lunges toward the foppish fighter.
"--RIP YOUR--"
She feints high, a blurring jab, but quickly drops low again-- this time, however, instead of attempting to tangle him up, Wing lashes out with a quick, almost cautious, punch to the leg. For all her berserk rage, Wing seems to have been paying a little more attention than it has appeared-- or at least she's gotten the impression that Eagle is favoring one of his legs. It's that leg she strikes out toward. And though it's just a quick blow -- she clearly does not want to get caught by him again, not after the Javelin Incident -- she, as is her eternal wont, puts every ounce of force her tiny body possesses behind it.
"HEART OUT!!"
Yuri can't stop crying initially, she continues crying like the little baby she turns out to be at times. Even though she hates being dubbed like that, but it's no use sometimes, since she can't help but whine like a little girl. That is, of course, untill she looks up and sees Wing going after Eagle instead of her, at which point a smile forms on her face.
"What's wrong, afraid of taking a cheap shot at me?" Yuri says as she makes a funny face at Wing. "Come on, I expected more out of you!" She cracks her knuckles and rolls her head around a few times. "But, since you don't feel like attacking me, I'll attack YOU instead!" And with that, Yuri rushes at Wing, attempting to deliver a swift flying uppercut, not unlike Ryu and Ken's Dragon Punch, albeit with a unique touch of Yuri-fighting style.
When Cody's tantrum finally comes to an end, the man remains kneeling for several seconds as his breathing comes under control again. His skin is strangely pallid... but despite that, sweat is pouring from his body. His muscles seem swollen, somehow; not unnaturally so, and his build is roughly the same, he just looks... well, swoll.
Eventually, Cody lifts his gaze to stare at Eagle... and that's what he does, for another few moments. And then, perfectly calmly, he reaches out to pick up the knife he dropped somewhere amidst his tantrum, and rises calmly to his feet. If he's bothered at all by the bleeding wound in his chest, or his shattered hand, he shows no indication of it at all.
One by one, Cody takes stock of every combatant in the 'ring', such as it is, and then of the javelins and their various locations around the area. Wing grabs his attention when she charges Eagle, squealing about tearing hearts out, and his eyes track her all the way back to Eagle... who they settle on again.
And then, finally, Cody does something.
The motion is only a simple flick of his wrist, so it's kind of amazing how fast it propels the knife in his hand; the weapon goes from zero to bullshit basically instantly, transforming into nothing but a razor sharp silver streak that cuts through the air for - perhaps surprisingly - /Yuri's/ shoulder.
Without even waiting to see the results of his throw, Cody is in motion, taking long, casual strides across the battlefield towards where a javelin lies upon the ground.
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges Wing's Quick Punch.
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Yuri 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Wing
Eyes meet between a man almost entirely made of fashionably controversial health products and Cody. (Zing!) Cody was never a small man, and most men of the fighting circuit are not exactly what one could call slight to begin with. Hm, maybe his eyes were starting to go on him? To get that bizarre glowing effect, and work his body into such shape, hmm, that's worthy of respect (or a leer), is it not?
It is very hard to tune out the insults and volleys of Wing and Yuri alike. For all the casual dropping of the F bomb, it's a wonder any single one of them could stand out and have any immediate meaning in regards to both the conversation and incoming attack.
"A clown? Hm, yes, I suppose it's not late to take up vacancy at a--" He doesn't get to finish the statement with Wing darting in as fast as a hummingbird, kicking off with his better foot into an advancing hop where one of his sticks is held in front of him defensively. The other would normally join, but somehow keeping an elbow around where he was stabbed just seems to be a thing of greater import. Her fist brushes past the sole of his shoe. The hurled knife just whizzes by the distinguished gentleman and nearly nicks a bit out of his sleeve en route to Yuri. It would appear both the advancing glowing husk of a man and the groan-worthy celebrity of an advancing age are set to meet in bloody battle.
His landing is a little rough as he's forced to do it on the weaker leg, but he has enough time to playfully wave a stick towards Wing, shaking it back and forth as if to say 'no, no, no.'
"Well then," he clears his throat as he draws his bloodied elbow from an even bloodier midsection wound as he fights back the creeping thought that this guy with a particularly low reputation may, indeed, rip his heart out and make fine cuisine with it, "let us!"
This is the sole announcement before he does what is probably the dumbest thing to do in the face of a drugged-up hulking monstrosity - spin with his arms outstretched with one leg raised like some kind of silly helicopter. It's the sorts of stuff crowds love to watch, kids love to imitate, and people attribute all sorts of fancy things to.
It may find itself with significantly less success in the face of a crazed maniac in a life-and-death battle!
COMBATSYS: Wing endures Yuri's Yuri Chou Upper.
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Yuri 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/---====/=======|=======\=======\1 Wing
Enough.
Wing's punch misses; her eyebrow twitches, as Eagle idly taunts her with his weapon. Her whole body seems to tense up, the cords in her thin neck bunching, as instinctively she reaches once more for the deadly weapon at her feet, to grip it tightly, comfortingly, as if possessing it -- and its fatal possibilities -- might calm the storm raging inside her.
But then Yuri starts talking.
"...gnnnghhh..."
Slowly, Wing turns, her body trembling. Slowly, she turns-- right into Yuri's attack. But she does not move, no. She does not move even to defend herself. Wing's head happens to already be lowered, and so it happens that Yuri's uppercut slams into -- you guessed it -- Wing's all-too-solid forehead, with a rather sickening crunch (which may have actually been Yuri's knuckles). Even then, Wing does not move-- not right away. But her trembling increases in pitch, until it is nigh on spasms--
"Y... you..."
Enough with the moral dilemma. Enough with the mysterious voice. Enough with the damn tournament and the damn money and the damn respect of damn idiots. Enough with the guy with the sticks, and enough with this-- this--
"REEEEETAAAAAARD!!"
Wing looks up, chest heaving, eyes seeming bloodshot, seeing only a mist of red.
The javelin is smooth in her hands.
Enough--
The answer is simple.
"IIIIIIIIII'LL--"
She charges, spittle flying.
"--KIIIIIIIIILL--"
And rushes right toward Yuri, that bloody javelin held aloft...
"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU!!"
COMBATSYS: Yuri endures Cody's Knife Throw.
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Yuri 1/-======/=======|=======\====---\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Wing
Yuri sees the knife, and then she sees Wing coming at her. There's no way that there's going to be an easy way out of this. She tries to brace herself for the impact of the knife, but finds that it hits her harder than she expected, plunging into the side of her stomach. She yowls and drops to the ground, and despite how risky it might be, Yuri pulls it out and tosses it to the ground. Tears are streaming down her cheeks and her body is bleeding profusely now, yet Yuri somehow manages to push herself back up onto all fours, then onto one leg. Her other leg shows signs of having a bad limp to it. It looks like Yuri's about to go down for the count here, leaving Eagle on his own.
But then, Yuri starts to glow with her inner power, and then she grasps the javelin. She looks rather weak, but then she looks up at Wing, and her body appears to be full of vitality once again, a determined scowling look on her face. "All right, enough is enough! You can do what you want, but I'm not gonna let you beat me that easily!" With that, Yuri grasps the javelin and yells out as she hurls the javelin at Wing. After that, her body drops to its weakened stance again.
COMBATSYS: Cody endures Eagle's Manchester Black.
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Yuri 0/-------/-----==|=======\=====--\1 Cody
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Eagle 1/--=====/=======|===----\-------\0 Wing
Cody may be blasted out of his fuck - yes, out of his fuck - on Glow right now, but some part of his brain still recognizes, and even kind of respect, the fact that Wing is - for now - 'on his team.' And nothing says 'teamwork' like simultaneously stabbing a little girl to death.
Maybe that's why, after stooping to pick up a javelin, he turns back towards where Wing is charging Yuri and suddenly springs into motion, pushing off the ground hard enough to leave little trenches in the dirt.
He straight-up runs /through/ Eagle's fanciful spinning attack; sticks strike him in the chest, and judging from the sharp crack do a terrible thing to some of his ribs, but Cody doesn't so much as slow down, bowling past the Englishman in his mad charge to reinforce his teammate.
Which he does by lifting his javelin above his head, uttering another bestial roar, and lunging for Yuri at the same time Wing does. Somehow, he manages to arrange things so that they are attacking at just the right angles to, theoretically, place Yuri at the center of a large X shape. Possibly even an X shape of inexplicable glowing lines.
The javelin may pierce her in a second.
It may all be over in a moment.
But right now, Wing--
"AAAAAARGGHH!"
--can think of nothing but destroying her enemy.
She releases her javelin, even as Yuri's own rockets toward her, and though Wing will not be joining Cody in the lunge, the X is completed: two weapons streaking toward Yuri as one.
[OOC] Mizuki says, "-Double Deathblow-? That's the best you could do??"
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "well that's what it is"
[OOC] Wing says, "dude"
[OOC] Eagle says, "I imagine 'Double Penetration' would not have flown."
[OOC] Eagle says, "Yuri is sixteen."
[OOC] Wing says, "when you get a totally new move and you only get to use it once"
[OOC] Wing says, "you can't stray from the text"
[OOC] Wing says, "although Double Penetration would have been /pretty/ amazing"
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "oh my god"
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "why didn't we call it double penetration"
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "you're dead to me, wing"
[OOC] Wing says, "man thanks a lot eagle"
[OOC] Wing says, "thanks for bringing that up"
[OOC] Wing says, "now cody hates me"
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "i really do"
The line blurs between who actually comes out on top in between stupid fancy spinny attack and stupid strong monster rush. To an outside observer, that sharp crack could have been the injury of either - Cody's run through the spin sends Eagle spinning the other way until he all but collapses on the knee he rather would not have! This gives the two of them ample time to coordinate (somehow) their life-ending twin assault, of which Eagle could only catch a glimpse of for a time - for better or for worse, the end result matters not, other than for one very distinct principle.
He gets a feeling, or rather a sensation, yes, they are not quite pacing their best! To so speedily call an end to this while he is still so capable of fighting? Why, he should be offended - but what else could he have expected, in the end, of two strangers whose vocabularies seemed to begin and end with a single word starting with the letter F?!
It makes him incensed enough to stand back up and catch a breath even while the bloodloss is starting to make him but a little faint as he strides along behind the glowing Glower of glowiness, hardly a glow on Eagle's features. So many other men would have been happy to be in Eagle's situation, with Cody's back turned so they could run away (or if they were Two-P, walk up and love tap him in the back, one or the other).
"Please!" He says, not of begging, but as if turning up his nose at the whole display. "The night is young, wouldn't you say?" So Eagle says as he happens up behind Cody, much too late to stop whatever it is he and Wing are about to inflict on Yuri (if anything, she can be slippery).
He has the gall to wrap an arm - somehow - around Cody's beefy swollen neck as if Eagle himself were palling around. He flashes a grin and - assuming Cody is prone to let him keep this hold (or, optionally, his teeth), he has one last quip to say as he raises the stick high up into the sky briefly.
"Shall we carry on, then?" He says as he brings the stick - the one that isn't cracked - down upon Cody's glow-addled skull.
COMBATSYS: Yuri successfully hits Wing with Deathblow.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Yuri 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Cody
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Eagle 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Wing
What was that?
"--uugh--"
Like someone just punched her in the stomach-- really hard.
"--kkhh--"
Wing tries to speak, but only a foul, coppery fluid reaches her lips.
Staggering backward, choking loudly, the young girl looks down, still trembling, to see with uncomprehending eyes the javelin quivering in her gut. Reaching down to clutch it with both hands, she stumbles, blinking, and falls to one knee. She begins to cough, loudly, and with a now violently shaking hand reaches behind her to feel the point of the weapon emerging out the other side of her body.
She's going to die.
Her face twists into an evil grimace, a mask of rage and hate.
She's going to die.
That mask fades as her gasps become sobs, chest heaving as her twitching eyes widen in fear.
She's going to die.
Her eyes close, teeth gritting against an onrush of forgotten agony.
Just... like... this.
Fuck.
Was it worth it?
Her grandfather, exhausted but still standing, sneering down with a bloodied face.
Was it worth it?
An underclassman cowering, half-stuffed in his locker, holding up pocket change.
Fuck.
Trembling-- her other knee, now-- but--
Moments. She has some moments left.
The thought that she might, through sheer luck and vitality and excellent medical treatment, survive this blow never occurs to Wing Xiaoping. The thought that there remains an ounce of strength left in her does-- and that the Queen of the Streets can take an ounce a long way.
"Uhh... urgghhh..."
She stands.
"URRRAAAAAGHHHH!"
And she throws herself, with javelin still pointedly sticking out of her abdomen, at the first one she sees: Eagle, walking toward Cody with intent to attack. She throws herself utterly into the semblance of a flying kick, twisting somehow as best she can with the weapon still emerging from her body, and attempts to hit the guy with everything she's got, right in the noggin.
It may all be over soon. Was it worth it?
She doesn't have to answer that.
She's not dead yet.
COMBATSYS: Yuri blocks Wing and Cody's Double Deathblow.
[ \\\ < > ////////// ]
Yuri 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Cody
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > // ]
Eagle 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Wing
There is NO way whatsoever that a double-teamed attack like that would be able to be avoided. None whatsoever. No matter how you look at it, Yuri's definitely done for. But rather than run away, Yuri gets into a defensive stance, closing her eyes and breathing deep, another glow of chi forming around her. It's almost like she's preparing to absorb it or something, if not maybe prepare one last surprise for Wing. Nevertheless, that attack from Cody and Wing is coming in hard...
And it does hit Yuri, puncturing her defense and piercing into her body. She yells out and staggers backwards, blood now staining her uniform very noticeably, and her eyes rolling back into her head, her body showing signs of getting ready to go limp and collapse onto the ground...
And then, Yuri glows one last time and brings back both of her fists, the hands glowing with energy, and then with a shout she lets fly with an immense blast of chi at Wing...
And then she proceeds to fall flat on her face as soon as that's done!
COMBATSYS: Yuri can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|======-\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Cody endures Eagle's Head Cracker.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Eagle 1/-======/=======|===----\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|======-\-------\0 Wing
Cody dashes right past Yuri, and comes to a halt behind her, his arm still extended even though his javelin is now buried in Yuri's body, his eyes squeezed closed. After a beat, he opens his eyes... and without moving, he speaks, his voice strangely distorted by the drugs in his system. No, it doesn't make sense; deal with it.
"You are already dead," Cody rumbles ominously.
This is followed immediately by a soft, "Ghrk..." This is because Eagle has just wrapped his arm around his neck, and smacked him in the giant drug retard soft spot with a stick.
For a brief instant, Cody sways beneath Eagle's grip, hunched slightly... but then he appears to shake it off, and he rises calmly to his full height and turns to stare at Eagle, his eyes still aglow with neon green light. He doesn't move to struggle, or to fight back, he just... stares at him, expression neutral.
This may be because he can see Wing flying in from behind his opponent... or it may be because he's a /fucking psychopath./
It's tough to say.
COMBATSYS: Cody gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 1/-======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|======-\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle blocks Wing's Shaolin Worldwide.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 1/=======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|======-\-------\0 Wing
All of them have had their own ways of coping with the almost unthinkable down behind enemy lines. One denies it. One fights it. One is too drugged up to think much of it. The other is currently in a bloody heap.
It becomes increasingly more difficult for one to outright deny it when Yuri staggers and hits the ground, bleeding to her possible death - something Eagle catches sight of moments after cracking Cody upside the head following his ominous remark (that is also rumbly). Cody, under the effects of the drug, easily shakes himself out of Eagle's grip and gives him that somewhat disconcerting look that - at this distance - overrides the otherwise neat neon green glowy Glow eyes. But, no, that ultimately pales in comparison to what he's about to see behind him with a most timely scream.
He catches sight of a still-impaled Wing going at him, and that is when the man's composition finally breaks visually, vividly, and spectacularly - /she's running at him with a god damned javelin inside her./ This overrides any and all of the fallacies of an otherwise straightforward (if powerful) flying kick that is stopped - if only just - by the virtue of a raised elbow locked at its height from sheer surprise and disgust - a huge black mark forming where she otherwise cleanly strikes as his forearm is thrust into his face. However she chooses to land, that shaft might whack him too.
"Young lady!" Eagle exclaims, at last opting to put a stick underneath his arm so he could dedicate a free hand to trying to yank the thing out proper. "You're done. Please, control yourself!"
It's an act of altruism that follows, if a dangerous one from reflex that might threaten to endanger her life more than it already /is/ in his attempt to take a firm grasp of it and simply remove it with a little tug.
Will the Queen of the Streets succumb to possible further injury or blood loss at its removal?!
COMBATSYS: Yuri successfully hits Wing with Denjin Haoh Sho Ko Ken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 1/=======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> ]
|=======\====---\1 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle successfully hits Wing with Random Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> ]
|=======\=======\1 Wing
Moments. Moments to act.
Moments cut short.
The explosion of chi that slams brutally into her back, even in the midst of her flying kick, throws Wing's head back, eyes snapping open in nerve-shattering pain, sending the blood that has pooled in her mouth fountaining into the air. She falls onto her own feet more than she lands, and most likely would have simply fallen against Eagle had he not caught her himself, instinctively -- and rather inadvisably -- deciding to pull the weapon from her body. The slip of a girl spasms violently, beginning to lose more blood than she ever imagined a human body, let alone one as small as hers, could contain.
"Nnaaaaagnhh--!"
There's a hint of terror in her eyes -- or some sort of terrible awe, like gazing upon the face of God -- but if there /is/ fear in her heart, it does not reach her brain. Berserk fury has taken complete control of her; it is all she has left, the fundamental Wing remaining at the core of her self, the endless well of rage and spiteful defiance, arising from nowhere, signifying nothing. But her body is truly failing her now-- nothing can carry her on past this.
"UUUUUAAAAHHHHHH!"
Eagle's words are decidedly ignored. The fury on Wing's face is something beyond hatred.
That the world would dare to kill her--
That she could /die/, like /this/--
That reality is one she cannot accept.
It's just that simple.
So nothing personal, Eagle, really-- when her fists blur out in an wild stream, literally blur, like twin jackhammers firing away in any old direction -- she may or may not be facing in exactly the right direction, but if she is, hey, great -- it's not because she has anything against you. Even if she thinks you're a thick-headed goat-faced poser clown. It's just, you know, the world. It's not fair.
...It's not fair.
"AAAaaaarghh--!"
She stumbles, wild-eyed, in the midst of that typhoon of attacks, blood still dripping from her lips, and only then, in the shifting light, does it become clear that her cheeks are streaked with tears.
Wing Xiaoping falls to one knee--
COMBATSYS: Wing has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> /// ]
|====---\-------\0 Wing
--and SCREAMS.
"AAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGHHHHHH!"
Writhing, spasming, she surges to her feet, still spewing blood.
It's kind of amazing.
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "ahahahahahaha"
[OOC] Wing says, "who says a little -61% health ever hurt anybody"
Cody just... watches the exchange between Wing and Eagle. He looks... bored, almost, and contemplative, as if he's uncertain if it's even worth his time to get involved.
Apparently, he decides it is; in the instant that Wing falls to one knee, Cody finally springs into motion again, and he lunges to continue the assault on Eagle when Wing falters. It isn't a terribly complex attack; just a quick series of jabs before he grabs Eagle by the collar and flings him away, in the general direction of a nearby tree.
After his assault is over - even if Eagle is still right there - the American turns to glare down at Wing. After a moment, he rumbles, voice still distorted, "... teammate..." It's as if he's reminding himself of this (extremely unfortunate) fact.
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges Wing's Wing Dynasty.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> /// ]
|====---\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle fails to interrupt Random Combo from Cody with Deathblow.
- Power fail! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0 Cody
> /// ]
|====---\-------\0 Wing
[OOC] Eagle says, "YES"
[OOC] Wing says, "eagle you are so sweet"
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "that's dedication"
[OOC] Wing says, "that is the best reaction to a power fail i've ever seen"
[OOC] Wing says, "i hereby vow the next time i power fail i will shout 'YES'"
[OOC] Wing says, "purely in honor of you"
[OOC] Eagle says, "no, seriously, I was sitting here because... Wing does this awesome pose but I have 99 to every possible option except two. And they were at 90."
[OOC] Glow-Aid Cody says, "ahahahaha"
[OOC] Eagle says, "But I knew what to do if I failed against /you/, Cody."
[OOC] Eagle says, "And so, I pose."
The javelin is removed in a hasty decision that has probably cemented the end of Wing's young life - but you cannot blame this man for lack of trying! This was the issue he had with Maki Genryuusai, albeit in less... deadly circumstances. She didn't work with him, she didn't know when she was beaten! The performance was as good as soiled with those theatrics of hers, and Wing's particular sreams and flails are... a somewhat dark reminder of this.
It is to his advantage that he has to do absolutely nothing to move away from it - his opponent ends up swinging wildly the wrong way, which brings further attention to a much more imminent threat. He rather dislikes that look in those glowing green eyes (how can you /tell/ a look in what is solid glowing green anyway), realizing that, yes, perhaps now is a good time to finish up tonight's performance. To this end, he drops the sticks and twirls the javelin around in both hands - it's far longer than he's used to handling, but, in this circumstance, would have to do. Blood from its tip flicks about like a tiny shower of gore as he rapidly picks up speed in spite of the recent bruise on his elbow. He figures a few spinning strikes followed by a solid finisher with the butt end will do the trick - stylish, to the point, and ultimately decisive. If it were just him and Cody, just these two, Cody's run may have stopped right here.
Wing's furious typhoon of blows, as described, makes the air around her regret mocking her, assuming thin air had any insults to give of her. But that is when something truly miraculous - no, something truly /comical/ - so rears its head, the wheel of fortune turning as if in response to how unfair the world is.
She lands but one punch on the spinning javelin in one of her final swings before she falls to her knees.
The javelin promptly flies clean out of Eagle's hands and into a tree. He only has about a fraction of a second to realize this before those fists come swinging. They land in a most satisfying place across the face, each one twisting and turning his head back and forth with a new bruise and spittle to accompany it.
Dazed by this initial combination, he is grabbed summarily by the collar and hurled at a dying tree whose final leaves all flitter off under one shattering impact that sees the British performer land on his head. The rest of him follows, leaving him laid face-down.
That his right hand starts patting about for something or another is the only hint he's not completely down for the count, but he may as well be so - he is fully unarmed, at this point.
"Gyyaaaagghhh!"
In Wing's defense, her gory flailing does make for a /kind/ of show. Just, perhaps, not in the refined manner that Eagle might prefer. Nevertheless, whatever roils in the black cauldron of her soul continues to propel the diminutive Queen, lurching drunkenly but on her feet. She fails to notice the forbidding glint in the eyes of her 'teammate' -- indeed, she fails to notice him entirely, so utterly consumed by bloodlust and, er, blood -- but the limitless potential of her violent urges may still serve as a kind of inspiration.
Or a trigger, at least. For after whirling about several times, her hazy gaze settles on the figure she recognizes as her enemy, slumped at the base of a tree. Her opponent being prone wouldn't even stop her under normal circumstances -- well, not unless she had a particularly good taunt to deliver -- and least of all will it now. She plunges toward Eagle's fallen form headlong, arms windmilling, screeching like a banshee.
"UYYYAAAAAHHHH!"
Maybe his ears will burst, and that'll be the end of him.
Barring that, Wing's quite literally death-defying leap may also do the trick, as she spirals in a surprisingly acrobatic display -- still emitting copious amounts of vital fluids, of course -- to torque into what becomes a savage mixture of a snap kick and a stomp, throwing herself bodily into an effort to plant Eagle's head, once and for all, into the dirt.
Whereupon she will probably fall on him.
...And maybe die.
Wing may be terribly deranged, but Cody is still perfectly calm, which is kind of weird given how he basically flipped his shit to become what he is now. As Wing flings herself at the downed Eagle, Cody practically /ambles/ over to where Yuri is sprawled out on the ground, plants his foot on her neck, and wrenches one of the javelins out of her body.
That done, he turns and just as casually walks over to where Wing and Eagle are, just as his 'teammate' collapses upon the already-downed Eagle, probably spent. He doesn't even hesitate; he shifts his grip on the javelin to hold it point-down, lifts it into the air, and plunges it straight downwards.
Right towards Eagle's back.
... and Wing's.
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges Wing's Crane Kickin' It Old Skool.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|====---\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges Cody's Random Weapon.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|====---\-------\0 Wing
The only way Eagle could respond to much of anything at this point - disgraced, manhandled, bleeding out the side, and with a fairly weak leg from his AMAZING LANDING (the alternative was death) - the screams do come quite close to making his already ringing ears burst, yes. Even with a pounding migraine, it takes but a simple roll to the right (across a somewhat sharp stick - ouch!) to avoid a grisly fate of being stomped to unconsciousness. This spares him from that single, deadly fate Wing may or may not quite have suffered. He's now looking up at a javelin-wielding glowing drug-addict whom has just plunged that deadly javelin into the ground.
"Are you--" Eagle coughs. "Are you mad?" His voice is a little too weak to put in the appropriate volume, his bleeding side aching a bit much for a quick and speedy recovery back on his feet.
As a performer, he prefers to put emphasis on all those teasing, playful, rather silly-looking maneuvers. They're entertaining! The crowds love it. Without the sticks in hand... alas, he is... rather limited, one must say. It is a giant lump of pride to swallow to allow himself to go towards such base tactics in order to bring these sorts of people down.
With a loud grount, he strikes out his stronger foot against the dirt - the somewhat telegraphed nature and how it scrapes up against the dirt a telltale sign he is nowhere near as versed as the Queen of the Streets in using his legs to strike - as he tries to shatter Cody's ankle outright.
COMBATSYS: Cody successfully hits Wing with Random Weapon.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Cody
> ]
|=======\==-----\1 Wing
Worst
teammate
ever.
"Uurghkk--!"
Wing is not aware that Cody is the source of the javelin that has just pierced her back, creating a second wound precariously close to the devastating first. Wing is not aware of a lot of things. She is not even entirely aware that she has missed Eagle's head.
"--guukkk--"
But through vision ablaze with white and swimming in red, she can see, almost in slow-motion, that her adversary -- that is all she can remember him as -- continues to move, to attack. And as he lashes out with a kick, she, instinctively--
"--ughhh!"
--falls over.
...
But /as/ she is falling over, she lashes out with a final kick, as mighty as she can make it, utterly depleted though she is, toward the one leg Eagle has planted in the ground, attempting to catch him mid-kick and smash his footing out from under him.
Now with an all-new javelin sticking out of her, she collapses, landing, thankfully, on her side. She heaves once, splattering some of what little blood remains in her along the ground. She shudders once.
And then--
COMBATSYS: Wing has reached third wind!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Eagle 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Cody
> /// ]
|=======\=------\1 Wing
--she SCREAMS.
"AAAAAAAAAFGGGGRGHHHHHHH!"
And rises, flailing like a lunatic.
I really don't know what to tell you.
COMBATSYS: Cody endures Eagle's Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Eagle 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Cody
> /// ]
|=======\=------\1 Wing
Eagle's leg cracks into Cody's ankle like a meteor strike. There is a hideous crack as the joint basically detonates, and it bends in a way it almost certainly shouldn't as it ceases to be anything other than a horrible gory mess underneath the blessedly only slightly tarnished skin.
Cody doesn't even blink. He may, in fact, be a monster.
The American takes a calm step closer to Eagle, undeterred by the fact that his ankle is /fucking ruined/, and after Wing strikes out at him, calmly reaches down to grab the Englishman by the head and haul him off the ground. Mad, he asks. Is he mad.
Cody tilts his head, as if considering it, and then says simply, his voice reverbating, "Come and see."
And then he turns and smashes Eagle's face into the surface of the nearby tree, like he were trying to crack an egg, just as WIng leaps to her feet next to him shrieking, a javelin sticking out of her chest.
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges Wing's Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Eagle 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Cody
> /// ]
|=======\=------\1 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle blocks Cody's Savage Combo.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Eagle 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Cody
> /// ]
|=======\=------\1 Wing
In better health, Eagle=s leg would have been caught by Wing's (not so) final kick - it comes a little late, striking into Cody's ankle and rising so that her foot just goes underneath the bent knee. Lady, he'd like to help you, he would say with a hint of venom and annoyance as though he were entitled to the saintly patience of others he would so enjoy to have, but he's afraid he is dealing with an amateur (but a master of mayhem).
A master of mayhem whom promptly reaches him by his head and gets his thumb so close to gouging out his eye. Cody is halted from outright smashing it into the tree if only because one of Eagle's arms press against said tree. It's a lot more like a highly uncomfortable neck cramp as he takes the sort of opportunity to at least get back standing on his feet. Just in time to watch the girl bleeding out not, exactly, bleed out entirely with a guttural scream. What part of the globe is she from? She must be a direct descendent of Genghis Khan himself!!
His arm growing sore from the mere attempt to play tug-of-war with Cody, the best he can think of doing is to try and hastily return the favor.
"But I... insist," he croons, reaching out with his free arm to try and get the haze-headed addict by the head and simply ram him into the same tree that would have had an imprint in the shape if Cody doesn't have anything better to say about it, "ladies first!"
Even with all he puts into it, he tries to at least keep his consciousness intact. Alert. Ready for whatever sorts of half-dead chicanery either of them might try and pull in the interim.
Ladies first, eh?
"YUUUAAAGGHHHH!"
Don't mind if Wing does.
Now that she's up on her feet again -- sort of, kind of, maybe -- she may be able to offer a little more than a wild flailing kick. Maybe. There's that silhouette, that blotted figure that she distinctively recognizes as her foe, doing something funny with another man. She can't quite tell what those who are up to, but she senses at a gut level -- not at this point that it would matter either way -- that his back is turned to her, as he and Cody struggle by the tree.
Thus does she plunge toward Eagle, a bloody, violent, unrelenting mess.
And screaming with all killing intent (it would be a helpful alert, if it were not by now so monotonous), she tightens one tiny, mighty fist into a phoenix hand, fingers bent and knuckles extended for precision striking, and aims a startlingly decisive blow considering her nigh-on zombie state: a formidable blow straight at the vulnerable point where the base of Eagle's skull meets his spine, right on the back of the neck.
You can kill a man, you hit him there hard enough.
Better protect your neck.
COMBATSYS: Cody endures Eagle's Armed Combo.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > // ]
Eagle 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|-------\-------\0 Wing
This one is tenacious.
As evidenced when Cody's head crashes into the side of the tree, and the poor thing - already battered and damaged - falls over. Thankfully, it falls to the side, and not directly on top of the assorted combatants.
Less than thankfully, Cody suddenly wrenches his way out of Eagle's grip and staggers towards the shadow of the falling tree, neon green blood streaming from his forehead. Judging by the snarl on his face, it looks like he's finally started to get /mad./
/That/ is evidenced by how Cody calmly lifts his arms up underneath the falling tree, and... handily catches it before it can hit the ground. He awkwardly shifts his grip on it until he has a good handhold... and then turns, lifts up above his head, and with a savage roar, swings it straight down at Eagle.
When it hits the ground - whether Eagle is underneath it or not - the entire thing explodes into wood dust and splinters, and the force of the strangely concussive explosion sends Cody flying backwards into another tree. He hits the thing with such force that a spray of green blood lances out of his mouth, and then slumps to the ground, head lolling forward onto his chest.
COMBATSYS: Cody has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Eagle 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|-------\-------\0 Wing
He's not down for long.
It takes a few seconds, but he suddenly snaps his head up and roars again. Almost immediately, he's clambering awkwardly to his feet, clawing furiously at his chest, his nails leaving long, shallow cuts that ooze green blood. After an instant of going berserk on his own flesh, he whirls and digs his fingers into the tree behind him...
... and starts pulling it out of the ground.
Oh, dear.
COMBATSYS: Wing successfully hits Eagle with Protect Ya Neck.
[ \\\ < > //// ]
Eagle 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|-------\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle endures Cody's Huge Random Weapon.
[ < > //// ]
Eagle 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|-------\-------\0 Wing
Wing has been doing so much screaming to give away her position and intent to attack that at last there is a trend in which an exception could, at last, happen. He assumes - wrongfully - she is simply screaming for attention and help and you know what as soon as he's /done/ with this man he would be most happy to call for something approaching assistance among this hellhole. It disgusts him how little Ryouhara has done to truly accommodate the all-star ensemble (...for a given value of 'all star') in one of his latest headline-grabbing attention schemes.
Wing's mighty fist strikes deep into the back of Eagle's head before he can react, bouncing him forward - and then off - the tree that begins its real fall at that time, laid sprawling on the ground in a half-awake daze when Cody decides to do the sort of thing he is renowned for.
Taking virtually any and every goddamned thing that isn't nailed down (or sometimes stuff that /is/, including the nails) with a bloodthirsty roar of some sort of savage. Tree goes up. Eagle is in tree's shadow. His mouth hangs open as he lays prone against the forest floor.
The results prove... significantly less explosive. There is no sudden splatter of blood and gore everywhere from a flattened British pancake-crumpet-biscuit-whatever. No, there's a certain sort of... resistance, to be found. A low grunt, barely audible, can be heard as the log - or its remnants - is simply sent rolling off to the side in peace. Would this man not simply die so that the lot of them can stop being in the middle of bleeding out?
"Please..." He starts to... plead? Is he ready to beg for mercy, after the four of them collectively threw blows at one another to kill? He clears his throat as his vision swims, a few dramatic coughs for effect.
"Kindly... mind my fucking suit!" He spits out that much through a bloodied, bruised face. "Do you know... how much this costs... to wash?" Bloody as it is around his midsection where he was stabbed earlier, chances are this one's spent to begin with.
This statement made, the full extent of his displeasure known, his head tilts back as the mind-numbing pain. Would this be famous last words...
...Or?
COMBATSYS: Eagle takes no action.
> //// ]
|======-\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|-------\-------\0 Wing
COMBATSYS: Eagle can no longer fight.
> //// ]
|======-\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|-------\-------\0 Wing
"...ha..."
Wing, crazy-eyed, regards her fallen foe.
"...ha... ha ha...!"
She turns her wild, blood-flecked gaze toward her teammate.
"...ha ha ha ha ha!"
Awkwardly her hand sweeps through air, as if in the makings of some grandiloquent gesture, only to settle upon the javelin that Cody so thoughtfully provided her with, still sticking out of the second wound in her abdomen.
It settles there, and her face assumes a mildly preplexed expression.
...but... hey... she's standing.
...somehow.
COMBATSYS: Wing takes no action.
> //// ]
|======-\-------\0 Cody
> // ]
|-------\-------\0 Wing
Log created on 22:47:59 04/18/2010 by Wing, and last modified on 03:24:50 04/27/2010.