Description: Even with society breaking down in Taizhou, some people have decided it is perhaps for the best to distract the weary and hopeless with a small tournament at the Shao Jiao nightclub. El Fuerte and Kaiwei appear to be the champions, but just as they're crowned... a new challenger arrives?! Dr. Tran and Eagle show up to steal away the victory, fiddling along at a(n arguably) safe distance while Rome figuratively burns from Seishirou's apparent parting gift to the world. (WINNERS: Dr. Tran & Eagle)
Being out on the streets is not a pretty place to be right now. People are throwing things, riot police are out gassing those masses that are getting out of hand, but yet in the night club settled on one of those streets full of the discontent it is almost like another world. People are gathered enjoying themselves and pretending they have not a care in the world. They sip their drinks and enjoy the entertainment that has been going on throughout the day. Li Hua and the Silken Blossoms had been canceled, but there is plenty of entertainment left for the crowd to watch.
Mostly it has been provided by teams of individuals thrown together in a small little tournament with a rather nice prize at stake. What sort of prize? No one really knows which means it is left for each team to imagine what it may be. One such fighter is El Fuerte. Already has he been competing in singles competition, but he has even found an unlikely ally in a strange man that stands next to him at the moment on the dance floor. No one else is left there as a few people are limping away and there is a large round of applause.
"I guess that is the last of them. So much for a challenge!" the luchador says with a laugh. Of course he is waiting to see if any more foolish people are willing to walk up and challenge both he and Kaiwei. He has learned at this bar not to just assume things are over after his fight the other night. Right when he thought things were wrapped up he was met with one last person to fight that ended up being quite a handful. He does slap Kaiwei on the back and gives a big thumbs up. "We both almost have what we want!"
A nightclub! Who would have guessed that an aging Chinese man would find his way into one of these places...and stay voluntarily? Even more out of place is the man's wife and all sixteen of his wonderful children in the corner, hiding away from the violent scores of people wreaking havoc outside. It's been an exciting evening so far, and Kaiwei has been happy to show his family his abilities! Though his opponents may not have been the stars of the fighting world, they were almost all many times younger than he, none of which could withstand the power of his local techniques and those of his oddly-dressed partner. There's been fun! Excitement! Chaos! And now...oh, finally now, the prize is to be awarded. With this, he can get his whole family on a plane back home immediately, to get them away from this riotous area!
But alas, it's not to be. Kaiwei stands on the stage, hands uplifted to receive the cash when, suddenly, this "Here comes a NEW CHALLENGER" crap starts pumping from the speakers! "Wait, I...what? What are you--no, don't take that away! Ah-!" he stammers out in the native Chinese dialect, arms out helplessly. What could possibly be important enough to take away the funds he and The Fort have worked so hard to win? He looks at his partner, a hand scratching at the top of his head. "What do you think they're doing?" he asks in his accented English, and after a moment's pause, shrugs at his own question. "I don't know what they're doing, maybe they just like seeing an old man and his family suffer." His hands come together, each one tucking into its partner's sleeve. "True, true, these young kids don't have any respect for their elders." However, that comment makes him scrunched his face and look a bit perturbed while he continues to mutter under his breath. "Maybe they don't wake to give us the money?" His self-conversation is interrupted by the smack on his back, causing him to stumble a few steps forward and press a hand to his chest. So fragile! "What! I just want to go home! What are these people doing to me?!"
It all seems set. The victors, El Fuerte and Kaiwei, the true Kings of Heaven's Fist. (Fists?) There's enough fighting to be had going on outside, but here, the fighting is all... nicely organized. It can't really be said that everyone here is safely out of harm's way. It's noisy outside. No. It's a goddamn warzone. It's always been a warzone, but now it seems everyone's gotten in on the whole panic and violence. Taizhou is not a place to play. It never was, but it surely isn't now.
Eagle, for his part, can only think to himself... _finally._ A show that he can appreciate! It must be water under the bridge for that whole Li Hua incident from before. Come to think of it, what did happen to that young martial artist girl from before? Hmm. Perhaps it's not worth dwelling on.
"Look alive." Eagle tells to Tran from backstage as he tries to put his game face on despite having been in no less than six altercations outside over the last few days. The things he does for showbusiness, he grumbles to himself inwardly while trying to keep his proper stiff upper lip and smiles for the crowd. A nice, fake smile for a fabricated struggle meant to be entertaining.
What is it that separates violence that is celebrated from violence that is feared? This is a question Eagle will not be answering.
Spotlights shine as Eagle seems to glide forward from backstage, one stick already thrust out towards the small luchador who does not quite have the last laugh yet, a showy series of thrusts from a relatively safe distance before standing tall and bowing before the audience.
"Will these seasoned battle vets step up to CLAIM THE CROWN?" Asks the announcer. "ARE THEY THE BADDEST OF THE BAD? THE ADDEST OF THE MAD? The manliness of fate and the machos of destiny!?"
Spotlights shine upon Eagle, but surely, his entrance is not the grandest to be had with these surprise challengers to the King of Heaven's Fist?!
SOME TIME AGO
There is almost nothing on Earth Dr. Tran loves more than a good riot. Tragically, recent events have made him almost wholly unable to enjoy it. Lifting another man above his head in the midst of a crowd, the doctor hurls him through a window and then sighs. "I'm just...not feeling it." The words are lost amidst the riot-racket, but nearby an employee of the Shao Jiao nightclub smiles. He's found himself some /winners/.
LESS TIME AGO, BACKSTAGE
Dr. Richard 'Getting Too Old For This Shit' Tran gives Eagle a baleful look. "I can't believe you let us get roped into this." His expression seems to indicate that there will not be forgiveness, but it's too late to do anything about it now. Grumbling, Tran walks off to take his place for his own grand entrance.
NOW
A pair of double-doors erupt inward as Dr. Tran damn near kicks them off of their hinges. He pauses, momentarily blinded by the spotlight that is shining directly at him. It occurs to him that he doesn't even know who he's fighting, although he still has a pretty good idea of why. This is unacceptable.
Marching up toward the stage, the doctor snatches a random drink off of a bar in passing, ignoring a hip looking young man's protests, and shotguns it without even looking at it. He grimaces, but it feels like a good start. It's helping.
Tossing the glass aside carelessly as he hops onto the stage, Dr. Tran wonders how many more of those he'll have to drink before he forgets he ever even came here.
NEW CHALLENGERS!? That sort of announcement has the luchador spin about to look at the doors being kicked in and the men entering. It is hard to tell if it is an act from his usual persona or if he truely is surprised. Is his attempt to help his partner and his family get out of this crazy place as well as trying to help the poor going to end because of another team being sprung on them? No, he cannot allow that to happen. Short he may be, but he does his damndest to stand tall and point a finger in the air. "So we have someone else that wishes to prolong my poor partner's suffering. Well he and I will not stand for it."
He takes a deep breath and pulls his hand back before thrusting his fist in the air and it shakes vigorously. "Come on my aged friend. It is time for us to end this and claim what is ours. With the Hurricane of the Gulf here at your side we will win this for you and your...." he pauses a moment and does a quick count only to still get it wrong. "Nineteen children!"
He claps his hands and then he gets in a fighting stance. He looks like he is ready to take on these two men despite not knowing how well trained they might be. It is time to kick things into overdrive and win this thing.......that is if there isn't some other weird surprise in store afterwards.
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Eagle has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Eagle
COMBATSYS: Tran has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Eagle 0/-------/------=|
Oh, it'll take far more than a single drink to get the sound of Kaiwei out of your head, Tran. "You!" The aging man points directly at the good doctor, all high-pitched and screeching the word out. He looks incensed. He looks angry! He looks...confused all of a sudden. Something tickles the back of his brain, a hand fishing through seemingly distant memories. Has he met this fine, if surly fellow before? Is he a friend? An enemy? The accusing finger he'd held pointing at Tran draws back, all digits curled so that he can scratch the back of his neck...
Ah! His temporary partner's words ring true in his addled mind, and the old martial artist once again puts on his Serious face. "Yes! For my...what?" That makes him pause, his head turning to look at his family...who by now is raising up quite the ruckus about their father having already won. And man, are they LOUD. You think frat boys are loud on college football night? Try getting a willful old wife who's shoved almost a score of kids out of her yoohoo yelling with said kids and see how long your eardrums last. Kaiwei's, thankfully, are well used to things like this. "Sixteen! Sixteen children! All waiting on YOU to fall down so we may leave this place safely!" Once more, he points an accusing finger at Tran, then Eagle, then Tran, then the announcer, and... "Just WHAT is going on outside, anyway?" he asks aloud, staring at a window as though he's seeing the riot for the first time.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Eagle
How many children did that man say? Nineteen... sixteen? That's a large family, although it is a note Eagle would like to safely file away to some obscure memory in the face of the fact /he is on right now/ and, you know, when you're on you /put on a show/.
He was in earshot of the good doctor talking about how he wasn't feeling it not too long before. Truth be told, Eagle is becoming quite tired of this locale - and he's not even part of the desperate struggle so many have laid their lives (or are in the middle of laying down their lives) to put an end to.
Though some may celebrate these names for whatever reason for such a small-scale tournament, the true heroes may very well go unsung in the annals of history. But tonight, tucked into this little oasis of vice, there is wine and song to be had.
"It is, ahem, quite a mess, yes," Eagle says as he comes up from a bow, though he may be hard to hear above the jeering of Kaiwei's family, "but I suggest, for the moment, you take your mind off of it." On the inside, he grumbles - is he dealing with someone new to showbusiness, that older gent? Honestly, he's had it up to here with amateurs...
But this one in the white mask, he rather likes. He's sure he's heard the name 'Hurricane of the Gulf' in passing too, a small smile on his face as he shifts the majority of his weight to his healthier leg. "Well, without further ado," he gestures with a stick towards the two of them - perhaps within arm's reach of El Fuerte if he decides to take the initiative, "shall we, then? Best not keep your fans waiting."
Who are, at this point, probably more like Eagle's and Tran's /critics/. This is an important distinction.
In no time at all, Dr. Tran is subject to the pointed, gnarled finger of blame. Although he's not sure why. In fact, it seems like no involved party has any idea what's going on, least of all Tran. Why, if he had a dollar for every person he's personally offended in some way shape or form, he would probably have already spent it all and passed out in a gutter somewhere.
Oh, to dream.
But no, instead Tran is in a night club in a city that is metaphorically exploding, and possibly literally exploding at some point, because ninja are insane and argggh. It's all so frustrating. Especially the part where he got his ass kicked by other, more girly but equally crazy ninja. That was pretty awful.
Shaking his head briefly to clear it of the unpleasant past, Tran folds his arms and waits. "So are we gonna fight, or do we have to wait for the kids to grow up first?"
Hmm, one of the opponents El Fuerte has noticed is quite the professional. Though this man has seemed to refined his craft somewhere other than the ring. Tran on the other hand just seems like one of the other typical bums that he has been dealing with all day. He spares a glance at Kaiwei and he smiles. "I think I have a destined battle, my aged friend. Take care of the hobo and we shall go on and be victorious!" If only there were special effects to be had. He would have pyro going off as he made such a proclamation. Unfortunantly this isn't the squared circle so he will have to make due with what he has.
He grins widely towards Eagle and gives a nod in approval. "You have the charisma. Now to find out if you have the skill!" He is off like a coke addict that just had his fifth line in under three minutes. The weird part is he is backpeddling away from Eagle at first as if building up steam to burst forward and then throw himself into the air. He flips about and he throws his arms out as he comes flying downwards towards the other fight. "TOSTAAAADAAAAAA PREEEEESSSS!" he declares with the intent on crashing down on Eagle and introducing him to the dancefloor.
Oooh. Oh, you just had to bring his children into the matter, didn't you, Tran? A hush falls over Kaiwei's family. The relative silence (riot outside nonwithstanding) is ear-ringing. Quite simply, who shut off the noise? Kaiwei's face scrunches again, a deep frown on his lips. His head turns toward his beloved ones, whom immediately burst out into a renewed clamor. "Beat him up!" "Knock him out!" "Kick his petoot!" You know...those kinds of things, only in Mandarin. It's easy enough for the local people to understand, and the more inebriated of the crowd take that as a good idea to join in! Roaring and cheering abound, the crowd starting to itch for the finale to this King of Somethingother contest.
"Believe me!" the elder man shouts above the din, "you could not handle my kids even now!" And that's no joke. The kicking, the spitting, the crapping, the...you know, you get the idea. But fine! If it'll take another fight to get he and his loved ones home, so be it! "We should have done this from the start," he spits out, leaning back and bending a knee. "Hush! Don't be angry at the man, he's drunk!" His body swings low, his other leg extended far forward, arms spread out and apart...and then he leaps! Springing like the majestic tiger, both of his hands bear bent fingers like claws, and as soon as he's in range, he outright slashes at the good doctor! Another swing, another slash; all while Kaiwei tries to knock down one of the men trying to stand between he and the prize!
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges ElFuerte's Tostada Press.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Eagle
Eagle makes only one specific mistake in the following seconds of his greeting of El Fuerte - he blinks. Sure, there's the rapid sound of footsteps and an inexplicable cloud of dust on an otherwise well-maintained stage, but it's that one action - blinking - that nearly costs him.
It's only an upward glance moments before what would have been an inevitable impact that sees him leaning off to the side with his left arm crossed inward, missing the masterful Mexican wrestler-chef's dive by mere fractions of a second.
"Come, you aren't throwing it already, are you?" Eagle chortles to himself while Kaiwei shouts and complains and quite frankly that's rather hard on the ears, but he's sure the good doctor will be taking care of that.
"Come now." Eagle playfully leans down and tries to poke El Fuerte in the side with a sharp little jab. "We've just begun."
COMBATSYS: Tran blocks Kaiwei's The Stalker's Claw.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Eagle
Blah blah blah, kids calling for his head, like Tran cares. As far as he's concerned they're not even /sentient/ yet, it's just like a pack of whooping dogs, or maybe screaming cockroaches.
"I wouldn't /want/ to handle them!" They're all covered in child-filthy, it's digusting. And yet despite this, there is a shining beacon of reason, gleaming down as though from on high.
'Don't be angry at the man, he's drunk!' It's like.../yes/. Finally a sentiment the doctor can /respect/. It's like this old man understands, sort of? It might just be senile rambling, but whatever. Tran takes what he can get.
What he does not take so freely is the tiger-like attack of Kaiwei, who comes in slashing and clawing with surprising speed for such an old dude. The doctor /handles it/, interposing his forearms and entering into an off-balance retreating action, taking the cuts and scrapes like a champ without even falling on his butt a single time.
It's as he's recovering his balance that the doctor /strikes/, lashing out with his own slightly clawed hand, although the intent is less to slash and more to grasp, specifically in the general throat region. And then constrict with unusual force for a man of Tran's size, before he lifts up, spins about, and kicks right at stomach-height.
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte blocks Eagle's Weapon Jab.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Eagle
Downwards comes El Fuerte and he finds his target nowhere to be found. His arms extend and he catches himself on the dance floor in a handstand instead of flopping down on it. He quickly pushes off and flips about to land on his feet again, preparing to come to block the blow being thrown his way. An arm comes upwards to let the baton glance off the forearm as he staggers back a step. "Throwing a fight? I would never do such a thing. I am just beginning!"
He takes a few steps back and again comes forward, his fist starting to swing forward, but he punches past the head of Eagle only to attempt to turn about on his foot to get behind the other fighter. He then attempts to grab Eagle on both sides of the head and jump upwards and fall towards the ground, his arms tugging downwards to crack the back of Eagle's head on the dancefloor.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei blocks Tran's 3 2 1...Dr Tran.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Eagle
"Drunk! Unsightly!"
"No! Nothing of the--oh, are you drunk?"
Kaiwei speaks in babbles as he tries to ravage the poor doctor, but the brutal assault is stopped by the sight of a hand coming right for him! He has no time to verbally warn himself of the danger, nor to fully evade the dangerous throat-gripping. Just think of what could happen if he didn't try, though? His esophagus, ripped right out! Trachea, torn! Never again would he be able to tell his family that he loves them...never could he answer their cries! This terrible future, must, at all cost, be avoided...! And so it is.
All that stands between Tran's grip and Kaiwei's throat is the old man's own hand, held up and knife-like as though it were some sort of Three Stooges combat training. It's effective insofar as stopping his delicious throatmeats from being torn out...yet it fails in the fact that his own hand is crushing his windpipe. Gurgles and gacks are barely audible as Kaiwei tries to pull and shove...or more accurately, tries to get Tran's upper body moving like a pendulum, back and forth...
...So he can jab his own fingertips in his opponent's throat!
COMBATSYS: Eagle blocks ElFuerte's Medium Throw.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Eagle
"Good. Then keep on your feet." Eagle suggests with a gentle tone that is, alas, hard to pick up above the crowds or what have you. This suggestion might be best saved for himself given the circumstances. He thinks he has El Fuerte's latest number when this seeming punch goes wide past his head. There's that arrogant smirk. That sort of satisfaction, being in the zone. That he has complete control of the pace of this fight--
Until El Fuerte puts on that El Fancy Footwork and is suddenly behind him, with both hands on his head. A feint!! When El Fuerte leaps up to try and pull Eagle down with his momentum, he fights it back to try and remain at least a crouching state, no lower.
He still hits his injured leg's knee against the stage floor with an appreciable amount of force even in an incomplete slam. The showman winces visibly for the effort, given how loud the sound of knee against stage is. Said noise overstates the actual amount of injury but certainly captures the spirit of pain thusly.
From his kneeling position, he reaches along over to where El Fuerte should be nearby, trying to get his forearm around his upper back as to shove him to the ground in front of him and - if all goes well - stand himself up by thrusting both sticks down into his back or chest, whichever way he faces. After a little spinning flourish between them, of course.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei successfully hits Tran with Jade Girl Prepares Feast.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Eagle
"Well, you know, I'm little buzzed, but--" Tran cuts himself off as he responds to Kaiwei's question, perhaps because it is a slightly inappropriate time to hold a conversation, on account of the active choking that is going on. Also, the old man might be having a seizure.
"Uh, I know this might be a weird thing to ask here and now, but are you alraghgkhgkglkkkikk?" This is the sound that Dr. Tran makes when /his/ trachea is brutalized, staggering back and clutching at his neck with both hands as he tries to keep all of the things that normally flow through his throat start doing that again, like blood. And air.
Finally, he meets with some success, still bent over and panting heavily. "OK, OK. Probably deserved that." The doc straightens, and seems to be recovering himself somewhat. "So you know what, nice one. Just...just gimme a minute, and I'll be good to go again, too." And the recovery process begins, as Tran begins to channel chi, circulating it in and out of his body, forcefully restoring function and power and also making a totally sweet rippling effect as the air distorts around him like he's a highway on a hot summer day.
COMBATSYS: Tran gathers his will.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Eagle
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte interrupts Chest Blow from Eagle with Calamari Slide.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Eagle
While it did not perhaps hit the mark like he had planned, El Fuerte is an observant man when it comes to fighting. He noticed the discomfort of Eagle when his leg hits the ground like it did. So it seems perhaps this man is playing with some sort of injury. Given his positioning he has at the moment he is already considering a few things. Of course he needs to be a bit more mindful of what Eagle is doing. His leg may be injured, but he is still spry enough to be swinging those batons about like some sort of wild flamingo!
He pops up, but lets himself be shoved by Eagle. He gets a bit of a goofy grin on his face as he kicks his legs out and catches himself on his hands and pushes forward. He kicks out the legs from under Eagle as he slides on by and goes into a forward roll for a few moments before popping back up onto his feet. He twists about to face Eagle again and he raises his arms. "Ole!"
While Eagle and El Fuerte seem to be having a grand old time just a few yards away, Kaiwei and Tran are here coughing and hacking like old men! Granted, this shouldn't be so unusual for the former, but the latter is a doctor! He should know the dangers of not breathing! "Really, it's just terrible to neglect oneself like that." ...Ah. Did Kaiwei say that last part out loud? He doesn't know.
Still, having taken the lesser damage, the father of four-squared is also the first to recover, apparently! Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his Mexican friend jumping and slamming and sliding all around, surely making a fool of the stick-wielding...whoever he is. "My friend, you are as smooth as the egg on my beef soup!" It's meant to be a compliment. Oh, Tran! Yes, Tran. Kaiwei immediately stands fully upright, one hand helf near his side as the other is extended, all limbs loose and limber...but there's no counter to his terrible strike. How odd. Instead, he's just...hunched over? Well, far be it for him to pass on such an opportunity. "Forgive me for this, but this place is too dangerous for little ones!" Both of his hands swing down, backwards, and up, using the full weight of his near-limp arms to create a powerful centrifugal force...which, as the dual palms come down, aim to slip Tran's head even further down than it should for one in possession of all of his ribs.
In layman's terms, little man try fold younger man through his own legs!
COMBATSYS: Tran blocks Kaiwei's Medium Throw.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Eagle
Eagle's going through the usual showy gestures to catch the eyes of those who are attempting to enjoy themselves in a time and place where the word 'enjoy' is critically endangered. It ends up turning into a precursor to collapsing flat on his face through a surprising (and rather slick) reversal that probably more than earns a few cheers over in El Fuerte's direction... for those who still have a spirit left in them to cheer and not just try and drink themselves off their asses until this establishment is inevitably bombed to the ground.
Ole, indeed.
It would be so simple to just reach out and swing with both sticks down at El Fuerte's legs, but the issue is that El Fuerte is now behind him. He hasn't much a choice but to stand and re-gather himself, pushing up with his sticks and turning about-face back over to the luchador.
"Good. Good." Inwardly, that short man over there does seem to pack a little bit more punch in there than first indicated. Fun to watch, he's sure. This is good. A little less easy to control and dictate the pace of... not quite as much.
With a deep breath, the man raises his sticks in the usual ready position, bobbing slightly back and forth with his weight visibly leaning more on the less injured leg. "Shall we turn it up, then?" Not that he'd actually want the lights on him to be any brighter, it's getting kind of warm in here. (This may or may not have something to do with the fact he is in the presence of Dr. Tran, but one digresses.)
COMBATSYS: Eagle focuses on his next action.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Eagle
"What? What are you even talking about, you old fart?" Dr. Tran seems confused for a moment as Kaiwei starts talking about forgiveness and all that nonsense, which is strange because this is a /fight/ and hitting each other is what they are supposed to do.
Besides, if Tran was going to hold a grudge over anything, it would be that part where Kaiwei caved his neck in. But he's not, because that wouldn't be very sporting, would it? Sort of like hitting a man while he's trying to recover himself a little bit. Mean-spirited, is what it is. Maybe that's why the dude's apologizing.
Thankfully for Tran, he's built fairly solidly for his small stature, and he's not caught entirely off-guard; he takes the blow solidly on hunched shoulders, driven down but not /too/ down. Rising up much more quickly this time, carrying a pained expression, Tran prepares to return the favor.
He's a lot more straightforward about it. Honest, even, because nothing says honesty more than hauling back and punching someone directly in the face.
So his attack seems to have worked, but Eagle seems to be well enough off that he shouldn't be taken lightly. He at least seems to give the other fighter a moment to stand. "I believe you are correct in saying such a thing!" he responds to Eagle's words and points a finger into the air. "If you wish to see the Hurrican of the Gulf at his best then so be it!" The bravado does get quite a few cheers. It is like night and day when you consider the pairs attacking one another. The fans that like a show with their fight are leaning more towards the luchador and his fabulous opponent while those that like a dirty fight are more focused on the hobo and Kaiwei.
"It is time....." El Fuerte calmly says at first and he reaches behind himself and takes a deep breath. "It's....DYNAAAAAAMIIIIIIIIIIIC....." he yells out loudly as he pulls a frying pan and points it skyward. "COOOOOOOOOKIIIIIIIIING....." Where the hell did he get that thing anyways? He points it upwards and then he reels back to sling it forward right towards Eagle. "TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!" He quickly bolts forward after throwing the item which ends up sailing overhead the other fighter while the luchador is close behind as he jumps into the air and slings a knee upwards to knock Eagle off balance before entangling both legs around the fabulous one to bring him crashing down on the ground again.
COMBATSYS: Tran successfully hits Kaiwei with Strong Punch.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Eagle
"I am talking about your well-being! It's not something to be taken so--"
Before the kind old man can even tell Tran how much he cares about his health despite being angry with him earlier AND still wanting to slam him into the ground, the paternal love is simply...shut down. Rejection, denial...such a heavy burden, it hits like a train, so thoroughly does it wound the heart. The room spins and vertigo starts to take hold as he begins to fill as though he's tumbling through a crowd of people...
...Which is precisely what he's doing. The train, in this case Tran's fist, collides with the elder's face with such brutal force that he's lifted, launched, sent careening back and flipping over and over. The crowd doesn't quite know what to do about it...so they part and let him fall to the ground amidst cries of "Daddy! Daddy!" No woman alive could possibly hold back more than a dozen kids, some of whom are fighting and sobbing to run and throw themselves over their father's corpse. A great many people flip out their cellphones, almost simultaneously, to take pictures of the moment...of both the beaten father and the heartless foreigner mistreating one of their own so terribly.
But ho! The twitch of a hand, the scrape of a shoe! Sniffles abound as Kaiwei eases himself up, patting kids on the head. "Don't worry, babies, daddy's here. Daddy's...why am I over here? Did daddy fly?" He holds his temple in the palm of one hand, trying to get a fix on his new surroundings...trying to retain the laser-like precision he never had to try and beat the man who made his kids cry!
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei focuses on his next action.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Eagle
COMBATSYS: Eagle interrupts Guacamole Leg Throw from ElFuerte with Liverpool White.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Eagle
Oh, it is so Dynamic Cooking Time. Turn up the heat, and all that. This kitchen is about to be all on fire, possibly because Dr. Tran may or may not have let his hooch spill on top of an active oven or what have you.
The frying pan sails overhead. Eagle decides to catch it in a stick, giving it a little coy spin. He continues spinning it even as he takes to the air himself, two men destined to meet in the middle of their fight - one advancing with a knee, one... who is still somehow balancing a thrown pan on top of one of his sticks in midair, by some means.
Blink, and one would miss the full exchange as the knee collides solidly against the British showman's breadbasket. It appears it may be a smooth transition into the leg wrap right from there, when suddenly...
Eagle stops spinning the pan about that one stick, swinging said stick downwards into El Fuerte with enough force to dislodge him. The once-spun pan may or may not be situated on their face as Eagle lands in a deep crouch, more stress on his worse leg than he'd have wanted to.
"Did anyone order a piping hot round of applause?" Eagle asks the audience in earnest as he gestures broadly to those watching. "Let stand for a few seconds, serve warm." A smile. "There's more than enough for seconds."
"Look! It's my body!" Tran begins angrily, rebelling as youth almost inevitably must, in the wake of Kaiwei's half-lecture and sudden flight. He slowly steps forward, pursuing but not too fast, rubbing at his knuckle. Getting it ready for another blow.
"I do what I want!" Seemingly unmoved by the heart-touching display before, perhaps because he is a WIZARD and HID HIS HEART that NO MAN MIGHT SLAY HIM, Tran continues on inexorably. The shrieking of children does nothing save agitate him even further! Perhaps even driving him to take the most /extreme/ of measures.
As he draws close, Tran's form shimmers, becoming indistinct around the edges. As he raises his hand to close it into a fist, a fuzzy afterimage follows and then dissipates, adding an ethereal edge to the motion.
There's a spark, a shining beacon that goes off in the doctor's hand like a gunshot signaling the start of a race. Abruptly, he stands still; the crowd instinctively backs away further. But something's odd; he shimmers again, grows indistinct and starts to fade. And there, standing slightly behind and to the right of Kaiwei, is the REAL Dr. Tran. OR IS HE?
The same thing happens and he starts to fade, although another Tran is standing not too far away. And this repeats, again and again, each image refreshing itself as Tran rushes between the illusory dopplegangers, until with some unseen signal they all rush forward, fists raised to crush Kaiwei.
Only one's real, but he's punching /really hard/ to make up for it.
And that is a lesson in never underestimating an opponent. Not that El Fuerte was, but the art of surprise is always there to rear its ugly head. He feels he has Eagle in his clutches and is ready to complete his attack only to find himself getting caught up in a rather clever counterattack from the other showman. He lands hard on the floor and he staggers a bit when he gets back to his feet, though he does applause along with the crowd that is doing the same thing. "Always new things to learn it seems." he says with a bit of a chuckle through the light panting.
He decides not to relent though. If he gives Eagle too much time it would just allow the man to gain the upper hand quickly and that is something El Fuerte could not allow. He seems to be slowed down a step or two, but he is still rather quick in his movements when he dashes forward, this time not going for any sort of feint as he rears back and decides to throw a punch that he intends to slam right into the chest of Eagle with all of his might. It isn't pretty, but he hopes that it is quite effective.
COMBATSYS: Tran successfully hits Kaiwei with Dr. Tran 3-D.
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Kaiwei 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Eagle
Wobbly, but growing stable, Kaiwei extends his hand and tries his hardest to keep it directly in line with the shimmering doctor. The doctor that, the more his vision clears, becomes increasingly difficult to focus on! His eyes narrow and squint and his free hand shoos his straggling kids away. The crowd has parted and filled in the gap between the two fights, leaving the pairs more of less stranded in an island of people. The small circle around Tran and Kaiwei, however, seems to grow as all these...EXTRA Trans just show up out of nowhere! "What...who--?! Go away, we're fighting! It's not...?" He just can not wrap his sick mind around the strange phenomenon, can't even see them as real people. "Would you get these squirrels off of the floor, it's not saffjkkhhgh!"
In the middle of his complaining, the good doctor's fist all but destroys his poor face! Not once, but twice, his head has taken solid blows, shaking his brain around and making a steady, high stance frankly impossible. He may try, but he wobbles and falls down to his hands and knees on one occasion. "Fur scooting...hooples my...YES! No! Why should...ah?" When he looks up at Tran, it's with blurry, unfocused eyes...
And then he's gone from the spot, the squeak of his shoe upon the floor all that's left behind as he, once more, brings his 'claws' slashing out, trying to sink into the delicious-looking melon parfait that he sees Tran's brain to be and...oh god! He's biting! HE'S BITING! Time out!
COMBATSYS: Eagle counters Strong Punch from ElFuerte with Canterbury Blue.
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Kaiwei 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Eagle
When the sting going through Eagle's injured leg starts to subside, he gives a little nod to continuing the fight even though in the background poor Doctor Tran may or may not be in the middle of being mauled to death by a feral old man who may have a case of rabies over there.
Not that he needed to, because El Fuerte is fast like greased lightning sauteed in onions and peppers and topped with tabasco. (No comment on what the weather will be like in the restroom after the fact.)
Eagle raises a leg teasingly and merely holds a stick out in front of him horizontally in the path of the punch. For all the might El Fuerte can put behind that spicy strong punch, the stick is held firm in stopping the blow.
"May I suggest dessert?" Eagle offers as he sucks in air - a sign he may be losing a little speed himself, as he suddenly brings his leg forward and turns, striking straight forward into somewhere around chest level (maybe a little higher, given El Fuerte's shorter stature) with lightning speed that the air parts around the thrusting strike en route to El Fuerte.
"Perhaps a dish involving crow?" Eagle helpfully suggests as his head is turned away from El Fuerte after the fact.
COMBATSYS: Tran interrupts Tooth and Nail from Kaiwei with Dr. Tran Bites the Bullet EX.
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Kaiwei 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Eagle
His grand deception played out, Dr. Tran takes a little bit of a breather, which is to say he stands back and lets the old man work out through the mental issues which have /clearly/ just been bestowed upon him by the doctor's mighty fists, and which he has never before suffered. Yeeeep, clearly another case of someone too punch-drunk to be sane anymore. It's tragic...but it happens in real life, /all the time/.
That's just medical fact.
Interestingly, Tran doesn't have to wait for very long; Kaiwei, after his short burst of crazy mumbling, does his best rabid animal impression and goes right for the head, latching on like it's his last refuge on Earth. And then he starts biting, what?
The best defense Dr. Tran can muster is simply hunching over under the weight of the old man and trying not to let himself by bowled over and/or devoured. Or...is it? Cocking his arm back, knuckles popping as his hand curls into a tight fist, Tran only has one thing to say.
"Get off me!" And then he explodes, arcing his hand up to punch Kaiwei hard enough to send him flying off again, hopefully without too much hair, scalp, or any of the other treasured things that lie on a head.
Afterward, the doctor almost seems a little sheepish. "I didn't want to have to go that far, but don't do that." He pauses, and then states with dead seriousness. "I've got a hole in my head. It's /dangerous/."
Short? Yes, he very much is. Yet despite that he is a stout little bugger that packs plenty of wallop being his strikes. That is why it is rather impressive when his fist connects with the stick and doesn't move forward further. His eyes go wide and despite his speed he is nowhere near quick enough to take those blows that knock the air out of him and for the first time tonight knock the luchador out of action for quite a few moments after landing. He takes a few gulps of air and he slowly starts to stand up. "Is this the end? No, no it can't be. A family is in need!"
It may be taking all his strength at the moment, but he suddenly has a new and determined look on his face as he points towards Eagle. "You have dined well tonight my friend, but this time you shall have a special dessert and it is not crow!" He takes another deep breath and he bends at the knees and holds a hand in front of him as if he is ready to make a mad dash forward. That is exactly what he does too. He speeds towards Eagle and then leaps forward to catch himself on his hands and kick his feet out to nail the main in the chin. "EL FUEEEEERRRRRTEEEEEEE.......DYNAAAAAMIIIIIITE!" If that first blow is enough to stagger Eagle he just continues flipping forward. His feed punishing the man every time they come downwards before finally El Fuerte takes one giant leap upwards to come crashing down on top of Eagle if his aim holds true.
Oh, poor Kaiwei. What a state he's in! His illness is generally mild enough to keep in check, but the fighting... One can not expect a sick brain to act normally when disturbed so! His vision mixes colors, things are starting to look like other things entirely. Tran's clones? Squirrels. The people around him? Trees, with rapidly-flailing arms. In the back of his mind, he knows better, but...here's the good doctor, so easily ripping away the money his family needed! Caution and logic are simply thrown by the wayside in favor of the sheer ass-kickery of kung fu.
...And biting.
This time, when he flies back, it's not on his back, he doesn't crumble in a heap. He lands on all fours, shaking his head as if it'll help his lucidity. His shoulders hunch and roll as he starts to stand up, his stance low with bent knees. Both arms hand low and to his sides, elbows, wrists, and fingers all bent and curled. "Thief! SCOUNDREL!" From there on, his insults degenerate into various Mandarin names, some of which apparently seem pretty popular by the way the local crowd around him egg the old man on! Once more, he takes to the air, one leg swinging out in a sharp kick toward the dangerously hole-filled noggin. But, if he can only land...if he can just drop down to the ground in front of Tran, he can lift his head, to try and butt his chin, to lash out and drive a 'claw' of a hand into his chest so fiercely that one would think he's trying to fetch a sacrifice for Kali Ma. It's not that he's trying to take something, a fact that becomes evident that, whenever he first gets the chance, a glut of yellow light pings into existance. It swells terribly, so fast that it would explode with terrible force in moments!
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte successfully hits Eagle with El Fuerte Dynamic Cooking Time.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1 Eagle
A special dessert that is not crow? Is it a fabled can of whoopass? Don't be so trite, that stuff is store bought. What sort of just desserts El Fuerte ends up baking here is the sort of stuff that brings families to tables... around a TV... with terrible TV dinners that defeat the entire point of the exercise.
Too bad this isn't televized.
"Then what are you servi--" Eagle deigns to ask as he turns around, only to find his upper body being thrust back in a gratuitous spray of spittle with a touch of blood, staggering along behind Kaiwei's and Dr. Tran's outright brawl as he is given slice after slice after slice of that beautiful pie flavored lovingly in humility.
Dazed after that series of forward flip kicks, Eagle's frazzles moustache-adorned head sways about with his sticks lowered as he sees stars in those blindingly bright (and hot) lights before El Fuerte blocks out the light and - in that same gesture - nearly puts out those lights as he hits the floor flat on his face.
There is some coughing down on the floor as Eagle rolls along off to his side to try and get out from underneath El Fuerte, rising up with some visible difficulty.
"Is that... is that all you have to bring to the table tonight?" Eagle asks in earnest in-between wheezes, spinning the sticks around in his hands to give himself a quick breeze. "I do not believe I've yet had my fill."
He finds a little second wind in that bit of bravado, even with blood trickling down the left side of his mouth and a large bruise on the side of his head, swinging about the stick in his right hand in some broad rotary gesture that appears to serve no actual purpose while stepping forward and trying to strike out with his left.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei successfully hits Tran with Black Tiger Repels Intruder.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1 Eagle
Some people. Some people, /honestly/. Just because you're crazy doesn't mean you have to be /rude/, all cursing and yelling and just being a total butthole. You tell someone not to attack your head, and what do they do? They just waltz right up and kick it. Old people just don't have any respect, evidently.
Dr. Tran's thoughts aren't in the straightest order at this point, with thoughts to that effect floating wild and random through his headspace, possibly because they have been dislodged by the force of the initial strike. He doesn't exactly have time to recover because almost immediately he is struck by the GOLDEN DEATH CLAW TECHNIQUE.
Now it's his turn to go soaring backward, tumbling through the air like a wizard in a hurricane, right back toward the raised stage. It's not a very good landing; the doctor kind of impacts the side with a loud crack.
But still, he's not that long getting up, looking woozy but with focus quickly returning. Gotta recover, gotta take control again, but /how/.
Raising his fists in front of him, Dr. Tran has an answer. Shuffling forward, he jabs a couple of times into thin air like a boxer, and then rushes forward to do the same except in Kaiwei's fragile old-man body, keeping his guard up and his feet moving. The very image of /refinement/.
COMBATSYS: Eagle successfully hits ElFuerte with Random Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|=======\====---\1 Eagle
He was full of energy when attacking, but when he lands on Eagle he is slow to roll off the other fighter and get to his feet. This fight combined with the ones before hand seems to be taking its toll on the luchador. One of his eyes is squinted almost shut as he staggers about to get his footing. It is something that he doesn't quite fully get under control because his movements are quite off when he goes to feint out of the way of the incoming strike. It is still enough to slap him right across the face and he spins about and he reaches a hand out to grasp Eagle. "Not yet..."
He manages to muster up some strength in an attempt to pull Eagle in closer and he tries to leap off his feet and pull the other fighter upwards with him. He is attempting to pretty much twist Eagle about while flipping in a piledriver like attack that has the intent of battering the poor guy's head once again. Despite being rather short on breath he still manages to yell out too in the process. "FAJITAS BUSTER!"
COMBATSYS: Tran successfully hits Kaiwei with Dr. Tran's Buttle Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Kaiwei 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|=======\====---\1 Eagle
The rest of the night had been, in comparison, so easy! Sure, there were close calls here and there, but now Tran has just...completely stolen his prize. Perhaps that was the ploy all along, to make sure that nobody won, to make sure that the nightclub kept the money. Things like this were common here in China!
It doesn't mean that Kaiwei has to like it.
Still woozy enough to cause his form to stagger and sway, the elder fights to keep upright, to keep his hands and limbs stiff and rigid. It's clear that he's on the verge of being knocked out entirely, that he's having trouble focusing on things in front of him. This is even /more/ evident when he tries to slip around Tran's incoming punch! Rather than dip around it, he ducks headlong into it, the sound of fist against skull so hollow and loud that it causes the people immediately next to them to cringe. He wobbles back, teetering precariously on one foot, threatening to tip back...
But before tumbling over backwards, he tips forward again. His hands reach out to try and grip Tran by the pecs, fingers all curled and digging in for a good grip. One, two, three times does he send his head swinging forward, apparently trying to vent the good doctor's brain through that self-proclaimed hole! ...Oh, and somewhere, there's another big exploding ball of yellow power, this one marked with such a loud, high-pitched screech from his lungs that even some of the rioters outside stop to wonder what the fuck is going on in there.
COMBATSYS: Eagle blocks ElFuerte's Fajitas Buster.
[ \\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Tran
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ElFuerte 0/-------/----===|=======\=====--\1 Eagle
"No?" Eagle asks after a loud sniff, a loud sniff he is probably not going to live down as he's still doing that weird thing with the stick in his right hand. This stick is in fact what El Fuerte ends up grabbing - and Eagle gives a good show in a tug of war.
Which, in effect, probably falls into where El Fuerte wants - regardless of who wins the tug of war, it ends with the two of them together. What changes things is when El Fuerte decides to go airborne, where Eagle merely chooses not to follow. Aside from a grimace-worthy tug of his right arm in simply releasing himself with a flick of the wrist, Eagle keeps on his feet and not on his face on the stage again. After all, following his horrendous time throughout Taizhou's challenges and dangers, he has plenty of face to save.
His right arm doesn't quite need saving so much, even with the cramping feeling running up his bicep post-tug.
"Perhaps one of us should soon be asking for the cheque?" Eagle asks as he brings his arms inward before raising his injured leg to spin about with his arms and sticks outstretched. His right arm is not held out as straight as his left, but as he twirls along the stage like some sort of ponce (never mind how much audiences typically love how this move looks - in fact this one tends to show up on more promos than any other).
He hopes to catch El Fuerte in it, regardless of whether he falls down atop it or merely just happens to be in the way post-landing.
COMBATSYS: Tran blocks Kaiwei's Black Tiger Repels Intruder.
[ \\\\ < > //////////// ]
Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1 Eagle
It's unbelieveable. Not only is this old man still going and still crazy (you can tell by the crazy in his eyes), but he is also completely forgoing basic human decency. Didn't Tran /just say/ not in the head? And, AND! He's trying what basically amounts to the same trick he just used.
Well, Dr. Tran's not having none of that. When Kaiwei begins his latest vile assault, the doctor stands firm. /So firm/. The grip lands, but all Kaiwei headbutts are Tran's steely fists, still upraised and in prime defending position. Then there's an explosion, and you better believe that is also under control.
The force of it still sends Tran hurtling backward, if it is possible to hurtle while your feet are still firmly planted on the ground. Really, it's more of a backward power-slide than anything else. Coming to a smooth halt, Tran wastes no time in coming back to close the distance between himself and the old man, hunching in close and doing sort of a forward power-slide this time.
"I said enough! HRRRAGH!" With a violent motion, Dr. Tran clutches at his own chest, grasping hard on the tight fabric, and with a wild spinning motion tears it right off. He tears it off so hard it basically disintegrates. Scraps of loose fabric whirl through the air. He tears it off so hard he might even actually manage to smack Kaiwei.
COMBATSYS: Eagle successfully hits ElFuerte with Manchester Black.
[ \\\\ < > /////////// ]
Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/--=====|=======\======-\1 Eagle
Everything is going pear shape for the luchador it would seem tonight. It is rare that all his flipping and moving about puts him in a situation where he is actually dizzy. He fights about to try and get a better grip and just ends up getting entangled with the other fighter. What might have started as a fight of bravado has become pretty brutal unto itself. Perhaps not as crazy as Tran and Kaiwei duking it out, but still pretty brutal in the end. As if he isn't dizzy enough he gets knocked silly, perhaps sillier, again by the blows of Eagle that leave the luchador on his back once again.
"Hnng...can't check out yet..." he says as he sits back up. He is trying his damndest to keep his focus on one of the three Eagles in front of him at the moment. He climbs to his feet and balls a hand up in a fist while shaking it at Eagle. "The Hurricane of the Gulf shall not be defeated today. I don't care if I have to defeat all three of you!" He steps forward and reaches to grasp Eagle by the shoulders, but just then he starts to fall backwards like he ran out of steam. That is until he goes to kick the bad leg out from under Eagle to throw him off balance. His plan is to fall backwards fully and monkeyflip the fighter right over and past him if he succeeds.
COMBATSYS: Tran successfully hits Kaiwei with Dr. Tran Takes Off His Top.
[ \ < > /////////// ]
Kaiwei 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/--=====|=======\======-\1 Eagle
Slap!
The sound of Tran's...shirt...smacking against Kaiwei's face is the stuff of legends. It echoes even in the noise and chaos, so clear as to be heard for blocks around.
Tch-tch-tch-tch...!
The impact is far too much for the old man apparently; his stance is broken completely, his body lifted UP and send flying backward until it lands, skidding, on the flood. His head collides with the door, a bump loud and obnoxious...and apparently enough to get the attention of those outside. The first window to shatter is one mere feet away, a brick thrown through. Then another...and another! Larger and larger objects are sent into the nightclub as angry rioters try to get inside, their own bodies choking all points of entry...and exit!
Kaiwei himself lays still, head swimming and chest faintly rising and falling. He's alive, just...nigh-unconscious and thinking that the children who have come to drag him to safety are little fairies. So cute...cute little fairies!
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Eagle 1/-======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Eagle 1/-======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Eagle interrupts Medium Throw from ElFuerte with Union Jack Platinum.
[ < > /////////// ]
ElFuerte 1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Eagle 1/=======/=======|
"It was a wonderful meal, good sir," Eagle addresses to the ailing luchador who probably looks ready to lose their lunch (...dinner?) at any given moment, the way things are going. Perhaps this one doesn't have much fight left - perhaps it is better to end this now to end this on an exciting note than to let it drag out further.
It would be a service, he thinks, even as the Hurricane of the Gulf shouts his mighty challenge to... all three of them at once? Whether a non-sequitur or bad math through the eyes of someone not yet seeing double or triple, El Fuerte tugs Eagle by the shoulders in close as the British showman crosses his sticks in front of him in a manner similar to an X. Given the two are face to face, there's not really much room to be doing this.
Then, rapidly, he draws back his left hand and swings just as El Fuerte goes for the leg, forcing him to a pained kneel but merely kept going through the demonstration with that initial thrusting strike that saves Eagle from an untimely break in focus. Perhaps the discerning crowd will forgive the slightest pauses in between the next four swings and thrusts before he's back up on his feet to continue with the sequence as is proper.
"Your payment for tonight's services," he speaks as he pushes along El Fuerte back in a further series of these advancing strikes until he goes into an alternating series of thrusts, "and your tip," finishing with one last decisive thrust to a beautiful shower of Former Tran Shirt confetti fluttering over the two of them with a beautiful shine reflecting off the stage lights.
Is this how the match is at last decided, and the championship of the King of Heaven's Fist?
Ka-PTCH. Such grace, such majesty, such beauty as Dr. Tran reveals his moderately well-sculpted physique to the world! Nearby, several ladies (and some men) swoon, a blind man regains his sight only to immediately go blind again, and a heavenly chorus sings a beautiful song of praise.
Or maybe instead of all that it's just suddenly rioters. Well, no skin off Tran's back. It looks like Eagle's finished his end of things *in style*, so all that's left to do is collect the prize and get the hell out of dodge.
The doctor hesitates, which thankfully just looks like a dramatic pose that he is holding. He knows where the back door is, maybe, and some legends say he was actually born in a riot, so it's not like he's in any danger there. But something's nagging at him...
"Hey, boners!" So of course Tran starts shouting. Everyone knows it's the best way to get things done. "Give my prize to the old loon, I'm out of here." After all, what does he care about some money? Maybe this'll even net him a change of fortune, karmically speaking.
And then, with a whirl of his coat, Tran's sprinting off-stage, to who even knows where. Anywhere but here.
And he's taking this other guy's drink with him, so there.
COMBATSYS: Tran takes no action.
[ < > /////////// ]
ElFuerte 1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Eagle 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Tran has left the fight here.
[ < > ///////// ]
ElFuerte 1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0 Eagle
So Kaiwei has fallen. It really wasn't something the luchador could see given the circumstances but he will have to apologize to the man later. Things certainly didn't turn out the way they were meant to. Even more so when he is hit with the insane amount of pain he feels when Eagle easily beats his attack back and continues to punish the already battered body of the luchador. He looks like he is out cold on his feet as his body wobbles about. Preparing to collapse. "Just two last things...." he says as he staggers forward. "Help the old man out if you can. I have to stay around and help with other things. His family needs to get out of here."
If he cannot win he can at least do his best to try and get Kaiwei out. Tran seems like a weirdo, but Eagle seems like a respectable man. He does reach out to rest a hand on Eagle's shoulder. "Second...." he leans in close as if the second request is a silent one......OR IS IT?
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Eagle 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges ElFuerte's El Fuerte Flying Giga Buster.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Eagle 0/-------/---====|
The request or what he was about to say is never heard. Looks like the luchador finally runs out of steam and he just slumps forward and lands flat on his face.
In the meantime, one of the rioters outside has managed to throw a bicycle into the nightclub, and they've begun to smash against the doors!
Just two last things? Eagle's head turns just as Tran shouts things about money that he doesn't immediately catch wind of, for he is a little too absorbed in the moment. That closing line. Yes, for once in this entire blasted trip, it appears everything has gone splendidly. The execution and timing of just about everything, perfect. The pacing, just right!
But he is interrupted from a proper bow as El Fuerte struggles a little too close. What is this, now? That other one's family needs to get out of here? The look on Eagle's face seems to run more along the lines of 'do I look like a personal ferry service' than any real gentlemanly understanding.
He takes his bow immediately after, his shoulder ducking from under that last grab at his shoulder - ending with El Fuerte slumped over in front of him... and the loud, unmistakable sound of the door being smashed at. That same large bouncer Alan made short work of before runs by like a complete sissy for their life. Recognizing what this means for a bloke like /him/ to be running screaming from something, he scowls visibly.
Eagle has had it with this hellhole. This is the last time he attempts to ride on the coattails of whatever publicity stunt that Seishirou Ryouhara concocts. Assuming he's even in complete control of whatever the hell is going on in this blasted backwater nowheresville now! This was all a god damned wash, that's what it was.
"Right then." Eagle clears his throat as he approaches center stage and takes a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, it appears we are about to have a problem." Let's see, how much of this nightclub's layout does he remember from when he was supposed to protect the Silken Blossom?
And where the hell did Doctor Tran run off to now? Sigh. Well, he was better than that vapid karate girl. "Now, if you will please follow me, I do believe we have a back exit. Thank you for coming to tonight's show. Now, if one of you fine gentlemen could come over here and help me with these two fellow performers..."
Because after all that he sure as hell doesn't feel like putting any weight on his right shoulder. For all his irritations at the goings-on, Eagle still has his reputation to uphold as a world-class performer and professional bouncer. Ah, what a burden it is to have to stomach all that and not have any real venue to just spew out swear words in the possible presence of the paparazzi!!
Meanwhile, elsewhere, the real battles to save Taizhou rage on...
COMBATSYS: Eagle has ended the fight here.
Log created on 17:51:15 06/18/2010 by Eagle, and last modified on 22:21:30 06/19/2010.